Tributes to Princess Diana.

31 August 1997, Diana, the Princess of Wales, met her death in a car crash in Paris. She died, aged 36, along with her companion Dodi Al Fayed, 42, and chauffeur Henri Paul, when the Mercedes they were in crashed in the Pont de l'Alma tunnel. The princess's death provoked an unprecedented outpouring of national and international grief, with hundreds of thousands gathering to mourn outside Kensington Palace, where they left a sea of floral tributes. Thousands more later lined the route of her funeral procession. Despite investigation and inquiry reports to convince the public that her untimely death was an unfortunate accident, controversies withstand even up to today, the 10th year of her death anniversary.

There are several memorials being held today to pay tribute to the most-well-loved and well-known princess in the history of the world. The two major ones are those being led by Diana's sons at Guards' Chapel, near Buckingham Palace, and by Dodi's father, Mohamed Al Fayed, at the Harrods.

In his tribute to his mother, Prince Harry, who was 12 when Princess Diana was killed, said: "William and I can separate life into two parts. There were those years when we were blessed with the physical presence beside us of both our mother and father. And then there are the 10 years since our mother's death. When she was alive we completely took for granted her unrivalled love of life, laughter, fun and folly. She was our guardian, friend and protector. She never once allowed her unfaltering love for us to go unspoken or undemonstrated. She will always be remembered for her amazing public work. But behind the media glare, to us, just two loving children, she was quite simply the best mother in the world. We would say that wouldn't we. But we miss her. She kissed us last thing at night. Her beaming smile greeted us from school. She laughed hysterically and uncontrollably when sharing something silly she might have said or done that day. She encouraged us when we were nervous or unsure. She - like our father- was determined to provide us with a stable and secure childhood. To lose a parent so suddenly at such a young age - as others have experienced - is indescribably shocking and sad. It was an event which changed our lives forever, as it must have done for everyone who lost someone that night. But what is far more important to us now, and into the future, is that we remember our mother as she would have wished to be remembered, as she was - fun-loving, generous, down-to-earth, entirely genuine. We both think of her every day. We speak about her and laugh together at all the memories. Put simply, she made us, and so many other people, happy. May this be the way that she is remembered."

Prince William, who was 15 when his mother died, gave a reading from St Paul's letter to the Ephesians which asked for inner strength. The service included Diana's favourite classical music by composers Rachmaninov and Mozart and four hymns, concluding with Diana's favourite, 'I Vow To Thee, My Country'.

At the Harrods, owner Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi died in the crash together with Princess Diana, laid flowers at a shrine he has built at the London store and held a two-minute silence. Mr Al Fayed stood behind the bronze statue of his son Dodi and Princess Diana, which stands as a permanent memorial to them in the department store. More than 100 people gathered, including many Harrods staff and Princess Diana supporters of all ages. He thanked the gathering before bowing his head and falling silent. Apart from a rogue mobile phone, the silence was immaculately observed and there was emotion visible on many faces. Then after the silence, applause. Mr Al Fayed surprised everyone when he walked down to greet the well-wishers and took time to shake their hands. In accents from all over the world, people said they were sorry, that they wished him well, and that they missed them both very much. In return Mr Al Fayed smiled and even hugged some people, he took flowers too, including pink roses from one little girl.

The reverend Jesse Jackson made a surprise appearance and spoke quietly to Mr Al Fayed in front of the crowd. There were two books of condolence at Harrods. One outside the store stands by a mound of flowers and in front of the memorial display created to mark the 10th anniversary. Inside, a second book stands behind the statue of Dodi and Princess Diana, and its plinth, which reads: "Innocent victims." It was signed in many different languages today, but the sentiments were universal. One family from Harlow in Essex wrote: "There will never be another lady like you Diana." Another said simply: "Ciao grande principessa (Goodbye Great Princess)."

Other memorial services for the princess are to be held at venues across the UK, including Manchester, Bristol, Aberdeen and Cardiff. Admirers of the late princess have tied flowers and cards to the gates of Kensington Palace - her former London residence - as they did in 1997 after her death. Members of the public have also left bouquets and gifts outside Althorp, where Diana is buried, at the gate of Sandringham estate in Norfolk, where she was born, and near the Eternal Flame monument by the tunnel in Paris where she was killed.

In Singapore, I don't know about others but I personally observed a three-minute silence at noon today as a mark of my sincere respect for the Princess of Wales, Diana Spencer, whom I have admired for her selfless and tireless endeavour to help those in dire needs.


Adios, Great Princes! Please rest in peace.


The Garuda - 31 August 2007.

A Bit About the Bush!

President George W Bush, Iraq is a lose-lose situation now!

Why did you invade and attack Iraq in the first place, Mr Bush? For personal revenge against Saddam Hussein, who had attempted to assassinate your father? For laying down your personal long-term legacy like that of President Harry Truman who left office in 1952? For weapons of mass destruction, which have been proven there were none? For oil and energy? For the control of the Middle East which can be done by Israel? Whatever!

The fact remains that Iraq is obviously a lose-lose situation now. You have only two options: One, to stay the course and bleed to death and lose more of the US reputation in the whole world. Two, to withdraw as fast as possible and let Iraq go its own ways.

Why must you care whether Iraq would be sliced into pieces? Wouldn't it be better for Iraq to be divided into smaller states? It would then never become strong enough again to post a threat to the US and the world, isn't it? Why must you worry whether Iraq's neighbors would go for a land grab? Why should you bother whether the Sunni or the Shiite dominates the government? Leave Iraq alone and she would sort out her own problems, the problems which you have contributed greatly, the problems the hastily executed late President Saddam Hussein had managed to solve or subdue for many years. Though there were some atrocities, the country was peaceful as a whole. In fact, you could have made use of Saddam Hussein to counter the Al Qaeda. Sadly, you have lost that opportunity. Why did you go and stir up the hornets' nest and opened the Pandora box in the first place?

Now, you are opening yet another Pandora box! Why must you strike into the painful heart of the Vietnamese people again? Are you trying to exorcise the ghosts of Vietnam? Are you saying that the US should have stayed in Vietnam in 1975? Are you regretting that the US had lost the opportunity to dominate East Asia by not defeating the Vietnamese people? Would you like to launch another invasion on Vietnam? What actually are you trying to do?

In trying to win support from your own Republicans for the coming debate, you are now antagonizing Vietnam directly and East Asia generally. Don't you think so? I don't think you could win over Mr John Warner of Virginia to your side. There is no parallel between Iraq and Vietnam. Iraq was a single entity that is now split. Vietnam was a country politically divided that is now united. And Vietnam was the US's most humiliating defeat in the history of the USA and in the history of the World. Iraq has not yet become as humiliating as Vietnam if you can pull your forces out systematically instead of last minute chaos. Before you launched your invasion on Iraq, many countries, including Russia, had warned you that once you enter Iraq, you would be creating a second Vietnam. But you didn't care. You just went ahead. And ironically now you are trying to equate Iraq with Vietnam. It is really fascinating!

That clearly shows that the US has not learned the painful lessons offered by Vietnam. After 32 years yet you have not learned. History repeats itself again. Simply intriguing!

If the US really wants to help Iraq, pull your forces out first. Let Iraq bleeds itself. And after everything has settled, then move in to help on humanitarian ground, especially for Iraq's neighbors. They would be overwhelmed with millions of refugees trying to escape from the free-for-all battle zones that will be created by the vacuum caused by a US withdrawal. Pull your forces out of Iraq but don't send all of them home yet. Position some of them around Iraq and wait for the right time to move in again, on humanitarian missions under the UN umbrella. So, start to make friends now and start to lobby for UN's support at the same time. That is the only way.

When you stirred up a hornets' nest, there is no way you can try to appease each and every hornet that aims to bite you. They have gone berserk! So, simply leave the hornets alone. Run far far away from the hornets first. When the hornets felt hunger and started to devour one another, then you standby and watch. Once most of the aggressive hornets have either died or calmed down, then you move in to take hold of the whole hornets' nest. I believe that is the only way.

Try it!


The Garuda - 25 August 2007.

Free Speech and Right of Hearing.

The message below was taken from Aaron's blog site and reproduced without any editing nor amendment for posterity, in case Aaron decides to delete it like what Singapore Angle has done on some of the discussions in their posts. I hope the Brotherhood or Aaron do not mind me reproducing the article/post on this blog. If any objection is made to this within the next 30 days I would apologise and delete it completely.

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One last message from the Brotherhood

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I was requested by the Brotherhood via the contact form on my blog to publish their very last article (from my understanding, they are leaving Singapore, although I am not sure if they are leaving the Singaporean blogosphere). As a matter of adhering to my personal principle of free speech and right of hearing, I’m acceding to their request. However, this is NOT an endorsement of the Brotherhood, and I will not entertain future requests, since this is supposed to their final word. I am locking comments for this entry because this is their final word, and I intend to leave it as that.

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This debate was held in the under the special sessions emergency ordinance 9003 In Primus Aldentes Prime to discuss the recent developments concerning the suspension of all brotherhood publication in the Intelligent Singaporean recently earth time: 23-8-07 / The debate conducted in the Socratic fashion was lead by Councilor Vollaraine who addressed the committee on Hansard Vol II – special sessions – the motion is to move for a rebuke on the recent case of the Singapore Angle in removing large sections of the post relating to the Singapore blogosphere review on the first order and the second to find a new site for the brotherhood press.

First speaker: Cerebus for the case of Singapore Angle waives in favor of Vollariane arguing for censure.

Vollariane:

Senators

This is indeed a regrettable development. (1) Firstly the suspension of the brotherhood press in the IS followed by the Singapore Angle removing – (2) gutting out whole chunks of a thread which accounted for much of the dispute raised by senator darkness of the FC boys / the question that the council of wise has to decide upon is whether the act of committed by the Singapore Angle constitutes an action that warrants a terse and sharp response.

Senators, I urge for calm. I am sure the site master of the Singapore Angle would say that as administrators they have a responsibility to ensure that material posted (which was subsequently deleted) was properly classified, but this isn’t so much a question of right as it presents the question: does a site master have a right to free rein to the extent of distorting by deleting vital discourse material which would have given a contextual accuracy to the whole debate which justified the claim of senator darkness vis-à-vis: why wasn’t the brotherhood press mentioned in the Singapore blogosphere review.

As it stands today darkness doesnt even have a case because much of what he mentioned was posted in his the thread in the Singapore Angle.

Councilor Cerebus has argued the case, it remains the right of every site administrator to conduct the cost and benefits of having to content which post that not only imputes bad faith on the part of the site administrator. His contention remains, the site administrators of Singapore Angle has every right to edit postings which may be deemed prejudicial to the their interest.

Senators while I agree with this contention Councilor Cerebus offers no proposal for how they might actually perform that contextual, intra-executive task, which in all fairness even the best site administrators have historically deemed beyond their expertise!

Neither does Councilor Cerebus contention propose a definition of what is deemed desirable censorship to accomplish his cost and benefit calculation in favor of the site master - what if it comes at the cost of the truth? – that contention only remains true if we believe one’s right is not reducible to one’s policy preferences – (Time extended by speaker of the house in favor of vollairane to continue).

Senators councilor accuses me, in effect of subscribing to a linking of constitutionalism to the whole idea that a site master does not necessarily have the right to edit his post– while I agree if the nature of the post is slanderous, malicious and defamatory, the site master has every right to act, in this particular instance, I see none of these in the post that has been deleted by the site master of Singapore Angle and therefore I will have to ask what Councilor Cerebus means when he terms cost and benefit calculations that favors the interest of the site master.

Gentlemen, I contend otherwise as the cost and benefit justification that allows a site master to edit post dismisses – text, precedent, tradition and even reason (uproar in the great hall!) – cannot be based on simply a cost and benefit calculation to either preserve their world view or lend currency to their position taken. This sets a dangerous precedent – as it attempts to reduce everything to the convenience of the site master at the expense of the truth. Whether we like it or not the net has a constitution one that is not so different as the constraints which features as constraints, guidelines and yardsticks to the decision making process, but it cannot be self serving to the site master as he is merely the custodian of the truth. These are deemed fundamental principles and therefore they may even aspire to the status of constitutional values – over our collective history, there may be differences over the interpretation of the truth, but no one party, not even the site master has a right to exclude the full text so that others may be choose to read and decide for themselves – this is why Cerebus is wrong and his support of the Singapore Angle’s right to edit their post is premised of a weaker ground.

My friends, I have tried to reason to reason with darkness, but let us not forget, he sees the world differently from us all, but despite our differences, I have to agree he has a cogent case when he states the recent act of the Singapore Angle to scrub out much of the discourse is an act that further erases our history – the reason is simple, any constitution even one that applies to something as primordial as the net cannot be premised on the belief the site master can engage on any practice whose benefits outweigh it’s cost – we have seen the terrible results of this in the past where volumes of our history has been erased, as Cerebus would have it, but instead there must be a collective will even by netizens to insist that site masters do not engage in this activity only because while democracy may be an antidote to tyranny and oppression – even the framers of any constitution would have realized it’s latent danger, that it facilitates another form of tyranny - the tyranny of the majority against the minority – for years the brotherhood has fought against extraordinary odds to survive, in Pillium, we fought against an army 300 times our size and won and in the Ascension wars the figure was twice this – my brothers, for this reason alone site masters cannot be allow to edit, censor or even chuck out whole chunks of discourse on the grounds of cost and benefit calculations. As I mentioned earlier they have a duty to uphold the unwritten constitution in the internet where they serve as custodians of the truth even if it means contending with the inconvenience of being seen in a bad light – this constitution is not about efficiency, and is nothing short of a commitment to the truth. To call that mere rhetoric is to miss the very point of what it means to solicit real democratic change in the net.

Under ordinance 173 – I propose the brotherhood lodges the strongest protest against the actions taken by the site masters of Singapore Angle and strongly recommend that they reinstate the original post – under charter 15 – I hereby move the motion that the brotherhood searches for a new site to call home.

Councilor Vollariane / Motion passed 0027 Primus time.

We will survive, thrive and long live the brotherhood!

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For my own records.

The Garuda - 24 August 2007.

The Radicals, The Innovators.

I was reading a parable, a beautiful parable, The Innovator by G. William Jones, and I wold like to share it with you. Here it goes:


"It had been a long, long time since such a crime had been committed and, as punishment, the Innovator would receive a sentence which had not been heard of for a long, long time - not since the days of the great-great-greats. It was a sentence at once so terrible and horrifying in its aspect that the High Court and the C.D.'s felt that it justly fit the nauseous and perverse crime of innovation. The punishment was to be expulsion from the Dome!

The citizens lined both sides of the street, their expression a mixture of hatred and awe as their eyes followed the progress of the innovator, escorted by a cordon of C.D.'s towards the Lox. Gamblers in the crowd were busily making book on how long it would take the Innovator to die once he was outside the Dome, and on whether it would be death from Fallout, Poison gas, or perhaps even from a Wild beast. There was no doubt that he would soon die (for embedded deep in the mind of each citizen was the truism that no human life could possibly exist outside the. protection of the Dome -- that beloved plastic canopy erected by their great, great, great grandfathers, which stretched over the city from limit to limit, cuddling it in a benevolent, airtight grip). The only question was how long would death take to come and in what form?

Some of the sadists in the crowd had scraped through the thick crust of dirt on the Dome wall near the Lox so that they could see the Outside, and were selling places at these peepholes for a nice sum.

The C.D.'s and their prisoner had arrived at the Lox. The crowd retreated now in a minor panic for fear that some poisonous fume might enter the Dome when the Lox was opened. The mechanism was still good, although it had been unused for all these generations. At the press of a button from the Chief, the thick transparent door of the Lox swung jerkily open. The Innovator, with a last mournful look over his shoulder, as pushed rather roughly into the small compartment. The door was then shut, and the citizens held their collective breath as the Chief touched the next button. The outer door swung open with a great hissing into that unhealthy green Outside.

At his first breath of the Outside's air, the Innovator fell headlong, coughing, doubled up with a giant convulsion. The C.D.'s nodded their heads, pleased, and there was a clamour almost like a cheer that arose from those at the peepholes as they watched him and their wristwatches to determine the exact second of his last gasp.

But then the terrible thing happened. The Innovator slowly raised his head from the dust and, with the beginnings of a smile of great joy upon his face, filled his lungs deeply. His eyes grew wide. He sat up, and they could see his chest bulging with gulp after gulp of that alien air. The people were so startled that they cried aloud when he suddenly jumped from a sitting position straight up, coming down in the first steps of a wild dance.

'It must have hit his brain first' said one spectator, his nose flattened against the Dome wall.

The Innovator stopped his dance abruptly as he turned to see the faces peering out at him. He smiled at them - a broad, toothy smile with no malice in it at all. He even opened his arms wide to them, making a beckoning gesture!

At this point, many of those watching him could take no more, and turned away to go back to their homes, shuddering with a nausea of fear.

After making many gestures of well-being to those amazed and still uncomprehending faces, the Innovator snapped his fingers and stooped to pick up a stick. With it, he wrote in large letters upon the ground 'Come on out -- the air is fine!'

One after another shocked faces left the peepholes, not to return.

Again he wrote in the dirt, this time with more urgency ,'It is fresh air -- not poison.'

Still more left.

This time, almost frantic to make him-self understood, he wrote 'You don't NEED the Dome anymore. You can live Outside! It is BETTER out here!'

With this, every face disappeared from the clear places in the grimy walls, and the Innovator was left alone in the Outside with his brilliant sun, its fresh and moving air, its trees and plants three times the size of those inside the Dome, and its birds and animals.

The newspapers the next morning carried grisly stories of the Innovator's immediate death outside the Lox. The city fathers decided in an emergency session that the interior of the Dome should be painted opaquely to a height of twenty feet all around. And those watchers who could not be scared into abject secrecy were interned in the asylum, where talk of living outside the Dome could be taken for what it was -- the raving of a lunatic."

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A beautiful parable. This is the situation of humanity. Down the ages this has been so. Man has lived in a man-created dome of beliefs, ideas, dogmas. The churches, temples, institutions, wells or scriptures are just plastic domes. They are protecting man from Nature. They are not helping you to go to Nature. They are preventing you from going. When a man like the Innovator comes, he starts talking about strange things which exist outside the domes. He talks about fresh air and green trees, birds and songs, sun and clouds -- a thousand and one things. And you have lived in a plastic dome. You have never been out of it. You have never been out of the well. You have never been out of the traps of the priests or the politicians. And he comes and starts saying things which are wild -- things which have a great appeal, things which are magnetic, things which provoke and challenge! But those are the things you have not heard for ages. You become suspicious. You become afraid. You become angry. You become angry because this man thinks you are all fools!

That's why people go on asking, "Do you think you are far wiser than our Founding Father? Do you think you are more knowing than our elites? Then our extraordinary scholars? Do you think that you have brought truth for the first time?" People believe they have always had the Truth, that is in their possession. There is actually nothing in their possession. So, whenever a man of truth comes, a rebellious character comes into the world, innovation comes into the world. And the people crush such a man (or woman).

We have to create a world where innovators and innovative personalities (or some would brand them as radicals) can be accepted more easily. Where innovators are not only accepted but welcomed. Because it is these innovators who would help you to go higher and higher in consciousness. It is these radicals who can sense the right direction to move. They are your true vision to the future. They are the steps towards real progress!

The Garuda - 23 August 2007.

A Reluctant Politician or A Pseudo Politician?

Is there such a thing as a reluctant politician? I can say that I am a reluctant artist if, and only if, I have the aptitude, training and skills of an artist but do not wish to be an artist. I can say that I am a reluctant lawyer, if, and again only if, I have the aptitude, training and skills of a lawyer but do not wish to be a lawyer. But I can't say that I am a reluctant politician if I do not have the aptitude, interest, training nor skills of a politician simply because I have been coerced into becoming a pseudo politician. In such a situation, I can only tell people that I am indeed a first class imitation, make-belief, propped-up, pseudo politician, isn't it? One can only be a reluctant "something" if one already has the aptitude, inclination, interest, training and skills for that something. If you don't have that, you simply don't have that. Simple as that!

How can a person become a reluctant politician? If he is reluctant to be a politician, then he is no politician whatsoever! The characteristics of and the demand for a politician are far from those expected of any other profession, or businessman. Firstly, one must have the calling and the passion to be a real politician. He has to be genuinely interested in the welfare of the common people and a sincere heart, deeply and unshakably rooted in the wish to eliminate the sufferings of lesser folks, elevate their aspirations and advance their cause. He cannot simply say "I am a politician because I am doing something for the country." Everybody is doing something for the country. Even the housewife who has no economic contribution is also doing something for the country - she is producing and nurturing future leaders for the nation without pay!

Secondly, one must have the aptitude and attitude to measure up to the challenges and frustrations that a real politician would encounter on a daily basis. Once you participate in politics and get elected as a representative of the people, you become a public figure, public property. You are no more a private person. You cannot hope to hide in your own private corner and do things that would not be scrutinized by the people. You cannot wish away complaints, grumblings, rumblings, whingings and pot-shots that come your way by going to the Parliament to make a shameless complaint to the whole world that your constituents are complaining about you and, in the same breath, sweepingly and broadly brand your country folks as "A Nation of Complainers". What would the whole world think of you? You cannot demand people to give you respect and be grateful to you by going around suing people until they go bankrupt. Respect is tediously earned by winning the mind of the people but not arrogantly demanded just because you are now sitting in that high almighty golden chair on the top of the ivory tower, with a title that you give yourself or given by your cronies. Gratefulness is painfully acquired by winning the heart of the people but not shamelessly demanded simply because you have the absolute power to do whatever you please. See what had happened to the late Saddam Hussein?

Thirdly, one has to have the skills and finesse to deal with people, to listen to people, to love the people, especially those who are not easy to deal with, those who are nosy and noisy, and those who are not lovable. There is no effort required to deal with those who are easy to deal, to listen to those who have nothing to say, and to love those who are cute and lovable. It is natural. You don't need any special quality or training for that. In other words, you have to be someone very special; someone very patient, very tolerant, and very compassionate. You have to be very good at your inter-personal skills and human-to-human transactional analysis.

Fourthly, one should preferably have the charisma to inspire and the magnetic attribute to win the hearts and minds of the people; to make them like you; to sway their way of thinking, to change mind-sets, and to bring them over to your side. If Mother Nature does not imbue you with these qualities, you still can acquire them through intense and purposeful training while you are still young, not when you are already a ripened brown bamboo. Some of the series of training required are mannerism, poise, posture, presentation and public speaking. Though the trainings would never replace the natural qualities one hundred percent, at least they can help you to be conscious of yourself and project a better aura and image of confidence.

Fifthly, one has to have the courage to admit mistakes and the decency to apologise for his mistakes as quickly as possible but not to delay until it is too late. A good example would be the present Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe, who delayed his apology for the missing millions of public records for pensioners that caused his LDP to suffer a trouncing defeat in the recent election for the Upper House. Another example is the closure of UNSW Asia in less than three months of its inception, where not only an apology to the public for the resulting loss of public funds was not forthcoming but, instead, a happy-go-lucky attitude was arrogantly displayed. This is a clear signal that people are so confident of their own standing that the common folks can be easily brushed aside and dismissed as "pariahs", like what the late Mr Howe Yoon Chong said about those who dodged national service when he was the Minister for Defence. By admitting mistakes, one is showing to the public that one is willing to be accountable, to be responsible and to be answerable to the people. That is what I call a real representative of the people. A genuine politician.

Sixthly, one has to be able to read the ground, i.e. to feel and sense the heat and mood of the people whom he seeks to represent. In Japan today, there is a code among the students when referring to their politicians. The code is "KY". It does not mean Kuan Yew but "kuki yomenai" in Japanese, meaning someone who cannot read the mood of the people. If I say, "You are a KY," that means you are out of touch with the people; you are not able to sense the signals and read the signs that the people are churning out against you. How can a person learn to feel and sense the heat and the mood of your people? You have to come down to earth first. Go and visit your people as often as possible, not just confining to the 2 hours every fortnightly in your meet-the-people sessions. Go and listen to them and share their burdens and sufferings. Go and make surprise visits, not just prearranged visits for the newspapers' cameramen to take your photos kissing babies and pretending to smile. Go and work with them, not conveniently make them work for you and carry your balls - answering you "Yes, Sir!" three bags full.

Lastly, one has to be humble at all times, even if you are under tremendous pressure and stress, even if your own ego and self-esteem are down. You have to put your people's aspirations and interests before your very own, before your family and before your party's agenda and interests. As such one should not claim credit for nor praise oneself, one's boss or one's own party and colleagues publicly. Instead, one should be ever ready to shower praises and give credit to one's subordinates, supporters, followers and constituents openly and unreservedly. That is the real politician at work, not a self-centred, self-serving, egoistic wolf in sheep skins.


Do we have people of such qualities as our politicians?


So, if you are not a politician, you are simply not a politician. It is just like the "char kway teow" you eat in Australia, Britain or Canada. It simply tastes different. It is not the same as the original "char kway teow" in Singapore, isn't it? That is why we are having so many pseudo politicians masquerading as real politicians. That is why we are facing so many problems that have no long-term solutions. That is why we are doing patch-works and fire-fighting all the time. That is why the common folks are facing uncertainty with regard to their education, their job, their marriage, their housing, their old age and their health care. That is why many young and promising graduates are emigrating, living or working overseas because they are uncertain of their stake and future in this City of Post-Be-Lee-Ties!


The Garuda - 22 August 2007.

Seeking A Solution, Seeking A New Home.

In my last post I promised to think of a solution for myself. But if you like my solution you can also have it. There is no copy right infringement here. In fact, I have thought out not only one solution but a few of them. They are all free for all to copy if you are as mixed-up and confused as me. Now, here it goes.

My first solution, like many other "quitters", is to take flight. Now, how to take flight? I am not a rich man. I am already so old that when I applied to the Australia High Commission for emigration, they rejected me flatly without any chance of a redress. I also tried the Canadian and the US Embassies and was also told flatly that I am too old. That means I would not be able to emigrate to another 1st World country. Moreover, my CPF savings of about $200,000 have been totally wiped out during the Malaysian/Singapore Stock Exchange crisis 12 years ago. I only have a 5-room HDB flat which would fetch me about $300,000 at present market price and a meagre sum in the Medisave Account, which is being held by the government for safe-keeping. I have no other savings except two gold rings and a few gold coins. I have no children to depend upon but an equally aged wife to share my burden with. What can I do under such a situation?

Alternative 1: Convert my HDB flat to cash. Buy a cheap terrace house, about $130,000, in Johore. Keep the rest of the money ($170,000) in a fixed deposit to earn interests. Work in Singapore as a taxi driver as long as my health permits, up to the maximum limit of 73 years old with the clemency of our PM Lee. Let my aged wife set up a small corner to sell newspapers or magazines in JB, not so much as to earn extra income but to make her occupied so that she won't become senile and fall sick so easily.

Alternative 2: Convert my HDB flat to cash. Emigrate to China, Thailand or Vietnam. Obtain a PR status there. Renounce Singapore Citizenship. Draw out all monies in my CPF accounts. Buy or rent a small piece of land. Build a small hut and do some farming for self sustenance. Put the rest of the money in a fixed deposit to earn interests. When illness comes, be prepared to die. It will be cheaper to die elsewhere than to die in Singapore. Even death also costs a lot of money in Singapore. I estimated that a simple funeral would cost at least $3000.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My second solution is to become a free-loader. Convert my HDB flat to cash. Rent a small room to stay. Put the money in a fixed deposit to earn interests. Then choose one of the following alternatives:

Alternative 1: Use a bit of the money to set up a hawker stall at one of the MRT stations or along Orchard Road. Be prepared to be caught by the Environment muscle-men and go to jail. Enjoy free food and lodging with the compliments of our efficient Ministry of Environment.

Alternative 2: Go to any public place and speak loudly without getting a permit from the police. Get my wife to call up the ISD to arrest me. Be prepared to go to jail like Dr Chee and Sister. Enjoy free food and lodging with the compliments of our Honorable Judiciary.

Whichever alternative I choose, I would keep repeating the same thing immediately after being released from imprisonment. Am I tired of living? Of course not! It is precisely because I want to live that is why I have to resort to this kind of measures. May be, after a while, I would start to enjoy prison life so much that I simply cannot mix with the outside world any more. Remember the show Papillon (1973)? In that show, three prisoners tried so hard to escape from a dreadful prison island. When they finally escaped, all three of them found it so difficult to re-merge with the society that they wished that they had not escaped in the first place. They found life outside so unbearable that one by one they committed suicide. That was a real life story filmed in a fictitious setting. I think I must be getting all confused and mixed-up now.

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My third solution is to become an illegal immigrant or refugee in another country. Convert my HDB flat to cash. Put all the money in a foreign bank. Get into a foreign country. Choose one that is of 1st World standard like USA, Canada or Australia. (If I choose a wrong country, I may be killed without anyone knowing it.) Get into that country using a tourist visa. Destroy the passport and any identification documents. Enjoy a holiday for about two weeks or until all the monies that I have brought with me are exhausted. Get myself arrested by the police there. Enjoy the free food and lodging for as long as possible. In case I get deported back to Singapore, I will attempt again in another country and another country, and another country ....... until I get the refugee status to permit me to stay in that country permanently. Sounds good? I must be going bonkers, right?

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My fourth solution is similar to the third. There is only a slight twist here. Instead of trying to get a refugee status, go for a political asylum. This means I have to do some preparations first before I go. The preparations involve making myself arrested by the government for political activism and get imprisoned again and again, like Dr Chee. Once a prolonged period of suppression can be proved and recorded, I would then convert my HDB flat to cash. Deposit the money in a foreign bank. Fly to USA as a tourist. Hang around for about one week. Report to the Authorities there that I wish to seek political asylum. That would kick up the whole process of investigation, confirmation, etc. etc. etc. until I get the approval for political asylum. Then I would become like any of the citizens there. Sounds better? Or I am simply going mad? Like some of the fellows who have branded Dr Chee as a madman?

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Warning and Disclaimer:

Well, those solutions are meant for my own consumption. I am not trying to encourage nor influence anybody to do such stupid things. Anybody who wants to copy the ideas are welcomed but don't ever put the blame on me by saying that I am instigating you to do so. You are hereby warned that whatever you do, you are taking your own risks. Don't say I have not warn you! I bear no responsibility for anything that may befall upon anyone as a result of what I have written. I am a very confused and mixed-up man, probably going senile in a very short time.


The Garuda - 21 August 2007

Dichotomy of Living in a Surreal Well.

I am all mixed up. In fact, I am a very confused person. You can't blame me for that, can you? After all these years of reading the comedies, fantasies and make-beliefs in our outstanding first world local medias, I have become really mixed up. On top of that, I am getting old and, therefore, can also be partially senile. Some people used to say that when a person gets old, he tends to behave like a kid. I think that is quite true in my case, for most of the time I have been telling myself that I am still very young. Young at heart and thoughts. Therefore, I tend to behave like a carefree and irresponsible kid at times, especially so when I try to make sense of high sounding speeches and grandiose promises and schemes expounded by powerful people whose ABC (attitude, behavior and character) would cast unerasable images into the minds of our young and innocent, our naive and gullible, our impressionable and eager-to-please. So, as Molly Meek says, and I fully agree with her, sometimes it is better to be irresponsible in order to be responsible. Don't you agree also?

Yes, I really wish I am now a young teenager with the idealism and the dream of a world where the sky is not the limit. Like that, I can simply fantasize in my own surreal world. Like a frog living in a well. However, I can't. I really can't. Because after years of flying high and low in the sky, I know there is a limit. Even the sky also has a limit. Everything in this world has a limit. Even our tiny Red Dot is bounded by international waters. No matter how excellent and extraordinary we are, we just can't hope to encroach or intrude into our neighboring countries' territories and their national interests and expand our own highly ambitious dreams, to grow the economic pie by taking over control of their sensitive national assets, or to discard our unwanted old folks into their vast but still precious land. That is how my mixed-up brain is thinking now. Am I a mixed-up kid?

There is a limit to growth and expansion. Even an uncontrollable cancerous growth will have to come to an end some day. We can't keep growing the cake, yet want to keep it and eat it. One day, the cake will either be rotten or insufficient for everyone. Especially so when our highly talented people become even more talented in increasing their own salaries. With another two million foreigners coming in to devour the cake, the local natives would be left with only the flagrance to smell. It smells better if you are a distance away from the cake. But if your nose is too close to the cake, the smell is likely to be too pungent for you. Most people may not be able to take it. While our extraordinary talents are getting more talented, plus more and more outside highly talented talents and cleverly disguised talents are joining the free-fall of a windfall, how are we going to cope with the ever-increasing competition and ever-increasing cost of living? I am getting more mixed-up and confused now. What can we do? What are we going to do? I must find out a solution for myself. I will think about it and write it out in my next post.

The Garuda - 20 Aug 2007

PM Lee's NDR Speech 2007 - My Feelings

I used to listen to every one of MM Lee Kuan Yew's NDR speeches when he was the PM and each time I could not help but praise him. Every one of his speeches drove something into my heart. I believed in him. I trusted in what he said. Tonight I saw him sitting right in front, facing his own son and watching very enthusiastically and anxiously. He looked very healthy and more alert than SM Goh. I think he may outlive his own sons.

I have listened to every one of SM Goh Chok Tong's NDR speeches when he was the PM, from 1990 to 2004, and most of the time I was entertained by his jokes but put off by his name-callings and branding of his own fellow citizens, but I had looked forward to what he had promised us, e.g. the "Swiss Standard of Living", "More Good Years", "Fun City", "Gracious Living", "Retire Graciously", "World Cup 2010", etc. I believed in him but he let us down on several promises, especially the "Swiss Standard of Living" . Tonight I saw him there, sitting next to MM Lee, looking very old and haggard. I think it is time that he retires for his own good. What is the use of accumulating so much wealth? I think he already has too many peanuts to count together with his quick-witted wife.

I listened to PM Lee Hsien Loong's maiden speech in 2004 but, halfway through, I gave up and went to sleep. Nevertheless, I specifically remembered what he said about giving us a more open society. Then within the next two to three years what we knew was that political pod casting was banned, political websites had to be licensed, students were charged under the Sedition Act for "stirring up racial hatred" in the cyberspace, Mr Brown was given a thrashing, and 18 new laws and amendments were passed in Parliament to tighten the noose even tighter on freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, the Penal Code was amended, the Constitution was also amended, and last but not least, one NCMP was aggressively and mercilessly censured in Parliament for trying to stir up a "conspiracy theory" which she obviously, to me, was not trying to do so.

As I had not been impressed by his maiden speech in 2004, I did not listen to his 2nd and 3rd speeches in 2005 and 2006 respectively, though I did briefly read the written texts in the next day's newspapers. They had never made any impact upon my heart nor my mind. I knew he was trying his best, but I simply could not connect with him. I didn't know why then.


Tonight I listened to both his Mandarin and English speeches. I was impressed and inspired by the elaborate plans he put forth regarding the new CPF adjustments catering for old age and retirement, new legislation for re-employment of older workers, redevelopment of old HDB estates and Ponggol 21 Plus, the increase in university intakes by 30%, and the building of a 4th University or may be also a 5th. On the whole, it looked good on the surface. However, I still felt that something was missing. My gut feeling told me that something very important was missing. What is it?

The software!

All that he had said, putting so much efforts and emphasis, all boils down to mere hardware. I cannot blame him. He is a technocrat brought up with a golden spoon and silver linings, smooth sailing all the time, except for his brief fight with cancer and the untimely death of his first wife. He simply does not have that software, the multiplier, the X factor in him. Though I saw him nearly came down with tears three times, when his emotion pushed up to his head while something that he said had obviously hit hard into his inner self, his psyche, or his conscience, he was still not able to connect with me. I also saw him looking straight towards the direction where his father was sitting. Perhaps that was the trigger that caused his emotion to rise. I guess there must be something that is hidden inside him. Something that he could not simply throw out because of his status and stature. I had wished that he could confide with me and I would gladly help him ease and release his pain forever. He is human after all.

I pity him. I empathise with him. His job is not easy. Being sandwiched between his own knuckle-duster father and the present sad state of affair that the country is facing (i.e. the predicaments being faced by most of the common folks, the lower and the middle income groups and the jobless), yet he has to pretend that everything is going so well. I think it is not easy for him to bear such a heavy weight upon himself with his father breathing down his neck most of the time. Tonight he again called for the rich to make donations, though his previous call for donations to charities had fallen upon his own ministers' deaf ears. That was only a few months ago. At that time, and till today, nobody seems to want to support him along his compassionate line, except the kind hearted Dr Lily Neo. Yet the show has to go on.

I really pity him. I think he is trying his very best for all of us. So, I would like to give him a chance. My only wish is that what he had said tonight would be properly implemented to the letter, instead of going the opposite direction again. As the saying goes: "Once bitten, twice shy." I dare not trust him again because four years ago, during his maiden speech as the new PM, he had promised us a more open society but his follow-up actions showed us exactly the opposite. So, how can I trust him again?

However, I will still give him a chance. Yes, a second chance to prove himself, to keep to his words. I hope he would keep to his words. I really do. Our future is in his hands. We have no one to turn to except him. We are depending solely upon him to fulfill our aspirations and to see to our interests. We have no choice. We have only one Leader, one PAP and one Government. We simply have no other choice. Our only choice is suffering in silence!

The Garuda - 19 Aug 2007