Champion for Democracy - Where Are You?

The Burmese people have been protesting continuously for at least 13 days now. The cruel and ruthless military junta, after killing more than 3000 Burmese students in 1988, is again dishing out the same atrocity and brutality to the helpless and peaceful monks, including killing a Japanese journalist. These Burmese people are crying out extremely loud to the whole world that they want DEMOCRACY!

Where is the Champion of Democracy now? Where are you? Why are you hiding under the term called "trade sanctions"? Don't you know by now that such measures don't work at all, unless all other trade partners co-operate?

China, India and Thailand are very close neighbours of Burma, and they are the key trading partners with Burma, followed by Japan, Singapore and Vietnam. These countries are only paying lip service, without any seriousness in wanting to exercise pressure upon the Dictators of Burma to their knees. Why? Because by helping the people of Burma, they get nothing in returns. But by helping the Burmese Dictators, they get lots of benefit, especially MONEY and RAW MATERIALS!

Who am I referring to? Yes, to you President George W Bush. You sent American and Coalition troops into Afghanistan and Iraq to liberate them, to bring Democracy to them. But their people never ask for Democracy. Now, here, in Burma, the people are asking for Democracy. Why are you not sending troops into Burma to liberate those people who seriously want Democracy? Are you afraid of China and India? Are you looking forward to work with the Burmese Dictators in the near future?

If Burma can be turned into a US military and naval base, won't it be good for the long-term strategic interest of the US?

Think seriously about it.

The Garuda.

Really Extra Ordinary!

Do you know why I stopped writing? Actually, there is nothing to write about. Everything in this beautiful Singapore is so perfect! What is there to write, comment, criticise, lament or whine about?

Don't forget, we have been drowned day in and day out, seven days a week and 52 weeks per annum by our mass medias, by our great leaders as well as by our pretend-to-be great leaders, as well as by the imitating-to-be great leaders that Singapore is simply extraordinary, outstanding, first world and safe, secure, prospering, no terrorists, harmonious, stable, and most important of all "no poor people!"

How wonderful! It's a paradise no where else in this whole wide world can aspire to be or imitate. Malaysia is trying very hard to be like us, but she is still miles away. Perhaps, she should join Singapore and be called a sub district or a Giant GRC with 13 constituencies. It would be a good idea. Mr Bad Awi, can you hear me? Join us lah! Then you can be Boleh also. Now, that is going to far. Better stop here.

Lazy to write. No, not lazy. Sick. Really sick of everything, except of course myself and my family lah. So, you guys why don't you start a blog yourself? If everyone, from ten years old to 100 years old writes a blog, there would be at least three million blogs in Singapore. That would be really EXTRA ORDINARY!

We would then become members of the Lord of the Rings!

The Garuda - 18th September 2007.

Cycling Politics - Another 'Honest' Mistake?

The Straits Times has been quick to report on 7th September 2007 what two MPs, advisers to the Young PAP, have said about a move by the Young PAP to delete two outdoor events from its calendar.

The Workers' Party has recently organised a cycling event at the East Coast Park to mark its 50th Anniversary. It applied for a police permit for that but was promptly refused. So, the Chairman of the Workers' Party brought up this issue in the most recent Parliament session and was given a controversial answer, seen more as a lame excuse by bloggers online.

Singapore bloggers have been asking the question, "Why the Young PAP could be allowed to organise a similar cycling activity on 28 July 2007 and another outdoor activity on 1 October 2007 without police permit (or given police permit) but the Workers' Party could not?" Immediately, the two particular events on the calendar of Young PAP were "conveniently" erased. Singapore bloggers again asked why they deleted the events from their calendar? Is it because it wanted to hide the facts from the public or what?

In response, the two MPs came out to explain. You can read their explanations in the Straits Times.
Looks like it was another "honest" mistake of a mixed-up, or poorly planned event, or lack of support from its own members.

I had thought I am a mixed-up kid but I am surprised to know that there are also many other mixed-up professionals out there who claimed to be advisers and so forth. This makes life really very fascinating and intriguing, I must say.

Remember what the boyish-looking millionaire Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said when he delivered a speech to the Foreign Correspondents Association Lunch Time Talk on 22 March 2007? Source:

http://blog.harro.com/2007/03/22/speech-by-dr-vivian-balakrishnan-second-minister-for
-information-communications-and-the-arts-at-the-foreign-correspondents-association/

"The most potent impact that the new media will have on politics is that, politicians will find it impossible to lie in the future. The truth will always be out there, because somewhere, someone has the facts, or has seen something, and will publish it. Fortunately for us in Singapore, we have run a clean system, and hence have nothing to hide."

It is really good to be assured by "honest" people that Singapore has got nothing to hide. That is really a great blessing. Yes, whether it is a blessing in disguise or not, I believe it is still a great blessing. More so with the new media created by the advent of the Internet. Not only politicians but also senior civil servants, professionals, judges, magistrates and ministers would have to be very careful with their facts, analysis, reasoning, rationalizing and judgments. We can now find out more honest as well as dishonest mistakes. We can also find out honest mistakes which are actually dishonest and dishonest mistakes which are actually honest, e.g. the NKF saga. That is a real great blessing to all of us!

Majulah Singapura!

The Garuda - 8th September 2007.

Clearing Cobwebs or Dumping Dungs?

"No doubt there are intelligent bloggers out there. But by trying to find them is akin to looking for a single brainy needle in an exceedingly large and, mostly dumb, haystack."

That was what Ong Sor Fern said in her attempt to discredit the bloggers in particular and the new media in general (Straits Times - 6 Sep 2007 - Life Section - page 6), while trying to praise her own profession and the mass media that she depends upon for her livelihood. It is quite amusing actually.

Her opening statement was: "I have never, nor will I ever, read blogs."

And then followed subsequently with: "Of course, my love of old media could be seen as springing from vested interest. After all, I work in the print media, about as old school as you can get."

If one had never read any blog nor want to attempt to read any blog, how the hell does she get the knowledge that blogs are mostly dumb? Isn't she telling her readers that she herself is the real dumb one?

Secondly, if she had admitted that she had vested interest in the old media, then whatever her arguments against the new media would most probably be biased (which is the case if you had read her article), isn't it?

So, I think while trying to clear the cobwebs, she has actually tried to dump her own dungs!


The Garuda - 7th September 2007.
-----------------------------------------------

The Cyber War Has Begun!

On 27 August 2007, when I tried to log into my blog in the early hours of the morning, I received a message something like that:

"Emergency Maintenance in progress. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Please try again later."

I thought something must have gone wrong with the server of Blogger. I just left it at that and went to sleep. A few hours later, again I visited my own blog (The Garuda) and discovered that one of my pictures has disappeared. That was the picture of the late Mr Howe Yoon Chong which I had posted on the top right hand corner of my earlier article, titled:


"A Reluctant Politician or A Pseudo Politician?".


On the same day, Mr Alex Echkelberry, a security researcher from Sunbelt Software, found out some fake entries in the Google's Blogger website. These entries contain weblinkds that lead to booby-trapped downloads. These downloads infect computers using the Windows plateform and enable hackers to take over control of these computers. These computers can then be used for attacks upon other computers or remain as silent 'sleepers' until activated by the hijackers. This is believed to be the work of a gang that has managed to hijack hundreds of thousands of computers across the whole world. The fake entries could have exploited a Blogger feature that lets users to email entries to their own blogs or the blogs themselves could also be fakes set up as hosts for spamming. Some said that the fake posts could also have been spread by users whose computers have been infected by a virus, but I don't think so. There has to be a special software that can penetrate into the networking setup.

On 17 May 2007 Estonia accused Russia of launching a Cyber War to disable the websites of her government ministries, political parties, newspapers, banks and commercial companies. And NATO had dispatched some of its top cyber-terrorism experts to Tallinn to investigate and to help the Estonians beef up their electronic defences. Alarm over the unprecedented scale of cyber-warfare was raised at the summit between European and Russian leaders outside Samara on the Volga, yet NATO was careful not to accuse the Russians directly.

Just three days ago, the US accused China's military of hacking into the Pentagon's computers. A day later the UK joined in the accusation that China had hacked into the UK Government's computer systems. What I think is that China must be very stupid to have used her military computers within China to do such a lousy job that can be discovered so easily, while professional hackers who hacked into millions of computers have yet to be identified. And if the US's and UK's accusations are true, then I think China must be very advanced in her cyber-warfare. Then I would salute China for her Big Leap Forward in Electronic Technology.

The Garuda - 6th September 2007.

The Day of Sadness.

This forcing down our throats with regard to the compulsory purchase of Annuity with our hard-earned CPF savings must be nipped in the bud.

If this blatant violation of our constitutional rights is allowed to proceed, we can no more be considered as a dignified, thinking people. If we simply allow someone, however powerful he may be, to step over our heads, using whatever rationalising, and through whatever media spinning, then we have only ourselves to blame.

This must not be allowed to go on.

I understand from the grapevines that this coming Saturday, 8 September 2007, in order to register our outrage and displeasure, all shall wear BLACK, wherever you may roam.

As the draconian laws do not allow any protest nor any assembly of more than 4 persons, and since there is not a single political party, trade union, nor institution of any character, having the courage and will to stand up for us, on our behalf, therefore we, as individuals who still have a sense of dignity, should stand up for ourselves. This is not the time to whine. It is the time to act!

The least one can do is simply to be dressed in BLACK for the whole/part day of 8 September 2007. This shall be a very solemn day and shall be remembered as the day our dignity is robbed away from us. It shall be remembered as "The Day of Sadness!"

Unity is Strength!

The Garuda - 5th September 2007.

The Poison Shrimp Amongst the Whales!

Last Updated: Monday, 3 September 2007, 12:08 GMT 13:08 UK

New 'Strategic Partnership' against China

By Mahmud Ali
BBC News

Ships, aircraft and submarines from four countries begin week-long war games in the Bay of Bengal on 4 September.

It is the first flexing of muscles by the newly-formed "Quadrilateral Initiative", which brings together the US, Japan, India and Australia.

Singapore also has a small presence in the exercises.

Many analysts see the manoeuvres as efforts by a democratic coalition to "contain" rising Chinese power.

Although the participants deny this, Beijing seems to be increasingly worried.

Beijing unconvinced

When the four powers set up the initiative (informally named the Quad) in Manila last May, a deeply-concerned Beijing sent formal protests to the four governments.

Perils of Pacific arms race Japan seeks wider network

Quad members reassured China that their "strategic partnership" was only aimed at maintaining regional security, and was not targeting any particular power.

A month later, Chinese President Hu Jintao sought clarification from Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the G8 summit in Germany. Although he received reiterations of peace and friendship, Chinese commentary suggests Beijing was not convinced.

Dubbed Malabar 07-02, these are the biggest joint manoeuvres Indian warships have participated in.

They were preceded by extensive discussions in Delhi.

In July, Australia's Defence Minister, Brendan Nelson, set out the policy framework of defence collaboration.

Defence co-operation between the US and India has recently grown

A month later, Admiral Russell Shalders, commander of the Australian navy, visited India - to work out the mechanics of collaboration and the details of the exercises.

Just days later, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Delhi, offering substantial economic and commercial assistance if India agreed to anchor "an Asian arc of freedom" stretching across the Indian and Pacific Oceans and providing a democratic bulwark - presumably against non-democratic powers.

Defence coalition

As Mr Abe prepared to leave, his Defence Minister, Yoriko Koike, and the Commander of US Pacific Command, Admiral Timothy Keating, arrived in Delhi, to finalise details of defence co-operation and Malabar 07-02.

This flurry of senior-level exchanges and the size and complexity of the manoeuvres add weight to the arguments of those who say that the Quad is rapidly gelling into a defence coalition.

Two US aircraft carriers and one from India, as well as 11 other US ships will join more than a dozen vessels from India, Australia and Singapore to test out how well they can work together against common threats.

There is increasing competition for influence on the Asian seas

Although Quad members insist China has nothing to fear, a similar exercise (Malabar 07-01) involving US, Indian and Japanese warships churned the waters of the South China Sea in April.

Bilateral war games are not new for Quad members, but there seems recently to have been a new momentum.

Defence papers issued by all four governments have described China as a potential threat, and that combined with the launch of the Quad suggest a pattern of alliance-building activities that China cannot ignore.

Perhaps as a sign of things to come, 1,600 Chinese troops travelled to Russia's Ural mountains to join several thousand mostly Russian troops in "Peace Mission 2007" manoeuvres in August.

These ended as President Vladimir Putin hosted Hu and the presidents of four other Shanghai Co-operation Organisation countries (after their annual summit in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek) at the closing ceremony.

Mr Putin then announced the resumption of long-range bomber sorties towards Nato airspace, which had been suspended after the Soviet collapse.

The Cold War may not be back, but with trade and security tensions rising between the US, China and Russia, a chill wind seems to be blowing as Asia redesigns its strategic alignments.

=========================================================================

That was the news write-up I took the liberty to lift wholesale from the BBC Online News.

I could not believe my eyes when I read this news. Immediately, the obvious question came into my mind: "Singapore is part of the bigger scheme of things with intention to go against China? "

And my next questions followed:

"Where are we heading to?"

"Are we so bold and daring to openly be seen or suspected as colluding with bigger powers (US, Australia, Japan and India) to go against China's interest?"

"Why are we buying 24% of China's Eastern Airline then?"

There are many more questions. This incident is really shocking to me. However, I do not wish to comment upon it any further at this juncture. Let us watch and see what further developments would be forthcoming in the near future. This is getting really exciting .....

The Garuda - 4th September 2007.

The 2nd Becomes the 3rd!

The news is all over the world. Our Prime Minister's 2nd wife, Ho Ching is now the World's 3rd Most Powerful Woman - conferred by Forbes. But the funny thing is I have already heard about this going on through the grapevines two years ago. I wonder why Forbes is so behind time? May be Forbes is a bit cautious not to get itself into trouble like FEER did? Anyway Time Magazine only dared to confer her as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Women in the World. I think now Forbes deserves a pat on its back.


This is what Forbes has described Ho Ching as:

Although she is the wife of the prime minister of Singapore and chief executive of the country's state-owned investment company, Ho Ching is rarely seen or heard from. But increasingly she is a force to be reckoned with, as her dealmaking ambitions span the globe. Ho Ching has been credited with converting Temasek from a Singapore-focused firm to a leading investor in Asia, making investments in Indian and Chinese companies, primarily in the telecom and banking sectors. Thanks to Ho Ching's dealmaking, the net value of Temasek's portfolio grew 27% to $108 billion from $80 billion the previous year. "This is the first time that Temasek's portfolio has crossed the US$100 billion mark," the company said in a statement. Temasek recently announced plans to invest in Barclays to support the British bank's attempted takeover of ABN Amro, the Netherlands' largest bank. However, Temasek's tax-free takeover of Shin Corp., one of Thailand's biggest telecom companies, sparked a wave of protests. The tax-free deal, along with allegations of corruption, eventually led to the overthrow of Thailand's prime minister. Moreover, the $3.8 billion Shin takeover helped hurt Temasek's profits, as an impairment charge for the deal and other associated companies caused its earnings to fall 29% this year. Ho Ching earned a master's degree in control engineering at Stanford University and held a number of top positions in both public and private entities in Singapore, before being named to her current position.—Megha Bahree

Source: http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/11/biz-07women_Ho-Ching_OO5O.html

My old confused brain keeps trying to create more and more Wonders for our beloved Singapore. One Member of Parliament has already named the 7 Wonders of Singapoe, e.g. the Environment Building, the PUB Building, etc. And some young people participating in the various forums also came out with a different set of 7 wonders, such as: I wonder when the ERP is going to stop charging more and more; I wonder how much more the GST is going to increase in time to come; and I wonder who will take over as the next Prime Minister?

Now, it is my turn to wonder. I really can't help but wonder if Ho Ching is considered as the 3rd Most Powerful Woman in the World, what would our dear Prime Minister's position be? And what would our powerful Minister Mentor's position be in the World of Power?

Logically, if Ho Ching is the CEO of Temasek Holding, which is under the Ministry of Finance, whose Minister for Finance is none other than our Prime Minister himself. Therefore, I would assume that our Prime Minister is more powerful than Ho Ching. Is it not so? Then, by extension, our Prime Minister must be the 2nd Most Powerful Man in the World. Am I right?

Next, to extrapolate further: If Ho Ching, being the Executive Director of Temasek Holding, which is under the GIC, is the 3rd Most Powerful Woman in the World and her husband, the Prime Minister, is the 2nd Most Powerful Man in the World, then rightly our Minister Mentor, being the Chairman of the GIC, must be the Number One Most Powerful Man in the World. Am I right?

How wonderful! We have the Most Powerful Man, the 2nd Most Powerful Man and the 3rd Most Powerful Woman in the World. Now, by inference, our beloved Singapore is not only a 1st World Country, it has also become the Most Powerful Country in the World!

Wah! Ho Ching really did us proud. We must all salute her for her unselfish endeavour to make a mark for Singapore on the World's Network of Power.

Can we abolish NS and dismantle the SAF now? I just wonder .....



The Garuda - 2nd September 2007.

The Era of Bearded Singaporeans!

Hey, look!

This is what will happen when Singaporeans live to the age of 85 and above, hoping to get their returns from the annuity that they have bought 30 years ago. They would want to be as obedient to the government as possible and therefore would like to work as long as possible, but the problem would be that there would be no employers wanting to employ people who are already over the hills, unless of course if they were the fathers of prime ministers or they themselves have been a prime minister before.


Under such a lose-lose situation, created by people
who have been thinking of win-win situations all the
time, these over-aged, over-stayed and over-lived
grand fathers, or grand mothers, and great grand
fathers, or great grand mothers, have got no choice
but to become very creative and innovative. They
have to do things that the younger ones are not
able to do. One of the ways is growing, keeping,
maintaining and designing attractive and funny
beards.


During the festive seasons and during the various ethnic
new years, they would station themselves in front of the
main gate to the Istana hoping to get "ang pows"
(red packets) from the VIPs, tourists and visitors.









They would also take part in National Day parades to enable the government to boast to the outside world how well the aged have been taken care of; and that we are really a First World Country in all
the true senses of the words.









Some would become court jesters to
entertain the kangaroos in the courts.
Otherwise the kangaroos may run all
over the shops, thereby massing up the
courts and making people unhappy
unnecessarily.








Some would keep company with the many would-be
senior ministers and ministers mentors to ensure that
they are enjoying their time counting their well-earned
peanuts.


Some would be placed in the Parliament House to
keep Members of Parliament from falling asleep when
the Parliament is in session. Otherwise, the TV camera
crew may accidentally record their sleepy faces and
show them to the world, which would not be good
for Singapore's image.









Some would try to motivate those
who have suicidal tendencies by
making them happy and joyful
through their naturally contagious
smiles and laughters.








Some would advertise for beer and
stout as well as for spectacles,
so as to help our economy grow.

Some would walk the streets to entertain the would-be
terrorists so as to help our policemen keep Singapore
safe and peaceful.












The Garuda - 2nd September 2007.

=== ===

Maria Sharapova - The Making of a Champion.

From an unknown nobody in Siberia to a world-class champion, and from a borrowed $700 to a multi-millionairess, Maria Yuryevna Sharapova has just been selected as Babe of the Month by ChicagoBachelor.com . She is now a world-class professional tennis player. In December 2006, she became the World's highest-paid female athlete.

Maria's journey to become one of the champions in the world of professional tennis symbolizes her courage, dedication, determination and sheer will-power to win. Her story is one of sacrifice, focus, consistency and extraordinary talent. She was born on 19 April 1987, in the Russian industrial town of Nyagan in western Siberia. Her parents , Yuri and Yelena Sharapova, had relocated from Homyel, Belarus, to escape the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. They moved again in 1989 to the Black Sea resort town of Sochi. It was here that Maria developed her love for tennis. Watching her father on the courts, 4-year-old Maria learned to play by using a second-hand racket. Her father quickly recognised and nurtured her exceptional talent.

In October 1993, her talent was confirmed from an unexpected source. Maria and Yuri were attending tennis clinics held in Moscow during the Kremlin Cup when the legendary champion Martina Navratilova happened to spot the 6-year-old Maria hitting balls on the court. Martina commended Yuri, "She has talent!" Yuri took her words to heart. He and his wife, Yelena, decided to help their only child to realise her potential. In pursuit of this dream, Yuri and Maria flew to the United States in March 1995, leaving Yelena behind in Russia to finish college and await a two-year visa restriction. The odds were against the father and daughter from the moment they touched down in Miami. Neither of them spoke English and Yuri had only $700 in his pocket, the money he had borrowed from Maria's grandparents. Several days and many bus rides later, Yuri and his 8-year-old daughter arrived uninvited at Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Although the Academy's coaches immediately recognized Maria's talent, she was too young to be enrolled as a full-time student. Yet Yuri was not discouraged. Believing in his daughter's talent, he settled near the Academy and coached Maria himself by using public and private tennis courts.

Their perseverance paid off in December 1995, when Maria received a scholarship to the IMG (International Management Group) Academy as a full-time student. She had to live on the prestigious campus and could only see her father on weekends. Her separation from him, combined with constant bullying by dorm-mates nearly twice her age, influenced, impacted and intensified her resolve to succeed. After obtaining a U.S. visa, her mother finally reunited with Maria and Yuri in June 1996. Then Maria moved out of the campus dorm and lived with her parents in a rented apartment while she continued to perfect her tennis skills at the Academy under Nick Bollettieri.


Shortly after, because of certain remarks Nick Bollettieri had said, Yuri switched her daughter's coach to Robert Lansdorp, the tenis guru who has trained and developed champions such as Tracy Austin, Pete Sampras, Anastasia Myskina, and Lindsay Davenport. Lansdorp has always stayed in the background. However, he is the chap who developed many kid players to stardom. This is what Maria said of him: "When my father and I got to the tennis court Robert was talking to someone over the telephone, he paid just little attention to us. When he hung up he looked at me and asked my name. I told my name. "What Maria?" I then told my last name, and the coach seemed to like it. Then I went to the court as my father and I usually had warming-up in the courts. But the coach cried behind us that his trainees always played on the backline. This is how our work started. Robert helped me a lot; he made a fighter of me. He taught me to deliver strong and stable shots after shots. This is a required condition to beat such tennis players as Jelena Dokic."

In November 2000, 13-year-old Maria exploded onto the World Tennis Stage with an impressive win in the Girls' 16-and-under Eddie Herr Championships. Her first professional tournament quickly followed in April 2001 and her first WTA tournament in 2002. In a highly competitive sport where many tried but few succeeded, Maria Sharapova's drive and determination will inspire young girls for years to come. From her 2004 Wimbledon championship, to being the first Russian female to ever claim the Number One Ranking in the World, to being the 5th youngest female to ever hold the Number One spot, to her growing list of corporate endorsements and sponsorships, Maria symbolizes what hard work, unwavering commitment, sheer determination and world-class training can achieve: A Front-Row Seat on the World's Stage.


MARIA SHARAPOVA'S ACHIEVEMENTS

Singles Titles:

2003: Tokyo & Quebec City Championships
2004: Birmingham, Wimbledon, Soeul, Tokyo & WTA Championships
2005: Tokyo, Doha and Birmingham Championships
2006: US Open Championship.

Doubles Titles:

2003: Tokyo, Luxembourg
2004: Birmingham


BEST GRAND SLAM PERFORMANCES

Australian Open: Final
Roland Garros: Quarters
Wimbledon: Champion
US Open: Champion

Hidden behind Maria's chiseled game face and completely obscured by her dominance of her first two opponents at the U.S. Open, a revamped serve and a resolute eye on her future have been the most remarkable part of her early appearances. Maria might have the outward appearance of a tennis diva but behind the flash is a remade service motion that she hopes will help her defend her US Open Title. So far, it has worked wonders. She demolished the 90th-ranked Dellacqua, 6-1, 6-0, and has lost only two games in her first two matches. But even Sharapova had no illusions that she had served as well as the automatic serve timer said she did. At one point in her match, on a second serve, it flashed 129 miles an hour, or 206 kph. That ties with a Grand Slam record set by Venus Williams, well known for her powerful serves. When asked what she thought of the 129 mph serve, she said, "It was definitely a mistake because one, I've never hit 129 in my life, let alone a second serve. Two, it definitely didn't feel like a 129. So it was definitely wishful thinking."

The Garuda - 1st September 2007.