Written by Ng E-Jay, for the Online Citizen
06 Aug 2009

Original TOC link

What does it mean to be “one united people”?

Does it mean forging a national identity that can be shared by all Singaporeans regardless of race, language or creed? Does it mean accepting and respecting all our differences, whether in terms of political affiliation or sexual orientation? I can certainly agree with this.

Or does it mean adopting an unquestioning attitude towards Government policies and social issues, and agreeing to make personal sacrifices whilst the PAP reaps the benefits, in the name of “staying together, moving ahead” (PAP’s 2006 GE slogan)?

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Written by Ng E-Jay
30 July 2009

The first SDP event I attended was the gathering at Hong Lim Park on 01 May 2007 welcoming Dr Chee Soon Juan and Ms Chee Siok Chin after they had completed a 2-day, 120km walk to mark Labour Day and to highlight the plight of Singaporean workers.

Looking at the exhausted but determined faces of Dr Chee and Ms Chee, and hearing the short but edifying address Dr Chee made left me with the impression that perhaps, unlike the terrible vibes that the party constantly receives from the mainstream media, the SDP was a party of substance, that perhaps it was a party with a message worth listening to.

I was not wrong.

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Written by Ng E-Jay
29 July 2009

If consumers have their credit cards stolen or used fraudulently, they may be liable for all transactions made even though they may have done nothing wrong.

This is yet another sorry example of how the Government proudly sells the image of Singapore as a world-class financial hub, yet fails to offer consumers even the most basic protection against theft and fraud.

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Written by Ng E-Jay
28 July 2009

The Straits Times Forum (online) letter penned by Mr Tay Xiong Sheng on why Singapore is in a better position to survive economically compared to Malaysia makes for an interesting, but lop-sided read.

In his letter published online on 28 July, Mr Tay argues that Singapore’s sovereignty was born out of principles and confidence, having refused to compromise on racial equality.

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Written by Ng E-Jay
22 July 2009

A lady commuter was recently fined $30 for eating a sweet during an MRT train ride to relieve motion sickness (see embedded video below).

Eating and drinking in the MRT carries a maximum fine of $500. However in this case, common sense has been completely thrown out of the window in what is apparently a silly over-reaction by the authorities.

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Written by Ng E-Jay
22 July 2009

More twist and turns have appeared in the CPF Life scheme, an annuity scheme to be administered by the CPF Board that promises to give lifelong payouts to CPF members.

On Monday in Parliament, Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong found himself clumsily trying to reassure Singaporeans that monthly payouts from the CPF Life scheme will continue as long as the CPF member is alive, despite a provision allowing the CPF Board to stop payments in the event that the Lifelong Income Fund becomes insolvent.

Madam Halimah, chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, had earlier noted that she found this clause “quite disturbing“.

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Written by Ng E-Jay
20 July 2009

In the article From Stifled Dissent to Managed Dissent, I discussed how the “hard repressive” tactics of the PAP Government such as the use of ISA on political opponents was being slowly replaced by “soft authoritarian” strategies that give the people a semblance of political space but without actually returning them their constitutional rights.

Part of the strategy of “managed dissent” involves allowing citizens to express themselves freely on issues that do not threaten the ruling elite’s grip on power, such as bread and butter issues, but clamping down severely on activists and politicians who challenge the very basis of our political system and the undemocratic ways of the PAP. Think Dr Chee Soon Juan and the late J.B. Jeyaretnam.

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