Dont you think that is coincidental? What is the chances of lightning striking the same spot?

I was really thinking of writing for toc, but after this. I want to watch and see what happens a bit longer if you dont mind.

If it can happen to such a public figure like a diplomatic representative of the brotherhood, then who is safe Andrew?

Another thing. i really believe toc should put an end to singaporedaddy’s poetry. It is driving me crazy, as I can to make head and tail out of it.

Comments edited by moderator.

The shocking news of the death of ACS boy over the change of CCA; the horrors of reading about top PSLE students and their study habits, plus the many disgruntled parents whose children keep hearing – you are not good enough – either academically or for the CCA they wish to take part in – these are only some reasons for asking for a serious change in our pursuit of grades at the expense of character development and education for interests and education’s sake.

This government is bent on stressing our kids and putting in a system of telling them they are no good until they are miserable and school becomes a series of tests and exams, only to be told again at the end of all that meaningless testing that they are no good, not good enough. This is not the way to go at all. I worked in an international school system for many years and seen students love school, love learning, love their sports. And they really know how to play, improvise and have fun. Their education makes them better people, engaged in society and warm individuals.

Will you do something to change the horrible education system here? If you say you will, you have my signature, and if you get into politics, my vote.

It is not the clamor the 600, but the silence the 99,600 who choose as their voice that is truly deafening; in brotherhood parlance we call this the “arh-fu” – no one knows exactly where this word originates from; some say our troops in the Northern territories developed this word during the Ascension wars when they once fought a prolonged and debilitating war against the Aryanians very much in the way American GI’s once coined new words such as fubar and snafu to capture the pathos and askance of their times. I once served as pro-consul in those territories, so I should know………I understand my friends.

Be patient my little friends – the day will come. Trust me. It will come.

Do not be surprised, if the cup is filled to the broth within the span of time it takes for one to blink, my money is still very much with Mr Tan KL, you see, I have seen many things and one of them is this.

“To see a world in a grain of sand
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
And eternity in an hour.”

I wish you all well.

SD (Internet Liaison officer of the brotherhood)

http://www.petitiononline.com/TKLFPO1/petition.html

the way it is framed makes it very uninviting. It is merely a one-liner asking people to sign up without any reason or introduction of TKL. Someone who has not been following TKL’s recent effort would be wondering who is this unknown man seeking office.

In fact the info that I am required to give of myself is even longer than the petition statement itself. On a score of 1-10 for the petition writer I think I would give no more than 1.5.
I was asked to click on view signatures, but nothing of the sort appears and the only info that I see is the number of people who has signed up, currently standing at 614. Such a number can easily be faked if we don’t even know who signed up, including your ownself.
Once I sign up I would not even be able to see my own signature or what information I have written in or when I did the signing it.

You should compare this petition with the petition put forward against ex-NKF chief TT Durai. There was so much more comforting info and people feel good to join the thousands who signed up.
I really wish that the petition writer can put in more effort to tell us more about the
reasons and the signatories.
Mr Tan K L has already done much good in helping the misguided minibond investors, and surely he deserves some kind of introduction in the petition itself.

Even if the rate is constant, a simple calculation will tell us that it will take no less than 9.6 years to reach 100,000 signatures!

From being someone who had earlier questioned his credentials to be in politics, I have now changed my mind and have promised him to be more positive towards his future plans.

It’s not that I have suddenly learnt a lot about him in the space of 5 days, but it now appears that his intention to contest in elections is a serious one. Perhaps, he has some self-doubts, and he needs some proof that there are indeed large numbers of people who wish to see his political participation.

I still think having this 100,000 signature petition is a bad idea for several reasons, not the least of which is that it is not going to be a successful petition. Nonetheless, I would like to reassure him that if the petition is only to find out how many people want him to run (not how many people will support him or vote for him), then it is a no-brainer to assume that at least 66.66% would want him to run. It would not surprise us if even the PAP leadership says tomorrow that they welcome him to join the fray.

So, I hope Mr Tan Kin Lian will not waste too much time on this petition, but put more time and energy into the necessary preparatory work for his polititcal debut.

The petition can be found at the following link:

http://www.petitiononline.com/TKLFPO1/petition.html

Please encourage your family, friends and colleagues to sign up as well too if they with to support Mr Tan!

How’s the teeth business? Allow me to speak candidly. A few weeks ago, I and a few of my cycling buddies; decided to pop into the PAP shop and take an application form; we were curious; but after we read what Tan WM wrote; we made a few paper aeroplanes and that was that.

So u can draw what you want.

As for Tan KL, this is what I will say; at his age, he has shown a remarkable capacity to effect personal change; he is a retiree, but despite this he has taken to the internet like a fish to water; this again is exceptional. As even Tan WM cannot do 1% of what Tan KL has demonstrated he can do. He has also demonstrated plenty of resolve and leadership by projecting into the real world as we have all seen in HLP – but let us not mythologize him, he is not the Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela allrolled up into one, he is Tan KL and as I said, he should give himself and others time to get to know him better.

I see a very bright future, if he plays his cards right.

But here we should also be sportsman; because if we say there is no level playing out there and the rules are rigged for the house to win all the time; then where is the wisdom if we recreate that same setting online? Do you see my point?

So we should not snipe at Tan KL or just keep on 鸡蛋里挑骨头 – that to me is not sportsmanship and we will never support it. If we see it, we our response will be swift, terse and sharp, that is all I can say as the Liaison rep.

Give the man a fair run; if you genuinely want to find out more about him or his call for change; then ask him; you can be robust and even earnest, but why find fault with him? Do so in the spirit of sportsmanship and with a clean heart; then it could be said; you are part of a community who once built a better machine of doing things online and that will always fair well to attract more smart and capable people.

SD

He ended it with the words,

“To those who call for more diversity, I invite you to come talk with us, to join us in our community work and to see what we do. We may surprise your scepticism, even as we find common cause in our aspirations for a better Singapore.

Dr Tan Wu Meng
Organising Secretary
Young PAP”

just asking, why not work with them singaporedadi? Makes sense to me, no? I mean from what I see TKL hopes to do the same. Isnt that a better way to make progress than to talk from the outside?

I mean even if you are the smartest person in the world and you are just talking to yourself in the basement, what use is it.

thx,

Well, I don’t know anything about TKL’s past, and I don’t expect it to be perfect. However, regardless of his past, I am grateful that TKL is brave enough to come forward to bring about a more equal and just society. Regardless of his past I only hope that he will do good for society in his future. Regardless of his past I pray that he will stand up to help the poor and needy. Regardless of his past he needs and deserve our strongest support because he is going to fight a most unlevel playing field against all obstacles and with virtually no resources compared with the mighty PAP. For this reason I am willing to contribute whatever I can afford to help him. I hope you too will do the same.

less of his past, TKL is now I don’t

It takes time for a relationship to build up. ppl have to get to know him and he too is on a learning curve as well, from what I am able to make out.

Give him time and I am sure at the end of it, it will serve the interest of all concerned.

The important thing is it has started. Many MP’s have not even begun yet. They are very far off the curve.

alright, “So let’s be humble enough to accord one another the basic courtesy expected of a decent human being.” We will speak no more abt it. I am here to broaden my brain, not to prove a point, so let leave it at that – this is good – we can build on this.

To Andrew,

Hows it hanging? I’ve read some of your comments and you’re one of those who usually writes very insightful stuff. Well spotted agreed with what you said abt obama. As for Mr Tan, I am reserving comment, as I said, lets give him time.

This question has always trouble me, “In Singapore, we must only fine tune those PAP policies and institutions which have gone astrayed.”

Bc if you really think hard about it, the whole idea of “change” is given, it’s really a non issue.

So the real question MUST turns on only WHAT will be catalyst that will drive and sustain change; and here you really need to understand that every oligarchy and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a 100+ yr firm like Lehman or an exotic species of birds living in some remote island in the Pacific has a built in mechanism of self destruction; if its not constantly under threat, regularly challenged or if there are even safety nets everything just corrodes and decays; that’s why Malaysia is so screwy; they boast to the world that they can produce automobiles, but what they don’t tell you is; they’re still passing off 30 year designs as the new in thing; result: it’s no good – it doesn’t go around. Proton sells only in Malaysia (period) – it cannot compete like Toyota or BMW globally – and why bc for so many years the playing field was weighted in their favor; levies were imposed on imported cars, they relied on political patronage etc. So with time is it such a wonder they became so riven with inefficiencies and backwardness that they’re not even in the league table.

You see Andrew, after a prolonged period of zero competition; EVERY oligarchy will begin to fossilized that’s really the detonator that sets the mechanism of self destruction ticking and they may even begin ritualizing how they see the world and react to it and in no time they’re in a dead end; that’s why a bunch of jungle book kids with AK-47’s could kill so many people in the Oberai hotel in Mumbai; I mean if those dummies pulled exactly the same stunt in lets say King David hotel in Jerusalem; I guarantee you in 20 sec flat all of them will be hanging on the wall in the grande lobby like those shrunken heads exhibits in the P-65 blog. Because even a chamber maid could probably snuff them out with tissue paper or a tampon; she’s probably an ex Charlie Angel Mossad trained assassin – and why that? Because peace is never ever taken for granted in the state of Israel – the Jews are always in a competitive race for survival. Result: skill-at-arms improves; it’s constantly replenished and nourished to meet the new security challenges.

My feel is this is the ONLY way to drive change that consistently produces good for the country and people Andrew – is by stressing the system and if possible forcing it to operate in a discomfort zone – and that simply means buying into the whole idea of healthy competition.

The power of one is no good – it just doesn’t come around.

That’s why whenever, I see in board of directors meetings people cliquing together to form mutual appreciation clubs; and giving themselves creamy bonuses or trying to convince others they’re the masters of the universe or some anointed dream team; that really scares the living day lights out of me; bc usually 9 out 10 that’s the surest indication; the end is very near; the next act is going to be the curtain call – it’s time to smile and serious think about an escape plan – In summary, the power of one can never be a reliable producer of good – its no good.

SD

Did you miss reading #Comment 113? I thought you wrote very well, based on the few ‘commentaries’ posted by you on this site, and so should have no problem understanding the simple English I’ve employed on this occasion.

Take note that whilst you talk in terms of ‘brotherhood’, my generation talk in terms of “huay Kuan”, “kong huay”, “tiong p!hai, tor p!hai, cheah p!hai”, and ” chor li lai!!”. I hope you know where I’m coming from.

As the Bard has said, a man is what his character has made of him. And “Tragedy in Shakespeare is character issuing in action” according to the great Shakespearean critic A.C, Bradley.

So attributes like arrogance, brow-beating, peddling snake-oil, ill-will, cynicism, being a show-off and ‘over-vaulting’ confidence are the kinds of flaw in an individual that are deemed ‘fatal’ and which ineluctably lead to an individual’s self-destruction. This is Bradley’s interpretation of the Bard’s great tragic plays. And to me Bradley’s interpretation is very discerning as it seems to be borne out by Life’s experiences.

So let’s be humble enough to accord one another the basic courtesy expected of a decent human being instead of taking the moral high ground only to brow-beat and denigrate others. I will not say too much for the time being. I will reciprocate accordingly. I follow a very simple precept: a gentleman should be treated as such while ‘a bully’ or ‘a sham’ must be exposed for what he is. So Good-day to you, singaporedaddy.

I have been following the “MiniBond” saga for the past few weeks. The response by MAS to your petition is “ridiculous”.

They are not taking your letter and effort “seriously”

If the relevant authorities have been helpful in the first place, the public would not have needed to seek your advice and assistance for so many weeks.

It is very brave and admirable for you to stand up for the poor victims who would have been helpless and clueless on what they should do.

I am very sure your active involvement in this matter has forced the auhorities to become more sympathatic towards the “innocent victims” who have beed misled into placing their life savings in prducts which are not 100% safe.

Also through this saga, you can see for yourself how “unhuman” or “robotic” the current government has become ! Perhaps too complacent to the extend that a petition written by ex CEO of NTUC income together with 2300 signatures can just be so easily brushed aside. My gut feel is that if the same petition has been written by Dr Lee Wei Ling, sister of the PM, the response would be different.

Somehow for whatever reason, the current government seem to have regarded you as an outsider and just no different from any ordinary citizen. This is not right taking into consideration your experience in the finance/insurance industry and how you have successfully transformed a 18 million company into a 28 billion one !!!

Perhaps you would consider running for President when the next election comes along. Singapore needs a variety of talents and voices from different sectors. A monopolised system as in the current case is definitely far from healthy for Singapore in the long run.

I would also like to take this oportunity to thank you for taking the time and effort to render assistance to the “clueless victims” If not for you, I really don’t know who would step forward to speak on behalf of the silent masses !!!

Cheers

Gary

Which group of people are you referring to when you mentioned “we”. Maybe let me rephrase the question, which group of people should be leading the fine tuning process.