Home » Archive for December, 2010
Archive for December, 2010
2010 In Review
Dec. 31 | Kirsten Han - After having studied overseas for the past three-and-a-half years, in 2010 I returned to Singapore and almost immediately began working with The Online Citizen. 2010 has been an eventful year, not just for TOC, but probably for Singapore...
Singapore’s ugly mangrove swamps
Dec. 30 | by Ron Yeo Shorebirds: Many migratory birds stop by Singapore’s mudflats to feed and rest before continuing their journey. Dark, smelly, dirty, muddy, scary, mosquito infested, illegal immigrant infested… Ask the usual Singaporeans what they think...
Mas Selamat Fiasco – the worst govt boo-boo of 2010
Dec. 30 | by Joshua Chiang A recent conversation among my friends and some new acquaintances was quite telling. I was explaining how the ‘indigenous’ people of Southeast Asia are genetically not too far apart. In fact, the early inhabitants who settled along...
ISA is a law that “instills great fear in citizens” – Former ISA detainees
Dec. 29 | The following is an excerpt from the blog Function 8 This law (Internal Security Act) has been in existence for more than half a century and its impact on society is horrendous. Its life began as the Emergency Regulations in 1948 . It was passed into...
Produce local TV dramas that portray psychiatric patients recovering
Dec. 29 | The following letter was sent to the various presses for publication on Dec 25. by Raymond Anthony Fernando I refer to the letter by Mr Paul Chan of Mediacorp (“Extreme care taken with depiction of sensitive themes;Friday 24th December 2010). First...
Earnings drop for 2nd consecutive quarter
Dec. 28 | by Leong Sze Hian I refer to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Labour Market Third Quarter 2010 Report. Earnings Average (Mean) Monthly Nominal Earnings Singapore $ Per Employee, has continued to fall from $4,310 to $3,819 and $3,754, for the 1st,...
Former ISA detainee Michael Fernandez rebuts MHA
Dec. 27 | by Joshua Chiang “Can they say they didn’t torture me?” “I never advocated nor used violent means, and there were never any deaths during our strikes,” former ISA detainee Michael J Fernandez said at a press conference held at...
Male Sexual Dysfunctions
Dec. 27 | by Dr Martha Lee Photo: newshealth.net During my training to be a sexologist, I was confused by the differences between PE, DE, and ED. They are, namely, premature ejaculation, delayed ejaculation and erectile dysfunction or disorder, respectively....
CPF Medisave Required Amount raised – what it really means
Dec. 27 | by Leong Sze Hian I refer to the article “CPF Minimum Medisave Amount to be raised” (Today, Dec 23). It states that- “From next month, the CPF Medisave Required Amount will be raised from the current $22,500 to $27,500. This is to...
Face to Face Videos: The Economy
Dec. 27 | The Face to Face forum brought together the leaders and representatives of the major opposition parties in Singapore. Over the next few days we will be uploading video clips of the historic event. But first a sneak preview- Part 1 of Section 1: The...
No family will be left behind: Really? (updated)
Dec. 26 | by Leong Sze Hian I refer to the article “No family will be left behind; with some help from CDC and Koufu” (Today, Dec 21). Helping 2,000 needy students? It states that: Over the next two years, some 2,000 needy primary and secondary students will...
TOC Focus Week: Migrant Workers’ Convention Makes Slow Progress
Dec. 25 | John Gee – All but two (193) of the world’s states have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and nearly as many have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)....
Credit Cards: More regulation in Singapore?
Dec. 24 | Leong Sze Hian I refer to the article “Canada Competition Bureau Challenges Visa, Mastercard” (Bloomberg, Dec 16). It states that “(Canadians) pay S$5billion (US$4.98 billion) in ‘hidden credit card fees’” and “Canada has among the highest...
Former ISA detainee seeks damages against Singapore government
Dec. 23 | - By Gangasudhan - SINGAPORE, 23 December 2010: Mr Michael J Fernandez, a former labour unionist who was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on 11th September 1964 and detained without trial until April 1973, has filed a writ of summons through...
“Hold your march at the Speakers’ Corner instead” – MHA
Dec. 22 | The following is a reply to the Singaporean For Democracy’s request for a police risk assessment after their application to hold a march to commemorate International Human Rights Day was rejected. 20 Dec 2010 Dr James Gomez Executive Director Singaporeans...
Breaking news: Former ISA detainee plans to sue Singapore Government
Dec. 22 | Michael Fernandez speaking at the Face to Face forum on Dec 16 Former ISA detainee Michael Fernandez submitted a writ against the Singapore government for unlawful detention this morning. Fernandez was held without trial from 1964 to 1973. Between Novemeber...
Face to Face forum: That elephant in the room
Dec. 22 | by Donaldson Tan So it turned out that the People’s Action Party (PAP) had skipped the biggest political event of the year. Organised by The Online Citizen (TOC), the Face to Face (F2F) Forum, held on 16 December 2010 at the Quality Hotel, had attracted...
Ethics and morality in public service
Dec. 22 | by Walter Jayandran In the wake of recent revelations of criminal offences among public and community service officials, one is justified in asking whether there is a systemic problem of ethical behavior and morality defects in public service agencies....
BREAKING NEWS: Temasek Holdings’ assets in Indonesia likely to be seized
Dec. 21 | According to the latest article by Channel NewsAsia, the Indonesian Anti-Monopoly Agency said it is set to seize assets of Temasek Holdings in Indonesia. The article mentioned that the news came from a report in the Indonesian paper Koran Tempo. We found...
Face to Face: Opposition Supporters Anonymous
Dec. 21 | The following is a letter from a member of the audience at the Face to Face forum by Lee Wai Leong The forum was packed, apparently there were over 350 people. There were registration counters and even sign language translators were present to help the...
Do more to help mentally ill
Dec. 21 | TOC received the following letter, which is also published in Mypaper on Dec 21. by Raymond Anthony Fernando stock photo The recent case of a middle-age woman – reported to be mentally ill – who boarded an SBS Transit bus while naked is worrying. The...
Second Chances in the Park
Dec. 20 | On the afternoon of 19 December 2010 youth-oriented campaign We Believe in Second Chances organised Second Chances in the Park, their first big event aimed at getting Singaporean youth to come out and raise their voices in support of Yong Vui Kong, a...
Amateurs – and loving it
Dec. 20 | By Joshua Chiang am·a·teur (m-tûr, -tr, -chr, -chr, -tyr) A person who engages in an art, science, study, or athletic activity as a pastime rather than as a profession. Sports. An athlete who has never accepted money, or who accepts money under...
Training centres to domestic workers – You have to obey
Dec. 20 | By Sha Najak & Roderick Chia A maid training centre in the Philippines As of mid-2010, Singapore is home to about 196,000 female migrant domestic workers. The transnational movement between their home countries and Singapore, reports of “maid”...
The Best Things in Life
Dec. 20 | By Dr Martha Lee Released in 1992, ‘The Best Things in Life Are Free’ is a song by Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross. The song went to number one on the R&B singles chart and debuted at number 24 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 the week of May...
Face To Face: Meeting of Bodies but not of Minds
Dec. 20 | The following is a contribution by a member of the audience at the Face to Face forum By Dr Wong Wee Nam I went to the TOC Face to Face Forum as a guest of The Online Citizen and came away pleased and puzzled. I was pleased to see the various political...
Conscription – An Illusion of Security
Dec. 20 | The following is a contribution from a member of the audience at the Face to Face forum. By Ajax Copperwater Source: MICA Dr Goh Keng Swee, then-Minister for the Interior and Defence, inspecting newly trained soldiers from the first batch of national...
Standing by my beliefs
Dec. 19 | by Kirsten Han It’s been a long day, and I am KNACKERED. I’ve been buzzing with nervous energy all day long, going over mental lists of things that I need to get together for Second Chances in the Park tomorrow. I’ve checked my email and phone...
Face to Face: 3 beers and a little big idea
Dec. 18 | by Andrew Loh photos by Terry Xu and Joshua Chiang It was 20 November and I hadn’t seen Lynn for a while and thought I’d asked her out for drinks. Just to catch up. She’d just returned from a trip overseas the day before. Lynn is one of my closest...
Singapore redefines braggadocio
Dec. 18 | By Tunku Abdul Aziz (for Mysinchew.com) FOUR years ago, on 18 October 2006, I wrote an opinion piece from my 30th floor office in the UN Secretariat, New York, for the New Sunday Times. The title, Singapore is simply a neighbour too far, I thought fairly...
TOC Focus Week: Stories of Migrant Workers
Dec. 18 | by Joshua Chiang Today, Dec 18th, is International Migrants Day. Over at TOC, we have been doing our part raising pertinent issues regarding the less-than-ideal situations many migrant workers find themselves in. While we acknowledge that the liberal...
They tried to force-strip me – ex ISA detainee Michael Fernandez
Dec. 18 | Labor activist Michael Fernandez led a month-long, 10,000-strong strike at the Singapore Naval Base in Oct-Nov 1963. Fernandez was then General-Secretary of the Naval Base Labour Union. Under the Internal Security Act, Fernandez was arrested for being...
Second Chances in the Park – Sunday!
Dec. 17 | Last night, TheOnlineCitizen organised Face To Face, the political event of the year. Thanks to the team and everyone who turned up, it was a great success and a very interesting night. But now that’s over, the next big event of this week would...
TOC focus week: Young Singaporeans reach out to migrant workers
Dec. 17 | From Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) Migrants rights group, Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) marked International Migrants Day, which falls on 18th December each year, with a celebratory high tea attended by 120 young migrant workers and their counterpart...
Face To Face: An awkward family reunion
Dec. 17 | by Khairulanwar Zaini photos by Terry Xu ‘I agree with Dr Chee,’ said Chiam See Tong, gesturing to his former protégé who was two seats away to his right. It should have been the kind of sentiment that would sent the hearts of opposition sympathizers...
TOC Face to Face Forum LIVE UPDATE (with pictures)
Dec. 17 | 7:45pm Nearly full house. Forum starting soon! 7:48pm Panelists arrive! 8:00pm Stephen from Pasir Ris Punggol GRC. On HDB – SDP would like to privatize the building of public housing. Do you consider your way of providing for funding for it? Goh...
We’ll adopt “light touch” approach for online videos : MDA
Dec. 16 | From Singapore Rebel The Media Development Authority (MDA) has replied to my letter in the Straits Times forum. Dec 16, 2010 Online videos: When MDA will use classification WE REFER to Mr Martyn See’s letter, (‘Can political parties directly...
Straits Times: Willing bedfellows of the State
Dec. 16 | by Ravi Philemon Ms Tessa Wong who is a journalist at The Straits Times commented on The Online Citizen’s Facebook page that “ST has always maintained it is a pro-Singapore paper. Some people have equated that to be pro-PAP, but I can say for a...
Frankie – Hardened criminal to successful artist
Dec. 16 | From We Believe in Second Chances Listening to his story, it seems like there is nothing Frankie hasn’t tried before in his life. Armed robbery, drug peddling, gang fights (with serious injuries and even death), escape from jail… he really...
Diplomacy according to George
Dec. 15 | “These are in the nature of cocktail talk.” Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo on the Wikileaks saga
Note to TOC Face to Face Participants
Dec. 15 | Dear Guests, We hope you’re as excited about THE political event of the year as we are! To make Singapore’s first Town-Hall style Q & A with the leaders of political parties in Singapore a success, here’s some important information for you...
TOC Report: MM Lee says Dialogue with Burmese Generals like “talking to dead people”
Dec. 15 | Choo Zheng Xi In more revelations about Singapore’s opinion of our neighbors, the Burmese junta is described as “dense” and “stupid” and has “mismanaged” the country’s vast natural resources. Dealing with the regime is like “talking...
A lesson on autism
Dec. 15 | written by B L Swee, a parent whose child is diagnosed with ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) JY has been such a charming child. We were so taken by his good looks and funny behaviour that we never realised that something was very wrong with him. The...
Migrant worker NGOs’ appeal against rejection for vehicle procession
Dec. 15 | Mr K Shanmugam Minister for Home Affairs and Law New Phoenix Park 28 Irrawaddy Road Singapore 329560 Dear Mr Shanmugam, Permit Application Nos PP/20101125/003 and PP/20101128/001 Pursuant to Section 6 of the Public Order Act 2009 – An Appeal under...
Wikileaks saga: Singapore actively undermining Malaysia, says M’sian MP
Dec. 15 | The following is a letter from Tian Chua, Malaysian MP and Vice President of the People Justice Party, to the High Comissioner of Singapore H.E. T Jasudasen High Commissioner The Republic of Singapore 03-2163 4875 Dear Sir, Greetings. The latest exposure...
Wikileaks on Singapore worrying
Dec. 14 | The following is an excerpt of an article from Yawning Bread I’ll give it to Australian journalists — they know how to write opening sentences that seize one’s attention. The Age opened its story on Wikileaked US diplomatic cables related to conversations...
TOC focus week: Comments that endorse discrimination of migrant workers
Dec. 14 | by Vanessa Ho Let me begin this article by admitting I am a little bit racist. I cannot deny it, neither can I help it. The best I can do is to be conscious whenever I have a racist thought, and correct myself accordingly. To be a racist is more than...
George Yeo on Wikileaks – full transcript (updated)
Dec. 13 | The following is the transcript of Foreign Minister George Yeo’s Interview with the Media on Wikileaks at the Eurasian House on Sunday 12 December 2010 at 5.00pm Q: Minister, with regard to the recent comments that there were some...
What a Sexologist is not
Dec. 13 | Dr Martha Lee I am a sexologist. Since I am the only one with this unique combination of qualification and training in Singapore, there exists a lot of confusion about what exactly a sexologist does within our little city/state. Not only that, I have...
