$60,000 loan from Ren Ci to PAP MP Ong Seh Hong sparked furore in cyberspace
The Ren Ci fiasco took an unexpected twist today when it was revealed in the court by Ming Yi that he approved loans to several of its staff including is Chief Operating Officer Dr Ong Seh Hong who borrowed a stunning sum of $60,000. (read article here)
Dr Ong Seh Hong is the PAP MP for Kampong Ubi ward under Marine Parade GRC. He was in the spotlight lately over the Geylang Serai market food poisoning outbreak which took away the lives of two residents living in his constituency.
He has declined to comment on the matter on the grounds of the ongoing trial.
Within minutes of the news release on the Channelnewsasia online portal, the major internet chatrooms are abuzzed with the loan Dr Ong had taken from Ren Ci.
In less than a hour since the post first appeared on CNA forum, it has attracted over 2,000 views.
Many cannot understand why a doctor and a MP has to borrow money from a monk. Some questioned if the loan is interest-free.
Wrote “18″ on CNA forum:
“It is a public fund & not Ah Gong or your $$ cannot any how loan la… If it is a listed company, sure close shop one…..”
Another forumer remarked sarcastically:
“That some talent he has to borrow money from Monk - first world talent.”
ilfishing was more interested to know if the loan is interest-free:
“Is this interest-free loan? Good to know this fact, if yes, on what basis the loan is given to the MP?”
Scandals about PAP leaders are far and few because the mainstream media which is largely controlled by the government is not allowed to pry into their personal lives.
The scandal only came to light because of a trial hearing involving Ren Ci’s ex CEO Ming Yi who was falsifying the charity’s accounts and lying to the investigators.
As the second largest charity in Singapore after the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Ren Ci runs a hospital and medical centers for the chronic sick.
It is funded almost entirely by public donations with occasional contributions from the Ministry of Health. Before his fall from grace, Ming Yi was a highly respected Buddhist monk in Singapore who risked his life in dangerous stunts including walking from a tightrope down from Suntec City a few years ago to raise funds for Ren Ci.
In the aftermath of the NKF saga, many Singaporeans will undoubtably feel hurt and betrayed by the dirt which has been dredged up in the Ren Ci case so far.
While there may be no criminal wrongdoings in Dr Ong taking a loan from Ren Ci, it is morally wrong for him to knowingly accept the money which is meant to help the needy patients. Neither is it good corporate practice for a staff to borrow money from the charity.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has always praised the PAP MPs as the best talents Singapore can ever produce and therefore deserving of their exorbitant salaries which are fueling widespread resentment in the face of the current economic downturn.
Dr Ong will be hard pressed to a satisfactory explanation to the public about the loan which will probably sound the death knell for his unremarkable political career. It may also be his last term as a MP for Kampong Ubi given the impeccable record MM Lee demands from his MPs.
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Friday, April 17, 2009
Jealousy drove her to kill
April 17, 2009
Jealousy drove her to kill
| By Khushwant Singh, Court Reporter | ||
 |  | It was jealousy that drove Wu Yun Yun (left) - opposition party member Tan Lead Shake's China-born wife - to stab her 34-year-old brother-in-law to death and to slash his wife. --ST PHOTO:KUA CHEE SIONG |
Wu, 26, suffered from major depression which qualified her for the defence of diminished responsibility, the High Court heard on Friday.
Originally charged with murder, the Singapore permanent resident pleaded guilty to committing culpable homicide, not amounting to murder, by stabbing Tan Lead Sane, 33, and to attempted culpable homicide for her attack on 36-year-old Madam Huang Meizhe.
Justice Kan Ting Chiu adjourned sentencing for six months to allow psychiatrist George Joseph Fernandez to monitor Wu's mental state.
The senior consultant of the Institute of Mental Health testified that he needed this time to check if her mental condition would improve.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Diane Tan had earlier told the court that Wu came to Singapore from China in 2001 to marry Mr Tan Lead Shake.
The couple shared a house in Paya Lebar Crescent with Madam Ng, her eldest son Tan Lead Hand, and Mr Tan Lead Sane and his wife, who is also from China.
Wu became jealous of Mr Tan Lead Sane and his wife, as they appeared to be more 'loved' by her mother-in-law. She began to think about killing her brother-in-law and in early June last year bought a fruit knife and hid it. At 5.30am on June 28, Wu stabbed Madam Huang in the neck.
The commotion woke Mr Tan Lead Sane; he was stabbed twice in the chest and once in the abdomen. When Madam Ng tried to stop Wu leaving the house, she too was slashed.
Wu later called her husband and surrendered before being arrested. She could be jailed up to 20 years or for life.
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AWARE AGM 2009 : EOGM May 2nd : Do SOMETHING!
AWARE AGM 2009 : EOGM May 2nd : Do SOMETHING!
I will be qouting members of AWARE ( the old-timers) who I believe, are far more in the know than me. Please support our appeal. ( I’ll qoute them anonymously for now, as I don’t know if they want to be credited. But I’ll credit as soon as they tell me they want to be)
The EOGM is on the 2nd May.
@ Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE).
Address: AWARE Blk 5 Dover Crescent #01-22. Singapore 130005
Nearest MRT : Bouna Vista, Cross the road, take 196 or 74, stop after ACS.
If you want to help us, please come down, and join as a member. This is truly a matter of numbers already. We need you, every single one of you. Your vote MATTERS.
Remember,
You don’t have to be an animal to support animal rights
You don’t have to be a child to support childrens’ rights
You don’t have to be gay to support gay rights
You don’t have to be a woman to support gender equality.
Facebook group :
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=25846462465#/group.php?gid=72296674515&ref=mf
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The AWARE Catfight
The AWARE Catfight
Cat fight cat fight! After weeks of baiting from the ‘old guard’ of AWARE, the new president Josie and her Pussycats have lashed back. Sorry, I apologise for the term ‘old guard’ - it’s both ageist and not gender neutral. In a statement to the media today, Josie Lau literally threw back the same accusations that the ‘evergreen guardresses’ had originally leveled at her new exco – “disclose your motives and objectives openly and honestly” (Channelnews Asia, 17 Apr 09).
No doubt, the evergreen guardresses of AWARE will retort, well our open and honest motive and objective is to ensure that you disclose your motives and objectives openly and honestly. Hmmpf, well our open and honest motive and objective is to ask you to disclose your motives and objectives openly and honestly…meow! And on it goes….yawn. It’s a bit like watching two spiders fighting and then slamming your hand down on them in a fit of boredom.
I’ve never had much time for AWARE. It’s always been a glorified tea party for gentrified women trapped in an outdated bubble of feminist ideology floating in the 21st century. And because of this it is full of contradictions. It screams for equal rights, and yet it has never championed the right of women to do NS. It argues for gender neutral terms, and yet it has never sought to change the Women’s Charter to say, Men, Women, Gay, Lesbian, Transvestite, Transexual, and Everything in-Between Charter. It demands equal treatment of the sexes, and yet it has never argued for the use of the rotan as corporal punishment for women criminals. It admonishes anyone who treats women like fragile pretty ornaments, and yet it does not fight against Western notions of romance and chivalry. Like I said, I have little time for it.
However, I dislike Christian fundamentalists even more. Any group that believes that it is absolutely, one hundred and one percent morally right, and expects everyone to abide by their code of morality is, to me, nothing less than a tyrant. This anti-gay, anti-abortion brigade is stretching its slimly self-righteous tentacles into as many facets of Singapore life it can from law (377A), economics (protest against the casinos) and now civil society. This holy-molely brigade has realized that it must leave the comfort zone of the church compounds to fight the rising tide of liberalism and wanton hedonism. And ‘fight’ is the right word because evangelical Christians believe that they are engaged in a spiritual warfare against Satan. In their minds they are fighting an epic Lord of the Rings-style battle against the anti-Christ, or as we known him by his earthly name, Siew Kum Hong. These fanatics sincerely believe that they have to prepare the ground for the second coming of Christ, an event that is taking almost as long to happen as Guns N Roses’ release of Chinese Democracy. And, like Chinese Democracy, it’s going be one helluva anti-climax.
So there you have it. Two irritating spiders fighting away. Sure, all this politicking is good for civil society. It helps mature our political culture and alerts us to the fact that the pluralism in Singapore cannot always be swept under the carpet. But f**k it, if only I could slam my hand on them both.
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Singapore Economy in Free Fall Disaster
April 17, 2009 | 11:49 AM (EST)
Singapore Economy in Free Fall Disaster
The city state of Singapore, Venice of the 21st century in terms of its mercantile prowess, has as its national anthem the refrain, "Onward, Singapore." With the data that has recently emerged on the Q1 performance of Singapore's economy, however, it may be time to change the national anthem to "Backwards, Singapore." The numbers are that bad.
This tiny Island republic, sitting at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, covers only 274 square miles, with a population of under five million. Yet through innovation, industriousness and the entrepreneurial environment facilitated by a pro-business if somewhat authoritarian government, Singapore has become a powerhouse within the global economy. Indeed, no less an authority than the World Bank has graded Singapore as the most business friendly economy in the world. However, amidst the tectonic shifts occurring as a result of the Global Economic Crisis, Singapore has discovered that it is an exceptionally vulnerable and fragile geopolitical space.
Global trade is the engine that drives the Singapore economy. The tiny nation has a vast manufacturing sector, which includes electronics, petrochemicals and engineering. With its small population, Singapore must export the products it manufactures. That export trade has led Singapore to being the fourth largest port in the world. The Global Economic Crisis, however, has sent international trade into a tailspin. All major exporters are hurting badly; Singapore is bleeding.
In the first quarter of 2009, Singapore's GDP contracted at a catastrophic rate of 11.5%, much worse than expected. In March, non-petroleum exports declined by 17%, the eleventh consecutive monthly decline. Unemployment is rising while business confidence is plummeting. The once busy port of Singapore is now almost quiescent, a reflection not only of Singapore's decline but also a window on how severely global trade has been impacted by the worldwide recession.
As in America and other major economies that have been decimated by the Global Economic Crisis, Singapore has its share of overly optimistic economists, analysts and media pundits who are trying to spin the bad news into glimmers of hope. Some have even suggested that the severity of the country's Q1 economic statistics are "proof" that the recession has hit bottom and will soon begin to ease. However, such appalling macroeconomic data cannot wear a happy face under any circumstance; it is irrefutable proof that the synchronized global recession now shattering the worldwide economy is unprecedented in its depth and reach. I think the elder statesman of Singapore, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, was more aligned with reality when he recently suggested that it will take at least six years before Singapore recovers from the effects of the Global Economic Crisis.
Amid all the horrific economic news, Singapore can boast of an advantage denied the deficit-driven economies of Europe and the United States. During the good times, the Island nation prudently set aside substantial foreign exchange reserves. Even with a recent $20 billion stimulus package, Singapore still maintains a reserve fund of $170 billion. This will provide flexibility for policymakers to address the immediate ramifications of the severe economic contraction now occurring in their country. Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that once prosperous Singapore is facing many years of economic and financial hardship that will severely test the country's capacity for entrepreneurial innovation and hard work.
If a nation that has been as prudent and fiscally responsible as Singapore is enduring a free fall meltdown in vital areas of its economy, what about the United States, which is also undergoing a significant economic contraction, but with a massive debt load instead of sizeable reserves?
Singapore Economy in Free Fall Disaster
The city state of Singapore, Venice of the 21st century in terms of its mercantile prowess, has as its national anthem the refrain, "Onward, Singapore." With the data that has recently emerged on the Q1 performance of Singapore's economy, however, it may be time to change the national anthem to "Backwards, Singapore." The numbers are that bad.
This tiny Island republic, sitting at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, covers only 274 square miles, with a population of under five million. Yet through innovation, industriousness and the entrepreneurial environment facilitated by a pro-business if somewhat authoritarian government, Singapore has become a powerhouse within the global economy. Indeed, no less an authority than the World Bank has graded Singapore as the most business friendly economy in the world. However, amidst the tectonic shifts occurring as a result of the Global Economic Crisis, Singapore has discovered that it is an exceptionally vulnerable and fragile geopolitical space.
Global trade is the engine that drives the Singapore economy. The tiny nation has a vast manufacturing sector, which includes electronics, petrochemicals and engineering. With its small population, Singapore must export the products it manufactures. That export trade has led Singapore to being the fourth largest port in the world. The Global Economic Crisis, however, has sent international trade into a tailspin. All major exporters are hurting badly; Singapore is bleeding.
In the first quarter of 2009, Singapore's GDP contracted at a catastrophic rate of 11.5%, much worse than expected. In March, non-petroleum exports declined by 17%, the eleventh consecutive monthly decline. Unemployment is rising while business confidence is plummeting. The once busy port of Singapore is now almost quiescent, a reflection not only of Singapore's decline but also a window on how severely global trade has been impacted by the worldwide recession.
As in America and other major economies that have been decimated by the Global Economic Crisis, Singapore has its share of overly optimistic economists, analysts and media pundits who are trying to spin the bad news into glimmers of hope. Some have even suggested that the severity of the country's Q1 economic statistics are "proof" that the recession has hit bottom and will soon begin to ease. However, such appalling macroeconomic data cannot wear a happy face under any circumstance; it is irrefutable proof that the synchronized global recession now shattering the worldwide economy is unprecedented in its depth and reach. I think the elder statesman of Singapore, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, was more aligned with reality when he recently suggested that it will take at least six years before Singapore recovers from the effects of the Global Economic Crisis.
Amid all the horrific economic news, Singapore can boast of an advantage denied the deficit-driven economies of Europe and the United States. During the good times, the Island nation prudently set aside substantial foreign exchange reserves. Even with a recent $20 billion stimulus package, Singapore still maintains a reserve fund of $170 billion. This will provide flexibility for policymakers to address the immediate ramifications of the severe economic contraction now occurring in their country. Nevertheless, there can be no doubt that once prosperous Singapore is facing many years of economic and financial hardship that will severely test the country's capacity for entrepreneurial innovation and hard work.
If a nation that has been as prudent and fiscally responsible as Singapore is enduring a free fall meltdown in vital areas of its economy, what about the United States, which is also undergoing a significant economic contraction, but with a massive debt load instead of sizeable reserves?
Much Ado About Nothing
Much Ado About Nothing
On Monday, the Singapore Democrats published an article claiming that Singapore has purchased Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) from India. The SDP itself based its commentary on this article from The Hindu, an online Indian-based news update service.
The SDP has raised a big fuss over it. But, in the words of The Bard, they are making much ado about nothing.
In the article, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), the supplier of the EVMs, stated that it is currently in negotiations with several countries, including Singapore. The company has also customised its EVMs to suit Singapore's purposes.
At this juncture, I want to make a distinction between BEL's EVMs and generic electronic voting machines. The former will henceforth be referred to by its acronym, which was the one assigned to it by the company. The latter will be labelled 'e-voting systems', in order to prevent confusion.
But nowhere in the article is a declaration that Singapore has, in fact, purchased the EVM.
Replace 'Singapore' with 'an international corporation', 'BEL' with 'a global electronics giant' and 'EVM' with 'latest office and desktop solution', and the process can be demystified. What happened, in effect, was that BEL tried to tailor its EVMs to court business from Singapore through a demonstration of its capabilities. But Singapore did not purchase the EVM.
Nor does Singapore have any intention of doing so, as reported today in The Straits Times. While I have been critical of The Straits Times in the past, it is fairly unlikely that this is simply another piece of propaganda; you cannot, after all, hide the existence of a machine when it is going to be a platform for the next elections, and there is little propaganda value in this article.
E-voting systems do have their faults, and e-voting in general is presently flawed, as reported in this post by the SDP, and again in the above-mentioned aticle by Steven Stigall and Dr. Rebecca Mercuri, among many other sources. But the main flaw in these warnings is that they were not referring to the model in question.
This distinction is significant because BEL's EVMs were designed to minimise electoral fraud. The machine's microcontroller's uses One Time Programmable Read Only Memory (OTROM). After initial programming, the programming codes cannot be read or altered by any external source, including the manufacturer. The code itself accepts no data other from any external device save for the balloting unit. As the EVM is a stand-alone unit, it is impervious to hacking attempts from the Internet. Data registered in the machine is encrypted for further security. After the poll is officially closed, no further votes may be made.
In addition, practices set down by the Election Commission of India can be adopted to further reduce the chances of bogus votes. Before polling begins, the Presiding Officer at the polling station will show the result screen of each EVM to polling agents, and allow the agents to conduct a mock vote to demonstrate that the EVMs work as advertised. Replace 'polling agent' with 'independent observer' and another check and balance can be established. After voting ceases, the Presiding Officer will press the 'Close' button, effectively shutting down the EVM and preventing anybody from inputting a vote.
Perhaps the best vote for BEL's voting machine is the 2004 Indian General Election. In the face of illiteracy and lack of infrastructure in remote areas, the 2004 General Elections were widely considered as the smoothest election held by the world's largest democracy. This was facilitated through education and awareness programmes, and executed through the widespread use of BEL's EVM. Indeed, BEL's EVM has received the least flak and the most praise compared to other e-voting systems.
The SDP has conflated BEL's EVM with other e-voting machines. BEL's model was designed to facilitate free and fair elections. By not making this distinction and not checking the facts, the SDP has wrongly smeared BEL's reputation.
And by not checking the facts before publication, the SDP has shot itself in the foot.
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AWARE president questions intentions of veterans unhappy over election outcome
AWARE president questions intentions of veterans unhappy over election outcome
By Cheryl Lim/Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 17 April 2009 1747 hrs
 | ||||||
 Josie Lau (seated, front) helms AWARE's new executive committee, partly seen here | ||||||
SINGAPORE: The new president of the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE), Josie Lau, has questioned the intentions of veteran members who are unhappy that newcomers have swept most of the executive committee (Exco) seats in the organisation's recent annual election.
In a statement to the media, she challenged these members to disclose their motives and objectives fully and honestly.
On Tuesday, 160 members had written to the new Exco to request for an extraordinary general meeting, with the apparent purpose of replacing the Exco. The much-awaited extraordinary general meeting will be held on May 2.
Meanwhile, Ms Lau pointed out that no more than five of the signatories were present at last month's annual general meeting.
She also highlighted that just-resigned president Claire Nazar had nominated six out of the 11 new Exco members with the support of veteran members.
Ms Lau also said that following the first Exco meeting on April 7, Ms Nazar unilaterally resigned by email on April 8.
The Exco then called for a second Exco meeting on April 15, the earliest possible date, as the Constitution requires at least seven days' notice.
It was at this meeting that Ms Lau was named the new president unopposed.
Ms Lau said the current committee hopes to improve the life of women in Singapore and is pro-women, pro-family and pro-Singapore.
She added that AWARE is a secular organisation - with members from different races, walks of life and belief systems.
She said that as a democratic society, they welcome diverse viewpoints.
Ms Lau added that she has full confidence in her team and that they are ready for the challenges ahead.
Meanwhile, on Friday evening, some members of the new Exco spoke to Channel NewsAsia.
The new Exco said the organisation's old guard is recruiting members to call the extraordinary general meeting.
The new guard said 120 of the 160 signatories were recruited in the last month to swell support for the requisition.
A vote of no confidence may be considered against the new committee at this meeting.
This comes just weeks after the old guard accused the new Exco of recruiting members to "muscle their way onto the Exco" in the society's annual general meeting.
When asked of their intention of joining AWARE, the new Exco said they wanted to bring fresh ideas to the organisation and improve the quality of life of women in Singapore. They are also planning programmes to help women who are suffering during the economic downturn. - CNA/ms
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