The Reformation: Opportunity approaches V

After breaching the perimeter of the base, the men came within view of the actual structure of the spacecraft carrier. Colossal would be an understatement attesting to the enormity of the potent weapon of war.

Nevertheless both men, whilst admiring the size and power of the Reptilians, remained determined to strike a blow at the enemy. Especially when they lest expect it.

Using the cover of darkness, Ryan and Josh approached the carrier. But in front of them was a guarded entrance...

The Reformation: Opportunity approaches IV

"Well, we could surrender ourselves and rest in our new home...if they are in a good mood"

"Alright, then we shall wreck havoc before we are caught,"replied Ryan half in jest.

Having reached a consensus, both men waited patiently in the foliage for the sun to set.


When dark descended on the Reptilian base, the men made their move.

Ryan led the way, well accustomed in his position as the point man honed in his training in New Eropagnis militia.

Surveillancing the hastily built base, Ryan saw the perimeter was not well-defended, perhaps due to Reptilian's misplaced confidence in their aerial prowess combined with the miserable condition of the resisting enemy forces.

Turning around to Josh, he silent pointed out the location of the lone sentry and his intention to take him out.

Within minutes, Ryan had crept behind the sentry. Using his bare hands, Ryan grabbed his head and disabled the sentry with a twist of his neck. His rifle dropped onto the ground but the clatter was imperceptible against the roaring background of the landing and taking-off spacecrafts.

Holding on to his new acquisition, Ryan momentarily gleefully turned to Josh and gave him a thumbs-up sign. Then he turned to look back at the Reptilian base with renewed determination and steel in his eyes and waved Josh to move on

The Reformation: Opportunity approaches III

"Alright, let's go for it!"Ryan enthused.

The never-say-die attitude of the New Eropagnis' kicked in and made Ryan felt ashamed of his fatalistic mindset that he had previously indulged in. "So what's the plan?"

"First we observe the base for any openings. Then we wait till dark before entering the base. We will sabotage their facility any way we can before taking one of their craft and escape into the northerly direction."

Ryan stared intently at the sprawling enemy base, his mind going through all the possibilities and problems that towered before them, a product of his years as militiaman in the New Eropagnis.

"Well, it's difficult. We have to get some real weapons and avoid detection by their surveillance system. Then we have to evade their hundreds of spacecrafts using one of theirs...That's tricky. What's the alternative?"Ryan asked.

The Reformation: Opportunity approaches II

Once within close distance, Josh and Ryan went into despair.

Ahead of them were hundreds of spacecrafts taking off and landing, each bearing the distinctive red and green mark of the Reptilians.

It dawned upon them that they were deep in enemy territory, and whatever hopes they secretly harbour of returing to their comrades were dashed.

Ryan heaved heavily in despair. Now they will never make it back to friendly lines, assuming there was still such a force left...

Never one to give up, Josh turned around and smiled wryly. He said slyly,"How about we take a closer look at our new-found friends?"

The Refomation: Opportunity approaches I

After trekking in the forest fringes for hours, Ryan and Josh saw a shimmering light in a distance. Both men were suddenly animated by the sight of civilisation and the spring in their steps were restored as they doubled their pace to reach the friendly and reassuring light in the distance.

As they neared the light, a jarring mechnanical noise whirred louder in the air. The enormous building towering before them resemblanced a sprawling spider with long straight ground at its ends. It was an aerodome and space fighters were taking off and landing on the runways.

Ryan and Josh slowed down and creeped silently for the last mile towards the aerodome, not knowing they were meeting friends or foes. Both of them said prayers in their hearts and kept their fingers crossed as they approached soundlessly.

THe Reformation

Quietly and slowly, Josh and Ryan creep towards the nearest town, Newcastle.

Newcastle was a small tungsten mining colony which have the same name of a city on Earth that had similar origins. It had been largely neglected ever since the rise of the trading community in New Eropagnis. The rapid expansion of human influence across space, brought about by the discovery of precious gold in the outer periphery had transform New Eropagnis from a frontier outpost into a important transient node between the new frontiers and the home planet of Earth. Miners were turned into shipping crews, joining in the action that promised much. Traders and shippers ply the space route, which had enriched the lives of those before who had walked in it.

The sudden appearance of the Reptilians had taken everyone by surprise. No one knew where they came from, their motives and their plans. Reports of colonies being under attack and communications cut off were initially thought to be done by pirates, until a paramilitary space fleet sent to confront them were destroyed.

Scattered reports of a insignia of a crocodile on their spacecraft lead a reporter to write the headlines 'Reptilians: Humans or not'. Later contact established that the invaders were in fact humans, but the name stuck. The human world that had originated from Earth collided with the mysterious force from nowhere. Now this was a fight for survival in space.

Clementi in me

I feel melancholic today but that's not because I visited to the National Museum(although I did).

In a spur of a moment (after the museum trip), I stopped at Clementi. This was the place where I spent my childhood years in; where I was brought up and grew up happily in. I still go to Clementi every other day on the way to NUS, but today, I returned to where my flat used to be.
It's hard to imagine one being sentimental towards rows upon rows of uniform blocks of flats and what's more the uninspiring look of HDB flats built in the 80s, but it was where my memories were.

So eight years after moving to a new place, I returned to visit my old home.

On the way back, I walked past Pei Tong Primary School. Ahh...my primary school. She was recently renovated and rebuilt as a high-rise school. God... she looked beautiful. A major part of my primary school years (unhealthy) consisted of thoughts of how undesirable the design of the school was and secretly hoping for a major change. I now felt vindicated. The old design of the school or the lack of was an absurdly big, over-sized grass (mud) pitch that made the quarters of the school look cramped and deprived. It made the walk from the front gates of the school to the assembly hall-cum-canteen a daily torture. Now she is proportionately shaped, everything looks orderly and pristine. Perfect. But somehow, I did not feel as happy as I thought I would be...

I moved on and walked a good five minutes to my old home. The two coffeeshops along the way although there, but most of the old stalls which I had often bought from was gone. The design of the coffeeshops looked like some generic modernised (in a distasteful manner) coffeeshop in Singapore.

Somewhere along the way, I realized that there would be changes to my old neighbourhood too, and I started to get eager to know what she looked like. I was not disappointed. She is no longer what she was. She is cleaner, brighter and shinier. The beautiful coat of new paint on the block of flats made her look attractive and lovely. The remodelled playground downstairs looked as even more inviting as ever. Only the fact that I was now an adult somehow prevented me from running gleefully towards the playground as I did in my younger days. I then walked upstairs, wanting to steal a glance at the door of my former flat.

Feelings of familiarity came rushing back as I climbed up to the second floor, sometime I used to do every day. I moved slowly, wanting to savour the mundane feeling of walking up this flight of stairs. Once on top, from the corridors, the opposite bank of the Sungei Ulu Pandan canal looked as aloof and creepy as ever, as the tall trees and palm-like trees from both banks obscure the view of the old unknown, short and square building from view. Ha...I didn't grow out of this feeling even till now. I walked down the corridor and saw that the decor of the flat has been changed from drab grey colour to a bright green and blue combination of decor. Right... an Indian family had bought the flat from my parents...

Feeling nostalgic, I decided to take a walk around. The pedestrian bridge that connected Clementi Ave 4 and Sunset way now had a colourful overhead shelter; something I used to think would be smart to have. The hot morning walk to the Sunset way market or the fear of lightning strikes during bouts of torrent weather in my childhood days were consigned to history. I crossed the bridge and went in the direction of Sunset way market. Or where it used to be. Now, a posh Japanese restaurant stood in its stead, and the previous familiar atmosphere of a neighbour wet market was replaced by a bohemian feel. Posh new-themed eateries now sprout over the whole front area of Sunset way.

Suddenly, I felt overwhelmed. Upset and betrayed. I turned around and went back, with tears starting to swell. The whole place felt unfamiliar; I was a stranger in my old neighbourhood. Why had the place changed so much in eight years? Life seems to be gone in a flash without my acknowledgement... so many changes...is this what living is about? Witnessing changes after changes? I was furious... my thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a mother walking towards me with her child. Then I understood.

As much as I hated the change, as I am now taller, stronger and wiser, she is now...different... and better in her own ways. But there is some consolation. Things have definitely changed, but some had remained. The jogging track parallel to the canal was still there, although the litter bins were looking a little neglected. The kindergarten opposite the road that I once studied (played) in was still standing in the void deck. It brought a tiny smile to my face...more than twenty years and still going on strong...with the PAP flag fluttering proudly in the winds. Well, some things never change...

The Reformation

In, out. In, out.
He tried to breath but it was proving harder than usual.
Amid abated breath, he peered from behind the cover of the dense foliage... looking...but it was impossible in the moonless night.
The night was quiet, too quiet. Or rather it seemed so after the unbearable screams and cries earlier.

There was no one around the dig site. It was deserted. Ryan turned and signalled to Josh to search the area. Josh creep forward and methodically combed the area with his crude staff. He could find no one; except for dried stains of blood and the dug-up holes, there was nothing.

Satisfied that no one was left behind, the two men walked along the fringes of Luther forest, hoping to come across any colonist that were living in the vicinity before daylight.

The Reformation

Josh and Ryan collapsed onto the ground, tired from sheer physical exertion and the emotional roller coaster ride; the mind numbing labor, the flight for freedom and the close shave with death. All in a day.

The men waited until the sound of insects chirping in the background came back before deciding to move on. Under the dark undergrowth, the men resorted to feeling their way back to the site of escape. Their plan was to conduct reconnaissance of the place before deciding their next move.

If the place was crawling with Reptilains, they would remain in the vegetation and move along the forest until it was clear before locating the nearest Resistance hideout. If no one was there, they would then have a easier time contacting their comrades. Either way, they were leaving the dreadful forest. There was no doubt about it.

The Reformation

Ryan quickly fashioned a crude stick from the broken branch and hit it on the ground to test it. Waving the stick at Larry and Josh, he merrily cooed, "Now let's arm ourselves, it may help save our lives ."
Josh grabbed a dead branch on the forest floor and laughed, "This will do just fine for fighting off lions and tigers."
Larry interjected, "Now what?! Anyone knows the way out of this forest or what should we do for that matter?"
A low growl suddenly materialized out of the dense vegetation and the three men instinctively froze, eyes scanning for the intruder. The atmosphere turned tense as the men waited for the inevitable attack, drenched in sweat, and hearts pounding in fear. The wait was excruciating as the terrified men recalled the tales of terrible creatures roaming the forest known all colonists.

Moments passed. Larry snapped and lost his nerves. He took to his heels, screaming and fled further into the forest. Josh shouted out for him to stop and come back, but it was doubtless that it was useless. The remaining men held their ground, knowing that the whatever was out there had now turned its attention elsewhere.

The Reformation

Ryan keep on running and running right into Luther forest. With his two other companions, they went where angels fear to tread.
After a short while, they stopped and jogged to a halt, figuring they had put enough distance behind them. That was when they realized what they had done. No one knows exactly what kind of organisms were living in the forest. Its untamed nature welcomes no one. Encompassing the entire interior of the landmass of the continent, no man has ever successfully penetrated the thick foliage; the traders on newly colonized New Eropagins never showed much interest in exploring the wildlife insofar, living in sanitized living pods located on the coast of the continent and preferring to spend their time in the never-ending pursuit of material. The last time some wild adventurer went into the forest with his convey with much fanfare, he was never heard again.
"Over here. Look." whispered Larry in amazement. A trail of large footprints indicating a herd of animals was deeply imprinted on the soft soil.
"What on earth is that?" the other man exclaimed.
"You forget Josh, we are on Planet New Eros."
"Not funny, Larry. I do think we are in deep trouble"
"Gentlemen, you're wrong. At least we're free." interrupted Ryan. "Now we had to find a way to contact the rest of our forces."
The two other men nodded in agreement. But they looked around and realized they were lost in the thick undergrowth. The sky was covered by the overhanging branches, obscuring the stars that might help point the way out.
Immediately, the analytical mind and field-craft training took over; Ryan broke off a branch, "Guess we have to do it the low tech way."

The Reformation

Ryan was the last off the truck. The bright sunlight stared harshly, accentuating the humid weather of the land. The open fields provided no shelter from the sweltering heat, making the group of captives grouchy and less fearful of the Reptilians.
"All of you, start digging. I want it finished before sunset!" hissed the Reptilian commander.
Each man was untied, handed a shovel. Larry, the ever arrogant aristocrat officer challenged the order. "Why do we have to dig holes in the ground. My men and I refuse to be treated as labour."
A Reptilian solder sauntered up to Larry, without speaking raised his rifle and shot Larry in the feet. Larry fell and scream in agony. He looked up just in time to see the rifle aimed at his temple. He quickly closed his eyes and braced himself. Seconds pass, but nothing happened. He then opened his eyes to see the soldier walking away. Larry was merely badly shaken and quickly muttered a prayer of thanks. Now, none dared to refuse or even ask questions and silently set to work.

Sundown.
Suddenly shots rang out. Ryan dived and took a quick glance around. To his relief and surprise, the Reptilians were under attack from the remnants of the New Eropagnis Planetary Defense forces, a volunteer force made up of dedicated citizens. The attackers were making use of the dimming lights to facilitate the escape of the prisoners from the 3rd Heavy Horses. The Horses were captured when surprised from above before any warning was given. Reptilian soldiers dropped from above and landed directly on top of the staging base of the 3rd Heavy Horses who were still gathering their forces. The Heavy Horses fought with all they had, firing their pistols, some managing to fire a few shots from their tanks before being killed by Reptilians who had climbed up and into the tank turrets. The base commander Eric Lucker then decided to surrender the whole base to prevent his men from dying in a unequal battle.

Ryan shook the two other men beside him, shouted above the sound of battle and pointed to north, where the Timur forest blankets and protects. They nodded their heads and crawl on their bellies towards the forest. The Reptilian forces were pinned in their positions, under fire by mortar and sniper fire from the surrounding countryside. All the prisoners were making use of the opportunity to make good their escape although some of the Reptilians were quick to redirect their weapons at the escaping prisoners, felling a large number with their accurate shots.

As Ryan and company neared the forest, the first man decided to stand and run into the forest That attracted the attention of the Reptilians and fired their direction. Ryan then jumped up and ran in a zigzag manner towards the forest; figuring he was already seen by the enemy, ran for his freedom.

The first in The Reformation series

In, out. In, out.
He tried to breath but it was proving harder than usual.
Amid abated breath, he peered from behind the cover of the dense foliage... looking...but it was impossible in the moonless night.
The night was quiet, too quiet. Or rather it seemed so after the unbearable screams and cries earlier.

Ryan was gathered together with a few hundred men from the detention centre and loaded onto the truck. He recognized a few faces, Jake, Larry and a few others from the resistance. But the rest of the people looked unfamiliar, unfamiliar yet they were in the same predicament.

A voice whispered:" We are going to die..." A young, lanky man standing beside him murmured softly. Ryan nodded gently. That much was expected. The cruelty of the Reptilians had far preceded their presence, striking fear in the hearts of the communities living on New Eropagnis. Tales of bloodthirsty killings and wanton violence spread quickly to the rest of the star system. In response, the local defense either broadcast their surrender upon the approach of the Reptilian space battleships or fight to their deaths, knowing they would be given no alternative. It was total submission or total destruction. For the merchant-warriors of the newly colonized New Eropagnis, the freedom of trade, movement and affiliation was their lifeblood of their existence. It was better to die trying than live under control.
Woken from his stupor by a bum on the trail, he failed to maintain his balance and fell, pulling his fellow captives to the floorboard of the truck. The group moaned in collective agony and struggled to stand up in the jerking vehicle.
A Reptilian star leader, furious at the commotion, closed in and attacked the first man in the row. Lifting the man by his collar, the captor landed a punch on his head and threw him on the ground. Then the truck stopped.

Nuclear Plants in Southeast Asia?

The ramification of a record high price of crude oil in the last few months manifested itself in Malaysia when Malaysian utility company, Tenaga planned to build a nuclear plant. Mr Mohamad Zam Zam Jaahar, head of Tenaga's nuclear energy taskforce said Malaysia going nuclear post-2020 was looking more and more like a necessity rather than a probability in view of the high oil prices. He zoomed in on the category of middle 1,000MW plants, estimating the approximate cost of the nuclear plant will cost 10 billion ringgit or 4.18billion Sing dollars. The targeted time frame for adopting nuclear energy is in post-2020. The press release from the Edge(22nd July) coincided with Malaysia's Energy Blueprint, which is due to be launched next month, may well include nuclear energy making a substantial proportion.

However nuclear power plants are still much avoided in South-east Asia region as the high over cost of a nuclear facility, problems of nuclear waste storage and the abundance of oil and natural gas makes going nuclear an unattractive option.
But global attempts to replace non-renewable fuel with biofuel such as sugar beets, corn, palm oil and soybean generated a sudden increase in demand for traditional food crops to be diverted into energy production. It ignited unexpected inflation of food prices as witnessed in the 2007-2008 world food price crisis. Prices of soybeans have almost doubled compared to a year ago, from US$332 to US$610 per tonne, prompting protests and panic in Indonesia, as soybeans are a key source of protein for millions of poor. Other little-studied effects such as deforestation, soil erosion and depletion of forests acting as carbon sinks makes burning of non-renewal fuel such as fossil fuel and natural gas more predictable and less damaging.
As cost of energy derived from hydrocarbons increases, more research diverted into nuclear technology may yet tip the balance and hasten the adoption of nuclear energy.

In another report by TODAY on 23rd July,

Japan's Hitachi and US giant General Electric will team up to sell midsize nuclear reactors to meet growing demand for power facilities in Southeast Asia, a Hitachi spokesman said Wednesday.

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The move is aimed at tapping into the markets in countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, where demand for reactors with output of one million kilowatts or less is expected to grow, spokesman Masayuki Takeuchi said.

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"We've been developing the core part of midsize nuclear reactors and we will now work closely with our potential customers over details of reactor designs," he said.

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Hitachi and GE will jointly develop compact and advanced boiling-water reactors to try to meet that need, he said.

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Organ trading

Two Indonesians that were charged in Singapore for illegal organ trading raised the issue of legalizing monetary transaction for organ.

An extract from CNA

In the first case of its kind, two Indonesian men have been convicted of organ trading. 26—year—old Sulaiman Damanik and 27—year—old Toni, both Indonesians, are due to be sentenced next week.

Both men also pleaded guilty in a Subordinate Court on Friday to making false declarations to a hospital transplant ethics committee.

The court heard that Sulaiman Damanik had agreed to donate his kidney for 150 million rupiah or about S$23,700 in an arrangement made with several people earlier this month.

He had lied that there were no financial gains involved in the living donor transplant and that he was related to Tang Wee Sung, the intended recipient named in court documents.

Channel NewsAsia is unable to confirm at this point if Mr Tang is CK Tang’s 56—year—old executive chairman, who is known to be suffering from kidney disease.

Sulaiman said that his aunt was married to the brother—in—law of Mr Tang’s niece. But Sulaiman was found out before the transplant could be carried out.

The transplant operation involving Toni went ahead with his kidney going to a woman named Juliana Soh.

Toni, who admitted to acting as a middleman between Sulaiman and Mr Tang, received 186 million rupiah or about S$29,390 for his kidney. The operation took place in March.

Both men will be sentenced next week.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) said that a number of Singaporeans are assisting with the investigation.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a community event, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said his ministry will take action against anyone engaging in illegal human organ transactions.

He said he understands that some patients may be desperate because it’s a life and death situation. But, still, he stressed they should never break the law.

Mr Khaw said: "It is wrong to do so. But of course there are people who are desperate and they may push the boundary. So I think we have to be alert and each time we hear of such an allegation, we have to investigate and if people break the law, then they have to face the law."

He added that if Singapore wants to be a regional hub for organ transplantation, it not only needs high clinical standards but also ethical standards.

Mr Khaw said the ethics committee in hospitals was set up to thoroughly interview and counsel patients as well as donors to ensure proper consent. Otherwise, cases of exploitation will occur.

He added: "It’s either your relative who wants to donate (their organ) to give to their relative or for various other reasons. But it must be purely altruistic and not as a result of exchange of money."

Under the Human Organ Transplant Act, it is a criminal offence to enter into a contract or arrangement under which a person agrees to the sale or supply of any organ or blood for valuable consideration.

Those convicted can be jailed for up to 12 months, or fined S$10,000, or both.

In a statement, MOH said that it takes a serious view of such illegal acts.

It added that organ trading often involves the exploitation of the poor and socially disadvantaged donors who are unable to make an informed choice and suffer potential medical risks.

Organ trading is largely prohibited around the world. — CNA

In letters to The straits Times, there were calls both supporting the verdict and others calling the anti-organ trading law inflexible and unneeded.

Ideas such as an open organ economy operating on the basis of demand and supply under tight regulation were proposed to eliminate the long waiting list for organs such as kidneys and livers. The Singapore current system requires a relationship between the donor and the recipient of the organ and no money involves in the transaction. The relatives of the patients who needs organ transplant, often caught up in a emotional anguish over the sufferings of their loved ones sees the current organ transplant system as outmoded and inefficient; a long waiting list and a lack of donors.

On the other side, the official government line is the concern over the uninformed and the plight of the poor. In a buyers' and sellers' market, the poor will probably cannot afford to get one in times of need and be the first to sell in times of extreme poverty. Real side effects will also plague them and sap their physical ability to work for a living, such as the inability to exert themselves for long hours and the need to take and pay for long-term post-surgery medicine.

Because organs is an necessity and not a luxury, the market cannot be implemented in such a way. Singapore can take its cue from other countries. Iran is the only country to have legalized organ sales and claims there is no kidney waiting list. However, more time is needed to observe the effects of organ sales as it is doubtful whether the poor would lose out in such an arrangement.

In the meantime, the organ black market will continue to flourish elsewhere and patients on the waiting list for organ donors will continue hoping for a miracle.

MM: Beijing leads new approach to growth

Second last day at UConn
Great break from normal stuyying in Singapore. I studied more but in a more relaxed matter and i think i like it that way. Maybe i continue this way when i return to SIngapore.
From The Straits Times May 7

A NEW school of thought is emerging on what a country needs to grow economically.

And leading it is China, which will use the upcoming Olympic Games as a platform to put across its message on growth, said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

In highlighting the China model, he said: 'There is now growing a certain Beijing Consensus that is different from the Washington Consensus.

'What is it you need to grow? Order, certainty, consistency, hard work, market-friendly policies, savings and investments, trade, education and training.'

This is a shift from the development model touted by the United States since the early 1990s, which stresses open economies and minimal state intervention, and is based on the superiority of democratic politics.

Mr Lee described the China phenomenon in an interview last Tuesday with Bloomberg News. The transcript was released by his office yesterday.

During the interview, Mr Lee spoke on issues both local and global - ranging from Singapore's political- succession challenge to China's handling of the Tibet issue.

While he commented favourably on what he anticipates will be an Olympic Games of 'world standards', he was critical of the way China had handled the Tibet protests.

For instance, it ordered the foreign media out of Tibet when riots broke out in March.

'Had they engaged the West, all this would have turned out differently,' said Mr Lee, referring to the protests that dogged the global Olympic torch relay.

'Why didn't they? Because there was a chasm between their mental make-up and that of the West.

'So they say, 'All Western correspondents out' - that means you have got something to hide. I think that was not very wise.'

China, he added, 'should learn to...take the Western media on the Western media's terms'.

So, if pro-Tibetan protesters were to turn up at the Games' opening ceremony and the Western media plays it up, Mr Lee said this is what he would do: 'If I were them, I would expect that and say, 'So what?''.

After all, he added, 'what the media says and what the impressions leaders and top leaders take away are two different things'.

But unfortunately, China is still set in its 'old' mindset, in the way it reacts, he said.

'But they're learning.'

Getting out of this mindset is its biggest challenge.

'The day they build up an educated middle class, huge numbers of whom have been educated abroad... and they are the people setting policies at the top, not people whose mental mindsets are from Soviet days, that day, they will find they can play by the Western rules and win.'

Juz some of my random thoughts...

MM Lee is certainly perspective....makes one wonder where does his source comes from...

The way he described China is almost like Singapore. Just sub China with Singapore and u will find that the story still make sense...haha

Certainly Singapore is also controlling her own journalists and foreign publications on what they can and cannot print...

Have a great day

Foreign sports talent

Singapore sports scene faces a huge challenge today.

How do we retain foreign sports talent in Singapore?
They feature in many prominent sports in Singapore. Football, table-tennis, badminton and even swimming.
But there is much controversy in securing their services and granting them citizenship. Sometimes they fail to obtain the targeted results expected by their sports association, leading to acrimonious disputes and much accusations. Other times they cannot handle the unfamiliarity, pressure in a foreign land or even just decided on taking another path of life. Foreign escapees are not new, neither are career switchers.
How can we resolve this ugly situation which after money is pour into the foreign talent scheme yet little results are seen, and after Singapore sees her trust in them betrayed. Of course there are still good apples in this lot, but one bad apple is one too much.
So what is the solution? By offering more money to entice them? Getting them when they are younger in hope of a chance to instill more loyalty in them to Singapore and offer them citizenship as soon as possible so they would be "Singaporeans" for a long time? Or import in more foreign sports talent so the loss of a few would be less heart-wrenching?
I confess I have no panacea to this complex and multi-faceted problem. This is about immigration, sports excellence and passion all melded into one.
What I do know is that Singapore youths are not getting the proper training and exposure to sports to tum them into passionate sports-natic, ignored by sports officials who prefer to spend their time nurturing foreign talents and child proteges who in actual fact had prior training.
I see many young people playing football and soccer everyday at the court downstairs, playing badminton, swimming, table-tennis at the community centre. They play because they for leisure and derives joy in engaging in physical activities. But their understanding remains at the rudimentary level. They are not in school teams or national teams but nevertheless display sufficient skills at their game. These are the people that are being left out and the people that sports association needs to interest into joining them. Each will benefit if they interact with one another. The youth will become better at their game and the sports will have a larger talent pool to recruit from. In other words, a sports association needs to involve and actively engage the public which is fundamental in creating a sports culture before local talents will be spotted: they first have to be exposed and trained. So stop lamenting about the dearth of local sports talent! They are raw diamonds and are simply overlooked and passed over in favour of polished imported ones.
And in tune with the upcoming Youth Olympics, it is time for a sports culture to prosper in Singapore. Hold free sports clinics and training sessions for the public and young. Make sports easily available to Singaporeans to allow them to integrate it into their lifestyle. After all, sports can and is a daily conscious activity. Let's make it into a daily affair. Start today!

Budget 2008

This year's budget is geared towards addressing the problems associated with economic growth such as the relative poverty of the lower classes, increasing business costs and the increasing cost of tertiary education.

For the fiscal year 2008, a personal income tax rebate of 20%, up to a cap of $2,000, would be given to all resident taxpayers. There are also calls by MPs to lower the GST. Personally, I think that the Government would not want to change the GST so frequently, confusing the people and troubling the retailers. A better way is to return the extra money through tax rebates, cut in income taxes and putting more money in social assistance, especially for the poor and elderly.
To encourage Singaporeans to voluntarily put aside more savings whenever they can, Minister of Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced the liberalisation of rules for the topping up of CPF members’ Minimum Sum as well as the enhancement of tax reliefs associated with such top-ups. Employers would now be allowed to make top-ups to their employees’ Retirement or Special Accounts, and enjoy full tax deduction for doing so.

Minister Tharman said that the Government would give LIFE Bonus to the first five cohorts of CPF members who join the CPF LIFE scheme - those aged 46 to 50 this year. The L-Bonus is targeted at lower and middle-income CPF members and would extend to 80% of the cohort aged 50 today. The Government had also agreed to the suggestion of the National Lifelong Income Committee to provide a one-off incentive to encourage CPF members who would not be automatically included in CPF LIFE to opt in to the scheme. The L-Bonus would be given to members who have less than $40,000 in their Minimum Sum but would like to participate in CPF LIFE. It would also be extended to older CPF members above the age of 50 who opted in.

As MediShield premiums would need to rise in tandem with the enhanced coverage provided by MediShield, Minister Tharman announced that the Government would top up the Medisave accounts of those aged 51 and above by $150 to $450 this year. The Government would also top up the ElderCare Fund by $400 million and the Medifund by $200 million this year, bringing the fund sizes of the ElderCare Fund and Medifund to $1.5 billion and $1.6 billion respectively.

The Government would also increase the monthly Public Assistance rate for a single-person household from $290 to $330, and top up the ComCare Fund by $200 million this year.

Adding to the social dimension of the Budget 2008, there is an increase in assistance for pensioners and top up another $10 million to the Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCC) ComCare Fund, Self-Help Groups (CDAC, Yayasan MENDAKI, SINDA and the Eurasian Association) and Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) to support flexible assistance schemes to households that may need additional assistance.

There is also the usual handouts (total 865 million this yeat) from the government to ameliorate the impact from the rising inflation and this has become sort of a ritual so much that MP for Marine Parade GRC Dr Ong Seh Hong said the government should not encourage the wrong expectation among Singaporeans that a Budget surplus means more ’hongbaos’. Instead, he said, they should be looking at how the Budget can ’maintain the country’s competitiveness’. He added that he supported the Finance Minister’s policy of keeping the Budget ’prudent, pragmatic and forward—looking’. His impersonal stance is valid only if Singaporeans can cope and even increase their standard of living. Or else he is simply shows that he not concerned enough for the poorer Singaporeans. (and more people will vote for the opposition in the next elections)

I am impressed by Mdm Halimah insight that the most important part of the Budget is the investments the government is making in the people. To that end, she also urged the government to consider giving every Singaporean an Individual Learning Account which they can use to upgrade themselves. I love this idea; first this is a longterm commitment, just like one's lifelong road of learning, secondly it weans Singaporeans off the idea of an expectation of an instant cash handout each time there is an surplus. The money should be invested in the people for a more benefical way. For those who are in immediate need of monetary help, the relevant welfare agencies should be trying their best to help out and reach out to the lower income groups. Read Newpaper: Going to Orchard Road A LUXURY for Bedok family (http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,157485,00.html?)

Like Mdm Halimah, MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Lee Bee Wah also called for more to be done lower income groups such as older women who may not have accumulated enough CPF savings to take part in CPF Life. She also called for the government to consider lowering the income tax rate to 15 per cent so as to help Singaporeans cope with the cost of living and to also attract foreign talent.

Other recommended changes includes removal of Estate Duty. Minister Tharman announced the removal of Estate Duty from Singapore’s tax regime, a move that he said would enhance Singapore’s attractiveness as a place for wealth to be invested and built up. He urged individuals who had accumulated wealth to contribute to society, and take advantage of the enhanced philanthropy incentives introduced last year.

“If we make Singapore an attractive place for wealth to be invested and built up, whether by Singaporeans or foreigners who bring their assets here, it will benefit our whole economy and society, not just the individuals who build up their wealth. It is not a zero sum game.”

So this year's budget requires a delicate balance in making Singapore competitive and keeping Singapore an affordable place for locals to live in.

Luckily, the governement has not lost sight of the cultivating its only natual resource: Human resource. By enhancing the bursary schemes and extend the reach of the Study Loan Schemes for university and polytechnic students and by topping up Post-Secondary Education Accounts (PSEAs) for all students by an additional $150 to $600, over and above what was announced in Budget 2007, at least concerned parents would have lesser to worry about for their child's education. The Learning Endowment Fund would also be increased by $800 million to bring the total fund size to $3 billion. There is also a restructuring of the Skills Development Levy (SDL). All employers would now contribute the SDL on all workers that they employ, up to the first $4,500 of gross remuneration. The levy rate would, however, be reduced from 1% to 0.25%. And here is something sweet for locals who did not have a chance to study at a government-subsidised undergraduate institution; the Government would provide subsidies for part-time degree programmes at the three publicly-funded universities and UniSIM.


Quote by Tharman "“…a key focus going forward will now be continuous education for adults. This is going to be absolutely essential for us... in a world where we are competing on skills, quality and productivity, not on costs alone.”

On the business side, the budget will keep business cost competitive by increaing rental space for business by moving government departments out of valuable office space downtown and postpone an additional 1 billion worth of construction works from the 2 billion postponed previously. Coporate taxes will also be refined to benefit SMEs, startups and special sectors that the government wants to cultivate such as Islamic banking and maritime hub.

It will be interesting to see the direction the budget takes as disscussions are ongoing in Parliament, whether the MPs call for more emphasize on lower-income group will be addressed or the final verdict has already been casted in stone.

On a side note, Indra Sahdan Daud has been asked to continue for another two weeks in MLS team Real Salt Lake in its final training camp in Rosario, Argenetina to assess him further to decide whether to sign him on. Good luck Indra.

Sources:

Singapore Budget 2008

Source: Government of Singapore
Published Friday, 15 February, 2008 - 16:35

From eGov monitor
http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/17203

Source: Channel Newsasia
MPs praise 'pro-people' Budget but say it should also address needs of lower income
Posted: 27 February 2008 1208 hrs
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/331375/1/.html

What happened to the demos?

Feb 6 The recent controversy over the imposition of a ban over non-halal food in Boon Lay Garden Primary school strike a deep chord within me and made me feel compelled speak out. First, the religion issue. The principal unilaterally imposed a rule on the school that infringed on the state constitution that calls for a multi (ethnic, religion, racial.....) society. His draconic rule banning non-halal food is totally unacceptable in such a diverse scociety. I understand the necessity for Muslim students to consume only halal food and their difficulty of having more choices and more varied range of halal food. However, I do not see the purpose of banning non-halal food in a cantten served by only halal-certified stalls. Secondly, a principal who had the audacity to impose such a insensitive rule on the whole school should be investigated his level of understanding of the role that religion plays in daily life and be counselled accordingly. That a highly educated person can still be insensitive to the needs of other people shows that academic education has no correlation that a person's character can be and the possibility of a person losing touch with reality once he is in a positon of power. This bring me to the last point of the abuse of power. I assume that the since Mr Wan Imran Woojdy's rule was enforced by his subbordinates, namely teachers and school administators, the school staff supported him, overtly or tacitly. Of course not! The school staff may be gossiping amongst themselves, grumbling and complaining, but finally play along with the new rule and not take any real actions to register their displeasure with the rule. They had no sense to oppose the principal simply because of his authority. But the moment that the right to authority clashes with the right to eat non-halal food, there is room for concrete steps to be taken to oppose the authority. I'm sure that this situation is familiar to many Singaporeans: remain passive when their own values and principles are violated. Some Singaporeans however resort to the higher-ups to resolve the conflict. Normally, this course of action should be recommemded as it is the least disruptive and most respectful. However in times of crisis or when the rot reaches the top, this becomes a real problem: when a highly placed individual abuses his power as seen in the NKF scandal, the fallout is enormous. This weakness is one that can bring Singapore to ruins if ever a rogue goverment comes to the fore, as feared by MM Lee. If Singaporeans are educated but meek, it would be a real shame that their potential would never be realised and they would forever remain under someone else's shadow and be subjected to their whims. This fundamental faultline in the Singaporean psych must be corrected if Singpapore is to stand tall among the giants. Of course I am refering to products of the rote learning education system in Singapore. Never be boxed in your thinking, think outside the box, as often urged on by our teachers and political leaders. Do what is appropiate and act according the principles of humanity, both yours and others around you. Then Singapore can sooner be more cultured like Italy and Austria. (From The Straits Times: Feb 6, 2008)
MOE LAYS OUT POSITION AFTER BOON LAY SCHOOL CONTROVERSY All schools must have mix of halal and non-halal food
School apologises while ministry reiterates need to maintain common space for interaction
By Sandra Davie, Education Correspondent
THE Education Ministry wants all schools to make sure their canteens provide a mix of halal and non-halal food suitable for children of all religions. It made this clear yesterday, a day after news broke about a primary school which banned pupils from eating non-halal food in its canteen. On learning of this on Monday, the ministry said that Boon Lay Garden Primary had made a mistake. Yesterday, a ministry spokesman said the school 'will ensure that there will soon be a mix of halal and non-halal food items in its canteen'. A few schools, including Boon Lay Garden Primary, have only halal-certified canteen stalls, which means all serve food suitable for Muslims even though the meals may be prepared Chinese, Indian or Western style. The decision to have all of Boon Lay Garden's canteen stalls halal-certified was made by the school's previous principal, Mrs Florence Lim, in 2004. FEELING AT EASE 'My seven-year-old daughter has Indian and Malay friends, and I want her to feel free about eating...and playing with them.' ... more SENDING WRONG SIGNALS Mr Rhazaly Noentil, a veteran mosque leader at Muis, said moves such as those made by the school would make non-Muslims think Muslims are not accommodating towards others. But the controversy arose after its current principal, Mr Wan Imran Woojdy, wrote to his pupils' parents last Friday informing them that only halal food - suitable for consumption by Muslims - would be allowed in the canteen. School staff also conducted checks to make sure pupils did not have non-halal food in their lunch boxes. Some non-Muslim parents upset by the rule told The Straits Times that while they did not mind that all the food stalls were halal, they felt it discriminatory to ban non-halal food. Yesterday, parents received another letter from the school, this time apologising for the error and saying the children were free to bring and eat non-halal food. The school also said it was making arrangements to provide both halal and non-halal food in its canteen. About 20 per cent of its 1,700 pupils are Muslims. The ministry spokesman said that schools will continue to educate children to be sensitive to the different races and cultures here. Schools have been emphasising this by creating opportunities for meaningful interaction among students of different races in both the formal and non-formal curriculum. The spokesman added that it was important to 'maintain the common space where our students from all communities grow up together and build bonds of friendship'. Parents interviewed by The Straits Times yesterday said they were glad the ban was lifted. Mother of three Aileen Cheng, 40, said: 'My seven-year-old daughter has Indian and Malay friends, and I want her to feel free about eating with them and playing with them. 'Banning non-halal food and sectioning off a part of the canteen are not going to encourage that.' Several Muslim leaders interviewed yesterday also felt that Boon Lay Garden's mistake in declaring its canteen a 'halal zone' had set back efforts to get people of different religions to understand one another's beliefs. Mr Rhazaly Noentil, a veteran mosque leader at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), said such moves only left non-Muslims thinking that Muslims are not accommodating towards others. The Muslim leaders interviewed also said Muslims are free to eat with non-Muslims as long as the Muslims consume halal food.

Transportation reforms in Singapore

Following a rash of announcements by the Transport Ministry regarding changes to transportation in Singapore, current congested transportation links looks set to be improved even as the government aims to increase the population from current 4.5 million to 6.5 million.

The changes are comprehensive and on all fronts as the rail lines, bus transport industry, road taxes and road infrastructure are all affected by one way or the other. 40 billion earmarked for improving rail capacity and rail density, bus industry being deregulated, decrease in road taxes as more ERP gantries are being set up and 14billion to build more expressways are pretty radical changes all announced back-to-back within a two weeks.

With all these construction in the works, what does it mean for the average Singaporean?

First, the effectiveness of the increase in capacity in transport may be blunt by increase in permanent population in Singapore as the government try to attract more permanent residents and the projected rise of tourism-related activities. So the onus is on the Transport Ministry to coordinate with all the transport agencies to ensure the supply meets the demand.

Secondly, the Singapore economy will be boosted by huge government construction funds and therefore remain robust for the next ten years. Tourism will also be a major contributor to the economy.

Last but not least, it seems strange that all these anouncements are being made in the middle of bank crises around the world. Whether these changes are designed to detract criticism of aggressive Singapore foreign investments or to assure locals are taken care of in spite of heavy foreign investment during a time of inflation is hard to determine.

All in, the average Singaporean can expect to enjoy the fruits of prosperity in the near future and have a rocking good time.

Chinese capital

Finally writing after kind of settling dowm in UNiversity of Connecticut for exchange. It is cold during winter seaon, from Nov to March. After that i guess the weather will become less cold. But with sufficient clothes, it should be mangable, even for a guy from the tropics like me...

Reuters 23Jan

BEIJING, Jan 23 - China has signed a memorandum of understanding with Singapore allowing approved banks to invest their clients' money in the city state's equities markets, the banking regulator said on Wednesday.

The China Banking Regulatory Commission said it is negotiating similar arrangements with Japan, Germany and the United States.

To date Chinese banks are permitted to invest their customers' money only in Hong Kong and Britain.

The CBRC permitted banks last year to start investing client funds in overseas securities as part of China's Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor programme.

China's currency regulator has so far allocated 23 banks a combined quota of $16.1 billion.

MY take

Now that money from China is allowed to be invested elsewhere, stocks in Singapore should be rising. Singapore should be experiencing higher economic growth and more buffer against a possible American economic recession. However, Singapore should still be prepared for a economic contraction in such an event as US trade is influential in both Singapore and worldwide.
Investments by the Chinese government in Singapore may also be pulled out during a recession to prop up ailing US and Europe markets.

Changi T3

Jan 10

Changi airport T3 opened with much fanfare yesterday and consolidated Singapore's share as a air transportation hub. At over 380 000 sq meters, its is the largest terminal in Changi. Minor glitches that surfaced were quickly fixed as Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore had previously held an exercise involving over 5 000 staff and volunteers for over 50 trials of passenger and baggage check in and passenger boarding and disembarking procedures.

This terminal is able to handle jumbo sized aircraft, specifically the A380. Although this terminal will ease the air transportation squeeze, whether Singapore will become more popular as a travel destination and as a stopover will really depend on the quality and standard of the tourism industry and future trend of air travel: using long haul flights like the A380 and bypass Singapore or using short-haul flights like the Boeing Dreamliner and use Singapore as a stopover.
Competition from other Asian airports Suvarnabhumi Airprt in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Dubai Interantional Airport is also getting keener with expansion in the works in Bangkok and Dubai.
Changi airport would do well to enhance its customer services and increase the number of F&B and retail outlets available to attract more customers.