Political Asylum Anyone?

An interesting topic came up during a conversation with a friend. We spoke about the political climate here in Singapore and the conversation touches on the freedom of speech and expression here in Singapore. Well, the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore actually guarantee this right of its citizens and that we can indeed invoke this right. But really, do people really invokes it? What I'm doing now - by writing this - I'm invoking that right. Hopefully, I don't get sued or asked to go for an interview........ Anyway, when invoking this right, we just have to be responsible in what we are saying. In other words, speak objectively. Then we are fine..... Yeah, maybe.......... Looking at the Sedition Act (Chapter 290), it is a chargeable offence to excite disaffection against the Government and the administration of justice in Singapore. Looking at it in perspective, the Constitution paradoxically allows for free speech/expression when the Sedition Act prevents it when it is directed towards the Government. Strange........... Same theory applies in the freedom of assembly clause guaranteed in the Constitution and the enforcement of the unlawful assembly law when you really do exercise that right of assembly. So, what is what? Allowed to speak freely against the Govt? Allowed to assemble peacefully? All this legal mambo jumbo is really confusing. I realised something though. As long as it is not political, your rights as stipulated in the Constitution can be exercised without fear of reprisals. For example, a company having a family day at the park or beach with hundreds or even thousands of participants, dressed all with the same t-shirt or cap, assembles to participate in the event. This will not constitute unlawful assembly because if it is, the police stations and the courts will have a field day just dealing with this. But, if 10 person will to assemble in front of say Temasek Holdings to voice their disagreement on the billions lost in botched business deals like Shincorp, Optus, Chartered Semi-conductors, Micropolis, etc, they will be arrested? Maybe..... Maybe not...... well, we'll have to try and see then. The crux of the question is: Are we afraid of persecution for our beliefs in our rights and the exercise of our rights? Probably. If we are not, we will be demanding for Mdm Ho Ching to be removed immediately and remedial actions to be taken to safeguard the people's money against blatant wastage. In business, there's always a risk and I accept that. However, if it is due to negligence or just simply attributed to ineptness, it is unacceptable. I hope Temasek can enlighten the Singapore masses on what actually went on and show us that ineptness and negligence is not the cause. So, do we fear about getting persecuted? In some sense, we do. Look at examples of Dr Chee, JBJ, Francis Seow, Tang Liang Hong, Far Eastern Economic Review, etc. These above examples is enough to instill fear........ So, we do have a well founded fear then? If that's the case, we will be eligible to apply for political asylum in other countries like Australia and the US under the United Nation's definition of asylum seekers that are "unable or unwilling to return or to seek the protection of that country due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. " I wonder did anybody even try that.............. In any case, with condemning reports about human rights in Singapore from the UN, US, Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International, European Union, etc...... it should not be that hard to get political asylum. It may seem far-fetched, but it could happen....... Do we really want to leave our homeland behind? The place where we grew up, fell in love with, cried with, strived with? What can be changed for the better to make us stay? First, it would be the way our Govt works. Secondly, the diversification of power into the hands of not only one person or family. Let's be fair, the country belongs to all of us Singaporeans. We are the country. Without citizens, there are no country to even speak of, let alone a Government. Be open to suggestions. Apologise for mistakes and the people will forgive. Keeping it under wraps will only incensed the masses when it is uncovered. Everybody makes mistakes, but importantly, it is the willingness to admit and embrace change than to stubbornly refuse responsibility, instead attributing it to the masses of other external factors. Be humble and the people will love you. Trample them and they will reciprorate, with an even greater force than you can ever imagine. Hope that change is on the way..............

Downward Spiral of Life in Singapore

Life in Singapore is good? Sure... Everybody can own a house (HDB), everybody can get educated (Govt schools), everybody can get a job, etc....... Is it really that rosy as painted by our dear government? Admittedly, you have to work hard to achieve your goals and ambitions. However, you may just fall short of it not due to your own shortcomings but the policies in place. Foreigners are arriving by the planeload, especially from the PRC. Are they really the Foreign Talents that we are in need of? Sometimes, I feel as if this is not Singapore anymore. We don't have an identity, we have no roots. Some of our ministers are people who left their own home countries and now they lord over us. To be fair, they have achieved success in their chosen field of work and through merit, they got where they are now. But, there are tons of other foreigners who are not really that capable as the govt think they are. In the crowded MRT or on the crowded bus or even on the streets, you just need to throw an object up into the air and when it comes down, a high chance is that it will hit a non-singaporean. Is this good for Singapore? Maybe to some extent it is.... Probably not though. Violent crime involving Foreign Talents/Workers are on the rise, with the recent stabbing at Raffles City. Singaporeans are docile by nature. We love peace and stability. And thats precisely the reason why we never question the govt and its workings. Things could begin to change though. People are still getting retrenched, cost of living is going up ridiculously, the govt's apathy towards people who really needs assistance, etc. The govt has to start listening to the people. In history, we have always seen the power the people can exert. It is their fundamental right. It is important because it affects us in every minute detail of our life. I still do not understand the rationale behind the increase of the GST. Singaporeans welcome it? Yeah sure! Whoever is reading this, do you welcome paying more for things that are already expensive. Sure, other countries may have higher consumer tax rates but, the items are at a low price. Even with higher tax rate, it is still cheaper than in Singapore. I'm talking about necessities here. Besides, the govt only compares the tax rate. They should look at the income level differences between these countries. Countries with high consumer tax has high income rates as well, even for jobs such as a waiter or dishwasher. Thats the balance. High pay = High Tax. Singapore's equation is really troubling. Low pay and still high tax. Who benefits? The poor? As if all Singaporeans can't count......... The issue of a minimum pay has been around for quite sometime but it just will not be made into law. Why? Simple, major business owners will suffer loss of earnings - even as they are now making hundreds of millions every year and they still want more. Fair enough, business exists to make a profit. But, to do this at the expense of the general population is preposterous. Anyway, the major business owners in Singapore are all govt related thru Temasek Holdings and its subsidaries. This is just like inviting someone into your house and letting him or her plunder and rob you at the same time while you just let them do it. After the act, you still thank them for a job well done. What is this society thinking? It seems like we answer more to them than they are to be accountable to us. Sadly, this is what the purportedly 66% of Singaporeans welcome. Dear Singaporeans, remember this. You allowed it to happened. Now that COE is going up due to lesser quotas, more ERPs to stem the traffic congestion, higher property prices, higher GST, politicians who gets paid obscene salaries as compared to the rest of the world and still going ahead with an increase, expensive but lousy public transport, and a lot more...... don't complain. Only the 33% who wanted a change has a right to. In fact, if the government will really listen to us and see things from the perspectives of the citizens on the street, this government will receive tremendous support from the masses. The government is to be credited for bringing us to where we are but, policies that worked 40, 30, 20, or even 10 years ago may not work now. The world is constantly evolving and so must the policies to address the changes. I hope one day, I can really cast my vote for the PAP and tell myself that this is the right thing to do. That day will be the start of the upward spiral.