Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Mr Lee Suffers A Case of Prolonged Gila Talak

A Kadir Jasin


[Anonymous comments will not be posted. Please use your real name or a suitable pseudonym. Please avoid seditious, defamatory and libellous statements. And, if possible, don’t call anybody bodoh (stupid). Unrelated comments will not be given priority.]

THIS is address to the Singaporeans. Malaysians and others are, of course, not prohibited from reading and responding, but the priority is to the Singaporeans.

I mean those Singaporeans who are members and supporters of the People’s Action Party. Yes, those of you who gave 66.6 per cent of the votes to the PAP in last year’s general elections. Thank to your votes, the PAP won 45 out of 47 contested seats.

And those of you who are not members and supporters of the PAP. Yes I mean those of you who gave 33.3 per cent of the votes to the Oppositions. Thanks to your votes, the Oppositions won two out of 47 contested seats.

Even those who are neither members nor supporters of the PAP and the Opposition are also invited.

By this I mean the ordinary Singaporeans who loyally serve in the National Service and who believe that Malaysia is the number one threat.

The ordinary Singaporeans who enjoy crossing the congested Causeway to buy cheap petrol in Johor Baru – cheap by way of exchange rates as well as purchasing power parity (PPP).

And I am not discriminating against those fiendish Singapore drivers who charge down the North-South Highway in their super fast Subaru Impreza WRX STI Type C as if traffic rules and regulations don’t apply to them.

To them, I say thank you for visiting Johor Baru, which according their great Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was the “murder capital of the world”.

Thank you for visiting Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi. Temenggor Dam and Kuantan. Thank you for patronising the famous Port Klang "pork bone tea" aka bak kut teh restaurants.

Most of all, I am thanking you for not swallowing hook line and sinker what Mr Lee tells you about big bad Malaysia. Had they listened to him, they would not have come to Malaysia.

Malaysia may not practice the Singapore version of meritocracy. Then again, even in Singapore not everybody enjoys the same degree of equality. Some are more equal than others. But I won’t dwell into that because I know you know your country better.

I know you keep coming to Malaysia because you feel pretty much at home in Malaysia. The bak kut teh sellers are not the “favoured” Bumiputeras. They are the Teochews, Hokkiens and Cantonese. Of course they are Malaysian Teochews, Hokkiens and Cantonese.

Eating and selling pork are haram for the Muslims. So the Bumiputera, the majority of whom are Muslims, are automatically excluded from that business. So is gaming and alcoholic beverages.

Pig rearing, gambling and alcoholic beverages are important business activities in Malaysia. Pig farmers are so powerful that they could force the Malacca state authorities to back down.

Malaysian leaders may, from time to time, proclaim Malaysia to be an Islamic state. But that does not stop the government from issuing lucrative gambling franchises to Malaysian Chinese and Indians.

They are so big and successful that they are now setting up shops in Singapore. Soon you no longer have to travel to Genting to gamble. You can just have to walk across to Sentosa Island.

When you’re tired of racing your Mercedes S Class and BMW 6-Series on our highways and have had enough of the Klang bah kut teh, you know you can check into one of our many world-class hotels, which incidentally are very rarely owned by the “favoured” Bumiputera.

So why am I saying this and why am I being extremely nice to you? Because I want you be totally aware that not everything Mr Lee tells you about Malaysia is true.

Most off all, I want to assure you that whatever we do – good, bad or indifferent – is not intended to coax Mr Lee to rejoin Malaysia.

We have no intention of inviting Singapore back nor are we about to consider remarrying Singapore even if Mr Lee is suffering an extended case of “gila talak” – longing to be reunited with one’s former husband or wife.

After 42 years of divorce, we have grown fond of living without Mr Lee as our strange bedfellow. Two years of living Mr Lee is quite enough.

I am sure very few of you would want Singapore to be part of Malaysia again. Singapore is wealthy. It’s clean and is doing well. Why bother rejoining the poorer Malaysia?

Why should you want to lose the pleasure of going to a foreign country to buy cheap petrol, eat bah kut teh to your hearts’ contend and race your Mitsubishi Evolution X without the fear of losing your driving licences?

Please do me a favour. Please help Mr Lee overcome the “gila talak” syndrome and tell him to stop meddling in Malaysia's domestic affairs.

We don't need him to lecture us and he should accept the fact that he "lost" Malaysia way back in 1965 .

[Footnote, Oct. 17]

Malaysia’s Press Freedom Index took a dive this year, falling from number 92 last year to 124 out of 169 countries surveyed by the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders.

The Non-Governmental Organisation cited the harsh action against bloggers and news websites as one of the reasons for Malaysia’s falling ranking.

“In Malaysia (124th), Thailand (135th), Vietnam (162nd) and Egypt (146th), for example, bloggers were arrested and news websites were closed or made inaccessible,” it noted.

Malaysia ranking’s stood at number 104 in 2003, 122 in 2004, 113 in 2005 and 92 in 2006.

This year Malaysia lies below Indonesia (100) but ahead of Philippines (128), Thailand (135), Singapore (141) and China (163). Iceland, Norway and Estonia are at the top. The US occupies the number 48 position after the UK (24), France (31) and Japan (32).

47 comments:

Hello, hi. said...

I know right?!?

It's not enough that they've 'hijacked' a part of Malaysia to claim as their own (which of course, is one part of their history they seem to ever so conveniently forget)they also have to be ever so condescending and ever so 'righteous'

yeah in case they forget, they, the 'singaporean' race, did not even set foot in their beloved land 2 centuries ago. Those people came to singapura to escape the impoverish state of their initial being.

their arrival was inevitable.

and then because they grew into their second and third generations, there was no way that they would return to their country of origin.

so, they were allowed to stay on.

and then they revolted because they wanted more.

as a result, they could not be contained.

so it was agreed that the best resolution of the conflict is to just give them what they wanted.


and then they left and got rich.

and yet, have they ever acknowledge this one little fact that the very land they reside on isn't really their's originally?

that they were merely immigrants who got lucky due to the colonization and oppression carried out by the imperialist towards the natives of their host country?

do they ever remember or acknowledge that?

i think not.

never have they acknowledge the fact that they themselves we immigrants to their own land.

Ironic isn't it? This high and mighty hoo-haa about equality coming from a country which does not even grant asylum to war refugees.



singaporeans......


(ok, so maybe they did not actually 'hijacked' the land as much as they we disowned by the mother land, but still...)

Hanief said...

Kalau kerata kecil yang ubahsuai memang seronok.

Tetapi selesa lagi kereta besar. Banyak ruang dan selesa.

Malaysia ibarat sebuah kereta besar.

Blow d' whistle said...

i dont want to be bothered by mr lee's comment.....he should know better, malaysian will be 90% rejecting his idea(some 10% agreed!!!! guess who?).

yeah singapore are rich...but we're not so poor....does singapore lost their edge of competitive?...no they dont i suppose...someone is getting senile syndrome here....too long in power maybe....who knows?

dato'...kita matikan air jer la....
diorang da kehabisan tanah...tu jer...

Twinkle said...

blow d' whistle,

Tersenyum baca UR comment,"matikan jer air".

True... turn off the water, sure perang besar... hehehehe...

Rockybru said...

The Scribe,

For once, I agree with LKY. Yes, the Malaysian government does not treat the Chinese and the Indians as (normal) citizens.

For many years, the non-Malays in Malaysia have been given preferential treatment.

Which means that in many instances they are treated better than the natives are treated.
You have given some examples in your posting. While your readers ponder them, take a look at the KLCC, the pride of Malaysia, once the tallest man-made structure in the world. 99 per cent of the retail outlets at Suria KLCC are owned by foreigners and non-Malay Malaysians. NEP, what NEP?

The non-Malays in Malaysia are also not required to fill posts in the police force or in the army. Unlike in Singapore, where it is mandatory to serve the Army. Which is where so many of my Malay friends in Singapore learned how to cook and mind the store.

Even the definition of "Malay" in Malaysia was cooked up with the non-Malays in mind, and LKY would know this. When a Chinese in Malaysia marries a Malay, he or she not onlyu becomes a Muslim but also a Malay!\
The Indians, too! Today we have so many holding top government posts and running government newspapers and major PLCs.

It is something LKY can never hope to achieve to do for Singapore. Gila talak, alright.

In the case of our leaders, sadly, and I hope you will be able to publish this, it is a case of another talak.

"Talak teloq".

I haven't heard any of them tick off LKY for his latest outburst.

Anonymous said...

the majority of singaporean may not share the same idea with the Minister Mentor ... some of them even made a joke that one day singapore might create another new post for Mr. Lee the senior once the junior retired, so then they gonna have Grand (grandpa) minister, minister mentor, senior minister and then the prime minister ...

'gila talak' sounds like the most appropriate term for mr. lee the senior ...

Anonymous said...

Spot on Datuk,
The best thing about orang gila talak ni, sampai ke sudah hati dia tak senang....
I actually enjoyed reading LKY's comments knowing the torment he is going through,
I think it will only get worse as there are already so many progressive voices in Malaysia that will help take us to greater heights,
even if it will take some time.....

Anonymous said...

Dear dato' scribe and fellow commentators,

Actually for lee kuan yew, it is more than gila talak. Being kick out of Malaysia by Tunku Abdul Rahman was not only an insult but a major failure on his part.

First of all, Spore became independent much later than Malaya. that was not because the British did not want to give independent to Spore but Lee Kuan Yew was afraid of the Malays and the Indonesians.

He was afraid that the Malays in Malaya and Indonesians in Indonesia would 'bully' the Chinese Spore.

When Spore decided to join Malaya, Sarawak and north Borneo to form Msia, Lee Kua Yew got the British undertaking that the Chinese in Spore would be protected.

Lee Kuan Yew, on the other hand saw this as an opportunity to expand and impose the Chinese, mainly Spore Chinese, mercantile influence on Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak and eventually form the 3rd Chinese dominated nation after China and Hong Kong.

But after few years, Tunku realised Lee Kuan Yew's double game and decided that it was better to have a smaller Msia than one that is dominated by the Nanyangs.

So in this sense Lee Kuan Yew had failed in his ambition and therefore not surprising that he suffers a serious case of gila talak.

Anonymous said...

Datuk,

Mr Lee implied that Malaysia would be more successful if the chinese and indians were allowed to rule the country. This opinion is supported by all the complaints we have against our present leadership and from what is happenning in the country.

Do you agree?

A KADIR JASIN said...

Sdr Rina,

LKY did not hijack "a part of Malaysia to claim as their".

Tunku "expelled" Singapore from Malaysia. Singapore was sold to the British and the British gave it to LKY.

Sdr Blow d' Whiste, "kita matikan air jer la...."

Matikan air? Siapa nak matikan?

Nak sentuh paip air Singapura di Tambak Johor dalam wilayah kita pun kerajaan tak berani, inikan nak matikan air!

Sdr Twinkle kata "True... turn off the water, sure perang besar..."

Saya pun rasa macam tu. Kalau perang belum tentu kita menang.

Singapore has one of the biggest and most sophisticated armed forces in the world -- established with the help of the Israelis and armed to the teeth by the Americans.

Sdr Ahirudin Atan said: "Which is where so many of my Malay friends in Singapore learned how to cook and mind the store."

LKY's meritocracy determines that Singapore Malays are first class cooks and storekeepers for the Singapore Armed Forces.

They can't fly planes and command ships but they are good cooks, storekeepers and truck drivers.

Sdr Idris, we have had five Malay PMs since merkeda. Singapore has only one Chinese leader -- LKY.

I am sure you don't mean to say that Tunku, Tun Abdul Razak, Tun Hussein and Dr Mahathir were failures.

Janganlah kerana nila setitik maka kita kata susu sebelanga itu tak berkhasiat.

Kepada yang lain terima kasih atas ulasan yang bernas.

Zainal A. Kasim said...

Satu analogi yang sungguh tepat: "Gila Talak".

Kita rakyat malaysia perlu terus berusaha untuk memajukan negara kita. Biarkan sahaja di Luncai tu terjun dengan labu-labunya.

Kita tidak perlukan Singapura untuk maju. kita boleh maju dengan ukuran dan acuan kita sendiri.

Anonymous said...

Menyampah dengan isu Malaysia vs Singapore. Negara yang saiz ciput macam tu pun kita dok melatah... Mulut cakap menyampah kat Singapore tapi hati kata sayang. Kalau tak percaya, tengok apa dah jadi dgn WPI...????

James Fernandez said...

the bottom line is - Singapore is richer and better off.

oh, and not to forget, the Singaporeans are buying petrol from a Malay owned petrol station, paying those toll to some unknown malay datuk's company, exchange money in a malay bank - usually maybank.

you see, you wants to believe in what you perceive as what it is.

I notice there is hardly any comments that actually disagree on your opinion, yellow journalism? at least Malaysia Today did not filter any comments.

Budakboy said...

Dato'

One of the scenarios in Singapore's "Business Plan" is triggered by the disruption of the water supply.

One of the provisions of the United Nation's Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states: "... In no case may a people be deprived of its own means of subsistence."

Singapore could declare war and, as they have been claiming, occupy south Johore and paralyse the Malaysian Armed Forces within 3 hours. They would then present their case to the United Nations where they have all the support they need in the Security Council.

It is also rumoured that the U.S will consult Singapore every time an arms sale to Malaysia is proposed, similar to the case in the Middle East where they consult Israel.

LKY suffering from a case of "Gila Talak" is one way of looking at why he hates Malaysia and Malays. I think it's more a case of being sore because he was fired by the boss before he could say "I quit".

LKY is just another human being which means he's got a few more years before he becomes senile (if he's not already) or dies, whichever is earlier. Let's just treat his rantings (sorry DP Marina) as something to laugh at.

Whatever we need to do with Singapore, we should wait until he dies.

da real deal said...

Datuk and friends, Asalamualaikum WBT.

Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.

Datuk,

No one in Malaysia ever mentioned the possibility of a remerger of Singapore into Malaysia. It has several times cropped up in Singapore meaning it is Singapore who is hard up for the remerger.

LKY is like a successful but dejected ageing ex-wife who is still in love with her less successful but glamourous and handsome ex-husband.

Like true hard-up ex-wives, after the divorce, that's when they take the extra effort to look pretty and go for milk baths and so forth to show to the ex-husbands what they're actually missing when in the sheets, the latter already knows that they're just the same old dried potatoes that's actually gone rancid.

If you don't believe me, check out the recent celebrity marriages where the guy divorced the old wife to marry a fresh tart. Then, out of pity, the local mags will publish the old bag on the front covers trying hard to look like cover-up models.

Now if such effort was made while they were in the marriage instead of walking around the house in an overused butterfly gown whining all day, they might not have been divorced in the first place.

Singapore is like that. Had they not been divorced with Malaysia, they'd still be in the overused butterfly gown instead of the Victoria Secret that they're wearing now to lure us back together.

Anonymous said...

Gosh - Rina, are you an Orang Asli? Otherwise, you have no right to talk about who is an immigrant and who is not.

Anonymous said...

Tabik spring. Very well said!!! Memang betul gila talak ler orang tua nyanyuk tu. Dah ludah nak jilat balik pulak.

CKGord said...

AKJ, as a kaum tidak-melayu (notice I'm not using the word Bangsa to preserve my pride as Malaysian), I do somehow feel that Mr Lee has a big ego problem about his achievement and somehow blasted some comments about incompetencies in Malaysia.

What many people fail to know is that Singapore is indeed a hijacked land. Or shall I say, a land redistribution after colonialism.

I personally, have no problem with the idea that Malay was the earlier settlers of Malaysia/Singapore/Malaya lands. But, wouldn't you acknowledge that the orang asli has been inhabiting this places for longer than any of the kaum melayu? So, timing may seems like a problem for many. It's like saying "Shotgun!!!, my seats" and that belongs to you. I'll say, it belongs to God and whoever intended to stay, shall stay. So please don't harp on issues about who's first and who's last. History has decided that Singapore belongs to people who efficiently runs the country, whether they are of chinese descendents or bajau/melanue/melayu/bugis descendents. It doesn't matter who's in and who's out of there?

But, I do agree on one thing, colonialism causes this separation. For as long as we can remember, Singapore has lived with different identity from us around the world. They seems to have progressed at the rate different than us.

I couldn't care. I love the fact that this country, I have roomier space, I have more variety of food, I have people of all backgrounds talking to me. I love the diversity.

But I would agree that Singapore probably has that too. But what Singapore doesn't have is the quality of life we Malaysian have. To be able to get off work at 5 or 6pm top to be with family.

AKJ, Malays are genuinely good people by faith and heart. I truly admire the reasoning of moderation in Malaysia. Only Malay has that.

A KADIR JASIN said...

Sdr Joan Doe,

If you don't like this blog, I am not forcing you to visit it.

It's fine with me if you like Malaysia Today better.

You can send your comments there. Malaysia Today's RPK is kind enough to post my articles in his website.

You can read me there, if you want to, and you can swear and curse.

Here, I think, we should be able to state our case without cursing and swearing.

Thank you.

affendi hussain said...

Syawal greetings to everyone..

"A candle will burn at its brightest towards life end.."

Let us wait till this antique candle burn himself and fade off, shall we..and then just give a big round applause! :) just wait a little bit more..

Surprising indeed that a so-called high-end country like Singapore still sustaining and depending on a "Jurassic brain" species to operate the whole system of that country..

It is very obvious that anything involving Singapore foreign matters, only one person will do the thinking and talking..the rest of 4.86million people can keep their brain at home and shut up.. meritocracy eh? Is LKY a historically damn good proven negotiator and diplomacy guy?? hahaha.. :D

I do prefer comments that were based on valid facts and figures and not just some default mind set croaking of a frog after the rain.

I really like The Scribe's blog..it does not insult my intelligence..

Thank you

Anonymous said...

Dato,

Will you ever blog more about Subaru Impreza STi type C and Mitsubishi Evolution X ? I sense you have some interesting story to tell :).

A KADIR JASIN said...

Sdr Ricerboy,

Nothing, excxept that they're very fast and they weaved in and out of traffic -- very kiasu, very annoying and very dangerous.

I had not seen them doing that in Singapore. There they drove very sloooowly.

Thank you.

A KADIR JASIN said...

How ironic for people who think that this blog reflects and represents "the backwardness of Malay thinking" to hide behind the cloak of anonymity when sending their comments.

If indeed they are Caucacians, as they claimed to be, they certainly do not represent the Caucacians that I know.

This is a glass house. You're welcome to throw stones at it. But only cowards hide their hands.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

It's interesting that you asked why does Singapore want to rejoin Malaysia. Under present circumstances, you are right of course to say that no Singaporean would want to rejoin Malaysia and willingly subject themselves to racism and second class citizenship.

But then, what you may not understand is that non-Malay Malaysians and non-Malays Singaporeans share a commonality that is quite intimate. Their language accents are the same, their outlook of the world and of life is roughly the same, the types of food they eat is the same and their values are also roughly the same. I would even venture to say that even Malay Singaporeans and non-Malay Malaysians now share these very same intimate commonalities.

This cannot be said of even Malays and Indonesians as Malay accents and outlook on life is quite different from Indonesian accents and outlook on life (yes I have spoken at length to Indonesians and I know they see things quite differently from Malays).

No matter how much you want to deny it, the British colonial period radically transformed Malaya and lets not forget Borneo. And yes, as a result, Singapore, and at least the West coast of Malaysia and large parts of Sarawak are connected in ways you may not realize. So yes, if conditions were right, I think many Singaporeans would give the concept of a re-merger much consideration.

Berita dari gunung said...

History is not some film strips that we can edit at leisure. However history provides milestones to guide us along. History somehow gives perspectives of whats to come.

Mr Lee is right in suggesting the merging of the two. But again, it depends so much on the wisdom of leaders from both side of Selat Tebrau (of whatever is left). With Iskandar boiling up, the possiblity is always there.

The rich always has the upper hand in dealings. The smart and the rich will get everything out of dealings and that is scarry!

It is worth playing back the film strips on "rise and fall of nations" with open hearts. Let the mind be critical while watching to understand why Mr Lee has to say so... Alas, but we cant edit history.

Johorean said...

The Interview with Tom Plate that got Malaysian Media and Datuk Kadir jasin in a frenzy....
(may be 0.1% out of the interview mentioned about Malaysia in a joking tone...i don't think he is serious as mentioned by Datuk Sri Najib).We overworked ourself, really. Much ado about nothing.

Full Transcript: Tom Plate and Jeffrey Cole interview Lee Kuan Yew
Singapore's first prime minister talks about China, the United States, and international politics as well as the future of media in Asian countries like Singapore and around the world

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=79541

Anonymous said...

I believe Singapore and Malaysia will merge one day, probably not in our lifetime, probably in 100 years time when the geo-political and economic situation changes. I believe a Malaysian Malaysia will emerge. I believe a Chinese could become the next PM of a united Malaysia. I believe a united Malaysia free of the shackles of religious extremism, hatred, bigotry and jingoism will emerge. A Malaysia where every citizen is a first class citizen. A Malaysia for Malaysians. Lee Kuan Yew once said civilisation is fragile. Just look at the Roman empire and Persian empire. It is against the backdrop of fragility that has increased the odds of a remarriage. Long live a Malaysian Malaysia! Down with extremists.

Blow d' whistle said...

salam dato'

i want to clarify my previous statement....what i meant by 'kita matikan air je ' is that perumpamaan orang melaka for 'matikan cerita'...that's all...but i enjoyed others interpretation...funny right!!!!!

da real deal said...

Datuk,

You've caused quite a stir with your article which was posted in Malaysia Today.

I'd like to thank you for that as I hope it has opened RPK's eyes to the support he gets in Malaysia Today from unpatriotic subscribers.
They are ready to bash the govt but are unwilling to defend the country when it is in question.

All this while I thought RPK's supporters are sincere in their attack on the govt(right or wrong) but will be willing to fight tooth and nail to defend the dignity of our country.

I'm sure this is a new discovery for YM Raja Petra as well.

Anyway Datuk, thank you for being the one and only person who thought it right to respond to this bully. As I am sure you have followed in MT, I and a few others are right behind you flying the flag.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you that LKY is "gila talak". In my opinion, I think he/Singaporeans are envious of Malaysia's achievements - like F1 Circuit in Sepang, KLIA, our first 'spaceman' etc.. He has not moved on as he still dwells in the past. Coming from being the "Head of the Country" once, the remarks made were uncalled for. How do you expect to earn respect from people??

wfzz

Anonymous said...

What have you got to talk of "hijacked" when we ourselve hijacked Sabah and Sarawak. They didn't join an islamic state and they didn't join to let Bolehland uses up their oil.

A KADIR JASIN said...

Sdr Malaysiakuku,

You may want to reconsider the allegation that Sarawak and Sabah were “hijacked” when they joined Malaysia.

On the contrary, the two states continue to enjoy autonomy and indigenous rule.

Those from the Peninsula still require identifications (passport or MyKad) to cross into Sarawak and Sabah and are required to apply for work permits to be employed there.

As for oil and gas, the revenues and control over them did not belong to Sarawak and Sabah until 1977 when Petronas signed production sharing agreements with the oil companies.

Since then, all oil “producing states” get 5 per cent oil and 10 per cent gas royalties.

At the point of entry into Malaysia in 1963, Singapore enjoyed even greater autonomy because it had both the political and economic control. Most international trade was conducted via Singapore.

That gave LKY the feeling of security, superiority and invincibility, which was soon proven to be misplaced.

He under estimated and under rated Tunku's resolute.

Sdr da Real Deal, your old wives in overused butterfly gowns analogy is both appropriate and amusing.

It remeninds me of late Saloma's song called "Perempuan Tiru Macam Saya" that tells wives not to look "macam hantu dalam hutan."

Long before Botox, Saloma had already warned wives not to take grooming and good behaviour for granted.

AS for my blog being "posted" or "quoted" in Malaysia Today, let me explain.

A number of very kind and computer savvy bloggers had linked this blog to theirs. I thank them.

A number of news websites (RPK's MT included) regularly picked up and posted my comments. I have no control over the discussions that my articles generated in these sites.

I guess that's how the blogsphere works.

Some folk back in my kampung thought I've joined Pas bacause Harakah occasionally picked up articles from my blog and published them.

Sdr Wfzz (anonymous), maybe you're right. "He (LKY)/Singaporeans are envious of Malaysia's achievements - like F1 Circuit in Sepang, KLIA, our first 'spaceman' etc."

I sense that even Singapore Malays look down upon us in Malaysia. They talk condescendingly of "Federation," meaning Malaysia.

But deep in LKY's subconscious, he is aware of how deeply Singapore pedends on Malaysia and Indonesia for survival. Whose big money is pouring into Singapore?

In the autumn of his life, LKY is aware that Singapore may have reached the pinnacle of its economic success as a small nation.

The road ahead is harder yet the new Singapore generation is neither aware nor prepared to face such a future.

A failure of Singapore to strike out on its own in the post-LKY era, is the failure of the man himself. He rules Singapore like a dictatorship.

He even bullies his neighbours. And the faint-hearted trembled and gave up projects in their own territories for fear of being sued by Singapore.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Dato' AKJ

Betul ke LKY gila talak? Dulu LKY menangis bila "kena talak" oleh Tunku. Masih menangiskah LKY sampai ke hari ini?

Apapun, itu cuma pendapat LKY (bukan pendapat kerajaan singapura)berdasarkan keadaan tertentu, jikalau Malaysia.....jikalau singapura.....pada saya, tiada jawapan tepat kalau soalan bermula dengan jikalau!

Apapun, saya bercerekarama dengan soalan jikalau...Jikalau Singapura mohon masuk Malaysia!

Jikalau saya jadi pemimpin Malaysia, saya akan mempertimbangkan secara serius permohonan tersebut DENGAN kecenderungan untuk menerimanya kembali.

Dulu Tunku membuat keputusan "mentalak" singapura seolah-olah itulah satu-satunya jalan dan pilihan yang ada (pendek 'akal atau tak panjang 'akal). Tapi pada masa itu Tunku sedang sakit kena kayap di Kota London, banyak bergantung kepada penasihatnya dan British. Apapun, keputusan Tunku itu boleh dipertikaikan oleh genarasi dulu, sekarang dan akan datang.

Itu pemikiran 60an berdasarkan keadaan tahun 60an. Pemikiran sekarang dengan keadaan sekarang dan pemikiran akan datang dengan keadaan akan datang memungkinkan Malaysia bersatu kembali dengan Singapura-bumi yang leftenan Adnan dan kompeninya mati shahid mempertahankan dari penjajahan-bumi yang agak mudah diserah oleh Tunku yang kena kayap! Itulah Singapura atau Temasik sebelumnya yang menjadi sebahagian dari bumi Malaysia.

Tak serasi, talaklah kali ke 2!

Anonymous said...

Datuk,

Kalau benar S'pork mahu rujuk, benar lah LKY sudah nyanyuk. Tapi benarkah dia nyanyuk?

Atau dia sudah mendapat petanda apa yang akan terjadi pada s'pore pada masa hadapan.

Orang yang gigih macam LKY membina negara tahu bila ketiadaan nya nnt akan huru hara sedikit kestabilan politik S'pore.

Ataupun, ada agenda disebalik kata2 beliau dengan meletakkan syarat untuk rujuk semula. Syaratnya semua orang tahu kut.

Yang penting, walaupun kita menafikan mahu S'pore kembali,
pastikan kita bersiap sedia dengan menafikan syarat-syarat yang mereka tetapkan.

Anonymous said...

Assalamualaikum W.B.T. Selamat Hari Raya kepada semua.

Saya ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kerana usaha Datuk menerbitkan artikel ini. Barisan pemimpin sedia ada seperti "terlepas pandang" akan isu ini. Atau benarkah seperti seorang saudara kita nukilkan iaitu "talak teluq?"

Anonymous said...

Dear Dato',

I'm sorry to spoil the LKY bashing mood, but lets sit down and look at the facts:

Fact 1: Singapore with ZERO natural resources (per capita income $30,900) is faring much better than Malaysia (per capita income $12,700)

Fact 2: Malaysia IS treating its minorities unfairly.

Fact 3: Singapore has a clean and competent (if not honest) government (4th on the Corruption Perception Index. I doubt Singapore would be what it is today without and competent government).

It's embarrassing they were ushered off on the same level but left us far behind. Amazing considering they do now have ANY NATURAL resources to fall back on. Something must have gone right and something must have gone wrong on our side. And no matter how 'gila talak' or whatever inane adjectives we can slam on LKY, the facts remain facts.

Let's address the message, not the messenger.

A KADIR JASIN said...

Sdr Mthinkir,

The messenger is equally important, more so when he's LKY.

He is probably the last remaining post-colonial manipulator. Others have long gone.

Why LKY stays on is because he wants to make sure that his legacies, including his iron-fisted, undemocratic stranglehold on the city-state, remain intact.

He wants to die in office. He is preparing for the continuation of his legacies and those of the PAP by turning the party into a dynasty.

The PAP is, for all intends and purposes, is a communist party and Singapore is a one-party system.

LKY makes sure that the oppositions do not survive to challenge the PAP. This is the continuation of his policy of destroying all challenges to his authority starting with the arrest and imprisonment of his communist and socialist allies in the PAP (mostly Chinese) and later the nationalists and intellectuals (mostly Malays) in the 1960’s and 1970’s – thus the beginning of the end of Singapore as a true multi-party and multi-racial state.

If we care to read history (not just one written by LKY), we’ll realize that the PAP is a communist party that softened its stance to become a socialist party.

Like the communists, LKY used political purges to get rid of rivals and of bogeyman to keep the Singaporeans on the straight and narrow path.

He uses the same method to undermine and manipulate Singapore’s neighbours, particularly in the economic arena. He capitalizes on the very same mercantile system left behind by the British who built Singapore.

Singapore is successful partly because the British made Singapore its economic capital for Malaya, Sawarak, Brunei and North Borneo.

But do we live just for money, the GDP, the FDI and Per capita income?

The larger question is what will become of Singapore in the post-LKY era?

It is a military nation but it’s also a wealthy one. Its people are rooted in mercantilism yet at the same time are sheltered from true democracy and intellectual diversity.

LKY is god to them and to those outside Singapore who share his dictatorial inclination.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

Salaam, Dato'

It's been a while, yah? I hope that you had a good Hari Raya.

Back to this topic. While I was contemplating what to write, I read on the Yahoo! website that Bobby Jindal, a 36-year-old son of Indian immigrants, has just been elected governor of the US state of Louisiana. He will become the youngest state governor in the US. Mr Jindal, an Oxford-educated Republican (thought to myself: could Mr Jindal know a certain illustrious Oxford alumnus who is making big waves in Malaysia?:-;), said at his victory celebration:

"My mom and dad came to this country in pursuit of the American Dream. And guess what happened. They found the American Dream to be alive and well."

The "American Dream". Perhaps, it is only in the US that one could contemplate that an Asian American, the son of immigrants, could rise to high political office.

Now, what of the "Malaysian Dream"? Could a born-in-Malaysia Malaysian from one of the minority races be elected to a high political office in Malaysia - oh, like, say, Mentri Besar or Chief Minister of a state? And, yes, I am aware of the peculiar arrangements in Penang and Sabah - but they hardly exemplify the "Malaysian Dream".

Back to the recent remarks made by the Singapore Minister Mentor about the possibility of a re-merger between Singapore and Malaysia. The Singapore Straits Times published two letters on this subject in its Forum page on Oct 20.

A Malay, Muhammad Farouq Osman, wrote:

"....In fact, a re-merger with Malaysia would negate everything we stand for as a nation...As a Malay, I concur that this policy of affirmative action for Malaysian Malays does more harm than good for, after more than 30 years, it has largely failed to genuinely raise the whole lot of them socially and economically. Indeed, it is crippling the Malays, making them more dependent on government grants and also on quotas set for university admission. In short, the bumiputera policy has resulted in a generation of Malays with a laid-back attitude and no motivation to succeed. It has also contributed to racial tension in Malaysia as the Chinese and Indians feel that they have been treated like second-class citizens..."

And a Chinese, Syu Ying Kwok, wrote:

"...Since Singapore was booted out in 1965, the two nations have embarked on very different paths. In the past four decades, these differences have not only got wider but have also become more entrenched in each society. Bumiputera privileges and meritocracy are like north and south poles. Singapore is just a fraction of Malaysia in land size (1/480th) but our economy is as big as Malaysia's (US$117 billion vs US$130 billion). In terms of per square foot of land, Singapore, by all accounts, is the richest nation in the world in terms of reserves, talents and GDP. As Singapore powers ahead into another giant growth phase, our people, economy and society will be light years away from our northern neighbour. Singapore's economy and society will easily surpass and overshadow those of Malaysia...Singapore has achieved a miracle by surviving 40-odd years. With globalisation and advances in technology, the continued existence of our nation is more certain....."

(to read the letters in full, go to the following link: http://www.straitstimes.com)

You know, Dato' - I am thinking to myself - in 40-something years, tiny Singapore can have an economy of US$117 billion? Damn! What the heck has Malaysia been doing since 1957?

Although it may upset many of us in Malaysia, we have to admit that the Singapore Minister Mentor has got it right time after time and that he has got it right more often than wrong. Never forget that his guiding principle all along is to differentiate Singapore from its neighbours in all the key areas that matter - infrastructure, efficiency, reliability, consistency, zero tolerance of corruption, an efficient judiciary, an open welcome of foreign talent and investments etc. And in all of these, he has succeeded brilliantly.

You may quibble about some of the means that he used to achieve these ends, but the end-result, as demonstrated today, is not in doubt.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Dear Dato',

Thank you for your reply.

LKY did used the communists. He did silenced opposition. It may be a plausible discussion to conclude PAP is a communist-style party. These and others we all find disagreeable. LKY needed the leverage to push his agenda, and he went after it, doing many things many are not proud of. That is politics. I am not condoning it, but that is politics.

However, 'on the ground' politics means much more to the masses. This is what we are looking at. Food on the table, roof on their heads, controlled corruption and crime, good schools for their children. LKY addressed the politics on the ground. Singaporeans now live a comfortable life in a first world setting. LKY with his leverage created a system that worked for Singapore and more importantly, Singaporeans. Their bureaucracy, judiciary, financial and education systems are one of the best in the world. They are performing well in all key indexes. The present and future are looking bright for Singapore and Singaporeans.

Politics and how it translates to the people are separate and distinct, although tightly correlating. LKY brand of politics is not what we are after. We are after his way of translating his leverage into the betterment of the lives of his people and country. In fact, I have no doubt, even with a totally free press and proportionate representation system, the people of Singapore will still vote PAP in. The opposition tacitly admitted so when they contested less than half of the Parliamentary seats in the elections to ensure the voters of a PAP government.

Winston Churchill bomb Mesopotamian(Iraqi) civilians. George Washington did not extend the clause 'all men are born equal' to his black slaves. They are still revered for their legacy. I think many years from now, history will judge LKY favorably.

Anonymous said...

Pak Kadir, MM Lee did speak out loud for Malaysian Chinese on the discrimination imposed on them since NEP was launched.

To quote Malaysian Chinese have freedom in rearing pig and eating pork is like MM Lee telling people that Malays in Singapore can practise islam freely. These are basis human rights supposed to be given to people in any civilized democratic countries. Soo... the point is ????

Does Bolehland signs the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which stipulate in

Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and shoudl act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Aritcle 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, propertu, birth or other status.

Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trustm non-self governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Note: There are a total of 30 articles in Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

MM Lee, you are welcome to voice out human rights violation in Bolehland because I disagree with Pak Kadir's idea of giving you advice "don't meddling in our internal affairs".

Human rights issue is trespassing nation borders, it is no longer confined as internal affairs issue. UN intervention in Bosnia to stop Bosnia muslims ethnic cleasing by Serb militants is a good example.

I have one reminder to MM Lee, let your Malay citizens to become fighter pilots first. Single out Singaporean Malays from joining SAF fighter pilots is a gross violation against the Article 1 and 2 of UN declaration of human rights.

That is a form of race discrimination !!

A KADIR JASIN said...

Sdr Thegreatteadrinkerdownsouth,Teadrinker

Welcome back and a belated Eid Mubarak greetings.

You’re right. Singapore’s economy is phenomenal. Its GDP per capita is 24th in the world. It’s external reserves is also huge.

But this is a small country with small population. It was already developed by the British when it joined Malaysian in 1963.

It did not have to spend money on infrastructure other than housing and transportation. So it spends a huge sum on defence.

It’s no coincidence that almost all top GDP nations are small countries – Luxembourg, Qatar, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands and Finland. Only the US is in that league.

Brunei, another small nation, is ahead of Singapore. Malaysia is number 62 and is ahead of Brazil, Argentina and Turkey.

You’re also right. An Indian-American (not to be confused with American Indians), Bobby Jindal became the first Indian to be elected governor (Louisiana).

It took the US 230 over years to have token Asian and African-American governors. Massachusett’s Deval Patrick was the second African American to serve as a state governor when he was elected in 2006. The first was Virginia’s Doug Wilder, elected in 1989.

African-Americans did not enjoy full voting rights until 1965.

BTW, on the day Jindal won governorship, the US bombed and killed more civilians in Iraq!

Anonymous said...

Salaam, Dato'

I would agree that Bobby Jindal may be a "token" Asian-American state governor in the US. But, in the Malaysian context, do we even have a "token" Malaysian Chinese, Malaysian Indian or Malaysian Eurasian as the Mentri Besar of a state? Or is it limited to a "token" chief ministership of Penang?

Or, for that matter, "token" non-Malay Malaysians as, say, the IGP, the Armed Forces chief, the CEO of Khazanah or any GLC or the governor of Bank Negara? Wouldn't that do a lot more for integration in Malaysia instead of the collective hot air spouted by self-serving politicians and political parties?

At least, in the US, "tokenism" works and Asian Americans (and Hispanic Americans too) can aspire to achieve high political office, even maybe as Vice-President. So, let's not sneer at the US, when we can't even get our own "tokenism" working here.

Coming back to what Lee Kuan Yew said recently about a possible re-merger with Malaysia, I note that you did not comment on the forthright views expressed by a Singaporean Malay, Muhammad Farouq Osman. He was scathingly dismissive of the NEP in Malaysia and affirmative action Malaysian-style. Yet, you did not rebut his views. Interesting.

Lee Kuan Yew's game plan since 1965 has been very simple - to use whatever means possible to differentiate Singapore from it's neighbours. And in this, he has succeeded brilliantly.

Would Malaysia be different now, if successive Malaysian governments since 1957 had made the conscious decision to implement policies that would make the country stand out in the region and in Asia? In other words, to go one better than Lee Kuan Yew in attracting foreign investments and talent to Malaysia?

Today's Spore Business Times newspaper (http://business-times.asia1.com.sg) had an interesting report on the top sovereign wealth funds in the world. In a ranking prepared by Standard Chartered Bank and Oxford Analytica, the UAE's ADIA topped the list with estimated assets of US$625 billion (all those petrodollars!). 2nd is Norway's Govt Pension Fund - Global with assets of US$322 billion (petrodollars, again!).

What makes you raise your eyebrows is who comes in as #3. None other than Singapore's GIC with assets of US$215 billion (yup, billion).

Singapore's Temasek, at #7, has assets of US$108 billion.

So, between them, GIC and Temasek have assets of US$323 billion. Not bad for a "little red dot" wouldn't you say?

Oh, yes - what about our own Khazanah Nasional? It's ranked #12 with assets of US$17.9 billion.

Or, to put it another way, Singapore's GIC and Temasek have enough financial horsepower to buy every listed company on Bursa Malaysia - theoretically, that is - and still have substantial spare change left over.

And if that isn't "soft power", then I don't know what is.

Which is why I say that Lee Kuan Yew succeeded, and succeeded brilliantly.

gram.kong said...

the greatteadrinkerdownsouth,

That could be the longest pseudonym I have seen so far.

You certainly hit the nail on the head.I do believe in giving credit where credit is due and LKY, one of the greatest leaders of recent time, had turned a tiny island state without any natural resources into one of the biggest economic powerhouse.Singapore, is one of the most functional cities in the world and has one of the lowest crime rate too.

Malaysia would have been a greater nation if there were less scoundrels running the country.

Whatever some people want to say about Lee Kuan Yew, at least he is not a thief.

affendi hussain said...

Salam to all,

When addressing ideas, let not get carried away and deviate so much from the reality line..
For those who loves to talk on championing the terms equality/meritocracy/democracy, let us not forget the essence of democracy..this is the most basic rule of thumb if you meritomania really honour it..

In democracy..the majority will decide..

Rather than pointing straight the face of the majority telling them how mentally uncapable, backlog minded and lazy they are. (really? in this 21st century?), why not trying to gain their trust and win their heart rather than provoking sentiments...always poking their minds and heart with sedituos remarks.

The majority, now having the feeling of loosing their beloved land to the people who failed to gain their trust,people who failed to communicate in national languange and talking about championing their own ethnic as their main agenda, the majority were left with almost no choice.. a clown at least the only better last resort they have. Changing ruling party doesn't secure the end of all the problem technically.

When the majority feel that the minority are parts of them and means no harm, then only they feel easily to talk over about shares of equality, PM post or whatever..They are willing to give and take and this was historically proven. The same things goes well in Thailand and for a 230yrs nation like the USA.
Maybe from time to time the choices will come.. start coming out of the cocun and see the real world!

A bunch of clowning Malay pembesar does not reflect all Malays' brain. Genetically, we are all Asian and that doesn't make anyone of us 'holier than thou' or highly supreme brainiac aryan race. Really..who are the real racist anyway..tell me? Please la... as some wise man said, a person who under estimate his opponent may end up died with eyes wide open.


In reality, the Malay are the most tolerance race among all and often mistakenly assumed as weak and stupid.. (an idea of LKY shared by some of his Malaysian-born diciples, everybody know where LKY embraced such ideology.. from his 'bintang bucu enam' alliance of course).

One things for sure, the Malay have a very fragile heart and not easily to heal that “luka di hati”..especially when people insult their religion , believes and self-values.

Surely the Hi-Five bread doesn't suffer drop in sales for no reasons, do they? They insulted and torn the hearts of the majority consumer and now pay a high price for their biggest mistakes in business. Good for Gardenia for not mendling with sensitive issues. Put up a pretty Malay face..? yeah, let them try their luck..but it will not be so easy to heal a non-physical wound, for sure. This is just an example. The same reminder goes to people like Namawee and tribe.

Always mind what you say..make it reflect the standard of education you had..if not, you end up being worst than the people you really insult.

How to live in peace if you hurt the majority around you?? Tell me..after all, we shared the same land..the South African apartheid regime stumble down to ground also for the same reason.

Kudos for LKY for Singapore phenomenal achievement, but unfortunate indeed that LKY still mentally trap in his own time capsule.

For a country surviving without natural resources, overheating economy will be a high threat especially if the surrounding regional country also heating up their economy reaching almost at par with Singapore..no place to dissipate and buffer the heat anymore and the island may end up becoming a big oven, crash and burn?

Is that why the re-merging idea come into picture?? ..(Heat transfer..Zeroth Law of Thermodynamics). By the way, economic achievement has its finite ceiling boundry... its not something infinity shooting out of the universe. Time running out...clocking fast eh. The island survival is the main agenda..

For a country that were too buzy with money making rather than making babies, they might end up becoming a full veteran country althought their army were armed up to the teeth..So join the LKY grandpa clubs..(Their Big Brother will definitely help them, do they?).

Furthermore without TDM around in cabinet and with the current sleeping government, LKY without hesitate, can fire his provocative verbal arsenal.

Rewind the history memory and push the democracy button - LKY already has the answer to his re-merging idea..

As for the talak..its already spelled out Talak Tiga for Singapore.. Try marrying another guy and maybe we can re-married again. :D

Anonymous said...

Assalamualaikum Dato'

Front-page headline in Singapore's Berita Harian reported on the top pupil for the Republic's PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) 2006 who is "Melayu/Islam". The girl scored 297 out of a total of 300 points to beat all other previous top students. She is the daughter of an airline technician and a housewife (formerly a flight stewardess). Ordinary Malay/Muslim family, unlike many previous cases in which the parents were non-Malay professionals.

It was a proud day for all Melayu/Islam in Singapore (and for me too although I'm no longer a Singaporean). I asked my brother, why did the newspaper have to use the term Melayu/Islam. He said that it was to differentiate from the term India/Islam. I disagreed with him because, to my mind, a Melayu is by definition a Muslim. But not so in present-day Singapore. There are Singaporeans who retain their Malay names although they change their religion - mostly to Christianity. I heard of one Malay pastor and his family of Malay wife and children. They retain their Malay/Muslim names.

Why am I talking about this in this posting? Because when one talks of Singapore, it's not just about a tiny island with such-and-such GDP and such-and-such achievements, although without such-and-such resources. The changing socio-cultural make-up that disrupts the traditional Malay/Muslim identity, is most heart-wrenching for the Muslim that I am. And, the fate of some of these children affected by such conversion by the parents is such a sorry tale.

I can understand the feelings of some contributors to this blog as a result of LKY's comments and remarks. But Singapore is not just about LKY nor is it about aliens who observe cultures and customs different from ours in Malaysia.

I find it a waste to spend time and energy discussing LKY as if his words were gospel. LKY is no statesman, and does not deserve to be treated as one. For one who led Singapore when it was made up of less than 2 million people, he failed miserable to be just and cater to the wellbeing of the people he led, namely the minority Malays who were (and still are) largely economically weak, politically having little voice and academically in need of constant support (not out of having inferior grey matter but being made to feel and think they were/are). His failure to practice fairness in leading makes it underserving for him to be granted the voice to speak about meritocracy and leading by example. After all, for a long time, he was the leader of only one or so million people, compared to Malaysia's 14 or 16 million back then. If he was such a great leader, he could have transformed Singapore into a tiny city state which is devoid of any social ills seemingly 'monopolised' by one particular community. But he failed,didn't he?

Please allow me now to respond to some of the comments posted.

Ahirudin Attan: "Unlike in Singapore, where it is mandatory to serve the Army..."

Response from Mom-o'-Success: A two-year national service is mandatory for healthy male citizens or male PR but not if the guys are the products of Madrasah in Singapore. At one time, when the Malay medium education was still available, boys who went through the Malay stream were not required to do their national service either. Presently, many of the Malays are sent for civil defence and other uniformed units besides the armed forces.

Admin: "I have one reminder to MM Lee, let your Malay citizens to become fighter pilots first. Single out Singaporean Malays from joining SAF fighter..."

Response from Mom-o'-Success: There are Malay fighter pilots now (whether or not they are Muslim or Christian, only they would know). A nephew failed more than once when he applied to be a fighter pilot some time back, though. I heard about a Malay boy who wanted so much to be in the elite commando unit that he professed atheism (apparently, one of the requirements to be accepted in the unit is to declare not believing in God).


Zainal A. Kasim: "Kita tidak perlukan Singapura untuk maju. kita boleh maju dengan ukuran dan acuan kita sendiri..."

Saya bersetuju dengan pendirian Saudara Zainal, yang saya kira wajar ditujukan kepada mthinker.

mthinker:
Fact 1: Singapore with ZERO natural resources (per capita income $30,900) is faring much better than Malaysia (per capita income $12,700)

Response from Mom-o'-Success:
No big deal. Why be apologetic...? When one has so little, it's only natural that one would always have to work hard to prove one's worth. Why should verdant, bountiful Malaysia have to tango to Singapore's tune?


Fact 2: "Malaysia IS treating its minorities unfairly..."

Response from Mom-o'-Success:
Are we saying that Singapore is not mistreating its minorities? I have friends and relatives (all Malays) who have been deprived of places in the university in Singapore although their results were better than their Chinese counterparts. I have Malay relatives who missed promotions to less productive Chinese colleagues, and some other relatives who were given much less annual bonuses than their Chinese colleagues although they worked just as hard. I have a half-Chinese relative who got the same job which was not ofered to his Malay cousin. We are talking here about double punishments for marginalised group which was/is actually in need of support more than anyone else. In Malaysia, the different treatment is carved in stone (for now at least) for everyone to see - above board. If it's not for the NEP and the various efforts to even out the wealth and minimise poverty regardless of ethnicity, we could have been another post-Suharto Indonesia or having indigenous communities living the lives of destitute aboriginies in Australia and the marginalised Indians in America.

Fact 3: "Singapore has a clean and competent (if not honest) government (4th on the Corruption Perception Index. I doubt Singapore would be what it is today without and competent government)..."

Response from Mom-o'-Success:
Lee and Lee is a law firm, known by all and sundry in Singapore, to belong to LKY's family. (Dato' you may want to consider posting this, lest you might have some court summons to answer to for 'slander'...?) Potential buyers of HDB flats would be given privileges if they use the firm to process their S&P Agreement (i.e. not having to use cash but through deduction from their CPF), unlike those who choose to use other law firms (i.e. they have to pay cash)

I understand that the Lee family has a substantial interest in the long established public transport service SBS. And LKY has family members who own interests in one of the country's telco companies. What clean government are we talking about here...?

Competent government? How can anyone claim to be competent when the rights of a loyal minority group to practise their religion are not fully protected by the State; and the socio-cultural wellbeing of this minority group are not considered a priority that one would see relatively higher percentage of those in the community become repeated substance abuse cases. And the government has the cheek to claim to be a successful urban city state...?

thegreatteadrinkerdownsouth:

A Malay, Muhammad Farouq Osman, wrote:

"....In fact, a re-merger with Malaysia would negate everything we stand for as a nation...As a Malay, I concur that this policy of affirmative action for Malaysian Malays does more harm than good for, after more than 30 years,..."

Response from Mom-o'-Success:

This is the advice from some Singaporeans I met. Don't believe all that is written in the Letters to the Editor's page because some of these are 'insiders' job'. It makes sense because in most cases, the response comes immediately after an issue has been published.

Mom'-o'-Success

P/S: Could we not keep threatening to cut water supply to Singapore. My mum is there, so are my siblings... and they so love to visit relatives in Malaysia. And they don't break traffic rules on the road. And there are many other good Singaporeans around whoa re in love with Malaysia....

Anonymous said...

Assalamualaikum Dato'

Saya ingin mengambil peluang ini untuk komen sedikit tentang artikel bertajuk 'Upset over MM Lee's re-merger comments' terbitan The Straits Times (akhbar Inggeris utama Singapura) pada 20 Oktober 2007 yang ditulis oleh seorang Melayu/Islam Singapura, Muhammad Farouq Osman. Dia melahirkan rasa kurang senangnya terhadap sistem Bumiputera yang ada di Malaysia. Walaupun begitu, dalam artikel yang sama dia juga berpendapat bahawa Encik Lee Kuan Yew tidak sepatutnya masuk campur dalam urusan domestik negara lain kerana ia hanya boleh merosakkan hubungan dua-hala antara Malaysia dan Singapura yang kian bertambah baik:

"Why should the Minister Mentor continue to harp on the bumiputera issue in Malaysia, knowing, from past experience, that it would invite a harsh response from politicians across the Causeway? Mr Lee's comment would only trigger another war of words, which is unnecessary and counter-productive to the aim of cultivating goodwill and understanding between the neighbours...the Minister Mentor is in no position to comment on this as it is a Malaysian issue and it is for the Malaysians to decide."

Komen oleh Mom-o'-Success yang mengatakan bahawa kita tidak patut terima bulat-bulat pandangan yang disuarakan di The Straits Times Forum kerana "some of these are insiders' job" dan "the response comes immediately after an issue has been published" tidak benar kerana isu komen 're-merger' oleh Kuan Yew ini disiarkan pada 11 Oktober, dan surat oleh Encik Farouq hanya diterbitkan 9 hari kemudian, pada 20 Oktober selepas komen Encik Lee disiarkan.

Surat penuh Muhammad Farouq boleh didapati dari lelaman web The Straits Times ini:

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_168769.html

Terima kasih dan wassalam.

Anonymous said...

Assalamualaikum Dato'

Thanks for posting the input from Pendekar Nusantara (and thanks to Pendekar Nusantara too) vis-a-vis my general comment on letters from readers that appear in the Straits Times. Point taken.

For someone who had spent the first two decades of her life in Singapore and now reaching half a century of life this side of the Causeway, Malaysia is definitely so much better a place to call home, albeit Singapore had been an excellent training ground.

This view is not the result of my being part of a marginalised group there and direct recipient of affirmative action here, but more because of the human touch and the human face in governance and in not giving up on those who don't make it the first time round, so unlike the lack of compassion and obtuse disposition in governing the people down south.

Mom-o'-Success

About Me

My photo
I was born in 1947 in Kedah. I came from a rice farming family. I have been a journalist since 1969. I am the Editor-in-Chief of magazine publishing company, Berita Publishing Sdn Bhd. I was Group Editor NST Sdn Bhd and Group Editor-in-Chief of NSTP Bhd between 1988 and 2000. I write fortnightly column “Other Thots” in the Malaysian Business magazine, Kunta Kinte Original in Berita Harian and A Kadir Jasin Bercerita in Dewan Masyarakat. Books: Biar Putih Tulang (1998), Other Thots – Opinions & Observations 1992-2001 (2001), The Wings of an Eagle (2003), Mencari Dugalia Huso (2006), Damned That Thots (2006), Blogger (2006), PRU 2008-Rakyat Sahut Cabaran (2008), Komedi & Tragedi-Latest in Contemporary Malaysian Politics (2009) and Membangun Bangsa dengan Pena (2009).