Category Archives: government
Watch it live!
As with rock concerts, watching something on TV never beats watching it live – right there, right then. This is what motivated me to attend one of the Parliament Committee of Supplies debate for Budget 2009. I chose the day … Continue reading
REACH cannot be reached
After posting the previous article on Waste of Money, Waste of Electricty, I was thinking of posting it up at the official Government e-engagement site reach.gov.sg, since they mentioned in the recent response to the AIMS recommendation, that the Government … Continue reading
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只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯？
谁说新加坡政治发展缓慢？相隔一年，执政党处理政治性活动的方式有了一百八十度的转变，这种变化不叫快，叫什么？ 一年前，新加坡的一个政党申请在九月九日于东海岸公园举行脚踏车活动，被警方拒绝。（存档链接：http://www.clipclip.com/choongyong.koh/clips/detail/29750）总理几个星期前宣布放宽某些政治活动的限制，与今天起允许国民在芳林公园示威。无独有偶，在所谓放宽管制的今天，于中英两份主媒体报章中，就看到了总理在脚踏车上的“英姿”。 工人党主席林瑞莲一年前在国会上询问警方拒绝有关申请的原因，内政部兼律政部高级政务部长何炳基副教授（好长的名堂）答复时，列明以下几点原因： 东海岸公园是让新加坡人和他们家人休闲的地方，政党不应该用来宣传其政治理念。 那是个户外场所，更可能出现破坏宁静环境，导致骚乱、难控制的局面。 即使主办者奉公守法（如果只有20人参加，对公众不会造成任何干扰），但其他人可能因为不赞同主办者的政治观点而导致双方争吵起来，引来群众。何炳基对刘程强先生说：“你也许会守秩序，但你在骑脚踏车过程中遇到的一些人也许会逼你停下来，和你争论不休。这可能引来群众加入，引发警方不愿意看到的秩序问题。” 总结以上几点，不难得出警方一年前拒绝批准申请的主要考量： 政党不能在休闲地段主办活动 政党不能在户外场所主办活动 政治人物在外活动，也许会遇到人们和他们争论不休 政党在户外主办活动，就算只有20人参加，也会可能引发警方不愿意看到的秩序问题 令人费解的是报章报道昨天的活动时，也有以下几个共同点： 主办者是人民行动党社区基金-隶属于人民行动党，新加坡现今的执政党 活动地点在西海岸公园，与东海岸公园一样是休闲场所 活动地点也在户外 据早报报导，参加这项活动的部长和议员包括：李显龙，林瑞生，许文远，尚穆根，颜金勇，张俰宾，林文兴，张志贤 据早报报导，昨天约有1万3000人参与这个活动 相比下来，两项活动的共同点实在太多，昨天的活动最大的不同，只有（1）人民行动党是执政党，（2）活动的规模大了许多倍，政治人物也多了许多，（3）活动被批准主办。 所以说，若不是政府处理政治性活动的方式改变的话，就只有一个可能：只许州官放火，不许百姓点灯。 注：点击谚语的链接，读一读典故，细细回味吧。*一笑*
Your profile has broken rules of use
Was surfing the web this morning and came across this New Paper article Your profile has broken rules of use. So it is confirmed that the change in Reach Singapore’s Facebook presence was prompted by my earlier post. Just would … Continue reading
Reach Singapore, Facebook and privacy
I blogged about Reach Singapore’s Facebook profile a few days ago. Today, it was picked up by tomorrow.sg and I saw quite a number of visitors to my blog. There is also a small debate at tomorrow.sg about this. There … Continue reading
Reach Singapore violates Facebook Terms of Use
Reach Singapore spent some money to stage an event at Toa Payoh Hub yesterday — to launch a Facebook profile, something that anyone with an email address can set up within minutes at their own home computer. Attempting to engage … Continue reading
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The DPM and PM should answer questions instead of side-stepping them
I attended the Parliamentary Sittings on 21 Apr and 22 Apr in the Public Gallery, hoping to be able to listen to the Ministerial Statements by DPM Wong Kan Seng and PM Lee Hsien Loong on the Mas Selemat Escape … Continue reading
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Is land really scarce in Singapore?
There are many occasions in which we hear from the Government that certain things cannot be done because we are in “land scarce” Singapore. Two recent pieces of news appearing on the same day (17 Apr 2008) led me to … Continue reading
Posted in government, politics, rising prices
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选举是一时的，人民是永久的
昨天在家里观看台湾2008总统大选的直播。马英九在宣告成功获选为台湾第四届民选总统后向支持者致词，有一段话，令我印象深刻。他说：“选举是一时的，人民是永久的。”虽然马英九得票率是58%，但也有42%的选民没有投他。他说，并不会因为那五百多万人不投票给他，就不会照顾他们，他会照顾全部的台湾人民。 这样的胸襟，是领导者该有的风范。反观岛国却时不时出现领导者以“你们不投票给我，就是不支持我的政策”为理由来说明为什么在某些事上有分先后的做法，的确令人心酸。
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Right to know
The Workers’ Party of Singapore » Escape Of Mas Selamat The link above points to the latest press release by The Workers’ Party on the escape of Mas Selemat. Interestingly, although everyone knows that a committee of inquiry is convened … Continue reading
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