Anti-PAP “noise” is from PMET losers and deadbeats

Data from the Ministry of Manpower last week was very grim.

OCBC Securities reported “total employment change in Q2 declining 103.5k, the sharpest on record. This brought the total employment decline in H1to 129.1k.
▪ Retrenchments more than doubled, from 3220 in Q1 to 8130 in Q2. This is higher than the peak during the SARS period, but lower than the all-time high of 12760 during the GFC.
▪ The overall unemployment rate rose from 2.4% in Q1 to 2.8% in Q2. Resident unemployment rate rose from 3.3% to 3.8%.”

Interestingly the MoM data showed the most impacted sectors (in terms of unemployment and retrenchments) are those that rely more on non-PMET workers, such as manufacturing, construction and accommodation & food services.

The more resilient sectors were in electronics manufacturing, information & communications and financial & insurance services, where remote work is more likely.

Bottom line: the poor are suffering terribly, PMETs are not. Bit like in London where the poor suffer more than the well off according to the Economist.

Must be PMET losers and deadbeats KPKBing on TRE, TOC and other anti-PAP alt media publications, and social media about their plight, and blaming the PAP govt.

Liewgate: TOC, witch hunters also wanted justice LOL

And even had due process. They were not running around like headless chickens or TOC readers in an anti-PAP frenzy.

Couldn’t stop laughing at

“The Minister for Law has also seemingly tried to downplay matters by urging the public not to go on a witch hunt. In this, the Minister may have misunderstood public sentiment.

The people want answers and accountability. They are not on a witch hunt. They want justice. To talk of a witch hunt may misguidedly fan the flames of public outrage. What the public want is reassurance that the Government will leave no stone unturned in punishing those guilty of this heinous initial miscarriage of justice – they do not need to be told what not to do.

https://www.onlinecitizenasia.com/2020/09/14/liew-mun-leong-and-ceca-saga-highlights-growing-disconnect-between-public-sentiment-and-the-establishment/?fbclid=IwAR27GNwtWegSA_Ml9Zys0adOcI1uEx5yn8hZYK7_SwZcUeBj0nM9ckT1l1I

The witch hunters also wanted justice, TOC. They tot that witches were hurting them and their families, hence the hunt for witches to burn.

The witch hunters also had due process, unlike cyber lynchings on social media conducted by Team TOC and its zombie fans, or other alt media and their fans.

One way of establishing whether a person was a witch was to throw the alleged witch into the river or deep bond. If the bounded person floated, they’d know the person was a witch, and would burn her.

Another test was to to put his hand into a fire. If the hand was undamaged, they’d burn him as a witch.

Criticism of PAP govt’s handling of Covid-19 is really “noise”

Not me but Blackbox.

Interesting that the PAP govt’s standing has not been diminished by the cock up over FTs that resulted a lockdown (albeit a soft one) circuit breaker being imposed. If you read TRE and other anti-PAP alt media or social media, you’d think that the only reason S’poreans are not rioting over the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic is fear of further govt repression.

Reasons why S’pore give the PAP govt the benefit of the doubt on the FT dorms?

FT dorms scandal: Blame NIMBY S’poreans not the PAP govt (Ownself blame ownself)

Covid-19: We have our FT Indian workers, Poland has its coal miners (World wide problem)

Ang mohs rioted meh? Not South Asians? Workers’ dorms are multi-racial? (Pay-back time for rioting)

Covid-19: “Well-off” local family living (almost) like manual workers from India (Many S’poreans live like FT dorm workers)

Would the dorm workers prefer to be repatriated to India and Bangladesh? (Better here than back home)

Schematic on how Covid-19 affects the body explains why infected Indian dorm workers are still alive (Btw Covid-19: Death loves diabetic ethnic Indians in hospital and Covid-19: Ethnic Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis got higher death rates in UK)

Why doesn’t MSM crow this fact about a S’porean Indian?

Rajeev Suri, who runs Nokia of Finland, is a Singaporean citizen.

Why doesn’t our constructive, nation-building media or its new media running dogs publicise this fact?

Could it be because the constructive, nation-building media doesn’t dare or cannot draw attention to the fact that he seems to be a citizen of S’pore for the sake of convenience?

Try to establish his link to S’pore by reading his Wikipedia entry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajeev_Suri

Lim Tean & Quitter living on welfare overseas can’t stop talking cock

Actually its worse, they spread fake news in their attempts to discredit the actions of the PAP govt.

Lim Tean took a swipe at the govt for wasting $ on the NDP packs.

At a time when We are facing the greatest crisis in modern times, why are many millions of dollars being spent on a meaningless fun pack for NDP?

There are many thousands of small and micro-businesses which are hurting and facing financial wipe-out because of this pandemic. There are many self-employed who are struggling to put food on the table. There are many desperately poor who cannot even afford the basic necessities in life.

It is inappropriate and tactless that at a perilous time such as now, this government is still allowing resources to be wasted on such frivolity!

These resources can be much better spent on helping small and micro-businesses, the self-employed and the poor!

Peoples Voice lends its whole-hearted support to the online campaign which has been started, and which has already gathered many supporters who have said they do not wish to receive the fun-pack. We salute these brave Singaporeans who are taking a principled stand.

This is another bad judgment call by an incompetent government made up of weak men and women!

Lim Tean
Peoples Voice Party

He doesn’t tell us that the govt does not spend any money on it, the stuff is sponsored by businesses.

The quitter living on welfare in Finland made the same point as Lim Tean a week ago. When it was pointed out the items were sponsored, he threw smoke by saying that govt spent $ packing it.

Bah, why didn’t he allege this in the first place instead instead of spreading fake news on social media about the govt wasting tax payers money, his original allegation?

With enemies like this, the PAP is fortunate that it doesn’t need ass licking clowns like Yap Kwong Weng (Principal Advisor & Joint Lab Director at KPMG) on its side.

Antidote to Covid-19 and market stress

The BBC (among others) recommend that to lessen the stress of Covid-19

— Limit the amount of time you spend reading or watching things which aren’t making you feel better.
— Be careful what you read

Hmm.

Until very recently, markets were tanking as if there were tomorrow. Maybe in such a situation, stop following the market.

Btw, markets are on a roll. Most say it’s a bear market rally. But hope springs eternal.

Covid-19: The truth about the death projections

No they are not fake news, but the projections are very nuanced and come with caveats, something that social media, new media and the mainstream media don’t communicate properly.

But before going into that something that most reports don’t highlight, did you know that the Spanish flu that killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide should have been named the Indian flu given that some 12-17 million people died in India, about 5% of the population? Only 5-7 million people died in China. And a lot less in Spain.

Sorry for the aside, Coming back to the death projections, I’m sure that you know by know that a key piece of modelling which has informed the British government’s decision to try to suppress the virus was done by Imperial College London.

It suggested 500,000 could die if we do nothing, while the government’s previous strategy to slow the spread was likely to lead to 250,000 deaths.

Instead, it is hoped the steps which have been taken, which are essentially about suppressing the virus, will limit deaths to 20,000.

BBC report

It also came up with projections for countries like the US.

But these projections do not exclude the number of people that who would have died in the normal course of events if there had been no pandemic. The modellers did not exclude the normal death numbers because they can’t. They have no data to work from.

As the BBC explains in the context of the UK:

Every year more than 500,000 people die in England and Wales – factor in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the figure is around 600,000.

The coronavirus deaths will not be in addition to these, as statistician David Spiegelhalter, an expert in public understanding of risk at the University of Cambridge, explains.

“There will be substantial overlap in these two groups — many people who die of Covid [the disease caused by coronavirus] would have died anyway within a short period.”

It was a point acknowledged by Sir Patrick at a press conference on Thursday when he said there would be “some overlap” between coronavirus deaths and expected deaths – he just did not know how much of an overlap.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-51979654

What I trying to say is that the very nature and limitations of modelling means that we have to be very careful in trying to understand the numbers thrown at us. They are actually very nuanced, and come with caveats.

Nigerian alternative to POFMA that works

Nigeria is planning a POFMA type law, cut and paste from our POFMA, our constructive, nation-building media trumpeted sometime back. But protest riots have prevented its passing, something our constructive, nation-building media keep silent about.

Its media is well known for publishing fake news (See link below).  Lim Tean, TOC and The Idiots are no match for it.

But one group in Nigeria has its very own homegrown method of dealing with fake news:

In April 2012, the message carried in one of Boko Haram’s video releases was distorted in some Nigerian media reports.

In response, the jihadist group took direct action and bombed two newspaper offices …

While claiming responsibility for the carnage, a Boko Haram spokesperson said: “Each time we say something, it is either changed or downplayed.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51706840

Since then the Nigerian media has been careful about how it reports Boko Haram’s media releases.

My take on POFMA (added several hours after first publication):

POFMA these ministers?

Why MSM no kanna POFMA for spreading fake news?

“Black is white, white is black”: Our UK ambassador defends POFMA

Fact v opinion & “Lies, damned lies, and statistics”

Why PAP never admits to mistakes?

Fake news is in the eyes of the beholder

The one-party state and fake news

Why I no ak the Select Committee hearings on Deliberate Online Falsehoods 

Panic? What panic?/ Anti-PAP activists loi hei wish

Social media and the internet are full of pictures of empty supermarket shelves here.

Must be the work of anti-PAP activists and others who wish S’pore ill doing their best to astro turf that S’poreans are panicking because the PAP govt has not done enough to contain the Wuhan virus. Just go to Goh Meng Seng’s FB page and see the lies he’s trying to spread.

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Anti-PAP activists lot hei wish

Secret Squirrel’s sidekick Morocco Mole says that his second cousin removed working in the ISD tells him that when Lim Tean, Goh Meng Seng, Tan Jee Say, Tan Kin Lian, Kirsten Han, PJ Thum and Mad Dog loh heied last Friday, they loh heied that S’pore would go into a deep, deep recession because of the virus. He also reports that the host, Goh Meng Seng, claimed that his wallet was Wuhan virus infected and asked the others to pay. They ran out of the restaurant without paying the bill.

But the restaurant owner is not out of pocket. He knew Meng Seng’s reputation and told his staff to use only left overs and other unwanted stuff to prepare the yusheng.

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The truth is that the majority of voters trust the PAP govt to look after us. They are so trusting that as of the morning of the final collection date, which was 9 Feb, only 54% of households collected their masks, according to The Straits Times (ST).

Collection date for the masks now extended until 29 Feb.

Related posts:

Fake news that S’poreans panicking about shortage of masks

Kiasu? Get hold of the king mask/ Listen to expert on infectious disease

Fake news that S’poreans panicking about shortage of masks

S’poreans are not picking up their free masks.

When I read that each Singapore household would receive four surgical face masks via 89 Community Centres (CCs) and 654 Residents’ Committee (RC) centres, I tot we would soon know whether S’poreans are genuinely concerned about the shortage of the masks.

Or whether the comments on social media and the internet about the desperate of S’poreans afraid of the Wuhan virus looking in vain for masks are nothing but astro-turfing by the usual anti-PAP paper activists and cybernuts playing up the absence of masks in the shops as incompetence on the part of the PAP govt.

The evidence, so far, is that these anti-PAP types lied about the concerns of ordinary S’poreans

When the Hougang Community Club opened its doors at 2pm on Saturday (Feb 1) for the first day of mask collection, there were as many volunteers waiting as there were residents in line.

“We had about 10 to 20 people in the queue in the first hour so we cleared that very fast,” said Community Club Management Committee chairman for Hougang SMC Joel Leong. “It was a very small queue … We haven’t seen a big crowd (in the first two hours).”

These scenes were similar to those at other distribution centres across the island, during a largely uneventful first day of mask collection for members of the public.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/wuhan-coronavirus-singapore-free-surgical-mask-collection-queues-12380564

Of course, this could be fake news from the constructive nation-building CNA. But I doubt it. Ever since the really bad haze we had in 2013 (Remember this incident P Ravi’s reposting: What the govt should have done?), there is anecdotal evidence that the 60-70% of S’poreans who vote for the PAP have been prepared: some masks are stored away, ready for use.

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Plenty of masks

Haze: PAP govt cares, they really do

————————————————————-

Whatever, the attempt by the anti-PAP paper activists and cybernuts to use the Wuhan virus to show that the PAP govt is incompetent has failed. Worse they were caught lying.

And with a GE later this yr, the serious Oppo (Wankers’ Party , SDP sans Mad Dog and Tan Cheng Bock’s PSP) needs these anti-PAP paper activists and cybernuts like they need a hole in the head.

More evidence that these anti-PAP paper activists and cybernuts do not wish S’pore well.

Btw, my advice is to pick-up the free masks, and store them away for future use. Don’t know about you, but I can smell the haze

 

 

 

 

PAP: 1984 GE

Someone put these up on FB, asking if any one could recall the origin of the stickers?

 

Someone replied they were stickers were from 1984 GE.

If the PAP tried wrapping this flag wrapping today, TOC’s M’sian Indian goons, cybernuts and social media would be KPKBing.

“Black is white, white is black”: Our UK ambassador defends POFMA

Regular regulars will know that I’m no fan of POFMA (Fake news is in the eyes of the beholder) even though Alex Tan, Brad Bowels and Lim Tean deserve to kanna POFMAed (The last two talk so much cock that even if the authorities wrongly POFMa them, the courts can still find that they deserve to kannna POFMAed for other BS). As to the SDP’s POFMA, if it kanna POFMA, so should the constructive, nation-building ST.

So I had a great laugh when this appeared in the Economist’s letters section: note the implied argument that POFMA is nothing more than “right of reply”. If so why not make “Right of reply” law apply to social media etc, not juz the media? Someone talking cock, me thimks.

Free speech in Singapore

Contrary to your report (“False alarm”, December 7th), our Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act should be looked at in the same context as our belief in the right of reply, which in our view enhances rather than reduces the quality of public discourse, and strengthens and safeguards proper public accountability that must necessarily underpin democracies. Online posts that have been corrected remain available in full, but with links to the government’s response appended. Readers can see both and decide for themselves which is the truth. How does twinning factual replies to falsehoods limit free speech?

You also misrepresented the falsehoods that the government corrected. One post not only accused the government of rigging elections and conspiring to convert Singapore into a Christian theocracy, but also made false claims that it had arrested specific critics. Another did not only question the “investment nous of Singapore’s sovereign-wealth funds”, but based this on false allegations of losses that never occurred. The Economist itself recognises how serious a problem online falsehoods are, for example in “Anglichanka strikes again” (April 21st 2018). Fake stories have influenced British politics, notably in the Brexit campaign. Legislatures around the world have been grappling with this problem.

Singapore, a small English-speaking, multiracial, multi-religious city-state open to the world, is more vulnerable than most to this threat. Having observed in Britain and elsewhere the cost of doing nothing, we decided to act. Singapore’s laws are designed to meet our own context and needs. We have no ambition to set any example for other countries, but neither do we make any apologies for defending our own interests.

Foo Chi Hsia
High commissioner for Singapore
London

Ah well, having to write letters like this is the price of a cushy life funded by us tax payers.

The letter reminds me of Race is BS or “post-truth” at work?

“They wanted facts. Facts! They demanded facts from him, as if facts could explain anything.”
―from LORD JIM (1900) by Joseph Conrad

Ms Foo’s other attempts at comedy and post-truths:

Christmas laughs from our comic lady in London

What next? Senior civil servant saying that those who don’t vote PAP don’t wish S’pore well?

Ang mohs told secret of why PAP wins and wins

Our London ambassador on why Reformasi here is for the deluded

PAP govt speaking? No ler North Korean minister

Economist piece on Amos etc: Dark Side cousin responds

Somehow I’m reminded of

Song of the Witches from Macbeth

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the caldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting,

Lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing,

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Cool it with a baboon’s blood,

Then the charm is firm and good.

HOHOHO: Temasek invested in WeWorks’ flea ridden dog

In July 2018, the FT reported that SoftBank, its Saudi-backed Vision Fund, private equity firms Trustbridge Partners and Hony Capital, and our very own Temasek invested in a WeWork subsidiary in China. It was valued at US$5bn.

A year before, after Softbank and Hony put $ into it, it was worth US$1bn.

Great investment that naturally TOC’s M’sian Indian goons never reported. To be fair neither did other alt media publications. I think our constructive, nation-building trumpeted this investment.

Now?

China has emerged as one of WeWork’s worst performing markets as a local operation once seen as critical to the office provider’s global growth suffers from ultra-low occupancy rates and is “bleeding cash”, said people with direct knowledge of the business.

FT

What “ultra-low occupancy rates” mean. FT reported: WeWork locations in October in

Shanghai had a vacancy rate of 35.7% in October,

Shenzhen 65.3% (in Hong Kong only 22.1%  vacant) and

Xi’an, had a vacancy rate of 78.5%.

As reported in ST’s BS about WeWorks Cont’d, WeWorks is exiting China.

Wonder if our constructive, nation-building media will report this fiasco? It trumpeted its success last year.

Terry and his “bunch of Indians”

Minister Shan recently outed a M’sian Indian based outside KL proper, as the star writer of Terry’s Online Channel. Until then, based on her name, I tot she was an India-based Indian.  TOC: A lot of bull. Btw, seems another writer with Indian-sounding name is also M’sian.

Hello? Hello? Other than Terry, any S’poreans writing for TOC?

Whatever

The “T” in FT can stand for “Talent” not “Trash” who beat up S’poreans if TOC is to be believed. Don’t listen to the foreigners who write for TOC: TOC: A lot of bull.

At least FTs work here and pay GST and other taxes. Terry’s team work overseas. And TOC and its cybernut readers criticise the PAP govt for allowing in FTs?

TOC is hypocritical

Waz really funny is that Terry once upon a time upset Philemon Ravi by calling TISG “a bunch of Indians”. P Ravi was then the editor of TISG, a publication better known as “The Idiots, S’pore”. P Ravi must be chuckling that Terry’s star writers are Indians.

Whatever, P Ravi now knows that Terry is no racist, and we, that he like PAP: want cheap labour.

Seriously, waz really black comedy at its blackest and funniest is him using foreigners when he KPKBs about govt’s FT policy and how it hurts S’poreans. At least FTs pay taxes and rent, and spends money here benefiting the economy. His foreign writers spend Terry’s money overseas.

A pro-PAP site put it this way

“Let us be clear: there’s nothing wrong with hiring Malaysian or foreign writers to write critically about Singapore. If they wanna write about how S’poreans are arrogant, we’ll wholeheartedly support that…What’s not right is when you dish out xenophobic articles criticising foreigners working in S’pore but in the same breath hire foreigners.”

SMRT Feedback

(Btw, Idiots S’pore also use foreigner I’m told. TRE doesn’t. TeamTRE is headed by a S’porean based in China. They slog for a bunch of ingrate readers not willing to fund them, and who always KPKBing for bad service, but always coming back because free lor.)

I’ll be fair and let Terry or rather a TOC writer (S’porean?) have the penultimate word:

Responding to Mr Shanmugam’s fiery statement, Terry asserts that all articles published on TOC are directed and subsequently approved by him as the Chief Editor.

“Nothing goes unvetted by me, a Singaporean who has served his national service and held responsible by the Ministry of Communication and Information as the registered person in charge,” said Terry.

“If one is to observe the series of Facebook posts and now, the Law Minister comments, one can easily come to a conclusion that there is a collaborated campaign to discredit TOC.”

He then went on to address the debate on hiring foreign persons, saying, “To the best of my recollection, there is no law against hiring person of foreign nationality and TOC has not used nor received any foreign funding. So what is the Law Minister barking about?”

TOC’s Kathleen F (Another M’sian-based M’sian Indian writer?)

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2019/09/25/nothing-goes-unvetted-by-me-tocs-editor-terry-xu-responds-to-minister-k-shanmugans-comments-on-foreign-interference/

Sorry TOC, SMRT Feedback is right, “What’s not right is when you dish out xenophobic articles criticising foreigners working in S’pore but in the same breath hire foreigners.”

Look at the group photo here (See who attended TOC’s do) and wonder who else are hypocrites.

Two diet drinks a day = dying young

Recently, a health story about fizzy drinks was widely shared online in the UK.

Some of the newspapers went big with a study – which claimed two diet drinks a day could be linked to people dying young. These papers – including the Daily Mail – report on a major study linking diet drinks with an increased risk of dying early.

The research, which looked at more than 450,000 people across Europe, found that death rates from any cause were 26% higher among people who consumed two or more diet drinks a day, compared with those who had less than one a month.

The reasons are unclear, but previous studies have suggested that artificial sweeteners can trigger glucose intolerance and higher insulin levels in the blood.

The truth is more nuanced

https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-49579380

With enemy like this, any wonder if PAP will win big in GE 2019

First world country, third world election system.
http://www.wakeupsg.com
source: http://www.fundalib.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMLE2018.pdf

Wake Up, Singapore (A very anti-PAP group)

“Pull the other one – it’s got bells on”.

Can’t stop laughing because in Afghanistan and Iraq people get killed attending political rallies or when voting. These guys saying that this happens here?

Don’t they ever stop and think?

Oh wait, they really think people get killed here but that it’s not reported by TOC, the Voice of the Cybernuts and their favourite publication.

That then raises the question why their organ is so pro-PAP in not reporting the killings?

Seriously anti-PAP paper warriors and real-life acxtivists sure like to “Ownself sabo ownself”.

Don’t believe me? Read

“Antics Of Civil Society Activists Endanger Opposition Cause”

Where’s yr defamation video and jobs rally Lim Tean?

TJS should listen to the Toilet Man

Why the PM doesn’t need friends

Anti-PAPpies want Kim to nuke S’pore isit?

GG crashes: new Indian chief needed?

Meng Seng: fake news propogator

“Licking the ass of the enemy of my enemy”

Nuff said? With enemies like these guys, the PAP will rule S’pore for ever and a day.

Vote wisely.

Media Literacy Council? What Media Literacy Council?

Update on 9 Sept 4.45am and 5.50am:

MLC raises white flag by deleting BS infographic, but refuses to admit it made an “honest mistake”. It implying that it made a “dishonest mistake” i.e. it published fake news.

The Media Literacy Council (MLC) has apologised for a Facebook post featuring a graphic that described satire as a type of fake news and got netizens up in arms for being fake news itself.

ST

This really BS

In a statement on Sunday, the MLC said it acknowledged that its post and infographic had given the wrong impression that satire was fake news, which was not the intent.

“We are sorry for the confusion and will review our material,” it added.

“The wrong impression”? “What wrong impression”? The heading of the infographic was “Types of Fake News”.

Note the infographic was put up on Thursday and only removed sometime on Sunday. And minister Shan emphasised the need for speed to remove fake news when he defended the draconian measures in POFMA.

Post published before the latest BS follows.

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More like Media Illiteracy Council

I kid u not. The Media Literacy Council calls ‘Clickbait’ and ‘Satire’ types of Fake News.

This is a complete balls-by the MLC. Even after reading their attempt to explain (See below). The very draconian fake news law (POFMA) specifically excludes satire.

Other balls-op over the yrs:

Media Literacy Council doesn’t think words matter?

Why MLC has to talk about Calvin

“Hate speech”: MLC chair ignores judge’s comments

Media Literacy Council doesn’t think words matter?

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Calvin Cheng is no dickhead

Btw, while most of the above links might be seen as me not having a high opinion of Calvin Cheng, actually, he can be sensible. LOL.

Where I agree with him.

Fake news the TOC way/ History is very complicated

HIV data leak: Calvin Cheng is right again

Kee Chiu Cybernuts who want to migrate to Bangladesh

When being a minister turns from a calling into a job for life

————————————————

The following was added on Monday at 11.30am so that MLC’s readers are aware of MLC’s initial defence:

In a Friday night comment … the MLC said it understood concerns regarding including satire as fake news in relation to Pofma.

It explained that while Pofma defines a falsehood as a statement of fact that is false or misleading and does not extend to opinions, criticisms, satire or parody, the examples in the kit represent other possible scenarios in which Fake News can be spread.

These include clickbait articles that make exaggerated claims, or instances of people being fooled by a satirical article in which the irony or humour is not readily apparent, said MLC.

ST

Bot I ask again so why title the infographic: “Types of Fake News”? A “dishonest mistake” to misrepresent?

“Clickbait” and “Satire” should have been classified as “Potential sources of fake news”.

Media Illiteracy Council rather than Media Literacy Council.

Alt media, cybernuts also promoting racial stereotyping and worse

This has been shared widely in cyberspace especially by anti-PAP alt media publications and the social media feeds of cybernuts and the usual ang moh tua kees. They are KPKBing against a now well-known ad for a NETS E-Pay campaign tot by them to use “brownface”, and voicing support for subsequent self promotion “retaliation” video by two persons who claim to be offended by the ad. And it didn’t help matters when an ethnic Indian super heavyweight minister weighed in with comments that the video crossed various red lines because it attacked ethnic Chinese: Brownfacegate: Did you know Shanmugam also said this?

It all seemed so unfair to the cybernuts and many others that censoring the video and investigating Preetipls and Subhas (they made and appeared on the video), while those who came up with the “brownface” advertisement got off lightly.

Well this pix has four things wrong going by the criticism of the offending ad and the defence of the video.

Firstly, why is the offended person portrayed as an ethnic Chinese lady? Going by the reasoning against the ad, and in favour of the video, the picture is saying that ethnic Chinese, and wimmin, in particular, are prone to being easily upset and offended on racial matters. Not racism and sexism meh?

Also going by the reasoning against the ad, and in favour of the video, the picture says that Indians, and males in particular, are prone to allege racism. Not racism and sexism meh?

Next, going by the reasoning against the ad, and in favour of the video showing the Indian as light-skinned is taking sides in an ethnic Indian row. Many of our ethnic Indians have darker-skin tones than this guy: because many S’poean Indians are Tamil. Since the PAP introduced “Let the Indians flood in”, the proportion of Northern Indians here are increasing. Some of them even try to practice the caste system here in S’pore saying the fair-skinned Indians (Hindi speakers) of a higher caste than our local Tamil-speakers. It’s a fact that in Northern India, that lighter-skinned Indians are preferred to darker-skinned Indians. The marriage ads often specify the need for a partner to be “wheat coloured” or other such euphemisms denoting light-coloured skin. Not colourism meh?

Finally, why must the Indian be a male? Does it reflect the stereotype that Indians prefer male children? And that Indians abort female fetuses? Sexism at work.

Fyi, I have no problems with the ad or the video or this picture. I take issue with the subsequent action by MediaCorp against one of the persons in the video (taking him out of a video it’s making).

FYi II, I know the person who did the above photo. He is “woke” and anti-PAP, but no racist, and he’s Chinese.

My  point is that there’ll always be something in any picture or ad that will offend somebody.

 

Brownfacegate: Did you know Shanmugam also said this?

In cyberspace, and in particular anti-PAP sites where cybernuts infest, urinate and defecate, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam’s comments on the video up-loaded by local YouTuber and comedian Preeti Nair (known as Preetipls) and her brother, rapper Subhas Nair, have been given a lot of publicity and scorn. The Nairs were superheroes, the cheering cybernuts said.

The video was said by the Nairs to be their response to an ad for a NETS E-Pay campaign tot by many to have committed the offence of “brownface”: a Chinese guy dressed up to be caricatures of the four major racial groupings. (Read this about how S’poreans got divided into four racial groupings: “Malay race” created by ang mohs, not the Malays)

He was quoted as saying, “When you use four-letter words, vulgar language, attack another race, put it out in public, we have to draw the line and say not acceptable.”

And “This rap video insults Chinese Singaporeans, uses four-letter words on Chinese Singaporeans, vulgar gestures, pointing of middle finger, to make minorities angry with Chinese Singaporeans.” (Btw, wow treating us Chinese the way he treated Christians, protecting our sensitivities: in Religious equality, the PAP way, I said Minister Shan treated equally offended Christians as the equals of easily offended Muslims by banning Watain from performing, here he treated us Chinese as being as sensitive as ethnic Indians. Fair chap, this minister.)

Seriously, he also said

Let’s say a Chinese now does a video attacking Indians, Malays using four-letter words, vulgar gestures, same kind of videos,” he told Channel News Asia. “And let’s say there are hundreds of thousands of such videos. How do you think the Indians and the Malays will feel? Would people feel safe? Would the minorities feel safe?

No alt media publication seems to report this. But to fair to alt media, the constructive, nation-building media (that alt media copies and paste from) don’t give much prominence to these remarks.

He has a very valid point about the possibility of Chinese attacking Malays and Indians verbally, hurting their feelings: or worse if they physically attacked them. Doubtless there will calls to protect them, and I’m sure anti-PAP sites like TOC (with writers based in India, not S’pore because of the cost here: TOC: A lot of bull) will say that the PAP govt is not protecting minorities.

Fyi, I have no problems with the ad or the video. Live and let live, I always say. And I’ve lived as part an insignificant minority in London, Sydney and Melbourne: those were the days when Red China didn’t allow its people out. Life was really good as a Chinese in ang moh places. Us Chinese were considered to be model members of polite society, those Hongkies and spit on pavements who cut queues excepted.

How the establishment view the ad, video and Shan’s comments: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/preetipls-ministers-religious-leaders-rap-video-brownface-ad-11766998?cid=h3_referral_inarticlelinks_24082018_cna

How s/o JBJ views the ad, video and Shan’s comments : https://kenjeyaretnam.com/2019/08/01/we-need-to-talk-about-race/

How the BBC views the ad, video and Shan’s comments   https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49205225. And in case you don’t read thru to end, I’ll post the concluding paragraphs:

The country is no stranger to satire, but the liberal use of swear words in K. Muthusamy, and its sharp, direct and caustic tone in discussing racial discrimination, is unusual and would be considered shocking to mainstream Singapore.

But a small and growing number of Singaporeans – many of them young, voracious consumers of online content that has a similar tone to the video – see nothing wrong with it.

This is a group that yearns for a franker and bolder conversation about race, and is frustrated with the careful tones of the discourse in the tightly-controlled local media. They are not content with how mainstream society and the government get to impose a certain definition of racism, and rules on how Singapore should discuss race.

The decision to censor the video and investigate Preetipls and Subhas, coupled with a perception that those who came up with the “brownface” advertisement got off lightly, may only stoke that frustration.

Related post: Indian lady takes issue with charge that Nets ad was “brownface”

Economy worse than PAP, MSM, alt media spin

Singapore’s GDP growth drops to 0.1% in Q2, lowest since 2009’s Great Recession

TOC headline

Singapore’s GDP foretasted to grow by 0.1% in Q2 2019

TRE headline

Now these aped the MSM spin

Singapore economic growth slows to 0.1% in Q2, lowest in a decade

CNA

Singapore growth forecast risks sharper downgrade as Q2 GDP scrapes in at 0.1%

BT

Singapore’s economy grows just 0.1% in Q2, lowest in decade and worse than expected

ST

As Chris K KPKBed, the MSM headlines and opening paras put the best spin out a bad situation.

The reality is a lot worse

How bad things are

On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted annualised basis,  GDP contracted by 3.4%, way below the median forecast of 0.1% in a Reuters poll. This was a reversal from the 3.8% growth in the previous quarter and marked the worst quarter-on-quarter performance since the third quarter of 2012. The economy also registered its lowest growth in a decade, expanding just 0.1% on year in the second quarter, missing a forecast rise of 1.1%.

“Only cold spell coming, but not Winter,” says Heng

Question is why is alt media also helping out the PAP govt?

In case of TRE it’s likely that this was “an honest mistake”: TeamTRE are volunteers and stretched. And their cybernut readership is only booing at the PAP. Ask them to help out and they disappear.

In TOC’s case, the bunch of Indians based in India writing for TOC don’t know jackshit nor do they care about the S’pore economy.  TOC: A lot of bull.

At least FTs work here and pay GST and other taxes. Terry’s team work overseas. And TOC and its cybernut readers criticise the PAP govt for allowing in FTs?

 

How Hongkies organised leaderless protests

An excerpt from a BBC report. I recommend that real anti-PAP warriors read the report to pick up tips.

Many of the calls to protest are made anonymously, on message boards and in group chats on encrypted messaging apps.

Some groups have up to 70,000 active subscribers, representing about 1% of Hong Kong’s entire population. Many provide updates and first-hand reports relating to the protests, while others act as a crowdsourced lookout for police, warning protestors of nearby activity.

There are also smaller groups made up of lawyers, first aiders and medics. They provide legal advice and get supplies to protesters on the front lines.

Demonstrators say the online co-ordination of protests offers a convenient and instant way to disseminate information. The chat groups also let participants vote – in real time – to decide the next moves.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48802125

FT builds tools for bricks-and-mortar retail/ TOC is hypocritical

Trax, a US$1.1bn S’pore-based start-up, is bringing together data from in-store cameras and a new mobile app, which guides shoppers to purchases, to try to bolster high street stores. FT Joel Bar-El is CEO and co-founder.

It installs cameras on shop shelves to monitor how goods are placed, while its customer-facing apps let shoppers do market research and help retailers understand how they react to price and promotions.

Trax has just bot  Shopkick Californian shopping rewards app for an undisclosed fund.

The “T” in FT can stand for “Talent” not “Trash” who beat up S’poreans if TOC is to be believed. Don’t listen to the foreigners who write for TOC: TOC: A lot of bull.

At least FTs work here and pay GST and other taxes. Terry’s team work overseas. And TOC and its cybernut readers criticise the PAP govt for allowing in FTs?

PAP cares for S’poreans, really they do: Look at Save the Children’s Global Childhood Report

(Part of an occasional series)

About two months ago, TOC, other cybernut publications, social media cybernuts and even a ex-wannabe IB member* living in Finland on welfare were up in arms over the constructive, nation-building MSM’s reports on S’pores top ranking in the Save the Children’s Global Childhood Report.

I was wondering why they were upset until I read in the FT recently

Reasons to be cheerful Singapore is the top country for taking care of its children, according to Save the Children’s Global Childhood Report. More children all over the world are surviving past their fifth birthday than at any time in the last twenty years; more than ever before eat well enough to avoid stunting; more are in education; and more are safe from violence.

The PAP govt in the alternative but parallel universe these anti-PAP types live in cannot do anything gd for S’poreans. So when reality intrudes, they get upset and fake the news. Why? Read Terry Xu and cybernuts are really PAPpies

---

*He and ex-ST wannabe Seth Lord turned wannabe Jedi, its alleged wanted more than going rate to be part of IB but were allegedly told off to bugger off because mothership was better than them and wasn’t demanding as much money as them. He had to migrate to Finland, his wife’s country, because that’s the only way his kids can have a good but free education. In S’pore, they could only make it to “Every school a good school” neighbourhood school. And, the parents couldn’t afford to send them to the int’l schools here.

Interesting post: How to make a school good?

What TOC doesn’t tell about “victim” it’s championing

Further to Fake news the TOC way/ History is very complicated, TOC, cybernuts juz plain jealous isit? and Why TOC’s Danisha Hakeem is a menace to the credibility of alt media, here’s more on how TOC does fake news.

A Singaporean man, who is a retired teacher and a well-known musician, is suing Malaysia’s Immigration Department for RM2.67 million over his 37-day detention in an over-crowded and badly-maintained cell.

Puis Gilbert Louis, who will turn 68 next month, said that his nightmare started when the immigration officers raided his house in Johor Bahru on 9 October 2018 and arrested him.

Based on his statement of claim filed by his lawyer Arun Kasi, the man who owns a valid visa to be in Malaysia until 2 November 2018, was in the house with four other individuals, and one of them was his female friend from the Philippines who also holds a valid visa.

However, the additional three people in the house were friends of his Filipino friend and he is unaware of their origin or their immigration status.

…

TOC

What TOC doesn’t tell us is that Gilbert Louis has a history of violence against others that  he claims were caused by an ISD-inplant. In particular, he was jailed for six yrs for assaulting his then-wife’s lawyer. She wanted a divorce but he claimed that the lawyer instigated the divorce: so he beat up the lawyer (a lady, I think).

He also has a history of mental illness, although he denies that there’s anything wrong with him. He says the ISD fixes him via the implant: This fan should join Ravi in Woodbridge.

 

 

Fake news the TOC way/ History is very complicated

Last week, TOC and its fellow anti-PAP cybernuts discredited themselves thrice over with the voters the Oppo needs to win over in any general election (the PAP voters who voted for Tan Cheng Bock in PE 2011 who but for TKL, Goh Meng Seng and Tan Jee Say would have been president: really fixing the PAP).

TOC, using Vietnamese and Cambodian state media reports (Vietnam did not invade Cambodia as claimed by PM, these reports screamed) as their source material, pictured PM as getting his history wrong. The cybernuts went into overdrive dissing PM’s lack of knowledge of the “liberation” of Cambodia by Vietnam.

When the complicated truth emerged on cyberspace, showing that TOC and friends were propagating fake news, TOC and the cybernuts changed tack. They then said PM should not have upset the people of Vietnam and Cambodia with his comments. Example:

Sivakumaran Chellappa … there was absolutely no need to mention what he should know clearly to be a diplomatic minefield. He could of course have had continued to maintain his stand on that matter without ever mentioning it.

When this didn’t wash with the target audience, they changed the conversation accusing those who disagreed with their view of history of calling them “traitors” (There were some PAP nutters, the PAP version of TOC and cybernuts, using the  “t” word, but not enough to tar people like me who disagree with TOC’s and the cybernuts’ view that Vietnam liberated Cambodia): when they were juz patriotic S’poreans who believed in the truth.

Truth, what truth? Their truth was to swallow uncritically what the Vietnamese and Cambodian state media said. Why are they so uncritical of the state media of really repressive regimes? Because these media attack the PM and his PAP govt? (Related post “Licking the ass of the enemy of my enemy”)

Calvin Cheng got it about right when he posted on FB

I wonder why so many anti-Government people are willing to take the side of foreigners, during this storm in a teacup regarding PM Lee’s remarks on Vietnam and Cambodia.

The issue is actually very simple.

Did Vietnam invade Cambodia?

Yes.

Whether you invade to liberate (Current Vietnam and Cambodian point of view) or invade to set up a puppet Government (the prevailing view then), it’s still an invasion right ?

Why is Vietnam angry?

Because they don’t want to be called invaders.

Why is Cambodia angry ?

Because PM Hun Sen was one of the 7 central committee members in the pro-Vietnam Government that Vietnam set up. If he admits it’s an invasion, then he is a collaborator with invaders. So he can never say it was an invasion, but rather he was a Cambodian patriot who came to power with Vietnamese help.

Did the Vietnamese invasion stop a murderous regime, that of Pol Pot?

Yes.

But if the international community back then allowed Vietnam to invade Cambodia to overthrow the Khmer Rouge on the basis of ‘liberation’, what was to stop communist Vietnam from invading Thailand to liberate them from the bourgeoisie capitalists ? And then Malaysia? And then Singapore?

That’s why ASEAN had to oppose it on principle. Even if the consequences in Cambodia were benign.

Who says choices in international relations are easy ?

Finally, why did PM Lee mention it when writing a condolence note for Thai Gen Prem?

Because that was one of Gen Prem’s biggest achievements – staring down the Vietnamese across the border and opposing them, knowing that his country could be next.

So that’s a simple summary of the issues.

No need to write long op-eds and posts to over-complicate.

Just silly opportunists looking to obfuscate, confuse, and to make people angry with PM Lee.

---

When I said Calvin Cheng was a dickhead

Riposte to Calvin Cheng’s defence of UA

Calvin, Amos & other cyber-vermin: the global perspective

Why MLC has to talk about Calvin

When I agreed with him

When being a minister turns from a calling into a job for life

Kee Chiu Cybernuts who want to migrate to Bangladesh

HIV data leak: Calvin Cheng is right again

---

All in all, TOC is proving to be a better friend of the PAP then even TKL, TJS and Meng Seng. TOC is a really useful idiot. or maybe Terry and his TOC team are as mad as M Ravi, when he’s not taking his medicine? More evidence that being anti-PAP is bad for yr mental health

Achtung! Cybernut mind at work

When TRE republished in part* Why PAP should juz ban Facebook, there was this comment on a comment that had me smiling:  the emphasis is mine.

why should TRE report?:

May 27, 2019 at 10:32 pm  (Quote)

TRE also never report:
TRE also never highlight LHY son’s same sex marriage in S africa, at least evening chinese newspaper reported.

all things, humans or animals, as long as not pap, are good things.

since Mr Lee Hsien Yang is not pap, WTF is there a need to report?

things worth reporting are lky clown prints lying cheating and lky clown prints wife lying cheating and lky clown prints sons daughters gays lesbians.

as long as not pap, no need to report since it is ok.

as long as it is pap, must report since it is NEVER ok.

ffff. wake up. this is 21st century 2019 pap corrupted Singapore.

This

as long as not pap, no need to report since it is ok.

reminded me of what I recently wrote

Today the PAP and the constructive, nation-building media believe that if it isn’t reported, a fact doesn’t exist.

Sad that ), and other anti-PAP paper warriors believe the same.

The PAP has won.

Terry Xu and cybernuts are really PAPpies

*It omitted my links to other related posts (which I included because they gave a lot of background info on the topic), but I’ll let this incident go without KPKBing. I had given permission to reproduce my pieces in full. If TeamTRE members wanted to omit or edit anything, they should check with me, not suka suka do what they like. But as they are really hard working people who provide a service to a bunch of ingrates, I’ll let this pass, this time.

Why PAP should juz ban Facebook

Facebook users are the problem, not fake news.

Research by the Oxford Internet Institute found that that individual junk news (as it defined) stories were more likely to be shared on Facebook than the work of mainstream news organisations. While mainstream news was more visible, stories from junk news sources proved far more engaging. In English, for example, the average junk news story got four times as many likes and other Facebook interactions as a story from a professional news organisation.

The study was done across seven languages ahead of the vote in recent EU elections.

Reference: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-48345260

Related articles:

Fake news is magic

Fake news?

The one-party state and fake news

Why the PAP is really afraid of Facebook?

Silencing fake news and inconvenient voices: two sides of the same coin

Fighting fake news while raising revenue

What is “news”?/ “Fake news” is not “fake” says Harvard expert

Terry Xu and cybernuts are really PAPpies

(Alternative title: “Why TOC and other anti-PAP sites never reported HK MRT trains’ collisions?”)

After I wrote TOC: A lot of bull

(where I reported that Terry had revealed that he employed foreigners to write for TOC because they were cheaper than true blue S’poreans, a lot cheaper)yesterday, I remembered another example where TOC and Terry behaved like PAPpies, not talking about news that diverts from the “right” view. TOC (and to be fair, otheranti-PAP alt media sites) didn’t tell S’poreans that a few months ago there was a very serious incident on HK’s MRT: shumething that never ever happened here.

Two subway trains have collided during a new signal system test in Hong Kong, halting services and threatening travel disruption for millions of commuters.

The incident occurred between the Central and Admiralty stations before the service was open to the public early on Monday morning.

…

Rail officials warned that repairs were likely to take “quite a long time”.

Network operator Mass Transit Railway (MTR) said sections of the Tsuen Wan Line had been suspended and urged commuters to avoid the route affected and to use other forms of transport if possible.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-47607676

Looks like Terry’s and other anti-PAP types brains are like that of the PAP: when the public doesn’t know a fact, that fact never exists. Their readers will have no doubts that the our MRT system sucks when compared to that of HK’s.

Actually even with this HK cock-up, the HK system is a lot better. So why didn’t the anti-PAP publications not report the accident?

In 2011, I analysed a senior PAPpy’s and his team’s unhappiness with a TOC report.

[T]hey must believe in an 18th century philosophical theory that is now treated as a forerunner of the concept of “subjective idealism”. One Bishop Berkeley argued that there are no material objects, only minds and ideas in those minds. He summarised his theory with the motto “esse est percipi” (“To be is to be perceived”). In modern PR-speak, this translates into,“Perception is reality”, one of the major tenets of the PR and public communication industry.

This theory of “Perception is reality” is best summarised in the following example he gave. If a tree in a forest falls, but no-one sees or hears it fall, has it fallen? Berkeley argues that it has not fallen. It is still standing.

An example in the S’pore context would be that S’poreans were not aware of how close the voting would be on polling day in 1988 in Eunos GRC and in Cheng San GRC in 1991. The mainstream media did not report the sentiment on the ground in these two GRCs, so S’poreans were not aware that many S’poreans were unhappy with the PAP. The unhappiness did not exist because it was not reported.

https://atans1.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/%E2%80%9Clittle-disappointment%E2%80%9D-tony-tan-to-toc/

In Silence of SMRT, LTA & MoT explained,I wrote the following about Traingate

SMRT, the LTA and MoT kept quiet because they like Bishop Berkeley believe that “Perception is reality”. So long as the public did not know that there were cracks in the 26 China-made trains, and that the trains had been returned for repairs, there were no train cracks. There were no cracked trains because If a tree in a forest falls, but no-one sees or hears it fall, has it fallen? Berkeley argues that it has not fallen. It is still standing.

What they still don’t realise that in this age of social media and the internet where many people walk around with smartphone cameras, If a tree in a forest falls, someone will see it or hear it fall. And tell others about the falling tree, after taking a selfie beside the fallen tree.

This being the case, disclosure of problems or cock-ups, not cover-ups or silence should be the best (and default) policy for the authorities and corporations They should assume that news of the cock-up or problem will become public knowledge and that by disclosing, the news agenda can, hopefully, be controlled..

But in one-party states, silence or cover-up are the default options, not disclosure. And this is the weakness of one-party states where people carry smartphone cameras. The one-party state will, in time, be undermined.

Ban smartphone cameras PAP? After all internet access for public servants will soon be restricted in this wired, connected nation.

Today the PAP and the constructive, nation-building media believe that if it isn’t reported, a fact doesn’t exist.

Sad that ), and other anti-PAP paper warriors believe the same.

The PAP has won.

 

 

 

TOC: A lot of bull

Our aim is to examine the issues that matter, or should matter, to Singaporeans and to reflect the diversity of life, of ideas and opinions, that is Singapore.

TOC

And in order to do this, Terry’s Online Channel uses foreign writers, not locals.

In a long and rambling thread of FB (that unfortunately is too long winded to reprint without extensive edits) , Terrx Xu admitted that he employed foreigners to write for him. The main reason was that they were a lot cheaper than S’poreans.

So for the TOC, it’s all about money. And it’s always berating the PAP govt for putting money ahead of the welfare of S’poreans? What hypocrisy.

Our aim is to examine the issues that matter, or should matter, to Singaporeans and to reflect the diversity of life, of ideas and opinions, that is Singapore.

TOC

And TOC uses foreigners to write about issues that concern S’poreans. Sad.

Fake news is magic

Here’s an interesting extract on why fake news works even when we know it’s fake news

Magic is about manipulating our perceptions, “exploiting cognitive loopholes,” says Dr Kuhn – and understanding how magic works is being recognised as having wider implications.

“Misdirection” is a key part of magic – getting people to not look at what’s important, but to distract them, change the subject, use a dramatic prop and push their attention elsewhere, so they do not see what is happening in front of their eyes.

It’s being used to to examine areas such as road safety, says Dr Kuhn, looking at how to make sure drivers can really focus on what’s important.

“How do people fail to see something even though they are looking at it?” he says.

Fake news
It’s also applicable to bigger social and political questions, he says, such as how to respond to “fake news” and false information on social media.

The lesson of magic, says Dr Kuhn, is that even if something is recognised as false, it still makes an impression and steals our attention, and researchers are looking at how understanding magic can help to investigate the world of conspiracy theories and fake information.

.This is where someone thinks they are choosing a card at random, but the magician is really manipulating their decision and the “choices” are false.

“Free will is an illusion. People are much more suggestible than they think. All of our perceptions are very malleable,” says Dr Kuhn.

This suggestibility and use of false options can be misused in a political sense, he says.

https://www.bbc.com/news/education-47827346

Don’t believe me? Read more at Fake news?

A proposed law against fake news narrows, not widens, the Government’s powers, the Ministry of Law said on Thursday (May 2).

Or

The one-party state and fake news

Silencing fake news and inconvenient voices: two sides of the same coin

Fighting fake news while raising revenue

What is “news”?/ “Fake news” is not “fake” says Harvard expert

 

“There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech”

Did Minister Shan say this?

No. But he could have and still may soon. Or some other minister may say it, if Shan is taking a break, because this is the philosophy behind the new law. Ministers can publish corrections alongside claims about public institutions that it deems false. Those who publish false statements with “malicious intent” face criminal sanctions, including fines of up to S$1m and jail sentences of up to 10 years.

Don’t believe me? The law differs from laws against the spread of misinformation in other jurisdictions, which typically focus on taking down problematic content from online platforms.

Still don’t believe me? Read The one-party state and fake news where I quoted from Fake news law: Ownself judge ownself

The problem about lies or “fake news” is who gets to decide what is or is not a lie or “fake news”.

In liberal democracies, even the president of the US cannot get his view of what is or is not a lie or “fake news” accepted by even a majority of the voters. There’s some sort of consensus (“conventional wisdom”) driven (manipulated?) by the elites and media about what is or is not a lie or “fake news” in which facts often play an important part.

In a one-party state (de facto or de jure) the ruling party decides what is or is not a lie or “fake news”

— Keeping power in a one-party state

— Would this happen in a one-party state?

— Coldstore: Why Harry’s narrative or the highway

The planned tackling of “fake news” is a smokescreen for muzzling further netizens, not juz cybernuts. The internet and social media has made it a lot easier for S’poreans to share facts, ideas, and criticisms of the way we are governed by the PAP.

— Minister wants his cake and eat it/ PAP doesn’t get the Internet

— Ingratitude, uniquely S’porean? Blame the internet? Not really

— Us Netizens: Comancherios of the Internet?

This freedom (relative) to share facts, ideas, and criticisms of the way we are governed by the PAP worries the PAP (juz like the CCP worries about the internet and social media in China), hence the plan to further muzzle the internet and social media.

And then read

Why the PAP is really afraid of Facebook?:

The PAP is trying to intimidate Facebook not really because of fake news but because Facebook can be used to turn sheep into wolves.

Other relevant posts

Silencing fake news and inconvenient voices: two sides of the same coin

Fighting fake news while raising revenue

What is “news”?/ “Fake news” is not “fake” says Harvard expert

Btw,

There is freedom of speech, but I cannot guarantee freedom after speech.

was said by Idi Amin

a Ugandan president best known for his brutal regime and crimes against humanity while in power from 1971-1979.

Idi Amin – Facts, Life & Uganda – Biography – Famous Biographies

https://www.biography.com/people/idi-amin-9183487

Fake news?

A proposed law against fake news narrows, not widens, the Government’s powers, the Ministry of Law said on Thursday (May 2).

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/online-falsehoods-bill-pofma-fake-news-narrows-government-powers-11496172

The article goes on

The Law Ministry’s Ms Teo reiterated the point …. that that the powers to be given to the Government under the Bill, and the public interest grounds on which the Government can exercise its powers, “are actually narrower than the Government’s existing powers”.

“In key areas, the Bill narrows, rather than extends, the Government’s powers,” she said in the letter that was also provided to CNA and published in the Straits Times.

But as has been pointed out by the public

[The] proposed law is also broad and vague in how it can and will be implemented. Clarifications and amendments are needed to make it more focused on its real purpose.

FB post

And

But more clarifications and more amendments might mean more restrictions which the G is not willing to impose on itself.

If and how the G reacts to criticism will be very telling on where its comfort zone is.

Another FB post

Related posts:

The one-party state and fake news

Why the PAP is really afraid of Facebook?

Silencing fake news and inconvenient voices: two sides of the same coin

Fighting fake news while raising revenue

What is “news”?/ “Fake news” is not “fake” says Harvard expert

 

 

S’poreans overwhelming trust PAP govt over fake news bill

That’s my take after

Nas: 2000, Terry: 200+

The KPKBing about the so-called draconian effects of the pending law on fake news in cyberspace and social media is really, juz “noise”, if only 200 plus S’poreans turned up at TOC’s rally against the bill last Sunday.

NAS’s crowd the previous Saturday at his”S’pore’s a great place” would amount to 24,000 in a city in the UK or 120,000 in the US, while TOC’s crowd last Sunday amounted to 2,400 or 12,000 in the US. (How calculations made: Pink Dot: Why was govt spooked?/ Pastor Khong try matching the numbers)

The masses have spoken by their absence, voting with their absent feet: so progressives and their cybernut allies should sit down and shut up. .

So cut out the BS, anti-PAP progressives and their anti-PAP cybernut allies, especially those ranting on TRE, social media and TOC.

As I wrote last Sunday before Terry’s do:

Whatever, if the progressives and their cybernut allies cannot muster a decent crowd of about 1,000 people, time to sit down and shut up, and stop talking down to the 70% of the voters who vote for the PAP at GEs. They should be trying to persuade those who voted for Tan Cheng Bock at last PE (35% of voters) that they are right, rather than juz diss the PAP.

The law of politics:

You either have the numbers or you shut up.

(Tito Mboweni, ANC freedom fighter who became cental bank governor, finance minister and corporate fat cat)

Nas v Terry Xu

No wonder TOC jealous of Nas: TOC, cybernuts juz plain jealous isit?. But to be fair to TOC: TOC recovering from its anti-Nas fever.

Btw, Nas not only FT who thinks S’pore is a great place.

 

TOC recovering from its anti-Nas fever/ Why TOC keeps on making “honest mistakes”?

Further to TOC, cybernuts juz plain jealous isit?, I was about to KPKB that TOC was becoming xenophobic citing as evidence its nasty comments on Nas, especially harping that he’s a foreigner. Doesn’t sound like the Terry I know.

But I changed my mind when TOC responded to this on FB

Another foreigner telling us how good our Gahmen is. Just what we need…..
VTO

by saying

I need to defend Nas on this. He actually answered it very well in his reply to a question posed by a member of public. The guy from Pakistan who is based in Singapore, asked if Nas will be talking about the good and bad in Singapore, since he is settling down here for the time being.

Nas said that he recognises that he is still a foreigner in Singapore and it is not his position to tell what is good and what is bad but he tries to bring out the best of whatever he gets in touch with. Will put up the video of that if I can.

The problem is that audience of his videos, think that he can cover all aspect of a matter within one min and if he says it is good, means nothing is wrong.

(Sounds like Terry of Terry’s Online Channel, not one of his goons.)

 commented

Good to see that TOC is recovering from it’s anti-Nas bout (that almost became xenophobic fever). I suppose Kirsten Han’s article helped the recovery.

Readers will know that I’m no fan of Kirsten Han but she got this right:

Nas Daily might not be playing politics—I seriously doubt he knows that much about Singaporean politics, anyway

She went on

—but the PAP is

Obviously, she doesn’t believe

Nas Daily fan meet a ‘non-cause based’ event, Public Order Act permit not required: Police
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/nas-daily-fan-meet-a-non-cause-based-event-public-order-act-11462242

But then she wouldn’t believe anything the S’pore govt or any govt agency says, would she? To be fair, if an ang moh publication like NYT or the Guardian says that the PAP govt is right, she’d agree thru gritted teeth: she is one of those ang moh tua kee types. Read this if you want to know more about what else she said: https://www.kirstenhan.com/blog/2019/4/19/tfw-its-not-actually-about-nas-daily?fbclid=IwAR2PCtBGdK9kunMTEbC_5jM-Z42q1tJ4YpS02kH_vr4KnNo0qKuvsMmWLTo

Sad that cybernuts active on social media can’t distinguish between Nas and the PAP govt, and attack him personally when they should be focusing their attacks on the PAP govt for using him (as they perceive it) for its own agenda (as they perceive it). But with enemies like the cybernuts, the PAP doesn’t need friends. For that many S’poreans are grateful.

Whatever, Terry should investigate why his team keeps making “honest mistakes”, this year:

Wah lan! TOC praises PAP govt

Terry and his Correspondent taking wrong pills again

Maybe some ISD or PAP operative working in TOC is giving Terry and others the wrong pills or slipping drugs into their drinks. But most likely, Terry and his team need to consult Dr Ang Yong Guan. They could be going nuts.

More evidence that being anti-PAP is bad for yr mental health

Spending too much time in TRELand is bad for one’s mental health

He’s expensive. But I’m sure, he’ll give a hefty discount to comrades still fighting the good fight. For the record, he’s not retired from the good fight: juz resting between general elections?

 

TOC, cybernuts juz plain jealous isit?

I couldn’t help laughing when I saw this headline from Terry’s Online Channel: “Why is a controversial foreign blogger allowed to organise a massive gathering at the Botanic Gardens?”

I laughed even more when I read

Why is a foreign vlogger who has consistently stoke controversy allowed to involve himself in Singapore’s domestic issues? Doesn’t Singapore have law specifically designed to prevent that foreigners from influencing local social and political issues?

This is pure BS from TOC: nowhere in the TOC rant does it give details of

— how he involves himself in Singapore’s domestic issues; or

— how he’s influencing local social and political issues?

TOC is juz publishing fake news.

NAS’s juz a guy organising a do for his fans, and hoping to use them as props for his next mega dollar video, as far as I’m concerned.

And Terry Xu and TOC is not happy that S’poreans can have a bit of fun, while helping a FT make money.

TOC has explained its KPKB

No, seriously the question is whether a video is considered political when it is negative and when it is positive, it is not. Because by answering that question, you can realise what is political and what is not, particularly under Singapore’s govt’s definition.

FB comment on the article

Go read the article again and tell me if it got across that point. It didn’t. It was rant against an FT. The comment was damage control.

Btw, the sliming continues, TOC posted a copy of his Israeli passport and told us he can’t go to M’sia because of it. What has this to do with the price of eggs?

To be fair to Terry and his bunch of TOC idiots, a lot of anti-PAP types are expressing their unhappiness on FB and other social media.

What a bunch of kill-joy born losers. And juz because Nas said some nice things about living here. I mean after all there’s lot of free things here: Fake News: S’pore is Pay And Pay/ Truth: Plenty of gd, free stuff.

These grumpy, anti-PAP losers should organise an anti-Nas protest or a protest against all foreigners who say nice things about S’pore (After all if they hate Nas because he says nice things about S’pore, they must hate all foreigners who have nice things to say about S’pore) at Hong Leong Green and see how many people turn up.

Btw, I’m no fan of Nas but I know people who enjoy his stuff. Live and let live.

TOC and other anti-PAP types have scored an own goal on this issue. And they keep wondering why the PAP keeps winning?

 

 

BSing academics protected from fake news law?

OMG. Our local academics can continue producing fake news without getting into trouble.

But let me begin at the beginning. On 11 April, 83 academics (only two based here, although there were 30 over S’poreans based overseas) signed a letter of concern about the proposed Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA). They sent it to the education minister*.

In a public reply, the education ministry assured academics that the proposed law will not affect academic work. The group behind the letter, Academics Against Disinformation, said that they are unable to accept that assurance from the Ministry until it is reflected in the language of the bill.

Here’s what I posted earlier about our very own local academics producing fake news:

Local academics propogate fake news?

Our brown-nosing constructive nation-building academics presented at the recent Select Committee hearings on Deliberate Online Falsehoods,

an alarming scenario of disinformation campaigns launched by foreign actors bent on attacking the island state, of cyber armies in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore working as proxies for other countries in undermining national security.

Did they produce any evidence?

But the actual examples of fake news which have come up during this national debate have mostly been prosaic; a hoax photo showing a collapsed roof at a housing complex, which sent officials rushing unnecessarily to the scene; and an erroneous report of a collision between two trains on the light rail transit line.

As the BBC reporter wrote

Irritating and worrying for some, for a while, but hardly likely to bring Singapore society to its knees. In any case both Singapore and Malaysia already have plenty of laws capable of penalising false, inflammatory or defamatory comment.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43637744

So, as far as I’m concerned the row on Coldstore between PJ Thum and our brown-nosing constructive nation-building academics is “The unspeakable in pursuit of the uneatable!” (Re Oscar Wilde)

Or  “A plague o’ both your houses!” (Shakespeare)

Btw, have to tell u that the reporter also said

It also gave Singapore academics and officials an opportunity to snipe at the US belief in free expression, the “marketplace of ideas”, which had allowed the abuse of personal data on Facebook to take place, in contrast to Singapore’s “better safe than sorry” belief in a more tightly regulated society.

Thinking about it, it’s reasonable to conclude that our academics (save two) didn’t sign the letter because they know they are producing BS aka fake news. Our local academics can continue producing fake news without getting into trouble.

Among academics in Singapore, it is an open secret that work is circumscribed by the government’s desires. At conferences and workshops, academics awkwardly and regularly “joke”, tilting their heads to glance over shoulders, about their remarks being heard by “the government”. Students and younger scholars regularly ask if they should avoid certain topics because of “sensitivities”.

https://newnaratif.com/…/eaaab05200f0645e4451f748dc85ef7a

Since you have read this far, you may be interested in

Why the PAP is really afraid of Facebook?

Silencing fake news and inconvenient voices: two sides of the same coin

Fighting fake news while raising revenue

What is “news”?/ “Fake news” is not “fake” says Harvard expert

—————————————————-

*The letter outlined concerns over the law, in particular POFMA “will have unintended detrimental consequences for scholars and research in Singapore and for the global academy”. The letter went on to say that that the Act “discourages scholars from marshalling their expertise in precisely the areas where it is most needed – namely, pressing questions and challenges for which there are no clear answer or easy solutions”.

 

Will TOC ever report this about ringgit?

But to be fair, neither will any of the usual suspects in the anti-PAP alt media universe. Why? Because Tun is the Greatest and Regime change is always good?

Malaysian ringgit into Asia’s worst performer this month.

FTSE Russell said Monday it may drop Malaysian debt from the FTSE World Government Bond Index because of concern about market liquidity, roiling the nation’s currency and bonds. And less than two weeks ago, Norway said its sovereign wealth fund will cut emerging-market debt including Malaysian securities from its index.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-16/malaysian-ringgit-staggers-after-blows-from-ftse-russell-norway

Neither will they report

The Singapore dollar rose to a 17-month high against the Malaysian ringgit on Wednesday (Apr 17), as demand for the Malaysia currency weakened amid concerns the country’s debt may be removed from a key global bond index.

The Singapore dollar rose to an intraday high of RM3.0632 on Wednesday, the highest since the Singdollar touched RM3.0724 on Nov 20, 2017, according to global financial portal investing.com.

Year-to-date, the Singdollar has risen 0.74 per cent against the ringgit, according to Bloomberg.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore-dollar-rises-17-month-high-against-malaysian-ringgit-11456122

 

The one-party state and fake news

In Why I no ak the Select Committee hearings on Deliberate Online Falsehoods in April last year, I wrote about the above. I tot that as this is the season about

disaster and even death as the doorways for redemption. It’s about apparent failure and ultimate success. It’s about vivid appearances and unsuspected realities.

Tom Morris

, I’d resurrect the piece given that a very draconian law is going to be enacted soon (Fake news law: Ownself judge ownself)

The problem about lies or “fake news” is who gets to decide what is or is not a lie or “fake news”.

In liberal democracies, even the president of the US cannot get his view of what is or is not a lie or “fake news” accepted by even a majority of the voters. There’s some sort of consensus (“conventional wisdom”) driven (manipulated?) by the elites and media about what is or is not a lie or “fake news” in which facts often play an important part.

In a one-party state (de facto or de jure) the ruling party decides what is or is not a lie or “fake news”

— Keeping power in a one-party state

— Would this happen in a one-party state?

— Coldstore: Why Harry’s narrative or the highway

The planned tackling of “fake news” is a smokescreen for muzzling further netizens, not juz cybernuts. The internet and social media has made it a lot easier for S’poreans to share facts, ideas, and criticisms of the way we are governed by the PAP.

— Minister wants his cake and eat it/ PAP doesn’t get the Internet

— Ingratitude, uniquely S’porean? Blame the internet? Not really

— Us Netizens: Comancherios of the Internet?

This freedom (relative) to share facts, ideas, and criticisms of the way we are governed by the PAP worries the PAP (juz like the CCP worries about the internet and social media in China), hence the plan to further muzzle the internet and social media.

In a recent FB post, I commented that I can see the good of getting Lim Tean and Goh Meng Seng (Meng Seng: fake news propogator) off the air: Chris K that my view was the equivalent of thinking the SS were right to kill everyone in a village when a few SS troops were killed nearby. He has a point.

Since you have read this far, you may be interested in

Why the PAP is really afraid of Facebook?

Silencing fake news and inconvenient voices: two sides of the same coin

Fighting fake news while raising revenue

What is “news”?/ “Fake news” is not “fake” says Harvard expert

Local academics propogate fake news?

 

What about the pink elephant in the corner, DPM Teo?

I couldn’t but think the above, when I read in the constructive, nation-building CNA:

Despite their vast difference in size, Singapore and China have common issues to tackle, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said on Monday (Apr 15) as he hailed the good bilateral ties between the two countries.

These issues cover areas like economic transformation, skills retraining and managing an ageing population.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-china-have-common-issues-to-tackle-dpm-teo-chee-hean-11447412

Funny he doesn’t mention the area where both ruling parties have a common interest: suppressing fake news.

Our very own, pending, draconian law on fake news ( Fake news law: Ownself judge ownself) sounds very much like what China already has: the ruling party decides what is fake news. But to be fair to S’pore, the PAP govt says that there’ll be an appeals procedure making the judiciary the decision-maker. In China, the judges are subordinate to the party. According to our Constitution, our judiciary is independent.

The CCP way is the PAP way: The PAP way?

 

Three cheers for TOC

TOC’s Correspondent has done a very gd piece. He and TOC should do more of this kind of factual stuff, and less of the anti-PAP BS aka fake news. There are a lot of inconvenient facts that a few clicks of the mouse can reveal. Don’t juz BS, juz do the searches.

Massive cost overrun in infrastructure projects in Singapore in recent years

Yes, I’ve been hard on TOC, Terry and “Correspondent”

Terry and his Correspondent taking wrong pills again

Cybernuts can relax: TOC resumes normal anti-PAP service

TOC now part of constructive, nation-building media?

but it’s because I know they are capable of doing better than juz mindlessly attacking the PAP, or mindless praising it (Wah lan! TOC praises PAP govt).

 

What our alt media can learn from Sweden

Dagens Nyheter the leading Swedish newspaper was losing money. It’s now profitable again.

Since taking charge in 2013, editor-in-chief Peter Wolodarski, encouraged his reporters and editors to view the social media platforms as sources for ideas and stories.

Its journalists then do what most social media users are unable to do

[U]se the grist from social media to badger politicians, question police departments, pose awkward questions to business leaders, and set fresh ideas in a broader context. Scanning social media also allows editors and reporters at Dagens Nyheter to pay close attention to the way their stories echo through their online communities.

FT

FT also reported that Dagens Nyheter is now offering products and services to its readers.

It offers an SKr11,495 electric bicycle emblazoned with the newspaper’s name (150 sold in the first week). It is also running two chartered train journeys through Europe at SKr25,000 per person (the 680 places sold out within a week).

Maybe TOC and other alt media publications can pick up ideas from Dagens Nyheter: especially setting fresh ideas in a broader context (not juz repeating “PAP are always wrong”, and organising trips. They could organise trips to failed one-party states like Venezuela or Cuba, dysfunctional democracies like PeenoyLand or India, or prosperous democracies like Taiwan and NZ.

 

Will TOC dare report this about M’sia?

Voters, especially the young, are not happy with the new govt. They also think that economic prospects are as bad as when S’pore’s friend was in power.

Kajidata Research tracked the political leanings of 9,071 Malaysians aged 21 years old and above from before the 14th general election, and found that overall satisfaction for PH had slipped by 16.4 points in December, with the biggest fall seen in the 20-29 age bracket at 20.6 points.

It found that economic confidence had dropped of 6.5 points since GE14, and as of December 2018, the score was almost back to the level of when Barisan Nasional was in power.

“Though the decline in economic confidence was true for all age groups, the large drop within the youth bracket suggests that they may have become disillusioned with Pakatan Harapan’s management of the national economy,” Kajidata said in a report accompanying the study results.

https://www.todayonline.com/world/youth-support-pakatan-harapan-dips-economic-dissatisfaction-rises

Somehow, I doubt TOC and other anti-PAP alt media publications will dare report this because this report is evidence against their narrative “M’sia Yesterday, S’pore Tomorrow. Change is coming. and for the good.”

Vote wisely, vote tactically.

Silencing fake news: even SPH has concerns

Further to Silencing fake news and inconvenient voices: two sides of the same coin, when even the constructive, nation-building SPH is concerned

In a submission to Parliament, Singapore Press Holdings, the country’s largest media organization, warned that a broad interpretation of “fake news” could could lead to “fears among citizens about freely expressing their opinions or engaging in robust and constructive debates, or even to self-censorship by news outlets wary of falling foul of the law.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/04/02/asia/singapore-fake-news-intl/index.html?fbclid=IwAR22aU_0W-3Io4sCj03lopodZMWnS_95xaYgRcknGGIJkgdMI2KPlw4PQAg

, PAP voters who voted for Tan Cheng Bock as president should be concerned about the coming law’s powers to ministers: Fake news law: Ownself judge ownself.

Here’s something I came across sometime back, but can’t remember where:

Removing content is not the only way to shape our minds; the most powerful censorship tactics are those we never see – for good and ill.

The coming laws on fake news is nothing more than an attempt to ensure self censorship, something S’poreans are very good at, even Goh Meng Seng, for all his fake news skills:

— Meng Seng: fake news propogator

— What Meng Seng and TOC don’t tell us about dispute with Tun

— “Licking the ass of the enemy of my enemy”

Fake news law: Ownself judge ownself

Or in posh English, not Singlish, “In the proposed fake news law, ministers are judge and jury.”

This is a seriously good reason to be concerned about the proposed bill introduced on Monday, which gives the government very sweeping powers in the name of regulating fake news propogators like Goh Meng Seng and TOC’s Danisha Hakeem.

My main concern is that it makes ministers the initial (and in most cases the final and only) arbiters of truth about claims regarding the PAP government’s performance: “Ownself judge ownself”.

That is most unfair and unnatural because it makes a minister the judge and the jury in his own cause. Worse although there is some sort of a right of appeal, the burden of establishing the truth lies on the appellant, not the minister. I do not think a minister should have the power to regulate comments made about them or their department in the same way as the government having the power to regulate hate speech or even seriously offensive speech against race or religion.

There is an obvious potential for serious conflicts of interest here, like “Ownself check ownself”.

Related post: Fake news laws give SPH biz advantage

 

 

Fake news laws give SPH biz advantage

So there’ll be laws to tackle deliberate online falsehoods (more below).

Maybe ST and other SPH publications can use their finely honed constructive, nation-building skills to make SPH a great investment again?

The People’s Daily is the CCP’s official paper, juz like ST is the de-facto voice of the PAP.

The rise of the internet has lost it readers it but it has found a competitive business advantage: providing censorship. China’s official newspaper is tapping into the censorship boom meant to clean up the Chinese internet by being the leading outsourcer in the booming censorship industry.

Coming back to S’pore. From the constructive, nation-building CNA.

The new Bill will give the Government the power to hold online news sources and platforms accountable if they proliferate deliberate online falsehoods, he said.

“This includes requiring them to show corrections or display warnings about online falsehoods so that readers or viewers can see all sides and make up their own minds about the matter.

“In extreme and urgent cases, the legislation will also require online news sources to take down fake news before irreparable damage is done,” the prime minister said.

Mr Lee said that today, there is no shortage of people and groups who conduct coordinated campaigns to produce fake news to misinform and mislead for reasons such as financial gain, to sow social discord or even to radicalise people.

Social media platforms propagate such fake news together with factual stories and are either “unwilling or unable” to take action to block the misinformation, he said.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/laws-deliberate-online-falsehoods-introduced-parliament-pm-lee-11393654

Can’t argue with PM that

there is no shortage of people and groups who conduct coordinated campaigns to produce fake news to misinform and mislead for reasons such as financial gain, to sow social discord …

Think TOC’s Danisha Hakeem.

Or The Indians Idiots

— TISG: “useful loudhailer” for PAP administration

— “The Idiots — S’pore” keeps on promoting divisiveness?

But to be fair, TOC can be constructive, nation-building:

TOC now part of constructive, nation-building media?

Wah lan! TOC praises PAP govt

Terry and his Correspondent taking wrong pills again

 

Silencing fake news and inconvenient voices: two sides of the same coin

TOC accused (rightly) The Indians Idiots Sg of unprofessional behaviour even though TOC should be careful of throwing stones since it’s living in a glass house: ST etc can make the same accusation (rightly also) against TOC: Tweedledum v Tweedledee or TOC v The Idiots Sg.

This row reminded me how the PAP govt can kill two birds (fake news and dissident views) with one stone.

This is how to screw alt media without appearing to be repressive: make use of the fear of fake news.

Egypt’s Supreme Council for the Administration of the Media was given the power to block websites and social media accounts with more than 5,000 followers if they publish “fake news” or incite people to break the law.

The watchdog will also be able to fine them up to 250,000 Egyptian pounds ($14,500; £10,900) without obtaining a court order.

BBC report

OK, OK, the Egyptian way is too crude. What do you expect of paper generals not real ones? The Egyptian army loses to desert nomads in the Sinai. Only good for coups.

Here’s the British way: according to a UK government report, technology groups should be forced by a new regulator to ensure their platforms distribute quality news.

Our ang moh tua kees cannot in all honesty oppose such a law because it comes from the UK: they lick ang moh’s liberal ass, thinking what comes out is manna from heaven.

Seriously, if this law is passed here, Terry’s Online Channel, The Indians Idiots, Goh Meng Seng etc can no longer appear on Facebook given the unreliability of their original reporting and plagiarising of the local MSM. They can’t even copy and paste accurately.

Especially Meng Seng. When he recently pontificated “I am only the supporter of truth based on facts”, I couldn’t help laughing. Surely, he must mean “I am only the supporter of lies based on mistaken, spurious, apocryphal, fanciful, mendacious, untruthful, fictitious, deceptive, concocted, fallacious, incorrect, inaccurate, wrong, sophistical, casuistic, Jesuitical, misleading, delusive, imaginary, illusive, erroneous, invalid, deceiving, misrepresentative, fraudulent, trumped-up, facts”? As evidence, I cite Meng Seng: fake news propogator and What Meng Seng and TOC don’t tell us about dispute with Tun.

Related posts:

Why TOC’s Danisha Hakeem is a menace to the credibility of alt media

TISG: “useful loudhailer” for PAP administration

“The Idiots — S’pore” keeps on promoting divisiveness?

Sad.

Tweedledum v Tweedledee or TOC v The Idiots Sg

 

What I find funny after reading Terry Xu’s Fb post (See below) is that I’m sure ST and other constructive, nation-building publications can say the same thing about TOC notwithstanding Terry’s holier than The Idiots attitude in his last paragraph.

Terry Xu should let sleeping dogs lie seeing that TOC cast the first stone (towards ST many yrs ago) a long time ago. Btw, I think I got grounds to KPKB yesterday to Terry about hypocrisy based on his comments about attribution. But as I know his writer and him, and respect what they are doing (most of the time) and because of the pressures that Terry faces in fighting the Dark Side , I’ll not talk further about the matter: let sleeping dogs lie etc etc.

Having said all this, The Indians Idiots are scumbags:

— TISG: “useful loudhailer” for PAP administration

— “The Idiots — S’pore” keeps on promoting divisiveness?

And this TOC writer (Why TOC’s Danisha Hakeem is a menace to the credibility of alt media) should move to The Idiots. He’s their kind of writer.

Anyway, Terry Xu posted on FB yesterday

After hearing complaints from my writers about how articles have been republished by The Independent SG with no attribution, I decided to take up my complaint with the publisher of the website.

Referring to the writer who has been doing that, I wrote, “It is fine if articles are written with reference to TOC’s site but if you refer to the months of postings, I have seen nothing of such. Can you please see that this behaviour stops?”

He replied, “Dear Terry, We have a ‘do-not-touch-TOC-content’ policy in place. Hence, I’m surprised that you are making such claims. In any case, all authors do declare their source for each piece they are working on and my editors do check for copyright infringement, attribution and accuracy. It may very well be the case of the newsmaker talking to two outlets at the same time. In which case, there is really no need to attribute to TOC.
In any case, if my writers do use your content. You can be rest assured that we’ll credit TOC for it. Chill my friend. We’re in the same space. Need to look out for each other.”

My response to that was to throw a series of articles.

http://theindependent.sg/in-what-capacity-did-ivy-ng-sign-…/

http://theindependent.sg/grassroots-leader-who-constructed…/

http://theindependent.sg/mothership-draws-flak-for-story-o…/

http://theindependent.sg/survey-shows-only-59-per-cent-of-…/

http://theindependent.sg/mainstream-media-speculates-that-…/

and noted that these articles are for just the month of March.

He then asked for the corresponding articles from TOC that were published.

Which I gave,

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/…/ivy-ng-signed-documents…/

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/…/grassroots-leader-who-c…/

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/…/mothership-highlights-l…/

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/…/survey-35-think-heng-ca…/

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/…/media-speculates-former…/

Note that all the articles from TISG is after TOC had published its, even the screenshots are using the ones that TOC had posted. I haven’t yet included the articles that are based on the video write ups posted on TOC’s Facebook page.

In response to the claims, the publisher has replied, “Dear Terry, after careful examination and consideration, we find your claims to be baseless and unfounded.”

UPDATE: The publisher even accused me of backdating the articles! Hello… I can’t backdate Google News, even if I want to.

So case closed it seems and business as usual. Nothing I can do about it, I suppose? And how can you be friends with such people?

Clarification: As I tell my staffers, there are a few type of articles.
– Opinion pieces
– Govt release
– News of events
– Public knowledge
– Exclusive investigative articles

We do not credit MSM for govt releases because it should be public knowledge in the first place and Govt don’t release them on their public site only after MSM has reported on it. News event, we sometimes don’t because we are pissed that only IMDA certified press are invited.

But if you do read our other posts, we mention clearly it is from the MSM that we are taking the quotes from and also we would correct when journalists from MSM write to us.

Fake news: social media is a primary cause of polarisation

Social media is NOT a primary cause of polarisation.

A common, and ostensibly common sense, assumption about the era we are living through is that social media is a primary cause of polarisation.

…

Most of the academic work in this area points to the complexity of that link, and resists a clear causal connection. Indeed, for the most part, it comes down against the idea that the online world is full of echo chambers.

…

The abstract for this commonly cited article in the journal Public Opinion Quarterly, by Seth Freeman, Sharad Goel and Justin M Rao, puts it succinctly:

“Social networks and search engines are associated with an increase in the mean ideological distance between individuals”, the authors write. “However, somewhat counter-intuitively, these same channels also are associated with an increase in an individual’s exposure to material from his or her less preferred side of the political spectrum”.

They go on: “The vast majority of online news consumption is accounted for by individuals simply visiting the home pages of their favourite, typically mainstream, news outlets, tempering the consequences – both positive and negative – of recent technological changes.”

Amol Rajan Media editor BBC

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-47447633

Pls read the article if interested in the topic.

No more streaming? Really? What a load of BS

Going by alt media reports, the cybernuts have bot into the SDP’s message that the PAP followed the SDP’s recommendation to abolish streaming. But has the PAP really abolished streaming as the SDP claims.

I think not. The PAP govt has actually refined streaming, while saying it has abolished streaming. Stupid SDP, stupid cybernuts. But what to expect from the best enablers the PAP have: with enemies like these, it doesn’t need real friends.

Roy Ngerng is absolutely right. Extract from: PAP’s changes on the education system is nothing but a cosmetic joke

Under the new system, G1 subjects correspond to the Normal (Technical) standard, Ong Ye Kung said. G2 subjects correspond to the Normal (Academic) standard and G3 subjects correspond to the Express standard.

Take the hypothetical situation that students take 3 subjects for their ‘O’ Levels at Secondary 4, with the different G-subject combinations and grades according to the following:

[1] G3 (A grade), G3 (A), G3 (A).
[2] G3 (A), G3 (A), G2 (A)
[3] G3 (A), G2 (A), G2 (A)
[4] G2 (A), G2 (A), G2 (A)
[5] G2 (A), G2 (A), G1 (A)
[6] G2 (A), G1 (A), G1 (A)
[7] G1 (A), G1 (A), G1 (A)

Instead of 3 streams, now do we have 7 streams?

An extended version with 4 subjects would look like this:

[1] G3 (A grade), G3 (A), G3 (A), G3 (A)
[2] G3 (A), G3 (A), G3 (A), G2 (A)
[3] G3 (A), G3 (A), G2 (A), G2 (A)
[4] G3 (A), G2 (A), G2 (A), G2 (A)
[5] G2 (A), G2 (A), G2 (A), G2 (A)
[6] G2 (A), G2 (A), G2 (A), G1 (A)
[7] G2 (A), G2 (A), G1 (A), G1 (A)
[8] G2 (A), G1 (A), G1 (A), G1 (A)
[9] G1 (A), G1 (A), G1 (A), G1 (A)

Does this now make 9 streams?

Now, take this and multiply by the number of subjects students have to actually take (6 to 8, at least), and then by the more refined grading (A1, A2, B3, B4, etc.).

As such, the ‘Express’, ‘Normal (Academic)’ and ‘Normal (Technical)’ streams have been removed in name, but have they only been replaced by a more refined way of streaming, as outlined in [1] to [7 or 9, or more] above?

Strange, no, why the PAP government announced that streaming will be “removed” but did not say how students will be streamed into the junior colleges, polytechnics and ITEs?

I suppose the good thing now is that students will not have to live with the label of being from certain streams, but will it only be replaced? I was from 8 G3s, or I am from 5 G3s and 3 G2s?

There were two perceptive comments among the usual rants

It will likely work like current JC to University, where there are basic subject prerequisites to take up a subject or course combination.

The impact is that students will likely have to decide career paths much earlier than in the past and pick the G3, G2 subjects early working on their areas of strengths.
The divergent will happen later, students will go to JCs, poly or ITE based on the level and choice of subjects.

And commenting on the above comment

bro, there is a difference between removing streaming and refining streaming.

what the clown pap ong Lj has done is NOT remove but refine.

unless he is so ffffing stupid he cannot say remove streaming when he can only say refine streaming.

under g1 g2 g3 there will still be many in g1 who zero chance right off the bat from poly or U. so actually even without S$m paid to us we know g1 is for ITE and g2 is for poly and g3 is for U.

Terry and his Correspondent taking wrong pills again

In Cybernuts can relax: TOC resumes normal anti-PAP service, I reported that the reason why TOC had been writing pro PAP pieces like TOC now part of constructive, nation-building media? and Wah lan! TOC praises PAP govt, was because Terry and the Correspondent had been taking pro-PAP pills (“PAP govt is always right”) daily instead of the usual “PAP govt is always wrong” pills. Either they were fixed or they made an honest mistake.

Whatever, they are at it again

Filipino: Singapore makes my jaw drop every time I visit the place

[Ethan James Coronel] said he then began to appreciate the “wonders” of Singapore and would compare it with the Philippines, his country.

“I became a huge admirer of Singapore to the point that I bought Lee Kuan Yew’s From Third World To First just to learn about how Singapore became what it is now,” he said.

He said that the Singapore’s SMRT, for example, is something he admired and “enjoyed deeply”.

“Such a convenience most Singaporeans take for granted is a luxury to Filipinos like me because we don’t have an extensive subway system. You either need a car or have a hefty transportation budget for Grab to travel safely and comfortably in Manila; in Singapore owning a car is merely optional,” he explained.

“I often complained how abysmally maintained our infrastructure is.”

Another is the cleanliness which he said is “another thing worthy of praise”.

“Streets are almost always spotless and its waterways too. In Manila, garbage piles are found everywhere. Our rivers, tributaries and creeks emit a putrid smell and are sometimes completely covered with garbage,” he complained.

“And lastly, who wouldn’t marvel at the sight of Marina Bay Sands and Gardens By The Bay? They still make me do every time,” he added.

“There are more things worthy of mention but, man, nothing makes my jaw drop more than the ones I mentioned above every time I visit the place. Those and how delicious Old Chang Kee’s curry puffs are.”

Vote wisely.

Articles to help you vote wisely:

Merdeka Package shows how smart scholars are

Great IB riposte to Mad Dog and P Ravi etc

6,400 senior citizens each get $312.50 hongpao from a TLC

Will Oliver Lum and other Hyflux investors still vote for the PAP?

Did u know S’pore graduated to “Flawed democracy”?

Why Milliennals will vote for the PAP

Double confirm, ground not sweet for PAP

Keeping power in a one-party state

What our media can learn from the BBC

Both our constructive, nation building media and anti-PAP publications like Terry’s Online Channel.

This BBC story titled

Singapore HIV data leak shakes a vulnerable community

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47288219

sets out the convoluted facts in a simple to read and follow narrative, while also highlighting the tragedy and fears of HIV sufferers. The use of this incident by both the PAP, and the anti-PAP activists, and their allied cybernuts for political ends, confuses the facts and issues, and detracts from the human suffering caused.

 

Merdeka Package shows how smart scholars are

It shows how the PAP’s millionaire ministers are killing five birds with one stone.

The Budget especially the Merdeka Generation Package has been condemned by all the usual suspects. Alt media and social media is full of criticism of said Budget. Nothing new here especially from the cybernuts who like Goh Meng Seng are prepared to misrepresent the facts (More on this another day). (Related post: 10- 20% of voters are anti-PAP cybernuts.)

Here’s an interesting angle from 99.co which has no known or even alleged links to the PAP IB or the constructive, nation building media.

THE MERDEKA GENERATION PACKAGE WILL INDIRECTLY HELP WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The Merdeka Generation Package will benefit some 500,000 Singaporeans, mostly from ages 60 to 69. Over S$6 billion will be channelled into outpatient treatment subsidies, Medisave top-ups, and CHAS coverage of chronic illnesses.

But how does this affect Singapore’s housing? One of the biggest contributors to our rising cost of living is healthcare. Singapore’s healthcare inflation is now the highest in the region, and it will grow as our population ages. Anything that mitigates the rising cost of living will indirectly affect our ability to afford housing.

We feel that, while most Singaporeans can afford their HDB flats, taking the strain off healthcare costs will affect the housing considerations of retirees, or those near retirement. It may now be possible for some of them to finish off outstanding home loans instead of downgrading, for example, given CHAS coverage of chronic conditions and greater outpatient subsidies.

https://www.99.co/blog/singapore/how-budget-2019-could-impact-property/?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=featured_stories

Hmm. Not tot about this. Did you?

What the Merdeka Generation Package does

— makes healthcare more affordable

— makes then housing more affordable

— also lessens pain of weaker HDB prices (Double confirm, ground not sweet for PAP) for resale buyers

— vote buying i.e. spending more of our money on ourselves

— shows the PAP govt cares

Vote wisely.

Maybe that’s why Terry’s Online Channel has been praising the PAP govt — TOC now part of constructive, nation-building media? and Wah lan! TOC praises PAP govt?

But to be fair: Cybernuts can relax: TOC resumes normal anti-PAP service.

Cybernuts can relax: TOC resumes normal anti-PAP service

Further to TOC now part of constructive, nation-building media? and Wah lan! TOC praises PAP govt, I’m happy to report that Terry’s Online Channel has resumed normal service. It has published a spate of anti-Budget articles.

But it was not an “honest mistake” that it sounded like the constructive, nation-building ST for awhile. Morocco Mole (Secret Squirrel’s side-kick) tells me that his, usually unreliable brother-in-law working in the ISD tells him that someone substituted “PAP is always right” pills for Terry Xu’s and Correspondent’s daily “PAP is always wrong” pills.

TOC now part of constructive, nation-building media?

Wah lan! Who who would have tot this possible? TOC is now amplifying ST’s constructive, nation-building messages that “The PAP govt really cares S’poreans, really they do” and “Vote PAP”.

I kid u not. Further to Wah lan! TOC praises PAP govt there’s now this paean to the PAP on TOC’s FB page (Skip it if it churns yr stomach, I nearly vomited):

… Singaporeans from older folk and young people give thumbs-up to budget

“Retiree Karin Tan, 64, told ST that she is “very happy” with the package. “I am currently already retired, and do not draw any income. This will help subsidise my medical costs,” she said.

Another Merdeka Generation member, Ameerali Abdeali, praised the government, “I appreciate the recognition and validation that members of my generation are being given for our contributions to the country.”

ST said that the young people it spoke to, welcomed the announcement that the Government will invest in long-term plans to protect Singapore from the effects of global warming. Heng had announced a carbon tax on this year’s emissions and would later launch the Zero Waste Masterplan.

Undergraduate Arjun Dhar told ST, “We are a city with the highest greenery density in the world, in which otters live in the middle of our central business district.”

“As we reflect on the Bicentennial, Singapore should also look to inculcate in all individuals a sense of care for the planet that nurtures us. This means replacing the idea that we are too small to make a difference with the idea that we each have a responsibility to try,” he said.

Ms Pamela Low, 24, a member of the Singapore Youth for Climate Action also told ST in the interview, “The Government eagerly investing in infrastructure to mitigate rising tides and sharing about it at the Budget shows the urgency of addressing the impact of climate change on the national agenda as it would become costlier in the future.”

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2019/02/19/st-singaporeans-from-older-folk-and-young-people-give-thumbs-up-to-budget/?fbclid=IwAR3JNp03HbQnnc9rqEU82-bfv1FXjOakB-uk_K4Dh06GXSNnWuBV3Lx4Efw

No it’s not as though Terry and the writer of this piece “Correspondent” have gone over to the Dark Side. Juz an “honest mistake” methinks because the piece ends on the an anti-PAP note, but who reads to the end? Only cybernuts, not most S’poreans.

And why did TOC highlight on FB the pro-PAP propaganda of ST? Some subversive working in TOC? Or juz a clueless intern? And Terry forgot to take his “PAP are wrong wrong” medicine before supervising his team?

Time to take writing and presentation lessons from me? I’ll give Terry and Correspondent a discount.

But I could be wrong. If Terry gets a light “sentence” over his persecution prosecution for criminal defamation and if Correspondent has move into a district 10 bungalow from his HDB flat, the two Jedi have been seduced to the Dark side by the Men In White.

Or maybe More evidence that being anti-PAP is bad for yr mental health?

Wah lan! TOC praises PAP govt

I kid u not.

Singapore has one of the top education systems in the world. Singapore’s education system supports the development of children’s strengths and social skills. Schools in Singapore produce students with strong academic results who later go on to pursue successful careers.

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2019/02/14/school-fees-in-singapore-most-expensive-affordable-schools-in-singapore/?fbclid=IwAR3tHIEHXEwgJS6JrXknD3U1rEOlQjHfjqj_xHJ_MYxB_1BnHlKDOl-40m4

What next? Terry’s Online Channel will tell S’poreans to vote for the PAP?

Or is this juz an “honest mistake” by TOC? The usual anti-PAP propaganda will resume soon once Terry takes his medicine?

 

PAP would agree with Sudan’s autocratic president

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir has ridiculed his opponents’ use of social media to organise recent protests against his rule.

“Changing the government or presidents cannot be done through WhatsApp or Facebook. It can be done only through elections,” he told his supporters.

He was speaking as fresh demonstrations were held in the capital Khartoum.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-47075513

Mr Bashir, has won elections several times since coming to power in a coup in 1989.

Vote wisely. This means not voting for Mad Dog, Lim Tean or Meng Seng . But do think of voting for good SDP, WP and Tan Cheng Bock teams if they are better than the PAPpies on show.

Bill: Private hospital treatment, public hospital fees

My mum was discharged from atas hospital last Saturday. Nine nights 5-star stay and treatment cost slightly less than $2,500 (excluding Medisave deduction). After Medisave deduction (“our money”), amount I paid via credit card was “peanuts”. (I don’t carry more than $50 cash).

And that’s not all. If there’s a MediShield payout, I will get a refund via my credit card.

All in all, the amount we paid amounted to about 17% of the itemised, detailed bill. And that’s before any MediShield payout.

It was a great deal for her.

What the cybernuts and alt media are missing (Because they all living overseas or have private healthcare plans?) is that for many S’poreans, the public healthcare system (treatment and cost) is good and affordable. There are big, problematic gaps if specialised treatment is needed or if the family is struggling financially. But for the majority of patients, these problems do not arise.

It’s right to highlight and complain about these failings, but that’s different from saying that entire system is not fit for purpose. The condemning by alt media and cybernuts of the entire system based on individual failings only helps the PAP when ordinary people use the system and find out that it works pretty well. They’ll realise that alt media and the cybernuts are propogating fake news. And they’ll vote for the PAP.

Related posts:

Private hospital treatment, public hospital fees

No surplus B2 and C beds in govt hospitals

Will Gleneagles sandwich cost me a fortune?

PAP govt does S’pore proud

Alt media and the anti-PAP types on social media have nothing good to say about the PAP govt that 70% of voters voted for in the last GE. (Btw, I have never ever voted for the PAP, but that’s another story.)

So how will they spin this?

A group of 70 plus nations led by Australia, Japan and Singapore are releasing a joint statement on Friday, announcing their intention to restart the World Trade Organization’s talks around ecommerce rules and cross-border data flows.

FT

The US, China and the EU have signed the joint statement. China at the last minute.

The cybernuts will pretend that this has not happened. After all in Why TOC’s Danisha Hakeem is a menace to the credibility of alt media, TOC ignored what the regulators did in the 1MDB case and asked why they didn’t act.

Working with Australia and Japan to lead a global initiative involving 70+ countries is something that should make us S’poreans proud of our govt.

CPF Life starts at 70: Alt media way behind the curve

So alt media has only realised that CPF Life payments begin at 70, unless one opts in to start at 65.

In June last yr (Trumpets for me please), I highlighted what they are now only KPKBing about now. My piece then

CPF Life: How withdrawal age “moved” to 70/ Silence of the activists

I was going to explain how the dastardly deed was done but when TRE republished

Red alert! Achtung! S’poreans approaching 65, a TRE reader gave the answer, saving me the need to explain.

Lye Khuen Way:

June 11, 2018 at 7:50 am  (Quote)

The CPF Board do send out letters to those approaching their cohort drawdown age.
For those borned in 1953, it’s their 64th Birthdays.

There after, I believe it is 65.

The sly way they put it, is to suggest that you could delay your drawdown and receive more per month.

That applies to both Minimum Sum Scheme or those who opted for CPF Life.

Those who instinctively do not want any delay might just chuck the letter and the forms aside.

That’s where the devils come in.
Tuck away in the middle of the FORM, is a line that tell you that if you didn’t indicate that you want to start your drawdown from age 64,or 65,the DEFAULT AGE is 70.

Yes, Age 70.

I happen to opt for the CPF Life and somehow my enhanced topup application had already stated I wanted my draw down to start from age 64.

If unsure, call, write or better still go down personally to any of the CPF offices. Note that the Main CPF Board office is closed on Saturdays.

(Emphasis)

In places like the UK, or US of A or Europe, this kind of action

Tuck away in the middle of the FORM, is a line that tell you that if you didn’t indicate that you want to start your drawdown from age 64,or 65,the DEFAULT AGE is 70.

is not acceptable. It’s not Christian, kosher or halal. It’s politically toxic, playing games this way.

Civil rights activists would be KPKBing and rightly so.

Here it’s par for the course.

Worse our ang moh tua kees don’t care. They don’t have to rely on CPF Life payouts. People like Kirsten Han got pa’s and ma’s money just like Harry’s children.

And juz as bad is the silence of the Oppo politicians. Nothing from the Wankers’ Party or from Goh Meng Seng (Silence of Goh Meng Seng) or Lim Tean (Where’s yr defamation video and jobs rally Lim Tean?) the two talk, sing song artistes.

All so rich. It’s a fact that Lim Tean rents a black and white bungalow costing $15,000 a month.

---

Last yr, I also predicted: Akan Datang: Why CPF Life payments will begin at 85

Related: More on 85 being the new CPF Life payout date

Did TOC report this?

Or did other alt media outlets? I don’t recall them telling us

[PM] said in a speech in August that many Singaporeans still feel their incomes aren’t sufficient to cope with higher costs, even though the economy is doing well, unemployment is relatively low and wages have increased. The government is planning to spend more on areas including health care and housing to ensure they remain affordable, he said.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-18/singapore-politician-who-wanted-to-be-president-to-challenge-lee?fbclid=IwAR2RTLWA_UAuQG_9SI5YJe570N0Mn8Pb-3a-syaeqaxjMTzElv9SSyt7InE

Do read the Bloomberg story as it is an antidote to both the reporting (or non -reporting) and analysis of the constructive, nation-building media, and alt media on Tan Cheng Bock’s plans.

Private hospital treatment, public hospital fees

In Will Gleneagles sandwich cost me a fortune?, I talked of my experience of going to Gleneagles for an eye op at SingHealth rates

Yesterday in the early afternoon, my ninety-something mother finally felt the results consequences of refusing for weeks to get her cold treated (She only very reluctantly agreed to go see a doctor before Christmas to treat her very persistent cold and cough and then got upset with the bill: “Subsidy? What subsidy” — she expected polyclinic rates) and of generally behaving like she was 50-something.

She suddenly had difficulty breathing and when the doctor saw her, she called for a ambulance, saying I should I have called from the ambulance from home.

Anyway, the ambulance came and took her to the nearest public hospital. Except It is no such thing.

It is a real atas place: marble and glass everywhere. When my mum recovered sufficiently, and heard from the nurse where she was and that she needed to be warded for observation, she asked me to get her into a “govt” hospital. I said I wasn’t going to move her, even if the doctors allowed it. The nurse told her “Pay public hospital rates Auntie”.

And it’s a great deal. Her ward is airconed and there are only three patients in a ward for eight. Only one ward was full. The rest, empty or half empty. A whole floor is available for patients like my mum.

And no I’m not naming the atas hospital lest I breach the Official Secrets Act and my mum loses her privileges if I name the hospital. My aunt’s doctor friend doesn’t know of this scheme. And I can’t find online the fact that this hospital is a “public hospital”  when it comes to ambulances operated by the govt.

Seriously, don’t believe Terry’s Indian goons and other alt media enemies of the PAP govt, and social media on why the S’pore public healthcare always sucks.

It works pretty well. Maybe Terry’s Indian goons etc are being paid to slime our public healthcare system by the enemy state that hacked our public health system?

What do u think?

More on why PAP IB and anti-PAP opponents have the same genes

Further to Qiou S’poreans,

here’s more on why Jason Chua and other IB PAPpies and TOC’s bunch of Indians (actually only two) and other TOC cybernuts, and all other anti-PAP cybernuts are all related.

They don’t know how to use humour to sow doubts about and discredit the enemy.

Humour and ridicule were a key part of Moscow’s response when the UK said it was “highly likely” that Russia was behind the poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in Salisbury.

Russian officials and media figures have since tried to turn the English phrase “highly likely” into a mocking catchphrase that implies Russia is being blamed for everything with the flimsiest of evidence.

[ …]

Roman Dobrokhotov, whose investigative website The Insider was involved in exposing one of the two poisoning suspects, Anatoliy Chepiga, says such mockery is a form of trolling designed to “deliberately lower the level of discussion”.

They can learn from the Russians:

How the strategy works

“They cannot respond in a serious fashion and to the point, so they start to play-act. This is an attempt to mock, to reduce everything to nothing,” Mr Dobrokhotov told the BBC

Along with conspiracy theories and misleading narratives, he argues, this kind of tactic aims to sow doubt.

The result is that many will watch TV and decide there is no way of really getting to the bottom of what happened. In other words, he says: “no-one is a saint, truth does not exist”.

Internet audiences are also a key target for this technique.

One social media hashtag – #IamFromGRUToo (#ЯтожеИзГРУ in Russian) – appeared to be inspired by the #MeToo movement. Pro-Kremlin Twitter-users mocked UK allegations against Russia’s GRU (now GU) military intelligence agency.

One spoof job advert joked that the GRU was “looking for employees for its cyber-attack department, chemical weapons department and election-meddling unit. There is no need to apply – we will find you ourselves”.

Ben Nimmo, an Atlantic Council researcher on Russian disinformation, told the BBC that attempts to create funny memes were part of the strategy as “disinformation for the information age”.

[…]

“It’s not a super-serious regime, they do things with a kind of smirk and sometimes just with a smile. It’s a system that allows for a certain amount of humour, it’s not po-faced all.”

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46567364

Repression? What repression?/ Alt media cannot be trusted

Going by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, Kirsten Han, the Lee White than White  Horses, TOC, other alt media, and Lim Tean and his fellow cybernuts are fibbing when they claim that the PAP govt is getting more repressive.

S’pore’s Democracy score is improving

2018 — 6.38

2017 — 6.32

2016 — 6.38

2015 — 6.14 LKY died in March

2014 — 6.05

2013 — 5.92

2012 — 5.88

(2011 — LKY resigned from cabinet after GE)

2010 — 5.89

2008 — 5.89

2006 — 5.89

S’pore is classified, like the US, as a “Flawed Democracy”. To be fair to both nations, the US of A only joined S’pore in this category since Trump’s election as president. Before that it was a “Full Democracy”: juz on the right side (or wrong side, depending on one’s views) of the railway.

---

The Chinese Communist Party way is the The PAP way?

————————————————————————————-

The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index. The index rates 167 countries by 60 indicators across five broad categories: electoral process and pluralism, the functioning of government, political participation, democratic political culture and civil liberties. It is stricter than most similar indices: it concludes that just 4.5% of the world’s people live in a “full democracy”. However, the overall global score remained stable in 2018 for the first time in three years.

Why TOC’s Danisha Hakeem is a menace to the credibility of alt media

He’s regularly propagating fake news, or fabricated news.

This was very apparent in a story about our financial sector, an important driver of the economy, thus supporting the govt’s argument on the need to regulate fake news:

Senior Minister of State for Law Edwin Tong has hinted at the tabling of a Bill aimed at curbing the spread of deliberate online falsehoods in the coming months after numerous consultations and debates among legislators and members of the public surrounding the potential anti-“fake news” laws.

TOC

The fake news is that the S’pore govt was and is not doing anything about S’pore-based banks role in laundering 1MDB funds. This could affect our financial sector, and hence our economy.

Danisha Hakeem ended a TOC piece headlined “Singapore figured very highly as a place from which money laundering occurred”: Veteran business journalist on 1MDB fiasco

Given the stringent approach often adopted by Singapore authorities –– particularly relevant to this case is the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) –– in dealing with legal misconduct, it certainly raises some questions as to why potentially illegal financial movements on such a scale did not seem to have raised any red flags for the authorities at the time the activities were carried out.

In reaching this conclusion, Danisha Hakeem conveniently omitted in the piece the following facts which even my Vocational Institute educated dog knows:

— the banks found to be at fault didn’t report these transactions as suspicious as they were or are supposed to;

— there was an official investigation;

— offending banks (including UOB and StanChart) were fined;

— one bank was closed down;

— and bank executives prosecuted and jailed.

Some links to give the lie to the fake news that the S’pore govt did not do anything about the 1MDB scandal.

— https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/29/singapores-central-bank-fines-credit-suisse-and-uob-for-1mdb-related-transactions.html

— http://fortune.com/2016/10/11/1mdb-singapore-dbs-ubs-falcon-bank/

— https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-scandal-bsi/singapore-sentences-ex-bsi-banker-to-more-jail-time-in-1mdb-linked-case-idUSKBN19X0MC

— https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/1mdb-probe-former-bsi-bank-director-yvonne-seah-sentenced-to-2-w-7670980

He’s like the infamous Alex Tan in fabricating false news.

Also  by fabricating the news, Danisha Hakeem undermines TOC’s claim on why we need independent media: The need for alt media

For the record, I don’t think Terry deserves to be charged for criminal defamation because he took down the offending article when the authorities told him they were unhappy. But given the fake news propagated by Danisha Hakeem in his articles (too many to recount and rebut), one can understand the desire to rough up Terry.

Jokes’ aside, legally there is good reason to suspect that Danisha Hakeem’s trying very hard in this artcle

to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the Government

Sedition Act: https://sso.agc.gov.sg/Act/SA1948

And given TOC’s track record, ill intent on his part is easy to prove. Not that the prosecution has to prove intent in any of the following offences.

4.—(1)  Any person who —

(a)	does or attempts to do, or makes any preparation to do, or conspires with any person to do, any act which has or which would, if done, have a seditious tendency;

(b) utters any seditious words;

(c) prints, publishes, sells, offers for sale, distributes or reproduces any seditious publication; or

[…]

shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction for a first offence to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both, and, for a subsequent offence, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years; and any seditious publication found in the possession of that person or used in evidence at his trial shall be forfeited and may be destroyed or otherwise disposed of as the court directs.

Or maybe he’s trying to defame the central bank, hoping that the chairman or MD sues him for defamation that that the AG prosecutes him for criminal defamation.

But maybe he really wasn’t trying to propagate fake news or subvert the govt or defame the central bank, but was smoking ganja or ingesting other illegal substance when he wrote the piece?  Or is he a visitor from an alternative S’pore where the Men in White are the Men in Black?

(Related posts

PM visiting from Bizarro S’pore?

Tharman also from Bizarro S’pore?)

Whatever with Danisha Hakeem churning out articles for TOC (I’ll denounce another one of his pieces soon), the PAP govt doesn’t need to worry. Using TOC as a platform, he discredits all those rational, fair-minded S’poreans (self included) who oppose PAP hegemony. But then maybe that’s his real agenda? He gets thirty pieces of silver?

Gods punishing Potong Pasir residents for voting PAP?

In the space of the last few days, the constructive, nation-building media reported without comment (Imagine if these bad things had happened in Aljunied or Hougang?):

Giant trap to control Javan Myna population trialed in Potong Pasir

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/javan-myna-birds-potong-pasir-giant-trap-trial-ava-11069350

and

Burst pipe in Potong Pasir leaves homes without water for several hours

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/burst-pipe-potong-pasir-leaves-homes-without-water-hours-11064146

It could be that the Gods are punishing the residents of Potong Pasir for preferring material benefits that the PAP offers in return for deserting the Chiams.

Will the residents repent abandoning the Chiams in 2011 and not turning back to them in 2015? Will they vote for Mrs Chiam in next GE?

Seriously, I’m shocked that anti-PAP publications like TOC, TRE and The Idiots, and the cybernuts on social media are not using the incidents to show that the PAP govt is incompetent: it can’t even look after areas that support the PAP.

Maybe, these people are on luxury holidays overseas and so missed the news.

But most probably, the cybernuts (not enough money to even donate peanuts to keep alive TOC and TRE let alone go on luxury hols) are distracted by what they consider as the persecutions of Uncle Leong, Terry and Daniel Augustin De Costa aka Willy Sum: PAP & strategic distraction

Or even more likely, the PAP has succeeded in frightening the chickens and sheep by suing a few monkeys.

What do you think?

Prosperous 2019. Vote wisely but not for the three stooges: Mad Dog, Lim Tean, Meng Seng where are yr durians?. And make a distinction between Dr Chee and the SDP.

The need for alt media

Terry Xu should not have been charged with criminal defamation because he took down the artcle when the authorities were unhappy.

Whatevwer, here’s TOC’s pitch on the need for independent media. Do watch the video.

While dated, … the Q&A session provides us with much insight into the media industry in Singapore and reasons why Singapore needs to support independent media to ensure rights for citizens are looked after.

This is the link to the Q&A session TOC is talking about: https://www.facebook.com/theonlinecitizen/videos/219966588933713/

TOC introduced the video with:

Readers have asked to view the full clip where CNA journalists voiced their views about how they see their job in SIngapore as journalists and here it is.

Taken back in 2016 during a presentation by journalists in Channel NewsAsia/Mediacorp at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, the presentation was titled, “Everything you ever wanted to know about TV & Media but were afraid to ask”.

Steve Chia is a Presenter / Editor at Channel NewsAsia who has been there for 13 years. He is captured on video saying, “Media is not the…watchdog to pounce on politicians and not to hold people accountable. That is not our role here.”

Lam Shushan is a digital journalist at CNA for 4 years. She says, “I don’t want to be the watchdog of politicians”.

Low Minmin is a producer at CNA for 5 years. She shares the struggle that she is in, trying to get her story out despite the censorship.

Two of the younger journalists were not meant to be the speakers but were replaced the day before. They were asked to replace Hoe Yeen Nie and Kane Cunico.

The journalists were aware of the video recording just that this video only surfaced at this point.

While dated, but the Q&A session provides us with much insight into the media industry in Singapore and reasons why Singapore needs to support independent media to ensure rights for citizens are looked after.

-44:31

Will Cybernuts keep TRE going? Don’t hold yr breath

TR Emeritus needs financial support

Dear readers

It’s a little awkward, so we’ll get straight to the point: On 1st December, we informed our readers that we are going on a semi-hiatus so that we can repair and upgrade our software and hardware to keep TR Emeritus (TRE) alive. [LINK]

We also humbly made an appeal for financial support to help us offset the estimated SG$10,000 costs for the needed upgrading of our software and hardware, but to date we have only received about US$90, which is way off the amount needed to effect the necessary.

Our appeal for financial assistance is displayed close to 100,000 times a day, but currently only 6 have donated.  If everyone reading this donated a small amount, we could keep TRE going for a few years. The price of a cup of your morning coffee is all we need.

When we revived TRE in 2011, many warned us that we’d regret it because Singaporeans are basically apolitical and support for alternative websites are weak given the “fear factor” in many.  It would also be hard to generate enough income to keep the website going.

But we decided to revived it anyway because we are not out for profit, we want TRE to be a neutral platform for learning and healthy discourse. It unites all of us who love knowledge: contributors, readers and the supporters who keep TRE going.

The heart and soul of TRE is a community of people working to bring you unlimited access to reliable and neutral information,  and a platform for all readers to voice their opinions regardless of their race, religion or political affiliations.

We did appeal for donations in the past but we have never been able to meet our target and have had to top up from our own pockets. This time round, it may be our last appeal because TRE is falling apart and will die of old age (literally) in a few months, maybe in a year if we are lucky – if we do not perform the upgrade. Unlike in the past when there were 7 of us, there’s only 3 of us now and we cannot afford to fork out the difference anymore.

So, if you believe in what we do, please take a minute to contribute and help us keep TRE going. Thank you!

Team@TR Emeritus

.

The problems which TRE is currently facing (excerpts from original post):

1. The platform and system (software) which the TRE website is running on have become outdated (since 2011) and needs to be re-coded and upgraded because current OSes are no longer supporting it.  Without re-coding the platform and upgrading the system, we are no longer able to update the website with the latest plugins and widgets necessary for the smooth operation of TRE.

Although our techie was able to upgrade the system to the bare minimum required for TRE’s outdated platform, the website is churning out errors on a daily basis and there is nothing our techie could do anymore. Simply put, TRE is falling apart and has to be upgraded soonest (or it will die of old age, literally).

Since our current theme is heavily enhanced and modified (by 3rd party programmers), conventional upgrading of the platform to the latest version supported by current system and OS just won’t cut it. Our techie have experimented with this many times over the months, each time failing to port the database over.

As such, we are left with no option but to engage the services of 3rd party programmers to effect the necessary. What needs to be done is beyond our techie’s pay grade.

Once we are able to complete the upgrade, we would like to proceed to migrate our current Core I7 servers to E5 servers to handle the extra load which the upcoming General Elections is expected to bring.

We will also be engaging a few writers to contribute, if our finances allow.

* Amount collected will be updated daily in the sliding announcement tab at the right-bottom of the website.

** Please note that all donations are purely voluntary and unconditional.  TRE gives no promises whether expressed or implied to any individual or organization of any return in kind or favour or whatsoever, other than the continued operation of our website. Please do not make a donation if you are not comfortable with the above stated, or for any reason whatsoever.

 

What Meng Seng and TOC don’t tell us about dispute with Tun

Further to his rant that I covered in “Licking the ass of the enemy of my enemy” Meng Seng came up with another piece along the same lines: sceptical about what the PAP govt says about the dispute

Meanwhile Terry’s Online Channel continues propagating its scepticism about what the PAP govt says on the dispute: (Fact: Terry said on FB that the dispute was over port limits, not territorial waters. Even M’sia says it’s about territorial waters. Whatever, at least Terry is not as mealy-mouthy as Meng Seng when it comes to agreeing with M’sia. Meng Seng while dissing the govt’s claims throws plenty of smoke so that he cannot be accused of being unpatriotic. Btw, I don’t doubt Terry’s patriotism, but have serious doubt that Meng Seng has the best interests of S’pore in his heart. )

Here are two facts that TOC AND Seng Meng are silent on.

JB port is only accessible via the eastern side of the Johor Straits, not via the western side of the Johor Straits where the Tuas dispute is happening. Of course when Tun’s crooked bridge is ever built, the situation may change. Until then, because the JB port is not accessible via Tuas area because of the causeway, the only reason M’sia is extending JB port’s waters in the Tuas area (West of JB port) is because Tun wants to annoy and  hopefully bully S’pore.

Their silence is also deafening on the fact that the other M’sian unhappiness dating from their 1979 assertions has been proven to be a lot of rubbish by an int’l court: the Pedra Blanca dispute where S’pore won fair and square.

With S’poreans like Goh Meng Seng and those writing articles on the Tuas dispute in TOC, no wonder Tun thinks he can bully S’pore. A very early GE will prove him wrong.

Real reason why Terry of TOC kanna lim kopi?

To signal to him to stop publishing fake news on the public transport system? LOL.

Let me explain.

If you skim thru TOC’s headlines as regularly as I do, you are sure to get the impression that our public tpt system is on the verge of collapse and that most S’poreans think it sucks: bad and expensive.

Well I personally find the system pretty good (and cheap) but then I use it off-peak and I’m an oldie: Public tpt users will vote for PAP?

As I don’t use it during peak rush hours (the real test of any public tpt system) and I get a concession rate, I sit down and shut up and defer to Terry’s Online Channel on how bad the system really is, even if I think it’s pretty decent. Unlike cybernuts, I know that most of the time my personal opinions are not the reality.

So it was great interest that I read an article by an ang moh FT in an online publication that has no known, or unknown connection (I double checked with Morocco Mole, Secret Squirrel’s sidekick) with the constructive, national-building media, or the PAP IB.

Here’s the most relevant extract. Do read the whole piece and make up yr mind on its accuracy vis-a-vis Terry’s Online Channel.

Singaporean’s Generally Approve of Their Public Transportation System

Public opinion is another factor worth considering. After all, these are the customers and their satisfaction is another key piece of information for judging success of each system. Singapore also fares very well by this measure. For example, a study by McKinsey & Company found that 86% of the population approves of the current public transportation situation and 84% approve of recent changes to the system. Both of these figures are significantly higher than those of most other cities, representing another indication that Singapore’s public transportation is performing well relative to other major cities.

Where Does Singapore’s Public Transportation Rank?

Based on efficiency, it appears that Singapore’s public transportation system performs relatively well compared to those of other cities. Additionally, when taking into account other key indicators such as affordability and customer satisfaction, it appears that Singapore’s is among the best in the world. Therefore, while there is always room for improvement, it seems reasonable to believe that Singapore’s public transportation system is performing relatively well.

[…]

William Hofmann

William is a Senior Research Analyst at ValueChampion Singapore, focusing on banking and SMEs. He previously was an Economic Consultant at Industrial Economics Inc.

 

PAP & strategic distraction

Add in the PAP to the PRC govt and The Donald:

[T]he Chinese government and US president Donald Trump have in their own ways mastered the skills of “strategic distraction”. According to a recent Harvard University study, Chinese state propagandists create 448m posts on social media a year using a technique known as “reverse censorship”. As one of the report’s authors noted: “The point isn’t to get people to believe or care about the propaganda; it’s to get them to pay less attention to stories the government wants to suppress.” Similarly, Mr Trump’s tweetstorms are designed to distract not inform, sucking the oxygen out of political debate like a “distributed denial of service attack against the human will”.

Part of review of Stand out of our Light: Freedom and Resistance in the Attention Economy, by James Williams, Cambridge University Press. The reviewer is the FT’s innovation editor

Ever tot that that getting the cybernuts and other anti-PAP S’poreans winded-up over Kee Chiu becoming the next PM was (and still is) wayang to make sure that Heng the real deal gets favourable publicity. Kee Chiu is just the pantomime villain.

Most of time, the PAP doesn’t need because our ang moh tua kees, anti-PAP activists and cybernuts provide the distraction.

Don’t beliece me?

Think PJ Thum with his antics of meeting Tun: “Antics Of Civil Society Activists Endanger Opposition Cause” ; and his unnecessary misrepresentations about his excellent credentials: What Oxford really says about PJ Thum and Project Southeast Asia.

Then think Seelan Pillay: Seelan Palay is really very happy.

Next think about Willy Sum : Willy Sum: cybernuts’ new hero. He who alleged high level govt corruption.

Finally, think Mad Dog, Lim Tean and Meng Seng.

With these guys as enemies, even if the 4G leaders are a drove of donkeys, the PAP will win a two-thirds majority of the parly seats. Related post: Why S’poreans keep voting for the PAP (cont’d).

 

 

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What alt media doesn’t tell about OECD social mobility study

There was a lot of KPKBing by anti-PAP types (sane and nutty) about the major international study on social mobility from the OECD economics think tank: Meritocracy here? What meritocracy?

the report also identified gaps in areas such as how well students from lower socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds do compared to the top scorers in the nation.

FEWER LOW SES STUDENTS OBTAIN SCORES EQUIVALENT TO TOP PERFORMERS

However, not many were performing to standards attained by the top quarter in Science, a measure the report categorised as national resilience.

It was found that among 15-year-old students from lower-SES backgrounds, only 10 per cent were able to attain a score of at least 631 in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) for science in 2015.

For the Republic, a score of 631 is the 75th percentile score for science.

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-ranks-third-educational-mobility-gaps-remain-report

Alt media and the cybernuts went into overdrive on this report from the supposedly constructive, nation-building media.

But the constructive, nation-building media also reported

Singapore’s Education Ministry (MOE) said that the “relatively low” national resilience is “a function” of the fact that Singapore’s top performers do very well.

(Btw, any idea what this means?)

More importantly, here’s what Schleicher head of education at the OECD said

In countries such as Singapore, Japan and Finland, the test results of the poorest 20% are higher than the richest 20% in the Slovak Republic, Uruguay, Brazil and Bulgaria.

He says it’s a cause for optimism that some countries have made sure that “excellent teaching” is available for rich and poor pupils.

And then there’s this from him

In Singapore, many going to university will be the first in their families to get a degree. It’s an example of social mobility and widening doors.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-46013665

So why didn’t alt media report this? Is it because alt media and other anti-PAP opinionators only read ST and other local media publications and pick stuff that shows what the PAP govt is doing wrong? Some only read the freebies like Goh Meng Seng. Once he KPKBed about the lying local media. When it was pointed out that ST had reported what he complained the MSM did not report, he said he only read the free stuff.

With enemies like him, no wonder the PAP knows it will win the next GE.

Another sign that GE will be next yr/ Three cheers for TOC

In another sign that GE will be next yr, the PAP govt is showing that it does listen, even if the agitation for a change in policy started in Terry’s Online Channel.

I’m talking about Hawkergate. The quiet, underground grumbling about the so called “not-for-profit hawker centre model” which some unhappy hawkers and foodies like Seetoh see as Pay And Pay in action* did not catch the public attention until our constructive, nation-building media and TOC publicised the allegations. In highlighting the problems faced by hawkers such as costly tray-return deposit schemes, long working hours, unreasonable penalties for contract termination and additional fees for dishwashing, tray returns and quality control, they started a forest fire which had the PAP scrambling to contain the conflagration. TOC, unlike the MSM, also agitated for something to be done, unlike the MSM, whose silence on what should be done were deafening.

Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resource Dr Amy Khor announced in October that NEA will do a “stock take” of the not-for-profit hawker centre model, which allows social enterprises and cooperatives to run these centres.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Nov 9 that it had ordered “tweaks to standardise the contractual terms between socially-conscious enterprises and hawkers following feedback from hawkers, patrons and social enterprise hawker operators”. More on this at: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/nea-impose-changes-hawker-operator-contract-terms-1-january-085102551.html

The four changes include the removal of “onerous” terms to better safeguard the interest of hawkers, said Dr Khor on Nov 9 during a visit to Ci Yuan Hawker Centre.

---

All about hawker food

Why are there hawker centres in Singapore?

The Hard Truth about hawker food

The Harder Truth on hawker food

“Dollars and Sense” of a Hawker Stall

Subsidised hawker food book

——————————————————————-

Three cheers for Terry and his team (if there’s one). Sadly that’s all the recognition he’ll get. TOC needs $, but the cybernuts don’t want to help it out. A long time (2006 — 2012), the then readers were generous with their money. But then they were not cheapskates, born losers like those now polluting the comment pages of TOC and TRE.

Of course opportunists like Lim Tean and Meng Seng (Lim Tean, Meng Seng where are yr durians?) had to join in the agitation for changes. Since Lim Tean has raised funds from the public for various projects (see above link) but not done anything at all about his projects, he should hand over his loot the monies raised to TOC?

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*Written before TOC started publicising the problems faced by hawkers in the not-for-profit hawker centre model and agitating for changes to the model. The contributors were focusing on LGBT and other identity issues. They had and have no time for chay kway teow issues, only ang moh issues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ex-ST wimmin promoting ex-PM’s book?

Here’s a review of Goh Cock Chok Tong book that had me want to go out to buy it: https://berthahenson.wordpress.com/2018/11/02/how-the-holy-goh-got-on-with-the-father-and-the-son/?fbclid=IwAR2rBVxPronTL3UwADIsc_B3d8B4cCCqNsUgolJr9jAh715PbAlkLtMReW8

Until I remembered that Bertha Henson wanted to be a Sith Lord (in this case editor of ST). But she didn’t get her wish, and this Imperial Stormtrooper general (Paper arm) moved on, and tried to be a Jedi by criticising ST. My dogs despise her for biting the hand that fed her well. To be fair, she’s not the only one liddat

— Feeling free to bite hand that once fed him

— “Fake news: Just make mainstream media more credible”

— ST team in exile in SCMP (including Yaacob’s sis who was ST’s deputy editor) in HK

They were

enablers of a juggernaut. When they were regularly paid 30 pieces of silver serious sums of money, they never doubted that they were working for truth, justice, the S’pore way and Harry. But when the money stopped, they all had Damascene conversions, or so it seems. Humbug?

This brings me ex-deputy editor of ST (sis of retired minister and wife of  Cherian George, advocate of freedom of the media). She did a fawning, balls-carrying interview of Cock Chok Tong: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/2171489/lee-kuan-yews-sentosa-nudist-colony-idea-being-seat-warmer-and. Brown nosing habits are hard to shake off?

 

Sounds like TRE cybernut’s “good” twin

Or is it “evil” twin of TRE cybernut rabble rouser? You decide. Whatever, juz as nutty and moronic as TRE cybernut?

What matters most is the will to carry on what has been laid down by our founding fathers.
To the 30% who are agitating against our various programs such as our CPF, our housing programs – HDB – health, education as well as our law enforcement it would be better if they sit back to compare the other countries that do not have these in place.

Countries run by corruption, cronyism insecurity with so called freedom and demoncracy to change the government moving from bad to worst.

Countries that the voters are taken for a ride with manifestos that can’t be implemented (a manifestos that even the head of the new government admitted were false).
Many of us like myself had gone thru the dark days of riots jobless empty stomach and had had better jobs security and all the good things albeit not the super luxurious life.

We can’t afford and should never allow corruption and mismanagement of funds especially the Town Council as these are our money by those who were elected to safeguard these funds.

FB post

He was responding to Singapore Matters (As TOC and TRE are to anti-PAP cybermuts, this site is to pro-PAP nuts

Our forefathers toiled with their hands to build a good home for us. They made many sacrifices and upheld the highest standard of integrity to make this possible.

That highest standard of integrity and incorruption has given us a competitive advantage over our neighbours and brought us to where we are today.

AGO regularly audits and highlights lapses, without fear or favour, to maintain integrity in our institutions.

Similarly, ALL town councils have to be audited by their own appointed independent auditors. There is no exception.

Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council, for example, appointed Ernst & Young LLP as their independent auditor.

The best of systems can only be as robust as the people want it to be.

When we get angry and offended by those who seek to uphold integrity in our institutions, and vilify them, we have to ask ourselves: which direction do we want Singapore to go.

Do we want to maintain a high standard of integrity or do we want to lower it and celebrate wrongdoing instead?

Alt media only get their news from SPH, MediaCorp isit?

Seems that TOC, TRE, Idiots and other alt media sites only get the news that they use to KPKB about how bad things are here from the constructive, nation-building media: media that they say is part of the PAP propoganda macine. Talking of biting the hand that feeds them.

Recently they were initially quiet about World Bank Index that ranked S’pore as tops: Anti-PAPpies screaming about Oxfam report, what about World Bank’s Human Capital Index.

But they soon ranted and raged about the report.

Funnily, they didn’t mention that it follows a similar measure for 195 countries from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) published in the Lancet, a medical journal, in September.

Singapore leads the bank’s ranking. But it lies 13th in the IHME index, which instead places Finland top.

This should have have got them into orgasms of public delight: 13th only.

So I can only assume that because ST etc didn’t report on this report, they didn’t know it existed.

But now that they know of its existence, before they get too excited,

The divergence reflects two differences in approach. The World Bank’s method ignores higher education (which is even more prevalent in Finland than in Singapore). And its measures of health (stunting and survival rates) are too crude to distinguish between Singapore’s healthy population and Finland’s even healthier one.

https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2018/10/13/which-countries-are-raising-the-most-productive-human

In other words, the report’s methodology puts greater emphasis on higher education and a healthier population (No good hawker food in Finland as now unemployed migrant from S’pore, Daniel Yap, has said on FB).

What the anti-PAP cybernuts have in common with US progressives

The very people who thoughtlessly and carelessly allowed Trump to “Make America Great Again”.

How a disastrous change in perspective disempowered the left and let the right rise

By dismissing the masses as fools, progressives confirmed all the culture warriors’ claims

are the headlines of an article (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/01/how-a-disastrous-change-in-perspective-disempowered-the-left-and-let-the-right-rise )in the ang hoh tua kees’ favourite British paper (One reason it’s a fav is that it’s free: unlike my favs the FT and Economist)

It went on somewhere towards the end

The consolatory power of the “idiot nation” trope was obvious. If voters were slack-jawed rubes, well, it couldn’t be the fault of progressives that protests were small or that leftwing ideas lacked purchase. Activists committed to smug politics could take comfort knowing that the masses were too dumb to grasp the cogent arguments being presented to them.

But, politically, such rhetoric was disastrous. By dismissing the people as fools, progressives confirmed everything the culture warriors said: they openly embraced the condescending stereotype of the liberal elitist.

Now doesn’t this sound familiar in the S’pore context?

The views appearing in TRE, Terry’s OnLine Channel, The Indians Idiots, social media etc are that the 60-70% of S’porean voters who regularly vote for the PAP are morons. And that the hard core PAP haters are the ones that should rule S’pore.

———————————

Related article

Singaporeans want an opposition but are “very discerning in the type of opposition they seek. In my view, it is not wise to pursue any approach that does not establish firmer foundations for a permanent and institutionalised opposition in Singapore.

Pritam Singh, Wankers’ Party Sec Gen

(For the context of his comments read: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/wp-chief-pritam-singh-responds-activist-select-committees-treatment-historian-thum)

WP: Spot on Bayee/ Lim Tean’s first anniversary of BSing

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With enemies like the ang moh tua kees like and their cybernut allies the PAP doesn’t need friends to stay in power.

And I’m not the only one who thinks the PAP’s enemies are the reason why the PAP will rule S’pore forever and a day: “Antics Of Civil Society Activists Endanger Opposition Cause”

 

 

Crazy Pinoy Asians

Only in America.

Frustrated by the lack of Asian people on the marketing posters covering the restaurant, Jevh Maravilla and Christian Toledo took matters into their own hands.

The pair took a photo of themselves, added the McDonald’s branding and hung it on a bare wall in their local restaurant in Houston, Texas.

Now

One of the two friends who caught the attention of millions when they pranked their local McDonald’s has told the BBC that he “wants to push Asian representation further” in “TV and Hollywood”.

Jevh Maravilla, 21, added that “the past few weeks have felt like a dream.”

On the Ellen DeGeneres Show last week the men were each presented with cheques for $25,000 (about £19,000) from the company and told they would be starring in a marketing campaign.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45633982

In S’pore. they’d be caned for vandalism and flamed on social media and the internet for being Peeoys. Sad.

Gd that PM makes time for travel vlogger

But first, a story about a Crazy Rich African planning to bring US$16.5m in cash to shop here.

When on a private visit to Brazil by Equatorial Guinea’s VP

Police found $1.5m in cash and watches worth an estimated $15m in two bags, the other 17 bags had clothes, says local news site Globo.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-45546655

Equatorial Guinea’s embassy told the Brazilian police in a statement that the money was for the VP’s use on an onward trip to Singapore, while the watches – engraved with his initials – were for his personal use.

————————-

Last year The Economist reported on Mr Obiang’s flashy lifestyle in a report titled “Instagram playboy is also the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea”. It featured pictures of the vice-president showing off his expensive cars and mansions.

———————————————-

So nothing wrong PM and foreign affairs minister spending time with a vlogger with a huge global following. It helps bring S’pore to the attention of people like Mr Obiang, people who spend, spend, spend. It also helps attract lesser spenders too. Orchard Rd certainly needs help.

But then given TOC’s support for Tan Wah Piow and PJ Thum (PJ Thum cares about S’pore?), maybe TOC “does not wish S’pore well”?

TOC’s double standard in praising Tun for seeing Wah Piow, PJ and friends while dissing PM and VivianB for meeting vlogger is another piece of evidence that TOC “does not wish S’pore well”?

What do you think?

Access to healthcare here: Below average

As Yogi Bear might have put it: “Worse than below average bear”

I’m sure the editor of the constructive, nation-building publication that highlighted the u/m would privately have been told he “does not mean S’pore well”:

When it came to evaluating access to healthcare, Singapore scored 45.46 – below the study’s average of 50.91 – even as it boasts the most value-for-money system. This was attributed to shortages of hospital beds and skilled healthcare professionals.

For this study, “access” is evaluated by the number of skilled health professional density and hospital beds in relation to its population, and the percentage of people at risk of impoverishment due to surgical care.

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/spores-healthcare-system-best-value-and-satisfaction-falls-behind-providing-access-study

But

Overall, Singapore’s healthcare model topped Philips’ measure of healthcare value with a score of 54.61. Australia and Germany followed behind with scores of 52.59 and 50.93 respectively. The report evaluates value by averaging each country’s healthcare access, satisfaction and efficiency scores.

But waz the point of being number 1 when access is below the average bear.

Btw, TOC, TRE while cheering on PJ thum and friends and supporting the repeal of s377A, ignored this bread-and-butter failure of the PAP administration: Advice to cybernuts writing in TOC, TRE etc

The PAP is lucky in its enemies. With enemies like these, how can S’pore not be a de facto one-party state. Sad.

Advice to cybernuts writing in TOC, TRE etc

The first rule when writing opinion pieces is: don’t be boring.

Amol Rajan BBC Online’s Media editor

If want to pontificate or rant, don’t be boring.

Pls also stop defending PJ (and his kakis Jovolan and Kirsten) for asking

the Malaysian prime minister to take a leading role in promoting democracy and freedom of expression in Southeast Asia.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/thum-ping-tjin-mahathir-meeting-response-to-criticism-10678814

because by so doing you are continuing to help the PAP change the conversation: : WTF! With PAP on the ropes why this self-inflicted distraction?

And pls don’t write about changing s 377A in the light of another flip flop by the Indian Supreme court. Again you are continuing to help the PAP change the conversation

Go back to KPKBing on bread and butter issues like HDB leases, GST, MRT etc. Remember,the PAP was on the ropes until PJ’s action: PJ Thum cares about S’pore?

Related post: Jolovan Wham: Nothing wrong in asking Tun M to intervene in S’porean affairs

Not ground sour, juz kopi tiam talk amplified lah

Er but taz missing the point about talking cock.

I’ve said in Smell the smoke? From Indonesia or from the PAP & cybernuts? that I’m not sure if the ground is as sour as Han Fook Kwang makes it sound.

Well I was planning to blog along the lines of the following letter to ST’s Forum: what we are hearing are voices that were once confined to small, disconnected groups. But since it has appeared, I’ll juz copy and paste like our millionaire ministers. Make sure you read a response to this letter I reproduce below. It says that my and letter writer’s point of view is irrelevant, missing the point: we also talking cock.

‘More discontent’ may be due to technology amplifying voices

While editor-at-large Han Fook Kwang presents an interesting take on why there is “more grumbling than usual about issues especially to do with the Government”, I have a different perspective on the matter (Is the ground sour? Time to tackle it; Aug 26).

Hailing from the generation that witnessed life without the convenience of gadgets, I can only conclude that we have to accept the hue and cry from the ground as the new normal.

Previously, when mobile phones and the Internet were virtually unheard of, the chatter of discontent could be heard only in coffee shops or during conversations between family or friends.

However, in the present day, technology has enabled muted voices to be heard through platforms such as social media. The anonymity afforded by such mediums has culminated in a cacophony of outbursts from the ground, which many tend to associate with growing discontent among the people.

The sudden rise in the ubiquity of digital devices has somehow led to the misconception that the conformity and orderliness of the old order have been replaced by the messiness of the new generation.

We have to accept that change and messiness is the new constant.

A FB post commenting on this Forum letter:

The heart of the issue is whether such complaints are valid. And politicians still need to assess the situation for themselves. Is high cost of living a perception or real? What is real problem of HDB 99 yr lease ownership.

Yes technology amplifies but someone still need to deal with it or you can lose a GRC.

Hongkies love PAP govt, diss their govt

TOC, The Indians and other cybernut pubkications don’t report: “Hongkongers admire Singapore more than own city”

In a University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme poll asking 502 Hongkongers how they feel about different governments, the Lion City came out on top in a list of 14 places.

In contrast, Hong Kong was ranked 11th and Canada slipped to 2nd, from 1st in August last year. The US was at the bottom of the list of places that included regions in Greater China and other countries

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/community/article/2156855/hong-kongs-love-affair-singapore-continues-residents-give

Note that the piece not written by any of the ex-ST constructive, nation-building journalists in the SCMP newsroom. They now rather bite the hand that once fed them well. Once a Judas, always a Judas.

Anyway grass ia always greener on the other side. Juz ask Goh Meng Seng who even thinks that the cost of housing is lower in HK. Can you believe that? But then he’s a cybernut who helped the PAP’s preferred candidate win in 2011 PE. With enemies like him, how can the PAP ever lose?

 

TOC unmasks itself

Years ago I told Terry of Terry’s Online Channel that he was anti-PAP. He denied it saying that he would support a PAP policy if tot it would help the poor or correct an injustice.

After I posted TOC misrepresents facts yet again

I read this post

Terry Xu

People asks me, or tell me, how good the Pap government is and that we should be appreciative of this fact. While it may be comparatively true with our neighbours who had despotic leaders, but until you see the things I see, and experienced, which cannot be reported because it is illegal to do so, you would have no idea how rotten is this country behind the elaborate facade.

Singapore and Singaporeans can achieve much more with what we have today but not with this ruling party and its cronies changing laws and maintaining archaic colonial rules for its own interest.

It is naive to think that a party that has all the powers at its disposal will be humble and push for changes especially when cronyism is so rampant in the country. Don’t lie to yourself when you say there is real meritocracy and xxxx in Singapore.

The fact that I can’t type out the words represented by xxxx, just shows how dire the situation is for Singapore.

Do you want to live in aspiration or in constant fear of the government?

People who support and is part of this whole oppression ought to think about how history will judge your involvement for the sake of self perseverance or in most cases, simply the high pay. Just look at the world and back at history to realise that a change of regime is not impossible and that the Internet never forgets.

Need I say more about his denial of not being anti-PAP?

TOC misrepresents facts yet again

When Temasek released its details, TOC, it seems, tried to cast aspersions on Temasek’s results by pointing that its auditor KPMG was in the UK’s authorities’ dog house for the quality of its audits in the UK.

The UK Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is an independent regulator responsible for promoting high quality corporate governance and reporting to foster investment in UK. Its board of directors is appointed by the UK Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. FRC plays a crucial role in the oversight and development of corporate governance standards such as the UK Corporate Governance Code and standards for the accounting industry.

UK FRC said that KPMG audits had shown an “unacceptable deterioration” and will be subject to closer supervision.

Every year, the UK FRC reviews the audits of Britain’s biggest companies to ensure they meet certain standards. The FRC noted problems at other auditing firms too, but KPMG was specially singled out for the poor quality of its work.

“There has been an unacceptable deterioration in quality at one firm, KPMG,” the FRC said in a statement …

Terry’s Online Channel

As OCBC is also audited by KPMG, is TOC also casting aspersions on OCBC’s results?

Seriously, TOC doesn’t tell that all the big four accountancy firm are in the sights of the UK’s authorities:

The UK’s top banking and insurance supervisor has said he is worried about the quality of audits by the Big Four accountancy firms. Sam Woods, the chief executive of the Prudential Regulation Authority, told the Treasury select committee on Wednesday that it was “a bit of a worry” that the Financial Reporting Council rebuked the four firms* — Deloitte, EY, PwC and KPMG — last month for a fall in quality, particularly in banking audits. Stephen Haddrill, the FRC’s chief executive, said at the time that “the Big Four must improve the qualify of their audits and do so quickly”. The FRC attributed the deterioration in quality to a failure to challenge management and show appropriate scepticism across their audits.

FT

And that despite all this KPKBing, when Goldman Sachs Int’l tried to appoint a non-big four auditor Grant Thorton to audit it, replacing a big four auditor, the UK authorities raised an eyebrow on whether Grant Thorton can do the job. The matter is ongoing.

All this is a matter of public record, yet TOC in what seems to be an attempt to slime Temasek left out inconvenient facts.

Looks like TOC is going the way of the Idiots S’pore or is it Indian S’pore?

Sad for someone who helped out at TOC.

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*TOC said only KPMG was singled out, remember: “KPMG was specially singled out for the poor quality of its work”?

World Cup viewing: What PAP govt got right

(Part of another occasional series on the good things the PAP govt do that TOC, TRE and other cybernut sites don’t report: not that many but still enough to keep 70% happy.)

Plenty of KPKBing by some TRE commenters, and TOC, and other cybernut sites about no free viewing on tv at home. Shows that they behind curve. Many S’poreans (including TeamTRE who tell readers how to get free streaming service) watching watching for free via streaming.

S’pore’s a good place to watch streamed stuff.

Fastest broadband speeds can be found in:

• Singapore – average 60Mbps
• Sweden – 46Mbps
• Denmark – 43.9Mbps
• Norway – 40.1Mbps
• Romania – 38.6Mbps
• Belgium – 36.7Mbps
• Netherlands – 35.9Mbps
• Luxembourg – 35.1Mbps
• Hungary – 34Mbps
• Jersey – 30.9Mbps

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-44778017

Who else is the PAP govt screwing?

The recent water and electricity hikes don’t juz hurt the “little” people as alt media is shouting and the MSM is whispering, they also hurt the businesses that employ the “little” people. This means smaller or no pay rises, and even retrenchments in spite of a growing economy.

I’m exaggerating? Juz read the constructive, nation-building media

Businesses here are also feeling the pinch from price hikes.

Mr Lee Soon Kiat, executive committee member of the Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association, noted that operating costs for electronics manufacturing firms, including semiconductor companies, have been increasing steadily.

Depending on the size of the firms, costs could rise further to up to S$10 million, as they use a lot of water for their processes.

While companies are already using energy efficient equipment, and clamping down on water usage, the increase in water hikes may be “enough to wipe out all our efforts from the previous years”, said Mr Lee.

He warned that the electricity and water tariffs, as well as carbon tax levied next year, would add to firms’ financial costs and affect profit margins. As a result, Singapore could risk a mass exodus of companies to more competitive business markets in China and South-east Asia.

While Mr Lee said most companies have accepted the price hikes, he added that “the Government has to adopt a consultative approach (going forward), and to avoid any unnecessary hikes” that could affect its competitiveness in the manufacturing sector.

https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/hit-rising-water-and-electricity-bills-singaporeans-and-businesses-tighten-belts

Looks like the PAP is not only out to screw the voters, but businesses too

The anti-PAP alt media is quick to manufacture and spread fake news about the PAP govt (Example: Achtung cybernuts: Facts about global LNG prices & our gas supplies) but when the PAP govt really cocks up, where are they? Makes one wonder whether the PAP discredits its opponents via black ops and whether people like Phillip Ang and Goh Meng Seng are useful idiots or worse.

What kind of voter are u?

Remember this?

A Financial Times story today said – Mr Mahathir, who always enjoyed needling neighbouring Singapore and its long-ruling People’s Action Party, said the electoral earthquake would reverberate across the narrow Straits of Johor.

Mahathir told the Financial Times, “I think the people of Singapore, like the people of Malaysia, must be tired of having the same government, the same party, since independence.”

reminded me that the day after last GE I wrote

Which type of voter were you on 9/11?

1. Comfortable Nostalgia: “They tend to be older, more traditional voters who dislike the social and cultural changes they see as altering [country] for the worse.”

2. Optimistic Contentment: “Confident, comfortable & usually on higher incomes they are prudent & tolerant but think [country] is a soft touch.”

3. Calm Persistence: “Often coping rather than comfortable, they hope rather than expect things to get better.”

4. Hard-pressed Anxiety: “Pessimistic & insecure, these people want more help from government and resent competition for that help particularly from new-comers.”

5. Long-term Despair: “Many are serial strugglers; angry & alienated they feel little or no stake in the country or that anyone stands up for them.”

6. Cosmopolitan Critics: “Generally younger, more secular and urban-based, worried about growing inequality & the general direction the country is going in.”

Go to https://atans1.wordpress.com/2014/03/28/which-voter-are-you/  to see how I tot those who vote for the PAP, or Oppo can be categorised.

Btw, I now think that TOC’s editors, team and readers are now in the same categories as the majority of TRE posters.

I think based on the postings on TRE,  the majority of TRE posters would seem fall into the “Hard-pressed Anxiety” and “Long-term Despair” (i.e. the losers) even though TeamTRE belongs in the “Calm Persistence” and “Hard-pressed Anxiety”  categories: the only people who would spend time and money on doing what they believe is right, even if the losers are freeloading on their efforts.

TOC’s editors, team and natural readers would fall into the ”Calm Persistence”, “Hard-pressed Anxiety” and ”Cosmopolitan Critics” groups.

Sad. Seems like Terry (Once ”Calm Persistence” now “Hard-pressed Anxiety” or “Long-term Despair”?) has given up trying to persuade those who voted for PAP in GE 2011 and Dr Tan Cheng Bock in PE2011 that they should think about alternatives to the PAP.

 

 

Coming? Cyber law forbidding “anti-state purposes”?

(Or “Who said “Law should not protect the weakling but make the strong even stronger”)

A law has just been passed in Vietnam which

bans internet users in Vietnam from organising people for “anti-state purposes” and contains sweeping language under which users would not be allowed to “distort history” or “negate the nation’s revolutionary achievements”

FT

Such a law can be used lock up one PJ Thum (What Oxford really says about PJ Thum and Project Southeast Asia) and his side kick one Sonny Liew (Coldstore: Why Harry’s narrative or the highway).

While our Minister for Pets and Police could have said this based on what he has said about the authorities needing more powers

Law should not protect the weakling but make the strong even stronger.

he didn’t.

This was said by Hans Frank’s Hiltler’s personal lawyer immortal words (cf. Konrad Heiden,’The Fuehrer’, p. 567).

Anti-PAPpies want Kim to nuke S’pore isit?

Why liddat?

On FB, TRE and TOC and the Indian (I’m told, I don’t read it) the anti-PAP types are denouncing two PAP ministers for taking wefies with Little Rocket Man).

On FB in response to comments denouncing the PAP ministers:

There seems to be an assumption among people of a certain ideological bend that our ministers wanted to take the wefies. Has it ever occurred that Kim asked for the wefies as a goodwill gesture to say thanks to S’pore for hosting and paying his bills?

Adrian Tan

He’s a bit of a wimp for calling the anti-PAP types “people of a certain ideological bend” but he’s right about the assumption that the ministers wanted the wefies, and the possibility that Kim asked for the wefies as a goodwill gesture.

Imagine what would happen if the two ministers (not my fav ones*) said “No”.

Btw, since VivianB has also been denounced on FB, TOC, TRE etc of saying innocuous words like “impressive” when describing his impressions of North Korea which he visited recently. They want him to say, “The place is a shithole like Aljunied town council run areas” isit?

Our anti-PAP types hate the PAP so much that they openly want Kim to destroy S’pore because if S’pore is nuked PAP ministers will die. They forget that there are special measures to protect these ministers. How not to call these anti-PAP types, cybernuts?

The PAP couldn’t have wished for nuttier enemies, what with friends like Calvin Cheng (Err so why the silence on Calvin, minister?) and FATPAP.

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*What I’ve written about them

VivianB’s other folly: F1

Our new PM/ Trumpets pls for me

Ex ST tua kee’s delusions of respect

Wannabe be Sith Lord who left the Dark Side in a huff when she didn’t become ST editor KPKBed that ministers didn’t give two ST columnists (her buddies) no respect, and implied that this showed that they also had no respect for the mob, us plebs:

If respected MSM columnists who are not unknown to G get this kind of opaque and befuddling response (in Ms Fu’s case) or a blistering lecture (in Mr Heng’s case), what more lesser mortals?

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/comment-theres-no-humility-respect-082844791.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=fb

A FB post says it all by giving her and her buddies the finger

Ever tot, they have no respect for any local MSM columnist? LOL Re “If respected MSM columnists …”. They rightly treat local MSM journalists and columnists as running dogs or dog poo? 🤣

Adrian Tan

I think he got it about right. Why should ministers and civil servants have any respect for their well paid “running dogs”, propagandists who prostitute themselves day in day out for thirty pieces of silver? I don’t, and neither do many other ordinary S’poreans (many of whom are regular PAP voters). And ministers and civil servants shouldn’t either.

Ms Bertha Henson is deluded if she thinks local MSM journalists, columnists and editors are respected.

As my RI-standard mongrel says, “It’s an insult to us dogs calling them ‘dogs’. Dogs remain loyal to their masters, thru thick and thin.These are prostitutes, Judases, jackals or hyenas.”

To avoid any doubt, I’m not making any comment on the quality of the analysis written by the two running dogs columnists: I’ve not read the pieces. One of the joys of new media is that I can read really gd analysis about the situation here without having to read our constructive, nation-building columnists or analysts.

Sure, I may miss something interesting and insightful, but it’s not worth the wallowing in the BS to find these nuggets of gold.

And another thing: having sold their souls for 30 pieces of silver, how do I know that they have not prostituted (ie being intellectually dishonest) themselves as usual with these “new” views? Views that go against the grain of what they’ve written before, as friends who read their stuff tell me. That they still work for ST shows that at heart they are “running dogs” of the PAP govt.

Btw, Jeff Pang disagrees that the columnists and other MSM people should not be respected but with a friend like him (he admits that they are usually cowed into silence), they don’t need enemies:

MSM hardly speaks out against the government, understandably so. However, whenever they do, instead of understanding, they get unhelpful and offensive labeling like this.

I know what I’d do with a pet dog that bites me it feels like doing so without provocation: I put the dog down. That these two columnists have yet to be sacked, indicates that it’s all a “wayang”. They are juz acting a part.

 

 

TOC saying vote PAP?

I kid u not, Terry’s Online Channel has a gd word for the PAP govt and one of its flagship programmes.

This is what TOC wrote

S$1 million will easily cover the cost of most new and resale HDB flats in Singapore. The median price of HDB resale flats in every neighborhood is below S$1,000,000, so prospective homebuyers could afford a comfortable residence in even the most expensive areas of Singapore.

For example, the median resale price of a 4-room HDB even in Central was S$850,000 in the early months of 2018.

And

S$1 Million is Not Enough to Afford Most Homes in Many Major International Cities

Both quotes from https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2018/06/09/what-kind-of-home-would-s1-million-buy-in-major-cities-around-the-world/

Is TOC getting paid to say nice things about the PAP govt? One of TOC’s grouses is that mothership gets sponsorship from GLCs. So has TOC saold its soul too?

Btw, the writer is the only numerate person in TOC’s stable of writers and editors.

 

Will Tun take up PRC offer that Najib declined?

Because Nabib is a pal of our PM.

Sometime back when China was upset that Ah Loong was carrying Trump’s balls and not Xi’s, there was a report that China offered its AR3 multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) with accompanying radar to M’sia to be positioned specifically in Johor. It was a great deal for M’sia: low-interest payment of up to 50 years.

Najib as a friend of S’pore declined the deal.

So will Tun’s next move against S’pore (he juz called off a proposed equities trading link) be calling Xi to take up the offer?

Whatever, this deal will have Terry’s Online Channel’s writers and readers sticking their tongues further up Tun’s ass to reach the source of light that they think shines from his ass. They’d love the idea of Tun having surface to surface missiles able to blow up Changi Airport, the port and the CBD. They see him as a friend to suck up to because he like them hates the PAP. They even do this sucking up despite Tun disliking S’pore, not juz hating the PAP: the enemy of my enemy is my friend say these TOC cybernuts.

With enemies like TOC, the PAP needn’t fear losing power.

Related posts

— Tun will not be happy

— Tun following Xi?

 

 

Tun and Trump: Talk cock, break things

Looks like Najib was faking it when he hinted he and Trump were bros. Tun and Trump are the real bros deal.

For starters, they both remind me of this quote by another POTUS

Any jackass can kick down a barn but it takes a good carpenter to build one.”

Lyndon B. Johnson

For another this is what Augustine Low wrote on TRE

Dr Mahathir has a fundamental strategy not unlike that of the one that has served President Donald Trump very well. He keeps saying he wants to Restore Malaysia’s Glory (Trump’s motto is Make America Great Again). Dr Mahathir is moving at breakneck speed, racing against time to do what he tells Malaysians is necessary to bring back the glory days. What he says is gold and he has the backing of his countrymen and women because he is seen as a saviour who can do no wrong – at least for now.

Tun has the same communication strategy as Trump: Talk cock, Move fast, Break things,

Full piece

The risks of letting Mahathir be Mahathir in the age of social media

When Dr Mahathir Mohamad was last the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Lee Hsien Loong was not yet Prime Minister of Singapore, and social media was not yet the phenomenon it is today.

But it seems that the Singapore government is treating Dr Mahathir the way it did some 20 years ago: Let Mahathir be Mahathir, let him say and do what he wants, we’ll keep mum and we’ll only cross that bridge when we come to it.

With the social media, everything that Dr Mahathir says becomes instantaneously widespread. His remarks that “the people of Singapore, like the people of Malaysia, must be tired of having the same government, the same party since independence,” immediately became the talk of the town. Thanks to the fact that it was all over the Internet and social media applications such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp in double quick time.

Singapore’s mainstream media did not even touch on those remarks. Because Singaporeans are not supposed to know? Because they would be deemed offensive by the government? Needless to say, such censorship does not hold sway anymore.

The government has always been quick to rebut criticism and unseemly comments, especially those seen as meddling in internal affairs. But it has kept mum about Mahathir’s provocative remarks about Singaporeans being “tired of having the same government” and about plans to build an island near Pedra Branca.

Dr Mahathir has tested the waters and sent out signals that he going to be combative, especially the way he called off the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high speed rail project – unilaterally, without even an official word to the Singapore government, displaying trademark nonchalance and disdain.

Dr Mahathir has a fundamental strategy not unlike that of the one that has served President Donald Trump very well. He keeps saying he wants to Restore Malaysia’s Glory (Trump’s motto is Make America Great Again). Dr Mahathir is moving at breakneck speed, racing against time to do what he tells Malaysians is necessary to bring back the glory days. What he says is gold and he has the backing of his countrymen and women because he is seen as a saviour who can do no wrong – at least for now.

Singapore’s strategy of letting things simmer down and take its course may no longer be relevant because the 92-year-old is a man in a hurry and the 24-hour news and social media cycle suits him just fine.

Clearly, the government is still trying to grapple with how to manage relations with Dr Mahathir. The strategy of two decades ago must be reworked.

Beyond showing their mettle and resolve, Singapore’s leaders also need to raise their game when it comes to agility and speed of response and communication.

Augustine Low

* The author is a proud but concerned citizen. Voicing independent, unplugged opinion is his contribution to citizen engagement.

Memo to anti-PAP cybernuts: Tun is not God

Further to Anti-PAP S’poreans sucking up to Tun where I reported that anti-PAP cybernuts were upset that our PM had not told Tun M that M’sia need not pay anything to cancel HSR deal

When asked if Dr Mahathir’s decision was final, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the Malaysia Cabinet had not yet discussed the issue, but would do so at their weekly meeting on Wednesday.

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-pm-mahathir-says-will-inform-singapore-of-intent-to-10286868

Now Tun says

Speaking to reporters after a weekly Cabinet meeting, Dr Mahathir announced that his Cabinet has agreed to cancel the HSR project.

But this will be subject to discussions with the Singapore government because it involves “high financial implications”, he added.

When asked if he would reconsider should Singapore request for the project’s continuation, Dr Mahathir replied: “We will listen to them. They are our good partners.”

So nothing is “final”. Don’t believe me?

Malaysia’s new Transport Minister Anthony Loke said as much when he told Channel Newsasia that the project is “subject to review” if the country is in a better fiscal position later on. “Why we cancelled the project is because of affordability,” he added. “The priority of the government is to pay our debts and the ability to repay our debts, that is our main priority, that’s why some of these projects must be shelved.”

Today

And btw, still no letter:

the Singapore Land Authority repeated the Ministry of Transport’s earlier media statement that the Government is waiting for official confirmation from its Malaysian counterparts.

Hopefully our cybernuts will stop behaving as though he is God.

Anti-PAP S’poreans sucking up to Tun

From my coffee shop chat group: I feel the silence on d part of our govt on d cancellation HSR proj is shocking in diplomatic terms. We shld imm announce that we will forgive d penalty other than for what we had spent.!!! LHL fave strategy is always to keep quiet on any crisis. This is leadership.

FB post by anti-PAP FB warrior yesterday

I’m sure if Dr M asked this group to suck his XXXX, this bunch of anti-PAP Facebook warriors would happily do so. They’d even offer their asses to Anwar while pleasuring Tun with their mouths,if Anwar asked.

Think I’m being too harsh?

The above was posted on Vesak Day (public hoiday in both countries) and came after media reports overnight that

— Tun said that he had cancelled the agreement on Monday,

— and S’pore said that it had not received official confirmation of the cancellation.

Had the letter the agreement cancelling even been sent, let alone drafted? Why must do everything to saka Tun? Thinking about it, since Tun has said that S’pore has yet to be told, looks like these guys will suck Tun’s XXXX while allowing anwar to bugger them even before they ask him for these actions.

Is there really na vneed to saka him? We survived his last premiership (22 years) in pretty good shape, while he now admits M’sia is now in a mess because of the actions of his handpicled successor.

As I said before I know very well the KL that Tun and Anwar were in charge of: I thrived in that environment. Their actions and inactions came to roost and haunt them personally and other M’sians after Najib became PM.Yet our anti-PAP types praise them as antidotes to the PAP.

By all remains praise the DAP* and the moderate Muslims that left PAS to form the National Trust Party (Amanah;Malay: Parti Amanah Negara), but be real about Tun and Anwar. They won a famous victory but it was a victory that owed a lot to the DAP and Amanah.

===============

*Though anti-PAP types won’t because Lim Guan Eng and his pa came to S’pore to “brief” our Harry when the DAP won Penang. More like “kowtow” joked an UMNO insider when I told him what Lim Jnr told a seminar at ISEAS in 2008 after meeting Harry.

 

Looks like PAP right about cyberspace “noise”

And I’m right about

Maybe they really don’t oppose the PAP? They juz make some noise, hoping the PAP will throw them some goodies? Bit like my dogs barking or whining to get my attention.

Why Reformasi won’t happen here

Terry (of Terry’s Online Channel ) wrote on FB

Seriously, why do people go write articles in their own name and then years later ask to remove the articles because they have changed their stance?

If you want to express yourself without fear, use a pen name or something.

You use your real name because you want to be identified for the write-up, so it makes no sense to be given the right to remove your name years after, just because you think that write up is unsafe or inappropriate.

Take down is ok if the publication misused the write-up or misrepresented what was expressed.

But not simply because you regretted writing the post in your name.

Juz “noise” for the sake of noise or “They juz make some noise, hoping the PAP will throw them some goodies? Bit like my dogs barking or whining to get my attention.”? Or juz nutty?

What do you think?

My beef against Terry’s OnLine Channel

Sadly I have to agree with u/m FB PAP IB rant that

— TOC is failing to “to separate Singapore’s national interests and standing from their usual Prime Minister-bashing rhetoric.”; and 

— “The shallowness of some of TOC’s arguments on how bad the PAP and their blatant disregard to facts or context is worrisome*.”

Sad.

To be fair to Terry, the failure to differentiate between national interests and whacking the PAP is a trait that most critics of the PAP fall into into the long run (Yes I’m thinking about the danger of Chris K becoming one of these “PAP is always wrong” sheep.). But they can’t be blamed for this because the PAP and the constructive, nation-building media are always saying or implying “What is good for the PAP is good for S’pore”. 

back to the IBer

Mun Loon

TOC has lost the plot. It’s role, as it seemingly wants recognition for, is for the interest of Singaporeans, to hold the government in its checks and balances.

however, in more recent days, TOC has appeared more delusional.

It had always maintained that Singapore was bigger than the ruling party, but (TOC) is unable to separate Singapore’s national interests and standing from their usual Prime Minister-bashing rhetoric.

The shallowness of some of TOC’s arguments on how bad the PAP and their blatant disregard to facts or context is worrisome.

There is a role for media outlets online like Malaysiakini; and to equate TOC with Malaysiakini is an undeserved compliment to the prior or an insult to latter.

Your rhetoric is getting tiresome.

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*TOC’s coverage on regime change in KL and its implications for S’pore is particularly bad. For starters, there’s the glossing over of Tun’s and Anwar’s roles in bringing M’sia to where it was before regime change. They messed up:

— M’sia: Don’t anyhow blame Najib

— M’sia: Two doctors’ routine

Then, does TOC really want people like these two running S’pore?

— Breaking election promises or trying to: Waz this call for a leader like Tun M here?

—  Read carefully what he says beyond the soundbite: Anwar: Beyond the sound bite of “Malaysia to scrap race policies”

Finally internal rowing is happening already:

— Bayee minister gives Tun M the finger

(More on another row soon)

 

Why Reformasi won’t happen here

TOC, TRE and all the usual places where cybernuts congregate are full of comments that change is coming here. like it did in M’sia, and the PAP is doomed.

Taz a lot of “noise” and hot air because most of the 30% that die die must vote for any donkey or clown so long as said clown or donkey is anti-PAP are a bunch of wanking cheapskates.

Terry’s Online Service reported on FB yesterday that

In 2014, there were already 16,039 subscribers at a monthly subscription rate of RM$40( SGD$15.4) [Terry was talking about M’siakini]. In comparison, TOC has 64 subscribers at a monthly subscription rate of $3 and a few at $10.

S$264,000 a month in 2014 versus less than S$640.

And

By 2013, Malaysiakini was already earning an annual income of close to 1.5 million ringgits (SGD$577k). While – as reported to IRAS for TOC’s revenue in 2017 – we received around SGD$29,600 in advertising and donation.

TOC’s numbers were in response to

A reader, Dylan Tan wrote in response to the report on Anwar’s thanks to Malaysiakini of its role in Malaysia, “that works if the Alternative news in SIN can be as quality as Mal(aysia)”

Terry retorted

We agree that our quality of reporting and coverage is not even close to that of Malaysiakini, but that can be said the same of our operating expenses.

And cited the numbers given above and repeated below

— Subscriptions: S$264,000 a month in 2014 versus less than S$640 a month.

— Total annual income of S$577,000 in 2013 versus S$29,600 in advertising and donation for 2017. TOC’s subs are “peanuts”.

With enemies like the free-loading fans of TOC and TRE, the PAP doesn’t need friends. And will rule forever and a day.

Jokes’ aside. Maybe they really don’t oppose the PAP? They juz make some noise, hoping the PAP will throw them some goodies? Bit like my dogs barking or whining to get my attention.

Or worse, maybe tha fans are part of PAP’s IB. They aim to deceive Terry and TeamTRE and other suckers that there are people out there listening to them.

It’s not echo chamber effect of social media

It’s all about “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”.

Contrary to popular belief, we now hear more diverse voices than ever before – studies suggest that most people do not live in Facebook or Twitter echo chambers and ‘filter bubbles’. So why is global politics still so divided?

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20180416-the-myth-of-the-online-echo-chamber

People become more divided because we are dismissive of contrary evidence that challenges our beliefs

“motivated reasoning”. Countless studies have shown that we are so attached to our political identities that we will devote extra cognitive resources to dismissing any evidence that disagrees with our initial point of view, so that we end up even more sure of our convictions.

Or because a little knowledge is dangerous

But an alternative possible explanation comes from the psychology of ‘self-licensing’ – the unconscious belief that once we have shown our open-mindedness in one situation, we have somehow earned the credentials to be more prejudiced later on. One study from 2008 found that people who had supported Barack Obama were subsequently more likely to express a potentially racist view, for instance. By reading a few dissenting voices on Facebook or Twitter, we may feel that we have already gained the right to be more dogmatic about our existing opinions. Anecdotally, at least, this seems to have been the case for a few of my own acquaintances following the UK’s referendum on Europe in 2016.

 

Why M’sia needs a Fake News Law but S’pore doesn’t

When the law was first mooted in KL

The law was met with horror from activists and journalists, who say that the bill will simply be another way for the government to crack down on dissent and suppress embarrassing stories. Amnesty International said it was a “blatant attempt to shield the government from peaceful criticism”. Lawyers For Liberty, a local free speech NGO which is representing Syarul Ema, called it “the death knell for freedom of speech”.

http://www.wired.co.uk/article/election-malaysia-2018-general-fake-news-day-2008-syarul-ema

Well Tun M was being investigated under that law when he was oppo leader. But the Sith Lord turned Jedi Grand Master, when he became PM said the law will be reviewed and tweaked not revoked.

Here’s why there’s a need in M’sia for such a law

Just in the last 12 months, the police have had to debunk rumours that Chinese government patrol cars were operating in Malaysia; shoppers have boycotted shoe company Bata Primavera after a false report that it was stocking shoes with ‘Allah’ written on the soles; and the owner of the local McDonald’s franchise has filed police reports against social media users wrongly claiming the company was funding Israel’s actions against Palestine.

http://www.wired.co.uk/article/election-malaysia-2018-general-fake-news-day-2008-syarul-ema

(Related post: Fake news law: Malays not stupid)

As to S’pore, i wrote shumetime back

Our brown-nosing constructive nation-building academics presented at the recent Select Committee hearings on Deliberate Online Falsehoods,

an alarming scenario of disinformation campaigns launched by foreign actors bent on attacking the island state, of cyber armies in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore working as proxies for other countries in undermining national security.

Did they produce any evidence?

But the actual examples of fake news which have come up during this national debate have mostly been prosaic; a hoax photo showing a collapsed roof at a housing complex, which sent officials rushing unnecessarily to the scene; and an erroneous report of a collision between two trains on the light rail transit line.

As the BBC reporter wrote

Irritating and worrying for some, for a while, but hardly likely to bring Singapore society to its knees. In any case both Singapore and Malaysia already have plenty of laws capable of penalising false, inflammatory or defamatory comment.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43637744

…

Btw, have to tell u that the reporter also said

It also gave Singapore academics and officials an opportunity to snipe at the US belief in free expression, the “marketplace of ideas”, which had allowed the abuse of personal data on Facebook to take place, in contrast to Singapore’s “better safe than sorry” belief in a more tightly regulated society.

Local academics propogate fake news?

Related article: Why I no ak the Select Committee hearings on Deliberate Online Falsehoods