[redbean]

Blogging is not a waste of time

At least in China, blogging is playing a huge role to curb abuses of civil servants and authority. In the absence of free press and a huge govt machinery, the ordinary people are often trampled by high officials and their little pet dogs.

Today's My Paper frontlined an article on how the internet became an important tool for the ordinary Chinese to shame the authority by exposing their abuses and corruption in cyberspace. Other than blatant abuses, state departments are also famous for cooking up skewed information and statistics to paint a distorted picture of the truth. And 'crazy rules are often snuffed out by waves of online scorn.'

Chinese netizens have been very effective in their postings to embarrass country officials and also to overturn or stop some of their nonsensical rules and practices.

Our netizens may not be as vocal in cyberspace for many reasons. Maybe there were lesser abuses of authority and corruption to start with. And our rules and practices are very well thought out and implemented and netizens have little reasons to scorn or embarrass our govt officials. Even then, there is a role for netizens to play to point out the minor infringements or irregularities that are bound to have.

If there is no netizens, the silence shall either explode some day or be lost at the misfortune of those who are at the wrong end of the stick. I remember someone said this a couple of days back. Oh he was quoting Lu Xun of Ah Q fame. The people's voices of conscience must be heard and there must be an outlet for it.

Blogging is never a waste of time. It takes effort to look at issues, to understand them and to nit pick problems that are blind to many people, especially the people who write the edicts.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Oct 26, 2009
Family on camping trip robbed
By Muhd Nurluqman

A FAMILY on a camping trip was robbed on Oct 24 at the southernmost point in Sentosa.

The family of eight had pitched a tent at the small islet at around 8.30pm and realised that three bags that they had placed inside the open tent were missing a couple of hours later.

The above was posted in Singapore Kopitiam. I think it was taken from a press report and Muhd Nurluqman is a reporter or sort of.

The question is whether the family was robbed or the bag was stolen when they left it inside their tent. To be robbed is pretty serious in this island paradise. On the other hand petty theft can still occurred if one is careless with one's belonging and tempting the thief to be.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

To move on or to hold on?

I posted a thread on some of the outstanding angsts that have still to be resolved or waiting for a solution. My friend Wally suggested that it is better to move on as many have done so. That's how life is, and how things should be. Make your noise and move on. The question is, should we or should we not?

The media has its own role and function cut out for it. It also has its own agenda and will move on when needed to or to hang on and repeat their stuff for as long as they want it in their own ways. Take the issue of housing prices and welcoming foreigners. The media is not moving on and let the issue pass.

The internet allows an issue to be rehashed for as long as the people want them to, and not dependent on the media to support or discard them. The people now has the internet of their own and can set their own agenda for discussion. No one can say let's move on and nothing will be heard anymore. But they can if they want to, by closing down the internet.

There is still this prevalent idea that we should go on and welcome more foreigners. Some may support this for good reasons while some are just parroting this view without thinking. In all things, there is always a breaking point when enough is enough, from not enough to excessive and eventually destructive. Just like greed in the US. We all paid the price for it.

We started from a swamp, poorly inhabited and needed more people to build this place. We grew and prospered with more people adding to the vibrancy of the island. The question is when is enough, and are we breaching it? How many more can we take before the seams burst?

This brings me back to the white mice theory. One mouse or several mice in a cage will quickly multiply when there is enough space and food. But if not managed, they will soon over multiply and strain the limited space and resources. The sad ending is that when food and space are scarce, they will fight and eat each other up.

How far are we from reaching this point in our immigration policy and welcoming of foreigners? When will welcome turn into frown and disgust? And when will the newcomes find it tough here and turn against their hosts, demanding for their share?

We are no longer an unpopulated swamp. We are one of the most densely populated little piece of rock on earth. We are pushing the limits and the limits will be hit as a matter of time. So don't anyhow just say have more foreigners, increase the population for more economic growth. The economic numbers may be admirable. But there is a social and political cost.

Should we move on when issues are affecting us and stuck with us, or we pretend and see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing, and all will pass? We are not talking about celebrities and the type of clothes they wear.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

PAP Online, a welcome change

Blogging is important after all. PAP is getting serious about the information, feedback and criticism it is getting from the new media. It is going to engage the new media head on by empowering party members to debate with netizens directly. Long gone will be the days of sporadic responses by a few members or insurgents.

Sporadic responses in the past should be differentiated from the sporadic attacks by wild people like MacDonald Bloggers aka Pee on it aka Empty Empathy aka Kristine, or better known as directless rubber aka emplorer aka awaking. I never believe that PAP will send this kind of hot heads to attack other bloggers. For if it does and kena found out, it will be terribly embarrassing.

Netizens should brace themselves up to see PAP members coming out in the open to defend PAP policies without hiding under anonymity. This is a great leap forward to more engagement and discussion in cyberspace. And the good side is that PAP will have the chance of greater space to explain itself clearly, and the reasons and justifications for its actions.

Now the fight is online. Again, who says blogging is a waste of time? If that be so, PAP will be wasting its time. No the PAP will not be wasting its time on an unworthy pursuit. Cyberspace is the new future.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

NY Times: From Treasury, an Invitation to Financial Bloggers

The Treasury Department opened its doors to economic bloggers this month, and the meeting was productive in at least one respect: as John Jansen of the blog Across the Curve concluded, “After meeting them, I feel I cannot refer to them as Timothy Geithner and his minions” anymore. Mr. Geithner, the Treasury secretary, was among the senior officials who talked with bloggers at an outreach session on Nov. 2. The two-hour round table was held on background, meaning that the bloggers could describe the sessions, but not attribute quotes to specific officials. Lengthy posts about financial system reforms — and the bloggers’ disagreements with the Treasury’s strategies — ensued.

New-media scribes have gradually made their way inside most governmental institutions over the years, but the meeting was the first for bloggers at the Treasury. Tyler Cowen, an economics professor at George Mason University who has written at the Marginal Revolution blog for six years, said it was the first time he had heard from any Treasury official. The meeting “shows that the Obama administration is working very hard on outreach to a lot of different media sources,” he said.

The Treasury invited about 20 bloggers. Eight attended — at their own expense — including some ardent critics of the department. Michael J. Panzner, who writes the Financial Armageddon blog, said the invitation “was totally out of the blue.” Andrew Williams, a spokesman for the Treasury who assembled the event, said that Mr. Geithner had “long valued the blogosphere” and mentioned that during Mr. Geithner’s tenure as the president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, he had requested a daily compendium of relevant blog posts.

Another reason for the outreach, Mr. Williams said, is that the blogs are influential, especially because they are read by reporters at more traditional outlets. For the Treasury officials, it was a break from the ordinary, as well. “I think we were much better informed than the groups they’re used to talking to,” Mr. Cowen said, citing politicians who visit and “ask for the impossible.”

Mr. Cowen, also a regular contributor to the Sunday Business section of The New York Times, said that one of the senior officials remarked that the bloggers were a “welcome change of pace.” Some of the bloggers were acutely aware of the effects of being welcomed inside “the brain trust,” as Steve Randy Waldman put it on the blog Interfluidity. “The mere invitation made me more favorably disposed to policy makers,” he wrote in his summary of the event, even though he abstained from eating any of the cookies at the meeting, “on principle.”


The above article was posted in www.singaporeanskeptic.blogspot.com
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Blogging - Severing the shackles of dependency

The MOH has taken a big step into how it disseminates information through its blog. In a way it has not only by passed the tedious and slow process of depending on the old media to inform the consumers, it has taken full advantage of what new media can do for the ministry, freedom, speed, efficiency and in full control of what they want to say. No need to brief reporters on what to write, no need to vet for accuracy, no need to wait for the editor's approval, no need to depend on the printing schedule of the media and no fear of no space available for their articles. They can say all they want to say at and when they want it.

By breaking free and doing it on its own, and with other ministries probably following suit, this mode of communication will eventually become more widespread and even a norm. In the not too distant past, some professional media personalities have been scornful about the new media, questioning their accuracy and integrity. The tune has changed and I have heard some saying that it is the way to go forward. And people can be accountable and responsible for what they posted, with a name behind the article instead of a faceless directive from an organisation.

The move into new media is gaining momentum, though still in a small way.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Mysingaporenews joining Asian Correspondent

Announcement - We are going international

Hi everyone,

I, on behalf of Mysingaporenews. have accepted an invitation from the Asian Correspondent to be one of their correspondents. There will be some minor changes to the format of presentation when the switch takes place either this week or next. The important thing is that the URL to mysingaporenews will not be changed and you can still log on to the blog as before.

Also very important is that the style and content and the way I write will still be the same. I have full independence in posting in the same way as before. Not subject to any editorial policy or approval.

The main advantage of this cooperation is that we will be riding on a bigger platform and gaining more readership and exposure. Please continue to enjoy and post as before.

Cheers.

PS. redbeanforum will remain as it is.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Relac lah, why so serious? Can't we laugh at ourselves a little, create a little humour of our own silliness, poke a little fun at one another? Now what prompted me to rehash these innocuous comments? Yesterday I read that a blogger by the name of Mr Brown was told to remove his article in another more prominent blog or platform. What did he wrote that has become so touchy to people? Oh, it was about a once in 50 year flood in the prime residential district of Singapore. And some owners were trying to drive their Ferraris and Porches like submarines. Of course these great gizmos were not meant to be driven that way.

And I read his article which he had it reposted in his own blog all over again. And I am still trying to figure out which part that he said was unacceptable. He talked about the measures to be taken to warn the richer Singaporeans in this district of an impending flood so that they would not let their expensive cars turn into submarines in the basement carparks. Then he realised that this kind of flood occurred only once in 50 years and actually it would take another 50 years for it to happen again. So no need further action for the next 40 over years. Quite sensible and logical, I think.

Then he also said that if nothing can be done to prevent such floods, in a tongue in cheek, or they called it jokingly if people could not pick out the punchline, that the area could be turned into the Venice of Southeast Asia. And we can have gondolas which are very romantic and can improve the birthrate and more babies. And there could be canoe rowing races like Cambridge University.

I think none of these could be so touchy to warrant a removal from another blog. Could it be his suggestion of creating a new Ministry of Freak Incidents? Obviously he must be joking. No sensible person will take that suggestion seriously. There is already a Ministry of Sound raking in big money in town. Call it Ministry of Freak Incidents or of Flood or Earthquakes or Tsunami, does it matter? Relac lah brother.

And don't be surprise that before the next big flood hit in 50 years time, the Artic and Antartic ice could have melted and 1/3 of the island could be underwater, and gondolas or perhaps Ferrari and Porches car cum submarines could be in the market.

I still have no clue as to what is so offensive. Anyone reading can figure out what it is?
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Blogger in defamation suit

Jayne Goh, the founder of the Association of Bloggers of Singapore which does not represent the majority of bloggers except a few founding members, has been judged by the High Court to have defamed a teacher, Janet Wong, for being corrupt. In her blog she 'alleged that Mrs Wong accepted bribes in return for allowing foreign students admission into her school. Jayne alleged in her blog that Mrs Wong demanded 'a $3,000 cash donation for each student placed in the school...and that entrance tests for such students were fixed'.

The case is now pending appeal or Jayne Goh would have to pay damages for failing to remove the article as demanded by Janet Wong.

What is important to bloggers is that the internet and blogging give bloggers a lot of freedom to write and express their views. But bloggers should be careful not to exceed the limitations of such rights to encroach into other people's rights. And posting scandulous or defamatory articles could bring about lawsuits which are very costly. Bloggers should feel free to express their views on issues and differences or disagreements are fair game. Comments that may be interpreted as personal attacks or affecting the integrity and reputation of individuals should be tackled sensitively and diplomatically.

We will have more news of this case since it is the first major case involving bloggers here.

The article is copied from Asian Correspondent.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Bloggers score big!

The bloggers have scored their first major victory over the issue of citizenship privileges over non citizens in school fees. Bloggers have cried foul on behalf of all citizens that they were treated no better than PRs and non citizens, and in many instances it is better and more advantages to be PRs and non citizens than citizens. Today the Ministry of Education has announced sweeping changes in school registrations and school fees to differentiate between citizens and non citizens.

These changes will take effect in year 2011 and 2012. Children of citizens will now get an additional ballot slip to boost their chances for enrolment in their preferred schools. The meaty part is the hike in school fees which will see children of PRs paying up to 2 times in year 2011 or 4 times in 2012. Non resident children or international students will also see comparative hikes in their school fees up to junior colleges.

Would these changes have come about if there were no bloggers to whine about or kpkb in cyberspace? Would the main media do the necessary and bring about the changes by reporting the grouses of the citizens the way the bloggers have done? I think credit must be given to all bloggers who have played their painful and unrecognised role in this matter. Some injustice to the citizens have now been squared.

This is the first step towards recognising the citizens and rewarding them for the huge sacrifices and responsibilities they shouldered for the country. The next targets should be hospitalisation fees and housing. More restrictions should be placed on PRs buying public flats even if they have bought them from the open market to prevent speculative activities. The same levies should be imposed on them, including a number of years before they are allowed to resell.

More needs to be done to enhance the value of citizenship and give dignity to the citizens in other areas. Bloggers must continue to play their roles to champion the cause of the citizens.

The article is copied from Asian Correspondent
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

The evolving role of New Media

It is only a few years old, but the potential of what New Media can do and the role it will play in shaping society and setting the agenda on issues that affect the lives of people are going to be significant and crucial as we move forward. From the days of the petition in the NKF mismanagement to Mas Selamat, the New Media has emerged as the new voice of conscience. It has usurped the role of the Old Media which was once the feared fifth estate in checking the roles of govts. In a way they won this role by default as the Old Media voluntarily relinquished this responsibility which served it so well in the past. The Old Media has lost its credibility by not doing what it was expected to do. It left a gapping hole waiting to be filled and it was so convenient for the New Media to step in.

The high prices of public housing is a good example where reports of the Old Media were just parroting the official view and reporting ad verbatim with little comments to the contrary. It was left to the Old Media to do the necessary. Likewise the issue of citizen versus non citizen privileges. Without the push and outcry in cyberspace for the sacrifices of citizens, nothing could possibly change as the official view was like being carved in stone, that citizens must compete with non citizens and losers just got themselves to be blamed. Now the MOE and even HDB are getting into the act to differentiate and discriminate in favour of citizens.

And all this while it was a deafening silence from the Old Media. The poor journalists and reporters, with all their talents and writing skills, must be so frustrated for having nothing meaningful and purposeful to write or cause to champion, but to write about the high livings of dogs and pets. Their only major outlet was the conflict in the Aware saga when everyone was mustered to write incessantly about it, and we could see how productive they could be given the chance.

There is now another petition online to bring to justice a killer who killed one and injuring two with one seriously. The suspected killer had left the country and is protected by diplomatic immunity. Only in cyberspace could the voices of conscience be given a free play, to write and protest about such injustice. The Old Media may be restrained by all the legalities and convention, and in such cases handicapped and unable to push the issue like what netizens could.

The role of the New Media is taking shape, will only grow louder and play a bigger role in things to come. The next general election could see the blossoming of the New Media and could put it in direct contest against the Old Media in how election news are being reported, and winning readership. It may also be the first milestone in the demise of Old Media in reporting political events and news. The Old Media will be assigned to report only the facts and figures while the controversial commentaries will become the hallmark of the New Media.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Hit and run accident by Romanian charge d'affaires

The charge d’affaires, Dr Silviu Ionescu, claimed that he returned to work in the Romanian Embassy after attending a Karaoke session in the early hours of 15 Dec. He last saw his car, likely after parking in the Embassy, was around 1.30am. He reported that his car was lost at around 3am to 3.30am when both he and the driver came out and could not find his car.



In the mean time his car, an Audi A6, was involved in two hit and run accidents at Bukit Panjang Road. The first accident knocked down two pedestrians crossing the road and another about 150m away. The impact caused the windscreen of the car to crack. One of the victims died without recovering from his coma on Christmas Day. Of the two injured, one was serious and another discharged after treatment.



The circumstantial evidences from eyewitnesses described the driver fitting the description of Dr Silviu Ionescu. More damaging was a taxi driver who picked him up at Sungei Kadut, near where his car was found, at about 3am in the same morning. And the driver heard him making a police report that his car was stolen while he was inside the taxi.



Other than an online petition seeking the Romanian Govt to assist in bringing the culprit to justice, there was an editorial in the Sunday Times giving quite a detail description of the above.



The question is whether the charge d’affaires could get away under diplomatic immunity? If he had stopped to help, would the victim be dead? Or would he be smelling of alcohol or things that were not favourable to him? If the court could not deal with him as he is a diplomat, what justice or compensation can the victims hope to get and from who? From the insurance company or from the driver, or from the Romanian Govt?



The online petition must have been raised fearing that nothing could be done to the suspect driver and also no compensation for the victims. The people in the streets are demanding justice and calling on the good office of the Romanian Govt to cooperate, knowing very well that nothing much could be done if they refuse to. On the other hand diplomatic niceties could be draggy and a long drawn out affair with the victims suffering in vain.



At this point of writing, the number of signatories in the online petition is 949. Romania and Singapore have enjoyed good relations and the least the Romanian Govt should do is to compensate the victims if the charge d’affaires is found guilty. Goodwill and good relations are good reasons for doing so. If not, the list of signatories will grow longer and the image of the Romania Govt is going to take a hit. Not the kind like stone throwing at the Embassy. Such things don’t happen in this island.



This is another incident where Singaporeans are getting into a rage. It could even become an election issue as one blogger related this to the issue of Singaporeans being treated fairly and equally. If a foreigner, no matter if he is a diplomat, could get away after killing a Singaporean and hurting two with one still in bad shape, there will be repercussions.

The article is copied from Asian Correspondent
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Mysingaporenews leaving Asian Correspondent

Well guys, this union is not getting anywhere and both sides are not benefitting much from it. I am arranging with Asian Correspondent for an appropriate day to depart and return to our orignal format which you guys are comfortable with. It is an experience posting in a bigger forum like this and I am leaving with mixed feelings.

While the exact date of the switch is yet to be worked out, I can only wish Asian Correspondent all the best. And as for you guys, I am sure you are looking forward to the old camaraderie that we were comfortable with. I am looking forward to the return of all members of the gang to mysingaporenews blog.

This is just a small announcement of the impending change.

Cheers.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

George Yeo spoke on the hit and run accident

Foreign Minister George Yeo has responded to the public outcry both in the old and new media on the fatal hit and run accident by the Romanian charge d'affaires. He assured the public that the police are investigating the case thoroughly and appealed to the people to remain calm and let the due process of the law to deal with the case. The public can be rest assured that justice will be seen and the culprits and victims be duly treated.

The question is what if the Romanian Govt refuses to withdraw the diplomatic immunity that the charge d'affaires is entitled to? Would any judgement against him make any difference to the victims? The public can only hope that for goodwill, honour and respectability, the Romanian Govt will lift the diplomatic immunity and send Dr Silviu Ionescu to face trial here. It is a road accident and nothing political or emotional about this case and Dr Silviu can expect to be treated as fairly as anyone under our law.

At the worst, if the Romanian Govt still wants to protect its diplomat, it should still offer a public apology and meet up to work out some compensation for the victims. This is the least that can be expected from an honourable and respectable govt. No one is above the law.

This article is copied from Asian Correspondent.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.

[redbean]

Nitin Garg stabbing versus Dr Silviu Ionescu hit and run

The two cases are interesting in the way the countries involved are handling them. In Nitin Garg’s case, an Indian student was stabbed and died in Melbourne in the dark of the night. The Indian Govt took issues with the Australian Govt claiming racism and demanded actions and protections for its citizens. Australia denied any racism and that the case was just a normal crime that could happen to anyone. The culprit probably had no intention to kill, just waiting there with a knife to stab someone for the thrill of it.

In the hit and run incident, a Romanian Embassy car ploughed into two pedestrians, killing one and seriously injuring another. It went on to hit another pedestrian about 150m down the road. There was no intent to kill but probably the driver was thinking that he was playing computer game and the quest was to knock down as many pedestrians as he could. It was game over when his windscreen was crack.

The Indian students in Australia protested. The Indian Govt threatened to cut ties. India is a big power and would stand up to protect the rights and safety of its citizens even in foreign land. But so far nothing came out of it as the culprit who could shed light on the killing has not been caught.

Singapore is a small country and chose to deal with the Romanian Govt diplomatically. The Ambassador was called up and told that it was a serious matter and they should cooperate with the police investigation. The Ambassador replied that his Govt will cooperate. There was no protest on the streets except for some angry comments in the media and a petition online calling on the Romanian Govt to compensate the victims.

So far the Romanian Govt has responded positively and apologized to the victims but nothing about the compensation. And Dr Silviu has been removed from his post. He was supposed to return to Singapore but now he said he would assist in the investigation in Romanian. Does this mean that we will not see him anymore and nothing else could be done?

Why is Dr Silviu not returning to Singapore? We would not hang him or jail him. He is protected under diplomatic immunity. Of course the evidence is against him so far. He could probably be facing another charge of falsifying a police report, claiming that his car was stolen when it was not.

Singaporeans are hoping that the Romanian Govt will be honourable enough to treat this case as a normal traffic accident by an errant driver and compensate the victims accordingly after the court’s finding. If not, what else can Singapore do? Can Singapore protest and threaten Romania like what India is doing? We are a very small country and rely on the rule of law and hoping that others will too.

The two cases are still under investigations and it is interesting to watch how the parties involved play their parts.

The article is copied from Asian Correspondent.
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what i posted is just my personal view. feel free to disagree.