Meet The Most Famous Member of My Fan Club

Just two weeks ago, I blogged the following about a PSC scholar wannabe:

"The letter writer had been deeply disappointed at not being to go overseas for his university education. Has anyone ever thought about how the vice-chancellors and the dons of Singapore's local universities like NUS and NTU would feel about that?

What delicious irony. Our local institutions NUS and NTU have great aspirations to become world-class institutions. At the same time, our brightest young minds have great aspirations to avoid studying at our local institutions NUS and NTU.

While there is much to be said for an overseas education, I can't help but feel that its attraction for so many young Singaporeans is partially due to the marketing strategies of the PSC over the years.

These marketing strategies are hurting NUS and NTU ...."

Two weeks later, look who's suddenly decided to speak about the same thing:

July 4, 2005
Let top students graduate here before going abroad, says MM
Call part of a push to boost prestige of local varsities
By Leslie Koh

MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew last night pointed out a 'missing element' in Singapore's system to attract top talent in its universities: its own students.

The country has benefited from sending its brightest on scholarships to study abroad. Now, some of these students should be encouraged to study in local universities.

Said Mr Lee: 'We have to continue this policy of sending our scholars overseas. Their exposure and experience abroad have helped Singapore leap ahead.

'But we need to build up the prestige and esprit de corp of the alumni of our own universities - an alumni network that proudly embraces our top students who eventually rise to the highest positions in society.'

The call from MM Lee formed yet another push from top leaders to universities here to aim higher, as the National University of Singapore (NUS) celebrates its 100th anniversary with a series of events.

"Okay, okay, I admit it. I've been reading your blog!I just haven't had the time to leave any comments yet."

SEX, LIES AND WORK PERMITS

I employ a Filipino maid. Recently the Manpower Ministry changed its rules relating to the employment of foreign domestic workers, so the Ministry sent me a revised, complete set of the applicable regulations. I spotted the following rule, which I think is a new one:

"The foreign worker shall not indulge or be involved in any illegal, immoral or undesirable activities, including breaking up families in Singapore."

It would be interesting to know why the Manpower Ministry has now decided to pass this rule. And also to know the full scope of this rule. "Immoral" and "undesirable" are vague terms.

Today is Mr Wang's "Be Kind to Politicians" Day.
Lucky for you, Mr Steve Chia.

SILLY SCHOOL PROJECT AKA NEW WORLD RECORD

"Chung Cheng High School (Main) has made history today by chaining together some 45,000 used drink cans to emphasise the importance of conservation and recycling as a means to conserve the environment.
....
The School’s Interact Club has devised a novel way of promoting environmental awareness, establishing a world record and raising funds for charity ..."

- Speech by Mr Chan Soo Sen, Minister of State for Education, at the completion ceremony of the world's longest can-chaining project for charity

Okay. That's it. Enough is enough already.

The above school project reminds me of what the blogger Merv wrote here. Singaporeans, please stop doing inherently pointless things for the sake of trying to set a world record. Have some self-respect! Some examples of what Singaporeans have been doing recently (taken from Merv's blog):

* Most Number of Burgers in Mouth Without Swallowing

* Fastest Heinz Tomato Ketchup Drinker Using a Straw
* Longest Time for a Female with Palm Placed on a Car
* Fastest Cream Cracker Eating
* Orange Nose Push - Furthest Distance in 30 Minutes

And now we have students from Chung Cheng High, one of the most reputable secondary schools in Singapore, setting a world record for tying used drink cans together! My goodness, is there absolutely ANY inherent use in tying used drink cans together? What a waste of time.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it was for charity. That's a partially redeeming factor but surely charity's no excuse for stupidity. Next time, go pick up litter at the beach; collect old clothes for the poor or take some orphans to the zoo. In other words, do something useful, please.

Singaporean Robert Ng - the world's fastest ketchup drinker.
Possibly from Chung Cheng High.

POLITICAL WEBSITE?

So I got an interesting email yesterday, from a Commentary Singapore reader. The email isn't altogether clear, but I gather she's a student, probably doing some course in Media Studies or Political Science.

And she wanted to know whether the government authorities, or specifically the Singapore Broadcasting Authority, had ever contacted me to ask me to officially register Commentary Singapore as a political website.


"Mr Wang, you've been naughty, haven't you."

My answer was no, the SBA has not contacted me. And I further added that if the SBA ever contacted me to register, I would immediately close down this blog. Then I would start a new blog. Under yet another user ID, of course.

It's not like this is really anything new to me. Expressing an opinion in Singapore has always been a tricky affair. Yet in his own inimitable style, Mr Wang has been busily promoting civic discussion and critical thinking in this dangerous little country. For many years now, under the guise of different personas, Mr Wang Zhen has been swarming and buzzing around Singapore newsgroups, blogs, discussion forums etc, and opening his readers' eyes to the world around them.

"Stop it, Mr Wang. Stop it!
Singaporeans are almost beginning to think!"

That's the power of the Internet. The names don't matter. The message does. Keep reading, and writing, and the truth will set you free. And if sometimes you think that Mr Wang sounds like someone else you've read before on the Internet, well, well ... you might be right.

"Haha, thanks Mr Wang, that was quite enlightening.
I've had a couple of past lives myself!"

AHHHH, THE ARMY IS STUPID LAH!

Two letters to the ST Forum today about the SAF and servicemen who are ill:

July 1, 2005
SOLDIERS' DEATHS - Mindef should relook rules on reporting
sick

THE recent incidents of SAF soldiers dying in camp reminded me of my last reservist in-camp training last November.

I was having a high fever so I went to a GP and was given two days' medical leave. I did not book in but I called my unit - I also called my camp-mate to ask him to inform the officer in charge - only to be told that I had to go back to camp and have my MC endorsed.

I explained to the duty clerk that I was having a high fever and asked him if it was possible for him to call the clinic to check or have someone come by my house.

However, I was told that I had to have my MC endorsed by the camp doctor or I would be put on charge.

I took a cab to the Sungei Gudong Camp from my Toa Payoh home. The medic took my temperature and sent me to the medical centre right away. I was running a fever of 38.9 deg C and the doctor sent me home to rest. I was on MC for that week because my temperature just would not go down.

I hope Mindef will do something about the rules on reporting sick.Ong Kian Seng

An excerpt from the second letter:

July 1, 2005
Sick NSmen deserve to be treated better

I AM a medical student who has served a period of national service.

During my NS days, I witnessed and heard of numerous cases in which army doctors doubted servicemen who reported sick, seeing them as potential malingerers. This resulted in the poor servicemen receiving sub-standard attention and treatment.

Worse, some were even scolded by the doctors and were subsequently 'punished' by their officers, be it psychologically or otherwise.

Being sick is not a crime. And it does not become a crime just because one is an NSman who, some doctors believe, is likely to malinger.

...

Kwok Kah Meng

Also read an army poem here by someone I happen to know quite well, blogger Gilbert Koh. The poem was first published in the literary e-zine Quarterly Literary Review Singapore and then in the book From Boys to Men.

Right now, the poem forms a small part of a drama performance "Hentak Kaki - Green Days of our Lives", first performed in the 2004 Arts Festival and now showing again at the Singapore Art Museum Auditorium (last day - 6 July 2005).

Tickets at SGD 8 for students and NSFs and SGD 12 for adults. For more details check this out.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Grapevine Chatter:

1. Takchek
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~