Singapore fast becoming the table tennis squad it created

A horrifying sight. Beholding Singapore’s entire table tennis squad made up of China-born female and male table tennis players. 

Emptied the locals from its table tennis squad and stuffed it with end products from China. Purely for raising the international profile of Singapore in sports. Apparently, a victorious game at the Olympic is of immense importance for the government whilst its peasants think otherwise.

Now, the HORROR of this squad is that the same approach, ie. the replacement of locals with instant imports, does not confine strictly to the realm of sports only. It has taken place some number of years ago and it has accelerated in recent years, at every aspect of this country. And when all local peasants are effectively displaced or disempowered, who will stand to benefit from this? Not the peasants of course.

Chiding Singaporeans’ contemptuous attitude towards the act of buying sportsmen, Acting Minister Chan Chun Sing’s reiteration of the end justifying the means betrays the deep-seated values of our leaders.   

“Let’s not just look at where people come from. It’s not just where people come from that we should be concerned with, it’s also what they’ve done for the country.”

As many indignant Singaporeans have mentioned, no one has complained about the lack of Olympic medals. This issue was not even raised during the rallies of General Election. Therefore, these so-called “desired outcomes” are cast by our wiser-than-saints political leaders, where the benefits rarely filter down to the common peasants, or the country. Mind you, the peasants do make up the bulk of a country, not only the political elites.  

As far as Mr Chan and his co-hort are concerned, his definition of a country excludes the peasants. Whatever benefits him and his co-hort will ultimately benefit the country (excluding the peasants).  

Statistically speaking, foreign nationals already constitute 40% of Singapore’s current population. Well, that is what the official statistics offer to show. It did not reveal the figures of newly-converted citizens.

On the ground, as a local-born citizen, I feel on the contrary more like the 40% of the residents on this island. My recent encounter at a local shopping mall, asked by a foreign sales rep where I came from, reveals the extent of foreigners on this island. To be mistaken for a foreign national in my home country! What are the chances?

Our population rose from 3 million to 5 million in two decades, almost doubling. It creates tensions and unhappiness between locals and foreigners in recent years at the pace and the quality of influx. And no way will the government stop just at 5 million. Recent population report seeking feedback from citizens shows the attempt to inflate the population further while trying hard to appear to be appeasing its people under the disguise of a feedback.

Our table tennis squad epitomizes the way this country is managed. Using foreign imports to achieve objectives solely meant for the economic and political benefits of the government. Using material gains to lure ravenous economic migrants and allowing an unlimited pool of these people to come scavenging for the monetary opportunity. Never mind about the outflow of these opportunists as there will always be a ready pool of other opportunists to fill up the vacuum.

If money could solve a problem, then it is not a problem at all. Those who had their share of economic reaps could take flight; those who have not will be kept rewarded for their submission.

Money could silent any undesirable dissidence.

It is those who cannot be bought over by pure monetary rewards are the ones whom the government is fearful of as it cannot exert total control over them for its own good.  

Local-born Singaporeans now account for less than half of the population. The day for Singapore to become this 100% imported table tennis squad will not be long from now. We can condemn the current and former batch of leaders vehemently for such policy. But the person who should take the ultimate blame is none other than ourselves. For who have condoned these actions for so many years at the ballot box to allow these political creatures to ruin lead our country? 

The worst of all, we chose reticence and oblivion when there were those who tried futilely to salvage our country.  

In short, we will reap what we sowed in due time. 

Happy National Day for now.

Singapore’s Olympic Medal and the Instant Fish

Instant fish. Add water and they swim.

Another Olympic individual medal won. A bronze medal that is brought back by China-born Feng Tianwei this year, in table tennis women's single. After a lapse of 52 years. The very first and our very first silver Olympic medal was earned by Tan Howe Liang in weightlifting event in 1960.  

Congratulations to Feng Tianwei, for her hard work, determination and dedication to this sporting event. She should be proud of herself and be applauded for the achievement. She did it afterall, not us.  

Feng came to Singapore in 2007 as a ready-made table tennis player and was fast tracked to Singapore citizen in time for showcase in the Beijing Olympics 2008. In short, she was a direct import to churn medals for Singapore at international level and for that single purpose she serves. It makes no difference even if she has lived here for more than a decade or has integrated well. It is a bare fact that she was b(r)ought over for a purpose.

This bronze medal cannot come at a more convenient time for the Singapore government as an endorsement to its undisclosed intention of opening up our country further for foreign workers/talents. Even after controversially pumping in 2 millions of foreign nationals into our already space-constraint island and workforce, thrusting millions of foreign nationals upon the citizens, the number of foreign nationals is still far from satisfactory for the government who is bent on further foreign imports.

The media propaganda mechanism wasted no time in spinning about Feng's victory, blatantly claiming it as Singapore's. Ministers and MPs too jumped readily onto the bandwagon of national pride, cuddling their baby--foreign talent scheme.  

Honestly, I am really happy for Feng's success at an individual level.

But to see our flag flying at the Olympics because of her is embarrassing and a disgrace. No, Feng did not embarrass or disgrace us but the persons who went ahead of employing mercenary to play sports under our flag did. It bares their pathetic shallowness of the understanding of true victory. It is a humiliation to the spirit of sports. People who supported the idea of buying sportsmen and women to play under our flag devalue the purpose of Olympics too.

We have to stop and check the purpose of winning at the Olympics. Would we be equally convinced by the quality of sports demonstrated by the UAE if they were to win all the events with the best athletes purchased across the globe? Would the number of medals that they accumulate be able to ascertain their excellence in sports?

There is nothing shameful about losing in a match but to win unscrupulously, it is.

For medals themselves cannot claim victory. Some sportsmen won medals yet lost in the way they won. And one can be victorious in a defeat too. Just look across the straits, what Lee Chong Wei, a home-grown badminton player of the minority in Malaysia has achieved. Though failing to clinch the gold, but in the least, Malaysia supported him. For us, we were simply dumped and the easy path of buying better players to win for us was chosen instead.

Globalization has seen a rising number of non-native athletes representing their adopted nations at the Olympics, such as the likes of Mo Farah, born in Somalia, representing Britain; Nigera-born Francis Obikwelu for Portugal where both were naturalized before their athletic talents were uncovered in their respective adopted countries. However, they were not imported directly like Feng Tianwei into Singapore.

And yes, we do see China-born ready-made table tennis players representing other nations but often a mix of local and ready-made players in the participating teams, not to the extent of Singapore where both women and men teams for London Olympics comprises entirely of China-born ready-made players. What is the value of such a medal won by an imported team for Singapore?

Look at our exhilarated MPs, ministers and president over the newly-minted medal. These are the leaders of our country and people. Clearly, as it can be seen, from their expressions on “our victory”, they are the kinds who value only outcome. Anything else is worthless. Precisely why Minister Khaw Boon Wan has apathetically told our people to get out of his sight and retire in Malaysia if they cannot afford retirement in Singapore. And surely they will not hesitate to discard their people to produce their desired outcome. They could do that for a worthless medal, they could do that for anything else.

Whilst Lee Chong Wei’s country stood behind him in his sporting event, our very own leaders turn away from their own people to foreign imports who could increase the possibility of winning at the Olympics. Or in other words, a higher return for the funds invested in sports.

I am not in the least ashamed that we cannot produce quality local talents to compete at international level and not to mention the fact that there is no pressing need to achieve that. And neither is winning at the Olympics a matter of life and death for us. Why are our leaders so infatuated with an Olympic medal? Does NOT winning a single medal bring the downfall of our people? Or the country would go to drains without an Olympic tinted medal?

 I see more glory and honour in sending our home-grown talents to compete and lose than to buy a player to win for us. If we cannot clinch the victory ourselves, what is the purpose of winning?

It is the fact. Our government is constantly looking for instant success. Akin to instant fish. Add water and they will swim for you.

Embarrassingly, the culture of instant success permeates every level of this country. Rootless trees to create overnight vegetation, instant imports of expertise from abroad instead of grooming locally, building casinos to create jobs, open the flood gates to foreigners to boost population growth. And buying athletes to win at sports. If only we could buy instant ministers from abroad who are value for money for our Cabinet.

Then that would be fair.

要你卑躬屈膝的民主

民主当前，人人平等；女皇当前，陛下与庶民高低分明。英国的民主制与君主制就如此矛盾地共存下来。原属平民阶层的女子一朝嫁入皇室，平民身份自动瓦解，顿时与百姓区分开来。

就算是英国首相，也属于女皇的子民。女皇，即使在政权下放到民主制度当前，仍掌控着对英国首相去留的权力。

当然，那种掌控庶民生死的皇权已不复在。面对皇室，除了在称谓上要把自己矮下去外，庶民已不必卑躬屈膝了。反对君主制的英国人可以发声，不必申请说话准证。

在君主制度下属于女皇子民，又同时拥有通过投票来表达政权发言权的英国人，处于绝对权力与人民权力之间。

多年前，一位狮城老翁对着当时第二任总理下跪求助。那视觉画面和意识的震撼非常大。自独立以来就奉行民主制的狮城，子民仍然残留着对掌权者卑躬屈膝的心态。为何有这样卑微的庶民观念存在？

是庶民本身的观念，还是当权者长久以来对人民的态度，以致民主制度下的一些人民就此误以为自己如同皇权下的庶民般那么卑微？

另一边厢，某个领救济金生活的英国人却理直气壮地致信斥责当时的首相缩减救济金的政策。体现的是人民与首相同等地位的心态。身处君主制，英国选民的权力却比一些亚洲纯民主制度的子民还高。既不畏惧政权，持不同政见的人也不会遭莫名的诽谤罪名而被灭口。

相反的，活在单一民主制度下的狮城岛民，反而必须对政权毕恭毕敬，甚至是对掌权者卑躬屈膝。这种心态，绝对是外在的制度所形成的。

记得落选的狮城政客杨荣文就曾经严厉地警戒过子民，谈政治时，要认清自己子民的身份。那是一种当政者在上，子民在下的不平等观念。

贪恋权力是人性。要把手中的政权下放到群众手中不是容易的事。因此，狮城的民主仍处于君主制的意识形态里，间接或是直接地迫使人民对政权、当政者卑躬屈膝。为的只是巩固当政者的权力而已。

见不得光

近日狮城一些事，如牧师滥用公款被提控、狮城博客批评司法而被指藐视法庭、有律师代表草民阻止政府借贷巨额给国际组织，让我想起数年前英国议员公报项目公诸于世之事。这事件让我有非常深刻的体会。

当时，英国议员以个人隐私权为由，不肯公开自己申报公账的资料。议员要纳税人买单，却不许纳税人过问。

民主，究竟是人民做主，还是替人民做主？

英国议员企图替公众决定该知道什么，不该知道什么，便费尽吃奶的力不让公账见光，为的只是捍卫议员本身的利益。公账公开后，议员中的败絮一览无遗。媒体对议员也不手下留情。连女性卫生棉都申报公账，纳税人终于见证了议员滥用公款的程度，也同时看到了廉洁的议员。

有钱力和权力的人，总会利用权势来保护自己。这是事实。从英国到非洲到高薪养廉的国度都不会有例外。当真相对自己不利时，只有钱势和权势才能避免真相见光。

于是，那位指牧师滥用款项的狮城教徒被迫而公开道歉。九年后，牧师才被提控。有律师代表狮城草民阻止政府国际货币基金的贷款，律师公会代表、心理医生也像英国议员那样费尽吃奶的力，一个一个跳出来阻止真相的公布。

任何制度，不管是政治、宗教、社会还是企业，都免不了利用实况来图利的人性。只有透明度，让阳光直射制度，才能让人性中的黑暗无以遁形。

让英国政府无奈地公开公账数据的是一介草民。凭着一条赋予公众知情权的法令。草民向法院申请。加上独立的司法制和尊重事实的媒体，草民才能免遭诽谤之罪。一个草民拥有如此的力量，让我这个狮城岛民感动涕零。

不许见光的事，往往是因为其见不得光。很多时候是为了保护少数人的利益。喜欢替人民做决定的政权便是如此守牢自己的权力。

Brompton bikes versus primitive cleaning equipment

The photos above depict the type of cleaning equipment used by the cleaners in my estate. Dustpans made from discarded tins and plastic containers and a broomstick made from husk. The sight of these brought me back to the era of the 70s where such were a common sight. But we no longer live in the 70s but have moved on to the 21^st century.

Something tugged at me whenever I see our cleaners working with such equipment. Something was not quite right to see town council cleaners, entrusted with the mammoth task of maintaining the cleanliness of our estates on a daily basis to be given primitive equipment to work with.

Until the Brompton bike saga surfaced. As these ill-equipped cleaners work for none other but Sembawang-Nee Soon GRC which is helmed by the same minister who justified NParks’ Brompton bike premium purchase for improved productivity and durability. Compare the high-end bikes with these makeshift dustpans and broomstick used daily by my estate cleaners.

Using the same logic applied by Mr Khaw Boon Wan on his support for the Brompton bikes purchase, premium cleaning equipment which is durable and requires less maintenance has to be acquired for our town council cleaners to raise staff productivity too. Although our town council cleaners do not cover 30 – 40 km of work area daily, nevertheless, they are the very people who have a direct impact of the state of cleanliness of our estates; they are the ones who ensure the hygiene level and thus, the quality of our environment in our estates where 85% of us, the HDB dwellers, live in; they are the people who contribute directly towards Singapore’s reputation of a clean city.

Are these town council employees, of any lesser importance than the employees of NParks? To be honest, our cleaners are equally important, if not, more important. We could at least survive in a clean but treeless environment but imagine our island beautified by trees but piled up with rubbish.

Mr Khaw might reason with the fact that the cleaning equipment, made from recycled materials and cheap materials, are environmentally friendly. However, they look embarrassingly primitive and cheap in a first world country where massive funds were channelled to the building of the Supertrees by the bay for conservation and where Herman miller designer chairs were purchased for the long term welfare of the employees of a certain ministry.

My indignation caused by the episode of Brompton bike is that it espouses none other than the mindset where employees at a higher level of the hierarchy commands more worth than the ones at the bottom and thus the justification for the former to deserve premium materials that should be rightfully borne by all taxpayers.