Ivan Heng - Dangerous for young people to be socially and politically aware??

By Ivan Heng  #FACEBOOK

10122014· Singapore · Edited ·

Frankly, it is shockingly inept, cruel and irresponsible of the MDA to have kept the Dim Sum Dollies waiting until 3 days before their opening to award them a license to perform at the Esplanade. To add insult to injury, the show has been slapped with a NC16 Advisory, advising the public of “socio-political references” in the work.
Harlow? Since when did it become dangerous for young people to be socially and politically aware? This has to do with being conscious and mindful... about what goes on in our nation-city-state - how our country is run, the relationship between the ruler and the ruled, and ultimately, how we all get on with one another. Young people should care about such things because they are the future.

Contrary to what the various Government agencies think, our theatre artists care passionately about what goes on in our society. We have held up a mirror to ourselves, warts and all, for more than three decades now. And I am certain that we are all the better for it as a nation.
Please. Grumpy, angry and stressed-out Singaporeans need satire and laughter. Please. Let the people laugh; if only for catharsis, as a creative outlet, to let off steam - a way of processing the rapid changes in a society we want to call our own.
Please. Let's just rename the MDA the Media REGULATION Authority? To date, MDA has done so very little in the way of developing the potential of our arts community. Rather, it has been a tool for censorship – doling out mind-numbing restrictions to keep a check on the arts.
Well, carry on at your peril. Eventually there will be no more arts to check; and it will be a checkmate for Singapore.
Selena Tan, Pam Oei, Gold Ninetyfm Denisee, Hossan Leong, kudos to you, director Glen Goei, and all at Dream Academy for so valiantly pressing on. I trust this debacle hasn’t dampened your spirits. If anything, take comfort in knowing it will help you sell more tickets. I have no doubt that you will make us all love Singapore a little more. Break a leg.
‪#‎sg50‬ ‪#‎yoursingapore‬ ‪#‎mysingaporetoo‬ ‪#‎historyorHisStory‬ ‪#‎wenotstupid

SG : Things People Do When Nobody's Watching

How more than 170 bus drivers ended up going on a two-day strike against their employer in Singapore (perhaps islanders mindset)?.

Picked up at yahoo news:

“I personally asked the company three times for permission... and they rejected me all three times, telling me that our (Chinese) contracts were different from the Malaysian ones — ours were two-year contracts while theirs were long-term ones — and those on two-year contracts cannot join the union,” he said.

Conversely, labour chief Lim Swee Say said in the wake of the strike that foreign workers are allowed to join the unions here, and are in fact encouraged to, except that the membership take-up rate for the National Transport Workers’ Union was much lower with SMRT bus drivers than it was at SBS Transit.

Long before He even started work in Singapore, in fact, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) was aware of the concerns raised by the SMRT bus drivers, he said, citing a petition submitted to the ministry in 2010 by a group of Chinese bus drivers, two of whom were among the group of four (including He) who were first arrested and charged for their involvement in the strike.

Tweet: Change SMRT CEO like the way we change Chelsea manager

Meanpheyaszmyn RT @Fake_HarryLee: If only we could change SMRT CEO like the way we change Chelsea manager #sosingaporean

How has PAP let us down after GE2011? Let me count the ways:

I read below interesting comments by someone on FB, I felt uneasy after reflecting the achievements, expectations, and especially Singaporeans tolerance levels. I've seen worst in other countries.

How has PAP let us down after GE2011? let me count the ways by Lovecraft RavenEve :

1) Transport fees increase (2nd increase may occur in 2013)
2) “Ponding” episodes at orchard and Bt Timah
3) MRT and LRT break down
4) Tertiary school fees increase
5) Electricity tariffs increase (twice!)
6) COE increase (at least twice)
7) Civil servant’s sex and corruption scandal
8 ) increase of CPF minimum sum from $131,000 -》 $139,000 without consulting citizens
9) Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) for flats, shops/offices and market/cooked food stalls increase
10)ERP price increase
11) LKY and PM Lee wants to increase Singapore's population to 6million despite our infrastructural constraints12) Privatising essential essential services like SMRT that only focus in maximize profit instead of providing a service to the people.

Industrial Relations in Singapore version 2012

Read this interesting comment on Facebook sometime today.....written by Mr Tan

What started as employment term dispute, escalated into a workers' rights issue when MOM Minister declared that the government has "zero tolerance" for industrial disharmony and decided to clean up the shit of the transgressions by a corporation. To use the weight of the law to punish workers seeking to redress their working terms undermines the fundamentals of tripartism we tried to build over the years. It is a travesty of our legal system if laws are used to maintain our "industrial harmony" record rather than to protect the vulnerable. Apparently some of the workers are charged under a temporary legislation passed in 1955 - a law constructed primarily to deal with gangsterism back then - this is rubbing salt into the wound. The negativities the case has generated is instructive that the government cannot continue to use an old template of governance that is quickly becoming irrelevant.

The root cause of the problem is the perturbingly poor working conditions of lower rung migrant workers, who are employed in construction sector so that we have our nice million dollar condo and flats, cleaning our streets and estates so that we are a beautiful clean and green city, driving our public transport so that we can transit from place to place safely and conveniently, tending our children and aged while we focus on creating wealth for our family, in short an integral part of the national economic achievement we are so proud of. Migrant workers are economic participants not economic digit to dispense off when they become a social burden.

151211 SMRT Breakdown Tweets Compilation

SMRT = Singapore Most Ridiculous Transport

@manicindiana: I hope when Running Man films in SG, they don't take the SMRT as their transport to and fro. If not, they DIE!

@Prem8911 I really feel sorry for SMRT. Yesterday with Circle-Line, today North/South line. Maybe 2mrw EastWest line.

@patlaw: #smrt , in France, a strike every week but in singapore, a train service breakdown everyday...

@X_Jayyy 40m of power rail between City Hall and Dhoby Ghaut damaged. What happened to the maintenance that #SMRT raised fares for?

@Skinnyrainbow Though the mrt fault did not affect me much, I hope #smrt CEO volunteer to resign immediately. Don't be thick skin because of high income.

@yuxiangsg #SMRT are you gonna compensate people's ALTERNATIVE transport for today? WE DONT MIND ONE WHOLE MONTH of free SMRT service.

@felixker #SMRT stock price confirm drop during pre markets!

@whollyblabby two hours to reach amk from cityhall. this is how efficient the mrt shuttle bus is.

@juliustruffles: MRT breakdown. Broken glass, darkness & suffocation, underground entrapment, tunnel crawling. Very World War 2."

GE 2011 Post Review

Here is an interesting feedback from a Yahoo respondents that can sum up the whole general election issues mentioned:

I urge the Government to carry out what they had promised Singaporeans GE 2011, to quickly resolved those cruicial issues like:

1. Ever High Cost of Living,

2. Stop the Influx of Foreigners and "Talents",

3. Overly Congested Public Transportation,

4. Over Population of 5 million people within a Little Red Dot,

5. Job Insecurity etc.

Please do not let Singaporeans wait too long for another 5 years, we want to see results !!!!

Post Election 2011 - Report Card

After the 2011 election, found an interesting comment from Yahoo reader....


Please remember, PAP, you are the Elected Government of Singaporeans, not the Government of PRs or FTs. Those PRs who are good additions to and are willing to become the People called Singaporeans, let them cross the bridge and convert to Singaporeans. So that Singaporeans are One United People.

With the major transformation that has happened in the cabinet, we looking forward to a drastic change moving forward. After 5 years the report card will be presented from the people.

My State of Mind

The episode of me being in Singapore continues. After 32 months 'away' from this country, I am back to my usual Singapore lifestyle. What I learnt and realized when I was away?

While I was away..they shared / light discussions their 'perceptions' about Singapore

1. clean, systematic housing, transportation, rigid, too nice for comfort, 'I rather lived somewhere which is not "too straight', single majority system.

2. exchange rate good value to work there, a business regional hub for asia, expensive overhead expenses, instead if do it virtual (online)...cheaper.

3. casinos, moral society, job creation, old people need to work again, what so? isn't it a pitiful sight? equal opportunity, no natural resources; water, sand, manpower is natural resources? hmm natural pro creation infrastucture and mindsets?


The above were some of the topics discussed among colleagues and clients during my overseas stint.

I am almost 41 years old, what makes me realise is that I am bless with a well to do family, education and job that makes me love to travel and eat, I will try all types of food and listens to all types of sounds, see all types of situations anywhere in this world I can reach


a. Good and Bad Taste Food
b. Good and Bad Sound
c. Good and Bad Sight

In life, I feel we need to have the good and bad, to make the pure honest check and balance because I believe nothing in this world is PERFECT.

We need to taste, see, hear, touch the:
Black and White, Happy and Sad, Cry and Laughter, Success and Failure...

Its a learning journey for mankind.

Singapore A Better City to live.

The population in Singapore is greying. It is forecasted by 2020, 40% of it above 45 yrs old and 25% above 55 yrs old. With the income disparity between the rich and poor Singaporeans becoming known to the layman, we have to review our actions to overcome and sustain public confidence towards a better city to live in the long run.






Coffeeshop & Elderly

I was at my local coffeeshop in the morning at around 9.30am on Monday. The coffeeshop was full with elderly residents majority elderly males. I remember the days when coffeeshop were empty as the residents goes to work early in the morning. Now its a different picture, the place has become crowded with unemployed elderly people. They seated enjoy their kopi and chit chat with fellow neighbours throughout the day. The greying population has reached my country. I wonder when will my coffeeshop be empty on Monday morning again.

Travelling Singapore to KL

The bus ride to KL is at $23.10 from Singapore. Board the bus from Lavendar Bus station. The first bus leaves for KL is at 8.30am. Last bus leaves at 10.00pm. Contact number for Transnasional Bus Service 65 62947034

Oasis of Opportunities

Sometime I ask myself is Singapore an oasis of opportunities. I know i am still young at 37 but i hardly see opportunities for the common man here to live life productively and with a peace of mind. Well when i think of growing old here i can't picture any future as for now. How much does it cost per month for a 65 year old man to live alone here in Singapore?

Life is Short. Spend More

Singaporeans love to spend. I can see lots of them at shopping centres in Singapore Bangkok Madras and even in Dubai. My intuition about their presence at overseas shopping joints is the level and type of items they buy. Must be good quality, very cheap and cannot find in Singapore are the basic criterias for the purchases. Bear in mind the purchase items are mainly non cooked items. I assume 30%. And the balance 70% must go to food. I hope its healthy food.

Glass Fix

Fix broken glass car windscreen in 15mins at home.

Funerals

For the last 2 years, I lost 2 of my closest and most beloved. Today I just lost my grandmother. She was at 86 years old when she left us. Before her, I lost my father. I feel time has caught up with age. Now I am encountering death amongst my beloved ones. I still remember when I run around naked as a young boy as my beloved ones watched and laughed at my mischief. Time and tide wait for no man.

Come and Go

I remember the day when i had my first major surgical operation at the age of 7 years old. It was at Singapore General Hospital. My second operation was at the age of 27. It was also at SGH. Both major surgical operations was caused by growth or cyst. I am used to these operation procedure since the age of 7 years old. I remember the first time i get to talk to my surgeons just before they cut me up. And i remember the day i stayed in the hospital not less than 3 days away from my home and loved ones. It was a lonely experience for me. I am now waiting for my grandmother to be operated at NNI.

José Mourinho - The world is mine (by diksior)

Moments of Jose Mourinho e TEACHER

Passion x 10!