Lim Zi Rui: Singaporeans are treated as third class citizens in education

Reform Party candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC Lim Zi Rui has lashed out at the PAP regime for treating Singaporeans as second and even third class citizens when it comes to education.

Speaking at a rally at Clementi stadium, Zi Rui said:

“Our local students lose out, lose the chance, even though they are of the same calibre. As I said earlier, why are we being treated as second class students? As second class citizens? You can see there is this inequality that persists in our society and basically this will [be very divisive] if we do not address all these issues directly and fast.”

Zi Rui was referring to the large number of scholarships pay for by taxpayers’ monies being given to foreign students by the PAP regime to study in Singapore universities, some faculties of which are fast becoming a little China or India.

“On the tertiary students…they are being given a scholarship and work in Singapore for a couple of years. This means that they are in direct competition to our local students – why are we allowing all this competition in education, but not allowing any competition in the parliament?”

Singapore men especially lose out to foreigners because of their NS obligations and the delay of two years in entering the workforce.

The number of scholarships given to foreigners yearly remains a mystery. It is also not known how many of these foreign scholars eventually relocate to Singapore permanently to contribute to the nation.

Teo Chee Hean: PAP considers interests of Singaporeans first

With the polls only two days away, PAP leaders are making all kinds of lame excuses and promises to secure the votes of undecided Singaporeans.

Speaking at a PAP rally last night, PAP candidate for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Teo Chee Hean claimed that the PAP always considers ‘the interest of Singapore and Singaporeans first.’

He added that the PAP regime often had to make difficult ‘trade-offs’ in its decisions such as bringing in foreign workers and managing the housing market.

“For example, if the government allowed too many houses to be built and property prices crashed, I have no doubt that fingers will be pointed at the Government,” he added.

According to statistics from HDB, only some 3,100 new HDB flats were built between the years 2006 and 2008 when there were almost 100,000 immigrants, causing the prices to shoot up.

The PAP regime could have controlled the rate of rise of prices without causing them to crash.

With the two opposition MPs contesting in GRCs, there is a good chance that the PAP will win all the 82 contested seats and Singaporeans will end up with no elected opposition MP in parliament since 1981.

Lee Hsien Loong exudes confidence that PAP will “do well” on Saturday’s polls

PAP candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC Lee Hsien Loong has expressed confidence that the PAP will “do well” on Saturday’s polls where a record 82 seats are contested.

He also believes that the PAP will win hotly contested Aljunied GRC against the Workers Party’s ‘A’ team though he admitted that the fight would be a ‘tough’ one.

Reports from the ground suggested that the PAP has managed to claw back some lost support with Mr Lee’s public apology for the mistakes made by the PAP regime in the last few years and Mr George Yeo’s online video appealing for support from young Singaporeans.

PAP de facto leader Lee Kuan Yew echoed the same optimism a week ago when he proclaimed that the PAP will win the election “hands down” and the only hotspot is Aljunied GRC.

With Aljunied GRC appearing to be in the PAP’s safe hands now, it is possible that the PAP may win all the 82 contested seats which will see no elected opposition MP in parliament for the first time since 1981.

90,000 grateful new citizens are voting on Saturday and 900,000 more foreign workers (on work permits only) will be arriving in Singapore soon. This is the last window opportunity for native Singaporeans to reclaim their homeland. It is NOW or NEVER.

Ground shifting in favor of PAP after Lee Hsien Loong’s ‘apology’

The half-hearted insincere ‘apology’ made by PAP candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC to solicit support from undecided voters in the last minute appeared to be working as as the ground is not shifting in favor of the PAP.

PAP candidates for Aljunied GRC claimed that residents are not responding positively to them during their walkabouts after Mr Lee’s apology and George Yeo’s video on Youtube appealing for support from young Singaporeans.

In the meantime, the state media continues to drum up support for the PAP with more biased reporting and astroturfing to manipulate public perception and sway support to the PAP.

The Straits Times Forum published a total of 18 pro-PAP letters yesterday and another 10 today expressing support for the PAP while censoring letters in support of the opposition.

In the meantime, the New Paper continues to indulge in ‘gutter journalism’ to smear the opposition candidates. After insinuating that Dr Chee Soon Juan had held an non-existent ‘protest march’, it now alleged that a NSP candidate has committed sexual indiscretions to a student during his previous stint as a teacher.

The state media is likely to go all out on Polling Day to smear the opposition in whatever ways they can to swing votes to the PAP while rehashing its oft-repeated propaganda such as the PAP’s ‘fifty year’ track record to secure the votes of older Singaporeans.

With the two opposition MPs contesting in GRCs, there is a good chance that Singaporeans may end up with no elected opposition MP in parliament. 90,000 grateful new citizens are voting on 7 May with another 900,000 foreigners coming our way. There will be no second chance for Singaporeans to repeat if we do not reclaim our Singapore back.

Shanmugam slams opposition for playing up emotions during GE

PAP candidate for Nee Soon GRC Shanmugam has slammed the opposition for playing up emotions for ‘pure political gain’ and attacked their proposals as all “somewhere between bad and downright crazy” without even bothering to debate with them.

He described this election as a fight for ‘the soul of our (PAP”s) democracy’ and continues to threaten voters with the PAP’s stale ‘fifty year’ track record of which he played no part in:

“On one side is the People’s Action Party (PAP), which has delivered decades of good governance. Because the people have put their trust in the PAP for so long, the Government has been able to ‘plan long-term, long-range, and choose the most logical plans. That has made it possible for Singapore to be exceptionally successful’. On the other side is a model in which ‘politics means arguing to work up unhappiness against policies, even if the policies are for long-term benefit'”

This coming election is a referendum of the PAP’s performance in the last five, and not fifty years for which they have been more that adequately rewarded for.

The PAP has indeed implemented several policies for the ‘long-term benefit’ of Singaporeans such as its proposal to increase Singapore’s population to 6.5 million people in 2007 which is now put on hold by Mr Lee Hsien Loong till after the election.

The civil rights of Singaporeans continue suppressed during Mr Shanmugan’s tenure as Law Minister in which the PAP introduced a series of repressive laws such as the Public Order Act last year which outlaw even a solo protest in any part of the island except Speakers’ Corner.

Shanmugam also infamously quipped that ‘Singapore is not a country but a city state’ which reflected the PAP’s shift from building a Singaporean identity to a ‘cosmopolitan’ city filled with international migrants under its perpetual rule forever.

Lee Hsien Loong: We won’t bring in too many foreigners too fast

With the election around the corner, PAP candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC Lee Hsien is making all sorts of empty promises to placate disgruntled Singaporeans.

The sensitive issue of foreigners cropped up again during a webchat with Mr Lee on the PAP Facebook today when he was bombarded by netizens on the relentless influx of foreign workers which has changed Singapore’s demographics beyond recognition in the PAP’s mad pursuit for GDP growth.

Due to the PAP’s pro-foreigner and ultra-liberal immigration policies, foreigners now make up 43 percent of Singapore’s population, up from 14 percent in 1990. Of the remaining 57 percent who are citizens, an increasing number are born overseas.

When asked by a netizen Angela Xu on the PAP’s plans to address the tensions between foreign manpower needs and building a Singaporeans identity, Mr Lee replied:

“We won’t bring in too many foreigners too fast. We’ll work hard to integrate them with our people. We are not planning to make a 6+ million population. Not trying to get there. Dont worry.”

Mr Lee’s comment appeared to have contradicted his original stance on the matter in which he urged Singaporeans repeatedly to welcome more foreigners.

During a National Day rally speech last year, Mr Lee said:

‘Let us welcome them (immigrants) with an open heart, help them to fit in and encourage those who will become citizens to strike roots here. If we do this well, by the next generation, their children will be native Singaporeans.” (read here)

The sudden U-turn by Mr Lee does not change that fact that the PAP has planned all along to bring in more foreigners with PAP candidate for Tampines GRC Mah Bow Tan saying way back in 2007 that Singapore needs 6.5 million people. (read here)

More importantly, PAP de facto leader Lee Kuan Yew proclaimed only last week that the PAP will still be bringing in more foreigners:

“Please remember: We still need 900,000 foreign workers on work permits.”

Singaporeans should not be hoodwinked by Mr Lee’s last-minute sweet talk for a desperate man will make all kinds of promises that he will not be able to fulfil.

90,000 grateful new citizens will be voting on 7 May after which 900,000 may be voting five years later. This is the last opportunity for Singaporeans to reclaim ownership of their nation.

Dr Vivian expressed “regret” over comment made on needy Singaporeans in 2007

Four years after making the infamous remark in parliament in 2007, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan suddenly realize he was wrong and expressed ‘regret’ over it to portray a ‘soft’ side of him in order to win sympathy votes ahead of the coming election.

PAP MP Dr Lily Neo had made an impassioned appeal to Dr Vivian Balakrishnan to increase the monthly allowance for recipients of Public Assistance by $1 a day to which he retorted callously:

‘How much do you want? Do you want three meals in a hawker centre, food court or restaurant?’

 In a rally speech last night, Dr Vivian urged Singaporeans to read the entire parliamentary exchange, in which he had gone on to point out that a targeted approach to help needy families who needed additional help was better as the needs of individual families were different.

“I am stating that I believe in helping people; whether it’s cooked food that comes to you or whether it is in a food court,” he insisted.

The entire transcript of Dr Vivian’s exchange with Dr Lily Neo can be read here. It is pretty obvious that Dr Vivian thought that the pittance was enough for for “most families to get by.

With polling day only two days away, PAP leaders have been making last-minute half-hearted apologies and shedding crocodile tears to win the support of undecided voters.

Netizens should remember the veiled threat issued by Dr Vivian in 2007 to them:

“Anonymity in cyberspace is an illusion. You will remember in 2007, we prosecuted three persons under the Sedition Act because of the blogs they put up which denigrated the religion of one of our communities in Singapore. The reason we did that was to send the message that your words have an impact; if need be, we can identify you, and if we have to, we will be prepared to prosecute you.” (Source: CNA)

TNP journalist lodged police report against netizen who posted her hp number online

Embattled TNP journalist Bryna Sim has lodged a police report against a netizen who posted her handphone number on the TNP Facebook:

[Source: Boycott TNP Facebook]

The netizen Sharon Yeo claimed that Ms Bryna Sim told her she made a police report because she flamed her and posted her hp number online. Ms Yeo denied ever flaming Ms Sim and she simply re-posted her handphone number which was circulating in the hardwarezone forum. The police has not contacted her yet as of now.

A lawyer we spoke to confirm that there are absolutely no legal grounds for Ms Sim to make the police report as Singapore does not have any privacy laws and it is already available in the public domain.

TNP had ran an article on 1 May by Bryna Sim and Melvin Singh with the misleading headlines: “Is he SDP’s loose cannon“:

“It appeared that he (Dr Chee) was about to lead the group in a march before other party members intervened to stop it.”

It then tried to sow discord within the ranks of SDP by insinuating that some SDP candidates were ‘horrified’ by Dr Chee’s actions and tried to stop him.

It turned out that a supporter had wanted to hang a garland over Dr Chee which he obliged. The crowd was clamoring to shake his hand and ask for his autograph. No ‘protest march’ of any sort ever took place. (Please watch this video from 10:40 for the irrefutable truth.)

Despite being caught in the red, TNP ‘journalists’ continue to ‘stand’ by their fairy tale and refused to apologize. When contacted by the Straits Times, TNP editor Dominic Nathan said they ‘stand by their story’.

In a reply to a netizen’s letter, Melvin Singh claimed that he was ‘alerted’ to the ‘march’ by SDP candidates which had been proven to be patently false again.

Even when her mistake was exposed, Bryna Sim still refuse to apologize:

While Ms Sim has been on the receiving end of brickbats from netizens, her editor Melvin Singh who was the one in charge of the article has gone into hiding. Netizens have been trying to contact his office number to no avail:

Melvinderpal Singh
Deputy Editor
Office: (65) 6319 5567
Email: melvin@sph.com.sg

The fairy tale concocted by TNP to smear SDP is likely to cost it crucial votes in the polls on 7 May. Till now, TNP is still standing by its hogwash and refuse to retract the story, let alone offer a public apology to SDP and Dr Chee.

Condo resident accuses Lui Tuck Yew of ‘trepass’, denies hurling vulgarities at him

The condominium resident whom PAP candidate Lui Tuck Yew for Moulmein-Kallang GRC made a police report against for ‘confronting’ him has stepped forward with his side of the story.

Mr Lui posted on his Facebook wall that a resident who had claimed to be an ardent opposition supporter was threatening him and his team and “calling the PAP government the worst (more vulgarities) government in the world” when they visited his condominium during a walkabout session.

Using the moniker of Xerovix, the resident denied of huring vulgarities at Mr Lui and accused him of ‘trepass’ on Hardwarezone forum.

Xerovix said he was shocked at the sudden appearance of whole ‘bunch’ of about 15 – 20 PAP members and supporters who walked into his condominium compound unannounced and started knocking on the doors of the residents.

Being a member of his condominium management committee, Xerovix shouted  at them asking who gave them the permission to enter and requested to speak to their MP.

He ran after them and confronted Mr Lui who acted ‘very fierce’ with him.

“I asked who gave him permission to come .He said “resident’ and could not tell me who. In any case it is not a license to go all over he estate. I shouted at him saying he was trespassing and he needed to have MC approval. That i was MC member and no one asked for approval.

He replied ” I know you are not pappy with PAP government so no need to be like that and extended his hand to shake mine”.

I said I will not shake his hand and shouted to him to get out of the esatte . I followed up by saying this was the worst goverment and hoped he will be voted out.”

Xerovix claimed that he overhead Mr Lui telling his entourage “Did anyone of you record the conversation” when he left.

He added he never made any threats and the ‘vulgarities’ Mr Lui referred to were words like “lousy”, “useless”, “bloody”.

His condominimum management corporation has since issued a notice to all residents not to allow any political parties to enter the compound and to remind them that they need to get MC approval. 

As a former minister, Mr Lui should know that he is not allowed to enter the compound of private properties to canvass for votes at the invitation of a single resident without obtaining approval from the MC.

It is even more hilarious that he lodged a police report over such a trivial incident and still dare to announce it to the entire world.

Read more here.

PAP Aljunied team accused netizens of ‘slander’ that it is pressing charges against mentally challenged boy

PAP candidates for Aljunied GRC has denied online allegations that it is pressing charges against a mentally challenged boy who slammed a chair on a glass door during a Meet-the-People session chaired by Cynthia Phua in 2009.

In a note on its Facebook page, the team labelled the allegations and reports “slander that has been viralling online“.

“We didn’t press charges. The mother and son have been coming to MPS regularly and we had been helping them to get financial aid. We had continued to help after the incident and we will continue doing so,” it added.

The PAP candidates should provide concrete evidence to show that they were being slandered instead of throwing wild accusations at netizens.

The online allegations were made based on a New Paper report on 8 May 2009 which were being circulated around.

In the article, it was reported that the mother had returned to the MPS again with her son to apologize to the MP who was then Lim Hwee Hua. It stated that the hand-written apology by the teenager was NOT ACCEPTABLE to Ms Lim.

‘I made it very clear to (the mother) that this is unacceptable behaviour. It is not justifiable in any circumstance. There’s no excuse to be violent,’ Mrs Lim told The New Paper.

She also explained that she was not in a position to excuse or forgive the boy.

‘I was not present and the police are investigating into the matter. I believe the police will take into consideration the mitigating factors,’ said Mrs Lim.

It was very clear that though either Ms Phua or one of her grassroots leader have lodged a police report against the poor child which got him ARRESTED.

Ms Lim did not mitigate on behalf of him and the charges may be dropped eventually because there is no case against him.

The PAP team for Aljunied should come forward and explain why they need to make a police report against a mentally challenged child for an action which was committed in the spur of the moment.