Politics enters turbulent waters as prime minister retires
By Jonathan Manthorpe
Vancouver Sun
March 30, 2009
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is known as a courteous gentleman, ill-fitted for the brutal and violent world of his country’s politics.
But even the tolerant and spiritual Abdullah could not resist a kick at the pack of snapping hyenas around him when he retired last week after nearly six years as everyone’s fall guy.
Unless, he warned, the United Malays National organization (UMNO), the party that has dominated government since independence from Britain in 1957, stops silencing its critics, jailing its opponents and discriminating against minorities, it is on the fast track to political oblivion.
It was a harsh judgement, but a just and alarming one for a country which until recently has been seen as one of the great economic and political success stories of Southeast Asia.
Despite its oil wealth and highly educated middle class, Malaysia has been hit harder than many by the global recession. Exports are down by one third and the economy is expected to shrink by at least five per cent this year.
But the more troubling aspect long-term, that Abdullah pointed to in his farewell speech, is the apparent crumbling of the political culture.
Abdullah took over the leadership of UMNO and became prime minister of the Barisan Nasional governing coalition in 2003 at a time when the country appeared ready for some political calm after a couple of decades under the intemperate and stern discipline of Mahathir Mohammed.
But it swiftly became apparent that it took a man of Mahathir’s authoritarian instincts to control the feral beasts that inhabit the Malaysian political jungle.
Abdullah was just too nice for the job. Last year the voters gave the UMNO-led coalition its worst election results in over half a century, and Abdullah’s departure was only a matter of time.
He has been replaced as UMNO leader by his deputy Najib Razak, who will formerly take over as prime minister this week.
Najib comes to power laden with a mess of political baggage that illustrates Abdullah’s warning about UMNO being out of touch with the voters.
Najib has been accused of corruption, especially allegations around a deal to buy French submarines when he was defence minister.
He denies those charges, but they won’t go away, in large part because of the current trial over the murder of a Mongolian former Parisian model, Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Shaariibuu was the mistress of Najib’s main policy adviser Abdul Razak Baginda and she appears to have acted as a translator during negotiations over the submarine deal.
Shaariibuu was killed in October 2006 and her body destroyed by military explosives. Prosecutors allege she was killed by two of the bodyguards of Najib’s wife, and, to the incredulity of opposition politicians, Baginda has already been found not guilty of involvement in the murder.
Independent media in Malaysia allege Shaariibuu was killed because she demanded a share of the $155 million US “commission” paid to a company linked to her paramour, Baginda, by the French.
The court is due to deliver its verdict on the two bodyguards next week.
Wow YB, suddenly feel the need to blog blog blog? :P
Malaysia’s new PM, Najib feat. Aminah
Isn’t YB Lim trying to show that the political baggage of the planned-to-be 6th Malaysian PM is now being reported by the foreign news media, even in faraway places such as Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada?
Remember. Tiger, lion, snake and other predators kill their prey before feasting on them. Hyenas chew and gnaw their victims alive.
The tiny country recently named a new deputy as part of a cabinet reshuffle. It is however expected that 14% of that country population is only represented by one minister. The Worst Part is that he is holding the most insignificant position in the cabinet….
We are very lucky that BN is practising power-sharing concept. They ensure that each community is equally represented to promote peace, prosperity and harmony……
Can anyone refresh our memory that the commission paid out by a French company is under investigation by the French Government?
cintanegara, you are indeed lucky that BN is practising power-sharing concept. Without those non-Bumi ministers, Malaysia could be in deeper sh1t now. Maybe when you are the PM, you should get someone from the mental hospital to represent you, and a Mat Rempit to represent his gang.
cintanegara,
Don’t you think the tiny country down south is so unlucky for not following Malaysia’s politics? I mean, they should give property discounts to the majority Chinese. They could improve their universities’ world ranking by following Malaysia’s exam system and matriculation. They could improve their graduates’ employability by using Malay as a teaching medium.
Most importantly, the little red dot should be governed by such capable Prime Ministers as AAB and Najib, education Ministers like Kerismuddin, and other super ministers and MBs like Syed Hamid, Toyo, Semi Value, Mohammad bin Mohammad.
Can you imagine, if the little country followed Malaysia’s way of running the government. it would ranked among the first world now, like Malaysia.
Yes, Malaysia is very lucky indeed. Poor little red dot – a third world country…
Lets use kitchen. Yes small kitchen and large kitchen. Two kitchens. And two groups of chefs who are (for the sake of argument) of equal ability and competency. The large kitchen of course has a bigger group of chefs than the small kitchen.
Oh yes. One thing is undeniable. Small kitchen is a great deal easier to manage than a large kitchen. Large kitchen has more problems. Its larger for one thing. And being larger it has bigger and more problems. This is a fact too.
But the large kitchen actually has lots of utensils and very good supply of materials for cooking. The small kitchen has very very limited utensils and only a minute supply of materials.
Now both groups of chefs are required to produce a cake each with what they have. What do you know. The cake produced by the little fellas is actually as large as the one produced by the big fellas. Conversely, it can be said that the cake produced by the big fellas is small like the one the little fellas produced.
Either way, something is not right. Can the advantage of an easier to manage small kitchen alone be enough for the small fellas to produce that kind of result – to match the big fellas? This is the only advantage they have. Now lets look at the big fellas. Could they not maximise their advantage of materials and utensils superiority and the advantage of more chefs to the fullest? Is a large kitchen really so very very difficult to manage?
Lets look at the questions again carefully. The question for those little fellas is really one of wonder – of how they are able to produce results with so little resources. The question for those big fellas is how they are not able to produce results given the rich resources they have.
Am I confusing you cintanegara? I know you are a product of umno’s (-)meritocracy system. But really this is as simply as I can put it.
our country’s transition of power has been reported widely following AAB’s resignation. all of these articles introduce our new PM as:
CNN:
“Najib also brings with him a whiff of controversy. Two former bodyguards are facing charges in connection the murder of a Mongolian model. He has denied all links to the killing.”
BBC:
“Mr Najib is expected to take over as prime minister on Friday.
He has described allegations concerning the murder of a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, as “malicious baseless lies”.
Two policemen who used to be in his protection team are on trial for the killing of the 28-year-old, while one of Mr Najib’s senior aides admitted having an affair with the woman.
Ms Shaariibuu reportedly accompanied Mr Najib as a translator when he, as defence minister, negotiated a controversial submarine deal in France in 2002. Mr Najib denies ever meeting Ms Shaariibuu. “
TheWrathOfGrape & the rests,
Why are you guys so obsessed with the tiny country? A Good neighbour will not claim sovereignty over an island which is located closer to its neighbour…This is not the first time such incident has happened….How many times their fighter jets intrude into our territorial sky??
They’re at it again!
http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/528723/National/1/20/1
Nobody investigates this stuff: ‘national interests’ as ever.
Perhaps when PR form the new government, they can draw up a list of politically destabilising countries not to deal with. You could call them the Axis of DontGiveAShitWhatEffectDodgyArmsDealsHaveOnPalmOilRepublics or something.
But if you did that, you’d probably be C4ed yourselves, almost certainly to the sound of accordion music, by special agents in stripy shirts and berets, smelling faintly of onions.
cintanegara – I worry for your mental stability and memory loss – it is an indication of dementia. Go back to the top of this thread and see who was the idiot who was obsessed with the tiny country. Who was the one who first brought up this irrelevant diversion when this thread is clearly about hyenas and Pak Lah.
Pak Lah is history.
I like him as a human being…..but as our PM…he was a great disappointment..totally irresponsible and a liar.
We hated UMNO for so long….and gave UMNO another chance….because of him saying…he will be “People’s PM”.
And the 12th GE…our final warning….with slim majority…still no change.
Infact..after the 12th GE election…Pak Lah and UMNO got from bad to worst….no work….talk talk talk politics…defending UMNO..defending personal matters…drawing huge salaries.. fringe benefits….allowances……doing nothing.
Ah yes…..RM60 billion good news announced. Meanwhile…many like me…need to cut salaries….retrench staffs and struggle to survive.
To me…that’s bullshit too…to save themselves….more than anything else. No need to give details. Every right thinking Malaysian know….how UMNO manage money.
But it is nice to know…foreigners are so well informed of our country….governed by UMNO.
UMNO will tell foreigners to mind their own business..while they can mind others…in the name of Islam and equal rights.
You see..UMNO treats all RACES equal.
They can divide to rule…..and that give the the rights to judge others.
Lee Kuan Yew call UMNO ministers…”weird buggers” long long ago and keep far far away from them..and LKY is the most respected Asian man in the world.
UMNO simply do not feel any guilt nor shame at all.
Yes…the signs are so clear. UMNO thinks Malaysia belongs to them…….lock.. stock and barrel.
cintanegara,
Try stopping a Malay from the tiny Red Dot which you seem to envy so much and ask him/her for direction, and immediately you get to hear: \ I’m so sorry. I am SINGAPOREAN,\ with a friendly smile. What does that tell you, cintanegara?
Yes, that person is trying to tell you he/she is only visiting your Bolehland……HE/she does’nt want to be mistaken for a Bolehsian….That person is proud to be a SINGAPOREAN.
Cintanegara, by what you write, others can tell the kind of human being you are. So many Kataks di bawah tempurung in Bolehland. cintanegara, you are unmistakably the biggest among them.
Bravo TheWrathOfGrapes, you have put that peabrain back to his
sh#thole. What a beautiful day!
Why it is very important to relate that tiny country in LKS’s blog.
1. DAP and the government of that country share a common ideology.
2. DAP and the government of that country practise nepotism.
3. DAP and the government of that country represent a particular community
4. Perhaps one or both of them are kiasu.
5. Both of them don’t believe in power sharing.
6. Non-exhaustive list
The government of that country has ruled for almost 44 years. The concept practised by their Government can be adopted as a benchmark if DAP were to take charge of the Federal Government. The newly introduced policies could lead to marginalization,,,,,,,
Cintanegara…
That tiny country which is located down south, about a 4 to 5 hour drive from KL is a first world country! to begin with. The country’s investment porfolio is impressive thanks to the government investment arm, even South Korea and Japan approached them to emulate their model. That tiny country’s literacy rate is much higher, per capita income puts Malaysia to shame. That tiny country if at all were to go for war against Malaysia, will no doubt easily defeat Malaysia. That tiny country is almost corrupt free where politicians serve the people and not they other way round.
Power sharing? What makes you think UMNO shares its powers with others?
I sugest you pay a visit to this tiny country so that your tiny brain could understand what’s actually going on in terms of progress, education etc. Then perhaps you could this information with the ‘tiny minded’ friends of yours in UMNO.
cintanegara – you are obsessed and possessed.
Hahaha…the bodoh cintanegara wants to compare us with the little red dot…in truth, all the UMNOputras can’t sleep easy at night alternating between envy and fear. Envy of the first world status of the little red dot, and fearful of the truth of meritocracy.
All the UMNOputras can’t explain how a little red dot could have 4 times the per capita income of Bolehland, and 5 times our foreign exchange reserves. Like cintanegara, they keep scratching their heads….
I beg to differ the point you highlighted below:-
That tiny country if at all were to go for war against Malaysia, will no doubt easily defeat Malaysia.
it is unnecessarily to underestimate and misjudge your own country….
Sorry guys…a bit of a digression here. Some of you may know that former Bar Council Prseident Ambiga Sreenivasan was honoured by Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama at the Secretary’s 2009 International Women of Courage Awards held in the United States.
Funny that it did not get a wide coverage here! She even gave a speech on behalf of all the recepients!
It would have been different had it been a Malay or an UMNO supporter( would have got land and titles from the govt!) Yeah..truth hurts!
Have a look at the link
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1857622883?bclid=0&bctid=15389713001
TheWrathOfGrapes Says:
Today at 16: 26.02 (32 minutes ago)
cintanegara – you are obsessed and possessed.
Haha..good one…let’s get a bomoh for cintanegara
The little red dot’s leaders protect their people. Bolehland’s leaders loot from their people. The little red dot practises nepotism to ensure continuity of governance. Barang Naik practises nepotism to protect their loot.
I never met with that Mangolian Woman. You see even Najib does not mentioned the Banned Name.. Just Mangolian Woman!
Watch His Body Language and his Eyes movement here..
http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/2009/03/use-nlp-and-judge-if-najib-lies.html
What do you all think?
Shiok Guy
Uncle Lim,
Its “Cheng Ming” this Saturday 4/4/2009, a day that we remember our love ones who have passed away.
Is it as good a time as any to organise a remembrance service for “the” foreign victim who was brutally murdered right in our backyard with 27 mllions of our citizens now crying ” WHO ordered the killing?”
let us also come together on that day to pray corporately for justice be done for the victim. One may escape from man, but no one can run away from God.
Cintanegara, what’s your problem? Of all the commenters on LKS blog, it’s you that most frequently brings up Singapore! Nobody is going to turn Malaysia into Singapore – it’s impossible. Singapore is like a shopping centre with a coastline, it does very well for the same kind of reasons that Jersey and Bermuda do well. Malaysia is a completely different kettle of fish. We have different problems and different opportunities.
I’m fed up with the Singapore topic on this blog – it’s like a slashdot joke, only not funny. It’s a foreign country. They do all right in some things and they’re not so good in others. That’s what other countries are like. Get over it!
I can’t believe you lot have started “oh yeah? Well my country can blow up your country!” How old are you?
cintanegara is so pissed off at not being a Singaporean.
eat your heart out….
The little red dot founding father’s son (the current PM of the little red dot) is never associated or suspected of any involvement with murder and graft.
But can you say that of the son of the man who was also a member of the 1956 mission to London to seek the Independence of Malaya and also the second PM of Malaysia.His involvement in murder has been swirled around the world by no less than 6 overseas publication with the Vancouver Sun being the latest.And you have nothing to say! Just only can make wild comments on that tiny red dot.
You must be one of those described very aptly by Tunku Aziz as one who has managed to put his mouth into overdrive while shifting his brains into reverse.What he means is that for people like you the mouth and the ar.e.o.e are simply the one and same thing.I think I’ve mentioned that before,haven’t I?
Pak Lah’s “kick at the pack of snapping hyenas around him”
That is meaningless as he’s already dead meat. He’s almost gone, unless a miracle happens.
My above comment is addressed to cintanegara who is so obsessed with the tiny
red dot his comment about that country borders on ridiculousness.
Now that I think again, it’s quite an interesting topic. The deliveries of Polish Main Battle Tanks ‘PT-91 Twardy’ that are due to finish this year – how was that purchase originally framed? Is Malaysian Defence spending done on a ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ basis, or are ‘use cases’ presented first? If so, what was Malaysia planning to do, back then, with 48 Main Battle Tanks? Have they also bought the equipment to carry them overseas, or can we look forward to the Northern border being extended soon?
Guess what. The little dot down south is being used by some idiot here as a distraction. Too much heat is building up around the collar of the man now in public’s eye for the wrong reasons and some diversion, that idiot must have thought, would provide some good relief for the man. Sorry. No such luck. Continue to pile the pressure. Pile them on.
Actually cintanegara loves and envies the small little dot down south. But being a very good parrot that was taught by UMNO he couldn’t speak of any other thing that he has not been taught.
Parrots seem to be smart but in actuality their brains are pea-sized. Has anyone owned a parrot that can talk? You cannot teach it to talk any other things because parrot are parrots. I have a parrot which can only talk ‘Good morning’ whether the day is in the afternoon or night. I try to teach it to say ‘Good afternnon’ and ‘Good night’ but I am just wasting my time.
All folks out there, don’t be too harsh with cintanegara. He loves to hang around here because he will be free to squawk whenever he likes. He doesn’t want to stay in UMNO because he knows that UMNO people are cruel and will make a curry dish out of him as they cannot tolerate him talking a stale message over and over again.
A small ambiguity ‘glitch’ in the last paragraph spoils what would have been a fairly accurate description of the events surrounding this highly unpopular ascension of Jibby to the Crime Minister of the nation of ‘criminals’.
The phrasing of the paragraph might leave uninitiated Canadian or other readers with the impression that the media in Malaysia is indeed ‘independent’. Alas!
Dear Cintanegara
Since you started the red dot subject, this is to correct you that 8.8% of its population, the Indian community to be exact has 4 of their ministers in the cabinet, from an ex DPM to present Senior Minister, Finance Minister, Law & 2nd Home Affairs and Community Development, Youth & Sports Minister. These are important ministeries helmed by non Chinese in the tiny dot and that represents 19% of the entire cabinet, far surpass its 8.8% population share. This is not made possible from power sharing practised by the bigger dot, they are elected by the people and appointed to their respective portfolios solely based on their merits.
Cintanegara, you should pay a visit to this tiny dot, interract with the people there and you will soon realise, it is very much different from the big dot. I am proud to inform you that I come from that tiny dot.
Nice to see that news of Bolehland politics warrant enough interest to be published in a Canadian newspaper.
Any Canadians posting on this blog?
I am amazed by how Cintanegara – the moron alleges the tiny red dot with nepotism? As if your master UMNO is corruption/cronism/nepotism-free?
I guess how you present yourself here practically sum up what kind of life you are having all this while. Good luck to the remainder of your life =)
AAB won big in the 11th GE cos the rakyat felt happy TDM had retired for good. The ” work with me ” slogan was quite attractive too. Also opposition was weak and disunited.After almost five years in power ,AAB changed to ” work for me, for SIL.for A rustam ,for Mike T etc etc ” .The rakyat got fed-up with him,took the chance to teach him a lessen in the 12 th GE. That it’s all about why AAB causing umno almost lost it’s power.Guys like NR,MY and HH ganged up with TDM to wear down AAB,hence forcing him to give up the presidency of the party even before he can heated up pm seat.
That tiny red dot country provided job opportunities to several hundred thousands of Malaysian citizens everyday throughout the past 46 years of the former’s nation-building history. Cintanegara, what have the government of your Umno political master done so far in order to help the jobless Malaysian citizens? The employers of that tiny red dot country help to feed several hundred thousands poor families of Malaysian citizens by offering them a decent job opportunity. The Singaporean Government also helps to educate the smart students of Malaysia through offering the ASEAN scholarships. The Umno Government cannot even provide a suitable job opportunity to many unemployed university graduates or unemployed college graduates.
It is also shameful to make a comparison of the per capita income between the tiny red dot advanced country of Singapore and the backward country of Malaysia. Can Cintanegara please elaborate further on why Malaysia has such a low per capita income in order to justify your claim that your political master of Umno Government is far much better than the Singaporean Government?
Pak Lah’s story as PM of Malaysia is a sad tale of good intentions but weak leadership. When he omitted to change his cabinet after his big election win in 2004, to me, the signs were already ominous. He was that laid back. It foretold the man thought the prime minister’s job was a prize to be enjoyed, not a grueling mission to reform a country whose institutions had been systematically degraded by his predecessor. Yes, he enjoyed the trappings of success; a man of mediocre capability but who achieved the #1 post in the country and did not measure up. Now he will be honored with a Tunship. Only in Malaysia can this happen.
Out of the topic but will certainly be of interest to many here,go to the wedsite below for Q&A with Lee Kuan Yew at NUSS:
http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/25088.html;jsessionid=96C760FA72D1B4519D05E81D73AB6D60.oo
Just listen to a razor sharp mind telling the audience what will be the world and Singaopore of course after this big recession.And Singapore’s problem.Absolutely awesome.
Cintanegara you will get some education if you can understand him and get more informed about your world from him.You won’t get that from your hero the Mamak because there is no comparison both in the breadth of thinking and vision.Go and get Shamsul,Kassim Amat to listen to him too for they also must get informed and educatated.
correction: “Go and get …………………………………..get informed and educated.”.
AhPek: How could he get educated when he already has a University Malaya degree – obtained not through merit of course, but through the mamak’s quota system ?
MATI – Meritocracy, Accountability, Transparency, Integrity – a set of core values that Malaysia sorely needs, without which the country surely will die.
Today marks the day 52 year old Malaysia is laid to rest.
A pathetic epitaph…
Here lies Malaysia
Born with a golden spoon
Natural resources aplenty, a boon
Wrecked by incompetence
Metastasized by corruption
Ruled by malice
Killed by malaise
Next time buy British submarines…then at least if Muhyuddin kills the translator…..the Brits at least have the principles and balls to investigate this under table money that cheated an entire nation and left a woman dead….as for French….they will do anything for pussies…..and of course money….we have to thank our lucky stars we were never colonialised by these fellas….
I had believed that AAB would be a good leader and good captain who would not abandon his sinking ship of state.
But obviously not, so I was obviously mistaken in placing my trust in his basic human decency and good leadership ability.
He has failed Malaysia and let the Malaysian People down.
May God forgive him for that failure.
History will not.
raven77 Says: the Brits at least have the principles and balls to investigate this under table money
No la! Al Yamamah. Look it up on wikipedia. The UK gives free tax payers’ money to Arabs, they give free money to fundamentalists, the UK uses tax payers money to send the tax payers’ children to die in foreign lands, killed by tax payers’ money. The Serious Fraud Office think it’s wrong, the Attorney General invoked ‘public interest’ and blocked the investigation. The arms manufacturers and the politicians mourning the tax payers’ ‘glorious dead’ children do very nicely. I think if they have a principle, it is “it’s just good business”.
If Brit politicians have balls, they’re probably bumping against exotic foreign thighs, just like the balls of any other country’s politicians. The Chinese got it right with Zheng He.
DEar Onlooker,
For records, Singapore has approximately 4 million people as compared to Malaysia’s 27 million.
Singapore is a city state while part of Malaysia is still thick forested. In Malaysia there are still hundreds of thousands live in the interior accesible after hours of long boat journey.
Malaysians are of various races from the largest racial group, the Malays to tiny population of Kenyah, Kelabit, Penan and Orang asli. Balancing their needs and aspiration that often contrasting each other is a very delicate job.
There is no denying of Singapore’s success from clean environment to excellent transport system. Malaysia also progress at different pace. Standard of living maybe high in Singapore. So does the cost of living.
Success has a price. Not everybody can take pace of rat race. And failure also has is price. Poverty van lead to loss of humanity.
My point is give credit when it is due.
cintanegara, why are u so obsessed with calling a black cat white and obsessed with kissing the a’s of those u know stinks of all kinds of greed?
in tiny dot one enter politics to serve the country on merits
in big dot one stands in line to enter politics to get hands in the cookie jar by kissing a’s
To let cintanegara to be further informed about power sharing which he is fond of harping without really knowing which is also typical,we compare the cabinet (full minister position) line up of Singapore and Malaysia.
Total size of Singapore’s cabinet: 21
Total number of Chinese ministers: 16
Total number of non Chinese ministers: 5
% of Chinese in Singapore’s population: 76.8% (From Cia’s source)
% of Chinese ministers in the cabinet : 76%
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Total size of Malaysian cabinet: 32
Total number of Malay ministers: 23
Total number of non Malay ministers:9
% of Malay ministers in the cabinet:71.8%
% of Malays in the population: 50.4% (according to CIA’s factbook)
From the stats I have cited,ask yourself which country gives a more equitable power sharing.Unless you are totally maths illiterate,you can clearly see that Malayasia has given dispropotionate power to the Malays whilst Singapore has a far more equitable power distribution.From there one can definitely say the one Singaporeans are far more fairly treated than Malaysians!
Many of you claim to be Malaysians yet condemn this country to the dogs and even praise a foreign country. Cintanegara is only being patriotic and loves his country is that wrong?
Tell me Jan is criticising or hating one’s government the same thing as not loving or condemning one’s country? Get this straight first before I allow myself the time to engage with you.
Dear Jan
Patriotism is a virtue and it must be laudable. However Cintanegara, save for his patriotism for his country, blindly fired off without checking facts and as a result, he has gained more brickbats not only from his own country men but from patrotic citizens from the small dot too. I am from that small dot.
Condemn the govt of the day by all means but please do not condemn our country. We are born here and we must all die defending her if necessary.
But Jan who is condemning the government? You think those who are criticising people like cintanegara,kassim amat or shamsul condemning the country!Are opposition parties traitors to the country because they criticise the government administered by a large group of scumbags who become fabulously rich thro stealing from the coffers!
Correction: But Jan who is condemning the country?
Some readers here are condemning the country. They said Malaysia this Malaysia that. There’s nothing wrong with the country only the people who run it.
Dear Jan
A righteous person will not resort to condemning his own country, the big dot or another country, the small dot for personal gain. Big and small dots were once previously, political differences resulted in separation which was probably a best solution then. It is now history, we can’t change it now. Small dot is not perfect, will never be perfect and she has her own domestic issues too. Big dot should not always use small dot to score points, I mean the politicians. The economic downturn is a big problem globally, shouldn’t all put their energies in riding out this difficult times instead of engaging in domestic squabbles? Jan, your loyalty to your country is unquestionable and for that I, give you my highest admiration.
Collin, I am willing to die for my country even though I have been discriminated by this govt. This country IMHO could have been as advanced as yours if not for certain politicians and their misplaced policies. I can understand some of the whinging among readers but they should direct their vitriol directly at those responsible for our country’s malaise. To do this try to vote them out at each and every election.
Singapore is an advanced country which I admire and visit very often but I wouldn’t want to stay there for the rest of my life.