30 March 2008

Hotel Singapore now officially gay-friendly

Kerry Sieh, a gay American, was convinced enough by Lee Kuan Yew's words to take up a new job in Singapore. Full essay.

24 March 2008

Improving the Internal Security Act

This law gives the government wide discretionary powers to detain people without trial. We can either abolish it or create a mechanism for oversight. Full essay.

19 March 2008

What to do with the Tibetan question?

Monks and lay people planned a series of marches in and around Tibet this month. These were promptly met by security forces in China and India. China is, as usual, cracking down brutally. Time for a closer examination of the issue. Full essay.

17 March 2008

Cinema: Slam and Bangkok Love Story

Two films as different as night and day, one agile and unceasing, the other rather flatfooted. And quite loses the plot. One worth watching, the other not. Full essay.

14 March 2008

The mathematics of elections

Suppose a vote shift happened in Singapore at the next election similar to what happened recently in Malaysia, what will the resulting parliament look like in terms of political party representation? The mathematics of it explained. Full essay.

13 March 2008

Street work ain't for us

It's interesting to see migrants do entrepreneurial things that Singaporeans don't do. What does it say about us? Full essay.

10 March 2008

Any lessons from the Malaysian general election for us?

The ruling Barisan Nasional's loss was greater than anyone expected. The key issues in Malaysia in the run-up to their 8 March election seemed to be unhappiness among the Chinese and Indian minorities. Is this pertinent to Singapore's domestic politics? Full essay.

09 March 2008

The great hunt: bunker chaos

Here's an alternative explanation for why information about Mas Selamat Kasteri's escape came out in ribs and drabs. Full essay.

07 March 2008

Sex is all around, get over it

A Lim Soo Hoon complains that a shop handed her son a condom and sold him a kamasutra chocolate. A Bennie Cheok complains that a TV show had a same-sex couple living with a son. Meanwhile, strippers make it big. Full essay.

04 March 2008

The great hunt limps along

It's six days since Mas Selamat Kasturi escaped from Whitley Road Detention Centre. The longer he stays undiscovered, the more likely he is getting help and someone is concealing him. Full essay.

03 March 2008

Be meek and be dispossessed

Service quality is rarely good in Singapore. But bad service and bad behaviour persist partly because we ourselves don't speak up. Full essay.