Reply from Catholic Youth Apostolate's ghost writer

Selwyn Lee felt that my brief quote from the Catholic Youth Apostolate's letter to Ngee Ann Polytechnic student newspaper was "irresponsible and self-serving". His case can be seen here in his complete response, together with the original unedited letter (which I had not seen before this). Responding email.

Preachers, pests and usurpers

Two students of Ngee Ann Polytechnic were annoyed when people came to preach to them as they were busy with their project work. But that is only the "soft" end of evangelism in Singapore and Hong Kong. Full essay.

On community moderation of internet content

The discussion about community moderation has tended to be about what kind of superstructure is needed on top of the digital platform. This is totally misguided. Full essay.

The hermitage is no solution

Gay, lesbian and transgender people cannot retreat into their private lives completely and think that they can live happy lives distanced from government and the law. I said so in answer to a question posed by a junior college student last week. This week, two news stories strike the same note. Full essay.

Sec-gen issues open invitation to participate in Asean community building

Surin Pitsuwan, the Secretary-general of Asean, hosted a pan-Asean pre-summit briefing for a number of civil society groups. Representing the Singapore human rights group Maruah, I registered our concerns for human rights and other issues. Here is a report of the session.

Is a general election this year now confirmed?

In what appears to be a slip-up, we can see Mediacorp at work preparing its election website. Full essay.

Nathan fluffs his reserves explanation

President Nathan gave a press conference to "explain" how and why he agreed to unlock the reserves for the government's 2009 budget, but even with polite, unchallenging reporters on hand, it was a poor job. Full essay.

Naked straitjackets

Malaysian politician quits because she sleeps in the nude. Singapore triathletes banned because they shared a room. Society is poorer for such nonsense. Not safe for work. Full essay.

366 detained without trial in last 5 years

Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng revealed to Parliament that there has been active use of a temporary law - temporary since 1955 - to detain 366 persons without trial between 2004 and 2008. None of them had anything to do with terrorism. Full essay.

Like Singapore, Dubai is crashing

This article in the International Herald Tribune makes interesting reading: Laid-off foreigners flee as Dubai spirals down. Dubai, unlike neighbouring emirates, does not have oil, and has instead built an economy on finance, entrepot trade and glitzy tourism. In the last few years, as the bubble ballooned, it's been billed as a star performer, attracting loads of foreigners, building the world's tallest tower, and so on.

Now, parts of Dubai are "looking like a ghost town" as jobless foreigners are forced to leave. Property prices in some neighbourhoods have crashed more than 30 percent in the last 2 - 3 months, the airport parking lot is full of abandoned cars, and Dubai officials have dropped hints that they'd be willing to accept a bailout from oil-rich neighbours.

And there's no light at the end of the tunnel. People can't foresee how the good ol' days will return. Is there a lesson here for Singapore?

Female teacher admits to sex with boy aged 15

Here is an interesting mirror case to that of six men charged with sex with another boy, also aged 15. These cases are worth monitoring in case there is a pattern of bias. Full essay.

Re: suggested career path for Madam Ho Ching

Temasek Holdings announced a few days ago that CEO Ho Ching will be leaving at the end of September. Speculation is rife that she will be moving into politics to take up a ministerial position. Alex Au and Choo Zheng Xi have a better idea which should interest the prime minister. Guest entry.

Ho Ching had 10-year term at Temasek; leaves early

The Financial Times reported on 6 February that Ho Ching, who earlier this week announced her imminent departure from Temasek Holdings, had been expected to serve 10 years when appointed CEO in 2002. The newspaper said, "[Ho Ching] added that her appointment in 2002 was made on the condition that she would remain for at least 10 years to carry out necessary reforms to the once-sleepy state holding company." (Financial Times, 6 Feb 2009, Goodyear to head Temasek)

Stepping down at the end of September 2009 would therefore mean a premature departure.

There seems to be no explanation yet for this apparent change in plans.

Ho Ching is the wife of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Her presence at the head of one of two Singapore government investment vehicles had complicated Temasek's investment forays abroad, giving reason to nationalists from India to Indonesia to argue against allowing Temasek to take up stakes in strategic industries like banking and telecoms.

Another possible reason for change was hinted at in the Financial Times' story. It pointed out that her successor, Charles Goodyear, came from natural resources giant BHP: "Mr Goodyear’s appointment heralds a possible change of investment emphasis for the S$185bn (US$124bn) fund towards natural resources rather than financial services, a sector in which Temasek has recently made massive paper losses in banks, such as Merrill Lynch."

According to Temasek’s most recent annual report, said the Financial Times, two-thirds of its portfolio is in the financial and telecoms sectors – with just 5 per cent in natural resources.

This overweighting of the financial sector in Temasek's portfolio characterised Ho's tenure. Is it now being seen as a serious mistake?

No need to know how the President uses his second key, says the government

Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam rebuffed calls by members of parliament for more transparency concerning how the President came to agree to release the reserves as requested by the government for the 2009 budget. What can explain the withdrawal into opacity? Full essay.

Opposition unity still illusory

Nine panellists at the forum "Opposition - where to ", organised by the Singapore Democratic Party, spoke about unity among opposition parties, joint activities and working together with civil society. But are these realistic? Full essay.

Behind Today's Lui story

I was briefly quoted by 'Today' newspaper in their second story about Lui Tuck Yew's remarks in Parliament concerning self-regulation in the internet community. Let me share with you what happened behind the scenes between the reporter and me. A peek into how "news" is made. Full essay.

Six men charged for sex with boy aged 15

The Attorney-General's Chambers appears to be aware that prosecutions for homosex can be politically sensitive. In this case, it went out of its way to explain that the alleged "victim" was a minor and that regardless of gender, there would be the "same protection of the law". Yes, but which law? Full essay.

A political tourist in Kuala Lumpur

In the Malaysian capital over Chinese New Year, my friends and I visited various places of worship, but the politics of race and religion were never far away. Full essay.

Shield us good, mock us bad, says Lui

Community moderation of online content has failed its test, said Lui Tuck Yew, the junior minister for information. What appalled him was that people were allowed to say unkind things about Seng Han Thong, a PAP MP who was set on fire by a constituent in January. Full essay.

Time for the Ox to heed the lute

Guest writer Abun Hentag examines the applicability of measures being tried by other governments to the economic downturn to Singapore and finds that we have limited scope for doing likewise. Longer term issues too remain unaddressed. Guest essay.

Half-million is the new benchmark

US President Obama has capped executive pay at US$500,000, in any company being bailed out with taxpayer money. Aren't Singapore ministers too being paid with taxpayer money? Does the recently announced 20 percent pay cut in 2009 bring it within the new half-million benchmark? Full essay.

Saving jobs, savaging filmmakers

In Parliament this week were two important announcements. The government in Budget 2009 announced a slew of schemes to cope with the economic downturn, but something is still missing. And then they showed how insincere they were when they spoke of freeing up media. Full essay.

Obama White House uploads its gay agenda

Anti-gay rightwingers like to use "gay agenda" as a sneer to suggest some kind of hidden, illicit conspiracy, but the new US President has one too. What's in it? Full essay.

Israel's unpleasant surprise

With ceasefires now declared by both sides, Abun Hentag offers his views on the recent Israeli bombardment of and incursion into the Gaza strip. Guest essay.

Move on, shut up

Is it really in the public's interest that we shouldn't know about how civil servants spend their wealth? That civil servants should keep quiet about it? Is it in the public's interest that the police should have summary powers to chase people off the streets? Full essay.

Muddy Singapore swallows China workers, parts 3 and 4

These are the much-delayed (apologies!) wrap-up stories about the six men who were being pressurised by their employer to accept a fraction of their wages after not being paid for three months. Part 3 tells what eventually happened to them. Part 4 discusses the bigger picture why our foreign labour recruitment system is dysfunctional, resulting in the mess we see. Read Part 3 and Part 4.

Are our economic priorities right?

Singapore was the first country in Asia to fall into recession last year, and the numbers are getting gloomier. Why are we so vulnerable? Full essay.

The pretty boy barber

In Singapore, the government says race, language and religion are sensitive subjects, and OB markers are set. Questioning nationhood is also frowned upon. Result: people seldom write about these topics, except in banal, politically correct ways. Let me talk about them my way. Full essay.

Independent investigation needed over Tang's kidney transplant

A hanged prisoner's kidney goes to a wealthy man who had been convicted previously of trying to buy a kidney, and who was thrown off the kidney transplant waiting list. The Minister for Health dismisses the matter as a private affair. It is not. Full essay.

Why there mustn't be an election this year

Someone whom I think should be in the know tells me an election is coming. I find this rather hard to believe. There are no good reasons for holding an election. Full essay.

Singapore government rejects AIMS' key recommendations

Refusing to make any significant moves to liberalise the internet, the Singapore government insists on keeping the law banning political films, and on retaining the Class Licence Scheme, including the registration requirement. Full essay.

Muddy Singapore swallows China workers, part 2

The saga continues. Two more workers had to spend a night in a police lock-up while nobody seems to know what's happened to the first two, arrested last week. And why didn't the Ministry of Manpower prosecute the employer for not paying wages and overtime on time? Full essay.

Community effort no substitute for government inaction on MSM HIV

As the incidence of HIV climbs among men who have sex with men (MSM), it would be a misplaced question to ask "What is the gay community doing about it?" while accepting fatalistically the conservatism and inaction of the government. Some clear thinking is badly needed, or there'll be no progress. Full essay.

Educating DBS

DBS bank proudly announced a Christmas promotion benefitting an anti-gay Christian group. Boycott calls rang out. Full essay.

Muddy Singapore swallows China workers

Here's a specific case of six workers from China who've become extremely unhappy about the Singapore government. Their wages have not been paid for 3 months, but instead of helping them with their case, various government departments have abetted their employer's attempts to cheat, rob and kidnap them. Full essay.

Politics airport-style

This week, headline news was made when Thai protesters arrayed against the elected government seized and occupied Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports, cutting the capital off from international air links. What is fight all about? Full essay.

The government wants active citizens so that they can harass them

Remember the campaign a few years back calling for "active citizens"? Here's a story about the troubles we go through, harassed by the governmental apparatus every step of the way when one attempts to organise a forum and film showcase. Full essay.

Conversation stoppers

In Malaysia, islamists warn off critics of the recent fatwa against "tomboys". In Singapore our government zealously files contempt of court charges against the Wall Street Journal Asia and three activists, in separate cases. Strange bedfellows? Full essay.

One party good, two parties bad, says PM Lee. Again.

Lee Hsien Loong said incoming President Obama will be attempting to undo the fruits of George Bush's labours, it's the nature of a two-party system that there will be this chopping and changing. Singapore cannot afford such an adversarial two-party system, he said. Not for the first time. Full essay.

Screwed by the impotent

DBS Bank is retrenching 900 employees following a poor third quarter performance. Lim Swee Say, cabinet minister and trade union czar, blasted it for not consulting the union beforehand. But why should DBS Bank do so? Full essay.

Tea leaves from California's Proposition 8

What can Singaporeans learn from the failed campaign against Proposition 8? In my view, attention needs to be paid to opinion formation among ethnic minorities, and to developing an effective response to irrational fears that children will turn gay. Full essay.

Scary ride down the economic roller coaster

The financial crisis has turned into an economic one. Singapore's GDP growth may be negative in 2009; lay-offs begin, and still no one knows where the bottom is. Full essay.

Bali bombers and the death penalty

Having moral convictions is easy. Holding them fast against the reality that people are capable of doing abominably evil deeds is a lot more difficult. Full essay.

Man killed for exposing himself

Suhaimi Sulong propositioned 2 young men in Orchard Towers for oral sex and exposed himself to a third. These 3, with 3 more friends, attacked him, beating him to death. Originally charged with manslaughter, the charges were later reduced. Was the prosecutor showing undue leniency? Full essay.

Obama: change we can expect

Americans have elected a new leader, who will take office next January. A quick essay sharing my reading of this man, after watching him for almost a year as he campaigned for the presidency. Full essay.

Indulgence towards anti-gay hate speech

A run-of-the-mill news story in the Straits Times attracts anti-gay rants. Why are these allowed to stand when similar hate speech touching on race and religion are not? asked a reader. Full essay.

Bus commuters caught in terminology jam

The Straits Times reported that commuters disputed the Public Transport Council's finding that "buses were late on only 25 occasions and too crowded only 28 times" during a six-month period. Indeed it is too good to be true. Full essay.

From Alexandra Hospital to Washington: The currency of race

Faced with racism, what do we do? What should we do? On November 4th, in the US presidential election, the biggest blow yet may be struck against this social cancer. Full essay.

Fatwas, sermons and religious meddling

Malaysian clerics issue a fatwa against butch-dressing and lesbian sex; India's Additional Solicitor-General is chastised by a court for quoting the Bible as evidence; California's Catholic Church instructs its congregants to vote against gay marriage. Full essay.

A troika of news from an economic tailspin

Las Vegas Sands goes hat in hand to banks, looking for funds; the world looks for new reserve currencies in place of the US dollar; while at home, a shop is looking for buyers for its "goods". Full essay.

Cantonese Sydney

Unlike my usual solo travelling, I was in Sydney with friends. Albeit that the company was unrepresentative of Australians as a whole, going out with them showed me a side of Sydney that I might never have encountered myself - one with an amazing amount of Cantonese being spoken. Full essay.

Three walks in Sydney

A photo essay from three walks I took along the ocean and harbour shores of Sydney Australia. They offered great views and varying moods. Photo essay.

Academic freedom and the Rascals Prize

Academic freedom has to be fought for. A spark has been lit in Singapore, with a protest on Hong Lim Green. Apart from political OB markers, gay subjects are often taboo in academia too, but the last 5 years or so have seen students exploring this field and lecturers encouraging them to do so. Time for a prize to honour the best work. Full essay.

With recession coming, what social safety nets have we in place?

As a flat tax, the GST has created social inequity. The obvious response should be for the state to set up arrangements to redistribute income and provide social safety nets. Has it done so? Full essay.

J B Jeyaretnam: The iconography begins

PAP leaders and the Straits Times have been disgraceful in the way they responded to the death of opposition leader J B Jeyaretnam. The Straits Times called him "irrelevant". Was he? Will he be? How long before memory and significance fades? Full essay.

Blogtv's "Am I gay?" episode

After nine years, Channel NewsAsia revisits the topic of homosexuality in sex education programs. A considerable improvement over their first attempt, but like so many CNA programs, rather rushed and light-weight. Full essay.

J B Jeyaretnam passes on

Opposition politician J B Jeyaretnam passed away in the early hours of 30 September 2008. A lawyer who sprang into prominence by winning the Anson constituency by-election in 1981, thus breaking the People's Action Party's monopoly of all seats in parliament, he paid for that act of insolence (at least in the eyes of the PAP) by being targetted and soon sued for defamation. He was bankrupted as a result of having to pay enormous sums as damages.

Yet, he never gave up the fight. Again and again, he threw himself against the steamroller of an authoritarian state. Despite paying dearly for his pugnacity and idealism, he became a beacon of hope for any Singaporean who believed in liberty and democracy. We were awed by his courage and tenacity, and we must surely be grateful that he kept, at times almost single-handedly, the flame alive.

More people on this island, but poorer

Singapore's total population grew a stupendous 5.5 percent between June 2007 and June 2008, but the economy is flagging. The new demographic report gives many interesting details, enabling a different way of looking at our racial composition. Full essay.

Viewer advisories and the laugh test

Singapore censorship policies requires broadcasters to issue viewer advisories before they air offensive content. But what constitutes "offensive"? (This essay is not work safe.) Full essay.

Is engaging the mainstream media pointless? Part 1

I was quoted in the newspapers in three different places today. Were they accurate representations of my views? An example for evaluating if the media is fair. Full essay.

River light-up may not wear well

Coinciding with the inaugural F1 Grand Prix race in Singapore, the first phase of the lighting makeover of the Singapore River was switched on, on 20 September 2008. At the same time, this year's Singapore River Festival was launched. Both use the same concept -- of flashing rainbow lights. How does an otherwise historic district look now with such a tacky scheme? Photo essay.

Burmese patriots "undesirable", says Singapore government

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng explained in Parliament that some Burmese who had organised "unlawful" outdoor protests were "rightly decided" to be "undesirable" elements. But how right is that? How "lawful" is the law? Full essay.

Facing down a grave security threat: politics

Cycling events by political parties are not allowed, said the government, unless it is organised by a charity foundation, such as the PAP's own. Gopalan Nair is sentenced to three months' jail for insulting judge. Singapore prides itself in being tough, so that we enjoy a safe and peaceful society. Full essay.

Occluded by the Merrill Lynch headlines, an Indonesian riddle

A brief history of Temasek Holdings' fling with Merrill Lynch, the thermonuclear end to which seized such attention that a Jakarta court ruling almost went unnoticed. Full essay.

At Malaysia's Freedom Film Fest 2008

This grassroots-organised event featured a weekend of short films on various human rights issues. In the discussions that followed, Islam featured strongly. Full essay.

The Mr & Mrs Tan gambit

I had a thought-provoking conversation with a senior journalist about how far the government would go in adopting the likely AIMS' proposals. The issue of internet regulation begs much bigger questions about what we expect from law, and the insecurities of our ministers. Full essay.

150,000 Singaporeans live abroad

Sometimes you find nuggets of information when you trawl through the Parliamentary Reports. But why not have a Freedom of Information Act, so we can ask directly? Full essay.

Between cowardice and the rule of law

Attorney-General Walter Woon once again reiterates that no one is above the law. What will he do with section 377A, our anti-gay law, that the government has said will not be "proactively enforced"? And what lessons does the Dred Scott case of1857 hold for us? Full essay.

The panic of the anointed

The bulk of Christian clergymen are apprehensive about interfaith dialogue, a newspaper report said. Nearly half feared their religious convictions would be undermined by such contact. What would these guys have thought about meeting island natives with tinkling penises? Full essay.

In Jurong GRC, more wanted a by-election than not

Helping out with a street survey is an eye-opening experience. Here are a few observations I made about Singaporeans' view of their political rights and their understanding of democratic mechanisms. Full essay.

My brilliant solution for Singapore's demographic future

Guest writer Pan Hong-En had an Eureka moment. Here he describes, tongue-in-cheek, what he believes can be a solution to our baby shortage woes. Guest essay.

Mitcham's edited Gold

An Australian diver makes Olympic history, but the story doesn't quite make it into news. Too inconvenient perhaps? Guest essay by Tim.

AIMS' proposals progressive but can be improved

A government-commissioned panel issued a consultation paper last week with respect to internet regulation in Singapore. The group of 13 bloggers which had submitted our own proposals to the government in April this year held a press conference giving our response to the consultation paper. Full essay.

The first fruits of civil disobedience

The newly relaxed rules on podcasting, vodcasting, political films and demonstrations at Hong Lim Park are not a gift from the government, but a victory won through civil disobedience. Full essay.

Family benefits? Gay men and women need not apply

Where do gay men and women figure in this childbearing frenzy? Guest writer Isaac Powell pose this and other questions at the heterosexism of the latest measures. Guest essay.

Babies wanted, but only in traditional families, the traditional way

Newly announced tax exemptions, baby bonuses and extended maternity leave all reveal a reluctance to think out of the box. Is conservative morality so important that we'd rather not try our best for more babies? Full essay.

Feeling a little silly in a football tabloid

The New Paper asked me for a 400-word article on the theme, "If I were the prime minister". Would any of the tabloid's football fans bother with a political piece?. I gave it a go, but still felt like fish out of water. Full essay.

Singapore shows Burmese dissidents the door

Stealthily, the Singapore government is deporting the activists who have been organising against the military junta. From a moral perspective, it's totally wrong. From a long term realpolitick perspective, it's utterly stupid. Full essay.

Demonstrations to be allowed in Hong Lim playpen

Prime Minister Lee Hisen Loong announced 3 new liberalisations in his National Day Rally speech. They were couched in so many ifs and buts, do they amount to anything more than mere tokenism? Full essay.

Side-stepping the death penalty

Three men were caught with 18.4 grams of heroin. Under the law, they would face the mandatory death penalty. However, the prosecutor told the court that they were being charged with possessing 14.99 grams. Was he playing fast and loose with facts? Full essay.

Sodomy law makes you look foolish

Home Minister Wong Kan Seng tries to explain the government's position on the Chan Mun Chiong case. Meanwhile more developments in Malaysia (the Anwar case) and India. Full essay.

Cirque de Singapour

We're investing in sports and arts education, but we should also think about providing multiple career paths for the graduates before they leave for greener shores. Here's an idea: invest in a dance/acrobatic theatre. It's crazy, some will say. But seriously, why not? Full essay.

Lording over all the Rios

For transgenders, private citizens can be their worst nightmares, behaving like vigilantes and petty tyrants, making life a misery for them. Rio Moreno's story. Full essay.

Give me dogs over religionists anytime

The anti-abortion campaigners are now saying that women who undergo abortion may suffer mental health effects, using this argument to support their call for a "relook" at the laws. A call made out of "love", you understand. Full essay.

Straits Times redesigned, parts 1 and 2

Singapore's leading English daily, the Straits Times, relaunched a revamped version 8 August. The redesign of the print version looks successful. The online versions, however, still look messy. Part 1 and Part 2.

Boys should dance

Equality is an elusive thing when we start off with different body shapes. At the Olympics, we will celebrate inequality, but in daily life, we have to find ways to compensate for it. Full essay.

The state should pay for maternity leave and provide childcare

Anticipating the theme of this year's National Day Rally, the government is likely to announce more measures to boost the birthrate, but they will likely be parsimonious half-measures. Full essay.

Malaysian politics can make you stupid

One month ago, Mohd Saiful accused Malaysian opposition politician Anwar Ibrahim of engaging in sodomy with him. The police and media treat it as sexual assault. Now they're arguing over medical reports, pus and blood, or the absence of such. Did anyone notice the slippery slope from sodomy to sexaul assault to rape? Full essay.

More changes to electoral system in the offing?

Goh Chok Tong said in a recent speech, "the status quo cannot last forever." A week later, the Straits Times had a two-page spread about Group Representation Constituencies and how they have changed over the years. Full essay.

Punitive approach not the best, says drug policy advocate

Ethan Nadelmann pointed out how Singapore is now a far outlier in our approach to drug abuse. Many countries, even in Asia, have moved to a harm reduction strategy because the latter delivers better social and public health results. Full essay.

Those other ones affected by homosexuality

Suicide. Murder. Rage and despair. Families of gay people have very few resources to help them cope. They don't know whom to turn to or where to begin. Full essay.

Escalator and other paralyses

Singaporeans stand still rather than walk on travellators. Nor do they clear trays from self service restaurants. We also have a low birth rate. Might there be something in common with all these? Full essay.

Of airports, nudity and an insult to men

Changi is a good airport, at least as compared with 2 other major air hubs I know. Changi's Terminal 3, officially opened last week, has the first of the millimetre-wave scanners which creates anatomically faithful images of passengers. Full essay.

Singapore's religious rightwing trains its sights on abortion

So far, our Christian fundamentalists have focussed on spreading hate towards gay people, but in a recent article in the Straits Times, law lecturer Tan Seow Hon opened a campaign against abortion. Undeniable parallels with the political campaigns of the religious right of the US, seeking to impose their moral absolutism on everybody else. Full essay.

Stolen star shines an unflattering light

Cabinet minister Vivian Balakrishnan told a roomful of students that the YouTube age of politics is here. Without sound, music and moving images, nobody will watch, he said. He may be right: we're all watching the 2008 National Day music video. But why, really? Full essay.

Does the Attorney-General know what's in the law books?

Attorney-General Walter Woon says men who sexually abuse underaged males will be prosecuted under Section 377A. What's wrong with that? Full essay.

Where's the line between serving the state and serving the party?

Attorney-General Walter Woon's difficulties in explaining away his remark about human rights 'fanatics' shows how compromised one can be when serving the state, in a case where one political party so dominates it. Full essay.

Sodomy, corruption and Malaysia's Penal Code

New sodomy allegations against Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim shows how sodomy laws when used for political purposes corrupt politics. It also makes it harder for a society to deal intelligently with the question of homosexuality. Full essay.

Regulate, not ban, the sale of human organs

The current law that criminalises the sale of human organs creates moral unease when it is used to prosecute the already desperate. Time for a policy rethink. Full essay.

Thursday morning at the Novotel

You never know who else is staying in the same hotel as you, and who you'll meet at breakfast. This morning, in walks a man dressed differently from everybody else. Musings on identity and symbolism. Full essay.