Jaslyn Go’s Blog

It was 1015am at West Coast MacDonald’s..

I was having breakfast with my son’s 2 ex-teachers when a big group turn up and took a row of seats just right in front of us…

Oh..what a sight..

Seated right in front of us were a whole bunch of PAPies..noticeably my “never bother to reply my email” MP Baey Yam Keng, “bashed by taxi driver which kick start the penal code that bashing of MP constitutes 20 yrs imprisonment” MP Seng Han Thong, Lawyer Ellen Lee and a few other which I don’t know their name..

Hmmm…looks like they were having a meeting…maybe another hip hop in the making…(haha)..

Wanted to walk up to MP Baey Yam Keng and ask when is he ever going to reply my email, but my two ex-teachers stopped me vehemently..”no lah..don’t lah..not nice lah..” (haha)..to save them the agony..i refrain from approaching him..

He was seated directly opposite me, and I was literally staring at him and he won’t/refused to look my way which give me a inkling that he does recognize me..

Another interesting fact i notice, out of the big group of about 15 or so..none of them order drinks or food..inflation hitting our MPs as well?

hmmm…..

Today ST

Singapore’s success not about PAP or opposition

I AM from the same senior-citizen generation as Mr Lee Choon Wah, who wrote the laudatory letter last Saturday, ‘Opposition yet to show it can deliver’.
In the past few decades, this generation lent its unquestioning support and blind loyalty to the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) Government.

Taking its place will be a new generation of younger, better-educated and Internet-savvy Singaporeans who can think, read between the lines and add two and two to make five.

The PAP Government can rightly claim some but not all credit for Singapore’s success so far.

Its hardworking people, favourable time zone and geographical location have also contributed to its development as a financial centre and an air and sea hub.

Put simply, had the PAP governed Timbuktu in Africa, would the outcome have been similar?

Singapore’s continued survival must depend ultimately on the collective input and teamwork spirit of its politicians, civil servants and people. No one group has a monopoly on ideas or can claim all credit for Singapore’s achievements. Each group makes its share of contribution, big or small.

The necessary ingredients for good political governance are:

Caring politicians, who know they are answerable to the people to earn public respect, as well as encourage people to speak up freely to understand their concerns and tap their contributions.

Competent civil servants, who try hard to serve the public better and accept responsibility for mistakes.

Active citizens, who must overcome their fear of speaking up to highlight society’s shortcomings and know there are more important things in life than making money, asset enhancement and HDB upgrades – such as good health.
Only when people can speak freely will they have a sense of rootedness as citizens of Singapore. They will then not be ‘quitters’ but ‘stayers’ and will not be indifferent and leave everything to the Government.

This is one critical challenge facing Singapore. Politicians must make up their minds once and for all whether to continue breeding ‘yes-man’ citizens who will let them govern ‘their country their way’, or sincerely nurture thinking Singaporeans who will team up with them to govern ‘our country our way’.

See Leong Kit

It was last Thursday 24 July 2008..

I was grocery shopping with my helper, stocking up on food and household items..which is a bi-weekly routine..

As we alighted from my car, I switched off my bluetooth handsfree and took my phone in my hand and walk over to my helper to carry some of the groceries shopping bags..

We made our way to the lift and back home, after unpacking all the stuffs, I proceed to my study room to finish up some work..While typing away at the computer, I started to realise my handphone was so quiet today..Usually i will have afew SMS by this time, a daily SMS by OCBC to update me on my account balance..a breakfast SMS with friends…but nothing..

I start to search for my handphone..from my walk in wardrobe to my toilet to my handbag..still no sight of my handphone..I tried calling my own number..my line was switch off!!! Oh no (alarm bells ringing)…but perhaps, I left it in my car..(though I still remember vividly that I took out my handphone after switching off my blue tooth hands free)..I ask my helper to search my car for me and the area surrounding it..while I re-search my walk in wardrobe again, thinking I might have dropped in one of the shelves.

My helper came back with the bad news..No sign of my handphone..(sob sob)..

I only realise I lost my handphone a good 2 hours later. I reach home from my groceries shopping at about 9.45am..I am only found out my handphone missing at 11.30am and confirmed my handphone lost at about 12 noon..

The next few hours was busy with calling Starhub to cancel my line and to get a replacement SIM and phone..Starhub was rather helpful and offer me a good discount off my handset purchase since this was my 1st time reporting lost of handphone..

The lost of handphone was rather frustrating and heartaching as not only I lost some of my contacts, but more so of the pictures that were lost..No..I don’t mean Edison Chen kind of pictures / videos..but that of my two cute kids..In fact just the day before, I took some Kodak moments pictures of them both sitting in a big shopping bags.. They look like my ‘shopping bag’..I have not sync with my computer yet..sigh.. Lastly..there is this attachment to the phone that you are so used to using..it’s like part of u gone (haha..I am so emotional even towards a handphone)…

I bought the new Samsung Omnia..a far cry from Apple iPhone, but the closest I can find..nothing still beats the Apple iPhone with the big screen display, the user friendliness, the sensitivity of a touch screen a touch screen should be..sigh..(my dear friend who found out I lost my handphone, offer to buy me the new 3G iPhone, thank you pal, you are always such a dear friend..which is a big consolation)..

I have picked up 3 hand phones before..and on 3 occasions I returned back to their owners..Noticeably 1 of them..whom did not even called back to check on her hp..but I make effort to scroll through her contacts list and manage to get 1 of the contact to call the owner and get her to arrange the pick up of the handphone from me..

I do fully understand the agony of losing a phone which is why i made effort in returning back the handphones that I picked up previously.. but I guess..not many think like me..

(SR#: SR/2008/0722/1-9CC8K) –
Activity # – 1-9CC5C: (SIU 3494/2008) Appeal for Parking Offense 841202804K
Tuesday, 22 July, 2008 3:54 PM
From: “SPF Service Improvement Unit”
Cc:SPF_Feedback_MAYCI@spf.gov.sg

Dear Ms Jaslyn Go

I refer to your email of 30 Jun 08 and 21 Jul 08 addressed to Mr Yew Ai Choo.

Your feedback is receiving attention. A reply will be extended to you soon.

Regards,
Esther Tan
for Quality Service Manager
Singapore Police Force

*******

WARNING: “Privileged/Confidential information may be contained in this message. If you are not the intended addressee, you must not copy, distribute or take any action in reliance thereon. Communication of any information in this email to any unauthorised person is an offence under the Official Secrets Act (Cap 213). Please notify the sender immediately if you receive this in error.”

Re: Appeal for Parking Offense 841202804K
Monday, 21 July, 2008 5:30 PM
To:”IO Yew Ai Choo”
Cc:”URA Carparks”

Message contains attachments
DSC00006.JPG (184KB), DSC00028.JPG (167KB)

Hi Inspector Yew and URA…

I have yet to receive any reply from the police and URA with regards to illegal parking by the police. (picture taken on 26 June 2008).

Police and URA were so quick to pin the blame on motorists committing parking offences, so will they be fair then their own are found committing parking offences?

I have attached another two photographs taken on 3 July at 18:59 (illegal parking at seasons parking lot) and on 20 July 2008 at 09:59 (illegal parking at loading/unloading bay) respectively.

I am still awaiting for the government departments to walk the talk and show impartiality in the administration of our laws (irregardless of who are the one committing the offense).

Wednesday, 16 July, 2008 10:35 PM
To: ica_feedback@ica.gov.sg, wong_kan_seng@mha.gov.sg, k_shanmugam@mlaw.gov.sg

My experience at the Woodland and Tuas checkpoint left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

I was driving towards Woodland checkpoint early on Sunday morning (13 July 2008) before 8am and was stuck in one of the worst customs jam I ever came across in the many years travelling to Malaysia. I made a detour to Tuas checkpoint thinking that it might be a better choice.

When I reached Tuas, there was already a long queue forming. Only when my turn came did I realise what is the cause of the customs jam. All of us were required to get down to give apply out thumbprint to the singular available thumbprint recognition device set up for this purpose.

When I headed back from Malaysia at 11+pm towards Woodlands, clearing Malaysia’s custom was such a breeze, but at the Singapore causeway, the same customs jam I witnessed in the morning awaited me.

The traffic was crawling at 12 midnight. It took me 1.5 hours just to reach the custom booth. The ICA staff came out from his booth, and told us in a very harsh tone to wind down our windows and reveal all our faces.
My two kids were crying from the long wait and I requested that he make it fast and not to hold us up unnecessarily.

After clearing from the customs booth, another jam awaited at the secondary clearing with again 1 lane is open for vehicle to go through.

Now, the ICA would like to have us think that after their 2 recent hiccups, they need to be more vigilant and stringent in their checks.

My questions however are,

1) Is our ICA so poor as to only have one operation biometric device?

2) Is our ICA so capable only to be able to maintain vigilance at one customs secodary clearing?

3) why do we citizens have to pay for ICA’s mistakes? Given the time wasted and inconvenience caused to us, time is economical lost to us too.

4) if the ICA thinks that due to their negligence, the stringent checks are necessary, shouldn’t they be deploying more personnel to handle the stringent checks and minimise their inconvenience caused to motorists? (1 lane for motorists on the left side of the customs to handle such a jam??)

5) the department responsible for the negligence should be taken to task and made to answer for it, motorists should not be paying for the mistakes of that department. If there is any economic loss, ICA should pay, not the motorist. (i.e. deploying more staffs, opening up more counters, have a portable biometric device instead of inconveniencing motorists to alight to apply the thumbprint imprinted, they should be moving around with a portable device that allow them to come to us than we go to them)

6) cost of deploying more staffs, use of portable device etc should be borne by the respective departments or pay cut from the HOD be used for this purpose and not taxpayers money.

7) ICA staff may be doing their job, but they should learn to be more polite when they do so, they should be the one seeking our cooperation to ameliorate their mistakes made and not demanding our cooperation in a harsh and unfriendly tone as it we owed it to them.

Citizens should not be paying for the mistakes made by the Government. It is time for respective departments, in this case ICA and MHA, to take responsibility for their mistakes.

Re: Time for ICA and MHA to take responsibility for their mistakes
Wednesday, 16 July, 2008 11:28 AM
From: “STForum”

Thank you for writing to us. We do appreciate your making the effort.

We receive up to 70 letters each day. Limited space means we can publish only about a dozen every weekday.
This means having to make often-difficult editorial judgments on which letters to publish.

We regret we are unable to publish your letter.

If your letter relates to a matter under the purview of a government department, you may want to visit
www.sgdi.gov.sg for a list of officials to contact.

Yours sincerely

Ms Noor Aiza
for Forum Editor
The Straits Times

Reuters, 11 July 2008

NINETEEN people, including several opposition party members, were charged in court on Friday for taking part in a protest over rising prices in the city-state.

Amongst those accused was Chee Soon Juan, leader of Singapore’s most vocal opposition party, the Singapore Democratic Party, and several of its executive members.

Court documents showed they were charged for participating in a procession and an assembly, offences that carry a maximum fine of S$1,000.

‘The Tak Boleh Tahan Protest was meant to speak out against the multitude of ill-timed price hikes initiated by the government,’ said a joint press statement by the group.

Tak Boleh Tahan means ‘Cannot Take It’ in Malay.

Some economists believe the government’s two percent tax hike on goods and services last July helped stoke inflationary pressures.

Protests in Singapore are rare and an assembly of five or more people requires a permit from the police. Singapore says it needs tough laws on assembly for the maintenance of peace and stability.

The accused said they will go to trial but are currently without legal representation. In a press statement, the group’s sole lawyer, Chia Ti Lik, said he was unable to represent them because he was also accused.

‘We are now all the more convinced that the protest was needed and justified and simply had to be done,’ the statement said. ‘We make an appeal for Singaporean lawyers to come forward to represent us in these proceedings.’ — REUTERS

This press statement was read by Chia Ti Lik to reporters at the Subordinate Courts on Friday 11 July.

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT from the 19 Accused:

Chee Soon Juan, Chee Siok Chin, John Tan Liang Joo, Ghandhi s/o Karrupiah Ambalam, Jeffery George, Seelan s/o Palay, Muhammad Jufri Bin Mohd Salim, Lim Teck Hee Sylvester, Chong Kai Xiong, Surayah Binte Akbar, Lang Chin Kah Carl Coca, Ng E-Jay, Francis Yong Chu Leong, Chia Ti Lik, Go Hui Leng, Mohamed Jufrie Bin Mahmood, Govinda Rajan s/o Surian, Yap Keng Ho, Muhammad Shafi’ie Syahmi Bin Sariman

THE TAK BOLEH TAHAN CAMPAIGN
THE PROTEST ON 15th March 2008 World Consumers’ Rights’ Day
Before Parliament House Singapore

We are the 19 Singaporeans summoned to Court for allegedly participating in an assembly and procession without permit near Parliament House on 15th March 2008 – this event is also known as the Tak Boleh Tahan Protest.

The term “Tak Boleh Tahan” is colloquial Malay for “We can’t take it anymore”.

The Tak Boleh Tahan Protest was meant to speak out against the multitude of ill-timed price hikes initiated by the Government, directly and indirectly in areas ranging from GST, public transport to education and healthcare, which have exacerbated the inflationary situation and made it much harder for Singaporeans to cope with the increased cost of living.

Despite rumblings from the ground, the Government had been unwilling to take real steps to reduce the cost of living for the majority of Singaporeans and the poor and lower income groups have been the hardest hit. When we presented ourselves in front of Parliament House on 15th March 2008, we did so because we felt that the protest would send a strong message on behalf of our countrymen to the Government not to make life any more difficult for Singaporeans.

On 15th March 2008, 12 of us were arrested on the spot. Subsequently, another 7 were called up and questioned. By this morning, all 19 of us have been formally charged in Court 23, each with one count of assembly without a permit and one count of procession without a permit.

In light of the price hikes further initiated from the 15th March 2008 till today, it is clear that the Government remains unwilling to take active steps to make life less unbearable for all Singaporeans. We are now all the more convinced that the protest was needed and justified and simply had to be done. We are further convinced that our claim as citizens to the right of assembly and freedom of expression was timely and proper. Therefore, we would wish to claim trial to the charges brought against us.

I am the only lawyer in the entire group. But since I am now also a co-accused, I am unable to act as legal counsel for the group. Therefore the group at present is in need of legal representation. We make an appeal for Singaporean lawyers to come forward to represent us in these proceedings.

Chia Ti Lik

Time for ICA and MHA to take responsibility for their mistakes
Tuesday, 15 July, 2008 9:20 AM
To: stforum@sph.com.sg, news@newstoday.com.sg

My experience at the Woodland and Tuas checkpoint left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

I was driving towards Woodland checkpoint early on Sunday morning (13 July 2008) before 8am and was stuck in one of the worst customs jam I ever came across in the many years traveling to Malaysia. I made a detour to Tuas checkpoint thinking that it might be a better choice.

When I reached Tuas, there was already a long queue forming. Only when my turn came did I realise what is the cause of the customs jam. All of us were required to get down to give apply out thumb print to the singular available thumb print recognition device set up for this purpose.

When I headed back from Malaysia at 11+pm towards Woodlands, clearing Malaysia’s custom was such a breeze, but at the Singapore causeway, the same customs jam I witnessed in the morning awaited me.

The traffic was crawling at 12 midnight. It took me 1.5 hours just to reach the custom booth. The ICA staff came out from his booth, and told us in a very harsh tone to wind down our windows and reveal all our faces.
My two kids were crying from the long wait and I requested that he make it fast and not to hold us up unnecessarily.

After clearing from the customs booth, another jam awaited at the secondary clearing with again 1 lane open for vehicle to go through.

Now, the ICA would like to have us think that after their 2 recent hiccups, they need to be more vigilant and stringent in their checks.

My questions however are,

1) Is our ICA so poor as to only have one operation biometric device?

2) Is our ICA so capable only to be able to maintain vigilance at one customs secondary clearing?

3) why do we citizens have to pay for ICA’s mistakes? Given the time wasted and inconvenience caused to us, time is economical lost to us too.

4) if the ICA thinks that due to their negligence, the stringent checks are necessary, shouldn’t they be deploying more personnel to handle the stringent checks and minimize their inconvenience caused to motorists? (1 lane for motorists on the left side of the customs to handle such a jam??)

5) the department responsible for the negligence should be taken to task and made to answer for it, motorists should not be paying for the mistakes of that department. If there is any economic loss, ICA should pay, not the motorist. (i.e. deploying more staffs, opening up more counters, have a portable biometric device instead of inconveniencing motorists to alight to apply the thumbprint imprinted, they should be moving around with a portable device that allow them to come to us than we go to them)

6) cost of deploying more staffs, use of portable device etc should be borne by the respective departments or pay cut from the HOD be used for this purpose and not taxpayers money.

7) ICA staff may be doing their job, but they should learn to be more polite when they do so, they should be the one seeking our cooperation to ameliorate their mistakes made and not demanding our cooperation in a harsh and unfriendly tone as it we owed it to them.

Citizens should not be paying for the mistakes made by the Government. It is time for respective departments, in this case ICA and MHA, to take responsibility for their mistakes.

Point to note too that;

(1) I detest and condemn such childish and insensibly behavior that are contradictory to my beliefs and completely unproductive to my present activists work.

(2) We all have been very busy with many important things going on in our lives (Apparently, Ti Lik has so many legal cases to work on; E-Jay have been writing diligently on his sgpolitics.net; I am equally occupied with the activism work, sales of TBT T-shirts etc in addition to my existing work & family responsibility for my Kids, etc).

We should all look forward [instead of being stuck in the past] and channel our energies to things beneficial to the greater cause of common good.

It has come to my attention that there have been many personal attacks and threats on me and my friends…even E-Jay has been threatened with harm.

To whoever that is doing that…On behalf of my friends and myself, I apologize and am sorry for making you feel so upset…

I would also like to assure everyone we are not involved in any of the recent exchanges or attacks.

Ti Lik, E-Jay and myself dare to stand up against the establishment with conviction. Intimidation from the establishment doesn’t work on us…so I hope you get the message as well…

Engage and reason with us if need be…

We knew that when we decide to come forward and stand up for our rights, more or less we are bound for some attacks.
We take it in our stride that this is part and parcel of activism.

If you are with us, and want to make SG a better place for everyone, stand alongside with us against the establishment.
The energy and resources wasted on us is not worth it…It could be better used against the establishment instead…

If you represent the establishment itself, get your master to fight us gentlemanly in the open and not hide behind some faceless nickname casting unwarranted and vile aspersions on us…

Last but not least…I would like to thank those responsible for the attacks and threats on us.
Thanks for showing interest in us, thanks for reading up on us. Hopefully one day you will find something that you read about us that you are finally in agreement with. We will definately work on that…

If you truly hate us, please leave us alone. One shouldn’t waste too much time on someone you hate…take the time to love instead…

Food for thought:

“Love the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed that the person does”

“Defeat the unjust system, rather than the individuals who are caught in that system”.