The Anti Neo-Democracy Theorist

早报关于近期的通过膨胀压力的分析非常仔细，尤其是对我国在繁忙时候的交通问题提出了实际的解决方针

通胀压力下中下层更需援手

民生课题始终是政治的核心议程。即便在经济蓬勃发展的当儿，民生课题仍然是民众最关切的。在一片涨价声中，衣食住行样样凸显，而政府显然也早已敏锐的注意到民众的忧虑，并正在加紧设法缓解随经济好景以及各种外在因素而来的通胀压力。　　李显龙总理前天在全国职工总会四年一度的全国代表大会上讲话时，便突出了国人现在普遍关注的住屋、交通和医药费问题，并吁请国人放心，因为政府正在拟定各种解决方案。不过，在政府的解决方案出台之前，相信民众或多或少还是会感到忐忑不安的。

以组屋为例，由于过去积存的单位已逐渐被市场消化，屋价和组屋转售价节节上涨又刺激了人们的跟风进场的心理，过去的滞销组屋固然成了抢手货，一些新近推 出的组屋项目更出现蜂拥抢购的现象。许多年轻配偶也感叹根本无法通过“直接选购计划”申请到新房子来准备结婚，因为可供选择的单位有限，申请的人却异常之 多，有些地方可供申请的单位只有三百多个，竟然出现一万多个申请。

国家发展部宣布，将加快建屋步伐，以应需求。国家发展部长马宝山之前 已经向国人保证，政府除了会通过提供资料让市场信息更为透明之外，也会确保市场的供应量足够。他指出，未来三到五年，市场将出现各种类型的住宅，肯定会有 足够的供应，只是在未来一年的短期内，大家可能仍得面对供应短缺和价格压力的问题。因此，打算申请组屋者其实没有必要迫不及待，在这个短期的瓶颈阶段争相 进场。当然，确保组屋售价合理，也是政府所必须做的，否则，等待的人将会因买到更昂贵的组屋而产生怨怼的心理。

在交通方面，改善公共交 通的谈论对一般民众而言已经是耳熟能详了，现在人们引颈以待的是实际的措施，如巴士和地铁的拥挤情况，等候的时间如何改进等。在繁忙或高峰时间增加地铁和 巴士的班次实属必要。为了使巴士的川行更加通畅，减少公路堵车现象也属当务之急。为了缓解堵车问题，使用公路费用的调涨势所难免，比如，下个礼拜起多处电 子收费闸门便要调高收费5角，这必然要给一些在马路上奔忙讨生活者带来更大的压力。

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Even as a non driver, I notice that the proposed (or confirmed) hike to 5 dollars for ERP charges is still pretty shocking. Should the government have consulted Singapore drivers more widely on this issue? How will raising the ERP charges to 5 dollars help to alleviate traffic jam? For Whom is this traffic alleviated for? Can Singaporeans only enjoy the wonderful roads we have from the glass windows of a bus?

As a non driver, I would like to also hear how, as more people abandon their cars (with this ridiculous 5 dollars ERP) for public transport, the government plans to improve public transport services in the island? If Singaporeans are squeezed from their cars and in public transport (notice the pun), will such an impact impede on family and personal life? Would more time and money would have to be spend traveling in uncomfortable and irrational bus/mrt routes? Will the bus companies take the opportunity to raise bus fares in light of the “increasing cost, especially coming from the hike in ERP?”

Question of the day: Who Benefits from the ERP hike? Singaporeans with cars? Or are some special interests winning out - like elites with their Rolls Royce complaining of morning traffic to Shenton Way? Are the middle class increasingly become the middling class instead?

ERP rates going up again for third time this year
By Margaret Perry, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 29 October 2007 2045 hrs

SINGAPORE : Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates are going up again for the third time this year.

There will also be new gantries erected.

The highest amount will be charged at the Pan Island Expressway (PIE). The gantry affected is the one at the slip road into the Central Expressway (CTE).

From November 5, motorists will pay $3.50 from 7:30am to 8:00am. The amount charged goes up to $5.00 between 8:30am and 9:00am. This is a $1.50 increase in the 8:30am to 9:00am period since February this year.

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David Cameron, the leader of the opposition in the United Kingdom criticizes Gordon Brown, the PM of UK, for not calling an election despite Brown’s hints in recent months. Brown was criticized by most of the mass media in the United Kingdom for that. Quite interesting - the cut and thrust of debating in a real parliament.

My letter in TODAY 

Will merger hinder think tank’s role?
It could restrict the Institute of Policy Studies in its goal to increase political awareness
Wednesday • October 24, 2007

I REFER to various news reports on the announcement of a merger between the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP).

The IPS has remained relevant to Singapore’s social and political scene since its inception. The propagation of indigenous scholarship to reflect, critique and improve on the Republic’s public policy remains the flagship legacy of the IPS.

Its various publications on Singapore ranged from an incisive analysis on “contentious journalism” to a yearly round up of economic, political and social events to the transnational economic cooperation to the demographical implications of an ageing population.

And these have been nothing short of remarkable in a nation where such research was dearth previously.

IPS researchers’ frequent commentaries in the mass media on public policies have also been very insightful on nuances of policy-making and consequences.

In the last General Election, they were at the forefront of critical political analysis — giving their objective and critical views on the comings and goings of the election, during interviews with the various mass media.

In doing so, they fill the gap of indigenous and independent political and social analysis in Singapore.

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Interesting speech and quotes by Nick Clegg, a contender for the leadership for the Liberal Democrats in the United Kingdom - excerpt from a Guardian report

Quite relevant to Singapore too

In his speech in Westminster today, he [Nick Clegg] will seek to lay out long-term challenges and insist that the big issues facing British politics - an “epidemic of powerlessness” felt by citizens; social stagnation; fears about security especially among the poor; environmental damage; and globalisation - are susceptible to liberal answers.

“We’re the fourth richest country in the world, yet people tell me they feel they have no control over the way in which their everyday life is shaped. It’s a terrifically dangerous state of affairs where we’re rich consumers but weak citizens.”

To address the powerlessness epidemic he says he wants to go beyond the Lib Dems’ belief in devolving political power, adding: “You have to give people and families a sense that they have real control of services - not just through a ballot box every few years, but every day.”

Public services are also key to tackling social stagnation, he argued. The Lib Dem policy of a “pupil premium” could ensure that the same amount is spent on educating children from poor backgrounds as is spent on children in private schools.

“If you want education to act as a catalyst for social mobility, you have to weight the funding heavily in favour of those children from the poorest backgrounds,” he argued drawing on his own knowledge of continental education systems.

“The system has become so desperately segregated. Even people at the top end accept it’s bad for their own welfare and sense of contentment … [Education] is the greatest weapon against stagnation we have seen.”

He also claimed the politics of security had shot up the agenda. “Fears about insecurity have become such a staple diet in the way they were not in the past five years. If you asked the public what [were] their three most pressing concerns, they used to say economy, health and education. They now invariably say law and order, security, immigration and terrorism. So there is a palpable sense of insecurity that poses huge dilemmas for liberalism.

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Turns out that Ms. Olsen, a NMP, is going to ask an interesting question in parliament.

On protests against Burma in Singapore

Ms Eunice Elizabeth Olsen: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry deployed its officers to film students organising on-campus activities highlighting the plight of the people in Myanmar; and (b) whether such activities constitute a security threat.

When I heard the news in Burma, my burmese friends and I organized a forum and invited a professor and former student activist currently teaching in my college to share his views. It was a poignant event as more than 100 people turned up in a busy day of the week. Thank god there was no security personnel filming us.

We also decided to make T-shirts to raise funds for the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners Burma.

burma.jpg

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Related to my previous post. I wonder if this article on patent professionals shed some light on the issue of scientific research in Singapore. Any experts out there care to elaborate? 

Todayonline

Patent professionals key to biomed goal
Tuesday • October 16, 2007

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The Straits Times ask a few Singaporeans working in the sciences on whether Singapore would ever produce a nobel prize winner in a Oct 13, 2007 article. The quote from Professor Peter Ng interests me the most:

‘We can only call a real winner our own when he is bred and trained here. That I do not see coming. Our educational structure is still too ‘closeted’ and narrow. Many past winners have been less than responsible’. Some were mavericks, a few troublemakers, many rebellious.

I remember a conversation I had with senior education officers about opening the door to mavericks. It is tantamount to opening Pandora’s Box, I said. They told me to open the door a bit but not too much - so young people can grow and be innovative, but still be obedient and follow rules. The door is either open or closed - opening a bit means nothing!

I do not believe good scientists can be ‘developed’ and ‘planned’ for. I also do not agree that the best scientists have the best grades in school. The best scientists are those who started with passion and curiosity - asking questions and solving them. Regardless of whether the questions involve a dollar sign. These are the men or women who will change the world.’

PROFESSOR PETER NG, director, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research at the National University of Singapore

Perhaps the most ironic thing is that it is fully possible that Singapore might produce a Nobel prize for a science program with all the monetary investments in science that we have in Singapore. In a more twisted logic, perhaps our unique brand of political comfort and control can produce great writers who can explore these nuances skilfully. Maybe the question should be reframed to, “Can our education system, even the much maligned gifted program, produce extraordinary thinkers, writers and scientists?”

That’s another question for another day. But Dr Chew may be able to articulate the answers to this question:

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I don’t see Hong Kong collapsing and going into riot mood because of freedom of assembly (See Article below). The peaceful right of assembly may be abused by few, but doesn’t mean it should be disallowed.

Let’s think a little about how the Singapore government and society upholds the freedom of movement for Singaporeans.

In society, people do abuse their freedom of movement (going into people’s house or other countries to play punk) but doesn’t mean we put everyone on a dog tag. We try to educate people that freedom of movement requires a responsibility not to inconvenience others at the same time. We take actions against people who abuse freedom of movement. But we protect the rights for people to go to a shop to buy food, to the cinema to watch a movie and to school to study. We protect the rights of Singaporeans to change one’s job. We protect the rights for Singaporeans to leave the country, even though we know that perhaps 1% would abuse that freedom.

In addition, cases where freedom of assembly is abused is more of an exception rather than the norm. From the peaceful demonstrations in Hong Kong (such as this and many others) to the ones in Burma (where monks exercise their moral authority on the streets peacefully) to the ones in Taiwan (peaceful demonstrations for one cause or another) to the ones in Japan (demonstrations on constitutional changes), we can see that people are not naturally inclined for riotous and disruptive behaviors. I am not denying there are very robust demonstrations, although they tend to occur in places where institutionalized feedback mechanisms have all but failed to address multiple and longstanding issues.

The question should be asked then: Should Singaporeans enjoy the same rights accorded to our friends in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, even China (qualified rights of assembly given by Mao during the Cultural Revolution and somewhat restricted by the current regime), Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines and East Timor?

Mass umbrella rally in Hong Kong

Pro-democracy campaigners in Hong Kong are holding a mass rally demanding the right to elect the territory’s highest official and legislature by 2012. The chief executive is chosen by a panel of 800 selectors, many of whom heavily favour Beijing, and only half of the legislature is directly elected.

The protest comes just as three months of consultation on political reform for Hong Kong ends on Wednesday.

The former British colony was handed to Chinese control in 1997.

Thousands of people gathered in Victoria Park where they took part in a mass unfurling of yellow or blue umbrellas, to form the shape 2012, the earliest possible date for universal suffrage to be introduced.

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Our Prime Minister has come out to say that sanctions against Burma would be counterproductive.

Usually, I am not in favor of sanctions for the very reasons that our PM has so clearly articulated. However, in the case of Burma where the regime is simply so repressive and where most of the money from tourism as well as big scale logging and airline industries do not benefit more than 1% of the population (much of Burma’s economy is based on subsistence agriculture), I am convinced that targeted sanctions will work to limit the scale of repression in the polity.

The Massachusetts-Burma law was enacted with the pressure of Burmese exiles which states any business operating from the state of Mass cannot engage in any business dealings in Burma. I think the moral rationales behind this law is very well written and I would like to share with you an excerpt here:

What is the moral case for the Burma law?

a. Forced labor and other human rights abuses. Repression in Burma is supported by an economic food chain, from which Massachusetts seeks to disassociate.

•Political repression. When the government of Burma lost over 80% of the seats in Parliament to the National League for Democracy in 1990, it repudiated the election and began closing NLD offices and jailing NLD legislators. Political protestors receive prison sentences of 57 years.

•Forced labor. Burma is building its commercial infrastructure with forced labor at the point of a gun. The military government has pressed over 5.5 million people (11% of the population) into forced labor on airport runways, railroads, highways, and agricultural irrigationsystems. According to the State Department, forced labor accounts for 7% of Burma’s economy.

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