Called the 五毛党 or simply 五毛 , it is impossible to miss them if you ever engage in discussions on China. They belong to the same breed as Singapore’s “internet brigade”. The whole concept of the IB or 五毛党 originated from the early days of the internet (pre-POFMA) when authoritarian regimes wanted to free up […]
There is strong indication that a heinous crime was committed last week. Three victims of a sinkhole accident could have been buried alive some 3 hours after they were discovered. According to the Epoch Times: Three people fell into a giant sinkhole in China’s Guangzhou City when the road suddenly collapsed on Dec. 1. When […]
Singaporean skater Chloe Ing won a gold medal at the SEA Games in Manila on 1 December 2019. 21-year-old Ing won silver at the 2017 SEA Games, which was the first year that figure skating was included as a sport in the competition’s history. In addition to her successes at the SEA Games, Chole Ing […]
The results are out for Hong Kong’s district council elections 2019. The pro-establishment camp suffered an unprecedented landslide defeat. Despite all the videos shared on social media condemning the protesters, I’ve never doubted the mindset of the overwhelming majority. No, this is not Myanmar, the military didn’t move in, even though some bloodthirsty folks might […]
I just came back from a very rewarding and adventurous trip to Myanmar. While my main focus was on the more remote and “offbeat” places, it was still necessary to pass by some of the places on the main tourist trail. And once you’re on the main tourist trail, you’re bound to meet a certain […]
Veteran diplomat Tommy Koh has described with lament that Singapore is a First World country with Third World people. He pointed out that many Singaporeans lack the civic-mindedness that citizens of an advanced country should have. “I am more critical of Singaporeans than of the Government. Many of our people don’t give a damn for […]
I used to have a lot of respect for Prof Boey Khim Cheng. He is a very talented poet and I’ve been moved by his essays on how the system here dehumanises people. He migrated to Australia some years ago. I felt proud of him, but now, he’s back. In the preface or afterword of […]
It has been some 36 years since we’ve heard sermons from our great leader, urging everyone to seek fortunes in China, defending the respectability of “guanxi”, touting the virtues of the “Asian way”. Westerners have been berated as ignorant, self-centered bigots who fail to see things from a superior Asian perspective. An economics professor once […]
Published in 1987, Chinese science fiction author Ni Kuang’s book Chasing the Dragon tells the story of a dying astrologer who pointed to changes in distant constellations that would lead to a catastrophic event on earth. He warned that a great city in the East was about to be destroyed. He begged Wisely and wife […]
Somebody asked me, “how do you manage to read so many books”? First of all, I’m semi-retired. Next, business has been bad and my part-time work has gotten even more part-time. Friends and colleagues with mortgages and car loans panic. I just tighten my belt and spend my free time reading and writing. I also […]