Populist is a dirty word! Or is it welfare? SINGAPORE — Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin on 11 July 2023 apologised for using “unparliamentary language” in his reaction to a speech made by Workers’ Party Member of Parliament (MP) Jamus Lim. In a video circulating on social media, Mr Tan can be heard muttering the words “f****** […]
When my son was in primary school, the school would send notifications to parents printed on A4 paper tucked into the student’s communication handbook. Then, they decided to “go green”. No more printed papers. We had to check some app to see the notifications. I didn’t find it particularly irksome until we had to sign […]
Most Singaporeans have not even heard of Ridout Road before it became a hot topic. Questions and eyebrows were raised when the sizes of our two of our ministers’ residences were revealed. Lim Tean: “The Size Of 31 And 26 Ridout Road Many people have asked me to illustrate the size of 31 and 26 […]
Embattled comedian Jocelyn Chia said that her jokes were taken out of context. I don’t know about that, but she did something that even the most popular and influential opposition politicians in Singapore could never do. She upset Malaysians with her “insensitive” jokes and made our government apologise on her behalf. “I am appalled by […]
May 1989. An unexpected act of defiance came from General Xu Qin Xian. You won’t find his name in Baidu. On 20 May 1989, General Xu Qin Xian 徐勤先, commander of the 38th Division of the People’s Liberation Army received orders to use force to clear protesters on Tiananmen Square. General Xu resolutely defied those […]
It’s Vesak Day! The temples are thronged with devotees and the beaches in China are strewn with the freshwater fish. Let’s do good and do together. Sounds familiar? Yes, we’ll have to bid a tearful farewell to our beloved President Halimah. She has been a very inspiring figure to our comedians. We’re all going to […]
There has been much talk about the “new world order”. Having lived through the 1980s, there is a sense of deja vu for me. Back then, most people believed that the West was in decline and Japan would be the new world leader. The Asian way had proven itself to be superior. Or so we […]
We Singaporeans are constantly living in fear of change or displacement from our rightful stations in our own society. Somehow we still survive. I’ve often wondered if it’s because those fears are unwarranted or is it because we have been meekly acquiescing to the new normal, backing deeper and deeper into the corner that we […]
60-year-old Malaysian citizen Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh made showbiz history after becoming the first Asian woman to win Best Actress for her performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once at the Oscars held on 12 March 2023. People in Malaysia have responded with joy and jubilation after Michelle Yeoh became the first Asian to win […]
English tests for new citizens? Certainly. But first, let me tell a little story. It was 40 years ago in 1983. I was serving my NS at Amoy Quee Camp. I was with an infantry unit where the majority of the soldiers were Hokkien peng with an average educational level of P4. After the commanders […]