J B Jeyaretnam 1926-2008: Passing of a legend

 Politics  57 Responses »
Sep 302008
 
J B Jeyaretnam 1926-2008: Passing of a legend

The legendary Singapore opposition icon, Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, better known as JBJ (photo credit: Wikipedia), passed away early this morning of heart failure. After having left the Workers Party, he had just formed the Reform Party to mount a new challenge to PAP dominance. He was the interim secretary general of the party. He was Singapore’s Mr Opposition, having broken the PAP’s 15-year monopoly in Parliament in the Anson by-election in 1981, winning 52 per cent of the votes to become Singapore’s first opposition MP.

Trip to Kamunting to convey Raya greetings

 Human rights  33 Responses »
Sep 292008
 

I have just been informed by the Bukit Bendera MP’s office that they, along with several Penang-based civil society activists, are planning a drive to the Kamunting Detention Centre in Taiping on the second day of Raya to convey their greetings to the ISA detainees: Flowers, cards and gifts, if any, will be passed on to Raja Petra and the other ISA detainees to let them know that they are not forgotten on this special day.  RPK’s wife Marina has been informed of the event and hope that she will also be able to join us. The Press will also be invited for this event. Details of travel: Date: Thursday, 2 October 2008 Meeting Place: DAP Bukit Bendera Service Centre, Wayton Court, Penang Meet at 9.00am

End of an empire?

 Corporate agenda, Neo-liberal economics  20 Responses »
Sep 292008
 

For those enamoured by free markets and deregulation, the US experience makes for sobering reflection – although some argue that the Military-Industrial-Media Complex is hardly a model of free market economics. For some time now, market fundamentalists had preached that the government should have as little do as as possible in regulating business. Now, we see Wall Street being brought to its knees and turning to the US government to bail out failed financial institutions, the victims of their own unbridled greed. All this is the result of financial deregulation with little oversight. This is also what happens when the Occupation of Iraq meets financial deregulation, a wild credit bubble (cheap credit) and a colossal debt: A shattering moment in America’s fall from power The global financial crisis will see the US falter in the same way the Soviet Union did when the Berlin Wall came down. The era of [Read more]

Trams: Can Penang emulate The Netherlands?

 Public transport  26 Responses »
Sep 292008
 
Trams: Can Penang emulate The Netherlands?

Trams glide along the narrow streets of Amsterdam (Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Leidsestraat_Amsterdam.JPG) Blog reader Josh, a Penangite in the Netherlands, is impressed with the trams over there: I fully support the re-introduction of trams in Penang. I am a Penangite now living in The Hague, The Netherlands. Trams are the main public transportation here in The Netherlands, be it in The Hague, Amsterdam or Rotterdam.

RPK meets Marina in Kamunting on his birthday

 Civil society, Human rights, Media  19 Responses »
Sep 292008
 

Marina was able to visit RPK on his birthday in Kamunting on Saturday, 27 September. Interesting that part of RPK’s rehabilitation (or is it punishment?!) involves reading the NST! Here is another touching account of their encounter: Happy 58th Birthday, Love Yesterday, 27 September 2008 was Pet’s Birthday. My two daughters’ and I were allowed the scheduled visit to see Pet at Kamunting on his 58th birthday. When we wished him Happy Birthday he had forgotten it was his birthday and we told him that we had brought along birthday cards hand-drawn by his two grandchildren, ages 5 and 6, one from Jia Wei age 7, one card signed by a few of his friends and also three books. We had to handover all the items with the prison authorities and they would only give it to him after inspection. I told him of the numerous emails, sms, calls, on [Read more]

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