Canadian PR drew online flak for call to Singaporeans to be “grateful”

From our Correspondent

A letter to the Straits Times Forum by a Canadian Permanent Resident (PR) exhorting Singaporeans to be grateful for what they got has brought on a torrent of online vibes and sneers from Singaporeans. It attracted over 60 comments by 6pm, with more than half of them disagreeing with his views.

Entitled “Be grateful, S’pore”, Eric Brooks began his letter with the following sentence: “I am writing to share many things Singaporeans take for granted”, (read full letter here) before going on to make comparisons between Singapore and his homeland Canada.

Brooks quoted the examples of the rubbish being cleared daily, the sheltered walkways at HDB flats, the ongoing upgrading of old estates and the transport services to highlight his point that Singaporeans are blessed with a good government.

He ended with a resounding appraisal for Singapore:

“After living and working in six countries, I have known for a long time that no country takes care of its people the way Singapore does.”

Unfortunately, Eric’s open appeal to Singaporeans to be more appreciative of their government doesn’t seem to strike a chord with them. On the contrary, it has triggered a flood of invectives against him with some lampooning him for being “brainwashed” by the ruling party to utter rubbish.

lunxiaomei wrote:

“Hullo Eric, but the heck did PAPa gave you? Come here to live and see for yourself. It is all rubbish you uttered.”

Added iwbroke:

“This shows how shallow this new comer know about singapore or he has attended too many brain wishing function.”

Some felt that Eric’s knowledge of Singapore is “shallow”:

Mon_Veneris wrote:

“Only those foreigners who are rich enough can live in Sg. Look around and youll see how poor most s’poreans are are? More than 35% of our population do not have more tha $5000/- cash in their account at any time. Poor financial management? S’pore has very little space for us to make money. Getting employed now is a challenge. You got to fight it out with the FTs. Look the sad old uncle and aunties languising at the HDB void deck. Previously they are happily employed as cleaners. Now they kicked out by these healthy and young cheap labour from China. It too long a list to go on.
Those sinfully paid ministers and top civil servants are do nothing to address this issue. For those who has not much money, better die than getting sick. Healthcare is beyond their rech. Eric has a very shallow knowledge of S’pore.”

Wrote Moremann:

“Eric, do you know we are the heaviest taxed peopled in the world, albeit indirectly. When you are old and very ill, the public hospitals here have an unwritten policy to “write you off” as you have no ‘economic” value! How? They move you to a remote area of the ward and just let you die!
While elderly cleaners earn $480 a month, our self elected Ministers raked in millions. All of them are multi millionaires, thanks to a corrupted political systems which uses the resources of the state to destroy opposition politician.”

Terencemail opined that Eric cannot claim to know Singapore well as he was here only for a few years:

“Eric not only has a shallow knowledge of Singapore, he also has a shallow knowledge of Canada and the rest of the world!

People should only comment about the state and politics of places they have really lived in for more than 10 years (not even if you’ve studied overseas for 3, 4, 5 or even 8 years!). Anything less, your comments are most likely to be biased and ill-informed!

Most of the expats who have been posted to Singapore for a few years can hardly claim to truly know Singapore.”

Others challenged him to give up his Canadian citizenship for a Singapore one if he is so enamored with Singapore:

Frankiestein minced no word in issuing the challenge:

“Eric Eric, what makes you think you have the right to tell us Singaporeans and mind you true blue born and bred in Singapore Singaporean what we should be grateful about? Why don’t you give up your Canadian citizenship and come over take up shitizenshit here and experience for yourselves what being a Singaporean is like. All the more since you seems to admire the governance here. Then you can for once feels what it is like to be “screwed” left right center on a daily basis and have your life savings “snatched” away with the knowledge that you will only be paid a monthly sum till death and your money do you part. But such payouts are not guarantee in event of the annuity becoming insolvent….yeah that is real reassuring from the government.”

Judging from the comments posted so far, it does appear that the majority of Singaporeans are deeply dissatisfied and unhappy with the way the country is being run.

It is both an irony and a shame that such a letter was written by a PR and not a true blue Singapore citizen. Are Singaporeans really taking the government for granted?

Perhaps the only way for Mr Eric Brooks to find out the truth is to renounce his Canadian citizenship and become a Singapore citizen himself.

 

[Comments are derived from ST Discussion Board]

 

 

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Pakatan parties will seal pact, says Zaid

By Leslie Lau from The Malaysian Insider

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is working towards registering the alliance officially to underline its commitment towards being a viable alternative coalition to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), says Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

The former BN minister, who joined PKR less than two months ago, wrote in his blog yesterday that he was aware of the criticisms levelled at PR parties for not formalising a common platform.

“All the members of Pakatan are ready to serve the public in the name of Pakatan.

“In fact in all our daily activities we are already acting as members of Pakatan and not just members of PKR, PAS or DAP,” he wrote.

Since joining the federal opposition, Zaid has been given the task of coordinating the activities of the joint PR secretariat.

The Malaysian Insider understands the act of formalising the alliance as an official coalition like BN has one major hurdle.

Under the rules of the Registrar of Societies, a political coalition must consist of at least seven parties. This means PR will have to attract more political parties to join its fold before it can be registered.

But Zaid appeared confident that this could be achieved.

“The people will be given a real choice in the next elections; there will be one-to-one contests,” he said.

PR leaders are understood to be in talks with several political parties to join the alliance.

But there are also ongoing talks between PKR, DAP and PAS to come out with common policies.

“I am aware of many critics who say Pakatan does not have concrete policies or even common policies. People say that because of our different ideologies Pakatan cannot be united like BN.”

He said PR leaders and members were already tired of being in opposition and have proven their abilities to withstand pressure from what he referred to as “dictatorial BN government.”

“They have been tested time and again. They have been jailed, detained under the ISA and their supporters are brave and strong.”

He claimed that BN’s strategy now was to create fissures among PR parties “because they are afraid of one-to-one contests.”

While Zaid acknowledged there were weaknesses in the PR alliance, he said the leaders remained committed towards formalising their current arrangement and offering a viable alternative to BN.

Source: The Malaysian Insider

Ho Ching’s euphemism for Temasek’s billion dollar loss

From our Correspondent

In a Bloomberg article on 29 July 2009, Temasek CEO Ho Ching is reported as saying:

“We are certainly not happy with the negative wealth added in March last year, as well as March this year.” (Temasek defines “wealth added” as returns above risk-adjusted cost of capital.)

[Source: Bloomberg]

Why can’t she simply say:

“Sorry, I screwed up and cost Singapore to lose more than S$40 billion dollars!”

Losing money is losing money, as simple as that. There’s really no need to come up with fanciful names and euphemism to hide one’s colossal mistakes when the entire world knows how much Temask has lost from failed investments in the years since Ho Ching took over – from Shin Corp, ABC Learning, Global Crossing, Merrill Lynch and Barclays. The list is endless.

The term “negative wealth” makes no sense at all, let alone “adding” it which sounds more like a clever use of words to mislead ordinary readers.

In any other company in the world, a CEO who lost billions of dollars will probably be sacked and left in the wilderness for good with no chance of being hired by another company.

Only in Singapore will we allow a person with such a “track record” to continue leading one of the largest SWFs in the world.

Ho Ching’s continued reluctance to admit her shortcomings and investment mistakes is a testimony of the scant regard she has for fellow Singaporeans. Till today, she still has “no regrets” over what happened.

The dearth of public opinion in Singapore

By Eugene Yeo

In a latest survey conducted by the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, only 10.9 per cent were satisfied with the overall performance of lawmakers, out of 815 respondents.

About 54.5 per cent said their performance was “normal” but 32.3 per cent found it “unsatisfactory”. Some 42.1 per cent of respondents thought lawmakers were not doing enough to tell the government about Hong Kong people’s concerns. The full results were published on the island’s main English newspaper – The South China Morning Post (read article here)

I wondered what the results will show if a similiar survey is conducted in Singapore, which is almost unheard of. Since when did Singaporeans ever know about the performance ratings of their lawmakers?

The three universities in Singapore should have the necessary expertise and resources to conduct such surveys. Surprisingly, the academia has been conspicuously silent about the latest socio-political developments in Singapore.

The PAP have always claimed it has the overwhelming “mandate” of the people to rule the country. However, their claims were never substantiated by frequent opinion polls.

The general elections, held only once every five years, is an inaccurate reflection of the government’s popularity due to serious flaws within the system such as the GRC and rampant gerry-mandering which has allowed the incumbent to consolidate and perpetuate its rule continuously uninterrupted for five decades.

If the PAP government is indeed run by the best talents in Singapore, why is it so apprehensive to conduct an opinion poll to find out the real sentiment on the ground? Are Singaporeans happy with their leadership?

Over in Malaysia, the Merdeka Center conducted such polls on a regular basis. The latest poll showed the approval ratings of Prime Minister Najib Razak increased from 45% to 65%, a testimony of the right moves he had made so far since assuming the premiership. He had also released a set of KPIs or key performance indicators for his ministers.

Without opinion polls, the government will never know how well its policies are received by the people. It will be like a ship sailing out into the open sea without a compass.

The people are the best judge of the ministers’ performance. Everybody from the Prime Minister down to every senior minister of state should not be afraid to have their performances assessed by the people. It will also promote active citizenry and give Singaporeans more say in how their country is being governed.

Singapore is perhaps the only developed country in the world where there is a gag imposed on the approval ratings of its Prime Minister. We can easily google about the latest approval rating for Barack Obama, Donald Tsang, Ma Ying-Jeou, Taro Aso, Gordon Brown and Najib Razak, but will hit a blank if we try “Lee Hsien Loong”.

Why is the government so apprehensive about conducting and publicizing regular opinion polls about its performance? Doesn’t public opinion matter in the formulation and implementation of their policies? Or are they simply afraid that the reality may be radically different from the propaganda they have been spewing out daily through the state-controlled media?

Prime Minister Lee and his team should always bear in mind that their position, power and salaries are given by the people of Singapore. It is only right that we are given the opportunity to air our support or dissatisfaction openly for them to know.

 

Other articles by Eugene Yeo:

>> How much did Chip’s stint at Temasek cost taxpayers?

>> Mourning 25 years of the demise of a free and independent press

>> Debunking the “constructive opposition” illusion

SPH to invest more in ‘quality’ and ‘credible’ content

From our Correspondent

During the annual SPH scholarship ceremony, SPH Chairman Tony Tan stressed the importance of “quality journalism” in his opening address.

“We believe that as we invest more and more in quality and credible content, we will not only survive but continue to succeed. As we continue to invest in new media platforms to keep up with the times, we will also continually be on the look out for top media talent to ensure good content is created daily.”

He added: “With a strong editorial team, fast and insightful coverage of global and local issues; thought provoking commentaries and creative graphics, we live up to our tagline – to engage minds and enrich lives in our nation.”

[Source: Straits Times]

Tony Tan should not be too overly worried. Unlike traditional newspapers in other countries which have witnessed a decline in readership due to the advent of the New Media, SPH will never suffer a similiar predicament as a result of its complete monopoly over the print media in Singapore.

Singapore used to have a dozen or so independent newspapers before independence before they are eventually amalgamated to form SPH in 1987, some of which are closed down by the PAP government and their journalists jailed for “subversive” activities.

The Newspaper and Printing Act, introduced in 1975 to control the ownership of news printing firms effectively permits only SPH to print and circulate newspapers in Singapore legally.

In Singapore, all the print media in the four languages of English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil are under the ownership of one single government-linked company - the Singapore Press Holdings whose Chairman is almost always an ex-PAP minister (Tony Tan himself is a former deputy prime minister).

The circulation of foreign papers is severely restricted and those who went afoul of the government’s censorship like FEER and Wall Street Journal were subjected to heavy fines and subsequently banned from Singapore altogether.

With the print media in complete control by the PAP, news articles critical of the government are hardly heard of in post-independent Singapore which explains the political apathy and ignorance of most Singaporeans.

If SPH is serious about investing more in ‘quality’ and ‘credible’ content, it should do more to improve its coverage on local political news in terms of objectivity, accuracy and fairness instead of its current lop-sided pro-government stance.

The Singapore media has been frequently vilified by their counterparts elsewhere for being a low grade government propaganda mouthpiece. The late David Marshall once described SPH journalists as “running dogs and prostitutes of the PAP.”

Reporters Without Borders, an international media watchdog, ranked Singapore 141 out of 168 countries in press freedom. It minced no words in its 2007 annual report on Singapore:

“The Singaporean press is relatively independent as far as regional and international news goes. But it clearly operates self-censorship on domestic politics.”

[Source: Reporters Sans Frontieres]

29 scholarships were given out during the ceremony. Of these, eight were the SPH Journalism scholarships, 15 were scholarships given to children of staff and newspaper vendors, and six were for the SPH Foundation Lim Kim San Memorial scholarships.

These newly minted “SPH scholars” will probably be educated by their seniors proper on the Singapore’s version of “quality journalism” before embarking on their careers as “reporters”.

 

Related articles:

>> Mourning 25 years of the demise of a free and independent press by Eugene Yeo

>> Why there is no “Malaysiakini” in Singapore by Fang Zhi Yuan and Lim Siow Kuan

 

EDITORS’ NOTE:

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Mass market buyers now inflating property prices

By Jeremy Koh, Guest Columnist

An article in the Straits Times on 25 July 2009 claimed that mass market buyers are propping up home prices because they “were shut out of the property market during the most recent boom in 2007, when furious demand for luxury homes drove up home prices far beyond their reach.” (source: Straits Times)

By definition, mass market homes refer loosely to bigger HDB flats and condominiums in the suburbs.

The strong demand for cheaper condos halt the decline in private home prices to only 4.7% in the second quarter, now from 14.1% in the first quarter.

Judging from the launching prices of two recent launches - ”Meadows @ Pierce” by UOL Land and “The Centro” by Far East, the prices of mass market homes will soon exceed the level of the last property peak of 1996.

The selling price per square foot for “Meadows @ Pierce” starts from $900 with all the 3 room units selling at $1 million dollars at above.

In comparison, the launching prices for nearby development – “The Calrose” in 2007 ranges from $550 to $650 only.

$900 psf is the average selling price for projects such as “Pavillon II”, “Montebleu” and “The Citrine” when they were first launched in the 2006 – 2007 period.

Current projects in Serangoon/Bendemeer such as “Beacon Heights” and “St Michael Regency” are selling at only slightly above $900 psf. The recently launched “8 Woodleigh” transacted at less than $900 psf on average.

How can a development in Upper Thomson / Yio Chu Kang cost more than one which is nearer to the city? Surely this defies common logic, but mass market home buyers don’t seem to think so. 180 units of “Meadows @ Pierce” were sold on the opening day.

Flushed with cash from higher HDB resale prices, mass market buyers, many of whom are HDB upgraders are pushing the median price of suburb projects closer to that of the city fringes. Giving the narrowing distance between the two, how much more will prices continue to rise?

A classic property bubble is evolving where prices keep climbing in spite of a weakening demand amidst a glut of new projects reaching T.O.P. and it is unfortunate that public housing is getting involved with ever higher prices being fetched for Build-to-Order projects.

Four to five room units at Bendemeer’s “City View” cost between $600,000 to $700,000, only slightly less than new condominiums launched in the vicinity during the same period.

The government has been adamant that HDB flats remain affordable which appears so for buyers who are granted a mortage loan to finance their purchaase. Whether one borrows $200,000 or $800,000 from the banks to be repaid over a 3o year period makes little difference.

Public housing are supposed to be tightly regulated by the government. Left alone to market forces, their prices will expect to skyrocket due to the low base from which they started. An alternative solution will be to peg the median price of HDB flats to the median income of the average Singapore worker so that buyers do not over-stretch themselves.

In a property boom, HDB prices will shoot through the roof as their valuation is based on the resale values of flats in the district. However, their prices seldom dip by much unlike private projects in a downturn as housing is a basic living essential – there will always be a market for HDB flats in Singapore.

“Affordable” is too wide and ambiguous a definition to assess the impact of rising HDB values on the general population. The percentage of a Singaporean’s monthly salary which is tied up with the mortage loan will be a more realistic indicator.

HDB flats are not only meant to be affordable, they should be cheap as well. The rising asset value may have brought unprecedented wealth to some Singaporeans, but the inflationary prices it brought about will have a detrimental impact on the purchasing power and retirement savings of future generations of Singaporeans.

The law of supply and demand will not permit the runaway prices of mass market homes to persist forever. When the crash eventually arrive, it will be extremely painful for those who have bought their homes at the wrong time and it may take another decade or longer for them to recoup their losses at today’s ridiculous prices.

What can S$40 billion dollars do for Singaporeans?

From our Correspondent

It was revealed lately that Temasek Holdings’ portfolio had declined by at least $40 billion (= $40, 000, 000, 000), or more than a fifth, in the year 2008 to March 2009. (Source: Reuters)

Now, what can this sum of money do for Singaporeans if it is not lost?

To put things in perspective:

- Each Singaporean will receive $1,3333 in cash or top ups in medisave (assuming the number of citizens to be 3 million)

- It will take an average Singaporean earning a median pay of $4,000 83,3333 years to earn this amount of money.

- It will provide 4,000 families on Public Assistance Scheme $41, 700 a month for the next 20 years or

- 8,000 retrenched Singaporeans $20, 850 a month for the next 20 years till they find a job.

- It can build 80 Khoo Teck Puat hospitals to cater to residents in every corner of Singapore.

- Free upgrading for all the HDB estates in Singapore (inclusive of lift upgrading).

- Pay for the tuition fees for 800, 000 university students (assuming $50,000 per student) for their entire course of study.

- Buy 200,000 3-room HDB flats for 200,000 poor, destitute and homeless Singaporeans (assuming cost of $200,000 per unit).

- Waival of the S&C charges of 555,555 households for a period of 100 years (assuming $60/month per head).

- Waival of all income taxes for a year ($29.1 billion dollars was collected by IRAS in 2007)

How can a country which can afford to lose $40 billion dollars in less than a year not able to provide more welfare for its citizens? Well, this is hardly surprising when the person responsible for the loss is re-appointed to lead Temasek again!

Iran police, mourners clash at protesters’ graves

Iranian riot police armed with batons and belts clashed with mourners staging a defiant graveside commemoration on Thursday for protesters killed in post-election violence, witnesses said.

It was the first major violence between security forces and demonstrators in three weeks in Iran, where tensions are still running high over President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s disputed re-election last month.

And the stage was being set for another confrontation in central Tehran as 3,000 people gathered at a major prayer venue, flashing victory signs and burning bins as police on motorbikes tried to disperse them, witnesses said.

At the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery south of Tehran, an estimated 2,000-strong crowd shouted “death to the dictator” and “government of the coup: resign, resign” as some hurled stones at hundreds of police, witnesses said.

Police forced the main opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi to leave the graveyard just minutes after his arrival and surrounded fellow campaigner Mehdi Karroubi, witnesses said.

“Today is a mourning day. Loyal Iranians are the mourners today,” shouted the crowds.

Iranians were marking the 40th day since the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, a young woman who came to symbolise the public uprising over Ahmadinejad’s June 12 victory which the opposition charges was rigged.

A graphic Internet video of Neda bleeding to death on a Tehran street on June 20 was seen around the world and triggered an outcry over the sometimes brutal crackdown on demonstrators.

Crowds gathered around Neda’s grave which was decorated with candles and flowers as police used sticks, batons and belts and arrested several mourners, including prominent film director Jafar Panahi and his family, a witness said.

“Mousavi… was immediately surrounded by anti-riot police who led him to his car,” a witness said as people chanted “Ya Hossein! Mir Hossein!”.

Karroubi protested at the heavy-handed police action for a peaceful commemoration of the “martyrs,” but he was able to give graveside readings from the Koran before leaving.

Mousavi and Karroubi, who have waged a defiant campaign since losing to Ahmadinejad, had decided to visit the cemetery after the authorities banned another memorial ceremony at the Grand Mosalla in central Tehran.

Despite the ban, 3,000 people gathered at the venue as hundreds of motorists sounded their car horns, a tactic regularly used by Mousavi supporters.

“Protesters were raising their arms and flashing victory signs as police tried to disperse them,” a witness said.

“Some protesters also set fire to roadside rubbish bins while anti-riot police, on motorbikes rode into the crowds in an attempt to disperse them,” he said. “Police also smashed window panes of several cars.”

The foreign press remains banned from covering such demonstrations as part of tough restrictions imposed in the post-election turmoil.

Mousavi, a prime minister in the post-revolution years who was Ahmadinejad’s main challenger, has consistently refused to acknowledge his rival’s victory, saying it was a “shameful fraud.”

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets after the election and in the ensuing violence about 30 people were killed, scores wounded and several thousand arrested, Iranian officials say.

Despite the crackdown, the opposition is still pushing for a new election and the crisis has driven deep rifts among the Islamic republic’s ruling elite.

Ahmadinejad has also come under fire even from his own supporters over a series of controversial political decisions and he has been warned to obey supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei or face the consequences.

In recent days, the authorities have made gestures towards the opposition, including releasing about 140 protesters and promising to free more of the some 250 still behind bars.

But former president Mohammad Khatami said just releasing the protesters was not enough.

“Illegal and un-Islamic acts have been committed against the people… Lives have been lost,” he said on his Baran foundation website.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said it was “imperative” for Iran to release political prisoners, adding that their detention showed “the political situation inside of Iran has not yet resolved itself.”

Twenty “rioters” are to go on trial from Saturday on charges including attacks on government and military offices and contact with “enemies” including exiled opposition group the People’s Mujahedeen.

Source: AFP

Britain and U.S. defend war effort in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Britain and the United States on Wednesday vowed a sustained effort in Afghanistan, despite growing public skepticism over the war after the deadliest month since it began in late 2001.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, in Washington for talks on Afghanistan, said it was a “tough phase” for all nations with troops in Afghanistan but he believed the British public supported the mission.

“I think the British people will stay with this mission, because there is a clear strategy and a clear determination on behalf of the United States and other coalition members to see this through,” Miliband said at a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

British troops just ended a five-week offensive named “Panther’s Claw” aimed at clearing the Taliban out of population centers in southern Afghanistan ahead of August 20 presidential and provincial elections.

Miliband said Afghanistan was the “incubator” for attacks such as the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and the British people understood this.

Clinton also underscored what she said was the strong commitment and resolve of both nations in Afghanistan. “We will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder,” she said.

The number of British troops killed in Afghanistan has surpassed those who perished in the Iraq war, a statistic that has soured public support for the effort.

This month alone as British and U.S. forces launched major offensives, 22 Britons were killed, bringing the toll to 191 since the war began. So far 39 U.S. troops were killed there this month.

An opinion poll in Britain’s Independent newspaper this week found 52 percent of people thought troops should be withdrawn immediately. U.S. opinion polls show about half of Americans, weary after the Iraq invasion, support the war.

“This has been a very challenging period for American and British forces alike, and for the American and British people, who are standing behind them,” said Clinton.

‘SIGNIFICANT GAINS’

But she said the mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan was very much in the interests of both the American and British people “as hard as it is.”

Clinton said early reports from commanders showed “significant gains” from the military operations in the south but much more had to be done to dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its allies in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“We know that this is a challenge that is not going to be easily resolved in a short period of time,” she said.

Miliband repeated the need for Afghanistan’s government to take the lead in securing the country.

“The biggest increase in troop numbers in the next few years is not going to be Brits or Americans. It’s going to be Afghans. And the heart of the strategy is to build up the Afghan security forces,” he said.

Speaking separately to reporters, U.S. special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, said boosting Afghan forces would be a big focus after the August 20 election.

Asked about prospects for the election being fair, Holbrooke said he had heard complaints “from every side” during his visit last week but was not “unduly upset.”

“It’s an extraordinary thing to hold an election in the middle of a war, and this is the first contested election in Afghanistan in history.”

Source: Reuters

David Widjaja’s family ‘disappointed’ with verdict; vows to ‘find justice’

From our Correspondent

The family of the late David Widjaja had expressed disappointment with the verdict on his death by the Singapore coroner’s court.

Judge Victor Yeoh said the results of an investigation and evidence presented before the court proved David had committed suicide. “I rejected all the evidence from the victim’s family,” he said without giving an explanation.

David’s father, Hartono Widjaya, said he was very disappointed with the verdict because the judge did not reveal this evidence as promised. He said the family insisted that David had been murdered, citing graphic pictures of defense wounds on his body, which in no way suggested he had committed suicide.

“I will move on. I will go to the ends of the earth to find justice. I will never be happy as long as David’s murderer still roams free. The judge preferred to use testimonies from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU). This is unfair.” Hartono said in an interview with The Jakarta Post.

David’s brother, William Hartanto Widjaya, said the court had based its verdict on flawed and false testimonies, but he was unable to provide any evidence to substantiate his claims.

Earlier on Tuesday, Indonesian vice-president-elect Boediono has asked the Singaporean coroner court trying the case of the death of Indonesian student David Hartanto Widjaya to settle it fairly.

The former central bank government made the call Tuesday at the city-state, while addressing a forum at Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Boediono also expressed his condolences over David’s death in the opening of his speech before senior Singaporean government officials and NTU professors, said blogger Iwan Piliang, who has been assisting David’s family in trying to uncover the real cause behind his death.

David allegedly stabbed his professor on 2 March 2009 at NTU before leaping to his death from a link-bridge. The case was classified as ’suicide’ by the Singapore police and the coroner’s inquiry was only called at the insistence of the family.

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