George Yeo flew off happily to Hong Kong as Jack Neo scandal rumbles on
Written by Our Correspondent
After being slammed by netizens for his call on Singaporeans to rally around his good friend Jack Neo who was embroiled in an unsavory sex scandal, Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo has flown off to a visit to Hong Kong and Shanghai as the saga rumbles on.
George Yeo has known Jack for more than ten years and the two are reported to be so close to each other that they shared a blog together – blogkaki together.
While Mr Yeo had remained silent on the road traffic accident involving a Romanian diplomat for two months, he was quick to jump to the defence of Jack Neo.
Almost immediately after the scandal erupted in the press, Mr Yeo wrote an article on his blog urging Singaporeans to rally around Jack Neo and his family.
He was made to look like an idiot as subsequent media reports reveal that Jack was involved with as many as 10 girls.
George has yet to clarify or retract his statement.
Opposition chief tells Singaporeans: Don’t be afraid
By Nopporn Wong-Anan and Kevin Lim from Reuters
It is time for people in one-party ruled Singapore to have more say in politics and not be fearful of a change of government, a hedge fund manager turned opposition leader said on Friday.
Kenneth Jeyaretnam, whose late father and veteran opposition leader was bankrupted in defamation lawsuits by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), said his two-year-old Reform Party was encouraging people to come out and offer different views.
“Firstly, do not be afraid. You have a right to exercise, to have a say, in how your country is run,” Jeyaretnam told Reuters in an interview at his apartment, filled with pictures of his father, in an upmarket neighbourhood of Singapore.
“Singapore is not going to collapse. Competition in politics is as necessary as it is in economics to ensure efficiency.”
Jeyaretnam, 51, who graduated from Cambridge in 1983 with double-first class honours in economics and once ran a London-based hedge fund, said his party was aiming for the same audience as the PAP in the next election, due by February 2012.
Read rest of article here
No wayang – MPs serve as early warning system
March 12, 2010 by admin
Filed under Government, Review
By Chua Mui Hoong from Straits Times
MP after MP stand up and read from scripts. After a dozen or so have spoken, up steps a minister and proceeds to reply to their questions – from a script.
Repeat for nine days.
The above might be how a casual observer would sum up what takes place during the debate on the Budget which ends today. About 80 per cent of the debate is scripted, in that MPs prepare in advance their speeches, and ministers respond to their points with prepared texts. One Parliament newbie was impressed at ministers’ comprehensive and quick responses, but was disabused of her admiration when I said the speeches on the ministries’ budgets were prepared in advance and made known to the ministry so they can prepare detailed replies.
With so much that is prepared, the cynical citizen is often left wondering: Is Parliament just a wayang? Just as half of Singapore today is wondering: Was that faint by Mrs Jack Neo five minutes into their press conference yesterday about his extramarital affair(s) just a show?
I can’t swear to the latter, not being present at that press conference, but I don’t doubt the poor woman’s suffering was genuine. But on the former, I can say as a political writer who covered her first Budget debate 19 years ago that no, Parliament is not just a wayang, scripted texts notwithstanding.
The exchanges that take place towards the end of debate on a particular ministry’s budget is unscripted. Here, MPs ask for further clarifications, and the minister has to deal with them off-the-cuff.
Read rest of article here
Singapore National Football Team Saga: Straits Times article VS Avramovic’s subsequent clarification
Over the years, the Straits Times is not known to cover the S-League and the Lions extensively. Since the Malaysia Cup days, it is fair to say that our national paper had taken a scant interest at trying to sell local football to the public.
Some will argue that ST does provide match reports on selected S-League matches. When our national team plays away games, they do send journalists miles away to provide stories from the ground. However, on any given day, news articles on foreign football leagues outnumber those on local football by ten to one (at least).
Thus, it is with some interest when ST ran a report with the headline “No Wonder Lions Lost” on 10 Mar.[1]
In the report, journalist Wang Meng Meng lists ill-discipline and poor attitude of the players among the reasons why we lost 2-1 to Jordan in the final Asian Cup qualification group. Wang’s article contained several quotes from team coach Raddy Avramovic.
A day later, Avramovic found it necessary to call for a press conference to clarify comments and misconceptions in media report.[2] Clearly, Wang’s article on ST is the “media report” in question, as no other source contained original research on this allegation.
Avramovic’s statement to the media is firm, succinct and concise. The Sports editorial team had taken the liberty to summarise the stark differences between Wang’s news report and Avramovic’s rebuttal (they are quoted directly off both reports as referenced above):
| As reported by Wang Meng Meng on ST [1] | Avramovic’s clarification [2] |
| … two players oversleep and were late boarding the team bus | Avramovic confirmed that two players were seven minutes late boarding the team bus on match day. |
| … a couple of players were smoking in the dressing room (at half-time) | Avramovic commented, “In all my time as a coach, I have never seen any player openly smoke in front of me, especially inside the dressing room. On that day, none of us saw any player smoke at any time in the dressing room.” |
| Said Avramovic: “Certain players have become too big for their boots. They come with an attitude that their place in the national team is reserved for them. During the match, some players gave just 50 per cent effort.” | (quoted from Avramovic) “I was disappointed with our performance and the result on the day itself but I cannot fault the players’ attitude and commitment in training.” |
| Avramovic yesterday also lashed out at the poor attitude of some players during training sessions | (quoted from Avramovic) “The team conducted themselves well in difficult conditions with the weather and unprofessional treatment from the hosts and I was generally very happy. Nobody was late for any of the training sessions or team meetings.” |
| Said Avramovic:” Some players complained the training sessions were too tough. They forgot that it was hard work that got them into the national team in the first place.” |
The only thing the article got right was the fact there there were two players who were late for the team bus. However, they were just seven minutes late, according to Avramovic.
It does not take any more analysis to see how different Avramovic’s words to the media are to what ST had reported. It has to make you wonder if the words quoted by Wang Meng Meng are accurate in the first place.
This leads to several more questions:
- What is ST’s source of information? From what Avramovic told the media, it does not appear that ST’s information was reliable at all to start with
- If ST’s source of information has not been verified, what is the purpose of Wang’s article? It appears to be a blow to the morale of our national team at a time where they are still reeling from a disappointing defeat.
Even without Avramovic’s clarification, it is already clear that Wang had attributed the loss in Jordan (by a ONE-goal margin) entirely to unprofessional behaviour by our Lions. He had clearly ignored that fact that Jordan is a reputed Middle Eastern football side and the weather conditions in Amman were entirely different from that in Singapore. Oh, the Jordanians had a partisan 27,000 crowd behind them as well.
This editorial team will take this opportunity to reiterate our support for the Lions in this article and encourage the fans to get behind our national team by ignoring news reports which try to sway the crowd otherwise.
[1] http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Sport/Story/STIStory_500226.html
[2] http://www.fas.org.sg/default.asp?V_DOC_ID=3494
Calling on bloggers to helm TR’s “Entertainment” section
Dear readers,
We are currently looking for bloggers to helm our newly set up “Entertainment” subsection which will be focused on tabloid news in Singapore and the region.
As our extensive coverage of the Jack Neo scandal over the last few days has shown, such news are able to attract large number of readers which will help raise the profile of the site.
Though Temasek Review is a socio-political blog, we need to leverage on other non-political news to draw readers here where they can then be “educated” on Singapore current affairs and politics.
Based on past experience, we are usually able to retain between 10 – 20 percent of first-time readers who discover our site when searching for non-political news.
The Temasek Review has no central editorial team. It is a “blog within a blog”. Our news, opinion, Chinese, sports, world, entertainment, lifestyle and technology sections are all run autonomously and independently of one another by different bloggers who have never met one another in real life and there is no need to.
With our increasing readership, it will be a rewarding experience for you to contribute to our site as your article will be read by thousands of fellow Singaporeans.
If you are interested to write for us, please drop us an email at temasekreview@gmail.com
ADMINISTRATOR
TEMASEK REVIEW
AFC Champions League MD2: SAFFC 0 Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2
By MJ
After the commendable result against Chinese Super League side Henan Jianye away from home on Match Day 1, SAFFC approached tonight’s AFC Champions League Group G clash against South Korean giants Suwon Samsung Bluewings at the Jalan Besar Stadium with guarded confidence.
The Suwon squad was superior on paper in every department, featuring a host of current South Korean international players in their line-up. In the corresponding match last season, Suwon won the match 2-0 despite resting several of their regular first team players.
SAFFC started the match brightly, pressurizing their opponents and chased for every ball, keeping them pretty much at bay. As the match wore on, the quality of the Korean side showed as they settled into a possession game and began to test SAFFC’s defence with crosses in the box and neat one-twos through the middle.
From then on, it was always going to be a long night for SAFFC and it was evident that there will only be one winner in this contest.
To SAFFC’s credit, they managed to hold off with a combination of some outstanding saves from keeper Sharil Jantan and some poor finishing from Suwon. The tide only turned tremendously in Suwon’s favour in the last min of the first half when Brazilian import Vendrechovski Junior Anselmo struck an unstoppable free kick into the top corner of SAFFC’s goal.
The second half was very much the same story as Suwon looked to increase their lead to kill off the tie. SAFFC were left with a huge mountain to climb when Ivan Lovric was sent off for a second bookable offence. In the 73rd min, Suwon’s Brazilian forward Rodrigues Mota Junior Jose Roberto scored Suwon’s second of the night with a superb effort that gave Sharil no chance.
SAFFC did manage to break away occasionally throughout but were always out numbered by the solid Korean defence. Suwon did not look anywhere near their best, probably affected by the humid Singapore weather and the punishing artificial turf at the Jalan Besar Stadium. In the end, Suwon deserved to win perhaps by a larger score line with an accomplished and professional display.
Analysis from the sideline
This game provides a useful insight into SAFFC’s overall progress as a team, as they also played Suwon last season. A year ago, they were totally outplayed and couldn’t even get out of their own half to create chances.
Suwon also played much better than they did last year and their class was evident in the middle of park, where their players exchanged neat passes and kept possession well.
Despite an overhaul in personnel, SAFFC looked better prepared this season. They were certainly not overawed by the occasion and the players kept to their task and were more than a match for the Koreans. They were not content to just sit back and defend, creating a few good scoring chances of their own.
The final result may have been identical to last year’s, but SAFFC can take pride in this performance and understand that they should only get better from here. J-League giants Gamba Osaka are the next to visit Singapore and they will no doubt provide a stiffer challenge to SAFFC.
It will be easy to reiterate that the gulf between SAFFC and the rest of the East Asian club sides is still wide, but it can be said that this gap is closing slowly but surely. Yesterday, Indonesian club side Persipura Jayapura were hammered 9-0 in China. With this in mind, SAFFC’s performance here looks a whole lot more respectable.
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About the author – MJ has watched more S-League games than anyone he knows and hopes to see it blossom into one of the strongest leagues in the region. He is however annoyed by the lack coverage in the mainstream media and hopes to be the alternative voice.
Also by MJ
Lions on the verge of making history
FAS fails to learn from past mistakes
Cartoon: Singaporeans being shoved in the rear by the PAP’s “foreign talents”
[Source: Picture from Vote PAP out Facebook, quote by TR team]
Should Bridge have built the bridge?
By Ray Ang
What a busy few weeks it has been for English paparazzi!
Firsly, news of John Terry “doing a number on” lingerie model Vanessa Perroncel (ex-girlfriend of Wayne Bridge) splashed all over major the newspapers. Days later, Ashley Cole’s infidelity resulting in his split from pop singer Cheryl Cole from Girls Aloud swiftly followed.
The former led to Wayne Bridge’s decision to withdraw from the England squad selection and also brought much more hype to Manchester City’s visit to Stamford Bridge over the weekend. The match, which saw Man City thrashed Chelsea 4-2, also witnessed the much talked-about handshake snub by Bridge.
Subsequently, all eyes fell on England’s midweek friendly against Egypt and whether the absence of Bridge will be missed. England won that game 3-1 and Bridge’s replacement Leighton Baines put in a commendable performance in his place and quelled pleas from fans to get Bridge to return to the England line up.
However, the big question remains on everyone’s mind. Should Bridge have behaved the way he did? Should he have “built the bridge”?
Fans Reaction
The response from the public to Bridge’s decision to pull out of the England squad has been mixed at best.
There were many who were generally sympathetic of Bridge and argued that people should respect his decision and be supportive of him through such tough times. Bridge’s teammate Carlos Tevez was more vocal with his support of Bridge and said that such behaviour from John Terry would not have been accepted in Argentina and he could have even been killed for his actions.
Others critical of Bridge however pointed to the fact that Bridge was letting his emotions get the better of him. Being a professional footballer, he should behave professionally about the whole matter and be able to separate football (which is his career) and his personal life. Some even commented that he overreacted since Terry was only sleeping with his EX-girlfriend.
Professionalism
Bridge - Preplexed
So how exactly should a professional footballer behave then?
One can argue that Bridge is an employee of Man City and gets his wages paid by the club. Hence, to be professional, Bridge will just have to give his all every time he dons the club jersey. In that aspect, his decision to pull out of the national team has no relation to his professionalism for the club.
However, one can also argue that if Mancini decides to purchase Terry to shore up his backline, will Bridge have behaved in the same manner? In that instance, will he be acting as a professional then? Bridge’s decision has effectively pulled the plug on any potential moves that Mancini can make for Terry (remember that Terry was top of Man City’s shopping list last summer) without him letting Bridge go.
Country over Club
Even though one can argue that Bridge might not have acted unprofessionally, the bigger question might have been whether he could have put his personal differences aside and answer the call to play for his country.
To be called up to play for one’s country is a matter of immense pride and this is especially so in football-mad England.
Bridge might feel let down by Terry but he is letting the whole nation down by not playing and giving England a better chance of winning the much coveted World Cup trophy. It’s akin to turning down the call for national service because he couldn’t stand being with one of his section mate?
This is likely to be Bridge’s last World Cup and the Three Lions’ best shot at winning the World Cup in decades, yet he is not committed to help the highly talented but grossly underachieving squad consisting of Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard and Ferdinand achieve their first win in a major competition.
Acting in Self Interest
Others looking at the matter in a totally different angle say that Bridge made a shrewd move by putting himself out of the running for the squad and sparing himself the embarrassment of being dropped subsequently from the final squad by Fabio Capello.
Capello, being the strict disciplinarian that he is, will not tolerate any dressing room unrest and will likely drop Bridge over Terry to achieve this. Hence, Bridge is essentially acting in his self interest and not really thinking of the bigger picture for his other national team mates or the country for that matter.
Given that the World Cup is still over two months away, there is still every chance that Bridge might overturn his decision and return to the England fold.
However, one might say that if Ashley Cole returns fit from his injury, then Bridge’s eventual decision will only create a ripple and not a wave since he will probably end up playing second fiddle again. In all, it is hard not to give some sympathy to poor Wayne since he is also not even first choice with his wife!
As for John Terry, we all know that he likes scoring at the Bridge but he has clearly taken the matter out of hands with his travesty!
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Ray is a proud product of a local university (the one furthest westwards) and is based in London after having completed his Masters there. He currently plies his trade in a research based function for a financial institution and lists sports and current affairs amongst his many interests.
Gently, gently does it with political opponents
By Chua Mui Hoong from Straits Times
MR THARMAN Shanmugaratnam is a gentleman.
That was the recurring thought as I listened to his one-hour Budget round-up speech in Parliament yesterday.
After three days of debate from 52 MPs, which included heated criticisms even from MPs from his own party, Mr Tharman proceeded to wrap up the debate in a calm, benign manner.
His speech was not particularly ground-breaking in vision, but it scored high for repackaging old themes nicely, akin to old wine in new bottles.
To recap: MPs had raised concerns on issues that have long persisted on the national agenda: the divide between the haves and have-nots; what being Singaporean means especially in the face of an influx of foreigners; and the need for training to help workers stay relevant in the workplace. All these issues were discussed within the context of the nationwide push to raise productivity.
One line of criticism from some MPs was that Singapore’s high growth in the last five years, and its attendant open-door policy for foreign workers, had depressed wages at the bottom, widened the wage gap and led to feelings of insecurity among citizens.
Workers’ Party’s Mr Low Thia Khiang and Ms Sylvia Lim, and even NMPs and some People’s Action Party (PAP) MPs mused aloud if there was an error of economic management that led to the quick influx of foreigners in the last five years.
As the Finance Minister since December 2007 and a member of the Prime Minister’s core team since 2004, Mr Tharman could have been expected to launch a typical PAP response to such heated charges, robustly and with no quarter given, reminiscent of the 2003 debate when the Manpower Minister rebutted two academics for saying job growth had gone to foreigners at the expense of locals.
Read rest of article on Straits Times
FDI and Local Entrepreneurship in Four Asian Economies – Entrepreneurship in Asia and Foreign Direct Investment
By Martha Lagace from Harvard Business School
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is often lauded for bringing economic growth and know-how to developing countries. The conventional wisdom is not necessarily wrong, but the real story is much more nuanced than is commonly believed, says HBS professor Yasheng Huang.
As he is discovering in new research, the relationship that exists between FDI and local entrepreneurship in Asia may be one important reason why certain Asian countries developed differently from others, despite surface similarities.
This angle on FDI may offer a window into why Singapore and Malaysia, for instance, seem to be worried about the ascendance of China, while firms in Taiwan and Hong Kong have reaped enormous benefits from Chinese economic expansion, according to Huang. He presented his new research proposal to an audience of faculty and doctoral students at an HBS International Seminar on May 17.
According to Barron’s Business Terms, FDI is “investment in a country by foreign citizens, often involving majority stock ownership of an enterprise.”
Huang is looking deeper into how and why FDI played quite different roles in these four economies in Asia. While cautioning that this research is just getting underway and is not conclusive, Huang believes that the study of FDI in the context of local entrepreneurship in Asia deserves a closer look.
“I’m not claiming local entrepreneurship is the only determinant of FDI,” he said, “but it could be an important determinant that is often ignored.”
Read rest of article here
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