Govt increasingly don't need MSM

I have been waiting for something like this. The PM invites us to catch his speech live tomorrow from the Star Vista. I asked myself why would he need Mediacorp at all.

The media stalks ministers Facebook page and followers get the news from the horse's mouth as quickly as journalists. Why most of us do not do that is because we have other priorities. Increasingly the MSM do not bring you the news but help its readers and viewers save time by prioritizing and filtering them.

Opposition parties no longer worry as much as before when they had to count of the MSM to tell their side of the story which they often accuse of bias.

Indonesia: Lessons from capital punishment

I woke up early this morning to news that Indonesia have executed 8 of them but spared one.

Tragic as it was I told myself it is finally over. Only the media had gained from this, all of us are losers.

I feel sorry that Indonesia had to drag this out for so long. If they had to do this they should have proceeded swiftly. I can't imagine us a small country doing the same, it would surely gravely hurt our interests. This is yet another lesson for small states to bear in mind. Don't wait for full lessons from other small states to take home the relevant lessons.

In the longer term I wonder if we should continue to hang people for some crimes. I think at least we must begin (perhaps we are already) to reduce the crimes that invite the death sentence with the view of doing away with it eventually.

To me the death penalty is not about revenge or even justice but what we want to achieve for the safety of our society. If we can promote the well being of our society without killing criminals we should. However for me this Indonesian episode it a takeaway of how inept the Indonesians are. I am not that optimistic that President Jokowi can do a good job. The shoes of the presidency are simply too large for him. I am reminded of the naive speech he made at the recent Asia-Africa summit. His speech on a world without a dominant power but equals is the most unstable arrangement possible. He is totally out of depth in foreign affairs.

Update: 4:00pm

I wasn't expecting this. Yahoo carried this by AFP. They went to their deaths singing Amazing Grace. This is as close as you get from the other person hanging beside Christ and he asked him to remember him when it is all over.

The only way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The prison pastor did his job very well.

PSC chairman on selecting scholars

Not that I purposely try to but Eddie Teo had never made a speech or written an article that I could criticize like I do his other colleagues who has also serve as head of civil service at other times.

I find this true too when I read, Values that stand the test of time in public service by the ST.

The PSC needs members who are good judges of character and motivation. They interview young 18 year olds whom I feel by and large do not even know themselves all that well. Therefore they must look for some qualities like litmus paper turn red to test acid with other tests to ago along. Then they judged and at that point science becomes art, the candidate is chosen or rejected.

Really, how do you assess a young person who doesn't even know himself or herself? Within very strict limits I would think. It becomes a process of recognizing attributes in the interviewee which he or she does not yet know their impact on his or her future because of inexperience.

Then there is the skill needed to sieve the genuine ones from the fakes. My ex colleague was one such fake who joined the admin service in mid career. I suppose it is harder to judge an older and more experienced candidate.

I also wonder if top executive recruiters try to learn the tools of the trade from the PSC. Are its methods copied by these Search firms? Imitation is the ultimate flattery and symbol of success.

What worries me is that our system failure to anticipate this, which I think is best to quote Mr. Teo.

But I do worry quite a lot about one downside of our meritocratic system. When scholars are told they have succeeded on their own merit and given public acclaim, a few may become swollen-headed. They may think that they have arrived on their own effort and owe nothing to anybody else. They forget that nobody succeeds in the public service or in life, for that matter, without the support of other people. They must never forget that their family, friends, school, bosses, peers and subordinates all play a key role in helping them succeed. From time to time, they have to be reminded that they must not believe in PSC's hype and should stay humble if they truly want to be a good public servant.

But I am not criticizing Eddie Teo or the PSC after all this wasn't his meritocratic system. I think it is just a statement of reality. At the end of the day there is not enough of the type of people the PSC is looking for. Take such types in too and then teach them. Why else do you get them so young if not to mold and groom them?

Nevertheless I told my children please do not apply for a PSC scholarship. We don't even want the bond free NUS scholarship.

IKEA is Swedish for pissed-off boyfriend

IKEA is Swedish for pissed-off boyfriend, I borrowed that line from this WSJ story.

Courting couples should prepare and try to test or take their relationship to the next level with a visit to IKEA eh?

Love is blind as they say but such a visit could be eye popping. Don't waste time. Go find out.

Strike small petrol jackpot

A small jackpot at the SPC petrol station yesterday. It deserves an entry here because I don't think it is likely that I would hit this again. I can't remember if I ever had an earlier strike. The office Christmas lucky draw gives much better odds.

Nepal 7.9 Earthquake

Who is that man deep in grief crying. He was doing so for his dead sister Today Online explained. There were two more photos and one shows several funeral pyres.

My wish and prayer that the number of reported deaths would slow. It was under 2,000 when I checked this morning.

I also remember some Pacific island recently suffered a Category 5 typhoon. They were devastated and practically nobody went to help them. In this sense Nepal is a lot more fortunate but this is only because they are connected to the wider world as an irresistible spot with Everest beckoning. So it is important to relevant to others. Now they are rushing aid to the country.

I was also trying to find out if there wee rioting and traders hiking prices. There were none. I would like to quote one:

Mr Jaiswal said stocks were running out, and more shipments were not expected for at least a week, but added, “We are not raising prices. That would be illegal, immoral profit.”

God bless Nepal.

Update: April 28 10am

Death toll has passed 4,000. I was simply and stupidly wishful. This is a major earthquake in an poorly developed region. Gotta get real.

SCDF superior to SPF?

From the SCDF I think we are getting a real time lesson that helping others is no different from helping ourselves, and we always need to do that for ourselves.

My thoughts return to the superior performance of SCDF during the Little India riots. Putting one and one together I wonder if not for all these rescue missions would SCDF be a superior performer than the SPF? Peace and stability lull us into complacency but the SCDF never could rest on its laurels. They expect to be constantly tested and now they are heading into the next mission.

Even with a corrupt man at the top before, they continue to perform. They are going to do even better with a good person at the top. I hope to see a woman leading them some day.