Tommy Koh on the Haze

Looks like Tommy Koh seizes every opportunity to explain how the government works because he is a strong believer in transparency and empowerment. I felt that desire in this good man when I read this TodayOnline article.

As I had always thought, how far we respond on the Haze problem is in the end a matter of cost and benefit not just now but discounted into the foreseeable future. I hope the Indonesians understand that Singapore patience is not infinite. Privately we must make it clear to them where we draw the line in the sand. The do not cross boundary will of course not be made public or a more severe line would have to be drawn with less tolerance from us. Nobody gains from this and naturally Tommy Koh did not dwell on that. This is something for thoughtful people to figure out for themselves.

The Aussies have never been shy about articulating their attitude that Indonesia is a potential threat to their security. What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. So this applies even more so to Singapore. The difference between us and Australia is that we bring more finesse and determination to make the relationship with Indonesia a friendly and constructive one. But never doubt that the Indonesians would gobble us up if the opportunity presents itself.

Related:

I saw red when I read this in the ST yesterday. It was reprinted from a Reuters story.

Can you believe the government is complicit in burning the forests? That if the companies wanted to be more ecologically friendly but the local authorities say no and will make good their threat to give the concessions to competitors which will set alight the forests. If they stoop that low, nothing but the most prejudicial measures would work right? Hope we never get to that but meanwhile borrowing the weight of the international community provide the greatest bang with the least cost makes the most sense.

A New Day (Ernesto Cortazar)

I really feel the strain. When I opened this email from my friend in Vancouver I didn't know what to expect. What a gift! Such a welcome break.

Cold Storage not removing APP products?

Where is Cold Storage among the supermarket chains removing APP products from their shelves? On our end we are stopping purchase of all APP paper products. We will also not be shopping at Cold Storage. Most important we will go about this with common sense, that is we will not make it painful for ourselves unnecessarily, not yet and I hope never need to. 

A partial boycott is most effective if everyone of us do it. The idea is not giving them total pain but enough to hurt and make them behave in ways acceptable to us. 

The Indonesians must reform. If they think they can go about burning their forests indefinitely they are sorely mistaken. This will worsen from a issue between neighbors into a global one. If they choose to be treated and then suffer as pariah that is up to them. There are no good endings for behaving stupidly. We will be adversely affected but we adapt and survive. Let's hope we needn't go too far for everyone to learn their lessons. 

The wise foresee and adjust course but fools love to learn the hard way. That pretty much describe Indonesia. Now they want to control the air space that we have been overseeing when they cannot even make sure their planes do not fall from the sky. 

From Strategic Foresight to the TPP

Late last night I learned that the TPP is now a success. For a long time I thought it was a very long shot but our security depended so much on it.

Yesterday I read the speech Kissinger gave in honor of the late LKY. I see, already decades ago LKY foresaw what might come and fashion over all these time to entrench America in Asia. In this way all of us benefit.

I still recall him publicly ruing about the US having to leave Subic bay and Clark airbase in the Philippines. Had those bases remain, the situation in our corner of the world would be more secure for us.

But my late father had also told me as China rises weaker neighboring states automatically have tributary status. The Chinese doesn't plan this, it will just happen because that would be how the Chinese will treat others simply because they don't know any other way.

The difficulty was never the Chinese bit but the US one. How to keep them staying here and looking at all that had happened there was never a guarantee that we could pull this off. The working of the US two houses are as mysterious and unpredictable as ever.

Who will fathom the next 50 years for Singapore to SG100?

Teachers: From Ng U-Lynn to Rohaishah Hamid

I guess this must be Rohaishah's teacher. If I had missed by a mile someone might leave me a comment to let me know as had often happened.

And this is Rohaishah, Ms Ng U-Lynn former pupil. Ms Ng kinda of helped MOE recruit a special teacher. She is now teaching at Pierce Secondary School.

I remember when my daughter was in the MOE system. She was fortunate to meet a couple of really special teachers but many forgettable and a few difficult ones. As a result, she told me she would never want to be a teacher. I told myself this even from Primary One this is not good. Each time MOE sent her an invitation to consider teaching when she was in JC she handed the material or letter to me just for my info and then to the bin. As an articulate straight As student I didn't think she would have problem getting a teaching scholarship.

One of the special teachers has been a finalist for the President's award for teachers like forever until ST did a story of her. The other one got his PAT award quite easily but she wasn't close to him like the one from primary school. In both instances I had initiated the process for their nomination. Sure others probably had nominated them as well but I sold the stories for them to get to the finals and better. However this did not do anything to make my daughter more open minded about being a teacher.

When the kids are young, the parents know and could anticipate them if you spend enough time with them. One day they will pass that threshold when we cannot predict what they would do. At that point they would have discovered their inner self and become truly self directed individuals. My bet is that at that time this child would look back and said, "I could have been an excellent teacher". But life is also about getting the time and place right for things to happen. For her both time and place were wrong.

So I am happy for Ng U-Lynn and Rohaishah. Their work is very meaningful. I hope the rank of bean counting teachers will fall over time and looking at the young teachers, I am optimistic. Finally one of the best documentary I have seen on TV this year is, "Don't call us beaten"

Rohaishah's Story

Calling out stupid: Threatening SG water supply

See TodayOnline article.

This is not about Malaysia throttling the water to Singapore. It is much farther away in Nepal which is facing dire shortages of fuel with waiting time to fill your tank much longer than we had to wait to pass LKY's casket.

India is not happy with the changes Nepalese lawmakers are enacting to their Constitution. So just curtail fuel and food shipment which Nepal import from India. Teach them a lesson. This could very well have happened to our water supply if we had been weak, and we would have returned to Malaysia on their terms long ago as second class citizens.

I had called somebody here stupid and I am posting this to explain why that label is not off the mark. On the other hand I wouldn't have bothered if such a news story wasn't conveniently available.

SERS: Bidding farewell to C'wealth Drive

They put more heart into such moments now. I wonder how they would do in when in the next few years those from Tanglin Halt move out. Of course I would wonder simply because I grew up there. Most of my classmates except one remained. She will do that for us eh?