Singapore Sojourn - Part Nine

Water feature, Singapore

Roger Smith

SINGAPORE SOJOURN PART EIGHT May – September 5 2009 Roger Smith 1

Homily Heaven Saturday, 2 May 2009 There's nothing like a good slogan to motivate the troops. In Singapore this is adopted with an almost Confucian fervour.

Most buses are equipped with television and when Channel News Asia is not the active channel, there is a subtext of sayings and pearls of wisdom that play across the bottom of the screen. I think these are contributed by viewers but I cannot be sure?

There are similar motivational moments enshrined in public campaigns to fight off complacency and I noted during my tenure at NUS that they were also quite prevalent in the university world.

It is something that simply would not work as well in the West I would suggest. There is a residual cynicism that has crept into the minds of the electorate in these countries that would rebel against the practice.

Personally I do not have a problem with these homespun homilies but I wonder just how effective these rallying calls really are?

When Singaporeans really get motivated as has happened in recent weeks with the AWARE saga, they are a force to be reckoned with. I was hugely heartened to see the womenfolk of this country rise up and eject a small religious clique who had engineered themselves into the upper echelons of the organisation.

Secularism is one of the mainstays of this country and long may it remain so.

Willow

Roger Smith

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Old Friends At The Point Of Departure Saturday, 9 May 2009 I have just caught up with an old friend in the departure lounge of Changi airport. This was not a planned arrangement but both of us naturally gravitated towards the free internet access and we met again.

It reminded me just how pleasurable catching up with friends can be. In this case we had shared and survived the meltdown of UNSW Asia in Singapore.

He has now been reincarnated as a Regional Director for DELL, based in China and I am working for the British Council, also with regional responsibilities in Asia.

A shared coffee and a 'catch up', albeit for half an hour, has been most enjoyable. Mutual acquaintances were discussed and the prospects looking ahead in the economic gloom of 2009 also dominated our thoughts.

He has since departed for Shanghai and I am about to board a flight to Bangkok. It feels like only yesterday when we worked together and I was delighted to see how successful his life has become.

Like many Singaporeans he has had to leave his family behind in Singapore while he plies his trade.

While this is far from ideal for the family unit he makes a point of having quality time when the family reunites.

Old friends are to be treasured. Even the heavy deluge of a tropical rainstorm outside cannot dampen my spirits.

All Together Now – Bangkok Airport

Roger Smith

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Storm over Bangkok

Roger Smith

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Cheap Cheap Friday, 15 May 2009 Singaporeans enjoy travelling to Thailand. It is not simply the close proximity of this country that attracts them. Mainly it is the shopping, ease of travel and cheap accommodation.

On this business visit I once again stayed at the Pathumwan Princess hotel. In terms of overall value, cleanliness and service this hotel has few peers and I thoroughly recommend it.

It has another big advantage in that it is attached to the MBK Shopping Centre which has several floors and more than 2,000 shops.

Not that I was looking to buy anything but I did note that men's shoes were about 50% cheaper and even supermarket basics were 20%+ cheaper than Singapore.

Many products are produced in Thailand so this is to be expected.

When I first visit Bangkok the trip from the airport to the central district used to up to two hours through traffic snarl ups and choking pollution. On the Sunday I arrived we breezed down the expressway at 150 kilometres per hour and arrived at the hotel in less than half an hour.

Two Puppies - Bangkok

What impressed me most when I first visited Thailand in the early 1980's and what impresses me still is the courtesy of the people.

Unfortunately the Thai hotel and tourism industry has been badly hit by the triple whammy of the economic recession, H1N1 flu and the political unrest in the country. The local press was reporting that many of the top flight hotels have been put up for sale by their owners.

My business trip did not start well with a traffic accident blocking access to Changi airport as I sped towards departure.

Then there was the ignominy of having one's carry-on case emptied and personal shaving gel and mouthwash removed - even though I have carried these same items on two previous trips with no problems. The presence of a large Pakistani tour group returning to their home country could possibly explain this heightened vigilance.

The next little drama was a mildly poisoned finger which I managed to deal with - such are the joys of business travel that no plastic airline food can placate.

Next week I am spending several days in Jakarta so it will be interesting to note the comparison with Bangkok.

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Palace Door – Bangkok 1982

Roger Smith

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Vendor, Floating Market – Bangkok 1982

Mother and Child – Bangkok 1982

Roger Smith

Roger Smith

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Tethered Monkeys and Shanty Towns Monday, 25 May 2009 This is written from the luxury of my corner room at the Ritz Carlton Kuninga in Jakarta.

I say luxury, because it is with a feeling of guilt that I recall the shanties with their rusty red corrugated iron roofs that we passed on the way in from the airport.

The disparity between rich and poor is very evident in Indonesia. Jakarta alone has more than 10 million people, or to put it into context, two and a half times the entire population of New Zealand.

Every day for many is a story of subsistence and survival. My limousine passed a boy with his pet monkey tethered to its owner's wrist, performing acrobatics in the hope of attracting alms from passing motorists.

Further on, a piece of hose snaked from behind a clump of bamboo to the roadside and a motorcyclist was filling up from what I took to be an illicit petrol supply.

The goreng (fried food) hand carts were setting off for late afternoon as my driver took a short cut through the local neighbourhood in East Jakarta. It is a sight that one used to see in old Singapore, but no more, as the hawkers there are largely confined to stalls and the itinerant variety disappeared several years ago.

The pollution haze that I remember from my last visit to the capital over a decade ago remains.

Within two months of my visit to Jakarta the Ritz Carlton Kuninga hotel fell victim to terrorist bombing with a significant loss of life.

View from my window at the Ritz Carlton Kuningan

There is no free wireless in the Jakarta International airport unlike its counterpart in Singapore.

I like to arrive at an airport early, giving me plenty of time and allowing for the vagaries of traffic.

Today it took about an hour getting from my hotel in the relatively secure diplomatic enclave of East Jakarta to the international airport. This is quite a commendable amount of time as this same journey can take up to three hours or more.

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There is a certain seediness (should that be tiredness?) about the terminal. It matches the laidback lethargy of the small shop owners in the concourse.

The contents of these shops are an eclectic mix of large dried shark fins, mango confectionery and hand dyed fabrics all of which are quoted in $US. I of course am left with a handful of Indonesian Rupiah – 28,000 to be exact. To the uninitiated this may seem like a princely sum but it in fact only four Singapore dollars. Not that I am planning to pack a large shark’s fin into my carry-on luggage.

Gadgets Galore Saturday, 30 May 2009 Despite the economic downturn Singaporean remain enthusiastic adaptors of new technologies.

One only has to look at the full page advertising for mobile phone each Friday to appreciate this constant desire to upgrade.

The same applies to credit cards which every bank and most large department stores attempt to hook people with. It is the local custom to question any annual charges and express a strong desire not to have to pay these.

If there is a negative response from the card purveyor then Singaporeans will simply cancel the card and apply for another from a different source. This equally applies to the range of benefits that a card can provide.

Electronic gadgets come in all shapes and sizes. Most malls have at least two retailers selling massage chairs that clamp your calves, or vibrating neck collars. Irradiated ankle socks and other bizarre electrical gadgets complete the self-medication kit.

In a more positive vein, it is the tropical fruit season in Singapore and we are enjoying the Thai mangoes and lychees from China (which are much juicier than the Thai variety). These fruit are more beneficial to health than a warehouse full of massage chairs.

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Massage Mania

Roger Smith

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A Rapturous Success Saturday, 6 June 2009 It's the Great Singapore Sale, a legendary shopping experience that draws visitors from far and wide.

Unfortunately the term "Great" is rather overplayed this year and, as several tourists have observed, the bargains are not immediately obvious.

Not that one can blame the retailers, many of whom are struggling to survive in the depths of the current recession and of course, there are only so many 'new suitcases' that one needs to buy.

From the upper level of the 111 bus going down Orchard Road I noted a feeding frenzy in the Gucci shop in Paragon Shopping Mall. Apart from that the place seemed quiet especially for a weekend.

Malls are resorting to other attractions to draw in the crowds. In Plaza Singapura a large dinosaur display had its young audience in raptures (a rather unfortunate pun). The Singapore Science Centre Explainers were excellent in the manner they entertained and educated the children.

Nearby in the Capitol Theatre, the teenage audience was queuing up to audition for Singapore Idol 2009. Many had camped out overnight to be first to get on stage.

DinoTrails - Plaza Singapura

Reports in the evening news said that 4,000 people turned up to the auditions and such was the demand that the judges are going to be subjected to a second day of excruciating auditory abuse.

This is bad news for those of us searching for some quality entertainment on local television if the previous year’s standard is anything to go by.

Not that all local talent shows are bad. Earlier in the year there was a series on local bands and some of these were excellent with deft musicianship and tight harmonies.

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DADEEEE! Tuesday, 9 June 2009 "DadEEE, DADEEEE!" screamed the small voice "Water, DAD EEEE".

The under-5 was putting powers of observation to the test from the upper deck of the 111 and informing all who cared (and many of us who didn't) that the water feature outside Takayshamaya had captured his interest.

There is a natural enthusiasm and exuberance about 'Small People' that should be nurtured.

Unfortunately the meat grinder of most education systems ensures that these individual expressions of delight and observation are submerged by the weight of mediocrity.

For many years I was a teacher of visual arts and my primary role was to pry loose the jar of banality and allow creative expression to flourish once again.

In times of economic and political instability the world needs creative problem solvers not a flock of sheep all heading in the same direction.

Singapore has made a commitment to fostering the creative industries and art schools have been springing up like mushrooms over the past five years.

This, coupled with the promotion of research is a very wise investment. Singapore's competitive edge is its people. The more creative problem solvers and visionaries the country can produce the more robust its economy and society will be.

Yoga - Ion Mall

Singapore does not have the acres of green pasture for sheep to graze, unlike the country of my birth. It therefore has no choice but to be creative and innovative if it wishes to maintain its status and standard of living.

A Small Person's powers of observation need to be nurtured - the country's future depends upon it.

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Of Subs and Skum Friday, 19 June 2009 News this week that the Singapore navy has two new submarines being fitted out in Europe and due for arrival in the new year.

This came as news to me as I wasn't even aware that they had a submarine fleet. Scarcely surprising, given the secretive nature of the Service.

The secrecy is quite unlike that experience a few years ago by the Australian Navy when they proudly launched their own home-grown fleet. Unfortunately the propulsion units must have been developed by a diesel mechanics from Wagga Wagga and were an abysmal failure.

They were so noisy that when in motion it was reminiscent of dragging a bridal set of tin cans across the ocean floor, rather defeating the requirement for operations by stealth.

The Singapore Archer class subs. ( the abbreviation for submarine, as opposed to the more popular Subway bread rolls consumed in their thousands each day for rabid Singaporean teenagers) are in fact not new but refitted and upgraded version of a Swedish vessel.

It is a little known fact that the Swedes have been playing around in submarine for 100 years. Their other claim to fame are IKEA meatballs, which have got noticeably smaller in recent times.

Once the size of a billiard ball they now resemble 'tom-bowler' marbles. I tried them once but found them bland compared to the New Zealand home variety. The IKEA version are very popular in Singapore, ranked second to the deep fried chicken wings which are consumed with great gusto.

I always enjoy looking at packaging in other languages. IKEA's product line has some interesting titles such as the package of marshmallow mushrooms. Anything with 'skum' in it holds little appeal to me.

Knowing how clever the Singaporeans are at bargaining I suspect a year's supply of meatballs has been negotiated as part of the submarine Archer refit deal.

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A Queenstown Evening Saturday, 27 June 2009 The woman with no teeth was vigorously gumming a bread roll as she walked towards us past the Kings Ice-cream cart.

At this time of the early evening the baker at the Queenstown MRT discounts his baking, in an attempt to clear the shelves before nightfall.

Early evening is a pleasant time for a stroll, as the fierceness of the tropical sun has largely dissipated and local residents take the cooling air, emerging from the nearby HDB estates.

There are the Indians in their ruby red saris with ornate gold trimming, Malay women walking in groups; their head covered in deference to their religion and bow -egged Chinese bachelors heading to the food hawker stalls for a meal or to while away the hours talking over a cup of the local three-in-one coffee.

And there was us, making our way back from a quick jaunt to the Queenstown Public Library. We are well served in this regard and the library is well patronised, staying open as it does until nine in the evening.

The air is freshened by a gentle breeze and the smell of fried fish and spices tempts the nostrils. Not even the sound of the passing MRT trains at regular interval intrudes upon the contemplation of another day passing.

Foodcourt - Queenstown

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No No, Not Responsible Wednesday, 1 July 2009 One has to feel sorry for the civic-minded taxi driver at Changi airport. Mindful of the H1N1 flu swirling around him, he donned a surgical mask to protect himself and his passengers from any possible cross infection.

Unfortunately this act of social responsibility proved entirely counterproductive. Upon opening the back door and spotting the masked driver, his potential customers made an incorrect assumption that he was suffering from the pestilence, recoiled in horror and scurried off to find another cab.

The driver's preparedness to protect his passengers and himself is highly commendable.

Unfortunately he had incorrectly assumed that other Singaporean were as responsible as he.

I travel on public transport and our bus drive this week has been punctuated by the sounds of sniffles and chesty coughs. Not a protective mask was in sight I hasten to add. This poor public attitude would not be tolerated in Japan, where the culture of wearing a protective mask when ill is firmly entrenched.

The government has been attempting to educate the population to be more socially responsible but the message is clearly not getting through when it comes to public transport.

What is happening is that parents are keeping their precious children well away from public gatherings and the streets are also much quieter than usual.

The organisers of the Asian Youth Games which are being held in Singapore must be cursing their luck. Not only have they hit by the economic downturn but the much hoped for supportive crowds of Singaporeans have not eventuated. One can blame H1N1 for this non attendance.

Puddle Jumping Tuesday, 7 July 2009 It was 30 degrees at 5 pm in Taipei yesterday and children were jumping through fountains fully clothed to ward off the effects of the heat.

I am staying at Grand Hyatt which is opposite Taipei101 and a quick ten minutes stroll to the British Council where I spend my working day.

My fellow guests include the 158 strong Australian cast of Phantom of the Opera who are opening their show here in a week's time. I sat next to the sound crew at breakfast and it reminded me of my days as a 'roadie' for the touring exhibition Te Maori in the late 1980's.

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The Aussies thought I was an American from my accent - have I changed that much after three years in Singapore?

There is also a heavyweight US dignitary staying at this hotel although one never sees him or her.

How do I know this to be so? The heavy set suit brigade is in evidence with their earpieces and crackling intercoms.

One of the security detail breakfasted alongside me yesterday; a large and well muscled black American. He received a summons which saw him drop his walkie talkie and then quickly abandon his breakfast and hurry off to his duties. Indigestion is clearly one of the less known trials of an exmarine.

As to the hotel itself, the service is excellent and the decor a little tired but well maintained. I am on the 8th floor, having refused my first room on the 14th which smelt of residual cigarette smoking despite the fact that the entire hotel is smoke free. There is a recurring problem in Asia where Chinese tourists and businessmen point blank refuse to follow the non-smoking rules.

Today I am at the British Council for a second round of meetings and presentations. I shall return to Singapore tomorrow.

One Giant Step for Mankind, One Giant Step For SMRT Thursday, 16 July 2009 You may think I am referring to an event that took place forty years ago; the first men on the moon.

My train of thought however is focused on the more mundane - a step towards reclaiming the cleanliness of Singapore's public transport.

This week we have at last seen evidence of the local authorities cracking down on eating and drinking on the MRT and I hope they will extend this vigilance to other forms of transport such as buses.

While the rules have existed they have been quite frankly poorly policed, with inspectors only reacting after complaints have been made and not being proactive. At least I have never seen any such policing when I traveled.

When I took the MRT regularly each afternoon, it was necessary to run the gauntlet of ill-disciplined school children and itinerant labourers sitting on the carriage floor, sucking on drinking straws and munching on a variety of kueh kueh.

It would appear that I am not alone in applauding this renewed inspecting vigour. The general consensus is that citizen journalism has prodded the SMRT officers into action. Let us hope that this diligent approach is maintained.

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And as to the other 'step for mankind' all those years ago; I remember listening and watching the moon landing unfold and realising for the first time how this journey meant we were no longer confined to one planet.

Robinsons – July

Say Cheese Sunday, 19 July 2009 There are many great mysteries in the world one of them being why London hotels, unlike their counterparts everywhere else in the world, do not provide a facecloth?

It is 6:15 on a money morning and my body clock has still not adjusted to the UK time zone after my 16 hours of flights from Singapore, Saturday evening and Sunday. I awoke at 3 am and dozed fitfully until 5:30.

The trip on Lufthansa from Singapore was interesting. The ability to sleep reclining on a business class seat made a lot of difference. The chef's fare had all of the classic German trimmings. I passed on the calf's cheek in brown sauce and had a light meal instead.

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We arrived in Munich ahead of time and I had a couple of hours to wait. It was here that I made another discovery.

The Lufthansa Lounge provided a nice breakfast of excellent breads and fresh fruit. I chose the latter - a large bowl of sliced and diced fruit. The adjacent bowl of thick yoghurt also looked inviting so several dollops of this were added on top.

Having found a table and had a mouthful of coffee, I turned to the fruit. My first mouthful told me that I had made a frightful mistake. The 'yoghurt' was in fact a cheese sauce which the Germans spread on their thick slices of black bread. Needless to say a fresh bowl of fruit was called for.

Back in the transit lounge I studied my travel companions-to-be. Sitting directly across from me was a buxom, bottle blonde fraulein reading her teenage fashion magazine. To her left was a disheveled Britain. He and his luggage had a distinctly rumpled look. I am being charitable, as his suitcase was in fact filthy and, as it so proved, he had habits to match.

He had a partially eaten bag of sunflower seeds in his backpack which he withdrew from the depths of his dirty linen that were in the same bag. The bag had burst and so he spent the next ten minutes fossicking and digesting the spilt seeds that he rescued from the lining. Having completed this exercise he opened his small suitcase which revealed even more dirty washing.

We arrived at Heathrow a quarter of an hour earlier than scheduled which the pilot proudly proclaimed through the intercom. This impressed the Heathrow staff not a jot. Despite several calls from the cockpit no steps or transport appeared on the apron. We had to wait for 15 minutes more in the aircraft cabin until Heathrow ground staff honoured us with their presence.

Welcome to London; they have a lot to learn from Changi airport.

After a week of London "stodge" it was back to the hawker stalls of Singapore for some serious eating. Not that I didn't enjoy reverting to my former diet of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, but give me some hearty mee any day.

I am feeling mildly jet-lagged today after arriving back in Singapore last evening. My flights were delayed by electrical storms over Munich which closed the airport for an hour.

It was a fairly bumpy trip right the way through with turbulence over the Bay of Bengal - this was not as a result of the curry I had eaten I hasten to add.

Kopitaim - Vivo City

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Singapore HeritageFest Saturday, 25 July 2009 I want to give a big tick (to quote a local television advert that is running at the moment) to the National Heritage Board for their National HeritageFest.

At Vivo City yesterday we came across a booth and sound stage which was erected as part of the cultural celebration (Sound Stories). I picked up a couple of heritage trail booklets. They both are excellent productions; well written and each with an interesting trail map to follow.

There were a number of interesting snippets about places that my wife can remember from her early childhood. For example the New World Park which was very popular up until the mid 1950's and where one paid $1 for three dances with local women - and they only got 8 cents a dance to keep.

Apparently there were also some interesting cabaret acts including a stripper called Rose Chan who wrestled pythons as part of her show.

Python wrestling seems to have fallen out of favour here in Singapore I am pleased to report, but we are gearing up for a local election in 2010 or possibly before, which promising to even more entertaining.

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Coughing Crows and the Little Red Dot Friday, 7 August 2009 A crow coughed as it passed my window. At least it would have coughed had it been physically able to do so. The birds sweep down their highway from roost to food market, following the contours of the MRT lines.

Visibility of these lines is not the best with the Haze (i.e. pollution from Indonesian burn-off fires) reducing visibility and making it very difficult for anyone with respiratory conditions.

I cannot for the life of me understand why Singapore continues to donate tens of thousands of dollars to Indonesia for smoke sensing equipment, when Indonesian small holders and plantation owners blatantly disregard their own country's directives. The Indonesia government seem powerless, or unwilling, to effectively police their own laws.

A former Indonesian President B.J. Habibie once disparaging referred to Singapore as a "little red dot" and this sort of paternalistic attitude clearly persists.

Make Mine a Cookie Sunday, 9 August 2009 Yesterday Singapore celebrated its National Day. Two things happened which made it memorable.

Firstly we had televised National Day parade which was very well choreographed. The Military paraded with full colours and an impressive range of armaments were on view. Navy divers 'found and defused' a mine as part of the programme.

The mine in question looked suspiciously like the World War II variety. I remember seeing one of these lethal devices mounted on a concrete plinth in the northern Taranaki town of Mokau when I was a child - perhaps it remains there still?

Interestingly the first 'mines' was used by the Chinese as early as the 14th century. Needless to say I am not an expert on mines so perhaps mine design has remained the same these past fifty years and we were after all, viewing the object on television through the murky waters of the Marina Bay. The colour and pageantry was impressive as was the fact that most of Singapore stopped at 8.22 pm to recite The National Pledge.

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The second thing that happened yesterday was the pressing of our condo door bell. When I opened it, there stood the diminutive figure of our neighbour's eight year old daughter. Shyly we offered up a plastic container with some of her homemade cookies, baked under her mother's direction.

I was very touched by this gesture and can honestly say that in the three years that I have been here, this small offering meant more than any end of year bonus. It was a great way to celebrate National Day.

Today's Culinary Hint - Village Smoked Chicken Sunday, 9 August 2009 We live not far from the Anchor Point Mall and on a Sunday often take the free bus from Queenstown MRT station to the mall. In the basement is a recently revamped food court and my favourite is the village smoked chicken from the Old Hong Kong Roast stall.

It is simply delicious as it is prepared in the traditional manner - smoked inside a claypot for maximum flavour.

The dessert stall is also very reasonable and their chendol is one of the best in terms of ingredients offered.

Breed, Breed, Breed Saturday, 15 August 2009 The government's ongoing concern with the low birth rate which is less than the replacement ratio has once again come to the fore in the local media. It is one key reason given for allowing a large influx of foreigners into Singapore to drive the economy - a matter many Singaporeans feel very sensitive about.

To the outside observer and Singaporeans of a certain vintage, this problem appears largely of the government's own making. If one reads the history of social engineering from the 1960's onwards it becomes apparent the reluctance to breed was first triggered by a deliberate campaign to reduce population.

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In those times parents who had more than two children were penalised and the incidence of abortion was high. Having a third child carried a stigma and financial cost.

Mui Teng Yap wrote an interesting paper on this subject entitled Fertility and Population Policy: the Singapore Experience in which he wrote "Singapore has long been known for its use of social policies to influence fertility/reproductive behaviour. This began in the late 1960s/early 1970s and continues to the present, although the demographic objective has changed from anti-natalist to selectively pro-natalist. " There was also great concerned that 'educated' Singaporeans were not breeding and the under classes were.

This changed in 1987 when the rule became "have three if you can afford them" but I suspect by then that the damage was done in that the cultural perceptions of what constituted a family had changed.

The current PM has four children, with the first born from his second marriage (Li Hongyi) also being born in 1987 according to online biographies. His first wife tragically died of a heart attack during childbirth.

In 2004, "Dr Love" organised a TV show to encourage couples to have children but it did little good.

In 2001 the Baby Bonus Scheme was introduced providing financial incentives but the Straits Times has just reported that even with a record bonus there has been little take up.

I wonder how the now elderly who wanted more children in the 1960's feel (and in particular those women who underwent abortions) when they see the current government efforts to increase the population through immigration?

As an aside, news also today that Minister Mentor's grandson Li Shengwu was named the top overall economics student across Oxford's 30 colleges. He has an excellent political and economic pedigree on both sides of the family- his maternal grandfather is economics professor Lim Chong Yah who also obtained his PhD from Oxford University.

Busker Bliss and Men in White Saturday, 5 September 2009 I have just met the most discordant erhu player in Singapore, bowing his way to infamy outside the Doby Ghaut MRT station.

The sound was reminiscent of the whining of a spraying tom cat marking out its territory.

This noise that masquerades as entertainment also reminds me that MediaCorp is scheduling numerous re-runs of the excruciating Singapore Idol.

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I am all in favour of buskers but a modicum of talent would have helped and perhaps it would be a good idea to have this folk vetted before a license is issued?

My train of thought turns to the automated air-fresheners that my wife has bought 'on special'.

These are proving to be reasonably effective in combating the second hand smoke that filters into our apartment from inconsiderate neighbours. They too make a sound like a cat about to cough up a fur ball, as they release their scent into the room; most disconcerting.

Did Lee Kuan Yew become Prime Minister by a single vote cast by the then PAP chairman? This is the topic gripping the Singapore media at the moment upon the release of a new publication "Men in White". Other bloggers claim that not all of the founding members were interviewed during the research phase but I have no way of verifying this.

My aim is to try and get hold of a copy to read as it appears to give a more comprehensive overview of the formation of the ruling PAP party than some previous publications.

And does it matter that MM became the PM by a single vote? In a democracy a one vote majority is all that is needed.

Most would agree that Singapore would not be where it is today if someone else had been holding the reins of power.

Modern Miss - MRT

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Dawson Road, Queenstown as it was and is now. We walked along this road to the NTUC supermarket at the shopping centre

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Fish – Wet Market

Roger Smith

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