World Cup is here! 

The referee does not deserve another match again.

It was one of the most boring match in the history of European Cup Finals! The spectacle that everyone was expecting was a no-affair! Barcelona was the only team playing soccer. And you cant blame it for happening. Arsenal had to play defensively. If you wanted to blame someone for dragging you up in the middle of the night to watch some training game, blame that ass-stupid referee.

As i've said many times before, there are alot of buggers out therewhile holding alot of discretionary power, who consequnetly make alot of money and fame, cos of some 'cosmic forces'. However as many as there are leaches in the Nepali highlands, many of these people with discretionary powers have the charisma of a cabbage.

The three stupid referees for the finals are examples of that.

Yes thats Terje Hauge, that dumb ass for a finals game and not to mention his 2 assistants, they will only remind just that for the rest of their lives.

Pulling game back after the fouled team had scored a goal, just to do the ultimate no-no in a cup final, is beyond comprehension. If he had allowed the goal and sent Lehmann off, I can still understand it. But to disallow the goal, pull the game back to send-off the Arsenal keeper and to allow a stupid free-kick is just pure stupidity. There are many more stupid decisions that Terje Hauge made, but I am going to spare him more agony. He has already been cursed and damn by too many, one more by me will only make him look good.

1-0 down but at least it wld be 11v11 and its still game-on. Terje is obviously a brainwashed referee who is not bright enough in this modern game.

We will now never know how great this line up of a game would be, ever again. Blame the referee.

The Sweet Spot

I had a fantastic soccer game on Saturday!
The grass patch was bad as usual, the weather threatening, the patch was somewhere in Tanglin... the opponents looked good too!

This team, comprising of Wendell's Church people whom I used to play with quite regularly, finally turned up and when we started, I felt that my body was quite ready to play the game knowing that i was playing with like-minded players, at 9am some more.

The game started off good, I was able to control the midfield with the very intelligent midfield Josh and knowing the the ever willing Wendell was playing the defensive midfield role, I got into my stride.

With superb first touch and clever passes, the team was controlling the game and we went into a 2-0 lead within 15 minutes. What I want to comment is that the passing in this team is great. The players are good on the ball not cos they have superb ball-stick-to-foot-kind of skills, but rather, they are composed and not not hurried. Every player will hold the ball for 2 seconds or so, making the ball theirs, before looking up to find a player to pass to. Thats what I call ball possession.

Than came my turn. A long punt upfield that was sort of 'deliberately' missed by myself. Hey it was prob a goalkick and the ball was fast and high, I didn't ready need to challenge yet and let the ball bounce over me. The defender sort of made a mess of trapping the ball as no one was even near him and managed to control the ball with his 'hands'.

I ran up first to the ball took it and readied myself for the direct.

Looking for the spot to kick on the my favourite addidas ball, I placed the ball and due to the way i position my feet, everyone will know that i will take a left foot shot. Took exactly 3 steps back, complained to the ref about the wall, pretend to look around for options but knowing that i wouldn't, took 1 huge side-step, took my run-up and even though the keeper made a fantastic move to his right and got his fingers to it, it was no stopping, my 'postage stamp' free-kick GOAL.

The mandate gathered in FACTS!

Now that the rhetorical is over, Lets look at facts!

In sum of the wards contested by WP. (source The Straits Times -ST)

total votes cast votes won

Hougang 22,293 13,987 WP seat

Joo Chiat 18,799 6,577
Nee Soon Central 21,737 7,527
Nee Soon East 30,478 9,533
Aljunied GRC 133,395 58,585
East Coast GRC 104,757 37,867
AMK GRC 146,059 49,468

Total 477,518 183,544

183,544 voters casted their votes for the WP!


Know lets try to look at its significance and the points that we can learn from this:-

1) WPs voters will fill the national stadium 3 times over! (if capacity capped at 55,000)

2) WPs votes certainly topped the number of ppl who turned up at WP's rallies. ST reports that there were only 10,000 watching the WP's 9 rallies anyway, so to 'them' there were only 90,000 ppl 'in total' at the rallies.
We who attended, knows otherwise, that there could have been 90,000 at each rally.

3) Most rally watchers were regulars, just like me and huiping! Travelling all over Singapore chasing their aspiring leaders, thus causing massive traffic jams all over! Including the major expressways

4) Some rally watches couldn't even vote for WP cos they are in walkover or other opposition contested wards.

5) Rally watches come from all walks of life. I know as I was there to witness.

Enuff for now cos I the PAP wouldn't be able to take such significance. I shall spare them the agony.


The point is. It shows that those who went to WP's rally, DID INDEED support the WP team!

183,544

183,544 of votes is alot. Considering that it is 38.4% (source ST) of the total votes cast. Almost 4 ppl out of 10 sitting in a coffee shop supported WP. Thats almost half. Taking into consideration that out of the reminding 6 ppl, 1 would have cast a spoilt vote, did not cast or voted SDP, and 1 to SDA (Chiam), that means only leaving 4 ppl only supporting PAP!


The rallies also shown a few other things ( I cannot only talk about WP right)

1) Very few ppl turn up for PAP rallies (hundreds or so - ST)

2) Many ppl (maybe 1 million) did not even turn up for any rallies (there are 1.22 million voters this time - ST)


The most pertinent we can see now is:-

The profile of those who voted for PAP I gather is:-

1) PAP workers, civil servants, public servants (I make a guess here is that most of them are on duty anyway so they have didn't have a choice), RC members, CCC members, PA members???

2) And (the most annoying and disturbing fact), ppl who didn't know who to vote but just did so anyway.


Don't get me wrong, I am not pro-opposition or anti-PAP.
I am just but a student of this watershed election.
I also cry cos there are signs that civil society is just about to sprout in Singapore. And the seeds do come from the 'very people' who represent our nation's people.
I also cry cos I discovered myself.

This is a Great car... no need to test drive!

'WV' has got a new car in town! The model 'V3' is the latest craze in europe cos of its funky design with 28 different colours to choose from and boast lastest 1.6l technological advance. The price is at a supperb S$38,900 only! Cheaper than vans!
Great for buyers like you and me right. I am going to get one from Leng Kee Rd. You wanna get one with me? Come on cheap cheap and latest model.


For car buyers and owners out there, what will you do?

-Will you just say 'Yes i want one too'?
-Or will you say hey 'How come you not going for test drive first, there are so many car models out there'?
-Let me 'Check it out first. Must make sure'?

Where am I coming to?

I am talking about this watershed election for me.

Any good friends will ask
'Why is this election such a watershed for you when you are in a walkover ward?'

Did you ask me... are you a friend who asked already?

My rough short blog answer:-
I am at the age of consciousness, 30 years old. Having gone thro 'world class' uni education and trying to use my educated mind to get a grip on whats happening about me. 'Class room education cannot apply in real life' many have told me anyway.
At my age, I am making choices in my life now. I am starting to feel and know that things do happen out there. That I shouldn't see things in a selfish light. I want to be part of a first class, world class populace and society. I want to be a participating understanding empathetic human being before i die.

So what should i do to be one?

I think i should be more:-
Involved
Open my heart and mind
Absorb more
Understand
Get to know more ppl
Get to know what 'represents' the ppl that i already know, where they 'come from'
Love
Decide
'I want to know, tell me more'
etc

Be less:-
Cynical
Apathatic
High and Mighty
Know it all
A Follower
Singaporean kiasu kiasi


I don't think that a difficult task right?
The points above transcend whether i am a civil servant, boy, girl, policeman, armyboy, businessman, student, teacher, unemployed, employed, in love, out of love, boring or outgoing, mahjong or blackjack player, hokkien, cantonese, mandarin, french or english... gossh i think i have been one of above at one point of time or another. Except the girl part of cos.

Through the past few weeks though:-
I get the feeling and thinking that in my society,
some soceity members cannot understand alternative view from himself or herself, or simply put it, see where the other person is coming from. My society doesn't have the finesse to take the time to know fully before standing his or her grounds and stick by it for awhile. Tat the society that i stay in may be questionable but not willing to question.
Some people don't even know what is happening and what voting is about.

So back to the question i pose myself, why the watershed?

I now have learnt, the many differences and view points of our civil society.
I bothered myself to listen and understand where a person is coming from. To get some facts and information before I make an impression for myself.
I don't based on hear say, I don't based on herd mentality.
I base my vote (although technically i don't have a vote cos of walkover) on what I have learnt and heard.
I am not a herd nor a shepard.

I make my choice after knowing the sum of its parts


In other words, I base my choice to buy the new car cos i went for a test drive.


This election for me is not to create a divide between me and the frens and ppl i know becos of the vote each of us stand for. Politics should never divide ppl cos we are a first world country with first world education.

This election does show however that there are ppl in society who may not be as sophisticated as our economic and educational status would allow us to believe in the world. That many are herds, that many can make a decision based on what others have told them. That many can make a choice based on an impression that he or she didn't experience first hand.
That some cannot create a 'paradigm shift' or put on a 'yellow hat'.

I don't blame them. Our education isn't 'tuned' that way to begin with in the first place. We haven't learnt what it is like to be a civil society.

However this election shows where my divide lies...



I know what I want becos I went looking for what I wanted to know.


Do you want to test drive?

Day before the Polls

Another rally I attended tonight. The turn-out was unexpectedly amazing!

I didn't expect such a big turn out, I thought everyone will go over to the PAP rallies. But I was almost locked out of Serangoon stadium. My estimate is that there were well over 80000 people at the worker's party rally.

Well if based on past election experiences, ppl wouldn't support the opposition anyway. So why should the PAP care? They didn't. I think LHL said so too. They are confident that they will win.

So come polling day, PAP will expect to win.


Oh anyway do I remember correctly seeing images of 1960s photos of PAP speaking to huge crowds too when they were still the opposition then? I think i did. Correct me if i am wrong, did PAP come into power after that? Those hugh rallies?

The difference. MPs and Ministers

Some ppl think we are voting for 'leaders' of Singapore. Yes voting for ppl to go into parliament is indeed voting for leaders, but not fully true.
Whatever you have studied in primary school, sec school and even university doesn't apply for Singapore's context.

Why do I say that?
Cos PAP has already 37 seats out of 84 seats. 6 more PAP buggers and they form majority of parliament. Are you going to tell me that PAP cannot get that 6 seats? I will be damn glad if they don't but thats as good as saying Singapore getting to the World Cup finals against England.

So what are Singaporeans voting for atually?
You are voting for someone to represent your ward for the next 5 years. Someone who you know will best represent you in parliament, only. Represent how you will feel for the policies and regulations that will be set by those in the ministries.

Whereas the leaders and ministers will be chosen by LHL and probably his father as his is a mentor, not you.

Infact they have already chosen. Those 4 PAP persons have already been introduced already in the papers right!

So it doesn't necessarily depend on your choice.

Even having 10 Oppostion in parliament will not mean that those 10 opposition will be in government office. They will only represent you as an MP in parliament. Helping you to either agree to or disapprove of issues raised in parliament.

Infact in our long and glorious history, since when has an opposition MP leader been in 'leadership' position or govt office? Like i said earlier, our opposition cant even get into Ministry of Sound.


So now you know the difference. So now you can make a more informed choice right?

Are we are really that uneducated?

The past few days I have heard alot of people talking 'uneducated' stuff.

I have also refrained from using profanities just in case i inslut someone's mother or dog.

1) Will it be a mistake to vote in opposition party candidates? How ah I vote them into parliament singapore will collapse right? They will be so stupid in parliament and talk nonsense. They can't even talk properly at the rallies.

Now we r making a presumption that they cant talk... and shit some of them really cant. Thats not the main point here, thats the sub point. So I move on first.

Do you know who represent Singapore in international affairs or even make policies? Office Bearers! Ministers!

You have no powers in voting who your ministers are. They are appointed.
Since when did you ever vote for the Ministers of Trade or Minister for Foreign affairs etc?

Your vote this saturday is not about who is going to represent singapore at the World Bank Forum or whatever capitalist forums or who makes policies, your vote this saturday is about who is going to represent you and your views and issues!

There are already 30 plus PAP elites that are in parliament soon, just a few more buggers, n they will form the govt for the next 5 years plus. Infact, most of the minister post will go back to the same bugger.
Chiam and Low in parliament so many years but are they ever going to be allowed to be ministers? Are they going to be officer bearers?
No right! Ministry of Sound also cannot get in man!

You, Yes You! For those who had even bothered to go to the oppo rallies, you know you like the opposition, you feel what they are talking about. Yet scared to vote for them. Cos you scared they will maloo you.


2) 'They' will know who i vote for!?!

This is worse
The first point maybe ppl didn't understand before cos PAP has always been the govt. Cos no one ever told them or ppl just plain stupid.

You know what are residing and returning officers? You know who are the people who sit there 12 hours and tick off your bloody name and check your polling cards and IC. You know those ppl who count the votes. They are human beings. They could be your mother father, brother sister, neighbour. Not some robot or machine that can remember every serial number or ic number. There are going to be opposition polling members and PAP polling members making sure everything is done properly.

Now i know every singaporean thinks he or she is damn big shit. Every one thinks the world revolves around a singaporean. That his or her bloody serial number is damn important. Yeah important to buy 4D only man. You think your father the polling agent will purposely go and remember that Mr Agisgandi Tan Big Chee Chee with hair growing out of his mole serial number is 0867F and then later when the votes are cast and counted, your father will go and open the bloody box in the midnight sky and see which bloody box you shaded?

This stupid theory that ppl will know who you vote for has gone on for years. But these people only sound plain stupid and apathetic and suspicious and pathetic. Please be educated and don't sound so stupid anymore. We were only once stupid.

I don't blame you if you know and have made your choice in the right manner. No blames at all. Its your right.
But if one makes uneducated remarks like those I have taken pains to rebutt logically and sensibily, I cannot stand.

What does he imply?

I read this in The Straits Times. May 4, 2006

Headline
Dominant PAP is what makes S'pore succeed: PM

quote from headline news:-

...Right now, he noted, there were three opposition members in Parliment - Mr Low, Mr Chiam See Tong, Mr Steve Chia. "So we can deal with them, it's ok." But the situation would be different if more opposition candidates got elected, he said. If the opposition held 10 to 20 seats in Parliament, he would have to spend much more time thinking about how to counter them and "how can I solve this week's problem, and forget about next year's challenges".


Well if I can have my 17 cents worth, I think that's what politics is about aint it - Having an opposition? What is politicking if there is no opposition? Just come into power every election and make a farce and mockery on democracy. Yes it is a hassle to have someone breathing over your back when you are thinking or planning something, imagine you playing mahjong and someone standing behind you. But thats makes for better planning, that makes you a better mahjong player. Cos the internal censor is now working overdrive, wanting to prove something.

And that begs the age old political scientist questioning of the paradoxical theory in that continunity does not necessarily equate to stability nor does instability is the result of discontinunity. Thats for political scientist to debate on.

Maybe you have other ideas?

Anyway, this year's election definately is a watershed election, for me and for the nation.

2 more days left.

Would you believe if you weren't there?

This is a photo I found on web of what a rally can turn out to be. I was there and when I stood on a stool to check out the crowd, I was amased at how many people turned up to hear what the opposition had to say.
I vouched for the authenticity of this photo. I guess only in Singapore do I need to even do such a disclaimer. I guess we are born both apathetic and suspicious.

Anyway did you see this pic on the papers? Probably wouldn't see such photos on the newspapers.

If you are wondering how many people? Make an intelligent scientific guess. Compare the stage with the rest of the field. This hougang field stretches to about 300m or so and I think you can only see about 200m here.

As I guessed in a previous entry, there was about 8 to 10K? Some ppl I hear even suggested 100K and he could be right... At least there are people who do turn up.

U have only 2 more days to participate in such a momentous event in Singapore. Only once every 5 years.

Rallies Rallies Rallies

As election fever heats up, I find myself skimming over muddy fields and sweaty bodies at rallies. Always trying to get a better view.

Parliament has been dissolved a few days ago and technically we can actually say 'bo zheng hu' (no government) now!

Other than that, I find comfort and excitment in that there is going to be elections in Singapore again! Political participation in Singapore. Once only ONLY in every five years.

Theres nothing much to do in Singapore anyway, many people would say. But when there's something to do and participate in, I know and see people rather sit around and watch SCV repeats or just sit about repeating their complains. And the worse of all, they say 'nothing' by saying that nothing is going to change, some 1 cents worth uneducated comment or something to that effect.

Well probably nothing is going to change, maybe something might change.

But until the time when ppl first get to know the issues that are debated at this election, the parties that are involved, the current affairs thats happening, the blogs and webs, other than our media, than are they in a better position to say so. To give their 2 cents worth.

I am happy that I have some perogative to do so now. To feel more patriotic, a sense of nationhood, a sense of belonging. But I know alot of hollow people will say otherwise. I will just stick to calling those ppl hollow. "Kung(1) She(1)"

For crying out loud, I was interview by our papers! I can be such a media whore. Did you guys catch it? Newpaper Monday (May Day) I forgot to buy a copy.
However, my quote wasn't quoted correctly. They left out the most important words. Well am not going to dwell on it.
That's the 140th rank media in the world out of 167 media.


Until 6th May, soccer seems to be suspended. Got a game on sunday though.

More ppl than at an average S-leage match

I was over at Hougang over the long weekend with friends for a Worker's Party Rally. Amist the fanfare and excitment of finally having elections in Singapore again, I noticed a few interesting observations.

1) It sure was damn jam-packed! One can wind down the window or follow the horde of people carrying newspapers, fan, chairs etc and you will be able to find the rally site. The carparks were packed n you really can't get any parking lot 5000km from the site.

2) It sure was crowded!
At first I thought only a hand-few of ppl would turn up. Maybe 1000 the max. The number of cars and ppl walking along Hougang was surely not going to be propotionate to the number of ppl who would actually stand on some muddy field right? Boy I was sure wrong. When I first arrived at about 8.15pm, I found myself a nice little spot 100 m away from the stage, and when I realised that I wasn't part of the crowd, we made our way through the 'Zouk-like crowd' to probably about 50m from the stage. We were also at where the loudspeakers were and could hear everything, including those from the front row of the stage. However by about 9pm, when I stood on a chair that we had brought along to take in the view, I was flabbergasted!There was at least 5000 people triple plus gathered. I kid you not. I think it could even have been 10-12 triple 000s. I don't think I guessed wrong. The whole field, including on the trees, side walks, HDB corridors etc were covered by someone!I felt a sense of nationhood that such a crowd had turned up and I sure was fired up!

3) The speeches were disappointing.Besides a Henry 'something' and another hokkien speaking candidate, the other speakers were well below par.These aspiring politicians should go for some courses or pactice more first man! There speeches at times bordered on nothing. If i listened carefully, i could tell where they will coming from, but if i was there for the fanfare, i wouldn't have been able to catch any of those balls that they were trying to throw to the crowd!So if in the very unlikely event that a politician would even be surfing the internet let alone my blog at this stressful period of time, please please please, attend a rally or two, stand among the ppl and listen to your fellow candidates speak. Please. Get your message across in a structured way. Structure it so that ppl can follow.

4) The ending was even more disappointing. Due to the bad speeches, the lack of emotion quotient, or as what I remembered saying, the inability to make my hair stand, the ending was a pure anti-climax. The crowd was not worked-on! We were not made or even forced to think, to feel, to empathise, to feel one with the worker's party!Such a big big disappointment!

However, in all the gloom that i seem to have suggested, all isn't lost for this opposition party. I see and hear where they are coming from. They have a few more days to get their act right. And many more ppl will definately come to hear and hopfully support them.

I do remember hearing alot of these chanting though... 'Workers' Party Workers' Party Workers' Party'!