A spectre is haunting Singapore—the spectre of racism. A recent spate of racist incidents have hit the news. The Singaporean social media sphere is aflame, with bloggers and politicians and influencers jumping in to condemn racism and drive the conversation. Voices cry out for collective action, social justice, education. And there is me, wondering when […]
You’re Not Supposed to Notice This About Covid
Following a rise in Covid-19 infections, Singapore has imposed strict measures to curb the spread of the disease. These include: Capping social gatherings to 2 Suspension of dining-in at F&B outlets Hard cap on guest numbers at weddings and funerals Return to working from home Closure of gyms, fitness studios, spas and all recreational activities […]
Umbrage and A Tale of Two Singapores
Umbrage. A simple word. And a strange word to many Singaporeans. In that one word, Ng Yat Chun, CEO of Singapore Press Holdings, revealed the split between the two Singapores. As advertising revenue falls, SPH will be restructuring itself into a non-profit entity. By becoming a company limited by guarantee, it will be able to […]
Stopping Minors from Hormone Therapy is Not Discrimination
Update: the Ministry of Education has denied stopping the student from getting hormone therapy. Two days ago, a transgender student at a Singaporean junior college shared his experience of the Ministry of Education blocking his efforts at undergoing hormone therapy on Reddit. The story spread across Singaporean social media, eventually being picked up by The Online Citizen. […]
In Defence of National Service
National Service is the bane of every Singaporean son. At the age of 18, every Singaporean male must serve a two-year term as a conscript. Following his discharge, he becomes a reservist, and must undergo annual fitness tests and in-camp training for a minimum of 10 cycles. Failure to enlist is punishable by imprisonment and […]
Equal Opportunity Villainy
When Mediacorp aired a television drama featuring a pedophile who spread a sexually transmitted disease to a child, Teo Yu Sheng took offense. Teo, a ‘queer designer’ who sells LGBTQ-themed accessories under the brand Heckin’ Unicorn, took to the Internet and demanded an apology. Mediacorp issued an apology. Chase Tan, the actor who portrayed the […]
Pandemic Election Shifts Singapore to the Left
61.24 percent. The People’s Action Party won merely 61.24 percent of the popular vote in the 2020 elections. This is a sharp fall from securing 69.9 percent of the vote in 2015, much closer to 2011’s result of 60.14. The PAP won 83 out of 93 seats in Parliament, with the other 10 seats going […]
No Choice But to Speak Against Kumaran Pillai of the PSP
Yesterday’s post about my experiences with Kumaran Pillai of the Progress Singapore Party is spreading like wildfire. All over the Internet, on Reddit and Facebook and elsewhere, people are asking questions and casting aspersions. Here I’m going to address them. Q: Kumaran Pillai’s candidacy was announced on 25 June. Why did you wait until Nomination […]
Testimony Against Kumaran Pillai of the Progress Singapore Party
The Progress Singapore Party intends to field Mr. Kumaran Pillai in the upcoming General Elections. I must speak out against him. In my experience, he does not possess the values needed to be a leader and a servant of the people. In late 2013, I first met Mr. Pillai to discuss the possibility of contributing […]
Singapore’s Pandemic Election
As Singapore enters a lockdown that the authorities won’t call a lockdown, one burning question remains: when will the government call for an election? Next week, the government will table a bill to enable elections during the Covid-19 outbreak. With Parliament dominated by the People’s Action Party, the Bill is practically guaranteed to pass. The […]