Thursday, January 28, 2016
Mr Lee Kuan Yew's 1984 speech on how mode of governance must suit needs of its people
January 27, 2016
SINGAPORE — In outlining proposed changes to Singapore’s political system in Parliament today, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged MPs to re-read a memorable speech by the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew more than 30 years ago. In that speech in July 1984, the late Mr Lee and then-PM, outlined how a country’s mode of government must suit the needs of its people.
Here is an edited excerpt of his remarks:
[This was the debate on the creation of Non-Constituency MPs.]
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Inquiry in China Adds to Doubt Over Reliability of Its Economic Data
By KEITH BRADSHER
New York Times, JAN. 26, 2016
HONG KONG — The veracity of China’s economic data has been increasingly questioned as the slowing pace of the country’s growth has startled the world. And a new investigation into the official who oversees the numbers is unlikely to inspire confidence.
The Communist Party’s anticorruption commission announced late Tuesday that it was looking into the head of the country’s statistics agency over what it called “serious violations.”
It is unclear whether the investigation into the agency’s head, Wang Baoan, who became the director of the National Bureau of Statistics of China last April, is related to his current role or to his previous one as vice minister of finance. The commission did not release any further details about the inquiry.
China’s shrinking manufacturing sector and falling stock market have unnerved global investors. Any further doubt about its economic figures could paint an even darker picture of the health of the economy, adding to the pain in the markets. Stocks in Shanghai, which closed before the announcement, were off 6.4 percent on Tuesday.
New York Times, JAN. 26, 2016
HONG KONG — The veracity of China’s economic data has been increasingly questioned as the slowing pace of the country’s growth has startled the world. And a new investigation into the official who oversees the numbers is unlikely to inspire confidence.
The Communist Party’s anticorruption commission announced late Tuesday that it was looking into the head of the country’s statistics agency over what it called “serious violations.”
It is unclear whether the investigation into the agency’s head, Wang Baoan, who became the director of the National Bureau of Statistics of China last April, is related to his current role or to his previous one as vice minister of finance. The commission did not release any further details about the inquiry.
China’s shrinking manufacturing sector and falling stock market have unnerved global investors. Any further doubt about its economic figures could paint an even darker picture of the health of the economy, adding to the pain in the markets. Stocks in Shanghai, which closed before the announcement, were off 6.4 percent on Tuesday.
Citizens and civil service part of a whole
Speech of the day
27 Jan 2016
Mr Seah said Singaporeans should not have to face vigilante justice from the public or high-handed behaviour from civil servants.
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC), who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Social and Family Development, spoke about nation-building and collaboration among citizens. Here is an edited extract:
Recently, I had a senior (although still young) civil servant observing one of my Meet-the-People Sessions. The combination of youth and seniority is sometimes an indicator for high fliers, but it can be an unpropitious mix. This officer observed what we did that evening.
At the end of the session, as we were sharing, he turned to one of my key volunteers, exasperated, and he asked: "Why do you keep writing us these letters to make exceptions? You know that we cannot do that. You don't waste time writing, we won't waste time replying."
I am very seldom speechless and very seldom at a loss for ideas. But that night, I paused on both counts.
Does our public service need to change?
27 Jan 2016
Mr Seah said Singaporeans should not have to face vigilante justice from the public or high-handed behaviour from civil servants.
Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC), who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Social and Family Development, spoke about nation-building and collaboration among citizens. Here is an edited extract:
Recently, I had a senior (although still young) civil servant observing one of my Meet-the-People Sessions. The combination of youth and seniority is sometimes an indicator for high fliers, but it can be an unpropitious mix. This officer observed what we did that evening.
At the end of the session, as we were sharing, he turned to one of my key volunteers, exasperated, and he asked: "Why do you keep writing us these letters to make exceptions? You know that we cannot do that. You don't waste time writing, we won't waste time replying."
I am very seldom speechless and very seldom at a loss for ideas. But that night, I paused on both counts.
Does our public service need to change?
Atlantic City dependent on Gambling Revenues threatened Bankruptcy. Christie Announces Plan for State Control
JAN. 26, 2016, New York Times
ATLANTIC CITY — The elected officials of this struggling seaside gambling resort will yield control of the city’s finances to the state government in a deal announced on Tuesday by Gov. Chris Christie that is intended to stave off bankruptcy.
Mayor Don Guardian had threatened to seek protection from the city’s creditors in bankruptcy court, a prospect that could have embarrassed Mr. Christie, who is campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination as a prudent financial steward. The governor detoured from stumping in New Hampshire to stand with Mr. Guardian, a fellow Republican, in Trenton and reveal their plans.
The agreement falls short of an outright takeover by the state of the city’s government, but it would leave state officials to make all of the important decisions about how to reduce its crushing debt of $240 million and slash the size and cost of its civil services. A report this month from an emergency manager Mr. Christie appointed concluded that the city could run out of money by the spring.
“The urgency of the city’s current financial predicament cannot be understated,” Mr. Christie said, adding that he hoped the intervention would stave off the “last resort” of a bankruptcy filing.
Stephen M. Sweeney, the president of the State Senate, had pressed for a full state takeover, and he said bills would be drafted to allow for the handover of financial controls.
“We have to fix this government,” Senator Sweeney, a South Jersey Democrat, said at a news conference, flanked by the governor and the mayor. “It’s not Atlantic City’s fault, but they’re spending three dollars and taking one in.”
ATLANTIC CITY — The elected officials of this struggling seaside gambling resort will yield control of the city’s finances to the state government in a deal announced on Tuesday by Gov. Chris Christie that is intended to stave off bankruptcy.
Mayor Don Guardian had threatened to seek protection from the city’s creditors in bankruptcy court, a prospect that could have embarrassed Mr. Christie, who is campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination as a prudent financial steward. The governor detoured from stumping in New Hampshire to stand with Mr. Guardian, a fellow Republican, in Trenton and reveal their plans.
The agreement falls short of an outright takeover by the state of the city’s government, but it would leave state officials to make all of the important decisions about how to reduce its crushing debt of $240 million and slash the size and cost of its civil services. A report this month from an emergency manager Mr. Christie appointed concluded that the city could run out of money by the spring.
“The urgency of the city’s current financial predicament cannot be understated,” Mr. Christie said, adding that he hoped the intervention would stave off the “last resort” of a bankruptcy filing.
Stephen M. Sweeney, the president of the State Senate, had pressed for a full state takeover, and he said bills would be drafted to allow for the handover of financial controls.
“We have to fix this government,” Senator Sweeney, a South Jersey Democrat, said at a news conference, flanked by the governor and the mayor. “It’s not Atlantic City’s fault, but they’re spending three dollars and taking one in.”
Monday, January 25, 2016
The Middle Kingdom's dilemma in the Middle East
Jonathan Eyal
Europe Correspondent
25 Jan 2016
If China wishes to take the Middle East seriously - as President Xi claims it does during his recent trip there - it will not only have to invest in new diplomatic capabilities, but it will also have to change mindsets and decide if it wants a role in maintaining the region's political order.
Sunday, January 24, 2016
When doing business in China gets unhealthy
Curtis S. Chin For The Straits Times
Jan 23, 2016
BANGKOK • China's increasing assertiveness in South-east Asia may well have taken an ominous new direction. It's not just oil rigs off the shores of Vietnam or artificial islands being built near the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Most places, you worry about bookstores vanishing. Sadly, in Hong Kong and now Thailand, it's also booksellers. And that's not good news for South-east Asian business people at home and in Hong Kong. The capitalist, freewheeling city-state has been pretty much left on its own to run as an autonomous special administrative region of China since the British left this one-time Crown colony in 1997.
That could now be changing.
BANGKOK • China's increasing assertiveness in South-east Asia may well have taken an ominous new direction. It's not just oil rigs off the shores of Vietnam or artificial islands being built near the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Most places, you worry about bookstores vanishing. Sadly, in Hong Kong and now Thailand, it's also booksellers. And that's not good news for South-east Asian business people at home and in Hong Kong. The capitalist, freewheeling city-state has been pretty much left on its own to run as an autonomous special administrative region of China since the British left this one-time Crown colony in 1997.
That could now be changing.
From battlefield to marketplace
Jean-Pierre Lehmann
Asean has led the way in showing the rest of Asia how to achieve relative stability
The term "Asia" - coined by the 5th century BCE Greek historian Herodotus to describe what lay east of Anatolia - can be used only in referring to the continent, the world's largest and most diverse by far, but not in the context of any particular attributes.
The values of, say, a Syrian are so very different from those of, say, a Korean, that any talk of the erstwhile, much-ballyhooed "Asian values" is meaningless.
For The Straits Times
(By Invitation)
Jan 23, 2016
(By Invitation)
Jan 23, 2016
Asean has led the way in showing the rest of Asia how to achieve relative stability
The term "Asia" - coined by the 5th century BCE Greek historian Herodotus to describe what lay east of Anatolia - can be used only in referring to the continent, the world's largest and most diverse by far, but not in the context of any particular attributes.
The values of, say, a Syrian are so very different from those of, say, a Korean, that any talk of the erstwhile, much-ballyhooed "Asian values" is meaningless.
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