Local News

Seems like it has been confirmed in Parliament that NEA is exploring the use of thermal cameras to catch those smokers who smoke indiscriminately. These cameras could be deployed to areas where smoking is prohibited, and industry experts said that the camera is likely able to capture high definition images of the smokers' faces even from 100m away.

These cameras could also apparently track the offenders while they are on the move, be it day or night. So, if you have any doubts that Singapore is a Police state, and is deploying big brother tactics, this is further prove that we are. 

While the cameras will be deployed in public areas, how much longer before even the privacy in our homes are not safe from such intrusive policing? This is the Perfect Singapore, apparently. 

Since the very day that Nas Daily came out with his motherhood statement that says Singapore is a good example to the world, because the ruling PAP party has made Singapore almost perfect, one mishap after another happened to disprove his point.

First, there was the blackout. To Singaporeans who don't experience earthquakes and typhoons, the lost of electricity in the dead of the night when most Sinkies are sleeping is akin to a disaster. Then came the MRT breakdown two days in a row. But MRT breakdowns Singaporeans are used to. Now, latest mishap to happen in Perfect Singapore was an SIA plane that hit an aerobridge at Changi Airport. The plane was carrying 272 passengers and 12 crews on the journey to Ho Chi Minh City, but its front body hit one of the aerobridges that had been used for boarding the plane.

Thankfully, all passengers and crew disembarked safely, and continued on their journey 2 hours later. So, Nas Daily has somehow managed to put some sort of curse on Perfect Singapore.

Nas Daily aka Nuseir Yassin, popular for his 1-minute videos, was all the news when he recently visited Singapore and painted a colourful picture about the country. He was lambasted on local alternative Facebook page "The Alternative View" who said he should experience what it is truly like to be a Singaporean. In other words, having to pay or overpay for every little thing here. 

It is a surprise when the popular online celebrity responded to their post by comparing it to what it is like to live in other countries and saying that Singaporeans should count themselves lucky. 

"Try sleeping one night with rockets falling near your village and you can't sleep because of sirens 

Try living in a state of war every few years with all your neighbors. 

Try having your options in your country limited simply because of how you are born (non Jew) 

Try living at a place with 40% less of your current GDP Per Capita

That's what I had to live. I'll happily take your air conditioned public transportation over living in the Middle East. 

One thing my travels have taught me is that a lot of people lack PERSPECTIVE. And in Singapore, too many people lack it.

I flew to Singapore from Papua New Guinea, on my own dime to promote my own beliefs. Now I'm in China making the same videos. I'll happily take you along the ride and see how life is like outside of your bubble."

He also took a jib at "The Alternative View" by saying that he will never work with "crybabies". Ouch. 

Are Singaporeans really pampered? Does he know better? It is great that he helped Singapore gain publicity but it could have been better if he gave a more balanced view of the country. Then again, it's not like that will change anything. 

Is it a trend for Ministers to shoot their mouths off without thinking? Lately, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung commented that LGBTs in Singapore "live in Singapore peacefully, no discrimination at work, housing (and) education. They go about their lives". 

His response, which obviously was not well thought-out, was unsurprisingly met with much disdain. A local organisation that supports queer women, Sayoni, was one of those who stepped up to debunk his remark. 

According to Sayoni, LGBTs still face discrimination in Singapore. It does not help that our nation's policies,do not provide enough support for them to retaliate against the social stigma. LGBTs today appear to be largely left alone but depend very much on the goodwill of the public. They generally do not enjoy equal rights and are treated like second-class citizens. 

Those who are worse off may also experience violence because people cannot accept them as who they are. Even though they are born this way. 

On what basis was Ong Ye Kung referring to when he confidently claimed that LGBTs are equally treated in Singapore? Does he know the importance of repealing Section 377A? Does he know the troubles and stress LGBTs go through everyday? 

When we have supposedly "capable" 4G Ministers like him, it is no wonder LGBTs here can never be free from marginalisation nor be regarded as ordinary Singaporeans.

Credits to Sayoni

The Singapore Taekwondo Federation has come out strongly against claims that have been spreading on social media that about $630,000 of their money was unaccounted for form its audited accounts.

It was alleged by a FB post from one of STF's voting member, Daniel Tay, that there was a discrepancy to the tune of $630,000 between their audited accounts of 2014 and the report submitted to the Commissioner of Charities in 2015. However, STF assured all its members that the error was simply a typo error, and not of a huge amount of money missing. STF indicated that their accounts for 2014 reflected $3.810m as their total reserves, but they made a mistake in reporting to amount to COC as $3.180m. 

STF indicated that error was only made in that report, and reassured its members that no money was missing. They also welcome STF members to seek clarification if still unsure about the issue.

In an almost perfect country, as vlogger Nas Daily succinctly puts Singapore in, you would expect everything to run smoothly, with a breakdown of systems being a rare occurrence. Yet, SMRT is doing its best to debunk the myth that Singapore is perfect.

In the second time in as many days, the MRT East-West Line suffered another breakdown during morning peak hours. On Tuesday morning, it was a screen door fault that prevented trains from moving off at Jurong East. And today, on a peak hour Wednesday morning, a track fault at Clementi caused many people to be late for work and school. 

The track fault occurred at 7am, and the line between Clementi and Jurong East had to be closed to allow SMRT staff to rectify the problems. SMRT might have changed their CEO to yet another paper general, but the problems still remain.