Bukit Batok By Election and Romance of the 3 Kingdom - Chapter 3 刘备"夺" 荆州

After General Election 2015

After the devastating defeat of the opposition parties by the PAP in General Election 2015, Dr Chee Soon Juan (徐顺全), despite  lacking both the material resources and social status persevered on. Dr Chee continued to gather support and rally his disheartened loyalists to continue to fight on for the cause, to be the voice of the poor, the discriminated and the under privileged whom has fall through the social cracks and needed help and support. Together with his team of battle proven general and wise adviser - Professor Paul Tambyah , they have effectively used social media platform to lend their support on social issues including the death of 14 years old Benjamin Lim who had committed suicide after police interrogation without his parent's knowledge or supervision, and the poor handling of Dominique Sarron Lee, whom had died in a smoke bomb incident whilst serving the nation as son of Singapore.

赤壁之战后

兵家必争的荆州七郡被刘备、曹操、孙权三家瓜分，曹操占据荆州北部最大的南阳郡，孙权得到江夏郡和南郡，刘备得到荆州南部四个郡（长沙、零陵、桂阳、武陵）。刘备屯兵公安，不利于发展，便向孙权两次提出借荆州的南郡，东吴鲁肃劝说孙权暂时将南郡借给了刘备，于是刘备便有了荆州五郡（南郡、长沙、零陵、桂阳、武陵），北抗曹操，东和孙权，得益州（今四川），建立了蜀汉基业。后来，刘备得到蜀川后，将长沙、桂阳两郡还给了孙权，相当于还了南郡，但由于《三国演义》的影响，至今仍有“刘备借荆州——一有借无还”的俗谈。

Breaking News in March 2016

On 12 March 2016, a sudden and disturbing breaking news was trending on social media that Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Batok SMC David Ong has announced his resignation citing "personal reasons". Prime Minister's Office (PMO) released a Press statement shortly after the rumor went viral stating that Mr Ong admitted there was "personal indiscretion" on his part. "I feel that it’s the right thing to do to step down for the best interests of the party, my constituents and family," he said.

Bukit Batok By Election 2016

A straight fight was announced on 27 April for Bukit Batok SMC between PAP’s Murali Pillai and SDP’s Chee Soon Juan on May 7 2016.

Who is Murali Pillai? (Source: mothership.sg) 

• Name: Murali Pillai 
• Age: 48 
• Occupation: Lawyer — head of commercial litigation at Rajah & Tann, one of Singapore’s largest law firms. 
• Education: He studied at Monk’s Hill Primary and Secondary, followed by then-named Hwa Chong Junior College. Holds a master’s degree in law from NUS, and a double master’s degree in Business Administration from the NUS Business School and the University of California, Los Angeles. NS: Platoon Commander, 2nd Guards Battalion; He joined the police force full-time after serving his NS and is now the Deputy Superintendent of Police. Family: 
• Married for 20 years to N Gowri, an educator, with four children. 

What he wants to do for you (apart from existing programmes run by the Citizens’ Consultative Committee, South West Community Development Council and Residents’ Committees): 

• Establish a healthcare cooperative for the elderly to reduce costs of healthcare consumables and help them understand medical advice and stay healthy 
• A job placement programme to help residents out of work to get into a job quickly Start a group of volunteers to mentor children from low income families and help them get a good start in life 
• Build an additional senior care centre and a scheme to take regular care of low-income elderly residents staying alone — they will have an emergency button at home to call help when urgently needed 

He will champion: 

National support for job placement, career conversion and skills training – expansion of KidsStart programme – greater subsidies for middle-income elderly in nursing homes and long-term care, apart from current ones available for lower-income – enhanced eldershield payouts for the disabled – more support for caregivers who look after elderly parents or spouses 

Who is Dr Chee Soon Juan ? (Source: mothership.sg) 

• Name: Chee Soon Juan 
• Age: 53 
• Occupation: Full-time politician, secretary-general of the SDP. Also writes books and has the occasional overseas university fellowship. 
• Education: He started at the Anglo-Chinese School, and then did psychology at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, and then graduated from the University of Georgia with a PhD in neuropsychology. 
• Family: Married for 24 years to Huang Chih Mei, a homemaker (former academic researcher), with three children 

What he wants to do for you: 

– Be a full-time MP 

– Ensure seamless transition of the handover for the mgmt of the Bukit Batok town council 

– Start and raise money for a trust fund to provide stipends or food vouchers to elderly poor

– Start a family-pairing programme where a household adopts a needy family and contributes time and resources to better their well-being 

– Start a programme to provide subsidised private tuition for students from lower-income families 

– Start a programme to provide financial advice and assistance in planning to residents in need of it 

– Convene lawyers to conduct a free legal clinic for low-income residents in need of advice 

He will champion: 

• Elderly issues 
• The needs of the lower-income 

His word of caution: "My criticisms of Mr Murali is not about his person, it's about his political views. So I tell my colleagues in the SDP and I hope all our friends and supporters will abide by this too: Please do not launch personal attacks against my opponent." About Bukit Batok SMC (老鼠山)

Bukit Batok SMC 016

Bukit Batok (or more commonly known as mouse hill ( 老鼠山) after the town council spend over $120,000.00 to kill 300 mouse = $400 per mouse in a hilly area near the Bukit Batok MRT station).... is a Single Member Constituency is a constituency in Singapore comprising of 25,727 eligible voters. Bukit Batok SMC existed from 1972 to 1997, when it was merged with Bukit Timah GRC. 

Bukit Batok SMC was carved out as an SMC again ahead of the 2015 general elections and if SDP failed in their attempt in 2016 by-election, it will very likely be merged into Jurong GRC in the next election just like how Joo Chiat disappear from the SMC Map in 2015 after a close fight by WP in GE 2011.

With the Battle line Drawn: Now the Choice is Yours Now

With fellow comrades and leaders of opposition parties throwing their weight behind Dr Chee Soon Juan, including.... "comrades and colleagues in the Reform Party, led by Kenneth Jeyaretnam. The SDP owes you an immeasurable debt of gratitude for this unprecedented show of support and solidarity. The fight to be true to our national pledge of building a "Democratic Society based on Justice and Equality", is often arduous and lonely. We are indeed grateful for all the encouragement and help that we have received so far from fellow opposition members. 

Special thanks also goes out to brave individuals like Ravi Philemon, Jeanette Aruldoss-Chong, Dr Ang Yong Guan, Chen Show Mao, and many others who have lent us their invaluable support and encouragement. It is our sincere hope that our joint efforts will be the beginning of a new age of opposition unity that will usher in a more democratic and just Singapore."

....will we finally have an alternative voice that dares to ask tough questions and stand up for everyday Singaporean or do we turn our blind eye on the less fortunate whom will be left without representation... only you the residents of Bukit Batok can make the decision. 

Parliamentary Debate with Dr Chee will certainly be more vigorous 

With fellow comrades and leaders of opposition parties throwing their weight behind Dr Chee Soon JuaWill Dr Chee finally overcame his many defeats to carve out his own realm in Bukit Batok which spark the beginning of the Romance of the 3 kingdom in Singapore with Worker Party (工人党) in the east and Singapore Democratic Party (新加坡民主党) in the west to serve and voice the concern of fellow Singaporean in parliament ..... only residents of bukit batok can determine and write a new chapter of Singapore history....

周瑜死后

东吴的鲁肃基于战略考虑，他竭力劝说孙权将东吴占据的部分荆州“借”给刘备，好让刘备站稳脚跟，与东吴一起抵御曹操。孙权想想也对，就把荆州的南郡“借”给了刘备，一则让刘备充当抗曹的战略前哨，二则以此向刘备表示友好。所以“借荆州”其实是借了荆州的南郡以及确认刘备可分得武陵和桂阳两郡

Our humble opinion:

Murali is definitely a fine gentleman, his demeanor radiates sincerity and servitude, but he has party lines to toe. We have enough brains in our parliament, way more than many other bigger nations... but as with all things in life... too much of even the best food is bad for health, too much wealth can make us complacent, too much of exercise can hurt us aswell...

we need more heart in parliament. Dr Chee may not be everybody's cup of tea, Dr Chee might be deemed as a flawed character by many of us, but take heart... he has been there , doing the same thing, voicing out the same concerns, fighting for the same cause to help the poor and less privileged for not just 2 months...not just 2 years .. but for 25 years ... if this is not heart... what is ?

Read more about Dr Chee >> Political Prisoner or Democracy Fighter .. ?

Dr Chee Soon Juan - A Political Prisoner or A Democratic Fighter

Due to intense scrutiny and legal suits for defamation over the past 20 years, there is long list of opposition parties members whom had picked their bag and left Singapore but only ONE stood to his ground, perverse and never left the home soil.

Dr Chee Soon Juan  Sec-General of Singapore Democratic Party (SDP)

An enigmatic figure in Singapore's political opposition, Dr Chee has been arrested and jailed several times for his political activities, mainly for making speeches and staging public demonstrations without a police permit. He has also been sued for defamation on multiple occasions for comments he has made about members of Singapore's governing People's Action Party (PAP).

Dr Chee was previously barred from standing in parliamentary elections because he was declared bankrupt in 2006 after failing to pay damages from a lawsuit, however, on 24 September 2012, Chee announced that he had raised the sum of S$30,000 needed to be discharged from his bankruptcy, paving the way for him to contest General Election 2015

Global Accolades and Awards

Painted as untrustworthy, a liar, a gangster, a psychopath by the mainstream media in Singapore, Dr Chee is highly regarded as a passionate speaker on democracy and human rights internationally. He is the Chairman of the Asian Alliance for Reforms and Democracy. He was awarded a Hellman/Hammett Writers Grant by Human Rights Watch in recognition of his courage in face of political persecution in Singapore, He is also a recipient of Parliamentarians for Global Action's "Defender of Democracy" award and Liberal International's "Prize for Freedom" award.  He has since served as a research fellow at the Monash Asia Institute (1997), the University of Chicago (2001), the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Program at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, D.C. (2004),[and most recently as a visiting fellow at the University of Sydney (2014). Dr Chee is also recognised by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience.

International Appointments

• Fellow, University of Sydney, Australia (2014)
• Prize for Freedom, Liberal International (2011)
• Fellow, National Endowment for Democracy, Washington DC, US (2004)
• Defender of Democracy Award, Parliamentarians for Global Action (2003)
• Hellman/Hammett Writers Grant, Human Rights Watch (2003)
• Fellow, University of Chicago, US (2001)
• Fellow, Monash Asia Institute, Australia (1997)
• Chairman, Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (2008-2010)
• Chairman, Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (2000-2015)

Author of 12 books 

Dr Chee has authored 12 books, and has written extensively in various established publications. He has also been invited to give public speeches at international forums and conferences. He is married to Dr Huang Chih Mei (黃智美) and they have three children. 

Dr Chee Soon Juan a.k.a "The Red Knight of Singapore " ?

Dr Chee is a complex character with dare-devil defiance with a capital letter D. Having witnessed the social disparity in Singapore between the rich and the poor, he swore to fight for the rights of the poor and less fortunate, an oath tempered with a sense of justice. Dr Chee trains himself both physically and intellectually and crafts a bat-inspired persona to fight social inequality in Singapore and on International stages.

Dr Chee Soon Juan. What makes the man? What are his motivations? What is his game plan?

Dr Chee believes in and advocates for democracy, human rights, transparency, accountability, justice and equality for a better Singapore. As the leader of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), he seeks to lead the party in bringing about progressive ideas, humanitarian values and positive changes through alternative policies, which he sees as his duty in public service.

On  Why He Never Left Singapore 

When asked why he didn't leave Singapore for greener pasture despite offers from overseas, Dr Chee calmly replied “That thought has never crossed my mind,” he said. “This is my home. I know of no other. If I leave, there will be one less voice against the government…If PAP wins, the people will lose. I was born Singaporean. I was raised Singaporean. And I will die Singaporean.” 

One Single Man Against the Entire System, without true grit, beliefs and determination, many others would have given up and migrated to greener pasture or simply retire from politics. Yet Chee soldiered on. For that, he earned the respect, of many whom felt deeply the huge price he and his family has to sacrifice to stand by his  political belief.

Dr Chee Personal Pact with Mr JB Jeyeretnam

“....seeing you so despondent made my own morale wobble – but I know you were feeling depressed and anxious because of yet another lawsuit,” Dr Chee said. “We  made a pact that night, that while we may not yet be able to beat them politically, we would not allow them to defeat us on the personal front. They may take away all our possessions but they will never take away our will to speak up!”

Dr Chee - A loving Husband and a Caring Father of 3 

Dr Chee  and his family been through a lot. He had been bankrupted through defamation suits by PAP politicians. Whilst both Dr Chee and his wife are PhD holders,  they live in a crammed 3-room HDB flat with three kids, leading a simple life. Check out this documentary about the human side of Chee and his family life.

On  Asked Why He Involved His Children in Political Work. 

Dr Chee replied, I do it because I want them to learn about the hard work of standing up and speaking out, I want them to learn about integrity and character. These are life's lessons they'll not learn in the classroom but lessons infinitely more important.

A Fight for Clean and Policy Driven GE 2015 ? 

Character Assassination and Political Bullying 

Despite the Mandate by Prime Minister Lee for GE 2015 to be focused on Policy and the Next 50 years, PM Lee's fellow PAP comrades have systematically conduct character assassination on Dr Chee on National TV and again during election rallies and Press Conferences .

GE 2015 Election - Rally Speech 

It was almost like he didn’t spend 15 years out of the election game: he strode on stage confidently, thanked the crowd for their presence and warm reception (“I am humbled”), and promptly went on to speak in no less than seven languages — Mandarin, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Malay, even a sentence in Tamil, and finally English.

Dr Chee coming on Stage

Dr Chee shared "...I have never lose faith in Singaporean and even in the bleakest of moment, I've always believe that we will triumph, that democracy will eventually come and justice will ultimately prevail .. Why.. because the human spirit can only be suppressed but never crashed".

By-Election 2016 Election -  Rally Speech 

Politics in a Minute : Dr Chee on what SDP will stands for... 

"If we don't change, we die – it's as plain as that. And the one thing that we must do to change is that our political system must allow the people the freedom to speak, to express themselves without getting sued by the Prime Minister, without media filtering what we say and without constantly portraying the PAP as the party of heroes."

On his opponents:

"Never kick a man when he's down, there's no honour in that. For all I know David Ong is a good guy. But sometimes good guys make bad mistakes. My criticisms of Mr Murali is not about his person, it's about his political views. So I tell my colleagues in the SDP and I hope all our friends and supporters will abide by this too: Please do not launch personal attacks against my opponent."

Our Sincere and Humble Outreach to You. The Voter

Whether you or not you agree with his political views, Dr Chee’s absence had deprived the Singapore political scene of a great orator who had a unique and absorbing take on the subjects of oppression and triumph.

We are not saying you should agree with Chee and blindly vote for the SDP this election, but at the least, we thank you for taking the time to read this article to have the information to make a more informed decision.

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Next Read >> Singapore Democratic Party's Commitment to You

Urgently Hiring : Mayor of Singapore

Job Benefits:

To build a caring and cohesive community, where we assist the needy, bond the people and connect the community through the 5 CDC (COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL) which are under the PA (People's Association)

• Part-time Work only 4 - 8 Hours per week
• Convenient Choice of work - North, East, South, West, Central 
• Annual Salary : Minimum $660,000.00 
• Salary Exclude MP allowance of S$192,500.00 Per Year 
• No need Election, selected internally by Chairman of People's Association
• 5 years Term Guaranteed. = ($660,000 + 192,500) X 5 Years =  S$4,262,500.00 min 
• (which is equivalent to 1420 months or 118 Years of Salary of average Singaporean income of S$3,000)

Job Requirement

• Good at taking Selfie 
• Good at providing Funny hashtags such as #noonesayMPmustwearsuitbuyfood, #laterpeoplestomp and “#yesMPtaketraintoo
• Fiercely and shamelessly loyal to your boss  

Additional Perks

In Addition,  mayor may concurrently holding additional positions in the ministries such as Mr Teo Ser Luck who is also Minister of State under Ministry of Trade and Industry, which could meant that they draw an additional of $770,000 (Minister of State) 

Which could effectively means that Mr Teo Ser Luck earns a minimum of $1,622,500 or a monthly salary of S$135,208.33

+   Mayor S$660,000.00

+   Allowance as MP S$192,500.00

+   Minister of State S$770,000 

=   $1,622,500 or a minimum monthly salary of S$135,208. 33

What is Community Development Councils (CDC)

The CDC which is under People's Association initiates, plans and manages community programmes in each district to promote community bonding and social cohesion. Residents are encouraged to get involved in activities held in their communities through their CDCs, and can approach their respective CDCs for community and social assistance services delegated from the Ministries. There are five CDCs, namely, Central Singapore CDC, North East CDC, North West CDC, South East CDC and South West CDC, and each CDC is headed by a Mayor.

Do You know that People’s Association which is often Seen as a Proxy for PAP is a Stat Board under Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports? 

The People's Association (PA) is a statutory board of the Government of Singapore under the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. Its primary objective is to build social cohesion and foster social bonds in the community. PA now has over 1,800 grassroots organisations (GROs) with more than 25,000 volunteer grassroots leaders. 

Apply Now - Limited Seats Left

Interested Candidate, please send your resume for immediate information: i want2beamillionaire@huat-ah.com

Click here to Find out what Mayors of Other Major Cities in the World Do >>

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Expect Major Cabinet Retirement and Reshuffling next week

Post General Election 2011 Cabinet Reshuffle  (Source: Mothership.sg)

Immediate retirement of 5 Ministers

1. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
2. Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong
3. Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng
4. Housing Minister Mah Bow Tan
5. Transport Minister Raymond Lim.

Introduction of 5 new political office-holders as part of the core of the PAP’s fourth-generation leadership and two spearheaded ministries straight away. 

1. Heng Swee Keat became the new Education Minister
2. Chan Chun Sing was appointed as the Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.
3. Tan Chuan-Jin became Minister of Manpower and subsequently Minister for Social and Family Development
4. Lawrence Wong became Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Communications and Information
5. Ms Chu Pattern, Sim Ann is also a Minister of State for Education 

Post General Election 2015 Cabinet Reshuffle 

In his post-GE 2015 message, PM Lee said, “This election is a major step forward for our leadership renewal. Joining Heng Swee Keat, Chan Chun Sing, Lawrence Wong and Tan Chuan-Jin from the last batch are Ng Chee Meng, Ong Ye Kung, Chee Hong Tat and Amrin Amin in this round.”

4 New faces which WILL political office-holders  (Minister or Minister of State or Parliamentary Secretary)

1. Ng Chee Meng
2. Ong Ye Kung
3. Chee Hong Tat
4. Amrin Amin

4 Existing Generation 4 Ministers 

1. Minister of Education, Heng Swee Keat
2. Secretary-General of the National Trade Union Congress, Chan Chun Sing
3. Minister of Culture, Community and Youth, Lawrence Wong 
4. Minister for Social and Family Development, Tan Chuan-Jin

8 Heavyweight Ministers that "Guaranteed Chopped" their seats 

1. PM Lee Hsien Loong
2. DPM Tharman
3. DPM Teo Chee Hean 
4. Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen
5. Minster of Health, Gan Kim Yong
6. Minister of National Development Mr Khaw Boon Wan
7. Minister of Law and Foreign Affairs Mr K Shanmugam
8. Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim

Rule of Elimination - The High Risk Reminders 

• Minister of Trade and Industry, Lim Hng Kiang - 21 Years in Cabinet
• Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say - 15 years in Cabinet 
• Environment & Water Minister Vivian Balakrishnan  - 11 years in Cabinet 

Will it be A, B , C or All of the Above ? 

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What Does a Mayor in Singapore Do and How Much are they paid ?

Traditionally, mayors oversee a city's main departments, including the police, fire, education, housing and transportation departments. At the same time, their responsibilities vary depending on the local power structure, lets take 2 examples of global cities like New York City and London which we frequently benchmark against.

Mayor of New York: Mr Bill de Blasio  (8.5 million Popuation)

Roles and Responsibilities: The mayor of New York City is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City of a population of approximately 8.5 million people across 5 boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island) 

Mayor of London: Boris Johnson (8.6 million population) 

Roles and Responsibilities: The Mayor of London's role is the executive of the strategic authority for London is to promote economic development and wealth creation, social development, and the improvement of the environment. The Mayor also has many other duties in relation to culture and tourism, including responsibility for Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square and planning and housing for its population of 8.6 million people.

Mayors of Singapore: 5.4 million population 

For a population of 5.4million people, we have not 1... not 2... not 3 ... But 5 Mayors in Singapore

1. Central District Denise Phua
2. North East District                 Teo Ser Luck
3. North West District                Teo Ho Pin
4. South East District                 Mohamad Maliki Osman
5. South West District                Low Yen Ling

Roles and Responsibilities: Unlike Mayors of Cities across the world which serves as local Government, the job of a Mayor in Singapore is not as a 'local government' but rather a much smaller community function to assist the needs of local residents. CDC's mission as stated on their website is to build a caring and cohesive community, where we assist the needy, bond the people and connect the community through the 5 CDC (COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL) which are under the PA (People's Association), a Government Statutory Board under Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY)

Salary of Mayors in Major Cities

Mayor of London: Boris Johnson (8.6 million population)  

£143,911 = S$ 312,888 (@ S$2.17 to 1 British Pounds)

Mayor of New York: Mr Bill de Blasio  (8.5 million Population)

USD225,000 = S$313,605 (@ S$1.39 to 1 USD)

Mayors of Singapore: 5.4 million population / 5  = (0.9 million Population)

Minimum Salary of Mayor S$660,000.00 + Allowance as MP S$$192,500.00 = S$852,500.00

In Addition, 3 of the mayors are concurrently holding additional positions in the ministries

1. Teo Ser Luck is also Minister of State under Ministry of Trade and Industry
2. Mohamad Maliki Osman is also a Minister of State under Ministry of National Development
3. Low Yen Ling is also a Parliamentary Secretary under Ministry of Social and Family Development

Which could meant that they draw an additional of $770,000 (Minister of State) to S$418,000 (Parliamentary Secretary)

Which could effectively means that Mr Teo Ser Luck earns a minimum of $1,622,500 or a monthly salary of S$135,208. 33

• +   Mayor S$660,000.00
• +   Allowance as MP S$192,500.00
• +   Minister of State S$770,000 
• =   $1,622,500 or a minimum monthly salary of S$135,208. 33

Mr Liew Lian Bao Jia  

3 Key Questions for All of Us ?

1. With MPs, Town Councils, President's Challenge, Charity and many Volunteer Organizations in Singapore - Do we really need 5 Mayors since all 5 mayors are already doing similar duties as MP?
2. As MPs and Mayors with overlapping roles, are we paying double for the same services rendered by them?
3. Is there such an acute dearth of talent in our government or is Mr Teo Ser Luck a Superman that he can manage 3 portfolios as MP, Mayor and Minister of State ? 

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