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| Singapore: Israel of Southeast Asia Posted: 18 Nov 2012 07:56 PM PST The new war in Gaza, Israel atrocity and the new Zionist of Asia. Blame it on Singapore? I remember a Middle East diplomat mentioned about the 'little republic in Southeast Asia is another Israel-in-the-making' during a conference in Casablanca in 2008, not naming the nation but was sharp enough to criticise its leadership as having similarity to that of Tel Aviv.  And when Anwar Ibrahim went against all odds by supporting the rights and security of Israel, linking him and his political allies DAP with Singapore's PAP and Bank of Israel, the askance toward our south neighbor grew thicker. And here, Jim Sleeper, a lecturer in political science, Yale University, produced a lengthy-logical analysis about Singapore-Israel strong bond, sharing similar capitalist character and a diplomatic approach which can be described as 'arrogant inteloper'. Lee Kuan Yew has set the pace, and his successors just follow the chartered path. In 1965, when Singapore declared its independence, its first prime-minister (and, for many years, its virtual dictator) Lee Kuan Yew asked Israel to design, set up, and supervise its military machine. Israel did precisely that. How successfully? Just this month, the Bonn International Center for Conversion published a world-wide survey ranking Israel the world's most militarized nation -- and Singapore the second-most.But we in Southeast Asia, especially in Malaysia, are aware of it. As long as nothing across the Causeway harms or provokes us, we are fine with it, right? Malaysia puts diplomacy above all, and so are the Muslim Indonesia. However, as regional and international diplomatic and social landscape take a new turn, we can expect something 'torrid' to our relations in the years to come, particularly if Pakatan Rakyat wins the upcoming general election. The similarities of these two little engines that could (and did) become models of state capitalism with high per capita incomes and growth rates haven't often been noted. Both have been governed and stamped by the British. Both have populations of 5 or 6 million, including 2 or 3 million second-class citizens and non-citizens, some of them migrants, some of them openly despised.I guess many would like to read this interesting part: The Israelis militarized Singaporean society, even with Israeli military songs, to which Lee's soldiers marched in one of Singapore's first real Independence Day parades. Less symbolically, they showed Singapore how to establish military conscription in a hitherto un-militaristic populace that, according to at least one survey, ranked the profession of soldier far below that of thief, while placing artists, teachers and merchants on top.Read Jim Sleeper's Blame the Latest Israel-Arab War on...Singapore?   |
| Posted: 18 Nov 2012 05:11 AM PST  Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1 Mansor Osman is not wanted anymore - not by PKR and neither by Pakatan Rakyat, especially his immediate boss Lim Guan Eng. He will face the axe in a most diplomatic way. PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is sending him to contest the Nibong Tebal parliamentary seat, a BN stronghold. Although some say its a 50-50 between BN and PR, the chance for Mansor to lose is bigger. That's the price he got to pay for giving his back to Lim for calling the CM 'cocky and arrogant'. He is now one of PKR major political liabilities in Penang. He is not worthy as far as PKR is concerned, and that will for sure make DAP and Lim happy enough. Anwar made the announcement ahead of all other announcements of candidates. So, this means only one thing – Anwar is trying hard to please DAP particularly LGE – as Mansor has antagonised Lim with such a remark. Guan Eng, a vindictive man even to his own people, can no longer tolerate Mansor and Anwar knows this, thus the decision to move Mansor out of the state seat to the parliamentary seat is the only way to kill and bury him for good. Mansor is to be sacrificed in order for Anwar gets DAP full blessing to bcome the next prime minister. Antagonising Lim is a big mistake and a sin for DAP's politics and politics of Penang. Lim is 'untouchable' to the extent that even Karpal Singh has to watch his words when talking about the chief minister. Like it or not, Mansor has to accept the candidacy, his last probably. Nibong Tebal consists of about 43 per cent Malay voters and 40 per cent Chinese, and given the current scenario where majority of the Malays have 'returned' to BN, Mansor is in deep shit. Truly he is now considered as a liability more than an asset to Anwar's grand plan in the unregistered PR alliance and in fact, the Malay members of PKR in Penang are just Anwar's 'stepping stone' to achieve his personal ambition, not that of the whole Malays. Now lets just hope the Malays in PKR in Penang see Anwar's grand plan and react by rejecting it because if they don't, Penang will be as good as gone. Anwar is menacing Penang's politic too by arranging Mansor's exit from the picture, irrespective of how much support he gets from Mansor all these while. Looks like Mansor has to consider his position in politic. Instead of losing his pride and dignity, he better leave PKR in a dignified manner so that Malaysians at large still respect him as a leader, a man who protects the interests of the Malays despite being made scapegoat. Mansor should show to Malaysians that he is no push-over in politics, that he is a leader for the Malays in Penang. (Beruang Biru)   |
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