Dear All,
Before anything else, there are generally three estates in a functional nation. To understand this, one must delve into a little bit of history and try to draw comparisons with modern day Sg. So here goes, the very first mention of any of these “estates” was made when King Louis XVI called on the Estates General to discuss the issues France was facing at that time and to seek a resolution.
He summoned the Estates General comprising the 300 from the clergy, 300 nobles and 300 commoners. Those were the times where there was no Parliament and the King decreed governmental policy, but this showed his willingness, albeit a last resort, to have something of a policy made based on consensus and consultation.
Several decades later, Sir Edmund Burke, in the British parliament made a statement saying that …”In parliament there are the three estates, and those people in the loft above us are the fourth estate and the most important among all.” Obviously Edmund Burke was alluding to the press and their freedom inherent therein and responsibility to report fairly and truthfully.
With the lack of Kings, Nobles and Commoners of the realm, (none have been crowned or bestowed such honorifics in SG as far as I know officially), thus other three estates have now evolved into the other organs of government, the Legislature, Judiciary and Executive with the clergy having no part in government policy making.
The Fourth Estate or what is commonly known as a free press is all but non-existent in “democratic” SG.
Lee Kuan Yew in his pre-independent SG days as an opposition MP in the state assembly said this “But we either believe in democracy or we not. If we do, then, we must say categorically, without qualification, that no restraint from the any democratic processes, other than by the ordinary law of the land, should be allowed... If you believe in democracy, you must believe in it unconditionally. If you believe that men should be free, then, they should have the right of free association, of free speech, of free publication. Then, no law should permit those democratic processes to be set at nought, and no excuse, whether of security, should allow a government to be deterred from doing what it knows to be right, and what it must know to be right.”
Barely less than a year after coming into power, the new PAP government had set it sights on the then independent Straits times. Its chief editor, one Leslie Hoffman, fled SG right after the PAP came into power for Lee Kuan Yew had openly stated that he would “keep him in” for a long time.
This is in stark contrast to the very same LKY that as opposition assemblyman exhorted freedoms like they were a guaranteed right but in reality was mere being like all politicians hypocritical and speaking from both sides of their mouths.
From there came the “final solution” an idea in which to end all this free, fair, truthful and unbiased reporting. The plan to quiten the press into a submissive and subjugated tool was hatched. The plan of an “information and press genocide” took place under the excuse of “black operations”. The Nanyang Siang Pau’s editor was jailed, for having “black operation” connections and for being “pro-communist”. The Utusan Melayu went to Malaysia after the not too subtle threats by the PAP government were taken seriously. The Eastern Sun, The Singapore Herald, New Nation was either closed down or forced out.
Now that these independent papers have all but gone, it was time to unify under one banner all the remaining print media. The SPH was formed and everything else fell into place. Now the government has a perfect mouth piece that only does what it is told.
Today we see this very same press exhorting PAP politicians and creating an aura of spotlessness, of whiter than white, of infallibility and extol the policies and the people that count themselves part of the PAP machinery. All this despite the billions of losses, stupid reasoning behind the increase in direct taxation, escape of terrorists and the impact on security, social life and financial security of Sgeans with the influx of third rate uncouth philistines from all over the third world.
The many thousands unemployed and homeless and the elderly either living in squalid places or in public places are scarcely mentioned, their rice bowls that are not metal have been broken to bits by the higher costs of living and being replaced by cheap labour is not the concern of the press. The number of people that cannot service their mortgages and have to end up homeless is on the rise yet the press will not print these figures instead they prefer to talk about prices of condominiums and multi million dollar houses and that the Sentosa casino will open despite being 60% complete and the Marina Bay one was employing thousands despite only 40 positions were actually available.
They again and again repeat that Sgeans must accept the influx of shadowy, unvetted and probably criminals fleeing their country and coming into this. But we are no so subtly told if not warned to make them welcome. I have personally never heard so many police sirens in any one day in the past, but now without hearing at least three a day would be a miracle.
While most of us are not prepared to bend over for a shafting by these people, despite years of being shafted (perhaps Sgeans are not open to the idea of more than one shaft being up their rear ends) nothing much is said and the opinions of the people is never found in the mainstream media.
We see the press chastising Sgeans for what seems like bad behaviour for not returning food court trays yet the very same press and media glorifies a S$50000 dinner put up for LKY and his family.
We see the press printing stupid brainless and moronic letters chastising Sgeans for not supporting and turning up in droves for the Asian Youth Games amid the ever spreading H1N1 pandemic and amid a global recession when people are now thinking where their next meal is going to come from than rather if Thailand will hand Singapore its arse on a silver platter.
The swine flu pandemic may not be reaching epidemic proportions in Sg yet, but we already have systemic failures that could prove catastrophic should this just be the tip of the iceberg as WHO officials warn, yet still, the health minister is laid back, swaggering and decides to fleece potential victims who may not be able to afford the $200 blood work fee and would rather just stay at home and hope they recover or go about their everyday life without care if they may infect others.
Diseases that were once eradicated have made a comeback to Sg, all thanks to the open door policy open doors to all and sundry and all forms of infections and diseases too. Yet the press does not or will not trace as to why this spike in such cases and to what it is attributed to.
The press has failed in its duty to inform and pressure the government into doing what is right for the nation, but we will never hear of this.
So what we will continue to hear is that the numbers of the infected will continue to rise and we will still be in one of the lowest alert levels and when these numbers start to rise, we can depend on the SPH to chastise Sgeans for not taking precautions and for being complacent.
The internet has taken the place of the fourth estate now and all of you who have any semblance of a conscience must continue to do what is right and usurp the function of the mainstream press and inform. If all else fails then make plans to leave.
Cheers,
MentisMortis
Before anything else, there are generally three estates in a functional nation. To understand this, one must delve into a little bit of history and try to draw comparisons with modern day Sg. So here goes, the very first mention of any of these “estates” was made when King Louis XVI called on the Estates General to discuss the issues France was facing at that time and to seek a resolution.
He summoned the Estates General comprising the 300 from the clergy, 300 nobles and 300 commoners. Those were the times where there was no Parliament and the King decreed governmental policy, but this showed his willingness, albeit a last resort, to have something of a policy made based on consensus and consultation.
Several decades later, Sir Edmund Burke, in the British parliament made a statement saying that …”In parliament there are the three estates, and those people in the loft above us are the fourth estate and the most important among all.” Obviously Edmund Burke was alluding to the press and their freedom inherent therein and responsibility to report fairly and truthfully.
With the lack of Kings, Nobles and Commoners of the realm, (none have been crowned or bestowed such honorifics in SG as far as I know officially), thus other three estates have now evolved into the other organs of government, the Legislature, Judiciary and Executive with the clergy having no part in government policy making.
The Fourth Estate or what is commonly known as a free press is all but non-existent in “democratic” SG.
Lee Kuan Yew in his pre-independent SG days as an opposition MP in the state assembly said this “But we either believe in democracy or we not. If we do, then, we must say categorically, without qualification, that no restraint from the any democratic processes, other than by the ordinary law of the land, should be allowed... If you believe in democracy, you must believe in it unconditionally. If you believe that men should be free, then, they should have the right of free association, of free speech, of free publication. Then, no law should permit those democratic processes to be set at nought, and no excuse, whether of security, should allow a government to be deterred from doing what it knows to be right, and what it must know to be right.”
Barely less than a year after coming into power, the new PAP government had set it sights on the then independent Straits times. Its chief editor, one Leslie Hoffman, fled SG right after the PAP came into power for Lee Kuan Yew had openly stated that he would “keep him in” for a long time.
This is in stark contrast to the very same LKY that as opposition assemblyman exhorted freedoms like they were a guaranteed right but in reality was mere being like all politicians hypocritical and speaking from both sides of their mouths.
From there came the “final solution” an idea in which to end all this free, fair, truthful and unbiased reporting. The plan to quiten the press into a submissive and subjugated tool was hatched. The plan of an “information and press genocide” took place under the excuse of “black operations”. The Nanyang Siang Pau’s editor was jailed, for having “black operation” connections and for being “pro-communist”. The Utusan Melayu went to Malaysia after the not too subtle threats by the PAP government were taken seriously. The Eastern Sun, The Singapore Herald, New Nation was either closed down or forced out.
Now that these independent papers have all but gone, it was time to unify under one banner all the remaining print media. The SPH was formed and everything else fell into place. Now the government has a perfect mouth piece that only does what it is told.
Today we see this very same press exhorting PAP politicians and creating an aura of spotlessness, of whiter than white, of infallibility and extol the policies and the people that count themselves part of the PAP machinery. All this despite the billions of losses, stupid reasoning behind the increase in direct taxation, escape of terrorists and the impact on security, social life and financial security of Sgeans with the influx of third rate uncouth philistines from all over the third world.
The many thousands unemployed and homeless and the elderly either living in squalid places or in public places are scarcely mentioned, their rice bowls that are not metal have been broken to bits by the higher costs of living and being replaced by cheap labour is not the concern of the press. The number of people that cannot service their mortgages and have to end up homeless is on the rise yet the press will not print these figures instead they prefer to talk about prices of condominiums and multi million dollar houses and that the Sentosa casino will open despite being 60% complete and the Marina Bay one was employing thousands despite only 40 positions were actually available.
They again and again repeat that Sgeans must accept the influx of shadowy, unvetted and probably criminals fleeing their country and coming into this. But we are no so subtly told if not warned to make them welcome. I have personally never heard so many police sirens in any one day in the past, but now without hearing at least three a day would be a miracle.
While most of us are not prepared to bend over for a shafting by these people, despite years of being shafted (perhaps Sgeans are not open to the idea of more than one shaft being up their rear ends) nothing much is said and the opinions of the people is never found in the mainstream media.
We see the press chastising Sgeans for what seems like bad behaviour for not returning food court trays yet the very same press and media glorifies a S$50000 dinner put up for LKY and his family.
We see the press printing stupid brainless and moronic letters chastising Sgeans for not supporting and turning up in droves for the Asian Youth Games amid the ever spreading H1N1 pandemic and amid a global recession when people are now thinking where their next meal is going to come from than rather if Thailand will hand Singapore its arse on a silver platter.
The swine flu pandemic may not be reaching epidemic proportions in Sg yet, but we already have systemic failures that could prove catastrophic should this just be the tip of the iceberg as WHO officials warn, yet still, the health minister is laid back, swaggering and decides to fleece potential victims who may not be able to afford the $200 blood work fee and would rather just stay at home and hope they recover or go about their everyday life without care if they may infect others.
Diseases that were once eradicated have made a comeback to Sg, all thanks to the open door policy open doors to all and sundry and all forms of infections and diseases too. Yet the press does not or will not trace as to why this spike in such cases and to what it is attributed to.
The press has failed in its duty to inform and pressure the government into doing what is right for the nation, but we will never hear of this.
So what we will continue to hear is that the numbers of the infected will continue to rise and we will still be in one of the lowest alert levels and when these numbers start to rise, we can depend on the SPH to chastise Sgeans for not taking precautions and for being complacent.
The internet has taken the place of the fourth estate now and all of you who have any semblance of a conscience must continue to do what is right and usurp the function of the mainstream press and inform. If all else fails then make plans to leave.
Cheers,
MentisMortis
