Only appears in the electronic copy of the 154th. To create false impression that Sporns dun care about Sporns winning and only support FTrash, thereby justifying the importing of more FTrash?
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Congratulations, Laurentia!
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->CONGRATULATIONS to Laurentia Tan for winning her and Singapore's second medal at this year's Beijing Paralympic Games. I believe this makes her our most "decorated" Olympian thus far.
Her story is truly inspirational - how the institutions of the day "gave up on her", but the love, devotion and determination of her parents did not cease. I salute the family for their almost three decades of perseverance and tenacity to deliver to Singapore much cheer and inspiration.
How ironic, then, that with so much money going into sports, education and infrastructure in Singapore, a lot is still aimed at "abled athletes and students".
I think Laurentia should be and will be the poster child for a serious awakening in Singapore to providing much better care and support for the disabled, so that they too, with the proper educational, medical and institutional support, can develop and flourish like her.
The rallying theme in the United States as the Presidential race begins is "Change", and I think Singapore too needs to take a bolder step forward in this direction in support of individuals in this community. They do not need our sympathy, but they do need our support and encouragement.
It is time to see a quantum leap in this respect in Singapore and there is no better time than this as the nation celebrates our double Olympic medallist. Kenneth Tan
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Congratulations, Laurentia!
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->CONGRATULATIONS to Laurentia Tan for winning her and Singapore's second medal at this year's Beijing Paralympic Games. I believe this makes her our most "decorated" Olympian thus far.
Her story is truly inspirational - how the institutions of the day "gave up on her", but the love, devotion and determination of her parents did not cease. I salute the family for their almost three decades of perseverance and tenacity to deliver to Singapore much cheer and inspiration.
How ironic, then, that with so much money going into sports, education and infrastructure in Singapore, a lot is still aimed at "abled athletes and students".
I think Laurentia should be and will be the poster child for a serious awakening in Singapore to providing much better care and support for the disabled, so that they too, with the proper educational, medical and institutional support, can develop and flourish like her.
The rallying theme in the United States as the Presidential race begins is "Change", and I think Singapore too needs to take a bolder step forward in this direction in support of individuals in this community. They do not need our sympathy, but they do need our support and encouragement.
It is time to see a quantum leap in this respect in Singapore and there is no better time than this as the nation celebrates our double Olympic medallist. Kenneth Tan
] 
