Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Some Peace And Quiet Please

The NTUC ad for a new Assistant Director (Service Quality), Membership, requires the candidate to be a person to "delight members, using all available Service Quality touchpoints – including (but not limited) to the Call Centre, Emails, Counters (physical and virtual), Social media".

Which means the former Assistant Director at NTUC Partnership and Alliance failed big time. Barely 24 hours had lapsed after her tactless Facebook posting, which hardly brought delight to members and non-members alike, when Secretary-General Lim Swee Say personally intervened and swiftly axed her to "reiterate that inclusiveness remains at the heart of the Labour Movement.” That was easy, she was small fry, kuching kurak.  Did we hear a single beep out of the legendary Zorro when someone insisted that a minority group should integrate over meals?

She tried to apologise in vain, even set up a Twitter account on the fly for damage control. But the witch hunters were bearing down in full force; even a gallant Zorro would have wet his under garments at the mere sight of the waving pitch forks and flaming torches. And there was the possibility that the tsunami of online vitriol was actually directed at NTUC as a proxy for failed government policies.

Which is really upsetting because a friend once told me how his egress route from his private estate was blocked because a funeral in progress had a stage erected right in front of the deceased's terrace house unit, instead of the vacant field nearby which other families normally used. The private roadway was good only for two passing cars, which meant he had to navigate precariously between the ostentatious display of wreaths and the tables and chairs arranged for visitors which took up one full lane. Hardly an auspicious way to start off each morning to his investment banking job. The irony was that the apologetic younger bereaved were Christians and did not really subscribe to the traditional ancestral worship rites. But he departed was super rich, which meant the elaborate ceremonies went on for five long days and nights of chants, gongs and other Chinese instruments, including the loud and ear piercing suona (唢呐).

The saving grace was that my friend was not into social media. He unloaded his expletive loaded frustrations onto sympathetic ears over a copious flow of kopi-si - hey, that's what friends are for. Sigh, whether one is rich or poor, whether you stay in a HDB flat or landed property, you can still be the irritant that gets someone's goat.

30 comments:

  1. dont understand

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  2. I think the article is saying;
    Rich or poor,
    we are all in Singapore,
    only at the pleasure of the MIWs.
    And it is stupid of Sinkies,
    the non-MIWs,
    to try and put on airs,
    and put each other down.

    There is only one God in Singapore.
    He-whose-name-cannot-be-mentioned.

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  3. Main problem is that we cannot get any peace and quiet on this land of 6 million and more. Even the monkeys and wild boars are migrating out of their natural domain. Very soon, one will have to spend time at columbariums to get some quiet time, which by then you are going to join the tenants soon.

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    Replies
    1. Bukit Brown has not been forgotten. Even the dead have no rest, when thirst for real estate development is not quenched. Maybe burial at sea is the last resort.

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  4. No man is an island. We have to live with others around us. Its not a matter of choice. We drink the same water and breathe the same air. Lets us be gracious and strive for harmony. Life is short and not worth querrering. Peace be with you.

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  5. "Did we hear a single beep out of the legendary Zorro when someone insisted that a minority group should integrate over meals?"

    "Zorro" or "Zoro"? I too suspect it was the swordsman. But we live in an age of expediency, of convenient lies, so curry is no good unless the authorities are eating your lunch.

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    Replies
    1. Zorro is not stupid.
      He knows he is a political appointee.
      He knows he is not there on his own merits.
      He serves at the pleasure of He-whose-name-cannot-be-mentioned.

      Delete
    2. Zero + Zorro = Zeorro = A self-serving hypocrite.

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  6. An opportunity not to be missed, they pounced on her remarks. Disowned her, sacked, and even lodged a police report.

    Under the umbrella of racial harmony, they released social media instantly.. within hours.
    A lesson here for the rest of you.

    Their resources are plentiful and you will drown in your own blood... satisfying the shallow.

    Everyone is now distracted from FT,High inflation etc.

    No doubt, Amy is wrong in "speaking out loud".. she could have ranted over a cup of coffee with her kakis... IN PRIVATE

    When the machinery is set, your integrity, name, future, past and present will be ground to a pulp. Unemployable and Unforgiven.

    Good luck Amy.. leave the island.. you'll be better off.

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    Replies
    1. "could have ranted over a cup of coffee with her kakis"
      I'm not sure that is good advice. I just noticed that several CCTVs were installed at our favorite kopi-tiam. And if you plan to hold your own national conversation in PRIVATE at your home, make sure the flat is swept for electronic bugs.

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    2. CCTV but no speakers,... yet . The day they have lip reading software installed with the CCTV, then you can't even mutter a word, red dot will become silent forever, and we would be worse than the sheeple in the farm.

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    3. Is that why Lee Hsien Loong said he wants Singapore to be a hub for New Zealand? Everybody knows there are more sheep than humans in New Zealand.

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    4. Are there humans here?...I know there are some gods and other higher mortals...

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  7. Amy will not have to worry about survival in Sin la. She can be her own boss, work as consultant, advicer etc. She has mountain of experience in customer relations as Asst Director, You dont know?

    Talk about divide and conquer and deflection.
    Great strategy and all the good guys that acted fast by taking action and coming out to condemn the alleged gaffe now instantly received accolades and emerged as righteous folks and become idols to adulators.

    Winners take all and it is all a matter of strategy.

    patriot

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  8. If "they" can do this to Ong Teng Cheong and Devan Nair;
    Then who is Amy Cheong?

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  9. The rather swift sacking was very un-PAP / NTUC.
    Wonder if the He whose name cannot be mentioned had a hand in it.
    An opportunity to do some damage control in the face of widespread disquiet, no?

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    Replies
    1. Swiftly is good... no retrenchment benefits, no long winded board of inquiry, no union to help you!

      Now replace as swiftly with foreign talent.. cheaper, better, faster and.. entirely subservient.

      Be careful.. the rest of you inside.. better tow the line.. yes-men never die.. basic survival technique.
      If Zorro says the moon is visible from the basement car park... all better say.. "YES SIR!!"

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    2. Zoro can only say that when the one whose name cannot be mentioned tells him so.

      Delete
  10. Sacking only mah,
    what is the big deal?
    One little loss could
    mean a big gain.
    Some people here
    are able to see through
    scheme. It will be better
    when the others are able
    to aa well.

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  11. if u rich here, can get away with almost anything...

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  12. Let's hope Amy Cheong is/was an MIW.

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  13. Read in some articles she is a PR...is it true?

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  14. We have heard of large numbers of PRC & Indian new immigrants being imported. But we hardly hear of new Malay immigrants. So who is more racist and which is the greater evil?

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    Replies
    1. Ahhh!.. you see, they will say that it was based on MERITOCRACY.
      and they didn't say anything about which race is being imported..

      They will say its all "MARKET FORCES"..
      meaning what each employer looks for in a worker.

      Cannot win lah.. they got all bases covered.
      Smart people you know.. very elite style of thinking.

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    2. Is there a difference between elite Singapore style and cronyism?

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    3. Yes, meritocracy.

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  15. We've been obedient.
    we've been good.
    We listened quietly to all the insults about us being daft.
    We let them control our money, the CPF.
    We even let them charge us interest for borrowing our own money to buy a property.

    But enough is enough.
    Let's try regime change instead.
    What do we have to lose?
    A bright future?

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  16. The Amy saga is just a ploy by PAP to "convince" the 60% voters (who, not necessary hardcore supporters) that PAP should "leegally" clamp down on pro Singaporeans internet discussions.

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  17. Actually the noise has died down. Few is asking for more blood - most only ask her to be fired since her views and morals and clearly not in line with her organisation. It's people like you who keep blogging about how she has been a victim that keeps the noise going. Frankly, considering she is a foreigner dissing our Singaporean tradition and our Malay custom, Singaporeans has been very kind to her already. Imagine she goes to Australia (she is Malaysian who renounced Malaysia citizenship to become Australian) and started dissing Australian custom and culture. Trust me, that's gonna be worse.

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    Replies
    1. What is your message exactly, xenophobia is okay, racism not? Careful bro, you're digging a hole for yourself here.

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