Thursday, November 27, 2014

In Good Company

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was honoured at a dinner held by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Tuesday night. Among the 105 attendees present at its Senior Police Officers' Mess, it must be inevitable some of those jostling to have a picture taken with him captured in the frame will have ulterior motives mind. Yang Yin was not the only one who knows how to capitalise on a close photographic association.

Former sergeant with the SPF, Ananthan Thillagan, is alleged to have conned another ex-police officer and his wife out of $50,000 via an investment option involving gold mines in Papua New Guinea. Recovery company JMS Rogers said Ananthan had claimed to be a special aide to former President S R Nathan, and a former bodyguard to ex-Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Hey, if the three multi-millionaires trusted him with their lives, surely you can trust him with your life savings. His accuser said when he was swindled in January this year, Ananthan was employed by the Ministry of Home Affairs as the special aide to  S R Nathan. Which raises an interesting question: Why are public funds still expended on the ex-president, and does he require to be propped up too?

"Because he was working for people in power, he often threw names of powerful people to reinforce his influence and connections," read the police report. Ananthan had apparently used his high level connections in the civil service and his wife’s position as an Assistant Director in the Attorney General’s Chambers as part of his confidence-building scheme to win trust. Ananthan also claimed the Minister of Trade and Industry had signed up for the deal. Needless to say, no comment was registered from the referenced Minister.

The SPF said Ananthan resigned from the Police Force in July 2011, and that's that. Implying present company are all spicky clean and above reproach. It's like the tour guide from China being nailed for false invoices - over invoicing is less heinous a crime, if that's the lesson to be learned from the Law Society - while the web of deceit to cheat a little old lady is deemed too much dirty linen to be aired. What clout Intan Azura bte Moktar had in endorsing his residence application may never be revealed.

11 comments:

  1. The commodification of politicians is the essence of our time.

    Capitalist democracy they want it, they deservedly get it.
    What's wrong with making more money ? If LKY approves the ripping off of citizens, why not the other way round?

    Hawkers do it, Restauranteurs do it, Yang Yin did it, Ananthan did it, not to mention an ex-MTI chief who is still making it at a publicly listed US company selling nu-related MLM products.
    As a naive agent friend said to herself, if a smart guy like him can support such a money making (get rich quick) scheme, then there must be something right he is doing right?!!

    Is selling like hot carrot cakes. It works… mostly for the guys at the top of the game only.

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  2. The MHA and TCH need to come clean with the public how and why yang ying can get his employment pass and PR within such a short period by just set up a dubious company. Where is the check by immigration dept? The joke is now on AMK GRC which PM Lee manned where this con yang ying was their person in charge of integration of immigrate before his resignation. The irony of this matter is do you feel secure with this gov't that open floodgate to all sort of foreigners into this small dot?

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  3. Anathan was certainly in good company, he seems to have learnt a lot from them.

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  4. As they say it is not who you are that matters but who you know. Meritocracy anyone?

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  5. There are people with strong connections to very powerfull people who are in position to change the climate.

    One person was denied entry into Singapore because of his style of dating and picking up women ( supposedly he can enter as a tourist and not as a businessman to flaunt his trade).

    Besides what you know, who knows you is how this circus plays.... continuity is key.

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  6. OMG! You mean they didn't pay this guy enough that he had to resort to conning other people?!

    Given the size of our Reserves, we better up the salaries of our Ministers and their aides and their aides' aides,...

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    Replies
    1. More reasons to up the pay for all policemen. Henceforth, they shall be paid a minimum of $1 million a year. Extra bonuses for arresting 12 spray paint cans.

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    2. Just like the MIW who have taken to wearing red and white, the boys-in-blue need a change in the colour of their uniforms. Say, green, the colour of money.

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  7. It looks like our MIWs are keeping bad company, counting cheats and conmen among their adherents, and we ain't seen nothing yet. Do they count themselves good company? Or it just shows the truth of the old adage: birds of a feather flock together? You're only as good as the company you keep.

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