It’s a shame Salman Rushdie wasn’t allowed to address the Jaipur Literature Festival even by video link because of opposition from Muslim groups. “Even seeing his face is intolerable,” said Muslims protesting against the proposed video conference with the author of The Satanic Verses, which is banned in India. Continue reading
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his Chinese New Year message says:
Ultimately we all want to make Singapore the best home in the world for ourselves, our families and our children. We all want ours to remain an inclusive, meritocratic society where every child has the chance to realise his dreams and aspirations. We all want our children and grandchildren to enjoy many opportunities in Singapore and beyond, even as they remain rooted by a deep sense of belonging in Singapore.
He could have been speaking for everyone in Singapore — and for everyone who loves Singapore.
Gong xi fa cai! It’s the Year of the Dragon from tomorrow.
“The Year of the Dragon is likely to see more uncertainty in the global economy,” said PM Lee. So, here’s wishing everyone good luck.
To sign off, what could be better than a poem on Singapore? Continue reading
Salman Rushdie has announced he won’t be attending the Jaipur Literary Festival in India because of death threats. Who is to blame? Continue reading
Lee Kuan Yew is quoted less often since he ceased to be Singapore’s Minister Mentor after the parliamentary elections in May last year when the opposition won six seats for the first time. But he can still speak and write with such authority. I read his letter on ministers’ salaries which appeared in Today newspaper. Those who claim Singapore ministers are overpaid – Lee Kuan Yew’s son Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be paid S$2.2 million ($1.7 million) a year and new ministers S$1.1 million after pay cuts – may not agree with the former Minister Mentor. But Lee Kuan is certainly right when he says: Continue reading
Internet users could still check Wikipedia using Google cache, as Fox News pointed out on Wednesday when the online encyclopedia blacked out in protest against proposed new US laws. Bloggers could also post on WordPress, though it too joined the blackout. What’s the fuss all about? A roundup. Continue reading
The Chinese are ahead in education in Singapore. The proportion of Chinese undergraduates in Singapore universities is greater than the proportion of Chinese among young Singaporeans. The proportion of Indian and Malay undergraduates in Singapore universities, on the other hand, is less than the proportion of Indians and Malay among young Singaporeans.
Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said the proportions of Chinese, Malay and Indians among Singapore citizens admitted to the local universities were 89 per cent, 5 per cent and 4 per cent respectively in 2011, reported AsiaOne. Continue reading
Sonia Gandhi is taking after her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi. Not only is she the undisputed leader of the Congress party; her government is also trying to curb freedom of expression. Continue reading
The United States, as we saw earlier, is 10th Canada sixth and Australia third on the Heritage Foundation’s 2012 Economic Freedom Index. Among the other major economies, the United Kingdom is 14th, Japan 22nd, Germany 26th, South Korea 31st, Mexico 54th, France 67th, South Africa 70th, Turkey 73rd, Saudi Arabia 74th Italy 92nd, Indonesia 115th, India 123rd (Pakistan is 122nd), China 138th, Russia 144th and Argentina 158th on the Economic Freedom Index. There are 184 countries listed on the index. Continue reading
Singapore is the second freest economy in the 2012 Heritage Foundation Economic Freedom Index after Hong Kong. Singapore stands out for having the lowest unemployment rate as well as the lowest government spending as a percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) among the top 10 countries on the Economic Freedom Index. (In the Asia Pacific region, government spending as a percentage of GDP is lower in Taiwan, ranked 18th on the Economic Freedom Index, and Indonesia, ranked 115th.) The 10 freest economies are
“The pen is mightier than the sword,” claimed Bulwer-Lytton, the author of The Last Days of Pompeii, and he was absolutely right. Revolutions have been sparked by the works of Karl Marx and Thomas Paine; people have fought and died for the Bible and the Koran.
No wonder from the time of Savonarola to the Nazis, there have been bonfires of books. They can be incendiary. Continue reading
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