Dun Talk Cock Lah!: February 2017

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

SDP's Chee Soon Juan has been caught lying yet again

So Singapore Democratic Party Sec-Gen Chee Soon Juan has been caught posting a video on social media (on 27 Feb 2017) that selectively cuts a snippet of PM Lee's Election Rally speech in 2015 and spins it totally out of ~~context~~ this ~~world~~ universe.

Screen-capture of Chee Soon Juan's FB post (27 Feb 2017)

Sarcastic remarks posted (28 Feb 2017) Seems like they don't even realise that their lie has already been exposed.

'Fabrications Led By Opposition Parties' (FLOP) FB page spotted the video and made a video of their own to expose Chee Soon Juan's lie.

Video: FLOP FB page

So what was PM Lee actually talking about when he said, "... I write checks, tomorrow someone else can pay..."?

Here is an extract of the Channel NewsAsia report about what PM Lee was referring to when he made that statement during that Election Rally in 2015.

Mr Lee also emphasised Singapore’s politics should take care of its people not just for today, but also tomorrow.

“I write checks, tomorrow someone else can pay – anybody can do that. But if I want to worry about tomorrow also, then I have to trade off sacrifice, plan and work hard. And actually only the PAP does this,” he said. “For the Opposition parties, tomorrow is after the GE. Worry later.”

There have been many ideas from the opposition parties, Mr Lee, noted, ranging from free health care to S$300-handouts for the old and the young; plus “a minimum wage, and if it means unemployment, never mind, give money for unemployed also”.

Ask for who would pay for all this, Mr Lee said their argument is: “Companies can pay, rich people can pay, and if this is not enough the reserves got money, hundreds of billions of dollars, wah!”

He cited a Chinese proverb which means “sit there and eat corn, one day the mountain is gone and you will starve”.

“If it’s so simple, why do you think the PAP is not doing all this? We are so stupid?” Mr Lee said. “Certainly we would be more popular, and the Opposition would have fewer subjects to make speeches. But would we have built this Singapore? Would we have the toughness to continue to fight for Singaporeans and our children’s future?”

Mr Lee concluded: “So I ask for your trust, your support, your mandate. Vote for what you believe in, vote for the candidate you trust, vote for the party which has never let you down. We will work and fight for Singapore.”

Source: Channel NewsAsia

Source: PAP YouTube Channel. Full video of Secretary General Lee Hsien Loong Speech at Fullerton Rally 8 Sept 2015

Watch from 29:43 onwards for the context of the "I write checks, tomorrow someone else can pay" quote.

We wonder why SDP and Chee Soon Juan persists on taking things out of context and lying to Singaporeans. In today's Information age, such lies are easily exposed through a simple Google search.

Oh wait.. that's right. Chee told us himself: "Character is Permanent".

A liar will always be a liar.

PAP YouTube Channel. Full video of Secretary General Lee Hsien Loong Speech at Fullerton Rally 8 Sept 2015. Watch from 29:43 onwards for the context of "I write checks, tomorrow someone else can pay" quote.

See here for more dubious things that Chee Soon Juan and SDP doesn't want Singaporeans to know

Monday, February 27, 2017

‘Absolute Freedom of Speech’ is as real as Rainbow-pooping Unicorn

So it seems that Mary Toh has confirmed in a FB posting (26 Feb 2017) that her son, Amos, is indeed in solitary confinement for ‘criticizing Islam’ during a Muslim Studies class while in detention by the US immigration authorities. And she also revealed that Amos has been in solitary confinement for 14 days now.

Pic: Mary Toh's FB page

A few things come to mind after we read her post.

“… We have refused to publish and reveal this news to the public in fear that it will hurt his case, but now, I think it’s overly paranoid for us to think that revealing this news would harm his case as it’s completely non-related. …”

Mary Toh

Our interpretation:

"Crap... This was suppose to be a secret but ~~Melissa Chen~~ someone stupidly leaked that Amos has yet again gotten himself into more trouble over religion.

So now we have to spin this to Amos's advantage.

SO REMEMBER, this has NOTHING TO DO with his bid for asylum which was to escape prosecution for exercising his right to ~~religious hate speech~~ free speech . Amos was only discussing religion."

Really Mary? Are you being serious here? How is Amos’s current behavior NOT related to his quest for asylum?

You are the one who stated that Amos is in solitary confinement for ‘criticizing Islam’ during a Muslim Studies class. And there is a rather credible third party account which tells us that Amos didn't just criticize but he was using profanities and generally being a obnoxious prick in the class.

Pic Source: Comment posted on Mary Toh (Amos's mother) FB page

And isn’t it just such a coincidence that Amos is seeking asylum to avoid “being sent to jail for exercising his free speech” in S'pore, and just wanting to be able to “continue criticizing religion without the fear of being sent to jail”.

Have you conveniently forgotten that Amos was found guilty in S’pore for precisely the same kind of obnoxious and irresponsible behavior that he is now repeating again in the US?

"... In late September (2016), Yee was sentenced to six weeks’ jail after he pleaded guilty to six charges for wounding the religious feelings of Christians and Muslims. He was also ordered to pay a fine of S$2,000 for defying two notices to turn up at a police station to give his statement.

Yee was sentenced in July 2015 to four weeks’ jail for the same offence. In total, he spent about 50 days in prison, after repeatedly breaching bail conditions. ..."

Channel NewsAsia report

And it was only as recent as Dec 2016, that Amos told international media that he regretted his actions that had landed him in jail.

"I told you, it is hate speech, it is overly rude, it isn’t good activism," Yee said by telephone from the McHenry County Adult Correctional Facility in Illinois. "I completely regret making those videos."

Amos, via Reuters news report

Obviously, Amos doesn’t regret anything he's done. His show of ‘regret’ was most likely for the purpose of eliciting public sympathy/donations and to enable him to present a more credible case for his asylum bid.

Don’t like religion? Then stay away and keep your comments to yourself. Don’t go around shoving your own ideas down other people’s throat where it isn't welcomed.

Going intentionally into a religious class simply to sprout profane insults and obnoxiously criticize the religion (as opposed to having a polite and civilized conversation/debate about the religion), is like going into an oil refinery to intentionally set off some fireworks. Both actions can only end in tragedy.

Amos’s latest stunt in deliberately provoking religious sensitivities has only revealed his true nature as an obnoxious, egotistic and manipulative person who has no respect for other people's beliefs, and who thinks that his idea of “absolute freedom of speech” overrides everything else and is the ultimate ~~protection~~ excuse for his irresponsible behavior.

“… Because this news was not revealed, the sergeant of McHenry County Jail has been able to freely exercise his authority without any fear of consequences and has kept Amos longer in solitary confinement than he should have been.

So I am now revealing this news. Please share and spread the news that Amos has been unjustly sent to solitary confinement and he needs to be out immediately. ...”

Mary Toh

Our interpretation:

"At first we didn't want to publicise Amos's solitary confinement because we knew what Amos did was exceedingly stupid and, not only would it hurt his chances of obtaining asylum, this stunt will also hurt his public persona as a freedom fighter, not to mention the donations as well.

But because Amos really (we can't be sure too since he ~~lies~~ changes his mind so often) cannot tahah (endure) anymore, we are twisting the situation and accusing the authorities of victimising Amos for exercising his freedom of speech in hopes of creating a public backlash so great that they would be pressured into releasing Amos early.

The accusation will not only make Amos look like a poor boy being repressed by the high-handed authorities but it will also make for a great conspiracy story to boost public sympathy and of course, gain more donations.

So please help and spread the news that Amos is being abused by the authorities. And of course, don't forget to donate towards Amos's cause."

Mary doesn't even utter a word about whether what Amos did was appropriate. Obviously Mary does not seem to think Amos did anything remotely wrong, that it is perfectly acceptable for Amos to attend a religious class just to provoke with profanities and sprout obnoxious criticism.

There is simply no excuse for Amos's irresponsible and provocative behavior. Judge Ong Hian Sun best sums up Amos Yee.

"... Principal District Judge Ong Hian Sun said he found Yee "not lacking in his mental capacity to make rational choices".

"(Yee) has, on several occasions, deliberately elected to do harm by using offensive and insulting words and profane gestures to hurt the feelings of Christians and Muslims."

"His contemptuous and irreverent remarks have the tendency to generate social unrest and undermine the religious harmony in our society. ..."

Straits Times news report

Imagine being in a large group of people, already being stressed out from being locked up/confined in a small area, and then you go and intentionally agitate and provoke people on a sensitive topic like religion as if it was a game or discussion on social media - where the worse that can happen is to be flamed by other users or to be banned.

Mary even goes on to claim that the US authorities have abused their power as they have "...kept Amos longer in solitary confinement than he should have been. ..." and they are able to because "this news was not revealed".

First of all, weren't you the one who said that "... we refused to publish and reveal this news to the public in fear that it will hurt his case. ..." How can any news media report Amos's situation if you are not forth-coming with the information? We highly doubt that the US authorities would release such information unilaterally on the account of preserving the detainee's privacy and confidentiality.

And doesn't Amos have a pro-bono lawyer who keeps in constant touch with him? How about that activist Melissa Chen?

For all we know Amos may have been put in solitary confinement by the US authorities for his own protection from the potential reprisals resulting from his provocative ‘free speech’ stunt in the religious class. If Amos were released from solitary confinement, he may not even last the night.

Both mother and son seem to be unable to grasp the fundamental concept that there are real-life consequences to words and actions. A belief in your absolute right to free speech does not grant you protection from the consequences of your speech.

As Amos has discovered for himself, even in a country as liberal as America, there is no such thing as ‘absolute freedom of speech’ or protection from the consequences of your speech.

The larger tragedy here is that Mary being the parent, instead of advising her son against such irresponsible behavior, continues to condone and support Amos in his quest to dig himself deeper into trouble.

Or perhaps, this is all yet again another ill-conceived publicity stunt by Amos intended to manipulate public sympathy to force the US authorities to fast-track his asylum bid, and of course to feed his egomania and bank account.

The saga stupidity continues.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Amos gets thrown into Solitary Confinement..…in America

Quite amazingly, Amos seems to have (~~allegedly~~ now confirmed by his mother via FB) managed to get himself into even more trouble while in detention by US immigration officials.

Pic Source: Comment posted on Mary Toh (Amos's mother) FB page

Apparently according the above screen-capture of an undated Facebook post by Melissa Chen, the Singaporean activist that is helping Amos with his asylum bid, Amos has been thrown into Solitary Confinement for disrupting a Muslim Studies Class in the Detention Centre (in America).

But there are also more 'intriguing' screen-captures that seem to suggest that Amos may have yet again been taken advantage of for someone else's agenda.

For one audience, Melissa seems to be helping Amos.

Pic Source: Comment posted on Mary Toh (Amos's mother) FB page

Yet for another audience, Melissa seems to suggest that she has washed her hands of Amos.

Pic Source: Comment posted on Mary Toh (Amos's mother) FB page

Given Amos's ~~tendency~~ track record for manipulation, elaborate lies and acting to get what he wants, perhaps this is all just another publicity stunt to satisfy his ego/need for attention and to boost his “donation drive”?

Dec 2015: Amos 'runs away' from a police interview/investigation, and was upset that his stunt was not immediately reported in the media and other ~~alternative~~ anti-govt media sites.

Amos, stroking his own ego on finally being ~~reported~~ mentioned in the media.

Or maybe Amos is using the same tactic by appearing to be suicidal / depressed / traumatized after Solitary Confinement so that he can gain public sympathy and get out of detention?

2016: Amos's own FB self-confessional on pretending to be traumatized in order to gain publicity

July 2015: The picture of Amos pretending to look traumatized was used by many anti-govt groups to claim that the Govt was inhumane and was bullying a "child". Amos was 17 then.

Or it could be that Amos was just being his usual, defiant, toxic self which cannot respect other people’s beliefs or religion, and simply cannot shut his mouth.

Who knows for sure?

But one thing is certain if the Solitary Confinement news is true (now confirmed by his mother via FB), then Amos just found out that even in America, the mighty bastion of Free Speech, there is no such thing as absolute freedom of speech.

Anyway, if you interested to find out more about the Adventures of Amos Yee, you can have a look here at this excellent blog which has verifiable facts on what Amos has done so far to land himself where he is now.

Read more here:

Amos's Mother, Mary Toh's FB page

Tvin CU (Blog with facts and verified 3rd party information about Amos)

Tvin CU Facebook page - 45 Facts about Amos Yee and his country Singapore

Hardware Zone Forum thread about Amos being in solitary confinement

Amos Yee's 'adventures'

Channel NewsAsia - Amos Yee's 'humanitarian release' from detention denied: Law firm

South China Morning Post - Singaporean asylum seeker Amos Yee, 18, could remain in US jail until March, lawyer reveals

CNBC - Singapore teen submits US asylum claim in immigration court

South China Morning Post - Teenage Singaporean blogger Amos Yee detained in US while seeking Asylum

Straits Times - Teenage blogger Amos Yee detained in United States

Five Stars And a Moon - Amos Yee’s plan backfires

Mothership - Amos Yee complaining he’ll be detained in US longer than being jailed in S’pore

Mothership - Amos Yee posted on Facebook: Short prison stint a ‘non-traumatic mild inconvenience’

Straits Times - US Immigration Court to hear Singaporean blogger Amos Yee's plea for political asylum

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Comparisons between Singapore and Sweden

A Swedish man 'Angmolia' who moved to Singapore, made a series of YouTube videos comparing Sweden and Singapore.

The videos are worth watching to get a perspective of what the daily reality is in like in Sweden and Singapore.

I think the second video raises a most poignant situation - where an Swedish ambulance refuses to go into a neighbour without a police escort. And the result is that a life is lost. That is a unimaginable, and most people would find it unacceptable as well, situation in Singapore. We would be demanding the Govt's collective heads if such a situation were allowed to have set in here.

In any case, it is always good for us to gain a broader perspective of what daily life is like in other countries. This gives us a better appreciation for the things which Singapore is doing right by her people.

But it would be very naive and simplistic to say that Singapore is the perfect country. We are not.

For example, littering is still a chronic problem that has to be tackled. It is only because of the hard work by our army of cleaner that our streets and sidewalks are clean and pristine.

And we still have people who think nothing of tossing rubbish out of their windows on the Nth floor of their flat, not realising that that their trash could hurt or even potentially kill someone on the ground, nevermind the fact that they are dirtying our living environment.

There are many things that Singapore can, and should be doing better. But deciding how we go about improving Singapore has to be done with a broader perspective of what life is like abroad - both the benefits and tradeoffs of their choices , and an appreciation of what Singapore has that is good and what our constraints are.

Sweden and Singapore are often used as examples in the political debate, but no one has made a comparison of daily life there before. Since I have lived and worked in both countries I can give examples from real life.

In this part I focus on the market and its place in daily life. I cover housing, food, domestic chores, and other topics.

links and references:
https://bostad.stockholm.se/english/
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sweden-uber-tech-idUSKCN0Y20WN

Published on Aug 26, 2016

Singapore and Sweden compared part 1: the market

One of the starkest contrasts between Sweden and Singapore is how much more clean, orderly, and safe Singapore is. This difference wasn't there just a few decades ago, but it continues to grow with the accelerating disintegration of Swedish society.

In this episode I take you on a tour around the cities and show you examples of what I mean.

Please be civil in the comment section. It's fine to disagree with both me and each other, but I remove all comments with derogatory words, regardless of other merits.

Published on Feb 12, 2017

Model Cities part 2: Public Order

Monday, February 20, 2017

What does it mean to be a Singaporean?

What does it mean to be a Singaporean?

Who defines a Singaporean?

How do you define who is a Singaporean?

What makes a Singaporean, a Singaporean?

#OneUnitedPeople

See more here: https://www.citizensofsingapore.sg/

Video source: National Integration Council (via YouTube)

Friday, February 17, 2017

[Defending the Lion City] Operation Sook Ching - The Bloody Purge begins

After Singapore came under Japanese control, the Japanese, apart from stripping Singapore of its name and calling her "Syonan-to", began brutal actions to cower the local populace so as to solidify their grip on Singapore.

People were made to bow to the Japanese soldiers. Those who did not, or refuse to do so, would be severely beaten, some even killed.

But that was not the end of their cruelty.

The Japanese started the "Sook Ching" (a Chinese term meaning "purge through cleansing") operation which was intended, not only to purge the Chinese populace in Singapore of any anti-Japanese opposition, but seemly targeting mainly the chinese in revenge for their support to China in the war against Japan.

"... On 17th February, our new masters issued their first public order in Singapore, now called Syonanto: all male Chinese adults were to report the very next day at designated camps – under threat of “severe punishment”, a phrase quickly to become familiar. Most of us presumed then it was only for some kind of registration of people.

But those concentrations of the Chinese were actually for a sinister purpose.

The conquering Japanese troops had arrived with horrendous baggage: memories of bloody encounters with the mainland Chinese in the still ongoing Sino-Japanese war.

And they were sorely aware that the Chinese in Singapore had been anti-Japanese, staging demonstrations, organising boycotts of Japanese goods and raising money (the China War Relief Fund) to help the Chinese on the mainland in their fight against invasion. And there were the Singapore Chinese who took up arms against the Japanese: volunteers with the British forces as well as those MCP (Malayan Communist Party) diehards, who struggled against them in the jungles of the Malay Peninsula.

Led by the ruthless Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police), the victorious soldiers went all out to screen the Chinese, however hasty and slapdash the operation, to seek and destroy anyone suspected of being hostile, no matter how flimsy the evidence, no matter how many were fingered. ..."

Goh Sin Tub

Goh Sin Tub

(Read more here: The Sook Ching)

Pic: Stomp

Many families, even till today, still grieve over the fate of their loved ones who went through the screening, and never came back. And many families had to assume that their loved ones were lost to the war.

Skulls, bones and other grisly remains being exhumed from a mass grave of Operation Sook Ching victims in Bedok on June 10, 1966. Photo: The Straits Times (via AsiaOne)

Skulls, bones and other grisly remains being exhumed from a mass grave of Operation Sook Ching victims in Bedok on June 10, 1966.

Photo: The Straits Times

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/75-years-singapore-fell-operation-sook-ching-during-japanese-occupation#sthash.KgXzdJ1J.dpuf

Skulls, bones and other grisly remains being exhumed from a mass grave of Operation Sook Ching victims in Bedok on June 10, 1966.

Photo: The Straits Times

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/75-years-singapore-fell-operation-sook-ching-during-japanese-occupation#sthash.KgXzdJ1J.dpuf

"... Thousands of other men were not so fortunate. Suspected of being anti-Japanese elements, these men were loaded into lorries and transported to remote areas such as Changi, Punggol and Bedok for execution.

At these sites, the suspects were machine-gunned to death and often their bodies were thrown into the sea. In some instances, British prisoners of war (POWs) were tasked to bury the bodies.

Known massacre sites include beaches at Punggol, Changi, Katong, Tanah Merah and Blakang Mati (now Sentosa island). Massacres were said to have also occurred at Hougang, Thomson Road, Changi Road, Siglap, Bedok and East Coast.

Due to a lack of written records, the exact number of people killed in the operation is unknown. The official figure given by the Japanese is 5,000 although the actual number is believed to be much higher.

Lieutenant Colonel Hishakari Takafumi, a newspaper correspondent at the time, claimed that the plan was to kill 50,000 Chinese and that half that number had been reached when the order was received to stop the operation. ..."

Singapore Infopedia

After the war ended, seven , seven Japanese officers were charged during a war crimes trial in Singapore for their participation in Operation Sook Ching in 1947.

All seven officers were found guilty. Two officers, Lieutenant General Saburo Kawamura and Lieutenant Colonel Masayuki Oishi, were sentenced to death while the remaining five were given life sentences.

In 1962, more mass graves were found in the Siglap area - dubbed as the 'Valley of Tears' by the press. The remains of the victims from various sites were exhumed and gathered for reburial in a dedicated memorial site, which would later be the Civilian War Memorial.

The Civilian War Memorial

Completed in 1967, the Civilian War Memorial stands prominently along Beach road in Singapore's civic district, and is dedicated to the memory of not only the victims of the Sook Ching operation, but for all civilians who had died as a result of the Japanese Occupation.

"... Comprising four tapering columns at a height of 67 metres, the Civilian War Memorial is affectionately known as the ‘Four Chopsticks’ by locals. Each column represents one of the four main ethnic groups in Singapore who perished during the Japanese Occupation: Chinese, Malays, Indians, and Eurasians. ..."

"... Painted white, the prominent structure can be seen from afar, both in the day and at night. It sits on a raised platform enclosing a vault that holds the victims’ remains in 606 urns. Within the four columns, an empty urn placed on a pedestal, together with inscriptions commemorating the deaths of countless civilians, brings visitors’ attention to the burial chamber underneath. ..."

Roots.SG

"... a black urn (sits) atop a high white pedestal with lion heads in relief. The words "In deep and lasting sorrow this memorial is dedicated in memory of those of our civilians who were killed between February 15, 1942 and August 18, 1945 when the Japanese Armed Forces occupied Singapore" are inscribed on the pedestal. There are translations in Malay and Tamil on the right and left respectively. ..."

Picture.SG

"... Then finally the Monument was unveiled by Prime Minister Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, on 15 February 1967, the 25th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore.

In his speech, Mr. Lee said, "We meet not to rekindle old fires of hatred, nor to seek settlements for blood debts. We meet to remember the men and women who were the hapless victims of one of the fires of history. This monument will remind those of us who were here 25 years ago, of what can happen to people caught completely unaware and unprepared for what was in store for them. It will help our children understand and remember, what we have told them of this lesson we paid so bitterly to learn".

Before the Prime Minister unveiled a plaque, and laid the first wreath on behalf of the Government and the people of Singapore, prayers were said by leaders of the Inter-Religious Council representing Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh and Zoroastrian faiths. A 3-minute silence followed the laying of the wreaths. Many families of the dead were there, especially their weeping mothers. ..."

Singapore Infopedia

In the years that would follow, there would be various ceremonies and services that would take place on 15 Feb to mark the anniversary of the 'Fall of Singapore' when Singapore was surrendered to the Japanese by the British.

#NeverAgain #DefendingtheLionCity #SAF #NationalService #NS50 #WhyMustWeServe #LestWeForget #TotalDefence

Read more here:

Singapore Infopedia - Operation Sook Ching

Biblioasia - The Sook Ching by Goh Sin Tub

AsiaOne - 75 years since Singapore fell: Operation Sook Ching during the Japanese occupation

Mothership - The Sook Ching (YouTube)

Singapore Infopedia - The Civilian War Memorial

Roots.SG - Civilian War Memorial

Picture.SG - Civilian War Memorial urn

Thursday, February 16, 2017

[Defending the Lion City] They Died for All Free Men

Kranji War Cemetery

'They Died for All Free Men'

Bell of remembrance rung at Kranji War Cemetery to mark 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore
Straits Times, 15 Feb 2017

SINGAPORE - The casualties of World War II were honoured at Kranji War Cemetery on Wednesday (Feb 15), the 75th anniversary of the fall of Singapore.

In a solemn ceremony attended by dignitaries, diplomats, and military officials and veterans, a bell of remembrance was rung five times - once for every year that the war raged in the Pacific.

Under an overcast sky from which a slight drizzle fell at times, Japanese Ambassador to Singapore Kenji Shinoda was one of the first VIPs to lay a wreath of poppies - which traditionally symbolise blood shed on the battlefield.

This is the first time Japan is working with former Allied countries, including Singapore, to organise a World War II commemoration ceremony here.

Three World War II survivors were the last to lay their wreaths near the Singapore Memorial, inscribed with the name of more than 24,000 soldiers and airmen who died during the war in Malaya and Indonesia and have no known grave.

See the full article and videos here: Straits Times

"I express my feelings of profound grief and heartfelt condolences. I believe that such feelings are shared by the overwhelming majority of Japanese."

Kenji Shinoda
Japanese Ambassador to Singapore

"... While many have never experienced the horrors of war, they must never forget the lessons learned and the commitment and sacrifices of their forefathers in protecting the country and its way of life.

This commitment to remember the horrors of war and to defend Singapore is at the core of Total Defence.

It is when every Singaporean is resolved to play their part, and contribute to keeping Singapore strong on all fronts, that we can be confident of safeguarding our nation and our home against different threats and challenges that come our way. ..."

Vikram Nair
Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs

Video: By Tedd Jong, 22-year-old student who was there as part of the NUS History Society.

[Defending the Lion City] Syonan-to - So begins the Japanese Occupation of Singapore

Not long after the British Surrender on 15 Feb 1942, the Japanese moved quickly to consolidate their control of Singapore.

One of the first things they did was to re-name Singapore as 'Syonan-to' ( 昭南島 Shōnan-tō), which means "Light of the South".

But they didn't just stop there.

The Tanjong Pagar Railway station was renamed as "Syonan Station".

Japanese Troops posed triumphantly in front of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. “昭南驛” translates into “Syonan Station”. Pic: SG Film Hunter

The Japanese took over 'The Straits Times' offices and the paper was renamed as "The Shonan Times". The paper would see two more name changes - "The Syonan Times" and then later as "Syonan Sinbun".

Pics: SG.Pagenation.com

The local time in Singapore was moved forward by 1½ hours so as to be in sync with Tokyo time.

Schools were made to teach the Japanese language and textbooks were printed in Japanese. School children had to stand facing the direction of Japan and to sing the national Japanese anthem.

This was the wartime currency that was issued by the Japanese Government for the occupied territories of Malaya and Singapore during the Japanese Occupation.

The British currency was replaced with Japanese currency which was known as “Banana money” due to the picture of a Banana tree on the note. The currency would ultimately became worthless due massive amounts printed.

These changes would be the least of the problems that Singapore would face during the Japanese Occupation

The next three and a half years under the brutal Japanese rule would prove to be the darkest period in Singapore's history.

Voices From Syonan-To

History Of Singapore During The Japanese Occupation

Fall of Singapore during World War Two - Kartar Singh, eyewitness to atrocities

Japanese Occupation in Singapore

#NeverAgain #DefendingtheLionCity #SAF #NationalService #NS50 #WhyMustWeServe #LestWeForget #TotalDefence

[Defending the Lion City] Keeping Us Safe Everyday - Singapore's Home Team

FRONTLINERS - Episode 1

Frontliners is a web series about National Servicemen in the SPF and SCDF produced to commemorate 50 years of National Service this year. Catch a glimpse of the extraordinary experiences the National Servicemen faced in this prologue.

See more Videos at: Home Team News (Singapore) FB Page

Very often, our Brothers serving in the S'pore Police Force (SPF), S'pore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and other Home Team agencies, are often overlooked when the topic of National Service comes up. The spotlight is always on the SAF - not because of any other reason, except that the armed forces makes up the largest intake of NS servicemen -therefore the most visible.

There may be endless friendly debates or jibs about whose service is more "siong" (hardship) but that doesn't mean that Home Team servicemen serve Singapore in any lesser capacity or importance.

The reality is that Home Team servicemen are often exposed to real-life situations which can be dangerous and horrifying on a daily basis. Here's an extract of what one SDCF serviceman (‘longtailbutterfly’) had to say.

"... At lunch the next day my friend (SAF LTA) tells me how stressful being an instructor at SAFTI has been recently. I remember as my cylinder got trapped on the fallen wire, and how I thought of my family in those few struggling seconds. I nod my head and grunt. " SAF has it tough with JCC and everything huh?" I joke. He agrees enthusiastically.

All in a day’s work for the NSFs in SPF/SCDF. If we fail, someone dies from our direct actions. Welcome to NS. No second chances or semula. Just death. I wish the public knew the risks that some NSFs take each day. We might not be as fit as NDU or as garang as commandos, but we put our lives on the line literally every day.

As an NSF I can say I have contributed to Singapore. No play acting or training for a war that will never happen (though I understand the incredible need for an armed military). I love my job, I love NS and wouldn't trade it for anything else (maybe an EMT vocation).

I am still amazed that many members of public still associate NS with army. I wish more people would know. There's no greater feeling in this world than knowing some uncle I helped rescue on my first duty at 0200 will live to eat his favourite mee pok or talk cock with his kakis because of my direct actions. Take a look at every fire or major rescue / ambulance incident in the news. Chances are 70% of the people that responded to that incident are NSFs. Whenever I get my haircut at QB the auntie always asks me "boy you army ah?" and I've run out of effort to correct her. Pride and care right? ..."

SDCF serviceman ‘longtailbutterfly’ (See the full Reddit Post here)

No matter what your NS service branch, vocation or role, we should all recognize that all of us are small but extremely vital cogs in a larger whole called Singapore.

Keep safe and Thank you all for your service to our country.

#DefendingtheLionCity #NationalService #NS50 #OurHomeOurTeam

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

[Defending the Lion City] Sounding the Sirens

On 15 Feb at 6.20pm, Singapore's network of Public Warning System (PWS) sirens will sound the "Important Message" signal to mark Total Defence Day.

6.20pm of 15 Feb also marks the time when the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese Imperial Army in 1942.

"The PWS sounding serves to give due significance and remembrance to this historical moment. It also underscores the importance of emergency preparedness and for Singaporeans to defend our homeland."

SCDF

Upon hearing the signal, the public can tune in immediately to any local radio station for a brief message on the PWS, or visit the SCDF website to learn more about PWS signals.

"... The PWS also has a long genesis. It was commissioned more than two decades ago in 1991 and builds on plans laid in the mid-1980s that recommended several measures to harden Singapore against air raids.

To keep the network running 24/7, engineers are rostered to service around seven PWS sirens every day. Crisis planners have also built in several fail-safes to ensure that the sirens will blare when they have to. Each siren is powered by electricity from the national grid and has a back-up battery. The system to sound the siren comprises landlines and radio back-up.

This long-term approach to national emergency preparedness planning could be better appreciated by the average Singaporean as we live in a country better prepared than most for crisis situations.

It is a wake-up call one hopes Singaporeans will not be forced to heed.

When that wake-up call arrives, NEST will be ready. What about you? ..."

David Boey (Senang Diri)

Base image credit: Cyberpioneer Flickr, Photo by Chua SoonLye /PIONEER

Ex-Wallaby 2010, Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, Singapore Guards, heading to their holding area to prepare for a troop lift by Super Puma helicopters.

#NeverAgain #DefendingtheLionCity #SAF #NationalService #NS50 #WhyMustWeServe #LestWeForget #TotalDefence
Read more here:

Straits Times - SCDF to sound islandwide Public Warning System sirens on Feb 15 to mark Total Defence Day

Senang Diri - Korean crisis may test Singapore's National Emergency System (NEST)

[Defending the Lion City] Singapore Falls to the Japanese Imperial Army

Lieutenant-General Percival and his party carry the Union flag on their way to surrender Singapore to the Japanese. Pic: Imperial War Museums

75 years ago, on 15 Feb 1942, Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival met with General Tomoyuki Yamashita at the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah, where the British formally surrendered Singapore to the Japanese.

Singapore had fallen to the Japanese in just over 7 days after the Japanese Army’s initial landing on 8 Feb.

Japanese Troops Marching through Fullerton Square. Pic: Wikipedia

The surrender was a huge shock to the British as Singapore had long been considered to be an “impregnable fortress” – the “Gibraltar of the Far East”. The forces in Singapore, comprising of British, Indian, Malaya and Australian troops, fought bravely and as best as they could to defend the island but to no avail.

Generals At War - Battle of Singapore

Singapore was renamed by the Japanese as ‘Syonan-To’ (meaning ‘Light of the South’), thus marked the beginning the Japanese Occupation.

The Japanese Occupation, lasting almost 4 years, would be one of the darkest chapters in Singapore’s history. The populace as well as the captured Allied Forces were brutalized and suffered many atrocities during the Japanese Occupation. The Japanese was estimated to have executed 50,000 civilians as part of their efforts to eliminate any resistance to the Japanese Occupation.

The Singapore Story (Japanese Occupation of Singapore 1942 - 1945)

Invasion of Singapore in color. Part 4, Posted by The Merlion Press

Quote: Mr Lee Kuan Yew, speaking on the importance of NS, 21 Feb 1967.

Base image credit: Gov.SG (Photo by Terence Tan, MCI)

#NeverAgain #DefendingtheLionCity #SAF #NationalService #NS50 #WhyMustWeServe #LestWeForget