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GRC System to blame for Yeo’s Decision: Netizens By ewenboey | SingaporeScene – 42 minutes ago Netizens are blaming the Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system for Foreign Minister George Yeo's decision to leave politics. The five-member PAP team led by Yeo was defeated by the Workers' Party in Aljunied GRC by a significant margin of nine percentage points in the recent General Election. And on Tuesday, Minister Yeo announced his decision to leave politics, saying it was time for "someone younger" to take over. Popular Singapore blogger, Lee Kin Min, also known as mrbrown, told Yahoo! Singapore that "the GRC system lets the ruling party win big but now we know they can also lose big". "George Yeo just happened to be in the GRC that fell first. It probably won't be the last GRC to fall this way. I am surprised they didn't send reinforcements after the 2006 results," he said. Another local blogger, Benjamin Lee, also known as Mr Miyagi, said Minister Yeo was a "casualty of the GRC system." He said, "He (Minister Yeo) didn't leave politics. I think politics left him. Sadly, he'll be missed by the Foreign Ministry because he's demonstrated himself to be a really good ambassador for Singapore." Other netizens also said Yeo's decision was a big setback for Singapore. Alamak Chua wrote on Yahooo Singapore's Facebook page, "What a waste of talent. The GRC system is a great mockery! Tin Pei Lin [sic] is an elected MP but not George Yeo." Another user, Yan Zhenghao, added, "PAP getting a taste of their own medicine... The usage of the GRC against the opposition has finally backfired." Joann Lim also wrote, "Thank you for hearing the voice of the people. You are one of the few that really listen. You are a great man and will earn the respect of many". Comments and well-wishes for the popular Mr Yeo also poured in on micro-blogging site Twitter. @yeokaiting posted, "Saddened by the news that George Yeo is possibly not going to contest in the next GE. Sigh, a dedicated leader who has contributed so much." @tammynerd chose to look on the bright side, "I shall remain positive, thinking that @georgeyeo will participate in the next election, just not Aljunied GRC Go George Yeo!" Andrew Loh, chief editor of The Online Citizen, urged the 57-year-old father of four to continue to put his vast experience in serving the nation to good use. "As the Prime Minister, Senior Minister and various Ministers have said, George Yeo is an invaluable asset not just to the PAP but also to Singapore. I, as do many Singaporeans, hope that whatever his plans are, he will continue to contribute to our nation. His wealth of experience in various ministries throughout the years should not be wasted." While the Minister said he wants to take a break to spend more time with his family, some netizens have called for the media-savvy politician to run for the presidency later this year. However, Yeo himself said he will not be running for the presidency and said he is a free spirit and not temperamentally suited for that role.

I don’t consider it as DEFEAT: Chong-Aruldoss By meiyingt | SingaporeScene – 38 minutes ago National Solidarity Party candidate Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss does not consider her loss at the recent general election as a defeat. Instead, she feels like it was a victory, having secured 41.35 percent of the vote, losing by a 17.3 percent margin to People's Action Party candidate Lim Biow Chuan. "Nine days for people to take me seriously is not a lot of time," she said, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a walkabout she was conducting around Old Airport road this morning. "It's a tall order to squeeze so many things during the nine days. There's only so much that can be done in preliminary stages." When asked why she did not respond to Lim's criticism of her candidacy and of her plans for the single-member constituency during her rally speeches, the 48-year-old lawyer said that she wanted to focus on national issues, instead of making it a "personal fight". Chong-Aruldoss had previously published a rebuttal to Lim's comments on the party's website, but did not speak of it during her final rally speech. "I wanted to use the opportunity during rallies to talk about things affecting all Singaporeans," she said. "It's really about having more opposition in parliament, and how the electorate needs to have checks and balances so the government can be accountable--this is a big issue for me," she added. When asked about future plans, Chong-Aruldoss remains tentative about her next steps, although she maintains that this is "just the beginning" for her. "I am going to build on this support that I've gotten. I'm still young, and as far as the party is concerned, we will regroup, assess and consolidate everything, and in due course we will be able to announce our actions going forward," she said. Chong-Aruldoss was accompanied by her husband and eldest son, alongside a few other family friends. Residents she met urged her to return in the next election to stand again, and hawkers at the wet market she visited applauded their support for her. Residents who spoke to Yahoo! Singapore attributed her inability to secure the majority vote to her lack of time to familiarise herself with the people. Aerospace engineer Martin Chan, 43, who was a polling agent for Mountbatten during the election, felt that she lacked the support of many older residents residing in public housing. "A lot of older people are quite disconnected about politics -- they don't care much about issues, and only know the PAP," he said. "She (Chong-Aruldoss) needs to continue educating the old people, and reach out to them for their vote in the future." Hawker Johnny Tan, 52, agreed, adding that it seemed to him that the elderly tended to be overlooked in Chong-Aruldoss's campaign. He shared that a lot of residents were beneficiaries of Community Development funds, and were afraid to risk losing that source of support if they were to vote the opposition. "They simply don't want to take the risk of losing their source of future income," he said. "Whether it's true or false that they (the CDCs) will cease the provision of support, these elderly who desperately need the funds will simply not take that risk." New resident Zaleha Bee Mohd Ismail, 57, a nurse educator, however, felt that Chong-Aruldoss had "done very well" in the run-up to the election, with the strength of her family support through her campaign contributing to her credibility. "She looks like a people person, and good family support adds weightage," she said. "She's just a little bit new in terms of connecting with the people." Our regional managing editor says "Thank You"

Petitions Galore after GE 2011 Results By Alicia Wong | SingaporeScene – 2 hours 43 minutes ago Calls have emerged for the removal of youngest Member of Parliament-elect Tin Pei Ling, whose Marine Parade group representation constituency team emerged victorious in the polls, and for the reinstatement of incumbent MP George Yeo into Parliament after his People's Action Party (PAP) team lost Aljunied GRC to the Workers' Party. Various petitions with signatures ranging from less than 50 to the thousands have sprung up this General Election, most of them after the announcement of the results of the 7 May polls. The more prominent petitions include: 1) A petition to remove Tin Pei Ling from Parliament It aims to collect 100,000 signatures to support the call for the resignation of Tin as an MP after her Marine Parade GRC team won the polls, and to pave the way for a by-election where Minister Yeo could make a comeback into Parliament. As of 12 am on Tuesday, there were over 8,000 signatures. 2) A petition for former Foreign Minister Yeo to be back in Parliament Various Facebook petitions have popped up calling for Minister Yeo to remain in government. One calling for Tin to be replaced with Minister Yeo has garnered more than 6,000 likes, while another petitioning for Yeo to be back in Parliament has about 2,000 likes. 3) Petition for Residents of Potong Pasir Organisers hope to collect 8,000 signatures from residents to call for a by-election of Potong Pasir single seat ward, where Singapore People's Party (SPP) candidate Lina Chiam lost by just over a hundred votes to the People's Action Party's Sitoh Yih Pin. The collection of signatures is on Monday (9 May) and Tuesday (10 May) from 4 pm to 8 pm at Block 108 Potong Pasir Avenue 1. There was about 2,000 signatures on Sunday. Reactions In response to the online petition over her resignation, Tin said on Sunday that she will work hard to listen to residents and reach out to younger people. Her priority now is her work in the MacPherson ward, where she hopes to prove herself and gain the trust of Singaporeans. SPP's secretary general Chiam See Tong, who gave up his seat in Potong Pasir to contest in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, said on Sunday there is no provision in the case for a by-election at Potong Pasir. However, such reactions from people are to be expected, said director of the Asia Journalism Fellowship at the Nanyang Technological University, P N Balji. "With the online media playing an activist's role in this election, such reactions are to be expected," he said. "The politicians, especially from the PAP, are taking new media seriously. Everybody with a complaint and a point of view will go to the online world." And while he agrees Singaporeans should persevere in pushing for change if they feel a wrong has been done, Balji said he does not see such petitioning having much of an impact because the opposition, with its historic win of a GRC, has performed well in this GE. Professor Ang Peng Hwa, acting head for the division of journalism and publishing at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at NTU, said, "They (the petitions) reflect strong feelings on the ground." They could be in response to the PAP leaders' pledge that they will make more effort to listen to people, he noted. However, Prof Ang also pointed out that such actions may be a sign that Singaporeans have not arrived "at some level of maturity". "People should respect the outcome of the election, painful as it may be for the parties involved," he said, noting that the results represent the wishes of tens of thousands of people and comes after a long process of campaigning. "You just have to respect the outcome of the election, otherwise it (the petitioning) may never end," he said.

Foreign Minister George Yeo announces his RETIREMENT from Politics. Press statement by George Yeo Yahoo! Newsroom – 1 hour 42 minutes ago Media press statement by George Yeo on Tuesday, 10 May, 2011 Thank you for waiting a couple of days for me to rest before meeting you. Aljunied voters have decided and I respect their decision. Having committed 23 years of service to the residents, it is only natural for me to feel disappointed but this is politics. It has been my privilege to have served them all these years and they have enriched my life. They have also enabled me to serve in various capacities as a Cabinet Minister in MITA, Health, MTI and MFA for which I am grateful. Why did we lose Aljunied? Mr Low Thia Kiang himself said that they won Aljunied not because the Aljunied team did not do a good job, but because the voters wanted WP to be their voice in Parliament. Mr Low's analysis is fair and I agree with him. This desire for a strong WP voice in parliament was a political tide which came in through Aljunied which we were unable to withstand despite our very best efforts. Right from the start, the Workers party made Aljunied a national battleground. The fight became one between a Workers Party voice in Parliament and an Aljunied team with two ministers, a potential Speaker of Parliament, a potential minister and a most effective Town Council chairman. Though I wish the outcome had been different, Aljunied voters have made their choice. Many of my supporters asked me to stay on to win back Aljunied in five years time. I wanted to level with them and told them last night that it is better for a younger person to take on this important task. I'm already 57 years old and would be 62 by then. Naturally I would help to ensure a smooth handover. As we ended our campaign on 5 May, I talked about the importance of transforming PAP. This is a belief I've held for some time. It was not something I felt I could say when the campaign started. But, as the campaign went on, as we heard the growing cry from the heart, I decided to make it plain. Like it or not, we are entering a new phase in Singapore politics development. How we respond to it will decide Singapore's destiny in the 21st century. I would help in whatever way I can to bring about this transformation of the PAP. I wish I had a mandate from the people of Aljunied to be a strong advocate of such transformation. But I don't. As for remaining in public life, I will contribute in whatever modest way possible. Many young people has stepped forward to help me in this campaign. Even more have cheered me on. It is not good that so many of them feel alienated from the Singapore they love. I look forward to continue working with them so that the Singapore we struggle for is the Singapore they feel is their own. As to the actual role I can play, I'll be happy to respond to them. In the last few years, I have learnt much from my young friends. Often they led me rather than I led them. Since the GE results came out, there has been a flood of support for me expressed personally, through friends and relatives, on email and, in an astonishing way, on internet and FB. The words expressed are heartfelt. Many wrote me long passages, some in tears. I'm grateful for the kind words and the good wishes, and will be an advocate of their cause. As for what I'll do professionally after stepping down as Minister when the new Cabinet is sworn in, I'm not rushing to make a decision. My wife and I thought we should take our time to think this over. We also need a break to spend more time with the family. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank the people of Singapore for the opportunity of serving them in the last 23 years.

FERGIE laughing his way into Record Books Mon May 09 08:51AM When Alex Ferguson starts cracking the funnies, it usually means it is time for everyone else to go home. If it gets to the business end of the season and Fergie's post-match press conferences chiefly comprise him sitting back, hands behind head, expectantly awaiting a ripple of polite chuckling from the assembled media, then typically it is game over. Take, for example, his comments following his team completing the job against Schalke. When asked if he would have picked Barcelona as his Champions League final opponents, he said: "We'd choose Brechin City or somebody like that. No disrespect to Brechin City, I love that wee club." Early Doors has no doubt that his affection for the boys from Glebe Park is genuine (they have a lovely hedge at the side of their pitch), but his using them as the butt of a joke is a tell-tale sign that he is coasting through 'squeaky bum time', perhaps his most famous late-season quip. The 69-year-old was at it again on Sunday following his side's dominant title-deciding win over Chelsea at Old Trafford. It was a 2-1 victory which, particularly in the first half, made the Blues look more like Ghanaian club Berekum Chelsea than defending champions. Except, of course, Berekum are currently 11 points clear at the top of the Ghana Premier League. The win leaves United requiring just one point from their final two league games to secure a record 19 league titles in the English top flight, and Ferguson was rightly feeling bullish enough to joke about his side falling flat on their faces before the finish line. "Don't even mention Devon Loch," he said. "My dad backed that!" It's not even as if everything went United's way yesterday. Sure, they got the rub of the green early on as Javier Hernandez scored the fastest goal of the season after David Luiz took his Sideshow Bob impression to another level, his big flapping feet failing to block Park Ji-sung's through ball. But, according to the many cynics out there, they won at Old Trafford in spite of referee Howard Webb's efforts instead of because of them for once. The Rotherham official, so often accused of being easily swayed by appeals from the Stretford End, turned down two strong penalty claims for the home side. He continued: "It's fantastic to be the most successful team in the country. The minute we won that first title in 1992 the door opened, and we've been involved in the first two (positions) all throughout that period - it's a fantastic achievement. For the last 17 or 18 years it's been Arsenal and Chelsea as our nearest challengers, and the last few years it's been Chelsea. Arsenal made a great attempt this year but them losing today has finalised it. We deserve the title and hopefully we'll get that point now." The fact that United are set to overtake Liverpool's haul of titles is, quite frankly, staggering. When the Premier League was inaugurated in 1992, thereby inventing this great game we call football, Liverpool had 18 titles to their name, while United had seven. Aston Villa were on the same number of championships, while Everton and Arsenal could also boast more titles. Chelsea - for the record - had one. Now, however, just a point against either away to Blackburn on Saturday or at home to Blackpool the following weekend will see United eclipse their Anfield rivals. And, if things couldn't get any sweeter, Saturday's match at Ewood Park kicks off at 12:45 so as not to clash with the FA Cup final later that same afternoon. Playing what was once the showpiece match of the domestic calendar on the same day as a clutch of league games has drawn plenty of criticism, but United fans won't be complaining if they can lift the title on the same day as local rivals Manchester City lose to Stoke at Wembley. One man who has been in the squad for the entirety of that run toward undisputed North West supremacy is Ryan Giggs. The Welshman has not let his advancing years diminish his influence, and he flourished in the centre of midfield, supposedly the patch which Chelsea routinely claim as their own. Giggs's continued excellence makes a mockery of the perennial debate over how to replenish Chelsea's 'ageing' squad. The 37-year-old has had a better campaign this season than he did when he was named PFA Player of the Year 2009, a prize which was supposed to act as a lifetime achievement award. Two years later, he is still going, and he had a hand in both goals yesterday to all but wrap up his quest for a dozen Premier League winners' medals. Giggs recently signed a new one-year deal at United and Ferguson, 70 at the end of the year, insisted before the Chelsea game that he would continue in his job regardless of whether he wins two, one or even no trophies this season. As long as they still have reason to smile, there is no reason for them to stop. - - - Ferguson post-match joviality is in sharp contrast to his Chelsea counterpart, Carlo Ancelotti. The general consensus is that he had to win at Old Trafford to give himself any hope of saving his job. The usually unflappable Italian was clearly feeling the pressure, and was so incensed by Luiz's first-minute foul-up that he threatened to replace the Brazilian immediately, even sending out substitute Alex to warm up. Their mid-season slump aside, Chelsea have still been decent enough to be in with a shout of the title in May, a year after completing the club's first ever double. That, however, may not be enough to stop Roman Abramovich from wielding the axe come the summer. Ferguson used his pre-match programme notes to denounce the perilous nature of Ancelotti's employment as ludicrous, but the Chelsea boss will be kept waiting until the end of the season to learn his fate. Ancelotti said: "We have to wait two weeks - it is not a long time. I hope to stay but it is not my decision." Perhaps Abramovich should look at United's four-year wait for silverware under Ferguson and appreciate how stability is the foundation of success before his petulance costs him another top class manager. Fat chance.

UNITED have left rivals playing Catch-Up Mon May 09 12:50PM I was at Manchester United when they won their first Premier League title in 1993. That was the club's eighth title overall, and I can assure everyone that at the time none of the players could have imagined that United would now be on the verge of beating Liverpool's record of 18 titles. For Sir Alex Ferguson, however, I think it was always a different story. He came to United with the aim of one day surpassing Liverpool's domestic dominance and, after winning his first Champions League, set his sights on beating them in Europe too. If United beat Barcelona in this season's final at Wembley, his thoughts will no doubt immediately turn towards becoming the first manager to win four European Cups at the same club, again beating a mark set by a Liverpool boss. It is that kind of drive and determination to constantly set new targets and break new records which has been the cornerstone of United's success over the past two decades. He demands the same ambition from his players and all the people who work around him, and has little time for those who fall short of those standards. I have said recently on a few occasions that this Premier League season has not been the best in terms of quality, and that it has been as much about the other top teams falling short as much as it has been about United being the best team. Even if they win both of their remaining games, it will still be the lowest title-winning points total in a decade. But the fact that they have come out on top in such an odd season makes you wonder what price you would get on them making it to 20 championships next season. Their main rivals have certainly got to pull their fingers out if any of them are going to stop that happening. Chelsea may have run United closest this season, but their performance on Sunday at Old Trafford shows they have got a lot of work to do. For all their great service over the years, John Terry and Frank Lampard just look well off the pace against top opponents these days. Didier Drogba too seemed oddly powerless. I cannot remember the last time he had such an ineffectual match for Chelsea. There is plenty that needs to be done to that squad to make them a true elite force again, especially if Fernando Torres does not finally play like a footballer worth £50 million from the off next season. If Roman Abramovich does decide to sack Carlo Ancelotti then that, I believe, will only set their progress back even further. Rather appropriately, considering how spineless they have been at times this season, Arsenal could really do with strengthening the core of their team as well as adapting their philosophy. They are crying out for a new centre-back, a proper holding midfielder and an out-and-out goalscorer. Arsene Wenger needs to accept that Robin van Persie will never be fit for an entire season and sign a striker who is not so bothered about playing pretty football but knows how to nick a goal. With the money they have, Manchester City may well prove to be the most consistent rivals to United in the coming years, but until they change their approach that will not happen. City may well win their first trophy in over 30 years at Wembley on Saturday, but the FA Cup is still a poor return given the quality they have had in their squad all season. In this day and age it is impossible to win a major league playing as negatively as they have done this season. Liverpool themselves have improved vastly since Kenny Dalglish arrived in January - they have picked up 30 of their 55 points so far this term in just 15 league games under him. Once he is signed on to do the job permanently, he can start making changes to the squad which will keep them on that upward trajectory. However, completing a transformation from lower mid-table strugglers to title winners in the space of 18 months may be even beyond Kenny's abilities. United, of course, can and do need to improve too, but theirs is the most solid base from which to do so. Aside from the pressing matter of replacing Edwin van der Sar in goal, a couple of canny additions to add legs to the midfield and perhaps another striker to provide competition for the ones already there are really all that are needed, in my opinion. But Ferguson will be aware of all this. His recent policy of leaving out Dimitar Berbatov - still the Premier League's top scorer even now - has shown he is not afraid of making the big decisions, something which has served United so well for the past 25 years and will continue to do so until whenever it is he finally decides to call it a day.

Is TORRES really finished ??? Tue Apr 12 09:01AM He's finished. His legs have gone. He just doesn't fancy it any more. That seems to be the prevailing opinion of Fernando Torres, whose inclusion in tonight's Champions League quarter-final is being talked about like it were Jason Lee reincarnate stepping out at Old Trafford. Torres has played 10 games for Chelsea without scoring. A significant enough drought for any striker, let alone one who cost £50 million. And yet, mysteriously, the Spaniard remains favoured to start against Manchester United this evening. Finished. Football fans love bandying that word about - it is so brutal, so definitive. Life is rarely as simple as that. Players' careers tend to follow a gentle curve, rather than dropping abruptly off a cliff. No doubt Torres has plenty of miles on the clock. It is nearly 10 years since he made his debut for Atletico Madrid; he very quickly became a first-team regular and, at 19, captain. Exceptions abound, but generally speaking wear and tear starts to take its toll after about 500 games. Injuries do not have to be serious, but a hamstring pull here and an ankle sprain there gradually restrict movement. And Torres has had his share of niggles over the years. Including all competitive matches at club level, plus games for the Spanish U21 and senior teams, Torres is on 458. Didier Drogba, six years his senior but a late starter, is not far ahead on 526 matches - and, for what it's worth, many more of Drogba's appearances are as a sub. Wayne Rooney - another early developer - is almost exactly level with Torres on 459. Robin van Persie has played 350 times, Ruud van Nistelrooy is on 478 and another Dutchman, Marco van Basten, only played 353 games in his injury-shortened career. But even if Torres really is on the downslope, that does not mean he cannot contribute usefully to Chelsea. 'Declining' is not the same as 'finished'. In any case, there is no conclusive proof Torres is on the wane. Not yet, anyway. Last spring he scored a flurry of nine goals in his last seven games under Rafa Benitez's management before picking up the injury that ended his club season and hampered him at the World Cup. That player has not disappeared overnight. But if not, why is he performing so badly? Torres faces almost identical obstacles to those presenting Andriy Shevchenko when he arrived in 2006. His price tag and the expectations of him are huge. Suspicions persist that he was wanted by Roman Abramovich rather than the manager. He is accused of being past his peak. And he joins a team whose formation is built around Didier Drogba - Chelsea still play the same basic three-man attack with Drogba flanked by two wide players. This tactical conundrum needs addressing before conclusions can be drawn about Torres. Presently, he is having to play like Drogba - with his back to goal, laying the ball off then attacking the penalty box to meet the cross back in. Torres's game is about explosive runs through the channels, dribbling at defenders and getting beyond the last man. That isn't the Chelsea way - not at the moment, anyway. So, what has to be done? One of three things: 1- Torres needs to change his game. He's a clever chap, and an exceptional talent. Great players like Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo learn to adapt, to perform different roles. For £50 million, surely Torres can fit into the Chelsea blueprint. 2- If Chelsea are determined that Torres is their man, they could bring the mountain to Mohammed and build their side around the Spaniard. After all, why would you make such an expensive acquisition if you are not prepared to play to his strengths. 3- Shove Torres on the wing. Carlo Ancelotti has experimented with Drogba out wide, but surely Torres is better suited to that role. Nicolas Anelka, a not totally dissimilar player, was successfully converted from a central striker to a wide one. But again the price tag comes into play. Are you really going to break the British transfer record for a striker, then play him out of position? Whatever the right move, Ancelotti needs to do something, as the current uneasy jobshare between Torres and Drogba just isn't working. Successive managers failed to accommodate Shevchenko - Ancelotti cannot afford to let the same thing happen again. Torres is not finished. But unless he finds some scoring form, his manager could be. twitter.com/alexchick81

Premier League - Everton dent Man City Ambitions Sat, 07 May 17:02:00 2011 Everton came from behind to claim a Premier League double over Manchester City with a 2-1 win at Goodison Park, landing a dent to City's Champions League hopes. Yaya Toure gave City the lead in a first half they dominated but Everton owned the second period, bravely throwing on an extra striker as Sylvain Distin and Leon Osman scored with headers while Roberto Mancini again paid for his negativity away from home. The Italian tactician has seen wins turn to draws and draws become defeats in a season blighted by his obsession with using a five-man midfield, even when goals are required. This time he waited until the 81st minute to throw on a second striker, over a quarter of an hour after Everton had equalised and nine minutes after they had taken the lead. The result leaves City in fourth, seven points clear of Tottenham and Liverpool, who play later this weekend, while Everton cement their hold on seventh after taking six points off Mancini's side this season, having won by the same scoreline at Eastlands. A win would have put City on the brink of sealing fourth place but Mancini stuck with his usual away policy of packing the midfield, leaving Mario Balotelli and Adam Johnson on the bench as the more artisan Edin Dzeko and James Milner were preferred. Initially they created more chances than usual, with most of the danger coming from the excellent David Silva, who almost scored a wonderful ninth-minute goal when his superb first touch bought space for a low drive that beat Tim Howard but went wide. Two minutes later and Silva was involved again, this time delivering a volleyed first-time ball while running into the left, a pass of a brilliance matched by Patrick Vieira’s ineptitude in the finish: from four yards he managed to blast over. Everton, meanwhile, were toiling, seeing plenty of possession but with only Victor Anichebe to aim at as their midfield seemed reluctant to take risks. Just before the half hour, City got a deserved breakthrough with Silva the architect again as he flicked the ball in the air before playing the deftest of passes to Toure, who smashed home the finish from a difficult angle. They were on fire now as Dzeko fired weakly at Howard, while Toure fluffed his lines sliding into another Silva cut-back, and Phil Jagielka denied Aleksandar Kolarov with a superb last-gasp tackle. All Everton could manage for their part was a deflected free-kick from Mikel Arteta and a header wide from Jack Rodwell, the sole chance from a succession of corners. David Moyes acted by taking off full-back Tony Hibbert for striker Jermaine Beckford, dropping Phil Neville back into defence as he switched to 4-4-2. The game opened up at both ends: after a Leighton Baines free-kick ricocheted off the wall, Rodwell’s finish deflected just wide, while Beckford turned provider when he sent Baines through, the England left-back falling as he finished weakly at Joe Hart, apparently under pressure from Pablo Zabaleta. City, meanwhile, were denied a second through some super shot-stopping by Howard, who kept out Toure when put one-on-one by Silva, and tipped away Dzeko’s looping header. It was end-to-end-stuff as both sides attacked with relative abandon, Anichebe fluffing his lines when Rodwell played him in and, on the break, Dzeko firing just wide. Everton got the breakthrough when, seconds after Tim Cahill came off the bench, the Australian won a free-kick which Arteta swung on to the head of Distin, with Hart possibly at fault for letting the powerful downwards finish squirm in off his right hand. The Toffees were throwing everything at City and they had successive penalty appeals waved away when Beckford and Cahill went down in the box. It mattered not as, seconds later, Osman somehow beat Vincent Kompany to Neville’s excellent cross, his Olympian leap above a much taller man was matched by a superb looping header beyond Hart and in. Everton’s leveller came on 65 minutes and their second seven Everton-dominated minutes later: yet Mancini did not see fit to bring Balotelli and Johnson into the game until the last 10 minutes, after Everton had almost netted a third when Beckford was denied by Hart at point-blank range. It is that kind of tactical conservatism that arguably sees City fighting for fourth place when they should be challenging for the title: to win the Premier League you have to at least aim to win your matches. Predictably the latter stages were all City as they bombarded the Everton goal but the closest they game was a Milner shot that deflected off Baines and flew over. Reda Maher / Eurosport

Premier League - Dalglish hails 'clever' MAXI Tue, 10 May 00:18:00 2011 Kenny Dalglish hailed hat-trick hero Maxi Rodriguez and his side's "fantastic" performance in Liverpool's 5-2 demolition of Fulham in the Premier League. Argentine Rodriguez struck a second treble in as many weeks to take his tally to seven goals in his last three outings. Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez were also on target at Craven Cottage as Liverpool continued their resurgence under Dalglish by moving into fifth place. Dalglish said: "That was a fantastic performance...the players are a credit to their profession. "We started really brightly, the football they played, the movement, work rate and effort to stop Fulham playing. Fulham had a right go at us in the second half but we matched them." Of Rodriguez, Dalglish said: "He's a very clever player. "A lot of balls have been falling to him in the box - but you've got to be there to put them away and he has been. "You can't score if you're not playing and he had a few games off and has come back really strong. I'm delighted for him and everybody. "We've done fantastically well since January and it's great credit to the players, Steve Clarke, Sammy (Lee) and the backroom staff - it's not a one-man band by any shape or form. "We'll just keep going and see what happens." Such has been Liverpool's remarkable turnaround since Dalglish returned to the club to replace Roy Hodgson, the clammer for the Scot to sign a permanent deal at Anfield has reached deafening proportions on Merseyside. Dalglish, however, would not drawn on the subject. He said: "When we've got something to tell you, we'll tell you. Nobody's under any pressure whatsoever. "But it wouldn't matter if you were manager if we've won 5-2!" Eurosport

Premier League - Rodriguez HAT-TRICK in Liverpool Romp Mon, 09 May 21:55:00 2011 ShareretweetEmailPrintMaxi Rodriguez continued his rich vein of goalscoring form as Liverpool blitzed Fulham 5-2 at Craven Cottage to jump above Tottenham and into fifth place in the Premier League. Argentine Rodriguez added to the hat-trick he scored against Birmingham two weeks ago with another three against the Cottagers, taking his tally to seven in his last three games. Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez also got their names on the scoresheet as Liverpool's upturn in form under Kenny Dalglish continued, with victory seeing the Reds climb two points above Spurs, who have a game in hand - against Manchester City - on Tuesday. Moussa Dembele and Steve Sidwell were on target for Fulham, but the former's strike came too late at 3-0 down and the latter's was a mere consolation as time ran out. Defeat for the Cottagers, their first at home in eight games, sees them remain in 10th. Liverpool, whose claim to be the most successful English side in domestic football was left hanging by a thread after Manchester United's win over Chelsea a day earlier, roared out of the blocks and effectively put the game to bed with barely a quarter of an hour played. With £35 million striker Andy Carroll left on Merseyside, Kuyt and Suarez continued their partnership up front and, with Rodriguez posing a threat from the left and all three players on the top of their games, Liverpool simply blew Fulham away in a blistering opening to the game. Javier Hernandez had claimed the fastest goal of the season at Old Trafford on Sunday, but Rodriguez wasted no time in eclipsing the Mexican's record, netting the opener with just 31 seconds on the clock. Suarez was the architect, breaking free before playing a measured pass across the face of goal. The cross was deflected and Mark Schwarzer could only slide a clearance to Rodriguez, who buried the ball into the back of net to get the evening's scoring under way. Rodriguez's second came in the seventh minute, the Argentine expertly volleying back past Schwarzer as he latched onto Glen Johnson's excellent deep cross to the back post. Fulham were in total disarray and they were lucky to escape a penalty shout on 15 minutes when the labouring Brede Hangeland - back in the side having missed the weekend's win at Sunderland, but looking distinctly off the pace - appeared to push Suarez, who was bearing down on goal. Referee Lee Mason waved play on, but Liverpool did not have to wait much longer for their third, this time the breakthrough arriving courtesy of an uncharacteristic goalkeeping howler by Schwarzer. Kuyt's shot on goal appeared speculative at best, but Schwarzer allowed the effort to slip through his fingers and into the back of the net at his near post to gift Liverpool a three-goal lead after just 16 minutes of play. From there on in, there was no way back for Fulham, although to their credit they fought bravely in the second half, introducing Bobby Zamora introduced from the substitute's bench. Zamora headed on target, Clint Demspey fired over the bar and Eidur Gudjohnsen dragged a shot wide as the hosts gave their visitors something to think about. And their improved play was rewarded when Zamora, with his back to goal, laid the ball off for Dembele to fire past Jose Reina and give Fulham some slight hope of getting back into the game. Those hopes were short-lived though as Rodriguez completed his hat-trick in fine style, lashing the ball into the top corner on 70 minutes to open up a three-goal lead again and deflate whatever wind had gathered in Fulham's sails. Five minutes later and Liverpool grabbed a fifth, Jonjo Shelvey slipping a pass through for Suarez to run on to, round the keeper and slot home with aplomb to register a well-deserved goal. Sidwell matched Rodriguez's third with a thumping strike with four minutes remaining, but it was too little too late from Fulham and served as scant consolation as Liverpool ran out comfortable, and deserved, winners. Mike Hytner / Eurosport

I didn't try to HURT Bale - Adam Sun, 08 May 18:25:20 2011 Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam has defended the tackle which may have caused serious injury to Gareth Bale, insisting he never meant to hurt Tottenham's star winger in the 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane. Bale left the ground on crutches with a protective boot around his left leg after Adam's 64th-minute challenge. The Scot appeared to stamp on Bale's ankle as he went in for the tackle after the 21-year-old was knocked off balance by Blackpool midfielder Keith Southern. Adam said: "I just saw the ball. I just tried to get it. It was never intentional. I never tried to hurt him because he's a wonderful player and at the end of the day I'd rather see these players on the pitch." Adam rounded off a difficult week by scoring the penalty which sent the Seasiders ahead before Jermain Defoe saved the hosts' blushes with an 89th-minute equaliser. Alan Shearer criticised the midfielder for his performance at Stoke last week and manager Ian Holloway admitted he considered dropping the player because of his recent dip in form. The 25-year-old had to have two chances to score the opener, as he saw his first spot-kick saved by Heurelho Gomes before the Spurs goalkeeper - pumped up from his save - bundled over Gary Taylor-Fletcher from the resulting corner to give Adam a second chance from 12 yards. The skipper made no mistake from the spot before pointing to the Blackpool badge and his captain's armband in front of the travelling support. "I just wanted to put the second one in the net. I was disappointed to miss one, but I was confident to take it," said Adam, who came within minutes of signing for Spurs in the January transfer window. "In these types of games you have to show a bit of character. "It's been a difficult time for the club. We've been through a lot in the past few years - going up from League One, the rollercoaster last year in the Championship - and so it's a dream to be playing in the Premier League. "The fans pay a lot of money, travel a long way to see us week in and week out and we've never had anything but good support and that's why I celebrated in the way that I did."

Premier League - Bale suffers torn Ankle Ligaments Mon, 09 May 15:31:00 2011 Tottenham's Gareth Bale will play no further part in the club's season after a scan revealed ruptured ankle ligaments, Spurs have confirmed. Bale had to be carried off in the second half of Tottenham's 1-1 draw against Blackpool on Saturday after a challenge by Charlie Adam which caught the PFA Player of the Year hard on the ankle. The Welshman had a scan on his left leg in hospital on Monday that revealed damage to the 21-year-old's ankle which rules him out of Tottenham's final three matches against Manchester City, Liverpool and Birmingham. A club statement reads: "An MR scan today (Monday) has revealed that Gareth Bale has suffered a ruptured ankle ligament. "Following consultations with an ankle specialist, Gareth will remain in a protective boot for up to 12 days before beginning rehabilitation with the player expected to be fit for the start of pre-season." But what of Adam, who was not punished at all by referee Lee Probert? Probert did not even give a free-kick for the tackle; but is it right that Adam escaped and will now be able to play in Blackpool's crucial final two Premier League fixtures? Does he deserve punishment for the tackle that looks to have ended Bale's season? Adam himself said: "I just saw the ball. I just tried to get it. It was never intentional. I never tried to hurt him because he's a wonderful player and at the end of the day I'd rather see these players on the pitch." Eurosport / PA Sport

Premier League - Bale hurt as Spurs Held Sat, 07 May 19:32:00 2011 A Jermain Defoe screamer gave Tottenham Hotspur a 1-1 draw at home to Blackpool, a result that all but ends Spurs' Champions League hopes but takes Ian Holloway's side out of the Premier League relegation zone. Charlie Adam opened the scoring by thrashing home a 76th-minutes penalty only seconds after Heurelho Gomes had saved a spot-kick from him. The Scot, who almost joined Spurs in January, should not have been on the pitch after a late tackle that left Bale with a potentially serious ankle injury. The initial penalty was controversial: Michael Dawson clearly handled but he was just as clearly pushed as he flew into the ball. Gomes’s stop from Adam’s low spot-kick was as brilliant as his subsequent flap and foul on Gary Taylor-Fletcher was ludicrous: goal-line calls notwithstanding, errors from the blundering Brazilian have now cost Spurs three of their last five matches. But with the clock ticking down Defoe latched on to a pass from Luka Modric to thrash a sublime shot from outside the box that flew into the bottom right. Spurs will see it as two points lost as they sit on the brink of failure to qualify for Europe’s premier club competition - Manchester City had given them half a chance by losing to Everton but only need draw with the North London side in midweek to ensure fourth place. On evidence of the first half it was difficult to tell which side were competing for a European place and which fighting the drop. First Gomes showed his shot-stopping ability to keep out Adam’s spectacular volley, DJ Campbell’s follow-up deflected wide, while from Adam’s resultant corner Sergei Kornilenko pounded a free-header over when he really should have scored. Spurs, meanwhile, got much of their joy from the left flank as Bale and makeshift full-back Danny Rose enjoyed time and space to put in some brilliant low balls that were respectively missed by Rafael van der Vaart and tipped away by Matt Gilks. In between there was another decent save from Gomes, again keeping Adam out after his shot was deflected, with the goalless half-time score fair given the relative lack of opportunity. The switch initially suited Spurs better, as Van der Vaart relished his more central role, blasting one over after being fed by Aaron Lennon and creating a chance for Bale, who also missed the target. Blackpool still saw some of the ball - David Vaughan drilling a low shot wide - but Spurs were taking control of the match as Bale drilled a shot inches wide and Defoe’s acrobatic effort cleared the crossbar. Then came the moment which ended Bale’s interest in the match and possibly the season, when he was caught by Adam just above the ankle. After a few minutes of treatment Welshman was stretchered off, still in agony with his leg stabilised. It was unclear whether there was a break or just a bad twist but he is unlikely to return before the next campaign - shockingly Adam escaped punishment for the tackle, which was poor and late. Spurs seemed unruffled by the injury as they continued to press Blackpool but, as the match drew on, the visitors regained confidence and almost edged ahead, Gomes pulling off another superb stop after Campbell was played in by Keith Southern. Then came the comedy of errors that allowed the Seasiders to take the lead: the corner that followed Gomes’s save saw Probert, already under the spotlight after a few errors including missing Adam’s foul, point to the spot when Dawson handled the ball having been shoved into it. Adam, by now the clear villain of the piece, fluffed his lines: the penalty was half-decent, low to the right, but Gomes somehow flew across to save it. It was the Brazilian’s fourth top-class save of the match but he rendered it worthless when, from the corner that followed, he flapped dreadfully before flying towards Taylor-Fletcher and giving him a nudge: Adam, despite the attempts of Campbell to wrestle the ball away, insisted on taking it and made no mistake the second time, lashing an unstoppable effort to the left with Gomes going the wrong way. A defeat would have been harsh on Spurs and, after toiling following the initial shock of conceding, they responded well, with substitute Peter Crouch causing the kinds of problems that raised the question of why Pavlyuchenko was even on the pitch. Eventually the pressure told as, following a driving run from Modric, Defoe found his range and smacked a vicious low shot just inside the left-hand post. There were 88 minutes on the clock but, following the injury to Bale and the penalty dramas, six minutes added time were signalled as Spurs threw the kitchen sink at Blackpool, almost conceding a last-gasp goal in the process as Jason Puncheon dragged one wide after a rapid counter. Reda Maher / Eurosport

Ferguson backs UNITED to Test Barcelona By Patrik Stollarz | AFP – 2 hours 15 minutes ago Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted Barcelona will not have it all their own way when they meet his Manchester United side in next month's Champions League final at Wembley. While both teams are on the brink of winning their respective domestic titles it is Barcelona, who defeated United in the 2009 final, that are widely regarded as the pre-eminent club currently playing in Europe. The Catalans boast the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta, two key players in Spain's World Cup-winning side last year, while Lionel Messi is already being hailed as one of football's all-time greats. "Everyone has acknowledged how great a team Barcelona are but Manchester United are in this final," Ferguson told US-based satellite radio station Sirius XM. "Everyone has said this is not a good Manchester United team, that we are not this or that. "But we have scored more goals than anyone else. Our home form has been magnificent. We are undefeated in Europe. We are in the Champions League final and we will win the league by getting one more point. "You have to put all the criticism to one side because I have to be realistic when I look at my team and ask, 'Am I satisfied?' "Those players have given me everything." But Ferguson did not deny the scale of the task confronting United in European club football's showpiece match. "Obviously, Barcelona is the big one now," he said. "In the final last time we started off really well, then gave away a bad goal. After that Barcelona kept the ball very well, as they always do. "What we have to do is find a solution to the Xavi-Messi-Iniesta problem. "Everyone is searching for that because they are outstanding footballers. We have our share too. "We have players who can cause any team a lot of bother and hopefully those attacking players will give Barcelona problems that everyone thinks they are going to give us." Turning to domestic matters Ferguson expressed his "shock" at reports that Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti would be sacked at the end of the season despite winning a league and FA Cup double with the London club last term. Chelsea's last hopes of a trophy this season all but disappeared when they were beaten 2-1 by United on Sunday leaving the victors requiring just a point from their final two matches to regain the title. "It would shock me, not surprise me," said Ferguson, coming up for 25 years in charge of United. "This is an industry that baffles me at times. "Here is a man who has won the European Cup twice, he has won Scudettos (Italian championships). He did the double in England last year. "Why is that being questioned? Why is it becoming an issue? I don't understand it. "But the rumour mill is out there that he is going to be leaving. That is sad because he is an outstanding character. "He is a great man, full of absolute dignity."

SPP set to unveil 5-YEAR MASTERPLAN By Faris Mokhtar | SingaporeScene – Mon, May 9, 2011 The Singapore People's Party (SPP) is set to unveil its five-year masterplan which seeks to strengthen the party internally and engage Singaporeans with its outreach programmes. The party's candidate for Bishan-Toa Payoh group representation constituency (GRC) Benjamin Pwee, 43, told Yahoo! Singapore that the plan will be put on the table for approval by its central executive committee (CEC) on Monday. Apart from ensuring progress within the party's internal structure, the plan also aims to build on more support from the constituencies that it has contested this year, in time for the next election scheduled to be in 2016. "Basically the masterplan includes a step-by-step process over five-years to grow the party internally and strengthen it as well as strengthen our support with the ground, in Potong Pasir, Hong Kah North and Bishan-Toa Payoh in time for the next election in 2016," said Pwee, a former government scholar. The proposal comes after the party suffered defeat in three of the contested areas in this year's general election. Candidate Lina Chiam — wife of opposition warhorse Chiam See Tong — lost to her People's Action Party (PAP) rival Sitoh Yih Pin by a mere 114 votes at Potong Pasir SMC. In Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, they also suffered a defeat to the incumbent PAP team helmed by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng -- who only won by a margin of 13.9 percent of the vote share. Revealing that the defeat was not a setback, Pwee added that the masterplan which he initiated proves that the party is already looking ahead. The proposal, he said, was also discussed internally together with the other CEC members and the Chiams', as well as the party's policy working group that consists of 15 to 18 professionals from diverse backgrounds; senior lawyers, senior business executives and accountants. With regard to its internal structure, Pwee — who is currently the managing director of his own regional business strategy consulting firm — said that the party will be recruiting an estimated 150 new volunteers with backgrounds ranging from professionals to senior executives. He added that the SPP will be meeting them this week to discuss their roles and commitments, and if they are able to volunteer on a part-time basis. "Some of them for example, want to take charge of our website. Some want to take charge of our viral online campaign and some will be part of our policy working group. So we will sit down and work out what the roles are," he said. The plan which will be unveiled to the press on an annual basis, also seeks to collaborate with other community groups such as those that deal with issues surrounding women, elderly and the lower-income. "At the same time through our working groups as well as some other additional initiatives, we want to be able to start reaching out to community groups that work with women for example, or elderly or the poor or the shopkeepers association," he said. Pwee stressed that through such partnerships, it will allow the SPP to build on the rapport within the community and be more informed of issues on the ground. Alongside this, the party will also develop a clearer action plan which builds around a consultative process that will include understanding the needs of residents and their expectation for their communities within this coming five years. "So we want to really in five years get to know the ground, especially the segments in the community that didn't vote for us or didn't know us as well. So we want to really get to know them," said Pwee. The masterplan includes a slew of initiatives, among them creating a foundation with a seed-money of S$2 million funded by one of its supporters, whose identity Pwee declined to reveal. With plans to name it the Singapore People's Foundation, it aims to provide financial support to needy Singaporeans, regardless of the constituencies that they come from. Still, it will be a challenge to ensure that it is non-partisan, with Pwee adding that the SPP are already exploring on ways to ensure that this foundation will be able cater to all Singaporeans, and not just supporters of the party. The party also plans to start a virtual Meet-the-People-Session (MPS), which allows residents to consult their problems in case their MPs are unable solve them. Other plans include setting up a micro-financing revolving loan together with free-of-charge executive coaching and services to assist small businesses. "Either to help the businesses grow or helping those about to go bankrupt to be more self-sustaining," explained Pwee. He added that the masterplan which was developed based on the strengths of the party members and its resources, is "very implementable and realistic". When asked on the challenges that the party is likely to face, he said that while the party is financially stable, the real challenge will come in the face of growing the party internally as well as engaging residents. "I think the real challenge for us is how to grow the party and maintain contact with the residents and have a voice in parliament even though we actually don't have a constituency behind us," he said. Additional reporting by Jeanette Tan

Merchandise Paradise GE 2011 MEMORABILIA By Jeanette Tan | SingaporeScene Sat, May 7, 2011 This year's Singapore General Election has set a number of records -- and one of them may well be in the amount of paraphernalia produced to promote support for the participating political parties. Voters are likely to remember for some time the umbrellas, flags, badges, stickers, whistles, tissue packs and even mascots that have been ubiquitous sights at campaign rallies. Danny the Democracy bear, the image-softening icon of the Singapore Democratic Party, and Sinpo, the Singapore Democratic Alliance mascot (pictured below), have made waves among attendees of the parties' respective rallies, and miniature plush toy versions have sold out almost every time. Images of these mascots have also made their way onto stickers, fans and brochures, all endorsing their respective political parties' candidates and platforms in a friendly and engaging way. The National Solidarity Party (NSP) capitalised on the Singaporean symbol of the tissue pack, commonly used to 'stake out' or 'chope' seats and tables at public eateries. A witty slogan, "Help Us CHOPE Your Seats In Parliament", combined with the photos of the NSP team for Marine Parade GRC, including Facebook star Nicole Seah, made this a highly popular marketing tool for the opposition party. As early as Nomination Day on 27 April, fans of the ruling People's Action Party donned T-shirts displaying a picture of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew as a way to show their support. To drum up some fervor for Foreign Minister George Yeo and his team of PAP candidates who were standing for the Aljunied group representation constituency (GRC), postcards and badges bearing the slogan "In George We Trust" were distributed at events involving the candidates. The Workers' Party was certainly not short of its merchandise. With its signature blue umbrellas (below, top left) that have even made appearances at other opposition parties' gatherings, the opposition group's very heavily-attended rallies were often a sea of blue miniature flags, inflatable hammers, umbrellas and clappers. The Reform Party and the Singapore People's Party also stationed at their rallies multiple merchandise booths carrying umbrellas, books, badges, flyers and stickers in their party colours--yellow and white, respectively. Some of the most creative signs of support for the various candidates, however, proved to come from individuals. Expressions of from-the-heart support from parties' fans came in a variety of forms, from handmade banners and placards to large-scale contraptions assembled from party-produced merchandise. What was by far the most unique of these, however, was a large mock-up of a turquoise Kate Spade box by way of a foam board and complete with black ribbon, bow and the words "Kate Spade" on it. Spotted at rallies of various opposition parties, the "Kate Spade" board was designed in mockery of PAP Marine Parade GRC candidate Tin Pei Ling, who was previously revealed to be posing in a photograph with a box from the bag brand, which she received as a present. Its maker, 40-year-old Reno Tan, a Marine Parade resident, said it is a universal symbol that he could take with him to different rallies. "It's how I make sense of the times," he said. "If Tay Ping Hui could do it, I thought I could do it too." At the top right-hand corner, Tan would stick a mini flag onto his board, which is interchangeable, depending on the party whose rally he happened to be attending. Joking that he initially intended to pick up girls, Tan said he ultimately intended to use the board to make a statement across the rallies he attended throughout the campaign period. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmPtUoKXcAQ&feature=related

COMMENT from Armorboot 1 hour ago Dear Sir, I hope you can see this message and I sincerely hope that, the 1st thing you should never, Never, NEVER raise the pay of any ministers and MP ANYMORE!!!!!! Next thing you need to do is NOT TO TRUST ANY OF THE STATICS TOO MUCH. Please go question and scrutinise how those statics are being derived because the reality speaks louder than anything and you know well by now (just why so many Singaporeans have loss faith and confidents in PAP). Third, keep all cost down. I remember during global crisis period, world 10 largest oil companies had hundreds of oil tankers parked outside the open seas and oil price plunge badly cause of the drop of demand, ONLY Singapore has oil price increased. My point is, Singapore government can almost control all cost, so if we Singaporeans' income cannot increase or increase that much (if competitiveness is what the government will say), than it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to cramp down all cost. But PLEASE, don't go urge or constraints those hawkers' price, it doesn't work that way because they have to earn a living too. Starts by lowering down oil and property cost. Next is to reduce GST back to 5% and also income tax. Hope you understand when we Singaoreans have surplus in our pocket, the government don't need foreigners to boost our market, we Singaporeans will have the buying power to boost our own economic. Last, but not least, stop importing FT anymore, we Singapore has plenty of talented Singaporeans, the only big problem with Singapore is the government focus TOO MUCH on academic qualification, remember, street smart also has its own quality, and not to mention people with street smart talent are more versatile and higher EQ. We Singaporeans are waiting for your good news.

COMMENT from Sense and Sensibility 1 hour ago PM Lee "Mr Lee said Singapore must first grow the economy by staying plugged into the world by attracting investments and talent, encouraging local enterprises to diversify, expand and move abroad." To me, the above statements seems to be telling me: 1. Please welcome the 900,000 FT to Singapore. 2. Housing prices is still going to go up ridiculously. 3. Prepare for more taxes to come. ERP?? COE?? Etc.... 4. Our "noises" will be ignored again. 5. More people will be out of jobs (Replace by FT) 6. MRT and buses will be more cramp. 7. Singaporeans can be downgraded to NOT 2nd, but maybe 3rd class citizens. 8. TPL will still be in the Parliament, taking our taxpayer's money. 9. More inflation to come. 10. Get ready to stay poorer if you are already poor. Perhaps many more to lists, but no point bringing it up anymore cos everything is going back to square again. Lucky my vote goes to WP in Aljunied cos PAP NEVER REPENT AND LISTEN!!! If I am to live to regret and repent for the next 5 years, I guess PAP will be doing it after 2016 election.

Improving Lives of CITIZENS a PRIORITY: PM LEE By Kai Fong | SingaporeScene 2 hours 53 minutes ago Given the external international environment, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says the government's overriding priority now is to improve the lives of its citizens. Speaking at the 30th anniversary conference of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation on Monday, PM Lee said that it is also their objective to raise income across the board, even though it is challenging for many countries in this era of globalisation and rapid technological change. "We are interested in per capita GDP and not just total GDP and we want to improve incomes across the board and that includes the middle income households and the lower income households at the lower end," he said. To achieve this, Mr Lee said the workforce must "upgrade productivity than just go for expansion, and that means very challenging tasks in the next ten years." This can be achieved by upgrading productivity through re-training of current workers and education of future workers so that they will be "job ready and deployable", and the restructuring of Singapore's industries. Elaborating on the bigger picture, Mr Lee said Singapore must first grow the economy by staying plugged into the world by attracting investments and talent, encouraging local enterprises to diversify, expand and move abroad. The government will also transform and upgrade the economy because it cannot grow simply by increasing the workforce indefinitely. Other ways include buffering it against volatility by accumulating adequate reserves and maintaining political support for policies which benefit Singaporeans. Mr Lee acknowledged in his speech that it is not easy for Singaporeans to cope with rapid changes as the overall standards of living are rising and that his 'newly elected PAP government has its work cut out for it.'

COMMENT from Panzer 14 hours ago Dear Sir, I fully agreed with you on certain points especially on having good pilots that don't panic, but unfortunately, this election has fully exposed all the panic pilots in PAP, e.g. Case #1: For unknown objective, some ministers brought out the topic of strong Singapore currency to emphasize something that doesn't make sense except bringing up the awareness of strong Singapore currency can buy more things with a dollar. If one Singapore dollar can buy more things, then why are things so expensive? It doesn't make any sense at all? Case #2: HDB flats. We all know the open market price for HDB is tied to the basic principle of supply-and-demand, so what is the theory of or what does the price of new flat has to do with open market price? All Singaporeans know that we can't sell our new HDB within 5 years time, if the demand is higher than the supply 5 years later, even if I get my HDB FREE, my flat will still able to sell at the market price of that time! So where is the significance of higher new flat price got to do with the market price? And not to mention, the moment someone got his new HDB flat, his/hers HDB flats will carry the open market price immediately, so what is the necessity of that value enhance program? The explanation given by Minister Mah are all plain nonsense and excuses, not just he can convince Singaporeans, he agitated even more Singaporeans! Case #3: Minister Vivian and Ms Lim Hwee Hua trying to question and criticize the oppositions in desperation but only get back fired on "miscalculate budget", huge investment loses on constituency fund, and the delay authentication from ministry when Hougang submitted their accounts. So who is more in doubt in their efficiency and leadership? The opposition or PAP now? So who is more panic and starts to let go anyhow without thinking? Opposition or PAP? There are many many more which I don't think I want to con't with it. Also, younger Singaporeans might not remember, but that goes the same for PAP ministers and MPs too, do they still have or even remember the spirit and the sense-of-mission for the people as compared to the early days? Do they still remember what they should do for the people? I'm confident to say, more than 70% of the Singaporeans don't get to see their MP during their 5 yrs' term. That also brought out another subject on how PAP select new "talented candidates", just look at Ms Ting, how can she breached the rule during cooling off day? And there is absolutely no signs of her showing remorse or regrets, so are these kind of people allow and going to be "our MP" in future? Is such behaviour and attitude convincing enough? So dear sir, if you happened see this message (which I sincerely hope you will), please, is time for PAP to serious look at the quality of the members, most oppositions have evolved and able to do a much better job when come to selecting their candidates but, unfortunately, this cannot be said the same for PAP.

COMMENT from Francis Xavier 14 hours ago Dear MM, PM & all Ministers, A wise man not only gives instruction, he also listens. All of you are lucky to have been given another 5 years to rule Spore. I was praying that PAP will loose this 2011 elections. I now see there are many good oppositions candidates for this 2011 elections campagin. Some of the opp candidates got much higher qualifications than PAP candidates. It is time for you to reconsider carefully to remover some of your cocky ministers like MBT,WKS & others mention on the internet. If you do not listen, comes 2016 elections, Sporeans will ensure that PAP to receive 46% overall votes. We are already very fed -up with so many of your PAP policies. Importantly please stop the influx of FT. Many FT have brought shame and disgrace to pur country, especially the PRC, which belongs to the worst group. This is our country, this is our nation for Sporeans. If you insist on FT, than set a high standard entry level for them, like countries in Australia and some european countries which has high standarad entry level. They protect their countries and citizens. Spore is peacefull now, with the high influx of FT, when Sporeans loose their jobs and go hungry, they will not protest peacefully thru elections. They may go to the streets to protest like E----pt and some of the Arab countries. Im very sure, we do not want this to happen. As for George boy, ask one of your less capable MP to step down and have a by election at a SMC. We are sure George boy will win. Did you ever think , the opp may one of these days, request George boy do join them. MM please don't think you are so smart. The new generation is even smarter than you and me, and don't live in the past like the 50 & early 60. This is 2011, I seen you as a PM when i was a very young boy. I am aware of the riots and the difficulities during the early days. I do not wish to live in the past, we have to move on. This is life na !. My advise to you retired in grace and respect! Thank you!

MM LEE: We will have to adapt our POLICIES By Jeff Oon | SingaporeScene – Mon, May 9, 2011 Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has weighed in the results of the General Election, saying that the ruling People's Action Party will have to "adapt our policies." In his first comments about the GE results, in which the ruling PAP was returned to power but with the lowest majority of votes since independence, MM Lee said on Sunday, "I am sure the Prime Minister and his team will sit down carefully and analyse the reasons and adapt our policies." MM Lee added that he "couldn't say more, I am not the prime minister," reported Channel NewsAsia. MM Lee's view echoed that of his eldest son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who has said the PAP will have to do some "soul searching" so that it could "improve ourselves and serve you better." Just last week, PM Lee also distanced himself from father's style of governing when he said, "We don't try to do it MM's style... We do it our way." Earlier this month, MM Lee's controversial comments that Aljunied voters would regret and have "five years to repent" if they voted for the Opposition had sparked heated discussion. But speaking at a community event in Tanjong Pagar GRC on Sunday, the 87-year-old elder statesman of Singapore said the country's younger generation "does not remember from whence we came." "That is to be expected. But I do and those amongst you who are older than 50 will remember," he said. On the loss of Foreign Minister George Yeo, who was defeated in the Aljunied polls, he said Singapore has lost a vaulable minister. "Not just Foreign Minister, he was also Minister for Trade and Industry but that's the way the cards have fallen and we have to live with it," said MM Lee, whose Tanjong Pagar ward was the only constituency that was not contested. He added that Singapore will always need "good pilots" and capable leaders because the "Singapore flight" cannot be on "auto-pilot". "We will run into a storm, we will run into all kinds of emergencies and we must have good pilots on board and passengers who do not panic," he said.

Why isnt PAP able to fully harness the INTERNET ??? By Andrew Loh | SingaporeScene Mon, May 9, 2011 The General Elections of 2011 added another layer to the texture of social communications in Singapore, at least as far as political dialogue is concerned. Social media was the variable in the contest for votes and not many could ascertain its effectiveness before the hustings. The political parties apparently had some inkling about its reach, but few knew how to harness it to its full potential. The only party which did so is the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) which had said that the Internet would be its main channel to reach voters. As election fever heated up in March and April, the ruling People's Action Party announced the set-up of 27 constituency websites, reflecting the number of areas which would be up for grabs in the elections. However, these sites were never mentioned again and, as far as one can see, their effect on voters is negligible. Given the enormous resources of the PAP, it is puzzling why it has not been able to engage Internet users more effectively. Each time party members tried their hands at this, it fell flat on their faces. One could forgive Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong for being unfamiliar with social media, for example, but surely he would be aware of the consequences of playing a prank online, and that this would be subjected to scrutiny. The PAP's missteps in cyberspace were numerous during the elections from what would be called the misadventures of Tin Pei Ling to the rather plastic and artificial Youtube promotional videos of Wong Kan Seng's Bishan-Toa Payoh team, from the disabling of feedback facilities on PAP Youtube videos to the deletion of critical comments on their Facebook pages, PAP candidates seemed lost on the cyber highway, desperately needing a directional sign to help them out of their uncertainty. One PAP candidate even went so far as to hand out cards which were fashioned on the Facebook interface the cards indicating that he had some 23,172 "likes" for his page when in fact the actual number was just 244. (See here.) Of course, he got slammed for it. One wonders why he would do this given that the truth could simply be found out with just a few click of the mouse. What was noticeably absent during the elections was the so-called PAP government cyber counter-insurgency unit. Reportedly set-up in 2007 a year after the last elections, it was supposed to defend the government online from its critics. If indeed such a unit was activated during the elections, its presence was hardly felt as views and opinions flew thick and fast on all social media platforms, and videos and photographs of each day's campaigning were uploaded at lightning speed. Any attempts at countering these would have been futile anyway. (See here and here.) In 2009 the government liberalised the use of New Media to allow for more political debate on the Internet, along with amendments to the Films Act. (See here.) Then-Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, said: "It is… important that the government learns to make better use of the medium of film and new media tools to reach out and engage, inform, educate and obtain the views of media-savvy Singaporeans." It is not anything new that Lui has said. The government has always claimed to want to "engage" younger, Internet-savvy Singaporeans. The problem is that its definition of engagement is stuck in irrelevant ideas of communication a top-down, "I-talk-you-listen" paradigm. This is evident from its online behavior. SM Goh, for example, hardly engages anyone on his MParader Facebook page. He makes a post and members of the public comment on that post. SM Goh does not or at least, seldom engages those comments in return. It's the same for other PAP members, although some, such as Ms Tin and Mr George Yeo, do try to go further. But overall, there is very little by way of a dialogue or any meaningful interaction between the politician and those whose votes he seeks to win. Perhaps the Workers' Party victory in Aljunied GRC is instructive for politicians who feel cyberspace will be an even more important battle ground in future elections. The lesson could be this: in order to win your critics over, you have to go into their corner of the den. Sometimes, courage reaps substantial rewards. Staying in your corner may be the safe option, but it could also mean you will be ignored. To dismiss online opinions as "noise", or to call Internet users "irresponsible", or to brush aside the Internet altogether, as some PAP members have done, is just plain naïve. For what happens online no longer stays online. What is passed around online gets passed around offline as well. What is read, seen and heard online is regurgitated, repeated, and forwarded to friends, families, colleagues and even strangers. Nothing truly just stays online anymore, as the elections have proved. With Singapore having one of the highest Internet penetration rates in the world, the influence of social media will grow, make no mistake. And contrary to what Lui said in 2009, perhaps it is PAP members, and not others, who need an education in social media and new media for the PAP's scorecard in this area leaves much to be desired. Andrew is the co-founder and current editor-in-chief of socio-political website The Online Citizen. He writes frequently on issues which are close to his heart, particularly those affecting the less fortunate, and on politics.

A lot for US to THINK about: Minister Lim Swee Say Yahoo! Newsroom – Sun, May 8, 2011 Minister Lim Swee Say says the General Election results has given the ruling People's Action Party "a lot to think about". The team led by the Labour chief and PAP minister without portfolio won East Coast GRC but by a narrow margin of just 9.7 per cent from a strong challenge by the Workers' Party, led by Eric Tan. In 2006, the PAP beat the WP by a more healthy 63.9 per cent of votes in the same ward. Speaking to Yahoo! Singapore after the results were announced at the Bedok Stadium, Minister Lim said the drop of about 10 percentage points was a big concern. While he was new to the ward after moving out of Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, he said, "Firstly at GRC level, it's time for us to do a reflection in terms of what are the areas we have failed to meet the needs, satisfy the needs of our residents." "Secondly this drop in the support rates, I think it’s not just in any particular GRC but fairly widespread across the board. So in other words the national level," he said. Calling for a fundamental mindset shift in thinking, he admitted, "I think the PAP government, there’s also a lot for us to think about. Is it because we’ve not been doing the right things for Singapore for Singaporeans or is it because we’ve been doing the right things but we’ve not done it in the right way?" "These are the things we have to think through and find a way forward. I am confident we will be able to find a way forward between the PAP government and the people because the PAP is a government that is deeply concerned about the future of Singapore," he added. Calling for a "way to move forward together", he said he hopes that in time to come, "not only will we do more of the right things in Singapore for Singaporeans but more importantly to do it the right way so that Singaporeans will feel this strong sense of alignment." He also recognised the PAP needs to pay a lot more to the process of policy-making. "The way we make policies, the consultation, the way we reach out to the public, the way we get feedback from them, in terms of our policies, what kind of pain it causes to them" needs to be addressed, he said.

GE’s accidental Internet Star By Ewen Boey | What’s buzzing? – Sun, May 8, 2011 Move aside Nicole Seah, there's a new star in Singapore cyberspace. Returning Officer (RO) Yam Ah Mee is now one of the most recognisable faces in town after having appeared 27 times to announce the winner of each constituency in Sunday morning's polling results. With his straight-laced and deadpan expression, Yam delivered his announcements in an even-handed monotone, without fear or favour to any of the parties, as should be. Supporters gathered at various venues around Singapore awaiting the results were overheard mimicking him as he spoke, repeating the line, "Pursuant to Section 49, Sub Section 70, Paragraph A of the Parliamentary Act, I hereby declare..." It's no wonder he's been labelled "RObocop" and "Justice Bao" by some in cyberspace. He shot to internet stardom after a spoof Facebook page -- which has his name wrongly spelt as "Yah" instead of "Yam" -- garnered over 31,000 "likes" in just the space of a night. More recently, a Twitter account was also created, which has attracted more than 200 followers. Some comments spotted on Facebook congratulate Yam on his instant celeb status. One by James Rainson Ng said, "You will rockz to stardom. Nicole Seah is the queen of this GE, you are the king." Another by Caroline Oh said, "Mr Yam, I think you should be the voice at MRT stations, since you made everyone stop and listen to you." Jokes aside, Yam is actually the chief executive officer of the People's Association and was one of the driving forces behind the LTA's Land Transport Master Plan. He was appointed Returning Officer for the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in June last year, succeeding Tan Boon Huat, who has retired. Lest you think he's all talk, he's also chief of the President of the Harvard Club and Harvard Club of Singapore's Volunteer program. This is his actual Facebook profile. With this new celeb status, there's even a YouTube disco video where you can jive to his monotone voice. Enjoy.