12th November 2011 morning at the Supreme Court

12th Novmeber morning
- GE2011 WP candidates witnessing the securely sealed ballot boxes transferred from the Supreme Court to the Tuas South Incineration Plant for destruction. Thanks to the great efforts and efficient Returning Officers, Police officers and volunteers. Towards a First World Parliament!

Is our Society and System producing talents and promote innovations

World renowned top medical researchers Copeland and Jenkins leaving Singapore, this couple is the hope of tackling cancer, not far from a major breakthrough in this field, genuine foreign talents. Heard from some common friends of the story before ST repo...rted yesterday. A very sad day and big lost to Singapore. A renowned oncologist at SGH and his wife a NUS professor specializes in nano tech migrated to Australia 5 years old ago ~ reason tired of their school kids struggling to cope in our very competitive school system. I wonder how a competitive school system can produce talents and promote innovation in our society, hope the Copeland and Jenkins is an isolated case, not we are unable to retain foreign talents after spending billions $ to bring in more than a million of so call foreign talents!
~ John Yam, PhD

Shin Min Daily News report this evening ~ 988online a business venture, no political agenda, John Yam separates business & politics

Take calculated chances, make mistakes. That's how you grow. Pain is the engine of your courage.The difference between a successful man and a failure is not one's better abilities or ideas, but the courage to apply his ideas, take a calculated risk and to act. There are quiet leaders and leaders are more ready to listen. Some find strength in eloquence, some in judgment, others in courage. Above all, leaders need to be courageous.

Sengkang West SMC Rally 3rd May Speech by Dr John Yam

Selamat datang dan selamat malam.
Apa khabar?
Bahasa melayu saya kurang fasil.
Harap maaf.
Para pengundi, salamat berhormat.
Nama saya jalah John Yam.
Saya bawah kumpulan cahlon berdiri di Nee Soon GRC.
Saya minta sokong tuan-tuan Dan puan-puan.
Tolonglah, undi parti perkerja.
Undilah, undilah Parti Perkerja.
Ke arah parlimen dunia pertama.
Terima kasih

Welcome  and good evening my dear fellow Singaporeans.
I am John Yam, WP candidate and leader of the Nee Soon GRC team.
The issue I'll be dealing with this evening is our education system. I will briefly speak in Mandarin, follow by English.

我们的孩子在学校是不是成受太大的压力？
是否有太多太多做不完的功课？
是不是很担心他们考试不及格？
你们花费很多金钱在扑习上？
学校在班上的排名是否给孩子很大的压力？
那么我们都是同一艘船的。
为何有这样的问题？
问题是出在行动党精英排名教育政策。
不要抱怨学校太多的功课，这全是因为我们直通车计划，
升入理工学院还是初级学院的分流。我们的教育制度需要的
不是真正的精英，不是淘汰，适者生存。我相信广大的家长
会同意我的观点，拒绝分流，拒绝精英制度！

Parents and pupils, are you by stressed by our school system?
Are we spending too much time and money on tuition for our children?
We believe this is due to MOE agressive streaming, done at too young an age of our pupils. Branding and ranking of schools.
Teaching staff are overly KPI  or (key performance indicators) driven in the MOE system. This contributes to the highly stressed school system.
All these are due to our elitism in our education system.
Just take a look at the teachers'
workload. If these educators are so stressed up,
what more down the line for the students?
How successful is MOE compare with the other countries?
Canada may not compare well with the Singapore in world ranking.
Canada has produced  18 Nobel Prize winners, 44 Olympics medalists, plus hundreds of world-renowned entrepreneurs.
By population ratio, Singapore should
produce at least 3 Nobel Prizes, scores of artists and
writers. Even Hong Kong and Taiwan managed to have at least one Nobel Prize winner, many Olympic medalists and entrepreneurs.
Israel does not enjoy the higher ranking like Singapore. Rank among top globally in medical research, as well as defense science and telecommunication technologies. To date, Israel with a population of only 7.5 millions, produced nine Nobel Prizes, astronauts participating in NASA Space Shuttle Mission. 
We, as parents are so stressed up under such a competitive system -  in order to cope, we are sending our children for tuition classes. Not surprising, tuition is fast becoming a billion dollar industry, in our country. 
Practically, smaller class size ratio, improving English grades with declining command of English at work, expensive quality childcare, the discriminating, widening gap between scholars and non-scholars in civil service career, is producing YES-men policies - narrow and more of the same, grades being a life-time stigma and punishment as MISTAKES, with no second chance - this is weakening out social fabric, making the nation POOR IN SOCIAL CAPITAL.
When you apply for a government job at 40 years old, you will be scrutinized and condemned for poor O Level grades decades ago. You are punished. This is a cold and harsh system. Very cruel for young late starters in life. Even true blue elites like Mr Tan Jee Say, becomes trash in the mouth of his ex-boss in the civil service, once he's NO LONGER a YES MAN!

The desirable outcomes of an education system, should be one that develop our pupils
- to be socially responsible, morally righteous as well as creative and innovative citizens. Not just exam smart pupils, with good grades that secure places in branded or elite universities.

PAP attacks our candidates lack track records. Based on such argument, does it mean SAF never go to war is incapable of defending and protecting our country.

Dear fellow Singaporeans:
Do you believe we will ever have more good years under the PAP political monopoly. Are you confident we will ever attain Switerzland standard of living. Very clearly, if the PAP is once again voted in, without significant opposition representation, it will be more of the same - the much needed changes that many Singaporeans look forward to, will not come. Today, we have attained Switzerland cost of living but not the standard of living. Latest UBS research on purchasing power, Malaysia is ranked higher than Singapore. Did Singapore gotten into the last world cup quarter finals? Who made the promise to us in the 1990s of more good years. Today, we don't have more good years but only more, GST, ERP, very high COE, street gangs and moral issue behavior in our society reported every other day. Clearly, it is time for change.
Together, involving your active participation of every Singaporeans, we shall build a first world parliament. Vote for the Workers' Party towards a first world parliament. Thank you. 晚安。

Speech at the Yishun Stadium 1st May 2011 by Dr John Yam Poh Nam

Welcome! My dear fellow Singaporeans It's my honor to share my political beliefs and vision with you this evening. I will begin my speech with a brief greetings to my Malay friends in Bahasa Melayu, follow by Cantonese and Mandarin. The remaining part of my speech will be in English.

Selamat datang Dan selamat malam.
Apa khabar?
Bahasa melayu saya kurang fasil.
Harap maaf.
Para pengundi, salamat berhormat.
Nama saya jalah John Yam.
Saya bawah kumpulan cahlon berdiri di Nee Soon GRC.
Saya minta sokong tuan-tuan Dan puan-puan.
Tolonglah, undi parti perkerja.
Undilah, undilah Parti Perkerja.
Ke arah parlimen dunia pertama.
Terima kasih

Cantonese
亲爱的义顺选民，

我是任保南，义顺集选区的候选人。
只要我还身体健康，我就有义务为大家付出我的一切来提升我们的生活素质。为了我们这一代人，和我们的下一代。我与你们站在同一阵线。我是出生在一个贫苦的家庭，但是我刻苦学习, 努力的奮鬥,现在還算得上事業有成. 我是畢業以华中初级学院之後就在新加坡警察部隊国民服役,當一名警長。现在我要在这里宣告，我也要完成自己的第二个国民服役—就是为各位居民服务！

我在新加坡国立大学取得了电子工程学位，然后去了斯特拉思克莱德大学进修硕士，接着又取得了南澳大利亚大学的博士学位。

回首过去五年，你们的生活水平是否提高了？设想十年之后，当你们退休之时，我们的社会将会是点样一个社会？大家是否重付得起更高的生活开支在新加坡安享晚年？行动党太令我们失望了。以经有太多太多的外国人在新加坡同我地竞争抢饭碗。新加坡已经达到不能负荷的地步了- 极高的房价、高涨的生活费和低水平的生活质量。

五年来行动党义顺区的议员都没提及发展计划，却在大选来临之前才拨出六亿元翻新基金给义顺居民。行动党一党独大控制我们的生活和选票是不良的竞选策略。我们要齐心努力，让未来生活过得更美好！为了我们的下一代，我们应该竭尽所能，提升义顺区的生活素质。请投票支持工人党迈向第一世界的国会，实现更美好的义顺和新加坡!
多谢大家。

Mandarin

我们身为新加坡的家长在供养孩子上却是那么的辛苦,
旦到了四十岁后,更是要面临公积金的短缺,在房屋贷款上要
加附现金,和孩子的教育与大专学费，而面临双重的经济困难。
行动党大量地把国外所谓的精英引进到国内，让我们的孩子和他们竞争，不但剥削了土生的孩子在教育上的机会，也成为了他人的踏板。行动党常常提到，吸取外来的精英到我国，
但是忽略了我们的孩子也同时流失了。
我们担心太多的外地人会取代他们。到哪里都好像外国人
比我们新加坡人多。我突然感到孩子们真的失去了“归属感”；
这是很可悲和担忧的事。

请大家谨慎的投下你们宝贵的一票，为了有一个监督与制衡的国会. 在过去你们当中或许没有机会投工人党一票。今天我们在这里为大家提供了机会与选择. 我们亲爱的同胞们, 过去的十年，你们的生活水平是否提高了吗？设想十年后, 当你们退休时是会怎么样？你们能付得起昂高的生活开支在新加坡安享晚年吗？投下你们信任的一票给工人党，迈向第一世界的国会。谢谢大家。

Good evening, I am John Yam Poh Nam, WP candidate for the Nee Soon GRC.
Are we better off now compared to five years ago?
With a GDP growth of 14.7 percent last year, which is mainly contributed by the opening of the two casinos, how many new jobs have been created for us Singaporeans. I challenge the labour minister to provide us the statistical breakdown here. How many jobs are actually created for Singaporeans. Please do not lump up the employment figure of Singaporeans and PRs! We need more transparency here. The ruling party is importing another 80,000 foreign workers. Many of our loved ones, especially those who are above 45 years old - are facing difficulties in looking for jobs. Is our public housing truly affordable, as what the ministers claimed. Perhaps only for the top income earners. With the escalated HDB flat prices, we will have little saving in our CPF on retirement after paying our housing mortgage. This is a very critical issue for our children & the younger generation, especially those who are planning to start their new families. Yes, HDB flats was an investment for Singaporeans 15 years ago, but not anymore today.

The suppressed wages many Singaporeans are facing, job competition caused by the overly liberal and problematic immigration policy have made life really difficult for Singaporeans. Our frustration that come from the very real problems, such as the rising cost of housing, overcrowding of public transport, increased competition for jobs from foreigners and the long hours of work and stress.

Singapore has the poorest productivity number not only in Asia but worldwide. Average productivity growth across East Asia and the Pacific in 2009 was 2.4 per cent, and minus one per cent worldwide.
According to CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) 2009 public debt country comparison, Singapore rank 6th. We are behind Zimbabwe, Jamaica, Lebanon. The labour movement by NTUC promotes Singapore ecomony and workforce to be Cheaper, Better and Faster instead of value add, continual improvement of work process and efficiency. It also contradict with the ruling party justification of high pay and transformation. Based on Mr Lim Swee Say campaign of "Cheaper, Better and Faster", does it means that the ruling party will take the lead to reduce their salary so as to be cheaper and better. Clearly, the quality of the present cabinet minister is definitely not better than during the time of Dr Goh Keng Swee and Mr Ong Teng Cheong, as to deserve such high salary.

Why PAP did nothing for 5 yrs and now $600 mil upgrading before Elections? Whose money is that? PAP money? Will PAP deprive Nee Soon voters of $600 mil if PAP loses the Election? Please make this very clear to ALL Nee Soon voters. PAP owes them the answer!

PAP runs this nation like a company. The public service organizations under the PAP are too carried away and overly profit driven. PAP is making Singaporeans pay more and more - GST. ERP. COE. By voting for PAP, do you think public housing will become more affordable?

Do you think train and bus rides will be cheaper? The costs of living will be lower? Foreigners won't squeeze Singaporeans out of jobs and schools? Do you believe we will have a better future?

Towards a first world parliament. This is our dream - I believe deeply that we cannot truly call Singapore a democratic nation unless we work hard together - unless we improve our political system by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; we may not have come from the same background, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren. This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning to the end of this election campaign -- to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more
free, more caring and more prosperous Singapore.
Towards a first world parliament.

Say NO to rising HDB prices. Say NO to higher costs of living. Say NO to poorer quality of living. Say NO to foreigners squeezing Singaporeans out of jobs, schools, trains and buses! To all my foreigner friends. I assure you we are not xenophobic, we are not against you. We are fighting for the basic rights of our fellow Singaporeans. Say YES to your voice in Parliament. Say YES to check and balances. Say YES to a better future for Nee Soon and Singapore. Say YES to the Workers' Party. Vote for the Workers' Party on May 7!

We share your belief when there is competition, there will be progress. Grant us the honor and mandate to serve you. Together, we will build a better tomorrow, towards a first world parliament. Vote us all WP into the parliament. Thank you. 谢谢大家。Terima Kasih.

开避政治丝绸之路

借他人之势
紧守北疆，
作攻城之计，
精锐骑兵，以十对百，
快如闪电，
稳如泰山，
破釜沉舟之志。
顺天之命，
马到功城,
战胜在握，
我军必开避政治丝绸之路。
造福民众。
战地黄花分外香！
- 任保南博士

WP candidate - Dr John Yam

已党为先，效忠祖国新加坡!

献给敬爱的党同志们：
非一般的总动员，是有组织和富有意义，自愿献身的精神，团结在铁锤号令下。
坚定战斗的毅力，已党为先，效忠在鲜明红白新月五星旗帜下，祖国新加坡共和国万岁！
- 任保南博士

远方寄情给敬爱的工人党战友与同志

远方寄情给敬爱的工人党战友与同志，乘风破浪, 同舟共济，我们精卫填海
的精神与努力不会白费的。愿上苍祝福新加坡人民安居乐业，国泰民安，风调雨顺！
- 任保南博士，温哥华/加拿大

Today 8th Feb marks 9th anniversary.
Let's dedicate moment of silence in remembrance of
our late HE President ONG Teng Cheong entered into
Glory on February 8, 2002,
at the age of 66 from Lymphoma at home at 8:14 pm.
Forever in our hearts.
Mr Ong, you have done a great deal for Singapore as Cabinet Minister,
Deputy Prime Minister and People Elected President of our Nation!
God bless your children family and their generations to come.
History will remember your achievements and one
with the most empathy and the People's President.

Rising trends teachers getting into troubles?

It really hurts reading news of our educated elites, school teachers getting into troubles. Last nite WanBao (6th Feb) reported NUS lecturer arrested for drug abuse. What's wrong with our society. As role-models, if these educators are getting into moral behavioral issues/troubles , what more down the line will happen to our students!
Is that a rising trend among teachers getting into troubles?

Beware of pressure cooker society

I APPRECIATE yesterday's article on the trend in primary schools to offer supplementary lessons ('Too young for extra lessons?').

The introduction of 'near compulsory' supplementary lessons for Primary 3 and 4 children has taken many parents by surprise. I am one of them.

Although a consent form was given for the lessons, which are offered twice a week, I was made to understand that pupils were strongly encouraged to participate. While I decided against it, I found to my horror that the school bus timings had been rearranged to take the children home after supplementary lessons.

That meant those parents who elected out would have to make alternative transport arrangements. A price I have to pay for taking my child out of the supplementary lessons.

I had elected out for reasons similar to what another parent, Mrs Sherley Servos, mentioned in the article. As parents, we feel that at this age, the child should be offered more time for recuperation and play.

Supplementary lessons at this stage - Primary 3 and 4 - should be reserved for weaker pupils. Conducting mass lessons will yield little value for weaker pupils as this group needs focused coaching. And I am doubtful about the value-add to the stronger pupils.

There is also this larger problem of having too many classes from a young age. The related report ('Even preschools have enrichment classes'; yesterday) attests to this fact.

Some schools have suggested that a majority of parents do not mind and some even want it. Most parents would be afraid their children will lose out and only a few like us would take this extraordinary step to elect out.

I fear such classes will have a detrimental effect in the long run. What level of enrichment will be enough? What will be the opportunity cost in piling lessons on a child from a young age? Are we a pressure cooker society in the making?

Schools should be helping parents to ensure children have an all-rounded education, beyond academic excellence. The recent initiatives suggest the contrary.

M.G.R. Maran Paramanathan (2nd Feb 2011)

Foreign worker influx slower than expected - ST headlines

As reported : "Singapore created 112,500 jobs last year, nearly half of them going to Sinagporeans and permanent residents (PRs), according to the Minstry of Manpower (MOM) yesterday."
Questions :
- breakdown of above figure between Singaporeans and PRs
- salary range and age groups jobs taken up

"Overall, total employment for 2010 increased by 112,500, powered by the services sector, which contributed 109,500 jobs."
Assuming the "services sector" refers to the two IRs, our employment and economic growth last year was primarily powered by the "casino" related economies - very unhealthy, complex social and moral implications, a grave concern here.

Are we still ahead of Malaysia?

While Singapore reported a record 14.7 percent economic growth last year, the domestic purchasing power of ordinary Singaporeans has decreased, that it now lags behind the Malaysians, according to an updated version of the authoritative UBS study – “Prices and Earnings”

Seven C's of Success

Seven C’s of Success.

1. Clarity—Eighty percent of success comes from being clear on who you are, what you believe in and what you want.

2. Competence—You can’t climb to the next rung on the ladder until you are excellent at what you do now.

3. Constraints—Eighty percent of all obstacles to success come from within. Find out what is constraining, in you or your company, and deal with it.

4. Concentration—The ability to focus on one thing single-mindedly and see it through until it’s done takes more character than anything else.

5. Creativity—Flood your life with ideas from many sources. Creativity needs to be exercised like a muscle; if you don’t use it you’ll lose it.

6. Courage—Most in demand and least in supply, courage is the willingness to do the things you know are right.

7. Continuous learning—Read, at the very least, one book a week on business to keep you miles ahead of the competition. And just as you eat and bathe, organize your time so you spend 30 minutes a day exploring e-mail, sending messages, going through Web sites, because like exercise, it’s the only way you can keep on top of technology. If you get away from it, you’ll lose your edge.