1st Posting by Temasek Review:
Gilbert Goh hopes to awake the civil consciousness of Singaporeans with more ‘Black Saturday’ events
June 25th, 2011 | 
Author: Your CorrespondentGilbert Goh, the founder of Transitioning.org and the organizer of today’s ‘Black Picnic’ event at Hong Lim Park has vowed to organize more such events on a monthly basis in the future to inspire more Singaporeans to step forward and make their voices heard.
Following the success of the first event two weeks ago, the ‘Black Picnic’ attracted more than 200 Singaporeans from all walks of life with most of them heeding the call of the organizers to wear black to express their unhappiness at the PAP regime’s pro-foreigner labor policies and the CPF minimum sum.
In his rousing speech, Gilbert reminded Singaporeans that as citizens of Singapore, they have the right to organize and participate in peaceful civil events as such to register their disagreement with the government’s policies.
He hopes to organize more events in the future to raise the civil consciousness of Singaporeans as well as to exert direct pressure on the PAP regime to fine-tune its policies to serve the interests of Singaporeans.
Besides raising the public awareness of these burning issues which have been neglected by the PAP regime and the state media, Gilbert is also starting a social enterprise to help unemployed Singaporeans find jobs.
Other speakers at the event are presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian and NSP leaders
Tony Tan Lay Thiam and Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss.
Popular young politician Nicole Seah was spotted in black to lend support to the event as well.
Many Singaporeans at the event are visibly peeved with the high-handed manner in which the PAP regime has bull-dozed its unpopular policies through especially the CPF minimum scheme.
They laid bare their thoughts in writing on placards which were left on the ground to protest against the PAP regime’s preference for foreign workers and its refusal to return their CPF monies.
One retiree Lum F P we spoke to was flabbergasted when he turned up at the CPF board to withdraw his CPF monies last year when he reached 55 years old only to be told by the couner staff that he could not withdraw a single cent because it did not meet the required minimum sum.
“How could they do this?
This is my ‘guan1 cai2 ben3′! They have no liang3 xing1.
Their hearts have been eaten by dogs! I worked so hard for my entire life for this country only to end up like this,’ he said in halting mandarin.
In the meantime, netizens have set up a Facebook page demanding the PAP regime return their CPF monies at 55 as is the practice in neighboring Malaysia.
Despite the best efforts of the PAP regime and the state media to feign ignorance and sweep the matter under the carpet, Singaporeans have demonstrated today that they are not let it past so easily.
Hong Lim Park is the only place where Singaporeans can assemble legally under the law. We must make full use of it to organize ourselves not only to make our voices heard loud and clear, but to exert strong, relentless and effective pressure on the PAP regime to change and reverse its flawed policies which are pushing our nation into an abyss of no return.
(Aku: Notice TR won't show the audience's faces clearly, to avoid.....??!!)
Posted in Editorial==============================
Click on the graphics (pics) below to view Aku's Slideshow:
Part 1:
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| Protests at Hong Lim Park Part 2 or 2 You can view these photos in a full-screen screen slideshow and download full-resolution copies for free. Enjoy!
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2nd Posting by Temasek Review:
Labor and CPF issues get aired at Hong Lim Park’s ‘Black Picnic’ event
June 26th, 2011 | Author: Temasek Review
Labor and CPF issues which are seldom reported in the PAP-controlled media got a public hearing at Hong Lim Park yesterday as more than 600 Singaporeans turned up to attend the ‘Black Picnic’ event organized by Transitioning.org, a NGO dedicated to helping unemployed Singaporeans.Despite sweating under the hot afternoon sun and straining their ears to hear the speeches due to the quality of the audio system, Singaporeans stood their ground to listen attentively to the speakers fire their salvoes against the PAP regime one after another.
Founder of Transitioning.org and organizer of the event Mr Gilbert Goh brought up the little known fact that there were 60,000 abortions made by married women last year due to financial constraints. He said he had counselled quite a number of ladies who had to abort their babies because they simply could not afford to afford then, like one lady who aborted her twins as she is working on a contract basis.
Jeanette Chong also touched on the same topic as she highlighted some unfair HR policies which put pregnant women at a disadvantage with some of them having their contracts terminated almost as soon as they became pregnant.
Presidential hopeful Tan Kin Lian spoke about his reasons behind contesting in the presidential election as he wants to give Singaporeans a choice after the last two contests became walkovers due to lack of credible candidates to contest against the incumbent. He also share his thoughts on the CPF issue and calls for more transparency in the management of the funds.
Tony Tan Lay Thiam proposed that the government set up a retrenchment fund to help unemployed Singaporeans tide over the difficult period with $1,200 (half of the median income of $2,400) in the first six months followed by $600 in the following six months if they are still unable to find a job.
Despite Singapore’s ‘low’ employment rate of 1.9 percent, there are quite a number of Singaporeans at the event who are unemployed or are struggling to find a permanent job like a lady by the name of Nikki who recounted her futile search to find a stable job and has to depend on contract jobs to make ends meet.
Mr Gilbert Goh has promised to hold more such events on a regular basis in the future to raise public awareness of these hot-button issues which are seldom reported in the mainstream media.
View more photos of the event here.
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Posted in Editorial
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