Latest WikiLeaks cables include 700 from Singapore
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WikiLeaks' decision to publish its full cache of more than 250,000 cables as they were - 'unredacted' - drew criticism from its media partners, who said it was the decision of its founder Julian Assange alone. --PHOTO: AP
Some 700 leaked diplomatic cables from the United States embassy in Singapore have been published online this week, revealing confidential correspondence on a range of issues dating from 2003 to last year.
The cables cover political, economic and security developments, and are based on newspaper reports and conversations that embassy officials had with other diplomats, public servants, journalists and other sources.
While they are not a comprehensive record of American diplomatic interests, they nevertheless offer an insight into the key concerns of embassy officials.
These include the state of media and other freedoms in Singapore, the future of the opposition, and Singapore's efforts in countering terrorism, as well as Chinese, Iranian and North Korean activities in the region.
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Lee Hsien Loong still has yet to come out of his father’s shadow after three years as Prime Minster, according to a leaked diplomatic cable from the United States embassy in Singapore. The report was dated July 2007. Lee Hsien Loong became Prime Minister of Singapore on 12th August 2004.
The cable gave a few examples of how, despite trying to differentiate himself from his father Lee Kuan Yew by projecting a “softer” and “more caring” side to Singaporeans, the younger Lee continued to be outshone by his father, and was unable to put a “strong personal stamp on government policy”.
The cable gave an example of how the older Lee’s stature and continued prominence conflicted with PM Lee’s promise of greater openess for political dialogue:
In his first major address as PM, he encouraged Singaporeans to “speak your voice, be heard” and promised a greater openness for political dialogue. One ruling party MP told us that PM Lee had recognized the need for openness as a means to encourage creativity and risk taking in a society where many looked to the government to take the lead. The pay off would come by fostering the entrepreneurship and innovation Singapore’s economy needed to stay competitive, but not lead to anyone challenging the PAP’s political dominance. However, that early promise for more openness was quickly cast aside. In case after case, PM Lee and the GOS have maintained tight controls on political speech and discouraged people from speaking out or taking risks by: banning films (by Singaporeans) and foreign publications, suing critics for defamation, and jailing political opponents for going beyond accepted limits on public discourse. In one sad case in 2006, the police warned a bunch of school girls they might break the law if they wore “en masse” t-shirts with a tongue-in-check political image.
The cable also described how during the 2006 General Elections, PM Lee came off “almost as a by-stander in his first campaign as PM”, due to Lee Kuan Yew dominating media coverage to “crush a hapless opposition candidate”:
LKY seems unable to control an impulse to take center stage in public, leaving PM Lee to appear almost marginal.
According to the cable, a media relations firm CEO even observed that the Prime Minister looked in his public appearances like a man who didn’t enjoy his job. The cable’s final assessment of PM Lee is that he seems regularly to “pass up opportunities to define himself as Singapore’s true leader.”
Al Jazeera English to be “watched closely”
According to another leaked cable, the Government of Singapore took almost a year of monitoring news channel Al Jazeera English before granting it a license to broadcast in Singapore beginning in 2008. However, the Government of Singapore will “watch closely, and determine whether to grant a second broadcast license for StarHub to air Al Jazeera English based on their assessment of the channel’s content and Singaporean reaction to the broadcasts.”
Since then, the network has featured stories about poverty, prostitution, the integrated resorts, migrant labour abuse, housing and immigration policies, to name a few.
In April 2010, shortly after the channel ran a story on the homeless in Singapore, it was dropped by Singtel from its selection of MioTV options.
In a Today newspaper report, Singtel explained the move was “to enhance our channel offerings … in order to address the demands and requirements of our customers.”
Then-acting Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts, Lui Tuck Yew dismissed speculations that critical or negative reports by Al Jazeera were the reason why the channel was dropped.
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~by: Donaldson Tan~
Nuclear energy first gained public attention in Singapore when the Economic Strategy Committee (ESC) rallied the government to consider nuclear energy in February 2010. The ESC recommended that Singapore should begin studying the feasibility of nuclear energy as an option because the process of developing nuclear energy is likely to take at least 15 years. Subsequently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced at the Tehran Nuclear Conference that the Singapore government has embarked on such a feasibility study.
However, it turned out that the Singapore government had already set its eye on nuclear energy before Economic Strategy Committee had put forward its recommendations in 2010. According to WikiLeaks, as early as November 2008, the then Deputy CEO of the Energy Market Authority Lawrence Wong had indicated to the US Embassy that the Singapore government does not rule out nuclear power. Today, Wong is the Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC and the Minister of State for Defence & Education.
Wong told the US Embassy that the Singapore government would like to take steps to reduce its dependency on piped natural gas (PNG) which originates from neighbouring countries. Official data affirms that PNG accounts for 76% of Singapore’s electricity fuel mix while 80% of the PNG comes from Indonesia and the remaining 20% comes from Malaysia. Industry analysts expect production of natural gas in Indonesia and Malaysia to begin decline by 2016 and 2012 respectively.
According to Wong, nuclear energy is one of the options being seriously considered by the government to diversify Singapore’s energy supply. However, he added that this is a long-term prospect, perhaps 20 or 30 years down the road. The government intends to create the conditions such that the government can respond in an informed manner when the time comes that the private sector determines if it makes economic sense to build a nuclear nuclear power plant in Singapore.
Wong also stressed that Singapore lacks the land area to create a 30km safety buffer around a nuclear power plant. Another short-coming is that a typical nuclear reactor would generate about one-sixth of Singapore’s power needs. This means Singapore would have to come up with elaborate contingency plans to avoid big disruptions if the reactor ever had to be shut down. The government believes that technology will one day overcome these 2 short-comings. In particular, Singapore is waiting to see if the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Committee approves pebble bed reactor technology, which holds out the prospect of moving to multiple mini-reactors that need only small buffer areas.
Wikileaks also revealed that the government has envisioned a role for the Economic Development Board (EDB). It is noted that Singapore has an advanced, high-tech manufacturing sector, but it does not include nuclear-related products and services. The EDB would like promote investment by foreign firms that offer nuclear-related products or services to develop its own domestic capabilities in this area. The intent is to develop Singapore as a base for nuclear technology related products or services in Asia.
Wikileaks is certainly a treasure trove of information. It has illuminated the direction of Singapore’s nuclear energy ambition and provides a clearer picture of what the government is considering. Earlier this year (March 2011), the Singapore government revealed its intention to build an underground nuclear power reactor. Now the picture is clearer. A pebble bed reactor is sufficiently small enough to be installed underground. At the same time, we can certainly reaffirm that the adoption of nuclear power will have an industrial impact on Singapore’s economy in the future.
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This article first appeared on New Asia Republic (see HERE). TOC thanks NAR for allowing us to reproduce it in full here.
This article first appeared on New Asia Republic (see HERE). TOC thanks NAR for allowing us to reproduce it in full here.
picture credit: Wikimedia Commons
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WIKILEAKS: SINGAPORE JOURNALISTS FRUSTRATED BY PRESS CONTROLS
Journalists in Singapore are getting increasingly frustrated with government press controls, according to leaked US Embassy cables
The latest batch of confidential US diplomatic cables released by anti-secrecy website Wikileaks has revealed that a growing number of Singapore journalists were getting frustrated by press controls imposed by the ruling People’s Action Party government.
The diplomatic cables confirmed that there was a growing disconnect between younger journalists and their editors. The younger journalists, who possess strong journalistic ideals, are turning their sights to overseas postings and possibly overseas jobs because they find that they are not able to express themselves freely when writing about Singapore news.
The cables also quoted a senior Singapore Press Holdings staff member as saying that SPH editors were all hand-picked by the PAP government, and trained for years to tow the party line. In fact, editors often receive calls from overzealous ministers who were anxious to ensure that a story comes out in a particular way.
The Singapore press has been tightly controlled since the PAP came into power through the use of the draconian Newspapers and Printing Presses Act. Singapore Press Holdings, which is the leading publisher of newspapers in Singapore, has been chaired by a succession of PAP loyalists and stalwarts, including former President S R Nathan, former cabinet minister Lim Kim San, and most recently by current President Tony Tan.
The full text of the leaked cable is as follows:
C O N F I D E N T I A L SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP - M. COPPOLA NEW DELHI FOR J. EHRENDREICH E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/14/2029 TAGS: PGOV SOCI PREL SN SUBJECT: JOURNALISTS FRUSTRATED BY PRESS CONTROLS REF: A. SINGAPORE 1143 ¶B. SINGAPORE 1067 Classified By: By DCM Daniel Shields for reasons 1.4 (b and d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Singapore journalists say they are increasingly frustrated with GOS-imposed limits on their domestic reporting. Political leaders put pressure on the Straits Times (ST) staff to ensure that the paper's domestic coverage follows the government line. Reporters say they are eager to produce more investigative and critical reporting, but they are stifled by editors who have been groomed to tow the line. Some reporters seek an outlet for their journalistic passions by serving as overseas correspondents, where ST allows reporters much greater latitude; others consider plying their trade elsewhere. Given that media restrictions are no greater now than in the past, reporters' increasing frustration may reflect this generation's rising expectations. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Comment: The traditional media in Singapore are certainly no more restricted today than they have ever been, and other than on race and religion, online speech is generally unrestricted. That raises the question why reporters seem to be complaining more, or at least more openly. We suspect this reflects in part a generational shift; younger Singaporeans are accustomed to having more latitude, and it likely grates on reporters not to be able to say in print the kind of things people routinely say in cafes or online. It may also be that the leaderships, own frequent suggestions of the need for (incremental) political reforms may be raising expectations that so far have not been met. End Comment. Government Ensures Positive Local Press Coverage --------------------------------------------- ---- ¶3. (C) Singapore journalists tell us they are increasingly frustrated with the obstacles they face in reporting on sensitive domestic issues. Reporters have to be careful in their coverage of local news, as Singapore's leaders will likely come down hard on anyone who reports negative stories about the government or its leadership, Chua Chin Hon (strictly protect), the new Straits Times (ST) U.S. Bureau Chief (former China Bureau Chief) told Poloff January 6. There is a growing disconnect between ST's reporters and its editors, with the reporters wanting to do more investigative and critical stories than the editors will allow. Chua lamented that the ST editors have all been groomed as pro-government supporters and are careful to ensure that reporting of local events adheres closely to the official line. Chua said that unless one of the editors is a "Trojan Horse," someone that for years has successfully concealed any non pro-government leanings, none of them has the courage to publish any stories critical of the government. ¶4. (C) The government exerts significant pressure on ST editors to ensure that published articles follow the government's line, Chua said. In the past, the editors had to contend only with the opinions of former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (now Minister Mentor) and former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong (now Senior Minister). However, a younger generation of government ministers is now vying for future leadership positions and one way for them to burnish their credentials with the old guard is to show they can be tough with the media, Chua said. As a result, several current ministers and second ministers (Chua did not say which ones) routinely call ST editors to ensure that media coverage of an issue comes out the way they want it. While Chua admitted that he knew of no editors who had been fired or otherwise punished for printing articles critical of the government, he said that is because all of the them have been vetted to ensure their pro-government leanings. ¶5. (C) Chua speculated that while Lee's eventual passing may encourage the media to open up, the current crop of ST staff would only dare to buck the government's line if it were clear that the majority of Singaporeans were already opposed to the government's policy. Even then, the media would tread carefully as the government has an established track record of using the press, the ST in particular, to shape public opinion. ¶6. (C) Chua admitted that domestically focused ST articles SINGAPORE 00000061 002 OF 002 often read like Public Service Announcements. Chua noted that how the government intends to push a certain policy is often foreshadowed by extensive media coverage (published before the official policy announcements). As an example, Chua pointed to the government's recent decision to assist retirees who lost investments in "mini-bonds" following the collapse of Lehman Brothers (ref A). That decision followed a spate of media coverage casting the retirees, plight in sympathetic terms. ¶7. (C) In contrast to the informal restrictions placed on domestic reporting, ST reporters are given wide latitude in their coverage of international events. Chua said he enjoyed a great deal of freedom during his stint as ST's China Bureau Chief, and he expects to enjoy similar freedom during his new assignment as U.S. Bureau Chief. However, due to the expectations placed on editors, Chua said he would likely never advance higher up the ladder at ST. ST Reporter Confirms Local Media Restrictions --------------------------------------------- ¶8. (C) Lynn Lee (strictly protect), a reporter for ST, confirmed the disconnect between editors and reporters. Lee highlighted the internal debate over the amount of coverage that the paper would dedicate to opposition icon J.B. Jeyaretnam (JBJ) following his death in September 2008. Lee said that while the editors agreed with reporters' demand for extensive coverage of JBJ political career and funeral (ref B), they rejected reporters' suggestions to limit the amount of coverage devoted to (relatively long) eulogies provided by Singapore's leaders. The leaders' statements took up a significant portion of the allotted space, Lee lamented. ¶9. (C) Lee also admitted that reporters practice self-censorship. Recalling the case of a journalist in Malaysia who was arrested for reprinting a politician's racially charged comments, Lee noted she would never write about any racially sensitive issues. However, self-censorship is not really needed as most censorship is done by the editors, Lee said. Lee, who is now one of ST's Indonesia correspondents, echoed Chua's comments about having greater freedom to report stories (without censorship) while abroad. Highlighting her discouragement with her life as a Singapore journalist, Lee said she considers her current Indonesia assignment as a one-year test case that will determine whether or not she stays in the profession. Novice Journalists Also Wary of System -------------------------------------- ¶10. (C) Singapore's journalism students think twice about building careers at home in the first place, according to online student journalist Chong Zi Liang (strictly protect). Chong and two classmates in the journalism school at Nanyang Technological University started their own online newspaper, The Enquirer, to write free of editorial interference after the existing University-funded student newspaper refused to cover a campus visit by opposition politician Chee Soon Juan. When asked how he would reconcile his journalistic ideals with the realities of a career in Singapore, Chong told Poloff that he feared it would be too "stifling" to remain here. Instead, he foresaw spending one or two apprentice years here before working somewhere else. Many of Chong's journalism-school classmates think the same way, he said.
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mrbrown: The WikiLeaks-Singapore saga, part 2
Singapore's straight talking Minister Mentor set tongues wagging this week but what Singapore should really concern itself with are its own homegrown scandalsLike a gift that keeps giving, WikiLeaks has released yet another leaked U.S. cable that involves Singapore.This time, the cable shows our straight-talking Minister Mentor describing the Myanmar (or Burma) leaders as "stupid" and "dense." He was even quoted as saying that dealing with the regime is like "talking to dead people."That immediately conjures up mental images of zombie generals for me. Which is probably a reminder for me to cut down on those "Left For Dead 2" (L4D2) gaming sessions. Perhaps in "Left For Dead 3: Burma" you can play as Harry, the tough old guy who clears a room of zombies with just his rapier wit and barbed tongue.Who needs a shotgun or a chainsaw when you have weapons of mass elocution like that?I am not sure how it will affect Singapore and Burma ties. We do appreciate the Burmese leaders spending their money shopping here and seeking medical treatment at our fine hospitals. Hopefully they take "stupid" and "dense" in the right spirit and not out of context.It's all about context
Our Foreign Minister, BG George Yeo, seems a little miffed that people are reading too much into the cables. Some of the earlier cables apparently also quoted a diplomat calling Japan "big fat losers" and another diplomat calling India "my stupid Indian friends" who were “half in, half out” of the Asean grouping.Foreign Minister Yeo went on to say that we should not "over-interpret" the leaked U.S. cables as they may just be "cocktail talk."Maybe he's just upset the cables haven't mentioned him yet. If he is, I wouldn't worry. There are 887 leaked cables pertaining to Singapore and so far we've only seen three.I am not even sure how one over-interprets a phrase like "stupid Indian friends." Maybe the diplomat was saying "Oh, forgive me, I spilled coffee. It was my stupid, Indian friends!"This is all very amusing to us Singaporeans because we are rarely privy to such behind-the-scenes action. Our news here tends to be somewhat more sanitized.Of scandals and omissions
Even news of a pervert who was caught taking up-skirt videos of women with his pen camera did not mention the chap's illustrious grassroots career as a member of the ruling party's Youth Wing and his turn as chairman of Punggol Park Community Centre Management Committee.The 36-year-old skirt cinematographer got nine months in jail for his antics. Oh, did I also mention that he was given a PBM, Public Service Medal, just this year on National Day?Perhaps it was for his cultural contributions to film.The odd thing was that he was arrested in July 2009 and awarded the PBM this year. Guess no one informed the award committee.Other prominent perverts in the news include a Ministry of Education scholar (now ex-scholar) who was caught for child porn in the United Kingdom. This was a fellow who was studying in the University of York and would return to teach in our schools.The MOE claimed that his earlier record of being a peeping tom as a student did not show up in his records because the school felt he had turned over a new leaf and so left it out of official records so as not to jeopardize his future. I guess he still needed help.The MOE very quickly revoked his scholarship and vowed to tighten scholarship procedures. Maybe future candidates will be subject to questions like:The pervert test
1. Have you ever been a sexual deviant? If yes, please describe in less than 300 words, using drawings if necessary.2. Have you ever surfed porn on the Internet? Please provide examples of the sites you frequent.3. Have you ever been publicly caned for being a peeping tom in school but subsequently the school did not inform the Ministry because they felt that professional counseling had cured you of your errant ways? If so, how many strokes of the cane did you get?I am sure my suggestions will help weed out the unsuitable candidates.The most intriguing case in recent months was the fellow who spiked the water of two female colleagues with his semen and recorded them drinking it with his mobile phone.You will agree with me when I say that this piece of news warrants a collective "Ewwwwwwww."The news reports took pains to describe him as a "civilian officer" or " employee" of the Singapore Police Force. You don't want people to think Mr Protein Shake here was an actual uniformed police officer because that would undermine public trust in our police, you see.I hope WikiLeaks releases more cables soon. Juicy diplomatic gossip is way more fun than news about public sector sex offenders.We may even get a leaked cable of some other country telling the U.S. State Department that their intelligence services have discovered that a Singapore leader is particularly fond of goats._________________________________________________________________________________________Wikileaks: S’pore government’s top-down approach to entrepreneurship
September 3, 2011 by SGEntrepreneursUnless you’ve been living in a cave (or too busy working on your app), you would know that Wikileaks has released all its diplomatic cables— 251,287 of them. For Singapore alone, there are 700 cables obtained from the US Embassy.
Those looking for scandalous information that will rock the nation will be disappointed — no heads are set to roll. But one cable is of interest to entrepreneurs: Created in 2007, the document charts the Singapore government’s push towards supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, and the obstacles they face in driving the country towards a knowledge-based economy.An extract follows:Creativity by Fiat2. (U) A strong record of economic success notwithstanding, Singapore’s leadership recognizes that further growth will depend on finding economic advantages over the rapidly growing and low-cost economies of China, India, and ASEAN neighbors. As a developed nation, Singapore must also compete with other developed economies. To continue thriving, the GOS (Government of Singapore) believes that Singapore must transform itself from an efficient platform for manufacturing and logistics into a global, knowledge-based and more entrepreneurial economy. With a small population, no natural resources, and a trade-heavy economy, the GOS is acutely aware of the need for Singapore to develop a strong entrepreneurial class that can adapt.3. (SBU) Pursuing the objective with its usual vigor, the government is pouring in resources. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong chairs a Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC), established in 2005 to promote R&D and innovation in ”strategic” sectors of the economy. In 2006, the RIEC announced it would provide $916 million (SGD1.4 billion) over the next five years to fund entrepreneurs. Also in 2006, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) unveiled its Science and Technology 2010 Plan (STP2010) which commits $4.9 billion (SGD7.5 billion) over the next five years to encourage raising R&D spending to 3 percent of Singapore’s GDP by 2010.The Challenge4. (SBU) GOS efforts to promote entrepreneurship continue to encounter a risk-averse Singaporean mindset, government domination of the economy, and discouragement of critical thinking and inflexibility in the educational system. The 2007 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report (GEM) showed that, among the surveyed OECD and developed economies, Singapore was consistently below the mean for all indicators of social and cultural attitudes toward entrepreneurship. For example, only 57.8 percent of Singaporeans believed that new business success was accorded high status in their country, compared to an average of 66.2 percent among all the countries in the survey, ranking Singapore 21st of 24.Government Itself a Cause5. (C) Entrepreneurs continue to face obstacles in a number of sectors in the form of Government-Linked Corporations (GLCs), which account for nearly 60 percent of the national GDP. Temasek Holdings, the government’s investment arm, is by far the largest investor in Singapore, with an estimated 50-percent stake in Singapore’s GLCs. GLCs often compete against each other in key markets, making entry by an independently-held company difficult. For example, SingTel and Starhub, both Temasek Holdings companies, compete directly in the wireless service market and will soon do the same in the cable television market. The strong GOS role in directing the economy likely has the unintended result of ”crowding out” natural economic development, according Dr. Sha Reilly, Chief Knowledge Officer at the National Library Board (NLB), which has a mandate to encourage creativity and entrepreneurship among young Singaporeans. She believes Singaporeans look first to the government, rather than the private sector, to be the innovation leader.6. (C) Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) — a potential source of innovation and commercial nimbleness – find it difficult to secure financing for their businesses since financial institutions, accustomed to an abundance of large corporate customers, are reluctant to lend to riskier SMEs. The 2007 GEM report ranked Singapore 17 out of 21 countries for venture capital availability. The Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) is similarly inhospitable to SMEs, with many Singaporean entrepreneurs opting to list in other countries. SGX Executive Vice President Lawrence Wong told us that the SGX targets SMEs with a capitalization of SG$500 million to SG$5 billion ($327 million – $3.27 billion). Wong characterized the amount as “not a lot,” but it does put SGX listing out of the range of many SMEs. He says a GOS proposal to develop an exchange catering to smaller firms was ”still under discussion.”7.(C) While the government has allocated various funds to encourage SMEs, a number of business leaders told us that funding is still inadequate. They suggested that even if sufficient funding were available, it would still take at least a generation before an entrepreneurial culture would truly take root. Of the $4.9 billion STP2010 budget, less then two percent has been allocated for SME financing. Inderjit Singh, a Member of Parliament and an entrepreneur, told us that the proliferation of entrepreneurial schemes for SMEs was “government lip-service that fails to address the critical need to divest GLCs and open markets.”Political System Discourages Risk-Taking8. (SBU) The GOS’s tight political control and the “habits of constraint” it fosters have inhibited the development of an entrepreneurial spirit and risk-taking culture, according to Nominated Member of Parliament Kum Hong Siew and others. G. Jahyakrishan, Assistant Director of International Enterprise Singapore (IE), a government entity responsible for helping Singaporean companies grow globally, believes that a prevailing atmosphere of restraint “subtly” leads to less risk-taking behavior by firms and individuals. Siew believes the government’s attempt to encourage economic risk-taking while limiting political and social freedoms is unsustainable because it discourages the kind of critical thinking required for entrepreneurship.Education System Not Helping9. (C) Singapore boasts a highly competitive and well-regarded primary and secondary education system, but the number of Singaporeans completing a tertiary education is relatively low. Only 23 percent of Singaporean students entering primary school complete a degree at a local four-year university. In other knowledge-economies such as Japan’s, around 50 percent of students complete a university degree. However, according to Cheryl Chan, Assistant Director of the Planning Division at the Ministry of Education (MOE), the government does not plan to encourage more students to get a higher education. The university enrollment rate will continue to be maintained at 20-25 percent because the Singaporean labor market does not need everyone to get a four-year degree, she asserted.10. (SBU) Singapore’s education system has been criticized for being heavy on memorization and light on critical thinking and creativity. Based on the British model, the system is highly test-focused and separates students (a process referred to as “streaming”) at an early age between high, middle, and low achievers. The GOS has slowly begun to introduce greater flexibility into the system by allowing ”streaming” in subjects (rather than based on total average scores) and has created new magnet schools focused on mathematics, the arts, and sports. But there are only three such schools, and the overall education system has changed little.Some “Strategic” Sectors Suffer11. (SBU) Growth in the “strategic” media sector may be hampered by limits the government sets on freedom of speech and expression. Filmmakers such as Martyn See (reftels) or productions that touch on sensitive issues often find their distribution and broadcasting rights disapproved by the Media Development Board (MDA), a governmental agency responsible for regulating and promoting media industries. Cheah Sin Liang, Deputy Director of International Relations at MDA, admitted to us that the GOS’s tight control over controversial political, religious, or social topics does limit growth in the media sector, but argued that such controls are necessary to prevent negative social consequences.12. (SBU) Singapore’s approach to promoting R&D development in the biomedical field, another government-identified ”strategic” sector, has also been criticized by foreign education specialists as too focused on quick economic gains rather than fostering the “holistic approach” necessary for sustained innovation in science and technology. Dr. William Broady, President of Johns Hopkins University, told the local press in January that in order to be a leading center for R&D, Singapore had to get away from “trying to measure short-term economic returns. There has to be a mindset change… in tolerating and being comfortable with failure and ideas that don’t seem to be going anywhere.” (Note: Johns Hopkins stopped development of a $53 million (SGD82 million) Biomedical Sciences research unit after its Singapore Government partner, A*Star, accused Johns Hopkins of not meeting performance benchmarks. End Note.)Casinos, Kumar and the Crazy Horse13. (SBU) The GOS appears to recognize the need to give citizens freer rein in order to foster creativity and entrepreneurship. Unwilling to loosen political controls, it has focused so far on easing social restrictions. The government made a highly controversial decision to allow casinos, and has awarded contracts to open two integrated resorts in 2009. Kumar, a popular transvestite nightclub comedian whose material focuses on taboo subjects including race, sex and the foibles of government personalities, has been allowed to perform on television and in public venues. Singaporeans returning from long stays overseas have told us of being shocked at the mushrooming of racy billboard advertising. MDA’s Cheah pointed to the opening of the Crazy Horse French Burlesque in December 2005 (which subsequently closed in January 2007 due to poor attendance), and to the ”success” of the Singapore Biennale (an arts festival) as further signs of greater social openness.Comment14. (C) Ever thinking strategically, Singapore’s leadership will keep pushing innovation in order to stay competitive in a rapidly changing Asia. To its credit, the government appears to recognize that its own penchant for control – however enlightened its policy choices or soft its authoritarian touch — may be at odds with the kind of free-wheeling atmosphere it needs to achieve its economic objectives. Time will tell whether it can promote creativity, critical-thinking, and innovation in society by loosening up on social issues and tinkering with the education system while keeping politics in quarantine. One way or another, Singapore’s flirtation with openness will provide another interesting chapter in its unique history as a social-engineering petri dish.About The Author
SGEntrepreneurs - (SGE)
Covering the Singapore and Southeast Asia entrepreneurship scene since 2005._________________________________________________________________________________________WikiLeaks: Significant gov’t pressure put on ST editors
By Jeffrey Oon | SingaporeScene – Fri, Sep 2, 2011WikiLeaks has released a cable report on 'Journalists frustrated by press controls' in Singapore. (Screengrab from …UPDATED (with reactions from Lynn Lee)A senior editorial staff member of Singapore's largest newspaper has said there's "significant pressure" on its editors to follow the government line, according to a newly-released WikiLeaks document.The leaked document, which was recorded in early 2009 at the U.S embassy in Singapore, is titled "Journalists frustrated by press controls". It contains the private views of two Straits Timesjournalists and a then-journalism student.Chua Chin Hon, who is currently the paper's U.S. bureau chief, was reported as saying that reporters had to be careful in their coverage of local news, as Singapore's leaders were "likely come down hard" on anyone who reported negatively about the government or its leadership.Without naming names, he recounted how several ministers at the time routinely called editors to ensure that media coverage of an issue "comes out the way they want it." Getting "tough with the media" was one way in which younger ministers tried to boost their credentials with the old guard, he added.Chua also said at the time that all the newpaper's editors had been vetted to ensure their "pro-government leanings" and that while local reporters were eager to produce more investigative and critical reporting, they were "stifled by editors who have been groomed to toe the line."In the one-page WikiLeaks cable, Chua pointed out how there was usually extensive media coverage before the government intended to push out a certain policy.He added that the government had an "established track record" of using the media to "shape public opinion" so much so that some articles read like "Public Service Announcements".He cited how during the 2008 collapse of Lehman Brothers, there was a spate of sympathetic articles about the retirees who lost money in the mini-bonds, which was followed soon after by the government's decision to assist those retirees.Singapore's largest newspaper has often been criticised for its pro-government stance. (Yahoo! photo)Another reporter, Lynn Lee, who was until recently the paper's Indonesian bureau chief, was also mentioned in the diplomatic cable. She also highlighted the internal editorial debate over the coverage of Singapore's political opposition.An example she gave was the conflict over the amount of coverage that the paper would dedicate to opposition icon J.B. Jeyaretnam (JBJ) following his death in September 2008, saying that while editors agreed with reporters' demand for extensive coverage of his funeral, they rejected reporters' suggestions to limit the amount of coverage devoted to eulogies provided by Singapore's leaders.In the end, the leaders' statements took up a significant portion of the allotted space, said Lee, who was reported to have said that self-censorship was a common practice for reporters.She said that she would never write about any racially sensitive issues, giving the example of a journalist in Malaysia who was arrested for reprinting a politician's racially charged comments.Lee, who left the paper and her journalism career last month, has since clarified that her comments were taken out of context.Confirming her informal meet-up with a political officer from the U.S embassy in 2008, Lee said that "reporters and their editors did engage in discussions over how stories should be written" with the aim of writing balanced reports but that the editors would have the final word.She also said she would not want to write articles containing racially-charged remarks that could create friction within society and that this should not be construed as self-censorship.She added that she believes the paper is run by editors who do what's best for its readers, "even as they face pressure from a government seeking to set the tone and form of media coverage".The leaked 2009 cable also contained the views of then-journalism student Chong Zi Liang, who said he could see himself working locally for one or two years before venturing abroad, because he thought it was too "stifling" to remain in the country.The document is among the full archive of 250,000 unedited and confidential U.S. diplomatic cables that's recently been published online by the whistle-blowing WikiLeaks website, founded by Julian Assange.Over 700 of them, dating back from 2003 to last year and covering a range of issues, concern Singapore. Among them, one talks about the state of Singapore's opposition in 2004 and another on how the government co-opts talented Muslims to become Members of Parliament.Last year, another WikiLeaks leak revealed what key Singapore diplomats thought of neighbouring Asian leaders as well as what former leader Lee Kuan Yew thinks about North Korea.Former Today chief editor P N Balji, who has spent 35 years in Singapore journalism and is now a media consultant, said the leaks "tell an old story", and there is a need now to study how the old media is trying to meet the challenges of the new media."There is enough evidence to show how the old media is forced to come out of its comfort zone and publish stories which broke in the online world. Something we never saw, say five years ago," he said."A new relationship is developing between the government and media. The biggest loser, if The Straits Times continues to lose eyeballs, is the government. Then it will be without a pervasive platform to get across its message," he pointed out."How this relationship will play out will depend a lot on whether editors can make the big switch to the new normal in Singapore journalism and how the government will respond to such efforts," he added.Related news: Uncensored WikiLeaks cables spark anger_____________________________________________________________________WikiLeaks: Singapore’s Lee Rates China’s Leaders
Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father and minister mentor, and the grand old man of Asian politics, is famously blunt with his views. All the more, it would seem, in supposedly private diplomatic conversations than in public.
- Bloomberg News
- Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping, left, with Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Nov. 14, 2010.
In one of the most blistering lines in a trove of diplomatic correspondence that has already produced a wealth of undiplomatic zingers, Mr. Lee was quoted in a June 4, 2009 U.S. cable released by WikiLeaks as telling U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg that the North Koreans are “psychopathic types, with a ‘flabby old chap’ for a leader who prances around stadiums seeking adulation.”In the same meeting, which took place on May 30, 2009 in Singapore’s Presidential Palace, Mr. Lee also held forth on China and its leaders. It’s fair to say they came off rather better in the minister mentor’s estimation. Some excerpts:On Xi Jinping:The Deputy Secretary asked if in the future a leader like Xi Jinping would continue the policies on Taiwan followed by Hu Jintao. MM Lee responded affirmatively. Xi is a princeling who succeeded despite being rusticated. When the party needed his talents, Xi was brought in as Shanghai Party Secretary. Xi is seen as a Jiang Zemin protégé, but in another three and a half years Jiang’s influence will be gone. The focus now is on maintaining the system. There are no more strongmen like Deng Xiaoping. Jiang did not like Hu, but could not stop him, because Hu had the backing of the system and he did not make mistakes.On Wang Qishan:MM Lee said Vice Premier Wang Qishan, whom the MM saw in connection with celebrations in May of the 15th anniversary of Singapore-China Suzhou Industrial Park, is an exceptional talent, very assured and efficient. Wang handled SARS superbly when he was in Hainan. He excelled in coordinating the Beijing Olympics. Li Keqiang may not get the Premiership and the Party is looking for a way to keep Wang on past his 65th birthday until he is 70. MM Lee said he had met first Wang back in the 1990s but had forgotten their meeting. This time when they met, Wang told Lee he had reviewed the records of all Lee’s meeting with Chinese leaders going back to the days of Deng Xiaoping to see how Lee’s thinking had developed. Wang told Lee he respects him as a consistent man.On China’s RiseMM Lee said China is following an approach consistent with ideas in the Chinese television series “The Rise of Great Powers.” The mistake of Germany and Japan had been their effort to challenge the existing order. The Chinese are not stupid; they have avoided this mistake. China’s economy has surpassed other countries, with the exceptions of Japan and the United States. Even with those two countries, the gap is closing, with China growing at seven-nine percent annually, versus two-three percent in the United States and Japan. Overall GDP, not GDP per capita, is what matters in terms of power. China has four times the population of the United States. China is active in Latin America, Africa, and in the Gulf. Within hours, everything that is discussed in ASEAN meetings is known in Beijing, given China’s close ties with Laos, Cambodia, and Burma, he stated.MM Lee said China will not reach the American level in terms of military capabilities any time soon, but is rapidly developing asymmetrical means to deter U.S. military power. China understands that its growth depends on imports, including energy, raw materials, and food. This is why China is working with South Africa on the China-Africa Development Fund. China also needs open sea lanes. Beijing is worried about its dependence on the Strait of Malacca and is moving to ease the dependence by means like a pipeline through Burma.On Young ChineseMM Lee said the best course for the United States on China is to build ties with China’s young people. China’s best and brightest want to study in the United States, with the UK as the next option, then Japan. While they are there, it is important that they be treated as equals, with the cultural support they may need as foreigners. Why not have International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs for China? Why not have Chinese cadets at West Point alongside Vietnamese cadets and Indian cadets? America’s advantage is that it can make use of the talent of the entire world, as in Silicon Valley. China still tends to try to keep the foreigners in Beijing and Shanghai. MM Lee noted that his own experience as a student in the UK had left him with an enduring fondness for the UK. When he spent two months at Harvard in 1968, an American professor had invited him home for Thanksgiving. This was not the sort of thing that happened in the UK, and Lee had realized he was dealing with a different civilization. In the future, China’s leaders will have PhDs and MBAs from American universities, he predicted.On Taiwan:MM Lee said former President Chen Shui-bian had left Taiwan in a weak economic position, which had enabled President Ma Ying-Jeou to come to power with his pledge to strengthen the economy through means including expanding the three links with China. In Beijing, former President Jiang Zemin was wedded to his eight-point approach, but President Hu Jintao was more flexible. Jiang wanted to show he was a great man by solving the Taiwan issue in his lifetime, but Hu is more patient and does not have any fixed timeline. In Chinese domestic politics, Hu had wanted Vice Premier Li Keqiang from the Communist Youth League to emerge as his successor, not Vice President Xi Jinping, but Hu did his calculations and accepted Xi when it became clear that Xi had the necessary backing from the rest of the leadership. Similarly, on Taiwan, Hu will be pragmatic. It does not matter to Hu if it takes 10 years or 20 or 30. The key is building links with Taiwan. As in the case of Hong Kong, if necessary the tap could be turned off, he said.In this context, MM Lee said, Hu could live with Ma’s positions on the ‘92 consensus and on not addressing the reunification issue during his term in office. What mattered to Hu was that Taiwan not seek independence. If that happened, China has 1,000 missiles and is building its capacity to hold the U.S. fleet at a distance. The implicit question for Taiwan’s leaders is if that is what they want, MM Lee said.MM Lee stated that the alternative is Mainland investment in Taiwan stocks and property. The Mainland has already assured Hong Kong that it will help out economically. The Mainland has not said this to Taiwan, but the Mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Director, Wang Yi, did urge Chinese companies to invest in Taiwan. In four years Taiwan’s economy will pick up and Ma will win re-election. The DPP lacks strong potential candidates. Su Zhen-chang is promising, but seems unlikely to be able to win. Meanwhile, even the traditionally DPP-supporting farmers in Taiwan’s South need China’s market for vegetables and other products. Taiwan’s continued participation in the World Health Assembly depends on Beijing. Beijing’s calculation seems to be to prevent Taiwan independence in the near term, then bring Taiwan “back to China,” even if it takes 40 or 50 years. MM Lee said he is looking forward to visiting Fujian Province, where preparations are underway for a new southern economic area linked with Taiwan.– Jason Dean_____________________________________________________________________
SINGAPORE NEWS
Photos 1 of 1 In this photo illustration, a 'WikiLeaks' graphic is displayed on a laptop in a cafe.
SINGAPORE: Singapore diplomats think the leaders of some close Asian allies are corrupt or incompetent, cables from WikiLeaks revealed Sunday. Confidential diplomatic notes given by the whistleblower website to Australia's Fairfax media group contained unflattering assessments of key figures in Malaysia, Thailand, India and Japan. "A lack of competent leadership is a real problem for Malaysia," permanent secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bilahari Kausikan reportedly told US Deputy Secretary of Defence for East Asia David Sedney in a cable dated September 2008. As such, "the situation in neighbouring Malaysia is confused and dangerous," fuelled by a "distinct possibility of racial conflict" that could see ethnic Chinese "flee" Malaysia and "overwhelm" Singapore, Bilahari was quoted as saying. Another official, Peter Ho, reportedly described Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak as "an opportunist" who "would not hesitate" to be critical of Singapore if "it is expedient for him to do so." He said allegations linking Najib to the murder of a Mongolian woman in 2006, which the leader has strongly rejected, would continue to "haunt" his political fortunes. Bilahari was also critical of the Thai government in 2008, labelling then premier Thaksin Shinawatra as "corrupt" along with "everyone else, including the opposition." He also said the Thai crown prince was "very erratic, and easily subject to influence," and warned of continued instability in Thailand. In another 2009 memo, Singapore's ambassador at large Tommy Koh -- known for being mild-mannered and eloquent in public -- was uncharacteristically blunt in his assessment of Japan and India. "Koh described Japan as 'the big fat loser' in the context of improving ties between China and ASEAN," a leaked cable detailing a meeting between him and US officials stated. "He attributed the relative decline of Japan's stature in the region to Japan's 'stupidity, bad leadership, and lack of vision,'" it added. "He was equally merciless towards India, describing it as 'half in, half out' of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.)" There was no immediate reaction from the Singapore government to the leaks but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) earlier issued a statement saying it is "critical to protect the confidentiality of diplomatic and official correspondence". "Which is why Singapore has the Official Secrets Act (OSA)," an MFA spokesman said. He said: "In particular, the selective release of documents, especially when taken out of context, will only serve to sow confusion and fail to provide a complete picture of the important issues that were being discussed (among) leaders in the strictest of confidentiality." -AFP/CNA/wk_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Latest Wikileaks cables on Singapore a big yawner
Posted on 04 September 2011330 0share0
Nothing controversial or scandalous. Just lots of funny trivia about our ministers, dictators in Singapore, and China snubbing Singapore.By Fang Shihan and Terence LeeAfter combing through some 700 diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks on Singapore, our reaction was: Really? That’s it? No revelation that our Prime Minister is gay? No allegations of corruption within the government’s top ranks?On the Richter Scale, the release didn’t even register. At most, tremors were felt, but not enough to topple buildings or shake foundations. Expect business as usual on Monday — save perhaps for one poor Straits Times journalist.At most, the leaks make for good gossip fodder. So for your sake, we’ve compiled the best bits below.1) Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts, has two children, both US citizens (link).“His wife is an American citizen who grew up in Puerto Rico. Yaacob told emboff (embassy officer) that he has a more open-minded interpretation of the Koran and said his wife converted to Islam to satisfy the conservative standards of Singapore. They have two children, both American citizens, and they travel to the U.S. frequently to visit his wife’s family.”So Yaacob likes Caucasian women. So his two children (one son and one daughter) are Americans. So?Accusing him of wanting his son to skip NS is too big a logical leap. So is the notion that Yaacob has no confidence in the Singapore system. It could very well be that the two children were born in the States and the parents saw no urgency to convert them back to Singapore citizenship. He’ll be wise to ignore the speculations online and not address them.But he might find it difficult to ignore allegations that his roots are already elsewhere. So what’s in it for him to stay rooted to Singapore?2) The Young PAP, the youth wing of the ruling party, has failed spectacularly since it has produced only one Cabinet Minister so far (link).The recent Wikileaks disclosure is highly embarrassing for the Young PAP who are either portrayed as highly uncritical or plain opportunistic.Or simply close-minded.YPAP places little emphasis on substantive thinking or on trying to influence public policy. Joel Leong, chairman of the International Relations sub-committee, says he has got no opinion about the state of bilateral relations between US and Singapore.Phyllis Chng, Executive Secretary, claims that YP has the closest relationship with China’s Communist Youth League.The irony isn’t lost on anyone when Leong said that ties with Malaysia are a little harder to maintain. The reason? Malaysia has an active opposition while China doesn’t. Well, not that Singapore’s opposition isn’t active, it’s just that they are stifled, right YP?When asked how YP is an effective conduit for transmitting feedback or ideas of youths, Leong and Chng were hardpressed to give a concrete example of this.Two other young Singaporeans claimed that they considered joining YP not out of affection for the People’s Action Party but because it might enhance career prospects.With membership figures hovering around 9,000, it is a historical fact that only one former YP member ever made it into The Cabinet. Who would that be? Everyone’s beloved George Yeo. Sadly, since his demise from Aljunied GRC after May 2011, YP has the dubious honour of producing no one who is in an important position in parliament.So you’re 40 years old and below? Still keen to pick up a membership form?You should, if you’ve no interest in leadership renewal.3) We’ve got Mugabe by the balls (link)Robert Mugabe, famous dictator from tinpot little African nation Zimbabwe (which has an inflation rate of around 1000%), had prostate cancer and came into town for cancer treatment.His presence in Singapore appears to be one of an open secret – mysterious sources who leaked the information to Wikileaks, The Times Online and The Zimbabwe Mail were not named. Probably just as well since Wikileaky-gate just put all informants within the over 250,000 cables in danger.The government of Singapore in usual fashion, has denied the presence of this internationally despised dictator, just as they have for all other dictators that have passed through and admired the soft-authoritarian garden city.4) The U.S. finds Lee Kuan Yew cantankerous too (link).Ike Reed, economic and political chief at the U.S. embassy in Singapore confirms this. Here’s a wonderful quote:Lee’s keen strategic vision and wealth of personal contacts remain assets to Singapore. However, his continued overshadowing of his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, acts as a brake on political modernization and his cantankerous scolding of younger Singaporeans increasingly makes him look out of step.Lee’s eventual passing will not likely be a catalyst for radical political change, but it will certainly be indispensable to any significant political reform.5) China shows Singapore who’s boss (link)It’s now confirmed that Singapore knows its being treated like China’s little bitch. During a State visit to Singapore by Chinese President Hu Jintao, China made clear that it was more important to Singapore than vice versa. However, it will keep good relations because of Singapore’s strategic location along the Straits of Malacca as a point of control during times of conflict.According to Professor Huang Jing at the Lee Kuan Yew school of Public Policy, the PRC is likely to send an aircraft carrier to Singapore for its first international port visit between 2015 and 2020. The PRC would then likely seek to formalize access to Changi naval base as a major logistical port for its fleet.Rogue diplomat Lee Kuan Yew, who called for a greater U.S. presence in Southeast Asia to balance a growing China in a separate speech also, thankfully, resulted in minimal political fallout. The PRC delegation to Singapore did not make an issue of the speech, but neither were they particularly chummy with the hosts, choosing instead to focus on interacting with the other major countries attending APEC.The overwhelming coverage of two cute but rather useless Pandas by the “government-influenced Straits Times newspaper” was also noted.______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Wikileaks: Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew calls Islam a “venomous religion”
Wikileaks revealed that Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew described Islam as a "venomous religion" in a July 5, 2005 meeting with then Senator Hillary Clinton. Clinton's meeting was with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, then Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, and then Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding prime minister and elder statesman, denied that he made the statement, because "nowhere does it record me describing Islam as 'venomous', nor did I say anything which could have given that impression." However, the leaked cable was signed off by then US ambassador to Singapore Frank Lavin.Clinton was accompanied by staff member Huma Abedin. Abedin who was later to marry Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) is a practicing Muslim. Surely she had to be offended by Lee Kuan Yew's slighting of her religion.Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong then continued with Lee Kuan Yew's criticism of Islam, stating according to Wikileaks: In Malaysia, the change in prime minister was for the better. SM Goh commented that former PM Mahathir enjoyed fighting with everyone. The long-term problem was what type of Islam would dominate in Malaysia. He expressed concern that a more radical version of Islam was gaining ground and forcing moderates to take more extreme positions.Exam PaperSingapore has a predominantly Chinese population with minority races including Malays, who are mostly Muslim, making up 13.4 percent of its population of five million. The remarks of Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong were extremely insensitive, but revealing.In Singapore, the cards are clearly stacked against Malays—and all non-Chinese.The Singapore educational system requires that primary students study a "second language," the choices being Chinese, Malay, or Tamil (Indian). The second language is all-important in Singapore's grading of its primary students. Succeed in all other subjects but failing in the second language can subject a primary student being streamed at age twelve to non-academic courses.Mainly, it's the students from poor families that are streamed in Singapore. Singapore schools do not stick to teaching what is going to be on the examinations. In order to learn what you need to pass, you must hire a tutor, and buy "exam papers" that do teach what will be on the examination.Obviously, many students from poor families cannot afford tutors, or exam papers.Such students are doomed to lives of menial labor. Many of them drop out of school. In Singapore, you see children working at McDonalds, and often serving as uniformed doormen for Singapore's fancy hotels.Those who do not choose Chinese as a second language are at a disadvantage, even if they do pass. Those non-Chinese second language students do not do well Singapore.They are usually passed over for promotions, and looked down upon by their Chinese colleagues.To succeed in Singapore, you had better be Chinese.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin 05SINGAPORE2073 2005-07-06 09:51 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Singapore
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