My Video reflections about Singapore on Malaysia's Independence day while in Pulau Singapura

This year, the Muslim New Year or it's celebration known as Hari Raya falls on the same consecutive days with the Indendence Day of Malaysia or Merdeka day. I am in Singapore during this time and coincidentally the country was having the elections for the President of Singapore on 27th August, just a few days before Hari Raya and Merdeka day. My mind is therefore filled with thoughts about the two countries of Malaysia and Singapore, their political, economical, financial and social development over the years.

The ties between the two countries has always been close, as Singapore was once a part of Malaysia until its separation, where both countries continued to grow independently while maintaining a close and peaceful relationship. In our family, we have close ties to the two countries too as I married a Singaporean wife and though we started a family who have lived most part of our lives in Malaysia, we have been making frequent trips to Singapore all those years. You can call Malaysia as our incubator home to raise children in a "spacious greenhouse." As the children turned to teenagers, they began travelling to study or work overseas, particularly in USA and China. In the year 2007, the base of the family moved to Singapore itself and today it is appropriate for me to share my thoughts on both countries as I continue to shuttle between the two nations even more frequently than ever before besides my other international travels.

I have shared my perspective of Malaysia on it's Independence Day of 2007 and after the family's residence and experience here, let me share with you my perspective of "Pulau Singapore" or "The Island of Singapore" here in this post. As I've noted that I am no politician nor have I any political inclinations in one of my previous post, these reflections are free from any personal political views or agenda. Rather they are my own actual observations of reality and with some dialogues with others that I've made while I have been in Singapore on videos of my own and some that I've extracted from documentary sources. They say a picture paints a thousand words so videos must provide you an option of avoiding trillions of words to appreciate my observations and reflections :

As an introductory nutshell, I have concluded for some time that the small island of Singapore is a good metaphor that is symbolic of what the human mind can do if put in an Optimal state. Optimal Thinking from the mind that also was followed up with Optimal Performance of the body in implementing well thought of plans and systems is what I am referring to. In this case, it is the implementation of one man's Mind : his dreams, visions and principles which he believed in that led to the development of systems by the government that made the island what it is today. This is the mind of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who had become the world's longest-serving Prime Minister when he voluntarily stepped down after serving for three decades in the republic nation island.

3rd party VIDEOS

The Young Lee Kuan Yew
See how sharp he is when he was young dealing with the Press in the USA about world issues.

Click for Video here.

The middle-aged Lee Kuan Yew
He shows a good rationale of why the American press is not suitable for Singapore.
Click fo Video here. 

The Older Lee Kuan Yew

See him older at 87 years of age answering the press in Singapore about the Island's future.
Click for Video here.

Mostly my personal VIDEOS

See what I've observed on the island :

On life in Singapore interview with the locals.
Click for Video here.

How good is a school in Singapore?
Click for Video here.

Advancement is purely by merit and achievement is duly recognized
Click for Video here.

Religious freedom is provided for everyone to honor their own God in their own schools
Click for Video here.

A swimming complex in Singapore.
Click for Video here.

Riding to the neighborhood market and food court.
Click for Video here.

Cost of food in Singapore at the neighborhood
Click for Video here.

Skyline of Singapore City
Click for Video here.

Skyline of Singapore City from the top at night
Click the Video Broadcast below done live at the top of the Marina Bay Sands hotel under post-dated videos

Driving on Orchard Road in Singapore.
Click for Video here.

Christmas lights at night on Orchard Road.
Click for Video here.

What's beneath Orchard Road in Singapore?
Click for Video here.

How is a construction site managed in Singapore
Click for Video here.

The East Coast Park for outdoor activities
Click for Video here.

The West Coast Park for outdoor activities
Click for Video here.

Public healthcare at SGH
Click for Video here.

Story-Telling contest to promote the Art in Singapore
Click for Video here.

Toastmasters being promoted as a neighborhood club
Click for Video here,

Music by the Singapore Symphony Chorus enjoyed at the world famous Esplanade Concert Hall
Click for Video here.

Enjoying the Symphony Orchestra in the Park
Click for Video here.

Singapore National Day Fireworks
Click for Video here.

Nite Entertainment in the city with a difference
Click for Video here.

Posted-dated videos :

Even the sick and afflicted are well taken care and thought of :

A wheel chair friendly city
Click for Video here.

Multi Purpose Hall in public housing for funeral services
Click for Video here.

Crematoriums and Columbarium for cremation services
Click for Video here

My latest video broadcast to my Toastmaster friends in Malaysia from Marina Bay Sands

Shocking news of rioting in Singapore's Little India starting at 8pm Sunday 8 Dec 2013
Click for Video here

Shocking discovery of a BBC video of classified British War secrets from World War 2 released only 70 years later that involved the fall of Singapore and Malaya to the Japanese by an unprosecuted betrayer from England itself!
Click for Video here

Ah Beng talks about Singapore History and Current Affairs...

Under the 'Ang Mo' we all live happily together, no complain.
Malaysia & Singapore is one big family in our brains.
One day we both like two durians cannot get along.
Got sharp thorns, poke each other until 'Buay Song'
One moment like brothers, can give and take.
Next moment we kena kicked out by the leg.
Wah! Our towkay also cry like mad,
We all also feel very very sad.
Our neigbours all say, 'Wah they all sure to die!
They got nothing, how to get next bowl of rice?'
So 'Boh Pian,' we all work day and night.
We also join the army so that we can fight.
We don't care others 'see us no up'.
But actually inside we very pain in the heart.
Then slowly hor we grow rich and a bit fat.
Now others talk about us also got some respect.
They scratch their heads and say 'Very funny!
Got nothing how come they can still make money?'

Last time also got no money to buy ice-cream cone.
Nowadays even small kids can also afford handphone.
Seaport, airport also can become Number One.
He! He! Sometimes think about it also very fun.
But some people look at us also not happy.
Actually they jealous don't want to say only.
So every time their country got something wrong.
They all say Singapore's behind it all along.
Everybody know we water no enough.
They turn off tap only we all cannot last.

They threaten us with water supply and shout 'Cut! Cut! Cut!'
Aiyoh! They all think the water is one big ketupat.
We all hear already also Buay Tahan'
Wah liao, they think we small can makan!
But now they 'cow pay cow bu' we all not very scared.
We want to build water desalination plant already so not so bad.
But their own economy now all go bust.
Got to sell water otherwise money no enough.
Then another neighbor say Singapore no friend friend,
Got so much money, a bit more also donno how to lend.

They say we all only one small red dot,
Like the center of a big dartboard.
Maybe they think we mouse and they cat,
That's why they suka suka anyhow talk like that.
But we all still send them a lot of rice.
Show the world we actually very very nice.
Sometimes we 'Cho Ho Sim' also kena whack.
But we all gentleman wan, don't want to fight back.
I think hor maybe they don't understand us very well.
That's why relationship sometimes like heaven sometimes like hell
Some say aiyah our prosperity is all due to luck,
That's why we all 'Siao Siao' can still win the Tiger Cup
I think hor, Singapore is like Chilli Padi in a pot -
Size small small but still very very hot.

Regards,

Ah Beng


Postdated Developments :

23 March 2015

To read the obituary of Lee Kuan Yew by The Guardian, click here.

Life of Lee Kuan Yew by wikipedia.

This post is best to be continued with an ending written outside of Singapore with my heart with the people of Singapore and their founder on his passing, who were all after all once Malaysians who showed they really can do it while in modern day Malaysia, the existing people are still saying they can do it with the "Malaysia Boleh" belief. 

Here is the summary post of Mr Lee Kuan Yew written while I am in another island of Penang in Malaysia.

9 April 2015

Video below was published :

Former ambassador of Singapore to the United Nations, Kishore Mahbubani, Dean and Professor in the Practice of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, speaking in Harvard University not long after the passing of Mr Lee Kuan Yew on China, US and the rise of Asia.

In Memory of our "Eng Ee" in Kuantan

She passed away peacefully on this day unknown to us as we were all in Singapore and I could not be reached by my Malaysian cell phone while using my Singapore phone! There were no messages in Facebook nor did I get any email either. It so happened that I was planning a trip to Kuantan the following weekend to call my brother that I was informed that she had just passed away the Friday before. We just missed her by a week and feel sad that our family will not be able to see her again in Kuantan as we have always done for so many years.

"Eng Ee" as I would call her was not only my 3rd brother's mother-in-law but I have always known her as one of my mother's close friends when they were young in Penang. She outlived both my mother and father. She would have been 90 years old if I met her again this year as she always reminded me that her birth year was the same as my parents, ie. 1921.  However I am sure she will tell me she is 91 years old, following the traditional Chinese way of calculation of age from the time of conception in the womb instead of the time of delivery!

So the children of two good friends married each other and thats how the relationship of my mother and her friend from teenage years turned from friendship to kinship!  Unlike my mom who could not live long enough to see me get married nor our two oldest daughters, Fei Min and Su Min, she lived to see not only her daughter get married but her daughter's two sons too ie. Woon Kean and Woon Kit

Wedding of Woon Kean and Phuong

Wedding of Woon Kit and Karine

She even lived to see her first grand child, Milan Sun Thien Chong, daughter of Woon Kean and Phuong born in Australia on 15 Feb 2011

She will truly be missed by many friends and family members who find the joy of her presence when visiting in Kuantan :

May God bless her with continued joy and happiness in his eternal arms is our sincere wish for her.

Postdated photos of the funeral on Sunday 28 Aug 2011

Dinner with the Richards

It's been eight years since the Richards left Malaysia back in 2003.

After moving to several more countries and locations, brother Richards finally retired in July, and brother and sister Richards have decided to settle down in West Jordan, Utah.

On August 2, Karen got sealed to Roger and I got to attend their luncheon up in Clearfield, UT.

Here's a picture of Karen and me at Karen's wedding luncheon:

Then we took one with the groom in it, of course, and also with brother and sister Richards:

After things started to settle back down again for the Richards, they invited Jay and me to have a Sunday dinner with them.

Here's the evidence of our delightful evening with the Richards today. Tim is the last of the six children to leave the home. He starts his Freshman year at Utah State University next week. So starting next week, brother and sister Richards are officially empty-nesters.

What a great family!!

Shuan Wins a free trip to Perth in Western Australia

Shuan submitted an essay in July 2011 after attending a seminar of the "Science For Our Future" festival in Singapore. In that seminar itself, he won an iPod touch for submitting the best question to be answered by the panel of guest speakers. That occurred in a week of  triple wins for the family in the month of July as recorded in the last journal post.

After the seminar there was another competition for participants to submit an essay of no more than 300 words as to how the seminar had inspired the participants in their aspirations and how science would help them. A month later the results came out and Shuan became the winner of the free trip to Perth in Western Australia to take place at the year end in December. The trip is for one week visiting The University of Western Australia with other sight seeing trips.

Shuan walking up to receive his award. On the right is Dr Joanne Castelli who is the senior administrative officer of The University of Western Australia.
( www.science.uwa.edu.au )

Shuan receiving the award from Mr Daryl Fong, the Country Director of IDP Education in Singapore

         

Shuan giving his speech and sharing the essay he wrote. Click the above screen to see the video clip or on this link if you don't see the screen.

This accomplishment will also be added to our family blogpost that keeps track of the academic success of the boys in Singapore to date.

POST-DATED EVENTS :

Dec 2011, Shuan flew to Perth during the month and returned safely before Christmas. Account of his trip with photos is found in this journal post.