A Test For New Water

One of the most interesting technological developments in Singapore in recent years has been that of 'new water', a process that recycles water so successfully it is once again fit for human consumption.

However the general drinking water has recently faced a more severe test with the discovery of a deceased Maid in one of the HDB roof water tanks.

According to the newspaper reports some residents of a block of Housing Board flats in Woodlands were greeted with an unusual sight when they turned on their taps yesterday morning.

"The water was slightly yellowish and appeared unnaturally foamy."

While most put it down to the water pipes malfunctioning other residents called the Sembawang Town Council to complain.

It wasn't until late morning that the water supply was cut off and only later were the residents informed  about the murder victim in their town supply.

A Bangladeshi cleaner has been charged with the murder of a 30-year-old Indonesian maid and if convicted will face the death penalty.

Something Old, Something New

Although the two most senior men in the PAP recently announced their retirement from Cabinet, both as predicted remain very influential, albeit behind the scenes.

LKY is to be Senior Advisor to GIC which is Singapore's largest investment vehicle and the Goh Chok Tong has become Senior Advisor to MAS as well as being anointed as Emeritus Senior Minister, which has a distinctly academic ring to its title.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng as well as Mah Bow Tan and Raymond Lim have retired from the Cabinet.  In the case of Wong Kan Seng one presumes that he was retired, after a decent interval of time, following the debacle of the Mas Selamat escape which caused great embarrassment to the government.

I am not at all surprised by the rapid elevation of Tharman Shanmugaratnam in the PAP ranks.  His appointment as one of the two Deputy Prime Ministers is a reflection of his political presence and acumen.  I recall meeting at the launch of the ill fated UNSW Asia when he was Minister of Education.  He was eloquent, attentive and a man of considerable bearing.

Teo Chee Hean, the other Deputy Prime Minister could also be a future PM of Singapore as he too has the presence and political nous to succeed.

Someone else who impressed me in the past was Madame Halimah Yacob and I note she has been made a Minister of State for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

It will now be interesting to see how the Opposition responds as they have this term to bring their star players to the fore.  Sheer weight of numbers from the government benches will make this a difficult but not insurmountable task.

To succeed further they will need to stick to championing the issues that the people of Singapore want addressed, and not succumb to petty inter-party squabbling which has been a problem in the past.

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The Great Seducer

Dominique-Strauss-Kahn

The Strauss-Kahn affair currently playing out in the US courts is an ugly chapter in power politics.

While no person should be presumed guilty in advance of a fair trial, this arrest appears once again to demonstrate that there is a global 'elite' who feel they can act with impunity.

It is not an uncommon occurrence for men in such positions of power or influence to behave in this manner nor to practice serial infidelity.

When this story first broke I did a quick Wikipedia search to find out more about the individual concerned.

Clearly Strauss-Kahn is no stranger to such allegations and has an entire section dedicated what are politely termed 'controversies'.

In 2002 a French writer accused him of attempted rape but dropped the charges.  In light of the New York happenings she is now contemplating resurrecting these.

The case has all the hallmarks of a serial sexual predator and the accused is known in his home country as 'The Great Seducer'.  I doubt that even France, with its more tolerant views of infidelity, will countenance the latest escapade.

I hope justice will prevail above politics and having bail refused is a good start.

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