There is only one party to vote for Your reading for the week:Shirley Tan, "To the Memory of Goh Hung Chuan, PBM, my grandfather"My grandfather sits by a stone table in the courtyard. As an aunt walks out of the main house, my grandfather calls: "Come."Dutifully, she heads towards her father. Without saying a word, she picks up a red China graph pencil and marks a cross in a box next to the PAP logo. Then, she leaves.Grandfather Plausible deniability; or, are you stupid enough to buy their excuse? Being the first part in a series on the modus operandi and rhetorical strategies of Christians of a Fundamentalist Persuasion...Barthes on Signs and wonders; or, How to mean more than what you say... je suis chez le coiffeur, on me tend un numéro de Paris-Match. Sur la couverture, un jeune nègre vêtu d'un uniforme français fait le salut militaire, les yeux levés, fixés sans doute sur un pli du Minilee NDRS decoded: 2009 edition! By now, it should be apparent that every Prime Minister has a different style of doing the NDRS and their major policy speeches: Lee Kuan Yew relished the details, seeking to win hearts and minds through logic and superior reasoning; Goh Chok Tong is fond of putting the issues on the table as questions and dilemmas - leading to observations and comments that these questions either present false RDS: The remaining issues Religious Diversity in Singapore is a collection of research papers originally presented in a series of workshops between 2004 and 2006 by the Institute of Policy Studies.1. When is the line crossed? Cross-reading with recent comments on religious harmonyNo restraining orders have been issued under the MRHA since it came into effect.However, the Government came close to invoking it on a number of MOE principal to present at Christian lobby seminar I draw your attention to the forthcoming GCF-RZIM Seminar on "Called To Engage - Being Salt and Light in the Public Square", scheduled on 8 and 10 August 2009 on the National Day weekend.Note that in the list of speakers is a Mrs Belinda Charles, who may be identified as the principal of Saint Andrew's Secondary School, a government-aided institution of learning under the purview of the Ministry Negotiating Christianity with other religions (RDS) Religious Diversity in Singapore is a collection of research papers originally presented in a series of workshops between 2004 and 2006 by the Institute of Policy Studies.Negotiating Christianity with other religions: The view of Christian clergymen in Singapore, by Mathew MathewsMathews's paper presents the results of a survey and a series of in-depth interviews conducted by the author. The year The Inter-religious Organisation of Singapore (RDS) Religious Diversity in Singapore is a collection of research papers originally presented in a series of workshops between 2004 and 2006 by the Institute of Policy Studies.The Inter-religious organisation of Singapore, by Lai Ah EngLai's paper presents a historical overview of the IRO's founding in 1948, its activities from that period to the present, with focus on its role in state-sanctioned Global Christian Culture and the Antioch of Asia (RDS) Religious Diversity in Singapore is a collection of research papers originally presented in a series of workshops between 2004 and 2006 by the Institute of Policy Studies.Global Christian Culture and the Antioch of Asia, by Jean DeBernadiDeBernadi's paper, resulting from a series of interviews with key Christian leaders in Singapore in 2004 and research conducted between 1995-2005, presents a Eye on Christianity Groundwork to Rethinking Secularism IIWhat does it mean to talk about the radicalisation and self-radicalisation of Christians in Singapore?If we are to examine if the impression holds true, what sort of data should we be looking at? Who or what do we need to focus on?Radicalisation and Self-radicalisation: a production of culture approachThe two terms were used in the immediate post-911 years to Rethinking secularism I Secularism 1.0: The beta version Papalee would rather forgetBelieve it or not, Singapore's wayang model of religious consultation isn't the first time the State had enlisted the religious communities in the nation-building process. This isn't the first time the State had its good intentions blow up in its face either. And guess what, the last time it happened, it involved teaching in schools A modest proposal for GRC reform 1. Decouple the political and administrative dimensions of Group Representative ConstituenciesWhile efficiencies of scale were never put forward as a justification for the GRC scheme, it is clear that these efficiencies do exist, enabling town councils in GRCs to lower costs and build up million-dollar rainy day funds.Thus, we propose that GRCs be kept.We also propose that GRCs be capped at a Minilee's reformasi decoded The PAP is not out to have a clean sweep. What we are trying to offer is certainty of good government and good people in charge. So my message is this: Have your desire for opposition fulfilled, but never to the extent of changing the government.- Goh Chok Tong, 3 May 2006Plus ça change, plus c'est la même choseFrom Minilee's proposed changes, we may tease out a probable set of dictums guiding An issue of statements III This article continues our ongoing analysis of the recent statements by faith groups on the Aware issue.Slightly more than 8 days after the conclusion of the Aware EGM and 10 days since his first statement as NCCS President, Bishop John Chew released a pastoral letter reflecting on the Aware issue. Where his first statement as NCCS president clearly needed clarity in terms of what he really meant An issue of statements II This article expands on ideas developed in these posts:Singapore's wayang model of religious consultationImperial overreach: NCCS editionA statement is much more than just a missive from a single source on a given topic. A statement does not exist in a vacuum; its meaning circumscribes and is circumscribed by other related statements in a field bounded by their common subject of inquiry, Imperial overreach: NCCS edition NCCS - nothing like MUISCertainly, the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) has benefited from the uniquely consultative style of the Singapore government in recent years, rising to occasion as a convenient spokesbody, representative, and leader for Protestants here.Founded in 1948 by a group of British clerics and friends who served as POWs at Changi Prison, the Malayan Christian Singapore's wayang model of religious consultation Imperial overreach redux, or: haven't we been here before?In the light of a second cycle of official statements coming from various churches and religious groups on the long aftermath of the Aware issue, it is clear that the matter is not closed, and will not be closed for some time. Despite their authority and positions, statements issued by various quarters more than a week ago lack the The gay agenda Yesterday, Aware. Today: the United Nations! Dun dun dunnnnn!Full story hereKampala - Ugandan Ethics Minister James Nsaba Buturo alleged on Friday that some United Nations member states were engaged in a covert campaign to spread homosexuality around the world."At the United Nations there are attempts by some nations to impose homosexuality on the rest of us," he told reporters. "We have learned Defending the right of Christians to discuss Do Christians have the right to engage in public discussion and national policy-making?In what manner, under what circumstances and rules of conduct should Christians engage in public discussion and national policy-making?Discuss.The following comes from the bulletin board of a church that shall not be named. Please note this denomination is considered to be socially liberal and theologically The 8th Germinal of Thio Su Mien Much of the revelations in the "On Aware's changing slant towards homosexuality and comprehensive sexual education in recent years" (now pulled off Aware's website after Feminist Mentor's G9 were deposed) centres on Aware's activities from 2005 to 2008.For the first time, the Aware Mother's Day celebration included presentations of mothers with lesbian daughters, alongside normal and Inquiring minds want to know: Caine Teo and Ape Communications As we celebrate our victory over the forces of Feminist Mentor, we urge people to review their memories of that hard-fought battle. It was a difficult battle despite the one-sided result.Over the past few days, we have received reports from people who attended the EGM at Suntec. As we review their accounts with the reports from twitter by articulate bloggers, the Wayang Party and The Online An issue of statements I A statement on the point at issueI would like to congratulate Constance Singam, new President Dana Lim and her executive committee for their success in retaking Aware.Thank you, old guard, for remaining steadfast to your principles, for calmly and clearly telling and showing what you stand for.Thank you, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Catholics, agnostics and atheists, for showing this Aware's new events management company Sometime between a week and a month ago, the new Aware exco engaged the services of advertising agency Ape Communications as the event manager of its EGM for today.From the New Paper:Aware was informed yesterday afternoon of Singapore Expo's decision to withdraw the venue through its event management company, Ape Communications, and no reasons were given until this afternoon.'Aware understands Civil society in a secular society 1. Lessons from AwareLike a pebble thrown into a stagnant pond, the takeover of Aware continues to create ripples in Singapore society. If Aware's previous leaders were caught off-guard, Singaporeans too were caught flat-footed and intellectually unprepared to grasp the real issues at hand.This has been a learning journey for all of us. If anything, we're learning the value of civil society. By Aware EGM change of venue Post updated 30 April 2009Official announcement here.Aside from the change to Suntec Exhibition Hall 402 Singapore Expo Hall 2, there are other things to note:"Admission and registration would (sic) be from 12.00 noon to 2.00 p.m. on Saturday, 2nd May 2009"This means people will be admitted into the expo hall beginning Saturday noon. If the hall should overfill by the time you arrive, good A message from Josie Lau The silence is brokenGo to the link for her full letter. I'm just going to quote parts here.Dear Valued MembersSince my election as President on 14th April 2009, I have received intense media attention. A group of AWARE members has gone public with various allegations and have called for an EGM for the specific purpose of removing me and my team. We have only been in office for less than 20 The law of eternal return 1. I am proud to be Feminist Mentor's feminist mentorAs my readers know - and the random AnonyMouse trolls ignore - I was against the boycott of DBS during the FOTF Singapore affair.Considering that there was no logical reason to sanction DBS for supporting FOTF Singapore in its honourable project to build a school for disabled children and its moderation into a progressive civil society actor, Group of 9 comes clean... 1. But are full of failAfter some weird events, the Group of 9 held a press conference very, very late last night.Maybe we should call them Group of 10, now that Thio Su Mien has come out as the broker of the takeover, and acknowledged it was really a takeover.I will leave Corinna Lim and the old guard to rebut the G9's hilarious inaccuracies and outright ignorance of Aware's programmes.It's a What does religion have to do with anything? It was never about religionGentle readers: from the blogs you've been reading about the Aware takeover, how many of them make religion the issue? How many of them invent religious epithets for the group of 9? As with Sam, we note the prevalence of hate speech against a certain religion in the dominant discourse, and express our disconcert and disapproval of the vituperative language. We note the Operation Leper: Lois Ng & Studio You Lois Ng was part of the group of 9 who took over the AWARE executive committee with the help of more than 100 surprise new members at its April AGM, in a non-transparent and hostile takeover that has extended to a full scale purge of key sub-committees and a communications lockdown in the organisation.Operation Leper monitors who they are working for, which voluntary, social, or welfare Operation Leper With the outrageously illiberal, undemocratic, and unprincipled takeover of AWARE, the NGO is now headed by a group whose behaviour and modus operandi runs counter to the principles of civil society. No serious operator in Singapore civil society will see AWARE under its new, mysterious, unknown, sneakily-elected through a hostile takeover leadership, as part of civil society.We do not know -