Dollah Kassim and other heroes from my childhood.

Hi Friends,

Close your eyes.

Imagine Dollah Kassim standing before a ball in the National Stadium- about to take a free kick.

If you cannot picture him with his classic “arms akimbo” pose, I can bet that you were not at any Malaysia Cup match of the 1970’s.

Boys of my vintage derived immense pleasure from thronging to the Kallang arena weekend after weekend to watch the likes of Dollah Kassim whip the minnows of Malaysia in the only sports event that mattered- the Malaysia Cup.

Perlis, Johor,Malacca,Negri Sembilan were cannon fodder for Dollah and the gang. Only Selangor and occasionally Penang were any match for us.

If my memory does not fail me, the gang included:
Eric Paine (goalie); Hasli Ibrahim and Syed Mutalib (both capable of breaking legs) ; Seak Poh Leong (Captain); Robert Sim;Samad Allapitchay; “Camel” Rajagopal; Quah Kim Song; Quah Kim Lye;"baby-faced" Mohamed Noh and of course Dollah Kassim. (addendum 6.10.09 5.40am- "Terry" Pathmanathan was inevitably left out. Apologies)

Their Malaysian nemesis were giants like "spiderman" Arumugam; Santokh Singh;"Towkay" Soh Chin Aun;Mokhtar Dahari;Shukoh Salleh and Isa Bakar.

Filling the Kallang cauldron with 50000 or more screaming adulating fans was a “given” every weekend. The coach was of course the wheelchair-bound Choo Seng Quee who would start each training session with the national anthem.

Dollah, thanks for the memories.

Our prayers are with you and we hope that you can overcome the biggest “match” yet. You have beaten the odds before and you can do it again.

Your faithful fan,

Dr Huang Shoou Chyuan


Singapore football legend Dollah still in critical condition (Today 5th Oct 2009)

SINGAPORE: Singapore's football legend Dollah Kassim is still unconscious and in a critical condition after suffering a heart attack at Sunday's Sultan of Selangor Cup veterans game. Paramedics had to resuscitate Dollah before he arrived in hospital and the 60-year-old underwent an emergency angioplasty procedure to unclog blocked arteries on Sunday night. Dollah is warded in the Intensive Care Unit at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He is hooked up to machines and his breathing assisted by breathing machines. His family has requested the doctors not to reveal too much at this point in time.

Upgrading PP & Hougang: Righting a shameful wrong

Dear Friends,

Despite the good that our PAP leaders have done, shameful partisan acts such as denying public resources to tax-paying citizens just because they exercised their constitutional right to elect a Member of Parliament (MP) of their choice, would negatively impact on their historical legacy when they have finally left the stage ( or the world).

Neutral historians ( not the Men-in-white type) will always add a post-script such as … “notwithstanding his positive contributions, he would also be remembered for controversial policies which…” ( feel free to complete the para).

Now that our rulers have decided to reverse their stand, what do we see? We see losing ( not loser) political candidates come out and try to claim the limelight ( and maybe credit as well).

Where were these PAP men when their party masters took away these rights from their prospective constituents? Did they raise vociferous objections or resign in protest? ( maybe they did but the MSM did not report them?).

They are now forming committees to help residents vote for the upgrading-the denial of which they or their predecessors consented to by their sheepish silence and lack of spine.

Oh, should not the voting be under the purview of the rightfully elected MP, the right honourable Chiam See Tong and (perhaps later) Low Kia Thiang?

"Shame. Shame,Shame... Shame on you!" ( sang Caroline Fernandez in a Talentine contest decades ago) Correction (5.10.09 8.40pm- it should be Carol Ann Fernandez)

Enough said!

Dr Huang Shoou Chyuan

Ref: ChannelNewsasia

HDB blocks 101 to 109 in Potong Pasir Ave 1 to get lift upgrading

02 October 2009 1907 hrs

SINGAPORE: Blocks 101 to 109 in Potong Pasir Avenue 1 will be the first in an opposition ward to undergo lift upgrading, according to People's Action Party (PAP) adviser to Potong Pasir, Sitoh Yih Pin, in a news release on Friday evening. In July, the government announced that some blocks in opposition-held Potong Pasir and Hougang will come under the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP). The plan is to have all eligible blocks go under the programme by 2014. Mr Sitoh, who was also the PAP's candidate in Potong Pasir in the last election, added that he will be forming a working committee. This committee will implement the upgrading, which involves garnering a necessary 75 per cent support from affected residents. The scope of works for LUP includes an overhaul of existing lifts and works required to give direct lift access on every floor.

Singapore Athletics- Still stuck in the 70's

Hi Friends,

Although I am a keen observer of Singapore sports, I confess that essentially I am not much more than an armchair critic.

However, all stakeholders of Singapore Sports, even chair-bound ones like myself , have a right to expect something from Singapore Athletics.

Athletics has remained trapped in the 70’s. While sports like Swimming, Bowling, Sailing and Table-tennis have moved forward and beyond fighting for glory at the regional level (eg SEA Games), Athletics has not.

Ask anyone with any interest in Athletics which national athlete they remember, and invariably, it would be Chee Swee Lee, Jayamani and maybe James Wong. Do not waste your time asking anyone younger than 35 years old if you want anything other than a blank stare.

If I were running a National Sports Association (NSA), which has not delivered any tangible results despite being at the helm for many decades, I would graciously step aside and say to myself,” Self, I have done my best. Despite that and despite my deep love for Singapore Athletics, it is time for someone else to do his/her part. Maybe it was not meant to be”

It is the same in every sport in any major civilized country.

Don’t meet the target- you have to go. Simple.

Dr Huang Shoou Chyuan

References:

1. Forum Letter 1

2. Forum Letter 2

3. Today article

Private Educational Organisations- Accountability needed in the system

Hi friends,

I have written to Straits Times Forum about the ongoing debacle that has struck Singapore’s Private Education System.

I have strong feelings about this as I had enrolled in 2 Private Educational Organisations (PEO) in the past 3-4 years ( and I enjoyed it).

The first PEO was an University of London accredited college and I spent one year on the London School of Economics (external program). I then jumped track after one year and embarked on a PEO which helped me get my MBA with a university in south Australia.

I guess I was lucky as I was not fleeced by PEO’s who were degree-mills ( unlike Brookes Business School).

I made many friends in both institutions and what struck me most was that these students who are already disadvantaged ( as most of them are there by default as the official Uni’s -NUS/NTU/SMU, had either rejected them or made it not practical to enroll in), now face risks of wasting time in degree mills and being victims of scams.

In the Bachelor’s program, my classmates were mainly polytechnic graduates (20-30 years olds) trying to advance their careers with a recognizable degree ( UOL-LSE) and despite the gulf in age, we had a great time. I had to do Maths/Stats/Econs/Marketing/Accounting with people less than half my age! I think only one or two lecturers were older than I. haha.

In the MBA program, my classmates were a mixture of locals and foreignors, degree holders as well as mature polytechnic graduates. Only Mr. S.A. was older than O and I! Projects and presentations were the order of the day and we survived it and most of us convocated in Adelaide last year. ( we also had wine and song ( no women) there!).

However,there are many who are not as lucky as us and we read about them in the Brookes saga and in so many horror stories that I cannot recall these PEO's names as they come and go as surely as the wind.

I honestly feel that if some people were not sleeping on their jobs, there would have been less broken hearts and dreams.

To those in the PEO system, please fight on. Don’t let the system's failure distract you from your dreams and aspirations. Yes you can! ( even pass Statistics & Accounting)

The letter to the Forum page demanding accountability

July 26, 2009

Dear editor,

Singapore’s reputation as a hub of educational excellence had been dealt a serious dent, by what I can only describe as, a string of gaffes which I do not expect from our efficient civil service and government related bodies.

Involvement of Case;EDB;Spring Singapore;MTI

I refer to Sunday Times’ write-up yesterday (Academic checks not our job: Case), where Case (Consumer Association of Singapore) disavowed any responsibility for ensuring academic excellence in the Private Educational Organisations (PEO) who pay money to be accredited with the Casetrust mark, without which these PEO’s would not have been able to enrol foreign students.

Case’ executive director, Mr. Seah Seng Choon, also explained that in 2004, Economic Development Board (EDB) developed the Education Excellence Framework which consisted of three components: organizational excellence; academic excellence and excellence in student protection and welfare practices and that Casetrust’s purview was limited to the last component. Organizational excellence was run by Spring Singapore and most tellingly, an accreditation council which was supposed to be set up by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) to oversee the academic component, ensuring delivery of quality programmes by the PEO’s, did not “materialize” despite official EDB press statements.

In essence, one leg of the tripod was missing, hence contributing to the present pathetic saga amongst PEO’s.

Involvement of MOE

Furthermore, Australia’s RMIT had officially complained to our Ministry of Education in April 2007 about Brooke’s false claims and Senior Minister of State for Education, Mr. S Iswaran, revealed to parliament recently, that apart from warning Brookes two months later, no further significant action was taken by MOE.

Accountability and explanations please!

Although the main culprit is obviously Brookes, Singapore’s public and students left in the lurch by the Brookes saga still deserve a coherent explanation of how the implementation of a much heralded public policy had failed and the interests of stakeholders of Singapore’s private educational system were left unprotected.

I totally understand why these students feel let down. After all, they had put their faith in Case and other official bodies only to find out after the fact that Singapore’s reputation as an efficient and well-oiled city-state was to them, more imaginary than real.

Dr.Huang Shoou Chyuan