Opposition landslide in Japan will jangle nerves of incumbent Asian governments

When I picked up my copy of Singapore's Straits Times this morning, I was shocked to see on the front page the following pull-out quote under the title "Time for change":

"It's too long for a single party to dominate national politics."

The story went on to describe a country with a rapidly-ageing population and low birth rate that has been hit hard by the global economic crisis.

The article gave details of a "historic win" which has "rang down the curtain on over 50 years of almost uninterrupted rule" by the governing party.

The government was apparently defeated by a relatively inexperienced opposition because voters were "weary of a government whose pro-business policies had widened the income gap in recent years".

The opposition campaigned on a reform platform that "promised to end wasteful government spending, remove cushy jobs for retired bureaucrats and provide more money for childcare and education".

I was extremely surprised to read such sentiments in the Straits Times, until I realised that they were of course talking about Japan.

On a serious note, though, unlike the turbulence that followed the 1997 financial crisis, there have been very few political repercussions in Asia so far this time.

Up until the drubbing dealt out to the LDP in Japan, most incumbent Asian governments probably felt that, with no major banking crises in the region, they would not face the voters' wrath at the ballot box.

Now, other long-time governing parties in Asia (not least in Singapore and Malaysia), will surely be sitting up and taking notice.

Kartika caning reveals deep irony of Malaysia

Today's Straits Times has a great quote from Clive Kessler, the veteran Australian sociologist, about one of the fundamental ironies of Malaysia, which seems particularly insightful given the Kartika caning furore.

"If you're not a Malay or Muslim, you've diminished rights but a great deal of freedom. If you're on the Malay side of the equation, you've got lots of rights but very little freedom." (A version of the interview is online here.)

So poor old Kartika can get a guaranteed place at university and a scholarship to boot, buy a cheap condo and nab a seat on the board of a government-linked company but she can't crack open a beer in peace.

Meanwhile, her fellow citizens of Indian and Chinese origin can drink to their heart's content but have to go overseas to get a place at university (perhaps not such a bad thing, after all...), shell out more for property and pay off Malays in order to get ahead in business.

In the interview, Kessler also suggests that UMNO, the Malaysian ruling party, has been slow to change because "it has wanted to keep the political world of deference, obedience, favour-seeking and gratitude".

He's right, of course. Furthermore, I'd argue that even those within UMNO who want change are unable to deliver it because, as another academic put it to me recently, "UMNO is corrupted to its core, like India's Congress Party".

Timor-Leste ten years on: counting the cost of independence?

In the decade since Timor-Leste (East Timor) voted to become independent from Indonesia, the former mother country has gone from strength to strength while the tiny new nation has struggled with violence, political uncertainty, corruption and a stagnant economy.

An interesting article in The Economist this week argues that many Timorese, particularly in the countryside, are "nostalgic for the benefits of Indonesian rule" and that the highlight of the 10-year independence celebrations in run-down Dili will be a performance by an Indonesian pop star.

Given the violence, repression and lack of development prior to independence, it's not surprising that Timor-Leste has struggled to pull itself up. What's been more surprising is the re-invention of Indonesia following the fall of Suharto and the Asian financial crisis - something that few predicted back in 1999.

The Economist still concludes that most Timorese are happier as an independent nation. But freedom has not come cheap.

Monocle's eye on Singapore

For those of you who feel I can be relentlessly negative about this little red dot, you may want to check out the survey of Singapore in the latest edition of Monocle.

I am one of the major contributors to the pull-out supplement, which profiles the best Singapore has to offer from business to tourism and culture to architecture.

Unfortunately, Monocle is one of those anachronistic publications that believe they should make money out of their content, so you'll have to buy a copy or subscribe to see the survey online.

You can however check out a quirky little trailer online here.

Harvard management guru's Singapore tribute backfires

UPDATE: Perhaps rather predictably, the Straits Times has re-published Davenport's blog as the main piece in its comment section today (Thursday) under the headline "Not perfect, but still a role model". It's ironic that the piece probably came to their attention because of Singaporeans criticising it.

Tom Davenport is an American management guru who has written books such as The Attention Economy, What's the big idea? and Thinking for a living and writes a rather self-elevated blog called The Next Big Thing for Harvard's business publishing unit.

After a recent trip to Singapore he penned a laudatory post about the city-state, suggesting in typical management speak that it could be a "model of judgement" for the US.

He praised Singapore for being hardworking, disciplined, obsessed with education and ethnically diverse with good infrastructure and a strong economy.

So you'd think his comments would go down well with Singaporeans, right? Well, think again. Of the more than 20 reactions all but one or two are highly critical of his rose-tinted view of Singapore.

The commenters seem to take particular umbrage at Davenport's suggestion that "many of the seemingly autocratic regulations might be justified by the ethnic diversity and high population density of the country".

It's interesting that while China's online rabble tend to target blogs that make negative comments about their country, Singapore's internet community tend to go after anyone who is too positive about their nation.

Hat-tip to The Online Citizen.

How I inadvertently launched a global kidney trading exchange

"I am 22 years old, male, married, Indonesia, healthy, want to donate the one of my kidney. My blood group is O+, I'm not drink, not use drugs, and never have any kidney deseases. I want to donate my kidney for the exchange just for US$15,000.00 for my kidney, because I have a financial problem and I must gift lived for my wife and my daughter for they further."

Back in January, I wrote a story for Asia Sentinel about Singapore's decision to legalise the payment of compensation to organ donors - a controversial move that critics argue will allow de facto organ trading.

I didn't think much about the story until last week, when I was alerted to the fact that the comments section had been overtaken by people from all over the world (like our Indonesian friend above) seemingly trying to flog their kidneys for cash.

There's no way of knowing if these people are merely scamsters but their adverts appear genuine, with some showing serious knowledge about the transplant health screening process.

Interestingly, there's quite a wide price differential, suggesting that the current global market for kidneys is extremely inefficient.

While Ageng, our Indonesian seller, wants US$15,000 for his O+ organ and some others want as much as US$25,000, Rajravi, from Hyderabad, India, is happy to sell his for just US$7,000 (or 3.25-3.5 lakh rupees). Interested parties can contact Ageng on kidneyforsell@hotmail.com or +62 838 5838 199 and Rajravi on 09346596588.

Of the 13 offerors, many seem to be based in Asia. Four are from India, two from Indonesia and one from the Philippines. But there is a representative from East Africa, Kenney from Kenya who is healthy and has "never used any drug due to religion", and, perhaps surprisingly, one from Germany.

All of which got me thinking that there must be a lot of money to be made by starting up a proper global organ trading exchange, a concept which has been suggested by some maverick transplant surgeons in the past (see article here).

There's clearly no shortage of willing sellers around the world and there are many ailing businessmen too unhealthy or old to qualify for a transplant through the usual channels that would be willing buyers.

Before the green ink brigade (or their online equivalent, the caps-lock brigade) burst any blood vessels, I should emphasise that I'm not condoning (or criticising) the practice of organ trading.

Just explaining that it could be a very profitable business for someone with the cojones and legal nous to set up a global organ exchange.

Foreign media's "love" for Anwar Ibrahim on the wane

Critics of Anwar Ibrahim, the charismatic Malaysian opposition figure, often argue that he is "loved" by the foreign media - as if popularity among Western journalists is some sort of damning indictment of his credentials.

Well poor old Anwar doesn't seem as loved as he once was. First, The Economist eased the knife in with an extended column suggesting he was something of a chameleon. Now Philip Bowring in the New York Times suggests that Anwar has been "unable to shake off the perception that he is an opportunist telling different groups what they want to hear" (hat-tip to Reme Ahmad).

One UMNO loyalist even suggested to me (semi-jokingly) that Anwar is so concerned about his deteriorating image that he would rather be convicted for sodomy in his upcoming trial so as to give him extra martyrdom points and more support in the West.

It's true to say that Anwar has lost some momentum since the "political tsunami" of 2008, when his loose coalition helped to cut down the government's two-thirds majority. But, in a democracy (albeit an imperfect one), it is inevitable that the opposition struggles to make an impact in the electoral no-man's land between polls.

More than anything else, I think the critical analyses of Anwar penned by The Economist and the NYT are a sign of the plurality of views entertained in the Western media - something that cannot be said for Malaysia's government-controlled press.

UPDATE: Beer-drinking Malayisan mother spared the cane...for now

UPDATED - Apparently it's just a delay for Ramadan and the sentence will still be carried out.

So, as predicted, the saga still has some way to run.

Caning of beer-drinking model a sign of true equality in Malaysia

Now that the Malaysian government has retained the services of a global PR firm, APCO, surely the spinners will be able to come up with some innovative communication strategies to limit the damage to the country's international reputation caused by the decision to cane Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a woman who was caught drinking?

Here are some suggested approaches to assuage the outrage of the international media:

1. "It's part of our new equal opportunities drive". Men are routinely caned in Malaysia for a variety of criminal and religious offences so, in a forward-thinking, egalitarian society such as this, why shouldn't women have the same opportunity? 1Malaysia, 1Cane.

2. "It's part of our crack-down on binge drinking". International journalists, particularly those in Britain, will know what a scourge binge drinking can be, wreaking havoc in town centres every weekend.

As part of Malaysia's responsible drinking framework, there will be fewer happy hours, higher tax on alcohol, a ban on alco-pops and, of course, caning for any women caught drinking.

3. "It's proof that Malaysia is a truly multi-racial society". The government is keen to ensure that racist (sorry, I mean racial) harmony is maintained in the cultural melting pot that is Malaysia. And it understands racial sensitivities.

Therefore, Chinese or Indians are free to drink until their livers pack up, as alcoholism is a fundamental part of their wanton cultures. But in order to uphold the dignity of the true sons and daughters of this nation, Malays cannot drink (unless they are rich enough to do it in private clubs and/or pay off the religious police).

4. "Kartika is actually being treated very leniently in a sign of Malaysia's deep compassion". While judicial canings are pretty brutal, as this video (not for the faint hearted) shows, Kartika is getting off pretty lightly.

She will be caned while fully clothed and kneeling down, using a thin little stick that's just designed to cause a mildly unpleasant sensation - akin to being tickled, some say.

As Harussani Zakaria, one of Malaysia's most-eminent religious scholars put it, this caning is just designed to "shame her and educate her", rather than tear her flesh irreparably to pieces like normal caning sessions.

"Even if a person is caned 40 times, it won't cause death," he explained. And if that doesn't reassure you about Malaysian compassion, then nothing will.

Welcome to Malaysia, Truly Asia.

ASEAN to ask junta to let Suu Kyi take part in elections?

ASEAN's much-hyped letter to the Myanmar junta may call on the generals to allow Aung San Suu Kyi to take part in next year's elections, according to diplomatic sources.

The wording of the letter, which marks a departure from ASEAN's usual policy of non-interference in domestic matters, has yet to be finalised. But it is likely to call on the junta to give clemency to Suu Kyi, who was sentenced to 18 months house arrest for allowing American oddball John Yettaw to stay at her house without permission.

However, the letter, which is being pushed by Thai foreign minister Kasit Piromya and backed by Singaporean foreign minister George Yeo, is not likely to call for the release of all political prisoners, diplomatic sources said.

Instead, ASEAN is more likely to take a softer line, asking the junta merely to respect the judicial process and urging national reconciliation between the ruling generals and opposition politicians.

Taxi tales: From molecular biologist to cab driver

No, this isn't a historical tale about some Eastern European dissident academic forced out of his job in the days of Communist rule.

It's a story about a veteran researcher at Singapore's government-funded Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), who lost his job in bitter circumstances last year and has been forced to become a cab driver for lack of any other work.

Dr Cai Ming Jie, who described taxi driving as "the last resort to be reserved for Singaporeans when all other jobs shut them out", set up an insightful blog describing his enforced career change earlier this year.

It's definitely worth checking out.

More on loan sharks in Singapore

I've got a more in-depth story on the loan shark problem in Singapore in the Asia Sentinel (extract below), which looks at why Singaporeans are turning to illegal money-lenders and what can be done to fight the surging intimidation and violence.

When the Singapore police nailed four suspected members of a loan-sharking syndicate on July 21, they seized the usual paraphernalia: mobile phones and prepaid SIM cards and the time-honored tools of intimidation such as paint to be splashed on the doors of bad debtors and superglue to lock them inside their apartments.

But while loan sharks – or Ah Longs as they are known – have long been a ubiquitous presence on Singapore's sprawling public housing estates, this gang is one of a growing number taking bully-boy tactics to the next level.

One of the members, according to the police, had been sending bullets to borrowers in an attempt to scare them into paying up. The syndicate, which police said was responsible for more than 600 harassment cases, were said to have also been terrorizing the wider community by starting fires outside the apartments of bad debtors.

Cynthia Phua, an MP from the ruling People's Action Party, told local media in a recent interview that the level of harassment in her constituency in eastern Singapore has surged. "It is also more violent," she said. "We are seeing things we did not see before, like petrol bombs and innocent neighbors being harassed."

In a city-state that proudly boasts one of the lowest crime rates in Asia, such violence was once rare. But, worryingly for the government and the vast majority of the population who live in the public housing estates, it is becoming increasingly widespread as the economic crisis forces more people to turn to loan sharks.

How transcendental meditation can solve Afghan violence

On the eve of the Afghan elections, violence has predictably erupted in Kabul.

The Afghan government has asked local and foreign journalists not to report on the violence during election day so as not to put voters off casting their ballots.

But there appears to be a much more effective way to solve the problem. All you need is 580 people (the square root of 1% of the population) thinking positive thoughts and practicing transcendental meditation and all the violence in Afghanistan can be beaten.

I'm serious - or at least the oddballs from the Center for Advanced Military Science at the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy, which is part of the Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, are.

John Berthelsen has the full story over at the Asia Sentinel (which I write for).

You could not make this up.

Camping not so happy for homeless Singaporeans

Unlike most city centres, if you walk around downtown Singapore, you almost certainly won't come across any homeless people.

That's largely because vigorous policing in the showpiece city centre ensures that the homeless are shunted out to the suburbs.

One such man, Noor Mohammad Yassin Ismail, has been jailed for four days after being found camping without a permit in Singapore's East Coast Park, a pleasant 6km stretch of beach.

He was fined S$800 but then jailed because he was unable to pay. At least he'll have a roof over his head for a few days...

I'd always presumed that all the people camping on the East Coast, at Changi beach and Sembawang Park were there for a night out until I met a social worker last week who told me otherwise.

Apparently some homeless Singaporeans are forced to live in tents on a permanent basis. Unlike Noor, who was apprehended by eagle-eyed park rangers, the wiser campers take down their tents every morning so as not to arouse suspicions.

Why I wish I was working in China

China appears to be opening up to foreign journalists, with a senior official from the State Council Information Office announcing that government ministries should adopt a "zero refusal" policy with foreign correspondents.

"Zero refusal means that the ministries must designate people to deal with calls and interview requests from foreign media and that they have to give a response within 24 hours or the period they prescribed, no matter what the result is," Guo Weimin, director of the SCIO press department, told China Daily, the government's main English language mouthpiece.

If (and it's a big if) upheld, this new policy from the cautious, censorious Chinese authorities contrasts sharply with the approach from many government ministries in open Singapore.

It may be one of the easiest places to do business in the world, but it is perhaps one of the hardest to do journalism.

Government spokespeople here rarely return calls before a deadline, perhaps hoping that journalists (representing both domestic and foreign publications) will not chase them and they will be spared the precarious task of actually speaking to a journalist.

Another favourite practice is not to invite foreign correspondents to any important government press conferences, perhaps because they are concerned that the news will be mis-interpreted.

To illustrate, earlier this week, I contacted the press office of the Singapore Police Force to speak to them about the rising rate of loan shark crime.

After claiming initially that I was not an accredited journalist in Singapore (I am, of course, a bona fide foreign media representative) I was eventually told that they would not speak to me, answer any questions or even provide me with any statistics because the publication I was working for on this story, the Asia Sentinel, was "not accredited".

Thanks a lot guys. Oh to be in press-friendly China...