tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post5788869243776891013..comments2023-10-14T21:43:00.223+08:00Comments on Illusio: The campaign to confer the martyrdom award to Alfian Saatakikonomuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05750460516384317828noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-80387799741869295992007-06-19T18:21:00.000+08:002007-06-19T18:21:00.000+08:00I would be interested in hearing your commentary o...I would be interested in hearing your commentary on this:<BR/><BR/>http://xenoboysg.blogspot.com/2007/06/half-alfian-half-singaporean.html#commentsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-77771113515408286092007-06-14T23:40:00.000+08:002007-06-14T23:40:00.000+08:00Dear all,I am pleased to announce that Alfian Sa'a...Dear all,<BR/><BR/>I am pleased to announce that Alfian Sa'at has begun posting comments on this issue on the blog of my friend, the <A HREF="http://bushidoblog.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/alfian-saat-educated-fool/#comments" REL="nofollow">Blogger Samurai</A>.<BR/><BR/>As such, I am closing off the discussion here, and urging all commentators to redirect the discussion there instead.akikonomuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05750460516384317828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-22368939093746382372007-06-14T22:31:00.000+08:002007-06-14T22:31:00.000+08:00such fertile imagination bloggers have. i am sure ...such fertile imagination bloggers have. i am sure that between us, we can write a damn good conspiracy story that has hamsters hatching a plot to take over the world, Aedes mosquitoes using us to spread Dengue to Mars and dogs allying with cats to wipe out humanity and thus foiling the plans of hamsters and Aedes mosquitoes, therefore starting a massive three-way war with Humans as pawns.<BR/><BR/>thing is, if you look at the supposed teacher who blogs about work negatively and got away with it. i don't see anything in that blog that comes across as negatively as what Alfin Sa'at has blogged about. she just says how tired and exasperated she is. besides, she is anonymous. doesn't name names, etc. <BR/><BR/>MOE, being Civil Service, is lousy at giving responses. they think that they ought to, but no one knows how to (or can be bothered to) give an adequate response, so they give templatised, computer generated responses that don't mean anything. that is one flaw of not just MOE, but the entire Civil Service which i think they should changed. i've done what i can to change this, and am still slogging on. will it work? i don't know. i hope so.rench00https://www.blogger.com/profile/08945837600494918295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-16916288040955299982007-06-14T15:30:00.000+08:002007-06-14T15:30:00.000+08:00hotbod:firstly nobody disputes that Alfian was fir...hotbod:<BR/><BR/>firstly nobody disputes that Alfian was fired, and that he writes a lot of plays that criticise government. (But that should be taken in context: his plays criticise society, and government is only a part of society.) <BR/><BR/>That these 2 things are related, most people would agree, although maybe akikonomu is not one of them, but you are.<BR/><BR/>What we are talking about is this: should it be the case that once you have criticised the government, you are not entitled to a teaching job, even a relief teaching job? That seems to be the norm, what with all permanent teachers needing to go for mandatory brainwashing at the NIE before they start work. I don't agree with that. <BR/><BR/>If you've read books on Microsoft, you'd know that a lot of their staff criticise Microsoft from within. There are plenty of debates. Bill Gates almost completely ignored the internet, and could have made the terrible mistake of going down that road, if it wasn't for some of his subordinates who kicked his ass. If there are opposing factions within Microsoft, would you purge them or would you keep them on to counterbalance the currently dominant faction, and keep them on their toes?<BR/><BR/>The thing is, Microsoft has enemies. Who are the enemies of the government? The government is supposed to be for everyone. Only if we wage war on Malaysia then we can say, they are the enemy.<BR/><BR/>As for Francis Seow, I wonder if you mean Francis Seow the political dissident or Francis Seow the former top civil servant.7-8https://www.blogger.com/profile/13772775395041477772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-13673922873610834172007-06-14T15:05:00.000+08:002007-06-14T15:05:00.000+08:00I can only talk about my own point of view, which ...I can only talk about my own point of view, which is that reading his blog entries as being condescending is an excessively harsh verdict. To say that about somebody who volunteers to teach in a neighbourhood school at all, when most relief teachers from elite schools would go for the easier option, it doesn't make sense to me at all . <BR/><BR/>Now even Edward Said is careful not to paint Orientalism as something wholly negative, because he also thinks the it can teach the occident something about himself through analysing how he views the orient.<BR/><BR/>You see, in order to pursue this line of argument that Alfian could have been fired for comments made on his blog, you have to show that:<BR/><BR/>1. The comments that are made are negative. By negative, I don't mean colonialist. I mean negative. Also that his comments would damage the psyche of the students, the reputation of the students, the reputation of the school, etc etc what not. <BR/><BR/>2. Anybody else who blogs in this manner would be summarily fired. <BR/><BR/>3. That his infraction is so bad that even given the presumably laxer standards that would be applied to relief teachers, he would still be fired. <BR/><BR/>As for points 2 and 3, I could point you to at least<A HREF="http://www.toomanythoughts.org/blog/labels/Once%20a%20teacher.html" REL="nofollow"> one</A> other full time teacher who blogs about work (with arguably a more negative attitude than Alfian's) and still gets away with it. <BR/><BR/>There are other comments that you could make about his blog, such as how he might bring attention to how the MOE treats neighbourhood schools shabbily. How he might be a future threat by blogging, or evern worse, by writing a play about it. <BR/><BR/>But if you read the MOE reply carefully, they didn't say he did something wrong, they were basically saying he was the wrong sort of person, which is to say they reject him on the grounds of a background check. So even when you take them at their word, it comes down to the predominant interpretation that he's a dissident playwright and not somebody they'd want as a teacher, not even a relief teacher.7-8https://www.blogger.com/profile/13772775395041477772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-40416264924114280882007-06-13T17:35:00.000+08:002007-06-13T17:35:00.000+08:00Welcome, 7-8, to the Blogger Stadium!As I noted on...Welcome, 7-8, to the Blogger Stadium!<BR/><BR/><I>As I noted on samurai's blog, it's a little difficult to see what's the problem with the postings. Either you have got to stretch your imagination a lot, or you're one of those culture marxists who think that every time an elite opens his mouth to talk about members of another class, it's automatically condescending.</I><BR/><BR/>It certainly isn't my or the Blogger Samurai's argument that every time an elite opens his mouth... In fact, we take great care to cite the passages, to analyse the language used, the tones conveyed, and compare them to existing literature of colonial anthropologists.<BR/><BR/>I see this mode of analysis more in line with the close reading of New Criticism than of the economic base-cultural superstructure methods of Marxist or Critical Theory.<BR/><BR/>As to whether we would have to stretch our imaginations a lot to come up with this criticism of Alfian's writing being colonialist in tone and project... Well, we're adopting a critical reading method that Alfian himself, as a liberal postmodernist deconstructivist and critic of continuing colonialist attitudes in post-independent society, would most certainly employ himself.akikonomuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05750460516384317828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-88664297511045007842007-06-13T17:26:00.000+08:002007-06-13T17:26:00.000+08:00Hi Anthony, welcome back!I agree about the shoutin...Hi Anthony, welcome back!<BR/><BR/>I agree about the shouting loudly part. It helps that apparently Alfian Sa'at is now the poster boy of an increasingly loud and shrill movement to get MOE to account.<BR/><BR/>Being callous and caring - it's possible for MOE to be outraged by his description of the students and the school (caring) enough to summarily dismiss him (callous). But one presumes that the necessary paperwork and proper investigative procedures would actually make the honest option a less desired course of action - hence the retroactive rejection of the application.<BR/><BR/>Honestly, from a civil service perspective, I wouldn't want the public to use this case to set a precedence for any ministry to explain to the public even the hiring decisions of *temp workers*. The everyday machinery of the state would grind to a full stop if we actually let the public know every single thing they think they have a right to know.akikonomuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05750460516384317828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-26458250671202710582007-06-13T15:51:00.000+08:002007-06-13T15:51:00.000+08:00Akikonomu,If MOE was truly callous about relief te...Akikonomu,<BR/><BR/>If MOE was truly callous about relief teachers in general, then I submit that the fact that they responded at all means they aren't quite callous enough.<BR/><BR/>I'm puzzled. On one hand MOE felt they HAD to respond for some reason. On the other hand, they felt that they could not respond -honestly-. The former goes some way to show that MOE isn't just being callous and unconcerned - they are in fact aware of the potential repercussions of their actions. The latter goes to show that they cannot, for some reason, explain their actions.<BR/><BR/>Be that as it may, I understand the spirit of what you are trying to propose sounds a little far-fetched. The problem with dismissing someone like Alfian - even if it is for legitimate reasons, is that the first, automatic response would be for Alfian to cry foul. Citing a real legitimate reason will likely bring about even more accusations of cover-up.<BR/><BR/>In short, if a person cries loudly enough against someone seen to be unsympathetic, they will eventually win.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404874584727768253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-50873738598906058932007-06-13T15:32:00.000+08:002007-06-13T15:32:00.000+08:00I do not understand this whole hoo-haa that Mr Sa'...I do not understand this whole hoo-haa that Mr Sa'at is making here. He is someone who writes political plays, satires and had even taken a photo with a certain Francis Seow, a political exile. If you had written all these plays and poems to mock Bill Gates and taken a photo with Steve Jobs to tell everyone that you guys go a long way back, do you actually believe that Bill Gates will be benevolent enough to employ you in a role that will impact the growth of Microsoft greatly?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-71340568987004168402007-06-12T16:16:00.000+08:002007-06-12T16:16:00.000+08:00As I noted on samurai's blog, it's a little diffic...As I noted on samurai's blog, it's a little difficult to see what's the problem with the postings. Either you have got to stretch your imagination a lot, or you're one of those culture marxists who think that every time an elite opens his mouth to talk about members of another class, it's automatically condescending.<BR/><BR/>Teachers have blogged about their work without getting fired. Unless you think that mentioning somebody has vomitted in class without naming names, or narrating prankish behaviour is going to be part of their permanent record, or otherwise cause psychological scars that will linger for the rest of their lives, I don't see what the problem is.<BR/><BR/>If it's his blog, it's an acceptable reason, and MOE would have mentioned that as the reason in order to cover their ass. The fact that they have not means you can safely discount it.<BR/><BR/>No doubt he's a playwright, and therefore good at playing the public opinion, but I don't think this hoo hah is unjustified.7-8https://www.blogger.com/profile/13772775395041477772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-85232447283370580432007-06-12T12:51:00.000+08:002007-06-12T12:51:00.000+08:00Hi Anthony,Indeed, I am a little puzzled at why MO...Hi Anthony,<BR/><BR/>Indeed, I am a little puzzled at why MOE would retroactively reject the provisional acceptance instead of just stating the reasons - because the ministry would be entirely justified in removing him on grounds of his blogging about work.<BR/><BR/>Re the fluffy reply - I see it as a dismissive reply. If Alfian were a permanent teacher on payroll, I would assume they'd officially counsel him on the matter. But since he's expendable, temp staff, the MOE flunky who issued the notice probably decided no niceties were required.<BR/><BR/>It's not at all difficult to provide reasons - but MOE may have refrained, either from an obnoxious attitude towards expendable manpower or from a wish to keep things cordial between fellow members of the elite.akikonomuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05750460516384317828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-61078745813906650682007-06-12T11:25:00.000+08:002007-06-12T11:25:00.000+08:00The problem here is this.How difficult can it be t...The problem here is this.<BR/><BR/>How difficult can it be to say to Alfian that he was wholly unprofessional in his conduct as a relief teacher?<BR/><BR/>Instead, MOE gives an extremely fluffy reply, devoid of content - how else are we supposed to interpret this, apart from there being more insidious reasons for his dismissal.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16404874584727768253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-71946435291464887932007-06-11T23:47:00.000+08:002007-06-11T23:47:00.000+08:00Hi Andrew,Noted, hit refresh on browser to see cor...Hi Andrew,<BR/><BR/>Noted, hit refresh on browser to see corrections.akikonomuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05750460516384317828noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-27381954477423927322007-06-11T22:24:00.000+08:002007-06-11T22:24:00.000+08:00Hi again,My apologies. It should be "carefully coo...Hi again,<BR/><BR/>My apologies. It should be "carefully coordinated campaign" and not "concerted campaign".<BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/>Andrew<BR/>theonlinecitizenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10473879.post-42813915042910062382007-06-11T22:12:00.000+08:002007-06-11T22:12:00.000+08:00Hi Akikonomu,You said:"it appears that there is a ...Hi Akikonomu,<BR/><BR/>You said:<BR/><BR/>"it appears that there is a carefully coordinated campaign by prominent bloggers to turn this into an issue to bash the MOE, the civil service, and maybe even the PAP with"<BR/><BR/>Clicking on the "prominent bloggers" link, it leads to theonlinecitizen.com.<BR/><BR/>I would like to clarify that as far as theonlinecitizen is concerned, we are not part of any "concerted campaign" - if indeed there is one to begin with.<BR/><BR/>Neither have we been involved in any "secret" or "covert" discussions about the subject/topic or how to go about conducting this so-called "concerted campaign".<BR/><BR/>I am not sure where you get the idea that theonlinecitizen is involved in such a campaign.<BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/>Andrew<BR/>theonlinecitizenAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com