|
You like water do ya? Fresh, potable water eh?
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2015 09:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 01:55 |
|
|
ronya posted:Singapore has a population in the ballpark of Norway or Denmark (~5m), it cannot subsist on the Liechtenstein/Bermuda model of a concentrated financial haven quote:rather, Singapore revolves around value-adding to imports which are then re-exported; this only works because the stuff is being transshipped there anyway. quote:its dominant trade partners are either Malaysia or EU/US/JP, not its sketchier immediate neighbors quote:I mean, it's not wrong, sketchy cronies from immediate neighbours do put their money in Singapore, but that's not the primary economic activity
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2015 00:24
|
|
|
The factories and warehouses are, increasingly, in Johor (not so much Batam, which lacks a sufficiently deep port or land links to anywhere useful). But there are Bumiputera ownership requirement problems and a weak labour supply. If you need low-skilled workers who can't speak English, you may as well just go straight to Vietnam. Malaysia is the in middle-income neither-here-nor-there trap. There are obvious food-and-nonoil-commodities reasons for trade with Malaysia to be substantive; these are not high financial flows. Malaysia is indeed corrupt (cough "campaign donations" cough) but there's Malaysia-levels of corrupt (#50 on the 2014 CPI) and then there's Indonesia (#107) or China (#100) or Vietnam (#119) or Nepal (#126), sitting in the ballpark of luminaries like Mexico (#103). Malaysia is pretty corrupt. It still ranks better than Greece and Italy (#69), for perspective! Be reasonable. Are you intending to be hyperbolic, or do you seriously object to the typical characterization of relative levels of dysfunction? Singapore's SWFs have a portfolio composed principally of formerly nationalized industries, you don't need to make stuff up there either. In the 1990s the SWFs began branching out, true, but into international equity rather than local financial industry. The casino resort is owned by a publicly-listed American corporation, not CapitaLand or the SWF's more well-known majority-owned subsidiaries (Is this the Roy Ngerng disease or something? A conviction that there must be something dreadfully rotten in the state of Singapore, something that is necessarily philosophically epitomic of the neoliberal oppression of global capital or whatnot? It's not enough for there to be pedestrian first-world-small-open-economy problems, Singapore must be a nexus in the global drama of capitalist crisis? It's not enough for the PAP to be exercising a petty stranglehold via gerrymandering and elaborate blurring of the lines between achievements of the civil service and those of the incumbent party, it must also be squirreling illicit funds away to fund "lifestyles"? They are paid those famously high salaries. You can look those up. It's not a mystery) ronya fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Aug 22, 2015 |
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2015 17:03
|
|
|
Gail Wynand posted:Singapore's raison d'ętre is cashing in on its neighbors' corruption. They have a fancy airline and airport to get you in, casinos for laundering your cash, bank secrecy and a favorable tax regime for stashing it, and high end shopping/restaurants/hotels/investment property for spending it. Kind of like Vegas, except with a way more desirable location. I'm not sure I see the problem here.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2015 19:32
|
|
|
GreyjoyBastard posted:I'm not sure I see the problem here. 
|
|
#
?
Aug 23, 2015 03:20
|
|
|
Can't get enough of this poo poo. It would be funny if it weren't so dangerous, and if it weren't emblematic of how police in the whole region tend to operate. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/25/bangkok-bombing-broken-security-cameras-add-to-investigators-woes quote:Police in Thailand say they have used their “imagination” to piece together the movements of the prime suspect in a bomb attack at a shrine last week that killed 20 people because most of the security cameras on the getaway route were broken.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2015 17:01
|
|
|
Also this:quote:Last Thursday Prayuth suggested Thai police might want to use inspiration from the hit American crime series Blue Blood, according to the Bangkok Post.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2015 17:48
|
|
|
Oh god I didn't even bother reading down that far. Incredible.
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2015 18:07
|
|
|
There's life imitating art, and then there's the head of your military junta recommending that the country's police force get a netflix account so they can learn how to do their jobs. Do most Thai police just get their jobs from connections, or is there some sort of actual training and selection process involved?
|
|
#
?
Aug 25, 2015 18:13
|
|
|
So they "caught" the dude. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/29/us-thailand-blast-idUSKCN0QY07O20150829
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 22:16
|
|
|
The whole Turkish angle is weird but not impossible. Tony Davis, Janes's SEA analyst, suspects the nationalist Grey Wolves, but I'm not sure what tip he's working for that specific angle. My understanding is that the Turkish government reached some sort of behind the scenes compromise on some of the Uighurs but some elements weren't satisfied. I actually saw a bunch of them last year in immigration detention before they were repatriated (while visiting another detained ethnic group) so AMA about Bangkok immigration detention.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2015 23:33
|
|
|
As I mentioned in the travel thread, it's unlikely that Thailand would scapegoat a Turkish national. Even if this guy is incidental to the bombing, he was definitely involved in something. Thailand is sort of like France prior to the disco bombings of the 1980s. In other words, Thailand is considered a hands off safe zone by everybody, and the flip side of that is the Thai authorities don't interfere with foreign people coming and going unless they either A) create problems by doing something that's really bad here or B) hit the radar of a very powerful country and there is a lot of pressure to detain them. Viktor Bout or Hambali are examples of the latter, the Iranian bomb-makers from a few years ago and - probably (don't know yet, could be a mistake) - this guy are examples of the former. If all you want to do is stay here for a while, meet with your other criminal buddies and plan some things and then leave and do them, it will be hands off as long as you are off of the radar of the major powers. Turkey is not like the world's most powerful country, but it is a fairly influential country in certain spheres and right now it is a very sensitive ally of the Americans and Europeans who would not want them pissed off and would have definitely done some back room talking in Thailand over this Uighur issue, so there are many reasons that Thailand would not want to get in a direct spat with Turkey if it was unavoidable. That's why I think this guy probably was really involved in something.
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2015 05:03
|
|
|
Just caught this: http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/673708/phone-data-leads-to-bomb-arrest If they were actually using international roaming, and this is all accurate, boy are they f****** stupid. The Thai authorities are seen as bumbling when it comes to police work because they don't usually actually want to solve anything, but when they actually want to get to the bottom of something they can be pretty drat effective. Not to mention they would have offers of help from every major intelligence agency in the world if they wanted. Using an international cell phone like that is hilarious in a country where you could still get the SIM card for $3 off the rack without a passport in many many shops. In any case, it sounds like there is definitely something up here that is legit. That's not the usual scant amount of detail, that is a lot of specific detail. ReindeerF fucked around with this message at 07:43 on Aug 30, 2015 |
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2015 07:40
|
|
|
Thai police give themselves the 3 million baht reward for their "talent and ability" (the bomber hasn't been caught yet).
|
|
#
?
Sep 1, 2015 19:08
|
|
|
The DNA evidence appears to show that Blue Steel from the other day is NOT the http://www.cbsnews.com/news/thailand-bangkok-erawan-shrine-bomber-on-loose-suspect-ruled-out/ So the hunt for Yellowman or the appropriate scapegoat continues.
|
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2015 22:30
|
|
|
CronoGamer posted:The DNA evidence appears to show that Blue Steel from the other day is NOT the quote:"Now we don't have any evidence to say that he is the yellow-shirted man ... from the investigation maybe he is not (the yellow-shirted man)," Prawut told reporters.
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2015 01:03
|
|
|
I really love the idea that Thai police have two separate teams for actual investigations and scapegoating. Like there's an office where they just have a pinboard with pictures divided up by ethnicity ready to go.
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2015 10:31
|
|
|
It's more like they have people like the ones Chalerm's kids murdered and then they have the ones like Chalerm's kids and they all know that when poo poo actually needs to get done there need to take their heels off the ones Chalerm's kids shoot.
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2015 18:07
|
|
|
For those tuning in to this week's tragicomedy in Singapore, some analysis by Cherian George
|
|
#
?
Sep 7, 2015 04:54
|
|
|
For those curious, the incumbent People's Action Party roared to victory with a popular vote margin of 69.9%, the highest since the last Goh Chok Tong government election (in 2001, which got a 75.3%) the Singapore Democratic Party vote share in Holland-Bukit Timah slid despite the popular Chee Soon Juan returning from bankruptcy to contest it, and the Worker's Party vote share in Aljunied slid to 50.95%. it remains to be seen whether this is interpreted to be due to the PAP "move left", the SG50 semicentennial, the LKY funeral aura, infighting amongst the opposition, or whatnot.
|
|
#
?
Sep 12, 2015 06:25
|
|
|
In other regional news, gently caress the haze.
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2015 14:42
|
|
|
if it stops the Kuala Lumpur malay supremacy "Being Racist is Cool & Good" rally or turns it into a massive wet fart it will be the only time i'm grateful for the haze
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2015 14:52
|
|
|
They're going to do it sooner or later. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2015 14:55
|
|
|
lemonadesweetheart posted:They're going to do it sooner or later. i know
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2015 14:59
|
|
|
|
|
#
?
Sep 14, 2015 16:27
|
|
|
My bad bitch Grace Poe declared for the 2016 Philippine presidential election today. http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/106104-grace-poe-offer-myself-president So psyched. Eat a dick Binay. Lol at the LP trying to the bitter end to have her run as VP to Mar Roxas
|
|
#
?
Sep 16, 2015 16:40
|
|
|
CronoGamer posted:My bad bitch Grace Poe declared for the 2016 Philippine presidential election today. They're all poo poo dogg; I have never seen a selection of candidates where not a single one seems like a good bet or even the least worst bet until now
|
|
#
?
Sep 16, 2015 16:44
|
|
|
What complaints do you have about Poe? In all my reading on her it seems like the only thing people can attack her on is inexperience, but I'd prefer that to incompetence or crookedness. The opposition's only strategy against her is legitimately the crackpot Birther "strategy" to discredit Obama in 2012.
|
|
#
?
Sep 16, 2015 17:09
|
|
|
CronoGamer posted:What complaints do you have about Poe? In all my reading on her it seems like the only thing people can attack her on is inexperience, but I'd prefer that to incompetence or crookedness. The opposition's only strategy against her is legitimately the crackpot Birther "strategy" to discredit Obama in 2012. In fairness I was going to pick her over everyone else at first, but her blatant bid for more votes during the INC thing was a real turnoff. On the practical side, I think she's pulling from the same pool of voters as Roxas is, and running for the seat does nothing but split the vote between them and give Binay an actual chance to win.
|
|
#
?
Sep 16, 2015 17:18
|
|
|
    Redshirts repeatedly try to break past the police line into KL's Chinatown. Eventually they get blasted by watercannons. 
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2015 02:15
|
|
|
SynthOrange posted:
What's going on here?
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2015 02:27
|
|
|
The rally - organised by the National Silat Federation (Pesaka), whose head is an Umno leader, Tan Sri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam - is meant to counter last month's huge demonstration by electoral reform group Bersih, which some Malay groups see as a bid by the Chinese to usurp political power. That rally demanded the resignation of Mr Najib over financial scandals involving state investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Footage of the Bersih rally, the fourth since 2007, showed some people stomping on pictures of the Prime Minister. Among those attending Wednesday's rally was Mr Haji Nasir Rasyid, 80, a retired army officer with the rank of sergeant mayor. "I am here today to show Malay solidarity, that we are still solid. I am here today for Malay dignity, for the nation and the country." "If Bersih can show off, we can also show off. If Bersih tries to be funny, we can do even more as I am ex army,'' said Mr Haji. The Pesaka president had said the rally on Wednesday was to remind the people to respect their leaders and was open to all races. Organisers on Wednesday lashed out at those who have criticised the rally as being racist, claiming that defending one’s race is allowed in Islam. “We are tolerant towards other races. We allow them to get education and earn a living here. What is wrong in being racist when we are not cruel to others?” Ketereh MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa, one of the rally organisers said. He added that rally participants had been paid to attend but said he felt that there was nothing wrong with it. http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/red-shirt-protesters-gather-in-kuala-lumpur-city-centre-ahead-of-rally http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/09/16/preparations-for-red-shirts-rally-go-into-full-swing/ Also: 
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2015 02:33
|
|
|
It's basically the "racism is cool, and good" rally that is now obviously endorsed by UMNO and also resulting into a wet fart; they promised 1 million people and paid rural folks to come in buses to attend, but only have maybe 50k at most (they claimed it was 300k which lol) It also ended with violence because the racists wanted to trash the Chinese-owned stores in Petaling St and the police refused them entry, it's great
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2015 07:24
|
|
|
Also lol: “I am racist,” said Umno Supreme Council member Tan Sri Annuar Musa, when trying to justify the racial overtones of today’s “red shirt” rally in Kuala Lumpur. However, he stressed that his “racism was based on Islam”. Anuar, who was the last speaker at today’s “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu”, said racism was allowed in Islam, except when it involved oppressing others. The Malay community in Malaysia was the most tolerant ethnic group in the world, Anuar said, adding that in Indonesia, ethnic Chinese Indonesians were not even allowed to use Chinese names. “I am racist but it’s racism based on Islam. Racism is allowed in Islam,” Annuar told reporters at the end of the rally at Padang Merbok, which he claimed attracted 250,000 people. Annuar then quoted a hadith (a saying of the Prophet) on assobiyah (Arabic term for pride in one's tribe) which he interpreted as justifying racism. Critics of today's rally have said it could incite ethnic tensions for its insistence on defending Malay supremacy and honour. Annuar also admitted that some of the rally participants were sponsored but claimed that Bersih 4's organisers also paid people to attend their rally on the Merdeka weekend. – September 16, 2015. - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/i-am-racist-and-my-racism-based-on-islam-says-umnos-annuar-musa#sthash.ZPcuTZTM.dpuf
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2015 07:26
|
|
|
Even more lol, Umno is unable to follow their own script and keep s contradicting themselves: The 'Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu' yesterday was not racist, according to Umno supreme council member Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin, who said the rally did not touch on sensitivities of other races and faiths. The web portal Umno-Online quoted him as saying that the rally was only to "teach a lesson" to those who try to cause trouble with the Malays, especially the Islamic religion. Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/312598
|
|
#
?
Sep 17, 2015 07:29
|
|
|
Hey everyone! Come join our 'Tell the Chinese to stop being uppity!' rally. It's a cool chance to show support for a near lifelong political crony who has been show to have stolen billions from your and yours! Also it's somehow a defence of our poor oppressed and under threat officially enforced State religion.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2015 01:59
|
|
|
Hey everyone! Come join our 'Tell the Chinese to stop being uppity!' rally. It's a cool chance to show support for a near lifelong political crony who has been show to have stolen billions from your and yours! Also it's somehow a defence of our poor oppressed and under threat officially enforced State religion.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2015 02:05
|
|
|
So this report happened (google paywall workaround) quote:The Wall Street Journal reported last week that officials in Abu Dhabi were trying to understand why a $1.4 billion transfer that the fund, 1Malaysia Development Bhd., said it made to a counterparty in the Middle Eastern emirate wasn’t received. Now, those officials are questioning a further $993 million that 1MDB reported it paid to the Abu Dhabi fund, the International Petroleum Investment Co., but which also appears to be largely missing, people familiar with the matter said.
|
|
#
?
Sep 18, 2015 11:21
|
|
|
I think the B team might have stepped back into the lead role on this one guys. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-34365180 "Boss, we tried that whole "investigation" thing you suggested but it's not working. We STILL haven't caught the guy and it's been like five whole WEEKS." "Even after I bought you all those Blue Blood dvds? The hell with this, just tell everyone we were so good we caught him without realizing it."
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2015 00:03
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 01:55 |
|
|
Can anyone see poo poo?
|
|
#
?
Oct 21, 2015 23:19
|
|