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The following is a press release by the National Solidarity Party on the saga involving Mr Jason Neo.

The remark made on Facebook by a former member of the Young PAP regarding a school bus of Muslim children was unquestionably irresponsible and inflammatory. However, condemning an entire organization because of the actions of one of its members is not a solution. No organization can monitor everything that each member says, all the time. In fact, this is the very sort of authoritarian and rigidly controlling system that we are trying to move away from.

If we are to have freedom of expression, it is inevitable that sometimes, deeply offensive things will be said. However, this does not mean that we must look the other way when such statements are made. It is also irrelevant that the remark was made before the individual became a member of the party. It is the responsibility of the party to communicate to its members that such comments are unacceptable. The party should also seek to understand why one of its members harbors such sentiments and find ways to address the underlying cause – perhaps it is simple ignorance.

It is normal for human beings to make mistakes especially when they are young. We should take this as part of their learning journey and seek ways to help them grow and mature. Finally, the offensive statement in question violated the principle of interracial respect which we hold in common as Singaporeans. As this is a community value, it is the shared responsibility of the community to uphold it by speaking up when it is violated. The correct response therefore is not to censor individuals but to censure them when they speak irresponsibly, for this gives society an opportunity to reaffirm its value system.

Hazel Poa

Secretary-General

National Solidarity Party

Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam, secretary-general of the Reform Party, has filed an application in the courts to annul the Singapore Government’s pledge of a US$4 billion loan to the International Monetary Fund. (IMF) The IMF announced the pledges from various countries, including Singapore’s, on 20 April.

Mr Jeyaretnam is seeking the Court's leave to make an application for a Prohibiting Order "prohibiting the Government and/or the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) from giving any loan and/or guarantee to the International Monetary Fund  unless such loan was made in accordance with the provisions of Article 144 of the Constitution."

I have been following with interest the recent exchange of letters between Hri Kumar and Eugene Tan in the TODAY newspaper, regarding the issue of calling a by-election in Hougang.

With all due respect to lawyers and legal academics, the debate on the constitutional requirements of having a by-election is irrelevant to most ordinary citizens. The legal interpretations that turn on the words ‘shall’, ‘must’, ‘may’,  ‘at convenient speed’, and whether an election can either be a General Election or By-Election is frankly over the heads of non-legally trained people (and frankly it does not interest us as much).

I think the operative word that has been lost in the debate is ‘ought’. Ought the Prime Minister call a by-election as soon as possible? In my opinion, this is a more important question than the constitutional debate by legal experts.

Image taken from http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/pentax/760694-pentax-wessex-estate-trip-photos.html

"The development here is a 'cost-recovery' project, according to Mr Su - it is not meant to reap huge profits, but serves more of JTC Corp's social mission, he explained." These were words by then assistant CEO at JTC Corp, Mr Phillip Su, in a 2008 Straits Times interview about the artist enclave at Wessex Estate.

However, it seems that things are set to change.

According to one resident artist, it has been made known that the rent for local artists will no longer be at a subsidised rate and will follow market rates by next year. This will put many local artists in a bind. Rental will soon be double or more than what they were paying. When asked why this was so, the artist was told by the JTC staff that "the Art Village idea has been dissolved."

The estate is part of JTC Corp's 200ha One-North Innovation and Research hub, which contains the Fusionopolis, Biopolis and upcoming Mediapolis developments. The charming blocks of colonial style apartments within Wessex estate, which were originally used as barracks for British soldiers, were offered as residential and studio space for local and foreign artists. This was in the hopes of developing the artist village which stands today. By 2008, artists and creative minds made up 40% of the tenants there and included prominent figures in the local art scene like Zai Kuning and cultural medallion winner Han Sai Por, both of whom have since left. Han Sai Por's studio was torn down in a redevelopment exercise.

The remaining artist community at Wessex has continued to create and showcase their creations and space to the public. The yearly Art Walk, where the art studios open for public viewing, will take place as usual on the 24th and 25th this month. On other days, studios are available for visits by appointment as well. The artist village has also collaborated with the National Arts Council in the Singapore Art Show where the artists from Wessex estate engage the public through their various art forms.

In 2010, the estate was featured in an article by the Shanghai Daily, which compared the enclave to Shanghai's own "havens for artists - struggling and established" and New York's SoHo.

Even with the increase in rent, and the seemingly dwindling interest by JTC to further support the artist village idea (JTC's website currently describes Wessex as "an excellent housing option for the working population in one-north" with "[priority given] to applicants working in the Biomedical Sciences, Infocomm Technology, Media, Physical Sciences and Engineering industries within the one-north development"), some who can afford it will stay on for the sheer love of the environment.

It is not hard to see what they mean. The place is virtually untouched by the withering touch of urbanization. A single, unmarked road winds through a ceaseless stretch of lush greenery, interrupted only by shallow dips into grassy fields and dotted with the black and white apartment buildings and a village square where there are quaint cafes and galleries. "Ambience adds to the quality of creation," a resident artist we spoke to replied when asked why she would rather put up with the higher rent than move to a more affordable space.

But what of the artists who cannot afford the space?

In his show From Lorong Gambas to Ninmanhaemin earlier this year, Zai Kuning created an installation assembled from objects he had collected from what remained of Han Sai Por's studio in Wessex. The show touched on the sense of displacement he felt as an artist in Singapore and the lack of conducive space and respect towards the art communities, even those which have achieved large scale accolades for their works.

When we speak of the human experience, there are aspects that we can easily put into words and figures, but it is often the parts that cannot be easily expressed that leave the deepest impression when articulated. The pragmatist may question the practical role of art in society, but that is like asking for the price of love, or the practical value of having feelings.

In the process of answering the call to promote the arts to a larger local audience, we must not forget that the artists too are citizens who have very distinct rights that need to be protected in order for the arts community to develop to its fullest potential, in turn creating powerful pieces that can help cohesively push our cultural narrative forward.

In another publichouse.sg article, Elaine Ee discussed the importance of space to the artist's creative process. "At the heart of art creation are good, suitable artists’ spaces—that are of the right size, with the right environment and that are affordable. And that are offered purely for the purpose of artistic creation, open to all arts practitioners, without the expectation of a return on investment."

Providing an affordable space for artists should not be a development that panders to the whims of economic returns. It IS an investment, but in the cultural landscape of a country.

The artist village at Wessex is (or was) such an investment, providing a safe space for artists to explore and hone their craft away from the distracting hustle and bustle of day to day life. It also acknowledged the importance of the artist in the innovative process which the One-North development hopes to represent, providing what JTC itself once hoped to be 'the soul of the neighbourhood'. What will become of this soul now?

Friendship

When Flo and Rachel met on Facebook, neither were looking for a relationship. Flo was then married to her husband of 9 years; Rachel had just ended a relationship with her ex-girlfriend. Furthermore, they were in two separate countries - Rachel being from Australia and Flo, Singapore.

This is the first in a special series of stories which publichouse.sg will feature as a lead-up to Christmas on 25 December. It is our hope that as you read these accounts, you too will be inspired to do your part for those in need, however small that effort that may be.

We were reaching the end of the cooking and packing at Willing Hearts' kitchen. The mood was decidedly spirited; the day's work was nearly over. The cooks and helpers were cleaning up, while two assembly lines of volunteers outside furiously packed  meals into plastic containers. The menu for the day consisted of local delights like nasi lemak, fried noodles, cut fruits and a sweet potato and red date dessert.

Peeping out from the greenery as one passes through Thomson Road is a plain white sign which reads "Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home".  It is a familiar sight for this writer as it is on her regular bus route home; and like many other commuters and passersby with no personal attachment to the place, it had remained so till recent events put the spotlight on this otherwise nondescript establishment.

Parabens, sodium laureth sulfate, petrolatum. Look out for these ingredients the next time you shop for skin and haircare products. A quick search on the internet reveals a fair bit of discussion on these and many other commonly used substances among researchers.

Parabens for example are frequently used as a preservative in cosmetic products, but researchers are now requesting for further enquiry into the long term effects of the substance, specially in its possible links to breast cancer. Though the studies are still in preliminary stages and there are various counter arguments to this research, it has resulted in products brandishing "paraben-free" labels in the market.

We speak to Miss Olivia Choong, an environmentalist in Singapore who has initiated The Safer Skin Campaign. She hopes to spread awareness on these potential dangers in our day to day skincare and encourage consumers to take the organic route.

Find out more at http://saferskin.org/

Formed in 1994, the NUS Jazz Band is an eclectic cocktail of the traditional and experimental, constantly inventing new recipes under the tutelage of well-established personalities in our local music scene, such as Iskandar Ismail.

For local singer Tay Kexin, the NUS Jazz Band was where she developed her passion for singing.

Publichouse.sg's Chan Ngai Meng sits down with the songstress ( and sister of Tay Kewei) for a chat:

Ngai Meng: You joined the Stardust 2008 singing competition organized by NUS Student’s Business Club. I believe that that was when you were already in the NUS Jazz Band. Since the NUS Jazz Band provides many opportunities for its members to perform in public events, what motivated you to participate in Stardust 2008? So why go through the agony of competitions? Haha

Kexin: I joined because I really wanted to see where I stood as compared to the others. Before that, the only singing competition I’ve ever joined was in JC – AJ Idol (sniggers). Yes, performance opportunities were aplenty, but there were many members in the NUS Jazz band so it could not provide the kind of individual attention that can allow me to grow quickly. One of the best ways to learn is to have someone scrutinize you when you’re under pressure to perform, and that was the kind of learning that I wanted to achieve.

Ngai Meng: In one of your Youtube videos, you were quite reserved when singing A-mei’s 《你是爱我的》(loosely translated as “I know you love me”) on Stardust 2008. In contrast, at the Singapore Hit Awards Promo Show last year, you were uninhibited and singing much better. Apart from stage confidence you have gained over the years and the vocal training you had received at NUS Jazz Band, what else do you attribute to this significant improvement?

Kexin: I attribute it to my live performance experiences outside of school. My 4 years of experience accumulated over hundreds of weddings/events/public performances is the greatest contributor to what I am today. No matter how much vocal training one can get, you need to know what to expect during live performances, how to carry yourself, how to adjust your own voice according to the different sound system, how to overcome fear and be in control (for huge performances). There is no one better to teach you all these skills than yourself.

Ngai Meng: You are the co-founder for the music events company, Sparkle LiveMusic. As a professional in the industry, what advice do you have for aspiring local singers, musicians, or even business startups?

Kexin: Yeap, I recently set up Sparkle with two other musicians: my sis  and Lee Ein Ein the keyboardist.

For aspiring singers and musicians – don’t give up! It’s ok to want to be perfect, but you shouldn’t worry about being not at your best – things can happen in whatever other job you are in!

For small businesses, you have to learn to work from scratch. You’ve to do many things by yourself, and you can’t rely on outsourcing (we almost laughed). Of course, my experience in events while working for SingTel did help when I wanted to start my company.”

Ngai Meng: You are also the voice behind indie band Odd.inary. How did you guys meet and form the band?

Kexin: Yeap! James (plays the keys and bass) and Shawn (percussion, guitar) are both very talented musicians/friends I met from gigging. Odd.inary was Shawn’s brainchild and he approached me to be their lead vocalist.

The whole idea about the band is that we want to bring back the soulful sounds of organ, brushes and percussion into our music. We love to reinvent covers in those styles and we hope we will make people love their favorite songs even more.

So far, the performing experiences had been great. We had already done 2 shows at the Esplanade (last Aug at the concourse, and the recent Valentine's Day at the Waterfront) and I’m really looking forward to more.

Ngai Meng: At the Singapore Hit Awards Promo Show, you told the host that you had another job in marketing and that some of your friends have day jobs too. How do you guys juggle these with your music careers, and your personal life?

Kexin: I recently quit my day marketing job to set up Sparkle and also to work on my music.

My take is that you can never do everything and be good at all. Sure there are many excellent multi-taskers, but have you heard of anyone being famous for being fantastic at doing many things? So do one thing you are good at and excel in it. Of course it all depends on an individual’s personal goals. And who says passion can’t make money? The reason I quit was because I chose to focus my energy on music and on setting up Sparkle. I have since turned my passion into a business venture. And this business venture allows me to further my passion as well. It’s mutually reinforcing.

It’s not easy to juggle so many commitments; I do neglect my family, especially since our schedules clash, with me working predominantly at night while they are part of the 9-5 crowd. But I am trying. Back when I had my day job it was even crazier. I was working 7 days per week, mostly 14 hours a day at varied and different jobs. Now I’ve found a way to streamline my efforts and still reap benefits.

Ngai Meng: You performed in the Taiwan program, Super Idol 2011. In the foreseeable future, do you see yourself collaborating with the Taiwanese? And for that matter, would you encourage local singers and musicians to be more active in venturing abroad?

Kexin: I think the Taiwan market is a whole new playground and frankly, collaborating with the Taiwanese will require a lot of network and luck. Otherwise, it’s reaaally difficult.

But that said, I do believe in venturing abroad, I do believe that putting in effort and yourself out there have benefits to be reaped. It doesn't need to be in Taiwan - Hong Kong, Malaysia etc. It’s always worth a shot to venture out and learn new things, be inspired.

Ngai Meng: Recently the Arts and Culture Strategic Review submitted their final report to MICA, and from the maiden speech by NMP Janice Koh and the Budget statement, we know that some areas are already been worked on. As a professional in the industry, and from your own experience so far, which points in their report would you like to see being acted upon by our Government, for the benefit of your community and Singapore as a whole? And what further improvements do you think can be made?

Kexin: The strategic direction to ‘bring arts and culture to everyone, everywhere, everyday’ is a meaningful one. But it remains to be seen whether people eventually become more open-minded and view being a musician as a career path just like any other, as in some other countries which are already ahead of us in this aspect. Currently, being a musician in Singapore is difficult, but it’s definitely not impossible. It may sound a bit extreme, but there’re still Singaporeans who believe you’re ‘stupid’ when you tell them that you want to be a musician, and they ask you how much you can earn.

For the audience or consumer, it’s good to know that MICA aims to provide more choices in arts and cultural activities. When I went to New York and London, I was spoilt for choice – there were so many musicals, buskers’ and music festivals to go to! When I was in London with my friends, we were queuing up to watch Wicked. I was surprised that their student price was only about 15 pounds (~S$30)! So coming back, it would be interesting to see what choices await us in the future, and if prices can go down.

In terms of education, while MICA strives to strengthen the depth and quality of the current art and music curriculum, it must be careful not to overburden students which would otherwise defeat its purpose. Similarly for students, more choices for participating in arts and music events outside of school should be provided for them, such as going to concerts as an excursion.

And it’s not just schools. Parents also have the responsibility not to overburden their children with piano and ballet classes. How many of them eventually grow up to be pianists and ballet-dancers?

Her points about education spoke to my heart. The best thing I remember about music in primary school was probably Mozart, Beethoven and Bach. Oh, and how could one forget the recorder. We just had to learn THE RECORDER. For some reason me and Kexin frowned when this word was mentioned.

Moving on, Kexin recently announced on her Facebook that she plans to launch an EP by the end of this year, and she’s collaborating with producer Tat Tong.

“Yeap! I’m going solo, and it’s most likely to be an indie production, though I may also be sourcing for record labels. If an opportunity comes along, why not? Haha,” she quipped.

Before we go, let’s support Kexin, let’s support local music (for the better, not out of desperation), and be mesmerized by home-grown passion bearing fruit.

Kexin with her band Odd.inary performing their original - Busy Girl:

Kexin is performs regularly at Switch by Timbre (NTUC Income Building, 71 Bras Basah Rd). 
Every Thursday 9pm - 12am.

Lit Up Singapore 2012 is a literary arts festival held from 22nd to 29th July

2012. It aims to raise the profile of emerging artists in various fields; from photography to poetry,

drama, visual installations and architecture. This is the fourth year of the festival and it is being held

in Telok Ayer Performing Arts Centre (TAPAC), the first public arts housing space that, sadly, is

slated to close in 2013. We want to commemorate this space, and to remind people that art should still

have a valid place and voice even in our busy city. The slogan for the festival is 'Occupied Art' and

themes are memory, space and architecture. Currently there are over 20 performers and exhibitors

who will inhabit and celebrate Lit Up with us.

Further information

The festival website is here: www.litup.sg

Support the festival here: http://www.rockethub.com/projects/8922-lit-up-singapore-2012/

Organisers

The festival is organised by Word Forward Singapore, a non-profit arts organisation dedicated to

developing the arts scene in Singapore primarily through spoken word and drama.