Trackback from Foreign Talent Doctor sacked for filming nurses in shower:

And you wonder why......

Mr White I have posted a reply to your comments on my blog. Please take a look. I would like to hear what you think. I have endeavoured to show that Mark Eleven has been lying about some facts and have tried to answer some questions you have posed.

http://modernburrow.lah.cc/2007/02/08/the-saga-continued/

Yeah buddy!

Mr White should try to clear his own backyard first and try to help fix his own country's system for their own good.

Yes, Harry is God! Singapore da best. No question allowed!

chill out man, and cheers,

man. what a loser. it's these sorts which makes you wish singapore was less accepting of such malaysian students and workers. Ingrates. can't believe my tax $$$ is going to waste like that. we should just keep the $ and provide more funding for local students instead. bah.

whatever...

Singapore is da BEST!!!

Now, you know that doesn't work. Losing an argument does not mean you have to be a sore loser.

Singapore is not the best. We make do most of the time.

I am sure if you attended the school of sarcasm for chameleons, you'd be the best!

LOL... :) If I am Mark, then you guys must be PAP boys.

Chill out, it's only Mark's opinions. I do not find myself entirely agree with him. It's the response here that I find amusing.

Haha. Before, so gung-ho, now, don't really agree with eleven. Checkmate.

Ha, ha,.... yea, I'm Mark and you guys are the pappy interneck ninjas! What a joke. More conspiracy theories.. :)

Sometimes, truth is hard to swallow. Instead of writing in anger trying to rebut me, take a seat back and ask why does a former scholar wrote that kind of thing in his blog? Why is the bitterness? Is there a bigger problem within the system, and nobody dare to speak up due to Singapore being too harsh on criticism.

Maybe it’s a time to reflect whether the education policy needs some changes. Or perhaps MOE needs to improve the way expectation is handled with potential scholars. Has MOE made it clear to scholars about the Singapore local universities entry requirement, fees payable after the grant and the 3 year bond applicable? Has MOE spoken and tried closing the loop with the scholars’ parents? Has MOE made clear to scholars on the A-level and its transferability for other universities entry outside Singapore.

Singapore government is trying to pull talent in the country by offering scholarship. By accepting the scholarship, the kind of adjustment the scholars has to make is very big. It’s the responsible of MOE to convey the right expectation of the scholarship, its consequences (pros and cons) and what future holds for scholars in Singapore. If the expectation is not conveyed and handled properly by MOE, I can foresee the kind of bitterness that Mark experienced.

So, you see,… it’s not as simple as “the government doesn’t owe Mark anything for the scholarship”. It’s a both way thing. Both sides are equally guilty.

I think it’s high time for MOE to review its education policy, especially with regards to foreign students.

Similarly, if you say we're rebutting in anger (hence not truthful), having a bitter entry (emotional anyone?) is speaking the truth? Stop contradicting yourself.

Please, Mr. Alan White (whatever, it's anonymity anyway), none of us has ever claimed that Singapore's educational system is "good" or "perfect". None of the countries can. No matter how well engineered a system is, there will always be people who are left out. You can be bitter, by all means. But trying to proclaim that the bitter points are the truth is stretching it.

Every country loves talent. Scholarship could be one of the ways. Human resource is always important in the eyes of every government. I don't see how Mark Eleven could have named this scholarship as a scam when all the terms are stated. Not clearly, perhaps, I wouldn't know since I've never seen such a contract, but can Mark Eleven claim that this is a scam? Isn't that more than a little extreme?

From what I see, Mark Eleven expects that his life will become one of those highflyers he sees in his friends after becoming a scholar. Like a breeze. However, I'd say Mark Eleven requires some kind of self reflection himself. If life has been tough, or he feels he has been going no where, he is the one who should work on it. The scholarship promises opportunity. That's about the gist of all scholarships. It's about making use of such opportunities that makes it worthwhile. I know that I'd love to have been offered a scholarship to go to another University to experience things I never will experience, and make use of such a opportunity to leave the unwanted parts of my life behind.

(But I wasn't. Bah.)

As for the bond, I'd say be grateful. I have friends who took a good half a year to find a job after graduation, or ended up working in a lowly position in a field totally unrelated to what his degree stood for.

Mark Eleven's rant looked like complaining about how there's a hole in a free Toyota. Is patching that hole that tough?

Woot, now we also have ninja monkeys from across the crooked bridge.

It takes two hands to clap. If he had made a bad investment, then it goes to show that he was also responsible for this error of judgement. Sometimes, you have to eat the cake you pick
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刘项原来不读书

Alan White's IP address is from Malaysia... he may just be another persona of Mark Eleven.

Alan White seems to be implying that Singapore's education policy is not correct. Maybe so. But before you crticise other countries' system, please look at your own country and see how 'good' it is.

Haha, that says a lot. No wonder he ignored me :(

To WhateverNamePleasesYou,

Then you need to determine whether you have elected the correct persons running the country. And yes, the scholarship is tax-payers' money. But these scholars are chosen by the people you elected, so the responsibility also goes back to the people you've chosen.

Maybe it's time to take a seat back and review if the present education policy is correct?

We have been constantly reviewing education policy (changing syllabus anyone?).

Now you're on the case of the election?

Oh, and what has that got to do with whatever I wrote anyway? Following your line of thought, I'd say we have chosen the wrong people to select the scholars, hence we get such a ungrateful, whiny scholar instead of someone else who'd be more worthy?

Now I don't see how this comment will supplements your stand that Mark Eleven is speaking the truth.

Finally someone has the gut to say it out. Kudos!

But truth are hard to swallow. If Singapore systems are good, it will withstand any criticism. No need bond, no need to even offer this kind of gimmick “scholarship”. Full paying fees students will come in lots if the education is as good as claimed. Think about it.

This is not true. It's fairly well known that the best unis in America offer "need based admission", which means they are in the business of discounting tuition to admit the best students.

May I know which country you are from and how is your system like? Maybe we can learn from you guys.

The reason why people criticize so much is because they are either inferior, jealous or are threatened by our system. Or they just have too much free time on their hands.

We are not claiming that Singapore's system is "good". (Who decides that anyway?) I myself have many personal reasons why I don't like Singapore's system. (However, I do know about the laughable commercials.)

IMO, the biased (can you even see neutrality in that entry? I know I can't) points he's making, and the pathetic attempt at "OMG I'm oppressed" entry he made afterwards is the reason why I'm posting comments here.

Besides, is such a biased entry useful in concluding that the scholarship itself is a "gimmick"? The rules of the scholarship is clear, and the bonds are not hidden in the fine print of the contract. Is that a "scam" when it's clearly stated?

Putting aside that point, the scholarship is an opportunity presented by Singapore. The scholarship did not advertise "immediate success!" or "money back guarentee!". Reading the trackbacks, you'll be able to see another angle of this scholarship issue.

As a Singaporean who spent money to study in a University, I think I'd be more offended than someone else who had scholarship to pay for part, if not all, of the fees. As many people have stated in either comments or blogs, we don't OWE that scholarship to anyone. (We because it's the taxpayer's money.)

http://redo-from-start.blogspot.com/2007/02/in-order-to-celebrate-my-upcoming.html

i've just graduated from TJC and i must say i had a wonderful schooling experience there :) but i do understand that many factors account to determining the 'quality' of an experience including the environment and people. i'm glad you made many good friends there just as i did! :)

The only thing that is true from his posts is that TJC (temasek jc) did sucked . I was from TJC.. didnt really enjoy the experience although I made lots of good friends..

and NO. NO ONE SAT IN CIRCLE AND SING SONGS thats like pre-school stuff.. -.-

I wanted to find an era to place his "circle singers" but I realised that we're seriously way too busy to sit in a circle. When we're not studying, we're either playing computer games, doing part time jobs or having some kind of tuition and/or CCA.

That's it, maybe he found false Singaporeans. Which Singaporean is seriously free enough to have time to sit in a circle?

Or maybe he went to a church. But then again, all over the world, Christians sing praises almost every Sunday. Or otherwise he went to KBox with his Singaporean acquaintances, since some of the rooms are circular.

Singaporeans just can't take criticism.

The reason why you use personal insults is because you have nothing logical to say to counter our arguments. If whoever eleven has guts, he would have stood up and counterd our arguments himself. ASEAN scholarship some more.

So uh, did we dismiss these points raised by Mark Eleven as baseless without a logical point-to-point rebuttal? You expect us to take such a biased post at face value without thinking through?

There's a fine line between criticisms and falsehoods.

Which well are you in? There are human beings all over the world who cannot take criticism.

I'm an Australian and am quite amused with the whole episode. See his reason for quitting.

http://markeleven.blogspot.com/2007/02/last-post.html

I just can't believe this. 1 guy voiced out his opinion and he got threatened. Is this the Singapore way? Where's the civilization? No wonder Chinese scholars are shunning Singapore.

Screenshot or it never happened. Seriously, how hard it is to type out a fake email in blogger?

This guy is amusing. I seriously doubt he's important enough to cause security threat that "someone" *shudder* will threaten the extermination of his family. Also, how can he simply attribute something like that to that specific blog post (logical fallacy isn't it?) when, well that's not his only blog post in the recent days.

Looking at his readership, I doubt one obviously biased post will affect anything.

Try harder, wannabe.

Also, dear Australian, I wonder why you are so absolutely trusting of his words.

trolls abound. I'd like to claim to be australian too
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`I'm thrilled that I, as a foreigner, is able to be given a chance to do my part for charity for another country` Cao Qi Tai , April 11, 2002

The point is, he is being paranoid? Who threatened him? He was so bold in criticising. If he is able to stand his ground, why should he be afraid? That is an act of a coward, just like Wee Shu Min.

He's austrailian, what do you expect? Now let's throw some shrimp on the barbie.

excuse me Lynn chan and other poor malaysians who were "scammed" into getting an scholarship. You are smart people aren't you? And you know that it's hard for you to get into a uni in malaysia. And the terms of the scholarship aren't exactly kept secret. So why the anger? You are not cogs in a wheel. You are intelligent and mature people who made an informed and calculated decision. You may scoff at this paltry amount, but in truth the scholarship is offered to multitudes of malaysians who may not even be smarter than locals. Individually the amounts are small, but these "tiny" amounts allow many malaysians to come over, earn singaporean pay, and use singapore as a steppin stone to some western country.

The bar for these scholarships doesn't seem to be set very high. Some of you can't even speak proper english. And if you speak good english, you probably don't speak chinese. If we were to be really picky and reduce the total scholarships to be given out, I think you'd see much fewer malaysians on campus.

No one owes anyone a free lunch.

this guy obviously has lots of exaggerated or false claims. for example, it is implied that he was forced to go through the morning assembly, with the 'rites' every morning. though every education system has its own flaws, but i don't feel that the points he brought up have much validity. he must have been unable to acquire the skills in gp, such as REAL analysis, and not being so simple-minded, using those hasty generalisations, 'such as whatever childish things they do sitting in a group'. i'm do hope most readers have taken this emotional and immature article with a pinch of salt.

As far as I know, Singapore schools make it compulsory for citizens to sing/say the National Anthem/pledge. Those who are non-citizens are exempted and need only stand at attention. Maybe he did not make a firm stand about not going through it. Then, it's his own fault. Don't expect everybody to know you every thought and need when you don't speak up.

Hahaha, it is true, you should read some of his other posts. So the main reason he hates the ASEAN scholarship is because he thought that he can set up his own business and become rich back in Malaysia if he didn't take the scholarship years ago.

He only has himself to blame for not having the foresight to recognize that there is an opportunity ahead, or perharp he took the wrong opportunity.

Really not all scholars are smart. Some of them are also quite stupid in their ways.

Oi, pappy interneck ninjas!!! How come bo jo kang? Aren't you suppose to rebutt with your not too obvious propaganda? How come neber come out to clarify this controversial issue? Or pappy interneck ninjas only whack singaporean bloggers, but malaysian blogger don't dare to whack.

I think I must alert Bae Yam Seng, his boys not doing their job. Probably spending all their time surfin porn instead of clarifying controversial issues and spreading not too obvious propaganda.

"scholar" chickened out

http://markeleven.blogspot.com/2007/02/last-post.html

O dear, you scared him away you PAP spies!

SPAPys supposed to catch local lah, not FT.

There is much anger in him. Read the rest of his blog. Much Much Anger.

Aiyah, just a case of someone complaining to get people to notice he/she is a scholar mah. Very typical Malaysian one lah. Drama one like another one not long ago.

Trackback from For Want of a Better Title:

1. Is ASEAN Scholarship really a scholarship?

I would think so... Mark Eleven mentions the Kwok Foundation’s sum of RM48,000. That’s S$28,800... However, let me take this into account. Your education is FOC as you mentioned.......

*rolls eyes*
ummmmm the only thing he has going for his argument that the scholarship is crappy, is that it accepts people like him.

pls try to be more coherent and substantial in your next whine&gripe post.

Very laughable this guy's post.

As for criticisms, it's fine. Nothing is perfect, and we should not expect absolute worship when we give scholarships. We have our own agenda of building our economy too.

On the girls dun get to Medicine, go MoH website, there is the press release that says "50-50" quota. And for "locking in" for 3 years, the tuition grant locks in ALL foreigners and PRs for 3 years, it's not Malaysian specific. He is such a loser to not be able to differentiate between all and Malaysian specific actions.

Idiots such as this guy disgrace the Malaysians.

Plus HOW THE SHIT DID MOE CHOOSE SUCH BODOHS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS? Filling in numbers? Not caring about quality?

Now we know MOE's definition of "talent" and "scholars". Confirms my suspicions on the quality of civil service scholars.

MOE has a lot of explaining to do on how they choose "quality" people to give scholarships to. It's public funds they are using. If gatekeepers of public funds spend our money so frivolously, then we can vote frivolously too.

Where's Airframe Loy when you need him?