__________

Easier said than done. That’s the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to the topic of accepting ex-offenders back into the society. Personally, I always find it hard to look beyond the negative judgments I have of ex-convicts. This is probably due to my belief that discrimination is necessary as it forms a first barrier to protect us from being their next victim.

About a month ago, while back home from school, I was approached by two men who claimed to be selling key-chains for charity. I was hesitant to buy the goods as I noticed that the men had tattoos inked all over their bodies. The voice in me kept questioning whether the men were really volunteers from the campaign, or if they are part of a syndicate exploiting the public’s goodwill. In the end, I ignored them and reacted defensively; I warned myself not to be the next caught fish.

Under the Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs, safety is described as the second most essential requirement for every human being. The theory proves why it is difficult for – let’s say, an employer- to hire someone with a history of violent behaviour. What if he punches the employer when the latter corrects him for a mistake? What if it causes discomfort to the other employees?

In my opinion, reintegration (and eliminating the second prison) is a process. It involves three groups of people: the family, workplace and public. The process begins with the acceptance of the family, the people the ex-offenders have the closest ties with. This gives the former convict the confidence that someone is always there to render support, emotionally and more. Next in the list are the employers or managers from our local companies. Generally, a natural reaction when one wants to recruit a person with a criminal past is a ‘no’. This must change, lest the vicious cycle of re-offending increases. And finally, we have the public – that is – you and me. Having the public in the process completes the reintegration of the ex-convict back into our society.

The role of a family is critical for an ex-offender to rehabilitate successfully. Serving the jail sentence is only the beginning. Once out, the amount of days to relish the newfound freedom is often numbered, as relapses occur. This is where the family comes in. In an interview by prison officers conducted in England, 44% of the ex-offenders mentioned family as the strongest influence for them to turn over a new leaf (Farrall, 146).

For example, upon release from prison, a former drug addict will have the urge to get high again. The spouse must monitor his daily routine and motivate him to find a new job. She must also be proactive and get ready a doctor or social worker to help him fight against any withdrawal symptoms. Without the support of the spouse, the drug addict will turn to his former friends for help. The dark cycle then repeats.

Companies here in Singapore do not have a good record when it comes to accepting ex-offenders as their employees. Managers are still uncomfortable with hiring ex-convicts into the workplace. In a 2005 survey conducted by the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE), it is proven that while 34% of the companies surveyed are willing to hire ex-prisoners, only 4% of them actually recruited the ex-convicts in the end. The trend is worrying as ex-offenders are more likely to relapse when they are unemployed.

Perhaps, we should follow the footsteps of several overseas companies worldwide. For example, Australian transport company, Toll, has a strong manpower which includes about 460 ex-offenders. None of them has reoffended ever since they were hired. In Britain, rehabilitation center Working Chance has supplied more than 173 female ex-prisoners to companies like Virgin. The recruitment campaign was successful – within the first two years of release, the reoffending rate of the girls lie below 5% of the standard recidivism rate. Statistics have shown that employment is vital in rehabilitating ex-offenders.

Last but not least comes the public, the community of Singaporeans at large. After all, what is the point of being handed a job, and then ridiculed by the customers he serve? If the people continue to shun away from patronizing a shop which hires ex-offenders, how will employers then be motivated to give them a second chance? Though the public plays a secondary role in the full rehabilitation of an ex-convict, it is important to know that over time -if he is continually neglected and jeered at- he may be agitated and resort back to his old ways. He may return back to his old gang members, who are more accepting (and understanding).

That said, I am optimistic that our society will change. I believe, in the many years to come, more Singaporeans will finally accept ex-offenders in their community. I applaud the government’s initiative to facilitate in this process by having the annual ‘Yellow Ribbon Project’. Started in 2004, the campaign hopes to remove the stigma among the community of ex-prisoners. The Yellow Ribbon Prison Run and the Yellow Ribbon Funds are two pillars created to help support the full rehabilitation of the ex-offenders.

We all make mistakes, but unfortunately for the some, the mistakes have been recorded and stamped as part of their history. They are the ones who have gotten tattoos during their youth, and now live regretting them on their bodies. They are the ones who carry a criminal history no matter where they go. Their lives now depend largely on how society accepts them. Their fate now lies in the hands of society.

Yes, it may easier said than done…but it is always better than nothing.

_________________

References/Special thanks to:

Farrall, Stephen. Rethinking What Works with Offenders: Probation, Social Context and Desistance from Crime. Devon: Willan Publishing, 2002. Print.

http://www.yellowribbonprisonrun.sg/background.php

http://www.mha.gov.sg/news_details.aspx?nid=NTc2-lf1bsh88ycQ%3D

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/nov/15/richard-branson-champions-employment-ex-offenders?INTCMP=SRCH

http://www.internetjournalofcriminology.com/Rhodes%20-%20Ex-offenders%20and%20Employment.pdf

______

Even free has its price. Ironic it may seem but this is the reality of today’s info-centric society. We have lost almost all of our coyness, and replaced it with a newfound openness online. This habit slowly turns us into social media addicts. We get too comfortable with telling our Facebook friends what we are doing, that we tend to overlook the (intangible) price that comes with it.

Facebook, and its targeted advertising

Like any other social networks out there, Facebook too is a capitalist company. Making profits is certainly one of their main objectives. Facebook can never achieve that if it serves its community for free. And so, it makes use of its largest asset – user information. We share almost everything about ourselves online such as on what we like and where we live. Facebook then parlays all these into its lucrative targeted marketing.

For instance, a car repair company in Arizona would have their ads published on an Arizona resident who constantly post updates on his car. The chances of him patronizing the repair company are higher as the ads are more relevant. With targeted marketing, the repair company can receive more clients. In return, it may buy more advertisements. It’s a win-win situation that benefits both the advertiser and Facebook.

Nonetheless, does the resident have a choice to opt out of the targeted advertising? Does he even have the power to restrict personal information from being collected by Facebook? No, and no. And this is just the beginning of the death of privacy.

Joanna defines privacy as “an individual’s right to control the use and disclose of his or her own personal information.” (37) With Facebook, you can’t control anything that has got to do with you. As shown in the example above, users can’t even manage the advertisements that appear on their Facebook home page. It is evident that the information you share in Facebook is not only private to you and your friends, but also to the engineers in Palo Alto.

Facebook extending its wings

Facebook isn’t stopping there. It needs more than just information shared and exchanged inside its free platform. Thus, it developed an ingenious plan to turn its iconic ‘Like’ and comment plug-in ubiquitous. Now, more and more websites are using this free plug-ins to increase traffic.

Popular technology blog, TechCrunch, now only allows Facebook comments below its articles. Yahoo! just released an app which automatically publishes the articles that you read in your Facebook profile. And most alarmingly, SPOTIFY, a social platform that allows its users to share music with their friends, now only accepts new users who sign up via their Facebook accounts!

Before you begin celebrating this new age of web inter-connectedness, I have to warn about the danger of these Facebook extensions (pardon me for being a ‘party pooper’).

Think about this: for instance, a user needs to sign in via Facebook to comment on an article in Yahoo!. Once done, the comment will automatically be published on his wall too. Friends may notice and read it. The cycle continues as the user and his friends begin to comment on more articles. I like to classify this as “auto-recommendation”. Nothing wrong here you may think, but dig deeper and you will realize that Facebook now knows more about you.

In other words, Facebook is stalking you.

My Personal Experience

Choosing a stand in this privacy issue is difficult. I can relate to it since I’m both a business and normal user in Facebook. I’ve set up a fan page for my online shop ‘Bubbletronics’ to better market my products. I know and understand the importance of user information and targeted marketing. It saves costs and allows me to reach out to my audience more effectively.

Through my Facebook page, I can even send messages to my fans. Although they have privatized their photos and general information, most fail to do the same for their messaging and friends list settings.

Why you may ask?

In its response to recommendations made by the Canadian Privacy Commissioner, Facebook states that it will give more control and transparency to its users. Now virtually everything in Facebook can be tweaked according to one’s own privacy settings. Seems like a noble idea right? But there’s a problem: now any information you share is set to public by default. One can wonder how confusing and complicated it will be. And I believe this newfound openness has caused a lapse in privacy control for users (as proven by my fans).

Although I find user information crucial to my business, as a lifestyle Facebook user myself, I have my concerns. It is such an eye sore to be receiving tons of spam messages from retail companies. It is scary to think that Facebook is stalking my every move.

The Solution

I believe there should be an option in Facebook that allows users to opt out of targeted advertising. This ensures that confidential information is locked out of Facebook and protected under an independent commission. The information may only be retrieved in cases of criminal investigations such as on suspected terrorists. Facebook may introduce a yearly fee to compensate this. I am sure users will not mind, as long as it creates a virtual milieu that respects privacy.

For now, I think it is vital to learn how to tweak one’s own privacy controls to his or her own needs. We have to take our time reading and understanding this privacy controls. For example, the inbox settings can be adjusted to restrict incoming messages to only friends. Once we get the hang of it, only then can we truly enjoy connecting with our friends on Facebook for free.

_____

_____

Works Cited/References

- Angwin, Julia, et al. “Facebook Retreats On Privacy.” The Wall Street Journal.

11th Nov. 2011. Web. 11th Nov 2011.

- Burnham, Kristin. “Facebook: 5 Privacy Settings You Must Tweak Now.” PC

 World. 24th Apr. 2010. Web. 10th Nov. 2011.

- Jacobsson, Sarah. “Spotify Adds Facebook Requirement, Angering Users.”

 PC World. 27th Sep. 2011. Web. 8th Nov. 2011

- Joanna, Lyn. Legal Issues in Information Security. London: Jones and Barlett

Learning, 2011. Print.

- Winer, Dave. “Facebook Is Scaring Me.” Scripting News. 24th Sep. 2011.

Web. 10th Nov. 2011.

________

Daim sat on the brown couch, his hands freed, legs crossed and eyes still. A half-burnt cigarette squatted in a bowl beside him, the rest of it already amidst the evening breeze. In front, Daim’s father fidgeted incessantly. He shifted to his right, then left, then right again, as if undecided of his final sleeping position. What stood in between was a packet of pampers -a quarter full- struggling to balance itself with ease.

“Oh come on, Dad! What do you want now?!” Daim shouted.

A moan was what Daim’s father could only afford. Ever since stroke overwhelmed him, uttering words was like running on a steep hill. Completing a sentence required a miracle, if not magic. Daim knew that his father’s restlessness meant something. It couldn’t be he was hungry; he was just fed almost an hour ago. It couldn’t be he was feeling cold; the fan was only directed at Daim. One reason was left: the mattress was soiled again.

“Not again, Dad! How many times must you wet this mattress?!”  Daim yelled again, this time more hysterical than before as he snatched the mattress away from his Dad, leaving the latter shaking on the ice cold floor.

It was like in a scene out of The Exorcist. A possessed Daim threw the mattress into the toilet, grabbed a bucket full of water before dousing it exuberantly. The empty bucket was then hurled onto the dining table outside – its job was over. Next, Daim pinched the mattress on both sides, carried it to the living room, kicked two innocent chairs along the way, before finally tossing it through the door. He unleashed his right foot, determined to kill the mattress once and for all. Lucky for it, the phone yelled suddenly. Daim answered the call – the exorcism was complete.

It was 12.35am and Daim’s eyes were already begging for sleep. They dictated the pace of the diaper-changing. Daim opened the pampers with haste, tearing its sides nastily. He then slid it below the legs, wrapping it up into a plastic cabbage. The unwavering smell of rotten eggs and peas poked Daim’s nose enthusiastically, forcing him to finally utilize his left hand for a nose pinch. Once the cabbage was disposed of, he took a new diaper and wrapped it around his father’s base. Daim’s eyes had been convincing. By 12.37am, the mission was accomplished.

___

Sunlight pierced through the window and straight into Daim’s eyes. No response. It remained patient, waiting for its heat to increase in strength as the minutes ticked by. An hour passed and still no response. The sun must have thought Daim was dead by now. Two hours and not even a flinch by him. Desperate, the sun rose higher, spreading its rays to the kitchen and then finally the living room. It was poised for a win.

“Argh! Argh!” Daim’s father screamed. The moans were long and deep.

“What do want?!” Daim replied. “Damn it! It’s only 11 now!”

Daim traipsed into the living room. There, he found his father shielding his face with both hands. He was also rolling back and forth as if on fire. Below him, a thick orange liquid flowed freely on the marble floor. The sight of it made Daim mad. It was as if he caught his girlfriend cheating on him. Daim stared at his father, his right palm now a solid fist. He could not take it anymore. 1,265 pampers ago, he led a comfortable life with his family. He now lived a lonely life, his father his biggest enemy.

“I have had enough, Dad!” Daim screamed. “I have spent too much time with you! I have spent too much money for you! This is just too much!”

Daim took a final gaze at his father before stomping out of the house, leaving it a shaken edifice. His father laid on the floor motionless. The stench around him gathered around his nose. It infiltrated through his eyes and into his grey matter. Daim’s father tried to move away from the urine but to no avail; it even worsened the mess as the urine crept into his blue shirt. His moans were ignored. His misery, neglected. It was the beginning of waiting.

___

“Honey, why doesn’t our baby stop wailing?!” Daim cried. “I’m getting sick and tired of it!”

“Relax, honey. I will take care of it, ” Hamimah replied.

It has been two weeks since Daim celebrated the arrival of his newborn baby. Together with his wife, Hamimah, Daim looks forward to bringing him up well. He wants to be a good father for his son, definitely better than his late Dad. Nonetheless, the first two weeks has been challenging for Daim. The constant cries often irritate him. Sometimes, he tries to entertain the baby. Other times, he helps change his dirty diapers. The experience has brought out the gruff in him.

“This is not the way you change diapers, honey, ” Hamimah said. “First, you have to the hold his ankles high. Then slowly open the diapers. Once done, slide it underneath his buttocks.”

“I know that!” Daim exclaimed. “But he still doesn’t stop crying!”

“It’s not over, honey,” Hamimah continued. “Next, use a wet tissue paper or cloth to clean up the excrement or urine. This is to prevent infection. It is also useful to apply some cream or powder. Finally, fasten the clean pampers tightly. A lose one will cause leakages and make our son uncomfortable.”

Daim falls silent. It was as if someone had given a smack right on his lips. Before long, tears begin to dive. Below, a pile of pampers stands by, ready to cushion their landings.

“Why are u crying, honey?” Hamimah asked.

“I’m sorry, Dad. I’m really sorry …”

who’s there?

singapore.

singapore who?

singapore lio -

*slams door*

_____________

I regret watching the LIVE telecast of the Singapore – Myanmar match yesterday evening. I am sure I wasted about two hours of my life. Our Lions were toothless, lethargic and unbelievably static. In other words, BORING. (For the record, they had only one effort on goal in the first-half!)

By contrast, the Myanmar team were more creative and had more flair when counter attacking. Lucky for us they lacked a strong finishing. Our opponents dominated the first-half of the match, but their performance dwindled in the second. Their midfield looked worn out while gaps started to appear in their defence. Nonetheless, our Lions failed to take advantage. Every ball was easily intercepted; we were too predictable.

I am looking forward to a more vibrant match against Vietnam this Wednesday. Ply them with shots from early game. Pass the ball among each other with great panache. If successful, the Vietnamese is left with no chance to get into the game.

I really want my country to win but if they continue to play like an uninspired team, then a defeat is most deserving. Nor Alam Shah needs a knock in the head, a reminder that he is not a superstar. Shahril Ishak needs to deliver more neat crosses. And as for Precious, never mind! (Seriously, is he homesick or something?)

To the Singapore Lions, you have my support, along with millions of Singaporeans out there. Please do not let us down.

when you can talk so highly of her.

when you can go out so often with her.

when you can hold so tightly the petite hands of her.

but not him.

-your very own father.

______

Every morning without fail, my 55-year-old Baba (father) will dispatch me to work with his motorbike. As a 20-year-old young adult who is old enough to take the public transport himself, it is no wonder that people find it irresistible to mock at the routine. The sarcasms fell into my deaf ears, flicked out by the tip of my index finger.

Baba was the one who proposed the idea. I tried to reject it, delivering countless excuses such as “Stay home, Baba. You need a rest.” and “It’s all right, Baba. I am meeting up with my friends first.” None seems to work, with him replying that he had enough rest at home and that I can always chat with my colleagues at work. So I gave in.

I tried to explain to my Baba my predicament at times. It has got to do with my personal ego and self-esteem. I fear being tagged as an adult who still hinges on his father up to this date. Although I have successfully mastered the skill of ignoring, at times the criticisms do seep into my subconscious mind. You know, those moments when you look at how independent your friends are and compare it with yours. The feeling sucks.

Call it karma as my complaints fell into Baba’s deaf ears. I am always left speechless, unarmed and grounded whenever he attacks me with the question: So are you embarrassed of your own dad? (Argh) I dislike such rhetoric questions which borders on my emotions and character. It is like I am stuck in a room with the walls converging as the seconds tick by.

Perhaps, I overlooked his own ego and self-esteem. I should have known better that as an ageing being, he is more enthusiastic to prove his helpfulness. He wants to show how responsible a father he is even in his golden years; he hates being seen as a incapable figure. Although his hair is grey-ing persistently as the years go by, he is still the same youthful Baba twenty years ago.

Baba looks forward to going out. According to him, spending too much time at home means a shorter life span. ‘Otak mati’ (brain dead) is the term he would use. This is probably another reason he is eager to send me to work. Sometimes, he stops by a coffee shop to buy food on the way back home. Being active is what Baba believes in.

I still go to work punctually thanks to Baba (and his beloved motorbike). I am really grateful to have such an energetic and responsible father. I know there are still naysayers out there who still think he may be pampering -or spoiling- me. Well, I do get back home using public transport. But most importantly, I do want to appreciate Baba’s every final deeds. I do want him to recognize that I am proud of him. Better now, than too late.

Hearts beating.

Tears flowing.

Mouths screaming.

- crickets sing.

_______

A good listener works in two ways. First, you acknowledge the complaints with full empathy. Second, you dispense sound advice as a closure. Mastering both techniques assists you in achieving your ultimate goal – helping a friend in need.

The first four lines of the haiku above shows the dark or down emotions of humans when faced with adversities. When misunderstood, people attack -or if you’d prefer bitch – about each other. When in fear, their hearts thump faster and louder in anxiety. When in sorrow, people cry their tears away. And when angered, words -often stinging- are spewed relentlessly from the mouth, dug out straight from the diaphragm.

The crickets breathe with the manifestations of human emotion every night. They listen to every complain, every beat, every weep and every curse consistently. They acknowledge them by providing relief with the tranquil singing. The advice? Pour out your emotions and start afresh the next day. No two songs sung by the crickets are ever similar. The problems are like the songs – transient.

Being a good listener can be very useful in helping a troubled buddy. Merely nodding may not be effective. Sometimes, you need to utter a few words to acknowledge his laments and further showcase your empathy. Do not make the mistake of saying ‘I understand you.’ The truth is our problems are never the same. Finally, offer sound advice to your partner. Do not force it into him. Do not remark that it is up to him to decide too. Instead, recommend the solution. At least, you and your buddy will reach a closure.

Her neck dragged downwards.

Curving her spine afterwards.

- the boy in his own world.

___

I was on my way back home in the train. Sitting across me was a little boy sleeping, his head resting on his mum’s left thigh. Judging from the plastic bags placed in front of them, I believe they had just worn themselves out from shopping. As this poem suggests, the mum struggled to control herself from sleeping. She fought with her eyes to keep herself from leaning onto her own child.

No matter how strong-willed a mum is, she is still human. She did finally succumb to a few asynchronous rests. Her neck would go for a free fall, curving the spine steadily. Nonetheless, a mother’s instinct never fails (even while asleep), as she managed to regain her consciousness just before impact.

And all this happened while the son slept peacefully.

More attacks emerged soon after, the notorious one being the Bukit Panjang slashings. Police has acted swiftly, assuring Singaporeans of a clamp down on gangster-ism in the society.

Street gangs are prevalent in our community for many years; they are just a hidden entity. Members are recruited from schools, instilling highfalutin fear among their peers. They are no traditional gangsters and are only capable of verbal abuse such as threats – a characteristic highly associated with bullies.

Nonetheless, the recent violent crimes have shed new light on the street gangs. Undetected and untouched since the 1950s, they have become more deluded and daring. They were not part of the government clamp down which saw the traditional gangs such as ‘Sah Lak Kau’ and ’18′ being squashed to near extinction.

Hence, they never experienced the government’s punitive measures against hoodlums. They thought street gangs are part of teenage follies. They thought they can assault others with impunity. They were wrong indeed.

The response by the police has been convincing so far. They are literally performing a clean sweep of the current street gangs in Singapore. Latest news reports have shown that they are nabbing any congregation of teens found with the possession of choppers. (A case of paranoia?) The latest incident involved a group of teens, aged between 14 and 18, found by officers with two choppers at the Costa Sands Resort in Pasir Ris.

In the past, the government imposed a ban of possession of guns to help effectively wipe out the threat of traditional gangs. The idea is to provide an advantage to the police. Now, I am left wondering if the government would one day introduce another ban -this time on choppers and knives brought in public – in order to curb the problem of street gangs metastasizing.

As lonely as a dead body.

Only the ants, the soil, the birds.

To keep it company.

And then a gush of wind flew by.

Head on from the east.

The branches bent, the green things tickled.

Finally a sign of living.

Again the wind dashed by.

Sending waves throughout the tree.

This time stronger.

Hitting with its fullest capacity.

The green things chuckled.

On the branches their hands clinged.

The legs floated in frenzy.

Hanging on there, like a kite to its string.

The tree swayed extravagantly.

Jovial, spirited and laughing.

To the west, it showed the way.

To the west, the birds flapped their wings.

A luminous orange emerged.

Its presence heralded by mystery.

As lithe shadows made its way.

In place of the perky wind.

The tree stood still.

As lonely as a dead body.

Only the ants, the soil, and the birds.

But with the wind in good memory.

____

Like the wind and the tree, my senior medics have made an impact in my life during my National Service (NS). I entered station as the lonely tree, pessimistic about my future there. But things changed when I got to know them better. They are a quirky bunch; striking and dissimilar personalities jumbled up into one. Their jokes made my day -no matter how wet or dry- and their advice plugged optimism into my duties. As the months progressed, we form our golden era, showing how its done to our fellow juniors (the birds on the tree). Like dew, life is transient and so is our team spirit. As my senior medics leave and venture out in the real world, I will be left alone in station. The future with the new medics remains a mystery. The only difference this time is our amazing memories.

he prays with his hands

and with his feet*

_____

Being compassionate to the people of lower status than us is difficult. There is no way we can completely understand how they feel about their adversities. There is no chance that we are in their shoes at the same time, same date and same circumstances. Thus, it is no surprise that some of us do look down on them, condemning their shortcomings. The rest merely overlook them, lending only scorned eyes – and empty hands.

Respect. This is the quality the under-privileged expects. They do not need hyperbole speeches showering sympathy. Nor do they require any quick fix to their problems. Some of them are comfortable with their present lives. They are grateful to whatever that is bestowed on them. All they need is us acknowledging their social status and accepting them in our community.

There are two ways for us to do that:

1. Understanding that they do contribute to our society, no matter how small or insignificant.

2. Encouraging them to participate in community events.

As illustrated by the haiku above, flies too are creatures of Nature, living things of the world. They too need their innards filled and breathe in the air humans do. Nonetheless, due to their miniature size and dirty image, humans are insistent they get exterminated. Flies are believed to be of no use to the world; their very presence an irritant to us. While too engrossed in getting rid of the insect, we forgot its benefits such as pollination and maggot therapy. Like the fly, the poor and handicapped form an integral part in our community. After all, they too pray with their hands and feet.

*Haiku by ISSA KOBAYASHI