Conversations on the See Oh Aiyah why so complicated?

"Just liddat, can just call for COE one arh?"

"What?"

"Workers' Party. They want COE for the SGH Hep C outbreak."

"You mean COI?"

"What is COI?"

"Committee of Inquiry."

"Not COE?"

"This is not about buying car."

"Wah liao. So what is a Commty of Enquiry? Oi! Enquiry also starts with "E" wat! So COE correct wat!"

"Inquiry. Not Enquiry. Starts with "I" not "E"."

"Ok lah. 'I' not 'E'. But this WP very heow. Anyhow think you can just call for a COI"

"Maybe they just want to be sure that the truth is revealed?"

"Or maybe their mouth itchy or backside itchy."

"But... More investigations would be better right?"

"They just playing games lah! You said just now, something about making sure the truth comes out, so the internal review and the police investigation will not be truthful? They are throwing Asparagus!"

"... You mean 'casting aspersions'?"

"Cor-right! It's like tikam-tikam. If you don't win with one tikam, buy another, and another. Eventually, I have to stop cos no money. But in this case, call for COI, WP no need to pay. It's free tikam-tikam!

"But aren't the different investigations just different ways of getting to the Truth? Isn't it good to have different ways to get at the Truth?"

"Aiyah! you know experts lah. You take 10 experts, you will have 12 opinions. If not more. In how many three-court judges, there are times when two judge agree one judge will ngeh-ngeh disagree and write a dysentry judgement."

"Dissenting judgement."

"It's all shit to me."

"Oh. So you did mean 'dysentry judgement'. Sometimes I don't know if you pretending to be poor in English, or you really poor in English."

"You don't act-act lah. I know you England Helicopter. What I mean is, in this world where got everyone agree with everyone. Even today after people fly from east to west and around the world, there are still people who believe the world is flat."

"You mean the Flat Earth Society's website? I not sure if that is a spoof website or they really believe the world is flat."

"Got other examples! Got many, many conspiracy theories like US never went to the moon, lah. Or JFK was murdered by the CIA, KGB, dunno who else, lah. After so many years, so many investigation, some people still want to believe there was a more complicated conspiracy to kill JFK. And that 9/11 was not done by terrorists.  And more recently, there was the Shane Todd suicide, which the parents insist was a murder. They even asked for the FBI to investigate, and the SG police even agreed! And the FBI found nothing suspicious or incorrect about how our police investigated the case. But the parents will always believe that their son was murdered, they will choose to believe any small evidence that will give some support for their theory, even if many other proof is against their theory. Hope never dies.”

"But what if the two reviews or investigations are wrong? Or don't agree with each other?"

"THEN that is the right time to ask for a COI or another investigation!"

"But there is nothing wrong to ask for one now, right? It's like having a 3 judge court. There will be a majority decision. With just two judges, or two investigation, there is the chance of a tie."

"Firstly, the two review and investigations are different. I read this on FaceBook:

I want to know how the Hep C got spread - poor infection control? (Which is what the Independent Review is supposed to find out). Or foul play (which is what the Police Investigation is supposed to find out.What is the COI supposed to find out that is NOT redundant?

So SGH already know their internal review is about whether their internal working is cor-right or not. That is why they already make police report to ask Police to investigate whether anyone purposely sabo the hospital. So no need the WP to wayang, SGH already know what to do. SGH also wants to know what went wrong."

"But if the two investigations are separate, then how do we know if the results of either is correct? Wouldn't it be a good idea to have another over-arching inquiry to oversee the results?"

"Then like that, we all should take our driving test two times. Just in case the first time you pass was lucky! Or people who pass on the first try should be retested. They just lucky, lah! There is no end to this."

"Actually, you may have a point. About driving tests. I think those who pass on first try are probably lucky. Should retest them!"

"See what happens? Once you don't trust the process, you will say the result was because of luck lah, or fluke lah. Then liddat, we should have a re-election in Aljunied, because that result could have been a fluke! The WP only won by only about 2,600 votes. Out of 137,00! That's less than 2%. Maybe it's a fluke?" We not ginna anymore. Once you put down, cannot take back. If you think the result of the investigation is wrong, you have to have evidence, not just tikam-tikam, anyhow say. Some more, these COI you think free ah? I also read this on FaceBook:

Why COI? Why not? More inquiries should help us get to the answer sooner correct?Sure. Only people with NO SOLUTIONS will suggest time wasting, resource-squandering, politically motivated, redundant actions.But hey! There is always an upside. If Three reviews/investigations/inquiries lead to budget over-run, it is another thing to whack the govt for,and can detract from their town council management issue -"You say I got deficit, what about your Hep C investigation deficit?"

I heard the head of the COI must be a judge. How much we pay a judge har? As much as a Minister?"



[NOTE: The establishment of a COI is allowed under the Inquiries Act. Under this act, the President may appoint commissioners to inquire into almost any matter. However, every COI would be framed by a Term of Reference which will frame the subject and focus of the COI. This is usually good to focus the COI work and ensure that inquiry is focused, and the work can be completed within a reasonable time frame. Yes, one can call for a COI with wide ranging discretion (i.e. unfocused) empowered to investigate anything and everything (i.e. going on a "fishing expedition"), and this is generally seen as very poor administration, evidence of inexperience, or political fishing expedition. 

There is nothing wrong in letting the internal review and police investigation FIRST, then if the results of those investigation/review finds other things that need to be inquired into, then set up the COI specifically to look into those matters.]