myth 95

'HDB flats are too small' A Ms Sangeetha Bysheim wrote to the media complaining, oh no sorry, feedback, that HDB flat is a squash for more kids. How wrong can she be. In a 3 room flat, it can take in easily and comfortably 10 people, father and mother and 4 children to a room. And there is still space in the living room to park maybe another 4 bodies when lights out. And Ignatius Lourdesamy from the HDB rightly replied that our flats are big, bigger than in Hongkong, Tokyo and Seoul, and bigger than private apartments. Singaporeans should not be complaining about small flats. They did not know how good life is in Singapore. Go to Africa and see those natives living in thatch huts or in open space! 'HDB flats are also designed for more efficient use of space.' Now this is very important in land scarce Singapore. What Sangeetha should suggest is that all flats and houses must also be designed to save space. After all we are going to have 8 million residents in years to come. Maybe there should be a law to regulate the size of space entitlement for each citizen. As an example each person is entitled to 3 by 3 metres of bedroom space, no matter whether it is HDB flat, private flat or landed properties. If hardlanders are deemed fit to be squeezed into a small hole, or in public transport, then anyone who thinks that such condition is acceptable should also be prepared to be in the same shit hole. There is a saying that you need to be in the same shit to appreciate what it is like. Try living it is one way. There are still people who believed that Singaporeans can survive on a household income of less than $1000, or a big family to live inside a pigeon hole of 50 to 90 sq metres.

GST - The realists and the cock teasers

GST - The realists and the cock teasers The GST increase will be debated in Parliament early next year. Debate for what or about what? The realists know that debating the GST in Parliament is but a waste of time. So they are now concentrating on preparing the people to accept the increase and how to adjust to it, or what the Govt can do to share the loot. The cock teasers will still be trying talk about alternatives to GST. There are many other ways to raise fund than raising GST. Yesterday's teaser was to legislate a $2 levy on every working people and use it to help the poor. Today's teaser is by a Roger Tan who suggested that a better way is to sell Govt bonds. I am yawning again.

GST - The realists and the cock teasers

GST - The realists and the cock teasers The GST increase will be debated in Parliament early next year. Debate for what or about what? The realists know that debating the GST in Parliament is but a waste of time. So they are now concentrating on preparing the people to accept the increase and how to adjust to it, or what the Govt can do to share the loot. The cock teasers will still be trying talk about alternatives to GST. There are many other ways to raise fund than raising GST. Yesterday's teaser was to legislate a $2 levy on every working people and use it to help the poor. Today's teaser is by a Roger Tan who suggested that a better way is to sell Govt bonds. I am yawning again.

it is great to give

It is always a great thing to give Khoo Teck Puat gave $34 million to Beijing University. His own money. It is easier to give other people's money, or taxpayer's money. There is now a storm at NUS for giving 40% of its bursary to foreigners. At NTU, bursary is only for Singaporeans. There is a difference in philosophy here. One believes in charity begins at home. One is international philantrophy, give to the world. Hopefully their pocket is deep enough. Now the donors are not happy. They donated in the belief that this will be given to help needy local students. Now, was there a written position or an implied understanding of who the donation shall go to? According to Education Correspondence, Sandra Davie, these detractors, a new term for complainers, are unhappy. Maybe using the term detractor is more pleasant. But if there was an understanding, implied or written, that the fund should go to local students, then the complainers are more than detractors. The onus of proof to justify the allocation of funds to foreign students will then lie squarely on the administrators of the fund. Then I wonder what is the best term to describe them

thoughtless violation of ownership

What is ownership? What is it that belongs to you? And if it is yours, can anyone take it from you against your wish or without your permission? Or can anyone, through a show of hands, that they are the majority, thus they decide against your property or interests? Or can the govt legislate anything it wants from you? The truth is that all these is happening right in front of us. And Singaporeans did not even have a second thought whether it is right for such things to happen. A very good example is an article in the newspaper by a writer, Nelson Quah, suggesting a mandatory deduction of $2 from all employees to set up a fund for the poor. And this is not the first time Singaporeans are suggesting such a measure with no respect for ownership. Whose money? Who does all these Singaporeans think they are to decide to take someone else money or property because they think it is for a good cause? Just legislate it and it becomes legal. Look at what is happening to our CPF? It is perfectly legal. It is also your money, or maybe not now.

now no fear to post at redbeanforum

Then please use the very same technology to banish all FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) about your IP address being traced. Regain your anonymity, freedom and privacy. Exercise your free speech in order to preserve what little freedom you have left. Do you like anonymity? Do you wish to circumvent MDA's or any censor's content filters for that matter? Then use Tor technology. It's a network of onion-routers operated mostly by private individuals (some .edus and non-profit orgs also do so). But coz no one person/company own/ have access to the entire network - a common pitfall of so-called "free anonymous proxies" - they can't store all details about you - even if they want to). Tor continually hops and cycles through thousands of IP addresses in its network before exiting your data stream through hundreds possible exit nodes. So unless you're being watched and timed at both entry and exit nodes, no one knows where you came from nor where you're going. Anyway, so what? You easily re-establish another ID using new hardware with fresh MAC addresses. And of course using a public hotspot helps, too. If you want to try out Tor, go to http://torrify.com/ and download Torpark and run that from your machine. Once you've got it running go to http://cmyip.com/ to verify that your IP is indeed masked. Better still go download the Firefox browser from http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ and torrify it from http://tor.eff.org/download.html.en so you get the benefit of Privoxy as well. Allow yourself to speak out freely without any more FUD. So you see, Knowledge is Power and Information is Freedom in an information-controlled and fear-induced environment. BTW, Tor, Firefox, Privoxy software that power such technology is Open Source Software. Meaning it's FREE and LEGAL to be downloaded and used. So use and support OSS to enjoy a better tomorrow today. PS. don't complain if your surfing speed is now slower. That's the trade-off you make to enjoy anonymity and circumvent content filters. You choose if it's worth it. Anyway, there's the Tor button that toggles if off - if you feel safe to do so.

increase in postage rate

Increase in Postage rate. The increase in postage rate effective 18 Dec 06 will be from 23c to 25c, 70c to $1.10 and $2 to $2.20. Effectively the percentage increase ranges from 8.7%, 10% and 57%. There it goes!

littering no more

We have been very successful in cleaning up Singapore over the years until things took a drastic change lately. Singaporeans in general, except a few untrainable, have been accustomed to the non littering habit that have been instilled in them from young. Why the sudden turn of event? Have Singaporeans gone back to their third world mentality? It is pointless to tackle the problem if we failed to see the cause of the problem. Indeed some Singaporeans have returned to their ugly habit of littering. But that is not the major cause. Why are people so blind not to notice who are the littering our streets? It is not the Singaporeans but our foreign workers. Not too sure about foreign talents. Overnight, fields and playgrounds and footpaths were strewn with litters, papers for sitting on the ground, plastic bags, food wrappers, emptied drink bottles and cans were everywhere. For the situation to reach such a state, it means someone is sleeping. Someone who is tasked to do the job is not doing it. Is this a complain? To some arseholes, yes it is a complain. To the enlightened, it is feedback. And they would probably thank people who talked about such problems and start cracking. The problem is straightforward and the solutions too are quite simple. But if we do not understand the source of the problem, we are barking at the wrong tree.

myth 94

'Singaporeans don't complain' The word 'complain' must be wiped out from the Singaporean vocabulary. It is not only irrelevant, but to some can be hazardous. Singaporeans are afraid to complain about policies or the govt. But if it is something else, they will rise spontaneously like the Geylang roar. A good example is the NKF issue. Complain is a taboo word. It is politically unwise and risky. What Singaporeans should do when they are caught in a bind is to jump. But that is bad now after the last case. A copy cat jumper did not reap any financial reward subsequently. What Singaporeans should do, the politically correct way, is to seek help, or write in a feedback. But even the term feedback is not too appropriate. The new terminology is reach. Feedback, reach, complain, what's the dif? Anyway, Singaporeans who are not happy, please reach back, or reach will reach you. Feedback is out of fashion and complain is a definitely no no.

world class transport, according to who?

What is world class public transport system? My immediate response is to look at the best, the most efficient, the most comfortable and the most customer friendly, ignoring the cost for the moment. What comes into my mind is SIA first class or first class in the bullet trains. Plush upholstery, pretty hostesses, service with a smile, tender loving care, and a lot of room to move around, read the paper, a lot of fresh air to breathe, and getting to your destination on time. What is the Minister's definition of first class? More people using it. A preferred choice of transport. Quite brief but could encompass efficiency, fast, clean, comfortable etc but one thing to exclude, be prepared to be squeezed. The capacity must increase as most of the trains are not travelling in full capacity. Now what are the views of operators of public transport on being first class? Efficiency, fast and maximum capacity are the key words. Forget about comfort. They have just removed many seats to increase capacity. And they want the train to be 100% full at all time. Now what does this 100% mean? Cheek to cheek? Very likely. The current 80% peak time capacity is seen as under utilised. What commuters in Singapore can expect if public transport is indeed world class is a sardine packed, cheek to cheek kind of commuting, and not only during peak hours, but at all hours. What this means is that the commuters must be prepared to smell the unclean, unwashed body odour of the next person. Smell all the month long stale cigarette which a construction worker will not wash off from his uniform. And even the female commuters are not noted for washing their hair and you know what you will get. And there will be more meat in the train than air. And everyone is expected to share the little air in the packed to capacity cabin, exchanging bad breath. And they will have to stand practically all the way. And that is world class public transport system if the operators have their say. If that be so, I would recommend a standard attire for all commuters. Swimming trunks and a gas mask, and a body strap with a hook. And better to make it compulsory. The mask is necessary not only to shield against bad breath and body odour, but as a first line of defence against infection. And commuters better not try white shirt or designer togs. What is the body strap and hook for? To hang the body for the rest of the journey. Beats standing all the way.

in the footstep of the master

Inspired by LKY 'I do not see myself stepping down. I've got to fight the next general election to help secure as high a vote as possible...I am still required by the party to help assess the newer MPs,...And the Govt, the PM, still would like me to play a role,...but also to make use of my international contacts ...and to move into new areas like the Middle East.' The above quote by Goh Chok Tong is exceedingly familiar and anyone glancing at it will think it was LKY. The student has learnt well.

Many Singaporeans don't pay tax?!

Why is it that people are saying this? Many Singaporeans don't pay income tax. But tax is what every Singaporean pays. Even the unborn babies pay tax. The jobless uncles and aunties in the aged homes also pay tax. The ignorant may say that going to govt hospital is free because no need to pay cash. Just pay by CPF. But many educated and highly educated people in the MSM and cyberspace are saying the same thing. Unbelieveable! The GST is a consumption tax. As long as one consumes, one pays tax. The lower your income, the higher the percentage of tax you have to pay. If one has negative income, one pays tax in the exponentials. Imagine how much tax an unborn baby has to pay for all the pre natal care in percentage terms. The truth is that the poor Singaporeans pay the most tax relative to their income. It is the rich Singaporeans that pay the least tax in percentage terms.

like hell, complain you must

Is it wrong to complain? I am specifically referring to complaining about the govt? Why shouldn't the people complain or why should the govt complain that the people complain? I have no complain about anyone who does not have anything to do with me or does not do anything that affects me. I only complain about people or organisations that mess up my serenity. The people have all the right to complain when there is too much govt. When the govt's actions and policies affect the life of the people, it is only expected that the people should stand up and said I don't like your fingers in my pocket or on my back. And when policies are unfavourable or hurting the people, the govt cannot expect the people to just shut up. Or does the govt really expect that to be the case. What is more unacceptable and deserving of complaining is when the govt mess around with your life in areas that is considered private and confidential. Your private life, your family, your property and your money are yours. No one shall trespass if not invited. And if the govt insists on intruding into these areas without your permission, like hell, complain you must.

brutal truth in malaysia

At the Umno General Assembly: Will it boil down to 'them versus us'? 17 Nov 2006 Wan Hamidi Hamid -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is the show of strength and bluster by Umno delegates going to have a lasting impact? From Monday till yesterday, most of the party delegates who took to the rostrum, made it known publicly that the Malays would no longer tolerate any form of threats. It was a strong message: Don’t test us or else... Many speakers accused leaders of Barisan Nasional component parties of questioning the Malay rights while almost all blamed the Chinese business community for "taking more than what they needed". The tone, set by Umno Youth, continued yesterday. Malacca representative Hasnoor Sidang Hussein reminded party loyalists that the time had come for the Malays to act against those who undermined the Malay rights. "Our tolerance... made those who dared to challenge the Malays and Islam become bolder as they felt no action would be taken against them." Most delegates used the term "Malay rights" interchangeably with "Malay dominance" and "social contract". At the end of the debate on economy and education, Perlis delegate Hashim Suboh was more explicit in showing off his anger against the non-Malays when he put a rhetorical question to Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein: "Datuk Hisham has unsheathed his keris, waved his keris, kissed his keris. We want to ask Datuk Hisham, when is he going to use it?" The above is an extract published in the New Straits Times. It is good that the Malay politicians expressed what they really feel and wanted to do. Honesty is always good. No need to pretend, no need to feel shy about gut feelings. If they think it is time to kill the non Malays, go ahead and do it. It is their right, and just claim that they were all running amok. Now after hearing all these threats to their lives and safety, where would this leave the non Malays? Is Malaysia their home? Is Malaysia safe for them? Would they appeal to the United Nation for protection? Or would they continue to blame Singapore and even dispute LKY that there is racial discrimination in Malaysia?

Leong Sze Hian, what is your problem?

Leong Sze Hian, what is your problem? I refer to the article 'HDB rents to be phased in over two tenancy renewals' (ST, Nov 13). It states that 'existing tenants will be given three months' notice of their new rent before their current tenancy is up'. According to HDB's press release 'More help for those who need rental flats', from 1st March 2007, one-room tenants who rented HDB flats before 1st October 2003, with household income from $801 to $1,500 will pay 30 per cent of market rent, instead of the current 10 per cent, at the second renewal. Tenancy renewals are on a two-year term tenancy. This is a three-fold increase, from the current $26 - $33 to about $78 - $99. For two-room tenants who started renting after 1st October 2003, with household income from $1,501 to $2,000, their rental will increase from the current 30 per cent of market rent to 50 per cent, from the first renewal. This is an increase of 67 per cent, from $123-$165 to $205- $276. From 13th November 2006, new $800 and below household tenants who have previously sold one subsidised flat in the open market (i.e. second-time households), will be charged 30 per cent of market rent, instead of 10 per cent, an increase of 200 per cent. For $801-$1,500 households, they will pay 30 per cent and 50 per cent of market rent for first-timers and second-timers respectively. Obviously Leong Sze Hian did not read the reasons given by Mah Bow Tan to adjust the rentals for these flats. Two reasons actually. The first is that the tenant of subsidised rental flats must not be allowed to abuse the system. And when their salary increases, they should pay more. Secondly, by making them to pay more, it is for their own good. This is a way to nudge them into becoming flat owners instead if renting flats. Now the problem is that this increase plus the increase in GST will be going to be a big hit to these lower income earners.

youth reporting

I was enthralled by the quality of the student reporters on TV. Occasionally we could see the news broadcast divided into two sections, the adult news presentation and the young student news presentation. And they were good, equally objective and factual and professional in their news and presentation. And these school children have all the latest gear, and have been trained under professionals from the media industry. Some even went on overseas stint to experience what on the spot reporting is all about. I have seen them reporting from Beijing. Now this is the most revolutionary trend in Singapore. The essence and freshness of youth. And Media Corp should be given an award for being the Most Forwarding Looking Media Organisation. This children reporting is not kid stuff. It can be for real! After all, reporting in Singapore is factual presentation of news and events. And these kids would just do that in its purest forms. No need to waste expensive resources to send brilliant scholars overseas to expensive and ivy league universities, and to pay them the salary they should be commanding if they can be replaced by young children. Why not, if reporting is just plain reporting. No need much analysis. Or analysis not required. Media Corp would have a huge saving in wage cost as children would not need to be paid that well. And quite easily to manage compare to oldies. And they have all the energy to run around gathering news. What an interesting development.

Call for Unconventional NMPs in Parliament

Call for Unconventional NMPs in Parliament I am still yawning and musing over the excitement that this call will bring. And as usual, there is no lack of support and enthusiasm from all quarters. We need a more colourful Parliament to hear voices from all corners of the population. It sounds like a good idea. Now I have heard of suggestions that the disabled needs to be represented, preferably by a disabled person, a blind or mobility impaired person will be ideal. The athletes too need to be represented. A string of footballers' names came to my mind. And the grey population must be represented. Oh oh, are we going to reverse the trend and bring the old hags into Parliament again? But my creative juices are running, and I would like more unconventional NMPs to come from the people they represent. We need one 18 year old to represent the young, a bak kut teh hawker to represent the foodcourt. A meesiam seller will do if can't find the other. Taxi drivers need to be represented, and bus drivers too. What about the housewives? They missed out during the last progress package. And the beggars in the street corners surely need to be represented. There is a beggarchief in YPAP forum that could fit the role. And the buskers. Now for a little change. Parliament needs to be renovated. Maybe even relocated to the National Stadium. But some more urgent things would be to make Parliament friendly to the handicaps. Braille sets must be available, passages for wheelchairs. And yes, the beautiful metal studs that lined MRT stations must be fitted in Parliament. We can invite Gus Dur to try them first. We will then have a great Parliament that truly represents the people from all walks of life. Or create a Senate and they be all addressed as Senators. Is there any merit to such a call? Is Parliament missing something that such a call will come at this time? Why did all these different groups feel that they need to be represented by their own kind? Ok I am now fully awake. Nice musing, but hopefully Parliament is not transformed into a circus or HDB void deck.

steve job said

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." Steve Job

fund expenses from income, not taxes

My challenge to the govt is to cap the tax rates at the current level, stop all the formula of profit first on essential services and finance its growing expenses from investment income. We have more than a hundred billions in GIC and Temasek each. And it was claimed that GIC's profit is 8% while Temasek is 18%. These combined will give $26 billion annually. If they can grow on these two mammoth organisations they will not have to raise taxes continuously on the people. GST and raising wages will only erode our competitive edge in a globalised economy. There is no magic formula that you can raise wages and GST and think we can compete with the world. Our shopper's paradise will be overtaken in no time. Our workforce will go the American and European way. We will price ourselves out of the market. We have to grow out of the rich kid mentality. Working, earn a salary and still dipping into the parents' pocket. The rich kid must grow up and earns his keep and if he wants to spend more, he just have to earn more. Not stretching out his hand to ask from the parents.

the magic of GST

I think either we are entering a phase of creative thinking or creative accounting on a national level. And I must say that the ordinary people need to be very creative and ingenius to break down all the old ideas and concepts and to embrace all the new thinkings. We need a new curriculum on National Education to educate the people on what is good for them. The GST increase is good for the poor and the lower middle income. Today Teo Chee Hean said that it is also good for the middle income and higher income groups because they can expect higher pay rise. This I definitely believe. Just a 5% or 10% pay rise will not only absorb all the 2% GST but will also be enough to go for a few more holidays. Now isn't this GST a magical formula? It is good for the low income, lower middle income, middle income and higher income. Actually it is good for everyone. Now why are the people so angry, so frighten and so delirious over such a good thing? And one thing for sure, we need not worry about competiting with other countries on labour cost. We are going to raise our labour cost, and wages are going up. Now the 4 million smiles are going to come true. Good times are here.

myth 93

'Raising GST is bad for the people' According to Hsien Loong, raising the GST by another 2% will help the lower income Singaporeans, make their lives better and close the income gap. So raising GST cannot be bad for the people. Singapore has found another great formula on how to improve the lives of its poorer citizens through higher taxes. I am so fascinated by it and can't wait for the secret formula to be revealed.

The devil to the rescue

The devil to the rescue Below are some extracts from the Daily Telegraph, UK. 'In his speech at the Guildhall last night, Tony Blair presented the outline of his plan for a new settlement in Iraq....Iran and Syria would be offered privileged status in resolving the future of Iraq, even though they have previously been regarded as serious obstacles to peace in the Middle East, and in the case of Iran, the most prolific sponsor of terrorism in the West.' Aren't Syria and Iran two of the three Axis of Evil? My god, I have heard of sleeping with the enemy. Now it is sleeping with the devil! Blair must have rubbed off something from Bush.

independent directors need to be independent

Independent Directors need to be independent The issue of Independent Directors and corporate governance is in the headline again. It will continue to be a problem if there is no political will to make sure that independent directors are really independent. The existence of independent directors is in conflict with their appointments to company boards. Why would companies want to appoint independent directors to watch over them? They would all go for compliant or friendly directors that will not rock the boat. What is badly needed is for an independent body to appoint independent directors to company boards, independent from the companies. I have proposed this and even volunteered my service to SIAS. My suggestion to David Gerald is to seek MAS or SGX authorisation for SIAS to be the independent body for this role. SIAS has all the reasons to ensure that independent directors are independent and will look after the interest of the companies and minority shareholders' interest. I am still available to take on this task if there is a real interest to pursue this concept. I have been waiting for almost two years on this matter. And things are getting uglier by the day.

singaporeans to celebrate increase in GST!

Lower Income Singaporeans can celebrate rise in GST! The main reason for this increase in GST is to help the lower income Singaporeans, to close the income gap, to make their lives better. For closing the income gap, this can be simply dismissed. It is hardly a drop in the ocean. Forget it. There are 330,000 Singaporeans earning less than $1500 a month, bearly making ends meet. I believe this is the group that will be helped most. There should be better off because of the GST. This is the first time that some Singaporeans, or the lower income Singaporeans can celebrate on a rise in GST. How can they benefit and be better off? Assuming they spend every cent they earned, all $1500, which is very likely, a 2% increase means they will need to pay $30 more per month on their consumption. All things being equal, the govt needs to reimburse them $30 just to break even. For them to benefit from the GST increase, the sum to be given to them must be more than $30, maybe $50. This is hardly going to make a difference to their lives as money is hardly enough. Most are living on a monthly deficit. A more decent sum should be $100 a month. This may help them a little to cover some of the debt or things they have been skimping on. At $100 pm for 330,000 Singaporeans, this will work out to be $1200 x 330,000 or $396 million annually for as long as the 2% GST is in force. For the GST can only go away if it is cut. If not, they will have to bear the burden of this increase for the rest of their lives, an increase to make their lives better. The problem is the lower middle income group, maybe another 500,000 Singaporeans in this category. Say they be given the same amount, that will come to $600 million. If the total collection is $1.5 billion, there will still be a surplus of $500 million to go around. Now, will the lower income and lower middle income benefit from this GST increase? This just sounds too good to be true. What is the catch?

straw that breaks a camel's back

If there were to be anything that can break the camel's back, it will be this 2% GST. And it comes at a time when many people are sceptical that their lives are turning better. I dunno who advised for this move, it is an advice that will lead to tremendous ground shift.

gst to the rescue

Just a few days back, Low Thia Khiang proposed for more assistance for the poorer Singaporeans. This was shot down by Vivian who challenged him that if going the Low Thia Khiang way the country would go bankrupt. Last night Hsien Loong said we must give more help to the poor Singaporeans or they would be left behind by globalisation. And Hsien Loong was not worried about bankrupting the country. Well, with all the GLCs and Temasek companies registering great profits, with our foreign reserves hitting new high, and with great returns from investing them, surely we have plenty of money. And the economy is having a great run. This is the best time to help the poor. And we can also change the definition of earnings to include capital gains. There you are, we will have a lot of money to help the poor. Still not enough, no problem, raise GST. We just need to be creative, if we need to spend more, create more. How can we ever bankrupt the country if we think a little and spend within our means? Without raising GST we may not have enough money to help the poor. And only the poor needs to be helped. We cannot raise GST to subsidise the rich, especially those earning half a million or more. No more pay rise for them. Oops, payrise is not subsidy. Must give them the pay rise they deserved or they will not work or will migrate. I think 10% will do.

dark cloud over parliament

I could see all the disturbed faces when Hsien Loong announced 2% increase in GST after the news programme. To announce the increase at this time just didn't sound right. When I look at the expression of every MP in Parliament today, all their expressions told a very different story. The only person who was optimistic and full of enthusiasm was Hsien Loong. For the rest, the glum on their faces was the best answer to what were in their minds. Even the newscaster Hwee Goh's expression was anything but convincing that everything was fine. A dark cloud seemed to have hovered over the whole Parliament. The forummers in cyberspace would have a lot of theories to shout about.

What is this hoohaa about welfarism?

Welfarism seems to be a taboo word. Everyone is so frighten of it as if it is leprosy. But are we talking about welfarism when we ask for the surplus of reserves or profits from investing the country's reserve to be returned to the people? The money belongs to the people. The capable people managing the reserves are managing the people's money, not someone else money. There must be a formula to return some of these profits back to the people. Or else where or whose pocket should the profit go to? More mega projects? Let's give back the money to the people who needs them instead of upgrading of parks and beautifying this and that. A couple of hundred bucks maybe worthless to the have's but mean a lot to the have nots. And returning profits from investments to the people is not welfarism. They get a share of the nation's wealth which they are part owner, and only from the profits. Not a permanent feature where the people can demand for it regardless of profit or loss. It will make more sense for the people to feel and share the wealth of the nation than just seeing the money grows and big fat bonuses being paid out to the managers while they get nothing.

Preparing for the inevitable

This is one of the title in the Today paper on Khaw Boon Wan's crusade to clean up the messy health care system. He talked about the problems of the ageing and dying and about the insurance scheme. He is again working very hard. But I am terribly worried when he said this in response to the query on the small payout of insurance schemes on hospitalisation fee. 'I hope of offer more diverse insurance plans...Many have told us that for a payout of $300 per month for 60 months, they would rather self insure. Clearly they prefer higher payouts and I presume they are willing to pay higher premiums.' Who are they? Who are these rich they? Please don't presume too much. Is preparing for the inevitable also means higher premium is a sure thing to come, and mandatory?

the complaining culture

Complaining is a Singaporean culture. It is in their blood. The people only know how to complain. From the internet, the man in the street, the elite and in Parliament, we all complain. And we don't even know that we are complaining, unless we prefix it with the words, 'feedback.'

the poor had it (part 2)

The poor had it (part 2) In the first part I wrote about having to pay more when a commuter did not have the exact change. There is another ruling which many have forgotten but I am not sure whether it has been amended. This is related to bus cheats. There are bus cheats and there are careless or absent minded commuters. Some will deliberately forget to flash their EZ link cards, some exit early to pay less and some simply forget. Let's not discuss the cheats as they will have to pay a heavy fine, even jailed, if they are caught for cheating a few cents on bus fares. The moral of the story is to cheat more, in the millions, and in style, if one wishes to cheat. Then one can still be respected as a talent. Poor commuters should not try to cheat. Ok my point is that if a commuter forgets to flash his card on leaving the bus, he will be charged the full fare from depot to depot, I think. I am not too sure about this. But definitely more than the actual fare if he has flashed exit. So if he boards a bus at the second last depot, flashes the card in but forget to flash out, he may have to pay the fare from one end to the other, the maximum fare. In short, the commuter has to pay more. But he has the option of writing in or explaining to the transport operator, at some office in some corner of the island which would probably cost him more than the over charge if he bothers. Many don't bother as it is not only tedious and troublesome, but more costly. So the poor commuters will have to pay more for a mistake, or forgetfulness, with no intent to cheat. What happens when there is a system error or card reading error? I am twiddling my thumb. Who pays for the error?

what's the problem?

[b]'At the end of the day, we may have superduper GDP growth but if much of that growth is creamed off by foreign-owned MNCs or just by a small group of large companies or only the already rich, then what is the point of all this GDP growth?' Manu Bhaskaran[/b] Is that a problem? If it is, blame it on globalisation. No super talent has the answer to such an impossible problem. If I am the rich and benefitting from it, why should I come out with a solution that will make me less rich?

haze ransom will travel

A ransom that will not work Indonesia said it needed US$60 million to solve the haze problem. And it is contributing US$50,000 to an Asean Haze Fund. Singapore also pledged the same amount. Immediately we can see the farce of the whole game. It only gets more hazy by the days. Now Singapore wanted the whole world to come in as it is as clear as the haze is hazy that any anti haze effort without the US$60 million ransom will not work. And US$60 million is only the beginning, the initial asking price. Hopefully some countries, for political reasons and goodwill, may want to throw in another few pennies to the cup. China, Japan and the USA may have to behave and give a token support for goodwill. And Malaysia may contribute more as blood is thicker than water. Maybe eventually they will get US$10 million for starting the fire and causing the haze and for some token effort to douse the fire that they started.

Talkingcock.com facing tough competition!

I took a peep at Talkingcock.com after someone told me that it is no longer that exciting. I too have not visited Talkingcock for a long time. Now with so many people talking cock in this paradise island, where got so much time to read so many cock and bull stories. But when I visited Talkingcock.com, yeah it is quiet. And the articles were dated. Could it be that the contributors are now back in this island and contributing to all the garbage here? I think that could be a reason. Anyway, Singaporeans never have it so good with so many people joining in to talk cock. When old cocks stop talking, young cocks will have their days. Old cocks like me better give way to young cocks. I am waiting for more young cocks to come here and crow. : )

How to learn to love another people...the American way.

There is a Chinese saying, 'without fighting cannot get acquainted.' In order to know and appreciate another person, you need to fight him. And it seems that this is exactly how the Americans get to know the world and to live at peace with them. Before the Second World War, America was quite happy living in its own continent. Then came the war. They fought the Germans and the Japs. Today, the Germans and the Japs were their best pals. Then they fought the Koreans and again the Koreans are their best pals. They even have a lot of Japs and Koreans in America now. Then they fought the Vietnamese, and as expected, the Vietnamese have become great American friends and living in America as Americans. Through all these fightings, the Americans learn a new people and their way of life, culture and even learn their language. Now America is fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. In another 10 or 20 years down the road, America will be flooded with Afghans and Iraqis. Initially they will come as refugees after the war ends. Then the next phase will be political refugees. And then all will be Americans, living happily under the same night sky and stars. Actually the first group to receive such American hospitality are the African negroes. They are now as American as any White Americans. The group that really missed out on this hospitality is the Red Indians. Maybe too little left to be appreciated. With the impending withdrawal from Iraq, Americans better braced themselves up to receive an influx of Iraqis and Afghans into the Big Apple. And more mosques should be built quickly as surely they will come. Maybe have a few MacAlibaba fastfood Restaurants ready.

myth 92

'I am generous and all caring' I am going to set up a charity with a fund of $10 million to help the needy. These people really need help and if no one is going to help them they can all become jumpers. Now conditions to qualify for my generosity. 1. They must come forward and apply, giving all details of their family background, father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, brothers and sisters, husband and wives and children. And they must bring along all their bank statements showing how many bank accounts they have and how much each have in their accounts. 2. The family income must not exceed $800 or $300 per person. I have worked this out in detail how much one needs to live. 4 packets of instant noodles and 4 packets of 3 in 1 tea or coffee shall make a wonderful meal for a day. That will cost 60c + 10c multiply by 4 meals or $2.80 x 30 days. A sum of $84 a month. $300 a month is thus more than enough. 3. For married couple, must have only one child. With such a high cost of living it is better that they limit themselves to only one child. Otherwise there is really nothing my fund can do to help. 4. They must live on rental properties. 5. And there must be no colour tv or refrigerator or hi fi at home. and no handphone. These are luxury. Computer is definitely out of question. 6. Another condition is that they must be out of jobs for at least 6 months. 7. And they must not turn down any jobs offer to them. 8. Better still if they have IOUs or statements from the loansharks to prove that they are deeply in debt. 9. And when they come to apply, try to look poor and hungry. Fat or chubby applicants need not apply. I think that should be enough criteria to qualify for my charity fund. And if successful, each one will be given $100 a month. This will be given to them on a 3 monthly basis and every case will be reviewed after 3 months. I can't give them too much or my fund will dry up fast. And now it has been a year and my fund is still not utilised. There are some applicants but most of them cannot qualify. Never mind, one day someone will qualify. Anyone want to apply?

Dreaming like an elite

Sunday morning fantasy. Allow me to day dream a little, to feel good that I am an elite. Hmmm, a $50k salary, and maybe 10 directorships. Wow! Bee tang. Can’t imagine the amount of money going into my bank accounts monthly. Each directorship may average $5k a month. More if the organization is big. Well, probably I will lose track of who is paying into my accounts or how many accounts I have. I may even forget to attend board meetings. Or often the meetings clash on the same day and either I miss one or attend one for a while, then pop into another for a cup of tea.

Now that is life. And got bonuses and increments annually some more. Well, they need to keep feeding me out of respect for my position or my talent, or my connections.

Now would I be weighed down by problems? Of course problems are aplenty. So I will need to prioritise them. Only deal with the major problems. Often I will feel very irritated by little whinings and complaints. Can’t they bring it somewhere else for others to solve them? I only take care of big problems and big issues. Haven’t they told them that a captain handles only captain’s problem while every problem going to the major becomes a major problem?

Now better to do a quick check on my bank accounts and bank balances. Should have enough to place a booking for St Regis.

While I am busy looking for another important investment, those leeches better buck up and straighten up their lives. And stop thinking of handouts. It is for their own good. Too many handouts will develop in them a crutch mentality. And soon the company will be bankrupted. Now that will be a real big problem. It will definitely affect my next increment and bonuses.

Isn’t that a nice Sunday morning fantasy?

myth 91

‘$5000 household income is rich’

Is this really true? It should be. $5000 is a big sum of money. And a household income of $5000 must be middle class. Let’s look at the details. A family of 5, father, mother and three working children, father earns $1,600, mother $1,000, 3 children each earning $800.

After CPF and a $200 monthly transportation cost for each member, the disposable income left will be: father - $1080, mother - $600, each child - $440. Assuming each member needs $200 for his/her personal expenses eg taking lunch or dinner at workplace, the disposable income will be further reduced to: father $880, mother $400, and each child $240. For a family of 5, the household expenses will probably be $1500 plus $250 for utilities and conservancy fees, or a sum of $1750.

Now the combined balance available of the family, $880, $400 and 3 x $240 is $2000. This would mean that the family will have a balance of $250 to spare. Would this amount be adequate to pay for all the social obligations, more bills and a little eating out or entertainment? In reality, it is likely to be nothing left as there are many things that will eat up $250 a month easily.

Is a $5000 household income sufficient to qualify a family as being comfortable? No car or motor cycle definitely. Very likely the family will be living on a hand to mouth existence. That is how the cost of living in Singapore affects the apparently high income of Singaporeans and making the value of money so small.

A $5000 income is quite handsome if it is the income of 1 or 2 bread winners with a couple of young children. If the income is contributed by every working adult who needs to feed and cloth themselves, and also incurring expenses while working, a $5000 monthy family income is bearly enough to live on.

inspired by mah bow tan

After listening to Mah Bow Tan’s plan to build more rental flats for the less well off citizens, I am truly inspired. The govt is now actively tackling the problem of the poorer Singaporeans and to help them. More empty flats will be converted to 1 rm and 2 rm rental flats to solve the problems of housing for the poor. And the rentals will definitely be affordable, calculated with computer precision to fit the income of the poor Singaporeans. This is to prevent the more well off Singaporeans from taking advantage of the system and deprived the more needy Singaporeans of rental flats.

So what will happen is that the household income of the family will be carefully scrutinized not only on eligibility but also to determine how much each family will pay for the rental of the flat. A family with a higher income will have to pay more than a family with a lower income. This kind of micro management to ensure that the poor cannot abuse or cheat the system is one of its kind in the world. It is an obsession to make sure that the poor are managed to every detail of the little money they have. Put them under the microscope. And once they earn a little more, they should be made to pay a little more. This is absolutely fair and righteous. This is equitability at its best. Means testing was not mentioned, but means testing will have to be done to assess affordability.

This principle of paying according to income or affordability is the most ingenious part of the solution. It convinces me that means testing is important and relevant in the Singapore context. Though I have always been against means testing, I am now a convert for means testing. It is the fairest and most equitable way of distributing national resources and be paid according to one’s ability. I would like to see Mah Bow Tan proposing this formula in Parliament to apply to all govt services, including tuition fees in schools and tertiary education, ward charges for hospitalization, utilities, road taxes etc.

And for this scheme to be effective and implemented across the board, all Singaporeans must be means tested. Testing only the poorer Singaporeans is discrimination by wealth and is disgusting. Also, since all govt services and fees are to be paid according to affordability, it is necessary to means test the more affluent Singaporeans to ensure that they pay more for the same govt and public services. As an example, the price of a 5 rm flat should vary according to the family income of the buyer. Or hospital ward charges shall be computed according to the patient’s family income and applicable to A, B and C wards. School and university tuition fees shall be also payable according to the family’s income. The higher the family income, the higher should be the fees. It is the fairest and gracious formula for the better off citizens to cross subsidise for their poorer counterparts.

With such an equitable scheme where those who can afford more pay more and those who can afford less pay less, the govt will be seen as fair and progressive instead of being mean and petty if means testing is only applicable for the poor. I will definitely support such a great scheme.

Changing Strategy or changing horse?

Changing Strategy or changing horse? While the new PAP strategy is to woo the young, the post 65ers, which is expected given the young being the future, the latest speeches in parliament exhibited a fear of the old. There seems to be a feeling that the oldies have got the message that they are being abandoned and they might form a political party to look after themselves. The oldies were the nation builders, growing up in a poor underdeveloped island, slogged and toiled, and supported the PAP all these years, till today. They are the backbone of this nation and of PAP. Now where to put them? Outlive their usefulness?

chia ti lik also resigned from wp

And now Chia Ti Lik has also resigned. The reason is the curb on internet postings on WP members. I fully support Chia Ti Lik's resignation. And probably Goh Meng Seng resigned for the same reason. They should get together and form a new and progressive party that is up todate with a new technological world. Trying to live the 21st century like kampong folks of the 1960s is sure to dig deeper into a hole to cover oneself up. The internet is the most advanced and progressive and effective tool that a political party in the Singapore environment can depend on. It is only a matter of how to use it and maximise its effects to benefit the party. The problem at the moment is the lack of discipline and to fall into the traps of tauntings by people masquerading as friends or innocent trawlers. As long as the politicians or would be politicians conduct themselves well and with decorum, they must not be gagged from posting in the net. Gagging people from posting in the net is regressive and living in a fictitious world of the three monkeys, covering their eyes, ears and mouths, and think everything is fine. Goh Meng Seng and Chia Ti Lik, go and form your own party with the youth of today, and capitalise on technology and the internet to push your agenda and views. Technology is a friend and not an enemy.

The whiners must do some soul searching

The whiners must do some soul searching Mohammad Maliki Osman, a new MP, pointed out that Singaporeans were whiners and complainers. A little variation from quitters. Name calling is quite fun. For every little wrong they would call up a govt agency to deal with it. He would rather the Singaporeans take actions into their own hands, take ownership of their actions to make the island a better place to live rather than depending on the govt. Why is this so? Why are the Singaporeans all so like dat? Whose fault huh?, so asked robertteh. Who should be doing the soul searching? Matilah had on many occasions complained about too much govt. For when there are too much govt, it is only natural and expected that if the govt wants a hand in everything, wants to interfere in everything, then the people will just let the govt to take over, even their lives, reluctantly or legally. And first thing is to stop telling people what to do and what not to do in bed. Or should the govt step back a little? Return more freedom, initiative and more funds and resources back to the people to lead their own private lives? Now, it is always easy to blame the people or some other people isn't it, especially when one thinks one is now god, in the highest body of the state, to tell the people who is the boss?

help is on the way, 36 schemes!

The poor Singaporeans are so lucky. There are officially 36 schemes or assistance programmes forthem to fall back on in addition to the hundreds of non governmental schemes available. Even if I would like to help to disseminate these information to the needy I will also have problems trying to understand each of them. Now I am wondering how the less able, ignorant orlowly educated Singaporeans be able to benefit from such schemes when they either did not know that they exist, or even if they know, would not be able to understand them. And what about the helpers who are to bring these assistance programmes to the needy or to bring the needy to the programmes? Are they also conversant with these programmes? Or would they need a computer to help them to determine who is qualified for which programme? I will surely need a computer to assist me. After reading one programme I will probably forget everything when I try to understand the second programme. And there are 36 of them! By the time I read all of them I will either go bonkers or havewritten a doctoral thesis.

public transport - maximise profit or maximise use

The article by T Rajan in the Straits Times on public transport provides a lot of fruits for thoughts. First point is that public transport operators are not happy that at peak period the trains and buses are only 80% full. Imagine if they are 100% full. What a joke! Would those who expect a 100% full trains and buses be willing to ride on them as their preferred mode of transport? Is a world class transport meant to be that way? And hey, even with the under utilisation the profits are quite handsome and they shouldn't be complaining, should they? Another point is this obsession to push for a 70% usage of public transport. Why shouldn't the current 50% be a good way of life? If our road system is able to cope, isn't it desirable for a better quality of life for more people to be able to drive their own cars? In the future it can be a different issue when the roads are so congested because of our 8 million population dream. Then there is this issue of season passes. It was quoted that the common practice for season passes is to price it with a 50% discount. And for a yearly pass, the discount is even more. Now, how much discount is our $98 season pass? We need to develop a world class public transport with the objective of serving the commuters at the cheapest cost possible and not to maximise profits for the operators and at the discomfort of commuters. There was a comment in the article that people choose to take public transport because it is fast and efficient, and comfortable? I did not read this last word. But travelling in a world class public transport cannot be uncomfortable or be squeesed like packed sardines, that's for sure.

too many helping hands

The 'too many helping hands' syndrome raised by Denise Phua strikes a similar cord in me. With so many charities around, there is a misperception that a lot of good things were done to help the needy. I agree that many good things are being done. And also many unnecessary things are being done. And also many improper things are being done in the name of charities. But because charity is such a noble word, everyone with a little time would want to whip this charity horse as a past time. Everyone wants to start a charity, wants to raise fund for charity, wants to build hospitals, aged homes, dialysis centres and whatever in the name of charities. And the govt probably believe that with so many charitable organisations to help, it can let them share some or more of the load of helping the less fortunate. To have voluntary charitable organisations is a very good thing. it allows people who want to feel human an opportunity to show their generosity and shower love and compassion for the needy. But when charity becomes commercialised, it becomes so fake. If it goes on like what it is being pushed on TV media, soon it will become repulsive. A lot more work needs to be done to manage charitable organisations and the belief that more charitable organisations is good. Who knows, tomorrow undesirable characters may jump on the charity bandwagon to fill their own pockets. Maybe they are already doing so without being discovered.

parliament brief

The most impressive MP in Parliament yesterday must be this guy, shit, I can't even remember his name. Oh yes, Sam Tan. He has such a massive memory that he could remember things lucidly when he was about 5 or 6 years old. And political events and personalities too. I am very impressed. And Amy Khor suggested that the govt should start to study and understand the problems and mindsets of the needy so as to better understand them. Now isn't it about time. It is important to really understand why this people would not come forward to beg for charity and alms but to choose to jump. And there were calls to raise the minimum wages. Now that is a bit tricky I think. Can we really raise the wages for the lower level jobs when others can do it at half or less than half our asking price? I thought it would be easier to lower the cost of essential services and products. These are within our control. Make less profits or subsidise a little. No, I am not suggesting killing the goose that lays the golden egg. And to think that people are now rushing to grab at cleaner jobs. Now is that a good sign or bad sign? Is it because people are now so desperate or penniless that anything will do? I am not sure. I don't know their mindsets. But the best part is the bedroom antics. Now things are going to be more interesting between consenting couples behind close doors.

what bumiputra?

As the debate on bumiputra versus non bumiputra policies hots up and tension creeps in, the concept of bumiputra gets clearer. Johore UMNO is now criticising the concept of a Malaysian race. What they are concerned, according to Abdul Ghani, is that 'The concept is seen as a threat to the Malays and the special position provided for them in the Constitution.' To Abdul Ghani, the Malays must remain the "pivotal race". What is therefore important is not so much the bumiputras or sons of the soil. For bumiputras should also include the orang asli, the ibans, the dayaks, and other native people of Sabah and Sarawak. But they are not Malays and thus should not be part of the pivotal race.

goh meng seng, a little respectability

Goh Meng Seng resigned from Workers Party to take responsibility for the bad publicity he had caused to the party in the internet. It is sad that a new and young opposition party member that has some potential to make it big has to resign for this mess. Actually he should just make a sincere apology will do. I posted this episode here as this is the kind of quality needed from a responsible politician. Firstly when one made a serious mistake, it is only honourable to apologise, and if a really serious mistake, better to resign. The second point that I want to make is that politicians and politicking must be done with some integrity and respectability. Underhand tactics, character assassination, disrupting blogs and forums, making uncalled for remarks and abusing other forumers by planting people in disguise, are all thuggish behaviour and unacceptable. Let's hope that we have honourable people as politicians and political leaders. The respect and integrity of political office must be upheld at all times. And scums and scoundrels adopting tactics of gangsterism should not be allowed even in cyberspace. Whoever that are playing such games should quickly withdraw their members and refrain from such practices. First world country must have first world standard and practices, and behaviour whether in internet or in politics.

how old or when to get passionate?

Michael Palmer says, "Being the lawyer that I am, let me throw in a few qualifications at this point. I do not for one minute mean to compare goverment and the issues of our country with a pop concert. Nor do I suggest that we approach the two with the same mindset. But what I want to know is why are we not as passionate about the government of our country and our country as we are with things like our favourite rock or pop band or maybe even our favourite movie stars? Yes, the subjects of government and our country may be less entertaining but on the other hand they affect our lives much more fundamentally than a movie star or pop group would. So what is it that the latter has to inspire such passion? More importantly, how do we get that same passion to emerge when it comes to issues of government or your country?" I would like to ask Michael when he starts to be passionate about the governing of the country? How old is he when starts to be passionate about this?

our own hero!

Yes, the Time magazine has picked LKY as one of the 60 Asian heroes for the 20th Century. No one can deny that since he came into the world of politics and nation building he has achieved more than many world leaders. He has made his mark domestically and in the world stage. Fortunately Time did not include Annabel as a heroine among the 60 heroes.

intolerance of lesser beings

Intolerance of the lesser beings. Another case of a young female employer beating up the maid appeared in court today. Such acts of cruelty are now as common as brushing your teeth. You see it or hear about it almost everywhere when there is a conversation about maids. They are so slow, stupid, stubborn, unteachable and intolerable. Such specimens of lesser beings only deserve to be beaten or ironed or to be fed with human faeces. Are we going down the road to monstrosity? This trait of intolerance to the lesser beings, and the lack of humility, seems to permeate across our society. And if we are still not going to pull the brakes, we only have retribution at the end of the road. Survival of the fittest means the strongest have the right to feast on the weak. And when the mighty lion ages, it will be his turn to be eaten. Are we going to see stronger and harsher measures to be given to the violaters of basic human decency? The lesser beings may be slow, stupid or naughty, there is no reason to beat them or iron them or steam them. Just let them go. Send them back to where they come from.

teach the indons the fine thing

Now Indonesia is angry with Singapore for raising the haze problem at the UN. To the Indonesians, haze is a domestic problem. If only they can keep the haze under wrap an not share with their neighbours. Just like smoking is a personal habit, but don't exhale after inhaling as your neighbour will have to share the secondhand smoke with all its leftover nicotine plus your bad breath. (Where is matilah? Please don't tell him I say this.) And Indonesia claims that it has all the expertise which in this case they must have kept it and not telling the world. Lets hope they will use their expertise to stop the haze fast. They must have mustered the skill and concealing it all these years. So generous of the Indonesians. Like kungfu masters. Actually the easiest way is to borrow Singapore's fine formula and the Indonesian govt will be laughing to the bank. Just introduce a fine system and make the plantation owner pay and pay. For the small farmers, a smaller fine will do. Anyway their little fire would not have cause so much smoke. The small farmers are not that good at creating smoke screens.

myth 90

'China is the most corrupt nation' If we brand countries according to the number of cases of corruption and people brought to court as a guide, China is definitely the most corrupt country in the world. Next should be South Korea. And the rest of the world are relatively free from corruption. Singapore can be grouped together with Malaysia, Indonesia and even the USA as corruption free country. There is hardly anyone being brought to court for corruption. Even the NKF case, the legal fraternity also pronounced that there is no evidence for corruption. At worst it is mismanagement. And the few cases of corporate honchos being found guilty in court, these are commercial crimes, like the Enron case. Not corruption at all. In the case of Malaysia and Indonesia, better still. Where got corruption? Mahathir has challenged anyone to prove that there is corruption in Malaysia. So the world is a very clean and healthy place. Virtually corruption free.

Johore like New Territories of Hongkong?

If only Malaysia is serious, sign a 100 year agreement with Singapore (JTC/HDB) to develop and manage JB Singapore style but with full sovereignty remaining with Malaysia. Let the developers and infrastructure professionals to go in and develop JB into a twin city of Singapore, the same efficiency and security. The tricky part is the law enforcer. The Malaysian govt can be guaranteed of a larger and more vibrant JB with all the features of a metropolis within 20 years. A larger scale Singapore integrated into the smaller Singapore like Hongkong and the New territories. Do they have the will and the vision to want to see that happens?

oldies, you are wanted, in Oz.

Oldies wanted! Below is quoted from Soc.cul.spore. There is a way out for some oldies. The local paper quoted the WA police as saying that they are sending a recruiting team to Singapore. WA is extremely short of police officers. To make up for the difficulty of getting Aussie, they have recruited British bobbies. They now think that Singapore police officers who have to retire at 45 will make good cops in WA with their years of experience. The Singapore system value youth and vitality while the Australian system value experience and wisdom.

can johore become a metropolis?

To turn Johore into a metropolis is not just hardware, cheap land and money. They will need a host of other softwares to get it really moving. They can't one day say you are welcomed and tomorrow say you are not welcomed. They can't change the law today and backdate it 5 years to strip an investor of his properties and assets. They also need the whole govt machinery to tell the investors and vistors that they are welcomed. They cannot have civil servants, police or custom officers making life difficult to foreigners or irritating foreigners or preying to take advantage of foreigners. They cannot have a place that is so hostile to investors and visitors. Investors and visitors bring money to the land. They need to be very sure that they are safe and not be robbed by robbers and govt officers. The investors and visitors need to feel that they are welcomed and not seen as intruding into other people's land.

myth 89

'Have a pap smear at least every three years' Just read this in the paper this morning. Haven't we have enough of pap smears? Just kidding.

hand holding indonesia

My proposal to Indonesia on the haze problem. Divide Sumatra into 6 regions with Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore being responsible for two regions. Similarly Kalimantan be divided into 3 regions with Brunei taking one region and Malaysia taking two. And for each region appoint an Indonesian Mayor In Charge of Environment(MICE). And each MICE be supported by an adviser whose advise is to be followed. And when the MICE failed in his job, the Adviser shall report to Jakarta to have the MICE removed. I think that will work.

the poor had it.

The poor had it. The bulk of the commuters of public transport comes mainly from the less well to do Singaporeans. These are the people whom the govt takes great care to make sure public transport is affordable. And if there is any increase in transport fare, it will be done cautiously, and in small amounts like 2c or 3c. One can expect that the transport operators will also be sensitive to the fares that the commuters are paying and not to over charge them. But we are still hearing commuters being made to pay extra because of system failure or errors. The poorer segment of the society, often less articulate, also did not have a voice. Are there really people who represent them and their interest? Take this uncle for example. He seldom takes public transport. Then hopped onto a bus and asked the bus captain how much it cost to his destination. $1.30 came the reply. Uncle scratched his pocket for his $1.30. He only had 80c, and no ez link pass. The captain patiently waited for his fare to be deposited into the box. Uncle asked, 'got change?' as he took out his smallest $2 note. Captain grinned. Sorry no change, exact fare please. Uncle was caught not knowing what to do. And the queue behind him grew impatient. He reluctantly let his $2 dropped into the box for his $1.30 ride. And no change. Why is it that the poorer commuters should always be made to pay more for the convenience of the big transport operators? How many uncles and aunties have been forced to pay that much more for their rides? But they are to be blamed for not having the exact change. It is the system. The bus captain is also unable to waive the short changed. A modern and world class system has no tolerance for the ignorant and difficult to train poor. This is another brutal truth of a world class transport system. To be fair to the transport operators, they have given enough publicity on the need to have exact fare. Or else the computerised system cannot cope with all the change. They have educated the commuters and the commuters jolly well know what is expected of them. The poor commuters shall not make a nuisance of themselves.

how to kill the SJER?

Even before the ink dries, there are all kinds of distracting voices that could derail an aggressive and promising strategy to turn Johore into a metropolis. The Sultan is saying that foreigners are dirty. How is this going to be helpful to the SJER? Cut the causeway! Another ambivalent if not counter productive statement. Would investors and Singaporeans think that they will really be welcomed in Johore? But the most destructive statement on the SJER is to claim that Singapore will stand to benefit from it. And worst if someone claims that Singapore will gain more in the cooperation than Johore or Malaysia. The thought that Singapore will benefit from any project is like the tolling of the death bell. Whether it is real or imagery, once the Malaysians or some Malaysians heard that Singapore will benefit, susah lah, how can the deal go through? The easiest way to kill the SJER is just to crow how much Singapore will benefit from it. So whoever want to kill this project, just make sure that the Malaysians heard it loud and clear that Singapore is going to benefit from it. And to hasten its demise, just claim that Singapore will benefit more than the Malaysians.

the haze is back?

The haze got worse last night. This morning it appears to be getting bad. It seems that the Asean Ministerial Meeting is not bearing any fruit. Or is it that the ransom asked was not paid and the haze will not go away? Looks like the Asean neighbours would have to buy the Indonesians a satellite and build all the dams they want for the haze to go away.

we are not finished!

We are not finished! In many organisations, private or public, the young punks have taken over the reign. Many are in their 30s and 40s. Intelligent, dynamic and impatient to make their marks. Invariably the sight of the oldies are not so pleasant and grudgingly tolerated. The common comment is that they should be at home looking after their grandchildren and should not be in the office. And in the drawing boards, all kinds of plans are being crafted and to be put in place to get rid of the oldies. Some of the oldies are still as strong and healthy and have many good years to go. No matter. Once they pass the 50 mark, they are considered finished products. Time to disappear for their own good. While scheming to get rid of the oldies, they forgot that it is only a matter of time that they too fall into the same unpleasant category to be got rid off. Age is fair to all. Everyone must go through the ages. All the Papas must teach their young upstarts to show a bit of deferrence to the older specimens of human kind. And a great example to follow is Hsien Loong. He has kept two oldies as bouncing boards and as his resources, to provide the gaps that need to be filled in his thoughts and thinking process. The days of the oldies are not over. With better medical care, the oldies are going to be hopping around for another 20 or 30 years more. And if the oldies can master the computer and internet technology, they can make themselves very useful as these requires only their finger muscles and a lot of the knowledge that they have accumulated and stored over the years. The danger of a nation being run by kindergarten kids has been demonstrated over the last few weeks. In their little raw brilliance, they could destroy everything, their families and themselves.

myth 88

'Singapore has no talent for international acquisition' The names like Quek Leng Beng, Ooi Hong Leong, (this one think is a pr, or maybe citizen already), Ong Beng Seng, the late Khoo Teck Puat, Wee Cho Yaw, (he has a famous surname), the Royal brothers, Koh Boon Hui, Sim Wong Hoo etc, have been acquiring businesses all over the world, and some of them for many years. They may made some mistakes here and there but nothing earth shaking to raise any eyebrow. These are the seasoned and real mavericks who learned the ropes of doing business deals the hard way without the notes and textbook advises from an Ivy League University. And their records have proven that they are better international deal makers. They are consumate deal makers and will not end up in any rotten deals or paying a ransom for rubbish. The gratifying thing is that they are local talents. Why the need for foreign talents who came with a big basket to scoop and retire in their little paradise somewhere on earth?

no need passport

No need passport Singaporeans will be allowed to enter two selected areas in JB without the need for passports and can stay as long as they want. This is the latest announcement coming from Malaysia, and a very bold initiative that takes the competition right to the competitor’s doorstep. The Malaysians are serious to make SJER a success, and they mean business by pulling every plug possible. Such an act will be unheard off during the Mahathir govt when economics was playing second fiddle to politics. Now they are brave, aggressive, creative and business like, like Singaporeans in many ways. It would be interesting to see how Singapore reacts to this Malaysian announcement. It is like a bolt of lightning. It poses a lot of challenges and also offers a lot of opportunities. It is not only about economic cooperation and competition, it is also about the twinning or intertwining of social and economic relations between the two states. If things kick off with a good start when both sides see the benefits of closer cooperations, there will be tremendous improvement in inter state relations instead of biting rivalry. Other Malaysian states will soon follow with their own initiatives to develop economic links and cooperation with Singapore. And Johore, being a more convenient location relative to Batam and Bintang, will be a big draw for Singapore companies and Singaporeans. Even foreigners and foreign companies will stand to benefit with such a move. What if Singapore does not see this as a positive proposal and reacted with another ¾ thing or something cute but regressive? Any negative thoughts or rulings will be like slapping its own face. It will not only be bad for long term bilateral relations, it will destroy whatever goodwill that we have built for so long. And the Malaysians will gain all the initiative and support to lash out at Singapore for not walking the talk. We shall all hope that this Malaysian initiative will be the harbinger for better relations and cooperation. It is the kind of competitive strategy that Singapore should welcome and encourage, aggressive but rational business strategies devoid of politicking, emotions and sentiments.

myth 87

Myth 87 'A Singapore fiction' Saturday, October 28, 20062 hours that change me I didn’t know what to expect. It was my first time visiting a one-room HDB flat. I had agreed to help bring a few students to visit a few of these homes that the school had adopted as part of the CIP (Community Involvement Programme). This should be good, I thought. I wasn’t prepared for this. The walls were dotted with black splotches of what we were told were the droppings of bed bugs. We were warned not to remove our shoes, lean on the walls or sit on the floor. Mr Y sat on a stool and seemed nonchalant about the infestation in his home. The mattress he slept on bore testimony to the nightly battles he had to endure. The bed sheet was clouded with blood stains. Mr Y used to be a coolie who carried sacks of rice. The bachelor now lives alone in his decrepit rental flat, his emaciated body racked with sickness, the money he earned in his younger days long gone to feed his parents’ opium addiction many years ago. He gets $260 from the welfare agency every month, of which about $100 goes into paying his rent and utilities. The remainder he has to magically stretch to cover his food and medical costs. The bugs had spread from next door to a few flats on the 5th floor where Mr Y lived. You could see them flitting about on the wall, on the floor, among his clothes, even along the corridors. Nobody there could afford a professional pestbuster, and the town council wouldn’t do such favours anyway. So living with these parasites has become a fact of life. Residents living on the other floors talked about the 5th floor as if it was Purgatory and it didn’t seem an inappropriate description. Then there was 92-year-old Mdm C – so small and wiry she couldn’t have weighed more than 35kg. She had a hole in her neck where her voice box had been removed, so she couldn’t talk. When she saw us, she simply gestured with her hands that she wanted to die. Looking at her forlorn looking home, who could blame her for feeling that way? The food in her kitchen had all gone bad so we gathered she hadn’t eaten for days, or perhaps she had been eating all the rotten stuffs. When you are sick and have to depend on the kindness of neighbours to help you buy even the simplest food, what other choice do you have? She has 2 daughters, one who visits her occasionally. Another, we heard, comes by and steals the NTUC vouchers that volunteers give to her. Is it any wonder Mdm C would rather die? In all, we visited 7 homes, each one with its own sad story to tell. My heart is exceedingly disturbed by the scenes I saw today. On the one hand, we live in a country that’s boasting of having island-wide free internet access soon and building world-class integrated resorts and yet, in pockets of this land which worships success and one-upmanship shamelessly, there are the forgotten lot who live in homes with rotten food and bug-infested beds. I thought that by visiting the poor, I would be helping to cheer them up somewhat. How naïve I was. How arrogant I was to think that a simple 20 minute visit can alleviate the misery of people who have to face squalor every single moment of their lives and where sleep offers no respite either from the reality of their wretchedness. I thought I was doing community service. But no, something was done to me. Today, I felt as if the earth beneath my feet had shifted. In the days that follow, I would still go on to live my life of considerable comfort, plan my holidays, do Christmas shopping and enjoy the trappings of prosperity that I have been blessed with. But I could no longer plead ignorance of the shadowy existence of Mr Y, Mdm C and all these unfortunate people who live just a stone’s throw away from me. I find myself asking Him, “Lord, what will You have me do now?” Tonight, as I crawl between my nice clean sheets, I think of Mr Y and how long the night will be for him. I saw real, in-your-face poverty and human misery today and I’m at a loss as to how to respond. Nothing I can do or say will ever be enough. And yet, if we don’t do anything, what kind of human beings are we? * * * * * * * * * posted by trisha @ 8:08 AM I extracted the above from Sammyboy. Myth or fiction, you decide.

alternative media

Ken Kwek's article in today's Straits Times lamented the lack of political humour in the MSM. Anyone wanting to read them can only find them in cyberspace which he called Alternative Media (AM). There seems to be a lack of tolerance for political humour in MSM, or is it a conscious decision to play down on AM? From the reaction so far, MSM regards AM as a strategic competitor, to borrow a phrase from Bush, and will keep it underwrap for as long as they can. There is a noticeable silence on cyberspace activity in MSM. The only cyberspace news that is allowed to grace the pages of MSM is from their own little baby called Stomp. Stomp has been receiving a lot of funding and promotion to get it kicking. Looks like it is only attracting a very select group of visitors and not enough. Even Media Corp is coming into the fray for blogger's attention. When will MSM start to embrace or engage AM and allocate some space to report on what is happening in cyberspace? If this cold treatment is to continue, the divide can only widen and the two worlds will just stay apart, the Main Stream Media and Alternative Media, each competing for their own audience for their own kind of news. And with a virtual monopoly in the past, MSM can only stand to lose more readers to the young upstart that starts off with nothing.

what the president says

Singapore will become a nation divided by wealth, race and religion. All three are sensitive subjects to be discussed with extreme care. Talking about them careless can undermine the govt's effort to build a cohesive and inclusive society. Race and religion have always been sensitive. Now wealth can also be a sensitive subject. Bloggers have been dragged to the court for blogging on sensitive issues concerning race and religion. Lets hope no blogger is dragged to court for discussing wealth. It is not just simply black or white as in the past. The grey area is getting wider, including maybe brown. Singapore must not become a welfare state in extending help to the people. 'We would like the govt to do even more, but the govt can only spend within its means,' ie the govt must spend only when it is affordable. And looks that the govt has done all it can afford and to do more will be unaffordable. The President said, 'Let us build a competitive economy and an inclusive society for ourselves and our children in Singapore.' I was not in the house but would presume that 'us' includes all Singaporeans.

why push people to take public transport?

Below is my article. Why push people to take public transport? The Transport Minister wants our public transport system to be world class. And one of the measurements of a world class transport system is the number of commuters. This has gone done from 67% in 1997 to 63% in 2004, which is bad news to him. So must push more people to use public transport. But then people are getting richer and can afford to travel in the comfort of their own cars. The car population went up 10% over the same period and daily car trips went up by 23%. Now is this a good thing or a bad thing? Travel by cars must be bad, or else why would the Transport Minister want to push more people to take public transport? ‘We will have to work harder to make public transport a choice mode for the vast majority of Singaporeans for routine day to day commuting.’ Said Raymond Lim. But surely to be able to drive around in a car would be the preferred choice of most Singaporeans. Would it not be better if the objective is to develop a first class road system, complimented by a first class public transport system for those who choose not to travel by car? If public transport is such a great deal, perhaps the minister can set a good example by taking public transport to work. Or make it a national campaign that all senior civil servants, MPs and Ministers must take public transport to work. Leading by example will be a better way to encourage people to do something which they would not want to do if they can afford it. I fully agree with the Minister when he said, ‘This is because, for a dense urban city state such as ours, it will be catastrophic to allow private transport to be the dominant transport mode,…’ And what I like to hear best is ‘Our transport system, while having to be as efficient as possible, must ultimately serve the people who use it.’ But I am worried when he added, ‘The comprehensive view,…will take into account the views of the travelling public and stakeholders such as transport operators.’ My fear is higher fares. The Minister’s aim is for bus and rail system to account for 70% of all morning peak hour ride. Without questioning why this is the best mix, this should be achieved by making public transport so attractive and convenient rather than by a string of disincentives and punitive measures for those who opt to drive. A transport system cannot be world class when people are pushed to take public transport and not because it is a preferred choice. Another point that I am worried about is ‘how to cater to commuters who are willing to pay more for better bus services.’ My immediate thought again is to get ready to pay more. There is nothing wrong if the Minister wants to aim high for those who can afford it and wanted to pay more. Actually those who can would just drive their cars. Why buy an expensive car and park it at home. Only those who are barely able to afford a car would be convinced to do the switch. For the rest of the working class, first class transport system or third class, they will still be taking them. And cost is of prime concern. What I thought would be an improvement is to stick to the fundamentals, ‘promote public transport, optimize road usage and manage demand for private vehicles,’ and let people own cars and use them at their convenience. Make people feel very comfortable to leave their cars behind not because they were coerced to but taking public transport is a better, more convenient and effective means of commutation. Then we will have a world class public transport system. And for the non car owners, an efficient public transport system should not burn a big hole in their pockets. And don’t add in more frills to make them pay for more.

myth 86

'The Govt does not understand the people' There are so many people whining and moaning in the forums of MSM and in cyberspace that the govt does not understand the people and not helping the people. This is so far from the truth. It is the people that do not understand the govt. The govt is doing all it can to help the people. The problem cannot be solved just by the govt alone. The govt has done its part. The people must also do its part. And the policies and solutions are well thought out. They are all for the good of Singaporeans, and based on the assumptions of meritocracy. If you are good everything will be good. The system will work for you, to your favour. The paper reported that there are now more millionaires in Singapore, officially only 1,738. Unofficially could be more. Take a walk along geylang and all the proprietors there, including the ah longs are probably millionaires too. Don't the people understand? It is time the people stop moaning and whining and try to understand the govt and its policies. It is written everywhere. Even an 18 year old knows. Now be productive and constructive. Get to work.

myth 85

'Haze, an amazing Indonesian myth' The Asean Ministers attending the haze conference were so simplistic in their approach to the haze problem. To them, the haze was caused by irresponsible plantation owners and small farmers clearing land for cultivation and development. The solution is thus very simple. Set up effective laws against such practices, enforce them, and put the culprits behind bars. Unfortunately they were so far from the truth and the Indonesians were there to educate them on the problem and how to solve them effectively. To the Indonesians, the haze is a natural disaster, something like the tsunami. And one way to tackle it is to provide a good early warning system like a dedicated satellite so that the affected countries will have enough time to react before the haze hit and will not be drown. The second cause of haze is the smouldering fire under the debris of fallen trees and peat. To prevent such fire which can burn for a long time to re ignite the forest, the solution is to build a lot of dams to raise the water level so that all the grounds are virtually flooded and no fire can be kept alive. Still the Asean Ministers don't get it and failed to understand these ingenius analysis of the problems and the well thought out plans. All the Asean Ministers are concerned is cost. To have a dedicated satellite and building dams across Sumatra and Kalimantan will cost hundreds of millions. And they are not going to spend those money. So they told the Indonesians to set these ambitious and clever plans aside and just go and catch the fire starters. Now, without spending the money, how could the Asean Ministers expect the haze to go away? And there are no fire starters. These are natural phenomenon. Blame nature.

my article in new paper today

Oh, my second article is out in the New Paper today. pg 18. And with my smiley face too. Now you can get a glimpse of how I look like. : )

who is a leech?

'I know the whole argument against welfarism. Welfarism is a dirty word in Singapore. No! We are a meritocratic society! We survive and prosper on hard work and our own efforts! If we allow for welfarism we will have leeches in our society feeding off the wealth of those who had worked hard for their achievements. ' The above is quoted from coffee and cigarette blog. When I read this term 'leeches' I begin to wonder who are the real leeches? If someone is sitting around doing FO and collecting a ransom, would he also be considered a leech?

ministry of charity

With so many charities and public money floating everywhere, it is time to creat a new ministry, Ministry of Charity with a Minister in charge. That will keep those money collected under close supervision and avoid any monkey businesses. It is so uncomfortable to see so much money in the hands of volunteers who have very little financial expertise and could not manage the money for the best return. There should be professional managers employed just to manage all these money.

did he jump in vain

A copycat jumper fell flat on his face The Clementi MRT jumper could have died in vain. If he were a copycat jumper, thinking, or after serious contemplation, that his death could bring a windfall to his family, and jump...he is going to be very, very disappointed. So would be his loss and the family's loss. In the absence of the press playing up the tragedy, the whole episode went away just like a pee. It did not cause a stir nor did any emotions play up to pull the heart strings. There was no rush to donate generously. Neither were people dialing their handphones to donate their $5, $10 or $25. The media can play a very effective role in telling people how to act and behave. Put a few helpless and pathetic faces in front of the camera, tell a few sad stories, and people will willingly empty their tear bags and pockets. Everyone has a heart, and it is very easy to be sentimental and emotional. Of course there are exceptions who would tell anyone in trouble to get lost. Now did this jumper died in vain? Were the reporters in the Tan Jee Suan case more responsible or the no show reporters in this case more responsible? Damn if you report the story, damn if you don't.

my rumbling to robertteh's rumbling

My rumbling to robertteh's rumbling in redbeanforum. We do not have a very long history and tradition to develop core skills and industries like some European countries, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Germany and some of the Scandinavian countries. It is unfair to compare our development with them. It is very flattering to compare ourselves with the failed countries in the Third World and keep patting our backs to say we have done well. Indeed we have done well so far. But going down the road, we need to be excellent in some manufacturing industries, R and D or service industries. There were aspirations to be the best in everything. But so far we have not really develop something to differentiate us from the developed countries. We started off almost at the same time as the Koreans and Taiwanese, maybe a bit slower than Japan. The Japanese took off long ago. The Koreans and Taiwanese have surged ahead from us. We are still like Hongkong, banking on trading and shuffling of funds and as shopkeepers. Maybe we were trying to be too many things. We are ahead of our neighbours in many areas. But the time for us to build a clear cut advantage were not maximised and it is so easy for our neighbours, or China and India to overrun us. Then we will be in shit. Shouldn't we pour in all our heart and souls to develop say the medical services and facilities to be way ahead of the region or the world? The electronics and consumer goods manufacturing are relatively new industries that we could capitalise on like what Apple and Microsoft have done. These are areas where education and high skilled workers are needed and not really land and labour intensive. And they are new industries which would not put us in a too disadvantageous position. We could have invested heavily with Creative to make it real big. But Creative was left to fight its own battle against the world giants. Imagine if we are now the capital of manufacturing all the little gadgets, softwares etc. As it is we are just subcontractors. Not much value add and easily replaceable. Now we are facing the real challenge, a tsunami of sorts with the Chinese and Indians edging us out of the game. Everything we can do they can do better and cheaper. Even as shop keepers, we are losing out as the barrier to entry is so low. And our high land cost etc will only drive us out of the competition. And they are still crazily raising the rentals and cost of service as if Singapore is the only place on earth to buy genuine quality goods at attractive prices. Without core manufacturing expertise, I am not talking about heavy manufacturing industries, everyone can provide good and cheap services. Where do all these left us? A good political and state administrative system. But these are not marketable or scalable. They can make the IRs and other industries look better being here. But they are not productive on their own. Actually very costly and over valued. I am just rumbling. The crunch will come and is coming.

we are competing with thailand

Now I know why Thailand is angry with us. For so many years they have been branding their country as the Land of a Thousand Smiles. Now, how can we upstage Thailand by calling ourselves Island of 4 Million Smiles. : )

peace coming to east asia

North Korea has agreed to return to the table without conditions. So said Christopher Hill after secret talks between the US, North Korea and China. That's a good boy. North Korea is going to abandon all its nuclear programmes and arms, presumably for nothing. The US negotiators are real mavericks. No more armed interdiction of commercial vessels, I hope.

elfred, good news! no need to go china

It's raining jobs this year This is the headline of the Today paper. 123,100 jobs were created before the year is over. Wow. Who needs job? Have no fear, jobs are aplenty. Now this must be great news for Elfred. No need to go for posting to China. And for those who are complaining about the IRs, look at the good things they are doing to our job market. And they haven't started yet. Still several years away and the benefits are already kicking in. Imagine when the IRs are up and the multiplier effect does its work. Singaporeans are in for a good time. The future is so promising. I am going to can this thread for good. And no more jumpers. The problem will solve by itself with jobs everywhere. And we can afford to have more foreign talents too. Now I am feeling so high.

doggie bag or ta bao

Of doggie bag or ta bao When you have over ordered for your meal and plenty were left on the table, what would you do? Ask the waiter for a doggie bag or ta bao? Many would simply ask the waiter to ta bao, to bring back the leftover food for another meal when stomach has emptied, or for someone at home to share the expensive meal. Some will ask for a doggie bag, to bring the leftover for the doggie back home. No matter if the left over is a $200 plate of gourmet food, it must go to the doggie. Lucky dog, feeding on a $200 meal from a top end restaurant. But some dogs may be of the two legged type. Still they have the good fortune of a wonderful meal. So next time when you see someone with a huge leftovers on his dinner table, just wait and listen to see what he ask for. But there will be some who will be too embarrassed to even ask for a doggie bag. It is below them to take leftover food home. Or leftover food are not fresh and should not be consumed. The taste maybe a little stale. What you ask for, a doggie bag or ta bao, will describe your background, who you are.