Understudy MPs

The concept of MPs understudying senior MPs has its merits. Not many are born to be instant MPs or instant ministers. Of course there are exceptional talents that are born and instantly can become good MPs and good ministers without any need for tuition or under study. Training is unheard off and no need for retraining of any nature when one is born to be a knows all. Only has been PMETs need to go for retraining. Having agreed to this concept, I think there are needs for some modifications to the current electoral systems. Firstly, paying $14k or $15k to any rookie MP to understudy anyone may be a bit too much. Agree or not? Ok, it may be nothing compares to a peanut, but still a lot of money to pay to anyone to learn on the job. As an ex HR practitioner, I have never come across anyone being paid so much to understudy a job. What I would like to suggest is to have a secondary election for understudy MPs, for MPs that are not ready to do the real job of an MP. And those elected to as understudy MPs can be paid an allowance of say $3k. I think this will be more acceptable and palatable to those who are vehemently against the big sum of money being paid to a trainee MP. And when the trainee MP is ready, then he can stand for election for the real stuff. Or we can have a mandatory course for would be MPs to pass before they can stand for election. Anyone think this is a good idea? I am just floating it like flying a kite. If the objection is too great, just take it as a joke ok. Don’t get mad at me huh.

The first crack appearing

I am seeing the first sign of a crack in the great wall. Could it develop further and cause a breakthrough in the form of a new Barisan Socialist breakaway? One side believes staunchly that the great wall is solid and homogenous, will never break, no breaks will be allowed. Could that be the truth, or furthest from the truth? If there is an open break, would the memories of Cold Storage be relived? Can our system or the people live with another mass cold storage exercise? And what could be the reason for the people to accept without any question? There is no demon today to hang, nor would the people believe in demons. It will be interesting to see who will defect and join a new barisan and who is the new leader. Can't call them communist, racist, religious fanatics nor terrorists. Everyone is a respectable and honourable man/woman who have served the country well. I am putting the stethoscope on the ground to feel the tremor. It is grumbling and growing in strength. My God, an earthquake in Sin!

The Water Margin

Koh Choon Hwee wrote an article in Kent Ridge Common lamenting about the lack or dearth of comments from local political commentators and observers. In advertently the burden fell on the shoulder of Assoc Professor Eugene Tan of SMU. Any reporter who needs a view or comment will come knocking at the door of Eugene Tan. The fact that Eugene has a string of spectacular degrees and appointments helps too for the choice. Koh Choon Hwee was suggesting that perhaps more views should be sort from other political observers like Catherine Lim and some other luminaries. And he asked why not, why always from a few established names? The immediate thought that comes to mine is that there is a world of difference between seeking views by main stream reporters form officially safe personalities and those from the mountain of Liang Shan as in the novel Water Margin. Who needs the views of the outlaws? And outlaws too may not have a string of qualifications to carry the kind of weight that they wanted. Would they be comfortable with views from Wally, Patriot or Matilah? You guys, can you please attach your titles to your name when you post. Maybe they will come around looking for your view too. I am going to announce mine right here, Dr Redbean, political analyst, PhD from LSE. Oh, I have just bought my PhD from Lembaga School of Economics. Ok, I am waiting. I will check my email everyday for reporters seeking my views or comments on local issues. Incidentally my email is available at my CV. Hope they would not mind the association with the heroes of the Water Margin.

Property price will come down?

'People who chase after the property market will ultimately pay the price when our property market nosedive. The property prices will have to fall after a certain peak and that is when thiings can go very awry.' Gilbert Goh The above is quoted from Gilbert's article in his blog with a title calling for the ban on PRs buying HDB flats. I think Gilbert is grossly wrong in his prediction that property prices will fall. This is one item in Singapore that will defy gravity. Several people in the know already said it clearly, that property prices will be manged to go up. It has to be as more than 80% of the population are living in HDB flats and they will suffer financial losses if the price will to go down. Up it must be. And the market forces will make sure that the demand will always exceed supply. If not, the market forces will be made to increase the demand or lower the supply. So Gilbert, sorry you are wrong. The gods will make sure that you are wrong.

Let’s poison the Oceans

Japan is pouring thousands of tons of radioactive water into the ocean. And the world looks on with mouth wide open, speechless, or because it is Japan, or because the Americans did not protest, so the world cannot do anything. No, not that. The Japanese said the radioactive water is safe, no danger to human lives at all. The livestocks in the ocean will not be affected. Sashimi and sushi will be still as fresh as before, from the Sea of Japan, the Pacific Ocean to the Artic and Antartica. There is no cause for alarm. Where is GreenPeace? The good things are about to happen. The next generation of Japanese will become Ultra boys. The fishes in the oceans will turn up as Gigantors. There will be no more food shortages. Each Gigantor can feed more than what 10 whales could. Oh I forgot, the Japanese have natural lightings in the dark. They will all glow beautifully. And so will the rest of the world in times to come. PS. Just imagine what the western media will write if it was China or North Korea doing the dumping. just imagine....

Talking football in Sin

The aspiration to be in the 2010 World Cup withered away in a limp. An embarrassing suggestion that was best described as a naïve dream of school boys. I think by now no one who wants to be taken seriously will ever talk about the World Cup dream. Singapore’s football is not only third class, but fourth or fifth class today. The pathetic condition of this game is really amazing given the amount of financial and govt support for the game, and the infusion of foreign talents. Football in general is no longer the football of the past. It has been privatized into a business making concern. Its main interest is making money. The players are international, can be bought and sold, with no attachment or loyalty to any team. Even the whole team can change name if the price is right. The manager of a national team can also be a foreign talent. What is bad about football is that it is a game of kelong and match fixing with no qualms about morality. Anything goes as long as it makes money. The goal keeper can score its own goals when he is paid right by another team. So can the other team players, or even the captain. And sometimes, in order to lose a game, all the good players will get themselves a red card or fall sick, not attend training. Then the reserves or newbies will be field to throw away a game. Football is not the same as before. Who wants to be associated with football, be called a goal keeper or a sweeper, or the last man, in a game of kelong and game fixing?

What’s happening?

Chok Tong made an announcement that in future ministers can only serve two terms to make way for new talents. The only exception is that PMs may be allowed to stay longer. To me this is funny indeed. Many countries would want to limit the Number One executive’s term to two terms for obvious reasons. Here, uniquely Singapore, the Number One executive can go on and on while the minister’s terms are limited. This funny thing does not stop here. When asked about Chok Tong’s remark, Kan Seng said, ‘That’s his opinion and we’ll leave it at that.’ You see how funny this latter remark is? Was Chok Tong giving a hint of the party’s position on self renewal or was he making a personal remark that has not been approved by the party? What was Kan Seng trying to say, or what was Chok Tong trying to say?

Are we ready to move from third world to first world?

No, I did not make a false statement. In politics we are still in the third world, with third word antics and third world mentality. A one party dominant political system cannot be first world. Ya? so what should a first world political system be, bi party or multi party? Believers of a one party dominant state will definitely disagree with my statement. The one party system, a dictatorship of a party, is good, effective and has served us well. No need to change when it is not broken, just carry on. What about the drawbacks and the danger when it turns bad? I say when and not if. It is the nature of things that all things will turn bad. Sometimes it could already be bad but because of incremental decay, it may not be apparent. A manufacturer of nuclear plants, or an advocate of nuclear plants, will swear that nuclear energy is safe and the way to go. They know the danger and what will be the consequence of a mishap. Their only solution is that they will do everything possible to prevent it but knowing deep down that a mishap can and will happen. This same argument is applicable to those who flaunt the virtues of a one party system and not telling how bad it could be when the time comes. And they will assure you that they will do all they can to prevent it from happening. Can the words of man be trusted? Just wait till their vital interests are at risk, and the bestest of man will turn to a mean beast. There is no need for a mature polity to be controlled by an absolute majority with few or no alternate voices. A 60% or 70% majority is more than sufficient for a ruling govt to run its agenda and policies smoothly. This is the same as a $1m or $2m salary is more than enough to live very comfortably. What is important, in the long run, is the nurturing of an alternative party to be there, speaking for the people and to moderate the extreme policies of the ruling party. Not everything the ruling party did is right or good for the people. It will be good at times and for some people at times. Some people will be adversely affected by any policy. In the absence of an alternative voice for the people, things can be slippery. NCMP, NMP or alternative voice in the ruling party? Stop dreaming.

Kathakali Cultural Dance

A Kathakali dancer with a woman devotee kneeling in front of him and making an offering.

A sad accident

Foreign student fainted and fell into the MRT tracks and both her legs were run over by the train. She has been here only a few weeks and wanted to learn English. Now she is going to live her life without her legs. Some are angry why there are no dividing screens to prevent people falling into the tracks. I ask, why can’t the trains slow down as they approach the station to a more reasonable speed to allow the driver to slam on his brakes in an emergency? Why didn’t the driver stop in time? I have seen many crazy drivers coming to a screeching halt at traffic junctions even when they knew that the lights are red from a distance. Is it such a big hustle to slow down the trains? If they can go down to a speed enough for emergency brakes, you don’t even need the expensive dividing screens. Oh ya, the whole system will slow down and people will kpkb. As I have suggested, the trains can go on a higher speed in between stations to catch up for lost time. Ok, I am ignorant of how the train operates. Maybe it cannot be done and need a $6 billion system to improve it. It may be difficult to stop in time when someone intends on suicide and time it at such that the train is near enough before taking the plunge. In normal accidents, there could be some time interval to see the impending accident. Anyway, the best solution is to stop operating the trains. _________________

Only 20% wants to emigrate

A survey by the Institute of Policy Studies found that only 1 in 5 of the Gen Y wants to emigrate from their home country, called Singapore. Only 20%, why so little? My God, if 20% of China or India’s population would want to emigrate, that would be more than 200m from each country. And won’t it be surprising that a world class country has so many of its future leaders wanting to quit? The biggest communist country and the biggest third world democracy may not have so many citizens wanting to quit. How’s that for comparison? And one of the reasons quoted for living is stifling? Mentally or physically? Wait till we have 6m or 10m population then we will know what stifling means. But by then the state would have convinced the people that stifling is progress and the only way for growth. And the people will get use to it and probably adjust their waistline to be trimmer, so that there will be more space when travelling in public transport. Don’t worry, 20% only, too little. If one member in every household wants to emigrate and they said only, it cannot be serious lah.

A little reflection

After the initial shake out, with defections, break aways and a big doubt on where the opposition was heading, I thought the next GE will be more of the same. The bunch of opposition parties will just strangle themselves and their chances to be elected. How not when they could not even keep their own houses in order and show that the only thing they could do well was quibbling over their little differences when they could not even think of winning more than two seats? For those who are hoping for change and a brighter future, it was depressing to say the least, and bleak. Since the initial hiccups, two changes have taken place. First, the PAP’s announcement of new candidates is rubbing the people the wrong way. They thought they could throw anything they want at the people and all will be accepted, as there were no better choices from the opposition camp. Newly minted citizens to replace and rule over Singaporeans at a time when the pain of having too many foreigners here just did not go down well to the true blue Singaporeans. And to train bright and chirpy newbies at public expenses, it is no longer cheap to pay for an MP today, is also not well received. The next big development is the coming forward of better and better candidates from the opposition camp. After so many years of longing for better candidates from the opposition, this dream is coming true. We are seeing many good candidates, some excellent, standing up to be counted. This is an opportunity that the people have been waiting for and they better not waste this chance to do what is necessary for the good of their children and the future of Singapore. Squandering this chance will send the wrong message to more good people volunteering to serve the people and country. These are brave and able men, coming forward willingly, not waiting for an invitation. The people need to return the favour and tell these men and women that they are most welcomed. And hopefully, several more will step forward at nomination day. These will be the things that will cheer up the disillusioned and helpless Singaporeans, to have an alternative instead of more of no other choices. I am feeling a little better now, and in higher spirit looking at the forces that have been lined up. The opposition may not defeat the ruling party in this GE. But it looks good that several GRCs and SMCs will be there for the taking. And we shall have a more balance Parliament with more balanced views for the good of the people.

It was April Fool!

I know the GE is around the corner and everyone is getting quite uptight. But when a good April Fool joke is started, can’t the people just take it as it is, and have a little laughter? Pei Ling traumatised and was counselled by Dr Fatimah. Nice one. Who says PAP politicians are all deadpan and can’t joke? And Chok Tong is good at surprising people with his jokes, and on April Fool Day is quite an appropriate timing to put people at ease. Unfortunately no one is in the mood for jokes. No one remembers April Fool anymore. Must be the inflation or the housing prices, or the foreign worker bugging them. Chok Tong getting his dementia, or should he use his dementia joke as an excuse to get out of this since people are not appreciative of him? This is likely to be the last joke before things get serious and all the knives are out as the GE approaches. Enjoy it while it lasts.

The Great Singapore Debate that wasn’t

Touted as a must watch political show on earth, oops, I mean in Sin. The PAP sent in its best speaker of Parliament, the opposition sent in, supposedly their best. Ok, a mismatch as far as class and oratorical skills, and ability to deal with the issues were concerned. But the whole show was a disappointment. It was a show about time keeping. Yes Sir, your turn now. Sorry Sir, time out. Next, you there. Sorry you got only 30 sec. OK, next one. Quick, quick, oops, your time running out. Dong! Was it a debate? What was more important, the issues in discussion or keeping time? Oops, sorry, I got to go now. No time to write some more. See you next time. Bye.

Who is calling the shot in the stock market industry?

SGX is still fighting tooth and nail to get married to ASX. It has offered the highest dowry it could pay and may even have to go on its knees to ask for the hands of the bride. According to some financial analyst, this marriage is like a life and death situation. Without the copulation, there would not be any future down the road. Both parties, on its own, without being hooked together, will be left on the lurch. The stock market industry has changed. The big funds are now calling the shot and dictating how the stock markets should operate. Big funds will eat into the market share of officially corporatized stock markets around the world by playing foul. No, not really. They just hook their super computers into the stock market system to take advantage of their high speed and technology to clean up the small players, with approval from the stock exchanges. This is now legal. Stock markets now do not have to ensure a level playing field. For if they do so, the big funds will not want to play ball with them. They are now held at ransom by the big funds and have to take orders from the big funds. And the big funds simply say, I want to take advantage of the system with my technology. To hell with the small traders. It is us or them. The next great fear is Dark Pools. The Dark Pool operators make transactions in the dark, unknown to the rest of the investors. They could also trade outside the stock market system. The need for transparency to ensure that all traders are privy to the same information, and level playing field, no longer apply to the Dark Pool operators. As long as the stock exchanges know, or the Dark Pools informed the stock exchanges, that is good enough. The rest of the traders need not know who buys what and in what volume. The same reasons go. The Dark Pools are going to eat up the market shares of existing legal stock exchanges and the stock exchanges cannot do anything about it. The stock exchanges must compete under the same rules and operating styles of the big funds and Dark Pool operators, or else they will go the way of the Dodo bird. The govt controlled stock exchanges around the world are threatened by the big funds and their big machines and the Dark Pools. You have to believe this logic. It is the new testament, the new commandments. The rogues are telling the govt constituted stock exchanges how the game should be played, under their terms and conditions! In the name of fair play, transparency, level playing field, could not the govt make such unfair practices illegal? Why are the govts across the world not stopping such nonsense from going on? The big funds and Dark Pools are cheating and robbing the investors with unfair advantages and practices. Is there such thing as right or wrong today? Is there such thing as legal or illegal? When the rogues and gangsters run the show, where will it lead to? You may wonder why the big funds and Dark Pool operators did not go to the casino to do the same thing. The answer is obvious. The losers will be the casino operators. In the case of stock exchanges, the losers will not be the exchange but the disadvantaged investors.

The Cow

There are two cows and a chicken in this photo painting.

The best Tea Party Assessment System

The best interviewers and touted the best and most stringent assessment system since the Imperial Examination of the Chinese Dynasties, and 260 candidates later, and what did you get. Many were good and some were excellent. But some were questionable or contentious. I would tend to believe that of the 260 men and women, they must be the finest in the country. And the final 20 must be the crème ala crème. Instead of the oohs and aahs, there were immediate controversies the moment their candidacies were announced, which must be telling. It is like announcing the best football team, Pele, Banks, Beckenbaur, Rivelino, Cryuff, Maradona, Pavarotti, oops, what’s that? When the best are not accepted as the best, when there are so many disagreements and doubts and objections about the wisdom in the choices, it must say something. But never mind, betterer to be deaf frogs and scale the mountain. The top brasses from the military, the civil service and the stats boards came through smoothly without ruffling any feathers. What irks the people must be the readiness to embrace new citizens as our political leaders. The controversy of having so many foreigners among us is still a troubling issue, and this trend of new citizens of a few years to lead the country, to rule the people seems to have gone down quite badly. And given the new challenges of a modern economy when the demands of political leaders are much more daunting, to quote Chok Tong, only the best will do. Then came a 27 year old, to many still a child, to learn the rope, and the training fee is nearly $15k a month or more when the perks are included, paid by the people, the noise is quite expected. In the older days when life was simpler, when govt was simpler, chee cheong fan seller, barbers and people from all walks of life were easily accepted as MPs. After all, the voters were just as uneducated and ignorant as the candidates and the one eye Jack shines. Today, the ball game has changed. Many of the adult population are professionals in their own rights, well educated and thinking. Now we have the top brasses and top civil servants, all experienced and holding command positions as candidates and in the mix, what is being added, some ikan bilis? The concoction just does not seem right. Govt is a serious matter and not masak masak. The part time pay for an MP is huge in all measurements and only the best must be deemed worthy to be paid that kind of money from the public coffer. Don’t get me wrong, everyone coming through the stringent tea party interviews must be the best the ruling party can find. But the electorate will have their own views of what is good and what is doubtful. Say that there is a difference of opinion.

I don't buy that

Would I accept someone who becomes a citizen overnight and say he is going to stand for election, to look after my country and look after the citizens, including me? Nah, I don't buy that. This is my country, the place that I grow up and grow attach to. I know and feel for the country and the people more than any Ginny come lately who becomes a new citizen to want to represent me and look after me. I dunno about how the rest of the Singaporeans feel. For me, a new citizen is just not ready, not proven to be a stayer, through thick and thin. It takes years, maybe a life time to feel and become part of a place called country and home. It is cheap to say 'This is my country and this is my home' just because someone is here for two months or two years. This is my country and this is my home goes deeper than something one says as a pledge. There are emotions involved, sentiments involved, a whole process of growing up and being here, with many people and friends that we have built relationships with over a life time. And to miss this place, the cup of kopi O, or the nasi padang or char kway teow, when one is away for too long, the familiar faces and places that we missed and a longing for, an emotional attachment. When someone who is born and grow up here and affectionately say, 'This is my country, this is my home,' it is different.

Chen Show Mao

Did PAP goof on this one? PAP has cast its new wide and very wide, both in the country and outside the country, I believe. And now I am presented with this impressive CV of Chen Show Mao. 'Mr Chen graduated in 1986 from Harvard College and in 1988 from Corpus Christi College, Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. In 1992 he received his J.D. from Stanford Law School and in 2005 received his M.A. from Corpus Christi College, Oxford University. Mr Chen has extensive experience in international securities offerings and M&A transactions. He advised the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) on its recent $21 billion initial public offering, which is the largest IPO ever, and the first global offering that involved a concurrent listing in China. He also advised ICBC on the $3.8 billion strategic investment in the bank by a consortium comprising Goldman Sachs, American Express and Allianz, which is the largest-ever investment in a Chinese financial institution. He advised China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) on its proposed $19 billion acquisition of Unocal, which is the largest-ever attempted takeover by a Chinese company. He completed the global initial public offerings of Air China, China Construction Bank, Sinopec, China Unicom, Chalco, Baidu.com and others, as well as offerings of sovereign debt by the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China. Mr Chen has worked on a broad range of securities offerings and M&A transactions by Taiwan companies, including Acer, ASE, ASUS, AU Optronics, China Steel, Chinatrust Bank, Far EasTone, HTC, Hon Hai Precision, Inotera, Nanya Technology, Quanta Computer, Taishin Bank, TSMC, UMC and others. He also advised the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the ROC, the Development Fund of the Executive Yuan of the ROC and the Taiwan Stock Exchange on securities law matters. Mr. Chen is a partner in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department and managing partner of the Beijing office. He has practiced in the New York office since 1992, the Hong Kong office since 1999 and the Beijing office since 2007. In capital markets, Mr Chen advised the Agricultural Bank of China on its recent $22 billion IPO, which is the largest by an Asian issuer, and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) on its $21 billion IPO, which is the second-largest IPO ever, and the first global offering that involved a concurrent listing in China. He also advised Sinochem on the largest-ever international debt offering by a Chinese company and the underwriters for China Unicom in the largest-ever international convertible bond offering by a Chinese company. Mr Chen completed the global initial public offerings of Air China, China Construction Bank, MCC, Sinoma, Sinopec, Unicom and others. In M&A, Mr Chen advised ICBC on the largest-ever cross-border investment in a Chinese financial institution. He also advised China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) on the largest-ever attempted cross-border takeover by a Chinese company. In addition to Chinese state-owned enterprises, Mr Chen has worked with Acer, ASE, ASUS, AU Optronics, HTC, Foxconn, Nanya, Quanta, Taishin, TSMC, UMC and others. Mr Chen has worked on offerings of sovereign debt by the Ministry of Finance of the People’s Republic of China, as well as privatizations by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the ROC. He advised sovereign wealth funds such as China Investment Corp. and the Development Fund of the Executive Yuan of the ROC. He also advised the People’s Bank of China, China Securities Regulatory Commission and the Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taiwan Stock Exchanges on proposed regulations. ' The big question, did PAP miss this big fish? This is truly a prize catch for the Worker’s Party. No dirty linens please. We need all the good and talented Singaporeans to come forward to serve the country, in the ruling party and in the opposition as well. And this guy served his National Service.

The Grand Council

A council of wise men deliberating over a girl and stirring up a storm. The little girl is in the lower centre of the pic, long hair and sitting, surrounded by rowdy men. View more pics by clicking on the Art of RAR Gallery image on top right.