The looting and burning in London has England up in flame. Starting at Tottenham, it spread to more than 15 areas in London and now Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol. The causes, some highlighted the big income divide between the haves and the have nots, some seemed to be getting things for free, and the lost of jobs.
This is almost unheard of in the developed world. Riotings, lootings, breakdown of law and order are associated with third world countries. The events in the Middle East are different as they are politically motivated with foreign forces in play. The events in England are mainly social and economic. The inequalities in society will lead to tension and stress. Don’t pooh pooh away big income gaps as part and parcel of rapid economic progress. It only needs a little spark to tear down everything. Economic inequalities cannot be taken for granted as a necessary evil. They must be addressed when times are good.
For those who are enjoying the richness of their good fortune, they are numbed by their wealth and would not care a dime about what happens in the poorer neighbourhood. To them, it is all due to their cleverness and good fortune to be living in luxury. The poor are in a state due to their own laziness and dullness and ought to be blamed. Can’t be helped.
Let’s pray that the lawlessness in UK will not spread like the Arab Spring to other parts of the world.
8/10/2011
The greatness of Benjamin Sheares
Who is Benjamin Sheares? In case you are still scratching your head, he was a highly regarded and prominent doctor in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology, the doyen of the profession in his time. And he was also the second President of this country. A quiet and dignified man who did his job without blowing his own trumpet, without pretensions.
Today in the ST, a Dr Chew Shing Chai who had worked with President Sheares, shared a little insight of this great man. At that time, before the high salary is good mantra struck this land, his income was a paltry $2000 as a medical doctor, maybe slightly more. When he was appointed as the President, his monthly salary was $17,000, big by the standard of the day. And unknown to the public till now, he donated his entire salary to charity, according to Dr Chew.
What the people don’t know, now they knew. My respect to this great man. I didn’t know either. Thank you Dr Chew, for this enlightenment.
I am sure many ministers and presidents too would have donated a handsome chunk of their salaries to charity without declaring it. Some may, like President Sheares, donate their entire salaries to charity too.
God bless them. Cheers to President Sheares.
Today in the ST, a Dr Chew Shing Chai who had worked with President Sheares, shared a little insight of this great man. At that time, before the high salary is good mantra struck this land, his income was a paltry $2000 as a medical doctor, maybe slightly more. When he was appointed as the President, his monthly salary was $17,000, big by the standard of the day. And unknown to the public till now, he donated his entire salary to charity, according to Dr Chew.
What the people don’t know, now they knew. My respect to this great man. I didn’t know either. Thank you Dr Chew, for this enlightenment.
I am sure many ministers and presidents too would have donated a handsome chunk of their salaries to charity without declaring it. Some may, like President Sheares, donate their entire salaries to charity too.
God bless them. Cheers to President Sheares.
8/09/2011
National Day regrets
Dow plunged more than 600 pts last night and we were asleep. Can't do anything. If only our stockmarket was open, we would not be caught in a situation like this. We could also sell our stocks down.
This morning Hangseng fell more than 1,400 pts. We are closed for National Day Celebration. We have gone on continuous trading, no lunch break, exactly for this reason, not to be caught while other markets are trading. Now they are all sold down and we aren't open and looking helplessly.
On this National Day, these are my two regrets.
I would like to recommend that our stock market be open, 24/7 all year round. We will only be closed when the rest of the markets are closed. Oops, no need 24/7, 24/5 and minus a few international holidays will do. Going fully operational, we will be able to cover all situations and take advantage of all situations. We can also call our city a city without sleep.
Would that be nice, fully prepared and ready, pro active, a bit kiasu though.
The unusual silence
When Tony first announced his candidacy, there was an immediate barrage of support and endorsements from his PAP colleagues. A few including Chok Tong came out to say Tony is a good man. Some praised him for his dignified look, every inch and corner like a President. The public media did the necessary with coverage on his every move, invitations and speeches.
Over the last few days the surprising development was the attack on Tony’s son, Patrick and his NS deferment. The attack was furious and vicious and quite damaging to Tony’s shining image. Mindef came out with some statements to deflect some of the bad barbs. Otherwise it was left to Tony and son to fend for themselves.
Could someone of higher standing say something or do something to moderate the blows? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe Tony should be able to fight his own battle, being a heavy weight himself. At the moment it is Tony and son versus the anonymous masses in cyberspace. How would this develop or would it have a chance to develop further in the main media?
The stand of the main media at the moment is reticence. When an issue that is so hot is cyberspace is played down in the main media, it starts to prob on people’s mind as to what the hell is happening in our great media and their stable of great reporters and journalists. No one feel the itch or need to want to contribute to the debate with their sophisticated skills and resources? I feel quite sad that great reporters were deprived the avenue to write their show piece and display their brilliance in investigative journalism.
Even if they take a diametrical opposed view from cyberspace, it will be refreshing to see how and what they will put across. Or are they waiting for the debate to blossom when the EP campaign is official? They may not even have the chance if there is no contest. This must be one of the hottest topic waiting to see the light in the main media. The integrity of the hottest presidential hopeful is being questioned and a proper closure is demanded.
Where are all the eminent colleagues of Tony and are they going to stand up to defend him?
8/08/2011
Lead by examples
The retired teachers are unhappy. There may be more certainty of their rehiring after 62, but it means a pay cut as well. And they are complaining that this is regressive. They are still doing the same hours of teaching which does not demand heavy duty work that age will slow them down.
The MOE should take a leaf from the govt where politicians are getting the same pay regardless of age. In fact they should adopt the practice of paying the teachers pension and the same pay concurrently, if the teachers are still on pension scheme. The retirement age is a legacy of the colonial past and Parliament has set a good example to delink from this abnormal practice.
Just follow the leaders and they cannot be wrong. Have they forgotten about the wise old saying of leading by examples?
Is the Elected President a dumb President?
Many comments have been made about the role of the EP. Some claimed that it must be an involved President, willing to speak up for the people, some say it is meant to be a dumb President, some say it like a machine, only say what the govt wants it to say or else better not be heard.
The lay people have their own interpretation and expectation of an Elected President, a President that they took the trouble to vote, not just any appointed President when they have no say at all. They, rightly or wrongly, feel that the President should be more than a dud. They think that being the highest office in the country, he must be able to speak up on national issues that affect their lives and have some influence on the govt.
However, these are just layman’s views, and everyone can have a view. The Law Minister too has a view. He has spoken quite comprehensively on what the EP can or cannot do. He even quoted the constitution. Now, is he just expressing a legal opinion based on his professional background, or is he taking a position, that what he said is the govt’s definition of the role of the EP?
There is still the judicial, the courts of law that will have the final say as to the interpretation of the constitution. Until the courts have its say, it is all a matter of interpretation, and naturally everyone is trying to interpret it to his own advantage.
According to the constitution, Article 21(1) as quoted by Shanmugam, it says the President shall ‘act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet or of a Minister acting under the general authority of the Cabinet’. So the EP can only act under the advice of the Cabinet and not otherwise.
What does this mean, cannot go against the will of the Cabinet? What if the Cabinet push out a bill to spend all the reserves and ask the President to sign? Now can the President then act against the advice of the Cabinet. Surely he can, or else how is he going to protect the reserves.
How many things that the EP can or cannot do that are specified by the constitution? Or is it another case of No U Turn sign. If there is a U Turn sign only can make a U Turn and if there is a No U Turn sign cannot make U Turn. No sign means cannot do anything. I am not sure how many pages are there in the constitution that described what the EP can or cannot do.
From what was reported, one thing for sure, if he is nice to the PM, he may be able to influence the PM over beer, I think.
The lay people have their own interpretation and expectation of an Elected President, a President that they took the trouble to vote, not just any appointed President when they have no say at all. They, rightly or wrongly, feel that the President should be more than a dud. They think that being the highest office in the country, he must be able to speak up on national issues that affect their lives and have some influence on the govt.
However, these are just layman’s views, and everyone can have a view. The Law Minister too has a view. He has spoken quite comprehensively on what the EP can or cannot do. He even quoted the constitution. Now, is he just expressing a legal opinion based on his professional background, or is he taking a position, that what he said is the govt’s definition of the role of the EP?
There is still the judicial, the courts of law that will have the final say as to the interpretation of the constitution. Until the courts have its say, it is all a matter of interpretation, and naturally everyone is trying to interpret it to his own advantage.
According to the constitution, Article 21(1) as quoted by Shanmugam, it says the President shall ‘act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet or of a Minister acting under the general authority of the Cabinet’. So the EP can only act under the advice of the Cabinet and not otherwise.
What does this mean, cannot go against the will of the Cabinet? What if the Cabinet push out a bill to spend all the reserves and ask the President to sign? Now can the President then act against the advice of the Cabinet. Surely he can, or else how is he going to protect the reserves.
How many things that the EP can or cannot do that are specified by the constitution? Or is it another case of No U Turn sign. If there is a U Turn sign only can make a U Turn and if there is a No U Turn sign cannot make U Turn. No sign means cannot do anything. I am not sure how many pages are there in the constitution that described what the EP can or cannot do.
From what was reported, one thing for sure, if he is nice to the PM, he may be able to influence the PM over beer, I think.
The bickering two party system
The Americans received the biggest shock of the century when its Treasury Bills were downgraded to AA from AAA. How could this happen to the world’s number One superpower? They are now on a witchhunt on how they arrived at the present dire state. Obama is the natural strawman for the occasion. It is his fault. Soon they may even claim that if they only had a white president and things would not have gone this way.
Actually the US went on a self destruct mode the moment George Bush Jr took over the Presidency. For an executive president, not a ceremonial one that cannot speak as he likes, you really need someone with a little brain. That is not the only flaw of the American system.
Our local media has an article in the Sunday Times which, if one reads carefully, is saying that a one party system is the way to go. The problems leading to the US downgrade are a result of the bickering and indecisiveness of a two party system. Thank god we have a very decisive one party system that will just do it without the need to answer to another party in Parliament. The govt of a one party system can even afford to be deaf.
America was actually controlled by a small group of oligarchs or power brokers, mostly in the finance and arms industry. The former wanted a free and deregulated financial system to do as they pleased. The latter just know how to make wars. To them making wars is the only profitable business. While those in finance got their way to plunder the financial system, the latter twisted the hands of all politicians to wage wars after wars, for their own self serving interests. They enriched themselves by paying themselves crazy from the war industries, just like those in finance.
And America dips deeper and deeper into debt. And many silly American boys and girls would have to pay with their lives, not counting the number of ‘enemies’ killed in the wars. And many would go into debt, lost their fortunes, and inherit a country that is technically bankrupt.
The fall of the American Empire is not the multi party system or Obama, but a system that is corrupted by greed and the losing of a moral compass. In reality, all systems, no matter how good or how bad, will end up this way in their dying days. Corruption will be so rampant that it is no longer recognisable. Corruption comes in all forms and in all areas, the worst, other than amassing wealth till they look silly, is the corruption of power and the political system. When corruption is the norm, and being justified by all kinds of self serving logics, you know that the end is near.
One party system, multi party system, dictatorship, communism, monarchy, all will end with the same fate, with the same set of problems, all because of human greed. No system can survive the greed of man, no matter how good the system was when it was first formulated. All systems will end up with systemic rot, with the smell of human stench.
Countries that are still relying on the American model to operate their financial system need to think triply hard. As an example, they have allowed their stock market to function not on fundamentals but on how fast another machine can be to make a quick profit. The old school of investing on fundamentals is totally irrelevant against a bunch of crunching machines that trade on speed and algorithm of odds, with complete disregard to value and fundamentals. This is not stock trading anymore. It has ruined the American stock exchange and it will ruin the rest if they are so blind to embrace them without thinking of the harm that it can cause.
Actually the US went on a self destruct mode the moment George Bush Jr took over the Presidency. For an executive president, not a ceremonial one that cannot speak as he likes, you really need someone with a little brain. That is not the only flaw of the American system.
Our local media has an article in the Sunday Times which, if one reads carefully, is saying that a one party system is the way to go. The problems leading to the US downgrade are a result of the bickering and indecisiveness of a two party system. Thank god we have a very decisive one party system that will just do it without the need to answer to another party in Parliament. The govt of a one party system can even afford to be deaf.
America was actually controlled by a small group of oligarchs or power brokers, mostly in the finance and arms industry. The former wanted a free and deregulated financial system to do as they pleased. The latter just know how to make wars. To them making wars is the only profitable business. While those in finance got their way to plunder the financial system, the latter twisted the hands of all politicians to wage wars after wars, for their own self serving interests. They enriched themselves by paying themselves crazy from the war industries, just like those in finance.
And America dips deeper and deeper into debt. And many silly American boys and girls would have to pay with their lives, not counting the number of ‘enemies’ killed in the wars. And many would go into debt, lost their fortunes, and inherit a country that is technically bankrupt.
The fall of the American Empire is not the multi party system or Obama, but a system that is corrupted by greed and the losing of a moral compass. In reality, all systems, no matter how good or how bad, will end up this way in their dying days. Corruption will be so rampant that it is no longer recognisable. Corruption comes in all forms and in all areas, the worst, other than amassing wealth till they look silly, is the corruption of power and the political system. When corruption is the norm, and being justified by all kinds of self serving logics, you know that the end is near.
One party system, multi party system, dictatorship, communism, monarchy, all will end with the same fate, with the same set of problems, all because of human greed. No system can survive the greed of man, no matter how good the system was when it was first formulated. All systems will end up with systemic rot, with the smell of human stench.
Countries that are still relying on the American model to operate their financial system need to think triply hard. As an example, they have allowed their stock market to function not on fundamentals but on how fast another machine can be to make a quick profit. The old school of investing on fundamentals is totally irrelevant against a bunch of crunching machines that trade on speed and algorithm of odds, with complete disregard to value and fundamentals. This is not stock trading anymore. It has ruined the American stock exchange and it will ruin the rest if they are so blind to embrace them without thinking of the harm that it can cause.
8/07/2011
A few good dinosaurs
The news of the three $1b dinosaurs has subsided. I think they should be on the way here, nicely packaged to be the biggest attraction on the island, to create the wows and draw in the tourists dollars. If I recalled, the three were a family, or at least from the same specie, two adults and a smaller one.
My main concern then was a place to exhibit them. Think they said they needed a museum or mausoleum that is going to cost a few hundred million, befitting of the size and importance of the three relics. Yes, they will link the new Singaporeans to the past, that we were once living with dinosaurs. There is another moral aspect to these exhibits. No matter how predominant the dinosaurs were in their heydays, they too will become dinosaurs, or relics of the past.
I was suggesting that the dinosaurs be placed on a floating platform in the Marina Bay to save on space. We can’t afford to use up so much space for some relics of the past, no matter how relevant they are to our history. Every inch of land in the island is worth more than its value in gold. We could build more top end structures for sale and earn more dollars, as long as they are not greenbacks.
It just dawns on me that there is an alternative place for the dinosaurs. If only the architects could incorporate the mausoleum into the Istana Park would be great. Keep the park as it is plus the three dinosaurs without wasting more valuable land. The Istana Park should be big enough for the three. To locate them anywhere else would be a waste of land.
And to think of how important the three dinosaurs are to our history, it will not be befitting to locate them somewhere in the wilderness of Jurong or Woodlands or Tekong. There is always a solution to all problems, especially when the mind is fully relaxed on a Sunday morning.
My main concern then was a place to exhibit them. Think they said they needed a museum or mausoleum that is going to cost a few hundred million, befitting of the size and importance of the three relics. Yes, they will link the new Singaporeans to the past, that we were once living with dinosaurs. There is another moral aspect to these exhibits. No matter how predominant the dinosaurs were in their heydays, they too will become dinosaurs, or relics of the past.
I was suggesting that the dinosaurs be placed on a floating platform in the Marina Bay to save on space. We can’t afford to use up so much space for some relics of the past, no matter how relevant they are to our history. Every inch of land in the island is worth more than its value in gold. We could build more top end structures for sale and earn more dollars, as long as they are not greenbacks.
It just dawns on me that there is an alternative place for the dinosaurs. If only the architects could incorporate the mausoleum into the Istana Park would be great. Keep the park as it is plus the three dinosaurs without wasting more valuable land. The Istana Park should be big enough for the three. To locate them anywhere else would be a waste of land.
And to think of how important the three dinosaurs are to our history, it will not be befitting to locate them somewhere in the wilderness of Jurong or Woodlands or Tekong. There is always a solution to all problems, especially when the mind is fully relaxed on a Sunday morning.
The changing ethos of govt officers
The story of a permanent secretary driving around in his old 1.6 Japanese jalopy was legendary. Those were the days of thrift and leading by example. I remember a govt link company CEO was only comfortable with a 2000cc Mercedes Benz. Anything above was seen as flaunting and undesirable. A GM actually got a bollocking when he ordered a 3 litre limousine. That was seen as unbecoming. Thrift and propriety were important values to observe.
The ethos today is quite different. Not only is a 3 litre limousine common, some even flashed around in Lamborghinis and Ferraris. These are things that were frown upon in the good old days. I am not complaining as we have climbed the ladder of economic prosperity and what is a 3 litre car? It is time to enjoy our hard work and our success. Who would dare to announce a $50k cooking class in Paris then?
The ethos of new is to be who you really are. We need to announce that we have arrived. Perhaps it is also a dignity issue. In those days, a permanent secretary’s title is enough dignity to carry a long way. There is no need to show the pay slip and the number of zeros behind. Respect was more easily achieved and earned, and was real. Today, you need to be a billionaire to be respectable, or at least earn a million a year. Just flash it in the face of whoever and there will be instant recognition.
The ethos of the day is always set by the leaders. Monkeys see, monkeys do. Good example and exemplary behaviour at the top will be carried downwards. When the top is senget, you bet the bottom will be too.
The ethos today is quite different. Not only is a 3 litre limousine common, some even flashed around in Lamborghinis and Ferraris. These are things that were frown upon in the good old days. I am not complaining as we have climbed the ladder of economic prosperity and what is a 3 litre car? It is time to enjoy our hard work and our success. Who would dare to announce a $50k cooking class in Paris then?
The ethos of new is to be who you really are. We need to announce that we have arrived. Perhaps it is also a dignity issue. In those days, a permanent secretary’s title is enough dignity to carry a long way. There is no need to show the pay slip and the number of zeros behind. Respect was more easily achieved and earned, and was real. Today, you need to be a billionaire to be respectable, or at least earn a million a year. Just flash it in the face of whoever and there will be instant recognition.
The ethos of the day is always set by the leaders. Monkeys see, monkeys do. Good example and exemplary behaviour at the top will be carried downwards. When the top is senget, you bet the bottom will be too.
8/06/2011
I dunno what to say
In a high power forum chaired my Professor Tommy Koh, and with two key speakers in Law Minister K Shanmugam and Professor Thio Li Ann, the Law Minister repeated his position that the Elected President is not to be heard, or cannot express any views unless approved by the Govt. He said, ‘It is quite clear the president has no such power and that was not the role that was envisaged for the president.’ ‘The president,’ he added, ‘can speak on issues only as authorised by the Cabinet; and he must follow the advice of the Cabinet in the discharge of his duties.’
The only time the president can wield some influence on the PM is if he is on good terms with him, or if the PM finds him amiable and willing to listen to him. It is not the other way, that you have a president and the PM try to be nice to him and listen to him. Thus, a President that is pally pally with the govt is in a better position to be listened to by the govt. So the people should know who to vote if they want a president that can have influence on the govt.
What if the people want a president that does not need to be nice to the PM or the govt and want him to be firm and be ready to say no to the govt, should they then vote for someone that is more distant from the govt? To influence the govt or to check on the govt are two distinct roles that require quite a different character in the president.
But my main point is not all of these as they are immaterial. In more probability the president will have nothing of crisis level to do and spend his time writing his memoirs or raising funds for the disabled or shaking hands and waving at the crowd during NDP. Occasionally he may try to visit other countries to improve relations and trade. I am not sure that this is part of his portfolio, or if he is being advised by the govt to do so. Or maybe he is trying to give the Trade Minister a helping hand since he is not allowed to talk freely.
For such a role, do we need a president that should be as good as a permanent secretary, a chief justice material, or someone who manages a $100m paid up capital country when the PM and his ministers need not be that highly qualified? A butcher or a gardener can also be our PM under our constitution. And this must be the best part, the gardener PM is going to advise this high power president what to say and do. Does the country really need to pay him so many millions to perform such a role?
What is needed perhaps is a person of good conduct, dignified, good looking and respectable, and be given an honourarium of $500k per annum max. Of course a little commonsense and a tertiary education should be good enough as he would be advised by the Presidential Council and also the govt on what to do and what to say. No need to sweat the small stuff to find a super super talent and to pay him obscenely for the nature of the job. He may end up more dignified than the gardener PM who is going to tell him what to do.
Please feel free to disagree with me. If you don’t I will like to recommend some of the better and dignified looking Media Corp actors for the job. I am sure the people will love to shake their hands and feel good when they looked good standing side by side with kings and queens.
The only time the president can wield some influence on the PM is if he is on good terms with him, or if the PM finds him amiable and willing to listen to him. It is not the other way, that you have a president and the PM try to be nice to him and listen to him. Thus, a President that is pally pally with the govt is in a better position to be listened to by the govt. So the people should know who to vote if they want a president that can have influence on the govt.
What if the people want a president that does not need to be nice to the PM or the govt and want him to be firm and be ready to say no to the govt, should they then vote for someone that is more distant from the govt? To influence the govt or to check on the govt are two distinct roles that require quite a different character in the president.
But my main point is not all of these as they are immaterial. In more probability the president will have nothing of crisis level to do and spend his time writing his memoirs or raising funds for the disabled or shaking hands and waving at the crowd during NDP. Occasionally he may try to visit other countries to improve relations and trade. I am not sure that this is part of his portfolio, or if he is being advised by the govt to do so. Or maybe he is trying to give the Trade Minister a helping hand since he is not allowed to talk freely.
For such a role, do we need a president that should be as good as a permanent secretary, a chief justice material, or someone who manages a $100m paid up capital country when the PM and his ministers need not be that highly qualified? A butcher or a gardener can also be our PM under our constitution. And this must be the best part, the gardener PM is going to advise this high power president what to say and do. Does the country really need to pay him so many millions to perform such a role?
What is needed perhaps is a person of good conduct, dignified, good looking and respectable, and be given an honourarium of $500k per annum max. Of course a little commonsense and a tertiary education should be good enough as he would be advised by the Presidential Council and also the govt on what to do and what to say. No need to sweat the small stuff to find a super super talent and to pay him obscenely for the nature of the job. He may end up more dignified than the gardener PM who is going to tell him what to do.
Please feel free to disagree with me. If you don’t I will like to recommend some of the better and dignified looking Media Corp actors for the job. I am sure the people will love to shake their hands and feel good when they looked good standing side by side with kings and queens.
So a fare hike of 1% instead of 2.8%
Rejoice, celebrate, the unhappiness of the people has been heard. The PTC must have taken heed of the general unhappiness of the people over the rising cost of living and came out with a smaller increase for public transport fare. A 2c increase per trip is negligible and well absorbed, may even be unnoticeable. There are still complaints. People are still unhappy.
The PTC quoted the profits of other private companies including non transport operators, to justify the increase. Other organisation’s profits ranged from 3 to 14.9%. These include companies like Hongkong’s Transport International and MTR, London’s Stagecoach Group. SembCorp Industries and Singpost. And the profits of SBS and SMRT were 7.8 to 11.2%, very reasonable and within the spread of the companies quoted.
There is no point trying to go into the details of the little data provided. For those who are sceptical, doubts on the credibility and relevance of the data are glaring. I could quote more transport companies and non transport companies running at a loss to justify that it is ok to run public transport companies at a loss or with little profit.
What is still seen as wrong or unacceptable with the minimal increase? What is 2c when people are earning millions? The issue here is the principle of public transport and how this is treated as any other organisation whose interest is profit. And the operators deserved to be making profits like any other organisation.
Is public transportation with the privileges of a monopoly attached, to operate without competition, any other organisation? A govt run public transport monopoly is a govt monopoly under any colour or stripe. And a public transport system is an essential service and should not quickly be swept away as any other business for profit.
Why is the govt so obsessed with the public transport companies making profit as its major concern to shareholders, and coming out to defend its right to such profits? Why is the govt so persistent in proclaiming that the govt officers are daft and unable to run a public transport system if it is returned as a stats board? It is unbelieveable that any govt would say such a darn thing, that they could not run a transport service unless it is run privately. What a profound statement to acknowledge an inadequacy in a govt filled with top talents. I just dunno what to say.
The PTC quoted the profits of other private companies including non transport operators, to justify the increase. Other organisation’s profits ranged from 3 to 14.9%. These include companies like Hongkong’s Transport International and MTR, London’s Stagecoach Group. SembCorp Industries and Singpost. And the profits of SBS and SMRT were 7.8 to 11.2%, very reasonable and within the spread of the companies quoted.
There is no point trying to go into the details of the little data provided. For those who are sceptical, doubts on the credibility and relevance of the data are glaring. I could quote more transport companies and non transport companies running at a loss to justify that it is ok to run public transport companies at a loss or with little profit.
What is still seen as wrong or unacceptable with the minimal increase? What is 2c when people are earning millions? The issue here is the principle of public transport and how this is treated as any other organisation whose interest is profit. And the operators deserved to be making profits like any other organisation.
Is public transportation with the privileges of a monopoly attached, to operate without competition, any other organisation? A govt run public transport monopoly is a govt monopoly under any colour or stripe. And a public transport system is an essential service and should not quickly be swept away as any other business for profit.
Why is the govt so obsessed with the public transport companies making profit as its major concern to shareholders, and coming out to defend its right to such profits? Why is the govt so persistent in proclaiming that the govt officers are daft and unable to run a public transport system if it is returned as a stats board? It is unbelieveable that any govt would say such a darn thing, that they could not run a transport service unless it is run privately. What a profound statement to acknowledge an inadequacy in a govt filled with top talents. I just dunno what to say.
8/05/2011
The battle for cyberspace
Controlling the media by any political party or ruler is a strategic move to control a country. Control of the media means controlling what the people see and hear, controlling the agenda, saying all the good things on the right people and all the wrong things on the wrong people. The masses are easily swayed and manipulated in their thoughts and views. That is why advertising is such a powerful tool. Controlling the media the controls the minds of the people.
Most govts of the day have more or less a monopoly of the main media to do as they pleased. And their opponents were often denied such access, may be persecuted or rubbished repeatedly in the media with no ways of replying. It was a very comfortable position to be in, to be able to take potshots at political opponents at will and the other party unable to hit back.
Cyberspace is a free for all zone, and no govt is able to control much of it other than blocking it off from its citizens. This requires big machinery and an army of keyboard soldiers hammering at the buttons full time. It is a costly affair and a misuse of public fund. The nature of how the internet works makes surveillance that much more tedious and often unenforceable.
In the last few days there seemed to be a big battle going on in cyberspace. Many popular forums and blogs were subjected to unexplained down time or difficulties in access. Many links and videos that were provided were blocked and getting through them is a tough act. Even the NLB was down with some old news not retrieveable. But that was due to some internal updating issue. The popular political forum of TRE was purportedly under heavy attacks and was down most of the time. So were some other blogs and sites. Even my little blog is facing difficulties and many bloggers have complained that it is moving exceptionally slow and can be very irritating. There are many strange things happening in cyberspace lately.
Competition for the attention of readers is hotting up especially with the run up to the Presidential election. With the main media becoming a has been, when local news are no longer exciting but a regurgitation or rerun, they have lost the grip for readership. Who wants to read stale news that is no better than listening to an old tape recorder?
On the other hand cyberspace is fresh and exciting. And reporters/bloggers are given a free hand to post whatever they want, free from any restraints or editing. Investigative journalism is taking on a fervor that is hardly known in the main media. And these people are doing it without being paid. And the material is informative, controversial and thought provoking. It is an act that the main media finds difficult to replicate to the extent that they look like boy scouts. Or maybe they are all busy covering the National Day Parade.
While the main media are busy or on vacation, the internet is driving and firing all its engines. All systems are running at full speed. And the readership is flocking into cyberspace in increasing numbers. A small outfit like The Temasek Review Emeritus operated by a few volunteers are garnering more readership than many professional media with a huge budget. It has in a way becomes the primary alternative media here.
Who is winning this battle for readership, for the people’s mind? The battle of cyberspace has begun, and the winner will determine how the people think and look at things. The Presidential Election is likely to be the first test case of the power of alternative media to influence how the people will vote. Control of cyberspace is like control of the sky in military terms.
Most govts of the day have more or less a monopoly of the main media to do as they pleased. And their opponents were often denied such access, may be persecuted or rubbished repeatedly in the media with no ways of replying. It was a very comfortable position to be in, to be able to take potshots at political opponents at will and the other party unable to hit back.
Cyberspace is a free for all zone, and no govt is able to control much of it other than blocking it off from its citizens. This requires big machinery and an army of keyboard soldiers hammering at the buttons full time. It is a costly affair and a misuse of public fund. The nature of how the internet works makes surveillance that much more tedious and often unenforceable.
In the last few days there seemed to be a big battle going on in cyberspace. Many popular forums and blogs were subjected to unexplained down time or difficulties in access. Many links and videos that were provided were blocked and getting through them is a tough act. Even the NLB was down with some old news not retrieveable. But that was due to some internal updating issue. The popular political forum of TRE was purportedly under heavy attacks and was down most of the time. So were some other blogs and sites. Even my little blog is facing difficulties and many bloggers have complained that it is moving exceptionally slow and can be very irritating. There are many strange things happening in cyberspace lately.
Competition for the attention of readers is hotting up especially with the run up to the Presidential election. With the main media becoming a has been, when local news are no longer exciting but a regurgitation or rerun, they have lost the grip for readership. Who wants to read stale news that is no better than listening to an old tape recorder?
On the other hand cyberspace is fresh and exciting. And reporters/bloggers are given a free hand to post whatever they want, free from any restraints or editing. Investigative journalism is taking on a fervor that is hardly known in the main media. And these people are doing it without being paid. And the material is informative, controversial and thought provoking. It is an act that the main media finds difficult to replicate to the extent that they look like boy scouts. Or maybe they are all busy covering the National Day Parade.
While the main media are busy or on vacation, the internet is driving and firing all its engines. All systems are running at full speed. And the readership is flocking into cyberspace in increasing numbers. A small outfit like The Temasek Review Emeritus operated by a few volunteers are garnering more readership than many professional media with a huge budget. It has in a way becomes the primary alternative media here.
Who is winning this battle for readership, for the people’s mind? The battle of cyberspace has begun, and the winner will determine how the people think and look at things. The Presidential Election is likely to be the first test case of the power of alternative media to influence how the people will vote. Control of cyberspace is like control of the sky in military terms.
What should Tony Tan do?
It is not easy to be in Tony Tan’s shoe now. His shiny armour of a white knight is now smeared with tomatoes and eggs. It takes great effort and convincing to remove the grits. The thing is, how is this going to be done? Can god stand up and say Tony has done no wrong. Period. Let’s move on.
Even if god is to pronounce that Tony is innocent, the point is that would the people accept the judgement? If the people do not agree, then comes the election and Tony might get a real bruising, and this is no good.
On the other hand if there is no election, a walkover, unthinkable but possible, the smear will not go away. It will harden into a scar. Not only will Tony be affected, the whole institution will come under questioning and a big dark cloud will fall over the island. I don’t think this is an acceptable scenario, and the pus will keep festering and spread to the whole system.
There is another possibility, with a case that is like jumping into the Yellow River will not wash away the dirt, will Tony do the necessary and withdraw his candidacy for the EP? If this be the case, if Tony is no longer in the lime light like some of his contemporaries, the vibes may just fade away.
Well, what if Tony were to walk into the Istana uncontested, this episode is likely to be hanging in the air, in cyberspace, for as long as he is the Elected President, or by walkover. And the plot may thicken.
Which is a better or amiable scenario? An important point to note is that nearly every male Singaporeans has gone through NS and knew how the system should work. Any variation or deviation could be spotted from a mile away. Never try to bluff a NS man about NS. They can get very angry. They have given the best part of their lives to it.
PS. Another possibility. The PEC decides not to issue Tony with the COE in view of the controversies surrounding him and his son. Ok, this is really remote. Heheh. Whatever, once the election campaigns start, many of the concerns raised in the internet may spill over to the main media. It is not going to look good.
Even if god is to pronounce that Tony is innocent, the point is that would the people accept the judgement? If the people do not agree, then comes the election and Tony might get a real bruising, and this is no good.
On the other hand if there is no election, a walkover, unthinkable but possible, the smear will not go away. It will harden into a scar. Not only will Tony be affected, the whole institution will come under questioning and a big dark cloud will fall over the island. I don’t think this is an acceptable scenario, and the pus will keep festering and spread to the whole system.
There is another possibility, with a case that is like jumping into the Yellow River will not wash away the dirt, will Tony do the necessary and withdraw his candidacy for the EP? If this be the case, if Tony is no longer in the lime light like some of his contemporaries, the vibes may just fade away.
Well, what if Tony were to walk into the Istana uncontested, this episode is likely to be hanging in the air, in cyberspace, for as long as he is the Elected President, or by walkover. And the plot may thicken.
Which is a better or amiable scenario? An important point to note is that nearly every male Singaporeans has gone through NS and knew how the system should work. Any variation or deviation could be spotted from a mile away. Never try to bluff a NS man about NS. They can get very angry. They have given the best part of their lives to it.
PS. Another possibility. The PEC decides not to issue Tony with the COE in view of the controversies surrounding him and his son. Ok, this is really remote. Heheh. Whatever, once the election campaigns start, many of the concerns raised in the internet may spill over to the main media. It is not going to look good.
8/04/2011
The Chinese fools in Fangzheng, Heilongjiang
When Japan was colonizing China, they did what the Israelis are doing today, by sending thousands of Japanese settlers into Manchuria. By a stroke of ill fate, they lost the war and these colonialists fled Manchuria after the war. Many died in the process, at least 5,000 on record.
Zhou Enlai did the humanly decent thing by giving them a proper burial. Today, the local govt of Fangzheng went one step further by erecting a monument on the grave site of these occupiers. This act has incurred the wrath of a nation that suffered the brutality of Japanese occupation forces when millions were killed and maimed, when the country was devastated and the dignity of a people erased from their faces.
The foolish people of Fangzheng have forgotten that if the Japanese had won the war, they would be victims of these dead Japanese and their atrocities as conquered people. No country in the world is silly enough to build monuments to honour their conquerors. I doubt Singapore would dare to put up a monument to honour the Japanese soldiers killed in the island during the Japanese Occupation.
The Americans too did not set up monuments to honour the millions of Red Indians decimated during their conquest and occupation of Red Indian country. The Indians and Africans too did not build such monuments to honour the dead colonialists. Many even tore down buildings and landmarks of their colonial rulers.
How much sillier can the Chinese be?
Zhou Enlai did the humanly decent thing by giving them a proper burial. Today, the local govt of Fangzheng went one step further by erecting a monument on the grave site of these occupiers. This act has incurred the wrath of a nation that suffered the brutality of Japanese occupation forces when millions were killed and maimed, when the country was devastated and the dignity of a people erased from their faces.
The foolish people of Fangzheng have forgotten that if the Japanese had won the war, they would be victims of these dead Japanese and their atrocities as conquered people. No country in the world is silly enough to build monuments to honour their conquerors. I doubt Singapore would dare to put up a monument to honour the Japanese soldiers killed in the island during the Japanese Occupation.
The Americans too did not set up monuments to honour the millions of Red Indians decimated during their conquest and occupation of Red Indian country. The Indians and Africans too did not build such monuments to honour the dead colonialists. Many even tore down buildings and landmarks of their colonial rulers.
How much sillier can the Chinese be?
Dr Patrick Tan – A bigger issue at stake
The public scrutiny of Tony Tan and Patrick Tan has led to a bigger issue, the integrity of the system as a whole, particularly Mindef. A doubt has been created in the minds of the public and all NS men and their families are feeling very uneasy. It is very important that this be led to rest quickly before the election of the President takes place.
No matter what Tony Tan and Patrick Tan said, no matter what Mindef tries to explain, there will be all kinds of innuendoes and perceptions, rightly or wrongly. The longer this issue is dragged on, the more perplex it will become and wild imaginations in the minds of the people can be expected.
What I think would be a better way to clarify this confusion, which is not going to do good to Tony and Mindef, is to state clearly the milestones of Patrick’s scholarship, deferment, enlistment and reservist training, including ICTs and IPPTs. List the events and dates clearly and let the people see for themselves and make their decisions based on facts. Mindef can include some explanations along the way to clarify on why the decisions were made and the policies of the day.
I think this should be QED to clear the air.
No matter what Tony Tan and Patrick Tan said, no matter what Mindef tries to explain, there will be all kinds of innuendoes and perceptions, rightly or wrongly. The longer this issue is dragged on, the more perplex it will become and wild imaginations in the minds of the people can be expected.
What I think would be a better way to clarify this confusion, which is not going to do good to Tony and Mindef, is to state clearly the milestones of Patrick’s scholarship, deferment, enlistment and reservist training, including ICTs and IPPTs. List the events and dates clearly and let the people see for themselves and make their decisions based on facts. Mindef can include some explanations along the way to clarify on why the decisions were made and the policies of the day.
I think this should be QED to clear the air.
What would the PEC be looking at?
All eyes are now on the President Election Council where three wise men are supposed to pass an edict on who are the presidential hopefuls that will get their blessings to receive a COE. What they have to fall back on is a list of criteria in an Act to make their godly decisions. The terms are public knowledge today, but though everyone thinks they know what they meant, everyone is also at a lost as to what they meant. Everyone is having an opinion as to who will qualify and who will not.
Some of the criteria are quite specific, a permanent secretary or equivalent, CEO of a public company with a paid up capital of $100m and at least three years in the job. With these conditions, some have already pronounced that only Tony Tan qualifies while the rest are doubtful starters if the PEC applies them stringently. It seems quite an easy task if one is to act like an unthinking robot and goes by the letters in the legislation. And if that be the case, only Tony will qualify. Anyone with any objections can be asked to read the Act themselves. See, must be a permanent secretary or a CEO of a public listed company with $100m paid up capital. Anything else is outside the law.
The PEC can also attempt to try to read the spirit of the Act, as to what was the intention of the provision. As in all legislations, the words are limited and cannot cover all conditions, variations or exceptions. What was the intent of the people who passed the Act? Do they really mean that only those few people as indicated qualify to stand as a candidate, or is the provision meant to cover a wider area to include more able people for the Presidency? To many laymen, that must be the case and the provisions are just guidelines to ensure that people of good character, with sufficient intellect and abilities to decide on the use of the nation’s reserve be allowed to stand. The Act cannot be so rigid, a straight jacket, that will rule out anyone that do not fit its brief descriptions to the T.
The four/five candidates, with their qualifications and experiences, are good and able men that would have no problem in performing the duties of the Elected President. They are more than the average men on the street. They have good credentials and no one is saying that they are not good enough unless it can be proven that they have character flaws or did anything that is unbecoming of the office of the President.
The job of the PEC should be quite easy actually if it is just the interpretation of the Act. Unfortunately there are other political considerations and complications that will affect their final edict. The people all knows what the considerations are. There are the interests of the ruling party and also the interests of the country and people to take note of. We have heard comments about a neutral President that is not beholden to any political party. A President that has the courage and stature and toughness to take a stand against the ruling govt. After all he is to check on the govt when the use of the reserves is placed on his table. He is also expected and some say good, to be able to work closely with the ruling govt while able to say no if necessary.
See, things start to get messy here, to be friendly, pally, to be nice but also to be able to stand up to the govt. Or to be not so friendly and to be not so nice and glad to have the opportunity to say no. As far as the govt is concerned, they would want someone nice and pally, someone that would give them the least annoyance. Maybe someone that will say yes when the govt wants to dip into the reserves. In this case, an ex party member with close ties would be ideal. Strange relationship huh?
On the other hand, the people would want a President to be really, truly, and strongly independent minded, independent of the govt, and happy to be objective and ready to say no to the govt. In this case, a non ruling party member, someone who has never slept in the same bed before must be the chosen one.
So, how would the PEC decide then, given the unspoken interests of the ruling govt to take care of and the interests of the people who are more comfortable with a really independent President, not just by words alone, or personal claims, but to be able to act independently of the ruling govt? Would the spirit of the Act hold sway and a broader interpretation be used by the PEC? Or would a different kind of spirit takes an upper hand and every letter in the Act is taken literally with no rooms for exception, leading to the disqualification of several candidates?
What kind of spirits would rule the day and lead the PEC to go about their work? I can see that people are praying everywhere in the streets for good blessings from the spirits. The govt can be angry, the spirits too. And there is the wrath of the people to consider. This is a non political appointment, a non political President and the election must be devoid of politics. So some wise men would say. Non political? Can that be?
The least that the people can expect is that this election is done with great respect, decorum, honour and decency. And it starts from the moment the application for a COE is submitted. This election must be clean and free from all the ugly accusations of a GE where all kinds of perceptions were present to discredit or cast doubt to the whole affair. The PEC and its three wise men have a very vital role to play to set the tone for the election of a President that is not tainted with political undertones.
Some of the criteria are quite specific, a permanent secretary or equivalent, CEO of a public company with a paid up capital of $100m and at least three years in the job. With these conditions, some have already pronounced that only Tony Tan qualifies while the rest are doubtful starters if the PEC applies them stringently. It seems quite an easy task if one is to act like an unthinking robot and goes by the letters in the legislation. And if that be the case, only Tony will qualify. Anyone with any objections can be asked to read the Act themselves. See, must be a permanent secretary or a CEO of a public listed company with $100m paid up capital. Anything else is outside the law.
The PEC can also attempt to try to read the spirit of the Act, as to what was the intention of the provision. As in all legislations, the words are limited and cannot cover all conditions, variations or exceptions. What was the intent of the people who passed the Act? Do they really mean that only those few people as indicated qualify to stand as a candidate, or is the provision meant to cover a wider area to include more able people for the Presidency? To many laymen, that must be the case and the provisions are just guidelines to ensure that people of good character, with sufficient intellect and abilities to decide on the use of the nation’s reserve be allowed to stand. The Act cannot be so rigid, a straight jacket, that will rule out anyone that do not fit its brief descriptions to the T.
The four/five candidates, with their qualifications and experiences, are good and able men that would have no problem in performing the duties of the Elected President. They are more than the average men on the street. They have good credentials and no one is saying that they are not good enough unless it can be proven that they have character flaws or did anything that is unbecoming of the office of the President.
The job of the PEC should be quite easy actually if it is just the interpretation of the Act. Unfortunately there are other political considerations and complications that will affect their final edict. The people all knows what the considerations are. There are the interests of the ruling party and also the interests of the country and people to take note of. We have heard comments about a neutral President that is not beholden to any political party. A President that has the courage and stature and toughness to take a stand against the ruling govt. After all he is to check on the govt when the use of the reserves is placed on his table. He is also expected and some say good, to be able to work closely with the ruling govt while able to say no if necessary.
See, things start to get messy here, to be friendly, pally, to be nice but also to be able to stand up to the govt. Or to be not so friendly and to be not so nice and glad to have the opportunity to say no. As far as the govt is concerned, they would want someone nice and pally, someone that would give them the least annoyance. Maybe someone that will say yes when the govt wants to dip into the reserves. In this case, an ex party member with close ties would be ideal. Strange relationship huh?
On the other hand, the people would want a President to be really, truly, and strongly independent minded, independent of the govt, and happy to be objective and ready to say no to the govt. In this case, a non ruling party member, someone who has never slept in the same bed before must be the chosen one.
So, how would the PEC decide then, given the unspoken interests of the ruling govt to take care of and the interests of the people who are more comfortable with a really independent President, not just by words alone, or personal claims, but to be able to act independently of the ruling govt? Would the spirit of the Act hold sway and a broader interpretation be used by the PEC? Or would a different kind of spirit takes an upper hand and every letter in the Act is taken literally with no rooms for exception, leading to the disqualification of several candidates?
What kind of spirits would rule the day and lead the PEC to go about their work? I can see that people are praying everywhere in the streets for good blessings from the spirits. The govt can be angry, the spirits too. And there is the wrath of the people to consider. This is a non political appointment, a non political President and the election must be devoid of politics. So some wise men would say. Non political? Can that be?
The least that the people can expect is that this election is done with great respect, decorum, honour and decency. And it starts from the moment the application for a COE is submitted. This election must be clean and free from all the ugly accusations of a GE where all kinds of perceptions were present to discredit or cast doubt to the whole affair. The PEC and its three wise men have a very vital role to play to set the tone for the election of a President that is not tainted with political undertones.
8/03/2011
High falutins in the Green Movement
Saving the world, go green, cut carbon emission etc etc are all barking up the wrong tree. The solution to prevent the destruction of gaia and human life is to stop the relentless and reckless consumption of food and natural resources. The wanton destruction and reproduction of goods to feed the mad consumption pattern of human beans that is growing and growing, is the biggest problem to saving mother earth.
High consumption is primarily the result of high population growth and longetivity. The secondary cause of high consumption is the commercially driven demands for material goods and the hurried production and manufacturing of goods that need not be. It looks extremely good in terms of feeding the economic growth formula but at the same time lighting the fuse to destroy life on earth.
High population growth must be stopped. Has the earth reached its capacity to sustain the 6/7 billion populations, or in its micro aspect, has Singapore reached a population size that it is going to be increasingly difficult to sustain.
The mad economists will tell you that with increased productivity the earth can feed and house more people, GM food, digging deeper for oil, using advanced technology to fish the oceans, just like this island can feed and house more people, maybe 20 million. What kind of life will it be?
Can the alternative of maintaining the present level of production but maintaining or reducing the population lead to a better quality of life, with more for lesser people? If every country is to adopt growth with uncontrolled growing population, the end is sure to come faster for everyone. Is higher income, higher growth, higher population, higher inflation, higher cost of living, and the depletion of the earth’s resources the way to go?
High consumption is primarily the result of high population growth and longetivity. The secondary cause of high consumption is the commercially driven demands for material goods and the hurried production and manufacturing of goods that need not be. It looks extremely good in terms of feeding the economic growth formula but at the same time lighting the fuse to destroy life on earth.
High population growth must be stopped. Has the earth reached its capacity to sustain the 6/7 billion populations, or in its micro aspect, has Singapore reached a population size that it is going to be increasingly difficult to sustain.
The mad economists will tell you that with increased productivity the earth can feed and house more people, GM food, digging deeper for oil, using advanced technology to fish the oceans, just like this island can feed and house more people, maybe 20 million. What kind of life will it be?
Can the alternative of maintaining the present level of production but maintaining or reducing the population lead to a better quality of life, with more for lesser people? If every country is to adopt growth with uncontrolled growing population, the end is sure to come faster for everyone. Is higher income, higher growth, higher population, higher inflation, higher cost of living, and the depletion of the earth’s resources the way to go?
Changing trends in political persecution
JB Jeyaratnam, Tang Lian Hong, Chee Soon Juan, James Gomez are familiar names in the local political scene. They have many things in common, from being in the wrong camp, persecuted in the courts of law, for personal or political digressions etc etc. All were victims in the game of Predators and Preys. Three were bankrupts except for Gomez.
Their persecutors were tenacious, never letting go after the first bite. And they were on the run, desperately trying to fend off every attack but in vain. Once the process of the Predators and Preys game started, there was no where to hide, only how badly would they be mauled.
The last of such preys was Andrew Kuan, though he did not suffered as much, but the process was quite similar. It was like a pack of hyenas appearing from all corners in the the pursuit of their lonely victim. He was rudely dismissed and his aspiration to be a candidate for the Elected Presidency came to naught.
This game seems to have taken a different character after the last GE. On the wrong side were Tin Pei Ling, Foo Mei Har and Puthuchery. Could have been more but when the preys went into hiding the pursuit ended. The tenacity of the predators was not of the same degree and zeal. Not until the latest attack on President hopeful Tony Tan.
Tony Tan became the newest prey in the game. The attackers were different, not from any political party, but the anonymous masses in cyberspace. And the battle zone too is not the main media but the new media. The attacks came fast and furious, appearing to be concerted but not, more like spontaneous. There is no chance that Tony will end up in the courts of law, but he will face a different kind of justice that will not see him becoming a bankrupt.
Tony will appear in the people’s court of justice. It is the people, or some of the people, that are putting Tony on trial. It is not a personal vendetta or a feud. They have accused him of favouritism or abuse of authority in granting special exemptions for his son in National Service. Would this be proven or would Tony be found guilty by the people’s court? For the time being, they have screamed guilty.
Tony and his son have been defending furiously against the accusations. Both the media, new and old, were giving him space to present his case. The Ministry of Defence too issued statements to support his defence.
The interesting part will be the findings and judgement. In the people’s court, there will be no official findings or an official pronouncement. The rights and wrongs will be formed in the hearts and minds of the people. There will be just as many who will think he is guilty as those who will think he is not. One thing for sure, Tony will not be made a bankrupt and neither can the predators make any unreasonable claims of compensation from him.
The glaring difference of this game of Predators and Preys is that the victim now comes from the ‘right’ side as oppose to the ‘wrong’ side as in the past. No one will ever imagine that the elite could be put on trial and have to defend themselves to clear their names. They need not have to as it is not really a court of law. It is a kind of common law, a kind of natural justice, a prick on the conscience. The victim can totally ignore the persecution and dismiss the whole case without answering, and remain silence. The sore point is that keeping silence is no longer an option.
The rules of game have changed. The Predators and Preys have also changed. The political climate is set to be changed.
Their persecutors were tenacious, never letting go after the first bite. And they were on the run, desperately trying to fend off every attack but in vain. Once the process of the Predators and Preys game started, there was no where to hide, only how badly would they be mauled.
The last of such preys was Andrew Kuan, though he did not suffered as much, but the process was quite similar. It was like a pack of hyenas appearing from all corners in the the pursuit of their lonely victim. He was rudely dismissed and his aspiration to be a candidate for the Elected Presidency came to naught.
This game seems to have taken a different character after the last GE. On the wrong side were Tin Pei Ling, Foo Mei Har and Puthuchery. Could have been more but when the preys went into hiding the pursuit ended. The tenacity of the predators was not of the same degree and zeal. Not until the latest attack on President hopeful Tony Tan.
Tony Tan became the newest prey in the game. The attackers were different, not from any political party, but the anonymous masses in cyberspace. And the battle zone too is not the main media but the new media. The attacks came fast and furious, appearing to be concerted but not, more like spontaneous. There is no chance that Tony will end up in the courts of law, but he will face a different kind of justice that will not see him becoming a bankrupt.
Tony will appear in the people’s court of justice. It is the people, or some of the people, that are putting Tony on trial. It is not a personal vendetta or a feud. They have accused him of favouritism or abuse of authority in granting special exemptions for his son in National Service. Would this be proven or would Tony be found guilty by the people’s court? For the time being, they have screamed guilty.
Tony and his son have been defending furiously against the accusations. Both the media, new and old, were giving him space to present his case. The Ministry of Defence too issued statements to support his defence.
The interesting part will be the findings and judgement. In the people’s court, there will be no official findings or an official pronouncement. The rights and wrongs will be formed in the hearts and minds of the people. There will be just as many who will think he is guilty as those who will think he is not. One thing for sure, Tony will not be made a bankrupt and neither can the predators make any unreasonable claims of compensation from him.
The glaring difference of this game of Predators and Preys is that the victim now comes from the ‘right’ side as oppose to the ‘wrong’ side as in the past. No one will ever imagine that the elite could be put on trial and have to defend themselves to clear their names. They need not have to as it is not really a court of law. It is a kind of common law, a kind of natural justice, a prick on the conscience. The victim can totally ignore the persecution and dismiss the whole case without answering, and remain silence. The sore point is that keeping silence is no longer an option.
The rules of game have changed. The Predators and Preys have also changed. The political climate is set to be changed.
8/02/2011
The dumb Arabs
The musical chairs of the Arabian Nights are being played and replayed over and over again. They were supposed to be ancient and wise civilizations. Somehow they never get over their colonial hangovers. They trusted their colonial masters more than themselves. They fight among themselves and ended as divided people and conquered by the West one by one.
After independence, they forgot about their colonial legacies and went sleeping with their former colonial masters. And they happily parked their wealth in Europe and America only to be confiscated or locked away when they fell out of favour with the Europeans or Americans. And whoosh, all their wealth here today gone tomorrow. And they never learnt.
Now the Brits just declared that they did not recognize the Gaddafi govt and all the monies now go to whichever rebel groups they are supporting. The Arabs are so pathetic. How are they to act as leaders of the Muslim world when they are in such a mess, and being made mince meat by the Westerners?
Would Asian and African countries learn any lessons from the Arabian fiasco and their sleeping with the Europeans and Americans. I think many Asian and African despots and dictators are still parking their ill gotten wealth in Europe and America only to be sorry one day when the loots were forfeited by their safe keepers.
After independence, they forgot about their colonial legacies and went sleeping with their former colonial masters. And they happily parked their wealth in Europe and America only to be confiscated or locked away when they fell out of favour with the Europeans or Americans. And whoosh, all their wealth here today gone tomorrow. And they never learnt.
Now the Brits just declared that they did not recognize the Gaddafi govt and all the monies now go to whichever rebel groups they are supporting. The Arabs are so pathetic. How are they to act as leaders of the Muslim world when they are in such a mess, and being made mince meat by the Westerners?
Would Asian and African countries learn any lessons from the Arabian fiasco and their sleeping with the Europeans and Americans. I think many Asian and African despots and dictators are still parking their ill gotten wealth in Europe and America only to be sorry one day when the loots were forfeited by their safe keepers.
A stroke of brilliance
Yesterday the SGX went on full time, no lunch break, to improve trading volume. And the result was immediate. During the one and a half hour of trading, without lunch break, it chalked up 100m shares traded. This, as reported, was an increase of 6.4% in volume.
I was dumbfounded. For all the years I spent in human resource management, the profession has been bugged by the difficulties in raising productivity. Money were spent to improve productivity throught mechanization and computerization. The catchphrase was to work smart and not work hard, to work intelligently and not slogging over long hours. And we did not achieve much.
Now I realized that we have missed the wood for the trees. The solution was so simplistic yet so brilliant, so effective. Just extend working hours man. And 100m shares were achieved in an additional one and a half hour of trading. Nevermind if the overall volume was down from 1.7b on Friday to 1.46b yesterday. The 240m shares lost can easily be recovered by increasing trading hours by another two hours.
This is a remarkable discovery of a management theory of great significance. I must write an article to the SHRI’s newsletter on how to raise productivity in the simplest way and cheapest way. If the ministers and their ministries were to work through lunch, gaining another one hour of working time, their productivity would increase accordingly. And if the no lunch break is extended across the country, across all industries, viola, the country would have a 6% increase in GDP. There is thus no need to increase the influx of foreign workers and foreign talents which would bring along high inflation, high property prices, high congestion and competition for space and air.
After 40 years of independence, I think Spring Singapore would not have thought of such a great concept. We have wasted all this time trying out all the dump ideas to improve productivity which obviously did not work. And the one that works, influx of foreigners, actually works on the same principle. Increase in workforce means increase in manhours working. This is the same as increasing the number of working hours, like no lunch break.
I think we will progress more rapidly if everyone simply works longer hours. We will progress, from First World to the Third World.
I was dumbfounded. For all the years I spent in human resource management, the profession has been bugged by the difficulties in raising productivity. Money were spent to improve productivity throught mechanization and computerization. The catchphrase was to work smart and not work hard, to work intelligently and not slogging over long hours. And we did not achieve much.
Now I realized that we have missed the wood for the trees. The solution was so simplistic yet so brilliant, so effective. Just extend working hours man. And 100m shares were achieved in an additional one and a half hour of trading. Nevermind if the overall volume was down from 1.7b on Friday to 1.46b yesterday. The 240m shares lost can easily be recovered by increasing trading hours by another two hours.
This is a remarkable discovery of a management theory of great significance. I must write an article to the SHRI’s newsletter on how to raise productivity in the simplest way and cheapest way. If the ministers and their ministries were to work through lunch, gaining another one hour of working time, their productivity would increase accordingly. And if the no lunch break is extended across the country, across all industries, viola, the country would have a 6% increase in GDP. There is thus no need to increase the influx of foreign workers and foreign talents which would bring along high inflation, high property prices, high congestion and competition for space and air.
After 40 years of independence, I think Spring Singapore would not have thought of such a great concept. We have wasted all this time trying out all the dump ideas to improve productivity which obviously did not work. And the one that works, influx of foreigners, actually works on the same principle. Increase in workforce means increase in manhours working. This is the same as increasing the number of working hours, like no lunch break.
I think we will progress more rapidly if everyone simply works longer hours. We will progress, from First World to the Third World.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)