Divide and rule in the Middle East…and Asia

As war looms with the US conniving with the Israelis to attack Iran, the rest of the pathetic Arab countries could only watch with disdain. The rest of the world pretends to look the other way. Where is the UN and why is the UN and western media not condemning such an aggression? Some of the Arab states have been targets of regime change and in a state of turmoil, some were semi colonies of the US, needing the Americans to support the regimes, and some were so under developed militarily that they were inconsequential.

These encourage Israel, with the US backing, to strike at any Arab state it likes, at its own time, even talking about it openly without fear. The shit Arab countries could not do anything as they were individually too weak to hit at the Israelis. The western media and western countries would report the whole show as if it was a virtuous war, a right thing to do, to hit at any Arab state, including the current target, Iran. Politically, militarily, economically, religiously, they have all the good reasons to hit at any Arab states to cripple them and prevent them from becoming strong and independent countries.

Now what can the silly Arabs do, splitted, divided, weakened, just like the rest of Africa, and facing the Evil Empire and a powerful bully with superior arms armed and provided by the Evil Empire? If only the Arabs were united, if only the Evil Empire does not arm Israel to the teeth, Israel would not be so foolhardy and confident to take on the Arab world.

The western formula of divide and rule is effective in the past and still effective today. While they divide their enemies, they stand united, like how they united themselves to wipe out the Red Indian tribes to take over their country, the continent of North America.

The Middle East is suffering the same fate, divided and at the mercy of the western powers led by the Evil Empire with Israel as the point man. The same formula is being introduced into Southeast and East Asia. The silly Asians must be divided just like the Arabs and be at the mercy of the Empire. Favour a few, dangle a few carrots, and make them dance, or unite them, like they did in conquering North America. This time it is to unite Japan, Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, India and possibly the rest of the Asean states to launch a concerted attack on China. The call is now for Asean to stand united with the Empire to conquer China and turn it into another North America.

The future of Asean is very bright, to own a piece of China and be a member of the Empire. This is the course being charted for them by the Evil Empire. The temptation is very sexy.

The world, especially Africa and the Middle Eastern countries and also Asean, must watch what this Evil Empire is doing, how it is going to work, cloak and dagger, to wipe out Iran. And that is the lesson to be learnt, the true nature of the Evil Empire, attacking any country it so chooses, by giving it a tag.

Hooliganism, asymmetrical warfare in Parliament

The small number of opposition MPs in Parliament makes their presentation of alternative views difficult to pass through against a well entrenched govt with an over whelming majority, and its well honed tactics of running down the opposition MPs. Some may disagree that the ruling party is bullying the opposition MPs, and that they are just doing what they should be doing as the power of the day when confronted with unpleasant and undesirable questionings. Robust debate so they claimed. Intimidation or no intimidation, insinuations or no insinuation, gangsterism or no gangsterism, everything is there for all to see in the bikini programme called In Parliament. In those brief few minutes, the viewers will still be able to form their own opinions on the happenings in Parliament. Some will clap and some will jeer.

Faced with such lopsided power trained against them, what can the few opposition MPs do to level the battle field? It is not easy to raise an issue without being accused of motive, agenda and bad intention, and may be cut into pieces by cold steely stares or words laced with threats. Opposition MPs may benefit from reading Sun Tzu or Clausewitz to borrow some of the strategies to walk the treacherous ground in Parliament.

Or they could learn from Taiwan or Hong Kong MPs and their tactics of hooliganism, throwing shoes, chairs and microphones at the opposing camps. Keep long hairs like Mr Long Hair of Hong Kong Parliament fame and employ the same rowdy tactics. It would be quite fun to see how the priestly MPs and ministers handle a boisterous gang that would not play by their terms and dictates. But that would be too much to ask from the likes of Chen Show Mao, Pritam Singh or Gerald Giam. Low Thia Khiang would have to buy a wig. Maybe a wig will do for all of them, to throw the priesthood into disarray.

It is ok for hooligans to behave like hooligans and use hooligan lingos. But it is not ok for the priests and monks to behave in the same manner. It will be too unbecoming to do so, to reveal their gangster side of Jekyll and Hyde. That should level the playing field.

Imagine when Shanmugam asked Sylvia Lim if she was insinuating and questioning the integrity of the AGC, and Sylvia retorted, ‘Cut the crap, just answer my question!’ Ling Dong How would be able to do better. Or counter a threat by throwing her stiletto shoes at him. That would be box office material and will go viral for sure. Asymmetrical warfare is possibly the only effective way to deal with priests and lords, and can even be applied to immortals.

How about voting a few long hairs or skin heads into Parliament to deal with the good lords of Parliament? Pun intended. The battle would then be more evenly matched.

PS. I must qualify, and doubly and triply qualify that this is not meant to be a serious article okay? Don’t be like someone saying shoot him and the police were sent to arrest the person when that person did not really mean it, like fxxx you. Relax okay?

China, Taiwan, Korea, what are you going to do about it?

The Japanese have arrested 14 Chinese citizens in Diaoyutai, a group of islands seized by Japan after it defeated China in 1894. But the post WW2 Treaty after Japan surrendered made Japan returned all the land and islands grabbed by Japan to their rightful owners.

The Japanese also claim Dokdo Island belonging to Korean want to take their claim to the International Court. They have nothing to lose as the Island was Korean’s. And they could even win if they could somehow get the International Court on its side. When claiming someone’s island it is always okay to bring it to a third party like what the Philippines and Vietnam are trying to do.

The Japanese are prepared to use force to hold on to their loots of the days of military adventurism. Even after the defeat and surrender, they are not repenting and think they are still the biggest Imperial power in East Asia. Diaoyutai and Okinawa etc are islands conquered and taken from their owners. There were historical records and Japanese acknowledgement that they were Chinese territories. Japan only grabbed them when China was weak and defenceless. Japan has shown that it would not return them unless forcefully taken back by the rightful owners.

Though PM Noda has claimed that Japan would not resort to war during his anniversary speech on the surrender of Japan, Japanese militarism is on the rise. They are unrepentant. In the latest incident they rammed their navy ships against the Chinese fishing boat that brought the Hongkies and Taiwanese to set foot on the island.

Now Japan is showing that it would use force to hold on to these captured territories. What would China, Taiwan and Korea do if they claimed that these are their territories? Japan has arrested Chinese citizens in Chinese soil and even talked about selling the islands among themselves? At least Korea’s President Lee Myung Bak has made a visit to the Dokdo Island which they have regained control. When is China and Taiwan going to do something to claim back their islands for good?

The time is now. Not doing anything when its citizens are arrested in Chinese territory is saying that it is not their island and they are only making a claim for it. China and Taiwan, the ball is now in your court. Allowing the Japanese to get away again this time is as good as giving up your claim. The Vietnamese and the Philippines and the US are watching to see how China responds to defend its land and people. Any weakness would be a sign for more encroachment and adventurism by the Trinity of Evil in the South China Sea.

China, Taiwan and the Koreans should work together and give an ultimatum to the Japanese to return all the lands taken from them and put an end to Japanese aggression and imperialism on their sovereignties. Weakness is sexy and inviting for more trouble.

Imagine Sity Singapore

We have more than one million new citizens over the last ten years. And they are mainly from PRC, India and the Philippines. Imagine if a big number of them choose to join the police force or the military. And the forces cannot refuse them as they are rightfully citizens of the country, they are Singaporeans. Right?

Then the Sinkies walk into a Neighbourhood Police Post manned by a team of PRC made Sinkie Police, or Indian Indian Police or Pinoy Police officers. Would it be simply hilarious or would it be frightening? Imagine a Sinkie walking on the street and confront by a team of PRC or Indian Indian or Pinoy police officers and wanting to search or check on him.

My God, I can never imagine what this sity state has become. Yes, I spelt the word sity, no mistake.

Can the citizens penalise the govt?

The people are penalized for all kinds of transgression that are not crimes in any way. Late payment for bills kenna fined plus GST lagi. Earn too much cannot get subsidies, and cannot buy public flats. Kenna mean tested for medical subsidies just to name a few.

Can or should the people fine the govt for failed policies or for not providing the basic necessities? We pay really good money for a first class govt and it is rightly that we expect and demand that they don’t foul up in things that can be planned ahead. And that is what this govt has been crowing about all these years. They are on top of all the problems, they can plan ahead, especially for the good of Sinkies using the Sinkies’ money in the CPF.

Can the people expect the govt to plan ahead for public housing, hospitals and hospital beds, school places for children from primary schools to universities, public transportation and what else? These are things that are within the govt’s control. And if the govt fails miserably in these areas, should it be penalized? The housing fiasco is one. The inadequacy of public transport, the lack of primary school places, the shortage of hospital beds. Is the govt going to say, can’t be helped?

What do you think? Or should the people provide the govt with answers to solve these problems? Or can these questions be asked in Parliament without being seen as insinuating any wrong doings?

Maybe the govt is flawless and beyond reproach.

The new gold mountain金山

California or North America were once called the land of gold mountains in the 19th century. This honour should rightfully go to the new star called Singapore. It now boasts of an average income of US$56,532 per capita in 2010 and the number would balloon to US$137,310 in 2050. Even if S$1 could buy US$3 by then, it is still a handsome amount to be had. The Sinkies would be the richest people on earth several times over.

With this forecast, our population would be 20m or 50m if we are not careful. The citizens of the world would be forming a beeline here, to be in Sin. And Sinkies, what are you waiting for? Go and make babies quick. The average income of these future Sinkies would be almost US$100k when they are 28. And they could easily buy the best HDB flats even if it costs $5m each. No problem.

And this number is only applicable to the average Sinkies. The top 10% could be earning a hundred or two hundred times that. And it would be something like US$10m or US$20m that. Maybe this is too small as many are already earning this kind of money today. Make it US$100m or US$200m, think that would be more likely.

I would not know how people of other countries will be getting. Neither would I know how much it will cost to buy a home or a car or a plate of chicken rice then. But throwing such numbers around today is like day dreaming and saliva dripping from the corner of the mouth.

The future for Sinkies is very very rich. There should be no reason for Sinkies to worry about affordability in bearing children. There is a good life ahead for them. The best the world can offer.

Just a question. How many of you are earning US$56k pa today? Actually the average Sinkies today should be earning at least US$60k or S$78k. Anything less is below average.

More delisting is good in a virtual stock market

In the pages of the media yesterday there were talks of more delisting of companies in the SGX. This is the natural trend of development in the stock market given the lack of interest in the investors and the depressed value of stocks. Many stocks are now trading below market valuations and there is no point in listing and becoming targets of takeovers. Stocks that are doing well in real business will find it more attractive to delist or relist in markets that give them better valuations.

Basically, why waste money paying listing fees and not getting the real value of the stocks and not able to raise funds? I have been talking about his development for a while. What is happening in the stock market today?

The long term investors and analysts are talking about real values and market valuations that made investment in stocks really attractive, good bye, pun intended. On the other hand the big funds with their gambling machines are only interested in scalping the markets, cornering the market with programmed trading to make the margins. Whether a stock is up or down, below or above market valuation, is not their concern. Neither do they have to worry about such meaningless stuff. As long as they move the market the way they wanted, with sheer volumes, they are happy with their profits.

Companies listing their stocks will find it meaningless, with little incentive to pay the listing fees. They will be better off saving the money or to list them somewhere else.

The market is dying and soon mortis rigor will take over. And with the kind of volumes generated, the commission generated, broking houses will find it a struggle to pay for their overheads. Commissions, not clearing fees, are the life blood that feed all the parties in the market and keeping everyone afloat. It is like Quantitative Easing. The need for liquidity is not for fun. Jokers are constantly talking about cutting cost, lowering commissions. In the absence of real commissions, the industry will end up a wrinkled apple, and finally a dried apple without any juice.

Stock markets must operate under the dynamics of real business and organic growth on a fairly long time scale. When the prices of stocks have no bearings to their real values, when machines are only interested in buying and selling in micro seconds, it is a sign of a mismatch as pure gambling based on odds and lightning speed has no place in a real stock market. The machines will thrive very well in a virtual stock market without any real stocks. They talk differently and think differently from investors looking for good value. They belong to different worlds.

How good is a virtual stock market with virtual stocks, no need for real stocks? Put in a few more high speed computers to generate a few more billions of trades. Is it liquidity? A virtual stock market can exist with fictitious stocks and fictitious trading volumes by computers and there is no need for real stocks and real investors. All the broking houses can pack up, all the backroom staff, analysts, management, and remisiers can look for other jobs. And the stock market can continue to exist in full glory with the machines roaring against each other, with hundreds of billions of virtual trades in a virtual world of machines.

Yes, save all the commissions and liquidity, cut more commissions. There is no need for commissions and liquidity. The cost of trading can be reduced to non existence. Machines and computers do not need to be fed. It will be a cheap cheap stock market.

Olympics medal tally – Top sporting nation

There is without a single doubt who is the biggest winner in the Olympic Games. Top of the table in medal counts is none other than Africa. More than half of the gold medals won by the USA and Britain were contributed by Africans. And the Africans were everywhere, from Jamaica, Trinidad, the Americas, to Europe and of course Africa.

The USA, with its European athletes, at best could probably win 30 or 40 medals. But it could really do very well if America had included the Injun braves. Unfortunately not many braves are alive today. The few left in the reservations were poor physical specimens of their great forefathers.

It could have been a very different story if the natives of the USA were around as their athletic lifestyle as hunters, horsemen and nomads would be a plus point in the Olympics. They would have won all the archery medals, throwing of javelins and horse riding events easily. And they would put up a good fight against the Africans in athletics.

Well done Africa. I must say the selective breeding by the European Americans in the cotton fields also played a very vital part in the physical development of the Afro American athletes.

And the papa cries

A young man dies. He was a jovial and easy going person. ‘He was very active and we would always look out for each other when we played soccer,’ said his schoolmate. Muhammad Fahrurrazi died when on active service as a NSman, in Brunei.

The Defence Minister wrote a personal letter of condolence to his father. A general presented his father with the nation’s flag and his(Muhammad's) beret. He was given a military funeral with honour. But the young man died. These niceties were only awarded when a soldier dies in service.

What would the NSman get in return should he not die and live till is ORD? If he joins the civil service, he may get two increments in salary. Oh, he will get some income tax deduction if his income is high enough to be taxable. He may get some handouts into his CPF which he may not see or touch for a long time to come, or not at all. He would risk losing his girl friend while doing his two years in NS. He will lose two years of employment and the full income he deserves. And if things did not turn out right, he will lose his life, like Muhammad Fahrurrazi.

Has the sacrifice of the NSmen been really appreciated by the policy makers? So many young men have lost their lives for the nation. And many faded into oblivion as forgotten soldiers. In Muhammad’s case his father only had this to say, ‘I regret not meeting him the last time he returned to Singapore…He was just carrying out his duties.’

The citizens have accepted this cruel fate of life, quietly, and their sons making the ultimate sacrifice. Many have taken this for granted as the fate of being a Singaporean man. What should they expect? What do they think they should be entitled to for this sacrifice? No, nothing, no sacrifice. It is part of being a Singaporean!

And the mama cries.

A social economic system that disadvantages Sinkies?

Two key factors in our economic infrastructure will doom whatever that were built over the last 40 years. The first is high pay at the top, both private and public. With everyone at the top demanding and expecting to be paid in the millions, the money must come from somewhere. No need to guess from where or who.

The next most crucial factor is high property price. All the professionals would need to make more to feed this property bubble, to buy that multi million property. The average Sinkies too would need more to buy their flats. The professionals would need to charge more for their expertise. Who pays? No need to guess.

The average Sinkies need to get better paying jobs to cover the high cost of living. They have no choice but to shun lower paying jobs. Why blame them for asking for higher pay? Employers would thus not want them as they could substitute them with cheaper foreigners. The average Sinkies would find themselves more difficult to get the jobs they want to be able to foot the bills. They become unattractive to employers and ended up unable to make ends meet if they accept a lower paying job or not getting a job while waiting for a higher paying one.

They are then told to lower their expectations, live within their means. The reality is that living within their means with such high cost of living is still difficult if they don’t get a job with a decent pay. The only real option is to downgrade everything to the level of the cheap foreigners to survive.

And Sinkieland has just been crowned the richest country in the world and will stay there for the next 40 years with average income of US$56,532 in 2010 and US$137,310 in 2050. Shouldn’t Sinkies be the richest and happiest people in the world? Shouldn’t the govt be praised to sky high for the great job it has done? Why are the daft Sinkies so unhappy, and so angry?

Shouldn't all Sinkies be popping champagne and celebrating the good life?

An Immigration Bonus for Singaporeans?

 Making the Foreigner More Acceptable


By Yolanda Chin, Nadica Pavlovska and Norman Vasu

Synopsis

In order to make Singaporeans more receptive to foreigners, it may be worth considering making the benefits of their presence more tangible to Singaporeans through an “Immigration Bonus” for citizens from a revenue pool of immigrant labour levies….

Making Singaporeans appreciate foreigners

While the current efforts to mitigate the drawbacks of the influx of foreigners are steps in the right direction, two issues remain. Firstly, the fact remains that the immediate downsides clearly continue to be palpable while the benefits remain obscure. Secondly, the staunchly anti-immigration camp may not appreciate the potential cost of a closed-door immigration policy.

A way forward would be to introduce an “Immigration Bonus” from a revenue pool derived from the levies collected for the Work Permit and S Pass Holders as well as the possible introduction of a one-off entry levy for Employment Pass Holders. The new levy for Employment Pass Holders should not deter foreign talent from coming to Singapore given that the dual benefits of competitively low taxes and life in a vibrant safe environment are likely to outweigh the cost of the levy….

Yolanda Chin is a Research Fellow, Nadica Pavlovska Associate Research Fellow and Norman Vasu Assistant Professor at the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University

The above two paragraphs are the gist of what this high level think tank team from RSIS has conceived after very serious meditation in the wilderness of NTU. Who would have thought of such a brilliant idea, to use money collected from the immigrants to appease the anger of the daft Sinkies who could not understand or appreciate the indispensable benefits of having foreigners to come and help them and provide jobs for them. And if they continue to be daft, the whole country will simply fold up.

The daft Sinkies are so daft that they did not even know the danger facing them and the little island they have built without the help of these new highly talented immigrants. But not all is lost. With brilliant academics thinking for them, taking their advice would not go wrong. And hey, the Immigration Bonus could be used to offset the increasing GST and save them some money as well. It is definitely a win win and win situation. The immigrants win, the daft Sinkies win, the brilliant academics with their clever idea also win.

This is simply wonderful food for thought. I must confess I would never have thought of it. No wonder they said Sinkies are daft. I am also one daft Sinkies. No need further proof.

Intimidation, intimidation!

As I read the morning papers my hands were shivering in fear. The word intimidation seems to be everywhere and jumping out from the pages. But who is intimidating who? This one I no able to figure out. In Parliament, everyone is so clever and it is really very hard to tell what they said and what they meant. And of course there is no intimidation in our first world Parliament. No chairs or punches were thrown, so we are one class above those gangster infested parliaments. Sure no see blood.

While I am still very hazy about the ongoings and recovering from the shock, I still think it may be a good idea for MPs on the wrong side of the power equation to exercise extreme care when asking questions in Parliament. Asking questions they must, but there are certain special nuances and skills required to be able to ask questions safely and successfully.

For one, include a prologue to the questions. Use a template as it can be used in all circumstances, by all MPs, before a question is asked. The things to say shall include ‘I am not casting any aspersion against anyone or any institution. I have full confidence in the integrity of the institution and its officers and have not the slightest doubt that they will be dishonest or bad or abuse their positions in anyway in the conduct of their duties. I have faith that these are people of great repute and infallible to temptations of all kinds. I have no motive in asking this question and it is done in good faith.’ I think this should be safe enough.

Only after saying this, like swearing on oath, should one proceed to ask question. Oh, before that, take care in phrasing the question carefully to make sure that it is free from any innuendoes or insinuations, or intimidations as they can be easily smelt out by the experts. After asking the question, just sit down and listen. Whatever the answer, just accept it as good and end of the story. And give oneself a pat on the back that one has done a good job, in asking questions in Parliament.

Then there will be a happy ending and no need to sweat under the threat of assumed intimidation. Our Parliament is a first world parliament and proper conduct with correct decorum will get one a long way. It can also be very gracious and enlightening in the company of great and talented politicians, some could even pass off as immortals.

Have a nice day.

Giving up on your own people

‘When you import sporting talent just to win, you have given up on your own people and it represents the “cannot do” spirit …a confirmation that you don't believe in your own people and their talents. No surprise to me that the sports association that is most active in importing sporting talent to win is led by a PAP [ruling party] MP….it reflects the faith and confidence they have in our own people.’ Lucky Tan.

The dependency on bought foreign talents to represent Sinkieland and to win medals has drawn many furious comments from concerned Sinkies. The above quote from Lucky Tan is one of the many comments made by Sinkies and has wider implications. Spending some money, since we have so much money, on something of fancy like the fantasies of an adolescent is nothing serious. It is a phase of growing up and once the dust has settled, the fantasy in the hands, it may lead to a realisation that all the farce wasn’t worth it.

What is more serious is the mentality of taking short cuts like instant trees. What is even more serious is to give up on our own people in other more important fields of enterprise. Many foreigners have been recruited to fill up very senior positions in govt and in the private sector, particularly in GLCs. Such acts are more detrimental to the well beings of the citizens, unless our own citizens are not able to fill the positions. In many instances it is not really the case but more like having more faith in foreigners than our very own. The Americans have paid a very heavy price for recruiting banking and finance talents from a little town called Mumbai when New York is the financial centre of the world. And when the most advanced financial centre could not find the talents it needed in NY and had to look at the wilderness for its talents, it deserved to have its financial institutions and industry crippled and ruined.

The importing of foreign talents to replace locals is very insulting when locals are left out in the cold, as incompetents by its own rulers. Giving foreigners a pink IC does not really change anything. It is still giving up on your own people.

There have been some policy shifts lately like priorities for allocation of schools, and differential subsidies for Sinkies. The sad part still is that many good jobs were given to foreigners instead of Sinkies. In some industries it has become a big joke. No wonder foreigners are despising and looking down on the locals. When your own do not look up to Sinkies and always look around the world to fill top jobs, it gives an impression that our own are simply useless or inept. And it is our own doing.

Give the locals a chance, put them on the job, just like politicians. There is no need to have any experience or special qualifications to be turned into an expert and advisor in many things. One can be minister this and minister that without having any prior knowledge of the business as long as the boss man has faith in him. We have eye surgeons solving flood and irrigation problems, soldiers becoming experts in trains and social services overnight, including making babies, finance man becoming education experts or housing experts etc etc. Why can’t this mentality be extended to all institutions and industries? Soon our own academics would only be found in dustbins or as taxi drivers, replaced by ‘more talented’ foreigners in the academies. And it raised the rankings of our universities to have more foreigners running it. Bloody good!

In sports, Sinkie parents are unlikely to want to put their children through the tough training regimes. They all want their children to go to the best schools and have straight As. There are no more Chan Ah Kows to spend his own time and money to put his own children through the mills.

Would the fetish hang-ups to employ foreigners be reviewed? Would there be a local’s first policy or always foreigners are deemed betterer and be the favoured choice? How would the Sinkies take it when the country gives up on them?

How would the national conversation change such a mindset of inferiority complex, that the govt has more confidence in foreigners than its own people?

The heavy price of being a citizen

Another NSman missing in Brunei. Coxswain Muhammad Fahrurrazi went missing during an exercise and a search party is out there looking for him. This is the heavy price paid by every male citizen and their families for the good of this island. Some still sneered at National Service as nothing to crow about. If Muhammed is not found, a family would have lost their beloved son for good, in the service of the country, paying the ultimate price even in peace. All the hopes and aspirations of a family will turn into a just sad memory, plus a few consoling words, and to bear the pain alone for the rest of their lives.

How can the people and country compensate for this unquestioned loyalty and contribution to their well being and the welling being of all fellow citizens? Can anyone who has not done his NS claimed to have contributed more than an ordinary NSman? Can any PR or new citizen know and feel the pain and sacrifices of the NSmen and their families?

Can any company or organization still think it is okay to go for CBF, go for foreigners instead of the more expensive locals while operating here enjoying the peace and security because of the NSmen? Should corporations be made to do NS by recognizing and serving NSmen, by giving preference and priority to employ them? Would the govt seriously look at the contributions of NSmen and make sure all NS are given priority to own a home for their selfless sacrifices to the country?

Instead of empty words like all first timers would get a flat, would this be put to reality? Anyone being left out, cannot own a flat after serving NS, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the country? Any cock crowing and demeaning the contributions of the NSmen, taking it for granted? This is tangible contribution to the economy and the corporations owed it to the NSmen.

What do you think? Is $195 or $900pm adequate as fair exchange for this little aspiration demanded from the young men by the country?

The big disconnect, where got?

When ministers openly claimed that earning a few millions is barely enough to maintain their decent standard of living while some spoke with contempt about the poor wanting to eat in foodcourt, how to miss the disconnect?

When ministers expect to be paid in the millions for a life time pension but did not blink when deciding to hold back the people’s hard earned savings through all kinds of schemes, is there a connect?

When ministers made a case that $1000 pm is good enough to buy a HDB flat when they splurged several millions on several properties, could there be a connect?

When the people are gasping for air in an overcrowded environment and the elite said there is room for another few millions, how to connect?

When on one hand ministers are telling the people to have more babies but keep shrinking the flat sizes and adding on the price tags, and then condescendingly telling the people to live within their means? What do you think? Does having more babies got anything to do with being prudent or being reckless and irresponsible?

When the people are struggling at the unaffordable property prices, the ministers are claiming that it is affordable, is it a case of being connected?

When the people are screaming and shouting for change, the govt is calling for a conversation. Is there a misconnect?

Leslie Fong’s no anonymity in forums

Leslie Fong, the ST’s former editor and current senior executive VP gave his reasons for no anonymity in ST forum. All writers must identify themselves. He wanted this to extend to bloggers as well for the same reasons. I could agree with the reasons but not with the reality of its relevance at this point in time.

He argued that there must be openness, transparency and accountability. He even brushed aside the fear by employees that their employers would not find their writing to forums acceptable. In his ideal state, the openness, transparency and accountability is applicable to all sides, including those in authority. He also assumed that the employers are all fair and well informed and are secured individuals who can distinguish rights from wrongs and would stand by them. He also assumed that the govt and political climate then and now are conducive to openness and transparency. Or is it a case of demanding every critic to be open while the executioner has all the right and power to remain anonymous and to wield the axe when it deems fit?

I also encourage openness and for all bloggers to identify themselves and take their stand without fear. But this is a good aspiration at this point in time. There are a hundred and one reasons why bloggers would not and could not and must not reveal their identities. That is the reality I feel should be seriously recognized. Too much cock and bull will just be cock and bull and no one would believe in cock and bull when the truth says don’t believe in them.

I would celebrate the day all bloggers are confident enough to use their real names. It will be a sign of progress and maturity, not in the bloggers, but in the authority. Till such a day, anonymity is still needed for people to express freely and confidently.

While anonymity is still an acceptable practice in mysingaporenews, I hope bloggers would not abuse this state of affair and allow it do go down in disrepute. So far the bloggers have been quite discipline and hardly abuse this privilege of remaining in anonymity and speaking the truth without getting too wild to discredit their credibility and the quality of their posts.

All, including the govt, should work towards openness, transparency and accountability other than state secrets. And it is no good hiding under state secrets to be non transparent and not accountable. And the govt needs a lot of confidence building measures, not in words but in deeds to be transparent and to respect contrarian views. There is some progress in this area but it is still too early to tell whether the Hundred Flowers Bloom campaign is what it is.

When the people are confident that being open, transparent and accountable are the new ethos, the new normal, there is no need for anonymity anymore. The ball is in the court of the authority and employers.

A national conversation for our common future

What is the point of having a national conversation for the sake of conversation, to give the impression that the govt is willing to listen, to engage the people, when all the decisions have already been made unilaterally by the govt? It has been like that all the time to the extent that a minister proudly claimed to be deaf and do what is right rather than listening to the lunatics.

If one is to read the Sunday Times today, the same attitude is printed in black and white, the govt has decided which way to go and that’s it. ‘Get married, have babies’ screamed the headline. ‘If we go on like that, this place will fold up because there will be no original citizens left to form the majority….So the choice is simple. Either accept migrants at a rate which we can assimilate them, and make them conform to our values….said LKY. He ended his speech with the following questions. ‘Do we want to replace ourselves? Or do we want to shrink and get older, and be replaced by migrants and work permit holders?’

Can a national conversation lead to a change of this migrant policies or a conversation that leads to nowhere if the people did not want to go along with the migrant policies? Can a national conversation lead to the govt returning the people’s saving in the CPF, or the lowering the public housing prices, or the lowering of the cost of govt?

The sad fact is that the policies in place are already replacing the Sinkies with migrants, and ‘If we go on like that, …there will be no original citizens left to form the majority.’ Isn’t this fear of being replaced by migrants the major concern of Sinkies and the source of their unhappiness?

And making babies is not so simple as the govt wants to put it. How many people can really afford to bring up two babies given the high cost of living, the shrinking of flat size and high cost of flats? Any citizen that goes forth and multiplies more than two is seriously undermining the social fabric of the nation unless they are able to afford them financially. If not, there are going to be many stray children running around, half educated, half fed, and poorly brought up, to roam the streets like unwanted cats and dogs. This would pose a bigger social political problem down the road when irresponsible citizens would reply that they were doing national service as told by the govt.

What do you think?

Quote from Seah Chiang Nee

'As the public opposition grew, the pro-government media argued strongly for the players, and acting Cabinet Minister (for Social and Family Development) Chan Chun Sing congratulated the table tennis team for “uniting the nation”.

Seah Chiang Nee wrote this in his column in The Star paper.

How rich and poor countries reward their Olympians

The Olympic Games is facing a parallel contest in how countries reward their winners in addition to the Olympic medals. Poorer countries were more conservative while the rich countries were more lavish.

Poor countries like Britain and New Zealand were quite stingy on the rewards. The cheap British probably did not have much money to spare and only offered to put the pictures of the winners in their postage stamps. Really cheapskate. It is quite pathetic really for Great Britain to save on the pennies. Some poorer countries did not even offer anything and the support and Olympic medals are considered good enough a recognition. 

New Zealand could not afford instant cash but a $60k grant for a year, maybe to study or whatever for a gold medal. Australia and the USA were not much better, offering A$20k and US$25k respectively.

China was a bit richer and paid their winners a healthier S$99,500. But it was outshone by richer countries like the Philippines, $146k and Russia and the other ‘tan’ countries with payouts of US$135k to US$250k.

The richer countries like Malaysia and Singapore were more generous and their purse strings were looser. Malaysia offered $410k for a gold but is a far distant second to the richest country in the world, Singapore. The latter offered its gold medalist a handsome $1m.

Athletes and sports people would definitely find it more rewarding to represent the richer countries than the poorer Europeans or Americans. Like they say, money talks wonders. How rich a country is cannot lie. Whether they can or cannot pay their winners is a sure sign of the monetary well beings of the countries. Singapore’s open door policy on immigration is going to get a boost. If the 4 Jamaican runners were to make a queue here, Singapore can be assured of a few golds and silvers in the Rio. It is time to send some feelers out.

The mysterious utility bill hike

Many bloggers are complaining about the mysterious hike in their utility bills in the recent months, more accurately after they have a little cheap thrill of receiving $110 U Save out of the blue. The little happiness is quickly turning into a nightmare and demanding a quick explanation.

An example of the complaints is a comment by Poor Singaporean in TRE.

‘My utility bill averages around S$80-90+ a month. So far, our electricity, gas & water consumption have not varied much until July according to SP Powers.

I got a rude shock upon receiving the bill, our electricity consumption had doubled. I don’t understand how is this possible when our lifestyle still remains the same. Our electrical appliances are still new; we have just moved in to our BTO HDB flat a year ago only.

After deducting the U-SAVE Voucher of S$110, my bill amounts to S$95+. Which is around the usual range for our monthly utility bill. No savings in the end, so what’s the point of giving us the voucher?’

If what Poor Singaporean is experiencing is widespread, it must warrant an explanation from the govt and an investigation on this strange phenomenon. It could be an error that affects only a few Sinkies knowing that errors and glitches are now a common occurrence in many areas. Just hope that it is just a glitch and nothing more to it.

Was there a hike in the utilities charges that was not announced? If so, this is unbecoming and unacceptable. If there isn’t, and if the surge in the bills is true, what is happening?

CSI bloggers would be welcome to do a more thorough investigation on this matter as they are much more efficient and zealous in discovering the truth and the concerns of Sinkies. There are the only reliable and dependable investigative reporters available today. And this is a very serious issue that affects all the average Sinkies. Every Sinkie should take a close look at their utility bills to make sure that there is no error in the bills.