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11/08/2009
A timely intervention
This incident happened about 40 years ago, when good men were in the govt looking after the welfare of the people. In the heart of the Singapore River was all the trading activities, and a few rice merchants were forming a cartel to corner the rice market. They wanted to make huge profits by controlling the rice trade and price. The consequence was that the masses, the common folks, would be at their mercy, paying whatever price they demanded for rice.
The govt stepped in, ticked them off, ostracised them, and set up Intraco with the main purpose of keeping the price of rice and essential food affordable, not charging at market price and no need for subsidies. Just simple cost plus some profit. No need to explain until face green green and nobody believe any word spoken.
The people till now are still benefitting from this timely intervention, and the price of rice did not go spiralling up to a point of being painfully affordable. Those were the good old days with good and selfless people in charge and caring more for the good of the people. They were paid well, but not extravagant.
These were the good records of a good govt that is for the people.
After all the kpkb in cyberspace, we are having two assurances, one from Chok Tong and another from Mah Bow Tan. How would these turn out? As long as the bidding for land mechanism, market pricing, 'subsidising market price' policies are not changed, nothing will change. The price of properties will continue to spiral upwards. And the new mantra is that micky mouse flats or shoe boxes are good for living, a new lifestyle, and cheap too, at half a million for 400 sq ft.
Looks like the goal of a Swiss standard of living has been modified to a Hongkong standard of living.
Could we hope for a timely intervention like 40 years ago?
Good Morning Redbean Sir:
ReplyDeleteNo time to wait for change already.
When your HDB Flat fetches two million SINDollars, sell it off and get the hell out of here.
patriot
Don't you worry Redbean, your govt will come to the rescue like a white night in shining armour. Land prices will not be allowed to be too high, profit margin will be moderated and everybody will be happy. So, as the paper said today, " do not rush ".
ReplyDeleteClap, clap, clap, cheer, cheer, cheer.
Where Do We Belong?
ReplyDeleteFearless freedom,
within the beautiful blue sky,
as the beautiful birds soar
and freely fly.
Could there be crooked crocodiles
or ruthless birds of prey
beneath and on the surface
of the calm waters and space?
Don't forget,
this is uniquely Singapore!
Men-in-White and Wolves-in-White
are similarly everywhere,
every time.
Are our calm and peace,
progress and prosperity real?
Everyone loves calm, peace,
justice, freedom and happiness.
But with MIWs in power grip
greedier and tighter,
more callous, more heinous,
more ruthless by the day,
Will commoners' contentment
be real, a dream or nightmare?
If after so many years past,
and our national pledge is nothing
but just an aspiration,
a bombshell hurl'd by the Father
like suicide terrorists,
upon the mesmerized masses,
unaware of the lurking danger,
wherefore is our inspiration?
If after 50 years of nation-building,
the Little Red Dot is anything
but still not a nation,
another bombshell cast
again by none other than the Father
upon subservient souls,
oblivious of their lives and limbs,
what for we sing the national anthem
and do national service?
If after existing 50 years,
for all intents and purposes,
as an independent country
and the whole wide world knows,
Singapore is but only a mere city,
not a country, albeit
a city of possibilities,
a garden city or coming sin city,
a third bombshell cast
also with all intents and purposes,
by another respected man of law,
a long-time incumbent,
a later legacy of the British Empire,
where then is our country?
What are we living for?
What are we fighting for?
What are we defending?
What will we by dying for?
What then is our nationality?
Where then is our country?
Where then is our home?
Where do we belong?
By 'Green Peas'
8 November, 2009.
Singapore.
Hmmm, maybe some people will say intervene also complain, don't intervene also complain.
ReplyDeleteBut my instinct tells me that this is probably a flash in the pan assurances by the 'wooden cum horse' pair, because election is near. I also can feel it in my bones lah!
I won't be waiting with bated breath.
Read the papers green peas, all your questions are answered there. If in doubt, read tomorrow's papers, there will be more the same. MIW tell us that everything is fine, we have no reason to doubt them. We are just pawns, whichever way they push us, we should go. No choice. Just remember when you draw that cross on your ballot paper how fortunate you are to be a singaporean, that is, if you get to vote.
ReplyDeleteDear Green Peas:
ReplyDeleteyour post(comment) is so lovely.
Like it very much!
Cheers!!
patriot
nice poem green peas. i hope MIDAs will notice it. a singaporean poem.
ReplyDeleteCan't fight the market.
ReplyDelete... but the govt has no problem shitting on "greedy" private sector cartels.
I seriously doubt the govt will intervene to bust up one of ITS OWN most powerful cartels and its most effective political lever: the HDB.
Also many top govt dogs own plenty of private property, as do the glc's and the govt's banks and financial institutions. There is no way they'll pass laws to sabo themselves when all it takes is GCT stupid smiling face and sweet words to con ... I mean calm the people down.
We may not even be a city but merely a hotel!
ReplyDeleteGreenpeas, we belong nowhere. Just floating somewhere in the South China Sea.
Redbean, hope reigns eternal, I suppose. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. So try we must.
The Pariah
www.singaporeenbloc.blogspot.com
Redbean Sir:
ReplyDeletei rever You for not resigning to the fate our leaders consign us.
Your fighting spirit leaves me the impression that You are hopeful that this tiny little island has hope, does it(have)?
You will do a lot of good by bringing your millions to spend in any underdeveloped countries.
A netizen once recommended me to Nepal which he said one can live like a Duke with SGD$300 a month. Myself find SGD$500 will get me a pretty good life in the Riaus.
patriot
hi The Pariah,
ReplyDeletewelcome to the blog. just went to your blog. it is quite a nice and colour blog for a change. keep it up.
oh your comment about pulling down condos that are 20 to 25 years old for en bloc. this is like our scrapping of good running cars that are less than 10 year old. a nation psychic for waste.
is there a need to keep tearing down and rebuild when all the materials must be bought, lack of sand, cement and material?
the developers will just want to build and rebuild just to sell and make more profits. ask them to sell the whole island they will too. they are just pure business people after profits. what is a country has no meaning to them.
build and sell! is their mantra. they will sell everything.
Dear Mr Redbean,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your compliment.
The poem was inspired by all your beautiful Sg Buloh photos. Initially, I wrote it in your other post but thinking that nobody will read it there, so I reposted it here.
It was written spontaneously in less than 15 minutes. I think some re-arrangement and change of words and phrases may be necessary.
Whether MIDS notice it or not is immaterial but I hope Min of Edn notice it and use it for the schools to educate the future generations. Because our history is now too adulterated by the
"victors".
Patriot and the rest: Thanks for your compliments and responses.
Green Peas.
Hi Green Peas:
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome, hope to read more of your writings.
Yourstruly: patriot
hi green peas. glad you enjoy the pics. i always find great pleasure in taking things that are beautiful to the eyes. it is like feasting the eyes. better than feasting the tummy.
ReplyDelete