“I hope Your Excellency’s esteemed service would be able to report to
the Secretary of State on the complexity of managing this election by
Prime Minister Najib and the need to have US support for the present
govt even if we are to win the election by a simple majority or just one
seat.
Any indication that the US govt would continue to support Prime Minister
Najib and his govt would definitely strengthen our stability and
enhance the existing cordial relationship driven by the strong rapport
between our two leaders,” read the letter signed by Mr Hasanah Ab Hamid,
director general of the Research Division in the Prime Minister’s
Department, an intelligence unit.
The above letter is reported in thenewpaper on 27 Jul 18.
There are many questions and implications on why a Prime Minister of a
country would write a letter to the CIA, the intelligence agency of
another country ie the USA, pleading for support for his govt. Why would
Najib be so afraid of the Americans and begging and pleading for their
support and approval? He must know something that we don’t know, that
the Americans are meddling and controlling the fate of his country and
his fate as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. The letter is like saying,
the Americans are in charge of Malaysia and dictates who should be the
Prime Minister of Malaysia. Without the approval and support of the
Americans, Najib cannot be the Prime Minister for long.
Is this interference, influencing or manipulating the policies of a
country like what Bilahari Kausikan was saying about China? Is this more
serious than what he accused China of doing? This is not just trying to
manipulate or influence the policies of an independent country. The
Americans are interfering and deciding who should be the Prime Minister
of Malaysia. And Najib knew and must seek the approval of the Americans.
You can sense his fear of the Americans and volunteering to obey the
master.
Najib does not have to fear China or else he would have written a
similar letter to China to support his regime. China, like all
countries, would want to be friends with Malaysia and would do things to
influence Malaysia’s policies to be friendly with China, BUT not to
interfere with the domestic politics of the country. Najib has no fear
of China. He knows.
Now which is the more dangerous country to deal with, the USA or China?
Why was Kausikan so appeasing to the Americans without breathing a word
on their nasty interference of other country’s domestic affairs like
regime change? Why would he single out China for doing things that all
countries are doing and not pointing out the serious interference of the
Americans in the internal affairs of a country? Why, why, why?
Would Bilahari Kausikan write something to warn the Singaporeans about
how nasty and dangerous the Americans are in their interference of a
country’s domestic politics, even doing regime change to change a leader
elected by the people? No? Why not?
PS. Najib wrote this letter despite being investigated and charged by the American courts for corruption.
7/30/2018
Singapore National Games -Athletics
Other than the oldies, many primary school kids were also participating in the National Games and subjected to the same gruelling heat. I have written to the organisers to hold the games in the evening at least for the kids and the oldies. Imagine the runners were in their 60s, 70s and 80s, and children as young as 8 or 9 years old. This is inexcusable if some of the very young or very old runners suffered from heat strokes.
Tan Cheng Bock and the birth of Singapore Harapan
This is the biggest piece of political news that surfaced over the weekend. SDP's Chee Soon Juan had rounded up the opposition parties to a meeting that sowed the seed of a united front against the PAP in the shades of Pakatan Harapan. For decades the Singapore opposition parties have been divided and factionalised into different tiny ineffective parties fighting hopelessly against the mammoth PAP machine. The quest was quite hopeless and very amusing if not silly to see them banging their heads against the wall. It was foolish and futile but they kept going at it as if a miracle will happen to change their fate.
The trumping of UMNO in Malaysia led by a 92 year old ex PM has been an eye opener to the conceited and hopeless party leaders of Singapore, like a mirror being held right in their faces to show their folly. It took Chee Soon Juan, the man that has been demolished and character assassinated as a lone ranger, fighting just for his own personal cause, to step up to dispel this myth. No other opposition party leaders was selfless enough to make this move, to bring in a third party in the name of Tan Cheng Bock, to unite the frail and fractured opposition parties together for a common cause, to bring down the PAP. This move alone tells a lot about Chee Soon Juan, the man that they did not know or told to believe as otherwise. The real spoilt sport, those that would not want to be a team player, those who have selfish agenda, would not think of coming together in an alliance to be a real political force to be reckon with.
Tan Cheng Bock may not be a Mahathir, but he has enough respect from the people, conviction and commitment to do the necessary for the good of Singapore and the future of Singaporeans. It takes a lot of guts and conviction to want to do something like this, to bring down the ruling party, a once mighty political party that had done good for the country and people in the first few decades of its exixtencwe. Things must have gone very badly wrong for an ex PAP stalwart to want to stand up to his old party that he once believed was the force of goodness.
The fear is gone. Tan Cheng Bock has taken a bold step that no ex PAP MPs or ministers dare to tread. The line is broken and hopefully this would encourage more ex PAP members to join the queue in this Harapan to do what is right. Many must have seen the rot and are fuming but for one reason or another, chose to remain in the dark corners of anonymity wallowing in self pity. The robbing of the people must be stopped. The selling out of Singaporeans to foreigners must be stopped. PRs are just passing by and will go when the time is right. Cheng Bock has lighted a match to show the way. It is time to make a difference, to do what they believe is right and good for Singapore and Singaporeans, not for locals and foreigners that are not Singaporeans.
Now where is that Chok Tong and his gang? Would he think or deem that it is time to join forces with Cheng Bock and the opposition before it is too late, before it is all over? All the ex MPs and current MPs that can sense a sinking boat should decide to abandon ship before it is too late like in Malaysia.
The seed for an uprising in the politics of Singapore has been planted on 28 Jul 18. It needs to be watered and nurtured to be kept alive and live another day. This is the hope, the day that all Singaporeans are quietly waiting for. Let not the light be snuffed out before it lives to see another day.
Singaporeans need a Singapore Harapan, not a local or foreigner infested Harapan to lead Singapore and Singaporeans to a better tomorrow.
PS. The parties that were present were Singapore Democratic Party, the People’s Power Party, the Democratic Progressive Party, the Reform Party, the National Solidarity Party, the Singaporeans First Party and the People’s Voice Party. All the major opposition parties were invited.
The trumping of UMNO in Malaysia led by a 92 year old ex PM has been an eye opener to the conceited and hopeless party leaders of Singapore, like a mirror being held right in their faces to show their folly. It took Chee Soon Juan, the man that has been demolished and character assassinated as a lone ranger, fighting just for his own personal cause, to step up to dispel this myth. No other opposition party leaders was selfless enough to make this move, to bring in a third party in the name of Tan Cheng Bock, to unite the frail and fractured opposition parties together for a common cause, to bring down the PAP. This move alone tells a lot about Chee Soon Juan, the man that they did not know or told to believe as otherwise. The real spoilt sport, those that would not want to be a team player, those who have selfish agenda, would not think of coming together in an alliance to be a real political force to be reckon with.
Tan Cheng Bock may not be a Mahathir, but he has enough respect from the people, conviction and commitment to do the necessary for the good of Singapore and the future of Singaporeans. It takes a lot of guts and conviction to want to do something like this, to bring down the ruling party, a once mighty political party that had done good for the country and people in the first few decades of its exixtencwe. Things must have gone very badly wrong for an ex PAP stalwart to want to stand up to his old party that he once believed was the force of goodness.
The fear is gone. Tan Cheng Bock has taken a bold step that no ex PAP MPs or ministers dare to tread. The line is broken and hopefully this would encourage more ex PAP members to join the queue in this Harapan to do what is right. Many must have seen the rot and are fuming but for one reason or another, chose to remain in the dark corners of anonymity wallowing in self pity. The robbing of the people must be stopped. The selling out of Singaporeans to foreigners must be stopped. PRs are just passing by and will go when the time is right. Cheng Bock has lighted a match to show the way. It is time to make a difference, to do what they believe is right and good for Singapore and Singaporeans, not for locals and foreigners that are not Singaporeans.
Now where is that Chok Tong and his gang? Would he think or deem that it is time to join forces with Cheng Bock and the opposition before it is too late, before it is all over? All the ex MPs and current MPs that can sense a sinking boat should decide to abandon ship before it is too late like in Malaysia.
The seed for an uprising in the politics of Singapore has been planted on 28 Jul 18. It needs to be watered and nurtured to be kept alive and live another day. This is the hope, the day that all Singaporeans are quietly waiting for. Let not the light be snuffed out before it lives to see another day.
Singaporeans need a Singapore Harapan, not a local or foreigner infested Harapan to lead Singapore and Singaporeans to a better tomorrow.
PS. The parties that were present were Singapore Democratic Party, the People’s Power Party, the Democratic Progressive Party, the Reform Party, the National Solidarity Party, the Singaporeans First Party and the People’s Voice Party. All the major opposition parties were invited.
7/29/2018
Young men favourable to Police BMWs
Over heard some young men talking about their intent to apply to join the Traffic Police for the simple reason to be able to drive around in BMWs. Driving such nice and high performance cars in this island when car ownership is increasing becoming a dream, the opportunity to drive BMWs is definitely very attractive and alluring. The Police should capitalise on this new acquisition in their recruitment drive for more traffic police officers. They used to be content to drive around in high performance but relatively cheaper Subarus which were great cars to drive. Now with BMWs, it would be ooh la la. And the officers would be very on the ball, driving the BMWs 24/7 on the road. It is like it is a pleasure to work. The person who recommended the BMWs must be rewarded for such a great idea, work with pleasure and pride. But don't get carried away and ask for Ferraris or Lambos.
This is a positive trend for a super rich city state with all the best superstructure and carefully crafted environment. The BMWs, like the expensive office chairs and Brompton bikes costing thousands of dollars would fit in nicely to give a classy and expensive image of economic progress and success.
Just a few decades ago, govt offices were the rundown buildings left behind by the colonial masters and with iron cabinets and aged wooden furniture. Today all govt offices are not only modern and well designed but also sensibly furnished to complete the picture of a first world country. The only outlandish or out of place 'furniture' in this first world city state is the walking populace from the third world and their third world behaviour that are fast catching on with the locals. Many parts of the manicured city states are taking a likeness to third world neglected corners of their countries.
Would they be thinking of Harley Davidson to replace the current batch of Japanese bikes for the mobile traffic police? If they do that, the Police Recruitment office would have a long queue of applicants waiting to join the force.
Nice. Singapore is living up to it as a rich nation. Got money must spend. If not like CPF, keep long long for what, keep until mati? Luckily got smart govt to teach the people to spend by having more compulsory insurance schemes. Don't spend also cannot.
This is a positive trend for a super rich city state with all the best superstructure and carefully crafted environment. The BMWs, like the expensive office chairs and Brompton bikes costing thousands of dollars would fit in nicely to give a classy and expensive image of economic progress and success.
Just a few decades ago, govt offices were the rundown buildings left behind by the colonial masters and with iron cabinets and aged wooden furniture. Today all govt offices are not only modern and well designed but also sensibly furnished to complete the picture of a first world country. The only outlandish or out of place 'furniture' in this first world city state is the walking populace from the third world and their third world behaviour that are fast catching on with the locals. Many parts of the manicured city states are taking a likeness to third world neglected corners of their countries.
Would they be thinking of Harley Davidson to replace the current batch of Japanese bikes for the mobile traffic police? If they do that, the Police Recruitment office would have a long queue of applicants waiting to join the force.
Nice. Singapore is living up to it as a rich nation. Got money must spend. If not like CPF, keep long long for what, keep until mati? Luckily got smart govt to teach the people to spend by having more compulsory insurance schemes. Don't spend also cannot.
7/28/2018
Malaysia heading for big big trouble
With Mahathir returning to rule Malaysia and the nonsense he is spouting, the projects he is tearing apart, Malaysia is going to face more troubles than expected. But what Mahathir is going to do to harm Malaysia is nothing if he knows the deck of cards in his hand.
Look at the USA and what Donald Trump is doing or undoing to the treaties, agreements, ties and alliances built over the decades of the American Empire. Get the clue? Donald Trump is a greenhorn in politics, no experience in running a country! And he is leading America to self destruct in the name of making America great again. He just does not know what he is doing. Running a business empire is totally different from running a country. You need people with experience running a country to run a country, or at least some experience in running a town council to start with to run a country. Trump did not have any of these experiences to fall back on.
In Malaysia, only two persons have experience in running a country, in Mahathir and Lim Eng Guan. Mahathir ironically is the only one of two experienced politicians that have the required experience to run a country. The rest of the ministers and MPs are 'bodoh' or ignoramous, in Singapore's definition, with no experience in running a govt. Definitely they have no experience in even running town councils.
See, how can the Malaysian govt ever think of running the country well when nearly all the ministers and MPs have kosong experience to do so? They will be eaten up by the very experienced Singapore ministers and MPs, all very well trained, from being apprentices to being managers of town councils.
I would recommend that Mahathir send his ministers and MPs to Singapore to understudy the experienced politicians here and learn from them on how to run a govt efficiently. There are many tricks they could learn from the Singapore politicians, like how to raise taxes indiscriminately, oops, I mean cleverly, with clever excuses until the people willingly pay and would not protest. The Malaysian govt can be very rich by increasing the water fees giving the same reasons as Singapore gave to the people, to teach them the value of strategic assets. 3c can sell $1. Or the equally clever sugar tax. Heard of that? Malaysia would have all the money to pay for all the infrastructures with these taxes. No need to delay the HSR and all the mega projects. There is another big area that the Malaysian ministers and MPs can learn from Singapore, the people's nest eggs in the EPF. That is a pot of gold waiting to be harvest. If they still did not know what I mean, just think insurance schemes for the people, to help the people, for the good of the people. The trick is 'compulsory'.
There are really many many good things that the Malaysian greenhorn no experience ministers and MPs can learn from Singapore. And all of them would become instant knows all of everything, become super talent. Oops, they may also ask for million dollar salary to keep them from being corrupt. And Malaysia will be corruption free. Sui boh? Mahathir better work fast to send them here for training before they failed badly and ruin the country before the next election. Talking about election, they can also learn from their experienced Singapore counterparts on how to win and win elections despite all the controversial policies and taxes and fee hikes. See, experienced politicians can do a lot of things and get away with it with no protest or uprising from the people.
Knowing that Mahathir has his pride, he will definitely not want to send his ministers and MPs to learn from Singapore and Malaysia will surely get into big big trouble. How can people with no experience in running a town councils or govt be allowed to run a country? Tsk, tsk, tsk.
PS. Maybe for a start Singapore can lend them a few of our top ministers to raise taxes and introduce insurance schemes using the EPF funds.
Look at the USA and what Donald Trump is doing or undoing to the treaties, agreements, ties and alliances built over the decades of the American Empire. Get the clue? Donald Trump is a greenhorn in politics, no experience in running a country! And he is leading America to self destruct in the name of making America great again. He just does not know what he is doing. Running a business empire is totally different from running a country. You need people with experience running a country to run a country, or at least some experience in running a town council to start with to run a country. Trump did not have any of these experiences to fall back on.
In Malaysia, only two persons have experience in running a country, in Mahathir and Lim Eng Guan. Mahathir ironically is the only one of two experienced politicians that have the required experience to run a country. The rest of the ministers and MPs are 'bodoh' or ignoramous, in Singapore's definition, with no experience in running a govt. Definitely they have no experience in even running town councils.
See, how can the Malaysian govt ever think of running the country well when nearly all the ministers and MPs have kosong experience to do so? They will be eaten up by the very experienced Singapore ministers and MPs, all very well trained, from being apprentices to being managers of town councils.
I would recommend that Mahathir send his ministers and MPs to Singapore to understudy the experienced politicians here and learn from them on how to run a govt efficiently. There are many tricks they could learn from the Singapore politicians, like how to raise taxes indiscriminately, oops, I mean cleverly, with clever excuses until the people willingly pay and would not protest. The Malaysian govt can be very rich by increasing the water fees giving the same reasons as Singapore gave to the people, to teach them the value of strategic assets. 3c can sell $1. Or the equally clever sugar tax. Heard of that? Malaysia would have all the money to pay for all the infrastructures with these taxes. No need to delay the HSR and all the mega projects. There is another big area that the Malaysian ministers and MPs can learn from Singapore, the people's nest eggs in the EPF. That is a pot of gold waiting to be harvest. If they still did not know what I mean, just think insurance schemes for the people, to help the people, for the good of the people. The trick is 'compulsory'.
There are really many many good things that the Malaysian greenhorn no experience ministers and MPs can learn from Singapore. And all of them would become instant knows all of everything, become super talent. Oops, they may also ask for million dollar salary to keep them from being corrupt. And Malaysia will be corruption free. Sui boh? Mahathir better work fast to send them here for training before they failed badly and ruin the country before the next election. Talking about election, they can also learn from their experienced Singapore counterparts on how to win and win elections despite all the controversial policies and taxes and fee hikes. See, experienced politicians can do a lot of things and get away with it with no protest or uprising from the people.
Knowing that Mahathir has his pride, he will definitely not want to send his ministers and MPs to learn from Singapore and Malaysia will surely get into big big trouble. How can people with no experience in running a town councils or govt be allowed to run a country? Tsk, tsk, tsk.
PS. Maybe for a start Singapore can lend them a few of our top ministers to raise taxes and introduce insurance schemes using the EPF funds.
7/27/2018
Silver lining for Singapore Stock Exchange
The light of the dying stock market is getting dimmer as days go by with
better quality stocks finding it meaningless to remain in the exchange
and getting themselves delisted. On the other hand, good
companies/stocks would find listing in other stock markets more
effective to serve their needs. The SGX is now one of the smaller
exchanges in Asia, even smaller than neighbouring exchanges of Asean
countries.
Broking houses are finding it hard to hold on to their remisiers and remisiers are leaving the industry almost daily. The strength of remisiers is almost half of what it used to be during its heyday. And there is no light at the end of the dark tunnel. There is pessimism and resignation in the air.
But all is not lost. In moments of despair a silver lining has appeared that may give some hope to those still clinging to a dying industry. The SGX is trying its best to revive the market with all kinds of things, looking clueless as to the real causes of its impending demise. The latest is to link up with other exchanges where the better companies chose to list to share a bit of their good fortune. However, this effort is not looking too promising as good exchanges would not want to waste time tying up with unpromising exchanges. Anyway, if good exchanges are not willing to tie up, any exchange will do as long as they are called stock exchange. Never mind the quality and substance as long as there is some form resembling a stock exchange.
The best hope to get more listings in the SGX lies in the super SMEs, like super penny stocks. This comes in the form of hawker stalls, foodcourts and restaurants where there is now a new buzz with the stalls gaining better image and business from Michelin. Many stalls and restaurants are now awarded the world famous Michelin star or stars as recognition of the quality of their products. With the Michelin star/stars decorating the stalls and restaurants, they would make good potential candidates for listing in the stock exchange. And with so many of them gaining more stars, maybe the SGX could set up a board, a third mini board, just for hawker stalls and restaurants with Michelin stars. There should be a few hundred such establishments out there eager to be listed in the stock exchange and to go international.
There is a glimmer of hope that the stock exchange would not die so fast with this new blood of Michelin stars. Say a big thank you to Michelin stars and hawker stalls. The future of the stock exchange can shining like the Michelin stars.
Outram Park Char Kway Teow can start the ball rolling. IPO managers, quick, hunt them down.
Broking houses are finding it hard to hold on to their remisiers and remisiers are leaving the industry almost daily. The strength of remisiers is almost half of what it used to be during its heyday. And there is no light at the end of the dark tunnel. There is pessimism and resignation in the air.
But all is not lost. In moments of despair a silver lining has appeared that may give some hope to those still clinging to a dying industry. The SGX is trying its best to revive the market with all kinds of things, looking clueless as to the real causes of its impending demise. The latest is to link up with other exchanges where the better companies chose to list to share a bit of their good fortune. However, this effort is not looking too promising as good exchanges would not want to waste time tying up with unpromising exchanges. Anyway, if good exchanges are not willing to tie up, any exchange will do as long as they are called stock exchange. Never mind the quality and substance as long as there is some form resembling a stock exchange.
The best hope to get more listings in the SGX lies in the super SMEs, like super penny stocks. This comes in the form of hawker stalls, foodcourts and restaurants where there is now a new buzz with the stalls gaining better image and business from Michelin. Many stalls and restaurants are now awarded the world famous Michelin star or stars as recognition of the quality of their products. With the Michelin star/stars decorating the stalls and restaurants, they would make good potential candidates for listing in the stock exchange. And with so many of them gaining more stars, maybe the SGX could set up a board, a third mini board, just for hawker stalls and restaurants with Michelin stars. There should be a few hundred such establishments out there eager to be listed in the stock exchange and to go international.
There is a glimmer of hope that the stock exchange would not die so fast with this new blood of Michelin stars. Say a big thank you to Michelin stars and hawker stalls. The future of the stock exchange can shining like the Michelin stars.
Outram Park Char Kway Teow can start the ball rolling. IPO managers, quick, hunt them down.
7/26/2018
Mischievous slant of Reuter report on China
Read the Reuter report below with its standard western slant and lies to discredit China in whatever China is trying to do to help Africa to develop and uplift the quality of life of Africans. The article started with the facts of China pouring in billions of dollars to help Africa in their badly needed infrastructure projects without which Africa would continue to be the neglected continent after being robbed and looted by the white colonialists. The colonialists came just to take from Africa for free and left the continent under developed.
China today came to offer cheap loans which the whites would not offer and to build infrastructure projects at a fraction of the cost if the whites were to do them. And in return the African states repay the loans with minerals that the whites would not want to buy. But the slant of the Reuter report is that the African states would be in huge debt that they could not pay. The truth is that the African states are selling their minerals to China and with the money they repay China for the cheap loan. Both parties have done their sums and the payment for minerals would be enough to pay for the infrastructure projects. The whites need not worry about the African states unable to pay or to cast doubts about their ability to pay. What is so bad about that? Why would they be in debt when they can sell their minerals that would have gone to waste if no one is buying? Why aren't the whites buying up their minerals? Oh, waiting to recolonise them again and take the minerals for free, like in Iraq?
The white colonialists did not buy the minerals. They looted them away for free from Africa. The Americans and the ex colonial powers are only interested in wars and selling weapons. China is the only country out there in Africa helping them to rebuild their countries for peace and prosperity, not wars. The real white thieves are yelling thieves. China providing cheap loans is bad?
Here is an extract of this set piece mischievous white man's article in Reuter. You can find them all over the western media with the same theme and agenda. The sub heading is already telling a mischievous lie. Loading up on Chinese debt? Why won't the Africans load up on white debt but prefer cheap Chinese debt? Either the whites refused to lend them for infrastructure projects but only to buy weapons or the white debt were too costly.
LOADING UP ON CHINESE DEBT
Africa is in the midst of a boom in infrastructure projects, managed and cheaply financed by China, part of Xi's "Belt and Road" initiative to build a transport network connecting China by land and sea to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
China has pledged US$126 billion for the plan, which has been praised by its supporters as a source of vital financing for the developing world. In Senegal, Chinese loans have financed a highway linking the capital Dakar to Touba, its second main city, and part of an industrial park on the Dakar peninsula.
China's ambassador to Senegal Zhang Xun was quoted by the local press in March as saying China had invested US$100 million in Senegal in 2017.
"Senegal takes a positive view of China's role in Africa," Sall said at the news conference. "For its contribution to peace and stability and equally ... for the financing of budgets."
But critics say Africa is loading itself up on Chinese debt that it may struggle to repay, with estimates ranging in the tens of billions of dollars. That could leave African nations with no choice but to hand over controlling stakes in strategic assets to the Chinese state.
U.S. officials have warned that a port in the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, a host to major U.S. and French military bases, could suffer this fate, although Djibouti rejects the fear.
In Guinea, meanwhile, one of the world's poorest nations, China is lending US$20 billion to the government in exchange for aluminium ore concessions.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/in-senegal--china-s-president-xi-pledges-stronger-africa-ties-10551816
China today came to offer cheap loans which the whites would not offer and to build infrastructure projects at a fraction of the cost if the whites were to do them. And in return the African states repay the loans with minerals that the whites would not want to buy. But the slant of the Reuter report is that the African states would be in huge debt that they could not pay. The truth is that the African states are selling their minerals to China and with the money they repay China for the cheap loan. Both parties have done their sums and the payment for minerals would be enough to pay for the infrastructure projects. The whites need not worry about the African states unable to pay or to cast doubts about their ability to pay. What is so bad about that? Why would they be in debt when they can sell their minerals that would have gone to waste if no one is buying? Why aren't the whites buying up their minerals? Oh, waiting to recolonise them again and take the minerals for free, like in Iraq?
The white colonialists did not buy the minerals. They looted them away for free from Africa. The Americans and the ex colonial powers are only interested in wars and selling weapons. China is the only country out there in Africa helping them to rebuild their countries for peace and prosperity, not wars. The real white thieves are yelling thieves. China providing cheap loans is bad?
Here is an extract of this set piece mischievous white man's article in Reuter. You can find them all over the western media with the same theme and agenda. The sub heading is already telling a mischievous lie. Loading up on Chinese debt? Why won't the Africans load up on white debt but prefer cheap Chinese debt? Either the whites refused to lend them for infrastructure projects but only to buy weapons or the white debt were too costly.
LOADING UP ON CHINESE DEBT
Africa is in the midst of a boom in infrastructure projects, managed and cheaply financed by China, part of Xi's "Belt and Road" initiative to build a transport network connecting China by land and sea to Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.
China has pledged US$126 billion for the plan, which has been praised by its supporters as a source of vital financing for the developing world. In Senegal, Chinese loans have financed a highway linking the capital Dakar to Touba, its second main city, and part of an industrial park on the Dakar peninsula.
China's ambassador to Senegal Zhang Xun was quoted by the local press in March as saying China had invested US$100 million in Senegal in 2017.
"Senegal takes a positive view of China's role in Africa," Sall said at the news conference. "For its contribution to peace and stability and equally ... for the financing of budgets."
But critics say Africa is loading itself up on Chinese debt that it may struggle to repay, with estimates ranging in the tens of billions of dollars. That could leave African nations with no choice but to hand over controlling stakes in strategic assets to the Chinese state.
U.S. officials have warned that a port in the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, a host to major U.S. and French military bases, could suffer this fate, although Djibouti rejects the fear.
In Guinea, meanwhile, one of the world's poorest nations, China is lending US$20 billion to the government in exchange for aluminium ore concessions.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/in-senegal--china-s-president-xi-pledges-stronger-africa-ties-10551816
7/25/2018
Singapore's lucrative part time jobs
Many graduates from Singapore's world class universities are choosing to work part time in Singapore out of free choice because part time jobs not only give them plenty of freedom but also free time, and some to be their own bosses, driving people around at their own time. Part time jobs have indeed flourished in Singapore at least among Singaporeans as occupation of choice. I am not too sure about non Singaporean locals or foreigners. These are stupid people that want permanent jobs and could not see how good part time jobs are, and how lucrative.
The most lucrative part time job in Singapore of course is being MPs. This job is part time in many ways and still being paid $16,000 a month or thereabout. Ok, ok, for the millionaires, this is peanuts. But this is a handsome sum of money to 90 percent of Singaporeans, highly desirable and admirable. How many Singaporeans could earn this sum of money working full time? Only the millionaire politicians would see this sum no up. And this part time MP job also means attending parliament, a very vital area of an elected MP's responsibility is also part time. Want to attend then attend. If got other more important commitments like an MP's other full time occupation, the latter would take priority because it is full time and MP is part time.
Actually there are many other higher paying part time jobs like directors of company. If a director is being paid $120k a year in director fee, you know how lucrative it is? Company directors are not full time jobs. Board of directors meeting are often held once a month or sometimes once in two or three months. Assuming it is once a month, a $120k director's fee would mean each meeting a company director is paid $10,000, for 1 or 2 hours sitting in the boardroom tweedling his thumbs or having nice snacks and coffee.
And this is not the most lucrative if you know how much the chairman of a company is paid versus that of a company director. Let's say a chairman is paid $2.4m a year, divide that by 12 assuming there were 12 monthly meetings like the directors, it would work out to $200,000 per meeting. Not bad really. And if the company is really big, like a MNC and the chairman is paid $12m a year, it means each meeting he chairs he is being paid $1m for 1 or 2 hours of being there.
How many chairman are full time? Mostly chairman are part time job. See how lucrative part time jobs can be? Ok, Ok, forget about the graduates that ended in part time jobs because the good permanent jobs are filled by foreigners. Not all part time jobs are desirable or lucrative. Only very selective part time jobs are lucrative and highly desirable and enviable. Some people are just so lucky to end up with such cushy and super well paid part time jobs and doing or contributing you know what.
The most lucrative part time job in Singapore of course is being MPs. This job is part time in many ways and still being paid $16,000 a month or thereabout. Ok, ok, for the millionaires, this is peanuts. But this is a handsome sum of money to 90 percent of Singaporeans, highly desirable and admirable. How many Singaporeans could earn this sum of money working full time? Only the millionaire politicians would see this sum no up. And this part time MP job also means attending parliament, a very vital area of an elected MP's responsibility is also part time. Want to attend then attend. If got other more important commitments like an MP's other full time occupation, the latter would take priority because it is full time and MP is part time.
Actually there are many other higher paying part time jobs like directors of company. If a director is being paid $120k a year in director fee, you know how lucrative it is? Company directors are not full time jobs. Board of directors meeting are often held once a month or sometimes once in two or three months. Assuming it is once a month, a $120k director's fee would mean each meeting a company director is paid $10,000, for 1 or 2 hours sitting in the boardroom tweedling his thumbs or having nice snacks and coffee.
And this is not the most lucrative if you know how much the chairman of a company is paid versus that of a company director. Let's say a chairman is paid $2.4m a year, divide that by 12 assuming there were 12 monthly meetings like the directors, it would work out to $200,000 per meeting. Not bad really. And if the company is really big, like a MNC and the chairman is paid $12m a year, it means each meeting he chairs he is being paid $1m for 1 or 2 hours of being there.
How many chairman are full time? Mostly chairman are part time job. See how lucrative part time jobs can be? Ok, Ok, forget about the graduates that ended in part time jobs because the good permanent jobs are filled by foreigners. Not all part time jobs are desirable or lucrative. Only very selective part time jobs are lucrative and highly desirable and enviable. Some people are just so lucky to end up with such cushy and super well paid part time jobs and doing or contributing you know what.
7/24/2018
Elon Musk is bringing Tesla to China
Elon Musk has just signed an agreement in China to build a giant factory
to manufacture electric cars. Yes, he is going against Trump’s America
First, by turning away from the USA to Made In China. Harley Davidson is
also doing the same by moving its factory to Mexico. Both quoted that
for their companies to survive they must be in China. Leaving China
would kill their businesses.
By moving production to China, Elon Musk is capitalizing on a skilled and discipline workforce that is paid one quarter of what he would have to pay an American worker. And he would also have a market of 1.4b people waiting to buy his cars. His cars would be produced much cheaper and could be sold cheaper or with bigger profit margin. To produce his cars in the USA would be suicidal as his cars would be too expensive and the profit margin too thin to be profitable.
India has been courting Elon Musk for a while to produce his cars in Make In India, even allocating a piece of land for the Tesla factory. The news of Tesla’s giant factory in China is making the Indians very angry, not at Elon Musk but at China. This is typical Indian anti China mentality. China is competing for business and would give the best terms to any investor and Elon Musk is the one that made the final decision choosing China instead of India. Why the hysteria and mass protest to hate China for a decision made by Tesla, the investor? India should compete by being more competitive than China if it wants Tesla or any investor to produce in India.
Trump is dumbfounded with the decision of Elon Musk that is a slap in his face. He should be the one that should be very angry with Elon Musk, but he for once is keeping his mouth shut. Any big American business following Trump’s American first policy is going to die cock standing in the international market of fierce competition. The cost of production in America is just insanely too expensive to be competitive in the international market. But that is another Trump card to bring down the American Empire.
Free trade is here to stay.
By moving production to China, Elon Musk is capitalizing on a skilled and discipline workforce that is paid one quarter of what he would have to pay an American worker. And he would also have a market of 1.4b people waiting to buy his cars. His cars would be produced much cheaper and could be sold cheaper or with bigger profit margin. To produce his cars in the USA would be suicidal as his cars would be too expensive and the profit margin too thin to be profitable.
India has been courting Elon Musk for a while to produce his cars in Make In India, even allocating a piece of land for the Tesla factory. The news of Tesla’s giant factory in China is making the Indians very angry, not at Elon Musk but at China. This is typical Indian anti China mentality. China is competing for business and would give the best terms to any investor and Elon Musk is the one that made the final decision choosing China instead of India. Why the hysteria and mass protest to hate China for a decision made by Tesla, the investor? India should compete by being more competitive than China if it wants Tesla or any investor to produce in India.
Trump is dumbfounded with the decision of Elon Musk that is a slap in his face. He should be the one that should be very angry with Elon Musk, but he for once is keeping his mouth shut. Any big American business following Trump’s American first policy is going to die cock standing in the international market of fierce competition. The cost of production in America is just insanely too expensive to be competitive in the international market. But that is another Trump card to bring down the American Empire.
Free trade is here to stay.
7/23/2018
To Buy or not to Buy Life Insurance is Individuals' Prerogative Rights.
To buy or not to buy life insurance policies is an individual's prerogative right. No one should be allowed to trample on this sacred human right on whatever the pretext. No insurance companies or corporations or conglomerates or insurance agents should have the right to force the people to buy life policies. No one in his right mind should be allowed to override this basic inherent human right.
Majority of working class people can hardly earn enough to sustain their every day life sustenance. Yet they have to be compulsorily forced to pay for their CPF. Do they still have enough cash left to be forced again into buying irrelevant life insurance schemes. If buying life insurance policies is made compulsory into a national commercial policy it is tantamount to stepping on an individual's basic human right.
There is no problem with the elites one percent or upper middle class ten percent population who earn hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars every year so they can buy any number of life policies they want to which ironically they do not need to except perhaps out of greed.
Big insurance companies anywhere in the world earn hundreds of millions or billions every year. But how much do they dispense due to claims, very minimal not even five percent or at most hardly ten percent .
CPF which is supposed to be an individual's life savings but has been hijacked into some sort of insurance schemes like Medisave, Medishield and Eldershield. Eldershield hardly dispense more than a few percent in claims out of the billions it has raked in as profit. And now the working class people are again forced to pay the compulsory Care Shield Life Insurance. How many more billions will this Care Shield Life Insurance squeeze from the people? And how does it intend to really dispense for subscribers when their needs arise without trying to give excuses of not paying out with illogical rules like what is happening with Elder Shield in which you can draw from the scheme only when you are bedridden, when you can't feed yourself, when you can't bathe yourself, when you are handicapped with only one eye or one leg or one arm. This is really atrocious. In other words they will dispense your claims only in the last episode of your life in the last few days, few weeks or few months of your life. Why can't they kick in the payment earlier to make the difference when an individual's life can still be saved?
So this sort of insurance scheme is very mercendary. The scheme is only concerned with making more and more money and yet it is claimed that the scheme is good for the people. Therefore the authority must not arrogate to itself the right to impose the scheme on the people. The people's interest must not be subservient and subsumed to the profit oriented interest of the insurance company or companies. Must the people continue to be conned and block chained?
For fair play the people must be given some leeway or else it is going to be troublesome when many really cannot afford to pay.
Southernglory1
The Singapore govt insurance business or racket?
The Singapore govt is going into the insurance business in a big way.
After the trial run of two compulsory schemes, CPF Life and Medishield
Life and facing no objection and opposition, it now feels free and
unrestrained to legislate more compulsory insurance schemes for the
people using their CPF savings. Now there are Eldershield Life,
Careshield Life and dunno what more are in the pipeline.
Is this a business or a racket? What I would consider or define as a racket is a scheme that the buyer does not want, does not need, cannot afford but still forced into buying it, compulsory, cannot say no.
How many people need or want to buy so many insurance schemes when they could not even afford to live decently, not having three good meals, everyday trying to make ends meet?
How many people can afford to pay for so many insurance when life is a financial struggle?
How many people would want to empty or deplete their diminishing life savings in the CPF due to inflation, high property prices to buy and buy, pay and pay, for more insurance schemes?
When a person cannot say no to buy things that he does not want, does not need, cannot afford to pay for it, it is daylight robbery no matter under what guises. No one shall be forced to buy things against his wishes especially when he cannot afford it and to deplete his life savings against his wishes.
Compulsory insurance schemes are rackets, daylight robbery in disguise.
No, it is good for the people? Sure they are good for the people, if they are not forced to buy them and can afford to pay for them. When they are schemed by other people to dip into their life savings against their wishes, the schemes are not so innocent and altruistic. And worse, when the schemes would end up in a lot of surplus or profits that would not benefit the people being forced into paying for them.
Oh, the schemes are not profit making! Did you hear that, non profit making whoa. Then why insist on keeping the surplus for the future that may not come to many of the contributors forced to pay for them? Keeping for the future, the rainy day that may not come is a bad excuse. Period.
With the stroke of a pen, a few million policies were sold as a few million CPF captive members would be made to pay for the insurance they did not want. One compulsory scheme, say 2 million paying, multiply that by 4 schemes, how many insurance policies are sold? Imagine how tough it is for an insurance agent to sell 20 policies in a year.
Damn senang to make millions and billions without having to sweat the small stuff. Worse than ‘pah chioh’ if you understand this phrase in hokien.
Is this a business or a racket? What I would consider or define as a racket is a scheme that the buyer does not want, does not need, cannot afford but still forced into buying it, compulsory, cannot say no.
How many people need or want to buy so many insurance schemes when they could not even afford to live decently, not having three good meals, everyday trying to make ends meet?
How many people can afford to pay for so many insurance when life is a financial struggle?
How many people would want to empty or deplete their diminishing life savings in the CPF due to inflation, high property prices to buy and buy, pay and pay, for more insurance schemes?
When a person cannot say no to buy things that he does not want, does not need, cannot afford to pay for it, it is daylight robbery no matter under what guises. No one shall be forced to buy things against his wishes especially when he cannot afford it and to deplete his life savings against his wishes.
Compulsory insurance schemes are rackets, daylight robbery in disguise.
No, it is good for the people? Sure they are good for the people, if they are not forced to buy them and can afford to pay for them. When they are schemed by other people to dip into their life savings against their wishes, the schemes are not so innocent and altruistic. And worse, when the schemes would end up in a lot of surplus or profits that would not benefit the people being forced into paying for them.
Oh, the schemes are not profit making! Did you hear that, non profit making whoa. Then why insist on keeping the surplus for the future that may not come to many of the contributors forced to pay for them? Keeping for the future, the rainy day that may not come is a bad excuse. Period.
With the stroke of a pen, a few million policies were sold as a few million CPF captive members would be made to pay for the insurance they did not want. One compulsory scheme, say 2 million paying, multiply that by 4 schemes, how many insurance policies are sold? Imagine how tough it is for an insurance agent to sell 20 policies in a year.
Damn senang to make millions and billions without having to sweat the small stuff. Worse than ‘pah chioh’ if you understand this phrase in hokien.
7/22/2018
The Americans coercing the UN to do its biddings
In this little red dot, China is being singled out, identified and accused as if it is the only country that is influencing, manipulating and coercing Singapore to be more friendly in its policies towards China. Now read this on how the USA is coercing and influencing the whole world, the UN, to do its bidding.
"UNITED NATIONS: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday (Jul 20) urged UN member-states to keep tough economic sanctions fully in place on North Korea and maintain pressure on Kim Jong Un to dismantle Pyongyang's nuclear program.
"We need to see Chairman Kim do what he promised the world he would do," Pompeo told reporters after meeting with the Security Council.
The United States believes that North Korea can shed its "pariah" status from its nuclear and missile programs, but "it will take full enforcement of sanctions for us to get there," he said...." CNA
The Americans are using all its powers to influence and coerce the UN to impose economic sanctions on North Korea, Iran and its enemies openly, blatantly as the biggest bully in the world. No condemnation. In the North Korean case, having a few missiles and nuclear bombs is bad, a pariah state. But owning thousands of such bombs and missiles is regarded as a super power, with respect or in fear. No one dares to breathe a word about how violently wrong for a country to possess such an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. It is a given that the Americans can have all the weapons of mass destruction they want but others especially small states, cannot do so.
What irony, what injustice and abuse of military might! And the whole world is being coerced to accept this fait acompli, this status quo. No one shall be allowed to challenge the American dominance in nuclear might. It is ok for the Americans to have all the weapons of mass destruction to coerce and bully small and big states. And the Americans are not stopping at that. They are going to develop more weapons of mass destruction with more destructive powers. How's that for insanity and stupidity?
No, the Americans are not simply manipulating or trying to influence other states, it threatens everyone with wars and destruction if anyone dares to oppose the Americans.
Why should the whole world, the UN, do the biddings of the Americans to bully smaller states. The UN should say no to the Americans and ignore the American sanctions on North Korea and Iran. The whole world and the UN must rise up against this world menace from bullying small states. The Americans have no moral high grounds to stop other countries from posssesing WMD when they are the biggest culprit and daily threatening to use them to destroy smaller states.
Say No to the evil Americans and their hypocrisy. Do not agree to their sanctions against any state. The real pariah state is the USA, the biggest bully and murderer of human beans. Russia and China should take the lead to stop the Americans in the UN. Put a stop to this world menace. The sanctions must be on the Americans instead.
When would the UN tell the Americans to denuclearise? Why the Americans no need to denuclearise?
PS. Open your eyes and see which country has been fighting wars non stop all over the world, killing hundreds of thousands, millions of innocent civilians, not counting those maimed and the destruction of their countries. Which country is threatening wars, provoking wars, inciting wars and bullying countries all over the world?
"UNITED NATIONS: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday (Jul 20) urged UN member-states to keep tough economic sanctions fully in place on North Korea and maintain pressure on Kim Jong Un to dismantle Pyongyang's nuclear program.
"We need to see Chairman Kim do what he promised the world he would do," Pompeo told reporters after meeting with the Security Council.
The United States believes that North Korea can shed its "pariah" status from its nuclear and missile programs, but "it will take full enforcement of sanctions for us to get there," he said...." CNA
The Americans are using all its powers to influence and coerce the UN to impose economic sanctions on North Korea, Iran and its enemies openly, blatantly as the biggest bully in the world. No condemnation. In the North Korean case, having a few missiles and nuclear bombs is bad, a pariah state. But owning thousands of such bombs and missiles is regarded as a super power, with respect or in fear. No one dares to breathe a word about how violently wrong for a country to possess such an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. It is a given that the Americans can have all the weapons of mass destruction they want but others especially small states, cannot do so.
What irony, what injustice and abuse of military might! And the whole world is being coerced to accept this fait acompli, this status quo. No one shall be allowed to challenge the American dominance in nuclear might. It is ok for the Americans to have all the weapons of mass destruction to coerce and bully small and big states. And the Americans are not stopping at that. They are going to develop more weapons of mass destruction with more destructive powers. How's that for insanity and stupidity?
No, the Americans are not simply manipulating or trying to influence other states, it threatens everyone with wars and destruction if anyone dares to oppose the Americans.
Why should the whole world, the UN, do the biddings of the Americans to bully smaller states. The UN should say no to the Americans and ignore the American sanctions on North Korea and Iran. The whole world and the UN must rise up against this world menace from bullying small states. The Americans have no moral high grounds to stop other countries from posssesing WMD when they are the biggest culprit and daily threatening to use them to destroy smaller states.
Say No to the evil Americans and their hypocrisy. Do not agree to their sanctions against any state. The real pariah state is the USA, the biggest bully and murderer of human beans. Russia and China should take the lead to stop the Americans in the UN. Put a stop to this world menace. The sanctions must be on the Americans instead.
When would the UN tell the Americans to denuclearise? Why the Americans no need to denuclearise?
PS. Open your eyes and see which country has been fighting wars non stop all over the world, killing hundreds of thousands, millions of innocent civilians, not counting those maimed and the destruction of their countries. Which country is threatening wars, provoking wars, inciting wars and bullying countries all over the world?
7/21/2018
Singapore China bashing or Kausikan China bashing?
For several weeks the Singapore main media have repeatedly publishing
Bilahari’s view on how China manipulates and coerces Singapore to become
more pro China in its policies. One comment by a Kesavapany even
suggested that this is Singapore govt’s position and Singaporeans should
speak out in a similar view to attack China for doing so. The
impression given is that only China is the only bad guy manipulating
Singapore and other big powers are not, all so innocent and angelic.
The recent spat with Malaysia over the HSR and water agreement is another episode of how Malaysia tried to influence and manipulate Singapore’s policies and decision to favour Malaysia. Or is this not manipulation or coercion? Every state would influence and manipulate another country to its advantage without exception. This is called cultivating good relations or diplomacy.
Reflect a little on Singapore’s actions and policies with other countries and ask the same questions Kausikan had asked, whether Singapore has been influenced, manipulated or coerced to act or speak in the way it did. The Philippines China island dispute case would be a good starting point. Singapore kept saying that it was not a party to the dispute and had no claim to the South China Sea islands but was the one that carried the biggest loudspeaker to lambast China, telling China to accept the decision of the funny private court in Hague and even telling China to obey the rules of law as if China was not. On the other hand, nothing was said when the Americans broke all international laws and agreements, the TPP, Paris Climate Accord, not being a member of UNCLOS.
So, was Singapore coerced, manipulated or influenced by the Americans to say those things, to behave in such a bizarre manner that eventually led to the souring of relations with China when it should have just shut its mouth like other countries? The big question, was it in Singapore’s interest to be the spokesman for the Americans against China? Singapore did it freely, willingly, to harm its own interest? If Singapore did not open its little big mouth then Singapore’s interest would be harmed by the coercive big power and by opening its little big mouth, Singapore’s interest was advanced, protected by the big power?
Another point, why would a little prick like Singapore be so willing to send its soldiers to the Middle East and Afghanistan to fight along side the Americans when all the smart countries in the world would not do so? Was Singapore being forced by the Americans, arm twisted by the Americans to do so and in so doing, stand up like a sore prick and risking itself being a target of ISIS attack? Singapore doing it willingly without being coerced to do so? The Americans did not manipulate, pressure or force Singapore to send troops to the Middle East and Afghanistan? Are Singapore leaders really so stupid to play with fire when they don't have to?
Between China and the USA, who has been influencing and coercing Singapore into doing things against its national interest? Who is the bigger devil and why nothing was spoken against the bigger devil?
You ask me? It is ok to be manipulated and do the biddings of the Americans or what the Americans did were not coercion or manipulation, no, the Americans did not influence our policies and decisions in how we conduct our international relations?
How did Singapore's healthy relations, crafted over decades by Lee Kuan Yew denegerated to this poor state of affairs? Who has or have been instrumental in sowing the seed of hate against China. Where did this hate China agenda originated?
Any Chinese Singaporean with a little ethnic pride and self respect would not take it kindly with such open warfare to bash China. It is so insensitive for Kausikan and his likes to promote such a hate China agenda in a multi racial society paying no due respect to the feelings of the Chinese community. Be he a banana, a chap cheng or a Chinese Singaporean, he has his roots in China. And no self respecting man would ignore or show distaste to his roots and ethnic identity in the face of a loose cannon attacking his roots open defiance. The reticence of the Chinese community does not mean that they are taking this kind of attack kindly or condoning it.
The recent spat with Malaysia over the HSR and water agreement is another episode of how Malaysia tried to influence and manipulate Singapore’s policies and decision to favour Malaysia. Or is this not manipulation or coercion? Every state would influence and manipulate another country to its advantage without exception. This is called cultivating good relations or diplomacy.
Reflect a little on Singapore’s actions and policies with other countries and ask the same questions Kausikan had asked, whether Singapore has been influenced, manipulated or coerced to act or speak in the way it did. The Philippines China island dispute case would be a good starting point. Singapore kept saying that it was not a party to the dispute and had no claim to the South China Sea islands but was the one that carried the biggest loudspeaker to lambast China, telling China to accept the decision of the funny private court in Hague and even telling China to obey the rules of law as if China was not. On the other hand, nothing was said when the Americans broke all international laws and agreements, the TPP, Paris Climate Accord, not being a member of UNCLOS.
So, was Singapore coerced, manipulated or influenced by the Americans to say those things, to behave in such a bizarre manner that eventually led to the souring of relations with China when it should have just shut its mouth like other countries? The big question, was it in Singapore’s interest to be the spokesman for the Americans against China? Singapore did it freely, willingly, to harm its own interest? If Singapore did not open its little big mouth then Singapore’s interest would be harmed by the coercive big power and by opening its little big mouth, Singapore’s interest was advanced, protected by the big power?
Another point, why would a little prick like Singapore be so willing to send its soldiers to the Middle East and Afghanistan to fight along side the Americans when all the smart countries in the world would not do so? Was Singapore being forced by the Americans, arm twisted by the Americans to do so and in so doing, stand up like a sore prick and risking itself being a target of ISIS attack? Singapore doing it willingly without being coerced to do so? The Americans did not manipulate, pressure or force Singapore to send troops to the Middle East and Afghanistan? Are Singapore leaders really so stupid to play with fire when they don't have to?
Between China and the USA, who has been influencing and coercing Singapore into doing things against its national interest? Who is the bigger devil and why nothing was spoken against the bigger devil?
You ask me? It is ok to be manipulated and do the biddings of the Americans or what the Americans did were not coercion or manipulation, no, the Americans did not influence our policies and decisions in how we conduct our international relations?
How did Singapore's healthy relations, crafted over decades by Lee Kuan Yew denegerated to this poor state of affairs? Who has or have been instrumental in sowing the seed of hate against China. Where did this hate China agenda originated?
Any Chinese Singaporean with a little ethnic pride and self respect would not take it kindly with such open warfare to bash China. It is so insensitive for Kausikan and his likes to promote such a hate China agenda in a multi racial society paying no due respect to the feelings of the Chinese community. Be he a banana, a chap cheng or a Chinese Singaporean, he has his roots in China. And no self respecting man would ignore or show distaste to his roots and ethnic identity in the face of a loose cannon attacking his roots open defiance. The reticence of the Chinese community does not mean that they are taking this kind of attack kindly or condoning it.
7/20/2018
A bestest solution to the perceived flaws in our education system
I say the flaws are perceived because not everyone will agree that the
education is flaw. If it is, how could Singapore be bragging to the
world that we have one of the best education system in the world with
world class top universities ranking at par with the best in the USA and
UK? If our education is so loathsome, how could our students be tops in
many tests conducted by international agencies, not ranking agencies?
Before anyone could attempt to come out with a solution to the perceived flawed education system, let’s look at the perceived problems raised as these would help those who are trying to work out a solution. The solution must address the perceived flaws or else it would be like chicken and duck talking.
From what I could gather, the perceived flaws can be narrowed down to a few points. 1. The education system is too stressful because of the great emphasis on test and grades. 2. The children are not happy because of the stress placed on them because of test and grades. 3. As a result many could not go to the top schools that they wanted, or the parents wanted them to be there.
If only that education could be less stressful, no test, and the children could end up in the top schools, everyone would be happy, the children and their parents. See, the solution is surfacing once the sources or causes of the perceived problems are highlighted.
Here is my brilliant solution
Actually ACS has in a way solved this problem by having 3 kinds of ACS schools, ie ACS Independent, ACS International and just ACS Normal or Ordinary or Traditional. What do all these meant?
Simply it means that all the parents and children would be happy if the children could be admitted into the tops schools like RI, Hwa Chong, ACS, Victoria etc etc. And when the children are in these top schools, how to make them happy, without test and the stigma of poor grades and still do very well on graduation? This is an idealistic type of education system that everyone wins, the ministry, teachers, parents and children will all be very happy, and no stress to worry about. So how to do it? Generally only a small number of parents and children are unhappy with the present education system. On one end are the parents that aspired for their children to be in the tops schools, to get good grades, without test and be happy children. On the other end there are parents and children are are realistic and understand the nature of things and are willing to accept that their children will go to the appropriate schools according to their performance in schools. This group is not crying or protesting about the present education system. Similarly, for parents and children that are doing well academically, they are also not complaining either but only in praises for the present system. So, there is only the first group of parents and children that needs to be appeased with some changes to the perceived flawed education system. There is no need to shake and rock the whole system just to cater to this group, maybe 10% or 20% of the cohorts.
Change the names of some schools to RI Special School, Hwa Chong Special School, ACS, Victoria etc. These special schools would be staffed with the best teachers money can buy, best to recruit teachers from US or Europe and pay them the highest salary possible. Not to worry about the cost of these teachers. The cost can be passed to the parents who can afford to and want their children to enroll in these bestest special schools, ie the fees would be high. Good quality schools must have the right to charge high fees.
The curriculum of these schools should be very relax to make the students happy, no pressure, a lot of play, study less, learn more. And all will graduate with a certificates issued from the respective schools, with straight As. No need to take PSLE, no need to take O or A level examinations. Just take inhouse examinations and be awarded with inhouse certificates from Singapore’s top schools.
One caveat, there is no guarantee if universities or polytechnics would accept these certificates, or if employers would want to employ such happy and stress free graduates. For those who don’t have to work for a living, this is the best school system for them. Happy happy and no need to be stressed out, a lot of free time to enjoy life, no homeworks and guaranteed good grades.
Hope the ministers in education would adopt this novel and marvelous education system of Special Schools.
Before anyone could attempt to come out with a solution to the perceived flawed education system, let’s look at the perceived problems raised as these would help those who are trying to work out a solution. The solution must address the perceived flaws or else it would be like chicken and duck talking.
From what I could gather, the perceived flaws can be narrowed down to a few points. 1. The education system is too stressful because of the great emphasis on test and grades. 2. The children are not happy because of the stress placed on them because of test and grades. 3. As a result many could not go to the top schools that they wanted, or the parents wanted them to be there.
If only that education could be less stressful, no test, and the children could end up in the top schools, everyone would be happy, the children and their parents. See, the solution is surfacing once the sources or causes of the perceived problems are highlighted.
Here is my brilliant solution
Actually ACS has in a way solved this problem by having 3 kinds of ACS schools, ie ACS Independent, ACS International and just ACS Normal or Ordinary or Traditional. What do all these meant?
Simply it means that all the parents and children would be happy if the children could be admitted into the tops schools like RI, Hwa Chong, ACS, Victoria etc etc. And when the children are in these top schools, how to make them happy, without test and the stigma of poor grades and still do very well on graduation? This is an idealistic type of education system that everyone wins, the ministry, teachers, parents and children will all be very happy, and no stress to worry about. So how to do it? Generally only a small number of parents and children are unhappy with the present education system. On one end are the parents that aspired for their children to be in the tops schools, to get good grades, without test and be happy children. On the other end there are parents and children are are realistic and understand the nature of things and are willing to accept that their children will go to the appropriate schools according to their performance in schools. This group is not crying or protesting about the present education system. Similarly, for parents and children that are doing well academically, they are also not complaining either but only in praises for the present system. So, there is only the first group of parents and children that needs to be appeased with some changes to the perceived flawed education system. There is no need to shake and rock the whole system just to cater to this group, maybe 10% or 20% of the cohorts.
Change the names of some schools to RI Special School, Hwa Chong Special School, ACS, Victoria etc. These special schools would be staffed with the best teachers money can buy, best to recruit teachers from US or Europe and pay them the highest salary possible. Not to worry about the cost of these teachers. The cost can be passed to the parents who can afford to and want their children to enroll in these bestest special schools, ie the fees would be high. Good quality schools must have the right to charge high fees.
The curriculum of these schools should be very relax to make the students happy, no pressure, a lot of play, study less, learn more. And all will graduate with a certificates issued from the respective schools, with straight As. No need to take PSLE, no need to take O or A level examinations. Just take inhouse examinations and be awarded with inhouse certificates from Singapore’s top schools.
One caveat, there is no guarantee if universities or polytechnics would accept these certificates, or if employers would want to employ such happy and stress free graduates. For those who don’t have to work for a living, this is the best school system for them. Happy happy and no need to be stressed out, a lot of free time to enjoy life, no homeworks and guaranteed good grades.
Hope the ministers in education would adopt this novel and marvelous education system of Special Schools.
Russian Collusion & Meddling @ FIFA2018
Russian
Collusion & Meddling @ FIFA2018
By MIKOspace
It was a historic and memorable
Sunday. On 17 June 2018, the world
witnessed France’s 4-2 win over Croatia in the FIFA World Cup Final in Moscow;
marking the second time in 20 years that France won the World Cup. An early 18th minute own-goal by
Croatian star player Mario Mandzukic
set the stage for a new generation of French soccer players in Kylian Mbappe,
Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba to steal the hearts of everyone with their spectacular
footwork and 3 more goals in the newly renovated Luzhniki Stadium, the largest
stadium in Russia and Eastern Europe as well as the 8th largest in
Europe. Mario redeemed himself before
full-time by scoring the last goal of the night to add to his team-mate Ivan
Perisic’s goal in the first half. French
President Emmanuel Macron, sitting with Russian
President Vladimir Putin at the VIP Section, was photographed leaping in
jubilant joy when the final whistle blew.
As celebrations exploded in Paris’
Champs-Elysee Avenue as well as in the Croatian Bana Jelacica Square at the
centre of Zagreb, none of their passionate and enthusiastic supporters knew
about the gathering storm coming from the greatest football and FIFA scandal of
all times!
Did the French collude with the Russians to win the 2018
FIFA World Cup?
And did the Russians meddle in the
fixtures, logistics, play books and conduct of the 64 matches or in any other
manner or shape to assure France of her long-awaited historic victory?
Days before the Opening Ceremony on 14
June 2018, FIFA had received an 18-page complaint consisting, among other
documents, sworn affidavits detailing meetings and emails between certain
senior French and Russian politicians, as well as FIFA and national sports
officials concerning the outcome of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Since they contained no specific direct evidence
of any kind relating to the 2018 World Cup, FIFA alerted Interpol who then
authorized secret surveillance as well as wire-tapping, emails and mobile communications
monitoring of the Russian and French officials named in the complaint and
affidavits, together with several unnamed others whom they were in contact with. In an unusual departure from protocol,
Interpol did not inform either the French or Russian enforcement authorities of
the open criminal investigations.
The investigators studied the Moscow World
Cup schedule and fixture which was announced by FIFA on 1 December 2017. Prima facie, the 2018 World Cup fixture was
not particularly unusual. On hindsight,
one is drawn to the fact that Russia (Group A), France (Group C) and Croatia
(Group D) are in separate Groupings.
However, in the actual match fixture, France would meet EITHER Russia or
Croatia as the latter progress (successfully) in their respective games.
Croatia beat Russia 4-3 on penalty
kicks on 7 July 2018, after a 2-2 draw that included goals by both sides in the
30 minutes of extra time. Croatia thus
created her own path to meet France (after beating Belgium) in the Cup Finale. Did Russia deliberately let Croatia win? Russian interference and collusion would of
course be too obvious if she were to meet France and resulted in a French
victory.
In any case, the Croatian Team was
not getting any easy co-operation from the Russian hosts at their training base
at the St Petersburg’s Lesnaya Rapsodiya Resort on the shores of Bolshoye
Semaginskoye Lake, Leningrad Region, which has a modern stadium built specially
for the 2018 World Cup. The Croatian
Team was personally supervised by a senior FSB Officer. The FSB is Russia’s principal national
security agency and the successor to the former KGB.
The Croatian Team had requested for
30 bicycles for their training, but was disallowed. They were instead directed to the exclusive
use of the 25-meter long panoramic swimming pool and the gym room. According to the Report, the Croatians were
extremely agitated and anxious by the refusal.
Was this a Russian ploy calculated to unbalance the Croatian players in
order to impact their World Cup game, especially in the Final against the
French? Further investigations are
certainly needed.
Compared to the Croatian Team, the French
Team stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, New Rifa, located at a tranquil location
in the beautiful forested area of Moscow Oblast. It offers a peaceful oasis in the countryside
with easy access to Moscow city center and all of Moscow’s airports via the New
Riga highway.
The French victory was an unexpected
surprise to most soccer buffs, but not to the Interpol investigators. By the end of the Final Game on 17 June 2018,
the French victory answered many questions which they had developed during the
investigations and incidental indirect questioning of several hundred people,
among whom were several unsuspecting persons of interest.
In the evening of 17 June 2018 into
the night and the next day, before departure of the various team, Interpol also
secured the active co-operation of Russian enforcement authorities as well as
the British Scotland Yard after a quick briefing of their investigations status. An Interpol Team also headed to Zagreb ahead
of the returning Croatian Team to continue the investigations in Croatia. Another Interpol Team similarly headed to
Paris. All players, and particularly the
goal-scorers, are expected to be vigorously questioned by Interpol and FIFA
officials.
One can expect Croatian player Mario
Mandzukic to be questioned in
details, together with the match video, on his own-goal which gave France her
early lead in the Final Game.
Mario has already signed a US$9million
book deal with a French publisher for a “tell-all” book on how Croatia got into,
and lost, the FIFA2018 World Cup Finals, which would be titled “What Happened”.
In “What Happened”, Mario promised to
lay out how the 2018 World Cup was marked by an unprecedented assault on his
beloved soccer game by foreign adversarial forces. He would analyse the
evidence of Russian collusion and meddling by connecting the dots to show just
how dangerous the forces are that shaped the final outcome of FIFA2018 World Cup,
and why all soccer lovers need to understand them to protect the integrity of the
game in the future.
By midnight, Interpol had managed to
seize and uploaded the messages and social media accounts from the mobile
phones, and obtained the email accounts, of all the players and officials of
the Russian, French and Croatian Teams.
The British Scotland Yard
investigators also wanted to know of any unusual interference which resulted in
England’s devastating 2-1 defeat by a less experienced Croatian Team in the
Semi-Finals. The demoralized English
Team subsequently lost their will to prevail against a better Belgium Team to
lose 2-0 and be denied even the 3rd position. And Belgium’s odd to win the World Cup was
12-1 compared to England’s 20-1.
Interestingly, there were some
“love-bird” chats between several pairs of Croatian and French players, and
Russian-French officials. Consistent
references to Russian sources regarding “France will win” and “Croatia would
lose” appeared frequently and alarming enough to pursue these conversations
further. There was also a reference to
some kind of “insurance policy” to guarantee a French FIFA2018 victory.
What is the alleged “insurance policy” to guarantee a
French victory?
This had led investigators to examine
the FIFA drug tests protocols and actual practice in the 2018 Games. Extra urine samples were taken from all the
other Teams in the Finals. Drug
retesting was also ordered, again, after the end of the Final whistle, and
samples taken in the respective Teams’ locker rooms.
Investigators wondered whether
“positive” drug test results would be used to discredit a Croatian cup victory,
so as to assure a French victory no matter whatever the outcome may be. If true, this would never be known.
It was rumored that the Russians had a video showing the Croatian Team partying wildly with Russian
prostitutes, showing sex orgies as well as the players being urinating upon by
the prostitutes. Together with “fake”
drug test results, the video would also discredit any Finals victory by the
Croatians, which would hand the FIFA Cup to France. Is this also part of the “insurance policy”
to guarantee a French victory?
Again, the investigators wanted to
know whether and how the France-Australia match could have been interfered with
to produce a French victory which led her eventually to the Finals to meet
Croatia.
The key unknown questions to be unraveled by the
investigators relate to motives. Why do
the Russians want France to win the FIFA World Cup 2018?
I think the answer is energy. Russia
is rich in energy resources. Russia has the world’s largest known natural gas
reserves, with the second largest coal reserves, and has the world’s 8th
largest oil reserves. In contrast, France
derives about 75% of its electricity from nuclear energy, due to her policy on
energy security. This share is likely to be reduced to 50% by 2025. Currently, France is the world's largest net
exporter of electricity due to very low cost of generation, and receives over 3
billion Euros annually.
Russian strategic desire is a
pipeline through France and Spain to the Atlantic and the Northern Mediterranean. Most of Europe is dependent on Russia for
energy already, especially Germany, except the United Kingdom (UK), France and
Spain. Post-Brexit, Russia expects UK to
be hungry for energy since her power imports from Europe has increased by 52% over
the past 3 years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and French
President Emmanuel Macron met for the first time on 30 May 2017. At that time, President Macron had chastised
Russian media and parties for attempting to meddle and interfere in the French
General Elections. They met again on the
24 May 2018, this time discussing Russian-European relations, the Iran nuclear
deal as well as Ukraine and trade issues.
By their 2nd meeting, they
have discovered substantial areas of strong mutual interest in power and
energy. They agreed for French energy
giant Total to take a 10% stake in a Russian Novatek-led Arctic LNG-2 project which would produce
liquefied natural gas from beneath the Artic ice-cap. Through Total, France now partners with the
world 2nd largest natural gas producer, Russia, after the USA.
At the same time, Russia’s Rosatom,
the supplier of uranium enrichment services and owns 20% of US uranium through
UraniumOne, have also strengthened its client partnership with French companies
Electricite de France (EDF), Schneider Electric, Assystem and others, for joint
nuclear power plant projects in 3rd countries. Russia nuclear energy deals with Egypt
already exceed US$60 billion.
Without any doubt, France’s FIFA 2018
World Cup victory has both short and long-term priceless value to President
Emmanual Macron in political, social and economic terms. This fact is not lost on President Vladimir
Putin. Perhaps, and maybe, the FSB also has
“something” on Macron, as they seem to have on other world leaders, so as to
guarantee Macron’s continuous co-operation?
The investigations into Russian collusion
and meddling will continue until the next FIFA 2022. This could very well be a political
“witch-hunt” where nothing really matters would be found. Would FIFA2018 World Cup Champion France be
disqualified as a result of the investigations, a first in FIFA history?! Imagine FIFA Qatar 2022 World Cup without
France?
BTW, isn’t Qatar also the world
largest producer of LNG (Liquefied nitrogen gas)? Just coincidence? Maybe.
Time will tell.
Also
on LinkedIn
here
7/19/2018
Trump is destroying all the white lies the daft were made to believe in
The white Europeans/Americans may want to continue to perpetuate their
century old white lies in demonizing Communism, Russia, China, Iran,
North Korea and countries that they deemed as their enemies. They have
been concocting all kinds of myths and lies to brand these countries as
evil and bad with their fake news often brandishing as intelligence
reports, supported by ‘facts’ and their ‘truths’ from their subversive
intelligence organisations. While many of their fake news have been
exposed, like the WMD myth that they used to justify the invasion and
murder of Saddam Hussein and Iraqis and the imprisonment of many so
called terrorists in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, when the real terrorists
were the Americans and their allies, many still stupidly believe and
insist that the white lies were not lies and refuse to want to think
about them.
And here is Donald Trump, a very brave man that stood up to tell the Americans that they have been duped all these years by their very own people, people in govt, in the intelligence services, their politicians, fabricating several sets of lies and myths about other countries and people. The fabrication of white lies is a daily affair to make Americans believe what the evil schemers want them to believe in, like the spate of poisoning incidents in UK blaming the Russians for it , or North Korea is a country suffering from abject poverty ruled by a mad man.
The evil and wicked people in Washington and in various centres of power are shocked to this revelation by Trump. They are in a rage, rose in unison to condemn Trump for telling the truth, for exposing their lies, in this case about Russia meddling in the US Presidential Election. Trump said the accusations were all lies, Russia did not do it, no reason to do it. Practically everyone in Washington that were involved in the fabrication of white lies was incensed, the intelligence chiefs, past and present, were as guilty as the devil, the white supremacist John McCain, etc etc were up in arms against Trump. How can Trump be allowed to destroy their carefully crafted and fabricated lies for so many decades? They have to destroy the messenger of God in Trump in order to perpetuate their white lies about the countries they have framed as bad, to continue to lie to the Americans and the rest of the world?
All the lies and deceits were based on a simple strategy of creating enemies and demons to be attacked, as scapegoats, to serve the American hegemony and Empire. Following are some of the comments from the evil men in Washington and centres of power.
Trump was denounced as ‘disgraceful, cowardly, shameful, weak and treasonous’. According to McCain, ‘The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naivete, egotism, false equivalence and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant.’ Democrat Jimmy Gomez, ‘To side with Putin over US intelligence is disgusting; to fail to defend the US is on the verge of treason.’ ….
Alright, the Americans have good reasons to be angry with Trump for telling the truth and destroying the myth and lies they have built over decades and centuries to deceive the ordinary Americans and the rest of the world, all for the interest of the American Empire. Would the rest of the world finally wake up, remove their blinkers and look at the evil Empire and question the lies and myths they created and made them to believe in? The Americans have planted the idea of Communism bad, Russians bad, Chinese bad, North Koreans, Iranians bad…. And the unthinking just accepted these as the gospel truth without questioning that the really bad and evil ones are the Americans lying to them.
Trump may be accused by the Americans as a traitor. But he is a truth bearer. Such rare men appeared once in a while, yes a disruptor of the finely crafted American narrative built on lies, to bring down a house of cards. Trump is standing up to all the evil men in Washington to call them liars. Trump will bring down the American Empire and the wicked men and women to their knees. Many believe Trump is Godsend to destroy the evil American Empire. And he is doing it systematically without missing a beat. Trump is unstoppable. The messenger of God is unstoppable.
And here is Donald Trump, a very brave man that stood up to tell the Americans that they have been duped all these years by their very own people, people in govt, in the intelligence services, their politicians, fabricating several sets of lies and myths about other countries and people. The fabrication of white lies is a daily affair to make Americans believe what the evil schemers want them to believe in, like the spate of poisoning incidents in UK blaming the Russians for it , or North Korea is a country suffering from abject poverty ruled by a mad man.
The evil and wicked people in Washington and in various centres of power are shocked to this revelation by Trump. They are in a rage, rose in unison to condemn Trump for telling the truth, for exposing their lies, in this case about Russia meddling in the US Presidential Election. Trump said the accusations were all lies, Russia did not do it, no reason to do it. Practically everyone in Washington that were involved in the fabrication of white lies was incensed, the intelligence chiefs, past and present, were as guilty as the devil, the white supremacist John McCain, etc etc were up in arms against Trump. How can Trump be allowed to destroy their carefully crafted and fabricated lies for so many decades? They have to destroy the messenger of God in Trump in order to perpetuate their white lies about the countries they have framed as bad, to continue to lie to the Americans and the rest of the world?
All the lies and deceits were based on a simple strategy of creating enemies and demons to be attacked, as scapegoats, to serve the American hegemony and Empire. Following are some of the comments from the evil men in Washington and centres of power.
Trump was denounced as ‘disgraceful, cowardly, shameful, weak and treasonous’. According to McCain, ‘The damage inflicted by President Trump’s naivete, egotism, false equivalence and sympathy for autocrats is difficult to calculate. No prior president has ever abased himself more abjectly before a tyrant.’ Democrat Jimmy Gomez, ‘To side with Putin over US intelligence is disgusting; to fail to defend the US is on the verge of treason.’ ….
Alright, the Americans have good reasons to be angry with Trump for telling the truth and destroying the myth and lies they have built over decades and centuries to deceive the ordinary Americans and the rest of the world, all for the interest of the American Empire. Would the rest of the world finally wake up, remove their blinkers and look at the evil Empire and question the lies and myths they created and made them to believe in? The Americans have planted the idea of Communism bad, Russians bad, Chinese bad, North Koreans, Iranians bad…. And the unthinking just accepted these as the gospel truth without questioning that the really bad and evil ones are the Americans lying to them.
Trump may be accused by the Americans as a traitor. But he is a truth bearer. Such rare men appeared once in a while, yes a disruptor of the finely crafted American narrative built on lies, to bring down a house of cards. Trump is standing up to all the evil men in Washington to call them liars. Trump will bring down the American Empire and the wicked men and women to their knees. Many believe Trump is Godsend to destroy the evil American Empire. And he is doing it systematically without missing a beat. Trump is unstoppable. The messenger of God is unstoppable.
7/18/2018
Water falling from the sky is free
It is sinful to charge water that falls freely from the sky a high
price. Ok, all your eyeballs are rolling. Seriously, human beans have
been enjoying free water from the sky for ages. Things only change when
crooks took over and decided to charge the people for water falling from
the sky. God’s or heaven’s water, provided by God and heaven, evil man
profited from it.
To be fair, the amount of labour and value add to produce drinkable water, not shit water, should be compensated accordingly. But the price of water should still be proportionate to the labour and capital added. Only evil men can twist and turn to raise the price of water exorbitantly by their whimsical white lies. Water must be priced high to teach people the value of water. Fuck you. Water must be priced high to prevent wastage. Fuck you. Tell that to God and heaven for letting water fall freely from the sky everywhere and going to waste. God is wasteful? Water is a blessing and gift of God or Nature.
God or heaven, you cannot anyhow waste water by pouring them in the river and into the sea. You should pour the water into the reservoirs for the people to use, and have enough holes to keep the water. If not YOU must be punished for wasting water.
And please, there is one thing YOU should do, punish the profiteers and gangsters for charging people exorbitant price for the free water you provide for the human beans by using their lies and fake reasons.
To be fair, the amount of labour and value add to produce drinkable water, not shit water, should be compensated accordingly. But the price of water should still be proportionate to the labour and capital added. Only evil men can twist and turn to raise the price of water exorbitantly by their whimsical white lies. Water must be priced high to teach people the value of water. Fuck you. Water must be priced high to prevent wastage. Fuck you. Tell that to God and heaven for letting water fall freely from the sky everywhere and going to waste. God is wasteful? Water is a blessing and gift of God or Nature.
God or heaven, you cannot anyhow waste water by pouring them in the river and into the sea. You should pour the water into the reservoirs for the people to use, and have enough holes to keep the water. If not YOU must be punished for wasting water.
And please, there is one thing YOU should do, punish the profiteers and gangsters for charging people exorbitant price for the free water you provide for the human beans by using their lies and fake reasons.
7/17/2018
Govt committed to lowering cost of living
“Prices of goods and service in Singapore may be rising at a slower
pace, but Singaporeans still feel the squeeze, convinced the cost of
living is rising faster.”
What is this statement in thenewpaper trying to say? Prices rising at slower pace so no rising cost of living but Singaporeans, not locals, think cost of living is rising faster and this is not true. Why, because the govt are doing so many things to ease the rising cost of living, like more taxes, higher fees, etc, all working towards lowering the cost of living.
You don’t believe these would work? You forgot that increasing GST is to help the poor? Sugar taxes to reduce diabetes? 30% increase in price of water to reduce usage of water and to teach people the importance of water that falls down from the sky, free? More foreigners are here to provide jobs, good jobs for Singaporeans? And the infamous million dollar ministerial salary to prevent corruption? All these are uniquely Singaporean way to solve our unique problems by our super talented ministers.
And sure they work. Listen to this comment by Chan Chun Sing. “People’s aspirations, and their ability to fulfil them, can also affect their perception of the issue.” Huh, what’s that? Oh, if you have million dollar salary, your perception of rising cost of living would be different from those trying to make ends meet. This one I also know.
And MP Liang Eng Hwa got the gumption to ask if the cost of living has significantly increased. My answer is a definite NO. And I thank Chan Chun Sing for agreeing with me. He said, “But looking at absolute measures, overall inflation in Singapore has, in fact, declined between 2012 and last year, compared with the five year period before it.” See, I am right, inflation is in decline, though still going up and the govt is helping the people to stretch their hard earned dollar.
Personally I know my kopi has gone up from 90c to $1.10, train fares have also gone up, the food in hawker centres also up. No I cannot afford $6 kopi or $10 lunch. So my perception of rising inflation is not true, because I am trying to stretch my dollar to get me as much as I could get.
There is no rising cost of living in Singapore despite our honour of being the most expensive city in the world. This is only a matter of perception. If you are earning million dollar salary, what inflation? And if you know how to stretch your dollar like buying the cheapest things available, eating less, where got inflation? And don’t take public transport if you cannot afford it, try bicycle or walking and you can be richer by saving a few dollars or a few cents.
See, Singapore is a cheap place to live, even if it is the most expensive place in the world. The govt is doing all it could to lower the cost of living and inflation by raising more taxes, hiking more fees and charges. All these are to reduce inflation and cost of living for sure.
Trust me.
What is this statement in thenewpaper trying to say? Prices rising at slower pace so no rising cost of living but Singaporeans, not locals, think cost of living is rising faster and this is not true. Why, because the govt are doing so many things to ease the rising cost of living, like more taxes, higher fees, etc, all working towards lowering the cost of living.
You don’t believe these would work? You forgot that increasing GST is to help the poor? Sugar taxes to reduce diabetes? 30% increase in price of water to reduce usage of water and to teach people the importance of water that falls down from the sky, free? More foreigners are here to provide jobs, good jobs for Singaporeans? And the infamous million dollar ministerial salary to prevent corruption? All these are uniquely Singaporean way to solve our unique problems by our super talented ministers.
And sure they work. Listen to this comment by Chan Chun Sing. “People’s aspirations, and their ability to fulfil them, can also affect their perception of the issue.” Huh, what’s that? Oh, if you have million dollar salary, your perception of rising cost of living would be different from those trying to make ends meet. This one I also know.
And MP Liang Eng Hwa got the gumption to ask if the cost of living has significantly increased. My answer is a definite NO. And I thank Chan Chun Sing for agreeing with me. He said, “But looking at absolute measures, overall inflation in Singapore has, in fact, declined between 2012 and last year, compared with the five year period before it.” See, I am right, inflation is in decline, though still going up and the govt is helping the people to stretch their hard earned dollar.
Personally I know my kopi has gone up from 90c to $1.10, train fares have also gone up, the food in hawker centres also up. No I cannot afford $6 kopi or $10 lunch. So my perception of rising inflation is not true, because I am trying to stretch my dollar to get me as much as I could get.
There is no rising cost of living in Singapore despite our honour of being the most expensive city in the world. This is only a matter of perception. If you are earning million dollar salary, what inflation? And if you know how to stretch your dollar like buying the cheapest things available, eating less, where got inflation? And don’t take public transport if you cannot afford it, try bicycle or walking and you can be richer by saving a few dollars or a few cents.
See, Singapore is a cheap place to live, even if it is the most expensive place in the world. The govt is doing all it could to lower the cost of living and inflation by raising more taxes, hiking more fees and charges. All these are to reduce inflation and cost of living for sure.
Trust me.
7/16/2018
How much is a worker paid versus how much he has to pay to live
"A family getting by on $117,400 (£87,970) in one US city can now be considered ‘low income’, according to government figures. How can that be the case?
That workers with six-figure salaries could be considered “poor” is something that might surprise many people.
But taking into account income and housing costs that is the reality for some families – who may be eligible for housing assistance – according to a recent report from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
In San Francisco and nearby San Mateo and Marin Counties it said $117,400 for a family of four was “low income”, while $73,300 (£54,900) was “very low income” – the highest figures anywhere in the country.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44725026"
The above statement was posted by Cynical Investor to explain the relative income and purchasing power of money. Everything is relative and the numbers are deceiving. We have recently heard Koh Poh Koon lamenting that the productivity of our workers was below the wages they were being paid, ie, our workers are overpaid. So how? He is saying that the wages or our workers are too high, overpaid, so it is necessary to cut down the wages of our workers to be competitive.This is a very simplistic view of the relationship between wages and productivity. An approach we called single factor analysis, picking on one or two isolated factors to prove a point but really is misinformation or disinformation. The wages of workers are not just measured on productivity alone though productivity is an important factor.
The workers need to live and get on with his life in a given set of parameters in the society or country he lives. He needs to pay for housing, food, clothing, bringing up children, medicare and all the social needs that cost money. This is why there is a term called basic wages that is linked to the cost of living of a country. How much does a person needs just to afford the basic needs of his environment to get by.
Singapore has priced itself to be one of the most expensive city in the world. Some jokers think this is a great achievement and recklessly increasing the cost of living with higher and higher taxes and fees to be on top of the world for the wrong reason. They did not care simply because they are being paid in the millions and would not be affected by the higher cost of living. But for the workers every cent counts and any increases would eat into his already thin wage and would likely to mean he has to give up on things that he no longer has the extra dollar to pay for. They have to cut ends and eat less or live on less.
Does the govt ever consider how much a family needs to live in this most expensive city in the world when the value of money is getting smaller by the day? Before any joker starts to even think of wage cuts, he should be very clear in his mind what is the minimum wage needed to get by in this expensive city. Oh, what expensive, $1,000 wage can buy HDB flats. Oh ya?
In countries like China or India, when cost of living are very low, they could pay their workers low wages but still enough to live comfortably. With the big difference in exchange rates, the workers of these countries would be paid really very little relative to our workers and thus become very competitive relative to their productivity. Would the jokers conveniently say our workers should also be paid the same wage as these workers to be competitive?
The above examples of the income of American workers are obvious and easy to understand even to the dull. The paper value of income must be read in the context of the cost of living of the country. Singapore has prices itself out of competition by its silly and irresponsible policies that ended up in very high cost of living and going higher by the day. And the jokers think that this is sustainable as long as we reduce the wages of our workers to be competitive.
It is very easy to make arguments in a vacuum or use single factor anal-lysis. Just keep farting. Yes the wages are high relative to the wages of developing countries. But our wages are low, some near poverty level, relative to our high cost of living.
So, what is your answer? Raise more taxes, more rentals, higher property prices, higher fees, higher train and bus fairs, build more monuments and charged to the people?
7/15/2018
China is making everyone richer
Thanks to the industrious Chinese workers, they are making everyone
richer by producing goods that are not only affordable, but very cheap.
The goods and products produced and made in China are now made available
not only to the Chinese people but to the rest of the world, the
working and middle classes in the developed countries and the lower
classes in the developing world.
Many of the poorer people would not be able to buy or afford to buy the goods that made life more convenient if the Chinese did not make them and sell them at a price they could afford. Think of the hundreds of millions of mobile phones, good quality phones, being sold in India and China and Africa, Asia and the rest of the world. The names like Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo are household names all over the world. How could these people afford to pay a thousand US dollar or more for just a mobile phone? The Chinese are selling them for a fraction of that sum and hundreds of millions of people in the developing world are now proud owners of mobile phones to enjoy and benefit of the advances in science and technology.
The Chinese have made goods cheaper or in a way make money bigger, or purchasing power greater for the same monetary value. The American and European middle class and lower class would now be able to buy more luxury goods made by China that they would otherwise not be able to afford. This is applicable to everywhere in the world. The Chinese people could afford reasonably priced cars, cars costing a fraction of those made in Europe and the USA. Computers, laptops, notepads, are practically all made in China and made available to the rest of the world at a price that is really affordable even to children of developing countries.
At the country level, China not only helped to built infrastructures for many countries, China helped to send their satellites to space, high speed trains, even military hardware for a song. Without China they would have to pay for American prices and in American dollars for the same goods. Would Malaysia be able to even consider building the major ports and high speed trains at Japanese or European prices?
China is helping the rest of the world to stretch their dollars, make their money bigger and not be fleeced by the Americans and the West, dictating their prices and terms of trades with steel chains attached. It is a new freedom for the rest of the world, for the poorer nations of the world, to have the things they want at a price they could afford.
China and Chinese workers are benefitting the world with their productivity at a fraction of the cost of the Americans and the West. More will come from China in electric cars, solar energy panels, windmills to tap cheaper sources of energy. This is only the beginning of China changing the world, to make the world a better and more peaceful place to live.
Many of the poorer people would not be able to buy or afford to buy the goods that made life more convenient if the Chinese did not make them and sell them at a price they could afford. Think of the hundreds of millions of mobile phones, good quality phones, being sold in India and China and Africa, Asia and the rest of the world. The names like Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo are household names all over the world. How could these people afford to pay a thousand US dollar or more for just a mobile phone? The Chinese are selling them for a fraction of that sum and hundreds of millions of people in the developing world are now proud owners of mobile phones to enjoy and benefit of the advances in science and technology.
The Chinese have made goods cheaper or in a way make money bigger, or purchasing power greater for the same monetary value. The American and European middle class and lower class would now be able to buy more luxury goods made by China that they would otherwise not be able to afford. This is applicable to everywhere in the world. The Chinese people could afford reasonably priced cars, cars costing a fraction of those made in Europe and the USA. Computers, laptops, notepads, are practically all made in China and made available to the rest of the world at a price that is really affordable even to children of developing countries.
At the country level, China not only helped to built infrastructures for many countries, China helped to send their satellites to space, high speed trains, even military hardware for a song. Without China they would have to pay for American prices and in American dollars for the same goods. Would Malaysia be able to even consider building the major ports and high speed trains at Japanese or European prices?
China is helping the rest of the world to stretch their dollars, make their money bigger and not be fleeced by the Americans and the West, dictating their prices and terms of trades with steel chains attached. It is a new freedom for the rest of the world, for the poorer nations of the world, to have the things they want at a price they could afford.
China and Chinese workers are benefitting the world with their productivity at a fraction of the cost of the Americans and the West. More will come from China in electric cars, solar energy panels, windmills to tap cheaper sources of energy. This is only the beginning of China changing the world, to make the world a better and more peaceful place to live.
7/14/2018
Singapore wages too high and businesses may close down
Thestatestimesreview wrote this, “Senior Minister for Trade and Industry
Koh Poh Koon complained in Parliament yesterday (July 11) that
Singaporeans’ wages are too high and unsustainable. Referencing to the
productivity growth, the S$1.1 million-a-year PAP minister threatened
that businesses will downsize or shut down if wages continue to rise….In
Singapore, manual labour jobs like cleaners earn as little S$900 a
month after CPF deduction. At about S$5 an hour, this is a quarter of
the S$20 minimum wage in Australia. Foreign workers from third world
countries like Bangladesh earn much lower, taking home about S$600 a
month.”
Unbelieveable! A drunk would never admit that he is drunk or would not know that he is drunk. A glutton would never see himself as a glutton. Or Napoleon and his fellow pigs would not know that they were cheating the people and feeding themselves crazy on the people’s labour and contribution.
Singaporean wages high? What nonsense! A $1,000 wage in Singapore is bordering on the poverty line. A $1,000 wage in third world country is middle class. A cleaner with $900 wage is barely surviving. What is high or low is relative. You can't be so simple minded to just compare monetary value without looking at the real value of money in purchasing power.
This is the same farce that the Americans are groaning about. They are demanding that China pays its workers the same wage as the American workers. They refused to acknowledge the differences in cost of living, purchasing power and lifestyle. A Chinese worker earning $1,000 is very comfortable as prices of essential items are relatively cheap. An American worker cannot live with a $1,000 wage as not only things are relatively more expensive, but an American worker would want his medium rare steak and his cabernet sauvignon as part of his daily meal. The Chinese worker would be happy with his noodle or rice with a few shreds of meat or fish.
Wages are high in Singapore not at the bottom but at the top. The multi million dollar salaries of ministers and politicians, top civil servants and CEOs of GLCs are not sustainable. Just imagine how many commuters must take the train or bus before the train/bus company makes $1m. At $1 a trip, it means 1m trips just to pay the joker his 1m salary. And if you have 20 jokers with an average salary of $1m it means 20m trips just to pay their salaries.
The sickness of our economy is not the wages of the workers but the salary of those at the top. Do they contribute enough to earn the millions that are paid to them other than talking nonsense? The salary of a million dollar top man or politician could pay for a thousand workers. This is the real problem of unsustainability and irresponsible remuneration system.
Yes, it is very high at the top and very unsustainable. Stop spewing nonsense and everyday scheming to reduce the wages of the workers and stealing their savings in their CPF.
The only way to solve the Singapore unsustainable high salary problem is lightning strike.
PS. How are Singaporeans going to survive in this most expensive city in the world if their wages are to be the same as Malaysians, Indonesians, Pinoys, or Indians?
Unbelieveable! A drunk would never admit that he is drunk or would not know that he is drunk. A glutton would never see himself as a glutton. Or Napoleon and his fellow pigs would not know that they were cheating the people and feeding themselves crazy on the people’s labour and contribution.
Singaporean wages high? What nonsense! A $1,000 wage in Singapore is bordering on the poverty line. A $1,000 wage in third world country is middle class. A cleaner with $900 wage is barely surviving. What is high or low is relative. You can't be so simple minded to just compare monetary value without looking at the real value of money in purchasing power.
This is the same farce that the Americans are groaning about. They are demanding that China pays its workers the same wage as the American workers. They refused to acknowledge the differences in cost of living, purchasing power and lifestyle. A Chinese worker earning $1,000 is very comfortable as prices of essential items are relatively cheap. An American worker cannot live with a $1,000 wage as not only things are relatively more expensive, but an American worker would want his medium rare steak and his cabernet sauvignon as part of his daily meal. The Chinese worker would be happy with his noodle or rice with a few shreds of meat or fish.
Wages are high in Singapore not at the bottom but at the top. The multi million dollar salaries of ministers and politicians, top civil servants and CEOs of GLCs are not sustainable. Just imagine how many commuters must take the train or bus before the train/bus company makes $1m. At $1 a trip, it means 1m trips just to pay the joker his 1m salary. And if you have 20 jokers with an average salary of $1m it means 20m trips just to pay their salaries.
The sickness of our economy is not the wages of the workers but the salary of those at the top. Do they contribute enough to earn the millions that are paid to them other than talking nonsense? The salary of a million dollar top man or politician could pay for a thousand workers. This is the real problem of unsustainability and irresponsible remuneration system.
Yes, it is very high at the top and very unsustainable. Stop spewing nonsense and everyday scheming to reduce the wages of the workers and stealing their savings in their CPF.
The only way to solve the Singapore unsustainable high salary problem is lightning strike.
PS. How are Singaporeans going to survive in this most expensive city in the world if their wages are to be the same as Malaysians, Indonesians, Pinoys, or Indians?
7/13/2018
Dialectics on Education – idealism versus pragmatism, reality versus aspiration
Many pages of the media, many efforts and valuable manhours, and many
heads have been put together to untie the Gordian knot of the Singapore
education system. The reason for the change, the wanting to change,
comes not because the education is flaw, foul or ineffective, but
because of stress factor, because of the complaints by parents that
their children are unable to cope. What are the statistics on the
complaints, type of complaints, relevant or irrelevant, real or just
fear, are not given.
So a massive exercise has been taken, by the people that may not know much about education, by people that may not know much about what life and living is all about, by people who knows not but pretending or thinking they know a lot.
Here are some takeaways from the things said and printed in the media and the contradictions or fictions that have been generated. The most important point raised, and out of a sense of wanting to provide a child with an all round education, to be a knows all of everything but knowing nothing, is this, to develop a whole child, whatever that means. And the present wisdom, a future of uncertainties and it is better to develop a child that can cope with future changes. Let me quote Indranee, a lawyer, not an educationist, not a parent bringing up children. “We now put a lot more emphasis on developing the whole child – not just their academic achievements….The ability to learn, unlearn and relearn will be the key.” And this motherhood statement, ‘Book knowledge alone is not enough, and the change caused by technology and other disruptive factors means that learning, has to continue well into adult life.’
I have several questions. How many children require all round development? How many children needs to be educated in the arts and sciences to become a knows all? How useful is a child with a well rounded education that he can use all these knowledge in his job? How many children are capable, with the intellect, to acquire a full rounded education other than being superficial and ended up becoming a good for nothing? In the real world, when everyone needs to get a job to feed himself, other than the super rich, is a general all round education going to be more useful than a specific education with specific skills, but very narrow in nature?
Why are Singaporeans, especially the PMETs losing out in the job market, unemployable, because they did not have specific skills needed in the job market? Why are foreigners, who did not benefit from our super all round education, coming from very basic education system, are beating our super talented Singaporeans, with super grades, in the job market? Why are ministers saying that there is no need for university education, all one needs is a skill in demand?
Are there contradictions between idealism and reality, between aspirations and the hard truth in life? While talking about educating children to become more flexible and adaptable, would these compromise the children in acquiring specific skills in demand? Funny, if every child is going to become a superman that can do everything, a wholly developed person, are they not going to become one stereo typed, wholly developed person? Assuming of course every child is a genius by nature and could benefit from such a complex and varied education, and without stress.
I am not an educationist or expert in education. These are some of my thoughts as a layman, someone who has no deep knowledge about education and I do not pretend to know the answers to how a child should be educated to the best of his ability, his gifted or not gifted talent. A child is not the same as every other child, each with his own special talents and non talents. Should it not be to develop a child according to the best of his natural endowment and according to what society and the new world expects from him? Not what the parents want them to be?
It will be a different matter if every child is born a genius and a sports talent and is gifted to do and excel in everything.
From comments in Parliament and the direction they are pointing it appears that they are being mislead by a small group of noisy and vociferous parents dictating how the education should be like for their not too bright or even dull children to be admitted to the best schools, play and be happy, without any pressure, no need exams, learn more study less, and end up with super grades in the end. Such things can only happen in third world countries and degree mills.
The children come in all shapes and sizes and not everyone is a perfect circle. One way to push them through perfect circles is to enlarge the circles. But they would come out in their original shapes and sizes. The only method to turn odd shapes into perfect circles, or cast iron into steel is through the crucible of fire.
A buffet of schools
What Singapore needs is a tough minister to offer to the parents a buffet of schools, from happy schools to tough competitive schools, to specialized schools that would turn out children according to the demand of the schools and their specialization. Play schools would turn out playboys and playgirls. Rich parents can afford these playboys and playgirls as they grow up to party their whole lives without worries, without stress, without having to work for a day.
Those who want their children to be engineers, scientists, doctors, and the hard disciplines have no choice but to work for it. There is no other way to master these tough disciplines except through degree mills and pariah school systems in third world countries. Is that what we want?
Stop fooling around with our education system and the lives of our young. No pain no gain. Oops, maybe we have magicians in Parliament that could really produce an Einstein who is also a great artist, a great football player without having to work for it. Just pull him out from the hat and viola, you have your superman!
So a massive exercise has been taken, by the people that may not know much about education, by people that may not know much about what life and living is all about, by people who knows not but pretending or thinking they know a lot.
Here are some takeaways from the things said and printed in the media and the contradictions or fictions that have been generated. The most important point raised, and out of a sense of wanting to provide a child with an all round education, to be a knows all of everything but knowing nothing, is this, to develop a whole child, whatever that means. And the present wisdom, a future of uncertainties and it is better to develop a child that can cope with future changes. Let me quote Indranee, a lawyer, not an educationist, not a parent bringing up children. “We now put a lot more emphasis on developing the whole child – not just their academic achievements….The ability to learn, unlearn and relearn will be the key.” And this motherhood statement, ‘Book knowledge alone is not enough, and the change caused by technology and other disruptive factors means that learning, has to continue well into adult life.’
I have several questions. How many children require all round development? How many children needs to be educated in the arts and sciences to become a knows all? How useful is a child with a well rounded education that he can use all these knowledge in his job? How many children are capable, with the intellect, to acquire a full rounded education other than being superficial and ended up becoming a good for nothing? In the real world, when everyone needs to get a job to feed himself, other than the super rich, is a general all round education going to be more useful than a specific education with specific skills, but very narrow in nature?
Why are Singaporeans, especially the PMETs losing out in the job market, unemployable, because they did not have specific skills needed in the job market? Why are foreigners, who did not benefit from our super all round education, coming from very basic education system, are beating our super talented Singaporeans, with super grades, in the job market? Why are ministers saying that there is no need for university education, all one needs is a skill in demand?
Are there contradictions between idealism and reality, between aspirations and the hard truth in life? While talking about educating children to become more flexible and adaptable, would these compromise the children in acquiring specific skills in demand? Funny, if every child is going to become a superman that can do everything, a wholly developed person, are they not going to become one stereo typed, wholly developed person? Assuming of course every child is a genius by nature and could benefit from such a complex and varied education, and without stress.
I am not an educationist or expert in education. These are some of my thoughts as a layman, someone who has no deep knowledge about education and I do not pretend to know the answers to how a child should be educated to the best of his ability, his gifted or not gifted talent. A child is not the same as every other child, each with his own special talents and non talents. Should it not be to develop a child according to the best of his natural endowment and according to what society and the new world expects from him? Not what the parents want them to be?
It will be a different matter if every child is born a genius and a sports talent and is gifted to do and excel in everything.
From comments in Parliament and the direction they are pointing it appears that they are being mislead by a small group of noisy and vociferous parents dictating how the education should be like for their not too bright or even dull children to be admitted to the best schools, play and be happy, without any pressure, no need exams, learn more study less, and end up with super grades in the end. Such things can only happen in third world countries and degree mills.
The children come in all shapes and sizes and not everyone is a perfect circle. One way to push them through perfect circles is to enlarge the circles. But they would come out in their original shapes and sizes. The only method to turn odd shapes into perfect circles, or cast iron into steel is through the crucible of fire.
A buffet of schools
What Singapore needs is a tough minister to offer to the parents a buffet of schools, from happy schools to tough competitive schools, to specialized schools that would turn out children according to the demand of the schools and their specialization. Play schools would turn out playboys and playgirls. Rich parents can afford these playboys and playgirls as they grow up to party their whole lives without worries, without stress, without having to work for a day.
Those who want their children to be engineers, scientists, doctors, and the hard disciplines have no choice but to work for it. There is no other way to master these tough disciplines except through degree mills and pariah school systems in third world countries. Is that what we want?
Stop fooling around with our education system and the lives of our young. No pain no gain. Oops, maybe we have magicians in Parliament that could really produce an Einstein who is also a great artist, a great football player without having to work for it. Just pull him out from the hat and viola, you have your superman!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)