public transport - maximise profit or maximise use

The article by T Rajan in the Straits Times on public transport provides a lot of fruits for thoughts. First point is that public transport operators are not happy that at peak period the trains and buses are only 80% full. Imagine if they are 100% full. What a joke! Would those who expect a 100% full trains and buses be willing to ride on them as their preferred mode of transport? Is a world class transport meant to be that way? And hey, even with the under utilisation the profits are quite handsome and they shouldn't be complaining, should they? Another point is this obsession to push for a 70% usage of public transport. Why shouldn't the current 50% be a good way of life? If our road system is able to cope, isn't it desirable for a better quality of life for more people to be able to drive their own cars? In the future it can be a different issue when the roads are so congested because of our 8 million population dream. Then there is this issue of season passes. It was quoted that the common practice for season passes is to price it with a 50% discount. And for a yearly pass, the discount is even more. Now, how much discount is our $98 season pass? We need to develop a world class public transport with the objective of serving the commuters at the cheapest cost possible and not to maximise profits for the operators and at the discomfort of commuters. There was a comment in the article that people choose to take public transport because it is fast and efficient, and comfortable? I did not read this last word. But travelling in a world class public transport cannot be uncomfortable or be squeesed like packed sardines, that's for sure.

too many helping hands

The 'too many helping hands' syndrome raised by Denise Phua strikes a similar cord in me. With so many charities around, there is a misperception that a lot of good things were done to help the needy. I agree that many good things are being done. And also many unnecessary things are being done. And also many improper things are being done in the name of charities. But because charity is such a noble word, everyone with a little time would want to whip this charity horse as a past time. Everyone wants to start a charity, wants to raise fund for charity, wants to build hospitals, aged homes, dialysis centres and whatever in the name of charities. And the govt probably believe that with so many charitable organisations to help, it can let them share some or more of the load of helping the less fortunate. To have voluntary charitable organisations is a very good thing. it allows people who want to feel human an opportunity to show their generosity and shower love and compassion for the needy. But when charity becomes commercialised, it becomes so fake. If it goes on like what it is being pushed on TV media, soon it will become repulsive. A lot more work needs to be done to manage charitable organisations and the belief that more charitable organisations is good. Who knows, tomorrow undesirable characters may jump on the charity bandwagon to fill their own pockets. Maybe they are already doing so without being discovered.

parliament brief

The most impressive MP in Parliament yesterday must be this guy, shit, I can't even remember his name. Oh yes, Sam Tan. He has such a massive memory that he could remember things lucidly when he was about 5 or 6 years old. And political events and personalities too. I am very impressed. And Amy Khor suggested that the govt should start to study and understand the problems and mindsets of the needy so as to better understand them. Now isn't it about time. It is important to really understand why this people would not come forward to beg for charity and alms but to choose to jump. And there were calls to raise the minimum wages. Now that is a bit tricky I think. Can we really raise the wages for the lower level jobs when others can do it at half or less than half our asking price? I thought it would be easier to lower the cost of essential services and products. These are within our control. Make less profits or subsidise a little. No, I am not suggesting killing the goose that lays the golden egg. And to think that people are now rushing to grab at cleaner jobs. Now is that a good sign or bad sign? Is it because people are now so desperate or penniless that anything will do? I am not sure. I don't know their mindsets. But the best part is the bedroom antics. Now things are going to be more interesting between consenting couples behind close doors.

what bumiputra?

As the debate on bumiputra versus non bumiputra policies hots up and tension creeps in, the concept of bumiputra gets clearer. Johore UMNO is now criticising the concept of a Malaysian race. What they are concerned, according to Abdul Ghani, is that 'The concept is seen as a threat to the Malays and the special position provided for them in the Constitution.' To Abdul Ghani, the Malays must remain the "pivotal race". What is therefore important is not so much the bumiputras or sons of the soil. For bumiputras should also include the orang asli, the ibans, the dayaks, and other native people of Sabah and Sarawak. But they are not Malays and thus should not be part of the pivotal race.

goh meng seng, a little respectability

Goh Meng Seng resigned from Workers Party to take responsibility for the bad publicity he had caused to the party in the internet. It is sad that a new and young opposition party member that has some potential to make it big has to resign for this mess. Actually he should just make a sincere apology will do. I posted this episode here as this is the kind of quality needed from a responsible politician. Firstly when one made a serious mistake, it is only honourable to apologise, and if a really serious mistake, better to resign. The second point that I want to make is that politicians and politicking must be done with some integrity and respectability. Underhand tactics, character assassination, disrupting blogs and forums, making uncalled for remarks and abusing other forumers by planting people in disguise, are all thuggish behaviour and unacceptable. Let's hope that we have honourable people as politicians and political leaders. The respect and integrity of political office must be upheld at all times. And scums and scoundrels adopting tactics of gangsterism should not be allowed even in cyberspace. Whoever that are playing such games should quickly withdraw their members and refrain from such practices. First world country must have first world standard and practices, and behaviour whether in internet or in politics.

how old or when to get passionate?

Michael Palmer says, "Being the lawyer that I am, let me throw in a few qualifications at this point. I do not for one minute mean to compare goverment and the issues of our country with a pop concert. Nor do I suggest that we approach the two with the same mindset. But what I want to know is why are we not as passionate about the government of our country and our country as we are with things like our favourite rock or pop band or maybe even our favourite movie stars? Yes, the subjects of government and our country may be less entertaining but on the other hand they affect our lives much more fundamentally than a movie star or pop group would. So what is it that the latter has to inspire such passion? More importantly, how do we get that same passion to emerge when it comes to issues of government or your country?" I would like to ask Michael when he starts to be passionate about the governing of the country? How old is he when starts to be passionate about this?

our own hero!

Yes, the Time magazine has picked LKY as one of the 60 Asian heroes for the 20th Century. No one can deny that since he came into the world of politics and nation building he has achieved more than many world leaders. He has made his mark domestically and in the world stage. Fortunately Time did not include Annabel as a heroine among the 60 heroes.

intolerance of lesser beings

Intolerance of the lesser beings. Another case of a young female employer beating up the maid appeared in court today. Such acts of cruelty are now as common as brushing your teeth. You see it or hear about it almost everywhere when there is a conversation about maids. They are so slow, stupid, stubborn, unteachable and intolerable. Such specimens of lesser beings only deserve to be beaten or ironed or to be fed with human faeces. Are we going down the road to monstrosity? This trait of intolerance to the lesser beings, and the lack of humility, seems to permeate across our society. And if we are still not going to pull the brakes, we only have retribution at the end of the road. Survival of the fittest means the strongest have the right to feast on the weak. And when the mighty lion ages, it will be his turn to be eaten. Are we going to see stronger and harsher measures to be given to the violaters of basic human decency? The lesser beings may be slow, stupid or naughty, there is no reason to beat them or iron them or steam them. Just let them go. Send them back to where they come from.

teach the indons the fine thing

Now Indonesia is angry with Singapore for raising the haze problem at the UN. To the Indonesians, haze is a domestic problem. If only they can keep the haze under wrap an not share with their neighbours. Just like smoking is a personal habit, but don't exhale after inhaling as your neighbour will have to share the secondhand smoke with all its leftover nicotine plus your bad breath. (Where is matilah? Please don't tell him I say this.) And Indonesia claims that it has all the expertise which in this case they must have kept it and not telling the world. Lets hope they will use their expertise to stop the haze fast. They must have mustered the skill and concealing it all these years. So generous of the Indonesians. Like kungfu masters. Actually the easiest way is to borrow Singapore's fine formula and the Indonesian govt will be laughing to the bank. Just introduce a fine system and make the plantation owner pay and pay. For the small farmers, a smaller fine will do. Anyway their little fire would not have cause so much smoke. The small farmers are not that good at creating smoke screens.

myth 90

'China is the most corrupt nation' If we brand countries according to the number of cases of corruption and people brought to court as a guide, China is definitely the most corrupt country in the world. Next should be South Korea. And the rest of the world are relatively free from corruption. Singapore can be grouped together with Malaysia, Indonesia and even the USA as corruption free country. There is hardly anyone being brought to court for corruption. Even the NKF case, the legal fraternity also pronounced that there is no evidence for corruption. At worst it is mismanagement. And the few cases of corporate honchos being found guilty in court, these are commercial crimes, like the Enron case. Not corruption at all. In the case of Malaysia and Indonesia, better still. Where got corruption? Mahathir has challenged anyone to prove that there is corruption in Malaysia. So the world is a very clean and healthy place. Virtually corruption free.

Johore like New Territories of Hongkong?

If only Malaysia is serious, sign a 100 year agreement with Singapore (JTC/HDB) to develop and manage JB Singapore style but with full sovereignty remaining with Malaysia. Let the developers and infrastructure professionals to go in and develop JB into a twin city of Singapore, the same efficiency and security. The tricky part is the law enforcer. The Malaysian govt can be guaranteed of a larger and more vibrant JB with all the features of a metropolis within 20 years. A larger scale Singapore integrated into the smaller Singapore like Hongkong and the New territories. Do they have the will and the vision to want to see that happens?

oldies, you are wanted, in Oz.

Oldies wanted! Below is quoted from Soc.cul.spore. There is a way out for some oldies. The local paper quoted the WA police as saying that they are sending a recruiting team to Singapore. WA is extremely short of police officers. To make up for the difficulty of getting Aussie, they have recruited British bobbies. They now think that Singapore police officers who have to retire at 45 will make good cops in WA with their years of experience. The Singapore system value youth and vitality while the Australian system value experience and wisdom.

can johore become a metropolis?

To turn Johore into a metropolis is not just hardware, cheap land and money. They will need a host of other softwares to get it really moving. They can't one day say you are welcomed and tomorrow say you are not welcomed. They can't change the law today and backdate it 5 years to strip an investor of his properties and assets. They also need the whole govt machinery to tell the investors and vistors that they are welcomed. They cannot have civil servants, police or custom officers making life difficult to foreigners or irritating foreigners or preying to take advantage of foreigners. They cannot have a place that is so hostile to investors and visitors. Investors and visitors bring money to the land. They need to be very sure that they are safe and not be robbed by robbers and govt officers. The investors and visitors need to feel that they are welcomed and not seen as intruding into other people's land.

myth 89

'Have a pap smear at least every three years' Just read this in the paper this morning. Haven't we have enough of pap smears? Just kidding.

hand holding indonesia

My proposal to Indonesia on the haze problem. Divide Sumatra into 6 regions with Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore being responsible for two regions. Similarly Kalimantan be divided into 3 regions with Brunei taking one region and Malaysia taking two. And for each region appoint an Indonesian Mayor In Charge of Environment(MICE). And each MICE be supported by an adviser whose advise is to be followed. And when the MICE failed in his job, the Adviser shall report to Jakarta to have the MICE removed. I think that will work.

the poor had it.

The poor had it. The bulk of the commuters of public transport comes mainly from the less well to do Singaporeans. These are the people whom the govt takes great care to make sure public transport is affordable. And if there is any increase in transport fare, it will be done cautiously, and in small amounts like 2c or 3c. One can expect that the transport operators will also be sensitive to the fares that the commuters are paying and not to over charge them. But we are still hearing commuters being made to pay extra because of system failure or errors. The poorer segment of the society, often less articulate, also did not have a voice. Are there really people who represent them and their interest? Take this uncle for example. He seldom takes public transport. Then hopped onto a bus and asked the bus captain how much it cost to his destination. $1.30 came the reply. Uncle scratched his pocket for his $1.30. He only had 80c, and no ez link pass. The captain patiently waited for his fare to be deposited into the box. Uncle asked, 'got change?' as he took out his smallest $2 note. Captain grinned. Sorry no change, exact fare please. Uncle was caught not knowing what to do. And the queue behind him grew impatient. He reluctantly let his $2 dropped into the box for his $1.30 ride. And no change. Why is it that the poorer commuters should always be made to pay more for the convenience of the big transport operators? How many uncles and aunties have been forced to pay that much more for their rides? But they are to be blamed for not having the exact change. It is the system. The bus captain is also unable to waive the short changed. A modern and world class system has no tolerance for the ignorant and difficult to train poor. This is another brutal truth of a world class transport system. To be fair to the transport operators, they have given enough publicity on the need to have exact fare. Or else the computerised system cannot cope with all the change. They have educated the commuters and the commuters jolly well know what is expected of them. The poor commuters shall not make a nuisance of themselves.

how to kill the SJER?

Even before the ink dries, there are all kinds of distracting voices that could derail an aggressive and promising strategy to turn Johore into a metropolis. The Sultan is saying that foreigners are dirty. How is this going to be helpful to the SJER? Cut the causeway! Another ambivalent if not counter productive statement. Would investors and Singaporeans think that they will really be welcomed in Johore? But the most destructive statement on the SJER is to claim that Singapore will stand to benefit from it. And worst if someone claims that Singapore will gain more in the cooperation than Johore or Malaysia. The thought that Singapore will benefit from any project is like the tolling of the death bell. Whether it is real or imagery, once the Malaysians or some Malaysians heard that Singapore will benefit, susah lah, how can the deal go through? The easiest way to kill the SJER is just to crow how much Singapore will benefit from it. So whoever want to kill this project, just make sure that the Malaysians heard it loud and clear that Singapore is going to benefit from it. And to hasten its demise, just claim that Singapore will benefit more than the Malaysians.

the haze is back?

The haze got worse last night. This morning it appears to be getting bad. It seems that the Asean Ministerial Meeting is not bearing any fruit. Or is it that the ransom asked was not paid and the haze will not go away? Looks like the Asean neighbours would have to buy the Indonesians a satellite and build all the dams they want for the haze to go away.

we are not finished!

We are not finished! In many organisations, private or public, the young punks have taken over the reign. Many are in their 30s and 40s. Intelligent, dynamic and impatient to make their marks. Invariably the sight of the oldies are not so pleasant and grudgingly tolerated. The common comment is that they should be at home looking after their grandchildren and should not be in the office. And in the drawing boards, all kinds of plans are being crafted and to be put in place to get rid of the oldies. Some of the oldies are still as strong and healthy and have many good years to go. No matter. Once they pass the 50 mark, they are considered finished products. Time to disappear for their own good. While scheming to get rid of the oldies, they forgot that it is only a matter of time that they too fall into the same unpleasant category to be got rid off. Age is fair to all. Everyone must go through the ages. All the Papas must teach their young upstarts to show a bit of deferrence to the older specimens of human kind. And a great example to follow is Hsien Loong. He has kept two oldies as bouncing boards and as his resources, to provide the gaps that need to be filled in his thoughts and thinking process. The days of the oldies are not over. With better medical care, the oldies are going to be hopping around for another 20 or 30 years more. And if the oldies can master the computer and internet technology, they can make themselves very useful as these requires only their finger muscles and a lot of the knowledge that they have accumulated and stored over the years. The danger of a nation being run by kindergarten kids has been demonstrated over the last few weeks. In their little raw brilliance, they could destroy everything, their families and themselves.

myth 88

'Singapore has no talent for international acquisition' The names like Quek Leng Beng, Ooi Hong Leong, (this one think is a pr, or maybe citizen already), Ong Beng Seng, the late Khoo Teck Puat, Wee Cho Yaw, (he has a famous surname), the Royal brothers, Koh Boon Hui, Sim Wong Hoo etc, have been acquiring businesses all over the world, and some of them for many years. They may made some mistakes here and there but nothing earth shaking to raise any eyebrow. These are the seasoned and real mavericks who learned the ropes of doing business deals the hard way without the notes and textbook advises from an Ivy League University. And their records have proven that they are better international deal makers. They are consumate deal makers and will not end up in any rotten deals or paying a ransom for rubbish. The gratifying thing is that they are local talents. Why the need for foreign talents who came with a big basket to scoop and retire in their little paradise somewhere on earth?

no need passport

No need passport Singaporeans will be allowed to enter two selected areas in JB without the need for passports and can stay as long as they want. This is the latest announcement coming from Malaysia, and a very bold initiative that takes the competition right to the competitor’s doorstep. The Malaysians are serious to make SJER a success, and they mean business by pulling every plug possible. Such an act will be unheard off during the Mahathir govt when economics was playing second fiddle to politics. Now they are brave, aggressive, creative and business like, like Singaporeans in many ways. It would be interesting to see how Singapore reacts to this Malaysian announcement. It is like a bolt of lightning. It poses a lot of challenges and also offers a lot of opportunities. It is not only about economic cooperation and competition, it is also about the twinning or intertwining of social and economic relations between the two states. If things kick off with a good start when both sides see the benefits of closer cooperations, there will be tremendous improvement in inter state relations instead of biting rivalry. Other Malaysian states will soon follow with their own initiatives to develop economic links and cooperation with Singapore. And Johore, being a more convenient location relative to Batam and Bintang, will be a big draw for Singapore companies and Singaporeans. Even foreigners and foreign companies will stand to benefit with such a move. What if Singapore does not see this as a positive proposal and reacted with another ¾ thing or something cute but regressive? Any negative thoughts or rulings will be like slapping its own face. It will not only be bad for long term bilateral relations, it will destroy whatever goodwill that we have built for so long. And the Malaysians will gain all the initiative and support to lash out at Singapore for not walking the talk. We shall all hope that this Malaysian initiative will be the harbinger for better relations and cooperation. It is the kind of competitive strategy that Singapore should welcome and encourage, aggressive but rational business strategies devoid of politicking, emotions and sentiments.

myth 87

Myth 87 'A Singapore fiction' Saturday, October 28, 20062 hours that change me I didn’t know what to expect. It was my first time visiting a one-room HDB flat. I had agreed to help bring a few students to visit a few of these homes that the school had adopted as part of the CIP (Community Involvement Programme). This should be good, I thought. I wasn’t prepared for this. The walls were dotted with black splotches of what we were told were the droppings of bed bugs. We were warned not to remove our shoes, lean on the walls or sit on the floor. Mr Y sat on a stool and seemed nonchalant about the infestation in his home. The mattress he slept on bore testimony to the nightly battles he had to endure. The bed sheet was clouded with blood stains. Mr Y used to be a coolie who carried sacks of rice. The bachelor now lives alone in his decrepit rental flat, his emaciated body racked with sickness, the money he earned in his younger days long gone to feed his parents’ opium addiction many years ago. He gets $260 from the welfare agency every month, of which about $100 goes into paying his rent and utilities. The remainder he has to magically stretch to cover his food and medical costs. The bugs had spread from next door to a few flats on the 5th floor where Mr Y lived. You could see them flitting about on the wall, on the floor, among his clothes, even along the corridors. Nobody there could afford a professional pestbuster, and the town council wouldn’t do such favours anyway. So living with these parasites has become a fact of life. Residents living on the other floors talked about the 5th floor as if it was Purgatory and it didn’t seem an inappropriate description. Then there was 92-year-old Mdm C – so small and wiry she couldn’t have weighed more than 35kg. She had a hole in her neck where her voice box had been removed, so she couldn’t talk. When she saw us, she simply gestured with her hands that she wanted to die. Looking at her forlorn looking home, who could blame her for feeling that way? The food in her kitchen had all gone bad so we gathered she hadn’t eaten for days, or perhaps she had been eating all the rotten stuffs. When you are sick and have to depend on the kindness of neighbours to help you buy even the simplest food, what other choice do you have? She has 2 daughters, one who visits her occasionally. Another, we heard, comes by and steals the NTUC vouchers that volunteers give to her. Is it any wonder Mdm C would rather die? In all, we visited 7 homes, each one with its own sad story to tell. My heart is exceedingly disturbed by the scenes I saw today. On the one hand, we live in a country that’s boasting of having island-wide free internet access soon and building world-class integrated resorts and yet, in pockets of this land which worships success and one-upmanship shamelessly, there are the forgotten lot who live in homes with rotten food and bug-infested beds. I thought that by visiting the poor, I would be helping to cheer them up somewhat. How naïve I was. How arrogant I was to think that a simple 20 minute visit can alleviate the misery of people who have to face squalor every single moment of their lives and where sleep offers no respite either from the reality of their wretchedness. I thought I was doing community service. But no, something was done to me. Today, I felt as if the earth beneath my feet had shifted. In the days that follow, I would still go on to live my life of considerable comfort, plan my holidays, do Christmas shopping and enjoy the trappings of prosperity that I have been blessed with. But I could no longer plead ignorance of the shadowy existence of Mr Y, Mdm C and all these unfortunate people who live just a stone’s throw away from me. I find myself asking Him, “Lord, what will You have me do now?” Tonight, as I crawl between my nice clean sheets, I think of Mr Y and how long the night will be for him. I saw real, in-your-face poverty and human misery today and I’m at a loss as to how to respond. Nothing I can do or say will ever be enough. And yet, if we don’t do anything, what kind of human beings are we? * * * * * * * * * posted by trisha @ 8:08 AM I extracted the above from Sammyboy. Myth or fiction, you decide.

alternative media

Ken Kwek's article in today's Straits Times lamented the lack of political humour in the MSM. Anyone wanting to read them can only find them in cyberspace which he called Alternative Media (AM). There seems to be a lack of tolerance for political humour in MSM, or is it a conscious decision to play down on AM? From the reaction so far, MSM regards AM as a strategic competitor, to borrow a phrase from Bush, and will keep it underwrap for as long as they can. There is a noticeable silence on cyberspace activity in MSM. The only cyberspace news that is allowed to grace the pages of MSM is from their own little baby called Stomp. Stomp has been receiving a lot of funding and promotion to get it kicking. Looks like it is only attracting a very select group of visitors and not enough. Even Media Corp is coming into the fray for blogger's attention. When will MSM start to embrace or engage AM and allocate some space to report on what is happening in cyberspace? If this cold treatment is to continue, the divide can only widen and the two worlds will just stay apart, the Main Stream Media and Alternative Media, each competing for their own audience for their own kind of news. And with a virtual monopoly in the past, MSM can only stand to lose more readers to the young upstart that starts off with nothing.

what the president says

Singapore will become a nation divided by wealth, race and religion. All three are sensitive subjects to be discussed with extreme care. Talking about them careless can undermine the govt's effort to build a cohesive and inclusive society. Race and religion have always been sensitive. Now wealth can also be a sensitive subject. Bloggers have been dragged to the court for blogging on sensitive issues concerning race and religion. Lets hope no blogger is dragged to court for discussing wealth. It is not just simply black or white as in the past. The grey area is getting wider, including maybe brown. Singapore must not become a welfare state in extending help to the people. 'We would like the govt to do even more, but the govt can only spend within its means,' ie the govt must spend only when it is affordable. And looks that the govt has done all it can afford and to do more will be unaffordable. The President said, 'Let us build a competitive economy and an inclusive society for ourselves and our children in Singapore.' I was not in the house but would presume that 'us' includes all Singaporeans.

why push people to take public transport?

Below is my article. Why push people to take public transport? The Transport Minister wants our public transport system to be world class. And one of the measurements of a world class transport system is the number of commuters. This has gone done from 67% in 1997 to 63% in 2004, which is bad news to him. So must push more people to use public transport. But then people are getting richer and can afford to travel in the comfort of their own cars. The car population went up 10% over the same period and daily car trips went up by 23%. Now is this a good thing or a bad thing? Travel by cars must be bad, or else why would the Transport Minister want to push more people to take public transport? ‘We will have to work harder to make public transport a choice mode for the vast majority of Singaporeans for routine day to day commuting.’ Said Raymond Lim. But surely to be able to drive around in a car would be the preferred choice of most Singaporeans. Would it not be better if the objective is to develop a first class road system, complimented by a first class public transport system for those who choose not to travel by car? If public transport is such a great deal, perhaps the minister can set a good example by taking public transport to work. Or make it a national campaign that all senior civil servants, MPs and Ministers must take public transport to work. Leading by example will be a better way to encourage people to do something which they would not want to do if they can afford it. I fully agree with the Minister when he said, ‘This is because, for a dense urban city state such as ours, it will be catastrophic to allow private transport to be the dominant transport mode,…’ And what I like to hear best is ‘Our transport system, while having to be as efficient as possible, must ultimately serve the people who use it.’ But I am worried when he added, ‘The comprehensive view,…will take into account the views of the travelling public and stakeholders such as transport operators.’ My fear is higher fares. The Minister’s aim is for bus and rail system to account for 70% of all morning peak hour ride. Without questioning why this is the best mix, this should be achieved by making public transport so attractive and convenient rather than by a string of disincentives and punitive measures for those who opt to drive. A transport system cannot be world class when people are pushed to take public transport and not because it is a preferred choice. Another point that I am worried about is ‘how to cater to commuters who are willing to pay more for better bus services.’ My immediate thought again is to get ready to pay more. There is nothing wrong if the Minister wants to aim high for those who can afford it and wanted to pay more. Actually those who can would just drive their cars. Why buy an expensive car and park it at home. Only those who are barely able to afford a car would be convinced to do the switch. For the rest of the working class, first class transport system or third class, they will still be taking them. And cost is of prime concern. What I thought would be an improvement is to stick to the fundamentals, ‘promote public transport, optimize road usage and manage demand for private vehicles,’ and let people own cars and use them at their convenience. Make people feel very comfortable to leave their cars behind not because they were coerced to but taking public transport is a better, more convenient and effective means of commutation. Then we will have a world class public transport system. And for the non car owners, an efficient public transport system should not burn a big hole in their pockets. And don’t add in more frills to make them pay for more.

myth 86

'The Govt does not understand the people' There are so many people whining and moaning in the forums of MSM and in cyberspace that the govt does not understand the people and not helping the people. This is so far from the truth. It is the people that do not understand the govt. The govt is doing all it can to help the people. The problem cannot be solved just by the govt alone. The govt has done its part. The people must also do its part. And the policies and solutions are well thought out. They are all for the good of Singaporeans, and based on the assumptions of meritocracy. If you are good everything will be good. The system will work for you, to your favour. The paper reported that there are now more millionaires in Singapore, officially only 1,738. Unofficially could be more. Take a walk along geylang and all the proprietors there, including the ah longs are probably millionaires too. Don't the people understand? It is time the people stop moaning and whining and try to understand the govt and its policies. It is written everywhere. Even an 18 year old knows. Now be productive and constructive. Get to work.

myth 85

'Haze, an amazing Indonesian myth' The Asean Ministers attending the haze conference were so simplistic in their approach to the haze problem. To them, the haze was caused by irresponsible plantation owners and small farmers clearing land for cultivation and development. The solution is thus very simple. Set up effective laws against such practices, enforce them, and put the culprits behind bars. Unfortunately they were so far from the truth and the Indonesians were there to educate them on the problem and how to solve them effectively. To the Indonesians, the haze is a natural disaster, something like the tsunami. And one way to tackle it is to provide a good early warning system like a dedicated satellite so that the affected countries will have enough time to react before the haze hit and will not be drown. The second cause of haze is the smouldering fire under the debris of fallen trees and peat. To prevent such fire which can burn for a long time to re ignite the forest, the solution is to build a lot of dams to raise the water level so that all the grounds are virtually flooded and no fire can be kept alive. Still the Asean Ministers don't get it and failed to understand these ingenius analysis of the problems and the well thought out plans. All the Asean Ministers are concerned is cost. To have a dedicated satellite and building dams across Sumatra and Kalimantan will cost hundreds of millions. And they are not going to spend those money. So they told the Indonesians to set these ambitious and clever plans aside and just go and catch the fire starters. Now, without spending the money, how could the Asean Ministers expect the haze to go away? And there are no fire starters. These are natural phenomenon. Blame nature.

my article in new paper today

Oh, my second article is out in the New Paper today. pg 18. And with my smiley face too. Now you can get a glimpse of how I look like. : )

who is a leech?

'I know the whole argument against welfarism. Welfarism is a dirty word in Singapore. No! We are a meritocratic society! We survive and prosper on hard work and our own efforts! If we allow for welfarism we will have leeches in our society feeding off the wealth of those who had worked hard for their achievements. ' The above is quoted from coffee and cigarette blog. When I read this term 'leeches' I begin to wonder who are the real leeches? If someone is sitting around doing FO and collecting a ransom, would he also be considered a leech?

ministry of charity

With so many charities and public money floating everywhere, it is time to creat a new ministry, Ministry of Charity with a Minister in charge. That will keep those money collected under close supervision and avoid any monkey businesses. It is so uncomfortable to see so much money in the hands of volunteers who have very little financial expertise and could not manage the money for the best return. There should be professional managers employed just to manage all these money.

did he jump in vain

A copycat jumper fell flat on his face The Clementi MRT jumper could have died in vain. If he were a copycat jumper, thinking, or after serious contemplation, that his death could bring a windfall to his family, and jump...he is going to be very, very disappointed. So would be his loss and the family's loss. In the absence of the press playing up the tragedy, the whole episode went away just like a pee. It did not cause a stir nor did any emotions play up to pull the heart strings. There was no rush to donate generously. Neither were people dialing their handphones to donate their $5, $10 or $25. The media can play a very effective role in telling people how to act and behave. Put a few helpless and pathetic faces in front of the camera, tell a few sad stories, and people will willingly empty their tear bags and pockets. Everyone has a heart, and it is very easy to be sentimental and emotional. Of course there are exceptions who would tell anyone in trouble to get lost. Now did this jumper died in vain? Were the reporters in the Tan Jee Suan case more responsible or the no show reporters in this case more responsible? Damn if you report the story, damn if you don't.

my rumbling to robertteh's rumbling

My rumbling to robertteh's rumbling in redbeanforum. We do not have a very long history and tradition to develop core skills and industries like some European countries, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, Germany and some of the Scandinavian countries. It is unfair to compare our development with them. It is very flattering to compare ourselves with the failed countries in the Third World and keep patting our backs to say we have done well. Indeed we have done well so far. But going down the road, we need to be excellent in some manufacturing industries, R and D or service industries. There were aspirations to be the best in everything. But so far we have not really develop something to differentiate us from the developed countries. We started off almost at the same time as the Koreans and Taiwanese, maybe a bit slower than Japan. The Japanese took off long ago. The Koreans and Taiwanese have surged ahead from us. We are still like Hongkong, banking on trading and shuffling of funds and as shopkeepers. Maybe we were trying to be too many things. We are ahead of our neighbours in many areas. But the time for us to build a clear cut advantage were not maximised and it is so easy for our neighbours, or China and India to overrun us. Then we will be in shit. Shouldn't we pour in all our heart and souls to develop say the medical services and facilities to be way ahead of the region or the world? The electronics and consumer goods manufacturing are relatively new industries that we could capitalise on like what Apple and Microsoft have done. These are areas where education and high skilled workers are needed and not really land and labour intensive. And they are new industries which would not put us in a too disadvantageous position. We could have invested heavily with Creative to make it real big. But Creative was left to fight its own battle against the world giants. Imagine if we are now the capital of manufacturing all the little gadgets, softwares etc. As it is we are just subcontractors. Not much value add and easily replaceable. Now we are facing the real challenge, a tsunami of sorts with the Chinese and Indians edging us out of the game. Everything we can do they can do better and cheaper. Even as shop keepers, we are losing out as the barrier to entry is so low. And our high land cost etc will only drive us out of the competition. And they are still crazily raising the rentals and cost of service as if Singapore is the only place on earth to buy genuine quality goods at attractive prices. Without core manufacturing expertise, I am not talking about heavy manufacturing industries, everyone can provide good and cheap services. Where do all these left us? A good political and state administrative system. But these are not marketable or scalable. They can make the IRs and other industries look better being here. But they are not productive on their own. Actually very costly and over valued. I am just rumbling. The crunch will come and is coming.

we are competing with thailand

Now I know why Thailand is angry with us. For so many years they have been branding their country as the Land of a Thousand Smiles. Now, how can we upstage Thailand by calling ourselves Island of 4 Million Smiles. : )

peace coming to east asia

North Korea has agreed to return to the table without conditions. So said Christopher Hill after secret talks between the US, North Korea and China. That's a good boy. North Korea is going to abandon all its nuclear programmes and arms, presumably for nothing. The US negotiators are real mavericks. No more armed interdiction of commercial vessels, I hope.

elfred, good news! no need to go china

It's raining jobs this year This is the headline of the Today paper. 123,100 jobs were created before the year is over. Wow. Who needs job? Have no fear, jobs are aplenty. Now this must be great news for Elfred. No need to go for posting to China. And for those who are complaining about the IRs, look at the good things they are doing to our job market. And they haven't started yet. Still several years away and the benefits are already kicking in. Imagine when the IRs are up and the multiplier effect does its work. Singaporeans are in for a good time. The future is so promising. I am going to can this thread for good. And no more jumpers. The problem will solve by itself with jobs everywhere. And we can afford to have more foreign talents too. Now I am feeling so high.

doggie bag or ta bao

Of doggie bag or ta bao When you have over ordered for your meal and plenty were left on the table, what would you do? Ask the waiter for a doggie bag or ta bao? Many would simply ask the waiter to ta bao, to bring back the leftover food for another meal when stomach has emptied, or for someone at home to share the expensive meal. Some will ask for a doggie bag, to bring the leftover for the doggie back home. No matter if the left over is a $200 plate of gourmet food, it must go to the doggie. Lucky dog, feeding on a $200 meal from a top end restaurant. But some dogs may be of the two legged type. Still they have the good fortune of a wonderful meal. So next time when you see someone with a huge leftovers on his dinner table, just wait and listen to see what he ask for. But there will be some who will be too embarrassed to even ask for a doggie bag. It is below them to take leftover food home. Or leftover food are not fresh and should not be consumed. The taste maybe a little stale. What you ask for, a doggie bag or ta bao, will describe your background, who you are.

plenty of charity money, still not enough

It is reported that 18 IPCs, Institute of Public Characters, or charitable organisations, have at least $10 mil in their reserves. Another 18 have less than $5 mil in reserves. These work out to be $180 mil plus about $90 mil or $270 mil in their savings. There are also hundreds of smaller charitable organisations. There are many govt or quasi govt charitable organisations with lots of funds. Comcare alone has $600 mil. Not sure how much savings the NKf still have. But together, there is a huge sum of money to help the needy and can do a lot of wonders. There is no reason for people to jump down from flats or onto MRT tracks. Why are these money not reaching the people who badly needed them? Is it because they are savings for another day just like our CPF? Don't spend first. Save for tomorrow. Must be prudent. Are we more concern about tomorrow than the plight of people who cannot feed themselves today, that today is the people's problem and tomorrow is the fund managers problem? For a rich country like ours, to have so much money for charity, and still not enough, looks like the problem of the needy is really a very big one. I think we should be more circumscribe in trying to raise money to send students overseas to have a smell of foreign air when they return only to be less desirable than the genuine foreign talents. They will still not be regarded as foreign talents.

more novel ideas to save water

For the hardlanders it is very important that they should save on everything. Every single cent counts and it is good that there are campaigns to help and teach them to save, including 1 litre of water a day. Actually there are many novel ways of saving waters and money. They can delay flushing their toilets if they urinate. Flush only when they shit. After all saving money is more important than a little cleanliness and a little personal hygiene. The pigstys were cleaned maybe once a week. So should be ok if people don't flush their toilet so often. Another way is to visit the neighbourhood kopitiams or MRT stations to use their toilets. That would save more water. What else can they save? When they take MRT or buses, try to alight one or two stations before the destination and walk the last leg. Walking is good too and can be regarded as an exercise. They can skip a meal a day. Now that will be big savings. About $3 a meal can be saved. If that is not enough, eat instant noodles. For 60c a pack a meal, 3 meals a day or $1.80 daily, wow, who says living in Singapore is expensive. But please don't look down on them or tell them to get out of your elite faces. They are trying very hard to live within their means. And they need to or else the next transport increase or charges on essential services will not be affordable. Please contribute your ideas to help them save more. A few cents are also important.

effective ways of saving water

The most effective way to save water. I used to bathe twice a day. Now I bathe once a day. But to get extra savings, instead of taking a 5 minute bath, I have reduced it to 3 minutes. If the water fee is going to go up further, I will make do with bathing once in 3 days. Now that should be great savings. And all my washing, crockery, clothing etc shall use lesser water. One pail of water for the whole house and wash once a month. One pail of water to wash all the clothing. Now where shall I go for my $200 dinner with all the savings?

NUS alumni

Only 1% of NUS Alumni donated about $960k to a fund set up to provide bursaries to undergraduates for enriching programmes. Presumably the bursaries will only be given to local students. The main reason given for the poor response is that it is the Govt's responsibility. Now we have the elite taking a stand against another elite organisation, ie the graduates against the graduate's alumni. Both are supposed to be thinking people. Now who is more thinking? Should the graduates donate to help undergraduates? Or should the govt do it? Or is this another duplication of charitable work, a bursary created because someone thinks that it is a good idea or they need to do something like a charity? It seems like a fad here that everyone given an opportunity would like to raise fund to do charity. Isn't it strange that a first world affluent nation needs so many charities to help so many people and still some falling through the cracks and like someone phrased it, into the track? Is charity or bursary about helping the needy to cope with basic needs and tuition fees? Or is it meant for some luxuries like overseas attachments or enriching programmes which are now regarded as a necessity while the products are always below par compare to foreign talents? Why waste all these money or ask for donations to pursue something that is good to have, but the past times of rich kids? Does the Alumni thinks that they have a good and reasonable cause to ask for donation? I would like to start a charity for our primary school children to have attachment programmes in American Schools in the US. Anyone want to donate? It will give them a very enriching experience. Why can't the govt provide these if it can provide for so many foreign students here?

I want my blue dolphin fountain.

I want my blue dolphin fountain. There is this resident by the name of Lucky Tan who voted for a blue dolphin fountain to be built in his estate. He got it and is so happy with it. Whenever he is down and unhappy, all he needs to do is to spend 10 minutes beside the blue dolphin fountain. And all his worries will disappear. In the next election I think all the residents will want a blue dolphin fountain in their estates. And whichever party offers this magical fountain will definitely win the election. It is a pity that the estate of Tan Jee Suan did not have a blue dolphin fountain. Otherwise all his worries will be gone. Well it is all gone now. If only Tan Jee Suan's estate has an upgrading programme. If only 75% of the constituents voted for upgrading, Tan Jee Suan will have his blue dolphin fountain. Never mind if he had only $16 in his pocket. They will make it so affordable and so easy to pay. 10 years or 20 years instalments using his CPF. And if he does not have sufficient CPF, they will send him a gentle reminder every month in the form of a pink letter and gently telling him about the consequences if he does not pay. For people like Tan Jee Suan, their letter boxes must be stuffed regularly with pink letters from HDB, PUB, Telecom, Schools, and what not. But they must have got use to them. Lets vote for a blue dolphin fountain so that it can take all their worries away.

2011 election slogan

Get out of my elite uncaring face This should be an interesting general election slogan for 2011. Any takers?

tough ride hard landing

Singapore tough ride and hard landing. Singapore's relation with Thailand, especially the Thai Palace, is in for a tough ride. The Thaksin coup can be directly linked to the Shin Corp acquisition. And Singapore is seen as the cause of his downfall. Even a quick congratulatory message to the coup Prime Minister did not appease the displeasure in Thailand. We were the first to send the message in spite of the fact that we don't approve of military coups. And in his quick tour of Asean countries, Singapore, the largest trading partner, and once seen as the closest ally of Thailand, was bluntly left out. They do not want to talk to us. Then Temasek wanted to appoint a 'private secretary to the crown prince' as a corporate advisor for its Thailand office. This again backfired and the appointment was called off. Then the palace issued a statement calling the would be advisor, Tongnoi, as 'cunning and immoral.' Or is that a message to tell Temasek but taken out as against Tongnoi? A kingdom is a kingdom and thinks and behaves like a kingdom. A king and crown prince think like a king and a crown prince. Modern leadership from a modern state, a republic, will find it difficult to fathom or relate to them. The values and interests are different, I supposed.

dream team for survival

My dream team for survival in Singapore With the strong competition Singaporeans are facing today from foreign talents, it would require very exceptional skills, talents and characters to survive and do well in Singapore. Morality has to give at times. And there is no room for the bleeding hearts and compassion. It is all about survival and being the fittest to get all. If I were to run a corporation, the key marketing man must definitely be Durai. His charisma and ability to raise funds, lots of funds, and to run a tight and professional company are great assets in a competitive dog eats dog environment. Next in line must be Chia Teck Leng. His consumate skills in gambling and fund transfer are legendary. Whatever money raised by Durai can be invested by Chia in the casinos and transfer to anywhere without any traces. Hmmm, tax evasion. And there is another legend, a foreign talent in the name of Nick Leeson. Just place him in another bank that is targetted for takeover and he will deliver the bank with all its cash and assets. It is so easy. We need people who are highly motivated, by greed. Greed is a very strong driving force. The greedier they are the better. And once in the team, they will gel and help each other to do well. They must be smart to know that they are all in the same boat and should not rock the boat. If there is any legal issues to settle, there are many great legal counsels to call on. For a small island we really have many great legal brains to choose from. Davinder, no, I think Francis will be better. More international and senior in the hierarchy. For the next generation, look for some of those heartless young talents from a rich background. The richer the better. Then they can think big and be ruthless as well. You need tough and dedicated people to run the ship. And with so many young monsters to choose from, there is great future for such a corporation.

myth 84

'The Kiasi Singaporeans' The remarkable Singaporean traits of Kiasi and Kiasu are best exemplified in their willingness to obey all the rules and regulations, law abiding and follow whatever campaigns that the govt throws at them. Everything the govt says, goes. And we end up with a world class workforce and a very discipline people. If only the Singaporeans were really that sheepish or obedient, Singapore will be a much better place. And the govt will have lesser headache persuading the people to do all kinds of things. Singaporeans don't really listen to the govt or follow govt policies. If they do, all our problems will be solved. There will be no litters on the road, no smokers, no opposition in parliament, etc The most painful campaign that the govt is pushing and not getting any success is the population growth. If Singaporeans were to listen to the govt, every family would have 4 or 5 children. And given that there is 1 million households, our 6 to 8 million population target will be reached overnight. Imagine what a socially and economically vibrant city state we will be. Hospital beds all taken up to full capacity. Retail business doubles or triples because of the doubling or tripling of the population. All the excess HDB flats will also be taken up and more flats need to be built. And all the property prices will go up too when demand is growing. And no need for foreign talents since we can produce more of our own talents. Ok, maybe this is not true since our local breed may not be good enough and we need fresh genes to add to the ageing pool of old genes. And the Ministry of Defence will be most happy with all the NS men, 100k a year or more. We can have soldiers everywhere. What else, the IRs, the shopping centres, Sentosa, etc will be doing roaring businesses. The trains and buses and taxis will be chalking up threefold profits and fun at full capacity, all packed with commuters. And ERP collection will automatically shoot sky high. All happy problems. And socially the impact will be greater. We will have bubbly and happy little faces running around the estates and playgrounds instead of grumpy slow moving oldies waiting for their days to be over. If only Singaporeans listen to the govt and do as they are told.

Quote of the Century

Quote of the Century "This country doesn't torture, we're not going to torture," George Bush was quoted by the Associated Press news agency during a photo session in Washington DC.

we should thank wee shu min

Someone posted in YPAP forum about thanking Shumin. I thought it was a joke. On second thought, I think he had a point. Without Shumin telling the brutal truth, Singaporeans would still be living in a state of ignorant bliss. Hopefully Shumin's frank talk could jolt them up and face the ugly reality of life. The earlier they know the truth, the earlier they can take actions to look after their pathetic life. It is the same as the peanut story. Otherwise we still would not understand what a peanut cost and what people meant by peanuts. It is another brutal truth that Singaporeans must live with. You people must be grateful to Shumin. That's why they always said that an innocent child will tell the most enlighten truth. You cannot lie to a child.

how real are american professors?

Professor Susan Shirk from the University of California and Director of the UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation wrote an article reprinted in the Straits Times today. She was US dep asst secretary of state responsible for China from 1997 to 2000. 'N.Korea nuke crisis: China's tough stance may help fix Japan ties.' Her article reveals the standard kind of western bias and understanding of Asia and Asian politics, and this is how Rice and the Bush made all those decisions based on the same kind of thinking and assumptions. Let me point out those that I don't agree. 1. That China is willing to take a tough stand against North Korea and would choose to ally with Japan and the US against its tradition ally, North Korea. How foolish can this be? Has China or Russia raise a whimper that North Korea's nuclear test is a threat to them? China may have to worry over the long term if North Korea falls out and join the US camp. But as long as North Korea is on its side, it will do anything it can to keep it that way. North Korea is the strongest Chinese card against the US and Japan. Without North Korea, the Bush administration and Japan will be playing monkey tricks against China and prodding Taiwan to go independence. And there will be many nonsensical human rights issues and trade issues to pressure China. 2. It is China's intention to keep North and South Korea separated as China fear a united Korea led by the South and under the influence of the Americans. Or is it the other way? The truth is that the Americans are twisting the South Korean's arm and refuse to let them reunite as a single Korea. The Americans fear that a reunited and independent Korea will mean no more American bases in Korea. Didn't Susan Shirk know this or is she pretending that she did not? 3. China voted for a stronger sanction against North Korea? China and Russia stubbornly resisted the US proposal to do a regime change in the North. And they would not allow the US to use the military option. It was forced by the US to accept some kind of sanction unwillingly and had to compromise half way. 4. China compromised its North Korean ally for the reason of pride? The North Korean trump card is so valuable to the Chinese that should the US dares take the military option they can expect the Chinese troops to be there facing them. 5. The perception or impression that all the Americans and western media try to tell the world that North Korea is suffering from food epidemic and its people are dying of hunger as the conventional truth. How true is that? Why are the North Koreans not revolting? And the pictures of hungry babies were of chubby faces with rosy cheeks. Compare them with the skin and bone children of Africa and some third world countries. These children looked so well fed and far from dying of hunger. And those are the worst pictures that they can find and put on air. 6. China is worried about its position in the elite nuclear club being diluted. Horseshit! Did China complain about North Korea, Pakistan or Iran being nuclear powers? The country that fears this dilution of its nuclear power status is the country that makes the most noise and threatening military intervention. Now which country is that? Difficult to guess? 7. China will join Japan and the US against a common enemy in North Korea? She must be mad! How could a professor have such a simplistic view? 8. Chinese politicians didn't dare invite Koizumi to China or meet him outside China? It was China who refused to talk to Koizumi despite his many attempts to visit China and talk to the Chinese leaders. Our poor professor is still reading History 101? 9. Many Chinese political elite blame the dangerous deterioration of relations with Japan on former Jiang Zemin? Where is she from? Venus? 10. Hu Jintao was eager to patch up with Japan and work out a pragmatic understanding with Abe? Partly truth but mainly because Abe has to promise not to visit Yasukuni shrine. At least if Abe wants to keep China Japan relationship on an even keel and if he wants the Chinese leadership to talk to him. My goodness! What kind of history and political science are they teaching or being taught?

we have more than 800 unique readers daily

As we progress up the social and economic ladder, as we become more well read and informed, as we become more aware of the our role and responsibilities to ourselves and our people, we no longer want to sit still and be fed with whatever news people think are fit for our consumption. We want to decide and judge for ourselves what is good or bad, right or wrong. News reporting is no longer a one way street where the reporters and journalists regard all readers as captive peking ducks to be force fed with whatever they deem fit. News reporting has to change. It is interactive and responsive to the needs of the readers. The readers now demands what they want to hear and know. This is where Cyberspace comes in. Only Cyberspace can play this kind of role of news as there are and not news as the MSM want them to be. And when the news are biased, not up to expectation, the readers are there to change them, correct them, rebut them and present their own version of the the news. Everyone here can and should play a part in this new development. The fact that you are all in Cyberspace is enough evidence to show that this is the trend. The only thing that is holding many people back is the apprehension, the self doubt that people may disagree with your views. It is time to remove the apprehension. As for self doubt, this is a natural expectation and there will be people who agree with you and those who disagree. We are all different and see things differently. No one is absolutely right or wrong. There is a growing trend for the young and restive to want to say their peace. This trend is unstoppable.

new trend in news reporting

As we progress up the social and economic ladder, as we become more well read and informed, as we become more aware of the our role and responsibilities to ourselves and our people, we no longer want to sit still and be fed with whatever news people think are fit for our consumption. We want to decide and judge for ourselves what is good or bad, right or wrong. News reporting is no longer a one way street where the reporters and journalists regard all readers as captive peking ducks to be force fed with whatever they deem fit. News reporting has to change. It is interactive and responsive to the needs of the readers. The readers now demands what they want to hear and know. This is where Cyberspace comes in. Only Cyberspace can play this kind of role of news as there are and not news as the MSM want them to be. And when the news are biased, not up to expectation, the readers are there to change them, correct them, rebut them and present their own version of the the news. Everyone here can and should play a part in this new development. The fact that you are all in Cyberspace is enough evidence to show that this is the trend. The only thing that is holding many people back is the apprehension, the self doubt that people may disagree with your views. It is time to remove the apprehension. As for self doubt, this is a natural expectation and there will be people who agree with you and those who disagree. We are all different and see things differently. No one is absolutely right or wrong. There is a growing trend for the young and restive to want to say their peace. This trend is unstoppable.

join me to give MSM a run for their money

Cyberspace is more than just a venue for venting frustrations. It has a very vital role to provide an alternative view, a citizen's view of what is important to the people. The things that netizens discussed are matters that they choose to discuss, spontaneous and unfettered, not imposed by anyone or subject to anyone's approval. It is the people's platform. We have seen how MSM present their news, very selective and with a high dosage of self censorship. The way MSM are going about their roles, they are, yes, many of you have said it, losing their credibility and influence on their readers. In redbeanforum and mysingaporenews, there are hundreds of you fellas out there, all very well educated, concerned, opinionated, articulate and well read. All of you have your own interests and your own views of things. If we can share all these in Cyberspace, we will be a very important platform for people, Singaporeans and international readers, to come here to hear us out. Our strength is our free spirit and freedom of expression. We decide what we want to say or discuss. This will put us well ahead of all MSMs. And we are the pioneers in Cyberspace. We should not miss this opportunity to craft out a niche of what Cyberspace and citizen reporting are all about. Our time is precious. Our effort is precious. We should use these constructively and meaningfully. We can be as creative as we want. Say whatever we want. But we need to develop our own netiquette and professional conduct to be respectable and taken seriously. All of us have different views and opposing views. But as long as we respect each other and discuss on issues, we cannot get too far wrong. Just stay away from attacking people personally or libels and scandals. This is our country, our space. Make it counts. Make our views heard and be taken seriously. For those who are posting in mysingaporenews blog, there is a limitation in that you cannot initiate new topics. Use the forum to tell your story. Talk about things that are close to your heart. We can talk about them passionately, sensibly and sincerely. If we can do that, our effort will not be in vain. The fact that all of you are here is that we share some common values and approaches to what posting and discussion in cyberspace should be like. Let us be the beacon for others who will come after us. Let us show our way. As a first world nation, we must be confident of ourselves and our voice, and be prepared to take a stand on domestic or international issues. Redbean

child prank or cold sore?

Wee Shu Min's case is but a child prank. In many cases of such nature this will be treated like a child prank and be ignored completely by the general public. It may at most deserves a little comment and will be forgotten. But this issue now has generated so much heat in cyberspace that it appears to become a political crisis of sort. Many of the bloggers and forumers are seeing things that are more than meet the eyes. Just like the Durai case, it is not an issue of a young girl making an off the cuff statement in the heat of the moment. Many are questioning the thinking, values and philosophy of the elite which is symbolised by the ruling party. Anyway, such perceptions only appear in cyberspace and appear serious for those who are reading the fierce comments posted. But is it really deserving of such attention in MSM? Obviously not. The general public will probably see this as a little disturbance, a little annoyance. And rightly the professional journalists in the MSM will not be bothered to spend time reporting on such a small issue. If it is that important and affecting the ruling elite or the party, you can expect some comments coming out from the highest places. The silence tells us that it is not important and no need to sweat over it. It is more like a cold sore. It will appear for a short while and will disappear by itself and the skin will be as smooth as before. Not a little blemish will be left behind. Whether it will disrupt again in the future will depend on the nature of the cold sore. If it is syphillis, it will surely rear its ugly self once again at the most uncomfortable moment. But it could be just a normal cold sore that will just come and go and will not affect the person having it. The elite have made their assessments like the MSM journalists and they are right. The forumers and bloggers are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Whichever party is right in their assessment, only time will tell.

what would i do?

What would I do if I were to give some fatherly advice. Option 1. Make an earnest apology that she had spoken wrong. Even if she is young, at 18, she must show more care and compassion for the less fortunate and less able in society. She has been counselled and hope she will be wiser and be more caring and more thoughtful in the future. Option 2. She is a 18 year old young adult. She must be responsible for what she said. If she has done or said things that are wrong, she must stand up to face the music. She should not close down her blog but to reply and explain her position and apologise for her erroneous views. She has her right to have a view which I don't agree in this case. It is good that other forumers correct her wrongful thoughts and lack of compassion and humility. Hopefully she will learn a good lesson from this episode. As a father I can support her and correct her to become a better person. She has erred like many other young persons. The important thing is to pick herself up, admit her erroneous views, apologise to Derek Wee and whoever she has offended and move on.

the hsienloong dilemma

The HsienLoong Dilemma Now what shall Hsienloong do? To side with his soldier/MP or to side with the people?

duck can sing and cock can swim

Wee Siew Kim has formally apologised today after his earlier reply was deemed unacceptable in cyberspace. Not sure how MSM would interpret his reply, but if we take the lack of reports or forum letters as an indicator, maybe we can assume that MSM has let the matter rest. Only in Cyberspace, the modern day Liangshan that the mood is different, and the protest vehement. Talking about two different worlds, indeed there are two worlds apart. And one is speaking like chicken and another like ducks. Some would want to let the matter rest but some will still be angry. What I think needs to be reviewed is the policy of inducting or co copting successful supertalents into politics. These are able men and women for sure. They have done well in their chosen fields. Politics is a different ball game. There are many reasons why these able people should not be in politics. One of which is interest. Are they really interested and have the people's interest at heart? Or are they coerced to join, or just jump into the bandwagon for a little ride and fame, and fortune? Or they are in for a totally different agenda? Whatever, these people have very little time given their tight schedules in their professions and family. People may want to believe that they are superhumans and can work 25 hours. But remove the facade of their achievements, they are basically another human being who needs to eat, sleep and rest and a little time for themselves. It would be more merciful to let them enjoy their success in what they are doing than to bring them into politics to suffer, and if not being careful, be disgraced in front of everyone. By so doing, we are doing injustice to them and to the people. Wee Siew Kim will now be very bitter for having accepted the call to be in politics. Why did he mess up his life, his family's life, to go into politics when he could be very happy as a CEO in the corporate world. We must be fair to our people, especially the highly valued few supertalents that we have. Do not abuse them by forcing them to be supermen and superwomen. A duck can swim but not run. A cock can crow but not sing. Lets not assume that a duck can sing and a cock can also swim.

the insensitive americans

The insensitive Americans still living with the 19th Century colonial mentality. 'The US military would have to rely more on 'brute force' if faced with another war, such as on the Korean peninsula.' Genera Peter Pace said. He added that war against North Korea will cost greater lives than if the US were not already fighting in Afgan and Iraq. He was commenting about a potential war with the North Koreans and regard the South Koreans as transparent. He could not think how the South Koreans would feel if the US go ahead and kill their North Korean brothers and sisters. I doubt the West Germans would take it too kindly if the Americans commented about killing the East Germans during the days of two Germanys. The Americans simply assume that the South Koreans hated the North Koreans as much as the US hated them and would do anything to them without any qualms. The best reflection of how the South Koreans feel is best described by the criticism of the US's war like ways by Song Min Soon, chief presidential secretary of security of South Korea. Song was quoted as saying, 'The US has probably been in the largest number of wars in the history of mankind. If we leave our fate in the hands of the US just for the sake of falling in step with the international community, it would amount to giving up our own destiny.' Would such an open statement of disapproval mean anything to the Americans? Or would they still want to kid themselves that this is only an isolated comment by a small minority and the South Koreans are still a compliant colonised people that do not think for themselves as a people and as Koreans? That they will still kill Koreans because their colonial master said so?

myth 83

'Govt does not take care of pensioners' In the past many pensioners had complained that their pensions were all eaten up by inflation and the unceasing rise in the cost of living. Within a few years these pensioners will find that they cannot make ends meet with the little pension that they are receiving. Having experience such mistakes in the computation and implementation of the pension schemes, the new pension scheme will make sure that pensioners will be very comfortable for many years of their twilight years, drinking wine on their rocking chairs. Their pension will be enough not to be affected by any inflation and high cost of living. This will be a great incentive and motivation for talented people to serve the govt.

how to work for a fatter paycheque

The Enron Case Rachel Beck's subheading of her article in the Today paper simply said, 'Pushing for a fatter paycheque can be plain wrong.' Is this familiar, or would it be a timely reminder of what can go wrong or already gone wrong? What brought down Enron was greed, the need to maintain an appearance of solid growth, soaring profits and a climbing stock price which will directly be translated to a fatter paycheque for the executives. And looking at the cases that are appearing in our courts, it seems that Enron is a role model for many Singapore companies. Some were unfortunate to be caught. Some were still out there, thanking their lucky stars that they are not discovered. Professor Peter Henning of Wayne State University Law School sum it up by saying 'Most executives don't say, let's go and loot the company today.' It starts by small increments, not very noticeable. Something like affordable increases bit by bit. It is so lucky for Singapore that no corporation went out to recruit such a foreign talent and pay through their noses. Wee Cho Yaw is quite right to retain the money to pay local talents and keep the money circulating in our economy. Otherwise he will end up as another laughing stock.

myth 82

'The uncaring Singaporeans' The latest incident of the MRT jumper shows that Singaporeans are really a caring lot. When the plight of the family was made know, spontaneous donations hit $500k within a few days without anyone asking for help. And more caring Singaporeans stepped forward volunteering to help the family to manage the $500k. Some suggest creating a trust, some to put in FD, some worried that the money will be carelessly spent by the mother. Some wanted some of the donations to be given to others who also need help. Doesn't matter if the money was given by wellwishers and helpful Singaporeans who wanted to do their bit for the poor family, others think they can make the money more useful by spreading around.

myth 81

'MSM will not post unpleasant comments from Cyberspace' This myth has just been debunked by Tor Ching Li's article in Today paper this morning. She quoted how WP supporters were attacked for mudslinging and name calling. She also reported on the complaints to Sylvia Lim and Low Thia Khiang about Goh Meng Seng. 'In general, WP members were accused of being 'argumentative', attempting to 'sow discord' between various party supporters and even of taking the guise of online 'clones' or posting replies under alternative usernames - to 'influence perceptions'. I think she has done the right thing to report such underhand tactics of political party supporters masquerading in Cyberspace. She should make herself a champion and expose all political party supporters who stoop so low to do such acts. It reflects very badly on themselves as a human, losing all respects from any who knows them, as well as the political party, if this is what they are doing or told to do. This kind of tactics or acts is nothing different from third world countries.

Russians and the Chinese threw out Rice

The intention of Rice's recent visit to East Asia is now getting clearer. She was adamant about starting a fire in somebody's backyard and then return to far away US to fan the fire. The Chinese and Russians were initially planning for a genuine discussion and a diplomatic effort to bring North Korea away from its brinkmanship. They laid out their red carpets and put on their best to receive Rice. The Chinese even went further by sending a very senior envoy, Tang Jiaxuan, to North Korea and extracted an apology and an assurance that there will be no more nuclear test. And China also pledged to enforce the UN sanctions fully. These news greeted Rice on her arrival in Beijing. But the Chinese soon found what the evil intent of Rice. And so did the Russians. Rice departed both capitals with no announcements of reaching any agreement or breakthrough on the nuclear crisis. And within days after the Chinese and North Koreans exchanged notes, their positions changed. China now announced that there was no apology from North Korea. And that it will continue to provide massive aid to the North Koreans. The North Koreans also said that though there was no plans for a second test, it would take further actions if the US continues to put undue pressure on her. Apparently the US insisted and wanted all the parties to intercept and board North Korean ships and thus interrupting all its shipping activities and trade. This could easily provoke the North Koreans to retaliate and ignite a conflict in high seas, and could escalate further. All very good to the US and according to their plans to raise tension in East Asia. The Japanese and South Koreans were concerned but have to go along as they were virtually semi colonies of the US. But they extracted from the Americans a pledge to flatten North Korea should they be provoked to attack these two conspirators. The Chinese and the Russians will not fall into this American trap and have a war at their door step. As it is, they are able to keep peace in the region and work with North Korea and keeping it in line. If they go along with the American plan, they will have to pay a heavy price. Now both the Russians and the Chinese have virtually told Rice to get lost and they will set their own agendas and how to handle the North Koreans in their own diplomatic ways.

tor ching li's article about netiquette

I am wondering whether I should feel amused by Tor Ching Li's article this morning in Today about the activities of cyberspace and netiquette? I have submitted an article on the same topic over the weekend and has yet to see the light. Anyway, I am also wondering how ChingLi's article will be viewed by the readers. She has quoted some interesting and some unflattering comments of opposition party members. Does this mean that it is acceptable to write to the MSM on the unflattering comments of ruling party members in cyberspace as well? Or writing negative stuff about opposition members is ok and not the other way round? But a more unexpected consequence of this article is that it will divert a lot of attention to Sammyboy's site and all the gory postings of hate and disgusts about ruling party politicians will now be read by more people. It is like laying a trail of sugar towards a pool of shit. By shit I am not referring to Sammyboy but to some of the very offensive postings. Interesting indeed.

i am looking for publishers

I will be looking for a publisher when my Myths reach 100. I think it will be good reading in the pubs or substations in addition to just reading poetry. It can be an interesting topic for discussion after some beer. And I think there is also opportunity for a second book here, called Thoughts of Redbean and Friends. This can include all the posts of bloggers and forumers in redbeanforum and mysingaporenews blog. I think Jack Neo could adapt them into some comedy sketches on his shows.

are there more tan jee suan out there?

The whole transport system is under reviewed and people will be pushed to take public transport. The Transport Minister also 'pledged that the general public would be able to afford public transport fares, while those who couldn't would continue to get help. Would Tan Jee Suan, the MRT jumper, have died in vain? Would there be many more Tan Jee Suan who could not afford public transport, and who could not get help from the pool of money that the govt has set up to help them and continue jumping onto the track?

wee shu min counselled by father for being insensitive

The father, Wee Siew Kim, has spoken. And Wee Shu Min has been counselled for being insensitive. The father apologised for her insensitivity in the brutal truth she posted in her blog. The truth is still the truth and people are expected to live with it. No one can run away from the truth even if it is painful to the ears. And the only thing people need to take note is to be more sensitive when telling the truth. No one shall tell a poor bugger that he/she is filthy rich and the poor bugger should just get lost. Just tell the poor bugger nicely to go away. That will do. The paper reported that the RJC principal, Winston Hodge said: 'We have counselled Shu Min and have conveyed to her the importance of sensitivity and empathy, qualities that she should have exercised in her response to Mr Wee.' I would suggest the college starts a programme to educate its students to be more compassionate, more feeling and more kind to the less able and hardlanders of our society. Pity them a little and don't throw the brutal truth into their shameless faces lined with pain and hardship. And if possible, educate all the fine future leaders of our nation to be more caring, and that they should bear the responsibility to help these poor buggers to improve their pathetic lives instead of telling them to lump it. Maybe the college is already doing these.

will kalteng be haze infamous?

It has been weeks since Yudhoyono made his famous apology to ASEAN countries affected by the haze. And the haze only gets worst by the days. Maybe only after a thousand apologies will the haze budge. This morning, a Straits Times journalist, Edwin Khoo, posted an article about his site visit to his hometown in central Kalimantan, Kalteng, and his first hand experience of what it is like to live in haze. He posted a pic which showed that visibility was less than 50 metres. Now that is a small living space. The seriousness of the haze envelope can never be felt by the decision makers in Jakarta unless they are forced to live in such an inhospitable condition. Otherwise corrective measures will just take its own time to be discussed in the comfort of aircon meeting rooms with more coffee and tea. With such an intensity of haze affecting the Indonesian villages and the villagers having no one to stand up for them, it is not unimaginable that one day people will stumble across villages in some parts of Kalimantan and Sumatra strewn with corpses. Many villages can be wiped out by poisonous haze, or maybe some have already been gone without traces. The haze can be more deadly than the tsunami and more widespread if nothing is being done immediately to stop it. Is the Indonesian govt waiting to see dead bodies before actions can be taken? Further, the Indonesian villagers may start falling dead slowly over a longer period of time after the haze has disappeared. How serious is the damage to the people's health is still unknown as the worst affected areas are not reported or visited by modern civilisation. Would the next report from Edwin Khoo be about Kalteng, a province totally wiped out by haze. Will Kalteng become infamous as the cemetry to mark the begining of the fight against the firestarters?

first MP to resign?

Cyberspace suddenly came to life because of this little girl's blog. Even after it has been shut down, the storm continues to blow. And some of the anger are now directed against her father and the party. Looks like she is becoming a liability. Are we going to see the first MP to resign because of a controversial post in Cyberspace? Bet against anyone that this will be a hot potato in the next election.

myth 80

Myth 80 'Your money is not your money' When you think that your money is your money, think again. The people have just donated $500k to the family of Tan Jee Suan, the MRT jumper. Would this money go to the family? Are people having ideas on how to manage the money which is not theirs but rightly belong to the family? Can anyone direct this money to other charities? Can anyone tell the family that they have a right to do what they think is best for the family and start to make all kinds of plans and arrangements even if the family objects? Whose money is that?

fear of copycat of mrt jumpers

A forumer wrote to the MSM, can't remember his name, about the possibility of a deadly trend coming our way. His fear was based on the $500k donations that the public donated to the family of the MRT jumper, Tan Jee Suan. It is like striking lottery, but paying with one's life. The big heart of the average Singaporeans must be commended for their immediate and sponstaneous response to the plight of the jumper's family. The average Singaporeans are still very caring. There was a hawker who donated $10k. This is probably twice his monthly income. Back to the fear. The possibility of imitation jumpers cannot be ruled out. In the midst of all the prosperity, there are still many hardluck cases that no one knows. Desperate people will act differently under a different kind of logic. Whatever it is, lets hope no smart alec will come out with more rules and regulations to regulate the hearts, feelings, emotions and compassion of the people. The area to look at is to reduce such painful stories. How to make sure the less fortunate and less able are not caught in a crunch of ever increasing cost of living that are affordable. Obviously all the increases is not affordable to everyone. Giving money and asking people to come forward to beg is not a good suggestion.

my new paper article is here

Below is my original article for The New Paper. The emphasis was slightly different. The main drift is that a couple with a $2000 monthly income, net $1,600 after CPF, cannot afford to have children. The cost is just too much for them to bear. The latest case on the MRT jumper, Tan Jee Suan, vindicated what I was driving at. With two school going kids, and a less than $2000 income, they are dead meat. Many Singaporeans are in this trap, unfortunately still in blissful ignorance of the road ahead. They are going to bring a lot of pain to themselves and their innocent children. The children will be deprived no matter how much love and care the parents can give. They will have to depend on charity to get by. Can you afford to have children? The older generation used to have ten or a dozen children running around. And the children still grew up like any children would. Some even made it to be successful entrepreneurs, engineers, doctors and even Prime Ministers. Is this a formula to emulate for the new generation when there is a dearth of babies? Some say so. Go, go forth and multiply. It is nonsensical to think that the affluent new generation cannot afford to bring up half a dozen children when their poor parents could handle twice that amount. What were the motivations for the earlier generation to do what the present generation think is irresponsible or a thoughtless thing to do? With their lack of education or ignorance, clueless may be a better word, they did what they did the nature’s way. Many just did not know what they were in for or just did not bother. Tomorrow was not their problem. The children, they would grow up and that’s the way things were then. Some were thoughtless, that is for sure. Then some were very thoughtful. They were planning for their retirement. They needed someone to take care of them when they were no longer able to. What better ways than scores of children to ensure that at least one would make it, like tikam tikam. There are of course many other reasons for having or not having babies. The considerations today are more practical. For discussion purposes I will treat this from a single dimension perspective, the issue of affordability. How much? That is the key question. Figures of $277,000 or $400,000 have been quoted to bring up a baby to a graduate adult. Maybe these figures were just too comfortable. Go for the bare minimum, say a ball park figure of $150,000 for 25 years to include all expenses, food, clothing, allowance, tuition, medical etc. The four years in a local university could easily cost $50,000 with $24,000 going to tuition fees alone. Forget about overseas education. Ok, I agree that some can get by with just TLC and fresh air. For simplicity, divide this sum into 3 distinct phases, pre natal and birth to 12 years old, 13 to 21(including NS) and 4 years in university, with $50,000 each. This works out to an average of $300, $400 and $500 per month for the respective phases. Now who can afford this kind of money? Any couple thinking of having a child must be able to fork out $150,000 or a multiple of that for more children. Assuming a couple needs about $1,600 nett income a month, or $2,000 before CPF deduction, to live decently, they will need another $300 to $500 for a child. Simply put, if the family’s take home pay is less than $1,600, they cannot afford a child. Unless they are prepared to bring up a child who is always envious of the normal things that other children have. Isn’t that mean? And to be content with a life depending on charities, handouts, grants, or applying for subsidies all the time. What kind of existence is that? A child is meant to be a bundle of joy and not a burden of 25 years? And the thought of having more than one, 4 or 5, is honestly, thoughtless and totally irresponsible for those earning less than $2,000. Shall we encourage couples with less than $1,600 take home income to have children? Or shall we say ‘Go forth and multiply, Mr Rich!’ Let’s not burden the poor unnecessarily by asking them to bring more financial problems to themselves and a pathetic life for their children, unless help is provided in a dignified manner.

myth 79

'US has less time for Asia' Derwin Pereira, US Bureau Chief reported this from Dallas during LKY's recent visit to the US. 'He(LKY) also noted that with the Bush administration focused on Iraq, Afganistan, Iran and Islamic terrorism, Washington has less time for Asia now.' I have to disagree with this statement after seeing Rice's East Asian tour on the North Korean crisis and her conviction and dedication to take the war to the North Koreans. She is devoting one whole week to put pressure on all the East Asia states to provoke the North Koreans. Is that not time for Asia? The preparation and number of state officials involved in this trip must be enormous. Thanks to the North Koreans, East Asia is getting some of the US attention. Would the US bite off more than they can chew? Looking at Iraq itself, it seems that Iraq alone is too hard to swallow.

more problems for muslim jobseekers

I copy the below article from http://www.littlespeck.com./ Bombers use airport workers. British bombers had a Muslim plant at Heathrow who once worked for global security firm that serviced SIA and other majors. WorldNetDaily Oct 21, 2006 One of the suspects who helped terrorists case security at London’s Heathrow was an airport employee who once worked for a security firm that serviced major airlines, including SIA, British Airways and Thai Airways. However when Asmin Amin Tariq, a Muslim convert of Asian descent, was arrested for helping British bombers in the transatlantic sky terror plot, he was working for Jet Airways, India’s leading private airline in India. He was a security guard at Heathrow. His employer, Jet Airways, has suspended him. As an airport employee in Heathrow, he was believed to have helped the terrorists to test the airport’s security. Before that he was working at Group 4 Securicor, one of the largest global networks of security operations worldwide, with 400,000 full and part-time employees. It operates in 100 countries in four continents. The United States authorities are now concerned that Al Qaeda might be using airport employees to help blow up commercial airliners. They have stepped up security checks on airport personnel G4S (earlier called Securicor) is believed to be Singapore Airline’s handler in India. Investigators say 23-year-old Tariq, who studied biochemistry, allegedly provided information about airport security procedures to bombers in the foiled plot. It's not clear if he also planned to hand off explosives materials to them in the sterile area of the airport, or perhaps plant them on board targeted aircraft. Tariq holds a British passport, investigators say. "This is precisely why you don't want so many Muslims working in airports," says former FAA special agent Steve Elson, who tested airport security as a member of the elite Red Team.....

killing in the name of god or peace and security

Haven't the Americans done even destruction and killings in Iraq? Apparently not. Rice is on another cake walk mission in East Asia, trying her very best to impose American wills on Russia, China and South Korea to take punitive actions against North Korea. And she said America was trying to descalate the tension but it was the North Koreans who were the one raising the tension. She is insisting that the other few countries would be accomplice when she plunged the knife into the North Koreans. She demanded that the other countries must join the Americans in intercepting North Korean ships in the high seas or in foreign ports. What would such provocative actions lead to? The North Koreans could station a section of soldiers who will defend the ship at all cost. Shoot at anyone who dares land on the ship to the last man. Not only that they will die for their country, the sailors and the attackers too will go down. How many ships and soldiers and innocent people will have to die before the tension flares up into a war? The Americans are for peace? Lets hope that the Russians, Chinese and South Koreans have some sense not to be dragged into another conflict and have their soldiers die for the American Empire Dream. The world is now being run by evil men and woman who are committed to start fires everywhere for their evil schemes of grandeur. America will be dragged down to become an international bandit, and all the good works and reputation of past American presidents will go to waste. The religious fanatics killed in the name of god. The Americans are killing in the name of peace and security.

the brilliance of youth

The Derek Wee's article may not be acceptable for print in the MSM. In cyberspace it has created a storm, at least for a poor rich girl. Her reply to Derek's article was expected given the new philosphy of life in this island. And someone has the good sense of shutting down her blog immediately before the truth gets too frightening to be heard. Before I proceed further, please forgive her. She is a child. She knows not what she was speaking. I will be really angry if that kind of views come from an adult or someone making policies and decisions affecting the people. What we see in her is the tip of a smelly iceberg. It transcends from the little spoilt brat that demands the maid to do everything for 'it' to the peanut people among the elite. Not all elite are in the same shitty mindset. Thank god. How would such people view the man who jumped the MRT? No need to guess. To them that man is a burden to society and does not deserve to live. He is simply useless, incapable, and of no talent. Anyone who cannot command an income of a peanut is subhuman, belonging to a specie that better not be around. You are only human, or a talented man if you are successful financially, with all the trappings of the super rich. It is a different world out there, and the people are a happy lot. To the hardlanders, these are the monsters that our society has created. A self serving group of people who have a lot of problems of their own, grimacing on why the $200 a piece abalone tasted not as good as before, or why the $10k gown did not arrive in time for the next party. Our society has indeed stratified into two separate worlds, not so much in material wealth, but in the value of life and life philosophy. On one end, money is not enough. On the other, money is never enough. And for the latter, the world owes them a living because of their talents. I would like to say my two big balls. If the big ATM stops giving out the money, where would they find another ATM to feed them? Compassion and empathy are only good for printing in the MSM. Are we getting more caring and forgiving?

we have arrived differently

We are not that much different from Malaysia. We have taken different route to economic development and organising our societies. Both countries have done quite well economically. Wealth were created and distributed but in different ways. Malaysia distributes wealth using the policy of bumiputra first. Singapore distributes wealth using meritocracy as the guiding principle. In a way, wealth is distributed in a fairly similar pattern. Within the last 3 decades, both countries have a cohort of elite, according to their own definition and interpretations, that are benefitting immensely in this wealth distribution game. Wealth goes to a group of elite while many at the lower end are still living a hand to mouth existence. The apologists of the Singapore system will argue that more wealth have been spread across the board and downwards. That is true. And the bottom line of our bell curve starts at a much higher level. That is also true. But poverty is not simply measured by the physical dollar value. A $500 income may still be bearable in Malaysia but abject poverty in Singapore. For those who would want to argue about poverty in countries where income can be down to a few dollars, that is stretching the argument tangentially off. The latest victim who jumped at the MRT speaks volume of the plight of the bottom feeders in our society. And mind you, this is not going to be an isolated case. Despite the wealth of our nation, if the bottom feeders are left to fight for every piece of crumbs that fell off the table, then we cannot claim to have succeeded in giving the people a better life. There must be empathy for the hardlanders and conscious policies to uplift their meagre existence. The more funds are allocated to provide handouts to these hardup cases, the more serious is the problem. And such funds will never solve their problems. It is like passing $1000 to the widow of the MRT jumper. How good is that and how long is it going to last. We have failed many of these hardlanders. We have left them behind while feeding ourselves crazy with abalone and sharksfin. It is difficult to find empathy in our post 65ers when they were brought up in a life of luxury. Yes some may have gone through a bit of hardship. But they have short memories, after having arrived. They are likely to belong to the peanut generations.