yes, we are progressing

An article posted by an overseas Singaporean in Sammyboy Five years ago, if someone were to suggest to me that Singaporeans should always come first, whether with regard to housing, healthcare or education, I would have agreed readily. But as you can tell from my recent posts, I have become more skeptical about these "Put Singaporeans First" instincts. Back in the 1980s, faced with competitive pressures from Japan, there was also a 'Buy America' campaign. Today, 'Buy America' is probably targeted at cheap Chinese imports. But to those of us who are beginning to understand how inter-connected the world is, such efforts are looking increasingly futile, and are in fact detrimental to the people they are supposed to benefit. It became somewhat of a joke when it latter transpired that many made in America products in fact had foreign components. Looking beyond goods and services, globalisation has also resulted in greater movement of people from their countries of birth. Immigration and emigration are on the rise everywhere. I mentioned before that 1 in 10 British nationals actually live overseas even as Britain experiences large scale immigration. Singapore, being a global city-state, is not immune to these forces. I dare say that on the whole, we have benefitted greatly from it. We have many non-citizens (permanent residents, permit holders) working here for large parts of their lives. Many are becoming as Singaporean as you or I. Similarly, there are many Singaporeans working, studying, living overseas for an extended period of time. I am a Singaporean, but I do receive some British welfare benefits because I am studying here. With the influx of non-locally born students or working professionals to Singapore, competitive pressure inevitably arises - as is reflected in rising rents, house prices, transport congestion or university places. Faced with competitive pressure, the natural instinct is to adopt a 'Put Singaporeans First' mentality. There are also those in Britain demanding that welfare for foreigners be cut, and that British citizens should come first. Why should we worry about putting citizens before every one else? Firstly, it has become increasingly difficult to meaningfully categorise people into citizens and non-citizens based on the passports they hold, and conduct redistribution policies that way. For example, many permanent residents have lived in and contributed to Singapore for decades. Many have Singaporean spouses and Singaporean children. Secondly, even if we give the Singaporean priority to everything, healthcare, university education and what not, he or she could easily emigrate to another country after consuming all the benefits (ah big beautiful house and nice lifestyle in Australia). Being open and free means that citizens can easily pack up and leave. The fact that one has to be a Singaporean citizen at the point of consuming taxpayer-funded benefits does not guarantee that it will be taxpayers' money well-spent. Who is a taxpayer? Foreigners who work here pay taxes too, GST if not income taxes. Though it has become a cliche to say that the world has become more open and borders more porous, we still have not really accepted this at the emotional level. Many of you will no doubt disagree with me on this and believe that we citizens should always come first. But I hope to convince you at least that old comfortable assumptions we have will not always hold today. I fully agree with what he said. He is not only a Singaporean with talent, but also have breathed in fresh foreign air. So he can be a bit airy but the talent he showed in his arguments is a gem. We should do away with citizenship and embrace globalisation. This will be a first that we can claim and welcome everyone here as equals to all Singaporeans without distinction. We are progressing, very well towards the day when we can discard the name Singapore and call ourselves international citizens.

Concern over greying

Siew Kum Hong was concerned about the future of the greying population. He forgot that Lim Boon Heng is now looking at the problem full time. There should not be any problem when Boon Heng comes up with his solutions. Kum Hong's concern is that the greying population, especially the rich and able, will find a better and cheaper place to live. They are disenchanted with the life for the aged here. What could they do when the cost of being old is so expensive? And Boon Wan has also worked very hard, together with the CPF, to make sure that the old have money to keep themselves alive, and to feed the hospitals. The best solution actually is for them to take out all their CPF savings and move to a cheaper country to live. How can they afford such an expensive Singapore when they could live in easy comfort say in Sri Lanka or Malaysia? There are many options available out there. There is no need to think so hard of what to do with them. The solution is very simple actually. No need to exercise the brain juice of expensive brains.

World best civil service

The Accenture reports put the Singapore Civil Service as the best in the world. No surprises here. How else could the country run so well and for so long. The civil service is the backbone of the country's development, but often their role was underplayed. There were gripes about some inefficiencies here and there. What's so surprising and difficult to understand about this? Only God will think that he is perfect and cannot tolerate a little complaints. All earthlings are imperfect and will have slips or imperfections here and there that will draw flakes now and then. No matter how good is a system, there must be flaws, big or small. This is the realities of life. Despite all the imperfections, we indeed have a really good civil service.

Selling of core national assets

I greeted the news of the selling of our power stations with jittery. The big motherhood statements like liberation, another version of privatisation, are used to justify the move. It will definitely not affect the consumers. What an assurance. Can any vouch that this will not happen? In the past, all the privatisations were sold as the panacea for efficiency and cost reduction. What happened? Only the reverse. But the selling of the country's core assets is a different kettle of fish. Many disturbing questions come to my mind. Do we need the money? What are we going to do with the money? Buy sick foreign companies at a premium since no one is going to sell good and healthy companies except us? Or is the technology of the power station going to be obsolete that it is better to sell them now? The questions of national security is well answered and taken care of. And the consumer's and nation's interests are guaranteed to be protected. All thought through. The sale will only have benefits. Benefits to who? When all the concerns are addressed and confidently predicted that they will not become a problem, what can that we cannot sell? And it was also reported that the changes will not alter prices. For how long? We will see and monitor this again in a year or two down the road.

JB, a sad state of affair

Abdul Ghani met the demonstrators who were unhappy with the high crime rate in JB. As usual, he warned the demonstrators that it could lead to unexpected consequences. Now what did he meant by that when what the demonstrators were asking was for tighter law enforcement against crimes? Are the demonstrators going to be hurt instead of the criminals? It seems that there are two kinds of citizens. One protected by the law even if they turned to crime. The other of no consequence to the law even when they are victims of crime committed by the former.

What is Singapore Post up to?

I thought no organisation is to price in the 2% GST increase to the consumers? In his reply to Leong Sze Hian, Tay Poh Choo, a VP from SingPost said, 'As a GST registered company, Singpost collects GST on behalf of the Govt. In this exercise, we would like to assure the public that there will be no increase in revenue for Singpost.' And the 1c increase in postage is exactly 2%. Ok, accepted. And Singpost will absorb the 2% increase for all other local weight steps. 'We will return 1% of the franked postage to franked mail customers from 1 July.' Puzzled, 2%, 1%? Why take all the trouble?

myth 145

Finally David Gerald called it a myth The independence of independent director is a myth. I have said that before and now David Gerald is putting it on record in the media. The mechanism in the appointment of independent directors in contrary to the objective of having independent directors. David has agreed with my suggestions that an independent body must be appointed to provide directors unrelated to the organisation and its management. Only then can independent directors function independently and speak with a strong and impartial voice to self guard the interest of minority shareholders. I have suggested that MAS or SGX appoint SIAS as such a body. David has included included SID and two accounting bodies. I personally do not favour SID or any other bodies. I still prefer SIAS whose members are minority shareholders and have a genuine interest to safeguard their own interests. You need the owners, especially minority owners, to look after their own interest. Never trust anyone else.

We are progressing

We have over taken New York as the 14th most expensive city to live in. The rate of this climb is short of meteoric. From 46th in 2004, we leapfrogged to 34th and then 17th and today 14th. Our next target is Hongkong, currently 5th. We only lost out in rentals. Our public transport cost is already almost double that of Hongkong and our hamburger meal is $1.50 more. Maybe we have already over taken Hongkong as the report was probably based on last year's data. The phenomenon rise in our property prices and rentals is beating all records. If we have not beaten Hongkong yet, we are very close. By the time we are 6.5 million, the top slot will definitely be reserved for us. Then we can tell the world we are number one again.

Its the fault of the Internet

No it is the fault of the education system. No it is the fault of society. No it is BSE. It is so easy to blame someone else except to see the truth. The Abdul Basheer Abdul Kader incident is an exciting peep into the minds of radicals. Many conveniently point to the internet as the source of the evil. And in Today, Dharmendra Yadav quoted his foreign friend saying that it is our education system. A system that taught the people to think and acquire new knowledge but not to ask questions. What a contradiction. Now why would a professionally trained person like Abdul Basheer rejected all the goodies that he could have, the million dollar salary akan datang, to fight in the mountains of Afghanistan, to die for a cause? Perplexing questions are best answered by simple answers. It is the fault of the internet.

We believe

Segmentation of the Singapore society We are truly unique in many ways. We can even segment the property market and believed that the price spiral in the top end market will not affect the property prices of the HDB market. We also believe that the enbloc sales will be isolated and HDB prices will not rise. We believe. We just simply believe. We also believe that the GST increases can be managed and control with our unique and efficient law enforcement system that small businesses will not pass the cost to the consumers. We believe that all the businesses will simply just charge 2% of the GST and all cost remains unchanged. We also believe that the emperor is wearing his birthday suit, fully clothed.

Esplanade car parking fee up

Yes, it is from $4 to $5.50 for 4 hours of night parking. A 37.5% increase. Definitely the increase is not due to the 2% GST in July. Or else the Esplanade will be skinned alive for profiteering or taking advantage of the GST increase. For this, the most they can increase is 2%. The justification is because of higher rate of utilisation. There are more demand for the car parks there. Public transport operators should be happy to use this justification in the next round of price hike. The more people want to use a facility, it is a good reason to raise price. And in the case of the Esplanade, they should raise it more. For the comment from the car owners is an innocuous, just a bit steep. Nothing to worry about. And it is also good to know that Chijmes is charging $8, much higher. So as long as a good example is used to compare and justify the higher fee, it is ok. The fees for CTE and other expressways must go up when more motorists are using them. Another good reason is that the people parking in the Esplanade can afford it. So why not. It is affordable.

Another posh doggie restaurant

The dog food were very attractively prepared. Much much better than what one gets to eat in our food court. The dogs are living it up with their owners. Sometimes it is better to be a dog than a human bean. It is good that human beans take great care for the animals they loved. Shower them with gifts, accessories, trinkets, jewelry etc. I can only say nice. Somehow, after reading the article in the Sunday Times, I feel very uncomfortable. I got this feeling that it is very insensitive and a little sick. That's just my feeling.

It is getting nearer

Thailand is on fire. And the methodology is the same as those adopted in Iraq. Little explosive devices left innocently to be detonated to harm the people. In southern Thailand, the use of these devices is now in full blown. And the Thais are having a taste of it with many soldiers wounded or killed. And it is only the beginning. Coming further south, KL just had one yesterday at a bus station. Why on earth KL? And why the KL govt is pointing the fingers at the Thai militants in southern Thailand? God knows. What had happened in KL is too near for comfort. We cannot have such a thing to happen here. It will disrupt the lives of everyone. It is so scary and unnerving to imagine what it would be like. We have to be on our guards 24/7.

nkf story - pointing fingers

Why pointing the finger at the OA? Or at least it seems to be the case. Or at least the OA has felt it necessary to come out with figures to show that running away by bankrupts is a common occurrence. The figure did showed that the number of bankrupts escaping is on the rise. Many of them are of no significance or of no public interests. And the OA also admitted that most of the cases that were caught were due to tip offs by the public and whistle blowers. In the Richard Yong's case, there were no tip offs. The people who were helping him to quickly disposed off his properties or buying his properties did not see anything wrong with the transactions and also should not be blamed. It is just a natural cause of events. People should just live with it and should not read too much into its other implications. This is my view as I wanted to be generous on a Sunday morning. And definitely it is unfair to blame the OA.

Price increases - No sweat

Prices A relentless spiral Creeping pre-GST price hikes lighten the pockets of Singaporeans. By Seah Chiang Nee. Jun 16, 2007 MIDDLE class Singaporeans are being weighed down by rising costs of daily necessities that seem to show no sign of abatement. Hardly a week passes without a report or two of some service or bread-and-butter item becoming more expensive and biting into people’s fixed incomes. The surge started with condos (one that cost S$1mil or RM2.2 a year ago is now S$1.3mil or RM2.9) and cars, moving to the MRT, buses, taxis, hospitals, polyclinics, mail and utilities. The latest one hit some 750,000 households who subscribe to cable TV. They will soon have to pay S$4 more for the Basic Package – and a whooping S$15 (up from S$5) for the sports channels that televise English football. This has got soccer fans hopping mad with some threatening to cancel subscription, an unlikely solution since cable television is a monopoly run by a single operator. It is also the most important source of entertainment for the Singapore family, which is embittered at the arbitrary hike and the absence of a market alternative. In recent weeks, inflation worsened as merchants jumped into the bandwagon, hiking prices in restaurants, supermarkets, food courts, coffee shops and retail outlets. This affects the budget of every Singaporean but the hardest hit are the middle class and lower-income workers. To put it in perspective, not all shops everywhere are doing it and those that do are not raising prices for every single item in their premises. It is a sporadic, selective practice that depends on the person and the location. Some are reluctant to charge more for fear of losing customers. A stall near my home has just hiked his nasi lemak and mee rebus from S$2 to S$2.20. Across the road, a glass of sugar cane water is up 20 cents to S$1.20. In some places – but not all – chicken rice, the closest to a national dish here, now costs 50 cents more at S$3.50. Condensed milk, bubble tea and Campbell soup have become dearer. For consumers, the worst is to come. On July 1, Singaporeans will have to pay a higher Goods and Services Tax (GST) when it is increased from 5 to 7%. “The price increases look unstoppable and the government is either unable or unwilling to take action to deal with it,” said a retired teacher. In the government’s view, inflation here is largely imported or due to globalisation and represents only an insignificant rise in the Consumer Price Index. The only watchdog, the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE), has been a relative bystander especially when the perpetrator is the government or a Temasek-linked company. Inflation is not only a Singaporean phenomenon. It is also threatening stronger economies like the US and China, which are considering higher interest rates to dampen it. With an expected growth of 6% this year, Singapore is not spared. But the government’s strong business role and preoccupation with the bottom line are part of the dilemma. There are other official causes. Firstly, the authorities themselves had started the ball rolling when they raised charges for public services like education, hospitals and utilities. Secondly, the government is Singapore’s biggest landowner, owning some 70% of it and thus has a powerful say on prices. Rents in Temasek-controlled commercial and shopping properties have risen significantly. The impact on the retail trade is inevitable. In addition some of these linked companies operate a total or near-monopoly services that limit market competition. “Monopolistic price increases have happened all too often,” a commentator of current affairs observed. “It is time the ministers form a committee to look into government monopoly or cartel collusion to fix prices to ensure there is no infringement of the Fair Trading Act”. What is more worrying is structural inflation. As it speeds towards becoming into a global city with a large number of rich and talented foreigners, Singapore would likely take on a new high-cost structure. Becoming another city like New York, Tokyo or Paris, stirs excitement, but the cost of living is bound to take after them as well. The present predicament may be a sign of things to come. Singapore’s economy is gradually favouring the businessman over the ordinary worker. Some economists think the price surge will eventually settle back when the economy slows. “But many of the basic food prices, once raised, will not become cheaper ever again,” exclaimed a housewife. “We’re stuck with them.” There is rumbling in the heartland where 85% of Singaporeans live. The price hikes of basic goods and services are hurting many citizens with average or low incomes. The government is watching with some concern, although it has so far taken little public steps to combat the snowballing increases. When the GST increase comes into effect next month, the Singaporean pocket will be hit even harder. He will have to pay a 7% tax of almost every product or service, unless an exemption is stipulated. The authorities are dishing out S$100-S$400 a year to each adult over next four years to mitigate its impact. The poorer people get the higher sum. Apart from possible political fallout, the government will likely want to prevent higher costs from derailing its strategy of attracting foreign investment and talent. Already American businessmen have complained that spiralling rents are creating problems for them, forcing a number to relocate elsewhere. Cases of condo rents at choice areas rising up to by 50-70% once a lease expires have been growing, a trend that could benefit Singapore’s neighbours. (This article was published in The Star, Malaysia, on June 16, 2007) Price increases are expected when the GST goes up by 2%. And the Singaporeans should have no problem facing the increases. Thanks to the govt who have the foresight to anticipate the increases and has given several hundred dollars to every Singaporeans in advance. That's thoughtful. For me, it will be more money in the kitty as I will not be spending more than before. I will cut down on my food intake, 1 pack of 3 in 1 Super Coffee instead of 2, go to the barber once in two months instead of every month, use less water, lesser colgate, lesser hair cream. And drop one station earlier from the MRT and walk. It has the additional benefit of exercising my leg muscles. And all these with govt handouts safely in the kitty. Isn't that nice?

Cries for better TV programmes

Did I hear cries for better quality programmes on local TV? Why should that be when great qualities were promised when SBC was privatised? How could that be when greater programmes were promised when the two stations were merged? These people must be joking. I mean the viewers. Haven't they heard of the fascinating and popular super talents and superstars, even kiddy idols that were drawing the crowds of mummies and kindergarten children glued to the programmes? And we have all the TV awards programmes of the past being rerun for the viewers to enjoy their second or third viewing of the Price of Peace, or what, sorry can't remember any of them. And for those who want better quality programmes, they can go to MobTV, with the likes of I yoyo or programmes starring Zoe Tay and Li Nanxing, our equivalent of international movie stars. Those who can afford can pay a little more for cable tv too. I think Singaporeans are spoilt for choice for quality programmes. And Ling Pek Ling of MDA has said that with such a wide variety of good programmes and competition, there is no need for satellite TVs. After flipping through some of the Taiwanese comedies from some Jacky something and our famous, who's that Jack Neo's side kick, and Gurmit Singh, and the gang, Singaporeans are all laughing in stitches everyday. It is a laughing paradise. Only problem with me is that my perception of beauty and good look has changed quite dramatically. A little confession. The only programmes I watch are the news programmes. The rest, can be quite provocative to the mind. Never want to have nightmares.

What is the Singapore Brand?

Many people crow about the Singapore Brand. I am also proud of this brand. To me it means trustworthiness, reliability and peace of mind. Foreigners have this respect when they come to Singapore to do business or to do whatever. They know that this is a safe place, things are proper and orderly and predictable. The last thing they want to know is being cheated. That things don't work as expected. Now, with some of the negative publicity we are getting, we are hearing Singaporeans happily throwing around the word 'caveat emptor.' Now what does that mean? It means that one has to be careful when in Singapore or when dealing with Singaporeans. And if you are cheated, it is your own problem because you never open your eyes. Has Singapore or the Singapore Brand degenerate to this level when the trustworthiness and reliability are now not a given? And Singaporeans are happily going about it as if it is just the natural course of things to be in Singapore. Actually I should have posted this under the topic, Signs of Decline.

blair unhappy with media

Blair is unhappy with the Media and his criticism is summarised in the 5 areas below. 1. Scandal or controversy beats ordinary reporting hands down. 2. Attacking motive is far more potent than attacking judgment. 3. The fear of missing out means today's media, more than ever before, hunts in a pack. 4. The new technique is commentary on the news being as, if not more important, than the news itself. 5. This, in turn, leads tothe confusion of news and commentary. And the Media's reply: 1. Responsibility for spin, cronyism, sofa government and the fatal misjudgment over Iraq lies with Mr Blair and his government. 2. We hope nothing will ever come of any attempts to place the press under any kind of statutory regulation. The British press is all the things Mr Blair says it is. But it must remain free to be both awful and, on its day, magnificent. Fortunately our media are free from Blair's accusation. Our media does not do anything that Blair accused the British media of.

Declare income to receive workfare bonus

'Singaporeans eligible for the Workfare Bonus Scheme(WBS) must declare their income by June 30 in order to receive their second and final portion of the bonus, said the Ministrhy of Manpower yesterday.' Anyone declaring?

Labour force survey or means testing?

I just completed the survey online and it still took me more than half an hour to complete it. But that is not the main issue. What I find disgusting are the questions. They are intrusive to the privacy and confidentiality of a person. It is as good as a means testing. With the data asked, there is no longer any need for means testing. They want to know how many TVs you owned and what type. Are they going to start a manufacturing plant for TVs? Luckily it stopped short of asking how many marbles I have. But they already know the answer. Two of course. And how many trips I made to Batam? Another lucky question they never asked. How much do we value our privacy and how much can the ministry be allowed to ask in the name of a national survey? Unfortunately, the game is that they can ask anything if they want to. And the law says that you must comply or else.

The disappointing big debate.

I was eagerly waiting for the opportunity to be enlightened by the two learned counsels and their great debate. I thought for once the little earthlings will have a chance to witness the best from the best legal minds arguing their cases in the court of the people. The debate, should it take off, will be fairly judged by the people without any favouritism. I thought, if one wrote a page, the reply would come in 3 pages. And the counter reply will be 9 pages and so on. The issues in question will definitely be given a fair hearing and everyone will become wiser. Unfortunately there was no debate. The match stopped at round one and lights were switched off.

NKF story - Is Durai a nice man?

I have to address this issue after Matilah got so worked up by my posts. Would anyone say that Durai is not a nice man? He has good look, charm, he is charismatic, intelligent, position and power and a maverick. How many supertalents in Singapore can stand near him and look good? And physically he is simply tall, dark and handsome. He could be a movie star. He must have a lot of secret admirers too. But his being nice must be matched by the company he keeps. He has friends everywhere who admire and worship him. And his friends are not the ordinary illiterate and ignorant Ah Kow or Muthu or Ahmad. His friends are all the who's who in Singapore. Anyone who is not nice and attractive and celebrated will not have such luminaries as friends. And not that he has no friends at the lower levels. All his staff and colleagues were mesmerised by him. They regarded him like god. Then the beneficiaries of his organisation, they will kiss his feet. Now, is that enough to convince anyone that Durai is a nice man?

Just another thought

If I were to buy a few properties, I will definitely have to rely on the expertise and professional knowledge of my property agents, bank officers and conveyancing lawyers to make sure that the deal will get through without any complications. Will I be buying a property from someone having trouble with the law and on the verge of being made a bankrupt? I may, without all the knowledge of how such a situation could affect my purchase. But my property agent, or my conveyancing lawyer will definitely do their due diligence and advise me to stay clear of such properties. That is the least I will expect for the money I am going to pay. And if I will to go to the bank to arrange for a loan for the purchase, the bank officer will very likely not approve of such a loan. And the approval may also take quite some time for such a big loan. There will be a lot of checks and approvals along the way. Buying several properties will probably take several months for all the professional people to do their checks. Would my conveyancing lawyer encourage me to buy such properties even at dirt cheap prices?

myth 144

Multi tasking I have written about this before. I am prompted to write about it again after reading a letter by a Rick Lim Say Kiong in the Today paper. Rick's position is that employers are using the excuse of job enlargement and multitasking to exploit their employees with additional work but not additional pay. I am always sceptical about the concept of multi tasking. Up to a point, multi tasking works. The underlying assumptions is that the person is able to take on more jobs, can be trained to acquire more skills, and the jobs are easy to do within the limits of the employee doing it. And there is no compromise in quality and details. The problem is that everyone has a limited number of hours to work. Training someone to do 20 tasks does not mean that he can do twenty tasks. His 8 hours or 10 hours a day will mean that he can just do that much. The rest of the training and skills are wasted. Also, in highly specialised jobs where a lot of skills, knowledge and expertise are required, it is ridiculous to think that a person can be equally proficient in all the specialised jobs and skills and mastering them and executing them like an expert at all times. Even supertalents cannot do it without compromising on the quality. Maybe one, god.

Real wage increases by 3.5% last year

This is according to a Duke University/CFO Magazine survey. The increase, after correcting for inflation is only 3.5%. Whose salary is the survey using? A driver or a sweeper? Another problem is that productivity increases by only 1.2%. Such a huge discrepancy is a sign of trouble. This is untenable. How can wage increase outstrips productivity by 200%? It is like someone spending $3.50 but earning $1.20. Something must give.

First Nets, then Starhub

Both have long standing contracts with their customers, more or less tying them down in a way. Then comes the increases. And according to Starhub, this is market practice and the contract allows them to change the terms and conditions. Sure. Can such a practice continue to be allowed to go on? An equitable contract should be one that ties the parties to terms that both agree to at the moment of signing the contract. How can another party conveniently include all the empowering clause to allow it to change the terms of the agreement to his advantage and the other party cannot walk away with it? We have a lot of such contracts being signed. Some may be justifiable, eg long term housing loan that are affected by changes in interest rates. But all these short term contracts, when the variables are quite predictable and can be built into the contract, should not be allowed to have all the freedom to change according to their whims and fancy. This will put the other party at the mercy of the one sided contract. Yes, Case is right this time to step into the fray. Rip Van Winkle has awaken after all the years of sleeping. I mean Singaporeans in general, to their rights and start thinking.

nkf story - durai the man

Durai face his justice like a man Now that Durai had appeared in court to face justice squarely, the disappearance of Richard Yong will become more embarrassing and untenable politically. It is not only a problem of law enforcement and the credibility of our justice system, it has political ramifications. People are going to ask why and how come Richard Yong could get away. And the questions in people's mind can become more sensitive in nature. For the good of the system and peace of mind, Richard Yong must be brought home to face his just desert like every one of them. I do not know any one of them and am not posting this for personal reasons. It is all for the good of the country and the system.

Potential for xenophobic tension

Today, the current population ratio is about 1 foreigner to 1 citizen. When the 6 million figure is reached, it is likely that there will be 2 foreigners to every citizen. To some who have little contacts with foreigners, it is acceptable, healthy, and good for the economy and even suggestions that without foreigners we will be doomed. For those who have to face the foreigners daily in all his living activities, when every citizen has to fight for his space and the air he breathes, tension is likely to build up and break out. At the moment if one commutes by public transport, there is likely to be more than 1 foreigner, maybe 2 to every citizen. For not all citizens take public transport but all foreign workers and students do. The ratio in public facilities will see more foreigners than citizens. And when the time comes, when 6 million came, there will likely be 8 foreigners to every 2 citizens in the train and buses. And it is conceivable that all the younger, burly, dirty and smelly foreign workers will be seating and the minority citizens will be standing and being squeezed beyond their comfort zone. The current state of affairs in the mrt is that the foreigners are rushing and competing for every seat they can get in the train. There is no differentiation or consideration that these healthy young workers could take the punishing journey standing. They would rather sit. Imagine the day when the crowded trains have all the foreigners seating and all the citizens, a minority, having to stand in their midst. You can bet an outcry to come from the citizens complaining about losing their space and air to foreigners. But for those who commute by the comfort of their private limousines, these are minor irritations that the peasants and workers must bear. It is good for the country.

IMH in the red

Now this is unbecoming. It is time to relook at the costing and turn this around into a profit making organisation. IMH said it has 1,600 patients with 300 staying more than 10 years. How about encouraging them to discharge early? Its $9 million budget is a big strain. What is the budget of NKF? Or what is the budget for Changi prison? Should we also be worried about the high cost of operating a prison and turn in into a profit making organisation. Maybe they have already done that, with the prisoners working in some capacity. But hey, human rights groups would protest against selling their products. I am trying to think whether it is a problem for the govt to subsidise IMH. Oooh, touching on something sensitive, subsidy or is there a better word for it? Some of these patients, like the chronically sick or disabled, may have families who can afford to pay for their upkeep. Some may have financial difficulties paying for their lifestyle. Hmmm, terminating them, though a more efficient and practical solution, will definitely be unacceptable under any circumstances. So how? Maybe displaying them on TV and extract some emotional juice and sympathetic donations for their upkeep. An exceptional talent is needed to look at how to look after them without stressing on the state budget. How much does it cost to subsidise the durians or to encourage sports as a lifestyle? Living as a mentally ill patient is a lifestyle not of choice. But it is a way of living to them.

Absorb GST - passing the buck

Fair Price, Cold Storage, Shop N Save and Shengxiong are absorbing the July GST increase, albeit for a few months. It would be nice if all the big shops absorb the GST increase altogether. Then the people can save some money from this increase. But can things be so simple. Once there is an increase in cost, the merchants will know what to do and finally the consumers will end up paying everything and more.

myth 143

Rising cost and prices are bad I think this is a myth. Cost of living going up, GST up, prices of properties going up, rentals going up, fees going up, salaries going up, all these are actually good for the country. Singapore can only be saved when all the costs are up, the higher and faster, the better. You don't believe me? The laws of economics are like gravity. What goes up must come down. Any irrational and unjustified increases will strain the system and the system will break. Then all prices and fees and salaries will fall down like apples.We should quickly jack up all the prices. While we are complaining about having too many foreign talents and workers here and not knowing how to stop the flow, it is starting to slow down. And yes, they are finding it too expensive here to live with the relatively low income vis a vis cost of living. And the shops in Orchard Road will be ghost town if the prices keep going up. Soon people will stay clear of this place. Only the super rich and real super talents will come. And these are the people that we really need. Quickly, jack up the prices and see them fall.

Ban that song

In the Sunday Times column, 'English as it is broken', it tries to explain the proper usage of person and people as often people are confused when using these two words. A person is a person, singular. People is a collective now. So it is proper to say one person or two persons but not one people or two people. It is incorrect to say there are one or two people in the room. It is correct to say one person or two person in the room. So cannot say one people. This brings me to the famous national song of Singapore, One people, one nation, one Singapore. This must be broken English or Singlish. How can we sing 'one people'? Actually English is a bloody confusing language to use. And my first paragraph has me confused too. I begin with 'people are' and then 'people is'. Now which is right and which is wrong. People is a collective now, and is is used to explain the word. The people are friendly, the noun in action. And who says one cannot write 'is is' in the same sentence? Stupid English or Singlish?

Of politics, race and religion

Several JI operatives were detained by ISD again. And the faces are familiar, Muslim and Malay. But this time round there were no under currents by other groups to point the finger at the Malay community. Perhaps the process of educating the people to look at it as a problem not of a community but a few individuals has been a success. Also, this time the area of focus is the Middle East and Afghanistan, quite far away. The attraction in this case is the surfacing of an elite, a trained lawyer, who is motivated enough to give up his cosy lifestyle of comfort and material well being to risk his life in the rough and tumble of the war torn mountains of Afghanistan. Why is the movement gaining momentum despite the claims of success by the western media? Or is the western media's spin just a spin, and the movement is gaining grounds and growing stronger? For those who are reading the western media, the impression is a simple good guys against the bad guys, modernity against backwardness, secularity against religion, the west against the muslims or arabs. And it is very easy to choose to be on the right side of goodness. Apparently if one is to read the Middle Eastern or Muslim media, the picture is quite different. It is a picture of western oppression and injustice against the arabs and muslims, a war of suppression by the west against Islam, a war for control of Arab oil. So, is this a problem of politics or religion, or of race? It seems that it is a combination of all, and economics as well. Control of the Middle East, control of oil, control of media, control of values and control of a people and their religion. But the western media will say no, it is the uplifting of a backward people, a shining light of progress in democracy, human rights and materialism leading the way. The west and western media see themselves as the liberators of a feudal people locked away in time and stubbornly refusing to live and enjoy the life of modernity and secularism. And these people say, leave us alone to our life. We don't need you to meddle with our life and dictate to us your values. And so the fighting and killing continues.

The Living Legend

He may have come from a little red dot. Some may not have good things to say about him. Some may even hate him. Some may regard him as enemy. But he is a living legend among the world leaders today. No one in the world can command the kind of respect and deference from around the world except him. Not George Bush, Putin, Blair, Mahathir, you can name anyone, none is even close to the presence that he commands. LKY, just saw him in Tatarstan over the news. You can see how respectful and honoured the Russians felt to have him visiting them. And he is Asian, from a little red dot. Not even an Ang Mo. He is at least a head taller than all the Ang Mo leaders today. Whether you like him or dislike him, agree with him or disagree with him, he is in a class of his own. Singapore or the world will take a long long time to produce another man like him.

nkf story - Escape from Paradise - Book 11?

Richard Yong's escape from paradise is not only embarrassing, it complicates things further. He should have taken the Oriental gentleman route and do a hara kiri. Unfortunately he chose to live in ignominy, never to return again. How could that be a problem? What would happen if Durai also thinks of the same plan and got hauled back at the immigration? Tongues will go awagging. How come Yong could escape and Durai could not. Fortunately Durai is unlikely to do that. He is going to take the rap, face the penalty like a man, like a tough CEO that he once was. Again, if he does not appear in the next hearing, would there be a wrath of the people? After all the happenings, people are getting very uneasy about how the events are unfolding. It is giving rumour mongers a lot of ingredients to feed their imaginations.

Singaporean catch phrases

The Singaporean Dictionary of famous phrases, in jest. (To be added on as more gems are discovered) Affordability: It means affordable according to the income of the person saying it. Equality: Some have more rights than others. Or as in Animal Farm. Foreign talents aka Fallen Trash: Not very bright foreigners but can replace Singaporeans on cheaper pay. Foreign workers: To compete with local workers to keep wages low. GST: Tax to benefit the poor and lower income citizens High Pay: Free of corruption Honest Mistake: Free from accountability. A learning process for taking risks. IR: Another term for Casinos Let's move on: Enough. We have decided and no one should say anything more about it. Case closed. Local talents: Only in demand overseas Majority: If 1 million did not vote and 3 voted, 2 is a majority. Means Testing: An opportunity to strip a citizen down to bare all his poverty. Mee Siam Mai Hum: Uniquely Singapore National security: My security, or the security of whoever saying it. Pah Si Buay Chow: Stay on as long as the pay is good. Peanuts: As it is, good for monkeys only. Political talents: The best of all the country's talents. Quitters: Applicable to Singaporeans who can't make it here. Redbeanforum = online rantings in futility? ;P Retirement age: Not applicable in politics Straight As: Above average students. Anything below is average or below average. Straits Times: Tongue in cheek views of professional journalists for nation building. Subsidies: Govt subsidises, the people pay. Super talents: Measures by income Transparent: For me to know, for you to find out. Unemployed - Refers to lazy and choosy individuals. World class. This has many definitions depending on the context. World class govt: Highest paid govt. This is unchallenged. Will appear in Guinness Book of Records soon. World class public transport: Sardine packed public transport. World class universities: Based on the criteria of assessments and number of foreign students and lecturers tweaked to fit to the expected model.

reloading redbeanforum.com

Yesterday 2000 of my registered member's name were deleted. Wow! Who would want to do this to me? Anyway, I am asking the hosting party to have it reloaded. But I will lose one to two days of my posts there. The hazards of cyberspace publishing.

myth 142

Singapore does not care about its olds This is a myth and must be debunked. Singapore has done so much for the ageing population that we should be considered as one of the most creative in this area. We have made provisions in the CPF to make sure that all of them retire happily with a big cache of cash, at least $140,000 in their retirement and medisave accounts combined. And there are many benefits for the senior citizens like cheaper fares for public transport and medical fees. We have built specially designed flats with grab poles, emergency buttons etc at very cheap prices. And if that is not enough, we may even buy some pacific islands and turn them into senior citizens paradise. Now, not good enough? We even have a minister specially designated to look into the problems of the ageing population. And he is one of the finest and experienced ministers in the cabinet. He may know not much about this field, but he is taking it very seriously. He is now on a world tour to visit the best facilities to learn from them, first hand experience. By the time he is back with all the new knowledge and information and formulas, our ageing population problem will be solved. So no one can accuse the govt for not spending money and effort to look after our senior citizens. Some even got free money, like $260 a month to spend freely. And these are those without the $100k plus savings. It is a good life for the senior citizens. Those who want to work until they die, jobs are aplenty. They can work in food courts or in high offices, depending on their talents.

nkf story - let's be forgiving

Thomas Koshy wrote an article in Today asking many embarrassing questions about Yong's disappearance. And he was being polite, and so are we. We should all regard the whole episode as a Singaporean joke and laugh about it in private conversations. As for the culprits, I sense that there is this great compassion in all quarters to forgive them. So let us all forgive them and pretend that nothing happened and continue to live life as it is. No more funny questions.

nkf story - another outrage?

Huang Shoou Chyuan wrote a letter to the Today paper saying that the public is justified in being disappointed at how a high profile person like former NKF chairman Richard Yong could have escape the grasp of justice. Am I sensing another outrage by how events are turning out? S hould the people responsible be responsible? I think not. This kind of things don't happen everyday and it is only human to err. Just like the case of Cityspring, we are very new to such games. Even if Durai did not return will be a non issue. Never mind, let's move on. Super talents and super pay and making little slips are not related. There are more important things to do and take care of.

To each his own

Singapore Incorporation is slowly disintegrating. I can sense that there is a lack of concern, anxiety, taking ownership or appreciation of how one arsehole can bring the downfall of the whole incorporation. The impression I get is that everyone is only concerned about his own arsehole being stuff with gold and not being screwed. As long as that is taken care off, no one will bother about the big picture. The fumbling and crumbling of the education industry is a case in point. Is there another urgency and anxiety to make sure that the Education Hub goal is not compromised by all the fly by night operators? One by one is crashing down. And can anyone believe that all these problems will not affect the Education Hub? It will not affect the Education Hub, but more. The image of Singapore as a squeaky clean and efficient place, that everything works, will be compromised as well. This is the same kind of mentality like we often heard from one organisation to another. It is affordable. 2c here, 20c there, $2 elsewhere, all affordable on its own. But the aggregate of all these, the big picture, is that it burns a big hole to those who cannot afford them. Maybe we can still afford to have a few private schools closing down and a few hundred students crying on the streets. And caveat emptor hor. What happens to Singapore Incorporation when every bit is intertwined to bake a bigger pie?

A Malaysian diaspora speaks up....

I am a female Chinese Malaysian, living in the Washington DC area in the United States . I have read many of the letters that often talk about foreign countries when the writers have no real knowledge of actually living in those countries. Many draw conclusions about what those countries are like after hearing it from someone else or by reading and hearing about them in the media or after four years in a college town in those countries. I finished STPM with outstanding results from the prestigious St George's Girls School in Penang .. Did I get a university place from the Malaysian government? Nothing. With near perfect scores, I had nothing, while my Malay friends were getting offers to go overseas. Even those with 2As got into university. I was so depressed. I was my parents last hope for getting the family out of poverty and at 18, I thought I had failed my parents. Today, I understand it was the Malaysian Government that had failed me and my family because of its discriminatory policies. Fortunately, I did not give up and immediately did research at the Malaysian American Commission on Education Exchange (MACEE) to find a university in the US that would accept me and provide all the finances. My family and friends thought I was crazy, being the youngest of nine children of a very poor carpenter. Anything that required a fee was out of our reach. Based on merit and my extracurricular activities of community service in secondary school, I received full tuition scholarship, work study, and grants to cover the four years at a highly competitive US university. Often, I took 21 credits each semester, 15 credits each term while working 20 hours each week and maintaining a 3.5 CGPA. A couple of semesters, I also received division scholarships and worked as a TA (teaching assistan t) on top of everything else. For the work study, I worked as a custodian (yes, cleaning toilets), carpet layer, computer lab assistant, grounds keeping, librarian, painter, tour guide, etc. If you understand the US credit system, you will understand this is a heavy load. Why did I do it? This is because I learnt as a young child from my parents that hard work is an opportunity, to give my best in everything, and to take pride in the work I do. I walked away with a double major and a minor with honours but most of all a great lesson in humility and a great respect for those who are forced to labour in so-called `blue collar' positions. Those of you who think you know all about Australia , US, or the West, think again. Unless you have really lived in these countries, i.e. paid a mortgage, paid taxes, taken part in elections, you do not understand the level of commitment and hard work it takes to be successful in thes e countries, not just for immigrants but for people who have lived here for generations. These people are where they are today because of hard work. (Of course, I am not saying everyone in the US is hardworking. There is always the lazy lot which lives off of someone else's hard work. Fortunately, they are the minority.) Every single person, anywhere, should have the opportunity to succeed if they want to put in the effort and be accountable for their own actions. In the end, they should be able to reap what they sow. It is bearable that opportunities are limited depending on how well-off financially one's family is but when higher education opportunities are race-based, like it is in Malaysia ; it is downright cruel for those who see education as the only way out of poverty. If you want to say discrimination is here in the US , yes, of course it is. Can you name a country where it doesn't happen? But let me tell you one thing - if you go looking for it, you will find it. But in Malaysia , you don't have to go look for it because it seeks you out, slaps you in your face every which way you turn, and is sanctioned by law! Here in the US , my children have the same opportunity to go to school and learn just like their black, white, and immigrant friends. At school, they eat the same food, play the same games, are taught the same classes and when they are 18, they will still have the same opportunities. Why would I want to bring my children back to Malaysia ? So they can suffer the state-sanctioned discrimination as the non-malays have for over 30 years? As for being a slave in the foreign country, I am a happy 'slave' earning a good income as an IT project manager. I work five days a week; can talk bad about the president when I want to; argue about politics, race and religion openly; gather with more than 50 friends an d family when I want (no permit needed) and I don't worry about the police pulling me over because they say I ran the light when I didn't. I feel so sorry for her and all Malaysians in the same fate.

Time to sell piggy banks

With Nets increasing its levy, those who do not want to pay through Nets can pay by cash. And with interest rate at the lowest, and having to pay to keep money in the banks for people with little money, maybe more people will keep more cash at home. I am thinking of importing more piggy banks to sell at pasar malam.

Children unable to perceive cruelties

Generally, children are less perceptible about what is cruelty and what is fun. The younger the age, the less able will be their faculty to reason goodness from badness, right from wrong. There is a letter in the Today paper complaining about children catching guppies in ponds for fun and in the process caused the unnecessary death of many of the fishes. This is indeed regrettable. Some education in schools and by parents is sorely needed in this area. Fishing for fun is very different from fishing for food. Children may not understand. But adults should, or do they? Many adults still spent millions of dollars going for that fishing trip for fun. It is fun and thrilling to hook up a live fish and see the poor bugger struggling to break free. And in the process, the fish is likely to tear off its throat or cheek. How much pain is there? One joker told me that fish have no pain cells and cannot feel pain. What an idiot. Generally, human has this cruel instinct in them. And as long as cruelty is done to others, it is fun, acceptable. This animalistic instinct is often displayed by the maid abusers. It is waiting to surface everyday.

Education hub or leper's island

This one is accredited by MYCS and MOE and CaseTrusted. Froebel Academy has not only owed salaries to its teachers, it is not issuing certificates to its students after completing their courses. Some did not get their certificates since December last year. After the camped out, they promised that the certificates will be issued this Friday. The certificates were supposed to have two chops, one from an East China University and another from the Academy as endorsements or credibility of the certificates. Over the news it was reported that the chop from the University would cost the students another $7,500. This was denied by the Academy. The net effect is that the students were very unhappy for their plight. And the Academy told the students it is closing down. How many of such fiascos can the Singapore Education Hub takes before it earns itself the reputation of an education leper's island? It is high time that the ministry persecute these operators for the damage that they are doing to the Singapore brand. Another few of these incidents will turn the Singapore brand upside down. It will become a brand of ill repute. We should not tolerate such violations and quickly put our house in order before more damages are done. We are losing our credibility and reputation very fast.

Nets is doing what is right

Nets is a commercial enterprise and must have profits to survive. It is not a charity organisation. The raising of its levy is part and parcel of its business. It will raise the level until the consumers find it unbearable and refuse to use it. Hey, that is basic. As long as they price it competitively, it is really a business decision. It is doing something not different from public transport or other service providers. And it is better to 'increase in small amounts rather than to raise a big lump sum after several years.' If public transport companies and other monopolistic service providers can do it this way, while reaping huge profits, what is wrong with Nets doing it? What about credit card companies charging 2% interest rate per month and compounded if the consumers did not pay the debt promptly? How many per cent is that a year? Compare that with the loan sharks. Oh it is international practice and no one can do anything about it.

"My name is Naomi Lourdesamy":

hi. my name is rachel. ingatius lourdesamy is my uncle and therefore, unfortunately, naomi is my cousin. sad, i know. don't worry about her or her silly threat. she's a kid and the only thing she could probably do is either scream or cry your ear off. speaking from experience, it isn't something you really wanna endure, but it's by no means something that'll affect you permanently. on my cousin's behalf, i'm really sorry for any trouble or worry she's caused you. (p/s not all lourdesamys are like this) I have copied this post from rachel which she had posted in one of the threads lost in time. It was several moons back and it will be very tedious to search through the blog to get to it. So I posted it here. And don't worry about naomi. I was only teasing her. Singapore is not a place where anyone can go around threatening another person for the slightest thing. Unless the person doing it is a very exceptional person. I believe you have read the many postings here and know that we do not purposely hang anyone for no reasons. And I hope you and naomi can visit the blog more often and share your views here. Cheers.

Case taking on Nets

It is good that case is taking on Nets for the impending increases in its levy. And I support Yeo Guat Kwang's reasoning. 'They have been given this monopolistic mode of operation because we see this as a basic infrastructure, to provide a basic mode of payment for all Singaporeans. So, they can't just come out and tell Singaporeans now "I see this as...a commercial decision."' Well said and well reasoned. I hope Case will use the same logic and take on other monopolistics infrastructure businesses and stop them from squeezing the people. Infrastructure and essential services were given monopolistic businesses as a service to the country and people. They must not be allowed to hijack them and keep raising their fees using commercial decision as an excuse. Lets see which monopolistic infrastructure organisation is next on Case's list. Keep up the good work, Case.

NKF story - A big sham!

The Straits Times Editor is angry. How could Richard Yong ran away so easily. It is just unbelievable in our squeaky efficient system that Richard Yong could sell off all his properties, got all his money and disappear into thin air leaving everyone mouth open wide wide. Lan lan so they said. An no one got any hint of all these happenings, that it was clear that he was going to scoot off! In the ST editorial, I quote: To say this is an unsatisfactory end to a scandalous episode in a matter of public trust is an understatement. Singaporeans who have ever gien money to charities big and small, no questions asked, have never been more incensed....This is not an academic question. Substantial amounts in damages could be involved. It is conceivable cases of breach of a public duty to care can crop up from time to time. What more can I say?

infidelity in language

Ang Mo professor says Singlish good leh Is this another form of infidelity? Should we take the Ang Mo professor's comment as a compliment, an encouragement to go on and develop our version of Singlish? Quite nice actually. Then lin peh can speak Singlish to the Filipinos and they can reply in Tagalog English and our Malaysian and Indonesian English all together. Shiok, Singapore will be so colourful. Si peh ho. This is another sign of progress.

Is it naive or stupidity or something else?

I heard over the news on the IPO listing of CitySpring and how the fund managers were paid more than $60 mil in about four months on a scheme based on the stock's performance in the market. And the amount was almost double the whole years profit of the company! The payment was due to a contractual agreement and formula and perfectly transparent and aboveboard. So no hanky panky stuff. The comments I heard was that we were a young economy, can't believe that, so we are ignorant or naive or immature, and signed an open ended performance formula. Stupid is a word that was not used. Being conned was not said. So it is excusable for a first world country, with so many talents, local and foreign, to get into such an agreement. Would the CitySpring owners feel good about it? Any average middle manager will know that one cannot have an open ended formula for performance bonus, bonuses for staff or senior management. There must be a cap, a French cap will be quite appropriate, to prevent exorbitant payouts. It is so elementary and after so many years of progress, it still happened. What a joke!

Dwindling purchasing power

At the rate the prices of things are shooting up, whatever subsidies will quickly be eroded away. Those lower income earners, including all under $5k household income, will feel the squeeze. The purchasing power of their dollar is getting smaller by the day. The only people who can cushion against a lost of income from a dwindling dollar will be those who can command a 20% or 30% salary increment. I have yet to read in the media how much has it cost the people with all the increases taking place, the 2% gst, housing, food, medical fees, transportation, etc etc. How much of the dollar has already been wiped away without the people spending the money?

The pragmatic and professional leaders

In Malaysia, we have seen a new approach towards inter state relations and a pragmatic approach towards economic development under the leadership of Abdullah Badawi. He has single handedly changed the whole mindset of his cabinet, from one of bickering, politiking to one of getting work done in a rational and professional manner. In Indonesia, under the leadership of Yudyoyono and the likes of its Defence Minister Juwono Sudarsono, the picture is very similar. The professional men are in charge and wanted to do so much for their countries. Unfortunately both are facing the same problems of tribal chiefs at the peripheral doing their best to undermine their authority at the central. What the central govt tries to do, the local chieftains will try to destroy. The arrest of Singaporean barges and Singaporeans in the Karimun case was nothing but piracy. And the tone and acrimony against the Extradition Treaty and DCA were just polemics with little substance. And in Malaysia, the opposition to the IDR were in the same vein. They would be lucky if Singapore participates and make the IDR a success. For the IDR can be the most competitive region vis a vis Singapore and can take away a lot of businessess from us. Once it has established itself as a reliable and credible economic zone, it will simply be irresistible for investors not to be there. It has so many comparative advantages if the tribal chiefs could be gagged and prevented from spilling or over turning the pot. The two countries are being held at ransom by the retards of their countries, the 'chiat liow bee' politicians.

Trees are attacking Singaporeans

The trees are striking at Singaporeans, killing 3 in a row. And so is our water. Wild water and safe water, they are still life threatening. It is time to cut down all the trees and warn Singaporeans not to go near them or the water. The building of dykes would come in handy to keep the water away. And all pools should be covered up to be used only as water containers. What have we done to the trees and water that they are picking on us? Is there any infidelity on our part to deserve the wrath of nature? It is very strange for trees to attack people. And swimming pool incidents should not have happened again and again. We are now so experience in picking dead children bodies from the pools. Do we want to continue to do so?

myth 141

Peasants are inept to understand This is a glaring fact and is proven everyday. The latest call by Lim Hwee Hua to raise taxi surcharge is the most effective and practical solutions to get taxis running on the road again. Peasants just cannot appreciate the real meaning behind the proposal. How so? The current rate is too low, so too many calls and all the taxi drivers have no problem taking one call and follow by another in quick succession. So why should they be so stupid to drive around and burning petrol dollars? The surcharge should be raised to $50. Then only those few who can afford to pay for the surcharge will call. Bet you, the calls will drop to 1%. And all the taxi drivers who think that they will can get continuous calls will think twice. For they may not even get one call a day. tan ku ku. And when the calls are not coming, and when they have to pay the rentals, oh yes, the rentals must go up also, they got no choice but kuai kuai ply the roads and rush for passengers. Then they cannot afford not to drive the taxis and wait at home for calls. It will create a real buzz on the roads with taxis zigzaging every where for passengers. I support the $50 per call surcharge.

MSM in 2015

Could it happen, that comes 2015, the msm will be renamed The Money Times? And the style and vocabulary used will be distinctively monetised. For example, $10 million visited the US and was greeted by $2 million. And $10 million, being thicker in the pocket, and definitely thicker also in the head, gave a pat on the back of $2 million for doing a good job. And before leaving the US, $10 million said he approved of how $2 million was handling the terrorists crisis around the world. And he left some good advices for $2 million to ponder over. Back home, $10 million was welcomed back at the $500 million airport by hundreds of $100,000 and $200,000. And lining the roads were thousands of $10,000 and $20,000 cheering and waving when the motorcade of $10 million drove by. Names are more difficult to remember huh? Digitising is much easier for the computers to recognise.

The best govt

We have the best and a world class govt that the world admires. Citizens of our neighbouring countries and far and wide all had a Christmas wish, that they could have a govt like ours. And the govt has pledged to the people that it will look after the people, no man will be left behind, all the policies are for the good of the people. Now the paradox. Increasingly the mood is that the govt is no longer the govt for the people. It may be just a perception. It may not be true. It may be a false reading by the ignorant and not so talented citizens who are not up to it to understand what the govt is doing for them. But it is their perception, like it or not. When the people think otherwise, does it matter?

Means testing already in practice?

Is this true? Mrs Yeun Yik Kwong wrote to the ST forum page on her personal encounter with means testing at a polyclinic. All we have been hearing is that means testing is still an option in govt hospitals. OK, polyclinic may technically not be a hospital, it is a clinic. So has means testing been introduced into polyclinics and not in hospitals? Whether it is introduced in polyclinics or hospitals, would it make a difference that means testing is already in practice? What is the truth? Administratively it is brilliant, worthy of the high pay for talented minds. If a referral from a polyclinic is the first door to a hospital admission, and if this door is closed, no further need for means testing in hospitals. Now is this true or false? Simply brilliant.

market economy, consumer choice

When the market was booming and demand for condominiums was high, many developers, including HDB, responded by building more condos. When the market was weak, HDB changed policies to build more 3 rm flats. This is not only being responsive to the needs of the people, it makes simple commonsense. Provide what the people want and can afford to pay. Read in the papers today that C class hospital wards are in demand. This simply says that people cannot afford better class wards or do not want them. And this is expected. According to the distribution of incomes, only 10% are at the top and another 20% are reasonably comfortable. The bulk of the populations are just struggling and trying to make ends meet. C class wards would be appropriate for their pockets. Hospitals should provide the different classes of wards according to the income of the people. The number of A and B1 wards must reflect proportionately the income distribution of the population. A responsive govt that thinks for the people should provide goods and services according to the needs of the people. So, are we going to see more C class wards being provided by the hospitals? Or are we going to see means testing being introduced to cut down on people opting for C class wards? Or the charges of C class wards will go up to cut down the high demands for them. Whatever, those who have to be hospitalised must quickly get themselves admitted and take advantage of the current situation.

out of quotes

'My outlook on life is not based on what possessions I own, knowing how transient life is; or what others think of me, knowing how seldom they do.' Peter Lim in Today paper. I don't know which Peter Lim this is. There could be thousands of them in the streets. Personally I have known at least half a dozen. Doesn't matter. But this is crap and dangerous in a way. It will undermine the ethos of our society. People may start to give up the chase for more dollars. People may stop working. We will have employers crying for employees and may end up with more imports of foreign workers. And if people refuse to work, to earn money, to buy those properties, the property market may collapse. We cannot say such things. Quite stupid actually. Money is good. The smell of money is the smell of success and recognition. No money no honey.

whose right balance?

Another great debate in the making - The right balance This time we are seeing learned counsels trained to argue in courts arguing in the media. And we are seeing two of the best taking sides on Champs, Chumps and Chimps. The key issue probably is about who are the Champs, the Chumps and the Chimps. Philip Jayeratnam is not comfortable about the remuneration system in the public sector, including the salaries of Ministers. Shanmugam is now out to defend the goodness of the system. The Today paper reported, 'Mr Shanmugam, however, argues that Singapore must strike the right balance between valuing the contribution to society through public service and paying reasonably for that service.' Now, right balance according to who? Many, including Jeyaratnam, must have disagreed with the present right balance. That's why the issue was hotly talked about in every little corners of the society, including the msm and cyberspace. But this is the right balance, the best balance, in fact less than perfect, as the salaries paid are still below the benchmark provided by the formula. So who should have the final call and say 'I am right. My version of the right balance is the right balance.'

The basics of education

An educated workforce is an asset to the nation. Govt will find it to its advantage, and also its responsibility to educate its people, which in turn benefits both country and people at the same time. Educating the population is thus both a necessity and a responsibility of a govt. The investment ploughed into education will bear its fruits and the country will be rewarded with a better educated and trained workforce. Initially it may appear to be a cost centre. But it is more than just the churning out of more employable workers, it encompasses the whole well being of a nation, the quality of life and the social environment, and everything that got to do with progressing up the ladder towards an advanced country. But education has been seen as an avenue for profit by some wise guys. Which is true to a certain extent. However, when profit is the only driving goal for education, it undermines its reason to exist as an industry. The assumption of private education for profits must be quality education to befit its high price. And quality education, which culminates in producing quality students, does not depend on the infrastructure and the quality of the teachers. It also depends on the quality of the students. Another case of rubbish in rubbish out. Here comes the problem. Quality students will either be provided with scholarships to pursue their studies in quality institutions or will qualify for admission to state universities at a much lower cost. There is no need for them to pay through their nose to private institutions for a quality education. Private institutions will thus be snuffed out of their supply of good quality students. This is a simple fact that they must know. Unless private universities can provide such a high quality education that established universities cannot provide and can attract quality students to pay for it. In reality, only those who cannot get into cheaper state universities will opt for private universities and willing to pay a higher fee. What these students would expect is that the entry requirements must be lower. That is the expectation. This is the contradiction that private universities must live with. Who the hell would want to pay more for admission to a lesser private university when they can get admitted into the best universities at a lower fee? Education for profit must thus compromise the quality of the education for the students. And this has been going on in many countries when grades were inflated to keep paying students happy and coming. Exceptional cases can be made out for niche markets or for very well established universities that can still retain the high entry requirement and command a high fee. A Harvard or MIT campus here will attract some very good students who are willing to pay the high fees which again may be relatively cheaper than pursuing it in the US. Any other average brand universities must reckon with the hard realities that they will only get the second or third best candidates available if they set up business here and want to command a higher fee. Would ivory tower professors understand this simple business logic?

Myth 140 - Unsolvable Problems

It is a myth that Singapore cannot solve any problem. The latest problem on difficulties in finding taxis during peak periods has been solved. This is a problem caused by heavy usage and calls for taxis during the certain hours. The solution, raise the surcharge. This will reduce the demand for taxis. It's so elementary and so ingenius. And any expressway that is too congested, raise the toll fees. Then traffic will be directed from expressway A to expressway B. And when B is congested, raise the toll fees. Traffic will then be diverted back to A which is having lesser traffic. And when it gets congested again, raise the toll fees again. Traffic will then go to B again. Just keep doing it and the problem will be solved. And if people are consuming too much food and there is food shortage, just raise the price. Then people will consume less. Just like saving water. This is the magic formula to problem solving.

Abe not good enough

ABE not good enough. No, I am not referring to Shinzo Abe but A level grade. When a ABE grade cannot find a place in the local universities, this is going to be a bigger issue than the UNSW. In the latter, it concerns only 250 students, and maybe half are foreigners. For a university place, it is going to affect many Singaporeans, dotting parents and their precious wards. Now people are going to question why their children with reasonably good passes are not going to find a place in local universities. Admittedly what are reasonable grades may be subjective depending on the standard of the affected parties and the universities. What will eventually be dragged out to air will be the number of places given to foreigners, including scholarships using public money, and how many local children would have been displaced from such a policy. The parents are now up in arms. We are the citizens of the country. We are the taxpayers. We are the people to defend this country. I could here them say...Welcome to the Hotel California, such a lovely place, such a lovely place...

Faces of anguish

Everyday the papers and the TV flashed faces of anguish of distraught students from UNSW and their parents. It is truly distressing. A very sad episode to put so many innocent people in such a state of uncertainty with their hopes totally smashed.

6th most stressful country

Singapore is 6th most stressful country We are now ranked as more stressful than Hongkong, according to Grant Thornton International Business Report. Can you beat that? I know one sure reason why Singaporeans are feeling stressed. When you are earning $20k a year and queuing to strike toto every week but in vain, but you are told that many people are earning an equivalent of a toto win every 6 months or every 2 months, sure you get stressed. How not to when all the queuing for the next 30 years may not even strike one toto prize?

Najib's pledge of govt support

Najib was in Singapore selling the IDR. No one can doubt his sincerity and the sincerity of the Abdullah govt for what they want to do in the IDR. They will definitely be investor friendly. After so many years of comparing the nonsenses committed by the Mahathir regime and the Indonesians in Riau, and the no nonsense economic policies of Singapore and even China, they should be able to see the impact of economic growth if the policies are correct. But the Malaysian politics is as changeable as the weather and with so many kampong politicians in the wings, anything can happen tomorrow. In order for the present policies to be taken seriously, they need to cast them in iron with all the what if conditions stated clearly in the contract. If not, it will become, for future Malaysian leaders to say, "I don't know. It was the old regime. We are now changing our policies." And the investors will be caught again with their pants down, and pockets empty. And cannot pull out.

UNSW case, signs of progress

Though I posted a different sentiment under the topic Signs of Decline on this issue, I am saying something different here from another perspective. We are progressing towards a kinder and more forgiving nation and mistakes are now taken in their strides. When mistakes were made in the thousands of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars, we are now regarding them as honest mistakes and part and parcel of the risk mechanism. And anyone making such multi million dollar mistake becomes more valuable as we have invested the lost millions in them to learn. And definitely they will not repeat the same mistake again and will become a wiser person. We are progressing in the right track. Just because we are paying top dollars does not mean that the axe must come down every time a mistake is made. We must treasure risk takers and people who made honest mistakes. Otherwise no one will want to be risk takers and no honest mistakes will be made. But for those who did not do enough homework or were tardy, and left a big gap in their decisions and resulting in huge losses, now that is a different matter altogether.

The audacity of Siew Kum Hong

How could Siew Kum Hong questioned the role of EDB in the UNSW fiasco? EDB has came out openly to say that they are not responsible and UNSW is ultimately responsible for the mess. Period. Can we not accept this clear cut position? And the reasons for not disclosing how much public money were lost were logical and for the good of the country. They cannot disclose it as it will compromise our position in future negotiations. Very reasonably put forth. Certain information are best keep undisclosed in the interest of the country. Transparency must have its limits and things of national interest cannot be divulged casually. According to the Financial Times, $80 million of public money were involved. This is only speculation and cannot be proven as no official figure has been given. Anyway it is small change. Money seems to be an issue in the article as Siew Kum Hong said that with world class pay, the public should demand a higher standard of disclosure, transparency and quality from govt employees. Though I take a different position from Siew Kum Hong, I strongly encouraged everyone to read his article in the Today paper today. He makes a lot of sense. And I am proud of him and Today for printing it. It will be better if Siew Kum Hong raises the same issues in Parliament.

good and bad news on medical fees

Good news, govt hospitals to absorb GST increases Bad news, consultation fees to go up between 5% to 20%. Patients visiting govt hospitals should be thankful that the 2% GST increases will not be absorbed by the hospitals. But because of higher demand and higher costs, though many measures were implemented to reduce cost, consultation fees just have to go up. But a reasuring note, these fees are still affordable. Affordable according to who?

Indonesian Parliament rejects DCA

The refusal by the Indonesian Parliament to ratify the DCA also means that the Extradition Treaty will be thrown out of the window as well. Now, shall we be unhappy or rejoice for this great happening? I think we shall celebrate. If we express any regrets or unhappiness, they will think that they have done the right thing and good for Indonesia. What we should do is to celebrate loudly. That will make them ponder and probably start to worry about what they had done. Let's keep them guessing and questioning their own thinking by throwing a ball.

When altruism is dead

When setting up schools is to make money When setting up hospitals is to make money When standing for election is to make money When public service is to make money When setting up a charity is to make money When recognition of an individual's worthiness is about making money That is, when altruism is dead.

myth 139

The fiction of guilt The Sentosa Resort has been plagued with an assumed guilt that Stanley Ho is linked to the triads and it is not desirable to put his money here. I have earlier commented that many of the casinos in Las Vegas and around the world are also linked in one way or another to the mafias and triads all over the world. So what's the big deal? Now western developed, advanced and high moral countries are accepting that the children of Stanley Ho are innocent and not guilty by relations to Stanley Ho. By the way, who has pronounced that Stanley Ho is guilty? Which God said so? I like what Jesus said. 'Let the one who has not sinned be the first to cast the stone.' Where are all the saints? All in the little red dot I supposed. We shouldn't call ourselves a paradise. That is an insult to our squeaky clean country. We shall call ourselves heaven on earth, Sin free City, the habitat of demigods where no evil man shall be allowed to trample on.

barking up the wrong tree?

By now the whole machinery to achieve a first class transport system and a first class MRT should be in full swing. So far the idea of a first class transport system includes an MRT that is modelled probably after Tokyo. Tokyo seems to be the best model to take us there. I just hope first class does not mean sardine class, where commuters are squeesed, tit to tit, inside a jam pack train. The concept of first class invokes a sense of classiness, comfort, space and a little pampering, something similar to first class air travel or A class hospital wards. If that is the definition of first class, then it makes sense. And don't forget that such first class public transport comes with a first class price tag. Who can afford such services? The top 10% of the population will not be bothered with first class or world class public transport. They have their own classy private transport which they cannot part with. Maybe the next 10 percentile may consider such an option. Or perhaps the lower 5 percentile of the this group. Those who can afford the comfort of private transport will want to keep themselves away from the masses. The 80% of the population are unlikely to take it kindly to a first class price tag. They will love to have the first class service. But many would not be able to afford it or would opt to save the extra dollar for something else. Maybe a business class equivalent rather than a first class MRT to cater for the 20 percentile group at the top. It cannot be for everyone. Half the population will not be able to afford it no matter how affordable it claims to be. Let's hope that the system of first class travel will not be imposed on the population like the hospital ward system where eventually you will get first class and economy class travel. And if not enough takers for first class, means testing will be introduced to ensure that more people pay for first class services that they do not want. It must not be a 'What the provider wants is what the commuters must pay' system.

No need to wait for 6.5 million population

SINGAPORE: The current high occupancy rate at some public hospital is stressing doctors to discharge their patients, admitted Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday. Occupancy has hit highs of more than 90 per cent for some hospitals recently, above Mr Khaw’s ideal of 85 per cent. “When you run at over 90 per cent, it’s very stressful,” said the Health Minister, who was the chief executive of several hospitals from 1985 to 1992. “Stressful in the sense that, every day, our doctors have to go down to beg the patients (to be discharged).” Occupying a hospital bed for acute illness costs the Government an average of $1,000 a day, compared to “a few hundred dollars” for a community hospital bed. This is “the cost to society”, said Mr Khaw at the sidelines of an event yesterday. “If I don’t actively shift patients down, our total cost will just be heavy.” Reported in Today We are now starting to get a little dosage of what life would be like when we double our population. We will simply break at the seams if we continue to push to the limits.

unsw - money is the end all

UNSW Too hasty a decision University's governing body had 30 seconds to decide on Singapore. Sydney Morning Herald. May 26, 2006 By Harriet Alexander The University of NSW rushed through plans for its now collapsed Singapore campus so quickly that the university's governing body was given just 30 seconds to scrutinise the proposal, a senior academic says. One former member of the governing body said he was so disgusted by the decision in early 2004 that he decided not to stand again for his position on the University of NSW council. Yesterday the university announced it was abandoning the university's Asia operation in Singapore after losing millions of dollars on the venture. Fewer than 150 students had enrolled in the offshore campus this year, far short of plans to have it expand to 15,000 students over the next two decades. It is the latest hitch in the Australian university sector's troubled attempts to exploit the lucrative international student market by setting up offshore campuses. I extracted the above bits from littlespeck.com. This is what will happen when the original objective of education is hijacked into a money making enterprise. It is now all about money. The noble objective of education, the responsibility of educating and training a productive population is discarded and forgotten. Now it is whether there is money to be made. If not, simply close it down, cut your losses, and look for another more lucrative business. Is there anything to learn from this?

legal profession going cuckoo?

Recently we have been hearing very strange things coming from the legal fraternity. Some said making a lot of money is not important. They were talking about service to the people, and making money is not the end all of becoming lawyers. Now the Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong said, 'Ethics is what matters most.' When has ethics been an issue among our learned friends? The profession has always been in the thick of things, at the forefront of all important events in the island, and with many distinguished members becoming leaders of the nation. They are the cream of the society, earning big bucks and delivering justice for the wronged citizens. The Chief Justice was giving a lecture on ethics which is normally taught in primary schools to children. We should expect adults and professionals to live ethics as their second nature. The Chief Justice was talking about setting high morals and building trusts with clients. But more surprising is that he was telling them that making money is secondary to leading a straight and narrow path. What is happening or what has happened for the Chief Justice to have to lecture them on ethics and morals? Is the message to the young lawyers a reminder that our society has gone to the dogs and that they should not follow the same slippery path, of just grabbing money at all cost, without a care to their conscience or propriety?

would jbj's new party make a difference?

Would a new party make a difference to the political landscape of Singapore and alter the present political system? In the last election we have seen some life coming into the political tussling for power and the ruling of the country. Everything has quiet down for the moment. JBJ's new quest may be just another yawn. Our political system has reached a mature state in its own way, not that of a western democracy model. It is a different model that has attained a level where it can only stagnate and not getting better. It has been institutionalised as a parallel to the civil service, an employment opportunity for people to build a life long career with all the perks of employment. And it has developed around it a network of systems and controls to ensure its existence for a long time to come, not to be challenged. The system is not just the political party in power. It seeps down to many levels of the govt service, to the industries, GLCs and not GLCs, and an extended linkage of people groomed and associated with the power of the day. Such an extensive network of people working as one, may not be necessarily bad as has been proven over the years. But the possibility of it turning bad is starting to show when over concentration of power leads to a kind inbreeding mindset or mentality. The group think is getting very transparent, that they share the same thinking, the same aspiration, the same value system, the same self gratification as the motivation and reason to protect and perpetuate the existing system. There is no way for new parties to make any inroad into the political fray and challenge the supremacy of the ruling party under the present conditions. At the worst the opposition parties may gain a handful of seats in the next election. We need to have a paradigm shift as they called it, for all Singaporeans to start thinking about what kind of society and political system they want. Not the present kind where serving the group in power is the end all of life. Many just serve the group, defending the group and behave like the group, unthinkingly. Change will only come when everyone, including all those in govt services, start to think for the country and people, that their loyalty is to the country and people and their general good. And when they start to question what they are doing and for whose interests and for whose goods begin to trouble their conscience, of rights and wrongs, and that it is not really right to serve the paymaster at all cost, with no qualms of the longer term good of the country, only then things will change. When the people are free, at all levels, to think freely, act freely, unfettered by power or self interests and self preservation, then only will there be a change in the political framework and a change in the political system. More parties and more new parties will just be laid on the roadside, as another new sideshow.

UNSW students fight on

The students are fighting back. That is the spirit needed when the big boys washed their hands and packed up to go. The UNSW students met to demand that UNSW honours its commitment to them and keep the campus running, at least till they complete their courses. There is a contract, a social and business obligation once they admitted the students to a degree course. And they cannot walk away and offer whatever half bake measures and expecting the students to accept them. The legal route is an option. Where is the professionalism, the integrity, the honour and responsibility to see through a commitment? An university is always highly regarded by the people as an icon of all the virtues of human endeavours. How could UNSW possibly get away with the fiasco by a shock pullout like this and think that its reputation will not be affected? I do not know how much is our side's involvement and responsibility to the mess. But we cannot get away without some shit sticking to us. We will also smell as bad as UNSW. We may say and think that we are going ahead full steam to achieve our goal as an education hub. But will future students and their parents buy it after what had happened? To think that we have nothing to do with it and that our gleaming reputation is untarnished is like putting blinkers on.

Cheaper to stay in hotel

The cost of staying in the govt General hospital for acute illness is $1000 a day. And for community public hospitals, it is several hundred a day. I heard the number $400 daily. Compare this to staying in a budget hotel, plus simple food and employing a maid to look after the patient, it may not come to $200 a day. Just give the maid a little training or even even employed qualified foreign nurses will still be cheaper. Incidentally how many people can afford $1000 or $400 a day if it is going to be more than a month? I am guessing how much it will cost per day in Mt E or Gleneagles?

What happens to our excellent relations with the Indonesians?

The sand ban, the granite ban, the bombing of a Singaporean owned company in Karimun and the arrest of their executives, Singaporeans. Now they are going after Temasek's holdings in their telco companies. And the Riau islanders are protesting the joint military agreement and exercises in the islands. What's next? All the signs are written clearly on the wall, that they do not want to friendly with us. Singapore should quietly beat the retreat. Hopefully that will make them happier.

Who is responsible? - UNSW

The UNSW staff held a meeting with the students and parents affected by the closure at Trader's Hotel yesterday and were bombed by the parents. It is hardly imaginable for a highly regarded institution and academics to do such a thing. Unbelieveable! The classes should not have started at all and the students need not waste their time and resources to go through such a slipshod arrangement. Where is the duty and due diligence done to take in the students only to close the university barely 3 months after classes started? The parents cannot be faulted for having trust in the UNSW which is a reputable university run by reputable professionals. But the situation is definitely unjustifiable and they should sue them for compensation. Singapore should also sue them for damaging our image as an education hub.

Go for right wage measures or risk losing edge: Swee Say

Go for right wage measures or risk losing edge: Swee Say 'Labour chief Lim Swee Say cautioned companies against being "seduced" by the easy option of paying higher basic wages to attract workers. Such a measure will only erode their competitive edge in the long term or force them to trim staff in lean times, he told reporters yesterday during a visit to a training.' by Keith Lin in the Straits Times

Was there public outrage?

The judge said there was public outrage on the case about a preacher having 10 wives and fathering 64 children and the wives encouraging their daughters to have sex with the father preacher. Was there any public outrage? If there was, this thing would not have happened and been going on for so long. It is not sex between two frogs or many frogs at the bottom of a well and not visible to anyone. It occurred right before the eyes of many people, the whole community and neighbourhood cannot be blind to it. How could this thing go on for so long without anyone putting a stop to it at the early stages?

pay according to performance

NWC linked pay hike with productivity The NWC recommendation suggested that employers should pay employees more when there is an increase in productivity. I think this is a bit tedious to compute. An easier way will be to commission a salary survey on comparative wage levels and then adjust the salaries accordingly when they are found to be lower than the market. It will be more objective and impartial if done by a neutral party. This is especially effective and applicable when productivity is very difficult to measure. And sometimes the lower productivity or performance could be due market forces or events beyond the employees control. And at the lower level, their performance will often be affected by many more factors, including those of their bosses.

A new buzz, a fiasco

There is a new kind of buzz in town, one that is being repeated quite often these days and would tarnish the Singapore brand. We are reputed as a country where all things work. Once we put up something, we can sleep in peace that it will be successful. The University of NSW closed down after only two months and with 148 students, Singaporeans and foreigners, stranded. It would not happen if it was a Singapore run university. We don't do this kind of things. But even if it is an Australian university, it happens in our land and we will somehow be linked to it. Our Singapore brand cannot keep getting this kind of bashing. And the students were only told after the decision to close was made and announced. Well, only 148. No big deal. Anyway, they should expect such things can happen to a new set up that does not have a Singapore brand. It is caveat emptor. They went in with their eyes open and knew the risk. In a way it is also a kind of progress for Singapore. It shows that we are taking more risk and even risky projects that were not well thought through and with insufficient finances. This is good for Singapore as we will become a riskier country that encourages everyone to be more cautious and risk aware.

Return of the Knight

It is good that Glen Knight is allowed to practise his trade again. He had gone through very rough time and had paid a very heavy price for his mistakes. He took the punishment gentlemanly and quietly and had lived a life of a reform man, in the wilderness. Though the reason to take him back into the law fraternity was because of the good words of eminent lawyers, I am more impressed by Knight himself. He is every inch a repent man. He went about his life in his darkest hours, alone, far from the main stream of all the glamorous happenings. He could be a very rich man today if not of the lapses in his life. He deserves to start life anew, albeit too late. He was out cold for too long for not too major offences that he committed. It is good that he is given a second chance.