More competition for Cashcards

It was reported in the ST that EZlink issued 8 mil cards while Nets issued 6 million cards. Both charged $5 per card while EZlink added a $3 deposit. So is EZlink card more expensive than Nets' Cashcard? The credit card issuers are planning to intrude into the cashcard biz. That may give consumers a wider option on whose card to use. Incidentally, credit card companies issued their cards free to their users. If they can do it, why can't the cashcard companies do likewise? Next time buy chicken rice, got to buy own plates and forks and spoons as well. But with 6/8 million cards each at $5 a piece that is $30 mil and $40 mil to each company. Too attractive to resist. Don't forget the $3 deposit or $24 mil collected and can be used for investment or collect more interest.

Greed as the driving force

This is an open secret. We have been moulding greed into a powerful weapon to drive the individuals and the economy. Or to put it in another way, Money as the driving force. This is a very practical and realist approach in getting people to work, to serve their own interest first and serving the general interest of society as an incidental consequence. Bring in the rich and let them make all the money they can. In so doing they also help to create jobs for the people in other services. The LKY School of Public Policies could sell this as a programme, teach the world how to harness the forces of greed and money and burn a glorious path to the first world. This is reality, not nice to have idealism. No beating around the bush. It is the Singapore model that works and works very well. People may counter argue that there are other models for development. But this is our model, Uniquely Singapore, and no other country has a system like ours. No one has anything close to ours. It is the one and only system that has worked and with a good track record to show.

Let's bury the story

The great escape from paradise. It is better to let it go as it is quite pointless talking about something that will eventually be the biggest mystery in paradise. And the tooth will never see the daylight. It would be better to look at the construction of a truly formidable Alcatraz of our own in one of the islands. We need one to make sure that flies can go in but can never fly out. Mount Pleasant is better torn down and forgotten. And in its place some huge private estates can be built for better monetary returns. As for Mas Selamat, if he is not caught within the first 2 hours, the reality is that he is not going to be caught. Save the breathe.

Another ugly case of monopoly

Nets charging $5 not refundable for a new card that has an expiry date. First, why must there be an expiry date if the card is in good condition? Many people bought more than one card, some kept as spares and hardly used. Secondly, is the $5 justified? Why allow only one organisation to monopolise the sale of such a card to the public when usage is almost unavoidable or near compulsory to some? Shouldn't there be some control or regulation over such a monopoly till alternative suppliers are in the market? It is like asking car owners to take MRT when there is only one MRT while better alternatives are not ready or available other than the snail buses.

High noon in Paradise

Below is a post I lifted from TOC. The post was dated April 9, yesterday. This is the 125 comments on this thread posted in TOC. It is more than 40 days after the great escape from paradise and the heat is still on. It is like high noon in paradise. Insulted Says: April 9, 2008 at 1:05 am I do not know about the rest but as a Singaporean I feel insulted. Yet I can do nothing as I have never had the chance to excercise by right to vote (mind you, I am in my mid 40s) because of governments efficiency in re-drawing boundaries and creating bigger GRCs. At the least I definitely do not feel humiliated, the 66.6% should, because they were complacent.

Paying for top grade rice

There was this restaurant that used to buy low grade rice. Over the years, as its business improved, it increased its budget for rice. Gradually it moved from low grade to medium grade, to top grade and to the best grade money could buy. It's budget for rice increased from $200 monthly to $2000. All was well and they kept telling their guests that the restaurant served the best grade rice in town. The bosses were happy, the customers were also happy. The most happy person was the master chef. He did all the purchasing. What the bosses and the customers did not know was that they were paying top dollars for the same low grade rice all the years. No one was wiser except the master chef.

No PM potential!

Hsien Loong must be having a hard time looking for a successor for the PM position. Even among the present batch of ministers, no one is likely to fit into that position. I think I know the answer to this problem. Hsien Loong must have discussed the topic with his colleagues. And very likely they all told him that they were not good enough or have no ambition to be the next PM. The problem thus lies in not having anyone with the ambition or aspiration to want to be the PM. This is the same problem as no one in his right mind wanting to stand for the Elected President. When no one want the job or think that they are good enough for the job, maybe with the exception of a few loonies in the opposition, we really have a replacement problem. How could Hsien Loong fire up the people, including his ministers, to be audacious enough to say they want to be the next PM?

Openness, dignity and integrity

'You cannot be a political party and be strong in a democracy when there is a strong disconnection between your message and what the populace is now about. And the populace is now about openness, dignity and integrity.' Dr Ooi Kee Beng, a fellow at the Institute of SE Asian Studies. Ooi was referring to UMNO and commented that the days of Barisan National is over.

$1 million solution to rising food prices

This has been touted as a nation wide scheme and the best stop gap measure to the food crisis. 'Community leaders say it is likely to be the best measure, although certain troubling questions will have to be addressed.' Lin YanQin reported. This is front page news, top news in the Today paper. Amy Khor feared that such a great scheme would breed the dependency mentality, a sense of entitlement. But Zaqy Mohamad and Fatimah Lateef were concerned that it might be too little and not enough. For $1 million and it is already a nation wide solution, imagine how much can the ministers can do with their $3 million pay cheques? If ten ministers were to offer $1 million each, we could avoid ten of such crisis nation wide.

Unprecedented public dressing down by LKY

After so much noise about the complacency slight, allow me to look at the issue from another perspective. This is probably the first time that the security agency has received a public dressing down by LKY. He made it very clear that it was their fault, their complacency. Unprecedented man. The second point he made was that the govt cannot take care of everything. There were areas that the govt may overlook, oversight or did not do well. Another unprecedented statement. And the third unprecedence, the govt is fallible. Oops. Now this is a very serious statement and admission from LKY, that the govt is not infallible. It was a time for humility and not to take things for granted. Now, did you people get the picture on complacency? A public dressing down, and an acknowledgement that things can go wrong and a govt that cannot be depended on completely. So the people must not be complacent and be vigilant, and must think and make wise choices. It must be looked at from this context. That is perhaps the furthest LKY could say, stopping short of saying that an alternative govt should be in waiting, just in case. When the govt is fallible, the people cannot afford to be complacent. Is that the correct message that I am getting? People must listen carefully when a wise man speaks.

An issue of complacency

The current issue of complacency is truly the fault of the people. And we shouldn't complain or blame the govt at all. We are so lucky to have such a good govt that we have taken everything for granted. If only that the govt is not as good and as efficient. Matilah, in mysingaporenews blog compared Singapore with Zimbabwe. Now that is unfair. You cannot compare paradise with hell. It is insulting to put us side by side with Zimbabwe and say we are good. We need to compare apple with apple. I would suggest that the govt sacrifice a GRC to the opposition and let them mess it up. Then the people will understand what it is like to be in a place that is badly governed. Using an opposition GRC is the best way to get a good and reasonable comparison. And no one can be complacent enough to say otherwise or use a bad example to compare with. This is the fault of being too good for too long that the people begin to take the goodness and efficiency for granted. Complacency is an understatement.

Rule of Law

Streetdirectory.com(Virtual Map) sued several users of its map in the past for huge sums of money for using its maps without authorisation. It was a great example of how rule of law are applied effectively in this country. Lately, Streetdirectory.com was sued by SLA for copyright violation, for using SLA maps without consent. It thus did not have the right of the maps which it claimed to have to sue those violators successfully. It has now decided that it would not refund the parties for unauthorised use of its maps. 'If there's anything we can do to lessen the pain of those who hate the company, please inform them to contact us. But we will not refund any money as the monies have gone back into building better products and services and running of the site.' Virtual Map MD Firdhaus Akber This is a strange declaration. Can Virtual Map still keep the money if they were awarded to them wrongfully? It is as good as money wrongly credited into someone's account and the recipient spent it and refused to return. Can those who were victims of Virtual Map claim back their money, legally, under the rule of law?

Bad hustlings in a democracy

Anyone reading what is happening in Malaysia will be full of praise of the democratic process and freedom of expression. Mahathir is openly accusing Abdullah, the PM, of nurturing corruption and cronyism. In return abdullah is saying that Mahathir is a hypocrite, that he was the one who imprisoned critcs without trial and curtailing press freedom during his rule. 'These were all his orders from time to time,' said Abdullah. I wonder what will happen if such statements were made in our rule of law country? Both of them will be suing each other to bankruptcy. This airing of dirty linen in the open is bad, bad for the individuals and bad for the party, and bad for democracy and freedom of expression. We should not have such things in our clean and faultless country. We need to spend our energy in development and making more money instead of squabbling big time. Thank god we are spared from such vibes and we can maintain a certain level of respectability and decorum.

Poor planning led to shortage of lawyers

The decision was made some 20 years ago to cut down on the number of lawyers through smaller student intakes. 'The decision to aribitrarily turn off the tap was grounded in some sound reasons, such as the desire to maintain the quality of the profession.' So said Conrad Raj. Can a decision be arbitrary and at the same time based on sound reasons? Arbitrary means arbitrary, boh lee yew. With sound reasons, must be well thought out. Whatever, the consequence is what we are facing, a shortage of lawyers, and indirectly a high legal fee, as shortage means high demand which means can command more pay. We are also facing a severe shortage of doctors and hospital beds. The latter we have talked about earlier and we know why. Well thought out reasons with intention to maintain a shortage. The lack of doctors could also be an arbitrary decision with sound reasons. It cannot be a case of poor planning. Planning is our forte. We are excellent planners and we are proactive, able to look into the future and anticipate problems. I think we should not be presumptious to deride our super talents for poor planning and lack of foresight. The problems we are facing are likely the result of good decisions that are coming back to haunt us. The decisions were good then, but bad now.

Myth 177

For the next 18 years or so, no one in their 40s and above today is good enough to be the PM of Singapore. Maybe this is not a myth but a newfound tooth. This sad state of affair is best reflected in PN Balji's article when he expressed fear in case of an emergency and no one is good enough to take over from the current PM. The next PM of Singapore will be found among those in the 30s today. So all the above 40s are has beens. Please do not feel slighted. It is the tooth. The other tooth is that Singaporeans may not even be the next PM. The best could be a quitter, a quitter from paradise or from any other country. Now this is more likely the truth. It only confirms our lack of locally born talents.

The ever changing wisdom

Singaporeans are perhaps the most adaptable and flexible people in the world. They are easily taught to change, even their mindset. In the 50s and 60s, they would all be looking forward to retirement at 55, to look after grandchildren or drinking kopi in the kopitiams. Today, this kind of mindset has changed. The new wisdom is to work till you drop dead. This model is built on a new reality, on independence, self worth and pride, and being useful to society. And also not being a burden to family and society. Not that the high cost of living has made life unsustainable if they have not money. The old wisdom was built on family as the building blocks of a country, filial piety, looking after parents and letting him have a rest, after years of toiling to bring up the children. It is time to live on the fruits of labour, to harvest, and enjoy the children and grandchildren. And the children feel proud to be able to provide for their parents aplenty. Dr Anne Chong Su Yan wrote a letter to the Sunday Times and this is the first paragraph. 'Recently, I was at a toilet in a shopping centre when I noticed an elderly woman with a bent and crooked back trying to clean the floor while fashionable young women applied their lipsticks and checked their hairdos in the mirror.' Good for her. She finally found out that in paradise there are such old people working in the toilets. It is better late than never. It would be shocking if one day she realised that there are poor people in paradise. The gist of her letter expressed her shock that old people were working in toilets instead of sleeping under the coconut trees on a beach chair watching the sunset. But have no pity on these old folks. They are living the new wisdom. Pride, independence, and work till they drop dead. Some ass holes may brutally tell the truth, that they deserved to be in that state because they were irresponsible and squandered their youth away. Having old people working in toilets and living an independent lifestyle is a lifestyle of choice. It is the pride of our nation. We have succeeded.

Story of an ex CEO in an MNC

The CEO was replaced by a younger man, full of ideas and idealism, full of energy and vibrancy. The new CEO let the ex CEO sit in an equally big office next to his. All his other perks remained the same, including his private car park and driver, and his pay. And so was his private secretary which they both shared. The only exception is that all the duties and responsibilities were taken over by the new man. And for the lack of something to do, the ex CEO was assigned to look after the welfare of the old and loyal employees. And he was given the freedom to design his own job specifications. His request to visit other countries for 6 months on a study tour was quickly approved. The ex CEO was happy, that he was well treated and still walked around like a CEO. He was invited to all the official functions, like a CEO. After a year, he quit. He thought he was having a good time until one day, in his blurry and self deluded state of mind, he realised that he was being overpaid for doing exactly nothing. He quit out of shame and out of guilt. He even returned all the money he received from his company for the year he was there, for doing nothing. At least he valued his decency and for quitting, claimed back a little self respect and honour for himself.

Stop depending on Western Media

This is what George Yeo said. He also said, 'For too long, we have depended too much on the Western media for news about each other's regions.' And for too long we have allowed Western media to form views about us, what is acceptable to them and what is not, who is good and who is bad, according to their interest and agenda. The foolish Asians are starting to wake up and starting to think that they do not need the approval of the West on what they think is acceptable or not. Only now they are calling for a different world view in Asian eyes and in Asian interest. Singapore will host an Asia Middle East Dialogue to work towards the liberation of the Asian mind. Suddenly someone realised that they have a mind that can think, and that we are still colonised in our way of thinking and in the news we read. Only now that we realised that our views and opinions were formulated by the West. Pathetic. In the first place all Asian media should do a soul searching and kick out the asses that allowed misinformation and distortion of information by Western media to appear in their prints and news. This kind of unthinking and shallow behavior cannot be allowed to continue, unless the country is still a colony and the press is controlled by the West.. We demand a high standard of reporting on our own internal affairs by foreigners, or at least insist on a right of reply. We are we printing distorted and mischievious articles about Asian countries freely as a right, as a freedom of expression, press freedom? For so doing, we are equally guilty to the misinformation and mischiefs created and the distorting of the minds of the readers. Lets first start at home and impose a high standard of reporting and not blindly printing misinformation or totally biased views in our media. And if there is a reason to do so, include a qualification or a fair and objective article to prevent the tooth from becoming the truth.

So disgusting

With prices shooting to the sky everywhere, and the profiteers quietly congratulating themselves of their bank accounts that are getting fatter by the day, the message is that nothing can be done. Or some will say it will be worst if we tamper with the market forces. Fuck it. We have been tampering with the market forces all the while to let the market run out of control. I have been screaming my lungs out for so long, that we need to control the wild escalating of prices to all the wise men in vain. I set up this column for exactly the same purpose. I would agree that not all prices can be controlled and brought down to whatever level we want. But many can because we are the main cause of the hike. GST for one, govt own factories, offices and shops and land prices are all within our control. Not controlled by the international market forces as often parrotted. Exorbitant salary hikes to chase after inflation but give the false impression of wellbeing is a deadly potion. You don't need a genius or straight A's student to bring down some costs, selectively. You don't need to study another 5 years to come out with a good justification or plan to bring down prices. The talks and thoughts that prices must be allowed to run, up and up, are rubbish and irresponsible. It is only good for people who can write their own paychecks.

The Business of Dying

The lawyers are in a business to fight for justice and honour. In layman's term it is actually a business of threat. The rich and powerful pay to threaten people. The threatened pay because they were threatened. The undertakers are in the business of filial piety. People pay generously for the last rites, a show of filial piety to their parents and loved ones. What business are the doctors in? They are in a noble business to save lives. Or in layman's interpretation, the fear of death, or business of dying. In this business, there is not only the element of fear, there is also the element of filial piety, and also some elements of threat. What a powerful combination. How on earth would people be willingly pay the hospital bills without question? How on earth would people admit their love ones into hospitals without checking the price first? How on earth could hospitals charge patients $10k/$15k or more a day just to find out what is the cause of the illness and get away with it? And the best part of it is that the patient still dies. I am still very troubled by the $70k hospital bill for 4 days. The family had to pay $70k for the patient to die in a hospital. That is not a cheap way to die. It is not a good way to spend $70k in 4 days. I would very much like to know the breakdown of the bill to see how a hospital justifies this kind of bills. Let me make a guesstimate. A class ward charges at $500 a day. Food at $100 a day. Nurses attendance at $500 a day. Medicine at $500 a day. There must be such medicine available. Specialists attendance at $2000 a day. Too much or reasonable? Use of top of the line equipment at $1000 a day. Now how much will all these adds up to? $4,600. Add 7% GST, round it to $400. This will come to $5k a day. The rest must be miscellaneous I supposed. It is driving me bonkers.

I love my Nescafe

What's wrong with Singaporeans? Why are they falling all over because of a few unreasonable price increases and profiteering? Why would they pay $1.30 for Ah Koon's kopi, or $5 for CoffeeBean or at Starbucks? I am living happily every morning with my Nescape. Shit, the great escape is getting into me and I can't even spell Nescafe without mixing the two in one. At slightly more than 10c a pack, the 3 in 1 Nescafe is good enough for me. And if I am feeling a little generous, I can go to Hong Lim or Amoy Hawker Centre for a cuppa of kopi at 60c. And they really taste better than all the $1.30 kopi or $5 cuppa at the aircon cafes. At 10c a pack, even if the price skyrocketted by 50%, it is only 15c a pack. Very affordable, really. And if this is still too much, go for NTUC housebrand. Or at worst, downgrade to Seng Shiong housebrand if time is that tough. Other than instant mee, 3 in 1 is a great blessing.

WYSIWYG

It's been nearly one and a half month and the search is still on. Mind you, the search is really serious. Armies of soldiers and policemen scouring every little nook and corner for the most wily prisoner on the run. This man is reputed to have an IQ of 200. Beats any scholar that we have. He can outwit every nitwit in paradise. Now he is commanding a respect that no one ever had. Some kind of a genius in the league of Einstein. And every stone will not be left unturned until he is found. Heard that they are planning to dig up the graves to look at the coffins, in case that's where he is hiding. The last time they were checking golf bags and thermos flasks. By now the world must be convinced that this man had escaped our equivalent of Alcatraz. And we are doing everything we could, with the best technology, and every man we got. No effort shall be spared till he is caught and kept safely in Mount Pleasant again. Frankly, I don't believe a bit about the whole story. Just my professional assessment. Escape from Alcatraz is impossible.

Foreign Talent as PM

Are Singaporeans ready to accept our political leaders who are Singaporeans but also hold foreign passports? Are we able to accept our future PM to be a “foreign talent”? Lam Pin Min | I would like to know what is MP Lam Pin Min's view? He posted the questions on the p65 site. The people will be more interested to know where he stands on such an issue and also where the other MPs' stand on this. Would he agree and would the govt agree if the people say it is ok to have a foreign talent as our MP? In fact many voices have expressed why not? Why not pay a cheaper foreign talent to do the job at probably 10% of the pay?

SGH got subsidies

I copy this from a post by TracyTan in Sammyboy. Medical costs in govt hospitals are exorbitant. When my friend had to do an X-ray of her spine, she was told by SGH that the cost was $900+. When she did it at a nearby private medical facility, she was only charged $500+. When is SGH charging so much more than a private medical facility? Tracy was complaining about the high cost in govt restructured hospitals and wanted Boon Wan to cut down the cost. Actually from the above comment she could be wrong. She forgot that SGH got subsidies and depending on the type of wards, the final cost could be lower. For those without subsidies, just too bad lah. Singaporeans are so lucky but did not know.

Our rice bowl is safe

Good news, we have sourced far and wide to get the cheapest rice. And our stockpile will ensure that we will have all the rice that we need. No need to panic buy. But make sure your pocket got money. The price hike is inevitable. It is an international phenomenon and beyond our control.

Medishield will pay out more

Good news, the people will pay less for their hospital bills. Instead of paying 50%, they will now pay 20% of the total bill. Hospital fees are getting more affordable. In a way, medical cost to the people has been lowered. Bad news, your premium will have to go up. Good news again. The amount of increase is very affordable. Between $5 to $40 per month. This is a heaven made solution.

China has wide network of spies to steal secrets, says US

This is the heading of a Washington Post article in a local msm. What this report is saying is that this is news, and bad news, that a country like China is involved in such a big enterprise of spying on other nations. What the msm did not say is that the US, UK and all foreign countries were doing this same dirty work for centuries and more wide spread and comprehensive than the Chinese. Prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the Japanese had established a whole community of spies in Hawaii and America. What is so new about such news? Oh, it is to parrot an American propaganda, that China is a bad boy. The Americans were sooooo innocent. I bet you, the Americans do not engage in espionage. And that is the tooth. That is why I say Asian media is part of the Western conspiracy to run down Asian countries. They happily published whatever the Americans want them to publish. This is the heading of a Washington Post article in a local msm. What this report is saying is that this is news, and bad news, that a country like China is involved in such a big enterprise of spying on other nations. What the msm did not say is that the US, UK and all foreign countries were doing this same dirty work for centuries and more wide spread and comprehensive than the Chinese. Prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the Japanese had established a whole community of spies in Hawaii and America. What is so new about such news? Oh, it is to parrot an American propaganda, that China is a bad boy. The Americans were sooooo innocent. I bet you, the Americans do not engage in espionage. And that is the tooth. That is why I say Asian media is part of the Western conspiracy to run down Asian countries, inadvertently I think. They happily published whatever the Americans want them to publish.

Today's Great Beliefs

There are many great beliefs today that look so good. These include all the highs, high salaries, high rentals, high property prices, high cost of livings, high medical fees, high tuition fees, high population, high foreign influx, high savings, etc etc. No wise man will utter a word of caution against these great beliefs. One day, all these great beliefs will come back and haunt us and even destroy us. And all the chorus singers will sing, 'I told you so.' But for the time being everyone is feeling very high.

This guy damn anti establishment

He posted a comment in Andrew Loh's TOC kpkb at Singapore's best Health Minister, Boon Wan, for the tight availability of hospital beds. Would you guy agree with him? If you do, you are not only anti establishment, but also go against the judgement of Chok Tong. 'Boh tua boh suay.'Here is a paragraph of his post. "There is also the Ultimate Stupidity of LIE KY LHL PAP. KHAW Boon Wan said it himself recently, when he regurgitated LIE KY longtime stricture that ‘hospitals should always UNDER PROVIDE rather than over provide so resources can always be most efficiently used at maximum capacity’. Ha, ha, ha! You can do this to say, hotel rooms, where if there is a shortage, the tourist simply holidays elsewhere or room rates skyrocket to reduce demand. But hospital beds? Ha, ha, ha! Thus, the stupid, unthinking adoption of obvious ‘efficient policies’ to healthcare is actually killing some of our people and creating much more [unnecessary] suffering, my sympathies to Esther and thanks to Andrew LOH for highlighting this problem for us to discuss." - Robert Ho.

Secrets to Singapore's success

2% increase in GST I must revisit this issue as a secret to Singapore's success. The people really believe that the 2% increase in GST, from 5% to 7%, is to help the poor. And I also believe this is true. Never mind the rising cost of everything. Help is on the way.

Be there for the common man.

New Law Society head wants lawyers to help S'poreans know their rights Michael Hwang, the new Law Society Head wants to help Singaporeans to know their rights as a citizen. He said when a civil servant tells a citizen that he has no right to certain things, ask him if he is acting within the law. He also lamented that even lawyers must know what these rights are and not to accept every direction or decision that comes with a govt letter head. This part is a bit strange. If the learned lawyers are not too sure of what are the rights of the citizens, how to expect citizens to know their rights? Would Michael Hwang want to answer whether all the compulsory retention and designations of CPF money towards compulsory insurance schemes violate the rights of a citizen to ownership of his own properties? Be there for the common man.

Planning and predictability

These two elements are core to the success of Singapore. Everything is planned, very well planned indeed, and very predictable. And now they are planning and scouting for the next PM-to-be in 18 years time. And the net is cast wide to quitters overseas. The strange thing is that why aren't the opposition parties also plan and scout around for their PM in waiting? Have they already conceded that for the next 18 years the PAP will remain in power and will fill the PM post with its own candidate? Well, I think the PAP is right. And so are the opposition parties. In 18 years time, the PM will still come from the PAP stable.

Man with a Mission

Lee Myung Bak took time off to go directly to a police station to rebuke the policemen all because they reacted too casually to a molest case against a 10 year old girl. Wonder how he could find time for such triviality. What if he were our President and was here a month ago? He would probably flew into a rage. This self made man is a man with a mission. History once in a while will throw up a man like this. I called him a silly man. Matilah called him a selfish man, for throwing away his wealth to the poor. Fortunately or unfortunately we don't have this kind of silly and selfish man in paradise. What we have are intelligent and compassionate men that made a lot of self sacrifices to serve the people and nation.

28 hr wait for hospital bed

TOC Feature: 28-hour wait for a bed at the Singapore General Hospital Posted by theonlinecitizen on April 2, 2008 The above article was posted by Andrew Loh in TOC. It talked about a patient that only got to a bed of her choice after 28 hr wait. It also mentioned that a bed was offer to her in B2 ward earlier instead of B2 Plus ward but she rejected the offer. In my view, the criticism for the long wait was unfair. First she was sick and should grab whatever bed that was offered to her if she needed a bed badly. But she had an affluent sickness of being uncomfortable in a warm room and needed to be in an aircon room. So she rather wait for the comfort of an aircon room and to endure the discomfort of being in the waiting area. A personal choice. The other point raised is the lack of beds. But this is not a real problem. It is a conscious decision to build lesser hospitals (which also means lesser beds) so that the facilities will not be under utilised. It is a judgement call. You can agree or disagree with the judgement or value behind the judgement. The lack of bed need not be a problem. If the thinking is right, or the value is right, lack of bed will not be an issue.

Umno dismantling a farcical regime

UMNO has awaken from its slumber, like Rip Van Winkle. What happens? Everything was fine, so fine. Now everything looks so farcical, so ridiculous. All the values of goodness, right policies, right things to do, to say, are now wrong. Yes, UMNO is going to dismantle everything associated with the Mahathir regime. Even Mahathir agrees. All his choices for PM were wrong. All his good men in UMNO were unfit to be there. Mahathir is calling for UMNO members to speak out, speak out, speak out. When he was in power, it was Daim, Daim, Daim. Did I get my spelling right? Diam, Diam, Diam. Unbelieveable, the people within UMNO who once sang all the songs of praise are now the non believers. Would it be the case in paradise? Would the believeables also turn to become non believers and denounce everything as heresies?

Talk on Generosity in Public Service

Mahbubani should invite Lee Myung Bak to the LKY School of Public Policies to talk on Generosity in Public Service and the Meaning of Public Service. Paradise has long discarded and forgotten that there are some human values that are good through times. Things like generosity, compassion, kindness and helping the poor. These are values to live be and not just to speak for show. And Lee Myung Bak is the man to talk on such basic human goodness. No one can accuse him of hypocrisy, of saying one thing and doing another. Lee Myung Bak will bring enlightenment to Paradise, to those that have been blinded by greed. But he has a tough job convincing those who have crossed over to the dark side that there is still light on the good side. Of course many will sneer at him and call him foolish. But to be pragmatic, he should not push it too far by asking people to follow his example. Just pass the message that greed is good. This will bring cheers from his audience. All he needs to is to conclude by saying, 'Too greedy is bad.'

UBS is looking like a rotten deal

The UBS deal is not looking too healthy at this point in time. Hopefully our investment has provided for the latest can of worms. If we are just extending a loan, collecting dividend and can get our money back if we elect not to convert to shares, then we are ok. What is evident now is that putting money in ailing banks or organisations is not enough. We need to put our people in charge. With the resignation of Marcel Ospel, it would be good if we can put our top talents in to restructure the bank and save it before it goes to the pawnshop.

Mahathir insulting Malays

He said, 'The West will exploit Malays if Anwar become PM.' He still believes that the Malays are incorrigibly dumb and can be easily exploited by the Malays, including Anwar. Only Mahathir can protect the Malays and take on the West. How many of you believe Anwar is dumb and Mahathir is right?

Mr Lee donates his entire salary to underprivilege people

In year 2002 to 2006, Mr Lee donated all his salary to the children of cleaners and firefighters. Now he has promised to donate his entire 5 year salary to the underprivileged people. He also pledged to donate the bulk of his personal wealth to the underprivileged except for a retirement home. The newly elected South Korean President Lee Myung Bak told the reporters on Sunday. This is a tough act to follow. But who would want to follow such an act? No right thinking man would want to do such a foolish thing. I admire this foolish guy greatly. And I believe the South Koreans will have a lot of respect to such a selfless man. PS: Not sure if the South Korean President is entitled to a lifelong pension on retirement.

I fear Anwar

If there is any Malaysian PM that can take Malaysia out of the cesspool into a modern industrialised country, competing in the international market on equal terms, it must be Anwar. He has been baptised in the cauldron of fire, and is now solid steel. He is progressive and the only one at the moment that can unite the Malaysians under a new ethos. The Malaysians are not much different from us. And if they can get their acts together, follow a similar formula as us, pragmatism, new technology, meritocracy, they are going to compete with us in every field. And they have the advantage of cheaper cost, abundant land and resources, they will catch up very fast. We are only one generation ahead in education. This can be short circuited if the political environment is changed and the Malaysians in our midst find it acceptable to return home. Then we will be facing a Malaysia that is more like us. And our dreams of ever increasing salary can go poof poof into smoke.

Then so right, now so wrong

UMNO is starting to tear down the legacies of Mahathir. His rulings on how the number position in UMNO should or should not be contested, and the requirement of 30% division nomination before one can contest are now under attack. Some party stalwarts have openly said they disagreed then but kena bulldozed by Mahathir. They want the party President position to be open for everyone to contest. Got to tow the line, you know. Would such things happen to us? Would some of the policies that are so right today be so wrong tomorrow? The first one that came to my mind is the rulings for an elected President and the stringent conditions needed. The conditions have excluded many people from eligibility and the position is now restricted to a small elite group of people. What happens to equal opportunities and all men are equal in a democracy? Why are some more equal than others? What other policies will also fall in times to come and MPs or Ministers standing up to say 'I also disagree then but got no choice.'

How much will it cost?

An unhappy patient wrote to Today complaining about surcharge on a Good Friday. He had to pay $9 more to a GP. The article also said that some charge as much as $30 during a holiday. It is at the discretion of the clinics. What the letter writer was asking is that shouldn't the patient be told of the charges in advance, a case of transparency. In the $70k case I posted earlier, I am not sure if the patient and his family were given an estimate of how much it will cost prior to admission. I am wondering if they would admit him if the estimate is so high or may even admit him to other hospitals. $70k is no mean sum and not everyone can afford to pay even with whatever shield and insurance. It must be made compulsory for all hospitals to give an estimate of the cost and if more are expected, to let the patient know in advance. It cannot be a case of being admitted and be at the mercy of the hospital to have full discretion to do whatever it wants and charges whatever it likes. The patient has a right to know before hand how it will hurt his pocket and decide to go ahead with it.

Cheaters and infidelity

Thomas Koshy continued the discussion on politicians who cheated. His main argument is that are we asking too much from politicians by expecting them to be pristinely clean and moral. In his article in Today, he believes that politicians are just like everyone else and have some personal flaws. He said, 'And let us not be so naive as to assume that no Singapore politician has engaged in illicit liaisons. Certainly, rumours of illicit liaisons involving politicians are not unheard of. The fact that they have not become tabloid fodder is probably more a reflection of press priorities than anything else.' Koshy went on to ask whether we should allow such indiscretion to go by and not to raise it as a smear against the politician. Now this is a moral and ethical issue and depending on one's own moral compass, many will object to it vehemently. So will the hypocrites. How can politicians be dishonest and indulged in cheating their spouses? There will be no end to it and either we live in our own make belief world that all is goodness or don't even think about it and let live. Perhaps it is better to accept the flaws of man and not to harp or nitpick at one another on every little indiscretion. Go and ransack somebody's cupboard and say, hey, there are so many skeletons and splash them across the media front page. Political assassination used to be a game played by those in power and in control of the msm. Today, the same dirty linens can be hanged and dried in cyberspace. A more even playing field maybe. Will people be more discrete in their indiscretion or in divulging people's well kept secrets?

What if Singapore?

P N Balji threw up two issues for discussion in the Today paper. He touched on the succession of Hsien Loong after he retires. He also lamented, in fact worried, that there will be no substitute PM in case if we need one today. In his first point, he said that Hsien Loong would probably find a replacement in about 18 years. And assuming the next PM should be about 50 years then, he is likely to be someone in the early thirties. Anyone past 40 today will be too old to fill the shoe. Scouring around the MPs today, looks like Teo Ser Luck is the only possible successor. The other few that are eligible will come from the few young ladies. A replacement for Hsien Loong in 18 years time should not be too big a problem given that more youngsters can be recruited in the next GE. What is perplexing and confusing is Balji's fear that in an emergency at any moment there would not be anyone to front the cabinet. Why? Kan Seng is still around. So is Jayakumar. Both are DPM caliber and cannot be written off as unfit to be an emergency PM. Then there is Eng Hen, the one touted as LKY's lookalike. He should be a good substitute to take over. And don't forget, if there is really an emergency now, LKY and Chok Tong are always available either to fill in temporarily or to mentor the new PM. Where is the problem? It is like setting up a red herring when there is no issue at all.

What has Mas Selamat got to do with Qing Ming?

I wanted to visit Choa Chu Kang cemetry last weekend for QingMing. But on hearing that Selamat would be there, I decided against it. It was a good decision or I would be caught up with the huge jams that came with it. What the shit would Mas Selamat want to do at the cemetry? He is causing a lot of inconvenience to the people paying their respects to their loved ones. Mas, please go some where else ok?

The Veil of Innocence

I have posted an article on mysingaporenews being branded as anti establishment. In fact most of the bloggers posting there are likewise branded. This is what the bunch of doggies that have smuggled themselves into other people's blogs intend to do. They simply stick a name on anyone and that person will be condemned or be seen as someone not to be near with. In the past they have branded people as communist, racist, dangerous, anti govt, anti PAP or quitters. And so the public are made to believe that it is so. That these people are dangerous and will do the country harm. The truth is that more harm will be done by the so called pro establishment people, the people who hide under the veil of innocence, the people who profess that they are the do gooders or saviours, or guardians of the country. If you look at what they are doing, you will know that they are far from being decent or honourable. They will abuse their positions of power, if given a chance, to kill literally, without seeing blood. If at the doggie level, they think it is acceptable to attack people under the guise of anonymity, what will they do if they are in positions of power. Think. Fortunately these people who claimed to be pro establishment, are only seen as good enough to be assigned to attack people in cyberspace. Anyone in position of responsibility will not want to be associated with such scums, and will not allowed them to be in position of authority to abuse the masses. They are good only to be doggies in cyberspace. Reminds me of The Animal Farm. The people who have a view, who criticise or disagree, are honest people who speak the truth. They don't hide behind the veil of innocence. They are speaking their conscience. Without them the country will soon go to the dogs. As for those who hide behind the veil of innocence, they are the pretenders, cheats, shameless sluts, worst than prostitutes. As least the prostitutes earn an honest living.

$70k for 4 days stay

Not in Shangrila, and not in Mount Elizabeth. It is 4 days stay in a govt restructured hospital, undergoing clinical trial to find out what's wrong with him. It is cheap. It could be more expensive if cost has not been brought down. Some trials, attendance by specialists, and medicine. And of course the attention and care of nurses on 24 hr call. $70k or more than $15k daily. I thought it was some hospital in the US or UK. The family paid the bill of course. He died on the fourth day. When I saw him he was still fully alerted, except for some difficulties in breathing he was looking healthy and still can engage in normal conversation. The death was least expected. And he paid $70k for it. I hope I am wrong in the numbers. That's what I was told.

The Sunday Times editor warns

Do not think 20c is trifling matter. Kopi in the kopitiams is up by 20c or more. Used to be 60c or 70c. Now it is 90c, or at the franchised outlets it is $1.30. Then bread and kaya, and eggs, also up 10c or 20c respectively. In the neighbourhood kopitiams, some may forgo their regular kopi, even the cheaper kopi O. Too expensive. They will opt for plain water at 20c a cup. And these people are going to enjoy their happy lives till 80 or 100 years, drinking 20c plain water and maybe plain roti. What a life!

How does the US system measures up to ours

For one, the US has a President that does not do much except to read scripts written by the thinkers and real policy makers. His main job is to look good and act cool, and make nice quotes for the media. And for such a job, the Americans feel that paying him half a million bucks is definitely more than what he deserves. The Americans are smart enough to pay for what the President is worth. That is the reason why only Hollywood lookalikes are more likely to be elected. The tall dark and handsome lady killers.And these characteristics also apply to all their politicians. As for real talents to run the country, the Americans rely on the bureaucrats, the full time state employees or our equivalent of civil servants. These are the people that remain no matter which party or president is elected to power. There will be some face changes at the top, the Secretaries etc. But the bureaucrats plod on while at the same time giving the impression that the Presidents and Secretaries are running the show. That is the reason why there is no need for super talents to be elected as politicians. Even the nominees to Secretaryship can be a hotpot of peas, beans and turnips. And the American voters play along, support the candidates, wear party colours and turnout to vote. It was all a show, life shows where everyone got a chance to play a part. Money were spent and everyone got to enjoy some of them and the spectacle. Unlike ours, our election is a serious affair and the voters take it very seriously and would not anyhow vote anyone into office. One good thing about the American system is that it will last for a long time. It is just a party. One bad thing about our system is that it relies heavily on one very strong man to pull everything together. And this one man better be good, honest and honourable. If he is crooked, our system will go to the cesspool. Will our system last?

Damn it, how can they do this?

Singapore’s MobileOne cuts prices of some plans SINGAPORE: MobileOne Ltd, Singapore’s smallest wireless operator, will cut prices by as much as 35% for users with multiple connections to retain customers before a rule change lets people keep their number while switching carriers. Users with at least three mobile-phone or high-speed Internet subscriptions would get discounts of 25% to 35% from today, MobileOne said in a statement to the Singapore Exchange yesterday. Phone operators in the city-state, including Singapore Telecommunications Ltd and StarHub Ltd, have started new services and promotions to attract and retain customers ahead of increased rivalry when mobile number portability begins by June.... The above is posted in the Star. How could they do it with increasing rentals and labour costs? And they are improving on their services as well. Are they trying to mock the system? Low price is possible! Low price also means better services!

American democracy

Will “American democracy” throw up the best leaders?

Posted by theonlinecitizen on March 28, 2008

In the blog Beyond Sg, George Yeo, Minister for Foreign Affairs, asks if the United States’ system of “American democracy” will “throw up the best leaders”.

Quote from the blog:

“But will such a system throw up the best leaders? Watching the race between Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama, a large part of the contest is about crafting speeches and sound bites, and endless spinning of one’s position. The system of analysing and targeting voters is extremely sophisticated. Out of the cacophony, the American voter is supposed to be able to sense the core of a candidate and then decide in his own best interest. Ordinary people may not understand all the issues debated but, given enough time, they have the instinct to figure out who is the right man or woman to become President. That at least is the hope.”

What are your views about Mr Yeo’s question?

I fully agree with George Yeo's doubt about American democracy throwing up good leader. They had a peanut farmer, an actor, a Clinton and two Bushes as Presidents. Look at what is happening to America now? That tells a lot about American democracy. They should learn or adopt the Singapore model like the Singapore Maths Text Books.

A good pro establishment post

....Our esteemed govt has in the past expressed concern that Singaporeans are being exposed to inaccurate and unfiltered information on the Internet. Unlike the Straits Times which is highly objective, many blogs are out to discredit our outstanding govt. Some like Mr. Brown's notorious blog even resort to satire to poke fun at our govt - I can't imagine what our our govt has done to deserve such ridicule. I consider satirical blogs like Mr. Brown's highly irresponsible as it trivialises the enormous effort by our govt to care for us. Amplifying the few honest mistakes (Mas Selamat, GST, Shin Corp, ....etc etc) will undermine the confidence the people have in our govt. While the Straits Times and the Chinese equivalent is the most widely read material on the island, an increasing number of people are turning to the Internet for information. I think the govt is honestly worried that these people are not getting the best information. Who are the writers of these unedited blogs? ....Our newspapers are written by people the best qualifications .... Looking around in the blogsphere I'm very sad to say that except for my blog, there are very few (almost none) that truly appreciate what our govt has done for us. Our govt may not be able to please everyone but it seems to have displeased every single political blogger (except myself). I say to everyone, lets keep our minds open when we evaluate what the PAP govt is doing for us, there is always a good side to everything they do and if you're not sure how it is good for you, all you need to do is open up the Straits Times ....and all the goodness will enter your mind. posted by LuckySingaporean in Diary of A Singaporean Mind Now no one can accuse me of being anti establishment.

Mysingaporenews anti establishment?

This is the remark posted here in my blog. And Elfred is so afraid on hearing this and is running for his life. What you people think? If any Singaporean who gossips or has something to say about Singapore affairs in a negative manner is anti establishment, I think there will be no pro establishment Singaporeans left. How bigotted can Singaporeans be if you commented on things that you don't agree with and you are branded as anti establishment? If this is the case, and if what Elfred said is the tooth, then we are not much different from totalitarian or authoritarian regimes. Are we? Can Singaporeans talk about Singaporean affairs without being branded as anti Singaporeans? My goodness, what have we become? A third world dictatorship with third world mentality? Do we have an opinion on things concerning us?

No fear for price rise of rice

Price of rice is up by 30%. Now this one is deadly and beyond our control. We can expect all rice and related products to go up accordingly. Good news is that Chok Tong is concerned and has put a lid on all govt fees increases for now. He said, 'Govt fees, although their going up is justified, may be restrained for a few months, postponing the increases to next year or so.' With rentals and salaries going up and more increases on the way, it is difficult to continue with the same quality of services if the fees are not hiked. So they will be hiked, in small increases I presumed, to make them more affordable in the near future. Better late than now. Oh, GST revenue will go up as well as it is pegged at a percentage of all prices. For those who think that GST will be rolled back, Chok Tong gave a definite no. He said, 'Better to...use revenues generated to help Singaporeans in a more targeted way.'

Checking golf bags

A letter by Chua Hou Thye in the ST today related his experience at the causeway check. In his mind, the intensive security checks were made to look out for Mas Selamat. But when he was asked to unload his golf bags and the bags were checked, he was not amused. According to Chua Hou Thye, they could not possibly find Mas Selamat in his golf bag. But the officers could be looking for other things as well. So it is not right to blame the officers. And the long jam is expected and should be tolerated in view of the high security threats. Just bear with it for the good of the nation.

Chok Tong's take on ministers

Chok Tong talked about the qualities expected of a good minister, able to anticipate problems and provide a solution. Three ministers fit this description, Boon Wan, Eng Hen and Raymond. They have been anticipating problems and working out solutions. What Chok Tong should add is that the solutions must be workable, meaningful and effective in solving the problems. There is no point pushing solutions that the people do not believe are appropriate or what they want and ended being compelled to accept the solutions. This last part is also related to what Chok Tong said, be connected with the people. Compelling the people to accept solutions they do not need or want is not connecting with the people.

Cheaters and the women behind them

Cheaters and the women behind them by Chitra Rajaram, Deputy Editorial Director of Today ....Look around us in Singapore. Do our male political leaders engage in such behaviour? I don't think they do. . This is because when people are elected and hold important positions in Government, they have a moral obligation and responsibility to society — to not just deliver as politicians but also as individuals within accepted moral and ethical considerations. . To me, these individuals have a strong moral fibre, and I trust them to run the country because they have earned my trust as individuals. . Our leaders may not have a dapper appearance, nor do they dazzle with colourful speech — you could even say some of them come across as fuddy-duddies. But their heads and hearts are in the right place.... The above is an extract of an article published in the Today paper today. I am sure the factually accurate article will win an award at the Annual best paper or best journalist award presentation.

I don't need your approval

Isn't that nice? The cyberspace is providing a platform for everyone, young and old, rich or poor, powerful or powerless, to say what they want, to say what they think is important, without requiring the approval of the msm or their editors. This is the greatest development since the practice of universal suffrage. The voice has returned to the people. And the people must use this voice wisely and to put it to good use in their own interest. Speak for yourself. Speak your own truth. The people now do not have to accept other people's agenda and other people's truth. Welcome to the brave new world of Cyberspace.

New govt in 2015?

Today I will do a little crystal ball gazing of what the govt will look like in the future. There is always a possibility of a new party taking over from the present govt. Maybe a LP Party wins the election by 2015. No one can be certain of the future. What will happen then? The LP Party may elevate the position of the President higher and raise his pay to $10m. Equally, without saying, the PM, SMM, MM, 3 SSM, SM will be paid near to $10m. And Ministers could easily be paid $8m. And more ministerial posts will be created to reward party stalwarts. There will be Minister for the Poor, Minister for Protection of the Environment, Casino Minister, F1 Minister, Minister for Women, Minister for Charity, Minister for Private Schools, Minister for Private Hospitals, Minister for Hospices, Minister for GST, and possibly more. But the good thing is that the people are all happy. Salaries have all gone up sky high because money is flowing out from the Casinos. Why not? And we own 5 of the world's top banking and financial institutions. We also bought over Harvard and Yale Universities and thinking of buying more. Long live the LP Party!

Paranoid or Mean

We are a rich nation, call ourselves first world, pride ourselves for being compassionate, sophisticated and blah blah blah. But we are very disturbed by the fact that some richer people would not want to pay higher hospital bills and do not mind opting for lower class wards with lower quality services. And we feel aggrieved on the ground that these people are sponging on the system or depriving the not so rich from govt subsidies. So, the solution is to set up a system of machinery and people to mean test these people. Wonder whether the objective justifies the cost and trouble to implement it. And with the rising cost of living, NTUC is thinking of setting up a low cost store to sell food and essential items to the people worst hit by this change. And I think the same fear or paranoia will be creeping into the decision makers' mind. What to do if the richer people also come and buy from such a store? Can't let them take advantage of this too. Perhaps mean testing again. I would propose a simpler and cheaper idea. Just use the power of the word. In hospitals, called the C Wards, Cheapskate Wards. That would be a deterrent to shame the cheapskates. And as for the low price store, called it Low Class Store or Hard Time Store. Some mean sounding names to keep the free loaders away. Just by renaming, I think it will keep a lot of them away from taking advantage of the systems to help the poor buggers. No need to sweat the big stuff and the small stuff. No need to waste so much energy and resources too.

There is passion in the Medical Profession

While we chat about the recent furore on snake oil and aesthetic medicine, many kinds of views were expressed for and against the professional conduct or business of medicine, we must not lose sight of the fact that there is passion in the medical profession. There are many selfless men and women still living on ideals and goodness and dishing our goodness to help fellow human beans. And for those who have ventured into the world of vanity products and medicine, it is not a bad thing either. It is far more better to have medically qualified professionals handling such procedures than Ah Lian and Ah Huay claiming to be experts and treating the customers. What is important are professional conduct and ethics. While doing a business, if the end result is customer satisfaction and good value for money, the practitioners would have fully discharged their professional conduct. It is only when they push the services or products like mlms or snake oil salesmen, then rightfully eyebrows need to be raised. I still salute those selfless men and women who live out their ideals to help fellow beans. They find satisfaction and meaning in life in their own happy ways. Some may sneer at them as being silly. But it is through such silly men and women that the world becomes a better and more liveable place where human compassion exists and make living meaningful.

Notable quotes - Khir Toyo

'We must go back to the people and take ti to them. Our weakness has often been out top-down approach.' Khir Toyo, Former Selangor Mentri Besar I think this top down approach is the strength of the Singapore Govt. And it works here because we have the best talents in govt. It fails in Malaysia for exactly the opposite reason.

Asian media are part of the conspiracy

Yes, Asian media are part of the conspiracy to discredit China and to support the boycott of the Olympic Games. The indiscriminate airing of distorted information or misinformation on the Tibetan riotings is the clearest evidence that these media are in cahoot with the western subversive movement. It is unacceptable and unforgiveable to take the excuse that it was an over exaggeration and the editors were idiots that do not know what were happening and what they were publishing. It is their job, their livelihood and profession to edit and provide news and information that are true and accurate, not half truth or mischievious news.

It was a good exercise

Teo Xuanwei reported on a Today poll that found Singaporeans are more concerned about security threat. The Mas Selamat Escape is doing a lot of good to the people and country. Prior to the exercise, Singaporeans took security for granted. Now 1 in 2 are concerned. This is 50%. Before the exercise maybe 1 in 100. No hue is the word. And the exercise continues. The approach now will be more targeted unlike the earlier part when searches were launched to cover every inch of the ground, with or without lead.

Doctors selling snake oil

Are our doctors selling snake oil? What is happening to this honourable profession when every doctor is the creme ala creme of each cohort of students? It is so difficult to be admitted into the Medicine Faculty even with a string of straigtht As. Why are they resorting to selling snake oil? Maybe money not enough. Ok, raise their fees and make sure they make millions. Or they can join politics too. That will ensure a decent living instead of peddling snake oil. Our straight As students must be allowed to earn millions. That is the expectation. After all the course fee for a medical degree is not cheap. What is sad and embarrassing is that our top brains are looking at money more than ethics and patients' safety. Reading medicine is to save lives and treat illnesses. Not the other way round, practising trades that may cause harm instead.

Back peddling - Never in our history

I am not sure whether to place this issue in the sign of decline or progess column. What we have been seeing recently are back peddling of decisions, and getting more frequent. The latest is the NTU change of mind about putting 3 students into one bunk. Never in our history has back peddling been an issue. All decisions made are carefully thought out before implementing. Some were tough but necessary decisions. It was always go and no U turn. The recent phenomenon can be seen in three ways. One, decisions are not well thought through and implemented hastily. Two, decision makers do not have the gumptions to stay the course. Three, decision makers are flexible, have their ears on the ground and willing to listen to the people and make changes to accommodate the people. Given the quality of our super talents, it is too presumptuous to think think that they cannot think out solutions and came up with half baked decisions that need to go back to the drawing board. And knowing how thorough was the selection process, these must be men and women of steel and would not falter just because their solutions or decisions met with resistance or objections. It is likely the third reason. The decision makers are now more responsive to the people's unhappiness and are willing to listen and act accordingly.

My biggest mistake

That was what Abdullah said about underestimating the internet. 'We thought the newspapers and television were suppoosed to be important, but young people were looking st SMSes and blogs.' Abdullah forgot to add that he thought with all the control and skewed reporting in the official media people will lap them up and believe them. He underestimated the intelligence of the people. The people are like sesame seed, given up reading the official mouth pieces. If sesame seed is an indication of what the younger readers are like, the msm is losing ground and a grip on them. While Abdullah has turned on the charm offensive to win the bloggers in cyberspace instead of clamping down on them, what would happen to paradise when the next GE comes? Perhaps they will be stomping away confidently and happily.

High business cost is good

There was a time when there were calls for reducing business cost to stay competitive and relevant I think that was an old broken record and had been thrown away. Today, high cost means high quality, value for money. So high cost is good. High rental, high wages, high communication and transportation cost, high food and services costs, high education and medical cost etc. This is what a great first world city is all about. The higher we charge, the more people will flock here. Why are the hotels worrying that their rates are getting too high and tourists may not be able to afford them? Would medical tourists also go somewhere? Would the high spending shopping tourists go as well? Foreign students, foreign workers, businesses, would they stay and keep coming? What happens when one day we work up and all the factories are gone, hotels empty, hospital beds under utilised, shops without tourists, hawkers unable to pay for food court rentals? Never. It will not happen to us.

Low income section or store by NTUC

NTUC is exploring the idea of setting up another store or section to cater to low income folks. All the while I thought NTUC Fairprice is meant for low income folks. Or there is now a lower low income group to service? Would someone be suggesting that mean testing be put in place so that the low income and middle income groups cannot visit this new section/store? Would those who can afford to pay more should continue to pay more and only those who pass the mean testing test can buy from the new store? It must be this way. If not everyone will be patronising the new store and deprive the lower low income group from the benefits.

What kind of media we have

They claimed to be professionals, well trained, well qualified and paid to do the job as a profession. They claimed to report factually, the truth. They claimed to do a lot of fact checking to ensure accuracy, and very well researched pieces too. They also thumbed down the bloggers and cyberspace forumers as gossipers of no substance. They are the chosen and respectable ones. And they have the msm to prove that they are pristine professionals with their works in print and paid for, every letter and words published. They are valued for money. Ngiam Tong Dow thinks that they should just fall back on straight factual reporting. No need to think or think too hard. After all their opinions are unlikely to be of any value or not wanted unless.... What you people think of the media?

Brewing of a perfect storm

The political crisis is not over yet, just beginning. And Trengganu may be the state that is going to tip the scale and send Abdullah and UMNO into the oblivion. The royalties, led by the Agong, are standing up after being silenced by Mahathir for many years. And Abdullah is unlikely to be in the same league as Mahathir to keep them in the closet. The Agong, who is also the Sultan of Trengganu, is not going to appoint Abdullah's nominee as the MB and has appointed Ahmad Said instead. Any contest by Abdullah that this is unconstitutional could see a constitutional crisis and a fallout with the Palace. The very likely consequence is that Ahmad Said will take with him 12 UMNO MPs and may join PAS or PKR to form an opposition state govt. That would put Abdullah's govt in jeopardy, literally hanging on a string. And if the speculation of a cross over by East Malaysian MPs, Anwar is going to be the next PM in a few months' time. And UMNO will be irrelevant. So will MCA, MIC and Gerakan.

Untold secrets of our success

One of the greatest achievements of the ruling govt is to come out with decisions and policies that please the elite, including those from the academia. The latter are the thinkers, the critics and the people who can see the flaws of any bad policy or decision. And they can be expected to speak out on them or write critical analysis in msm or academic journals. The very fact that the elite and scholar thinkers are not saying anything or not saying much proves beyond any doubt that all our policies are very well conceived and implemented. It is a silent consensus that speaks louder that voicing loud approvals.

Electronic parking guides are up

Electronic panels showing the number of parking spaces available in the Marina centre area are up. Nice. Wonder how much they cost and who is paying for it, plus maintenance. They forgot to provide a viewing area on the side of the road for motorist to park and check which car park has available lots. This would be more convenient and avert any slowing down of traffic or accident when drivers have to look at them.

The poor must be rejoicing

Today I am feeling damn good. Inflation is hitting the rich harder by 3.9% while the bottom earners like me is hit only by 2.8%. Time to celebrate the good news. I am still wondering about those whose income is just sufficient for food and transport and how are they hit? 2.8% also? Now one plate of mee is up from $3 to $3.50, how many percent is that? A loaf of bread is up by how much? How much have vegetables gone up? I think for these buggers, the extra that they would have to pay just for food alone will be somewhere in the region of 20%. But officially or statistically they should also feel good. It is only 2.8%.

We are so obnoxious and intolerant

Someone asked me how was Gayle Goh's blog doing. I thought she was doing fine. For those who have forgotten about her, she was the junior college girl who caused a sensation when a civil servant, Bilahari, replied in her blog. So I went back to her blog and was disappointed. She has stopped blogging. In her last few posts she revealed vaguely, that she was kind of being attacked personally by the obnoxious and insensible people of paradise. She felt so hurt that she found it better to stop blogging, or if she were to do it again, she would do it under a pseudonym. Couldn't our society accept the views and existence of a young school girl? Is it fair to attack her and destroy her self confidence and make her feel so disappointed with the adult world? Some have encouraged her to keep on posting. I would too. But given her youth, it is not easy for her to take all the insinuations bravely. She would not be as thick skin as me nor to confront her attackers headon. She does not know how to brandish her knuckle duster to fend for herself. We have just lost the views and contribution of a young and promising blogger.

ERP coming to MRT? Huat ah!

Some times back I wrote a tongue in cheek piece on ERP in MRT. Now looks like this is going to be a possibility. This time it is to stagger people using MRT instead of cars using expressways. As a money making concept, this is simply brilliant. Yes there are many ways to skin a cat. Let me quote a few phrases from the New Paper. 'In Adelaide, too, public transport fares are 25 to 45 per cent cheaper between 9am and 3pm, compared to earlier and later peak periods. Ms Tammy Tan, spokesman for SBS Transit, which operates the North-East line, said a staggered-fare system is possible in Singapore. She declined to elaborate. But SMRT, which operates the North-South Line, said it prefers to cut congestion by increasing the frequency of train runs.' Maybe we are safe with SMRT for the time being. As for the North east line, pray hard.

Mas Selamat has done it

No, he has not blown up any air planes or buildings. But for just hiding in the unknown, Mas Selamat has created havoc to the lives of many on both sides of the causeway. The security forces, the lorry and bus drivers, the school children and the shopkeepers in Woodland, plus the suppliers of our food and vegetables across the causeway, are all suffering. Their businesses and livelihood are all hanging in the balance until Mas Selamat is caught. Then, with the delays and slowdown in goods vehicles coming through, the prices of basic items are also shooting up. Now who is paying for these and being badly affected by the higher prices? Practically every hardlanders. It is very costly, I must say.

Mas Selamat mugshot on sale

Our new celebrity is getting a lot of followers. Thanks or no thanks to the well meaning people for the publicity he is getting. You can get his famous look on mugs, T shirts, posters etc at a small fee. Mas Selamat has been elevated to cult status similar to the greats of Che Guevera, Castro and Mao Tse Tung. The family of Mas Selamat should send to these entrepreneurs who are selling his mugshots a bill for royalties.

The Mean Western Media - What a shame!

The myth that western media were objective, unbiased, truthful and fair reporting were clearly exposed in a report in the China Daily/Ann, REUTERS. The report is supported by evidence, pictures and writeups of western media, supposedly very reputable ones, of distorting truth and creating misleading news to attack the Chinese authorities in Tibet. When all the violence and killings were done by the rioters, the reporting and pictures were doctored to show that it was the Chinese authorities that were the bad guys. Among the culprits mentioned were CNN, BBC, Washington Post, Germany's Bild, N-TV and RTL TV and Berliner Morgenpost. It is really disgusting and distasteful for such organisations to stoop so low in their reporting of untruth and misinformation. Where is the credibility, where is the ethics, the moral standing for these ass organisations to do such disgraceful acts? It is an abuse of freedom of expression and freedom of the media when such misinformation are published as truth. What tooth? These organisations have destroyed whatever credibility they have and drag down whatever little credibility the western media has in general. The full article can be found in MyPaper today.

Professionals to self regulate

Boon Wan has stepped in to the new buzz and decided that it is too much work for the ministry to regulate aesthetic medicine. It is now left to the professionals to regulate themselves. After the taxi bus implementation when the users rose in arms against the new regulations LTA also responded to modify the well thought out plans. It took quite a while though, and after many complaints before LTA relented to change. Kudos must be given to the MOH for changing their interventionist position to one of self regulation within a week of the announcement. And the professionals better to a good job to regulate themselves and not allow money to get in the way at the expense of professional ethics and the interest of the customers.

Time to go after the fakes

Fakes are increasingly common in this cosmopolitan city. We are being inundated with fake degrees, fake institutions of higher learnings and also fake physical attributes. If we are not going to accept fake qualifications, shall we also reject fake physical assets? Aesthetic medicine is now the fad. Anyone standing in front of you may be a fake, at least in some parts. If we allow the faking of one's look, why not the faking of one's qualifications? Even the food that we eat are fakes, genetically modified. And whether they will harm us in the future is yet to be proven. Should then be banned too? There are calls in this direction. Shall we accept or reject the fakes? : )

Buying foreign banks a bad deal?

With US$22 b spent on the buying spree for troubled international banks, and with crumbling values as more misdeeds or debt were revealed, many were chuckling in glee. See, supertalents messing up our reserves. Many are waiting at the sidelines hoping for such opportunities to take potshots at the highly paid and highly acclaimed supertalents in our midst. Are the criticisms justified? I was in favour of these acquisitions from the start. And I am still hopefully optimistic that these were good decisions and will bring in good returns in the long run. It is only in difficult times like this that these top banks have to go down on their knees to beg for fund injections. Without such a window of opportunities, we can wait till the cow comes home for them to divest their interests to a sovereign wealth fund like ours. The recent developments seeing these risky investments plunged in their values in the billions surely will bring up the questions of due diligence. Did we go in with eyes wide open or eyes wide shut? Were we told of the full story before parting with our billions? And did we protect ourselves from such an eventuality, or did we know how much risk we are exposing ourselves to? If the decision makers went in fully aware of the possible pitfalls and consequences, and the decision made based on acceptable calculated risk, then the public should not take issues with the short term fluctuation. We only need to fear if we are conned into parting with our billions by the banks that did not fully disclose their full liabilities and debt to us. And if that be the case, hopefully legal actions can recover some of the damages. And rightfully too, the decision makers need to be kicked in the arse. When all due diligence have been taken, and the losses were due to developments that were difficult to foresee, then the public should not be too harsh on their criticisms. We can now hope that everything is within our control and expectations, and in the long run we shall reap the fruits of risk taking and opportunism.

Singapore news will never be the same again

With Cyberspace gaining more readership and acceptance, news reporting and opinions on Singapore news will never be the same again. We are now seeing a community of blogs and forums growing and contributing to the local scene, providing alternative news in increasing regularity. Thanks for forum/blogs like Littlespeck, Mr Brown, Mr Wang, Mollymeek, TheOneLineCitizen, Yawningbread, and even Talkingcock, and many others, there is now a platform for readers hungry for what is not spoken or cannot be spoken in the msm. And don't forget the little contribution from MySingaporeNews and Redbeanforum as well. With everyday passing, cyberspace can only grow in stature and in gaining a bigger share of the readership.

Welfare for the rich

Why are we bitching over a few hundred dollars for the poor when we readily spend millions for the rich who don't need them? Got such things? Just open your eyes and see through the veneer of respectability. Oh, as for the poor, we need to be very careful. Giving them too much welfare will erode our strong work ethics and personal responsibility. 'Sui ah.' Very well said. In reality, our system is paying millions to redundant old hags to keep them employed by creating many redundant positions and with handsome payouts. Many of these old hags have outlived their usefulness and are either working at half capacity or not at all. But with their millions in wealth that can let them live comfortably for another century, they continue to enjoy welfare in the millions. I read this statement from Ravi Menon, Second Permanent Secretary in Trade and Industry when he spoke at the Asia Research Institute Seminar, 'What does it mean for a person's sense of self worth and dignity? What does it mean for the work ethics? What does it mean for the family?' I have touched on the first question in my post yesterday. For a person who is receiving more than he is worth or contributing to an organisation, and he unashamingly stretches out his arms to collect the gold, what does it say to his self worth and dignity? And if one does not even work and proudly receives his gold, what does it say of his work ethics? As for his family, he might just tell them he deserves the gold. Or he might just say, with a wide smile, 'Take it and enjoy it while it lasts.' If a small amount of these money were to be given to the poor, it will make them feel very rich. But giving to the rich, it will only make them richer and regard the extra money as peanuts. And some will even complain that it is too little, and not having to work for it. But as a kind of welfare benefit, work for it is not necessary.

Notable quotes - Koh Kian Beng

The last thing we want is for a woman to be made the PM by riding on the coat tails of her husband or father, and not on her own merit. Koh Kian Beng While reporting on a public forum discussing the possibility of a woman PM, Koh Kian Beng, a SPH journalist or reporter, inserted the above quote into his article in the ST today. I find this an amusing and interesting quote. Why should such an idea of a woman becoming a PM because of her husband or father be a concern in the first place? Are we expecting such a woman PM in the foreseeable future? Or why must a woman become a PM only through her connection and not her ability? A bit of sexist chauvinism and quite patronising to the women. The other point to amuse ourselves is that it is ok if a man becomes a PM because of his father or wife. So it is acceptable for a man but not acceptable for a woman to ride on his connection. This will be a good cocktail party gossiping topic. Hentail parties can dispute this judgemental view as well.

Myth 176 - Sorry wrong call

We have heard that many top CEOs in the west are being paid in hundreds of millions as wages. And they justified their grand pay schemes by strutting their great talents and ability to make more money for the organisations. At first glance it looks very fair. How to reject someone who makes a billion by not paying a hundred million to him? The argument holds well only when this turkey is making his billions. What happens when he loses in billions? Sack him or give him a pay cut? When the turkey turns donkey and bankrupt the organisation, at best he will say, oops, sorry, wrong call. But when he is making billions he will trumpet as how clever he is. How equitable is such a compensation formula? Many are bought by it, especially the supertalents. For they know that they are the one that cannot lose. They gamble on other people's money and reward themselves handsomely when they made the right decision or guess it right. If they lose or make a huge mistake, they only lose other people's money. And they could get another equally well paying job by selling their experience somewhere else.

Clamping down on aesthetic medicine and practices

The MOH is putting a stop to all the questionable procedures being marketed by medical and non medical professionals to make every living bean who wants to look more beautiful happy. It claims that many of the procedures are not even approved by advanced western countries and some are probably still under clinical tests. I can't blame the medical professionals for switching from saving lives and helping the sick to this more lucrative trade and objective. At the end of it, what is important is money. Greed is good. Greed is our culture. And people are getting realistic and think first of lining their pockets with money than silly idealism about helping the people. Long live greed and money.

Myth 175 - New Welfarism

Chua Mui Hoong wrote an article about a new disease which she called New Welfarism in town. Essentially she is talking about the subsidies and handouts which the govt is giving to the poor and expectations of handouts is now creeping up to the middle class. Singaporeans are taking these handouts as an annual giveaways from the govt. And she said that 'The PAP has been right in fearing a "crutch mentality" among the low income.' So while giving, there is this constant fear and reminder not to turn the country into a welfare state and erode the work ethics of the people. My observation is that she is barking up the wrong tree. Welfarism starts at the highest level where giveaways are disguised as just rewards. In the name of talent and high positions, people are demanding to be paid in gold and getting it. And no one is calling this welfarism but paying for according to market worth. And it is this bunch of leeches that are sneering at the few dollars thrown to the low income earners and claiming that these low down scums of society are developing a crutch mentality. The biggest recipients of the biggest handouts are all laughing to the bank and are blind to the handouts they are getting. They are even blind to the fact that they are victims of the crutch mentality and are demanding for more without knowing it. This is the New Welfarism that people are blind to it. Remove the handouts and you will immediately see the withdrawal symptoms. They may get delirious. And what kind of work ethics are we encouraging when people are being paid exorbitant sums not commensurate with the petty works they are doing?

Learning from India's Civil Service

Singapore wants to learn lessons from India’s ‘growth story’ March 20th, 2008 By Prashant K. Nanda New Delhi, March 20 (IANS) National University of Singapore (NUS) is inviting Indian civil servants to teach the ‘growth story’ to other Asian counterparts and in turn learn the best practices in public administration from global experts, all for free. “Many countries in the world want to know about India’s growth and we wish Indian civil servants to teach the developing countries. We are inviting them to do a course in our institute for free,” said Kenneth Paul Tan, assistant dean of NUS’ Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP). When I read the above I thought it was a joke. No it is serious. And nothing personal against the Indian Civil Service, I thought we should be teaching the world our brand of world class civil service? Without being prejudicial, I still believe we have the best civil service among all the ex British colonies. Some may argue that Hongkong's is the best now, but it is a touch and go and you would need a set of criteria to compare them objectively.

Looking for Mr Happy

This is surely the clearest sign of things are becoming bad. All the while I know that Singaporeans are all very happy. High paying jobs, govt angpows, full employment, world class services, staying in hospital also damn happy and don't want to go home. And the PRs and locals lagi happy. And their happiness are so infectious that all the FTs and foreign workers are also happy. The happiest of course are in the cabinet, I mean kitchen cabinet. They should instead be looking for Mr Unhappy. Now that will be a difficult task normally. Luckily with the recent turn of event you may find someone very unhappy. What I am not sure is how much would be spent on this happy exercise. Who is paying for such a creative idea? We are first world and the citizens are very mature to welcome such a wonderful idea.

Golden Years are here

With the news of price hike hitting the people almost every other day, we will soon be paying everything in gold. Just heard that PUB rate for power will be up next month. When oil is up, practically everything will be up. Power and transportation are all dependent on oil/petrol price. Welcome to the golden years.

Time to say a few good words

For three weeks he stood alone to face the wrath of the people, specifically those in cyberspace. Many have written asking Kan Seng to take responsibility and to resign. While everyone is taking potshots at him, he stood firm. And while being attacked, he still got time to say a few soothing words for the Home Team, to boost up their sagging morale. Indeed Kan Seng is a brave man. He fought like a lone warrior. No one has yet to speak out on his behalf. He must be feeling very lonely at this moment. Let's hope his terrain mapping tool will quickly map out where Mas Selamat is and bring him back to Mount Pleasant. Then we can all sing him praises and said we can all sleep well with him in charge again. It is a tough job and many would have crumbled. It needs a steely man to stand up in a moment like this, and to continue with the search despite all the criticism. Kan Seng is the man.

Tsk tsk tsk

When I wrote the article 'Do we need change,' I expect people to rebut my points vigorously and point out all the flaws in my arguments. I would like forumers and bloggers to challenge the conventional truth or the accepted truth. And it is very easy to tear away at the positions I took. Our system is far from perfect. It is like a story in Disneyland. It is based on many assumptions that normally do not happen in the real world. And if they do, it is a temporary phenomenon, like a rainbow. It will not last. The first assumption is that we will always be blessed with wise, honourable and selfless men who will be in position of power to keep the lid on. And these wise men will be able to select equally honourable and selfless men to carry on with the job of good governance. Even now we are seeing the cracks and the peelings are coming off. And do we really believe that an elected President can check on a rogue govt? The evidence has proven otherwise. A rogue govt could simply bundle the President out of the Istana. Or they could simply ignore him, don't provide him with the information to work on. Just shut him out. And the President will not be able to protest outside the Parliament without a permit. He will be arrested. Where is the check and balance? Who is to check the guards or guardians? The Mas Selamat case is a good example. Who is to check the wise and honourable men if they turn bad? Our system cannot last after LKY. It needs a very strong man to pull all the strings to get everyone in line. Once this is not present, everything will be scattered all over the place. There is a saying, 'tree falls monkeys scatter.'

Dying is a natural way to say good bye

The Lien Foundation is funding a research on palliative care to adopt a different approach to those who are chronically ill or who are dying and beyond the scope of medical help. It is high time that such an approach be adopted than blindly trying to keep everyone alive and incurring a bomb in medical expenses. A lot of education is needed to educate the ignorant masses that dying is not a bad thing when the time has come. Prolonging life and suffering are. At the same time the education should also go on to tell the people that living to 80 or 90 is not necessary a blessing but could be a punishment, a life sentence in pain and suffering, in lonely, in despair. People should not be envious of those who live too long and clamouring to want to do the same.

A bad PR exercise

The Home Team has received a lot of bashing recently and Kan Seng may think it is time to do some morale boosting to keep their spirit high. There was a long news clip last night on Kan Seng's speech to the Home Team and another front page news in the msm. Many may have mocked the Home Team in cyberspace and it is natural for the Home Team to feel that the comments were unfair and unhelpful. But to think that it is time to air their grouses now may be a bit too premature if only they know what were said and not printed anywhere. The mistake was not only unacceptable, but approaches incredulity. It is hard for the people to accept it as a complacency or a lapse. It is also natural for the people to want to air their disappointment. No doubt some of the ridiculing may have gone overboard, but it is best that the Home Team accept the blame, continue with their good work and move on. The last thing the Home Team should do now is to take on public opinion or even to tell the public how sophisticated they are, how able are they to find a few hundred empty houses etc etc. What for when Mas Selamat is still on the loose? The morale boosting pep talk is best done in house as many officers have sweated and sacrificed their time that they could well spend with their loved ones. I think the majority of the people still have high regards for the Home Team and they should take the criticisms and praises as and when deserved.

Petrol price hike again

Oil price hits US$111. A good and justifiable reason to hike petrol prices. Is it? If I am not mistaken, oil prices are traded using US$. We are paying in S$. S$ is appreciating against US$. The petrol price hike is in S$. Are the price hike justifiable? Is CASE looking into this to make sure consumers are not taken for a ride and petrol companies are not profiteering? Can any thing be done to absorb the price hike? With a higher base price for petrol, revenue from petrol tax and GST will go up proportionally. Can this be adjusted to absorb the hike? Oil price cannot be controlled by us, external factors. But taxes are within our control. Or are we looking forward to another pleasant surprise of budget surpluses next year?

Hospital Resort concept

We are now seeing more people refusing to be discharged from our hospitals. Now why? Are our hospitals so comfortable, like hotels and resorts, that people are having a good time recuperating there than getting themselves discharged? Or is the hospital cost still too low and the patients find them still affordable? I think relatively the hospitals must be giving good value for money vis a vis the hotels. Otherwise these patients would have move out to stay in the hotels instead. Or is it because they have some savings in the Medisave which they might as well spend them or else it would be left untouched? I think Boon Wan must rethink his idea of making hospitals more comfortable and affordable. The latter is a contradiction. Make it cheap they do not want to leave. Die die want to stay in the hospitals. Boon Wan may want to reintroduce the natural selector concept in the hospitals. This may be a way to discharge patients and provide more bed space for those who really need them.

3-4 passengers per sq metre

Is this an acceptable standard in our MRT? No doubt many countries even use a higher figure than us. Just because there are people being sardined, does not mean that it is acceptable. We need to define what is our own acceptable standard. We have been encouraging our people to drink sewer water, or put it bluntly, shit water, urine water. Hmmm, is this really our standard of well being? 3-4 passenger per sq metre, if one is to include space taken by seats, that could reduce the capacity, the density is much higher. Maybe we are ok if we consider the fact that we are smaller and more petite. What is important is to find our own standard of comfort and not blindly quote other people's standard to determine what is good for us.

Do we need change?

Come to think of it, we don't need any change. We have the best political system in the world. We have proven to the world that ours is a system that works. Our people are paid among the highest in the world in every profession. Even our cleaners and sweepers are being paid more than managers and professionals in many countries. This is not simple boasting. It is real. We have defied all the philosophers and even the founding fathers of America. We have a system that is better than democracy or communism. It is our unique brand. We have ensured that only the best and talented and incorruptibles are selected to lead the countries. We don't even need a strong opposition to act as the nations's conscience. We don't need to build an infrastructure of checks and balances. With upright and honest people in charge, nothing can go wrong. And if come to the worst, we have vested powers in a strong elected President to check the abuses of a rogue govt. It is time the world comes to learn from us. This is our greatest contrirbution to mankind. A near perfect system that will check itself from any wrong doings or falling into the hands of a rogue dictator or a bunch of crooks in the future. Who says our system is fallible? If it is, it will have been tweaked long ago. We don't leave such things to chance.

Chee Soon Juan's great injustice

Chee Soon Juan has done a great injustice to all Singaporeans. He has destroyed our image as a happy and peaceful country where people are so contented that there is no protest against the govt. Now this image has been shattered and if we tell people in other countries that we have no people protesting in the street, no one is going to believe us. It will take many years for us to restore this blessed image of a protest free country. The bad boy must be caned in the public square.