Legacy of gunboat diplomacy

The western reporters could only quip that the Chines furore over the Diaoyutai Incident is about face saving. These are the only two words that they knew over the centuries of reporting about China. Other vocabularies include Chinese are inscrutable, good housekeepers, good cook for chop suey and laundrymen. The arrest of the Chinese fishing boat captain by the Japanese in the disputed Diaoyutai Island harks back to the days of Unequal Treaties. The island was wrestled from China at the Treaty of Shimonoseki. China than was a weak nation in the dying days of the Qing Dynasty. It went further down as the Sick Man of Asia after repeated raids and territorial aggression by the Western Powers and Japan. In the days of gunboat diplomacy, might is right. The Japanese told the Chinese then that they deserved to be attacked and defeated because the Chinese were weak. Yes, weakness was sexy and tempting. And Japan and the Western Powers raped and invaded China, and extorted all kinds of war reparations and ceding of Chinese territories and concessions. Diaoyutai was one of the islands ceded to Japan. Taiwan was ruled by Japan for several decades. So was Korea. History has come full circle. The difference is that China has the power of balance in its favour now. Japan may still think that it is a great imperial power and could do what it did to China all over again. It is in for a rude surprise. The Chinese, including the Koreans, are ready to take back whatever they lost to the Japanese during Imperial Japan. The stupid westerners can only think of Chinese face. They refused to acknowledge the days of humiliation, aggression and Unequal Treaties when China had to give up its wealth and land, and islands. Today China is strong enough to stand up to the aggressors and will demand the return of all lands taken from old China. They will do it on the negotiating table and will use the gun only if necessary. Japan want a war with China, with the US backing? The Chinese will meet the Japanese and Americans in the battle field. This time it is not a ragtag army of ill equipped peasant soldiers carrying only rifles and small arms. The Chinese military is in a position to take on the most advanced military power in the world today. Japan is chicken feed. Of course the militant Japanese will think otherwise, that they are capable of invading China once more. They want to return to the days of Imperial glory. The show has just started.

$12b not kid’s play

Two international conglomerates invested in more than $12b in the two integrated resorts with casinos as the major component in their business model. No matter how we tried to deceive ourselves, how to disguise them in all kinds of grandiose terms, the two integrated resorts would never be built without the casinos. And the casino concept was relented, accepted, despite the negative aspects associated with it, for there are many benefits too that would come along. They became operational at a time when the world was hit by a financial crisis and economic slowdown. They brought along a lot of jobs and investments, prior to their openings and after that. And more jobs and business opportunities are opening up because of these two ‘demons’ in the temple of god. Construction industry booms, tourism booms, meetings and conventions, and many supporting businesses sprang up because of them. Many people found jobs. And now because a few children complained, because a few whiter than white or holier than thou voices were raised in the right places, the operators of the casinos and their business partners are troubled, and their business plans and arrangements in disarray, looking so evil. Are we real in curbing the free buses from the hardlands? Do we really believe that stopping the buses will stop hardland gamblers going to the casinos and save these people from the harm of gambling? The only people that will stop going to the resorts/casinos are the occasional gamblers. The serious gamblers will be there. Their lives have changed the moment the govt decided on the casinos. The saving of $2 from free buses are not going to be in the calculations of people intent to gamble. The stopping of the free bus services hurt more of the casual visitors going to the resorts, the families going to the resorts, the retirees who could enjoy a few free rides, the general public who are going to the island or Marina Bay other than the casinos. Gamblers will not be deterred by not having free buses. The $100 levy is already a big deterrent, and the age limit. So what is all the fuss about, and the urgency, as if the sky is falling down if nothing is done, immediately? Hsien Loong is away and may not know what is going on. Would he reverse this panic decision and reinstate the free bus services? He was the one who gave the green light to the casinos. Minor irritations like free buses are not going to look good on him. The two big investors may abide quietly by the sudden change of regulations. What would they be thinking? What would other potential investors be thinking? What kind of place is this paradise? Are there really angels guarding this place and the goody residents sip tea, sing hymns and recite the gospels as past times, and pray to god day in and day out? Isn’t this a fun place, a place of action and excitement, entertainment, boozing and free mating? I have been living in this place all my life and I think the lives of the people are as colourful and complex as any big city, other than a few hypocrites. The sinful and pleasurable activities permeate every level of society for all I know. No? Then I must be imagining. Or I am not AWARE of the good side? The gamblers will still be at the casinos. The brickbats will come from those who want free buses to the resorts. They will be really pissed off by the few holies. Some are asking aloud why should kids decide what is good for them and what is not? Would this result in more anger votes? I am sure there are more humans than holies walking around in paradise.

Cleansing Sin City

Incurring the wrath of god is a bad thing in Sin City. The Sintizens need to be protected from evil and temptations. No one shall tempt the Sintizens into sin. The edict came down swift and fast. Not a moment shall be lost. No buts. Just stop promoting evil. And so the free bus services to the casinos or integrated resorts ceased immediately. No grace period was needed to unwind for a matter so serious as sin. Bus operators, casino operators just have to bear with the edict and take their losses. Free loaders taking the free buses would have to find their way home. If they had no money, thinking that they could take the free buses home, walk or do anything to get home. The decision is not about pragmatism or profit making. It is about goodness versus evil. The bus operators and casino operators losing their investments is of no concern. Now that it is official that gambling is not allowed nor encouraged among Sintizens, especially the hardlanders, I can expect the act of cleansing will go down further to make it real and complete. And it cannot be a half hearted measure or it will look hypocritical. Phase Two could see the eradicating of gambling booths in the hardlands. No more toto, 4D, football bettings, horse racings in the hardlander's neighbourhood. No one shall be allowed to tempt the hardlanders into gambling, all kinds of gambling. Phase Three should see the termination of online trading in shares. This is even worst than going to the casinos. It is bringing the casinos into the homes where adults and children all can play together. I mean gamble together. It is so convenient, free bus or no free bus, gambling is now available in the bed room, living room, study room and even in the toilet. Isn't this disgusting? To be real, to be really caring, to protect the Sintizens from gambling and indulging in sin, Phase Two and Phase Three must be enacted too, as immediate as the termination of free bus services. What about Phase Four, cleansing of Joo Chiat and Geylang? Maybe they are ok, as long as they don't bring the sleaze to the hardlanders. These unthinking hardlanders must be protected. They can't look after themselves and easily succumb to sin and temptation. God bless the citizens of Sin City.

What is so criminal about the Housing fiasco?

1. Young couples who been saving to buy that flat but still cannot buy because the price has gone beyond their means. 2. Because unable to get flat, put off marriage. Some ended up quarrelling and breaking off with their potential spouses. 3. Because no flat means delay in childbirth. Sometimes delay too long could lead to infertility. 4. For those who managed to get their flats, they could be made to cough out another $100k or more, which means slaving for the next 10 years all for nothing, just to pay for the flats. 5. Because of the small supply, some may have unsuccessful in too many ballotings and ended being booted out of the HDB schemes when their salaries exceeded the ceiling. 6. Some may ended up with no flats as the private flats were beyond their means. People have different commitments and responsibilities to their families and the balance of a $8k or $10k salary may be insufficient to buy private properties. 7. Those who could buy a private property could end up steep in debt because of the high loans. 8. Parents agonised over their children unable to buy HDB flats and may have to share the burden by emptying their retirement funds. 9. The pressure of getting a flat could result in many family quarrels, frictions and breakups. Of course the culprits causing all the hardship to the people would not know or not wanting to know about these consequences. All they did was telling the affected to downgrade their expectations, buy within your means. Some may be able to down grade but some can't. How could those who were planning to buy 3 rm flats downgrade further when HDB don’t even build 2 rm flats? How could those booted out from the HDB schemes and could not afford to pay for private flats downgrade to? Can’t afford private flats and HDB refuses to sell them? Isn’t that wicked? Not criminal enough? And the foreigners and new citizens walked in happily and buy direct from HDB or buying resale to jack up the price further. Good heavens, I would like to strip the pants of the jokers and give them a few strokes of the rotan.

Happy Hari Raya Aidilfitri

Best wishes to all my Muslim friends.

Notable quote by Redbean

'It is criminal if any Singaporean is not allowed to buy HDB flats under any flimsy excuses while PRs and new citizens are allowed to do so.' - Redbean

Monks, priests and nuns agitated

They are fuming mad at Resort World Sentosa for providing free buses to the little tropical paradise. I don’t believe that providing free services can incur such a wrath from the holies. Ok, there is nothing free under the sun. We don’t believe in freebies or anything can be free. Actually they are against luring the poor unthinking masses to gaming, or gambling to sound callous. How can RWS encourage the poor people to gamble in their casinos? I heard that at least 60% are going there to enjoy the resort and not to gamble. And many are retirees who probably can’t even afford to pay the $100 entry fee. So what the fuss is all about? Is it the gesture, the act of luring people there and they will be tempted to enter the casino? Or is it an act of providing free transportation that is intolerable? With the $100 entry levy, I would think that it will be prohibitive enough to keep the poor out of the casino. And those who can afford to pay the levy surely can afford to lose. So no need to worry lah. Now go back to your prayer rooms. Still something must be done. No need to carry the stick to force people from getting on the free buses. Just make them sign an undertaking not to go to RWS to gamble. Can or not? If not good enough, check their pockets and make them declare that they did not bring more than $100 to Sentosa. That should fix them from entering the casino. Now they will be saved, protected from evil. For added safety measures, to prevent people from gambling, please close all the toto outlets in the hardlands and supermarkets. Please also tell the stock exchange not to operate through lunch hours with no lunch breaks. And no online trading. The latter is encouraging gambling even in the homes. No need free buses, can gamble in the bedroom, kitchen and toilet, with a laptop. I think I have brought out many good ideas to be raised in house of gods on how not to encourage gambling.

Notable quote by Julia Gillard

'The Labour's main purpose is to serve the people' - Julia Gillard, PM Australia. Am I dreaming? Is she stupid or what? Maybe she is being naively idealist. If she is to stick to her serving people idealism, Australia will continue to lag behind other developed countries. If she wants to lead Australia to become the most properous nation, be Number One, be betterer than America, she will need to change her tack. She must rule Australia and tell the Australians it is for their own good. Australia needs a heavy dose of pragmatism in govt. A govt that knows what is good for Australia, and just do it. The people may be unhappy, may complain repeatedly, but they will continue to vote for a govt that will bring them progress. Promise them growth of 15% annually. Promise to double the value of their assets. Promise them that they will all own their properties, the size of Singapore's Istana each. How could the Australians refuse such prosperity? How to get there? Have an open door immigration policy and bring in the best talents money can buy. Not the prostitutes, maids, cleaners or construction workers. Be selective. A 15% growth in quality population will easily give Australia the 15% growth promised or more. Then play the property card. Build as many properties as possible and sell to the Australians. Then let free market forces to inflate their prices and all Australians will not only be property owners, but millionaires too with million dollar properties. Be ambitious and let the population grow to 200m. Then build an armed force as powerful as Singapore. Oops, I mean America. And be the number one superpower to replace America. And all they need is to pay their ministers top salaries. I think they can afford to pay more than what Singapore is paying and get the best talents to be in govt. All it costs the Aussies is 3 pieces of kangaroo meat per Aussie. And if they still cannot find the talents, they can always look to Singapore for help. I am sure we will have all the talents they want. Australia can be the number one superpower with the richest economy and the richest people. All it needs are some pragmatic policies. Forget about serving the people. Run the country, rule the people. That is the real formula for success. Always believe that the people are mindless and needed to be led and governed for their own good. PS. Matilah will be pleased with my suggestions. Borderless world, no restriction to immigrants, 'free' market economy, meritocracy....He is the ideal candidate to be Gillard's advisor from the red dot. He has all the experience and qualifications for the job: )

Say No to 6.5m

Mah Bow Tan has announced that he would be using the 6.5m figure for planning purposes. Just planning only lah! I think he used 5.5m in his earlier plans and we have seen the great results. Flats get smaller and more expensive among other things. And there were huge distortions in supply and demands for public housing. Let’s see if he can do better this time and not caught by surprises again. My big surprise is that they have a planning department doing planning. What would 6.5m do to our infrastructure? I visited a friend in Hougang, in a small corner that was left with a few landed properties. Around them were high rise HDB flats that made their existence look so small and out of place. There were many low rise properties in the area, but no more. And I think the few left will be no more soon. That will be the fate of low rise properties if our population growth is unrestraint, or coveting that 6.5m target. When it is hit, they will be thinking of 10m. It will never end. In the not too distant future we can expect that they will have to downsize the Istana as well. Perhaps build an Istana on top of some new pinnacles like the Noah’s Ark on top of Marina Bay Sands. But before that, all the landed properties in District 9, 10 and 11 will have to make way. How else can the island keep on taking in more people? I am asking a silly question. HDB flats can also be downsized to 500 sq ft. After all the family size is getting smaller and with some choosing not to multiply. And one of the things that we can do in approving future citizens is to pick them according to size to fit into our micky mouse flats. Only those below 5 ft tall qualify to become new citizens. I am just talking about the consequence of space. There are many areas that will have to face the brunt of this 6.5m nonsense. Ha, I am talking nonsense again. We have plenty of space to build on, above and below, and land reclamation. Do Singaporeans have a say in the making of their country? Can the elected govt do anything it thinks fit without the consent of the people? In crucial matters like this 6.5m thing, Singaporeans must take a stand. Everyone has a stake in the well being of this country, for themselves and their children. No one shall be given the power to do whatever he wants to the country. The country belongs to all the citizens. If this is a bad thing, Singaporeans must stand up and say no.

Caught off guard, caught by surprise

"On housing, Mr Goh acknowledged that the surge of immigrants in 2007 and 2008 caught the Government by surprise. But the Government had not stopped them from coming because the booming economy needed workers. Mr Goh also acknowledgedthe National Development Ministry 'did not provide for the sudden surge' in its housing plans." The above was reported in the ST on 7 Sep 10. I may be caught by surprises every other day. It is a normal occurrence for an ordinary mortal to be hit by the unexpected in daily life. But for a top talent whose bread and better is to plan ahead, plan for all eventualities, to be pro active, is it inexcusable to be caught by surprise? That’s what they are being paid for. Ok, there can be exceptions as we are not god, and there are acts of gods that are difficult to prepare for. Was the influx of immigrants unpredictable, an act of god? They swarm onto our shores overnight? Were their needs for housing surprising, so difficult to anticipate? I am really surprised that top talents, being paid top dollars were taken by surprise by such events. It is unlike a thunderbolt that can strike anywhere anytime. Now, is there anything else that is surprising? This is how many mortals would have reacted to all the surprising comments. On the other hand, look at the admissions as a sign of humility. You don’t get this kind of things happening often. Yes the election is around the corner. It is still an admission that, well, they are not gods or immortals after all. Let’s be kinder and accept their confessions of not being on top of the problems. You people don’t be like dat can? Let’s be more gracious and look at things in the proper perspective. PS. An interesting point to view this admission is that Mah Bow Tan will be the sacrificial lamb to take the heat off the party, and will not run in the next GE. Anyone want to put a wager on this?

What is $1b?

We are so rich now that throwing up a number like $1b seems nothing. And what can $1b buy? A signalling system for the MRT to get the trains travel faster and to move people faster. That's all. What can $1b do to SBS Transit? For one, they have ordered 600 brand new and 'all environmentally friendly and Euro V compliant' buses at a total cost of $268m! $1b could actually buy 2000 of such modern buses for the road. The signalling system better be worth the money.

A constant state of flux and tension

We religiously laud and preach our great beginnings as an immigrant country and how this great phenomenon has done us well. There is no doubt that immigrants can contribute to the growth of the country. There is also no doubt that a country that depends mainly on its own indigenous population could also reach the stars. And there is no doubt that both have their weaknesses and consequences to bear with. After 45 years of independence or nearly 200 years of very loose immigration policies, taking 1819 as the starting point, are we getting anywhere as a nation of people with our own identity and a people that would root for this land and call it home? Prior to 1965, there was no concerted or conscious effort to build a country by the govts of the day. We were more like a frontier town existing only to serve the needs of the power that be, and building a country was the last thing in their minds. 1965 was the real beginning to establish a country with its own people from a collection of immigrants. A society of immigrants is but a transient society. A country of immigrants is a nation in the making. Could we have done better and be nearer to that goal, that we are a nation? Officially the position is that we are still a work in progress. We even have doubts that we are a nation. Pathetic isn’t it? So much for all the nation building campaigns, effort and education. So much for a flag and a pledge and National Day Celebration. Today we are just about in the same square as we were in 1965. Many of the things that we have been made to believe in, our social habits and social norms, even identity, are disintegrating and need reeducation and reinforcement. We are diluted by the large presence of foreigners in our midst. And it is believe that this is good. A lot of oomphs! This immigrant mentality, is it for real, for perpetuity? Are we going to enshrine this formula of having foreigners in large numbers at all times, 30 years, 100 years or more? The first victim of such a strategy is nationhood. We will forever be trying to get there but never will. We will be a transient society, a transient people, a nation that never will be. Every generation will be new, vibrant, hungry and dynamic, but not knowing who their forbears were or what were their histories. There will be no ownership, people come and go, buy and sell everything for instant gratifications. Maybe one day they just hold a referendum and sell everything away. Without a national identity, without a people who believe in this place, with everyone thinking that immigrants are good, how can there be a soul, how can there be a nation of people? Maybe statehood or nationhood will become irrelevant in the future.

Another faux pas in the making

We are going to force some PRs to take up citizenship or they will have to leave. What is this? Is this a solution to the overcrowding problem? Is this a solution to the citizen versus non citizen problem? What is this trying to achieve? What were the people unhappy or angry about? Would this solve the congestion problem, the over crowded trains, the high property prices, the NS angst? The govt is going to select from among the PRs, some, presumably the good ones, to become citizens or forced to be citizens. From the word go this is a no go. In the first place these must be the really super talents that we want. And they know, and they also know that they can go elsewhere. And if their hearts are not here, not wanting to be citizens, who are we going to get? Or what are we going to lose? I think we can live with the PRs here. The unhappiness is the overall number, too big a population in too small a piece of rock. In fact it will be better to have PRs than to have them as citizens. I would say, keep them as PRs, but make the distinction and privileges between PRs and citizens clearer and betterer for the citizens. There are many reasons why we should not force people to become citizens. We only want the numbers, the head counts, and their labour and skill for economic growth. Citizenship is a different commitment, an emotional and psychological one. You mean we cannot differentiate that? And forcing people, forcing the issue, is that the only thing that we are good at? My goodness!

Voices of the disadvantaged

The new measures to curb property speculation has raised the voice of the disadvantaged to their needs. Before this, it was always the voice of the big developers calling the shot, the voice of the speculators telling how successful they were in investing in properties, and the voice of some corners praising the virtues of free market forces, and the govt cannot to anything about it. There are more people writing to the forum to express their support of the new measures. The reason is simple. Housing is a basic need and can be a very serious problem in land scarce Singapore. Leaving it to the fictitious market forces will make the rich very rich and the less well to do in big trouble if they miscalculated or missed the chance to buy a place to stay. It could mean slogging for 10 or 20 years all for nothing. Would the govt review its fundamental assumptions on housing for the people, as a speculative investment instrument, to ensure that all Singaporeans be given a chance to buy a HDB flat? Starting with a HDB flat is the first stepping stone to many Singaporeans who don't have the privilege of wealthy parents buying properties for them in advance. The govt has a duty and obligation to see that no Singaporean is cut off from the HDB route. There is no need to butter the bread of developers on both sides. There is no need to make sure that private property prices must always go up. The top priority is to provide every Singaporean a roof over their heads, at an affordable price according to the buyers' ability, not some joker's private definition. The public housing sector must be separated from the private sector where everything goes. The public housing is the backbone of this country and its people. Breaking this backbone will undermine the social structure and well being of the people and country. The disadvantaged, the losers, the not so well endowed, cannot be thrown into the deep end with the sharks, the speculators and the super rich. They simply cannot compete. The govt cannot shirk this responsibility if it is to be the govt of the people and for the people.

Chok Tong's words of wisdom

Those who are complaining about not being able to buy that flat or house, not enough car parks, crowded MRTs, are victims of our own success. Think about those who are struggling to make ends meet, can't even afford to take MRTs and put things in perspective. There are people who are in much worst situation than the grouses and complaints in the media. Or think about Africa, then we will know how lucky we are. I would like to look at these problems from another angle, the people who caused all these problems. We cannot just blame the people who are complaining. Sure there are some who are responsible for their own plights. Some were lesser endowed and unable to compete or do the normal things and were left behind. We need to stare hard at those creators of the problems. In many cases, the problem creators are very well paid for their jobs, and should not be creating problems for the people. These are the people that need to think a little about the people who are hurt by their decisions. The fare hike is one issue. Though many can very well afford the few cents increases, there are some who really cannot. Why don't the decision makers take them into consideration? don't they care, or they just want a simple solution that gives them the mostest returns? Insufficient car parks? Who created the problem? Blame it on the people's success? Or do the decision makers think that each family shall only can only own one car? This is the same mentality as those who decided to build HDB flats smaller. They want to own more cars, want to live in big mansions themselves. But when they look at the miserable people, they dictated that they should have the bare minimum and be done with it. So we don't have enough car parks and living in little mickey mouse flats. And why are we having all these housing problems? The problems caused by itself or the people are causing the problems? Nay, it is bad policies one after another. It is bad decisions one after another. The latest case of unhappiness is the NSRA. It was all unnecessary if a little more thought is put into it. But it was a rash and arrogant decision to write off a few hundred thousand ex NS men with total disregard to their feelings. It only needs 5% of them to be unhappy enough to be vocal, we will have a bad problem at hand. So, shall we tell the people to count their blessings and stop complaining when jokers keep creating problems for the people?

Stop At Two will return

At the rate our population is growing, Stop At Two policy will make a come back not too far in the future. Be it 6.5m or 10m, it will be hit in no time. And looking at the rate of congestion everywhere, in public transport, on the road, competing for services, school places, I think we will hit the limit much quickerer than we hit 6.5m. And when that breaking point is reached, there will be strong pressure to limit population increases. No more space for anymore heads. We could also hit a major financial crisis when the world economy turns into a tail spin. Companies go bust, jobs lost, huge unemployment. We will be in a similar position as the British pull out in early 1970s. A new NS for women may be introduced to absorb the jobless. Population restraining measures will also come in. Stop At Two v2.01 will be enforced. Third child will face discrimination in all fronts. No priority in schooling or medical benefits. It may come sooner than you think. Many things will come in full circle.

Different aspiration and different angst

For those who are earning million dollar incomes, they could conveniently brush aside the $9000 NSRA. What is $9000 when they are swimming in a pool of money? There is a different story for those who are sleeping on a piece of mat. A letter to the Today forum today highlighted the angst of the lesser beings that drooled at the chance of touching that miserable $9000 to some. It was about the earlier batches of NS men, a 60 year old who has nothing much left after bring up his children and thinking of what that $9000 could mean to him. I know that the elite would laugh at such desires of the have nots. It is indeed a different world out there. This NSRA case is a manifestation of how people with different means would look at issues from a very different perspective. I wonder if the award distribution would be different if the decision makers were people that are less well off. Yes, it is a case of hawker centre, food court or restaurant mentality. We can sneer at those who only think hawker centre and salivate at the sight of a plate of kway teow while the regular restaurant customers would snub at a bowl of sharks fin that have too little fins in it. Politicians must think like a politician and look at the electorate at large.

The M1 satellite map

M1 put out an advert with a double page spread of a Singapore map taken from a satellite. It was a very clear map on the state of development or build up of the island. Other than the catchment areas around the reservoirs, we are as good as 90% fully built. There were a few scattered plots of land left which could be taken up in no time. Finish! Where do we go from here? It is clear that the next big phase of development will be down under or destroy and rebuild. All the land with lowly built properties would be next to be mowed down to ground zero and new pinnacles will take their places. That's a good way to realise the value of all the little precious land we got. And we can then sell them away to make more money to be kept in our reserves or to invest overseas. Investing in overseas is a great way to grow our wealth. Each plot of our land is worth a hundred or thousand times what we can get in other parts of the world. By trading ours to the rich investors, we should be able to buy up land that are hundreds or thousand times what we have sold. Then we can have scattered colonies all over the whole and we can call them the Greater Singapore. All we need is a little more focus and planning and not to buy anything that did not fall into this Greater Singapore Plan. We can then become a bigger country: )

Notable quote: Don't pray pray with NS

'...for male citizens, NS obligations have the highest priority, ahead of studies and personal reasons,.... Judge V K Rajah Goh Khim Siong was jailed for four months for evading NS. The importance of NS and how it affects the personal life of all male citizens cannot be understated. Goh Khim Siong had been deferring his NS to complete his studies, to look after his parents and brothers, cut no ice and was jailed for 4 months before starting his NS from scratch. This is how serious this obligation to the country is. No one should trifle or rubbish this obligation as just a passing phase in life. The NSRA is just a token to this heavy responsibility and tedious constitutional commitment. What the govt can do is to make this sweeter by tying it to the right to purchase a HDB flat for all NS men who have completed his NS liability. With housing becoming so 'AFFORDABLE' to some jokers but so unafforable to many NS men, the linkage will make NS much more palatable and meaningful. The NS men will be more committed to serve the country and to defend his home. At least he has something to fight for and to defend for.

Where we should not go

There is no quarrel that in many fields and ways of life we have done exceedingly well, and surpassed many of the western countries. The danger is that we may get carried away by our successes, be complacent or be lost in chasing the wrong goals. The blind and unquestioning pursuit of material wealth and physical comfort, and the madness in chasing for more money and more money could lead us into an abyss. The citizens who are concerned about the long term viability of this country, the quality of life, must speak out and shout, scream, if things are turning bad. We cannot let some silly buggers to tell us that we must achieve Tokyo's infamous mass transport cram as the ultimate goal of having arrived. That is a bad example of success. It is regression. Let no fools utter or compare our transport system with Tokyo as a yardstick of the best in the first world. Let no fools compare Hongkong's property prices and be gratified that ours are cheap. Let no fools think that living in micky mouse flats or coffin size boxes is a new lifestyle, desirable lifestyle, because some countries are doing it. We must set our own criteria on what is good and gracious living for our people and consciously set out to achieve them. The govt should stop degrading the people's quality of life by building ever smaller flats and ever higher prices. Our medical cost is daylight robbery but still cheaper than the West. This is deadly. How many hardlanders have $30k cash, or $50k, $200k, or more, to be ready to be robbed in privatised govt hospitals? The citizens cannot be robbed by a system at a time when they have no choice to act otherwise. The obnoxious medical fees, hospitalisation fees must be curbed. Don't ask me how unless you want to pay me to do it. We have the best paying jobs in govt. Even an ordinary minister will earn more than the President of USA or the Prime Minister of UK or Japan. We must get the best from the best paid ministers. No buts. No more comparing with Africa or third world countries and say we are betterer. We must compare with the best and their best as our standard of goodness and achievements. Are we being too demanding? Or should we be complacent and leave things the way they are going, and be like the proverbial three monkeys?

2 in 3 are foreigners!

The latest statistics show that there are 3.2m Singaporeans to 1.8m foreigners in the island. In the trains, probably for every 10 commuters 6 are foreigners. Though the Singaporeans are technically still a majority, in many other counts Singaporeans are already a minority here. For the 3.2m, I am not sure how many are new citizens who were foreigners a few days or a few months ago. And in the trains, Singaporeans are definitely a minority. So what is this call for Singaporeans to integrate foreigners to our society and way of life? It should be the other way round when Singaporeans are a minority. At the rate it is going, soon Singaporeans will be an absolute minority here and have to integrate themselves to the foreigners way of life. It must be a good thing for the well being of country and Singaporeans to plunge into this situation with eyes wide shut. One puzzling phenomenon, where are the foreigners hiding, or living? In Orchard Road or Bukit Timah and Tanglin? It is not possible that for every 5 HDB flats 2 are occupied by foreigners. Where are they other than those living in the workers dormitories? Oh, some jokers will compare with Bahrain and say look, they have 80% foreigners there and very happy about it. So we are still far from being overwhelmed! We can do much more and have more foreigners here.

Clumsy solutions to clear up a mess

The NSmen Award may not be well thought out as it totally disregard the hundreds of thousands of reservists that have completed their NS liabilities. Brushing them aside with a stroke of the pen is the most insensitive thing to do. I would thought it would be more amiable to reduce the budget for those currently serving and apportion a little to those who have done their duties diligently without complaining. A token sum of a couple of thousand dollars could have soothe the nerves and avoid a backlash from those who were summarily dismissed from the award. That is only one part of the problem. Compare to the measures to curb property speculation and runaway prices, the NSmen Award is nothing. A whole list of complaints and grievances are going to be poured out by those affected. Just wait and see. A trickle has started in the ST forum. The broad strokes are going to anger many who are caught by the sudden measures which were anything but brunt instruments. After having created such a big mess for so long, and affecting so many innocent home owners and potential home owners, Rip Van Winkle suddenly realized that he had overslept and jumped up to catch a train, knocking everyone and everything in his path. When the problem is so huge and turns into a Gordian Knot, being denied, a hurriedly push out remedy is likely to create more unhappiness. That’s what I think it will generate.

How the gangsters did it?

In the days of the 50s and 60s, the tongs and triad activities were high. They ran the country’s business world parallelled to the limited presence of the police force. They were quite successful and were part and parcel of life. They had their ways to gain acceptance by the communities, rightfully or wrongly. They had their own modus operandi, from thugs to saviours. They brought along peace and order in an otherwise chaotic society. Of course they were the bullies and took advantage of the people whenever they could, for their own benefits. They disturbed the businesses, from street hawkers to shopkeepers. They harassed the operators and workers. They threatened them as well as their customers. Things were broken, shops broken into, electrical and water supplies damaged, fires were often encountered. Robberies and theft and whatever that gave no peace to businesses. Then, with the situation grinding to a point of near collapse, help was needed to restore order and stability. The village or kampong headmen would invite the gangsters to help. And what else could happen if the devils stopped playing punks? The gangsters became the heroes, for saving the villages and kampongs of their problems. How would the villages know that their problems were caused by the same gangsters they appointed to help? So the devil became the saviour. They were honoured and given their dues. That was how the gangsters claimed credits for undoing their own dirty works. The formula, create a mess, chaos, problems for everyone, everyone crying for help, then step in like a knight in shining armour. Always work.

A letter from a surviving hostage

Events that lead to the death of eight tourist inside the bus Postscript Of A Bloodbath by Bang Lu Min (One of the Hostages) Mr. Mendoza was already upset even before he saw on television what the policemen did to his brother. The other tourists who remained inside the bus were complaining. Wei Ji Jiang wanted to go to the bathroom. Dao Chi Yu was hungry and the rest were just groaning and whining like they have forgotten that our lives rest in Mr. Mendoza's hands. The hostage taker, as you know him was really nice. He treated us okay and even let the elders and the children leave the bus. He said your policemen treated him unfairly. He was a policeman too and was accused of doing something he had no knowledge of. But your government didn't listen so he used us to get everyone's attention. Things would have never turned for the worst if he didn't see how his family was dragged out of their house and taken into custody. He was watching the news all the time as we huddled around each other behind the bus. He shouted some words in your language then started shooting in the air. A girl about my age started screaming. Mr. Mendoza demanded her to stop but she didn't understand English. God, he had to slash her neck with a knife just to put her to rest. Her boyfriend who tried to hit him was shot in the head. Tension was rising. You can see in his face how scared and confused he was. The bus driver ran away leaving him alone with strangers from a distant land. I can see him walking across the aisle, sometimes pointing his machine gun to one of the tourists. But he tried his best not to hurt us, especially those who really cooperated. I guess its in your nature not to inflict pain on others unless it was necessary. I remember him saying that he will free us before sundown and implored us to forget everything when we return home. But his words don't matter now. The policemen were trying to force their way in, while we all lied down to shield ourselves from bullets. Mister Mendoza blindly shoots at his enemies which I think kept them from rescuing us. I hear sobs under the chairs. Some were even shouting the names of their loved ones even when the air merely eat their words. Kevin Tang tried to escape when the glass door was was shattered, but one shot and he slumped on the floor with blood gushing from his mouth. Heavy rain pitter-pattered on the rooftop. In old Chinese saying, it means an end to a struggle. Finally, somebody was able to open the escape hatch at the back of the bus. Freedom. But I knew Mister Mendoza was still alive. I knew he was just waiting for a chance to strike back at his enemies. So I told those around me not to escape. Let the authorities come for us instead. Then there was gunfire. He was firing at his enemies with a machine gun. Those who were at the escape hatch fled abandoning us once again. It's like a nightmare with no end and to wake up means a certain death. Then somebody from outside the bus threw a canister. It forced out a black smoke that is so painful to the eyes and putrid smelling to the nose. People started screaming. We cannot breathe. Some ran in front of the bus but Mister Mendoza warned them of stray bullets. It was too late. One was hit on the head, the other was hit on the shoulders. Bullets were now flying. Its like the authorities thought we were all dead. Mister Mendoza finally realizes his mistake and said sorry to everyone, dead or alive. He then ran towards the front of the bus where he would meet his maker. As he passed by my chair with bullets whistling overhead, I clutched my hand on the velvet curtain and wrapped it around my face. All I could think of was to stay alive - for my child who is waiting for me back in Xinjang. I know I will survive, I will come home. Bang Lu Min Survivor, Quirino Bloodbath

A Jewel in the Jungle of Asia.

Reflections of a Foreign Student on Religious Harmony in Singapore. by Rev. Fr. Athanasius Atta Barkindo. Priest-Student of the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies 89, Viale Trastevere, 00153, Rome – Italy Dear Editor, I refer to your news item “Breaking the Fast Together” in the Strait Times of 13th August 2010 which clearly portrayed the invitation extended by the Muslim Kidney Action Association to all other religious faiths to join them and participate in the Muslim breaking of the fast. I have attended so many conferences on religious harmony, visited different institutes for peace studies, attended seminars and participated in workshops for community and religious leaders to help rebuild the lives of families shattered by religious bigots in Nigeria, Egypt, Italy, UK, etc. While attending all these programmes, reference was always made to Singapore as the “Jewel in the Jungle of Asia”; evidently a gift from God to the entire Asian region. I made up my mind to visit Singapore; to see for myself the gift God has given to Asia. From my seat on the Singapore airlines flight, to the warm reception of the air hostesses, the beauty of the Changi Airport, the skyscrapers, the well fed trees to the sea of humanity eating away in different locations. The orderliness is amazing. I whispered to myself, this is called political stability, economic success. No question was directed to me about my religion, my faith and my creed. No one seems to care if I worshipped the mountain or the emperor. All that matter was I am human and I was treated as such, with dignity and courtesy. My amazement was complete when I was invited on the 13th August 2010, by the Muslim Kidney Action Association of Singapore to participate in the breaking of the fast at the premises of the association in Telok Kurau Road. It was absolutely magnificent to see all the representatives of different religious faiths including government officials, seated together in harmony and sharing together with our Muslim brothers and sisters in this most important month of Ramadan. There was no distinction based on religion, creed or race. There was no prejudice, sentiments or fear. Religious arrogance and superiority was completely absent. The most important thing was being a Singaporean. Singapore has indeed understood the advantage of pluralism whose core value is “humanity and meritocracy”!! I watched the President of the Muslim Kidney association as he passed the dates from the Catholic Archbishop to the Taoist Master, the Buddhist Venerable etc. The sincerity of the atmosphere made a tear tickle down my smiling cheeks (cheeks shining and smiling from the two weeks of hospitality rolled around the mixture of the satay, chicken rice and roti prata all tasted in Singapore). I told myself, this is the real Singapore. This is the real Jewel in the jungle of Asia. For once I thanked God for giving us such a beautiful gift as Singapore. I thanked the Singapore government for its cooperation with religious leaders to educate Singaporeans on the importance of religious harmony and pluralism in the world today. I even stole a thought of envy at Singaporeans yet proud that I am a Singaporean by association. I wondered how many Singaporeans appreciate what their government is doing in promoting religious harmony. It is a hardworking government, a sincere government, a government committed to the physical and spiritual welfare of its citizens; it is indeed Majulah Singapura and not Malulah Singapura!!! I hope some African governments and Africa at large is learning from Singapore; a country tolerant in nature, progressive and religious in outlook, where all peoples, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhist, Atheists, Secularists, and Traditionalists coexist in mutual respect and harmony, and contribute selflessly to the development of their country. Africa, the Middle East, Europe, America and indeed the entire world has no choice than to learn from Singaporeans and their government. Singapore is indeed a gift from the God not only to Asia but to the entire world. Congratulations to the Muslims Kidney Action Association, Congratulations to the Inter-Religious Dialogue council of Singapore, Congratulations to the Government of Singapore, Congratulations to Singaporeans. Long live Singapore, the Jewel in the Jungle of Asia. I just have to repost this to remind ourselves that we have done many things right.

The mission of HDB is to build flats for all Singaporeans

Really? Ask the singles. Oh ask the young professionals who happen to be earning a bit more, exceeding the arbitrary ceiling of $8000/$10,000 pm income. Are they not Singaporeans? Are they less deserving than the new citizens? What is their crime? The premises for creating such rules have changed. Solutions need to be found to look after all Singaporeans so that no one is left out for whatever creepy reasons. After all these years, have the policy makers become enlightened, betterer in their thinking processes, bigger hearts, or still living in the closets? The prices of HDB flats are no longer cheap. And the private sector is a killer. Why forced these people to buy from the private sector? To help the developers to get richer, or to help to shore up the prices of private properties by increasing demands so that speculators who own many private properties can be assured of higher profits? The reasoning that they will add to the demand for public housing and compete with the lower income HDB buyers is bull. They will be looking at the more expensive flats, the DBSS and Exec condos. And the rulings can be tweaked to see to that. Then of course more flats can be built to cater to the demands of those who want smaller and cheaper flats. It is a supply and demand issue. The biggerer the demand, more flats need to be built. Blaming on a small group of Singaporeans is silly, a poor excuse. If HDB does not want to build enough flats to meet the increasing demand, it is unfair to put the blame on other deserving citizens.

What Hsien Loong did not say

We all know that he did not talk about the recent hike in transport fare. We know that he did not say anything about the high cost of living or the high medical fees. There are many things which obviously he did not touch on. More pertinent are the sources of feedback that he depended on and acted on. The frustration of first time flat owners, the jam packed trains, the overwhelming presence of foreigners leading to a citizen versus foreigner controversy and tension, the high property prices, the concerns of parents of their children’s education, these were some of the key issues that he spoke about intensely and announced measures to deal with them. What he did not say is that these issues were the daily grinds in cyberspace, the kpkbs, the whinings and gripings that were hardly reported in the main media. If left to the main media, or if Hsien Loong were to rely solely on the main media for his feedback, there were no problems to talk about. Everything is perfect and blissful. Report only the good stuff and hear only the good stuff. Only the irritants in cyberspace are complaining incessantly, deafening at times, on these issues that really hurt them badly. What Hsien Loong did not say is that he read the feedbacks from cyberspace, probably mainly from Reach for sure. He may also read some of the frustrations and whinings from other non govt blogs and forums. How else would he come to know that the people were grousing if the grouses were not reported in his normal channels of communications? The whinings and gripings are important. Who say not so? Without these kpkbs, the problems will not have surfaced or taken notice of. No complaints means no problems to look into. And what Hsien Loong did not say is that he took these kpkbs seriously as well. And if the complaints are legitimate, the govt will take actions to resolve them. There is an important role for the alternate media or new media in throwing real issues for the govt to tackle. The new media can tell the truth and can be a good source to listen to. They may be the messengers of bad news, but still important news and can be taken seriously by the govt. Relying just on the main media is a handicap and many problems may not be given the appropriate airings. And lastly, what Hsien Loong did not say is to tell the new media to shut up. There is a complimentary role for the new media as a source of feedback to the govt.

Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally

The main media will have a good coverage of what Hsien Loong said last night. Cyberspace will have a diametrically opposite version from the main media. What should I add to the yin and yang of reporting the same event? I must say that he made my life quite difficult, from the point of writing something that is expected from the new media perspective. And I am trying hard and still fumbling as to how to be critical with what he said. I can’t blame him for not listening to the people’s grouses and brushing them aside or calling Singaporeans names. I can’t blame him for not doing anything towards the people’s complaints. He covered most of the issues that we have discussed here, from NS men, housing issues, immigrants, transportation and education. More recognition will be given to NS men, more substantive and tangible than just mere talks. Of course, it would be better if more were given. $9000 could not even pay for the first down payment, only meaningful if buying direct from the HDB. The issues of immigrants and transportation were tackled, explained and the follow up actions and plans were revealed to minimise the problems. New citizens and PRs will be managed more stringently and at a slower pace. More MRT lines are in the pipeline. Then the runaway housing prices and the promise of more flats to be built. He reiterated the original mission of HDB, to build affordable flats for ALL citizens. Mah Bow Tan will be coming out with his new plans to clear up the mess that should not be there in the first place. This appointment is inappropriate. Mah Bow Tan has his own definition of affordability that no one agrees except those in the party. He has his own queer ways of interpreting supply and demand for housing. He has his own convenient time frame while the anxious flat buyers would be biting their fingers as housing prices soar to the sky. Many ended up buying more expensive flats, paying excessively more than necessary while the more unlucky ones were kicked out of the HDB queue because they waited too long and their incomes exceeded the ceilings imposed. My main misgiving is that no sacred cows were slaughtered. He never did what LKY did like removing retirement age once and for all. The HDB income ceiling stays. It would be more refreshing and exciting if he announced that there will be no more income ceiling and ALL Singapore citizens shall be entitled to at least one bite of the cherry. No citizens shall be excluded from buying his first flat from the HDB. But that was expecting too much. A little tweak in the income ceiling like retaining the $8000 for the cheaper HDB flats and those earning above $8000 can be eligible for Design and Build or Executive Condos will be a better change. The silly $8000/$10,000 ceiling is irrelevant given the high cost of private properties and HDB flats. It is becoming an irritating anomaly. What more when multi millionaires are now allowed to buy HDB flats, though in the resale market! This Rally speech came out as one that promises more actions, acknowledging the problems raised by all the whinings and kpkbs, instead of words or excuses and nothing can be done as in the past. It is more pleasant to the ears.

How political or apolitical is our Civil Service

We inherited the British system of govt where there is a separation of power between the judiciary, legislative and executive branches of the govt. The three are supposedly to function independent of each other. The assumption is that while the political leaders could change at every election, the judiciary and executive branch could continue to function without being embroiled in a political tussel for power and control. Somehow it works in the British system and to a certain extent even the American system. Our system is designed or copied to work the same. Our civil servants are apolitical in this sense, not part of a political party and will serve which ever party that comes to power in the electoral process. When Vivian Balakrishnan spoke to a university crowd of students, an innocent student popped out the innocent question of how political are our civil servants, are they able to continue to function when there is a change of govt? Vivian did not answer her question directly but gave the standard reply that no one can deny the party from picking the best talents for the job. The adult population will not ask such a question. They have a clear understanding of how our political system works. A student is still innocent and untainted in their views and idealism. They expect things to work the way it is said to work. Why should the students have such a notion and popped such a question? Are they seeing things in a different light? Our civil servants are completely neutral to party politics. The govt has made sure that they are not politicised. The People's Association and the PAP's kindergarten are also not political. They are there to serve the people in general, all, regardless of political affiliations. Our Civil Service is definitely apolitical in this sense. The fear in the student's mind is that should there be a change of govt like the tsunami in Malaysia, very unlikely to happen here, what would happen to the civil servants? Would they resign en bloc or be asked to leave by the new leadership? Or would they go on strike or mount a revolt? Whatever, it means that the country will be disrupted. These are just suppositions. The talents in the Civil Service are indispensable to the smooth functioning of the country and any new political party coming to power is likely to keep the Civil Service intact. And the civil servants only need to pledge loyalty to a new govt and continue as per normal. It is good for students to raise such idealistic questions. Idealism is only for the youth. The pragmatism of the adult world does not have room for youthful idealism. Anything goes for one's personnel benefits and interests. Most adults will be asking what is in it for me instead?

Not just economic growth

People are expecting a miracle speech coming out of Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally. It is like waiting for a sermon by one of the miracle healer in the National Stadium, where the sick and woes of human suffering will be lifted away into thin air. Unfortunately a National Day rally is likely to be more down to earth. And if problems and issues are raised, if they can be solved, the better, if not, they will be simply explained away. The two key issues of immigrants and housing prices are expected to top the list of concerns. Both are problems of economic growth and economic data. Looks good on paper, but they come with intrinsic and long lasting repercussions if other factors are not carefully looked into. Not economic growth alone, for the superlative data of growth can be deceiving, in the sense that the growth came from where and how and how it benefits the society and people in general. We are building a country and with real people, not running a casino where the winners take all and the losers lose all. Take housing for example. It seems like a happy problem. Then why the angst and pain and complaints? Maybe they are inconsequential and can be conveniently ignored. Maybe not. Over the years many policies have changed, from the policies of building flats, from definition of demand and supply, the definition of affordability, the eligibility criteria, the private property owners allowed to buy another HDB flat, the uses of HDB flats for subletting and speculation, market pricing etc etc. All these have contributed to the mess that the affected people are complaining. This could be an issue that could swing votes in the general elections. Despite all the big changes, there are some that are seen as fundamental and unchangeable. The eligibility of singles, the income ceilings, the building of smaller flats. There is still this blinkered mindset that HDB prices are affordable which are obviously not. The income level of the lower segment of society lagged far behind the price inflation of HDB flats. They can only keep downgrading and lower their expectation, but up to a point. The income ceiling is bull. The fact that many are still able to buy higher priced flats is because they were upgrading and had a base to spring from. The young couples buying their first flats, even with a $10k income, will be hard pressed to put down that huge deposit and COV. At best it will clean up their savings. Going to the private sector is jumping from a frying pan into the deep blue sea. Same as the singles that are crying for a decent place to stay without bursting their bank accounts. And every day they failed to get their flats, their worries get worst as the prices keep on escalating. While these citizens are grappling with their plight against unthinking robots replying that they should lower their expectations and policies cannot be changed or are good, the foreigners are happily swarming into the market to pick up bargains to be sold later to the locals that missed the boat, at a quick profit. While we bent all over to welcome and accommodate the new citizens, should not the govt think that they need to take care of the citizens first and foremost, especially when housing is a critical factor in their lives? Would Hsien Loong come out with earth shattering changes in govt policies like LKY did to retirement age? Would Hsien Loong take the casino road and say old ways that are irrelevant must give way to the new? Or would he just explain the current problems faced by the people as something that they must lived with, market forces, nothing can be done, or pack up and go somewhere? Is there anything new in the coming National Day Speech or more of the same? Will there be any sacred cows to be slaughtered to make way for a better tomorrow? Or the premises of the sacred cows are still relevant and necessary, and not sacred bulls that must be kept at all costs?

Singapore under threat

By Patrick Lee, FreeMalaysiaToday KUALA LUMPUR: A PKR leader promised that if convicted Malaysian drug mule Yong Vui Kong is hanged, it will have grave repercussions. "I warn the Singaporean government: if they hang Yong, I will come back and bring a coffin here! (Singapore High Commission)," said Kapar MP S Manikavasagam. He also took a swipe at Foreign Minister Anifah Aman for not doing enough. “I am ashamed of the minister. He should put more pressure on the Singapore government,” he said. Added human rights lawyer N Surendran: “Our government claims that it's doing great things for this country. But if it cannot stand up for one Malaysian in trouble overseas, can Malaysians rely on the government?” Earlier, Manikavasagam and Surendran joined some 20 mostly PKR members to present a memorandum to the Singapore High Commission here today. Also present were Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran and PKR information chief Latheefa Koya.... The above is part of an article published in FreeMalaysiaToday. The brave and bold PKR leader declared that he was warning the Singapore Govt not to hang Yong Vui Kong. I am wondering whether he is trying to help Yong or helping to nail his coffin. This kind of garang talk about threatening a foreign govt, especially Singapore, is only forcing the issue. And the ending is one that is exactly the opposite of what Kapar intended to achieve. Or perhaps that is exactly what he wanted to achieve, force the Singapore Govt’s hand, and then he can stand up as the champion of Yong. Kapar is giving the Singapore Govt no way out but to hang Yong. For no sovereign govt can uphold its integrity by giving in to the demand of a crazy foreign politician. This is different from the demand of a disgruntled policeman asking for reinstatement of his job. Carry on Kapar. Well done!

Ming Yi is out of jail

The monk Ming Yi is out of jail and under house detention. Is he still a monk or has he been derobed? Monkhood is open to all, criminals and non criminals. It is a place to seek repentence for wrong doings. So, shall he be derobed and not be given a chance to seek repentence in the solitary life of a monk? With religious people getting closely involved in society and social works, and collecting big money, and with many self anointed or self appointed priests and monks, is there a need for a regulatory body to remove the criminals in them? Oops, how can criminals be removed from becoing religious people when they have turned over a new leaf, to be good, to seek God's forgiveness? But there are those who are hiding under the facade of the holy orders to cheat and swindle the innocent and naive believers. How should these hustlers or crooks be dealt with? Quite a complex situation. To make things simpler, in the case of Ming Yi and Father Kang, are both still in their previous status as a monk and priest or should they remain in their orders?

Medals for the Philippines police

With more facts and evidence in the open, Aquino should seriously consider awarding the Police Chief and his SWAT team a medal... for Stupidity. The Police Chief should get a higher award, Medal for Stupidity of the Highest Order. In the public inquest he was asked why he didn't accede to the simple request from the ex police officer. His reply was a rigid text book version 1.01, that if he gave way, more officers will repeat the act of holding hostages to make demands. How ridiculous could this be. Even a machine could be more flexible and think better. And for the police officers running around the hijacked bus wielding their sledge hammers that could do no damage to the bus windows, did they know that the hijacker could spray his M16 at the hostages and finished them off in 5 secs? And they were happily hammering away as if they got the whole day to do so. The fact that the hijacker was willing to talk, to release hostages said a lot about his lack of intent to kill the hostages. And the fact that after all the messing around, many hostages were still unhurt and alive is proof that he was not really interested in killing them. Medals of Stupidity shall be part and parcel of the awards of any country and be conferred to the well deserved recipients when necessary.

What is appealing about the Abdul Malik arrest?

He blogged about burning Vivian, the Minister. He called on the people to vote out the govt. He was arrested for inciting violence. And cyberspace is on fire with many voicing support for Abdul Malik. I must say that the word ‘burn’ is a very sensitive word here. We kind of developed a phobia for burning politicians. Bloggers are well advised not to use such a word in their blogging. I don’t know if Abdul Malik’s call to vote out the govt is against any law. Or could it be a call that can only be uttered during a general election? What is important here is to look at Abdul Malik himself and ask if he is a terrorist, someone trying to incite violence, or is he just a blogger, like many bloggers, including me, spurting generalization and at times nonsensical and provocative comments. My only concern is not to treat bloggers as terrorists or dangerous elements out to destroy the social fabric of our country.

What is appalling about the commando assault?

Some wonder why the hooha over the bungled commando assault by the Philippines police. Many who have watched the drama live on TV would have the same impression as well, without any prompting, that it was an amateurist work of art. And the truth is revealing itself to confirm that it was a bungle, nothing less. Even the Philippines Govt admitted it outright and calling for a thorough impression. What is appalling about the whole episode is the total disregard of the lives of the tourists. That was the impression that I got. The police were running around the bus in full view of the kidnapper and that itself is the most provocative act. You could see that killing the kidnapper was their only concern. Now with the truth disclosed that the kidnapper was no terrorist, no hard core criminal or robber or extremist, it is much harder to swallow that the incident ended in so many death, including the death of the kidnapper. He was an unhappy man. No, he was a model cop that was unjustly dismissed or framed up. At least that was his version of the story. Would such a man who was demanding for an investigation and probably a reinstatement of his job become a killer? His demands were proof that he wanted his job back, with no intention to kill. And who would want to kill him and let to the killing of the innocent tourists? Why couldn't they appease him with an investigation to his dismissal and settle his grievance later, saving the lives of the tourists? The priority, it seemed, was to apprehend or kill the kidnapper. The lives of the tourists did not matter all. The tourists were just calafares in a police and robber movie. Donald Tsang tried the whole day to get in touch with Aquino but in vain. They did not want Aquino to speak to Donald Tsang. And when Aquino appeared on TV the same day and the day after, he was all smiling with no hints of sadness that so many innocent lives were lost for nothing. And now they are still going to investigate the dead cop's dismissal, which was what the dead cop wanted. And there were many pictures of the cops involved in the botched operation taking photos with the bullet ridden bus as the backdrop. It was all like fun, a picnic. These pictures are now circulating in the internet. I have seen several of them. All the police men and women were smiling like they had just completed a movie shooting and celebrating for a job well done. That itself would tell what was important and what was not to them. It is appalling and disgusting, really.

My National Day Inputs

1. Bring down the price of public housing. Remember it is the citizens that have to pay and pay. Paying for a life time for a public flat is a life sentence. 2. Make sure that all citizens, especially NS men, be eligible to buy a HDB flat. Make it a right attached to NS. If not, what’s the point of NS? And worst, new citizens who have not done NS are eligible to buy HDB flats. 3. Bring down the cost of medical services and hospitalization fees. 4. Bring down the cost of public transport. 5. Stop the mad population growth. It is a vicious cycle that will lead to doom. Nah, nobody will listen.

One happy problem out of the way

Singaporeans are now all smiling with the prices of their HDB flats going higher by the days. And with this good feeling of becoming millionaires and near millionaires, they should all be very grateful to the HDB and the govt for their windfalls. For those singles, young professionals etc who are not eligible to buy a HDB flat, just accept your fate or migrate to a place where housing is cheaper. And being professionals, they are in demand and can always find good employment elsewhere. And don't worry, their absence will not be felt as there are millions of foreigners waiting to become new citizens and buy HDB flats. Bon voyage!

More concessions

While the anger has still to subside, and the benefits yet to come, more reasons were given to explain and justify how fair and good the transport fare hike under the distance based system is. Everyone, or every article or speech heard is that it is a better system. Better for who? I read a small column in the ST saying that NSF man's train pass cost $50 now instead of $48. And it gets a bigger concession than before. Heh heh. This sounds like HDB, bigger subsidy. Or Singapore Sales, big discount. I think they should mark up the price higher and announce higher discount. That will sound even more impressive, 70% discount! The plain fact is that students and seniors are paying more. And these categories of people are not income earners or mainly small income earners. The rich seniors will be so rich that they will be driven around. So big concession good ah? Good reason to explain away the fare hike?

The Philippines commando assault

Against one gunman holding hostages in a tourist bus, the Filipino commandos launched an assault against the gunman who was a disguntled ex police officer. They killed him and at the same time killed 8 Hongkong tourists and wounded several others. They think they are Rambos or Israeli commandos? Or there are more to it than just a simple trigger happy troops thinking they are Hollywood heroes? Hongkong should put a ban on their tourists visiting Philippines for a year and demand compensation and an apology from the Filipino govt. The assault was not only uncalled for but badly executed.

Apparently good news

With the high cost of COEs and cars, many Singaporeans are still able to afford 2 or 3 cars. The way it is reported, it seems so easy to own cars. And this is good news as it reflects how wealthy Singaporeans are. They have the dollars, and money is plentiful. There is a small happy problem though. Not enough car parks. And the car owners are complaining. Heh heh. Now here's the trick. You know what happened to the problem of overnight parking? Not enough car parks right? The solution is so simple. They kena pay double for overnight parking, in every car park, empty, half full or over parked. Now I can see the brilliant solution going to be enacted. But no need to worry lah. Only the car owners would have to pay a bit more. Double the $90 it is only $180 pm. Cheap, cheap, cheap! When the roads are congested, make the motorists pay to use the road. When car parks are congested or ful, increase parking charges to reduce the number of cars in the car parks. Then motorists can park more easily. I am beginning to think like a genius.

Corruption of Power

I heard in the news that Deutsche Bank has been allowed to conduct Dark Pool operations in the Hongkong Stock Exchange. This is as good as allowing big time drug dealers to conduct drug business with approval from an authority that is tasked to apprehend drug traffickers. The Exchange has a responsibility to ensure that all trading activities are transparent so that all parties big and small are privy to such activities. Now it is allowing the big boys to conduct activities that small traders are not supposed to know. Why don't they take a share as part of the drug syndicate? They too can make money selling drugs. Does it mean that the authority is above the law and can violate the law to its advantage? If this is not corruption of power, then what is? The only place when the authority can commit murder and get away with it is paradise. God is the biggest murderer, killing at his fancy, wanton killing of all living things during the big flood. And he is believed to be the most forgiving and kind. No one wants to tell him that he is a murderer, or no one dares to. So God walks around with a halo on his head like he is so pure and innocent, above the law. Oh, he is the law. Corruption of power is corruption of power. It cannot be otherwise.

Who's talking?

Quote by Michael Richardson, visiting senior research fellow at the Institute of South East Asian Studies. If America fails to send the carrier into the Yellow Sea with South Korea, it will embolden hardliners in China and set a precedent that will be widely interrpeted in the region as a sign of US weakness. Below is a quote by Redbean by substituting America with China If China fails to keep the American carrier from the Yellow Sea, it will embolden hardliners in America and set a precedent that will be widely intrepreted in the region as a sign of China weakness. Reading the two quotes it is obvious what arrogance of power is all about. To the Americans, sending their warships to someone's front porch is not provocation but to tell the other party that America is the big power. China just have to accept it. To the Chinese, it is provocative and they will not be intimated by the Americans and will tell the Americans to back off from their front porch. And they are going to stand up to the Americans now that they are able to. Then to the Americans and westerners, China is the aggressive party. Of course many WOGs and anglophiles will say yes, yes, America must send their warships into the Yellow Sea.

Buy to profit versus buy to stay

The speculators, investors and developers are happy that property prices are up. And with limited land, the formula in investing in properties here is a sure win formula. Foreigners and swarming into our shores to swipe up whatever they can get with clean money and money to be cleaned. It is a happy story. Speculators and developers are in the property business to make money. Our citizens buy properties to stay, with a few exceptions in the speculator category. The respectable word is investors. Who do the speculators and developers made their money from? Of course from those who need to buy a roof over their heads. In the end, the people who needed a place to stay, a home here, will have to pay double, triple or quadruple for a roof over their heads. And this is good. Our residents paid through their noses for something that cost so little but to enrich the speculators and foreign investors. Who ends up the winner and who the suckers? And some jokers said don’t worry, when the demand is high, they will build more to manage the bubble. With our limited supply of land against an unlimited supply of money from abroad, who is going to call the shot? Oh, don’t worry, we can build many Towers of Babel. I don’t know whether the guy up there has anything to say about this.

Singaporeans must not sell their HDB flats

This is a serious call. Never, never sell your HDB flat! Yes it will appreciate in value at the way things are moving. But that is not the main concern. Many Singaporeans think that they could reap a handsome profit by selling their flats, maybe a couple of hundred thousand which could buy them the new car, the holidays, that new wardrobe or to splash around for a while with the new found wealth. This call may come too late for some who had already done that and live to regret it. The problem is that once the flat is sold, even with the same money untouched, will not be able to buy another similar. The price would have run away. And how could those who splurged on their profits and ended up with lesser money in their CPF afford another similar flat? The only people that may think of selling for a quick profit are those that already have alternative accommodation and have no need to buy another flat. On the other hand, those whose incomes are increasing substantially may want to sell and upgrade, assuming they could afford better housing. Once again, those who are thinking of a quick profit to feel rich for a while, better not try. There is no turning back and you will only be worst off than before. That's how some ended up living in the parks and beaches.

Good news for HDB and property owners again

New MRT line driving property boom in Bukit Panjang. COV $120k for 5rm and at least $30k for the rest. Singaporeans are getting richer again, without having to work for it. Just sit on the property and ask for higher price and they will get it. For those who cannot buy HDB flats, pray hard that the bubble will burst. But this will not happen as the price inflation is carefully managed and everyone can afford one, be it 1rm, 2rm or bigger. Everytime there is an increase in $100k, it means someone will have to work another 10 years for nothing just to pay for it. We are a country of happy property owners.

How real are polls and reports?

Singapore is the most desired country for migration and its population could go up by 200% if those who wanted to come are allowed to come. But the US is still the most preferred country to migrate to. Wow, we are number one again. If one ask anyone from a third world poor country if they want to migrate to a first world country, would they say no? If the survey were to be conducted in India or China, at least 1% would say they want to come to Singapore and we would have 20 million instant citizens. If the survey were to ask the respondents about Australia and that there is no racist policy to keep them out, at least 50 million each from India and China would be there in no time. So how much good can we attach to a survey like this? And of course as been pointed out, if 10 million want to come here, our population will be inflated by 200%. If 30 million want to go to the US, its population will only go up by 10%. In percentage term the US is less favoured than us. It is like surveying 5 people and claim that 100% of the respondent say yes.

So, littering by fliers is ok?

If the ST is the official mouthpiece of the govt, then littering by fliers is ok. I say if. Of course ST is not the mouthpiece of the govt and its position is not necessarily the position of the govt. It just exercises its right to express its view and position on any issue it wants. This morning's editorial on littering by housing agent is blaming the Singaporeans for being too well taken cared of, a spoilt lot. It asked, why can't the heartlanders just pick up the fliers and put them into the dustbins? Let's see, 3 or 4 fliers daily, at different times, will mean that the heartlanders will have to perform this cleansing daily a few times if they did not want the flier/litter to adorn their entrance. Why should heartlanders be responsible for clearing the fliers left by someone else? They are not simply nuisance as I have said. What if all the spoilt heartlanders just let the fliers accumulate in the corridors? It is not a matter of just the cleaners to come cleaning. It is a slum in the making. The heartland will become another third world slum, with litters everywhere. Is this the standard that we want, permitting litters to be strewn everywhere? Heh heh, I love the idea.

Why need foreign talent in finance?

Look at the three local banks that we have, big strong and financially sound. These banks were built, brick by brick, under conservative and traditional principles and practices of banking. They grow in a slow pace, under strict regulations and scrutiny. Their conservative and traditional practices have lagged them behind the multinational American and European banks, the Citis, Goldmans, the Morgans, the Lloyds, Barclays and the UBS. These American and European banks grew rapidly during the period of liberalisation and deregulations. But then many grew big fast and quick and went pop fast and quick as well. In banking and finance, the hare and tortoise race is still applicable in many ways. With the benefits of hindsight, the Americans and Europeans are trying to rein in the free wheeling days when high finance is nothing more than a casino and selling snake oils. Liberalisation and deregulation were what they demanded and what they got, and the whole system nearly collapsed with trillions lost across the world. The situation is best summed up by an article in the ST by Howard Davis, former Chairman of Britain’s Financial Services Authority and now director of the London School of Economics. He quoted Andy Haldane from the Bank of England, …‘Only when markets were deregulated and liberalised from the early 1970s onwards did finance once again leap ahead…. He argues that much of the apparent growth in value added has in fact been illusory, based on increased leverage, excess trading and banks writing deep out of the money options, for example, credit default swaps, a US$60 trillion (S$80 trillion) market in 2007....What all these strategies had in common…was that they involved banks assuming risk in the hunt for yield – risk that was often disguised because it was parked in the tail of the return distribution.’ The era of fool’s gold may be over and America and Europe may not see its heyday sooner. But fear not, for if America and Europe ‘over constrain the finacial sector, risk may migrate outside the regulatory frontier, where it will be harder to measure and monitor.’ And this is where Singapore can step in. The rejects from the American and European financial industry are welcomed here to do their damages. Our local banks is in need of these foreign talents to spurt growth, to grow as big as Citibank, Lehmans, Goldmans, Morgans, the Bears and Stearns and the likes. Shall we or shall we not welcome these foreign talents into our financial industry? They will bring growth and innovation and boost our productivity and bottom line practically overnight. We don’t have to wait a millenium to grow our local banks to super banks. They can be super banks with the foreign expertise and their innovative banking practices and writing off debts. Banks need to take risk, high risk, and operate like casinos if they want rapid growth and high yield. With our greed for instant growth, like our infamous instant tree formula, we have no choice but to embrace these foreign talents with open arms. PS. Below are the causes of the financial crisis listed in Wikipedia. You can actually tick those that are applicable and happening here to see the risk that we are exposed. 1 Background and causes(2007/8 financial crisis) * 1.1 Growth of the housing bubble * 1.2 Easy credit conditions * 1.3 Sub-prime lending * 1.4 Predatory lending * 1.5 Deregulation * 1.6 Increased debt burden or over-leveraging * 1.7 Financial innovation and complexity * 1.8 Incorrect pricing of risk * 1.9 Boom and collapse of the shadow banking system * 1.10 Commodities boom * 1.11 Systemic crisis * 1.12 Role of economic forecasting

US carriers the perfect targets

'Setting the stage for a possible conflict, Beijing has grown increasingly vocal in its demands for the U.S. to stay away from the wide swaths of ocean — covering much of the Yellow, East and South China seas — where it claims exclusivity. It strongly opposed plans to hold U.S.-South Korean war games in the Yellow Sea off the northeastern Chinese coast, saying the participation of the USS George Washington supercarrier, with its 1,092-foot (333-meter) flight deck and 6,250 personnel, would be a provocation because it put Beijing within striking range of U.S. F-18 warplanes. The carrier instead took part in maneuvers held farther away in the Sea of Japan. U.S. officials deny Chinese pressure kept it away, and say they will not be told by Beijing where they can operate. "We reserve the right to exercise in international waters anywhere in the world," Rear Adm. Daniel Cloyd, who headed the U.S. side of the exercises, said aboard the carrier during the maneuvers, which ended last week. But the new missile could undermine that policy.' The above is extracted from an article by ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press. The article is about China's new missile technology that is specifically developed to take on the American aircraft carrier group that is proving to be a menace in the East China Seas. The Americans have enjoyed naval and air superiority over all nations for a long time. This superiority is now being negated by the Chinese missiles that have the precision to knock out an aircraft carrier. It would be a cheap missile against a big, high value and worthy targets in terms of lives and machinery. Going down with an aircraft carrier will be several thousand crews and several hundreds of aircraft. A good bargain definitely. The Americans will now have to be very careful pushing their sitting ducks in the waters around China. They will come within the range of these high precision missiles designed specially to take them out of the equation. It is no more an invincible task force. It is a lame duck! The arrogance of American raw power has met its nemesis.

Pavlov’s Law in action

Pavlov is famous for his experiment in substituting a stimulus to elicit a desired response. Animals can respond for instance to a bell or a light and salivate as if it is responding to a food stimulus. After reading the papers these few days, I can relate to how we train our young to respond to money as a stimulus. Little school children were given tickets to watch YOG programmes but have to sign an undertaking to forfeit a $5 deposit if they did not turn up. If we keep training our children to respond to this money stimulus, soon their minds will respond to it in a predictable manner. It will be very effective when they become adults. Do not litter or you will be fined. Our streets will be cleaner. We can save a lot of time and trouble teaching children to behave responsibly as a rightful thing, as an ethical thing, as a good thing. Just use the money stimulus will do. Efficient and effective! No need to explain and explain on the whys. Pavlov called this kind of reaction as conditioning. The circus, the zoos and bird parks around the world also use this method very effectively to train animals to behave in the way they want them to.

We have overcome

Asia Insurance Building was the tallest building. Bukit Timah Road was the longest Road. Two battalions armed with 303 rifles and a few guns, we used them for ceremonial salutes today, were all we had. We had 3 tiny reservoirs and had to depend on Johore for our water supply. Each family had 8 to 10 children, mostly uneducated, under employed, and crammed into attap huts or Chinatown cubicles. There were unemployment and shortage of housing. Small businesses had to pay protection money to secret societies to remain in business. We had several small family banks run by self taught businessmen. We overcame the odds. Asia Building is now dwarfed by HDB flats. Longest road is either AYE or PIE. We have an armed force equal or better than anyone in the region. We are self sufficient in our water needs. We have full employment, solved our housing problems, educate our people to the highest level possible. Now what? We have housing problems all over again. We have unemployment among our own people in spite of full employment. We cannot solve a little flooding problem. We do not know what to do with littering by flyers. We built 3 large local banks that operate in the international market, all by our local talents. Now we are sneering at our local talents that they were not good enough to run these banks, and we need to employ foreign talents to run them. And very likely none of these foreign talents even know how to start a banking business. We have one of the world’s highest saving rate only to find out that many will not have enough money for retirement. A visit to the dental clinic or hospital is like offering oneself to be robbed. Maybe it is true that our local talents are hopeless, despite paying them top dollars. That is why we are struggling with little petty problems and got caught off guard now and then. Those days when we could overcome all odds and surmount all problems, no matter how big are over. We can’t even come out with a simple fare structure for public transport and the oldies/students have to subsidise the able, and no one can do anything about it. They just put up a show of protest and live with it, as what had happened to all the unpopular policies. What is happening?

YOG and empty stadium

Why students not attending YOG events despite being given free tickets? Why, maybe transport fare is too expensive. You think travelling around is free and the students got so much money to spare?

War crimes in Sri Lanka and Myanmar

America is behind the war crime investigations in Sri Lankan and Myanmar under the UN umbrella. How come there is no war crime investigation against America in Vietnam, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Guantanamo? Why were there no war crime tribunal against the indiscreet killing of civilians in Nagasaki and Hiroshima by the Americans. And pushing it a little back, why no crimes against humanity against the Americans for slavery of Africans and genocide against the Red Indians? When will the UN grow some balls to initiate war crimes or crimes against humanity against the Americans?

How much are the fare increases?

We know that the fares were raised. We know that it was meant to be a fairer system. We know that 3 out of 4 commuters would benefit from the fare hike and 1 out of 4 would have to pay more. How much more and how much less? We also know that the transport companies would lose $88m in revenue. Really? Let’s look at some numbers. I am using what I know to extrapolate the impact on all the commuters. A senior citizen will save 15c if he travels a short distance of 4/5 stations, (68-53). If he travels longer distance, he would have to pay 18c more(86-68). Before the changes, a senior citizen pays 68c for maybe 24 stations. With the new changes, the transport company would even out the reduction in the first 4/5 stations from commuters who travel the next 4/5 stations. Subsequently the rest of the journey or more than 10 stations will be pure additional profits. Give away 15c for 4/5 stations and collect 18c from the next 4/5 stations is already a profit. The rest of the journey collects 18c. Not bad a formula. How could they lose $88m? And the same principle is applicable to students and normal fare commuters. The percentage increases could be much more in the normal fare category. When you collect more and give out less, I think the profit is enormous rather than losing $88m. I stand to be corrected on the exact numbers as I am just extrapolating from the fares of senior citizens. SMRT are cordially invited to provide the exact numbers here.

The financial industry getting darker

With more big players coming here to operate dark pool electronic trading, the activities in the finance industry will surely get darker. Dark pool operations are against the merits of transparency. Ronald Arculli, chairman of Hong Kong Exchange said that ‘dark pools pose a “systemic risk” to financial markets because of their lack of transparency.’ However, when the industry practice is less then virtuous, playing in the dark side seems to be easier to accept. Many experts in US and Europe have cried out loud against this practice and have told of the dangers it presented. It is also unfair to the rest of the investors for not having such information and trading in the dark. It is no longer a level playing field when information is withheld by some parties. Stock exchanges that see it their responsibility to provide and level playing field and transparency need to re examine themselves and ask if they are violating the very principles and regulations that are supposed to uphold. Will dark pools turn out to be as toxic as toxic notes and mini bonds one day? Welcome to the dark side.

Why are the oldies complaining about fare hike?

The recent fare hike, or to put it better, fare adjustment, was not meant to be a fare hike. Whether commuters, especially the senior citizens, travel longer or shorter distance, need to make a transfer or not, there will be a saving. I am a senior citizen and I am speaking on my first hand experience. I am benefitting by adjusting my pattern of travelling. Before the fare hike, if I travel 1 station or 2 stations, I would have to pay 68c. If I travel 5 stations or 11stations, I would still pay 68c. With the new changes, if I travel 1 station or 2 stations, I will have to pay 53c. If I travel 5 or 11 stations, I will have to pay 86c. My normal route will mean that I will have to pay 18c more one way or 36c more daily. This is a 26% hike every day! Now, how can I benefit from the changes? I figure out that if I get in at station 1 and out at station 2, I will save 15c (68-53). So if I break up my journey into ten trips, in and out of every one station, I could save $1.50 per trip or $3 daily. Wow, I am saving more than the 36c hike daily by changing my travelling pattern! Can make money some more. I am an oldie and my mental faculty may be a little faulty. Please don’t take advantage of oldies. And thank you for helping me to save $3 daily.

The virtuous deaf frogs

The fare hike was meant to benefit the commuters. But it is ok that 1 out of 4 got to pay more. Lily Neo was furious and asked, 'Is the minister aware of the frustration and anger of many...on the ground? Raymond Lim 'acknowledged that some seniors face "significant fare increases". And it was an agonising decision that the Public Transport Council had to make. Then what? Stop whining and move on? Hey, the little money that the seniors have is crucial to their daily lives. Every cent counts. It is not a matter of whether they can take bus, mrt or taxis, it can mean going with one meal less or trying to make ends meet. Many of these seniors did not earn $2m or $3m a year. The few cents may be nonsense and meaningless to people earning millions, but please don't brush it off as just too bad. Do something and not let the poor seniors being robbed of their cup of kopi O.

Vandalism or littering allowed?

Inserting flyers into people’s doors and gates is not vandalism and not littering. Ok, I accept that. Is it trespassing when they are not wanted? It is public nuisance when the owners would have to make the effort to throw them away? Is it a fire hazard when too many are left around and a lighted cigarette could set them ablaze? Is it a security risk to the owners when the flyers are a tell tale sign that the owners are not in for a long duration? Who should be responsible if someone slips on the fliers and get hurt? But it is so complicated and confusing an issue that our top talents in Parliament could not come out with a clear position. The fliers’ owners claimed that they have to do it to generate business. And some jokers even agree to it, saying that they cannot prevent people from doing business. What kind of bullshit is that? Why are the nasi lemak and kalipok boys and girls and small time hawkers not allowed to peddle their wares? Oh they got no licence, never pay protection money is it? Why should flat owners be troubled by the fliers and have to clear them away? What if the owners opened their doors and the fliers drop onto the floor, and left there? Is it littering on the part of the owners? The fliers are litters and will litter the whole corridor. When have littering been allowed? What happen to the $500 fine for littering? This looks like another serious and complex problem, like loan sharks and motor insurance scam, no one is able to solve. It’s not elementary, Watson. So the people should continue to be harassed and bombarded by fliers and they can do nothing about it. And Parliament too cannot do anything about it. It is just doing business. Did I see a big bull somewhere? Shall someone engage a prominent lawyer to clarify the legal position on this? There must be a position, black or white. Of shall it stay grey forever, impossible to solve?

I am back!

Practically every week there will be news on LKY making some calls on national affairs. After his revolutionary statement that there shall be no retirement age, the reports are the surest sign that he will be standing in the next GE. I believe he was the man who advised Deng Xiaoping to replace the old Chinese leadership with younger men and women in charge. China has done so and their leaders are mostly younger than ours now. We still have LKY, Jayakumar and Chok Tong in an age group that makes the Chinese leaders look boyish. So, why the dramatic change to keep the oldies going for as long as they are still kicking? Is it dearth of leadership, dearth of good political leaders? China is a big country with depth in talents. We don’t have the luxury. Look at the banks and you will understand why. The locals are just inept, not good enough, and you just cannot risk the banks with them. So there is a need to keep looking for foreign talents when the locals are just not good enough. For political leadership, things are a bit trickier. PRs cannot be political leaders for one. They need to change their ICs to pink. Only pink can do. For any newly minted citizens, preferably they should be pinkies for a few years to lend some credibility to be our political leaders. There is thus an urgent task to find and attract more foreign talents to boost up the quality of our political talent. In the meantime, the oldie trinity of LKY, Jayakumar and Chok Tong would still be needed to warm the seats and hold the fort. If this theory is true, then soon we could be seeing a Clinton, Brown, Gandhi or a Hu becoming our PM and leading us to a brighter future. Let’s welcome the foreigners with open arms. It is quite sad that with 2 million people we could carry ourselves to the first world. Now with 4/5 million people we are saying that our future will be doomed without more talented foreigners coming here to help us.

Is Superbug another health crisis?

The fear of H1N1 has just subsided after hundreds of millions of dollars were spent to stock up the vaccine by fearful nations, particularly those countries that have a lot of money to pay for the drug. The pharmaceutical companies must be very thankful for the monetary windfall for a crisis that was blown out of proportion and is now seen as not worst off than another variation of the common flu. The new hype, Superbug, is catching the attention of news hungry media. It is seen as another big thing by the European experts, and the monetary potential for big profits is very tempting. The Superbug is claimed to have its origin in India. The Indian health authority is not amused and angry that India is being picked as the culprit for the bug. And they too are questioning the vested and commercial interests of parties crying wolf. Could this be another cry wolf episode and a money spinner? Or would the world take this less seriously as the H1N1? Would WHO raise the alarm and pronounce this as another epidemic waiting to happen? Let’s hope that this is a false alarm. Let’s hope that countries were not made to waste precious money to hoard vaccines that may not be necessary. In this case there is no vaccine available for the next 10 years. But huge sums of money will have to be set aside for R&D to come up with a wonder drug. What if this is real? How are we going to be affected should we be found to harbour a big pool of carriers living in our neighbourhood? One thing for sure, our economy will shrink immediately if we are to repatriate in bulk, all the foreign workers from affected countries. There is a health risk and an economic risk. Our HDB flats will be vacant with no more tenants or foreign talents vying to buy resale flats. The property bubble will surely to burst, not because of a world financial crisis, but a Superbug. I recall the Year 2000 bug and how that also led to a crisis of worldwide proportion. This Superbug is an interesting development that could prove comical.