Every weekend, eves of long weekends and holidays in particular, long queues will form at the immigration check points at the Second Link or at the Causeway. Hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans, squeezed into a tiny piece of rock, need the space and fresh air to feel like human beans again. So they jammed the two entry points to Malaysia. Never mind if it is 6 hours or 10 hours at the jams. It is worth the trouble.
Malaysia has been very successful in attracting Singaporeans and the PRs to visit the country in hordes. This is success story, without having to blow the trumpet, is confirmed by the jams. In numbers, aggregated over a year, how many tens of millions of visits must have been chalked up by the visitors?
Singapore may be crowing about its success in attracting tourists to our shores. But the numbers can never match the Singaporeans heading to Malaysia. Look at all the entry points, no crowds, no jams. That shows that the number of tourists visiting the island is too small to cause any jams.
And Singapore has been laying the red carpet to invite the visitors to visit. A thousand smiles will greet the visitors. Singaporeans too were chastised for not treating the visitors well. Some visitors knew how important they are to Singaporeans that it has become a past times by some to beat up Singaporeans when they are here, just for some excitement. Just make sure the injuries are not severe enough and it will become just a personal trespass. The Singaporean victims can only seek redress if they have the money to engage the top class lawyers that are in abundant supply, at top class fees too. If they don’t have the money, never mind, just accept the few bruises as their contributions to welcome visitors to the country.
If they are rude or too harsh to visitors, the visitors will complain or go to some better places, like Malaysia. And we will lose out on the tourist dollars. In Malaysia, it is slightly different. Today’s paper reported about two Singapore women driving past Malaysian checkpoints without having their passports chopped and were arrested when they reported their mistake. They must have thought that Malaysia also welcomed their visitors like Singapore, with open arms and with a big smile. So they drove in happily for the adventure.
In this case they were treated like hardcore criminals, stripped naked, slapped, made to do squats, with hands pulling their own ears, and ended in jail. Quite similar to Guantanamo really. Anyone thinking of a Guantanamo experience need not go too far, and need not have to pay for expensive airfares. It is at our doorstep. What is so exciting about visiting Sentosa and pay like hell when real excitement is free? Their adrenalins must be supercharged. What a high!
But this will likely be forgotten and Singaporeans will continue to jam the causeway to visit Malaysia. Because Malaysia is really a great place to be. Die die they will queue up at the Malaysian immigration check points, under the hot suns for 6 hours or more, to enjoy Malaysia. Yes, Malaysia is not only a great place, it is the place for Singaporeans, and for a wonderful experience and adventure. Better than Disneyland or Sentosa. Malaysia, here we come. Thank you for your hospitality and the fun and excitement.
And Malaysia Tourism Board will say, Selamat Datang. I would suggest they change their campaign slogan to , Malaysia, for an adrenalin charged experience!
6/14/2011
6/13/2011
All talks and talks and nothing but talks
The roles of the president have been clearly stated and explained by so many political luminaries, including Jayakumar. Among the 5 discretionary custodial duties is the protection of reserves.
Nathan has been quoted in the media that he had done a lot, quietly, as the President. Presumably he must have done all that is expected of his 5 discretionary custodial duties exemplarily. While the current attention is on the new candidates to assume the office of the Presidency, would the people be interested to know how well he has done, quietly, all these 12 years as the President? Or would the people be interested to know how much has he done to protect the reserves?
One of the fundamental questions raised during Ong Teng Cheong’s Presidency was the value of the reserves. He wanted to know how much or what he was supposed to guard. Without knowing how much was there in the reserves, it was woolly woolly for him to be able to protect it. Maybe I am wrong. He did not need to know how much there was to protect. All he needed to know was that it was one of his major duties as the President, to hold the second key.
Of course Teng Cheong would not accept that kind of logic. He must know what he was guarding and how much was there to protect in the first place. The stumbling block was that it would take 52 man years to know the exact amount.
Nathan has been the President for 12 years. This is still short of 40 years to reach the magical number of 52 years. Does it mean that it will take another 40 years to churn out the numbers? Apologies, I think another 40 years will be just right for the final numbers to be known. But that is for one man to work on it full time.
I am not sure how many men are working on it to produce the numbers for the guardian. Does the President know the numbers already, or would he be able to tell the people how many more years before the numbers will be available? Any progress been made in this as it is the first thing that any president guarding the reserves must know?
Nathan has been quoted in the media that he had done a lot, quietly, as the President. Presumably he must have done all that is expected of his 5 discretionary custodial duties exemplarily. While the current attention is on the new candidates to assume the office of the Presidency, would the people be interested to know how well he has done, quietly, all these 12 years as the President? Or would the people be interested to know how much has he done to protect the reserves?
One of the fundamental questions raised during Ong Teng Cheong’s Presidency was the value of the reserves. He wanted to know how much or what he was supposed to guard. Without knowing how much was there in the reserves, it was woolly woolly for him to be able to protect it. Maybe I am wrong. He did not need to know how much there was to protect. All he needed to know was that it was one of his major duties as the President, to hold the second key.
Of course Teng Cheong would not accept that kind of logic. He must know what he was guarding and how much was there to protect in the first place. The stumbling block was that it would take 52 man years to know the exact amount.
Nathan has been the President for 12 years. This is still short of 40 years to reach the magical number of 52 years. Does it mean that it will take another 40 years to churn out the numbers? Apologies, I think another 40 years will be just right for the final numbers to be known. But that is for one man to work on it full time.
I am not sure how many men are working on it to produce the numbers for the guardian. Does the President know the numbers already, or would he be able to tell the people how many more years before the numbers will be available? Any progress been made in this as it is the first thing that any president guarding the reserves must know?
6/12/2011
I am starting to know more about dogs
‘Leadership is in the blood, says Mr Lee.’ This is a headline in ST on 27 May. LKY was expounding his theory on leadership in Japan, and he explained how certain groups of people are born with this quality. It is in the blood, in the bloodline.
LKY then used the example of a sheepdog and explained how easily it is to train sheepdogs to guard and dominate the sheep. Not any dog will do. It must be a certain kind, a sheep dog.
I quote LKY, ‘There is a certain group of dogs that genetically have been born and been specially bred for this purpose. If you just take your ordinary dog, you can spend all your time training it, it will not work.’
So, for those who are thinking of importing dogs, think Australia or New Zealand. Think sheep dog and not mongrels. The latter can be found in the less developed countries, so plentiful, but do not have that special quality of leadership in their blood.
It is more relaxing to talk about pets, hobbies and dogs on a Sunday morning.
LKY then used the example of a sheepdog and explained how easily it is to train sheepdogs to guard and dominate the sheep. Not any dog will do. It must be a certain kind, a sheep dog.
I quote LKY, ‘There is a certain group of dogs that genetically have been born and been specially bred for this purpose. If you just take your ordinary dog, you can spend all your time training it, it will not work.’
So, for those who are thinking of importing dogs, think Australia or New Zealand. Think sheep dog and not mongrels. The latter can be found in the less developed countries, so plentiful, but do not have that special quality of leadership in their blood.
It is more relaxing to talk about pets, hobbies and dogs on a Sunday morning.
6/11/2011
The angry cries for housing
Read the comments in cyberspace and you can’t help hearing the cries of desperation for housing. Yes they cannot afford public housing. Families with little children, broken families, people who because of poor finances, bad luck, circumstances, some of their own foolishness or irresponsible acts, are out there looking for a roof over their heads. Is that not the duty and responsibility of the govt to provide them with a roof, any kind of roof? A temporary shelter, a small rental flat in place of a pitch tent in a vacant land. They may have mismanaged their lives, then what, leave them in the cold?
While these people are pleading, some have gone to the extent of cursing at the govt and HDB. When people are at wits end, and the govt is not there to help, you can’t blame them. And there is no reason for the govt not to help them. It is unacceptable and irresponsible as a govt to forsake its people in times of need.
Boon Wan is cautioning those who have bought or are buying private properties of a bubble bursting. Some may be burnt when it happens. But don’t worry, they can afford to be burnt. Pity the young professionals who were forced by his predecessors and his policies into the private market and with a huge mortgage to service. I dare say, it is no fault of theirs and the blame should be placed squarely on the govt for allowing it to happen, when the crash comes.
In the meantime, the govt must quickly rethink its policies and responsibilities to the people, to provide them with a really affordable roof. Even those who are disqualified for all the right and wrong reasons, the govt must take care of them as a govt is expected. The woes of the citizens will become the stress to the society and country.
Boon Wan has taken the right step to ramp up the building of rental flats. Not everyone is a super talent to be able to afford expensive housing. Not everyone can afford even to buy small affordable public housing. The govt has to cater to all the different levels and needs of the people. What is the use of a govt who shirks this responsibility and leaves the people in dire straights in the lurch?
The well being of the people is the govt’s responsibility. Remember, it is the people who elect the govt to look after them. The people do not elect the govt to tell them you mess up, just too bad, your problem.
Go back to basics and think of providing every citizen a roof over his head first. Stop the stupid policy of an artificial ceiling to disqualify young people and push them towards the cliff. Stop the ruthless mindset of punishing the less able, the losers or unfortunate. Look after the people.
While these people are pleading, some have gone to the extent of cursing at the govt and HDB. When people are at wits end, and the govt is not there to help, you can’t blame them. And there is no reason for the govt not to help them. It is unacceptable and irresponsible as a govt to forsake its people in times of need.
Boon Wan is cautioning those who have bought or are buying private properties of a bubble bursting. Some may be burnt when it happens. But don’t worry, they can afford to be burnt. Pity the young professionals who were forced by his predecessors and his policies into the private market and with a huge mortgage to service. I dare say, it is no fault of theirs and the blame should be placed squarely on the govt for allowing it to happen, when the crash comes.
In the meantime, the govt must quickly rethink its policies and responsibilities to the people, to provide them with a really affordable roof. Even those who are disqualified for all the right and wrong reasons, the govt must take care of them as a govt is expected. The woes of the citizens will become the stress to the society and country.
Boon Wan has taken the right step to ramp up the building of rental flats. Not everyone is a super talent to be able to afford expensive housing. Not everyone can afford even to buy small affordable public housing. The govt has to cater to all the different levels and needs of the people. What is the use of a govt who shirks this responsibility and leaves the people in dire straights in the lurch?
The well being of the people is the govt’s responsibility. Remember, it is the people who elect the govt to look after them. The people do not elect the govt to tell them you mess up, just too bad, your problem.
Go back to basics and think of providing every citizen a roof over his head first. Stop the stupid policy of an artificial ceiling to disqualify young people and push them towards the cliff. Stop the ruthless mindset of punishing the less able, the losers or unfortunate. Look after the people.
6/10/2011
We are Singaporeans, dare you abuse us
The ill treatment of an aged patient in Nightingale Nursing Home was shown on prime time news last night. The old lady was left topless for half an hour as was reported, in an air con room. She was then bundled by two assistants, looking more like FTs, and dumped into her bed. She growled because of the pain and was smacked by one of the assistants.
The family paid good money to the Nursing Home to take care of their loved one. What she got was not care but being manhandled in a very bad way. It is pitiful and disgusting to see our senior citizens being treated this badly by their caregivers. No matter if they are locals or foreigners, they must be severely punished as an example to protect our elders who are entrusted to caregivers whom we believed are kind and trained professionals paid to do the job.
The case must be swiftly dealt with and all guilty parties punished. If they are foreigners, they must be banished from our homeland for ill treating us, their gracious host, providing them with shelter and the opportunity to earn good money. I say to them, piss off from my country.
For those who are still here, please be reminded that you are guests at our pleasure. Some may open their arms to embrace and kiss you, but we expect no less in return for our kindness. Any Singaporean apologists need to be gorenged by all Singaporeans. This is our home. We are Singaporeans and cannot be victims to foreigners
The family paid good money to the Nursing Home to take care of their loved one. What she got was not care but being manhandled in a very bad way. It is pitiful and disgusting to see our senior citizens being treated this badly by their caregivers. No matter if they are locals or foreigners, they must be severely punished as an example to protect our elders who are entrusted to caregivers whom we believed are kind and trained professionals paid to do the job.
The case must be swiftly dealt with and all guilty parties punished. If they are foreigners, they must be banished from our homeland for ill treating us, their gracious host, providing them with shelter and the opportunity to earn good money. I say to them, piss off from my country.
For those who are still here, please be reminded that you are guests at our pleasure. Some may open their arms to embrace and kiss you, but we expect no less in return for our kindness. Any Singaporean apologists need to be gorenged by all Singaporeans. This is our home. We are Singaporeans and cannot be victims to foreigners
Myth 227 – Logic of superior beans
This friend (call him John, not this real name) of mine related his interview for the head of Asia Pacific Region marketing job. He was about the best in his field and was head hunted for the position.
Everything went fine and the date for him to come on board was fixed. Then they went into the compensation package details. John was quite comfortable with his half a million dollar package. But being an absolutely honest Singaporean, he told the interviewer his true feelings. He said the job was very attractive and he could also be tempted to be corrupt. There were plenty of opportunities to do so in his new position. He confessed that he was after all a human bean and was subject to temptations of the monetary kind.
He suggested to the interviewer that in paradise such a temptation was easily taken care of by paying a sum that was good enough to keep an honest bean from being corrupt. The interviewer nodded and agreed with him that it was a novel idea of superior logic. They finally agreed that another half a million bucks would do the trick and the company could be 100% at peace that John would do his job well, diligently and would never stoop to corruption. It was a win win situation.
They parted with an assurance that the letter of appointment would follow in the next few days. That was more than a decade ago. The letter of appointment did not arrive. John was also taken off the headhunter’s list. He applied his superior reasoning and concluded that his superior logic was ahead of time and his potential employer was still stuck in the medieval age.
John is now happily driving a taxi as a profession. Of course this story is only good for reading as a fiction.
Everything went fine and the date for him to come on board was fixed. Then they went into the compensation package details. John was quite comfortable with his half a million dollar package. But being an absolutely honest Singaporean, he told the interviewer his true feelings. He said the job was very attractive and he could also be tempted to be corrupt. There were plenty of opportunities to do so in his new position. He confessed that he was after all a human bean and was subject to temptations of the monetary kind.
He suggested to the interviewer that in paradise such a temptation was easily taken care of by paying a sum that was good enough to keep an honest bean from being corrupt. The interviewer nodded and agreed with him that it was a novel idea of superior logic. They finally agreed that another half a million bucks would do the trick and the company could be 100% at peace that John would do his job well, diligently and would never stoop to corruption. It was a win win situation.
They parted with an assurance that the letter of appointment would follow in the next few days. That was more than a decade ago. The letter of appointment did not arrive. John was also taken off the headhunter’s list. He applied his superior reasoning and concluded that his superior logic was ahead of time and his potential employer was still stuck in the medieval age.
John is now happily driving a taxi as a profession. Of course this story is only good for reading as a fiction.
How to give cash to our senior citizens without paying for it - CCE
Think COE and how CCE can be applied to benefit the citizens and the govt. The govt has been selling COEs to the car owners at a price that is determined by supply and demand. At a time it was as high as $100k and currently around $50k+. It is a costly piece of paper just to buy and own a car for 10 years. The benefits of this scheme go mainly to the govt’s coffer.
A car is a very precious temporary asset. How could this be more valuable than a Citizenship Certificate Entitlement? Many are queuing to enter this prosperous city state where the roads are laid with gold. Many have come and return home rich. Many remain here and get richer. Many have paid a heavy price just to earn a right to be here to work, even as maids and manual workers, with the hope of a better life later.
A Singapore Citizenship is very valuable not just to earn a good living, but also a passport to the West, US and Europe. There is no need to give the citizenship to anyone on a silver platter. Foreigners should be willing to pay for it, to buy the right to make it rich, to a better life in a well developed city country.
How could this piece of paper be turned into an asset, like a COE, and with greater value? A simple way is for the govt to sell it in market like the COEs. But this will only benefit the govt alone. My suggestion is to issue a certificate to every senior citizen on reaching 60 years of age. This is like giving some cash to the citizens without the govt having to pay for it, a kind of retirement benefit. The certificate can then be sold to a foreigner who wants to be a citizen, and after meeting all the criteria of citizenship.
The state shall also benefit by a levy from the seller when a CCE is disposed. So the state is also getting something in return.
Why would a new citizen want to buy a CCE? Well, if the citizenship is attractive enough to him. And the value is retained as the CCE can still be resold when he decides to give up his citizenship, or when he kicks the bucket. There is thus no loss, but could be a long term investment like a stock, can appreciate in value. His below 21 years children will get one each when they reach 60. This means he could double or triple his investment and could stay fully invested here.
Yes, the CCE can also be listed in the Stock Exchange for trading if not converted to a citizenship. By doing so, its economic value will be so much higher. There are also many other benefits that can be derived from listing it as a stock. It also allows the govt to buy and sell the CCEs to control its supply and demand. It also prevents all the CCEs from being converted to new citizenships.
The govt thus does not need to throw away citizenships freely and the senior citizens will be pleased with the windfall. The Stock Exchange too will be pleased with another instrument for trading.
This is just a preliminary concept and many details can be worked out to make it workable. It is creating wealth from selling a piece of paper, for the senior citizens and paid by new citizens, like COEs. The oldies will have another source of cash for their twilight years. But the benefits of being a citizen, rights to reproduction etc must be tweaked. It will definitely help to increase reproduction as each CCE is worth quite sum money.
PS. I declare that I own the intellectual property right to this concept or other similar instruments that could be introduced in the future serving similar objectives.
A car is a very precious temporary asset. How could this be more valuable than a Citizenship Certificate Entitlement? Many are queuing to enter this prosperous city state where the roads are laid with gold. Many have come and return home rich. Many remain here and get richer. Many have paid a heavy price just to earn a right to be here to work, even as maids and manual workers, with the hope of a better life later.
A Singapore Citizenship is very valuable not just to earn a good living, but also a passport to the West, US and Europe. There is no need to give the citizenship to anyone on a silver platter. Foreigners should be willing to pay for it, to buy the right to make it rich, to a better life in a well developed city country.
How could this piece of paper be turned into an asset, like a COE, and with greater value? A simple way is for the govt to sell it in market like the COEs. But this will only benefit the govt alone. My suggestion is to issue a certificate to every senior citizen on reaching 60 years of age. This is like giving some cash to the citizens without the govt having to pay for it, a kind of retirement benefit. The certificate can then be sold to a foreigner who wants to be a citizen, and after meeting all the criteria of citizenship.
The state shall also benefit by a levy from the seller when a CCE is disposed. So the state is also getting something in return.
Why would a new citizen want to buy a CCE? Well, if the citizenship is attractive enough to him. And the value is retained as the CCE can still be resold when he decides to give up his citizenship, or when he kicks the bucket. There is thus no loss, but could be a long term investment like a stock, can appreciate in value. His below 21 years children will get one each when they reach 60. This means he could double or triple his investment and could stay fully invested here.
Yes, the CCE can also be listed in the Stock Exchange for trading if not converted to a citizenship. By doing so, its economic value will be so much higher. There are also many other benefits that can be derived from listing it as a stock. It also allows the govt to buy and sell the CCEs to control its supply and demand. It also prevents all the CCEs from being converted to new citizenships.
The govt thus does not need to throw away citizenships freely and the senior citizens will be pleased with the windfall. The Stock Exchange too will be pleased with another instrument for trading.
This is just a preliminary concept and many details can be worked out to make it workable. It is creating wealth from selling a piece of paper, for the senior citizens and paid by new citizens, like COEs. The oldies will have another source of cash for their twilight years. But the benefits of being a citizen, rights to reproduction etc must be tweaked. It will definitely help to increase reproduction as each CCE is worth quite sum money.
PS. I declare that I own the intellectual property right to this concept or other similar instruments that could be introduced in the future serving similar objectives.
6/09/2011
Abandoned
A few tweaks needed in the Salary Review Committee
One clearly needed change is the presence of a truly independent member that has little association with the people whose salary are affected, and be able to look at the whole issue objectively from a distance. Such a person will then be in a position to provide an impartial view of the remuneration package.
The inputs of HR professionals is definitely useful, but must be from an independent source, not from the ministries.
Though Gerard is talking about starting from a clean slate, his comments are still tainted with the present system of discount and paying high. A discount is only necessary when the package is not right to begin with, a kind of over paying. If the package is correctly or reasonably conceived, there is no need for any further discount. The pricing of public housing is a glaring example of what discount or subsidy is not what it is meant to be.
The paying high is something that reasonable Singaporeans are willing to concede. But what is high and what contributed to the high should be carefully considered. There is no need to pay high to compensate for corruptibility. Anyone who is tempted to be corrupt, let the law deals with him. And there is no need to pay obscene salary just because it has yet to break the treasury.
Then there is the issue of compensating for loss of potential income. Any honourable man/woman coming forward to serve the country at the highest office the country can offer is an honourable calling. If he/she is asking to be compensated for loss of potential earnings then such people should be left to earn their money in their profession. There is no need to make people sacrifice unnecessarily to serve the country when they are unwilling to do so. A political calling or any calling cannot be measured in monetary rewards. An excellent surgeon or lawyer or any professional, does not simply turn into an excellent national leader. There is no direct correlation in what they are doing in their profession to political appointment. To compensate in such terms is irrational thinking.
From the above, the most important tweak needed is the mindset of the Review Committee. If they are still thinking in the same wavelength as those who conceived the current package, the statement of a new slate is a myth. They need to free their mindset from the flawed reasoning of the past.
The inputs of HR professionals is definitely useful, but must be from an independent source, not from the ministries.
Though Gerard is talking about starting from a clean slate, his comments are still tainted with the present system of discount and paying high. A discount is only necessary when the package is not right to begin with, a kind of over paying. If the package is correctly or reasonably conceived, there is no need for any further discount. The pricing of public housing is a glaring example of what discount or subsidy is not what it is meant to be.
The paying high is something that reasonable Singaporeans are willing to concede. But what is high and what contributed to the high should be carefully considered. There is no need to pay high to compensate for corruptibility. Anyone who is tempted to be corrupt, let the law deals with him. And there is no need to pay obscene salary just because it has yet to break the treasury.
Then there is the issue of compensating for loss of potential income. Any honourable man/woman coming forward to serve the country at the highest office the country can offer is an honourable calling. If he/she is asking to be compensated for loss of potential earnings then such people should be left to earn their money in their profession. There is no need to make people sacrifice unnecessarily to serve the country when they are unwilling to do so. A political calling or any calling cannot be measured in monetary rewards. An excellent surgeon or lawyer or any professional, does not simply turn into an excellent national leader. There is no direct correlation in what they are doing in their profession to political appointment. To compensate in such terms is irrational thinking.
From the above, the most important tweak needed is the mindset of the Review Committee. If they are still thinking in the same wavelength as those who conceived the current package, the statement of a new slate is a myth. They need to free their mindset from the flawed reasoning of the past.
Timothy Geithner was rebutted by Singapore and Hongkong
Tim Geithner, the American Secretary of Treasury, was calling for more stringent controls of dubious derivative tradings conducted by dubious operators with dubious modus operandi. He cautioned other regulators not to compromise their regulatory systems to accommodate the rogues of the finance industry that the US is trying to regulate more closely with more stringent rules and regulations. His fear is that while the US was tightening the screws, other regulations are playing easy to take in the rogues and their business. The danger the rogues and their malpractices were thrown into the wind at their own risks.
Singapore and Hongkong have stood up to defend their regulatory systems as much more stringent than the Americans and told the Americans to look elsewhere. Our systems are in good hands. No problems.
I also think so. Hope there is no outcry like the minibond crisis in the future. The next one or two years could be telling if we are doing the right thing. As things are going, my prediction is that some operators will start to retrench staff and cut cost as the business is not generating the returns to cover their overheads, that is, if things do not improve. That will be the test of whether we are doing the right thing or the wrong stuff. The rest are just rhetorics. Let’s wait for the real stuff to unfold.
Singapore and Hongkong have stood up to defend their regulatory systems as much more stringent than the Americans and told the Americans to look elsewhere. Our systems are in good hands. No problems.
I also think so. Hope there is no outcry like the minibond crisis in the future. The next one or two years could be telling if we are doing the right thing. As things are going, my prediction is that some operators will start to retrench staff and cut cost as the business is not generating the returns to cover their overheads, that is, if things do not improve. That will be the test of whether we are doing the right thing or the wrong stuff. The rest are just rhetorics. Let’s wait for the real stuff to unfold.
Forcing round pegs into square holes
Just a month after the GE and Singaporeans are greeted with some refreshing changes in the way some ministries are working. Boon Wan is throwing out a whole basket of waste policies in one go. Tuck Yew is going down to the ground to understand the problems of the people and to explore solutions that will make life more pleasant to the citizens.
In short, they are trying to change the holes so that all shapes and sizes of pegs can fit in. This is a big deviation from past attitude and policies when every peg must be shaped to fit the square holes. Those that could not fit in, just too bad, it is their fault.
The thinking or mindset then was that I am calling the shot, I decide what is good for the people, and the people must fit into my criteria to benefit from my policies. A glaring example is how housing policies were shafted down the people’s throat. Singles, single mothers, under achievers, over achievers, people who messed up their lives for good or bad reasons, not my problem, you created your own problems. Singles go and get married, single mothers, go and get married, under achievers, downgrade to your station in life, over achievers, go to the private market. Ha, ha, ha. There is no need to sweat the little thing to worry about the people’s concern and their angst.
And it was a case of, I only build at my own convenience, at my terms, at my pleasure. You wait, ok? And you know how my policies worked, you plan your life and finances to suit my policies. Don’t muck around with me. What I am doing is the best you can ever get, with affordably priced housing that you can afford, to pay and to wait. Yes, you can afford, I say so. You can wait, I say so.
The way MND works and how it treated the people is about the best example of what it was like then. Now they are trying to listen to the people, wanting to know how to serve the people better. At least it is a big step forward, a departure from the high and mighty and arrogant style of the past.
In short, they are trying to change the holes so that all shapes and sizes of pegs can fit in. This is a big deviation from past attitude and policies when every peg must be shaped to fit the square holes. Those that could not fit in, just too bad, it is their fault.
The thinking or mindset then was that I am calling the shot, I decide what is good for the people, and the people must fit into my criteria to benefit from my policies. A glaring example is how housing policies were shafted down the people’s throat. Singles, single mothers, under achievers, over achievers, people who messed up their lives for good or bad reasons, not my problem, you created your own problems. Singles go and get married, single mothers, go and get married, under achievers, downgrade to your station in life, over achievers, go to the private market. Ha, ha, ha. There is no need to sweat the little thing to worry about the people’s concern and their angst.
And it was a case of, I only build at my own convenience, at my terms, at my pleasure. You wait, ok? And you know how my policies worked, you plan your life and finances to suit my policies. Don’t muck around with me. What I am doing is the best you can ever get, with affordably priced housing that you can afford, to pay and to wait. Yes, you can afford, I say so. You can wait, I say so.
The way MND works and how it treated the people is about the best example of what it was like then. Now they are trying to listen to the people, wanting to know how to serve the people better. At least it is a big step forward, a departure from the high and mighty and arrogant style of the past.
6/08/2011
Investigative journalism
There is a big report in the ST today about the number of MPs holding directorships in listed companies. Apparently Hsien Loong’s message has sunk in and not many are now holding such directorships, and those who are holding have only a handful to show.
It will be more interesting to know what the situation was like say a year ago or at its heyday when many MPs were sitting in the board of directors and how many were they accepting then. This will give a true picture of how effective Hsien Loong’s message has gone down and how the MPs have started to tow the line.
Another area of investigative journalism that the people would like to see is the remuneration of Ministers last year. This will be a good reference point to compare the change when the Salary Review Committee comes out with its recommendations. The 2009 and 2010 remuneration payouts are of great interests to the public and should not be forgotten though a review is in progress. It is a kind of a milestone, from where it came and where it goes.
Or perhaps some statisticians in the new media may want to take on this task. Many are dying to know so that they can tell how far the Salary Review Committee has come.
It will be more interesting to know what the situation was like say a year ago or at its heyday when many MPs were sitting in the board of directors and how many were they accepting then. This will give a true picture of how effective Hsien Loong’s message has gone down and how the MPs have started to tow the line.
Another area of investigative journalism that the people would like to see is the remuneration of Ministers last year. This will be a good reference point to compare the change when the Salary Review Committee comes out with its recommendations. The 2009 and 2010 remuneration payouts are of great interests to the public and should not be forgotten though a review is in progress. It is a kind of a milestone, from where it came and where it goes.
Or perhaps some statisticians in the new media may want to take on this task. Many are dying to know so that they can tell how far the Salary Review Committee has come.
PAP sponsored Presidential candidate
Two interesting developments today with Nathan saying he has not decided if he should run another term and Tony Tan surfacing as a potential PAP sponsored candidate. This brings me to ponder over the selection process of a PAP sponsored candidate. Will it be similar to the Tea Party used to screen potential MPs for GE, where the candidates will go through some kind of interview before being offered to run? This would also imply that the final decision to field a candidate is decided by the PAP and not the candidate who says, ‘I want, I want.’ Or is it that a candidate first decide if he wants to run and then informs the PAP of his intent?
How would the few candidates fit into the PAP selection process or scheme of things? Presumably Tan Kin Lian and Tan Cheng Bock would not even be considered if they inform the PAP of their participation and hoping for the party’s support. What about George Yeo? Would he be considered a candidate for sponsorship?
If the PAP decides to sponsor George, and if Nathan also decides that he wants to run, and if Tony also comes into the picture, would we then have 3 PAP sponsored candidates to choose from? Or can the PAP say no to the candidates and only select one while the others can go and run as independent candidates like the two Tans? Interesting if both Nathan and Tony say yes and PAP says no to any one of them. It can also say no to George if he asks for the party’s sponsorship.
Then if they go ahead to run, they would then be running against the interests of the PAP or running against a PAP sponsored candidate? Now would that runs against the vein and ruffles a few feathers in the process?
How would the few candidates fit into the PAP selection process or scheme of things? Presumably Tan Kin Lian and Tan Cheng Bock would not even be considered if they inform the PAP of their participation and hoping for the party’s support. What about George Yeo? Would he be considered a candidate for sponsorship?
If the PAP decides to sponsor George, and if Nathan also decides that he wants to run, and if Tony also comes into the picture, would we then have 3 PAP sponsored candidates to choose from? Or can the PAP say no to the candidates and only select one while the others can go and run as independent candidates like the two Tans? Interesting if both Nathan and Tony say yes and PAP says no to any one of them. It can also say no to George if he asks for the party’s sponsorship.
Then if they go ahead to run, they would then be running against the interests of the PAP or running against a PAP sponsored candidate? Now would that runs against the vein and ruffles a few feathers in the process?
6/07/2011
The idiots are thinking very hard
5 idiots are in a business that is commission based. There are only 5 operators in the industry. Business has been bad because the main operator of the business has turned it into a gambling den instead of the real business it used to be, when genuine goods were exchanged. Now the business is all about toxic notes that were printed from thin air.
The 5 idiots could not figure out why the business is running out of steam. In desperation, given the 5 IQ they had, one is suggesting to cut commission to gain market share. This idiot could not see one centimetre ahead of him and could not think that if he lowers his commission, the other 4 idiots will also do so.
So when one idiot comes out with his brilliant plan, the next will follow with a betterer plan. They will keep the cycle of commission reduction going on and on, from 5c to 4c to 1c, to 0.1c and so on and on, as long as they think they can gain market share.
And they are congratulating themselves for being so idiotically brilliant.
The 5 idiots could not figure out why the business is running out of steam. In desperation, given the 5 IQ they had, one is suggesting to cut commission to gain market share. This idiot could not see one centimetre ahead of him and could not think that if he lowers his commission, the other 4 idiots will also do so.
So when one idiot comes out with his brilliant plan, the next will follow with a betterer plan. They will keep the cycle of commission reduction going on and on, from 5c to 4c to 1c, to 0.1c and so on and on, as long as they think they can gain market share.
And they are congratulating themselves for being so idiotically brilliant.
Compromising the Singapore Brand
We have branded ourselves as the best in education, an education hub, and also in healthcare, a medical hub, to attract students and medical tourists for the fees they are willing to pay. They came and still coming, for the quality associated with the Singapore Brand.
The private schools sector has received quite a fair share of bad publicity. Now the medical profession is looking like the next candidate to tarnish the well built reputation of the Singapore Brand.
I have heard of countries lowering the standard of entry to medical schools to churn out more native doctors. But the standard has gone down so low that the better informed would avoid the local graduates for their own good.
Not that we have lowered our standards for the same purpose. We have raised our standard so high that many straight As students could not even enter local medical schools. They ended up overseas in some of the best medical schools available in the West. They are excellent doctors whether from our local universities or overseas. That is the kind of standard expected of the Singapore Brand. We have our best in medicine.
The grouses in the media are that we are mixing this elite core of highly qualified professionals with foreign imports of doubtful qualities. And the fear of fake degrees is even more frightening. This rojak of the best and the dubious is going to burn down our shining Singapore Brand in healthcare and, if not careful, destroy the medical hub that we have painstakingly built over the years.
Are we in a hurry for numbers, quick profit and ended up compromising the quality of our healthcare? Are we putting the patients at risk in the hands of quacks or poorly qualified medical professionals?
I hope not. I hope we still have a little commonsense left not to mix shit with good food and spread it around to the innocent and ignorant customers. Or has the rot already started?
The private schools sector has received quite a fair share of bad publicity. Now the medical profession is looking like the next candidate to tarnish the well built reputation of the Singapore Brand.
I have heard of countries lowering the standard of entry to medical schools to churn out more native doctors. But the standard has gone down so low that the better informed would avoid the local graduates for their own good.
Not that we have lowered our standards for the same purpose. We have raised our standard so high that many straight As students could not even enter local medical schools. They ended up overseas in some of the best medical schools available in the West. They are excellent doctors whether from our local universities or overseas. That is the kind of standard expected of the Singapore Brand. We have our best in medicine.
The grouses in the media are that we are mixing this elite core of highly qualified professionals with foreign imports of doubtful qualities. And the fear of fake degrees is even more frightening. This rojak of the best and the dubious is going to burn down our shining Singapore Brand in healthcare and, if not careful, destroy the medical hub that we have painstakingly built over the years.
Are we in a hurry for numbers, quick profit and ended up compromising the quality of our healthcare? Are we putting the patients at risk in the hands of quacks or poorly qualified medical professionals?
I hope not. I hope we still have a little commonsense left not to mix shit with good food and spread it around to the innocent and ignorant customers. Or has the rot already started?
Presidential Election – A test case for PAP
With the PAP back in power, the Presidential Election is looking set to be a test case to see whether the people will blindly support the proxy candidate of PAP. In the past elections, a vote for the PAP sponsored candidate was a vote for PAP. In the case of Nathan, there was no election to talk of.
It looks like there will be a contest in this Presidential Election with at least three independent candidates indicating intent to stand. The PAP has yet to announce its candidate. It will be interesting to watch how the voters will vote this time. A defeat of the PAP sponsored candidate will be a big blow to the ruling party. It will be an emphatic NO by the people to the all embracing power and control of the govt. It will also be the first defeat of the PAP in an election. If that be so, PAP will have a problem to fix. It will be the clearest sign of a change of time that the wind in the PAP sail is off.
Would PAP be able to put up another sure win candidate, or is there such a candidate in the PAP camp? Or would this be a contest for separation of power, which means that no matter who the PAP puts up, he will not stand a chance? The unilateral decision of George to want to stand could undermine the PAP’s plan as it may have its own candidate in mind. It is getting more interesting to see the contest of ex PAP, old PAP, defeated PAP and sponsored PAP contesting against each another.
The rationale for an independent Presidency to control the second key against any raid of the treasury by the incumbent govt is anti thesis to a PAP candidate from its inception. The logic is simple and clear, unless the people are plain daft for not being able to see why there is a need for a truly independent President. This will be the test of the people’s will, whether they are independent thinkers who will decide what is best for them, or just daft sheep blindly listening to self serving logic. Then they can be contented with just grazing happily in the well crafted field divided nicely into little sheep pen.
The pathetic part is that the rest of the population have been excluded from standing for the Presidency. The winner will still be one that used to wear a PAP badge before.
It looks like there will be a contest in this Presidential Election with at least three independent candidates indicating intent to stand. The PAP has yet to announce its candidate. It will be interesting to watch how the voters will vote this time. A defeat of the PAP sponsored candidate will be a big blow to the ruling party. It will be an emphatic NO by the people to the all embracing power and control of the govt. It will also be the first defeat of the PAP in an election. If that be so, PAP will have a problem to fix. It will be the clearest sign of a change of time that the wind in the PAP sail is off.
Would PAP be able to put up another sure win candidate, or is there such a candidate in the PAP camp? Or would this be a contest for separation of power, which means that no matter who the PAP puts up, he will not stand a chance? The unilateral decision of George to want to stand could undermine the PAP’s plan as it may have its own candidate in mind. It is getting more interesting to see the contest of ex PAP, old PAP, defeated PAP and sponsored PAP contesting against each another.
The rationale for an independent Presidency to control the second key against any raid of the treasury by the incumbent govt is anti thesis to a PAP candidate from its inception. The logic is simple and clear, unless the people are plain daft for not being able to see why there is a need for a truly independent President. This will be the test of the people’s will, whether they are independent thinkers who will decide what is best for them, or just daft sheep blindly listening to self serving logic. Then they can be contented with just grazing happily in the well crafted field divided nicely into little sheep pen.
The pathetic part is that the rest of the population have been excluded from standing for the Presidency. The winner will still be one that used to wear a PAP badge before.
6/06/2011
The Singapore Crunch
The rush hour crunch is getting on the nerves of Singaporeans and costing the job of the Minister of Transport and Communication in the last election. Whether it is a case of mismatch of policies or a case of not listening, or a case of losing touch, while the commuters are groaning in pain, the official policy is to discourage car ownership and pushing more people to take public transport. And there is also this big and desperate call for more foreigners to come in or else there will be no economic growth.
If this is not madness, then the dictionary would have to change the definition of the word. The population is feeling the crunch everywhere, on the road, in the bus and trains, in social outlets, in schools, looking for jobs, looking for a place to live, there are just so many people fighting for space and services.
Saturday’s front page news in the ST is about shortage of hospital beds in public hospitals. Can it be? We have one of the best healthcare systems in the world and hospitals are running out of beds! The corridors of some hospitals have also been temporarily converted to squeeze in more beds.
Queues are everywhere, even to park cars. And it will be worst when there is a big event being held.
Not to worry, some wise cracks will pronounce that these are signs of progress and prosperity. Singaporeans who want high growth rates and prosperity must not complain about such little inconveniences. These are happy problems. Do they want to switch places with some underdeveloped countries when these problems are non existent? So, please welcome another 900,000 foreigners to ensure that there is continued growth.
The crunch is on. Is this what the Singaporeans want? Is this what growth and prosperity is all about? Can the standard of living be maintained or be betterer without having to live to the brim in all things? Why must every activity or place be bulging and congested and people in a constant state of stress, fighting for fresh air?
Why must we increase the population further from the 5m today when living conditions are showing signs of stress and fatigue everywhere? Is slowing down the population growth a guarantee for economic downturn and decay? No better way out?
If this is not madness, then the dictionary would have to change the definition of the word. The population is feeling the crunch everywhere, on the road, in the bus and trains, in social outlets, in schools, looking for jobs, looking for a place to live, there are just so many people fighting for space and services.
Saturday’s front page news in the ST is about shortage of hospital beds in public hospitals. Can it be? We have one of the best healthcare systems in the world and hospitals are running out of beds! The corridors of some hospitals have also been temporarily converted to squeeze in more beds.
Queues are everywhere, even to park cars. And it will be worst when there is a big event being held.
Not to worry, some wise cracks will pronounce that these are signs of progress and prosperity. Singaporeans who want high growth rates and prosperity must not complain about such little inconveniences. These are happy problems. Do they want to switch places with some underdeveloped countries when these problems are non existent? So, please welcome another 900,000 foreigners to ensure that there is continued growth.
The crunch is on. Is this what the Singaporeans want? Is this what growth and prosperity is all about? Can the standard of living be maintained or be betterer without having to live to the brim in all things? Why must every activity or place be bulging and congested and people in a constant state of stress, fighting for fresh air?
Why must we increase the population further from the 5m today when living conditions are showing signs of stress and fatigue everywhere? Is slowing down the population growth a guarantee for economic downturn and decay? No better way out?
6/05/2011
Let’s make Money and More Money
It is good if everyone can make more money. The govt makes more money, the people make more money, everyone else make more money, including the foreigners. Making a lot of money is not a bad thing. It is good, really.
The trick is making more money from who and for who. Our govt has made plenty of money and a huge reserve. Who are the main beneficiaries of this wealth? Why are the people feeling the pinch and some calling for mercy? Obviously they are not benefiting from the prosperity of the country. I am not commenting on who the HDB is making money from, if they are making money at all, as they recorded something like $1b or $2b loss a year ago, I think. It was in the papers. Likewise the other ministries and stats boards and their money making policies, and who they are making money from.
I am fully behind the govt for making money as their top priority. The whole country must be restructured to make money, but not solely from the people. We can import more foreigners too, if they can help us to make more money, subject to how many our little piece of land can take.
The next most important priority is to make sure the Citizens benefited from all the wealth created. Let the Citizens be the ruling class. The wealth of the country must filter down more to the Citizens, not $10m for you and $1k for me.
Redesign and re prioritise
The govt can redesign the benefits of citizenship and make citizenship a very special class of people, the owners of the land, and not be given to any Tom, Dick and Harry. Make citizenship a privilege class, even an entitlement class, with the right to a share of the nation’s wealth and cheap housing and facilities. Isn’t that what a govt is for?
The country has already set aside a huge reserve. The reserve needs lesser top ups from the profits of the country’s future investments. A bigger portion of the profits can be returned to the Citizens.
The PRs, the foreign workers and professionals can work and live here, to contribute to our wealth. That is the whole purpose of their presence in our land. Let them work for us, treat them well, but don’t forget that this is OUR Country and we own this piece of rock. We provide them with the opportunities to work, to make a good decent income, safety and security, and a good place to stay. We must be rewarded for that. If they think they have a bad deal here, and have no choice but to come here, they can go elsewhere. You have to pay to visit Disneyland! What more if they even allowed you to make a good living here?
If the wealth and benefits of the country are well filtered down and shared by the people, there will be less anger and more pride and commitment to the country and govt.
Make Singaporeans the ruling class of their homeland. They are not daft. Many policies of citizenship/population must be tweaked to accommodate a new system and priorities in favour of the Citizens. Singaporeans be the master, the owner and main beneficiary to this paradise that we have created. There must be a distinction between a Citizen and others. In Rome, not everyone is a Citizen. Don’t throw away our citizenship like casino chips if they are really worthy.
PS. We already have a very exclusive ruling class.
The trick is making more money from who and for who. Our govt has made plenty of money and a huge reserve. Who are the main beneficiaries of this wealth? Why are the people feeling the pinch and some calling for mercy? Obviously they are not benefiting from the prosperity of the country. I am not commenting on who the HDB is making money from, if they are making money at all, as they recorded something like $1b or $2b loss a year ago, I think. It was in the papers. Likewise the other ministries and stats boards and their money making policies, and who they are making money from.
I am fully behind the govt for making money as their top priority. The whole country must be restructured to make money, but not solely from the people. We can import more foreigners too, if they can help us to make more money, subject to how many our little piece of land can take.
The next most important priority is to make sure the Citizens benefited from all the wealth created. Let the Citizens be the ruling class. The wealth of the country must filter down more to the Citizens, not $10m for you and $1k for me.
Redesign and re prioritise
The govt can redesign the benefits of citizenship and make citizenship a very special class of people, the owners of the land, and not be given to any Tom, Dick and Harry. Make citizenship a privilege class, even an entitlement class, with the right to a share of the nation’s wealth and cheap housing and facilities. Isn’t that what a govt is for?
The country has already set aside a huge reserve. The reserve needs lesser top ups from the profits of the country’s future investments. A bigger portion of the profits can be returned to the Citizens.
The PRs, the foreign workers and professionals can work and live here, to contribute to our wealth. That is the whole purpose of their presence in our land. Let them work for us, treat them well, but don’t forget that this is OUR Country and we own this piece of rock. We provide them with the opportunities to work, to make a good decent income, safety and security, and a good place to stay. We must be rewarded for that. If they think they have a bad deal here, and have no choice but to come here, they can go elsewhere. You have to pay to visit Disneyland! What more if they even allowed you to make a good living here?
If the wealth and benefits of the country are well filtered down and shared by the people, there will be less anger and more pride and commitment to the country and govt.
Make Singaporeans the ruling class of their homeland. They are not daft. Many policies of citizenship/population must be tweaked to accommodate a new system and priorities in favour of the Citizens. Singaporeans be the master, the owner and main beneficiary to this paradise that we have created. There must be a distinction between a Citizen and others. In Rome, not everyone is a Citizen. Don’t throw away our citizenship like casino chips if they are really worthy.
PS. We already have a very exclusive ruling class.
Falling strawmen
The first strawman to fall in our political system is the GRC. Just like the impregnable mothership of the movie Independence Day, the weakness of the GRC is fully exposed and can be brought down. In the next GE, the ministers will be shivering, who will go next. And by the look of things, many will go down with the GRC in the present form.
We are now looking at another strawman bending with the wind, the elected Presidency. With $24m and more to take, hardly anyone is showing interest. For those who have come forward, they brought along a history that are not necessarily welcomed by all the people. Sure, a few will have their diehard fans, converts and cheer leaders edging them on as if the whole island is for them. The truth is further out there in the whole population.
Why is such an honourable office finding so few takers? Okay, 95% or more of the people have already been pre disqualified by the elitist criteria. All men are equal, many are less equal. The criteria is dismissive, with a stroke of the pen, the majority of the people are ruled as not good enough, and their rights as a citizen is limited, not fit to be President of the country.
As a NSman, trained and fit to fight for the country, to die for the country, why is he unfit to stand for the highest office in the land? He is prepared to stake his life for the people and country, defend its honour and freedom, why is he NG? All because he did not have the chance to be a top civil servant, a top politician or the CEO of a big corporation? Can the people accept these criteria lying down? They did, and still not questioning, and keeping mum.
Who is in a position to deprive all the honest and respectable citizens from running for the highest office in the country? A higher being?
We are now looking at another strawman bending with the wind, the elected Presidency. With $24m and more to take, hardly anyone is showing interest. For those who have come forward, they brought along a history that are not necessarily welcomed by all the people. Sure, a few will have their diehard fans, converts and cheer leaders edging them on as if the whole island is for them. The truth is further out there in the whole population.
Why is such an honourable office finding so few takers? Okay, 95% or more of the people have already been pre disqualified by the elitist criteria. All men are equal, many are less equal. The criteria is dismissive, with a stroke of the pen, the majority of the people are ruled as not good enough, and their rights as a citizen is limited, not fit to be President of the country.
As a NSman, trained and fit to fight for the country, to die for the country, why is he unfit to stand for the highest office in the land? He is prepared to stake his life for the people and country, defend its honour and freedom, why is he NG? All because he did not have the chance to be a top civil servant, a top politician or the CEO of a big corporation? Can the people accept these criteria lying down? They did, and still not questioning, and keeping mum.
Who is in a position to deprive all the honest and respectable citizens from running for the highest office in the country? A higher being?
6/04/2011
The Aliens of Paradise
Singapore is home to more than a million foreigners. Actually nearly half of Singapore’s 5m population are foreigners if permanent residents are included. Some were on temporary work passes as construction and manual workers, but many were professional and technical staff in the group called PMETs. The foreign PMETs is a big group of foreign talents employed in high earning jobs. Many were appointed to top local institutions over the locals when local talents were found wanting.
They are a very blessed group of professionals, earning high incomes and an enriching lifestyle that they could not find in their home countries. Some may take root and eventually become citizens while many will return home with a nice savings that will multiply several times in their homeland.
The Singaporeans must thank these people for contributing to the vibrancy and high economic growth of the country. This is the daily mantra that is heard in all the right places. And grateful the Singaporeans should be for the jobs that were created by their presence. Otherwise Singapore will not be able to enjoy the sustained high growth rates over the years, culminating in a superlative 15% growth in year 2011, the highest in the world.
While praises were heaped on these benefactors, a small corner of the population is sulking. There is another group of PMETs, the locals, that is finding life pretty tough going. Those above 50 got to pray that they do not lose their jobs for any reasons. For if it did happened, they are unlikely to find another employment. If they did, it will be a big downgrade and big reduction in income.
Many have gone for retraining for lower grade jobs with lower pay. Their skills and experience were no longer wanted and their jobs replaced by the new and gleaming foreign PMETs. Some turned to being self employed, driving taxis or becoming housing or insurance agents or any kind of agents, to be financially productive. With the high cost of living, high medical fees and high of everything, no income is a dreaded option. Worst, many still have school going children to support.
The lack of job opportunities for this small group of Singaporeans is not confined to just the oldies. Many in their 30s and 40s are also facing intense competition from foreign PMETs for jobs. The experience of writing tomes of application letters without getting a reply is defeating and humiliating. The sense of being not good enough or not wanted by any organisation is hard on the morale and self worth.
Even young graduates are encountering bad experiences in their job finds. The trend of hire and fire and contract staff are making life that much more uncertain. And the young people are expected, if they choose to get hitch, to take a huge housing loans of several hundred thousands, and repayable over 30 years.
How many people on temporary or short term contract jobs would dare to make such financial commitments? The letters of desperation and despair are mounting. In a country that can provide hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs to foreigners, it is troubling to see a section of its own citizens being marginalised, living in fear of being unemployed. These are the alienated citizens of a country that boasted of the highest concentration of millionaires in the world.
The aliens of paradise are complaining. They want to be heard, their plight known to the policy makers that turned their lives upside down. They are living a life of insecurity in a land of plenty for foreigners.
There is no official figure on the size of these aliens in their home country. Many are trying to make their presence felt today at Hong Lim Park, the Speakers Corner for free speech, provided one has registered with the Police. I am not sure if the rules have changed. If not, no free speech for anyone who is not registered with the authority before his freedom to speak.
Today, 4 June, at 5 pm, Gilbert Goh of Transitioning.Org forum is calling for the aliens to gather and make their feelings and plight heard. They are to wear black as a sign of unity and support for the affected. Jobs for Singaporeans is their call.
In the land of millionaires, fear not the despair.
They are a very blessed group of professionals, earning high incomes and an enriching lifestyle that they could not find in their home countries. Some may take root and eventually become citizens while many will return home with a nice savings that will multiply several times in their homeland.
The Singaporeans must thank these people for contributing to the vibrancy and high economic growth of the country. This is the daily mantra that is heard in all the right places. And grateful the Singaporeans should be for the jobs that were created by their presence. Otherwise Singapore will not be able to enjoy the sustained high growth rates over the years, culminating in a superlative 15% growth in year 2011, the highest in the world.
While praises were heaped on these benefactors, a small corner of the population is sulking. There is another group of PMETs, the locals, that is finding life pretty tough going. Those above 50 got to pray that they do not lose their jobs for any reasons. For if it did happened, they are unlikely to find another employment. If they did, it will be a big downgrade and big reduction in income.
Many have gone for retraining for lower grade jobs with lower pay. Their skills and experience were no longer wanted and their jobs replaced by the new and gleaming foreign PMETs. Some turned to being self employed, driving taxis or becoming housing or insurance agents or any kind of agents, to be financially productive. With the high cost of living, high medical fees and high of everything, no income is a dreaded option. Worst, many still have school going children to support.
The lack of job opportunities for this small group of Singaporeans is not confined to just the oldies. Many in their 30s and 40s are also facing intense competition from foreign PMETs for jobs. The experience of writing tomes of application letters without getting a reply is defeating and humiliating. The sense of being not good enough or not wanted by any organisation is hard on the morale and self worth.
Even young graduates are encountering bad experiences in their job finds. The trend of hire and fire and contract staff are making life that much more uncertain. And the young people are expected, if they choose to get hitch, to take a huge housing loans of several hundred thousands, and repayable over 30 years.
How many people on temporary or short term contract jobs would dare to make such financial commitments? The letters of desperation and despair are mounting. In a country that can provide hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs to foreigners, it is troubling to see a section of its own citizens being marginalised, living in fear of being unemployed. These are the alienated citizens of a country that boasted of the highest concentration of millionaires in the world.
The aliens of paradise are complaining. They want to be heard, their plight known to the policy makers that turned their lives upside down. They are living a life of insecurity in a land of plenty for foreigners.
There is no official figure on the size of these aliens in their home country. Many are trying to make their presence felt today at Hong Lim Park, the Speakers Corner for free speech, provided one has registered with the Police. I am not sure if the rules have changed. If not, no free speech for anyone who is not registered with the authority before his freedom to speak.
Today, 4 June, at 5 pm, Gilbert Goh of Transitioning.Org forum is calling for the aliens to gather and make their feelings and plight heard. They are to wear black as a sign of unity and support for the affected. Jobs for Singaporeans is their call.
In the land of millionaires, fear not the despair.
6/03/2011
A need for a referendum
Before the plague of 900,000 locusts hit our shores, it is urgent that the people, the stakeholders of this piece of rock, make their stand clear to the servants of the people that they do not want to be swarmed and die of suffocation.
When we were 1m there was fear that we were too small to survive. We survived. When we were 2m, the same fear was repeated. We survived. We survived when we were 3m, 4m, in fact we prospered even with the smaller population. Now at 5.5m, one corner of the truth is that we need more, 6.5m maybe 7.5m or more to continue to grow the GDP. What about economic growth at the expense of quality of life and living conditions?
Is there an option for smaller GDP growth, or GDP growth without the plague of another 900,000 locusts? There must be a way, lower GDP from lower influx of foreigners but maintaining the quality of life. There must be alternative models to development and a better life for the people.
It is time to call for a referendum. The people and the opposition party representatives must take the initiative before everyone has to jump off this piece of rock. This high population policy is like the high cost of living and high housing price policy. They must go together. With a huge population, other plagues will fall in line, concrete jungle, need for jobs, infrastructure, services, energy, water. The nuclear option is a consequence of this high population policy. If population goes up, nuclear option becomes a Hobson’s Choice, or no choice.
The masters must have the final say, not the self serving servants. This is our country, for our children and their children. Why should we allow a few elected politicians to determine the future of our children? The people must tell the govt where it must not go before it is too late. The people must pre empt the influx of another million or more foreigners here. Say no to the ballooning of our population.
When we were 1m there was fear that we were too small to survive. We survived. When we were 2m, the same fear was repeated. We survived. We survived when we were 3m, 4m, in fact we prospered even with the smaller population. Now at 5.5m, one corner of the truth is that we need more, 6.5m maybe 7.5m or more to continue to grow the GDP. What about economic growth at the expense of quality of life and living conditions?
Is there an option for smaller GDP growth, or GDP growth without the plague of another 900,000 locusts? There must be a way, lower GDP from lower influx of foreigners but maintaining the quality of life. There must be alternative models to development and a better life for the people.
It is time to call for a referendum. The people and the opposition party representatives must take the initiative before everyone has to jump off this piece of rock. This high population policy is like the high cost of living and high housing price policy. They must go together. With a huge population, other plagues will fall in line, concrete jungle, need for jobs, infrastructure, services, energy, water. The nuclear option is a consequence of this high population policy. If population goes up, nuclear option becomes a Hobson’s Choice, or no choice.
The masters must have the final say, not the self serving servants. This is our country, for our children and their children. Why should we allow a few elected politicians to determine the future of our children? The people must tell the govt where it must not go before it is too late. The people must pre empt the influx of another million or more foreigners here. Say no to the ballooning of our population.
Self serving logic
Is there such thing as self serving logic? It is the kind of justification that people used to do silly things that they would not do without having some defensive arguments to justify their actions. An accident victim lying unconscious on the road and his money bag was on his side. The self serving logic would say, take it, if not, someone else would take it.
If we don’t go nuclear, our neighbours will. So the decision to go nuclear is made. QED. We don’t need to pay super talents to make this kind of decision with this kind of logic do we?
In the Singapore context there are plenty of such wonderful logics in use. The people will be corrupt. So how, pay them to prevent them from being corrupt. I also get paid by the way.
The people will squander their CPF savings. For their own good, lets lock it up for as long as possible. The people will all go for C Class hospital wards. So introduce mean testing to prevent such abuses. The higher income will all rush to buy HDB flats. So introduce an income ceiling to keep them away, so that they will go to the private market. Now my private property prices will definitely go up.
Water is a precious item. We must teach the people not to waste water. Charge them a higher fee and higher taxes for consuming too much. Is this self serving logic too?
The daft Singaporeans do not see these as self serving logic. They went along happily for decades. The not so daft Singaporeans remain reticent. But they turned them into party and private jokes among close friends. They are not that daft not to see walla when there is walla. Yes, not all Singaporeans are daft. The betterer dafters will be out there defending the self serving logic with all their might.
If we don’t go nuclear, our neighbours will. So the decision to go nuclear is made. QED. We don’t need to pay super talents to make this kind of decision with this kind of logic do we?
In the Singapore context there are plenty of such wonderful logics in use. The people will be corrupt. So how, pay them to prevent them from being corrupt. I also get paid by the way.
The people will squander their CPF savings. For their own good, lets lock it up for as long as possible. The people will all go for C Class hospital wards. So introduce mean testing to prevent such abuses. The higher income will all rush to buy HDB flats. So introduce an income ceiling to keep them away, so that they will go to the private market. Now my private property prices will definitely go up.
Water is a precious item. We must teach the people not to waste water. Charge them a higher fee and higher taxes for consuming too much. Is this self serving logic too?
The daft Singaporeans do not see these as self serving logic. They went along happily for decades. The not so daft Singaporeans remain reticent. But they turned them into party and private jokes among close friends. They are not that daft not to see walla when there is walla. Yes, not all Singaporeans are daft. The betterer dafters will be out there defending the self serving logic with all their might.
6/02/2011
A futuristic Stock Exchange
Looking at my crystal ball and from the inputs of what are being implemented in the western model of stock exchanges, I have this vision of what the future stock exchange will be like. As desired, it will be a state of the art computerised system with minimal human beans involved, and superbly efficient.
In short, traders and remisiers can be excused from the system. They will not be able to compete with the machine. What will evolve will be high speed trading by computers and machine. Every big fund will roll out its state of the art computer system to trade for them, programmed by the best programmers applying the most complex algo logic to profit from every trade. To make a winning trade, they only have to beat the rest of the competitors by a micro sec faster or by a bid of 0.1c. That is all it takes. It is not about investing but a battle of machine. No need to bother about fundamentals or real values of the stocks. And all these will be done at extremely high speed by the supercomputers.
The game will be so sophisticated and super fast that no retail investors/traders will be able to play, or to think of making a profit. They will all pack up and call it a day. Trading houses too will not be in business when there are no investors/traders to pay them the commission to cover the operating cost.
Companies and business organisations too will find listing meaningless as the stock prices will hardly move, controlled by machine to minimise risk and making brisk profits in micro seconds and with marginal changes in prices. With the high cost of listing and listing fees, and unable to raise funds in a virtually lifeless market, many will delist from the stock markets.
Then what will the machines be trading? Derivatives, ETFs, CFD, ADRs, covered warrants, or any kind of papers that the funds could generate for the market. There will be virtual stocks created just for trading, with no need for a company and a profit generating business. A typical trading pattern for a penny stock like R2D2 will be: Buy 200m at 1c and Sell 200m at 1.1c. Or the higher value stock like C3PO Bank: Buy 20m at 8.00 and Sell 20m at 8.01.
And the industry will be so efficient that the management of a stock market would need not more than 20 staff. And the fund managers too will be operating with a handful of staff manning computers and machines. The whole industry could comprise of less than 100 expert financial professionals.
The broking houses will be a thing of the past, so are remisiers and traders and real stocks. It will be a real virtual world of stock trading, with stocks from non existent companies and machine trading for non existent traders and investors.
And the stock exchanges can churn in several trillions of trades daily from the handful of big operators and their machines. The stock market and exchanges of today will only be remembered and taught in schools as part of the syllabus in the subject called History.
In short, traders and remisiers can be excused from the system. They will not be able to compete with the machine. What will evolve will be high speed trading by computers and machine. Every big fund will roll out its state of the art computer system to trade for them, programmed by the best programmers applying the most complex algo logic to profit from every trade. To make a winning trade, they only have to beat the rest of the competitors by a micro sec faster or by a bid of 0.1c. That is all it takes. It is not about investing but a battle of machine. No need to bother about fundamentals or real values of the stocks. And all these will be done at extremely high speed by the supercomputers.
The game will be so sophisticated and super fast that no retail investors/traders will be able to play, or to think of making a profit. They will all pack up and call it a day. Trading houses too will not be in business when there are no investors/traders to pay them the commission to cover the operating cost.
Companies and business organisations too will find listing meaningless as the stock prices will hardly move, controlled by machine to minimise risk and making brisk profits in micro seconds and with marginal changes in prices. With the high cost of listing and listing fees, and unable to raise funds in a virtually lifeless market, many will delist from the stock markets.
Then what will the machines be trading? Derivatives, ETFs, CFD, ADRs, covered warrants, or any kind of papers that the funds could generate for the market. There will be virtual stocks created just for trading, with no need for a company and a profit generating business. A typical trading pattern for a penny stock like R2D2 will be: Buy 200m at 1c and Sell 200m at 1.1c. Or the higher value stock like C3PO Bank: Buy 20m at 8.00 and Sell 20m at 8.01.
And the industry will be so efficient that the management of a stock market would need not more than 20 staff. And the fund managers too will be operating with a handful of staff manning computers and machines. The whole industry could comprise of less than 100 expert financial professionals.
The broking houses will be a thing of the past, so are remisiers and traders and real stocks. It will be a real virtual world of stock trading, with stocks from non existent companies and machine trading for non existent traders and investors.
And the stock exchanges can churn in several trillions of trades daily from the handful of big operators and their machines. The stock market and exchanges of today will only be remembered and taught in schools as part of the syllabus in the subject called History.
The $24m race is on
If not for the silly exclusion clause that disqualified the majority of the population, I will also throw in my hat for the race. This clause must be deleted in time to come as it is the most discriminating clause against all citizens in the name of justice and equality. Reminds me of the Animal Farm where some are more equal than others. Who is to say who is more equal and has more right to be qualified as candidate for the Presidency except the people?
For the time being, only a select group of people who are rich and powerful are eligible to contest for this position. If not I would like to suggest that the Presidency be rotated on a monthly basis with each candidate selected from a pool of qualified senior citizens, excluding the unreasonable clause of being in high offices and running an organization of $100m. This will provide 12 high paying jobs of $400k per monthly term a year, or 72 happy presidents every 6 years.
The daft citizens will have to contend with the few candidates available today. Just be wise in casting the vote. Like Lim Boon Heng said, some are too close to political parties and may not be suitable. I fully agree with this kind of concern. The people must be guarded against incestuous relationship, and the elected President must be one that is not related to any political party.
Let’s hope there will be enough of neutral and decently qualified candidate to choose from. For those who are eligible under the present restrictive clause, they must know that there are very few around, they must stand up to contest as a service to the people and country. The people are hungry for an alternative choice.
For the time being, only a select group of people who are rich and powerful are eligible to contest for this position. If not I would like to suggest that the Presidency be rotated on a monthly basis with each candidate selected from a pool of qualified senior citizens, excluding the unreasonable clause of being in high offices and running an organization of $100m. This will provide 12 high paying jobs of $400k per monthly term a year, or 72 happy presidents every 6 years.
The daft citizens will have to contend with the few candidates available today. Just be wise in casting the vote. Like Lim Boon Heng said, some are too close to political parties and may not be suitable. I fully agree with this kind of concern. The people must be guarded against incestuous relationship, and the elected President must be one that is not related to any political party.
Let’s hope there will be enough of neutral and decently qualified candidate to choose from. For those who are eligible under the present restrictive clause, they must know that there are very few around, they must stand up to contest as a service to the people and country. The people are hungry for an alternative choice.
6/01/2011
Bikers
I did not ask for it
Hypothetically, or just my imagination, when the huge increments and pay were thrown at the lap of the President, could his eyes pop out and follow by a grumble, ‘Why so much? I didn’t ask for it.’ Nathan is a simple man, nothing ostentatious in his lifestyle, and probably very happy with his banana leaf fish head curry. He has never been seen as someone who would flaunt his wealth, spending wildly. Neither is his wife. Both very decent people living quite a simple lifestyle.
The millions of dollars thrown at him would probably go into his bank accounts and never see daylight. I am being presumptious of course. My point is that we are paying too much for a non executive president. We are not living in a kingdom where blue blooded aliens must be kept to live very well from the taxes paid by the people.
Also, whoever is elected to this high office, he is likely to be a man that is held in high esteem by the people, and unlikely to be corrupted. So no need to pay him an out of this world salary to keep his fingers away from the coffer. Anyway, his position is unlikely to get him too close to where the money is kept. The idea of paying an officer a lot of money to keep him from becoming corrupt is demeaning to such an office. For all its honour and dignity, this concept must be taken out of the equation when the good office of the Presidency is concerned.
Paying people to prevent them from corruption should be kept at those levels where people are likely to do so. I still got this funny feeling that the whole reasoning is foul, at least I can smell that something is not right.
I hope the Salary Review Committee will take the Presidency out of the package and deal with it separately, away from the stigma and idea of corruption. The thought of a president that is incorruptible may be a bit idealistic. But the safeguard is the office of CPIB, watching everyone to keep them honest.
The millions of dollars thrown at him would probably go into his bank accounts and never see daylight. I am being presumptious of course. My point is that we are paying too much for a non executive president. We are not living in a kingdom where blue blooded aliens must be kept to live very well from the taxes paid by the people.
Also, whoever is elected to this high office, he is likely to be a man that is held in high esteem by the people, and unlikely to be corrupted. So no need to pay him an out of this world salary to keep his fingers away from the coffer. Anyway, his position is unlikely to get him too close to where the money is kept. The idea of paying an officer a lot of money to keep him from becoming corrupt is demeaning to such an office. For all its honour and dignity, this concept must be taken out of the equation when the good office of the Presidency is concerned.
Paying people to prevent them from corruption should be kept at those levels where people are likely to do so. I still got this funny feeling that the whole reasoning is foul, at least I can smell that something is not right.
I hope the Salary Review Committee will take the Presidency out of the package and deal with it separately, away from the stigma and idea of corruption. The thought of a president that is incorruptible may be a bit idealistic. But the safeguard is the office of CPIB, watching everyone to keep them honest.
A decade of failed public housing policies
With only a couple of weeks in office, Koh Boon Wan has virtually overturned many of the old housing policies of his predecessor and frantically trying to make up for lost time to make good what had went wrong drastically. Would the changes in housing policies be good enough evidence of the mismanagement of public housing or just a change of policies and nothing more?
The decade of under building of public flats and the influx of foreigners have caught many first time buyers of HDB flats sleeping. Many did not really understand what was happening and were caught napping through no fault of theirs. As a consequence, many ended up buying excessively priced flats or missed the boat altogether. Many too have to put off plans for marriage, for starting a family, while some were forced to buy resale flats at higher prices or private properties at even higher prices. The net result is that many young people have to pay overpriced properties and cleaning up their savings. Those that missed the boat are just as bad as the little savings they stinged to save can never make up for the runaway prices.
Could the victims of the decade of misguided public housing policies find recourse or reprieve in some way with new policies that will recognize their plight? Many have been forced out of the market for not being able to buy a HDB flat when their incomes were within the HDB ceiling. Is it their fault? Would there be an amnesty of sort to let these victims of past policies back into the public housing system? Or would it be a case of just too bad, caught by wrong policies at the wrong time? Or would some wise guy quip, ‘It happened, let’s move on?
How flexible and people centric will the new regime be to the victims of flawed policies?
5/31/2011
An unbelievable world record!
Other being a PAP MP, he(Yeo Guat Kwang holds) has an amazing 64 other positions !!!
http://www.parliament.gov.sg/mp/yeo-guat-kwang?viewcv=Yeo%20Guat%20Kwang
1) Member, Government Parliamentary Committee on Manpower
2) Member, Government Parliamentary Committee on Community Development, Youth & Sports
3) Member, GPC for Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
4) Vice Chairman, Aljunied Town Council
5) Alignment Director, NTUC Quality Worklife & All Nationalities
6) Acting Advisor to Taxi Operators’ Association
7) President of Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE)
Vice-Chairman, North East Community Development Council
9) Member, Board of Directors of PUB Board
10) Advisor to the Singapore Table Tennis Association
11) Advisor to the Singapore WeiQi Association
12) Advisor to the Ren Ci Hospital
13) Advisor to the Bright Vision Hospital
14) Advisor to Artistes & Performers’ Association
15) Advisor to Restaurants Association of Singapore
16) Executive Secretary, Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Unions
17) Director, Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre (FIDReC)
1 Advisor, Federation of Merchants’ Associations, Singapore
19) Executive Secretary, Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees
20) Member, Workplace Health and Safety Council
21) Co-Chairman, National Tripartite Committee on Workplace Health
22) Co-Chairman, Customer Centric Initiatives
23) Co-Chairman, NTUC-SNEF Migrant Workers’ Forum
24) Member, Aids Business Alliance
25) Member, Mental Health Alliance
26) Member, Centre for Service Excellence and Leadership Governing Council
27) Member, SPRING Standards Council
2 Patron to Pets Enterprises & Traders Association (PETAS)
29) PAP Community Foundation HQ Executive Committee
30) Member, Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL)
31) Member, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA)
32) Member, AVA Human Resource Committee
33) Member, WSH Council Finance Committee
34) Member, Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers
35) Member, Tripartite Committee on Portable Medical Benefits
36) Member, Tripartite Committee on Flexible Work Arrangement
37) Member, Quality Service Advisory Council
3 Member, Institute for Service Excellence @ SMU (ISES) Governing Council
39) Member, Motor Industry Disputes Resolution Centre Pte Ltd Board of Governors
40) Member, Retail Price Watch Group
41) Member,Tobacco Licensing Consultative Panel
42) Member, Ngee Ann Kongsi Council
43) Advisor, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Staff Union (IRASSU)
44) Advisor & Trustee, NatSteel Employees Union (NEU)
45) Business Advisor, NTUC LearningHub Pte Ltd
46) Advisor, Yeo Clan General Association
47) Advisor, Singapore Taoist Federation
4 Advisor, Fo Guang Shan (Singapore)
49) Advisor, Mun San Fook Tuck Chee
50) Advisor, Society of Sheng Hong Welfare Services
51) Advisor, Sian Chay Medical Institution
52) Advisor, Society of Tourist Guides (Singapore)
53) Advisor, Singapore Furniture Association
54) Advisor, Eggs’ Import/Export Trading Association (Singapore)
55) Advisor, Federation of Merchants’ Singapore
56) Advisor, JCI Senators Club of Singapore
57) Advisory Board Member, Singapore-China Association for Advancement of Science & Technology
5 Patron. Buddist Fellowship
59) Independent Director, Grandwork Interior Pte Ltd
60) Independent Director, Japan Foods Holding Ltd
61) Independent Director, Koyo International Ltd
62) Independent Director, United Envirotech Ltd
63) Independent Director, Asia Water Technology Ltd
64) Independent Director, HLH Group Ltd
The above is copied from Thoughts of a Singapore Statistician. This is the kind of overworked super talents that Singaporeans can be very proud of. As an average individual, I would forget at least 80 per cent of the names of the organizations in the above list. It is a marvel to even remember them, let alone trying to perform all the duties associated with them. But I am just an average bean.
The uncomfortable or unfair part is that for a miserable $15k per month, this super talent is made to shoulder such an unenviable number of important positions and responsibilities. I really feel sorry for him. I doubt he even has time to eat or sleep if he is to do his duties, just to attend meetings alone. But when I look at how well he looks, I think he is coping very well.
And he is not alone. I believe all his peers are also shouldering a fuller list of appointments, maybe more.
So Singaporeans should not begrudge these great talents and the money paid to them. They deserve every penny they received. In fact they should be paid more. I will die trying to do more than 3 jobs.
Singapore is indeed blessed with such super human beans, rightly described as more than mortals.
How long will the Ponzi Scheme last?
Many have commented that the public housing scheme is another Ponzi Scheme or something similar in nature. In all sense, it will die a naturally death by the time the lease expires in 99 years, all 900,000 of them. On that day, all will be worthless.
There seems to be a way out though, to extend the game, by SERS, whereby the HDB will buy back the flats before the lease expires, offer the lessee a new flat of the same market value or slightly more. The lessee will be happy to get a new flat for a smaller fee and a new lease.
This option of buying back and offering a new flat can go on and on provided certain conditions are present. Without these conditions, the renewal and new life will still come to an end.
The first condition is that the flats to be acquired are low lying, and on the same plot of land a doubling of the units of flats can be built. A 10 storey block can easily go to 20, and 20 to 40. After that it must go to 80 or 100 storeys so that the cost of building the new flats can be paid by new lessees.
As the cost of building is going to be much higher, and there is inflation to add on to the cost, it is also assumed that the income of the new lessees will go up proportionally to pay for the much more expensive flats. Or else, the aspiration will be for smaller and smaller units or smaller in size like what is happening now.
The third condition is that there must be more and more buyers to buy the new flats. As the formula is based on the doubling of the units, if all the flats are to be rebuilt, it will need a doubling of the population, from 5m to 10m. So the floodgate for foreigners cannot be closed.
The fourth condition is that the island will not sink with all the Towers of Babel loading on it. And hopefully, the supporting infrastructure to house the kind of population density can cope with the increase.
If all the conditions are met, the Ponzi Scheme can go on and on.
The crime of earning $10k
The arbitrary $10k ceiling for the combined income of young couples is looking like a crime. It has been elevated to a sacred status that it is almost untouchable, like a commandment carved in stone.
Young couples who have a combined income of $10k are disqualified from public housing. They are deemed too well paid, and able to pay more for private properties. They should go and buy a smaller but more expensive private property, or go for the big owns and take a bigger loan to service.
The value of thrift and savings and financial prudence is thrown to the wind. If after taking a big loan and something untoward happens to their income that is their problem. And the private developers and speculators are all rubbing their hands eagerly waiting for these young couples to commit, after being forced out by the system. They have no choice but to take the plunge.
What kind of philosophy is this? Forcing young people to go into big debt because they earn a little more than others? What is $10k anyway? Any decently qualified young couple that failed to get hitch within 3 to 5 years will see their income exceeding this arbitrary ceiling pronounced by god.
Is it wise or decent to force young couples, just starting to work and with a full list of commitments ahead of them, to plunge in with a half a million or one million dollar loan? I think it is a crazy idea and very irresponsible.
The crap about some of these young couples adding to the queue is another hogwash. Just like the spurious building acitivity today, it is all about building to meet the needs and demands of the people. The crime is for not building, not the young people wanting to join the queue. And not many would join the queue as those with lesser commitments would risk taking a bigger loan for private properties. It is no crime or shame to want to buy a cheaper home and save for tomorrow. The principle of thrift and prudence is age old wisdom. Punishing the young people for your own inept, poor planning and farcical beliefs is shameful.
No one must be forced to eat sharksfins and force to pay for it. The $10k ceiling is another mean testing that is wicked to the core, like its parallel in healthcare. It only serves to fatten the pockets of speculators and developers at the expense of the young people. Just go and build the flats that the people need, and stop the silly reasoning.
Every able young man must be given a chance to buy his first public housing. This is only equitable, just and fair. They also do their bid to serve the country like everyone else.
5/30/2011
The housing mess or housing achievement?
25,000 BTO flats will be built this year. And now Boon Wan is saying tens of thousands of rental flats are needed and building of rental flats must also be ramped up. Are these happy problems or manifestation of infested problems in public housing that are surfacing today? With 25,000 being built and the demand is still growing, and a shortfall of tens of thousands of rental flats!
What’s happening? Didn’t MND know the problem or they did know the problem but not building because the policy maker decided otherwise? Or is it that the information on supply and demand was misleading that led to the current mess? MND data quoted in today’s ST said that there were 3,700 and 2,300 rental flat applicants for year 2008 and 2009 respectively. If these were the data that MND was working on, not more than 5,000 rental flats need to be built. How could the numbers balloon to tens of thousands of flats needed as mentioned by Boon Wan?
Whatever, policy failure or information failure, something is wrong with the housing needs of the people. They can’t say they did not know or did not see it coming. Boon Wan is only in the job for a couple of weeks and he is in a big hurry to clear the mess.
The media also reported some views that the ramping up of rental flats would have little impact on the price of private properties. Could this kind of thinking be the main determinant in the supply of public housing, both rental and purchase? There must be many big speculators out there hoarding 10 or 20 units of properties each and fearing that the prices will fall. So are the property developers, all fearing that their profits will fall.
It is thus important that the supply of public housing be carefully managed to ensure that the speculators and property developers are happily sitting on huge profits. Yep, must not remove the $8k/$10k ceiling so that these young people have no choice but to support the private property market and help the speculators and developers to make handsome profits. Tell them there are cheap loans, low interest rates, just borrow, half a million, one million, just borrow, no problem.
Hope the ramping up of BTO flats will not affect the price of private properties, or else speculators, big investors and developers will be hurt.
5/29/2011
Boiling the daft brains
After a long period of gradual abuses, the human beans would have adjusted and adapted to a higher level of pain and absurdity. Subsequently any lowering of suffering would be greeted with relief and gratitude. The high housing price is a living example that the people are getting used to it and paying a little less is cause for celebration.
The people are now jubilant over the announcement by Boon Wan of the release of more public housing and a change in policy to build in advance of demand instead of waiting for demand to build up. Great man, compassionate man, with people centric policies, compare to his predecessor. Now this is a caring govt for the people and will look after the needs of the people. They have forgotten how they have ended in the shit hole in the first place.
The history of lack of housing in the founding years need not be retold. The story of govt building public housing for the people, where people can go and choose their flats like choosing to buy a car or private properties must be repeated to remind the beans that it should be that way.
But after getting used to waiting for 4 or 5 years, the beans are so happy if they can get it in 3. Now they will go down on their knees if they can get it in 2 years. Even the expectation for 5 rm, executive or private properties is forgotten. They no longer aspire for them and are contented with a 4 rm public flats for young professionals.
Boiling daft brains are not much different from boiling frogs. The daft Singaporeans deserved to be treated that way, easily conned, easily appeased, easily contented, in their unthinking way. They will take it lying down when told to plan their marriages 4 or 5 years in advance or they will have to suffer the brilliant BTO housing policy. It is their fault for not planning ahead. Dumbos.
5/28/2011
Michael - King of Pops
This is what Master Nature painted of Michael. And Master Nature says, beneath the cosmetics, he is Afro American. More pics at Art of RAR Gallery at top right.
The irrelevance of KPIs
Amid the hoohaas for change and the thrills of a Ministers’ Salary Review Committee, many well meaning experts have offered their views and suggestions on how to assess the performance of ministers and the appropriate rewards due to them. KPIs have been booted around as the panacea of all the ills that have surfaced.
KPIs are widely used as a HR tool and also seen as a better and more objective tool for performance appraisal. It also has many drawbacks and easily misused by management to serve the wrong objectives with very adverse consequences for the organisation.
The recent political developments have provided many interesting aspects on the misuse or misinterpretation of KPIs as a management tool. Kan Seng was promoted to Coordinating Minister earlier, Mah Bow Tan openly announced how great and successful were his housing policies and programmes. He would probably write a memoir on his great contributions to public housing and expecting the people to thank him profusely.
These incidents were evidence that they were doing well, or their superior must be telling them so, for a job well done. How well they have done, in the eyes of their superior, using whatever KPIs, can easily be deduced by the amount of performance bonuses and growth bonuses they received over the years. Check it out. From their confidence and the high positions they held in cabinet, there were no doubts that their performances were rated very highly.
What about the people’s assessment of their performances? Though the people did not have access to their KPIs, from the reactions and feedback in the media, it is quite clear that both must be ranked at the bottom of the people’s assessment. Here lies the first fault, what their superior think is good may not be good to the people. Both the ministers and their superior could be congratulating themselves for achieving all the goals in their KPIs. But to the people these are not the goals that are good for the people. So we have conflicting expectations and KPIs to start with.
How then could KPIs be used to be both relevant to the superior of the ministers and the expectation of the people, if the KPIs are in conflict? Who then shall set the KPIs, the superior, the ministers or the people? If only the three can agree on the same set of KPIs, perhaps that will be a good reason to use KPIs to appraise ministers for their performance.
It is a non starter in the first place.
5/27/2011
The perpetual strawman for whacking
‘Only US can balance China’, why not ‘Only China can balance the US?’ Why is it necessary to keep the Americans interested in the Western Pacific to balance the influence of China and not keeping the Chinese interested to balance the influence of America?
The inherent biased of a WOG or a western biased viewpoint of international balance of power is obvious. China is the perpetual strawman for whacking.
‘You can take Japan, Korea, Asean, and even include Taiwan and India, but you cannot balance China. It is too big. Only with the US and its superior technology can you balance China.’ Why not, ‘You can take Japan, Korea, Asean, and even include Taiwan and India, but you cannot balance the US. It is too big. Only with China and its superior technology can you balance the US?’
This western view has always placed China as the rogue nation, or the nation that is dangerous and all out to bully the smaller nations. In reality, the rogue nation is always the US. Look at the wars and the bullying of smaller nations across the world map. Who is bullying the smaller countries?
But if one eats too many hamburgers and potatoes, one’s is gonna look at China like a potato or a hamburger, or think like a potato or hamburger.
Who shall decide who can be President?
Tan Cheng Bock is thinking of standing for the elected Presidency and has to meet the eligibility criteria of the PEC. The criteria include the following to ensure candidates are people of integrity, good character and reputation:
1. At least 45 years
2. Held key appointments such as minister, chief justice, speaker or permanent secretary for not less than 3 years, or been chairman or chief executive of a statutory board.
3. Or similar or equivalent positions in the private sector.
The above criteria mean that one must be some big shot or else not good enough even if one is a person of integrity, good character and reputation. A school teacher, school principal, a GP, an accountant, a lawyer, a successful insurance or housing agent, a good social worker, an academic etc etc, will not be considered as good enough. Why? MP also cannot? Not perm sec also cannot?
The criteria are actually PAP’s criteria. Do the people have any say in them? Who should decide the eligibility criteria for an elected President, the people or a political party that is in power?
Political appointments are not employments
There are so many views and suggestions on how the Ministerial Salary Review shall be conducted. From a human resource point of view, I think it is necessary to revisit the fundamentals. What is a minister or an MP? With that understanding, we may then approach the design of its compensation in a way that is appropriate to the nature of the position.
A minister is not a job like any job, but a political appointment. Just like MPs, they are all elected representatives of the people but holding a higher office for a duration of 5 years. Period. It does not have an unending tenure of service. The fact that some of our ministers have been serving for decades is a peculiarity that may not happen in the future. Even if it does, each period of appointment is a new term of service, unrelated.
Why are people talking about annual appraisal, salary increment, bonuses, pension etc etc that are part and parcel of an employee of an organization? What do these terms have to do with a political appointment with a short mandate from the people?
A Prime Minister may want to appraise the performance of his ministers and reshuffle his cabinet as he deems fit. That is his prerogative. Is he also thinking of the annual appraisal of an employee which ends with a salary increment or performance bonus?
Who is the employer and who is paying for the increment? If the employer is the ruling party, and the money is from the ruling party, by all means, do whatever they like. The employer of the politicians is the people, who voted them for a fixed term of 5 years. They will then have to seek the people’s mandate for another 5 year term. The people/employer will then decide if they want to give them another 5 years. It is like a contract for service with fixed terms.
With this kind of contract, the remuneration for the ministers and all politicians shall be a fixed sum for the duration of the mandate. The issue of annual increment does not come into play. It is a package deal for 5 years.
Bonus and pension too have no place in such political appointments. If there is any reward for politicians who have served for an exceptional long period of time, this may be provided as a form of one time gratuity to the deserving politician on a separate basis. The same could also apply to the head of govt or head of state as exceptions to the rule. It shall not be an across the board provision for every political office holder as if they are employees.
The other important issue is who shall decide how much to pay the politicians? Obviously it is not right for them to approve their own pay cheque. A neutral Salary Review Commission can be appointed as what is already done. The approval shall come from the people through a referendum, something similar to shareholders approving the remunerations of the Board of Directors in an AGM. At most, this may be held once every 5 years or over a longer period if the economic condition or inflation has not deflated the value to of the compensation package to make it meaningless or unattractive.
No political party must get away with the impression that once they are elected, the Treasury is their piggy bank and they can create as many appointments as they like to reward their members.
Politicians going into politics, to be elected by the people are there to serve the people. They do not join politics as an employment with a career path and a life long pay package. If the current thinking is to go by, the govt will have to set up a human resource ministry to administer performance appraisal on the politicians, including the Prime Minister. Staff performance will become another job specifications for the Prime Minister and Ministers, and of course a salary scale, including a scale for the MPs, and all the terms of conditions of employment.
After so many years of one party rule, the people have been distracted to think that ministerial appointments and political appointments are jobs, a career with career path and salary scale. Every year the incumbents can look forward to promotions, career advancement, annual increments and bonuses and pensions. Grandfather’s company?
If the political climate is changed and after every election there is a change of govt, all the suggestions for performance appraisal, salaries, bonuses etc etc will become obsolete, irrelevant even if provided for. Please don’t get confuse. A politician and political appointment is not a job. Let the people decide how much they should be remunerated as a package for a fixed term of appointment. Nothing more, nothing less. If they want more, seek another mandate from the people and approval from the people.
The current govt has been entrenched for too long to forget that they are not employees of the state like the civil servants. There is no contract of service and no terms of employment. KPIs are being booted by everyone as if it is the main factor to determine how much must a politician be rewarded. It is superfluous actually. The KPI, if useful, is to let the people judge the performance of the politician and whether to re elect him in the next election. It must not be an instrument to reward him with more bonuses or pay increases. The performance of a politician is not for the PM to tell but the people to decide.
I hope the Review Committee will approach its task from the point of a 5 year mandate and not a life long employment. They must erase the current thinking that the package comes with all the perks and terms of an employee.
5/26/2011
Alice in Water Wonderland
Alice in Water Wonderland. A masterpiece by Nature using Koi as painting material. More pics at Art of RAR Gallery on top right of page.
Daft Singaporeans are so easy to con
The COE is too expensive at $100k. Please make it cheaper. The seller says ok, I will sell it to you for $20k but for two years only. The daft Singaporeans will be so happy to grab it straight away. Woah so cheap, only $20k instead of $100k.
This is the mentality of Singaporeans today. Despite the higher level of education, their ability to think clearly is still missing. What is the difference between buying a HDB that costs $400k with a 99 year lease and a $100k flat with only a 25 year lease? Oh yes, it is cheaper, can pay up the loan in 10 years instead of 30 years. Very affordable!
This is the kind of suggestions that one forumer wrote in the ST today to bring down HDB price, to make it more affordable. He forgot about why the HDB price is so high in the first place, and whether it is justifiable. I am going to set up a car showroom to sell cars in pieces. The daft Singaporeans can buy the cars very cheap, but in pieces. They can buy two wheels or four wheels first. When they have more money, they can then buy the doors, the seats, and later the engine. And they will be so happy, running around screaming cheap, cheap, very affordable.
Singaporeans are daft and for good reasons. Please, bring in more foreign talents to help these daft people. I feel like crying for Singapore.
Notable quote by Lim Wee Kiat
"If the annual salary of the Minister of Information, Communication and Arts is only $500,000, it may pose some problems when he discuss policies with media CEOs who earn millions of dollars because they need not listen to the minister's ideas and proposals, hence a reasonable payout will help to maintain a bit of dignity."
- Dr Lim Wee Kiat, PAP MP for Nee Soon GRC, 24
May 2011 in Lianhe Wanbao
PS. Lucky has posted an article on this. I just borrow the quote which says a lot about the mindset of our leaders.
Try a different thinking cap
While the Salary Review Committee is thinking, perhaps there should be a rethink on the underlying assumptions for the high ministerial salaries. One key component that was built into the salary is the amount to prevent ministers from being corrupt. The ministers’ salaries thus consist of a normal salary plus a corruption prevention factor that is undefined. Knowing how bad corruption can be at high places, the amount in consideration cannot be small to be effective.
There are only 15 ministers plus another few ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries. The total would not be too big a number to monitor for corruption. Maybe we can take a different approach to this corruptibility issue. Remove the corruption prevention component, say X dollars from the pay check. Let those ministers or people in high offices try to be corrupt and let the CPIB go after them and make them pay for their bad behaviors.
This approach could put to test how many genuinely good men we have and how many would turn bad. And the amount of savings can be quite substantial if the $X is big. Assuming this is $1m a year per minister, multiply by say 30, to include the other office bearers, and spread it to 50 or 100 years, my god, it is no small change. In practice, I don’t think there will be so many corrupt ministers to pilfer so much money from the system and without being caught.
This is a worthwhile experiment to try. From the money to be saved point of view, it definitely makes sense.
Another option is to declare the quantum provided to prevent corruption. The ministers may opt to accept this quantum to free them from the temptation. Those ministers who are confident that they will not be tempted even without this sum of compensation can opt out of it.
In this way, the more righteous and upright ministers need not be forced to accept this sum of immoral money which they did not want in the first place.
There will still be huge savings as many ministers are likely to refuse to accept such compensation and be seen as corruptible. You see, the rationale for this corruption prevention pay is pretty humiliating and self serving as it implies that none of them can stand firmly on the ground and resist the temptation to become corrupt. So the good ones too become tarred by accepting the payout.
Time to take a new look at the rationale and a new approach to the tackling the problem of corruption.
5/25/2011
Socialising and acclimatising the foreigners
Lately the vigour to welcome the foreigners has been neglected with focus turned to the election. Now that it is over, maybe this exercise to welcome and socialize the foreigners will take off again. I have just one suggestion to the committees organizing such programmes. And this is from the experiences of the past when the sinkehs were arriving in their cargo ships in the last century.
When the early sinkehs came to this island, they were taken care of by their clansmen and they helped them to adapt and acclimatize to the local environment. Coming from temperate countries, the tropical heat can be killing. One of the mandatory rituals is to make them take early morning bath. This is to protect them from heatstroke. The side benefits were personal hygiene which actually was not of much concern in those days. Poor labourers were not too perturbed by dirty places and their sweaty and smelly bodies. They slept anywhere, wore clothes for days and bathing and washing to keep clean were furthest in their minds.
Today, many new arrivals are still not conscious of their personal hygiene, the students, and the office workers included. From the smell you know that they have not taken their bath for days, or at best, in the morning before leaving for work. Imagine squeezing with them in the packed trains and buses.
For goodness sake, all the programme coordinators incharge of foreigners, please do just one thing. Teach them to take bath daily, and the most important one, before leaving for work. It is not only healthy, it not only reduces heat stroke, it keeps them clean and not smelly. The locals cannot or would not want to talk to them or get near to them if the stench is unbearable. And it can become offensive and invite a negative feeling towards them.
A clean and not smelling body will make them more pleasant and people will not avoid them. I have no intention to be rude. But I cannot help but to pinch my nose when the body odour from unwashed bodies is too offensive.
I hope this message gets through. I want to be nice and polite to them too. I have to say it because many are suffering in silence and cursing behind their backs.
PS. Wally should be happy with this.
Why are the people questioning govt policies?
The noise is getting louder. The people, well known to be daft, are questioning govt policies formulated by the top talents of the island. They are openly criticizing the high ministers’ salaries, the high public housing prices, the high influx of foreigners.
My advice to the people is not to go over board. These are well though out policies that were good for the country and themselves. Without these policies in place, the island would have long turned into a big slum.
It is time that they think deeply, if they can think at all, and say a big thank you for their good fortune. Don’t they want to have jobs? Don’t they want their property prices to keep going up? They need them for their retirement and to pay for world class hospital bills.
Say thank you please.
More foreigners snapping up private properties
Is this news? It does not take much to buy up this piece of rock. And if the property market is open to foreigners all over the world, what is there to stop them from throwing their spare cash to wipe up everything? The foreigners in this case are the super rich, and there will always be the super rich.
Let’s take a bet when the whole island will be sold to foreigners, I mean the private properties.
Different views on the ministers’ salaries
Even when Hsien Loong appointed a review committee to look at the ministers’ salaries, an indirect admission that something is not right, there are still some quarters willing to accept what it is. A letter in the ST forum talks about provisions of KPIs and measuring performance to justify the loony salaries.
Really, if you let the loonies do what they want, they will pay themselves not just a few millions, but tens or hundreds of millions. I called them robbers. They are found mainly in New York where the top executives of the financial industries are exactly doing that. Even the CEO of the stock exchange was grabbing hundreds of millions at one time.
There are no jobs, I mean as an employee drawing a salary, that should be paid hundreds of thousands a month except in gambling or maybe in sales. Leave aside the specialized skills, especially those involving life and death, when the practitioner can demand anything under the sky if there is a willing customer to pay for it.
How could a CEO whose tasks are mainly administrative and decision making justify a $500k or $1m salary a month? Oh, his decision involves millions and billions. So by saying yes or no to billions, he must be paid a percentage of it? This has been a key justification so far. There will be different views on this. Fair enough, if the decision is right, he gets his percentage cut. What if it is wrong, is he willing to cough out a percentage of the mistake?
The other justification is always the market. Let the market forces decide. Shouldn’t that be the case? In the case of political offices, there is an international market that could be used to give a reference point, at least on the upper limits and lower limits. Why is this not used? No matter how exceptional, how unique, no one in his right mind will think it is not loony to pay the head of govt in a little piece of rock more than the head of the US or any major developed country. Our talents are super talents, world best? I have no delusion about that. Our problems are exceptional and demanded extraordinary human feats. I too have no delusion about that.
While the two camps are throwing out their views in the media, new media versus old media, we will have to wait for the Review Committee for their recommendations. In the meantime the supporters of loony salaries will get their views heard. The detractors too will know where they can get their views published and heard.
5/24/2011
It's over
The lady is walking away, sad that the relationship is over. The guy is in shock. How could it be? How they felt were written all over their faces. This is an image formed by Koi fish. More pics in Art of RAR Gallery at top right.
Indians are the best financial brains
Tharman is not only the Finance Minister, he is also Chairman of MAS. And he is also Chairman of IMF’s International Monetary and Financial Committee. The MD of MAS is also an Indian. The CEO of DBS is an Indian. The CEO of CitiBank and probably several American banks and financial institutions are also of Indian origins.
And the finance graduates of Indian Universities are in great demand both in the US and Singapore. The Indians have crafted a niche in the American finance industry, occupying many top and senior positions. Needless to say, many Indians are in the top echelons of the UN and IMF.
The Indians shall be very proud of their finance talents and their achievements, especially Tharman, who is widely tipped as the next minority PM of Singapore.
Politicians are servants of the people too
Politicians are servants of the people. Are civil servants also servants of the people? Why should civil servants serve the people in the comfort of govt offices built and paid by the public coffers while politicians have to meet the people in void decks or in places at their own expense? Is the work and service of politicians less important than those of civil servants?
We have built comfortable office buildings for Town Councils and Community Clubs for the PAs to serve the people. Is it too much to provide a reasonable office place for the MPs to serve the people in these institutions?
The allowance paid to MPs will not be enough if they have to pay for an office space just to look after the people. In principle it should not be so. It is public service, and free service to the people. It is also a duty to the people. The MPs are elected by the people to serve the people and solve their problems. If the civil servants are entitled to proper office space, why can’t the elected representative of the people be entitled to one as well?
It is pathetic to see the people meeting their MPs in void decks which are not meant for such purposes. Would there be a mindset change? Maybe we cannot afford such basic necessities for a servant of the people. The servants of the people can only meet the people in void decks or any little corners that are permitted by the authorities, or they will have to pay for the place. How many would accept this kind of logic inherited from the past? Change? Change is a very difficult thing to do if the heart is not there.
$10 horror movie in Woodland
The discovery of a maid who was killed and dumped into a water tank in Woodlands is turning into a horror movie. Many residents ended up bathing with the water from the tank, some boiling green bean soup, making milk for the babies, general cooking, using the piped water when the body was still in the tank.
The Town Council had acted quickly to remove the body, flush and clean the tank before telling the residents that the water is safe for drinking. The residents are not happy. They have signed a petition for the tank to be changed. Some must have found this request too sensitive and unreasonable. The tank has been cleaned, no more dead body. What’s wrong with it?
The Town Council has offered a $10 waiver on the conservancy fees. This has infuriated the residents even more. The cleansing and prayers for the dead maid is one thing. Normally these could let the matter to rest. What the authority fails to understand is the emotional, religious and psychological part of the affected residents. The phobia and psychological attachment to what had happened in the water tank would not simply go away to some people. Some will be terrified every time they turn on the tap, take a bath, or cook a meal. This cannot be easily explained away.
Neither can those badly affected be persuaded to accept things as normal.
To the extreme, some could repeatedly visualize the maid’s body still in the tank, or seeing blood when the tap is turned on. Too much horror and ghost stories, yes, and they will play on their imaginations for as long as they are living there. It is something that cannot be removed by a mere $10. The horror movie will keep on replaying in the minds of some residents, and some may even move out for a little peace of mind. Finally it was reported last night that the water tank will be removed.
PS. Water is a strategic and important resource. Think of the possibilities if our water security is in the hands of wicked minds, terrorists etc? How many of our strategic and sensitive resources are in the hands of ‘harmless’ uneducated foreign workers and educated foreign talents? Keys to our drinking water in the hands of foreigners!
Then, how many of our strategic installations and institutions are in the hands of foreigners? Is it a sensible thing to do? Do we have complete faith in foreigners to manage and control our sensitive and vital installations and institutions?
5/23/2011
Ministerial Salary Review
Just a few points to add to the discussion. The appointment of the Chairman of the Review Committee desirably should be someone that is not only independent but must be seen as independent from all the parties affected. A foreign academic, a professor of some international standing can also be considered. Ideally the committee should be free to deliberate with absolutely no worries about breach of confidentiality.
The concept of life long pension for elected people’s representative shall be scrapped. Elected representative of the people is not an employment where there is a career path, a route of advancement, annual appraisal and a performance bonus. It shall be a fixed allowance for the 5 year term of office. A one time gratuity may be offered to those who served at ministerial level and above and after a certain number of terms.
It has been proven that many good and able citizens are willing to step forward to run for political office without the attraction of a huge payroll. A huge payroll will attract the wrong kind of people with wrong motivation. The myth that there are no good candidates without big dollars has been debunked.
For comparison, the portfolio of a politician is very different from the CEOs in the private sector. The latter can be used as a kind of a guide, but one cannot totally ignore the remuneration of politicians in other countries. They are relevant and comparison with them will provide a better perspective of what public office is all about.
Pay well, no one is against that. Pay well enough so that they are not tempted to be corrupt. This is a bit controversial but the people would go along up to a point. No need to pay excessively for this. If any public officer is tempted to put his fingers in the cookie jar, let the CPIB take care of it. No amount is good enough to keep a greedy person from turning bad.
As for the Presidency, a totally new mindset must be applied as the current premises are far from what that office represents. A ceremonial President with no executive role except a custodial role, should remain more or less a ceremonial role. The remuneration shall be assessed accordingly. The Presidential Office shall not continue to be the joke of the people because of its grossly overpaid salary. It is already a great honour for any citizen to be elected into the Office. A decent and respectable allowance is more than adequate. Citizens seeking this office must not be attracted by the money. Some will even be willing to pay to have this honour. The dignity of the Office of the Presidency must not be tarnished by the controversy over money.
An impartial and independent Review Committee is necessary to serve up a recommendation that is relatively more objective and appropriate for those in political office. There will be less doubts and controversies than what it is now.
Change is in the air
Everyone is talking about change, about throwing out old practices and policies. No sacred cows, nothing is sacrosanct. A wave of fresh air is blowing swiftly through the stale political landscape of everything is fine and everything is the best there is.
The message of this new drive is that many things are not fine. But that was only a few weeks ago when everything was fine. Would the daft Singaporeans again be told that one party dominant political system is the best for them, that we are unique and cannot have multi party democracy? Would the people be told that there is no need for checks and balances, that a ruling party can check itself? Would the people be told that opposition parties are bad, the opposition politicians are out to destroy the country?
There are many old mantras that are not looking like old follies. Would the daft Singaporeans still be saying ayes, ayes, we want more of the old ways? Now that the obstructing wall towards a new future is being torn down, would the Singaporeans look ahead with optimism that the future can be better, or still stuck with the old mindset that change is bad, fearing change, and crawling back into the old comfort zone?
What do the Singaporeans want? Be a well fed bird in a cage, be birds in the bird park, where some are kept in cages, some allow to fly freely, within the park’s bigger net, or will they want to soar like eagles, where the limits to where they can go are limited by their own vision and resourcefulness?
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