A little bit of nostalgia of forgotten dreams, or old dreams versus new dreams of mothers. My mother’s big dream was for her children to finish the senior Cambridge Examination, the O level equivalent of today, a Grade 3 would be good enough, and become a ‘tua chye hoo’, literary to become a chief clerk. In those days, every govt department or company had a tua chye hoo, the ‘pau kar leow’ administrator for all paper works. Job opportunities for professionals were rare.
An entrepot did not need those talents. The colonial masters were contented that they had their cheap supplies of coolies and clerks to help them run their administration, and the private sectors to run their trading businesses. It did not take the Chinese community long to realise that the colonial masters were only interested in their own glorification and self interests. The immigrants were there to provide the brawns and shuffle a few papers for their convenience. Every female wanted to be a typist or stenographer or a secretary.
They had big charity drives for donations to build secondary schools and the only university in Southeast Asia for their children. They had bigger dreams. They did not have the privilege of raising funds to help the poor, the sick or the aged. The demands were more urgent and more important. They wanted to produce professionals, engineers, doctors, scientists in all professions.
When we became independent, the opportunities opened up for the locals in every sector and needed professionally trained locals to fill those positions. The mother’s dream changed. They wanted their children to get into university. Their vision went beyond tua chye hoo when they knew what were possible with tertiary education. Forget about tua chye hoo. A graduate meant more than just pride of achievement. It meant a better quality of life, with more material comfort through higher income and more secure jobs.
This mother’s dream continues today. Every mother still wants to see their children get into university and become a graduate. The ancient mothers were ignorant when their ambitious dream was a tua chye hoo. Today’s mothers are in a way ignorant of their dreams. A graduate is not going to make their life that much better. Some may end up as taxi drivers, worst than their parents or grand parents who were non graduates and were tua chye hoo, with a much better lifestyle than the graduates of today, with much better incomes.
Many parents still scrimped and emptied their life savings, downgraded their homes, to send their children overseas when they could not find a place in the local universities. Many regretted when their children refused to return. They forgot that on returning, their children would not be good enough to be a tua chye hoo and may end up you know what. Their talents will never be appreciated unless they happened to be foreign talents. The foreign talents, many are not any better, many worst off than our local talents have taken over their jobs. Some say no, these lousy foreign talents are here to help create jobs. I agree, so that locals can rent out their rooms and service them in hawker stalls and foodcourts, and drive them around in their taxis.
The overseas children of our mothers are doing pretty well overseas. Many could find better jobs and enjoying better quality of living that they could not find if they returned. Why should they return to compete with half baked foreign talents and may end up jobless? The ignorant mothers of today must change their thinking and cast their dreams further ashore. There is no place for their graduate children at home. They need to wonder afar to find their pots of gold. It is better that they remain overseas and stay there.
The familiar dreams of having a graduate and all is fine is no longer true in many cases. It is a crumbled dream.
12/11/2011
12/10/2011
American drone fell off the sky in Iran
An American drone fell off the sky deep inside Iran. This is a pilotless spy plane, RQ 170 Sentinel, which the Americans launched into countries where it collects intelligence photos of military installations. The Americans have been bully the weaker nations by this kind of espionage knowing that those countries cannot bring it down.
The drone only has a ceiling of 50,000 ft and flying at subsonic speed of 500 to 600 knots and should not be too difficult to hit and bring down. The Americans have since stopped such flights over China after several U2s and other makes were brought down in China. Dealing with the Americans, the only language they understand is force.
The Iranians can only stop these spying missions if they can bring the drones down or by blinding its cameras. Firing missiles at the drones may be expensive. Some laser technology to damage the sensors of the camera should be effective and economical.
Oh, the Americans have all the rights to spy on any country by whatever means. They are not infringing or violating the air space or territorial integrity of the countries they spied on. How about Iran, China or Russia doing the same to the Americans, by sending drones over North America?
The Americans are hopping mad with the Chinese now that their aircraft carriers cannot sail freely in the East China Sea. The Chinese can sink them by air or by sea. It is no longer a ‘I can hit you and you cannot hit me’ scenario. Soon the Americans will only deploy their carriers in the waters of Hawaii or nearer their homeland for safety reasons.
China don’t be a pain in the arse. Please tell the Americans that you can hit the carriers and how it can be done, with deadly precision. Please be transparent. Unofficial sources said that the drone in Iran was brought down with the assistance of Chinese technicians who could break the communication quote of the drone and took over control to bring it down.
This is the most fearsome technology that the Americans are still trying to fathom how advanced the Chinese are. Once the Chinese have the computer knowhow, the super computers, which they all have, they could literally take over all the satellites or ICBMs in flight and turn them around to hit targets of their choice. Such a technology is cheaper and more powerful when American weapons can be seized to hit American targets. This is what the Americans are screaming for transparency, to want to know what the Chinese are capable of. Fat hope that the Chinese will be stupid enough to tell them. It’s military secret of the highest order.
The drone only has a ceiling of 50,000 ft and flying at subsonic speed of 500 to 600 knots and should not be too difficult to hit and bring down. The Americans have since stopped such flights over China after several U2s and other makes were brought down in China. Dealing with the Americans, the only language they understand is force.
The Iranians can only stop these spying missions if they can bring the drones down or by blinding its cameras. Firing missiles at the drones may be expensive. Some laser technology to damage the sensors of the camera should be effective and economical.
Oh, the Americans have all the rights to spy on any country by whatever means. They are not infringing or violating the air space or territorial integrity of the countries they spied on. How about Iran, China or Russia doing the same to the Americans, by sending drones over North America?
The Americans are hopping mad with the Chinese now that their aircraft carriers cannot sail freely in the East China Sea. The Chinese can sink them by air or by sea. It is no longer a ‘I can hit you and you cannot hit me’ scenario. Soon the Americans will only deploy their carriers in the waters of Hawaii or nearer their homeland for safety reasons.
China don’t be a pain in the arse. Please tell the Americans that you can hit the carriers and how it can be done, with deadly precision. Please be transparent. Unofficial sources said that the drone in Iran was brought down with the assistance of Chinese technicians who could break the communication quote of the drone and took over control to bring it down.
This is the most fearsome technology that the Americans are still trying to fathom how advanced the Chinese are. Once the Chinese have the computer knowhow, the super computers, which they all have, they could literally take over all the satellites or ICBMs in flight and turn them around to hit targets of their choice. Such a technology is cheaper and more powerful when American weapons can be seized to hit American targets. This is what the Americans are screaming for transparency, to want to know what the Chinese are capable of. Fat hope that the Chinese will be stupid enough to tell them. It’s military secret of the highest order.
Don’t come back
The recent measures to curb property prices may offer some relief to Singaporeans that are still homeless because of the screwed up policies of recent years. It may be helpful to some but many are still left in the lurch, particularly the young professionals who were booted out of public housing by silly regulations that decreed they are rich enough to be skinned by the private property developers.
There are many such young professionals, highly qualified and living abroad and may want to return home. My advice to them is don’t come back. The opportunity cost is too high and so is the ransom to start life in their home country.
For a start, being highly skilled professionals, they would not be allowed to buy a public flat which would still cost them at least half a million bucks. They are expected to cough out at least a million to get a shitty little mickey mouse flat from the private developers. By the time they ended paying up in 30 years, it would have cost them $2m, just for a miserable little space to live in.
And the cost of a car, a cheap one, would be a hundred k. Being professionals, don’t expect them to live a life of the average Singaporeans and travel in MRT or buses. They are high earners and wanted a better life. Otherwise what is the point of their training, skills and qualifications?
The options for not returning, with three or four hundred k, they could get a very decent landed homes in any of the developed countries, like US, UK or Australia. A big car will not even cost half the COE they have to pay here, and can use for as long as they want. Funny, the cost of living in these countries are now cheaper than this paradise they would want to call home. And they could even command a higher or better income than returning to compete with foreigners with better comparative advantages.
They have all the advantages to remain PRs or even take up foreign citizenship and live a better life elsewhere, with lower cost of living than paying a huge ransom for a poorer quality of life here. It just does not make sense anymore for highly qualified young professionals to come home.
Don’t come back unless you don’t mind being robbed of all your savings and incomes.
There are many such young professionals, highly qualified and living abroad and may want to return home. My advice to them is don’t come back. The opportunity cost is too high and so is the ransom to start life in their home country.
For a start, being highly skilled professionals, they would not be allowed to buy a public flat which would still cost them at least half a million bucks. They are expected to cough out at least a million to get a shitty little mickey mouse flat from the private developers. By the time they ended paying up in 30 years, it would have cost them $2m, just for a miserable little space to live in.
And the cost of a car, a cheap one, would be a hundred k. Being professionals, don’t expect them to live a life of the average Singaporeans and travel in MRT or buses. They are high earners and wanted a better life. Otherwise what is the point of their training, skills and qualifications?
The options for not returning, with three or four hundred k, they could get a very decent landed homes in any of the developed countries, like US, UK or Australia. A big car will not even cost half the COE they have to pay here, and can use for as long as they want. Funny, the cost of living in these countries are now cheaper than this paradise they would want to call home. And they could even command a higher or better income than returning to compete with foreigners with better comparative advantages.
They have all the advantages to remain PRs or even take up foreign citizenship and live a better life elsewhere, with lower cost of living than paying a huge ransom for a poorer quality of life here. It just does not make sense anymore for highly qualified young professionals to come home.
Don’t come back unless you don’t mind being robbed of all your savings and incomes.
12/09/2011
A small increase every now and then
The Govt’s policy of having small increases every now and then is working quite well so far. It is easier to boil a frog that way without creating any alarm.
What about small cuts every now and then instead of a big and painful cut at one go? No, no, I am not talking about salary cut. That one cannot cut under whatever circumstances. The consequences are much more serious and severe.
I did write about minus one zero from our dollar notes. Indonesia has decided to minus 3 zeros from the rupiah notes. It is high time that we start to cut one zero from our dollar notes. We must not wait too long and have to cut 3 zeros at one go.
Small cuts are less painful and more palatable. The only thing is that people no longer can call themselves millionaires by owning a HDB flat. The Indonesians must be tired of being billionaires for too long. Our millionaires could turn nasty soon when they have to make ends meet as their HDB flats and savings in the CPF are untouchable and really not worth that much.
We are a country with the most millionaires but with many living from hands to mouth while smiling at their CPF statements. Come to think of it, better not to cut the one zero. It is good to believe one is a millionaire.
Yesterday's millionaires drove big Mercedes and stayed in big landed properties and live a different lifestyle.
What about small cuts every now and then instead of a big and painful cut at one go? No, no, I am not talking about salary cut. That one cannot cut under whatever circumstances. The consequences are much more serious and severe.
I did write about minus one zero from our dollar notes. Indonesia has decided to minus 3 zeros from the rupiah notes. It is high time that we start to cut one zero from our dollar notes. We must not wait too long and have to cut 3 zeros at one go.
Small cuts are less painful and more palatable. The only thing is that people no longer can call themselves millionaires by owning a HDB flat. The Indonesians must be tired of being billionaires for too long. Our millionaires could turn nasty soon when they have to make ends meet as their HDB flats and savings in the CPF are untouchable and really not worth that much.
We are a country with the most millionaires but with many living from hands to mouth while smiling at their CPF statements. Come to think of it, better not to cut the one zero. It is good to believe one is a millionaire.
Yesterday's millionaires drove big Mercedes and stayed in big landed properties and live a different lifestyle.
When is George Yeo going to be appointed Chairman?
The affable George Yeo, the intellectual of the PAP, is quitting politics for good with his stepping down as advisor to the Aljunid GRC. Though he is still very comfortable financially, and has a life long million dollar pension, it will be a waste of his talent if he is not appointed to some of the big jobs when talent is so short here.
Many yodas have been recycled year after year and holding many chairmanship positions. Some even being recalled regularly when the lack of talent younger generation CEOs were found hopeless in crisis management. George’s experience should come in very handy especially when he is still a young man.
When is George Yeo going to be appointed as Chairman of some GLC or Temasek companies?
Many yodas have been recycled year after year and holding many chairmanship positions. Some even being recalled regularly when the lack of talent younger generation CEOs were found hopeless in crisis management. George’s experience should come in very handy especially when he is still a young man.
When is George Yeo going to be appointed as Chairman of some GLC or Temasek companies?
We also contribute to your economy….
Might as well say we are here to help you Singaporeans. Without us foreign talents, Singapore will go down to the third world. Then I will say, good, then you will wait for us at your door, in your third world, to welcome us.
We have heard some foreigners are unhappy with the property curbs. And they are claiming credit to help our economy and demanding that they should be treated favourably. Now where did these foreigners got this silly idea from, that they are here to help us and we owe them a living?
Did they not forget that it is here that they have the best opportunity to earn a decent living, some even making it rich, and being very well treated? They should be kneeling down on both knees and say thank you to the Sin govt. The average Singaporeans are not too keen for their presence and would want to get rid of them soonest possible. If they can find a better place elsewhere, or can do better elsewhere, would they be here?
Time to dispel this silly myth that the foreigners are here to help us and Sinkies have to go down on their knees to serve them, yes masters! Our apologies that you are disappointed with us. Please go somewhere that you don't have to be disappointed. Maybe can go home first, where you won't be disappointed.
We have heard some foreigners are unhappy with the property curbs. And they are claiming credit to help our economy and demanding that they should be treated favourably. Now where did these foreigners got this silly idea from, that they are here to help us and we owe them a living?
Did they not forget that it is here that they have the best opportunity to earn a decent living, some even making it rich, and being very well treated? They should be kneeling down on both knees and say thank you to the Sin govt. The average Singaporeans are not too keen for their presence and would want to get rid of them soonest possible. If they can find a better place elsewhere, or can do better elsewhere, would they be here?
Time to dispel this silly myth that the foreigners are here to help us and Sinkies have to go down on their knees to serve them, yes masters! Our apologies that you are disappointed with us. Please go somewhere that you don't have to be disappointed. Maybe can go home first, where you won't be disappointed.
A right policy will be well accepted
Has the govt came out with any policy recently that is tough but willingly accepted by all parties, including those that were targeted by the policy? The latest curb on property speculation is one of those rare policies that can be classified as tough and good. The affected parties, particularly the foreign speculators knew that the game is up. They have no rights to complain, neither do they have the right to speculate properties at the expense of the citizens. That is another story of a flawed policy.
The developers quietly resigned to the fact that it has to come. Anyway they have built in all the profit margin and the only thing that would affect them is lesser profit. They are not going to lose money or any sleep. They had a good time over the last 10 years with very good profit. So it is time for a break and a deserving holiday.
Local speculators may grumble a little but they would find other places to speculate and make money with their money. Some interest and money may go back to shore up a dying stock market.
For Singaporeans who are genuine buyers of a home, the relief is welcomed though a bit late. Better late than never. But more needs to be done to protect them from paying a ransom for a home that they need simply to live.
As for the rest of the Singaporeans, the only thing that may matter is that the paper gain from their properties will slide down a little, but of no significance. And some may change tack and instead of property prices are affordable, they may claim that property prices are cheap. Both positions are simply silly as the base has changed.
Property prices are still far too high for living and still not affordable to many. It is only cheap for the speculators. The illusion of wealth of living in a $1m flat is just an illusion. When the flat costs $30k, $300k or $1m, if it is the only asset to live in, it is better to be cheaper than more expensive. And don’t have to worry about paying higher property tax that is based on rental income that is irrelevant to the ordinary citizens.
There is a need for more pro people policies and policies that would not draw curses at the policy makers. This is one such policy that no one will curse at Boon Wan other than a few late speculators.
The developers quietly resigned to the fact that it has to come. Anyway they have built in all the profit margin and the only thing that would affect them is lesser profit. They are not going to lose money or any sleep. They had a good time over the last 10 years with very good profit. So it is time for a break and a deserving holiday.
Local speculators may grumble a little but they would find other places to speculate and make money with their money. Some interest and money may go back to shore up a dying stock market.
For Singaporeans who are genuine buyers of a home, the relief is welcomed though a bit late. Better late than never. But more needs to be done to protect them from paying a ransom for a home that they need simply to live.
As for the rest of the Singaporeans, the only thing that may matter is that the paper gain from their properties will slide down a little, but of no significance. And some may change tack and instead of property prices are affordable, they may claim that property prices are cheap. Both positions are simply silly as the base has changed.
Property prices are still far too high for living and still not affordable to many. It is only cheap for the speculators. The illusion of wealth of living in a $1m flat is just an illusion. When the flat costs $30k, $300k or $1m, if it is the only asset to live in, it is better to be cheaper than more expensive. And don’t have to worry about paying higher property tax that is based on rental income that is irrelevant to the ordinary citizens.
There is a need for more pro people policies and policies that would not draw curses at the policy makers. This is one such policy that no one will curse at Boon Wan other than a few late speculators.
12/08/2011
Getting to be more like Malaysia
Several years back there was a property boom in Johore. The developers built and built, huge estates of landed properties for sale at a fraction of the price in Singapore. See also salivate. Many Singaporeans went in to buy and buy. Then the citizens complained. Singaporeans buying up everything and pushing up the cost of living.
Suddenly new regulations came out on ownership and stamp duties. The property boom collapsed as Singaporeans could not buy anymore. Property developers also went kaput.
Familiar story that is being repeated here. Why let the situation gets so bad before doing something drastic?
Suddenly new regulations came out on ownership and stamp duties. The property boom collapsed as Singaporeans could not buy anymore. Property developers also went kaput.
Familiar story that is being repeated here. Why let the situation gets so bad before doing something drastic?
China must prepare for war
When the mad man is broke, and agitating for war, China has to be more alert and prepare for war. After starting wars and fighting wars for the last 5 decades, and impoverished a great nation, the richest nation the world has ever seen, America is now under a mountain of debt. And the debt keeps piling up daily with more expenses for war. And war is the only business that America is hoping to keep its economy running.
Imagine if America had not embarked on this unending adventurism and destruction and killing of other nationals, America would still be the richest and most powerful nation on earth. It is still the most powerful nation on earth, but no longer the richest, maybe looking to be the poorest. But they are optimistic, and leaders of their allied countries are saying kind words to them. So are the Americans themselves, that they will come back stronger and richer.
The stark reality is saying otherwise. For instead of rebuilding its economy, it is still relentlessly pursuing wars everywhere. The next target, China, is going to be very costly. It is still hammering at China’s door. It is asking China to tell them all its military secrets. Is America willing to tell China all its military secrets?
It continues to pressure its crony allies to provoke China, in the East China Sea, in the South China Sea. Chinese fishermen are fair game to be arrested by the Navies of Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
Hu Jin Tao has responded with unflinching words, that China must prepare for war. Its naval forces must armed and equipped itself for imminent war with the Empire. The Empire may continue to send its cronies to provoke China. There must be a time when the limit is crossed and China needs to kick asses. As a major power, it cannot be provoked or harassed continuously by pesky little countries. China must carry the big stick and use it when the pests come too close.
And it is a matter of time before China tells the US to get lost and stand up to fight for its rights. It is very important that before it does so, that its military is strong enough to take on the Empire. It has to, and it is only a matter of when.
Imagine if America had not embarked on this unending adventurism and destruction and killing of other nationals, America would still be the richest and most powerful nation on earth. It is still the most powerful nation on earth, but no longer the richest, maybe looking to be the poorest. But they are optimistic, and leaders of their allied countries are saying kind words to them. So are the Americans themselves, that they will come back stronger and richer.
The stark reality is saying otherwise. For instead of rebuilding its economy, it is still relentlessly pursuing wars everywhere. The next target, China, is going to be very costly. It is still hammering at China’s door. It is asking China to tell them all its military secrets. Is America willing to tell China all its military secrets?
It continues to pressure its crony allies to provoke China, in the East China Sea, in the South China Sea. Chinese fishermen are fair game to be arrested by the Navies of Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
Hu Jin Tao has responded with unflinching words, that China must prepare for war. Its naval forces must armed and equipped itself for imminent war with the Empire. The Empire may continue to send its cronies to provoke China. There must be a time when the limit is crossed and China needs to kick asses. As a major power, it cannot be provoked or harassed continuously by pesky little countries. China must carry the big stick and use it when the pests come too close.
And it is a matter of time before China tells the US to get lost and stand up to fight for its rights. It is very important that before it does so, that its military is strong enough to take on the Empire. It has to, and it is only a matter of when.
Leave it to the Malaysians
As I was pondering over how Iskandar Economic Zone could rival Singapore and turn Johore into a blooming state with all the vibrancy that this island wants, the Malaysian govt just threw a spanner into the works. Instead of facilitating travel between the two states a breeze, they are going to raise toll fees into and out of Johore. And it is reported that the increase is 6 times the current rate. There you have it.
So, will more Singaporeans go over? Or will the cost of doing business going to be cheaper? Actually still cheaper because of the exchange rate. But it won’t be long when more and more cost are added into it.
So, will more Singaporeans go over? Or will the cost of doing business going to be cheaper? Actually still cheaper because of the exchange rate. But it won’t be long when more and more cost are added into it.
Are we chasing the high net worth foreigners away?
The best indicator of whether more foreigners are coming is the MRT. Just take the train regularly and you can feel and sense whether there are more or less foreigners in the country. These few weeks I have noticed an exceptionally higher presence of foreigners in the train. They are all over you, front, back, left and right. And the whole train smells.
I only wish the ladies will wear a little more fragrance to make the air more pleasant. Maybe they have given up hope as the smell is so over powering that their expensive fragrance may lose out to the competition.
And yes, there are more foreigners, the foreigner workers, not the foreign PMETs. They used to be a lot of time. But lately the trend is changing.
And with the surprise this morning, yes, surprise, hike in stamp fees for property speculations, the high end foreigners may also move out. No more money to make from the Sinkies. Yes, whenever some speculators, local or foreigners make money from speculating properties, someone loses. Who is that someone? No prize for getting the right answer.
The net losers in the property speculation game are the Singaporeans. Other than the property speculators, there is another big winner, or two actually. The developers and one more, this one cannot mention mah. Can only guess.
Why do we want more foreigners to speculate properties and in the process Singaporeans ended the big loser, holding the baby? The same rationale applies to the stock market. Why allow all the big funds to come here and clean up the market with their super computers? Whose money is being swept away? What is the net gain for their presence? Or what is the net loss for their presence, big funds speculating in the stock market and the rich foreigners speculating in the property market?
Oh yes, more vibrancy, more oomphs, a vibrant financial centre. Who is paying for it? I simple minded, only want to know at the end of the day, is it a gain or a loss to the country and people?
I only wish the ladies will wear a little more fragrance to make the air more pleasant. Maybe they have given up hope as the smell is so over powering that their expensive fragrance may lose out to the competition.
And yes, there are more foreigners, the foreigner workers, not the foreign PMETs. They used to be a lot of time. But lately the trend is changing.
And with the surprise this morning, yes, surprise, hike in stamp fees for property speculations, the high end foreigners may also move out. No more money to make from the Sinkies. Yes, whenever some speculators, local or foreigners make money from speculating properties, someone loses. Who is that someone? No prize for getting the right answer.
The net losers in the property speculation game are the Singaporeans. Other than the property speculators, there is another big winner, or two actually. The developers and one more, this one cannot mention mah. Can only guess.
Why do we want more foreigners to speculate properties and in the process Singaporeans ended the big loser, holding the baby? The same rationale applies to the stock market. Why allow all the big funds to come here and clean up the market with their super computers? Whose money is being swept away? What is the net gain for their presence? Or what is the net loss for their presence, big funds speculating in the stock market and the rich foreigners speculating in the property market?
Oh yes, more vibrancy, more oomphs, a vibrant financial centre. Who is paying for it? I simple minded, only want to know at the end of the day, is it a gain or a loss to the country and people?
12/07/2011
A dull Sinkie joke
This joke will always make a come back whenever there is a price hike in public service. For so many years whenever the public transport operators announced a fare increase, you will hear Sinkies saying it is okay if the service is improved. And if this logic holds true, the service quality of our public transport must be better than any premium services in the whole world. But the sad truth is that the service quality will remain the same everytime. Any improvement will be cosmetic and will not last more than a few weeks.
Now we are looking at the impending taxi fare hike next week and some Sinkies are already bring this joke back. They would not mind if the fare hike will also mean better service. And this joke will be the joke of the town until next week, then forgotten till the next fare hike.
When has any fare hike or salary increase brought about improvement in the quality of services? Even when people got million dollar pay hike, the quality of service is still the same or may even get worst. Sinkies better get use to this joke and acknowledge that it is just a joke.
The only one that is serious in making people pay more for better services or quality is Vivian Balakrishnan. Recently he is calling for the upgrading of professionalism in hawkers. See, improve, be more professional, these must come first. Then when the quality and services are better, the announcement for higher prices will be accepted willingly. This is a big deviation from the norm, that high prices mean high quality.
But this time the official reason is higher cost. Nothing to do with quality of service. And the increasing demand of taxi services due to increasing population, which should translate into more income, is not even talked about.
I must say that Vivian got it right this time. Improve first and price hike later. As for the dull Sinkie joke, I am wondering whether the joke is dull or the Sinkies are dull. I know Sinkies are famed for being daft.
Now we are looking at the impending taxi fare hike next week and some Sinkies are already bring this joke back. They would not mind if the fare hike will also mean better service. And this joke will be the joke of the town until next week, then forgotten till the next fare hike.
When has any fare hike or salary increase brought about improvement in the quality of services? Even when people got million dollar pay hike, the quality of service is still the same or may even get worst. Sinkies better get use to this joke and acknowledge that it is just a joke.
The only one that is serious in making people pay more for better services or quality is Vivian Balakrishnan. Recently he is calling for the upgrading of professionalism in hawkers. See, improve, be more professional, these must come first. Then when the quality and services are better, the announcement for higher prices will be accepted willingly. This is a big deviation from the norm, that high prices mean high quality.
But this time the official reason is higher cost. Nothing to do with quality of service. And the increasing demand of taxi services due to increasing population, which should translate into more income, is not even talked about.
I must say that Vivian got it right this time. Improve first and price hike later. As for the dull Sinkie joke, I am wondering whether the joke is dull or the Sinkies are dull. I know Sinkies are famed for being daft.
Taxi fare hike hots up
It is unusual for a small fare hike to generate so much heat. When comparing to the fares in big cities like New York or London or Paris, or Tokyo, the taxi fares here are too cheap. It can go up another few notches to be in the league with the big cities. We are now the 6th most expensive cities in Asia which is still too far to claim the top position. We need to work harder to be at the top.
So what is all the hooha about the taxi fare hike? Cost of living has gone up, property prices, car prices, diesel prices, and the taxi drivers need to get some pay increases as well. When people earning millions of dollars are not satisfied and wanting more increases, it is only natural that the taxi drivers should want to earn more as well. They may not be thinking of another private property or upgrading to private properties, but the cost of a public flat is no longer that cheap anymore, but of course mah, still affordable.
Let’s not begrudge the taxi drivers from wanting to earn more income to support their families. But the way they went about it may cause some concern. The Competition Commission of Singapore has raised its sensors when ComfortDelgro opening called for other taxi operators to join in the fare hike. It is lucky that they made it an open call for fare increase. If they have done it quietly, it will become price collusion or price fixing. An open call is not price collusion or price fixing. They are safe and not violating any laws.
Some taxi operators are itching under the pants. Who would not want to raise the fare and bring more money home? It will be very tough for any operator not do follow suit.
Would it be too much to ask for to expect a few operators to hold their fares and refuse to join the hike? Actually it will be a big boost for all the operators not to go along and the passengers would have an easy choice to make when calling for taxis. They could all boycott, okay boycott is not a good word to use, they could all call for other taxis except those from ComfortDelgro. In this way, they need not pay more while the other taxi operators will enjoy at least a doubling of income when the demand for their cabs goes up immediately.
We have never seen such competition in practice in a free market situation. With limited number of operators, it is difficult to prevent collusion or monopoly of fare prices. This current fare hike is a great opportunity for the taxi industry to try to do what is best for them and their customers and allow free market forces to be in play. Alternative political parties may want to chip in to support a system where the fare structure is different for different operators. Nevermind the argument that everyone must follow the same system and structure so as not to confuse customers.
At this point in time, the customers are used to the present system and announcing that they will stick to the present system will not confuse anyone. The only customers that will be confused will be those taking ComfortDelgro and faced with the new system.
The ball is now in the court of the smaller taxi operators. They could go it on their own and claim a bigger market share. This time the market share will be big without them having to do anything. I say, give the customers a chance to have different fare structure and different fares.
Be loyal to your customers and think of their interests and their pockets.
By not hiking their fares, their income will still go up if the loyal customers and new customers choose not to call ComfortDelgro cabs. But the price is that they would be working harder as the demand will definitely be very high. I will definitely go for the other operators when there is a choice.
It's business and fair competition in practice. Go for it man, get your market share and a bigger piece of the pie, and win more goodwill from the grateful customers. The customers will definitely remember and reward the taxi operators for not hiking fares at a time like this.
So what is all the hooha about the taxi fare hike? Cost of living has gone up, property prices, car prices, diesel prices, and the taxi drivers need to get some pay increases as well. When people earning millions of dollars are not satisfied and wanting more increases, it is only natural that the taxi drivers should want to earn more as well. They may not be thinking of another private property or upgrading to private properties, but the cost of a public flat is no longer that cheap anymore, but of course mah, still affordable.
Let’s not begrudge the taxi drivers from wanting to earn more income to support their families. But the way they went about it may cause some concern. The Competition Commission of Singapore has raised its sensors when ComfortDelgro opening called for other taxi operators to join in the fare hike. It is lucky that they made it an open call for fare increase. If they have done it quietly, it will become price collusion or price fixing. An open call is not price collusion or price fixing. They are safe and not violating any laws.
Some taxi operators are itching under the pants. Who would not want to raise the fare and bring more money home? It will be very tough for any operator not do follow suit.
Would it be too much to ask for to expect a few operators to hold their fares and refuse to join the hike? Actually it will be a big boost for all the operators not to go along and the passengers would have an easy choice to make when calling for taxis. They could all boycott, okay boycott is not a good word to use, they could all call for other taxis except those from ComfortDelgro. In this way, they need not pay more while the other taxi operators will enjoy at least a doubling of income when the demand for their cabs goes up immediately.
We have never seen such competition in practice in a free market situation. With limited number of operators, it is difficult to prevent collusion or monopoly of fare prices. This current fare hike is a great opportunity for the taxi industry to try to do what is best for them and their customers and allow free market forces to be in play. Alternative political parties may want to chip in to support a system where the fare structure is different for different operators. Nevermind the argument that everyone must follow the same system and structure so as not to confuse customers.
At this point in time, the customers are used to the present system and announcing that they will stick to the present system will not confuse anyone. The only customers that will be confused will be those taking ComfortDelgro and faced with the new system.
The ball is now in the court of the smaller taxi operators. They could go it on their own and claim a bigger market share. This time the market share will be big without them having to do anything. I say, give the customers a chance to have different fare structure and different fares.
Be loyal to your customers and think of their interests and their pockets.
By not hiking their fares, their income will still go up if the loyal customers and new customers choose not to call ComfortDelgro cabs. But the price is that they would be working harder as the demand will definitely be very high. I will definitely go for the other operators when there is a choice.
It's business and fair competition in practice. Go for it man, get your market share and a bigger piece of the pie, and win more goodwill from the grateful customers. The customers will definitely remember and reward the taxi operators for not hiking fares at a time like this.
12/06/2011
The Americans are coming to save Asians
The Americans are coming to Asia to lead the Asians to a better future. Asia is where they belonged. They have never left. If you stand at Changi Point and squint your eyes a little, you may be able to see LA at the horizon. Bangkok or Jakarta would probably be too far away.
This morning when I read Tommy Koh’s address to the Japanese on how peaceful and how welcomed the Americans are, I feel that I must be pretty naïve, or I am suffering from dementia. It is more a combination of both, really.
The Americans are like Asians on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. And they have been bringing peace to Asia for the last 70 years since the end of World War II. When the Koreans and Vietnamese were trying to start another big world war, it was the Americans who came in to defeat them and bring peace to East Asia. Otherwise the region will be marred in unceasing conflicts among the belligerent regional states.
The great deeds of the Americans can best be seen in the Middle East. Look, they have brought peace to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya. Now that their job is done in that region, it is the turn of the Asians to receive the American blessing.
And the Asean countries are opening their arms widely to receive the Great White Hope, to emancipate them from poverty, war, dictatorship and authoritarian regimes. The Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia are feasting the President like a Hollywood star. They were all gaga where he graced the Asean summit with his imposing presence. Without him, the Asean summit would have been meaningless, leaderless.
And India too would be flipping over with the sight of the Americans. The President even goaded the Australians to sell uranium to India, the first beneficiary of the American generosity, for peace of course.
The next great blessing coming the Asian way will be the Trans Pacific Pact to replace the FTAAP. The later is moribund, ineffective without the great leadership from America. And who says the TPP was an American concoction? It was launched by Chile, New Zealand and Singapore. The Americans just assumed leadership and make it better, that’s all.
And it has absolutely nothing about containing China. China is not excluded from joining. It can invite itself in on condition that all the members agree to accept its membership just like when China tried to join WTO. Nothing unusual, nothing of the sort like containing China. Please do not read too much into this kind of arrangement.
The Americans will lead the region to prosperity and peace with more cheap American goods to go around. Chinese cheap goods are of poorer quality and manufactured from exploitation of its own labour and abusing human rights and should be excluded.
The Americans are in the region to share power with the Chinese. But China’s entry into TPP would have to be blessed by the Americans. Oops, not really, but by all the members of the Pact. The Americans have no more use of their military forces in the peaceful Middle East they have left behind and would probably deployed these peaceful soldiers to the western Pacific Region for peace and stability. The first beneficiary of this peaceful gesture is Australia where the first consignment of troops will be stationed. But the 2,500 marines would be too small a force to maintain peace. The Asian nations will have to wait for the full deployment of the American main forces with its HQ likely to be in the Philippines or Vietnam, for a better guarantee of peace in the region. Without the presence of American troops in the region there can never be peace.
Remember the Korean War and the Vietnam War? It was the presence of American troops that brought peace to these two countries.
My apologies for the incoherent grumbling. I am just too naïve to see the goodness of the Americans in the region. The ineffective regional associations like Asean and FTAAP should make way for new associations led by the able leadership of America. Only then can this region live in peace and prospers. Please forgive me as I also have a bit of dementia and my views are pretty childish at times. You can be nicer to me by calling me innocent. But I must say that with the return of America to the region, good times are coming.
The Philippines, Indians and Vietnamese are celebrating. Of course Australia, Japan and South Koreans will feel more secure and more Asians. Not sure about the rest of Asean and China.
This morning when I read Tommy Koh’s address to the Japanese on how peaceful and how welcomed the Americans are, I feel that I must be pretty naïve, or I am suffering from dementia. It is more a combination of both, really.
The Americans are like Asians on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. And they have been bringing peace to Asia for the last 70 years since the end of World War II. When the Koreans and Vietnamese were trying to start another big world war, it was the Americans who came in to defeat them and bring peace to East Asia. Otherwise the region will be marred in unceasing conflicts among the belligerent regional states.
The great deeds of the Americans can best be seen in the Middle East. Look, they have brought peace to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya. Now that their job is done in that region, it is the turn of the Asians to receive the American blessing.
And the Asean countries are opening their arms widely to receive the Great White Hope, to emancipate them from poverty, war, dictatorship and authoritarian regimes. The Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia are feasting the President like a Hollywood star. They were all gaga where he graced the Asean summit with his imposing presence. Without him, the Asean summit would have been meaningless, leaderless.
And India too would be flipping over with the sight of the Americans. The President even goaded the Australians to sell uranium to India, the first beneficiary of the American generosity, for peace of course.
The next great blessing coming the Asian way will be the Trans Pacific Pact to replace the FTAAP. The later is moribund, ineffective without the great leadership from America. And who says the TPP was an American concoction? It was launched by Chile, New Zealand and Singapore. The Americans just assumed leadership and make it better, that’s all.
And it has absolutely nothing about containing China. China is not excluded from joining. It can invite itself in on condition that all the members agree to accept its membership just like when China tried to join WTO. Nothing unusual, nothing of the sort like containing China. Please do not read too much into this kind of arrangement.
The Americans will lead the region to prosperity and peace with more cheap American goods to go around. Chinese cheap goods are of poorer quality and manufactured from exploitation of its own labour and abusing human rights and should be excluded.
The Americans are in the region to share power with the Chinese. But China’s entry into TPP would have to be blessed by the Americans. Oops, not really, but by all the members of the Pact. The Americans have no more use of their military forces in the peaceful Middle East they have left behind and would probably deployed these peaceful soldiers to the western Pacific Region for peace and stability. The first beneficiary of this peaceful gesture is Australia where the first consignment of troops will be stationed. But the 2,500 marines would be too small a force to maintain peace. The Asian nations will have to wait for the full deployment of the American main forces with its HQ likely to be in the Philippines or Vietnam, for a better guarantee of peace in the region. Without the presence of American troops in the region there can never be peace.
Remember the Korean War and the Vietnam War? It was the presence of American troops that brought peace to these two countries.
My apologies for the incoherent grumbling. I am just too naïve to see the goodness of the Americans in the region. The ineffective regional associations like Asean and FTAAP should make way for new associations led by the able leadership of America. Only then can this region live in peace and prospers. Please forgive me as I also have a bit of dementia and my views are pretty childish at times. You can be nicer to me by calling me innocent. But I must say that with the return of America to the region, good times are coming.
The Philippines, Indians and Vietnamese are celebrating. Of course Australia, Japan and South Koreans will feel more secure and more Asians. Not sure about the rest of Asean and China.
About time to switch from cars to taxis
The charges for taxis will be going up next week. ComfortDelgro, the biggest taxi operator, has just announced the price hike, for good reasons. Cost of diesel, cars etc have been going up. Also, taxi operators need a pay rise too with the high cost of living. And demand is getting stronger with bigger population and more tourists coming in. I agree that these are all good reasons for a price hike.
And comfort is asking the other taxi operators to follow their footstep, to raise their fares. This is nothing to do with anti competition or collusion to fix prices. The other operators have a right to do otherwise.
With the higher fares being charge, it is expected that some of those who cannot afford the hike will have to take buses or trains. I will wait for another few more hikes to make it a bit pricier so that only dignified people can afford to take taxis. Then I will give up my car and switch to taxis when taking taxi becomes a dignified affair.
And comfort is asking the other taxi operators to follow their footstep, to raise their fares. This is nothing to do with anti competition or collusion to fix prices. The other operators have a right to do otherwise.
With the higher fares being charge, it is expected that some of those who cannot afford the hike will have to take buses or trains. I will wait for another few more hikes to make it a bit pricier so that only dignified people can afford to take taxis. Then I will give up my car and switch to taxis when taking taxi becomes a dignified affair.
Minus one zero from your Sing dollar
Singaporeans are feeling rich with high property value and high salary. If you compare the wealth of Singaporeans today and 30 years ago, Singaporeans are generally better off, richer, with more asset value to their credit. And the smarter and more talented ones are richer than their counterparts in the past beyond words.
Yes everyone is getting richer, but the real wealth or value is about one zero less from what they have. The real value of a 5 rm today is really the same value of a 5 rm flat yesterday, with a little enhancement. A $500k flat is actually the same $50k or $30k flat then. And only half life left.
An income of $5k is really $500 then. That is the real value of our money’s worth. There are certain items where the prices are about the same as in the past, some may even be cheaper. But for many things, the prices have gone up by more than 100%.
A 10c cup of kopi is $1. A 30c bowl of noodle is $4. A car of $10k is $100k. A flat of $30k is more than $300k.
In order to maintain the same level of living, one should rightly be earning 10 times the income 30 years ago, ie $1000 income should be $10k income. Today this is achieved in quite a number of households by adding two incomes together. While in the past, it was quite reasonable for an average worker to earn $1k. Today, to make $5k is not that easy really and to take home $10k by an employee is quite exceptional, unless one becomes an MP.
So, is it reasonable to say that our real money value compares to 30 years ago is less 10% of the face value? It is actually much lesser. One can’t even buy a decent HDB flat with $400k from the resale market when $40k could get one a semi D then.
There is no need to officially remove one zero from our paper currency yet. Pray that there will not come a day when a few zeros need to be written off. The Americans and Europeans are actually writing one zero off now without saying so.
Yes everyone is getting richer, but the real wealth or value is about one zero less from what they have. The real value of a 5 rm today is really the same value of a 5 rm flat yesterday, with a little enhancement. A $500k flat is actually the same $50k or $30k flat then. And only half life left.
An income of $5k is really $500 then. That is the real value of our money’s worth. There are certain items where the prices are about the same as in the past, some may even be cheaper. But for many things, the prices have gone up by more than 100%.
A 10c cup of kopi is $1. A 30c bowl of noodle is $4. A car of $10k is $100k. A flat of $30k is more than $300k.
In order to maintain the same level of living, one should rightly be earning 10 times the income 30 years ago, ie $1000 income should be $10k income. Today this is achieved in quite a number of households by adding two incomes together. While in the past, it was quite reasonable for an average worker to earn $1k. Today, to make $5k is not that easy really and to take home $10k by an employee is quite exceptional, unless one becomes an MP.
So, is it reasonable to say that our real money value compares to 30 years ago is less 10% of the face value? It is actually much lesser. One can’t even buy a decent HDB flat with $400k from the resale market when $40k could get one a semi D then.
There is no need to officially remove one zero from our paper currency yet. Pray that there will not come a day when a few zeros need to be written off. The Americans and Europeans are actually writing one zero off now without saying so.
12/05/2011
New opportunities in hawking
Raising standards of hawkers is a good thing and offers many opportunities for more economic activities and economic growth. The first thing is to set up a culinary school for hawkers, give it a good branding and French men may come here to take lessons too. Make sure the fee is high and at the end of the course, give a nicely printed Diploma on a nice shit of paper.
The next money making opportunity for the hawkers is to raise the price. The customers can’t expect to pay $4/$5 for a plate of quality char kway teow prepared by chef from our culinary school right? The hawker chefs will definitely be preparing better quality food in hawker centres and food courts and the customers will definitely be happy with better quality food. No doubt about it.
Actually there is another way to make easy money in hawking, and no need to work so hard. Just get a hawker stall and sublet it to the hawker chefs and sit back to collect $10k or more rents. This is the clever way of earning big money without having to sweat the small stuff.
Next development will be making fishmongers, butchers and vegetable sellers more professional, and upgrade smelly wet market to clean air conditioned market. The quality of life must improve and we cannot go on and on with wet and dirty markets. They can join the hawkers and call themselves PMETs. This is upgrading definitely.
The next money making opportunity for the hawkers is to raise the price. The customers can’t expect to pay $4/$5 for a plate of quality char kway teow prepared by chef from our culinary school right? The hawker chefs will definitely be preparing better quality food in hawker centres and food courts and the customers will definitely be happy with better quality food. No doubt about it.
Actually there is another way to make easy money in hawking, and no need to work so hard. Just get a hawker stall and sublet it to the hawker chefs and sit back to collect $10k or more rents. This is the clever way of earning big money without having to sweat the small stuff.
Next development will be making fishmongers, butchers and vegetable sellers more professional, and upgrade smelly wet market to clean air conditioned market. The quality of life must improve and we cannot go on and on with wet and dirty markets. They can join the hawkers and call themselves PMETs. This is upgrading definitely.
Are you glad that lease buy back scheme is extended to 4 and 5 rm flats?
Some people are glad that this scheme is extended to them so that they can sell their flats away and live on the proceeds till they die. Come with nothing go with nothing. I think they are all Buddhist or are living out the philosophy of Buddhism. And probably these people may also be those with no children to want to hand something down to them. Or maybe they have lived a dignified lifestyle, financially independent of their children and there is no obligation or attachment to want to do something kind to their children.
Or maybe family and kinship are no longer relevant or important in the culture of Singaporeans. So everyone is independent, no emotional attachment, no sentiments. They may want to die in some foreign land and would not care less if their children or relations will be present or absent at their last days or last rites.
Of course many probably understand that by the time they hit old age, they will be so broke, for one reason or another, that the only thing they can fall back on is their little flat to see them through the last years. Just pray that they do not need to be hospitalised or the little flat would not be enough to pay for the hospital bills. Or if enough, they would not have a lease buy back to fall back on anymore.
It reminds me of fate of living in smaller space. Eventually it is not unforeseeable that each Sinkie will have a space as big as those in the mortuary. And they will say no choice if we want economic growth and a better quality of life. They forfeited the right to think, to ask themselves if this is what they want, if there is an alternative, or if other people’s choice is The Choice and they cannot do anything about it.
Or maybe family and kinship are no longer relevant or important in the culture of Singaporeans. So everyone is independent, no emotional attachment, no sentiments. They may want to die in some foreign land and would not care less if their children or relations will be present or absent at their last days or last rites.
Of course many probably understand that by the time they hit old age, they will be so broke, for one reason or another, that the only thing they can fall back on is their little flat to see them through the last years. Just pray that they do not need to be hospitalised or the little flat would not be enough to pay for the hospital bills. Or if enough, they would not have a lease buy back to fall back on anymore.
It reminds me of fate of living in smaller space. Eventually it is not unforeseeable that each Sinkie will have a space as big as those in the mortuary. And they will say no choice if we want economic growth and a better quality of life. They forfeited the right to think, to ask themselves if this is what they want, if there is an alternative, or if other people’s choice is The Choice and they cannot do anything about it.
Another good catch for Singapore
Botanic Garden has appointed a Briton as the head of the
Garden after an international search. With his reputation as head of the fame Kew Garden in London, his credential is unmatched by any Singaporean. With this move to search the international arena for the best talents to help Singapore to become a betterer country in everything, it is a matter of time before they go on an international search for the Prime Minister’s post. They may also look into the position of the President. George Bush is here, and they may want to sound him out if he is interested. We can’t have these high profile positions filled by nerdy looking candidates.
We have sent so many students to the best universities in the west to learn from the best. Many would have studied in the same university as the newly appointed director. Why is it that he is betterer than all the best Sinkies we have? Did they keep a few secret chapters to themselves and would not teach foreign students so as to maintain their higher level of competence? I don’t think that is the case.
I think it is in the blood. The Westerners have good genes, genes that will automatically put them as choiced CEOs. Even if they are educated in their worst neighbourhood university, they will still look like a leader and will be hunted down by international search firms for countries that lack leaders, like Singapore.
Should the govt continue to send coolie children to the great universities of the West when they will still return looking every inch a coolie, no leadership quality? I think a better option would be to breed them. Take our best and marry the best of the Westerners. Then maybe there will be hope that the new Sinkies would be of leadership material to lead our national institutions, and looking every inch like an angmoh, suave, refined, handsome and six feet tall.
Garden after an international search. With his reputation as head of the fame Kew Garden in London, his credential is unmatched by any Singaporean. With this move to search the international arena for the best talents to help Singapore to become a betterer country in everything, it is a matter of time before they go on an international search for the Prime Minister’s post. They may also look into the position of the President. George Bush is here, and they may want to sound him out if he is interested. We can’t have these high profile positions filled by nerdy looking candidates.
We have sent so many students to the best universities in the west to learn from the best. Many would have studied in the same university as the newly appointed director. Why is it that he is betterer than all the best Sinkies we have? Did they keep a few secret chapters to themselves and would not teach foreign students so as to maintain their higher level of competence? I don’t think that is the case.
I think it is in the blood. The Westerners have good genes, genes that will automatically put them as choiced CEOs. Even if they are educated in their worst neighbourhood university, they will still look like a leader and will be hunted down by international search firms for countries that lack leaders, like Singapore.
Should the govt continue to send coolie children to the great universities of the West when they will still return looking every inch a coolie, no leadership quality? I think a better option would be to breed them. Take our best and marry the best of the Westerners. Then maybe there will be hope that the new Sinkies would be of leadership material to lead our national institutions, and looking every inch like an angmoh, suave, refined, handsome and six feet tall.
12/04/2011
The robbers are complaining
This world is getting crazy. The robbers that are fleecing the consumers by selling them highly priced items are complaining that no one is allowed to sell items priced lower than them. The Americans are threatening sanction against China for selling solar energy equipment at a cheaper price than them. This is a new kind of crime as it deprives them of higher profit by selling goods at higher prices.
Should not the Americans and the world be thankful that China could produce things cheaply and sell them cheaply as well? Anyway this international robber has had it so good for so long that he is now up in arms and threatening everyone with sanction for not getting his way, to rob.
Yes, sanction is the only word that the Americans knew. Who was that woman that professed that the Americans would not resort to coercion or threats against other countries? White lie! No, no, she is saying white truth.
And the Latin American countries, including the Caribbean countries, all 33 countries, are going to form their own economic association, not military alliance, and will exclude the US and Canada. Yes man, the Americans and the Canadians will be left out in the cold. They are smart enough not to allow them to muscle in to be the leader by coercion.
At least the Latin Americans are smarter and could get their acts together, to do what they think is best for themselves. They want to decide what is best for them and not be dictated by the Americans.
Would the stupid Asians and Africans learn to be wiser? Afraid not, with the Philippines behaving like a super power, happily arresting Chinese fishermen and thinking that China would not dare to kick their asses. And with kind of provocation by a pest, and if China reacts, the gangster will march and all the western media will cry out at the same time, that China is being assertive, bullying a pesky little country like the Philippines. And all the silly Asian countries will believe, and pretend to be in fear.
Anyway, with the unthinking Asians and Africans, it is their fate to be ruled by the Americans and to be led into another war among themselves. I just hope and pray that President Chavez of Venezuela will not be assassinated by the drug lords. Of course it will be done by the drug lords, NEVER will the Americans assassinate another country’s president. They are just so peace loving, and always use diplomacy and peaceful negotiations to settle international relations issues. No, they don’t even use threats or coercion.
No wonder the Asean countries are so happy to embrace the Americans to be the leader of Asean.
Should not the Americans and the world be thankful that China could produce things cheaply and sell them cheaply as well? Anyway this international robber has had it so good for so long that he is now up in arms and threatening everyone with sanction for not getting his way, to rob.
Yes, sanction is the only word that the Americans knew. Who was that woman that professed that the Americans would not resort to coercion or threats against other countries? White lie! No, no, she is saying white truth.
And the Latin American countries, including the Caribbean countries, all 33 countries, are going to form their own economic association, not military alliance, and will exclude the US and Canada. Yes man, the Americans and the Canadians will be left out in the cold. They are smart enough not to allow them to muscle in to be the leader by coercion.
At least the Latin Americans are smarter and could get their acts together, to do what they think is best for themselves. They want to decide what is best for them and not be dictated by the Americans.
Would the stupid Asians and Africans learn to be wiser? Afraid not, with the Philippines behaving like a super power, happily arresting Chinese fishermen and thinking that China would not dare to kick their asses. And with kind of provocation by a pest, and if China reacts, the gangster will march and all the western media will cry out at the same time, that China is being assertive, bullying a pesky little country like the Philippines. And all the silly Asian countries will believe, and pretend to be in fear.
Anyway, with the unthinking Asians and Africans, it is their fate to be ruled by the Americans and to be led into another war among themselves. I just hope and pray that President Chavez of Venezuela will not be assassinated by the drug lords. Of course it will be done by the drug lords, NEVER will the Americans assassinate another country’s president. They are just so peace loving, and always use diplomacy and peaceful negotiations to settle international relations issues. No, they don’t even use threats or coercion.
No wonder the Asean countries are so happy to embrace the Americans to be the leader of Asean.
Surrendering one’s right
Political activists are always a minority in all countries. But they are organised, just like gangsters. And as an organised force, they wield tremendous power over the people. They dictate how society should be structured, how people should live their lives, they control and run the country in the name of being the govt, elected, self appointed or by inheritance.
When a country is blessed, the political leaders are wise and will make decisions for the good of the majority. Some could really be idealistic and selfless. On the other extreme, political leaders could be selfish, self serving and ruthless. Most political leaders lie in between the good and the bad, some uglier than others.
We are blessed with good fortunes for 4 decades, with the winds blowing our way and with good men and women assuming political leadership. The blessing has made Singaporeans apathetic to what is going on around them. They surrendered their rights to decide what is best for them and allowed the political leaders to think and decide for them. Can’t blame them when good and talented leaders are thinking and working for them. When good men are in charge, an amicable populace that give the leaders a free hand will facilitate more efficiency in policy making. When not so good men are in charge, such a situation will hasten the making of bad policies.
Has Singapore reach a stage when bad policies are being made and claimed as good policies and shafted down the unthinking populace who have forgotten that they are the one to decide what is best for their own good? Or would they continue to let political leaders to rubbish them with flawed or half baked ideas and policies and tell them that they are good, the way forward?
There are many policies which I personally think are bad for the people. But the people think otherwise. Some still think that they are good. Some unsure and some just do not want to think.
This morning I will just touch on small is good. This is the new idea that is being spread in the media. Small is good, in fact can be better. So Singaporeans are being prepared mentally to expect to live in smaller spaces and pay more for them, as they are told that it is a good thing. One issue is whether this is really good or another Singaporean myth that daft Singaporeans will have to live with. The second point is whether daft Singaporeans are willing to accept this new myth and allow their lives to be structured around small is good. The third issue, which Singaporeans would not want to think about, is whether this is inevitable, that there is no way out. That we must keep increasing out population to eat up all the space that is needed for a decent and healthy living environment?
If they continue to surrender their rights to decide what is good for them and their children, it will be soon that they find themselves living like the Hongkies and the Japanese in Tokyo and trying to compete to see who is more ingenious in living like dogs in kennels.
I think it is okay for dogs to live in kennels as they are not supposed to think and will accept whatever the master provides. But some masters are more generous and even petition the govt for more space for their dogs to run around, to swim in public pools or the seas.
One day, Sinkies could really be competing with dogs for more space and the ending will be that the dogs will win and the Sinkies will have to be content to live in dog’s kennels. Have Singaporeans awaken to their rights to think for themselves, to think what is good for themselves? Or would they allow some foreigners or jokers to tell them that living in dog’s kennels is good?
I must say that some political leaders are wise, some think they are wise, and some strongly believe that they are wise, and all their policies are also wise. And when they proclaim something is good for the people, it must be good for the people. Would Sinkies be bothered at all, I mean the average Sinkies that are at the wrong end of the stick?
When a country is blessed, the political leaders are wise and will make decisions for the good of the majority. Some could really be idealistic and selfless. On the other extreme, political leaders could be selfish, self serving and ruthless. Most political leaders lie in between the good and the bad, some uglier than others.
We are blessed with good fortunes for 4 decades, with the winds blowing our way and with good men and women assuming political leadership. The blessing has made Singaporeans apathetic to what is going on around them. They surrendered their rights to decide what is best for them and allowed the political leaders to think and decide for them. Can’t blame them when good and talented leaders are thinking and working for them. When good men are in charge, an amicable populace that give the leaders a free hand will facilitate more efficiency in policy making. When not so good men are in charge, such a situation will hasten the making of bad policies.
Has Singapore reach a stage when bad policies are being made and claimed as good policies and shafted down the unthinking populace who have forgotten that they are the one to decide what is best for their own good? Or would they continue to let political leaders to rubbish them with flawed or half baked ideas and policies and tell them that they are good, the way forward?
There are many policies which I personally think are bad for the people. But the people think otherwise. Some still think that they are good. Some unsure and some just do not want to think.
This morning I will just touch on small is good. This is the new idea that is being spread in the media. Small is good, in fact can be better. So Singaporeans are being prepared mentally to expect to live in smaller spaces and pay more for them, as they are told that it is a good thing. One issue is whether this is really good or another Singaporean myth that daft Singaporeans will have to live with. The second point is whether daft Singaporeans are willing to accept this new myth and allow their lives to be structured around small is good. The third issue, which Singaporeans would not want to think about, is whether this is inevitable, that there is no way out. That we must keep increasing out population to eat up all the space that is needed for a decent and healthy living environment?
If they continue to surrender their rights to decide what is good for them and their children, it will be soon that they find themselves living like the Hongkies and the Japanese in Tokyo and trying to compete to see who is more ingenious in living like dogs in kennels.
I think it is okay for dogs to live in kennels as they are not supposed to think and will accept whatever the master provides. But some masters are more generous and even petition the govt for more space for their dogs to run around, to swim in public pools or the seas.
One day, Sinkies could really be competing with dogs for more space and the ending will be that the dogs will win and the Sinkies will have to be content to live in dog’s kennels. Have Singaporeans awaken to their rights to think for themselves, to think what is good for themselves? Or would they allow some foreigners or jokers to tell them that living in dog’s kennels is good?
I must say that some political leaders are wise, some think they are wise, and some strongly believe that they are wise, and all their policies are also wise. And when they proclaim something is good for the people, it must be good for the people. Would Sinkies be bothered at all, I mean the average Sinkies that are at the wrong end of the stick?
12/03/2011
Iskandar will be Singapore’s nemesis
The Iskandar Economic Zone, if it flourishes from all its potential, will be Singapore’s nemesis. Is has all the advantages over Singapore. It’s proximity could allow it to exploit fully, Singapore’s weaknesses and advantages to grow into a major economic centre. Given the right attitude, strong and task oriented management that is tenacious in the pursuit of its economic goals, the bulk of Singapore’s economic activity could go north, right into Iskandar.
This is the potential that Iskandar holds for the future. But there must be a political will to want to do that, to accept that economic growth and a highly intensive growth programme could also demand a price from the state. The cushy and laid back life style would be compromised, the pace of life fasten, and cost of living will rise.
Singapore has on its own way driven itself out of competition except for some key areas where it can still hold a big advantage over Iskandar, the financial centre, the expensive and presumably good consumer markets, education, perhaps medical sciences, and high tech industries. But for these Iskandar can live with as there are many areas that Iskandar can take over and grow with a big advantage in cost of labour and land.
Singapore would have to give up many of its industries that are no longer competitive. It would only be able to hold on to some core interests. The rest of the economy, the bulk of its economic activities, will have to flow into Iskandar.
And it is not all bad really. Both will benefit from the expansion of the economic zone from Singapore into southern Johore. Of course Singapore would have to give up and lose out in many of the service industry and relatively lower skill businesses. Some of the higher skilled industries too will find a place in Iskandar to complement their operations in the island. A new level of cost versus benefits will be established, with the cost of living coming down in Singapore, and winding down also of many economic activities that will go the Iskandar way.
Iskandar, from a new and lower base, will absorb and inherit many of the businesses from the island as long as it plays its card right. And Johore will be the main beneficiary of a vibrant economy arising from a bigger base, bigger land and catchment area, a bigger workforce and more investments and economic activities.
The caveat, is the Johore govt and population ready to make this leap forward. If they are, there is nothing to stop Iskandar from becoming a fully developed and integrated commercial centre of a larger Singapore, an extension of Singapore as a regional economic hub. It will rise to replace the failed golden triangle of Batam, Singapore and JB. Singapore and Iskandar will be good enough to grow into a bigger economic zone which could eclipse Batam and Bintang temporarily but not eventually.
This is the potential that Iskandar holds for the future. But there must be a political will to want to do that, to accept that economic growth and a highly intensive growth programme could also demand a price from the state. The cushy and laid back life style would be compromised, the pace of life fasten, and cost of living will rise.
Singapore has on its own way driven itself out of competition except for some key areas where it can still hold a big advantage over Iskandar, the financial centre, the expensive and presumably good consumer markets, education, perhaps medical sciences, and high tech industries. But for these Iskandar can live with as there are many areas that Iskandar can take over and grow with a big advantage in cost of labour and land.
Singapore would have to give up many of its industries that are no longer competitive. It would only be able to hold on to some core interests. The rest of the economy, the bulk of its economic activities, will have to flow into Iskandar.
And it is not all bad really. Both will benefit from the expansion of the economic zone from Singapore into southern Johore. Of course Singapore would have to give up and lose out in many of the service industry and relatively lower skill businesses. Some of the higher skilled industries too will find a place in Iskandar to complement their operations in the island. A new level of cost versus benefits will be established, with the cost of living coming down in Singapore, and winding down also of many economic activities that will go the Iskandar way.
Iskandar, from a new and lower base, will absorb and inherit many of the businesses from the island as long as it plays its card right. And Johore will be the main beneficiary of a vibrant economy arising from a bigger base, bigger land and catchment area, a bigger workforce and more investments and economic activities.
The caveat, is the Johore govt and population ready to make this leap forward. If they are, there is nothing to stop Iskandar from becoming a fully developed and integrated commercial centre of a larger Singapore, an extension of Singapore as a regional economic hub. It will rise to replace the failed golden triangle of Batam, Singapore and JB. Singapore and Iskandar will be good enough to grow into a bigger economic zone which could eclipse Batam and Bintang temporarily but not eventually.
12/02/2011
Conditions for a failed stock market
Technology and financial whiz kids have made stock trading not what it was before. High speed computers and how they are being applied to the stock trading system are a recent development that is more a curse rather than light at the end of the tunnel. Then there is high speed communication and the ability to move huge funds across borders to effect trading makes stock trading very precarious.
The war chests of big funds today are so huge that many could dominate the trading activities of small stock markets. And when operating in concert, several funds could execute transactions many times the size of the normal daily trading volumes of a small market. The implication is that they could corner not only several stocks but virtually take control of all the trading activities in a market. They could churn stocks up and down to their advantage.
Such a situation is made worst by small stock markets with fewer stocks and smaller capitalisation, and lesser number of investors. The small traders become easy preys to the big funds. And with the permission and connivance of stock market regulators, the funds could muscle their way into the system with their computers plugged in and extracting whatever information on buy and sell in their favour.
The rationale that the same thing is being done in New York is invalid. In a big market, with many similar big funds, there is a possibility of them cancelling each other’s action. In a small market, it is like a big fish in a small pond, it can cause big waves and rule the pond.
To make matters worst, some small exchanges are in a hurry to grow, to show results, and are tempted by the big funds’ presence. The big funds took advantage of the greed and impatience of small exchanges by dangling the carrot of bringing in their war chests to increase trading volumes to a small market. In return they dictated to the small exchanges how the trading system should operate, reducing bid sizes, reducing trading fees, and applying a lighter touch through deregulations, and of course allow their computers to plug into the system. The big funds thus were able to manipulate the trading systems and rules and regulations for easy profits.
Rules could be bent to accommodate the needs of the big funds, for instance, while short selling is not allowed in many exchanges, the big funds could circumvent this through scrip borrowings. The exchanges could be easily convinced, and being a willing partner that is dependent on the patronage of big funds, they would create a scrip lending systems for the big funds to cover their short positions. The convenient excuse is that it is another business for long term investors to enjoy some income, and for the exchange too.
The truth is that these innocent and ignorant long term investors would earn a pittance in scrip lending but end up facilitating the big funds to drive down the value of their long term investments.
Under normal circumstances, most exchange regulators would not condone to such violations to the integrity of the trading system. But exchanges are hungry for income and business. The higher the trading volume the more clearing fees they will collect to boost their bottom line. And they could justify to their stakeholders with the good returns, and keep a close eye while the big funds clean up the small investors in the market. And they can claim that it is caveat emptor, that the investors came in with their eyes open. No one is forcing the investors to trade.
A more convenient situation will be an exchange that is self regulating. It can then do anything it wants, provides whatever flimsy excuses, to run a flawed system, a system that allows the big funds to take advantage of the small traders. The outcome is quite clear when only the big funds are making profits and the general investors are all losing their pants. This can only happen when the authority ignores the risk of conflict of interests, when an exchange is profit seeking and allowed to regulate itself.
The govt or authority is the ultimate arbiter of the conduct of an exchange. It is the authority of last resort to ensure that stock exchanges are properly run and not run solely for its own benefits at the expense of other stake holders. But the ultimate authority can also fall asleep, thinking that if they have the best men in charge, an exchange will be properly and fairly managed.
There are many other reasons for a govt to give an exchange a free hand to do as it likes. It can be a matter of convenience, or a matter of incompetence, that they are dumber than the exchange management and are afraid to question what the exchange is doing.
There could also be a higher objective, to want to build up a big exchange at all cost, at the quickest time. Such wild ambition, and without full knowledge of how the exchange is being run, how destructive the big funds and their high speed computers can be to an exchange, things can go very wrong. As long as the exchange management can claim that what they are doing is to achieve the objective of a big and vibrant stock market, they could be easily left off the hook.
Another condition is that there is no whistle blower. No one wants to assume the leadership to point out the flaws in the system. Everyone is watching, knowing that things are going wrong, but not willing to rock the boat. All the institutions that claimed to look after the interests of the investors just looked the other way. Maybe they could not see anything wrong. Maybe they are waiting for things to happen to play safe. Doing nothing is the safest thing to do. And the govt or authority continues in their ignorant bliss. No complains, so everything is fine.
In reality, exchanges are normally managed wisely by competent managers. There could be some misses now and then, and some of the above conditions may exist at one time or another. But it is unlikely that all the conditions will exist at the same time. When there is a confluence of all these conditions existing, the failure of the stock exchange is imminent.
All govts and regulators must be alert and watch how their exchanges are being operated, and to look out for such warning signs and to take preventive actions early. Failing to do so is being negligent and irresponsible.
The war chests of big funds today are so huge that many could dominate the trading activities of small stock markets. And when operating in concert, several funds could execute transactions many times the size of the normal daily trading volumes of a small market. The implication is that they could corner not only several stocks but virtually take control of all the trading activities in a market. They could churn stocks up and down to their advantage.
Such a situation is made worst by small stock markets with fewer stocks and smaller capitalisation, and lesser number of investors. The small traders become easy preys to the big funds. And with the permission and connivance of stock market regulators, the funds could muscle their way into the system with their computers plugged in and extracting whatever information on buy and sell in their favour.
The rationale that the same thing is being done in New York is invalid. In a big market, with many similar big funds, there is a possibility of them cancelling each other’s action. In a small market, it is like a big fish in a small pond, it can cause big waves and rule the pond.
To make matters worst, some small exchanges are in a hurry to grow, to show results, and are tempted by the big funds’ presence. The big funds took advantage of the greed and impatience of small exchanges by dangling the carrot of bringing in their war chests to increase trading volumes to a small market. In return they dictated to the small exchanges how the trading system should operate, reducing bid sizes, reducing trading fees, and applying a lighter touch through deregulations, and of course allow their computers to plug into the system. The big funds thus were able to manipulate the trading systems and rules and regulations for easy profits.
Rules could be bent to accommodate the needs of the big funds, for instance, while short selling is not allowed in many exchanges, the big funds could circumvent this through scrip borrowings. The exchanges could be easily convinced, and being a willing partner that is dependent on the patronage of big funds, they would create a scrip lending systems for the big funds to cover their short positions. The convenient excuse is that it is another business for long term investors to enjoy some income, and for the exchange too.
The truth is that these innocent and ignorant long term investors would earn a pittance in scrip lending but end up facilitating the big funds to drive down the value of their long term investments.
Under normal circumstances, most exchange regulators would not condone to such violations to the integrity of the trading system. But exchanges are hungry for income and business. The higher the trading volume the more clearing fees they will collect to boost their bottom line. And they could justify to their stakeholders with the good returns, and keep a close eye while the big funds clean up the small investors in the market. And they can claim that it is caveat emptor, that the investors came in with their eyes open. No one is forcing the investors to trade.
A more convenient situation will be an exchange that is self regulating. It can then do anything it wants, provides whatever flimsy excuses, to run a flawed system, a system that allows the big funds to take advantage of the small traders. The outcome is quite clear when only the big funds are making profits and the general investors are all losing their pants. This can only happen when the authority ignores the risk of conflict of interests, when an exchange is profit seeking and allowed to regulate itself.
The govt or authority is the ultimate arbiter of the conduct of an exchange. It is the authority of last resort to ensure that stock exchanges are properly run and not run solely for its own benefits at the expense of other stake holders. But the ultimate authority can also fall asleep, thinking that if they have the best men in charge, an exchange will be properly and fairly managed.
There are many other reasons for a govt to give an exchange a free hand to do as it likes. It can be a matter of convenience, or a matter of incompetence, that they are dumber than the exchange management and are afraid to question what the exchange is doing.
There could also be a higher objective, to want to build up a big exchange at all cost, at the quickest time. Such wild ambition, and without full knowledge of how the exchange is being run, how destructive the big funds and their high speed computers can be to an exchange, things can go very wrong. As long as the exchange management can claim that what they are doing is to achieve the objective of a big and vibrant stock market, they could be easily left off the hook.
Another condition is that there is no whistle blower. No one wants to assume the leadership to point out the flaws in the system. Everyone is watching, knowing that things are going wrong, but not willing to rock the boat. All the institutions that claimed to look after the interests of the investors just looked the other way. Maybe they could not see anything wrong. Maybe they are waiting for things to happen to play safe. Doing nothing is the safest thing to do. And the govt or authority continues in their ignorant bliss. No complains, so everything is fine.
In reality, exchanges are normally managed wisely by competent managers. There could be some misses now and then, and some of the above conditions may exist at one time or another. But it is unlikely that all the conditions will exist at the same time. When there is a confluence of all these conditions existing, the failure of the stock exchange is imminent.
All govts and regulators must be alert and watch how their exchanges are being operated, and to look out for such warning signs and to take preventive actions early. Failing to do so is being negligent and irresponsible.
Let’s scoot to Sydney
From flying super first class in specially designed cabin to San Francisco, lying in cosy beds in wide bodied aircraft while crossing the Pacific Oceans, SIA is now trying a new business in budget airlines. It is like Shangri La going into foodcourt business. With this downstream business strategy, SIA’s business will be complete if it takes on food catering for the airline as well. It reminds me of DBS going back into post offices to serve the customers better.
The greatest achievement perhaps is the acquisition of another foreign talent as its CEO. Such talents are rare, exceptionally rare to find in this island. We have more than 40 years of aviation business history, but producing aviation professionals is something that is just simply difficult, like producing CEOs for our banking industry. Our locals just would not have the experience and the X factor to be CEOs of banks and airlines. The only chance to be one is by setting up a family business.
I believe this Australian CEO must come from the best Australian university, like all talented Australians. Singapore also has sent many of our local talents to Australian universities to study under the same lecturers and courses. Shouldn’t they be at par or similar in talent or knowledge acquired?
I read in the blog that an Australian university graduate of Singapore origin is driving taxi here. He has been replaced by foreign talents from, possibly Australia, could be the same course mate he studied together in university. And very likely their grades could be similar, but the Australian will be here as foreign talent, and may be his boss as well, enjoying all the perks and first class treatment as foreign talent.
There seems to be something missing. Why should two graduates from the same foreign university ended differently, one driving taxi and another as a top executive. One seen as non talent, another as super talent? Maybe their grades were different. Maybe the Singaporean was the average student of our system and the Australian the cream of their students. The truth is difficult to find out unless we can put their education records side by side for comparison.
Maybe there is something else. The X factor that Sinkies or most Asians just don’t have. Sinkies just don’t have that something to be suitable for top positions except in the civil service or as politicians. Put them into the private sector, they somehow don’t look good enough for the top jobs. Even foreign talents from third world countries look more desirable, and better, to fill top positions than Sinkies.
Maybe Singaporeans still look like their coolie parents and grand parents, somehow they don’t have that charisma to front the organization. Some say you need to look good in those high level positions. Some say it is a kind of aura, either one has it or doesn’t.
Blame it on the coolie stock. Until our coolie stock don’t look like Ah Seng or Ah Hock, until they are given the chances and exposure to be in those top positions, let’s keep them at the second level and leave the top management positions to foreigners with that special oomph. They really look good and possibly have straight As degree from the top Ivy League foreign universities. Our Sinkies may have straight As also, but ….
No wonder our taxi drivers are speaking quite good English and perfect to every inch as a butler. Many are probably graduates from foreign universities. Their fault is probably because they are Sinkies. If they hold a different passport, they could be here and welcomed as foreign talents.
The greatest achievement perhaps is the acquisition of another foreign talent as its CEO. Such talents are rare, exceptionally rare to find in this island. We have more than 40 years of aviation business history, but producing aviation professionals is something that is just simply difficult, like producing CEOs for our banking industry. Our locals just would not have the experience and the X factor to be CEOs of banks and airlines. The only chance to be one is by setting up a family business.
I believe this Australian CEO must come from the best Australian university, like all talented Australians. Singapore also has sent many of our local talents to Australian universities to study under the same lecturers and courses. Shouldn’t they be at par or similar in talent or knowledge acquired?
I read in the blog that an Australian university graduate of Singapore origin is driving taxi here. He has been replaced by foreign talents from, possibly Australia, could be the same course mate he studied together in university. And very likely their grades could be similar, but the Australian will be here as foreign talent, and may be his boss as well, enjoying all the perks and first class treatment as foreign talent.
There seems to be something missing. Why should two graduates from the same foreign university ended differently, one driving taxi and another as a top executive. One seen as non talent, another as super talent? Maybe their grades were different. Maybe the Singaporean was the average student of our system and the Australian the cream of their students. The truth is difficult to find out unless we can put their education records side by side for comparison.
Maybe there is something else. The X factor that Sinkies or most Asians just don’t have. Sinkies just don’t have that something to be suitable for top positions except in the civil service or as politicians. Put them into the private sector, they somehow don’t look good enough for the top jobs. Even foreign talents from third world countries look more desirable, and better, to fill top positions than Sinkies.
Maybe Singaporeans still look like their coolie parents and grand parents, somehow they don’t have that charisma to front the organization. Some say you need to look good in those high level positions. Some say it is a kind of aura, either one has it or doesn’t.
Blame it on the coolie stock. Until our coolie stock don’t look like Ah Seng or Ah Hock, until they are given the chances and exposure to be in those top positions, let’s keep them at the second level and leave the top management positions to foreigners with that special oomph. They really look good and possibly have straight As degree from the top Ivy League foreign universities. Our Sinkies may have straight As also, but ….
No wonder our taxi drivers are speaking quite good English and perfect to every inch as a butler. Many are probably graduates from foreign universities. Their fault is probably because they are Sinkies. If they hold a different passport, they could be here and welcomed as foreign talents.
12/01/2011
SDP’s pay recommendation for political office
Briefly, the SDP’s recommendation looks pretty reasonable with cabinet ministers getting 40 times the mean wage of the bottom 20% of the workforce. This works out to be $42k pm for ministers, with the PM getting $50k and the President $63k. Yes, very reasonable, minus the big bonuses!
What the recommendation amounts to is a pay cut for the ministers of about 90% or more. Now isn’t it ridiculous? My theory of RAR applies here. Things can look reasonable but can instantly become ridiculous when look at from another perspective.
The only misgivings I have, actually it is an observation, is how people’s mindset can be conditioned to an extent that it is so difficult to change. After all the publicity and discussions about the role of the president and how little he really does compares to a minister, the SDP recommendation still pegs the President’s salary higher than the PM. Beats me.
This kind of conditioning is very typical in Sin. Even people whose thinking are more than the average layman are affected by it. I will say, give the President an honorarium, a respectable amount given the role that he is doing. To me the President should not be getting even 50% of what a minister is getting. He should not even get what an MP should be getting, but conceding a higher amount is a respect for the high office.
I think anyone recommending the new salary package for the political office must bear in mind that it is reasonable and not ridiculous. But I must qualify that being reasonable and ridiculous is relative. The recommendation could be really very reasonable. It only look ridiculous when comparing to the current salaries of political office. Or put it another way, the current salaries look very ridiculous compare to the recommendations. Anyway both look ridiculous.
If the recommendation is to be adopted, which is another ridiculous thought, one good thing will happen. Property prices will fall as there will be lesser people able to throw their millions freely at properties.
What the recommendation amounts to is a pay cut for the ministers of about 90% or more. Now isn’t it ridiculous? My theory of RAR applies here. Things can look reasonable but can instantly become ridiculous when look at from another perspective.
The only misgivings I have, actually it is an observation, is how people’s mindset can be conditioned to an extent that it is so difficult to change. After all the publicity and discussions about the role of the president and how little he really does compares to a minister, the SDP recommendation still pegs the President’s salary higher than the PM. Beats me.
This kind of conditioning is very typical in Sin. Even people whose thinking are more than the average layman are affected by it. I will say, give the President an honorarium, a respectable amount given the role that he is doing. To me the President should not be getting even 50% of what a minister is getting. He should not even get what an MP should be getting, but conceding a higher amount is a respect for the high office.
I think anyone recommending the new salary package for the political office must bear in mind that it is reasonable and not ridiculous. But I must qualify that being reasonable and ridiculous is relative. The recommendation could be really very reasonable. It only look ridiculous when comparing to the current salaries of political office. Or put it another way, the current salaries look very ridiculous compare to the recommendations. Anyway both look ridiculous.
If the recommendation is to be adopted, which is another ridiculous thought, one good thing will happen. Property prices will fall as there will be lesser people able to throw their millions freely at properties.
The Art of RAR
I have developed a photography technique to capture images and turn them into photo paintings. The technique is called The Art of RAR, short for Reflection and Refraction. Basically the technique would not do away with all the reflection and refraction that would mess up an otherwise clean and clear image. Some of the details are in my Art of RAR blog.
Here I am talking about a different kind of RAR, the Art of being Reasonable and Ridiculous. When things are reasonable, seen or believe as reasonable, the people will accept them, some grudgingly, but life goes on. They will just shrug their shoulders and say what to do, it is the normal. When things become unreasonable or ridiculous, there will be under current, tension and anger, or more. The gap between being reasonable and ridiculous can be very wide and quite recognizable. Sometimes the two can be fused and confused. Sometimes what was reasonable, believed or thought to be reasonable can become ridiculous when there are conditions to magnify the differences.
When price of public housing was in the $30k or $50k level, it was reasonable. No argument about that. When they went to the $70k or $100k, still reasonable. People were happy to see their property prices appreciated. When the price moved up to the hundreds, $200k, $300k, still reasonable. Everyone feeling so much richer. Now the prices are $500k or more, still reasonable and affordable. Though the pain level has gone up, the threshold moves up as well. The frog in the boiling jar will get use to it. It will not spring up, no spring, unless it realizes that things have changed dramatically.
Everything is still reasonable. The young couple working through the prime of their lives to pay up a mortgage of 30 years for a public flat will not have any adverse feelings. Everyone is doing it. It is normal. This is the way things are supposed to be.
Would they ever change their perception that the normal is not really normal, not reasonable but ridiculous? It is just a matter of perception. While they are working their guts out to pay for the working class flat which is getting smaller and smaller, a retired minister could buy a much better flat quite easily with his pension, without working. And he need not have to take a 30 year mortgage, not 20 years, not even 10 years. No, he need not even have to take one year to pay. He could pay cash, in one day, instantly, with his pension.
When one compares this with the 30 year mortgage for a HDB flat, reasonableness becomes ridiculous, I think. But no, the Singaporeans would never think it that way. They would not have time to think, or would not even think about it. For the small minorities who think and are unhappy, they can get lost, be a quitter. They would not be missed. For every unhappy and unappreciative Singaporean there are thousands of hungry and appreciative foreigners waiting to take his place. It will be good riddance, a grouchy and potential trouble maker less if he quits.
For those who refuse to quit, all it needs is good communication to reach out to them, to tell them that things are so good. Everything is reasonable. Where got ridiculous? This is the Art of RAR, to be able to keep an even keel, to explain and ensure that everything is seen, believe and accepted as reasonable, even if they are plain ridiculous.
Here I am talking about a different kind of RAR, the Art of being Reasonable and Ridiculous. When things are reasonable, seen or believe as reasonable, the people will accept them, some grudgingly, but life goes on. They will just shrug their shoulders and say what to do, it is the normal. When things become unreasonable or ridiculous, there will be under current, tension and anger, or more. The gap between being reasonable and ridiculous can be very wide and quite recognizable. Sometimes the two can be fused and confused. Sometimes what was reasonable, believed or thought to be reasonable can become ridiculous when there are conditions to magnify the differences.
When price of public housing was in the $30k or $50k level, it was reasonable. No argument about that. When they went to the $70k or $100k, still reasonable. People were happy to see their property prices appreciated. When the price moved up to the hundreds, $200k, $300k, still reasonable. Everyone feeling so much richer. Now the prices are $500k or more, still reasonable and affordable. Though the pain level has gone up, the threshold moves up as well. The frog in the boiling jar will get use to it. It will not spring up, no spring, unless it realizes that things have changed dramatically.
Everything is still reasonable. The young couple working through the prime of their lives to pay up a mortgage of 30 years for a public flat will not have any adverse feelings. Everyone is doing it. It is normal. This is the way things are supposed to be.
Would they ever change their perception that the normal is not really normal, not reasonable but ridiculous? It is just a matter of perception. While they are working their guts out to pay for the working class flat which is getting smaller and smaller, a retired minister could buy a much better flat quite easily with his pension, without working. And he need not have to take a 30 year mortgage, not 20 years, not even 10 years. No, he need not even have to take one year to pay. He could pay cash, in one day, instantly, with his pension.
When one compares this with the 30 year mortgage for a HDB flat, reasonableness becomes ridiculous, I think. But no, the Singaporeans would never think it that way. They would not have time to think, or would not even think about it. For the small minorities who think and are unhappy, they can get lost, be a quitter. They would not be missed. For every unhappy and unappreciative Singaporean there are thousands of hungry and appreciative foreigners waiting to take his place. It will be good riddance, a grouchy and potential trouble maker less if he quits.
For those who refuse to quit, all it needs is good communication to reach out to them, to tell them that things are so good. Everything is reasonable. Where got ridiculous? This is the Art of RAR, to be able to keep an even keel, to explain and ensure that everything is seen, believe and accepted as reasonable, even if they are plain ridiculous.
11/30/2011
The world is black and white
Maldrid Braut Hegghammer, an assistant professor of the Norwegian Defense University College, Oslo has his article printed in the New York Times and republished in Today. The title of his article is ‘The real lesson of Iraq.’ His main argument is that the invasion of Iraq was a mistake for two reasons. One, the IEAE’s report was not reliable, and two, Iran’s effort to hide information about its nuclear facilities.
In his view, it was right for America to invade Iraq if the IEAE’s report was accurate and Iraq had the nuclear facilities to make nuclear weapons. This is the white countries logic that the black countries are bad, and will use nuclear arms if they have them, and it is the right thing for the white countries to attack black countries to prevent them from having nuclear weapons.
It is right and normal for white countries to possess nuclear arms and to use it or threaten to use it on black countries.
I must thank the Today paper to reveal this kind of black and white logic in the western world. That it is their right to have nuclear arms and to use nuclear arms. The black countries cannot be allowed to have nuclear arms. Black countries are dangerous while white countries are not. And it is alright to attack another black country using this justification.
Can Asean countries use this logic to attack one another should one country decides to go nuclear? This is White Rule. And the author and all white thinking readers will accept this Rule without question. One rule for the white and one rule for the black.
In his view, it was right for America to invade Iraq if the IEAE’s report was accurate and Iraq had the nuclear facilities to make nuclear weapons. This is the white countries logic that the black countries are bad, and will use nuclear arms if they have them, and it is the right thing for the white countries to attack black countries to prevent them from having nuclear weapons.
It is right and normal for white countries to possess nuclear arms and to use it or threaten to use it on black countries.
I must thank the Today paper to reveal this kind of black and white logic in the western world. That it is their right to have nuclear arms and to use nuclear arms. The black countries cannot be allowed to have nuclear arms. Black countries are dangerous while white countries are not. And it is alright to attack another black country using this justification.
Can Asean countries use this logic to attack one another should one country decides to go nuclear? This is White Rule. And the author and all white thinking readers will accept this Rule without question. One rule for the white and one rule for the black.
40 years of good governance
The MAS is celebrating 40 years of good governance. The little glitch created by the toxic notes and Lehman bonds were the exceptions of an otherwise a glittering record of how well a govt treasury transcended smoothly from a developing to a developed country. And there were many good people at the helm of the MAS to make it happened.
The road forward is treacherous with the products of the great American Ivy League universities producing crooks and scoundrels to run the American and international financial system with no qualms about moral goodness. It was like if they were told to go out and grab everything they could with their privileged education and membership to an elite class.
MAS had done well but could not prevent major hiccups along the way that are beyond its control. No one will blame MAS for making a slip here and there. But MAS should do its utmost to ensure that slips that are preventable would not be allowed to happen too often. The toxic notes incident was a wake up call that deregulations and a laid back approach is just not workable.
Are there any more toxic notes equivalents in our system that is waiting to blow up in the face of the MAS? Hopefully there isn’t. When the toxic notes were allowed into the system, I believe, due diligence would have been done by the respective organizations and some confidence that they were reasonably sound products for the markets. One lesson from this debacle is never to allow the salesman who is peddling the product to do the due diligence. He will do whatever and just enough to convince everyone that all is fine. There are vested interests in the peddlar to want to push his products into the market.
What is the state of health of our financial market? Or specifically, what is the state of health of the stock market. Every piece of news reported is good news. Our stock market is in the pink of health and we are marching confidently to become a major financial centre in East Asia, contending for the top position with Tokyo and Hongkong. I really hope that this is the case.
There have been many uncomfortable noises in the finance industry since the introduction of high speed trading system and high speed computers, the latter being plug into the stock exchange’s trading system. Everyone is told that this is a good thing, the way forward. Everything is simply fine, going as planned.
The uncomfortable noises and reservations about high speed trading and the unfair advantages they have over ordinary traders have been highlighted by American and European experts. Many smelt foul but would not go too far to say anything worst. And the fouling is more than meets the eyes or at least this is the general perceptions of market stakeholders. The outsiders do not have access, and do not know enough of the high speed computer trading platform to make an informed judgement.
What is high speed trading and how much do we know of this new animal is still a big question. Is it simply a case of innocent computers that just attached itself to the exchange computer system to facilitate high speed trading, and nothing more?
Perhaps it is opportune at this time for MAS to commission an in dept study of high speed trading and whether it violates the basic principles of a level playing field for all stake holders. Or is high speed trading a Frankenstein in the making and the untold damages are still unfolding? An independent team to investigate this system is needed to address the discomfort among the stakeholders, and to confirm that any misgiving is unfounded. A thorough study is warranted to assure all stake holders that they are not sucked into a quagmire without knowing what is happening.
And MAS owes this responsibility to do its part for the interests of all stake holders. If there is a lemon in the financial system, it is important to sieve it out asap before it turns into another Lehman crisis. Would MAS take on this task, or it has done so and that everything is in order? The high speed trading platform and the high speed computers are fair trading instruments that do not have added advantages over other players, nothing unfair, and there is nothing to worry about.
Such an assurance will be most welcomed to put many insecure and suspicious minds at ease. Until then, the lack of understanding of the true nature of high speed trading, how it actually works, will only lead to misunderstanding, speculation and misgivings. Transparency and public education on high speed trading system are needed for it to be accepted as a neutral tool and fair to all stake holders. Everyone wants to believe that high speed trading and high speed computers are fair game.
The road forward is treacherous with the products of the great American Ivy League universities producing crooks and scoundrels to run the American and international financial system with no qualms about moral goodness. It was like if they were told to go out and grab everything they could with their privileged education and membership to an elite class.
MAS had done well but could not prevent major hiccups along the way that are beyond its control. No one will blame MAS for making a slip here and there. But MAS should do its utmost to ensure that slips that are preventable would not be allowed to happen too often. The toxic notes incident was a wake up call that deregulations and a laid back approach is just not workable.
Are there any more toxic notes equivalents in our system that is waiting to blow up in the face of the MAS? Hopefully there isn’t. When the toxic notes were allowed into the system, I believe, due diligence would have been done by the respective organizations and some confidence that they were reasonably sound products for the markets. One lesson from this debacle is never to allow the salesman who is peddling the product to do the due diligence. He will do whatever and just enough to convince everyone that all is fine. There are vested interests in the peddlar to want to push his products into the market.
What is the state of health of our financial market? Or specifically, what is the state of health of the stock market. Every piece of news reported is good news. Our stock market is in the pink of health and we are marching confidently to become a major financial centre in East Asia, contending for the top position with Tokyo and Hongkong. I really hope that this is the case.
There have been many uncomfortable noises in the finance industry since the introduction of high speed trading system and high speed computers, the latter being plug into the stock exchange’s trading system. Everyone is told that this is a good thing, the way forward. Everything is simply fine, going as planned.
The uncomfortable noises and reservations about high speed trading and the unfair advantages they have over ordinary traders have been highlighted by American and European experts. Many smelt foul but would not go too far to say anything worst. And the fouling is more than meets the eyes or at least this is the general perceptions of market stakeholders. The outsiders do not have access, and do not know enough of the high speed computer trading platform to make an informed judgement.
What is high speed trading and how much do we know of this new animal is still a big question. Is it simply a case of innocent computers that just attached itself to the exchange computer system to facilitate high speed trading, and nothing more?
Perhaps it is opportune at this time for MAS to commission an in dept study of high speed trading and whether it violates the basic principles of a level playing field for all stake holders. Or is high speed trading a Frankenstein in the making and the untold damages are still unfolding? An independent team to investigate this system is needed to address the discomfort among the stakeholders, and to confirm that any misgiving is unfounded. A thorough study is warranted to assure all stake holders that they are not sucked into a quagmire without knowing what is happening.
And MAS owes this responsibility to do its part for the interests of all stake holders. If there is a lemon in the financial system, it is important to sieve it out asap before it turns into another Lehman crisis. Would MAS take on this task, or it has done so and that everything is in order? The high speed trading platform and the high speed computers are fair trading instruments that do not have added advantages over other players, nothing unfair, and there is nothing to worry about.
Such an assurance will be most welcomed to put many insecure and suspicious minds at ease. Until then, the lack of understanding of the true nature of high speed trading, how it actually works, will only lead to misunderstanding, speculation and misgivings. Transparency and public education on high speed trading system are needed for it to be accepted as a neutral tool and fair to all stake holders. Everyone wants to believe that high speed trading and high speed computers are fair game.
When politicians were naïve
Those were the days, not too long ago, when politicians were naïve, just a figure of speech. They were young and highly charged, with bellies full of fire, to serve the people and the country. That was a time when the country was ruled by foreigners, the colonial masters. To these young intellects, the first question that bumped into their heads was why should the country be run by foreigners who were no better than them. Probably they also believed that they could do better for country and people when they were in charge.
That kind of idealistic thinking set a trend that changed the course of our history. Young and eager men and women fought to take back this country, to run it for the betterment of its own people. When they succeeded, the locals took charge of all the major ministries and institutions, to manage them for the good of the locals, not for the Queen of England. And with the locals thinking locals, and when the political leaders were thinking of bettering the lives of the people, things changed dramatically. It was local politicians and people serving local people, for the interest and good of the people.
Has anything changed? The politicians have all changed except for one. But everything else has changed. Oh, they are still saying that they are serving the people and the people’s interests. This has not changed. But the substance has. While the first generation of leaders replaced the foreigners with locals, we are seeing more foreigners replacing the locals. Don’t be conned by the term ‘new citizens’. And as for serving the people, this is relative depending on how one views it.
There used to be the govt providing facilities, building facilities, including housing and transportation, ahead of the people’s needs, and waiting for the people to benefit from them. The people needed housing, and houses were built. Schools, hospitals, transportation, jobs, industries, were waiting for the people. Today, the people have to queue up, to wait for these services and facilities. They don’t build public housing to wait for the people. The people wait for the housings to be built. The people wait for schools for their children, wait for hospital spaces and medical services, transportations etc etc.
Jobs then were localized, decolonized. Today we are seeing a new kind of colonization in jobs. Foreigners are taking over the juicy and plum jobs all over again. And this is good, progress of a different kind. Foreigners changed shirt and become instant citizens to take over jobs from Singaporeans. From displacing foreigners we are replacing locals with foreigners/new citizens.
It is scary when a politician stands out and proclaims that he is in politics to serve the people and country. Scary indeed. The naïve politicians of the past were admirable, respectable and sincere in what they said and did. There were some honesty in their ethics, ambitions and idealism for being politicians.
Today they are pragmatic and honest. No more young and idealistic. They may even say if I am not pay so much, don’t call me. And they will delay the opening of an MRT station because there is not enough load, not profitable, not justifiable. They will build public housings, but you wait for another few years for them to be built. They cannot afford to build and wait for the people. Hospitals, transportations, public services, must be justified in terms of profits before they are built. There are exceptions of course, like public parks which were built together with public housing.
With some exceptions here and there, the ethos for public service is never the same again.
That kind of idealistic thinking set a trend that changed the course of our history. Young and eager men and women fought to take back this country, to run it for the betterment of its own people. When they succeeded, the locals took charge of all the major ministries and institutions, to manage them for the good of the locals, not for the Queen of England. And with the locals thinking locals, and when the political leaders were thinking of bettering the lives of the people, things changed dramatically. It was local politicians and people serving local people, for the interest and good of the people.
Has anything changed? The politicians have all changed except for one. But everything else has changed. Oh, they are still saying that they are serving the people and the people’s interests. This has not changed. But the substance has. While the first generation of leaders replaced the foreigners with locals, we are seeing more foreigners replacing the locals. Don’t be conned by the term ‘new citizens’. And as for serving the people, this is relative depending on how one views it.
There used to be the govt providing facilities, building facilities, including housing and transportation, ahead of the people’s needs, and waiting for the people to benefit from them. The people needed housing, and houses were built. Schools, hospitals, transportation, jobs, industries, were waiting for the people. Today, the people have to queue up, to wait for these services and facilities. They don’t build public housing to wait for the people. The people wait for the housings to be built. The people wait for schools for their children, wait for hospital spaces and medical services, transportations etc etc.
Jobs then were localized, decolonized. Today we are seeing a new kind of colonization in jobs. Foreigners are taking over the juicy and plum jobs all over again. And this is good, progress of a different kind. Foreigners changed shirt and become instant citizens to take over jobs from Singaporeans. From displacing foreigners we are replacing locals with foreigners/new citizens.
It is scary when a politician stands out and proclaims that he is in politics to serve the people and country. Scary indeed. The naïve politicians of the past were admirable, respectable and sincere in what they said and did. There were some honesty in their ethics, ambitions and idealism for being politicians.
Today they are pragmatic and honest. No more young and idealistic. They may even say if I am not pay so much, don’t call me. And they will delay the opening of an MRT station because there is not enough load, not profitable, not justifiable. They will build public housings, but you wait for another few years for them to be built. They cannot afford to build and wait for the people. Hospitals, transportations, public services, must be justified in terms of profits before they are built. There are exceptions of course, like public parks which were built together with public housing.
With some exceptions here and there, the ethos for public service is never the same again.
11/29/2011
Haloween and PAP MPs
Just visited Mr Brown’s blog and got a bit confused. He wrote that a PAP MP turned up at a Haloween party and was mistaken for playing the role of a PAP MP. Or was it someone turned up at a Haloween party dressed up as a PAP MP. Which is which?
What I know is that people either dressed up as cut out pumpkins, Frankenstein or Dracula for Haloween. Dressing up as a PAP MP must be pretty out of place. Not frightening at all. Sure cannot frighten any children there.
According to Mr Brown, he got the most applause and recognition for being in PAP MP uniform. And he did the hand shaking act damn well. And Mr Brown gave him the best candy he had.
Weird. I still didn’t get the punch line.
What I know is that people either dressed up as cut out pumpkins, Frankenstein or Dracula for Haloween. Dressing up as a PAP MP must be pretty out of place. Not frightening at all. Sure cannot frighten any children there.
According to Mr Brown, he got the most applause and recognition for being in PAP MP uniform. And he did the hand shaking act damn well. And Mr Brown gave him the best candy he had.
Weird. I still didn’t get the punch line.
Pakistan’s fate awaiting Asean
The plight of Pakistan today is simply pathetic. And they deserved every minute of it for flirting with the evil Empire. Once invited in, the Empire has no respect for the host, for national sovereignty or territorial integrity. They will brush the host aside and do what they want, like the raid on Obama deep inside Pakistan’s territory. Now they blatantly attacked and killed nearly 30 Pakistani soldiers in a prolonged and deliberate attack. So what are you going to do now Pakistan? The Empire has killed your soldiers.
Before the flirtation, the Americans would not dare to enter Pakistani territory or attack any Pakistani military positions. Now, it is fire at your own target and at your own time, at any Pakistani targets inside Pakistan.
Musharaff thought it was a great honour to be invited to the White House, to be feasted by the Emperor. He did not bargain for the outcome of his country becoming a semi colony of the Empire. That is the price Pakistan is paying today.
Asean leaders must be having wet dreams of being feasted in the White House as the honoured guest of the Emperor. The olive leaf has been waved and the invitation waiting to be delivered. Would Asean leaders take the bait and ended up with the same fate as Pakistan? For their personal ego of being seated on the right side of the Emperor, the price is their countries’ integrity as an independent nation, free from the Emperor’s troops. Some are eagerly waiting for the invitation, for the honour. The temptation is great.
Before the flirtation, the Americans would not dare to enter Pakistani territory or attack any Pakistani military positions. Now, it is fire at your own target and at your own time, at any Pakistani targets inside Pakistan.
Musharaff thought it was a great honour to be invited to the White House, to be feasted by the Emperor. He did not bargain for the outcome of his country becoming a semi colony of the Empire. That is the price Pakistan is paying today.
Asean leaders must be having wet dreams of being feasted in the White House as the honoured guest of the Emperor. The olive leaf has been waved and the invitation waiting to be delivered. Would Asean leaders take the bait and ended up with the same fate as Pakistan? For their personal ego of being seated on the right side of the Emperor, the price is their countries’ integrity as an independent nation, free from the Emperor’s troops. Some are eagerly waiting for the invitation, for the honour. The temptation is great.
Kishore Mahbubani – top 100 thinkers
Kishore has been listed as one of the world’s top 100 thinkers by a US based Foreign Policy magazine. It is a great honour to be there among the Europeans in an European centric magazine that only understands western language and thoughts.
Who is this guy? He is not angmoh. He is the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He got to thank the school for not replacing him with an angmoh to give the school greater credibility and be more believeable in the western intellectual circuit. Think of it, it is one of the rare corners of Singapore where the top dog is a Singaporean. For this reason alone, it is worthy to keep this School relevant as a pride of the country, that a Singaporean is found good enough to head the school.
I am not sure how long before the CEOs of the 3 local universities be headed by foreigners as obviously there are just not enough local talents of international stature to raise the profiles and rankings of these world class universities. Having foreigners to front these universities, like many of the Singapore institutions, is a good thing as they will spread the news of Singapore and how great this island is. Their presence will put the universities connected to the best universities of the West.
Then again, if we do not allow out Singaporeans a chance to take on high profile positions, how would they gain recognition by the international community? How would someone like Kishore be recognized if he ended up just another professor in the School of Lee Kuan Yew or any local universities?
Our angmoh is good mentality is a self debasing policy. If we keep giving the plump jobs to foreigners, our local talents will forever have their heads under water, to be another statistics and nothing more. We need to give more chances to the local talents and thinkers to be in the limelight, to be seen and heard, to be recognized.
Good that we have someone like Kishore. But he could be the last, just like we have a Lee Kuan Yew, and he will be the last titan this little island ever produced.
Who is this guy? He is not angmoh. He is the Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. He got to thank the school for not replacing him with an angmoh to give the school greater credibility and be more believeable in the western intellectual circuit. Think of it, it is one of the rare corners of Singapore where the top dog is a Singaporean. For this reason alone, it is worthy to keep this School relevant as a pride of the country, that a Singaporean is found good enough to head the school.
I am not sure how long before the CEOs of the 3 local universities be headed by foreigners as obviously there are just not enough local talents of international stature to raise the profiles and rankings of these world class universities. Having foreigners to front these universities, like many of the Singapore institutions, is a good thing as they will spread the news of Singapore and how great this island is. Their presence will put the universities connected to the best universities of the West.
Then again, if we do not allow out Singaporeans a chance to take on high profile positions, how would they gain recognition by the international community? How would someone like Kishore be recognized if he ended up just another professor in the School of Lee Kuan Yew or any local universities?
Our angmoh is good mentality is a self debasing policy. If we keep giving the plump jobs to foreigners, our local talents will forever have their heads under water, to be another statistics and nothing more. We need to give more chances to the local talents and thinkers to be in the limelight, to be seen and heard, to be recognized.
Good that we have someone like Kishore. But he could be the last, just like we have a Lee Kuan Yew, and he will be the last titan this little island ever produced.
11/28/2011
When the crunch comes
Seah Chiang Nee wrote the above article in his Littlespeck blog. He is reading the warnings by the political leaders of an impending recession coming Singapore’s way and how it will impact the people.
The worst hit will be the PMETs, especially those with a million dollar or half a million dollar mortgage. What will they do if one of the paymasters got retrenched?
Don’t forget that there are many who have several hundred thousand dollar mortgages in HDB flats. There are many Singaporeans in this category which includes many PRs as well. When the crunch comes, when they lose their jobs, the 30 year mortgage will not go away. They all depend solely on their monthly incomes to service the debt.
I reckon this time the impact will be much greater as the outstanding housing loan sizes are much bigger, all expecting a 30 year free ride without having to worry about any financial crisis.
Just a few months back, it was all sunny skies and full of optimism. Dark clouds are forming overnight.
Be frightened, be very frightened.
The worst hit will be the PMETs, especially those with a million dollar or half a million dollar mortgage. What will they do if one of the paymasters got retrenched?
Don’t forget that there are many who have several hundred thousand dollar mortgages in HDB flats. There are many Singaporeans in this category which includes many PRs as well. When the crunch comes, when they lose their jobs, the 30 year mortgage will not go away. They all depend solely on their monthly incomes to service the debt.
I reckon this time the impact will be much greater as the outstanding housing loan sizes are much bigger, all expecting a 30 year free ride without having to worry about any financial crisis.
Just a few months back, it was all sunny skies and full of optimism. Dark clouds are forming overnight.
Be frightened, be very frightened.
The new story
I wonder if any of you noticed the theme in the media with regards to housing. As I scanned through the articles over the last few weeks, there is a new song being sung almost daily. Small is good. Small flats are good. Small flats do not compromise on the quality of life. There are many beautiful parks outside that the people can go to for the space they want. Small flats are ideal for smaller households.
Small is the way to go. And we have a very long way to catch up with Tokyo and Hongkong, to go smaller. It is not only a trend. Our population is growing and we need to keep housing small to make way for more people, for economic growth and better quality living.
Small is the way to go. And we have a very long way to catch up with Tokyo and Hongkong, to go smaller. It is not only a trend. Our population is growing and we need to keep housing small to make way for more people, for economic growth and better quality living.
PAP Convention
Caught some reporting on the PAP Convention and Hsien Loong’s speech over the news last night. The party has done quite a bit of work in assessing the last GE and what needs to be done to win the next GE. And they are confident that they are on the right track with all the mistakes figured out and the appropriate remedial actions will be put in place. And though the party acknowledged that the next GE will see fiercer competition, and clean sweep is not that easy anymore, they are quietly confident of taking back Aljunied.
My personal view is that they are in for a rude awakening in the next GE. The ground has shifted. More and better candidates will be moving to the alternative party camps as wearing white and being invited for tea is no longer a guarantee for a safe passage to Parliament.
What about govt policies and the bread and butter issues, unemployment, housing, foreign talent, transportation etc that the people felt aggrieved about? Would there be any real changes that will win back the support of the people?
The party still believes that their policies are good for the people and supported by the people. And very likely there will be more cooked policies for discussion in Parliament, though Inderjit was advocating for more half cooked policies to be better discussed before they are cooked.
I think this is the main area that the party is going to lose more grounds as it marches towards 2016. The attitude and mentality and the logic of past policies do not seem to change. Everything is still as per normal. The rapid ramming up of public housing is only treating a superficial wound when the cancer is still growing untreated. So are the high property prices, the high population and congestion issues, and the presence of great numbers of foreigners that the govt sees as the cure all for economic growth but irks the people in general.
As long as the govt thinks it knows best and what is good for the people, it will continue to push through its bestest policies and distance itself from the people who do not agree with them. They believe that the only problem is communication with the people. That is their only fault. If they can communicate well, there is no policy problems.
How could the party with the bestest talents accept that their bestest policies have to change to appease the not so talented views of the people? This is a tough one.
Unless the party is willing to compromise its bestest policies, undermine its bestest talents effort and say, ok, the daft Singaporeans need to be listened to and their less talented views and wishes be accommodated, there will always be a conflict and constant tension between what the party wants and what the people want. Explaining to the daft Singaporeans is easy, especially with clever arguments and statistics. Would the people buy? How many ministers would be able to do the explaining and be able to win the hearts and minds of the people?
Caving in to the daft Singaporeans is never a thing that the party will give way. It is the core value of the party, they will continue to push their cooked policies through, like deaf frogs.
This is the strongest virtue of the party, to do what it thinks is best, to implement tough policies for the good of the people. The question is whether the people think so and whether the policies are really good for the people. The servants will judge the masters or the masters judge the servants? Who will have the final say?
My personal view is that they are in for a rude awakening in the next GE. The ground has shifted. More and better candidates will be moving to the alternative party camps as wearing white and being invited for tea is no longer a guarantee for a safe passage to Parliament.
What about govt policies and the bread and butter issues, unemployment, housing, foreign talent, transportation etc that the people felt aggrieved about? Would there be any real changes that will win back the support of the people?
The party still believes that their policies are good for the people and supported by the people. And very likely there will be more cooked policies for discussion in Parliament, though Inderjit was advocating for more half cooked policies to be better discussed before they are cooked.
I think this is the main area that the party is going to lose more grounds as it marches towards 2016. The attitude and mentality and the logic of past policies do not seem to change. Everything is still as per normal. The rapid ramming up of public housing is only treating a superficial wound when the cancer is still growing untreated. So are the high property prices, the high population and congestion issues, and the presence of great numbers of foreigners that the govt sees as the cure all for economic growth but irks the people in general.
As long as the govt thinks it knows best and what is good for the people, it will continue to push through its bestest policies and distance itself from the people who do not agree with them. They believe that the only problem is communication with the people. That is their only fault. If they can communicate well, there is no policy problems.
How could the party with the bestest talents accept that their bestest policies have to change to appease the not so talented views of the people? This is a tough one.
Unless the party is willing to compromise its bestest policies, undermine its bestest talents effort and say, ok, the daft Singaporeans need to be listened to and their less talented views and wishes be accommodated, there will always be a conflict and constant tension between what the party wants and what the people want. Explaining to the daft Singaporeans is easy, especially with clever arguments and statistics. Would the people buy? How many ministers would be able to do the explaining and be able to win the hearts and minds of the people?
Caving in to the daft Singaporeans is never a thing that the party will give way. It is the core value of the party, they will continue to push their cooked policies through, like deaf frogs.
This is the strongest virtue of the party, to do what it thinks is best, to implement tough policies for the good of the people. The question is whether the people think so and whether the policies are really good for the people. The servants will judge the masters or the masters judge the servants? Who will have the final say?
11/27/2011
A New World Order
The recent appearance of Obama in the Asean Summit in Bali and his pronouncement of a new strategy for American dominance in the Asia Pacific Region is a reminder that the Americans have not accepted the geopolitical changes in the 21st Century. The US is still living in the era of post WW2 when everything is about American supremacy, America Number One, and US foreign policies is all about power, military superiority, confrontation, subversion, military intervention, military alliances and war to settle cross national disputes. The US and its empire, American hegemony for the last 60 odd years, are gradually being eroded by the primacy of economic growth instead of military power.
For the last few decades, American continues on its path of being the Number One military super power and spent most of its valuable financial resources to maintain that position while China on the other hand devotes its main effort in economic development and growth. The presumed power today of China being a super power is more economic than military. China has not engaged in any major warfare since the Korean War. The Americans on the other hand have been in continuous warfare ever since. It is still engaged in several wars, to uphold its image as the Number One military power, unchallenged.
The preoccupation with its world dominance and empire is best seen in its adversarial policies of building military alliances, intervention, wars and enforcing sanctions or coercions in all corners of the globe against any country that does not toe the line. From the encirclement of the Soviet bloc of countries it is now embarking on a new phase of containment of China, which is basically an emerging economic giant. China is in no haste to overtake the Americans in becoming the Number One military power for years to come. It is pure foolishness to maintain a naval fleet of several aircraft carriers and military bases across the world as the financial cost is phenomenal. Any attempt to be near what the Americans are doing will bankrupt China in no time like its is bankrupting the Americans in double quick time.
But China is sure in posing a serious challenge to America as an economic power house. And the days when China overtakes America as the biggest economy is just around the corner. For sure, being an economic super power will not make China poorer but richer and a better quality of life for the Chinese people.
So what is America’s strategy to meet the Chinese challenge to becoming the biggest economy? More military alliances, more resources and finances in the military fields, more adversarial and confrontational policies, and all of everything to maintain American hegemony, while pointing at China for being more assertive, and Chinese hegemony when there is none.
The East Asian and South East Asian countries will now be forced to take on a more confrontational position against China, on the side of the Americans. The Trans Pacific Partnership was a disguise for another military alliance against China with Australia as the key partner in the making. Japan and South Korea are likely to follow suit as semi colonies of the Empire.
Would Asean countries be drawn into this American set piece and become the frontline to the American strategy of protecting the American home land and fighting a war in other people’s territories? There is no mistake that any conflict will be in the East China Sea or the South China Sea and involving the littoral states in the region.
The Philippines and Vietnam have some reasons to want to be part of the alliance to confront China and grab a piece of the South China Sea. Would the rest of the Asean states be willing to be pawns on the American chess boards and be played, be traded or sacrificed for the American interest? What will likely be the end game?
In the American calculation, they only think America and presume that the leaders of Asean will be unthinking and will simply go along with the American agenda at their behest. Have the Asean states grown up from the days of colonialism and want to be truly independent states and not be embroiled by big power rivalry when the price to pay is their own independence and freedom to drive their own national policies? Would Asean be abandoned or subsumed by the TPP and all its effort to build a non aligned neutral regional organisation go to waste? That’s what the Americans are saying. Asean can be history.
A New World Order could be in the making when military conflict and supremacy is no longer relevant, when wars between big powers are just too destructive to be conceivable. Only madness and mad men will still be thinking of conducting war as an extention to failed diplomacy.
The New World Order could be one where every state would grow and prosper economically for the betterment of their people without military conflict. The balance of military power today is such that no one country can get away with a military conflict without getting themselves into a state of comatose. The emergence of China, Russia, India and probably other regional powers would allow the smaller states more room to navigate free of the big power politics if they choose to be. It is an opportunity for more trade and economic diplomacy than building military alliances and adopting confrontational policies that could lead to an irreparable war of a scale untold in history.
No country can bear the loss and destruction of a modern 21st Century warfare. Vietnam War was bad, with a major part of the country obliterated. But that was miniscule compare to what could happen when the big powers unleash the full might of their fire power. The thought of Australia with it few million inhabitants as a player in a major war is foolish thinking. It is not even worth a pawn in the chess board of the super powers.
Would the New World Order have a chance to succeed, or would WW2 mentality and diplomacy take precedence and a more devastating war takes its place? Whither is Asean with the Trans Pacific Partnership? Would Asean want to be counted in as a pawn in the TPP to serve American interest foremost?
For the last few decades, American continues on its path of being the Number One military super power and spent most of its valuable financial resources to maintain that position while China on the other hand devotes its main effort in economic development and growth. The presumed power today of China being a super power is more economic than military. China has not engaged in any major warfare since the Korean War. The Americans on the other hand have been in continuous warfare ever since. It is still engaged in several wars, to uphold its image as the Number One military power, unchallenged.
The preoccupation with its world dominance and empire is best seen in its adversarial policies of building military alliances, intervention, wars and enforcing sanctions or coercions in all corners of the globe against any country that does not toe the line. From the encirclement of the Soviet bloc of countries it is now embarking on a new phase of containment of China, which is basically an emerging economic giant. China is in no haste to overtake the Americans in becoming the Number One military power for years to come. It is pure foolishness to maintain a naval fleet of several aircraft carriers and military bases across the world as the financial cost is phenomenal. Any attempt to be near what the Americans are doing will bankrupt China in no time like its is bankrupting the Americans in double quick time.
But China is sure in posing a serious challenge to America as an economic power house. And the days when China overtakes America as the biggest economy is just around the corner. For sure, being an economic super power will not make China poorer but richer and a better quality of life for the Chinese people.
So what is America’s strategy to meet the Chinese challenge to becoming the biggest economy? More military alliances, more resources and finances in the military fields, more adversarial and confrontational policies, and all of everything to maintain American hegemony, while pointing at China for being more assertive, and Chinese hegemony when there is none.
The East Asian and South East Asian countries will now be forced to take on a more confrontational position against China, on the side of the Americans. The Trans Pacific Partnership was a disguise for another military alliance against China with Australia as the key partner in the making. Japan and South Korea are likely to follow suit as semi colonies of the Empire.
Would Asean countries be drawn into this American set piece and become the frontline to the American strategy of protecting the American home land and fighting a war in other people’s territories? There is no mistake that any conflict will be in the East China Sea or the South China Sea and involving the littoral states in the region.
The Philippines and Vietnam have some reasons to want to be part of the alliance to confront China and grab a piece of the South China Sea. Would the rest of the Asean states be willing to be pawns on the American chess boards and be played, be traded or sacrificed for the American interest? What will likely be the end game?
In the American calculation, they only think America and presume that the leaders of Asean will be unthinking and will simply go along with the American agenda at their behest. Have the Asean states grown up from the days of colonialism and want to be truly independent states and not be embroiled by big power rivalry when the price to pay is their own independence and freedom to drive their own national policies? Would Asean be abandoned or subsumed by the TPP and all its effort to build a non aligned neutral regional organisation go to waste? That’s what the Americans are saying. Asean can be history.
A New World Order could be in the making when military conflict and supremacy is no longer relevant, when wars between big powers are just too destructive to be conceivable. Only madness and mad men will still be thinking of conducting war as an extention to failed diplomacy.
The New World Order could be one where every state would grow and prosper economically for the betterment of their people without military conflict. The balance of military power today is such that no one country can get away with a military conflict without getting themselves into a state of comatose. The emergence of China, Russia, India and probably other regional powers would allow the smaller states more room to navigate free of the big power politics if they choose to be. It is an opportunity for more trade and economic diplomacy than building military alliances and adopting confrontational policies that could lead to an irreparable war of a scale untold in history.
No country can bear the loss and destruction of a modern 21st Century warfare. Vietnam War was bad, with a major part of the country obliterated. But that was miniscule compare to what could happen when the big powers unleash the full might of their fire power. The thought of Australia with it few million inhabitants as a player in a major war is foolish thinking. It is not even worth a pawn in the chess board of the super powers.
Would the New World Order have a chance to succeed, or would WW2 mentality and diplomacy take precedence and a more devastating war takes its place? Whither is Asean with the Trans Pacific Partnership? Would Asean want to be counted in as a pawn in the TPP to serve American interest foremost?
11/26/2011
It takes 9 months for dental appointment
A Goh Cher Choh waited for 9 months just to see his dentist for the chance of getting a subsidised denture. And he has resigned to this new normal of efficiency in this super efficient island. The normal time for waiting is 10 months for root canal treatment, 7 months for dentures, but his case must be an exception, and 5 months for crowns and bridges. Not forgetting a year or more for braces.
But what do they expect, 1 month, 2 weeks or 1 week? Just go to a private clinic and pay for it if one cannot bear to wait. You can choose world class clinics, neighbour clinic or polyclinic, no need to complain.
Looking down memory lane, the kind of free dental care we had in the 50s and 60s was world class, heavenly, actually out of this world. And it was a time when our country was really poor, and probably not enough dentists too. Imagine, every week without fail, the Institute of Health’s bus would be at the school to pick up the students for dental treatment, including free dentures. Where got such thing as waiting for 7 months or 9 months?
Then again, if one wants something that is subsidised, what is a little waiting? The good old days are gone and that kind of experience would never be repeated in this money minded world. Compare to those waiting 3 to 4 years for their housing flats, these dental patients must count themselves very lucky.
The applicants for public housing are paying good money, in the hundreds of thousands, and they too have to wait. And the mantra is that it is their problem caused they did not plan when to get married and when to buy a flat. In my dream I heard someone saying, ‘I build only if there is enough demand. And they just have to wait 3 to 4 years.’ Is this the mentality of serving the people or the other way, I master, you servant?
Thank God that Hsien Loong had reminded his politicians that they are the servants and not the master of the people. Really, why would Singaporeans elect politicians to be their masters and happily live with it as the normal state of affair?
Iskandar, you have a golden opportunity to bum up your dental industry and what are you waiting for?
But what do they expect, 1 month, 2 weeks or 1 week? Just go to a private clinic and pay for it if one cannot bear to wait. You can choose world class clinics, neighbour clinic or polyclinic, no need to complain.
Looking down memory lane, the kind of free dental care we had in the 50s and 60s was world class, heavenly, actually out of this world. And it was a time when our country was really poor, and probably not enough dentists too. Imagine, every week without fail, the Institute of Health’s bus would be at the school to pick up the students for dental treatment, including free dentures. Where got such thing as waiting for 7 months or 9 months?
Then again, if one wants something that is subsidised, what is a little waiting? The good old days are gone and that kind of experience would never be repeated in this money minded world. Compare to those waiting 3 to 4 years for their housing flats, these dental patients must count themselves very lucky.
The applicants for public housing are paying good money, in the hundreds of thousands, and they too have to wait. And the mantra is that it is their problem caused they did not plan when to get married and when to buy a flat. In my dream I heard someone saying, ‘I build only if there is enough demand. And they just have to wait 3 to 4 years.’ Is this the mentality of serving the people or the other way, I master, you servant?
Thank God that Hsien Loong had reminded his politicians that they are the servants and not the master of the people. Really, why would Singaporeans elect politicians to be their masters and happily live with it as the normal state of affair?
Iskandar, you have a golden opportunity to bum up your dental industry and what are you waiting for?
11/25/2011
The world’s most peace loving country
I can’t help it but to repeat this quote from dear Hilary.
‘…Washington is “very strongly against any nation using coercion or intimidation instead of using the law to try to resolve these issues.’
The US together with its peace loving friends in UK and Canada are imposing more sanctions against Iran for believing that Iran is building nuclear weapons which the US and UK have plenty of. And they are not using threats or intimidation against Iran. Just friendly sanctions.
And there is another level of peaceful means to resolve the issue. Both the US and Israel are openly telling the world that they are going to attack Iran’s nuclear plants. Now, please don’t get it wrong. This is a peaceful gesture to resolve the Iran nuclear issue. There is not a little hint of coercion or intimidation at all.
The Americans don’t believe in coercion or intimidation. They are so friendly and peaceful. The whole world knows about it. And they are begging the Americans to be the policeman and now the policeman is bringing in more soldiers and weapons to the Asia Pacific region to police the area for peace of course.
The weapons and soldiers are, incidentally, not to coerce or intimidate anyone. They are friendly soldiers and friendly weapons, for peace.
It is good that China is conducting a big scale naval exercise off its seas. China should conduct more of such exercises and make its stand clear about conduct in its surrounding seas, especially when other pesky countries think they can go around arresting Chinese fishermen with impunity. And also countries that happily shot at Chinese sailors and killing them.
China has to take a tough stand on such provocations or the provocations will continue to test its will. With so many provocations and if China continues to show them the other face, China will forever be slapped left and right and still be branded as an assertive and rogue nation by the rogue nations. I say wallop them when they do it.
All the pesky nations, including the rogue Americans, only understand the language of force. Obama is reminding the world that the Americans can still project its power. And it is up to China to say, hey, this is how far you can go. No more cruise missiles into Chinese Embassies or Chinese missiles can also make the same mistakes on American assets.
When dealing with thugs and gangsters, China needs to speak the same lingo and behave like them. No need to worry about the opinions of pesky nations. They have already taken sides. And the message will also get through to them.
‘…Washington is “very strongly against any nation using coercion or intimidation instead of using the law to try to resolve these issues.’
The US together with its peace loving friends in UK and Canada are imposing more sanctions against Iran for believing that Iran is building nuclear weapons which the US and UK have plenty of. And they are not using threats or intimidation against Iran. Just friendly sanctions.
And there is another level of peaceful means to resolve the issue. Both the US and Israel are openly telling the world that they are going to attack Iran’s nuclear plants. Now, please don’t get it wrong. This is a peaceful gesture to resolve the Iran nuclear issue. There is not a little hint of coercion or intimidation at all.
The Americans don’t believe in coercion or intimidation. They are so friendly and peaceful. The whole world knows about it. And they are begging the Americans to be the policeman and now the policeman is bringing in more soldiers and weapons to the Asia Pacific region to police the area for peace of course.
The weapons and soldiers are, incidentally, not to coerce or intimidate anyone. They are friendly soldiers and friendly weapons, for peace.
It is good that China is conducting a big scale naval exercise off its seas. China should conduct more of such exercises and make its stand clear about conduct in its surrounding seas, especially when other pesky countries think they can go around arresting Chinese fishermen with impunity. And also countries that happily shot at Chinese sailors and killing them.
China has to take a tough stand on such provocations or the provocations will continue to test its will. With so many provocations and if China continues to show them the other face, China will forever be slapped left and right and still be branded as an assertive and rogue nation by the rogue nations. I say wallop them when they do it.
All the pesky nations, including the rogue Americans, only understand the language of force. Obama is reminding the world that the Americans can still project its power. And it is up to China to say, hey, this is how far you can go. No more cruise missiles into Chinese Embassies or Chinese missiles can also make the same mistakes on American assets.
When dealing with thugs and gangsters, China needs to speak the same lingo and behave like them. No need to worry about the opinions of pesky nations. They have already taken sides. And the message will also get through to them.
A good cause to support PAP
It was so rare that I have to support a cause promoted by the PAP in recent years. Now there is really a good cause for all Singaporeans to support the PAP. Why is it good, it affects Singaporeans in general, some directly, some indirectly.
The PAP Youth Wing or Young PAP is going to the Speakers Corner this Saturday to speak up for lowering of transport fares for polytechnic and university students. These students, still not working and have no official income, are paying twice what college students are paying for MRT and SBS fares. They are still not financially independent and many would need support from their parents. Reducing their transport cost will help to alleviate the burden of their parents albeit in a small way. It still counts over the 3 to 4 years when they are studying.
It is good that the Young PAP is pushing for this cause. It is a cause that all Singaporeans regardless of their political inclination can share and support. Though the Young PAP has called for people turning up at Hong Lim to wear white, a symbol of cleanliness, incorruptibility and everything that is good, some have been peeved by this. I say never mind. The WP supporters can go there in their reds, some in blue, some in orange, some in pink, but all with a common goal, to fight for the lowering of fares for these students.
It will be an opportune time for all the parties to unite and tell the people that they can support a righteous and good cause no matter who raises the issue. And that all the parties will not bicker unnecessarily just because someone else and not themselves brought it up. It will show to the people that the politicians and their supporters are growing up.
I hope all the parties, PAP, NSP, SDP, WP, PKMS, SPP, SDA and any other party that I could not remember and mention, could go to Hong Lim Park this Saturday and make enough noise to support this good cause. It will be a moment when all Singaporeans are united, to stand as one.
Would that be nice?
The PAP Youth Wing or Young PAP is going to the Speakers Corner this Saturday to speak up for lowering of transport fares for polytechnic and university students. These students, still not working and have no official income, are paying twice what college students are paying for MRT and SBS fares. They are still not financially independent and many would need support from their parents. Reducing their transport cost will help to alleviate the burden of their parents albeit in a small way. It still counts over the 3 to 4 years when they are studying.
It is good that the Young PAP is pushing for this cause. It is a cause that all Singaporeans regardless of their political inclination can share and support. Though the Young PAP has called for people turning up at Hong Lim to wear white, a symbol of cleanliness, incorruptibility and everything that is good, some have been peeved by this. I say never mind. The WP supporters can go there in their reds, some in blue, some in orange, some in pink, but all with a common goal, to fight for the lowering of fares for these students.
It will be an opportune time for all the parties to unite and tell the people that they can support a righteous and good cause no matter who raises the issue. And that all the parties will not bicker unnecessarily just because someone else and not themselves brought it up. It will show to the people that the politicians and their supporters are growing up.
I hope all the parties, PAP, NSP, SDP, WP, PKMS, SPP, SDA and any other party that I could not remember and mention, could go to Hong Lim Park this Saturday and make enough noise to support this good cause. It will be a moment when all Singaporeans are united, to stand as one.
Would that be nice?
The perplexing discovery of Sinda
Sinda did a review on the performance of Indian students in the PSLE examination. And horrors, the Indian students are underperforming in mathematics, achieving only 73% pass rate against a national average of above 80%. And many Indian students dropped out of secondary school for being unable to cope with mathematics.
This discovery is more startling given that Indians are well reputed to be maths wizards. Many of the American banks and Singapore’s financial institutions are headed by Indians, be they Singapore Indians or Indian Indians. They must be very very good in mathematics to get into those positions. Just depending on the gift of the gab would not get them that far. Their mathematical talents must have proven to be really good.
Now, what is this nonsense that Indian students are having serious problems coping with mathematics? I am scratching my head. Is our schools and teaching methodology for maths the reason for the Indian students poor grade? Cannot be, we have the best teaching methods for maths and our methods are being copied and adopted even by the Americans.
There cannot be any doubt in the genes of Indian students as there are many fine examples of top Indian finance professionals like Tharman, Gupta, and the MD of MAS just to mention a few.
What is happening man?
This discovery is more startling given that Indians are well reputed to be maths wizards. Many of the American banks and Singapore’s financial institutions are headed by Indians, be they Singapore Indians or Indian Indians. They must be very very good in mathematics to get into those positions. Just depending on the gift of the gab would not get them that far. Their mathematical talents must have proven to be really good.
Now, what is this nonsense that Indian students are having serious problems coping with mathematics? I am scratching my head. Is our schools and teaching methodology for maths the reason for the Indian students poor grade? Cannot be, we have the best teaching methods for maths and our methods are being copied and adopted even by the Americans.
There cannot be any doubt in the genes of Indian students as there are many fine examples of top Indian finance professionals like Tharman, Gupta, and the MD of MAS just to mention a few.
What is happening man?
Communal living back in Singapore
The idea of communal living was thought to be dead since Singaporeans got richer over the years. Those hand to mouth years of living in cubicles or sharing a flat with several families, sharing kitchen, toilets and common facilities were just a bad dream best to be forgotten. Those were times when most Singaporeans were poor and they had to make do with strangers living within the same four walls.
With today’s affluence and with Singaporeans owning or leasing their own flats, it is like coming full circle to see more and more Singaporeans renting out and sharing their homes with strangers. And with flats that are built smaller and smaller, having more than one family inside a flat is like reliving the past once again.
With more retirees having to remortgage or sublet their flats, living with strangers is going to be more popular for the losers in life. But it should not affect the quality of their lives. Having more people in the flat means more company, more people to chit chat and to look after each other.
There must be some draw backs in communal living. I was reading the case of this Chinese national who killed three women and seriously injuring one in roughly one hour, in the same flat. I am not going to speculate how all the screaming and crying and shouting and banging could go on for so long without anyone barging in to stop the killing.
What I am going to say is that living with strangers can pose high risk, very high risk, for the weaker sex and the old. And the stranger could be very disarming with his friendly smile and pleasant disposition. Not to worry, this kind of things don’t happen too often. It is a risk worth taking. A few cases like this are quite normal as more and more people start to rent out their flats to strangers.
And there are many happy and warm stories to tell of communal living, of friendship built, of help and assistance given, and kindness and gratitude repaid. They get to know more people, make more friends, and help to show how friendly Singaporeans are. They will benefit from the richer experience in life.
Just a wonderful experience to many, except bad luck to a few losers. Forget to add, the quality of life will be so enriching.
With today’s affluence and with Singaporeans owning or leasing their own flats, it is like coming full circle to see more and more Singaporeans renting out and sharing their homes with strangers. And with flats that are built smaller and smaller, having more than one family inside a flat is like reliving the past once again.
With more retirees having to remortgage or sublet their flats, living with strangers is going to be more popular for the losers in life. But it should not affect the quality of their lives. Having more people in the flat means more company, more people to chit chat and to look after each other.
There must be some draw backs in communal living. I was reading the case of this Chinese national who killed three women and seriously injuring one in roughly one hour, in the same flat. I am not going to speculate how all the screaming and crying and shouting and banging could go on for so long without anyone barging in to stop the killing.
What I am going to say is that living with strangers can pose high risk, very high risk, for the weaker sex and the old. And the stranger could be very disarming with his friendly smile and pleasant disposition. Not to worry, this kind of things don’t happen too often. It is a risk worth taking. A few cases like this are quite normal as more and more people start to rent out their flats to strangers.
And there are many happy and warm stories to tell of communal living, of friendship built, of help and assistance given, and kindness and gratitude repaid. They get to know more people, make more friends, and help to show how friendly Singaporeans are. They will benefit from the richer experience in life.
Just a wonderful experience to many, except bad luck to a few losers. Forget to add, the quality of life will be so enriching.
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