Bush and Blair guilty of war crimes

 

Bush, Blair found guilty of war crimes in Malaysia tribunal

BY 

HALUK DEMIRBAG

 – MARCH 19, 2012POSTED IN: FEATURED STORIES, MALAYSIA, UK, USA, WORLD

Former US president George Bush and his former counterpart Tony Blair were found guilty of war crimes by The Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal which held a four day hearing in the Malaysia.

The five panel tribunal unanimously decided that Bush and Blair committed genocide and crimes against peace and humanity when they invaded Iraq in 2003 in blatant violation of international law.

The judges ruled that war against Iraq by both the former heads of states was a flagrant abuse of law, act of aggression which amounted to a mass murder of the Iraqi people.

In their verdict, the judges said that the United States, under the leadership of Bush, forged documents to claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

They further said the findings of the tribunal be made available to members of the Rome Statute and the names of Bush and Blair be entered into a war crimes register.

Both Bush and Blair repeatedly said the so-called war against terror was targeted at terrorists.

Lawyers and human rights activists present here say the verdict by the tribunal is a landmark decision. And the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Foundation said it would lobby the International Criminal Court to charge former US president George Bush and Former British prime minister Tony Blair for war crimes.

Countries of the world should unite and form parallel organizations like those controlled by the Americans and the West that were used to serve their political interests in outright violation of human rights and human decency. Mahathir has done the right thing for once, taken the right initiative to provide a more level playing field in the stage of international relations. Well done Mat.

Chen Guangcheng wants to see the world

Chinese activist and dissident wants to leave China to see the world. But a huge political row erupted between the US and China like a circus in town. The US wants him, China does not want him but wants to keep him. Why doesn’t China just help the US, makes the US happy and send Chen and his families, plus extended families to the US?

Mao Tse Tung once offered to send 100m Chinese women to the US. China can afford to send all its activists and dissidents to the US, even 100m of them and let them be US citizens. It is a win win situation. The US loves dissidents and activists and their fight for freedom. They and the activists can cohabit happily in the US. China will not have any more trouble on home ground to deal with the activists and dissidents and give excuse to the western world to take pot shot at her.

China should liberate the activists and set them free. And the US will go down on its knees to beg China not to do so. They would have to show their ugliness by slamming the door at all the activists. China, what the hell are you thinking? Give them everything they want and save the trouble and bring out the hypocrisy of the US and the West.

The world’s 4th most liveable place

Why Sinkies complaining? Singapore is the world’s 4th most desirable place to live. It is so spacious, so clean and so easy to get around. If they raise the COEs to $200k, it will mean the roads will be a joy to drive. And the houses are so big, with swimming pools. There is no need to even live the house to enjoy life.

Now where got traffic jams and people jams? The only jams are the high quality imported fruit jams in the high end supermarkets. Hardly have to squeeze with a foreign worker in all the nice places. This is truly paradise, better than Swiss standard of living.

What? Got people living in 90 sq m flats? And what, some living in 50 sq m flats? Hollycow, no joke! Never know that they exist. Never come across or meet such people. Come look at my neighbourhood, come enjoy my sea front view and the private berth for my yacht.

Australia a model for sustainable growth

Australia was once a lowly inhabited continent. The population of aborigines was small when the British planted their flag to stake a claim to the land. Finder’s keepers. And when the needed to increase the population, they dumped their convicts there first. Subsequently when the land was safely secured, they started their selective immigration programme, choosing those they are comfortable and compatible with. They don’t dump rubbish in a good piece of land. The initial rubbish was there for a different reason.

With such a huge piece of land, and all the resources, the Australians can take growth and development at a measure pace, without joining the rat race. Even if there were no growth, they will still be living a very good quality of life, by living off the land. They are very careful with their development programme as well as their population programme. They are doing it slow and steady, with sustainable growth in all sectors. There is no hurry to kill or destroy themselves.

But we cannot be like Australia. We are an exception. We must hungry, increase our population and rapid growth are the strategies for our survival. We have no choice. If we are wrong we will just destroy ourself in the process. If we don’t do it, we will also destroy ourself in the process. So just do it, bring in all the rubbish and dump into this little piece of continent and we should be alright. It is sustainable growth.

Ask an economist and the answer is growth

The debate for more population is heating up but the thinking is one track, growth. Without population growth, it will be the end of the Singapore story. Growth is the essence of an economics approach to the country’s problem, or for that matter to any other problems. Send Pavarotti to the economists and the recommendation will be 5% growth annually. Send a yoda to an economist and it will be the same answer, feed the yoda to ensure 5% growth.

Is growth really the solution, or can innovation and productivity be the alternatives? There are many ways to maintain or better the life of the people instead of growth. Under this economics theory of growth, any country, including Singapore, will see its ruin without growth. The realities around the world proved that this is the biggest bullshit.

If the well being of any country is simply to maintain growth through population growth, many countries would have been wiped out from the face of the earth, and many countries with high population growth would have been the most prosperous and with better standard of living.

Can anyone come up with a smarter answer, with so much being paid to feed them for their personal growth? If we go on a path of unstopping population growth, we are as good as feeding ourselves to death. Maybe that is better than dying from starvation. The limitations of our physical size are staring down at us. Why don’t they look at how to improve the life of the people by maintaining the population size as the breaking point is appearing everywhere, even with the creme ala crème in charge?

Did anyone ask why Pavarotti had to die? Has anyone asked why every yoda cannot keep growing by feeding him more and more? It is nature’s way to terminating those who want to grow and grow. Countries are not different in the area of population growth. Unrestraint population growth is a sure way to self destruct faster.

No wonder they don't believe in no salary increment.

Guan Yin: I don’t enter Hades…

Why does this statement of Guan Yin keeps popping up in my mind? ‘I don’t enter Hades, who enters Hades?’ Then I thought to myself, ‘I don’t enter Heaven, who enters Heaven?’

Guan Yin boddhisatva made a vow that she will not become a buddha if she could not save all the sentient beings from hell. She also said that she would go to hell in the places of others if she had to.

I am no Guan Yin. I rather I go to heaven first than others. I want to be rich first than others. It is like a me first, others last. I don’t believe in living by examples, and I am only interested in my well beings first and foremost.

This is exactly what Matilah has been trying to educate the daft Sinkies. Be rich first, no bleeding heart. No hypocrisy. Look after your self interest first. For the rest, it is their problem. Matilah is going to be angry with me. Heheheh.

Workers want pay rise to fight inflation

Just as I posted that workers were rejecting the pay hike recommended by Lim Chong Yah, today’s ST front page news screams, ‘Give pay rise to fight inflation’. And what is this nonsense about pay rise to fight inflation when we just heard over May Day that pay rise will cause inflation? I think I better shout, May Day, May Day, May Day…

I am getting very confuse. On one hand the good old professor wanted to help the workers by calling for more pay hike but got slapped by workers left and right. Now workers want to have pay rise, and to fight inflation when pay rise is the reason for inflation.

KNN, dunno what to say anymore. Who is right? Or who is talking rubbish?

I think it is time to engage a foreign consultancy to look into this confusion and come up with a good explanation to please everyone. Money is no problem.

Khaw Boon Wan at his brilliant best

While Ignatious Lourdesamy replied to a letter by a Tan Siow Teng, repeating that HDB flats are sold at subsidized prices, which is HDB’s version of the subsidised truth, Boon Wan was holding court to take questions in a public forum on housing matters. And he was simply brilliant in his answers.

To a point raised by the audience that HDB flats have shrunk in size, which is a truth that no one needs to bring a measuring tape to confirm, Boon Wan’s answer was that HDB flat had not shrunk in size in recent years. And of course he was correct. He was referring to flats built now and those built in the 1990s. How to beat such clever answer? It would be even easier if he said that HDB flats had never shrunk in size since he took over.

And he confirmed that the space available to a flat dweller was getting bigger as there were lesser people in a flat due to shrinking family size. This is a way Sinkies can improve the quality of their lives, by ensuring that they keep their family small. Don’t worry about having more babies if one wants more spaces and a better quality of life.

Boon Wan also agreed that the quality of life will be affected if we go the Hongkong way of mickey mouse flats. He said public housing will not go that way. So Singaporeans have two ways to improve the quality of lives, by finding a job that pays more or by reducing family size. Maybe a third way is still possible. Take more weight reducing pills or size reducing pills to avoid growing too big, then the flat will definitely look bigger.

And more flats will be built over the next 5 years, even up to 100,000 units if needed. I hope his computation takes into consideration the 20k or 25k new migrants on the way here every year. If not, then there will be shortage of flats again and his assurance that flat prices will not shoot up again will not hold water. The new immigrants are adults, families and would need housing unlike the babies that will be produced by the locals.

The same Western shit in the media

China is heading for a hard landing. The housing bubble is going to burst, the banks are going bankrupt, the wasteful squandering of money on infrastructure, etc etc will bring China down on its knee. Don’t worry about the mismanagement and recession in the West. The problem in China is much bigger.

And the North Koreans, they are living a very miserable life, abject poverty, the people are starving. What else is new?

Would our reputable and Asian based CNA send some of their objective reporters to the two countries and write some first hand reports on these two countries? Oh, I think the CNA was invited and did send some reporters there. I am sure their feel on the ground would be more credible than those dumb academics that have not set foot in North Korea. Or they are afraid to say anything that differs from the enlightened Western academics, or they don’t believe what they saw. Ya, all propaganda, on see what they are allowed to see.

Just look at their infrastructure, the dressing of the people, the fat on their faces and please don’t print those skin and bone pictures of the 1950s. China also have plenty of those pictures of the 30s or 50s. Singapore also have some real poverty pictures if one cares to find them. One thing for sure, North Korea is no third world country that is barren with streets filled with hungry and sick people. There are not living in abject poverty. Their homes may cost $10,000 but are landed and much bigger than the mickey mouse flats that we called home and paid hundreds of thousands or millions for it.

When will Asian media gain some pride in reporting Asian truths instead of fabricated half truths from the West with western agenda? Every dunce from the West is uttering words like abject poverty, starving etc etc. Do they know what they are saying? Do they really know what the shit is happening in North Korea, or in China?

It is quite sick and insulting to feed readers with such biased thrash practically daily. Is there an agenda or the blind telling the blind?

Help, help, monkeys everywhere!

When you pay peanuts you will get monkeys. Now we must be having monkeys everywhere except the ministers and admin service. These are the two places in public service that are not paid in peanuts. And in the private sector, the workers, hmmm, are they being paid peanuts also?

Monkeys are in every corner of the world. In fact all the state leaders and civil servants across the world are all paid like monkeys. Not many are paid anything decent enough or better than peanuts.

Eeek, there are so many monkeys around.

Wage hike = inflation, salary increment no inflation

The workers are scratching their heads again. Why wage hike will lead to inflation and salary increment will not? Very simple. The answer was given in the ST a few days ago. Singapore’s inflation rate hit a high of 5.2%. But this inflation rate will not affect the workers because hor, it only affects the rich who buy expensive cars and pay high COEs or expensive multi million properties. The inflation is only at the high end. There is no inflation at the low end as workers did not buy these big ticket items, or at least workers are not affected. Heng ah!

But when there is a wage hike, all the workers will be having a spending spree at their favourite food courts or hawker centres, and the prices of food will shoot up, leading to high inflation. Some will spend like a king in Batam, Bintan and JB. Now I am scratching my head also. This logic sounds right or not?

Workers say no to wage hike

While the workers of the world rose in protest over their low wages, the workers here were celebrating their good fortune. All of them looked so happy, and so rich. And they expectedly rejected the shock therapy of Lim Chong Yah that offered them a 50% pay rise in 3 years. Unbelieveable!

I think the workers are reading Lim Chong Yah’s therapy selectively. For one, Lim Chong Yah is no ordinary academic and he is definitely Not mad. How could an eminent economics professor make a recommendation that the workers and the super talents all objected in unison as if it is flawed? How could they counter with the argument that the rising cost of production due to higher wages would make the companies not competitive? It cannot be. The money paid to the workers must come from somewhere to balance it. And this is the part that no one wants to talk about. Where is the money coming from?

What Lim Chong Yah did not say directly is that the fat cows are too fat and can afford not to stuff in more food for the next three years. With their current intake, they could continue to be fat cows. The real objection to Lim Chong Yah’s proposal is likely to be this, that the fat cows want to eat more and more and their current intake is not enough. That is why if raising the worker’s wages did not come with a salary freeze at the top it will spell disaster. And that is right. But Lim Chong Yah did not ask for this disaster. He is asking the fat cows to take a break and stop taking more for a while.

When rejecting Lim Chong Yah, one must look at his full recommendations, not just raising worker’s wages alone. But workers are workers, just lead them and they will follow happily.

Watching Animal Farm

Today the workers celebrated May Day. I also worker, so I rest and watch the movie Animal Farm. But I also stacked up some roast beef, wine and some caviar to go along. It was great watching the movie with so much food around me and nothing to worry about.

Aung San Suu Kyi

I am seeing this gutsy woman everyday and several times today on TV. She is definitely the woman of the decade or the century, the feminine half of Nelson Mandela. I can't resist showing off a painting of her by Mother Nature. Don't expect a photographic representation of Suu Kyi as the canvas used by Mother Nature is nothing but water. The nature of water is ever fluid and changing and any images will be changed completely the next moment. This did not prevent Mother Nature for creating an image of Suu Kyi displaying her as a very strong will lady. In the painting she is all cool and filled with steely determination to stay her course and her fight for the freedom of Myanmar. Mother Nature likes her.

This painting is done using the Art of RAR Technique with Mother Nature as the master painter. This technique is developed by yours truly, a native art form invented by me, a Singaporean. Yes, it is a new Singaporean art form, not recognised by the conventional art community yet. The uniqueness of this technique is that you do not need an object to take a photograph. I have shot the Tree of Life without a tree and Suu Kyi without her presence. I have painted women, historical relics, celestial beasts, abstract faces, fishes etc etc, all from nothing.

In this aspect, it is like a painter painting something from his head, an image or form that he conceived of but not necessary an object. Only a painter can do that but no photographer can, until now. Photographers must have an object to shoot. Shooting an ideal or imaginary image is just not possible in photography until I discovered this technique. The images forming in the water are just like the images inside the head of an artist that no camera can capture. Now in a way I can.

I am claiming this unique photography technique as a Singaporean invention. It is still in its nascent stage of development and all my paintings were captured in environment that I have no control of. If I have the facilities and set up I would be able to make a more conducive environment and condition for Mother Nature to show much more of what she could do.

Today is May Day and the workers rest and celebrate. I rest too, and indulge in this hobby or art form of mine that gives me many satisfying moments. Oh, I even painted Michael Jackson, Bugs Bunny, Red Indian Chief, an Ascetic on a Mule, a girl lying abreast on top of two beasts and a Bali Dancer. These rar arts were the works of the first stage of my experiment with this technique, and all the images were actually created from Koi fish. I blew a whistle and they formed up for me to shoot: ) The pieces were not as refine as the second phase of my work. There were two masters showing me two different concepts on how to get these paintings.

My early paintings are also posted in my Art of RAR Gallery. Would this technique blossom as a truly Singaporean art form?

May Day... May Day... May Day

These two words, repeat three times, were the first most important words my instructor told me when I was a trainee pilot. It is a distress call when one is in the air and the aircraft is having engine trouble, or whatever crisis situation that has developed. I was lucky never to have the need to send out this distress call.

The above image is a very inspirational photopainting of mine. It is called The Tree of Life. Many of you must be familiar with this biblical concept. I am no Christian nor Catholic. I read the bible and is familiar with this concept in Genesis.

I took my pictures using a technique called The Art of RAR. It involves taking pictures of reflection and refraction, decode it and viola, I have a painting. I have many series of paintings from this process.

When this picture appeared to me during my docoding of the photographs, I instantly recognised that it is the Tree of Life. It looked like a tree for sure. Then it could be any tree, a rambutan tree or a durian tree. Why should it be the Tree of Life? A tree is recognised by the fruits it bears.

I needed some convincing and affirmation that this is the real Tree of Life. I have seen many painters and their images of the Tree of Life but this is different. This tree came to me without any premeditation, without any plans, and no fixing. When I shoot my images, my mind is clear of all thoughts and I am prepared for anything that comes out. Every picture is a mystery and a creation of chance. I have series on women, historical relics, abstract faces, coral fish, celestial beasts etc etc, and now this.

If this is the Tree of Life, there must be signs of life in the tree. I put the painting under the microscope for scrutiny, like looking for life forms in the moon. Believe me, there are life forms in the tree. There were several images of human forms in the tree, like the fruits of the tree. And the images were well formed and as clear as daylight. I can't believe my eyes. This is an image I shot of reflection and refraction on the surface of water and nothing else. And the last thing in my mind is the Tree of Life. It was conceived and crafted by mother nature with no human interference.

I have several other shots of similar trees in the series. They look the same as this tree. Some too have similar human images on them, but very few and not as well defined. I can still call them Trees of Life as they are similar in appearance but with lesser or no fruits on them yet.

I am planning to hold a solo exhibition on my Art of RAR paintings in Oct/Dec. The main piece of my rar art will be this Tree of Life. And I am not shouting May Day, May Day, May Day. I should be shouting Hallelujah!

PS, for a clearer view click my link to the Art of RAR Gallery on the right, the picture with the purple face. For those who are fascinated by this painting, try counting the number of human images on the tree. And don't miss out the lady in the centre with a white shawl.

The competition that Sinkies don’t need

Why is there a need to bring in rich foreigners to compete with Sinkies to buy and speculate on properties that are a must help for Sinkies as their basic needs, a roof over their heads?

Why is there a need to bring second rated foreigners to become citizens to buy public housing, to compete with Sinkies and to jack up the prices for poorer Sinkies.

Why is there a need to bring in more foreigners to compete with Sinkies for COEs to drive on the road?

Why is there a need to bring hungry foreigners to compete with Sinkies for jobs and push some Sinkies out of jobs?

Why is there a need to bring in foreigners at middle and top management level to compete with Sinkies and deprive Sinkies of the chances for these jobs?

Why is there a need to pay foreigners to take up university places while children of Sinkies have to pay through their own pockets by going overseas.

Would the country be worst off without these competitions by being more discriminatory and give Singaporeans the first right of refusal instead of forcing them to compete with foreigners often on unequal and unfavourable terms? Why bring in cheap foreigners and dismiss Sinkies as not competitive when the playing field is not level?

Is there a need to screw ourself with this kind of self willing, self invited competition, forcing our Sinkies to lower their expectations and go for less when the national goal is to make life better for Sinkies?

Is this not a self inflicted wound. This is a competition that Sinkies don't need and did not ask for.

The widening reality gap

Everyone is familiar with the widening income gap. A similar gap that is opening up but not frequently discussed is the reality gap or perception gap between the govt and the people. Both parties(maybe I should say 40%) seem to be looking in opposition direction but with the govt having the final say and adamantly expecting the people to accept its version of reality. Period, let’s move on, nothing else to talk about.

Or am I the odd one out that seems to be seeing things, that there is no such reality gap. Surely note if one is to read the comments in the main media and internet. What the govt said is the real thing, and the people agree completely, wholeheartedly. 60% said so. The direction set by the govt for the future of this island is the common goal of the people. There is no disagreement, the people are with the govt and will go along with all the govt’s reasoning and policies.

It’s the wrong formula

Giving worker’s a pay rise is like a nightmare to many, the employers are thinking of folding up, the govt is worried that the tripartite relationship will be affected, and the workers are unhappy of the pay increase coming their way. The problem, I think, is because of Prof Lim Chong Yah’s unsolicited recommendation. Would it make any difference if he was commissioned to come out with a recommendation?

This is perhaps the most controversial and unhappy recommendation coming out from someone who was and still is, I think, part of the establishment. Obviously he forgot what needs to be done to have his recommendation accepted in the first place and be received without any furore. Look at all the govt’s recommendations, from affordable housing, retention of CPF money, higher COEs, higher fees of this and that, the unending pursuit to raise the insurance coverage of the people with more and more premiums to be paid, none of them has received this kind of hesitation and rejection. Every govt recommendation is very well received by the people, with very little criticism and objections.

To me, it is good not to play to the gallery. Find a good formula that is acceptable by the tripartite. There is one proven formula that I think the govt will support for raising the income of workers. And the employers would not have the gumption to criticize or reject its logic and goodness.

Why don’t someone suggest using the same formula for the ministers and apply it to the workers, with the same kind of reasonings albeit a little modifications here and there? There are very few changes needed except for the choice of top earners. Instead of the top income earners of a few top professions, use the income of the top few select workers that is representative of the workforce, and peg it at a certain percentage. Need not be pegged right at the top, say 25% off would look reasonable. And the govt can tell the workers, see, whatever we do, we do the same for the workers, fair, fair. It is like leading by examples. And the employers, being a willing partner, will definitely agree with the govt’s reasons behind the thinking. Not agreeing would be a slap to the govt’s position and that is politically incorrect.

Where are the champions of worker’s interest? How about it? Swee boh?

Thaksin Shinawatra, the Thai hero

He was deposed by a military coup after being elected a second term as the PM of Thailand. He was a self made man, amassed a fortune through his business enterprises. Some accused him of corruption and abuse of power in his business dealings.

How many rich and successful people were not entangled in some form of legal and illegal activities in their quest for wealth? How many achieved fame and fortune through honest business transactions or through unscrupulous means?

But not many can measure up to Thaksin in sharing his fortune with his people, particularly the Thai farmers. His low interest lending schemes helped many farmers to start and grow their businesses and live a better life. His 30 baht health scheme brought medical care to within the reach of the poor of Thailand. A thyroid gland operation cost US$1 is unbeatable.

His sin was his populist policies to help the poor Thai people who adore him as their hero. This was the main cause of his downfall. His govt fought to break down the drug cartel only to be accused of breaching human rights and of course corruption. How many politicians are not corrupt? How many could hold a candle to Thaksin for sharing his wealth with the people, not only in Thailand but across the world?

Many amassed huge fortunes only for themselves, their families and their clansmen. Thaksin gave and still giving his wealth to his people. He could give more if the bulk of his wealth is not confiscated by the govt. For all the wrong accusations, nothing can beat his generosity for making life better for this Thai people.

He was and still is the hero of the poorer Thai people. He could do more if given a chance but denied. The Thai people and Thailand ended poorer for not letting their hero do what he pledged to do for them.  What is the point of amassing fortunes, legally or illegally, scrupulously or unscrupulously, if the wealth is not share to make life better for the general good of the people? The Sinkies are daft, but in this sense, the Thais are dafter, for what they had done, to depose and exile Thaksin.

Bill Gates does not need a pay rise

After the shocking therapy of Prof Lim Chong Yah and the expected knee jerk defensive mechanism and reaction from you know who, the labour chief said today that the high cost of inflation and high cost of living mean that there is a need to raise the income of workers. It is good that he finally came to know of the problem. He also added that the high income gap must be closed.

Now that the dust has settled down, the good sense and propriety of the real pain are sinking in. The retort against raising salary of the lower income group and the need for a closing of the widening income is indeed a problem that cannot be allowed to run away without a leash.

Rhetoric and political expediency aside, some of the elite truly believe that the bread of the rich should be buttered 3 or 4 times over as they are deserving of the buttering because of their supreme talent. On the downside, the losers deserve to be losers and they should count themselves lucky that their bread is even buttered at all. Count the blessing that they still have bread to eat.

Such line of thinking coming from those who have no responsibility over the whole of the population is understandable. The private emterprises and developers would choose to maximise profits at all cost as they are not in the business of charity. But if they come from the political leaders, it is irresponsible and obnoxious. Political leaders is not there to look after self interest, to protect elitist interest but to spread the goodies, ensure a more equal distribution of wealth and social equality to the people, but not to the extent of all men are equal and all should receive one bowl of rice.

Bill Gates does not need another pay rise. He has so much money that he has to give them away. And so is his pal Warren Buffett. There is no need to reach such a position to distance oneself from the accumulation of wealth. No one is frowning against an entrepreneur or a businessman from acquiring his wealth forever. What is objectionable is to spread public wealth through public offices to those who are bursting at the seams with more wealth. A very good but disgusting example was to raise the President’s salary to $4m when the masses did not think it was justifiable, nor the office justifies that kind of pay. But the existing god in power is always right and would have the final say. It is right today but would be very wrong when the next god comes into power.

Distribution of public money must be measured to serve the majority, to benefit more people than a few yodas who have so much and do not have much time or the need to spend them. This sickness is infected across the industries in the private sector when the top few would grab the lion’s share while the rest, minority shareholders and workers were left with crumbs.

And it is this kind of unequal and unjust system of wealth distribution that is causing the runaway inflation. No amount of small increases at the bottom can catch up with this kind of distortion in the system. In a pure capitalist and elitist system this is cause for celebration, and eventually cause for destruction. Is this what we want, a system where a few elite could buy tens of private properties and tens of luxury cars and with plenty to buy more while living on public money or feeding on the minority shareholders’ money?

And once in a while, when it is politically opportune, to cry for the poor workers, to shout, pay rise for the workers? May Day is around the corner.  

Prof Lim Chong Yah is absolutely right. He must have seen the greed and the amassing of unjustifiable and unnecessary wealth by a few at the expense of the greater good. What is so painful for a few years without pay even if one is not Bill Gates or Warren Buffett when one can live a few life times without having the need to earn a single cent?

When the boss gets a wage freeze…

Fear is spreading like wild fire among the SMEs that the recommendation of Lim Chong Yah is going to raise the cost of doing business here. The 3 year 50% wage adjustment will be very costly. Sure. But can this be offset by the 3 year wage freeze of the top management? Lim Chong Yah’s proposal is like Robin Hood, robbing the rich to pay the poor. Not pay the poor and pay the rich more.

How much does the top management get for their pay rise, visible and invisible, ie cash, perks, bonuses, share options etc etc? Assuming a CEO gets $500k in pay hike, plus an unspeakable sum of shares which could be another few hundred thousand, or say $200k, these would give a total pay increase of $700k. This amount can easily be translated into a pay hike of $1000 pa for 700 workers without adding more cost to the company. And if one is to add the top 20 or so management’s pay hike, the total could easily be a million or two, which means more employees could benefit from this transferring of wealth.

I know that the numbers are very simplistic, but still reasonable and real. What is so wrong about it? It is wrong only when the increase at the lower half is not accompanied by freeze at the top. Sure, they will be very unhappy and want to quit and look for more well paying jobs with more increments.

The company can take the opportunity to cut cost at the top and bring in fresh blood that is younger and more energetic to fill the empty seats. Can or not?

No one wants to talk about it

We cannot let higher income Sinkies to buy HDB flats. It will add to the demand and deprive lower income Sinkies from the chance of getting one, or they compete with the lower income and lowering their chances for a public flat. It sounds so clever, so logical. How many higher income Sinkies would want to buy a HDB if they could afford the million dollar private properties? No, they must be kept out to protect the lower income Sinkies. No they must be made to spend all their savings on that private property. Prudent, spending within their means and make them spend everything?

And every year they add on something like 20,000 new Sinkies, give them a pink IC and called them citizens. The truth is that they are foreigners who were added into the housing queue and it is okay. While the Sinkie singles and other Sinkies who need a flat would have to give way as the queue is getting longer, bigger demand, because of the so called new Sinkies. And no one want to mention this.

Did they add up to our housing problems? At 4 per family, each year the demand for public housing is 5,000 and over 10 years it is 50,000 units which could have gone to Sinkies. But no. These new Sinkies have priorities over original Sinkies, and original Sinkies can be cut off from the queue for all the good reasons.

The Sinkies are so blessed to have such a caring and considerate govt to think of their housing needs. And want them to live a better quality of life by spending all their money on private properties.

Which country is threatening freedom of navigation?

The US has been telling the world that China is threatening freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. Where is the evidence? Is China preventing any country from using the sea lanes, or is China arresting the fishing boats and fishermen in the South China Sea? Only countries that go around using their naval warships to harass and arrest ships and fishing boats are the ones that threaten freedom of navigations.

The Philippines have been doing it all the time, arresting Chinese fishing boats and fishermen. The latest incident which some called it a stand off, the Philippines were again at it, trying to bully Chinese fishermen with their biggest piece of floating antique. My apologies, they called it their biggest warship. The Chinese had to send in their civilian surveillance ships to stop them from doing it. Was it a stand off? Far from it. It was like an old hag waving his fist at some grown up men and thinking he would frighten them off. It was a mismatch in all counts.

The main point is that the real countries that are threatening freedom of navigation and raising tension in the South China Sea are the little pesky countries and their master pulling the strings from behind. Freedom of navigation in the region has never been an issue until the little pests start to throw their weights around, arresting Chinese fishermen. And they have to be kicked in the butt to stop them from being a nuisance to everyone in the region. These are the real trouble makers. And there is the international gangster from afar plonking his warships here in the name of peace but instigating war.

When angels speak…

The angels are up in arms to protect the oldies. They are all claiming that health insurance for the oldies is not enough. The cost of healthcare for the oldies is just too high and the payout of Eldershield, another automatic compulsory scheme that I just heard of, unless one opted out at 40 from his Medishield, is paying only half of what is needed. And the insurance man roared in approval. Yes, yes, not enough. The govt must do more and provide the direction…for more insurance?

First thing, why is healthcare so expensive? Why is the cost not coming down especially for the oldiers? If the cost is not coming down, who can afford to pay an insurance premium that is running along with higher medical cost, like two devils waltzing happily to the tune of The Last Waltz?

The second point is that many simply cannot afford to pay and pay. With so many big ticket items, high cost of living and expenses, high protection money locked up in CPF, where got money to pay for more insurance and more premiums? And oldies got no income you know.

The third point, please lah, many oldies’ lives are already so miserable that there is no need to prolong their agony and suffering on earth. Many would long to die and go to heaven. What more health care and more money to perpetuate their misery?

What is the real problem? What should be done? It is not a money problem. It is only a money problem for those who sees money to be made and the poor buggers, all with pockets already empty, are being targeted to pay more when there is heaven waiting. Why stop these oldies from going home to be with the Lord?

The expensive insurance schemes to take care of oldies till they are one hundred years old should be personal, individualized and never be compulsory or across the board. For those who are living a life of heaven on earth, go and ask them to pay more for their precious life. Leave those who cannot afford it to live in peace and return to the Lord soonest. Don’t rob them again when they are all dying and waiting to go home.

When angels are out to help, be frighten, be very frighten.

Crying for leadership

The state and health of the international financial system is so deplorable. Expecting the US to throw out a leader to challenge the scoundrels of Wall Street is like asking for heaven. With Congress being in the pockets of the white collar crooks, there is no possibility of any one of substance to break through the layers of bureaucratic corruption to do what is right and save the financial system. Corruption and mismanagement in the system have been institutionalized and legalized, and copied by many western countries. Period.

While nothing can be done to stop the rot in Wall Street, what other countries could hope for is to stop the rot at their doorstep, to keep the rot out of their national system. The Chinese are defending their infant financial system and are threading very carefully to avoid the pitfalls. But the sexiness and attraction of instant wealth for some are too tempting to resist. When there are so much to gain personally, people become blind to the flaws and the consequences to the country and other people. And if the Americans and the Europeans are doing it, it cannot be too wrong. Or at least they can point the finger to the Americans to justify their crimes. They are putting on the same blinkers not to see the rot. The Chinese are veering towards a tipping point to embrace the failed American financial system of computer and algo trading plus all the derivatives and toxic notes and currency manipulation.

Hongkong is equally cautious. There are brighter people there who could smell a rat and are resisting from falling into the abyss. They are not easily conned by a few westerners who came claiming to know it all and were able to show the way…to oblivion.

At a time like this, when everyone is selling snake oil as the panacea to immortality, it needs a very strong leader with the wisdom to know what is going on to say no. Is there no one out there who is thinking and can see the flaws in the whole financial system? The thinkers, the financial experts, must seriously look at the system and, if things are not right, to say so. Many are so bogged down with their own preoccupation and the money grabbing past time that no one has the time to take the pulse or to diagnose the sickness. There is an urgent need for someone to do this. Someone must have the conviction, and the power to go with, to say the system stinks and needs to be stopped and revamped.

Where is the leadership, the man to call a spade a spade, and want to change and save the system from sliding to self destruct? For the moment the jokers are having a great time, like Nero, fiddling on the roof while Rome burned. There is no one brave enough, knowledgeable enough, to challenge the snake oil salesmen?

High population is good. High property prices are good. High car prices are good. The stock market is in the pink of health. Just believe.

No let up in push for 6m population

Another big convincing article in the ST, and in other news media, telling how precarious the country will be if there is no intake of immigrants. The need for population growth or replacement is a critical issue and without growth or at least replacement it is like we are going to perish. This one track mind on population growth and economic growth will not change and will be the basis for all other policies of the country.

Why must there be population growth to survive? The fact is that if every country goes on this path, the world will come to an end faster. This world, and this island, needs lesser population growth. Lesser population and less growth in economic numbers do not directly lead to lower quality of life. We were 1m and 2m before. We survived very well. Why a need for 6m or 10m? Better economic growth? More people, more demand for goods and services, more jobs, more housing, but lesser space for everyone. And replacing Sinkies with foreigners so that the country can be proud of great economic numbers?

If we have lesser people, if the world has lesser people, there will be lesser demand and pressure for production of goods and services and lesser or slower depletion of the limited resources available. We don’t need to empty the oceans of fishes. There is no need to dig out everything from the earth, no need to burn away fossil fuel at such a rapid rate. They will be more spaces and resources for everyone.

This world and this island need to downsize the population to be sustainable. It is like chasing high property prices and ever increasing salaries but ending like a dog chasing its own tail. It is a circus, a joke. With lesser population, there is no need to build up every little space we got. There will be more people able to own cars and drive around, and living in bigger homes. There is no need for more departmental stores, shopping complexes, more food courts and more housing and more housing. There is a need to rethink this economic growth strategy and ask what is the ultimate objective for all this growth? What kind of life and what quality of life?

We are laughing at the Japanese for no growth and an ageing population. But their quality of life has not gone down despite lower economic growth. And with a smaller population, they will live better and the world will be safer, the whales and tunas will live freer and longer.

Do we really cannot survive without population growth, without more immigrants? Can someone think out of the box please and stop chiding people for not able to think out of the box. This one track mindset is going to destroy our quality of life instead of making it better. The thinkers and policy makers mindset is so fixated and nothing else can do except more people. So what if property prices fall with lesser people and lesser demand? So what if rentals of commercial spaces fall with lesser demand? Who needs to buy so many property and commercial spaces and ended the people being squeezed in every aspect of their lives?

Gintai’s article on Singaporeans being priced out

Gintai wrote an article on how our system benefitted the PRs most in terms of housing. The main point is that the PRs have an option to cash out at the end of the day, carry his pot of gold back to his home country to live like a rich landlord. This is fact!

The poor Sinkies would have to face the ever increasing cost of living, higher property prices, higher car prices, higher everything, and his savings waiting to vanish anytime, not enough to buy a car, not enough to pay for medical, not even to pay for retirement.

Didn’t anyone see this Hobson’s choice for the Sinkies, to be fixed into such a disadvantageous position? Didn’t the policy makers look ahead, plan ahead, and see the problems over the horizon? Maybe this is not a problem. Very likely, given their super talents, they knew what is coming up. But they need the Sinkies to pay for all the expensive and good stuff and good life, and their super salaries. The PRs can go home and downgrade to a landed property in their kampongs. Here we can enjoy our 650 sq ft million dollar flat and live in a first world city with all the convenience that money can afford to pay.

It is all in the plan. The Sinkies are captive customers, no way to run and no way to hike. Just con them with a few good sounding words and they will buy in the story. Singapore is home, the best place to be in, and good things have a price. Be happy and be contented. Why be envious of the PRs? They did not have such a brilliant and caring govt that will look after them from birth to death. And when they cash out, they will downgrade the quality of living. They are returning to stone age.

Count your blessings. Be thankful of what you got. A forumer is so pleased with the way we handled the train breakdown problems that he wrote to the ST to share his admiration. This is so much better than Mumbai. And he is so grateful to be here. He is right to think so. Singapore city is build by the best brains, engineers, architects, civil servants, all so talented, and a disciplined workforce.

But this is changing. There are no longer any talents here. The talents are in Mumbai. Singapore is sending delegations after delegations to Mumbai to recruit the talents to help to make this city better than Mumbai.

Revolution needed in the legal system

With the ridiculously high court fees and legal fees to be paid to lawyers, the system of arbitration needs a rethink to prevent abuses of the legal system. Going to courts today, to be represented by legal counsels, can be a make or break situation where a person can be bankrupted or made to cough out tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. As such, where are the safeguards for innocent but poor victims who are hauled to courts by the rich and powerful with their sharp and clever legal counsels paid to do the job?
Though there exists a parallel system now in the form of mediation and small claims tribunal to handle petty litigations, it is still not enough to prevent those with the means to get their way to brutalise the poorer victims by abusing the legal system and making the courts serve their private agenda, in the process, bankrupting a defendant even when the case is ruled in favour of the defendants. Settling out of court or through mediation etc or even winning a case is not good enough as the main purpose of the complainant could be to force the defendant to pay for all the legal fees and court fees and the hassle and the stress of going to court. That itself is a very heavy penalty, an injustice that is legal. The govt cannot allow this to go on without making changes to the legal system to make sure that such abuses are removed from the system of legal and social justice.

The main issue is to make the complainant who made spurious or unwarranted, unjustified complaints to pay dearly to the defendant. Also, the legal counsels representing the unreasonable complainant and filing spurious or unsubstantive charges must be made to pay as well, and not allowed to hide under the pretext of client’s advice or client’s instruction. When a case is unjustified in the name of the law, they must not pursue with the case. If there is no prima facie case they must not forced an issue to bring charges against a defendant. If they think they could get away with such accusations on the ground that it is a 50/50 case, let the judge be the final arbiter to decide if the legal counsel is taking advantage of the legal system, abusing the system, and be made to pay for the cost of wasting the court’s time and the time and stress on the defendant.

Let this be part of the judge’s responsibility to punish errant lawyers and their clients for attempting to make the court and the legal system as their hatchet man. Otherwise the courts will be filled with all kinds of nonsensical and petty suits when one party has an agenda or an axe to grind.

The court of law and its integrity must not be compromised and the institution must be respected especially by the legal community. Anyone who thinks he can pay to use the court and legal system to serve his private agenda and personal grudges must not be allowed to get away with it. And the legal counsel must not be accomplice to such distortion of the justice system.

The wicked Singaporeans

Another case of maid beating appeared in court yesterday. A school teacher thought it was her right to beat up the maid when she made mistakes, pulled her ears till they bled. Making maids clean windows in high rise flats, not giving maids a day off are nothing to crow about. Such wickedness in the mind is common, normal, among Singaporeans. Many of the wicked people are not the illiterates but well schooled and held high positions.

How to eradicate such wickedness in our midst? Should they be given a slap on the wrist and life goes on as normal? Or should a tougher deterrent sentence be imposed on the wicked to make a point? Or is our god bigger than their gods and so we can afford to be wicked to the children of lesser gods?

Maybe it is all relative. To many, such acts could be wicked. To many as well, such acts are normal, just like the recent failures of MRT. It is the new normal and the commuters are expected to live with the new normal, having breakdown every other day is unavoidable, like the flooding of Orchard Road. Learn to accept a lower standard of efficiency and quality.

Or in the case of chasing after the clients of underage prostitute being charged in court, it is part of the job to do what they were doing. To some, from the complaints in cyberspace and other media, such acts amounted to wickedness as well. But some will laugh it off. What’s the big deal? It is all relativity, life will go on.

Then in another realm of existence, there are people who are happily taking away people’s life savings and think it is their own money to decide what to do with them without having to seek the consent of the owners. And the poor owners could only smile when they look at their CPF statements but cry everyday for food and a little niceties in life that they longed for but unable to touch, not that they have no money. But someone else think it is his right to keep the money from the rightful owners and meant good to the owners who had to walk around with empty pockets.

Then there are those who told the people that housing prices are affordable when people have to squeeze a life time of earnings to pay for them. And some even tried to con people that living in mickey mouse flats would not affect their lives.

Some will tell the people it is a good life to earn $800 pm. Some will applaud and encourage the oldies to work till they die as a good thing., full of pride and dignity. On the other hand some will insist that earning less than $50k a month will be a tragedy in their lifestyle.

Are they just as wicked? Difficult to tell as it all depends on who you are, where you are and your value system. What is good or evil is relative. Some will vehemently disagree and insist that these people are wicked. Some will strongly defend the wicked and claim that they are angels. This is the new normal, to live among wickedness. Oops, among goodness.

Clockwork Singapore tick, tick, tickles

The once reliable public transport system is turning into a nightmare to many Sinkies, particular the university students marching to their examination halls. The fear is to be caught in a MRT train breakdown and be late for the examination. The universities are also scratching their heads as to how to deal with such a scenario. Should they bar the students from their examinations or make concessions, or alternate provisions to retake the examination? It is not the fault of the students.

Sinkies going for an appointment, job interviews, meetings with clients, attending a court order or police order, dates, submissions of tenders etc etc and are delayed, who is to be blamed? To be late is already a big headache and can cause one to lose a contract, a job, or a boy/girl friend. Now every Sinkie would have to make additional plans when going for an appointment. How much more time to provide for just in case? The need to make such contingency plans because of an unreliable public transport system is going to make life that much more unpleasant and unpredictable and costly. The uncertainty is stressful for sure.

What’s next on the card? More tickles?

The Philippines dragging Asean into confrontation

The Philippines dancing to the tune of its puppet master is trying to drag Asean into a confrontation with China. After threatening to arrest Chinese fishermen and driven off by China, it is conducting a naval exercise with the Americans to simulate an assault on an island. China is warning both protaganists that they are risking an open conflict in the region.

The Philippines is turning around to scream foul and telling its Asean partners that China is obstructing freedom of navigation. The fact is that the Philippines has been arresting Chinese fishermen for years, even pulling Chinese fishing boats into Manila. Only a pest and provocative little country with the backing of the Americans would dare to arrest Chinese boats. The Japanese used to do that but have ceased from such provocative acts.

On record, it is the Philippines that have been arresting Chinese fishing boats and not the other way round. China has been tolerating this little brainless brat but is taking its nonsense no more. China has no choice as the provocation will keep coming as long as this pest thinks that China is afraid of its master, the Americans.

Yesterday China has unequivocally told the Americans and the Philippines that it had enough and is prepared to take them on. The Americans as usual will pretend to be the innocent party and would push the Philippines to front the confrontation. The game plan is to drag the whole of Asean into this confrontation and possibly into open conflict with China. More sales of American arms and a bigger foothold for American troops and intervention, to be the leader of Asean.

Would Asean bite and get itself into an open war with China and turn the South China Sea into a region of hostility? Most Asean countries would not want that to happen, to fight a war for the Americans. But there are at least two American lackeys within Asean that would want to push the boundary for their own vested interests, even having war with China. In the meantime the Americans and the Philippines are adding fire to the brew.

White Man’s Conscience behind bars

I was watching the documentary on Wikileaks in CNA last week, ‘War, Lies and Videotapes’. The star player in the whole episode was Private Bradley Manning, the American soldier who was pricked by his conscience for knowing the evil things and crimes against humanity conducted by the American leaders and soldiers in Iraq. He did the dreadful thing by passing 95,000 military messages to his FBI friends who too, pricked by his conscience, passed the whole lot of information to Julian Assange of Wikileaks and the rest was history.

For this crime of conscience, Pte Manning is now serving 52 years of imprisonment in American jail. He was also accused of being a traitor to his great country, the USA. His fellow man wanted to lynch him. He is the White Man’s Conscience of modern day. There were a few in the past when Red Indians were slaughtered daily, when African negroes were treated like animals, beasts of burden.

Pte Manning is the living White Man’s Conscience, sentenced to imprisonment for telling the painful and feared truths, the lies the Americans fabricated and told the world. The rest of the Americans did not weep. They wanted this conscience to be put away. They did not see anything wrong in the lies they spreaded and the killings of Arabs and Afghans because of their own lies.

And they are going to do more in Korea and now the South China Seas. They are going to agitate the pesky nations to start more wars, through provocations in the name of military exercises for peace. China and Russia should start to hold joint exercises near Alaska, Cuba and the Caribbeans, and Latin America. Then the world will see how the rouges in the evil Empire react to these friendly military exercises.

The silly South Koreans no longer dare to a word on who sank the Choenan. The Philippines is having a LSD high after receiving an antique ship and thinking it is now a naval world power, strong enough to start a war with China. In the meantime the real culprit to start another conflict is hiding behind quietly, with a halo on his head while pushing the South Koreans and the Philippines to go ahead.

Two different perspectives to raise pay

Reasons to justify pay hike for workers

1. Increase in productivity
2. If recommended by the NWC
3. Better employee performance
4. Increase in company profit
5. Cost of living adjustment
6. Difficulties in recruitment
7. Need to pay for talent

Reasons to justify pay hike for ministers

1. Difficulties in recruitment
2. To prevent corruption
3. To pay for the bestest talent
4. To keep up with the private sector
5. To maintain a comfortable life style
6. To compensate for the great sacrifice
7. To maintain dignity
8. To retain talent or they will quit
9. Increase in GDP
10. Individual performance
11. More appointment or wearing more hats

From the above, it is obvious that there are more reasons to give pay rise to ministers. There are 11 reasons compare to 7 reasons for the workers.

My observations are limited and I am sure there are more reasons to justify for a pay rise for workers and ministers. Equally there are many reasons not to prevent pay rise for workers and ministers.

In the case of workers, they need to be competitive, to be cheap, better and faster. And they is a huge supply of workers from poorer countries who are willing to work for less. And workers have lesser hats to wear, lesser appointments to be blessed on them. The only reasons to prevent minister pay hike is when the people are angry just like the Citigroup AGM when they minority shareholders voted against the obscene pay of their top management. Other than this, pay hike for top management is a cake walk.

The Master Race

They ruled the world for more than half a millennium. Practically every country and people became the subjects of their empires.  As early as the 13^th Century, they started to move out across the surface of the earth, to conquer, to rape and kill, to plunder and to rule. The Italians owned the Northern part of Africa, the French owned many parts of Africa as well, and so were the Germans and the smaller European states.  They divided Africa among themselves. The French also claimed IndoChina as theirs.

The Spanish went across to America and conquered that continent, and continued across the Pacific Ocean to take the Philippines. The Portugese skirted Africa to India and Southeast Asia. They were followed by the mightier Dutch who carved out Indonesia as their possession.

The mightiest of all were the British who founded a continent to call their own, North America. They also owned the major parts of Africa, the whole of India and many Southeast Asian countries, and further to New Zealand and Australia.

And together, they ventured into China and shared the spoils in dividing China among themselves. From the little extention of the Asia continent called Europe emerged a Master Race, superior than all the others, and when united, they were supreme in many ways. They built great cities, civilisations, great inventions, arts, culture, and modelled the world to their likings. They lived a life of plenty as rulers of the world, owning countries, people and all their resources and wealth.

The same great European grouping today is near the brink of bankruptcy, a beggar of the world, begging every where, demanding donations and charity from their conquered people, from the countries they had plundered to live in luxury, from the colonies they once owned and ruled, the people they once oppressed and killed

.

Saying that they were begging is a misnomer. They don’t beg. Empire builders, the Master Race, don’t beg from the lesser people. They are demanding to be fed, they are demanding trillions of cash to continue their lifestyle of plenty, of being civilised and cultured and being elegant.  Hundreds of billions or trillions have been spent to help them to live a better life while the rest of whole live in near poverty or a much Spartan way of life.  And they are not anywhere near to solving their voracious appetite for the good life without having to work so hard for it. They used to take from the rest of the world. And they want to take again.

The Americans, an abnormal outgrowth of the Master Race, refused to budge or give a penny. They couldn’t as they too are near to bankruptcy. China, a rich nation and empire of its own, plundered and subdued to bankruptcy, all its wealth and dignity stripped, has acquired new wealth and is also unwilling to support the lifestyle of the Master Race that is living beyond its means, and thinking that they still owned the world.

But some former colonies were generous. Some were kind, like little Singapore, offering to help with a $5b loan while it could not afford charity for its own people. Should the world, the conquered people, extend their helping hands to their former oppressor with more money to live a life of aplenty?

Or would this Master Race reassert itself, rearmed and go out to conquer the rest of the world once again, so that they can live on the labour and wealth of other people and nations? Till today, they are still asking for money without wanting to solve their own difficulties. What they are asking today can only last a couple of years and they will be asking for more. There is no end to their problems and there is no end to their asking.

What will the Master Race do next and how would the lesser people of the world respond to their needs? For now they are threatening the world that if they to down, they will bring the whole world with them. That is the strength and reasoning power of the Master Race, the new beggar of the world.

The most brilliant strategy becomes the worst liability

 

This is like the best policy becoming the worst baggage or weakness. When the GRC was first conceived, it was the most brilliant strategy of the PAP to ensure their continued dominance in the Singapore political game of control. The opposition was weak financially, and weak in their ability to attract and put up a number of good candidates. The PAP has all the financial power, even with the raising of election deposits, the more expensive the more favourable to the PAP. And also with its ability to attract the talents who were stay away from the opposition, the GRC is more like a sure win package.

The twist and turn of events have turned a cleverly formulated strategy into a nightmare, and fielding every GRC is now a grave concern to the PAP. The financial power is there, but the slate of good candidates is not. The domineering presence of a strong minister whose name would have carried a GRC is turning the other way, of a guaranteed loss of the GRC.

Unbelieveable but it is what is happening. The PAP may be wise to disband the GRC system and return to the single MP constituency of the past. At least they don’t have to lose a team and losing good ministers because of poor candidates. Yea, it once was having good ministers to carry weak candidates. Now a weak candidate in a GRC team can spell doom to a good minister.

In the context of today’s electorate awareness and voting pattern, I doubt there are more than a handful of ministers with the confidence that they could carry a GRC. Many will sink the GRC or with the GRC. 

It is time to scrap this outdated strategy and void heavy losses in the next GE.

A bad hangover

The ongoing saga of the underage prostitute and the 80+ high flyers of our society is top news for the day. Every evening the chase was reported in prime time news with those charged being hounded down by camera crews in their pathetic pursuits. It looked like great fun, great event, better than playing computer games. Who decides that this is great news to be fully covered in all details, with photographs splashing everywhere? Are they the witches or wizards of modern times, fit for the burning stakes?

After a few days, this thing has become bad taste. Yes, it is not a good thing for everyone. The customers of the prostitute are to be blamed for their plight and indiscretion, and infidelity. Have they not paid enough a price for their wrongdoings? Their lives have been ruined for a statutory crime that is an unacceptable social norm. Many innocents have been hurt just as bad, their families and friends and their institutions. They will carry this stigma for the rest of their lives and will be adversely affected in many ways.

We will need to find more talents to replace them as they will be temporarily indisposed except for those who are their own bosses. Those who need employment will find the embarrassment following everywhere they go. And if we cannot find replacements for their vacant positions, we may need to import more foreign talents to do the jobs.

How much more do these men need to be punished for a controversial crime, or sin? Should we leave them to the courts and not to brutally stab them while they are down? Where is the Yellow Ribbon? Or is it too early to think of that? Or shall we hang their photos everywhere for all to see and get the thrill out of them? Who is more mean and sinister?

If there were no internet…

Mah Bow Tan will still be the Minister of National Development, Wong Kan Seng the Minister of Home Affairs and Raymond Lim still minister of Transport. The housing policy will stay and housing will remain affordable. And of course 3 rm flat will be $1m by now.

Kan Seng would be very happy as the people would have long forgotten about Mas Selamat. Actually, for all the three ministers that were removed, Kan Seng was the most unfortunate one. It could be any minister in his shoe as the escape was not really his doing. He was there in the wrong seat in the wrong time. He had to take the rap for being the minister with the responsibility that comes with the position and pay. He took the rap for the failure of those in charge of the camp but he had no direct dealings with its daily operations.

Raymond would be in deep trouble instead of Tuck Yew. He should thank his lucky star that he is not in the shoe of Tuck Yew now. In a way the problems of public transport was partly the doings of the govt and not just his ministry. They pumped in millions of heads into the system and it was just not possible to build a completely new transport system overnight to cater to the sudden increase in population. From 3m to 5m, you would need another comparable public transport system of buses, trains and taxis to keep it in balance. He was screwed by the system and took the rap for other people’s wild ambition. But the problem may actually be more manageable without the bloggers kpkb in cyberspace. The problem with public transport failure was just too transparent and close to the people affected.

And one thing for sure, without the internet, there will be less complaints heard and all channels of communications will be singing praises that all is fine. And any breakdown could have been played down without the fanfare and fire in the internet that indirectly forces the news into the main media. And our population will have blossomed to 6m by now and the economy could grow by another 15%.

And our property prices would have made every HDB flat owners a millionaire too. The affordability of HDB flats would still be the song being sung daily. And a $1000 pm worker could definitely afford his 2 rm flat which may now cost half a million to buy. Sinkies will all be playing the property market instead of working, like the stock market boom of the early 1990s. There will be long queues in all property launches and all smiling to the banks.

The Minister for National Development would still be Mah Bow Tan. And he would be the toss of everyone who owns a property. He and his team crafted all the policies of housing, the number to build or not to build, the pricing, the market demand and supply for land, and the subsidies. Of the three ministers, Mah Bow Tan’s ministry was thick in action in the property market and public housing. His position was different from Kan Seng or Raymond, whose role in the problems they were held accountable for was more indirect. In housing, the ministry was involved in every comma and full stop of the housing policy for good or bad. They deservedly be held accountable or be rewarded for them.

Can’t imagine what things would be like if Mah Bow Tan is still the minister in charge of housing. For Raymond, it would be hell giving the daily stoppages. In the case of Kan Seng, it would be as quiet and peaceful as the Western front if he has not been removed. National security is still an issue with the huge population but nothing dramatic or hilarious to put him in a spot. The Home Affairs Minister is having a ball at the moment.

Maybe I have over exaggerated the importance of the internet. It was the GE that led to their predicaments.

Shintaro Ishihara is going to buy Diaoyutai

The right wing militant governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, is still waving his samurai sword like a true samurai. He is still living in the days of the Japanese Empire, when Japan ruled East Asia, with Korea and Taiwan as their colonies and China a semi colony. Yesterday he proudly announced that he is going to buy Diaoyutai, a Chinese island which the Japanese claimed during the Empire days and named Senkaku, from a Japanese owner. What’s next, he is going to buy over Taiwan from another Japanese and Dokto from another Japanese as well.

China is lucky that it now carries a bigger stick than the samurai sword and when comes to the crunch, China can wield the stick and swing it hard at the Japanese. What else can the Chinese do if the Japanese insist on taking over Diaoyutai? The Japanese position has weakened over the last decade with the realization that China will go to war if Japan dares take over the island. They used to arrest Chinese and Taiwanese fishing boats and chased them away with their coast guards like what the Philippines were trying to do. The Philippines too were arresting Chinese fishing boats till the latest incident when they threatened some Chinese fishermen with their WW 2 antique warship donated by the Americans.

What happened after the provocative attempt to arrest the Chinese fishermen and threatening to defend their claims with their big guns? They quietly sailed back to Luzon on the pretext of refueling and needing food ration. Or was it that the Chinese told them that they would be sunk by Chinese submarines on their flanks if they refused to get lost?

Lately the Japanese too have been less brazen in arresting and chasing away Chinese fishing boats. They know that their Empire days are over, except for militants like Shintaro. It may be time for some fireworks. And this time it would be the Chinese turn to tell the Japanese that it was the Japanese fault for carrying a smaller gun than the Chinese. That was what the Japanese told the Chinese when they invaded China in the early 20th Century. The Japanese like Shintaro may want to taste their own medicine by pushing the boundary against China. They can still count on America to fight on their side. They can try and see if Tokyo still exists in the aftermath.

Celebration time for Sinkies

HDB flats costing $1m in the resale market, or near to $1m. COE for small cars is now $64k and big cars $91k. And the best part, Sinkies are all celebrating, or at least none is complaining. The property owners are feeling so rich. The car owners who can afford to buy just a piece of paper to entitle them to buy a car must definitely be very rich.

These are happy problems. It only means that Sinkies are getting richer by the day without having to work. No wonder they have to import foreigners to do all the works. Sinkies only need to sit on their properties and feel richer everyday. Now they can also buy cars, park in the car park and wait for the prices to soar with COEs costing more than the value of a car.

With the million dollar flats, they can make a quick pile and spend a little on a brand new car. Who cares whether the train is delayed or not moving? Who cares if COE is $100k? A million dollar HDB flat can buy several COEs and cars. Life is wonderful in this little paradise.

The best plan is to sell the million dollar flat and switch to a 2 rm flat and take advantage of all the subsidies. Don’t work, so will qualify as low income earner. The extra cash can buy a Mercedes to drive around. Hear only the good stuff.

Clockwork Singapore

Singapore used to be a clockwork country. Push a button, press a switch, turn on the tap, everything works. Singapore used to pride itself as a first world country, an oasis in the third world. It differentiated itself with world class quality and services, reliability and efficiency In just a few months, the public train system is breaking apart. How so? This kind of thing does not breakdown overnight. It takes a long gestation period to build up a series of lapses for such a thing to happen. An entire system functioning smoothly over 40 years does not go down like a string of dominoes. That is exactly what is happening to the train system.

Having breakdowns, stoppages and delays are daily business. And the frequency is no longer funny. The standby support system is activated and is working like a substitute to the main system. Excuse for coming late to work chits are printed so that workers can bring it back to office as proof of being late, like getting an MC. Soon organizations will have to check with public transport operators on the validity of such chits and breakdowns. And there will be permanent signs outside every station just to report on delays and breakdowns. It could even have a dedicated radio channel or mobile phone apps to inform commuters to take alternative transport.

It was only yesterday that workers were encouraged to sell their private cars to take public transport, as cheaper, faster and more convenient. Those who opted for the change are finding it a daily hustle to get from point to point. What is going on man?

And with COEs hitting $100k, what is the alternative for those who cannot afford cars now? What is happening to this first world oasis? It is like the light is being switched off, the end is near, age is catching up. The mandate of heaven has been withdrawn and nothing is going to work like clockwork anymore.

And it is happening despite the super talents being in charge and being paid super talented salaries. It is time the people vote like Citigroup against the huge pay packages when the management cannot deliver.

Singapore Day for 3000 in New York

We flew our hawkers to New York. We flew the chief of PA to entertain them. We flew Chee Hean and Amy Khor to shake hands with our Singaporeans and let them know that we missed them and want them to feel that there is a home back home. We flew Michele Chong, Hossan Leong and a few of our local entertainers to give them a bit of Singlish humour.

$4m were spent in the process or about $1,300 per head going by the 3000 happy participants. Only a rich country can afford to throw this kind of party for its overseas citizens. It is money worth spending. What is the purpose of the party? To tell them to come home after their studies or after their overseas experience and acquisition of knowledge and skills? Would they come home?

Heard one of them saying he will need $1m to come home but he could not afford to. He will not be eligible to buy a HDB flat as his income exceeded the ceiling to be classified poor but not rich enough to plonk $1m for a 655 sq ft luxurious condominium. So how?

Singapore can wait. And thanks for the food and the thought. To go home and contribute $1m to the property market and another $100k to buy a COE just do not make money sense. One bowl of laksa may be $10 in New York, but still very cheap.

All victims of Japanese atrocities need to apologise to Japan

After Liew Khai Khuin’s response to a school teacher’s enactment of WW2’s Japanese Occupation, there were some violent responses in the ST forum. Yesterday there was a follow up on the issue by Clarissa Oon, a senior ST writer. This is perhaps the most objective article written by the apologetic victims after the emotional outbursts in the ST forum.

The gist of her objective and critical analysis is that the war and the atrocities are only a matter of interpretation. There is no right and wrong really. In the case of China, it has no right to ask for an apology from Japan after what it had done to its people during the Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution and the Tian Anmen Incident. If China could kill its own people in the millions, what was so wrong about Japan killing Chinese? Until China acknowledges its crime over its citizens, it is inappropriate to demand an apology from Japan for war atrocities.

As for the other nations like Korea or South East Asian countries, their histories have a lot of omissions. ‘Singaporeans should also cast a self critical eye on biases and omissions in the telling of our own national history, even as we take a hard look at the narratives of other countries.’ And ‘While Japan’s neighbours should continue to nudge it to face up more fully to its wartime abuses, these countries should also move towards more honest and open examination of their own histories.’

So Asian countries, please rewrite your history honestly before making demands on Japan. Your own interpretation of your history is wrong. Japan’s interpretation is their business. Asian countries have to be honest first before they can ask Japan for an apology. I am wondering what the Asian countries were so dishonest about? Have they distorted their history and anyhow blamed the Japanese for the atrocities which did not take place? Were the claims of atrocities and brutality false, exaggerated as in the case of the Nankin Massacre? What is the relationship between their own histories, or what have the Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution got to do with Japanese barbarism towards the Chinese and South East Asian people?

I am floored by the convincing objectivity of the brilliant article and how the Asian countries were wronged about Japan. I must pay a visit to Yasukuni Shrine to apologise to the dead Japanese soldiers. We have no right to demand for an apology from the Japanese if we were not honest with our history, or in other words, our history could have been wrong. There were no atrocities and Japanese interpretation could be right, or the Japanese have their right to interpret their own history. It is only a matter of interpretation. It is our fault for wrongly interpreting our history and worst, for omitting about the good part of the Japanese atrocities against Asian people.

Lim Chong Yah’s recommendation and the big risk

There have been all kinds of criticism against Lim Chong Yah’s shock therapy but all seems to miss the most dangerous point. His freezing of the pay of those earning above $15,000 is perhaps the most dangerous of his recommendation. Singapore will definitely sink and become another third world.

With the freezing of top talent’s pay one thing will sure to happen. They will be underpaid and what will be the outcome? Corruption! Corruption will become rampant. For the moment corruption is controlled and prevented from rearing its ugly head. Everyone is paid so well that there is no need to be corrupt or be tempted to corrupt. Once the deserving top talents are not paid enough, this monster can no longer be restrained.

Think the good old professor must rethink and find a solution to this big risk. Don’t believe, some may openly say I no pay enough so I corrupt lah. Don't pray pray.

How to talk cock with cock reasoning

Dr Jim Yong Kim, a Korean American medical doctor was chosen to be the new World Bank chief over the widely respected Nigerian Finance Minister, Ms Ngozi Okonjo Iweala. And the cock reason in an article by AGENCIES reprinted in the Today paper, ‘Inexperience in economics and finance may just help World Bank chief steer agency in new direction.’ Is the new direction towards the abyss? For such an important post, maybe a pimp will be more suitable as you do not need anyone that is finance trained or with a good grasp of world finance. All he needs is an American endorsement and to be the puppet of the Empire.

I mean no disrespect to Dr Jim Yong Kim. He could be a good man, a good doctor. But his appointment is smelly and nonsensical. But the Americans are very good at that. They have been starting wars and killing innocent civilians throughout their history and made the world believe that they are as innocent as an angel and welcomed to kill. They are free from all war crimes.

And their recommendation of a doctor with little experience and financial knowledge is the best thing to happen to the World Bank, to save the world. And the unthinking people of the world believe so. And the Americans must be laughing themselves silly for selling another bottle of snake oil to the gullible people of the world.

False logic and reasoning

The danger of using false logic and reasoning to justify an unjustifiable act is like using a lie to cover another lie. The new lie conceived will need to be a bigger lie than the first, and every subsequent lie will become bigger and more indefensible. And every attempt to defend or cover the lie will make the liar look more stupid and the faked logic more untenable. It is only a matter of time when the lies fall through and the liar falls flat on his face.

The logic that GST is to help the poor, foreigners to help the citizens, foreigners are more talented, new citizens are Singaporeans, like one of us, high pay to prevent corruption, high minister pay is the right thing to do, HDB flats are affordable and driven by market forces, etc etc have started to have that hollow ring.

The people are starting to question these logics and starting to disbelieve in them. No matter how often are these songs being sung or printed as the real stuff, the good stuff, the truth will surface to tell a false logic is a false logic.

I recall a story of a poor family having a great reunion dinner behind closed doors. And they were celebrating and offering each other roast pork and chicken in a very happy and generous way. And they were toasting each other with cognac. Anyone outside will be so envious of the party and the feast they were having.

Peeping through the door, the truth was plain and clear, that they were sharing red and white potatoes and drinking plain tea. But they were living a life of make beliefs, just to feel good and be happy. The good thing was that they knew that they were deceiving themselves for the moment. It would be sad if they did not know that they were living a lie. It would be sadder if they were living under other people’s lie.