Malaysia lost 40,600 citizens to Singapore

According to Hishamuddin, Malaysia lost 47,769 citizens due to emigration between 2002 to 2012. Of these, 40,624 ended as Singaporeans. In the same period Malaysia received 74,092 applications to be PRs. Thus Malaysia will have a net gain, so nothing to worry about.

This is quite similar to the Singapore situation. Though more Singaporeans are migrating, to cash out or because of their children’s education, many many more foreign talents are queuing up to replace them. Singapore will end up as the net gainer with more talented foreigners coming in to replace the lesser talented Sinkies that left. Singapore must be very happy with this state of affair, a very fair exchange in its favour.

Think Malaysia too will be gaining more foreign talents to replace their unhappy and not so talented citizens that have chosen to move out since they could not make it there. It is a win win situation really. The two countries got to get rid of the people they did not want and got in return talents that they want. And those who left are happier and those who came are even happier.

It saddens me

‘To New Citizen: You may be appreciated PAP for being offered as “New Citizen” but after 10-15 years, you too will be replaced if the PAP still there and will not change its pro-foreigner policy!’

Someone wrote this comment in an article warning that Sinkies would be replaced by foreigners and new citizens too will be replaced when they became Sinkies. He thought this would be a good way to warn foreigners not to become daft Sinkies and fall into the same trap. Now, shall I call this comment daft? No, no need. Sinkies are daft anyway.

The foreigners are not as daft as Sinkies for sure. Not even the masseurs and the hawkers or the foreign workers. They may not received the education we had, but that does not make them stupid. Stupidity is inborn or can be formed by the environment.

Foreigners have their sums all worked out. Take up citizenship, buy a subsidised HDB flat which will appreciate in 5 or 10 years to give a 50% or 100% return on investment. Get a good job and live decently. Enjoy all the benefits and subsidies of citizenship, good medical facilities, schools for children, learn everything they can, and when the price of the flat is good, sell and go home to be a rich man. This is a simple sure win formula. And some daft Sinkies who need a flat, because they have sold theirs, or for whatever stupid policies, not allowed to buy direct from HDB, must pay a ransom to him as profits. Sinkies have limited options. The new citizens have plenty of options to game the system and win/win and win in all counts.

There is no need to strike fear in them not to take up citizenship. The system is so good, so brilliant, designed so perfectly to encourage foreigners to sink root here. And die die they will want to come and become citizens. And when it is time to scoot, their sons too will leave with them and no need to serve NS.

Now who is daft? Sinkies too can scoot and benefit from the system. For the average Sinkies, this is the only way to game the system too. If they don’t, when the leases of their million dollar flats expire, it will be like waking up from a wet dream.

Actually I am very sad reading that advisory statement. It just goes to show that Sinkies are really daft, beyond redemption, and they did not know, thinking that foreigners are daft. The foreigners are laughing all the way to the banks at their expense and stupidity. The foreigners are smart enough to take full advantage of the system but the Sinkies don’t, or can’t.

Singapore encourages more babies

Singapore wants its citizens to produce more babies. The govt will help definitely, in many ways. It discourages sex other than with the spouses. It discourages sex in the outdoors. The children may grow up a bit wild. It discourages sex overseas, especially in Paris, in case the child grows up with expensive taste or wants to be quitters. It definitely frowns on oral sex and makes it a crime. Hopefully this will promote productive sex with babies.

And public flats are very affordable, really. The minister spoke and swore about it many times, and reported in the main media. A Sinkie only needs to earn $1000 pm to buy a 2 rm public housing flat. Where to find such good deals?

And the govt is concerned about the flats becoming too small. One spokesperson even called it inhuman to have flats smaller than 350 sq ft. So 350 sq ft would be it, just about right for raising children. To make this more convincing, there was a documentary on how ingenious a Hongkonger fitted up his 350 sq ft flat for 7 with the most modern gadgetry. Quality living at its best. You must believe!

Many of the spokepersons have already started a talk to the Sinkies campaign on how liveable is a 350 sq ft flat for a small family of 4. And many Sinkies are out defending the merits of such big and comfortable flats. Some spokespersons also went on record that the quality of life would not be affected.

With such authoritative people championing the cause of smaller flats, the Sinkies must be really convinced. They should be, as they are known to be easily convinced. They drink shit water too, when told to. No sweat. Sinkies can go home to multiply happily and help to grow the economy and themselves as well. More head counts mean economically richer, more contributions to the economy.

Don’t worry, 350 sq ft is great living for a small family. Other countries were worst off with smaller space.

Good riddance Manchester United

It must be the happiest news today to know that Manchester United is listing its IPO in the US instead of SGX or HK Exchange. The investors here were saved for once from ploughing their hard earned money into another precarious stock. Let the Americans celebrate this great listing.

The local investors would have to thank SGX or Magnus Bocker for this failed listing here. He has saved the local investors big time this round. His service has been extended for another term and let’s hope he will do more to save the stock market. The scrapping of the lunch break and the carrot of increasing trading volumes and commission has failed quite miserably. Maybe extending the trading hours may improve volumes and commission.

At the way the market is moving, and the pathetic volume and commissions generated, many broking houses will be looking at the retrenchment card soon. Let’s hope Bocker can do something to save the stock market or it will go pissed, like a flat tyre, during his watch. And there will be many red faces with no where to hide. Bocker is going to be the savior of the stock market and the industry, or else many will be retrenched soon.

Europe offers good opportunities for gamblers

The situation in Europe offers great opportunities to throw in big money to bet big time. It is a once in 50 years opportunity, just like the American financial crisis that became an international financial crisis, and too big to fail banks kept falling one by one.

If I have a lot of money, I too would be very eager to pour some into the big hole and hopefully it will reward with several times the value of the chips. I dare say that with a clear conscience because I will be gambling with my own money and losing my own money. I too will encourage anyone with money to lose to try their luck.

But I would strongly advise against such an act if people are taking charge of national reserves that cannot afford to lose. Banks who are custodians to depositors’ money should also tread very carefully and don’t think it is time to gamble with the money held in trust.

Fund managers are no different but they will take the jump. This is a once in a life time opportunity to strike big time and to lose big time. Losing big time is ok as it is other people’s money that they are gambling with. Go fund managers, go, invest everything you got. If win big, one time bonus will be enough to retire for life. If lose, the worst is to lose the job. But that is also secured by a severance package that will be big enough to retire happily. Nothing to lose really, head, fund managers win, tail, fund managers also win. Only the owners of the money risk to lose their life savings. If I am a fund manager, I will be damn garang in times like this.

How to be a millionaire in Sin?

Think Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg. No, they are billionaires, wrong role models. In Sin, there are several easy ways to be millionaires, and don’t take the entrepreneur route. That is too difficult and treacherous and many will fail along the way.

One sure and easy way is to buy a public flat and sit on it. No need to work. Just wait, 10 years, 20 years or 30 years. The price will surely go up. It will definitely go above $1m in time. And there is a luxury of 99 years to wait for it to happen.

The other sure way to becoming a millionaire is to be an employee, a civil servant. Many in the Administrative Service are millionaires many times over. And it is sure and fast. Once one reaches a certain level, in the super scale, one could be a millionaire every year on. That is how easy to be a millionaire as a civil servant.

The other route is to be a politician. This one is even more rewarding. Many of the politicians, even MPs, are multi millionaires in their own right. And if one is senior enough, one could retire and continue to receive millionaire income every year, maybe faster than that without having to work.

Why would anyone want to be an entrepreneur when the success rate is so low? Be an employee, a public employee. Or just buy a public housing flat, and it is a matter of time to become a millionaire. One qualification with regards to this type of millionaires. Many are taking public transport to work not by choice but because they could not afford to buy a car. And many are waiting for govt handouts to make ends need. But is it still a very good feeling to know that one is worth a million in asset terms.

Can anyone understand why the queue to be citizens is getting longer?

Elected MP versus rejected MP

Elected MP of Hougang, Png Eng Huat, will have to seek the support and approval from rejected MP, Desmond Choo, for the housing or upgrading programmes for Hougang residents. The former is elected by the ultimate authority of the country, the people, the real owner of the land. The latter is appointed by a political party that happens to be the Govt of the day.

The title of Desmond Choo is grassroot adviser. Is it a part of the govt? Is Desmond Choo an employee of the govt, earning a salary? Why is a grassroot adviser vested with so much authority over a people’s elected representative? Is this the right or correct way of how democracy should be practised?

In a democracy, it is always of the people, by the people and for the people. The Elected MP is of the people, by the people and working for the people. The rejected MP cannot be of the people and by the people. He is an appointee of the govt in a capacity that is neither an employee nor the govt. I am not very familiar with this thing called grassroot adviser. Why must an elected MP, the people’s representative who earns a right to sit in Parliament, have to seek the approval of a grassroot adviser whose authority lies in where?

What is a grassroot leader? An official or unofficial community leader of the people, by the people or appointed by the govt?

This I really cannot understand.

Nathan Tinkler, the foreign talent Singapore needs

At 36, he is the richest Australian below the age of 40. He is making Singapore his home, to be nearer to his customers. He is one of the few real high net worth people after Jim Roger and Eduardo Saverine to make this island home base.

Tinkler was quoted to have told a journalist who approached him for a story, “You’re a f**king deadbeat, people like me don’t bother with f**king you. You climb out of your bed every morning for your pathetic hundred grand a year, good luck.”

For sure the journalist did not get an apology from him. And Reuben Wang should not feel too bad in such company. As long as Tinkler did not shoot at our minister, I think he should be ok. He needs not adapt to anyone. Sinkies better adapt to him. Singapore loves this kind of foreign talent. Ministers, please stay clear of him. He was a coal miner and you should know what coalminers are.

Someone needs to give him a lesson on social etiquette and decorum in the company of our dear leaders. He will have plenty of opportunities to be in their good company, or even be invited to the Istana. Just hold your cool, mate.

One thing, this guy is real. He doesn’t hide his feelings. He is no hypocrite. Matilah will make a good companion for him, same lingo.

Nordic system not good enough

How can the Nordic system be good enough for Sinkies? Sinkies must not be easily satisfied with any system that money can buy. We must demand the best and must expect the best and nothing else.

The Nordic system is good but not good enough. We have the most talented ministers, paid the world’s highest salaries to match their talents, how can they be expected to deliver less? Let’s not insult our talented ministers by asking for half baked system. We can depend on them for the best system the world can ever had.

Sinkies cannot be shortchanged. Every cent we paid must be matched in quality and value. If Sinkies are willing to pay out of this world salary to their political leaders, it will be daft of them to expect anything less than out of this world quality and system.

In another 10 years or 20 years, Sinkies will get the best system money can buy. Just be patient. The Nordic system is nothing.

Fuck you! They cheered

.


Was in this nightspot and in the company of many young and beautiful people with a lot of money to burn. Not Holland V for sure. These were the young and upward mobile people, talented, well educated and enjoying life. But listening to their conversation was quite enlightening. They were fucking and fucking at you know who.

This singles were obviously very angry. Of course they were. Several still did not have a place of their own. Single and too rich and not eligible to buy HDB. One confessed he had quite a bundle in his bank account and could afford a private flat. Then his temper shot up. ‘What the fuck must I pay half a million for a shoe box or a million for a private flat. I served my NS, I am supposed to defend and die for this fucking country. And they refused to sell me a HDB. What am I defending for? I am homeless!’

He had many comrades who were in the same shit, and all started, ‘Fuck you, fuck you.’

Some in the group were married. And they too were shouting in chorus, ‘Fuck you, fuck you.’ For they too were not eligible to buy HDB. Too talented and too high an income for their own good. They were victims of their own success. So what it they had served NS and still needed to do reservists? The new citizens are definitely much better off than them without having to do NS and burdened with a life of reservist liabilities. And fuck you, they all cheered.

I share their grievance. I understood, and feel they have every right to fuck the buggers. The people they are fucking deserved to be fucked. No doubt about it. Not a single shred of doubt.

Hsien Loong’s speech on growth

Hsien Loong’s speech to the Economic Society of Singapore has attracted critics to question some of the premises that he used. One is the soundness of our SWF and the other, the almost flogged to death horse, the need for more immigrants as the only way for growth.

I read Kenneth Jeyaretnam’s comments on how much was really left in our SWF or the possibility that we don’t really have much money in our reserves. To this I have a simple answer. Our reserves or money available for our SWF is unlimited. Our people will contribute in one way or another to ensure that the funds will always have plentiful of money. The supply is unlimited. Even dictators will be envious of our suppliers of money for our SWF. The people are happily providing the money without complaining or without knowing that they are doing so. Thus they did not even bother to know how much is there or not there. The only thing that needs to worry about is whether the people ended with any money for retirement or hospitalization.

As for more people for more growth, I think the people have not been cooperative, or not listening, or at least the Chinese and Indians. They need to support this policy by increasing the number of headcounts per household. They need to multiply more aggressively, even have more spouses if desperate measures are needed. More spouses, more children, instant growth. And if both can’t work, bring in more foreigners into their homes. The growth formula that is applicable to the country must also be applicable to households as well.

The only catch is that if one has two members living in a 1,000 sq ft flat, having four members will reduce the space per head from 500 sq ft to 250 sq ft. And if there are 10 members, each will only have 100 sq ft and this may impact on the quality of life. Then again it may not be so as some are advocating for smaller units. Dogs being quite comfortable in their little kennels are good examples to emulate. If Sinkies can be convinced to think and live like dogs, then space should not be an issue at all. Just a spot to lie down will be more than adequate.

When the Sinkies are conditioned to accept such quality of living, then having 10 member households would be a normal thing and every household will surely enjoy good growth. And if they want continuous growth then they just have to continuously make more babies to increase the number of people per household.

It is such a simple and logical solution and it is exasperating to find Sinkies unable to grasp such beautiful logic. More heads mean more growth, dummy. The farmers used to share this logic in the farms.

Notable quote on Thoughtlessness

The Zen of Thoughtlessnes


Just saw this cartoon strip of a senior monk telling a novice or student monk. ‘I have never met anyone so thoughtless in my life. Keep up the good work.’

And the novice monk replied, ‘Thank you master.’

The rights and wrongs of Reuben Wang

Reuben Wang is the new young sensation after the infamous get out of my elite uncaring face episode. But this time Reuben’s notoriety is about swearing at the DPM. Young people are hot and expressive. It is a kind of language that I too occasionally let go when frustrated by the unrepentant. Using such terminologies are socially incorrect in whatever circumstances, but sometimes they came out spontaneously and there is no other expletives that can replace them in saying what needs to be said. I am not encouraging the young to be so flowery and generous in their verbal expression.

It is the right for anyone to disagree with anyone, even with the govt or the most powerful one. Disagreement is not about being rude or uncourteous or being offensive or even a crime. What is so wrong about saying one disagree with some views or even policies? Unless the turkey thinks that he is damn right and nobody can disagree with his idiocy.

Young people, especially sinkies, must be encouraged to think critically and to disagree when it is right to disagree, when they seriously think that something is just not right. Maybe it is not a matter of right or wrong but a matter of priorities, a matter of values, a matter of interpretations.

No one shall be castigated for disagreeing. The schools have a vital role in not teaching students to conform to authority for the sake of political correctness. This will be the biggest failure of our education process if we do that. And unfortunately we have done that for too long and have sterilized the minds of several generations of unthinking Sinkies.

The inability or fear to question and to disagree is a sickness in our people to the extent that any little disagreement or non acceptance of a dominant idea is taken as a big surprise, a big shock, a no no. Disagreement, in the case of Reuben Wang, could be put forth succinctly, forcefully but with less venom. A little deference is not a bad thing but not be cowed by jokers who demand that everyone must know his place. A bit of decorum and decency is good and would allow a disagreement to be taken and accepted in a more pleasant way. Just disagree if one has do, and there is nothing about being brave or being right or wrong, but don’t give the other an excuse that one is rude. That will distract the whole intention of the disagreement.

As this is exactly what happened to the Reuben case. It is no longer about the whys of his outburst, the reason for his displeasure or anger. It is now about his being socially incorrect, rude and maybe be removed from school. It became a disciplinary issue. What happens to the crux of the discussion? Lost in the milieu of challenging a social norm?

Happy Times are here

Today the ST generously gave space on its front page to Hsien Loong making bak chang and an equally happy Yeo Guat Kwang on his side. You can see that they are genuinely very happy people without a care and living a life of plenty. Swiss standard of living is here.

Back in my mind I was wondering how many Sinkies are enjoying the same kind of lifestyle with the wonderful growth that the country is chalking up all these years. If only more Sinkies can enjoy everyday the way Hsien Loong and his ministers and MPs are enjoying, having simple joy of making bak chang and enjoying every moment of it, the govt would have done it. It will really be a success story to tell the world, that we have achieved in building a country of happy and affluent people.

And he would not need to apologise for doing things wrong and no need to exhort the people on the need for more migrants to shore up the economic growth for the good of the people. Everything will take care of itself if more citizens can flash the same kind of happy smile. What I am seeing is that the happy smiles are on the faces of many foreigners here. Even the grandpas and grandmas of foreign talents strolling in the estates with their grandchildren are looking very contented with their lives here. You can see that they are really enjoying every moment of it like they are in paradise, a place where there is no worries, the good life.

China – What a disappointment!

It is unbelieveable, it is too early to tell, the Chinese must have been tweaking their numbers, and against the analysts of the world, the most intelligent bunch of idiots, China defies all the doomsayers by chalking up another scintillating set of economic numbers. The slump, the hard landing as predicted by these analysts all looked very silly.

Export growth in May over last year went up by a huge 15.3% exceeding or equal the once in 500 years annual GDP growth record held by Singapore last year, at 15%, or was it 15.5%? Imports also soared by 12.1% over last year. And the brilliant analysts with their grand computer assisted formula were expecting a sharp fall, which would lead to job losses and unrest.

There are so many countries with less than 5% growth and many with zero growth rates but with no social unrest. China must be different. A decline in growth from 8.5% to 8% is so terrible and could spell disasters for China. The bankruptcies of Greece, Spain and many European countries are well accepted by their people without serious social unrest. The only countries that would face serious social unrest are those targeted by the West for more military assistance to resist their ruling govts.

The doomsayers are obviously feeling very angry and deeply disappointed. Why is this underdeveloped country with unsophisticated country bumpkins failed to slow down and continue to make them look so clownish? What they also forgot is that a major slowdown will bring down the world’s economy as well. At the moment it is the Chinese economy and some other Asian economies that are propping up the international economy. Without these growing economies, the world would plunge into a major recession and they would not need any analysts and doomsayers anymore. And no more cheap and good Chinese products to lower their cost of living, no more Apple Iphones at affordable prices in the market.

Too early to tell, they echoed. They are still hoping to be right. For that to happen, Europe and America must first go on a tailspin, to cut their demands for Chinese goods before it hits China. And when Europe and America fall flat, China could still rely on its domestic market and other Asian and African markets to grow at 3 to 5% which are very respectable growth numbers during a recession.

And last month's trade surplus for China was $24b! That amount could probably save Greece or Spain.

The spirit of being exciting

The young sinkies are doing everything they could to live an exciting life in the oasis of affluence. They painted themselves, pierced their noses and everywhere in their bodies, boys and girls. They take soap bath on the beach of Sentosa, they experimented with drugs and parties, smoke and drink. They drive fast and fanciful cars.

The adults experimented with the meis meis and young girls, and with professionals as part of their jobs. They tried in Paris, in hotels, in car parks and in HDB flats too.

The oldies try working again, try to get hitch again, try to live young again, try to dance and play. Only problem, no money, no honey, and the joints are not moving.

Funny thing is that I don’t find anything exciting at all. Where is the spirit of excitement? What shall I do on a beautiful Sunday? Maybe should try the casino. That must be the safest place to be without getting into all kinds of trouble with the exciting spirit in living.

Runway 2020 Series

This is my Runway 2020 Series with models in fanciful hairdos and makeups. A piece of rar art created by the Art of RAR Technique. More rar art pieces can be viewed in www.artofrar.blogspot.com/.

What I did to justify my pay

As a photographer or an artist, there is always the moment in time to ask this question, how much to charge for my work. A photograph is a photograph, and so is a painting. They are basically ink on paper. They don’t cost so much.

Why is a Picasso worth several millions? Why is a Munch worth just as much? And why is the work of a new artist worth nothing much more than the ink and paper that he called art?

There are efforts, skills, time and talent elements in them. As for the ancient masters, there is the rarity, cannot get any more. And there is the hype element as well as the fictitious value of investment in rare art pieces.

The value or worth of an artist is debatable and controversial unlike those of a hard working labourer who earns his keep by the number of hours he sweat and muscle on. Then there are the pen pushers or those who use their fingers instead to work. How much is their labour worth?

And there will be those who demand to be paid in the millions. Could they really justify the millions for the daily chores they did? How many workers and employees, including those in top management could really justify the money paid to them? Just tally the things one did in the 8 or 12 hours of a day, half an hour for chit chat, half an hour for shitting, half an hour for tea breaks, one hour for lunch, half an hour reading newspapers and an hour reading reports and correspondence, an hour meeting people and getting to know people, a couple of hours attending meetings, talking cock and so on. How much would that be worthed?

The changing values and meaning of affluence

With increasing affluence, the meaning of good life today is very different from those of yesteryears. There was a time when the goals of life and living were fairly straightforward. Work and acquire enough wealth for a carefree retirement. This would mean a roof over the head and some savings that would last till the end of one’s life, and some children and grand children to share some family warmth and joy.

Many today have achieved this state of financial independence many times over while in their 30s or 40s. They have their dream homes, plenty of cash and could do many things more without having to work till retirement. There are exceptions at the other extremes.

For the successful and those who have acquired enough for their lifetimes or many lifetimes, the meaning of life becomes a pursuit for happiness in their chosen ways. Some choose to continue to acquire more wealth to last another few generations, some choose to make themselves merry.

Front page news in the ST today shows a very jubilant supporter of Holland in the Euro Cup. He decked his balcony with all the colourful banners of the Holland which cost him some small change. You can see that his joy is real. It came from his heart. The past misdeeds of the colonialist were long forgotten. There is a revived pride to be part of the colonial master’s celebration.

ST also gave two full spread to the celebration of the Queen of England’s Diamond Jubilee. Full colour pages must have cost a bomb to put them in our papers. Many former subjects of the British monarch must be reliving their glorious past and good times with memories of the Queen of England. The young fed with fairy tales of kings and queens and handsome princes and beautiful princesses will have their dreams come true with such extravaganzas.

In times like this, when all the material needs are fulfilled, and bloating bank accounts, something seems to be missing. How nice would it be if Singapore is represented in the Euro Cup or whatever Cups so that the Singaporeans can have something really to cheer about, to be part of and to be proud of and to hang colourful banners on their balconies. How nice would it be if the Queen of England is once again our Queen and we can dress up Orchard Road and the whole country to celebrate the event just like we did in 1953. Long live the Queen, and everyone can burst their lungs with God Save the Queen.

We sorely need a football team that can do us proud and give us a reason to cheer and celebrate and spend money wearing their jerseys, the scarves, waving their banners and beating the drums. We need a political figure to enjoy this kind of adulation and deference and an excuse to party, to sing and to dance.

Time to seriously consider spending a couple of billion to own a world class football club. It is a pity that Peter Lim failed or we will have Manchester United at our doorstep to adore and cheer for. It is a pity that we don’t have princes and princesses to make our dreams come true. A monarchy is not really a bad thing, really, when life is aplenty and everyone has all the money and time to look for occasions to celebrate.

We already have mayors, like the Mayor of Nottingham. We can go a few steps further by having dukes and duchess, counts and countesses, and a living king, and then write our own fairy tales for children in schools.

Xenophobic/sinophobic foreign talents

Why are people blaming Sinkies for being xenophobic? Sinkies are the most timid and useless bunch of people around. Small built, specky, inarticulate, dumb and always willing to oblige as foreigner’s punching bag. I just read a taxi driver being beaten unconscious by a Korean passenger he was picking up. What happened to all the macho taxi drivers that think they own the roads, their grandfathers’ roads? This taxi driver was punched unconscious without even knowing how to hit back.

Then those angmohs that attacked another taxi driver in Suntec, and another in Orchard Road. But the most infamous foreigner must be the one at Clementi coffeeshop that beat up a Singaporean couple, including their son, and chased them all the way to the car park for wanting a second helping of chilli sauce.

How many times did anyone hear of Sinkies beating up foreigners? And don’t forget the nepalise gurkhas beating up Sinkies after ogling at the Sinkie’s girlfriend. Then the angmoh cyclist who beat up a Sinkie motorist.

And the slashing of Sinkies in the Kallang area when a bright young student nearly got all his fingers chopped off.

Aren’t these foreigners xenophobic or a better word, sinophobic? The best joke I heard was this Sinkie man got scolded by two nubile PRC women in a train and went gaga. The women chided him as untalented as the reason why they were invited here by the govt to improve the Sinkie genes. And all the useless Sinkies in the train were equally useless as they stood by watching helplessly at the helpless and useless Sinkie man.

What on earth could Sinkies be xenophobic when foreigners feel so comfortable bashing them around and insulting them everywhere? This is the only country in the world that the citizens were proudly presented to foreigners as no talent, and that foreigners came here believing that they are here to help them. And the Sinkies better be grateful and be good or they will deserve a bashing. And of course the bokok Sinkie would be told to take legal action against the talented foreigner who would probably scoot before anything happens. And those who did not scoot, nothing much would happen to them unless the Sinkie got money to bring them to court. Civil matters lah.

Luckily they have scrapped the rugged society campaign. Too much computer games, fighting enemies with the fingers, by pressing buttons. There are many four eye warriors in the computer games arcade shops. Thank God that in modern warfare everything is just push button. If it is street fighting and close combat, our specky boys would kenna jialat jialat. Still garang, want to be xenophobic?

So easy to con the Sinkies

It is so easy to con the Sinkies by the boiling frog technique. Sinkies are very adaptable to pain and soon forget how and where it started, and a little relief will be all they are asking. A good example is like a forum writer to the ST calling for a lower increase in the Minimum Sum to factor in real and relevant inflations and not all inflations. The writer forgot that the Minimum Sum was not supposed to be there in the first place. He also forgot that no one, not even the govt should be allowed to write away their money into Minimum Sum. Now the writer will be feeling so grateful if the amount to be drafted into the Minimum is a bit lesser. Does he know that it is his money in the first place, that he should be the one to decide whether to put money into the minimum sum and how much?

Similar kinds of thinking are applicable in many areas. The huge increase in foreigners, in the millions has been forgotten. Sinkies are happy if the increase is a little lesser.

The COE, which is a flawed and biased system, now between $60k to $80k. Any little fall in the COE price the Sinkies will be celebrating. Likewise public housing price, from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands and now a small decrease in price and Sinkies will be shouting cheap cheap, buy buy. In the first place the price should not be so high by any count.

Another example is that some are so happy that the govt has started to ramp up the building of public flats. In the first place the building programme should not have been so drastically cut to force many Sinkies out of the public housing market, cannot buy because of the delays and the ceilings.

The small incremental technique is so effective in dulling the thinking of daft Sinkies. It is like shifting the goal posts every now and then, a few inches a time and Sinkies could not notice the difference over time. After the goal posts have been shifted by 10 feet, Sinkies will be begging for a one foot reduction and will be so grateful if it is done.

More migrants – The Sinkies are not convinced

With the barrage of ministerial speeches, reports, surveys and what have you, the people are obviously not convinced that the influx of population should continue unabated. There are just too many people on this piece of rock and enough is enough. As the voices of protest gets louder and angrier, what were the response from the govt?

A govt that pledged to listen to the people is expected to really listen, take stock of the people’s unhappiness and do the rightful or needful. The govt also can take the deaf frog attitude and do what it wants according to what it thinks is right, the ‘I know best and no need to talk more’ approach.

What we are seeing is a govt that is growing impatient when persuasion does not work. From trying to coax the Sinkies that more migrants are necessary for the growth of the country and good for the people, it has changed tack. It is now resorting to chastising the people, branding the people as xenophobic, unleashing unjustifiable and unfriendly tirades at the foreigners.

Really? The Sinkies are angry with the foreigners? Nay. They are not angry with the foreigners. That is rubbish. The Sinkies are tolerating the foreigners and knowing that it is not their fault for being here in such big numbers. They are angry with the govt and its policies for allowing so many foreigners here. It is the Sinkies against the govt, not against the foreigners. The foreigners only came under attacked when they misbehaved or broke the law of the country as individuals. There is no xenophobia here.

No one should try to pitch the fight as Sinkies against foreigners. This is just a diversionary tactics. The Sinkies are angry with the policy makers. They are not that daft to pick on the innocent foreigners.

India, where are you going?

India is the next emerging superpower, and deeply entrenched as the number one regional power in the Indian Ocean, unchallenged. It is so disheartening to hear the elation and rejoicing in New Delhi that India was the only country mentioned by the Empire as a crony in its return to the Asia Pacific region. India may now hope to be assigned a more important role by the Emperor.

In this celebration mood, India has even forgotten that the French is claiming to be a power in the Indian Ocean. India would now have to share the Indian Ocean with the French. The Brits would not be too far behind in the return to the East. Welcome Sahib, to the East India Company.

If India is aspiring to be a super power on its own steam, it should rightly stand as tall as the US and not acting as a side kick in the Empire’s scheme of things. And India must not forget that all the cronies of the Empire would have to bloody their hands if they want to remain as a faithful and loyalty poodle. And Afghanistan is waiting for grateful Indian troops to play its role as a willing partner to the killings of the Afghans, and who knows where else later.

Welcome to the dark side, the Emperor said. India should not regret the great opportunity offered. Be very grateful and honoured.

Chew Sutat – The importance of retail investors

Finally a sensible voice from the SGX spoke. A stock market without retail investors is like a bankrupt with no cash. The retail investors provide the life supporting liquidity in a stock market. Getting rid of retail investors is as good as saying goodbye to the big funds and to the stock market. Someone must feed the big funds with profits, and this can only come from the retail investors. For the last decade or so, the big funds are happily sucking away the invested funds of the retail investors to a point that it is critically dangerous, that there will be no retail investors left to keep the market alive.

The pathetic state of the local stock market when the volume generated were mainly from machines and the funds must be telling unless the people in the know choose to put on their blinkers. The pathetic value of many stocks in the main board is another indicator that the market is in the intensive care ward and could go kaput any time.

What is seriously wrong with the market is obvious. It needs to provide a level playing field for big and small investors. The retail investors cannot be victims to unfair practices like trading against machines and computers. These must be removed if the market is not going to die a premature death.

Derivatives or instruments that are pure gambling chips that destroy the value of stocks or against the true value of stocks are also detrimental to the viability of a stock exchange. When healthy companies could helplessly see their stocks being sold down indiscriminately because the funds bid them down through a complex web of derivatives with no regards to the sound fundamental of stocks, it is a very destructive process that must be stopped to save the stocks and markets. When good companies cannot grow the value of their stocks in the market, there is no reason for them to continue listing in the market. Similarly, retail investors cannot continue to plough their money into good stocks for long term investments only to be destroyed by derivative play.

The third point is the uncontrolled influx of unlimited number of stocks in a small market that could not swallow them. To make matters worst, many of the foreign stocks are fly by night stocks and investors have no real recourse to claim back their investments lost through foul play. The exchange has to act responsibility to protect investors and their money by not indiscriminately allowing questionable foreign stocks to be listed here.

Protecting the small retail investors is the key to a healthy and sustainable stock market. The small retail investors must not be left at the mercy of big funds and their destructive machines in an unlevel playing field. Looking at the long term, many serious flaws in the market system and mechanisms must be rectified or else the market is sure to head towards oblivion must quicker than we known. The truth cannot be hidden for too long. It is not only unhealthy, it is sick, very sick.

Would there be strong political will and a little wisdom to make the necessary changes to save the market?

Deep holes, weak leaders

This is the title of Thomas Friedman’s article in the ST today. Let me just do a précis of this article to make sense in the Singaporean context. I would leave out the irrelevant and may alter or substitute a word or phrase here and there to make it more interesting to read.

One of the most troubling features of today’s global economic crisis is the lack of political leadership anywhere. No one has the courage to tell people the truth. And the truth, alas, is that ‘five’ of the pillars of today’s global economy – Europe, America, China and the Arab world – have, each in their own way, squandered huge dividends they enjoyed in recent decades, and how they have to dig out of their respective holes with fewer resources, less time and, almost certainly, more pain.


There is no way out. But, as confronting these hard truths becomes unavoidable, I think we’re likely to see some wild, angry and destabilizing politics that could make the economic recovery even more difficult. Deep holes and weak leaders are a bad combination….


“Someone among the leaders must finally tell the people the truth: This fresh start can only be achieved with a radical first step,” he said….


But the leaders used their surpluses of power and wealth to ignore the United Nations’ Human Rights Report…Instead, they enriched a small slice of their populations and distracted the rest with shiny objects….


“To its credit, it used its huge export dividend to build 21st century infrastructure and to educate its people, creating a rich upper middle class. But the current leadership has not used this surging economic growth to also introduce gradual political reform. Corruption is as bad as ever, institutionalised transparency and the rule of law remain weak and consensual politics nonexistent. If growth slows and incomes widen further, more and more steam will build up in the system with no outlet, which is surely one reason that the country will reach ‘a critical stage.’


So for these countries, in different ways, these have been the years the locusts ate. Getting healthy again will be wrenching for all of us. At a minimum, it would need a sensible plan to fix the economy – which is what people want most and many in the business would surely support it. The country cannot wait until 2016 to do serious policy changes again.

Dr Lim Hock Siew, on the wrong side of history

A man of principle, detained without trial under the ISA for leftist political belief, passed away on 4 June 12 at the age of 82. He could have walked out of prison earlier if he just said he would denounce the use of force to overthrow the govt. He refused on the ground that his detention was unjustified and chose to stand by his principle. He said,

"I am not interested in saving Lee Kuan Yew’s face. This is not a question of pride but of principle. My detention is completely unjustifiable and I will not lift a single finger to help Lee Kuan Yew to justify the unjustifiable. In the light of what you say, is it not very clear that I have lost my freedom all these long and bitter years just to save Lee Kuan Yew’s face? Therefore the PAP regime’s allegation that I am a security risk is a sham cover and a facade to detain me unjustifiably for over nine years."

Dr Lim was also a founding member of the PAP but broke away to join another party, the Barisan Socialist.

A dirty house

When the house is dirty, the cockroaches, ants and flies will make it their homes. They will infest a dirty house to run riots in every nick and corner. They will become irritants to the owners. The owners can start spraying them and see their dead carcasses littering everywhere. But they will not go away. More will return to occupy the dirty house.

A more effective way is to clean the house, put it in order. Get rid of bad habits, dirty habits, disorders, and impose strict discipline and good behavior. When a house is in order, when a house is clean and not shitty, the roaches, rats, flies and ants will find it unsuitable or inhospitable to stay. They will go away naturally and will not reappear.

Buying insecticide spray, swaps, rat poison, roach traps, is only a temporary solution. The real and long lasting solution is to keep the house clean. And gluttony, eating too much and dropping crumbs everywhere, too much unfinished and unable to consume food, too will cause a house to become unhealthy and smelly. That’s when the irritating pests will return to haunt the owner.

Keep the house clean and in good order. And don’t anyhow bring in fair weather friends who are only interested in sponging and feasting in the house and with one foot outside, ready to scoot when the buffet is gone.

After Hougang

With Png Eng Huat secured as the newly elected MP, the WP has started to do what they need to do to serve the Hougang residents and win more hearts for the next GE in 2016. Desmond Choo too would be busy mapping out his strategies to win the Hougang residents to his side, which, given the current development and sentiment, is likely to be a daunting task.

Winning back Hougang is a much smaller issue to the ruling party than the bigger picture of winning the rest of the Sinkies and to remain relevant in 2016. What is the party’s position in the aftermath of the Hougang? What would it be thinking and doing to win back the support it has lost, not only in Hougang but across the island? I think they must know that the ground has shifted. What would the master strategists be plotting after the Hougang fiasco?

The easiest task of all would be to relook at the policies and how they can be tweaked or fine tuned to benefit the original citizens more than new citizens or PRs. The people’s aspirations and expectations are not difficult to match. The people are not asking for the sky. They do not expect money to be thrown at them for their votes. The Hougangkia have made sure that this point was not missed during the by election. The electorate is sensible and is just looking for more favourable and people centric policies. Any attempt to sugar coat or to smooth talk unfavourable policies as favourable policies, like affordability when it is not, would be taking the electorate for granted and would only backfire as in the by election.

Positive actions for concrete positive results would easily win back the fence sitters or those that have switched camps. Many still would not want too big a change. What could be unfortunate would be negative thoughts and negative actions that would only generate more anger and distaste. It is very easy for some to think of how to deal with those that were opposing the party or spoke ills of the party. It is very easy to bring out the hatchet and go hacking away. An ‘inquisition’ will go down very badly and will not work in an increasingly transparent environment.

Like they say, winning a battle only to lose a war, any mis-steps and miscalculations along such line will only lead to more desertion from the ranks and an abandonment of the party. The party cannot afford to create more distrust and bad publicity. The brash tactics of the past belonged to the past and a new strategy of winning the electorate would have to be formulated on the basis of mutual trust, respect and fair play. Are there still elements that think it is still acceptable and doable to return to the old ways?

There are many critical voices in the social media that meant well. Would they be embraced and won over by genuine and good policies with good intentions, or would there be a witch hunt? Witch hunting is as easy as doing the right thing with right policies to better the lives of the people. It is just the other extremity and will have extreme results.

Ironically, the party should thank the critical voices that want the party to do well, to look after the people well. Ironically too, the enemies of the party are the hatchet men that could only think of wielding the choppers to go around slashing indiscriminately. Such negativity will never go unnoticed and will only bring more adverse reactions to the party. The internet can be very unforgiving and transparent, and go viral.

Win the critics and the sceptics by genuine good works and policies, and everything will fall back in place. Dismissing the critics/sceptics and not doing the rightful, and to take on a combative style to deal with everyone as enemies will lead to a sure gone conclusion. The people are not your enemies.

Could we see a renewed party with a conviction and on a constructive path to redeem itself, or a vindictive party on a rampage? Would the party embrace the change, the new normal and take on the new challenge in its stride? The third path is to do nothing and continue with business as usual, as if everything is ok.

What is the intention of the USA?

The Americans and the western powers have been repeatedly asking about the intention of the Chinese growing military power. Does anyone want to ask or want to know the intention of the American’s overpowering military power? Does anyone want to know why are the Americans putting more than 50% of its military forces in the Pacific Ocean region? Does anyone want to know why are American bases scattered all over the eastern Pacific Oceans?

The answer is clear and transparent. America is the Empire and it will rule the countries in the region. And China, being an emerging power, will not be allowed to threaten the American position as the number One power, the Empire. In the recent Shangri La Dialogue, the Americans made it very clear, with no apologies to the Southeast and East Asian countries that they are the boss and no one can do anything about it. The Americans will dictate the terms of engagement and move its military forces into the region and no one can say no.

During the dialogue the Americans revealed their latest warship, a stealth destroyer that can penetrate the Chinese defense system and move into coastal waters to attack China mainland. The American strategy is all about offence, about attacking other countries to show who is the Empire and who rules the earth.

How did the Chinese respond to this new aggressive threat and intent of the American? They will continue to defend their coastal waters, by using fishing boats to block the path of this stealth destroyer. The Chinese strategy and equipment are defensive in nature, against a hostile and aggressive American military that is threatening war and the threats of war to oppress any emerging power that may pose a challenge to its dominance. Chinese fishing boats against the most advance stealth destroyer that will be invisible to radar but not to the naked eyes of fishermen.

In the Asia Security Summit, the host, Asean, was rudely told that the Americans will be here to stay, like it or not. And it will bring its military prowess to support its Empire status in the region. And for all intent and purposes, the Asean countries would want to minimize big power rivalry and tension in the region, and keep all at a distance. The Asean countries also plead that emerging powers big and small shall have room to grow and their interests be recognized. The Americans say, ‘Don’t bet on that, our strategic interest is supreme.’ The French and Canada are also claiming strategic interests in the region. The former even called itself a power of the Indian and Pacific Ocean. India now got another contender as the Indian Ocean’s only regional power.

The moral of the story is, never to invite the wolf for dinner. It would not go away. Is Southeast Asia seeing a resurgent of colonial powers returning to stake a claim in the region, to carve out their sphere of influence? They all claimed to have strategic interests in the region. Do the countries in the region have any strategic interests as well and will these interests be respected?

The best fund manager’s job

The best fund manager is one that can take all his clients’ money to gamble and pay himself crazily when the bet wins, and then can brag to the clients how clever he is. And if loses, never mind, twists the arms of the clients to put in more money and the clients cannot say no.

And better still, no need to show the clients how the fund is performing, just write whatever he wants to tell the clients. Just tell the clients to trust him.

And even better still, no need to refund the clients any money if there is no money in the kitty to refund the clients.

What a wonderful job. No accountability, no transparency, no responsibility and nobody’s money. The money is as good as his to do as he pleases. My dream job.

Deaf frog will not listen

Sing a song of good foreigners. This has been the theme song in the main stream media for the past months and all kinds of logical and illogical scenarios and craps were published to establish just one point, foreigners are good and we need more foreigners. It is in the blood of the deaf frogs not to listen to the people. Surveys were also conducted with flattering conclusions how Sinkies love foreigners with only a little misgivings which are understandable.

These things are happening despite the tension, cries and cursing everywhere of the problems foreigners are causing to the citizens in practically every aspect of our lives. In small numbers they were most welcomed. In bigger numbers, they were still welcomed but with a little pain. When the increasing numbers is going to make Sinkies a minority in their own country, this is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. A breaking point is not too far off.

But the deaf frogs continued with their beautiful song, foreigners are good, foreigners are welcomed. There is an interesting rebut by John Kwok Jung Yun in the Today paper in response to a Vincent Gabriel’s article, ‘Not citizens, but they sacrificed.’ Gabriel was referring to the heroism of the Malay Regiment during colonial rule when citizenship was irrelevant. The Malay Regiment fought bravely, for the British Empire, who robbed them of their country and made Malaya a British colony. I wonder if that was something to be proud of without belittling the bravery of the soldiers.

Gabriel’s point was that even they were not citizens, they were willing to defend the country. What he did not touch on was the mentality of the people then. All the subjects of colonialism stretching from Africa, India to Southeast Asia, were conscripted to fight for the Empire with little thought of Nationalism. The awakening came only after the Second World War when all these colonized state and its people rose to reclaim their countries. Before that, they served the Empire blindly and out of a need to survive, to put food on the table. There were no will, no leaders to tell them that they were colonized people and the colonial masters were their enemies who robbed and raped their countries.

Would the non citizen conscripts of today fight for a country they don’t believe in? Fighting and dying for a country, a motherland, comes from the heart. No amount of money and rubbish campaigns or words can win the hearts of soldiers who have no heart to serve and die for a country. In peace time, they would reluctantly serve as they could see some economic returns after NS. In crisis, would they scoot? I bet, scoot they will.

Some jokers even called for a mercenary force. This is the most foolish idea to ever be suggested. The mercenaries could turn around and take over the country.

The gist of the importance of a national army is best defined in the words of Dr Goh Keng Swee in 1968, ‘conscripts and regulars of other countries did no put up a distinguished performance (at the Battle of Singapore) but it could have been different if “we had 40 battalions or our own men.”’ I took this quote from John Kwok’s article in his reply to Gabriel.

The defense of a country must be the responsibility of its citizens and not any foreigners. No one will fight and die for a country when the heart is not in the right place. We could continue to draft the children of PRs into our armed forces. We will constantly be in a tricky position wondering what would they do when they are called upon to fight and die for the country. Are the words of Dr Goh just hogwash and to be forgotten because the new expediency is that we need the foreigners? To take one step further, farm out the jobs of defending the country to mercenaries, out source them.

Foreigners will always be foreigners. Fair weather foreigners don’t make good choice as defenders of the nation. Sing a song of good foreigners could be singing a song of our own demise.

Dark clouds over Asia and Southeast Asia

Since the end of the Second World War, Asia and Southeast Asia enjoyed a period of relative peace excluding Vietnam and Korea. The two countries were engaged in wars against the Empire, mainly the US and its allies. After the fall of Vietnam and the departure of the Empire, peace finally returned to the region.

The US, after being driven out of Vietnam, concentrated its military interests in the Middle East, engaging in more wars in that region, fighting in Iraq, threatening Iran, fighting in Afghanistan and Pakistan and lately Libya. Syria is on the verge on being attacked by the Empire.

After decades of fighting a no win war, the Americans are growing tired and disillusioned. They needed to have a convincing win for the home crowd to scream Victory and to celebrate more bravery and heroism over their poor helpless victims. Under pressure from the home crowd and failing to perform, they reluctantly forced a retreat like they did in Vietnam.

But the spare military forces and weapons need to be redeployed in another theatre. Asia and Southeast Asia presented that opportunity. The latter is so much more attractive with militarily weak regimes to rule over. And there were some with vested interests to want the Americans to back their wild claims and ambitions.

There were tensions in the region but very minor. When China was relatively weak militarily, even little country like the Philippines found it acceptable to arrest Chinese fishing boats in Chinese territories and dragged them to Manila as a show of force. With a China growing in military strength and able to stop such military adventurism, such acts became less frequent.

With the American’s declared intention of returning to the region and amassing their superior military presence, it emboldens countries like Vietnam and the Philippines to once again think that it is acceptable to intercept and arrest Chinese fishing boats. The new Chinese navy capability will not allow it to happen again and tension rose when the Chinese took a stand to protect its own fishing boats.

This was played up as an assertive and military strong China and a threat to Southeast Asian countries by the US, and with tacit support for the adventurers to create more skirmishes and tension. It then uses this rising tension to justify its presence in the region, to rule the littoral states, as the return of the Empire. Today, the targeted enemy or strawman is China. Tomorrow it could be India, and next it could be Indonesia. These fabricated threats of the Empire were used to frighten the Southeast Asian countries to seek its military support to rule the waves in the region.

Not all the Southeast Asian countries are daft to accept this fabricated truth and threats. They knew that the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region is actually the presence of the American military forces. There are concrete and historical evidence in the Middle East and Vietnam and Korea to reflect on. Who were the protagonists fighting wars everywhere? Who is the real trouble maker that insists on ruling over the little countries in the region? Who is the one that is against smaller countries to emerge as regional powers and threatened to attack and do regime change? Not China, but the Empire.

The recent Shangri La Dialogue has seen the regional powers stating their positions but was abruptly pushed aside by the Empire. The Empire does not listen to small regional powers or countries. The Empire simply ignored the concerns of the countries in the region and declared that it is here to stay, to be their protector, their ruler. And to hammer home the point, it simply needs to create fear, fear of an assertive China, creates more tension by encouraging more adventurism in the region, perhaps some conflicts. False flag incidents are going to happen next, in the South China Sea, like the Gulf of Tonkin Incident in the 1960s.

Trouble is brewing in an otherwise peaceful Southeast Asian region with the Empire back to cause mischief and mistrust among the regional countries. And France has also declared that it is also a power in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Following closely is Canada who also wants to set up a base in the region to support the American initiative. Is Southeast Asia ripe for a new phase of colonization when the western powers arrogantly invited themselves in as powers with strategic interests in the region. How are they going to carve up the region as their areas of influence? Is Southeast Asia for the taking?

What would be the position or place for India and Indonesia? And when has the US become an Asian power?

Vellama Marie Muthu versus the Attorney General

The hearing in court on the interpretation of the Constitution on by election could prove to be another highlight on the local changing political landscape. It was a case that needed not be, but after the challenge by the Attorney General against a court’s interpretation of the Act, it is now a case to be watched. The judiciary system, judicial justice and the political system will now be put under the spot light.

It was quite puzzling why the AG would want to stop the court from giving a ruling on a matter of law, on what the Constitution really meant on the expediency to hold a by election. I thought a clear and unmistakable court ruling on this piece of law will be good for everyone, a removal of an ambiguity and more transparency.

Now this case has taken a life of its own and many issues will be put out to air. The PM is now being summoned by the court under Justice Philip Pillai to make an appearance to explain the advice given to him by the AG. Not only the Sinkies will be watching this case with renewed interests, the world will also be watching this development, and the court’s ruling eagerly waited as a measure of the country’s standing and its claim to the rule of law. It has become a test case for democracy, transparency and rule of law.

A more interesting headline will be ‘Cleaner versus the Prime Minister.’

Spot the idiot

Two super talented housing ministers are saying and doing different things. One cried wolf, claiming that tens of thousands of unsold HDB flats were wasting assets in the billions and need to be got rid off fast, and never to be repeated again. The billions of unproductive dollars were they based on market price or building cost? Did any backbencher question the numbers? The two numbers were as far apart as heaven and hell. Wonder which idiot allowed the surplus to build up to such a huge number, probably sleeping on the job, and which idiot got rid of them only to find that the amount was not enough given the huge influx of immigrants in the pipeline. Did not know? And to compound the problem, the building programme was not only slowed down but no new flats would be built unless the number of confirmed applicants exceeded some numbers that they were happy with. The edict was final.

And of course public housing price was damned affordable and the DPM even quoted in Parliament that a $1000 pm income could buy a HDB flat. And there were more supporting arguments by other ministers and MPs to such a claim. And they claimed that they could be the opposing voice of the people, criticising flawed govt policies, but not a single one of them saw the flaw and the serious problems of housing. Did any of these so called backbencher MPs from the ruling party speak about the housing problems before they admitted that it was a serious problem after the last GE? Can they be trusted by the people to listen to their cries, to represent them and speak for them as individuals of independent mind, speak like opposition MPs?

Now the new housing ministers is trying desperately to ramp out building more public flats and 50,000 units were still not enough. And the prices continue to escalate with continuous demand for more. If the price is affordable, the minister would not need to talk about price easing as a major goal. And funny, the minister is also talking of a pool of over supply HDB flats as a cushion for good measures.

Now, has anyone spotted the idiot? The real idiots are really the voters who believed that ruling party backbencher MPs can really represent them and speak for them. The real idiots are those who believed that public housing was affordable and kept emptying their pockets to pay for a 99 year lease flat that would have no value when the lease expires.

The real idiots are the suckers who would not do anything to help themselves and blindly listen to half truths or fabricated truths. The real idiots are the daft Sinkies. They only have themselves to blame for the plight they are in, for being gullible sheeples. For believing that the housing policies were the best from the most talented, and meekly accepting them, queueing for them, being prevented from buying public housing as citizens while new citizens happily came in to buy and profited from them, and increasing the long queue, and buyers paying happily for public housing at very affordable price as officially pronounced, but the most expensive public housing in the world.

How long would the gullible Sinkies choose to remain as idiots?

Tay Ping Hui: Notable quote

If you have no solutions, shut up.

“Was told if I was going to comment on something, I should provide solutions instead of just talking. My reply:” then what am I paying u 4?” Tay Ping Hui on DPM's comments to the Pre U Students Seminar

Another comment when asked for solutions by the DPM, a student replied. 'But I am on 17. What do you expect me to say?'

The Empire is back

In no uncertain terms, the Americans told the Asean and Asian leaders that they are here to stay. Though they are thousands of miles away across the Pacific Ocean, they are going to deploy the largest armada in the region, consisting of 6 aircraft carriers, destroyers, combat ships and submarines and the bases in Japan, South Korea and Australia, and facilities in some of their allied countries. Resistance is futile, the Empire is here to rule.

The military forces available to the Americans are more than enough to conduct a war against all the Asian and Southeast nations combined, including China and India. That is the kind of dominating force that the Americans are presenting to these nations. What can they do about it? Nothing. They will just have to accept the presence of the Empire, like it or not.

And they invited the Empire to their Summit as a friend, only to be told by this friend that he is the boss and he will dictate the rules of diplomacy and engagement. The Americans never left. Once they are in they will not go away, unless forced out by nationalistic forces as in Vietnam and the Philippines. But both are changing their minds and may invite the Empire to put troops in their countries once again, and become semi colonies.

The two semi colonies in the north, Japan and South Korea, have no choice. One was conquered and will remain a semi colony to host troops from the Empire. The other was caught in a losing civil war when the Empire was invited in. Now that the South Koreans are claiming to be a more superior force than the North and daily itching to attack the North, they are still in no position to ask the Empire to leave. The Empire will not leave once invited in.

How long would Asian and Asean countries be ruled by the Empire and accept its military presence in the region? Are they really so willing to have an overpowering presence of an Empire that will not take no for an answer and will want to have the biggest say in their domestic and regional affairs?

The Empire is back. Resistance is futile. Obey and there will be peace.

Time scroll Series

This looks like a torn and tattered piece of ancient scroll. It is actually a painting that I have created using the Art of RAR Technique. See www.artofrar.blogspot.com for more of my rar art pieces.

11th Asia Security Summit

This high power Summit, called the Shangri La Dialogue 2012, commenced yesterday with a keynote speech by H.E. Dr. H Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of the Republic of Indonesia, entitled “An Architecture For Durable Peace in the Asia Pacific”.The participants include heads of state of Asean and key govt officials of the major powers.

I searched furiously for a report on this event and was frustratingly denied. I thought it would be a front page news in the main media but it seems that a footballer kicking ball into a bumboat as an advertising gimmick was more newsworthy. I finally found it stashed in a corner and spreaded across page 2 and 3, a small column on each page, not bigger than 4R, that befits its importance as newsworthy.

To me this Dialogue is a major event as it is an Asean statement to the big powers of what Asean’s stand is all about with respect to peace and security in the region. Yudhoyono made the Asean stand clear and to the point. Asean welcome big powers in trade and investment, not polarisation and creating military tension in the region. If big powers are here for economic activities, they are welcomed.

He also made it plain to the Americans that it has no right to stop emerging powers to grow and they should not be treated with suspicion by the Americans. Every emerging power has a rightful place in the regional architecture, ‘Asia is certainly big enough for all powers – established and emerging – and there is always room for new stakeholders, as long as they invest in common peace and progress.’

The Americans must know that this is a plain message that every country, big and small, including every Asean country, has a right to grow and be an emerging power in the region. America cannot labelled any country as dangerous just because they wanted to be an emerging power and to be threatened with the raising of tension in the region, just like the case of North Korea. If the American can make a case out of North Korea, it can do likewise to all regional powers, branding them as dangerous and suspicious, and threatening them with sanctions or threats of war.

It is a noteworthy speech that says Asean has a mind of its own and knows where its interest lies, that peace and security in the region is of paramount importance, and regional conflicts incited by the Americans would not be entertained. Asean will conduct its own brand of diplomacy through peaceful negotiations and not through escalating tension or war.

It is interesting to hear what the Americans have to say this time, raising the spectre of a China or North Korean threat again, and Asean needs the US military presence to counter China?

May the farce be with you

I must have written quite a few pieces of farce lately. And I know that whatever I wrote, some will agree with me and some will disagree with me. But that is only natural. Be it farce or truth, facts or fictions, there will be people who agree or disagree with you. The thing is that in every farce there are some truths and in every truth there are always embedded with farces.

One very pertinent truth that I did not say is that the big tree is falling and the monkeys are going to scatter. Agree? As usual, some will, but the diehards will swear with their pants that the monkeys will stay together. My bet is that this day will come and must come. And it will be a time to write about more farces and more truths.

When Yoda told young Luke, ‘May the farce be with you,’ oops, I mean ‘May the force be with you,’ it was a story of good versus evil, and the force was meant to be good. Luke was also tempted by the Emperor to join the dark side. That was Hollywood and good and evil are easy to tell. In reality, the good and evil are interchangeable. The dark side could be the good side and the force or farce could be the wrong side.

What is also very sure is that in uncertain times like this, many able people will step forward to fulfil their destiny. Many are waiting for the moment, and it will come. The moment is imminent. And a new chapter will begin with new players and old players crisscrossing and taking sides. I can sense the forces of change building up, like Yoda said, feel it, feel the force.

Most Singaporeans welcome foreigners but…

This is the finding of the most authoritative English newspaper in the island. It did a survey on 400 individuals on their views about foreigners and the result is published in the paper today.

Coincidentally the finding is as good as what is expected. The people welcome more foreigners and foreigners are needed if we want growth. Also foreigners are more talented for sure. And foreigners will contribute to our growth. But I am to fill the survey form, I think my answers will be very different. And if there are 400 respondents like me, I don’t think anyone will want to publish the result of the survey.

It is not that I am anti foreigners. I think there is a place for some foreigners to be here. But I strongly disagree with the number of foreigners here. I strongly disagree that they are needed for the type of growth the average Sinkies want and the kind of lifestyle that they are forced to live with. And to call them talents is rubbish. There are many more local talents that are now regarded as non talents. Many are not better than the average Sinkies in all levels except the very exceptional like the few American entrepreneurs. And many are of dubious background but with a lot of money to throw.

We definitely need the foreign workers in the construction industry and some lower level jobs that no Sinkies want to do. We definitely do not need plane loads of questionable middle level executives to compete with our graduates from the three top local universities. Unfortunately, somehow, the local graduates from the local universities will never be good enough. Even at top management level, many are also found not good enough, especially in finance. But this problem will be solved in 20 years time. They realised that we are not producing good finance talents and they are starting to work at it. In 20 or 30 years time, the top banking institutions may see a chance to be headed by our own, genuinely local talents.

I wanted to conduct a survey on the views of netizens on how they feel about this survey and how they feel about foreigners. Then I know that the result would be what I expected. I humbly understand the biases in a survey sample and would not have the audacity to claim that it reflects the view of the average, or majority of Sinkies. That is how real people can be and how unreal people can be in the conduct and findings of surveys.

If I were to do a survey with an intended outcome, I can even jig or rig the result by carefully choose who I ask, how many is the sample size, the smaller sample the better, how the questions are phrased, and even throw away those answers that don’t fit the results that I wanted. Heh heh, it is so easy to conduct survey to produce the result that I want or for whoever wants it. I can simply cheat or game the result.

But that is me, or that is the kind of result one can get from the netizens, biased and unrepresentative. Big reputable organisations will not do such silly things or conduct surveys on netizens when the results will be known even before the survey is completed.

Back to the ST survey. Now that it is confirmed that Sinkies are quite happy with the foreigners here, then everything is fine and there is no problem bringing in more, except a little bit more, not so many. How many is not so many?

An exceptional talent

He molested an undercover cop and tried to bribe her with $100. He was jailed for one month and fined $10,000 for attempting to bribe a police officer.

In mitigation, his defence lawyer told the court that he ‘was an exceptionally talented individual, who graduated with a first class honours degree in engineering... He was also very good singer and had qualified for vocal training at the London School of Music.’

I am not sure if the court took into consideration the molestor’s exceptional talent when passing the sentence. What I thought was a pity is that he was not recruited as a foreign talent to boost our economy. First class engineering must be rare and in high demand here. And good singer could be usefully employed in our entertainment industry.

What a waste of talent. He could be another esteemed FT and may even become an MP with potential to be a minister.

Are we putting our soldiers at risk

Our soldiers and NSmen are there to defend this country against external threats. What are these external threats? They are threats from another country and will come in the form of foreign soldiers. They can be any foreigners.

We are importing millions of foreigners and issuing them with pink ICs to call them Singaporeans. How reliable are these new citizens? Would they be one of us, to defend our country, to fight with our children as comrades in arms, or would they do the unthinkable?

We have lost two of our fine young men in Sydney to a foreigner turned new citizens. The foreigner is still alive in Australian jail while our children dead. The foreigner could be paroled and live as another free man and will likely return to his original country.

The question is, how wise is the decision to make so many foreigners citizens and to serve as our soldiers to defend our country and our people? One potential terrorist is one too many. One potential soldier that could harm our sons is one too many. Are we too trusting or too idiotic? As it is, many would not even want to serve. Can they be forced to defend our country like our children? What have to fight and die for? They have nothing, no emotional attachment for this island. And there will be those who serve reluctantly or with different agenda or reasons. Soldiering is already a dangerous occupation. We have to guard our secrets, guard against external enemies, real or potential. You mean we don’t have to guard against these new citizens?

How much added reservations and precautions are needed to guard against new citizens turned NSmen? What is the margin of error? A little percentage that could do mischief can be a serious threat to our defence capability, and the lives of our soldiers.

Throwing citizenship crazily at anyone is already bad enough. Embracing total strangers, train them and arm them and expect them to defend our country will incur additional risk that is unnecessary.

‘What money can’t buy’ is a very appropriate question here.

What is obsolete?

While everyone is caught in a hectic pace of trying to get rich and get ahead in this materialistic world, has anything really changed with the meaning of life, with the value of things? I quote this statement by a Dr Michael Sandel in an article in the Today paper written by Nicholas Kristof on ‘What money can’t buy.’

‘Do we want a society where everything is up for sale? Or are there certain moral and civic goods that markets do not honour and money cannot buy?’

By asking such a question, I know that this Dr is antique. He has been sleeping and outlived his usefulness. He does not know what this world has become and the modern values that are being cherished as the symbols of success. In short, everything is measured in money and money can buy anything. How successful is a person is measured in money. How much dignity is measured in money. Intelligence is also measured in money.

The goodness of a person is measured in money, if we can remember the dashing and talented and handsome young man who used his Ferrari to take away 3 innocent lives. The only thing people remembered or knew him was how much money he has. Who cares if he is a reckless drunken driver. Who cares about the people whom he killed? Does anyone remember who were killed in the process and their names?

Honour, integrity, loyalty can all be bought. With money, one can buy soldiers, party members, slaves to do silly things without questioning about right or wrong, without questioning about evil and wickedness, without shame and honesty. Just put some money in their mouths and you can move them around in a merry go round.

National pledge is only an aspiration. This is the latest highly regarded opinion to live by. In fact all the age old virtues are just aspirations for the losers to live by. Ask any successful Sinkie and he will tell you this.

Every profession and professional is driven by money. They will do anything for money. Only silly and lowly educated people, the daft ones, will believe in those fanciful old virtues.

The article ‘What money can’t buy’ is superfluous, obsolete, in modern living. It is good to talk about it in fairy tales. I think the schools may have left them out of the syllabus long ago. Only the backward thinking people, the Rip Van Winkles, will still romanticize about such values. I have forgotten about them ages ago. Left them behind too.

To be successful, to live a good life, it is the rule of the jungle, the animal wins. The more animal values one possesses, the more successful one becomes. But some will still hide behind the façade of honesty, integrity, loyalty, goodness, compassion, generousity, graciousness, kindness, truthfulness, and so on, only to laugh themselves silly in good company, without the losers around.

Yes, the losers are all daft. We have sold practically everything that can be sold or in the process of selling them, including our souls, to get more money in return.