M Ravi is so lucky

Lawyer M Ravi must count himself lucky to be in a first world city state that operates under the rule of law. In such an environment he has all the instruments of the state and law to protect him from being put into a mental institution for good and never see daylight again. We have an incorruptible govt that respects the constitution and the law, a highly regarded judiciary with upright judges, a law society made up of professional and learned men and women, and a medical profession that is beyond any ill repute. And we can count on whistle blowers and civic minded individuals that would stand up to tell the truth if anything is wrong.

Put it in another way, if Ravi is living in a communist country, or a dictatorial regime, or in the USA, he must be very wary of his personal well being and freedom. They could easily asked a stooge, like a psychiatrist to diagnose him as mad and get a lawyer to file a charge against him, then the judge will receive a phone call and know exactly what to do. The next thing is that he will be escorted by the secret police in an unmarked car and dumped into a mental institution which is really another kind of prison. Once in there, the doctors will inject into him all kinds of drugs to make him delusionary, videotaped his behavior while in a hallucinated state and publish in the media as proof that he is mad when he is really not. And that will be the last time the citizens hear of him. He will be obliterated from the pages of history.

Back to our civilized first world country, we know that such things would not happen to Ravi. The lawyers and Law Society will be there to assist and protect him in case there are funny charges leveled at him. The Medical Society will have many eminent psychiatrists to challenge any wild diagnosis raised against him. He will have the opportunity to call for a second opinion from a more renowned psychiatrist with better reputation. And he will be given a fair trial in courts when justice will be duly carried out.

Ravi is safe here. Thank God we have such a wonderful rule of law system in place and the citizens can feel so secure, unlike those communist and dictatorial regimes, or even the USA.

Learning investigative journalism from social media reporters

TNP reporter tries to track down NParks brompton bike whistleblower


Hardwarezone Forum, 18 Jul 2012


This is abit irritating. The story is not about me, that why i tell them to focus on the actual story instead. EXTRA CSI Attempt -nParks Brompton procurement process ended up with a dodgy winning bidder? [Extra]


Also, i were got so stupid... give them everything now, then next time how i going to continue do any future undercover CSI works to expose other sagas and keep check on the authorities?


Hi Singaporean1st,


I'm Benson Ang, a reporter from The New Paper. I'm contacting you because of your post about the Brompton bike issue. I must say that you have done a lot of research about the matter, which is quite impressive.


I'm the reporter who wrote the initial article about NParks' purchase, and am writing an follow-up article based on the details shared in your post, alleging there was bias in the purchase.


Some of the questions I would like to ask you are:


1. How long did it take to do research on Mr Bernard Lim, BikeHop and Mr Woon Tianwen?


2. What is your motivation to do such research? What do you hope your research will achieve?


3. Are you friends with any of the parties? Are you involved in the cycling community in Singapore?

The above is part of an article posted in Singapore News Alternative but originated from Hardwarezone. This is another evident that social media reporters are getting more recognition from their main media counterparts in investigative journalism. The ability and skills of the writer is receiving admiration from both social and main media and everyone who wants to learn investigative journalism can take a few notes from him.

Exemplary conduct of civic minded citizens

The ST has a pretty good summary of the events leading to lawyer Wong Siew Hong turning up in court to make a representation to the judges while the courts were in session. For a lawyer representing the Law Society to do such a thing is unprecedented and he must have found the matter of grave importance to do it. This is an act that could get him charged for contempt of court. But he is a very brave man, acting without fear or favour, even at risk of offending the judge in a court session.

What happened was that two public spirited professionals, a consultant psychiatrist and a practicing lawyer representing the Law Society, who found something so serious that they must quickly act on it to prevent whatever they thought would happen that could be very bad. This kind of conviction and dedication to walk that extra mile, doing something beyond the call of duty, is truly commendable and the two deserved to be given a medal for civic consciousness, acting for the good of country and people. They acted on their own accord and professionalism, without consulting anyone as it was a weekend. It was like a tsunami approaching and any delay could be a life threatening situation.

On Sat, lawyer M Ravi was examined by psychiatrist Calvin Fones. On Sunday, the police received a report around 8am that someone was causing a disturbance at the Sri Mariamman Temple and the person was Ravi. It was also reported that Calvin Fones alerted Wong Siew Hong who was overseas. When and why he alerted Wong was not stated. Was it because of his examination of Ravi on Sat or was it because of the disturbance at the temple that he came to know about was not clear.

On Mon at 9am, Wong was back in Singapore and called Fones to prepare a letter. He also said he had alerted the Law Society Secretariat and was going to the High Court. There he informed State Counsel David Chong and Ravi that ‘he wishes to get the court to stand down and to inform the judge about the letter in chambers.’ Wong got the letter at 10.45am and entered the court room while hearing was in progress. Judge Pillai did not allow him interrupt the proceedings. After the hearing the two were called into the judge’s chamber and Wong presented the letter. He admitted that there was no precedence of such nature and the judge ruled that as long as Ravi still had a practicing certificate he could continue to represent his client.

Later, not sure what time, Wong went to another court to present his letter again. Justice Quentin Loh too ruled that Ravi could continue to represent his clients.

The event showed how persistent and dedicated was Wong in what he was doing which he must have viewed as of utmost urgency and importance to the good practices of law in the country. The Law Society has also made a statement that the ‘Society not involved in any conspiracy.’ The LSS also stated that Wong ‘decided to go to court “on his own volition” …”LSS is satisfied that although Mr Wong had acted very much on his own, he did so with the best of intentions.”

All the events that occurred only proved that there is a very civic minded lawyer acting on his own, thinking on his own with the diagnosis from a psychiatrist that something must be put right, to do something good. And no joke, the lawyer and psychiatrist were working through the weekend, and trying to rush a letter to court on Monday morning to make sure it got there on time. Such public spirited dedication must be appreciated and highly rewarded. National Day is just around the corner and a National Day Award is deserving as it is unusual for daft Sinkies to work so hard for free but for a good and just cause.

Kangaroo on the lose

A kangaroo was seen hopping around in town and barging into many buildings without notice, causing annoyance to its owners. It was driven out by the respective owners but not before leaving a smelly trail of kangaroo stench.

The zoo did not know that the kangaroo had bolted out on its own until it was reported in the evening news. The zoo owners denied any prior knowledge of the mischievous kangaroos and they would not be responsible for all the droppings it left behind. How the kangaroo could go to town is still puzzling to everyone. And how it got so far without anyone knowing, without being stop by the police or knock down by the traffic on the roads must be a miracle.

The strange behavior of the kangaroo, of all places, appearing in town and try barging into buildings is even stranger. Should not kangaroos be running to places that it is familiar with and comfortable, like the kangaroo grass courts or kangaroo playing fields?

Now the zoo is going to conduct an investigation to check the mental health of the kangaroo. There are vets for animals. Are there psychiatric vets for animals to examine if this kangaroo has any disorders that need to keep it in a lock up for its own good?

It is strange that there are kangaroos in a cosmopolitan city and running around excitedly. This story is totally fictional and any resemblance to anything is purely coincidental.

The quality and credibility of social media

The Bromptomgate and the Ravi case have proven beyond any doubt about the quality and credibility of the social media. Some have gone so far, walked that extra mile, to uncover the hidden truths that the public were dying to know. And social media have done that extremely well, to tell the truth, nothing but the truth.

Anyone want to disagree with me that social media is just some voices in the wilderness or some lunatics fringes? The quality and intensity in the investigation to get to the truth without being paid a single cent is simply remarkable. Social responsibility need not be bought by money. Social media is not only the voice of the people, but also the voice of conscience and social justice.

You want the truth, social media can handle it.

So frightening….

A medical report from a psychiatrist, Dr Calvin Fones Soon Leng from the Gleneagles Medical Centre, was submitted to the court by the Law Society to raise doubts about lawyer M Ravi’s ability to practice law. Some of the contents of the reports in the media state that Ravi is ‘currently unfit to practice law and his illness is likely to affect his professional capacity…is having a manic relapse of his bipolar disorder…this is likely to occur over the past two weeks.’

Ravi was advised by his kind and concerned friends to take a break from his heavy load in cases like the death sentence of Yong Vui Kong, Kenneth Jeyaretnam’s case on Singapore’s loan to the IMF and the case of cleaner Vellama versus the PM on the PM’s discretion to hold by elections. The report did not state whether his good friends advised him to get a medical MC or to see a psychiatrist. But he went to see Dr Fones leading to this report in court, submitted by the Law Society.

The more significant and frightening part of the report in the media is this. ‘He(Dr Fones) added that the lawyer “lacks any insight into his condition as is often the case for many patients who (suffer a) relapse”. If Mr Ravi remains uncooperative, the doctor said that the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act may need to be invoked. The Act provides for the admission, detention, care and treatment of mentally disordered persons in designated psychiatric institutions.’

Don’t pray pray with the power of the doctors. When they have diagnosed someone as mad or potentially mad, this is what they can do to the person. And it looks like Ravi is diagnosed as mad or going mad in layman terminology.

Would Ravi be seen running wild brandishing a sword that makes him dangerous to society or to the judges in court? Or would Ravi ended up throwing a shoe at some VVIP. I am wondering what had Ravi done to put him in this dangerous person list?

What can happen now would be for Ravi to be struck off the practicing lawyer’s list, or may be put into a mental institution. End of the story.

Inclusive society, no one left behind

With this grand motherhood statement, one can presumed that it is true, a govt position and all policies will follow suit. So anyone left behind?

All those victims of past govt policies, especially those citizens that still have no homes, ostracized, discriminated, banned, punished or for whatever reasons, not allowed to by HDB flats, it is time to show your middle finger, together as a group. Some of these were the singles, some could not find a partners to get married and their incomes exceeded the arbitrary ceilings that should not be there in the first place if the govt’s goal is to build homes for the people, not finding excuses not to build and put the blame on high demands, some waited and see their incomes grew or got promoted and found themselves screwed.

If the govt has been caring and know that it is duty bound to build flats/homes for the citizens, and did not hold back from building, there will be no demand exceeding supply problem. And the idiots could not understand that all young people started work with incomes below the ceilings and should be qualified unless they were children of millionaire ministers who already be given private properties in a silver platter.

The children of the working class, worked their way up, saved and stinged, only to be knocked out of the system because they took a little more time to save, to decide to get hitched, to save a little more, or could not get what they want because of limited supply and the curtailment of building more flats by the ministry. And it is their fault, not the ministry’s fault, for taking too long, waiting too long.

Where is the inclusiveness when citizens are not allowed to buy public housing, when new citizens could easily buy them? All discriminated citizens should send a petition to the govt to acknowledge their failure in providing housing to them as citizens, and the flawed policies of the past, not building enough flats to meet the needs of citizens. Would the govt reply that it is the citizen’s fault for not planning their lives and bad decision not to buy a flat when their incomes were low? Conversely, would the govt acknowledge that this is a problem due to flawed govt policies, not building, slow building, and allowing influx of foreigners and new citizens to join the queue to compete with local citizens?

What inclusiveness is the govt talking about? Inclusive of foreigners, new citizens, integrate them and screw the citizens? How many sinkies are out there, never bought or disqualified from buying public housing?

What is the purpose of calling for a public tender?

There is no need for an expert to explain why a public tender is called. At times tenders may be restricted, pre qualified, or selected for various reasons like secrecy, confidentiality, expediency or some peculiar reasons like corruption or cronyism.

Normally a public tender is called to ensure that the buyer has the best deal in terms of quality, choice and price. This is normally achieved by having a good number and selections from tenderers with a good mix of products and pricing. The buyer would then be able to make a more informed decision on what are available in the market and the cost of the product or services.

A public tender also ensures fair play, no favouritism, under hand tactics, no fixing, no collusion or corruption. It is about being fair and transparent to the buyer and sellers.

Govt agencies, public or private companies do not established procurement procedures and tender processes for fun. No responsible management staff would simply place a public tender and accept anything that comes along, and the last thing is to accept a one bid tender. This can only happen when the value is insignificant and when there is a critical time issue at stake.

The very fact that a purchase must go through the process is already a reminder to the buyer that they cannot suka suka buy anything at any price. It is a reminder that the process is to ensure the organisation is getting a fair deal and also suppliers are given a fair chance to bid for the tender. There will always be cheats who go through the motion to give an image of transparency and fair play. There will be those who will game the system for obvious reasons as had happened, and anyone who knows the system could do it so easily. And when caught, pretend to be naive and ignorant and mouth things like the system can be improved.

Are these commonsensical objectives of a tender so complicated and difficult to understand? A moron can be expected to overlook such processes and the reasons for them because a moron is simply a moron. Can anyone be more moronic than a moron and failed to observe and practise these basic rules of procurement and purchases using public money?

The dying days of a dynasty

History students will be familiar with the events leading to the eclipse of an empire or dynasty. Everything seemed so right but so wrong, badly wrong, starkly wrong. But no one would be there to say things were wrong and to put them right. Many would stand up to speak and defend the wrongs and insisted that wrongs were right, nothing is wrong. Either they could not see or would not see or so used to wrongs as being rights as long as they said so.

In recent years, many flawed policies were thrashed out in the open leading to the PM apologising for them. That was about as far as it could get. The flawed immigrantion policy, congestion, high inflation, high cost of living, high property prices, high medical cost, high salary to pay for corruption, widening income gap, rewarding foreign thrash and demeaning the people that are the owners of this land, policies that favoured foreigners and against Sinkies.  And there are many others that were so obviously wrong but pronounced as so right and so good, or as something unavoidable, nothing can be done to change them.

The echoes of HDB prices are affordable, income gap is ok, high property prices are caused by market forces, nothing can be done, more foreigners are good for growth, immigrants are here to help the daft Sinkies,…..can go on and on, are still ringing in many people’s ears.

The charade of charity shows and big fund raisings were fun and a fad for the organisers until the funds were used by some individuals to have more private funs. The running down of the public transport system was never seen and everyone was happily rewarding themselves with more bonuses until it took a simple accident that ended up life threatening to shake everybody up.

The shameless exploitations for profits in the medical profession that led to many patients ended as victims of big scams and paying dearly to the noble profession of life saving until it exploded into a big ugly incident. No, nothing wrong about how much professionals or hospitals billed their patients. Caveat emptor, willing buyer willing selling. You want quality, you pay for quality. Moneyism has replaced ethics as the new social more. The banking and finance industry has been turned into a den of crooks and no one can see anything wrong with it except pointing fingers at the low down front line snake oil peddlers who failed to explain how poisonous the snake oil is. It is their fault. Snake oils were permitted to be peddled to innocent customers as sophisticated products and advanced computerised games.

What else is new? Money is not an issue when there are plenty to go around. The squandering of millions by people and splashed across the front pages of the media were dismissed as nonsense. Many cannot see anything wrong with them but wrong for accusing the squanderers wrongfully. And the good name of God was paraded to defend the squanderers. Some have ended behind bars but the loyal supporters would not see the human failings. What is a few millions?

Was there anything wrong with the purchase of $2,200 high end branded bicycles for public servants? No, definitely no. Minister had spoken out to defend the decision. Academics too sang in support. Nothing wrong. The whole process was done properly, lowest bid, cheapest available, right procedures. The only hint of some wrongdoings was the admission that it could be done better and the system could be improved. My God, our civil service procedures were found wanting in the 21^st century for such a simple straight forward process. I think tendering is such a new thing in the civil service and they are still testing out the processes. I can only think of Ah Beng and his seventh month bidding which is more effective, efficient as a transparent tender system.

Just ask anyone involved in purchasing, any CEOs or dept heads, or any working adults and they will all shake their heads. Was there an elephant in the room? No, swear, no elephant! When a pile of shit stood right in front of everyone and in broad daylight, and respected people are defending it as no shit, you can expect how decadent things have become.

So far, the only person that is brave enough to stand up and call a spade a spade is Lui Tuck Yew. Not for fun like some pretenders claiming to do the same. And he is probably the only minister that is really working 25 hours to get the MRT running smoothly again. But he fell short of saying that heads must roll. Has anyone seen any heads rolling in the last decade or so? There is a phrase in the US called ‘too big to fail’. We may have our equivalent of ‘too talented to fail’. Anyway, this is only a side issue.

The main issue is that Nothing Is Wrong. No one can see anything wrong. And any wrong must be defended by all till it is accepted as right. Used the media to broadcast that it is right daily, get some known personalities to support the wrong as right. The daft Sinkies will believe it after a while.

Events in the dying days of a dynasty often manifest themselves in similar light, similar treatment and attention. Anyone dares claim that things are going wrong?

Look at the American Empire. Anyone dares say they are the problem of the world? Anyone dares say they are the one that is causing tension and wars around the world? Anyone dares say America is free from corruption? Everyone says, America is good, freedom, no corruption, America is saving the world, a benevolent and peace loving nation. And the best part, the Americans and their leaders, the scheming, conniving gangsters and murderers, believe it too. They too cannot see anything wrong with themselves and what they are doing. Did they ever admit that they enslaved 20 million Africans for 200 years! And murdered 10 million Red Indians and seized their lands?  Hitler was a novice compared to the Americans.

Oops, I digress.

Revolt of the Sinkie millionaires

Sinkieland can possibly boast of having the highest percentage of millionaires in the world, be it by population or by per sq foot basis. Throw a stone into the crowd in the shopping centres or the two resorts, or in Raffles Place or Shenton Way, one in two is likely to be a millionaire in net worth, counting his HDB flat and savings in CPF. The latter two will make them smile at most and nothing they could do to them as the bulk is untouchable.

There is a distinct difference between the real millionaires and the Sinkie millionaires. The real ones are full of money in their pockets, can afford several houses, cars and mistresses if they wanted. They live a life of leisure, and their wives and mistresses enjoy the lifestyle of tais tais, going for afternoon tea and chat the days away, and travelling in their big limousines.

Many of the Sinkie millionaires could never get near to this kind of lifestyle. Many will be made bankrupt on admission to hospital for a serious op or having to stay for more than 30 days. Many will end up selling their homes at old age to survive as their savings, despite one of the highest in the world, will never be enough to feed inflation. Many of these millionaires will have a hard time paying their mortgages, sending their children to schools or even owning a car. They could not even afford to pay for nursing homes for their parents and have to send them away to JB.

In other countries, a millionaire is normally someone who is pretty well off and very comfortable financially. The Sinkie millionaires are often waiting anxiously for govt handouts and subsidies to save their skins as many would be deep in debt.

The dull and daft Sinkies would still believe that they are millionaires but more and more would soon realise that they are only paper millionaires. An awakening is coming soon when the millionaires realise that they are just like any middle class or lower middle class citizens elsewhere who, very likely live a better, easier and less pressurised lifestyle than them. Many of the maids that they hired, ordered around, bullied or abused are going home to live a richer and more carefree life than them without having any inkling of being a millionaire. Even the foreign workers are going home to live in much bigger houses than the four concrete walls millionaires could afford here.

There will be no uprising of the miserables in Sinkieland. If there is going to be any, it will be a revolution of the Sinkie millionaires, the millionaires who can only feel rich with their CPF statements and imagine that they have all those money in their savings. The reality is that not only they could hardly lay hands on their illusory wealth, by the time they get to touch them, the money would probably be worthless.

They have started to gripe and kpkb about it. This is the beginning of a systemic change, a rude awakening, that a millionaire in Sinkieland is actually another average worker trying to make ends meet and nothing else. They will revolt and vote for an alternative party that can make them really richer and not slaves to an unworthy property and money that they thought were theirs but hardly. The only way to feel richer is to liquidate and leave for a cheaper country. Other than that, the illusory wealth is all tied up in the property and the CPF. A sense of well being of a millionaire but not living like one.

The best combination to exploit Sinkies in Sinkieland

One foreign family I knew;
Husband : citizen
Wife : PR
Son. : PR
Daughter: citizen

Why??? I probably do the same. Everyone will take the best out of every opportunities, and that is exactly the smart people our country wanna attract, isn't it?

This is posted by Ahmadbaba in 3 in 1 kopitiam. And many bloggers who have PR or new citizen friends are saying that this is the normal and ideal combination. Taking the best from Sinkieland and waiting to scoot. And can’t blame them as they are rightly called foreign talents not for nothing. They could easily outwit our dull super talents and their policies. Or maybe not. Our dull super talents knew exactly that this would happen but closed an eye as they deemed the benefits outweighed the loophole. Only average Sinkies will be affected.

Let’s make a plea to these foreign talents, on good faith, that if their children do not intent to serve NS, please, please don’t take up PRs or citizenship. We know that these foreign talents are honest people and will not try to game the system and make our policies look silly and disadvantaged our very own citizens.

The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is just too tempting. FTs who bought a HDB flat could simply service the mortgage and wait for the fruit to ripen in 5 years or so, cash out by selling the flat at a big profit to some hardup Sinkies that the govt refused to sell them public flats. Then pack up and go home to be a rich man. For those who are earning a good income it will be double bonus with a good savings and a good profit from the sale of the flat.

And the stupid Sinkies would end up with the expensive resale flat bought from a happy FT turned temporary Sinkie.

Has Asean lost its way?

The Asean Regional Forum in Phnom Penh is getting rowdy with the issue of South China Sea claims as the hot topic. Four Asean states are making counter claims to Chinese islands led by the Philippines and Vietnam and backed by the US. The Philippines are acting like a big power, sitting on the head of the American beast and raring to take on China in a fight that it hallucinating that it can be a winner like Pacquiao.

The bigger picture is that the US is the master of this regional forum, telling and dictating to all the parties how to behave, what they should do and what it would want them to do. Asean is turning out to be a vehicle of the American Empire, existing only in names with the Americans calling the shot and setting the agenda and tone of discussion.

What happens Asean? What has Asean become after being a dominant regional association and international player, calling its own shot? Apparently the association has now been hijacked by the Americans, fronted by its semi colonies, to do its bid as the Empire assumes its role as the master of the region. And the news is always about what Hillary Clinton said and what she wanted.

Ten little boys went out to play and in their innocence, or thinking too highly of themselves, invited the gangsters to join them in their game. Now the gangsters are taking over the game, brought in their knives, wrote the rules and telling the little boys how to play. The little boys can only LL.

Sequel to ‘Do not underestimate the Malaysians’

Temasek ignores downgrades, is very optimistic on India story


Mydigitialfc.com, 5 Jul 2012 by Rajesh Abraham


Temasek, the investment arm of the Singapore government, on Thursday said it was “very optimistic” on India’s long-term potential, dispelling fears expressed by rating agencies which downgraded the country’s outlook recently.


The Singapore sovereign fund, …said it would continue to bet on Indian companies, which are proxies for the country’s economic growth. India accounts for 5 per cent of Temasek’s 42 per cent exposure in Asia.


The sovereign fund has $109 billion worth investments in Asia, making India investments at nearly $6 billion….



This is an extract of an article by Rajesh Abraham reporting from Mumbai. I like his use of the word ‘bet’. It is not investment today is different from the past. All are taking a bet. The only difference today is the betters are betting big time today, not with their own money but with OPM.



And while Temasek has its gun sight lined up at India, Malaysia is lining up to acquire the assets in Singapore. Not a bet deal really, selling Sinkie assets at a high price and buying cheap in India. The return is tremendous, and both ways win, making good profits at home and potentially bigger profits in India. This is putting the win win formula into practice.

Vindication of high pay no corruption

HongKong’s Housing Secretary Mak Chai Kwong has been arrested and under investigation for benefitting from housing policies while in office. He and his colleagues took advantage of loopholes in housing policies to gain financially.

We don’t have such incidents since the govt started to pay to prevent corruption in public service. Imagine how serious it could be given the predominant stake in public housing and how public servants and ministers could take advantage of policies to line their pockets and investments.

Thanks to our high pay policies that such thing did not happen here. It is about time to review whether it is necessary to raise the pay of ministers and public servants given the reappearance of a few high profile corruption cases recently. Better be proactive and nip the problems in the bud. If there is a need to increase the pay, better do so quickly to save the embarrassment like the Hongkong case. Our foresighted govt should act quickly and can be depended on doing this wisely.

Hongkong should send a team of civil servants here to study our high pay no corruption scheme. And since no angmohs are acting as consultants, the fees will be nominal if any.

When justice stood firm

This is an unbelieveable Sinkie story of the year. A cleaner challenging the PM on a point of law. The AG office going all out to get the case dismissed. And a judge that stood firm and wants it to be heard, something that many Sinkies do not believe will happen in their life time.

Justice Philip Pillai has dismissed AG’s second attempt to strike out the Hougang by-election case in High Court. The case is now set for hearing on 16th and 17th of July in open court.

Mdm Vellama, 42, filed her application in High Court in March after the Hougang seat became vacant and after the Prime Minister’s statement that he could decide ‘whether and when’ to call a by election. It thus became a case of how much discretion a PM has with regards to the calling for a by election. Apparently the law is not quite clearly defined and subject to interpretation and the PM’s discretion.

Vellama was just asking for an interpretation of the law. I am still puzzle why the AGC is bent on dismissing this case which would mean that no one is wiser about the law.

It is astonishing for the court to stay its position and to grant a hearing to clarify this part of the law. I am sure all citizens would want to know what the law really meant and the limits of the PM’s discretion, and also the need to call a by election when a seat is vacant.

This is the kind of transparency we need and we want in a rule of law country, when the law is clear to everyone. Cheers to the judiciary system. My respect to Judge Philip Pillai. He has won so much admiration for his ruling and a pat on the judiciary system.

Either now or later

China has no choice but to defend its territorial sovereignty, either now or later. The concerted conspiracy to force the issue on China is getting closer to a flash point. The Japanese are making more wild gestures to rip Diaoyutai from China. They even cooked up ridiculous acts like buying the island as if it was Japanese land, ignoring it as a piece of Chinese territory. It is a repeat and revival of the arrogance of the Japanese Imperialism in the 19th Century. The Japanese still think they can bully China and seize or occupy Chinese land at will.

In the Spratleys and Paracels, the Vietnamese and the Philippines are agitating their claims through Asean. The Empire behind the whole conspiracy is quietly planning and moving its military pieces into the region.

China has no choices left. It has to put its foot down and establish its control over its territories. Any hesitation and wavering will be seen as weakness and will encourage more adventurism from the provocateurs. The earlier that China makes a stand by sending its naval craft into the islands the better. It must let the trouble makers and opportunists know that China will fight them off and the provocations should stop there and now. China is no longer the Sick Man of Asia and its land is not for distribution.

The US will be there screaming and shouting foul. That is exactly what the US wanted to do. It is now or later, and better now than to allow the provocateurs to keep inching in nearer for a fight. A bloody nose may be needed if China is to avoid further advances from these countries. This position must be made known, clearly, with no buts, to the Asean leaders in Cambodia. Let no one have wild dreams that they could divide up China’s territories like the West did in the 19th Century. It is also about time to put Japan in its proper place, that all Chinese territories must be returned and compensation for seizing and colonizing Taiwan. The confrontation with Japan and the Americans over Chinese territories will come, only a matter of time and in what form.

Changing faces, changing sides

The 50s and 60s, the post war period, was best exemplified by the rivalry between Communism and Western Imperialism leading to Cold Wars and proxy wars. The bad guys were the Communists led by the Soviet Union and PRC. The good guys were the USA and its European and Asian allies. Soviet Union and PRC were everything bad, from poverty, military aggression, exporting revolution, and supporting insurgencies to regime change and espionage. The good guys, the Americans and allies were protection of free trade and development, economic aids and a better materialistic well being for the people on the side of goodness. The good and bad were very clearly defined, the Communist camp versus the Capitalist camp, the rich versus the poor, the haves versus the have nots, first world, modernization, economic development, versus third world, underdeveloped or developing countries, poverty and backwardness.

How the world have changed today with the two sides switching places. The rich Americans and European countries are stuck in a financial and economic crisis that could turn them into beggars, broken economies, corruption and bankruptcies. On the Communist side it was all development, development, trade and loans to the developing countries. The Russians and Chinese were everywhere signing trade and development agreements. The Americans were everywhere signing defence pacts and military agreements, conducting war games, inciting rivalry, supporting insurgencies, conducting regime change and fighting wars. The Russians and Chinese were all businesses, in business suits, buying and selling raw materials/goods/services all over the world. They carry briefcases with loads of cash to trade. The Americans were everywhere in their infamous pixilated uniforms, in military and naval crafts, with guns in hand, fighting and selling weapons, and killing framed enemies.

The Americans and their western allies are still calling themselves the good guys fighting the bad guys. But the two big bad guys are not fighting and did not carry guns on their foreign diplomatic trips. Wars, military rivalry and weapons are least on their minds. It is trade, buying and selling of commodities, raw materials and finished products that they carry with them. On the other hands, the Americans are selling weapons and weapons and nothing else, and threatening countries with sanctions and regime change.

This good guy image is now only in name. The good guy mask is soon to fall off when the world starts to call a spade a spade. It is such an irony that the two sides, the good guys and the bad guys, have changed sides. The communists are now rich, committed to free trade and engaging in trades and not wars. The bankrupt Americans and the west are raising trade barriers and fighting everywhere. In every international forum, the ‘good guys’ could be seen pounding the table to attack and bully one country or another. The ‘bad guys’ were there to defend the victims and lend them the support. The wolf pack of the ‘good guys’ will be there to tear down countries one at a time, the perfection of centuries of divide and rule to dominate the world. Now the rest of the world have two ‘bad guys’ plus a few newbies in an infant grouping called the BRICS countries to offer a new balance and a new code of ethics in international relations. A new ‘good guy’ pact is being formed to replace the old ‘good guy’ American mafia.

How daft can Sinkies be? V1.1

Their forefathers came to build this little colonial outpost to what it is today only to be told that they lacked talents. Then comes the importing of foreigners who could not help their own countries, runaway from their own countries, to come here to rule the Sinkies.

And with the most advanced and highly rated schools in the world, with the best facilities, the daft Sinkies claimed that they are daft and needed the talents of half broken down schools in third world countries to come here and help them.

And being the most advanced financial centre in the world other than the European cities, we could not produce any talents to run our banks and needed to import foreigners who came here to learn the ropes, to run our banks. To add insult to injuries, the banks that we have today were built by the so called no talent locals. And now, after they have built the banks to such a size some declared locals are not good enough to run them. And foreigners who have not run them, never built a bank, are deemed good enough, better than the locals. They are still wearing their blinkers and not seeing that western bank managing methods and processes are mostly fraudulent, gambling and taking high risks on fictitious products and derivatives that will risk the bank going bust.

And we formulated policies in favour of foreigners and detrimental to the locals without even knowing it until the daft Sinkies could not take it any more and started to vote against the govt.

And whenever there is a problem, money will be thrown around the world looking for foreign talents to come and solve them. Our parks, resorts, golf courses etc can only be managed by foreigners or they will be in ruins. Big corporations too. NOL is selling its flagship HQ because it is running into the red with foreign talents. Who else is making big losses with foreign talents running the ship?

And now all the half baked foreigners are strutting around despising the locals, and the daft locals really believe that they are inferior. Who can blame them when the foreigners have ended up being their bosses and bossing them around?

Socially, the foreigners also feel so free to beat up the locals at their whims and fancies and what did the locals do? Everyone turn the other way, very happy that the person being beaten was someone else. They are safe without knowing they could be next.

And the locals pledged themselves to serve and protect the country and the foreigners and their super expensive properties while they live in small but expensive public flats if they are lucky. If not, they would not even be eligible to buy public flats to live in. And more ridiculous, some locals ended up having to rent a room from the foreigners to stay. Brilliant inclusive policies that are Sinkies first, foreigners last. The daft Sinkies did not mind being discriminated in their own country. Sinkies with no homes because govt policies excluded them while foreigners are happily buying homes to rent out to them. Can you believe it?

Tell me, how daft can the locals be? The daftness is at the top or at the bottom, or at all levels?

Wah Lan, BTO making losses

We used to have one guy shouting till his throat went sore that housing prices were affordable. Of course no sensible person will believe him no matter how long and how loud he shouted. Then Khaw Boon Wan came in to try to hold down the prices and started to build flats for the people in double quick time. It was obvious that Boon Wan does not believe in the other person’s shouting.

Yesterday in Parliament Ellen Lee came out with statistics to proclaim that BTO schemes are making losses to the tune of several tens of millions per project. She quoted the HDB building 1016 units at a cost of $279m while the sales proceed was only $240m because of generous subsidies, thus making a loss of $39m. At the rate this is going I think HDB will go bankrupt soon and would not be able to pay its staff lavish bonuses like before.

The statistics must be real, the truth, no bluff one. Since there is such a good set of statistics being flashed in Parliament, it would be good if the breakdowns could be given to prove that HDB is indeed subsidizing the buyers. If that can be done then there is no need to keep shouting until face red red. And can stand up to scrutiny, no need to turn away when someone ask for transparency.

Parliamentarians should take this opportunity to ask for detail breakdowns of this set of numbers. Not only the opposition candidates. Those from the ruling party who have independent mind or claim to have independent mind and can speak freely will have a real chance to speak up on this issue.

Let’s see how many can be independent minded and will speak out for truth and transparency.

They can still kill you

While many who supported the abolishing of the death penalty are celebrating their victory that many in the gallows would be saved, there is this article in Singapore News Alternative screaming, ‘They can still kill you.’ For a moment I thought the criminals or murderers could still kill their victims. But no, I was mistaken. The author was saying that despite the changes in the death penalty laws, the murderers and criminals can still be hanged. It was a kind of being short changed, that the death penalty is still in force, not abolished.

So some criminals and murderers would still have to meet death for killings and murders. And this is sad and bad. And in the view of Matilah and his very intelligent friends, it is only right that criminals and murderers be given the opportunity to make a decent defense before they are hung. That is only fair.

The next Huang Na or female jogger being dragged into the bush, raped and killed would only see their murderers at most serve a life sentence as the intention was only to rape them and their deaths would be treated as incidental. No intention to commit murder.

The next question is whether the rapist murderers gave their victims a chance to defend themselves, a chance to plea for their lives before they were killed, with or without intention? Why should murderers or killers be given so many chances to save their own lives and their victims were not given the same chances in their hands before being killed? Did any one hear the cries and pleas of the next Huang Na or female joggle, please, please, don’t, please stop it, please don’t kill me, while the rapists/killers totally ignore them just for a little lust?

Did any of the drug peddlers give their drug addicts a chance to say no? Did the drug addicts, in a state of grave deprivation, go robbing and killing just to get the dole to buy more drugs, and in the process kill their victims. Did they give their victims a chance to live?

While society and do gooders are so kind to the killers/murderers, can they spare a thought for the victims of the killers/murderers who were innocent and have lives to live for but ended prematurely and cruelly in their hands?

Yes, they can still kill you, I mean the killers/murderers can still kill the innocent and helpless victims. Where were the kind and compassionate do gooders, when the victims were being killed in the most frightening and nightmarish way, when they were in fear, alone, helpless, begging and pleading for mercy, and for a chance to live? They have not done wrong or harm to the killers and murderers.

Thank God there are so many kind and compassionate people around to help and save the killers and murderers, to share their pains and griefs, to make this world a better world, for the killers and murderers. And perhaps some may walk out of prison, to live again, and to kill again.

Gambling – It is for your own good

‘Singaporeans and permanent residents who visit casinos more than five times a month may need to show proof they are not in financial distress or face restrictions, acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing told the Straits Times newspaper.’

Checking their finances and bank accounts is a good thing as it will force them to reveal all their monies kept in Sinkie banks and overseas, or with their mistresses, to show that they are financially sound. Make sure they attend an interview and tell the truth. It will definitely help the Tax dept to collect some taxes as well. And those who are trying to catch money laundering can also tap into this revelation or confession.

I think this is a wise and good thing to do. But to make it more effective, Sinkies who frequent the casinos more than 5 times a month should also produce a certificate from the psychiatrists that they are mentally sound and able to control their gambling habits. I am sure the shrinks will love to share their problems.

With the change in mandatory penalties to protect the criminals, and now to protect gamblers, the govt is showing how caring it is in taking care of its people. We protect orang utans in our zoo, we protect exotic plants in our latest high tech sci fi botanic gardens, next on the list will be wild boars.

It is for the good of the citizens and the animals that these measures should be taken before these silly Sinkies and animals/plants destroy themselves. Sinkies should call the govt papa.

Death penalty – buckling under pressure

Under pressure from the protector of criminals group, the govt of Sinkieland has given way to moderate its tough position on the death penalty. Putting on a brave front by staying the penalty, the knees are wobbling. Judges are now given more discretion to spare the lives of serious criminals in this tough weak stand.

The onus and responsibility, and conscience, have now been passed to the poor judge who will now be hounded by his values, religion, by the public pressure on him to be a nice guy instead of the cool disinterested party that is there to see that the law is executed. It is no longer the politician’s problem.

Criminals will now breathe easier and more desperadoes will take the gamble, knowing that death is not a certainty. The drug lords will game the system and carefully choose the pathetic and pitiful cases to be their runners knowing that the kind judges with the kinder tough laws could give way with a few sob stories. The poor ah mah and ah kong or the little boys and girls could just do the trick as the perfect runner.

While more criminals will be spared the gallows, would it also lead to more victims of drug abuses? If it does, then society will become fairer and more inclusive in a way, with drug criminals enjoying more kindness and fairplay while drug abusers finding it easier to get their drugs. The drug pushers, the drug addicts and the drug criminal protectors will be happier. The govt too will be more comfortable without the criminal protectors breathing down their necks. It is a win win for all parties.

Another way to pardon those that deserved the death sentence would be to make them confess and to reveal their handler, get the latter convicted and exchange a life for a life. The main task of the enforcers must be the bigger drug lords up the chain of command. Pardoning the low down courier should be a good exchange for someone higher up. Anyone down the line could have his life spare if they could assist in the hanging of someone above them, hopefully all the way to the top.

Just like the loan shark curse, all the time the people being caught are the little runners. What is the point of catching the runners when the real problem is at the top of the chain? The system should be tweaked only to facilitate the arrest of the biggies. Then the softening of the death sentence against the runners can be justified. Otherwise a weak stance is a weak stance and would compromise the effectiveness of using death penalty as a deterrent. When a deterrent is no longer a deterrent, might as well do the popular thing and do away with it altogether.

Burn Arab countries, burn…

This is about what the Americans and the Western powers have decided for the Arab world. One by one, the Arab countries were encouraged to do regime change with their help, and turn the countries into turmoil, with Arabs killing Arabs and the country bogged down in civil wars and conflicts that would bring them back at least 30 years in economic development and destruction of the country and people.



This is a great recipe for the growth of American and Western powers and continuous domination and rule over the pathetic and bickering Arabs. The Arabs would need to pray more than 5 times daily and Allah to save themselves from these Western angels.



At the recent conference of the willing, Clinton wanted the dumb Arabs and the willing nations to go to war with China and Russia. And I quote,



‘US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged world powers on Friday to show Russia and China they would pay a price for impeding progress toward a democratic transition in Syria.

"It is frankly not enough just to come to the Friends of the Syrian People (meeting) because I will tell you very frankly, I don't think Russia and China believe they are paying any price at all - nothing at all - for standing up on behalf of the Assad regime," Clinton said at a gathering of countries seeking to speed the departure of Syrian President Bashar Assad.’



The Americans are setting the agenda and calling the shot, to start more wars and upheavals among countries to impoverise them and to exert their control over them.

Property prices will soon be halved

Sinkies can look forward to lower property prices if the reasoning of some quarters can be implemented into govt policies. They have started with commercial properties by halving the length of the lease. And those needing to buy or rent such properties will now be so happy as the properties will now be so affordable, at half price. Sure what, 60 years to 30 year lease, everything goes half.

There are several ways to make property prices even cheaper substantially. One way of course is the size. If Sinkies are content to live in a 350 sq ft flat instead of a 700 sq ft flat, the price can be halved. Very affordable and within the reach of many not so rich Sinkies.

Another way to half the price is to half the lease. Instead of 99 years, make it 49 years. Sinkies will be in glee, and screaming, cheap, cheap, cheap. They will go crazy if the lease is shortened to 30 years and the price be reduced to 1/3. The Sinkies will be shocked into disbelief. What, a 5 rm flat now cost $200k instead of $600k? Unbelieveable, but good, good, very good. Cool man.

I think if the govt does this change, the Sinkies will be so grateful and will definitely re elect them in 2016. This is a new version of Ah Q mentality. It is Sinkie mentality and thinking process, thinking and seeing not further than the tip of the nose. They cannot count, cannot know the real difference. They only see the final figure and will be convinced that they are getting a good deal.

Actually if a 5 rm flat is shrunk from 1000 sq ft to 500 sq ft and the lease shortened to 30 years, it can even be sold at $100k. (600k/2 and divide by 1/3). Wow, so affordable! So good, so cheap. Govt so good. At such prices I think you can even build nursing homes or hospices beside them and they could move off the shelf before the hand is removed.

The world should learn from Sinkieland

Two gripping news today, rate cheating by Barclay’s on LIBOR and China’s curb on property speculation. In Barclay’s case, it was trying to offer better interbank rates against a fixed rate determined by a formula. The British authorities and European govts are against variable rates. They are going to frame criminal charges against the violators. They want all banks to work on a fixed and determine rate. Isn’t this against a free market?

Rates should be freed up so that every bank can compete freely to offer the best rates to their customers. This will bring down the cost of financing and must be good. And the Americans are the champions of such deregulations and free competition. Sinkieland is the next freest place in terms of free competition. A good case is commission rates. Several industries are encouraged or made to operate on a free rate basis, ie, everyone can offer any rate to their customers, even doing it for free, while they make from other businesses. Technically, some big financial institutions would be able to offer cut throat rates to win market share and make their profits from elsewhere. It will only encourage a lot of trading and business activities when commissions can be reduced to practically zero. Must be good for business. And cutting rates, offering better rate, is not a crime, it is free competition.

It is inconceiveable that the Europeans could not see the merits of free rates against fixed rates. They should allow the banks to compete freely with each other and those that are not competitive should be allowed to fold up. Free market mechanism should be allowed, with free play, to bring down the rates to the lowest possible.

In China’s case, they did not want property prices to go up, even after several years of curbing regulation, they would not want to see a rebound of property prices. China would encourage first time buyers but not speculation that would drive up prices and great profits for the rich. This is against free market practices and free market forces. By doing so, the prices of properties will be artificially depressed which is not good for the economy. The economy would not grow, just like North Korea, when a landed property cost $10k compares to a lousy 2 rm flats here that could fetch $100k. The North Korean economy will definitely be shrunk and small in size. Economy growth numbers will be small and slow to grow. No wonder China is so badly managed and at the brink of a collapse, according to free wheeling western economists and analysts.

If the North Koreans would to allow market forces to determine their property prices, all the landed property will be worth a few hundred thousand dollars instantly. China’s economy too will get a big boost with free market forces driving their property prices.

These countries should learn from Sinkieland and drive down the cost of doing business with low interest rate and let property prices shoot to the sky so that all property owners feel they are instant millionaires. Never mind if they are struggling to pay the mortgages and have nothing left for other things. When property prices are high, when speculation is a past time, the economy will boom and everyone will few really rich.

The Sinkie example is the best for high growth and high property prices, and for the making of instant millionaires without working for it. It must not be a crime to offer cheaper and more competitive rates, even no commission or doing things for free. It is not a crime to sell property at ever higher prices. It is good for the economy. People who cannot afford to buy just buy what they can afford, or rent. No one is forced to buy property at high prices. Free market at work.

Village girl

A piece of rar art. More can be viewed from www.artofrar.blogspot.com

The big man made garden

Some of you may remember the big fake volcano in Sentosa. Our latest grand attraction is in all counts another big artificiality in the vein of Hollywood, bright lights and humanly designed waterfalls, designer buildings and all the jazz. And the people lap it all up as the latest craze in town. It has outdone the cosplay event in town, where ordinary people could dress up as superheros or their favourite anime characters to live a few moments of fantasy.

In the new fantasy garden, many interesting programmes have been lined up for the visitors from food to education, and participation in all the botany related activities, understanding or getting close to nature in a souped up environment.

In an instant, one is transported into another wonderland of what humans think are desirable, to please the emptiness of dull city folks with plenty of money and nowhere to go, or not knowing what to do. It is a smaller version of the tranquil island of Sentosa, once a verdant little tropical jungle where one could enjoy nature, serenity, sand and sea for free. Like Sentosa, the new garden fantasy doesn’t come cheap for each visit.

What happens to the genuine century old Botanic Garden that is cultivated through time and by the hands of nature? What happens to the Wetland Reserves where a family could have a real taste of nature, practically for free? What is it like to enjoy a few hours sitting silently in the reserve, feeling nature, listening to nature and be a part of nature?

How much does it need to create this great nature disneyland that needs not be or could be created at lesser cost, lesser consumption of resources and expenses while preserving or destroying nature in the process? Could a more natural habitat living to the name of a tropical paradise, a little tropical jungle in the city be created in much lesser cost and much more nature friendly than this mammoth of human creation and achievement? How much more will it cost to run the attraction though the bills will be partially paid by the visitors?

What’s next? An interconnecting sky garden across the island like the hanging garden of Babylon, in much grander scale? Avatar was about the return to nature and its mystic, protecting nature and nature’s way of life. In the creation of our own Avatar, are we protecting nature or destroying nature in the process? The hidden costs and destruction to nature to bring about this wonder are not small in wonder. The continuous maintenance and creation of consumer demand and consumption in the whole process are the price to pay for this new gracious lifestyle, a visit to the Garden.

Do we need such a garden? Plenty of jobs are created which is good for the economy and economic growth. Do we need more of such jobs? Do we need more food and restaurants, more shopping centres and shops, build more expensive properties for sale to foreigners? Do we need to put up more containers to collect tin cans, plastics and papers to save the environment and mother earth?

Selling snake oil ok?

The world’s financial system is in a mess in many ways. Primarily the root of the problem is that it is run, operated, managed and regulated by crooks and robbers in designer suits and Ivy League degrees. The tragic result of this combination is best seen in the 1990s world financial crisis originating from Wall Street and London. The world’s financial system was taken down to its knees and the govts were helpless as the organisations were too big to fail and the people managing and regulating them were too prominent and important to be put behind bars. Only one or two were made the scapegoats of the whole fiasco.

The whole mess was revived without a button missing after govts poured in billions and trillions to avoid the failure of the financial system and the big financial organisations. Practically every crook is still in his job with every regulator as their accomplice smiling, and all laughing to the banks again.

There are three levels of financial crimes in the whole picture. At the lowest level are the snake oil sellers and the snake oils they are peddling. Many regulators took the cursory approach of going after these small guys, the snake oil sellers, as they are the most vulnerable, without the financial muscles and connections to protect them. And they can be easily shoved and pushed into the drains. And regulators are seen to be zealously doing something, chasing the snake oil sellers, putting all the blames on them. They are the problem, helpless punks and easy meat to bully and to be taken to task for the smallest indiscretion. It is so convenient.

The next level, more difficult to touch or untouchables in their own ways, are the top management authorising selling the snake oils. They are too high up there, with halos over their heads, presumed to be, in the Sinkie parlance, immortals and infallible human beans. They will not err and will not be accomplices to the low down crimes of the snake oil peddlers. How could they be blamed for their indiscretion and bad practices? Just keep clear of them or they will counter sue if prosecuted.

At this same level, other than allowing the juniors to peddle snake oil, they may even indulged in deceit and trickery like the Barclay case. And when caught with their pants down, no worry, they just walked away from the jobs and expected to be paid a ransom for doing so. That is how corrupt and disgusting the financial industry has become. Criminals or abetting crimes would not be prosecuted but handsomely rewarded. Only the snake oil peddlers under their charge are at fault and will be charged.

At the next higher level will be the casino operators. When normal health supplements are not bringing in the loot, anything else goes. Snake oils or poisons will be okay as long as the revenue is good and business is seen to be thriving and flourishing. Just don’t call them snake oils or poisons. Give them some sophisticated jargons that no one will understand. What if the casino operators are engaged in facilitating institutions to push snake oils and poisons into the system at the detriment of the consumers? Would there be anyone to regulate them, to check on the snake oils and poisons in sugar coated forms?

Or would everyone act dumb, pretending that snake oils and poisons are health food and supplements, or simply look the other way? And there are plenty of works that can be done and to look good chasing the snake oil peddlers who are so helpless and waiting to be put behind bars? In short, who is there to check and regulate the regulators?

Welcome to the entertainment hub

Looks like the circus is in town with so many hilarious happenings in Sinkieland. Everything is happening in this little piece to rock to keep the citizens and netizens laughing. One can even expect the merlion to laugh until its jaw drops. Nothing is unimaginable or unexpected nowadays.

When things are so comical, the citizens will have no time to watch Channel 8 for more comedies.

Dumb Americans

With the world’s best brains in research and technology, and military experts, they spent US$5b on a lemon uniform only to scrap it in less than 10 years. Despite all the tests and trials they only found out that it did not work after 7 years in service. Now they would have to spend another US$5b to replace that lemon.

On the other hand, Singapore used the uniform, tested by our experts, probably redesigned and improved on it and found it almost perfect to our needs. We even designed and created an uniform for desert warfare in Afghanistan, as reported in the papers today. Now our soldiers would feel safer fighting in the desert.

And the Americans are reintroducing a new design to replace the pixelised uniform. The new design is nothing much cutting edge really, likely to be a bit of change here and there of the older design that was replaced by the pixelised version.

Singapore should have offered our proven and tested version to the Americans at probably half the cost of their new design. It will be a win win situation. And Singapore would earn a new feather on its cap as a military uniform designer, better than the Americans.

But knowing the Americans, they would not accept anything from anyone. Singapore could actually buy over the rejected pixelised stocks from the Americans for a song since they have no use for them. It will help the dumb Americans to dispose of their unwanted uniforms. Otherwise they will likely burn them, or maybe bury in the desert. Maybe they will donate to Hollywood for another mega war movie with the rejected uniform to be worn by the losers.

Consider Mercedes or BMWs for staff cars

During the early days of Mindef, most staff cars are Minis, Fords, a few Japanese makes and a few Mercedes for the top brass. But those days cost was important as the country was not that rich. Today we have billions and billions in our reserve and maybe it is timely that Mindef or the other ministries should go for quality since money is no longer a problem.

And going for quality is not extravagant really. Buying cheap cars is like penny wise pound foolish. A Mercedes or BMW is made to last for 20 years unlike the other cheaper makes that would last no more than 10 years. And the ride is so much better and comfortable. And there is the safety aspect to care for. Mercedes and BMWs are built with many safety features which will make them so much safer for the passengers, our NS men. Oh, include in the specs to have 4 airbags, two in front, two behind, plus side protection bars and anti roll bars. Safety is of paramount importance and cannot be compromised.

Buy quality is not wasting money. Mercedes and BMWs must give me a commission for this brilliant suggestion. And with two of them submitting for the tenders, there is a price comparison and competition, and the contract can be given to the lowest bid. Can throw in Audi if three bids are needed.

Remember, quality comes with a price. Can cheaper, better and faster mean quality also? If that can be so, then no one will want to buy expensive goods. Start by changing all the chairs and office furnitures.

Do not underestimate the Malaysians

Malaysia just launched one of the world’s largest IPO in IHH Healthcare at $2.6b. The company will be listed in the SGX and Bursa Malaysia. What is amazing about this launch is the list of hospitals in its stable. Among the big names are Mt Elizabeth Orchard, Mt Elizabeth Novena, Gleneagles and Parkway Hospitals. If the names sound familiar, yes, they are all the top hospitals in Singapore.

Malaysia has not only bought over this strategic group of hospitals, it also owns one of our power stations, it has bought into two of our brokerages, and I am sure it is also into many other acquisitions of good Sinkie companies. With their oil money, it is quite foreseeable that it could buy up many good assets and companies here.

I see this as a brilliant strategic move. They have turned the table and thrown away their village mindset of always on the losing end when dealing with Sinkieland. They are on the offensive. When everything is for sale in Sinkieland, it is only a right thing to do for Malaysia to buy them up. And don’t forget, it is exchanging Malaysian ringgits for Sing dollar. In the long run, should the ringgit depreciated against the Sing dollar, Sinkieland will end up with much less value ringgits while Malaysia will be sitting on highly valued and well appreciated Sinkie assets.

For those who are worrying about the fate of Sinkieland remerging with Malaysia, not to worry. It need not be. It will be bought over in a matter of time. Don’t underestimate the strategic minds of the street smart Malaysians. Our book scholars will be no match to them as they only think of buying and selling for immediate and short term gains. The long term strategic thinking is somehow absent. And with so many Malaysians here as PRs or citizens, the merging or takeover will be smooth and easy.

And the Malaysians know how to buy good stuff. They don’t go around the world to buy junks or out of luck companies.

What is $57,200?

When $600,000 was dismissed off as peanuts, why are netizens screaming over $57,200? The amount was spent on 26 foldable Brompton bikes that NParks had purchased. Many felt that it was excessive and unnecessary when a $500 bike is already a damn good one and a $1,000 bike is a luxury. A $2,000 bike is just inexplicable for a govt organization to splurge using public money. And poor Khaw Boon Wan now had came out to defend this purchase as reasonable. And this is going to cause more ire among the bikers who knew the value and quality of bikes. Best advice is not to explain.

But spending $57,200 is really nothing, not even a drop in the ocean. Not even half a month’s pay to many. Why the who ha? Personally, as a low wage worker, $500 for a bike is definitely too much for me to pay. Then it is all relative isn’t it? What is a lot to the losers is, yes, nothing to those who are used to spend millions and hundreds of millions.

The netizens are also complaining why a tender for 26 bikes only attracted one bid. Is it that the tender contract was too small, no supplier was interested, no one could meet the stringent specifications, or no one knew about the tender except for one? Many questions are being raised on this peculiar incident, just like the designer chairs for, was it MOM or NTU? Such small matters and small amount of money could not register in the memory of most people, not even my elephant memory. Of course dementia is starting to gnaw throw the thick skull.

My conclusion, the amount is just too small, too petty for any suppliers of foldable bikes to be bothered to submit their tenders. So it ended up with only one hungry tender, and according to civil service procedures, since there was only one tender, it was proper to accept the tender. Case closed. Let’s move on.

For those suppliers who were sleeping and did not know that there was such a tender, it is their fault. Then again, it must be the small sum that kept them away. In an exceedingly rich country when every mention of money is in the millions, when people conveniently asked, ‘What is $10m?’, what is $57,200? No case lah. Such a small matter is like making a mountain out of a mole hill. There are more important things to worry about.

God’s money

The believers donated happily, willingly, though painfully, to God, with the hope of 30 fold, 60 fold and 100 fold returns. What is wrong with that? Nothing really! It is willing giver willing taker. It is caveat emptor. Why the big fuss? The only thing that I cannot fathom is the round tripping. Maybe this one got some accounting peculiarities that offended the law.

Putting this aside, money willingly given to God must be God’s money. There is no compulsion, like taxes or CPF. There is no law against anyone giving money to God. Calling it charity is also wrong. God does not need charity. Who the heck called these as donation to charity?

Anyway, once the money if for God, how the money is used by God’s servants to serve God is no one else business. If the servants think that singing and cutting albums in the US is to serve God, then let it be so. If the intent is good, good for the contributors, what is the problem? Even if it is pornography or insurance schemes or whatever schemes, if it is for the good of God, that is good enough.

It is also reported that 40 companies were set up by CHC or the pastors and the senior pastors. If the monies are theirs, it is personal and private matter. If the money is God’s money, then one needs to ask what is the purpose of these investments. If the investment is to grow God’s money to serve God, it is perfectly legal and logical. Sovereign funds were also set up in same kind of reasoning, investing the funds to serve god’s interests. Oops, I meant the sovereign’s interests.

See, all can be explained. It is the intention that counts. If the intention is not to cheat, which no one will admit or own up, and if it is explicitly said that it is to invest for the long term for God’s sake, it cannot be faulted. Or can it?

Bankers Fleeing Europe Crisis Head to Singapore

The Europeans have started to take them down, one by one. The crooks and robbers in high places, wearing designer suits and an air of superiority, in the financial industry of the west, will hit the dust as their ill doings are being exposed. More will see their light being snuffed out as the financial industry with its unregulated mischievious products and practices revealed themselves as purely toxic and worthless waste. After wrecking the world economy in the late 1990s, nothing seems to change as they continue to revive and indulge in their old ways, and aggrandizing themselves with more dirty money from their ‘sophisticated’ but daft high net worth clients.

As the curtain is coming down, many are scrambling to the ignorant and naïve Asian countries that would open their doors and arms to embrace these financial rogues and their scam practices thinking that they were the god sent angels to boost up their financial systems and profits. If only they think a little and ask if these were really so talented, if their practices were so supreme, they would not be running away from the western paradise. And the top crooks and robbers would not be taken down, the big banks and financial institutions would not be in ruins.

But never mind, the Asians are always willing suckers to the west. Below is a compressed post on the great talents and their exodus to Asia. Sinkieland will be waiting in glee for these great talents. The first financial centre in Asia that will be in ruins will be Sinkieland if it blindly allowed all the rogues and their rotten products and systems into the island. Just watch the stock market and the signs of its demise.

Posted By: Rajeshni Naidu-Ghelani
Assistant Producer, CNBC

29 Jun 2012

A 37-year-old Paris-based French investment banker, who’s worked in London and New York, has been looking for a job in one of Asia's financial hubs, Singapore, for the past six months.

A director at an asset management firm owned by one of France’s big banks, she asked to stay anonymous, but told CNBC that even her husband, a portfolio manager, was on the lookout for work in Singapore. She added that they would move to the city-state with their two children as soon as one of them lands a job….

The French investment banker is one among a growing number of bankers looking to leave Europe as deteriorating economic conditions together with tougher regulations have slowed business and led to job cuts…. “It’s very, very slow here [in Europe]. On top of that, there are a lot of regulations adding up on each other, so it makes things a bit difficult,” she said.

Several global recruitment firms have told CNBC they’ve seen a significant increase recently in the number of European bankers wanting to relocate to the Southeast Asian city-state….The slowness in European and U.S. markets is also leading to more Asian-born bankers returning home to work, according to Norton….Malaysian-born Wai Keng Kwok, 33, is one Asian-born banker looking to make a fresh start in Singapore. Kwok moved to the island-nation in February,

after working for Morgan Stanley in New York for five years, to take up the role of chief operating officer at a local hedge fund started by a friend.

Another white mice story

58 year old taxi driver got punched by 47 year old airline pilot twice his size. Taxi driver’s story, airline pilot ‘walked towards him in an aggressive manner and accused him of being a gangster…then punched him and his dentures fell out of his mouth.’ Airline pilot claimed taxi driver who was in a coffee shop, drunk, lost balance, hit his cheek on the shoulder of a friend seated in the same table.

It was reported that there was bad blood between the two neighbours over the taxi driver burning joss sticks outside his door. The pilot was fined $1000. Obviously the judge did not believe that the taxi driver was drunk and lost his balance.

Is this a case of a foreign talent or new talent unable to integrate to the local way of life and incensed by the incense being burnt by his neighbour? The little 58 year old man was easy meat to this burly pilot to take on. One is so small and so old, the older so big and so young.

Anyway, the taxi driver should know his station in life and should not have antagonized the airline pilot. He should burn the joss sticks when the pilot is not at home. Then there will be no problem and he would not have got drunk, fell and his dentures fell out of his mouth.

Learning to eat shit blindly

One of the most outstanding characteristics of Sinkieland is learning to eat American shit without thinking. When they said big is good, we went ahead blindly to force merge our local banks into three, with the intent to probably end up with only two, only for the Americans to curse the too big to fail syndrome. The financial crisis brought not only the too big to fail banks to their knees, it also meant that the poor tax payers would have to pay for the crooked ways of the big bank robbers.

Then we went in blindly to sell toxic notes and bonds without knowing that they were more than snake oil, but poison. And the blame was on the ignorant and innocent investors for not doing their homework. Wonder if NTUC sold some poisoned foodstuff and the blame would be put to the people or the AVA?

And the bigger Lehman bond is going to blow in the face of all investors and the finance industry when the stock market goes into a limp when the Viagra used to boost trading activities turns out to be fake, Made in USA. Many investors have lost a fortune and many people in the industry will be losing their jobs and their ability to service the big home mortgages.

The latest, the auntie pattern army uniforms, was copied from the Americans. Whatever the Americans do, we copied. Now, even before every soldier is issued with the uniforms, the US realized their stupidity and is abandoning the pixelised uniforms for a more relevant pattern, which is another farce really. It is not very much different from the one that was replaced earlier. The victims will be the taxpayers for the billions of dollars spent to switch and switch. But that can be expected from the Americans as it is big business interests involved.

Now we will end up with this stupidity and trying to justify that it is the right thing. To me it looks sissy, and nothing like the jungle. It may fit into the wet market or the new botanic garden. And changing it will cost another bomb and another big logistic nightmare.

Failed spamming attacks

I have received reports that my site has been under heavy spamming attacks recently, apparently from 'foreign sources'. I did not know why the foreigners would be so interested to attack a little Sinkie blog so persistently, or is there any reason for them to do so.

Anyway, the attacks failed miserably and all their effort was wasted as none of the spams came through except for one one two occasionally.

Bloggers have a very effective screening process to keep these pests out of their system.

I shall say try harder. They need to be better or need to pay for more talented spammers to do damage to bloggers' firewall.

My two ups to them.

Same challenges different responses

Leong Chun Ying has taken over as the new head of Hongkong. His maiden speech was about tackling the immediate challenges facing the island, high property prices, high income gap and social harmony. These are exactly the same problems that Sinkies are facing. And the Today paper has frontpaged the thoughts of Chan Chun Sing on the same issues yesterday.

The problems are recognized but how the govt is dealing with them can be filtered from Chan Chun Sing’s comments. Taking care of the low income and making sure they have enough to get by is relatively an easier issue to resolve. Raising productivity and increasing social transfers to ensure a basic standard of living for low wage earners will do the trick, and they will have enough to buy milk powder and other basic necessities. It is the aspirations of the highly educated Sinkies that are difficult to deal with. To the latter, it is how much more to have, I think, that is worrying. They need to own assets worth several millions before they are satisfied. For the lower income, they have little or no aspirations. Really?

Let me summarise, helping the rich getting richer is difficult, ie, no answers. Helping the poor with their basic needs is easy. Just make sure they have enough to eat and money to buy milk powder. They will survive. Some are doing very well with $2000 a month income. Why should those earning $5000 be complaining? So $2000 should be enough, afterall $1000 can already buy HDB flats. $2000 must be a luxury.

Now I understand why the income gap will not be narrowed. It is relative and matter of perception and lifestyle. Many can live on $2000. So what is the problem? In Hongkong, Leong is going to listen seriously to the voices and complaints of the people. Here, the income gap can simply be explained away as part of progress and nothing can be done. So is housing prices. Now what is the Hongkie govt going to do to narrow the income gap and high property prices? I don’t think they are going to say the same thing, or the problem is too difficult to resolve.

I think the Hongkie govt will have serious problems trying to solve these if the super talents here could not. The Hongkies did not claim to be super talents and are not drawing super talented pay and can be excused for being not so clever.

Yuriko Koike smearing China’s contribution to save Europe

While Europe is in the doldrum needing resuscitation, China and the BRIC nations are pumping US$55 billion into the Save Europe Fund with China’s share at US$43b. In a report in Today, this Yuriko is accusing China of extending a helping hand to promote its strategic interests, not a white knight. China’s buying land in Iceland is for China’s benefit and not for Iceland. China’s enormous embassy is to improve intelligence collection. China’s investment in the port and transport services in Greece is to China’s advantage.

So, what should China do while spending all the billions of hard earned money to invest in these countries that would not benefit China or must not benefit China? These monies did not fall from the sky. And these monies are different from the monies and national treasures that the Japanese robbed from China, Korea and Southeast Asian countries during the Japanese invasion in the Second World War.

Now what is Japan going to do with those ill gotten wealth to help the European countries that would not benefit Japan as well? What is Yuriko’s agenda for writing this scathing attack at China?

CHC is just a small church

It is good and natural for the believers of CHC to pledge loyalty to Kong Hee. They know him, a friend, a pastor and a servant of God. Never mind about the indiscretion he is facing in court.

Does anyone want to think and ask a few questions like why they listen to him and go to his church? The Church, in layman terms or in believer’s term, is the house of God. They go to the church to seek God which is believed to be infallible and will not err, and will not indulge in money acquisition as an important part of spiritual uplifting.

Sinkies are legendary for being unthinking. Several generations have gone by with this spirit in them. They went to the election booth to vote for a party, not the person, not the policies. Perhaps the person is mixed up with the party. The believers of CHC are also voting blindly, not interested in questioning anything, the act, the person, the whole belief.

Did they know that God will not allow usurers and tax collectors or money lenders in his church? But what to do? The unthinking Sinkies will just vote and support blindly, as they are brought up that way. Blind following and blind obedience are what Sinkies have been indoctrinated with. The Bible said, ‘Seek ye the truth and the truth shalt set you free.’ How can one seek the truth if one refuses to think? Christianity is not meant to be a blind faith. Or is it?

In the wider context, Sinkies are resigned to buy atrociously priced public housing, quietly accepting the fate of their life savings as tax and would not even think of taking it back. My God, it is not $2 but hundreds of thousands! They are resigned to their fate and would accept any fate with empty promises. They embrace hope even knowing that it is hopeless. The believers of CHC are good representatives of the whole population, except for those in Hougang or those wanting to be Hougangkia. Many in the population will just vote blindly for the bigger church.

Matthew 7:15-20


‘Watch out for false prophets. They will come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, of figs from thistles?’ Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.’

Carelessness or thoughtlessness?

Many frequent travellers to Australia would know of the famed Australia procedures of fumigation in the aircraft on arrivals, treating every passenger and their belongings as pest ridden stuff, harbouring millions of dangerous bacteria and viruses that could bring harm to their country. That is how the Australians try to protect their country and people from harm.

Every human bean and thing is a carrier for all things floating in the air, intentionally or unintentionally. The baggage could be home to contagious disease carrying microbes or bugs and lices. So do the human bodies if unclean. They could be equally infested on the skin or inside the body system with disease and illness that could easily infect on contact or sneezing.

Our open door policies for inviting every living things to our island must also be inviting all the disease and illness bearers to our shores. And we welcome them gleefully. There have been complaints of bed bugs and lices making a reappearance after decades of non existence except in a few dark corners. TB and rare diseases are starting to creep up and so are highly drug resistant viruses.

We are so opened as a society and country that we take them in our strides. Did we ever think that such openness and callousness or thoughtlessness could bring about an epidemic like the bubonic plague or something similar in nature, and just as deadly?

Is there a need to take some precautions? Or do we think that by exposing our people to all kinds of disease causing microbes could help to build up a natural immune system to render them ineffective? Are the Australians crazy and over doing it or we are so daft and unable to appreciate the merits of those strange acts? I was told that some airlines have started to take some cosmetic measures by spraying insecticides lined with scented liquid in the aircraft when entering or exiting some countries. These acts would hardly do any good to prevent a health hazard and at most reduce the foul odour in the planes.

Just some food for thought for the thoughtless. ‘I have never met anyone so thoughtless in my life. Keep up the good work.’ Said the meditation guru to his student.