chua lee hoong, chua mui hoong, related?

i quoted chua lee hoong a few days back on the dignity of politics in the past. today chua mui hoong is questioning the cynicism in the redrawing of political boundaries. often i must say that i mistook one from the other. both political editors in the straits times. and both are quite similar in their perceptions and analysis of local politics. are they sisters, or twins?

warren buffett punching again

the excesses of the american corporate world, which is widely repeated here, is getting another punch from warren buffett. the craziness in the pay to ceos has gone on for too long. it is daylight robbery against the interest of shareholders. ceos are paying themselves ridiculous salaries without producing the results. and the rationale is that other ceos are getting them, so they shall have it too. many public companies would have been profitable or have bigger profits if not because of the ethereal compensation packages paid to ceos. so far, buffett has been the lone voice in the wilderness. no one is going to hear him as everyone is having a party and enjoying it. and there are many companies that made hefty losses of several hundred millions over the years. but all it needs is for one year to make a 20 or 30 million profits and the ceos will be asking for blood, demanding big bonuses and bonus shares and increments. and the meagre profit multiply over 10 years may not even recover the losses incurred earlier. the shareholders must have a bigger voice to check the excesses of corporate ceos. and not be duped repeatedly, and be robbed of the value of their shares.

braless students: discipline or outrage of modesty?

STUDENTS of a secondary school in Singapore, who were recently found to be wearing coloured bras to school, were forced to go braless, reported China Press. According to the daily, the school only allowed students to wear white, beige and light grey bras. The daily said most of the affected students were caught wearing coloured bras during a Physical Education class They were forced to remove the bras in the bathroom, which were then confiscated. Describing the action as “too much”, the daily quoted the students as saying they were mortified, more so as male teachers were present. the teachers, the honoured profession of people trusted with the education and care of our young, are highly regarded and are expected to exercise good judgement and wisdom in the handling of children. maintaining school discipline is expected and welcomed by parents. but when doing so, and crossing the ob markers, stripping adolescents of their bras, making them parading around braless, is unbecoming. it shows a total lack of propriety, poor judgement, callous and behaviour that is disgusting. a braless lass walking around, showing whatever beneath the blouse, is like a cat 3 movie in life. can these teachers, obviously a whole bunch of them, be disciplined, for outraging the modesty of their school girls? it is unthinkable that educators can resort to such stupid acts of discipline.

ge: round 8. potshots and snide remarks

the pap has taken the first shot at the opposition. 'they were not around but suddenly appeared all over the places.' another shot, 'are they sincere in wanting to serve.' no reply yet from the opposition, probably busy finding lost ground and time to reconnect with the people again. actually, if the opposition candidates in waiting were paid $13,000 and all the perks, i am sure they will be around every day of the year. and they would be able to do just as much with all the funds and resources available to pap mps. even chiam and low who are around everyday are unable to promise any upgrading or extravagant plans. is it their faults? as for sincerity, the similar explanation can be applied. one is an elected mp who is paid handsomely to do the job. the other has lost the election and not paid anything to do anything. how much can the people expect from opposition candidates after an election? the question then, would an elected mp, without the pay, be as sincere in his commitment to the people? yes there are sitoh and low. but are we comparing apple with apple? other than the big organisation and machinery at their disposal, what else do they have to be able to do what they were doing over the last 4 years? it is interesting to listen and observe how the parties attacked each other and whether there is any substance from the punches they threw. or are they good for a laugh.

boundary got change or no change?

“The coming election won’t change anything, anyway. The government will still be controlling as it had done” seems to be a popular sentiment. All these frequent boundary changes simply contribute to the cynicism among young and old. I must say it is quite prevalent in the estate where I live. At a coffee shop breakfast this morning, an elderly gentleman asked me why was I surprised. “You should know better. Next time Serangoon Gardens may well move to Ang Moh Kio!” seah chiang nee posted the above in littlespeck.com. and i have just quoted a few mps dismissing the cynicism about boundary changes. nobody will know about the changes unless you are affected personally. i think chiang nee should be grateful for the changes as he is given a chance to elect a pap candidate of his choice. very probably he has not found a pap candidate of his liking in serangoon garden, braddell height and marine parade. now he is given a chance to vote for george yeo. and why not, george is the few good men that you can find.

ge: a sense of fair play

hsien loong is calling the opposition to field all 84 candidates. this is the first time where the call comes out genuine. and he meant it, for all the good reasons. the pap is confident, but is also feeling the pressure from all the gossips about how the game is being played. in the past it was simply ignored, talked away. but today, there is this intent to really test their support without being accused of all the things that they have done in the past. it seems that hsien loong really want to put to test where he stands, where the party stands. with minimal changes to the election boundaries, this has elicited many responses from both the party and the opposition. all welcomes this. ong kian min said, 'i think this increases the sense of fair play, and suggests the boundaries have not been redrawn for whimsical reasons. in the past, people complained that radical changes were made to suit the ruling party.' zulkifli baharudin said that it avoids criticism previously levelled against the system. how true were the criticism, it is just a perception. only time will tell the truth for the drastic changes in the past. like it or not, when one is holding a knife in the scene of a murder, it is difficult for people not to suspect anything. would the status quo in election boundaries really be a test of the strength of the pap? i doubt so. the system still favours the ruling party with its organisation and huge resources. it will be a fairer contest if there are more single wards and the huge grcs be reduced to 3 or 4 candidates. then the playing field will be more level. then only will we see a genuine contest, and where lies the heart of the voters.

mindless idolation of talents

i thought the nkf episode would have taught singaporeans an embarrassing lesson in behaving like little girls idolising their favourite celebrities. talents were blindly appreciated and praised and ended up with red faces. but at least there is now an attempt to correct the silliness of the whole episode, to right the wrongs and uphold values that are considered worthy. now the agu case is anything but stupidity. why would people entrusted with public money threw them at a rotten apple. everything is wrong. give him another chance, but not the way the events unfolded and the truth emerged. apparently agu returned only when he found out that he was not good enough in russia, uk and canada. during his absence, he was in these places for trial. otherwise he would be gone and with all our money, faith, trust and laughing at our idiocy. agu exemplified everything that is wrong, untrusthworthy, deceitful, greed, taking advantage of his naive benefactors, cheating, and what else. and he is going to don our national colours as one of us, and we pay him dearly. where is the sense of righteousness, uprightness, honesty, honour, trust...is a little thrash talent worth so much that we give up all the virtues that we live by and wanted our people to live by? the whole issue is not only a case of children playing their little pranks, but shame. we can forgive him, but not the way he is welcomed back to have a chance to repeat the whole damn thing once again. if he is not ask to go now, and if he does a repeat, all those who put the money and trust in him must go. this is a case of poor judgement, bad judgement, and a compromise of our simple decent values.

hdb: 5 equals 4

the latest announcement that hdb is converting its unsold 5 room flats into 2 x 2 room flats is another funny figure crunching. 5 rooms become 2 rooms. the only thing good is that the converted 2 roomers must be technically having 2 and a half room of a 5 room flats. so these flats must be bigger. just like a 5 room flat must be bigger than a 4 room flat. good buy. provided there are buyers. apparently so as the number of buyers for big flats have mostly disappeared and many are downgrading to smaller and smaller flats. so much for prosperity and a booming economy and good times. during good times people are all downgrading. what happens during bad times, all upgrading?

ge: politics has to regain its former dignity

this is a statement by chua lee hoong, the review editor of the straits times. she added that it is not so much about winning an election but about how votes were garnered. both comments were in her article today which started with the changing of political boundaries as the butt of singaporean jokes. why the cynicism? why must politics return to its former dignity? has it be degraded to such an extent that it has lost all sense of being dignified? the scepticism and cynicism, if traced backwards, did tell a story about something not exactly right. but the changing of political boundaries were all done above board, by indepedent civil servants. why should that be subject to ridicule? it is all in the perception. it is all in how people think that it is done for reasons that put some in an advantageous position while some in a disadvantageous position. it is seen as a changing of the known factors, changing things that ought not to be changed. but we have all the valid reasons to change political boundaries for our uniquely singaporean reasons. everything is done with a sound reason. only whether people believe in them, or who believe in them.

ge: number of voters

earlier i posted a set of figures stating that the number of voters increase from 2001 to 2005 was 45,000, or an annual increase of only 9,000. these are official figures. and today we are seeing another set of official figures showing an increase of 121,000 over the same period. this gives an annual increase of about 24,000. hey, what is happening? what are all the numbers jumping around and all different? the first set of figures was frightening in the sense that it shows a big disappearing act. many singaporeans are disappearing from our voting list. today the figure is more comforting, though still registering an annual shortfall of about 6,000 from an average growth rate of 30,000, assuming that new citizens just about enough to offset death rate. there is still a net loss, and mainly of better trained and qualified people who are good enough to depart for greener pasture. it is not easy to nail a number that is unchanging. but this official set today must be the final figure and no changes should be expected from them.

better service? please pay

if the services of public transports are to be improved, please pay up. i thought the transport operators were talking. when has the transport minister become synonymous with transport operators? anyway he speaks as if he is one. the lesson for all singaporeans is to shut up. do not ask or demand for any improvement in any services, including better govt. you pay. you want anything better, it will be given, real or imagined improvement. but one thing for sure, you will have to pay for it. that is the first principle, or the first thing that the service provider will think of. let me get behind the thinking. so you people think it is so easy to ask for this and that. it is equally easy to reply and comply with your request. no need second thought. what ever you ask it shall be given. you pay for it. brilliant.

thailand: tyranny killing democracy

no, it is not the tyranny of thaksin that is threatening democracy in thailand. it is the group of activists, probably the minority, that is trying to kill democracy in thailand. because they are able to run up a few thousand demonstrators, they think they could decide what is best for thailand. and they are afraid of the people's will. they do not want an election. they have assumed the role of decision maker. and they decide who the prime minister shall be. thaksin must go. this is what tyranny of the minority is all about. thaksin has done the right thing for democracy. let the people decide. actually the people had decided for him to be prime minister. but the minority group is challenging him. so it is best to let the people confirm who they want. would the thais allow democracy to be what it is? or would the tyranny of the minority rule thailand?

soo khoon the consumate politician

soo khoon is punching myanmar yesterday, after telling off the aussies. he is now more the consumate politician that we have not seen for ages. and that is what politicians should be, confident and outspoken and with a view. not the 'err, no comment' or just wave and faded away. we need politicians to stand up to push an issue, hold their grounds and not simply give up when being pushed or encounter opposition to their cause. we need a little more aggressiveness in debates in parliament. not cackles. more clashing of the swords. otherwise either the mps will fall asleep or find other more important things to do and leave parliament with empty seats. parliament should not be just a rubble stamp, every bill put up just to hear aye aye. no wonder parliament is so boring. and better to skip parliament then to bear through the routine of a boring speech.

minister's salary benchmark

as a hr professional, i am very impressed by the formula used to benchmark the minister's salary. it is conservatively 'pegged to two thirds of the income of the 24th highest earner(median) among a group comprising the top eight earners from six professions(bankers, accountants, engineers, mncs and local manufacturers.' hypothetically if in one bad year all these professionals are hit by a slump and the 24th highest earner earns only $50,000 pa, then our ministers will be paid 2/3 of $50,000 pa. but if there is an extraordinary year when there is a boom and the 24th earner earns $20 million, our ministers will also be paid 2/3 of $20 million. this is very fair. it is like a gambler going into a casino. when lucky, can make a few million. when unlucky can lose a few million. i like the formula. no need for a salary scale. no upper limit nor starting salary.

lucky singaporeans: delusion of wealth

most singaporeans are asset rich in their hdb flats. own a flashy brand new car, and earning a salary that is big when exchange rate is factored in. and now the govt is going to give them more money. wow, what a life as a singaporean. but the wealth of singaporeans is fleeting. the hdb flat is worthless once the lease expired. the flashy car is technically worthless after coe expires. the income and handouts from the govt will quickly go to paying all the bills, children's education, tuition and school fees, medical bills, conservancy charges, fines, erps, gst etc are the average or lower middle class singaporeans really well off? compare to their technically poorer malaysian cousins up north, i think the malaysians are very much better off, their worth in real assets and value of their cheaper currency. everything they are getting is cheaper except for imported luxury stuff which they can choose not to pay for them. by the time a singaporean wakes up from his delusory dream his assets would have been worthless, and he will be penniless and still a lot of unpaid bills waiting to be paid, and an expensive medical bill waiting for him to sign. he will be in debt forever. any economist willing to do a real comparison, apple against apple?

hsien loong: minister's pay below benchmark

hsien loong said that the minister's pay is still below the year 2000 benchmark. i will be very happy if i were a minister. can expect another pay rise to keep up with the benchmark. even if there is no pay rise, can go around telling people that ministers are under paid. either way it is good news. ministers sacrificed for lower pay! this type of noble thing can talk loudly. steve chia asked for transparency, for disclosure of minister's pay. but this was rejected. this always reminds me of means testing when the poor bugger is expected to come clean and tell everything about his shoddy financial status. whatever, i am never comfortable whenever there is no disclosure or transparency. at least the president's pay is transparent.

not many mps courting the housewives for votes

in parliament, several mps or only two mps spoke up for housewives. only irene ng made a decent plea to recognise the works of housewives. what the housewives are doing would have to be done if they stop doing it. and the works need to be paid. steve chia's explanation about national service is rather less tangible. the housewives are working and performing a job that has economic value. just so simple. but maybe the housewives are too busy staying home and will not go to the voting centres. so no need to take them seriously. if they do, make sure they vote for irene and steve chia. and where is that organisation called aware. probably they did not know that housewives worked. ya, tai tais don't work. tai tais in aware don't work. only ah sohs in the heartlands work as housewives.

ah bian and american deceit

the americans have all the reasons to want an independent taiwan. and that suits ah bian very well. behind the facade of trying to rein in ah bian, the american's hand behind ah bian's every move is very clear. and there is also the billions of dollars of military hardware that the americans wanted to sell to him. this immediate need is more urgent as it means money in the pocket for a lot of people. so ah bian will be allowed to play around a little while longer with the tacit support of the americans. and the chinese are seeing the whole picture simple and clear. they are not pushing the americans and ah bian very hard to avoid a flare up. but if things are allowed to go on this way, with the americans thinking that they could dupe the chinese by their neither here nor there comments on ah bian, they are just as foolish as george bush is. probably only george bush believes that the chinese believes in what he is saying. the strangling and hanging of ah bian is a matter of time. and time is running out. the kmt will not allow ah bian to throw money at the americans and provoke a conflict that will eclipse their growing economy. we should be seeing some actions from the chinese side very soon, though not in the nature of aggravating into an arms conflict, but at least some firm actions to tell ah bian and the americans that they mean business. this time ah bian has stepped too close to the red line and the chinese cannot afford not to do something. they would also want to remove the mask of deceit of the americans. maybe the chinese are waiting for georgie to put a foot into iran before raising the temperature a little. that will keep the americans busy and georgie crazy.

mrt lines having problems?

our mrt lines, northsouth and eastwest seem to be having problems for the last two mornings. people are complaining about the slowing down and the repeated announcements of technical faults. just when they think everything is going satisfactorily, it is getting its hitch, and during peak morning traffic. two days in a row. let's not make it three. would tomorrow be normal, without hitch?

soo khoon bangging the kangaroos

i am not sure if tan soo khoon is in the sia board, but so far he is the only mp to speak up against the aussies. we have been cut off because of protectionism. the mightly australian is shivering at the sight of sia. i hope the barrier was raised throught genuine fear that the qantas is incompetent and unable to fight against the giant of sia. what a grandiose thought from a little red dot. but the aussies have never been known to be competitive anyway, with the unions tying a knot around the management. but then this rejection of sia, could it be linked to what howard had warned after the hanging of the australian national hero, the drug trafficker, that they will do something as a result of their displeasure? let's hope the aussies will not stoop that low. again the protection of qantas is unacceptable when free trade and open sky policies are what western democracies have been harping about. shall we send our warships to open up australia? just joking. don't be serious on this. maybe an organised demo outside australian embassy will be a good show. we deserve something after helping to grease their way into asean.