Who will protect our children?

Thomas Koshy wrote an article in Today asking for protection for our children and the ignorant or poor parents againsts the bulldozer of threats from copyright owners. Children are defenceless, many have not reach the maturity of knowing the consequences of their acts. And the poor and ignorant parents would simply tremble in the face of a threat of prosecution. Should our legal system protect these disadvantaged group of people given the case of Odex? So far, no one from the legal profession, both from the govt and the private practitioners, have said anything. It is thus left to the individual to live under the rule of the jungle. Oops, I mean rule of the law. Thomas Koshy suggested that 'Threatening criminal prosecution unless some form of compensation is paid could very well be illegal in itself.' If only this is the case and the poor and ignorant have someone to take up their case against spurious accusations and charges of the rich and powerful, the old NKF case would not have gone the way it did. What about the threats against the fragile minds of the young? Many could wet their pants on receiving such a threat. Some may go bonkers and need psychiatric help. The ruthless and thoughtless copyright pursuers must be held accountable for the abuses of the young and naive. Cruelty against children. At the moment they have the law and the money to threaten anyone. It is high time that something be done to prevent such ruthless and inhuman pursuit of copyright infringement without any thoughts of the consequences on the young. There is no need to unleash a rottweiler against children for crossing the fence.

One stop wellness centre

This is another good thing in our midst. Centres to help the oldies get well and be well. I was looking at this pic of several oldies in the Straits Times. They all looked at least 70s or 80s. They looked well for their age and that is about all. I am not looking for happiness or contentment in their faces. All I was looking for is a little peacefulness and tranquility, and a little life to show that they are living their lives. All the faces looked lost. Anyone still looking forward to living in their 80s and 90s, better think twice, thrice. Up to a point, living, being alive, can be meaningless. Sad to say, they all looked like zombies. Do not pray to have long lives. Live a good life at whatever age and depart when nature calls.

Compulsory contribution to Public Legal Fund

As the legal and court fees get beyond the reach of the masses, it is timely to have a Public Legal Fund for the people to fall back on in cases like this where it is quite clear that they have a right to fight for some justice. I will like to propose that all the CPF holders contribute $1 a month to this fund so that the public can gain access to legal assistance to protect themselves. It would also prevent the rich and mighty from resorting to the court as a kind of blackmail. They will have to think very carefully before attempting to sue anyone. It is only $1 a month. Very affordable and definitely very necessary in a rule of the law country. It is good for the people, especially the not so well off. Legal protection for $1. The public can pool their limited resources to help themselves.

The right of might

I wrote about Odex or Odium and whether it will take the same path as NKF and the map provider, winning the first battle but losing the war. Odex has no legal right to sue or ask for compensation. Now what are they going to do with the compensation collected? Likely some would have been paid for legal fees. Now if there is a counter claim, looks like they are going to pay very well, compensation plus compensation plus legal fees. This saga also reflects and confirm the sickness of our society. If you have the money to engage legal assistance, you can threaten those without the means to fight back. And it is cheaper for the poor to pay than to break their bank accounts to fight for justice. What have we become? This is how we have developed into a first world cuntry.

Any change in retirement age and pension payout

With all the changes to withdraw CPF savings tied to retirement age, will there be any changes to the retirement age in the civil service and the commencement in the payout of pension? Would the payout of pension to politicians still starts at 55? Still waiting to hear something on this.

Odex not the licence holder

The court has ruled that Odex is not the licence holder and thus has no right to sue those downloaders, or something to this effect. Does it mean that Odex must now refund those money it claimed and collected from the parents of those children?

Annuity scheme not enough

Come to think of it, like they said, send the buddha to the West, all the way. At 85, these people need more than just three meals a day. Many will need nursing care or be kept in nursing homes. Many will need hospitalisation, wheelchairs, cataract operations, heart bypass, or a maid to push them around and to feed them. Conservatively, maybe $1,500 pm will be needed on top of the annuity. Working the number to 10 years, assuming that by 95, they will call it a day, they will need $180k. Would any of you think it is prudent and good that the oldies should have $180k at 85 to start with? The $120k minumum sum should be retained and only be allowed to be withdrawn at 85. It will fit in nicely to make life very comfortable for the oldies. Any good measure and with good intention must be done properly. No half measures. Want to do it, do it all the way.

It is getting bad

Just came back from lunch. My plate of vegetarian rice used to be $3. The stall owner apologised for having to charge me $4. He said everything is up. Bo bian. The other day I wrote about a Malaysian pastry that was $2.20 and now $4. And a duck rice stall that used to have 8-10 pieces of duck meat. It still gives the same number of pieces at the same price. But the meat used to be 5 mm thick. Now each slice is 2-3 mm thick. And this is only the beginning. No, absolutely no inflation. Just a bit more expensive only.

Losing the people's trust

The PAP brand has been built over the last 40 years of delivering a better life for the people. Despite the occasionally discontentment and anger voiced by the people, there is this long term trust between the people and PAP. This bond that is built over so many years is seeing signs of cracks. Once broken, it is going to be difficult to mend. The constant pushing back of the CPF withdrawal age and now this thing called compulsory annuity, is going to tear away at this trust. The people are having doubts. The people are unhappy that their money is no longer their money to spend the way they want. The trust is eroding away. Do not lose this trust or it will be tough to get it back again. We are now witnessing the slide down the slippery road. No matter how good is the intention, unfortunately not many believe in these new changes, never meddle with the people's life saving. Never!

Two visitors came a calling

Two came knocking over the weekend. They said they were social workers and asked me if the world was a peaceful place. I told them my neighbourhood was very peaceful. They gave me the funny look. They wanted to talk to me about how to make the world a better place. So I asked them whether they were going to send a mission to Afghanistan. They wanted me to waste my precious Sunday morning time with them. After so many thousand years, if such fools can save the world, the world would have been saved long ago.

A simple illustration of Thinkall's article

What Thinkall said is very simple. If money has to be paid out but delay to a later date, there is a huge carrying cost. The CPF was supposed to pay a depositor all his savings at 55. Now it is 62/63 or 67. There is a delay of 7 years or more. An another portion is delay to 85. A much longer delay. Example. if there are 20,000 people hitting 55 annually, and each expecting $100k withdrawal, that is $2 billion. Now with the minimum sum, only a small sum will be withdrawn. The rest will be kept with compound interest at 4%. Seven years delay means at least 30% more to pay out. In the mean time the money is reinvested. Hopely the return is higher than the 4% when the delayed withdrawal is due. Otherwise it will be trouble. At the moment there is hope that the super talents and fund managers will do their jobs. If they do, fine. If they don't, not only we don't make the 4%, there is a high carrying cost to pay these super fund managers. And they don't come cheap. The Americans are in some way doing the same thing. Delay payment to the future generations. And they do it by issuing bonds year after year. Still someone must pay some time in the future. We are delaying our CPF payout to be paid in a much larger sum some time in the future. So life can go on. Who is going to inherit the problem in the future if our investments turn sour? Of course the investments can turn into a golden goose. But before the goose turns golden, all the fund managers are going to get their bite first. And there are sharks and all kinds of events trying to turn those investments to ashes. While time has been bought to pay later, the time must be used urgently to generate more funds for the payout. Could this be the reason why all the fees are pushed up, selling assets, privatisation to raise fund? If we are so rich, there should not be such a pressing need to up everything and incur the ire of the people and more hardship for the lower income group.

Yellow ribbon on the big oak tree

There was a big campaign to educate people on the need to help those that went astray to return to the main stream of life. Many have spent time behind bars for all sorts of reasons. Some petty crimes, some drugs, and some fairly serious. Everyone deserves a second chance. Chance must be given to those who are willing and want to return to normal life. It is not an easy path, and must be approached with caution as not all will want to or are able to return to live normally. Then there is this one that forged his degree to get a job here and was found out. He had proven that he was a good worker and had won the confidence and trust of his employer. His case deserves some special attention from his track records. His employer paid his legal fees and fines and wanted to fight for him to be given a second chance. this is a heart warming fight by Ivy. On an individual case, people may be warmed to the worker and may want to help him as best they could. But how would this affect the bigger picture? Would every potential offender find our laws so compassionate that it is ok to repeat the same offence? We can afford to deal with a handful of cases. But where should it stop? It is bad to think that just because Hsien Loong mentioned of a case that could deserve a different treatment, probably tongue in cheek, it should not be used as a justification that committing an offence here is pardonable. No sweat. As long as one can contribute in some way to the economy, we can close one eye and be compassionate and human to such offenders. These are social problems of the poor. When people are poor, they resort to petty theft and crime to get by. Some of the crimes committed are so petty and pathetic. It is not easy to past judgement on such cases. To make an exception or to apply the law will have its advocators and detractors.

How to help Singapore Nation

I have copied an article written by Thinkall, which he posted in sammyboy, in redbeanforum in the tread 'How to help Singapore Nation.' I strongly recommend that all of you read it as the article is very well written, well argued and will give you a clear picture of the problems facing CPF now and in the future. The article deserves to be printed in the local media to enlighten the masses.

When are they going to stop?

Before they stop and you stop, you have lost by default. And all Singaporeans have been losing all these years by default to the extent that the govt thinks that it is its right to plan the people's life using the people's hard earned money. This is the most serious implication of all this compulsory annuity schemes and using legislation to keep the people from their life time savings. The people must say no to this kind of mentality. The govt can self help itself with the public coffer but not the pockets of the people. Singaporeans have given up this right to their own money. And if they don't do something, this right will be forever enshrined in all the legislations that they no longer have any say to their money. If this is not ridiculous, what else can be, in the city of possibilities? My message is simply, don't mess around with my money. I want my money back. I decide what and how I want to do with my money. And don't give me that crap that I will come crawling to the govt for charity. I am prepared to sign an undertaking if needed be that I will not ask for public assistance, not even for $290. Would that be enough? There is an online petition on this and Singaporeans should say no by signing on it.

HDB lease buy back scheme

This is perhaps the best option that the govt has proposed recently. With this scheme, oldies can at least live their last years with some financial certainty and a roof over their heads. They will be independent even if their children abandon them. And with this scheme, there is no need for annuity. The people need to be suspicious if any joker still insists on an annuity on top of such a scheme. And for anyone who can provide proof of his assets that are better than those 3 roomers who opted for this scheme definitely do not need annuity. They have much much more to provide for themselves and are capable of providing for themselves.

Celebrating Singaporeans: Ho Ching

The East is getting redder. That's what Mao said in his heydays. Yes the world is changing and changing so rapidly. Of the 3 women that were voted the most powerful or influential in the world by Forbes, two were from Asia. Wu Yi, a deputy premier of China is ranked number 2. And Ho Ching, a private business excutive, CEO of Temasek, is number 3. Wu Yi is from the world's most populous nation, and moving fast to become an economic power. And Ho Ching, from a little red dot, one of the tiniest nation. She even out ranked Condolezza Rice and woman Presidents and Prime Ministers. Her achievements even outshine LKY and Hsien Loong in being ranked in the top three by Forbes. LKY and Hsien Loong have never been in the top ten. She is not only a giant in a little red dot but in the international community. Wow!

Korean hostages - Not end of story

Now that the hostages have all returned to S Korea, it is time to settle scores and talk cock. One corner are the bravados, the never negotiate with the enemy heroes. They are now screaming at the S Korean govt for giving in and undermining their position. This will encourage more hostages to be taken. How they wish the S Koreans were killed as martyrs. Then they can called for more attacks against the kidnappers. The S Korean govt is a big let down. Whimps. Another corner are the evangelists. They should be screaming 'Praise the Lord' for answering their prayers and returning the hostages safely. God has answered. And time to plan for more missions to save the Afghans. Their belief in the Almighty must have been strengthened. Some interviewed have expressed that the S Koreans were there to do a good deed and would likely be encouraged to do more good deeds. And the S Korean govt is going to settle the scores for the foolishness of those involved in the mission. All will have to pay, at least financially, for the ruckus. It was humiliating for the govt to have to negotiate with the Talibans and to be blame for any failure to bring the hostages home safely. Will the story be repeated again, by some other countries?

The Singaporean Dream

In his first National Day Rally speech after the general election Hsien Loong painted a big dream for Singaporeans, a first world lifestyle with the two IRs. In his second rally he painted a renewed Singapore with Punggol 21 as an example of how things will be. These will be the dreams of the new generations. The older generations used to dream of reaching 55 and getting their CPF to go Batam. Now they have two more dreams. One to start collecting their minimum sum at 62(may 67 next time) and a second dream to collect their annuity forever when they hit 85. The 55 dream used to be the biggest dream of all. A time to reap their life time reward that they have saved all their working years. Now this will only be a fleeting dreams to many as not all will have much money to withdraw when the day comes. And for those who are below 57, the 62 dream will progressively be pushed further to the future. It will become the 63 dream, 64 dream and 67 dream. Who knows, it can become the 70 dream one day. Likewise, the 85 dream is still a dream and may become a 90 dream. It is good to have so many dreams. Carry on dreaming, Singaporeans.

Geylang is an example of the future to come

Geylang is now full of buzz. It has a new life of its own, exciting, hot, cosmopolitan, a corner that comes to life at night. More exciting than Clark Quay. Along the two sides of the main roads you have restaurants buzzling with customers. Go to the side roads you have hawkers and customers of a different kind. The customers are Singaporeans and foreigners. More foreigners than locals. The service providers, operators, including the restaurant owners, are mainly foreigners. The only thing local is the landlords. A large number of the business units have been rented out to foreign operators. And the landlords are very happy with the arrangement. They are reaping good returns for their properties without having to sweat. Is this what Singapore will become eventually on an island wide scale where Singaporeans are paid as landlords, the property owners, and the foreigners run the business, pay the rentals and make the profits? It is quite a life for the gentry and property owning class, no longer have to work but to enjoy the good life. If this be the case, it must surely be the first sign of decadence when the productive juice is no longer being pumped. Soon the properties will also be bought by the foreigners.

Annuity Scheme: A case of...

The Annuity scheme is a case of too little too late. The people who really need the annuity scheme are those lonely, jobless, no CPF and homeless in their 60s, 70s and 80s now. Introducing the scheme will not benefit even those in their 60s as many are unemployed. Having the schemes for those in their 50s and below may lead to the question of how many will need them. There is a big group of Singaporeans, those at least having a 4 rm flat, or even 3 rm flat, that will have family support, CPF, life insurance, savings, and probably work till they die. How relevant is the annuity scheme to these people? The annuity scheme is a scheme that punishes the responsible and those who have planned and saved for their retirements. The annuity scheme is one that punishes the majority because of a few irresponsible or unfortunate minorities. The annuity scheme is a redundant and irrelevant scheme to those who have properties, savings and dependents. The annuity scheme is a compulsory scheme that is neither here nor there, good for some but unnessary for others. The annuity scheme is a wasteful scheme to those that die young. Given a population of 3 million, how many percent will live pass 85, how many will live pass 90? And how many of these will need the annuity scheme to live on? If the annuity scheme gets through, it will be a bad precedent for any smart alec to dream of any feel good schemes to be made compulsory. I can easily think of a dozen that may even be more useful and meaningful than the annuity schemes to be made compulsory.