Million dollar dilemma

What's that? Not me. I have not struck Toto yet. So no million dollar to worry about. But many people are facing the million dollar dilemma. Many have accepted the branding that they are real super talents. This is no longer kopitiam talk anymore. They have accepted the real monetary packet that comes with the title. They are now walking around wearing a million dollar price tag. The brand is better than Gucci or Prada or Prata or whatever there are in the market. What does this means to the million dollar specie? The ignorant or act dumb type will go on as usual as if nothing has changed except that money is being poured into their pockets. Life is just a bliss. Who cares as long as they can continue with their wine parties and karaoke every night. Then the sensible and those with a higher sense of conscience would start to worry. What am I going to do to justify the million dollar I am getting? Do I do something worthwhile, worthy to deserve that kind of money? The people that I am shaking hands with are going to ask, how much is this handshake cost? This group of talents will be stimulated to do something more. They need to come out with brilliant ideas, decisions and policies to let people know that they are not just a tooth. They are real stuff. They can't be walking around talking nonsense and doing nonsensical things. Their time are very expensive. So we can expect brilliant policies and ideas coming from such talents. Definitely not stupid ideas that Ah Beng and Ahmad can think of. Then they will be no difference. The people must all be waiting eagerly to see some great ideas coming through. Still waiting, I supposed.

Silver Hair Biz

With Singaporeans greying rapidly, and all very rich, at least with a big chunk of money in their Medisave, and maybe in annuities, the best business to look at is to provide life support machines to them. Many would be needing them if they are longing to live to 100 years old. The service is very simple, just plug them into the machines when they are no longer conscious, like in Matrix, and let them hibernate for as long as there is money left in their savings. When the money dries up then it is time to switch off the machine. Added service will be in the form of highly qualified medical professionals to do their rounds and make sure hibernators and machines are working beautifully. This will be additional cost of course. Looking at it, a room can easily hook up 6 to 10 bodies on triple deckers. We can call this expensive network of machines as the Sago Lane Matrix.

What's happening?

Liang Dingzi wrote about this guy who has past the age of 62 and wanted to continue to contribute to the Supplementary Retirement Scheme but were rejected by the MOF. I would think the govt that is so concerned about retirees having no savings and wanted to introduce compulsory annuity schemes would be happy that they are willing to keep more money in the CPF. Maybe Eng Hen should have a word with MOF on this. If people are willing to save more voluntarily, then there is no need to compel them to do. What's happening?

Two most caring and hardworking ministers

Boon Wan and Eng Hen are the two most outstanding ministers working very hard to improve the life of Singaporeans. Boon Wan is cranking every ounce of his brain juice to bring down medical cost and improve the quality of B2 and C wards. Eng Hen is trying to make sure that all Singaporeans who live past 85 will still have money to spend. I was thinking of putting up a scroll for Singaporeans to sign and show their appreciation for the hard work they have put in, and to thank them. The Singaporeans felt it in their heart that all these works are good for them. But what I would like to suggest to them is not to work so hard. Take a break and go for on holiday. Let the Singaporeans take care of themselves and their lives. I think Singaporeans will greatly appreciate them for it. In the case of hospitals, no need to further improve the quality of B2 and C class wards. The present quality is very good, excellent. The wards are more comfortable than the homes of many Singaporeans using these wards. So no need to agonise over richer Singaporeans wanting to stay in these wards when they are made better. Better spend effort to improve the B1 and A wards so that the richer Singaporeans will choose them as a matter of choice. As for Compulsory Annuities, no need lah. Those who can afford to pay for them, don't need them. And they will probably say, don't waste time. Those who need them would not be able to afford them. And making it compulsory will make their lives more miserable and their pockets more empty. They will end up cursing and swearing. Those in between will say the amount will not be enough and be quite meaningless. So my best suggestion is not to do anything. Take note that the people appreciate their good intention. Go for holiday and make everyone happy.

Taiwan healthcare more affordable

Liu I Chun wrote an article in the Today paper on the Taiwan Healthcare system. He said that the Taiwanese system is not only more affordable than Singapore's, its waiting time to see a specialist is also shorter. He gave an example of an eye specialist bill of $44, complete with diagnostic tests and consultations. And this is half the cost in Singapore. 'And one can see a specialist (no referrals needed) on the day itself if there are last minute appointment cancellations.' What is interesting is the World Bank Report he quoted on healthcare expenditure as a porportion of GDP, 4.6% for low income nations, 6% for middle income nations and 11.2% for high income nations. And Taiwan as a high income nation, spends only 6.2% Better still, Singapore, another high income nation, spends only 4% of its GDP on healthcare. I take this as a compliment for being efficient, providing a good healthcare system at a lower cost vis a vis the GDP. What Liu suggested, and I wholely agree, is that Singapore can afford to spend a little more to subsidise the health cost for its people.

All for nothing

Lately we are seeing many queer things happening around us and affecting our lives. So much effort and resources, expensive brain juices were made to flow, all for nothing but principles and beliefs. People believe that something is right on principles, people believe that something will happen, and they went about insisting that things must be done to fit their principles and beliefs, even at the stake of stirring up more emotions and unhappiness. Guess what I am talking about? In management science there is this concept called Pareto Principles. You do not waste too much effort on little returns. You spend effort in areas where you can get the most returns. Stop wasting time beating a dead horse.

Money Not Enough

We used to sneer at the poorer Singaporeans for their endless complaints that money is not enough. We sneered at people with $250 and asking for $50 more, the taxi drivers earning $3000 and wanting $9000 or the doctor who earns a million and wanting $5m. This is a negative way of looking at people and their drive to improve themselves. It is this drive, the greed to want more that keep these people asking for more and striving to improve themselves. We all know that greed has two sides. On the positive side it is a very powerful motivator, a great stimuli to keep people going. The news reported that Suharto has a strong will to live because of his army training. This is bull shit. It is greed. The greed to see his wealth and enjoy his wealth. The greed to live longer to protect that wealth. Greed or money not enough is in our blood. We are what we are today because of greed. If I were to form a political party, I will name it MNE Party or Money Not Enough Party. The party will then be assured of attracting the best brains to serve. The reward is real. It is truth and not tooth. Talented people will all volunteer to join the party. Nothing to hide, nothing to pretend. They will openly say they are in for the money. The good thing about a MNE Party is that there will be no hypocrisy. You get what you see and be proud of it. Alternatively can call it GIG Party, or Greed Is Good Party.

Notable quotes - Khaw Boon Wan

'Test will err on side of generosity' Khaw Boon Wan Boon Wan said this during his dialogue sessions attended by more than 900 people on his plans to introduce mean testing. He promised that 'Means Testing will neither be mean nor demeaning.' The abattoir claimed to kill the pigs in the most humane and painless way. That is what we were told. But this is a bad analogy. Boon Wan was telling the people that he will be as kind and generous as possible. He tried his best to persuade the people of his good intention and that the Mean Testing is to help the poor. Reminds me of the 2% increase in GST. We shall all bear witness to his assurance published in the msm. Let's see when it is eventually introduced and whether desperate people will have the book thrown into their faces. You are not qualified. Next please. You are not qualified. This is the rule. Next please.... We will only know after the rice is cooked.

Taiwanese voters wised up

The heady days of blindly following Ah Bian are over. The Taiwanese voters have decided to take the future of Taiwan into their own hands. They decided to vote for the best man to lead them into the future. They paid no concern to party loyalty or whether Taiwan is independent or being a part of China. What the Taiwanese want is a better future for themselves and their children. Can Singaporean voters emulate the new ethos of the Taiwanese and vote for good men to lead them into the future instead of voting blindly? This is a test of the maturity of the electorate.

Celebrating Singaporean - Prof Shih Choon Fong

Professor Shih Choon Fong Professor Shih has transformed NUS to a world class university, recognised by the world as among the top 50. The only misgiving is that the population or the locals still do not regard the local graduates as good stuff. That is why we still need foreign talents from first or third world universities that are unlisted or ranked in hundreds and preferred over our local graduates. That is the irony of not having breathe foreign air. But Prof Shih has done well to get NUS of be recognised and for this he also earned a good reputation for himself. He is one of the rare local talents that is marketable overseas. I have difficulties counting how many of our great local talents that can be employed to top positions overseas.

More fears, stress and anxiety

Do we need more of these? Falling seriously ill is already a very stressful thing. Thinking of being admitted to hospital is another big anxiety. Got money to pay or not? Now must face another uncertainty, can qualify for subsidy or not? There are now so many kinds of fear and uncertainties to face before admission. But fear and stress are good stimuli to make the people woke up and work harder. How about that guys/gals, like the stimuli?

Compulsory Nannying

Did Singaporeans ask for more nannying? Sembawang GRC is going to have compulsory survey of household statistics on the number of occupants, age, sex, medical conditions etc to be submitted to the police. This will give the law enforcer a better picture of what is behind the four walls and would be able to customised help to these people. The intention is good and it can work and do a lot of good to the people who need help and the good officers who are there to provide help. But it is a double edged sword. It cuts both ways. We have heard of frightening stories of firms hiring security guards who were ex convicts and ended as expected. Then there were maids that were brought into the homes who were killers. You just do not know who the person handling the data is and what is his intention. Good intention will likely end with good results. Bad intention will end with horrendous results. And it is compulsory for people to submit their private information with no choice. Why not make it voluntary and let those who want to volunteer to volunteer with eyes wide shut? No matter how many layers of security checks, Murphy's Law says something bad that can happen will happen. And the people has no choice. It is compulsory again

The worst of 2007

I reckon the following are the worst political decisions of 2007, though not necessary in order of merit. 1. Compulsory Annuity Scheme 2. Mean Testing 3. 21% salary increment 4. Taxi fare hike 5. 6 million population 6. Allowing rising cost to run wild Can any of you think of anything worst than the above? Or anyone disagree?

Replenishing the dying stock of good genes

This may not have been spoken as an official policy statement, but this is what I think could be the key reason. As our stock of good genes are dying away quickly, and we are unable to find the same quality of equally good genes, despite paying so much, it is necessary to import from abroad. In a generation or two, we will have all the great genes we need, from sweepers, cleaners, bus drivers to doctors and researchers. Then we can claim to the world that we have the best sweepers, cleaners etc or best workers of the world. And this could be the reason to pay them world class salaries as well. At the rate it is going, the workers, or those at the bottom 20% could be getting $3k-$5k pm or a household income of $10k. And they will be considered the lower income group. The average Singaporeans, with world class genes, will be getting $20k-$30k pm. This will be the future for a city of excellence in the future. Dunno what will be the cost of living then.

The Mean Dilemma

While everyone is being worked up in this mean thing, wanting to be mean but trying to be not so mean, have we forgotten about the basic problem, the unstoppable rising medical cost? Or is Mean Testing a solution to solving this problem or just a diversion, that reducing cost can quietly be swept under the carpet? I am getting some inspiration from President Suharto on how to make more money to subsidise those who are trying to stretch their dollar and savings to last longer. The rich, like Suharto, will not be embarrassed by Mean Testing. They can afford to pay. And he is paying, I hope so, for every day he spent being hooked up to all the machines and surrounded by an entourage of expensive medical professionals. This is a very lucrative market to tap on. Hospitals, private and public, should allocate more resources to provide such services and support to the very rich and charge them accordingly, and no subsidies of course. They don't mind being hooked on to machines and enjoy the publicity. Though this is what advanced medical science can do to hold on to a dying piece of living tissue, it is important for those who can afford to live this way. There are plenty of money to be made. Market the business aggressively so that the very rich can pay for the not so rich or the poorer people. It is time to restructure the whole medical profession and medical business to pursue more profits with a good reason and not continuously lumping the cost to those who can barely afford to pay. With the fear of being sick and admitted to hospitals growing by the days, no one can blame those with a few dollars in their savings, including those in Medisave, to want to hold on to them for as long as possible. No one should harbour the thought of emptying the people's life savings for their own medical care as quickly as possible under whatever schemes. For whatever there is in the Medisave may not be enough.

Notable quote II by LKY

'This way you are not passing the burden (of caring for the elderly) to the next generation.' Lee Kuan Yew LKY 'defended Singapore's CPF scheme and argued against pensions for the elderly, which have to be supported by tax revenues...The CPF scheme, he said, helps Singapore to remain competitive, saying it aims for "minimum tax rates and maximum self sufficiency".' The above was part of his conversation at the Silver Industry Conference Exhibition and is reported in the ST.

Notable quote by LKY

'If we are not able to think for ourselves and decide if what they tell us is either good or useful or not so good, we wouldn't be here.' Lee Kuan Yew What we read in the news, especially the news produced by reputable msm, including Reuters, BBC, NYT or ST or whatever, read it carefully, understand them, and understand what are their agendas. Then decide whether it is to our interests or against our interests. For they are all views, not necessarily right or wrong, but views to influence and manage your way of thinking and seeing things. LKY's comment above was in response to a question on free speech in Singapore. He pointed to Taiwan, the Philippines, South Korea as countries with free press but not necessary free of corruption. The 'media itself is corrupted.' Before anyone thinks that in order to be free of corruption, we cannot have a free media. Both are not exclusive. Why can't we have freer media and corruption free? This is the same as asking why can't we pay our politicians decently, and not excessively, and remain corruption free. Ok, I admit that what is decent or excessive is relative. But we all have this gut feel when things are excessive or not right.

Mean Testing the cure all for medical cost woes

This is the gist of an article by Hobbit posted in the Singapore Medical Association News in April 2006 and reproduced in the ST today. He attributed the problems of the runaway cost and buffet mentality of patients to several causes, poor administrative system to feed patients to hospitals for polyclinics and unwarranted high cost of facilities in heavily subsidised wards. Then there are those who could afford to pay more choose not to. And all these problems can be solved by simply introducing Mean Testing. I am quite shock actually to think that the cream of the professional world could come out with such a simplistic solution to address a host of problems that is due to poor management of systems and resources. What is needed is to put a team to address the system failures and inefficiencies and cut on unnecessary cost in B2 and C wards. People opting for subsidised wards do not need frills and thrills. Just give them decent medical treatment and basic facilities. Please do not add on to their burden by all the extras of a 5 star hotel. Is this so difficult to comprehend? What is important is to look at all the costs, what are and have been included into the costs of providing essential medical services that are unnecessary? Keep the cost down and provide what the people need and not what the provider wants the people to pay for. Why not convert a few blocks of HDB style flats into no frill public hospitals, away from the 5 star hospitals with 5 star price tags? The other issue pointed out by Hobbit is the shortage of doctors in public hospitals and surprisingly the admission that many specialists are running out of patients in private practice. What is the problem then? So difficult to figure what? Do not strangle the supply of doctors. Produce more doctors from the system just like we flood the roads with taxi drivers or with graduates to be taxi drivers. As for an over supply, let the market forces bring them to their senses and an equilibrium. This supply issue applies to other professions especially the legal profession. Produce more lawyers and bring down the cost of legal fees. Why am I wasting my precious time suggesting all these measures when all the supertalents can only think of raising fees and mean testing, and laughing all the way to the banks?

More mollycoddling needed for N level students

Angry parents are blasting at a principal for advising Sec 5 students to go to ITE instead. The students felt hurt. The parents were incensed. What kind of shit to feel insulted for being told the truth? If these students do not buck up, they will only waste their time in attending Sec 5. They may have decent grades at their Sec 4 N level exam. But let's face it, the grades are being sugar coated to look good, to soothe the feelings, to make parents and students feel that they have grades of 1s and 2s. But who is kidding who? When you are in N level, the grades are not the equivalent of the Express level. You need to knock it down by 3 or 4 grades or more. The principal might appear harsh, brutal, and insensitive. Not really. There are many ways to motivate or drive a person to excel. Some may respond to mollycoddling, to bribes, to begging by parents, to more tuitions, but some will be pushed to drive themselves harder by insulting their pride. And that is exactly what the principal hoped to do to some of these students. As reported, one of the student is responding as expected. 'But having decided to stay on, she said she feels added pressure to do well: "I feel quite nervous, and so do quite a few of my classmates."' Some parents are claiming to do damage control on the pride of their children. Some wanted to take the case to MOE. These students and parents need a hard jolt to reality. The students need a lot of effort to be able to qualify to go to the normal stream. Oh they are in the normal stream already. See the pretence? Are N level standard normal or below average? If this is considered normal, so our normal students are at this level? I would advise the sensitive parents and students to read into the principal's intention positively and encourage the students to rise up to the challenge. Prove the principal wrong! The same method is also often used in the military training school when the training officer will tear the trainees to pieces, insulting them to the point of being rubbish, completely useless beans. But on their graduation day, the training officer will march to the young graduate and salute him, addressing him respectfully as Sir. Parents still insist on more mollycoddling?

A better and more popular alternative

Why not have a non citizen class or all not citizens pay the full rate? After all they are all talents and should be quite capable of paying for world class medical bills. And PRs will only be admitted to B1 and A wards. The increase earnings can then be used to subsidise citizens under the present system and forget about the mean testing. This may give more votes to the party too or at least the people will be less angry.