Happy like Fxxk feeling (pardon my lingo)

This is the impression one gets of all the PRs and new citizens here. How could they not be happy when they waltzed into a banquet hall with a big buffet spread awaiting them. And many were hungry and have never tasted such goodies before, or be in a posh banquet hall to be served. When people are happy because of goodies, beware. When the goodies are not there anymore, the happy faces may turn ugly. There are many goodies for the PRs and new citizens. And PRs and new citizens will become citizens and pay the price for being citizens. Membership has its obligations. OK the lucky guys are the PRs forever, enjoying the best of both worlds. You see, our system caters to impress the newcomers, not so much of the citizens. As citizens there are commitments, including your money in the lockups. When the new citizens realise what is happening, they are not going to be happy like fxxk anymore. They will be whining like the old citizens.

National Day Rally 2009

The most impressive part of the rally must be the last video clip on the future Marina Bay area. It is a future worth looking forward to. With its completion, we will really transform into another level of economic progress. During the National Day Parade I was staring at the diminutive Asia Insurance Building, once upon a time the tallest building in the island. Today it is dwarfed by its undescribed neighbours, everyone towering above it by twice its height. And the new Marina Bay area is another leap ahead from the present waterfront at Raffles Place and Shenton Way. I could imagine myself strolling along the Sands IR and enjoying the great sights and the richness of the surrounding. Then I wonder if I can afford the luxury within. Or maybe I shall join Wally and pitch tent at Changi Beach where the air is free, the stars and the views are free. Easier on the pocket. Our infrastructure will be first class. The several MRT lines that will complete the transport grid will make moving around so convenient, if one can afford it. Come to think of it, travelling to Changi to pitch tent by MRT is not going to be cheap. What is needed but missing in the rally speech is how to upgrade the pay check of the average Singaporeans. Can the pay check be bigger to meet the higher cost that is expected in a first class city living? Or shall the people be told to spend within their means, and join Wally? I have a better idea. I will turn myself into a professional gambler to qualify for a VIP card, free room and services and free food. I don't have to step out of the Marina Bay area anymore. Just live in the IR, for free. With my miserable income which I can confidently said is at least 3 or 4 times what Wally is getting, or more if he is a pensioner, I still think I will not be able to afford that kind of luxury. Now, for all the pensioners and would be pensioners, unless they have a couple of millions in their savings to last 20 or 30 years, they better find a job that will keep them employed till they are 70 or 80. Retirement or unemployment is no longer an option, but for the yodas. Yes, Hsien Loong did show a pic of Yoda in his presentation.

Influx of foreign talents, good or bad?

1/3 of our population are foreigners and we are crying out for more. The mantra, they will help to grow our economy, our saviours. Is growing our economy the only reason for us to live by at the risk of undermining what we have built for the last 40 years? Nation building does not come easy and is still a work in progress. We have seen some results. But it is going into the oven again. How so? Our problem is our size. People may accuse those who want to slow down this process of globalisation for being small minded, xenophobic, short sighted, small town mentality. But before we throw the baby out with the water, let's think again and look at where we are to start with. Can we afford to have such a huge influx of foreigners in our midst in so short a span of time? According to demographic projections, Europe will be an Islamic region in 50 years when the muslim immigrants will form the majority of the European population. And Europe is a region of mature countries and civilisations and could not resist from being adulterated by new immigrants. We are only 3m people in a small island. As someone has said, our boundaries can be defined by the SLE, AYE, PIE and KJE. That is how big we are. A pail of shit into an ocean would not mean a thing. But a cup of shit into a pail of water will definitely change the content of the water. For 40 years we have striven hard to build a Singaporean identity, where the citizens associate themselves with this piece of rock and call it home. Now we are saying, let's start it all over again with new immigrants and new citizens. My reservation is that instead of we absorbing the new citizens and their traits and baggages and making them one of us, we may be absorbed by them when we become a minority. It can be good, but it can be disastrous to what we have being trying to build all these years. The conquerers of China and India were absorbed into these two huge and old civilisations. The conquerers of America vanquished the locals and change the landscape into something else. The change was good in the economic sense. To the locals, it can be anything but good. We are too small and the risk of rapid change will have its untold price. We will only see the consequences in 20, 30 or 50 years.

The people were delirious

Big savings come with new hospital subsidy plan. Since July, the 3 tier hospital subsidies of 25, 50 and 75% have been changed to an 8 tier plan ranging from 10 to 75% depending on the family income levels. This means that some patients that were cut off by the 3 tier plan could now enjoy a higher level of subsidies. And they were delirious as they could now save several hundreds or thousands of dollars from the medical bills. Wow. This is the good news part. The bad news part is that some hospitals had already raised their fees because of increased in operation costs and ‘patients had to pay between $300 to $1,500 more for a typical month long stay in the subsidised 8 bed wards.’ LPPL.

How much it costs for a screen door?

A $126m contract to instal screen doors for 36 MRT stations was awarded to ST Electronics and this has resulted in several discussions in cyberspace, all trying to guess how much is the cost of a screen door. The numbers vary from $60k to $100k per door. Let me try another guess. Each train has 6 cars with 2 doors each on either side, and only one side of the doors will be in operation at the station. And with 36 stations with one platform each with two sides, the number of screen doors should be 6 x 2 x 36 x 2 = 864. This works out to be $145.8k per door. If we add 2 more platforms for the interchanges at Jurong East and Tanah Merah, assuming each has 2 platforms instead of 1, then the additional number of platforms shall be 48, giving a grand total of 912. The cost of each screen door shall be $138k. Now, I think I am right on this number and any variation will be due to stations with more than one platform that are not accounted for and can be adjusted accordingly. So at $138k per screen door, this amount could actually buy a Mercedes Benz or a new 3 rm HDB flat in the new towns. In other words the $126m can buy 912 Mercedes Benz or 912 3rm HDB flats. The screen doors are indeed a little costly right? Correction. There are 24 doors on each side of a train instead of 12 doors as computed above. 4 per car instead of 2. Thus the cost per screen door should be halved, ie $69k. This is close to the actual number given by LTA at $65,600.

Growing numbers, louder voices, bigger demands

1/3 of our population are non Singaporeans. And if we are to maintain our economic growth rate, more will be coming in and we may have 2/3 non Singaporeans in a matter of time. And as their importance grow, and as we become more dependent on their presence and contributions, like a drug addiction, we will need them more. Singaporeans should lay down the red carpet and welcome them with a big hug. And it is quite disheartening to read about the neglect and problems faced by the foreigners, from a place for their children in our schools and their difficulties in communications in public places. They need translators to read menus and order food. How can this be? Their discomfort is our loss if they choose to go somewhere else. Look at the positive side, more foreigners means more demand for housing and our flats will appreciate in value. They will pay quadruples to buy our HDB flats and we can then upgrade to smaller but more expensive private apartments. There will be more demands for more facilities and services and these will help to generate more economic activities and growth. Maybe our taxi drivers will be happier with more foreign commuters. They will provide more and better quality labour at cheaper cost. Singaporeans will all benefit from their contributions. Singaporeans can provide more services to these richer foreigners, renting out their rooms if not selling the whole flats, set up food courts, laundry shops, retail shops or whatever shops, as housing agents etc to support them and making a profit from such economic activities. It is a win win situation. For Singaporeans who cannot see the goodness of more foreigners coming here and growing the economy, it is better that they pack up and go somewhere else. The foreigners are like our customers and deserve to be treated like our customers, to be served well, to be pampered, if we want their money and talent. A good place for unhappy Singaporeans is Lijiang in China or a similar place in India. Cheap and good, and they will treat you like we treat our foreigners, at least until your money runs out.

Making money above ethical considerations

We need ethical leadership. We need ethical management. We need ethical business practices. Making money at all cost, with no regards to ethics will make us look no different from the loan sharks, the pimps, the gambling den operators or prostitutes. The fact that I have to post this means that unethical leadership, management and business practices are prevalent in our system. The minibond fiasco and other unfair practices in the financial system, the fraudulent practices and corruption in public and charitable organizations, are only the tip of the iceberg. Everyone knows but no one is talking. Anyone who dares claim that he does not know is either pretending or lying. Do we have people with the guts to stamp out such violations of ethics and human decency in our organisations ? There are some individuals who are in very privileged positions to do so, to stand up against this degeneration in ethical standards in our system. Sadly, they are not doing anything, probably enjoying the ride. Has anyone learn anything from the recent fiascos and big sums of money lost, with many people at the brink of suicide for losing their life savings, for blindly following the American schemes and scams engineered by the Ivy League graduates? They are no better than the scams of loan sharks. When will we start to think, to question how we make money, whether the business model is ethical and fair to customers, to employees and to associates and shareholders? Or shall we just exploit the weak and the small, grab their money and run without feeling any guilt? While Hsien Loong would have his plate full with many hot issues in his National Day speech, I hope he will touch on the subject of ethics and moral responsibility in corporate practices, including ministries and govt linked organisations. We need moral leadership to bring back ethical conducts and human decency in the pursuit of profits and doing businesses. And actions are needed, not just motherhood statements.

$126m will be spent on screen walls at MRT stations

Finally the MRT has succumbed to public pressure to do what people want it to do, erecting screen walls to show that it cares and it does not want people to jump onto the train tracks or falling onto the tracks accidentally. It sure looks good on the MRT, and the screens also look nice. At $126m, they better look nice. So we can look forward to lesser death. Now people will be smarter and find other venues to jump. HDB might have to wall up all the high rise flats when people go back to jump. Or we may even have screen walls along the roads. Then we can sleep in peace, that we have spent the money and done all we could to keep MRT, HDB and our roads safe from people who want to jump or who accidentally got knock down and die. Our conscience is now clear. We care to the amount of $126m and more akan datang. Who is going to pay for it? Money well spent?

Our simple formula to economic growth

Increase the population. Without population growth, we will decline. My question is, is this the only way to growth? This is simply quantitative growth. There are many great nations that keep growing qualitatively, with no demanding needs to increase their populations. There is a need to keep our population growing, at a control pace, but not at a pace, and with a growth formula that says no population growth means stagnation and decline. If this is the truth, then our population will not be capped at 8m, it needs to keep growing to sustain growth, 10m, 20m, 50m.... This will denounce countries that are able to grow in leaps and bounds without significant population injection. Why can they do it and we can't? I thought we simply pay our super talents more and they will come out with quality solutions to grow our economy. Can't we just pay our way through? Or is paying and paying a myth, that they can't do anything except to rely on population to grow? Looking ahead, I can only see ourselves starve to death for lack of air, breathing space or moving space when our population hits 8m. And going forward, we will be killing each other for a little space to wriggle around. It is a sure path to our own destruction if population growth is the only way forward.

Does Dark Pool violate the fundamental principles of transparency

Does Dark Pool violate the fundamental principles of transparency in stock trading? We used to read about the Stock Exchange querying companies on unusual movements of their stock prices and trading volumes and demanding to know why. Would these be a thing of the past when secrecy and non transparency are being advocated? Would the stock prices reflected in the stock exchange a real indication of demand and supply when real buying and selling are not done in the exchange? Would genuine small investors be trading on prices that are not a true reflection of real buying and selling interests? Are information being held against them while some organisations are privy to information that posed an unfair advantage similar to insider trading? Would transparency be a thing of the past? Level playing field?

The Dark Side beckons

That's the heading in the Today paper on the new trading system called the 'Dark Pool' to be introduced by the SGX. The system is to provide secrecy in trading so that big trades can be done without anyone knowing till they are done. Did we say transparency is good? Welcome to the darkside. It is better to do things in the dark than to be transparent. How many more things are done in the dark, or done without the knowledge of other players, giving those doing it an advantage over those kept in the dark? PS: More articles posted in Singapore Alternative News from Europe and America on the perils of Dark Pool. Related: SEC spotlight puts "dark pool" venues on defensive - Reuters 'Dark Pools' Threaten Wall Street - The New York Sun Europe to review ‘dark pool’ trading - Financial Times The rise of dark pools - attack of the clones - The Economist How Dark Pools Help Traders Cheat Transparency - Andymatic.com Singapore Exchange, Chi-X to form dark pool trade plat - Reuters Posted by singaporenewsalternative at 7:50 PM

The NDP was a security nightmare

I was there and experienced the crowd, 30 to 40 people deep, some areas more, all along the Esplanade from the floating platform to Collyer Quay, including the whole stretch of Benjamin Sheares Bridge. And the area in front of Asian Civilisation was also packed with families and merrymakers out for a good time, or just to soak in the atmosphere. It was a great feeling to see so many happy people enjoying themselves in comfort and with peace of mind. On the other hand, it was frightening should a bomb or two exploded in their midst. The carnage would be huge and ugly. Pray that it would never happen in such an event or anywhere here in paradise. The security people must have done a great job, and at the same time keeping their fingers crossed that thing would turn out alright, that everyone, adult and child, could go home contented, after an evening outings. But no matter how good the security people are, there are going to be some misfits, misled, misinformed and stupid people among and around us that will do the unspeakable and cause injury, pain and anguish to the innocents. How could we, as a people, stay together as one harmonious family, and prevent those who would want to do harm our friends and families to give up their evil and wicked designs? Only the people acting as one can avoid such a painful happening, only when the people are prepared to stand up and tell on those who want to do us harm, to turn them in instead of harbouring them. Without the cooperation and involvement of the people, the ordinary citizens, the evil ones will have found friends to hide and conceal them, to swim among them and waiting to strike at the next opportunity. We cannot afford to alienate our people and push them to the other side. We need to really be an inclusive country and count on every citizen as a member of a bigger family, to live and play and enjoy a peaceful lifestyle, free from dangers and harm. 300 to 400 thousand people were out there enjoying themselves and without a care about their own safety. We have taken these for granted. It is progress in a way. A kind of achievements. But we cannot depend on being lucky all the time.

No need for corporate governance

With so many abuses and frauds being exposed in our industries, I must say that it is a daunting task for the administrators to regulate and ensure that the consumers are not cheated, that there is fair play and ethical business practices. The job is so difficult and we should pity them for not being able to prevent all the funny things that are happening. What we should go for is a free market system, when anything goes. No need for governance. Every consumer be made aware, let caveat emptor be our governing principle in doing businesses. In a free market system, everyone will get wiser and learn to protect themselves and there no need to have huge organisations with thousands of people employed trying to administer and regulate when it is near impossible to do so. Make our economy really free, free from any encumbrance, free from regulations and interference. Let the law of jungle rules. Would that be nice, be more efficient? And no one needs to be blamed, no one needs to find excuses when things go wrong, no need to justify for any breaches or failures. Yes, caveat emptor is the way to go. And no need to kpkb.

Child bearing a social responsibility

Yong Kong Peng wrote to My Paper saying that child bearing is both a personal and social responsibility. This is a new twist to what child bearing is all about. People is our national resource and citizens have a social responsibility to produce babies. Put it in another way, child bearing is a national duty! How many of you agree to this? And if it is a national duty, would the nation be responsible to bear part of the cost of upkeeping the child? Interesting ways of looking at things that we take for granted. So for those who produce more children are more responsible and should be rewarded?

New kid on the blog - p65

The p65 blog is evolving and is crashing into the blogging scene with another loud bang after the first bang whimpered away. This time some big guns were lined up to write for the blog, Mrs Shereen Aziz-Williams, Britain based director of the Council of Ethnic Minority voluntary Sector Organisations, unionist Mohamad Nazir Sani, grassroot leader Terence Quek and MPs are all in the line up. If you are born after 1965, have non partisan and neutral views, and constructive criticism of policies, you are welcomed. Partisan views are not allowed, I think. I am still trying to figure out what these mean. And soon they will also have photos and videos, including snapshots of interesting things around the neighbourhood. Welcome to the blogging world, p65.

The kangaroo courts of ASEAN

Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to another 18 months of house arrest. The sentence was actually half of what the court passed down, 3 years of hard labour. Her crime, a stupid American, a big fat slop, floated into her house in the night uninvited and stayed there for 2 days. The crime was so serious that that was a big trial and a big sentence. And ASEAN countries rose to their feet and banging their chests against the kangaroo court decision. Somehow I got this funny feeling that they don't sell mirrors in ASEAN. Don't they see kangaroo courts everywhere? Maybe not, some are more equal than others.

The bizarre behaviours of Singaporeans

44 years of economic and material success have spawned some very strange behaviors among Singaporeans. We spent so much to buy a house or flat, furnished it up like a palace, but spent our time outside, most of the time at work. And the maids are the ones enjoying the million dollar or multi million dollar assets. Then we paid so much, the highest in the world, for a car only to park at home. Too expensive to drive, too many ERPs and car park charges to pay. And we are encouraged to park the car at home and take public transport, cheaper and more convenient. And when Singaporeans travelled, instead of seeing the places, they went shopping. The best part is that they would head for the cheapest bargains, buying stuff that they could get in Chinatown or pasar malam, at even cheaper prices. And they are happy that they got a bargain. And while the heartlanders are busy trying to make a life here, being told to bust off if they are not happy, which they could not, the rich and presumably very happy and contented citizens are buying up properties overseas just in case they need to make that escape from paradise. While many Singaporeans are thinking of jumping ship, or preparing to jump ship, hoards of new immigrants are rushing in to take their place in this paradise. And to top it all up, they keep complaining about the govt and all the policies that they found unpalatable, come every election, they will vote and return the govt to power. Strange Singaporean behaviours.

When would anti social policies be removed or moderated?

One of the most anti family and anti social policies is car parking in residential estates. You visit your parents or your children, you pay, except Sundays and public holidays. You visit your friends and relatives, you pay. The more friendly you are, and the longer you stay, the more you pay. The more filial and caring you are to your parents, visiting them more often and staying longer, you pay more. There is an issue of lack of parking space, and residents deserve a place to park. Too many visitors will deprive them of a parking space. Sure there is a conflicting demand of space and social interactions. I pose this as a challenge for the administrators to come up with a more conducive policy to please both the residents and the visitors. Or is this the best that can be? Even in private estates, the roads are narrow, and the white lines are there. Not many of the private properties can accommodate more than 2 cars in their car parks. Any parties or social gathering is going to be very demanding on the residents and the visitors. We have plenty of space to take in 8 million people. Really? At what cost and social life?

Security at the NDP

Read my face