More good news and good statistics

Foreigners are snapping up private properties in greater numbers. The numbers given in the ST shows that from 2007 to 2009, foreigners have bought about 20,000 units of properties here. If we are to extrapolate backwards, foreigners could have bought a few hundred thousands of private properties here. The good news is that more are coming in and buying. Another report says that Singapore is a choiced city for immigrants and there are enough in the waiting list to bring our population to 13m. This could easily triple or quadruple the prices of properties here, including those of public flats. The future of Singaporeans is so rosy. Wait for the 3rm flats to hit $1m and 4rm to hit $1.5m, and the bigger units in the $2m and more. Then Singaporeans can all sell out, move off to Lijiang or Chennai, or JB and Batam, build their own palaces and live there happily thereafter.

Menu for cannibals

Spotted this item in the menu of a high end restaurant - 'Cajun & Hickory Flavoured Roast German Baby Rib'. In Singapore of course.

The political party that will last a million years

Hsien Loong has announced that the PAP is all ready for the next General Election. It has another slate of high calibre candidates all ready to serve the people. This self renewal process of a political party, running in clockwork precision is second to none in the world. With such an efficient party, recruiting the best people into its fold, there is no chance that any other party could ever think of unseating it from power. Then there are other great factors in the PAP's favour. A great record of 45 years of achievement. An electoral system that is designed by the PAP and is obviously more favourable to it. And there are all the machinery that counts during a general election that will be activated to support the party. And there is a grateful people all sold by what the PAP can do for them. How else can any party hope to challenge the PAP? The PAP is probably the only political party that is designed to rule forever. This is another uniquely Singapore invention. It is an infallible party.

Singapore companies risk brain drain

According to a Hay Group report, and reported by Lee Hui Chieh in the My Paper front page today, 'Companies here may face a brain drain if they do not repay the "sweat debt" - or employees' sacrifices - that they chalked up during the recession, a global consultancy firm warned yesterday.' This is the most serious threat to Singapore companies to date. If they refuse to up the pay of their employees, many will quit and move from Jurong to Ang Mo Kio or from Raffles Place to Shenton Way. The workers will simply quit and look for companies that are willing to pay them more. And if this fails, they will move further ashore, to JB, Batam and maybe Chennai and Shanghai. Singapore companies must not take our world class, most productive workers for granted. They are in demand everywhere, from Ang Mo Kio to Queenstown to JB and Batam. And they will move. Where else can these companies find CBF workers except in Singapore, Cheap Better and Fast!? Cheap to hire, Better in work and Fast in moving if companies do not repay them their 'sweat debt'. Come to think of it, this 'sweat debt', this country owes a big 'sweat debt' to the old hags that are still crawling around, alive, or to their children and grandchildren for the hardship they went through to build this country to what it is today. When is this country going to repay them? Or better to take care of new citizens and foreigners?

PAP Online, a welcome change

Blogging is important after all. PAP is getting serious about the information, feedback and criticism it is getting from the new media. It is going to engage the new media head on by empowering party members to debate with netizens directly. Long gone will be the days of sporadic responses by a few members or insurgents. Sporadic responses in the past should be differentiated from the sporadic attacks by wild people like MacDonald Bloggers aka Pee on it aka Empty Empathy aka Kristine, or better known as directless rubber aka emplorer aka awaking. I never believe that PAP will send this kind of hot heads to attack other bloggers. For if it does and kena found out, it will be terribly embarrassing. Netizens should brace themselves up to see PAP members coming out in the open to defend PAP policies without hiding under anonymity. This is a great leap forward to more engagement and discussion in cyberspace. And the good side is that PAP will have the chance of greater space to explain itself clearly, and the reasons and justifications for its actions. Now the fight is online. Again, who says blogging is a waste of time? If that be so, PAP will be wasting its time. No the PAP will not be wasting its time on an unworthy pursuit. Cyberspace is the new future.

MacDonald bloggers aka Pee on it aka Kristine...

aka Empty Empathy is back. Remember the one who wrote things like directless rubber, emplorer etc? He is back. And he cleaned up his messages with all these infamous words in them. But he forgot that I was one step ahead. I copied those messages and gave it to my friends for safe keeping. It is in his file.

Small minds and big businesses

The land of Sintu was controlled by Godfather Ah Beng. It was not a big place but lying at the crossroad of the international drug trafficking route, it was where all the action took place. From human smuggling, vice, prostitution, gambling and drugs. And Godfather Ah Beng ran it as freely as he could by just collecting the dues for his retirement. And he spent his time partying with wine, women and song. As a result he was indisposed and left the running of his business to his son. His main source of income was prostitution. His son was not the only beneficiary. His mistress also owned a third of the business while his godson another third. The three ran the three cash cows separately under different entities and managements. It was a very closed cartel business and everything was within their control. As time passed, each tried to outdo the other to prove to Ah Beng that he/she could do better. The cartel protected them from new competition and they exploited the arrangement to the fullest. The prostitutes were like slaves to the three organisations, generating incomes to fatten them, which was all good and well. Then smart alec thinking appeared. They tried to compete with each other 'discreetly'. Three monkeys running the same business and trying to con each other by being discreet. Son brought in foreign prostitutes that were cheaper and better. His business prospers. Not to be outdone, mistress and godson did the same and their shares of the business was back to square one. When one offered free gifts or extra services the others followed in double quick time. When one cut the price, the others also cut prices. The consumers were the happiest when the three monkeys fought among themselves, 'discreetly'. The people that suffered the most were the prostitutes. They were the ones servicing the customers and getting paid lesser and lesser while working harder and harder. Even the foreign prostitutes had to compete with foreign prostitutes from cheaper sources. As far as the three monkeys were concerned, cutting prices was the only way to go. They could think of no other better ways. And they forgot that their business was a near monopoly. While they kept squeezing the prostitutes, they were not stingy to themselves. They still reaped big profits and bonuses. Ah Beng too was undisturbed. Whenever he needed more money to splash around, he just raised his protection money and the three monkeys would pay willingly. One day the three monkeys found out that the business was not lucrative any more as the prostitutes too were abandoning the trade. So they sought permission from the Godfather and sold their businesses to live happily ever after from the wealth they accumulated over the years of exploiting the prostitutes.

A sermon from elle

elle(from UK) says: Here is my 2 cents worth. People who dare not speak out are afraid of the judgement of others who may penalise them or at least laugh at them. So how do we cure that problem? (1) To dare to speak out means that you have to be confident of your views, you must know that you are right with your views and that no one will be able to challenge your views. So how can you be sure you have views that no one can challenge? And how do you can you gain such knowledge? God gave you eyes to see. He also gave you a brain to use to analyse the good from the bad. Today, man has given you the tools to learn. It is the Internet. You could easily learn enough to write 10 PhD thesis from the Internet. There are all the libraries available to you on the Internet. All you need is patience, perseverance, and time to learn and to analyse. (This last trait, the ability to analyse, and to have cognisance of all the facts is up to you and may depend on your experience and maturity.) But this Internet university is open and free to all, if you have access to the Internet. Once you know the truth you will want to share your knowledge with others. Imagine being able to find out answers like, (1) Is there a god? (2) Whose god has all the answers? (3) Is that preacher or that Professor telling me the truth? Or does he know what he is talking about? (4) What is a Taoist? or Buddhist? or Christian? or a Jew? or a Muslim? It may take you 10 years of research, but at the end you will know the answers. Now, in the 21st century all this information is available to you, free, and on tap, and it is up to you to find out for yourself. If you care to find out, that is. But people are lazy and want to be spoon fed. Those who want to be spoon fed will never have the cognisance to see the truth anyway so they are a waste of time. SO MY CHALLENGE TO YOU IS; "IF YOU ARE IGNORANT, IT IS YOUR OWN DOING." (2) Now, back to my original article. (By the way I have replied to the author but have not yet received a reply.) Singapore has been a "Nanny State" for too long. It is time the people were weaned from it. That article clearly spells out why Singapore is a Nanny state. Today, Singaporeans must be able to speak out, discuss, and learn about the world about them. They have to know the real world, with "warts and all." So that they will know which way they want to go and what is there in the real world. You can only learn that when you can talk freely about it, not guided or controlled discussions. I know, most of the time I have acted as a "Devil's advocate" but I have not acted our of malice. I have wanted to entice more of you to discuss the issues of life, of problems of the world, and how it will affect the lives of people in South East Asia and the future of your children and their children. There I go again preaching a sermon. End off. The above post is in Redbeanforum in the World Affairs section.

To move on or to hold on?

I posted a thread on some of the outstanding angsts that have still to be resolved or waiting for a solution. My friend Wally suggested that it is better to move on as many have done so. That's how life is, and how things should be. Make your noise and move on. The question is, should we or should we not? The media has its own role and function cut out for it. It also has its own agenda and will move on when needed to or to hang on and repeat their stuff for as long as they want it in their own ways. Take the issue of housing prices and welcoming foreigners. The media is not moving on and let the issue pass. The internet allows an issue to be rehashed for as long as the people want them to, and not dependent on the media to support or discard them. The people now has the internet of their own and can set their own agenda for discussion. No one can say let's move on and nothing will be heard anymore. But they can if they want to, by closing down the internet. There is still this prevalent idea that we should go on and welcome more foreigners. Some may support this for good reasons while some are just parroting this view without thinking. In all things, there is always a breaking point when enough is enough, from not enough to excessive and eventually destructive. Just like greed in the US. We all paid the price for it. We started from a swamp, poorly inhabited and needed more people to build this place. We grew and prospered with more people adding to the vibrancy of the island. The question is when is enough, and are we breaching it? How many more can we take before the seams burst? This brings me back to the white mice theory. One mouse or several mice in a cage will quickly multiply when there is enough space and food. But if not managed, they will soon over multiply and strain the limited space and resources. The sad ending is that when food and space are scarce, they will fight and eat each other up. How far are we from reaching this point in our immigration policy and welcoming of foreigners? When will welcome turn into frown and disgust? And when will the newcomes find it tough here and turn against their hosts, demanding for their share? We are no longer an unpopulated swamp. We are one of the most densely populated little piece of rock on earth. We are pushing the limits and the limits will be hit as a matter of time. So don't anyhow just say have more foreigners, increase the population for more economic growth. The economic numbers may be admirable. But there is a social and political cost. Should we move on when issues are affecting us and stuck with us, or we pretend and see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing, and all will pass? We are not talking about celebrities and the type of clothes they wear.

Time to recollect the unsettled issues

Nothing heard of the high motor insurance premium anymore. Or people are busy trying to find a solution in their wet dreams? Then the fear of being hospitalised by an expensive sickness and being bankrupted by the helfty hospital bill. Maybe the fear is no longer there and everyone has accepted the fact that this is it. Or people have found alternative solutions, not to be hospitalised when that day comes. The jailed CPF money in the hundreds of thousands per person, almost untouchable. CPF holders must have resigned to this fact. And the surging prices of public housing. But many will be jumping in joy. Huat ah! Good to many and bad to a few. So it is ok to let the prices go sky high. These are some of the issues that need to be taken out from the cupboard for airing now and then. Or else Rip Van Winkle will go back to sleep. Oh I almost forgot. The PR and foreigner issue. I am waiting to here from some elected representatives of the people to say something in defence of the citizens rather than the foreigners. Come to think of it, none have actually come out with such a stand. I may be wrong but still scratching my head trying to recall if there was any.

Robbery or theft in paradise?

Oct 26, 2009 Family on camping trip robbed By Muhd Nurluqman A FAMILY on a camping trip was robbed on Oct 24 at the southernmost point in Sentosa. The family of eight had pitched a tent at the small islet at around 8.30pm and realised that three bags that they had placed inside the open tent were missing a couple of hours later. The above was posted in Singapore Kopitiam. I think it was taken from a press report and Muhd Nurluqman is a reporter or sort of. The question is whether the family was robbed or the bag was stolen when they left it inside their tent. To be robbed is pretty serious in this island paradise. On the other hand petty theft can still occurred if one is careless with one's belonging and tempting the thief to be.

Singaporeans are crazy!!!

This post is not about being anti foreigners or PRs. It is about the crazy or mad people in Singapore. Everyday we are listening to sermons and lectures about how to take good care of foreigners, make them happy, accommodate them and welcome them into our lives. We need to be good, be kind and be generous to them, or else they will all go away. Singaporeans must not forget that charity begins at home. And for the govt, the first priority is to look after the well being of its citizens. Or is it? Should the priority be reversed and taking good care of foreigners comes first, and Singaporeans second? Enough is enough, and people should stop coddling and embracing foreigners like lovers or their saviours. It is the most stupid bullshit we are being spammed daily. What about us Singaporeans? If MPs think that it is their role to look after foreigners, to spend their precious time on how best to look after foreigners, let the foreigners vote for the MPs.

Celebrating Singaporean - Lee Kuan Yew

Lee Kuan Yew LKY is invited by the Americans to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the people of South East Asia and the world. He was feasted in a gala dinner organised by the US Asean Businesss Council with the attendance of many eminent US leaders, past and present. Hilary Clinton, Henry Kissinger, George Schultz, Jim Webb, Kurt Campbell, all had kind words to say about him. Obama sent a letter that was read out in the dinner. Bill Clinton and senior George Bush had what they said recorded and played at the dinner. Not many leaders have been received in such a manner, with tributes, admiration and warmth from the American dignitaries. Bill Clinton said, 'His work as PM and now as MM has helped literally millions of people in Singapore and all across South east Asia to live better, more prosperous lives.' George HW Bush said, 'Few have done so much for their country or are as deserving of recognition for a lifetime service to his country and the South east Asian region as Mr Lee....' Henry Kissinger, an old friend, said, '...He has become a seminal figure for all of us...There is nobody who can teach us more about this than MM.' And George Schultz said about his 3 hour conversation with LKY, Kissinger and Helmut Schmidt in his kitchen, 'Man, was that an education. So(MM Lee), you have taught all of us a tremendous amount by what you've done, what you've said, the way you mean it when you say something, and I thank you.' Like him or hate him, you got to give it to him. He is greatly admired in the top echelon of American leaders. And a word from Asst Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, 'Thanks for coming and spending so much time with a group fo people who not only respect you but love you. I know we don't use that word in Singapore, but still, we love you.'

Is there something missing?

The great dialogue on law has been going on for a few days. Singapore's top officials have been defending our great records in building a prosperous nation for 3.2m citizens and 1.2m foreigners. Our stand was to defend what we have built and done, to an 'audience of mainly American lawyers'. We have a very safe city, no slums, no 'no go' areas. People are rich, well fed, well housed, well educated and well travelled. We live harmoniously in a multi racial society without deep divides or strong hatred among the various races and religious mix. What else can one ask for? And the cake is that foreigners are flooding into a city seeking jobs and a better life. They are pouring their wealth into the city state. These are the testaments of a great city to live in. Why are there so many negative remarks and perceptions about this little paradise? Strict laws, executive interference, ISA, a people that is fearful of speaking up, etc, etc, were frequently hurled against the city state as if they are real? Are they, or just somebody's imagination? Or is there something missing that were not seen, heard or spoken about? What is it that creates this air of uncertainty and disquiet?

Pay double for faster and smoother rides?

According to a survey by LTA, the findings point to commuters and motorists being more willing to pay more for a faster and smoother ride. Some would not mind paying double of what they are paying now. Depending on who you are surveying, the figures may be grossly underestimated. Many motorists would not mind paying $10 per ERP just to have a free highway to themselves. Our ERPs are too cheap to many of the rich motorists. For the hardlanders, try doubling their bus fare or train fare and see what they will say or do! Actually our taxi fares are also very cheap compare to New York, London, Tokyo and the major cities around the world. Ask any tourists from these big cities and they will laugh their heads off at the ridiculously low taxi fares we are paying. Taxi fares should be doubled as well to keep abreast with the taxis fares to big cities.

Another complaint letter on unreliable public transport

Another complaint letter on unreliable public transport Raymond Koh Joo Guan wrote a letter in My Paper complaining about all the shortcomings of our public transport system, from trains to bus and taxis. The solution is so simple. You want better service, pay more. 'Mm Chai Si', any how complain. Try reading these in Hokien.

More feel good factors needed

Read in the ST, Vivian Balakrishnan said, 'If someone needs help and isn't getting it, tell me.' And another headline, CEOs' shrinking pay, telling the story that CEOs of Singapore listed companies are collecting lesser pay, ie, less than $5million. In the Vivian case, the people should feel better that the minister cares and will extend a helping hand to those who are in need of help. In the second headline, there is a report on the comparative salaries of some of the top honchos. Lim Cee Onn, Keppel Corp, $10m - $10.25m, Tang Kin Fei, Sembcorp Industries - $8.85m, Kwek Leng Beng, City Dev, $7.75m - $8m, Hsieh Fu Hua, SGX, $7.18m, Wee Ee Cheong, UOB, $5.5m - $5.75m, Tan Kwi Kin, Sembcorp Marine, $5.12m. Down the ladder were those getting around $3m - $4m, were David Conner, OCBC, Wong Ngit Liong, Venture Corp, Chua Sock Koong, Singtel, Chew Choon Seng, SIA, Kuok Khoon Hong, Wilmar and Cheng Wai Keung, Wing Tai. What is interesting is that those that are part owners or majority owners of their respective companies appear to be more stingy in paying themselves huge salaries. I thought they should reward themselves more, after all they are the majority owners and built the companies themselves, with their own monies. Kwek Leng Beng is only the third highest paid and Wee Ee Cheong is the fifth. Then Wong Ngit Liong, Kuok Khoon Hong, Cheng Wai Keung paid themselves a miserly $3m - $4m. The worst paid majority owners is Olivia Lum who paid herself only $250k - $500k. And this amount is even lesser than most employees in the public sector. Very unbecoming. One notable absentee is Liew Mun Leong who was rewarded with a $10m bonus on top of his salaries. Shouldn't he be number One? My conclusion is that it is more rewarding to be just an employee and not an employee cum major shareholders.

Blogging is not a waste of time

At least in China, blogging is playing a huge role to curb abuses of civil servants and authority. In the absence of free press and a huge govt machinery, the ordinary people are often trampled by high officials and their little pet dogs. Today's My Paper frontlined an article on how the internet became an important tool for the ordinary Chinese to shame the authority by exposing their abuses and corruption in cyberspace. Other than blatant abuses, state departments are also famous for cooking up skewed information and statistics to paint a distorted picture of the truth. And 'crazy rules are often snuffed out by waves of online scorn.' Chinese netizens have been very effective in their postings to embarrass country officials and also to overturn or stop some of their nonsensical rules and practices. Our netizens may not be as vocal in cyberspace for many reasons. Maybe there were lesser abuses of authority and corruption to start with. And our rules and practices are very well thought out and implemented and netizens have little reasons to scorn or embarrass our govt officials. Even then, there is a role for netizens to play to point out the minor infringements or irregularities that are bound to have. If there is no netizens, the silence shall either explode some day or be lost at the misfortune of those who are at the wrong end of the stick. I remember someone said this a couple of days back. Oh he was quoting Lu Xun of Ah Q fame. The people's voices of conscience must be heard and there must be an outlet for it. Blogging is never a waste of time. It takes effort to look at issues, to understand them and to nit pick problems that are blind to many people, especially the people who write the edicts.

Conning Asean

The effort to squeeze themselves into the Asean fold has increased in intensity. First Australia and now Japan, two hardcore allies of the US, are putting their grand plans to Asean for a bigger bloc. By hook or by crook, the US must be a member of a bigger organisation with Asean members in it. Only then can the US lead this bunch of little countries along, as their leader. The Asean countries must not be allowed to run and operate independently. They are just incapable of looking after themselves. It is for their own good that the US should come in and nanny these 'never to grow up' adolescents. Asean has been in existence for several decades, rising from the hubris of the Cold War to strike out on its own, to be neutral from the big powers, to be a zone of neutrality. Why should Asean allow itself to be subsumed by the big powers and lose its identity and independence? Why can't Asean exists as an organisation without the presence of big powers, without their meddling in Asean's affairs? The present arrangement of engaging big powers on an Asean plus basis is perfect, the best for the Asean and its smaller members. Becoming a bigger bloc, which is desired by the big powers, will cripple Asean as a regional grouping of smaller independent and neutral countries. Asean should think very carefully not be dragged to play in the big league, to play beyond its level, like the S League trying to play in the EPL or in the European League. It is flattering to be in the big leagues, but the inadequacy will stand out like a sore thumb and very embarrassing. Would Asean be easily conned to invite the wolves into its fold?

More thinking needed

Last week we have Sue Ann Chia from the ST examining critically the reasoning of HDB on the LUP programme in the two opposition wards. Today, ST's Jessica Cheam is re examining the numbers and claims of HDB on the 96% success rate of first time applicants for HDB flats. The numbers were quoted to prove HDB's position and looked quite convincing. What is important is to look carefully at the different sets of numbers and how they came about, how they were used to present a point. One example given by Jessica Cheam is that if 200 units were offered and there were 600 applicants, it was obvious that only 200 could be successful and 400 would be unsuccessful. How many percent will be the success rate? Definitely not 96%, not 50% but 33%. In the recent application for balance flats, 2132 flats were put up for sale and attracting more than 20,000 applicants. The success rate could only be around 10% with 90% balek kampong, come again next time. This brings out another issue about meeting the demands of flat buyers. If there are 20,000 applying in one exercise, how many flats must be built to meet this demand? At 2000 units annually, the demand, if static, will take 10 years to clear. Is HDB meeting the demand of the people?