LKY is indispensable to Singapore

On his second appearance after his recent bereavement for his late wife, LKY is in the thick of action again. This time he is calling for the healthcare industry to innovate to reduce cost and improve the quality of healthcare. We can soon expect more innovations in the healthcare industry and probably lowering of cost, a serious problem that no one can solve. And when it does happen, the people have only LKY to thank for. It will be good if he says something about gangsterism and to stop this plague before it gets worst. And the property owners can relax knowing that their property prices can only go up with him around. I am really worried how Singapore will be without him.

The waning of an evil Empire

Three failures marked the Asian tour of Obama and Hilary. They had some success in India with offers of more biz and an UN Security Council seat dangling at the end of the stick. And India was salivating. The Security Council seat is nothing but a red herring as the US knows that China or Russia will definitely veto it. In Indonesia, it was just testing water as the fear of a muslim state is apparent. Other than promises, nothing tangible came out of it. The Indonesians too are conscious of the US intent and are wary of being dragged into the bigger evil scheme precipitating in conflict and disorder. Asean too gave a slap to Hilary by sanctioning the election in Myanmar. And with China taking the same stand as Asean, it became a left and a right slap. It must be very disappointing after painting Myanmar in thick black to see Asean and China saying otherwise. The third defeat was in the APEC Summit when nothing came out in favour of the Americans. Increase protectionism and the attack on Chinese Yuan no longer receive support from other nations. Both were not seen as worthy causes for support. A strong Chinese Yuan would mean higher cost and higher price for Chinese products which the rest of the world, including American citizens will have to pay. And it will do nothing to help unemployment and trade imbalances. The real problem is cheaper labour cost and infrastructure cost in China. When the Chinese workers are prepared to eat less and live simply, and produce more, no amount of currency manipulation can turn that around to favour the US. The US must reexamine itself and its belligerent policies towards other nations. They cannot impose leadership on the rest of the world when it can’t even solve its own domestic problems. And no country will want to be embroiled in warfare at the beck and call of the evil Empire.

Shorten talk time in Parliament

Some people are unhappy with the proposed shortening of talk time for MPs in Parliament. 30 min is considered too long and the new limit is 20 min. Consider the fact that there are 84 MPs and if each takes up 30 min for each issue, then Parliament can go on and on and MPs and ministers will not have time to do their work. Maybe that is the reason why some MPs find it difficult to attend Parliament. Shortening of talk time is good and we may have full attendance when MPs know that the session will be short and sharp. After all, how much time is needed to ask question and read prepared answers? I think the time can be further shortened as time is precious. The Ministers and MPs have many important works to do and too much talking can be wasteful. Shorter talk time will mean that every parliamentarian will have to be precise in what they say. Productivity and efficiency in parliament will definitely go up in all areas.

Doing away with exam results for school admission

I read an article by Kelvin Teo in NewAsiaRepublic blog calling for the doing away with exam results for school admission. He mentioned many good points about how the over emphasis on exam results may not be producing leaders with a heart or caring for the people. And of course all the fears and pressure of examinations. He also cited the doing away of school ranking as a move in the right direction after parental protest that ranking is bad. In the same vein, grading is equally bad. I must say that it is a revolutionary idea and worth thinking about. Let’s do away with all examinations or have examinations without results. Then we can remove all the ills and apprehension of parents and students. And no one can go around bragging about getting straight As and looking down on those who got straight Cs or worst. The parents and children will be most pleased. And we can advance every student to the university as universities too will have no exam results to base on for student admission. And when there are too many students applying for tertiary education, there are many well tested means to award places. Balloting is a good idea, fairly easy to use. A kind of COE, certificate of education, can be introduced and parents can bid for them for admission to tertiary institutions. Or a quota system, based on whatever criteria of race, language or religion, or parental status can be considered. One thing for sure, foreign universities will be out of the picture as they will likely to continue to look at exam results which our students by then would not have. But never mind. Make sure our tertiary institutions are ranked number 1 to 4 in the world ranking and our students need not bother to go overseas for their education. The more I write, the more brilliant this idea appears to be. I think I am now convinced that we don’t need school examinations at all.

The best thing coming out from the SGX/ASX saga

In Singapore, whatever argument that the govt used must be right. The critics may disagree, but so what? If the govt says that it has nothing to do with Temasek or GIC, that becomes the gospel truth. If the govt says that there is no conflict of interest, there is no conflict of interest. If the govt says Temasek and GIC are independent commercial entities, they must be. Questioning the logic is like questioning the integrity of the govt. When Singapore bought into Thailand’s telecom company, the Thais opposed the deal, citing Singapore’s govt involvement. Of course the Singapore govt’s argument was that it was strictly a business deal and had nothing to do with it. The Thais didn’t buy it. Now come the SGX/ASX deal and the same criticism from the foreigners, and the same defense from the Singapore argument. The foreigners are not going to buy our logic or be easily convinced. They are going to tear everything apart and put them under scrutiny. Arguments that are seemingly sound and right to Singaporeans are not going to be so in the eyes of a different foreign party. How so, aren’t the arguments factual and correct? We may have the MM and PM as Chairman and Deputy Chairman of GIC or other senior govt ministers or officials in Temasek or SGX, but these organisations are run independently of the govt. Can’t the foreigners see this and accept this simple truth? The point is that the foreigners are not going to accept this simple logic just because our govt says so. They are not Singaporeans.

40 gangsters arrested in new swoop

The men in blue has swung into action and netted another 40 gangsters following the public outcry for action. Given the right order, they can really do a good job. But 40 is too small a number to cheer about. There could be another 400 or 4000 on the loose. What else can the men in blue do to make sure that their message gets through and those still out of the net know that it is time to behave and not to create more trouble for good? I think the best thing to do is to pull in another few hundred and throw them into an uninhabited island to fend for themselves. And everyday just provide enough food for half of them. After 3 months the survival, if there is any, can then be received for an indefinite stay in the freehold bungalow estate in Changi. The thing is that while the men in blue are working overtime to bring in more of the gangsters, the latter may be planning more strikes to prove that they are indefeatable. We will have to wait and see. If the story of the loan sharks is anything to go by, you can bet that the next series of attacks could be worse.

American trade deficit game is simply brilliant

The American trade deficit with China not only works to its benefit, but is also intentional and planned. An illustration of how this works by using the latest issue of US$600b may help to make the game plan clearer. US$600b can buy a lot of stuff especially from China where the cost of goods is very cheap. Think of what the Americans could buy with that kind of money. All the goods made in China ended in America to be enjoyed by the Americans. The Chinese ended with US$600b of paper notes in exchange. The Chinese could go to America with the same money to buy American products. The American will sell some to them, say US$100b. So China ended up a trade surplus of US$500b. Looks pretty good. But what can China do with this money if it can’t buy things from the Americans? The US$500b becomes money on paper but worthless in real terms. To continue to deceive the Chinese, the Americans told the Chinese that they could buy American Treasury Notes or IOUs which pays a good interest rate. The US$500b will then be returned to the Americans in exchange for another form of worthless notes. The Americans do not mind paying whatever interest as it will be a small fraction of the US$500b. When the Treasury Notes or IOUs are due, the Americans will sell the Chinese more notes or IOUs a second time and on and on. In effective or real terms, the Americans are printing money to buy real goods from the Chinese, and the more the better, and all they have to pay are worthless notes worth the weight of the piece of paper it printed on. And the Chinese can only look at their monthly statements showing how much the Americans owed them, and they can smile and smile and smile. That is about all they benefit from the exchange. Now comes the best part. The Americans can then accuse the Chinese for chalking huge surpluses or imbalance of trade. And the fault is with the Chinese. The Chinese is causing the problem, selling more and buying less. In the meantime the Americans got to enjoy all the goodies the Chinese produced while the Chinese got useless paper notes in the bank accounts, and cannot translate them into real stuff.

How much do we care for this country?

When Lim Zi Rui questioned the meaning of defending this country, it startled Chok Tong. But that was about as far as it went. After that things get back to normal. Who really cares about what they are defending or what this country is all about? Then we have the spate of gangland attacks in the heartland with one young man died and several got slashed. There were some murmurs in the internet but not enough. Even in my blog there were less than 50 comments on this issue. What does it mean to this nation? At the govt level, the only one that showed some anger to the break down of law and order, to some it is not really anything serious, is Alvin Yeo. Hardly anyone else talks about it. Some were heard saying, no leh, such things never happen leh. The denial is clear, but not important. Why is there so much apathy when mobs ran riot with weapons to attack the young in the heartland? Is it that everyone is so complacent, or so busy making money, not my business, or is it that nobody cares? There seems to be a lack of ownership, that this is home, our country. Now it is perhaps just another place. At least 50% of the residents will think this way as they are foreigners with no stakes here. They will pack up and leave sooner or later. But the people, the citizens, who are long term residents here must be provoked to say something or do something if they regard this place as home. 45 years of nation building has resulted in such apathy and with the young soul searching on why they need to defend this place is worrisome. We don't need one person to jump up from his grave when things are wrong in the country. We need all the citizens to jump up from their graves when things are getting wrong. Perhaps that is expecting too much. One man doing that is good enough.

The attack on the World's financial system has begun

The Americans have launched the biggest and most vicious attack to the world's financial system with special focus on Asian countries. An endless flow of funds are pumped into Asia, superficially as investment, but with the potential of destroying all the Asian economies if they are not careful. Cheap hot money in abundance does not come in with no strings attached. The worst part is that they are managed by funds that can bring down the financial system of any country. It is no simple innocent investment. It is a concerted assault on the Asian economy and financial system. Asian countries must take immediate actions to curb and restrict how these funds are to be used or invested. The stock market, currency market and housing market are the most vulnerable as they are liquid and allow the funds to come in and out quickly, leaving behind destructions and death. Asia beware! If they are stupid they will be ruined. No bullets need to be fired but the damage could be worst than military warfare.

25 arrested by Police

Police took tough actions to tackle the spate of gangland violence with 25 men arrested yesterday. 6 were in connection with the Bukit Panjang attacks and 19 were supporters of another suspect facing charges for the killing of Darren Ng in Downtown East. How many more need to be put behind bars before some sanity can return to the ground? At the moment youth counsellors are suggesting that children play in safer areas like youth centres instead of basket courts in HDB estate. Now, isn't this alarming, when HDB parks and recreation areas are now considered not too safe? And the charges in court also revealed that these mobsters are part of the loan shark army and have been harrassing the debtors with paints probably burning of cars too. Putting one and one together, the problem is much bigger and more serious than we think. Loan sharks and gangsters are now a team. So what? The days are getting darker again if darkness is not removed and allowed to proliferate. Be nicer to loan sharks and mobsters?

Police brutality

Subject: Brutal Assault... After An Accident and our police...see for yourself Click on Youtube link and see your beloved 1Malaysia and Malaysia Boleh what it has turned in to. This is what I call a "civil" society turning in to a jungle for animals. Judge for yourself what was the Police trying to do or rather did they tried to do anything to stop the assault going on!!!!!! This is just an accident and it has turned in to something totally uncalled for. Motives of the polis assault? Hit & Run Driver got caught or got simply kena hantam just like that. U judge yourself. What type of Police we have? Letting the public do as they like just because he is a chinese. So be careful if you ever involve any accident with a Malay. Drive to the Police station and make report of the incident. Don't try and settle there. You would be bash before reasoning. Can we feel safe on the road? Seeing is believing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IkdRdoPSgQ&feature=related

Stop the pranks

We have bear pranks, monsters and devils in the streets, just for a laugh TV pranks, and what else? Great fun no doubt, till a youth was cut down in a shopping centre and people thought it was all staged. If we keep on staging pranks in the public, in no time no one will believe anything. We told the public to be vigilance but if we keep testing them with fakes, it may have the reverse effects. People will simply ignore them at a time when it is real and needing attention. Pranks can be dangerous if not carefully managed. They can backfire.

A City of Mobs

From loan shark country we have morphed into a City of MOBS. The gangland killing in Downtown East has hardly been forgotten and a series of gangland attacks with parang wielding youths started again. This time they were more brazen, attacking one group after another and shouting their gang names. This is like the Hongkong movies, Living Dangerously, and in grand style. What law? To these youths, there is no law. There are the law. The way they went about attacking people in big groups is the strongest defiance they are showing to the law. Has the law been caught sleeping again? Have they allowed the seed to grow too far and too late to nip it in the bud? I think the problem is now quite big and serious. Perhaps we have been too nice and too kind to wayward youths. The organisations must be big and numerous. But are these wayward youths? One corner will say YES. And they will plead to leave them alone as they are simply misguided, lack of parental guidance, they will be good if given time to change their behaviour. So let them be. They were once little angels that parents hugged in kindergartens. They can't be monsters or killers! I am feeling very disgusted with the way this little island paradise is turning into.

Joke of the Day

The world's most irresponsible Empire telling China to be a responsible player. Was the invasion of Vietnam, killing hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese, maiming millions, destruction of the land and ecology, a responsible act? The invasion of Iraq on a false charge and killing/wounding millions of Iraqis and destruction the land, infrastructure and economy a responsible act? The killing of innocents in Pakistan and Afghanistan a responsible act? Approving toxic financial products into the international financial system a responsible act? Unrestraint printing of money, flooding the emerging markets with liquidity, devaluation of the US$, a responsible act? Mismanagement of the domestic economy and destructive manipulation of the world's financial system leading to its near collapse a responsible act? Support dissidents to create social and political unrest in other countries, interfering in the domestic affairs of foreign nations, a responsible act? Threatening sanctions and regime change a responsible act? Selling arms and weapons everywhere a responsible act? The Choenan Incident a responsible act? My god, America, how many people still believe in your belligerent policies and acts as benign and peaceful?

Myth 226: Govt - please tell us what you want

I have been hearing this nonsense again and again as if no body is telling the govt what the people want. What is all the kpkb for? When the property price shot through the sky, we only heard that it was market forces at work or high property price is good. And the best part, the govt cannot do anything about it, cannot meddle with market forces. Then we have foreign hoards marching in or being invited in. And all the high costs, price hikes etc etc. Not easy to make deaf frogs listen, I think. Let me try again. We don't want the country to be flooded by foreign talents. No, cannot. They are here to save you. We want our CPF money back. No, that is for your old age. We don't want any of your money sucking schemes like Medisave, CPF Life etc etc. No, they are good for you. We don't want sky rocketing property prices. No there are very cheap. We are only being polite to say that they are affordable. Can't afford, don't buy. We want better jobs with better pay. No you can't. You will become uncompetitive. Jobs will go away. We want oppositions in Parliament. That is ok. We have provided for 9 oppositions already. How many more do you want, 20, 30 or 40? We don't want money to be wasted on foreign sportsmen. No, we need to win medals. We can't afford high hospital and medical fees. Sure you can. Just buy more insurance then you don't have to pay a cent. What else is new?

USA – The biggest threat to world peace

The USA has been accusing China and any other country as a threat to world peace, a trick which it used successfully for decades to direct negative attention to everyone except itself. The European countries know about the trick but play along as it will benefit them indirectly. The silly Asian and African countries, unfortunately, believe everything the Americans said and proclaiming loudly, like a good boy, that the American is a benign and benevolent power, a saviour of the weak and smaller countries, a saviour of human rights and political oppression, a defender of freedom in the world. What a joke! The Americans have been instigating, starting and fighting wars everywhere, and killing the innocent civilians by the thousands daily. No, it is not reported in the news and nobody would want to believe this nonsense. If the Americans have been killing civilians everyday, even today and tomorrow, the great western press will be there to report them! Holy shit! The western media is part of the conspiracy. And the Americans are exporting weapons to every country to feed the American economy and provide jobs for the Americans. What rifles do you think the terrorists are using? AK47 or M16? And the sophisticated aircraft, naval crafts and missiles and bombs, mostly made in USA. And it is supporting dissidents everywhere to oppose the incumbent govts of countries not in its good list. Yes, if you are not with the Americans you are against the Americans. And now it is engaged in the worst destabilising exercise of all time, financial sabotage and printing of the greenbacks to throw at all the emerging countries across the world. The result is obvious. Financial breakdown and collapse of the world economy. And it said no, it is China’s fault, for not revaluing the Yuan. That is the root of the problem, not Americans overspending and over printing of the American dollar. The biggest threat to world peace is pointing the finger at everyone except itself. And with a bankrupt economy, with a mountain of debt, it is still engage in wars everywhere, operating the biggest armed forces that can take on the armies of the whole world combined. And still spending time and resources to form a mafia gang to contain China, whose main interest is economic development and providing cheaper products to the world and to the Americans. It just announced that it will increase its military presence in Asia so that it can react ‘robustly’ against those that were seen as enemies of the Empire. It is frantically signing up military alliances with Asian countries to fight Asians and to turn Asia into flames. And silly Asian govts are roped in as their willing accomplices. Again, which country is the greatest threat to world peace?

Is our govt selfish?

Saturday there were several pages of reports on how the poor foreign workers are losing their pants for patronising the casinos. They could lose half their salary in a few hours or several months of their salary in a few days. The amount may not be big, $500 or $2000, but still big money to them. And some are in debt and their families back home are desperate. Singaporeans are well protected by the $100 entrance levy. I have been prevented from entering the casino and lose my money because of this levy. Our govt is very good and protective over Singaporeans. Singaporeans must say thank you for such a paternalistic govt. Singaporeans are in safe hands. Should the govt also apply the levy on foreign workers as well? This group of people are very poor and cannot afford to lose. They are already in debt for coming here. Now with the casino they are going to incur more debt. Can our god protect them as well, be merciful and impose the levy on them to keep them out of the casinos? Or is our god so selfish, only protect the chosen people and let the rest suffer for their own foolishness? This is time to beg for mercy and forgiveness, and a helping hand from god. And don’t forget that a financially troubled foreign worker is likely to resort to crime and the protected Singaporeans may end up as victims.

Please don't bring down property prices

With so many people kpkb in the internet about high property prices, I mean so many people which is false as there are 80% of flat owners all wanting their property prices to go up, Hsien Loong is also worried. He is quoted to have said, 'the red-hot property market is causing consternation.' Dunno what that means. But for all the property speculators and investors, they will be fuming if the property price falls. We have been entrapped by this high property price that just happened, beyond our control, and let it be known that it must not come down, and cannot come down. Or else bodies will be falling from the sky. High property prices is a good thing as it makes all property owners feeling very rich. The more properties they have, private properties better still, the richer they will become. Let's work harder to keep the property prices higher. We don't want anyone to jump from their flats because their properties become negative assets like in the late 1990s. We have learnt our lessons, that we cannot let property prices drop like coconuts. No consternation. Just maintain the high prices to make property owners happy and everything will be alright. Sure win the next election. The kpkb in the internet is hogwash. Don't believe in them.

Invasion of Senkaku/Occupation of Diaoyutai?

I was the video clips on Youtube on the recent incident at Diaoyutai. A Chinese fishing boat was crusing in the sea and two Japanese naval came in to shadow it. Then they moved it to sandwich the Chinese ship and one moved into the path of the Chinese ship to cut it off. The provocative manoeuvre was aggressive. Intentional or not it was not easy to move out of the way or stop a ship in motion, and the Chinese ship brushed the starboard tip at the back of the Japanese ship. It is strange that the picture in the press showed the area of impact on the port side of the ship and almost in the middle section instead. How come? The Japanese video has this headline, China invasion of Senkaku. Now, is it China invasion of Senkaku or Japanese occupation of Diaoyutai? What happened in the incident is similar to the days of foreign concession in Shanghai. The foreigners, British, Russian, French, Americans, Germans, Japanese, etc etc each seized a part of China as their own and police it with their police and applying their own laws, in Chinese territory. Same as in Diaoyutai. Chinese who happened to be in the concession or occupied territories were treated as intruders or foreigners and subject to harassments by the occupied forces. They could be arrested, extorted or humiliated or chased out of the concession. And the occupied forces would declare the Chinese as intruders, or invading their territories. The truth is that the territories belonged to China, Chinese territories, and Diaoyutai is Chinese territories like the Kurile islands which are Japanese territories. The Japanese are demanding that the Russians returned the islands to them, seized from Japan in the same way as Diaoyutai from China. How could the Japanese tell the world that it was a Chinese invasion when they are occupying Chinese territory and harassing Chinese ships in Chinese waters? Bloody imperialist liars!

A Nation it never will be

This is my impression of what this island will be if the policies are not changed. We will always be in a constant state of flux, with the infusion of new people from different backgrounds, race, religion and culture, to keep the city state vibrant. And the concoction of race and religion is a highly inflammable mix that could go up in smoke in the slightest miscalculation, or a loose statement. Basically we are playing with fire. We could have made some headways after the first 40 years of nation building when the poor migrants, leftovers from the colonial legacy, and very pliable given their impoverished background and simplicity, shared a common history and growing up together, were gradually blending together with one another quite comfortably. They were less demanding of their racial, cultural or religious superiority and purity. They are quite comfortable with being chap cheng. No big deals. Things were working quite well until the policy changes of the last 10 or 15 years when foreigners were welcomed in the shiploads or planeloads to live and be part of our citizens/residents. And basically we are starting all over with a new brew. And if the policies of coveting other people’s talents are the way to go, we will continuously be in a state of change and uncertainties. We will never mature and develop into a stable society like the countries in Europe. Race, culture and religion will forever be sensitive issues as the new migrants are not the poor immigrants anymore(the foreign workers excluded as they are here only temporarily) and have high expectations, demands and pride. They will present a different threat to the establishment as they are likely to be less tolerant and adaptable to the whims and interests of lesser beans. And the price for that is that the country must be always put on a leash by a strong hand govt, and press freedom and many liberties of a mature society will be put on hold, possibly forever. An immature society with a people that do not see themselves as a people of a country or nation cannot have the luxury of a loose press and freedom of expression. The people will be immature, insensitive and would turn a well meaning debate into a personal vendetta. This is no good. So, the rigid control of the media stays…forever and ever, in a country that will never grow up, always in a state of change, with new people replacing older ones that have left. Have we traded a nation for economic growth and development, that economic growth is everything and the making of a nation is secondary, unimportant, a hotel is just as good? Secuity threats and fears are legitimate reasons to justify stringent control of the media. Maybe one day when security threats and fears have disappeared, press freedom will be returned to the people...one day....