The Americans have done it again!

The attempt to throw the world into disarray continues. Regime change, attacking countries on human rights, sanctions, exporting toxic financial products and causing a world wide financial crisis, and now WikiLeaks. The latest weapons has caused great concern, disharmony and acrimony among nations and their leaders. The information was targetted mostly at enemies or nations unfriendly to the US with a little dosage of gossips on US allies to give it a little semblance of credibility. But once the information is carefully studied and assessed, it is quite obvious where it is heading and the objectives it is trying to achieve. Well done amateurs! The world is not so dumb anymore.

Shhssssh…let’s tell our enemies – WikiLeaks

What shall the world make out of the WikiLeaks? So far information that was ‘leaked’ is very damaging only to Asian, African and Arab countries. Their inter state relations are going to plunge into the abyss if the leaks were real. The first casualty will be the Saudi King. He is finished with the Iraqis but safe as Saddam is already dead. But the Iranians will put out a contract on him if they took the leak seriously. North Korea will lose confidence in China as its unquestionable supporter. China will be seen by North Korea and its allies as unreliable. A huge wedge has been driven into their relationship. Singapore too will be hit by the ire of the North Koreans as well, but nothing serious as Singapore has little to do with that country. The bottom line is that many Asian, African and Arab nations will be going after each other’s jugular and their relations in a mess. What is glaringly absent in the leaks are the secrets of Israel or the US that could damage their relations with their allies. Do they have any secrets about what the US and the Israelis were saying about the Arab world? The only thing damaging and affecting the US is that it will be called an inept and a bungler at most. There is also another big hole in what the US and Japan will be saying about the stupid Koreans trying to kill each other and the role of the US and Japan in the rising tension. Oh, the White House said that the real secrets are safe. So why are these secrets circulating are only going to create turmoil among Asian, Arab and African nations, and nothing damaging to America and its allies? Strange right? The leaks seem to have a pattern, to create as much damage as possible in the camps of the US enemies. Quite brilliant actually. But Julian Assange and his men seem so genuine in their actions to expose the hypocrisy of the Evil Empire. So are they just another group of under cover moles of the US? Could be. Or they could be really on a cause. Then the US intelligence knowing what they were doing, deliberately let them fish out all the leaks that they have planted, and making the whole issue like real. Sure some of information are real. But how many are fakes? How genuine are the WikiLeaks and the secrets they have in hand, and releak to the world, is best judged by the end results. What were achieved by the leaks? Who stand to gain and who stand to lose from the so called official secret leaks? At the moment it looks like a con job. And Julian Assange and his men could just be made used by the mastermind who coordinated the whole leak, what to leak and who to suffer from the consequences. So, what else is new? It smells of another black ops.

A very desirable outcome from high property prices

High property prices make many Singaporeans happy, especially the older folks. Yes they are rich and have valuable assets to flaunt and children got to be nicer to them, and maybe one day they can get to inherit the small fortune. But this is not all, because housing is so expensive, children will now have to consider seriously the option of staying with parents. It is not cheap to live separately as some may not be able to afford it. Inadvertently, the high housing price is bringing the family closer together, with two or three generations living under one roof, one big happy family. And grandparents can help to look after grandchildren, saving on maids. Children can go to work feeling safe that their children are in good hands, no abuses or being thrown out of the flats by deranged maids. A lot of quality time with children and parents. Our traditional values of family, three generations under one roof, are back as living institutions. We won’t go the decadent ways of the West. The little catch is that new flats are getting smaller, especially the 3 and 4 rm flats. It may be a little squeeze, but a lot of savings from having to cough out another $300k or $400k to live separately from the parents. This is something that Singaporeans will get use to very quickly, spending quality time at home.

Another clean sweep for PAP

The next GE is looking like another walkover. The economy has hit an all time high which means everyone is going to get a big big angpow soon. Full employment, property prices making all the property owners smiling everyday. And another slate of the best talents have been chosen and ready to hit the election road. No more problems. Mas Selamat safely back in the cell. Loan sharks and little gangsters on the run. The Chinese used to say, 'tian xia tai ping' or all peace under heaven. The two IRs are bringing in more tourists here while world best investments are also flowing in, including a lot of hot money. It is a shame if Singaporeans miss this great opportunity to make a bundle for themselves. It is truly a golden year.

Contradictions of South Korean military supremacy

The South Koreans think they could thrash the North Koreans when there is a military conflict. They keep saying that they will respond with punitive measures. And because of their superior armed forces, they took liberty to conduct war games, simulating an attack on North Korea in the islands closest to the North. The Yeonpyeong is only 7 miles or 12 km from the North Korean coast. Why is there a need to bring in the Americans and the Japanese if the South Koreans think that they are the superior force? They could do it single handedly and wipe the North Koreans clean, and even reunite the two parts of Korea. The North Koreans will love them and their riches, and a better life. Since they are so superior, and so gutsy in wanting a war with the North, conducting war games so close to the North’s border, they should just do it. There is no point in conducting provocative war games to draw military fires from the North, and do nothing. The sabre rattling only means something if they dare to follow it through. Go, South Koreans, no need to wait for Uncle Sam or Uncle Nihon to back up. The North Koreans are hungry and poor soldiers, easy meat, a piece of cake. Why wait? If the South Koreans and Americans are sincere in not wanting a war, not wanting to provoke a war, they should refrain from conducting war games at North Korea’s front yard. But the western world refuses to see these acts of provocation and proclaims that the South Koreans and the Americans are all angels and walking with a halo on their heads. To maintain peace and peaceful coexistence, all the countries, including North Korea, shall not conduct any military exercises 200 km from their land and sea borders. Would the South Koreans do that, would the Americans do that? The useless UN should make a stand on this and tell all the countries to abide by such a position. Then we can see clearly who is or are the real provocateurs. In the meantime Japan is an eager friend to want to help the South Koreans kill the North Koreans. Seiji Maehara has called for a meeting with the South Korean President on how to deal with the North Koreans together. Lee Myung Bak is gearing up to be a Korean murderer.

Time to sell your properties

'Soaring property valuations have sent the net wealth of households in Singapore rocketing to an all-time high of S$1.16 trillion (US$886 billion) in the third quarter of this year. That is 29 percent up from the height of the financial crisis early last year, and higher than the S$1 trillion that households registered a year ago, itself a record.' This is a piece of good news that is in the media. The bad news is COV is coming down and prices of resale flats are also sliding down. And the full impact of the control measures have not taken effect yet. This is the time to sell high and buy when property prices come tumbling down. When property prices peaked, it is time for it to wind down. The cycle always repeat itself. Looks like a $1m 3rm HDB flat is not going to be. With the projected price hike of 2 to 3% annually, it will take donkey years to reach this number. My dream of being an emperor in Lijiang is fading away. For those who are not selling, they can keep smiling while the price is still high.

The enlightening rant of Yuriko Koike

She has an article in the Comment and Analysis page of Today. She started with the usual North Korea slant, a nation that is so poor that even its soldiers have not enough food to eat, a nation that is crazy for international attention, even blowing up Choenan and firing artillery shells into Yeonpyeong without any reasons or provocations. The rest you can just skip, as there were nothing new. Even Matilah can add more juicy stuff than her. The gem of her article is this and I quote: 'Much, then depends on the Chinese, whose self defeating regional diplomacy has managed to push a listless and defence-shy Japanese govt into closer cooperation with the US on security matters and has inspired South Korea to seek out strategic partnerships with other Asian powers, including India.' Here is the unintentional leak of what the US, Japan and South Korea are up to. So it is China's fault for the strategic alliance between the US and its two semi colonies, and now India coming into the picture. And China must join the alliance to condemn North Korea. Oh no, 'And China is keen to draw South Korea closer in the game of regional rivalries. The result could be a new round of efforts by China to manipulate regional suspicion - or worse.' Heh heh, they say pretty women are very innocent and harmless: ) So all the problems in the Korean Peninsula is created by China, and North Korea is a colony of China. China can tell North Korea what to do like the US telling Japan and South Korea, and its allies. How many of you believe so? And Japan is such a mild country, and it is growing its military force so huge that it can overrun Southeast Asia once again if it only adds on a few aircraft carriers. Japan is listless and defence shy!!!??? Remove the mask of militarism please. I really enjoy her rant. Looking forward for more of her writings. I am worn over by her pretty face.

Malaysia is the best thing to happen to Singapore

When the Tememgong signed away Temasek to the East India Company, it is likely to be under duress. The British probably put a gun at his head and said, ‘Sign.’ And that act gave away Temasek to the British Empire. The other possibility was some kind of bribery or trickery. How else would the Temengong sign away his land willingly? He might be a chief of a small kampong, not well versed in international laws or territorial sovereignty, but he was definitely not a retard. And the rest was history. The Johoreans are still sore over this part of history. Please don’t blame the Singaporeans, they are just part of the British legacy and have nothing to do with pointing a gun at the head of the Tememgong. When Singapore joined and became part of Malaysia, all things returned to square one. The two lands were reunited. The historical blemish was erased. All debt, robberies and injustice corrected. Then came the separation and Singapore was evicted. This time the Federal govt gave the consent to let Singapore free as an independent state. There was no more coercion from a foreign power. Malaysia was then an independent country and the British could not put a gun on Tengku’s head. And Abdul Razak was there to advise him. They decided that Singapore should be allowed to become an independent country, a nation of its own. Through unification and separation from Malaysia, Singapore became an independent country out of free will, and decided by mainly by Malaysia. No one can now accuse Singapore of being seized from Malaysia. It was legally separated under fair and mutually agreed terms and conditions between two independent govts.

Selling everything to foreigners is Treason

We need to have laws and systems in place to prevent rogue govts from selling away Singapore to foreigners. There must be laws to limit the selling of private properties to foreigners. Leaving the property market to the developers who have no other consideration except making money is irresponsible. The developers will sell to whoever have the money to buy from them. How many percent of our private properties are already own by foreigners? Do we have figures on the private properties that foreigners can buy and what is the percentage of foreign ownership, excluding public housing and landed properties? The data should show private residential properties and commercial properties as well It is to our national interest to limit the ownership of private residential properties to maybe 30% of any development project. We have too little land and too little properties to sell to foreigners. They have the money to buy up everything if we allow them to do so, in a free market environment. Without any restraints, gradually everything will be owned by foreigners. One day we may wake up finding that everything is gone, sold.

Another cock statement from Washington

US demands China restrain NKorea after 'premeditated' violation of Korean War truce WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration urged China to press North Korea to halt provocative actions against South Korea, after an artillery attack on the South that the U.S. called a "premeditated" violation of the truce that ended the Korean War. As the isolated North's only ally and main economic partner, China plays a "pivotal" role in reducing tensions and has a duty to tell Pyongyang that deliberate acts "specifically intended to inflame tensions in the region" are not acceptable, the State Department said. "China is pivotal in moving North Korea in a fundamentally different direction," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters. "We expect China to be clear, like we are, as to where the responsibility for the current situation, the current tension lies. This is something that we feel strongly about." The Evil Empire is trying to pin the blame on China and scheming to use the incident to tarnish China. South Korea may be a semi colony of the US and will submit to whatever wish the US demand. North Korea is an independent country and not China's colony. It does not take directives from China. And neither is China America's whipping boy and would jump to America's every demand. China should tell the Americans to stuff it. If they want a war with the North Koreans, go ahead. But China reserves the right to protect its turf and starting fire in China's back yard will mean that China will step in when its national interests and security is violated. The US thinks that it can keep pushing the buck to China and make the world look at China as an evil superpower like it is. If the South Koreans and the US do not provoke the North by conducting war games in the front yard of North Korea, there will be no tension and shelling. The world must look at how this Evil Empire is trying to fix the North Koreans and China and make them look bad, and using it as an excuse to increase its military presence in the Korean Peninsula.

Good news or bad news?

When I read the mypaper this morning, the two news that hit me were, one, property prices could rise higher, and two, Singapore's household debt low. And these are front page news. So, what is the message? Low interest rate and high liquidity will push property prices higher. Nothing can be done about it. It is beyond our control, market forces at work. And the consolation part, Singaporean household debt is low. This means Singaporeans can afford to take on more debt, pay for higher price properties. Add the two together, what can we expect? Boom time Charlie for the developers and property speculators.

Who is the real provocateur?

The 38th parallel was a convenient line drawn by foreign powers to divide Korea under their influence. First Korea was divided between Russia and Japan. When Japan defeated Russia, it took control of the whole Korea as its colony. After the defeat of Japan in WW2, the Americans and Russians again divided the Koreas into two at the 38th parallel. Failure to hold a general election to reunite the country led to wars between the two Koreans. After the Korean War ended in 1953, the 38th parallel again divided the two Koreas. The question is how did so many islands north of the 38th parallel ended in the hands of the South Koreans? After the war, China withdrew totally out of Korea. The US remained and made South Korea its semi colony, with military bases there. The superior US Navy must have taken advantage of the weaker North Koreans, likely without any navy, and occupied as many islands north of the 38th parallel as they could grab. That is why today, the Yeonpyeong and several islands are called disputed islands, snatched from the North by the South, like Diaoyutai, seized from China by the Japanese. The unbearable truth is made more painful with the South constantly conducting war games in these disputed islands that should belong to the North. An analogy would make this easier to understand. It is like Singapore being separated from Malaysia by the Causeway. And hypothetically, Singapore gained control of all the islands below Tioman and Kukup, with the support of the US. Then every now and then Singapore will conduct war games in Kukup or Pulau Aur or other islands in the east coast. Of course Malaysia will be furious and will warn of counter attacks. So who is provoking who? The situation in Korea is exactly like that. And the western media will keep pointing the finger at the North as irrational and belligerent. So who is the real son of a gun?

Singapore should not be hasty in condemning North Korea

Singapore condemns North Korea for the artillery attack on a South Korean island. It issued a statement saying that the attack was undoubtedly initiated by the DPRK. Does Singapore need to poke its nose in the Korean affair in the first place? And does Singapore know the full story behind the attack? The Singapore media has often published articles and commentaries ridiculing the North Koreans and its leaders, I dunno for what or what it wants to achieve. We have nothing to gain except to be slapped by the North Koreans for being an arrogant brat. What would happen if our neighbours start to hold military exercises just outside our maritime borders? Will we too feel like being screwed like the North Koreans and regard those acts as provocative? The South Koreans and the Americans have been doing just that every now and then to provoke the North Koreans and force them to react. Then they plead innocence and point the fingers at the North Koreans for misbehaving or behaving badly. The Korean Peninsula tension is best left to the Koreans and their agitators to fight it out. We are just a small little prick and better to keep our distance, if we have a choice.

Obesity a national issue

The problem of obesity is important enough to be raised as a national issue in Parliament. We don’t want NS men to walk around looking like barrels do we? If that is the case, we can parade a contingent of these barrels at the National Day Parade. No, they need not have to march. They just need to roll along. And the marching orders, got to be changed to rolling orders, ‘Parade, ke kiri…roll’ instead of ‘Ke kiri… pusing.’ And a more serious problem is that all the buses and MRT trains got to have their seats changed to barrel size. Not only it will cost money to the transport companies, it will bring down their profits as they can now take lesser passengers per trip. Lagi susah is that fuel cost will go up as the passenger loads will be heavier. Now where is the root of the problem? The mummies and grannies of course. They have been feeding their children with the best food and best herbal soups to ‘por’ them while they are growing up. And probably 6 meals a day instead of 3. Looking fat and chubby is a sign of wealth and prosperity. They would not want their children to have that skinny and hungry look of the have nots. It is so malu if relatives say ‘Oh dear, chai chai is so thin!’ It is another way of saying ‘eat not enough’. The MOH shall start to conduct courses for the grannies and mummies on how not to fatten their children and also looking thin is not necessary shameful. This will give a boost to the ego of the have nots as their children are thin simply because they don’t have enough to eat. Now they can pretend that thin is good or not so bad, and walk with a little confidence.

Climb Kilimanjaro For Kids 2011

A Singaporean teacher in York University doing something for kids. Climb Kilimanjaro For Kids 2011 Fundraiser: Andrea Goh Donors can visit www.uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AndreaGoh

The Myth of Mas the Supernatural

He walked out of the detention centre like David Copperfield, in broad daylight, leaving the guard guarding an empty toilet. This second act is like the disappearing act of a magician walking into a box but appears somewhere else. Pretty good magic show. There is also the belief that after burying a few pieces of bawang, he can literally become invisible. Now for the facts. His escape from detention and fleeing into Johore were anything but unusual. Ok, ok, the part about walking out of a detention centre with ace gurkha guards is still an unknown phenomenon. Subsequently taking a walk to Tampines may not be that difficult but physically a bit demanding on him. The hiding in a brother’s flats, no need too much intelligence unless it is a game of poker, both parties trying to second guess each other’s move. That means Mas came out on top. Finally, the make up and wearing of tudung to pass off as a woman, a piece of cake. Simply text book stuff. No need much imagination. So, where is the part that made Mas Selamat that extraordinary or supernatural? Or he is an expert in disguise, in escape from prison. Oops, escape from prison is not easy. Not many people have succeeded. He may be the only one in paradise to do it. This point could make him that extraordinary. Or is it the event or the circumstances made him extraordinary? They use to say that in the land of the blind, the one eye jack shines.

Definitely not enough

Loan shark harassment cases dropped 8.4% for the period Jan to Oct over the same period last year. Is this good enough? It dropped from 15,120 cases to 13,848 cases, or more than 1000 cases monthly, or 33 cases daily. Did I get the numbers wrong? 33 cases daily is a very intolerable number. In 2007 there were 9,400 cases, 2008 there were 11,400 cases and 2009 there were 17,900 cases. Numbers quoted from the media. My goodness, we have been living with so many harassment cases without knowing. With the publicity given to tougher police actions and more arrests, the number does not seem to be making any significant progress. Or the loan sharks are still ruling their turfs and their activities are as per normal. When will the harassment stop? Oh, never mind, there can never be no harassment. Some harassment cases are normal and expected. So, what is an acceptable number?

Singapore needs Paul Volcker

Dr Volcker, the former Fed Chairman, is in town. Hopefully the govt can bring him on board in some kind of advisory role to curb the madness we have been sucked into. Volcker is famed for his Volcker Rule which forbids proprietary trading and speculations by banks in the financial market. His fear of the menace created by reckless banks which came true during the financial and subprime mortgage crisis has led to the US curbing proprietary trading by banks. His experience on the ground is invaluable. The conflict of interest and unfair advantages of banks in trading and speculation is obvious but blind to those who see short term gains. Singapore has adopted this practice of allowing banks to be thickly involved in proprietary trading or with trading arms as an extension of the banks to dabble in more exciting adventures in the wider financial jungle. The only way to throw out such voyeurism which has ruined the American finance industry is to have a giant like Volcker to tell the super talents that they are going down a slippery slope of no return. There is still time to unwind the mess before the whole financial industry got sucked into the abyss and spin into thin air. The other main fear of the financial industry is the ingenious and crooked ways of writing pieces of papers for trading. Derivative trading is not much different from playing monopoly when everything is worthless and trading with worthless money. A return to real value, assets and industry is the key to return sanity to the intoxicated financial market. We really need a heavy dosage of Volcker wisdom, prudence and thrift policies. Would the super talents listen or are they too high in the clouds and not able to see the mess that the industry is in?

Mas Selamat - The story so far

Allow me to reconstruct the first three chapters of Mas Selamat's escape with the revelation of new information in the media. The first phase is of course the escape from Whitley Road. Then the trip back to his brother's home and finally the trip across the Causeway. The escape from detention centre is still a highly guarded mystery filled with amazing tales and adventures bordering on fiction. So far not much new information has come out on this. So nothing much can be added to it. The trip to his brother's flat in Tampines is interesting. It took him two days to reach there and still wearing his prison garb. How did he make the journey without being noticed or caught? He could not have done in it in broad daylight, too easily recognisable. He could not have travelled by car or it would take him only half an hour. This would narrow the options to walking by night when everyone is sleeping. And it took one or two nights, meaning that he would have to sneak along to avoid being seen, and his limping leg would have slowed him down further. Credit must be given to him to be able to complete the journey without being caught. Perhaps when everyone is sleeping also helped. The trip to the Causeway was much more easier. Now he was in full disguise with professional help. Dressed as a woman with a tudung will save a lot of trouble. Now he was likely to be driven to the Causeway in a car. Taking public transport will attract attention to his limping walk and it was not easy to walk like a woman too. Sitting in a car would be the ideal and a cursory glance by the immigration would not be able to detect much. And yes, a woman's passport is a must. Now, who's passport have been stamped with the dates on those few days? The idea of him swimming across the straits strapped with plastic bottles is best told in kindergartens for a good laugh. If he did not look like a porcupine, he would definitely be an attractive piece of avant gard art. No way was he going to get a hundred plastic bottles and the rafia strings to tie them together. He is not light and a bundle of plastic bottles would look like a mole hill. So far the story goes.

So sad the two Koreas are killing each other

The Choenan Incident did not start a war. Disappointing! The North Koreans categorically denied any involvement in the explosion of the ship. Both sides showed restraints in not pushing the matter further. Today, the North did not denied anything after firing 60 shells into a disputed island and killing and wounding South Korean soldiers and civilians. It claimed the South fired first. The South said it was conducting a military exercise and was firing to the west and not to the north. What is the truth, what actually provoked the North to fire ferociously at the South? Would the world know what is going on? One thing for sure, the two Koreans are going to kill each other. They have forgotten that both are Koreans. After all these years of negotiations, have they not worked out a list of things to do and not to do to prevent any break out of hostility? Did they not agree to inform each other of military exercises at the border to prevent any misunderstanding? It is sad that they are all out to get at one another, to destroy each other. Or could someone have fired directly into the north while the South was firing to the west as claimed? North and South Koreans, for goodness sake, don’t make a fool of your self for whatever reasons. You will both be obliterated should war breaks out.