Still squeezed out of public housing

Lim Chong Wee wrote to the ST that he still could not qualify for Exec Condo when there was another big article claiming that it is so EC to buy Exec Condo now than DBSS. Yes they have raised the ceiling to $12k which technically means that Lim Chong Wee will now qualify. But there is another clause about eligible only after 30 mths from selling a private property.

Lim is one of those poor rich guys who was forced to take a hefty loan to buy private market when his income was deemed to be rich enough to live in private properties. The truth is that with $10k or $12k, and taking a huge loan, these people are finding it a squeeze. Their only usefulness is to help to inflate the prices of private properties to make their owners get richer.

In the mean time they will have to empty every cent in their CPF to afford those ridiculous prices. And these will be the people ended with nothing to withdraw from their CPF savings when they retired. And no body know why they have little savings! One big chunk taken away by the property and another big chunk by minimum sum and Medisave. The candle burns at both ends.

Of course he is complaining. But to the very rich, they want to force this group of people to think they are rich and must feed on caviar and foie gras. Poor buggers, caught in a cruel scheme. The ugly reality is that going to private properties will put a tremendous strain on them. They look good with their private addresses and cars, but not much left for their retirement.

The really rich are those earning $50k or more monthly. Those in the $10k to $20K bracket could live very comfortably if not being forced by the system and some dickheads to spend every cent they earned. They are not supposed to be thrifty, to be prudent, to save for their children and old age. They must spend and spend to help the economy and support the private property market for the dickheads to get richer.

This is the perfect middle class squeeze. Not because they have to support parents and children, but to support the private property market.

The intriguing protocol list

A state’s protocol list is a simple ranking of the seniority of govt officials which will then determine who they meet, where they stand or where they sit. In our case we have the President listed as number one followed by the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice and other ministers. In a way it is also the pecking order of the house and taken very seriously. Don’t mix this with the protocol list coming from Caldecot Hill where Jack Neo can be listed as the President, Mark Lee as the Prime Minister or Zoe Tay as the number one.

With the changing of the guards after the last GE, things started to look a bit complicated and messy with the stepping down of some senior ministers to become officially just an MP. As MPs, their standing in the protocol list will drop several rungs and they will no longer be in the limelight. But this may not be true in our case and how much real political power they wield could only be seen in an official function.

The National Day Celebration was the first public event to see who is the top dog and who are just members of a team. I missed this event and did not witness the changes. Then we have the swearing in of the new President and I managed to catch a few glimpses over the news. I saw MP Lim Boon Heng sitting about 15 or 20 rows behind the ministers. I tried looking for MP Mah Bow Tan and MP Wong Kan Seng but failed to locate them. Probably blocked by other guests. Now where is MP Lee Kuan Yew. I think I did not see him either.

The one that was sitting in the front row together with the senior ministers was MP Goh Chok Tong ESM. So what did it say? His ESM is real, equivalent to a senior minister. So he is a minister and not an MP. So, is he getting paid as a minister too, and carrying out duties like a minister? He is definitely being paid a pension of a minister plus his MP allowance and or ESM appointment. Those who think that he is no longer a minister and will share the protocol ranking of Tin Pei Ling will be mistaken. Boon Heng, Kan Seng and Mah Bow Tan will now rub shoulders with Tin Pei Ling and other new MPs at the National Day Parade stand. But Chok Tong ESM will still rub shoulders with ministers of his ranks.

And his picture is in the ST today, shaking hands with President Lee Myung Bak of South Korea. What would the latter be thinking? Is he shaking the hand of a minister or an MP? Or an honorary minister?

Does our new protocol list say anything about who is really the bosses in our political structure? What is the official title of LKY? Ex or former Mentor Minister or MP? Today the ST addresses him as former Prime Minister.

Notable quote by Leong Kai Yan

‘Serving NS in non combat positions just as taxing.’ By Leong Kai Yan.
This is an article in the ST forum today by a Kaiyan Leong. I didn’t know that Kaiyan is a western word like Tom or Jerry to be placed in front of a Chinese surname, or is this the right way to write Chinese name? I am getting out of touch with the new generation. Anyway, a better version will be ‘Serving NS in non combat positions just as dangerous.’ Ok, this is my version.

How so, sitting in the comfort of aircond offices can be dangerous meh? Why not? He can be electrocuted when typing on the keyboard. Or he could trip over a carpet or a slippery office floor and hit his head against a sharp corner of a furniture.

Or the secretary may pour a cup of hot kopi on his face by accident and burn his whole face. What about a ceiling fan dropping down and chop off his head?

Mine, non combat positions are terrifying and truly dangerous. A jeep or tank can overturn. So can a car on the road. Both equally dangerous. A hand grenade exploding? What about the danger of a letter exploding when opened?

I concede that non combat positions are equally dangerous, and taxing too. No wonder not many PES A NSman were allowed to be in non combat positions. Oops, there are some exceptions to the rule.

The indictment of a prime minister

Iceland has taken an unprecedented step to indict its Prime Minister, Geir Haarde, for being the cause of its financial collapse. The charges were ‘intent or gross neglect, mostly violations against the laws of ministerial responsibility.’ According to another law maker, Ath Gislason, Haarde’s great sin was omission. He did nothing and allowed the world financial crisis to hit Iceland to ground zero.

Some law makers were kinder and put the blame squarely on his predecessor, David Oddson. Oddson did something very familiar to countries that are suckers to the flawed American financial system, by allowing the privatization of banks and ‘liberalized banking laws, paying the way for a brief period of prosperity and the bank’s risky and ultimately self destructive behavior.’

What happened in Iceland is a common phenomenon in many western countries, a brief period of ecstasy before doomsday comes. The stock markets too got a small lift, but the collapse is just around the corner. With liberalization, it is like giving a licence to kill to the bankers and big fund operators.

It is so lucky that we have no reason to indict any politician here. They have all done well in their ministries and everything is just fine. Some thought there were a few cases that deserved to be indicted. Some thought the time is not ripe. The financial system and the stock exchange, and the nation’s reserves, are still kicking and looking healthy, just like the housing bubble. Let’s hope that they stay that way and there is no need to indict anyone as the consequences of a bad judgment and decision can be fatally destructive and beyond redemption.

When would stock exchanges be sued?

When the Lehman bonds and High Notes turned out to be lemons, many investors suffered huge losses across the world. There were compensations and pay back to some investors, notably the ignorant and less well educated uncles and aunties.

The well heeled and branded investors, known simply as sophisticated investors, were not so lucky. Even the sellers of the toxic notes were spared except some low level clever sales people who were found to have fouled only because they sold to the ignoramous. If the clever sales people targeted the intelligent and sophiscated investors, it was caveat emptor. No trouble at all. Under the same logic, they could even sell poison.

The bottom line is that the notes were dangerous but intelligent investors should know the risks involved. They were dangerous but not poison. They were not snake oil but high risks financial instruments.

The financial institutions were taken to task not because of faulty products but not telling enough of the risks. No one really was found guilty of any crime except some low level sales people, also not for crime but maybe a bit negligent.

Last week the American govt took up a suit against more than a dozen financial institutions for selling flawed products during the housing crisis. What this means is that someone and some institutions could be found guilty. The names of those senior people instrumental in the packaging of the toxic products have been compiled and awaiting prosecution. This is a serious development as the products were never seen to be at fault.

What if the banks and financial institutions were found guilty of selling snake oil or fraudulent products, or guilty of fraudulent practices? Would the banks and financial institutions here also be found guilty for selling snake oil as well? At the moment everyone is walking around with a hallow on his head, like angels. Water under the bridge, no point digging out shit to get people to court.

The seriousness of the American govt suit against the financial institutions and the legal implications can be widespread, depending on the findings. If fraud can be established, many heads will roll. Those heads over here may have to face the music as well.

An interesting article in the ST yesterday titled America’s great bank robbery by Nassim Nicholas Taleb and Mark Spitznagel is worth reading. It discussed the elaborate schemes of bankers and fund managers in transferring their client’s wealth into their own personal accounts. This kind of day light robbery is not confined to the US but affected all the financial systems modelled after them. The same players, the same systems and the same copycats, all lining their pockets with quick easy money.

Would the stock exchanges be next to be sued?

A simmering dissent brewing

Over the weekend I read a forum letter in the ST expressing aloud the fear that there will be no minority president in the future. Today I read that the Tamil language on the sign boards of a hospital was removed and only English and Chinese were left. The fear on the president issue is the need for a popularly elected President and statistically it is biased in favour of the majority. The minority races would be disadvantaged.

The reason given for removing Tamil from the signboards was that the customer profile in Khoo Teck Puat hospital does not necessitate the use of Tamil language. The excuse is lame for sure.

Taken simply, the problems will only be solved if the proportion of minority races increases to a point where all are more or less equal. This, I think, shall not take too long and it is only a matter of time when all the 4 racial groups will form about 25% each of the whole population. And we will have our enlightened immigration policies to thanks for.

Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Govt policies are well thought out by the finest talents in the island.

Ministerial Salary Review

Read in the papers that the findings and recommendations of the Ministerial Salary Review Committee will be out by the end of the year. And they have received many feedbacks and will take them into consideration.

I just have one point to add on the new salary. It must be absolutely transparent and with little room for too much variations. If there is any provision for bonuses, rightly there should not be, it must be minimal, at most a 13th month.

The last thing I want to see happen is for a small fixed salary and a huge variable that can be paid as bonuses or whatever, like 24 or 48 months more. The tenure of office of an elected govt is 5 years and nothing more. The salary shall be fixed for 5 years and anyone taking office shall know exactly what to expect.

The practice of a fixed salary plus bonus plus bonus shall be done away with. Allowances shall be specified as well. The basic position is that there must be no room for doubts, suspicions and imaginations.

Is the CPF scheme turning into a scam?

It was a pillar of our social infrastructure. It gave the people a sense of assuredness, peace of mind, and a great feeling of security. That was our CPF.

Over the years the changes introduced to the CPF scheme have gradually transformed this institution of the people’s savings into an institution of grievances and frustration. It all started many years ago when some economic whiz kid discovered that there was too much money in the CPF waiting to be had. Anyone with a bright idea could lay his hands on this people’s treasure that have been laid aside to earn pittance from the interest rates.

Now you understand why HDB flats are affordable and why the CPF savings are no longer enough for retirement? The policy of pricing HDB flats according to affordability is like pricing HDB flats according to how much the people have in their CPF savings. Brilliant. And the rest is history.

This logic can be applied to the ever increasing medical costs. The CPF has been turned into a vehicle to enrich the medical profession. You have plenty of money in the Medisave or in medical insurance. Thus you can pay for the increasing medical fees. You can afford it, like it or not, your saving will be taken away from you in advance to fund the medical industry. And you may not need it at all. Medical fees and housing prices will keep going up as they are affordable, because there are money in the CPF savings.

Did anyone really scheme to use the CPF for his own gambling habit, to fund his big billion dollar bets? Did anyone think that in such big gambles he could reap millions in bonuses when luck is with him, and simply ignore the losses as the losses came from other people’s money, not his own pocket? No need to pay back. The CPF contributors would be made to patch up the holes somehow through the shifting of goal posts or more schemes. I really hope that no one really thinks that the CPF money is for them to play. It is theft of the people’s hard earned money in all disguises. The line differentiating gambling from investments is too fine to make a difference.

And I am very uncomfortable for anyone, or any economist, to lump the people’s hard earned money as the country’s reserves. It is the people’s money and not anyone else’s reserves. Once the reserves tag is glued on the people’s money, the one holding the key to the reserves may think that it is his for the taking or for his own schemes of things. I find it not only immoral but down right dangerous.

No one can argue about putting aside some of our income as savings. But there are other important things to consider about savings. For those who can afford to, by all means save as much as you can. There are many out there who cannot afford to save. Saving is like eating half a bowl of rice or keeping the stomach half empty, to put some money aside. Forcing people to go hungry is not helping the people but ensuring them a slow death. Help the poor is to make provisions from other sources of revenue to allow them to have their bowl of rice and not go half hungry and not go half hungry by taking away the rice.

And there is a time to say providing for the rainy day is enough. The insurance agents will tell you that there is never enough in the insurance that you bought. Hmmm, reminds me of the reserves in the NKF as well as the reserves in the country’s vault. How much savings will be considered enough? Never enough. But the pragmatic reasoning will say up to a point, one needs not keep stuffing into the tin can for the tomorrow that may never come. There must be a sense of proportion.

This brings to a point about savings by the oldies. At 60, 70, or 80, as long as one is self employed, one must continue to put money into the Medisave. What kind of stupidity or daylight robbery is that? At these ages, everyday is a bonus. If one is economically productive, one should be allowed to spend his keeps while he still can. Forcing grandpas to save! Economically active grandpas would have the comfort of his savings being left untouched. To add to more savings is the logic of an idiot, or robbing the oldies. Now why would people want to rob the oldies? Wicked isn’t it? No, they say they are helping the oldies so that they have more money to pay the hospitals when needed.

There are many things that make the CPF smells foul. When the noble objective of a scheme is twisted to serve less noble objectives, or warped objectives, all schemes will turn foul. There is no need for oldies to keep savings. There is no moral reason to deprive the oldies from their hard earned savings to enjoy their twilight years even if it is for the use of god.

Now what is the real reason to compel the old uncles and aunties to keep saving when they may hand in their identity cards anytime? Is it mercy or merciless?

We have a very regimented institutions forcing people to save and save and while making it very difficult for the people to get back their hard earned money. On the other hand we have institutions like the HDB and the hospitals who are trying to take your money because you have money in your CPF. They price their products and services according to affordability and market forces, or to take every cent from you. It is like a candle burning on both ends.

I have a better CPF scheme. Everyone must contribute 80% of his income to the CPF. Then he will have money to buy affordable flats, and money for all the medical bills, and for retirement. No more worries liao.

Wikileaks leak unhappiness of journalists

It is in the media, that Wikileaks intercepted a report on the unhappiness of local journalists for being restrained from what they could write and report. In a confidential article titled, ‘Journalists frustrated by press controls’, it revealed that political leaders were putting pressure on the papers to toe the govt line on domestic politics. And there was a divide between the editors and the younger journalists.

I have sensed this divide and commented on them before. Our local journalists are very well trained and qualified, coming from some of the best universities in the West. They have seen the world and exposed to the vibrant intellectual discourse of the West. They cannot be cowed to become sheep. They are talented and wanted to express and show their talents. With a freer press, the quality of their reports and the media they represent would be a totally different story than the current pathetic state that made them pedestrian, amateurists, when compared to the social media.

How could that be? The social media may have talented people like me writing rubbish gossips, but the fact is that social media are not professional media with the time and resources and the real journalistic talents to produce works of literary art. My apologies to the few literary greats walking in our midst, like Catherine Lim and a few others.

Every time I read the pieces in the media, I feel very sorry for them. They have wasted their talents and skill on writing about food, cooking, pets, leisure and about how people would want to dress on their last journey, with at least 3 or 4 pages of expensive media spaces in yesterday’s ST, and a totally waste of paper. Very anti green movement to cut down trees and dig up raw materials to print such stuff.

Give them the space and they will raise the standard of our local media and win international awards in literary and journalistic skills with in depth coverage of quality news, and not in how nice the pages were arranged, how colourful were the prints, how creative was the layout, or you know what.

We have so much talent but not put to good use. Isn’t that a pity?

Govt institutions must be freed from politics

This is the most decent thing to do for any govt in any country. The civil servants are neutral and apolitical and just want to have a job to bring up their families. Govts that involved civil servants in politics or meddling in politics will only compromise the civil servants to do things that they should not be doing. Civil servants will be caught in a bind, cannot say no or will lose their jobs or doing things that will affect their values, principles and integrity.

It is unfair for any govt to make civil servants do their biddings for political cause or agenda. In many countries, particularly the authoritarian or dictatorial regime, the fall of the regime will lead to the arrest of civil servants or their escape from their own country as they will be found guilty for working with the authoritative or dictatorial regime.

It is the moral responsibility of all decent govts to free their civil servants to run their ministries and statutory boards in the good of the country and people, without getting them entangled with the politics of the day. When civil servants are not involved, they will provide the continuity of govt during a crisis or regime change, to ensure stability and as little disruption to public services and the security of the people.

The British model of govt is still the role model for democratically run countries to follow. And the neutrality of civil servants should not only be an empty claim but must be seen and believed by the people. Only then can civil servants live in peace and not be pricked by conscience for doing and administering public policies unfairly for the benefits of their political masters.

The civil servants are people and citizens of the country. They must not be coerced or implicated by the power of the day to act against their conscience or against the people. The people and civil servants should not be politicized against their will.

I can’t imagine a new political party returned to power and appoint their own men to run the PA, HDB and all the govt services while those currently in office will have to flee.

Notable quote by Hsien Loong

‘Drawing on our reserves should only be an absolutely last resort’ Lee Hsien Loong

Hsien Loong cautioned against the worsening world economy and that the govt may have to dip into the reserves again. But this will only be done as an absolutely last resort thing.

I also remember Leong Sze Hian saying that during Nathan’s term as President, the reserves were used for something like 29 times. Correct me if I have misquoted Leong Sze Hian. I think my memory is still ok and I am not suffering from dementia. And one of the reasons for using the reserves was for SERS, en bloc resettlement of HDB flats. True or not!

Pulling down old flats to build new ones is so serious that our reserves were used. Must be absolutely last resort or else something serious would happen to our economy or maybe the new immigrants will go rioting for not having a place to live.

If SERS scheme could justify for the use of the reserves, what else can’t? I think I must have heard wrongly, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with my dementia. Hearing problem? Maybe.

Political appointments, public employees or private employees

Recently some politicians lost the election and their well paying jobs as politicians. I am wondering where have they gone to? Have they found jobs in the private sector or have they been employed in the public sector, or have they been appointed by the govt into jobs that are paid by the public coffer?

There should be no issue if they are gainfully appointed by the private sector for their talents. It will be interesting to find out if they are being employed as public employees or civil servants and how much are they being paid in their new jobs. If the jobs are paid by taxpayers’ money, shouldn’t the taxpayers want to know what is happening?

What if they are appointed as advisors to grassroots organizations? Are these appointments paid or they are doing voluntary services for the community, no pay, like volunteers to social institutions?

The irrational considerations of the presidential election

Let’s talk money. Not that this election is all about money, but it is an interesting angle to pursue. Let me start by dangling a $24 million carrot to see the temptation. It could be twice or three times this amount. A $650k Toto jackpot is really a peanut compares to this handsome reward. Striking Toto 10 times would only bring in a miserly $6.5 million. And you know how difficult it is to hit the Toto jackpot even once, and 10 times is simply impossible.

With such a big carrot dangling, it is unbelieveable that only 6 Singaporeans would want it. Singaporeans are either insensitive to the temptation of money, or simply idiots. Of course the stringent criteria just said, you need to be very rich and clever to apply. Entering the contest is as difficult as a camel entering the eye of a needle.

The next big mystery is for Tony Tan to quit his two well paying jobs to place his bets on the Presidency. If he loses, he will have lost the two well paying jobs and their huge salaries. If he won, he may win less than what he used to get. Now, which is paying more? The Presidency or the two jobs in GIC and SPH? It is bonkers if the two jobs pay more than the Presidency!

And the daft Singaporeans did not think much of the millions to be paid out for the Presidency. Maybe they did not think it was their money. And when Tan Kin Lian and Jee Say offered to take $2m and $500k respectively for the job, they rejected both of them. The Singaporeans rather pay $4m+ than $2m or $500k per annum to the resident of the Istana. And between the 4, every one of them can more than adequately do the job of the Presidency, all fully qualified and passed by the PEC. They are all suitable for the job.

The only one sensible, or a real gambler, in my opinion, is Tan Kin Lian. He staked $48k plus some expenses for a return of many times more. This is practical reasoning and risk worth taking. I may want to consider placing my bets in the next round.

Now, how much did it cost to hold such an election to all parties? The one day of holiday with pay to every worker, the number of hours put in by the election committees and helpers, holiday overtime pay means double pay. The advertising and logistics costs of the candidates. The time and effort of more than 2 million voters also cost a lot of money.

And all the money to vote for a non executive President that can only speak with the permission or advice of the cabinet! A lot of money spent really, for a virtually ceremonial President that many have voiced that they rather not have.

Heard that one candidate sent flyers to every household in the island, assuming 900,000 households at $1 per flyer(postage and sundry), this alone is a cool $900k.

Is it money well spent? I think so, with the jackpot standing at a minimum of $24m or maybe $50m.

Now who dares to accuse Singaporeans of being money greedy? So much money for the taking and only 6 are honest enough to want to have a go at it. And one even gave up more in return for less. Singaporeans are so rich now that money is no longer a useful stimulus to excite them.

Cheng Bock was the Chosen One

Given the choice, the people will want Cheng Bock as their President. His marginally lost in the election is a technicality. The number of candidates was the main cause of his lost. A straight fight will give Cheng Bock the 30% won by Jee Say and Kin Lian. These are hard core anti PAP votes that will never lend on Tony’s lap and will give Cheng Bock a very comfortable 65% victory.

The polls in mysingaporenews are telling. There is still this corner of the population that is very unhappy with the new President. I do not see how Tony can bridge this gap to endear to this group of people. And this group consists of the hard core 30% plus a big portion of those who had voted for Cheng Bock.

Just ask around, anyone in the street, many will express their disappointment. It is not a contrived argument but a statement of fact. The PAP camp may claim 70% or 100%, the truth is that, unfortunately, Tony is not their desired President of choice.

Time for an Ombudsman

The way the CPF savings are getting further and further away from the people is no laughing matter. The delay in returning the money to the people, the inflating of minimum sums in CPF and Medisave both means that the owners are finding it more and more difficult to get in touch with their hard earned money. And you have jokers ridiculing the people’s stupidity by claiming to be very happy looking at a monthly statement saying how much is in there. In a way it is telling the people to be happy with the piece of paper even if the money is not touchable.

The most distressing part is that the people’s life time saving is now part of the nation’s reserve and can be invested by people who did not need to ask permission from the rightful owners of the money. The smell of blood, sweat and tears are in the CPF money. Who is so irresponsible and outrageous to think that it is ok to take the people’s money to ‘invest’ and claim credit, pay themselves insane bonuses when luck is with them, but if the money is lost, just pat their backside and simply walk away?

The very thought of taking the people’s hard earned money against their interests and will is evil to the core. It is irreprehensible for anyone to think that it is alright without any sense of guilt. It is morally wrong and criminal.

It is time to appoint an ombudsman to look into the people’s life time saving and find ways to return to them while the money is still there. There can never be any good reason, nothing, that can justify depriving the people from their savings.

I say again, anyone with designs on the people’s life savings is evil and wicked. They shall be punished, and it is only a matter of time. If there is no human law to deal with them, they will still have to answer one day. In the mean time, keep playing with the people’s money. There is no where to run from the guilt of conscience.

Nathan’s conscience is clear

Why was his conscience pricked and he has to make it public that his conscience is clear? In my view, Nathan is the most perfect President according to the terms and conditions of the Constitution. He played the role to the T. No one can fault him for not doing his part as the Elected President or overstepping his role to try to do things outside the Constitution.

Next National Day Nathan will be given the highest award of the country. And his place in Kranji has already been reserved.

On the issue of conscience, only those who took too much and did too little should have to think about their conscience. This shall include those who will be doing nothing and taking millions from the people.

Nathan has done a lot of work as the President without crowing about it. He is always under pressure to perform. The most obvious sign of pressure is his weight. The psychiatrists will tell you that people who are under pressure tend to over eat, took to food as an escapism, and put on weight.

Let’s wish Nathan a good retirement and with less pressure in his life. He may start to lose weight and his hair may start turning white too.

PE – 100% endorsement for the govt

Some said the PAP got only 35% of the popular votes, some said 70%. I say 75%. The numbers are very interesting and alive, and can be interpreted anyway one wants to look at them. It may be flattery, self deception, cynicism, foolish thoughts and anything but the truth. So reading numbers and interpreting numbers are not so objective and scientific after all. It is an art for the spin doctors.

Why did I say PAP won 75%? Tony, Cheng Bock and Kin Lian were all PAP before. Have they really left the PAP? Who can vouch to know the absolute truth? And I also say that the govt or establishment won 100% of the votes this time, a complete endorsement. Why not? All of them worked for the govt at one time or another. All has govt blood running in them, and govt thinking, including involvement in govt policy making and execution.

Don’t be surprise if all were invited to a tea party by the PM and all say a big thank you to the voters together. Then those who share this view of mine would say, see, all together with the PM, must be of the same camp.
Feeling cheated? The truth is still out there. And the truth is different in the eyes of everyone. The PAP is being conservative and a little shy to claim that it won only 70%. They could have won 100% for all you know.

Time to call for celebration for the great victory. What wayang? No it is the truth.

Notable quote by Redbean

Half in and half out

We have heard of that before. Now the latest catchphrase is 'One third in, two third out'. Redbean.

Is that the reason why so many people are simply disappointed?

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri

Just came back after a day of outing. Let me wish our Muslim friends a happy Hari Raya Aidil Fitri.

The warnings of the higher self

The GE saw Hsien Loong humbling himself with a public apology for the failed policies and bad decisions of his govt. His apology was heard and he was saved from an embarrassing thrashing in the election. His personal votes went up. This could easily rub the mortals, even higher mortals, the wrong way. In order to register a point that the apology must not be forgotten, a GRC must go and some hot shots would have to be sacrificial lambs in the process. We know what happened.

Subsequently, a few ministers were pruned from the cabinet to atone the mistakes of past years. These were all good and welcomed. The expectation by the people of a govt serving the interests of the people cannot be taken lightly. There were hopes bt the people of a better time.

Then came the Presidential Election. The tail of the fox reappeared and things were looking to take a step back. The first lesson was too easily forgotten and a harsher lesson needed to be handed down.

Tony Tan, the hot favourite of the elite of the elites, was rolled out to ensure a good win. The higher self was not pleased and Tony could only manage to win by a whisker. He could have lost easily if that was intended. The higher self did not want to make it too hard. Imagine if Tony Tan was defeated with only 30% of the votes! It must be the trumping of the year and the biggest defeat of the party.

The higher self was kind and wanted to give the party another chance to redeem itself. The 35% win and a margin of 7,269 votes were too close for comfort. It was a rude reminder that must be taken heed. There will not be another chance if the rulers insist on being rulers and not servants of the people. Five years were all there is to serve and work for the betterment of the people than for self interests and self gratification. The conditions for redemption are demanding. Would anyone still think that the higher self can be trifled with and ignored?

By the next election, PAP could be history, or be given a new lease of life. It all depends on whether the lessons of the last two elections were taken seriously and with all sincerity to be of service to the people and not self.

The graciousness and compassion of the higher self have its limits. Don’t push the luck too far. This is the message of the Presidential Election. Some are still trying to brush everything aside and still deceiving themselves that it was a big victory, and they can go on rubbishing and threatening the people. Fear not, for I know you by your name….

PS. The above was told to me by a ‘tang kee’. I take it as fiction or just a fairy tale. For those who believe that their future is in their own hands and do not believe in any higher self, they may disregard the ‘tang kee’ for his story.