More upgrading is needed

More upgrading is needed in all jobs. We are now in the first world where everything is about being the best. Our dirty wet market is going and will be a thing of the past. Our hawker centres too will join the dinosaurs. We will keep improving our quality of life and lifestyle. Our universities are producing more and more graduates and the graduates will fill the jobs of those used to be filled by O level certificate holders.



The call for training and upgrading is a necessary call. The housing agents, insurance agents, stockbroking agents, all need to go for courses to upgrade their professionalism and image of professionalism. It is a matter of time that all these agents, excluding secret agents, will need to be graduates. If not, where else are they going to put all the graduates?



Taxi drivers too will need upgrading. So would be train drivers and eventually down to the table and dish cleaners at the new upgraded air conditioned foodcourts. Cleaning tables and washing bowls and plates need specialised skills and the use of modern equipment to improve productivity. Send them for more courses, if not improving their skills and attitude, it is also good to know. But don’t expect any salary increment for attending all the courses and upgrading. Some are necessary, some are good to know and some are good without the need to know.



There are very few professions where there is no need for upgrading or to attend more courses. For those who want to get more salary increment without having to attend courses or the need for upgrading, be a politician. The additional courses or higher degrees are kind of wasteful training as they are mostly not needed. What kind of skills transfer and benefits will there be for a surgeon or lawyer to become an environment minister or housing minister or sports minister? It has been proven that all the politicians, no matter how many PhDs they have or in whatever field, or if they don’t have any, did not make any difference. They will all still become an expert in the ministry they are posted to, quite instantly in some cases. No need for any training or upgrading or good to know courses to attend, to pay for them, and to sit and pass examinations.



Sometimes I wonder if it is the job that is too easy or the incumbent that is too talented to make political appointments and jobs look so easy, and rightfully deserving of more and more increments, and without the need for more training nor productivity increases. Would any smart Alec dare to suggest putting politicians to attend upgrading and good to know courses, make them attend classes, pay to sit for examinations because it is good for them to know?

When doctors waited for you

This is a strange thing to happen. The doctors, dental surgeons and other medical professionals were there waiting to treat you. We used to have only one general hospital and a few clinics to serve the population. The population was smaller and the number of medical professionals too was smaller, and private doctors and clinics were not many.

Those were the times when the medical fees were relatively cheap and the doctors were often found waiting for patients. But their lifestyle was much better, driving Mercedes and living in landed properties still.

Our population has grown and so have our medical facilities and medical professionals. The mentality of the people has also changed. Every little pimple appearing on their backside or a little black spot on the face and they would want to queue up to see a specialist. They would not bother to squeeze out the pimple or scratch away the black spot with a pen knife.

We have several big general hospitals and several big private hospitals today. And the number of practitioners has grown too. We probably have more specialists today than we have GPs in the 60s and 70s. When we made an appointment then it was a week or a few days ahead.

Today, an appointment with a dental surgeon or GP in public hospital or clinic, if one is paying subsidised rate, can be one year or several years down the road. 3 years wait is quite common. But if you tell them you are willing to pay, suddenly the queue is immediately shortened. How much shorter depends on how much one is willing to pay to jump the queue, especially in the private sector.

This is progress. We have more than 5m people and when everyone is willing to pay for good service, the one who has a bigger bank account will get the best service available. No one is or will be deprived of medical services. It may just take a little longer. The medical condition just needs to wait for its turn to be treated.

Could there be a message in a 1 year or 3 year appointment? The first is simply, pay if you can’t wait. Or maybe the condition is just not urgent enough. Or is it another way of telling the patient,  ‘Hope you will be smart enough to go somewhere. Don’t come and waste my time.’ Or it could be another hope, that the patients may not survive the 3 years wait and the problem will take care of itself naturally.

We have progressed, and our way of solving pesky problems has also improved, very diplomatically. If one is unwilling to pay the ransom or market rate, one has to wait for the doctors. 3 years is reasonable, it is subsidised what do you expect? Today we have progressed from having lower quality services when doctors waited for patients, to world class services when patients have to wait for doctors.

Singapore’s top of the pop chart

 

The most popular songs in the island are:

1.    We need more immigrants

2.    Big income gap is unavoidable

3.    High medical bills equal top quality

4.    High property prices are affordable

5.    High wage increase for workers is dangerous

6.    Singaporeans first, but wait, all immigrants will become Singaporeans

7.    Salary increment must have productivity

8.    Workers rejects high wage rise

9.    High wage increase causes inflation

10.                       Workers want wage rise to fight inflation

11.                       Workers are not stupid

12.                       COE not high enough

13.                       Public transport is world class

14.                       HDB flats never shrink

15.                       Small flats good quality of life

16.                       We want more babies for the economy

17.                       No need by election

18.                       Wait for 2016

Bush and Blair guilty of war crimes

 

Bush, Blair found guilty of war crimes in Malaysia tribunal

BY 

HALUK DEMIRBAG

 – MARCH 19, 2012POSTED IN: FEATURED STORIES, MALAYSIA, UK, USA, WORLD

Former US president George Bush and his former counterpart Tony Blair were found guilty of war crimes by The Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal which held a four day hearing in the Malaysia.

The five panel tribunal unanimously decided that Bush and Blair committed genocide and crimes against peace and humanity when they invaded Iraq in 2003 in blatant violation of international law.

The judges ruled that war against Iraq by both the former heads of states was a flagrant abuse of law, act of aggression which amounted to a mass murder of the Iraqi people.

In their verdict, the judges said that the United States, under the leadership of Bush, forged documents to claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.

They further said the findings of the tribunal be made available to members of the Rome Statute and the names of Bush and Blair be entered into a war crimes register.

Both Bush and Blair repeatedly said the so-called war against terror was targeted at terrorists.

Lawyers and human rights activists present here say the verdict by the tribunal is a landmark decision. And the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Foundation said it would lobby the International Criminal Court to charge former US president George Bush and Former British prime minister Tony Blair for war crimes.

Countries of the world should unite and form parallel organizations like those controlled by the Americans and the West that were used to serve their political interests in outright violation of human rights and human decency. Mahathir has done the right thing for once, taken the right initiative to provide a more level playing field in the stage of international relations. Well done Mat.

Chen Guangcheng wants to see the world

Chinese activist and dissident wants to leave China to see the world. But a huge political row erupted between the US and China like a circus in town. The US wants him, China does not want him but wants to keep him. Why doesn’t China just help the US, makes the US happy and send Chen and his families, plus extended families to the US?

Mao Tse Tung once offered to send 100m Chinese women to the US. China can afford to send all its activists and dissidents to the US, even 100m of them and let them be US citizens. It is a win win situation. The US loves dissidents and activists and their fight for freedom. They and the activists can cohabit happily in the US. China will not have any more trouble on home ground to deal with the activists and dissidents and give excuse to the western world to take pot shot at her.

China should liberate the activists and set them free. And the US will go down on its knees to beg China not to do so. They would have to show their ugliness by slamming the door at all the activists. China, what the hell are you thinking? Give them everything they want and save the trouble and bring out the hypocrisy of the US and the West.

The world’s 4th most liveable place

Why Sinkies complaining? Singapore is the world’s 4th most desirable place to live. It is so spacious, so clean and so easy to get around. If they raise the COEs to $200k, it will mean the roads will be a joy to drive. And the houses are so big, with swimming pools. There is no need to even live the house to enjoy life.

Now where got traffic jams and people jams? The only jams are the high quality imported fruit jams in the high end supermarkets. Hardly have to squeeze with a foreign worker in all the nice places. This is truly paradise, better than Swiss standard of living.

What? Got people living in 90 sq m flats? And what, some living in 50 sq m flats? Hollycow, no joke! Never know that they exist. Never come across or meet such people. Come look at my neighbourhood, come enjoy my sea front view and the private berth for my yacht.

Australia a model for sustainable growth

Australia was once a lowly inhabited continent. The population of aborigines was small when the British planted their flag to stake a claim to the land. Finder’s keepers. And when the needed to increase the population, they dumped their convicts there first. Subsequently when the land was safely secured, they started their selective immigration programme, choosing those they are comfortable and compatible with. They don’t dump rubbish in a good piece of land. The initial rubbish was there for a different reason.

With such a huge piece of land, and all the resources, the Australians can take growth and development at a measure pace, without joining the rat race. Even if there were no growth, they will still be living a very good quality of life, by living off the land. They are very careful with their development programme as well as their population programme. They are doing it slow and steady, with sustainable growth in all sectors. There is no hurry to kill or destroy themselves.

But we cannot be like Australia. We are an exception. We must hungry, increase our population and rapid growth are the strategies for our survival. We have no choice. If we are wrong we will just destroy ourself in the process. If we don’t do it, we will also destroy ourself in the process. So just do it, bring in all the rubbish and dump into this little piece of continent and we should be alright. It is sustainable growth.

Ask an economist and the answer is growth

The debate for more population is heating up but the thinking is one track, growth. Without population growth, it will be the end of the Singapore story. Growth is the essence of an economics approach to the country’s problem, or for that matter to any other problems. Send Pavarotti to the economists and the recommendation will be 5% growth annually. Send a yoda to an economist and it will be the same answer, feed the yoda to ensure 5% growth.

Is growth really the solution, or can innovation and productivity be the alternatives? There are many ways to maintain or better the life of the people instead of growth. Under this economics theory of growth, any country, including Singapore, will see its ruin without growth. The realities around the world proved that this is the biggest bullshit.

If the well being of any country is simply to maintain growth through population growth, many countries would have been wiped out from the face of the earth, and many countries with high population growth would have been the most prosperous and with better standard of living.

Can anyone come up with a smarter answer, with so much being paid to feed them for their personal growth? If we go on a path of unstopping population growth, we are as good as feeding ourselves to death. Maybe that is better than dying from starvation. The limitations of our physical size are staring down at us. Why don’t they look at how to improve the life of the people by maintaining the population size as the breaking point is appearing everywhere, even with the creme ala crème in charge?

Did anyone ask why Pavarotti had to die? Has anyone asked why every yoda cannot keep growing by feeding him more and more? It is nature’s way to terminating those who want to grow and grow. Countries are not different in the area of population growth. Unrestraint population growth is a sure way to self destruct faster.

No wonder they don't believe in no salary increment.

Guan Yin: I don’t enter Hades…

Why does this statement of Guan Yin keeps popping up in my mind? ‘I don’t enter Hades, who enters Hades?’ Then I thought to myself, ‘I don’t enter Heaven, who enters Heaven?’

Guan Yin boddhisatva made a vow that she will not become a buddha if she could not save all the sentient beings from hell. She also said that she would go to hell in the places of others if she had to.

I am no Guan Yin. I rather I go to heaven first than others. I want to be rich first than others. It is like a me first, others last. I don’t believe in living by examples, and I am only interested in my well beings first and foremost.

This is exactly what Matilah has been trying to educate the daft Sinkies. Be rich first, no bleeding heart. No hypocrisy. Look after your self interest first. For the rest, it is their problem. Matilah is going to be angry with me. Heheheh.

Workers want pay rise to fight inflation

Just as I posted that workers were rejecting the pay hike recommended by Lim Chong Yah, today’s ST front page news screams, ‘Give pay rise to fight inflation’. And what is this nonsense about pay rise to fight inflation when we just heard over May Day that pay rise will cause inflation? I think I better shout, May Day, May Day, May Day…

I am getting very confuse. On one hand the good old professor wanted to help the workers by calling for more pay hike but got slapped by workers left and right. Now workers want to have pay rise, and to fight inflation when pay rise is the reason for inflation.

KNN, dunno what to say anymore. Who is right? Or who is talking rubbish?

I think it is time to engage a foreign consultancy to look into this confusion and come up with a good explanation to please everyone. Money is no problem.

Khaw Boon Wan at his brilliant best

While Ignatious Lourdesamy replied to a letter by a Tan Siow Teng, repeating that HDB flats are sold at subsidized prices, which is HDB’s version of the subsidised truth, Boon Wan was holding court to take questions in a public forum on housing matters. And he was simply brilliant in his answers.

To a point raised by the audience that HDB flats have shrunk in size, which is a truth that no one needs to bring a measuring tape to confirm, Boon Wan’s answer was that HDB flat had not shrunk in size in recent years. And of course he was correct. He was referring to flats built now and those built in the 1990s. How to beat such clever answer? It would be even easier if he said that HDB flats had never shrunk in size since he took over.

And he confirmed that the space available to a flat dweller was getting bigger as there were lesser people in a flat due to shrinking family size. This is a way Sinkies can improve the quality of their lives, by ensuring that they keep their family small. Don’t worry about having more babies if one wants more spaces and a better quality of life.

Boon Wan also agreed that the quality of life will be affected if we go the Hongkong way of mickey mouse flats. He said public housing will not go that way. So Singaporeans have two ways to improve the quality of lives, by finding a job that pays more or by reducing family size. Maybe a third way is still possible. Take more weight reducing pills or size reducing pills to avoid growing too big, then the flat will definitely look bigger.

And more flats will be built over the next 5 years, even up to 100,000 units if needed. I hope his computation takes into consideration the 20k or 25k new migrants on the way here every year. If not, then there will be shortage of flats again and his assurance that flat prices will not shoot up again will not hold water. The new immigrants are adults, families and would need housing unlike the babies that will be produced by the locals.

The same Western shit in the media

China is heading for a hard landing. The housing bubble is going to burst, the banks are going bankrupt, the wasteful squandering of money on infrastructure, etc etc will bring China down on its knee. Don’t worry about the mismanagement and recession in the West. The problem in China is much bigger.

And the North Koreans, they are living a very miserable life, abject poverty, the people are starving. What else is new?

Would our reputable and Asian based CNA send some of their objective reporters to the two countries and write some first hand reports on these two countries? Oh, I think the CNA was invited and did send some reporters there. I am sure their feel on the ground would be more credible than those dumb academics that have not set foot in North Korea. Or they are afraid to say anything that differs from the enlightened Western academics, or they don’t believe what they saw. Ya, all propaganda, on see what they are allowed to see.

Just look at their infrastructure, the dressing of the people, the fat on their faces and please don’t print those skin and bone pictures of the 1950s. China also have plenty of those pictures of the 30s or 50s. Singapore also have some real poverty pictures if one cares to find them. One thing for sure, North Korea is no third world country that is barren with streets filled with hungry and sick people. There are not living in abject poverty. Their homes may cost $10,000 but are landed and much bigger than the mickey mouse flats that we called home and paid hundreds of thousands or millions for it.

When will Asian media gain some pride in reporting Asian truths instead of fabricated half truths from the West with western agenda? Every dunce from the West is uttering words like abject poverty, starving etc etc. Do they know what they are saying? Do they really know what the shit is happening in North Korea, or in China?

It is quite sick and insulting to feed readers with such biased thrash practically daily. Is there an agenda or the blind telling the blind?

Help, help, monkeys everywhere!

When you pay peanuts you will get monkeys. Now we must be having monkeys everywhere except the ministers and admin service. These are the two places in public service that are not paid in peanuts. And in the private sector, the workers, hmmm, are they being paid peanuts also?

Monkeys are in every corner of the world. In fact all the state leaders and civil servants across the world are all paid like monkeys. Not many are paid anything decent enough or better than peanuts.

Eeek, there are so many monkeys around.

Wage hike = inflation, salary increment no inflation

The workers are scratching their heads again. Why wage hike will lead to inflation and salary increment will not? Very simple. The answer was given in the ST a few days ago. Singapore’s inflation rate hit a high of 5.2%. But this inflation rate will not affect the workers because hor, it only affects the rich who buy expensive cars and pay high COEs or expensive multi million properties. The inflation is only at the high end. There is no inflation at the low end as workers did not buy these big ticket items, or at least workers are not affected. Heng ah!

But when there is a wage hike, all the workers will be having a spending spree at their favourite food courts or hawker centres, and the prices of food will shoot up, leading to high inflation. Some will spend like a king in Batam, Bintan and JB. Now I am scratching my head also. This logic sounds right or not?

Workers say no to wage hike

While the workers of the world rose in protest over their low wages, the workers here were celebrating their good fortune. All of them looked so happy, and so rich. And they expectedly rejected the shock therapy of Lim Chong Yah that offered them a 50% pay rise in 3 years. Unbelieveable!

I think the workers are reading Lim Chong Yah’s therapy selectively. For one, Lim Chong Yah is no ordinary academic and he is definitely Not mad. How could an eminent economics professor make a recommendation that the workers and the super talents all objected in unison as if it is flawed? How could they counter with the argument that the rising cost of production due to higher wages would make the companies not competitive? It cannot be. The money paid to the workers must come from somewhere to balance it. And this is the part that no one wants to talk about. Where is the money coming from?

What Lim Chong Yah did not say directly is that the fat cows are too fat and can afford not to stuff in more food for the next three years. With their current intake, they could continue to be fat cows. The real objection to Lim Chong Yah’s proposal is likely to be this, that the fat cows want to eat more and more and their current intake is not enough. That is why if raising the worker’s wages did not come with a salary freeze at the top it will spell disaster. And that is right. But Lim Chong Yah did not ask for this disaster. He is asking the fat cows to take a break and stop taking more for a while.

When rejecting Lim Chong Yah, one must look at his full recommendations, not just raising worker’s wages alone. But workers are workers, just lead them and they will follow happily.

Watching Animal Farm

Today the workers celebrated May Day. I also worker, so I rest and watch the movie Animal Farm. But I also stacked up some roast beef, wine and some caviar to go along. It was great watching the movie with so much food around me and nothing to worry about.

Aung San Suu Kyi

I am seeing this gutsy woman everyday and several times today on TV. She is definitely the woman of the decade or the century, the feminine half of Nelson Mandela. I can't resist showing off a painting of her by Mother Nature. Don't expect a photographic representation of Suu Kyi as the canvas used by Mother Nature is nothing but water. The nature of water is ever fluid and changing and any images will be changed completely the next moment. This did not prevent Mother Nature for creating an image of Suu Kyi displaying her as a very strong will lady. In the painting she is all cool and filled with steely determination to stay her course and her fight for the freedom of Myanmar. Mother Nature likes her.

This painting is done using the Art of RAR Technique with Mother Nature as the master painter. This technique is developed by yours truly, a native art form invented by me, a Singaporean. Yes, it is a new Singaporean art form, not recognised by the conventional art community yet. The uniqueness of this technique is that you do not need an object to take a photograph. I have shot the Tree of Life without a tree and Suu Kyi without her presence. I have painted women, historical relics, celestial beasts, abstract faces, fishes etc etc, all from nothing.

In this aspect, it is like a painter painting something from his head, an image or form that he conceived of but not necessary an object. Only a painter can do that but no photographer can, until now. Photographers must have an object to shoot. Shooting an ideal or imaginary image is just not possible in photography until I discovered this technique. The images forming in the water are just like the images inside the head of an artist that no camera can capture. Now in a way I can.

I am claiming this unique photography technique as a Singaporean invention. It is still in its nascent stage of development and all my paintings were captured in environment that I have no control of. If I have the facilities and set up I would be able to make a more conducive environment and condition for Mother Nature to show much more of what she could do.

Today is May Day and the workers rest and celebrate. I rest too, and indulge in this hobby or art form of mine that gives me many satisfying moments. Oh, I even painted Michael Jackson, Bugs Bunny, Red Indian Chief, an Ascetic on a Mule, a girl lying abreast on top of two beasts and a Bali Dancer. These rar arts were the works of the first stage of my experiment with this technique, and all the images were actually created from Koi fish. I blew a whistle and they formed up for me to shoot: ) The pieces were not as refine as the second phase of my work. There were two masters showing me two different concepts on how to get these paintings.

My early paintings are also posted in my Art of RAR Gallery. Would this technique blossom as a truly Singaporean art form?

May Day... May Day... May Day

These two words, repeat three times, were the first most important words my instructor told me when I was a trainee pilot. It is a distress call when one is in the air and the aircraft is having engine trouble, or whatever crisis situation that has developed. I was lucky never to have the need to send out this distress call.

The above image is a very inspirational photopainting of mine. It is called The Tree of Life. Many of you must be familiar with this biblical concept. I am no Christian nor Catholic. I read the bible and is familiar with this concept in Genesis.

I took my pictures using a technique called The Art of RAR. It involves taking pictures of reflection and refraction, decode it and viola, I have a painting. I have many series of paintings from this process.

When this picture appeared to me during my docoding of the photographs, I instantly recognised that it is the Tree of Life. It looked like a tree for sure. Then it could be any tree, a rambutan tree or a durian tree. Why should it be the Tree of Life? A tree is recognised by the fruits it bears.

I needed some convincing and affirmation that this is the real Tree of Life. I have seen many painters and their images of the Tree of Life but this is different. This tree came to me without any premeditation, without any plans, and no fixing. When I shoot my images, my mind is clear of all thoughts and I am prepared for anything that comes out. Every picture is a mystery and a creation of chance. I have series on women, historical relics, abstract faces, coral fish, celestial beasts etc etc, and now this.

If this is the Tree of Life, there must be signs of life in the tree. I put the painting under the microscope for scrutiny, like looking for life forms in the moon. Believe me, there are life forms in the tree. There were several images of human forms in the tree, like the fruits of the tree. And the images were well formed and as clear as daylight. I can't believe my eyes. This is an image I shot of reflection and refraction on the surface of water and nothing else. And the last thing in my mind is the Tree of Life. It was conceived and crafted by mother nature with no human interference.

I have several other shots of similar trees in the series. They look the same as this tree. Some too have similar human images on them, but very few and not as well defined. I can still call them Trees of Life as they are similar in appearance but with lesser or no fruits on them yet.

I am planning to hold a solo exhibition on my Art of RAR paintings in Oct/Dec. The main piece of my rar art will be this Tree of Life. And I am not shouting May Day, May Day, May Day. I should be shouting Hallelujah!

PS, for a clearer view click my link to the Art of RAR Gallery on the right, the picture with the purple face. For those who are fascinated by this painting, try counting the number of human images on the tree. And don't miss out the lady in the centre with a white shawl.

The competition that Sinkies don’t need

Why is there a need to bring in rich foreigners to compete with Sinkies to buy and speculate on properties that are a must help for Sinkies as their basic needs, a roof over their heads?

Why is there a need to bring second rated foreigners to become citizens to buy public housing, to compete with Sinkies and to jack up the prices for poorer Sinkies.

Why is there a need to bring in more foreigners to compete with Sinkies for COEs to drive on the road?

Why is there a need to bring hungry foreigners to compete with Sinkies for jobs and push some Sinkies out of jobs?

Why is there a need to bring in foreigners at middle and top management level to compete with Sinkies and deprive Sinkies of the chances for these jobs?

Why is there a need to pay foreigners to take up university places while children of Sinkies have to pay through their own pockets by going overseas.

Would the country be worst off without these competitions by being more discriminatory and give Singaporeans the first right of refusal instead of forcing them to compete with foreigners often on unequal and unfavourable terms? Why bring in cheap foreigners and dismiss Sinkies as not competitive when the playing field is not level?

Is there a need to screw ourself with this kind of self willing, self invited competition, forcing our Sinkies to lower their expectations and go for less when the national goal is to make life better for Sinkies?

Is this not a self inflicted wound. This is a competition that Sinkies don't need and did not ask for.

The widening reality gap

Everyone is familiar with the widening income gap. A similar gap that is opening up but not frequently discussed is the reality gap or perception gap between the govt and the people. Both parties(maybe I should say 40%) seem to be looking in opposition direction but with the govt having the final say and adamantly expecting the people to accept its version of reality. Period, let’s move on, nothing else to talk about.

Or am I the odd one out that seems to be seeing things, that there is no such reality gap. Surely note if one is to read the comments in the main media and internet. What the govt said is the real thing, and the people agree completely, wholeheartedly. 60% said so. The direction set by the govt for the future of this island is the common goal of the people. There is no disagreement, the people are with the govt and will go along with all the govt’s reasoning and policies.