Are Sinkie smug or daft?

Over the recent furore of xenophobia as claimed by the media and people in high places, it has somehow added fire to feed the anger of Sinkies towards foreigners. There were many comments by bloggers in TRE showing contempt for foreigners for not being able to speak English.

Language has become the latest kid for bashing. Foreigners coming here must speak English and nothing else. Hindi, Tagalog, Thai etc are not acceptable. Sinkies refused to speak to them if they can’t speak English. What is laughable or obnoxious is that they even rejected Mandarin as a language of Sinkies. What’s happening?

The immediate question is whether Sinkies are daft or smug or both. The next question is that our education system and our national policy on bilingualism must have failed miserably. These Sinkies, true blue Sinkies, not newly minted type, did not know that Mandarin is one of the four official languages of Sinkieland. Cannot speak, refuse to speak Mandarin, feeling hurt, insulted when foreigners speak to them in Mandarin! And sadder still, many knew how to speak Mandarin but refused to communicate with the foreigner in Mandarin. The foreigners must speak English.

What is the justification? Sinkies will not bend backwards to accommodate foreigners by speaking to them in the foreigner’s language, which happens to be one of our official languages, and deliberately making things difficult to the foreigners by demanding to speak in English and nothing else.

Other than creating four official languages to level the playing field, other than having the mother tongue as a social ballast to keep the westernised Sinkies rooted to their own culture, language is simply a tool for communication. The basic aim of bilingualism is to arm Sinkies to be able to communicate with East and West, which is one of our strength. Now jokers did not want to speak anything else except English to spike foreigners. Jokers refused to acknowledge that Mandarin is one of our official languages. Maybe some jokers don’t even know of this fact.

It is not funny.

Untitled - A piece of RAR Art

More of my RAR Art pieces can be viewed at www.artofrar.blogspot.com

The innocence of scrapping estate duty

Many rich Sinkies were over the moon when estate duty was scrapped. Now they could hang on to their assets and inheritance forever, and not just one property but unlimited number of properties, assets and cash. This is extremely good for the old rich and the super rich. Even the HDB owners were in a way happy with it as they too were hoping that their flats would be worth millions in the future. And this is not far fetch given the way things are moving.

What people failed to see is the impact of abolishing estate duty on inflating property prices. Without estate duty, no one needs to be concerned about how high the prices of properties can go. The higher the better, $50m, $100m or $1b, it is okay, very good indeed, for the owners. Govt too need not be unduly concerned once this is taken out of the equation. It is no longer a source of revenue for the state.

Seriously, it is this disregard to the high property prices that is directly affecting property prices here. Everyone, from owners, speculators and developers would want the prices to go even higher. And this will trickle down to all other property prices.

And unthinkingly, the people that benefited most from this no estate duty affair are the foreigners. They could come and buy up everything, as investments or to park their money, which in turn drives up prices even higher. And the foreigners are benefiting more than Sinkies as they have much more money to invest in real estates. They need to park their money somewhere. And we don’t have enough properties for them to acquire. If we are blind to this fact, it is only a matter of time when foreigners would own all the properties they are eligible to buy up. The number of rich foreigners is unlimited and so is their wealth.

Another sordid tale of foreigners dumping their money here is that some are ill gotten gains. Unintentionally or intentionally, our property market is turning into the biggest and legal laundry machine for such black money. There were many tales of foreigners buying anything at any price without bargaining or batting an eye lid. They need to wash their dirty money and where else allowed them to do so so freely and easily.

For those who are pissed off by the unfair advantages foreigners are enjoying here, this is another point of contention. Foreigners are taking full advantage of this situation, to exploit the property markets for huge benefits. They are talking in terms of tens and hundreds of millions, not the few millions which Sinkies are talking about or the few hundred thousands of our HDB millionaires.

When property prices are in the tens of millions and hundreds of millions, it is big money for the state in estate duties. Why are the super rich and foreigners given such great privileges to multiply their wealth which in turn fuelled the property bubble at the expense of the average Sinkies?

It may be time to reconsider reintroducing estate duty to tap on this very rich gold mine of properties in tens and hundreds of millions. Considerations can be made to allow Sinkies to continue to enjoy a tax free property at $5m or $10m. Anything more is reasonable for the state to impose an estate duty on them, a tax to defray the country’s expense, and to curb the uncontrollable escalation of property prices. And why not tax on the ill gotten gains of foreigners and also on them to pay for pushing up property prices here. They must be made to pay for the pains and sufferings of those who could no longer buy what they wanted to buy because of them.

The scrapping of estate duty is not so innocent after all and have very wide implications and consequences.

Ah Kong kenna fined for protecting his family

My hero, Ong Long Hock, broke the jaw of a gangster and was fined $3000. He could have been jailed if not for his age and for self defense.

The gangsters, three of them, harassed his daughter in law, whacked his son and he as well when he tried to protect his son. They ran when the daughter in law called the police. Luckily or unluckily, Ah Kong and son caught one of them and that’s when Ah Kong gave the gangster a broken jaw.

Then the law took over. The law is the law. And Sinkie law is the most civilized and kind of all laws against gangsters. When gangsters beat you up, you must be careful not to hurt the gangsters in self defense. Ah Kong forgot, and in the heat of the moment, after being beaten by the gangsters, and seeing his son being beaten, gave it to the gangster. For beating the gangster, Ah Kong kenna fined $3000. Well done, prosecutor. You have done your job well. Justice is blind. The symbol of blind justice is on the front façade of the court.

The gangster has yet to be charged and his two accomplices are still at large. But they need not worry. The law will be kind to them. Poor Ah Kong, kenna hit still want to hit back. Didn’t know how civilized our laws are. Cannot anyhow hit people lah, even if they are gangsters who hit you!

By the way, if I were in the Ah Kong’s place, I would not break the gangster’s jaw. I would break both his hands and legs as well. And let the court sentence me to jail, for justice to prevail. The law is the law. The law is to protect the citizens from harm, including gangsters and provocateurs.

Xenophobia, bloggers jump into action

Several bloggers are concerned about the rising trend of xenophobia and are setting up blogs and forums to try to foster better understanding between the foreigners and locals. Really? How many foreigners have been beaten by the locals for no reasons? Nay, nigh, not even one. The latest report of a Briton being beaten up by a local was because the Briton passed racist taunts at the local in front of his friends. In this case, it was more a self defense, or a reaction to a provocation.

The locals are timid, faceless and self debasing creatures in the presence of superior talented foreigners. All foreigners will swear that they were treated extremely well in all service outlets, starting from SQ. Foreigners are treated as best as they could to make them feel good. And in public places, foreigners would always get all the help they wanted if they asked a local. Of course there are some exceptions when foreigners think they were some royalties and demanded to be treated that way. Then they would only piss off the locals.

What’s happening here is the frequency of foreigners bashing the locals at their whims and fancies, and some just for fun. It has been reported in the media very frequently and the locals, when bashed up, would be told to take up a civil suit against the foreigners at their own expense. And the locals are not supposed to hit back or they will be charged in courts for retaliation. Just stay calm, avoid the blows as best possible. And if landed in hospitals, then engage lawyers to sue the attackers.

As for foreigners, in the case of the Briton being beaten by Abraham Lincoln, the beater was charged in court and fined $4000, four times more than locals who made false reports to the police. This is how civilized our laws in protecting the one who provoked or started the beating.

There is a rise in Sinophobia, a unique kind of reverse xenophobia in this island, where there is contempt for the locals, where the foreigners seemed so at ease in making locals their punching bags. Why are there no local bloggers feeling any discomfort about such a pathetic state of affair and wanted to do something about it? Sinkie land is the only country where foreigners feel so at home, so comfortable, that beating the locals is a past time, really. There is no other country in the world where foreigners would feel so at ease to beat up the locals. Many would feel a fear of the locals and would behave very decently so as not to provoke or anger the locals when in contact with them. Why is this not the case in Sinkie land, but the other way around?

The act of the bloggers is a manifestation that beating up locals is an acceptable thing, but being rude or speaking up to foreigners is bad and unacceptable. And in the work place there have been many complaints that the foreigners ganged up to bully locals. And when they are in charge, they will employed more foreigners to replace the locals. And they have good reasons for it. The foreigners are definitely cheaper to hire.

For economic reasons, for business competition, I fully agree with this trend. All local companies must gradually replace all the expensive locals with foreigners. Start with the top. Once the CEO is a foreigner, the change will be easier. And from the industries, this can be replicated in the civil service and the govt as well. The savings in monetary terms will be tremendous. If we can replace the govt with foreigners, the cost could be down to 10% only. Definitely good value for money.

Oops, I digress a bit. Can I call on bloggers to think about how to plead with the foreigners to be nicer to locals and stop using them as their punching bags or telling them to go back to China or India? Please be kind and gentler to the meek locals. They all wear spectacles and weigh 50kg. A strong breeze would have blown them away. Be gentle with them, especially the taxi drivers. Some are grandfathers trying to make a living.

I am not PRC

I read this article about a Sinkie complaining that a PRC waitress would speak to him in Mandarin for his orders. This is not the first time Sinkies felt offended when spoken to in Mandarin. Am I surprised? Is speaking to another Chinky, oops, I mean Sinkie Chink, in Mandarin an offensive thing? Isn’t Mandarin one of the four official languages of this country?

But I can understand why Sinkie Chink did not like PRC Chink to think that he is also a Chink. There is a difference of course. Sinkie Chinks are westernized, modern, sophisticated, with good manners, unlike PRC Chinks.

I think I have a solution for this agonizing dilemma faced by some Sinkie Chinks. And since it is not possible to ask the Sinkie Chinks to dye his skin white, have his slit eyes rounded, or his flat Chinkie nose sharpened, the next easiest thing to do is to wear a head band to say, ‘I am a Sinkie Chink.’ Then all the PRC Chinks would have no problems telling them apart and may take the hint to speak to them in English, the mother tongue of Sinkie Chinks.

And they should wear the head band overseas too as the PRC Chinks are everywhere, and richer too, driving Ferraris and Lamboghinis in New York and London. The Europeans are finding them so common and so numerous that any Sinkie Chink could be mistaken to be a poorer version of the PRC Chinks. So bring the head bands and wear it everywhere to be noticed and to be known.

When Rome burns

When Rome was burning, Nero was fiddling on the roof. Why was that so? Why did Nero have all the time to play his fiddle when Rome was burning? He had too much time on his hand. He had appointed a cabinet of very talented ministers to run the empire for him. They were the best the empire could find. He was happy and at ease that he had all the able men in his team. And he spent his time in his favourite past time, fiddling on the roof.

Nero presumed that all his ministers were hard at work. So there was nothing to worry about. And that was why he was alone at the top, on the roof. Unfortunately he did not know that his ministers were either busy making themselves richer or on holiday with all the wealth they had accumulated. But aren’t they supposed to do their parts. These were very able and talented men. They knew that they could not do their jobs. They were not trained for them. Some were experts in deciphering the Dead Sea Scroll. How on earth would they be able to know what was happening in defence, in finance, in education? Or how much would a physician know about engineering, trade, building the country’s infrastructure. Because they were smart enough to know of their limitations, they outsourced their jobs to super talents, even imported talents. They had the money to buy the best talents.

So all the ministers needed to do was to buy talents to do their jobs. And they could sing song all day long or go on vacation. The super talents were supposed to know their stuff. Did they? Or were they snake oil sellers? Very likely, for Rome was burning under their charge. Did Nero know, or did the ministers know that Rome was burning? Nero did not. The ministers either did not know, or did want to know, or hoping that the super talents knew their stuff and the fire was temporary. But most chose not to know, making more money was their main preoccupation.

But the citizens knew that Rome was buring. So were the firefighters. Why didn’t the firefighters fight the fire? They were waiting for orders. They were waiting for someone to raise the alarm. No orders, no alarms, no action. And they all sat on their fat arses watching Rome burnt. They were paid handsomely and no need to sweat or work or think, if no one asked them do.

And Rome continued to burn while Nero played his fiddle on the roof, oblivious to what was happening. Everything must be fine as no one was there to tell him.

Would Nero wake up in time to save Rome, to put out the fire? According to history, he did not and Rome was burnt to the ground. Could he have save Rome if he knew that Rome was burning? He might, if he started to ask a few relevant questions, called up his ministers who would question his super talents about what was going on, about the fire. But these might not happen as the ministers knew nothing about what was happening and were fully dependent on the experts who turned out to be snake oil sellers, and who actually started the fire and did not know how to put it out.

Raising the alarm was useless for many reasons. For one, no one was listening, or no one wanted to listen. Everyone chose to hide their heads in the sand, didn’t want to hear, didn’t want to see, didn’t want to know. They all had options to move out of Rome with their wealth, or to rebuild a new Rome after the fire.

There was a fire, and the fire was burning. And everyone was looking the other way, with Nero on the roof top having a blissful time.

PS. Many would be guessing what is this all about? That is a good sign. Those who know will know what I am talking about. Those who don't, never mind, ignorance is bliss. Just hope that Nero knows, or at least interested enough to want to know before it is too late.

Faisal Wali wrote: Cherian George, Stop Pontificating

In his reply to the pontification by Cherian George that netizens need a code of conduct, Faisal quoted him as saying this, ‘Cherian wrote that the kampong spirit that we Singaporeans are cultivating is kay-pohish petty-mindedness, a small-town mentality that tells us that no event is too trivial to turn into a national issue.’

Hmmm, kampong spirit is small town mentality and pettiness. Now who in the right mind would want to promote such pettiness as a way of life for Sinkies? I fully agree with Cherian that if kampong spirit is all about small people and petty mindedness it is better to dump them into the dustbin man. Or would any super talent think that kampong spirit is something worthy to preserve, or think that kampong spirit is more than pettiness?

Anyway I walked up Mount Faber last night hoping that God would show himself and give me 10 tablets. Then I can command the sinners to obey me and abide by what I think they can or cannot do. I am the messenger of god. And I know what is best for the sinners. Even if god did not issue me his commandments, I will know what they are. Prostrate before me, for I am the one to tell thee on what is good for you.

The escalating fear of foreign intervention in our way of life.

‘AMRITSAR: The Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, has marked an inquiry into complaints and allegations that Sikh prison inmates in Singapore are being forced to cut their hair against the community's 'maryada' (code of conduct).


The takht has acted upon complaints filed by Madan Mohan Singh, a social activist, who works for a Singapore-based anti-narcotics association.


Madan Mohan Singh had urged the Akal Takht to issue directives on the issue so the Sikhs of Singapore could take up the matter with the Singapore government and prevent further "humiliation of Sikh jail inmates."


He alleged on Monday that despite prison directives on regular hair grooming, the jail authorities in Singapore cut head and facial hair of Sikh jail inmates if they were found to be involved in taking drugs, smoking and drinking alcohol.


Singapore's ministry of home affairs had also conducted an investigation after Madan Mohan Singh had raised the issue.


The Sikh Advisory Board (SAB), the highest council of Sikh affairs in Singapore, had wrongly advised the Singapore government by labeling Sikh inmates as non-practicing and non-traditional, he added.


"The SAB has misrepresented the Sikhs in Singapore by condoning and accepting the sacrilegious act of cutting a Sikh's hair by a government department. In doing so, it has underestimated the hurt feelings of the community," said Madan Mohan Singh. –Times of India

The more foreigners we took and issued them with pink ICs, the more pain we will get if we allowed them to impose their wills onto our system. The foreigners, the greater their numbers, are likely to make increasing demands for the system to accept and adapt to their ways of life, culture and religion. The Govt must make its stand very clear now that foreigners coming here and given citizenship must accept our way of life, social norms and our laws. They must adapt, integrate and change to fit into our system and not the other way around.

In the above case, it is not a matter of whether the Sikh Advisory Board made the right and wrong advice. It is a case of foreign agencies thinking that they have a right to impose their whims and fancies on our Govt and our way of life. And our dull Govt may have to act to answer to all kinds of frivolous demands, trying to explain or adjust or appease foreign agencies.

Now there is an organization from India demanding our Govt to answer to them. What next, from Italy, the Philippines, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, China or where else demanding that their citizens or believers be treated according to what they wanted and deemed fit.

Hey, we are a sovereign country and not answerable to any foreign agencies. And any foreigners taking up citizenship here better behave and accept what we are or else piss off. The Govt has to make this stand very clear to all foreigners before giving them the pink IC, and to all govts or non govt agencies to stay clear of our domestic affairs. We are not any country’s colony and answerable to no other countries, powers or what shit they think they are. We don’t even have to do anything when outside agencies make ridiculous and unjustifiable demands on our system, sovereign and constitutional rights.

Racist beaten by Chinaman victim

Finally one daft Sinkie stood up to the racists. Alexander Lincoln Chew Yew Wah was taunted and insulted by a Briton, Richard Jonathan Mills, in a members only club in Robertson Quay. He was insulted by the Briton with the third most racist act of the white Europeans centuries ago. Basically the Briton called him a laundryman and told him to go back to his laundry shop in China.

For the ignorant and uninitiated, the Chinamen of old that went to work in the US, and probably in many European countries, most ended up as laundrymen and cooks. The Americans had a racist law that forbade Asians from taking up jobs in other professions. They were only allowed to work as labourers in the construction of the American railroads and yes, cooks and laundrymen. Shit if the same law is applied here, many of us too would be cooks and laundrymen and no dignity to talk about.

Imagine in the 21st century you still have assholes taunting Chinaman, and thinking that Sinkies are Chinamen, with this age old racist taunt. Can’t blame the Briton as all Chinese Sinkies still looked like Chinamen even after they dyed their hair blond or called themselves Alexander Lincolns. It is written all over the face and body that Chinese Sinkies are still Chinese in racial origin.

The must audacious thing for this Briton to do was to taunt Chinese in Sinkie land when the Chinese are a majority. This is racism and arrogance to the first degree. Maybe he still thinks Britain is still the colonial power and all the Chinese here are fit only to be cooks and laundrymen.

I salute Chew Yew Wah for standing up to the racist and bashed him up even when the racist is a much bigger man. Daft and silly Sinkies must stand up to be a man when people spit at them and not be like Ah Q. Otherwise all the foreigners will just go on taunting and insulting them and even beating them up in their own country. And home is no longer safe for Sinkies.

For those ignorant and daft Sinkies, stereotyping Chinese as cooks and laundrymen is definitely derogatory and of very bad taste.

Sandwiched class needs more govt help

A Lim Wan Keng wrote in the ST forum today asking for changes to the stupid and outrageous HDB income ceilings that put many genuine home buyers in a fixed. With inflation running like a wild horse, many middle income earners would quite easily exceed the $12k ceiling. And the prices of HDB DBSS and exec condominiums are not cheap either. Why is this ceiling still in place when it is as obsolete as the thinking of its originator? Haven’t the message sank in that it is and was not affordable though some jokers insisted that it was?

Lim Wan Keng’s case, family growing but income exceeded ceiling and cannot upgrade to exec condominium, and not rich enough to be robbed by the private developers. This is the kind of fix the pro active, thinking and caring govt is placing on its citizens.

But she should count herself lucky as she already owned a HDB. What about those for some reasons like getting married late and found their income exceeded the ceiling and don’t even qualify as first timers? All inclusive society, no one is left out, every first timer will be able to buy a HDB. My stinking foot!

And there are many who have bought twice from the HDB and wanted to upgrade or downgrade as their needs have changed, or finances have changed. No way. After two bites of the cheery, that’s it. It is such thickness in the head that makes life very difficult for the Sinkies. With a lifespan of 70 to 80 years or more, the needs for housing will change. Two times are definitely inadequate and the buyers would be stuck in a shitty situation except those who could upgrade. If they are in some financial binds and need to sell, they will be in bigger shit.

Then there are those divorcees or from broken families. It is their faults huh? What is inclusiveness and caring all about?

Would there be a change in mindset and silly rules and regulations made by silly people be thrown into the dustbins? As for the too rich for HDB and too poor for private properties, vote for a change of govt if they want a policy change. There is no way for stubborn mules to change their mindset. There is no way to talk to the arrogance of power, or deaf frogs who think they are so right.

Don’t give the dumb craps that too many are waiting in the queue. Just go and build for the people. A roof over the people’s head is of utmost importance. Don’t give the excuse of the speculators making lesser profits. Make it clear that public housing’s main purpose is a home for every Sinkie. Profit is secondary and good if there is and good if there isn’t. Let the speculators go and speculate in the private sector.

Let all Sinkies be allowed to buy and own a public flat and also allowed to speculate in the private property sector. One as a home for all time, one to get rich if possible. Don’t mix the two. They can co exist. Do not force the young people into big debts by forcing them to buy private.

Singapore’s money stashed in Swiss Banks

How much money did Singaporeans stashed away in the safe haven in Switzerland? According to Swiss banking data, foreign money deposited in Swiss Banks amounted to 1.53 trillion Swiss Francs or about US$1.6 trillion. Of these, UK has a 20% share or about 300b Swiss Franc followed by US at 18%. This is followed by Germany, France, Hongkong and Japan with Singapore at 14th position. Singapore is ahead of countries like Australia, Italy, Netherland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE and even India. The latter is ranked 55th .

How much is the net amount Singaporeans hid away in Swiss Banks for safety reasons and who are the real owners? A ballpark figure could be in the region of US$50b to US$100b. This is no small change for a small little island, standing way above the heads of bigger countries like Australia and the oil rich Saudi Arabia and UAE.

Interesting numbers to ponder over, the whys and the whos.

Justice for the small Sinkies

The cost of going to court is becoming very prohibitive to many ordinary Sinkies. It can be worst than hospitalization especially when there is no equivalent of the Medisave or the 3Ms to lower the cash outlay. There is a piece of good news announced by Wong Meng Meng, Law Society President, that measures have been taken to allow the average Sinkies to have their legal matters settle through Alternative Dispute Resolution methods such as arbitration, mediation and adjudication. Such methods would spare the average Sinkies from expensive legal bills payable to the courts and the learned counsels for their services.

Many minor or frivolous cases have been applied for judicial judgement that were not necessary, and often an abuse of the legal system by parties that have the money to do so and to use the court as their hatchet men. Poor Sinkies who have no money to engage brilliant counsels often have to suffer injustice at the mercy of the rich rogues. And it is this very injustice that the Law Society is trying to prevent, to ensure that all Sinkies could have a fair hearing and justice, and not be deprived of justice because they could not pay for it.

The ADR methods or alternative method to allow petty and frivolous cases to be heard in a manner without prohibitive legal fees is something that is badly needed for the average Sinkies. Maybe appearance in such courts should be made simpler and less costly by not allowing legal counsels to represent their clients. The military has been practicing such a system for ages. The litigants could explain their cases or maybe with the assistant of a court appointed representative if they are unable to do so. Such cases are normally factual in nature and a good judge should be more than adequate to assess the merits of the parties involved.

Such an alternative will free the courts and legal counsels to handle more important legal conflicts and issues. And legal counsels could upgrade themselves to a higher level of litigation instead of petty quarrels between neighbours. It is quite malu for learned counsels to be making their pile from petty quarrels of the small people.

With the opening up of the legal practice and the establishment of an international arbitration centre, legal counsels could have plentiful of meaningful and rewarding cases to handle and need not depend on poor Sinkies to feed their overheads and profits.

There is plenty of money to be made in serious legal disputes. Spare the average Sinkies from hefty legal fees. Spare the courts to deal with legal issues befitting the attention of the judges. Spare the legal counsels to attend to cases that will tax their training in law schools and their understanding of the law, and an improvement in their incomes.

And most important, allow the average Sinkies the right to justice without having to pay an arm or a leg, and preventing the rich rogues to abuse the courts to attack their victims.

Sinkies are getting naughty

Why are there so many skepticism and criticism about the Woffles case? The law is the law. The Law Minister has explained it clearly on the technical aspects of the law and why it was administered that way. The AGC has also done the unusual, to explain the legality and correctness of the law. The Sinkies should be very grateful that the AGC was kind enough to explain the position to show how fair and proper is our legal system. There is absolutely no favouritism or any undoings.

Now, would Sinkies just accept that it is the law, simple and clear, fair and just? How could laypeople question the legality of the law when the two most authoritative person and body in charge with administering justice in the country have already said that it was right and proper? So what if senior counsels also have their doubts?

Sinkies must accept the law of the country. This country is ruled by the rule of law. And when the law says so, it says so. Let’s move on and let the good surgeon go about with his practice to make many more beautiful people happy. And good thing nobody was hurt.

And like all fairy tales, they all lived happily ever after. A happy ending. Won’t that be nice?

Humanitarian and disaster relief centres everywhere

‘Thailand and the United States have agreed to set up a working group to jointly develop a regional humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief training and readiness centre at U-Tapao airport in Rayong.’

The Americans are setting up such centres everywhere in Asia, from Vietnam, Thailand to the Philippines and Singapore, maybe Indonesia and Malaysia next. Such centres are set up wherever American military bases are not present like in South Korea and Japan.

On paper the Americans are spending a lot of money and resources to save the world with such centres. Are these centres really for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief work? Your guess.

The silly rationalisation of Sinkies

At one time they were saying road congestion was good, a sign of progress. Without road congestion, when the roads are wide and empty, it means no progress, not enough cars on the road. So people cannot afford cars. Then the same kind of reasoning was used to show progress in train services. Trains must be crowded, the more crowded the better. Tokyo was then the role model. If trains are not packed enough, something is not right. At least profit is not right. So trains must run packed like sardine. Then we have achieved Tokyo’s train service standard.

And in the same mouthful some would talk about gracious living by taking trains. KNN, how to be gracious when everyone is squeezing with everyone, and pushing and rushing to find a place to sit? Now that is too much of a luxury. Everyone should get use to pushing and squeezing just to board a train, or would have to take the next or the next train.

Now the famous call, small flats are good. It would not lower the quality of life. But it stops short of saying the smaller a flat the better the quality of life. There is no need to move around. Turn your head and there is the tap. Turn the other side and there is the fridge. Turn another way and there is the TV. Turn around and there is the toilet. So convenient. Don’t have to move. Save on energy to get around.

This stupidity made Liew Mun Leong so angry that he made it known that small flats are inhuman. He could never be so right. Just look at the dog and its kennel. It is a dog’s life. Now how can people disagree with the king of property developer? But not to worry. Some will come out with better argument to say Liew Mun Leong is wrong.

Last time 10 or 20 people lived in a single cubicle not bigger than a HDB room also no problem. Today, putting two people in such a room cannot be a problem right? It is very spacious and comfortable, a luxury.

Some will say, last time people lived next to the pigsty also no problem. Why should people be complaining about nursing homes, hospices or foreign worker’s quarters next door? Last time Eve hung a fig leave as her dress.

Sinkies are damn good at self justification or to make silly things sound good or right just to win an argument. $1000 pm can buy a public flat and came out with a lot of statistics to prove it some more. When are they going to prove that a $1m 3rm flat is cheap and good even when the lease is only 30 years? It is going to be if they are going to make expensive public housing more affordable. First cut the size, then extend the repayment period, and next shorten the lease. They make sense and very logical. The flats will only get more affordable.

If a 3 rm flat with a 99 lease is too expensive, shorten the lease and it will become cheaper. A 3 rm flat of 80 sq m is too expensive, build one that is 50 sq m, it will definitely be cheaper.

What else will they be justifying next? More people in the island are good. One can learn to live with people of different cultures without having to fly to their countries and without even having to leave the flat if they are invited to live in the same flat. The life experience will be so much richer, learn different languages, cultures, cooking, and the idiosyncrasies of foreigners. We will be able to understand the people of the whole world better. For what purposes I don’t know. Maybe to become the Secretary General of the UN. The experience will be an asset when apply for such a job. Or as ambassadors of the UN, if they need such people.

Fish and his fishy justice

Fish wrote in his blog about the flaunting of injustice in broad daylight, in an article ‘Forget justice in Singapore.’ Fish is angry when things get fishy.

I would like to calm the Fish down a bit, take a deep breath of water and try to look at things from a different perspective, then everything will be right, nothing fishy, the fishy smell will be gone. Fish should try looking into the fishbowl instead of out of the fishbowl. Sure different one.

Fish main gripe was about raising GST to help the poor. He sincerely, honestly, did not believe that it was so. Let me explain. The poor are in much much better off position here. Look, they can easily buy a flat with $1000 pm income. And they are the most blessed poor in the world, the envy of the world.

Look at the real poor. The real poor are those that did not have enough to spend. It is not how much you earn, but how much is your expense account. I can empathise with those earning $50k pm and finding life very tough, and their quality of life being affected if they earn a bit less. The GST hike is to help these higher income poor. They have big expense account and need the money to live decently.  For the low income poor, a $50 increase in their income could mean a choice of eating in a hawker centre, foodcourt or even restaurant. Of course it is cheapo restaurant lah. For the high income poor, you can’t help them with $50, not enough even for tips.  They really need help.

As for estate duties, it is to help the poor definitely. In every funeral wake, the normal comment about the chap lying in the coffin is ‘poor bugger’. See, the bugger is poor and any help will do. And abolishing estate duties is definitely to help the poor buggers. When does the rich come in? Where got help the rich buggers?

In the Woffles and Charlie Lim case, or the principle and the odd job labourer case, justice have been done, fair and fair.  Law Minister Shamugam already explained the rationale. It is all about the time spread, like HDB flats have not shrunk in size over the last 15 years. Perfectly accurate statement of facts.

No miscarriage of justice lah. Sorry lah Fish. Can you see my point? What the Fish?

Char Kway Teow with egg or eggs

Not a very good choice for breakfast for many. Too much oil and lard and very greasy too. Char kway teow normally comes with one egg. Some customers would ask for two and pay for it. Eggs and sausages are about the most expensive items in a plate of char kway teow. I always have mine with one egg.

The two eggs char kway teow are not normally done. In very rare and unusual cases, char kway teow may come with two eggs without the customer asking for it. This is nothing unusual to the recipient or the char kway teow man. It all depends on who is the customer. And he does not need to ask for it. It is given, freely and happily by the char kway teow man as respect and recognition of the customer.

Some still feel irked by such little favours. What is an egg? How much would it cost? To the favoured customer, he may not even blink an eye if someone were to offer him a million bucks under the table. What is a few million dollars to the rich today? Many are giving millions away for good a cause, like charity or helping a good friend.

An extra egg for a plate of char kway teow still would be seen as not right. It is not the amount that matters. It is the act, the thought of inappropriateness, impropriety. It is like some used to say, a crime is a crime, no matter big or small.

The media is filled with many minor indiscretions which can be easily pooh poohed away. Why make a big issue out of a mole hill? That is not the point. That is exactly the point. In a society that is run by the rule of law, when corruption is unacceptable or thought non existence, minor acts of indiscretion can become a big thing. How can? Why, he very important ah? Who is he or who is he related? Can like that ah? Why poor people cannot leh?

An egg is an egg. Nothing more nothing less. But given in an improper manner it may crack a wall. To say one more egg is okay, within the limits, only makes it more not okay. It makes it look really bad. Amen.

Happy Red Series

This piece is called Eternity. It is one of my Happy Red Collection. A piece of rar art created by Mother Nature using the Art of RAR technique. More rar art pieces can be viewed at www.artofrar.blogspot.com/.

Woff woff….Woffles Wu or Who?

Wah lau eh. Even Hri Kumar, an eminent lawyer and part of the establishment, cannot tahan oredy. Woff, woff, woof, wolf.

Woffles Wu is a nice guy, very talented and doing a good business in making many people look good and happy. The biggest wrong done to him, I think, and many would agree, was to fine him $1000 for what he had done. I am sure Woffles would gladly pay $100k fine and say a big thank you to close the case and everyone say, yes, it is fair, he did wrong and paid for his wrongdoing.

Now the kiss on the wrist is going to cause Woffles more embarrassment as well as the establishment. Everyone is crying foul. It is a big shame indeed. Nothing to do with Woffles. Now he is being dragged deeper into the shit hole.

The precedence set cannot be wished away and were in the papers. Everyone knows what the minimum penalty should be. Luckily no one claimed in mitigation that he is a super talent and should be treated differently or else he will migrate and Singapore will lose him.