Norwegian Oil SWF gains 13.4% in 2012

‘(10 Mar) – Norway’s oil fund, one of the biggest investors in the world, rose in value by 13.4% last year, its second-best performance ever.

The central bank said the fund’s investments in shares jumped by 18.1% in 2012, boosted by soaring equity indexes around the world.

It is now worth 3.8tn krone (£450bn; $670bn), up from 3.3tn krone in 2011….’

This is a snippet that I read posted in TRE. How much did our SWFs made last year? The Norwegians seemed to be doing very well at face value from this report. If the Norwegians are doing so much better than our SWFs, maybe it will be a good thing to learn from them, their strategies, who are their fund managers and where did they invest their funds.

There must be something that the Norwegians are doing right. But numbers are numbers and they can mean all kinds of things and also dependent on accounting practices. At 13.4%, it is still a good number in any count.

Can we borrow some of their fund managers?

The Govt cannot continue to build more flats

‘For instance, the Govt cannot continue to build more flats to meet new housing demand as this would mean “hurting the many home owners who can now rent out their properties.”’ Khaw Boon Wan.

The above is quoted in the main media. So, can the govt continue to build another few hundred thousand units for the 6.9m population?

What do you think? Controlling the supply? Can continue to bring in more migrants?

Managing faked or unrecognised degrees

I can only hope and pray that this problem plaguing the country and disadvantaging Singaporean PMETs is a small one that doesn’t need much bother from the Govt. If in reality it is an iceberg waiting to sink the Singapore Titantic, woe will befall the citizens of this island when the ship and the iceberg collide.

Tan Chuan Jin and his Tafep are trying to do something about it. Just wondering how serious is this call or would it just be a passing remark to be forgotten the next morning? The implications of foreign PMETs replacing local PMETs are serious, wide ranging and unacceptable, from stealing the jobs from the locals, discrimination of locals, cheating and victimising the locals, depriving the local PMETs from acquiring skills and experience, and the larger implications are social unrest when locals are out of jobs, unable to feed themselves and families and servicing heavy housing mortgages. Worst case scenario, it is like an invasion of foreigners that will become PRs and citizens to oust the true blue citizens from eking a low down existence in their own country. The natives will find it hard to live in this expensive place without a job while foreigners are taking their jobs and living happily here at the local’s expense. How can this be?

The humiliating part is for the fake talents or half baked talents to think that they can screw the better local talents, screw their jobs, boss around with them and kick them around, with unrecognised degrees, no degrees or fake papers. It is amazing that a first world sophisticated city can fall victim to third world swindlers and con men and women, and very happy going about it without a care.

While the problem has surface and the Govt looking like looking into it, there are two aspects that need to be addressed immediately. One is the number of foreign PMETs that can be employed in any company or institution. A quota like those for foreign workers will be more palatable to the citizens that have lost their jobs to these PMETs, and their children will eventually also be victims to the scam that can be treason in nature.

The second part is to eradicate faked or half past six degrees from God knows where. This is a mammoth task that requires a big number in manpower to investigate. The MOM is unlikely to be able to deal with it even with the recruitment of a few battalions of officers. It may take more than 500 man years to cleanse this shit hole. What could be an alternative is to get these foreigners to have their qualifications certified and guaranteed by institutions, preferably foreign banks or financial institutions or their employers, that can be fined when the qualifications were found to be faked. Don’t ask a local institution to be the guarantor as it would end up paying for the frauds of foreigners. Such institutions could turn this into another business and would have the spread of manpower and expertise to do the job without the Govt carrying the burden and cost to police the fake degrees.

The Govt could conduct spot checks in a more targeted manner and get the guarantors to pay for the slips. This part is crucial or else the whole scheme could be another bigger scam. Bounty hunters can be hire to check on such violations which will be quite effective too. There are obvious problems as the guarantors will have to be reliable and be able and willing to do the due diligence and be able to pay the fines and repatriation costs.

A guarantor system is not the only way to tackle this shit situation and there must be many better and more efficient ideas that the talents in the MOM could come up with. The important part is to kill this problem fast for the sake of Singaporeans and the country.

Where is the reset button?

I like to play computer games. One of the highlights of computer games is the reset button. Whenever the game is going wrong or losing, just simply hit the reset button and start all over again. No wonder many kids are hooked onto computer games. And the skilful ones are actually winning the games without the need to hit reset.

How I wish there is a reset button in real life. When things go wrong or getting out of control, it is so nice to be able to reset. Boon Wan has hit the reset button several times but I think it is still not working. This time he is hitting it harder and keeping his finger cross that it will work. But he must not forget that he has to confirm by hitting the prompt to go ahead with the reset and not hit the back button.

The housing mess is in need of a reset to the period when there was an excess of 10,000 or 20,000 units of unsold flats. And it would be good to hit another reset to a few years earlier to have a new minister to be in charged.

There are many reset buttons that need to be hit. The population or immigration button has to be hit quickly. And make sure the proceed button for the Population White Paper is not hit, or hitting the reset button will not work any more in 2030. It will be game over by then. The sense of anger among the true blue citizens is at the verge of exploding when more cases of local PMETs being booted out and replaced by FTs are being exposed. It is unbelieveable that job discrimination against Singaporeans is so prevalent and pervasive at the PMET level that it has become an intolerable national shame. It will surely lead to more xenophobic feelings among the citizens. This is a very serious hot button issue but apparently has been ignored for too long. Read the comments by netizens to have a real feel of the temperature. I no longer feel sad that Singaporeans are being mistreated so badly in their own country. I can only feel the same anger. Do the MPs and ministers feel the same way? Singapore for Singaporeans, or it is just an empty slogan? Reset, reset quick. No? No need?

Then there is the minister’s pay button. This one is very hard to hit as the button is protected by electrical shock circuits that will burn the fingers trying to reach the reset button. If this is reset, maybe COE would not have hit $100k and housing prices would be lower too.

Would things be much better if the reset button was hit a few GEs back? Would the situation be better today with a new party in charge? Or would it be hit in 2016? Or maybe not necessary as by then the game will be over. With things spiralling down the wrong way, the reset button is likely to be hit not by the ministers, but by the people that have ended at the wrong end of the stick. Enough is enough. The people would likely try to hit the master reset button to start a new game.

It is really fun and convenient if there is a reset button in life, to hit reset and start all over again. Then again, even if there is, hitting reset will spill blood and shit all over that need to be managed carefully and sensitively.

Daffodils

Two pieces of rar art from the Daffodils Series. Created and painted by Mother Nature. The lines in this series are simpler and neater.

A bad policy is a bad policy

When has a bad policy been called a bad policy? I have never heard of a bad policy being called a bad policy in my entire life. And who else from the establishment would dare say such a darn thing? But when things are really getting bad, when it hits the pocket hard, people will say the darnest thing.

Two surprises over two days were just too much to stomach. Yesterday Boon Wan came out with his back to basics for housing, which if faithfully executed, could bring the cost of public housing to a level a few years back. It is still better than the unceasing daily or monthly increases that are being reported. Property prices are higher by so many per cent month on month or year on year, as sure and consistent and predictable as hot air balloon rising.

Today, of all people, Han Fook Kwang wrote in his Sunday sermon that the way COE prices are going up is simply, yes, bad policy. Ouch! Did I hear the wrong thing? No, he elaborated in details why the policies affecting COE were badly managed. As simple as that. So many things were done wrong. It is like saying an old person is a bad driver, a woman is a bad driver, a blond is a bad driver. Just make sure the driver is not an old blond woman all in one.

But I tell you, some minister is going to jump and demand a correction, that it is good policy. And I too agree that it is a good policy, if only I have all the money to pay for the $100k COE. Similarly, all the new measures to curb car ownership are good policies if one can afford a few Ferraris or other super cars. Only those poor losers will say the policies are bad, cause they can’t afford to pay. So, it can be good or bad, depending on whoever is writing the policies and how they affect or do not affect his or her pocket.

Han Fook Kwang concluded by resigning to the new realities. He advised the losers to take public transport. There is no better way out. In consolation he said the people living in big cities like Hongkong, Tokyo, London and New York also taking public transport, so it must be a good thing or a normal thing. Singaporeans have progressed to be more like New Yorkers or Londoners, good quality lifestyle.

Singaporeans should be grateful that their lives have improved over the years, from car ownership to taking public transport. This must be a good thing I supposed. I dunno what is the next good thing that Singaporeans can look forward to?  3rm flats with 30 year lease at $100k without compromising on the quality of life. 2030 is looking so exciting by the way we are progressing. I am really looking forward to it eagerly.

The Diaoyu Islands owner identified

FW: 釣魚島的島主出現了！請速多轉發！(The Diaoyu Islands owner identified)

Thanks, Selwyn, for the article. However, it shows only a record of recent history. In fact,

documentation of Chinese sovereignty over these islands go back even further. Below is

an extract from Wikipedia:  TheDiaoyu Islands - China Wiki –The free encyclopedia on China ...

Whatever the case, the rest of the world is aware of all the ulterior motives behind all these

wrangling and machinations...to contain the awakened dragon!
Regards

Bob

Historical background:
China's earliest record of the Diaoyu Islands can be traced back to the Sui Dynasty, more than 1,000 years ago. At the time, China's Taiwan and the Diaoyu Islands were close to another independent state called Ryukyu (琉球国). And Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty (隋炀帝) sent Zhu Kuan (朱宽) as a special emissary to win it over and demand it pledge allegiance to the Sui Court. In the 14th century, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty (明太祖) was known far and wide for his military prowess. Thus, the King of Ryukyu started to pay tribute to the imperial court officially and Ryukyu became a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.

The Diaoyu Islands (钓鱼岛)

In 1372, a Chinese named Yang Zai (杨载) landed on the Diaoyu Islands for the first time. There was a detailed record about Diaoyu Islands in the book Sail with the Wind (顺风相送) , a navigational guidebook, which was published during the reign of Emperor Yongle (永乐) of the Ming Dynasty. During that period, people of the Ming Dynasty collected pearls and medicinal ingredients and fished around the Diaoyu Islands under the jurisdiction of Taiwan. This was also clearly recorded in Reports on the Mission to Ryukyu (使琉球录), a book written by Chen Kan (陈侃) in the 11th year of the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (嘉庆) of the Ming Dynasty. In the middle of the Ming Dynasty, some national heroes, such as General Qi Jiguang (戚继光), used the Diaoyu Islands as the strategic line of defense, when they fought against Japanese pirates. In 1602, Japan invaded Ryukyu. From then on, Ryukyu's internal affairs were under the supervision of the Japanese for over 40 years. In 1654, Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty (清康熙帝) bestowed on the King of Ryukyu the title of King Shangzhi (尚质王). Ryukyu was obliged to pay tribute to the imperial court every two years, regarding China as "the Father State" and assuming the reign title of Qing Dynasty. Many maps and nautical charts of the Ming and Qing dynasties clearly marked Diaoyu Islands as part of China's territory.

 

---

Date: Sat, 9 Mar 2013 10:27:56 +0800
Subject: 釣魚島的島主出現了！請速多轉發！(The Diaoyu Islands owner identified)

釣魚島的島主出現了 (The Diaoyu Islands owner identified)

 The document  ""  it says ShengXH had obtained some herbs from the Diaoyu Island and effectively cured Empress Dowager and many other folks. As a commendation of his good deeds, the Empress issued a decree to allow him to continue to use the island to further develop the herbs.  ""

釣魚島的島主出現了(The Diaoyu Islands owner identified)

The real Diaoyu Islands' owner identified。。

With evidence of Empress Dowager Commandment, the Diaoyu Islands' owner identified.

Diaoyu Islands was bestowed to Sheng Xuanhuai of Jiangsu Province of Qing Empire by Commandment.

Please circulate immediately....

釣魚島的島主出現了！

真正的釣魚島島主找到了，有慈禧皇太后的諭旨為證

釣魚島的島主出現了是大清國的江蘇武進人士盛宣懷

 

皇太后慈諭 

太常寺正卿盛宣懷所進藥丸甚有效驗  據奏原料藥材采自臺灣海外釣魚臺小島   靈藥產於海上  功效殊乎中土  知悉該卿家世設藥局  施診給藥  救濟貧病  殊甚嘉許  即將該釣魚臺 黃尾嶼 赤嶼三小島賞給盛宣懷為產業  供采藥之用 其深體皇太后及皇上仁德普被之至意  欽此

光緒十九年十月

（盛宣懷所進皇太后藥丸，原料藥材來自釣魚島，由盛宣懷的天津廣仁堂制）

Prudent car ownership measures

The strong hand of the Govt to introduce prudent thinking among the people in buying cars is a welcome move. The prices of cars have gone way above the means of the people, and so are housing prices and the prices of many luxury items. The new culture of buy first and pay later is creating a nation of debtors. And the biggest culprit towards making people all tied up in debt is housing.

What is so bad about taking a $100k loan to be repayable in 10 years compares to a $500k or $1m loan repayable in 30 years?  I can’t tell the difference except one is of a bigger amount, repayable over a longer period, and also with a longer life span.

Would the Govt also apply the same principle to the housing market to encourage prudence in home buying? How about 50% out front for the buying of a property and repayable in 15 years?  Or it is ok to be less prudent in home buying but not so in car buying?

Khaw Boon Wan, wow, is it real?

The announcement by Boon Wan on the back to basics public housing policy is a move in the right direction and will be most welcomed by the people. The objectives of public housing have been altered through the years by shallow thinking people that have forgotten why it was called public housing in the first place that it is best forgotten. Let’s get the basics right.

Public housing is for the citizens, the majority of whom that needs a roof over their heads, a place to rest and bring up children, a place to go home to. When getting a place to sleep is getting so expensive, it is going to make life very difficult to many people as not everyone is so bless to have so much money to pay for housing.

Boon Wan is calling for more feedbacks given the complexities of housing as a home, as an asset, as a fall back to be liquidated to release some funds for retirement, and a host of other purposes. What I would suggest is to go back to basics and simplicity. The priority is to make housing affordable, I mean really and reasonably affordable to the average citizens, and make the right to ownership simple. Some rules are still necessary but need not be so exclusive and demanding.

First principle, all Singaporeans must be allowed to buy a public flat. Everyone needs a place to stay, especially when you are a citizen.

Second principle, build to ensure the supply is enough to meet the demand and not like those thoughtless people who created the demand supply problem that led to the big angst among the people and a property bubble.

Third principle, provide a buffet spread and let the people decide what they want or can afford to buy. Let the people make their own choice and not dictate the choice on the people.

Fourth principle, when supply is adequate to meet demand, there is no need for all the exclusivity clauses to give impression that the higher income buyers are depriving the lower income earners of their chances. This wicked divisive idea to pitch the people against one another must be removed. Every citizen, regardless of income level, is entitled to buy his public flat within a simpler framework of rules and regulations.

Fifth principle, PRs are not eligible to buy public housing. However, they can rent from the citizens or HDB can build rental flats for them. PRs can go to the private property market if they can afford it. But to prevent a big bubble in private property prices, foreigners, including PRs, can only buy to stay and not for speculation. Given the limited space available, it is necessary to have sound regulations to prevent non citizens from churning the property market to raise the cost of living here. Many of the restrictions on foreign ownership of properties should stay and more be introduced to keep the property market under control.

Sixth principle, the speculative element in public housing should be minimised. When there is adequate supply, public housing prices should be stable.

But, as they all said, how real is Boon Wan and his return to basics? Wait for the fine prints. Hopefully cheaper public housing would not compromise on the size and quality of the flats. Please, no reduction in the lease period or things like can see back to HDB or any profits must return to HDB.

Julia Gillard: We will support your job and put Aussie workers first

‘We will support your job and put Aussie workers first…I don’t want to hear stories of Australians missing out on a job because a 457 visa has been misused.’ Julia Gillard, PM Australia.

This is the kind of commitment by a PM and Govt to its citizens. It is always citizens first. And the Australian workers union leaders are pressuring the Govt to stop the exploitation by foreigners to work in Australia at the expense of Australians.

Compare these to the situation here? What is the position of the Govt and the Union and also the Singaporeans affected, losing their jobs to foreigners?

The new Singaporean Aspiration

‘nslan:

March 8, 2013 at 12:55 am (Quote)

Does anybody know the worth of a Degree in Singapore?

A Degree in Arts or Science or Infocom from the “Prestigous” Local NUS and NTU >>> Congratulation! You are entitled to compete with your local fellows for a call-centre job starting from $2k+++ with experience.

Any Degree from Phxxxx or Inxxx >>> Congratulation!!! Well done!!! Come work as a drafter or designer or even a document controller and we will pay you $4-6k to start with and more with experience!’

The above is a quote from a blogger in TRE. Some were lamenting that many bankers and managers were replaced by foreign PMETs and ended up driving taxis. There is a kind of changing of guards in our local institutions including GLCs where the locals are rapidly being replaced by questionable foreigners. This is exactly the same as Singaporeans being eased or forced out of the island to seek greener pasture overseas. And the pace will only quicken with the proposals in the Population White Paper.

At the rate things are going, the new aspiration of young Singaporeans is to get a degree from one of the world class local universities by spending a small fortune for it, get a temporary job or a low paying job and work for a few years before becoming self employed as a taxi driver, driving foreign workers and foreign maids around, and helping them with their luggages and hoping for a good tip. But at the same time be prepared for a few lashing when the service provided is not up to the customer’s satisfaction.

Great aspiration indeed. And the foreign PMETs will be filling up all the cushy jobs in the private sector, GLCs, stats boards and even ministries. A great and bright future awaiting our young Singaporeans.

The budget debate

The debate on the budget exposes many current problems, high cost of living, high property prices, high COE and car prices, congestion in public transport, foreigners taking over Singaporean jobs, Singaporeans being discriminated or victimized in Singapore by foreigners, low wage for workers, NS for PRs etc etc. These problems have been simmering for so many years without a real solution. And Parliament is grabbling with these problems in a most make belief way with MPs offering piece meal solutions that are often comical and good for a laugh.

Do they really did not know what the shit is causing all these problems? Want the answer? Influx of foreigners! KNN the answer is there for all to see and no one is able to see it. Without knowing what is the cause of the problem how are they able to solve the problem at the heart? It is all because of the huge foreigner population.

Now you see the cause, the solution should be must clearer and easier to deal with, right or wrong? Did someone say we should increase the population to 6.9m to solve our problems? Unbelieveable, really unbelieveable! But, but according to a professor, increasing the population is a solution to all our problems and will also lead to more growth and better infrastructure and better quality of living. If this is true, also advocated in the White Paper, just bring in the foreigners and the problems will go away.

Another view, all the problems today are caused by high and compressed population growth of foreigners and having more people here will only add to the problems. Agree or not?

Would many of these problems be solved if the number of foreigners be curbed, the population size be limited? Sure, resetting the population a decade back will cause another host of problems. From obesity to a lean body will need a lot of adjustments and the throwing away of a wardrobe of oversize clothing. The problems today are self inflicted and going forward or backward will bring with it more problems. Which way will solve or cause more problems?

What do you think?

Now there is another more serious problem. The blind are trying so hard to see but cannot see, or is it a case of have eyes but cannot see. Heard of downsizing the population?

Japan continues to provoke China

Japan again arrested a Chinese fishing boat for illegal fishing 210km off Diaoyutai/Senkaku Islands. If I am not mistaken, the economic zone of a country is 200km from its coast. In this case, the boat is in a disputed area claimed by both countries.

This kind of provocations has been going on for years. China can no longer sit still when it claims that Diaoyutai Islands belong to her. The Chinese fishing boat was thus inside Chinese territory. China would have to act or lose its credibility in claiming the Islands.

China may hold back from firmer action as this act could be an intended one to provoke China to act. And the Japanese would then escalate the conflict to drag in the Americans. Or it could be a plot by both the Americans and the Japanese to push China over the edge and then to tell the world that China is an aggressive and belligerent country that is willing to resort to use force to settle territorial dispute.

China may do a similar act by arresting some Japanese ship on a tit for tat. Perhaps arresting a Japanese Coast Guard vessel would up the ante and see how far the Japanese and the Americans are prepared to go.

Hugo Chavez – the man that shuts the Americans out

President Hugo Chavez death at 58 is a big lost to the Venezuelans and also to the free world, I mean the real free world that is free from American dominations and interference, and American instigated war. Chavez was well loved and respected by his people, much more well loved than the North Korean leaders. The whole nation cried on his death. He was their leader and national hero.

He freed Venezuela from American domination and control. He was instrumental in shutting the Americans from interfering in Latin American affairs. The Latin Americans have formed many associations, unions and groupings with the USA excluded. And they have peace. Yes, without the Americans, they have peace.

Chavez was only an ordinary soldier, a paratrooper. He did not have all the accolades from the academia. He was a patriot, a man who loved his country and people. He was a champion of the ordinary people. This is what he said,

“We must confront the privileged elite who have destroyed a large part of the world.“

- Hugo Chávez, September 2002



How many leaders today can match the things this man did for his country, his people, and for Latin America and for the free world? He was targeted for assassination many times and the Venezuelans believe that his death had a lot to do with the Americans. But he will leave behind a legend, a socialist revolutionary that defied the biggest super power on earth, the USA.

His death is a lost to the free people of the world.

Janil Puthucheary – best speech in Parliament

Janil’s call for free public transport at pre peak hours was touted as the best speech in Parliament. Many MPs are out in full support of his suggestion that between 7am to 7.45am travelling in public transport should be free to ease congestion. I also support free transportation. Who doesn’t?

But this is a very bad idea, an idea that is floated without much thinking. Do the MPs know that even before 7am the trains are already full, may not be as jam packed as peak hours, but with very little room for more? I am not sure about buses. This only shows that the MPs are all living in lala land.

What could happen when travelling is free as proposed? All the foreign workers will jam up the train as it would mean saving or earning another dollar or so, which is big money to them, for being earlier by half an hour or one hour. Who would be the victims, our school children, especially the girls. With the trains packed with foreign workers because it is free, the sex starved foreign workers, in big numbers, are likely to behave wildly. Just for this reason alone, the idea should be stuffed.

The rest of the commuters who tried to wake up earlier to avoid the crowd will end up being squeezed like peak hours. It defeats the whole purpose to encourage people to be a bit early to beat the crowd. The pre peak hours, when free, will be worst than peak hour rush.

I know I shoot and post with very little thinking. But this proposal is a sign of lack of thinking, no thinking at all. I would suggest to the MPs to take the train before 7am and check out for themselves and then think how it would be like when it is free.

The best suggestion in Parliament actually came from Baey Yam Keng. While all the MPs are caught up in the foreigners taking over our PMET jobs, he was so cool to talk about food as a unifying factor for unifying the people. Cool. Definitely this idea is better than free travelling in pre peak hours.

Tan Chuan Jin, the man in the mirror

Tan Chuan Jin is the man in the right place and the right time. He could come out a hero or be totally messed up by the shitty situation that has caught up with him. He is in a position that is no different from Boon Wan when he volunteered to clean the housing shit. Unfortunately the problem was too big for his half hearted measures and property prices are still running out of control with more genuine buyers sucked into the property sink hole with all their savings and future incomes. The hole is getting bigger and unplugged still.

The job market that victimizes and discriminates against Singaporeans and favouring foreigners did not happen yesterday. It was allowed to grow in strength for years, and the problem is not going to be solved by a battalion of men. It is an enormous mess of discrimination, victimization, questionable qualifications and experience, fake qualifications, phantom employees, quota bashing or cheating, etc etc. And there is a whole ging gang of players all feasting on a system that has gone haywire. How many hundreds of thousands of foreigners are now employed here and how many should not be here? How many have deprived our own citizens from having decent or good paying jobs through foul or unethical means? How many of our citizens have been cheated? How many vultures are laughing themselves crazy at the stupidity of our system or no system that allows them to do as they pleased at the expense of our own citizens who have lost their jobs?

Tan Chuan Jin has a plate full in his hand. And he needs all the help and resources to clean this mess up, not on alone, but with the support of several ministries and the cabinet. The situation did not reach this level of complexity and enormity for no reasons. Just like the housing problem, it is not easy to step out of this quagmire that was allowed to be there in the first place. How did it happen? How did the housing problem happen? Dunno leh. It just happened.

Can Tan Chuan Jin do anything to change the situation? All the eyes are on him. He is in the spotlight and the chances of him being dragged along by this tsunami are greater than he staying afloat to claim the prize at the end of this rough ride. He not only needs to undo the mess but to restore the job market to support our citizens, to favour our citizens, to strengthen the core of Singaporeans in Singapore. It is a mammoth task awaiting him. His plate is full. All the Singaporeans are looking to him as a savior of jobs and to reclaim our country from the foreigners.

The baton changes hand in China

Another decade passes, another few good men giving way for new leaders to take over the leadership of China, to continue a long and arduous task of bringing a people, 1.3b to be exact, to enjoy a higher standard of living, to live in peace and prosperity, to be safe from foreign aggression and exploitation, to be equals among equals in the community of international citizens.

China has been blessed with having good and honest leaders to be in charge since the early and tumultuous years of reviving and modernizing an ancient country and people. The years under Mao Zedong, the pioneering leader that reunited a broken nation were marked by big experiments and changes that swayed the country from extremes with deadly consequences. But things got better after Deng Xiaoping took over, from the remaking of a country to the rebuilding of a nation and uplifting the lives of its people. It was no sheer game playing. It was a serious endeavour that could make or break a country and its revitalized people and an emerging new nation rising from abject poverty.

Following Deng came two able leaders in Jiang Zemin and Zhu Rongji to continue his work. They did what was necessary and handed the baton to Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao. The flame of a new China continues to glow in greater brilliance under their charge. They could achieve more, though there were still much to be done given the immensity of the task.

Now these two meticulous and no nonsense leaders are stepping aside for another two new leaders in Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang to carry on. On hindsight, the most serious and dangerous task of Hu and Wen must be the removal of Bo Xilai from the top leadership. It could be disastrous for Bo to take over the helm given the mess he and his wife got into. China could have fall back by several decades if corruption and abuse of power when dishonourable and dishonest men were put in charge. It was a close shave as Bo was slated and in contention for the top post.

China is now in good hands again, and with two able and honest men in charge and ten more years of continuity, stability and growth.

Neo colonialism - When state institutions start to buy up Singapore

‘The Indian Express, 5 Mar 2013

The State Bank of India (SBI) is investing in accommodation-based property in Singapore, ensuring higher grade housing requirements of its expatriate staff, a media report said today.

According to the report, SBI would want to purchase at least 10 to 20 more units to house staff as it ramps up its local presence.

SBI had recently advertised for purchasing high grade apartments, ranging from 1,100 to 1,400 sq ft in size, near to main schools and rail-based transit system….’

When national institutions start to buy up Singapore piece by piece on top of rich foreigners doing so, the developers and property owners will all be laughing all the way to the banks.

Is this a good thing for Singapore and Singaporeans? I reckon soon Singaporeans will be selling out every thing and finding out that there is no place left for themselves except to go somewhere else. The short sightedness of the Govt is becoming legendary.

Singapore is going to be bought out by foreign countries without needing a military invasion.

The xenophobia backlash

Singaporeans are one of the most generous, friendly and hospitable people as far as welcoming foreigners into their country are concerned. Singaporeans are mindful of their immigrant past and have a soft spot for immigrants. Some still think they are immigrants, and passing by, just like the new immigrants. They could not appreciate the fact that this is now a country, their own country, fought, won and built by their forefathers. It is no longer a no man’s land.

Over the recent years, Singaporeans have increasingly become a minority in their own country. Many jokers still cannot see this fact and still harping about becoming a minority in 2030. It is here and now. They are already a minority. Of the 5.3m residents, 3.3m are considered to be Singaporeans by virtue of citizenship. How many of these are true blue Singaporeans? Many are new citizens. The reality is that every one other person is a foreigner now. Could be more!

All this is fine as long as the Singaporeans are doing fine. Trouble has started to brew when the number of foreigners has given them increasing confidence to disregard Singaporeans as irritants. Singaporeans are being scolded, beaten and chased around by foreigners while the Govt continues to lay the red carpet for foreigners, giving them the tag as foreign talents and here to help the daft Singaporeans.

Even Singaporeans wearing foreign dresses for a party, an innocent gesture without any malice or bad intention were attacked for racism by foreigners. Singaporeans are tarred by foreigners as racists and xenophobic in their home land. How dare the foreigners!

And things are getting worst in the job market when Singaporeans are losing out in job opportunities by unfair anti Singaporean practices. With a few hundred thousand foreigners gainfully employed, with high paying jobs, with full employment, many Singaporean graduates are having difficulties getting a job. Many PMETs have been booted out to be substituted by foreigners. Can you believe that?

The evidence in workplaces to discriminate and victimize Singaporeans is everywhere. Someone is sleeping or closing one eye. The xenophobia is not Singaporeans against foreigners but foreigners against Singaporeans in Singapore.

The Hong Lim Rally was an event where Singaporeans gathered to show their despair at the pathetic state of affair in the country, when Singaporeans are being ousted out from jobs, and may eventually be from their own country. There was anger and sadness. But this will not be for long if things continue to go against Singaporeans.

It is heartening to hear Tan Chuan Jin, Christopher de Souza and a few other MPs calling the Govt to do more for Singaporeans. They have openly acknowledged in Parliament that Singapore is for Singaporeans, finally. Tan Chuan Jin is going to give more teeth to his Tafep, Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices, to investigate discriminatory practices against Singaporeans in work places. He would have to do more to mean business, to be seen to be doing something real. Job priorities must go to Singaporeans.

Christopher de Souza is asking the Govt to introduce control measures on the purchase of properties by foreigners to protect Singaporeans. He has suggested that the policies of the Australian Govt are a good model to adopt. Hopefully this will not be discarded and thrashed by vested interests.

The Govt must take heed of the plight of Singaporeans and their interests in Singapore. It is unacceptable that Singaporeans be discriminated and victimized in their home country. Any politician that still call for more foreigners, protecting foreigner’s interests at the expense of Singaporeans will see their political career prematurely terminated in double quick time. The situation is dire. Singaporeans are about to break out from their meek and docile persona. The backlash against foreigners practicing racism in Singaporean and xenophobia against Singaporeans, discriminating against Singaporeans in job opportunities will no longer be tolerated.

The Govt got to act fast and swift to manage the anger of the Singaporeans and to protect their interests from the invading hordes of foreign economic bandits.

Financial Institutions Discriminate Singaporeans

Financial Institutions Discriminate Singaporeans Recruiting in Favor from One Single Country

Today, there is an article Lianhe Zaobao admits that Singaporeans are discriminated in job market. What particular striking is a part of the article showing rampant discrimination against Singaporeans job seeker… Last year, TAFEP ( Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices) received feedback that foreign managers in some financial institution hire in favor of their own country people, rather than hiring Singaporeans.

TAFEP contacted these financial institutions. The senior managements agreed that certain departments do have many employees from one single country. The senior managements claim that they will hire more Singaporeans.....

The above article by Veritas is reposted in TRE. It is a terrible state of affair for Singaporeans to be discriminated in their own country. This is possibly another first that Singapore has achieved. There used to be policies that favoured foreigners but these have been watered down after anger flared in the social media. Now this. How could it happen? What is the Govt going to do about it?