Night Festival - A piece of RAR Art

Night Festival series. A painting created by Mother Nature.

Worried for Boon Wan and the HDB

Since Boon Wan’s revelation that HDB was losing money for every flat it sold and the amount was a scandalous billion dollar annually, he has been questioned and ridiculed by many bloggers who simply could not believe in what he said. Some of the attacks were quite personal and very unpleasant. What is more worrisome are the losses incurred by HDB now and later on.

According to Boon Wan, the annual losses over the last few years were about a billion, ie every year but not sure how many years he was referring to, no matter how many flats were built. The building programme was ramped up only last year after he came into office. The number of flats built was very small during the watch of his predecessor that led to the current housing problem and high property prices. So, how much is HDB losing for every flat that it sold? And how much will HDB be losing if the population increases to 6.9m? At 6.9, HDB will need to build another 400,000 units to house the increase of 1.6m people at 4 person per flat.

Let me hazard a guess. Taking a best case scenario to do a rough calculation, the building of 50,000 units under Boon Wan, and using his annual $1b loss, HDB should incur a loss of $20,000 for every unit sold. Tiok boh? If $1b is the loss when only 10,000 units were sold, then the loss per unit should be $100,000.

To build another 400,000 units, the loss could be in the region of $8b to $40b depending on which number one is using. This is a serious amount to lose and a big sum to save if the population is not increased and there is no need to build the 400,000 units of flats.  Would it be prudent and make more economic sense not to increase the population to incur more losses? But this is not all. Boon Wan is trying to bring down the prices of HDB flats from an average of 5.5 years of the buyers annual income to 4 years. This would definitely add to the losses that HDB would have to incur. I am terribly worried as to where the Govt is going to find the money to subsidise these losses. Yes, this is a lot of money and it must come from somewhere and someone would have to pay for it.

Maybe Boon Wan has already worked out the sums and the public need not have to worry. The flats will be cheaper and the losses would be taken care of, somehow.

PS: The original $80b to $400b is wrong and should read $8b to $40b. I have amended the text above.

Leslie Chew, would a gentler touch be better?

As expected, the social media and the opposition would have something to say regarding the arrest of Leslie Chew, the cartoonist. Cherian George has spoken and so has SDP, calling for a gentler touch and no need to use the sledgehammer to smash an ant. Unfortunately their calls could make things worst.

It is not right for Leslie to use the term ‘racist’ on the Govt as it is accusing the Govt of a very serious act. The part on the judiciary is also touchy as the integrity of the judicial system is being questioned. But the reaction by the Govt is seen as being too harsh, over reaction. The question is whether a call to retract the statement would be good enough, and for added measures an apology in his comic front page.

Leslie Chew is just a small guy, ok his cartoons are rubbing people up the wrong side. What I feel is necessary is for Leslie Chew to do some damage control by cleaning up the false or wrong image that he has painted of the judiciary and the Govt, to right a wrong and close the matter. Arresting him just make the matter looks so uncomfortable for a first world country. Other than the converts who would believe in anything, how many would really believe the accusations by Leslie Chew? Many would brush it off as some wild accusations. It is as good as calling an angel a rapist when it is obvious that that is not true.

Going too hard on Leslie Chew may send a message, 杀鸡吓猴, and many messages to the world the kind of society we are living in. What happens to the kinder society and the gentler touch?

Yes, Leslie Chew has printed something unsavoury. How much damage is done by Leslie Chew’s comment to deserve a police arrest? The whole world is watching. After this, the Govt may need to mount a bigger PR exercise for the smear that came with the handling of this case.

More PMETs retrenched

The majority of people losing jobs last year were PMETs, forming 54% of the 11,000 made redundant. The percentages for 2010 and 2011 were 35% and 42% respectively. The other interesting point is that the PMETs that were retrenched were getting younger, in the 20s, 30s and 40s, not necessarily the 50s or older.

The dicey part of this information is that without job security in Sin City, these PMETs that were retrenched are going to have a hard time, really bad time. Not only they have a family to look after, school going children, there is also the 30 year mortgage to pay for. 

Job security in Sin City is a top most concern to all Singaporeans. They cannot afford to go without work for at least 30 years. And for these PMETs to lose their jobs at such early ages this is troubling even if they could find a replacement job fast. Any long break without an income is dire.

Isn’t this frightening? And we have several hundred thousand foreign professionals being employed here while our locals are getting the butts every now and then. This is no joking matter. As a country we cannot afford this kind of situation to get worst. It will only aggravate the already big pool of unemployed PMETs and will cost a heavy strain on the social fabric of our society.

The Govt and MOM cannot be cavalier with this problem as it will hit more and more citizens across all industries. The govt service may be affected too, including those in uniform or in civilian if the direction is not reversed.

Mysterious things happened to the FT myth poll

I am certain that the number of respondents to the poll was more than 90 last night. I dunno why the number has dropped to 22 now. Google system must be suspect, unsteady, unreliable.

Good news, 71 F35s on the way

According to My Paper today, an US Air Force Lieutenant General Christopher Bogdan has said Singapore is close to a deal to buy 71 pieces of the yet to be operational, yet to be combat tested leading edge multi role futuristic combat aircraft from the USA. It will cost only $11b or about $155 mil a piece. Now that is cheap. The US must have slashed the price to make it so attractive that we are going to get more than the earlier rumours. Or maybe we have gone there and drove a good bargain, for cash, 50% discount, take it of leave it.

The best part of this deal is that the aircraft is still on a developmental stage and would definitely be the most modern and fresh out of the oven aircraft that any country can hope to buy from the Americans. Often the Americans would sell only aircraft that have been in service for 20 or 30 years so that the buyer would not get the state of the art technology and aircraft. Singapore must be in a very enviable position to seal this deal.

With 71 of the finest and most advanced aircraft available in the future, no delivery date mentioned yet, may 10 or 20 years, we have positioned ourselves as the mightiest air force in Asia. North Korea and even China would not be a problem if they dare to launch an air attack on us.

Singaporeans can now sleep in peace. Our sky is safe. Good buy.

Would Singaporeans behave as one like the Bostonians

Hsien Loong wrote in his facebook, “If ever Singapore encounters an incident like this, may we have the courage and the humanity to respond with the same grace and unity as the Bostonians.”

This is a big if. In America, other that then the rich elite feasting on the country’s wealth, the rest of the Americans are fairly equal as one people despite the myriads of nationals that made up the Americans. The stratification of the Americans is not institutionalised like what we have here. I am not just talking about the CMIO division, and I am also not talking about the citizens versus foreigners when the latter is now nearly 50% of the population. In any crisis, 50% of the population, or the foreigners, can be ruled out, they will say not their business, and scoot.

What about the Singaporeans? I think this is increasingly becoming a big issue with the Singaporeans being pigeoned hole into so many categories. Would the Singaporeans ask themselves, how much should I contribute in a crisis? I am the low income earner and expected to take public transport, so how much should I contribute compare to those who can afford expensive cars? I am the average Singaporean and this is how much I should contribute, with or without subsidies. Then the higher income earners may ask how much should they discount their contributions when they are being deprived of so many things, like housing, and made to pay more for more expensive hospital wards and higher tuition fees with no subsidies for their children. And what about the super rich that have so many good things in their way, would they say, sure we are the biggest beneficiary of the system and we will contribute the most?

The Govt has been dividing and subdividing the Singaporeans into so many categories with all kinds of subsidies and penalties, in monetary terms. Would the Singaporeans be just as calculative as the Govt and say, all the calls and pledges to defend and die for country are just nice sounding aspirations. Now if there is a real crisis, what and how the Govt pigeon holed and treated me will be how I repay and contribute to the country?

Those who are given lesser or no subsidies may say, let those with more subsidies be the first line of defence. And those who are not even allowed to buy public flats may say, those who are entitled go first?

Did I hear inclusiveness, inclusive society? Or did I hear a country and people divided along the lines of incomes, entitlements and subsidies? Compare this with the Bostonians who are not stratified into so many layers and classes, can our people react and unite as one in times of crisis, standing together as one people? Or would they be bickering, that fellow earns more, that one earns less and that one gets more subsidies? Or would they be competing with each other to be at the back line? Where are those who are angry that those who earn a few dollars more should not be allowed to compete with those who earn less in public housing and screaming unfair advantage?

In times like this, many would want to say all is equal and all contributes the same. Would it be too late to say so? Would someone earning millions contribute like someone earning a few hundred dollars? Is it all about how much one was given or what one can afford? Those who have to sell homes to finance children to study overseas, what would they say? Those with low or no priority in public housing, what would they think? Are we one people or many people in a country separated by the rich poor divide or entitlement divide?

Making May Day at Hong Lim a non political event

Nizam Ismail mentioned that his participation as a speaker at Hong Lim somehow has become an issue. I think this is not good for the May Day Rally at Hong Lim which I would like to see it as a people’s event, a non partisan event, a political party neutral event. And after reading Gilbert Goh’s list of speakers, it dawns on me that speakers from one big party are not represented. This is no good.

I would recommend Gilbert to make a serious effort to invite speakers from the ruling party to Hong Lim. That would help to neutralize the image that it is anti Govt or anti PAP. This is a people’s movement and every citizen from every political party should view this as a national event and participate in it freely like the National Day Parade where all political parties are invited, supporters of all parties will come forward as one people one nation.

There is still time for Gilbert to do the necessary to make all political parties happy. How about trying out Tan Cheng Bock or Inderjit Singh? Those ministerial grade would be a bit difficult to invite I think as they will be busy with their May Day commitments.

How Gilbert, you can do it. Quickly send out the invitations and make a few personal phone calls. It will be good for all politicians to be there as they will be seen as championing the cause of the people, speaking for the interests of the people, as leaders of the people. Not being there could be seen in a different light.

Isn’t this May Day Rally what democracy is all about? It is the people having a say of their future and the future of the country. Can this be wrong?

Self imposed silence

Today I am on a self imposed silent mode, appalled by the things that are happening right before my eyes. I will leave you with a poll on the right and this saying to ponder about.

人有人道， 鬼有鬼道，人鬼不同道

Nizam Ismail ‘forced’ to resign from AMP?

There is an article in Breakfast Network today on the circumstances leading to Nizam Ismail’s resignation from AMP. This news is also carried by the main media. Nizam is a lawyer and had spoken at the first protest rally at Hong Lim and is scheduled to speak again on May Day in a sequel to the first rally.

It was reported that ‘AMP had informed him over the weekend that two ministers had “expressed concern” about some critical views he had put forth online and his participation in two events….He said he was presented with two options. One, if he did not “tone down” his activities, the Govt would withdraw funding from AMP. Two, dissociate himself from AMP if he wanted to continue with civil society activities.

So Nizam has resigned as a Director of AMP. Looks like Nizam will probably launch his political career after this episode as he is obviously a concerned Singaporean who is passionate about the affairs of the state and people. Now, which political party will he join? Or would he be invited for tea and join the ruling party? He is definitely a good catch for any party given that he is a rare minority intellect. Good for Nizam to take up politics as this looks like a natural thing to do.

All the best Nizam.

Demon-cratic Singapore cartoon strip author Leslie Chew arrested

The author of this political comic strip, Leslie Chew, 37, was arrested by the Police last Friday and is out on a $10,000 bail. His offending acts were two cartoons, one that undermined the judiciary and another raising racial tension by stating that the Malay population was suppressed by a racist Govt. Both are seditious in nature and come under the Sedition Act.

Leslie Chew claimed in defense that his comics were fictional in nature and now it is up to the prosecutor and the court to decide his fate. Race and religion are very sensitive in this island and playing them up with the consequence of raising inter racial and religious tensions are serious in nature and the Govt is particularly sensitive to them.

Veritas has also been very vocal in his racial comments, including some posts in this blog. I would like to suggest to Veritas to be more circumspect in his postings and not to stray too near to the Sedition Act. We should comment fairly and objectively without getting too racist in our posts and avoid inciting hatred among the races and religious believers.

Everyone should take this seriously and take note that freedom of expression comes with responsibility too. And the more freedom we enjoyed, the greater is our responsibility and the more careful we should be with what we write and post.

I wish Leslie Chew well in this brush with the law.

Cheers.

The Japanese reviving their militant past

The Japanese parliamentarians trooped into Yasukuni to pay respect to war criminals that invaded, raped, looted and murdered the Asian countries during WW2. Abe skipped the visit but donated a pine tree to the temple. This is the first major affront to the invaded and colonized countries during Japan’s Imperial conquest of East and South East Asia.

China was furious and so was South Korea. The rest of South East Asia the reaction was muted. They could not feel the importance of the visit nor the impact and pain of the Japanese Occupation. Prime reason, all these countries were not countries then. They were all colonies of European Empires and Japan was just another empire. Only the deep cultural roots and nationalism of China and Korea could their people felt the grief and anger. Even Taiwan too could not feel much as many Taiwanese were recruited to fight for the Japanese Imperial Army.

The Japanese banquet at Yasukuni was followed by a flotilla of 10 ships and more than 80 Japanese attempting to land at Diaoyu Islands. China sent in 8 Surveillance ships to intercept them and prevent a landing. The Japanese sent in 13 Coastguard patrol craft to intercept the Chinese ships. And Abe threatened to use force if any Chinese should land at the islands. He did not threaten his Japanese for wanting to land in the islands nor try to stop them from landing.

The stage is set with an embolden Japan thinking that it can whip the Chinese and starting to talk down to the Chinese like they did in the days of Imperial Japan. Japan still thinks it is a more powerful country than China and would use the stick like it used to do. Of course the Americans are behind them.

Can China stand still and allow the Japanese to slap its face, left and right, and do nothing? For all its national pride and historical humiliation by Japan, China would have to stand up to the Japanese provocation with or without the Americans backing the Japs. China would have to repel the Japanese advances. It could also be a time for exacting revenge on the defeat by Japan in 1894. It could be a conventional warfare, a limited warfare involving air and sea, provided the Americans did not come in. If the Americans dare to meddle and raise the stake, a nuclear holocaust is the next offering.

The game of chicken is about who dares and who blinks. But this chicken game involves more than just being seen as who is more gungho. There are many national issues at stake and there is the risk of a nuclear war that would change the future of human civilization. Would the Americans think it is acceptable to go on to embolden the Japanese and engage in this war? This is not playing with fire and starting small fires. When lighted, it is beyond anyone’s control.

HDB income ceiling should/should not be removed

This has become another pointless controversy with Singaporeans splitted. Some have valid and logical reasons to take their stands. Some are making a stand for flawed or superficial logics.

As all citizens should be treated on an equal basis regardless of wealth, why should some be deprived of a basic right to buy a roof over their heads? A roof is a necessity and every Singaporeans need a place to stay. And every male Singaporean is expected to serve NS to defend his stake in this country. By depriving him from buying a home to stay, there is nothing for him to defend and to do NS.

Maybe the Govt should retain the income ceiling and any Singaporean that is not allowed to buy a public flat, ie no stake in the country, need not have to serve NS as he has nothing to fight and defend for. And for those who have stupidly completed their NS and found themselves being suckered, at least the Govt should exempt them from reservist liabilities. I think this is only fair. Why should they be made to defend a country when the country barred them from buying a public flat to live in?

Why should new citizens be allowed to buy public flats without even having to serve NS and citizens who have served NS cannot buy public flats? And many daft Singaporeans are still singing the stupid tune that the richer Singaporeans will be competing with the lesser well off Singaporeans for flats when it is plainly the fault of the Govt for not building enough and thus causing this mismatch in supply and demand. Instead of blaming the Govt, they are blaming other Singaporeans. How silly!

Would the Govt own up and tell the daft Singaporeans that it was the Govt’s fault for not building enough and not to blame other Singaporeans for it? This is the same thing as demand for C class wards in hospital when the demand is high but C class wards are under provided.

Daft Sinkies, please think clearly and address the source of the problem and stop bitching and blaming other Singaporeans. Singaporeans are divided to fight among themselves without knowing why. How pathetic. And no one, not the Govt or the media take it upon themselves to explain and educate the people on this fallacy. Daft Sinkies cannot see further than their noses or think further than 1 plus 1.

The precarious nature of investing in Malaysia

When Mahathir scuttled the CLOB shares trading in SGX, billions of Singaporean dollars went up in smokes. Hundreds of thousands of Singaporeans simply got burnt with their investment in CLOB shares turning into waste papers. That was how precarious and unpredictable the changes in policies dished out by the Malaysian leaders.

With Mahathir out of the picture, things get a bit better, a bit of normalcy returns. Then with Najib doing a Deng Xiaoping by establishing better relations with Singapore and in a way opening up Malaysia for investment, things get to look more rosy with Singaporeans becoming the biggest investor in Iskandar Economic Zone. Billions are likely to be invested in this project alone and also in other parts of Malaysia. Everything is looking fine, till yesterday.

The Malaysian Generation is a national affair but with cross border implications. Anwar sent an awakening call to foreign investors yesterday by saying that though all agreements will be honoured should his party won the election, things will not be the same. There will be changes to favour Malaysians. Now, what is Anwar saying? What would he do or change to the investment climate in Iskandar and how would it affect the Singaporean investors? The latter are now sitting back and watch and wondering what would happen to their investment if the changes turn out to be unfavourable. Would it be another CLOB of a different kind?

Just when one thinks everything is fine, dark cloud is forming. Investing in Malaysia is precarious and subject to the changes in political fortunes.

Controlling the media, controls the minds and thinking of the readers

The Americans and Japanese have been drumming up the fears in Asian countries of China’s nuclear arsenal as if China is a real threat to them and the Asean countries. And with the control of the media, even the media of their proxy countries, they could regularly perpetuate the thought and belief that China is an aggressive and dangerous military power. The truth is far from this. Just look at the nuclear arsenals possessed by the USA, Russia and China and their nuclear doctrines.

The Russians have 8,000 nuclear warheads followed by the Americans with 5,000 and the Chinese with 800. The sheer size will say that China will be vaporized if it dare to engage in a nuclear war with any of the adversaries. And China rightly adopted a No first strike doctrine. China has openly made this doctrine know to all the nuclear powers that it will not be the first to launch a first nuclear strike on any country. But this was not enough as the Americans and western media continue to brand it as a dangerous nuclear power despite its No first strike policy. And for China, to make this policy more realistic, it does not seek to compete with Russian and the USA by amassing parity in numbers of nuclear warfare. China’s position is a deadly second strike that is enough to deter any country from launching a first strike.

Compares this position with the Americans, the US is only willing to say, without much commitment, that it would not launch a nuclear strike on any country that does not possess nuclear weapons. It tacitly reserves the right to deliver the first strike against China and any other nuclear powers. So, who is the aggressive and dangerous one? Who is more willing to strike first, and who has armed itself with the numbers to destroy the world? But because the USA is controlling the western media, and the media of its allies, together, they keep singing the same tune, that the USA is peace loving and China is dangerous.

The fact that China refuses to increase its nuclear forces is an admission that it will not be the dominant nuclear power and is only good enough to respond to a nuclear attack by retaliating. A country with a small nuclear strike force cannot afford to adopt an aggressive first strike position as both Russia and the USA have enough second strike capability to wipe China out of the face of the earth. In the balance of nuclear power, China has conceded to be the number 3 and with far lesser warheads than the Russia and the USA. This is a self imposed policy not to threaten the dominant positions of the two. China thus is in no position to challenge the military power of the USA and Russia and is not in a good position to think of being aggressive, expansive and world hegemony. With a very inferior nuclear arsenal, it is just not in the right position to do so. So how can it be threatening and aggressive when the USA and Russia could wipe it out clean?

The USA is still pointing the finger at China, just like it is implanting the belief on the rest of the world and to the American people, that North Korea is dangerous and would launch a nuclear strike at American mainland. This is based on the assumption that the North Koreans and their leaders are all lunatics. And this is what the American Administration wants the world and the silly Americans to believe so. In so doing, keep on spending more on more weapons and military equipment and military forces.

The hostile and aggressive doctrine of the American nuclear strategy is manifested by its refusal to state categorically that it will not be the first to use nuclear weapons, and also it’s amassing of a huge nuclear arsenal of 6 to 7 times that of China, while the Russians have 10 times more. And both the USA and the Russians are not aggressive, so innocent, but China, with a nuclear force that is far from what the Russians and the Americans have. This unilateral decision not to have a big nuclear arsenal is a clear statement of China’s nuclear defense strategy, a defensive stance vis a vis the two bigger nuclear powers. How then could a smaller power threaten two bigger powers, or how could an even smaller country like North Korean that may not even have the ICBMs to reach the USA, be a threat to the Americans?

But those reading western media and listening to the Americans crying wolf will believe the American story. China is dangerous, North Korea is dangerous. Their leaders are mad, crazy. The countries that possess 8,000 and 5,000 nuclear warheads and refuse to declare that they will not be the first to use nuclear weapons are not, are friendly nuclear powers. How silly the people of the world can be? Any wrong move by China will make China history. Are the Chinese that stupid to want to be history by launching a nuclear attack on anyone, on America or Russia?

The national leaders of China and North Korea are not mad. Only people who branded them as mad are mad, including those who believe in their madness story.

Two minutes interval train

Is this possible? Can our MRT train arrive at 2 minutes interval? No way, but yes. The last time someone brooded this subject that trains can travel at this interval to move more people I remember that it came with a price tag of $6b or some several billions of dollars. To achieve this remarkable and difficult task of 2 minutes interval safely, a highly sophisticated computerized time keeping system is needed to keep the trains safely apart.

Nothing has been heard of this possible multi billion dollar purchase of a top of the art control system. But if we want our train to operate at such peak intervals, this is the money that needs to be spent and spending with glee, after all it is OPM.

Lately, I am pleasantly surprised when I took a peep at the monitors at MRT stations and, yes, trains can arrive in 2 minutes interval, and sometimes within 1 minute. How could this happen? Has the MRT bought the multi million dollar control system and already implemented it? I doubt so. I think if such an expensive system would have been bought, the news would have spreaded across the front page of the media, and fares would have gone up definitely. Spending several billions for a more efficient running train system must be good reason, valid reason to up the fares.

Since nothing is heard, I can safely presume that the wonderful control system has yet to be bought. But then, how could the trains arrive in 1 or 2 minutes interval? The normal internal is 3 minutes at peak hours. And the 1 or 2 minutes interval did not happen all the times, only at some intervals. Even then, it can be done. And 3 minutes interval seems quite normal.

But it will be good if we spend the few billions to shorten the intervals from 3 minutes to 2 minutes on a regular basis with a sophisticated computerized system for peace of mind. It will be money well spent.

What do you think?

PM, please give us peace and security and not danger.

PM Lee's statement, "We cannot take peace and security for granted" . That is a strong statement with serious implications and it cannot go unanswered. Singaporeans want peace and security . But does the PM and his government share the same view of what constitute peace and what constitute security for Singapore. The Pappie government has created enough uncalled for internal problems which give the Singaporeans no peace of mind and burden the people with a great load of insecurity. The government has yet to solve and clear the internal problems to provide the people with peace of mind and security. But instead of doing just that the PM like his father is adding external problemsto Singapore by persuading and supporting the American insidious stance in Asia. Everybody knows that the Evil Empire, USA  has been creating trouble, choas , instabilities and wars at all corners of the world every year for the last seventy years since the end of the Second World War just to maintain its satanic supreme super power status to hold hegemony and dominate over all countries big or small. As an excuse for a preamble to start wars US will always create incidents , troubles and instabilities and blame them on the country or countries it intend to attack either directly by itself or through unsuspecting selfish proxies. We know the Evil Empire hold debts both internal and external to the astronomical figures  of several hundreds or thousands of trillions dollars. US has no intention to honour these debts especially to China which it owes the most . Therefore it tries to abscond with the debts to China by trying to start wars against China through proxies like the Japs, Pinoys and Vietnamese which it has been instigating and inciting all the time. Yet theven moree PM and his father for no unknown reason or reasons have always encouraged and persuaded the Evil Empire to stay in Asia to balance and contain China's peaceful development. By openly siding with the Evil Empire isn't the PM adding external troubles to Singapore for it will arouse the suspicion of our neighbours and thus post  even more insecurity to Singapore. What if a desperate US initiates a war against China , won't Singapore be a target for a nuclear bomb since US operates its navy and airforce in and out of Singapore as a military base. This scenario portends great disaster for Singapore and we Singaporeans shudder at the thought of it. So PM please think before you open your mouth and think before you and your government act to side with the Americans. Give us peace of mind and security and that is all what we people want.

My enemy’s enemy is my friend

Tamerlan Tsamaev, one of the two Boston bombers was under investigation by the FBI. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul asked the FBI why Tamerland did not raise any suspicion after the Russians asked the FBI to investigate him two years ago? The Russian security service wanted Tamerlan to be investigated as possible Islamic radical.

The FBI said it had no further comment after saying it ‘did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or foreign, after speaking to Tsamaev and checking his travel records and internet activity’. And less than a year after being interviewed by FBI, Tsamaev did make a trip to Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region where Islamist militants were active.

Now the American House of Representatives are asking a lot of questions and kicking themselves crazy for FBI not following up on this vital lead from the Russians. And the FBI is under the spotlight for its handling of this case. Why was the FBI so cavalier in its handling of this Chechen immigrant that was tipped off as potential Muslim radical? Is it because my enemy’s enemy is my friend and that this guy has potential to give the Russians more trouble in the future, an American asset to give problems to the Russians or to support the Muslim insurgency in Russia or elsewhere? Or is it that this supposedly top notch intelligence agency is slip shod and its professionalism in question.

The FBI has a lot to answer as the House of Representative is unlikely to let this matter rests. They are asking for all information the US Govt had on Tamerlan Tsamaev before April 15.

Count down to May Day Rally at Hong Lim

10 days to the protest rally and I have this nagging fear that the rally may not happen. The little activities last week, NPark also involved, so innocuously, advising the organizer to apply for permit, the hints of foreigners at the rally, part of the organizers, not sure if being there as spectators will count, is making people nervous. Would there be a last minute cancellation by the authority that no permit was applied and some members of the organizing team were PRs or foreigners? Or because a lot of foreigners will be at the park, some specially ferried there by tour agencies for a new experience of peaceful demonstration inn Sin City?

The call so far is for Singaporeans to be there, rain or shine. For safe measures, Gilbert may want to add another call, be there no matter what. Even if the rally is cancelled by the authority, Singaporeans can still be at the park, with no speeches or stage or shows. Would there then be a case when the park will be barricaded to keep Singaporeans out? It will be really weird won’t it?

The message from the people against the big population is loud and clear. Would the Gang of 77 hear or get notice of it? Would anyone of them be bothered to say, hey, the people did not like what we are going to do? Let me try to put myself into the Gang of 77 and try to sense or feel what are they thinking, if they do bother to think about it.

In the first place, are all 77 in full support of the 6.9m population? I hazard a wild guess that maybe 50% are not in favour but bo pian, got to toe the party line. They did not see it as a national issue that affects the lives of all Singaporeans and their children and grand children and more. They only see it as a party position. It is what the party wants. No care what the people want.

Actually, how many of the Gang of 77 are in support of it? 10, 5, 3 or 1? How many are really in favour of the 6.9m? Whose idea is it? Who really wants to push through this idea? Is there someone that has the omniprescient power of God to guarantee that this is the only way forward, there is no other way and Singapore will be finished? Or someone really believes that this is the mandate of heaven and his will is the way, all the peasants can kpkb, no matter. My way is the way. What I say goes?

Until today, it seems that this 6.9m deal is already cast in stone. No one would want to take a step back to say, hey, the people don’t want that, or at least a significant number of people are unhappy, shall we go and ask them again, maybe a referendum? Or it is case of ignoring the people as the people’s view are just not important, the people are daft and cannot see the goodness of the 6.9 position?

What does this whole episode say about the Govt? The Natcon is still ongoing, going into stage two. There are still plenty of opportunities to talk about this 6.9m. Or is this something that cannot be spoken about? Why is this issue so sensitive that it must not be discussed further, no room for discussion?

A different kind of World Cup

Not too long ago Singapore was aspiring to be in the World Cup by buying foreigners to play football for the country. It was a wet dream that was best forgotten. Now Singapore is in the World Cup of a different kind. NUS is ranked number Two best university in Asia after Tokyo Unversity and 29th in the whole wide world.

This is indeed something to cheer about. Maybe next year Singapore will be number One in Asia and up from the 29th in the world. It is a mean feat, a great achievement. So, how is Singapore going to benefit from this ranking? Is NUS now recognised as a great academic institution of higher learning? Must be. Is NUS producing some great intellectual minds to do Singaporeans proud? Must be. And there must be a lot of great professors in NUS to give it the ballast it needs to be recognised as one of the best in the world. No need to ask if the great minds there are Singaporeans or foreigners. NUS is even better than Tsinghua and Peking University.

Maybe in 30 years time we will hear and read about great names like Emeritus Professor Tan Khee Giap, or Emeritus Professor Eugene Tan, or Emeritus Professor Yaacob Ibrahim, or Emeritus Professor Kishore Mahbubani. Never mind if the renowned professors now have foreign names and credentials. We will make it there, in 30 or 50 years.

And also we could look forward to some Nobel Prize winners in Physics, Engineering, Medicine or Humanities. Hope they will be Singaporeans. New citizens also can. That is what great universities are for. I dunno how much have been spent to acquire such a brand and how much more to produce more world renowned local professors and Nobel laureates. It is money well spend, every cent of it.

And don’t forget, we have two think tank schools in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Rajaratnam School of International Studies staffed by some of the best brains money can buy. Together, Singapore will become famous as an intellectual centre where great minds meet to talk about great stuff. We can forget about being the top casino centre in Asia. This is the Singapore Renaissance. We have the best universities, the best intellectuals all in this island. The only reservation, an unthinking population that needs the help of Third World talents to help it to progress or it will return to Third World very soon. We are still dependent on Third World talents to provide the talents for our economy and industries.

Thus, despite the high rankings of NUS, I remember making a suggestion that Singapore students should enrol in Indian Universities if they intend to seek employment in Singapore. The Indian Universities may have rankings far lower than NUS but they have the right formula and their graduates are in great demand here, and institutions and big companies have greater preference for their graduates than local graduates, or at least the head hunting companies. The general comments are that our local graduates are only good in grades but daft and lack motivation and EQ. Now I am not sure if my suggestion is the right thing. Perhaps with this high ranking, the employers will now look more favourably at graduates of NUS in preference of graduates from Third World countries. I really hope so, I really hope the ranking makes a difference, a meaningful ranking.

But never mind, when NUS becomes number One in Asia, we should have a national holiday declared and street celebrations in town. Looks like China’s and India’s universities would have to start spending more money to employ western professors if they think they want to beat Singapore’s universities in ranking. Money is all it takes to up the ranking.