How to create a nation of stupid people?

Is it possible to create a nation of stupid people? I don’t think this is an easy task. You can train people to do things but training people to be stupid is quite a remarkable call. The more formidable task is to educate them, give them the best tertiary education, let them think they are smart, but actually stupid without knowing it? Now that is really something isn’t it?

In communist, totalitarian or authoritarian countries, I think the task is so much easier. Just clamp down on the news and information and feed them with all the information that the state would want them to see and hear. Keep repeating that their lives are the best in the world, everything is fine, and the rest of the world are suffering, in poverty, with bad govt, and no dear leaders to help them. After a few generations of not knowing what is happening to the outside world and only seeing a world within, the people will be convinced that they are living in paradise.

Now, how can this situation be recreated in a cosmopolitan and open democratic country? Can it happen, that people living in a democracy, cosmopolitan, well travelled and well informed, and stupid at the same time? Really, it is impossible to do so. Such well educated and informed people will not be gagged, will not be fooled, will not allow to be blinkered. Any attempt to do so will be met with violent protest, unless they are really stupid.

A stupid people will elect a govt to be their masters, to control them, manage their lives, squeeze every cent from them, and tell them it is for their own good. And only a stupid people will believe such things without questioning and live happily ever after, and keep going to the poll to elect the same people to be their masters, to control them, to threaten them, to sue them, to keep them in fear, to keep their money from them, year after year.

It will be one of the major wonders of civilization, an achievement no one has ever done in human history. I am still wondering if it is possible, to train or create a nation of stupid people.

Mysingaporenews will be closed for the month

Apologies, mysingaporenews will be out for the rest of the month. I just make a check on the counter and the visitor number is nearly 50,000. Cannot exceed this magic number.

Also, my quota for writing on Singapore News has exceeded for the whole year. From now onwards I will be writing about dog rearing, how to groom puppies, how to walk the dogs with muzzles on....and on my photography as a hobby. I will not post any photos that have street scenes of Singapore in case they are mistaken as photojournalism or news on Singapore.

When 6.9m White Paper is not enough

The anger of the 6.9m White Paper has not subsided and now comes the clamping down on social media. Though this is a gingerly step taken, no one is blind to see what will come next. And the uproar in social media is predictable. Everyone is anticipating what will come next and when the blogging community will be hit.

Looking from another angle, these two moves just go to show that the Govt is still very confident that it can do whatever it wants without fear or any repercussion from the people. The lost of two by elections too did not register that things are not going its way and pushing too hard will only elicit stronger resentment and resistance.

The ruling party must have made all the necessary calculations and played out the different scenarios on how the people will react to this latest curb. The negative reaction is expected and is a case of how bad. Not doing it now to rein in the social media must be seen as unacceptable. So, is it a case of paying the price now while there is still time for the anger to fade in three years prior to the GE?

This cannot be a case that the ruling party believes it can get away with it. So what is the story? Is the situation that dire that not doing anything will only see things getting worst and doing it can only be better and not worst? It is likely that the fight is on, starting from now, to win the ground or hold the ground in cyberspace. Or is it a case of cutting losses, blow up the bridge and hold the ground, give up some ground but still have enough to make a stand and win the GE?

The problem is that if the reading is wrong, the backlash in 2016 could be devastating. The incremental moves in the implementation of unpopular policies that may not be necessary, like the Population White Paper, can be counter productive and ended with digging its own grave.

A blogger by the name of Roy in TRE wrote an appeal letter to Tharman to reconsider this new media regulation. Among the ministers, Tharman seems to be the only one left that is more people oriented and willing to listen to the people. This is what Roy said among many things in his long letter,

‘On behalf of a segment of Singaporeans, I would like to seek your understanding in this matter. For many of us Singaporeans, we are only beginning to realise the stake that we have in Singapore and how we need to take ownership and be empowered over our own lives. My own journey began only last year. We genuinely want to also shape a Singapore which belongs to us all. Many Singaporeans might sound “angry” online but I hope that you can understand that this is because we feel that we have finally regained our ability to speak up, after years of seeming inability to do so, and it would take some time for us to learn to use it more constructively, just as it would also take some time for a government which had not been used to feedback to also learn to adjust to receiving them. It is a two-way process.’

The awakening of the Singaporeans is a good thing (or a bad thing) after falling asleep or kept under blinkers for so long. The social media and its role to facilitate the Singaporeans to discuss national affairs must be positive, right? Wrong? Stifling the growth of social media is a regressive step towards choking the voice of the people and killing the seed of an aware and politically involved citizenry. Or is this not to be nurtured, not to be encouraged? The citizens are best to shut up, to be led, and to do as was told? How far are we from the ignorant third world unenlightened citizens if we try to gag the citizens from discussing national issues, from empowering them to help to shape the future of their country? Oh no, I am mistaken. The new regulations are only to provide clarity of ground rules of what can or cannot be written in space. Nothing to do about controlling what the people can say, read or hear.

A level playing field for Singaporeans and foreigners

When the Govt talks about a level playing field for Singaporeans and foreigners, it is saying that Singaporeans and foreigners should compete fairly and equally in employment opportunities, in business opportunities, in education opportunities except for a few exclusive areas like driving taxis, right to serve NS, places in schools and maybe subsidies in housing and medical care.

On face value this is about a more balanced and right thing to do by our Govt in taking care of Singaporeans, PRs and non residents. The Govt has to carefully calibrate its policies to ensure that it is fair to everyone, citizens, PRs and non residents, just like when the Govt is thinking of introducing anti discriminatory employment laws, it has to consider the interests of employers and employees, Singaporeans and foreigners.

Our Govt is about the fairest Govt you can find on earth. Why are Singaporeans still unhappy and complaining that fairness is being unfair, a level playing field is unacceptable, equal opportunities are unequal and unfair to Singaporeans?

Singaporeans must put themselves in the shoes of foreigners and PRs to appreciate what the Govt is doing. Then they can appreciate the fairness of our Govt in treating everyone fairly, citizens, PRs and non residents are all human beans and deserve fair treatment by a fair govt.

International websites to apply licence

The new MDA regulations have extensive coverage on international websites that report on Singapore news and have Singaporean visitors and needing them to apply for a licence and put up a bond of $50k. This means that an African in Africa that set up a such a site will have to apply for a licence fee from Singapore. So would an Eskimo in the Artic. If not, I can presume that their sites will be blocked or the editors PNG or arrested on entering Singapore.

Reuter online reported, ‘The MDA identified sg.news.yahoo.com, a service run by Internet giant Yahoo! Inc (YHOO.O), as among 10 sites that would be affected by the new requirement, based on criteria such as having 50,000 unique visitors from Singapore a month over a period of two months.

Yahoo! declined to comment when contacted by Reuters….’

So eventually CBS, CNN, BBC or websites all over the world that reported on Singapore and met the two conditions would have to apply for licence and put up a bond. Would they? Should they? Of would they show their middle finger?

From First World to Third World

Having lived in a First World city for the last decade, it is quite an interesting experience to walk into a Third World village. I did that, visiting a model Third World village with a lot of pretensions to be a paradise. It was a nice little village, clean and orderly, quite prosperous, and strategically located along a busy trade route. The villagers were quite well off than their neighbours.

My first impression was a great place to live in, virtually crime free and the villagers were hospitable. The village chief was elected once every two years and very popular. He had done a lot to improve the lives of the villagers. With growing affluence, many villagers were able to send their children overseas for a western education, including the village chief’s children.

Not all things could be fine and to the likings of the villagers. There were bound to be things that annoyed or irritated in big or small ways. And the villagers would gossip like all villagers do. The village chief did not like it, thinking that the villagers were ungrateful. He put up some notices in the village coffee shops forbidding discussion of village affairs in groups of more than 10 people or in front of foreigners. The despot he was could not hide for long.

The villagers were careful not to talk about village affairs as the punishment would be street sweeping. And the streets were clean, super clean, as many villagers ended up sweeping the streets. They did not think talking about a missing mango could become village news or village affair until it was reported as theft. They did not think a poor crop of mangoes would be village news until it was reported as crop failure. They did not know that when their sons fell off a bicycle was village news until it was reported as an accident. And they did not know that among the 9 people in the coffee shop, there were foreigners.

I spent a few great days enjoying the hospitality of the village and villagers. It was a nice experience seeing how a Third World village pretending to be first world with all the trappings of a First World. But beneath the veneer of richness, the Third World mentality is still living. No matter how big they acted, they still behaved small. No matter how big they thought they think small, small minds. It is not easy to break out from the Third World mentality just because they have gained wealth and even with western education. It could be a kind of Third World disease carried by some Third world virus.

After my visit, I keep asking myself, would this Third World pretending to be First World village ever become a truly First World city?

Latest govt control on online media

The latest announcement by the MDA to control online media is out and will be effective on 1 June. 10 sites have been identified as online news website and will come under the new regulation. They are :

'asiaone.com, businesstimes.com.sg, channelnewsasia.com, omy.sg, sg.news.yahoo.com, stomp.com.sg, straitstimes.com, Tnp.sg, todayonline.com, zaobao.com.'

According to CNA online 'Only online news sites which fulfil two specific criteria will be subjected to individual licensing.

1) That the sites report an average of at least one article per week on Singapore news and current affairs over a period of two months.

2) They must also have been visited by at least 50,000 unique IP addresses from Singapore each month, over the same period.'

Many bloggers are wondering how would this new regulation affects them. TREmeritus and TOC plus a few blog aggregators are not in the list. Would they be caught in the same net as well? So far those mentioned are commercial news site while TRE, TOC, Singapore News Alternative etc are run by volunteers and not full time news websites in the truest sense. Then there are thousands of blogs that blog about Singapore affairs and news. Would these blogs come under the same regulation?

In the case of blogs, they are mainly commentaries of individuals and not business enterprise of news websites. It will really be something if this first world country and govt will put blogs under the same regulations as news websites just because of the above two criteria.

I think bloggers need not fear that this news website regulation will tie their hands and legs. The fact that a $50k bond is also needed means that the MDA is targeting commercial news website. Applying to blogs will mean an immediate cemetry of blogs will be erected to replace Bukit Brown.

Let's wait for further clarification from MDA. Otherwise I will end up blogging about animals, and may write a sequel to the Animal Farm.

Too much money we can afford some luxuries

We are so rich as a country. In fact we are the richest country in the world on a per capita basis. No I am not complaining. You cannot complain about being the richest people in the world unless one is crazy.

We are so rich, some becoming multi millionaires, millionaires or half millionaires, and we also have one of the largest national reserves to boot. I think the govt must be feeling very good, smiling at the statement of our reserves everyday. There is nothing wrong with this either. Why shouldn’ t the govt smile when we have so much money to spend and to buy whatever we want, including luxuries?

Like all the rich tycoons, as a super rich, we have the spare cash to go for a little bit of the nice things to make us look good and feel good, buy whatever we fancy. We can have the things that are good to have but not really necessary. Why not, when we can afford them?

We have one of the most futuristic and expensive artificial garden that cost billions and hundreds of millions to maintain. Necessary? Obviously not but good to have when our pockets are overflowing with cash. We spent to have Formula 1 car racing here. This one they said intangible benefits outweighed the tangible cost. Small change for some great fun. It is like throwing a great party for our high society guests.

We build world class universities by paying the best professors in the world to be here. Would we miss anything if we just have a few lesser like in the past? I don’t think so, but very good and nice to have.

We build joint universities with the best mortar and the most brilliant professors as well. Hopefully the output, the students will be the best as well. Money well spent? Controversial but never mind when money is aplenty.

We have several prominent schools on international and national policies, some called it think tanks, filled with academics from all over the world. What for? Prestige or what? Maybe Singapore will one day become a centre of academic excellence. Dunno how much but money well spent? Necessary? Never mind, money not an issue. We can afford these think tanks and to pay the professoris of the world to be here to write papers and exchange ideas. It is only a matter of time before the world will be begging to read the great papers from our think tanks and inviting our think tank professors to speak. Tangible returns may not be much, but intangible benefits, goodwill, reputation and image must be damn shiok. Singapore is not just a casino or sin city, but is where great intellectuals resided. The modern day Picassos, Van Goghs, Rembrants, the Newtons, Einsteins may emerged from the great and stimulating environment we have created. This island could have the biggest concentration of the best minds and academics one day.

A Singapore renaissance is in the making. Only rich country who are willing to invest in the richness of living will get this kind of richness in life. Money is really convenient and useful to live in dreams and make dreams materialized. Poor countries would never be able to afford such luxuries.

An appreciative Immigrant

An African arrives in Singapore as a new immigrant. He stops the first person he sees in the train and says…

‘Thank you Mr Singaporean for letting me into this great country, giving me subsidised housing, money for food, subsidised education, no taxes, subsidized medical care, no need to do NS, good jobs, and free travel on the MRT.’

‘Sorry, I am from India.’

The African repeats the same to the next commuter in the train.

And the commuter says, ‘Sorry, I am from the Philippines.’

The African repeats the same to the next commuter in the train.

‘Sorry, I am from China.’

The African repeats the same to the next commuter in the train.

‘Sorry, I am from Vietnam.’

The African repeats the same to the next commuter in the train.

‘Sorry, I am from Myanmar.’

The African then asks the next commuter, where are the Singaporeans?

‘They are in JB, Batam and Bintang.’

The number game

Playing with numbers can bring great benefits to some and make losers of some innocent folks. One simple number game is the estimation of utilities usage that affects every household. For instance if the average utility bill is $100 pm, and if the meter is only read every third month, the usage of two months will be estimated. To maintain some consistency, the estimates must be done with care, probably by using the latest readings or the moving average, or something in that order, to keep the estimates realistic. But in practice, the method can still bring about distorted results.

Take for instance a festival when there more cooking take place or more people are at home, that particular month would drive up the bill and would affect the next average. It is ok actually if not of the GST or taxes based on the month’s bill. When there is a surge due to a wrong estimate, the household will end up paying more taxes for that bill. When the bill is readjusted after an actual reading is made, would the extra taxes, though small in amount, be refunded? The extra payment comes about when the rate is variable and higher at higher usage particularly water tax. Some households will thus have to pay a bit more taxes that they don’t have to but because of estimation.

In the corporate world, the numbers can also be juggled to give the best returns to whoever wants it. As an example, if a profit of $1m is expected and no extra bonus will be paid, a company with 3 or more years of $1m profit will not have to pay extra bonuses to the management on a profit sharing scheme. But by recognizing, in line with or overriding accounting principles, some profits may be delayed or not recognized and accumulated to another year. So a company may show 2 years of $500k profits only to show a startling performance of $2m profit on the third and ending with a big payout to the management.

This could be a deliberate result of manipulation. But at times, it is due to business cycle. The best example was quoted by Prof Tan Khee Giap during a programme on GDP aired on CNA. He pointed out the great GDP growth of 15% in year 2011, I think, was such a case. The result of that spectacular growth was due to the shrinking of the GDP in the previous years. The base for growth computation shrank accordingly. Thus when the economy returned to its previous numbers, the growth rate or percentage of growth became so much bigger than normal.

A reward system that is based on the growth rate will thus compute a huge payout to the management. And because the growth rate was so big, the payout could be disproportionally big relative to the average payout though the company/economy did not do anything spectacular in real terms.

What happens or could happen in such a situation is for management to take recognition of the low base and the real productivity and massage down the payout. If not, the management will be rewarding themselves happily with outrageous bonuses and still looking very legitimate and deserving, because the bonus formula said so.

The number game can be played very cleverly and ingeniously to benefit the players or designers of the game.

No one will be deprived of medical treatment

TRE is trying to contact a couple to see if they can help to raise funds for the operations that their 21 month old baby girl needs for a ear implant. Chan Chee Keong, the father had written to the authorities and CPF for help. This is a part of his letter pleading for help and mercy in the ST online.

'Allow Medisave use for daughter's ear implant
MY DAUGHTER was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at birth and fitted with hearing aids when she was five months old.

Now, at 21 months, hearing aids do not help her any more and doctors at KK Women's and Children's Hospital recommended that she get cochlear implants.

While I am happy to know that she would be able to hear much better after getting the implants, the bill would come up to $39,000.

The maximum government subsidy was allowed for the first implant. However, the second implant, which therapists said would enable my daughter to hear more effectively in school, had to be paid in full.

In January, I sent e-mail messages to the Health Ministry and Central Provident Fund Board to seek approval for the release of part of my Medisave funds to help pay for the procedure, but have yet to receive a response….'

While the parents are waiting anxiously for an official and positive reply, you can sense how desperate they are as parents and how concerned they are to help their little child. Maybe if they are from Nepal or another poorer country, the child will have a better chance of getting the operations done here. We have heard of a few well published cases of very expensive medical operations done on foreigners on a charitable basis. Still wondering why we don’t do that for our very own kind. There was this little girl that had to raise funds on her own for a cornea transplant.

And here we have the parents with some money in their own Medisave and pleading to use it for their daughter’s medical operation, and so far no reply. The money is not going to be spent in the casino or on some little mei mei or for a wild holiday. This is a medical case, and the money will be spent, documented, in our hospital.

What is the point of saving for the rainy day when the money when needed cannot be used? What is the point of having the best hospital facilities when we cannot help our very own citizens who are willing to pay? What is the point of saying no one will be denied medical treatment because they cannot afford to pay?

Have we been thinking correctly?

Taiwan economy will suffer without Pinoy workers, warned Philippines Vice President

‘Manila Bulletin, 24 May 2013

Taiwan's economy will be disrupted without Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) according to Vice President Jejomar C. Binay.

This was stressed by Binay last Thursday as he pointed out that the Philippines and Taiwan are both benefiting from around 80,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan mostly as factory workers or caregivers.

"They (Taiwanese government) are giving our OFWs employment opportunities but at the same time our workers are contributing a lot to Taiwan's economy. Without OFWs, their economy will be disrupted. So this is not a one-way relationship. Our good relations especially on our workers is mutually beneficial," he stressed speaking in Filipino….’

Taiwan should be less emotional and not to demand for any compensation or punishment for the killing of its fisherman by the Philippines coast guards. The sanction to freeze hiring of Pinoy workers is bad. The Pinoys are there to contribute to grow Taiwan’s GDP and help Taiwanese people. It will hurt the Taiwanese and their economy.

Now, would Taiwan understand such a clever logic? I doubt so. I think the Taiwanese will just continue with the sanction until its demands are met. Such arguments will likely be more effective if apply to Singapore. Singapore’s economy will sure to be badly affected and our GDP will definitely go down without the Pinoy workers. Singapore is lucky that the Vice President did not threaten with the withdrawal of maids and Pinoy PMETs from Singapore. How work Singapore reacts if this thinly veiled threat is thrown at us? Would we go down on our knees to beg them to come back and help us.

Tertiary education and PME jobs

This issue of jobs for Singaporeans and tertiary education has brought out a lot of controversies and a lot of angry cynicism in social media. The ministers have lately been down playing the importance of a piece of paper from the universities and even the redundancy of tertiary education. And the calls for Singaporeans to become hawkers, to become crane drivers and what not, have made the issue appears to be a deliberate policy in the making.

Contrast this with the hundreds of foreigners here with tertiary degrees and claiming to be better than the locals with their degrees and taking over the plum jobs of PMEs, the situation looks very negative and depressing for the local Singaporeans. But it is just another hard truth that the daft Sinkies must accept. It is the real world of money making.

And if one is to operate under the doctrine of pragmatism, economic expediency, bottom lines, the whole theory and possible policy make perfect sense. Why should anyone, govt or company, would want to waste money and time in training and education, a long and tedious process, when qualified, trained and experienced workers are available from the world, without having to spend a single cent? And when the door is open to the world, the availability and supply are in abundance with no holding cost. Employ on a need basis, hire and fire, it is simply so efficient and productive.

Then why the contradictory effort to have more universities? This could be used as a money spinning machine, with education as a business. It is used to train foreigners who can afford to pay the high fees. And to do so, the reputation of these universities must be world class. Go for the rankings, bring in the best academics. Once the reputation and quality have been established, the whole intake can be foreigners. The current intake of foreigners provided with scholarships is just a loss leader. Get them in, make the foreigners comfortable and they could go home to spread the words. Think this could be the business strategy and business model. I am just speculating, just looking at the business angle and the possibilities.

Singaporeans who are paying cheaper rates in universities should be discouraged. Further, why waste money on them when the employers would want the best from the world at no cost. The country too need not have to carry this education cost that is a vain effort.

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense, business cents. What do you think?

Singapore govt offers to help develop Indian cities

‘Singapore is ready to help Maharashtra develop its infrastructure in major cities like Mumbai and Pune, an official said Friday.
This was indicated by visiting Singapore Deputy Prime Minister T. Shanmugaratnam in talks with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan here.
"Singapore is a very small country compared to India. We focussed on providing the best urban infrastructure and developing cities to progress," Shanmugaratnam said.’…. Dajiworld.com, 25 May 2013

I think this is a good thing as Singapore has all the experienced and expertise in infrastructure development, and also the talents to do the job.

What is likely to happen is that Singapore will manage the projects and send an army of new citizens and PRs who were ex Indians, to India complete the job. These super talents will have the advantage of former home ground knowledge, know the language and culture, and given the chance to help redevelop India after having helped to develop what Singapore is today. They came to Singapore as foreign talents and now can return as foreign talents from Singapore.



India would benefit from these talented Indians, or new Singaporeans to build more modern cities that it has failed to do so far. Some of you may be puzzled who is helping who, talents from India helping India or talents from Singapore helping India.

Pinoys stunned by the strong reaction of the emotional Taiwanese

The Pinoys in Manila, the politicians and academics, are all stunned by the strong reaction of the Taiwanese Govt on the killing of a fisherman by the Filipino coast guard. They said the Taiwanese are emotional. The Govt of this ‘non nation’ is over reacting and trying to bully the Philippines.

How ridiculous can it be? Killing and robbing Taiwanese fishermen did not happen yesterday and there was no Taiwanese Govt standing up to say anything in the past. Why is the Ma Ying Jiu Govt behaving so outrageously? The only reason the Pinoys could think of is that this is a weak Govt and trying to bolster its popularity by making a show of force to protect its fisherman.

The disdain for Taiwan, a non nation, comes out quite clearly. And the Pinoys must be more shock to think that a non nation could threaten a nation like the Philippines. And they are hoping for the Taiwanese to cool down, to be less emotional before they talk to them. The Pinoys have been trying to tell the Taiwanese not to over react. Cool down, what is so big deal about killing a Taiwanese fisherman when they have been doing this for so many years.

And Taiwan better cool down, be polite and not make unnecessary demands for compensation and apologies. Ninoy has just approved several billion pesos or US$ to upgrade the Filipino Navy to take on China. What is Taiwan? If the Taiwanese still stupidly conduct war games near Pinoy seas, the Pinoys may send in a mightier flotilla to show who is bigger.

End Game around the corner

Lim Chow Kiat, the chief investment officer of GIC is talking about ‘end game’ in the financial market. He said GIC is now getting more cautious about seeking higher returns or yields. 5 or 10 years is about the time left before this end game scenario is going to rear its ugly head. What is he referring to?  He did mention about the good run over the last 30 year cycle and hinting that this is coming to and end.

The flood of liquidity, low interest rates and the flawed and fraudulent financial instruments that are being sold throughout the world are all pointing to something dreadful over the horizon. All the ominous signs are out there but no govt has the will to want to stop this mess that is waiting to blow up. It is like everyone is trying to have his last fling and seeing how many more flings before the curtain comes down.

The end game is coming, must come and will come. It is self conceived by the big boys in the US and Europe, playing a game of fire that will burn down everything in one go. Make merry while one can. Banana currencies will be flying everywhere.

Eroding Trust in Public Institutions

This is the main topic for discussion in today’s ST with several big names being mentioned. Kishore Mahbubani was quoted to be concerned that ‘online discourse might be eroding trust in public institutions’. There are real and imaginary perceptions of things, of trust or distrust in public institutions. The very fact that this issue of trust is being discussed at that level is a manifestation that trust is eroding and has become a serious issue in governance. It is just like the COE system and HDB policies when there have been repeated outcries that they are inequitable and the system and policies could be made fairer and more equitable short of telling the two institutions off directly that they are not trustworthy.

No institution can lose the trust of the people if they are upright, correct and fair in their dealings with the people and on issues affecting people and policies. A little bit of criticism and cynicism by the social media, no need to worry about the main media, will not harm them or the trust of the people. Only the institution can create distrust by the people by their own policies and wrongdoings.

The situation today is that the people are much better educated, informed and conversant with what they see and hear and are current with the happenings and policies. And the availability of social media on top of the main media, I like this expression, means that the people have a more balanced view of things. Unlike the past when the people are only fed by the official media that was sitting on everyone, feeding them what they wanted the people to see or hear, social media has given awareness a new dimension, and positive in many senses. Can’t imagine how long the people will remain ignorant and blinkered without access to social media. Social media is a tool of enlightenment, and much to the dismay of those who want to control information and the thinking of a people that could be made daft by biased, limited or misinformation.

We used to take pride in our public institutions, and had very little bad things to say about them. There was almost complete trust in them. And rightly so as anyone who crossed the line of legitimacy will be harshly dealt with by the system. Just read this comment by Professor Neo Boon Siong of Nanyang Business School, ‘We are all in a flux, and this gives people the feeling of uneasiness and uncertainty, that this competent Govt we are used to…is not so ready to come up with solutions immediately, or cannot deliver results as fast as we want.’ He was talking about a competent Govt we are used to. Is this a reasonable perception of the Govt today and the past?

There is a major contributor to the distrust in public institutions due to a philosophical change in political thinking and corporate governance. In the past, the govt demanded and coerced public officials to be clean, honest and incorrupt. And many instruments of the system were there to maintain a clean and honest govt. The whole paradigm shifted when the govt came out with the complacent assumption that people are corrupt by nature and to keep them from being corrupt, just pay them well, or 'corrupt' them legitimately and hoping that they will not be 'corrupt' illegitimately. (I want to qualify here that this term 'corrupt legitimately' is just a common expression used figuratively in informal discussion and is not corruption per se). This policy shift says that it is alright to have 'corrupt' people in the system as long as their pockets are well lined with big fat salary and they will behave themselves. Thus, instead of ridding the system of corrupt individuals, it is acceptable to live with the devils as long as they keep their masks on, and try to be clean or looked clean. In a way the system works as there have been no big cases of corruption or very few and in between.

The other big factor that led to the erosion of public institutions is the cavalier attitude that politicising public institutions to serve the interest of political parties is normal, nothing wrong, and legitimate. Institutionalising them is the way to go. When public institutions are politicised, when appointment holders are politicised, appointed for political reasons and to serve political interest, how much trust will be eroded in the process? Take the Town Council, a political creation, would the management of Town Councils handle a party supporter differently from an opposition supporter? And if it does, how is trust going to be affected?

When public institutions are designed with imbedded flawed assumptions and worst, being politicised, the institutions and office holders will no longer function impartially and objectively for the common good, regardless of affiliation. How would this affect trust in the institutions?

The vehemence against Tan Chuan Jin

I was greatly encouraged by Chuan Jin’s talk of taking more measures against companies discriminating Singaporeans in employment. Arrrggghhh, everytime I write these few words, discriminating Singaporeans in Singapore by foreigners or PRs or new citizens, I cannot tahan.  It is so sick, baloney! And when Chuan Jin made his speech on further actions in tackling this uniquely sick Singaporean disease, I thought it is appropriate to say something to encourage him, short of offering him a Nobel Peace Prize first like they did to Obama hoping that he would bring peace instead of indulging the Americans in more wars.

I have no doubt that Chuan Jin is serious about protecting the interest and jobs for Singaporeans. He has just stripped off his uniform and removed a hat from a position that breathes Country, Nation and People. The interest of nation and people must still be vivid in his mind and vocabulary and thinking. He has a huge task ahead of him. I may say the critics are right to say and ask who created this shit and allowed the shit to pile up. And that it is just another wayang to clear the shit and to take credit for it.

I can also understand the anger, the cynicism and the pain of those adversely affected by this discrimination policy that has been allowed to flourish in our midst. Oh sure, it is not a govt sanction policy. It is an unwritten policy, a covert practice, or in some cases, blatant discriminatory practice against Singaporeans in a state like there is no govt. They are spiking the Singaporeans as if they are protected by gods and nothing will happen to them. Maybe the whistle blowers will get the stick instead.

This reminds me of the poor Taiwanese fishermen that were constantly being harassed, robbed, and killed by the Pinoy coast guards and there was no Taiwanese govt out there to protect them. Today the Taiwanese govt of Ma Ying Jiu is putting on a show but the show of force has quickly died down just as fast as it blew up. Two semi colonies bickering, and the Emperor said, stop it, and they dismissively cool down and walk away.

But no, I believe Chuan Jin is not walking away from this problem. It is too big and too obvious and wayanging or walking away will do him and his party real bad. I am not sure about the Govt, but I think Chuan Jin would want to do something good for the Singaporeans under his watch as Minister in MOM. The vehemence against him in social media may be too hasty, too unyielding and unjustified. The Singaporeans must give Chuan Jin some time. This problem has been created over many years and cannot be resolved over two nights. It is not gangrene of the leg where one could just saw it off. It is like lymphoma of the blood, spreading all over the body.

While the social media and the bloggers can hold down their criticisms and harsh remarks, Chuan Jin could help himself by showing some quick results to soothe the nerves. Do something immediate, take some of the culprits to task and show the people that he is moving in the right direction, and more will follow. Make an example like killing chicken to frighten monkeys and blow it up in the media. The main media will have a lot of opportunities to say something good, and seen to do something good for the people as well. I am sure the reporters, journalists and editors will welcome the green light to write about positive actions by MOM to contain the plague that is spreading across the island.

Criticising and condemning Chuan Jin at this point in time is premature and unfair and may hurt him and discourage him from doing more.

‘Relax, say the night man. You can check out any time you like, but you just cannot leave.’ Courtesy of the Eagles.

C for Corruption, C for Commercial Crime

Corruption is said to have replaced the 5 Cs into one big C. The trial of Kong Hee and his 5 church elders is drawing a lot of attention to this island for corruption. And this is what political commentator Kumaran Pillai had to say. He ‘maintains the trial of the City Harvest leaders does not mean that Singapore's political, religious or economic systems are "inherently corrupt" or that its leaders "have become unethical"’.

I choose to disagree. My view is that our economic system is inherently corrupt. It is based on the fundamental assumption that human beans are corruptible. That is why civil servants and political leaders must be paid humongously high salaries, ‘to prevent them from being corrupt, by paying them so well that the temptation to corrupt is removed’. Now am I right in saying this? Please correct me if this is not true.

The corruption case involving the City Harvest Church is an anomaly. People don’t become corrupt if they are being paid very well. Or they have not been paid very well, so the inherently corrupt economic system vindicates itself.

Another way to look at this case is that there is no corruption at all, as the accused and the believers believe so. In that case, our economic system is not corrupt at all and Kumaran is right.

So, is our economic system inherently corrupt? Many will think so and many will think not. It is one’s personal value, upbringing and principles that will likely bring about one’s conclusion either way. There is no corruption, there is corruption, there is no corruption, there is corruption…. the petals are getting lesser as each one is peeled off.

Isn’t this a futile exercise to argue either way? A comforting word from Dr Wolfgang Sachsenroder, a visiting politics professor at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.  ‘Corruption in Singapore has not yet reached a stage where the public should be alarmed.’

Singaporeans can feel more relax as there are rooms for more corruption before our squeaky clean image is damaged.

M'sia new home minister wants 51.78 percent to migrate

I just received this interesting post from an anonymous netizen and wonder if it is relevant to read it in conjunction  with our same Foreign Talent Policy where locals are edged to migrate and foreigners encouraged to immigrate here in the catastrophic policy of taking in Foreign Talents.

Subject: FW: M'sia new home minister wants 51.78 pct to migrate

Date: May 21, 2013 10:51:19 AM GMT+08:00

Malaysia

M'sia new home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants 51.78% of Malaysians voted for Pakatan to leave the country. Umno has always urged the unhappy Chinese and Indians to go back to India and China, but where would the Malays who voted Pakatan go? 

 

This a report from Jakarta Post on March 22, titled when he was ‘Malaysian defence minister visits ‘home'':

"Malaysian Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed his Javanese heritage on Thursday in Yogyakarta during his state visit. He said he had Javanese blood as his paternal grandparents originally came from Kulonprogo in Yogyakarta.

‘I am coming home," Zahid told The Jakarta Post, adding that he would be staying in Yogyakarta for two days with his wife, having attended the Jakarta International Defence Dialogue (JIDD) on Wednesday.

"While in Yogyakarta, Zahid plans to meet relatives including Yogyakarta Mayor Haryadi Suyuti and friends, including the Yogyakarta sultan's brother, GBPH Joyokusumo as well as visiting the royal cemetery in Imogiri, Bantul.

"Zahid said that his grandparents moved from Kulonprogo to Malaysia in 1932, while his mother's grandfather had come from Ponorogo, East Java, and later married a Malaysian woman."

" So Zahidi is also a 'pendatang' like the rest of us . In fact, there are hundreds of thousands of Chinese and Indians, whose ancestors migrated to Malaysia before 1932. And yet Zahid has the gall, to demand that 51.78 % of the population emigrates. If he had an iota of integrity, he would have resigned from the Cabinet. Many of these UMNOPutras are behaving like Mahathir alias Mamakutty Kerala. Many are descendants of immigrants, but have the cheek to re-categorise themselves as 'Orang Asli Tanah Melayu' and the minorities as 'Pendatang".

The truth is all these so called malay rights champions are newer pendatang than most malaysian, they think they can con us. The biggest dick is mamak kutty. Send these @#!*% back before any others and we will save the country from these scum

The Malays are migrating - from Umno to Pakatan.

How diabolical for a senior minister in PM Najib Razak's cabinet to make such a statement - to encourage Malaysians to emigrate if they are not happy with the May 5 general election results.

New Home Minister Zahid Hamidi is indeed disappointing to have written such a statement, bringing the integrity of Najib's new cabinet into question.

Zahid would do well to read the will of the rakyat as reflected in the election results, for the rakyat have indeed spoken.

For Umno-BN to secure the government with a minority popular vote is in itself a fraud by way of tampering of electoral boundaries through gerrymandering.Rampant legalising illegals and enrolling them as voters is another damning indictment of electoral fraud.

The truth is all these so called malay rights champions are newer pendatang than most malaysian, they think they can con us. The biggest dick is mamak kutty from India. 

'So you think this is your father's country?'

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has described the statement urging those unhappy with the May 5 general election results to leave the country as an insult to Malaysians.