The Singapore Conversation is in TRE

The real Singapore Conversation where Sinkies speak freely and exchange their views on core issues affecting Sinkies is in the TRE. Many highly qualified people are joining this conversation to express their true feelings as Sinkies. They can see the wrongs in the country, they can see how the interests of Sinkies have been undermined, eroded and compromised and are speaking out in protest.
 
No where in the island can there be a true platform where Sinkies are speaking as Sinkies and expressing their love and concern for their country more than in TRE. It is a no bluff platform except for the presence of some obvious IBs out there doing nothing but attacking the bloggers. You know them by who they are attacking and their emptiness in thoughts. But that is the best they could do since there is nothing between their ears, so don’t expect them to engage in a decent and logical discussion. A few attempted or pretended to be serious, but the hollowness was obvious and you don’t need to read past the second line to know they are uttering rubbish, totally incoherent and illogical, veering towards IMH.
 
Other than the small distractions to show how shallow these IBs are and having a good laugh, or like some bloggers, giving them a good whipping, the conversation is serious and insightful.
 
TRE is growing in stature by the days and will draw more and more serious minded people into the site. Sinkies who want to be heard and talk with other Sinkies minus being politically correct, to say the right thing, will find TRE the place to be in.
Anyone, Sinkies or foreigners, who want to feel the real pulse of the country must step into TRE to get the real stuff. For those who want the sanitized or politically correct version, they know where to find them, except in TRE.
 
Sinkies have a platform to air real Sinkie views, a place for Sinkies to voice their frustrations and unhappiness, to let the people who want to know the truth, not hogwash, to come visiting. To know the Sinkie truth, you cannot miss or bypass TRE if one is serious and really wanting to know.

Kopi Level - Green

CPF crossing the red line

The govt seems to be very comfortable with all the changes introduced to hold back the people’s life savings in the CPF. I must admire the govt’s confidence that the people will go along, albeit some kpkb, but nothing will happen. And it is all up to the govt and the CPF account holders are just hapless daft Sinkies that cannot do anything to protect their life savings. I am not going to say how far more or what else would break the camel’s back. In m view the back has been broken and now it is a matter of how the people will react to this violation of their life savings.
 
All the excuses and forced reasons to keep the people’s savings have not gone down well with the people. The majority does not believe any tiny wee bit of what was thought as good and logical reasons. No way. Even if the people are daft, they will not be so daft as to have their life savings snatched from their hands when they badly needed them. Does the govt really feel so confident that everything is fine?
 
The first red line that was crossed was the change in withdrawal date. The others were the Medisave Account, the Minimum Sum Accounts, the Retirement Accounts, Special Account and the latest, the Medishield Life. It was full withdrawal in cash at 55 with none of the abovementioned. The incremental changes introduced over the years have practically changed the CPF into something else. The CPF is the people’s savings, not a Charity to the govt, not a Pension Fund of the govt. How audacious for anyone to think he can meddle with it like it is his own money or his grandfather’s money?
 
How could the govt think that it can do all these things and get away with it? The number of oldies affected by these changes will grow daily. And so will be the anger. No? The people have no choice. We the govt will decide what to do with the people’s life savings. We will decide how to make use of the people’s life savings, like it or not, like compulsory payment to CPF Life and Medishield Life. We will change the rules whenever we, the govt, find it prudent and necessary to do so, according to what we think should be done. Your money?
 
The govt can think that way, can do as it likes. The people, the owners of their life savings would also be thinking how to get their money back. And if voting out the govt is what it takes to get back their money, they will do so. Don’t count on it that the people are hapless and daft and will willingly allow the govt to hold their life savings for as long as it wants and to do as it pleases. The govt has breached the trust of the people by not returning the money to the people at 55. Now it is so hazy as to how much and when would the people be able to get their money back in full.
 
When would be Judgement Day?

Kopi Level - Green

Hsien Loong must be careful on what he is being fed

Zee News reported on 4 May 14 that Hsien Loong made these remarks, 

‘"Singaporeans, new arrivals, people who are on permanent residence here, people who are on employment pass here, all participating in one big Singapore family... So that we feel that this is a place which is special, which belongs to all of us and where we all celebrate one another's festivals and happy events together."
 
Dressed in red Kurta, Lee joined 600 residents at a community club of his constituency, tried his hand at a Thanjavur painting which was on cultural display and watched performances by classical Indian dancers.'
 
There are many comments in the net with netizens showing great concern as to why Hsien Loong said these things. I am more concern with what Hsien Loong is eating or drinking. I am worried that he is being doped and didn’t know what he was saying. Who knows. Maybe he really meant what he said. Sinkieland belongs to everyone here, citizens or non citizens.
 
It is really puzzling for Hsien Loong to say this. I beg he is misquoted.

The thinking of a non nation state

Andrew Loh wrote an article, ‘More foreigners to be police officers’ in the Online Citizen. His article highlighted the growing number of foreigners employed in the SPF and the Auxiliary Police as well as the unarmed security officers. In the latter, out of 60,000 unarmed security officers, 35,000 are foreigners. When asked in Parliament, Chee Hean did not exactly reveal the number of foreigners in the Police Force but confirmed that foreigners have been recruited since 1970.
 
The hiring of foreigners, ie PRs, as police officers is like a natural thing in this non nation city state. According to Police Operations Director Lau Peet Meng as quoted in Today paper, “diversity within the force is good to keep up with changes in society…We need, to some extent, some sensitivity to understand our foreign population,” he said. “The danger is if it’s (purely Singaporean), you will lose touch with the people you’re policing.”
 
What this city state is doing is Uniquely Singapore as no other Asean state will do the same, to recruit foreigners into their police force so happily and so comfortable with their presence. In Malaysia, they are even paranoid in having too many of the non bumiputra citizens joining the police force for political and security reasons. In our global city, no nation concept, free open border, free immigration policies, there is absolutely nothing to worry about with foreigners in the police force. We even have foreigners turning new citizens sitting in Parliament. But that is only a natural development when anyone living in this island, citizen or not, has a share of this place.
 
Nothing untowards will happen to this global city state even if the foreigners were to become the majority in the island and take over this island. And it is only natural, with their greater presence to have greater representation in all aspects of life and economic activities in the city, including representation in the police, the military and political office. It is meritocracy regardless of race or nationality. Only a non nation state will subscribe to such thinking.
 
As long as the citizens are comfortable with the ever growing presence of foreigners in this non nation city state and do not get agitate for losing their special position and rights as citizens, then everything is ok. By the time 6.9m is a reality, foreigners can be everywhere, employed in all ministries, a natural thing to come.
 
What was the intent of Andrew Loh to write his article on the growing presence of more foreigners in the Police Force? What is his message or concern? Personally I would be furious if a foreigner in uniform were to check on me just because he didn’t like my face. I am a NS man, pledged to defend and die for this nation, or has it become a non nation? Why should I be searched or questioned by a foreigner in my country when I was trained to protect and fight to prevent foreigners from taking over this country?
 
You tell me lah.

KopiLevel - Green

Foreign leader telling our govt what to do?

‘Merinews.com, 2 May 2014
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Tony Tan Keng Yam have been urged to put an end to blatant discrimination reportedly prevalent in the rental housing market of Singapore against Indians.
Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that rental listings saying “no Indians” should not be acceptable in the 21st century, especially in Singapore which claimed to promote multiculturalism and racial harmony.
Zed argued that racial discrimination should not be condoned and a legislative effort might be required for a more specific anti-discrimination law in housing.’

The above is a sign of more things to come when foreigners and foreign govts think they have a right to tell our govt what to do, a kind of interference with our domestic affairs. So how should our govt respond to such remarks? Don’t forget, if we don’t comply and don’t behave respectfully to their demands, they may pull back all their workers and not allow them to work here. Then we will not have cheap labour and no economic growth. You want economic growth?

What do you think? Should our govt say yes, yes, we will do as you wish? Or would the govt show him the middle finger? The advertisements for ‘No Indians and No PRCs’ are done by private landlords who have had bad experiences with these group of foreigners. And it is their right as to who they want to rent out their properties to. Tiok boh? Many have had very bad experiences with the tenants and ended losing a lot of money. Should our govt tell this foreign leader to go and reflect on his people and educate his people to respect the properties rented to them and live like decent respectable Singaporeans with proper hygiene and cleanliness?

Or maybe they can squat at the Istana garden if they cannot find a landlord willing to let their properties to them. This could be a good compromise solution. And it is a temporary problem. Once Sinkies are used to their unhygienic country bumpkin lifestyles, once Sinkies have integrated with their way of life, I think it will no longer be a problem. Just get use to the untidiness, the smell of unclean homes and unwashed bodies. These are the experiences of those who have rented their properties to them or who have lived next to them. Welcome to the new Sinkieland of 3rd World living. We are progressing into the 3rd World.

Though not all are bad and dirty tenants, it only needs a few bad experiences and the landlord would only want to play safe to protect their properties. Is it wrong for the landlord to protect themselves or is it another form of xenophobia?

Kopi Level - green

MH370 – There is no closure

After more than two months of crazy searching nothing was found of the MH370. There was no debris, no sign of any passenger’s body floating anywhere, no sign of the black boxes. Is it about time to close the chapter and send everyone home?

An aircraft with 239 passengers cannot just disappear into nowhere. And the most foolish thing to believe is that the aircraft crashed and sank into the Antarctic Ocean. A suicidal pilot, a mad pilot, a dead pilot, all would not have reason to want to fly the aircraft to the Antarctics. An aircraft on auto pilot, with a destination in Beijing cannot be flying to the Antarctics.

But then, there seemed to be someone deliberately and intentionally wanting everyone to believe the aircraft sank in the Antarctics. This someone was even influential enough to have agencies cooking up flimsy evidences to point to the Antarctics. Destination Antarctics was a deliberate hoax to turn all attentions away from the real location of the aircraft and its passengers. Sure, maybe 3 years or 5 years down the road they will pick up a rusty black box in the Antarctics to prove that MH370 was there but with all information destroyed.

The clue to the missing MH370 lies in its cargoes. Malaysia must come up fully open to disclose everything that was in the cargo hull of the aircraft, the owners, the cargoes, where the cargoes were heading to. Malaysia cannot hide under the secrecy excuse and refuse to cooperate on this revelation. 239 lives are at stake. Malaysia must lay bear everything for the investigators to work on and to find out the motive and reasons for the missing aircraft. There are too many things that the Malaysian govt is not telling and is thus implicated in this sordid and wicked affair.

It is time for Malaysia to come clean and transparent to tell the whole truth to help investigations to go on to the next stage. Two months have been wasted by misinformation and disinformation. It is so evil for people to mislead the search parties who were trying to save lives. Would the Malaysian govt have the conscience to raise the bar and tell all for the truth to surface? Or would Malaysia choose to continue with its wayang that it was also a victim, an innocent party that did not know anything? The least the Malaysian govt can do to distance itself from being implicated is to tell all it knows starting with the content of the cargoes and the details of ownership and destination.

There will be no closure until all stones are unturned. It cannot be otherwise. The most irresponsible thing to do now is to close the chapter and presume all the passengers are dead. They may be still alive waiting to be rescued. And the perpetrators may just be waiting for the signal that the whole world has given up on the passengers as the green light to terminate them.

This is the time to conduct extensive investigation work to find the passengers. Follow the examples of the Israelis to track down the hijackers. Deplore all resources and people to every nook and corners to track down the evil doers. This is not the time to call it a day. It is just beginning. The passengers could be waiting to be saved. Do not pronounce them as dead and gone.

The hidden agenda of Abe and his revisionists

The revival of Japanese Imperialism and its glorious military past are top on Abe’s agenda. Abe wants to lead Japan to become a major world power like Hitler did to Germany. Japanese nationalism, militarism and imperialism are all the cards Abe has been playing with. But this is not all.

Japan has a willing partner in the Americans who would want to continue to be the unchallenged superpower in the world. By playing up the fear of China, by provoking China to react, to become more assertive to reclaim its territories, Abe is dragging the Americans by the nose. The Americans have no choice but to go along. And it makes a lot of sense for the Americans to be supporting a second rate power to oppose and contain China. Japan could do anything it wants to irritate and agitate China and any reactions by China would be pleasing news and excuses to exaggerate the threat of China to its neighbours. China is expansionist, China is expanding its military expenditure, China is getting more assertive, China is going to swallow up all its neighbours. What else is new?

It was all very convenient and expedient for the Americans to play the backbencher to cheer the Japanese on and to carry the big stick to keep China in check. So thought the Americans, that they could have the cake and eat it too, with the Japanese doing all the banging and screaming and the Americans standing behind like the guardian angel.

Japan cannot expect to be a superpower in the league of the US and China. It is just too small to compete with the two giants. This is not the 19^th or 20^th Centuries when a small country could rule half the world with technology when other countries were underdeveloped, weak and disorganised. How then could Japan achieve super power status in the ranks of the US and China, and if better, surpass the two giants? What is up Abe’s sleeves?

Now, would it be nice if the US is made to take on China in an all out war? All Japan needs to do is to keep provoking the Chinese and when the latter retaliate, runs back to the Americans for help and get the Americans in direct confrontation with China. It is like killing two birds with one stone with the two giants not knowing how they ended up in an all out war destroying each other. It would also in a way avenge the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by destroying the American military and economic might as well as that of China.

When these two giants went into a head on collision, none is going to come out alive, at best half dead. Who would be the victor, the next Number One superpower, when the US and China were spent force? Are the Americans seeing the big picture? Hopefully. Hopefully their Asian pivot is only rhetoric and the Americans would not be deceived into an open warfare with China and fall into the Japanese trap.

Can Abe fix Obama and the Americans to court self destruction and reap the reward to become the next Number One super power?

Kopi Level - Red

Chee Soon Juan - A time to Chee

How shall I write a piece on Chee Soon Juan without being seen as biased, partial or stereotyping or unthinking? If I say he is good, some quarters would be frowning. If I say he is NG, would I be doing justice to this man?

Everyone has an impression on Chee Soon Juan, mostly negative. The reason, they read the media and listen to the official news. Has there been anything written or spoken on Chee Soon Juan that is good or fair comment on this man? People who made a judgement on a person like Chee based on what they read about him in the media must seriously do some thinking and ask themselves what really happened and was he that bad a guy? And there are many questions to be asked as to why he has such a bad public image for so long, as an aspiring politician. He is so brash, he is so disrespectful, he is…. but that was 20 years ago.

Look across the causeway and look at Anwar Ibrahim. This one was imprisoned, tarred and feathered, charged for sodomy and all the hideous things that his political opponents could think of to fix him. The big difference, though some of the charges were really very serious, is that the Malaysian public are more sophisticated than the daft Sinkies. They do not believe everything that is published in the media and definitely would not believe the bad things the politicians said about Anwar. They are thinking and will challenge the official truth. They believe that those who cast stones at Anwar were many times worst than Anwar. Do the Sinkies bother to think and challenge the official truth on what Chee Soon Juan is all about?

Historically, many politicians found themselves on the wrong side of the political equation and were condemned or imprisoned for political crimes or for being politically incorrect. We have many that were detained for half of their lives without trial. Were they really bad people or simply politicians of the wrong camp? And there were many infamous personalities that have to seek the safety of foreign shores, never to return home.

On the international scene, there are great names like Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and Deng Xiaoping. All were once on the wrong side of the political divide. They came back, rehabilitated, and rose to become very good leaders in their countries. If the opportunities were not given to these politicians, they would have ended in the dark corners of history, might even die in prison, for political crimes or just being on the wrong side.

Are Sinkies wise enough, mature enough, to do their own thinking, to make their own judgement on what is a good man or a bad person? Chee Soon Juan is definitely not an immortal, but an ordinary man. He would have all the flaws like you and me. Only immortals are flawless, mind you. All men have flaws, only discovered or exposed or the time is not ripe yet. Do not take anyone at face value. Do not make a judgement on another man by what others make out of him. Do your own thinking, and it is very easy. Scrutinise the facts, the intents and the truths imposed on your thinking. Be a bit cynical and critical and be a bit smart for your own good.

Is Chee Soon Juan what he is made out to be? Would he make a good politician to serve the people, speak up and stand up for the people? A good politician is one that serves your interest, not his own interest, not one that ignores your interest. A good politician is one that listens to you, not to himself.

Is it time for Chee? Is there room in Parliament for Chee?

Kopi Level - Red

10 reasons and 10 rebuttals on high ministerial salaries

Below are the 10 reasons put up by Roy Ngerng on the govt’s justifications for high ministerial salaries that Roy called 10 logical fallacies. I will attempt to rebut what Roy wrote in defence of the high salaries and hope my explanations are logical. And I think the IB will not attack me for writing this piece. I will want to clarify here that they are my versions and not PAP’s versions and I have not been commissioned to reply on their behalf. I just hope that my reasonings would make good sense.
 

1.      Why would the government fight to pay the highest salaries to themselves in the world but would not fight for the wages of Singaporeans, and would allow Singaporeans to earn the lowest wages among the high-income countries?

RB: If the govt does not fight to pay themselves, who else would fight for them? Tiok boh?  If Singaporeans would to fight to pay them high salaries then they would not need to fight for themselves right? And Singaporeans are earning the lowest wages because of competition. This one can’t be helped or Singaporeans would not even have jobs if they don’t accept low salaries. It is a global market, people can come in freely to replace Singaporeans. Heard of boh cheng hu?

2.      The government says that we need to pay them high salaries so that they won’t be corrupt. But they would pay Singaporeans low wages. If Singaporeans do not need to earn high wages, yet we can be honest, doesn’t that mean that there’s no need to pay the government such high salaries?

RB: Corruption at govt level is very serious as a lot of money will be involved. The higher in the govt the bigger will be the corruption. So very important to make sure ministers are not corrupt or tempted. This kind of super logic only can be found in Sinkieland. Singaporeans not earning high wages corrupt or not corrupt not important. At those low levels how much can they corrupt? How much is a Brompton bicycle cost. Peanuts right? They will be more interested in blowjobs than money. So no big problem.

3.      If we are paid low wages, does that mean Singaporeans are a dishonest lot? If we are not, then can the government earn lower salaries and still be honest?

RB. See answers above. The assumption is that everyone can be tempted to be corrupt. Only how much to corrupt and the price to prevent corruption. It is all about the temptation of man. And political leaders are only man, not immortals. Oops.

4.      If we have to pay the government such high salaries so that they can honest, doesn’t that mean they are corrupt in the first place?

RB: See answers above.

5.      If we need to pay the government high salaries so that they are willing to do the work, shouldn’t we fire them and bring in someone who’s willing to be honest and do the work at lower salaries?

RB: The problem is that you cannot find such talented people in the whole world that could be contented with a few millions dollars and would not be corrupt. Paying a few millions and have no corruption is really very cheap.

6.      If the government wants us to pay them high salaries to improve their performance, but the income inequality and poverty in Singapore has now become the highest among the developed countries, and Singaporeans earn the lowest wages and have the lowest purchasing power among the developed countries, doesn’t that mean that the government hasn’t improved Singapore? If so, shouldn’t we pay the government much lower salaries or shouldn’t the government step down?

RB: Depending on who you are, at least 60% of the Singaporeans have seen their lives improved. It is not possible to improve the lives of everyone right? And some Singaporeans are just not good enough, have skills mismatched, or some working for fun or for dignity. Money is not important to them. Didn’t you see the old uncles and aunties so happy and so proud of their jobs in the foodcourts and hawker centres? They are going to work till they die, happily.

Cannot pay the govt lower salaries or they will be corrupt or worse, they may resigned, then no talented people will step up to run the country. Cannot ask them to sacrifice too much.  Like that damn jialat you know. They will all go back to work in the private sector to earn more millions.

7.      If the government is willing to keep themselves on the highest salaries in the world, even as Singaporeans have been earning the lowest wages among the high-income countries for many years now, shouldn’t the government also reduce their salaries in the face of the stagnating wages among Singaporeans? If the government is not willing to do so, doesn’t that mean that they are being dishonest?

RB: Cannot reason like that one. Top talents must use top talent logic and no talent must use no talent logic. Just imagine if we remove this govt, there will be no more talent left in the island. This is the best team that can be found, A Team. And cannot accuse them of being dishonest, these are the most honest and honourable people, self sacrificing leaders that money can buy. Or you want to leave the country to Team B to run or the no talent opposition parties to run? All the talents available in the island are in the govt. Other places cannot find, got no more talents to find.

8.      If the heads of the Nordic countries can earn $300,000 and are able to turn their countries into one of the most equal in the world, where their citizens are able to earn one of the highest wages and have one of the highest purchasing power and happiness in the world, then why are we paying the Singapore prime minister 7 times more to create the most unequal society among the developed countries, where we earn the lowest wages among the high-income countries?

RB: You want to live in the Nordic country or you want to live in the most expensive city in the world where every one out of two person is a millionaire? You want to be millionaire or not? Income inequalities in a capitalist economy is normal. Can’t be helped. This is progress.

9.      If the government wants us to pay them high salaries so that they are able to be honest and perform, but if they have proven themselves to be dishonest and unable to perform, doesn’t that mean that we should reduce their salaries drastically or fire them?

RB: Where, where got govt not performing? Where got govt dishonest? No right? So second part of question irrelevant. We have the best performing govt that is the envy of the world.

10.  If they do not want to return us our money, what are they doing with our money?

RB: Return what money? You mean your CPF money? They are safe in the CPF. The govt are not touching your money. Can you prove that the govt is touching or ‘doing with’ your money? No proof cannot anyhow claim lah.

Are my answers sensible, logical and reasonable?

Kopi Level - Green

China Russian conducting war games in East China Sea

China and Russia have announced they will conduct a naval war game near the disputed islands of Diaoyu/Senkaku. This will be held in August and more exercises are being planned. China should just announced that the exercise is to simulate the capture of islands and no need to be shy about it.

China and Russia should also plan to hold joint exercises with the North Koreans in the sea around Korea. There is no reason why the Americans can conduct military exercises all year round and China and Russian refraining from doing so. The Americans have made their intention very clear about what the Asian pivot means. They are the global gangsters and wanting to rule over the countries in Asia.

Russia and China should make it equally clear to the Americans that they got the message loud and clear and will take the necessary actions and preparations to meet the American hegemonic intent. Running away and acting meek will only embolden the Americans and her allies like Japan and the Philippines. It is only a matter of time when a confrontation will result with the American camps becoming more provocative and raising tension in the region.

China and Russia should not limit their military exercises just in East Asia but should conduct some exercises in West Asia. That would make everyone more friendly and respectful. It is like gun ownership. When everyone walks around carrying a gun, everyone else would have to act more carefully and not to provoke the other. The South China Sea is also a good area for joint Russian China military exercises.

It is only war games!

Kopi Level - Green

They don’t come for your lunch

Neither did they come for your dinner. The foreigners are here, more than 2 million of them, working happily here and replacing the Sinkies in their jobs. Some poor Sinkies, highly qualified and experienced, are jobless or underemployed, and some simply ended up driving taxis, becoming first class cab drivers.
 
The foreigners did not come to take your lunch or dinner. They were invited here to do so. If we don’t invite them, there is no way for them to be here to take your lunch and dinner. It is more like we owe them a living. We need to take good care of them while their govts failed to do so. It is our responsibility to do so, even at the expense of our daft Sinkies.
 
Why are we doing this? It is for the good of the Sinkies of course. We bring them here to take our lunch and dinner and they in turn throw some crumbs for us.

Beware of TPP

Asian buyers need to be wary of TPP agreement
 
'Despite President Barack Obama’s charm offensive in the region, Pacific nations are well-advised to remain wary of the US government’s position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP).
 
If US trade negotiators got their way, the Pacific Rim would reap surprisingly few gains — but take on big risks. Until the United States starts to see Asia as a true trading partner, rather than a region to patronise, it is right to hold out on the TPP.…
 
In exchange for these small benefits, the US’s partners in Asia and Latin America have to take on big risks…the US is insisting that TPP partners surrender their right to regulate global finance.
 
Through its financial services and investment provisions, the TPP would allow Wall Street banks to move into TPP countries’ financial services sectors. To do what? If you can believe it, to push the very financial products that triggered the biggest global financial crisis since the Great Depression.
 
That is not progress. That’s regress, given what the world now knows about these often toxic instruments.
 
What is more, if US trade negotiators, acting at the behest of US industry, got their way, the deal would prohibit the ability of these banks to be regulated to prevent and mitigate a financial crisis. They would be “free” to recreate the mess all over again….
 
…the IMF expressed concern that agreements like the TPP “do not provide appropriate safeguards”….
 
What is perhaps most risky for the US’s TPP partners is that the foreign banks themselves will be able to directly sue governments for violations of the agreement….
It is in the well-understood self-interest of Chile, Malaysia and other TPP countries to continue to push back on Mr Obama’s proposals to de-regulate financial services and investment. It is also in the interest of financial prudence and international fairness.
 
In light of that, it is disconcerting to find a recent study which shows these nations have been able to safeguard the ability to regulate finance in treaties with trading blocs such as the EU and Canada and China, but that it is the US which is pushing back with great determination.
 
Thankfully, there are important voices in the US who are pushing President Obama to act with more prudence than the US financial industry wants him to do. Americans are also painfully aware that financial crises hurt US jobs and financial stability.
 
US Congressman Sander Levin and others have been pressuring the Obama administration to ensure that trade deals don’t trump regulating global finance. In 2011, over 250 economists from across the world urged Mr Obama to make trade deals consistent with financial reform as well…. ©2014 The Globalist'
 
Kevin P Gallagher is a professor of international relations at Boston University.
 
The above article is published in Bangkok Post. It highlights the dangerous proposals in the TPP and the unusually high risks for countries to go with the TPP. And an American professor is warning Asians to be wary of the US. Apparently some Asian govts are soooo happy with this TPP that they cannot see anything wrong with it. So this American professor must be crazy right?
 
Why are there govts so eager to sign this American proposal which is akin to signing a suicide pact? Is Singapore one of the eager beaver? This is going to be far more dangerous than signing the CECA. Before out govt sign this pact, does it have any responsibility to tell the people the pros and cons of this deal? Or would it be like the CECA and the AEC, the govt knows best. Trust the govt?

AEC, looking forward to it

The Asean Economic Community is shaping up nicely behind closed doors. We can expect the borders to become more porous with lesser restrictions to travel and work within the Asean countries. The impact could be tremendous but like the impact of 6.9m, no one is particularly interested to tell the public how it would affect their livelihood. The most immediate impact would be out entry points when a normal half an hour wait may now take half a day to cross if all the Asean workers are marching to Sin City. Come to think of it, the checks on security threat could come in very handy and we have plenty of practices to regulate the flow of traffic at the checkpoints.

What I am looking forward to is actually the exchanges of personnel at the top levels, not the PMETs. If we could exchange govt leaders and pick the best for our city, it would be real nice. Top on my list is Yingluck. It would be so nice to see her in Parliament as our PM. Attendance would be perfect and the galleries will be full. You may even have to queue for a gallery ticket months ahead just to have a seat at the gallery. And the MPs would be asking a lot of questions and trying their very best to impress her with their wits. No more absentees or too busy with their private commitments.

The other top seat that needs a change of personality is the Presidency. We need a strong and powerful dare devil to be our President. The best candidate is Aquino of the Philippines. He is the only President in the world that dared to tell China that it is preparing its military forces to fight with China. This kind of bravery is rare and if we can have him, no one would dare to tell him it would take 56 man years to come up with a report. And being paid in the millions, the jobs must be more than just shaking hands with visitors to the Istana and kissing babies. Not to forget, Aquino can stand in for the Pinoy President when the Pinoys here celebrate their Independence Day, so convenient.

Aung San Suu Kyi could be another good choice but her kind of values on happiness may not go down well with our money minded populace. We don’t believe in happiness. We only believe in money, money and more money.

The Malaysian Home Minister Hamidi would be a good choice for our Home Ministry. We would not have anymore Mas Selamat problems or Malaysians gate crashing through out check points. But what impressed me about Hamidi was his comment on the fair treatment of minorities during Obama’s visit. When asked if Malaysia was fair in its affirmative policies to the bumiputras he quoted the examples in the US to support his case. The US also has affirmative policies for the minorities. So there is nothing wrong for Malaysia to have affirmative policies for the majorities.

Wish he can be our Home Affairs Minister and introduce affirmative policies for the majorities here.

His comrades Hishamuddin would be a good one for Transport Minister. He is so experienced in handling the media and with so frequent breakdowns in our trains, he would be like fish in water, holding press conferences daily like a cake walk. He will definitely enjoy his job here and we can have free publicity to the whole world.

It would be a tough choice to swap our Foreign Minister with Natalegawa of Indonesia. Between him and Shanmugam, close fight. The only reason to replace him with Shanmugam is the cost. If we pay him half of what we are paying Shanmugam he will be so happy that he would not hesitate to take up citizenship here and may promise that his sons will do NS. He can also tell his generals not to anyhow name their warships. Diplomacy is key man.

From Vietnam we could have a war veteran as our Defence Minister, someone that have really gone to war and seen what was like fighting in the battlefields. That would would be real stuff, not paper generals.

As for environment, media, housing, I think we can stick to our own talented ministers. Oh, I nearly forgot, Health Ministry needs a helping hand. The Malaysian Health Minister Subramaniam is doing a hell of a good job producing local doctors at about 500/600 a year. That kind of experience is very good for us. We must produce more local doctors to meet the demands of the AEC. But more important is the free health care for the citizens. We would not be complaining if he introduced a flat fee of $5 per visit for outpatients, medicine included. That would be real nice.

I think the number of changes is about right. We need to keep some ministries for our locals to helm. Cannot give all positions to foreign talents, Singaporeans and locals must come first. Hope AEC would not put too many of out ministers out of job, being replaced by foreign talents.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Two possible Manifestos for the GE

This could be the platform for the next GE.

Vote for my party for more population and more growth.

Vote for my party for higher minimum sums in your CPF.

Vote for my party for more foreigners to create more jobs for Sinkies.

Vote for my party to serve super talents, and prepare to pay them more.

Vote for my party to have no ending tenure in political office.

Vote for my party to have more quality medical care from foreign talents at affordable fees.

Vote for my party to have affordable public housing.

Vote for my party to defend and die for your country but not allowed to buy public housing.

Vote for my party to be your own boss, like driving your own taxis.

Another possible Manifesto

Vote for my party to put a stop to population growth by importing foreigners.

Vote for my party to half the pay of ministers.

Vote for my party to have really affordable public housing, not market pricing.

Vote for my party so that every Singapore will be eligible to buy public flats.

Vote for my party to bring down the cost of medicare.

Vote for my party so that PMETs will not be replaced by foreigners.

Vote for my party so PMETs no need to drive taxis but by choice.

Vote for my party to bring down cost of living.

Vote for my party to limit political office to two terms.

Obama has removed his mask

After all the pretensions that the USA was not trying to contain China or trying to form a military alliance against China, the latest trip by Obama said it all. It was all about containing China and supporting its allies to challenge China’s rise as a superpower. 

Obama has removed his mask to show what this trip was all about.

China better stop fooling around with Obama and start to take Obama and the Americans as what they really are. All the niceties to appease the Americans, to cajole them even to the extent of strangling the North Koreans to please the Americans are futile. It is now serious business and China is best to strengthen its military alliances with the North Koreans and the Russians to take on the American alliance head on. The responses can be calibrated and need not be military. It can be economic and political in nature.  China must use its economic and political leverage to squeeze the Americans where it hurts. China must come out openly and positively in support of Russia and North Korea like the Americans supporting its allies. Doing otherwise would undermine its own position with Russia and North Korea.

In the case of dealings with the Japanese and the Pinoys, China must be prepared to play hardball as hardball will be what these two countries would want to play. China has to gear up for more provocations by Japan and the Philippines in the seas around the disputed islands. The military wargame has been set on play mode and the level of play will escalate to higher levels by the Americans and their allies.

China cannot avoid an open conflict with Japan and the Philippines and it better make its stand clear that it would take them head on if provoked. Only then would the two take China seriously and be more circumspect in their devious military schemes. Whatever, the Evil Empire would be there to pull the strings.

What American pivot? It is naked American military expansion and aggression in Asia. It is all about confronting China militarily. China needs not be polite with nice words and simply stands up to the Americans. That is the only thing the Americans understand. If China, India and Russia would to stand up to this bully, it would be the end of Pax Americana. China and Russia must go all out, openly, in support of North Korea, Iran and Syria and all the countries being condemned by the Americans. The Americans are gearing up for a fight and there is no where to run.

Kopi Level - Green

Leon Perera and Firuz Khan for WP

Two big names were on the Workers’ Party list of candidates for the GE. Leon Perera, 44 and Firuz Khan, 48, are two good catch that would do a lot of good to the WP. This is only the beginning and if they could present another 10 or so such candidates before the GE, the WP is in serious business. With more professionals joining the party, it means that the party is able to attract serious minded people to join its rank to challenge the ruling party.
 
If the other opposition parties could also do the same and attract similarly qualified candidates, the battle ground is going to change dramatically this time round. And the voters cannot complain of not having any choice. Those who had been voting for the ruling party out of no good choice but wanting to vote otherwise would now have no problems making their choices.
 
It is now very interesting to see how many more professionals the opposition parties could bring out this time to give the PAP a run for the money. Could we see a real battle in the making and not another round of walkovers or underweights bashing against the PAP machine? I think it is going to be exciting.

PS. Perera has a double first class from Oxford. He was a former head of an EDB division, a high flyer in his own right. He is now CEO of Spire Research and Consulting.  Firuz is in the banking and retail industry and a council member of WP's Youth Wing.

Labour Day Protest – Protect the Singaporean Workers

Gilbert Goh is holding a Labour Day Protest tomorrow, 1 May, at Hong Lim from 4pm to 7pm. According to him this year’s theme is Protect The Singaporean Workers. In his message on this protest he said, ‘We will also publicly shamed companies on that day which have a history of errant discriminatory employment records.’
 
The main issues undoubtedly will be ‘the influx of foreigners who have robbed us of our rice bowl, the lack of proper representation when there is a contractual dispute with the employer and the perpetually-low wages which ensure that Singaporeans continue to struggle in our small city state crippled by ever-rising cost of living.’
 
Gilbert also wants to ‘remind all our participants that this is a protest and not a rally or picnic – we need you to come prepared to shout and raise your fist at the errant pro-employer policies of our government.
 
Don’t bring your picnic mat or sun glasses but do bring along your voice and anger so that we will roar together as one body and that people’s power will be on show for one more time!’
 
Gilbert needs all the support the people can give him by being there. It would be a big let down if after working so hard over the years and the turnout is poor. Would Singaporeans be motivated and inspired by the work of this lone soldier soldiering tirelessly to promote their interest and the well being of all Singaporeans and march with him?

PS. Please note that there is another protest rally on 3 May at 3pm at Hong Lim led by Leong Sze Hian.

In celebration of the Indian elites

Never in the history of Singapore has the Indian community been so prominent as the ruling elite of this island. The era when Indian elites were the most prominent was during the early days of independence when we inherited the whole govt and bureaucracy from the colonial govt. In those days, the govt and civil servants were either British, Eurasians or Indians. Their commonality was the English Language. The colonial govt used English as the language of officialdom.
 
The Chinese and Malays were less familiar with the language with the Chinese mainly educated in Chinese medium schools. Only the babas who had been here longer would be educated in the English medium, but not really of great proficiency. The Chinese were mainly in commerce and trading or in small businesses, in a world of their own, with the lower sector contributing to the labour force.
 
The prominence of the Indian elites was in a way third grade, with the British occupying all the top jobs, the Eurasians having the leftovers and the Indians the crumbs. Still, being chief clerks in the Her Majesty’s Service was big deal in those days.
 
When we were given Independence, many of the top civil service jobs automatically went to the Eurasians and the Indians. They were the educated elites. Chinese educated elites only came into the picture later. Gradually over time the other races also graduated from the English stream, with graduates from the University of Singapore being available to the civil service and govt. The spread was more reflective of the composition of the races with meritocracy as a pillar for attaining high office.
 
Today, the fruit of meritocracy has ripen and we are seeing the best of the races rising to high positions in govt and the civil service. And the Indians have proven to be exceptionally talented, and surpassing the achievements of the early Indian pioneers. In Finance, we had an Indian Finance Minister who is also a Deputy PM and touted to be the next PM. The MAS is also headed by an Indian elite and the top national bank is also helmed by an Indian, albeit a new citizen. And not to forget, the Indian elites are helming most of the foreign banks in the island.
 
In the Ministry of Law we have an Indian Law Minister, an Indian Chief Justice, and now an Indian Attorney General. It would be full house if the Solicitor General is also an Indian elite.
 
Kudos to the Indian community for producing so many top ministers and civil servants at the same time. Kudos to our meritocratic system for being colour blind and allowing the best of talents regardless of race to rise to the top of their profession. Soon it will be regardless of nationality.
 
This is a golden era for the Indian community.
 
Oh, before I forget, with the Oracle in his twilight moments, the only thinker left in the island is also an Indian elite. All this can only be attributed to the wisdom of Hsien Loong. He has surpassed Chok Tong and LKY as the best PM the island ever had, at least in promoting meritocracy regardless of race and nationality. He cannot be accused of being partial to the Chinese or discriminating against the minority races.

Kopi Level - Green

USA signing another defence pact

Signing military pact is about the only thing left that the Americans can do well. It has nothing else to offer to the world except military might, the ability to incite and start wars, to intimidate, to threaten and conduct regime change. It has been doing this since the end of WW2, professing peace but starting wars and conducting wars across the world.
 
Yesterday it signed another defence pact with Manila and officially claiming that ti was not meant to contain China but knowing very well why Manila needs this military pact to back its outrageous and foolish behaviour against China. Obama also cited US defence treaty to defend Japanese territories, including territories in dispute or not part of Japan. For all intent and purposes, no one is believing what the Americans are saying and everyone is very clear the intent behind all these military pacts. Do not be surprised if a proposal for another military pact with Malaysia was on the table during Obama’s meeting with Najib.
 
China is furious and justifiably so. The military pact with Manila would simply embolden Aquino to be more reckless to take on China in the South China Sea. This military pact would only raise tension and the likelihood of a military confrontation between China and the Philippines.
 
China should not waste its time trying to be diplomatic to assuage the Americans from supporting the Pinoys. That is their intent and they will go all out to encourage the Pinoys to provoke the Chinese in the disputed islands. Both the Japanese and the Pinoys have the Americans behind them and would be more trigger happy to harass and attack the Chinese ships in the disputed seas. Regional tensions would only increase with the Americans claiming right of action to defend their military allies.
 
Did the Red Indians say white men spoke with fork tongue, or should it be changed to black men speak with fork tongue? With a bankrupt economy, the Americans have nothing left to offer except weapons of war.

SDP announcing its first candidate for the GE

Chee Soon Juan will be standing as a candidate for the SDP in the next GE. He has completely discharged his bankruptcy obligations after losing several libel suits against the PAP politicians. It has been a long time since he stood for a GE, best known or remembered when he challenged Chok Tong with the call, ‘Where is the money?’ or something like that. And that was followed by the sagas of postage fees and taxi fare claims when his professor had to take taxis to confirm that his claims were not in order. The thing that prevented him from standing in past GEs was his bankruptcy status due to his inability to pay the compensations awarded to those who brought suits against him.
 
Chee Soon Juan is back. Actually he never left. He was watching from the sideline or sitting at the benches, acting as manager or coaches to his team in every GE. How would the public view his return to the political fray? What were the wrongs of this man that had kept him away from political office for so long? He is no Anwar Ibrahim and less controversial in many ways. Would the voters take his past as a price he had to pay for being in politics at the wrong time when politics was vicious and ugly? I am not sure if it is less vicious and less ugly today. Only time will tell.
 
How would the PAP handle him this time with the old guards out of the way? Would Chee face the likes of LKY and Chok Tong again and go through the same political ordeal one more time? Or has time changed and the political climate is more stable, more mature and less vindictive and more civil? The PAP would likely put every obstacle they could find in his way to keep him out of Parliament. And they would have a lot to say about Chee Soon Juan. The only thing that matters is whether the voters would believe them or would even view them in favour of Chee.
 
There are many good things to talk about this man as a politician, tenacity, believing strongly in his cause and mission, offering an alternative formula to the current mantra, a no fly by night operator or fair weather politician. He would not go away after a defeat. He comes back fighting. Above all, he is a great orator and would give all the great debators in the PAP a run for their money in Parliament.
 
Would the people see the good things in this man to send him into Parliament? Or would they believe in the PAP narrative of Chee Soon Juan and turn away from him?

Kopi Level - Green