Low Thia Khiang’s constructive politics

Low Thia Khiang tried to expand Tony Tan’s call on constructive politics in Parliament yesterday. He made many good points about what destructive politics was all about. What he said made very good sense to me. But to some it would come through like high falutins. And to those who believe that his descriptions of destructive politics are constructive politics, they would not bother one bit to listen to what he was saying. Some may call him idealistic and his version of constructive politics as an aspiration. Politics was not meant to be constructive.
 
Though Tony Tan aspires for politics to be more constructive in his Presidential Address, he could really mean what he said and want it to happen, but how many people would listen to him and actually make politics more constructive? Maybe those who have been indulging in destructive politics believe that they were really constructive.
 
From the tone and emotion of the voices in Parliament yesterday, Tony Tan may need to visit Parliament again to explain what he really meant or his definition of constructive politics. The expression on the faces told all, who were being constructive and who were being destructive. I don’t think the house understood what Tony said or what he wanted. The mood, as usual, exuded contempt and hostility.
 
Low Thia Khiang’s effort to talk about constructive politics is more like 对牛弹琴。

Kopi Level - Green

Salute China for standing up to the bullying by Vietnam and the Philippines

Vietnamese ships have been encircling the Chinese oil rig inside Chinese territory in the South China Sea to harass and ram the rig for several weeks. Chinese coast guards and fishing boats have been defending the oil rig and blocking the aggressive advances of the Vietnamese boats.
 
China finally lost its patience after weeks of persistence harassments by the Vietnamese boats. This also came after the killings of Chinese workers and the burning of Chinese factories in Vietnam. Yesterday, 26 May, one Vietnamese fishing boat attempted to break the Chinese defence line was rammed and sunk. The Vietnamese sailors were picked up by other Vietnamese boats in the area.
 
China has to act fast to stem the hostile actions of the Vietnamese. This sinking would also serve as a warning to the Pinoys that China meant business and would take on the Americans if provoked further. China would not yield in the presence of the American naval fleet and would go to war with the Americans if forced to.
 
China has no option and to remain defensive under such adverse provocations would be read as a sign of weakness and would embolden the Vietnamese and the Pinoys and the Americans as well.
 
The sinking of the Vietnamese fishing boat could lead to an escalation of tension in the South China Sea and even open warfare. China must be prepared for this scenario as the two pesky countries would be coming back more aggressively with the support of the Americans. The Americans would be pushing hard for the two belligerent countries to attack China and force China to retaliate. Like it or not, China would have to hit back as the Americans would not allow the Chinese in peace.
 
War is imminent in the South China Sea.

Jonathan Eyal and his western lens

Jonathan Eyal has been given a special place in the ST to expound his western views on Asian affairs and influencing the unthinking minds of his Asian readers. His position is always about American exceptionalism and that the Americans either has the right to continue kicking the asses of Asians or the Americans are so innocent, angelic, and would not do anything mischievous or slimy. The Americans don’t conduct spying activities.
 
His latest article, ‘US China cyber nefarious new face’, on the Americans charging 5 Chinese officials in China for cyberspying in American courts is like the Americans doing the right thing and the Chinese doing the wrong thing as usual. The Americans would not do such a thing, spying on foreign corporations to steal commercial secrets. Neither would Americans be spying on foreign leaders until it was exposed by Edward Snowden. Before the revelations by Snowden, Eyal would likely to swear that the Americans would not indulge in such a dastardly thing, to spy on foreign leaders, listening to their mobiles and private conversations, even the leaders of their allies.
 
This is what Eyal said, ‘While the Snowden revelations raise questions,… none has indicated the existence of a deliberate US programme targeting foreign corporations in order to steal their know how.’ Yeah, before Snowden, there was also no indication of the existence of deliberate US programme targeting foreign leaders too.
 
How old is this Eyal, 3 years old? He is so innocent. Maybe he should consider writing nursery rhymes or fairy tales where the prince will ride into the sunset to live happily ever after with his princess. The gullible Asians would love to read his fairy tales of precocious innocence.
 
Oh, in his concluding paragraph he warns China that the US would launch a cyber attack against China if China does not stop snooping on American corporations. The snooping around of American corporations was started by the Chinese. The nice and innocent Americans would not have started it. CIA stands for Children Intelligence Association and NSA stands for National Students Association.

Kopi Level - Green

Everything is improving

This is the message I got while watching the special programme on Parliament Reopens hosted by Sharon Tong. The panelists included Gerald Giam, Chan Chun Sing, Tan Su Shan and Zulkifli Baharuddin, the latter two, one an NMP and the other ex NMP, more or less agreed that everything was improving. And at the rate they were improving, things would get better by the next GE.
 
The first thing that was improving according to the panelists was property supply and prices. The supply problem has been taken care of after 77,000 units were offered by HDB in the last 2 or 3 years. So, from under building to ramping up building more flats, the shortages immediately improved. What a clever piece of decision making. I never thought it could be solved so easily. How come they never think of it in the first place? They must have found a genius to think of such an ingenious solution. Layman or common people would have great difficulties even trying to think about it.
 
And property prices are coming down by 0.6%! Very encouraging indeed. How much have property prices gone up in the last 10 years? 100%, 200% or 300%? Anyone got any idea? I think, without even looking at statistics, just gut feel, the prices of HDB flats bought direct from HDB and now available in the resale market are easily 2 or 3 times the original sales price. At 0.6% change, how many hundred years would be needed for the price to come down by 50% or 30%?
 
What else is improving? I saw a figure on the issue of Employment Pass. It went down from 80,000 to 40,000 last year. And employment of locals gone up from 40,000 to 80,000. What a miracle. And rightly, logically, by not issuing more EPs, the locals would naturally be employed to fill up the positions. Wait a minute, how many of the locals are citizens? Someohow I got this uneasy feeling that when they lumped everything under ‘locals’ the number of citizens cannot be too many. Just my gut feel. So, things are improving. Ho say leow.
 
Another area of improvement is the number of stoppages of trains. This has gone down from its peak. Since when were there so many incidents of train stoppages? When was the time when train stoppages were a rarity? Is it really improving? What is the reference point? Zero stoppages or high stoppages?
 
I think there was another point mentioned as improving. Oh, income gap is improving, I mean narrowing. Sure what, with the wages of cleaners increased from less than $1000 to $1000, the gap must have closed up a bit. One caveat for this to be true, the top earners must not be earning more, assuming that their income stagnates or not changing. Like that sure the income gap will be narrowing.
 
I must agree that things are getting rosier when the major bugbears are improving. I can’t disagree with the panelists. No wonder they all looked so happy, and so was the minister.

Kopi Level - Green

Roy Ngerng is not alone

The defamation suit against Roy Ngerng by Hsien Loong is not a case of Hsien Loong versus Roy Ngerng. It has taken on a national character. When it started it was like Goliath going to thump down David. And it was a non event as the ending was as good as history.
 
No one could envisage the outcry and ground swell in support of Roy Ngerng. The outpouring of support for Roy in the social media is only a tip of the iceberg. Many are opening up their Ovaltine tins and counting how much they have to donate to Roy’s legal fee. Some volunteered to donate their CPF savings to Roy. Some are calling for a public donation in the event of an expensive legal tussle in court.
 
This event is turning into the masses, comprising the CPF members affected on one side, and Hsien Loong on the other. Hsien Loong is looking like taking on the CPF members instead of Roy alone. The rallying cry in support of Roy is getting louder. There could be a bigger turnout in Hong Lim on 7 June than expected.
 
The Hong Lim Rally on CPF could be an indication of how strong is the ground and how strong the support for Roy. And there are many silent supporters not saying anything but fully behind Roy and waiting to donate money to Roy’s cause.
 
Roy is turning into a rallying point in this CPF saga. The people, and there are at least two million CPF holders, could be taking sides with Roy and turning this defamation lawsuit into a Battle Royale between the govt and the people. The event is just beginning to unfold and the trophy at stake is the CPF money.
 
Would this molehill turn into a mountain of grievances and an exploding volcano? Or would Hsien Loong take his winnings and walk away to close the chapter?
 
Fish could be singing in background. ‘Hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men….’

Kopi Level - Green

Chuan Jin – CPF is your money

It is good that Chuan Jin came out to try to clarify the issues of CPF money and why the Govt is devising all the schemes to help the CPF members. I am wondering how many people buy his logic and explanations and are satisfied by what Chuan Jin said, or is Chuan Jin thinking that he has done his job in clarifying the misconceptions or wrong perceptions by the CPF members.
 
There are two key principles involved in the CPF saving scheme. One is that the CPF savings are the people’s money, not the Govt’s money. Chuan Jin has clarified this point, that the money is the people’s money. So, would the Govt still think it can meddle with the people’s money as it deems fit, as if the money belongs to the Govt? On what moral ground does the Govt think would justify its actions? The people are stupid or would throw away their money in Batam? Is this a reasonable and acceptable explanation for the Govt to keep the people’s money from the people? The people cannot manage their money? The same logic applies to the people in Govt, even if they have hundreds of millions when they retired, can they handle their money and not squander it away?
 
The second point is about retirement. CPF savings should be returned to the owners when they retired. When retirement age was 55, the money was returned at 55. Now because people live longer, work longer and retire later, the retirement age has been raised, to 60, 62, 65 and so on. Why is it that not all the money was returned to the people when they retired?
 
The logic of people living longer is not a new phenomenon relative to their retirement age. When people were retiring at 55, many lived till their 70s or 80s or 90s. The money was returned and they had to manage them and their lives. Some would do it better some would not. No one was arrogant enough to play God, to assume the role of God, to decide to arbitrarily hold on to the people’s money then.
 
The only difference maybe the people in Govt then did not think they were Gods or immortals or super beans that were smarter than the masses. Today they are different, they know best and arrogated themselves as demigods, even knowing how long a person would live, and how stupid and irresponsible the masses are in the handling of their money.
 
Remember the bell curve. This is applicable in nearly all situations. Today, there will still be people who would be stupid or through bad luck or bad decisions, lose their life savings before they die. Today, even among the immortals and demigods, there will also be some who would be stupid and lose all their millions before they die. What is the difference? There is no exception in the bell curve.
 
Back to the retirement age. This is now used, together with longer lifespan, to prolong keeping the people’s money in the CPF. So, if the retirement age is 80 or 90 or 100, the people can only take back their CPF at these ages? Oh, technically the people can still take back their CPF at 55, this has not changed except for this thing called the Minimum Sum. And do not forget there is another Minimum Sum that many would not get to touch, the Medisave Minimum Sum.
 
The Minimum Sums have changed the whole concept of CPF and the right of the people to their money. So, did Chuan Jin clarify what the CPF is all about and why the Govt has the right to meddle with the people’s life savings to the satisfaction of the people? Does Chuan Jin and the Govt really believe that the CPF money is the people’s money or otherwise? If it is the people’s money, what right does the Govt has to keep the money from the people in the Minimum Sums?
 
Did Chuan Jin address the people’s problems and concerns with their life savings?

Kopi Level - Yellow

Singaporeans First Party

In the crowded political scene of opposition parties, the emergence of another new political party would definitely raised eyebrows. Any political watcher would have a lot of things to say, of doubts and doubts about the doubts they have created over such a party. I could have written another ten pages or articles to create a veil of uncertainties and smokescreens on this new party. I choose to look at it from its relevance to the political situation existing now.
 
Singapore is facing several very serious political changes that could turn into major political crises in the future if allowed to go unchecked. The most crucial change that Singaporeans are facing, I mean Singaporeans, no, I mean true blue Singaporeans, not the instant trees, and not the locals, is their decimation and eventual existence as an absolute minority in the country their forefathers have fought and worked so hard for, a legacy that would not be theirs to inherit.
 
What am I saying, true blue Singaporeans, ie, born and bred here Singaporeans are already an absolute minority today! This is a part of the statistics that is best left unsaid. What is worst is the fate of these true blue Singaporeans, their economical and social well beings. Are they getting a fair share, a bigger share of their inheritance? No? What inheritance? This is just an island and anyone who claims to be more meritocratic, who claims to be cleverer, should take over this island. It does not belong to true blue Singaporeans. It belongs to the people of the world!???
 
The children of the first wife is now being treated worse than the children of the mistresses, worse than the children of the stepmothers, worse than the children of unknown mothers, children of wild oats. And these children that have invaded their home, oops, not invaded but invited to the home, are bullying and discriminating the children of the legitimate first wife. Should the children of the first wife accept their fate, to be run down, to be ousted and booted out from their home? The newcomers and traitors are telling Singaporeans to get out if they cannot stand the heat.
 
Is there anyone championing the cause and the interests of the children of the first wife, the true blue Singaporeans? This is where Singaporeans First Party comes in. There is no political party in the island today that is standing up to fight and defend the rights and interests of Singaporeans as their main objective. They are all intoxicated by the silly mantra of meritocracy regardless of nationality. Or is it meritocrazy?
 
I like the ideology of the Singaporeans First Party spelt out in its manifesto. For the first time, a political party is using a loud hailer to speak for the interests of true blue Singaporeans, to fight for the interests of true blue Singaporeans without having to feel ashamed of it. The interests of true blue Singaporeans have been eroded over the years and must be stopped before it is too late.
 
I hope no one is going to stand up and accuse the Singaporeans First Party as xenophobic, as anti foreigners. And this Party is aware of this trick and has clarified that it is not xenophobic. Yes, being pro Singaporeans is not xenophobic. Only traitors or anti Singaporeans would say such a thing, to denounce Singaporeans for wanting to protect the interests of Singaporeans.
 
I wish this party well and to live up to its manifesto as a pro Singaporeans party. I wish all the other Singaporean political parties would take the cue from this Party to sing the same song. Singapore is for Singaporeans First. And I hope this Party would be able to work closely with the other parties to put up a good fight for the good of Singaporeans.
The Singaporeans First Party has its work cut out for it. It has a very crucial task ahead, to protect and serve the interests of Singaporeans first, not locals, not foreigners first.

Kopi Level - Red

Solidarity of opposition parties

Met Tan Jee Say yesterday and he confirmed that he was setting up a new political party. All the people present received this piece of news with mixed feelings. How is this going to help the cause of the opposition parties to unseed the ruling party, or at least to present a strong united front and to carve up more seats and GRCs for the opposition? The very thought of more opposition parties being formed always elicit the fear of vote splitting and weakening the opposition’s position.

Jee Say was quick to allay the fears of more splits and dilution of votes. He would not be a spoiler to create confusion and three corner fights. He will work closely with the other opposition parties in a united front, or at least would not undermine their common cause. We would have to see what really happens when the GE is announced. And there are always the wise voters to count on like in the Punggol East by election when the fight was a clear opposition versus the PAP and the irrelevant opposition parties would be abandoned by the single minded voters.

The fact that Jee Say attended the NSP fund raising dinner could be seen as a positive sign that he was willing to play ball and be a team player. And he was not the only one present. The WP, SDP, SPP and PKMS were also there with their top leaders showing support and unity in the opposition camp. For Low Thia Khiang, Sylvia Lim and Gerald Giam to attend the function was a good way to dispel the impression that the WP is aloft and would want to go it alone, ignoring the other opposition parties as inconsequential. For the opposition leaders to be seating together in the same table is a promising start, that at least they are willing to talk, to eat and drink together and be friends.

Opposition solidarity is the key to fight a successful battle in the next GE. If the opposition parties are unable to come together, or at least not to split and fight among themselves, the task to unseat the incumbent party would be that much harder. There are still many things that can happen as we close in on D Day, either this year or 2015. Would it be a serious battle with serious contenders, or would it be another circus with jokers popping up everywhere and in the most undesirable places to create more confusion? Let’s wait and see.

Kopi Level - Yellow

A time to repent

Many people go to church on Sunday. Some go to seek comfort some to confess and some to repent. The recent uproar on the development of the CPF schemes particularly on the retention of the people’s life time savings is being felt the wrong way by many affected CPF members. Many in the social media are speaking out on something they know isn’t right. And a young man, Roy Ngerng, is now in hot soup for stating his case too strong and rubbing Hsien Loong the wrong way.

The Govt has been making a lot of changes to the CPF schemes on the ground that they are the elected representatives of the people, the lawmakers and thus bestowed to the to make whatever changes they deemed necessary, all legally under the law. No MPs or Ministers have spoken firmly against the changes, presumably agreeing that there is nothing wrong with the changes. No one questions the legality of it all, assuming that everything done is legal as long as the Govt says so, absolutely legal.

From the aspects of ethics and morality, from the angle of equity and fairness, from the point of social justice, is there no wrong about keeping the people’s life time savings away from them and deciding what to do with them without their consent and changing the date of withdrawal, with some in the Medisave Minimum Sums that may not be withdrawal at all unless the member is seriously ill or hospitalised. Otherwise the money would go to his beneficiary without him enjoying it after saving it for a lifetime.

The silence or lack of objection by the Ministers and MPs is as good as all agrees to the changes, all supports the changes and all does not see anything wrong with all the changes. Many have voted to the changes, but many changes were not even discussed or addressed in Parliament. Whether the Ministers and MPs voted in support of the changes in the CPF Schemes or simply abstained, without saying no to the changes when they can, they are all in it, all in support of the changes, tacitly, reluctantly, grudgingly or willingly.

I am just wondering if any Minister or MP has any misgivings about the changes to the CPF Schemes. Do their conscience prick them when the people are kept away from withdrawing their savings on reaching the age of 55 and henceforth a higher age to be introduced over the years? Nothing wrong about it, nothing wrong with the meddling of the people’s lifetime savings against their wishes, without their consent? In all fairness and with one hand touching the heart, does anyone of them think they have the right to mess around with other people’s money, the money that people saved over a lifetime, to act as if they are the guardian angels vested with the power to do as they want, inventing more and more schemes while the people getting angrier and angrier?

Can these people sleep well? Or can these people say they have nothing to do with the changes, that they too did not agree with the changes? Can they be excused or be guilt free when they are the elected people’s representatives and could do something about it but did nothing? All 87 MPs and Ministers are saying yes to all the schemes or not saying no while they people’s money slips further and further from their fingers. It is perfectly ok to mess around with other people's life savings.

Kopi Level - Yellow

What is happening to our CPF savings

Roy Ngerng got into trouble with Hsien Loong over the issue of CPF savings. Though the pertinent point in his trespass was about an allegation of corruption, the origin came from the heated arguments on why the Govt is adamant to hold back the people’s saving for an ever and ever longer period. There is a perception, rightly or wrongly, that the Govt is unable to return the people’s saving when they hit 55, now not even that, but at 62, 65 or even later.

This return of the people’s saving to their owners has never been an issue up to some time in year 2000. The older generations have no problem getting their money back and thus it was a non issue. It started to become an issue after that with the problem and irritation increasing in momentum. For those in their 60s, not all were able to withdraw all their savings when they reached 55. But the sum retained by the CPF under all the new minimum sums and medisave schemes were bearable. They grudgingly took whatever they could and saw a small chunk of their money becoming untouchable. Some have no issues with the retention as they will get higher interest rate of 4%. Some were against the retention on grounds of principle that no govt should be allowed to use legislation to keep the people’s saving against their will. Compulsion is unacceptable and unethical even if the intention was good and the interest rate was higher.

Today, with the combined minimum sums hitting $200,000, this is no small change, the anger mounted. It is just too much to bear. And for the younger generations, they could expect the sum to go even higher with some projecting the sums to hit $500,000 in years to come, or more. Eventually, the net effect is that there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow after a life time of intense savings.

The other troubling thought is that the Govt has mismanaged the funds and is now caught in a situation that it is unable to return the money to the people. Some even imagined that the CPF vault is empty. These are just perceptions of the people who have money in the CPF. The truth may be the reverse, that the CPF is full of money, safe and sound and could return all the money when due and there is really nothing to worry about. All the sleepless nights are unnecessary and a waste of time.

How then could the Govt convince the people that the money is safe and well? All the schemes to retain the people’s money, the shifting of the goal posts, are telling the people all is not well. You cannot blame the people from thinking so. Can the Govt come out and assure the people, with clear and unquestionable facts and figures to prove beyond doubt that the money is there? The Govt has to do something about this to quell the suspicion and loss of confidence by the people on this matter. Not explaining and clearing the doubts of the people will not do and will only increase the simmering unease of the people. Roy Ngerng and Han Hui Hui and all the speakers will have a lot of things to say and a lot of questions to ask at Hong Lim Park on 7 June.

If, ‘sway sway’, the suspicion is true, that because of the huge long term investments, the assets cannot be easily liquidated to repay the CPF members, or if what the people feared, that a lot of money had been wiped away by bad investments, and there is an urgent need to kick the can further down the road and hoping that the investment will turn good in the long run, it would be better to face the truth and tell the people about it. Living in denial when there is a big hole to patch is a bad idea. It is worse if, trying to live with a lie, the Govt continues to put on a false front that all is well, and can still afford to throw money around like a rich philanthropist. The Govt is very rich and can give and give and give, to the NSmen’s CPF, more subsidies, more funds to international organisations, more overseas investments like there is unlimited supply of funds in the Govt’s treasury.

If, I say, if, the situation is dire, it is better to start on a belt tightening policy and cut waste, cut wasteful spending on the unnecessary, throwing parties costing millions all over the world, non stop celebrations on every excuse to show that we have the money to spend, we are very rich but cannot repay the CPF members when due.

Until the Govt stop devising more schemes to keep the people’s CPF savings for as long as the Govt needs to, the people is going to see these schemes in a different light. The Govt needs a confidence building measure exercise to assure the masses that all is really fine. And one thing it can do is to stop all these schemes and start to return the money to the people. If it cannot do so, it is better to stop spending furiously on parties and to give generously when the people are asking for their money back.

What is the truth? Who knows? The people can only postulate, imagine or guess from the actions of the Govt and its policies on the CPF money. The ball is now in the Govt’s court. There is a lot of explanations and proof to convince the people not to worry. And it is not just about how good and well is the communication or the way it is said. It is about the hard truth and facts and figures, and nothing less. No PR exercise is good enough to avoid from telling the truth.

Kopi Level - Green

An easy solution to appease the unhappiness of NSmen

Front page news today on a slew of incentives to make NSmen feel appreciated short of a ‘love letter’ when love is in the air. Actually the solution is so simple and no need to have so many complicated schemes that mean really nothing. Money into CPF to be used to pay for what, no need to guess. One hand gives and another takes.
 
Everyone, especially NSmen and their families, knows how big the sacrifices are from an NSman to the country. It is a life time commitment and a life time irritation and disruption to their lives and the lives of their loved ones, provided nothing bad happens to them when performing their NS duties. No need to think about those being incapacitated or died in NS. No amount of money can compensate them and their families for the loss.
 
Can these sacrifices be equated to the sacrifices of ministers? Our ministers all claimed to have made big sacrifices like earning lesser than they should be earning, and all the bad publicities, no privacy, no time for family and children and so many other things. Like so ‘charm’ like that. The sacrifices of NSmen may not be more but definitely not lesser than the few years of great sacrifices of the ministers and their loss in multi million dollar incomes.
 
If this is noted and recognized, then the solution is very simple. There is no need to pay the NSmen millions as compensations like the ministers. Just pay them market rate like a hundred thousand will do, graduating with their level of contributions. Of course this is day dreaming and foolish talk. Cannot use money as an incentive lah! Joke only can? Money incentive is only useful to attract super talents to become politicians. But, but a simple solution like this can solve everything right? And it is so easy to administer and with one stroke of the pen, nearly all the problems will be solved, all the grievances will be passé.
 
Isn’t it all about money? If everyone is thinking about money, about millions, NSmen must also be thinking about money right? Tiok boh? You talk money, want more money, NSmen stupid or what?

PS. So shiok to be talking cock.

Kopi Level - Green

When you think they are very nice

The Vietnamese revealed their true colour and started to kill Chinese workers and factories in their country. And Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore were not spared. They did not know the difference? Chinese are Chinese. They may be 3rd World but they are not daft and ignorant. They are just what they are, 3rd World nice people putting on a mask. Just give them a chance to turn into beasts.
 
The Chinese have been pumping real money into Vietnam to help grow their economy and providing jobs for the Vietnamese. When they decided to show their ugly self, they will transform themselves from the very nice people to hooligans, thugs, rioters and murderers and ingrates. Would China be so stupid to pour in more money into Vietnam? Don’t expect them to change.
 
This is applicable to the Pinoys. Look at how trigger happy they were against the Taiwanese and Hongkies. Look at how wild they are when they have guns in their hands. Very nice people? You are only seeing one side of the coin.
 
We have the same experience in Geylang and Little India. The 3rd World people are very nice only when they need to. Give them the slightest excuse and they will turn wild, like beasts. We gave them good jobs, good opportunities to make good money. But deep down, the 3rd World sick mentality is suppressed and you will not know when they will show their true self.
 
Integrate with them, go and reach out to them? You know how they behave in Sentosa Beach parties and all the big mass parties on the streets of Orchard Road? They are nice only up to a point. And they can be very wild and very ugly if you are not careful. And we are no match for them in brutality, primitiveness and viciousness.
 
Beware, be careful. We have come so far in civilizing ourselves, do not take personal safety and security for granted. We are different, at different stages of social and human development. Sinkies have been living a good life, have not been robbed, beaten except for the taxi drivers, have not been raped in big scale. Do not take personal or national safety and security for granted. Don’t ask for it, don’t invite trouble. Better be safe than be sorry.
 
What happens to the kiasi mentality? We let our guards down to theses strangers from the 3rd World, people we do not know, hardly know, and we open ourselves, our homes to them assuming that they are just as nice like one of us. My God, how daft Sinkies can be? Kindness does not always beget kindness to people you don’t have a clue who they are or what is in their mind.

Kopi Level - Green

American terrorism up another scale

The Americans unilaterally charged Chinese officials in China for cyberspying in American courts. And the Chinese officials have not even set foot in American soil but residing in China. China is understandably furious with such audacious act of terrorism against its state officials. It is lodging protest to the US Govt to drop the ridiculous charges. The Americans are unlikely to do so. What China can do is to declare all those parties involved in this scam, the prosecutors and the judges as terrorists and issue a warrant of arrest for them should they set foot in Chinese territories, Hong Kong and Macau included. That is the only way to deal with such international terrorists.
 
The Chinese have also retaliated by exposing the Americans as the biggest culprit in cyber espionage and attacking Chinese sites. The Americans have been so use to run roughshod over China and other countries for several decades in spying activities. They used to fly their spy planes over Chinese territories to take photographs of military and sensitive sites blatantly and with impunity knowing China could not bring down their spy planes. They only stopped this bullying when China started shooting them down.
 
This did not stop this international terrorist from stopping what they were doing to spy on China. They flew their spy planes up and down the coast of eastern China on espionage missions. They only scaled down such outrageous display of military might when a Chinese aircraft rammed into one such spy plane and forced it to land in Hainan for the Chinese to strip it clean of its espionage equipment.
 
The Americans are the biggest bullying and culprit as far as espionage and cyberspying are concerned. Edward Snowden had disclosed their nefarious activities and all the countries concerned should rightly charge those Americans for spying and intrusion into their privacy. The German Chancellor, the Malaysian and Indonesian leaders, and many world leaders are victims to such vile acts called spying by the Americans.
 
The victims of Americans spying should charge the Americans officials involved in their own courts and issue warrants of arrest when they set foot in their countries, and give the Americans a taste of their own medicine to stop such bullying. The directors of NSA, CIA, DIA and other American intelligence agencies should be charged in the same way the Chinese officials are charged. Both can play the same game.

Kopi Level - Green

Revamping the CPF?

I have seen some comments calling for a revamp of the CPF these few days. It is fat hope if anything meaningful is allowed to strangle this golden goose that lays the golden eggs. Yes, this public fund, the life time savings of the people for retirement has now been hijacked into something else. It is the nation’s reserves, I can’t believe it when I heard this. It is the biggest source of cheap loan to the govt. No, that is not accurate. It is the biggest source of cheap loan to the govt and with a flexi date for redemption. And to some people, they can commandeer it to make compulsory purchases of things that the owners of the money have no right of refusal.
 
Now who would want to change the CPF to its original form and design, to return the money to their rightful owners as contractually agreed upon? I know, many people would want it to be that way, the owners of the money. Unfortunately they have little say on this.
 
So, what do you think will be the so called changes to the CPF? More money to be kept in the CPF for the good of the CPF members. That must be the only way forward. It benefits everyone who needs the money to churn. The real owners of the money can only smile at the huge numbers in their monthly reports from the CPF and be glad that they have so much money in their savings.
 
The CPF was created at a time when people worked and then retired, at 55. Then the sum grew so big that the money could be put to other uses like the purchase of homes. And still there was so much money left and many schemes were hatched to utilize the money until we hit the current crisis. Not enough money for retirement.
 
But who is talking about retirement? If the people are to work till they die, with no retirement, why is there a need for CPF to provide for retirement? And why is the people’s savings become the nation’s reserves?
 
What do you think? Any human rights lawyer think there is no violation of human rights, the right to your own property/money? Can a govt be given full liberty to do as it pleases with the people’s life savings? This is the people’s life savings, not dole or handouts by the govt.

Kopi Level - Green

Boon Wan suggests using robots at construction sites

When Boon Wan suggested the use of robots in construction sites, specifically in tile laying, it was done in all seriousness. But as expected, cynicism will rule the day and you can expect the kind of responses and comments in social media to his serious proposition. Below are a few such comments appearing in the above thread in TRE. Just read them with a high dosage of humility and jest and don’t take them seriously. They were not meant to be.
 
robot speech: yes master!:
May 20, 2014 at 5:13 pm (Quote)
may i suggest a type of robot called tape recorder to replace PAP ministers? can playback the same story. cheaperer, fasterer, betterer
using robots will help to increase productivity and reduce the risk of defamation accidents.
 
Robotics is not new, but we hardly see them in PAP parliament. Sgs will be happy to provide some funding support to help change the status quo.
Rating: +75 (from 77 votes)
 
robots in parliament?:
May 20, 2014 at 5:13 pm (Quote)
How about using robots to replace some of the clowns who seems to be sleeping in Parliament!!??…and not forgetting those who f**t thru’ their top orifices!!…at least robots don’t f**t and pollute the atmosphere!!
Rating: +64 (from 64 votes)
 
Ck:
May 20, 2014 at 5:14 pm (Quote)
I think PAP Robotic Youth Wing is so much Cheaper . Suit this job .
Rating: +59 (from 59 votes)
 
Jack:
May 20, 2014 at 5:22 pm (Quote)
I wish we could replace him with a robot.
Anyway Young PAP got plenty of robots already.
Rating: +53 (from 53 votes)
 
How can robots replace politicians in Parliament? The thought is untenable. The only thing, or a few things that the robots would come in handy in Parliament are attendance and voting, and programmed to cheer or jeer. Robots can ensure perfect attendance in Parliament without dozing off and be caught in camera. Robots can be programmed to look very interested and even taking notes. Think these are about the only things the robots can do well.
 
In Parliament, the politicians are expected to think and to ask clever and right questions. This is a skill that robots would not be able to do. Robots can ask questions but the questions may be too blunt and undiplomatic or not the right questions to ask. They may end up getting sued. Oh, the robots may have an advantage when being sued. Cannot bankrupt a robot right?
 
And out of Parliament, how to attend an election rally to hear robots speaking on stage? Where got fun? How to attend meet the people’s session to meet the robot? Sure the commentators are just joking, having a little fun. I repeat, no need to be serious about this.
 
If robots are really that useful, how about replacing the 5.4m population with robots? It may come true one day. Robots may take over countries and the whole world when they are programmed to be too clever as in some sci fi fiction. Mutiny of the robots is a possibility when their intelligence overtakes those of human beans.
 
Don’t wish too much from robots. Initially they may just be parroting. But your wish can turn ugly when the daft robots start to think.
 
I would like to programme robots to buy me more kopis : )

Kopi Level - Green

Indian voters dump ‘out of touch’ leaders & government

On May 16 2014 India witnessed the biggest landslide victory of Narendra Modi led BJP (Barath iya Janta Party) over the dynasty ruling Indian Congress Party.
It shockingly ended the dynastic ruling Congress party’s grip and control of the Indian nation via the Gandhi family led by Sonia Gandhi and dynastical heir apparent poor and much criticized Rahul Gandhi
 
Though BJP itself have won elections before under the former coalition government of former BJP Leader A. Vajpayee, the current huge landslide win by Gujrat Chief Minister and Prime ministerial Candidate is earth shattering in India.
 
Why?
 
• It was the people’s overwhelming mandate to a former humble tea seller’s son who had proven himself as a leader with good track record in development as seen in the state of Gujrat by throwing out all the corruption and power failed rule of Gandhi elite.
 
• It was the people’s total rejection of the many failed policies, numerous blunders committed by the Ruling Congress Party which was also plagued by numerous corruption scandals like Coal Scandal, railway scandal/etc.
 
• And most importantly poor leadership by PM Manmohan Singh who was widely a ceremonial PM while Gandhi family via Sonia Gandhi ruled India.
 
• Indians wanted jobs, arrest the spiraling cost of living and food prices (inflation), development of states which have been neglected because of a poor central government & leader and complete stagnation of growth and opportunities for middle class and poor Indian citizens.
 
• Even businesses were stalled and affected by the poor government and leadership which have resulted in the massive rejection of the Ruling Congress and a full stop to Dynastic rule at the PM level…. Posted by Marky Sim in TRE
 
The above are the introductory paragraphs of an article posted by Marky Sim in TRE. After reading it, I was asking myself, if you change the words Indian and India to Singaporean and Singapore, Congress Party to PAP, and change the family name, it is like a forecast of a report of a GE in the future, maybe the next GE or in some GE further down the road. Some of the factors and conditions are very similar and familiar to what is happening here.
 
Can it really happen here? Congress and the Gandhi family were so entrenched in India that no one could foresee their obliteration from the govt and politics of India. Yet, after 65 years of might and glory, it came to a dismal ending. Rahul is a fake in every sense of the word. He is not meant to be a politician but a scion of a very rich and powerful family who is enjoying his life of luxury. At best he could be put there by his mother as a politician and pretend to be one. And Sonia is not Indira or at least not in her class. The fate of the Congress Party was all there to be rewritten and the time has come for it to pass.
 
Can it happen in Sin City? Far fetch, we are different?

Kopi Level - Green

Obama only worths US$7m!

It is reported that Obama, the President of the USA is worth a meager US$7m or lesser. Accordingn to money.cnn.com, ‘(15 May) The White House on Thursday released the latest financial disclosures for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
The Obamas were worth between $2 million and $7 million in 2013.
 
While about the same as the previous year, that’s down considerably from 2010, when they were worth between $2.8 million and $11.8 million….
 
Vice President Joe Biden and his wife were worth between $276,000 and $943,000.’
 
Oh mine, these people are considered poor in the island of Singapore where every average citizen is worth at least half a million or more. Many of the hawkers or taxi drivers are probably richer than the Joe Bidens. Don’t even compare them with our politicians. Hmmm, when they met and sized each other up, what would each be thinking about the other’s wealth or worth?
 
And to think that some of the ministers are likely to be worth many hundreds of million or more.
 
Obama, want to try to be our citizen and make a run for the Presidency or the Premiership? Guaranteed would make you ten times richer in just one term. Please think about it seriously. Our door is always open for you. As for Joe Biden, no need to try. 50% of our population is richer than you and that includes very ordinary Singaporeans.

The bull of retraining PMETs

The pathetic plight of the PMETs did not happen overnight and is affecting a large pool of our PMETs. Many of them are highly qualified and experienced in their areas of expertise. Now we can hear daily diatribes and garbages about how these PMETs are not fit or did not have the skill sets to be reemployed in their fields of expertise and their jobs have to be taken over by foreigners. So the only remedy is to retrain them. I will touch on these two fallacies here, the lack of skill sets of PMETs and the retraining.
 
There is this myth that the foreigners brought in to replace our experience PMETs have the experienced and skill sets to do the job that the PMETs have been doing as the incumbent. As the incumbent he is suddenly not fit for the job? How come? And the successor, where is this turkey from and what skill sets and experience that he possesses to be able to do the job that the incumbent no longer is able to do? Think? Even if the successor comes with a string of PhDs, it does not mean he is more able to do the job when the extra qualifications and experience are irrelevant and redundant. There is no need to hire a nuclear scientist to be a technician.
 
Why are the PMETs being replaced by foreigners to easily and cannot find another similar jobs in the industry when there are hundreds of thousands of jobs being taken over by foreigners? Think. What the fuck is happening?
 
Now the retraining part. A highly experienced professional needs more training to be employable? What the fuck is that? What kind of training can one provide to a highly experienced and technically qualified professional at the peak of his career unless you are talking about a career change?
 
What career change, upgrading, promotion to a more senior level? Or training a professional to downgrade, to become a salesman, a technician in a completely new field, like a nurse or a counter sales staff or a cleaner? Why are we wasting the training and experience of these highly qualified professionals when we can offer hundreds of thousands of jobs to funny foreign talents with funny qualifications, background and experience? Are we thinking? Do we know the problem? Are we creating new problems, wasting our talent and resources to under employ our talents?
 
It is utterly foolish and idiotic that our local talents who are educated in the best educational system, universities, acquired a lot of experienced as senior managers are found no longer fit to do jobs at the same level and funny foreigners are deemed to be better. And we consigned our precious human talents, after heavy investments, to the rubbish dump at the prime of their lives, to retrain them to do non executive or low level jobs when there are so many good jobs given to foreigners.
 
The answer is to ensure that our local talents are gainfully and appropriate employed according to their expertise and experience. The foreigners should not be here to displace them. They are here to complement our shortage in skilled labour. Isn’t that the objective? Until all our PMETs are fully employed, MOM should not grant any more EPs to foreigners at the expense of our PMETs.
 
Are we crazy to retrain our PMETs to lower jobs? It is not a matter of pride but misallocation of resources. Do they believe that human resource is our most precious asset? Why are we wasting this precious resource and keep replacing them with funny foreign talents? This is like a nation of people self administering poison to kill themselves. It is economic suicide of a population of professional and talented people. 

It is euthanasia of the PMETs.

Kopi Level - RED!!!!

Write Thank You letters to the FWs

 Some of the commentators in the Talking Point discussion on integrating FWs felt they had done a good job in showing their appreciation to the FWs for building our homes and infrastructure. They wrote ‘love letters’ to thank them for helping to build Sin City into a better place for us.
 
I have served my NS and am still waiting for a ‘love letter’ from grateful Sinkies to thank me for my sacrifice to the nation, to risk breaking arms and legs, and life to defend country and the Sinkies. Is my contribution to the nation lesser than the FWs? Is the contribution of NSmen less meaningful than the FWs that no one deems fit to write them a ‘love letter’ to show how grateful they are to the NSmen?
 
Mind you, the NSmen’s sacrifice is done with peanuts, paid peanuts, even less than the FWs. And their sacrifices are almost a life time. Would any do gooders, sensitive and grateful Sinkie like to suggest to other appreciative Sinkies to write a ‘love letter’ to the NSmen to say thank you?
 
I don’t even remember Mindef saying thank you to me when ROD. Maybe the Kindness Movement can try doing this, write a ‘love letter’ to all NSmen. But I must say this will be nothing as it will be just printing and mass mailing them to everyone. Quite meaningless really when there is something lacking in these letters, the lack of a heart. It will be so different from the ‘love letters’ by concerned and caring Sinkies to the FWs to show their heartfelt thanks.
 
Tiok boh? How about making this a topic in Talking Point huh, Steve Chia?

Kopi Level - Red. Ouch!

Sinkies are a joke

Let me explain, let me explain. I know you are unhappy when I say that. Calling you Sinkies is already bad enough. Now calling you a joke, sure tak boleh tahan. But come on, the facts speak for itself. You can only be a Sinkie to be a joke. Or you can be a Sinkie and you can be a joke at the same time. Ok, Ok, hear me ok?
 
You protest and protest against the 6.9m PWP. So what? Your elected govt and elected representative say anything? Did they even bother to say, yes I hear you, but, but, but? No, they simply ignore you and go ahead with the 6.9m. What can you do?
I know what you can do. Come the next GE, vote them to be your representatives in Parliament, vote them to be your govt again. This one I am very sure about it. Joke or no joke?
 
Let me try another one. You spent a life time saving for your retirement so that you can take things a bit easier, can flirt with whatever that fancied you, a bottle of wine, a few toys, one in each arm, or go on cruises to nowhere. But the rules keep changing until your money like not your money anymore. You want to spend on mei meis or toy boys, they said cannot. Then they said you must keep them in your CPF until you die, or you must spend them on compulsory schemes. But the compulsory schemes are going to cost more than a few mei meis or toy boys, but you gong gong, never say anything, like your money not your money like that. Let people do as they pleased. Joke or no joke.
 
You want me to carry on? Enough to admit that Sinkies are a joke? Ok, one more nail into the Sinkie is a joke coffin. You know that high cost of car ownership is due to high population right? Then why you want to go along to have higher and higher population and pay higher and higher for that car? Then at the end you got to squeeze your own balls, if there is any, to convince yourself that taking public transport is good, ride bicycle is better, walking is the best. Joke or no?
 
Jokers! I could go on and on. And you are sooooo angry when I called you Sinkies and jokers. Not happy right? What are you going to do about it? Going to throw stones at me? That will not change you into something else. You will still be Sinkies and still be jokers because I did not make you a joker. I am only telling you the truth, holding a mirror in your face. You need to do the right thing if you want to be called Singaporeans or anything else other than being Sinkies or jokers. This is my version of sticking a spur into your hide, to not just to feel the pain, but to face up to reality.
 
Still think you are not Sinkie and not a joker? You don’t even see why or how you ended up in this pathetic state.
 
PS. This post is going to ruffle a lot of feathers.

Kopi Level - Green