Hong Kong Tiananmen in the making?

The Hongkies are at their best again, protesting for more democracy. They did not see this as an important thing when hiding under the skirt of Queen Elizabeth. They were ruled by the British, a bastion of democracy, for 150 years without democracy. I think they were having a good time then. Then came Patten who taught them what democracy is all about and they now die die must have democracy, to the fullest. If they did not get their way they would not mind doing a Tiananmen in Hong Kong. Good luck to them if that is what they want.
 
Between the authoritarian rule of mainland China and what democracy could offer, it is undisputed that what the Hongkies are demanding for is a good thing. Bearing in mind that democracy can also be corrupted. I would agree that China needs more democracy and a pulling back on authoritarianism. It is not that the new regime is bent on ruling with a stick. I also think that with prosperity China would become more like western countries in practice and a communist state on paper. When life is good, when there is peace and prosperity all around, when the people are happy and living well, there will be lesser demand for authoritarian rule.
 
Having said that, the political culture of China and the mentality of the power oligarch need a massive change in favour of greater democracy, more rule of law, and lesser authoritarianism. And this must be enshrined not only in the psychic of the leadership and the people, but also in the political system. Hong Kong could be the spark that is needed to keep the spirit of democracy alive in China and to spread it across the country. China is also changing and despite being an authoritative communist state, the Chinese people are enjoying a lot of political freedom and expression as long as they did not threaten national security and interests. Less haste may be a better way to achieve this result in the long term.
 
As Hong Kong pushes for more democracy, it must never forget that Hong Kong is a small part of China and is being ruled under the ‘One country Two Systems’ model. Remember, ‘One Country’ comes first if ‘Two Systems’ is to exist. When ‘Two Systems’ threatens the ‘One Country’ formula, when national security is compromised, the ‘Two Systems’ would have to go. Hong Kong is expendable if it threatens China as a country. So don’t push your luck too far. Work within the system and know that Hong Kong is China. China as a unified country, a nation, must never be shaken if Hong Kong is to exist as a prosperous autonomous region.
 
Hong Kong’s Chief Executive cannot be simply determined by the people to create problems for China, at least not now. The Chief Executive is like the one Golden Share, one vote that can over rule everything when national interest is at stake. Other than that, this Golden Share will be dormant and unseen, and Hong Kong could do as it pleases in almost anything. You don’t sell your country away by allowing the top post to be in the hands of a suspect, someone who would not mind serving the interests of foreigners or a foreigner.
Hong Kong should remain the catalyst, the stimulus to advocate for greater democracy in the whole of China, like the yeast that would change the character of the whole pack. But while doing it, it must not mess up the dough, it must always bear in mind that ‘One Country’ comes first

Kopi Level - Green

Back to Class, Hong Kong Students

by MIKOspace

GO BACK TO CLASS For Your Future please, Hong Kong students. Education drives out fear. Fear is frightening, no pun intended. Fear is birthed from ignorance, and driven by loud rhetoric not grounded in facts.

Why are Hong Kong students protesting? Because many speakers, news articles, politicians and so-called democracy activists have generated so much panic and uncertainties over the next Hong Kong Chief Executive (CE) due to be elected by universal franchise in 2017.  Fears were planted.  Fears that the next HK CE will be pro-Bejing and anti-Hong Kong? Fears that a “good” Pro-Hong Kong candidate will not be selected for the final ballot? Fears that HK Democracy (what this?) will die? Fears that the Nomination Selection Committee would be more pro-Beijing than pro-Hong Kong?  Fears, fears … and more fears feeding itself to derive the worst of bad scenarios.  

Read Hong Kong Politics for the truth and facts.

Go learn from the UK and US systems ... HK 2017 electoral procedures are in fact more democratic and consistent with democratic principles. The American people have never directly elected their President. Neither did the British people ever elect their Prime Minister. The candidates were also never nominated by direct popular acclaim. BUT, HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL ELECT THEIR CE IN 2017..! Back to Class now. LEARN

HONG KONG (HK) DEMOCRATS SHOULD LEARN FROM SCOTLAND. There was no mayhem, riots, demonstrations or Occupy London after the Scottish "No" Vote, despite more than 2 million "Yes" votes. WHY? The Queen, who was also the Queen of HK until 1997, credited this to "the nature of robust democratic tradition we enjoyed", but denied to Hong Kong during their 150 years' occupation. “We” presumably refers only to WHITE Britons. China introduced Democracy into HK in 1997. In any democracy, there will be "strong feelings and contrasting emotions which must be tempered by an understanding of the feelings of others". Hong Kongers should grow their own democratic tradition in a spirit of mutual respect and support for HK future, and indeed also China.

Kopi Level - Green

Read more:

Hong Kong Politics

Hong Kong Students' Protests

Hong Kong Lessons from Scotland

More Singaporeans in top posts in foreign banks..hahahhahaha…

After Tharman talked about the vanishing Singaporeans in top bank appointments, today there is a report in the ST saying ‘more’ Singaporeans are now in top bank positions. I cried until I almost fell out of my chair. Oh there were statistics for this claim. Actually with the few number of banks here, there could be a good table to show what is the real situation, how many Singaporeans are CEOs, how many are in number 2 and 3 positions and how many are foreigners.
 
Also, how many are promoted recently for cosmetic reason, after Tharman raised the issue in public? Why has the situation degenerated to such a pathetic state of being when Singaporeans used to be the top bankers in our country? Who allowed this to happen? No body knows because it just happened, or everyone was busy counting their money or went to sleep?
 
No need to waste my breath laboring on this point. It is like the country is going the same direction if nothing is done to put a stop to it. If national leaders could not even bother, or did not see this as a vital issue, best to let it be.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Mega projects – What have we gained other than the intangibles

We have done great things, built great cities like Suzhou, Tianjin Eco city, F1, great Gardens By the Bay, and now we are going to build smart city or cities in India. We have contributed no small sum to the building of Nalanda University. How much have all these great projects cost us and what were the returns in absolute monetary terms? Let me touch on the intangibles first, like great publicity value, everyone now knows where is Singapore, endearing relationships, building goodwill, they will love us surely, if not at least for our money, they will help us now that we have helped them….etc etc. Ok, now that the intangibles are out of the way, let’s talk real numbers, the bottom line. How much we have spent and how much have we gotten back.? In other words, accountability.
 
We cannot be spending and spending public money on multi million dollar projects, or hundreds of millions of dollars per project without looking at returns. We are no Santa Claus or international philanthropists throwing our money everywhere for people to like us or be nice to us. It that why people welcome us?
 
Every project that costs hundreds of millions of dollars must be justified and accounted for. It is public money and no one should be thinking of using public funds casually for vanity. The hundreds of millions spent on foreign students, what is the return? Can I say zero except some goodwill, hoping that those scholars will be nice to us in the future? Oh, they helped to increase our talent pool and talents for the industries.
 
I believe every project of such high values is meticulously studied before approval. Do these mega projects need Parliament’s approval or need to be reported in Parliament? Have we not gone past the phase to tell the whole world we exist? Do we still need to keep telling the world that we are a world class city and please come and visit us in case the world did not know who we are and where we are?
 
What do you think? I think the whole wide world must by now know who we are and where we are and how good we are or how daft we are. Do we still need to spend hundreds of millions to advertise our existence or to affirm our relationships with other countries?

Kopi Level - Yellow

NATO intends to prohibit Russia’s and China’s Development

Below is a condensed version of an article by Thierry Meyssan on the role of the Americans and what they are up to in their domination of the world. It told what the Americans were saying in public and what went on behind closed doors. And look at what they are doing to Syria, violating national sovereignty and international laws to bomb another country. It totally ignored the UN and did not even bother to seek any face saving resolutions or consent before striking at Syria. The Empire is getting more and more arrogant and defiance in the use of power against other countries.

And where are the gore and blood they were pointing out at the gruesome beheading of 3 westerners? No, the cruise missiles and bombs would not lead to any blood shedding. No heads will be severed by the bombs. It is all a matter of pushing a few buttons. Nothing else happened, no one dies, no mother and child got cut into pieces, no grandfather and mother got killed in the process. It is so neat and nice. 



PS. I tried my best to shorten this piece but still a bit long. There are so many details of the treachery of the AngloSaxon conspiracy that were revealed and I could not cut it shorter.

NATO intends to prohibit Russia’s and China’s Development
by Thierry Meyssan
 
The Newport (Wales) Summit is NATO’s largest since the 2002 Prague edition. At the time, it meant to include new central and eastern European states within the Alliance. This time it’s about planning a long-term strategy to contain the development of Russia and China so as to prevent their competing with the United States [1]….
 
future of the Anglo-American imperialist project
Since the coup of 2001 [4], the United States is planning a confrontation with China. With this in mind, President Barack Obama announced the repositioning of US forces in the Far East. However, this agenda has been disrupted by economic, political and military recovery in Russia, which has been able in 2008 to defend South Ossetia under attack by Georgia and, in 2014, Crimea threatened by the Kiev coup…..
While performing its "pivot to Asia", Washington has exacerbated tensions between China and its neighbors, especially Japan. NATO, which historically vassallizes Europe to North America, has thereby opened itself to Asian and Oceanian partners, notably Australia and Japan, through association contracts. It has, in passing, broadened its field of action to the whole world. [5]
 
In this time of budgetary restrictions, the Alliance, which is not experiencing the crisis, is building a new headquarters in Brussels for the staggering sum of € 1 billion. It should be ready in early 2017. [6]

The issue of the Islamic Emirate
This summer, to the preoccupation with preventing China and Russia from controlling enough raw materials to develop the ability to compete with the United States was added the issue of the Islamic Emirate.
An intense media campaign has demonized the jihadist organization whose crimes are not new, but who just attacked the Iraqi people. We have repeatedly explained that the IE is a Western creation and that, despite appearances, its action in Iraq is entirely consistent with US plans to divide the country into three separate states. [7] For a project which constitutes a crime against humanity because it assumes ethnic cleansing, Washington has used a private army that could be condemned publicly while being supported covertly.
The United States would have taken the measure of the Islamist threat after the IE murdered two of their nationals, journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff. However, a careful examination of the videos [8] suggests that they are not authentic. The problem had already arisen with the IE when it was supposed to have murdered Nick Berg in 2004 [9].
 
We have also often stressed that the IE was different from previous jihadist groups both by its communication services and its civilian administrators able to manage the conquered territories. So this is a group which is meant to last. As Alfredo Jalife-Rahme showed, the Caliphate, even if it is currently active mainly in Syria and Iraq, was designed to bear arms against Russia, India and China in the long-term [10] .
The issue of the Islamic Emirate did not therefore have to be added to the anti-Russian and anti-Chinese agenda. It was already part of it. Moreover, not wanting to risk that a Member State might express doubts about this masquerade, Washington shifted the debate to the sidelines of the summit. President Obama met eight other states plus Australia (which is not a NATO member, but only an associate) to develop its war plan. It was later decided to add Jordan to this device.

Summit conclusions
The summit held a hurried morning session to expedite the question of its long presence in Afghanistan. Certainly, NATO will withdraw its combat troops as planned by year’s end, but it will retain control of the Afghan army and national security. The summit even allowed itself the luxury of calling on the two candidates for the Afghan presidency to commit to signing without delay the criminal immunity requirements of the United States, while this election is organized and the ballots counted by American forces. Therefore, the candidate who does not agree should not be surprised if he is not considered elected....
In addition, the summit equipped the Alliance with two new tools: a cyber warfare service to counter Chinese military hackers, and a rapid response force of 4000 men from 7 countries placed under British command. Finally, the summit paved the accession process of Montenegro and, of course, requires member states to develop their military spending.
Some remarks
 
Despite accusations from the Ukrainian government - according to which Russia would have invaded the country ... but with only 1,000 men that no one has seen, as noted by Giulietto Chiesa [11] -, the summit did not decide to go to war against Moscow and merely posed a symbolic gesture. We do not understand therefore why such ostentation was put on display in Newport.
 
Unless the important things have been decided behind closed doors at the meeting of the Heads of State Friday, Sept. 5, it does not seem that secret wars were discussed at the summit, but only on the sidelines of the summit with certain allies only. Already in 2011, NATO had violated its own rules by not assembling the Atlantic Council before bombing Tripoli. It seemed effectively impossible that all would agree to such a slaughter. The United States and the United Kingdom therefore met secretly with France, Italy and Turkey in Naples to plan an attack that caused at least 40,000 civilian deaths in one week.
 
The final release is a rare hypocrisy [12]: the Ukrainian crisis is treated as a Russian aggression, without ever mentioning the coup of Maidan Square, or the installation of a government including Nazis. The Syrian crisis is presented as a conflict between “ a moderate opposition which protects minorities” and at the same time the “tyranny of the regime of Bashar al-Assad”, and “extremist groups”, without ever mentioning that the Syrian regime is a republic while the moderate opposition is paid by the dictatorships of the Gulf, nor that the crisis was triggered by a secret Franco-British war in accordance with the Annexes to the Treaty of Lancaster House, nor that President Assad has just been re-elected by 63% of the electorate, and that the Syrian Arab Republic is the only one to have protected not only minorities, but all its citizens, including the Sunni majority. Cynically, the statement claims that the Alliance has protected the Libyan people, in accordance with resolutions 1970 and 1973, when in fact it used these resolutions to change the regime in Libya by killing 160,000 Libyans and plunging the country into chaos.

Kopi Level - Yellow

The precedence of WMD as reason for search and destroy

A very dangerous precedent was set by the Americans when George Bush and Tony Blair invaded Iraq in search of WMD. Any country that is threatened by another country in possession can use the same precedent to invade and destroy the WND in their possession. China and the Koreans can declare that Japan must not be allowed to possess WMD and if it does so, they could invoke this precedent to search and destroy the WMD in Japan.
 
The Chinese have been invaded by Japan and could quote this historical incident to put their feet down. No WMD for Japan and would invade if needed. It is their national interest and security at stake and they cannot afford to have a Japan with WMD in their possession.
 
In the case of the Koreans, they too had the bad experience of Japanese invasion and colonization. A Japan with WMD would threaten their national security once again. And to make matter worse and a clear and present danger, Japan is now in discussion to rearm with offensive weapons and thinking to attacking North Korea. This should give the North Koreans a good reason to attack Japan should it acquire offensive weapons and WMD.
 
Both China and the Koreans and even the Russians should make their stand clear that a Japan with WMD and offensive weaponry is a danger and threat to their national security and would not allow it. They should make a stand together that they would invade Japan should it take the offensive road for war.
 
These countries cannot let the Americans set the agenda.They cannot let theh Americans to rearm Japan with WMD.

Kopi Level - Green

Yang Yin’s case has proven CPF policies are right

Say what you want, look at it this way, Yang Yin has proven that it is right to assume that those above 55 years, or in the particular case above 80, cannot be trusted with their money. Just a bit of give and take, maybe 65 or 75 years would be just right. The second point that has been proven is that it is not only the men that cannot be trusted with their money. No need to go to Batam or Bintan. They can fly here from China or anywhere to take good care of our oldies … money.
 
Come to think of it, there is a lot of wisdom in the govt’s policies on the CPF. Give the govt a Tiger. Whatever came out with this idea deserves a good bonus. Keep them tight, don’t let the oldies have a free hand in their money. They would squander it, if not will be cheated of it. Some will get dementia through no fault of theirs and lose their money too.
 
It is action time. How to protect the rich oldies from losing their monies or being cheated of their monies? Should they be sent to a holiday camp for oldies so that they will not be in harm’s way? Should their money be put in a trust of sort and then a stipend be given to them ala the CPF formula? If there is a need to protect the oldies from losing their CPF monies which in most cases are less than a peanut, the multi million dollar assets and cash of these oldies demand more attention to keep the huge sums of money safe and sound, and to keep the poachers and looters away.
 
What do you think? Tiok boh?

Kopi Level - Green

More reasons not to have a degree

Since Hsien Loong and his ministers commented that there was really no need to have a degree to get promoted or to be successful in life, there have been a lot of discussions on this issue. Of course many were simply cheeky and hilarious.
 
I would like to join the fun on a Monday morning with a few unconventional reasons for not having a degree. The first consideration of getting a degree today is all about cost. And the next is about the time wasted, 3 to 4 years in acquiring a degree that may not be of any use commercially. This is particularly true when one has decided to make hawking a career or sell pork in the market. So why waste time and money when the alternative is so much easier and more attractive? Just go to the degree mills or even a roadside stall and buy one. A PhD is also available though a bit more expensive. And a genuine honorary one would cost several thousand dollars.
 
The govt too has no fear of not having enough Sinkies with degrees to form a Sinkie core. Like what Tharman recommended, bring in the foreign talents and issued them a pink IC and we have instant Sinkies with instant degrees, and very likely very talented ones, good enough to run for Premiership as well. Many are already on the right path, starting with being MPs. Some are starting as grassloot leaders. Oops, my auto spelling check not working again. Must be a fake one. I meant to write grassroot leaders.
 
Success in Singapore is all about money. The more money one has, the more successful one is seen to be, and it comes with a lot of dignity. No worry how the money is made. There are many roads to instant success in Singapore. Please don’t include the road of being a tour guide.
 
Many are working very hard at it to be instant success. Spend a night in one of the two casinos and one can possibly walk out a successful man the next morning with a few millions in the pocket. This kind of success formula surely does not need a degree. Another alternative is the Singapore Pools. This one also no need for a degree.
 
Success can come in many ways. And definitely a degree is not needed. The practical part is that in most cases a degree will not bring any success but a debt of a few hundred thousand bucks and a waste of time. Some ended with their parents losing their homes to get the money for an overseas degree.
 
No one is going to know what you have stored inside your head from the degree. People are more interested in what you have in your pockets. That is real success, the Singapore way.

Kopi Level - Red

Singapore the flag bearer of TPP

After putting the intelligence of our super talents together, Singapore carved out an idea called TPP. It was so convincing that this TPP thing is so good, they never tell you any negative things about it, so it must be one of those things that only have goodness and no bad effects, they also think that it is good to all the countries in the Asia Pacific region. Hsien Loong even travelled all the way to the US to convince the American law makers that this TPP thing is the ‘koyoke’ to save the declining American economy. Obviously Obama could not sell this ‘koyoke’ to his colleagues and the American people.

And because this is our baby, we have been trying all means to get the Chinese, Koreans, the Japanese and Asean countries to come on board. Ouch, someone just elbowed me. Oops, this is NOT our baby. It is an American baby, an American construct for American domination and control of the Asia Pacific countries again. Then why are we in such a state of frenzy in pushing for the TPP? Do we get a cut for the effort?

You see, there have been many free trade agreements signed in the Asia Pacific region without the Americans in them. How can that be, how can they exclude the Americans in these agreements and not allowing the Americans to be the leader and calling the shots? America must be the leader of all world and regional organisations so that it can continue to dominate and control the world. Now, why are the Americans taking the back seat and Singapore carrying the TPP flag?

Look at the MH370 incident. What expertise or technical knowledge do the Australians have to be dictating to the countries involved that they knew the aircraft sank in the Antarctic Ocean? Are the Australians the technical experts in satellites, are they in control or in touch with the captain of MH370? Did any Australian radar actually pick up signals or radio conversation with MH370? Zilch. How is it that Abbott thinks he knows all and the whereabouts of MH370? Think.

Why is Australia calling the shots and acting like the front man in the new coalition against the ISIS? Why are the Australians hyping up the terror threat in Australia when the war is half way across the world? Why is Australia the flag bearer of this coalition?

Let’s get back to the phrase, ‘If the US did not do this, it would be “giving the game away”’. ‘Giving the game away’ could have different meanings. One is to lose the game. Another is to let out a hidden intent or agenda. Put this in a proper context, in Rachel Au Yong’s article, Delays in TPP ‘could affect US presence in Asia’ in the Sunday Times on 21 Sep, the whole intent and purpose of the TPP is about ‘a strategic and significant presence in the Asia Pacific’. It is not really about trade and commerce. And Hsien Loong had this to say, ‘having a presence “is not just battleships and aircraft carriers and aeroplanes. You have to have trade, goods exchanges …interdependence. And the TPP is your way of doing this.’

Agree, TPP is the only disguise the Americans could have to pretend that its presence is about trades and not about war and domination. And this is followed by the quote, ‘If the US did not do this, it would be “giving the game away”’. Now the meaning is clear, the true agenda of the TPP.

In the same article Hsien Loong was quoted to say, ‘We are all in Asia, interacting and trading with one another…So, you don’t promote trade, what are you promoting? What does it mean when you say you are a Pacific power? It just does not make sense’.

To the Americans, their presence of battleships, aircraft carriers and aircraft make perfect sense. It is all about American power and control of Asia Pacific countries. Trade is secondary and a guise to promote the military interest of the American Empire. Do I still need to explain what the TPP is all about?

Kopi Level - Red

Chok Tong going to help India build a smart city

A statement like this tickles a lot of thinking and questioning. Are the Indians stupid and not able to build their own smart cities? Are we smarter than the Indians to build smart cities for them? Who is going to pay for the building of smart cities? Would we end up building the smart cities using our public fund and paying for it?

We have been telling the whole world that we don’t have the talents and needing foreign talents to come and help us. And we are importing all the talents from India to help us. Practically every Indian with some talents are here, or in Europe and US. Perhaps that is the reason why the Indians could not build their own smart cities. They have lost their talents to the world and to us.

So what is the likely formula to help the Indians build smart cities? We bring in Indian talents and used our money, packaged it and bring the whole lot to India, Indian talents and Singapore money, to build smart cities for India.

Can it be like that? I can’t find the local talents here to do the job. Our people just don’t have the skill sets for such a high tech project. Our talents are only equipped to drive taxis. Or would we be asking the recruitment agents to recruit the talents from India for this job?

So, may I ask how much are we going to spend and what is the protection clause to ensure that we get our money back and not dump it into a bottomless pit because it is OPM? Is this another I want, I want project?  Sure the potential of building another 100 smart cities is there, like Suzhou.  And on paper the benefits are tremendous, like Suzhou and the F1. And the intangible benefits could reach sky heaven. The bottom line is what is real, how much is it going to cost us and how much are we getting in return and not another few hundred millions for the intangibles.

The Chinese were smart enough to learn from one Suzhou Park to go on and build many other industrial parks on their own. The Indians with all their talents that are more talented than our talents would be equally smart to build their own smart cities after we build one for them. We have so far proven that we are not as smart as the Chinese or Indians. It is time to learn from our stupidity and not to keep reinforcing it and wasting our money like OPM.

Remember CECA!

Who doesn't know how to spend OPM to make a name for himself? How many millions has Singapore spent on the Nalanda University?

Kopi Level - Yellow

What’s the Fuss over Singapore CPF and Roy Ngerng?

By MIKOspace

Nagging Questions abound on Roy Ngerng’s "Shocking Facts About CPF" .

Did PAP Take Our CPF to Pay for the GIC’s and Temasek’s Losses? Unfortunately, or fortunately, Roy and his co-writer DID NOT answer his own question in the undisputable affirmative.

I read many times Roy’s arguments over several posts regarding CPF, income inequality, Government Reserves, HDB Car Parks, Medisave and Medishield, poverty and a host of social issues he so passionately advocates. Most of these issues are unrelated to each other. It is however plainly painful to see Roy’s desperate attempts to persuade his readers to connect his missing dots so as to make some kind of connections between his interesting infographics in order to arrive at his “conclusions” regarding some kind of sinister motives in the PAP Government to conspire against Singaporeans and, particularly, to expropriate our hard-earned CPF funds.

It is known that GIC and Temasek Holdings lost $117 billion in 2008, mostly due to the US financial crisis. The writers produce lots of “official” statistics in beautiful charts and infographics. But statistics are not arguments. Not a single shred of evidence - no smoking gun - is produced to trace the flow of funds from CPF to their supposed end eventually to cover GIC and Temasek’s losses.  It would have been better if the writers had “follow the money” and show the “missing funds” in the CPF, and trace their path, in some forms - whether as loans, equity, advances, gifts or bonds – into the books of GIC and Temasek.  They did not do so.  It would also be a better bonus revelation for them to reveal that these “losses” – an astonishing S$117 billion were never paid back into the CPF. 

The alleged big dark hole of $117 billion in the CPF’s books is surely difficult to miss since the CPF reported its Funds to have only about S$252.5 billion as at 31 December 2013.  And if no money were actually “missing” from the CPF – please check audited public accounts in CPF Annual Reports – how could the CPF have been used to cover up GIC/Temasek losses?  In fact, the writers already refuted their own conclusion when they observed that since 2007, “CPF balance Grew by 90% … but GIC grew by only 69% and Temasek Holdings grew by only 21%.

The writers fail to grasp the significance of their own discovery. Their statement is by far the clearest evidence that GIC and Temasek DID NOT receive CPF Funds. The figures are true and only make sense if both GIC and Temasek were just “fund managers” and therefore the funds under their  “management” are not technically Temasek/GICs’ and therefore cannot be entered into their accounting books or balance sheets in accordance with standard accounting procedures and practices.

This should have been the end of the allegation that “the PAP took our CPF to pay for the GIC’s and Temasek’s losses”.  It did not.

Perhaps, “Shocking Facts About Singapore CPF” was NOT and was NEVER intended to argue that “CPF was used to pay for GIC/Temasek losses”.  That conclusion was seized upon only sometime at the end without leading logical arguments towards it. Therein lies the fundamental weakness and failure of of “Shocking Facts”.

The “Shocking Facts” posts began by pointing out and illustrating that the contribution rates to CPF was “unusually” high relatively when compared to other countries’ provident and pension contribution rates. Nothing “shocking” here. This is neither new nor revealing.  There is nothing sinister; and the associated reasons for this to be used for national development, housing and medical are transparent, and are not unduly unreasonable....

It is clear that the writers did not understand the concepts that they used to argue poverty and income inequality in Singapore. If they did intend to use “Poverty” defined and measured by the World Bank as daily earning of just US$1.25 (or S$1.50 per day), the writers have actually asserted that 28% of Singaporeans or 963,200 persons in 2013 earn just S$39 per month!  In 2013, the Singapore labour Force was 3.44 million as at June 2013.

I wonder whether I have been reading and fed blatant falsehoods and lies. Or it is simply just sloppy research, ignorance and poor analysis. Better analysis, better research, credible statistics and direct relevant evidence cannot be substituted by loud and emotional political slogans to cover up for illogical and bad arguments.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Read Full Article with more References:

What's the Fuss over Singapore CPF and Roy Ngerng?

Alibaba – The Chinese have arrived

After all the sneering, doubting and badmouthing, the dusk has settled. Alibaba, owned by Jack Ma, a nondescript Chinese man who would not get a second look by anyone on the street, has launched a successful IPO in New York Exchange with a record IPO opening price and record gains on the first day of trading. At an issue price of US$68, it opened at US$92.70 and hit a high of US$99.70 before profit takings set in to close at US$93.89. The closing price would put Jack Ma in the company of Bill Gates and Warrant Buffet, among the richest man in the world.

The rich communists’ day has arrived. The Chinese have arrived in the form of Alibaba. Times are changing and the stereotyping of poor Chinese immigrants and cooks would be retired to a bygone era. The confidence in Chinese stocks and enterprises would regain some credibility after some dramatic failures in the recent past. Alibaba is seen as the real thing, a very profitable company in a rapidly growing economy. No American investors with some money would want to miss this wagon like how the West was won.

A few more Chinese companies in the same genre as Alibaba would likely help to reinforce the value of investing in Chinese stocks. But along the way there are bound to be some jokers that would come and go to ruffle the confidence of investors.

Alibaba was so big that it eclipsed all interest in the launch of iphone 6 on the same day. Wall Street held a live roundtable telecast with its top crew talking non stop for more than 2 hours on the early opening hours of NYSE. The listing of Alibaba was delayed by nearly 3 hours as the opening price was deemed too high and they were scrambling to bring it lower on fear of creating a bubble. Nonetheless it still opened very high and closed higher.

Jack Ma and his Alibaba suddenly become the darlings of the American investors for the day. Many just could not believe what they saw and were scrambling for more. The biggest company in value listed on the American stock exchange is Chinese.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Why a Coalition of Forces against IS?

In the first place who created this monster called ISIS?  American media have touted this honour to Hillary Clinton, calling her the grandmother of ISIS. The ISIS was given life by the Americans when they went in to kill Saddam Hussein and intervened in Syria. With Saddam gone, with Assad on the defensive, there is no Arab leaders or dictators with the stature and power to put a leash on the ISIS fighters. And they morphed into a new and more powerful military force with equally powerful appeal and mission. They have no need to call for a coalition or twist the arms of any country to form a coalition. The fighters went there voluntarily, fighting with their hearts.

The Americans are rounding up a coalition by force. They are demanding a coalition against the wills of other nations. The sickening thing was that when they bulldozed their way into Iraq and other Middle East countries to do their regime change and to kill their leaders, the Americans did not see a need to get any approval or agreement from their allies. They brazenly and rudely did what they wanted to do, even against the wishes of their allies, countries they are coercing to be part of the coalition now.

Why is there a need for a coalition when the Americans could do it on their own? Thomas Friedman had put it simply, that this war cannot be seen as the West attacking the Arab countries. This war cannot be seen as Christians against Muslims. The Americans need to camouflage this war as a war by a coalition of countries against the IS.

What are the implications or consequences to the other members of this unwilling coalition? In a simple analogy, the Americans are holding the hands of their allies to catch a poisonous snake. The hands could be beaten by the snake in the process. The Americans started a dangerous war, releasing a very brutal and powerful force, they branded it as an evil force. Now the American wanted other countries to participate in the suppression of this force.

If the Americans were to do it alone, they would be the one and only target for the IS to attack. By forcing a coalition of many countries, these countries will share the risk and also become targets of ISIS. To the Americans, it is spreading their risk.

To the members of this unwilling coalition, they are force to fight a war that they have nothing to do with and would end up as enemies and targets of ISIS. The weaker members of this coalition, especially those with a substantial Muslim population and with sympathizers of the ISIS, would likely to bear the brunt of retaliation by the ISIS. The attacks by ISIS would not be confined to Iraq and Syria. It could be anywhere or in any country, but likely to be in countries that are members of the coalition.

Welcome to the Coalition of the ‘Willing’ and share the risk.

Thomas Friedman’s latest article ‘Helping the Arabs to help themselves’ revealed an American hard truth. I quote ‘But then he asks: “(Is the Islamic States) really a problem for the US?  The American interest is not stability, but the existence of a dynamic balance of power in which all players are effectively paralysed so that no one who would threaten the US emerges….’

Now, would the Arabs understand what the Americans are doing to them? Would the rest of the world understand the intent of the Americans around the world? Thank you Tom for this hard truth that many Afro Asians are too dumb to appreciate, refused to see, or wanted to know.

Tom Friedman has a good advice for the Americans in Washington, let the Arabs fight and defend themselves. They have bigger stakes and interests to protect themselves if only the Americans take their hands off their problems. What Tom forgot is that the American war industry would want to be involved and would want Washington to be involved. That’s where the money is.

Should Singapore be part of this coalition?

Kopi Level - Yellow

Story of a Super-Wealthy Widow Fell into the Trap of a Tour Guide from China

Please see the story I have written on my long time family friend who was cheated of all her possessions by a Chinese tour guide, Yang Yin. Yang is unemployed but is now rich enough to enjoy a leisurely life! He volunteers his service to Ang Mo Kio community centre and posed for photos with MP and PM Lee. Did these helped him to obtain his PR status? Would other senior citizens become his next targets? ….

Kathleen's situation raises a number of question:

(1) how our law could allow a foreign national to obtain a LPA so easily, without the knowledge and consent of any relative?

(2) Why did our medical and legal professionals help Yang Yin apply for a LPA without contacting her relatives and friends in Singapore? Would they do anything, including harming a fellow Singaporean if they were sufficiently well paid. I am sure Singaporeans would be grateful if you can interview them and know their views a reasons.

(3) It also makes a mockery of our government’s expressed wish to attract Foreign Talents. How could such a selfish and scheming Chinese national be treated by our government as a Foreign Talent and granted him his PR status? The criteria for PR appear to be very lax. I fear that there is insufficient investigations of the PR applicant’s background.
If this kind of person is permitted to remain in Singapore, he is likely to target other senior citizens by offering himself as their adopted son or grandson to rob them of their CPF and life savings.

(4) What criteria, if any, are used to assess the suitability of volunteers and leaders in grass-roots organisations? ….

The con-man must be brought to justice, prosecuted for his crime, stripped off his PR status, and barred from ever entering Singapore to harm other senior citizens.

It Koon

The above is a condensed version of a letter by a Dr Tan It Koon that is circulating in social media. Dr Tan must have found this episode very tragic to have happened to a helpless old lady. Now that she has been reduced to a non entity, suffering from dementia and her wealth stripped from her, many questions are being asked.
 
I would like to touch on a few more pertinent questions raised by Dr Tan about how a vulnerable old lady could so easily be stripped of her assets and possessions so easily and legally. There are likely to be medical and legal professionals involved in the whole process and everything seemed to be done legally and with medically acceptable given her conditions.
 
My questions, are there anything that would have warrant the medical and legal professionals involved in the process to have raised a red flag or eyebrows? The processes involved a very rich and lonely old lady with probably signs of medical conditions and a totally unrelated young man from a foreign country. And the whole process is putting the old lady at the complete dependency on the young stranger with totally no relations to her. And did anyone bother to ask about the possibility of the old lady having some living relatives that may have an interest in her well being and her assets?
 
No? Everything is absolutely normal and legal. No further questions need to be asked?
Another question, would any normal person of sound mind, no need to be a medical or legal professional who probably have access and experience in such cases, think that something is just not normal? Or would it be a case of everyone just their job they are paid for and mind their own business?
 
What have we become as a people if no one thinks that this is very unusual and suspicious?
 
I will leave you people with this sad story to ponder over the weekend. We have heard of politically apathetic Singaporeans. We have heard of Singaporeans that would not lift a finger when someone is in trouble in public, someone being bullied, being beaten. Etc. What more shall I say? Passionless, conscienceless, bochap?
 
Kopi Level - Green

Good news for Alibaba

Despite all the critics and venoms, Alibaba is hot favourite among the Americans. The typical analysts and anti China lobby were cursing and swearing and crying foul, pouring cold water at Alibaba or anything Chinese as usual. But the smart investors know where to put their money to make money. The last Baidu IPO had benefitted the investors by more than 300% in price gain. They know that China is the growth engine of the world.
 
In the case of Alibaba they are throwing US$22b to Jack Ma in his IPO listing in the New York and still demanding for more. Jack Ma’s net worth is now in the realm of Bill Gates overnight and could possibly overtake him in the near future.
 
Cheers to the Alibaba business and Jack Ma.

Kopi Level - Green

Scotland’s referendum – what does it mean?

The Scots are going for a referendum to decide to stay or to get out of the United Kingdom. It is a decision for a people, to want to be on their own to decide their own future or to let the Englishmen to decide their future. It is about breaking away to chart a new destiny by a people for a people.
 
We had a referendum to decide our future as a people in 1963, to give up our independence, to be part of Malaysia, to allow leave our destiny in the hands of the Malayans, to be part of another country. Given the frail nature of a small island with little natural resources, there was fear that we could not survive on our own. Conventional wisdom was to hook ourselves to a bigger land mass, a bigger country with a bigger critical mass and population.
 
We voted to be part of Malaysian, to surrender our rights to determine our future to another people. On hindsight it was so risky, treacherous and dangerous. So many things could go wrong and we could be forever under the domination and oppression of another people. We were lucky to get out of the arrangement to be our own master. It was also lucky that we did not a referendum to get out like the Scots. We would not be able to get out if a referendum was needed then unless the referendum was to be decided by the original Singaporeans and not by other people.
 
Today we have this policy of increasing our population by bringing in foreigners, sanctioned by a PWP in Parliament. What does this paper ultimately mean to the original Singaporeans? It is another merger of people, a merger with other people, to own this island. When the foreigners are small in numbers, we are assimilating and integrating them into us. If it is the other way round, we will end up assimilating and integrating with the foreigners. It is like merging to become part of Malaysia. In this case the original Singaporeans, if it becomes a minority, will be merging with a bigger foreign population, to be part of them.
We are going to bring in so many foreigners to decide our future, our destiny. Get it? This is another major change to our country and identity. But most important of all, we are going to hand our future to other people to decide for us, to decide our future, the future of our children. Think about this carefully. What is the difference between what we are doing with this PWP and being a part of Malaysia? Why are the Scots going to a referendum to want out of UK, to reclaim their country and their sovereignty and the right to determine their destiny?
 
Does the PWP that is going to change our life, our country and our destiny, deserve or warrant a referendum? This is no joking matter. This is no masak masak, child play. The implications and consequences are very serious and can be very adverse to our life and our future. Such a big change cannot be decided by a handful of people surely.
 
So far the good things about a high influx of foreigners were simply about economic growth. What about the other side of the coin? What is the price the people of this island are going to pay to give half of the island’s to foreigners? The foreigner’s share could be bigger if the number is bigger? No country in history ever did such a thing willingly without force. What are the negative and adverse effects of this change? What if the foreigners are not as generous and kind as us and want the island to themselves when they are in majority and ruling the island?
What do you thing?
 
Do we need a referendum? Do we want to surrender our country and our future to foreigners on a silver platter?

Kopi Level - Green

Two pieces of good news yesterday

In a trouble world of deceit and treachery when everything is all about self and money, two good pieces of news came out yesterday. The first, Obama has decided to go bombing the IS in Iraq and Syria all over again. Now why is this good news? To the Americans they have found a way to spend their weapons and probably getting someone to pay for it. Or if not, the defence industry would be getting the American citizens to pay for the rounds fired and the soldiers doing the bombing, not killing of the innocents. And this would keep the Americans in Washington very busy and got no time to cause mischief in other parts of the world. 

The pivot to Asia can take a break and China would have some breathing space. So did North Korea.
Hopefully Putin would increase the stakes in Syria and Ukraine to keep the Americans busy busy. Sorry Arabs and Ukrainians, your troubles are a sacrifice for peace elsewhere. I hope the silly Asian and SE Asian countries learn a lesson or two from what is happening in the Middle East and Eastern Europe and don’t invite trouble into the region. And when trouble offers itself, they must be smart enough not to welcome trouble here.
 
The second piece of good news is the growing tolerance and acceptance of drugs in the West and in Latin America. They are raising the white flag. They are claiming that even countries like Singapore and Malaysia with death penalties could not wipe out this scourge. The conclusion, might as well live with it, live with the drug menace. Oops, the new drugs are not that dangerous anymore. A little drug can be quite an acceptable lifestyle choice. They are quite fanciful and with nice names and very good looking too. Many celebrities are using them too. It is the new in thing, to replace the damn smelly cigarettes.
 
Many of these states are going to legalise drug consumption as a new and harmless lifestyle. I said this is good news. Just hope Singapore and Malaysia would not follow suit but increase the penalties for drug abuses. This will become a carrot and stick situation and all the drug addicts and lifestyle choosers would flock to those countries to enjoy their new lifestyles within the law and be very happy. There is no need to risk capital punishment in Singapore and Malaysia. It is a win win solution. Those who love the life style of drug taking can find their safe havens in those countries that legalized drug takings. Those countries that frown on this lifestyle choice would have lesser drug takers in their midst.
 
Now, isn’t that good news? Nobody’s freedom of choice is curtailed. Everyone is happy.

Kopi Level - Green

The future fashion of Sin City

Khaw Boon Wan was gazing at this crystal ball and foresaw that car ownership would no longer be fashionable to the young in the future. This would free up spaces occupied by carparks for the people’s use. We will have more parks and, not forgetting, more space for a bigger population, maybe the highly desired number of 10m.
 
I could see many things going in and out of fashion in the future, and as a result a better quality of life. People will not longer want to stay in landed properties or big properties. They would prefer a new and futuristic style of living, each one renting a cocoon in the shape of a big cigar for sleeping. They will spend their times enjoying life, working or staying awake for 18 to 20 hours a day.
 
High salary jobs would also not be popular. People do not need so much money since they don’t need to buy big houses and expensive cars. So they would be very happy earning just enough for the day. They would even opt for temporary or contract jobs, work for a few hours and enjoy all the free time they have. The happiest people will be those who are their own bosses, like taxi drivers, a highly desired and preferred occupation.
 
University education will definitely be passé. Who needs an expensive university education when they are aspiring for part time or temporary jobs? Many will be contented with an O level or ITE education. And they know that they could get very far with them as long as they work hard and are good at what they are doing. It will be so fashionable as a career choice that parents will all be opting their children for it, less stress and lower cost. No more expensive tuition, no more exams and everyone very happy, parents happy, children lagi happy.
 
No one would want to eat in fine restaurant, it will be unfashionable to go for fine dining for the average Singaporeans. Only the very few conservative rich that refused to follow the fashion will still be going for fine dining. They will still think living in big houses is good and stick to their old fashion ways, owning and driving big cars that the young have rejected as unfashionable. They forget that the new lifestyle, of very high quality living, is to take public transports, without owning cars. They do not mind being laughed at driving their big cars around. And they don’t mind being out of fashion or being unfashionable. But this group of people will be so small that they will hardly be seen in public places except in their private clubs. For the rest of HDB dwellers, another popular and fashionable past time, other than talking about down grading, will be walking in and out of pawn shops with their flats.
 
The future is really interesting, with high fashion and high living with no loss in the quality of living, eating in hawker stalls. Yes, eating hawker food will be a lifestyle choice too, for the people of Sin. There is a great and exciting future ahead of us.

Kopi Level - Green

Roy Ngerng - Night vigil at Hong Lim - Pictorial essay

The above are some pictures of the night vigil held at Hong Lim Park on 17 Sep evening. Roy and his fatther were there to meet the supporters and friends.

Again, Malays are Still Lazy – Dr Mahathir

By MIKOspace

Mahathir defends ‘lazy Malays’ remarks.

He had a few days ago vilified the Malays for being lazy, saying he was ashamed that they had been left behind by the forward-thinking Chinese community. Dr Mahathir continues to see the “Malay” problems of intelligence, performance and social mobility by attributing them fundamentally to their “inferior” genes, as elaborated in his 1970 book “The Malay Dilemma”.

“THEY ARE STLL LAZY”, he again told the Utusan Malaysia newspaper in an exclusive interview, citing the gender imbalance at institutions of higher learning where the majority were women as an example. “The Malays are lazy; they are not interested in studying and revising. If we go to the universities, 70 per cent of the students are women, where are the men?” “They prefer to become Mat Rempit (Malay motorcycle gang members), that is why I said they are lazy,” Dr Mahathir told the newspaper. 

The former Malaysian Prime Minister continues to disparage his country’s Malay ethnic group.  He blamed himself for failing to transform the country’s ethnic majority into a hard-working race during his tenure as the 4th Prime Minister from 1981-2004. Truth is that under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir over 22 years, his economic and business agenda has created a large number of politically connected Bumiputra rent seekers promoting a business system riddled with kickbacks and corruption.

The poor economic attainment of many in the privileged Malay majority in Malaysia can be better understood not in terms of their race, but in term of a class structure of social inequality created by their own Malay elites.

Read the Full Post: Again, Malays are Still Lazy - Dr Mahathir

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Malays are Lazy - Mahathir

Again, Malays are Lazy - Mahathir

Lazy Malays? Blame Failed Policies Instead

Kopi Level - Green