More fear mongering by politicians

Mahathir has matched the rhetoric of fear by claiming that the Malays in Malaysia have become beggars. Seems like spreading fear and scare tactics are a sure way to win an election by frightening the voters. Lim Kit Siang is throwing a challenge to Mahathir to a public debate to back up his claim. How could the Malays in Malaysia be beggars when all the positions of authority, from the king, PM, Ministers, head of all the ministries, uniformed services, judges and industries are headed by the Malays? But Mahathir would want the Malays to feel so, to feel threatened. His reason, the Malay votes are splitted and UMNO needs to beg the non Malays for support. He ignores the point that regardless of whether UMNO, PAS or PKR won the GE, the Malays would still form the govt and dominate all the key positions. The non Malay political parties and politicians are just side kicks in a side show, callafare in a show where all the main actors are Malays.
So how could the Malays be beggars? But if Mahathir keeps saying it, soon many Malays would believe so. And UMNO and the ultras would use this as a slogan to drum up more fears among the Malays, that they are losing power in their own country. Can it ever happen?
 
The chances of the Chinese majority in Singapore losing political power and ended like Malaysia, with foreigners in control, are far higher and more likely to happen than the Malays in Malaysia losing political power. Singapore is blindly bringing in so many foreigners that true blue Sinkies are now an absolute minority and it is only a matter of time before the new Sinkies would dominate the politics and economy and all aspect of life in Sin City. There is no law or institutions in Singapore, not even in the Constitution, to protect the true blue Singaporeans in general to remain the dominant political force and owners of the island.
 
The island is free for all. Any foreigner who looks like a talent, claimed to be a talent or who pretends to be a talent is welcomed. What do you think would happen to the original Sinkies?

Kopi Level - Green

Jack Neo: Govt says – ‘Cheng hu kong’

In an article translated and posted in TRE titled ‘A PRC writes: Singaporeans are really stupid!’ described exactly how stupid Sinkies are, and this is not due to defective genes but conditioning. I quote, ‘My buddy from the travel agency told me, among tour groups from around the world, those from Singapore are the easiest to guide. It is so easy that any new guide can handle them without any problem. Why? Because Singaporeans are exceptionally stupid, you can say whatever you want, just fabricate any reasons, they will be convinced without difficulty.’
 
The article went on to explain how easy the Sinkie tourists were duped and fleeced by their tour guides to buy cheap medicinal herbs and souvenirs at highly inflated prices without protesting, and how they were conned by free foot reflexology massage only to be told they were all sick from head to toe and ended up parting with thousands of dollars to buy worthless herbs that cost a fraction of their actual price. I have heard of a testimony of an acquaintance, a retired professional, coughing out $6,000 after a few minutes of foot reflexology in Hainan Island.
 
I think it is unfair to blame the daft Sinkies as they were brought up to be stupidly honest, a national asset, to trust the govt or ‘cheng hu’, another national asset, to take everything at face value especially when the word ‘cheng hu’ is mentioned. Whatever ‘cheng hu’ said is right and must be accepted as good. The PRC tour guides knew of these Sinkie traits and exploited them to the fullest, everytime saying the shops and herbal stalls, etc were set up by the Chinese govt. So very dependable, would not cheat them. No need to ask question or cannot ask question.
 
All the reasons and excuses given by the ‘cheng hu’ must be the whole truth, like the stories in the movie ‘To Singapore with love’ not very true because ‘cheng hu’ said so. The true versions are available everywhere in hard copies, and will soon be turned into a movie.
 
And if the daft Sinkies want to protest or demonstrate, they must also wait for the ‘cheng hu’ to say it is ok to protest and demonstrate. This obedient trait is also another of our national asset. That is why the PMEs simply resigned to their fate when told they were not good enough and kena sacked from jobs that they were doing for 20 or 30 years. The new hires from 3rd world villages were found to be more talented and have the skill sets that they did not have. They would not question why they were not good enough and why the new hires from God knows where, probably fakes, were better than them. Did the ‘cheng hu’ said so?
Sinkies were told that they are in demands overseas where employers are looking for exactly the excellent Sinkie type, work very hard, very honest and very compliant, and very easy to manage. The Sinkies would make model workers in production lines, when thinking is not necessary, when asking question is frowned upon.
 
See how readily they accept that the ‘cheng hu’ can decide what it can do with their CPF savings and the only thing they dared to ask, oops, not ask but to plead is for the ‘cheng hu’ to be kinder and return a little bit more to them when they retire. If the ‘cheng hu’ says no, they may kpkb a bit, but will still accept what the ‘cheng hu’ said and move on. They know the chenghu will not cheat them and is acting for their own good.
 
It is unfair for the PRC to comment that Sinkies are stupid. They are extremely stupid. But it is nicer to say that Sinkies are honest, obedient and simple. For those who are intent to cheat on the Sinkies, please do so but don’t have to insult them further by calling them stupid to hurt their pride. Stupid people also got pride you know.
 
Please read the article in TRE and face the hard truth of what others think of the daft Sinkies. Not I say one. Don’t be angry with me hor.

Kopi Level - Green

CPF – Shadow chasing

More intelligent people are coming out to comment on the CPF hot potato. Unfortunately many still cannot remove the blinkers placed over them and still talking like the blind men describing the elephant. After decades of conditioning, the mind will stay clear of the invisible OB markers and did not even know they are there. Some one sent me a story of a cage of monkeys that would beat up any monkey trying to climb to the top to take the hanging bananas but did not know why. Even the monkeys themselves did not know why and instinctively did what they were conditioned to do, beat up any monkey attempting to climb up for the bunch of bananas. And all the new monkeys put into the cage would soon learn to behave that way and think that way.

There are still many basic and fundamental issues and principles that all the do gooders have forgotten. First and foremost, the CPF is not a govt pension scheme. The govt does not contribute a cent to it. In fact the govt is riding on it and benefiting from it so much that it is looking at the CPF from a very different perspective, as a nation’s reserves, as a cheap source of fund, and forgot that it is the people’s private savings. It is the people’s money and must be returned. Nothing more, nothing less. The people did not give the govt the authority to mess around with their life savings.

Here is the another important principle. No one, not even the govt, is allowed or can be allowed by legislation to touch the people’s savings, be it in the CPF or any organisation, or in any form. This is a very dangerous precedent that must not be violated and taken lightly, and must be opposed vehemently. Unfortunately the daft Sinkies cannot see anything wrong with it.

The other issues are all about what is a savings scheme for old age. I make it clear here, we are not talking about a pension scheme but the people’s own savings scheme using their own money. By right, the first principle is that the govt should get lost, get out of the way unless it is contributing money, real money, into it. Other people’s money cannot be touched under whatever stupid excuses. It is none of the govt’s business except in an advisory capacity, using persuasive arguments to encourage the people to save.

How much is enough to save? Here all the do gooders would like the people to save to live like a king. Even if the people did not have enough to eat and may die tomorrow, the do gooders would want to seize the few cents in their hands to put into a savings scheme. KNN. They kill you and you got to say thank you to them and be eternally grateful.

No savings scheme is enough even for the super rich. But the super rich do not need to save. And for the poor, it is a case of daily struggle for survival. Where got money to save? Did anyone forgotten about the phrase ‘live within your means’? Yes live within your means, save within your means and live with whatever savings you have. Minimum sum to the rich is nothing, sup sup suey. To the poor, it is their blood, forcing them to set aside a minimum sum even of $10k is like squeezing blood from them. $10k is a lot of money for a lot of necessities they could not afford. A hundred thousand or more is luxury to many. Why don’t the do gooders spare a few dollars to them instead if they are that caring?

One of the biggest problems with the CPF is the draining of the members’ savings by you know what. No need to elaborate on this as they are taboo. What, got elephant in the classroom? Where is the guilt for causing the CPF scheme to be in such a deplorable state when many, after saving so much over a life time have to cry money not enough?

Forget about the silly discussions on minimum sums and the silly reasons quoted to justify the minimum sums. Only the daft will waste time discussion daft and farcical issues and reasonings and think they are valid and reasonable.

There will be many people at the bottom end of a society that need help. There will be many more among the very senior citizens that need financial help that no amount of minimum sums or saving schemes can help. This is where the govt must come in. What is the point of having a govt and paying taxes? No, don’t be a fool to think that we are paying very low tax.

The CPF cannot be the only instrument for a retirement plan or scheme. You cannot load everything into the CPF scheme to cover every hole that needs to be covered. In reality, people depend on many alternative means to support their retirement. The CPF can be one of the many retirement plans and schemes. And it should be one that provides a minimum retirement fund, depending on the individual and their ability to save. An airy fairy minimum sum quoted from thin air, oops, my apologies, computed by geniuses and very talented statisticians, is a ‘knows all’ answer to a good retirement plan for the people. Really, got such a perfect formula meh?

The final sum in the individual’s savings has to be the sum that the individual has to live with, within his means. If one is to satisfy this godly minimum sum, many would not have money to eat everyday in their life time. The govt cannot run away or shirk its responsibility from providing a safety net to those who are in need, not because they are stupid, but there are many circumstances that turned their miserable lives upside down. Even those who are blessed to be super talents or who have millionaire ministers as parents, do not be cocksure you would not end up in the shit hole. Life is unpredictable and don’t be smug.

Let me end here by saying it again, the CPF cannot be the only savings scheme for retirement and the amount to be saved by the individuals must vary according to their means. And the govt has a big responsibility, other than paying themselves in the millions, to use their million dollar brains to work out some retirement backup schemes for those that are not well endowed and been dealt with a bad hand in life.

And please, do gooders, be real. Not everyone is the same, as good and blessed as you.

Kopi level - Yellow

Shhhh, super talents at work

Singapore is truly a nation of super talents or, ok, ok, let me be more accurate, a nation with a very small pool of super talents. Mind you, there are plenty of great ideas to learn from them, like making every ministry or minister an entrepreneur and thus making every ministry self sustaining. A very good example is the Ministry of National Development

If I want to be an entrepreneur, the most exemplary ministry to learn from is the business model of MND. For a start, get a piece of land as cheap as possible then call for tenders and let the contractors bid at the lowest price to build properties for sale. There is a slight twist in this from the business model of Singapore Land Authority. In the latter they would open tender for contractors to bid for the land at the highest possible price to take the first bite of the cherry. I think HDB also got their land at a good price from SLA.

Now, after the contractor won the contract to build flats, let them outsource whatever jobs they want to the cheapest service provider. Not my problem as a super talent. Actually my job is already done once the tender is given to a contractor. All I need to do is to wait and shake leg and twiddle my thumbs. When the flats are completed, actually no need to wait till the flats are completed, I could immediately authorise the housing agencies to start marketing the flats. All I need to do is to determine how much profits I want to make per flat. And the housing agents would work furiously to sell the flats for me in advance.

By the time the flats are built and sold, I just collect my profit and don’t even have to say thank you. The biggest talent involved is to tell the buyers that the flats sold to them are very affordable. Better still, tell them they are getting it at a big market discount and see how happy the buyers are. Bought at a discount! What choice have the buyers?

But that is not all. The supreme talent is to tell the buyers that I am losing a lot of money building and selling the flats. You know I did not lift a finger on a single piece of brick. Nevermind, as long as they pay me for the flats and believe that I lost money, that is good enough. This losing money part will make them feel so grateful to me, like I am a philanthropist, or like the merciful God that came down from heaven to do charity, to help the people.

How much it cost me to build the flats, no one knows. How much I made from the sale of the flats, no one knows. They only know that I work so hard to build flats for them and lost so much money. Next time if I raised the price of flats, they will be very understanding. They will convince themselves that my prices are really cheap, even selling below cost, so raising the price a bit will only reduce my big losses. They will understand.

See how talented I am? Or is it the other way, the buyers are just too daft to know what is happening? I am a genius.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Rats country

After 3 days and an army of pest control workers, more than 140 rats were caught on the hillside beside Bukit Batok MRT station. And the bad news, the problem is much bigger. Like many problems, only a little surfaced at a time to deceive the unwary that all things are fine. No problem. But the pest control workers are saying that it would take more than a week to clear the rats as they are quite widespread throughout the hill. Hopefully they are right. And hopefully this problem is an isolated problem like the rioting in Little India. Clear the rats in Bukit Batok and there will be no more rats problem.

Some were even suggesting that the rats problem is island wide and in all colours, walking in two legs also got. I have used loanshark country to describe what is happening to this Sin City. And then lawlessness in the shopping centres perpetuated by rogue retailers cheating on tourists and the fly by night private school operators where the quality and reliability were in doubts.

Now looks like we are going to earn another title like rats country. The PAP used to be on top of rats problems in the past. They got rid of the rats then. And the credit must go to their rats catcher, Fong Sip Chee. He is famous for wearing that badge of honour. 

Despite the hundreds of rats running wild in Bukit Batok, and many resurfacing in other parts of the island, there is no self appointed rat catcher around. We only have politicians claiming to be animal lovers and maybe that is the problem. Rats are also animal and cannot be seen as rat catcher to discredit the animal lover image. But all animals are equal except some are more equal than others, and some walked on two legs.

With today’s new consciousness to love animals, there is unlikely to be a rat catcher emerging. Cruelties to animals is not a good badge to wear. And catching rats is not so glamorous anymore.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Rule of Law or Rule of Thugs

It is not funny that I have to keep reminding the daft Sinkies that we are a democratic country and there is a rule of law to govern the way of life here. What it means is that either the people did not understand what is a democracy, what is meant by rule of law, or the country is not what we think it is. It is not a democracy, it is a rule by thugs. Of course things are not as simple as that. It is not a black and white case but with many shades and variations. Or sometimes it is a democracy or looks like a democracy but sometimes it is not. And sometimes the rule of law is supreme, sometimes it is the rule of thugs. It all depends.

In a simple and straight forward democracy, the people elect the govt once every 4 or 5 years to rule the country. In our case rule is more appropriate than govern though they are interchangeable. And the govt is made up of people from a political party who won a simple majority in a GE. A 51% is good enough to form the govt and dictates what is to be done. The 49% who did not vote for the ruling party would go about their life and take orders from the 51% govt. Some may kpkb a bit, but that is about all. They will accept the new 51% govt or even a 34% President as the legitimately elected govt and president. And life should go on as normal.

Things would get complicated if the loser segment of the voters refused to acknowledge the new govt and a 34% President. It would get ugly if they refused to even accept anything the new govt decides, like paying taxes, paying GST, driving cars but refusing to pay COEs. There will be a break down of law and order. There will be no rule of law but thuggery. Such a state must not be allowed, must not be encouraged, and anyone agitating such a state is guilty of treason, and if found, must be put behind bars.

Such a situation at the national level is not different to municipal matters at constituency level. The recent farce about residents refusing to pay S&CC fees to AHPETC is a case in point. Many thugs openly spoke about not willing to pay on the ground that they did not vote for the WP. And no one is shock or embarrassed to stand up to say anything about it. Are they encouraging it, are they backing this kind of lawless behaviour? Anyone harbouring such thoughts and acts, and anyone not thumping it down is as good as being in favour of the rule of thugs.

In every constituency there will be residents who are in financial trouble and have problems paying their S&CC charges. The average could be in the 5 to 10% bracket. Anything more is abnormal. Anything more than 20% or 30% is highly suspicious and could be the works of thugs.

The AHPETC must be clear and firm in the handling of this problem. The obvious case of people in financial difficulties can be dealt with compassionately and should be helped. The obvious case of defying the rule of law, refusing to acknowledge the principles of democracy and the elected party in the constituency is a challenge to the constitution, to the rule of law and must be put right with the use of the law. The AHPETC must come down hard on such thuggery, civil disobedience, lawlessness if the refusal to pay S&CC charges is anything other than financial difficulties, and worst, politically motivated. No one is above the law.

The AHPETC is well advised to throw the book at the violators of the rule of law. Bring them to court and sue them until their pants dropped, and make them pay for all the legal fees in obvious cases of defiance and challenging the rule of law. The courts would be judging such cases fairly and judiciously. The courts would not be a party or accomplice to the breaking down of rule of law. They are there to uphold justice and the constitution.

It cannot be imagined that breaking the rule of law, and undermining the constitution and democracy would be supported and upheld. This would lead to anarchy as the precedence set will be spread all over the country and anyone who did not vote for the ruling govt can defy all the laws and policies imposed by them, and refuse to pay taxes and S&CC as well.

Vile, did I hear anyone say vile? Unacceptable, unconstitutional and the violators must be brought to courts? All I heard is silence. Is silence meaning consent? Or are the residents who refused to pay just like the rogue retailers in Sim Lim, there is no law against them? They are very clever, they know the law and nothing can be done to them? This kind of thinking is unbelieveable in a 1^st world country. 3^rd world, it happens everyday and the rich and powerful will be behind it as they are the abusers of the rule of law to their advantage.

My apologies to ask so many questions on a Sunday morning. Enjoy your morning kopi.

Kopi Level - Yellow

China’s Total Defence is Real

We have heard of Total Defence before but it seems that this is history going by the things that are happening in the country. Foreigners are swarming every sector of the economy, from sitting in top GLCs and ministries to the highly sensitive IT staff in the country’s financial system. One is reminded of the worms all over the place, hiding inside the system and eating up the core or waiting to destroy everything in their path.

In a Bloomberg report on 19 Dec and posted in the Today paper, it reported ‘China is aiming to purge most foreign technology from banks, the military, state owned enterprises  and key govt agencies by 2020, stepping up efforts to shift to Chinese suppliers.’ Microsoft’s Window operating system, Apple’s iPads, security systems by Cisco, IBM, Intel and Hewlett Packard applications, middleware and infrastructure software and hardware are all on the chopping list. Foreign suppliers could avoid being replaced if they allowed China’s security inspectors to access their products and core technology.

IT security is a serious business and how pervasive is American intelligence penetration around the world, peeping into other countries’ secrets could be a warning with the exposure by Edward Snowden. Only fools will think the Americans are priests and have a halo on their heads and their security systems in the govt and the economy are free and safe from attacks.

What are we doing to our Total Defence or has it been dumped into the wastebin? Our national defence cannot be just the army boys. What kind of Total Defence are we talking about when armies of foreigners are living and working among us and infiltrated throughout all the industries, in the govt and GLCs and occupying high positions and very sensitive services. And some are clamouring that foreigners should be in uniforms. Our IT is as good as being outsourced to foreigners by bringing them here in plane loads to operate inside our system and country. Can they turn hostile one day? I bet the intelligent fools will swear it will not happen. Give them a pink IC and they will become one of us. Safe already.

Have we surrender ourselves to technology and the need of foreign talents that our securities are no longer something to protect and secure? Would Total Defence be spoken again or forever be dismantled? How exposed and vulnerable are our systems throughout the country, in the govt and outside the govt?

Are the Chinese doing something foolish to secure their national security that we do not think is necessary? I think hotels too have their security systems in place to prevent a break in or everything being stolen.

Where are we, where is our Total Defence when the enemies are within, like worms inside us? We don’t only operate foreign operating systems but have foreigners operating them and manning them for us, and taking charge.

Kopi Level - Blue, thank you.

Aljunied GRC - My recommendations to WP

I have read widely from the main media and social media and have come to the conclusion that the Aljunied GRC voters are like children, just about 12 to 14 years in mentality. And I think that was the reason why they voted for the WP in the last GE.  You see, children are playful and like to have fun, even risking their future, even defying the warning that they would have to repent for 5 years if they voted for the WP. And they really did.  Very rash indeed!

In a way this is the rebellious nature of children. You cannot blame them. The more you threaten them, the more ‘kuai lan’ they will become. So you tell them not to do it, they would purposely do it. This is very different from mature adults who would think very carefully before they make such an important decision like voting for their representatives to Parliament. Unfortunately Aljunied voters are all immature kids.

Assuming that the Aljunied residents are still like the last election, still like children, never grow up, I can think of two strategies for the WP to win the election. Treat them just like immature kids and understand how immature kids will behave. One strategy is to defy them or threaten them like the last election. But doing this will be more like committing hara kiri. If the WP were to threaten them that if they vote for the PAP the WP would not return to serve them anymore, than surely they would vote for the PAP. Got it? Never threaten kids, they will be in defiance. Have some respect for them even if they are kids. And don’t call them kids.

The other option is to treat them like children, unthinking children or immature kids. Then offer them a lot of ice cream and lollipops. Kids love ice cream and candies, cool stuff. If can afford to, buy them the latest iPhones. But this one can be seen as bribery. I still think free ice creams or lollipops, like free porridge or chicken rice can leow. These kinds of thing got precedence so no problem.  Like that sure to win their votes.

Be nice to them. Allow them to write graffiti on the walls of HDB flats by designating a few walls just for their spraying pleasure. Tell them it is better and safer than painting graffiti on trains or on top of HDB flats. That would be illegal.

See, the recommendations are so simple when you are dealing with immature kids. No need to think too hard. Oh, tell them it is hip and cool to vote WP. See the colour of WP, cool light blue. Little children like to be cool. Yes, that’s it, Be cool, Vote cool blue. Wow, nice slogan.

What do you think? Would the children of Aljunied bite?

PS: Kopi Level - Blue, thank you.

The simplicity mindset of a daft people

Coming hot behind the heels of Hsien Loong’s statement about building a Singapore for our people, our children and their children, there is this forum letter in the ST a few days ago by a Richard Thong Kok Mun with the title ‘It’s not about nationality, but hiring the right people’. In the article, the author shared his frustration talking to outsourced call centre operators with their unfamiliar accent and difficulties in understanding him. Short of some asses hurling racist remarks at him, he did make a point. A call centre is all about communication and all about the communicating in the interest of the clients. If the clients have problems with the operator, it is going to be a painful and unpleasant experience. There is nothing about being racist.
 
Richard Thong added in his last paragraph, ‘The question is not about which nationality is best suited for the service sector, but about hiring the right person for the job.’ He may be trying to avoid the accusation that he is being racist, so anyone will do regardless of nationality as long as he is good, talented and can do the job.
How would this relate to Hsien Loong’s statement about building a country for our children and grand children if we allow hiring according to ability or ‘talent’ to do the job regardless of nationality? Let me repeat myself, there are 6b people out there that can do the job better than any daft Sinkie and more willing to work with lesser pay. So how, get them all in and replace the daft Sinkies with these foreigners regardless of nationality? Then if all our children and grand children lose their jobs to the foreigners, is that ok?
 
Oh, I can solve this problem. Issue pink ICs to all the foreigners and make them Sinkies so our daft Sinkies cannot complain even if they are sacked and unemployed as the replacement are now Sinkies, not sure how to call them ‘our children or grand chidlren’. Do we need to reach a stage when the majority of the daft Sinkies are replaced by foreigners and be jobless before we wake up from this silly ‘meritocrazy’ and foreign talent shit, that it is ok to get rid of Sinkies and replace them with new citizens and foreigners?
 
How many times must this message be repeated before the daft Sinkies understand what they are in for? The whole country of 3m Sinkies can be easily replaced by the hoards of millions of hungry humanities waiting at our doors.
 
Still cannot get the picture? They are not just coming for your jobs, but your homes and your country if daft Sinkies foolishly bring them in unconditionally. So difficult to understand? So willing to be raped and be driven out of your own country? Sinkies are so happy to be replaced by foreigners. Taiwanese Lee Ao is right after all.
 
PS: Is MOM so insecure that it has to justify to the world that foreign workers are happy working here? There are millions waiting at the door wanting to come in. Repeat this after me please. The money is good. Those that are unhappy, simply send them home instead of allowing them to stay and create trouble or start another riot. There is no need to pander to the world. There is no need to feel inferior or insecure to the foreign CEOs and MNCs operating here. This is our country. Oops, this is a free for all hotel that belongs to everyone. I almost forget about this new status.

Kopi Level - Green

CPF – Govt please, help not wanted

Chuan Jin is going to make sure the people have enough for retirement by adjusting the Minimum Sums of the CPF account holders. The few variations that can be expected, contribute more if not enough. Contribute less if got enough. Use less if not enough. If no need to touch the savings when got too much money, can take out more? What is going to happen to those who have a lot of money and do not need their CPF savings, like the multi millionaires and billionaires? Can they withdraw all their CPF savings?
 
What is going to happen to those who have very little in their CPF savings? Please contribute more. Or please, your CPF not enough, cannot take out or take up lesser to last longer? If got only $10k, will make it last another 30 years! When one does not have enough, either must put in more or take out less right?
 
The problem here is that the Govt will not be contributing a single cent to make up for those who really need more savings in their CPF. This is not a govt pension scheme and the money is the people’s money. Not enough, top up, don’t expect the Govt to top up for you.
 
So, how? I think it is better for the Govt not to help. The more the Govt wants to help, the more painful and difficult it will be for those who got money not enough.
 
Please, please, please don’t help us. Thank you very much. God bless you for your kindness. God will bless you to win the next GE. So no need to do so much. The people can understand your kindness and will vote for you. Just leave the people alone to manage their own few dollars left in their savings. Just return their CPF money to them and the people will pray for you.

Kopi Level - Green

NSmen no need to obey illegal orders – Judge

In a sweeping precedence setting ruling, District Judge Low Wee Ping made a judgement that NSFs ‘do not need to obey a manifestly illegal or unlawful order.’ This came about after the death of a NSman when the jeep he was in overturned. The driver was ordered to drive the jeep despite telling his superior that he did not have a driving lesson to drive class 3 vehicles.
 
The judge went further to order ‘lawyer Laurence Goh, a senior officer in the SAF, to get the message out that NSFs need not obey any order that is illegal or manifestly unlawful.’ How would this judgement affect the NSmen and regular soldiers when they are ordered by their superior to do something illegal?
 
An example that is waiting to happen is a ‘freak’ election and the soldiers ordered to take over the country to prevent a newly elected party to form the new govt. In such a situation, if a new political party is legitimately voted to power, and should someone decides to declare the election a ‘freak election’, not even a fraud election when no fraud is found, how would the soldiers react? How would the soldiers determine if the order is illegal and manifestly unlawful or otherwise?
 
What if the order comes from the incumbent Prime Minister who has lost the election or the incumbent President who is still constitutionally serving his term as the President? Who would decide whether the order is legal and lawful?
 
When such a situation becomes a reality, there will be judgement calls demanded on the soldiers to decide to obey and follow the order or to defy the order as being illegal and unlawful. It would be a difficult moment for the soldiers in charge even if a judge has made a ruling on illegal orders and make it known to all the soldiers.
 
Let’s hope Singapore would not have to face such a day and the soldiers would not have to be challenged by such an order and be put in a dilemma to choose between obeying an order and disobeying an illegal and unlawful order.

Kopi Level - Green

Clash of civilizations

What happened in Peshawar, Pakistan and Sydney are very painful to bear. 135 students killed and counting, in a military school, children and students mowed down by 6 Talebans. You can cry until no tears, the agony of the parents and families is beyond comprehension.
 
We are in the 21st Century. Many nations and people have moved forward, discarded the primitive ways of life when lives were cheap and short. Nations and people developed and progressed at different pace and speed. Many countries and nations are still steep in their primitive and tribal ways. Many things that are abhorring to modern man are still normal to some of these civilizations. It is best to let them live their lives at their own pace and progressed and be civilized in their natural order of things.
 
Do not stir the hornet’s nest of tribalism. Do not force your way of life on them. But this is exactly what the Americans had done. The Americans do not want to leave these people alone. They poked their fingers in all the wrong holes. Now they are scattered all over the world, for the right and wrong reasons, for real or fake. Two different worlds collided in the same pot and they clashed. Both are incompatible to the other in many ways. Without the Americans stirring shit everywhere, the movement and migration of people across countries and civilizations would take a more gradual and acceptable pace with people moving to seek a better life only when they wanted to, and in smaller numbers.
 
With the Americans bombing and tearing down their countries, millions of refugees are set in motion and forced to move, not because they wanted to live in a different place, in a different country with different culture and belief systems and ways of life. The push factor was too strong for them to stay put. They moved out from an intolerable place without choice. And many would be in places and countries they did not want to be and would not want to accept the way of life and customs and values of their countries of adoption. They will become problems to their host nations.
 
We are seeing clashes of civilizations everywhere today, different people unable to adapt and unwilling to accept different ways of life but forced to be together by forces beyond their control.
 
Would be better for people with the same way of life and value systems be staying and living together than for them to squeeze together in a place where both did not want to belong? The Americans should stop their shit stirring. Their cronies should also stop joining the act to make living unbearable for local inhabitants and forcing them to move out of their countries. They are just accomplices to stirring the hornet’s nest and the hornets would spread and can sting at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Do not be a party to disrupting people’s way of life. Leave people alone to live their lives and settle their own problems especially when the gap between the civilizations is too wide to patch. Not wanting to desist in meddling with other people in other people’s country will only bring pain and suffering to one’s own country and people in a matter of time.
 
Leave other people alone to live their own ways of life if you do not want a repeat of 911, Sydney or like the school in Peshawar.
 
PS: The Americans did all these things in style. Just press a button and the drones or smart bombs will be on their way. You don’t see the gore and the victims, you don’t hear the screaming and the cries from where you pressed the button. So it is ok, fun, and nothing to cry about. At most imagine it is a work of Hollywood, surreal.

Kopi Level - Green

Singapore will be in deep trouble, now you know

Today Singaporeans are greeted with two pieces of depressing news. Two of the country’s largest monopolies, the transport companies and the HDB are in trouble, with the HDB announcing a deficit of $2b! Cannot imagine how a monopoly housing developer that controls everything, from land prices, contractors, construction workers and pricing of the units for sale could lose so much money over a year.
 
In the case of the transport companies, with oil prices hitting the roof, I think, with labour cost going up and up, with bonuses going up and up for good performances, with upgrading and more new buses and trains, it cannot be helped but to apply for fare hikes. And the govt is so kind, Lui Tuck Yew said the maximum allowed to hike is 2.8%. And the transport companies will be helping a lot of commuters to lower the fares for them. Where in the world got so good things. The companies must be running at a loss and need higher fares to cover their operating costs, and still got to help commuters like students, seniors and concession card holders. If not how to justify for fare hikes? Say thank you quickly and for the little mercy of only 2.8% fare hikes. Be grateful.
 
As for the HDB, it is giving so much subsidies and discounts and losing $2b is very lucky. Please don’t ask them how they arrived at the big loss. It is embarrassing. Just accept it like all the good analysts and housing agencies did. The figures are honest, transparent and fully accountable. So the loss must be real.
 
Maybe HDB should bring back Mah Bow Tan to manage it. The losses would be much lower, maybe $1b. Or maybe should ask Liew Mun Leong or Quek Leng Beng or Redas to assist the HDB on how to run the biggest monopoly public housing agency and still make money. This kind of operation requires geniuses and private entrepreneurs’ talent to do the trick. But if these people claim conflict of interests and refuse to come on board, go around the world to find the best talented CEO to take over. Just issue the guy with a pink IC and all the problem will be solved. India and China and even the Philippines would have such talents and most willing to take the job with the pay we are paying. They may even settle for half the pay as they are hungry and will work doubly hard. Then HDB would be able to sell highly subsidized public flats and no need to lose so much money.
 
Maybe the opposition parties can volunteer to take up the challenge to run HDB for a term. Oops, maybe a term is too short, not fair, how about a long term, say 20 years or 30 years to turn HDB around and make HDB owners happy as well? This type of projects cannot be for short term one, the duration of each building programme is at least 4 years. The WP should propose this in Parliament to take over HDB for the next 30 years. This is only reasonable as short term sure got short term problems. In the long run everything will be fine.
 
But if all things remain the same, please make sure the PAP remains in power or Singapore will be in deep trouble. HBD and public transport are two good examples to show how wrong things can be.

Kopi Level - Green

What if Obama say these?

Obama stood in Congress and warned the Americans that the USA would be in deep trouble if the Democrats lost the next general election. He also warned that in a freak election he would move in the army to take over the country.
 
Can anyone imagine Obama threatening the Americans with such a scenario? Can anyone imagine Obama following up with the threat that the American womanfolks would become maids and Americans would become boat refugees?
 
I can’t imagine this would be said in the American Congress. But don’t worry, if Obama or any American President would dare to say it the whole Congress will burst out in laughters. They will give him a standing ovation before chasing him out of the White House with a broom stick.
 
The Americans would not take this kind of comments lightly from their politicians, not from their President. That is how mature their system is and how the thinking of their people have become. They are really first world and not 3rd World with 3rd World mentality. Obama would not dare insult the Americans and treat them like dafts? But Obama would be smart enough not to do it. It is the USA!
 
Has Singapore arrived, knocking at the gate of the 3rd World? See the difference? The language of politicians in the US and Sin City and their vocabulary are very different. But they can’t be saying the same kind of things, Obama is not a super talent, no standard. That is the difference. In Singapore we have freedom of speech and can say anything.
 
PS: Kishore asked if we can laugh at ourselves with cartoons and be the butt of our own jokes?

Kopi Level - Green

Property Tax is a wealth tax

‘Property tax is a wealth tax, levied on property ownership.’ This is the reply from Kelly Wee, Director(Corporate Communications), Inland Revenue in her letter in the ST forum on 15 Dec. She was responding to complaints by the public about the property tax levied on HDB owners. This tax on HDB properties is now subject to a lot of public criticism as many now realized that they are but 99 year lessees. And this is not the same as 99 lessees of private properties when the latter assumed full ownership of the property during the lease with very few restrictions and no need to pay a cut to HDB when the property is sold.
 
The HDB ownership is cumbersome and comes with many restrictions that remind the HDB ownerships who is the real and ultimate owner. Just believe whatever you want to believe, as owners or lessees.
Property tax as a tax on the wealth of the people becomes questionable for many reasons. On face value, a HDB flat is temporary wealth on short term. In the long run, when the lease expires, it is no longer wealth. Its value is zero. Where is the wealth? Can the HDB owners ask for refund on the tax paid when the wealth is gone?
 
Many HDB owners are occupants of their flats. They live there for their whole life, a home, a roof over their heads. If not there is no where else to go. Other than those that rent out the flats, the only benefit is the right to live in the flats.
 
Compare this with private properties. These are real wealth and very big wealth. If the govt is taxing on the wealth of the people, why aim at the poor HDB owners or lessees, particularly the smaller HDB flats? Many could barely afford to pay for them. And the problem will get increasingly problematical to the retirees without an income, and still got to squeeze out whatever little savings left to pay for property tax.
 
Why is there no tax on the filthy rich when there is real wealth, horrendous wealth, in their estates? Why is the govt so quick in abolishing estate duties to free the very rich from paying anything from their rich estates? Are the estates of private properties in the millions and hundreds of millions not wealth? And taxing on the poor HDB flat lessees with an expiring lease as wealth? Many of the private properties and estates are freehold or 999 year lease, the real wealth, and not taxable under estate duties. Is this a case of taxing the poor and freeing the super rich from taxes?
 
GST is to help the poor? How many believe this story or agree to the logic of this story?

Kopi Level - Green

The arrogance of Power

American Exceptionalism is touted as some kind of a right that is granted to the Americans. They can do anything they want, to kill, to meddle with other countries domestic affairs, to threaten countries with sanctions, regime change, to incite and provoke wars. They can have the biggest military forces, the most nuclear weapons and missile delivery systems, but others are not allowed to have. They can talk down to countries about human rights but they could violate every human rights against anyone, at home or abroad. And the silly Afro Asians love them and accept this Exceptionalism as the law to abide by. And they pray to the Americans for being able to act so exceptionally and so arrogantly.
 
The audacity of it all is like someone living in the biggest glass house and throwing stones at everyone, not a bit shy or shameful that others could throw stones back at the big glass house that is fully transparent with all the faults and flaws for all to see.
 
Where else can one see such arrogance of power, do as I tell you, but not do like I do. Don’t cheat, but I can cheat. Be honest and transparent but don’t look at me. I am different, beyond reproach, for I hold all the powers there is. I dictate the rule of the game for others to play. I don’t need to play by the rules I set. I am above the rule of law, rule of decency, rule of deceit, rule of fair play, rule of transparency, rule of anything. I am the Master of the Universe, I am God.
 
Everyone must play by my rules. Everyone must not cheat. I can. And no one is allowed to say I cheat. I will come down very hard on those who dare say I cheat.
 
This is Exceptionalism. This is American Exceptionalism. Anyone wanting to imitate the Americans must possess the absolute power to rule over the helpless masses like the Americans hammering the Muslims and the Arabs to smithereens and acquiescence. What torture in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib? Only the Americans can do it and get away with it.
 
Rule of Law?

Kopi Level - Green

India, the superpower pretender

‘Recession plagued Russia needs India more than before.’ This is the subheading of an article, Old bedfellows, but commercially disjointed, by Sreenam Chaulia. Other than this catchy subtitle, the whole article was all about how great India is, and about India’s super power ambition, about India’s zone of influence, which are understandable, just like the award of Modi with the Asian of the Year Award for doing nothing except hurling rhetoric of how great India could be.
 
Back to the subtitle, Russia needs India more than before, or is it India needs Russia more than before? What is it that Russia needs from India other than money which India has very little? The truth, as Sreenam elaborated in his article is that India needs a lot of things from Russia and not the other way.
 
India is aspiring to be a super power but lacks everything a super power has except making hollow speeches of greatness and potential of greatness. What India needs from the Russians are weaponry, nuclear power stations for the high grade plutonium for nuclear weapons, of course the energy potential, the natural gases, fighter aircraft and aircraft technology, the submarines, aircraft carriers, cutting edge technology, not low budget engineering.
 
What can India offer to Russia? The minuscule trade figures tell the whole story. Putin is pushing for a US$100b trade with China next year. India is talking about a US$10b trade with the Russians. And Russia is willing to sell, can the Indians afford to buy? What is there for the Indians to sell to the Russians, maybe some foodstuff.
 
So, who needs who more? Russia needs India more? What can the Indians offer the Russians? Maybe the next article will be Singapore needs India more than India needs Singapore.

Kopi Level - Blue, thank you.

PAP reviewing the CPF Scheme?

The CPF Scheme is a damn good saving scheme gone wrong. If the scheme has not be subject to so many abuses and misuses, today the retirees would be smiling in contentment in their twilight years, living off the savings they have set aside for a life time of work and toil. We are about the biggest savers as a people, saving as much as 50% of our income for retirement. How could this be not enough? How could this, with other savings, be not enough for our retirement?
 
Anyone wants to know why? Now Chuan Jin is going to review the CPF Minimum Sums to make it more flexible as the govt suddenly realized that not everyone has the same need or money problem. So a lot of efforts and resources will be devoted to make Minimum Sum more flexible, designed to the needs of different groups of individuals.
 
Is this not pathetic? One of the greatest and bestest saving schemes in trouble, money not enough! Anyone wants to know why money not enough? Think HDB prices. Anyone wants to scratch the pimples when the system is cancerous? Anyone wants to know what is the cause of the cancer?
 
This is like the Stock Exchange, nothing is wrong, very fine. Just massage the little thing, and all is fine. Why is everyone buying pimple creams when the body is dying of cancer?
If the hole is so big, no matter how much is put into the savings, nothing much will be left if the hole is not patched. The tweaking of the Minimum Sum which is not the problem but a symptom of how nonsensical the CPF Scheme has become is but just a diversion.
 
Deal with the real problems and causes that are eating away at the people’s savings. There should not be any minimum sums schemes at all. Return the money to the people as it was intended when the Scheme was first conceived. The CPF savings are the people’s money and it must be returned to the rightful owners, nothing less.

Kopi Level - Blue, thank you.

National leaders versus boy scouts/girl guides

Many people take their early life experience with them wherever they go. Boy scouts and girl guides would bring along their fun times, their pranks and brickbats with them in their jobs as adults. And what are boy scouts and girl guides famous for? Curi ayam, placing thumb tacks on the chairs of unsuspecting victims, waking up in the middle of the night to flatten the sandcastles of competitors, pulling the chairs while someone is about to sit down. These are childish pranks that were fun where one is young in the heart and in the head. Hopefully the boys and girls, when turned adults, would remember them fondly as part and parcel of growing up, but not to think and practise them in adulthood.
 
Many boys and girls grow into top management positions. Some became professionals and some became national leaders. The wiser ones, the more intelligent ones, will know that their stations in life have changed. As a professional, they need to live and act as a professional. As national leaders, they must rise to the occasion and act and behave like national leaders, not like boy scouts and girl guides.
 
It is not funny, not at all, and very pathetic if these boys and girls grow up and still continue to behave like boy scouts and girl guides, playing their pranks and thinking they are very clever. Worse if any of them become national leaders and still behave in such manners. When are these boys and girls going to grow up and take their adult roles seriously and behave like adults and national leaders?
 
No more thumb tacks, please. No more pulling people’s chairs from their behinds.
 
Are you a national leader or a boy scout/girl guide?

Kopi Level - Yellow

Human Rights – The Americans walking around naked

The exposure of the misdeeds committed against humanity by the Americans/CIA came in time for Christmas. In a way this is the best Christmas gift for the Americans. In another way it is so sad for the rest of world to think that they did not know, did not bother to monitor what this demon has been doing against other countries and people, and only when the Americans made a slip then the world got to know about it. The Americans have been using this Human Rights excuse to attack and punish the rest of the world, and the whole world looks like pathetic sheep, guilty as the Americans accused them of.
 
Now the Americans are walking naked for the world to see, guilty and confirmed and convicted by their own conscience, of the worst human rights violation in the 21st Century. But his disclosure of torture against Muslim and Arab prisoners is really nothing, really, if you count the killings and maiming of hundreds of thousand of Iraqis alone by the invasion that also resulted in the murder of President Saddam Hussein all because of a lie fabricated by Bush and Blair.
 
Soon the world will forget of these crimes as the western media would soon stop talking about them and the Americans would go around pointing their fingers and carrying a cane again. But before that, the Malaysians are taking notice of this and rebuking the Americans for their hypocrisy. Perkasa, a Malay rights group has criticized the US for gross violation of human rights and also practicing double standards. ‘The US is the father of all devils in this world. What right has it to intervene(into Malaysia’s affair)?’
 
Would the Americans still dare to walk around naked showing what is hanging between their legs and accusing the world of obscenity?

Kopi Level - Yellow