Hope for another PM Lee

There were all kinds of mischievous speculations and troublesome remarks that there will be a third PM Lee after Hsien Loong. And the choice is between Hong Yi and Sheng Wu as the top candidate for the post. The grooming could have started and the ground being prepared. Chan Chun Sing was touted as another seat warmer to fill the gap while the two young men grow up and gain the necessary skills set to be a PM.
 
Most of these speculations and rumours were not well intended, a snipe at the possibility of the continuation of the Lee Dynasty. Ground feelings, as far as I know, is negative towards a third Lee as the PM. Somehow the thinking is that this should not be the case. A republic must not be turned into a dynasty and anyone would do except a Lee. It is not a case of how good the two young men would turn out to be. They have yet to show how good they are and to endear to the people. It is just a no no for a third Lee to replace Hsien Loong.
 
Wait a minute. Things are changing. Some were saying Singapore would be a better place, better governed, if Wei Ling were the chosen heir instead of Hsien Loong. She seems to have her heart in the right place. She could think simply and clearly, no silly nonsense. This is a gift that is likely to be inborn, to be able to see through the hypocrisies and pretensions of human beans.
 
Wei Ling is starting to endear to the people as a straight talking, no ‘bluffology’, no balls carrying kind. She said what she thought, pure and simple, right from the heart. Her latest comment on her father’s wish, not to build a personality cult, not to build silly monuments like the dictatorship of North Korea, is music to the ears of the people. It slapped very hard on the faces of hypocrisy and the unthinking and glory seeking, to want to flatter the legend and to look good and saying all the right things. In their scramble to be in the good books, falling all over one another, to build monuments to glorify the legend, they forgot what he was all about. And it takes a simple and clear mind, very exceptional when one is the daughter, with emotional attachments and sentiments, to say the right and proper thing, to fulfill the wishes of LKY. The man does not want a personality cult. Is that so difficult to understand?
 
There were some comments in the social media that Wei Ling would be welcome to join the opposition to do the right things for the country. And with here stature and accomplishment, I think she could be the one to bring the opposition parties together under one banner. And if she can do that, she would be the natural leader to be the PM if the opposition wins the next GE. She is the perfect candidate the opposition is waiting for. Never mind if she is another Lee. Never mind if she will be the third PM Lee, if she can do good instead of harm to the country and people.
 
What do you think?

Malaysia really screwing it up big time

The latest advice by Maybank about the oversupply of housing in Johore, first the Iskandar Economic Zone and now the Forest City built on 4 newly created islands with more housing available must be kind of like a thunderbolt. How are they going to sell anymore housing to the daft Sinkies? With the warning, no matter how daft the Sinkies are, they must know that things are not looking good. And there were talks of developers offering buy one get one free offer. Too good to be true or things are looking real bad, and developers are bailing out before they lost their pants?
 
The housing and commercial projects in Johore were really a very welcome initiatives and many Singaporeans were really salivating and wanting to cash out from Singapore, from their CPF, to move to Johore. There were so many comparative advantages that cannot be ignored. The advantages were real, not imaginery or fictional. It was a good deal, work in Singapore, live and rest in Johore. High income, good exchange rate, low cost, low property prices and cheap cars. The best of both worlds! The Malaysians have been enjoying it for so many years. Now Singaporeans too can have a bite of the cake.
 
Unfortunately good things don’t last. The warning by Maybank is sending shivers to many potential home buyers, even factory owners. And the developers must be trembling in fear. So much money pumped in and now the takers are fleeing. How man? What is happening man?
 
Why is Malaysia killing the golden goose before it lays its golden eggs? I can only see one reason, too many parties want a piece of the cake. The Johore royalties, the local govt, the federal govt, all must be looking at the piece of cheese like a hungry rat. Actually the Johore royalties have all the rights to get a big chunk of the pie. They started with the idea, authorized the projects, even as full participating investors. They deserved to have their profits.
 
But what about the local govt and federal govt? They would find their ways to carve a slice for themselves even undermining the whole concept that makes it viable. How could they be left out of the foodchain? Everyone in the chain must have his bite. Fair. But don’t take too big a bite that all the comparative advantages become disadvantages and turn a win, win project into a lose, lose project. The buyers are not taking the bite. The developers are losing their pants and the royalties falling flat on their faces if they don’t get the acts right.
 
Doesn’t anyone in Malaysia know simple economics or arithmatics? The buyers must have a good deal and the developers too must make their profits. The third parties, the vultures that do nothing, must be careful not to clean up the bones. This apparently is the case. If the Singaporeans, most likely the biggest group of buyers, can see benefits they would come in droves and just buy and buy, buying up everything. The present numbers could easily be absorbed if the conditions are good and make economic sense. When the cost or advantages become meaningless, what is the point? Why pay S$20 daily just to cross the causeway?
 
Singaporeans are daft. No doubt about it. But they cannot be so daft not to notice the advantages are no longer there. From now going forward the two projects would be hitting a stone wall. Well done Malaysia, for cutting your own nose when you could make a good killing and making both sides happy. You can’t believe that Singaporeans are so daft to empty their pockets in a lose, lose proposition right?
 
What’s next? Can the two projects be saved? Would they turn out to be short term mirages? Can the Malaysians work out the sums, make it attractive and make money from it? You can’t have the cake and eat it at the same time, and make the daft Sinkies pay for it? No way, in real life things are not as simple as this, stupid. You must creative value for the buyers. And don’t think you can continue to come out with nonsensical rules and regulations in the future to screw the daft Sinkies. They learnt and know the trick after a while.

What is wrong with employing foreigners in top positions?

There is an article in the TRE titled, ‘Good work by old guards being dismantled by LHL’ by a contributor calling himself ‘Disillusioned with current PAP’. The gist of his post is that too many foreigners are taking over top jobs in Singapore instead of Singaporeans. And he listed the following:
 
(1) Magnus Bocker, CEO of SGX
(2) Singapore Botanic Gardens hired Briton Dr Nigel Taylor as its director sidelining our locals
(3) Singpost is now headed by an Austrian, Dr. Wolfgang Bier, as its Group Chief Executive Officer since Oct 2011.
(4) Simon Israel holds position of Executive Director at our very own Temasek Holdings while Greg Curt holds position of President.
(5) The infamous former CEO of our national transport network, SMRT, was Malaysian Saw Phaik Hwa who mismanaged our train network.
(6) Mr Steve Leonard is the executive Deputy Chairman of IDA Singapore
(7) Stephen Forshaw, managing director at Temasek Holdings
 
The author also quoted LKY and saying ‘I may not necessary agree with everything LKY did but there is one thing I respect him – he put the interests of Singaporeans first.’ Many Singaporeans respected LKY for the things he did to improve their lives and the large turnout and outpouring of grief during his funeral were testimonies to this.
But what is wrong with employing foreigners to these top jobs? I study them closely, I even meditated on them to try to find faults with the govt for employing these foreigners to these multimillion dollar jobs. The only problem I could find is that he missed out on those given a pink IC so not counted. They are now Singaporeans. And I think a few of the abovementioned could also have been given pink ICs. I am just guessing but this is not an issue. Tharman was quoted to have said that this is a good way to offer good jobs to ‘Singaporeans’ by bringing in foreign talent and made them instant citizens. The people cannot complain that they are foreigners anymore.
 
To me the most important point is whether the govt can find Singaporeans, I mean true blue Singaporeans, not the instant tree type, to take over these extraordinary and very difficult jobs. When I look at the jobs involved, I must agree that no Singaporean is good enough to fill these positions.
 
As they said, the proof is in eating the pudding. Look at the new replacement for SMRT and tell me if there is any improvement in the train services vis a vis the foreign talent Saw Phaik Hwa. Then look at the CEO of SGX. The moment they announced that Bocker is stepping down, they headed straight to the world to look for a replacement. Obviously they must have looked in house and all over Singapore and could not find any Singaporean suitable for the job. Oops, sorry, my mistake again. There is only one Singaporean that can fill the SGX job. He is the only talented Singaporean that can fill any banking and finance position, the only Singaporean talent in banking and finance, but he is already the CEO of DBS. And he is very happy there, so no point moving him to SGX.
 
After thinking about this for many days, I also come to the conclusion that the Singaporeans do not have the skills set for these jobs. So it is right that these jobs must go to foreigners. I think the govt is starting to think, and starting to plan also, to train Singaporeans to fill these positions, according to Leo Yip, the MD of EDB. So maybe in another 30 years we may have some Singaporeans trained and with the skills set to fill these positions.
 
So, for the next 30 years, these positions must be filled by foreign talents. No choice lah. But they can also be filled by Singaporeans if the govt gives the pink IC to the foreigners offered these jobs. Instant Singaporean also Singaporean what? Not to worry, our govt is very far sighted and always plan ahead, they said this is called proactive, always thinking ahead. Nevermind if they don’t think for the present. Now they have a 30 year plan to fill these positions with Singaporeans. Got hope, got hope for true blue Singaporeans, in 30 years time.
 
I feel so comforted. Our govt is planning ahead. We are in good hands. Our future is in good hands. No need to worry. No need to kpkb for now. In 30 years time, if it is still like that, then you can complain. Must look at the long term.

IDA fake degree case. Who is abetting the crime?

Nisha Padmanabhan, a new citizen employed by IDA as an Application Consultant has claimed to have a MBA from a degree mill called Southern Pacific University. IDA has replied that they employed her based on her first degree from a reputable university, Mumbai University. The issue here is the false claim of having a MBA that is equivalent to a piece of junk in her resume. Is this cheating, lying, is this a crime? If it is not, case closed. If it is a crime, why is there no action taken against the culprit, and who is supposed to take action against her?

When a crime is committed, in this case it is expected that IDA, the organisation that discovered the crime should take all necessary actions to terminate her employment and to make a police report. So far nothing is being done and the culprit is presumably still employed by IDA, standing for Infocomm Development Authority, a govt organisation, an authority within the govt organisation. Is IDA condoning the act?

Presumably a crime is committed. I stand corrected as IDA did not seem to think anything is wrong with it. So I am not sure if there is any wrongdoing in this case. And if there is no wrongdoing, please forgive me for raising this issue. What is a crime and what is not a crime, what is a petty crime, what is a serious crime, the whole thing is so grey that it is so difficult to tell. Really, it is so difficult to tell. Perhaps one can deduce the severity of this incident from circumstantial evidence. The main media does not think this is newsworthy, an indication that there is nothing to it, no crime. The Police are not taking any action, so no crime. Or perhaps the Police have not been informed or no one makes any police report, or the number of police reports is less than 20.

Ok, after my clarifications, and to protect myself from making wrongful allegation that there is a crime but actually no crime, lets assume that it is a crime, assume only hor, forging or making false claims on one’s resume and qualifications, the law and legal processes would have been activated and the law enforcement officers would be moving their butts, like the very serious case of Amos Yee when 8 officers were reported to have arrested him in his home and handcuffed him before taking him away. Looks like this case, if there is a case, is going to be a very minor case, a minor infringement of the law.

And MOM and ICA also did not say or do anything. Aren’t they the regulating and approving agencies for legitimate job seekers and new citizens in the country? Aren’t these agencies supposed to police and regulate such ‘minor’ infringement of our employment and immigration regulations?

Do I see that a crime has been committed and no one is taking any action? Do I see the exposure of a forgery or false declaration and the enforcement agencies not doing anything, or not wanting to do anything? My past experience in HR says this is a police case.

But of course, our law enforcement agencies are not sleeping. They are dutyl bound to enforce and uphold the law and regulations, and if something is wrong, a crime being committed, they will jump off their butts and act on it immediately. The Amos Yee case is a good example of super efficiency of the Police and the judicial system.

Can I therefore conclude that there is nothing wrong with this case and it is all a red herring, a wild goose chase? Maybe a minister would make statement that everything is in order and we should move on. Maybe some authoritative bloggers, with good connections, would say just laugh it off. Maybe someone would warn the social media and bloggers not to spread rumours.

Is there a case or no case? I am a layman and just wondering aloud. And to the best of my judgement, from all the circumstantial evidence and the silence from the authority, there is no case. Case closed. Let’s move on. No crime has been committed. There is no cheating, or no intent to cheat. Oh, for this last part, someone from IDA commented that this Nisha took the MBA from the degree mill for fun or something like that. Putting the MBA in her CV must also be for fun.

I have wasted so much time writing about nothing. Really, believe me, trust me. We are a rule of law country. The law is fair and transparent and efficient. What is troubling is, should a hypothetical situation like this occur: The person who saw a crime did nothing, turned a blind eye. The police supposed to apprehend the criminal did nothing. And the regulators did not regulate and allowed the crime to flourish. In simple words, ‘bo cheng hu’.

Who is the real criminal? Or who is abetting the crime?

Miracles are happening in Sin City

We are going to see more miracles happening in this city state. We just had one miracle a few weeks ago. Unbelieveable, and more miracles are going to happen. We have self sufficiency in water, which is a near miracle but really not that spectacular. Look at the Garden by the Bay. This is not mere cosmetic piece of white elephant. It has many strategic uses. We plebians with our little knowledge could not see how important this monument is. Please allow me to enlighten you people with the great value in store and how it could create more value than you think.

Last week a miracle happened inside the Garden. They regulated the temperature of the enclosure to simulate winter, probably leading to snow flakes falling. That is not the miracle I am referring to. It is the olive tree. Can you imagine an olive tree flowering and bearing fruits, yes olives, in the equator? This is a miracle for sure.  Nature could not do that, God could not do that or God did not make it so. Olives only bear fruits in temperate countries, not in hot tropical land. And the value of this is that we can be self sufficient in our supply of olives and olive oil. No need to import them from the Mediterranean. We can grow our very own olives in large scale production.

This is only the beginning. Think of the juicy apples and oranges, the pears and the succulent strawberries. Miracles can happen everyday in the Garden. What, you can buy an olive for 20c a piece in Fairprice? What, an apple for 50c?

Come on, miracles are priceless. Not the same. The Tourist Board should rename the Garden as Miracle Garden and sure to attract more visitors. Come and see a miracle. Miracles do happen now and then.

PS. How much does it cost to produce that miracle olive?

God is forgiveness

I must confess again that I am not a Christian and I am not representing any religious group when I say God is forgiveness or things about God.  From the little I know, God is Almighty and can never be harmed by the words of a boy. And He is all loving and all kindness, with a big heart. God will have forgiven the boy for any blasphemous remarks against him. He is not petty. Any believer who is hurt by Amos Yee’s remark and disagree with my comment on the kindness of God, please feel free to disagree with me, a layman, and not a believer.

I think it would be a very nice gesture for the heads or elders of the religion to step forward to forgive the boy for his rude comments.  The magnanimity and kindness will be felt by everyone, by Amos Yee and his parents, that God is kind and forgiving. God will not be going after his blood for a juvenile rant.

So far I have not seen or heard any statement from anyone that Amos is forgiven. Maybe this boy’s words cannot be forgiven. Maybe this boy has said something that is unforgiveable.

Is there anything that is unforgiveable? I have written a few articles about forgiving and I also said that there are times when it is not right to forgive when the attacker is not a child but a smart ass and doing harm to others for selfish reasons and consciously knowing the harm he is causing to the victim. The vicious intent to do harm to promote one’s selfish cause is an entirely different ballgame.

I think Amos Yee, due to his tender age, does not fit into the category of assholes that should not be forgiven.  Not forgiving an asshole is not to encourage him to continue to be an asshole and enjoying it. 

Amen.

Are we moving towards a kinder society?

Below is an article by Andrew Loh posted in the TRE about Amos.  I share Andrew's angst about the case and hope the kindest person in Singapore, Willaim Wan, would say a few kind words for Amos Yee. This boy could have said the wrong things and ruffled some feathers.  I believe he is just an impressionable kind going through the paces of adolescence and unlikely to pose a security threat to anyone. He is precocious and very articulate and well read.

The objective of the Singapore Kindness Movement is to build a nation of kindness. So far I am waiting to see some kindness shown to this boy, not necessary by the Kindness Movement but by the average Singaporeans. Amos is all alone. His parent is not posting bail and Amos would have to spend time behind bars until kindness appears.

Here is the article 'Why are we over killing Amos?'

22 police reports filed against him, 8 policemen at his home to arrest him (while he was in pajamas), handcuffed at home, handcuffed in court, bail set at $20,000, new conditions of removing his fundraising blog post (he was trying to raise funds to pay his legal fees) and to report to police station every morning at 9am.

All this along with charges of sedition, harassment, obscenity, and a biased mainstream media publishing misleading reports about his mother, so-called celebrities in a public forum pontificating about how his parents are to blame, together with pro-PAP psychos calling him names, questioning his parents, threatening to cut off his penis and stuff it into his mouth, etc.

Welcome to the PAP’s first world nation in the 21st century.

And oh, the boy is 16-years old, in case you forgot.

Whatever your political leanings, and whatever you think of Amos Yee, we really need to think of what kind of society we are becoming.
—————-
Footnote:
“Lee Kuan Yew says Singapore needs more mavericks, geniuses and independent thinkers” – AFP, 2003.
Andrew Loh

LKY’s last wish – Think fengshui

With the public appeal by his children to demolish his house, it is as good as being done. The house in 38 Oxley Road would be gone. And given the urgency and efficiency of the govt and contractors you can bet that it would disappear as quickly as the Harry Potter waves his magic wand.

But wait, wait. Please do not rush into such a major decision without consulting the fengshui master. Maybe Hsien Loong has already done that then go ahead if the fengshui master said it is a good thing to do. I am no expert in fengshui, but to demolish a house or even buying a house or renovating a house, if one can afford it, it is good to get a second opinion from the fengshui master or masters.

This house in Oxley Road is no ordinary house. Anyone would tell you that it is sitting on a very auspicious fengshui location. No need to ask the fengshui masters. Just look at the wealth and good fortune it has brought to the Lee family! 3 generations of prosperity and good descendants. And don't forget the good fortune of Singapore. With such a good fengshui, no one in his right mind would want to touch the house. Many would not even do any renovation on it so as not to disturb the good fengshui. And maybe that was what the Lee family did in the last 40 years. The house is as original as it could be. There must be a very good reason. They can afford to turn it into a multi storey modern home with the flip of a finger. Money is not a problem. So you can guess the reason.

Now out of the blue the children are so eager and ready to get it demolish. Is the fengshui of the house changing and turning bad that it has to be demolished? If so, well, better do it fast. If no or not sure, don’t they think it is worth to spend a few dollars to hire the best fengshui masters, get a second or third opinion, on the expediency of demolishing it, to tear it down? You do not tear down a house of good fengshui just like that. That is what the Chinese believe even if they are not steep in the art of fengshui. Better be safe than be sorry.

What do you think? Is it a good idea to tear the house down from the perspective of fengshui?

A new trend and a new normal

This guy came to me and offered me his name card. My God, was I impressed. Below his name is a long list of credentials. Let me just list them down to show you how well qualified he is.

B. Eng, Masters Computer Science, Ph D Eng, Ph D Science, Ph D Social Engineering, Ph D Technology.

I asked him if he was in senior management. He said no, just an engineer. But his boss was very impressed and even asked him how to get these Ph Ds to add on to his name card. He said his boss only got a B Eng from NUS. Now his boss felt malu looking at his name card.

I said soon he should be taking over his boss position. He said no lah. He was employed only because of his first degree which was genuine and from a reputable university in Geylang, the rest he bought it from the degree mills. Oh, you mean degree mills degrees can also be printed in the name card. He assured me can. He said he listed them in his CVs also. But not to worry, the rest just for show show only. The boss knew he did not get them by the normal and proper academic route. But it is okay. No worry, no crime. Not a crime.

This is the new fashion in Singapore. Even one government agency did not find any problem with it, till now. He said if don’t believe go and ask IDA. This type of thing is very normal one. If I don’t have a long list, employers would say I got no relevant skills set compare to FTs. FTs all got very long list of degrees and many many skills set.

I was so happy that I too went to get a few Ph Ds to add onto my name card. My name card now is printed on two sides. Too many degrees from University of Cempedak, University of Tekka, University of Telok Blangah, University of ….Oops, I can’t remember, so many of them that I don’t even know what they are. But shiok, damn shiok. Damn impressive. Whenever I meet anyone I will hand them my name card.  Lan par oso song.

Having fake degree from a degree mill is acceptable in Singapore?

Below is part of an article posted in the TRE about a staff from IDA with a Masters degree from a degree mill. The netizens are questioning IDA whether this is a crime. So far no official comment from any ministry on this.
 
‘IDA says staff’s MBA not a relevant certificate for her working in IDA
On 2 Apr, TRE wrote to IDA for comments on the matter and asked if it is aware that one of their staff has obtained her MBA from a degree mill. TRE did not get any reply from IDA.
 
However, netizens continue to pursue IDA relentlessly on its Facebook page and on Tues (14 Apr), IDA finally replied.
 
IDA said that her Bachelor’s degree is from a reputable university and she was recruited based on the Bachelor degree. Her MBA was “not a relevant certificate for her position in IDA”, it added.
 
IDA further said, “We would like to share that Nisha has been a committed team member and contributed in her role as an Applications Consultant for the past year.”
IDA’s full reply on its Facebook page [Link]:

Diego Garcia, Guam and Spratleys, what’s the big deal?

The Americans have been bombarding the Chinese daily about their constructions of buildings and airstrips in the islands in South China Sea. To the Americans, these actions are unacceptable, even acts of aggression that could lead to war. The Americans are all behind the Philippines to cry foul against the Chinese and even agitating the Asean countries to form a naval force to challenge the Chinese for building structures in their islands. And everyday there will be reports in the New York Times or other American media highlighting the Chinese activities with aerial photographs and condemning them. The drumming of war has started.
 
What is so wrong with the Chinese construction of buildings and airstrips in their own islands? These are islands the Chinese claimed as their own under the historical law of finders keepers. These are uninhabited islands, with no natives, no human life forms in them.
 
What about Diego Garcia and Guam? These were islands with islanders, natives living in them. And one is in the Indian Ocean and the other in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Americans went in and seized the islands from the natives and built buildings and air bases for military purposes. These are two military fortresses owned by the Americans, taken from the natives. These islands are owned by the natives.
 
Why is it acceptable, no crimes, no aggressive intent? Why are the Americans allowed to treat the islands belonging to the natives as their own, without the permission of the owners and happily strutting around as a right? American Exceptionalism? The islands are not no man’s land. There are natives living in them.
 
China should show aerial photographs of the military bases in Diego Garcia and Guam to the world, get the New York Times to publish them and make comparisons on why one is acceptable, nothing wrong, and why the other is unacceptable and wrong. No man’s land is finders keeper. Land with natives are own by natives, like the continent of North America, Australia and New Zealand, and of course Diego Garcia and Guam. Who conquered them, robbed them from the natives?
 
Did China rob any natives of their islands in the South China Sea? Oh, other Southeast Asian countries are claiming them too. When China founded these islands, these Southeast Asian countries did not even know of their existence. They were not even nation states in the western concept of statehood. They have more rights to the islands than China?
 
The Americans should stop their bull and stop using its bigger military size and power to bully China. China would not take it lying down. When would the Americans stop their hypocrisies? The Americans must remember that the Chinese would not forget the attack on their Embassy in Belgrade. One day, one of the American Embassies will suffer the same fate when China is ready to stop the bullying. Sleep well America! What you sowed you shall reap.

When the Japanese did the sneak attack on Pearl Harbour, all the Americans were crying for blood and blood they did extracted from the Japanese with the two Atomic bombs. What makes the Americans think that they can get away with the sneak attack against the Chinese Embassy?

From foreign students to PR to citizenship

Responding to Png Eng Huat’s query on the number of foreign students taking up PR and citizenship, Iswaran was reported to have said ‘that about 7,000 foreign students at the secondary and junior college levels became permanent residents between 2001 and last year on their own merits. Of the 7,000, about 840 of them or 12 per cent subsequently took up citizenship’
 
Let’s look at the numbers more intimately. In 14 years, from 2001 to 2014, 7000 students became PR and 840 took up citizenship. These mean that 500 students became PR and 60 took up citizenship yearly for the same period. Not every encouraging right?
 
Another question to ask, presuming that all of them were on govt scholarships, how many of them were here during these 14 years and how much were spent on them using taxpayers’ money. These numbers would help to work out how much it cost to get one PR or one citizen. Then maybe the number can be used to compare if it is better to use the money on our citizens to encourage them to produce more babies. Just give the money to every child that is born, that may be cheaper in the long run.
 
What do you thing? It would be interesting to know the absolute number of foreign students given scholarships under this scheme and how much were actually spent. The former would give a percentage on the success rate. Could it be 10%, or 20%?

PS. Based on the 12% taking up PR, total scholarships given out would be 58,300 over 14 years.

Naming monuments after LKY

This is about the most important thing to think about and to do today. The whole population is thinking of some ingenious ways to honour the founding father. And many great ideas have been mentioned in Parliament about naming this and that or erecting this and that to name after LKY. Of course my idea of a 100m Statue of Liberty, I mean Statue of LKY, at the Marina Barrage is not well received as no one seems to want to mention it. So far the thinking has been very positive and everyone is very high about this, like on drugs.
 
Before anyone gone too far overboard and over excited by this exercise, just consider for a moment about the not so savoury part. Think of assholes, yes assholes like Matilah Singapura and the likes of him. Think of what rascals like him would be thinking and what they would be contemplating and would want to do. Just bear this in mind before doing anything. Think security. Think vandalism. If these hints are not good enough, think of Ah Long, I mean the loan sharks and what they are famous for when they went chasing for bad debt.
 
I think by now people should have a good idea what I am driving at and what they should do and should not do. It is always good to think positive, but at times it is important to consider the unthinkable. Not everyone is head over heels about this matter. Maybe a better idea is to ask people like Matilah Singapura, to read his mind to understand what they may be up to and not to make things too easy for them. Yes, pay him a consultation fee, kind of learning from a thief to catch a thief.
 
Get it?

PS. Careful about the acts of God. Remember the Merlion? A little proactive thinking would go a long way.

Shanghai Singapore Connect – An Impossible Dream

The success of the Shanghai Hong Kong Connect has been making many people here salivating. Why are their markets so active and bullish while the touted as the most progressive and advanced SGX is still in ICU? No doubt the exuberance in Shanghai/Hong Kong exchanges is having a spillover effect on the otherwise dead but artificially boosted computer infested market and giving it a semblance of life. But do not believe much in it as the bulk of the trading is done by computers, not real participation from real investors.
 
With the surge in prices and volumes in both Shanghai and Hong Kong, some are questioning why the SGX would not do a Singapore Shanghai Connect and bring some life back to the market. It is wishful thinking for many reasons but most important is the philosophy behind Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges. The Chinese are promoting Shanghai and Hong Kong as the alternative trading model to the excessively manipulated American modeled exchanges that are dominated by computer trading, cheating on the innocent investors and the fund managers.
 
China would not allow such unfair practices to operate in the Shanghai Hong Kong exchanges. No way. How then could SGX dream of a connect with Shanghai and Hong Kong to form a holy trinity when one is obviously looking ungodly?
 
Actually SGX should have no fear as it is the best exchange in the region with all the best practices and hi speed computers and the most advanced trading concepts in the system. There is no need to be envious of the Shanghai Hong Kong Connect. Soon Shanghai and Hong Kong would fail and would adopt the same practices like the SGX. That is the only way to go forward. Everything is so fine in the SGX. And with the new reputation as a Mickey Mouse stock exchange inundated with penny and penniless stocks, with tiny bid sizes, smaller lot sizes, the market is idea for all ages. Children can also afford to buy stocks with their pocket money. It is so liquid and so cheap to play in this Mickey Mouse stock market, not much more expensive than playing Monopoly.
 
And with children participating in the market, as proxies since they cannot trade directly, the de facto number of investors could easily doubled or tripled, to give the added trading volume or if not, the number of investors that can be theoretically playing the market.
 
The Shanghai Hong Kong stock markets are incompatible to the SGX as the value of their stocks are too expensive, the bit size and the lot size are also too big and expensive for children to play. They are playing in a different league, adults only. And how can they allow a connect to a system that uses computers to trade against the innocent and ignorant investors to take advantage of them with their computer power? No way. Unfair trading is unfair trading.
 
The Chinese would go their own way, do their own things. The SGX would be happy with its Mickey Mouse status and image and targeting a different clientele, investors that can only afford to play super penny stocks.
 
A Singapore Shanghai Connect under the present arrangement and operating platforms is simply no go. The only way to operate a sustainable and sophisticated stock market is the SGX way. The Shanghai Hong Kong model will not work, for long if the foreign funds would have their ways, to force them to be more like the SGX or the New York Exchange.

The most powerful Asean state going to declare war with China

The most powerful military state in Asean is drumming at ever higher pitch to start a war with China. With its battle order headed by the biggest warship in Asean donated by the Americans, the Americans wanted to scrap this WW2 junk but found a country that could put it to good use, and a few patrol boats donated by the Japanese, the war machine of the Philippines is formidable. China’s navy would soon be wiped out and all its South China Sea islands would be taken over by the Philippines. Maybe Aquino would be generous enough to offer a few pieces to the Americans for more antique warships to invade China.
 
The Pinoys, without failed, have been drumming up fears of a China monster sitting in the South China Sea, the picture of this monster is even more vivid than what the Americans could envisage and imagine. And the Americans and the Japanese believe that this is true. Not sure if the monster was created in Hollywood or in Tokyo, not sure if the Pinoys were given the image of this monster to whip by the Americans. Or was it created by the top intellectuals from the Pinoy think tanks?
 
Anyway the origin of this monster is not important. What is important is that more military agreements would be signed between the US and the Philippines and more American troops and hardware would find their way to the Philippines, more war games and more provocations to get China into a fight.
 
The Pinoys are sure to win this war. Singapore got to be extra careful. Some of the Pinoys have unintentionally divulged a Pinoy state secret, that they are harbouring the ambition of making Singapore a state of the Pinoy Empire. I think the proof is still floating in the internet. Just google Edz Ello and you will get the message. Indonesia also has to step aside. It is no longer the most powerful country in Asean, militarily. Subic and Clark Air Bases would come to life again with American soldiers helping the Pinoys to rule South East Asia. The Pinays would have a lot of good jobs to do and no need to be foreign maids.
 
We are witnesses to the rise of a regional military power in South East Asia. The country that would defeat China and seize control of China’s islands in the South China Sea, the Philippines is the new and top regional military power.

The tragic fate of Sinkies going the dodo way

The passing of LKY and the weeklong documentary on the TV channels showing how great the country he had built to the world, the achievements of a people he led to turn a swamp into a glittering jewel of the world must have impressed the people of the whole world. It was a very proud moment for Singaporeans. And the testament, many world leaders were here during the state funeral, and the island city state is half filled by foreigners to make their fortune and enjoy the hospitality and facilities of this modern day miracle.

Who built this wonderful city and providing jobs to the world, providing free education, world class education to the children of the world that could not afford it, could not afford the quality of such education? In the past the Singaporeans believed that this city was built by them. Today, the foreigners here claimed that they built this city for the Singaporeans, provided good jobs for the Singaporeans. And the leaders of this island also agreed.

Many Singaporeans are losing their jobs, the professionals and managers, for not having the right skills set. And they are told by foreigners here that they are not good enough. And these Singaporean professionals believed so too. They believed that they are not good enough, by foreigners, many with fake degrees, with lower qualifications than them that would have failed in our education system. And the some leaders agreed. No one has a little common sense to question these findings that the Singaporeans are turning into unskilled people, obsolete, unemployable, because the foreigners and our people said so.

And because the Singaporeans, actually now called daft Sinkies for good reasons, are so useless, there is no choice but to replace them with foreigners who have all the talent and skills set to build this country and to continue to make it grow. There is no need for Sinkies anymore. They cannot fit in. The foreigners are the best people to replace the daft Sinkies and to live in this country.

Nobody believes in the ability of the Sinkies anymore. They are being encouraged not to waste their time getting a degree. They should be happy becoming hawkers and taxi drivers and security guards. That is the way for the Sinkies to go forward before they join the dodo birds, to be rediscovered in the next century, in the ruins of an island city state they built and left behind.

It is unbelieveable, but this is the truth. Everyone in the city state knows that Sinkies are useless, hopeless and need to be replaced by better and more talented people deserving to inherit this jewel and keep it glowing forever. They did not know how to defend themselves, their rights as owners of this city state they built but have forgotten or conned to believe it was built by the newcomers. And they are giving up by default, by resignation, by their own admission and acceptance that they are truly daft and beyond redemption.

And who is spreading this lie? And who believes in this lie without questioning? And who is helping to make this lie a reality? The Sinkies are more stupid than the PRCs, the India Indians, the Pinoys, the Myanmese or anyone from the 3rd World. The Sinkies need help from these foreigners to get a job, to get their economy going.
What is going on? The people who built a paradise are daft and useless, unemployable, despite having graduated from some of the best universities and most expensive education system in the world. And the villagers, the country bumpkins from the 3rd World, are here to inherit this city built by the Sinkies. They are taking over.

How daft can the Sinkies be?

I wonder whether to call it legendary or comical that a people, well educated, well travelled, can be so daft to the point of idiocy. That is the daft Sinkie. They have the best education and training from very young, to attend the best and most expensive nurseries and kindergartens, best schools and universities, tuitions and all the enrichment courses only to turn themselves into perfect droids, can do anything if programmed but cannot think. Now the street smarts uneducated or half educated punks from the 3rd World countries are descending onto their little yewtopia and tell they are stupid, daft, unimaginative, not creative and no skills sets, and taking over all the good jobs from them, telling them they are only good as taxi drivers and security guards. And the best part, they did not protest, they believe it to be so. And their super talented leaders also believe it to be so and went rushing to the world to find a foreign talent for every CEO job that they no longer believe any daft Sinkie can do.
 
And when the govt told them to go overseas to work, they happily accept that as the right thing and the way to go. When they are kicked out from jobs at home by 3rd World conmen, they believed that are no good but good enough to go out to work to prove that they are good. Silly? Wait till you here me out.
 
The daft did not ask why they were able to build a yewtopia while the 3rd World fakes could not but are chasing them out and telling them that the yewtopia were built by them. Serious, this is what is happening. And all the silly Sinkies are preparing to go out and conquer the world, to earn less than what they could earn at home, and to convert these foreign currencies to lesser value when they remit home to pay for the higher cost of living.
 
They wanted to leave their beautiful yewtopia, a place where everything works with the push of a button, when their wives and daughters would not be raped or robbed on the streets, and they wanted to bring them to the 3rd World to risk being raped and robbed and even killed, away from the safe, predictable and comfortable home and city they built? Now why would they want to do that, trade their good life to live in the ‘wild’ and hazardous 3rd World? Because Lee Kuan Yew said so, the man they love to hate but they would listen without questioning, like the words of God. Or like what Jack Neo used to say, ‘Cheng hu kong’, or the govt said.
 
Should it not be that they go out to earn more, to bring home to live better, like all the 3rd World foreigners coming to their yewtopia to do? Why when the whole world wants to come here to earn good money and they chose to go elsewhere to earn less money? I can understand if they go out as tourists to see the world, to enjoy and experience the world, and if to work, to earn more and to bring home more? Everyone is coming here to earn more, to remit home and convert to even more local currencies, to buy big houses and land, to improve their lives. The daft Sinkies are going overseas, to earn less, to remit home less, to convert to lesser Sing dollars, to buy lesser things, to pay for affordable and smaller HDB flats.
 
What do you think? Daft or not? Got yewtopia do not want but want to go to rough it out in the 3rd World and risk being mugged and robbed and cheated? And to leave their yewtopia to the 3rd World fakes and cheats to enjoy, to have good jobs, and to have a good time.
 
Silly or not? Can daft Sinkies think? Or would they bother to think? Would they simply believe what the ‘cheng hu’ told them to do and blindly follow them like orders from God, must be good and the right thing to do? If ‘cheng hu’ were to tell them ‘chiat sai is good’ they will go and ‘chiat sai’ and even say ‘Ya it is good.’ No need to think, just do as the ‘cheng hu’ said.
 
What still want to go overseas to work, kee chiu? Please don’t argue about the exceptional few that could command a higher income overseas. The few are exceptional and should go overseas when organizations are willing to pay them more than what they could get in yewtopia and to compensate them for the discomfort and risk out of yewtopia.
 
Every good thing is happening in yewtopia, good jobs, good money, good environment. The whole world’s jobless and unemployed are coming here. Why are daft Sinkies going elsewhere when all the actions are here?

PS. A good example is quitter like Matilah Singapura. Ran away but die die must come back because the honey is here. Why would stupid Singaporeans want to go overseas when everyone wanting to make their millions are descending on this island?

The game of legalised mafia

China is clamping down on many top leaders for corruption and abuses of power. Yesterday, these men were wielding tremendous power, strutting around like warlords and being showered with gifts and flatteries. Now one by one appeared in handcuffs and being prosecuted like criminals. The changing fortune of people in power is like the weather, one day fine and the next day could be thunderstorm. There is no permanency in the game of legalized thugs or mafia. To stay in power and enjoy the glory and power, one has to ensure that one remains on top. Failing to stay at the top means a different fate awaiting them at the bottom.
 
The same game is being played in Malaysia. According to a report, Mahathir is worried that he would be the first to be arrested should the opposition parties won the next election. How could it be? He is the longest surviving PM of Malaysia, an elder statesman. What did he do when in office that he would be arrested should the opposition comes into power? Did he fixed his opponents, slammed them with spurious and frivolous charges? He was not a criminal and committing crime when he was in office right? Or was it true that his actions when in office were criminal in nature? Funny isn’t it? You don’t see the mature democracies hunting down their ex ministers when a new govt comes to power.
 
The govt of a country cannot be thugs or gangsters that should be arrested when they lost power. The govt cannot be legalized criminals and gangsters right? Why is Mahathir so worried and even warning that the UMNO leaders too would be arrested if BN loses power? What kind of democracy is that? What kind of govt is that? The political leaders are supposed to be honourable and respected leaders of a country. They are the law makers and run the country by the rule of law. Why would they become criminals or behave like criminals and risking being arrested and prosecuted when a new govt is installed?
 
Maybe the rumours are true. The govt is just another form of legalized mafia. But this is not democracy. A normal democracy, the best political system from the west, cannot be a breeding ground for gangsters or legalized gangsters right? What is wrong?
Comparing the political system and practices with Singapore, the latter is a true replica of the western democracies when political leaders are upright and honourable and respectable men and women. No abuses of power and no one would dream of arresting them and putting them behind bars should they lose power. Life goes on like the western democracies. Malaysia, what is wrong with your system or is it your politicians? If you have paid them top dollars like Singapore, nothing of that sort will happen and they would be no need to fear being arrested. And Mahathir would not have to resort to fear mongering.
 
Singapore’s political system is the best. Singapore’s politicians are the best. They will rest in peace or live in peace should they lose political office. See all the ex ministers and MPs are having a good life like normal citizens, a testimony that all is well. Malaysia got a lot to learn from Singapore.

When expounding meritocracy is treason

It is the mantra of the day to talk about meritocracy, to embrace meritocracy, to spew meritocracy at every opportunity like the words of God. Every idiot, half baked politicians and grassloot leaders are also bragging about this word that it has taken the form of a 4 letter word.
 
Meritocracy cannot be blindly applied to a country of people without qualifications. I have quoted an old speech by LKY, the consummate political master of all time, about foreigners and citizens. Foreigners, the expatriates, the good and talented ones, are needed to help us to grow. But ultimately this country belongs to the Singaporeans and Singaporeans must be in charge, to learn all they could, to eventually replace the foreigners. There is this thing called nationhood and citizenship.
 
A country exists for its citizens, for the good of its citizens. No country exists for foreigners, for non citizens. Every asshole today is talking about getting the best talent to replace the citizens. As long as there is a better talented foreigner, there is no qualms to replace the citizen even in top jobs. If this is the thinking of half baked politicians and employers, all the top jobs in the island would eventually be filled by foreigners. This is an inevitable truth. With 6b people out there, there is no short supply of foreign talents that are way better than our local talents. We can start with replacing every academic and lecturers in the universities, followed by the civil service and then the politicians.
 
With this policy of meritocracy in place, without exceptions, the first thing to happen would be like a blood transfusion. All the locals would be replaced by foreign talents in top jobs, by more talented foreigners. And the next step would be to get rid of all the citizens that are jobless, a burden to society, tell them to go elsewhere. For the good of Singapore, for the growth and prosperity of Singapore, there is no need for not so talented citizens. The daft ones would not stand a chance. Only the best in the whole world should be recruited to ensure the prosperity of this island. No emotions, no sentiments, no nationalism. Only the best need to be to here, deserve to be here for the good of Singapore the city state, not Singaporeans.
 
If this is not treason, getting rid of Singaporeans and replacing them with foreigners unconditionally except on merit, what else is treason? Undiluted and unconditional meritocracy in its purest form for anyone? Before you say yes, please be sure that you are not an idiot, that your talent is superior to the rest of the world, or you are unfit to be here. And half baked politicians thinking too highly of themselves, that they are the best in the world and deserve to be here ‘kee chiu’. For the unthinking grassloot leaders, please you are definitely unfit if meritocracy is the condition for your existence and right to be here. Your turn is not up yet but will be soon. Pure meritocracy is merciless, like the law of the jungle where the fittest survive. How many of you idiots out there pretending to be the best would survive under such a law?
 
The master politician did not believe in unconditional meritocracy? Only crazy and dimwitted politicians that failed to learn from the master would go around chirping meritocracy like crazy. They need to be put away in IMH. Singapore must be for Singaporeans. Period.
 
No?

Screwing up LKY’s legacies

Many people could not understand why I am harping on LKY’s legacies and in a way praising him indirectly for his ideas. Many would just want to let him disappear from their memories and do not want to be reminded of him. What I can say is that put your sentiments and emotions aside. LKY had done many things, good, bad and ugly, just like anyone of us. We are all human beans and did many things that were not too flattering ourselves. Just bear with me as I go through the legacies of LKY, looking at the good that he had contributed and show you how people who professed to be his followers, believers and whatever shit, but really screwing up his legacies, distorting his ideas and leading people to screw up LKY as a result. And they are drumming that we should preserve and cherish his legacies. My oh my!
 
Read this statement by LKY spoken in 1960 on the role of foreigners and how they could be part of our society, contributing but not screwing up the people in the process. There could be a balance, a state of mutual coexistence for mutual benefits. The wisdom of this man is unparalleled if you look at the pretenders that were given a blank cheque to turn his views and policies upside down. Now read carefully…
 
"National sentiment desires the riddance of all expatriates as agents of the exploiting colonial government, but the practical needs of making the national economy work requires that expatriates be employed. Such a situation must contain the seeds of inner contradiction. A plain straightforward nationalist line by the government which results in the expulsion of all expatriates may lead to a sagging of the whole complex of the economy, as indeed has happened in some newly independent territories. But to ignore the anti-colonial sentiments of our people will be to store up trouble for the future. The only practical solution is to acknowledge our need for the time being for expatriates, be they members of the former colonial power or otherwise, and to continue to use them. But at the same time, national sentiments will be satisfied only if increasing numbers of our local men are being trained here and abroad to replace these expatriates and do their
jobs in the near future. This aspect of the problem of government would be made easier if expatriates understand some of these emotional factors which a representative government has to consider. And also it helps to make clear that expatriates carry out the policy decided by the government and do not decide on policy as they did in the past.” - LKY 27/2/1960.
 
From this statement it is very clear that this man was building a nation of Singaporeans and with Singaporean’s foremost in his mind. He would allow some foreigners to be here to contribute to our economy, but the govt, the Singaporeans, would take over and decide what is best, not the foreigners.
 
A very good example of how foolish the new team in govt is doing can be seen from the exchanges between Lim Biow Chuan and Indranee Rajah in Parliament on the employment of foreigners in our universities. MP Lim Biow Chuan wanted to know whether the government requires Singapore's public universities to hire eligible Singaporeans, priority for academic employment, and whether the universities' human resource departments should be headed by Singaporeans to ensure that eligible Singaporeans are duly considered for employment. At least his mind and heart are in the right place.
 
And this was Indranee Rajah’s reply. "It is important that our autonomous universities recruit academic staff based on merit, to ensure that they hire the best talent able to deliver high quality education and conduct research that will benefit our students and Singapore."
 
And last year, Seah Kian Peng said he was shocked by the number of foreigners who have staffed the faculties in Singapore’s tertiary institutions.
 
“So, through Parliament, I asked MOE for some figures. I found out in the Political Science department of NUS, 28% of the 25 faculty members are Singaporeans. In NTU’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, 41% of the 29 faculty members are Singaporeans. In the NTU Wee Kim Wee School of Communications and Information, 44% of the 48 faculty members are Singaporean. And in the NUS Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, 46% of the 82 faculty members are Singaporeans," he had said.
 
From her reply, Indranee is very comfortable with the number of foreigners in the universities even when Singaporeans are now in the minority. As far as she is concerned, they are hired on merits, ‘the best talent able to deliver high quality education and conduct research that will benefit our students and Singapore.’ If this reasoning is applied to Parliament, I think many MPs including herself would be replaced by more meritorious foreigners. But that is not important.
 
The issue is the position she is taking, which must be the position of the present govt. Bring in foreigners as long as they are good and better than Singaporeans, never mind if Singaporeans are displaced and in a minority. Is this position in line with the thinking of LKY?
 
LKY was very concern and very particular about the number of foreigners working here and that it should not become a national problem, and that the Singaporeans should be eventually taking over from the foreigners. If no one is getting it, let me quote LKY again, ‘But at the same time, national sentiments will be satisfied only if increasing numbers of our local men are being trained here and abroad to replace these expatriates and do their jobs in the near future’.
 
Today was the future LKY talked about. The big question, has LKY changed his views about employing foreigners in large numbers to replace Singaporeans, to take over all the important positions and ignoring the nationalistic sentiments of the people? Or is the new PAP leadership dismissing LKY’s concerns and very happy to replace Singaporeans with foreigners like the pathetic numbers in the academia and elsewhere? LKY understood the nationalistic sentiment of the people and that this island is a country belonging to Singaporeans and not a hotel. Does the present leadership has any inclination of what these mean and how important they are to the existence of Singapore and the well being of the Singaporeans? Replace them with the best foreigners?
 
Who is to be blamed if trouble brews eventually because of the changed mindset and policies, of ignoring the legacy of LKY, when nationalistic sentiment, not xenophobia, breaks out into the open?