Bukit Batok By Election –The inexplicable happened again

The results of the last GE floored every academics, pundits and political watchers in Singapore. It was too good to be true. The only new variable was the Lee Kuan Yew effect. But this would not cause such a huge swing of votes, across the board to the PAP. It was unbelievable and inexplicable. I do not subscribe to the idea that Singaporeans are daft and blindly voted for the PAP. I believe they have been doing just the opposite but for some reason or reasons, the votes did not show up this change in the voting pattern.

The inexplicable happened again in this by election. There was no Lee Kuan Yee effect to talk about. But the votes in favour of the PAP are again difficult to believe. They mystery deepens. Unless this mystery is solved, the results of future elections would be in the same pattern, strongly in favour of the PAP and no one is wiser.

Let’s look at the cards objective like all academics and analysts would do before the election. What were on the table? There was an affair involving the MP that led to his resignation. 10% swing against the PAP would be on the card on this indiscretion.

It was a by election, there was no fear of PAP not forming the govt. Another 10% swing for the opposition. Chee Soon Juan was gaining more credibility and support from the people despite the character assassination. Not many people would be moved by the pile of shit thrown over him. He would pull 10% of the votes to his side.

Murali was a minority candidate. If one believed in the PAP’s mantra on minorities, 10% swing would go the Chee way. These would add up to 40% swing in favour of the SDP.

What were favourable to Murali? Nothing. Murali was nothing exceptional. He was not touted as a minister material. His 16 years in Bukit Batok was only known to the grassroots working with him, not to the ordinary residents. He was an unknown compared to Chee, a national and international figure with a lot of class, charisma and leadership quality, a fighter for the last 20 plus years. Who was Murali? Murali was a minnow against an established name in Chee Soon Juan. There was no comparison in the two. Could not think of Murali getting any swing votes to his favour. 0% swing!

The only likely swing to favour him was the minority votes. In PAP’s thinking, voters would vote along ethnic lines, not my view. So Murali might get 5% swing in his favour from his ethnic group. The majority would vote colour blind and their votes splitted equally.

The goodies and programmes were non issues and neutral as the SDP too came out with a big list of things they would want to do for the people.  In fact the SDP was leading the charge with new programmes that the PAP was trying to keep up with.

There were some suggestions that the voters would think very deeply about this and that. Bull shit. Only a small minority of voters would spend sleepless nights weighing the pros and cons and the consequences of their votes. Many would vote on first instinct, on very simple and superficial reasons. This would not be in favour of Murali on any count. Chee had the novelty and maverick effects in his favour.

On balance the SDP already won before the election started. Now the result is known and Murali won 61%. How so? How could he garner the 61% votes? It defies all logical and objective reasonings. The PAP gang of ministers speaking for him were wishy washy and should not have much impact.  They were beating to a dead beat.

And they were speaking to their converts in the rallies. How many people really attended the PAP rallies other than the grassroots and supporters and those that went there for free chicken rice? Excluding these groups, hardly a single soul bothered to attend a PAP rally. This is a very significant development in the politics of Singapore. The PAP has lost the audience. It is not connecting with the people. The people did not bother to listen to the PAP anymore.

The big question, how to justify the 61% win by Murali and the PAP given the above scenario and factors? It is as good as fiction. There was no by election effect, no marital affair effect, no Chee effect, no minority effect, negligible negative effect to the PAP.  In this uptight island ran like a church, that any small indiscretion would be scorned upon, how could there be no impact when there was a marital affair involving an MP and a grassroot member?

What is the mystery behind this result and the results of the GE? All the academics, statisticians and political observers must be scratching their heads asking the same questions. There is something that is beyond all logics, something that they could not understand. The crowds that went to the hills to listen to Chee did not go there to be entertained. They were serious minded people wanting change. They were there to support change and they saw in Chee as the change agent.

Until this riddle is resolved, the PAP camp seemed to have a 10% to 15% advantage from the word go and any opposition party wanting to score a marginal win must have a solid 15% advantage to just scrap through. The 15% is just to square the playing field. This is a very tough odd to beat.

In my view, statistically Chee won, but for some unknown factors he lost.  Blame the voters because they were daft? No, it is not so simple. The people are not daft just because they were called daft, just like Chee is not mad just because some people said he is mad.

What do you think?  I am still trying to figure out what is this X factor.

Bukit Batok By Election – No miracle!

The miracle that the opposition camp was hoping for failed to appear. When the sample poll was announced around 9.30pm, Murali was leading by 61% to Chee’s 39%. Given the experience from the last GE, the sample count was as good as a done deal and the SDP was as good as lost. Chee would have to fight another day.

No by election effect,  no affair’s effect, no Chee effect, no Punggol East effect. There were so many factors that were favourable to Chee and the SDP. On record, PAP always lost their by elections. This by election had all the factors as the Punggol East by election. A marital affair of a popular MP and the people voted to show their displeasure. There were many other factors that gave the opposition a better chance in Bukit Batok. There was no LKY effect. Before David Ong, Ong Chit Chung’s winning votes were in the low 51% and 52% in two elections. And his opponents were not as strong as in Chee Soon Juan in this by election.

Heaven is still smiling at the PAP. PAP’s fortune is still now waning yet. The voters of Bukit Batok must be very happy with the PAP and it is looking like this is going to turn into a PAP stronghold.

The point that everyone will be asking, here there is an average minority candidate, not a ministerial caliber, facing one of the strongest candidates from the opposition camp, and won. So, does this disprove the rationale for GRCs, a rationale that Singaporeans are likely to vote on racial lines? Now this is proven to be untrue. Singaporeans, the majority ethnic Chinese, are not racists and would vote for a good candidate or even a mediocre minority candidate, and race is NOT a factor?

Would the GRC concept be disbanded? Will the ongoing inquiry by the Constitution Commision trying to safe guard the representation of minorities as Elected President by disbanded as this by election has proven that it is a NON issue?

Let’s hear the wise explanations from the govt that this by election does not prove anything and GRC must stay and changes must be made to give the minorities a better chance to be Elected President. Would it be another argument along the line that head I win, tail you lose?

This by election really pours a lot of cold water on the opposition camp. Even if there are more by elections, they would not win. The PAP has the secret formula to win elections, general elections and by elections. This will send shivers down the spine of the opposition candidates and supporters. I am not trying to create fear or cause alarm. I am just making an honest comment here.

PAP will be the ruling party till SG100 and forever. This is Singapore’s version of Exceptionalism. We are witnessing a new history in the making where a political party cannot lose power and will rule forever and ever and they lived happily thereafter, like in the fairy tales.

What is the secret formula? Let me guess, do the right things, even if unpopular, like increasing the population, bringing in more foreigners, give billions of dollars of scholarship to foreigners instead of to the citizens’ children, locking up the people’s CPF savings, high cost of living etc etc, all good policies though unpopular. But the people understood. The people are not daft, they knew they have a very good and honest govt working their guts out for them and the tough policies are good policies. The people may kpkb, unhappy, but when come to voting, they will vote for the PAP.  There is so much trust and faith in the PAP.

Even part time MPs are ok as long as they are PAP MPs. They are exceptional talents and would do a better job than full time opposition MPs, especially in running the very difficult and complex town councils that needs exceptional talents to do it. They deserve every dollar they are paid in their million dollar salary, the highest in the whole wide world.

Singaporeans are so blessed to have the PAP to rule over them.

PS: I received this sms from deep low a few days ago. It said PAP would win 60:40. I knew he knew and what he said was likely to be. But he did not know I knew he knew. He was trying to tell me something. He had to tell me that to prove a point. Of course I knew that was the likely result. I know where it was coming from.

Climate change – Screw the economists

Watched a programme for a couple of minutes on Channel News Asia hosted by Nabili Teymore on climate change and the bugging problem of a 2-3 degree rise in world temperature and how many parts of the island or the world would be under water. The main concern was fossil fuel consumption. How to control and cut down on the use of this disappearing natural resource that was built up over millennia so that we can use it so conveniently? Not only that this taken for granted and wastefully consumed, so were other natural resources like raw materials. And all for the sake of economic growth. And in order for economic growth, you need population growth in order to create demand to consume them, even if unnecessary or wastefully.  Is this a good thing?

The big question, what for? The world’s population today is about 6-7b. For more economic growth, it could grow to 8b, 10b or 20b to consume more material, food and resources, to deplete whatever nature has bestowed to humankind, all because some silly economic formula said economic growth is good, no growth is bad, and recession is worse.

When the mythical Adam and Eve inherited mother earth, there were two of them and they had the whole world to themselves. There was not a single concern about not enough of anything other than human beans. The animals too had space of their own. Humankind unconsciously or by designed, populated this earth and grow and grow to what it is today, and still growing. And we are bungling about the fear that we don’t have enough resources to keep us growing, and climate change.

And we have morons wanting to grow the population in this island from 5m to 10m and some even want to grow it to 20m as if this is a good thing, this is the way to a better life and economic growth. And the morons jolly well know that we have limited space, limited water supply, no energy resources, and they don’t care. They are cracking their moronic heads on how to bring in more millions of people, for economic growth. To create a more vibrant society that never sleeps.  Want to consume Tongkat Ali whole day?

Imagine a different scenario, when the world’s population is down by half, to 3b, or this island’s population is down to 2.5m, there would be lesser consumption of the natural resources and abundance of food, space and all the buildings that have been built. There will be no need to build more towers of Babel.

The value of money will be increased instead of decreasing, there will be more space and food for everyone at lower cost. Why not? Why keep on growing population to please the economists for growth numbers? With today’s productivity, use of highly efficient machinery, robotics, computerization, farming and food production methods, we do not need so many people to produce what is needed.

What is the purpose of living and life, what is the purpose of economic growth? To consume to the point of self destruction by having more and more people? You don’t want growth, don’t want to increase your pay? What for when eaten up by inflation and the value of money shrunk and the earth faces a depletion of its valuable but limited resources? When productivity is high, when there are lesser people, the value of money will be high, the quality of life will be better. Do not need to be stuffed like sardines everywhere.

The natural law and cycle of nature is growth, decay and destruction and renewal. The madness in unrestrained growth for the sole purpose of growth would lead to decay and dsstruction for sure. In the name of growth, human beans are consuming and destroying mother earth at a faster rate than before. In a way, human beans are consuming itself to death.

Post by Anon ++ - Singapore going where?

Sinkieland has been going the road path in some of its economic policies.

For a cuntry without abundance of resources such as land, labour and even air space etc ....... , playing the numbers game where it does not have any comparative advantage at all is going to "capsize" it eventually when "critical" areas hit the upper limits as well as diminishing returns to scale sets in.

Tourism and air travel as a hub would hit an upper limit in air space beyond certain level and where to import the additional AIR SPACE or land to build another airport?

It is MORONIC to build, say, 10 airport terminals and "CON" the kongcum that such would increase the economy's capacities because the bottlenecks in other areas MEANS even if there is additional ( air travel ) demand, and that is a BIG IF, the air space CANNOT COPE beyond a certain limit?

 

The "BUZZ" created in more and more areas "DEGENERATE" in quality and it can "FOOL" some kongcum and many third world "arrivals" and "new instant trees" but NOT those who might ( ULTIMATELY ) influence the ( pivotal ) outcome of the fate of a small "SAMPAN" packed ( more and more ) like a typical AhNehLand or Matland transportation transit interchange?

To cause more and more parts of the ( limited space ) city state to "degrade" to a "busy" place filled with "super low quality" 3rd world crowd would eventually "lead to its CAVING in"?

Instead of attracting talents to congregate in the city state in typical agglomeration phenomenon, the OPPOSITE would likely take place where like a puddles of "KHAW DUNG" in the open space, it attracts the "UNWANTED" such as "FLIES, KHAW DUNG beetles" etc .....

 

Nobody or economy can escape the "GRAVITATIONAL LAW" eventually? In human and economic history, the adjustment process never fail to be "PAINFUL" when ( eventually ) "RESOURCES DISASTERS" or any other struck?

To draw an analogy between a cuntry and a family, how can a family staying in a limited house keep expanding until the sleeping space occupies every feet of the floor with overcrowding?  Under such conditions, what kind of quality can emerge? Without exaggeration, every resource would be stretched to (BEYOND ) breaking point?

Some MORONS running the economy must have NEVER heard of "DISECONOMIES OF SCALE" and what the shape of the LRAC ( LONG RUN AVERAGE COST CURVE ) of businesses in a small cuntry with limited resources LOOK LIKE?

 

The social problems of the subjects of other cuntries BELONG to the motherland that they were born .....?  When there are more and more cases of foreigners in sinkieland having difficulty in $$$ to pay for their meals, policies makers MUST think whether this is the way they want to go?

The implications underneath are multi-fold but foremost, in some ways it could mean "importing social problems" beyond what the economy and society can cope with at some point in time? Why is such "crowd" ( who are finding difficulty even eating in foodcourt ) increasingly coming in at "such massive scale"? What "DISTORTION" would it create in the domestic labour market? Does it also imply sinkieland have become "TOO COSTLY"?

 

It is only right that a society take care ( to a certain extent ) of its own subjects ( first and foremost ) as it is built in that way in the existence of the nation state system? Does it NOT go without any saying?

Who would the state call upon to defend the cuntry in times of need? It is rightful for a system to build in mechanism to care for those who are down ( in one way or another ) from time to time.

But the responsibility to do so for other cuntries subjects cannot be that of a tiny CITY STATE as well? No? By importing the "social problems" of other countries into sinkieland in an increasing ( and even massive ) scale, in no time "degradation and degeneration" likely set in .....?

Eventually, it would not be surprising for the sampan to "sink" back to the level of the early 20th century?  A city port that when the late Deng Xiao Ping transited enroute to Paris in 1921, he "GOT NOTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT IT"?

Who is spreading fear and alarm?

I thought today is a cooling day for the by election. This morning when I read the papers I was filled with fear and alarm. I was trembling when I saw the headline, ‘SDP spreading fear, alarm with populist politics, says Tharman’. And there were so many pages of fear and alarm in the media. I wonder how to cool down when the papers were red hot.

I quickly went through the reports to see what were so frightening. Populist policies are frightening, alarming? Proposing an unemployment insurance policy is alarming and raising fear? Why didn’t I feel any fear after reading these? When someone said things about fear and alarm, I am supposed to be shivering, my face is supposed to turn white.  No a nice colour.  But no. And not a single people who attended the rally at Bukit Batok last night, probably 20,000 or more, were frightened or alarmed but having a refreshing time listening to the messages of hope and a better alternative future. There were many families with children and all were in very exciting mood. Fear was not there. Someone said before, fear is dead. The politics of fear is dead.

Come on, don’t bluff the people. There was no fear at all. I can vouch for that. I saw people stuffing $50 notes into the donation boxes and picking up books and queuing up for Chee Soon Juan to sign.  No one was scurrying for cover, to go home and hide under the bed. Fear? Where is fear? Really crazy! Have a sense of reality man!

Tharman was talking about politics of division versus consensus. Who is responsible for the politics of division? Don’t ask me.  Who is bluffing and not telling people the truth? Why are employment statistics always talking about locals and not about Singapore citizens? We are not interested about locals that include PRs. PRs are not citizens, damn it. How many times must this be said before it gets through the thick head? Tell the truth, the real statistics about employment and unemployment of citizens, the Singaporeans that the govt is supposed to look after, the citizens that voted the govt to power, not about locals or PRs. Can we have the truth? WDA matched 17,000 jobs, EDB generated 20,000 jobs. How many went to Singaporeans, how many to PRs and how many to foreigners? Cannot tell meh? What is the truth?

Vote for Murali, he can be trusted, he dares, he will serve the people, he has a desire to serve, part time only. I rather vote for someone like Chee Soon Juan who has promised to serve the people full time. Full time man, not I want to serve you, but part time only. I have more important things to do during the day.

I trust someone like Dr Chee who said he wants to serve you and this means serving you full time. What would you make out of someone who said you are my top priority, I want to serve you, but I can only serve you part time?

Crazy? Have a sense of reality man. And at this moment I am not feeling any fear or alarm after reading the papers. How come? Where is fear? Stop stroking fear. It would not stand up.

Bukit Batok By election – Just one reason

There is really just one reason for the Bukit Batok voters to think about. Do they believe that it is a good thing for too much political power to reside in one political party or one person?


Think about it, too much power in one person or one party will lead to abuses of power and corruption of power. The PAP already has absolute power in Parliament with 81 out of 89 seats. This is overwhelmingly more than the two third majority needed to do anything it wants, including changing constitution and writing new laws. Is this too much power given to a political party to wield freely with no means of controlling or moderating the party should it decide to implement policies that are unpopular or not what the people want? We have seen many policies that are detrimental to the country and people. To the PAP they are good policies but to the people they are bad but the people could not do anything about them as absolute power is in the hands of the PAP.


Do the people of Bukit Batok want to give more power to the PAP by voting in another PAP MP? Is this a wise and sensible thing to do?  Voting in another opposition MP can only do good and no harm to the country and people. There will be another alternative voice for the people in Parliament, to speak for the people, not to speak against the people, not to ignore the people and the concerns of the people.


For this reason alone, to dilute the absolute power of the ruling party, the people of Bukit Batok must vote for Chee Soon Juan, vote for the SDP, for the good of country and people.  It is absolutely silly and stupid to put all the power in one party and in one person. Anyone telling you this is good is insulting your intelligence, taking you as a fool. In a democracy, political power of the people must be balanced to offer checks and balance. Too much power in one political party, even in a democracy, is not much different from a dictatorship.


Vote wisely, vote for your interests, for your own good. Protect yourself and your children with more opposition representative in Parliament. 82 MPs of one party in a Parliament of 89 is simply too much and too dangerous for the good of the people and country. Voting for more opposition representation is voting for an insurance policy, to protect the people’s interest.


Put aside all the arguments, about personalities, about what they can or cannot do for you. Put aside all the upgrading, all the facilities. It is not about Chee or Murali.  It is not about the PAP or SDP. It is about interest and well being of the people. There is a bigger and more important issue, a more balanced Parliament with more representatives from the opposition camp to check on an over represented ruling party.

The shamers being shamed

Below is an open letter, a prelude to an online petition from a group of professionals, artistes, lawyers etc speaking out against gutter politics in the by election. In short, the shamers are now being shamed. The people are disgusted with the despicable conduct and character assassination of Dr Chee Soon Juan.

"We are a group of Singaporeans who have been following the progress of the current Bukit Batok by-elections.

We would like to categorically state that we do not condone the personal attacks and character assassination made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, and Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, against Dr Chee Soon Juan of the SDP.

We are deeply saddened at the manner in which the campaign is run, having deteriorated to a level that undermines our Singaporean values. It is indeed a sad state of affairs when people who have been entrusted with positions of power and leadership perpetuate such unbecoming behaviour.

We want an election campaign that addresses the pertinent issues facing Singaporeans, rather than one that is marred primarily by the vilification of anyone's person."

https://www.change.org/p/lee-hsien-loong-against-gutter-politics-in-bukit-batok-by-elections

The letter was read out by veteran actress Neo Swee Lin at the SDP’s rally on 3 May at Bukit Batok. When things get too foul, the stench becomes unbearable and the people will rise to protest. Human beans are not used to the stench in the pigsty and would not tolerate it though the pigs are comfortable with it as they lived their lives in pigsty.

We need to grow up and behave like decent people of a developed country. Going down and backwards towards third world politics and third world behavior would be scorned upon with distaste. Say no to gutter politics and third world behavior. Decent and honourable people will feel ashamed of such low down politicking and indecent acts. The petition and the signatories are saying it.

Kind and compassionate Yeo Guat Kwang

More retrenchment and unemployment are appearing on the horizon. The economy is looking bleaker. And many poor foreign workers are going to be retrenched. And these poor souls are steep in debt after paying their agents big sums of money to be here to get a job. Yeo Guat Kwang and the Migrant Workers Centre(MWC) are appealing to the employers to hire those retrenched foreign workers first to help them service their debt. He is so kind.

May I also appeal to him to make a similar appeal to the employers who are hiring PMETs to also consider Singaporean PMETs that are retrenched. These PMETs may not have to pay the employment agents or owe them money for their last jobs. But I bet you their financial burdens are just as heavy if not worst. Many would have big housing mortgages to service, children in schools or universities and need their support, need to be fed, need pocket money, need to pay school fees, tuition fees, transport fees etc.

Please take care of these Singaporean PMETs also. I have yet to hear an MP or minister coming forward to appeal to the employers to hire retrenched or jobless PMETs first. They only want to send them to work in third world countries or as security guards, waiters or taxi drivers. The jobless PMETs need help just as much as the foreign workers. The foreign workers are at the lower level of job hunters so the appeal would not be in conflict with their interest. Just appeal to the employers not to hire foreigners during this period and think of the retrenched Singaporean PMETs first.

That would be the kindness thing to do. Thank you.

Ridhuan Abdullah - Classic encounter

Anecdote by a Ridhuan Abdullah

On May 1 Ridhuan was at a bus stop in Bukit Batok when Murali and Tharman and their supporters walked by. And there were a few exchanges.

Murali: Please vote for me.
Ridhuan: Sorry but I am not a Bukit Batok resident
PAP supporter: Then come to the PAP rally to support Mr Murali.
Ridhuan: No thanks, I will be supporting Dr Chee.
PAP supporter: Why support an unemployed guy to be an MP? He is worthless.
Ridhuan: I’m also unemployed. Does that mean I am worthless also.
Murali and supporters: Awkward silence, then moved off.

The above is a classic anecdote by Ridhuan and reposted by Roy Ngerng in the TRE.

Donald Trump – China raping USA

Hahahhah, I can’t believe this is true. China is raping the Americans and the Americans are hapless and willingly letting China, a weaker power, to rape at will. Trump must check his back to see if it is torn to pieces. To be raped by 1.4b Chinamen is no joke. In case you people think I am joking, let me quote the ST. If you don’t think it is authoritative enough, ST reprinted the article from Reuters and the NYT. Here is what Trump said, ‘We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country, and that’s what they’re doing.’ He reinforced his allegation when he spoke in a rally in Indiana with this, ‘China was responsible for “greatest theft in the history of the world”.’ Did Trump remember what the US and Europeans powers were doing to China in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries?

Come on Trump, you can’t be serious. If you want to exaggerate, you still must make it sound logical and believable. How could the Americans allow the Chinese to rape and steal and do nothing about it? What happens to all the aircraft carriers and marines? Send them to defend American arses or they would be torn to pieces.

This reminds me of another silly American allegation that China is in Africa and cheating the African nations of their natural resources. The mischievous allegation was saying that the African nations are still as hapless, defenceless and weak and would allow the western colonialists of the past to rob them by pointing a gun at their heads? Today, the Africans are proud people of their own nations, educated, emancipated and running their own countries. They would not be cheated by anyone, not by China or any American or European nation. They would negotiate all the trade agreements carefully to their advantage before signing them. China is in Africa and dealing with the African nations as independent nations and as equals. No coercion but with win win solutions.

Now, back to the stupid Americans. This is exactly what Trump is saying. The Americans today are more stupid than the African nations. They allowed China to steal and rape them willingly and happily. Can this be the case?

Let me hear from the sillies that agreed with Trump, that the Americans are not getting anything out of the trade, that they are willing, and happy, to trade with China as a losing party? Come on, even my little grandson would know that what Trump was saying is totally foolish. But, Trump is not all foolish. He is not blaming the Chinese. He said ‘he is not “angry at China” but, rather, with “grossly incompetent” US leaders. This sounds more rational. But in reality it cannot be. The US leaders are not daft. They must be getting more benefits than China or else why would they sign the agreement and continue to trade with China? The truth, China is selling them goods the Americans needed at dirt cheap prices they could not get from anywhere else. And to add to the sweetener, China is lending money to the Americans so that they can afford to buy the unbelievably cheap goods.

Now, how much to believe in what Trump is saying? Being raped by China? Ouch! And cannot do anything about it, and not getting anything out of it? Ouch, ouch! Poor Americans, how stupid have you become. Looks like the Africans are smarter and getting a better deal trading with China than them.

How could the world’s Number One superpower be raped by China, and could not refused the rape? Can China do it without a willing victim? Hillary is hilarious, Trump is a classic comic. It would be great fun to know what Trump would say if he were to be the Elected President of Singapore.

Bukit Batok by election – Miracles are happening

I wrote earlier that God has his plans and this by election appears so. For the non believers, I have changed it to heaven’s will or heaven’s mysterious way of getting something that defies the logic of man. Man proposed, heaven disposed.  As it is, no one would give Chee Soon Juan a chance to get into Parliament after the disastrous GE 2015. No one would think Chee Soon Juan could think of getting into Parliament at least for another 4 years, in 2020. Now, without any notice, without any effort, the door is open, the road to Parliament is beckoning to Chee Soon Juan.

Having said that, it would need a miracle to overturn the result of the last GE in Bukit Batok when the PAP won by 70%. How could this be overturned in a short few months even if the reason for the by election is bad for the PAP. Yes, a miracle is needed if Chee is to get into Parliament. And if God willing, if it is the will of heaven, miracles will happen, now and then.

Actually we have witnessed several miracles in the prelude to this by election. The first of course is the affair and the resignation of a very popular and hardworking PAP MP in David Ong. His resignation was the last thing that anyone and the PAP would expect. David Ong was doing so well, big election victory, all the residents loved him and had kind words for him. All that is history now. His story has turned sour and a liability to the PAP. See how miraculously the picture has changed?

The next miracle came out like a thunderbolt. Who would expect the brother and sister to fight openly over the use of the image of the father for political or other reasons? There was a big campaign, 100 events or more scheduled by popular demand that would be rolled out to commemorate the first anniversary of LKY. This had abruptly been put to a halt. No more, cannot talk about LKY.  If this fight had not broken out into the public domain, it is quite conceivable that LKY would be still fighting for Murali in this by election. Now, it is the PAP and Murali fighting on their own merits. LKY is not going to be there to back up the party or Murali. I regard this as another miraculous event. No one saw it coming, like no one saw this by election coming.

More miracles? God or heaven works in a mysterious way. God or heaven has whispered in the ears of many people in Bukit Batok that Murali is to be the candidate for this by election. Hsien Loong also received the message from heaven. It just came to his mind, that’s what he said in an interview. Normally a message from God or heaven is good, but not to everyone. It is good, to do God’s will, to fulfill God’s plan, like Judas had to betray Jesus for the resurrection to happen, for the scriptures to be fulfilled.

Murali is now the candidate of Bukit Batok. For those who believe in miracles, this is God’s or heaven’s will. The performance of Murali, just another lawyer, has so far been eclipsed by the charisma and presence of Chee Soon Juan and by the PAP leaders speaking on his behalf. Chee has come out better than Murali in all quarters.  There is no question who is the better politician and the better man for Parliament.  Chee is a cut way above Murali. But the PAP has been led to believe that this minority candidate would do a David versus Goliath act, to beat Chee and walk into victory. We would have to see what is God’s plan or heaven’s will after 7 May. This could be another miracle, or would it be according to PAP’s plan, more PAP, more good years?

Another miracle that is emerging is the support the professionals are giving to Chee. More and more professionals are standing up to show their support for this man, the stone that was rejected but became the corner stone for a church to be built. When the professionals made up their minds and joining the SDP in force, it is a statement of defiance against the PAP. They are marching to the SDP camp as has never been seen before. SDP, under the leadership of Chee and Paul Tambyah, is seeing a transformation as the party that is going places.

The biggest of all miracles must be Chee Soon Juan walking into Parliament with the blessing and full support of the people of Bukit Batok. This is a miracle waiting to happen. Without a miracle, without the intervention of God or heaven, Chee is unlikely to win in Bukit Batok. If it is God’s will or heaven’s way, nothing, no one can stop Chee from going to Parliament. If it is not to be, than nothing that Chee and the SDP do will change the situation and PAP will triumph again.

Will there be a miracle on May 7? If it does happen, it would be the end of the old story and the beginning of a new story.

Hypocrisy rules the day

Over the last few days Singaporeans were given a first hand taste of what hypocrisy meant. Everyone is doing one thing and saying another. Be nice, be a gentleman or a lady, but they kept pulling down the pants to kick at the balls.

In the social media, the most vulgar and personal were the IBs, the internet brigades. Though no one admits it, though no one wants to claim ownership, and the people behind them pretend that they did not know anything about them, everyone knows who they are and who were the people behind them. These shameless scoundrels would do anything to attack a blogger personally, throw mud at everyone, and yes, they would not discuss an issue for its merits or demerits. They only want to attack a person hiding behind their anonymities. They are so shameful of their acts that they would not reveal their true identities. They have nothing to say, zero in their heads.

These are the useless bums in society, people with no principles, no values, no morals. They would do anything to get paid. They would sell their fathers and mothers to prostitution for money. Totally disgraceful!

What is more atrocious are the people behind them, very likely wearing a halo and behaving like angels. They are flawless except other people. They don’t even use their hands to clean their shit. They are so clean. Oh, they have these shameless IBs to clean their shit. Only in this little island can you find such flawless and upright people and therefore deserved the right to point fingers at other people’s little indiscretions. A person who committed a petty crime or little indiscretion would be condemned for life. On the other hand their accomplices and cronies are allowed to commit serious crimes and get away with them, nothing mentioned, not to be mentioned.

A very good example is to set free these IBs to attack people ruthlessly and shamefully. What do you think of people behind these IBs? Are they men and women of integrity, men and women of high morals? If these people are behind such unscrupulous IBs assholes, how decent can they be? You can bet, the IBs have their blessings to do all the evils and being paid by them. And you can bet they will walk around condemning other people for low morals, unethical conducts, bad characters and so on and on, except themselves, the holy ones walking on earth.

The Chinese have a saying. ‘上梁不正下梁歪’, in other words, the evils of the low down scums are the manifestation of the evils at the top. They condone and encourage the low down scums to misbehave, to conduct disgracefully, and think people do not know.  If you want to know the kind of people behind these IBs, their moral values and integrity, just look at the IBs and you would not be far wrong. This is the sad state of affair today, the height of hypocrisy that some are so angelic and some are so bad. Some are flawless human beans, unbelievable! Got such animals meh?  Or is it the reverse?

Until the IBs are stopped from their shameful and disgraceful acts, those people behind them should not point the fingers at other people for bad characters.

How could empires or dynasties fall?

In every rein of an empire or dynasty, the kings or political leaders would, theoretically, surround himself with the brightest men and women. Exceptions would be the foolish king. But he should be forgiven for his foolishness as he would be incapable of seeing the difference between good men and bad men, good policies and bad policies. In many instances, the kings or leaders are not that daft unless like China when the throne was passed down from father to son, they would have a little smartness to know good and bad. Therefore, the kings and his wise men and women would be doing everything possible to perpetuate their rule and to protect their interests. To them, these are the good things to do and would be good for their rules and their interests. They would not have them if what they were doing were bad and would end their rules.

 

Given such a scenario, all kings and their empires would last forever. It must be. But history has proven all over and over again and again, that empires must fall through their foolish policies and stupid kings and stupid wise men and women. Now this must be a very difficult explanation to do.

 

Just look at the Americans and all the big and small countries, would they be doing things to destroy their countries and their rules? All of them must be putting up their best men and women and coming up with their best plans and policies to be better and better and not to run down their countries. They must sincerely believe that they are doing their best and they are the wisest. A few decades forward, some of these countries would have fallen into disaster. But how could that be when they thought they were doing everything right? They would even tell their people they were the smartest and their policies were the best for the people. They would not say anything that their policies, being the best, were for themselves and self preservation.

 

Would Singapore be an exception? We also have a govt that claims to be the best and with the best men and women running the country. You don’t have to agree to that claim. And the best men and women are telling the people they are the best and their policies are the best. By right, with the best men and women in charge, with the best policies, just listen to them telling the voters in Bukit Batok how good they are, how talented they are, I got goose pimples, Singapore will grow and prosper forever. SG100 will be better and is a matter of reaching there.

 

The verdict will be written by the historians in the future on why so many things they said were so obvious, stupidity of the highest degree, but the leaders and people of the day could not see them and keep praising them and self congratulating themselves. What are the historians saying about the Roman Empire, Chinese Empire, Japanese Empire, the European Empires and how they fell into oblivion? It must be a series of disastrous policies that were supposed to be good policies of clever men and women.

 

There is no exception in history, in the fall of empires. The so called clever men and women of the day would be written in history books as the same people that destroyed the empires with their stupid ways and failed policies. Funny isn’t it?

 

I keep knocking at my head, this cannot be. This cannot happen to Singapore. We have the best of the best men and women in charge and look at all their clever and brilliant policies. How can Singapore fell from grace in the charge of so many super talented men and women? I think there may be an answer, external factors.  Definitely the historians would not be putting the blame on stupid men and women and stupid policies of the day.  Nothing can go wrong with clever men and women and clever policies. It must be, or else it is so illogical.

 

What do you think?

Condemned by the Pharisees and the elites

Born of humble beginings, lived among the ordinary people, he had a vision, to show the way to the people, to a better life. He spoke to crowds in the hills, people came to listen to him. This annoyed the Pharisees and the elites. They condemned him and wanted to fix him. They bought Judas to betray him. They could not find any crimes committed by him, but they crucified him. The people taunted him, the soldiers sneered at him, making insulting remarks to mock him. He went through hell, lived in the wilderness only to rise and to lead people from all over the world, promising them that there is a better future and a better life. The Pharisees and the elites lived, died and forgotten. He lives on in the life of the people that believed in him.

The moral of the story, do not simply condemned a man just because you could not understand him or could not see his points of view. Do not condemn a man just because the Pharisees and the elites condemned him and want you to condemn him as well. Do not ignore a man just because a few people closed to him betrayed him and turned against him. Righteousness of the heart cannot be condemned.

Chee Soon Juan lives like any ordinary average Singaporean in a 3 room HDB flat. He could afford to live better if he had chosen to leave his country and work overseas. He chose to stay on with his fellow citizens, he returned to lead them, to show them there is a better way for the future. His living with the people, among the people, could be his destiny, to know what life is like as an average citizen. It is his calling. He could everything behind, his little 3 room flat and go somewhere to live better. Both he and his wife are Ph D holders and would have no problem finding better employment. But lesser people with lesser qualifications are sneering at him, unable to see that he is a better man and could get a better job and a better life if he wanted to..

He came home, spoke to the people, and they came to listen to him. The Pharisees and the elites condemned him, so are many of the ignorant masses that are living well. But he did not give up. He continues to speak to the people and more and more are now listening to him. The Pharisees and the elites can continue to lie about him. They may want to crucify him to, given the opportunity.

Is he the One destined to lead the people to a better life? There are similarities, an intelligent man so wronged by the Pharisees and the elites. He may be the one that will lead the people to their freedom, to a better life. He came to dwell among the poor, to speak to them and to lead them, to free them from oppression and to enlightenment and a better quality of life.

PS. A 5 min clip on Chee by an author in Chinese but with English subtitles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW5YrcSO-Ms&sns=em#t=293.527

Dr Chee – Be cool, calm and compose, like a gentleman

As expected the barrage of personal attacks and character assassination on Chee Soon Juan is coming fast and furious. Everything under the belt will be hit. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult for a normal human bean not to react, not to want to react. It is only human that when people are throwing punches at you, one would want to hit back, especially when the tactics are despicable and disgusting.

Last night at the Bukit Gombak Stadium, Paul Tambyah was on fire. I have never heard him speaking so forcefully, speaking with so much conviction and fire in the belly to deflect the personal attacks on Chee. Paul was the perfect and consummate gentleman to all that know him. To arouse his ire, something real bad must have hit him.. He let go everything he had about being insincerity, unfairness,  dishonourable, about sinking into gutter politics and shitty politics and shitty politicians that are unbecoming of first world countries.  Come to think of it, Donald Trump looks like an angel. Paul was fuming at the low blow and low down blow job of the last couple of days,… including attacking the media for playing dirty politics, intentionally misreporting and then pretending to make amends. What he exposed of the on goings were so dirty, like soiled sanitary pads being thrown everywhere by supposedly honourable people.

This is a time that calls for a better man to stand up, not to be among the mud slingers and misbehaving like badly brought up kids. Chee Soon Juan must maintain his coolness and calm composure. Do not behave like the misbehaved, do not engage them, do not be like them. Let the voters of Bukit Batok judge who is the gentleman and who are the scoundrels. He did, but not before saying his piece. He needed to defend himself from the allegations or the allegations would be taken as truth. A man must defend his honour, but Chee did not hit back with more sanitary pads. He just stated his points like an honourable man would.

This is a by election to elect an MP into Parliament, not a longkang fight among the spoilt brats and their expletives. A by election is to elect honourable people to the house of Parliament, and some respect and decorum are expected in the hustlings. Anyone that misbehaves would speak badly of himself and his party. You shall be judged by the people of Bukit Batok and all Singaporeans by what you said and did.

We are First World, not Third World.  Oops, have we gone down there already?

Post by Anon ++ on the dire straits Singapore is in

Many parts of sinkieland's economy are maciam Eastman Kodak and getting "irrelevant" in the international market?

The so called economic restructuring since the early 2000s is nothing but just "short term boosting steroids" that are beginning to show the serious adverse consequences associated with such "quick-fixes and band-aids"?

Gold-fish eyes bespoke Roadmaps for 20 sectors and $4.5 billions ITP spanning many years are just old ( poor quality? ) wine in new "fancy, high sounding" ( terms and ) "sparkling" bottles that cannot compete at the same level with the real good stuff at the international level?

The $500 SkillsFuture scheme costing many billions and wasted opportunities will almost certainly do nothing to upskill, reskill, upgrade sinkies job competencies in any meaningful way in the short run, medium run and long run?

The so called economic "bazookas" to reinvigorate the flagging and fast nosediving sinkieland's economy have so far seen one disappointment after another? 

From now till end 2016 when the Committee for Future Economy is targeted to announce its restructuring plan would be too far off, too little too late to be optimistic about anything that they are seen capable of delivering? ( remember their old wines in new fancy bottles that only deal further blows to sinkieland's economy and further downwards towards economic abyss and armageddon? )

They will often try to change the names, the forms, the packaging but still same old substance, same old one-trick pony? Now is the time to have new "药" and not new "汤" but same old "药"?  Now is the time to have new "wines" and not new "bottles" but same old "wines"?

 

Why the conclusion that Gold-Fish eyes $4.5 billion ITP is unlikely to work?  Look at the scale of the problem?  In 2015 alone, total merchandise trade plunged by $100 billion?  The $4.5 billion sounds "big" but pales in comparison to the plunge of $100 billion in total merchandise trade last year ( 2015 ) alone?  Do sinkies really need to have an economics degree to grasp the magnitude of the "fire"?

To put it in simple terms, there is a raging inferno of a few hundred sq km and the fire dept despatches 45 fire engines but going to be spread out over 5 years .....?  So 45 fire engines over 5 years are down to about 9 in one year? Then the 9 fire engines are spread over different fire spots of the raging inferno of a few hundred sq km? Is there anyone who seriously think the fire at any spot can even be put out, much less the entire raging inferno of a few hundred sq km?

Thus, the ( disastrous ) outcome is likely predictable?  Sinkies and sinkieland need new ways to put out the "raging economic fires"?

Eastman Kodak developed the digital camera in 1975, but the management was riding high, seeing it had never existed and did not capitalized on it. It was the Japanese who saw its potential. Today leaders are Canon, Nikon etc and your handphones (who do you think makes the camera's components?) Eastman Kodak file for bankruptcy, that Eastman is "pura" (go away/gone) and Kodak name remain.

Towards the end of the Qing Dynasty, the Manchurians tried to implement some reforms but due to their old ways, nothing good came out of such efforts and the rest is history? 

In 10 to 12 years time ( by 2026 to 2028 ), where would sinkieland be? Marching on the same spot? To have progress in 2026 or 2028, what must be done yesterday?  What must be done last week? What could have been done last year? If the answers to such simple questions are nothing, would sinkies not realise how precarious sinkieland's economy is right now? From 2016 onwards, the ( unsound and ) uncompetitive structure of sinkieland's economy is likely going to drag it downwards ceaselessly?  The drift towards abyss and ignominy could have already begun?

What $1.9 million riddle? The ( real ) elephant in the room is the $100 billion plunge in total merchandise trade in 2015?  Given the economic malaise sinkieland are having, a few critical areas need to be addressed foremost? 

In the short run, fiscal and monetary policies to ensure stability in the macroeconomics front.  In the medium and long run, supply-side policies to correct/ remedy several structural "sickness" in the economy. Labour market reform is one such area. If flooding the employment market with cheap labour can ensure sustainable economic growth and development, then populous but poor countries such as Bangladesh and the Philippines with population between 100 to 200 millions should be doing well but they are NOT! In fact, despite such huge population, their GDP is still significantly lower than many countries with a tiny fraction of their population such as Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden etc.

Current policies of opening the foreign labour floodgates are not sustainable given the upper limits and deteriorating quality of life and mental capacities associated with overcrowding .......? The Jiak Liao Bees have created "ONE GIGANTIC PROBLEM" in the property market since 1990 under lao goa's and Marboro Tan's jiak sai stewardship? 

Without tackling the interwoven and intertwined impacts and ramifications of the property market, labour market reforms would be "EMPTY TALKS" and the problems swept under the carpet, head hidden in the sand and politicians KICKING the cans further down the road by meddling with masak masak window dressing wayang such as the state trying to "save" the economy by involving more public servants in the running of the private sector which was the problem in the first place but now TOUTED by gold-fish eyes as the SOLUTION? 

Education is another big sector that needs overhaul and the urgency cannot be overstated? Sadly, the jiak liao bees again are doing windows dressing and at the non-critical, non-material areas ......?  The eco-nomic system of any cuntry is not dissimilar to any eco-system? Just like the food chain in the oceans or the wildlife, tinkering with one sub-system or variety alters the entire eco-process .....?

A sick economy is like a sick patient with health problems in various areas .......? A sick economy will collapse even FASTER when it is "treated" simultaneously in all "sick" areas .......?  Not unlike a sick patient who needs treatments on his various organs such as heart, kidney, liver, digestive system, brain ..... etc? Operating simultaneously on the heart and brain of a critically sick patient surely will send him to see the creator faster?

Thus, the issues that need to be resolved are NOT so simple? It is not just identifying where are the problems, how much and how to solve them? It is when to solve what by how much?

Like a sick patient whose heart needs surgery but will probably die if operated on as his health conditions cannot undergo the strain of an open heart surgery?  Therefore other areas then have to be treated and when the patient's health has recovered sufficiently, then the open heart surgery can proceed?

If is the same for an eco-nomic system? Treating the wrong segment of the economy at the wrong time with the wrong policies is also going to send the "patient into the mortuary" and "make the patient return his IC much earlier"?

Haha....... The Patient needs no more treatment .There is no cure for the Patient
anymore. Do not waste time with much ado about nothing. Let nature takes it's course and let the Patient be history. End of the Story.

By Anon ++

PAP’s candidates and MPs are of superior talent

The big question being posed and asked by the Singaporeans is the issue of part time MPs versus full time MPs. Regardless of whether they work full or part time, they will still be given the same miserable allowance of $16,000 a month. This amount is really undignified for people who are earning millions and when $600,000 a year income is considered peanuts. To put into perspective, at least 90% of Singaporeans are earning less than this amount as salary and many are earning less than $2,000 a month with the national average at around $3,000.

Let me move on to why the PAP candidates are of superior quality in this case. The opposition candidates are all claiming that they would serve the residents full time, that means working from 8 to 5 and more. The PAP candidates would not have such things. Part time is good enough. Part time means 8 to 5, holding a full time job and spending the evenings and probably weekends to serve the constituencies.  This is like a full time student devoting every hour of his time, in school and tuition classes to try to get his As, and many did not. On the other hand, the superior talents need not attend school, just did part time and still got their As.

This is exactly why I said the PAP candidates are of superior quality and talent than the opposition candidates. Not only that the latter got to work full time and struggling to do a good job, the PAP candidates would definitely do a better job, without sweating, and doing part time only, and with a lot of time to spare for ECAs and maybe practicing to be karaoke singers.

I am not sure how such people acquire such inhuman qualities, to be super humans. Did they attend special training in special academies or did they also gone through the same educational system, drank the same Newater and breathed the same air, with haze when in season, and came out being the best, like running town councils and being MPs and being ministers are second nature to them? The only difference is that they went through a special tea ceremony to gauge their suitability as a politician. Maybe it is the tea they were served. Or is it the badge they are wearing?

Compare to the opposition candidates and MPs, you cannot fault them for their convictions and sincerity, to want to serve the people well and whole heartedly, full time, and still failing. It must be in their genes, lower quality humans, oh yes, I forgot, they are just mortals.

So I shall conclude that everything is possible to the super talented beans. And they only need to put in half or less than half the effort, part time, and will be able to do a better job. I must emphasize here that only the part timers are of such qualities. Those that worked full time are not of the same material. Think of the people working full time in the SMRT will give you a good idea. If the SMRT would to be run by part timers, I think it will run smoothly too. Superbly talented people need only to work part time or devote a fraction of their time to do a good job. It is the quality of the people and the time they spent on the job.

And don’t think they are not committed to serve the people just because they only want to do it part time. Their part time is better than full time. And they really deserve the miserable $16,000 monthly allowance. This sum could be quite insulting to some of them, but they took the insult quietly. They just want to serve, they don’t need the money. Money is something that they have a lot and not short of. That is why it is called an allowance, not a salary or a pay. A salary or pay must be substantial, that would not affect their high quality life style. The MP allowance is sup sup suay. So don’t think you are paying the MPs a lot of money for their time. Remember, a peanut is $600,000. What is $16,000? Only peasants would regard this sum as money.

The people of Bukit Batok must be waiting to be served by an excellent part time super talented MP.  When someone says he has to work full time, he is indirectly admitting that he is of inferior quality. Some of the super talents could be working in more than 10 jobs, some even more, because they are simply so talented. Wearing 60 hats!

I could not imagine how Bukit Batok would look like if the superbly talented MP would work full time. Would it become a paradise?

Trump's first day at the Oval Office.

First briefing by the CIA, FBI and Pentagon

Trump: We must destroy ISIS immediately.

CIA: We cannot do that, sir. We created them along with Turkey, Saudi, Qatar and others.

Trump: The Democrats created them.

CIA: We created ISIS, sir. You need them or else you would lose funding from the natural gas lobby.

Trump: Stop funding Pakistan. Let India deal with them.

CIA: We can't do that. It is Modi in India and not Manmohan.

Trump: So what?

CIA: Modi will cut Balochistan out of Pak.

Trump: I don't care.

CIA: India will have peace in Kashmir. They will stop buying our weapons. They will become a superpower. We have to fund Pakistan to keep India busy in Kashmir.

Trump: But you have to destroy the Taliban.

CIA: Sir, we can't do that. We created the Taliban to keep Russia in check during the 80s. Now they are keeping Pakistan busy and away from their nukes.

Trump: We have to destroy terror sponsoring regimes in the Middle East. Let us start with the Saudis.

Pentagon: Sir, we can't do that. We created those regimes because we wanted their oil. We can't have democracy there, otherwise their people will get that oil - and we cannot let their people own it.

Trump: Then, let us invade Iran.

Pentagon: We cannot do that either, sir.

Trump: Why not?

CIA: We are talking to them, sir.

Trump: What? Why?

CIA: We want our stealth drone back. If we attack them, Russia will obliterate us as they did to our buddy ISIS in Syria. Besides we need Iran to keep Israel in check.

Trump: Then let us invade Iraq again.

CIA: Sir, our friends (ISIS) are already occupying 1/3rd of Iraq.

Trump: Why not the whole of Iraq?

CIA: We need the Shi'ite gov't of Iraq to keep ISIS in check.

Trump: I am banning Muslims from entering US.

FBI: We can't do that.

Trump: Why not?

FBI: Then our own population will become fearless.

Trump: I am deporting all illegal immigrants to south of the border.

Contributed by Virgo in a comment. I upgrade it to a post.

Bukit Batok - The $1.9m riddle, whose money?

What is this $1.9m upgrading package? To me it is a simple number  but why are the politicians fumbling with this number like a hot potato and could not get it right? Hey, I expect politicians to know how to count, to know how to get their numbers correct.  Murali said this $1.9m is part of the $24m package David Ong proposed for the people of Bukit Batok. Then why not say so, why not say it is $24m and not a miserable $1.9m. To those expecting and waiting for the $24m package, this looks like loose change, short changed.

Murali finally qualified to say that the $24m works out to be about $4.5m a year. He further qualified that some projects already completed, some work in progress, so the balance, does it work out to be precisely $1.9m? What is this $1.9m, work not started yet, new projects or projects initiated by David Ong? Or is the $1.9m projects the sole initiative of Murali so he has to say this separately to distinguish himself from David Ong? What is what now?

As a layman, what the Bukit Batok residents may want to know is where is this money coming from? Are they the resident’s money from the Bukit Batok constituency, or general tax payers’ money or are they the PAP’s money? This point is relevant to the question raised by the SDP about pork barrel politics, about vote buying.  The PAP said there is nothing to do with vote buying, so the money is rightly to be the residents’ money and the PAP is just managing the money and using the residents’ money to improve the estate. This sounds right, it is the people’s money and only how to use it in the best way to benefit the people. If it is the PAP’s money then the allegation by the SDP for vote buying may have some basis to work on.

Can I thus conclude that the money belong’s to the residents, is there waiting for the MP/Town  Council to propose how to use it in the best way for the residents? If this is the case, can Chee Soon Juan also promise to use the same money, the residents’ money to upgrade the estate that he thinks best when the residents give him the mandate by electing him as their MP? Can right?

So if Chee Soon Juan would to promise the residents that he would use the same many, the residents’ money to upgrade the estates for the residents’ good, would he be accused of vote buying? No right.

Let me organize the facts to make it clear to the residents of Bukit Batok and Singaporean.  The $24m is the residents’ money and David Ong had proposed how it should be used for the residents when he was the MP. Would this plan be changed because there is a change of MP? It should not right? Or even if it should, the money, the balance that has not been used should still be available to the new MP to use for the benefits of the residents right?  Oh, caveat, in a GE, when there is a change of MP, the money not used must be transferred to a reserves fund, cannot be touched by the new MP from another party even if it is the residents’ money. Don't ask me to explain the logic or stupidity of this provision. I am not a party to it. It looks mischievous. The money is not earned by the MP investing in some clever bonds. The money are contributions, collections from the residents. Why should a new from another party be deprived from using it for the good of the residents?

In the case of a by election, would the same rules applied, ie, the new MP cannot touch it if he is from SDP and not from PAP? I really dunno.  The basic question, whose money is it? The residents’ or the party’s?

There is this money paid by the residents, amounting to $24m, some spent, some on the way, some still available. Can Chee Soon Juan use this money to upgrade the estate and proposed his plans to the residents and not be accused of vote buying?

What is the issue, what is the problem? $1.9m or balance of $24m? If Murali can promise the residents with the residents’ money, why can’t Chee? It is definitely not the PAP’s money right?