A meeting between Kim Jong Un and Trump is on the card, scheduled in
May. This is another historic moment of the new century. But many
rascals are insinuating that Trump must not trust Kim Jong Un and the
North Koreans. The truth is the reversed.
Kim Jong Un’s father, Kim Jong Il was betrayed and cheated by the
conniving and lying Americans. He signed an agreement with the Americans
to denuclearize and after dismantling his nuclear installations the
Americans cheated him by heaping more demands than were agreed. Kim Jong
Il tore the agreements and went back to rebuild his nuclear facilities.
Today we have a North Korea that is a full fledged nuclear power whether
the Americans want to admit it or otherwise. A nuclear power is a
nuclear power and does not need a recognition and acceptance from the
Americans. Thanks to the Americans for betraying Kim Jong Il.
Now the Americans and their cronies are demanding that the North Koreans
to denuclearize, to dismantle its nuclear weapons and facilities. In
return the North Koreans are demanding a guarantee that their country
would not be invaded or nuked by the Americans.
Can the North Koreans trust the Americans after being cheated by the
Americans before? How can the Americans guarantee that North Korea would
not be invaded or nuked after they have denuclearized, without nuclear
weapons? Even if Trump were to give his personal guarantee, can the next
American president or future presidents abide by this agreement and
guarantee? Surely not.
The North Koreans are safe from an invasion led by the Americans or
Japanese today because of the nuclear weapons and the support of Russia
and China. If they have no nuclear weapons, the Americans could turn a
blind eye and allow the Japanese or other crony countries to attack the
North Koreans while pretending to be neutral, or worse, do it
themselves.
A guarantee that North Korea would not be invaded or nuked is as good as
No guarantee. The Americans cannot be trusted. Look at what is
happening in the Middle East, in Iraq, in Libya, in Syria and the other
countries where the Americans have invaded and with troops on the ground
and refusing to leave. Ask what had happened to Saddam Hussein and
Gaddafi and the outrageous WMD ploy.
It would be foolish for Kim Jong Un to trust the evil Americans, the
country that lives by the notion of American Exceptionalism. They can do
anything they want, to invade and do regime change to any country they
want. They can tear to pieces any agreement they have signed, like TPP,
Climate Change or refusing to sign agreements like the Law of the Sea
and many other UN sanctioned agreements.
An American guarantee is like a guarantee given by the devil. I am sure
Kim Jong Un would be smarter than to be duped by the Americans.
3/13/2018
Who to blame or who do you vote for to ruin your life
Below is an extract of an article from a bitter Singaporeans, not local,
a Singaporean. He is asking the same question many unemployed and
highly qualified and experienced PMETs are asking. Many just resigned to
their fate and disappeared even in govt statistics of the unemployed,
no longer part of the statistics, not even good enough to be a
statistic, forgotten, vanished. They no longer count in the percentages
of unemployed to make it look as if the unemployed number is really low
and acceptable.
Here is the extract by a Don Tan posted in TRE.
“A strange country, low level jobs like taxi drivers, insurance and property sales persons, you have highly qualified professionals. To rub salt into the would, the entry requirements for these course is you only have certificates from Singapore schools like NTU, NUS, SMU, Polys et cetera, all other certificates need to be separately assessed as they are not recognised!
What has gone wrong with this country? Third world foreigners coming into this country with inferior or fake degrees or qualifications are given good jobs while locals with good degrees and qualifications are relegated to prepare themselves to downgrade to low level career? You wonder why taxi, insurance and real estate would only prefer to look at local qualifications while govt ministries, GLCS and MNCS would hire all these third world inferior qualified?
Is this what you voted for? You are preparing yourself to be replaced by these imported FTs?”
What is happening to your country and your fellow Singaporeans? I don’t care a fuck about the locals that are not Singaporeans in such a situation. Now you even have MPs caring for PRs when the PRs are not eligible to vote and did not vote them to rule over you. They rather take care of PRs that are classified as locals than Singaporeans.
How many of you are PMETs and in dire strait like those attending courses with Don Tan and no MP would want to give you a helping hand?
Wake up daft Sinkies. Vote for people who care for you, not to care for foreigners even if they are classified as locals. They are not citizens, not Singaporeans. They are here stealing your jobs.
Here is the extract by a Don Tan posted in TRE.
“A strange country, low level jobs like taxi drivers, insurance and property sales persons, you have highly qualified professionals. To rub salt into the would, the entry requirements for these course is you only have certificates from Singapore schools like NTU, NUS, SMU, Polys et cetera, all other certificates need to be separately assessed as they are not recognised!
What has gone wrong with this country? Third world foreigners coming into this country with inferior or fake degrees or qualifications are given good jobs while locals with good degrees and qualifications are relegated to prepare themselves to downgrade to low level career? You wonder why taxi, insurance and real estate would only prefer to look at local qualifications while govt ministries, GLCS and MNCS would hire all these third world inferior qualified?
Is this what you voted for? You are preparing yourself to be replaced by these imported FTs?”
What is happening to your country and your fellow Singaporeans? I don’t care a fuck about the locals that are not Singaporeans in such a situation. Now you even have MPs caring for PRs when the PRs are not eligible to vote and did not vote them to rule over you. They rather take care of PRs that are classified as locals than Singaporeans.
How many of you are PMETs and in dire strait like those attending courses with Don Tan and no MP would want to give you a helping hand?
Wake up daft Sinkies. Vote for people who care for you, not to care for foreigners even if they are classified as locals. They are not citizens, not Singaporeans. They are here stealing your jobs.
3/12/2018
Chee Hong Tat - Test balloons are false and vicious
SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party could have
used its "test balloons" allegation on the timing of the
Goods-and-Services Tax (GST) "to great effect for political attacks", if
the Government had not challenged it in Parliament, Senior Minister of
State Chee Hong Tat has said.
"Had the Government not pursued the matter in Parliament, most people would have overlooked Ms Lim’s 'test balloon' comment. However, the WP could later use it to great effect for political attacks, including during the next general election," he wrote in a letter addressed to all Singaporeans published on the People's Action Party (PAP) website on Saturday (Mar 10)....
"Had the Government not pursued the matter in Parliament, most people would have overlooked Ms Lim’s 'test balloon' comment. However, the WP could later use it to great effect for political attacks, including during the next general election," he wrote in a letter addressed to all Singaporeans published on the People's Action Party (PAP) website on Saturday (Mar 10)....
Mr Chee said in his letter that her allegation was "false and vicious" and "goes to the heart of the Government's integrity".
"The underlying sting of that allegation was that the Government was being dishonest with the people," he wrote.
The WP could then repeat the allegation at election rallies and claim that since the Government did not rebut it in Parliament, "it must be true", he said.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/test-balloons-allegation-if-not-refuted-could-have-led-to-10032354
"The underlying sting of that allegation was that the Government was being dishonest with the people," he wrote.
The WP could then repeat the allegation at election rallies and claim that since the Government did not rebut it in Parliament, "it must be true", he said.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/test-balloons-allegation-if-not-refuted-could-have-led-to-10032354
I thought after Sylvia Lim refused to apologise to Grace Fu's threat to file a complain against her this silly chapter on the test balloon allegation would have been closed and forgotten. The above is another report in Channel News Asia on Chee Hong Tat's public letter to the people to tell the people how dangerous is the test balloon allegation.
For goodness sake, testing the ground before implementing or changing policies or laws have been a standard practice by almost every govt all over the world. There are times when policies are unpopular or controversial or simply bad for the people and govts need to be very careful of the backlash if introduced. They would adopt all kinds of tactics to test the ground, soften the ground, creating fake news and misinformation to distract or convince the people to believe the policies are good and not bad for the people. Some govts may even tell lies to get the people to believe in their bad policies.
Test balloon is just another different expression of such govt tactics. It is nothing new or abnormal. What is the farce all about? Test balloons are false and vicious?
I give up. It is a waste of time and resources like crying wolf or throwing a red herring to confuse the people. Oops, is crying wolf false and vicious, is throwing a red herring false and vicious, like test balloon?
What do you think?
PS. I think the people would be better educated and entertainment reading my rubbish in mysingaporenews.
3/11/2018
Driverless trains need drivers
Below is a comment by a Stupida posted in TRE.
“After spending a fortune on driverless trains,
we will now have drivers in the trains becos the
tech is not working. However, we are going to go
ahead with being a cashless society – and do it
Overnight, rather than ease in – and there’s no
backup in place when the machines break down. “
Stupida has a point. Driverless trains come with a technology to save on manpower, thus more expensive than trains that need drivers. Now driverless trains need drivers to be more efficient and safer. This is really stupidity has no cure.
And it reminds me of not just going cashless and when the system goes bonkers, everyone must make sure got money in his pocket, but driverless cars. They are testing driverless cars and if the above case of driverless trains is what is coming, driverless cars would still need drivers to be safe.
What’s new, kopi O kosong with sugar? Saving a life time with money in the CPF for retirement but not enough money for retirement? Still need to save more and have more insurance policies. Having compulsory medical insurance and still needs to have minimum sum in Medisave Account to be doubly sure got money for medical?
Got PM, 2 deputy PMs, still need more ministers in PMO? Got MPs still need mayors?
Alamak, susah lah. Not only susah, anyone think this is a big waste of money?
“After spending a fortune on driverless trains,
we will now have drivers in the trains becos the
tech is not working. However, we are going to go
ahead with being a cashless society – and do it
Overnight, rather than ease in – and there’s no
backup in place when the machines break down. “
Stupida has a point. Driverless trains come with a technology to save on manpower, thus more expensive than trains that need drivers. Now driverless trains need drivers to be more efficient and safer. This is really stupidity has no cure.
And it reminds me of not just going cashless and when the system goes bonkers, everyone must make sure got money in his pocket, but driverless cars. They are testing driverless cars and if the above case of driverless trains is what is coming, driverless cars would still need drivers to be safe.
What’s new, kopi O kosong with sugar? Saving a life time with money in the CPF for retirement but not enough money for retirement? Still need to save more and have more insurance policies. Having compulsory medical insurance and still needs to have minimum sum in Medisave Account to be doubly sure got money for medical?
Got PM, 2 deputy PMs, still need more ministers in PMO? Got MPs still need mayors?
Alamak, susah lah. Not only susah, anyone think this is a big waste of money?
3/10/2018
Post by Concerns of a Heartland Sinkie - Part 3
As mentioned before, pls edict/ amend any error you may deem fit. Thank you.
"Generally, wages in the labour market are determined in the below simplified algebraic equation:
W = PeF(u,z)
On the other hand, prices that producers charged to consumers can be determined by the following equation:
P = (1+Tgst) (1+m)W
Substituting the first equation into the second, we get:
P = Pe(1+Tgst)(1+m)F(u,z)
Further simplifying the factor “u” and converting it to output (Y) yields the following relation:
P = Pe(1+Tgst)(1+m)F(1-Y/L, z)
Given LHS is P (price level) & RHS contains Y (national output), this relation can be plotted in a Price Level – National Output space.
At any given aggregate demand, when the term “Tgst” is increased, say eg from 7% to 9%, at each and every national output level, P would be higher translating to a decrease in the aggregate supply.
Thus, the effect as shown (Mathematically) above implies that at a given aggregate demand, an increase in Tgst would lead to the double-whammy pernicious effects of a higher price level and a reduced national output."
NB: Above formulations are “clobbered” together during lunch break hours (on 9 Mar 2018) amidst gobbling down of a take-way sandwich in a crowded “chairless” stand only tall tables eatery in town area. The “inspiration & motivation” (to “clobber” above-mentioned formulations) came from reading Uncle RB’s post while walking to buy a quick lunch. Thus, there may be oversight in the formulation. If there is any conceptual “discrepancy”, would humbly and highly appreciate any learned economist working near Uncle RB’s office in MBFC, RP or any Economics Professor teaching in the Unis to share their insights. Thank you so much in advance.
"Generally, wages in the labour market are determined in the below simplified algebraic equation:
W = PeF(u,z)
On the other hand, prices that producers charged to consumers can be determined by the following equation:
P = (1+Tgst) (1+m)W
Substituting the first equation into the second, we get:
P = Pe(1+Tgst)(1+m)F(u,z)
Further simplifying the factor “u” and converting it to output (Y) yields the following relation:
P = Pe(1+Tgst)(1+m)F(1-Y/L, z)
Given LHS is P (price level) & RHS contains Y (national output), this relation can be plotted in a Price Level – National Output space.
At any given aggregate demand, when the term “Tgst” is increased, say eg from 7% to 9%, at each and every national output level, P would be higher translating to a decrease in the aggregate supply.
Thus, the effect as shown (Mathematically) above implies that at a given aggregate demand, an increase in Tgst would lead to the double-whammy pernicious effects of a higher price level and a reduced national output."
NB: Above formulations are “clobbered” together during lunch break hours (on 9 Mar 2018) amidst gobbling down of a take-way sandwich in a crowded “chairless” stand only tall tables eatery in town area. The “inspiration & motivation” (to “clobber” above-mentioned formulations) came from reading Uncle RB’s post while walking to buy a quick lunch. Thus, there may be oversight in the formulation. If there is any conceptual “discrepancy”, would humbly and highly appreciate any learned economist working near Uncle RB’s office in MBFC, RP or any Economics Professor teaching in the Unis to share their insights. Thank you so much in advance.
A childish parliament versus an adult parliament
How can there be a childish parliament? You are right, all parliaments are for adults, national leaders, men and women and some very young men and young women. There is no parliament for children. The only parliament that is for children is a moot parliament that sometimes the schools would organize to educate the children and let them do some role playing to experience what the lives of adults would be like.
In a childish parliament, you can expect them to speak childishly and behave childishly as it is only natural for children to do so. And the language used would be childish as well. Any bad words used would not be tolerated and they would squirm and report to the teacher in charge. In a childish parliament, you would not expect them to be rude or to talk nonsense, oops, maybe children will do, occasionally as they would not know the difference.
Of course a childish parliament would not stand up to the adult’s expectation of honesty, integrity and truthfulness, at best like a debate. Oh yes, a childish parliament would have all the rules like in a debate. Everyone would be allowed to speak with a limited time and in decorum, speak good English, no Ingrish or Singlish. And no telling grandfather and grandmother stories.
Why, because time is precious in a debate. Each one is only given a limited time and they cannot afford to waste time telling grandfather stories. In a real adult parliament, you can imagine how much time is wasted if a parliamentarian wasted one hour telling grandfather stories. Not only he/she would waste her/his one hour, but the one hour of the PM, the ministers and all the MPs. And if this is broadcast over TV, it would waste the time of millions of viewers. Time is precious even in a childish parliament.
Actually, I think, an adult parliament has a lot to learn from a childish parliament. There are good things, good rules to learn from a childish parliament. Those good debaters should conduct lessons on how to speak well, speak eloquently in an adult parliament, even conduct good Ingrish lessons.
Another important thing about childish parliament is that they would not allow anyone to talk cock. The girls would be blushing. And if a boy were to get angry and shout, fuck you, the girls would be running out to hike in the toilet, some would faint. That is what childish parliament would be like.
Teacher, teacher, he cannot say like dat, cannot use bad words.
In a childish parliament, you can expect them to speak childishly and behave childishly as it is only natural for children to do so. And the language used would be childish as well. Any bad words used would not be tolerated and they would squirm and report to the teacher in charge. In a childish parliament, you would not expect them to be rude or to talk nonsense, oops, maybe children will do, occasionally as they would not know the difference.
Of course a childish parliament would not stand up to the adult’s expectation of honesty, integrity and truthfulness, at best like a debate. Oh yes, a childish parliament would have all the rules like in a debate. Everyone would be allowed to speak with a limited time and in decorum, speak good English, no Ingrish or Singlish. And no telling grandfather and grandmother stories.
Why, because time is precious in a debate. Each one is only given a limited time and they cannot afford to waste time telling grandfather stories. In a real adult parliament, you can imagine how much time is wasted if a parliamentarian wasted one hour telling grandfather stories. Not only he/she would waste her/his one hour, but the one hour of the PM, the ministers and all the MPs. And if this is broadcast over TV, it would waste the time of millions of viewers. Time is precious even in a childish parliament.
Actually, I think, an adult parliament has a lot to learn from a childish parliament. There are good things, good rules to learn from a childish parliament. Those good debaters should conduct lessons on how to speak well, speak eloquently in an adult parliament, even conduct good Ingrish lessons.
Another important thing about childish parliament is that they would not allow anyone to talk cock. The girls would be blushing. And if a boy were to get angry and shout, fuck you, the girls would be running out to hike in the toilet, some would faint. That is what childish parliament would be like.
Teacher, teacher, he cannot say like dat, cannot use bad words.
3/09/2018
Chan Chun Seng just gave me a reason to support GST hike
Read the extract of an article posted by Augustine Low in the TRE below.
‘Forgo the GST hike and Singaporeans could end up finding imported goods and holidays less affordable. This was the warning given by Chan Chun Sing at a Lunar New Year dinner.
The pain of having to contend with price hikes and tax hikes is bad enough. But politicians like Chan have the habit of making it worse by giving excuses and rationale which shows a disregard for Singaporeans’ common sense and intelligence.
Defending the GST hike, Chan Chun Sing somehow managed to turn it into something which simply had to be done, otherwise Singaporeans would lose their privilege to continue enjoying imported goods and cheaper holidays.
How he got from GST hike to imported goods and cheaper holidays is a classic case of taking the argument to the extreme in order to convince Singaporeans that a GST hike is the only way out because the alternative is far worse.
To sum up Chan’s argument: without the GST hike, the government would have to draw from reserves and the world would surmise that Singapore has a weak fiscal policy. Forces at large would therefore collude to weaken and destabilise the Sing dollar, and after the Sing dollar comes under attack, Singaporeans’ savings and spending would be negatively impacted. The result: less money for imported goods and holidays.
Wow! And just like that, Singaporeans are supposed to buy into his argument that a GST hike is preferable to none?’
I state categorically that the above is not written by me, but appeared in the TRE.
I am truly convinced by such clever argument. Our PM in the making, more good years coming with more GST hikes. Oh, there is another reason to support the GST hike, it will help the poor, for the good of the poor. Now, how not to support the GST hike, you tell me lah.
PS. Below are some not so complementary and hilarious comments on our future PM in Ausgustine Low’s article. Please don’t take them seriously and treat them as fake news or comments of the losers.
Samuel S:
March 5, 2018 at 9:38 pm (Quote)
For once if we have chance to choose our PM, we will 100% write CCS off the the list! Just dont understand why our current PM think he is suitable choice because PM Lee himself is not qualified to lead the country. The reason he is here is because of his father LKY.
oxygen:
March 5, 2018 at 10:18 pm (Quote)
4th GENERATION “GET SINGAPORE THINKING” aka GST have all run out of ideas of how to govern LEE-jiapore.
The art of governance is reduced to simplicity of CHICANERY including floating the trial balloon and accusing others of working up on suspicions AFTER they had tabled falsity statistic to advance their wicked plots of accusing WP of municipal accounting fraud that never existed.
We don’t want the PAPpys around anymore. They are all failed apprentices whereever they go.
NotMyProblem:
March 5, 2018 at 11:05 pm (Quote)
I am not sure if Chan Chun Seng actually takes Singaporeans as some kind of an idiot.
Idiot politician is not the problem, the problem is we have idiot voters keep voting for them. That’s the reason, Chan Chun Seng treats Singaporeans as idiot.
Singaporeans, we have been called daft by the PAP, are we going to prove that they are right!!!
doggie:
March 5, 2018 at 11:19 pm (Quote)
No worries, gong gong sinkies are very forgetful.
Once GE comes, dangle some goodies, add in some threat if miw gets voted out housing price will fall and our women have to work as maids
gong gong sinkies will vote against pee and poo.
add in the new citizens, it will be 80% next time
hahahaha
opposition dude:
March 6, 2018 at 1:10 am (Quote)
Keechiu was never very bright so the things he says are absurd at worst and good for a laugh at best.
This goes to show that ministers do not think before they talk. I’m sure we all remember Josephine’s forever unforgettable you don’t need a big space to orh ee orh or Zorro wanting to upturn the downturn or even once in 50 years.
Just wait for the next time kee chiu speaks, it will be another lightbulb going off moment.
kenny:
March 6, 2018 at 7:14 am (Quote)
CCS is an ABSOLUTE IDIOT of a politician ! ! !
Three words for him ” OHHH SHUT UP ! ! ! !”
‘Forgo the GST hike and Singaporeans could end up finding imported goods and holidays less affordable. This was the warning given by Chan Chun Sing at a Lunar New Year dinner.
The pain of having to contend with price hikes and tax hikes is bad enough. But politicians like Chan have the habit of making it worse by giving excuses and rationale which shows a disregard for Singaporeans’ common sense and intelligence.
Defending the GST hike, Chan Chun Sing somehow managed to turn it into something which simply had to be done, otherwise Singaporeans would lose their privilege to continue enjoying imported goods and cheaper holidays.
How he got from GST hike to imported goods and cheaper holidays is a classic case of taking the argument to the extreme in order to convince Singaporeans that a GST hike is the only way out because the alternative is far worse.
To sum up Chan’s argument: without the GST hike, the government would have to draw from reserves and the world would surmise that Singapore has a weak fiscal policy. Forces at large would therefore collude to weaken and destabilise the Sing dollar, and after the Sing dollar comes under attack, Singaporeans’ savings and spending would be negatively impacted. The result: less money for imported goods and holidays.
Wow! And just like that, Singaporeans are supposed to buy into his argument that a GST hike is preferable to none?’
I state categorically that the above is not written by me, but appeared in the TRE.
I am truly convinced by such clever argument. Our PM in the making, more good years coming with more GST hikes. Oh, there is another reason to support the GST hike, it will help the poor, for the good of the poor. Now, how not to support the GST hike, you tell me lah.
PS. Below are some not so complementary and hilarious comments on our future PM in Ausgustine Low’s article. Please don’t take them seriously and treat them as fake news or comments of the losers.
Samuel S:
March 5, 2018 at 9:38 pm (Quote)
For once if we have chance to choose our PM, we will 100% write CCS off the the list! Just dont understand why our current PM think he is suitable choice because PM Lee himself is not qualified to lead the country. The reason he is here is because of his father LKY.
oxygen:
March 5, 2018 at 10:18 pm (Quote)
4th GENERATION “GET SINGAPORE THINKING” aka GST have all run out of ideas of how to govern LEE-jiapore.
The art of governance is reduced to simplicity of CHICANERY including floating the trial balloon and accusing others of working up on suspicions AFTER they had tabled falsity statistic to advance their wicked plots of accusing WP of municipal accounting fraud that never existed.
We don’t want the PAPpys around anymore. They are all failed apprentices whereever they go.
NotMyProblem:
March 5, 2018 at 11:05 pm (Quote)
I am not sure if Chan Chun Seng actually takes Singaporeans as some kind of an idiot.
Idiot politician is not the problem, the problem is we have idiot voters keep voting for them. That’s the reason, Chan Chun Seng treats Singaporeans as idiot.
Singaporeans, we have been called daft by the PAP, are we going to prove that they are right!!!
doggie:
March 5, 2018 at 11:19 pm (Quote)
No worries, gong gong sinkies are very forgetful.
Once GE comes, dangle some goodies, add in some threat if miw gets voted out housing price will fall and our women have to work as maids
gong gong sinkies will vote against pee and poo.
add in the new citizens, it will be 80% next time
hahahaha
opposition dude:
March 6, 2018 at 1:10 am (Quote)
Keechiu was never very bright so the things he says are absurd at worst and good for a laugh at best.
This goes to show that ministers do not think before they talk. I’m sure we all remember Josephine’s forever unforgettable you don’t need a big space to orh ee orh or Zorro wanting to upturn the downturn or even once in 50 years.
Just wait for the next time kee chiu speaks, it will be another lightbulb going off moment.
kenny:
March 6, 2018 at 7:14 am (Quote)
CCS is an ABSOLUTE IDIOT of a politician ! ! !
Three words for him ” OHHH SHUT UP ! ! ! !”
3/08/2018
Korean Reunification amidst new realities and Korean interests
After the Korean War, nearly 70 years have gone by and many leaders have
come and gone. The North Koreans are seeing a third generation of
leaders led by the grand son of Kim Il Sung while the South has seen
many leaders served and departed. The leaders of both Koreas are of a
very different generation from the Cold War days and are coming to terms
with the new realities of a 21ts Century world and a new generation of
Korean people on both sides of the 38 parallel.
War is increasing becoming irrelevant to settle differences between people of a country, of the same nationality, race and culture except for the evil Empire. The Germans have reunited. The Vietnamese have reunited. The Chinese are working to be reunited but with a long trajectory without wanting to force the issue unless the Taiwanese seek independence. The reunification of Taiwan is a matter of time, a matter of when. There is no hurry as the two people and economy get to fuse and intertwined more closely and become more interdependent.
North and South Korea would also be reunited in a matter of time. They are one people and would not be separated forever. The issue is how to go about this reunification. The new reality is to bring about a reunification peacefully. The two halves of Korea could start by agreeing on some fundamental principles like China and Taiwan, that there is one China and the reunification will be by peaceful negotiation. And they shall not be pressured by time, that the reunification must take place within a fixed time frame. Let the future generations, if necessary to settle the reunification issue if needed be as long as the One China principle is not threatened. There could even be a gray period of one country two systems to gradually integrate and merge the two into One China.
North Korea and South Korea could adapt the Chinese model, agree that there is one Korea and reunification will be by peaceful negotiation without a fixed time frame and they could even live with a one country two systems for a long gestation period till the two people and govts are ready to be reunited as one Korea.
When there is agreement that war is no longer an option and both agree on the eventual reunification of the two Koreas by peaceful means, both govt and people could start to work more closely, cooperate with each other, share and help each other as they progress along without being forced into a war by the evil Empire. The denounciation of war would remove the main reason for the Americans to justify continuous war games to provoke the North Koreans.
South Korea should also exert its independence and not be coerced to conduct provocative war games with the Americans to threaten North Korea. All acts of hostility should cease and replace by acts of cooperation and good will. These would pave the way to the eventual reunification of the two Koreas peacefully, in 30, 50 or 100 years. Let the Korean people be reunited as one people again without going to wars, without having to be in a hurry.
Keep the foreigners out of the equation and settle the differences among the Koreans themselves, with both sides pledging not to go to war. The Koreans must decide their own fate and not be dragged into a war by the evil Americans and Japanese. They must treasure their independence and unity as a proud people living in peace like the Vietnamese now, after driving out the foreign forces in their land and reunited as one people to charge their own destiny.
There is great hope that the wise leaders in Kim JongUn and Moon Jae In would be able to bring their people and country together. The Americans and Japanese are still working desperately to bring the two Koreas to a war instead of reunification. Only the Korean people can avoid this calamity to their people and country by seeking peace through negotiation.
War is increasing becoming irrelevant to settle differences between people of a country, of the same nationality, race and culture except for the evil Empire. The Germans have reunited. The Vietnamese have reunited. The Chinese are working to be reunited but with a long trajectory without wanting to force the issue unless the Taiwanese seek independence. The reunification of Taiwan is a matter of time, a matter of when. There is no hurry as the two people and economy get to fuse and intertwined more closely and become more interdependent.
North and South Korea would also be reunited in a matter of time. They are one people and would not be separated forever. The issue is how to go about this reunification. The new reality is to bring about a reunification peacefully. The two halves of Korea could start by agreeing on some fundamental principles like China and Taiwan, that there is one China and the reunification will be by peaceful negotiation. And they shall not be pressured by time, that the reunification must take place within a fixed time frame. Let the future generations, if necessary to settle the reunification issue if needed be as long as the One China principle is not threatened. There could even be a gray period of one country two systems to gradually integrate and merge the two into One China.
North Korea and South Korea could adapt the Chinese model, agree that there is one Korea and reunification will be by peaceful negotiation without a fixed time frame and they could even live with a one country two systems for a long gestation period till the two people and govts are ready to be reunited as one Korea.
When there is agreement that war is no longer an option and both agree on the eventual reunification of the two Koreas by peaceful means, both govt and people could start to work more closely, cooperate with each other, share and help each other as they progress along without being forced into a war by the evil Empire. The denounciation of war would remove the main reason for the Americans to justify continuous war games to provoke the North Koreans.
South Korea should also exert its independence and not be coerced to conduct provocative war games with the Americans to threaten North Korea. All acts of hostility should cease and replace by acts of cooperation and good will. These would pave the way to the eventual reunification of the two Koreas peacefully, in 30, 50 or 100 years. Let the Korean people be reunited as one people again without going to wars, without having to be in a hurry.
Keep the foreigners out of the equation and settle the differences among the Koreans themselves, with both sides pledging not to go to war. The Koreans must decide their own fate and not be dragged into a war by the evil Americans and Japanese. They must treasure their independence and unity as a proud people living in peace like the Vietnamese now, after driving out the foreign forces in their land and reunited as one people to charge their own destiny.
There is great hope that the wise leaders in Kim JongUn and Moon Jae In would be able to bring their people and country together. The Americans and Japanese are still working desperately to bring the two Koreas to a war instead of reunification. Only the Korean people can avoid this calamity to their people and country by seeking peace through negotiation.
3/07/2018
A simple way to guesstimate the reserves
The non transparent secret of the country’s reserves, speculated to be
worth $1 trillion has been subjected to many queries as to what is
really there. As it is a closely guarded state secret, no one really
knows, even the President that holds the second key to guard the
reserves. In a way, the reserves could be like a mirage of a mountain of
gold. The people could imagine or were told that it is large and is
there, but cannot feel or touch it. The big question in many people’s
mind is whether this is true. It is only fair for any reasonable man to
have doubts about something that is like what the salesman told them,
and they have to believe his words, to trust him.
When the people are kept in the dark, it is very difficult to know the truth. The more the govt tries to hide this info, the more suspicious will be the people who want to know the truth. And the more the govt is frantically trying to raise taxes, even very unpopular measures, the more worried would be the people as to the health of this gold mountain mirage. Simple, got so much money no need to panic to raise so many taxes. The reason that the reserves cannot be touched, to be kept for the rainy day, is hogwash. It was touched many times during Nathan’s days.
Let’s see what we can extrapolate from some of the official statistics provided by Heng Swee Kiat to figure out how much is there in the reserves. The estimated NIRC for FY2018 is $15.9. I am not sure this is profit earned for the whole year prior to FY2018 or the estimated returns for FY 2018, ie not earned yet. But putting this aside let’s just use this number as a basis to extrapolate the reserves gold mountain.
The $15.9b is net return, ie after paying 2.5%/4%/5% interest to CPF members, estimated at $400b borrowed. If we use a 3% interest paid to CPF, this would work out to be $12b. The gross profit from the funds invested, less expense other than CPF interest, would be $12b + $15.9b +15.9b = $43b. Assuming NIRC is 50% of net income and balance 50% went into the reserves.
The govt has been using a 3.5% figure as the returns from investing our reserves. Thus if $43b is the gross return or 3.5%, the reserves should be $1.23 trillion. If we use just the $31b as net return, the reserves should be $886b. Could have use $32b ie 15.9 +15.9
But 3.5% return is supposed to be an average. The estimated return of $31b could be 5%, 7.5% or 10% over the years. These would give the reserves as $620b, $413b and $310b respectively. I use the different percentages to show that the higher the rate of return, the lower would be the reserves.
Alternatively if we use $43b as the gross return and 5%, 7.5% and 10% return, the reserves could be $860b, $573b and $430b respectively.
The good news, the reserves could be as high as $1.23t or $886b. The bad news, it could be as low as $310b or $430b.
If the funds are not performing that well, ie making a 3.5% return, then the reserves could be in the region of $886b to $1.23t. Someone said the interest rate for long term interest, risk free is about 3%. What is the point of paying hundreds of millions to fund managers to bring in 3.5% with high risk of losing the capital. Sack the whole bunch if they cannot bring in more than 5% returns.
Extrapolating from the rate of returns based a given NIRC of $15.9b, the paradox is that higher the percentage of returns means lower reserves and vice versa. If the funds are doing well, ie making returns of 5%, 7.5% or 10%, then the reserves could be quite scary, like a glittering golden mountain but not all gold.
What is the real thing, when would this be made known, or forever be in the unknown?
PS. MOF stats stated that GIC has a 20 year annualized return of 3.7% while Temasek’s annualized return from 2002 to 2014 is 15%.
When the people are kept in the dark, it is very difficult to know the truth. The more the govt tries to hide this info, the more suspicious will be the people who want to know the truth. And the more the govt is frantically trying to raise taxes, even very unpopular measures, the more worried would be the people as to the health of this gold mountain mirage. Simple, got so much money no need to panic to raise so many taxes. The reason that the reserves cannot be touched, to be kept for the rainy day, is hogwash. It was touched many times during Nathan’s days.
Let’s see what we can extrapolate from some of the official statistics provided by Heng Swee Kiat to figure out how much is there in the reserves. The estimated NIRC for FY2018 is $15.9. I am not sure this is profit earned for the whole year prior to FY2018 or the estimated returns for FY 2018, ie not earned yet. But putting this aside let’s just use this number as a basis to extrapolate the reserves gold mountain.
The $15.9b is net return, ie after paying 2.5%/4%/5% interest to CPF members, estimated at $400b borrowed. If we use a 3% interest paid to CPF, this would work out to be $12b. The gross profit from the funds invested, less expense other than CPF interest, would be $12b + $15.9b +15.9b = $43b. Assuming NIRC is 50% of net income and balance 50% went into the reserves.
The govt has been using a 3.5% figure as the returns from investing our reserves. Thus if $43b is the gross return or 3.5%, the reserves should be $1.23 trillion. If we use just the $31b as net return, the reserves should be $886b. Could have use $32b ie 15.9 +15.9
But 3.5% return is supposed to be an average. The estimated return of $31b could be 5%, 7.5% or 10% over the years. These would give the reserves as $620b, $413b and $310b respectively. I use the different percentages to show that the higher the rate of return, the lower would be the reserves.
Alternatively if we use $43b as the gross return and 5%, 7.5% and 10% return, the reserves could be $860b, $573b and $430b respectively.
The good news, the reserves could be as high as $1.23t or $886b. The bad news, it could be as low as $310b or $430b.
If the funds are not performing that well, ie making a 3.5% return, then the reserves could be in the region of $886b to $1.23t. Someone said the interest rate for long term interest, risk free is about 3%. What is the point of paying hundreds of millions to fund managers to bring in 3.5% with high risk of losing the capital. Sack the whole bunch if they cannot bring in more than 5% returns.
Extrapolating from the rate of returns based a given NIRC of $15.9b, the paradox is that higher the percentage of returns means lower reserves and vice versa. If the funds are doing well, ie making returns of 5%, 7.5% or 10%, then the reserves could be quite scary, like a glittering golden mountain but not all gold.
What is the real thing, when would this be made known, or forever be in the unknown?
PS. MOF stats stated that GIC has a 20 year annualized return of 3.7% while Temasek’s annualized return from 2002 to 2014 is 15%.
3/06/2018
Parking up the wrong tree
I knew it would come, sooner rather than later. No, I am not talking about the GST hike - that one would come later rather than sooner (you have the Government’s word on that). I am talking about the Parking Places (Amendment) Bill that was introduced in Parliament to curb indiscriminate bicycle parking. When I saw the unsightly mounds of two-wheelers dumped (rather than parked) like scrap heap across the island, I knew the end was nigh - “How long can the Government tahan when even I cannot tahan!?”
So as sure as night follows day, up popped the proposed scheme to license bike-sharing firms and hold them accountable for their customers’ sins. Under this scheme, the size of the operators’ bicycle fleet would be reviewed every six months, based on how well they manage the illegal parking problem and how often their bikes are used. Other details include data-sharing with the authorities and removing illegally parked bikes in a timely manner. Failure to meet the authorities’ standards would attract fines (max $100K) and even cancellation of licence.
It’s ingenious. In one fell swoop, the authorities have put the onus of tidying up the mess on the operators. And they may well succeed. Monetary caning in Singapore seldom fails, let alone the threat of business closure. But is this really the end of the problem? Have we answered the larger question of what’s behind inconsiderate parking? In the same way that litter bugs treat our island like a gigantic dustbin, bikers are treating it like an unregulated bike-park. But why?
I cast my mind back to a 2015 article by The Straits Times’ Han Fook Kwang who lamented on the declining standards of cleanliness in Singapore. Han’s article was inspired by PM Lee Hsien Loong’s FB post of a photo of the rubbish left behind after a music festival at Gardens by the Bay. A sampling of the comments that followed PM’s post included (a) schools should develop the right values instead of focusing only on academic achievements (b) too many Singaporeans are brought up in households where maids do all the cleaning (c) Singapore society looks down on cleaners, so children grow up thinking cleaning up is beneath them. But the one comment that hit the nail well and truly on the head is ownership and responsibility. When you consider yourself as part of the community and not a community apart, you will take ownership and responsibility of the public space in a way that many bike-sharing riders have so far failed to do. The authorities should not just stop at fixing illegal parking. Our sense of community needs fixing too. Miss out on that and we would simply be parking up the wrong tree.
How can Singaporeans compete with more skilled, experienced and cheaper foreigners?
The above is the title of an article by Leong Sze Hian in the TRE. The content of the article argued against the policy of inviting foreigners to steal the jobs from Singaporeans, which to me is a very disgusting and deplorable thing to do to the citizens of a country. In general I quite agree with what Leong Sze Hian wrote. But I would like to take issue with the way the title is written which gives an impression that foreigners are really more skilled and experienced than Singaporeans, cheaper in some cases but not all. Do you know how much are they paying to the foreign CEO of local banks and other GLC linked companies?
Many of the foreigners came from third world countries that are less developed than ours. If these foreigners are that good, if their education system are that good, their countries would not be in such deplorable state and condition.
Two, many of the foreigners are rejects and failures or unemployed in their countries. The good ones will be employed. How can we compare our able workers with these failures and claimed that they are more skilled and more experienced than our own workers?
Third, many of their paper qualifications and the experience they put down in their CVs are fake. How to compare our people's qualifications and experience with fakes and claiming that they are better? At least half of them are fakes or have faked qualifications and experience.
There are exceptions, but in general, the foreigners coming here are the average at best and mostly the rejects and the fakes. Do a proper screening of their qualifications and experience and you will be shock to find out what and who they really are, what kind of education they got.
Singaporeans should not assume that the foreigners are better than them. If they are they would not be here but holding high appointments in their own countries or in the West. Even in the West, many companies are being run down by these foreigners and they are starting to fire them. The West have been sleeping for a while and hired a lot of the half bakes and fake foreigners. More of these companies in the West and also in Singapore will be run down by these foreigners in a matter of time. Some have already gone to dust or are on the way.
Do not take it for granted that the foreign fakes and half bakes are better than our workers.
The fakes and half bakes cannot cheat and fool everyone all the time. Even in IT, the signs are everywhere that the quality are half baked as well. Look at Creative Technology, after Sound Blaster, they went into incubation for a while but has reemerged with another earth shattering product in Super X-Fi Audio Holography, a product that would revolutionise the sound of headphones and mobile phones. This is home grown innovation that you don't get in third world countries.
Would there be more money to support Creative Technology into another international giant or would our money be poured into third world half baked companies and run down bankrupt western companies because we don't believe in our own talents, our own companies but in foreign fakes?
Article by Concerns of a Heartland Sinkie - Part 2...
The immigration policy is probably a stop gap
measure than a long term solution. Old fart had acknowledged during the
2010/ 2011 interviews for the launch of his "Hardtruths" that the TFR of
naturalised immigrants was even worst than indigenously born sinkies
...?
In other words, the (short term) solution provided by the stop gap immigration policy would in time to come as the earlier immigrants aged morph into another problem instead of being a solution and greatly aggravate the precarious demographic development unfolding in peesai ...? The ratio of aged in the population could shoot up exponentially in the near future and onwards ...? Then what next?
So what could be the actual "Hardtruths" instead ...?
For what is to come, just look at the recent release of the 2017 A Level results and the ensuing flurry of annoucements by the recruiting unis ...?
In the face of declining enrollment now and in the coming years, many are repackaging their courses with double degrees, double majors etc etc ... no?
To make up for the short fall further down the road, are they going to repackage and offer triple degrees, triple majors & even quadruple degrees and quadruple majors ...?
Again the language used is fantastic and not unlike sweet nothings into the dafts ears ...?
The repackaging is for the ever changing job market and thus young undergraduates, (EVEN before their first premanent job) have to equip themselves with 2 degrees (skills) instead of one to ensure higher employability when they try to get their first job upon graduating?
Now, old fart admitted long ago in the early years that the IQ profile of a people does not change much over one or two generations ... did he not?
So how could up to 50% of each cohort suddenly be blessed with such increased (mental) ability to excel in 2 degrees or 2 majors when many in the past cohorts struggled even to manage with one ...?
What has changed?
Think deeper ...?
Think deeply ...?
What has changed?
Wake up (daft) sinkies ...?
See (and think) deeper beyond what you are being told or what appears on the surface ... pls?
For the sake of the future viability and sustainability of our beloved peesai, the place many are born, bred, educated, brainwashed, trained and conditioned like dog (& bitches) etc etc ..., wake up now and immediately ... will you NOT from your deep slumber ...?
Still snoring away ...?
Good luck ...
In other words, the (short term) solution provided by the stop gap immigration policy would in time to come as the earlier immigrants aged morph into another problem instead of being a solution and greatly aggravate the precarious demographic development unfolding in peesai ...? The ratio of aged in the population could shoot up exponentially in the near future and onwards ...? Then what next?
So what could be the actual "Hardtruths" instead ...?
For what is to come, just look at the recent release of the 2017 A Level results and the ensuing flurry of annoucements by the recruiting unis ...?
In the face of declining enrollment now and in the coming years, many are repackaging their courses with double degrees, double majors etc etc ... no?
To make up for the short fall further down the road, are they going to repackage and offer triple degrees, triple majors & even quadruple degrees and quadruple majors ...?
Again the language used is fantastic and not unlike sweet nothings into the dafts ears ...?
The repackaging is for the ever changing job market and thus young undergraduates, (EVEN before their first premanent job) have to equip themselves with 2 degrees (skills) instead of one to ensure higher employability when they try to get their first job upon graduating?
Now, old fart admitted long ago in the early years that the IQ profile of a people does not change much over one or two generations ... did he not?
So how could up to 50% of each cohort suddenly be blessed with such increased (mental) ability to excel in 2 degrees or 2 majors when many in the past cohorts struggled even to manage with one ...?
What has changed?
Think deeper ...?
Think deeply ...?
What has changed?
Wake up (daft) sinkies ...?
See (and think) deeper beyond what you are being told or what appears on the surface ... pls?
For the sake of the future viability and sustainability of our beloved peesai, the place many are born, bred, educated, brainwashed, trained and conditioned like dog (& bitches) etc etc ..., wake up now and immediately ... will you NOT from your deep slumber ...?
Still snoring away ...?
Good luck ...
3/05/2018
Article by Concerns of a Heartland Sinkie - Part 1
As reported in the past week, the latest Peesai TFR has
plunged to 1.16 (in 2017) despite Herculean efforts by the garberment
since 2004 to reverse a trend that was aggravated by GoaLaonomics
(unsustainable) short term policy of aggressively increasing asset
prices since the early 1990s ...?
The cascading effects (cancer) of this short sighted policies are far reaching and probably have progressed into mid stage ...?
Many pri and sec schs were merged last year & 4 JCs out of 16 (excluding those 6-yr IP schs) were closed down and "merged" with 4 others ...
The downtrend of the TFR probably has not seen its last and at this rate, as mentioned by old fart in his 2010/ 2011 interviews at the launch of his "Hardtruths" book, the indigenously-born population would be halved in one generation.
In other words, the approximately 3 million locally born & bred sinkies brought up from cradle and educated under the peesai system could be below 2 million in one generation's time ...?
In view of the increasingly obvious pitfalls and grave consequences, ask yourselves is this not the "FOOLISHNESS" of GoaLaonomics & in turn TakBonomics ...?
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that as asset prices (housings etc) FAR OUTSTRIPPED the incremental marginal edging up of real wage (since the early 1990s), the ratio of the real cost in raising a child relative to the real wage is ever increasing for aspiring young couples/ parents (despite the futile and ineffective INTERVENTIONS by the garberment in various financial forms to limit the irreversible and pernicious damage caused by the unsustainable GoaLaonomics & TakBonomics)?
Ironically both the "economic architects" behind GoaLaonomics and Takbonomics are first class honours economics graduates but failed to recognise the simple demand and supply maxims that as prices and costs of a "good" increase, the equilibrium quantity has to fall, & fell it did ...?
In short, the short term "mirage" success of GoaLaonomics & TakBonomics had come at an extremely heavy price of long term failure ... (not unlike a marathon runner trying to pull wool over the audience eyes of over achievement by running the initial phase of the race at breakneck pace more akin to a sprint or short distance race but ultimately giving way before the middle of the race and ended up finishing last ...?
The early lead in the marathon race running at unsustainable breakneck pace has to be vomitted back and gradually such (unsustainle early) lead would find this crazy runner dropping further & further behind as the early fast pace effect take a toll on him and making him run slower and slower, even eventually slowing to a tortoise strolling pace and thus continuously being over taken ...?
Economic & social developments are akin to a marathon race and CANNOT defy gravity and natural laws ...?
Any UNSUSTAINABLE policy such as GoaLaonomics & TakBonomics would be exposed over time (as seen by what are unfolding right in front of our eyes unless the dafts' eyes paste.
PS. Will post Part 2 tomorrow.
The cascading effects (cancer) of this short sighted policies are far reaching and probably have progressed into mid stage ...?
Many pri and sec schs were merged last year & 4 JCs out of 16 (excluding those 6-yr IP schs) were closed down and "merged" with 4 others ...
The downtrend of the TFR probably has not seen its last and at this rate, as mentioned by old fart in his 2010/ 2011 interviews at the launch of his "Hardtruths" book, the indigenously-born population would be halved in one generation.
In other words, the approximately 3 million locally born & bred sinkies brought up from cradle and educated under the peesai system could be below 2 million in one generation's time ...?
In view of the increasingly obvious pitfalls and grave consequences, ask yourselves is this not the "FOOLISHNESS" of GoaLaonomics & in turn TakBonomics ...?
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that as asset prices (housings etc) FAR OUTSTRIPPED the incremental marginal edging up of real wage (since the early 1990s), the ratio of the real cost in raising a child relative to the real wage is ever increasing for aspiring young couples/ parents (despite the futile and ineffective INTERVENTIONS by the garberment in various financial forms to limit the irreversible and pernicious damage caused by the unsustainable GoaLaonomics & TakBonomics)?
Ironically both the "economic architects" behind GoaLaonomics and Takbonomics are first class honours economics graduates but failed to recognise the simple demand and supply maxims that as prices and costs of a "good" increase, the equilibrium quantity has to fall, & fell it did ...?
In short, the short term "mirage" success of GoaLaonomics & TakBonomics had come at an extremely heavy price of long term failure ... (not unlike a marathon runner trying to pull wool over the audience eyes of over achievement by running the initial phase of the race at breakneck pace more akin to a sprint or short distance race but ultimately giving way before the middle of the race and ended up finishing last ...?
The early lead in the marathon race running at unsustainable breakneck pace has to be vomitted back and gradually such (unsustainle early) lead would find this crazy runner dropping further & further behind as the early fast pace effect take a toll on him and making him run slower and slower, even eventually slowing to a tortoise strolling pace and thus continuously being over taken ...?
Economic & social developments are akin to a marathon race and CANNOT defy gravity and natural laws ...?
Any UNSUSTAINABLE policy such as GoaLaonomics & TakBonomics would be exposed over time (as seen by what are unfolding right in front of our eyes unless the dafts' eyes paste.
PS. Will post Part 2 tomorrow.
Crown Prince of Johore's statement to Nazri in Malaysiakini
This is a very enlightening speech by the Cown Prince of Johore, HRH
brigadier general Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim in defence of his
right to speak for the raykat, his people against the abuse of power and
corruption by the politicians, in this case Nazri Abdul Aziz, Culture
and Tourism Minister of Malaysia.
There is a role reversal in Malaysian politics, with the Royalties now being the moral authority and standing up against the politicians. It was the other way in the past that gave Mahathir the opportunity to curb the power of the Royalties. Now the Royalties are seeing the politicians as the corrupt ones and standing up to voice their displeasure and objections, to defend the rights and interest of the people.
In any country, when the politicians are corrupt and abuses the power given to them by the people, it is the right of the people to speak out either directly or through their elected representatives. Politicians are not gods and should not present themselves as gods or infallibles. Here is the speech of the Crown Prince of Johore.
You are a minister, not a god from the heavens who lord above everybody. Do not think the people of this country exist to provide you with position and wealth, but the position exists for you to serve the people.
When I voice out, I do it as the leader of my rakyat, on behalf of Johoreans and Malaysians. All I did was to remind the leaders of the country that they have a responsibility to serve the people, and for this, I am attacked.
'Speaking for the people'
In the new world order, I envision a future that every person has a right to voice their opinions. However, that is not the case in Malaysia today, where ministers think they are untouchable. I am willing to be cursed for standing up for what is right, rather than be loved for defending what is wrong.
I am not a politician. I am only answerable to Allah, my sultan and the people of Johor. I do not do the bidding of some puppet-master who pulls the strings. Johor only has place for those who want to serve the people, not for those who want to garner votes for their own interests.
There will come a time, when the Johorean people must decide what is best for us and our future generations. Decide and unite we will, as Bangsa Johor, to forge our future. United we stand strong, divided we fall. I stand for my rakyat, not to joust for power, not to topple the government, but to ensure the wellbeing of my people.
I never told anybody to step down or resign, only to remind politicians of their roles and responsibilities. If you cannot deal with that, it just shows your arrogance to the people.
Alhamdulillah, I have been blessed with a comfortable life, and I could just live my own life and be oblivious to the worries of my people, but here I am, standing firm by their side.
So for those wanting to tarnish my image and make me public enemy number one, the people are smarter than that, and they can think for themselves.
Do not use me to divert attention from 1MDB and other national issues. This country needs politicians who are clean and transparent, who carry out their duties with sincerity and integrity.
- HRH brigadier general Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, the Crown Prince of Johor.
There is a role reversal in Malaysian politics, with the Royalties now being the moral authority and standing up against the politicians. It was the other way in the past that gave Mahathir the opportunity to curb the power of the Royalties. Now the Royalties are seeing the politicians as the corrupt ones and standing up to voice their displeasure and objections, to defend the rights and interest of the people.
In any country, when the politicians are corrupt and abuses the power given to them by the people, it is the right of the people to speak out either directly or through their elected representatives. Politicians are not gods and should not present themselves as gods or infallibles. Here is the speech of the Crown Prince of Johore.
You are a minister, not a god from the heavens who lord above everybody. Do not think the people of this country exist to provide you with position and wealth, but the position exists for you to serve the people.
When I voice out, I do it as the leader of my rakyat, on behalf of Johoreans and Malaysians. All I did was to remind the leaders of the country that they have a responsibility to serve the people, and for this, I am attacked.
'Speaking for the people'
In the new world order, I envision a future that every person has a right to voice their opinions. However, that is not the case in Malaysia today, where ministers think they are untouchable. I am willing to be cursed for standing up for what is right, rather than be loved for defending what is wrong.
I am not a politician. I am only answerable to Allah, my sultan and the people of Johor. I do not do the bidding of some puppet-master who pulls the strings. Johor only has place for those who want to serve the people, not for those who want to garner votes for their own interests.
There will come a time, when the Johorean people must decide what is best for us and our future generations. Decide and unite we will, as Bangsa Johor, to forge our future. United we stand strong, divided we fall. I stand for my rakyat, not to joust for power, not to topple the government, but to ensure the wellbeing of my people.
I never told anybody to step down or resign, only to remind politicians of their roles and responsibilities. If you cannot deal with that, it just shows your arrogance to the people.
Alhamdulillah, I have been blessed with a comfortable life, and I could just live my own life and be oblivious to the worries of my people, but here I am, standing firm by their side.
So for those wanting to tarnish my image and make me public enemy number one, the people are smarter than that, and they can think for themselves.
Do not use me to divert attention from 1MDB and other national issues. This country needs politicians who are clean and transparent, who carry out their duties with sincerity and integrity.
- HRH brigadier general Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, the Crown Prince of Johor.
3/04/2018
Kim Jong Nam - More fake news
KUALA LUMPUR – Kim Jong Nam, the
poisoned half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, told a
Japanese friend in Malaysia his life was in danger six months before he
was killed, a police official told a court on Tuesday.
Two women, Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, have been charged with murdering Kim by smearing his face with VX, a banned chemical poison, at Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13 last year.
They were charged together with four North Koreans, Hong Song Hac, Ri Ji Hyon, Ri Jae Nam and O Jong Gil, who are still at large, with the murder.... Reuter
The attempt to put all the blames for the murder of Kim Jong Nam on the North Vietnamese continues in the Malaysian court. The presumed murderers or suspects are the North Koreans and the innocent ones are the Japanese. In fact Kim Jong Nam's good friend was a Japanese by the name of Tomie Yoshio, who would send his drivers to drive him every where for free. And Kim Jong Nam confessed to this Japanese that his life was in danger. And for that, he asked for a driver, not a body guard, to protect his life according to this Japanese.
Anyone who knows the history of Japan and Korea would know that the Koreans hate the Japanese to the core for their brutal occupation and colonisation of their country. It was an era of humiliation that no Korean would forget or forgive the Japanese. But there would be the minorities in South Korea, similar to the bananas here, that would love the Japanese, definitely not the North Koreans.
Who would believe that the best friend of Kim Jong Nam was a Japanese and Kim Jong Nam trusted him so much that the Japanese knew his every movement? To the North Koreans, Japan and Japanese are enemies Number One. Who is this Tomie Yoshio?
There were other suspicious and questionable facts to the case. The unknowns that were not caught and charged, spoke Japanese and looked Japanese according to the witnesses.
Kim Jong Nam was a family member, trusted, and likely the front man for North Korea and running its foreign business operation, not a traitor. There is no reason for Kim Jung Un to kill him. In all probability he was killed by the Japanese and this Tomie Yoshio is a likely to be involved.
Kim Jong Nam knew that his life was threatened and he had the antidote in his pocket but somehow did not know how to use it when attacked.
In this case, the western media have tried very hard to pronounce guilty on the North Koreans and framing every report to say so but conveniently left unanswered, unreported, the part of the people that engaged the two women to do the job.
You do not need must effort to fish out the fake news in this case. The guilty parties are so innocent and the innocent parties are so guilty from the start.
Why are the Malaysian govt not blowing the whistle? They are privy to all the fake news that are being fed to them and would have a good idea who is really behind the murder. This is a clear case of a black ops.
Two women, Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, have been charged with murdering Kim by smearing his face with VX, a banned chemical poison, at Kuala Lumpur airport on Feb. 13 last year.
They were charged together with four North Koreans, Hong Song Hac, Ri Ji Hyon, Ri Jae Nam and O Jong Gil, who are still at large, with the murder.... Reuter
The attempt to put all the blames for the murder of Kim Jong Nam on the North Vietnamese continues in the Malaysian court. The presumed murderers or suspects are the North Koreans and the innocent ones are the Japanese. In fact Kim Jong Nam's good friend was a Japanese by the name of Tomie Yoshio, who would send his drivers to drive him every where for free. And Kim Jong Nam confessed to this Japanese that his life was in danger. And for that, he asked for a driver, not a body guard, to protect his life according to this Japanese.
Anyone who knows the history of Japan and Korea would know that the Koreans hate the Japanese to the core for their brutal occupation and colonisation of their country. It was an era of humiliation that no Korean would forget or forgive the Japanese. But there would be the minorities in South Korea, similar to the bananas here, that would love the Japanese, definitely not the North Koreans.
Who would believe that the best friend of Kim Jong Nam was a Japanese and Kim Jong Nam trusted him so much that the Japanese knew his every movement? To the North Koreans, Japan and Japanese are enemies Number One. Who is this Tomie Yoshio?
There were other suspicious and questionable facts to the case. The unknowns that were not caught and charged, spoke Japanese and looked Japanese according to the witnesses.
Kim Jong Nam was a family member, trusted, and likely the front man for North Korea and running its foreign business operation, not a traitor. There is no reason for Kim Jung Un to kill him. In all probability he was killed by the Japanese and this Tomie Yoshio is a likely to be involved.
Kim Jong Nam knew that his life was threatened and he had the antidote in his pocket but somehow did not know how to use it when attacked.
In this case, the western media have tried very hard to pronounce guilty on the North Koreans and framing every report to say so but conveniently left unanswered, unreported, the part of the people that engaged the two women to do the job.
You do not need must effort to fish out the fake news in this case. The guilty parties are so innocent and the innocent parties are so guilty from the start.
Why are the Malaysian govt not blowing the whistle? They are privy to all the fake news that are being fed to them and would have a good idea who is really behind the murder. This is a clear case of a black ops.
3/03/2018
Little sympathy for no pay hike for ministers
AFP reported "that there was little sympathy in the city-state for the world's best-paid politicians.
The government has argued the huge pay packets are necessary to attract top-calibre talent and prevent the corruption that afflicts other Asian countries.
But the issue has long attracted public anger, and the government responded to criticism by slashing salaries after a review in 2012."
Many people may be grudgingly cheering this decision to stop raising the outrageous salaries of the ministers and even wanted the salaries to be slashed given the dismal performance of the ministers. But I have another take on this as the decision could bring about the demise of the country. The country cannot be run well if the ministers are unhappy for not having more pay hikes to their mouth watering salaries when every worker is getting a pay hike, no matter how small, some may get $10 or $20.
There are several arguments favouring a pay hike for the ministers.
One, it is a Singaporean mindset, or at least among the politicians, that after a few years there must be a hike, in salary, in prices, in fees and in taxes. You cannot keep a salary, price, fee or taxes at the same level for too many years. Since the last hike or cut in salary in 2012, it has been a looong 5 years without a hike for the ministers. This is unacceptable and unreasonable.
And two, there is inflation to consider. The life style of the ministers would be gravely affected if their salaries did not keep pace with inflation even though many have viewed that their out of this world salaries have out paced inflation by a 100 years. Their families will suffer, definitely. This is how some ministers would be thinking, true feelings. And with this kind of thinking, how can the people expect them to continue to sacrifice for the country when they could be earning millions more in the private sector?
Three, many would be thinking of leaving political office to seek greener pasture in the private sector now. These super super talents would easily make more than what they are getting as ministers. The country will suffer if they leave. There are no more such talents in an island where there is a dearth of talents. Would Singaporeans be happy if the PAP starts to recruit third world talents, with fake degrees, dubious experience and credentials and doubtful talents to be ministers? Many of these foreigners would not even pass our PSLE or O level examinations without cheating or faking.
Four, the most disappointing part is that the Ministerial Salary Review Committee already recommended a 9% increase or a mere $100,000 only. The ministers knew this and would be very unhappy that they are being deprived of such a small increase. It is like meat in the mouth and snatched away again. They would end up with a lot of saliva in their mouths.
Overall the morale of ministers would be low definitely. Remember, they are making very big sacrifices, sacrificing their privacy, their good lives, their families, to serve the people and country. How can the country be so mean to them. And all the time they have been scheming how to make the people rich, well taken care of in old age with plenty of money in their CPF? Singaporeans are ungrateful creatures. If not they should be holding a protest at Hong Lim to fight for a hike in ministerial salaries to show their appreciation to these selfless and honourable men and women.
From the HR perspective, all is not lost. There are many ways to raise the salaries of ministers without raising their salaries, like promotions, more deputy PMs, more senior ministers, ESM or even add the post of mayors to their portfolios, secondary appointments as chairman or directors here and there, big bonuses, study strips overseas, leadership allowances, innovative allowances, etc etc. Another way of raising salary without raising salary is to half the job size. Instead of one minister doing a job, have two or more ministers and each minister would theoretically only need to do a portion of the job. A two minister ministry would mean the job is divided by half, and being paid a full minister's salary for doing half the job. Very neat.
Anyway. the govt must seriously reconsider this decision not to hike the high pay of the ministers. It would affect their morale and performance. Must be, they are also human, just like they would be corrupt if salary not high enough. I am worried for Singapore and the well being of Singaporeans going forward. If the economy is not doing well, you cannot blame the ministers for not performing when you don't give them a hike in salary. First thing that comes to mind is the MRT.
Singaporeans should not expect their ministers to look hagged, lean, badly dressed and unhappy and troubled by a stagnant salary with no pay hike. The ministers must be well fed, happy, well dressed and with high morale so that they can only think of working for the people without any financial worry, or unable to give their families a Swiss standard of living. We are all in the same sampan. Their well being is our well being.
Ministerial salaries in the
financial hub are the highest on Earth, with an entry-level minister
paid Sg$1.1 million ($830,000) and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
earning an eye-watering Sg$2.2 million.
The government has argued the huge pay packets are necessary to attract top-calibre talent and prevent the corruption that afflicts other Asian countries.
But the issue has long attracted public anger, and the government responded to criticism by slashing salaries after a review in 2012."
Many people may be grudgingly cheering this decision to stop raising the outrageous salaries of the ministers and even wanted the salaries to be slashed given the dismal performance of the ministers. But I have another take on this as the decision could bring about the demise of the country. The country cannot be run well if the ministers are unhappy for not having more pay hikes to their mouth watering salaries when every worker is getting a pay hike, no matter how small, some may get $10 or $20.
There are several arguments favouring a pay hike for the ministers.
One, it is a Singaporean mindset, or at least among the politicians, that after a few years there must be a hike, in salary, in prices, in fees and in taxes. You cannot keep a salary, price, fee or taxes at the same level for too many years. Since the last hike or cut in salary in 2012, it has been a looong 5 years without a hike for the ministers. This is unacceptable and unreasonable.
And two, there is inflation to consider. The life style of the ministers would be gravely affected if their salaries did not keep pace with inflation even though many have viewed that their out of this world salaries have out paced inflation by a 100 years. Their families will suffer, definitely. This is how some ministers would be thinking, true feelings. And with this kind of thinking, how can the people expect them to continue to sacrifice for the country when they could be earning millions more in the private sector?
Three, many would be thinking of leaving political office to seek greener pasture in the private sector now. These super super talents would easily make more than what they are getting as ministers. The country will suffer if they leave. There are no more such talents in an island where there is a dearth of talents. Would Singaporeans be happy if the PAP starts to recruit third world talents, with fake degrees, dubious experience and credentials and doubtful talents to be ministers? Many of these foreigners would not even pass our PSLE or O level examinations without cheating or faking.
Four, the most disappointing part is that the Ministerial Salary Review Committee already recommended a 9% increase or a mere $100,000 only. The ministers knew this and would be very unhappy that they are being deprived of such a small increase. It is like meat in the mouth and snatched away again. They would end up with a lot of saliva in their mouths.
Overall the morale of ministers would be low definitely. Remember, they are making very big sacrifices, sacrificing their privacy, their good lives, their families, to serve the people and country. How can the country be so mean to them. And all the time they have been scheming how to make the people rich, well taken care of in old age with plenty of money in their CPF? Singaporeans are ungrateful creatures. If not they should be holding a protest at Hong Lim to fight for a hike in ministerial salaries to show their appreciation to these selfless and honourable men and women.
From the HR perspective, all is not lost. There are many ways to raise the salaries of ministers without raising their salaries, like promotions, more deputy PMs, more senior ministers, ESM or even add the post of mayors to their portfolios, secondary appointments as chairman or directors here and there, big bonuses, study strips overseas, leadership allowances, innovative allowances, etc etc. Another way of raising salary without raising salary is to half the job size. Instead of one minister doing a job, have two or more ministers and each minister would theoretically only need to do a portion of the job. A two minister ministry would mean the job is divided by half, and being paid a full minister's salary for doing half the job. Very neat.
Anyway. the govt must seriously reconsider this decision not to hike the high pay of the ministers. It would affect their morale and performance. Must be, they are also human, just like they would be corrupt if salary not high enough. I am worried for Singapore and the well being of Singaporeans going forward. If the economy is not doing well, you cannot blame the ministers for not performing when you don't give them a hike in salary. First thing that comes to mind is the MRT.
Singaporeans should not expect their ministers to look hagged, lean, badly dressed and unhappy and troubled by a stagnant salary with no pay hike. The ministers must be well fed, happy, well dressed and with high morale so that they can only think of working for the people without any financial worry, or unable to give their families a Swiss standard of living. We are all in the same sampan. Their well being is our well being.
3/02/2018
The taxi trade - how to make money from the stupid
The statestimesreview has an article with this headline, ''ComfortDelgro wasted S$642 million acquiring Uber''. The reason given by the article is that ComfortDelgro drivers were introduced to Uber's dynamic pricing software but after a while most of them gave up using it, thus making the purpose of acquiring Uber totally wasted. This may be a simplified way of looking at the acquisition which would include things like gaining market share, disruptive technology and buying over a competitor. There must be very good reasons to spend $642 million to buy over a company, uppermost must be the bottom line.
So, with the acquisition of Uber, and maybe Grab will be the next target, ComfortDelgro could eventually be the major taxi service provider, again, with the biggest market share of the business. Sounds pretty logical. The acquisition of Grab, hypothetically, could cost another $500 million or thereabout. This would mean a total outlay of a billion dollar to stay on top, to regain the market share. The big question is how to make a billion dollar of profit and how long would it take to make this sum just to square the book?
Let's look at the business again. Before Uber and Grab, there were X number of customers and a handful of taxi companies, maybe 5. So with Uber and Grab, there will be 7 taxi companies but the number of customers would still be X. With the acquisition say of Uber and Grab, the number of taxi companies would be back to 5, ie ComfortDelgro/Uber/Grab becoming one company, and the number of customers is still X, caveat from new citizens. See the stupidity in the logic of acquiring Uber and Grab?
The pie is the same. Before and after, the pie is still the same. But by letting Uber and Grab to operate in the same market, the pie is shared by more players. The acquisition would mean technically the number of players will be as before but the pie is still the same. So, by allowing Uber and Grab to come in and to be bought over by ComfortDelgro, Uber and Grab made the money and scoot off, leaving ComfortDelgro with a billion dollar hole in the pocket, just to retain market share for the same piece of pie, or to return to square one. This analogy is hypothetical of course.
So, after Uber and Grab, another GrabU taxi operator may set up business again, the story could be repeated with ComfortDelgro buying over the new company, and GrabU would walk away with another few hundred millions. This musical chair game could go on and on and the stupid will keep paying and paying just to retain market share which is still X.
The same formula is being repeated in the telco business. Have Starhub and M1 been bought over by SingTel or the govt to maintain market share? And a new player has come into the market in Circles.Life. This telco needs not make profit. Just go for market share and eventually some stupid would make an offer to buy it over for a few hundred millions. And Circles.Life can walk away laughing to the bank. And the circus can be repeated all over again by other telcos and taxi operators.
It is so easy to make money from the stupid. And the stupid did not know why. This is an exercise to identify the stupid. Give you some clues. Who is the biggest loser? Who create the situation for the loser to lose without knowing why? The best part, some stupid would be thinking that they are fighting against competitors and very clever to buy over the competitors to retain their share in the market?
Hundreds of millions were wasted all for nothing. To gain market share that was there but given away only to be bought back by the hundreds of millions?
So, with the acquisition of Uber, and maybe Grab will be the next target, ComfortDelgro could eventually be the major taxi service provider, again, with the biggest market share of the business. Sounds pretty logical. The acquisition of Grab, hypothetically, could cost another $500 million or thereabout. This would mean a total outlay of a billion dollar to stay on top, to regain the market share. The big question is how to make a billion dollar of profit and how long would it take to make this sum just to square the book?
Let's look at the business again. Before Uber and Grab, there were X number of customers and a handful of taxi companies, maybe 5. So with Uber and Grab, there will be 7 taxi companies but the number of customers would still be X. With the acquisition say of Uber and Grab, the number of taxi companies would be back to 5, ie ComfortDelgro/Uber/Grab becoming one company, and the number of customers is still X, caveat from new citizens. See the stupidity in the logic of acquiring Uber and Grab?
The pie is the same. Before and after, the pie is still the same. But by letting Uber and Grab to operate in the same market, the pie is shared by more players. The acquisition would mean technically the number of players will be as before but the pie is still the same. So, by allowing Uber and Grab to come in and to be bought over by ComfortDelgro, Uber and Grab made the money and scoot off, leaving ComfortDelgro with a billion dollar hole in the pocket, just to retain market share for the same piece of pie, or to return to square one. This analogy is hypothetical of course.
So, after Uber and Grab, another GrabU taxi operator may set up business again, the story could be repeated with ComfortDelgro buying over the new company, and GrabU would walk away with another few hundred millions. This musical chair game could go on and on and the stupid will keep paying and paying just to retain market share which is still X.
The same formula is being repeated in the telco business. Have Starhub and M1 been bought over by SingTel or the govt to maintain market share? And a new player has come into the market in Circles.Life. This telco needs not make profit. Just go for market share and eventually some stupid would make an offer to buy it over for a few hundred millions. And Circles.Life can walk away laughing to the bank. And the circus can be repeated all over again by other telcos and taxi operators.
It is so easy to make money from the stupid. And the stupid did not know why. This is an exercise to identify the stupid. Give you some clues. Who is the biggest loser? Who create the situation for the loser to lose without knowing why? The best part, some stupid would be thinking that they are fighting against competitors and very clever to buy over the competitors to retain their share in the market?
Hundreds of millions were wasted all for nothing. To gain market share that was there but given away only to be bought back by the hundreds of millions?
3/01/2018
China has no military allies
This is the sneer the Americans keep broadcasting to the world and its
allies. China may not have military allies, but it has friends all over
the world and is the top and second biggest trading partners of more
than 100 countries. China does not need military allies for two main
reasons. One, China does not aspire to be a hegemon military Empire and
has renounced war as an option to settle differences between states.
China does not seek to threaten any country with sanctions or with wars.
Two, China is now more than capable of defending itself against any
external threat from the Americans or a combined force of hostile
military allies.
Is China concerned about the Quad, the encirclement by the American Empire, or the military exercises conducted by a pretentious regional power like India? With China’s military might today, and growing, soon it would have at least 6 aircraft carriers, China is not even bothered by the threats of an American preemptive strike or an all out war. As far as India is concerned, it is irrelevant, insignificant and would at most be a pin prick irritant. China could overrun India any time if India did the foolish thing again.
India is positioning itself as a regional power and aspiring to be a superpower with a third world economy and infrastructure. All the silly countries that think India is going to be a super power and eager to be a part of this ‘great super power’ and India as their regional master are welcome to defer to this ‘great’ military power that has never won a war except to bully its small neighbours and treating them as semi colonies.
Even if India is to form a military pact with the 16 countries that are holding a joint military exercise, it would at best be a joke. Economically, militarily, in science and technology, India is still a third world country in every aspect. And these countries want to call India boss?
Would China be worried about a little ant crawling around when it is in contention with the USA to be the Number One super power in all fields? India is just not in the super power league for another half a century at least, if it ever gets there.
Is China concerned about the Quad, the encirclement by the American Empire, or the military exercises conducted by a pretentious regional power like India? With China’s military might today, and growing, soon it would have at least 6 aircraft carriers, China is not even bothered by the threats of an American preemptive strike or an all out war. As far as India is concerned, it is irrelevant, insignificant and would at most be a pin prick irritant. China could overrun India any time if India did the foolish thing again.
India is positioning itself as a regional power and aspiring to be a superpower with a third world economy and infrastructure. All the silly countries that think India is going to be a super power and eager to be a part of this ‘great super power’ and India as their regional master are welcome to defer to this ‘great’ military power that has never won a war except to bully its small neighbours and treating them as semi colonies.
Even if India is to form a military pact with the 16 countries that are holding a joint military exercise, it would at best be a joke. Economically, militarily, in science and technology, India is still a third world country in every aspect. And these countries want to call India boss?
Would China be worried about a little ant crawling around when it is in contention with the USA to be the Number One super power in all fields? India is just not in the super power league for another half a century at least, if it ever gets there.
2/28/2018
SHOOTING OFF THEIR MOUTHS -
If it had not been such a mega tragedy, the performance of some American
Post by Foo Siang Luen, our new contributor
leaders in the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
massacre would have made for a rip-roaring comedy. But thanks to some of
the most tragically comical personalities in US politics, it has passed
into the realms of tragicomedy.
Leading the cast is the 45th president of the United States who brilliantly
suggested turning teachers into armed sheriffs in defence of their charges.
Not all teachers mind you, “only people with a natural talent (for
shooting) or hitting a golf ball, or putting”, assured Mr Donald Trump. As
an incentive, these firearm-adept school staff will be given “a little bit
of a bonus” for carrying weapons, much like Singapore civil servants’
language allowance. Adding icing to the cake, the president also shared how
he would have reacted to the situation at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High
School had he been there (but he wasn’t of course). “I really believe I’d
run in there even if I didn’t have a weapon”. Then without the slightest
tinge of irony, he went on to talk about mental institutions. “We’ll have
to go for greater institutionalisation of mentally ill people who are
capable of violence. A lot of folks in this room (state governors) closed
their mental institutions because of cost, so now we have nothing between a
prison and leaving him at his house”.
Next on the list is the honorable Wayne LaPierre, head of the National
Rifle Association (NRA) who blamed gun control advocates for pushing, well,
gun control. Decrying the “shameful politicisation” of the tragedy, he
accused them of wanting “to strip law-abiding gun owners of their firearms
freedoms”. Mr LaPierre went on to say that the Second Amendment staunchly
defends every American’s right to bear arms, and (again without the
slightest tinge of irony) assured that the NRA would be happy to work with
schools to make them safer. To be fair, it wasn’t just talk. He actually
sat down with President Trump over lunch and managed to convince him (in
the president’s own words) that “the gun advocates want to do something”.
Even better, he and his side-kick Chris Cox had the president purring and
tweeting post-lunch: “What many people don’t understand or don’t want to
understand is that Wayne, Chris and the folks who work so hard at the NRA
are Great People and Great American Patriots. They love our Country and
will do the right thing.” It was a mantra the president carried into his
session with the governors, saying: “Don’t worry about the NRA, they’re on
our side. Half of you are so afraid of the NRA, there’s nothing to be
afraid of”.
These two leading men aside, no tragicomedy would be complete without an
able supporting cast. They don’t come any more able than Florida’s Senator
Marco Rubio, the failed Republican aspirant for the 2016 presidential
election, who famously (or infamously) opined in 2015: “None of the major
shootings that have occurred in this country over the last few months or
years that have outraged us would have been prevented by new gun laws (such
as expanded background checks)”. Asked by a student if he would still
accept campaign donations from the NRA after the latest shooting, the
senator replied: “The answer is people buy into my agenda. And I do support
the Second Amendment, and I support the things”. Huh!!?? He got away with
that one as a politician in America but if he were a student in Singapore,
he would have flunked our ‘O’ levels for failing to answer a simple
question.Post by Foo Siang Luen, our new contributor
2020 GE is a conscious choice if the people still want to go along with the PAP
The govt will raise goods and services tax (GST) from 7% to 9% sometime between 2021 and 2025. This is to help fund growing expenditure
in areas like security, healthcare and other social spending.
2021 is the year when the PAP may decide to raise the GST. Why 2021? 2020 is likely the election year and the people will have to decide if they still want the PAP in charge. The 2020 GE is critical as it will affirm and confirm the choice of the people, meaning that the people do not mind the hike in GST to 9%. It will be a mandate for the PAP to do whatever it intends or proposes to do. GST hike is just one of them. The taxes raised, among other things, would be channelled to more foreigners to increase the population and thus more infrastructure needs. Hopefully the compulsory Eldershield, which is likely to be another profit making scheme has not been forced down onto the people and the people also have the chance to decide on this issue.
The PAP is holding back the GST hike to after the GE not without reasons and concerns. Raising the GST before the GE is as good as casting the die and there is no room to manouvre. The people will feel the impact of the hike and will vote according to how the hike affect them. By delaying, the people would still be kept in a quandary, not sure whether it would be raised. The hike would also be an issue in the GE and the PAP would be able to feel the reactions of the people. Despite all the crap talks that the GST is good for the people, all the taxes are good for the people, the PAP is still cautious that this could the bridge too far.
A big vote of approval would mean that the hike is accepted by the people and will be raised. A big fall in popular vote would have the PAP thinking if the hike should go ahead or to go ahead with the risk of losing more votes.
The people are given an option, an opportunity to vote for the GST hike in 2020. It would be their decision and after the GE they should live with it.The PAP is not taking the risk to raise the GST first and hope for the best or come what may. They knew that this is very painful on the people, especially the lower income group as the hike would affect everything and the cost living.
The 2020 GE is a gauge as to how far would the PAP go to raise more taxes, to bring in more foreigners and all the unpopular and extravagant policies and projects.
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