unfinished business

If Chiam and Sitoh both abandon the lamp posts in Potong Pasir, they could quickly become a tourist attraction. STB should cordon them off and market them as our latest attraction on democracy Singapore style. The Malaysians also have something similar just across the causeway. The Unfinished Crooked Bridge. That was the first chunk of unfinished concrete mess, with rusty reinforced steel bars jutting into the sky that greeted me when I crossed over. They should quickly clear up the surrounding around the mess concrete chunk, put up some nice props around it and market it as, yes, The Unfinished Crooked Bridge! No fish prawn also good. No Crooked Bridge, unfinished Crooked Bridge also can. A new attraction, cheaper and more meaningful than any expensive DisneyLand that is at best a copy or an imitation. This is original and very fascinating. One of a kind in the world.

disqualification of justice woo bih li

There are many speculations as to the why's of Woo Bih Li disqualifying himself from the Chee siblings and Lee father and son case. We should not read too much into it. This is no more than a case of wanting justice to be done and to be seen to be done. He should make a good candidate for the next Chief Justice. A just, honorable and impartial man.

we will never have our own bill gates or warren buffett

Singtel still searching for CEO to replace Hsien Yang. Hsien Yang is a brilliant scholar, and a very able soldier. With these credentials, he went on to be the CEO of Singtel without any previous experience in the private sector or in the telecommunications industry. Singtel is now looking for a replacement with his resignation. There are two very experience and able CEOs in Chua Sock Koon and Allen Lew. Both have been in the industry and Singtel for many years. And both have proven their worth and risen to their present position. Though they are being considered for Hsien Yang's vacated position, the nuances are that they are not good enough. And Singtel is seriously looking for a foreign talent. Why are these two CEOs who have ample experience in Singtel and the industry not good enough? We will never have our own heroes and world beaters if we keep looking down on our own talents. World beaters need a chance. If we don't give our people the chance, we are doing injustice to our talents.

learning a little thing from the world bank

The World Bank wants the right to be criticised. What silliness! What an oddity of circumstance, for a powerful, respectable institution to lobby for permission to be granted to civil society organisations to have 'more opportunity to express their views', in a manner that will most certainly be non-complimentary to the World Bank. I copied the above from littlespeck.com. article was from blogger i-speak. When I heard that the World Bank was requesting the Singapore govt for permission to allow international demonstrators to demonstrate during the IMF meeting here next month, I found it rather strange. Why would the World Bank want to do that? It would only make life more difficult for them. Or is it a wayang that the World Bank is choreographing? It seems that the World Bank is serious in wanting to hear dissenting voices and views. The philosophy is simple. Criticisms and alternative views are healthy and provide another perspective which the World Bank can consider and may even help it to improve on what it is doing. It does not adopt the high and mighty 'I know it all attitude' and no one else is smarter than them and all dissenting views are unworthy or will undermine what they are doing. This is enlightenment of a very high level. And not only that the World Bank believes in it but also want to put it into practice. Other wise they will become a model of hypocrisy. Can Singapore learn a trick or two from the World Bank? Or we know it best. Nothing do learn anymore. We are the best.

is this the best formula?

There are many formulae to tax and pay for the runnng of a country. The current formula that is preferred is this. 1. Collect taxes 2. Use taxes to provide services 3. Sell services to taxpayers ie privatisation 4. Profits from privatisation for what? Benefit who? 5. Services continue to make profits from taxpayers (again profit to benefit who?) 6. Taxpayers continue to pay taxes 7. Huge surpluses 8. Lower income squeeze by profit motive of services 9. Help lower income with some handouts An alternative model 1. Collect taxes 2. Use taxes to provide services 3. Operate services to benefit taxpayers at minimum profit 4. Taxpayers continue to pay taxes 5. Lower surpluses 6. Lower income not squeeze by profit making services 7. No need to give handouts to lower income(in reality this is relative) Which is a better model? Is running at a profit more important than the general welfare and well being of the people?