Changing Strategy or changing horse?

Changing Strategy or changing horse? While the new PAP strategy is to woo the young, the post 65ers, which is expected given the young being the future, the latest speeches in parliament exhibited a fear of the old. There seems to be a feeling that the oldies have got the message that they are being abandoned and they might form a political party to look after themselves. The oldies were the nation builders, growing up in a poor underdeveloped island, slogged and toiled, and supported the PAP all these years, till today. They are the backbone of this nation and of PAP. Now where to put them? Outlive their usefulness?

chia ti lik also resigned from wp

And now Chia Ti Lik has also resigned. The reason is the curb on internet postings on WP members. I fully support Chia Ti Lik's resignation. And probably Goh Meng Seng resigned for the same reason. They should get together and form a new and progressive party that is up todate with a new technological world. Trying to live the 21st century like kampong folks of the 1960s is sure to dig deeper into a hole to cover oneself up. The internet is the most advanced and progressive and effective tool that a political party in the Singapore environment can depend on. It is only a matter of how to use it and maximise its effects to benefit the party. The problem at the moment is the lack of discipline and to fall into the traps of tauntings by people masquerading as friends or innocent trawlers. As long as the politicians or would be politicians conduct themselves well and with decorum, they must not be gagged from posting in the net. Gagging people from posting in the net is regressive and living in a fictitious world of the three monkeys, covering their eyes, ears and mouths, and think everything is fine. Goh Meng Seng and Chia Ti Lik, go and form your own party with the youth of today, and capitalise on technology and the internet to push your agenda and views. Technology is a friend and not an enemy.

The whiners must do some soul searching

The whiners must do some soul searching Mohammad Maliki Osman, a new MP, pointed out that Singaporeans were whiners and complainers. A little variation from quitters. Name calling is quite fun. For every little wrong they would call up a govt agency to deal with it. He would rather the Singaporeans take actions into their own hands, take ownership of their actions to make the island a better place to live rather than depending on the govt. Why is this so? Why are the Singaporeans all so like dat? Whose fault huh?, so asked robertteh. Who should be doing the soul searching? Matilah had on many occasions complained about too much govt. For when there are too much govt, it is only natural and expected that if the govt wants a hand in everything, wants to interfere in everything, then the people will just let the govt to take over, even their lives, reluctantly or legally. And first thing is to stop telling people what to do and what not to do in bed. Or should the govt step back a little? Return more freedom, initiative and more funds and resources back to the people to lead their own private lives? Now, it is always easy to blame the people or some other people isn't it, especially when one thinks one is now god, in the highest body of the state, to tell the people who is the boss?

help is on the way, 36 schemes!

The poor Singaporeans are so lucky. There are officially 36 schemes or assistance programmes forthem to fall back on in addition to the hundreds of non governmental schemes available. Even if I would like to help to disseminate these information to the needy I will also have problems trying to understand each of them. Now I am wondering how the less able, ignorant orlowly educated Singaporeans be able to benefit from such schemes when they either did not know that they exist, or even if they know, would not be able to understand them. And what about the helpers who are to bring these assistance programmes to the needy or to bring the needy to the programmes? Are they also conversant with these programmes? Or would they need a computer to help them to determine who is qualified for which programme? I will surely need a computer to assist me. After reading one programme I will probably forget everything when I try to understand the second programme. And there are 36 of them! By the time I read all of them I will either go bonkers or havewritten a doctoral thesis.

public transport - maximise profit or maximise use

The article by T Rajan in the Straits Times on public transport provides a lot of fruits for thoughts. First point is that public transport operators are not happy that at peak period the trains and buses are only 80% full. Imagine if they are 100% full. What a joke! Would those who expect a 100% full trains and buses be willing to ride on them as their preferred mode of transport? Is a world class transport meant to be that way? And hey, even with the under utilisation the profits are quite handsome and they shouldn't be complaining, should they? Another point is this obsession to push for a 70% usage of public transport. Why shouldn't the current 50% be a good way of life? If our road system is able to cope, isn't it desirable for a better quality of life for more people to be able to drive their own cars? In the future it can be a different issue when the roads are so congested because of our 8 million population dream. Then there is this issue of season passes. It was quoted that the common practice for season passes is to price it with a 50% discount. And for a yearly pass, the discount is even more. Now, how much discount is our $98 season pass? We need to develop a world class public transport with the objective of serving the commuters at the cheapest cost possible and not to maximise profits for the operators and at the discomfort of commuters. There was a comment in the article that people choose to take public transport because it is fast and efficient, and comfortable? I did not read this last word. But travelling in a world class public transport cannot be uncomfortable or be squeesed like packed sardines, that's for sure.