good to have frills

Good to have if it is free Unless there is a breakdown or system failure, the next MRT train will arrive in 10 or 15 minutes at most. This could also apply to the buses. At worst, the buses will be late by 30 minutes. Anything more than that, the system must be very badly managed. This is the inbuilt advantage of being small. No need to think like big cities and big countries. It is good to have all the screens to tell the time of the next arrival, provided they don't add towards the operating cost and thus to the cost of the fare. Unavoidable if these perks are added. Imagine how many thousands of bus stops with one or more screens showing the arrival of the next bus? What kind of cost on the software and the maintenance to add these frills to the lives of the poor communters who just want the cost to go lower? Then there are the more affluent commuters who lusted for such thrills as they can afford them. It is important to look at the lowest common denominator, LCD, before implementating all these good to have gadgets. Be mindful that there is a large majority who still struggling to save a few cents on their daily trips. Not everyone can afford to throw away $10 or $100 as tips or small change.

biting the hands that feed

The call to ban granite export is on again. Which confirms that there was no ban and the arrest of our vessels was a violation of international law, Indonesian law and a wanton hostile act. The military commanders were acting in their own accord, in violation of Jakarta, a kind of mutiny or warlordism. Still want to help them, still want to develop Batam and Bintan? On a personal basis, on humanitarian ground, the feeling of wanting to help the victims of a disasters is unavoidable. There is the heart and emotion to want to help another human being. But if their government do not appreciate such acts of humanities and repeatedly acts in a hostile and unfriendly manner towards us, let them shoulder the burden of helping their own kind. Let them bear the guilt of not able to provide their people in times of need. We shall fold our arms and look elsewhere. Our resources are limited and there are many Singaporeans more worthy of our assistance. The money or aid can go to the needy instead of giving them one dollar more. We cannot help the world. We need to help ourselves and our own kind first. Why waste our time and resources when the hands that feed are going to be bitten?

a nation or just a mnc?

A nation or a MNC? I wrote about Singapore becoming an IBM, ready to be sold to the highest bidder earlier. How relevant is such an observation? PN Balji wrote an article on the Revolving Door Nation today. In his article he discussed about the real intention of the new economic migrants flying first class to our shores as opposed to the penniless migrants of our forefathers who came on cargo ships on a one way ticket. Balji started by saying 'Let's not kid ourselves. Most expatriates who come to work and live here don't do so because they want to make this place their home.' He had spoken to many expatriates and came to the same conclusion. He knew what he was saying which is not what people believe. It is ok for people to want to believe what they want to believe, that foreign talents love this little red dot and are all here to stay. But to believe in blind faith and trying to convince others to believe likewise is a very unjust thing to do. Feel free to believe in your fantasy, but reality as felt and seen by the people on the ground is reality. People with value or are wanted will pick and choose where they want to go. And people who did that are just doing it purely for their selfish reasons and more, they don't owe us a living. What is more humiliating and would in the long run do a long of harm to this young nation, is to self deprecate ourselves by glorifying the foreigners and dismissing ourselves as less than equals. When I look at Parliament, I don't think the foreign talents are that superior to any Singaporeans to be put on the high pedestals. If those are considered the best and better than Singaporeans, then Singaporeans do not deserve to exist. We need to return some pride to the Singaporeans. As Balji said, 'Without pride, there is nothing.' We will only turn into a country without a soul, without shame, just a corporation. Or as Balji said, a revolving door nation. Inevitable? That for our survival we must be soulless and become a flotsam of people, that to survive we no longer have any pride or self worth?

of billionaires and million hairs

It was really impressive to know that there are so many billionaires among us and around the world. These are no ordinary people to be able to acquire so much wealth in their lives. And many are self made. Bill Gates did it in less than 30 years. Warren Buffett did it about twice that time. The Singapore smaller billionaires did it in their life times. Would the lesser beings of Singapore suddenly think that they are less able and less worthy than these great men and women for earning less than them? After all the intelligence and respect in this island are measured according to how clever one makes money or how much is one worth? Would the Forbes Report make people lose their self respect because they were only millionaires in several hundred millions or in tens of millions? Would we see people going around trying to grab more monies to make themselves billionaires?

nkf story - of style and glamour

Move aside Caldecott Hill, you no longer have the honour for having the most well dressed and glamorous personalities in this island. The honour is now given to the old NKF. Other than the handsome and charismatic Durai and the meticulously well dressed Richard Yong, now appearing on stage or at Havelock Road magistrate is the cool and fashionable David Tan. Anyone at 62 will be green with envy to be able to look so good and so flamboyant, and so happy. And they danced away in Durai's office when he clinched a donation of $5 million for the NKF. They were jubilant and exhilarating for landing such a huge sum of money for the charity. And David was not even a member of NKF Board. But his joy for doing such a great deed for the needy NKF patients is something that every caring Singaporeans can share. Not sure if they pop a few bottles of champagne and a party after achieving such a big success, but for sure, David's effort was not forgotten.