nkf story - a sub plot

A sub plot Putting a straw man to be shot down.

another sign of decline

Another sign of decline We are losing our 0.5% of the top brains of future Singaporeans. Our peaks will be lower. So to arrest this problem we cast our nets wide and rope in another 2.5 million foreign talents to replace the 0.5% Singaporeans. How many is this top 0.5%? 1000, 5000 or 1000? It reminds me of the debate between Wei Ling and Philip Yeo. To cast a big net or to be focussed and narrow in to what we want? Take a little more care and time, look at what we want, go for the catch. Or grab everything that comes along, all and sundry, the more the merrier, and hoping that some good ones will be caught? But the 2.5 million also has another objective. Without them there can be no growth or little growth.

a major test on our resolve and leadership

Our shipping vessels being arrested while plying the trade route doing legitimate businesses. Our assets being confiscated by drummed up fictitious charges. How would LKY have reacted when confronted with such issues? How are our leaders handling them? These are major crises. Would we come out of these tricky situations as a respectable nation or would we be forever thumbed down by bigger countries? How the present leadership handle these two crises will be an indicator of where we are heading.

Civil Service caught napping?

The salary of new entrants to the Civil Service has lagged behind the private sector over several years. And the difference is not 10 or 20%. The gap is HUGE. Depending on which level one is looking at, the difference can be more than 100%. But for the average entry level graduate, there is at least a 50% gap. And this has been going on for at least two years according to SMU survey. Does it mean that the Civil Service were underpaying their new employees or shortchanging them? What happens to the pegging to the market mechanism? Rip Van Winkle just woke up? Was the Civil Service caught napping?

signs of decline

After the whacking by our neighbours, now Changi lost to KLIA in the Best Airports in the World Ranking. And KLIA started with so many problems. Now who is laughing? Well done Boleh Land!