nkf story - durai the man

Durai face his justice like a man Now that Durai had appeared in court to face justice squarely, the disappearance of Richard Yong will become more embarrassing and untenable politically. It is not only a problem of law enforcement and the credibility of our justice system, it has political ramifications. People are going to ask why and how come Richard Yong could get away. And the questions in people's mind can become more sensitive in nature. For the good of the system and peace of mind, Richard Yong must be brought home to face his just desert like every one of them. I do not know any one of them and am not posting this for personal reasons. It is all for the good of the country and the system.

Potential for xenophobic tension

Today, the current population ratio is about 1 foreigner to 1 citizen. When the 6 million figure is reached, it is likely that there will be 2 foreigners to every citizen. To some who have little contacts with foreigners, it is acceptable, healthy, and good for the economy and even suggestions that without foreigners we will be doomed. For those who have to face the foreigners daily in all his living activities, when every citizen has to fight for his space and the air he breathes, tension is likely to build up and break out. At the moment if one commutes by public transport, there is likely to be more than 1 foreigner, maybe 2 to every citizen. For not all citizens take public transport but all foreign workers and students do. The ratio in public facilities will see more foreigners than citizens. And when the time comes, when 6 million came, there will likely be 8 foreigners to every 2 citizens in the train and buses. And it is conceivable that all the younger, burly, dirty and smelly foreign workers will be seating and the minority citizens will be standing and being squeezed beyond their comfort zone. The current state of affairs in the mrt is that the foreigners are rushing and competing for every seat they can get in the train. There is no differentiation or consideration that these healthy young workers could take the punishing journey standing. They would rather sit. Imagine the day when the crowded trains have all the foreigners seating and all the citizens, a minority, having to stand in their midst. You can bet an outcry to come from the citizens complaining about losing their space and air to foreigners. But for those who commute by the comfort of their private limousines, these are minor irritations that the peasants and workers must bear. It is good for the country.

IMH in the red

Now this is unbecoming. It is time to relook at the costing and turn this around into a profit making organisation. IMH said it has 1,600 patients with 300 staying more than 10 years. How about encouraging them to discharge early? Its $9 million budget is a big strain. What is the budget of NKF? Or what is the budget for Changi prison? Should we also be worried about the high cost of operating a prison and turn in into a profit making organisation. Maybe they have already done that, with the prisoners working in some capacity. But hey, human rights groups would protest against selling their products. I am trying to think whether it is a problem for the govt to subsidise IMH. Oooh, touching on something sensitive, subsidy or is there a better word for it? Some of these patients, like the chronically sick or disabled, may have families who can afford to pay for their upkeep. Some may have financial difficulties paying for their lifestyle. Hmmm, terminating them, though a more efficient and practical solution, will definitely be unacceptable under any circumstances. So how? Maybe displaying them on TV and extract some emotional juice and sympathetic donations for their upkeep. An exceptional talent is needed to look at how to look after them without stressing on the state budget. How much does it cost to subsidise the durians or to encourage sports as a lifestyle? Living as a mentally ill patient is a lifestyle not of choice. But it is a way of living to them.

Absorb GST - passing the buck

Fair Price, Cold Storage, Shop N Save and Shengxiong are absorbing the July GST increase, albeit for a few months. It would be nice if all the big shops absorb the GST increase altogether. Then the people can save some money from this increase. But can things be so simple. Once there is an increase in cost, the merchants will know what to do and finally the consumers will end up paying everything and more.

myth 143

Rising cost and prices are bad I think this is a myth. Cost of living going up, GST up, prices of properties going up, rentals going up, fees going up, salaries going up, all these are actually good for the country. Singapore can only be saved when all the costs are up, the higher and faster, the better. You don't believe me? The laws of economics are like gravity. What goes up must come down. Any irrational and unjustified increases will strain the system and the system will break. Then all prices and fees and salaries will fall down like apples.We should quickly jack up all the prices. While we are complaining about having too many foreign talents and workers here and not knowing how to stop the flow, it is starting to slow down. And yes, they are finding it too expensive here to live with the relatively low income vis a vis cost of living. And the shops in Orchard Road will be ghost town if the prices keep going up. Soon people will stay clear of this place. Only the super rich and real super talents will come. And these are the people that we really need. Quickly, jack up the prices and see them fall.