The New NKF Story

Gerard Ee and his team have done a miraculous job in the New NKF. They have cut cost, raised subsidies, took in more patients, and increased income for the NKF despite losing 100,000 donors. What can we say? Applause! Now they are thinking of more ways to reduce the costs to the poorer patients and spending a bit more of the $270m in reserves. Perhaps drawing down a little to help more people. That's what a charity is supposed to be instead of acting like a bank or public trust and hoard the money for as long as it can, in the process depriving some of the needy from some help. People from another school of thought may be looking at the New NKF management in horror. How could they ever think of spending the reserve? Reserves are meant to be reserves and should not be touched. Only to be used for very good reasons, maybe like engaging a professional top grade executive to raise more fund. For such an animal, they need to pay him/her market rate to match his talents. It reminds me of the Malaysian's unwillingness to sell us water and prefer to let the rain water flow into the Straits of Johore. Donation money are like rain water. It is God sent. No need to work for it. Just ask or beg and the kindness of human milk will flow. Turn it into a business enterprise, it will dry up. Be more calculative, and the donors will also be as calculative. We must not forget the original meaning of charity. It is human kindness from the heart. Those without a heart should not meddle with charity and charitable organisations. Gerard Ee and his team have done a miraculous job in the New NKF. They have cut cost, raised subsidies, took in more patients, and increased income for the NKF despite losing 100,000 donors. What can we say? Applause! Now they are thinking of more ways to reduce the costs to the poorer patients and spending a bit more of the $270m in reserves. Perhaps drawing down a little to help more people. That's what a charity is supposed to be instead of acting like a bank or public trust and hoard the money for as long as it can, in the process depriving some of the needy from some help. People from another school of thought may be looking at the New NKF management in horror. How could they ever think of spending the reserve? Reserves are meant to be reserves and should not be touched. Only to be used for very good reasons, maybe like engaging a professional top grade executive to raise more fund. For such an animal, they need to pay him/her market rate to match his talents. It reminds me of the Malaysian's unwillingness to sell us water and prefer to let the rain water flow into the Straits of Johore. Donation money are like rain water. It is God sent. No need to work for it. Just ask or beg and the kindness of human milk will flow. Turn it into a business enterprise, it will dry up. Be more calculative, and the donors will also be as calculative. We must not forget the original meaning of charity. It is human kindness from the heart. Those without a heart should not meddle with charity and charitable organisations.

Minister's pay hike

The huge 21% increase in minister's pay has received the expected criticism and condemption from many quarters, spoken and unspoken. It is very tempting for anyone to join the bandwagon and add in a few more vibes at the issue. Not many will be pleased about this earth shattering event except for the privilege few who can afford to retire after one year's of such income. Look at the bright side. I am sure all the good men and all their goodness will surely think that getting 21% pay hike on top a million dollar income is no small thing. And surely they too will want this goodness to be spread down to as many people as possible. And they will know that the people will go down on their knees and worship them if they could give everyone a 21% pay hike as well. It does not matter if one is getting only $210 pm increase on a $1000 income(or x15 = $3150 for a whole year) or a $210,000 increase on a $1m income. It will still look fair and just as the common factor is 21%. The people must have faith and look forward to a 21% increase coming their way as it is the only decent thing to do and expect. Just give it some time for the policy makers to get it done. The easiest and first people to receive such an increase, in my view, will be those on $290 pm public assistance scheme. It will not amount to more than another $60 increase or $720 a year. Let's wait for our Christmas present, maybe next year. It takes time to deliver.

Singaporeans highest paid workers in the world...soon

At the rate that we are going, Singaporean workers will soon become the highest paid in the world. Starting from a top down approach, the richness of the rich will soon filter down as we work towards closing the income gap. If employees in the top bracket are earning $4m or more, and if the gap is 1:100, then the lowest paid workers should be getting $40k. Now this must be good. And they need to earn this amount to keep pace with the galloping away cost of living. Every thing is up. So worker's income must also up. Or else how are they going to survive? And the world will envy us and all the workers, especially the talented ones, will be queuing up to work here. We will become the best in everything.

Why begrudge taxi drivers earning more?

There are still many letters to the msm complaining about the hike in taxi fares. I am curious why people are so unhappy that taxi drivers got to earn a bit more from people who can afford to pay more to ride in taxis. And there are many who are willing to pay even more, suggesting to give more tips to good taxi drivers. We should let the market forces determine how much the taxi drivers should get and encourage those who can afford to pay the taxi drivers more. Another way is to do an objective study by paying some international consultants to compare the salaries of taxi drivers with their counterparts. Then they can benchmark the salaries of the taxi drivers accordingly. Once a benchmark has been set, then no one should question the validity of the study, the methodology nor the increases expected. It should become a fait accompli. And everyone can then move on. Let the taxi drivers enjoy their little hikes. It comes to nothing actually.

Medisave Account RA

It is reported in the Today paper today that from Jan 1 2008, the RA or Required Amount in the Medisave Account 'will be raised to $14,000 from teh current $11,500, increasing by $2,500 each year until it reaches $25,000 on Jan1, 2013.' There are people with more than $25,000 in the Medisave Account. Does it mean that the CPF is retaining more than it can in the people's Medisave Account as provided by legislation? Should the excess amount be returned to the account holder?