Electricity Up!

Next month electricity rate will go up by 6%. Add another 7% for GST, hmmmm, still less than 6.5% in total. Not bad. What would it cost to the hardlanders? Between $1 to $10 more per month. Definitely affordable. Oh, according SP Services, the hike is 'pegged to a higher forward fuel oil price of $96.64 per barrel,' which means that it is charging higher first in anticipation of a higher oil price. Makes good business sense and definitely will improve the bottom line.

Celebrating Singaporeans - Noreen Chan and Dover Park Hospice

Noreen Chan and Dover Park Hospice The Hospice has withdrawn from the Medifund scheme. The reason as explained by Noreen is that the philosophy of Medifund is in conflict with the Hospice. Its practice 'has always been to subsidise needy patients from its coffers before they reach such dire straits,' said Noreen. The practice of Medifund is 'typically (have) to produce documentation to show that they and their familymemebrs have little or no money left in the Medisave and bank accounts.' This is when Medifund will cough out some subsidies. In practice, none of the Hospice patients have reached such desperation to benefit from the Fund. What really is the problem is that you must be really in deep shit and dying before you get a little help. I salute Noreen Chan and the Dover Park Hospice for taking the wise and humane decision to back out from such draconian conditions. Where is the compassion for the desperados?

When will the corporate wayang ends?

Minority shareholders are taking to task to sack 3 independent directors from a public listed company for 'not doing their jobs.' They claimed that the two top executives of the company were getting unduly high pays while the company is losing money. It implies that the directors should have curbed the excessive payouts to the top executives. Now they are calling for an EGM to remove the independent directors. It is time that the wayang of having independent directors that are seen as not protecting the interest of minority shareholders be stopped. And honest and respectable individuals who cannot do the job for whatever reasons must honourably step down from such appointments or not to accept them. The practice of collecting fees and not doing the due diligence is becoming cancerous.

We have added Merrill Lynch

With UBS in the bag, we have bagged another biggie, Merrill Lynch. This round of financial crisis is much more than what Nick Leeson had done. We are seeing a spate of financial institutions crumbling down. And we helped to pick up the pieces. And so were other Sovereign Wealth Funds. These SWFs, once feared and hated, are now the white knights to the troubled banks and financial institutions. The world is changing. And so is the little Red Dot. We are in an enviable situation.

And Christmas is over

The last two days were great days of kindness and generosities. Gifts and offers of help were everywhere. Charitable homes have to turn down offers of help in some cases. Some even started to be selective and only want those who can render assistance on a longer term basis. Once a year kindness is appreciated but could not be of much help. Pope Benedict also commented on the selfishness of humankind and wished that they will be more unselfishness and share a little with the less fortunate. Like it or not, humankind will return to what they are. Time to work hard and earn a living, and be more selfish, now that Christmas is over.