A case for selective comparison

Many Singaporeans have taken issue with the length of NS that our young men have to serve and lost 2 years of their precious youth. Some are suggesting that the 2 years are still too long and can be shortened. I am not going to agree or disagree with that kind of thought. Ok, let's adopt our favourite past time and practice and do some selective comparisons. I think Taiwan and South Korea both have nationals service and the duration is about one and a half to two years. Israel probably the same or more. How about about nearest neighbour, Malaysia? They can do their national service in 3 months or 6 months. And only a few are selected to do NS. Maybe we can have something in between. Something in between is also a good thing.

Myth 173 - No talents in paradise

In the 70s, when HDB started to build 5rm point block flats, there used to be this remark that the talents in a block of 5rm flat, 96 units, are enough to run a country like Malaysia or Singapore. For in each block there will be enough engineers, doctors, lawyers, professionals, senior executives, civil servants, with enough experience and talents to run a country. And several of our senior ministers too came from 5 rm flats too. Till then, only 3% of each cohort went to university. But we have talents, great talents that brought us here today. We now have 30% or more of each cohort of students going on to tertiary education. Some gone further to do post graduate degrees with MBAs and doctorates a common certificate to flash around. And every year, we proudly declared the thousands of straight A's students graduating from O and A levels. There used to be one or two such students per year per cohort in the past. And today we are living in a myth that we have no talents. How so? The Hokiens will exclaim, 'Oo Yia Boh?' Literary it means got shadow or not? Got shadow means human. No shadow means inhuman. Actually it means true or not. But I digress. Why is there no talents when talents are everywhere? Or are we looking at the wrong place or at the wrong things. Today's talent means you must be able to prove that you are a million dollar earner. Many Ah Longs will qualify, including pimps. But many of these are only interested in chasing money. They have perfected their skills in their chosen fields and set their minds to make millions. That is their reason in life, not serving the people and earning peanuts. We do not need exceptional talents to run a country. We need the heart to be in the right place. For we have all the best talents, the super talents in the civil service and the stats boards to provide the brains and do the real works. We need a heart man to lead, to tell these talents what is good for the people and not what is good for their own pockets. In a way, we need people with a little bit of idealism, selflessness and a little bit silly, to think of others and not of self. These kinds of silliness are now laughed at as naive idealism. What is being promoted and championed are hardcore materialism and what is in it for me. We have ended up like the animal farm when the wrong pegs were fitted into the wrong holes. Wrong kinds of talents to do the wrong kinds of work. And the objectives, goals and policies manifest the thinking and values behind them. We will have solid and high growth rate but for who and for what? In the meantime the people were made to believe in the myth that there is no talent, maybe one, or two, or at the most five. The rest are not talented or good enough. When one block of 5 rm flat was deemed enough, now we have one third of the population that are far well read and schooled, and we can't find the talents. Oo Yia Boh?

When the music stops?

We are in the golden years. Full employment, high salaries. People have a lot of money to spend. Property owners can afford to sell at high prices or charge high rentals. Everyone take the opportunity to jack up their prices of goods and services. But after a few grumblings, life goes on. Taxi fares go up, ERP rates go up, GST goes up. No sweat. KPKB for a while. People will get use to the high cost. Conservancy rates go up, PUB rates go up. Never mind, got rebates. And for those who are struggling, there are the annual handouts from the govt. The budget goodies. Now, what will happen when we price ourselves out of the market system? Or if the world economy goes on a tailspin? No jobs, no fat salaries, no budget surpluses to handout, and all the rebates and subsidies expire? Can we see prices coming down? Can property prices come down, rental comes down, food and essential services come down, transport fares come down? Some can but many can't. Can the goodies, handouts, rebates, subsidies go on and on and the people keep stretching their hands out and expecting to get them? The high cost of living is likely to stay even when times are bad. Anyone heard of transport fares coming down? Conservancy fees or PUB bills coming down? Or foodcourt prices coming down? Many are committed to a higher lifestyle, higher property prices and rentals. When jobs are gone, or salaries cut, just like in the late 90s, the noose will tighten. This time even faster and tighter. It was a lesson that we never learn. There was euphoria before the bust.

Notable quotes by Leong Sze Hian

'Are there any countries in the world which have national pension schemes that exclude the bottom 25 per cent of the population?' Leong Sze Hian My answer is yes, in paradise. Leong Sze Hian was responding to the CPF Life annuities scheme that excluded those who have less than $40,000 in their Minimum Sum. And this is exactly the group that needs help. So what will happen to them when they are old and have no money and not in the scheme? Search me, I do not want to know. Not my pasar.

A positive and welcome move by Singapore

Singapore's initiative to bring economic growth into North Korea and lead the communist state into the world community is the most positive and effective way to engage North Korea. An economically strong Korea fully engaged in the world system, economics, trade and industry, and all things, will bring prosperity to its people and harmony in east Asia. North Korea could be like China and Vietnam, communist in political system but capitalist in economic development and trading with the world as another responsible nation. Such a concept is totally in contrast with the wicked and destructive scheme of the US, branding it with all kinds of hostile terms, axis of evil, arms exporter, threatening world peace, supporting terrorism, violation of human rights etc etc. Such outdated methodology was only workable in the past when the Asians were weak and ignorant or under the total domination of the western powers. Today, the picture has changed. There is no SEATO or CENTO and no colonial states. The last two semi colonies of the US, Japan and South Korea, are also trying to break free from the American control. The Asian countries must find their own reasons and meaning of existence in the new world and not be told by the Americans who is good and who is bad. The Singapore initiative is commendable but risked being derailed by the Americans. The Americans will not support it and will get its semi colonies to tow the line. Fortunately Howard has been kicked out and hopefully Kevin Rudd will not dance to the American tune. Maybe Asean can come in to give it more weight. Engaging and welcoming North Korea into trade and industry is better than telling the North Koreans to sign some scrips of paper on intangible and meaningless stuff like Treaty of Cooperation and Amity.