Secrets to Singapore's success

2% increase in GST I must revisit this issue as a secret to Singapore's success. The people really believe that the 2% increase in GST, from 5% to 7%, is to help the poor. And I also believe this is true. Never mind the rising cost of everything. Help is on the way.

Be there for the common man.

New Law Society head wants lawyers to help S'poreans know their rights Michael Hwang, the new Law Society Head wants to help Singaporeans to know their rights as a citizen. He said when a civil servant tells a citizen that he has no right to certain things, ask him if he is acting within the law. He also lamented that even lawyers must know what these rights are and not to accept every direction or decision that comes with a govt letter head. This part is a bit strange. If the learned lawyers are not too sure of what are the rights of the citizens, how to expect citizens to know their rights? Would Michael Hwang want to answer whether all the compulsory retention and designations of CPF money towards compulsory insurance schemes violate the rights of a citizen to ownership of his own properties? Be there for the common man.

Planning and predictability

These two elements are core to the success of Singapore. Everything is planned, very well planned indeed, and very predictable. And now they are planning and scouting for the next PM-to-be in 18 years time. And the net is cast wide to quitters overseas. The strange thing is that why aren't the opposition parties also plan and scout around for their PM in waiting? Have they already conceded that for the next 18 years the PAP will remain in power and will fill the PM post with its own candidate? Well, I think the PAP is right. And so are the opposition parties. In 18 years time, the PM will still come from the PAP stable.

Man with a Mission

Lee Myung Bak took time off to go directly to a police station to rebuke the policemen all because they reacted too casually to a molest case against a 10 year old girl. Wonder how he could find time for such triviality. What if he were our President and was here a month ago? He would probably flew into a rage. This self made man is a man with a mission. History once in a while will throw up a man like this. I called him a silly man. Matilah called him a selfish man, for throwing away his wealth to the poor. Fortunately or unfortunately we don't have this kind of silly and selfish man in paradise. What we have are intelligent and compassionate men that made a lot of self sacrifices to serve the people and nation.

28 hr wait for hospital bed

TOC Feature: 28-hour wait for a bed at the Singapore General Hospital Posted by theonlinecitizen on April 2, 2008 The above article was posted by Andrew Loh in TOC. It talked about a patient that only got to a bed of her choice after 28 hr wait. It also mentioned that a bed was offer to her in B2 ward earlier instead of B2 Plus ward but she rejected the offer. In my view, the criticism for the long wait was unfair. First she was sick and should grab whatever bed that was offered to her if she needed a bed badly. But she had an affluent sickness of being uncomfortable in a warm room and needed to be in an aircon room. So she rather wait for the comfort of an aircon room and to endure the discomfort of being in the waiting area. A personal choice. The other point raised is the lack of beds. But this is not a real problem. It is a conscious decision to build lesser hospitals (which also means lesser beds) so that the facilities will not be under utilised. It is a judgement call. You can agree or disagree with the judgement or value behind the judgement. The lack of bed need not be a problem. If the thinking is right, or the value is right, lack of bed will not be an issue.