Junk stocks

Goh Eng Yeow wrote in the ST yesterday about the deplorable stock market, a stock market of penny stocks or worthless stocks. A stick of cigarette costs many times more than many of the stocks which are selling for less than 30c, some even less than 5c. Worst, companies dare not list here for they know that there will be very few subscribers. Imagine a stock market when companies are finding it difficult to raise money? And some are still sitting in their ivory towers thinking that we have the best stock market in the world and trading activities are still very good. We need a thorough revamp to save this stockmarket before the karang guni men move in to pick up the leftovers. Many stock exchanges have enforced a ban on short sellings which wiped off the hedge funds and their destructive activities against stocks. We are still merrily sleeping and wining with the hedge funds and allowing them to do their damages to the stocks. In the mean time our stocks will remain as penny stocks. Any up movement is just a respite, like the fattening of the lambs for the slaughter.

Losses in CPF Investment

Half of CPF members who invested in stocks and other financial products lost money. And those who have liquidated their shares lost less while those that are still holding onto them stand to lose more as the future of stocks and shares are bleak. How could that be? Statistically, historically, based on past records, anyone who invests in stocks for 25 years will see his returns doubled or tripled. These CPF investors should take a long term view, maybe keep their money invested for another 20 or 30 years. After all they are all going to live till 85 or 100. So stay invested and the losses will turn into profits in a matter of time. Just be a believer and all things will be fine. In the meantime just keep your fingers crossed and pray.

Myth 203 - Transport fare is linked to oil prices

This myth is destroyed for good. There is a link, but indirectly, to oil price. According to Transport Minister Raymond Lim, "This is because the public transport fare is not directly linked to the oil prices. We link it to national factors, like the inflation level in Singapore, and the wage level in the whole of Singapore." So be careful when your wage level goes up. It will only cause transport fare to go up. Maybe another kind of market pricing like HDB, not related to cost of producing the goods or services.

No need foreign talent!

Then we have Mardan Mamat. Now we have Lam Chih Beng. Chih Beng won the Volvo Masters in Bangkok. These are our local talent heroes. Shall we continue to spend millions on foreign talents or use the same money to groom our own local talents?

Upgrading your citizenship

Singaporeans are feeling that the value of their citizenships has been violated. For the more sophisticated international citizens, they are constantly upgrading their citizenships to a better one. From a third world citizenship, the first stepping stone is to go for one that is easy and fast to get. This is the citizenship from paradise. The paradise citizenship is a passport to many better countries. A few years in paradise, plus working experience, and maybe upgrading the educational qualifications as well, these new citizens will be ready for their next upgrade, likely to Australia. And they will keep on upgrading, to UK and finally to US. This is the prized citizenship. Once they have attained this high level of citizenship, they can than ship around the world as the privilege citizens of the world’s superpower. They will call themselves Americans and may revisit their roots, their country of origins, as the successful entrepreneurs coming home. Or they may return to paradise as PRs while keeping their American citizenship for protection.