Correction to my HDB assumption

When I posted the article on 'Help save HDB' I used a ballpark figure of 20,000 units of flats sold for 2009. My assumption was way off the mark. I read from a report that the number of units sold was 4,736 units. Using a round figure of 5,000, 2,000,000,000/5,000, the deficit will come to $400,000 per unit of flat sold. Unbelieveable but it is true. I am prepare to change this number if anyone has a better number and wants to correct me. The $400,000 per unit is not only unbelieveable but incredible and even looks nonsensical.

More good news and good statistics

Foreigners are snapping up private properties in greater numbers. The numbers given in the ST shows that from 2007 to 2009, foreigners have bought about 20,000 units of properties here. If we are to extrapolate backwards, foreigners could have bought a few hundred thousands of private properties here. The good news is that more are coming in and buying. Another report says that Singapore is a choiced city for immigrants and there are enough in the waiting list to bring our population to 13m. This could easily triple or quadruple the prices of properties here, including those of public flats. The future of Singaporeans is so rosy. Wait for the 3rm flats to hit $1m and 4rm to hit $1.5m, and the bigger units in the $2m and more. Then Singaporeans can all sell out, move off to Lijiang or Chennai, or JB and Batam, build their own palaces and live there happily thereafter.

Menu for cannibals

Spotted this item in the menu of a high end restaurant - 'Cajun & Hickory Flavoured Roast German Baby Rib'. In Singapore of course.

The political party that will last a million years

Hsien Loong has announced that the PAP is all ready for the next General Election. It has another slate of high calibre candidates all ready to serve the people. This self renewal process of a political party, running in clockwork precision is second to none in the world. With such an efficient party, recruiting the best people into its fold, there is no chance that any other party could ever think of unseating it from power. Then there are other great factors in the PAP's favour. A great record of 45 years of achievement. An electoral system that is designed by the PAP and is obviously more favourable to it. And there are all the machinery that counts during a general election that will be activated to support the party. And there is a grateful people all sold by what the PAP can do for them. How else can any party hope to challenge the PAP? The PAP is probably the only political party that is designed to rule forever. This is another uniquely Singapore invention. It is an infallible party.

Singapore companies risk brain drain

According to a Hay Group report, and reported by Lee Hui Chieh in the My Paper front page today, 'Companies here may face a brain drain if they do not repay the "sweat debt" - or employees' sacrifices - that they chalked up during the recession, a global consultancy firm warned yesterday.' This is the most serious threat to Singapore companies to date. If they refuse to up the pay of their employees, many will quit and move from Jurong to Ang Mo Kio or from Raffles Place to Shenton Way. The workers will simply quit and look for companies that are willing to pay them more. And if this fails, they will move further ashore, to JB, Batam and maybe Chennai and Shanghai. Singapore companies must not take our world class, most productive workers for granted. They are in demand everywhere, from Ang Mo Kio to Queenstown to JB and Batam. And they will move. Where else can these companies find CBF workers except in Singapore, Cheap Better and Fast!? Cheap to hire, Better in work and Fast in moving if companies do not repay them their 'sweat debt'. Come to think of it, this 'sweat debt', this country owes a big 'sweat debt' to the old hags that are still crawling around, alive, or to their children and grandchildren for the hardship they went through to build this country to what it is today. When is this country going to repay them? Or better to take care of new citizens and foreigners?