Issues that are not forgotten

There were many issues raised before, and nothing happens. I have to renew my motor insurance and to my horror, I have to pay even more after another 10% of NCB. The premium is now nearly $1,300 despite the NCB. Three years ago I paid less than $800. And the reason, more accident claims so premium must go up. What has that got to do with my premium when I have not made a single claim? Where is the statistics to show that there are more accidents and claims? I thought someone is looking into this fleecing of the motorists by a cartel of crooks. After one whole year, nothing heard. Like loan sharks, very difficult to catch. So the innocent public has to pay for it. Maybe no one is complaining so they think everyone has resigned to the fate that they have to pay more insurance premiums. Legitimate daylight robbery! See, if the people don't kpkb, don't raise problems, then it is taken as no problem.

Is the property market hot?

Fiona Chan of ST asked when is a property market consider hot. Of course this is another statement like affordability. I can simply answer by saying that it is only hot when god feels the heat. Today's news is still screaming that despite the high property prices, the rush to buy is still very strong. All the launches were successful and many are fetching more than $1,000 psf. This is good news to the developers and speculators and also those who own numerous properties. They must be quietly congratulating themselves for making the right decisions to buy so many properties and sitting on a mountain of wealth. Now who dares talk down the market or wish that the market will fall? The rich property owners will come smashing with everything they got. It is only right and normal and good for the property prices to go up. And our economic fundamentals also demand that property prices must go up. It is just a natural and good thing for all property owners, including the 80% of HDB owners. So who is complaining or why should people be complaining? Yesterday, for the first time, two senior professionals from the real estate industry were warning about a property bubble forming. Who cares, as long as people are queuing and rushing in to buy. Let it rise, let it rise. It is good. Everyone can feel rich. Down here, people compare the prices of the lodging you live in. In other places, they compare how big is the space available. So a 500 sq ft unit at $2m is better than a 10,000 sq ft unit costing $500k somewhere on earth. The thing is to feel rich, living in a $2m kennel, or home.

The ultimate test of leadership - Thaksin

A few hundred red shirt protestors are on the streets of Bangkok in support of their democratically elected leader who was robbed of his titled as the PM of Thailand. Several years after being ousted, in exile, found guilty in court, half of his fortune confiscated, Thaksin is still the leader of the rural Thais. Can anyone doubt that he is a leader of the people, by the people and for the people of Thailand? And it looks like he is going to ride back to power with the people's power behind him. Ahbisit is now hiding in an army barrack, protected by the military. Would there be a clash between the soldiers and the farmers? Would other farmers and ordinary Thais stand up and take sides, join hands with the farmers? Would the soldiers unite or split and some take sides with Thaksin? Would Thailand be splitted as a result of the surge of popular support for a leader cut down by the Thai elite and soldiers in Bangkok? Like him or be against him, Thaksin is sure a formidable leader of the Thai people, to be able to command their support and loyalty to challenge the establishment in Bangkok against all odds. It is a mark of true leaderhip.

Say a big thank you to Mah Bow Tan

In the programme Talking Point, he gave the impression that he had done a damn good job in housing and probably expected the people to give him a pat on the back, and say thank you. He forgot that the good job was done by his predecessors, and in his case he messed it up. He still thinks that his BTO, his control of supply, and his market pricing policies are the next best thing that could happen to Singapore after PAP. He still cannot see the damages and hardship he had caused to many young people seeking to buy their first home. Even the taxi drivers are complaining as Lim Wee Kiat said. With the income of driving a taxi, they could buy a 5 rm flat. Their graduate children could barely afford a 4 rm flat, on two incomes. Is this a problem? Has this tell something about affordability? I would like to give a pass to this by not posting about the issue. But if everyones does that, the smart alecs will say, see, no one is complaining anymore. The people are happy with our policies.

Why didn’t Singapore think of it?

For years, the only way to get to Sentosa was by ferries or hanging on a piece of wire from Mount Faber. The latter, hmmm, they find it more amusing and interesting, never if it takes longer, to drive up a mountain before being flung into the island by the sheer force of gravity. Getting to Sentosa was never easy, and to move masses in a short span of time will need an ingenious mind to carefully think it over. And they came to the conclusion that causeways, one and latter two, will be the most efficient way to do so. And one is now running and collecting tolls and paying for itself. My thought, why didn’t they think of a more efficient way, like a bridge, and then another bridge? And in this case, there is no need to spend dismantling a causeway, just build the bridges anywhere they want. It was clean and tidy, and no extra cost, no need to change mindset on how to get to the island. And a bridge will make walking across near impossible, thus ensuring that more tolls can be collected. And they didn’t even consider the water on both sides of the causeway that will get stagnant and foul. And the ships cannot sail from one side of the causeway to the other, from Pasir Panjang to Tanjong Pagar. And shipping is a major revenue earner for the island and facilitating trade. Are we making things difficult for ourselves? And the pleasure craft cannot take a short cut from Keppel Marina to the South China Sea. We have done it all wrong! Imagine how beautiful and functional it will be to have bridges to Sentosa instead of causeways. Or is it a case of pride, that copying other people’s great idea would make us look second best?