A simple way to solve the housing problem

The ST has a full page coverage on the housing problem that is making a small section of the population crying foul. It even features replies by Mah Bow Tan on the issue. Would it make any difference to the problem? Nay, except to make it worst. There is really no problem at all, and it is so easy to let the problem, if it is real, to go away by adopting a few simple measures. The first thing is to prevent the real estate agents and developers from talking up the market and frightening would be buyers of homes. And the speculators seeing so much money can be made will keep the musical chair game going on. At the moment the agents and developers are just adding fire to an already over heated oven. And some organisations are setting up indices on housing prices to tell where it is heading. Another no no. It can be very alarming as well. The third thing is to make sure that there is a blackout on housing news. Don't talk about it, don't report about it. After a while it will die down naturally, and the problem will be no problem anymore. But there is still a loophole in the internet. The nasty and irritating bloggers will want to continue to keep the topic alive. This hole must also be closed. Then all will be peace under heaven. The problem will go away if it is not in the news anymore. Like that can or not?

Another avenue for speculation

Yes, another opportunity presented itself for speculators to make money. Other than speculating in properties, the latest is COEs. With the prices going up dramatically, many people are making big money from trading COEs. And don't forget the market for second hand cars. Back to the good old days when a car's value appreciates over time, like properties. Buy now, use it for a couple of years for free, and sell at a profit. Fantastic deals. Now Singaporeans should rush out to buy properties or cars to make instant money. And if COEs go back to $100k, wow, bee tang again. Reinvest the profits in more cars and more properties and leverages, the more leverages the more profits. Making money is so easy here. Time for celebration.

Missing a golden opportunity to make money

Our population has surged more than a million in the last 10 years, and many thanks to the new immigrants, PRs and new citizens. And many more are queuing to come in. If this is the case, why don't we place a small fee for application or successful application to be a PR or new citizen? If the demand is real, if we are that desirable, there must be a value for something that is so good. What is the price to be a PR or new citizen? In real terms, PRs and new citizens tend to benefit a lot in financial terms through the buying of HDB flats and all the subsidies in medical, education and other govt services. Then there are the occasional angpows that the govt is giving out in subsidies for conservancy fees, in New Singapore Shares or special govt handouts. All these are real monies that go to the PRs and new citizens the moment they are accepted. Shouldn't they be priced in to bcome one of us? A $100 application fee, a $5,000 approval fee for PRs or a $10k fee to become citizen should be cheap compare to the immediate gains awaiting them. How come no one is thinking of making some money out of this business? Oh, they have not privatise ICA. I think they should and make it a profit centre.

Is this a new kind of discrimination?

There have been complaints that employers discriminated against job applicants in their job advertisements by stating preferences for race, language or religion. This has incurred the wrath of the authorities and official statements have been made against such discriminatory practices. There have been promotional material and advertisements by NTUC to recruit employees based on merits alone. Below is an extract of a Shin Min Daily article, According to a Shin Min Daily report yesterday, a jobless Singaporean who went to a Bread Talk outlet for an walk-in interview was told by a Malaysian HR manager to back off: “We don’t want to hire Singaporeans. We look after our own first.” The Singaporean felt slighted and walked away in anger. When contacted by the media, Bread Talk claimed that they hire more “locals” than foreigners and is currently “investigating” the matter. It is not uncommon for HR managers who are foreigners to bring in their “own kind” at the exclusion of native Singaporeans,.... My god, how could this be true, Singaporeans being discriminated in their own country for employment. I hope the investigation proves that this is not the case. Singaporeans are the first choice for employment in Singapore. It cannot be otherwise. Please report to MOM if any company is practising discrimination against Singaporeans. The Ministry and NTUC will surely stand up to protect Singaporeans for jobs.

SDP going for the kill

Chee Soon Juan and his supporters were at Bukit Panjang talking to the wet market stallholders on the recent rental hike. He has a cause to champion and at the moment it seems that the SDP is the first political party that is seizing on this opportunity to win more supporters. Not only will they be getting the votes from the disgruntled stallholders, the aunties who are clamouring to have their rights to wet markets will go along as well. An issue like this will be another feather in the SDP's cap. They went in to answer a call when others are staying clear. Let's see if SDP could reap any rewards from this issue. If the wet market stallholders feel that when help is needed and no one came except SDP, it could make a difference.