Signs of cracks coming to the open

“I hope branch leaders do not make statements that they do not like Singaporeans investing here. “We must be consistent with our signals both from the top and bottom. What is the difference of an investor from the United States or Singapore? There is no difference actually. “We cannot be carried away with emotions or be parochial as we must realise that we are in the 21st century and the country must be developed,” Najib said.... These are clear signs that opposition towards Najib's policy to bring Malaysia to the 21st Century, to become a competitive country like the rest of the developing world, is meeting strong resistance. There must be some quarters trying very hard to derail what he is doing. And UMNO Johore seems to be a good candidate especially when there are so many issues that can be stirred. The railway station issue, crooked bridge issue and the Iskandar DR are still works in progress. Having been kept and held back for so many years with tribal and communal politics and mindset, it is not easy to bring them forward to see the new world. The medieval forces are as strong as the forces of modernisation. Singaporean investors will be more worried of their investments in IDR and how long Najib will last. And as the investments are going to be long term, what's next or who's next after Najib?

More radicals arrested

The Home Affairs Ministry has announced a few more arrests of radicals last week and Kan Seng is urging the communities and families to report on their kins when they are suspicious of their conduct. This is a tall order indeed. The families, religious leaders, schools etc should keep educating the people to keep this place safe and peaceful for everyone here. The citizens and residents must be free to work, play and go about their lives with no fear of a destructive terrorist attack. It is for the good of everyone. Families and religious leaders should talk to their own people on how important it is to keep this place safe. This is our home. And if they detect any wayward tendencies or behaviors, perhaps they should take the first step to talk the person out of it. This may be easier than reporting them. Should this fail, then for the good of the family and country, they should do the necessary and report them. Failing to do so can hurt many innocent people very badly. Our lives and jobs will be in ruins.

Pay more for more benefits

We have heard the impossible, that is, pay more GST to help the poor. Now we are being told that paying more for public transport will benefit the commuters. They will see the benefits later. And after all the increase is only $16 per year. And I know that I am paying $89 more annually as an oldie instead of $16. I know because I am paying for it. How come they claimed that it was on $16 more per year! I am now paying 34c more daily. No need to use computer or abacus to count how much more I will have to pay. The only thing to look forward to now is more benefits coming my way. Wondering what that would be. One thing for sure, the base is higher and if any future increases on a percentage basis will be from a bigger base. It is reported in the paper today that under the old system it was the commuters who needed to transfer that were subsidising those who did not have to. So now it is those who do not need to transfer will be subsidising those who need to transfer. Very fair huh. I posted earlier that those who don't have to transfer will now have to subsidise those needing transfer. So I am wrong huh.

Instant trees and instant 3 in 1

The application of instant tree principle in our social, economic and political structure has brought about rapid growth and, of course instant prosperity. We have instant population and citizens to provide the necessary workforce for a growing economy, leading to glowing economic growth data and culminating in instant wealth, big bonuses and big spending power. Removing the instant population from the equation and we will have instant recession or stagnation, no growth to talk about. Not enough labour, not enough demand for housing and public services, and not enough inflow of foreign capital and skills. All this is good provided the integration is robust and lasting in nature. In fine weather there seems to be no flaws in this strategy of growth. Other than the issue of sustainability, meaning that we continue to add on more people into the island forever, for never ending growth, the signs of stress are emerging. The recent spate of thunderstorms and floodings are reminders of how fragile is this dependency on instant trees. The rapid economic development does not allow the soil to settle, so to speak, in a gradual and natural way as in nature. Instant trees are tumbling and uprooting at the slightest adversed weather in greater numbers. They have discovered the big secret, that instant trees have shallow and weak roots. These, couple with weather and loose soil, were the causes of fallen trees. And naturally they brought about damages and destruction of lives and properties in the process. Our instant population are not much different from our instant trees. Uprooting and falling in bad weather will be a common feature in the time to come. Their instant departure in big numbers can be more destructive than a few fallen trees.

Stop provoking the North Koreans

The Americans and South Koreans should stop their provocations against North Korea. Both have been raising tension in the Korean peninsula since the sinking of the Choenan which they accused the North of committing the act. They held their private investigation and ran a kangaroo court to pronounce the North Koreans guilty without allowing them any chance to prove their innocence nor allowing the North Koreans to review the evidence. And they kept on mounting pressure on the North Koreans, threatening sanctions, war games and punishing the North which history could one day prove that the real culprits to the sinking of Choenan could be the Americans and South Koreans themselves. Their latest act is to announce war games near the waters of North Korea and China. China is infuriated and is warning the US and South Korea from holding such military exercises near its territorial waters. The true provocateurs are still pointing the fingers at the North. After the big lies they spun and was proven wrong in the WMD incident in Iraq, the Americans have recently admitted that they had wrongly accused the North Koreans of conducting a cyber attack against Americans and South Korean organisations. The same proof were there where Korean language were detected in the cyber attack. The American/South Koreans also found Korean words written on the supposedly torpedo they recovered from the sea. The same evidence was rejected by one of their South Korean marine expert claiming that it was a fabricated evidence. At the UN, it was fortunate that it stood on its ground not to be taken in by the Ameican/South Korean accusation that the North was guilty of the Choenan sinking. It would be tragic if the UN were coerced by the Ameicans/South Koreans to accept their fabricated truth without doing their own investigations. The UN simply condemned the sinking giving it room to look at the evidence and their own investigation if allowed to. Meanwhile the two provocateurs continue to raise tension in the Korean peninsula with the silly South Koreans thinking that they are going to a dinner party when death and disasters to their country and people were theirs to bear. The American has been very successful since the end of WW2 in their strategy of starting fires around the world, accusing countries of human rights violation, war crimes, weapons sales and proliferation, which they themselves were the biggest culprit, and let these become problems everywhere except in Ameican territories. There were also at their best in instigating and supporting irredentist and separatist movements of other countries.