When gods must also die

Would the demise of Balaji and Kwa Geok Choo make any difference to the political landscape of the future? Balaji was 55 and Geok Choo was 89. This simple statement could make some open their eyes a little to the fragility of life, that between 55 and 90, one could be called home with very short notice. Gods or immortals, no exceptions, no wonder drugs could prevent this eventuality from taking its natural course. Would those who have plentiful of wealth sit back and relax and say, what’s all the money if at the end of it they could not spend a cent on themselves? Would they decide to call it a day and enjoy the time with the wealth they have accumulated in abundance, to lead a life of their own choosing, at their own pace, without having to watch the clock or appease anyone? Life can be a very pleasant experience to those with the means. And it could be heaven on earth if they want it to be. But how they create this heaven is very individual. Some may find peace in solitude, free from the worries of daily living. Some may want to frolic with the nubile kind, of wine, women and song. Some will find contentment with their children and grandchildren, some with a book in a lonely beach. And there are some who would want to continue with the banter and battering of life till their legs no longer run. One possibility is the acceptance of a new political reality, with the oldies calling it a day, not wanting to be in the thick of things, not wanting to waste public resources for doing so little and collecting so much. We could have a trim and lean, and younger govt in charge. Hsien Loong could wipe the slate clean, no more MM or SMs, or ministers without portfolio in the PM’s office, except for the traditional Labour Chief. Even at the MP level, it could be more refreshing to see new and younger faces that are filled with energy than the lethargy of old have beens. It could be a welcoming breath of fresh air for a new beginning if these changes would to take place after the great revelation that life must come to an end for everyone, even to pseudo immortals…unless they prefer the existence of being I, Robot.

Michelle Obama is world's most powerful woman!

Really? What did she do to deserve that title? Does she run the state of USA and make decision for the country? All I know is that she is the wife of the President and maybe decide what food the President eats and what clothes he wears. Does she have any executive power, other than pillow talk? And second most powerful place goes to a food manufacturer, Irene Rosenfeld of Kraft Foods. Third to a talk show host called Oprah Winfrey, then Angela Merkel, German Chancellor and then Hilary Clinton, Secretary of State of the US. All these is bull. The woman that I think should deserve the honour is none other than Ho Ching. Who in the top 10 list manages a few hundred billions, maybe one trillion dollars in hard cash and has the power to decide on how to invest this sum of money? None of them comes near to Ho Ching. The people producing the ranking must either be ignorant or biased. oh yea, they have their own criteria, influence on the American public opinion is a major factor huh? My vote goes to Ho Ching, the world's most powerful woman, not that she is the wife of the world's highest paid Prime Minister, but truly on her own merit, as the person in charge of a war chest that could be $1 trillion in size or there about. And the authority to decide on how the money is to be used. That is real power.

Do we need more MPs and Ministers?

My answer to this is an unequivocal yes. Look, our population has almost doubled, land size increased by at least 20%, economy tripled, oldies quadrupled, foreigners almost half of the population, and many more. With all the big developments, we could easily need double the current MPs. We can start off in the next election by having 100 MPs. And with more MPs, we should increase the number of mayors and town council CEOS as well. That will make our constituencies better managed and with better facilities. My other consideration for this is to separate the roles so that more people can enjoy such quality jobs with quality pay. Also, we do not want to over work our MPs to death do we? With more MPs, there should be more ministers too. I can see the need for a minister for the islands and islanders when they are occupied, a minister for public housing and one for private housing. With hospitals doubling, and the bill size unimaginable, we can afford to have a minister just to take charge of hospitals and manage the revenue. We need a minister for foreigners and foreign workers for sure, in view of their size and importance. The job of looking after the oldies shall be formalized with a minister for the oldies as this is becoming a bigger issue over time. The ministry of Home Affairs will need a minister to take care of terrorism. Transportation too needs another minister as the job is getting too big for one minister to handle. So does education with more universities coming up. With more ministers and ministries, we will need to have more coordinating ministers to prevent the same problem happening again, when one ministry is doing something while other ministries are sleeping or have no clue of what is going on and ended with big uncoordinated problems. We deserve to have the best govt. And big is good.

The credibility of media and reporters

Many media pride themselves as serious and credible institutions reporting and producing news that are reliable and newsworthy. But when it comes to political agenda, many drop their guards and went on a rampage printing silly news, ridiculous news, unsubstantiated housewives gossips etc etc. The darling of such gossips and petty news, if they are news, is North Korea and its leaders. It is almost a daily occurrence, and the source is often western, and often reproduced in silly Asian media, things like the successor of Kim Il Sung has gone for a plastic surgery to look like his grandpa? Or Kim Il Sung is buying French wines etc etc. How credible are such media and their reporters when they resort to petty gossips of little minds and published them as news! At best it makes their newspaper like evening tabloids famed for scandals or comic strips. At worst, it puts off serious readers for insulting their intelligence. Why would serious and reputable media willing to put up such craps as news? Do they have a special agenda or are they paid to do so?

What's there to grief?

Human beans have made progress in many fields, in leaps and bounds. The one area that is most neglected is life's journey, living and dying. All the best brains do not think the understanding of the meaning of life is that rewarding and devote their energy in science and technology and in fields that are more rewarding in material comfort. What ended up is that the meaning of life is left to many rascals and half literates to interpret and formulate for the rest of the beans to observe and follow. Why should there be grief when someone passes away to start another journey in a different realm of existence? For those who believe that dying is the end and nothing happens after that, dust to dust, I can accept their belief. I can also accept whatever beliefs about life after death. My belief is that there is life after death and living is just a short sojourn on earth. No need to go into big argument about the different beliefs here. My question is that why should there be sorrow and pain when someone has lived a good life, a life of abundance, a life of comfort and luxury, having everything there is to have? There could be some sadness for the living that the deceased will not be around anymore. But it is nothing more than going on a long vacation. Grief and sorrow are understandable for the down trodden who did not live a good life, depending on one's individual interpretation of good and bad of course. The deprived, the people who are struggling to have the minimum of material comfort and necessities, full of wants but not having them, those who died living behind dependents to eke out a living on their own, those who left behind young and helpless children, those who have many unfulfilled dreams, unfinished tasks, there are reasons to grief and to be sorrowful about. The Chinese custom also acknowledges that people who lived a good life calls for a celebration. The green joss sticks were changed to red joss sticks. There will even be live shows and orchestras at the funeral. Such death is called 'hee song', meaning happiness cum sadness, a mixed of both. But in most instances like this, the family is well off, abundance of children and wealth, and the deceased live through a ripe age, generally above 80 with at least three generations of family relations, and passed away peacefully. It is time to understand and appreciate life and what is a good life. It is time to re edit the customs to see life in another perspective, and call for celebration in recognition of a life well lived.