Turning greed on its head

Half a billion is small change to him. When people are buying fast cars as a hobby, he is buying football clubs. That is what money can do when you have enough of it. Peter Lim did not get his Liverpool Football Club. It could be a blessing in disguise. He has just acquired Thomson Medical Centre for half a billion bucks. This in all sense is a much more meaningful buy. And he could make it more meaningful to himself and to the people in the streets. Peter Lim is getting close to a state like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, though still far away, but he could still uttered, huh, another $500m profit, what shall I do with it? He is comfortable enough that another half a billion is not going to make him a different person or to excite him. So what is he going to do with his new acquisition? To make more profits, to live the Singapore ethos that profit is everything, or to live the Gecko mantra that greed is good? Could he turn the Medical Centre into an institution to benefit the people at large? Medical cost is spiralling up like housing prices. Of course it need not be if there is less greed. Here we have a man who does not need any more small change of half a billion. He could be another philanthropist in the making. What Singapore need is a no frill hospital to serve the people without breaking their bank account for every admission. We need a hospital to make a point that medical and hospitalisation fees need not keep going to the sky. Would Peter Lim answer to this higher calling, that making money and more money is not the only reason to live? That money shall be made to good use, that one’s good fortune can be share with the common folks and the less fortunate. No one is going to begrudge him should he take the conventional path, to turn it into another successful business enterprise, and making more money for himself. And one day he will join Gates and Buffett, to give the money away because he just have too much of it.

Temasek Review, New Temasek Review

I thought Temasek Review has changed its name to New Temasek Review. I am pleasantly surprised to see the original name reappears again. This is a good sign.

The USAS

The hysterics were unbecoming. Who would expect the Australians to behave like third world countries and kpkb just because some entrepreneurs saw a good opportunity to raise their bets in the merger of the two stock exchanges? The Australians are behaving and jumping around like some of our neighbours, rearing the ugly xenophobic face of little townfolks. Can any of the politicians see any good in the merger? The benefits that can spew out of this venture are tremendous for both sides. For Singapore it is obvious. We can break out from the constraints of a little dot with Australia as our hinterland. We can proceed from here towards a greater economic and social integration, a kind of United States of Australia and Singapore. Of course, political integration is something that we shouldn't talk about at the moment. This will release a lot of pressure from our system, particularly the constraints of land, which is self inflicted in the first place. More Singaporeans can move on to the big island and relieve the pressure in the property bubble. Provided the thick heads did not stuff in more foreigners here to replace them and everything back to normal. Our dependent on food supply will be solved with the agricultural products from Oz. The advantages are enormous and can fill the pages of a library. Same for Australia. We will help Australia to effectively plug itself into Asia, as a member or extended member of Asean. The dynamism of this little dynamo can be infectious, and together with the liquidity here, it will be boom town Charlie for Australia. Growth will be everywhere, in all sectors. The Aussies can continue with their laidback lifestyle and enjoy the boom while the Sinkies will do the donkey work for them in developing this big island. Win win huh. The USAS is still the longer term goal and not far fetch. Australia, New Zealand and Singapore have been cooperating for 40 years in the 5 Nation Defence Pact. We have a similar history and colonial system, and colonial mentality. I think Singaporeans would welcome the chance to sing God Save the Queen once more. And Peter Lim can buy Liverpool and be welcomed as one of time. In fact we can buy up all the British football Clubs as well, once we become a part of Australia. Then we can bring the English Premier League to play in the Golden Triangle of Singapore, England and Australia. The possibilities are unimaginable, starting from just this humble begining of a ASX-SGX merger. Think about it mate.

Obama and his new hunting dogs

I read in the New York Times that Obama has acquired three new dogs to do his bidding and will use them, together with Japan, to contain China's growing influence. The eager beavers are so elated after being wined and dined in the White House and being 'consulted' by the Empire that they are thinking that they are part of the Empire. Other containment efforts by Obama, despite the empty Treasury and a mountain of debt, are the expansion of military base infrastructure in Guam in the Pacific Ocean and the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. The beefing of all these military bases serves only one purpose, to entrench America's presence in the guise of defending the free world, but actually to contain China and protect American interest. There is a neo colonialist agenda in the American Administration and the old colonies, British, Dutch, French or Americans, were jsut too happy to be part of it. Asia can expect heighten tension and possibly proxy wars between America and China, but with the two protagonists looking from the sideline. And smaller Asian countries will gear up to kill each other or at least spend more on American weapons to provide more employment for the Americans.

$8 for a heart bypass!

Khaw Boon Wan said his bypass surgery which normally costs about $30k in an A class ward ended with him paying only $8. That is cheaper than buying two packs of panadol from a pharmacy. He claimed that he had Medishield and topped up by a supplement medical insurance. Knowing miserly is the payout from Medishield, with co payment, I am very interested to know the break down in his medical bill and how much each of his insurance paid for him. Let us have a peep on the details, Boon Wan. And also let us know how much premium you are paying for the Medishield and the supplement insurance. If it is meaningful and makes financial sense, I think many people will like to have the same insurance coverage. Thank you.