The most gratifying news today in the front page of ST is about a proposed change in the philosophy of running hawker centres by a public panel headed by entrepreneur Elim Chew. The principle behind the thinking is that as a national institution providing basic needs to the people, it cannot go along like other institutions to be run by market forces where profiteering is the main motivating factor. And hawker centre customers are the average Singaporeans that cannot afford to keep paying ever higher and higher food cost.
The problem of the current system is that hawker stalls are changing hands for hundreds of thousands or being sublet for substantial profits. Also, some private developers are ever eager to grab a hawker centre to ‘upgrade’ it and then you know the story, the prices will have to be double. And the final victims of these transactions are the average Singaporeans. All the profiteering and high cost will be passed down to the customers. And as the prices of these hawker stalls are rising, the hawkers are getting marginal profits despite of it while the poor customers keep paying more for less.
For those who believe blindly about market forces and the fictitious manipulated market forces, I am sure they will be crying foul. How can the govt interfere with the market forces? The customers must pay the price as so determined by the market.
Now, would the govt really accept the recommendations by the public panel? There is hope as the 18 member panel was set up by Vivian Balakrishnan, the Minister himself. So would Vivian finally do something good for the people and fight this case in Parliament against those who believe in fictitious market forces and profiteering?
2/28/2012
Pearl Harbour and MRT clips
The clips are falling off one by one. It barely happened for the last 30 years. The first major problem appeared in the North South Line when a series of the clips were found displaced and causing major disruption to the train service. Ah, the reason, train too heavy and affecting the shock absorbing floating cushion on the tracks.
Obviously the weight of the trains is a critical component in ensuring that the train runs smoothly on the track. In the movie Pearl Harbour, the Americans were desperately trying to fly their bombers off the aircraft carrier and still had enough fuel to hit Japan and onwards to land in China. Every gram of weight on the aircraft contributed to the drag and its performance. Many weapons and items were removed from the aircraft to keep it light, to be able take off in the short runway on the aircraft carrier. The aircraft weight was critical if it were to lift off from the carriers.
Our trains seem to be facing the same weight problem. The weight could be the menacing factor that is causing the clips to fall off recently. The solution may be to make the trains lighter by removing unnecessary gadgets or even lower the passenger load to lighten them a bit. And if reducing the weight is not a solution, it looks like the heavier trains would have to be removed from operation before they do more damage to the tracks.
A lesson from Pearl Harbour. The fat lady cannot fly.
Obviously the weight of the trains is a critical component in ensuring that the train runs smoothly on the track. In the movie Pearl Harbour, the Americans were desperately trying to fly their bombers off the aircraft carrier and still had enough fuel to hit Japan and onwards to land in China. Every gram of weight on the aircraft contributed to the drag and its performance. Many weapons and items were removed from the aircraft to keep it light, to be able take off in the short runway on the aircraft carrier. The aircraft weight was critical if it were to lift off from the carriers.
Our trains seem to be facing the same weight problem. The weight could be the menacing factor that is causing the clips to fall off recently. The solution may be to make the trains lighter by removing unnecessary gadgets or even lower the passenger load to lighten them a bit. And if reducing the weight is not a solution, it looks like the heavier trains would have to be removed from operation before they do more damage to the tracks.
A lesson from Pearl Harbour. The fat lady cannot fly.
High COE for cars
The prices of COEs are going through the roof again. Some car owners or potential car owners are starting to feel the pain. Some openly questioned whether the govt is going to force people not to buy cars. The answer is obvious. If you can’t afford it, take public transport.
And the situation is only to get worst with COEs going higher and higher. Many will just have to take the govt’s advice to take trains or buses. And one thing for sure, the quality of their life will never be affected. This is how the middle class of a first world city will have to get use to, living in mickey mouse flats that cost a million or more, and taking public transport to work. With the millions of new citizens coming in to boost our population and economy, the outlook is quite predictable.
What is going to kill, or who are going to be hit hard, will be those who really need a car to get around. There will be parents who have a few children to send to school, or old folks/medically handicapped that cannot conveniently hop onto a train or bus. Then again, what to do? Life goes on. Just be thankful that you got a first world city to live in and a great govt to manage it for the good of the people.
Many people are waiting at the door for a chance to come into this paradise. Be grateful and count your blessing.
And the situation is only to get worst with COEs going higher and higher. Many will just have to take the govt’s advice to take trains or buses. And one thing for sure, the quality of their life will never be affected. This is how the middle class of a first world city will have to get use to, living in mickey mouse flats that cost a million or more, and taking public transport to work. With the millions of new citizens coming in to boost our population and economy, the outlook is quite predictable.
What is going to kill, or who are going to be hit hard, will be those who really need a car to get around. There will be parents who have a few children to send to school, or old folks/medically handicapped that cannot conveniently hop onto a train or bus. Then again, what to do? Life goes on. Just be thankful that you got a first world city to live in and a great govt to manage it for the good of the people.
Many people are waiting at the door for a chance to come into this paradise. Be grateful and count your blessing.
2/27/2012
Is the PAP losing it in Hougang?
Gone were the days when every Minister or MP would be thumping their chests and raring to have a go at a by election to take on the opposition. There were times when ministers would proudly stand out to be the point man to lead the charge in an opposition ward. Gone were the times when MPs and grassroot leaders would want to chionh, beating their drums, as if winning an election was a given.
The vacant seat in Hougang is up for grabs and it is a God sent opportunity for the PAP to wipe the smile off the faces of the WP and its supporters. With Desmond Choo all ready, fresh from the last election defeat, and full of experience and battle scars, and with so many invincible ministers available to fight a solitary battle to capture the hill in Hougang, we are getting the message that a by election is not on the card. And Desmond is willing to serve the people of Hougang with or without a by election. It means that he is willing to serve without an MP allowance. This is very noble of him. And he must have a lot of financial resources to do so.
The PAP is bidding its time, in no hurry. Why? To punish the Hougang residents for voting opposition and now have to live without the service of an MP? An MP has many important duties other than appearing in Parliament or attending board meetings. There is a whole constituency of people with problems awaiting an MP to assist them. That is why there is a need for an MP. It is unfair to let the Hougang residents be left without an MP for practically a whole term. It cannot be that the MP has little to do so without an MP it does not make any difference to the people.
Oh, I heard that our Parliamentary system does not make a by election automatic so no need for by election. It is not necessary as long as there is a govt running the country. OK, since this is our system then got to live with it. It is the fault of the Hougang people to vote someone that would not serve a full term.
The reluctance to hold a by election cannot be a lost of faith, that the PAP is afraid that it will surely lose. I am very sure the party can send all the ministers to battle to guarantee a win. It can also throw in all the goodies, abalone porridge, $10 char kway teow for free, upgrading, more freebies etc etc to sweeten the ground and fight a battle it cannot lose. Or really it is losing confidence of itself and its support from the people? This is not the party that we used to know, a party full of confidence and very garang in every election. In the past, every election is a cake walk, another opportunity to win another seat. So far no minister volunteering to lead the charge of the light brigade.
The Hougang seat is waiting to be taken. Would anyone dare to set up a fight?
The vacant seat in Hougang is up for grabs and it is a God sent opportunity for the PAP to wipe the smile off the faces of the WP and its supporters. With Desmond Choo all ready, fresh from the last election defeat, and full of experience and battle scars, and with so many invincible ministers available to fight a solitary battle to capture the hill in Hougang, we are getting the message that a by election is not on the card. And Desmond is willing to serve the people of Hougang with or without a by election. It means that he is willing to serve without an MP allowance. This is very noble of him. And he must have a lot of financial resources to do so.
The PAP is bidding its time, in no hurry. Why? To punish the Hougang residents for voting opposition and now have to live without the service of an MP? An MP has many important duties other than appearing in Parliament or attending board meetings. There is a whole constituency of people with problems awaiting an MP to assist them. That is why there is a need for an MP. It is unfair to let the Hougang residents be left without an MP for practically a whole term. It cannot be that the MP has little to do so without an MP it does not make any difference to the people.
Oh, I heard that our Parliamentary system does not make a by election automatic so no need for by election. It is not necessary as long as there is a govt running the country. OK, since this is our system then got to live with it. It is the fault of the Hougang people to vote someone that would not serve a full term.
The reluctance to hold a by election cannot be a lost of faith, that the PAP is afraid that it will surely lose. I am very sure the party can send all the ministers to battle to guarantee a win. It can also throw in all the goodies, abalone porridge, $10 char kway teow for free, upgrading, more freebies etc etc to sweeten the ground and fight a battle it cannot lose. Or really it is losing confidence of itself and its support from the people? This is not the party that we used to know, a party full of confidence and very garang in every election. In the past, every election is a cake walk, another opportunity to win another seat. So far no minister volunteering to lead the charge of the light brigade.
The Hougang seat is waiting to be taken. Would anyone dare to set up a fight?
US$98,000 for a landed property
For about US$100k one can get a freehold landed property with 3 bedrooms and a garage. For a little more it comes with 2 garages in Atlanta. This is being advertised here by Reapfield Property Consultants. For the same amount of money what can we get here? A Mercedes or BMW would cost more than that.
I presume that these houses are for the average American families. They looked very good though not at good as our top end bungalows here but easily beat our terrace or average semi Ds. Good, decent and cheap housing is the basic to a good life anywhere. And the price being offered to own these properties must be well within the reach of the average Americans. These are great places to bring up children and raise a family. The quality of life cannot be worst off than the average 3 rm or 4 rm flats that the average Singaporeans are cooped in. And for that, the Singaporeans are paying double or more for the little space for 99 years.
And as we keep increasing the population given the limited land that we have, the prices of owning the right to live in smaller spaces will keep escalating. On the other hand the salary cannot keep on going up without driving our workers out of the market. The real international market forces for labour will definitely hit our workers badly.
Is there anything with the kind of housing and prices that the people are paying? The only reason we keep hearing is that we are different, we have no land. But we have a big plan to bring in more and more people to this ‘no land’ island. And the people will have to suffer the consequences of this wild and reckless agenda.
Qatar is the richest country in the world on GDP per capita. It has a population of 1.7m. But they are different, they have oil oozing out from the ground to give them the wealth. Luxemburg is the second richest and has a population of 500k. We are third and with 5m people and not enough and must increase some more. Would we use Luxemburg as a model for comparison, a tiny country with one tenth our population and doing better than us?
No matter how creative and innovative the planners are in squeezing more people into tiny shoeboxes and claiming that the quality of life is not affected, it is not what the people will agree. Sure, give the genious a free hand and they will tell you this island can be comfortable for 20m people or more. I also agree.
What are the cost and the consequences? I believe every average Singaporean would like a bigger space for living, like those in Atlanta and a car to drive around for leisure and convenience and not having to spend a life time paying for them. If we continue with this relentless drive for more people in this rock, we would end up worst than Hongkong with smaller and smaller space for everyone, and forget about car ownership. Are these the quality of life that we are working so hard for and looking for in the future or a future for our children?
I presume that these houses are for the average American families. They looked very good though not at good as our top end bungalows here but easily beat our terrace or average semi Ds. Good, decent and cheap housing is the basic to a good life anywhere. And the price being offered to own these properties must be well within the reach of the average Americans. These are great places to bring up children and raise a family. The quality of life cannot be worst off than the average 3 rm or 4 rm flats that the average Singaporeans are cooped in. And for that, the Singaporeans are paying double or more for the little space for 99 years.
And as we keep increasing the population given the limited land that we have, the prices of owning the right to live in smaller spaces will keep escalating. On the other hand the salary cannot keep on going up without driving our workers out of the market. The real international market forces for labour will definitely hit our workers badly.
Is there anything with the kind of housing and prices that the people are paying? The only reason we keep hearing is that we are different, we have no land. But we have a big plan to bring in more and more people to this ‘no land’ island. And the people will have to suffer the consequences of this wild and reckless agenda.
Qatar is the richest country in the world on GDP per capita. It has a population of 1.7m. But they are different, they have oil oozing out from the ground to give them the wealth. Luxemburg is the second richest and has a population of 500k. We are third and with 5m people and not enough and must increase some more. Would we use Luxemburg as a model for comparison, a tiny country with one tenth our population and doing better than us?
No matter how creative and innovative the planners are in squeezing more people into tiny shoeboxes and claiming that the quality of life is not affected, it is not what the people will agree. Sure, give the genious a free hand and they will tell you this island can be comfortable for 20m people or more. I also agree.
What are the cost and the consequences? I believe every average Singaporean would like a bigger space for living, like those in Atlanta and a car to drive around for leisure and convenience and not having to spend a life time paying for them. If we continue with this relentless drive for more people in this rock, we would end up worst than Hongkong with smaller and smaller space for everyone, and forget about car ownership. Are these the quality of life that we are working so hard for and looking for in the future or a future for our children?
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