4/20/2012
A bad hangover
The ongoing saga of the underage prostitute and the 80+ high flyers of our society is top news for the day. Every evening the chase was reported in prime time news with those charged being hounded down by camera crews in their pathetic pursuits. It looked like great fun, great event, better than playing computer games. Who decides that this is great news to be fully covered in all details, with photographs splashing everywhere? Are they the witches or wizards of modern times, fit for the burning stakes?
After a few days, this thing has become bad taste. Yes, it is not a good thing for everyone. The customers of the prostitute are to be blamed for their plight and indiscretion, and infidelity. Have they not paid enough a price for their wrongdoings? Their lives have been ruined for a statutory crime that is an unacceptable social norm. Many innocents have been hurt just as bad, their families and friends and their institutions. They will carry this stigma for the rest of their lives and will be adversely affected in many ways.
We will need to find more talents to replace them as they will be temporarily indisposed except for those who are their own bosses. Those who need employment will find the embarrassment following everywhere they go. And if we cannot find replacements for their vacant positions, we may need to import more foreign talents to do the jobs.
How much more do these men need to be punished for a controversial crime, or sin? Should we leave them to the courts and not to brutally stab them while they are down? Where is the Yellow Ribbon? Or is it too early to think of that? Or shall we hang their photos everywhere for all to see and get the thrill out of them? Who is more mean and sinister?
If there were no internet…
Mah Bow Tan will still be the Minister of National Development, Wong Kan Seng the Minister of Home Affairs and Raymond Lim still minister of Transport. The housing policy will stay and housing will remain affordable. And of course 3 rm flat will be $1m by now.
Kan Seng would be very happy as the people would have long forgotten about Mas Selamat. Actually, for all the three ministers that were removed, Kan Seng was the most unfortunate one. It could be any minister in his shoe as the escape was not really his doing. He was there in the wrong seat in the wrong time. He had to take the rap for being the minister with the responsibility that comes with the position and pay. He took the rap for the failure of those in charge of the camp but he had no direct dealings with its daily operations.
Raymond would be in deep trouble instead of Tuck Yew. He should thank his lucky star that he is not in the shoe of Tuck Yew now. In a way the problems of public transport was partly the doings of the govt and not just his ministry. They pumped in millions of heads into the system and it was just not possible to build a completely new transport system overnight to cater to the sudden increase in population. From 3m to 5m, you would need another comparable public transport system of buses, trains and taxis to keep it in balance. He was screwed by the system and took the rap for other people’s wild ambition. But the problem may actually be more manageable without the bloggers kpkb in cyberspace. The problem with public transport failure was just too transparent and close to the people affected.
And one thing for sure, without the internet, there will be less complaints heard and all channels of communications will be singing praises that all is fine. And any breakdown could have been played down without the fanfare and fire in the internet that indirectly forces the news into the main media. And our population will have blossomed to 6m by now and the economy could grow by another 15%.
And our property prices would have made every HDB flat owners a millionaire too. The affordability of HDB flats would still be the song being sung daily. And a $1000 pm worker could definitely afford his 2 rm flat which may now cost half a million to buy. Sinkies will all be playing the property market instead of working, like the stock market boom of the early 1990s. There will be long queues in all property launches and all smiling to the banks.
The Minister for National Development would still be Mah Bow Tan. And he would be the toss of everyone who owns a property. He and his team crafted all the policies of housing, the number to build or not to build, the pricing, the market demand and supply for land, and the subsidies. Of the three ministers, Mah Bow Tan’s ministry was thick in action in the property market and public housing. His position was different from Kan Seng or Raymond, whose role in the problems they were held accountable for was more indirect. In housing, the ministry was involved in every comma and full stop of the housing policy for good or bad. They deservedly be held accountable or be rewarded for them.
Can’t imagine what things would be like if Mah Bow Tan is still the minister in charge of housing. For Raymond, it would be hell giving the daily stoppages. In the case of Kan Seng, it would be as quiet and peaceful as the Western front if he has not been removed. National security is still an issue with the huge population but nothing dramatic or hilarious to put him in a spot. The Home Affairs Minister is having a ball at the moment.
Maybe I have over exaggerated the importance of the internet. It was the GE that led to their predicaments.
4/19/2012
Shintaro Ishihara is going to buy Diaoyutai
The right wing militant governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, is still waving his samurai sword like a true samurai. He is still living in the days of the Japanese Empire, when Japan ruled East Asia, with Korea and Taiwan as their colonies and China a semi colony. Yesterday he proudly announced that he is going to buy Diaoyutai, a Chinese island which the Japanese claimed during the Empire days and named Senkaku, from a Japanese owner. What’s next, he is going to buy over Taiwan from another Japanese and Dokto from another Japanese as well.
China is lucky that it now carries a bigger stick than the samurai sword and when comes to the crunch, China can wield the stick and swing it hard at the Japanese. What else can the Chinese do if the Japanese insist on taking over Diaoyutai? The Japanese position has weakened over the last decade with the realization that China will go to war if Japan dares take over the island. They used to arrest Chinese and Taiwanese fishing boats and chased them away with their coast guards like what the Philippines were trying to do. The Philippines too were arresting Chinese fishing boats till the latest incident when they threatened some Chinese fishermen with their WW 2 antique warship donated by the Americans.
What happened after the provocative attempt to arrest the Chinese fishermen and threatening to defend their claims with their big guns? They quietly sailed back to Luzon on the pretext of refueling and needing food ration. Or was it that the Chinese told them that they would be sunk by Chinese submarines on their flanks if they refused to get lost?
Lately the Japanese too have been less brazen in arresting and chasing away Chinese fishing boats. They know that their Empire days are over, except for militants like Shintaro. It may be time for some fireworks. And this time it would be the Chinese turn to tell the Japanese that it was the Japanese fault for carrying a smaller gun than the Chinese. That was what the Japanese told the Chinese when they invaded China in the early 20th Century. The Japanese like Shintaro may want to taste their own medicine by pushing the boundary against China. They can still count on America to fight on their side. They can try and see if Tokyo still exists in the aftermath.
China is lucky that it now carries a bigger stick than the samurai sword and when comes to the crunch, China can wield the stick and swing it hard at the Japanese. What else can the Chinese do if the Japanese insist on taking over Diaoyutai? The Japanese position has weakened over the last decade with the realization that China will go to war if Japan dares take over the island. They used to arrest Chinese and Taiwanese fishing boats and chased them away with their coast guards like what the Philippines were trying to do. The Philippines too were arresting Chinese fishing boats till the latest incident when they threatened some Chinese fishermen with their WW 2 antique warship donated by the Americans.
What happened after the provocative attempt to arrest the Chinese fishermen and threatening to defend their claims with their big guns? They quietly sailed back to Luzon on the pretext of refueling and needing food ration. Or was it that the Chinese told them that they would be sunk by Chinese submarines on their flanks if they refused to get lost?
Lately the Japanese too have been less brazen in arresting and chasing away Chinese fishing boats. They know that their Empire days are over, except for militants like Shintaro. It may be time for some fireworks. And this time it would be the Chinese turn to tell the Japanese that it was the Japanese fault for carrying a smaller gun than the Chinese. That was what the Japanese told the Chinese when they invaded China in the early 20th Century. The Japanese like Shintaro may want to taste their own medicine by pushing the boundary against China. They can still count on America to fight on their side. They can try and see if Tokyo still exists in the aftermath.
Celebration time for Sinkies
HDB flats costing $1m in the resale market, or near to $1m. COE for small cars is now $64k and big cars $91k. And the best part, Sinkies are all celebrating, or at least none is complaining. The property owners are feeling so rich. The car owners who can afford to buy just a piece of paper to entitle them to buy a car must definitely be very rich.
These are happy problems. It only means that Sinkies are getting richer by the day without having to work. No wonder they have to import foreigners to do all the works. Sinkies only need to sit on their properties and feel richer everyday. Now they can also buy cars, park in the car park and wait for the prices to soar with COEs costing more than the value of a car.
With the million dollar flats, they can make a quick pile and spend a little on a brand new car. Who cares whether the train is delayed or not moving? Who cares if COE is $100k? A million dollar HDB flat can buy several COEs and cars. Life is wonderful in this little paradise.
The best plan is to sell the million dollar flat and switch to a 2 rm flat and take advantage of all the subsidies. Don’t work, so will qualify as low income earner. The extra cash can buy a Mercedes to drive around. Hear only the good stuff.
These are happy problems. It only means that Sinkies are getting richer by the day without having to work. No wonder they have to import foreigners to do all the works. Sinkies only need to sit on their properties and feel richer everyday. Now they can also buy cars, park in the car park and wait for the prices to soar with COEs costing more than the value of a car.
With the million dollar flats, they can make a quick pile and spend a little on a brand new car. Who cares whether the train is delayed or not moving? Who cares if COE is $100k? A million dollar HDB flat can buy several COEs and cars. Life is wonderful in this little paradise.
The best plan is to sell the million dollar flat and switch to a 2 rm flat and take advantage of all the subsidies. Don’t work, so will qualify as low income earner. The extra cash can buy a Mercedes to drive around. Hear only the good stuff.
Clockwork Singapore
Singapore used to be a clockwork country. Push a button, press a switch, turn on the tap, everything works. Singapore used to pride itself as a first world country, an oasis in the third world. It differentiated itself with world class quality and services, reliability and efficiency In just a few months, the public train system is breaking apart. How so? This kind of thing does not breakdown overnight. It takes a long gestation period to build up a series of lapses for such a thing to happen. An entire system functioning smoothly over 40 years does not go down like a string of dominoes. That is exactly what is happening to the train system.
Having breakdowns, stoppages and delays are daily business. And the frequency is no longer funny. The standby support system is activated and is working like a substitute to the main system. Excuse for coming late to work chits are printed so that workers can bring it back to office as proof of being late, like getting an MC. Soon organizations will have to check with public transport operators on the validity of such chits and breakdowns. And there will be permanent signs outside every station just to report on delays and breakdowns. It could even have a dedicated radio channel or mobile phone apps to inform commuters to take alternative transport.
It was only yesterday that workers were encouraged to sell their private cars to take public transport, as cheaper, faster and more convenient. Those who opted for the change are finding it a daily hustle to get from point to point. What is going on man?
And with COEs hitting $100k, what is the alternative for those who cannot afford cars now? What is happening to this first world oasis? It is like the light is being switched off, the end is near, age is catching up. The mandate of heaven has been withdrawn and nothing is going to work like clockwork anymore.
And it is happening despite the super talents being in charge and being paid super talented salaries. It is time the people vote like Citigroup against the huge pay packages when the management cannot deliver.
Having breakdowns, stoppages and delays are daily business. And the frequency is no longer funny. The standby support system is activated and is working like a substitute to the main system. Excuse for coming late to work chits are printed so that workers can bring it back to office as proof of being late, like getting an MC. Soon organizations will have to check with public transport operators on the validity of such chits and breakdowns. And there will be permanent signs outside every station just to report on delays and breakdowns. It could even have a dedicated radio channel or mobile phone apps to inform commuters to take alternative transport.
It was only yesterday that workers were encouraged to sell their private cars to take public transport, as cheaper, faster and more convenient. Those who opted for the change are finding it a daily hustle to get from point to point. What is going on man?
And with COEs hitting $100k, what is the alternative for those who cannot afford cars now? What is happening to this first world oasis? It is like the light is being switched off, the end is near, age is catching up. The mandate of heaven has been withdrawn and nothing is going to work like clockwork anymore.
And it is happening despite the super talents being in charge and being paid super talented salaries. It is time the people vote like Citigroup against the huge pay packages when the management cannot deliver.
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