Hsien Loong’s National Day Speech

Hsien Loong is working hard on his new National Day Speech to the nation. And with the coverage of CNA, the speech is going to be broadcasted over many countries and will have millions of viewers. It is a great PR opportunity to sell the island and how well it is managed.
 
I hope he does not get carried away by the size of the audience and get down to really talk about the problems and challenges facing the people, the unhappiness and the concerns. There are many serious issues that will not go away just by not talking about them. In the past, most of his speeches were devoted to making the people feel good. The effect of such feel good speeches does not last longer than the next TV programme. It would be good if he could address the people’s concern, not what the Govt thinks are the people’s concerns or to say what the Govt thinks are the right things.
 
Would he be telling the people what is the Govt’s position on the 6.9m population and what is the situation now, what is the size of the population and what is the Govt’s intent? There were two public demonstrations against the 6.9m population and the disquiet cannot be ignored. Would he address the problems of locals losing jobs to foreigners, particularly in the PME fields and how the Govt is tackling the fake qualifications and discrimination against Singaporeans by foreigners here? Would he be talking about the housing problems, how many Singaporeans have been left out from public housing schemes by the bad policies of the past and what the Govt is going to do to redeem itself and to ensure that every Singaporean will have a chance to buy a HDB flat, that every male citizen who has served NS and will continue to be in the reserve, has the right to buy a public flat?
 
The problems of public transportation, car ownership and the regular breakdowns of the SMRT, what is the Govt thinking, what it is going to do about them? Higher ERPs and higher COEs are not going to solve these problems if the influx of foreigners continues and the target of 6.9m is still unchanged.
 
The high medical cost, the shortages of hospital beds when we don’t have such problems in the past when the govt was relatively very poor, fewer hospitals and few doctors. The waiting time to see a specialist, to see a medical practitioner, to see a dental surgeon, is now becoming ridiculous. Many would have died or suffered while waiting for their next appointments. Why are there such a big shortage of doctors and hospital beds and what are the solutions when the situation can only get worse with more immigrants coming in?
 
There are so many problems and so many things to answer. Can Hsien Loong address the problems and let the people know what the Govt will be doing, a change from the past when he painted almost an utopia, of happy and prosperous people in a vibrant and rich city and everyone hoping to live happily ever after?

Single BTO flat at $16K!

Where on earth can one buy a 2 rm flat for $16k? Surely not in Singapore when housing prices are hitting the roof. A small 3 rm govt built flat in the city could cost $400k or more in the resale market. But it is true. This is the latest govt offer to singles at a net price of $16k for a 2 rm BTO flat.
 
Now for the details. A 2 rm BTO flat is priced at $76k, how to get it at $16k? There is a govt grant of $30k for an applicant whose income is less than $750 or is it $1125 pm. And if there is a joint application by two equally low income applicants, each will get a $30k grant or $60k in full. There you are, $76k less $60k equals $16k.
 
Now who are the people earning less than $750/$1125? If I am not mistaken, most cleaners and dishwashers in the hawker centres are also earning more than this, probably $800 or $900. I can only think of those who are self employed like some remisiers or part time insurance or housing agents who make a sale once a year.
 
Oh, I think there is another category of self employed that may qualify to buy, the tin can or cardboard collectors or karung guni collectors, not the karung guni bosses. The latter are likely to be millionaires driving Mercedes around. Oh dear, I heard some were saying that the new karung guni collectors are new citizens or PRs. Hopefully not so. Could they be considered as talents with this kind of skills?
 
Can people who earn less than $2000 resign and apply as unemployed? Or could they get a temporary job and ask to be paid less than $750/$1125 to qualify for the $30k grant? Can right?

Notion of aggression not defined – Shinzo Abe

When Abe was asked the question of Japan’s aggression in Korea, China and the rest of South East Asia in the Second World War, his reply was that ‘the notion of aggression was not defined’. What he meant must be that while the countries invaded was screaming aggression, just like a sexually violated victim shouting rape, the Japanese do not see it that way. To him, it was not aggression, but probably liberation. They were liberating the colonized countries to free them so that Japan can rule over them under the East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere. So where got aggression? It is for the mutual benefit and prosperity of Japan and all the countries they invaded.
 
How many Asian countries would believe this man? Can this man and Japan be trusted to revive its military and aggressive past as a military power? Abe is now visiting some of the countries that were victims of Japanese aggression which he did not agree and offering another version of the East Asian Co Prosperity formula. Japan is going to be the same old Imperial power to lead these countries under Japan. Japan is going tear away its pacifist constitution, rearmed like it used to be, a military power, and to be the leader of Asian countries once again.
 
It is increasing its military budget, acquiring more arms, involved in military adventures, offering to help the Philippines fight against China. It is behaving aggressively and provoking China and Korea and still making devious moves to continue to stake claims to the territories of Korea and China.
 
Would Asian countries be stupid enough to buy this Japanese lie that the remilitarization of Japan is for peace and for the good of Asia? Have these countries forgotten what a beast Japan was and could be again when it becomes an aggressive military power once again? Can Abe and Japan be trusted?

Before the state of paralysis, STOP

At the rate we are building more flats and buildings across the island, when every little nook and corner will be scraped so that something can be built on it, it is frightening. We are going to run out of space for buildings if we go on clearing and building. We are going to run out of space for roads and transportation. We are going to be jammed and paralysed if we don’t stop pumping more people into this small piece of rock. We are encroaching into nature, robbing every inch of land available for this thing called economic growth.

Stop while we still can. Stop while we still have the time to ponder and to save our little land from further exploitation and conversion into concrete and humanly made objects.

If we need productivity and economic growth, it must be through other means, through science and technology, through creativity and inventions, definitely not through adding more people or using up more of whatever land that is left.

While the rest of the world is crying to save Gaia, we need to cry to save Singapore before it is plundered to a state of paralysis through a state of over building and over population. Stop before the state of mortis rigor sets in. It must not be allowed to, we must not go that way. Stop while we still can.

What is the point of building and building and to trade our precious land for cash? What is the point of stuffing this island with more and more people? Are we insane? Or who is insane?

Our transportation is going to be a gridlock with too many vehicles and too few roads to drive. Increasing and improving public transportation are not the solutions if we don’t stop the flow of more people into the island. Keep raising COE and ERP charges, are they really the solutions? We are painting ourselves into a tight corner and no where to move.

What is economic growth when our lifestyle is being constraint by rising cost and diminishing space? There is no need to turn the island into a Peking duck, to be stuffed to the fullest.

The Singapore recycling formula

One outstanding achievement of this city that has been overlooked by the rest of the world is its recycling formula. No, I am not talking about pulling down good buildings only to rebuild them, or scrapping cars that were in good working conditions and less than 10 years old. These are very wasteful things to do and we failed miserably in both areas. Our successful recycling process is not about little old people picking up drink cans or carton boxes or encouraging people not to use plastic bags.
 
The most successful recycling effort is the recycling human resources into the economy. We are making practically everyone that is economically active into the workforce. Mothers are encouraged to work to contribute to the economy too. Motherhood, raising children and providing a cosy and warm home for the family is secondary. Every adult is usefully employed. There is no waste.
 
What is more is that the work life of the adults has been extended to beyond 70 or 80. Many oldies that would normally be out of the workforce, retired by 55 or 60, are now recycled into the economy to be gainfully employed. Soon everyone will likely to be working till 80 or 90 years old.
 
This recycling of the oldies have extended the useful economic lifespan of the people by 30 to 40 years, which means that the people have practically made themselves useful for double the time they used to be. Or the workforce is actually doubled in a way. And if we include the normally economically inactive womenfolk, the recycling is even more successful.
 
Isn’ t this a great achievement? We never waste our people. Some are squeezed and squeezed to get every drop of juice from them. Some are so talented that it would be a waste to put them away. So they are reused and reapplied to share their talents and experience for the good of the country and its people, I supposed.
 
PS, We are even recycling the rejects from New York and London and all the Third World countries.