Fatimah Akhtar’s speech at Hong Lim Protest

Below is a short quote of Fatimah’s speech at Hong Lim last Saturday. ‘Fatimah is a trained architect with an intrepid interest in globalisation. To date she has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Middle East, Europe and Japan with active working experience in Greater China, Australia and Africa. She has immediate family members that have lived and worked in more than 12 countries partaking in almost all the boom and bust stories of emerging and developed economies. Where ever she is, she has no doubt that Singapore is not only home but CORE identity. As such Fatimah has the first-hand experience as a foreigner in other people’s country. Since coming home, she has the ultimate experience in being a foreigner in her own country like the rest of Singaporeans.’
 
“Middle East experience really opened my eyes. Gulf Arabs have been dealing with foreigners outnumbering them since 1970s. They have gotten used to rampant fake certificates and untrue CVs. The don’t even bother to weed them out. However, the market developed to the point where it is unlikely that a worker from third world countries will be allowed to hold key positions. The typical advert will read “Candidate would need to graduate from a reputable university”. “Reputable” refers to western countries, Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong and perhaps Malaysia. The salary of a true blue Singaporean working for Emiratis is easily 2 or 3 times that of an Indian or Pinoy as the Emirati believes that we can get the job done and not them.  “Hiring practice governed by law have to prioritise Emiratis, followed by regional Arabs”
 
Back in Singapore, because of racial and nationality enclaves foreigners are able to pay themselves well. They boasts how much better paid they are then we are and keep us out in the picture. By the way, out there we are paid as much as ang mos if not better. You see, it is rare for the Ang Mo to have a skill that we do not have. Hiring practice governed by law have to prioritise Emiratis, followed by regional Arabs. Then reputable nationalities fill key positions, others occupy rank and file positions. Nationalities from countries that perceived not to be reputable have very little chances of even occupying middle management roles….”
 
The full text of Fatimah’s speech is posted at TRE under the heading ‘3rd PWP protest speech by Fatimah Akhtar’. It is worth reading to see how Sinkies have been shortchanged and programmed to think and behave like fools in their own countries. It shows how smart the Arabs in Dubai were in the way they dealt with their foreign workers and putting them in the right place. It also shows daft we are to be bullied, discriminated and blackmailed by third world rubbish talents. It is really a sick joke, that first world talents are fearful of third world thrash and hold them in awe.

Uneasy population numbers

Our population hits 5.4m according to the latest report. Citizens make up 3.31m, PRs 530k and Non Residents 1.55m. Among the citizens the distribution of the Chinese, Malays, Indians and Others is 74.2%, 13.3%, 9.2% and 3.3%. The actual numbers of the races are 2.44m Chinese, 440k Malays, 300k Indians and 110k others.
 
Of the PRs and Non Residents, I am unable to get any data on the distribution among the major groups of foreigners like PRC Chinese, India Indians, Pinoys, Indonesians, Myanmese and Europeans. All I got is one number of 400k non resident Indians. This number is as big as the 440k Malays and much bigger than the 300k local Indians and the 110k Others or Eurasians. The local Eurasians alone could be less than 100k.
How big are the groupings of PRC Chinese, 400K? The Pinoys are estimated to be around 200-300K. The Myanmese near to 200k.
 
What do these numbers mean to our local minorities? Each of these groups can be as big as the largest minority group and much bigger than the Eurasians. The Eurasians are also an absolute minority compare to the foreigners. Soon one might not know that the Eurasians exist as their number is so small and easily overwhelmed, no longer noticeable except in Mediacorp. The India Indians are now more than the local Indians.
 
What would the picture be in 2030? The Malays and Indians would be absolute minorities vis a vis the foreigners like PRC Chinese, India Indians, the Pinoys and the Myanmese? Their combined numbers are now bigger than the combined numbers of Malay, Indians and Others even today, 1.55m against 850k, almost double the 850k. And the numbers did not include the 530k PRs.
 
How should we play this number game? Are we comfortable with numbers?

SGX designates Asiason, Blumont and LionGold as designated stocks

The 3 stocks that were suspended from trading for irregularities will resume trading today but as designated stocks. What it means is that trading is restricted. Sellers can only sell the stocks if they already owned the stocks, or no short selling. Buyers must pay cash out front.

SGX is viewing this episode seriously and would not hesitate to introduce more control measures to prevent it from happening again. SGX has a responsibility to regulate the market, to prevent big syndicates/funds to manipulate the market to their advantage. A fair trading system and a level playing field are two of the fundamental principles that SGX has to guard zealously. Failing to do so is not only irresponsible but will kill the market in the long run. A stock market cannot be rigged to favour any party, big or small. No one is to be allowed special advantage like hooking their computers into the SGX system to have pre knowledge or advanced information that other traders did not have. This is cheating and allowing it is to condone cheating.

Churning, cornering of stocks, buying and selling without change of ownership, this could be done with a few parties swapping the stocks to deceive the regulators, creating a false market like ramping up stocks or selling down a stock, etc etc are offences under the SGX regulations for fair trading. Violating any of these is a serious offence. SGX is always on the look out to ensure that no such malpractices take place in the market.

There are bound to be incidents of such nature in the market. The question is how prevalent and what the SGX is doing about them? How fair and level is the playing field to the small investors? If the market is unfair, if there is no level playing field, if all the above is violated and taking place, who should be responsible?

The events surrounding the 3 suspended stocks, and many stocks would have led to many red flags being raised. Was anyone watching or anyone noticing that the red flags were raised?

Sinkies over reliant on the govt?

How many of you believe in this? Or is it the reverse that the govt is over reliant on the Sinkies instead?
 
Did the people ask the govt for a compulsory Medishield Life? Apparently from the govt’s point of view, it is the people that asked the govt for this scheme. Who and how many? Why compulsory when it is what the people want? Or is it that the govt wanted this scheme? I know many didn’t. And looks like those who asked are going to regret dearly and will be cursed by those they dragged along into this compulsory shit hole.
Did the people ask the govt to keep their CPF savings for as long as the govt wants it? Or is it that it is the govt that wants to keep the money for the people? Who is reliant on whom?
 
Did the people ask the govt to implement compulsory minimum sum schemes? Did or did not? Who started these schemes and who is benefitting from it? The people too reliant on the govt or is it the govt too reliant on the people?
 
Are the people reliant on the govt for their retirement pension or payout? Or is the govt relying on the people’s savings in the CPF for funding?
 
The people have been telling the govt to leave them alone. Please don’t help, please let the people manage their own lives and their own money. Is this over reliant on the govt?

PWP’s last stand at Hong Lim

The turnout at Hong Lim for the Population White Paper protest was deserving of a report in the Sunday Times today. It was 500 strong, much lesser than the first and second protest that saw thousands thronging the field of Hong Lim. Should this be expected? The initial anger aroused by the 6.9m people that will populate this little piece of rock has fizzled out as usual. The internet and the two protests have done their job for allowing the Sinkies to air their frustration. Once that is out of the way, life will go on as normal. No need to say ‘Let’s move on’. It is a natural course of events here.

The Sinkies will be unhappy but just for a while. Once they know that protest will be in vain, they will get on with their lives and there are better things to do, like making more money and churning the property market and aiming for that red Ferrari. The govt can now do what they know best and according to plans. The Sinkies have spoken and all is well. 6.9m it will be.

It must be very assuring and comforting for the govt to know that protest in Singapore is just like that. It is just an expression, nothing more nothing less. No need to send in the troops to quell the 500 people or 5000 people at Hong Lim. Let them enjoy their little moments of feeling important. All protests will die a natural way. Look at the empty ballot boxes case? Forgotten, history! Anyone aiming at anything? Hawker centre cleaning or Rolls Royce bicycles? All forgotten.

Now that this trend is confirmed, I think the govt will be encouraged to loosen the lease and allow it a few feet longer. Let them protest and say what they like. It is healthy. The people will want to protest and the govt will want to do what is right. They may appear to be heading for a collision course, but nay, it is just a public airing, a show of a little unhappiness, like a little sulking.

The govt need not sweat the small stuff the next time Gilbert and his friends apply for another protest at Hong Lim. The govt can even be generous and throw in some freebies like chicken rice to make the protesters happier. Long live the protest spirit in Sin.