In praise of Singapore

Below is an extract of an article posted in Thoughts of a Cynical Investor blog.
 
Why more FT Indians here than local Indians?
In Economy, India on 15/10/2013 at 4:52 am
 
…’Assuming he is correct about the FT Indian population being bigger than the local Indian population, there is possibly a gd, sound economic reason for it:- Our local Indians are not the “right” kind of Indians S’pore needs?
He may not be aware that S’pore’s an offshore hub of India, along with Dubai and Mauritius.
 
The largest hub for Indian trade is probably Singapore. It is the centre for investment banking, which thrives offshore, owing to the tight regulation of India’s banks and debt markets. Reflecting this, the global exposure to India of Citigroup and Standard Chartered, the two foreign banks busiest in India, is 1.9 times the size of their regulated Indian bank subsidiaries.
 
Fund managers running money in India are often based in Singapore. India’s best financial newspaper, Mint, now has a Singapore edition. At least half of all rupee trading is offshore, says Ajay Shah of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy in Delhi. Investors and firms do not like India’s fiddly rules and worry that the country may tighten capital controls if its currency falls too far, says one trader in Singapore…..
 
Indian e-commerce firms often get their data crunched in Singapore, using web-hosting and cloud-computing firms, such as Google and Amazon. Amitabh Misra, of Snapdeal, says bandwidth costs less, technology is better and you avoid India’s headaches—such as finding somewhere to work, coping with state-run telecoms firms and having to wait to import hardware.
 
Singapore is also a centre for legal services. International deals involving India often contain clauses which state that disputes be arbitrated outside India, with its clogged courts. Singapore, along with London and Paris, has become the preferred jurisdiction. “The level of comfort Indian companies get from Singapore is unmatched,” says Vivekananda N of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.’
 
This is the kind of tribute paid to Singapore that is not often spoken. It would be good that our dumb asses take note of such praises and stop short selling the value of this city like a prostitute’s den. We have great and absolute value and the foreigners are not going to run away if we insist on implementing polices and laws that benefit our own people and country. Instead they will come crawling at our doors just to get in. Those cheapskate companies that think they could threaten our weak dumb asses to bow to their demands are best that they leave this island. There is a very long queue of foreign companies waiting to come in, with a horrendous long queue of foreign workers begging to be let in to find their pot of gold here.

The top does not know what the bottom is doing

Coming closely behind the La Fondue Restaurant advertisement for a Pinoy chef and the management claimed ignorance of the advertisement, another similar episode is happening in Compassvale Villa in Pasir Ris Punggol GRC. This time the commonality is Pinoy again. A poster was put up for Pinoys to join a RC Pinoy Sub Committee.

Teo Ser Luck said he did not know about it and told the RC to take it down when he came to know of it. Netizens have been complaining about the conflicting objectives of integrating foreigners by having an exclusive Pinoy Sub Committee. Some were just against foreigners in Residents Committee as they see that as using public funds for non citizens and wrong purpose.

Would it be funny if the Pinoy Sub Committee were to include similar messages as the advert for Pinoy chef? We are an all Pinoy Sub Committee in a Pinoy working environment. We are here to promote Pinoy culture to the Singaporeans to help them appreciate us and our contribution to the island.

It is so lucky, or unlucky, that Teo Ser Luck came to know about it and took down the poster. What do you think this episode is going to lead the blind and unthinking Singaporeans forward to?

Greetings to our muslim brothers and sisters

“Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha”

Matilah Singapura – a prediction

‘My prediction is that the local Singaporeans will fuck their cuntree and society up without the govt's help. They'll do it because they will not change with the times, they will not compete toe-to-toe with more motivated and hungrier Asians like Pinoys, Banglas and PRCs. They will kill their cuntree with overt racism, xenophobia, and the refusal to accept hard truths.

They will destroy a beautiful island -- my Hotel Island Paradise -- because they blame the govt for everything and expect the govt to give them everything.

Singaporeans will destroy Singapore, hence Matilah Singapura is my prediction.’

The above prediction of the fall of this little island is by blogger Matilah Singapura. It has three assumptions. One, Singaporeans are inflexible and not competitive vis a vis the Pinoys, Banglas, PRCs and those that came here to take away their jobs. Two, Singaporeans are xenophobic and will not accept the hard truths that the foreigners are here to stay, cannot be denied. Three, Singaporeans are expecting the govt to give them everything and would blame the govt for not doing so.

The first assumption is obviously flawed. Singapore is what it is today because Singaporeans are flexible and more competitive than the neighbouring countries. I will rule out China as they have proven to be a world beater and has over taken Japan and now challenging the Americans as the factory of the world, as the biggest economy in the world. As for the rest, they were losers to Singapore. Just imagine, if Singapore did not open the door to them, where could they go, where could they find the opportunity to earn big bucks and good living and working conditions? They could not find the opportunity at home and no other country will give them the opportunity like Singapore.  They will likely be begging for jobs back home or like strays crawling around in countries that would only give them poor quality jobs. These people are not entrepreneurial by nature or more competitive than Singaporeans. It is our system that makes them appear to be competitive by being cheapo. Most of them will be in the normal stream of our education system at best, even many of the so called super talents that came on board. You know what I mean.

Singaporeans are never xenophobic. They welcome foreigners even when they could hardly breathe and stressed out to tolerate the nonsense of the foreigners and their abuses. But Singaporean’s tolerance for foreigners is reaching a breaking point with their huge presence and their rogue behaviour, to even stealing jobs and discriminating against Singaporeans in their homeland. And many Singaporeans were even beaten up or shove around by foreigners. If nothing is done quick, xenophobia will raise its ugly head and things will not look pretty. The hospitality of Singaporeans has been taken for granted and kicked around by the foreigners with the authority turning a blind eye.

The new batches of foreigners are doing more harm than good to the city state, taking more than they gave, taking the better jobs, exploiting the citizens, and enjoying the great infrastructure and systems built by the Singaporeans. Other than the cheap labour and those in the construction industry that are really contributing to the growth of the country, the rest are pests, parasites, sucking the goodness of the country away that should rightly go to the citizens. There is no need for such a huge presence and if things are not managed properly, they will be driven away, by the people of the island.

Singaporeans are expecting the govt to give them everything! This is a fallacy, a false and misguided observation. It is the govt that is shafting everything to the Singaporeans in their face. The govt insisted on doing everything for the Singaporeans, making so many things compulsory, monopolising in many industries and trades, and making the Singaporeans pay and pay for things they did not want at outrageous prices.

Just think about it, especially people like Matilah Singapura, who could only look at things superficially. The Singaporeans will not do the country in. It is the super talents that will do the country in by their short sighted and single perspective policies.

Wow, I dedicated one whole article to Matilah Singapura’s fake intellectual construct and I did not do the same justice to people like Ngiam Tong Dow. Matilah must be feeling greatly honoured.  : ) Who is going to destroy this city state, definitely not the Singaporeans. They are incapable of even protesting for the wrongs they are living with, and being the suffering victims. Qualifications, this observation applies to the average and below average Singaporeans.

Traitor and betrayal are loose words

Lately the words like traitor and betrayal have been loosely popping out from people’s lips and also in social media. Anyone that has said things or done things that are perceived to be unfavourable to the citizens or country will be slammed with such a tag. It is not nice to be branded with such a title and neither is it good.
 
In the past, politicians too have been called traitors or for betraying their parties by speaking out against party policies or interests. Such hateful comments are not good for the victims and also reflected badly on the people who mouthed them. You don’t simply call another person a traitor or for betraying country and people loosely like some assholes accusing people of racism or xenophobia.
 
With the internet allowing more freedom of speech, oops, I forgot the govt also has to be merciful for this right of expression, more things will be said and more people are likely to be stuck by such wicked labels.
 
Ngiam Tong Dow has become the latest victim. Some has said it openly, some implied, some might said it behind closed doors. Ngiam Tong Dow was an establishment man. He held the highest office in the civil service, a top notch civil servant that rubbed shoulders with the power holders. He walked the corridors of power.
 
His latest revelation of some of the inner thoughts of our leaders and the antics of politicians and civil servants are not being taken lightly. It is very serious matter for telling ‘state secrets’ that were once privy only to the inner circle. Ngiam has in some ways retracted what he had said. Whether he regretted or not is a separate issue. It was a very uncomfortable confrontation and a very uncomfortable Ngiam. He spoke and looked like he was chastised.
 
Was Ngiam also been called a traitor, or for betraying the establishment for saying his piece? Or has he been accused of biting the hands that fed him? There is a conflict of loyalty and obedience. Should Ngiam value the interest of the country and people more than the interest of the party and establishment? Or did he betray anyone or any interest group?
 
Ngiam was first and foremost a civil servant, someone who is paid by taxpayers’ money. He was not paid by someone’s Ah Kong’s money. He pledged loyalty to the country. If what he said were for the good of country and people, he cannot be a traitor or be accused of betraying the people or country, or can he? Who is to judge him and to accuse him of such deeds if any? On what basis?
 
Even if there is a conflict of interests between country/people and party/govt, the former shall override the latter. The interest of people and country must supercede all sectarian and party interests. I hope no one will dare to cast such blemishes on anyone who speaks up for the good of country and nation, and people. Tio boh?

PS; Patriots and loyal citizens sound better and more appropriate. Tio boh?