A dynamic and vibrant chicken coop

The farmer stared blindly at the expanse of his chicken coop, every chicken was fat and cheery, the male chicken too. Then it struck his mind, why are the chicken not running around and cackling? Something is missing, lazy, lack of motivation, life too good? There is no life, a lack of vibrancy. They all seemed so contented, fat and contented.

After a few sleepless nights he came out with an idea to make his chicken coop more vibrant and his chicken behaving more like chicken. He sent a few orders overseas and a plane load of cocks arrived, red ones, brown ones, yellow ones, white ones and black ones. The farmer was very impressed with the athletic built of his new cocks. Some may be a bit skinny, but with their hungry look he knew they would perform.

He let loose his new foreign cocks among the local chickens. Sure enough the hens went wild like crazy, being chased around by the foreign cocks. And the local cocks were left out completely, unable to compete with the hungrier foreign cocks and their sharper talons. The whole chicken coop was wild with a new found vibrancy, and the cackling went on through the nights.

A few months later the noise in the chicken coop started to lower. The hens did not run around as often and started to put on weight again. The foreign cocks had grown a bit tired after having too much fun and too much of a good life.

He thought of another new idea to increase the productivity of the hens. This time the farmer brought in the big guns. No need too many, just a few foxes to chase the hens and the cocks around. This will make them healthier and increase their libido, and healthier eggs would be produced. The cackling was even louder than before and with intense vibrancy and with more shits all over the place.

After a while the noise went quieter again. The farmer could hear it from his ivory tower at a distance. Without putting his head out of the window, he decided to do something to get the vibrancy back again. The hens need to be productive to lay the golden eggs.

He did not know that the foxes not only screwed the hens and the cocks, they had them for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well. The lack of sound and activities were apparent but ignored, a few laggards managed to survive the ordeal. The farmer thought he still had a whole chicken coop with hens, cocks and the foxes.

He wanted more actions and brought in a few wolves into his chicken coop hoping to improve his chicken egg business. Sure, he heard the noise and the running around of the last few chickens and their cackling that were really dying calls for help. But the farmer was still sleeping, thinking all was well. With the wolves after the chickens, even the foxes would not stand a chance. They had high speed and high frequency appetite and could eat more. The wolves finally act up all the chickens in the chicken coop.

When the farmer woke up and found the chicken coop empty, he asked, ‘What happened?

JP Morgan hiring local talents

‘The US authorities are believed to be scrutinising the hiring practices of banking giant J P Morgan Chase in India, South Korea and Singapore following a probe into its activities in China regarding hiring children of powerful officials to win lucrative business deals.

A report in the New York Time said that the federal investigation into the hiring practices of JPMorgan Chase appears to be expanding beyond China into other Asian markets.

In a filing with Securities and Exchange Commission, the bank disclosed that the federal regulator and the Justice Department were now looking into "its business relationships with certain related clients in the Asia Pacific region and its engagement of consultants in the Asia Pacific region."’ Quoted from Business Today dated 2 Nov 13.’

Why would they want to check on their Singapore office? Singapore is one of the most highly regulated cities in the world and such things would not have happened here. We are not only famous for being a city that runs by the rule of law but also on meritocracy. Everyone is appointed to where he is based on merit. Period. This is the unquestionable truth in the city state.

What is interesting in JP Morgan’s hiring practice is to hire local talents in the country of operation. When in India they hired Indians, in China they hired Chinese, in Singapore they hired Singaporeans in top management, not in the backroom or for show. JP Morgan is a big MNC and finds it proper and wise to hire local talents with local knowledge to run their local businesses. This is only practical, logical, pragmatic and showing respect to the countries and people they are doing business with and making money from.

Where on earth can you find crazys hiring foreigners to run their local operations and rejecting their locals for no talents? How in the world could foolish people think that the foreigners are better to run their businesses with local customers and domestic market, culture, taste and all the idiosyncrasies? I found one, a Yong Tau Hoo stall in Queenstown. He wants to hire foreign talents. I will post another article on this.

Happy Deepavali

I was so busy socialising today that I almost forgot to wish our Indians happy Deepavali, or has it been changed to Tiwali. Anyway, I am still more comfortable with Deepavali, having grown up with this term for more than 60 years.

Cheers

The rich knows no bound

Come November 4 ERP gantries will have their fees raised from $5 to $6 a pass. That is two bowls of noodles or two plates of char kway teow. To the rich, it is cheap cheap cheap. To the not so rich, it is arrrgggh. Every pass is so painful.

But this is necessary as these roads are now clogged, like the drains and canals during a flash flood. You want progress, this is what you should expect and be paying. How high will the fees go up when we have 6.9m people here?

Did you ask for it, do you have a choice? No the choice has been made for you. You should be grateful that such tough decisions are made for you. It must have hurt those people deeply for having to make this decision. They must have sleepless nights and nightmares after voting for it in Parliament.

But they will feel good and their conscience is clear. They are doing it for the good of the people, yes, for the good of you and me.

Please say thank you. And thank God that it is not $10 a pass already. This is progress. Only with progress, with a growing GDP can the motorists pay this kind of gantry fees. Count your blessing that we can afford it and the charges are so affordable.

Strategy versus strategy – China versus India

Two Asian powers expanding their reach and influence into Southeast Asia. On the East there is China claiming the little rocks in the South China Sea with potential for oil. Just potential, but still quite good chances of striking some black gold. From the West there is India setting its eyes on the Jewel of Southeast Asia, a thriving and very rich little city with added strategic values militarily and economically.

While China is being challenged by several of the Asean countries, with the USA hiding behind them, India is in Singapore, welcomed and unchallenged. With CECA in her bag, India could literally transfer and transport whole cities of its industries and businesses and people into the island, legally. And with the agreement, it could even sue the City’s govt for trying to obstruct or delay the transmigration of its people and businesses into the City. There is no competition and no USA hiding behind to throw obstacles along the way.

As of today, unofficially, there are probably more Indian nationals in the City than the Indian citizens of the City. Combined they could be the second largest ethnic group in the City, overtaking the Malays. If there is no slowing down to the migration of Indian nationals, it is only a matter of time that ethnic Indians will be competing with the Chinese citizens as the biggest racial group in the island City.

The acquisition of this City will come along with all its riches, a thriving city state with all its assets, national reserves in the trillions, institutions and a well educated population. And most important of all, controlling a choke point in the sea route between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Controlling this strategic City is controlling the gate to the region and passage through the region. It is a master stroke, a master strategy many times more superior to controlling some little uninhabited islands in the South China Seas and risking wars with the littoral states and the USA.

Taking over the city state could be just a formality, if the islanders are happy with the arrangement or sleeping and without knowing what is happening until the rice is cooked. It would be a fait accompli, or a de facto ownership of the island, with the consent of the Sinkies of course. Quietly and stealthily, one business park at a time, one housing estate at a time, the acquisition is real and expanding.

The two Asian giants, each one setting eyes on expanding their control and influence into the region but aiming for different assets. Controlling and taking over the city state would be many times more valuable and strategic than the rocks in the South China Seas.