11/05/2013

The mysteries of the Messiah

The Messiah has announced his arrival. He came from no where and is everywhere. Who is the Messiah? Is it the end time? Where are the signs? Are nations rising against nations, are there wars, famine? Are there wickedness? No one knows when will be the end time. But there will be false prophets and messiahs coming to deceive the people. Then again, like the days before the great flood, everyone was marrying and merry making and not knowing that it was the eve of the flood.
 

Who is this Messiah? So far there is only one claim while Anonymous hackers have appeared in several countries at the same time, in the Philippines and in Australia, and of course all over Singapore. Are they one and with the Messiah or imposters and opportunists or copycats? Anonymous Indonesia attacking Australia is presumed to be from Indonesia. Really? Could false flag be at work again?
 

The greatest mystery of all is the silence from the govt. So far no minister has said a word. Maybe they are waiting for Hsien Loong to say something first. The silence has led to many speculations, some very wild, that it was an internal job, a self inflicted wound to justify more controls and surveillance like George Bush did to the Americans. The perceived threat would be used as justification for more surveillance and controls and more clamping down or intrusion into people’s privacy.
 

This trend of though could be seen in the light touch of the hacking. No real damage really. And no need for any minister to respond, no need to sweat the small stuff. And the 19 govt sites that went down were really scheduled maintenance. And the sites that were hacked, Seletar Airport and Carpe Diem. Why would anyone want to hack a childcare if they were against the govt?
 

Or could it be the start of a bigger international crisis giving the sudden surge in hacking activities in the region and the emergence of a new force, the Anonymous Collective?
Does anyone know who is behind all the hackings? Would it remain a mystery and not to be discovered or be identified? Is the Messiah here? Has the Messiah arrived to deliver the people from their oppressed and meaningless lives as slaves to the economy of growth for the sake of growth with their lives getting worst than before as days pass by? 


Today is 5 Nov and is the day The Messiah has announced as the day of his arrival, or is it the end time, or a new beginning? Would anything big happen today? Would the sky darken, would the moon not give light, would the earth shatter and would there be earthquakes? Where is the sign of Jonah?
 

Where is the Messiah?

Invoking the Third Key

We had good govt in the past. They did so well that they could talk with great conviction and moral authority, and the people believed in them and were with them. To their credit, they built a big national reserve not withstanding that the bulk of the money are the people’s CPF savings. And it was seen as a right thing to do to introduce a Second Key to protect this reserve that is growing bigger and bigger every day. The people believe so too.
 

No future govt should be allowed to spend away this national reserve, and the President shall hold a Second Key to prevent this from being looted by a rogue govt. A rogue govt is something to fear about, our national reserve is at stake.
 

But the national reserve is not the only thing that a rogue govt can get their hands to or to do mischief. There are many big assets of the state that can be sold away by a rogue govt. Top on the list is land. This can be sold in many ways. Remember Christmas Island.
 

What could happen is that a rogue govt could sell off some of our islands and the Second Key may not be able to stop them. He could be too weak, or he could be in collusion with the rogue govt to sell the islands. Building properties exclusively in an island and selling them to foreigners, even with 99 year lease, is as good as selling the island away for 99 years. Cannot imagine if sold as freeholds.
 

What about selling away national assets or strategic assets? Should the Second Key be used to stop such sales in the name of national interest? The President is paid a huge salary and should be tasked to take on bigger roles and responsibilities.
 

What about bringing in big numbers of foreigners as citizens or PRs? Hypothetically, if our citizen population is 3m and 3m foreigners are brought in as new citizens or PRs, it is as good as giving 50% of the assets/country to the new citizens and PRs. They are brought in to share our wealth and our country. Should the Second Key be used to stop such acts?
 

A rogue govt can commit many acts of treasons against the citizens that we could not think of at the moment, and with a President in their pocket. Rogue govt can turn traitors to the citizens. And when they do, and if the Second Key failed to stop them, who else or what else can stop the looting?
 

The citizens of the island need a Third Key to prevent the country from being sold away by a rogue govt in collusion with a willing President as an accomplice. As the system is such, it is the govt of the day that appoints the President, in a way. Oops, the people voted for the Presidency. The probability of a rogue govt working hand in hand with the President is very high. Only a Third Key can stop this.
 

The Third Key is with the people, and the Third Key is the people. The citizens of the state are the Third Key and this key must be used in major issues affecting the state and the interest of the citizens.
 

The citizens of the state must use the Third Key on the issue of 6.9m population and on any matters that involved selling a part of the country away. It is time to invoke the Third Key. The citizens of a country cannot let 78 people decide their fate on a matter of such importance and with grave consequences. The people must know that they hold the Third Key and they are the Third Key.

11/04/2013

Where were the securities?

The woman that climbed over the barrier to pluck at the décor for the Kinetic Rain installation at Changi Terminal One was arrested and sent for psychiatric observation. The puzzling and unsettling part of this bizarre episode was that the woman could fall through the netting and kill herself, and that it went on for quite a while. It must have taken a few minutes for her to climb over, gingerly walking to the pick the décor, a bundle of them and one at a time, and gingerly walking back and climbed back to safety.
 

Where were the guards? Where were the securities?
 

I remembered an experience in the underground passage of the train subway in Seoul many years back. As a tourist and full of curiosity, and a camera at my hip, I innocently took it out and shot a couple of pictures. We didn’t have our subway then. Before I could fire a third shot I was surrounded by civilian police and escorted to the side. They appeared so fast that I didn’t notice where they came from. Such efficiency and alertness in security!
 

Fortunately my pink passport won the day. They politely told me no pictures were allowed in the subway. I smiled and apologized. They took the roll of film with them and everything was back to normal. They went their way I went mine.
 

With the constant threat of terrorist attack, it was strange and uncomfortable to know that the woman could do so many things without being stopped from the moment she attempted to climb over the barrier. Were there any security personnel around watching? Not very assuring, not very good to see this kind of things happening.

Yong Tau Hoo stall wants to hire FT

The Yong Tau Hoo stall in Queenstown called up a recruitment agency to help them find a foreign talent. What do you want a foreign talent for? Competition lah, I need to compete against the Yong Tau Hoo stall in East Coast. I need the talent of a foreign talent to give me clever ideas to compete lah. But you can get a Sinkie as your market is local and your customers are locals. No, no, cannot. Sinkie no talent. And they got reservist training, very ‘lay chay’. If I don’t hire foreign talent, he hire foreign talent, then I lose to him. Also if I don’t hire the foreign talent the talent can go to join him. Like that also no good for my business.
 

Who makes you think so stupid, oops, I mean strategic? I read in the newspapers lah. They reported that the talents are all over the world, global talents. If I don’t hire them my competitors in East Coast, Sengkang and Toa Payoh would take them to fight me. OK, don’t talk too much, get me one FT, angmoh the best. If no angmoh, an India Indian also can. I teach them how to make Yong Tau Hoo. Then I can feel good and sleep good, with a FT in my pocket.
 

You know how many global talents are out there? You recruit one there are still a hundred millions floating around you know. No mind lah. I got FT can oredy. Feeling so shiok. When angmoh come eat my Yong Tau Hoo, my angmoh FT can show face, look nice and got world class image. Swee swee.

Would Singapore lose its unique identity?

In an article titled, ‘Get ready for a formidable, rising China’ by Han Fook Kwang, in the Sunday Times, he laid out a possible scenario of what Singapore could become in the wake of a rising China. Han Fook Kwang talked about the three phases of China’s development as an economic and world power. The first phase is about economic expansion through trade and development. Unless Asean and the world could produce goods that are cheaper and value for money than the Chinese, their products will be sought after by everyone wanting value and utility. This will be followed by a second phase of soft power in culture through movies and the arts.

The third phase would be the use of Mandarin for communication. This is seen as a natural development when economic and social interactions with China are so widespread and pervasive that people, including Sinkies, would just use the language as a convenient and necessary tool. Then there will be no need for Speak Mandarin Campaign. Singapore will ‘lose its unique identity and become more like another Chinese city, not much different from the many cities in the mainland.’

Han Fook Kwan hoped that it would not happen but this cannot be ruled out. His theory is based on external forces and the rise of a new economic power that has such an overpowering presence to change the world and the Singapore’s identity. I have another theory based on internal forces that could change Singapore’s identity into another form.

The govt has put in place, top priority policies, to fill the islands with foreigners in the name of lower birth rate, ageing population and economic growth, and in the process, instead of replacement, to increase the population to 6.9m. We are seeing the influx of foreigners in great numbers over the last decade or so and will gain momentum in the coming years.

The foreigners are coming, the westerners, the Chinese, the Indians and those from Asean countries. The westerners are unlikely to make any impact. The three biggest groups are likely to be the Chinese, the Indians and the Pinoys. The Pinoys have grown to several hundred thousands from a handful overnight. But with the tightening of employment passes, their numbers are going to slow down a bit. The large bulk of the Pinoy maids would not turn them into stayers and changing of our demography less of a problem.

As for the Chinese, many would return to China like the Hongkies when their home country is growing in riches and opportunities. Singapore is not really their cup of tea except for a small group that are very wealthy and have reasons to want to stay away from China. The rest will return to China when they find making money there easier than here. China will draw them back.

The next biggest group of migrants is the Indians. They see Singapore as a paradise, a land of opportunities, many times better than India. They are coming here in swarms, especially the rich and the PMETs. They brought their families to stay, buying up properties in large numbers. And there is this Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, CECA, which provides a legal framework for the mass migration of Indians into the island. Their numbers have already outnumbered the local Indians and growing rapidly. The attraction of India for the near future is not looking that much attractive than Singapore for them to return. Singapore is the idea place to live and do business.

With both govts abiding closely to the CECA terms, the influx of Indians will become a dominant factor that will change the social economic fabric and the demography of the island. When the Indians become a majority in the island, Singapore is likely to take on a more Indian outlook and English will remain the dominant language for social and business activities. Mandarin would then become of lesser importance despite the growing presence of China in the international scene.

Would the external forces of a rising China over shadow the influx of Indians into the island provided by CECA, or would the latter be so domineering that it will change the demography of the island and prevent Singapore from becoming just another Chinese city? Anyway, both scenarios would definitely change the unique identity of the island, one becoming more Chinese and the other becoming more Indian. The probability of external factors to alter the identity of a country is less likely to happen than an internal factor that is a govt initiative and supported by two govts with an official agreement to see it through.