We inherited our religion. Some times back, our forefathers or parents
were not religious. Then one of them decided to embrace a religion, be
it Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism or whatever, it
became our religion. Some have the choice to discard the religion and
change to another religion, some did not have that choice. Changing a
religion can be tantamount to a betrayal, becoming an outcast or could
even be killed.
Once a religion has been chosen, the whole lifestyle and thinking
process changed. The affinity to what is good, comfortable, familiar,
changed. The social and economic behavior and system also changed. In
this region, Malaysia and Indonesia are Islamic countries with varying
degrees. Indonesian polity is still secular while Malaysia is as good as
an Islamic state. Singapore is secular and rojak as far as religion is
concerned. The Philippines are more Catholic while Myammar and Thailand
are Buddhists. The attitude towards life changed.
The primary religious forces that are making a lot of demands on the
state in these three countries are Islam and to a lesser extent
Christianity/Catholicism. Islam has been the domineering force in
Malaysia and Indonesia and to some extent Singapore. Christianity did
surface now and then to contest their rights as a religious group but
nothing that unmanageable other than the Marxist Conspiracy episode. The
other religions are not so demanding on the state in their own ways.
What kind of countries or societies would these three countries turn out
today if the regional communities decided some time in the past to
embrace another religion other than Islam? I am not placing any
subjective views on the values or goodness of any religion but just
pondering what could have been when the first base was changed.
Imagine a Malaysia and Indonesia that are more like Thailand or more
like the Philippines with the accompanying life style changes, belief
system and culture. This is only a hypothetical situation that would not
happen but would have changed the socio political map in the region.
11/15/2013
11/14/2013
$4.3b for 5 km of marvel
The Marina Coastal Expressway cost the people $4.3b. Let me make this
number simpler. It is $860m for one kilometer of road. Or let me make it
more down to earth, it is $860,000 for 1 metre of road. Does this make
any sense to you? Can you appreciate what this mean?
OK, you live in a 5 rm HDB flat. How much does it cost you when you bought it? At today’s price direct from the HDB it can vary from $300k to $600k depending on the location. One can get a resale unit in one in the urban area for just about this price.
In other words, the cost to build one meter of the expressway is equivalent to one to three HDB 5rm flats. I think this is the bigger marvel than the 420m stretch under the sea. It must be great value. Some experts reportedly said this price tag could well be justified. They are not sure, I think.
Who can authorize the spending of such a big sum of money and what is the process before the project is approved?
I like the marvel part. We should build more marvels.
OK, you live in a 5 rm HDB flat. How much does it cost you when you bought it? At today’s price direct from the HDB it can vary from $300k to $600k depending on the location. One can get a resale unit in one in the urban area for just about this price.
In other words, the cost to build one meter of the expressway is equivalent to one to three HDB 5rm flats. I think this is the bigger marvel than the 420m stretch under the sea. It must be great value. Some experts reportedly said this price tag could well be justified. They are not sure, I think.
Who can authorize the spending of such a big sum of money and what is the process before the project is approved?
I like the marvel part. We should build more marvels.
China wasted opportunity to improve relations with the Philippines?
The typhoon disaster in the Philippines offers an opportunity for China
to win some goodwill from the Philippines Govt and its people by
offering more aid. This is the view of some commentators that China
could donate more to the victims instead of a paltry sum of US$200k. The
Americans coughed out US$20m, the UK 20m pounds and the Japanese
US$10m.
In my view, even if China would to pour US$100m into the Philippines, it would be money pouring into a bottomless shit hole. Tomorrow, after everything is over, the Philippines will be up to its monkey business and be a pain in the arse to the Chinese Govt again. And it would even attack Hongkong or Taiwanese fishing boats given a chance, arrest them, haul them to their islands and demand a ransom.
The Philippines Govt has placed its stake with the Americans and the Japanese and would not want to be on better terms with the Chinese. It is prepared to fight China with the Japanese and the Americans. China can forget about getting some goodwill from them.
Having said this, the human tragedy in the Philippines is a different issue and on humanity ground China may want to give a bit more. But don’t expect anything good coming from the Pinoys. If anything that can come from the Philippines it will be more provocations and more frustrations. To hope for anything positive is to be greatly disappointed and very painful when the Pinoys slam at China again.
Should China give anything more, it is like throwing some money to a beggar on the roadside and best to just walk away, don’t look back hoping for a smile or a gesture of thanks and gratefulness. The cards are stacked and nothing the Chinese Govt can do to change its relations with the Philippines.
Sometimes it is better to be less gracious than be stupid. Give only on humanitarian ground and don’t be an academic fool to expect something in return. The Pinoys have behaved like an irritating pest for too long and would not change.
In my view, even if China would to pour US$100m into the Philippines, it would be money pouring into a bottomless shit hole. Tomorrow, after everything is over, the Philippines will be up to its monkey business and be a pain in the arse to the Chinese Govt again. And it would even attack Hongkong or Taiwanese fishing boats given a chance, arrest them, haul them to their islands and demand a ransom.
The Philippines Govt has placed its stake with the Americans and the Japanese and would not want to be on better terms with the Chinese. It is prepared to fight China with the Japanese and the Americans. China can forget about getting some goodwill from them.
Having said this, the human tragedy in the Philippines is a different issue and on humanity ground China may want to give a bit more. But don’t expect anything good coming from the Pinoys. If anything that can come from the Philippines it will be more provocations and more frustrations. To hope for anything positive is to be greatly disappointed and very painful when the Pinoys slam at China again.
Should China give anything more, it is like throwing some money to a beggar on the roadside and best to just walk away, don’t look back hoping for a smile or a gesture of thanks and gratefulness. The cards are stacked and nothing the Chinese Govt can do to change its relations with the Philippines.
Sometimes it is better to be less gracious than be stupid. Give only on humanitarian ground and don’t be an academic fool to expect something in return. The Pinoys have behaved like an irritating pest for too long and would not change.
ANZ Bank doing the right and proper thing
I read about the case that Transitioning Org is taking up with MOM for
discrimination and unfair dismissal. Knowing that it is a foreign bank
and having preference to hire its own citizens, this is only to be
expected. Foreigners are only there to fill up gaps and short term
engagements when there is a temporary need by the bank. Every specie or
govt will have its first priority to take care of its own citizens. Only
daft govt will take care of foreigners first and its citizens last, and
deserves to be branded as traitors.
The only misgiving I have on this case is that it happened in our own soil. If this happened in Australia or NZ, it is PERFECTLY NORMAL. Every country is doing the same thing. Oops, my apologies, not every country. There is exception. What else can a foreigner expect? And foreigners in these countries knew and accepted this fact gracefully. Nothing to quibble about. But NOT IN SINGAPORE. You cannot have a foreign company doing business here, doing business with our citizens, taking advantage of our system, and to discriminate against our citizens. Any citizen that supports such a practice is a traitor or should be a resident of IMH.
The Sinkie that was unfairly dismissed is one of our top talents, a masters degree from SMU, GPA of 3.8/4, and has professional qualifications like PMP, Six Sigma and CISA. I bet even the CEO of the ANZ Bank did not have this kind of qualifications and maybe no one in the bank is as qualified as him. And they only offered him 2 year contract of employment in mid level management!
Short term contract employment is a bane in this expensive city. Every citizen has a very expensive mortgage to service and a family to feed and many commitments. Having to change job every two years with no certainty of landing another job is very stressful and unacceptable especially for a highly qualified Sinkie.
The govt must have clear policies with regards to employment of foreigners and citizens in this island for itself and foreign companies here. And the govt must set a good example that all ministries, stats boards and GLCs must practice the same employment policies as the ANZ Bank. Priority of employment goes to Sinkies and foreigners should be given short term contracts of employment and when a suitable Sinkie is available, maybe even slightly less qualified, the job shall go to the Sinkie. Forget about the stupid FCF, to give Sinkie a fair chance. The foreigners here don’t even give the Sinkies a fair chance.
And don’t disguise the employment status by giving the foreigner a pink IC and remove him from the statistics of foreigners. This is deception and the daft Sinkies know the dirty trick. Singapore must be for Singaporeans. All govt and GLCs must adopt the same employment practice as the ANZ Bank, but in favour of Sinkies and not foreigners. Doing the opposite is selling out the people.
The only misgiving I have on this case is that it happened in our own soil. If this happened in Australia or NZ, it is PERFECTLY NORMAL. Every country is doing the same thing. Oops, my apologies, not every country. There is exception. What else can a foreigner expect? And foreigners in these countries knew and accepted this fact gracefully. Nothing to quibble about. But NOT IN SINGAPORE. You cannot have a foreign company doing business here, doing business with our citizens, taking advantage of our system, and to discriminate against our citizens. Any citizen that supports such a practice is a traitor or should be a resident of IMH.
The Sinkie that was unfairly dismissed is one of our top talents, a masters degree from SMU, GPA of 3.8/4, and has professional qualifications like PMP, Six Sigma and CISA. I bet even the CEO of the ANZ Bank did not have this kind of qualifications and maybe no one in the bank is as qualified as him. And they only offered him 2 year contract of employment in mid level management!
Short term contract employment is a bane in this expensive city. Every citizen has a very expensive mortgage to service and a family to feed and many commitments. Having to change job every two years with no certainty of landing another job is very stressful and unacceptable especially for a highly qualified Sinkie.
The govt must have clear policies with regards to employment of foreigners and citizens in this island for itself and foreign companies here. And the govt must set a good example that all ministries, stats boards and GLCs must practice the same employment policies as the ANZ Bank. Priority of employment goes to Sinkies and foreigners should be given short term contracts of employment and when a suitable Sinkie is available, maybe even slightly less qualified, the job shall go to the Sinkie. Forget about the stupid FCF, to give Sinkie a fair chance. The foreigners here don’t even give the Sinkies a fair chance.
And don’t disguise the employment status by giving the foreigner a pink IC and remove him from the statistics of foreigners. This is deception and the daft Sinkies know the dirty trick. Singapore must be for Singaporeans. All govt and GLCs must adopt the same employment practice as the ANZ Bank, but in favour of Sinkies and not foreigners. Doing the opposite is selling out the people.
.Chronology of the Hacking Incident
The Messiah started his hacking adventure much earlier with attacks in
City Harvest and Sun Ho’s websites. The hacking activities intensified
after The Messiah and his group, Anonymous Collective declared war on
the Singapore Govt. Below are some of the dates and events that took
place.
28 Oct – AMK Town Council/PCF hacked
31 Oct – Video declaring war on the Singapore Govt
1 Nov – ST Online hacked with The Messiah accusing a reporter for misleading the people in her article, changing attack on Singapore Govt to attack on Singapore.
2 Nov – Many govt sites were down on ‘maintenance’.
4 Nov – The Messiah, James Raj, was arrested in KL, Malaysia.
6 Nov – Hsien Loong spoke that all efforts would be taken to track down The Messiah.
8 Nov – The PMO office and Istana sites were hacked and police reports made.
12 Nov – The Messiah and several others claimed to be members of Anonymous were charged in court.
26 Nov – Second hearing in court.
From the above chronology of events it is clear that after 4 Nov, The Messiah and the few arrested could not be involved in further hacking activities. The 8 Nov hacking into the PMO and Istana sites must be down by another group still out there. That is the only logical deduction, which also means that the hacking can start again.
28 Oct – AMK Town Council/PCF hacked
31 Oct – Video declaring war on the Singapore Govt
1 Nov – ST Online hacked with The Messiah accusing a reporter for misleading the people in her article, changing attack on Singapore Govt to attack on Singapore.
2 Nov – Many govt sites were down on ‘maintenance’.
4 Nov – The Messiah, James Raj, was arrested in KL, Malaysia.
6 Nov – Hsien Loong spoke that all efforts would be taken to track down The Messiah.
8 Nov – The PMO office and Istana sites were hacked and police reports made.
12 Nov – The Messiah and several others claimed to be members of Anonymous were charged in court.
26 Nov – Second hearing in court.
From the above chronology of events it is clear that after 4 Nov, The Messiah and the few arrested could not be involved in further hacking activities. The 8 Nov hacking into the PMO and Istana sites must be down by another group still out there. That is the only logical deduction, which also means that the hacking can start again.
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