If Sinkies can’t make it here they should go overseas. There are plenty
of opportunities overseas. The world is your oyster. Now, if we have
built a paradise here, good living environment to set up family and grow
children, good jobs and pay, why would Sinkies want to go overseas? And
then let foreigners to come in to take over their jobs, live in their
houses, take care of their families, and take over the country?
What is the point of a owning a mansion when you cannot live in it? Go
overseas, by all means, to travel, to enjoy, to see the world, but to
work for a living and leave the paradise behind, or leave your family
behind? Going overseas to work must be not out of necessity but a choice
to experience, to widen the horizon, for the adventure.
Going overseas to work is different from going overseas to do business,
to sell products and services. Our companies, manufacturers, service
providers, should venture overseas to increase their revenue, their
profitability like Sembawang, like Capitaland, like Hyflux etc etc.
Chasing our people overseas to be employees is a stupid thing when jobs
are plentiful here and the living environment is good. Why must we hire
foreigners here and chase our citizens away, from their families, from
their homes and country?
Why chase our citizens overseas only to replace their absence by
foreigners that don’t really contribute much to improve the country but
to fill up the vacuum, to take their place and enjoy the comfort and
infrastructure built by our citizens…that were chased away? Whose bright
idea is that? I hear a lot of parrots parroting the same silly tune. Do
they know what it means, what are the implications to the lives of
these people who have to leave their families behind?
Do they know the implications to the future of this country? Do they
know that the country has been taken over by foreigners? One day they
might realize their folly too late when they returned to find their
country no more. Or they might not be able to return home any more.
They are the best talents available, the thinkers and planners. The wise men and women.
11/15/2013
If the region did not embrace Islam
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.
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.
11/14/2013
$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.
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