Singapore’s political scene – We have a situation

Judging by the volume of anti govt diatribes in the social media, if it is true and reflects the sentiment of the majority of the citizens, the ruling govt’s days are numbered. It appears that they have outlived their welcome and usefulness. Their one trick economic policy of growing the GDP based on population increase and selling land and properties has reached a point of no return. Any curbs on population growth will lead to a collapse of the property market on top of other international factors, and will bring the majority of the people on their knees.

The cry of VTO or Vote Them Out is deafening. It is the cry for change. Is it real or just a few lunatics in the fringe beating their drums? Who is wiser? Assuming that it is real, that the next GE will bundle the PAP out, lock, stock and barrel, there will be a vacuum of leadership that badly needs to be filled. The country cannot go on without a team of able leadership on stand by to take over in such an eventuality.

We have a situation!

The various opposition parties are too small, weak and fragmented to assume political leadership on their own steam or even as a coalition. There is an urgent need for the opposition to come together, to be led by an able leader. At the moment there is unfortunately no one to fill this shoe. One of the activists and potential leaders, or available leaders, Low Thia Kiang, Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Chee Soon Juan, Tambiah, Kenneth Jeyaratnam, Chiam See Tong, Jeanette etc etc would have to stand up to be the ONE to lead the country in the event of a dramatic PAP KO. On the sideline there are Tan Jee Say, Tan Kin Lian or maybe Tan Cheng Bock or perhaps a few breakaways from the PAP that may rise to the occasion. Could he be the Chan Chun Sing, Tharman, or the return of Goh Chok Tong? Chok Tong is still young and has many years to go before he hits 100. Would any one of these politicians be able to rally the rest and the people behind him to form the new govt?

There is a crisis of leadership if the PAP falls in 2016. The possibility may be remote but not really impossible. It could happen. Maybe in time of crisis, some unknowns or dark horses could surface, just like destiny, to bring together the loose and disconnected political forces into a new force to lead the country. History often throws up true leaders or new champions as if a natural order of things. Singapore would be lucky if it happens quick and fast or it would be thrown into turmoil for lack of a leader.

We have seen such situations in the histories of nations. We are seeing a similar situation happening now in Thailand, when there is no anointed one to rise above the dusts to be acknowledged as the ONE to lead.

We have a situation and how would this be overcome? Who would be the ONE to lead Singapore into the next leg? So far no one is in horizon and this is bad.

PS, after reading the disinvite of Tan Cheng Bock, maybe he can be a good candidate to provide the glue for the opposition parties. We not only did not have an Anwar Ibrahim, we don’t have leaders who would take a step back for a bigger common good even if we can find an Anwar Ibrahim.

A time to face reality, we are just a red dot

“There’s no need to change [the ship’s name],” he told The Jakarta Post.
 
“The Indonesian government has its own rules, procedures and assessment criteria for determining whether to honor a person as a hero. This cannot involve any intervention from other countries.” 

The Today paper quoting Indonesian Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, Djoko Suyanto on the naming of an Indonesia frigate about two terrorists for bombing MacDonald House in 1965.
 
Our ministers have registered the govt’s concerns and respectfully told the Indonesians of the feelings of the victims’s families and ‘to consider the implications and consequences of the move.’ What are these implications and consequences? Obviously the Indonesians are not bothered with them. So?
 
What would be Singapore’s next move, or would there be any next move, or would the case be closed?
 
In a situation like this when our govt finds it necessary to put forth our objections, the reactions of the other party and our follow up actions will show what we are made of. Are we just a little red dot to be brushed aside or are we able to punch above our weight? If we can’t punch above our weight, it is best not to blow up matters that would not be beneficial to our interests.
 
We are in a little sticky situation now, aren’t we?

Shawn Tan - A man of 3 seasons

I would like to repeat this story of a man, full of himself, that visited Confucius to have an intellectual discourse with him. During his visit Confucius was having his meditation and could not see him immediately. So he engaged Confucius’ disciple on his theory of 3 seasons. He told the disciple confidently that there were only 3 seasons and not 4. They had a furious discussion and both could not agree obviously. To this man, there were only 3 seasons, but 4 to Confucius’ disciple.
 
When Confucius came to the room, his disciple explained to him what the commotion was about. Confucius nodded and agreed with the man to the astonishment of his disciple. How could that be when everyone knew that there were four seasons? After the man left, the unconvinced disciple confronted his master. Confucius explained that the man was like a kind of insect that lived only till autumn and would die before winter. In the insect’s lifespan it was good for only 3 reasons and would never know what winter was all about. And he was right.
 
My post on the interest rate for Medisave Minimum Sum received some ridicules from this Shawn Tan in TheRealSingapore site. Shawn Tan was confidently sure that I was talking nonsense on two points. There is a Medisave Account and no Medisave Minimum Sum Account. He was also very sure that the Medisave Account pays 4% interest rate and I got my facts wrong and posting rubbish without getting my facts right.
 
I just sent a reply to the CPF telling them that based on my statement in the CPF online record, the sum paid to me for my Medisave Minimum Sum was 1.92%. I got the numbers using a calculator. The amount of interest paid to my Retirement Account was 5.1%. Both numbers are facts, not guessing and have been sent to the CPF. Shawn Tan may choose to believe that I was talking rubbish still, with no facts or wrong facts. He is entitled to his belief.
 
In his post, he confidently said that there was only a Medisave Account and no such things as Medisave Minimum Sum Account. Let me quote from the CPF site on this.
 
‘What is Medisave Minimum Sum (MMS)?
 
The Medisave Minimum Sum (MMS) is the amount you need to retain in your Medisave Account (MA) for your healthcare needs. You may withdraw any excess Medisave savings on or after 55 subject to the applicable withdrawal rules after meeting the CPF MS requirement.
 
If you have set aside the CPF MS but are unable to meet the MMS requirement when you make a CPF withdrawal, you would need to top up your MA with all or part of the balances from your Special Account and Ordinary Account to meet the MMS prevailing at the time of withdrawal.
 
Since 1 July 2013, the MMS is $40,500.’
 
The MMS is only known to those who reached retirement age, or those who are in the know when what is left in the Medisave Account will be the MMS. For the young and not in the know, they will only know that there is a Medisave Account but no MMS. The quote from CPF site above explained clearly what MMS is. Let’s hope Shawn will understand that there is a MMS when he reaches retirement age. For the time being he can be confident that he is right, that there is no MMS.
 
A man of 3 seasons.

KRI Usman Harun - Indonesia’s Yasukuni Shrine

The Chinese and Koreans are incensed whenever the Japanese paid tribute to their war heroes enshrined in the Yasukuni Shrine. To the Chinese and Koreans, and this should also apply to all the Southeast Asian states, the war criminals in the Shrine were criminals and nothing else.
 
The Indonesian marines that bombed MacDonald House in 1965 killing 3 and wounding 33 Sinkies were terrorists as far as Singapore is concerned. To the Indonesians, the marines were their heroes. And they are naming a naval frigate KRI Usman Harun in their names to honour their heroic act.
 
This has drawn immediate reactions from Chee Hian, Eng Hen and Shanmugam who called their Indonesian counterparts to register our misgivings. The Indonesian stand, across their leadership, is consistent. It is their right to recognize their heroes who died in the course of duty to country even if it meant bombing and killing people in enemy countries that are now friends.
 
The KRI Usman Harun will be a rude reminder of what the Indonesians did to Singapore like the Yasukuni Shrine is to the Chinese and Koreans. We do not see or feel the significance of the Yasukuni Shrine and the visits by Japanese leaders to the Shrine and its implications. Other countries too would not understand or appreciate why we were aggrieved by the naming of KRI Usman Harun. It would become extra sensitive if this ship were to visit Singapore waters or if our naval ships were to engage in joint military exercises with the Indonesians.
 
Now we have a sore wound to rub with the Indonesians whenever KRI Usman Harun is seen or heard just like what Yasukuni is to the Chinese and Koreans. Maybe we can now appreciate why the Koreans and Chinese reacted that way and the mindset of the Japanese for their unfriendly and insensitive ways, like what the Indonesians are doing in this case.
 
No doubt they have the right to honour their heroes that are terrorists and executed by us after their attacks on our soil. The Indonesians have said the protest by Singapore is noted and the case is closed. Let’s move on.
 
How would Singapore react to this insensitivity of the Indonesians and our sensitivity to the act going forward? Should we erect two stones at the site of MacDonald House for Sinkies to throw stones at them?

The future is bright for Sinkies

Try reading the titles of the two articles below to get a grasp of the direction and the opportunities available for young Sinkies.
 
‘PM Lee assures young Singaporeans future is bright opportunities are plentiful – Singapolitics.sg’ and ‘Singapore government looking to encourage young Singaporeans to become carpenters with training and “rebranding”’. 

This is no joking matter, serious. It was reported from as far as China and by China.org.cn and I quote, ‘The NTUC, the Singapore Workforce Development Agency and the Singapore Furniture Industries Council also jointly launched a 3.5 million dollar program to train 180 carpenters in the next two years. The funding will cover their training and salary subsidies for employers. They are also considering efforts to rebrand carpenters as creative craftsmen to woo the young people.’
 
With the launch of this scheme they might bring in Chinese carpenters, oops I mean creative craftsmen masters, to train our young in creative carpentry. And this is not the first time ministers are talking about retraining our young. Some have been encouraged to become hawkers and crane drivers. Some have been encouraged not to pursue a tertiary education.
 
I wonder who Lucas Film are recruiting if young Sinkies are not encouraged to do tertiary education or IT related staff but to be hawkers and carpenters. I am too used to call a carpenter a carpenter and still have difficulties calling them creative craftsmen. There may be a rebranding of our hawkers to something like Tropical Alfesco Chef. Sounds great right? Hope it will be attractive enough to lure our young into making hawking a career.