Singapore needs to monitor the 500 mile long Straits of Malacca

‘U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. hopes to pitch its high-altitude military drones to Singapore to help the city-state better monitor air and sea traffic at the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest trade corridors….
 
“The need to be able to have very long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability to monitor all that traffic… suggests that [Singapore] needs a…system that could stay up in the air for a very long period of time and cover a very large ocean area,” said David Perry, Northrop’s chief global business-development officer, at the Singapore Airshow.’
 
The above paragraphs were posted in TRE. Northrop Grumman is going to sell us a very good drone eye in the sky. My immediate response was why not, the more we can see, the further we can see, the safer it is for our security. If we can monitor traffic in the Indian Ocean and the East and South China Seas would it not be better?
 
After much serious contemplation, all two seconds of it, I think this drone from Northrop is not good enough. What we really need is an eye in the sky, like a series of satellites floating in space to monitor the traffic across the globe. Then we can even double as the Deputy Sheriff for the Empire. We can wear a badge and carry a big clout too.
 
And to add to our defence and offence capability we need at least two aircraft carrier groups, one for the Indian Ocean and one for the South China Sea. We have the money and can afford it. All these military weapons manufacturers only need to convince us on how good their weapons are and how great would it be to have these toys. Surely we need them just like we need the F35s.
 
What do you think, boys?
 
PS. A blogger by the nick of Expensive Toys made this comment in the same thread in TRE. ‘Northrop is selling its drone here because it believes in the saying: “A fool and his money are soon parted.” It knows PAP will by anything as long as it is considered high-tech.’
 
I strongly disagree. We must have the best and the most expensive hardware to keep our potential enemies away. We must make sure they know we mean business and we can back up by our hardware and anything money can buy to deal with them. This kind of feeling and confidence really damn shiok.

The Sheriff invites himself here

John Kerry, the US Secretary of State is marching into town in the capitals of East Asia and South East Asia to tell the regional leaders what is expected of them and their behavior. The USA has an interest here and the Sheriff will call the shot. Ignore at your own risk. At the moment the Sheriff is waltzing around with a wide grin on his face. When this fails to work, when the regional leaders do not toe the line, the next move will be to expose the gun tuck in his belt.
 
The regional leaders do not know how to behave, do not know what is good for them. They need the Emperor to think for them, and to back them up with the firepower if needed, to do what is right, according to the plans of the Emperor.
 
Indonesia better remember how they twisted the arms of Suharto during the Asian financial crisis. If they don’t behave, even haze can become an arm twisting excuse. Be afraid. And for the smaller states, be more afraid. There is free choice, freedom of choice, to join the Empire.
 
The Sheriff is really a very nice man. See, no guns. He comes in peace, to bring peace to the region that needs peace badly. Without the Sheriff around they will go to war over very silly things.
 
The Sheriff has invited himself here. Let’s welcome him for more peace in the region, and no arms twisting. Did he also take the opportunity to warn the Indonesians not to bully American allies in the region while he was in Jakarta?
 
What is clear is that the Sheriff did make the Indonesia to come up with a statement that they would not accept China’s ADIZ in the South China Sea. Actually this matter did not really concern the Indonesians but with the Sheriff breathing down their neck, they just have no choice but to do the Sheriff’s bidding. What the Indonesian failed to understand is that they would not have the backing of China or anyone should it decide to have its own ADIZ over the airspace facing Australia.
 
Anyway, whether the Indonesians accept it or otherwise, it was an unnecessary statement that the Chinese would simply ignore but would cost Indonesia dearly one day. It also forces the Chinese to want to declare an ADIZ to show the Indonesians and the USA to mind their own business in their own backyard.
 
Indonesia has cowered under the pressure of the Sheriff and this would undermine its image as a regional power to be. If it has to take the cue from the Sheriff, it shows how weak it is, and how it could be made to toe the line by a superpower. It is weak and does not have a mind of its own.

SMRT – a pledge by then Transport Minister Yeo Ning Hong

Someone took the trouble to sieve through the old newspaper and came up with a copy of the ST dated 9 Jul 86 with Yeo Ning Hong announcing the opening of the MRT. He said that ‘One thing was certain…Because the Govt will be paying for the construction of the stations and lines, fares on our MRT will be lower than fares in other MRT countries where commuters will have to repay the capital cost and financing of the construction of their systems…He pledged that the private company which will be set up to operate the MRT will not be allowed to profit at the expense of the public. The principle for fare setting was clear. Fares will be kept as low as possible, consistent with collecting enough revenue to meet the running cost of the MRT, replace parts and equipment regularly and provide company shareholders with a reasonable return.’
 
How far have the govt and the SMRT deviated from this original pledge with their new formula for fare increases? The cost of building the MRT was borne by public fund, not from the shareholders. The principles of lower fares, enough to repay capital cost and financing of construction should be fairly clear. The part about replacement of cost for parts and equipment is also not difficult to understand. Only the last part, provide company shareholders with a reasonable return can be subject to different interpretations. What is reasonable? From whose perspective?
 
What is interesting to note is that the current formula to adjust fare hikes which is directly linked to returns to shareholders does not include parts and equipment replacement cost and financing cost. The formula has been changing over the years with no reference to the original position and pledge.
 
Is the pledge another nice to have aspiration not meant to mean anything? What were the factors in the latest formula? The 2012 formula which was also used for the 2014 fare hike includes the consumer price index, wage index and productivity gains. There was no direct reference to replacement cost of parts and equipment or profits for shareholders.
 
Obviously the 1986 pledge was not in the radar of the Fare Review Mechanism Committee. The 1986 pledge and the principle of lower fares were no longer factors for consideration. Forgotten, not important any more, dumped into the waste bin?
 
Does it matter if the pledge by the former Transport Minister and the original principle are disregarded and ignored or discarded? Or they are actually following closely to those principles pledged by a past minister?

Kopi level - Yellow

Iskandar Economic Zone – early signs of things to come

Iskandar Economic Zone could be a very compelling story for Sinkie companies to relocate with abundant cheaper land and labour cost. Both factors were right up in the list of potential investors. Sinkies also could buy up big landed properties that they cannot afford in Sin City. Many have made the move and are happy with their decisions.
 
When these comparative advantages are gone, or even close to the Sin level, there is no reason to risk life and investment in Johore.
 
Just as the attractive story of Iskandar is capturing the imagination of Sinkies, all the signs of greed and impatience are rising to undermine this great potential. New rules and regulations, higher taxes and cost, higher land prices etc etc are oozing out from all the orifices. The risk of these getting out of hand and becoming incompetitive when the funds are sunk in is so high that many new and potential investors and Sinkie home buyers are getting cold feet.
 
What assurance that things will not go against these investors when the comparative advantages are wiped away in due time and the investments become sunk negative assets that can only be gotten rid of at huge losses like what happened a few years back?
 
Would the Johore govt think long term and make Johore a desirable alternative to the outrageously expensive Sin City? Or would greed and impatience and a short sighted policy kill the golden goose? Would history repeat itself and prove that Sinkies are just willing suckers that never learnt?
 
A property seminar was conducted last Saturday byMyPaper with three Malaysiann property experts giving tips on buying properties in Malaysia. Malaysia by all counts is a very attractive place to buy properties for own use or for investments. The only thing missing in the formula is political risk. This is getting more treacherous by the day.
 
In Today paper on 17 Feb there is an article on Utusan Malaysia warning the non Malays about crossing their limits for ‘insulting Islam, Muslims and Malay rulers…. It is because we are…too afraid to take action against those who have insulted Malays and Islam…it appears as if non Malays are the landlords and Malays are the tenants, immigrants and the minority in our own country….It is just a matter of time before the hornets who are attempting to defend their nerst against intruders will retaliate…Malays will not be so tolerant anymore.’
 
Though there were contrarian views by other Malay leaders about this paranoid and the fact that Malays are the absolute majority, controlling all the powers in govt and the military, such paranoid views are very emotional and can be hysterical and mobilized to turn the country upside down, with threats of bloodshed like in May 13.
 
Property hunters must not ignore this political risk if buying properties or investing in Malaysia. This political risk and threat are very real and imminent.

More records being claimed in Sin City

Yesterday’s media reported two more records, one is bankruptcy has reached an all time high. The second record is that the issuing of taxi driving licence has also reached a new high of 100,000. Just wondering if this is a good thing.
 
From the comments made, it is. Singaporeans enjoyed the flexi hours of this occupation. And they can be their own boss too. What were not spoken is that many could not find a suitable job as their jobs were taken over by foreigners. Many of them were highly qualified ex professionals that could be gainfully employed and earning much more as a corporate employee. And many would love to go back to the corporate world, to be respectable PMEs and not be drivers of foreign workers and maids and to carry their luggages and hoping for a good tip from them is they are nice to their passengers. And if they are unlucky, could be beaten up by the foreigners or scolded by the maids.
 
Driving taxi is now being seen as another good occupation like crane drivers, hawkers and carpenters. The best part, there is no need to waste so much money and time acquiring a tertiary education to be a taxi driver.
 
Parents would now have another attractive option for their children, as taxi drivers and be their own boss when they cannot find employment with their degrees and diplomas. Next time when on boards a taxi, it is good to address the taxi driver as boss, just like calling a bus driver as captain. It will make their day.

Kopi level - Green