Exceptionally talented politicians

Looking at the quality of life today, not the future, and comparing it with the pre independence era, material comfort is definitely incomparable. The convenience of life has improved tremendously at this point in time, putting aside the extremely high cost of living that is building up daily. PAP has a glorious past record and chalked up a lot of goodwill among the older generations. Until the year 2000, political analysts could have concluded that this party would go on and be elected for the next 100 years. As a political party, it has done very well to uplift the material comfort of the people, education, healthcare, safety and security, to the envy of countries around the world. The citizens really have very little to complain about.

And don’t forget it has so much money stashed away as the nation’s reserves. Just by spreading this money to the people to make their lives better would assure their reelection year after year. But that is not necessary. The money can be used to pay their top salaries and the salaries of those managing this money and the Sinkies would not care a damn, if only they stop squeezing them with higher housing, medical and the price to own a car. They have no reason, with so much money in the reserves to want to squeeze the people for their last drop of blood and leading to a lost of faith in their leadership. Funny thing is that they chose to do it this way.

In less than 15 years things have changed so dramatically. There is now so much anger against the party due to so many bad policies affecting the lives of the citizens, and going forward is really not looking pretty. Of course the PAP does not think so and still thinking it is doing all the right things and very proud of their achievements.

The opposition parties have been trying very hard to bring down the PAP, or at least challenging its dominant position in the polity but could barely make any inroads. But what the opposition parties failed to do, the PAP and its super talents did very well, to erase all the goodwill built over the years by the earlier leaders and creating so much negativity towards the party. The support of the people is at the lowest level the party has ever hit. It requires exceptional talents to do this, to self destruct, singlehandedly, without the opposition having to do much. This calls for really exceptional talents to do it so successfully.

The commonly acknowledged distribution of voters is 30% opposition, 30% PAP and 40% swing votes. This pattern has shifted quite ostensibly in recent years. The 40% middle of the road voters are actually for the opposition but voting for the PAP because they have no choice due to lack of good opposition candidates. But this is changing. The mindset is that any decent opposition candidate will do, will be better than top grade scholars and top earning professionals. It thus reads 70% for the opposition. Scary right?

What about the 30% hard core PAP supporters? This number is also shaky. Other than maybe 10% that would not switch come what may, the balance 20% voted PAP for vested interests. And if they think PAP is not going to serve them well, some of them may switch camps quite easily. They are political animals and only think of their own interests. The actual supporters for the PAP could be very small in reality and could be less than 30%. A big shift can happen anytime if the PAP is not careful. The PAP can no longer expect the people to be on its side anymore, there is no certainty like in the past.

 Thanks to the super talents in the PAP to bring the PAP to this sad state of affair. It is no small feat to do it. It is unbelieveable but the super talents in the PAP have delivered the PAP support to the opposition. They are making it so much easier for the opposition parties.

This is how I see it. Please feel free to disagree.

Kopi level – Green. Thanks.

The GE is imminent

Many are guessing when the next GE will be held. Given that this govt is only entering its fourth year in office, many are expecting the GE to be in 2015 earliest. There has been no precedence for the PAP to hold another GE anytime so early.
 
There have been signs that the govt is finalizing all the administrative matters for the next GE. The electoral roll has been compiled and finalized. A lot of goodies have been rolled out and a few more to complete the giveaways. The PAP MPs and ministers have been busy doing their walkabouts. Some bad policies have been moderated and some nice and humbling comments have appeared in the main media. Two things are waiting to happen before the game is set, the redrawing of precincts and the rolling out of new candidates.
 
For the latter, it has started. In today’s media, two PAP potential candidates have been named, a Chan Hui Yuh and a Kahar Hassan. It is likely that more new faces will be put up in the coming weeks. When this is done, announcing the new precincts is only a matter of days. Just watch the media closely.
 
The dreaded social media could be easily reined in with the new regulations in place and their voice muted if needed be. Now the big question, could the GE be called any time sooner, this year?
 
Do not be surprise as this would catch the oppositions with their pants down.
 
So, what do you think?

NKF has 8 years reserves!

Leong Sze Hian was quite disturbed by NKF’s 8 years reserves and still wanting to start raising more funds. According to Leong Sze Hian, in year 2013 NKF still had a surplus of $6.6m, not negative or drawing down from its reserves. Actually hor, the reserves should have another $6.6m added. Is this bad? The reserves as at June 2013 stood at a handsome $260m. The $6.6m will mean a growth of 2.5%.
 
Maybe Leong Sze Hian should look at it from a different perspective. As far as reserves are concerned, the more the better. Maybe NKF would want to target a 10 year reserves, or even a 20 year reserves. Maybe NKF could be thinking of turning its reserves into another SWF to generate more returns and be self sustaining like GIC and Temasek. When NKF’s reserves can be self sufficient then it would not have to raise funds in the future right? Won’t that be nice?
 
Another way to look at it, the reserves would need growth to look good. The right number would be a 10% growth, a little less than the SWFs. Growth is good for sure. Everyone wants growth, so it is normal for NKF to want to grow its reserves. And there could be more people needing dialysis from NKF in the future. And it is always good to be ready for that rainy day. These types of logics cannot be faulted right?
 
I think, to cover front side and back side, and every possible scenario, NKF should target to have a reserve of 30 years. Then everyone can sleep well at night just like our CPF, so much money after retirement. Die already still go a lot of money to spend. Jiat buay liao.
 
What do you think?

The Singapore Spinning Wheel

For those who have kept white mice as pets they must be familiar with the sight of white mice peddling furiously on a spinning wheel in the glass enclosure. When the mice are tired, they could hop off the wheel to take a break. It is a kind of exercise for the mice in a small enclosure. In some experiments, the white mice were entrapped and will run themselves to death.
 
Singapore is like a large invisible spinning wheel to many of its residents. Other than the super rich, the rest of the inhabitants would have to mount the wheel and keep running. Anyone who stops would fall off and may be squashed. The thing about this spinning wheel is that it must keep running on the steam of the residents and falling off is like falling into self destruction.
 
For the majority of the Sinkies, they would have to run on the wheel non stop for life, no retirement. There is no other option. And they are prepared from very young to be fit and strong, not lazy and weak. Everyone is born to run this race, and the govt demands more children to be put on the wheel to keep it spinning ever faster and faster.
The people that are exempted from this race are the rich and super rich locals, citizens or PRs. They are the privileged class that is spared this ordeal.
 
The not so well off foreigners are also brought in to run on the wheel to keep it spinning. The only difference, these foreigners could jump off the wheel and run back to their home countries, cashed out to live a life of plenty. They know what they are doing, they are willing to run on the wheel. And they know that when they have had enough, they sort of jump ship and say good bye to the wheel and those running on it.
 
The Sinkies have no choice but to run and run until they drop dead. They cannot afford not to run. And they have been told that it is also their responsibility to give birth to more babies to run on the wheel like them. No one is questioning the goodness of running on this wheel and the ever faster and faster speed needed. No one can slow it down. It is expected to run faster, not slower, a happy and desirable thing, a no choice thing, for the Sinkies. They are born to run on the unstoppable spinning wheel.

Kopi level- Green. Thank you.

Tan Kin Lian angry with LTA spending $68m on bus management system

I was very angry when I read the news that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has awarded a tender of $68 million for an intelligent bus management system. Link. The benefit to consumers is described in this sentence, “ With more accurate bus arrival information, commuters can better plan their journeys and travel options.”
 
Actually I have the same feeling when I read that but did not want to blog about it. Well, since Kin Lian is talking about it, might as well put in my 2c worth. One thing, $68m is just a bigger peanut. In this obscenely rich city, everything is about a few hundred millions or in billions. So what is $68m? Just add a few cents hike to the fare and it would be paid by the commuters. What is so big deal?
 
Incidentally I checked my MRT fare yesterday and found that it has gone up by 3c for my daily trip. I am going to check on this to confirm that there is an increase and to find out when it happened and why it was not announced. I need to confirm this evening with the machine. Anyone notice the increase as well? Please check and see if it is true.
 
The bus management system is not going to cost only $68m. You would need people to manage and maintain the system and add to the overheads of running the buses. There will be installation cost as well, or is it already included? Then the promotion and educating the public cost as well. How much more would it cost and how much goodness would it give or benefit the operators and the commuters? Or is it just another thermometer to read the temperature?
 
What would be the total cost for this great management system and is it really necessary? Many countries could run an efficient bus system without having to pay for such a multi million dollar management system so that the academics and analysts got more data to analyse. I remember about mapping the topo of the island to know where the next flood is going to be. Dunno if they paid for it.
 
But, what the hell, it is only $68m. All small change lah.