Singaporeans First Party

In the crowded political scene of opposition parties, the emergence of another new political party would definitely raised eyebrows. Any political watcher would have a lot of things to say, of doubts and doubts about the doubts they have created over such a party. I could have written another ten pages or articles to create a veil of uncertainties and smokescreens on this new party. I choose to look at it from its relevance to the political situation existing now.
 
Singapore is facing several very serious political changes that could turn into major political crises in the future if allowed to go unchecked. The most crucial change that Singaporeans are facing, I mean Singaporeans, no, I mean true blue Singaporeans, not the instant trees, and not the locals, is their decimation and eventual existence as an absolute minority in the country their forefathers have fought and worked so hard for, a legacy that would not be theirs to inherit.
 
What am I saying, true blue Singaporeans, ie, born and bred here Singaporeans are already an absolute minority today! This is a part of the statistics that is best left unsaid. What is worst is the fate of these true blue Singaporeans, their economical and social well beings. Are they getting a fair share, a bigger share of their inheritance? No? What inheritance? This is just an island and anyone who claims to be more meritocratic, who claims to be cleverer, should take over this island. It does not belong to true blue Singaporeans. It belongs to the people of the world!???
 
The children of the first wife is now being treated worse than the children of the mistresses, worse than the children of the stepmothers, worse than the children of unknown mothers, children of wild oats. And these children that have invaded their home, oops, not invaded but invited to the home, are bullying and discriminating the children of the legitimate first wife. Should the children of the first wife accept their fate, to be run down, to be ousted and booted out from their home? The newcomers and traitors are telling Singaporeans to get out if they cannot stand the heat.
 
Is there anyone championing the cause and the interests of the children of the first wife, the true blue Singaporeans? This is where Singaporeans First Party comes in. There is no political party in the island today that is standing up to fight and defend the rights and interests of Singaporeans as their main objective. They are all intoxicated by the silly mantra of meritocracy regardless of nationality. Or is it meritocrazy?
 
I like the ideology of the Singaporeans First Party spelt out in its manifesto. For the first time, a political party is using a loud hailer to speak for the interests of true blue Singaporeans, to fight for the interests of true blue Singaporeans without having to feel ashamed of it. The interests of true blue Singaporeans have been eroded over the years and must be stopped before it is too late.
 
I hope no one is going to stand up and accuse the Singaporeans First Party as xenophobic, as anti foreigners. And this Party is aware of this trick and has clarified that it is not xenophobic. Yes, being pro Singaporeans is not xenophobic. Only traitors or anti Singaporeans would say such a thing, to denounce Singaporeans for wanting to protect the interests of Singaporeans.
 
I wish this party well and to live up to its manifesto as a pro Singaporeans party. I wish all the other Singaporean political parties would take the cue from this Party to sing the same song. Singapore is for Singaporeans First. And I hope this Party would be able to work closely with the other parties to put up a good fight for the good of Singaporeans.
The Singaporeans First Party has its work cut out for it. It has a very crucial task ahead, to protect and serve the interests of Singaporeans first, not locals, not foreigners first.

Kopi Level - Red

Solidarity of opposition parties

Met Tan Jee Say yesterday and he confirmed that he was setting up a new political party. All the people present received this piece of news with mixed feelings. How is this going to help the cause of the opposition parties to unseed the ruling party, or at least to present a strong united front and to carve up more seats and GRCs for the opposition? The very thought of more opposition parties being formed always elicit the fear of vote splitting and weakening the opposition’s position.

Jee Say was quick to allay the fears of more splits and dilution of votes. He would not be a spoiler to create confusion and three corner fights. He will work closely with the other opposition parties in a united front, or at least would not undermine their common cause. We would have to see what really happens when the GE is announced. And there are always the wise voters to count on like in the Punggol East by election when the fight was a clear opposition versus the PAP and the irrelevant opposition parties would be abandoned by the single minded voters.

The fact that Jee Say attended the NSP fund raising dinner could be seen as a positive sign that he was willing to play ball and be a team player. And he was not the only one present. The WP, SDP, SPP and PKMS were also there with their top leaders showing support and unity in the opposition camp. For Low Thia Khiang, Sylvia Lim and Gerald Giam to attend the function was a good way to dispel the impression that the WP is aloft and would want to go it alone, ignoring the other opposition parties as inconsequential. For the opposition leaders to be seating together in the same table is a promising start, that at least they are willing to talk, to eat and drink together and be friends.

Opposition solidarity is the key to fight a successful battle in the next GE. If the opposition parties are unable to come together, or at least not to split and fight among themselves, the task to unseat the incumbent party would be that much harder. There are still many things that can happen as we close in on D Day, either this year or 2015. Would it be a serious battle with serious contenders, or would it be another circus with jokers popping up everywhere and in the most undesirable places to create more confusion? Let’s wait and see.

Kopi Level - Yellow

A time to repent

Many people go to church on Sunday. Some go to seek comfort some to confess and some to repent. The recent uproar on the development of the CPF schemes particularly on the retention of the people’s life time savings is being felt the wrong way by many affected CPF members. Many in the social media are speaking out on something they know isn’t right. And a young man, Roy Ngerng, is now in hot soup for stating his case too strong and rubbing Hsien Loong the wrong way.

The Govt has been making a lot of changes to the CPF schemes on the ground that they are the elected representatives of the people, the lawmakers and thus bestowed to the to make whatever changes they deemed necessary, all legally under the law. No MPs or Ministers have spoken firmly against the changes, presumably agreeing that there is nothing wrong with the changes. No one questions the legality of it all, assuming that everything done is legal as long as the Govt says so, absolutely legal.

From the aspects of ethics and morality, from the angle of equity and fairness, from the point of social justice, is there no wrong about keeping the people’s life time savings away from them and deciding what to do with them without their consent and changing the date of withdrawal, with some in the Medisave Minimum Sums that may not be withdrawal at all unless the member is seriously ill or hospitalised. Otherwise the money would go to his beneficiary without him enjoying it after saving it for a lifetime.

The silence or lack of objection by the Ministers and MPs is as good as all agrees to the changes, all supports the changes and all does not see anything wrong with all the changes. Many have voted to the changes, but many changes were not even discussed or addressed in Parliament. Whether the Ministers and MPs voted in support of the changes in the CPF Schemes or simply abstained, without saying no to the changes when they can, they are all in it, all in support of the changes, tacitly, reluctantly, grudgingly or willingly.

I am just wondering if any Minister or MP has any misgivings about the changes to the CPF Schemes. Do their conscience prick them when the people are kept away from withdrawing their savings on reaching the age of 55 and henceforth a higher age to be introduced over the years? Nothing wrong about it, nothing wrong with the meddling of the people’s lifetime savings against their wishes, without their consent? In all fairness and with one hand touching the heart, does anyone of them think they have the right to mess around with other people’s money, the money that people saved over a lifetime, to act as if they are the guardian angels vested with the power to do as they want, inventing more and more schemes while the people getting angrier and angrier?

Can these people sleep well? Or can these people say they have nothing to do with the changes, that they too did not agree with the changes? Can they be excused or be guilt free when they are the elected people’s representatives and could do something about it but did nothing? All 87 MPs and Ministers are saying yes to all the schemes or not saying no while they people’s money slips further and further from their fingers. It is perfectly ok to mess around with other people's life savings.

Kopi Level - Yellow

What is happening to our CPF savings

Roy Ngerng got into trouble with Hsien Loong over the issue of CPF savings. Though the pertinent point in his trespass was about an allegation of corruption, the origin came from the heated arguments on why the Govt is adamant to hold back the people’s saving for an ever and ever longer period. There is a perception, rightly or wrongly, that the Govt is unable to return the people’s saving when they hit 55, now not even that, but at 62, 65 or even later.

This return of the people’s saving to their owners has never been an issue up to some time in year 2000. The older generations have no problem getting their money back and thus it was a non issue. It started to become an issue after that with the problem and irritation increasing in momentum. For those in their 60s, not all were able to withdraw all their savings when they reached 55. But the sum retained by the CPF under all the new minimum sums and medisave schemes were bearable. They grudgingly took whatever they could and saw a small chunk of their money becoming untouchable. Some have no issues with the retention as they will get higher interest rate of 4%. Some were against the retention on grounds of principle that no govt should be allowed to use legislation to keep the people’s saving against their will. Compulsion is unacceptable and unethical even if the intention was good and the interest rate was higher.

Today, with the combined minimum sums hitting $200,000, this is no small change, the anger mounted. It is just too much to bear. And for the younger generations, they could expect the sum to go even higher with some projecting the sums to hit $500,000 in years to come, or more. Eventually, the net effect is that there is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow after a life time of intense savings.

The other troubling thought is that the Govt has mismanaged the funds and is now caught in a situation that it is unable to return the money to the people. Some even imagined that the CPF vault is empty. These are just perceptions of the people who have money in the CPF. The truth may be the reverse, that the CPF is full of money, safe and sound and could return all the money when due and there is really nothing to worry about. All the sleepless nights are unnecessary and a waste of time.

How then could the Govt convince the people that the money is safe and well? All the schemes to retain the people’s money, the shifting of the goal posts, are telling the people all is not well. You cannot blame the people from thinking so. Can the Govt come out and assure the people, with clear and unquestionable facts and figures to prove beyond doubt that the money is there? The Govt has to do something about this to quell the suspicion and loss of confidence by the people on this matter. Not explaining and clearing the doubts of the people will not do and will only increase the simmering unease of the people. Roy Ngerng and Han Hui Hui and all the speakers will have a lot of things to say and a lot of questions to ask at Hong Lim Park on 7 June.

If, ‘sway sway’, the suspicion is true, that because of the huge long term investments, the assets cannot be easily liquidated to repay the CPF members, or if what the people feared, that a lot of money had been wiped away by bad investments, and there is an urgent need to kick the can further down the road and hoping that the investment will turn good in the long run, it would be better to face the truth and tell the people about it. Living in denial when there is a big hole to patch is a bad idea. It is worse if, trying to live with a lie, the Govt continues to put on a false front that all is well, and can still afford to throw money around like a rich philanthropist. The Govt is very rich and can give and give and give, to the NSmen’s CPF, more subsidies, more funds to international organisations, more overseas investments like there is unlimited supply of funds in the Govt’s treasury.

If, I say, if, the situation is dire, it is better to start on a belt tightening policy and cut waste, cut wasteful spending on the unnecessary, throwing parties costing millions all over the world, non stop celebrations on every excuse to show that we have the money to spend, we are very rich but cannot repay the CPF members when due.

Until the Govt stop devising more schemes to keep the people’s CPF savings for as long as the Govt needs to, the people is going to see these schemes in a different light. The Govt needs a confidence building measure exercise to assure the masses that all is really fine. And one thing it can do is to stop all these schemes and start to return the money to the people. If it cannot do so, it is better to stop spending furiously on parties and to give generously when the people are asking for their money back.

What is the truth? Who knows? The people can only postulate, imagine or guess from the actions of the Govt and its policies on the CPF money. The ball is now in the Govt’s court. There is a lot of explanations and proof to convince the people not to worry. And it is not just about how good and well is the communication or the way it is said. It is about the hard truth and facts and figures, and nothing less. No PR exercise is good enough to avoid from telling the truth.

Kopi Level - Green

An easy solution to appease the unhappiness of NSmen

Front page news today on a slew of incentives to make NSmen feel appreciated short of a ‘love letter’ when love is in the air. Actually the solution is so simple and no need to have so many complicated schemes that mean really nothing. Money into CPF to be used to pay for what, no need to guess. One hand gives and another takes.
 
Everyone, especially NSmen and their families, knows how big the sacrifices are from an NSman to the country. It is a life time commitment and a life time irritation and disruption to their lives and the lives of their loved ones, provided nothing bad happens to them when performing their NS duties. No need to think about those being incapacitated or died in NS. No amount of money can compensate them and their families for the loss.
 
Can these sacrifices be equated to the sacrifices of ministers? Our ministers all claimed to have made big sacrifices like earning lesser than they should be earning, and all the bad publicities, no privacy, no time for family and children and so many other things. Like so ‘charm’ like that. The sacrifices of NSmen may not be more but definitely not lesser than the few years of great sacrifices of the ministers and their loss in multi million dollar incomes.
 
If this is noted and recognized, then the solution is very simple. There is no need to pay the NSmen millions as compensations like the ministers. Just pay them market rate like a hundred thousand will do, graduating with their level of contributions. Of course this is day dreaming and foolish talk. Cannot use money as an incentive lah! Joke only can? Money incentive is only useful to attract super talents to become politicians. But, but a simple solution like this can solve everything right? And it is so easy to administer and with one stroke of the pen, nearly all the problems will be solved, all the grievances will be passé.
 
Isn’t it all about money? If everyone is thinking about money, about millions, NSmen must also be thinking about money right? Tiok boh? You talk money, want more money, NSmen stupid or what?

PS. So shiok to be talking cock.

Kopi Level - Green