Roy Ngerng – More than $70,000 raised in 4 days

This episode started out as a defamation suit by Hsien Loong against blogger Roy Ngerng. To Hsien Loong and his legal counsel, Davinder Singh, it was just a simple case of one person claimed to be wrong and seeking recourse in the courts of law.

Roy Ngerng knew he could not afford the hefty legal fees and sought help from the people. The ferocity and speed that Singaporeans rushed forward to stuff money into Roy’s hands to pay for his legal fees are telling a different story. It is no longer a legal tussle between the Prime Minister and a young blogger. This is looking like the Prime Minister taking on a blogger who is backed by people that did not like what was happening and what they saw. They knew that Roy would not stand a chance against Hsien Loong in this case. They knew that Roy would lose but that did not deter them from throwing their money behind Roy. They knew the money would not win Roy the case. But this is not about winning or losing in the courts of law.

This is no longer about David and Goliath. This is about social justice and more. This is about the CPF money of the people and the ever increasing minimum sums and when they are able to get their money back. It could also be about a people losing faith in the PAP Govt and its style of politics.

Hsien Loong would win the defamation suit hands down and could claim all the monetary compensation he wants. But there is a very heavy price to pay for it. The people are going to bankroll Roy and would pay for his legal fees as well as the damages demanded. There are enough people with Roy, and you can even say against the Govt. A legal victory for Hsien Loong could result in irreparable political damages to him and the PAP that would not be easily undone. It could deal a fatal blow to him and the PAP’s chances of winning the next GE. As a political observer, I think this development is very serious, like a spontaneous uprising, and would affect the fate and viability of the PAP as the next Govt. The lid of oppression has been lifted.

Can anyone feel the ground shaken, like the shift of the tectonic plate? Never in Singapore’s political history since independence had the people been so united, so committed to a cause, to close rank behind a single citizen on the wrong side of the political equation. In the past, such individuals were left to fend for themselves, all alone, and the people watched on the sideline like uninterested spectators. None of their business.

The people supporting Roy are no longer the usually meek and daft Sinkies, apathetic and disinterested, that the Govt was familiar with. There is conviction, there is purpose and there is passion, to pick up the cudgel to see it through in defence of not only a young man but for a bigger cause. Not only they want their money in the CPF back, but more.

Could Hsien Loong and the PAP see what is coming, or would they think this is just another flash in the pan incident that can be ignored? It is only a matter of good communications and everything will be back to normal! Any wrong move on the part of Hsien Loong is going to lead to a road of no return, and PAP may not regain the trust and support of the people for good. This could be PAP’s final act before the next GE. It could be an act that would seal the fate of the PAP.

Is there still time for Hsien Loong to pull back and recoup the losses, change the course and to do some damage control, and hopefully still have the majority of the voters behind him and the PAP? Or is my assessment of this episode too overly pessimistic, too dramatic and there is really nothing to it, nothing political? And there will be no harm to the PAP and to Hsien Loong’s political fortune at all.

Am I reading too much into this? What do you think?

Kopi Level - Green

Contributions to Roy Ngerng’s legal fee hits $50,000

This morning I read that the donations to the cause of Roy’s legal fee have hit $50,000 in 3 days. This shows that Singaporeans are willing to stand up to fight for a cause they believe in, in this case it is not only about defending a young man but also about the fate of their CPF money.
 
The contributions are still pouring in and are likely to go beyond the $70,000 target. This is the spirit of true blue Singaporeans, the type of Singaporeans that disappeared into Sinkies but rising and standing on their feet and putting their money where their mouth is. The Singaporeans are standing behind Roy, to support the underdog in a worthy cause.
 
That’s the way to go. For every Singaporean that contributed, there must be tens or hundreds or thousands also in support of this cause. After all it is their money they are defending. The turnout at Hong Lim this Saturday is likely to exceed those that went to support the protest against the Population White Paper.
 
It is interesting to see how many would be there to fight for their CPF savings. This could be the Kopitiam Movement that is taking shape, a spontaneous cry of the people never seen before.

Kopi Level - Yellow

The wisdom of saving for retirement

Many people worried about not saving and providing enough for their retirement. So die die must make sure they will have enough money when they are still alive at 90 or 100. Lets assume that a person needs 200 packets of chicken rice to live during his economically active and younger life. And lets say he needs another 200 packets of chicken rice during his retirement.
 
Case 1. A is wealthy and has 2000 packets of chicken rice. He sets aside 500 packets of chicken rice for retirement. Very comfortable retirement I should say and would not affect his luxuriously lifestyle in his youth.
 
Case 2. B has 400 packets of chicken rice. So setting aside 200 packets for retirement not a problem and would live happily ever after with no drop in his standard of living during retirement.
 
Case 3. C has only 300 packets of chicken rice. He can either set aside 100 packets for retirement and live normally. Conversely he can set aside 200 packets for retirement but tighten his belt a bit for an easier retirement.
 
Case 4. D has only 200 packets of chicken rice. He can set aside 100 packets for retirement and stinge a bit now. It is like living with half a stomach full now and also half a stomach full during retirement.
 
Case 5. E has only 100 packets of chicken rice but needs 200 packets to keep his stomach full. So how? Live with half full stomach and leave nothing for retirement or set aside 50 packets for retirement and live with only a quarter full stomach now and a quarter full stomach during retirement?
 
Case 6. F has only 50 packets of chicken rice to live on. Barely enough to survive. How to set off for retirement?
 
Then comes the do gooder. Everyone must save for retirement. It is compulsory. Everyone must have 200 packets of chicken rice for retirement. Case 3 and 4 must set aside 200 packets for retirement. How much they are left with is not the do gooder’s problem. Case 5 and 6 must set aside all they have, 100 packets from Case 5 and 50 packets from Case 6 for their retirement. If not who is going to feed them. And Case 5 and 6 would need to top up the balance to 200 packets when they have more incomes. Tomorrow is more important than today.
 
I remember a Buddhist teaching about today and now. Today and now are the more important and precious moment, for tomorrow and the next moment one could be dead. The philosophy of saving for tomorrow is to have a lot in the future is more important than being dead now. Always look and plan for tomorrow, even if it does not come.
 
The intention is good. And all of them will have a good retirement up to 90 years old with no worries, provide they are still alive. Those who have not enough to eat now, just too bad. They must go and find their own way to feed their hungry stomachs.
 
What happens if they die at 60 years old? Well they will leave behind a lot of chicken rice uneaten while in the case of Case 5 and 6, they were hungry while setting aside the chicken rice for retirement but never live to enjoy them. They could have filled their stomach while alive or at least half filled their stomach when they could.
 
Should they thank the do gooders for helping them to save for their retirement and suffered while in alive, while in the prime of their youth and not enjoying a single packet of the chicken rice they were forced to set aside.
 
What do you think?

Kopi Level - Green

Cash is King

‘My mother recently suffered a heart attack. She was hospitalised and a stent was inserted into her heart. The resultant hospital bill came up to about $18,400.
 
My brother and I have more than $90,000 in our Medisave accounts, but only $3,950 could be deducted from my brother’s account as this was the maximum amount allowed. We had to pay the remaining amount of more than $14,000 in cash….’
 
The above were the introductory paras of an article ‘What good is Medisave if you can’t use it when you need it?’ by a Danny Tseng posted inn TRE. Danny and his brother had to pay cash to settle the bill. It was like they only wanted cash and money in CPF/Medisave was not acceptable. Actually not. Money in the CPF is limited used money, not money that you can use freely. It is money good on paper but not when you want to use it. This accentuates the saying ‘Cash is King’. Trust the value of your cash. Other forms of money are funny money, money but when you need it, becomes elusive.
Now you understand why the govt is encouraging people to put in more cash into their CPF or their parents’ and spouses’ CPF? The Govt also believes in cash. Give me your cash and I print some numbers in your CPF statements and guarantee that the money will be there, very safe.
 
Which one is more useful? Which one is more real? And ‘sway sway kena’ a case like Danny’s mother with a huge medical bill then you cry and curse yourself for putting more money into your CPF/Medisave.
 
Be smart, keep your money in cash so that you can use it when you need it. Money in CPF/Medisave will only make you smile when the monthly statement arrives. Don’t be a daft Sinkie.

Kopi Level - Yellow

The rogue of WW2 wants to protect its former victims of barbarity

Abe has offered Japan as the peace keeper of Asia, to protect East and South East Asians from the rise of China. Japan was the barbaric invaders of Asian countries, looted their countries, colonised the people, raped their women, murder their young and old. But some Asian countries seem to have forgotten the depraved and cruel acts of the Japanese and are welcoming Japan to be their protector, or at least two countries have openly said so other than Vietnam and the Philippines.

And the gangster of the world, the USA, with its disgraceful records in the Middle East, in conducting regime change, invasion, in bullying the Arab and Islamic countries, also declared itself as the protector of Asian countries that include many Islamic countries. And these Islamic countries actually welcome the Americans to be their protector as well, against a western hyped expansionist China.

To the Americans, China is a provocateur for building structures in its islands in South China Sea. China is not supposed to do so as long as there are other countries putting up silly claims against its territories. The countries that made outrageous claims are not provocative. Countries that sent its ships to ram China’s oil rig are not provocative but peaceful. Countries that blatantly arrested Chinese fishing boats are not provocative. Countries that claimed Chinese territories as theirs and scrambled jets to intercept Chinese civilian aircraft are not provocative. Countries that sent their spy planes into an area when other countries are conducting war games are not provocative.

China has not invaded any South East Asian countries but their major trading partners is provocative and aggressive. Countries that colonised and robbed these countries are peaceful and friendly and reliable as the protector of their former victims.

How silly can South East Asian countries be? It is as good as sleeping with the murderers, robbers and rapists once again and feeling very safe. What is happening to this world? A country that had its entire naval fleet sunk without any declaration of war is kissing with the country that it dropped atomic bombs into its cities. Or put it another way, a country that suffered two atomic bomb hits is kissing with the country that dropped the atomic bombs. And both are telling the silly Asian countries that they are peace loving countries, to protect them from countries that had never invaded them.

Kopi Level - Yellow