More excuses not to return CPF money at 55

A blogger by the name of Gemini wrote an article on this issue and posted in the TRE. He/she quoted an ST article as THE good reason, and I repost a bit of it here,
 
Sunday Times, March 12, 2006  - Mistress island
 
Welcome to Pulau Amat Belanda, second home to many Singapore men who visit their ‘weekend wives’ there
 
There is an island near Batam that receives, almost exclusively, male Singaporean visitors.
When the men get off the boat, they pay 25,000 rupiah (about $5) to register with the security men. Their passports are checked, and details such as their names, IC numbers and Singapore addresses noted.
Then they head to the homes of their ‘weekend wives’, rooms rented in stilted wooden houses. This is Pulau Amat Belanda, 30 minutes by boat from Sekupang port in Batam, an island that is a red-light district all on its own.
 
Almost every male visitor to the Indonesian island has an ‘exclusive’ relationship with a woman there, to whom they give a cash allowance of between two million and five million rupiah ($350 to $900) every month to keep them from straying….

The reason to hold back the people’s life savings is because they kept mistresses, not because they lost their money and begging the govt for financial assistance. Let’s be very clear about the justification of Gemini’s rationale. It is the men’s amorous activities that justified holding back their money in the CPF. From the article, these men are rich and can afford it. Their scandalous lifestyle is not acceptable to many on legal, moral or social grounds, but is that a good reason to hold back their life savings in the CPF? Is this not a judgment call on moral grounds to keep the men from straying? Can this be the reason to be a blanket cover to hold all the men’s money in the CPF just because of a few sexy men? And can this be a blanket cover for the holding back of the CPF money of women as well?
 
This is really frightening. Imagine if the govt are made up of men and women who think like Gemini. The next thing they will do is to freeze the accounts of rich men and women in the banks. Come to think of it this is quite possible given that there are so many priests and priestesses among the few good men and women in power. And if such a reason is seen as good, right, logical, acceptable, I have many more good reasons to keep the men and women from withdrawing their monies in the CPF at 55. My list will be so long that it will fill a library and will take 56 man years to write them down. So I will spare you people the agony and time reading them.

Kopi Level - Yellow

My dad always there for me, says PM

If you want to know what is the meaning of ‘ho mia’ in Hokien, the title of this post says it all. How many people could say it at the age of 62? Hsien Loong is really so blessed. At this ripe age when he could be a grandfather, he still got a father above him and children below him.

Some would wish they could say the same thing at 50. Some would like to say the same thing at 40 or even 30. No, some will be very happy if they can say it at 20. KNN, some don’t even have the chance to say that at 10.

Count your blessing Hsien Loong. You have a damn good life to have a father that is always there for you at 62 and to be walking side by side with him as the PM of a country.  Maybe I shall not say count your blessings but share them with others. Many are not so fortunate and have to be their own father from very young, with no father to be there for them.

He is what people like to say, ‘ho mia kia’ or ‘chin ho mia’ When one is exceptionally blessed, it is good to share this blessing with others.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Retirement fund or fund for a rainy day

A blogger b said that the CPF fund is for retirement and not meant for a rainy day. This is a very simple way of saying what the CPF money is all about. It is for retirement. It is not to be kept forever like the nation’s reserves, waiting for that rainy day that may not come. Oops, our CPF is also classified as the nation’s reserve, so how? If it is the nation’s reserves then it is right to keep it forever for that rainy day right?

Can I say wrong? Everyone who contributes to the CPF never think of their savings becoming the nation’s reserves to be kept for a day when the country needs it, not you need it, it could be both. The people putting money into the CPF are very clear that it is for their retirement. A retirement fund is simple to be returned to them when they retired. When did they retire? It used to be 55. Then change to 60, then to 62, then to 65. What happens if retirement age is raised to 80? Possible, can? 100?

At this moment, retirement age is 65, I think. So rightfully the money must be returned to the people to use for their retirement. Tiok boh? Is the Medisave Account, with a huge minimum sum, a retirement fund? How did this animal come about? Why shouldn’t this be returned to the people when they retired? Or is this another fund to wait for a rainy day? If wait for rainy day, then cannot take out until the rainy day comes. If it comes, be grateful of this rainy day fund. But it may never come.

How many people put their savings in the CPF for a rainy day? Who changed the CPF from a retirement fund into a rainy day fund?

There is no point putting money into a retirement fund when you cannot take it out when you retire. It defeats the meaning of a retirement fund. Can anyone see the difference that I am making, or what b said? Is it so confusing? Who is still unable to make out the difference between a retirement fund and a fund for rainy day? A fund that you cannot take out when you retired is not a retirement fund.

Kopi Level - Yellow

AVA said food from Fukushima ok for consumption

During the recent visit by Japanese PM Abe to Singapore, he had talks with Hsien Loong and Hsien Loong announced that Singapore will lift the ban on food from Fukushima. Abe was so happy and thankful to Singapore.

There have been many reports in Japan and internationally about the effects of radiation on the people, animals and plants of Fukushima. Animals and plants are showing signs of mutations. Children are seeing a spread of symptoms of cancerous growth.

How safe will food products from Fukushima is still getting people the creeps. Is it a wise decision to lift the ban on food from Fukushima? I personally would not each anything coming from Japan.

Below is a series of my photopaintings of Japanese Koi. I called this Fukushima series in recognition of the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown. The mutated shapes of the koi have nothing to do with Fukushima or radiation. It is just a result of a method of photography that I have developed called the Art of RAR, or Art of Reflection and Refraction.

Irene Yap’s case, a follow up reported in ST

I just read the ST this morning and there is a report on Irene Yap’s case. According to Amy Khor, CPF is trying to help Irene to withdraw her savings. However, Rene still has to abide by CPF’s regulation, ie that she must leave a minimum sum or pledge her property to the CPF before she can take out all her savings.

What is this minimum sum that is being introduced by the CPF that effectively said the people owe the CPF a sum of money and if this sum is not placed in the CPF, either in cash or a pledge with a property, then a sum equivalent to the minimum sum must be kept in the CPF.

Two points to this, the first of course is why should a retiree be compelled to keep a huge sum of money with the CPF when he should be living his golden years and enjoying his lifelong savings? Oh, he must keep the money, a minimum sum that is growing every year and now about $200k, so that he would not be a burden to the govt in case he squanders his money with mei meis or in Batam. It is for his own good. The govt is so caring. See my middle finger? I can’t hold it down.

The other point is that Irene is from a generation that should not be affected by all the new regulations introduced before her time. The minimum sum should not be applicable to her and those of her generation and to several generations. It should not be applicable to everyone if one rejects this ‘govt is your father’ and has the right to keep your money for your own good idiotic reason.

The CPF is the people’s money for their retirement and how they want to spend their money in retirement is none of the govt’s business. Don’t give people the crap that if they squandered away their money who is to pay for them to live on? Not the govt for sure. This is not a welfare state. And do not insult the intelligence of the people to find their way to survive without the need to beg the govt for a meal in the hawker centre, foodcourt or the restaurant.

From Amy’s and CPF’s reasoning in the ST, they are all so willing to help Irene. But the likelihood of Irene getting all her money back from the CPF is as good as zilch. She must comply with the minimum sum requirements, ie a ransom that she has to pay to the CPF. Actually no, they don’t call it ransom. They call it for your good or for the good of the members that they must make the people pay out front inn the form of the minimum sum.

So Irene’s case is as good as close and Irene can kpkb till the cow comes home. Amy Khor and the CPF will be on their knees trying to help her. I am so touch, but the answer is still no. Because CPF rules say so.

Irene should pray for a miracle to get all her money back from the CPF.

Kopi Level - Yellow