VEP- Trying to understand the decisions

The VEP and Toll fees hike is turning into another mini crisis or pain among the transport operators and travelers on both sides of the causeway. When one hiked the other party also wants to hike. It can be Singapore first or Malaysia first, doesn’t matter. If Malaysia does it, Singapore’s standard reaction will be, we will match the hike.

For the party who made the first move, one can quite safely deduce that they must have done some homework, some analysis on the numbers and the reasons for hike. Let’s hazard a guess on the reasons why LTA decided on the fee hike. The first point is likely that the govt needs money and someone was told to look for more revenue sources. Can the CPF issue be a factor where some changes will take place to return some money to the people to appease them? A second reason is to relate the cost of driving on our roads with comparatively higher COEs that the Singaporeans are paying. A third reason, too many vehicles on the road and a need to limit foreign vehicles coming in. But this third reason is contrary to the need for economic growth, to have more economic activities, more people and vehicles in the island. Raising fees would definitely lead to lesser vehicles coming here if they could avoid it, lesser Malaysians driving in for leisure, and lesser Malaysians shopping here and thus affecting the Great Singapore Sale. Oh, GSS is over already I think.

A fourth reason, would this affect those Singaporeans buying properties or setting up factories at Iskandar? What kind of impact? Likely to be negative, but is it good or bad for Singapore?

LTA must have played with the different combinations on what would be the desired fee hike and the acceptable consequences. So lesser vehicles, lesser people coming in are acceptable trade offs for the increased in revenue. And if the Malaysians retaliate by raising fees on their side, even lesser vehicles and people coming in, but with a corresponding match in toll fee hike, the increased in revenue is good.

What would be the motivating factors for the Malaysians to do so? The first is political. KNN anyhow raise VEP to make Malaysian vehicles pay more. Must hit back to show them we cannot be makan or bullied. Another reason, well, using the political excuse will be popular with the people, but better still, can raise revenue also. This is like killing two birds with one stone. Can tekan the Singapore govt and appease the Malaysians. Got balls!. The third reason, or haven’t thought of, what if this leads to lesser Singaporeans coming into Malaysia? Would it affect the tourist dollar, would it affect the sales of properties at Iskandar and the bigger plan of turning Iskandar into a shining pearl? What about the ordinary Malaysians crossing over to work and the children taking public transport to schools? This last question going to be susah.

What both sides must have thought through would be the likely effect of choking up the causeway and the second link. People, goods and money will not flow so smoothly through these two links. It would definitely affect the economy the wrong way. It is like throwing a spanner in the works by both sides.

Why would the two govts want to do these things? In Singapore’s case, boh lui is a likely to be a big factor. For the Malaysians, it is like trying to fight a battle only to lose a war.

Kopi Level - Green

Ebola – Are we safe?

With our open leg policies, are we safe from Ebola? MOH said Singaporeans should not be alarmed as the transmission is by direct physical contact of body fluids. Also ‘there is low travel connectivity to West Africa, where the current outbreak remains limited to’.
 
Just don’t be alarmed, which means what? There is little connectivity from here to West Africa. But there are indirect connectivities to West Africa by travelers from all over the world. The disease is posing a health epidemic across the whole world. Every country is alarmed and raising checks and quarantining travelers.
 
Pray it doesn’t hit us. Our jam packed trains are not going to be very helpful if one joker is affected. Remember Murphy’s Law. Pray, pray hard.

PS: This is the scary part. 

'The incubation period of EVD varies from 2 to 21 days. Patients are not known to be contagious during the incubation period but become contagious once they begin to show symptoms which include sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain, joint pain, headache and sore throat. This can be followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, stomach pain, red eyes, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases bleeding. There is no vaccine or specific treatment for EVD.' Copied from a post in TRE.

Kopi Level - Green

The shifting and changing intolerance

We were once an immigrant country. We have the blood of immigrants. A stroke of luck, we became the owners of this island that we made it our home. We were generous to foreigners coming here. We welcomed them and extended our hospitality to them. Practically every foreigner who sat foot here went home in praise of our generosity.
 
When foreigners were small in numbers, when they came as tourists and just passing by, things were good for both them and us. They came to enjoy our little island paradise. We gave them a pleasant stay and a happy memory to bring home. They came and they left fulfilled.
 
As more and more foreigners came and stayed, things changed. We started to feel some annoyance and irritations in the beginning. But never mind, the govt said we should welcome them for all the good reasons. The govt did not tell us the bad reasons and the consequences of having too many foreigners living with us.
From rushing for a seat in the train, a seat in the hawker centre, we find that we had to compete with the foreigners for living space. Our space has been invaded. We need to share our space with the foreigners. The level of tolerance fell. They are becoming more than an irritant.
 
And more came. We suddenly woke up and realized that we had to compete with foreigners for jobs, for housing, for education, for the right to earn a decent living, for everything. The level of tolerance became intolerable. But we were polite, we bowed our heads, gave way to the foreigners. Many PMEs resigned to their fate to become taxi drivers and security guards. They deserved it as they had given up the fight. We gave way, we gave up our better lives and jobs to let the foreigners have a better life.
 
The foreigners were very nice people. When they were new, small in numbers, they were polite and a bit fearful of the owners of the land. They gave way to us, avoided offending us. Things started to change when their numbers increased, when they became familiar with the system and the docile owners. They started to get annoyed with our presence. We became an irritant to them.
 
They even ganged up to steal our jobs, our space, took our convenience for their convenience. Now they even discriminated against us, the owners of the land. They told us they were smarter, cleverer, and they were here to help us. They started to despise us. They thought they were superior to us, they have every right to be in this land of ours. We must give way to them. If we are not happy, they told us to move out.
The arrogance became rudeness, became offensive. They did not like us and did not have to like us. They did not like our presence. They even gave us the hostile stare in the trains like we should not be there. They called us xenophobic.
 
The foreigners are getting intolerant of us, the citizens, the owners of this land. The Little India Riot is not going to be the last. When they are big in numbers, there is nothing to stop them from beating us, from violence, from rioting, and worst.
 
The intolerance level has changed, the intolerance has changed side. They cannot tolerate our way of life, our cooking, our festivities, the noise we created. The foreigners, because of their numbers, and the docile and daft Sinkies allowing them to do as they pleased, are growing intolerant of us, the citizens here.
 
What’s next? Would they be thinking of chasing us away, the citizens, out of our homes, our country? Can you believe that? Threatening citizens, shouting at citizens and beating citizens? In the trains they would rush for the seats first, ignoring the citizens. They have become very comfortable here, too comfortable with the daft citizens. They can makan the citizens. The citizens must not offend them or else.
 
Welcome to the new 3rd World?

Kopi Level - Green

Gaza Massacre – All quiet on the Western Front

When China sneezes or stretches its arms or legs, the whole western media would be up in arms lashing at China for being assertive, being aggressive and all the jazz. The tirades of vindictive news and so called analyses would flood the front pages of western media, filled with hatred, contempt and vehemence and sting. All China did was to trade, to protect their territories against pesky little countries who came around scratching. And no one was killed or even wounded. But in Washington, the crazy trigger happy cowboys would be asking for blood, for sanctions or military intervention. Many Arab and Middle Eastern countries were victims of such western hatred against Asians and Africans. At the slightest excuse they would bomb them out of existence.
 
The Gaza Massacre has been going on for weeks, and the death toll has passed 1,000 and increasing daily and rapidly. Where are the bleeding heart western journalists and media and their cries to protect the weak, the innocent, the old and the young? Silence, total silence.
 
Israel can go on killing the Palestinians, but the western journalists and media will be very quiet. They just dunno what to say? So would the crazy cowboys in Washington. Killing the Arabs is normal. Israel is friend.
Where are the tough talks of sanctions, sailing the 6th Fleet into the Mediterranean as a show of force to stop the Israelis from massacring the Palestinians? Fat hope. They are in it together. The great White God would not move a finger to save or protect the coloured people. Let the killing continues.
 
God bless.

Kopi Level - Green

An American experience

This is an often quoted story of why the white Americans would move out of their neighbourhood once a black family moved in. It is stereotyping to a certain extent but it is a general rule other than the exceptions. The value of the properties in the neighbourhood suffered an immediate fall. No white Americans would want to live in a smelly slum, crime infested, and different social behavior or way of life.
 
The value of a neighbourhood is affected by the people living there. The value of properties in Bukit Timah and Tanglin will plunge if it is turn into a smelly slum akin to the US. The value of all properties in Sin City will fall if 3rd World people flooded the island and make this their home. The Singaporeans will just move out.
And you cannot expect the 3rd World people to retain the character of the island when they are in the majority. When they are small in numbers, they would comply with the current social norms and behavior. Notice the increasing litters, empty beer bottles all over the island? What happened to the clean garden city?
When they take over, their norms and behavior will be the new normal. Go visit their favourite haunts in the islands and feel that you are in their country and ask yourself is this what you want for your Sin City?
 
Your HDB flats would not be the same when the foreigners and foreign workers moved in. They lived under different norms, different comfort levels, different cleanliness and hygiene standards. The value of the flats in the block will be affected once the foreigners become a majority tenants. It will be like the American neighbourhoods. But they could move out. In Sin City, many could not afford to move out and would have to bear with the new normal brought about by the new comers.
 
From 3rd World to First World and back. Can we really remain as a 1st World city if half of the people here are from the 3rd World, with 3rd World social habits, cultures, norms and standards? We are even losing our clean and green image and the daft asses are blaming the Singaporeans for it. Progress?

Kopi Level - Green