A caricature of the Hong Lim Protest Rally

Last week end was the 3rd Protest Rally on the Return Our CPF series. This is going to be a monthly affair and the next protest rally is scheduled to be held on 27 Sep. As usual, as expected, the turnout is not going to be as good as the first Rally when more than 6000 turned up.
 
Last Sat my estimate was about 500. Some were happy to chirp in, see so little people turning up, so interest is fading. This may be so and may be not. Many have gotten the message and understood the issue involved. Not turning up does not mean giving up. And it is not cheap to attend a rally when transport cost is so high. The important thing is that the issue is being kept alive, burning.
 
The other stark observation is that the Return Our CPF Rally is turning out to be a strictly people’s affair. It is not organized by a political party and political parties are clearly absent in these rallies. If they would care to support, each party could send a couple of hundreds of supporters to fill up Hong Lim. No, it is the people and their money and the govt. It is non political in this sense. It is the people demanding for the return of their life savings and the govt would have problem if it tries to pin it down as a politically motivated affair.
 
Why the political parties are staying away from Hong Lim and Roy and associates is puzzling. They could at least show some support to the people’s cause and unhappiness. Their absence is so glaring. Are they abandoning the people to fight for themselves against the govt? What would they have to say in the next GE when the people asked, why were you not there to support us and fight for us when we need you? Why are you leaving us alone and let Roy, Hui Hui and Leong Sze Hian to lead and stand shoulder to shoulder with the people, and you are not around?
 
The Hong Lim Rally has its good points. I can see how Roy, Hui Hui, Leong and a few of the speakers getting all the training needed to speak in a political rally. They are being honed, and getting better and better. They would be crowd pullers in the next GE, if they stand. They have gained stature as the leaders of the people. No one needs to bestow them or crown them as leaders. They are natural leaders and have stood up when the people needed them. They are not paper leaders but real leaders of the people. They sing and cry with the people, selflessly, and not getting a single cent for it. In fact they may have to pay if the donations did not come in for the rallies.
 
Who are the leaders of the people? Where are the leaders of the people?

Kopi Level - Green

Do we have good leaders?

One of the key points made by Chok Tong recently is, ‘we have good leaders, good government, good harmonious relationship between people of all races, and between people and govt.’ How true is this? In the past this will become a convenient truth. No want would argue or rebut back. Maybe Catherine Lim would, but likely to be dressed down for being out of place, ruled out of bound. And the MSM is unlikely to put up any contrarian views. And it will be accepted as the truth because no one was seen or heard to disagree.
Today things have changed. Like Hsien Loong said, whatever happened, said, would be splashed all over the social media instantly and everyone can have a bite at it and chew it thoroughly before spitting it out. How many people would agree or disagree with Chok Tong’s comments depends on what they have been exposed to.
 
Let me just touch on one specific point here, good leaders. I am not going to define what good leaders meant. The academics can write hundreds of books on it. I will do the layman’s way. Good leaders can be good when the people said so. Good leaders can be good because the leaders said so. No agreements here for sure. But sometimes the twains do meet.
 
The academics may academically list out 101 criteria or attributes of what they think a good leader means. They too would not agree among themselves. Some may try to be objective and quantitative and list out a number of things that a good leader could have done and be assessed on. Some may go technical and designed programmes, profiling etc into computers to churn out their version of good leaders, with inputs and outputs.
 
Let me try a simpler way by asking a few questions. When a leader stands up to speak, do the people start laughing at him? When a leader starts speaking, do the audience fall asleep or start to walk out? Or would the people make funny remarks behind the leader?
 
I think answering these questions would easily put a leader in his right place, good or bad or simply a laughing stock or whatever. So, do we have good leaders?

Kopi Level - Green

Who is telling the truth?

Just a Sunday poser. Who is telling the truth and who is telling the lies? Or who is telling more lies than the truth?

Hsien Loong said in his NDR that the internet and social media are dangerous as they are spreading untruths or disinformation. This message has been circulating in the social media and everyone is talking about it. So, is the internet spreading disinformation? What about the MSM?

Which of the two, internet or MSM is more reliable?

YM Bank business philosophy

I went to my banker to withdraw my FD. Actually I wanted to renew as the interest rate was above the market rate. To my surprise, after being invited for tea, I thought he must be trying to show his appreciation for the long business relationship. You see, I have been putting my FD with this bank for more than 30 years, every year just renewing without withdrawing. It was a long term thing, for my retirement.

This time I did thought of taking up a small amount to do the things that I wanted to as I am past my retirement age and many physical stuff are no longer my cup of tea. What I did not bargain for was to be told by my bankers that he was worried for me. He shared with me confidentially that he did not think I would be able to hold on to my money and would likely spend them long before my last days on earth.  He then offered me his advice generously that it was best that I continue to keep my savings with him. I said fine but I would want to take out a sum to fulfil my dreams after a life time of working and savings.

Now this was not what I bargained for. My banker told me it was not possible. As my private banker, he was exercising the right to protect me, actually protecting my money from me. He said based on his judgement, it would be unsafe to let me have the money. He therefore unilaterally decided that he would use my savings to buy me a medical insurance and an annuity insurance so that I would be well taken care off in retirement with a monthly payout and also my medical needs.

I said how could you do that? He said well, he could and there was nothing I could do about it. I said that was a ‘yeh mun’ thing to do. He said sure, that’s why his bank is called YM Bank. And his bank has the licence to do as he thinks is the right thing to do, even decidingon his customers’ savings for safe keeping.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Pawn shop – a new concept

I attended the Return Our CPF Rally yesterday at Hong Lim. It was a very productive session, for me at least. I heard what Leong Sze Hian said about the different Home Buy Back schemes operating in other countries. This gives me a business idea. Like some bloggers used to say in my blog, smart Sinkies don’t waste time blogging but spend their time making money. These two thoughts were inspirations to my new business concept and a good one in making money.

There are pawnshops listed in the SGX. Nothing from Geylang so far but won’t be long before they got the idea and want to list their lucrative social service lubrication business. My idea is not of those kinds. My idea is a mix of business, philanthropy and social responsibility. We have all heard of the HDB Home Buy Back Scheme announced by Hsien Loong in his NDR. I think that was a good idea for those oldies that needed money. I would like to borrow his idea and go one further. I would want to start a new business that would do everything better than this govt scheme. What ever terms the govt is offering, this new business would offer better or at least match the govt’s offer.

This business concept is about setting up a string of pawnshops in all the HDB estates with only one product, ie HDB flats. Oldies or even younger HDB flat owners can pawn their HDB flats in my pawnshops with better terms and conditions. The age group need not be limited to the oldies. The types of flats need not be restricted to just 4 rms, 5 rms and bigger HDB flats we would also take. We will market it as a new lifestyle thing, chic and cute and definitely dignified.

The mission is to offer better terms and conditions to those HDB flat owners who want to pawn their flats for one reason or another. Not necessarily limited to retirement. This is not only to offer the HDB flat owners a more competitive option, but also as a kind of philanthropy work to help the citizens who are in need of cash. Now, would that be admirable, helping the people, offering them better terms to tie them over during difficult times, and doing a bit of charity? The thought of helping these people is so comforting and shiok.

The details can easily be worked out subject to approval by the HDB/Govt of course. Any angels or venture capitalists willing to put some seed money into this proposal? It is scalable of course and can be replicated in every HDB estate. It is also durable and sustainable in the long run as people age and have flats to pawn to meet their financial obligations.

I have registered and copyrighted this idea as mind. And I am waiting for interested parties to come forward to put in the start up capital. You know where to contact me.

Kopi Level - Yellow