Training – Uniquely Singapore

When we were young, our parents pushed us very hard to study well, to get the O and A level certificates, then tertiary educations to get a diploma or a degree. Those who were able to, to go for post graduate studies to get the masters or the PhDs. What for? So that we can get a good job, a well paying job, to live better.
 
Many of the young are parents today and are repeating the whole cycle, pushing their children to work hard to get that coveted degree, to get a good job and to live well. And every course that we or our children are taking means a potential to upgrade, to earn more, to be more respectable and dignified. Isn’t that the objective and meaning for training and more training?
 
Today, many of the PMEs had attained that, many have had a good life, been there and done that. Now many have been retrenched and laid off. And the training cycle starts all over. At 55, 60, 65 or more, they will be sent for more training. This time the training is to downgrade, so that they can get a job that pays less, less respectable and less dignified. What is happening?
 
Singapore is the only silly country in the whole world that sent its PMEs for more training to downgrade to lesser skill jobs, to earn less. And this training phase is spoken freely like the only solution, the best solution they could think off to help the daft Sinkies who were professionals, managers and executives just a few years ago, or a few months ago, or a few days ago. Suddenly they are totally irrelevant, their skills and experience are irrelevant, they cannot find a job, even with a pay cut to do the same thing. They must be sent for training to be downgraded. And they have to pay for the training too, not free training mind you.
 
Ingenious isn’t it? Cannot see anything wrong with this silliness? We sent professionals, managers and executives for training for lower paying jobs, less demanding jobs, lesser skill jobs? And this is a big industry, training to downgrade.
 
This is truly uniquely Singapore.
 
PS. And these PMEs are being replaced by fakes or people with questionable degrees, skill sets and experience from God knows where. From the devil you know they prefer the devil they don’t know. Isn’t it tragic? Maybe that is the price to pay to have juveniles and imbeciles in charge. Come, come, more training for you.

Please stop the PME crap

The Govt does not have any responsibility or obligation to provide jobs for PRs and foreigners. Period.
 
The civil service, stats boards and GLCs have thousands of good jobs available. Just reserve these jobs for citizens and the PME problems will be solved immediately. The fear of entitlement mentality is non issue as the Govt/employer has the option not to hire the bad attitude and unemployable. Giving preference and priority to citizens is not an unconditional entitlement.There is also no problem with excessive pay for oldies. It is not necessary to pay the oldie PMEs in the millions or the same pay they used to draw.
 
A reasonable compensation, even a 30% cut, for the same job in lieu of the age and slowness of oldies would not be disputed. However, age is not a major determining factor in many job and how the employee should be paid as many could perform just as well or better despite their age. It is the health of the PMEs and whether they are able to cope with the demands of the job. A 90 year old PME could be healthier or more able than a 45 year old. But young and healthy PMEs should be paid their fair value for the job.
 
The Govt should do the necessary with respect to jobs in the govt service and GLCs for Singaporean PMEs. No more crappy excuses. The Govt owes it to the citizens. If the Govt still thinks that it owes the foreigners and PRs good jobs, then let the foreigners and PRs elect them to be the Govt. The citizens should elect a Govt that takes care of their interest and well being, and to provide them with good and decent jobs before offering the excess jobs to foreigners and PRs. Why should they vote for a govt that chose to offer good jobs to foreigners instead of citizens?
 
And stop the silly practice of giving good jobs to foreigners followed by a pink IC at the same time. This is cheating the citizens.
 
The Govt is of the people, by the people, for the people. The Govt is not of the foreigners/PRs, by the foreigners/PRs and for the foreigners/PRs. The people must remember this by hard and so must the politicians that are put into political office by the people. The people must know who and why they vote them to power. Make this an election issue in the next GE. Remember, whoever you vote to Parliament must be there to look after your interest, not the interest of foreigners.

Politicians must not betray the very people that vote them to political office.

Things that Obama cannot do

There are things that Obama or any American presidents cannot do, beyond their power to do, and if they dare to do it, they would not only be voted out immediately, they would be pronounced as insane. Constitutionally they cannot even dream of remaining in their office for more than two terms. This is totally out of question. The Americans would not allow it, would not allow any individual to be entrenched in the Presidency to abuse the authority of the position. They knew this danger two hundred years ago and their wisdom on this matter has never been in doubt. The corruption of men in power is so real and so scary.

There are other things that Obama would not be able to do. He cannot tell the Americans that their life savings, money saved over a life time, is no longer for them to decide how it should be used. The American Govt will henceforth decide for the American people how their life savings should be used, would be used and when they are to be returned to them, the rightful owners of the money. The Americans have no say in their money? Obama or any president trying to do it would be bundled out of the White House in no time.

Any American president thinking of doing it would be accused of insanity or suffering from bi polar syndrome. Or they would risk an assassination bullet in his head for meddling with the people’s life savings as if it belongs to the govt.

Obama would not be allowed to spend billions of American tax payer’s money as he likes, like using it to pay for the education of foreigners, to pay their expenses instead of spending the money on Americans without the consent of the American people, without informing them. He would not last his full term, not to mention a second term to do such a darn thing.

Obama would not be able to allow the reckless influx of immigrants to the US without the approval of Congress. He is still fighting for his life over his immigration policies to give amnesty to the illegal immigrants. It would be foolish for Obama or any American president to bring in foreigners to replace the Americans in good jobs in big numbers. He would be accused of being a traitor and sacked from his Presidency. I am sure the Americans reading this would nod their heads and shake their heads in disbelief if he did otherwise.

Would Obama dare to spend his time fixing his political opponents instead of running the country? No way. His ass would be kicked sore if the Americans know that their President is playing partial politics everyday to keep himself in power. Anyway he needs not try as the constitution would not allow him to stay on after two terms.

And Obama would not be able to write his own paycheck or the paychecks of his staff. If only he could do that, with the size of the American economy and his responsibilities on world matters, he could easily justify to be paid in billions, not in hundreds of thousands as he is being paid today.

Because there are so many limitations in his power, that could be the reasons why he is paid so much lesser than other politicians with practically unlimited powers. The more power a politician wields, the more he can pay himself and can do anything as he likes, as he is the law.

Poor Obama, poor American presidents.

Banker Harm Kar Chan says….

Dear value client,

I thank you for putting $1m in fixed deposit in my bank under your name for the last 50 years. I am glad to inform you that your money has grown over the years from the interests earned. The good news is that at your blissful age of 65, you are a millionaire and you should be smiling at the statements that I will be sending to you monthly, to make you feel safe that the money is still there and in your name.

The bad news, oops, sorry, I mean another good news, since you are happily retired and nobody would want to employ you, you would not have any more income from your employment. The bank is very concern with your financial well being as you grow older without an income. Our expert statisticians said you are likely to live beyond 80 years. And our expert statisticians have it all worked out that you would need so much money to live through your entire life, and what you have in your fixed deposit is just enough, ‘gum gum ho’.

We have implemented a ‘Help Our Customers’ scheme so that you can receive a monthly stipend from the bank, and you don’t have to worry about having no money for your retirement. You will have enough to get by.

By the way, this new scheme by the bank to help you live a good life without worries is compulsory. Your fixed deposit money is still your money but with this new scheme you will be entitled to a handsome monthly sum of $1,500 for the rest of your life.

We will like to assure you that your money is still your money and you will receive a monthly statement as proof of ownership. No one is going to say the money is not your money. You don’t to worry about that. But because we have been paying interest to your money, we have the right to devise any scheme that we think is good to you. We are very caring especially with your money.

Good bye. Please do not call us. Our decision is final. Please do not ask why you cannot take back all your money that is kept with the bank. I also dunno how to explain why you cannot have your money back.

Your kind and caring and honest banker

Mr Harm Kar Chan

7 digit pay is good or no good?

‘The high salaries of UK executives are "corrosive" to the economy, the High Pay Commission has argued.
 
The High Pay Commission was set up by pressure group Compass, with backing from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, to investigate boardroom pay.’
Vince Cable, Business Secretary, ‘said the vast disparities in pay were not good for society, and he would consider the proposals seriously…It's not right that we have the situation that's been happening over the last decade where we have vast extreme awards paid on completely unrelated to the performance of companies.
 
And that's not good for the consumers, it's not good for people who own the companies, it's not good for the people who work for them, and that's really got to be addressed.’
 
The counter argument by advocates of 7 digit pay like Richard Evans, president of PepsiCo in the UK and Irish Republic, would say, "If we want great people to come and work in the UK, given it's a global talent pool, we've got to be prepared to pay the amount of money that those executives can get elsewhere in the world."
 
Is this a problem? I think it is a matter of perception. If one agrees that collecting more taxes is good, then there should be no problem with paying more to the top talents. How can they not pay the top talents the market rate and risk losing them to the private sectors? Or is it the other way round, how to afford not to collect more taxes if govt officials are to be paid 7 digit pay? Would there be top talents being paid 8 digit pay?
 
Is the British govt justified to be concerned with 7 digit pay? Would they risk losing all their talents to countries like Singapore that are willing to pay 7 digit or even 8 digit pay, inclusive of bonuses and stock options? Or is that the reason why the top talents in UK are descending onto this island where paying 7 or 8 digit pay is normal, natural, to reward top talents for doing real and deserving work unlike what the British Secretary was saying, ‘paid on completely unrelated to the performance of companies?’
 
Maybe the British should send a team to study our system of 7 digit pay where the incumbents are chosen from a pool of top talents, local and foreign, and paid accordingly, every cent worth it as they really performed as top talents. Not a cent is wasted. And it is definitely good for the consumers, good for people who own the companies, and good for the people who work for them. Look at how well Singapore is run and how good it is for the people and good for the people earning 7 digit pay. No one is complaining and everyone is happy, accepting that the big income gap is normal and a good thing to have. Where got problem?
 
And yes, if we don’t pay them well they will be poached by other organizations and Singapore and its citizens will be in deep trouble. We have a meritocratic system and those who are paid 7 digits are deserving of their pay. It is a good system and working very well here. Is it sustainable? Where is the money coming from to pay 7 digit pay? I don’t see any problem as everything is just fine, working just fine.