SG50 - Money, money, money everywhere

For the first time, the Govt seems to have so much money to throw to the people. And everyone is saying the GE is around the corner. That is a side issue, what matters is that the Govt is giving and giving and giving. Every citizen is getting something from the Govt directly or indirectly. And the Govt does not stop there. It is also throwing money to the PRs, the so called locals or residents but not citizens.

How can the people not be happy? How can the people not be having second thoughts not to vote for the ruling Govt? This is a Govt that is giving money to the people and no one knows how much more it is going to give to the people and when will it stop or will it ever stop.

It is SG50, a time for celebration and you cannot celebrate without money. So the Govt is going to stuff money in the pockets of the citizens. And everyone is happy that no one bothers to ask, where is the money coming from, whose money is it that the Govt is giving to the people? Would the giving be so excessive that it would kill the goose that is laying the golden egg.  Would the Govt get carried away with so much money to give as if there is unlimited money available?

The people’s money? Who says that? The money the Govt is giving the people is the people’s money and it is just returning some to the people to make them happy. It is one of those too good to be true story. And when something is too good to be true, should not the people be wary? What’s next? The budget must be balanced, what the Govt is giving out must be within the budget and if not enough or over spent, then the Govt would have to take it back somehow, from someone or from somewhere. The Govt cannot simply print money to give away without having to account for it.

Where is the money coming from? Whose money is it in the first place? When Lily Neo was asking for a few dollars for the needy, the govt or someone was unhappy. Now, the rich also got, the poor also got, the non citizens also got.

Like that also can. Why give money to the non citizens? You know how many of them will be getting something from this SG50 celebration? The Hokiens say, ‘Cheng hu chin tua kang’.

Lily Neo, this is the best time to ask for more help for those under public assistance scheme.

China versus India, everything wrong in China but everything right in India

I was reading this article, ‘A rising India poses a threat to China – but not just yet’ in the Today paper on 18 Jun by YooLim Lee and William Mellor. The main point in the article is that everything in China is wrong, the Chinese are doing everything wrong, and are faced with mountains of problems. In India, everything is right and everything is going for India, with a pro business Modi calling all the shots and India would be overtaking China in a matter of time. And they have a lot of evidence to prove their points, no guessing stuff.

Under ‘China’s headwinds’, China’s economy has slumped to 7% growth rate,  their strategies are misfiring, one child policy leading to lack of cheap labour, the economy depending on cheap and low priced exports, govt spending on infrastructure gone to waste through corruption or building ghost cities. China is desperately trying to transform its unbalanced economy but will be very bumpy and create many losers. The perpetual hope that China will prop up its economy is misplaced. There are big concerns on China’s huge debt and deficit. In other words China is doom.

In India, the economy is expanding and its growth rate ‘will be 7.5%’ after India revised the way it calculated its growth and changing a 4.7% growth into a 6.9% growth. And there is the able and pro business Modi opening up investment of railways to foreigners for the first time though China has opened the whole country since 1978. And Modi also ‘raised foreign ownership limit in the defence and insurance industries to 49%  from 26%...scrapped diesel subsidies and pledged to unclog transportation and build cities.’  Impressive.  Modi is also as tough as Xi in tackling corruption by supporting a law for prison terms up to 10 years.  I think China either executes corrupt officials or imprisoned them for life. And Xi has arrested more than 100,000 corrupt officials. Modi would soon be starting to arrest some corrupt officials too.

While all the evidence is pointing to a crumbling China losing its way and messing up its economy and India is doing all the right things to catch up, the article also pointed out a few funny statistics. China’s economy is US$10 trillion compares to India’s US$2 trillion. China has been growing at average 9.8% since 1978. And even if India were to grow at 8% and China slowed to 7%, ‘China will still create another three Indias before the decade is over.’

The duo forgot to add that Xi has another 8 years to run his China while Modi may be voted out in 3 years time. They concluded that despite all the wrongs in China and all the rights in India, ‘At the end of the day, the China India rivalry is no contest on most fronts. In economic clout, military might, geopolitical influence, literacy, health, life expectancy and even sporting prowesss, it will be an unequal competition for years to come.’

While they quoted a Morgan Stanley analyst, Ruchir Sharma saying China may not even be paying attention to what is happening in India and the so called challenge, as ‘China’s strategic game is much bigger’, the two still concluded that ‘India’s rise presents one challenge China’s Communist Politburo may find impossible to match…India’s very existence is an example to third countries that they can be democracies and grow. ‘  The 3rd World countries will thus be blessed to have the India and China growth and development models to choose from.  One has succeeded but full of problems and another full of aspirations and full of hopes and full of promises and aspiring to be successful. Shall I add full of ‘no problems’?

Chinese goods are chopped, ‘Made in China’. Modi is trying to sell ‘Make in India’ goods.  See the difference?

More ministers must go on leave

We have sent many delegations overseas to learn from other countries their best practices. We have sent several ministers to Japan to learn how they take care of their seniors. So many ministers have gone on study and education trips and nothing much heard from them after their return, as if nothing was learnt. They must have learnt a lot but may not want to brag about them. There is so much humility in these learning trips for our super talents to be learning from lesser beings. It is abnormal for multi million dollar talents be learning from lesser talents being paid a pittance.

What is more interesting is that Hsien Loong did not go on a study trip to Japan. He was on leave, on holiday. And he learnt something useful for Singapore. He went on a cycling trip on a disused railway track in Kushiro, Japan. So sad that he could not find a good bicycle track to cycle in Singapore. And eureka, something good came out from it, a brilliant idea dawned on him. Our disused railway track can also be converted to a bicycle track for cyclists. See the numerous advantages! For the cycling community, they would finally have a track of their own, safe and very long and exciting. And if they were to line the track with blossoms all the way, it would be an amazing sight for the cyclists.

Imagine cycling for miles and miles of orchids, then hibiscus, and the next change could be cannas, and then lantanas, ixoras, cassias, flame of the forest, maybe tulips and daffodils also.  But be careful on this. Singaporeans have this craving for planting everything in a plot and you will be seeing a jungle of different flowers that you can’t make out what is what, just like the integration of foreigners from all over the world on a piece of rock.

And the cyclists would be safe from the dangers of our narrow roads with bulldozers and fast cars and irritating motorists. Children and grannies can all participate in this spot. And not only for leisure, people can go green by cycling from the North to the South and vice versa, to and from work. What a great idea!

And this idea came practically free, while Hsien Loong is on vacation, paying for everything from his own pocket. I think this is more productive than sending entourages on study and learning missions on Ah Kong’s money.

This gives me another good idea and I hope Hsien Loong also got the same inspiration. No more study and learning trips. Ministers going overseas to learn are unlikely to learn much on official trips. It is the relaxing mood of a vacation that the creative juice will flow and they can learn more. Maybe an incentive is to pay them for any great idea they brought home after a vacation. Those going on overseas cooking trips would definitely have plenty to share and can be rewarded.

What do you think? Should we encourage more ministers to go on leave and be productive?

Open letter to CEO Loh Boon Chye

The most important question everyone needs to know about computer trading, algo and HFT, with computers of external agencies plugged into the SGX system to gain access to information that other investors did not have, to be able to use high speed computers to trade ahead of the masses, would these advantages be construed as unfair trading like having insider information? And if the use of computer trading to gain access to information not available to the rest of the investors is a violation of the SGX’s principle of providing a level playing field, and is a violation of SGX’s by laws, should these still be condoned? Is the SGX in breach of the bye laws?

If the answer is no, then by all means continue to allow the computers to be plugged into the SGX. If yes, the new CEO should not want to be a party to it as it is only a matter of time before SGX is sued for this breach of its bye laws. As the new CEO, it would be prudent to review this practice and confirm that there is no breach of any bye laws. If this practice is wrong and not stopped, then the new CEO would also be culpable for allowing it to continue under his watch.

Is computer trading a violation of SGX’s mission, principles and bye laws on fair trading practices and insider trading? Are the rest of the investors put in a disadvantage position because of these computers in the system?

Amos Yee – A miraculous medical discovery!

I am not sure if this discovery is good news or bad news. According to a survey, its finding is that Singaporeans would not have heart problems anymore. Singaporeans would also not have heart diseases. There will be no need for heart transplant ops as well. The heart surgeons and specialists are going out of job and would have to migrate to other countries where they could find patients with sick hearts. Even $8 open heart ops would be a thing of the past.

What is this miraculous discovery? Shhhh, they have discovered that Singaporeans did not have a heart! They have tested many of them and it is double confirmed, no heart, no heart beats. They cannot feel pain, they cannot feel any emotions. And when you tell them to touch their hearts they would look very lost. Where is my heart? Some may even asked what is a heart? Is it a good thing to have a heart or not?

There is also a theory that this Amos Yee episode was an elaborate set up for a very important mission. The next GE is around the corner and will be a very important one. And they are trying to find candidates with a heart. So this exercise was created to see if there are people who would stand up to show that they have a heart. Only those with a heart will be selected to stand for election.

Oops, no? So what should it be? Oh, sorry, my mistake. They are looking for candidates that can be tough and can make tough decisions. And in order to pass this hurdle, you need candidates that don’t have a heart. Only those without a heart can be unemotional and calm in decision making, would be considered for the next generation of leaders. Those who have a heart need not apply.

What is going on? Touch my heart, I swear, this is pure fiction, hallucination.  I must have been drinking too much water from the tap.