New tourist attraction – The Pride of Paradise Island

‘We have all seen them – the elderly folks who toiled away at our food centres such as hawker centres, coffeeshops and food courts, cleaning tables, collecting dishes and sweeping floors.

They have become such a ubiquitous feature that we hardly notice them anymore.

But even so, sometimes certain situations we witness still raise questions about our society and how we treat these folks.

At about 10pm on Saturday night, Ms Jenny Quek was at the Kopitiam food court at Vivo City. The unusual thing about what she witnessed was the number of tables which were littered with used and uncollected dishes – and that there was only one elderly cleaner toiling away trying to do her best to clear the tables.

Ms Quek took a video and posted it online:’


The above is posted by Andrew Loh in the TRE. Though the content and description of senior citizens at work was not treated as a glorious thing, I will take it as a difference in opinion. In some quarters, the opportunity for senior to work is a great privilege and a very desirable thing. It gives them financial independence and the dignity to enjoy what they are doing without becoming a burden to children and the state. I cannot quarrel with this view either. It sounds so logical and noble and I am won over already.

I think this is one of the great policies that keeps Singapore thriving and the envy of the world. The old folks of the world would love to be here to enjoy the opportunity and the dignity of financial independence. PMETs must be very encouraged by this since many found themselves redundant, unemployable by the time they hit 50. Now other than driving taxis they can look forward to a new career till 80 or more, working as cleaners in the food courts. No diplomas or degrees needed.

This is an Uniquely Singapore thing, old folks working happily and integrating with the young people, and making themselves useful instead of wasting their time away. I don’t think there is another country that will buy this philosophy of working their seniors to the last day as part of their retirement privilege. No need to worry about not having enough savings to retire. And no need to withdraw their CPF savings and can watch their savings grow and grow and grow.

The govt should table this as a paper to the UN for consideration and for praise. And the Tourist Board can promote this as the newest attraction in Sin City, a near miracle. Come to Sin City and see how our old folks are happily working to serve the young people in the food courts. It is a social symbiotic relationship that reduces wastage of human resources to near zero. And there is no need for retirement savings or retirement funds. That is why they don’t have to withdraw their CPF savings and letting them grow in the safe custody of the Govt.

To make it more interesting and participatory, the Tourist Board can conduct a Spot the Happiest and Oldest Cleaner Contest and tourists can also participate. The business in the food courts would be good. And if the prize money is big enough, Changi and the airlines would also be making big money as well, with eager tourist coming to see our happily employed oldies. And instead of sending our ministerial delegations to learn from other countries, other countries will be sending their delegations here to learn how we treat our senior citizens so well.

The old folks are very rich, with a lot of savings in their CPF, and very happy. See how dignified they go about cleaning tables and dishes. There is no thought of retiring to watch the sunset.

Politicians scoring brownie points

The AHPETC case has given the politicians a lot of opportunities to score brownie points. And they appear to be quite successful and some were even thinking that the Aljunied GRC is going to return to the ruling party. Excellent jobs for the goal scorers.

I am wondering why the opposition MPs are not trying to score points on bigger issues using the same premises and arguments? There are issues like CPF, Aims, TC funds, GIC, Temasek and even issues like Roy and Amos that could arouse some emotions on the ground. But the bigger question is whether the ground will be moved by these issues or the AHPETC issues. Are the voters looking at these issues on the grounds of facts presented and how clever the arguments are? 

On the other hand, given that voters are emotional and unpredictable and at times daft when they did not do the right thing, would the voters be looking at the current controversies objectively? Or would they look above the skirmishes and at the intent and motive of the tussle. If it is the intent and purpose that they are looking at, what would be the intent and purpose of the fight? And if they could figure out the intent and motives, that it is all about politicking, would they see through all the hypocrisies and vote according to what they perceived the issues were about and not as they were told? 

And if they are looking at the intent, how would they perceive the politicians politicking for the sake of politicking instead of trying to serve the people? Intent and motive are very important factors in judging what the issues are about and not the issues themselves. If it is so simple, then the outcome of the next GE would be so predictable. 

Sometimes people vote for or against a party or candidate based on the spite factor rather than a simple right or wrong or good or bad. Sometimes too much of a good thing could turn bad and nauseating.

Has the ground shifted because of the AHPETC issues? Has the ground shifted because there are other more important issues that were swept under the carpet or not spoken about?

Indonesia concerns about security issues with Singapore

‘A non government organization has filed criminal charges against State Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno for authorising Indonesian communications provider Telkom to build a data centre in Singapore, which is partly owned by Singtel and would host Indonesian government data…it had no issues with the data centre serving corporate clients, but that its proposed hosting of Indonesia’s e-government services violated state intelligence and electronic communications laws. “What we’re reporting about is the sale of state secrets,” Mr Gigih Guntoro, director of the Indonesia Club…’

Why is Indonesia so concern about such practices? Singtel owns 60% of the joint venture? What Indonesia should do is to buy over Singtel and have full control over its operation. Singapore’s policy is that everything is for sale. Singapore tried to buy the Australian Stock Exchange too. So the Indonesians can always buy over Singtel and all issues of state secrets would be solved by employing Indonesians to run Singtel.

Singapore is an open country and it is in the process of internationalizing everything, starting from private corporations to govt link companies. Do not be surprise if ministries may also be internationalized. There are already foreigners working in them. The security of the country like manning entry checkpoints have already been outsourced and manned by foreigners to check on Singaporeans returning to their country. Big govt linked companies are run by foreigners, and to by pass the sensitivity of Singaporeans, foreigners are issued with pink ICs and called Singaporeans. Where got problem? If any of these new Singaporeans were to leak out state secrets, it would be Singaporeans leaking state secrets as they are now new Singaporeans. And the good part, so far no such problems. No state secrets has been leaked out, no sensitive corporate information or trade secrets have been leaked out. There has been no report of such things. Where got problem?

The Singaporean experience has proven that all the hype about national securities are humbugs. More than 50% of our population is foreigners and many are holding high positions with access to very sensitive information, and some running corporations and with full access to all information that could be copied and sold. But nothing of such happened. Even the highly sensitive IT industry is operated mainly by foreigners and you can imagine what damage they could do if they wanted to. But have no fear. The foreigners are very nice people and would not do such things. Ask the Pinoys. Have faith in the goodness of people, even foreigners.

So, Indonesia, there is no need to fear locating govt data centre in Singapore. If still not comfortable, buy over the whole of Singapore Inc and run it yourself. That would make them feel secure for sure. It is just the mindset. Singapore has no such fear. We welcome the whole world to be here. We belong to everyone here. We are an international cuntry. Oops. I misspelt. It should be country.

And our people feel very safe, because we got NS and Total Defence. We protect our country from a military attack by foreign soldiers in uniform. But anyone can buy up everything in the island. Everything is for sale. Everyone is welcome.

We are international. We go everywhere to buy up everything. We also sell everything. Free trade at its freest. When a country has the mentality of buying and selling freely, then one would be less sensitive about security of data and information or threats by foreigners.

Indonesia can learn a thing or two from us in this internalization of the country and free trade, borderless world. What is citizenship?

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?