More bright and crazy ideas for cyclists

The ST forum pages have received more suggestions on how to regulate cyclists and make cycling more convenient. One suggested licensing all cyclists and making them to sit for safe cycling courses, something like driving licence for cars and highway codes. I am not going to comment on this as it would make me even more stupid to do so.

Another suggestion is to provide conveyor belts so that cyclists can travel on it with their bikes. So convenient. How many conveyor belts will be needed and how much will it cost? How many technicians will be needed to maintain and service these belts? Don’t ask me, ask the one who suggested it.

And SMRT is restricting folding bikes into the trains to off peak hours. A 20 inch folding bike would take up less space than a pram or baby strollers or even a large travelling suitcase. Why is SMRT so kiasu when a folding bike is very necessary and compliments the commuters going to office. The distance to the stations, from home and office, can be quite taxing on the seniors.

Shouldn’t the SMRT also relax a bit on this ruling, to allow folding bikes that are 20 inch or less to be allowed in the trains to promote cycling and taking public transport?

Maybe got to wait for a minister to suggest it before they think it is a good change, a right thing to do. Go green, taking public transport, but no bikes in the trains except off peak hours? Holy shit.

2/3 Singaporean core workforce

Reading the paper today is quite refreshing and pleasing. I feel like Alice being in Wonderland all over again, with all the right things that I would like to hear. Swee Say fired away with a new policy shift that he said would be for the medium and long term, a govt goal for the workforce to have a two thirds Singaporean core.

Swee Say also noticed that ‘Not everybody from all over the world can just go to New York or London, take up a job and settle down. Management of foreign manpower in any global cities of the world, in fact, is a norm. So, Singapore is no different from anybody else.’ Oops, Swee Say, can I just disagree with this last part? Singapore is different from everybody else with our open leg wide wide to let every Tom, Dick and Harry to come in with all kinds of fake degrees from funny universities that no one would want to know. And many of these fakes and cheats are likely in high places and holding high positions.

Never mind, please continue. Swee Say also said that one reason why foreign multinational companies are here is ‘that they can tap on local talent’.  Sure or not? I dunno how true it is, many people are complaining that many foreign companies are here and operating with a whole company full of foreigners, some 100% foreigners, many more than 70% foreigners, because they cannot find local talent good enough for low level, mid level and top leve executive jobs. Who is telling the true?

Ok, this two thirds Singaporean core is a good thing even if it may not last after the GE. Medium and long terms could have different definitions as time span is relative. It is good that foreign companies should follow this govt policy. Is there a time limit for them to make this happen or they can suka suka take their time since this is a medium to long term objective? Would the govt ask them to pack up and move off if they insist on hiring foreigners and telling the daft Singaporeans they could not find local talent and fill the whole company with foreigners?

What about local companies and GLCs, do they need to follow this two thirds policy? Do they really need all the foreign talents that are doing works that Singaporeans can do better, with local knowledge? What is the advantage for local companies and GLCs to hire foreigners to work in the local environment and local business? I heard some high powered HR directors said that in the local environment hiring Singaporeans has a big advantage because of local knowledge. There are now so many foreigners in middle management jobs in GLCs that do not need foreign talent and skills. At these levels, do they really ‘can bring the expertise and know how to complement and supplement what we have in Singapore’?

It is nice to read such news in the morning. But as the day wears off, reality sets in. What is the beef? What is real? What is nice to hear during an election season?

Abe’s words and deeds don’t match

In an article by a Martin Sieff appeaing in the Mypaper on 20 Aug 15, the author explained why Abe’s words didn on match his actions. In his view, he said Abe ‘believe that a few highly qualified and clearly limited expressions of polite regret can wipe clean Japan’s historical debt towards China’ and Korea. He asked, ‘Can the murderous, horrific slaughter of 20 million people in China alone from 1937 to 1945, not to mention the enslavement of the Koreans people for 35 years, be banished by 25 minutes of mumbled politeness?’

What Martin Sieff did not say about the colonization of the Koreans was the brutal oppression of the Korean people to alter their ethnicity and culture, to take on Japanese names and learn the Japanese language, in other words the Japanisation of the Koreans to become Japanese. And this was done in very harse and cruel ways, demeaning and insulting to the Koreans.

So, Abe thought what he said in 25 minutes was enough and Japanese can forget about their crimes against China and Korea and the rest of Asian. There is no need for the future generations of Japanese to apologise anymore.

And what has he been doing while apologizing at the same time? ‘Abe has pushed ahead consistently and relentlessly with policies to resurrect the Japanese armed forces and clear the way for their use far from Japanese territories and waters.’ Abe is repeating what his grandfather did in the Second World War and shoving aside the objections of the Emperor. Emperor Akihito and the royal house have been defending Article 9 of the Constitution and the values it embodies, to renounce war. If this is an indication of what the Emperor thinks, and if this was what his father, Emperor Hirohitho believed, we are seeing Japanese history being repeated. The hawkish politicians are seizing power to conduct wars and overruling the Emperor. A weak Emperor would eventually be put to blame for the war crimes committed by the politicians who would wage wars in the name of the Emperor.

Abe and his warlike politicians are unremorseful of their heinous war crimes and wanted the country to go to war in the name of defense, the same myth the Americans created to justify war. The Americans have been conducting wars all over the world since the end of World War 2 in the name of defending America and the rest of the world, in the name of peace. Japan under Abe is adopting the same warmongering formula, to reject its pacifist Constitution, to set Japan in the course for war.

How can China and Korea forgive a unrepentant Japan that arrogantly thinks a few words of apology could atone their war crimes against other countries and people?

Singapore is or was Honesty and Integrity

Honesty and Integrity were the two pillars that differentiated Singapore and Singaporeans from the crowd. For a few decades, maybe 3 or 4 decades, Honesty and Integrity have be the hallmark of Singapore and Singaporeans. Singaporeans were prized catch wherever they go, as honest, reliable, hardworking and unquestionable integrity.

How long can Singapore preserve this glittering image that keeps us standing a head above many other countries? We built and crafted these qualities in Singaporeans for several decades to produce a culture of trust and a people that are dependable and trustworthy as second nature.

Now comes the change. 50% or more of our population are foreigners, including many new citizens. These people come from cultures and societies where cheating, bribery, corruption and fakes are par for the course. And we are happily integrating them into a Singaporean people that have moved away from those value systems.

What would be the impact to Singapore and Singaporeans? Would the foreigners become like Singaporeans, imbibing Honesty and Integrity as a way of life, become more like us? Or would the Singaporeans be diluted and we become more like them, and our Honesty and Integrity brand becomes tarnished?

When coffee is mixed with milk, you are not going to get black coffee or white milk. Depending on the percentage of each item, you either get brown coffee or white coffee. It would be lying to think that our Honesty and Integrity brand would still be as shining as before.

Thank you for your silly indiscriminate immigration policies. Talking about Honesty and Integrity will be different today and it can only get worse. Even whiter than white washing powder would not be able to remove all the coffee stain when you have such a high concentrate of coffee in the mix. They could to some extend remove transparency, honesty and integrity.

What have you done to the pillars of Singapore’s successful brand with people from cultures where corruption and cheating are a way of life?

NSP – The fallout of Hazel Poa

Hazel Poa, the acting Secretary General of NSP, resigned from the Party last night when the CEC reversed its earlier decision not to contest MacPherson SMC. Steve Chia, the Treasurer, will be the likely candidate to stand for NSP in the first confirmed 3 corner fight in this GE. Hazel said she opposed strongly the decision to be involved in a 3 corner fight that the opposition parties had agreed not to do so earlier. For NSP to breach this agreement and to start a brawl in the opposition camp would not speak well of the party. The foxes are showing their tails.

This development has taken the voters by surprise, an unpleasant one as no one would thing NSP would stand a wee bit of a chance to win MacPherson. The question is why throwing good money and to negate an undertaking that would raise doubts about the credibility of the Party? The happiest person would naturally be Tin Pei Ling and you could see it written all over her face. She welcomed more contestants, the more the merrier, to MacPherson. Someone must have found MacPherson likely to go to the WP and something must be done to avoid this fate.

This move by NSP has thrown the opposition camp in a little disarray. The unity that was forged earlier and celebrated is now in question and cast a dark cloud on the opposition. Would it now be free for all, a state that would be very welcomed by the ruling party. The opposition camp needs to tread carefully and not be distracted by the NSP to go for each other’s throat. It is best that they stick to what they have agreed earlier and let the foxes unmasked themselves.

With NSP now hanging by a big question mark, there must be thoughts of counting NSP out from the agreement and opening up Sembawang and Tampines for 3 corner fights as well. The four major parties may want to close rank and not be ruffled by this event, to maintain course, and be wary of the foxes. More nasty surprises are likely to come as GE approaches.