Singapore’s competitive edge

PM Lee: “We are already competing with Malaysia in terms of ports and it boils down to who can run a port better and more efficiently.”

This has been our strength, the key factor that propelled Singapore to the First World and became the jewel of South East Asia. It is the quality of our work force, their training and education, their work attitude and efficiency, the best workers in the region. These are the factors that made the difference over our competitors.

Can Singapore remain as competitive among our neighbours? Can Singapore be more efficient in the running of our ports and airports and other industries? Yes, we can, if we continue to produce the best Singaporeans that our system has been producing, our schools and universities producing the graduates needed by the industries. Is this happening, or we are producing mismatched graduates, duds that are not even good enough compared to Third World graduates?

Are you asking me? Who has been lamenting that our system is not producing the right type of work force with the right skills for the right jobs? You got the cheek to say this?

Can we compete with the Malaysians and Indonesians, with the Pinoys or the Indians, if we hire these same people to run our ports and airports and systems? Would we still have the advantage over them when we are using the same kind of workers, with the same DNAs, and worst, employing the workers that are the unemployed, unemployable and underemployed in their own countries? How can we be more competitive when we are replacing our highly regarded and efficient Singaporeans with the rejects, the unwanted from our neighbouring countries to run our organizations and systems? We want to compete with our neighbours with their Third World quality workers?

Can anyone miss the joke? The joke is on us, Singaporeans. We have forgotten what made us great and better than our neighbours. It was our workforce.  Now we are dying to bring in their half baked workers and claimed that they are better than our Singaporeans and want to be more competitive. Is this the reason why things are starting to break down?

It is unbelieveable! Stupidity cannot be cured.

In praise of Fools

Many people have used the phrase 'Stupidity has no cure'. And I have used it many times, just can't resist it when there are so many stupids around screaming from their shit holes. A new way of dealing with the stupids and the fools is to agree with them. It is pointless to reason with them as they are beyond reasons. So in this piece I will fully agree with the fools on what is more sticky and hard in their heads.

The USA is a benign and peace loving super power. And here are the facts that the fools believed in as their justifications..

1. In the last 30 years they have engaged in more than 30 wars, and wasting US$14 trillion dollars on wars.

2. They invaded Iraq, Libya and Syria, under fabricated info or false premises.

3. They murdered two Arab Presidents, Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein.

4. They are still fighting wars in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and several countries in the Middle East.

5. The grow, breed and feed rebels and terrorist organisations all over the world.

6. They built 1,000 military bases with offensive weapons of wars the fools believed are for peace.

7. They have 4,000 military bases in the USA, also for peace.

8. They have the biggest nuclear arsenal in the world that could destroy the earth many times over, but for peace of course.

9. They have 10 aircraft carrier groups armed with hundreds of offensive aircraft and nuclear weapons, for peace too.

10. They have military forces, special forces, some in civilians all over the world training and feeding terrorist groups and organisations.

11. Their military budget is US$600 billions annually, for peace.

12. They formed military alliance everywhere.

13. They conduct provocative war games at the door of countries they labelled as unfriendly or hostile.

14. They called names and branded countries as evil, aggressive, expansionist except themselves.

15. They arbitrarily imposed sanctions, blockades and arrested ships of other nations in international waters and called for freedom of navigation.

16. They placed offensive military weapons and soldiers at the borders of other countries.

17. They threatened smaller countries with wars and regime change.

18. For many decades they have been assassinating heads of states and govts with their covert operations all over the world.

19. They are the biggest arms merchants, selling arms everywhere by provoking and raising tensions for that purpose.

20. They are the biggest smugglers and traders of drugs.

21. They are the biggest money launderers.

22. They committed the most crimes against humanity all over the world.

And they are the most peaceful, friendly and benign super power that only the fools could believe in. Please do not disagree with the believers of these myths. The facts are indisputable. Please do not dispute these myths that the American Empire is the most peace living Empire in the world. Please beg them to come and protect you and maintain peace. Please beg them to come to Asia to balance against the China, to the Americans and the fools, are the most dangerous rising power, not now but tomorrow.

China is belligerent, aggressive and waiting to conquer and rule the world. If only China could match what the Americans did above, then China may qualify and be seen as peace loving, peaceful. Alas, China can never match what the Americans have and had done over the last 70 years. So China is bad and the USA is good.

Amen. God is so loving and kind. Let's bow and praise God.

PS. Many American intellectuals and righteous Americans have seen through these myths and are denouncing and rejecting this evil Empire. They have set up their own news platforms to educate the American public and the rest of the world, to remove their blinkers and stupidity, to see the real and ugly American Empire.

Prime Minister's Speech Singaporeans waiting for...in the future

    To the people of Singapore.

    We, the citizens of Singapore, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people. Together, we will determine the course of Singaporeans and Singapore, for many, many years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.


    Today has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another - but we are transferring power from the government and giving it back to you, the people.

    For too long, a small group in our nation's capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Singapore flourished - but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered - but the jobs left, and the factories closed. The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country.

    Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in prosperity, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our island.

    That all changes - starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you. It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across Singapore. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this Singapore, your country.

    What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. Today will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again. The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

    Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the millions to become part of a historic movement Singaporeans have never seen before. At the centre of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

    Singaporeans want great schools for their children, safe neighbourhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves. These are the just and reasonable demands of righteous people and a righteous public.

    But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our HDB estates; factories are no more; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of all knowledge.

    This carnage stops right here and stops right now. We are one nation - and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

    The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Singaporeans.

    For many decades, we've enriched foreigners at the expense of Singaporeans; subsidised the defence of our country while allowing for the very sad depletion of our NS men; we've defended our borders while refusing to defend our citizens; and spent billions of dollars overseas on military training but no place for our soldiers at home.

    We've made foreigners rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our people have dissipated over the horizon. One by one our citizens lost their jobs and left our shores, with not even a thought about the families that were left behind. The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed to the foreigners and across the world. But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.

    We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every HDB estate, in every home, and in every office of power. From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only Singaporean First, Singapore First.
    Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit Singaporean workers and Singaporean families.

    We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

    I will fight for you with every breath in my body - and I will never, ever let you down.

    Singaporeans will start winning again, winning like never before. We will bring back our jobs. We will protect our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.

    We will get our people off of welfare and back to work - rebuilding our country with Singaporean hands and Singaporean labour. We will follow two simple rules: Buy Singapore and hire Singaporeans.

    We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example - we will shine - for everyone to follow.

    At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the citizens of Singapore, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other. When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

    We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When Singapore is united, Singapore is totally unstoppable.

    There should be no fear - we are protected, and we will always be protected. We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we will be protected by our Government.

    Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In Singapore, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving. We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action - constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

    The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action. Do not allow anyone to tell you that it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of Singaporeans. We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again.

    We stand at the birth of a new millennium, to free us from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

    A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.

    It is time to remember that whether we are black or brown or yellow, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great Singaporean Flag.

    And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Red Hill or the plains of Bukit Timah, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams.
    So to all Singaporeans, in every estate near and far, small and large, from Tuas to Changi, and from Woodlands to Tanjong Pagar, hear these words:

    You will never be ignored again.

    Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our Singaporean destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

    Together, we will make Singapore strong again.
    We will make Singaporeans wealthy again.
    We will make Singapore proud again.
    We will make Singapore safe again.
    And, yes, together, we will make Singapore great again.

    Thank you, Singaporeans. Thank you. God bless Singapore.

    Future Prime Minister
    Republic of Singapore


Acknowledgement: The above is a plagiarised speech of Donald Trump that is an inspiration to the American people and is something that Singaporeans would look forward to hear some time in the future. Special thanks and appreciation to President Donald Trump for borrowing his ideas and words.

Davos – Changing roles of the good guys and the villians

The world is under threat. Free trade and globalization under threat. And out came Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in Davos  to speak up in defence of free trade and against protectionism. Trump’s America are going to raise trade barriers and protectionism, threatening the very institutions the Americans were championing in the last 7 decades. China benefited from the existing world order but Trump is out to dismantle it, claiming that the Americans are losers and he needs to make America great again by breaking down the global system that was built by the Americans.
 
China is protesting and leading the world leaders to tell the Americans and Europeans that free trade and globalization are good for them and they cannot run away from them.  Xi Jinping promised that China would keep its economy open to the world.  Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, WEF, hailed Xi’s key note speech, as a ‘very important speech at a historic time’.  The free world of the West returning to isolation is raising fears of trade wars.
 
Joe Biden in his dying days as the Vice President of the USA, joined Xi Jinping to call for the preservation of free trade and globalization. His last few words before his expiry as Vice President spoke volumes on the dire consequences when Trump moves into the White House.
 
What is happening? Where would Singapore stand now, siding with its old allies that are now against globalization and free trade or standing on the side of China to promote free trade and globalization?
 
What if the USA raises trade barriers against Singapore imports? What if both China and USA closes their doors to Singapore? Would Singapore take its principled stand on free trade and globalization and joined the Philippines and Malaysia to be on the side of China against the anti free trade and pro protectionism Trump America?

How poor or how rich are Singaporeans?

Leong Sze Hian quoted some numbers from the MOM. Let me quote below:

Median gross income of all employed residents (excluding employer CPF) is much lower?

However, if you look at the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Yearbook of Manpower Statistics 2016 – the median gross income of all employed residents (excluding employer CPF) is much lower, at $3,125.

407,400 earn less than $1,500?

There were 407,400 residents (about 19.4 per cent of the total workforce of $2.1 million) whose median gross income was less than $1,500 monthly.

After CPF = less than $1,200?

If we deduct the maximum employee CPF contribution of 20 per cent – the net take-home pay may be less than $1,200.

Arguably, most of the 407,400 people with take-home pay of less than $1,200 may be struggling to make ends meet.

47,000 earn less than $500?

I am stunned by a few numbers from the above stats. 407,400 or 19.4 per cent of the residents earned less than $1,500.  This is not much different from the pay of our top cleaning supervisors. My God, so many earned the same salary as cleaners! And after less CPF, the take come salary is only $1,200, the salary of ordinary cleaners.

This is jiat lat man. How to survive in this most expensive city in the world, or among the top few most expensive cities in the world? But there is one comfort, the govt has made home ownership so cheap. With $1,000 they can buy a 2 rm flat to stay. At least this is a consoling point, got a roof over the heads. Not sure how much left for food and other necessities.

But aren’t Singaporeans the richest people in Asia? Very high income, asset rich, highest quality of life. Putting the two together, this must be another Singapore miracle. Earning less than $1,500 and can afford to live well in one of the most expensive cities in the world when some complained that their family life would be affected if they did not earn more than millions in annual income. I really respect and admire those earning less than $1,500 pm and living well. I am still wondering how they could do it? They must be switching to eating fish when meat becomes too expensive.