Asean unity is important to all Asean states

Singapore has been shouting and screaming its heads off in every occasion and opportunity to tell the Asean members that the unity of Asean is vital for the survival of small states. Somehow this seems to be like a lone voice in the wilderness. I have yet to hear another Asean country head coming out to echo this same concern. China is dividing up the Asean countries. So, why aren’t the other Asean countries panicking and shouting back at China for doing so? The fear of a disunited Asean seems to be the concern only of Singapore. Or at least none of the Asean country is voicing this fear. Why?

Is it that the other Asean states are not small states but big states or mid size states and so did not share the same fear as a small state like Singapore? The next smallest state in Asean must be Brunei, though its physical size is also much bigger than Singapore. Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and the rest of the Asean states are not small states. This could be one of the reasons why they are not joining Singapore as the chorus boys and girls to hype this fear of a disunited Asean.

A corollary to this point is that these are bigger countries, or at least some, have aspirations to be regional powers or leaders in the region, leaders of Asean. How would they take it when a little red dot keeps climbing on top of them to shout to the world as if Singapore is the leader of Asean? Would they feel embarrass or feel that Singapore is usurping their roles as the natural leaders of Asean and thus feel offended. Could this be the reason why they refused to join in the shouting game as if the one that shouts the loudest is the leader and let Singapore shout for as loud and as long as it wants, alone, a voice in the wilderness?

Is Singapore sensitive to the aspirations of the regional powers, the bigger states in Asean to let them take the leadership role instead of trying to be the leader, acting as the leader, trying to call the shot and to set the agenda? Has Singapore really taken a look at what it is doing and whether the other Asean states are behind Singapore? Maybe they also share the same concerns of Singapore but just did not like to be led by Singapore and thus just keep quiet and refuse to say anything?

Maybe it would be wiser for Singapore to share and communicate more with the other Asean states, say its peace behind closed doors and let the bigger boys to front out, to take the lead and still getting the message across if the intent is to get the message across like in the NAM. It is good to know one’s own place and not to be ‘boh tua boh suay’ even among equals technically. The leaders and people of Asean too have their pride and do not want a little red dot to lead them around, acting like the top dog of Asean. Got to be sensitive I think.

What do you think? Would the Asean leaders fall in and allow Singapore to lead them in the charge in the international stage using Asean as a vehicle?

Trump's dangerous posture towards China will hasten USA decline

Trump has appointed a cohort of likeminded anti-China characters in his cabinet. They have singled out China as the main enemy to be destroyed. It is wild dreams if they think they can destroy China like the way they destroyed and decimated the eighty-five million native Americans in the north American continent now illegally occupy by the invading whites from Europe.

The white Americans had since the end of the Second World War in 1945 destroyed many small and medium sized countries after labelling them as enemies of America. The inherently evil white Americans need to constantly pick countries which do not toe the American dictates as enemies for various illogical motives. These countries are scapegoats for America's ills and setbacks. Other countries are always picked as posting a danger to American security though they know they themselves are always posting great insecurity to other countries. This manipulation and misrepresent dangers serve to advance the American agenda of world domination and hegemony.

Trump and his gang of rogues try to pose China as an external threat and implies a possibility of war with China just to consolidate power and distract the American people and the world of their evil doings and deep corruptions. Trump and his cabinet of billionaires either pay no tax or very little tax which is not commensurate with their vast wealth and extensive range of business. They and the one percent American elites, the robber barons who control and rule America have impoverished the ordinary 99% percent ordinary Americans by robbing the state coffers through evading taxes.

Trump and Rex Tillerson and the American ruling robber barons including the high officers in CIA and The Pentagon have for years been eyeing at the rich oil and gas resources below the South China Sea and the East China Sea. They want America to possess and take full control of both regions so that they can enrich themselves by exploiting these resources. Once they are in control of the regions all the countries in the periphery will be under American yoke and mercy. They will plunge South China Sea regions into choas and destability and cause great suffering to the people just as they have been doing in the Middle East.

They know it is a dangerous game to tackle both Russia and China at the same time. Therefore Trump pretentiously extended an olive wreath and a love potion to Putin of Russia. Putin must be smart and wise enough not to take the lethal bait and and fall into the trap of this American trachery .If America succeeds in taking China down it will certainly be emboldened to attack Russia in future.

Of course it is not going to be easy for savage America to attack China without hurting itself deadly for China is also a formidable nuclear power.

Trump and his cabinet of hostile warmongers must not indulge with wild dreams unless they want to destroy America and the World.

Southernglory 1

Wednesday,25th January,2017

Surbana Jurong – Termination, Dismissal or Retrenchment?

The terminating of 54 staff, I presume are Singaporeans, just one week before the Chinese New Year is very badly executed. Some are calling this act as callous, lack of compassion, inconsiderate, heartless and right down insensitive. The 54 staff, assuming many will be celebrating Chinese New Year, will not be celebrating and their families as well. What a cruel timing!

The social media is angry. Many are questioning if this is actually a retrenchment in disguise to avoid paying retrenchment benefits. The case is now being handled by the MOM.

From a HR perspective, the first question arising is the termination, a management right to terminate employees without reason, just like an employee’s right to resign without the need for any reason, or is this something else? The media reported that Surbana Jurong said the employees were terminated for poor performance. This immediately raises a red flag in HR practices.

Before an employee is terminated for bad performance, it is only fair that the employee would be put on notice that his performance is unsatisfactory. The management is duty bound to inform an employee that his performance is not acceptable and given a chance to explain and to improve. This is not only proper but also ethically and morally a right thing to do. Employers cannot sack an employee overnight, like springing a surprise, without letting the employee know that his performance is a problem and a sacking is on the card if he does not improve.

Has Surbana Jurong management done the due diligence and process to talk to the employees, counsel the employees, telling them of their shortfalls, how to improve to meet management’s expectation and to buck up? In all good HR practices, the employees must be given a chance to know what is coming, to know that they must improve and sacking is ultimately done if the employees still did not improve after counseling and warnings by the management.

Another point to clarify, what were the performance records of the sacked employees? Were they good, satisfactory or consistently bad? If the sacked employees had been consistently bad, then management would have a better case of sacking them, but still must go through the due process of trying to get the employees to improve prior to their sacking. Were the employees given any warning letters earlier?

I did not have full details of the employees’ performance and unable to comment on whether the sacking is properly conducted. One thing for sure, once the management confirmed that the employees were terminated due to performance, it is dismissal or termination due to bad performance. There is thus a requirement to go through the whole process of counseling and warning letters etc before the firing. This is not only good HR practice, it is also a requirement by MOM and ethical and humanly to do so.

As a govt linked company, Surbana Jurong and all GLCs have a responsibility to set a good example, to follow good HR practices for others to follow.

Good and bad economies

Singapore's economy is doing well. I think the official stats is that Singapore will grow by 2.5%. Well after all we are a mature economy and 2.5% is good, really good.

The American economy is doing better at 1.5% growth. It is a more mature economy than Singapore, so 1.5% is as good as excellent. Some of the Asean economies are having 5% to 7% growth and are considered so so as they are developing economies.

The more horrifying economy in Asia is China. It is fumbling with only 6.8% growth. At the rate it is going China's economy will crash or go into recession in the view of all the western analysts and anti China reporters. That is how bad the Chinese economy is growing, only 6.8%. If only China is growing at 1.5% or 2.5% maybe the western analsyts would then conclude that the Chinese economy is sound and as good as the American’s and better than no growth Europe, and sustainable.

China is a third world country so it is natural to have high growth rate. But falling from two digit growth to 6.8% is really bad. Never mind if it is the second largest economy in the world. Never mind if the IMF or World Bank has elevated the Chinese economy to the top spot in terms of purchasing power. China is a developing economy, a third world country. Nevermind that this third world country is sending out more than 100 million tourists travelling around the world and reputed to be big spenders picking up expensive branded goods like toys. How could a third world country send out 100m rich tourists annually to travel around the world is really puzzling.

What does a 6.8% growth mean to a US$13 trillion economy? A 10% growth would mean a growth of US$1.3 trillion annually. A 6.8% growth would mean the economy grows by US$900 billion annually. Just to compare for size, Singapore's economy is around $400 billion. This means the Chinese economy is growing two Singapore's economy every year. And that is bad, terribly bad. Got it?

There are countries that are in the third world but kept bragging about being in the first world or coming soon. There are countries that are already in the first world but refused to be so labelled and insisted to be developing countries. Is China a fumbling third world developing country and heading towards destruction and oblivion with a 6.8% growth? Even at 6% growth, China will be growing like US$700 billion annually. Is that bad, really bad, really in trouble? Don’t try to think if you can’t.

 

In the world of delusion, you can believe in whatever made beliefs you choose to believe in. China is predicted to overtake the American economy by year 2025. Those who want to believe in a China heading towards destruction need not have to believe in this prediction by the World Bank or was it the IMF? Just take it as a fallacy.

6.8% bad, 2.5% good, 1.5% excellent!

Stupidity has no cure. Ignorance is no blessing.

The Chinese economy is crashing, crashing, is crashing….The world is coming to an end, the end is near, believe me.

Ong Ye Kung – Multi party system not for us

This is the headline in The New Paper. The Today paper has this at the front page, ‘Multi party political system could ruin Singapore, Ong Ye Kung.’ I am a greenhorn in politics, coz I have never been a politician, so I am not sure what the ‘us’ meant. Who is this ‘us’? Multi party system not for us?

I disagree with the one party system is good for ‘us’ as I have a better system for Singapore, better than a one party ‘democratic’ system. I have Plato the Greek philosopher to back me up. It is a kingdom, a state ruled by a philosopher king. A king ruling a state, even not a philosopher, is half way there. A single party ‘democratic’ system does not have a king so not good according to Plato.

Ok, I can write a hundred books on the weaknesses and demerits of a kingship. But I am selling the kingship idea so I must ignore these bad things about the kingship and tell you only the good stuff. Please don’t say I am biased. If I am selling the one party idea I will say the same thing and don’t say the bad things.  I am just trying to be honest, by telling things that I want you to know, the good stuff and not the bad stuff.

Why is a kingship or kingdom good for Singapore? I won’t use the word ‘us’ as ‘us’ can mean only a small group of elites. The problem of most political systems is the politicians. Politicians tend to fight for their own interests. In a democracy, one party or multi parties, they would still face the problems of infighting, fearing that they would be voted out or be ousted by a conspiracy. They would always be on guard, or trying to fix other politicians so that they would not be fixed in the end. By so doing they would be spending more time politicking than trying to work for the good of the people.

In a kingship, the king will be very secured, life time hereditary position, so no fear of be ousted by voting, maybe a coup. The king, being secure, would then appoint the best jesters to work for him. King needs jesters to humour him. But he would also have many good ministers appointed by him and no one can accuse a king for nepotism or cronyism. That is what kingship is all about.

A king would write the pay check for the politicians and would not allow the politicians to write their own paychecks. The king would also check on the politicians and would not allow the politicians to check themselves.

See, so many good points in a kingship that could prevent the problems of a single party ‘democracy’ already.  Basically the king rules over the politicians and would behead any politician that is corrupt, so no need to pay million dollar salaries. I could go on and on about the goodness of a kingship especially for a small country like Singapore.

And Singapore is ideal for a kingdom. We have already developed an aristocratic class here, the natural aristocrats can assume their roles as lords, dukes, counts and of course as kings, princes and princesses. No need to hunt for such noble men and women. To turn this island into a kingdom is a piece of cake.

Yes my Lord, I am your humble subject. God bless the king. For those who love the English can look no further when we have our own king or queen and can sing God Save the king/queen with gusto.

And the children in schools can read all about the handsome princes and their white horses, not the kind in NS, and the beautiful princesses every day. So beautiful, full of enchanted stories for bed side stories too.