Taxi driving, the last bastion for Singaporeans gone to foreigners

Jehangir Ibrahim wrote an article in the TRE on the lost of this exclusive vocation that used to be the preserve of Singaporeans. It used to be the choice of last resort for PMETs being replaced by foreigners.  Only Singaporeans were allowed to be taxi drivers. This is no more. Any foreigner can become a taxi driver.  The PMETs will now have to compete with foreigners again and are likely to lose out. There will be no more jobs for them if they lose this last vocation for self employment. This is what Jahangir wrote:

‘It was announced in Parliament yesterday that Uber, Grab or other transport app drivers will be regulated soon. Like taxi drivers, they will need to get a taxi vocational licence and be subjected to the various LTA taxi regulations.

There is no minimum age as long as the drivers held a Class 3/3A driving licence for at least two years.

But the biggest caveat is, both PRs and work permit holders can now apply….

Previously, only Singaporeans can drive taxi as can be seen in LTA website.. Only Singaporeans above 30 years old can drive one: It was announced in Parliament yesterday that Uber, Grab or other transport app drivers will be

• You must be at least 30 years old;
• You must be a Singapore Citizen holding a pink NRIC;
• You must have a valid Class 3/3A Singapore driving licence for a continuous period of at least one year at the point of application; and
• You must be able to speak and read basic English.’

I would not be too worried about the ex PMETs getting more competition from the foreigners. They are capable of looking after themselves, and hopefully bringing enough food to put on the table. I hope.

I have this aching concern for our women folks especially the young girls. How can any govt be so thoughtless to allow foreigners, with nothing to hold on them, with nothing to lose, with no records of their character and past, to drive our women folks around, and our young children, boys and girls? Getting into a taxi is like walking into a trap and become the prey and victim of the taxi drivers that harbor ill intent. Our women folks will be at the mercy of these foreigners. Are the well being of our women folks, our children, so cheap?

Singaporeans have been so accustomed to security and safety and take these for granted. How is this foreign element, foreigners allowed to drive taxis, to drive our women folks and children around change their lives? Very safe, nothing will happen to them? Not to worry?

My goodness, I thought only the masses are daft. I cannot expect those making such decisions and policies are more daft, putting our women folks and young children to unnecessary and unacceptable risk.

For those who think is kpkb, is unwarranted, so be it.  Any crime against our women folks and children due to this policy is the work of those who allowed it and those who condoned it.

I am just saying my peace as a concerned grandparent. I disagree with putting our women folks and children to unnecessary and unacceptable risk to their personal safety, at the mercy of unknown foreigners.

Stupidity has no cure.

Trump - The biggest Cock of the Year

Why should a cock be called a rooster? The Year of the Cock should be called the Year of the Cock, not the Rooster. The Chinese version is simple and clear. It is called simply 鸡年,and it is a 公鸡 or cock. 鸡年 has always been the Year of the Cock, never the Year of the Hen or 母鸡. Look at all the pictures used to welcome the Year of the Cock will remove all doubts that it could be anything else. What is a rooster but a cock.

Now is the third day of the Chinese New Year and there is no need to stay on the side of niceties. Would it be strange to call Donald Trump the biggest rooster? It sure sounds funny. Donald Trump has emerged as the biggest Cock of the Year, or perhaps the century. Less than one week in office and he has behaved every inch like a cock. His entrance into the White House is the prelude to the Year of the Cock. The Cock is ruling in the White House.

One thing positive about this Cock is that he keeps to his promises, at least so far. He has written off the TPP, the pact that Obama wanted to use to make Americans great by containing China and ruling the western Pacific. But nothing beats Trump's ruling on closing the door to Muslim/ISIS immigrants. Without consulting any agency, without coordinating with the immigration office and countries around the world, without informing the airlines and other modes of transportation that were bringing the immigrants into America, he announced his edict in his White House office like an Emperor. This is like throwing a spanner into the spokes of immigration procedures. People entering the USA or hoping to enter the USA were slammed by the door. No entry even if they hold valid travel documents and the Green Cards issued by the Americans.

Though he directly banned 6 Muslim countries in the Middle East, apparently citizens of Europe of Muslim origins were also affected. Protests were every where, in the USA and across the world. Muslim countries were furious. Airports were jammed and in a mess. Trump said everything went on smoothly. Commonsense would tell you with such a short notice, with the world and the US immigration officers still not knowing what happened, how could it go smoothly.

But that was the Cock of the Year crowing. Trump is not the only cock caught up in this ruse. There were many silly cocks wanting to enter the USA but were unable to. So how did the cocks respond? This is unAmerican! How silly. This is the real Americans. They have been like that since the days they invaded North America, murdered the native Red Indians, hunted the Africans as slaves, passed racist legislations and practised racism for centuries, and bullying and manipulating the Arabs and Muslims to kill each other, labelling any country that they opposed as dangerous except themselves. This is American Exceptionalism. And this Cock of the Year will carry this Exceptionalism further. He may even legalised the Ku Klux Klan and honour his grandfather who was a leader of such a gang.

Welcome to the Year of the Cock. There will be more cocks crowing and more cock up events for sure.

Iron Rice Bowl Shield

I have an inspiration. I am inspired by a dream, perhaps a hallucination while meditating. I saw an elderly carrying a shield. The shield was so heavy that it was weighing down on him. He was breathless. And there were angels around him adding more shields on top of him. If they kept on adding shields on this elderly, he would definitely be crushed to death. But the funny thing was that the angels were all smiling. They quipped, the shields were there to protect the elderly, to protect the elderly. The angels were all hearts, to care for the elderly.

Now I got the point. This inspires me to think about another shield, called Iron Rice Bowl Shield. You see, the pioneer generation people have lived through and seen through many happenings in life. Kopi used to be 10c a cuppa. Now $1.10. Go to Starbucks or CoffeeBean it could be $6. A buffet lunch used to be $15. Now it could be $100 or more than $200 per head, just for lunch.

What I am driving at is inflation. Many of the elderly need help to protect them from this inflation beast. If not their CPF savings of a few hundred thousand dollars or a few thousand dollars could end up worthless, like banana currencies. The elderly need kind hearted people to think for them, to plan for them, so that they can continue to enjoy their 3 meals through their golden years. They could not think for themselves.

Here comes my Iron Rice Bowl Shield. Make this a compulsory scheme like all the other schemes. It is for the good of the elderly. Tell them it is free and they will be very happy to join. No need cash, just deduct from their CPF savings. Free!

And give them choices. The basic scheme is called Iron Rice Bowl Economy. Under this scheme the elderly can eat at any hawker stall for the rest of their life, free, no need to pay. They will be issued with a Iron Rice Bowl Economy card. Just show the card and they can eat anything in the hawker centre for free. Perhaps can called the card the Compassion Card.

For those who were once from the middle class, they can opt for the Iron Rice Bowl Premium card. Holders of this card can eat in any foodcourt, also for free, for as long as they live. The ultimate lcard will be the Iron Rice Bowl Luxury card. This is like the platinum card. Holders of this card can eat in any restaurant for free also, and for the rest of their lives.

This Iron Rice Bowl Shield scheme will remove the element of inflation and all the elderly would be able to live without worries on their 3 meals. See how caring and proactive I am. I think for the elderly, I plan for them, to take care of them. OK, I am also an elderly, so I have vested interest in this scheme. I confess. I take care of the elderly to take care of my own rice bowl. So convenient, so simple and so generous and kind and compassionate. My heart is gold.

Ok, there are some fine prints in the scheme. The elderly would by then all be ‘lau kok kok’, not many teeth left. And their appetite would not be too good. So they would not be eating too much. Many would pass away before they can use their Iron Rice Bowl cards. And there are also Exclusion Clauses like no guarantee there will be hawker centres or food courts or restaurants near the homes of the elderly. And there is no guarantee on the quality and quantity of the food. And the ‘lau kok kok’ must find their own way to the hawker centres, foodcourts and restaurants. No home delivery. Only self service.

Other than these few exceptions and exclusion clauses, the scheme is just fine. There is just a little hitch. How to get this to Parliament and get it passed as a compulsory scheme to help the elderly? I know once it gets into Parliament, sure to get passed. This is a very thoughtful scheme. Maybe I should get someone from the majority party in Parliament to propose this and get it passed. If not it would be such a waste. The elderly ‘lau kok kok’ would not be able to enjoy and appreciate this great scheme of mine. And I too would not be able to benefit from it.

Anyone want to help to get this Iron Rice Bowl Shield passed and become a compulsory scheme for the ‘lau kok kok’ that cannot think or no energy to think any more, given up? I promise if this scheme is passed I will think of many more shields or schemes for the good of the ‘lau kok kok’ and to make their CPF savings work for them, make every cent works for them. Every scheme or shield would be free of course, just deduct from their CPF savings. Why not, after all CPF is not their money what?

Just give you a peep to the schemes or shields that I have in mind. CPF Protector Shield, to protect the CPF savings, Golden Farewell Shield, to cover all funeral expenses, Lau kok kok Charity Shield, to donate the money in the minimum sums that the lau kok kok left behind.

What do you think? I caring or not?

The Americans setting bad examples for China to follow

At the lecture in Harvard, Kishore warned the Americans not to set bad examples that would let China to follow, what the Americans can do, China also can, when the Americans can break all the rules and protocols, why not China. And the Americans have been setting many very bad examples and practices that China would do exactly and tell the Americans that they were just following the precedents set by the Americans.
 
The spying of other countries, flying spy planes, drones in the sky and under the sea, by the Americans all over the world, in the coastal waters of other countries, violating the territorial integrity of these countries, like what were happening in the South China Sea and East China Sea would be what the Chinese would do to the Americans one day.
 
The Americans were screaming out their lungs in the seizure of the spy drone in the SCS by China and making an ugly scene out of it. This was what China was expecting and wanting the whole world to know what the Americans are doing and what the Americans are claiming as rightful, permissible under international law. Soon China will be sending its drones and spy planes all over the seas around Diego Garcia, Guam, the Marshall Islands and around Hawaii, claiming that the Americans said these are permissible things under international law and under freedom of navigation and the Americans have no reason to object or protest.
 
There are many other offensive and unpalatable things that the Americans are doing and China would be exposing them one by one, like the drone incident to draw out American protest and to be used as precedents and justifications for China to do the same to the Americans when the time comes.
 
The Americans are setting all the bad examples and practices as a hegemonic Empire thinking and claiming American Exceptionalism as the unquestioned and unchallenged Number One super power. The Americans would be tying their hands and looking silly when the Chinese let them have a taste of their bitter medicine, their bad behavior. Just keep doing silly things and the ball will come around.

PS. I have several articles written and ready to post over the holiday. So no sweat. And a Happy Chinese New to everyone.

Terrex – The end of a drama all for nothing

All the chest thumpings and megaphone yellings ended up all for nothing. It was simply a commercial affair and Hong Kong was just following its law, abiding by its law and going through the due process of its law. Now that the investigation is over, the Terrexes would be returned according to Hong Kong law. Now everyone can have a really good sleep with no nightmares.

Eng Hen is going to celebrate ‘chap goh meh’ with the 9 terrexes, just perfect for a table of ten, including Eng Hen. On the surface this seems to be what the case was all about. Singapore China relations remains intact, China and Singapore are still good friends. So everything back to normal, Singapore can continue with
Starlight in Taiwan.  The One China Policy is also a non issue. Now the loose cannons can continue with their anti China antics and more anti China articles can appear in the media again. Dunno can still tell China to abide by international law, abide by the kangaroo court rulings on Chinese islands and protect freedom of navigation in the SCS or not?

It was all a bad dream and nothing more. All worked up for nothing.

The whole issue got nothing to do with Singapore or the Singapore govt. Hong Kong may take criminal actions against someone, and that someone or organization is surely not Singapore. Thank you Hong Kong, for abiding by the rule of law, some people were worried that you would misbehave and trample the rule of law. Singapore should have faith in the Hong Kong govt from the start that it would be duly and legally handled by the almost same laws that the two cities have in common.  Hong Kong is lucky, if not returned, maybe the next step will see Hong Kong at the ‘UN backed’ Tribunal at The Hague with our world best lawyers handling the case. Or a Japanese would be there to handpick the lawyers for Singapore if Hong Kong refused to attend.

Time to forget the incident and celebrate Chinese New Year.