Singaporeans are so blessed with a very clever govt that could devise such a miraculous scheme call asset enhancement. The scheme revolves around the buying of 99 year lease public flats built by the govt at relatively low price and the owner could eventually sell it at a hugely inflated price, to receive an expected windfall along the way. It is a sure win formula and many Singaporeans are now very wealthy landlord in a way, sitting on a public flat that is worth at least $300k for the smallest unit in the open market and some worth more than a million for the bigger units. As in all sure win schemes, there is a caveat of course.
Here is how the price sure go up scheme works.
Year 1 - Buy a public flat from the govt, say at $250k.
Year 5 - Eligible to sell in the open market at asking price of $350k.
Year 10 - Open market price could be $450k.
Year 20 - Open market price could be $550k
Year 30 - Open market price goes higher to $650k.
Year 40 - $750k!
Year 60 - $800k!
Year 80 - $850k!
Year 90 - $850!
Year 100 - $0!
Every flat owner could look at this guide to see the price of his flat could go up and up all the years. Notice the caveat, make sure they are not holding on to the flat at year 100.
The scheme is very favourable to those who sell the flats at a profit in the first 50 to 60 years. Singaporeans could go for a second bite of the cherry to buy another public flat from the govt to restart the cycle. Foreigners could only buy from the open market so the margin of profit cannot be as high as the Singaporeans buying direct from the govt. But they are still guaranteed of a reasonable profit.
For those new citizens who bought and sold and bought again and sold to return to their original country, this scheme is highly favourable to them as they would not hold on to the flat till year 100. I might say a bit sorry for those who have to hold on to their flats till the very end, its miraculous price would miraculously become 0, no value, just like Cinderella when the clock struck midnight and everything turned into smokes..
This is quite like the magician turning a piece of paper into money only for the money to be turned into worthless paper at the end of the game. Be clever to cash out when you can or your store of value will vanish into thin air.
4/23/2017
Cynical Investor laughing at Amos Yee
This is what Cynical Investor wrote in his piece, ‘Black Saturday: a great day to laugh at Amos’ stupidity’.
‘Today is Black Saturday or Holy Saturday, a really sad day in the Church calender because Jesus died on Good Friday and was entombed on Saturday and his followers at the time didn’t know that he would be resurrected tomorrow, Easter.
So it’s a great day to sneer and laugh at Amos because by the end of today US time, Amos would have spent 124 days in jail in the land of the free, where the buffalo roam.
Add that to his jail time of 50 days here, he would have spent 174 days in custody.
What a born loser.’
I would not dispute with Cynical Investor on the things he said about Amos Yee being locked up for 174 days. Those were indisputable facts. Whether Amos is a born loser is hard to say as, just like Jesus, Jesus was hung for committing no crime and did he ended up as a loser?
The Christians would definitely said Jesus was and is a big winner, with hundreds of millions of believers today. So being wronged for a time does not mean that the wrong cannot be put right. One day Amos may rise again and many would believe in him though many today did not believe him, just like the Jesus' disciples and followers at that time did not believe he would rise again. I did not say this, I just quoted what Cynical Investor said, ‘and his followers at the time didn’t know that he would be resurrected tomorrow, Easter.’
Some want to split hair with me by saying that Cynical Investor did not say they did not believe in what Jesus said but just ‘didn’t know’. Didn’t Jesus tell them but also told them in public, that he would rise again? No? How come even the non believers then knew about this but his fellow disciples and believers did not? If Jesus did tell them, how could they claim not to know as what Cynical Investor said? Are they deaf, dumb or simply did not want to believe in what Jesus said?
This is funny stuff. Jesus’ disciple’s did not believe him or did not know what he said. It is funnier that his believers today still did not believe in a lot of things Jesus said. Jesus said he ‘was sent only for the lost sheep of Israel’. How many of his believers believe him or did not believe him? Jesus said that on Judgement Day he shall come and judge, and some will go to heaven, some will be burn in the sea of fire. How many of the believers believe in Judgement Day, that Jesus would come down to judge them and only then the righteous or those judged by Jesus could go to heaven? How many of the believers did not believe in this and claimed that they can go to heaven before Judgement Day, before Jesus judge them?
Who are the born losers, those who believe in what Jesus said or those who don’t believe in what Jesus said?
‘Today is Black Saturday or Holy Saturday, a really sad day in the Church calender because Jesus died on Good Friday and was entombed on Saturday and his followers at the time didn’t know that he would be resurrected tomorrow, Easter.
So it’s a great day to sneer and laugh at Amos because by the end of today US time, Amos would have spent 124 days in jail in the land of the free, where the buffalo roam.
Add that to his jail time of 50 days here, he would have spent 174 days in custody.
What a born loser.’
I would not dispute with Cynical Investor on the things he said about Amos Yee being locked up for 174 days. Those were indisputable facts. Whether Amos is a born loser is hard to say as, just like Jesus, Jesus was hung for committing no crime and did he ended up as a loser?
The Christians would definitely said Jesus was and is a big winner, with hundreds of millions of believers today. So being wronged for a time does not mean that the wrong cannot be put right. One day Amos may rise again and many would believe in him though many today did not believe him, just like the Jesus' disciples and followers at that time did not believe he would rise again. I did not say this, I just quoted what Cynical Investor said, ‘and his followers at the time didn’t know that he would be resurrected tomorrow, Easter.’
Some want to split hair with me by saying that Cynical Investor did not say they did not believe in what Jesus said but just ‘didn’t know’. Didn’t Jesus tell them but also told them in public, that he would rise again? No? How come even the non believers then knew about this but his fellow disciples and believers did not? If Jesus did tell them, how could they claim not to know as what Cynical Investor said? Are they deaf, dumb or simply did not want to believe in what Jesus said?
This is funny stuff. Jesus’ disciple’s did not believe him or did not know what he said. It is funnier that his believers today still did not believe in a lot of things Jesus said. Jesus said he ‘was sent only for the lost sheep of Israel’. How many of his believers believe him or did not believe him? Jesus said that on Judgement Day he shall come and judge, and some will go to heaven, some will be burn in the sea of fire. How many of the believers believe in Judgement Day, that Jesus would come down to judge them and only then the righteous or those judged by Jesus could go to heaven? How many of the believers did not believe in this and claimed that they can go to heaven before Judgement Day, before Jesus judge them?
Who are the born losers, those who believe in what Jesus said or those who don’t believe in what Jesus said?
4/22/2017
End of brinkmanship
The Americans are still screaming their heads off over North Korea. Mike Pence arrogantly said American’s policy of strategic patience is over. Trump said the biggest armada is sailing towards North Korea while Tillerson and Matthis were blowing their own horns at North Korea and also Iran.
The Americans are ratcheting up for war with North Korea and now it seems that they are also going after Iran. Fooling around and kicking Arab and Muslim asses when they have no nuclear power and unable to hit back is one thing, trying to kick asses with nuclear powers like Iran and North Korea requires more deep and careful thoughts. There is no room for mistakes or miscalculation. The Americans cannot afford it, cannot afford nuclear weapons landing on American cities.
Threatening Iran and North Korea is not a game for fools. Both countries are watching the Americans every move and a wrong reading could see them pulling the trigger in a no choice situation. The Americans have to be very very careful not to give the wrong signal or push them into a corner when they would just slam back at the Americans.
Despite all the hot air, it is apparent that the Americans too are getting cold feet. For Carl Vinson to be turning away from the Korean Peninsula there must be a good reason for so doing. In a Reuter report it said that the order to sail Carl Vinson to North Korea was by a Japanese Commander, Harry Harris. Putting Harris staring down at Kim Jung Un is the most dangerous scenario for the Americans, with Harris a sure cock to push the button at the slightest excuse while Kim Jung Un is still an unknown element. Kim is still new and could be just as hasty to push the button at the slightest news of Americans firing off their cruise missiles.
With these two facing each other, the risk of a miscalculation is exceptionally high. Maybe this is the real reason why Washington overturned Harris order for Carl Vinson to head to North Korea but ordered to sail to the Indian Ocean. There cannot be any wrong move and as much as the Americans could not trust Kim, they equally could not trust the trigger happy Japanese Harris in Command, with Pearl Harbour and Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the back of his mind.
Sensible heads must have ruled the day. In a critical time like this, cool heads and wisdom must prevail to avoid a war by mistakes, miscalculation, or by other motives. Yes there will be no winner in a nuclear exchange. Kim at this moment must be just as highly energized and edgy and could push the button. This must be very worrying time for the Americans.
Perhaps it is better that the two sides sit down quickly to develop a protocol similar to the CUES adopted by China and the US to minimize a war by accident. The Americans and the North Koreans must sit down to work things out as not doing so would be hazardous and unacceptable. Both sides need to wind down and work out some confidence building measures to lower the tension and avoid an accidental nuclear war. War is not an option for both sides as nuclear weapons could fly over the skies at the slightest misjudgement and there will be no turning back the clock. Both sides must be worrying themselves sick that an accident must not happen that would lead to immeasurable destruction on both sides.
No more ratcheting for wars, no more mind games, just simply sit down to work things out. The Americans in their desperation to keep painting the North Koreans as bad, as enemy, forgot that there is such a thing called confidence building measures to keep both sides sane and not too hasty to push the button. It is time the Americans rethink their hostile policies towards North Korea, to engage North Korea like they engaged China and lower tension and move away from the brink of total war.
For the sake of the American people, the Japanese and the South Koreans, the Americans must accept the new reality and make peace with North Korea instead of shouting for war. The Americans cannot win and will suffer untold damages and destruction in this war, if it ever happens.
Americans should read this to have an idea what they are meddling with:
By Ju-min Park
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean state media warned the United States of a "super-mighty preemptive strike" after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States was looking at ways to bring pressure to bear on North Korea over its nuclear programme.
U.S. President Donald Trump has taken a hard line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from sole major ally China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, did not mince its words.
"In the case of our super-mighty preemptive strike being launched, it will completely and immediately wipe out not only U.S. imperialists' invasion forces in South Korea and its surrounding areas but the U.S. mainland and reduce them to ashes," it said.
Reclusive North Korea regularly threatens to destroy Japan, South Korea and the United States and has shown no let-up in its belligerence after a failed missile test on Sunday, a day after putting on a huge display of missiles at a parade in Pyongyang.
"We're reviewing all the status of North Korea, both in terms of state sponsorship of terrorism as well as the other ways in which we can bring pressure on the regime in Pyongyang to re-engage with us, but re-engage with us on a different footing than past talks have been held," Tillerson told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, on a tour of Asian allies, has said repeatedly an "era of strategic patience" with North Korea is over.
The Americans are ratcheting up for war with North Korea and now it seems that they are also going after Iran. Fooling around and kicking Arab and Muslim asses when they have no nuclear power and unable to hit back is one thing, trying to kick asses with nuclear powers like Iran and North Korea requires more deep and careful thoughts. There is no room for mistakes or miscalculation. The Americans cannot afford it, cannot afford nuclear weapons landing on American cities.
Threatening Iran and North Korea is not a game for fools. Both countries are watching the Americans every move and a wrong reading could see them pulling the trigger in a no choice situation. The Americans have to be very very careful not to give the wrong signal or push them into a corner when they would just slam back at the Americans.
Despite all the hot air, it is apparent that the Americans too are getting cold feet. For Carl Vinson to be turning away from the Korean Peninsula there must be a good reason for so doing. In a Reuter report it said that the order to sail Carl Vinson to North Korea was by a Japanese Commander, Harry Harris. Putting Harris staring down at Kim Jung Un is the most dangerous scenario for the Americans, with Harris a sure cock to push the button at the slightest excuse while Kim Jung Un is still an unknown element. Kim is still new and could be just as hasty to push the button at the slightest news of Americans firing off their cruise missiles.
With these two facing each other, the risk of a miscalculation is exceptionally high. Maybe this is the real reason why Washington overturned Harris order for Carl Vinson to head to North Korea but ordered to sail to the Indian Ocean. There cannot be any wrong move and as much as the Americans could not trust Kim, they equally could not trust the trigger happy Japanese Harris in Command, with Pearl Harbour and Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the back of his mind.
Sensible heads must have ruled the day. In a critical time like this, cool heads and wisdom must prevail to avoid a war by mistakes, miscalculation, or by other motives. Yes there will be no winner in a nuclear exchange. Kim at this moment must be just as highly energized and edgy and could push the button. This must be very worrying time for the Americans.
Perhaps it is better that the two sides sit down quickly to develop a protocol similar to the CUES adopted by China and the US to minimize a war by accident. The Americans and the North Koreans must sit down to work things out as not doing so would be hazardous and unacceptable. Both sides need to wind down and work out some confidence building measures to lower the tension and avoid an accidental nuclear war. War is not an option for both sides as nuclear weapons could fly over the skies at the slightest misjudgement and there will be no turning back the clock. Both sides must be worrying themselves sick that an accident must not happen that would lead to immeasurable destruction on both sides.
No more ratcheting for wars, no more mind games, just simply sit down to work things out. The Americans in their desperation to keep painting the North Koreans as bad, as enemy, forgot that there is such a thing called confidence building measures to keep both sides sane and not too hasty to push the button. It is time the Americans rethink their hostile policies towards North Korea, to engage North Korea like they engaged China and lower tension and move away from the brink of total war.
For the sake of the American people, the Japanese and the South Koreans, the Americans must accept the new reality and make peace with North Korea instead of shouting for war. The Americans cannot win and will suffer untold damages and destruction in this war, if it ever happens.
Americans should read this to have an idea what they are meddling with:
By Ju-min Park
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean state media warned the United States of a "super-mighty preemptive strike" after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the United States was looking at ways to bring pressure to bear on North Korea over its nuclear programme.
U.S. President Donald Trump has taken a hard line with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who has rebuffed admonitions from sole major ally China and proceeded with nuclear and missile programmes in defiance of U.N. Security Council sanctions.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling Workers' Party, did not mince its words.
"In the case of our super-mighty preemptive strike being launched, it will completely and immediately wipe out not only U.S. imperialists' invasion forces in South Korea and its surrounding areas but the U.S. mainland and reduce them to ashes," it said.
Reclusive North Korea regularly threatens to destroy Japan, South Korea and the United States and has shown no let-up in its belligerence after a failed missile test on Sunday, a day after putting on a huge display of missiles at a parade in Pyongyang.
"We're reviewing all the status of North Korea, both in terms of state sponsorship of terrorism as well as the other ways in which we can bring pressure on the regime in Pyongyang to re-engage with us, but re-engage with us on a different footing than past talks have been held," Tillerson told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, on a tour of Asian allies, has said repeatedly an "era of strategic patience" with North Korea is over.
4/21/2017
What’s wrong being a Communist?
Today I can ask such a question without fear of being taken away in the middle of the night and locked up forever without trial. There was a time when talking about Communism and saying things good about Communism could end a person being branded as a communist and never see daylight thereafter.
I just read Teo Soh Lung’s post in the TRE about her arrest with 21 others in 1987, accused of being communists. And she wrote this,
‘Today I categorically deny again that I was a communist in 1987. I deny that I was ever involved in any communist network. I invite the government to prove its case against me or charge me in court if they so wish. I know it will never convene a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate the gross injustice done to those arrested.
What laws do the government need to fight fake news? It should put its house in order before it enacts more laws to blind and gag the people of Singapore.’
This prompts me to ask this question, what is wrong being a communist? Trump had dinner with Xi Jinping, the President of Communist China, so must also be a communist. Xi Jinping and his wife were invited to spend a few days in Buckingham Palace too and welcomed all over the world. The communists from China and Russia are every where as tourists, businessmen, professionals, students and whatever. There can’t be anything wrong with being a communist right?
But in those dark days of our history, associating with Communism, reading communist literature, being a communist, was like becoming a member of Satan, more frightening than being the enemy of the state. Communism is only a political ideology, an ideology of a perfect state, an utopia, where everyone is equal and live in prosperity like paradise on earth. The problems of Communism then were its militant methodology to achieve political power by force. Then Communism advocated the end justified the means and the violent overthrow of existing govts. Communism was associated with violent means.
Today, many western countries have communist parties operating legitimately as another alternative party. Would someone calling himself a communist today in Singapore be arrested? I am afraid I don’t know what is the official stand on this, because the daft could not move with the changing time and could not adapt to the new reality that Communism has in a way abandoned the violent overthrow of govts. It is western democratic capitalist countries that are using force and violence to overthrow govts, conduct wars and regime change. This is not funny.
This is also the reason why Teo Soh Lung is vehemently disclaiming that she was a communist. Is it important if she was or was not a communist then? Ah, yes and no. Yes because she is making the point that she and her group were not communists but arrested and accused of being communists, for being communists then was a crime or anti state. No, not relevant today because I think one cannot be arrested just because he is a communist, or else all the Chinese from China would not be allowed entry here. I stand corrected on this. There is no official statement on this point yet. A foreign communist is allowed here, but not sure a Singaporean can be a member of a communist party today.
Can one be a communist and would not be arrested here, and be allowed to live just like everyone else? Can one form a communist party and contest in the general election? Has the govt grew up and accept Communism as another political ideology and a communist party is acceptable here as long as it does not preach violence or using force to gain political power?
I don’t think anyone has addressed this issue or say anything for or against it. It looks like Communism is still taboo here though many are doing business with the communists, wining and dining, making deals and even jumping into bed with the communists.
4/20/2017
Model answers for writing CVs
This is another sad case of a PMET unable to find job in his beloved country that he pledged to protect with his life and offered the best part of his life doing National Service to be paid pittance and to lose out in job opportunities and working experience. There are many such cases that are so desperate, no one to turn to and Gilbert was the last place to let go their frustration.
‘PMET jobless for 18 months and feeling frustrated at CECA arrangement - Dear Gilbert, as I read this, it reminds me of my own situation. I was hired into the company with the bosses promising me a career change. …
Maybe I should set up an agency to help these people with model answers in writing CVs for job applications. Singaporeans have gone through a school system that is fundamentally based on model answers. No thinking required, just game the system by reproducing model answers from model past questions. So selling model answer CVs could be a good business to the daft Singaporeans. Oops, not sure who is daft, the people willing to buy model answer CVs or me, thinking that a model CV could get them a job, never mind if they have or did not have the skills for the job. A good CV to land a job?
This last part is also questionable. How many businesses hiring foreigners here hired them for their skills, qualifications or their CVs? How many out there were employed by submitting faked degree mill degrees or model answer CVs with doctored or false working experience and skills?
What is real? How and why the foreigners are employed by the busloads and not Singaporeans. Let me remind you people reading this, to notice that I have been repeating the word ‘Singaporeans’ here many many times. You don’t read ‘Singaporeans’ anywhere else on such matters except here, I think. Other places and media would use terms like locals, residents without giving a clue whether they meant Singaporeans, PRs or residents.
Ok, back to this thing, how are so many foreigners finding jobs here so easily but Singaporeans are finding it so difficult? Is it just a matter of CVs, fake qualifications or something else and what is this something else? I can write beautiful CVs for sale, but I cannot guarantee anyone getting a job for it because of this ‘something else’ that ended with foreigners being hired and not Singaporeans. If you open your eyes and look around, many companies, including GLCs are flooded with foreigners who don’t look anything talented at all. Just take a walk around Raffles Place and MBFC and you will see hordes of so called foreign talents working happily here. I must state it clearly here that I did not sell my model answer CVs to them to get the jobs. Most of them got their jobs through something else.
Still guessing what is this something else? Some may call it the X factor. I also dunno, but those who know would not tell you and keep hiring the foreigners over Singaporeans with their version of model answer CVs and degrees that have everything the employers want.
I think only daft Singaporeans would buy my CVs and still go jobless, not even call up for interviews after sending out 100, 200 or 500 application letters because the hirers can smell if the application letters are from Singaporeans or from foreigners. More than half a million successful foreigners are hired in this City called Singapore.
Dunno to laugh or to cry. Why did I say this? Because it depends on who you are, a foreigner or a Singaporean. If you are a foreigner you will be very happy and laughing. If you are a Singaporean, like those writing to Gilbert Goh, you will be crying until no tears left.
‘PMET jobless for 18 months and feeling frustrated at CECA arrangement - Dear Gilbert, as I read this, it reminds me of my own situation. I was hired into the company with the bosses promising me a career change. …
Maybe I should set up an agency to help these people with model answers in writing CVs for job applications. Singaporeans have gone through a school system that is fundamentally based on model answers. No thinking required, just game the system by reproducing model answers from model past questions. So selling model answer CVs could be a good business to the daft Singaporeans. Oops, not sure who is daft, the people willing to buy model answer CVs or me, thinking that a model CV could get them a job, never mind if they have or did not have the skills for the job. A good CV to land a job?
This last part is also questionable. How many businesses hiring foreigners here hired them for their skills, qualifications or their CVs? How many out there were employed by submitting faked degree mill degrees or model answer CVs with doctored or false working experience and skills?
What is real? How and why the foreigners are employed by the busloads and not Singaporeans. Let me remind you people reading this, to notice that I have been repeating the word ‘Singaporeans’ here many many times. You don’t read ‘Singaporeans’ anywhere else on such matters except here, I think. Other places and media would use terms like locals, residents without giving a clue whether they meant Singaporeans, PRs or residents.
Ok, back to this thing, how are so many foreigners finding jobs here so easily but Singaporeans are finding it so difficult? Is it just a matter of CVs, fake qualifications or something else and what is this something else? I can write beautiful CVs for sale, but I cannot guarantee anyone getting a job for it because of this ‘something else’ that ended with foreigners being hired and not Singaporeans. If you open your eyes and look around, many companies, including GLCs are flooded with foreigners who don’t look anything talented at all. Just take a walk around Raffles Place and MBFC and you will see hordes of so called foreign talents working happily here. I must state it clearly here that I did not sell my model answer CVs to them to get the jobs. Most of them got their jobs through something else.
Still guessing what is this something else? Some may call it the X factor. I also dunno, but those who know would not tell you and keep hiring the foreigners over Singaporeans with their version of model answer CVs and degrees that have everything the employers want.
I think only daft Singaporeans would buy my CVs and still go jobless, not even call up for interviews after sending out 100, 200 or 500 application letters because the hirers can smell if the application letters are from Singaporeans or from foreigners. More than half a million successful foreigners are hired in this City called Singapore.
Dunno to laugh or to cry. Why did I say this? Because it depends on who you are, a foreigner or a Singaporean. If you are a foreigner you will be very happy and laughing. If you are a Singaporean, like those writing to Gilbert Goh, you will be crying until no tears left.
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