China has been playing catching up with Singapore but is losing. When Singapore started industrialisation in the 60s, China was still a backward agricultural economy. It then sent many delegations of civil servants here to learn the trick of the trade using Singapore as a role model. Over the last 40 years China made progress, opened up to the world and industrialised. The millions of bicycles on the road instead of cars also gave way, just like Singapore in the last 40 years, and cars started to appear on the road to replace the bicycles.
Singapore has done that and moved on. The roads that are filled with cars in Singapore is starting to give way as Singapore progresses. This time Singapore is moving ahead again. Singaporeans are encouraged to ride bicycles instead of buying cars. Soon the roads of Singapore will be filled with bicycles again, just like China before opening up to the world. China would have a tough act to follow Singapore this time, to abandon the use of cars and to go back to riding bicycles. It is unlikely that China could catch up with Singapore in making its people to ride bicycles again, and very likely also a choice to abandon backward third world mode of transportation when people cannot afford to buy cars.
China is also losing out in housing after copying our housing models. Singaporeans have gone through the phase of buying bigger and bigger homes and asset enhancement. China is starting to do just that, with its nouve riche population rushing in to buy bigger and bigger homes. China did not know that the new trend of development, of progress, is to buy smaller homes, even to make babies, the smaller the cosier. Singaporeans are getting so rich that they know cars are wasteful, and so are bigger homes. So Singaporeans have embarked on a new trend, to buy smaller homes as a new lifestyle choice. When would China tell its people that small homes/flats are good and would not affect their quality of life?
Singaporeans are on the next phase of progress, not only buying smaller homes but trading them for retirement, come empty handed, go empty handed. China would take time to catch up with Singapore, for its people to start to buy smaller homes, and to tell its people to come empty handed and go empty handed, trading their homes for retirement, no more life long state pensions.
There are several areas that China has yet to embark on to be like Singapore, like paying their politicians millions to make them instant millionaires. This is something that China is still very backward and would never catch up with Singapore. Would China also learn from Singapore to bring in foreign talents to help create jobs for its locals? Would China dilute its core population with foreigners? Would China start to sell its strategic assets to foreigners as the next phase of their development?
Singapore is streaking ahead in many fields and enterprises. Would China also learn from Singapore to get its universities ranked among the best in the world? Never mind if our best graduates cannot built spacecraft, cannot build aircraft carriers, cannot build high speed trains after graduating from our world best universities. The progress is in getting the universities ranked as world best and get a degree from world best universities is the goal.
By the look of things, China will never catch up with Singapore and its people will be stuck with bigger homes and cars and not wanting to ride bicycles again. And its political leaders would never smell what it is like to be paid millions of dollars in salary and what it would be like to be millionaire politicians, and what dignity is all about boosted by a big pay cheque.
Singaporeans are now happily switching their cars to bicycles as a healthy way of life while the Chinese are pursuing their unhealthy and wasteful dreams of car ownership.
5/11/2017
Cheng Bock is likely to lose
Cheng Bock has posted the high court's acceptance of his application to challenge the govt's formula to count Wee Kim Wee as the first Elected President. This is part of his message:
COURT APPLICATION ACCEPTED
I would like to announce that this morning, the High Court accepted my application (HC/OS 495/2017), which seeks the Court’s determination on whether a piece of legislation (section 22 Presidential Elections (Amendment) Act 6 of 2017 which counted President Wee Kim Wee as the first Elected Presidency term for the purposes of calling a Reserved Election), is consistent with our Constitution (Articles 19B(1) and 164(1) which introduced the mechanism of a Reserved Election into our Constitution).
I am the Plaintiff and for the purposes of serving Court papers on the Government, the Defendant is the Attorney General.
The application was filed on 5 May 2017. The Court accepted my application this morning, and has fixed a pre-trial conference on 22 May 2017....
Though the acceptance gives some hope that the issue would be addressed legally by the top legal minds and also comes under the scrutiny of the whole world, I have very little confidence that Cheng Bock would win this case. Somehow the case of the ruling that election candidate cannot be within 200m radius of a voting station but being inside is not considered within 200m keeps popping up in my mind. Such ingenious interpretation of law is very exceptional and only very exceptional legal talents could explain this logically and legally correct in the courts of law.
Until today, the common folks are still shaking their heads as they simply are too daft to understand the brilliant logic of such an explanation. The smart ones have already given up trying to understand.
It is no coincidence that this would be another CB Elected Presidential election, CB is Cheng Bock's initial of course. CB can also mean cha bor. So whatever way it is gonna be a CB election. I am putting my ears on the ground and eagerly waiting for another fabulous and mind blowing interpretation of the law by Singapore's top legal talents on this case that would outdo the 200m ruling for its ingenuity and brilliance.
COURT APPLICATION ACCEPTED
I would like to announce that this morning, the High Court accepted my application (HC/OS 495/2017), which seeks the Court’s determination on whether a piece of legislation (section 22 Presidential Elections (Amendment) Act 6 of 2017 which counted President Wee Kim Wee as the first Elected Presidency term for the purposes of calling a Reserved Election), is consistent with our Constitution (Articles 19B(1) and 164(1) which introduced the mechanism of a Reserved Election into our Constitution).
I am the Plaintiff and for the purposes of serving Court papers on the Government, the Defendant is the Attorney General.
The application was filed on 5 May 2017. The Court accepted my application this morning, and has fixed a pre-trial conference on 22 May 2017....
Though the acceptance gives some hope that the issue would be addressed legally by the top legal minds and also comes under the scrutiny of the whole world, I have very little confidence that Cheng Bock would win this case. Somehow the case of the ruling that election candidate cannot be within 200m radius of a voting station but being inside is not considered within 200m keeps popping up in my mind. Such ingenious interpretation of law is very exceptional and only very exceptional legal talents could explain this logically and legally correct in the courts of law.
Until today, the common folks are still shaking their heads as they simply are too daft to understand the brilliant logic of such an explanation. The smart ones have already given up trying to understand.
It is no coincidence that this would be another CB Elected Presidential election, CB is Cheng Bock's initial of course. CB can also mean cha bor. So whatever way it is gonna be a CB election. I am putting my ears on the ground and eagerly waiting for another fabulous and mind blowing interpretation of the law by Singapore's top legal talents on this case that would outdo the 200m ruling for its ingenuity and brilliance.
5/10/2017
Conversation with a Chinese national
I was having my lunch in a kopitiam when this Chinese national came calling me uncle and asking for permission to share the table. I did not push him away, scold him or nudge him from behind. I said ok and we had a little conversation. I did most of the listening as there was so much to learn from someone who was willing to share.
He said Xi Jinping has stopped all educational trips of Chinese officials coming to Singapore to learn the Singapore way. China had learnt a lot in the early days and now found that the current Singapore way is not what China needs or wants.
He spoke on many issues but most important of which is how China treats its oldies. China also has their version of CPF system whereby an employee would contribute 2% of his income and the employer 19%. Then the province, county and town or village would contribute the balance 79% to the fund. And at age 60, the oldies would be paid an allowance for life. He mentioned something like 4,000 rmb, not sure it was a month or a year. He added that the oldies are the happiest people in China, and the richest, that is why they are indulging in all kinds of leisure pastimes and travelling. And their children love them as they are not burdens to them, when the state is looking after them.
The oldies need not worry about pawning their homes to keep themselves alive. It is the duty of the state to look after them. The longer they live the more they enjoy the state pension. How’s that compare to our CPF, used to be a model formula for others to emulate but now turning foul. Got money but cannot touch, your own money but now some said not your money.
And how’s that compare to our oldies having to collect cardboard and pushing trolleys, or spending time in kopitiams to clean tables and wash plates to past their times? Some said to exercise while the Chinese oldies are doing line dancing in the parks?
This guy came from Xian in 2003 and was earning about $3k to $4k as a lorry driver. Now he said things are not so good and he is getting slightly more than $2k. Oh, he said in Xian, public transport is 1rmb per trip regardless of how long is the journey. How’s that? And they need not kpkb every now and them to raise fare to improve quality of service.
This is China practicing its socialist ideas, that the country or govt’s primary duty is to take care of the people’s welfare and well being. As China gets richer, more will be distributed to the people for them to live better and to live well. Not to be distributed to their leaders to make them millionaires. Xi Jinping said, if you want to get rich, don't join politics.
The happy Singaporeans would say Singapore is better. Singaporean oldies have pride and love to work until they die, to be independent and can exercise some more. And happy Singaporeans would continue to vote for their efficient and caring govt to look after them the way the govt knows best, especially their CPF savings, always there even after they died. For the money can only could not be used except for compulsory schemes. Singaporeans would not want the way China is looking after their oldies and their lifelong savings.
Tiok boh?
He said Xi Jinping has stopped all educational trips of Chinese officials coming to Singapore to learn the Singapore way. China had learnt a lot in the early days and now found that the current Singapore way is not what China needs or wants.
He spoke on many issues but most important of which is how China treats its oldies. China also has their version of CPF system whereby an employee would contribute 2% of his income and the employer 19%. Then the province, county and town or village would contribute the balance 79% to the fund. And at age 60, the oldies would be paid an allowance for life. He mentioned something like 4,000 rmb, not sure it was a month or a year. He added that the oldies are the happiest people in China, and the richest, that is why they are indulging in all kinds of leisure pastimes and travelling. And their children love them as they are not burdens to them, when the state is looking after them.
The oldies need not worry about pawning their homes to keep themselves alive. It is the duty of the state to look after them. The longer they live the more they enjoy the state pension. How’s that compare to our CPF, used to be a model formula for others to emulate but now turning foul. Got money but cannot touch, your own money but now some said not your money.
And how’s that compare to our oldies having to collect cardboard and pushing trolleys, or spending time in kopitiams to clean tables and wash plates to past their times? Some said to exercise while the Chinese oldies are doing line dancing in the parks?
This guy came from Xian in 2003 and was earning about $3k to $4k as a lorry driver. Now he said things are not so good and he is getting slightly more than $2k. Oh, he said in Xian, public transport is 1rmb per trip regardless of how long is the journey. How’s that? And they need not kpkb every now and them to raise fare to improve quality of service.
This is China practicing its socialist ideas, that the country or govt’s primary duty is to take care of the people’s welfare and well being. As China gets richer, more will be distributed to the people for them to live better and to live well. Not to be distributed to their leaders to make them millionaires. Xi Jinping said, if you want to get rich, don't join politics.
The happy Singaporeans would say Singapore is better. Singaporean oldies have pride and love to work until they die, to be independent and can exercise some more. And happy Singaporeans would continue to vote for their efficient and caring govt to look after them the way the govt knows best, especially their CPF savings, always there even after they died. For the money can only could not be used except for compulsory schemes. Singaporeans would not want the way China is looking after their oldies and their lifelong savings.
Tiok boh?
The Days After Death
By mikospace
May Day 2017. The night before, Father passed on from this
life. Death consumed him quietly after a full dinner as he rested; shutting
down his lungs, his breathing ceased and finally his heart stopped. At a full
life of 90-years old, Father was ready; and has been ready for quite a while
since Mother succumbed to her stroke which paralysed her for over a year some
17 years ago. Their blissful life was
survived by 6 children, 6 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren! What a
blessed life indeed!
Death is personal
and customised for each one of us. It
accompanies us like a personal shadow, growing as we grow, and at time looming
larger or taller depending on the role it chooses as our alternate self. Death’s
only story is the story of our life. It has no separate meaning other than whatever
we have made with our life. We are death’s
only friend; that’s why it is often confusing as we hear its voice beckoned so
welcoming when our time cometh as we then struggle to prolong our earthly time
by grasping at the straw of a diminishing life.
The
fear of death is
quite exaggerated, and unfounded, when to die is actually perfectly
normal. All natural living things die. It is such an important part of
the natural
process. Death is many things to
different people who prefer not to talk or think about it. Like it or
not, though most of us do not like
it, it is more like we do not like its often uncertain timing. If only
we can choose when to die, wouldn’t
that be great!
The main problem is
that most people are not ready to die. Yet, most would live their life as if
death would not occur. We know life is
short, and yet we rush through it without spending quality time to appreciate
the beauty of nature or create meaningful moments with our loved ones. Many eat the wrong diets that shorten our
short life-span; others repeatedly poison their bodies with tobacco and nicotine;
or regularly drown their stomach, livers and kidneys in alcoholic beverages;
and millions others are addicted to consume strange chemicals in the forms of
vitamin-substitutes, health “supplements” and man-made medicines. Ironically,
death probably never works harder to prevent the onset of massive and pandemic
premature human deaths that should otherwise occur as a natural consequence of
mankind suicidal life-styles!
Death is also romanticised
by a spiritual interpretation. Many man-made
religions teach death as the separation of the imagined human “soul” from the
physical body, and which goes on living somewhere forever … to “heaven” if one
has been “good”, to “hell” if he/she has been “bad” or to a “holding” location
to be determined by some “gods” or divine beings. Some religious beliefs would “recycle” the
dead back to this world to provide another opportunity for them to live a “better”
life … why not send them back to a better version of this world, I wonder?! Who indeed would want to come back to this wretched
broken world again …!
There is no evidence
that the probabilistic existence of “heaven” and “hell”, or “recycling” for a
better life, has any effect on criminal behavior or better civic treatment of
fellow human beings or more socially responsible behavior in the community. My take is that everyone knew that no one is
really “good” enough to go to heaven … everyone irrespective of our jobs or
station in life is guilty of insufficient “good” deeds to qualify for that
hallowed “heaven” place. We are all condemned
by the good that we failed to do! That would leave “hell” as the common final
destination for the human souls; this is really comforting since many friends,
buddies, and enemies, would therefore be re-united after death.
The notion of the “afterlife”
is a denial of death being the end of life. People are just not ready to leave their loved
ones, or to stop enjoying their daily golf games or to cease having their party
fun. Others are really happy growing their businesses, increasing personal
wealth and prosperity way beyond their need to fuel a greater sense of security
and enhance their happiness assets. To
many, the “afterlife” is necessary in order to be truly human. For them, life
is a path that must lead somewhere, anywhere … as long as it does not just end!....
This is a truncated version. For the full version click mikospace above.
5/09/2017
Cheng Bok takes the govt to court
Tan Cheng Bock finally filed his case to the court for a legal interpretation on the Elected President yesterday. His main point is to seek a court ruling on how the counting of President Wee Kim Wee as the first elected president is deemed legal and proper to justify an EP election this year.
We will now have to wait to hear what the court has to say and whether the ruling is constitutional. The AG's office would have to explain come they come about with their recommendation to the PM.
This is probably the first constitutional challenge in this island since independence.
We will now have to wait to hear what the court has to say and whether the ruling is constitutional. The AG's office would have to explain come they come about with their recommendation to the PM.
This is probably the first constitutional challenge in this island since independence.
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