when prs are locals or de facto citizens

with prs being regarded or treated like singaporeans, and even treasured more, would the govt consider allowing singaporeans to opt to become prs? as the difference in the two categories is mainly an issue of how much obligations and liabilities one has towards the country, there will be singaporeans who would readily opt to become prs than citizens. why be a citizen when all the privileges are given to the prs and still be burdened and be subjected to all the laws and restrictions of a citizen? sigh....

55% of new jobs went to singaporeans! really?

this is the headline that screams out of the today paper. then below it, a sub headline states 'more than 55% of th 110,800 jobs last year went to citizens and prs, says minister.' so, how many actually went to singaporeans? how many of the 55% went to singaporeans? are prs singaporeans? can singaporeans be angry about being treated less favourably than prs? can singaporeans feel that they are second class citizens in their home land? when prs, without the responsibilities and obligations are regarded in every way, like a citizen?

soft launch of redbeanforum

hi everyone, you are all welcome to register at my new setup 'redbeanforum' at www.redbeanforum.com or using the link provided at my link column. this blog is a bit difficult to negotiate and to view threads. i hope you will find the forum easier to use. it is using the same programme as the ypap forum, so you will all be very familiar with it. i have transferred about 70 percent of the posts from here over and you will initially see all the postings as if posted by redbean. your user names are all in bold inside the threads. once you start to post in the forum it will quickly replace the redbean username in the forum index. also, you are now free to initiate your own topics. for the time being i have only three forums, singapore current affairs, world affairs and a stock forum. for the latter i will give my input in terms of trading methodologies, rumours and analyst recommendations. i will also provide links to broking house websites. please feel free to go there. this blog will continue as it is though on a lower key. see you there guys and gals.

boon wan the tireless worker

boon wan is amazing not so much in his being a tireless worker. but more in his relentless pursuit to improve the medical services and reducing cost. as a minister, he sets the goals, demanding the civil servants to find the solutions. and that is what a politician should be. tell the administrators what you want that is good for the people. not the other way round. many politicians ended up as administrators and behave like one. some ended up like a businessman running a business and only think about profits. they either allow the business or the administrators to set the goals for them. and they then went about defending the business and the administrators. that is a big failure as a politician, a political leader who is there to serve the people who voted for him. the other point about boon wan is his sincerity and setting himself as an example. he demands or calls for the private hospitals to be transparent in their billings. but before doing that, he makes sure that the hospitals under his charge are transparent first. he will look ridiculous if he demands for transparency of private hospitals but keeping his own public hospitals opague. kudos to boon wan. hey i am praising a minister.

education: listen, ask, think and speak

the formal school education can be broken down into 4 phases. the first is when the children are absorbing knowledge which requires them to listen a lot. with a little knowledge, with their curiosity stirred, they will start to ask questions. both phases are complementary in acquiring and building up knowledge and information. the next phase is processing, the thinking phase. children at high school level are expected to start to think for themselves, think about what they have been taught and form their ideas and find their own truths. the final phase is when they are expected to stand up and take their positions about things, issues etc. this is the maturing phase when they must confidently say this is what i think, what i think is right, what i want things to be. transfer these four phases into parliament, and we at best are only seeing the second phase in play. parliament is still in an infant, only asking questions with very little input, very little thinking and very few taking a stand to say their piece. only rarely would an mp stand up and say this is not right, not good for the people. this is what should be done, what the people want, what is good for the people. the history of parliament is 40 years. and we are not seeing any sign of a breaking away from this asking mode. mps think that they have executed their duties if they ask questions. and they are very happy with that. when will mps take a stand for their views on things? or is this the weakness of having mps from only the ruling party who are not expected to take different stand, and thus unable to speak up for the people? and unfortunately, opposition parties too think that their role is just to ask question. they have learnt the wrong thing i suppose. shouldn't they be speaking up and say this is what we think the people want or is good for the people?

ge round 9: opposition muted

we have heard several rounds of salvos from the pap but practically nothing from the opposition. they could have been very busy mapping out their strategies and the avoidance of a 3 corner fight. there is also this view that they are keeping their cards close to their chest, like what steve chia said. what we hope is that when they start firing, they would not resort to any wild and unfair allegations. let the pap set the tone. so far the pap are banging on their comparative advantage of being the incumbent, the ruling party and with their huge resources to comb the ground. and they are trying to pin the image of a opposition that appears only during election. the second point about sincerity of the opposition is very subjective and can also be asked in their direction. we will have to wait to see how the opposition take their stand.

attacking thaksin developing into attacking singapore

the strongest anti singapore attack came from a prof phuwado songprasert of kasetsart university. he led the attack on singapore/temasek's investments in thailand as if singapore is out to manipulate thai politics, and the politics of asean. such is the possibility of how some groups of anti singapore activists in other countries could do to achieve their private agenda. like it or not, there are always such elements who for whatever reasons, will attack singapore given an opportunity. we have friends, but also enemies hiding in little corners. phuwado even asserted that singaporean investors were disliked in malaysia and indonesia, trying to inflame more hatred towards singaporeans as if it is a norm. if the demonstration does not end swiftly, there is always a high probability that singapore will end up as a dart board. and all the goodwill developed will go to waste and we have to start all over again. we have counted on other countries that could be riled by the slightest reasons, but not thailand. a land of smiles and lesser historical baggages. and so far no one in thailand is trying to douse this flame and incense. would all these turn into a popular backlash against singapore, with demonstrators stoning or storming our embassy and investments? the potential for volatility is always there, and waiting to be fanned into a firestorm.

chua lee hoong, chua mui hoong, related?

i quoted chua lee hoong a few days back on the dignity of politics in the past. today chua mui hoong is questioning the cynicism in the redrawing of political boundaries. often i must say that i mistook one from the other. both political editors in the straits times. and both are quite similar in their perceptions and analysis of local politics. are they sisters, or twins?

warren buffett punching again

the excesses of the american corporate world, which is widely repeated here, is getting another punch from warren buffett. the craziness in the pay to ceos has gone on for too long. it is daylight robbery against the interest of shareholders. ceos are paying themselves ridiculous salaries without producing the results. and the rationale is that other ceos are getting them, so they shall have it too. many public companies would have been profitable or have bigger profits if not because of the ethereal compensation packages paid to ceos. so far, buffett has been the lone voice in the wilderness. no one is going to hear him as everyone is having a party and enjoying it. and there are many companies that made hefty losses of several hundred millions over the years. but all it needs is for one year to make a 20 or 30 million profits and the ceos will be asking for blood, demanding big bonuses and bonus shares and increments. and the meagre profit multiply over 10 years may not even recover the losses incurred earlier. the shareholders must have a bigger voice to check the excesses of corporate ceos. and not be duped repeatedly, and be robbed of the value of their shares.

braless students: discipline or outrage of modesty?

STUDENTS of a secondary school in Singapore, who were recently found to be wearing coloured bras to school, were forced to go braless, reported China Press. According to the daily, the school only allowed students to wear white, beige and light grey bras. The daily said most of the affected students were caught wearing coloured bras during a Physical Education class They were forced to remove the bras in the bathroom, which were then confiscated. Describing the action as “too much”, the daily quoted the students as saying they were mortified, more so as male teachers were present. the teachers, the honoured profession of people trusted with the education and care of our young, are highly regarded and are expected to exercise good judgement and wisdom in the handling of children. maintaining school discipline is expected and welcomed by parents. but when doing so, and crossing the ob markers, stripping adolescents of their bras, making them parading around braless, is unbecoming. it shows a total lack of propriety, poor judgement, callous and behaviour that is disgusting. a braless lass walking around, showing whatever beneath the blouse, is like a cat 3 movie in life. can these teachers, obviously a whole bunch of them, be disciplined, for outraging the modesty of their school girls? it is unthinkable that educators can resort to such stupid acts of discipline.

ge: round 8. potshots and snide remarks

the pap has taken the first shot at the opposition. 'they were not around but suddenly appeared all over the places.' another shot, 'are they sincere in wanting to serve.' no reply yet from the opposition, probably busy finding lost ground and time to reconnect with the people again. actually, if the opposition candidates in waiting were paid $13,000 and all the perks, i am sure they will be around every day of the year. and they would be able to do just as much with all the funds and resources available to pap mps. even chiam and low who are around everyday are unable to promise any upgrading or extravagant plans. is it their faults? as for sincerity, the similar explanation can be applied. one is an elected mp who is paid handsomely to do the job. the other has lost the election and not paid anything to do anything. how much can the people expect from opposition candidates after an election? the question then, would an elected mp, without the pay, be as sincere in his commitment to the people? yes there are sitoh and low. but are we comparing apple with apple? other than the big organisation and machinery at their disposal, what else do they have to be able to do what they were doing over the last 4 years? it is interesting to listen and observe how the parties attacked each other and whether there is any substance from the punches they threw. or are they good for a laugh.

boundary got change or no change?

“The coming election won’t change anything, anyway. The government will still be controlling as it had done” seems to be a popular sentiment. All these frequent boundary changes simply contribute to the cynicism among young and old. I must say it is quite prevalent in the estate where I live. At a coffee shop breakfast this morning, an elderly gentleman asked me why was I surprised. “You should know better. Next time Serangoon Gardens may well move to Ang Moh Kio!” seah chiang nee posted the above in littlespeck.com. and i have just quoted a few mps dismissing the cynicism about boundary changes. nobody will know about the changes unless you are affected personally. i think chiang nee should be grateful for the changes as he is given a chance to elect a pap candidate of his choice. very probably he has not found a pap candidate of his liking in serangoon garden, braddell height and marine parade. now he is given a chance to vote for george yeo. and why not, george is the few good men that you can find.

ge: a sense of fair play

hsien loong is calling the opposition to field all 84 candidates. this is the first time where the call comes out genuine. and he meant it, for all the good reasons. the pap is confident, but is also feeling the pressure from all the gossips about how the game is being played. in the past it was simply ignored, talked away. but today, there is this intent to really test their support without being accused of all the things that they have done in the past. it seems that hsien loong really want to put to test where he stands, where the party stands. with minimal changes to the election boundaries, this has elicited many responses from both the party and the opposition. all welcomes this. ong kian min said, 'i think this increases the sense of fair play, and suggests the boundaries have not been redrawn for whimsical reasons. in the past, people complained that radical changes were made to suit the ruling party.' zulkifli baharudin said that it avoids criticism previously levelled against the system. how true were the criticism, it is just a perception. only time will tell the truth for the drastic changes in the past. like it or not, when one is holding a knife in the scene of a murder, it is difficult for people not to suspect anything. would the status quo in election boundaries really be a test of the strength of the pap? i doubt so. the system still favours the ruling party with its organisation and huge resources. it will be a fairer contest if there are more single wards and the huge grcs be reduced to 3 or 4 candidates. then the playing field will be more level. then only will we see a genuine contest, and where lies the heart of the voters.

mindless idolation of talents

i thought the nkf episode would have taught singaporeans an embarrassing lesson in behaving like little girls idolising their favourite celebrities. talents were blindly appreciated and praised and ended up with red faces. but at least there is now an attempt to correct the silliness of the whole episode, to right the wrongs and uphold values that are considered worthy. now the agu case is anything but stupidity. why would people entrusted with public money threw them at a rotten apple. everything is wrong. give him another chance, but not the way the events unfolded and the truth emerged. apparently agu returned only when he found out that he was not good enough in russia, uk and canada. during his absence, he was in these places for trial. otherwise he would be gone and with all our money, faith, trust and laughing at our idiocy. agu exemplified everything that is wrong, untrusthworthy, deceitful, greed, taking advantage of his naive benefactors, cheating, and what else. and he is going to don our national colours as one of us, and we pay him dearly. where is the sense of righteousness, uprightness, honesty, honour, trust...is a little thrash talent worth so much that we give up all the virtues that we live by and wanted our people to live by? the whole issue is not only a case of children playing their little pranks, but shame. we can forgive him, but not the way he is welcomed back to have a chance to repeat the whole damn thing once again. if he is not ask to go now, and if he does a repeat, all those who put the money and trust in him must go. this is a case of poor judgement, bad judgement, and a compromise of our simple decent values.

hdb: 5 equals 4

the latest announcement that hdb is converting its unsold 5 room flats into 2 x 2 room flats is another funny figure crunching. 5 rooms become 2 rooms. the only thing good is that the converted 2 roomers must be technically having 2 and a half room of a 5 room flats. so these flats must be bigger. just like a 5 room flat must be bigger than a 4 room flat. good buy. provided there are buyers. apparently so as the number of buyers for big flats have mostly disappeared and many are downgrading to smaller and smaller flats. so much for prosperity and a booming economy and good times. during good times people are all downgrading. what happens during bad times, all upgrading?

ge: politics has to regain its former dignity

this is a statement by chua lee hoong, the review editor of the straits times. she added that it is not so much about winning an election but about how votes were garnered. both comments were in her article today which started with the changing of political boundaries as the butt of singaporean jokes. why the cynicism? why must politics return to its former dignity? has it be degraded to such an extent that it has lost all sense of being dignified? the scepticism and cynicism, if traced backwards, did tell a story about something not exactly right. but the changing of political boundaries were all done above board, by indepedent civil servants. why should that be subject to ridicule? it is all in the perception. it is all in how people think that it is done for reasons that put some in an advantageous position while some in a disadvantageous position. it is seen as a changing of the known factors, changing things that ought not to be changed. but we have all the valid reasons to change political boundaries for our uniquely singaporean reasons. everything is done with a sound reason. only whether people believe in them, or who believe in them.

ge: number of voters

earlier i posted a set of figures stating that the number of voters increase from 2001 to 2005 was 45,000, or an annual increase of only 9,000. these are official figures. and today we are seeing another set of official figures showing an increase of 121,000 over the same period. this gives an annual increase of about 24,000. hey, what is happening? what are all the numbers jumping around and all different? the first set of figures was frightening in the sense that it shows a big disappearing act. many singaporeans are disappearing from our voting list. today the figure is more comforting, though still registering an annual shortfall of about 6,000 from an average growth rate of 30,000, assuming that new citizens just about enough to offset death rate. there is still a net loss, and mainly of better trained and qualified people who are good enough to depart for greener pasture. it is not easy to nail a number that is unchanging. but this official set today must be the final figure and no changes should be expected from them.

better service? please pay

if the services of public transports are to be improved, please pay up. i thought the transport operators were talking. when has the transport minister become synonymous with transport operators? anyway he speaks as if he is one. the lesson for all singaporeans is to shut up. do not ask or demand for any improvement in any services, including better govt. you pay. you want anything better, it will be given, real or imagined improvement. but one thing for sure, you will have to pay for it. that is the first principle, or the first thing that the service provider will think of. let me get behind the thinking. so you people think it is so easy to ask for this and that. it is equally easy to reply and comply with your request. no need second thought. what ever you ask it shall be given. you pay for it. brilliant.

thailand: tyranny killing democracy

no, it is not the tyranny of thaksin that is threatening democracy in thailand. it is the group of activists, probably the minority, that is trying to kill democracy in thailand. because they are able to run up a few thousand demonstrators, they think they could decide what is best for thailand. and they are afraid of the people's will. they do not want an election. they have assumed the role of decision maker. and they decide who the prime minister shall be. thaksin must go. this is what tyranny of the minority is all about. thaksin has done the right thing for democracy. let the people decide. actually the people had decided for him to be prime minister. but the minority group is challenging him. so it is best to let the people confirm who they want. would the thais allow democracy to be what it is? or would the tyranny of the minority rule thailand?

soo khoon the consumate politician

soo khoon is punching myanmar yesterday, after telling off the aussies. he is now more the consumate politician that we have not seen for ages. and that is what politicians should be, confident and outspoken and with a view. not the 'err, no comment' or just wave and faded away. we need politicians to stand up to push an issue, hold their grounds and not simply give up when being pushed or encounter opposition to their cause. we need a little more aggressiveness in debates in parliament. not cackles. more clashing of the swords. otherwise either the mps will fall asleep or find other more important things to do and leave parliament with empty seats. parliament should not be just a rubble stamp, every bill put up just to hear aye aye. no wonder parliament is so boring. and better to skip parliament then to bear through the routine of a boring speech.

minister's salary benchmark

as a hr professional, i am very impressed by the formula used to benchmark the minister's salary. it is conservatively 'pegged to two thirds of the income of the 24th highest earner(median) among a group comprising the top eight earners from six professions(bankers, accountants, engineers, mncs and local manufacturers.' hypothetically if in one bad year all these professionals are hit by a slump and the 24th highest earner earns only $50,000 pa, then our ministers will be paid 2/3 of $50,000 pa. but if there is an extraordinary year when there is a boom and the 24th earner earns $20 million, our ministers will also be paid 2/3 of $20 million. this is very fair. it is like a gambler going into a casino. when lucky, can make a few million. when unlucky can lose a few million. i like the formula. no need for a salary scale. no upper limit nor starting salary.

lucky singaporeans: delusion of wealth

most singaporeans are asset rich in their hdb flats. own a flashy brand new car, and earning a salary that is big when exchange rate is factored in. and now the govt is going to give them more money. wow, what a life as a singaporean. but the wealth of singaporeans is fleeting. the hdb flat is worthless once the lease expired. the flashy car is technically worthless after coe expires. the income and handouts from the govt will quickly go to paying all the bills, children's education, tuition and school fees, medical bills, conservancy charges, fines, erps, gst etc are the average or lower middle class singaporeans really well off? compare to their technically poorer malaysian cousins up north, i think the malaysians are very much better off, their worth in real assets and value of their cheaper currency. everything they are getting is cheaper except for imported luxury stuff which they can choose not to pay for them. by the time a singaporean wakes up from his delusory dream his assets would have been worthless, and he will be penniless and still a lot of unpaid bills waiting to be paid, and an expensive medical bill waiting for him to sign. he will be in debt forever. any economist willing to do a real comparison, apple against apple?

hsien loong: minister's pay below benchmark

hsien loong said that the minister's pay is still below the year 2000 benchmark. i will be very happy if i were a minister. can expect another pay rise to keep up with the benchmark. even if there is no pay rise, can go around telling people that ministers are under paid. either way it is good news. ministers sacrificed for lower pay! this type of noble thing can talk loudly. steve chia asked for transparency, for disclosure of minister's pay. but this was rejected. this always reminds me of means testing when the poor bugger is expected to come clean and tell everything about his shoddy financial status. whatever, i am never comfortable whenever there is no disclosure or transparency. at least the president's pay is transparent.

not many mps courting the housewives for votes

in parliament, several mps or only two mps spoke up for housewives. only irene ng made a decent plea to recognise the works of housewives. what the housewives are doing would have to be done if they stop doing it. and the works need to be paid. steve chia's explanation about national service is rather less tangible. the housewives are working and performing a job that has economic value. just so simple. but maybe the housewives are too busy staying home and will not go to the voting centres. so no need to take them seriously. if they do, make sure they vote for irene and steve chia. and where is that organisation called aware. probably they did not know that housewives worked. ya, tai tais don't work. tai tais in aware don't work. only ah sohs in the heartlands work as housewives.

ah bian and american deceit

the americans have all the reasons to want an independent taiwan. and that suits ah bian very well. behind the facade of trying to rein in ah bian, the american's hand behind ah bian's every move is very clear. and there is also the billions of dollars of military hardware that the americans wanted to sell to him. this immediate need is more urgent as it means money in the pocket for a lot of people. so ah bian will be allowed to play around a little while longer with the tacit support of the americans. and the chinese are seeing the whole picture simple and clear. they are not pushing the americans and ah bian very hard to avoid a flare up. but if things are allowed to go on this way, with the americans thinking that they could dupe the chinese by their neither here nor there comments on ah bian, they are just as foolish as george bush is. probably only george bush believes that the chinese believes in what he is saying. the strangling and hanging of ah bian is a matter of time. and time is running out. the kmt will not allow ah bian to throw money at the americans and provoke a conflict that will eclipse their growing economy. we should be seeing some actions from the chinese side very soon, though not in the nature of aggravating into an arms conflict, but at least some firm actions to tell ah bian and the americans that they mean business. this time ah bian has stepped too close to the red line and the chinese cannot afford not to do something. they would also want to remove the mask of deceit of the americans. maybe the chinese are waiting for georgie to put a foot into iran before raising the temperature a little. that will keep the americans busy and georgie crazy.

mrt lines having problems?

our mrt lines, northsouth and eastwest seem to be having problems for the last two mornings. people are complaining about the slowing down and the repeated announcements of technical faults. just when they think everything is going satisfactorily, it is getting its hitch, and during peak morning traffic. two days in a row. let's not make it three. would tomorrow be normal, without hitch?

soo khoon bangging the kangaroos

i am not sure if tan soo khoon is in the sia board, but so far he is the only mp to speak up against the aussies. we have been cut off because of protectionism. the mightly australian is shivering at the sight of sia. i hope the barrier was raised throught genuine fear that the qantas is incompetent and unable to fight against the giant of sia. what a grandiose thought from a little red dot. but the aussies have never been known to be competitive anyway, with the unions tying a knot around the management. but then this rejection of sia, could it be linked to what howard had warned after the hanging of the australian national hero, the drug trafficker, that they will do something as a result of their displeasure? let's hope the aussies will not stoop that low. again the protection of qantas is unacceptable when free trade and open sky policies are what western democracies have been harping about. shall we send our warships to open up australia? just joking. don't be serious on this. maybe an organised demo outside australian embassy will be a good show. we deserve something after helping to grease their way into asean.

are we becoming a police state?

there is a big article in the straits times on youth loitering after 11pm. and loitering after this hour is a no, according to the police definition. these youths were found either drinking or chit chatting or some even attempting mischief. on first thought, all youth should be tucked in bed by this hour. or they should be mugging their books. no reason to be wasting their time outside or being tempted to try the unacceptable. yes, these youth must be controlled and sent home. now, by who? who is responsible for their nocturnal activities? what if the parents allowed them to do so? some may not and did not know. do we want all our children to be in bed by 11pm? is it wrong, if parents allowed it, for children to hang out after 11pm? now what's wrong with that? what's wrong with a city that does not sleep? do we really need the police to go about rounding up children and packing them home? are we afraid of the children's safety or the safety of others at the hands of these children? there are bound to be some who are up to no good. guilty till proven innocent or innocent till proven guilty? if the police shall go around checking on children, would it amount to guilty till proven innocent? or does it mean that loitering around after 11pm is a violation of some sort? and the police is in the thick of things. i have a very funny feeling about this.

workfare bonus: different views

some pap mps were concerned about the expectation of the bonus by the people. opposition mps were against it as an election gimmick. so don't have workfare bonus! uh huh. there are always different ways of looking at it. understandable for opposition to whack it as another form of pork barrel politics. understandable for mps to raise concerns that people will expect more of it in the future. but whatever, it is the people's money. it is profit from investing the people's money. and there is no better way than to return them to the people, and make the people feel that they are part owner of the nation's wealth. what other nonsensible ways to dispose of the money? pay big fat bonuses to the managers of the nation's reserve? give away to foreign talents like mercenary footballers? splash them to make beautiful parks or landscapes, pay more to political leaders, give the presidency another perk? or what? there are many ways to waste the money. it is sinful to just keep the money and not benefitting the people. it is all how to explain and package it. the best way is to link it as returns from investment and treat every citizen as a shareholder of the nation's reserve. and to return to the shareholders when there is a surplus. have a transparent formula so that people know what to expect. and don't do away with it because mps are very rich and don't need the money. the people, many of them, need every cent that they can lay their hands on. ok, rich mps, please back off.

lky welcomes good opposition

the mood seems to have changed. the tone set by lky and his message to chiam and low to put up good men to contest came out quite genuine. gather some good men and win a grc, serve well and pave the way for more opposition members in parliament. this is a welcome change. but how many good men will take the bite? how many will brave the possibilities of being ridiculed for the smallest demeanour in their lives? how many have not pee along the roadside in their younger days? how many have not climbed the fence to steal a few rambutans? how many have not taken a few pieces of papers from the office for their private use? how many have not called their wives or girlfriends using office phone and time? everyone is human and erred in some ways, or being playful or mischievious at times, smell the wild flowers, paint the town red. but if coming out to stand for public office means having their laundries hanged up for public scrutiny, then not many good men will come forward. only a few monks and priests will deem themselves worthy enough to stand. or those who know they will not be exposed by being in the right camp will have the cheek to stand. and walk around like saints. unless such stigma of running down potential candidates are no longer in the cards, many good and decent men, who have strayed a little, will not offer themselves to serve. and we will have those who have nothing to lose to come out screaming and fighting. politics is a dirty game but need not be made too dirty.

demographic swing or change

the electoral register saw an increase of 45,000 voters over the last 5 years, giving a net increase of only 9,000 a year. assuming a birth rate of 30,000 in the corresponding period, it means 21,000 have left. and if one is to include the new citizens, maybe more have left, after netting off death. what does this mean to singapore? are we really becoming a hotel for foreigners? would we reach a stage when foreigners, including prs, outnumber citizens? maybe it has already happened. and if the citizens become a clear minority, i think we are in for trouble. why this demographic shift? why are people leaving for greener pasture? why being the best in everything did not attract our people to stay but to leave? when people vote with their feet, no amount of explanation can say otherwise. the negative factors are stronger than the positive. so is there any reason to crow about how good we are? the pattern of flow is serious in the sense that the able middle class are moving out. the leftovers will be the heartlanders and a few super rich. so we have those who either cannot leave or the small minorities who are so comfortable that they would not leave. why? are our policies that difficult for citizens to find living here bearable? the general perception is that our policies are more in favour of non citizens, prs and guests but very unfavourable to our own citizens. what we need is positive discrimination to favour citizens. $2.6 billion is pi sai to the people, a light drizzle. the expensive education system, the expensive healthcare, housing etc are basic things that make life untenable to many. those who think, will know how expensive it is to bring up a child through university education. and they must make sure they have a hoard of savings to pay their hospital bills. and housing will tie up all their little spare cash. for the few rich, no problem. the answer to the woes of the citizens is in the people living. these statistics cannot lie. no amount of explanation can hide this fact.

money can buy anything

we bought two nigerian footballers for $50k a piece and capped with a $5k salary plus perks for every match they played. and our citizenship was also given away. and itimi and agu ran away. money can buy anything, but at best mercenaries. who ever is the higher bidder will get his mercenary. it is a neat deal. no sentiments, no emotion, no attachment, no care two hoots about loyalty, decency or citizenship. how much is all that matters. we shall keep our football league as strictly a business enterprise. no tax payers money shall go to buying foreigners. no citizenship shall be given to mercenaries. let the business run as a business. if the clubs can afford to pay a million, good for them. if they can't, please leave taxpayer's money alone. and please show some respect for our citizenship and stop throwing them around to shits.

golf and politics

sunday morning is good for a round of golf, after posting on sex video. dr geh min used the term golf to describe politics in singapore. 'they compete against themselves. what do you expect from people whose favourite game is golf?' what has golf got to do with politics? in golf, they set up exclusive clubs where only members are welcomed. and in the past, members must be introduced by members, making it a very exclusive party for a close knit group of people who scratched each others back. outsiders are kept far away by the stringent club membership rules and golf regulations. and the golf clubs are also located in areas that are out of bound to the ordinary folks. and yes, golf is a game where a golfer plays against himself. though at times he will cheat on his flight mates, if they are not watching. preferred lie, finding a lost ball drop from his pocket, not counting air shot as practised swing etc. and after a good game and with some winnings in the pocket, time for enjoyment at the nineteen hole. golf is all about good time, fun and beautiful people.

tammy nyp video: internet power

a self made video is now the craze in blogosphere around the world. it is even converted in dvd and on sale. one cannot understimate the power of the internet. the news can spread world wide by the push of a few buttons. nothing the media can beat. fox, bbc, cnn or whatever, now have to contend with the power of the blog and internet. you can no longer control the media the way it was. welcome to the brave new world. tammy is world famous. nyp is world famous. these two words are the most hit in the internet search engines. no need to spend a single cent for the publicity. singapore is also well known for this teenage escapee. putting morality aside, tammy is going to be more famous than paris hilton, william hung or annabel chong. maybe tammy should bank on it and launch a career in hollywood. many have taken this route even in hongkong and taiwan. did i hear exclusive film rights being offered?

peter costello: adapt or leave

the anointed successor to john howard told australian migrants bluntly that they adopt australian values or leave. it is about time national leaders stand up and say what needs to be said. nations shall not accept immigrants who do not share their values and laws, and worst, choose to live a lifestyle and under a law that is in conflict with the host nation. how could they be accepted as citizens of their adopted country? the saudi arabia example where foreigners must accept the saudi way of life and law is the most simple and explicit way to get this message across. you come to my country, you be like us and not unlike us. otherwise don't come or leave. why should the muslim community in australia be upset? shit, if they like to live a lifestyle like the saudis, go to saudi arabia. don't try to live like a saudi in australia. and this must apply to all countries. the immigrants have a right to make his choice. and so does the host nation to decide what is acceptable. why be a sore prick and try to stick it in a hole that would not fit, and then be angry with the hole? immigrants coming to singapore must accept this as a condition before coming here. and the govt has a right to set its conditions.

s rajaratnam: speak up. if you don't who would?

a bulbir singh from seremban, malaysia, wrote to the straits times forum on his encounter with rajaratnam in the 1960s when raja visited seremban. during the visit raja said that young people of malaysia must take a keen interest in what was happening in the nation and speak up. 'if you don't, who would? and if you don't, some day your kids and grandkids would ask, "pa, grandpa, you were there when these matters were discussed. why did you not speak up then? what would i say?" bulbir singh said that ever since he had not stopped speaking up for his country. and he did that often. as concerned citizens of singapore, if we don't speak up, why fight to be a citizen? why called yourself a citizen? might as well be a pr. no responisibility and no obligation. just live your own life and be an anarchist. just concern with self and nothing else. if the govt think it is their right to gag the people, then they will have to answer for it. and if the people abscond or surrender their right to talk, then they deserve it.

uob makes $1.7 billion profit

wee cho yaw has done it again. $1.7 billion profit. i think uob makes the most money compare to all the other local banks. and i think uob is the only one without foreign talents. the talents are found in the father and son team. both local talents.

mr mean is here

school tuition fees are subject to means testing? how much a student pays depends on the affordability of his parents? well, is this 1984 or 2084? when such mean mentality is put to practice in all sectors of our lives, we have to be tagged, with all information made available to the authority. a loaf of bread will be priced differently according to the income level of the consumer. in fact everything will have a different price. from each his best and to each his worth. hey i thought this is an outdated socialist or communist concept. from each his best and to each his needs. now ain't the world getting meaner when mean people are in charge? i mean mean testing. they are not mean but they love mean testing and adore mean testing. mean is the way to go. lets all get comfortable with being mean. mean or mean testing is going to be our way of life.

half mast: consistency or to be not

s rajaratnam's departure and the honour of a half mast has raised questions. and many were thinking, how it causes a lot of discomfort in several quarters. devan nair may be a doubtful starter. but teng cheong seems to receive many sympathetic calls and grumbling about the half mast he was not given. this will go down our history book and will resurface every now and then. a half mast is given to a founding father who rightly deserves the honour. for consistency, we can expect keng swee, chin chye, othman, pang boon and nyuk lin to be given the same honour when they take their turns to go home. after this batch would the honour be bestowed to the second generations of leaders? chok tong as pm, would likely be given a half mast. what about the rest of the ministers? so far all are living their lives quite correctly as honourable people. but one slip and tongues go awagging.

dependency strategy

the more people depends on the govt, the more they need the govt/ruling party. if this dependency relationship can be created, then the ruling party will have the people at its beck and call. the trick is to make the people eat from your hand. now how to do that? make everything very expensive or make things just a bit difficult to afford or need to be helped. then offer help to them. they will forever be grateful. this is the real part. on the fiction part, just shout everything is affordable. and we all know what affordability means to different people. affordable to who? a millionaire or a beggar? affordable to someone who earns $20k a month or someone who earns $1k a month? how could anyone shout 'affordable' when the term is so relative?

business times headlines: s rajaratnam dies

don't you people find the heading a bit bland, a bit too direct? why can't they put in a little more effort in choosing a few nicer words to describe this man of words? a giant passes away, or a titan fades away. even called home to be with the lord would sound so much more pleasant then, s rajaratnam dies. he dies. so kopitiam lingo. he dies. die already. die liao. sometimes, in some matters or things that we treasure or value, people will put in that little extra effort to phrase things in a more graceful manner, and sounds so much better. i hope our media could spare a little thought on this.

s rajaratnam, a founding father gone home

not too long ago we heard the passing away of devan nair. today we witness the passing away of another founding father of our nation. his is a generation of men that changed lives and charted the path of our nation, created history for future generations to read about. and it is good that they have all live to a ripe old age and see the fruit of their labour and conviction. they must all have been pleased for what they had done as young men, freedom fighters and nation builders. rajaratnam is one of the few men whose speeches are worth reading. speeches that are colourful and interesting and meaningful. other than lky, perhaps rajaratnam is the only person that could capture the attention of his audience. i could still have vivid glimpses of his fiery speeches of independence and self rule. we wish him a good journey home.

singaporean version of pride

i just read a post in soc.cul.spore by a 'zipper' writing an open letter to the prime minister. his contention is that singapore regulators must quickly put in regulations to control bloggers. his reason. the story of a school boy and a school girl having sex on video hitting headlines in usa. and this is bad as the news was spread by bloggers. so bloggers must be gagged. i have awarded him a pbm, pingkat boleh 'cari' makan' for his sense of loyalty and righteousness. his suggestion is perhaps the most intelligent yet heard over blogosphere.

mtouche suspended

what about those telcos who thoughtlessly sent out demands for payments and even collected payments on behalf of mtouche? need they be warned that if they thoughtlessly and negligently do it again they should be taken to task as well. commercial organisations need to abide by strict standards of operational procedures with regards to demanding payments from clients.

air travel: aussies protectionism!

how can the aussies got the cheek to talk about free trade when they cornered the asia pacific route and blocked out everyone? come on oz, let's be fair and be a gentleman. don't live in your own world in the outbacks and only come back to civilisation when you need to. the world is watching you. and singapore must understand that the whole world is not playing fair and there is protectionism everywhere, in usa, europe and japan. so lets not strip our pants down and walk naked everywhere asking to be screwed, for free. we need to be careful about our financial institutions and job markets. we need some protection or one day we will be bought, lock stock and barrel. and even africa will not sell us a piece of wasteland for whatever price, for us to squat there.

desperate and neglected housewives

the most mistaken and underrated group of working people, the housewives or homemaker or whatever. they are the general manager of the home. but no one would accept that they are working. and no value has been attached to their contribution to the economy or at least to the homes. and many now added the responsibility of looking after grandchildren. the grandmother's home is the best nursery. any commercial value? would these unemployed housewives or homemakers be given due recognition for their valuable contribution to home and society, providing the anchor and support, and an environment for children to grow up safely? so far nothing heard from the govt or anyone, even the aware or woman's rights groups are quiet about this issue.

ge: internet kopitiam no talk politics

Bloggers, podcasts online may be subject to Parliamentary Elections Act By Farah Abdul Rahim, Channel NewsAsia i think people can talk politics in kopitiams and the markets or in the pubs during the general elections. there are many people who are not members of any political parties but have their own websites and blogs featuring general elections related matters. if people in the kopitiams can talk about politics, why can't individuals in internet kopitiams talk politics? is freedom of expression to be curbed? kopitiams and internet kopitiams all cannot talk politics or subject to what, parliamentary election acts? huh?these people are encouraged to be less apathetic and show more interests in politics during non election time. but during election time, only politicians can talk politics. the rest must be apolitical. encouraged not to be interested in politics. after the election is over, every kopitiam can reopen for talkshop sessions and pretend to be interested in politics again. would bloggers be curbed? why can't singaporeans say their peace as long as they don't spread lies or libels? should people be allowed to talk politics in kopitiams and not in internet? do we know why singaporeans are not interested in politics?

$2.6 billion payout not enough

sure what. where got enough for elfred and me. we were both expecting $15k each. ok ok, we were kidding. but the reality is also true for many of the low income earners. not enough to clear all the debts they have accumulated and all the bills they have to pay. as usual, some will be happy some will not. it is $2.6 billion to be spread around, like a drizzle. i still think it is better to reduce the cost of essential services and food. then no need to throw money not enough for everyone. and another forumer wrote to say that voting shall not be on the payout. that is from the govt and in a way, from the party. so are we going to vote for the party? the forumer said that people shall vote for the candidates who are going to be their mps. are they working for them or for themselves? do they have time even to attend parliament sessions? or they are too busy doing something else? the voters will be best to decide who to elect.

mtouche, you touch you pay

how could a company just send any nonsense to anyone and have the audacity to ask for payment? and how could those stupid telcos send the bills automatically to their customers to collect payment for these content providers without any verifications and authentications? and how could ida not step in and put a stop to it? the first contact, telcos, should have stop it immediately. they cannot claimed ignorant and that it is none of their businesses. by aiding the content providers to collect payment, would not they be part of the scheme, an accomplice? come on telcos, you are more professional than this to take a handsoff approach, that it has nothing to do with the telcos. your bills come with the demand for payment, and with your letterhead and big corporate logos. it is you, the telcos, who are demanding for payments on behalf the errant content providers. how could you do it and said you are innocent? we demand that telcos be more responsible in their billings to their clients. they cannot send the bills and claimed that it is system error. the system sent the bills blindly and they did not know can the subscribers claim for damages from the telcos for harrassment for payment? can they also sue the content providers for harrassing their lines by sending them nonsense? ida better clarify on these.

casino: no sacrifice like self sacrifice

sorry guys and gals. i was away for two days, using myself as the guinea pig, soaking in everything inside an active and very popular casino. how else am i to say if it is ok or otherwise. i must put myself to the test. to live my life as a occasional gambler. i am out, alive. not addicted but still thinking of returning for more. can that be an addiction. maybe i will go again next year. sorry for not responding to your postings. will start posting tomorrow. need a rest and catch up on what had happened over the last two days.