Ominous signs to slow down

The latest discovery in the MRT story is rail crack. Monday morning peak hour, crack was found on the North South Line causing massive jams and delays to the train service. Subsequently the speed of all trains was slowdown as a precaution. MRT quoted an incident in England that resulted in several deaths due to rail cracks.

The main cause of rail cracks is metal fatigue contributed by a combination of temperature, age and uneven wheel.  Are these the signs of an ageing system that needs either a complete overhaul, a complete change or just simply to slow down, and things will be ok again? Or we really need a change, a new system to replace the ageing system that is getting sicker by the day and there is no other option left?

Monday’s morning the East West trains were also travelling at much slower speed. Would this be the new beginning, a new trend of travelling in our MRT system, our not so rapid transport system?

Looking at the bigger picture, our rapidly maturing economy may also need to slow down to avoid overheating and heart burns. Everything is running at full steam for so long and maximized to yield results but getting marginal or diminishing returns. Even our workers, those past expiry date types, are still recycled into the job market to keep the economy going. The Dad’s Army is still kicking in the food courts and hawker centres.

And strangely, the PMETs, some very much younger, have been pulled out of the system before their expiry dates. But this is a different story altogether. Maybe they should consider themselves lucky to be able to slow down and not be squeezed dry for another few more years. We need much younger and more talented workers to drive the economy faster than the lazy and not good enough PMETs, we need to bring them in to replace the locals for a more energized economy. No losers allowed.

Our cars are retired when many were still in peak conditions and could run for another ten years or more. Our housing is being pulled down only to rebuild with more levels to increase the yield. Our land are harvested to the fullest, every inch must be made useful. We are running out of training grounds for NSmen and soon there will be no land for military camps.

We need to slow down. The symptoms being thrown out daily by the MRT are ominous signs that we cannot go at the same speed anymore or we risk more breakdowns and accidents. Heed the warning signs and avoid going over the cliff. There is no remedy to ageing.

A big stride in Singapore Malaysia relations

Since the sealing of the new land swap deal between Hsien Loong and Najib, relations between the two states have improved beyond anyone’s imagination. There wer more joint developments and more meetings and friendlier comments on both sides, patting each other’s back. This is definitely good for both countries going forward and for people to people relations. Iskandar Economic Zone now got a big boost with Singapore becoming the anchor tenant and biggest investors.

I know things are looking good and fine but did not know that it could be that fine until yesterday when Abdul Ghani, the incumbent Mentri Besar of Johore, paid a friendly visit using the second causeway from Gelang Patah.  This is not all. It was reported that it was part of his election campaign to woo Malaysians working in Singapore. And I thought Lim Kit Siang too would make the same friendly gesture. But he chickened out, did not want to give the wrong impression and be accused of as a branch of the Singapore PAP. DAP has its root in PAP during the days when Singapore was in Malaysia.

So we will miss seeing this grand old politician from across the causeway in Jurong. Let’s hope this friendliness will continue and come 2016, our ministers can visit Iskandar to campaign among the Singaporeans working or staying there. Iskander is likely to see the presence of many more Singaporeans and could justify a visit by the contesting candidates.

This is a good start for a closer Singapore Malaysia relationship. Nice. Singaporeans should not kick a row about applying for police permit to campaign in Singapore. Malaysia could also then extend the same courtesy to our politicians in the next GE. Let’s be abang adek again.

And it is good that no negative retorts were heard when Najib said that there was no Chinese school in Singapore. In the past there would be some rash reactions to a comment like that from either side of the causeway. Our relationship with Malaysia has matured to some degree.

Further improvements are hopeful. If travelling could be made more convenient, Singaporeans more warmly received, more Singaporeans would be selling their HDB flats and buy up properties in Malaysia. This would be a win win solution. Singaporeans could make a killing by selling out their million dollar HDB flats to FTs, and Malaysian developers benefiting from selling more properties to Singaporeans.

A slight drawback is that Singaporeans that sold their HDB flats would never have the chance to buy another property in Singapore again. The prices would be beyond them. They would be perpetual PRs in Malaysia, and may be better to take up Malaysian citizenship if they are welcomed to do so. Malaysia will also see a property boom but this will lead to some inflation and higher cost of living, and jams at the two crossings. With the larger land mass, these changes could easily be absorbed unlike a small island like Singapore.

Overall it would be good for Singapore with Singapore island becoming the land of rich foreigners and FTs, a great vibrant city, while Singaporeans migrate over to Malaysia. Singaporeans can also move nearer to the nursing homes in Johore as well as landed properties for after life.

We are not the cheapest

While the message has got through somehow, the drug for more foreigners is difficult to wean from the businesses and the Govt’s mentality. And let’s not confuse ourselves again and again. The foreign workers are needed. It is the middle and top management that are flooding the market at the expense of our PMETs that is the real problem, the pain facing our highly qualified and trained workforce. We shall not trade our PMETs for cheap FTs and making them drive taxis for a living, ferrying cheap FTs that took over their jobs. Thinking of this I boiling already.

As Hsien Loong put it in his May Day message,

‘We have spent many, many decades nurturing this reputation for reliability, for openness. We have made a name for ourselves; not necessarily the cheapest place but a competitive and dynamic city that’s worth paying the premium for. And we must keep that reputation because otherwise we’re dead.’

So, do we believe that we don’t have to compete to be the cheapest? We have so many advantages, tangible and intangible, that all the foreign businesses will be salivating to be here. Think SPGs aplenty. What a life! Let those who want to leave, let them go. Be selective, shrink a little to relief the pen up appetite for more FTs. We can start by getting rid of those businesses that are here and employing mainly FTs. The Govt can start by getting all GLCs to employ Singaporeans first.

Why be threatened by a few businesses and buckled under their threats of not investing here? What would Goh Keng Swee and his colleagues do when faced with such rubbish threats? Do we believe in ourselves? Do we have confidence in our system and infrastructure that the businesses need to pay a premium and not getting a Singapore discount? We have world best universities with Angmoh professors that would turn out graduates as good as Angmohs, if not, would still be better than third world universities right? With so many high quality third world FTs replacing our local graduates, I think I may be wrong on this count.

We have world famous man made gardens that cost us a fortune, F1s, casinos, safe and secure streets to party till the wee hours. These don’t come free. There is value for money. The more expensive the better right? This one surely right. We keep on raising university fees to raise the quality of our education, and also medical fees for better medical services and professionalism. We have all these good stuff within 15 mins of driving, in a world class city. Want cheap cheap, go to operate in third world countries lah.

See, I also can sell koyok for my country. It is time to seriously relook and restructure and take in only those that are beneficial to our bigger game plan that compliment and not sabotage our social and economic development of our people. We want to continue to be in the First World and not downgrade to cheap cheap Third World. Swee boh?

I can also sing a song of being cheaper and cheaper and cheaper or else all the foreign businesses will run away. Singaporeans must tighten belt, compete with all the hungry workers. It is market forces at work. The song I sing depends on my mood and the weather.

Can we afford not to be selective?

As our Govt continues in its relentless drive for growth, without growth no salary increment, it has become something like the Hokien saying, 什么南鸟都要。Who can say don’t want growth and don’t want salary increment? But can they say got increment must be more than inflation? Got $200 increment, inflation and cost of living eat up $500, good huh?

We have three national universities and several semi govt funded universities. Now we have this thing called NUS Yale University that is costing a bomb for the infrastructure and the foreign staff being brought in. Not forgetting all the great professori in the other govt universities. Do we really need this NUS Yale University and all the expensive foreign professors that are paid so handsomely that all of them is looking more handsome than before arriving here? Yes, our students will also become more handsome and would earn just as much as them or more.

We have F1 supposedly bringing in more revenue indirectly than the direct cost. This is necessary, I think, as all the rich and super rich need a past time like the F1 to kill their boredom. And all the hotels, retail shops and supporting businesses will get more businesses. Simply put, it is good for business and the indirect income is more than the millions spent. The businesses must be grateful for this govt largesse.

We have a super expensive man made garden. This one sure brings in more tourists to spend more money here. One day it may get into the Guinness Book of Record as one of the new 7 wonders of the world, man made wonders. Then Singapore would be known world wide and the publicity is worth every millions spent on its maintenance. And the people got to enjoy the great plants in them.

We allow all kinds of industries and businesses to operate here. Many businesses need not be here but because we are so good, good in everything, infrastructure, power that never break down, water that comes out of the tap without fail, MRt that never stop, and a world class workforce, world class workers to support the businesses. And if the workers are found not good enough, too expensive, the businesses can import their own workers, or at least most of them. Just make sure they have some pieces of papers to say they are talents.

And we are selling properties like hot cross buns with great profits.  We have unlimited land and we can afford to keep selling and selling. The sky is the limit. We can build higher than the Tower of Babel or deeper than the deep blue sea. In this sense, we have no land constraints. That is why 10m population is no big deal. I am thinking of 50m or more. Our ingenuity beats the world hollow.

We are never short of talents. We just import them. No need to grow them from young. No need nurseries or pre schools or primary schools. We bring them in like ripe durians, minus the trees. We are bringing anything that walks on two legs and called them talents. We can have the old and mature ones. We can have the young ones, just pay for their tuition fees, food and accommodation and hopefully they turn out good. We can have those that came with papers, fake ones also can. No worry as long no one knows. Just pray no one blow the whistle and everything will just look fine.

Everything is about generating money and more money. With land no longer an issue as the sky is the limit, we crave for more and more people to fill up our land, to create more economic activities, it is easier than manufacturing, to generate more revenue and money, but there is a little hitch. Somehow the average people are finding money no enough, and money disappearing everyday, even those in the savings. They said inflation is under control, no problem.

Can we be more selective in what we want, what we do, what we allow to come in, what kind of businesses we want, and how we spend the money that we made so easily? Or shall we adopt the gambler’s mentality of easy come easy go? We have so much money, spend lah! Just keep on buying anything we fancy, more angmoh professori and FTs, F35s, or buy anything in the name of investment, short term, long term, or very long term as long as it is not gambling.

We are such a blessed city, with God’s grace, everything will just go on fine. And everything is just looking fine. Bring in the people to increase economic growth. No need Samsung, Apple or Toyota. Our products are people and unlimited good value added land.

Hsien Loong accepts MND’s review on AIM

SINGAPORE - A National Development Ministry (MND) team that reviewed the controversial sale of software by People's Action Party (PAP) town councils to Action Information Management (AIM), a PAP-owned company, has found that the transaction in 2010 had complied with the Town Councils Act and the Town Council Financial Rules….

The above is the latest news on the AIM saga reported by Channel News Asia. It is all clear and the saga was just a saga and nothing to it. Everything is in order, in compliance with the Town Councils Act and the Town Council Financial Rules. For those who smelt a rat and hoping for the worst, sorry, nothing of that sort. There were no lapses or wrong doings. Case closed. The squeaky clean image of our system is intact.

I have not read the detailed reports, all 37 pages with recommendations on what needs to be improved to avoid negative perceptions from the public.

The arrogance of western powers

‘US sees DPRK as security threat in Northeast Asia

WASHINGTON - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) poses one of the most critical US security challenges in Northeast Asia as it is pursuing nuclear capabilities and developing long-range ballistic missiles, the Pentagon said Thursday….

Australia's role is to keep peace in region

CANBERRA - Australia's 2013 Defence White Paper underlines the country's role in keeping peace in the Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said at a press conference of launching the white paper on Friday….’

The above two extracts are exemplary examples of the arrogance of the Americans and the Australians to dictate to the world. In the first article, the Americans simply declared that the DPRK is a security threat when the North Koreans are just trying to develop long range missiles for their own defence. And the USA is across the Pacific Ocean and could turn North Korean into the Stone Age! The Americans already possess enough long range missiles and nuclear warheads to hit anything in North Korea and always threatening to strike North Korea and conducting war games at the borders of North Korea. Should not it be the other way, that the North Koreans see the USA as a clear immediate and present danger, a security threat?

The North Koreans cannot hit the USA but the USA can hit the North Koreans any time it wanted to. So, who is a threat to who?

In the case of the Australians, they simply declared that they are the policemen in the region, to keep peace. Who they think they are? Did they ask Indonesia or the Asean countries for permission to do that? They are here to keep peace in the region? Are the Asean states little war mongering countries and needing the Australians to keep peace, to clobber anyone of them if they disturb peace?

Should the Asean countries pay tribute to this master of the region, a regional empire? Why could not the Indonesians, being the biggest country in the region, be the respected leader to keep peace in the region, or Asean as a collective unit, to keep peace? Why a small country of 20 odd millions thinks that it is its right to rule over a region of so many countries whose combined population is well over 300m?

Are the Australians crazy or what? Do they have any respect to the countries in the region? Are they the new colonial master of Southeast Asia?

Backside kenna burnt in MRT train

A nurse got her backside burnt while travelling in the North South MRT line towards Jurong East. Recently there was another case of a commuter suffering almost from the same kind of incident, seating on seats in the train. There were other similar incidents in the past.

There have been no conclusive reports on the causes of such incidents. Were they caused by accident, negligent or mischief? It is strange that in our crowded trains, such incidents could escape from so many public eyes. Any accidental spill would quickly be noticed as the person involved would have no reason to hide.

What is unacceptable is mischief and this can get more frequent as well as more toxic. The public have been warned about unattended bags or things left lying around in the trains, buses or stations. It looks like liquid on the seats of trains and buses is posing a clear and present danger to commuters.

Commuters are better warned that people leaving liquid on train or bus seats must not be taken likely and some precautionary measures need to be taken to curb this, hopefully irritating mischief caused by individuals and nothing more serious than that.

The public’s cooperation can be helpful with the availability of cameras in the mobile phones. A quick shot of the person leaving behind a wet seat could be evidence should something amiss is found and the person needs to be contacted. This kind of public spirit and civic consciousness are much more urgent than scoundrels in cyberspace pretending to be civic minded but really to harass bloggers and trying to fish for the slightest transgression, intentional or otherwise. The backside burning is a threat to personal safety and is occurring a bit too frequent. It is a small problem relative to rail cracks but still important enough to receive some attention.

This would be something more worthy and meaningful for the IB to watch out for, money better spent for sure.

From 6.9m to 10m

Liu Thai Ker, the first chief planner of HDB is throwing a 10m population target for a future Singapore. This is a doubling of the present population of 5.4m. As I have said earlier, I too agree that there is no problem housing 10m or even 20m people in this island and a 50m population is also a possibility.

The main question is what we want. Is this really what our future generations want to have? It will come along with a lot of conditions and consequences to the kind of lifestyle for each population size. The land size and population size will predetermine many things to come. To support the kind of population and a supposedly better quality lifestyle, you would need an economy to produce the goods and services to provide the funding.

With the present 5.4m population, the economy is looking like hitting the wall and the policy makers are at wits end to generate more income to sustain the population and life style here. So far, the only solution is increasing population to grow the economy to support an even bigger population to sustain a bigger economy in a never ending process. Does it work or will it work infinitely? I think we are hitting the end of the road very soon.

There is hope though, that there could be a breakthrough in science and technology to keep this scheme going. And yes, we need to keep casting our net very wide and pray for an exceptional genius to emerge to bring us to the next level or else….

What is the whole purpose of this game of life by growing the population in a vicious cycle? This generation has a responsibility not to create a situation that will make this island unsustainable for our future generation. We owe it to them to keep the whole eco system healthy, the economy and social system in balance and with some room for them to manouvre. An oversize population in a small island without natural resources just does not seem the right thing to do.

The future is not just about building enough homes to house the population. The hardware, the software and the heartware all needs to come together to make living possible, enjoyable and meaningful without the kind of inflation that we are going through now. And this can only get worst. Anyone out there really has the solution to a population of 7m or 10m thought out? Everyone is talking about how crazily good and exciting with 7m or 10m population. Anyone care to share how bad it can be if things did not turn out right, if there is a world crisis, be it financial, food, weather, flood and drought? With 7 or 10m, there is no room for error. It will be disastrous.

How much will a 3 rm flat cost? How much will a COE cost? How much will a plate of chicken rice cost?

A support the White Paper Rally

Now, would it be interesting for another group to organize a rally in support of the Population White Paper at Hong Lim? We can use the two events to make some comparisons, the organization, approval/permit application, speakers, turn out etc to see if the people are in support of the White Paper or against the White Paper.

I think organization and approval should be a piece of cake just like the one organized by Gilbert, no interference and everything will go on smoothly. As for speakers, very likely the pro White Paper will have more important and dignified speakers that will draw a bigger crowd. A lot of great names are flashing through my mind. The turn out would likely be at least 10,000, double or triple the protest Rally.

How about it? Would someone like to take on this initiative? It will be interesting, definitely, and we can also see the coverage given to the event in the main media and over the air.

The more I think about it the more enthuse I am over the potential of this event. I may go for the chicken rice or better still if someone will to donate some abalone porridge. And that will be nice.

Quote by M Ravi, lawyer of the downtrodden

I believe what is missing in the White Paper is all of us. We are not in the White Paper at all.   -  M Ravi in his speech at Hong Lim Park on the Population White Paper.

The ridiculous nature of things

Recently we are hearing more and more Third World people coming here to set up businesses and claiming that we don’t have talents to work for them. And the only talents good enough are their own natives. Why would these Third World people want to set up businesses here when the cost of operating their businesses back in their Third World countries would be so much cheaper, cost of living cheaper, and plenty of talents that they are bragging about?

And the funny thing, why, with their talents, that they could not turn their Third World countries into First World countries?

And why would a First World country like ours go on its knees to beg for Third World businesses and Third World talents to come here and treating them as better talents than our local talents? Or the truth is that our talents are really worst off than Third World talents? Then why are we paying our talents ‘out of this world’ salaries, and Third World talents who could not find any good jobs in their home countries coming here to be paid First World salaries and to look down on our local talents.

My view is that businesses operating here, employing more than 70% of their own kind at management level should be encouraged to leave as they are not contributing much to our economy but taking advantage of our system and infrastructure and our efficiency and location. We are so good in so many aspects as a country, as a business centre, but behaving like a cheap prostitute with no bargaining power and have to accept any customer that comes along.

Isn’t that pathetic? Even Third World so called talents are despising us as unworthy of employment. Where is our dignity?

Raymond attacks Redbean

One of the key issues raised at the May Day Protest Rally is the emergence of the Sedition Act and the persecution of bloggers. One of the speakers were unhappy that the Govt is using a sledgehammer to whack the little bloggers in cyberspace who little infringement.

In mysingaporenews blog there is a Raymond that has been harassing me almost daily making personal attacks instead of discussing the issues raised. Yesterday he went one step further by threatening report me to the police for sedition. This is what he quoted me and claimed that it was seditious.

Raymond said...

..."will Hong Lim prove that Singaporeans are a defeated people, waiting to be extinguished and to disappear, to be replaced by new migrants becoming new citizens?"

There you go with your dangerous extremist views again... Keep it up and I might just make a police report against you for sedition.

May 01, 2013 12:35 pm

Who is this Raymond and why is he so arrogant to think that he could go around threatening bloggers and feeling so confident that the police will take up his wild and lame accusation against other bloggers? Why does he think that it is his duty to police the social media and report on bloggers for indiscretion according to his interpretation? Why would he think that the police would be at his becks and calls?

This Raymond acted as if he is somebody, or maybe well connected, or he has some strong backing, to slam bloggers as he likes. It would be nice to expose his connections.

What I can safely conclude is that he cannot be linked to the Govt as the Govt cannot be seen to be indulging in such nefarious activities and using public funds. An ass like Raymond, if exposed and found connected, can be very embarrassing. Neither can he belong to any political party as it will be equally embarrassing and reflects very badly of any political party sanctioning such shameless activities in the net.

So, who is this Raymond and who is behind him? Or is he just an individual running loose, perhaps with some mental problems? I am now collating all his comments in my blog that are intimidating or harassing in nature. I am building up a case and may submit it to the police to investigate this Raymond for harassment and intimidation. I am sure his IP can be easily traced out and identified by the authority unless he is operating from some safe house that is untraceable.

These people in social media are like pests, disease. While the Govt has been talking about some control in the social media, would the Govt also be considering ridding social media of such pests, otherwise they will go on harassing bloggers with immunity.

What to make out of May Day at Hong Lim?

I was there as an observer, met some bloggers who have followed my blog and listened to the views of Singaporeans there, mostly negative. One thing, the crowd was much smaller than the previous rally, probably less than 3,000. But this time there were more media representations. The other point to note was the predominantly older crowd. The young were less represented, perhaps more busy having a good time while it still lasts.

I must say that despite the smaller crowd, the speakers were more enthusiastic this time and speaking with more vigour. Leong Sze Hian made his often statistics laced speech simpler and easier for the people to understand. And the star speaker must be Ravi, the famous lawyer of the downtrodden. He posed for a photo shot for me. Ravi was simply exciting and witty in his speech. I remembered him saying that it needed a cleaner like Vellama to sweep clean up the Constitution or something to that effect. The crowd loved him. He was furthest from the stigma that he was having some mental problem. I think the people having mental problems are those who think so.

Many issues were raised in the presence of a respectable crowd. The main issue of 6.9 took the main platform. But after all have been said, would it have any impact on the Govt? Would the Govt be bothered to listen and reflect on this big population game plan and tone down on the aggressive ambition? I think the Govt is likely to ignore this Rally totally as if nothing happens.

There was a lone independent speaker who spoke generally about the same issues. He must have felt very passionate about it to mount a little mountain in Hong Lim with his own loudspeaker to speak to the crowd. And beside him was a poster that said it all. ‘You call us noise. We call it truth!’.

To some, what were being said are plain noise. But for the noise makers, it is their version of truth. Who’s will shall prevail? No prize for the answer. Looks like Hong Lim Rally will just be another rally that will soon be forgotten as most Singaporeans are busy making money and have no time for it. 6.9m or 10m, so what, they will take them in their stride.

Gilbert and his team and their hope for a bigger turn out must be feeling a bit dejected though they were not showing it. The Singaporeans that would be affected by the outcome of a huge population were not coming forward to support the cause. The Govt won hands down. The White Population Paper will be executed duly and in good time. Singaporeans should just live with the 6.9m comes 2030.

Selfish Meritocracy? Chok Tong is wrong

In his latest sermon, Chok Tong preached about selfish meritocracy and the need for those who have risen to the top of the heap to help those below, not to pull away the ladder. It is a serious call, a virtuous sermon to remind the successful to help those that are less successful, to give a helping hand instead of keeping the hands in the cookie jar to help themselves for more.

I think Chok Tong is seeing only one side of the coin. Singapore is a very selfless meritocracy in every count. As a country, we are extremely successful and we are very generous in sharing our success and wealth with people around the world. The people from the Third World are invited and swarming here to make their fortunes. The luckless and unable to make it people from the First World are also here to be treated like gods and given great jobs and great salaries that they would not get back home.

We have turned a swamp into a shining jewel and our first class infrastructure and systems are for people of the world to come and share and enjoy. We have the best universities and students from Third World countries are invited to study here instead of their down and out universities at home. And if they cannot afford the high cost of living, no sweat, our Govt will pay for tuition and living allowances, bond free. Several hundreds of scholarships were given out every year to these fortunate foreign students. Even their monthly allowances were more than what Singaporeans gave to their children.

We are even more generous in offering job opportunities to foreigners as long as they tell us that they are talents and have papers to prove it. We even sideline our not so able PMETs to make way for these foreign talents to make it good here.

Now, who is saying that we are guilty of selfish meritocracy? Look at how many foreigners who are now CEOs of our local institutions earning millions annually, which we could have kept them for our locals. But no, we are generous, and we believe in selfless meritocracy. We don’t mind giving the millions to foreigners who are good, and hopefully they don’t pull the ladder from the locals when they are up there, given the opportunity by the our govt to be here. Hopefully they don’t see it as tribal preservation to pull the ladders from the locals and offer the ladders to their friends from their home countries.

Singapore and Singaporeans can vouch and swear that we practise selfless meritocracy, and particularly in favour of foreign talents. Many foreigners have benefited from our meritocrazy. The locals that failed to enjoy the generosity and the meritocrazy policy have only themselves to be blamed.

What do you think? I think I am telling the truth. I only wish that our Govt practises a little bit of selfish meritocracy to benefit our own people.

Gilbert and his speakers

Gilbert being interviewed

The speakers

Gilbert and Zaobao reporter

Ravi enthralling the crowd

An independent speaker on his own

This one is carrying LKY on his back

The Singaporeans at Hong Lim May Day

The ladies are present

The future is also present

The Singaporeans are there

More Singaporeans

And more Singaporeans

Even more Singaporeans

Still more Singaporeans

Not the last Singaporeans

May Day messages at Hong Lim

Fish will be at Hong Lim

Some of you may still remember Feed Me to the Fish and his passion to protect Singaporeans and their children from this questionable 6.9m population that is akan datang. Some are now flying the kite of 10m which will make 6.9m looks small and much more acceptable. We have yet to hear someone knowledgeable or responsible to tell the people the other side of the story, of what 6.9m could mean, the consequences and effects of such a huge population in such a small piece of rock. Nay, no one that is worth something, in monetary terms, will want to say something silly like this.

Fish may have left us for nearly three months. He was there at Hong Lim during the first Rally with his whole family. I am sure he will be there in full spirit to support the call for not going the 6.9m way. Fish is not going away, quietly.

The Spirit of Singapore is in people like Fish and all the Singaporeans who care and are concerned for the future of the island and their children.  Would there be more Singaporeans in Hong Lim today or will apathy take over and Singaporeans just resign to their 6.9m fate? I can understand those who think this 6.9m is a good idea for not attending the Rally. For those who disagree and do not want to see 6.9m in the near future, it is their choice and opportunity to make a stand today.

How many will be there? Would Hong Lim bring Singaporeans together as a people that will stand together in a crisis? Or will Hong Lim prove that Singaporeans are a defeated people, waiting to be extinguished and to disappear, to be replaced by new migrants becoming new citizens?

Freedom arrives: What next for the Littoral Combat Ships?

This is the title of an article by Euan Graham in the Today paper on the arrival of US combat ship Freedom in Singapore. The article was on Monday’s Today. The title is catchy but the meaning is something that keeps everyone guessing and some with the naive delusion that we are going to get our freedom. Is Freedom arriving in Singapore or is it bondage, or is Singapore going to lose its freedom and be caught in many warfares that it does not intend to be involved?

The 4 combat ships are going to give the Americans a bigger bite and in tempering with the affairs of Southeast Asian countries for sure. Without the presence of military assets, they could talk and any action would take time to happen. Now it is like hanging the guns on the tight of the cowboys who are ever ready for a gun draw or a street fight.  The Freedom combat ship will make it so much easy for the Americans to shoot first and talk later.

Southeast Asia, other than Vietnam, has enjoyed a period of relative peace after the WW2, thanks to the absence of American bases here. Vietnam was embroiled in 30 years of warfare against the Americans and only regained peace and independence after driving away the occupying forces. Now the Americans are back and claiming that they are here for peace when we already have had peace all these years after Vietnam. The truth is that the region is now seeing more tension with the American’s presence and their military pivot and increasing their military assets in the region.

Peace and Freedom are the last things that the Americans will bring to Southeast Asia. The aggressive and provocative stance of the Vietnamese and the Filipinos are clear evidences of who is behind their emboldened and belligerent conduct, trying to pick a fight with China.

Just wait and see when and which part of Southeast Asia will go up in flames. The arrival of the littoral combat ships is the first sign of the return of neo colonialism in the region.

Please send this article to all peace loving people round the world. Let the world know that USA, the Evil Empire is a satanic country creating all wars, troubles and terrorists acts in every corner of the earth. Ever since its independence from Imperial Britain in 1775, the Evil Empire has been run and control by evil politicians who believe in military might to carry out permanent wars of aggressioin against other countries so as to preserve and maintain supreme power and hegemony over every country in the world.

 North Korea’s Justifiable Anger 

 

April 10, 2013

Does Obama Want More War?

North Korea’s Justifiable Anger

by STANSFIELD SMITH

The corporate media reduces the DPRK (North Korea) to the Kim family and prefaces their names with the terms “madman”, “evil” and “brutal”. Such vilifications of foreign leaders are used here not only to signify they are target for US overthrow. They are meant to intimidate and isolate anti-war activists as being out in left field for ever wanting to oppose a war against countries ruled by “madmen” – be they Saddam, Fidel, Hugo Chavez, Ahmadinejad, Qaddaffi.

Yet to a sensible person, it is crazy that the US, with nuclear weapons thousands of miles from home, in South Korea, denies North Korea has a right to have its own nuclear weapons on its own land – particularly when the North says it is developing nuclear weapons only as a deterrent because the US won’t take its own weapons out of the Korean peninsula.

Missing in what passes for discourse on the DPRK in the corporate media is that the US was conducting month-long war maneuvers last March in Korea, now extended into April, using stealth bombers, undetectable by radar, capable of carrying nuclear weapons. And this year these are not “deterrent” war maneuvers, but “pre-emptive war” maneuvers.

Would the US government and people get a little “irrational” if a foreign country that previously had killed millions of our people, sent nuclear capable stealth bombers off the coasts of New York City, Washington DC, Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, there to fly around for a month in preparation for a possible nuclear attack on us? For what is called, in warped US language, war “games”?

The US may have killed 20% of the population of Korea, said General Curtis Lemay, who was involved in the US air war on Korea. If so, that is a higher rate of genocidal slaughter than what the Nazis inflicted on Poland or the Soviet Union. The Korean War may be unknown ancient history to us, but it is no more ancient history to Koreans than the Nakba is to Palestinians.

North Korea knows that history, and it is warning the US they know what to expect and are arming themselves to prevent it. Are the DPRK leaders “paranoid” or taking justifiable precautions?

What kind of deranged people call war preparations a “war game”? North Korea doesn’t think it’s a “game.” Over 4 million died in the last war to reunify their country that the US divided. If men had an annual rite called “group rape games” wouldn’t we think it a criminal misogynist pathology, and wouldn’t women be justified in being outraged and arming themselves in self-defense?

An accurate reading of the events leading up to the present situation shows that North Korea is responding to US military escalation, and in particular to US refusal to negotiate. This includes a peace treaty to end the Korean War, any steps towards reunifying Korea, the end to the US occupation of South Korea and ending the annual month-long US-South Korean war maneuvers. Even today, it includes US refusal to talk in order to lower the tensions.

North Korea was hit with US/UN Security Council sanctions for a missile launch last year. South Korea sent off a missile this year; were there any sanctions?

Since World War II there have been 9000 missile launches. 4 were by the DPRK. There have been 2000 atomic bomb tests. 3 were by DPRK. No country was sanctioned by the UN Security Council for this. No country except the DPRK. Why wouldn’t the North Koreans be incensed by this double standard, especially when the US has nuclear weapons in South Korea?

The US kill rate in the 1950-53 Korean War equaled more than one 9-11 every day, day after day, for the whole 1100 day war. US people had a scar from one 9-11.  So what kind of war scars do Koreans have?

Korea is divided because our country invaded and divided it after the Japanese surrender. The leaders of the DPRK had been fighting the Japanese since the early 1930s, and 200,000 had lost their lives. When Korean liberation was at hand in 1945, the US intervened and blocked it.

The US was supposed to leave in 1948, along with the Soviet Union, but because Kim Il Sung was likely to win planned nation-wide elections, the US made the division permanent and blocked national elections, just as it did later in Vietnam. This lead to the Korean War, the cause of the present militarization: A foreign country divided and occupied their country against their will.

We should play our part to improve the human rights situation in Korea, not only in the North but in the South as well. Both societies are more closed and controlled than our own. Whether being occupied by foreign troops, threatened with war and war maneuvers, or subjected to harsh economic sanctions, this does not facilitate free and open societies.

If we really want more rights for the people of the DPRK then we should stop pointing a gun at their head. If we listened to Kim Jong Un’s message delivered a month ago, ignored by President Obama, “We don’t want war. Let’s talk,” that would only foster a more open society there – and in South Korea, just as we know it would  here in the US.

Stansfield Smith is an anti-war and Latin America solidarity activist in Chicago who recently returned from a trip to North Korea [Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK)], with Koryo Tours. He can be reached at: stansfieldsmith@yahoo.com

6.9m, try feeling the weight

What is 6.9m going to be like in 2030? A 4 member family unit will mean 400,000 flats to house an increase of 1.6m people. This could mean two Tampines estates or equivalent land needed at least. And assuming 10% of these 400,000 households will be car owners that will be 40,000 cars on the road and more roads and parking spaces needed, and 40,000 more COEs.

If each household has a school going child, there will be 400,000 more school children running around, needing transport and schools. How many more polytechnic and university places are needed?

If each of these household is a two income family, 800,000 more jobs will need to be created.

If each family eat 4 eggs daily, 1.6m more eggs must be laid by the chickens, daily.

Just think about the consumables and multiply them by 1.6m, a lot more consumption will add on to the economic numbers.

And all this will be piled on to the already congested little islands we are living in.

Are these what we want, progress, growth, well being? Or it is all about congestion, inflation, competition, stress and strains, working and working and working for a little shoe box apartment? By then the size of flats will be determined by the hard realities around us, 6.9m will dictate your life and decide what kind of life you will be living.

Tomorrow is the Protest Rally at Hong Lim Park, 4pm. Will you be there?

Remisiers rushing to pass exam?

This is the big title, I mean printed in very very big fonts in the ST, of Goh Eng Yeow’s article about remisiers rushing to sit for an exam that probably will not be held again. The exam, called Module 6A, is needed if remisiers are to execute trades for their clients on Specified Investment Products, which also read as dangerous or highly complex products. This requirement came about after the Lehman bonds or toxic products sold and many investors got badly burnt. The MAS now wants to ensure that investors and remisiers are fully aware of the complexities of these products and the high risk that they are taking when trading in them.

So remisiers must pass this exam, to equip them with sophisticated knowledge of these products, and to be in a position ‘to advise their clients’ when trading these products. This advising role of remisiers, with the passing of the module, they would be more professional in executing such trades. And since both clients and remisiers are professionally qualified, they should bare the risk should things turn foul and don’t go and kpkb with the authorities. This is now not a case of willing buyer willing seller, but informed and professionally trained buyers and sellers, and with equally professionally qualified remisiers to make sure things are handled professionally. I am also not sure how would these changes make the trading of SIP products safer. But it must be a good step forward.

What I am puzzled is that if passing an exam on this module is essential to executing SIP products, shouldn’t the exam be held regularly, maybe once or twice a year, or is this the last time that such an exam will be held?

The other matter that is new to me is that most brokerages have central buyers that execute trades like foreign stocks for the clients of remisiers as part and parcel of the system. And there has never been an issue about the commissions going back to the remisiers. Why is it that should central buyers have to assist in the trading of SIP products, that the commission becomes an issue, who should the commission goes to? The general sharing formula is 60:40 or 55:45 in favour of the company with the remisiers bearing the bad debt risks. So, with SIP products, new commission sharing formulas were being floated with some brokerages hinting to taking the full commission for themselves or maybe a higher percentage than the 60%. And there is also a question of risk, who is going to bear the risk of bad debts?

Why shouldn’t the brokerages continue with the central buyer system to assist remisiers in the execution of SIP trades, incidentally trading foreign stocks in overseas bourses used to be classified as SIP for a while, and maintain the same commission sharing formula? The other point is that such trades, now mainly high risks derivatives and ETF products need well trained professionals who are dealing with such products on a full time basis to be able to provide the level of expertise to their clients.

Passing Module 6A and executing derivatives and SIP products as a part of the main business to me is grossly inadequate relative to the full time traders or central buyers handling such businesses. The highly complex products and the high risks expected would really need very much more care than just passing an exam. It is a full time thing, requiring a lot of expertise and attention and complex computations and monitoring of the movements of such products unlike stocks and shares. A little exception is the ETFs which are technically safer products as they are derived from a basket of blue chip stocks in a market. Of course some of these products could be designed differently and can be risky and complex as well.

Would the sitting and passing of Module 6A be a game changer that makes the risk in trading SIP products more bearable or the remisiers be more professional? More knowledgeable is not necessary the same as more professional. Would it be better for such trades to be done by the central buyers?

Is there really an issue in the apportioning of the commission? Would the business or income of remisiers who missed taking this exam be affected? How many clients are really active in trading SIP products? Would the livelihood of remisiers be affected if they did not sit for this exam?

Selfish Meritocracy – Goh Chok Tong

“We do not want a society whose citizens seek to advance their own interests without a care for others, or worse, at the expense of others. I call this ‘selfish meritocracy’. It is up to those of us who can, to reach back and help those behind to climb the ladder with us, and not to pull up the ladder behind us.”

“Those who have risen to the top owe the greatest responsibility to help the weaker in society. A ‘compassionate meritocracy’ can help us build a resilient and inclusive society. A ‘selfish meritocracy’ will divide us and ruin our society.” – Goh Chok Tong

What is Chok Tong saying? Why did Chok Tong make these remarks? Is he saying that some people are practicing selfish meritocracy? Or is this just a general comment, there is no such thing but just a warning that this can happen and should be avoided? The consequence is a divided and ruined society, he said.

Assuming that Chok Tong is acknowledging this problem, what is he or the Govt going to do about it? Would those that are advancing their own interests without a care for others be taken to task and the process be stopped? It must be as the consequence according to Chok Tong is a ruined society and surely he and the Govt would not want that to happen.

And there is this complaint by many concerned Singaporeans, by the retrenched or out of job PMETs, even by the MOM, that FOREIGNERS are practicing selfish meritocracy here with Singaporeans the silent victims, losing their high paying jobs to foreigners being brought in to replace them. Actually this is more than selfish meritocracy. It is a concerted effort to get rid of Singaporeans and replaced with their own kind and has nothing to do with meritocracy.

Can I say that there are now two problems, one, high achieving Singaporeans are practicing selfish meritocracy to benefit themselves at the expense of less able Singaporeans and the question is, why is this allowed to happen? And why allowed to happen if the Govt knows about it?

The second problem of FOREIGNERS practicing more than selfish meritocracy, intentional and preconceived acts to replace Singaporeans with their own kind is now being tackled by Tan Chuan Jin and the MOM. How much has been done and how effective were the measures taken to improve the lot of Singaporeans that fell victims to this is yet to show itself in a big way. How long will it take to get rid of FOREIGNERS guilty of this malpractice in our own country against our very own citizens? Or is the Govt adopting a gentle touch and hoping that things will improve, and how long will it take to improve? Would the jobless PMETs see their problems removed or would it be too late and they become history by the time something is done?

By not acting fast to tackle these problems is itself a form of selfish meritocracy. Let’s see whether Chok Tong can do something while he still can and what he said is not just lip service, spoken and forgotten, no longer his problem. He already said that those at the top have the greatest responsibility to curb such abuses. It could be his last generous and righteous act for the people who have supported him and placed their trust in him to make him the PM for so many years.

China should learn from the USA

Xinjiang was hit by terrorists last Tuesday and 21 were killed by China’s security forces after the violent clash. As usual, though the US was under attack by terrorists in Boston, it attacked China for the way it handled the terrorist strike. A US spokesman, Patrick Ventrell, ‘called for a thorough and transparent investigation and expressed concern over discrimination against Uighurs and the practice of Islam.

I think the Americans have a point. The Chinese have very little experience in the handling of the minorities. China should seek the American’s help in how to deal with minorities’ uprisings against the authorities. The Americans were very successful in the uprising of the Red Indians and China should approach the Americans to learn how they decimated the Red Indian Uprising and brought peace to America. The second American success story is that after exterminating almost all the Red Indians, the Americans were very generous and compassionate in setting up reservations to protect the remaining few Red Indians that were still alive.

Actually the Red Indians were a majority but after the killings they became a minority in North America. China’s minorities, the Uighurs, are an historical minority and maybe there is no need to conduct a genocide to terminate them. China can skip this, just set up reservations and march the Uighurs into them to be protected. That would do the job like the Red Indians in the US.

China should send a high level delegation to the USA to seek advice on how this can be done efficiently and gain lasting peace in China. It is a great piece of American recipe that should be shared with countries around the world, in keeping the minorities under control and no more troubles from them forever. Make sure that only a few are left, too few to make any difference anymore.

One more thing, for those caught elsewhere, set up prisons in the model of Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo to lock them up without trial. If any western media or American senator or congressman is to question these prisons, just said they were recommended by the Americans. Ask them to go back and ask their Administration.

FT Myth 2

Hi all, the earlier Poll on this is behaving very weirdly and the numbers could not go up but keeps shrinking after every new high. It is now less than 20 respondents. I have sent a note to Bloggers to investigate and track why the Poll is behaving so badly. Hopefully they can reveal the problem facing this the earlier Poll.

I have created another similar Poll, FT Myth 2. Please vote again and see how this Poll will behave this time. Also, After you voted, please use the 'comment' in this post to indicate A for the first choice and B for the second choice to allow me to do a tally on the fictitious missing numbers. Just an A or B will do.

Thanks for your assistance.

Redbean

Tharman the untarnished, a possible next PM

Tharman has won praises from many quarters for his press interview last week and the balanced comments he made on several key issues that are hot in town. This has prompted Seah Chiang Nee to devote an article on him and sounded the possibility of Tharman becoming the next PM.

This could really be a reality as Tharman is possibly the only key minister that is relatively unscarred by controversies over govt policies. His eloquence and cool cucumber demeanour has stood him well with the people of all races. And who knows, come 2016, if some of the key ministers were booted out during the GE, Tharman could be a natural choice as there would be no one good enough left on the table.

Tharman could be a good choice for many reasons. He comes across as a fair and decent minister, not racist, very Singaporean and a strong believer of meritocracy. So the other races would not have anything to fear that he would fill the cabinets with ministers based on racial affinity. And even if he does so, it would definitely be based on meritocracy, that he could not find enough good ministerial candidates from the other racial groups and he has no choice but to take the difficult choice. And who can fault him then, even if hypothetically, 50% or 70% of his ministers are Indians but chosen based on meritocracy, the pillar of Singapore’s success formula? And being sensitive to the other racial groups, he would not take such a route if he can avoid it, and a more balance cabinet with some moderate changes is the likely outcome. Or he could fill his cabinet with the dream team in politics, by bringing in the best in America and Europe. We could have Obama, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condolezza Rice, George Brown, and whoever in Europe. Just issue them a pink IC and they would be instant Singaporeans and can become ministers. Then there will be new a meaning to the term PMET, M would stand for Ministers and MPs that were replaced by these FTs. Our unique meritocracy policy is simply the best, the most flexible and practical solution to a borderless world and a progressive Singapore.

So far Tharman’s star is shining bright and providence could have its own way to propel Tharman to be the next PM no matter what people may think that the population is still not ready for an Indian PM.

My read is that 2016 is going to be an interesting year and anything can happen, the PAP losing power or losing its two third majority in Parliament, including Tharman becoming the next PM and a cabinet of newly minted citizens as ministers are not far fetched.

Now you are thinking.

Night Festival - A piece of RAR Art

Night Festival series. A painting created by Mother Nature.

Worried for Boon Wan and the HDB

Since Boon Wan’s revelation that HDB was losing money for every flat it sold and the amount was a scandalous billion dollar annually, he has been questioned and ridiculed by many bloggers who simply could not believe in what he said. Some of the attacks were quite personal and very unpleasant. What is more worrisome are the losses incurred by HDB now and later on.

According to Boon Wan, the annual losses over the last few years were about a billion, ie every year but not sure how many years he was referring to, no matter how many flats were built. The building programme was ramped up only last year after he came into office. The number of flats built was very small during the watch of his predecessor that led to the current housing problem and high property prices. So, how much is HDB losing for every flat that it sold? And how much will HDB be losing if the population increases to 6.9m? At 6.9, HDB will need to build another 400,000 units to house the increase of 1.6m people at 4 person per flat.

Let me hazard a guess. Taking a best case scenario to do a rough calculation, the building of 50,000 units under Boon Wan, and using his annual $1b loss, HDB should incur a loss of $20,000 for every unit sold. Tiok boh? If $1b is the loss when only 10,000 units were sold, then the loss per unit should be $100,000.

To build another 400,000 units, the loss could be in the region of $8b to $40b depending on which number one is using. This is a serious amount to lose and a big sum to save if the population is not increased and there is no need to build the 400,000 units of flats.  Would it be prudent and make more economic sense not to increase the population to incur more losses? But this is not all. Boon Wan is trying to bring down the prices of HDB flats from an average of 5.5 years of the buyers annual income to 4 years. This would definitely add to the losses that HDB would have to incur. I am terribly worried as to where the Govt is going to find the money to subsidise these losses. Yes, this is a lot of money and it must come from somewhere and someone would have to pay for it.

Maybe Boon Wan has already worked out the sums and the public need not have to worry. The flats will be cheaper and the losses would be taken care of, somehow.

PS: The original $80b to $400b is wrong and should read $8b to $40b. I have amended the text above.

Leslie Chew, would a gentler touch be better?

As expected, the social media and the opposition would have something to say regarding the arrest of Leslie Chew, the cartoonist. Cherian George has spoken and so has SDP, calling for a gentler touch and no need to use the sledgehammer to smash an ant. Unfortunately their calls could make things worst.

It is not right for Leslie to use the term ‘racist’ on the Govt as it is accusing the Govt of a very serious act. The part on the judiciary is also touchy as the integrity of the judicial system is being questioned. But the reaction by the Govt is seen as being too harsh, over reaction. The question is whether a call to retract the statement would be good enough, and for added measures an apology in his comic front page.

Leslie Chew is just a small guy, ok his cartoons are rubbing people up the wrong side. What I feel is necessary is for Leslie Chew to do some damage control by cleaning up the false or wrong image that he has painted of the judiciary and the Govt, to right a wrong and close the matter. Arresting him just make the matter looks so uncomfortable for a first world country. Other than the converts who would believe in anything, how many would really believe the accusations by Leslie Chew? Many would brush it off as some wild accusations. It is as good as calling an angel a rapist when it is obvious that that is not true.

Going too hard on Leslie Chew may send a message, 杀鸡吓猴, and many messages to the world the kind of society we are living in. What happens to the kinder society and the gentler touch?

Yes, Leslie Chew has printed something unsavoury. How much damage is done by Leslie Chew’s comment to deserve a police arrest? The whole world is watching. After this, the Govt may need to mount a bigger PR exercise for the smear that came with the handling of this case.