The hidden agenda of Abe and his revisionists

The revival of Japanese Imperialism and its glorious military past are top on Abe’s agenda. Abe wants to lead Japan to become a major world power like Hitler did to Germany. Japanese nationalism, militarism and imperialism are all the cards Abe has been playing with. But this is not all.

Japan has a willing partner in the Americans who would want to continue to be the unchallenged superpower in the world. By playing up the fear of China, by provoking China to react, to become more assertive to reclaim its territories, Abe is dragging the Americans by the nose. The Americans have no choice but to go along. And it makes a lot of sense for the Americans to be supporting a second rate power to oppose and contain China. Japan could do anything it wants to irritate and agitate China and any reactions by China would be pleasing news and excuses to exaggerate the threat of China to its neighbours. China is expansionist, China is expanding its military expenditure, China is getting more assertive, China is going to swallow up all its neighbours. What else is new?

It was all very convenient and expedient for the Americans to play the backbencher to cheer the Japanese on and to carry the big stick to keep China in check. So thought the Americans, that they could have the cake and eat it too, with the Japanese doing all the banging and screaming and the Americans standing behind like the guardian angel.

Japan cannot expect to be a superpower in the league of the US and China. It is just too small to compete with the two giants. This is not the 19^th or 20^th Centuries when a small country could rule half the world with technology when other countries were underdeveloped, weak and disorganised. How then could Japan achieve super power status in the ranks of the US and China, and if better, surpass the two giants? What is up Abe’s sleeves?

Now, would it be nice if the US is made to take on China in an all out war? All Japan needs to do is to keep provoking the Chinese and when the latter retaliate, runs back to the Americans for help and get the Americans in direct confrontation with China. It is like killing two birds with one stone with the two giants not knowing how they ended up in an all out war destroying each other. It would also in a way avenge the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, by destroying the American military and economic might as well as that of China.

When these two giants went into a head on collision, none is going to come out alive, at best half dead. Who would be the victor, the next Number One superpower, when the US and China were spent force? Are the Americans seeing the big picture? Hopefully. Hopefully their Asian pivot is only rhetoric and the Americans would not be deceived into an open warfare with China and fall into the Japanese trap.

Can Abe fix Obama and the Americans to court self destruction and reap the reward to become the next Number One super power?

Kopi Level - Red

Chee Soon Juan - A time to Chee

How shall I write a piece on Chee Soon Juan without being seen as biased, partial or stereotyping or unthinking? If I say he is good, some quarters would be frowning. If I say he is NG, would I be doing justice to this man?

Everyone has an impression on Chee Soon Juan, mostly negative. The reason, they read the media and listen to the official news. Has there been anything written or spoken on Chee Soon Juan that is good or fair comment on this man? People who made a judgement on a person like Chee based on what they read about him in the media must seriously do some thinking and ask themselves what really happened and was he that bad a guy? And there are many questions to be asked as to why he has such a bad public image for so long, as an aspiring politician. He is so brash, he is so disrespectful, he is…. but that was 20 years ago.

Look across the causeway and look at Anwar Ibrahim. This one was imprisoned, tarred and feathered, charged for sodomy and all the hideous things that his political opponents could think of to fix him. The big difference, though some of the charges were really very serious, is that the Malaysian public are more sophisticated than the daft Sinkies. They do not believe everything that is published in the media and definitely would not believe the bad things the politicians said about Anwar. They are thinking and will challenge the official truth. They believe that those who cast stones at Anwar were many times worst than Anwar. Do the Sinkies bother to think and challenge the official truth on what Chee Soon Juan is all about?

Historically, many politicians found themselves on the wrong side of the political equation and were condemned or imprisoned for political crimes or for being politically incorrect. We have many that were detained for half of their lives without trial. Were they really bad people or simply politicians of the wrong camp? And there were many infamous personalities that have to seek the safety of foreign shores, never to return home.

On the international scene, there are great names like Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi and Deng Xiaoping. All were once on the wrong side of the political divide. They came back, rehabilitated, and rose to become very good leaders in their countries. If the opportunities were not given to these politicians, they would have ended in the dark corners of history, might even die in prison, for political crimes or just being on the wrong side.

Are Sinkies wise enough, mature enough, to do their own thinking, to make their own judgement on what is a good man or a bad person? Chee Soon Juan is definitely not an immortal, but an ordinary man. He would have all the flaws like you and me. Only immortals are flawless, mind you. All men have flaws, only discovered or exposed or the time is not ripe yet. Do not take anyone at face value. Do not make a judgement on another man by what others make out of him. Do your own thinking, and it is very easy. Scrutinise the facts, the intents and the truths imposed on your thinking. Be a bit cynical and critical and be a bit smart for your own good.

Is Chee Soon Juan what he is made out to be? Would he make a good politician to serve the people, speak up and stand up for the people? A good politician is one that serves your interest, not his own interest, not one that ignores your interest. A good politician is one that listens to you, not to himself.

Is it time for Chee? Is there room in Parliament for Chee?

Kopi Level - Red

10 reasons and 10 rebuttals on high ministerial salaries

Below are the 10 reasons put up by Roy Ngerng on the govt’s justifications for high ministerial salaries that Roy called 10 logical fallacies. I will attempt to rebut what Roy wrote in defence of the high salaries and hope my explanations are logical. And I think the IB will not attack me for writing this piece. I will want to clarify here that they are my versions and not PAP’s versions and I have not been commissioned to reply on their behalf. I just hope that my reasonings would make good sense.
 

1.      Why would the government fight to pay the highest salaries to themselves in the world but would not fight for the wages of Singaporeans, and would allow Singaporeans to earn the lowest wages among the high-income countries?

RB: If the govt does not fight to pay themselves, who else would fight for them? Tiok boh?  If Singaporeans would to fight to pay them high salaries then they would not need to fight for themselves right? And Singaporeans are earning the lowest wages because of competition. This one can’t be helped or Singaporeans would not even have jobs if they don’t accept low salaries. It is a global market, people can come in freely to replace Singaporeans. Heard of boh cheng hu?

2.      The government says that we need to pay them high salaries so that they won’t be corrupt. But they would pay Singaporeans low wages. If Singaporeans do not need to earn high wages, yet we can be honest, doesn’t that mean that there’s no need to pay the government such high salaries?

RB: Corruption at govt level is very serious as a lot of money will be involved. The higher in the govt the bigger will be the corruption. So very important to make sure ministers are not corrupt or tempted. This kind of super logic only can be found in Sinkieland. Singaporeans not earning high wages corrupt or not corrupt not important. At those low levels how much can they corrupt? How much is a Brompton bicycle cost. Peanuts right? They will be more interested in blowjobs than money. So no big problem.

3.      If we are paid low wages, does that mean Singaporeans are a dishonest lot? If we are not, then can the government earn lower salaries and still be honest?

RB. See answers above. The assumption is that everyone can be tempted to be corrupt. Only how much to corrupt and the price to prevent corruption. It is all about the temptation of man. And political leaders are only man, not immortals. Oops.

4.      If we have to pay the government such high salaries so that they can honest, doesn’t that mean they are corrupt in the first place?

RB: See answers above.

5.      If we need to pay the government high salaries so that they are willing to do the work, shouldn’t we fire them and bring in someone who’s willing to be honest and do the work at lower salaries?

RB: The problem is that you cannot find such talented people in the whole world that could be contented with a few millions dollars and would not be corrupt. Paying a few millions and have no corruption is really very cheap.

6.      If the government wants us to pay them high salaries to improve their performance, but the income inequality and poverty in Singapore has now become the highest among the developed countries, and Singaporeans earn the lowest wages and have the lowest purchasing power among the developed countries, doesn’t that mean that the government hasn’t improved Singapore? If so, shouldn’t we pay the government much lower salaries or shouldn’t the government step down?

RB: Depending on who you are, at least 60% of the Singaporeans have seen their lives improved. It is not possible to improve the lives of everyone right? And some Singaporeans are just not good enough, have skills mismatched, or some working for fun or for dignity. Money is not important to them. Didn’t you see the old uncles and aunties so happy and so proud of their jobs in the foodcourts and hawker centres? They are going to work till they die, happily.

Cannot pay the govt lower salaries or they will be corrupt or worse, they may resigned, then no talented people will step up to run the country. Cannot ask them to sacrifice too much.  Like that damn jialat you know. They will all go back to work in the private sector to earn more millions.

7.      If the government is willing to keep themselves on the highest salaries in the world, even as Singaporeans have been earning the lowest wages among the high-income countries for many years now, shouldn’t the government also reduce their salaries in the face of the stagnating wages among Singaporeans? If the government is not willing to do so, doesn’t that mean that they are being dishonest?

RB: Cannot reason like that one. Top talents must use top talent logic and no talent must use no talent logic. Just imagine if we remove this govt, there will be no more talent left in the island. This is the best team that can be found, A Team. And cannot accuse them of being dishonest, these are the most honest and honourable people, self sacrificing leaders that money can buy. Or you want to leave the country to Team B to run or the no talent opposition parties to run? All the talents available in the island are in the govt. Other places cannot find, got no more talents to find.

8.      If the heads of the Nordic countries can earn $300,000 and are able to turn their countries into one of the most equal in the world, where their citizens are able to earn one of the highest wages and have one of the highest purchasing power and happiness in the world, then why are we paying the Singapore prime minister 7 times more to create the most unequal society among the developed countries, where we earn the lowest wages among the high-income countries?

RB: You want to live in the Nordic country or you want to live in the most expensive city in the world where every one out of two person is a millionaire? You want to be millionaire or not? Income inequalities in a capitalist economy is normal. Can’t be helped. This is progress.

9.      If the government wants us to pay them high salaries so that they are able to be honest and perform, but if they have proven themselves to be dishonest and unable to perform, doesn’t that mean that we should reduce their salaries drastically or fire them?

RB: Where, where got govt not performing? Where got govt dishonest? No right? So second part of question irrelevant. We have the best performing govt that is the envy of the world.

10.  If they do not want to return us our money, what are they doing with our money?

RB: Return what money? You mean your CPF money? They are safe in the CPF. The govt are not touching your money. Can you prove that the govt is touching or ‘doing with’ your money? No proof cannot anyhow claim lah.

Are my answers sensible, logical and reasonable?

Kopi Level - Green

China Russian conducting war games in East China Sea

China and Russia have announced they will conduct a naval war game near the disputed islands of Diaoyu/Senkaku. This will be held in August and more exercises are being planned. China should just announced that the exercise is to simulate the capture of islands and no need to be shy about it.

China and Russia should also plan to hold joint exercises with the North Koreans in the sea around Korea. There is no reason why the Americans can conduct military exercises all year round and China and Russian refraining from doing so. The Americans have made their intention very clear about what the Asian pivot means. They are the global gangsters and wanting to rule over the countries in Asia.

Russia and China should make it equally clear to the Americans that they got the message loud and clear and will take the necessary actions and preparations to meet the American hegemonic intent. Running away and acting meek will only embolden the Americans and her allies like Japan and the Philippines. It is only a matter of time when a confrontation will result with the American camps becoming more provocative and raising tension in the region.

China and Russia should not limit their military exercises just in East Asia but should conduct some exercises in West Asia. That would make everyone more friendly and respectful. It is like gun ownership. When everyone walks around carrying a gun, everyone else would have to act more carefully and not to provoke the other. The South China Sea is also a good area for joint Russian China military exercises.

It is only war games!

Kopi Level - Green

They don’t come for your lunch

Neither did they come for your dinner. The foreigners are here, more than 2 million of them, working happily here and replacing the Sinkies in their jobs. Some poor Sinkies, highly qualified and experienced, are jobless or underemployed, and some simply ended up driving taxis, becoming first class cab drivers.
 
The foreigners did not come to take your lunch or dinner. They were invited here to do so. If we don’t invite them, there is no way for them to be here to take your lunch and dinner. It is more like we owe them a living. We need to take good care of them while their govts failed to do so. It is our responsibility to do so, even at the expense of our daft Sinkies.
 
Why are we doing this? It is for the good of the Sinkies of course. We bring them here to take our lunch and dinner and they in turn throw some crumbs for us.

Beware of TPP

Asian buyers need to be wary of TPP agreement
 
'Despite President Barack Obama’s charm offensive in the region, Pacific nations are well-advised to remain wary of the US government’s position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP).
 
If US trade negotiators got their way, the Pacific Rim would reap surprisingly few gains — but take on big risks. Until the United States starts to see Asia as a true trading partner, rather than a region to patronise, it is right to hold out on the TPP.…
 
In exchange for these small benefits, the US’s partners in Asia and Latin America have to take on big risks…the US is insisting that TPP partners surrender their right to regulate global finance.
 
Through its financial services and investment provisions, the TPP would allow Wall Street banks to move into TPP countries’ financial services sectors. To do what? If you can believe it, to push the very financial products that triggered the biggest global financial crisis since the Great Depression.
 
That is not progress. That’s regress, given what the world now knows about these often toxic instruments.
 
What is more, if US trade negotiators, acting at the behest of US industry, got their way, the deal would prohibit the ability of these banks to be regulated to prevent and mitigate a financial crisis. They would be “free” to recreate the mess all over again….
 
…the IMF expressed concern that agreements like the TPP “do not provide appropriate safeguards”….
 
What is perhaps most risky for the US’s TPP partners is that the foreign banks themselves will be able to directly sue governments for violations of the agreement….
It is in the well-understood self-interest of Chile, Malaysia and other TPP countries to continue to push back on Mr Obama’s proposals to de-regulate financial services and investment. It is also in the interest of financial prudence and international fairness.
 
In light of that, it is disconcerting to find a recent study which shows these nations have been able to safeguard the ability to regulate finance in treaties with trading blocs such as the EU and Canada and China, but that it is the US which is pushing back with great determination.
 
Thankfully, there are important voices in the US who are pushing President Obama to act with more prudence than the US financial industry wants him to do. Americans are also painfully aware that financial crises hurt US jobs and financial stability.
 
US Congressman Sander Levin and others have been pressuring the Obama administration to ensure that trade deals don’t trump regulating global finance. In 2011, over 250 economists from across the world urged Mr Obama to make trade deals consistent with financial reform as well…. ©2014 The Globalist'
 
Kevin P Gallagher is a professor of international relations at Boston University.
 
The above article is published in Bangkok Post. It highlights the dangerous proposals in the TPP and the unusually high risks for countries to go with the TPP. And an American professor is warning Asians to be wary of the US. Apparently some Asian govts are soooo happy with this TPP that they cannot see anything wrong with it. So this American professor must be crazy right?
 
Why are there govts so eager to sign this American proposal which is akin to signing a suicide pact? Is Singapore one of the eager beaver? This is going to be far more dangerous than signing the CECA. Before out govt sign this pact, does it have any responsibility to tell the people the pros and cons of this deal? Or would it be like the CECA and the AEC, the govt knows best. Trust the govt?

AEC, looking forward to it

The Asean Economic Community is shaping up nicely behind closed doors. We can expect the borders to become more porous with lesser restrictions to travel and work within the Asean countries. The impact could be tremendous but like the impact of 6.9m, no one is particularly interested to tell the public how it would affect their livelihood. The most immediate impact would be out entry points when a normal half an hour wait may now take half a day to cross if all the Asean workers are marching to Sin City. Come to think of it, the checks on security threat could come in very handy and we have plenty of practices to regulate the flow of traffic at the checkpoints.

What I am looking forward to is actually the exchanges of personnel at the top levels, not the PMETs. If we could exchange govt leaders and pick the best for our city, it would be real nice. Top on my list is Yingluck. It would be so nice to see her in Parliament as our PM. Attendance would be perfect and the galleries will be full. You may even have to queue for a gallery ticket months ahead just to have a seat at the gallery. And the MPs would be asking a lot of questions and trying their very best to impress her with their wits. No more absentees or too busy with their private commitments.

The other top seat that needs a change of personality is the Presidency. We need a strong and powerful dare devil to be our President. The best candidate is Aquino of the Philippines. He is the only President in the world that dared to tell China that it is preparing its military forces to fight with China. This kind of bravery is rare and if we can have him, no one would dare to tell him it would take 56 man years to come up with a report. And being paid in the millions, the jobs must be more than just shaking hands with visitors to the Istana and kissing babies. Not to forget, Aquino can stand in for the Pinoy President when the Pinoys here celebrate their Independence Day, so convenient.

Aung San Suu Kyi could be another good choice but her kind of values on happiness may not go down well with our money minded populace. We don’t believe in happiness. We only believe in money, money and more money.

The Malaysian Home Minister Hamidi would be a good choice for our Home Ministry. We would not have anymore Mas Selamat problems or Malaysians gate crashing through out check points. But what impressed me about Hamidi was his comment on the fair treatment of minorities during Obama’s visit. When asked if Malaysia was fair in its affirmative policies to the bumiputras he quoted the examples in the US to support his case. The US also has affirmative policies for the minorities. So there is nothing wrong for Malaysia to have affirmative policies for the majorities.

Wish he can be our Home Affairs Minister and introduce affirmative policies for the majorities here.

His comrades Hishamuddin would be a good one for Transport Minister. He is so experienced in handling the media and with so frequent breakdowns in our trains, he would be like fish in water, holding press conferences daily like a cake walk. He will definitely enjoy his job here and we can have free publicity to the whole world.

It would be a tough choice to swap our Foreign Minister with Natalegawa of Indonesia. Between him and Shanmugam, close fight. The only reason to replace him with Shanmugam is the cost. If we pay him half of what we are paying Shanmugam he will be so happy that he would not hesitate to take up citizenship here and may promise that his sons will do NS. He can also tell his generals not to anyhow name their warships. Diplomacy is key man.

From Vietnam we could have a war veteran as our Defence Minister, someone that have really gone to war and seen what was like fighting in the battlefields. That would would be real stuff, not paper generals.

As for environment, media, housing, I think we can stick to our own talented ministers. Oh, I nearly forgot, Health Ministry needs a helping hand. The Malaysian Health Minister Subramaniam is doing a hell of a good job producing local doctors at about 500/600 a year. That kind of experience is very good for us. We must produce more local doctors to meet the demands of the AEC. But more important is the free health care for the citizens. We would not be complaining if he introduced a flat fee of $5 per visit for outpatients, medicine included. That would be real nice.

I think the number of changes is about right. We need to keep some ministries for our locals to helm. Cannot give all positions to foreign talents, Singaporeans and locals must come first. Hope AEC would not put too many of out ministers out of job, being replaced by foreign talents.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Two possible Manifestos for the GE

This could be the platform for the next GE.

Vote for my party for more population and more growth.

Vote for my party for higher minimum sums in your CPF.

Vote for my party for more foreigners to create more jobs for Sinkies.

Vote for my party to serve super talents, and prepare to pay them more.

Vote for my party to have no ending tenure in political office.

Vote for my party to have more quality medical care from foreign talents at affordable fees.

Vote for my party to have affordable public housing.

Vote for my party to defend and die for your country but not allowed to buy public housing.

Vote for my party to be your own boss, like driving your own taxis.

Another possible Manifesto

Vote for my party to put a stop to population growth by importing foreigners.

Vote for my party to half the pay of ministers.

Vote for my party to have really affordable public housing, not market pricing.

Vote for my party so that every Singapore will be eligible to buy public flats.

Vote for my party to bring down the cost of medicare.

Vote for my party so that PMETs will not be replaced by foreigners.

Vote for my party so PMETs no need to drive taxis but by choice.

Vote for my party to bring down cost of living.

Vote for my party to limit political office to two terms.

Obama has removed his mask

After all the pretensions that the USA was not trying to contain China or trying to form a military alliance against China, the latest trip by Obama said it all. It was all about containing China and supporting its allies to challenge China’s rise as a superpower. 

Obama has removed his mask to show what this trip was all about.

China better stop fooling around with Obama and start to take Obama and the Americans as what they really are. All the niceties to appease the Americans, to cajole them even to the extent of strangling the North Koreans to please the Americans are futile. It is now serious business and China is best to strengthen its military alliances with the North Koreans and the Russians to take on the American alliance head on. The responses can be calibrated and need not be military. It can be economic and political in nature.  China must use its economic and political leverage to squeeze the Americans where it hurts. China must come out openly and positively in support of Russia and North Korea like the Americans supporting its allies. Doing otherwise would undermine its own position with Russia and North Korea.

In the case of dealings with the Japanese and the Pinoys, China must be prepared to play hardball as hardball will be what these two countries would want to play. China has to gear up for more provocations by Japan and the Philippines in the seas around the disputed islands. The military wargame has been set on play mode and the level of play will escalate to higher levels by the Americans and their allies.

China cannot avoid an open conflict with Japan and the Philippines and it better make its stand clear that it would take them head on if provoked. Only then would the two take China seriously and be more circumspect in their devious military schemes. Whatever, the Evil Empire would be there to pull the strings.

What American pivot? It is naked American military expansion and aggression in Asia. It is all about confronting China militarily. China needs not be polite with nice words and simply stands up to the Americans. That is the only thing the Americans understand. If China, India and Russia would to stand up to this bully, it would be the end of Pax Americana. China and Russia must go all out, openly, in support of North Korea, Iran and Syria and all the countries being condemned by the Americans. The Americans are gearing up for a fight and there is no where to run.

Kopi Level - Green

Leon Perera and Firuz Khan for WP

Two big names were on the Workers’ Party list of candidates for the GE. Leon Perera, 44 and Firuz Khan, 48, are two good catch that would do a lot of good to the WP. This is only the beginning and if they could present another 10 or so such candidates before the GE, the WP is in serious business. With more professionals joining the party, it means that the party is able to attract serious minded people to join its rank to challenge the ruling party.
 
If the other opposition parties could also do the same and attract similarly qualified candidates, the battle ground is going to change dramatically this time round. And the voters cannot complain of not having any choice. Those who had been voting for the ruling party out of no good choice but wanting to vote otherwise would now have no problems making their choices.
 
It is now very interesting to see how many more professionals the opposition parties could bring out this time to give the PAP a run for the money. Could we see a real battle in the making and not another round of walkovers or underweights bashing against the PAP machine? I think it is going to be exciting.

PS. Perera has a double first class from Oxford. He was a former head of an EDB division, a high flyer in his own right. He is now CEO of Spire Research and Consulting.  Firuz is in the banking and retail industry and a council member of WP's Youth Wing.

Labour Day Protest – Protect the Singaporean Workers

Gilbert Goh is holding a Labour Day Protest tomorrow, 1 May, at Hong Lim from 4pm to 7pm. According to him this year’s theme is Protect The Singaporean Workers. In his message on this protest he said, ‘We will also publicly shamed companies on that day which have a history of errant discriminatory employment records.’
 
The main issues undoubtedly will be ‘the influx of foreigners who have robbed us of our rice bowl, the lack of proper representation when there is a contractual dispute with the employer and the perpetually-low wages which ensure that Singaporeans continue to struggle in our small city state crippled by ever-rising cost of living.’
 
Gilbert also wants to ‘remind all our participants that this is a protest and not a rally or picnic – we need you to come prepared to shout and raise your fist at the errant pro-employer policies of our government.
 
Don’t bring your picnic mat or sun glasses but do bring along your voice and anger so that we will roar together as one body and that people’s power will be on show for one more time!’
 
Gilbert needs all the support the people can give him by being there. It would be a big let down if after working so hard over the years and the turnout is poor. Would Singaporeans be motivated and inspired by the work of this lone soldier soldiering tirelessly to promote their interest and the well being of all Singaporeans and march with him?

PS. Please note that there is another protest rally on 3 May at 3pm at Hong Lim led by Leong Sze Hian.

In celebration of the Indian elites

Never in the history of Singapore has the Indian community been so prominent as the ruling elite of this island. The era when Indian elites were the most prominent was during the early days of independence when we inherited the whole govt and bureaucracy from the colonial govt. In those days, the govt and civil servants were either British, Eurasians or Indians. Their commonality was the English Language. The colonial govt used English as the language of officialdom.
 
The Chinese and Malays were less familiar with the language with the Chinese mainly educated in Chinese medium schools. Only the babas who had been here longer would be educated in the English medium, but not really of great proficiency. The Chinese were mainly in commerce and trading or in small businesses, in a world of their own, with the lower sector contributing to the labour force.
 
The prominence of the Indian elites was in a way third grade, with the British occupying all the top jobs, the Eurasians having the leftovers and the Indians the crumbs. Still, being chief clerks in the Her Majesty’s Service was big deal in those days.
 
When we were given Independence, many of the top civil service jobs automatically went to the Eurasians and the Indians. They were the educated elites. Chinese educated elites only came into the picture later. Gradually over time the other races also graduated from the English stream, with graduates from the University of Singapore being available to the civil service and govt. The spread was more reflective of the composition of the races with meritocracy as a pillar for attaining high office.
 
Today, the fruit of meritocracy has ripen and we are seeing the best of the races rising to high positions in govt and the civil service. And the Indians have proven to be exceptionally talented, and surpassing the achievements of the early Indian pioneers. In Finance, we had an Indian Finance Minister who is also a Deputy PM and touted to be the next PM. The MAS is also headed by an Indian elite and the top national bank is also helmed by an Indian, albeit a new citizen. And not to forget, the Indian elites are helming most of the foreign banks in the island.
 
In the Ministry of Law we have an Indian Law Minister, an Indian Chief Justice, and now an Indian Attorney General. It would be full house if the Solicitor General is also an Indian elite.
 
Kudos to the Indian community for producing so many top ministers and civil servants at the same time. Kudos to our meritocratic system for being colour blind and allowing the best of talents regardless of race to rise to the top of their profession. Soon it will be regardless of nationality.
 
This is a golden era for the Indian community.
 
Oh, before I forget, with the Oracle in his twilight moments, the only thinker left in the island is also an Indian elite. All this can only be attributed to the wisdom of Hsien Loong. He has surpassed Chok Tong and LKY as the best PM the island ever had, at least in promoting meritocracy regardless of race and nationality. He cannot be accused of being partial to the Chinese or discriminating against the minority races.

Kopi Level - Green

USA signing another defence pact

Signing military pact is about the only thing left that the Americans can do well. It has nothing else to offer to the world except military might, the ability to incite and start wars, to intimidate, to threaten and conduct regime change. It has been doing this since the end of WW2, professing peace but starting wars and conducting wars across the world.
 
Yesterday it signed another defence pact with Manila and officially claiming that ti was not meant to contain China but knowing very well why Manila needs this military pact to back its outrageous and foolish behaviour against China. Obama also cited US defence treaty to defend Japanese territories, including territories in dispute or not part of Japan. For all intent and purposes, no one is believing what the Americans are saying and everyone is very clear the intent behind all these military pacts. Do not be surprised if a proposal for another military pact with Malaysia was on the table during Obama’s meeting with Najib.
 
China is furious and justifiably so. The military pact with Manila would simply embolden Aquino to be more reckless to take on China in the South China Sea. This military pact would only raise tension and the likelihood of a military confrontation between China and the Philippines.
 
China should not waste its time trying to be diplomatic to assuage the Americans from supporting the Pinoys. That is their intent and they will go all out to encourage the Pinoys to provoke the Chinese in the disputed islands. Both the Japanese and the Pinoys have the Americans behind them and would be more trigger happy to harass and attack the Chinese ships in the disputed seas. Regional tensions would only increase with the Americans claiming right of action to defend their military allies.
 
Did the Red Indians say white men spoke with fork tongue, or should it be changed to black men speak with fork tongue? With a bankrupt economy, the Americans have nothing left to offer except weapons of war.

SDP announcing its first candidate for the GE

Chee Soon Juan will be standing as a candidate for the SDP in the next GE. He has completely discharged his bankruptcy obligations after losing several libel suits against the PAP politicians. It has been a long time since he stood for a GE, best known or remembered when he challenged Chok Tong with the call, ‘Where is the money?’ or something like that. And that was followed by the sagas of postage fees and taxi fare claims when his professor had to take taxis to confirm that his claims were not in order. The thing that prevented him from standing in past GEs was his bankruptcy status due to his inability to pay the compensations awarded to those who brought suits against him.
 
Chee Soon Juan is back. Actually he never left. He was watching from the sideline or sitting at the benches, acting as manager or coaches to his team in every GE. How would the public view his return to the political fray? What were the wrongs of this man that had kept him away from political office for so long? He is no Anwar Ibrahim and less controversial in many ways. Would the voters take his past as a price he had to pay for being in politics at the wrong time when politics was vicious and ugly? I am not sure if it is less vicious and less ugly today. Only time will tell.
 
How would the PAP handle him this time with the old guards out of the way? Would Chee face the likes of LKY and Chok Tong again and go through the same political ordeal one more time? Or has time changed and the political climate is more stable, more mature and less vindictive and more civil? The PAP would likely put every obstacle they could find in his way to keep him out of Parliament. And they would have a lot to say about Chee Soon Juan. The only thing that matters is whether the voters would believe them or would even view them in favour of Chee.
 
There are many good things to talk about this man as a politician, tenacity, believing strongly in his cause and mission, offering an alternative formula to the current mantra, a no fly by night operator or fair weather politician. He would not go away after a defeat. He comes back fighting. Above all, he is a great orator and would give all the great debators in the PAP a run for their money in Parliament.
 
Would the people see the good things in this man to send him into Parliament? Or would they believe in the PAP narrative of Chee Soon Juan and turn away from him?

Kopi Level - Green

How many PAP candidates will stand down in the next GE?

In every GE PAP will take the opportunity to do some self renewable with some veterans or non performers being replaced. In the last GE 24 new candidates were introduced while 18 were retired. How many new candidates would be introduced this time and how many would be retired? Given the 87 seats to be contested, the numbers are likely to be quite similar plus or minus a couple.
 
Assuming the same 24/18 combinations will be used again, let’s see who would be the likely candidates to miss the party this time. The new faces are more difficult to have a few except for the inner circles in the PAP. As for the 18 to let go, can we consider that 6 had been let off during the last GE, ie one from Hougang and 5 from Aljunied GRC? If this be so, then only 12 more will be retired this time.
 
The obvious candidates would be LKY, Chok Tong and the three ex ministers of Kan Seng, Mah Bow Tan and Raymond Lim. That would bring the numbers left to 7. Anyone got any inkling of any MP that has been perpetually absent from Parliamentary sessions? That would be a good indication that they would not be fielded and thus don’t have to make their presence felt.
 
Another good possibility would be the veteran MPs like Charles Chong, Teo Ho Pin, Inderjit Singh, Seng Han Tong and Arthur Fong. If these 5 are out then it would be left with 2. Maybe PAP might want to take out a few more if they have enough new candidates to fill in. I think the new faces in the last GE would probably be allowed to stay on for another term and they can be counted out from the retirement list.
 
This will leave a few not so old faces like Yeo Guat Kwang, Alvin Yeo, Lily Neo, Irene Ng, Ellen Lee, Jessica Tan, Denise Phua and the popular Lim Wee Kiat and Baey Yam Keng for consideration for the last few retirement slots.
 
What do you think? What? Vivian? Did anyone say Vivian?

Kopi Level - Green. Nearly turn Blue.

Chong Kee Hiong - PAP introduces a high flyer

I thought after the last GE PAP will be pulling more grassroot leaders to stand in the next GE. Now we are seeing another of PAP’s elite in Chong Kee Hiong as a potential candidate. His academic records and CV are typical of the kind of quality expected of a top notch PAP candidate. This one is another minister grade candidate for sure. He came from RI, a scholar and a high performer.
 
The bloggers are having a bit of misgivings on the thoughts of this elite. A post in TRE quoting an interview with ST two years ago highlighted the disappointment he had when he got one academic prize instead of two at Primary 5. He scored top marks in Mathematics and Chinese but the Math’s prize was given to another student with half a mark lesser than him all because the teacher taught he had won one prize too many. ‘I didn’t argue with the teacher but I was very upset. The fact that I still remember it with such clarity shows that I am still disturbed by it…The episode went against the idea of fair play and meritocracy.’ The quotes were posted in the TRE article and claimed ST as its source.
 
I can understand how a Pri 5 kid felt when a prize he deservedly won was taken away from him. This Chong has all the right to be unhappy. Now, why was this reported in the ST as claimed in the TRE article? What kind of image would be projected because of this incident and how the public will view it? For the less talented masses, one thought is likely to be, share share a bit lah, why want to win so many prizes. To some elite, this is unacceptable. Meritocracy is meritocracy, it is about the best getting the best. They worked for it, they are talented and deserved it.
 
Somehow I got this nagging feeling that Chong or the ST was misquoted. The self centred elitist tag is not a comfortable one to wear for a person seeking political office. In politics, there are more to it than just black and white or getting what one is entitled to or deservingly so. And I am very sure this Chong is politically smart and sensitive enough not to make such a statement in public and draw unfavourable flaks.
 
What is happening?

Is SMRT a private or public company?

‘(Reuters) - Singapore's SMRT Corp Ltd , the operator of the city-state's main rail network, asked the government on Wednesday about a financing framework which would reduce its capital expenditure, The Straits Times reported….25 Apr 14
 
SMRT has previously expressed interest in changing to a financing framework that was introduced by the government in 2010. Under this system, the government would own the assets, and be responsible for replacing them. This would free SMRT from having to incur huge capital expenditures on asset replacement.’
 
I dunno what to make out of this latest call from SMRT. The SMRT was built using public fund. It then went private, got listed and run as a profit making business. In the meantime, the money spent on the infrastructure, the land, did not become part of the computation of cost. And SMRT has been making millions annually and paying its management staff handsomely because of the great profits.
 
With this new development, with the govt bearing the cost of assets and asset replacement, SMRT could run an operation without huge capital expenditures and thus can register huge profits. How real is this profit? Is there anything wrong with this new formula? Where on earth can one run a private profit oriented business with the major part of the cost taken out of the equation, to be paid by the govt?
 
Who eventually have to pay for the cost and who will be benefitting from the profit without capital expenditure and asset replacement? Should SMRT be returned and run as a public service, a stats board?

How much do you know of your CPF nomination?

It was meant to be a simple straight forward procedure to make a nomination for someone to inherit whatever savings that is left in your CPF upon your demise. And the nominee will simply be presented a cheque for all the cash balance and the account closed. Someone has raised a query on why some of the deceased’s CPF balance is being transferred to his Medisave Minimum Sum Account. I have made an enquiry with the CPF and awaiting their reply on this matter.

When I wrote an article posing this new development, I also discovered that actually there are many changes to the issue of making a nomination and the complexities on how the savings of a deceased will be distributed. Effective 1 Jan 2011, there is a new scheme called the Enhanced Nomination Scheme, ENS. According to CPF’s website, I quote,



‘Previously when a member passes away, the Board will distribute his CPF savings to his nominees as a lumpsum in cash according to the proportion indicated in his nomination form.

The new ENS option enables CPF members to transfer their CPF savings to their nominees’ CPF accounts when they pass away, subject to the prevailing Minimum Sum limit and Medisave Contribution Ceiling (MCC).’

I went through the explanations in the CPF website and am still confused by the number of variations that could take place once a member elected the ENS. I am also not sure how the Minimum Sum limit and Medisave Contribution Ceiling comes into play. I would need some time to try to figure out what these changes meant and how they would affect savings of a deceased when returned to the nominee/nominees.

What about those who made a nomination before 1 Jan 2011? As in the case mentioned above, how did the transfer into the Medisave Minimum Sum thing comes into play? Is it a voluntary choice or it is a change made by the CPF without the consent of the deceased and nominee? I am still not clear on this. If this is a new thing, that the Medisave balance will be transferred to a nominee’s Medisave, it will be a no ending transfer from one Medisave to another and to another. I am waiting for CPF Board to reply on this. And I hope this Medisave Minimum Sum does not affect those who made a simple nomination to receive all payments in cash, every cent of it without having to transfer some money into the Medisave Minimum Sum.

There may be people who for some reasons chose to have the balance of a deceased’s savings transfer to their CPF accounts and may subsequently also to their nominees CPF accounts. I can’t think of a good reason to want to do so.

This CPF nomination to receive the balance of a deceased’s savings is getting to be a very complicated matter indeed.

Kopi Level - Yellow

SGX – Reality sets in

Jeremy Grant wrote ‘Singapore exchange losing out to regional competitors’ in the Financial Times on 23 Apr 14.
 
‘Singapore’s equity market is looking increasingly unloved. Last year the city-state’s stock exchange suffered the indignity of being overtaken in terms of trading volume by its Thai counterpart, knocking Singapore into second place in southeast Asia for the first time. More recently it was also overhauled by Japannext, a relatively small trading platform that competes with the Tokyo bourse.
 
This makes SGX, the Singapore exchange, Asia’s ninth-largest share market – a frustrating state of affairs for an exchange that prides itself on being “the Asian gateway” for investors in the region.
 
Singapore’s problems – a combination of low trading volume, or liquidity; relatively high transaction costs; and a dearth of big-ticket initial public offerings – were highlighted on Wednesday when SGX reported a 22 per cent fall in net profit for the third quarter….’
 
Is it surprising that the SGX is going down into the longkang as a failed stock exchange? People in the industry knew this long ago but the media has been hyping about how successful it has been with increasing volumes in derivatives and all kinds of shit except the real business of stock trading. And many who are supposed to be doing something to right the wrong are pretending to be Rip Van Winkles.
 
There have been a slew of measures rolled out by the SGX and every time it was touted to improve the trading volumes, improve liquidity, good for small investors, and the ridiculous no lunch break to extend trading hours for more volumes. We all know that it did not get better but worst.
 
So, how long would this myth of a fantastically successful stock market, the best managed in Asia, the financial centre that is doing roaring business going to go up in dust? When would the govt face the reality that things are in shit and the SGX is already in the intensive ward? This thing did not happen yesterday. The writings were on the wall a couple of years but everyone turned the other way. No one wants to know, no one wants to lift his little finger, no one wants to take responsibility but only prayed that the magician would continue to pull little rabbits out of his hat. Are there still rabbits left in the hat for the show to go on and everyone clapping for an encore?
 
Do they know what is happening, what is the cause of the dying stock market?

Kopi Level - Yellow

The books that I would want to write

There are so many books that I would like to write about the golden years of Sin City. And many people too will be writing their books on the same topics with some being the originators of these fascinating stories. They could even call them autobiographies.

No, I am not going to write about making my first million in rupiahs. Too many people have written on that. The very first book that came to mind is ‘How to run down a profitable and sound public transport system.’ It is not easy, like they said, when something is running well and smoothly, it will take an exceptional talent to run it down, or maybe a dud to do it in his best. In the latter case, it will be so easy with the dud thinking he has really done an excellent job.

The second book is likely to be ‘How to run down a vibrant and profitable stock market singlehandedly.’ This is a much more difficult task to do compare to running down a train system. To run down a stock market, you must not only have a list of fictitious but grand money making schemes, but must convince those people who think they are very smart that the silly schemes you have hatched are really good. Having a brilliant scheme to convince smart people to go along is elementary. Convincing smart people with fictitious and destructive schemes and to have them going along needs the talent of a genius. The only time when you don’t need a genius is when the smart people are really gullible idiots in disguise. Then the job will be a piece of cake.

The third book, this must be more difficult than the above, ‘How to rob the people’s life savings without them knowing.’ The difficulty of this book is that in the former two, you only need to convince a few people to believe in you. That is not difficult when they themselves did not know what is happening or did not want to know what is happening as long as they can spend time counting their money. To con all the people in a saving’s scheme is not easy. And it is not easy to turn a good saving’s scheme into a monster, a life taking scheme when people have to commit suicide to get their money back.

In this third book, with millions of people having a vested interest to want to protect their money, it is not easy to pull wool over their eyes to prevent them from seeing or knowing what is happening to their money. And you need to keep doing it everyday and make them believe their money is still there when it is not there. For the moment they know their money is gone, everything will fall flat.

My fourth book, ‘How to sell a country right before the eyes of its people.’ In terms of difficulty level this must be above all the three books combined. No one has ever done this in history. Some tried and were killed as traitors. Actually I am wrong on this. There had been many cases of traitors in the history of China for conspiring with foreigner powers. The Ming Dynasty fell because of traitors working with the enemies outside. The Song Dynasty also had the same fate when an idiotic general chose to follow orders blindly, without question and refusing to question, and left his post to allow the enemies to overrun his troops leading to the fall of a dynasty. But some people honoured such idiots as role models of blind loyalty to the emperors.

In modern cities, selling a country is much easier as long as you have a willing citizenry that would not protest, happy to follow instructions or orders, willing to believe the leaders, and lost the ability to think and unable to see when things go wrong. This book is going to be very interesting and would likely be written by many historians in the future.

Come to think of it, there are many people more qualified to write such books as their biographies. It would be instant best sellers, something like ‘kiss and tell’.  Just imagine if the authors actually engineered the downfall of a public transport system or a stock exchange and live to tell the stories. Every book is a fertile material for a Hollywood movie.

Kopi Level - Green

Brave Sinkies commit suicide for their children

ZI Mo wrote in the TRE about his friend of 30 years, at 57, chose to hang himself after a business failure that left him penniless. But his main reason as stated in his suicide note was to withdraw his $200k savings in his CPF to support his two school going sons. Only death could he get access to his CPF savings.

Another blogger commented that one of his best friends jumped from his HDB last year due a $30k debt. He left behind a wife and two daughters and more than $200k in his CPF.

Let’s hope that their last wishes were fulfilled and their CPF savings all went to their families and nothing is being held back, like some being transferred to the beneficiary’s medisave minimum sum account. I stand corrected on this, but so far I have been told that this is the case and not all the balance in the CPF will be paid out in the case of death.

Is this suicide thing going to be a trend and one of the sad ways for a down and out Sinkie, jobless and penniless but with a few hundred thousand in his CPF savings, and killing himself is the only way to release the money to his loved ones?

Many PMETs are living precariously the moment they lost their jobs to a foreigner and find it hard to get another job. And to make matters worse, many have school going children and a housing mortgage to service.

Welcome to the richest city state in the world when one out of two citizens is a millionaire on paper. More such tragedies are in the pipeline.

My advice to those people meddling in people’s life savings and having designs on the money these people have saved for a life time to serve their private agenda, please do good, do more good, and return the money to the rightful owners. You do not know what the invisible hand will do to you next. Do not intentionally cause tragedies to others for your private amusement and vested interests. Go and squander your own money no one will care. When you start to mess around with other people’s money, like the two suicide cases mentioned, you have blood in your hand.

Repent before it is too late. Beg for mercy when you still have time.

Kopi Level at the moment is red.

UOB – The solid local bank

Wee Cho Yaw has spoken, UOB will grow organically and will not join the acquisition frenzy. Neither will UOB join the ‘foreigners are talent’ fad and go on a mindless recruitment to replace local talents with foreign ‘talents’.

Many banks with foreign CEOs are impatient to prove their worth and to justify their fat salaries. Acquisition to grow the bank is a simple way, instant trees, instant fat. The only issue is the cost. But many would not mind paying the Singapore Premium in the acquisition trail. What is the problem? Everything is OPM and if the acquisition is successful, more salary hikes and bonuses. If fails, it is OPM, just take the golden handshake and walk away. It is simply head I win, tail you lose.

Mercenaries have no qualms about spending OPM to make that strike. They need to justify their worth and pay fast. And they work to make sure they get more pay and fast. They invest for quick profit.

Another type of mercenaries is the fund managers. They invest because they have too much money in their war chests, all OPM. They can’t keep their money in the biscuit tins. They must put them to work, to work for them and for the shareholders. When fund managers invest because they need to invest and not when there is a good buy, you can be sure they will invest even in shit.

Wee Cho Yaw said it, UOB would look out for opportunities but only when the buy fits and the price is right. He is not going to be a bloody fool paying huge premiums just to join the bandwagon and be on the news that UOB is also doing the right thing. A solid conservative banker does not gamble with his money and has no need to rush to spend it. Every cent he is spending must be meaningful, not eventful.

 And UOB is going to be a local bank and would not be open to the exploits of foreign mercenaries. He has appointed Hsieh Fu Hua to replace him as Chairman. He is not angmoh or foreigner crazy. He does not have a crush like an 18 year old going gaga with anything novel. This is a solid banker that runs his bank like a bank, not a casino.

With a local talent team, is the UOB doing less well than those under foreign mercenaries?

MH370 – What happened to the mangosteens?

After searching for more than a month in the Antarctics, they are still unable to locate the mangosteens. But who cares, or why would anyone be interested in the mangosteens? Are they worthless, no owners? Or have the rightful owner of the mangosteens already collected them and put them under safe keeping?

The mangosteens, 4 tonnes of them, heavier than a 3 tonner, were casually mentioned by the Malaysian authorities and quickly forgotten as inconsequential. Were they so innocent? It is a fact that the mangosteens were not in season in Malaysia. Where were they from, who was the owner and where were the mangosteens going? Does anyone want to know what is this ‘mangosteen’ thing? It is so obvious that the mangosteens were not mangosteens. What were they? Why were the Malaysian govt not even interested to find out?

Let me suggest a very simple theory on the story of the mangosteens. They were the forbidden fruits. The Malaysian Govt were tipped off on the mangosteens. They were told of a scheme to retrieve the mangosteens by the informer. The Malaysian Govt went along. The flight MH370 was allowed to fly as scheduled not to alarm anyone. The air traffic controllers went through routines and everything was normal.

At the border of Malaysian and Vietnamese airspace, the aircraft took a dip and disappeared from radar with its transponder switched off. It then turned west, climbed back to normal cruise level and flew all the way to Butterworth airbase under full radar contact, landed, unloaded the mangosteens and all the passengers, and flew off just like another MAS aircraft.

After that all the disinformation appeared that the aircraft had headed to the Antarctics either on auto pilot or flown by a suicidal pilot. Both did not make any sense. And somehow the aircraft could send out blips to satellites to let them guess where it was or going. And conveniently they applied the Doppler Effect for the first time to masturbate such information and concluded that it must be going to the Antarctics when the aircraft could have landed in Butterworth with all its mangosteens delivered to whoever that was behind this hoax.

The aircraft could now be flying daily under another MH callsigns all over Malaysia and its foreign destinations. Where are the pilot and co pilot? Are their families raising a ruckus on their disappearance, grieving or unable to grieve, or life was normal at home?

Just a very simple theory of the mangosteens that came from no where, going nowhere, no one wants to know why or where.

And here comes Obama, the President of an Empire, calling on Najib to say thank you for your assistance. We are now friends.

The above is all my imagination that is good enough to be turned into a movie.

Kopi Level - Green

Are NSmen really daft?

Apparently many people in high places think so. In the news today some are talking about giving the NSmen a stake in country to fight and die for? Just wake up huh? When we first became an independent country, not yet a nation, the first and foremost thought in the minds of the founding leaders was to give the people a stake here through home ownership. That is as simple as ABC. But through the years, people got lost in the maze of money and decided that citizens need not have a stake, like a flat in the country, to want to fight and die for the country. The NSmen are so daft, just order them to fight they will fight even if they don’t have any stake here.
 
How many citizens who have done NS are deprived, banned, from buying and owning a flat from HDB but forced to buy from in the resale market, and allowing foreigners to make a pile from them? Is this not sickening? Who forced our citizens to make foreigners rich by buying their public flats just to have a place to live? Why are citizens deprived from homeownership in their own country, the country they are to defend and die for while foreigners and new citizens could happily buy public flats?
 
No, the NSmen are not daft. It is the policy makers that are daft. And they still think that they could enjoy the good life, living in sprawling landed properties while the NSmen would be so daft to fight and die to protect them. The NSmen today are as highly educated as the daft policy makers. Many are even more qualified than them. You mean these highly qualified NSmen cannot think like these fools?
 
Why are many highly qualified Sinkies leaving this island? Dunno, don’t want to know? And some think they are very wise, to go overseas to attract our citizens to return to this island. What can you offer to them to return? Why should highly qualified Sinkies return to pay a ransom for a dog’s kennel call private condo when they could use half the ransom to buy a sprawling landed property overseas?
 
Why would NSmen who are prohibited by law from buying public flats want to fight and die for this country? So difficult to figure out? I think so, when the brain is only the size of a pea. Fortunately, after nearly 50 years of sleeping, some have awaken and remembered that this basic need for a home, for a stake in the country is the foundation to build a nation. You cannot build a nation of daft NSmen who have nothing and would be stupid enough to die for those who have plenty.