MoneyMind

When ex cheat is rewarded for dishonesty This is the headline of a letter by Yap Guat Hoon. Yap was appalled by the publicity splashed across the media and questioned the value we are passing to the young or to the masses. 'As parents, we must be watchful of subtle messages that permeate our minds and that of our children. The media, too, must be on guard as it weighs the opportunity to inform and its power to influence.' Yap Guat Hoon Is there a difference between this kind of cheats and those cheating public donations? At one time, when poverty was the order of the day in China, cheating, robbery, con men, etc all became a profession, a way of life. And we too have HK movies glorifying such professionals. Gangsterism as well, with their own honour and loyalty codes. We got to be careful and be thinking, and not be misled by the glorification of tinsel towns. Or we already have accepted such values and that our mindsets have changed to become MoneyMind.

the end is near

When $1 is enough and $1 mil is not enough. When 80 people can decide to sell your property or the roof over your head. When reasons failed to convince, just use threats. When other people earn more than you, then you deserve to earn more. When your money is no longer your money. When cheats are glorified and highly applauded simply because they cheated, oops, they earned a lot of money by other than the accepted means. When frauds in the millions cannot be brought to justice. When the passion to serve the nation and people is lesser than the passion to make millions. When everything is measured in terms of dollars. The end is near.

Have ministers lost their moral authority to lead?

This is a thread in the YPAP forum. And my answer is NO. They have explained very clearly that it is not the money, it is not for them. The pay hike is for the future, to attract future talents. And Hsien Loong is even going to donate his pay hike to charity to prove that it is not the money. And what about the rest? They will do it quietly, not ostentatiously. And since the pay hike is not for them, they did not lose their moral authority to lead. period. Can't the people understand and accept the explanation and move on? What do the people want now?

Two ends of paradise

Singaporeans are truly lucky lots. They are living in paradise without knowing. On one end it is a land of opportunities. Money is everywhere for grabs. Depending on how talented one is, everyone is so happy grabbing everything for themselves. And there are plenty to go around. On the other end of paradise, when all the work is done, one can retire without a worry. Providing a roof over their heads is not a problem. And meals will even be delivered to the homes. There will also be volunteers to help clean the flats. And pocket money will be provided, all $290 a month! Wow, wow, when the body is unwilling, when one cannot eat, barely can move, barely can do anything, $290 is alot of money. Some may not know what to do with this kind of money. Too much money and nowhere to go, nowhere to spend. Singaporeans are so lucky.

$207 is a lot of money

'With around $207 at his disposal each month, a prudent Public Assistance recipient may be able to save for future expenses.' Muchamed Elfian Harun. I fully agree with Muchamed. If my roof and 3 meals are taken care off, $207 will become my disposable income. I don't smoke nor drink. Wow, that is a lot of money to spend. And I don't even have to leave my house. Sometimes I wonder what am I living for? Not much different from a zombie, huh? And Mr Wang had also came to the conclusion that the maids are richer than many Singaporeans with their $300 disposable income when food and shelter have been out of the way. Compare this to a Singaporean who earns $1000. After deducting CPF, transportation, food and lodging, there is hardly any money left as disposable income. Yes a maid with $300 is richer than a Singaporean earning $1000 a month.

nkf story - no wrongdoings

Matilda Chua is in court to answer criminal charges but nothing to do with NKF. This time she was charged under the Securities Industry Act for share tradings and manipulating the accounts of GNR. Looks like they really have not done anything criminal in the NKF fiasco.

Something gotta give

The pay hike in the public sector will push the private sector to follow suit. The only limiting factor will be the bottom line. In the private sector, pay hike can only be sustainable when the organisation is making money and not because someone else is paying more. Then we have the rise in rental in commercial and residential properties. And we have our famous GST increase plus all the increases. Suddenly no one is asking whether we can be competitive when everything is going up. Can we compete with China and India with our rising cost? Or we have a magic formula that says cost is no longer an issue and we can continue to raise our operating cost and remain competitive? I can only see foreign workers and FTs playing a greater role in our economy and at the expense of our citizens. Something gotta give. The investors have voted with their feet in the past. And they will do so again. And if Malaysia plays its cards right with the IDR, more companies will relocate. The slack may be taken up to some extent by the IRs. Would we face the same predicaments when job losses were the order of the day? Or would the pay hike brings about more talented solutions to our past problems when the world economy swings the wrong way?