Dear The Real Singapore,
My well wishes to the next General Elections. Pray and hope the best last longer.
Sir, my name is UTHAYA KUMAR S/O P. THANGIAH, NRIC No: S1338799J. I am a
Singaporean and on the 2nd December 2013, I have reached my 55 and I
had great plans to utilize my CPF money, where my first priority is to
get a nice place to live in and put my daughter to school in Indonesia.
Purchase essential items for the home including a motor bike for
transportation.
All he got from his CPF savings was $5,000.
The above is the intro para of a letter written by Kumar and posted in
The Real Singapore. This plea is going to be repeated by many
Singaporeans when the hit 55 and found their savings untouchable. The
Govt has decided to keep it for them for safe keeping to last them a
life time.
Merry Christmas. No present for this Christmas for Kumar.
12/24/2013
Appealing to the wisdom of the masses
What is the best education model for our children? This seems to be the
hottest topic since the parents showed their displeasure on the PSLE.
Some of the concerns are genuine and logical, some emotional and hazy.
With the amount of research done in the field of education, with the
great number of our teaching professionals being educated in the best
universities, with a string of degrees to prove, we must have plentiful
of them to tell the MOE what is the best system to adopt. If that is not
enough, scouring the information available around the world should not
be that difficult.
Why is there a sudden realization that things are not doing well and things must be changed? The obvious answer is that among all the experts in education, there is no agreement as to what is the best model for educating the young. There are so many schools with different values and assumptions of what is considered good for each country, the truth is that no one is wiser.
Now this perennial problem that is driving the parents and children crazy is given a new platform for airing, a kind of natcon. And the MOE is seriously looking into this issue and is also sounding out the parents for their wish lists. How many super talented Education Ministers have gone through the mills in their terms of office and how many changes have been made throughout the years? And strangely, the answer seems to be so elusive. Maybe every minister stepping into the MOE shoe deserves to tour the world to scout for the best education system.
There is the utilitarian school that advocates competitive education and making high demands from the children, to draw out the best from them, leading to hot housing. There are the advocates for a less stressful school system to allow the children to enjoy and be happy while in schools. There are many other variations in between. The bottom line is that parents want their children to be happy, less stressful and came out excellent in their education. Of course this combination is the best but unrealistic. The problem facing everyone, the MOE, teachers and parents, is how to find the right mix, less stressful, more fun, to give the children a good time in school and without compromising on the quality of education. A daunting and impossible task to think that this is achievable.
Maybe a buffet spread with all the variations and allowing the parents to make their choice and knowing very well the consequences of the different models. What I think the likely choice would still be the current system of high pressure hothousing model. What the parents would like is no choice, just an easy going, less stressful model for all children to enjoy schooling, with lesser competition. When they are faced with a buffet spread, many would have no choice but to want the best for their children, and sacrificing the more forgiving model when the children will grow up a happier child.
If there is a perfect model in the first place, the super talented ministers of the past would have found and delivered it to the happy parents and children. Maybe at primary level the schools should be more loving, more forgiving given the fact that nature would make most children to be children. Let the children have an easier time in primary level. The competition should come in at secondary level when the children are more mature and able, and a little better to know what they are in for.
I don’t think any education expert has the right answer. Ok I am not kpkb so I am not supposed to provide a solution. Neither am I paid to provide a solution.
This is Christmas. Relac.
Why is there a sudden realization that things are not doing well and things must be changed? The obvious answer is that among all the experts in education, there is no agreement as to what is the best model for educating the young. There are so many schools with different values and assumptions of what is considered good for each country, the truth is that no one is wiser.
Now this perennial problem that is driving the parents and children crazy is given a new platform for airing, a kind of natcon. And the MOE is seriously looking into this issue and is also sounding out the parents for their wish lists. How many super talented Education Ministers have gone through the mills in their terms of office and how many changes have been made throughout the years? And strangely, the answer seems to be so elusive. Maybe every minister stepping into the MOE shoe deserves to tour the world to scout for the best education system.
There is the utilitarian school that advocates competitive education and making high demands from the children, to draw out the best from them, leading to hot housing. There are the advocates for a less stressful school system to allow the children to enjoy and be happy while in schools. There are many other variations in between. The bottom line is that parents want their children to be happy, less stressful and came out excellent in their education. Of course this combination is the best but unrealistic. The problem facing everyone, the MOE, teachers and parents, is how to find the right mix, less stressful, more fun, to give the children a good time in school and without compromising on the quality of education. A daunting and impossible task to think that this is achievable.
Maybe a buffet spread with all the variations and allowing the parents to make their choice and knowing very well the consequences of the different models. What I think the likely choice would still be the current system of high pressure hothousing model. What the parents would like is no choice, just an easy going, less stressful model for all children to enjoy schooling, with lesser competition. When they are faced with a buffet spread, many would have no choice but to want the best for their children, and sacrificing the more forgiving model when the children will grow up a happier child.
If there is a perfect model in the first place, the super talented ministers of the past would have found and delivered it to the happy parents and children. Maybe at primary level the schools should be more loving, more forgiving given the fact that nature would make most children to be children. Let the children have an easier time in primary level. The competition should come in at secondary level when the children are more mature and able, and a little better to know what they are in for.
I don’t think any education expert has the right answer. Ok I am not kpkb so I am not supposed to provide a solution. Neither am I paid to provide a solution.
This is Christmas. Relac.
3rd World in 1st World or 1st World in 3rd World?
Still vividly remember the slogan Garden in a City or City in a Garden.
It is a nice cliché, sounds nice and meaning nice. What about a 3rd
World in a 1st World City or a 1st World in a 3rd World City? Whichever
way you look at it, it sure sounds just as nice. And it does not give
one a sense of drama.
Is Sin City now a 3rd World City or is there a 3rd World in Sin City? The recent happenings that filled the pages of the media do not give the impression that it is a 1st World City. With a population of 5.4m of which more than a third came from the 3rd World, the composition will ensure that the visual impact is not going to be 1st World. Just hop onto a train and you will instantly be hit by the presence of 3rd World. The noise, the smell, the mannerism, and ungraceful and uncouth attitude speak all of 3rd World. There is no denying this truth.
What else are on the media? Street rioting with rioters throwing stones and bottles at the police, and cars burning? This is definitely 3rd World stuff. Unruly mobs in the tens or hundreds of thousands, all straying aimlessly, eating, drinking, urinating and shitting in the very same place. Confirmed, 3rd World. Open your windows for a whiff of the scented air, better than haze.
How about the bizarre, headless and limpless body floating in the canal in the heart of the city? This must be one notch better than floating pigs in the river, or floating body in the water tank flowing into the homes for consumption.
What about jilted lovers slashing their potential ‘bribes to be’ in broad day light? What about daylight robbery? Road rages where people got beaten up, especially taxi drivers? And there is a booming red light district that is growing and expanding across the island, even into the heartland. Good stuff for the GDP.
And there are drunken brawls for the sake of vibrancy and fun with innocents being bashed for no reasons. Women being rudely accosted in public by the drunkards? And tropical diseases are spreading in the most expensive part of the city cause by mosquito breedings.
Welcome to the 3rd World in a 1st World City or a 1st World in a 3rd World City. How about a new slogan for the tourist board, ‘Welcome to experience the 1st World and 3rd World in one stop’? Or better still, ‘See the 1st World cohabitating in harmony with the 3rd World’ and witness how 3rd World commits less crime than 1st World. Or see how the 3rd World is helping the 1st World by creating good jobs for the 1st World.
Sin City is getting more attractive, more exotic and full of surprises.
Is Sin City now a 3rd World City or is there a 3rd World in Sin City? The recent happenings that filled the pages of the media do not give the impression that it is a 1st World City. With a population of 5.4m of which more than a third came from the 3rd World, the composition will ensure that the visual impact is not going to be 1st World. Just hop onto a train and you will instantly be hit by the presence of 3rd World. The noise, the smell, the mannerism, and ungraceful and uncouth attitude speak all of 3rd World. There is no denying this truth.
What else are on the media? Street rioting with rioters throwing stones and bottles at the police, and cars burning? This is definitely 3rd World stuff. Unruly mobs in the tens or hundreds of thousands, all straying aimlessly, eating, drinking, urinating and shitting in the very same place. Confirmed, 3rd World. Open your windows for a whiff of the scented air, better than haze.
How about the bizarre, headless and limpless body floating in the canal in the heart of the city? This must be one notch better than floating pigs in the river, or floating body in the water tank flowing into the homes for consumption.
What about jilted lovers slashing their potential ‘bribes to be’ in broad day light? What about daylight robbery? Road rages where people got beaten up, especially taxi drivers? And there is a booming red light district that is growing and expanding across the island, even into the heartland. Good stuff for the GDP.
And there are drunken brawls for the sake of vibrancy and fun with innocents being bashed for no reasons. Women being rudely accosted in public by the drunkards? And tropical diseases are spreading in the most expensive part of the city cause by mosquito breedings.
Welcome to the 3rd World in a 1st World City or a 1st World in a 3rd World City. How about a new slogan for the tourist board, ‘Welcome to experience the 1st World and 3rd World in one stop’? Or better still, ‘See the 1st World cohabitating in harmony with the 3rd World’ and witness how 3rd World commits less crime than 1st World. Or see how the 3rd World is helping the 1st World by creating good jobs for the 1st World.
Sin City is getting more attractive, more exotic and full of surprises.
12/23/2013
Let’s make nasi padang affordable
HDB flats are affordable as they are priced according to the income of
the buyer. It is quite easy to compute the income of young home buyers
and price the flats according to how much they would have saved in the
CPF and how much they would be able to pay for monthly mortgage over 30
years.
I think it would be equally easy to make the price of nasi padang affordable to the young people and also to those who are earning millions. For the former, a plate of nasi padang at $2.50 would be just right since they have not much left after paying for housing and if they dare to commit to a car, and to live perilously by having children too.
For those big earners, a $50 a plate nasi padang should be very affordable I am sure. Can throw is a glass of bandung for free and for good service a pack of tissue to wipe the mouth clean after the makan.
This is how the affordable formula is supposed to work. The price is pegged according to what the buyers can afford.
What do you think?
I think it would be equally easy to make the price of nasi padang affordable to the young people and also to those who are earning millions. For the former, a plate of nasi padang at $2.50 would be just right since they have not much left after paying for housing and if they dare to commit to a car, and to live perilously by having children too.
For those big earners, a $50 a plate nasi padang should be very affordable I am sure. Can throw is a glass of bandung for free and for good service a pack of tissue to wipe the mouth clean after the makan.
This is how the affordable formula is supposed to work. The price is pegged according to what the buyers can afford.
What do you think?
Thailand – Democrats do not believe Democracy
The Democrats in Thailand have had enough of Democracy and proclaimed
that they do not believe in Democracy anymore. Can you believe it? They
claimed that Democracy does not guarantee majority rule! They are the
majority and always lose in a general election. So they want to do away
with Democracy and replaced with the tyranny of the minority, with the
leaders being appointed by self appointed righteous men and women who
professed that they are not corrupt while others are.
Why the Democrats want to throw away Democracy? Since 1992, they have not won a general election. So they believe that they have the majority but the winners of the general election are supported by the minority. Strange that a minority can win a general election when the winners must be the majority.
They have big turnouts in street demonstrations recently. They did want to know that if the Red Shirts were to march in the streets, they would make the Yellow Shirts look so small. But the Democrats are claiming that the majority of the people are behind them. Then why not stand in the next general election if they have the majority supporting them? The truth, the majority, if there is, is only in Bangkok among the rich elite. The masses of Thai electorate across the country are the majority and this majority is not with the Democrats. The Democrats know this and know in a democratic election they will lose as the majority of the Thais are not with them. So they are now going to turn away from Democracy and to install a govt by a few self appointed elite.
Down with Democracy!
Why the Democrats want to throw away Democracy? Since 1992, they have not won a general election. So they believe that they have the majority but the winners of the general election are supported by the minority. Strange that a minority can win a general election when the winners must be the majority.
They have big turnouts in street demonstrations recently. They did want to know that if the Red Shirts were to march in the streets, they would make the Yellow Shirts look so small. But the Democrats are claiming that the majority of the people are behind them. Then why not stand in the next general election if they have the majority supporting them? The truth, the majority, if there is, is only in Bangkok among the rich elite. The masses of Thai electorate across the country are the majority and this majority is not with the Democrats. The Democrats know this and know in a democratic election they will lose as the majority of the Thais are not with them. So they are now going to turn away from Democracy and to install a govt by a few self appointed elite.
Down with Democracy!
An oasis in the 3rd World
What makes Singapore so different and so special? Someone once said, we
build an oasis in a 3rd World region. In this oasis of modernity,
everything works. We have an infrastructure that worked, an environment
for creature comfort and a safe and clean environment. We created all
these for people who are looking for such an environment to live and
work in. And these are the people from the rich industrialized west and
also the rich warlords and royalties of the 3rd World.
You can say that much about impressing the westerners from the developed world. And they would be pleasantly surprised to find such a place in the 3rd World where everything works. The water is drinkable from the tap. You press a button it works. You press a switch the light comes on. We take these simple things for granted. But they are miracles in many 3rd World countries. The people from the developed world would die to be here than elsewhere to do their business.
And those from the 3rd World, even if they are royalties or filthy rich, they have not seen anything like this outside of their palaces and mansions except filth. It is something they would feel comfortable and like to live in. Yes, they would prefer here than their 3rd World environment unless they did not want to leave their homes when taking a step outside is a walk into poverty, disorder and filth.
And for the rest of the 3rd World creatures, they have never seen anything like this in their life times and would never be able to enjoy them in their home countries. The road sides or the pavements, the walkways, are many many times cleaner and more comfortable than their homes. Walking into a shopping centre is like walking into a palace, and much better, much more comfortable.
Why do we need to go around the 3rd World countries begging for them to be here? They are crawling here, forming long queues. Even those from the developed world would want to be here than elsewhere.
We are selling ourselves too cheaply, like unwanted cheap prostitutes. We even offer ourselves to cheap foreign workers in large numbers. Is it something to be proud of, something that we want and can called achievements? We created a 1st World environment, 1st world public transport system, 1st world infrastructure only to flood them with more than a million or two million 3rd World inhabitants. Is that really what we want? Swiss standard of living amidst the 3rd World?
You can say that much about impressing the westerners from the developed world. And they would be pleasantly surprised to find such a place in the 3rd World where everything works. The water is drinkable from the tap. You press a button it works. You press a switch the light comes on. We take these simple things for granted. But they are miracles in many 3rd World countries. The people from the developed world would die to be here than elsewhere to do their business.
And those from the 3rd World, even if they are royalties or filthy rich, they have not seen anything like this outside of their palaces and mansions except filth. It is something they would feel comfortable and like to live in. Yes, they would prefer here than their 3rd World environment unless they did not want to leave their homes when taking a step outside is a walk into poverty, disorder and filth.
And for the rest of the 3rd World creatures, they have never seen anything like this in their life times and would never be able to enjoy them in their home countries. The road sides or the pavements, the walkways, are many many times cleaner and more comfortable than their homes. Walking into a shopping centre is like walking into a palace, and much better, much more comfortable.
Why do we need to go around the 3rd World countries begging for them to be here? They are crawling here, forming long queues. Even those from the developed world would want to be here than elsewhere.
We are selling ourselves too cheaply, like unwanted cheap prostitutes. We even offer ourselves to cheap foreign workers in large numbers. Is it something to be proud of, something that we want and can called achievements? We created a 1st World environment, 1st world public transport system, 1st world infrastructure only to flood them with more than a million or two million 3rd World inhabitants. Is that really what we want? Swiss standard of living amidst the 3rd World?
Be prepared for a glut in dormitories
According to Chuan Jin and his MOM, there are some tightening in the
intake of foreigners into the country and some SMEs already kpkb like
backside burning. So this must be true and the inflow of foreign workers
is slowing down. What is surprising is the announcement by Hsien Loong
that the govt will be building more dormitories for foreign workers.
Remember just a few years back when the country was faced with a severe shortage of public housing when more than a million foreigners were brought in while HDB wound down its building programme? Many simply brushed this off as a case of left hand and right hand not knowing what the other was doing. A case of bad synchronising of govt policies, or is it? Could it be perfectly synchronised to achieve the desire results, high property prices? The shortage was criminal and let many Sinkies emptying all their savings just to get a roof over their heads. And now everyone is talking about downgrading except the super rich and the ministers and top civil servants. And the young people are the most badly hurt, just starting to work, save a little bit, all coughed out including blood, and not enough, and had to buy smaller and smaller units of public flats.
What has this got to do with a glut in dormitories? If Chuan Jin is going ahead with his tightening of foreign workers policy, the number coming in must go down. And if we are going to build more dormitories when lesser are coming in, would there be a possibility of building too many dormitories for too few workers resulting in a glut of dormitories?
Or it has all been perfectly synchronised, the net inflow is still going to be higher and the pool of foreign workers will keep on increasing, thus needing more dormitories. This makes sense if one is looking at the 6.9m target in 2030. So they is no mismatched, no such thing as left hand not knowing what right hand it doing. There would be no glut of dormitories as more foreign workers will still be flowing in. Tiok bo?
Remember just a few years back when the country was faced with a severe shortage of public housing when more than a million foreigners were brought in while HDB wound down its building programme? Many simply brushed this off as a case of left hand and right hand not knowing what the other was doing. A case of bad synchronising of govt policies, or is it? Could it be perfectly synchronised to achieve the desire results, high property prices? The shortage was criminal and let many Sinkies emptying all their savings just to get a roof over their heads. And now everyone is talking about downgrading except the super rich and the ministers and top civil servants. And the young people are the most badly hurt, just starting to work, save a little bit, all coughed out including blood, and not enough, and had to buy smaller and smaller units of public flats.
What has this got to do with a glut in dormitories? If Chuan Jin is going ahead with his tightening of foreign workers policy, the number coming in must go down. And if we are going to build more dormitories when lesser are coming in, would there be a possibility of building too many dormitories for too few workers resulting in a glut of dormitories?
Or it has all been perfectly synchronised, the net inflow is still going to be higher and the pool of foreign workers will keep on increasing, thus needing more dormitories. This makes sense if one is looking at the 6.9m target in 2030. So they is no mismatched, no such thing as left hand not knowing what right hand it doing. There would be no glut of dormitories as more foreign workers will still be flowing in. Tiok bo?
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