award of sentosa ir becoming a pr execise

The award of the Sentosa IR could turn out to be the biggest PR exercise facing the govt. Handled brilliantly, we will get a really fascinating IR to brag about and more international friends and recognition. Handle it badly, rigidly, play by the book in a no nonsense way could still get us a very good IR but may cost us friends and a tarnished reputation. The 3 bidders are putting everything they got into their proposals. They are extremely serious and have spent an enormous amount of money for their bids. Though eventually only one will come out the winner, there could be two sore losers to lick the wounds. And with Najib joining the fray by rooting for Genting, it complicates the matter with political implications and cross border relations in the yo yo. How could the award of the Sentosa be turned into a happy ending for the bidders? Two IRs being awarded, or allowing the two losers a second go at the development of the southern islands with their current bids being treated as a pre qualifications? It would give the unsuccessful bidders a little sweetener to go home with and a lot of goodwill to kick around.

no need for charity shows anymore

Move aside Charity shows Now who said charity show is the most effective and efficient way to help the poor and needy? Now the most efficient way, with minimum cost, is through GST. This is really brilliant. So with a stroke of the pen, all Singaporeans have done their donations for charity. No need to risk the lives and limbs of actors and actresses, no need pathetic looks on tv, no need to dial the mobile. And how much is raised? How many billions? And no need to pay for telecom and mediacorp production cost. Now who can beat this kind of innovative idea?

myth 98

Wisdom of Aladdin, Solomon and Saul Aladdin ruled Greenland with a crooked sword. When he is angry or about to cut off the head of anyone he will kiss his sword. And whenever he kisses his sword, Greenland goes white with fright. His elite ministers were all behind Aladdin and live by Aladdin’s wisdom of righteousness. And all his elite ministers were afraid to flaunt their wealth though everyone knows that they are very well rewarded in many ways. Openly flashing their wealth is a sign of having too big an appetite and were frown upon. All the people know but they could not do anything, for the elite will not change the way they are being rewarded by the system. Blueland under Solomon was different. They pride themselves as true elite. And they make no pretense about rewarding themselves. They gave themselves fanciful titles for doing nothing but paid like a king. And they made sure all their titles and high incomes are in their name cards to be flashed around as a recognition of their talents and abilities. The greater their incomes the more righteous they are deemed to be as plenty means no urge to steal anymore. The people too accept the system and pretend that all is well under enlightened leadership. They, like the people in Greenland, knew they could not do anything as the elite will not change the system to cut down on their loot. Redland under Saul is slightly different. The elite live fairly comfortably but not as wealthy as Greenland and Blueland. They were slightly better off than the people but any excesses will be dealt with by severe punishment All three lands under Aladdin, Solomon and Saul functions as effectively as they can be. All were perfect models on their own, living under the wisdom of their own rulers. Another common thread among the three elites is that they all frown upon the other’s wisdom but not saying anything.

buddy buddy appointment! goosh!

Buddy buddy appointment It has taken so long for the independent directorship system to show its flaws and to be recognised that it is flawed. Geez, are people, intelligent people, that blind? Any layman would be able to see through the fallacy of such a system when friends and relatives were appointed as independent directors to be watchdog over corporate misconducts. It is as good as appointing robbers to be security guards. SIAS has finally acknowledged that this buddy buddy system must be changed and a neutral third party body is important in the appointment of independent directors. Now will the rightful authority do the necessary? Or will the farce continue? I am waiting for a call from David Gerald after such a long wait. Maybe my proposal has gone down the rubbish chute and lost. I am going to send him a reminder on this.

giving more than gst increases!

7% GST So far cyberspace has been characterised by widespread criticisms and attacks on the govt's intent to raise GST by another 2%. The attacks were callous and at times very wild. The moderates, very few, would look at it with a lot of scepticism and were cautious about how it would turn out. Then of course there will be the blind faith followers who will just say good, good. To look at the issue from a neutral perspective without jumping the gun, the people may want to give the govt the benefit of the doubt. Wait till the details are out. Some said it will be too late. Late or never, good or bad, it is a decision the govt has to make and has to answer to the people. They can't keep getting away with things that they think are good but the people think otherwise. Yesterday Choktong gave a little hint of what the GST package will be like. He mentioned that 'the govt was likely to plough more into the offset package than it would receive from raising the GST.' Now this is something to think about. Raising $1 but giving back more than $1 to the people. Is this for real? If this could materialise eventually, and the lower income group really become better off because of the GST increase, many critics would be slapping their own faces. Then again, everyone is watching and would want to scrutinise carefully what is taken and what will be returned to the people. Whatever the formula, the left side of the equation must equal the right side. Now the magic equation is that the right side is going to be more than the left side. Where is that money coming from? Who will ultimately foot the bill? From profits or from other citizens? The other question is whether it is a one time payout but a continuous taxation?

kdf and surplus fund for research?

Charity and KDF The last uproar was about NKF. Today a letter to the Straits Times forum by Lau Hwee Tiang commented (better not say complained) that KDF is thinking of using its surplus fund to conduct research. KDF is facing declining number of patients and now has more money than it needs. So it must find other ways of using its surpluses. Can this be true? Think about it. Charity money to help kidney patients but to be used for research. Does KDF has such flexibility to do so? If it does, why doesn't it just donate the money to NUH or NUS? Why the need to do research on an area it has no expertise, as mentioned by Lau Hwee Tiang? Does it mean that when it runs out of fund to help patients or for the research, it should then go on another charity drive? Managing public fund has a heavy responsibility and the public who donated money deserves to have good, sensible and responsible people to manage such funds for the purpose in which the fund is supposed to use for.

the NOBLE Award

The NOBLE Award It is the time of the year when employees are expected to be assessed on their annual performance. And this eventually leads to the bonus for Christmas. While employees are all being assessed, who is assessing the people whose decisions and policies affect the people's life most? Presumably they are all being assessed. I am referring to the Ministers, the Head of Ministries and Stats Boards. All these people manage our lives and either make it better or worst. And shouldn't the people also do their assessments of these men and women who can turn their lives into a fantasy trip or into misery? Assessing them for their worst is unbecoming and unpleasant. Such eminent people shall not be assessed for being bad, but for being exceptionally good. I am thinking of a NOBLE Award, something like the Nobel Prize. Not the kind where entertainers gave to each other for entertainment and self flattery. The award for leaders of a country and national institutions shall be something serious and meaningful. And the criteria must be exceptionaly high for the high remuneration that they are paid to do the jobs. What is NOBLE Award? It stands for Noble, Original, Brilliant and Life Enriching. People deserving of such an award must have done something noble, the ideas original and brilliant, and enriching the lives of many people. The Award is not to be given for selling dreams, for hardwork, dedication and perseverence or things that anyone can do given the authority eg deciding to go ahead with the IRs. This is just a decision thing. I am scanning through all the ministries and stats boards trying to shift out something that is deserving of such an award, something really brilliant and noble. So far nothing comes near. A lot of hard work were put into the Health Ministry to cut cost or streamline cost, but all basically administrative matters. Even the 3 Ms were ordinary. Transportation? All basically money making from the commuters. Hard to assess what the Defence and Home Affairs are doing. The rest are just system maintenance. The only bright spark is the 2% increase in GST. This has the potential of becoming something brilliant, in helping a large group of lower income citizens. If only the money raise is used for what it is meant to be. And the greatness of this decision will be there for all to see. Or would it turn out to be a big disappointment? Something that everyone knows, but wishing and hoping that they were wrong, and waiting to be proven wrong? Never in history has taxing the people been innovated into something that really benefitted the people directly. This is the first time that a tax is proclaimed to be for the sole purpose of improving the lives of the people. If this can be true, it will be a fairy tale story with a good ending and deserving of a NOBLE Award.