tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41704399899783911042024-03-13T21:46:16.731-07:00Better Off TedAre you better off than Ted? Are you running faster only to move backwards? When can you be financially free?BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-37903763521393275952016-02-23T16:32:00.001-08:002016-02-23T16:32:38.033-08:00Alternative career choices and saying good bye to the rat raceHere is a lady who has turned her passion into a viable alternative career choice. <div><br></div><div>Now she has even published a book ! </div><div><br></div><div>What is your option to get out of the rat race and soulless corporations ? </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G0ymSvP8qKc/Vsz6IinvluI/AAAAAAAAAWk/hKbTAzEF4uY/s640/blogger-image--1680464342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G0ymSvP8qKc/Vsz6IinvluI/AAAAAAAAAWk/hKbTAzEF4uY/s640/blogger-image--1680464342.jpg"></a></div><br></div>BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-77299264442718467942016-01-15T21:04:00.001-08:002016-01-15T22:52:11.928-08:00In times of personal and market stress. Read this !<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In times of personal and market stress. Read this !</span><br>
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IPubVfcVl0M/VpnommzmQrI/AAAAAAAAAWU/c7rW2iWVPjM/s640/blogger-image--456911948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IPubVfcVl0M/VpnommzmQrI/AAAAAAAAAWU/c7rW2iWVPjM/s640/blogger-image--456911948.jpg"></a></div><br>BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-27355035435713460982015-08-28T08:57:00.001-07:002015-08-28T08:57:46.258-07:00Singapore's Disgusting, Vile and Despicable Main Stream Media (MSM)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMn2ohz4FEI/VeCE6u3io_I/AAAAAAAAAWA/Fpi4BDGTSwQ/s1600/Michael%2BPalmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMn2ohz4FEI/VeCE6u3io_I/AAAAAAAAAWA/Fpi4BDGTSwQ/s320/Michael%2BPalmer.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Most people by now have heard the news that there were allegations that Workers’ Party candidate Dr
Daniel Goh had had an affair with a former student. The letter, sent to
newsrooms as well as the Workers’ Party, was signed off by a “Max Chan” and
also alleged that the former student’s boyfriend had found out about the
affair.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But before even verifying the letter and asking or digging for evidence, the main stream media ("MSM") decided to publish the story just based on a flimsy, poorly researched letter. Contrast this to the 2012 <a href="http://2013.sopawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/289-The-New-Paper-Source.-Messages.-Scandal.pdf" target="_blank">Michael Palmer </a>case where by TNP (The New Paper) tabloid presented with SMS evidence went to check for more information and tipped off the government ! The SMSes were received on Saturday but they only waited till PAP called the press conference on Wednesday! TOTAL of FIVE FREAKING DAYS !</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is not the first time that the MSM has been blatantly shown to show favoritism and a total disrespect to good journalism. In 2013, <a href="http://www.mumbrella.asia/2013/11/sph-says-sorry-nicole-seah-dating-married-man-story/" target="_blank">Nicole Seah</a> was accused of having an affair with a married man based on a photo of them together in a facebook post! No evidence, no proof, no research, only a photo taken together. Why don't the MSM take a photo of a girl with PM Lee at a public event, and accuse her of having an affair with him?! I am sure that will sell newspapers!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My ultimate disgust with the MSM are reporters that they compromise their scruples just for the sake of publishing news. I have had a real life experience before when the reporters hover around funeral wakes hoping to catch a loose tongue relative who will divulge some information that they can sensationalize their story. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sure, I understand that journalists have to make a living too and many are just bound by their masters to do their bidding, but at least have a conscience and a brain. Go write for a foreign international paper instead of rotting your brain and talent with the Singapore MSM. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For many years, I have unsubscribed to the MSM (The government's propaganda machine), because the only use of their newspapers are for wrapping dog excrement. Using them as toilet paper would be too much of an honor. </span></div>
BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-27736636044389434532015-08-26T07:56:00.001-07:002015-08-26T07:56:10.535-07:00Empower yourself ! Determine your future !<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qmF0_9SBssA/Vd3TYFNg38I/AAAAAAAAAVw/6qteAq3lJo8/s1600/empowering%2Bteachers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qmF0_9SBssA/Vd3TYFNg38I/AAAAAAAAAVw/6qteAq3lJo8/s320/empowering%2Bteachers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Just remember this, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">when it was time to decide Singaporeans' Future, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">despite all the debate and arguments, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>NONE</u> of the MIW MPs voted against the <br />Anti-Singaporean White Paper 2013 </span></div>
BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-34981861581454821712015-08-07T08:05:00.002-07:002015-08-07T08:05:36.838-07:00Elections 2015 : PAP vs the next best alternative<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRfKxcLRaftGDJ-q6WataYprMWOROBAhNPxuqjCUL8vaCA6ZaW1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRfKxcLRaftGDJ-q6WataYprMWOROBAhNPxuqjCUL8vaCA6ZaW1" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
I have been reading with amusement about the two-session opposition unity meetings to avoid multi- cornered fights in certain electoral wards. It is really quite disgusting that the various parties are craving out Singapore into their own fiefdoms. Who asked you to contest in Ang Mo Kio GRC vs another party? Did you ever ask the residents ?<br />
<br />
The true election process is a contest for who can best represent you,the resident, in the ward rather than horse trading. No doubt the oppositions' resources are limited and they have to conserve their moo lah.<br />
But who is to say that NSP or RP or SDP is the best alternative voice for the resident vs the PAP?<br />
<br />
Even if it was a ward with five or six parties contesting, the true contest is between PAP vs the next best opposition candidate. Singaporeans are not dumb, look at the multi-contest in Puggol East, Kenneth RP and Desmond SDA were just side-show clowns who lost their $16,000 to the government coffers.<br />
<br />
If you cannot stand the heat, stay out of the fire.<br />
Similarly if you don't have the moo lah, don't stand for elections.<br />
Singaporeans are a lot smarter than some of our dumb and glory-seeking politicians.BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-49424998895045175972015-07-08T07:11:00.002-07:002015-07-08T07:15:04.525-07:001MDB vs 1MRT<br />
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<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 1pt solid windowtext; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">1MDB<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: windowtext windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">1MRT<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Don’t know where the $ go</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Don’t know if the trains can go<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Pay PM millions of $</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pay CEO millions of $<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Supposedly World Class Investment Company<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Supposedly World Class Transport System<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Invested in Property and Power Plants <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td><td style="background-color: transparent; border-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) windowtext windowtext rgb(0, 0, 0); border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: 0px 1pt 1pt 0px; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; width: 239.4pt;" valign="top" width="319"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Invested in Property Rentals and not on Power infrastructure<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-13017830510162846952015-06-19T17:57:00.003-07:002015-06-19T17:57:45.589-07:00Malaysia "Tak Boleh" Mess ! Iskandar, 1MDB, High Speed Rail ! Never invest in Malaysia !<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_GjDx49B_6k/VYS2io-lxAI/AAAAAAAAAVU/N6TI4QTcJCU/s1600/spad-says-ceo-misquoted-data.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_GjDx49B_6k/VYS2io-lxAI/AAAAAAAAAVU/N6TI4QTcJCU/s320/spad-says-ceo-misquoted-data.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<br />
Investing in Malaysia ?! NEVER!<br />
It is just a mess in the country! The only thing that is useful is the drop in Ringgit towards S$ 1: RM 3. More buying power!<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Iskandar</u></strong> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/33d55b8e-ffe0-11e4-bc30-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3dYhEjtwg" target="_blank">http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/33d55b8e-ffe0-11e4-bc30-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3dYhEjtwg</a><br />
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- Where only the elites and royals make Money by selling land to Chinese Developers<br />
- Indiscriminate building without a clear understanding of supply and demand<br />
- Increase of tolls that make staying and commuting between Singapore and Malaysia just uneconomical.<br />
<br />
<strong>1MDB</strong><br />
<a href="http://says.com/my/news/11-answers-that-will-help-you-understand-the-big-1mdb-and-jho-low-conspiracy" target="_blank">http://says.com/my/news/11-answers-that-will-help-you-understand-the-big-1mdb-and-jho-low-conspiracy</a><br />
<a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/fund-controversy-threatens-malaysias-leader-1434681241?mod=e2fb">http://www.wsj.com/articles/fund-controversy-threatens-malaysias-leader-1434681241?mod=e2fb</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wHL6oING8j8/VYS5uL7GGnI/AAAAAAAAAVg/mLE1J4WrWOA/s1600/1MBD.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wHL6oING8j8/VYS5uL7GGnI/AAAAAAAAAVg/mLE1J4WrWOA/s320/1MBD.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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- Local Malaysian Jho Low working with foreigners to siphon out the country's money<br />
- PM has no clue on what is happening and still insisting that everyone must support him.<br />
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<strong>High Speed Rail</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/05/05/uk-singapore-malaysia-railroad-idUKKBN0NQ0DM20150505">http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/05/05/uk-singapore-malaysia-railroad-idUKKBN0NQ0DM20150505</a><br />
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- Delayed from 2020 to 2025. <br />
- The latest fiasco is that they want to move the end terminus from Jurong East to Johor<br />
- Jurong East property prices dependent on whether the HSR ends there.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<strong>So many Singaporeans in the past have been burnt by Malaysia's Property Market and CLOB shares issues in the past. But there is always a fresh set of gullible people willing to believe the fools' gold at the end of the causeway.</strong><br />
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BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-47002003229422295582015-03-24T02:10:00.001-07:002015-03-24T02:10:23.006-07:00WSJ to LKY : No special treatment<h1 class="wsj-article-headline" itemprop="headline">
Singapore’s late prime minister wanted to know: Where was his copy of the Journal?</h1>
<div class="wsj-article-headline" itemprop="headline">
<span style="color: blue;">An interesting article written by WSJ, a bit biased but provides a balance to Singaporeans who can think for themselves.</span></div>
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<div class="wsj-article-headline" itemprop="headline">
<span>By</span> </div>
<div class="author hasMenu" data-scrim="{"type":"author","header":"Melanie Kirkpatrick","subhead":"The Wall Street Journal","list":[]}" itemprop="author" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person">
<span itemprop="name">Melanie Kirkpatrick</span> </div>
<div class="wsj-article-headline" itemprop="headline">
<time class="timestamp"> March 22, 2015 6:55 p.m. ET </time> </div>
<div class="comments-count-container">
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<!--
-->Lee Kuan Yew,<!--
--> who died Monday at age 91, is rightly heralded as the founder of modern Singapore. As prime minister from 1959 to 1990, Lee led his country’s transformation from a swamp-infested island into a prosperous, first-world metropolis. He did so in part by allowing economic freedom to flourish, giving the people of Singapore a chance to achieve their full potential. <br />
The marketplace of ideas was another matter. Singaporeans are less fortunate when it comes to political and personal freedoms, among them free speech and free access to information. <br />
<br />
Lee famously was a foe of the Western press. “We allow American journalists in Singapore in order to report Singapore to their fellow countrymen,” he told the American Society of Newspaper Editors in 1988. “But we cannot allow them to assume a role in Singapore that the American media play in America, that is, that of invigilator, adversary and inquisitor of the administration.” <br />
In the late 1980s and 1990s, almost every international publication that circulated in Singapore tangled with the government over its news coverage of the city-state, and faced lawsuits or the threat of lawsuits. A partial list includes the Economist magazine, the International Herald Tribune, Newsweek, Reuters and Time. I am unaware of any news organization that prevailed in a Singapore court. <br />
<br />
Dow Jones, publisher of this newspaper and the now-defunct Far Eastern Economic Review, took the biggest hits. In 1985 Singapore sued The Asian Wall Street Journal over an editorial that criticized the government’s harassment of one of the two opposition members in the Parliament. Dow Jones later faced additional lawsuits, restrictions on circulation, and rejections of visas and work permits for its reporters. <br />
<br />
In 1986 Singapore’s Parliament passed a law restricting the sale or distribution of any foreign publication found to be “engaging in the domestic politics” of the country, the interpretation of which was left to the Minister of Communications and Information. Once the minister published his finding in the official government Gazette, he could order that the circulation and distribution of the offending publication be curtailed. This process was known as “gazetting.” <br />
What was Lee afraid of? The answer, in a word, was readers. He had little confidence in the ability of Singaporeans to listen to different points of view, evaluate them and form correct opinions, which is to say, <em>his</em> opinions. <br />
<br />
“Many people are uncritically imitative,” Lee said in an address in 1971 to the International Press Institute in Helsinki. “A report of an airplane hijacking leads to a rash of hijackings in other unexpected places. A report of a foreign diplomat kidnapped for ransom by dissident groups is quickly followed by similar kidnapping in other countries.” He pointed to examples in Singapore, where in his view press reports sparked riots, which led to deaths. <br />
Lee concluded his Helsinki speech with the following line, which he quoted approvingly in his autobiography: “Freedom of the press, freedom of the news media, must be subordinated to the overriding needs of the integrity of Singapore, and to the primacy of purpose of an elected government.” <br />
<br />
One of my favorite stories from the Lee Kuan Yew press wars dates to the late 1980s, when Singapore had gazetted The Asian Wall Street Journal, cutting its circulation to 400 copies a day from about 5,000. The cuts were in retaliation for the Journal’s refusal to print verbatim two long letters from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The government ordered that many of the approved copies go to government or quasi-government libraries.<br />
<br />
One day the phone rang at the Journal’s bureau in Singapore. The prime minister’s office wanted to know where Mr. Lee’s subscription was. Yes, we know that your circulation has been restricted, the caller said, but surely this doesn’t apply to the prime minister. <br />
The Journal representative replied that Mr. Lee would receive no special treatment. In other words, if the prime minister valued the Journal’s reporting and commentary, he had the same option that was available to all Singaporeans who were deprived of their newspaper: Go to the library. <br />
<em></em><br />
<em>Ms. Kirkpatrick, a former deputy editor of the Journal’s editorial page, twice faced criminal contempt charges in Singapore for editorials that appeared in this newspaper. She and other Journal editors were fined.</em><br />
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BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-7858200582024841532015-03-23T22:52:00.002-07:002015-03-23T22:52:15.594-07:00In memory of Mr Lee Kuan Yew (1923 - 2015)In memory of Mr Lee Kuan Yew (1923 - 2015)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-odR5QdxUJ18/VRD7eVq5P5I/AAAAAAAAAVA/2u5iL5xMY5M/s1600/In%2Bmemory%2Bof%2BLKY.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-odR5QdxUJ18/VRD7eVq5P5I/AAAAAAAAAVA/2u5iL5xMY5M/s1600/In%2Bmemory%2Bof%2BLKY.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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"Singapore is dead, Long Live Singapore"</div>
BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-66128721091665842952015-03-09T07:05:00.000-07:002015-03-09T07:05:44.165-07:00Petrol Prices - The Real Hypocritics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vi1ESCoCuCI/VP2oG8zChlI/AAAAAAAAAUw/FYvWRrmH4Tg/s1600/profiteering_buccaneers_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vi1ESCoCuCI/VP2oG8zChlI/AAAAAAAAAUw/FYvWRrmH4Tg/s1600/profiteering_buccaneers_01.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I read with amusement the last proceedings in Parliament on taking action against petrol companies.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://therealsingapore.com/content/teo-ser-luck-well-take-action-against-petrol-companies-who-unfairly-raise-prices" target="_blank">http://therealsingapore.com/content/teo-ser-luck-well-take-action-against-petrol-companies-who-unfairly-raise-prices</a><br />
<br />
The real pirates is the government that increased petrol taxes when oil prices around the world has collapsed! Even before the latest increase, each petrol of litre was already taxed at 80 cents of $2 for RONC 95. Now that prices per litre have increased by around 20 cents, that means that for each litre of petrol that you pump, you are paying half the amount to the government. The road tax rebate for one year is pittance compared to what they will reap over the years.<br />
<br />
Now the government as usual is trying to distract the daft locals that the evil-doers are the oil companies. No doubt, the oil companies are no saints themselves, but the real profiteers and opportunists are this government. If they truly believe in public transport, than all the Ministers should give up their official cars and travel by public transport for their appointments and meetings!<br />
<br />
Wake up Singapore !BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-52770971574882315912015-01-06T01:07:00.001-08:002015-01-06T01:07:43.405-08:00Lighter side of things : Anti-Govt websites setting up Columbarium for MIW political careers<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7u-3MIv80KQ/VKukIQskg5I/AAAAAAAAAUA/os5jymImzpI/s1600/sengkang-west-columbarium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7u-3MIv80KQ/VKukIQskg5I/AAAAAAAAAUA/os5jymImzpI/s1600/sengkang-west-columbarium.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In the recent dialogue session involving Seng Kang West resident <a href="http://mothership.sg/2015/01/sengkang-resident-turned-heroine-sharon-toh-asks-the-hard-questions-about-sengkang-columbarium/" target="_blank">Sharon Toh</a>, it was revealed by Lifecorp that they were not registered with any religious association or charity. They were a For-Profit organization which is public listed in Australia that was going to develop, build and operate a Buddhist Temple with Columbarium.<br />
<br />
After this astonishing news went viral on the Internet, our BOT's reporters went to town to ask if any other commercial entities were planning to develop, build an operate other religious establishments.<br />
<br />
First to respond to our enquiries were DeBloodSucking Bank, their spokesperson, Ms Lui Pa Pa commented, "We are equally shocked and surprised that For-Profit organizations could set up religious establishments to make money. We are disappointed that despite being closely linked to the MIW, we were not informed of such a lucrative and profitable business. With our wealth of knowledge in sucking blood, I mean money from Singaporeans, we will definitely be successful in such endeavors. We are immediately convening a taskforce to study and identify areas of opportunities to move into the religious arena."<br />
<br />
Mr Tau Lor Ri, owner of a large transport company was also excited about the prospects, "I think we have the right infrastructure and vehicles to support such services. It really brings new meaning to the phrase Up-The-Lorry."<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0_IfBH3u81s/VKulgODec8I/AAAAAAAAAUM/FejCcIVP-VA/s1600/Up%2Bthe%2BLorry.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0_IfBH3u81s/VKulgODec8I/AAAAAAAAAUM/FejCcIVP-VA/s1600/Up%2Bthe%2BLorry.jpeg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Less enthusiastic were the incumbent religious organizations, Mr Not-to-Be-Name lamented, "After the NKF Durai, Ren Ci Ming Yi, and CHC cases, the religious and charity industry has already a bad name and Singaporeans are skeptical and hesitant on donating or participating. Now we even have competition from For-Profit organizations. The real people in need will be the ones who will suffer."<br />
<br />
The latest news is that Anti-Govt websites are also gathering to talk about a potential plan to set up a Columbarium near Parliament House, spokesperson Mr Jin Wu Ta, "With the continued tripping up by MIW MPs, I think we have space for 81 places in our Columbarium for their political careers." BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-15945839416610998032014-10-10T21:48:00.002-07:002014-10-10T21:55:29.688-07:00Greenpeace vs Lego&Shell - Greenpeace WON !<br />
Everything is Not Awesome !<br />
<br />
watch the video here<br />
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/qhbliUq0_r4/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/qhbliUq0_r4&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/qhbliUq0_r4&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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<a href="http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/lego-to-drop-shell/1406302.html" target="_blank">LEGO to drop SHELL</a>BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-26929764266334156372014-08-01T23:20:00.000-07:002014-08-01T23:20:20.676-07:00Both Singapore & Malaysian Govts screw their citizens - Causeway Toll HikeBoth ruling parties of the Singapore and Malaysia Governments made their citizen's lives even more miserable with the latest Causeway Toll Hikes. Tolls for a round trip into and out of JB is now 556% higher!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YazesBHeq58/U9yC95k89gI/AAAAAAAAATw/SUoBtNJcMsQ/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YazesBHeq58/U9yC95k89gI/AAAAAAAAATw/SUoBtNJcMsQ/s1600/photo.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Lessons to be learnt<br />
<br />
(1) Trust No Govt - Especially BN and PAP. They will only have their self interest at heart and not yours.<br />
<br />
(2) Remember all the times that they screwed you over and exercise your vote wisely.<br />
<br />
(3) Never fall into their trap of over selling to you. Case in point Iskandar residential homes.<br />
Are you going to travel to work in Singapore from JB every day? Assuming a 20 days working month, that amounts to S$ 256 added to your travel cost and time. Good luck to those who bought into the nightmare.<br />
<br />
(4) These toll hikes are poorly thought out and will just hurt businesses and trade. Your food, raw material imports are going to be more expensive as traders claim that they need to recover their costs.<br />
<br />
(5) What can you do? Don't keep quiet, make sure you express your displeasure (legally). Silence only makes them more bold.BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-90482303558782140252014-06-30T19:12:00.002-07:002014-06-30T19:12:20.870-07:00Employees that stay in companies longer than 2 years get paid 50% less!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4okaGfoN_9c/U7IY5QJ9PII/AAAAAAAAATg/0CNPZYq_g7Q/s1600/artwork-create-your-own-job.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4okaGfoN_9c/U7IY5QJ9PII/AAAAAAAAATg/0CNPZYq_g7Q/s1600/artwork-create-your-own-job.png" height="205" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Employees that stay in companies longer than 2 years get paid 50% less!!!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/cameronkeng/2014/06/22/employees-that-stay-in-companies-longer-than-2-years-get-paid-50-less/">http://www.forbes.com/sites/cameronkeng/2014/06/22/employees-that-stay-in-companies-longer-than-2-years-get-paid-50-less/</a><br />
<br />
Key Takeaways from the article :<br />
<br />
(1) Within 10 years of working, your salary will be 50% less.<br />
(2) If your annual increment is less than 5%, time to look around.<br />
(3) Own your own career, you are the CEO of yourself.<br />
<br />
BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-25765101257140894212014-05-23T01:39:00.000-07:002014-05-23T01:39:03.014-07:00A Picture tells a thousand words - Singapore The Costliest City in the World !A Picture tells a thousand words - Singapore The Costliest City in the World !<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aw8AdeMY7bY/U38ITLlO3gI/AAAAAAAAATI/k-AM84WgE5U/s1600/Singapore+the+world's+most+expensive+city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aw8AdeMY7bY/U38ITLlO3gI/AAAAAAAAATI/k-AM84WgE5U/s1600/Singapore+the+world's+most+expensive+city.jpg" height="287" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
The noise is resounding 98.4%, yet the government ministers still insist that Singapore is not expensive. They still have their heads stuck in the ground like ostriches. <br />
<br />
I wonder who the 232 people who said No are ?BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-84377457081997889512014-05-06T00:17:00.001-07:002014-05-06T00:45:16.166-07:00Petition calling PM Lee to resign from office launchedPetition calling PM Lee to resign from office launched<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<a href="https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Singapore_Prime_Minister_Lee_Resign_from_Office/" target="_blank">Petition : Singapore_Prime_Minister_Lee_Resign_from_Office/</a><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HSpt2J1Uq3k/U2iMY8r-ZTI/AAAAAAAAAS4/62jRSGV3188/s1600/WP+Rally.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HSpt2J1Uq3k/U2iMY8r-ZTI/AAAAAAAAAS4/62jRSGV3188/s1600/WP+Rally.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Let me weight in on what cause this petition to arise. PM Lee said that Singapore belongs to everyone staying here in Singapore including Foreigners on work permit passes. It may be a slip of the tongue or an intentional way of pacifying the foreigners who have bore the brunt of anti-foreigner sentiment in Singapore. <br />
<br />
I doubt that the speech writers for PM Lee would have made such an insensitive boo-boo in the midst of so much dissatisfaction. So I discount the possibility of it being a slip of tongue, especially since the phrase was crafted with much thought behind it <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“Singaporeans,
new arrivals, people who are on permanent residence here, people who are on
employment pass here, (are) all participating in one big Singapore family … So
that we feel that this is a place which is special, which belongs to all of us
and where we all celebrate one another’s festivals and happy events together.”</span> If that is the case, it is extremely disturbing on what it implies and that the statement was deliberate. It means that so long as you are physically here in Singapore, regardless of what ever contributions, service, family roots, etc, you own a piece of Singapore's land, resources and wealth. Is PM Lee so desperate to welcome any and everyone to Singapore? Are all the talk about nation building and national service just hog-wash?<br />
<br />
The petition is unlikely to change anything, but at least it will highlight the displeasure and frustrations of all Singaporeans on such thoughtless remarks from our so-called leader. So I urge all who are unhappy with his statement to sign the petition. The alternative of keeping quiet and letting everything slip-by was the mistake Singaporeans have made for too long a time. <br />
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BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-17955910220224205682014-04-20T00:16:00.001-07:002014-04-20T00:18:46.604-07:00Terrible mid-term report card for the A-grade pay PAP Government<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p5_GXBtanZQ/U1N0CMx9zyI/AAAAAAAAASo/z7KFCwDFJVI/s1600/report_card_1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p5_GXBtanZQ/U1N0CMx9zyI/AAAAAAAAASo/z7KFCwDFJVI/s1600/report_card_1.gif" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Terrible mid-term
report card for the A-grade pay PAP Government<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the Straits Times Insight
Section of 19 April 2014, the newspaper published their results of a survey
done of 500 Singaporeans. It would be interesting to ask who these 500
Singaporeans were. And assuming by association that they would try to interview
grassroots or governmental-affiliated people, the results are even more disastrous.
(note in point, the CNA telecast of conversation with PM LEE where they
discovered majorty of the participants were from grassroots organizations.) (</span><a href="http://youarebetteroffted.blogspot.sg/2012/09/singapore-con-version-2012-proof.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://youarebetteroffted.blogspot.sg/2012/09/singapore-con-version-2012-proof.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)
As usual, the newspaper being a mouth piece of the Government did their best to
water-down the impact and tried to state that several changes needed more time
to be effective. Unfortunately, it does not hide the fact that the mid-term
report card was terrible. For a country obsessed with grades, I have taken the
liberty of translating the survey results.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">(1) Health Care and the elderly, survey results “B”,
actual “C”<br />
<br />
The Government started a charm offensive with the Pioneer Generation Package
and Medishield Life to defray health costs and focus on the people older than
65 years olds who has been Singaporeans since 1986. (note : the second criteria
was after Singaporeans feedback that there needs to be numbers of years, reflecting
the concerns of free given citizenships by the government to foreigners over
the years.) I would have to give credit to the Government in their better PR
efforts to gain political leverage by publicizing the PGP and Medishield Life.
It seemed to make an impact on the survey results. It will help all families
with elderly members better manage health care costs and concerns, especially
the well-established phrase “It is better and cheaper to die in Singapore, than
to get sick and undergo costly treatments in Singapore Hospitals to die all the
same.” <br />
However, let’s be pragmatic, did the Government suddenly realized that the
silver hair Tsunami was coming ? No, it was well known after they changed the
birth rate policy to correct the future lopsided demographics. Then why this
package now? In one simple word, Votes. The Pioneer Generation, those above 65
years of age, were known to be staunchly PAP supporters, having gone through
the nation-building efforts together and the majority have seen significant
improvements to their own and children lives. So it must have been an amazing
vote swing in the 2011 elections that have displayed the unhappiness of this
Generation to the missteps in housing, transport, foreign workers policy that
they see affecting themselves and their off-springs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately for the PAP, trust once lost will
take much more than a PGP to regain back. In 2011, the younger generation
influenced the votes of the pioneer generation, in 2016, the grandchildren
generation will greatly influence the votes. <br />
<br />
(2) Housing, survey results “B+”, actual “B-“<br />
<br />
The intense increase in BTO HDB flats and seven rounds of cooling measures have
served the government well. COVs and the waiting time for newly wedded couples
have come down dramatically. Also PRs cannot buy HDB flats until they waited
three years. This is reflected in the survey. But still bear in mind that Singapore
property prices are still one of the highest in the world and the ratio of
salary to housing prices still remain at unsustainable levels. Worst still
foreigner ownership of non-landed private property are still continues unabated
and welcomed by the Government. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
(3) Transport, survey results “D-”, actual “F”<br />
<br />
Of all the sections, Transportation fared the worst, this affects everyone
everyday when they go to school, work, shopping, etc. All the promised
improvement of more trains, more maintenance, more buses have not translated to
a more comfortable ride. Now 3 years after the 2011 elections, we still read
about regular breakdowns on the MRT and terrible long bus waits. And despite
all these, they had the audacity to raise the fare rates. Car prices and COEs
are at ridiculous prices and yet we see the rich foreigners flaunting their
money by driving Maserati, Ferraris and Porsches on the congested Singapore
roads. Attempts to correct COE prices, by insisting on a higher downpayment and
tweaking the category did nothing to improve the situation, only re-emphasizing
the helplessness of middle-class Singaporeans. I doubt these issues will be
solved satisfactorily before the next election and the Transport Minister will
just be replaced again having walked off with a handsome multi-million salary. <br />
<br />
(4) Foreign Workers, survey results “C“, actual “D-” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
The survey claims that foreign workers policy was not on the high priority of
Singaporeans, I think they have got it wrong. Cases such as Anton Casey (</span><a href="http://youarebetteroffted.blogspot.sg/2014/01/why-singaporeans-need-to-revoke-antons.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://youarebetteroffted.blogspot.sg/2014/01/why-singaporeans-need-to-revoke-antons.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)
and the recent Philippines Day Celebration show that the issue of foreigners in
Singapore is still very much in the forefront. The people Singaporeans interact
with everyday are very much in their face. When you have trouble communicating
with the service waitress or when every nurse has a foreign accent, it is a
stark reminder how Singapore has changed due to the ineptness of this
Government. We need foreigners in many sectors of our industries, but what are
the right amount and the right integration timeframe so as not to erode our
Singapore core? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is the Government going
to correctly revise the Population White Paper for the next elections? What is
the acceptable timeframe for a PR to decide to convert to Singapore
Citizenship? These are unanswered questions that should been addressed. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Conclusion<br />
</b><br />
Some of the sectors seemed to be at acceptable grades, however, these need to
be put into perspective to the salary grade of our government. Our first Prime
Minister claims that in order to get the A-team in Singapore to run the country
you need to pay them A-grade salaries, even more than any country in the world.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I think Singaporeans have been seriously
shortchanged</b>. If Singapore was a private company and this was the mid-term
report of the Executive Team, the Board of Directors and Shareholders would already
have asked them to resign. Unfortunately for Singaporeans, we do not have a
ready alternative in place, so we grit our teeth & put up with a less than desirable
team. It is Singaporeans’ imperative to build up a credible alternative that
would be able to function and deliver like the A-grade team we deserve. </span>BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-20375854582065179242014-03-29T06:57:00.001-07:002014-03-29T06:57:32.977-07:00Tommy Koh’s ST Article Hits the Nail on the Head<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JC6z84i3is8/UzbQNhP6vFI/AAAAAAAAASc/vqYOXvsV8Jk/s1600/20140110_st_tommy_koh_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JC6z84i3is8/UzbQNhP6vFI/AAAAAAAAASc/vqYOXvsV8Jk/s1600/20140110_st_tommy_koh_0.jpg" height="208" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tommy Koh wrote a very interesting
article “Is there an ideological cleavage in Singapore?” in the Newspapers
today. He muses what he describes as the belief system and shared values that
Singaporeans uphold and if these have changed. In simple words the Rules of
Singapore Society. He listed the five as :<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Free trade
and investment<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Market
economy<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Globalization<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Foreign
Talent<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meritocracy<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For each of the values listed, I analyzed
my perception of the general Singaporean’s ideals and contrast what our
Government leaders are actually practicing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Free
trade and investment<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the most part of it, Singaporeans
understand that we need free trade to be moving smoothly, we are a country with
no natural resources or agricultural hinterland. Food is mostly imported
together with all the equipment, fuel, car spare parts and yes, importantly
iPhones and Samsung mobile phones, to keep the country going. Let’s face it, if
Singapore was besieged by an immense flotilla of warships, we would probably
last a few weeks at most a month. This is also aligned with Tommy Koh’s
article. The Government has also been clear that free trade is necessary, and
has made progress in accessing non-traditional resource markets and keeping our
borders open with little protectionist policies nor high import taxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Market
economy<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Singaporeans feel that the right balance
of private and public sectors in the economy makes sense. On one hand we need
private companies to make a decent profit, continue to innovate and bring value
to the market place where consumers are willing to pay for the goods and
services. However, goods and services that should not be driven by profit such
as health care, education, defense etc should be clearly under the public
sector. Tommy did not make a clear distinction of this and his main point was
that whilst we accept a market economy, we do not accept a market society where
winner-takes-all. So what has the Government been doing? In one word,
“Befuddled”. Certain services such as Defense, Water resources, Land resources,
Tax departments are clearly run by public institutions and very successfully in
some cases. But others are in a mixed-up hybrid scenario. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">First bugbear is Public Housing, by the
very virtue of the name implies it a Public Good, but with the series of poorly
appointed Housing Ministers, the HDB had lost it’s mission. DBSS, ECs, prices
pegged to market rates, have caused major discontent in the populace. Things
are turning around, but the jury is still out there whether these are
structural changes or a band-aid.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Secondly, Public Transport is a
Frankenstein epic disaster, Public Transport operators are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>expected to make a profit while at the same
time maintaining service standards, while the Government funds these operators’
capital investments in the form of buses and trains. As what a local blogger
succinctly declared “Privatizing Profits, Nationalizing Costs”, it is not
rocket science, Private or Public Transport, make a decision, don’t feed a
Monster.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Health care is in a slightly better
position, but still some aspects of it smack of bureaucrats trying to act too
smart. Singaporeans are clear that if they have a complicated and/or urgent
medical condition which requires a very experienced surgeon, the private
hospitals/medical route is the way to go. Polyclinics and Public hospitals
provide credible healthcare at subsidized prices, but only for people who can
wait 3 to 6 months. But if you need the condition to be addressed faster, get
off the subsidized prices and pay private prices. So the Public Healthcare
system discriminates whether you can pay for faster service? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Globalization<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Singapore belongs to an interconnected
world and Singaporeans would definitely reject being an isolated regime such as
North Korea. Free flow of ideas, technology, people and capital from all parts
of the world makes Singapore a vibrant city. But as Tommy quipped, we are also
a country with no hinterland to escape to or avoid the omnipresent crush of
people. And I read with a faint smile on his jibe at Anton Casey
(<a href="http://youarebetteroffted.blogspot.sg/2014/01/why-singaporeans-need-to-revoke-antons.html">http://youarebetteroffted.blogspot.sg/2014/01/why-singaporeans-need-to-revoke-antons.html</a>) , “the growing resentment felt by many
Singaporeans that wealthy foreigners are free-riders. They come here to make
money and lead very comfortable lives, but give little or nothing back in
return. To make matters worse, some of them have a disrespectful attitude
towards Singaporeans.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How about the Government’s position on
Global City or Singaporean Home ? They use either as convenient spin-doctor
propaganda. When it serves their agenda, they proclaim it a Global City as necessary
to encourage business startups and employment to attract rich Chinese,
Indonesians and Russians whose money are suspect. And manipulate the theme “Singapore
Home” when they tell Singaporeans to sacrifice two years of their prime for
National Service. Many of us may have the similar experience when bonus time
comes around, and your company CEO tells you that business is tough and the
external environment is uncertain. The CEO then change his/her tune to future career
opportunities and upbeat business forecasts when you receive a competing job
offer. Make no doubt about it, PAP’s Government goal is the ensuring the
survival of Singapore the Global City, regardless if Singaporeans are part of
that survival equation or not. (<a href="http://youarebetteroffted.blogspot.sg/2012/10/first-hand-acccount-population-dialogue.html">http://youarebetteroffted.blogspot.sg/2012/10/first-hand-acccount-population-dialogue.html</a>).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Foreign
Talent<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s be pragmatic, Singapore cannot
function without any foreigners, we need the thousands of workers who labour in
construction sites, cleaners, cooks, waiters, housekeepers, retail executives
etc. These are mostly hard working people who want to earn enough and return
home to their families. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What Singaporeans are indignant about is
encapsulated in George Orwell’s Animal Farm quote, “All animals are created
equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Tommy also alluded to this
in his article, “First, Singapore discovered that some so-called foreign talent
was not very talented. Second, there was the discovery that, in some cases,
when a foreign chief executive officer was hired, he or she discriminated
against Singaporeans when hiring staff.” Singaporeans are sick of their leaders
placing foreigners on a pedestal just because they come from a foreign land.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Before the bruising 2011 elections, the government
was adamant that their consultants were correct, and that foreign talent were
more talented rather than foreign. Many worthy and talented Singaporeans were
sidelined or never given the opportunities in this xenophilic environment. They
have now changed their tune with the National Jobs Bank where companies have to
demonstrate that they cannot hire Singaporeans within a certain period before
they can hire foreigners. Time will tell, if this is a charade to appease the electorate
for the next elections or an effective tool to stem foreign workplace invasion.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A first step is to acknowledge that they
were wrong and not all foreigners are talented. We have yet to see this realization
in official speeches. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meritocracy<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pursuit of a better life, strive for
excellence and meritocracy are cardinal drivers for Singaporeans. We celebrate
our successful members of society be it when Singapore wins the Asian football cup
or when Anthony Chen’s ilo ilo wins Camera D’or at the Cannes Film Festival.
And as Tommy stated, “Singapore want to be assured that meritocracy is
accompanied by social mobility.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In general, the government over the
years has performed reasonably well in this arena, increasing open places in
prestigious primary schools for non-affiliated children, scholarships and bursaries
for bright children who should not be disadvantaged due to their parents’
economic background. However, it is not all a rosy picture, why are scholarships
that could be given to needy Singaporeans given to Asean scholars, Chinese
post-graduate students and visiting academia? Many of whom only use Singapore as
a stepping stone to greener pastures overseas. Rolling stones gather no moss.
Singaporeans want more dollars given to the taxi-driver’s son or daughter who
may not be as academically bright as a chinese scholar, but who would be a
respectable upright member of Singapore’s society. Rather than anointing a
nomad who would flee once the going gets tough. The government needs some
soul-searching in this regard.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">After
this deliberating thought exercise, I would say that Singaporeans continue to
uphold the belief system and values that make us unique, competitive and highly
regarded world-wide. The crux of the problem is that these values have been
mutated to suit the government’s own misguided goals. The ideological cleavage
in the belief system is really between Singaporeans and the existing PAP government,
and if the government does not Repent, then perhaps a hammer would be needed to
hit the nail on PAP’s head. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-54074896319586978482014-01-26T07:34:00.001-08:002014-01-26T07:34:49.502-08:00Why Singaporeans need to Revoke Anton’s PR Status
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RfZSJJ75Lac/UuUqNbIckNI/AAAAAAAAASM/6MDCMhk2SVc/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RfZSJJ75Lac/UuUqNbIckNI/AAAAAAAAASM/6MDCMhk2SVc/s1600/image.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was triggered to write this
article in response to both Straits Times Editors Chua Mui Hoong’s appeal to
Singaporeans to move on and also the Gen Sec of Singapore Kindness Movement to
emphasize with Anton Casey. The point they were trying to make across is that
he has apologize, (though insincerely through a PR firm) and that we should be
more magnanimous and forgive him. Unfortunately, both of them have failed to
grasp what is really transpiring here, and why we have to be unrelenting in
taking the next step forward to revoke Anton’s PR Status.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>(1) 2<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup> Class citizens in Singapore, where
foreign talents can do no wrong and Singaporeans castigated.</strong><br />
<br />
Singaporeans recognize that we are an immigrant society and generally welcoming
for tourists and foreigners who are respectful & contribute to Singapore.
It is actually the indignity accorded by our own government who coined the term
“foreign talents” and accuse Singaporeans who find green pastures overseas
“quitters”. In our own country, we are disadvantaged in terms of National
Service obligations, xenophile preference for high level jobs, e.g. SGX, scholarships
for foreign students etc. LHL recently proclaimed that he will in no uncertain
terms be welcoming of more foreign Billionaires in Singapore. This is a
government that claims to be working for the good of Singaporeans, while in
reality will sell out ordinary Singaporeans in a heart-beat for more Anton
Caseys. Every time foreigners are involved in an incident, they will always
find some excuses for them to mitigate their misdeeds. Little India Riot it was
alcohol, and now the Straits Times articles ask Singaporeans to be forgiving.
Tay Ping Hui has more sense of the ground swell unhappiness than the clueless
government or state media. This is a case of the classic saying “give them an
inch, they will take a foot”.<br />
<br />
<strong>(2) Economic Inequality faced by Singaporeans</strong><br />
<br />
Now, if Anton Casey was a common blue-collar foreign worker in Singapore who
posted those Facebook postings, perhaps in the form of complaining on the
public transport, the netizens will be less enraged and probably ambivalent .
The main reason why the postings went viral, was that it was a provocative slap
in the face of many Singaporeans of the economic inequality between the haves
and have-nots. At a time when, fare hikes have increased despite worsening
service levels, Anton who WAS a wealth manager had the audacity to flaunt his
expensive car and insulted everybody who has ever taken the public transport.
It strikes at the heart of the value that Singaporeans uphold, “don’t bite the
hand that feeds you”. He had benefitted from the policy exception that allowed
a non-Singaporean to buy a landed property in Singapore’s Sentosa Cove, married a
Singaporean woman registering with the Registry of Marriages, used the hospital
facilities in Singapore to deliver his Singaporean son and worked in a safe and
secure Singapore environment to make his money. Showing off his money to
Singaporeans, is analogous to grabbing a handful of Singaporean homeland soil
and rubbing into our faces. <br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<strong>(3) Flaw Permanent Residence Status policy</strong><br />
<br />
Why has a person who has a 12 –year Permanent Residency, continue to be
a Permanent Resident ? Both his wife and son are Singaporeans, he has an
expensive property and a successful Singapore career. Because the government allows
him to do so. This is a major policy flaw that allows PRs to continue enjoying
all the benefits of being a Citizen (except the right to vote), without
actually committing to a country to grow their roots and defend their way of
life. How long is enough? 5 years, 10 years, 50 years? The governments’
position is that they want to be flexible and allow PRs to decide when they
want to become Citizens. But it just cultivates people who will flee when a
crisis hits Singapore or themselves, such as Amy Cheong and Anton Casey. Do we
really want these PRs ? Currently the criteria for issuing PR status are
arbitrarily done focusing on job status, wealth, relations. Do we need a more
transparent list of criteria that includes social and volunteer work?<br />
<br /><strong>
(4) Strong Message needs to be delivered</strong> <br />
<br />
We are continuously accused of being keyboard warriors, hiding behind the
computer and ineffectual. But if Singapore netizens can force a Minister to
issue a facebook statement on the matter, make a bigot get fired from his job
and flee the country (in that chronological order), we actually punch way above
what the government tries to portray us to be. We need to send a strong message
to the Government and the foreigner community living in Singapore, that we
reject such a foreigner and revoke his permanent residency. Singaporeans are tolerant,
non-confrontational and generally accepting to new people, ideas and concepts.
But never push us to the wall, good-will is finite and patience has a limit.</span></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Conclusion<br />
</b><br />
Singaporeans need to make a clear stand to purge the bad and keep the good. If
our government behaves like a 51-year old prostitute, it does not mean that
Singaporeans have to. We need to be more discerning and we have the power to
do so. <br />
<br />
My last parting remark for Anton Casey, is to wish him a Happy Chinese New Year,
enjoy it in Perth, Singaporeans do not ever want a Reunion dinner with you. </span><br />
BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-46594901772511447012013-12-13T07:57:00.004-08:002013-12-13T08:01:42.194-08:00Continuous problems in Singapore are symptomatic of Leadership failure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VQo6BOIYC-g/UqssLk-_GtI/AAAAAAAAAR8/qSkcDlXGB5c/s1600/Little+India+Riot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VQo6BOIYC-g/UqssLk-_GtI/AAAAAAAAAR8/qSkcDlXGB5c/s1600/Little+India+Riot.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The image of police cars in flames and riot police in full gear is a tragic
scene that is now embossed into the horrified minds of Singaporeans. Never in
40 years has there been a riot in the secure and safe Singapore that
Singaporeans are proud of. Of course, it is being argued now that the riots were
caused by a minority of foreign workers and that most here are law-abiding and
some were even heroes trying to stop the rioters from hurting people. The
authorities have taken swift action, arrested and charged 27 men who were
directly involved. A Committee of Inquiry (COI) has been set up to investigate
the reason behind the riot. <br />
<br />
There are a lot of questions being asked on the riot, why did the rioters
only attacked uniformed cars and personnel? Rioters in other countries
typically take the opportunity to loot shops and steal stuff ? Considering that
the Police Force is the authority giving out liquor licenses, why did they give
out 374 licenses in the area, and now alcohol is the culprit? <br />
<br />
But looking at the bigger picture, the key question that begs to be answered
is whether this riot has been preordained with the continuous problems in
Singapore?<br />
<br />
The most recent incident before this was the July 2013 brutal Kovan murder
of a 67-year old owner of a motor workshop and his 43-year old son at their
home at Hillside Drive allegedly by a Police Senior Staff Sergeant no less. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Worthy of mention is also the Oct 2013 corruption case of a Singapore
diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) by overbilling authorities
by S$89,000 by overstating the amount of gift bought for official purposes.
Worse still, an assistant director of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau
(CPIB), anti-corruption watchdog, was charged with misappropriating S$1.7
million. Part of the money was allegedly used for gambling at the Marina Bay
Sands Casino. <br />
<br />
In May 2013, the highest ranking civil servant in recent times, the Civil Defense
Force (CDF) chief was found guilty of trading contracts for sex. An associate
professor of law was also found guilty of abusing his position by having sex
with a student and taking gifts from her. <br />
<br />
Related to the Little India’s foreign workers riots, there was the Nov 2012 two-days
illegal strike by 170 SMRT Chinese bus drivers to protest against pay and
living conditions. This was the first strike in Singapore in 25 years. As a
warning to the rest, the ring leaders were jailed six-weeks and then deported
back to China. <br />
<br />
And the list can go on with the Dec
2011 major disruption in SMRT, the flooding of Orchard road in Jun 2010 and escape
of the terrorist Mas Selamat.<br />
<br />
Sure the Singapore leadership can claim that these are discrete and isolated
events, but are they?<br />
<br />
A simple benchmarking would be the period of leadership before LHL was
appointed the Prime Minister in 2004. Sure there were some difficulties during
GCT’s leadership, but a riot and a strike in the space of one year? At least in
my mind, it is a clear failure of the current leadership.<br />
<br />
So what are the possible causes for the failure in leadership?<br />
<br />
1. A
group-think mentality and incestuous talent pool<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
Despite claims to the contrary, the group-think
mentality cannot be swept under the carpet. A disproportionate number of the
ministers are from the SAF, specifically the Transport Minister, the Manpower
Minister, the Minister for Home Affairs & Deputy Prime Minister and even
the Prime Minister himself. Several others are from the Civil Service or
Government related agencies. If you surround yourself with Yes-Men and
Yes-Women, you are just like the Emperor with no clothes.</div>
<br />
2. Complacency
and money driven view of the world<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
The self-righteous view of the leadership is that if they provide economic
growth for Singapore, the society would begrudgingly accept their money drive
view of the world and fall in line. The corruption cases are partly influenced
by such a value of chasing money. They obstinately import foreigners into
Singapore to drive growth, making up 1.3 million of the total 5.4 million on the
small island, without due consideration of the consequences of their actions. </div>
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
The complacency was further demonstrated by a Population
White Paper planning to squeeze 6.9 million into Singapore, which lead to a
large protest at Hong Lim Park un-heard of in Singapore.<br />
</div>
3. Focusing on fixing the Opposition, rather than
fixing the problems<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
With a bruising 2011 General Elections and 2
humiliating By-election defeats, the ruling party has spent more time and
effort trying to discredit the main opposition party than focusing on solving
the problems that they had caused in the first place. Un-necessary air time in
Parliament and state-owned media was used to debate quarterly hawker centre
ceiling cleaning, when the time should have been put to better use. It is
actually ironical and also poetic that the ruling party had a convention on the
same day as the riots, with plans to take the offensive against the opposition
in the next General Elections. People in power are just paranoid of losing
power. </div>
<o:p> </o:p><br />
So the final question to ask is whether the Little India riots is the final
display of the leadership failure that we will see in Singapore ? I seriously
doubt it. More spectacular boo-boos are just waiting to manifest, I just hope
no more Singaporeans get hurt. BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-120566913014825722013-12-08T03:52:00.002-08:002013-12-08T03:52:38.195-08:00New Useful App: GrabTaxi<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-epMdLLa62KA/UqRdYkPbJRI/AAAAAAAAARs/egE32YuOhkg/s1600/GrabTaxi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-epMdLLa62KA/UqRdYkPbJRI/AAAAAAAAARs/egE32YuOhkg/s320/GrabTaxi.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The mobile app is currently the only taxi booking app in
Singapore that connects the commuter directly to the taxi driver's personal
smartphone. Commuters can also include their destination when booking a taxi,
which increases the possibilities of securing a successful booking, since taxi
drivers would be more likely to accept booking offers if the destination is
along their desired route. This is especially important during shift change
periods when booking taxis is difficult unless the destination is nearby or on
the way for the taxi driver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After GrabTaxi is launched, it'll automatically detect the
commuter's current location using the smartphone's in-built GPS and show the
number of available taxis near you. The commuter selects the desired
destination and the booking request is sent to taxi drivers near you. The
drivers will then bid for the job and the taxi driver nearest to the commuter
will be assigned the booking. The commuter will receive a booking confirmation
within one minute, together with information such as estimated time of arrival,
taxi number, and the driver’s contact details. The commuter can also track the
real-time location of the booked taxi.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The GrabTaxi app is available for download for iOS devices,
Android devices and Windows phones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: blue;">Personally I have tried to use this GrabTaxi app and though
it managed to identify a couple of Taxis near my location, but I have not successfully got
them yet. I think a few more taxi drivers need to get involved and also more
advertisement and marketing is needed (hence this blog post). I am supportive
of it as it is disruptive and takes the power away for the Taxi Cartels and put
it in the hands of customers and taxi drivers (Why PAY booking fee if you can
avoid it!?) When I was in KL Malaysia recently, I noticed a lot more taxi drivers
are already on the network so it was easier to catch on.</span> </span></div>
<br />
<a href="http://grabtaxi.com/singapore/">http://grabtaxi.com/singapore/</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/third-party-taxi-booking-apps-making-their-way-singapore?page=1">http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/third-party-taxi-booking-apps-making-their-way-singapore?page=1</a>BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-16408644075511238962013-10-28T00:48:00.000-07:002013-10-28T00:52:57.077-07:00Ang Mo Kio Town Council Website HACKED!Wow it really happened! Ang Mo Kio Town Council Website HACKED!<br />
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<a href="http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/10/28/amk-town-council-falls-victim-to-the-messiah/">http://www.tremeritus.com/2013/10/28/amk-town-council-falls-victim-to-the-messiah/</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amktc.org.sg/">www.amktc.org.sg</a><br />
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Just shows all the unhappiness in Singapore.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d1gO1Y0ux84/Um4XzOqbM-I/AAAAAAAAARU/S7MVcJ09sEg/s1600/amktc-hacked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d1gO1Y0ux84/Um4XzOqbM-I/AAAAAAAAARU/S7MVcJ09sEg/s320/amktc-hacked.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-59494856364040161142013-09-20T04:49:00.001-07:002013-09-20T04:49:37.161-07:00Respect ! Towards a First World Singapore !"To build a democratic society based on justice and equality"<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KN_iWIfjs7g/Ujw2T28v_4I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/jP_uIHKuhSk/s640/blogger-image-1709242364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KN_iWIfjs7g/Ujw2T28v_4I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/jP_uIHKuhSk/s640/blogger-image-1709242364.jpg"></a></div><br></div>BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-5081997944025469882013-09-08T19:03:00.003-07:002013-09-09T20:37:05.766-07:00Oxymoron - CaplandEpic Fail by the marketers of CapLand, in the same newspaper, it shows that Sky Habitat prices are the most unrealistic and highest...and they claim a down to earth price?<br />
BRAINLESS !<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JIWTJ1206Bs/Ui0sUDluTaI/AAAAAAAAAQY/tURONSpFilE/s1600/Sky+Habitat+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JIWTJ1206Bs/Ui0sUDluTaI/AAAAAAAAAQY/tURONSpFilE/s320/Sky+Habitat+2.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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I was talking to a mortgage loan officer and after the TDSR implementation, less than 50% of the applications are accepted by the banks ! BURN Capland BURN !<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DUkjj1NHPvY/Ui6Tx-hgC4I/AAAAAAAAAQs/LLPVO9-hTm0/s1600/Sky+Habitat+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DUkjj1NHPvY/Ui6Tx-hgC4I/AAAAAAAAAQs/LLPVO9-hTm0/s320/Sky+Habitat+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4170439989978391104.post-56517178114519698642013-07-23T22:49:00.003-07:002013-07-23T22:49:59.721-07:00Property Guru says 9,000 troubled units could be released into Singapore marketProperty Guru says 9,000 troubled units could be released into Singapore market.<br />
Buy at your own risk !<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yfkw6-pc5dI/Ue9q-oxr0RI/AAAAAAAAAQA/dBU_N3rzNPo/s1600/house-dominoes-cartoon-598x480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yfkw6-pc5dI/Ue9q-oxr0RI/AAAAAAAAAQA/dBU_N3rzNPo/s320/house-dominoes-cartoon-598x480.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/property-management-news/2013/7/36279/analyst-9-000-troubled-units-could-be-on-market">http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/property-management-news/2013/7/36279/analyst-9-000-troubled-units-could-be-on-market</a><br />
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<div class="first">
Up to 9,000 Singapore private property owners could be forced to sell their homes if interest rates rise in the city-state, according to an analyst report published today.</div>
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On the back of news that up to 10 percent of Singapore households may have already over-leveraged their private property purchases beyond the new 60 percent limit that was recently imposed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), wealth management firm Religare Enterprises has cautioned its clients to avoid investing in Singapore property developers.<br />
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In its ASEAN Property Pulse report released today, the research arm of the India-based firm explained that between 10 -15 percent of borrowers could be in financial trouble should interest rates rise in Singapore. <br />
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MAS has reported that between five to 10 percent of Singapore households could have over-extended themselves, fuelled by low interest rates and stretched loan tenures. The majority of mortgage loans in Singapore are floating rate packages, according to the company, which means households will face higher monthly repayments when interest rates normalise. <br />
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Religare has predicted that a rise in interest rates could see more than 9,000 financially troubled <br />
properties being listed on the market – assuming a figure of 10 percent of the 90,000 private homes that are scheduled to be completed between now and 2016.<br />
<br />
The authors of the report said: "Another worrying statistic is that only 70 percent of the loans are for owner-occupied homes, meaning investor demand in private homes is running quite high."<br />
Housing Development Board (HDB) properties and executive condominiums (ECs) have to be purchased for self-occupation, the company noted, so all property investment demand is in the private property sector.<br />
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"A little wobble in prices combined with higher interest rates might shake up a few property investors as well and add to the possible troubled units on the market," the report said.<br />
The company has advised its clients to be cautious on the Singapore residential property market and against investing in Singapore property developer shares.<br />
"We expect prices and rents to correct over 2014-15 on the back of completion of more than 90,000 units between 2H 2013 and 2016," it predicted.BOT TEDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06454914894522188824noreply@blogger.com0