Seeing the images of the mangled wreckage of an aircraft after a crash is difficult for any flight attendant.

It is hard to comprehend that this mass of charred metal, broken seats, bits of galleys and cabins, and the piles of personal belongings, was once our office in the sky.

This was our workspace -- and our home, for however many hours. It was a place where we felt safe as we served meals and drinks, carried out safety-related duties, and caught up with our colleagues and friends, laughing and joking about all the latest gossip on "Galley FM."

For an airline to suffer two unspeakable tragedies in just four months is beyond comprehension.

Twenty-one Malaysia Airlines flight attendants and six flight crew have been lost, after the still unexplained disappearance of flight MH370 and the shooting down of MH17.

It is a testament to the carrier's staff that the airline is still operating a full schedule of flights. It is difficult to imagine how the crews left behind are still managing to put on their sarong-style uniforms, paint on a smile and go about their duties as normal, after losing so many of their friends and colleagues.

To show our solidarity, one week after the loss of MH17, flight attendants everywhere are pinning a small black ribbon to their uniform; to remember our newest angels of the sky.

Can we carry on?

Recently, I have been contacted by many crew members who are unsure if they can continue their flying careers. Unfortunately, there are no words of wisdom for them, no way to take away the pain or the fear many feel over a disaster like this.

Many crew feel it is their duty to keep flying; a tribute to our fallen colleagues who never made it home; to keep doing the job they loved and doing it to the best of their ability.

I know a number of flight attendants and pilots who have been involved in accidents. Some have managed to return to the skies, others have hung up their wings for good. Some have used their experiences to improve safety in the industry, helping to ensure tragic incidents are as rare as humanly possible.

The thought crosses our mind every day when we board our aircraft: "What would we do should the worst happen?" It's part of our job to think this way.

Despite many people's belief that we are there just to serve tea and coffee, or to act as a verbal punching bag when something goes wrong, the primary reason we are on board is safety. Every take-off, every landing, every pre-flight briefing, we run through our emergency procedures in our heads. How would we deal with a decompression? An evacuation? A ditching? A medical emergency?

Thankfully, most of us will never have to deal with these events or use the weeks, sometimes months, of training we've had to save lives. Sadly, the crew of Flight MH17 didn't even get the chance to help their passengers or colleagues. Innocent lives of innocent people wasted in the blink of an eye.

The moment MH17 hit home

Last Thursday, when news of the crash broke, I was operating a flight into Amsterdam, from where flight MH17 had left just a few hours earlier. There was an odd feel about the place and the usual buzz of an airport was gone.

As we boarded the flight, one gentleman in particular appeared very upset. When I went to see if he was OK he told me that four of his friends had been on the flight. Then he burst into tears.

I was speechless, the full impact of this tragedy hit me and all I wanted to do, like so many other flight attendants that day, was to get home and see my family and friends and tell them I loved them.

Much has been made recently of flight attendants being one big family. It has been very moving to see, via my blog and social media, the outpouring of love and support to our fallen brothers and sisters at Malaysia Airlines, and more recently TransAsia Airways after Wednesday's crash in Taiwan. And then, almost unbelievably, Thursday's crash of an Air Algerie flight in Mali.

Strong bonds in the air

It doesn't matter what uniform you wear, what aircraft you work on, whether you fly for a low-cost carrier or work in first class, we are united together and become a source of constant support in times of need.

Tight bonds form with your airline colleagues, as you are locked in a metal tube with these people for hours on end; bonds I have never known outside of the industry.

I hope to extend the black ribbon idea to one day each year, where flight attendants around the world can remember our fallen colleagues.

Dan Air

*Article first appeared on http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/24/travel/flight-attendants-mourning-mala...

It’s coming to 6 months since I started driving taxi as a relief driver. I would take over any of the taxi in the neighborhood whenever those taxi drivers go on holiday trips or just want to take a break. On and off, I have driven no fewer than 10 taxi so far. I notice that every taxi has different characteristics in terms of the taxi set-up (decorations) or the idiosyncrasies of the hirer. I’ll blog about it another time. I just wish to say that my learning process or rather my induction into this taxi trade not forgetting my mentor A.T. and others in EM is more or less complete – of course there is still much to learn as the learning process will not stop. I’ll be getting my own taxi soon upgrading from a relief to a hirer.

There is one particular taxi which I drive on every Sat from 4.30pm to 12.30am opposite my place across Sungei Api Api. I do not need to wash the vehicle or top-up diesel with rental at only $35. Pay $12 for every 100 km.. Usually I clock around 250km per shift. As such, my driving skills improve tremendously with that kind of mileage zipping around the whole island. Here to KL is about 300km.

One pax ever told me that driving a taxi is akin to operating a food stall. You rent a stall and sell your food. It depends on you how hard working operating the stall. However, I think operating a taxi is so much better than running a food stall in a coffee shop. The whole island is my playground. I could bring my mobile “stall” all over the island. Whereas, food stall is stuck at one location. If there is no crowd then it’s dead duck for the stall owner.

In my case, there are kelongs everywhere to hunt for fishes. Different places and different timings give rise to different types of kelongs with different variety of fishes. Just avoid those kelongs operated by LTA with cameras to avoid getting into trouble and you will be safe! I’ll talk about this another time.

As in all professions, integrity is of utmost importance. Never touch anything in the taxi that does not belong to you. Always follow the hirer’s instructions when taking over the taxi. Maintaining the taxi in clean condition, topping up diesel to the rim at the end of the day or pay for the diesel correctly are pre-requisites. Lastly, always be punctual when handing over the vehicle. I am very particular of all these minor points. That is why my reputation is well known in the neighborhood. Frens will recommend me to others and others will cont’d to bring in more driving assignments for me. That’s how I survive over the past 6 months.

Back to the every Saturday driving assignment. I usually arrive well before 12.30am at the hirer’s block to hand over the taxi. I have to wait for the hirer cuz he doesn’t buy car park at all. I can’t just park in the car park but have to wait for him. It’s during the waiting time that I usually meet Ah Lai who also lives in the same block. Ah Lai, aged 62 yrs is working as a counter assistant from 3pm to 11pm in a coffee shop at EM. Around midnight after his work, Ah Lai usually sits at the void deck of his block to read his usual “mosquito” paper. Whilst waiting for my hirer, I would chit chat with him to kill the time.

I recall at one time at EM, Douglas ever pointed to Ah Lai why he was employed by the said coffee shop. You see Ah Lai aged 62 yrs works from 3pm to 11pm with one day off drawing a basic salary of $1,400. It’s an air-conditioned food court. He just need to take orders from customers and serve them drinks. As simple as that. No need to wash or collect empty cups or glasses. There are cleaners doing that. The boss also doesn’t bother as long as he reports for work everyday except his off day. He rides his bicycle to the coffee shop from his place which is just across the river. (Sungei Api Api).

When Douglas heard that, he said, “Brother,” in English followed by Hokkien, “if you don’t hold the fxxxking pink IC, you think your boss would want to employ you at $1,400? They could get a much younger and highly educated foreign worker than you lah! Just becuz of the quota, that is why you are employed!”

Senior citizens like Ah Lai who are still fit to work don’t mind doing easy job. Ah Lai told me that his children are all grown up and they got their families to look after. He is still fit and able to work at an easy pace. No stress and working within his ability. He is also paid CPF with quarterly workfare from the government. He is very satisfied with his current status quo. He used to comment that people wish to work but no work. That is why they come all the way here to seek employment. We should be grateful that we could still work with our hands says Ah Lai.

If you look at the air conditioned food court he is working, there are all young Filipino and PRC workers. When I sit down at the table, the Filipino lady promptly calls you “Sir, what would you like to drink?” Very efficient and courteous customer service. I’m also quite surprised that they employ Filipinos in a coffee shop. Usually, they are all PRCs.

My 72 yrs old mother is also working in a kitchen factory. It supplies food such as salad, chilli paste, french fries, deep fried onions, chicken wings etc readily prepared to all the food stalls all over the island. Her job is just to cut potatoes to be deep fried. She insisted to work even though there is no need for her cuz we give her monthly allowances. She is one of the few senior citizens working in the company amidst a group of young energetic Malaysians. The latter do most of the hard labour job whilst older workers like her doing the easy jobs.

When she complained to her boss that she could not stand for too long doing the job due to her weak knees, they straightaway arranged for her to be seated. Next, she says that it’s very hot and stuffy. The management immediately bought a huge fan specially for her! Who need the union when the management listen to her every valid complaint? If it is not due to her pink IC, then what? The pink IC carries weight here. It’s very powerful in that sense. They need it for the foreign worker quota. It is as simple as that.

Like I used to say, I report what I see. What I say are the things happening around us. I feel that if the government tightens foreign labour too much, many F&B and small businesses will close shop.

To quote an example; well known local food establishment Soon Heng Fish Head Curry was in business for more than 30 yrs. It was forced to close shop due to lack of workers. If many such businesses are shut down, I’m afraid locals especially senior citizens like Ah Lai will not have a job. To let in too many foreign workers without any cap or quota will prize out locals. As such, the government need to calibrate the needs and requirements based on the industry every now and then. It’s a delicate balance that requires much skill and sensitivity. Not easy task indeed!

Click here to read about Soon Heng Fish Head Curry closure.

I ever blogged about Soon Heng Fish Head Curry.

Soon Heng Restaurant closes, no S’porean wanted job One of S’pore’s oldest curry fish head places closed last week as it can’t get enough Singaporean workers to fill MOM quota.
Singapore, November 5, 2012

The last curry fish head had been served and the last customer had paid and left.

At 1.45pm on Wednesday, Soon Heng Restaurant at Kinta Road – one of the oldest curry fish head restaurants in Singapore – pulled down its shutters for good, after 36 years.

Its owners, Mr Hoong Khai Chew, 49, and his wife, Madam Ong, said they can no longer find the manpower to serve their trademark curry fish head.

Madam Ong told The New Paper that the restaurant had a problem finding enough Singaporeans to fill the required Singaporean-to-foreigner quota: “Singaporeans tend to stay away from the F&B industry.

They don’t like to work on Sundays and public holidays, and do not like to be put on probation.

“We have placed advertisements as well as contacted job fairs, and the Yellow Ribbon Project, but few would approach us directly.”

When SMU professor Augustine Tan expressed concern that wages were too high in Singapore and it’s eroding Singapore’s economic edge, he was attacked by netizens. It’s quite disturbing that many do not see the points raised by an expert.

Without strong economic growth, the government will not be able to pump in so much money in our infra structure and other areas. For example digging tunnels all over the island for motor vehicles and trains is not cheap! It’s hell of expensive. If we clamor for more government spending on social welfare, then all the more we need even more economic growth to spend and throw money. We can’t simply print more money but need to earn it the hard way. Link

Gintai_昇泰

*The writer blogs at http://gintai.wordpress.com/

I applaud Education Minister Heng Swee Keat’s call for open acceptance, or at least measured tolerance, of a multifaceted Singapore society (“Reach out beyond main races here”; Tuesday).

One cannot ignore the fact that our city-state will only grow more diverse and more engaged with the world as we strive to maintain our competitive edge.

Lest foreign talent and investors are spooked, we should heed the call for an open mindset that better ties in with our First World economy status.

Several recent events have created a black mark on Singapore’s record of harmony and inclusiveness.

The Wear White campaign, the National Library Board controversy and a blog post targeting the Filipino community here point to rising intolerance for anything that is different from how we want our community to be portrayed.

The ensuing online invective and chatroom comments filled with radical religiosity were alarming, to say the least.

If we do not take pre-emptive action to legislate against hate crime or fanatical religiosity, we may see individuals and organisations with vested interests becoming more emboldened. Their aim is to systematically and unilaterally destroy the secular and moderate community that our forefathers painstakingly built.

Mr Heng’s reminder to be open-minded is timely. We cannot take our current peace for granted.

Karen Chan Kern (Mrs)

*Letter first appeared in ST Forum, 25 Jul.

Especially those Opposition supporters who shout that the Oppo will win the next GE*. They ever thought that if the PAP is as bad as what they claim is the case, the PAP won’t steal the election Cambodian style?

Last yr, in a closely fought election, the governing party (the PM says LKY is a hero of his) won a majority of seats in the parliament. The Oppo alleged fraud and refused to take their seats and called for fresh elections. The govt passed laws to its satisfaction in the absence of an oppo in parly.

Now a deal has been struck. The electoral commission is at the heart of the deal. The CPP-dominated National Election Committee—widely derided as a puppet of the government—is to be overhauled, which requires that the constitution be changed. The two major parties will now have four members on the committee, with a ninth independent member to be agreed on by both sides.

—–

The timing of the deal, so near the anniversary of the contested election, might not be a coincidence. Both sides were feeling the public pressure to reach an agreement. For the opposition, the question was how long they could keep operating as a political force with only rallies and public protests to bind them together, while laws were passed without them in the assembly. The government was faced with the prospect of having to keep defending that one-party parliament to the international community.

The violence the government employed to disperse protesters drew a steady stream of criticism throughout the year. Security forces beat and arrested demonstrators, and at least seven were shot dead.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2014/07/cambodian-politics

Just as S’poreans should be watching developments in Thailand,

– http://atans1.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/freak-election-training-manual-for-safs-paper-generals-and-us-40-sporeans-too/

– http://atans1.wordpress.com/2014/07/05/more-on-when-there-is-a-freak-election-result/

we should follow developments in Cambodia. There are lessons to be learner especially about the importance of the election organisers (here under PMO).

Interesting the Thais have introduced a law banning gatherings of five people or more. They learnt that from us?

—

*None of the Oppo parties believe this is possible. Ask SDP, NSP, People in light blue, SDA, JBJ Remebrance Party, Chiams, TJS Team and Pwee Gang.

Cynical Investor

*The writer blogs at http://atans1.wordpress.com/

Chris K:

The MAS is banker to the SG Government. The SG Government Treasury manages all cashflows for the Government through its accounts with the MAS. In the pool of funds in MAS are monies the SG Government generated thru the issuance of SGS and Special SGS, land sales, tax revenues and expenditures.

The net of the last 2 items are nearly always positive, therefore budget surplus. From this pool of funds in the MAS account, funds are allocated to GIC to manage and as capital injections to Temasek. In the historic past, funds were used to capitalized the GLCs which are then transferred to Temasek.

So the long and short of it all, is – Temasek has got CPF monies. No ifs, not buts, no eeeerrrrr….

btw, in those 4 charts describing the flow of funds from CPF to the GLCs, Uncle Leong and Roy omitted a crucial piece. The arrow pointing from the CPF emblem to “CPF Invested in etc” box is very misleading because it shows as if the CPF funds went directly into the GLC. This is not the case. There should be a box that say “SG Government Treasury” and then from there an arrow pointing to “CPF Invested in etc”.

Call me pedantic, nit-picking or anything, but that missing box makes all the difference as to whether those CPF monies going in are debt investment or equity investment. The govt will argue it is debt and in those days would have been a loan, as Special SGS were not “invented” at the time.

If it is debt, there will be no argument of getting just an interest rates not the capital appreciation of the GLCs. Then the absolutely crucial point is whether those loans are properly constituted as loans or were they a “fictitious” instrument.

If they are “fictitious”, then we have a case against the govt for taking a piece of the GLCs. It will on this that the battle will be won or lost on the issue of getting a share of the “very good returns” generated by Temasek. Uncle Leong and Roy should make this clear, otherwise they open themselves to attack.

Just my advise.

* * * * * * * * *

Trust et al:

@Chris K, you are right to point out that the nature of the funds flowing in from the CPF board to a particular GLC is crucial. You say it is crucial to ascertain “whether those CPF monies going in are debt investment or equity investment” – the inference being that a mere debt is recoverable by way of repayment of principal together with some interest but an equity investment would give the the CPFB, as the citizens’ funds’ trustee beneficial ownership in a significant proportion of the shareholding of the government in those GLCs.

But it seems to me that a conceptually more elegant result can be reached another way. This is by treating a proportion of the cash injections of CPF funds to the government treasury (wherein as you explained all funds including CPF funds would be commingled) as being impressed with a trust in favour of the beneficiaries of the CPF funds.

These trust monies were used first of all to create income generating assets for the government and then subsequently spun off through “self-dealing” or non-arms length “sale/transfer” to the GLCs Roy and Uncle Leong discussed in the article.

The extent to which these assets were subsequently “monetized”, i.e, their profits or income generating potential unpacked or unlocked, is the extent to which the government must render an account to the CPFB on behalf of all its beneficiaries. This is the argument I would make. Actually Uncle Leong’s and Roy’s diagrams do not alter the fundamental position. The flows of funds from CPFB shown in their diagram are the flows of trust monies (in my view) regardless or not of whether there are “instruments” like SSGS or even seemingly proper “loan agreements” between any government agency and CPFB.

Such a “loan agreement” would be tantamount to compelling the trustee to surrender the trust assets for a paltry interest payment when the “borrower” had overwhelming coercive power over the trustee and far more profitable uses for the funds in prospect, relative to which a minuscule interest payment would be derisory.

Trust law cuts through the formalities to get at the realities behind the formalities of purported transactions, and the power relations between the trustee and other parties as well as the respective identities of the parties dealing with the trustee (in this case the government and the CPFB which is a mere agency of the government). The overriding concern of trust law is always to ensure that the beneficiaries’ ownership of the monies is REAL not some reassuring mantra devoid any real teeth or bite! I hope this clarifies.

An open respond to the Influencer Media article dated July 20 titled 5 Major Facts about Singapore That Every Singaporean Should Understand. Thank you Jackie Oh for shedding some light into this!

“CPF members shortchanged by government…”

“COE prices up again in all categories…”

Okay, not exactly those titles, but you get what I mean. If you’re like me and you have friends on Facebook, you’ve probably seen some of this type of articles floating around. Unless of course, you don’t have Facebook. Hey! I’m not judging.

Singapore, oh Singapore. We have turned to one very emotional people isn’t it? If you can’t beat them, join them.

And I think it’s about time I voice my own opinion about this, this time, in respond to a rather pro-Singapore article published a few days ago on The Influencer Media by a writer, young and talented I must say, named Jackie Oh.

Like every Singapore article, the mood is tensed. Eh chill ah beb. Jokes. I mean seriously, do we even take things lightly anymore? Like smile. Or laugh. Focus on the happy moments we spend with people that matters more instead of things like this. There are way too many political unrest in this world already.

Can’t we just find the rainbow beneath the shit loads of stuffs that’s already happening in our country today? C’mon, please say yes.

Before we go on, let me introduce myself. My name is Aqilah and I’m a Singaporean who loves a good laugh and don’t take too many things seriously, and quite possibly, I’m just like you.

The difference with me is that I was fortunate enough to experience life overseas because my parents made the right choice to migrate to Sydney when I was 16. Although I’m back now in Singapore running my own start-up, I’ve lived, breathed, attended the public school and university and worked in Sydney over the last 8 years.

I would leave the final judgment to you of whether or not life is indeed better overseas but with all seriousness (for real!), here are 5 facts you should know about life outside of Singapore as Singaporeans.

Number 1. Foreigners are everywhere.

See those Filipino ladies dancing in front of Taka? Or those Bangladeshi guys helping clean up our streets? Wanna know what they have in common?

They’re humans. Surprise!

And so am I, and you reading this, and that person across your office who is about to read this and everyone else in this world for that matter!

And being human is one of the most beautiful thing in this world ever. International love anyone?

Yes, foreigners are everywhere in Singapore but the situation is just the same all across the world. But, in response to Jackie, saying Singaporeans are hypocrite when we complain about foreigners, is a little too naïve of a statement to make.

How does a Singaporean who is unhappy with the situation they’re currently in now become a hypocrite when they leave the country to become a foreigner in another? Hmm.

Won’t you think that a Singaporean is a hypocrite if they complain about being unhappy and yet still choose to remain unhappy?

Back to the hypocrisy part, so are you saying my parents, and thousands of other Singaporeans are hypocrites for choosing to become foreigners in another land when they’re unhappy with the foreigners in their own land? Another hmm.

Next point. Leaving Singapore is not in any way easy. My parents left Singapore in 2003; way before all of us were brave enough to voice out our unhappiness and it wasn’t all butterflies and unicorns for them.

Despite migrating under a skilled worker visa, they had to spend money, time and effort, on top of sitting for English tests (even though Singapore is considered well and truly an English speaking country), going for medical checks and filling up endless forms just to get there. In fact, that’s what every one thinking of migrating has to do.

So Jackie, if you think that was easy, then maybe you should really go sit on the bench.

You may have strong feelings about Singapore being a home, but don’t start looking down on people who actually do choose to leave Singapore because they see potential in another country. Much like my parents. And those foreigners who probably made your Double Cheeseburger.

Number Two. CPF may not be a scam, but perhaps more research on other countries tax system is needed here.

Here’s something all of us need to know:

If there’s one thing about the CPF in Singapore which is a little short handed is the fact that there are no transparencies. In fact, a lot of governmental thing in Singapore is not transparent to the public eye. Hasn’t it always been that way?

Blaming bloggers like Roy Ngerng is probably the second most naïve thing you did in your article because if it wasn’t for him, most of us won’t even question what happens to our CPF money. I’m not taking sides here but as a person speaking for a younger generation, I would actually like to know how my monies are invested.

Now that aside, is it necessary to start criticizing the tax systems overseas? Just wondering, on what basis did you even develop that part? Don’t worry about it; I’ll answer that for you. Let me give you a real life example of how people get paid in Australia.

First things first: I have to agree with the part where you said that taxes overseas is way more than Singapore, and for those of you really planning to move overseas you should know this.

But here’s some other things you need to know too.

There is minimum wage in Australia, something Singapore lack. In other words, employers values their workers like diamond. A friend of mine works in McDonalds and gets paid $30 per hour for working past midnight on a Saturday. As far as I know, that’s way more than most of us working full-time jobs in Singapore.

BUT. My full time working parents gets taxed between 22-35% of their yearly income. If you earn $100,000 a year, your tax is around $35,000. Could be more if you earn more but for most of us, that’s the general tax bracket. Now, that’s A LOT compared to how much tax we pay here in April.

Another one:

There’s no CPF. Ok lies. There are. Of course there are. But it’s not compulsory for us to contribute to the account because our employers do the dirty job, and they pay between 9.5-13% depending on your industry.

The good thing? We get to choose where we want our retirement funds to go, including full transparencies and flexibility over where we want it invested.

Another good thing? We have the freedom to choose how we want the funds disbursed when we retire.

I don’t know about you, but this freedom I’m thankful for because if there’s one thing I really dislike seeing when I’m back in Singapore are old folks working just to cover themselves up because their retirement fund which they contributed 20% to each month in their early years is not enough to sustain their daily expenses.

Oh and one more thing. Yes we get taxed a lot. But we get taxed for a reason and the reasons are transparent enough so we know what they are. You may prefer to have 20% of your monthly salary put aside for something that is ‘technically yours’ but I would prefer freedom, flexibility and transparency above all.

And my parents having to relax comfortably in their golden years. Not work even more after working for 50 or more years.

It’s a matter of choice.

Number Three. Yes Singapore is small and populated, but again, don’t have to criticize our opinions.

We’re humans, remember? We’re creatures of comfort. When we see something else in this world being compared to what we have ourselves, we comment.

You know, like, ‘Ergh can’t even afford a car here.’ Or ‘Wah so expensive ah? I can get a farm in Ireland with that money!’ Just saying.

And Singaporeans, here’s a little fun fact if you don’t know already. The only way you can afford a house and a car of your dreams, assuming your dream house is a villa and your dream car, is simply a car, then you have to move out of Singapore or work ridiculously hard or smart to earn enough to get to your dreams. Like it or not, there won’t be any change to this.

Number Four. It’s hard to find employment ANYWHERE in this world.

It doesn’t matter where you go and what you do, finding employment is not easy. It takes effort. Real ones I mean, not the ones you landed a job because your dad is the boss.

But, hey, you know what I life about finding jobs in Sydney? Everyone has an equal opportunity to that job listing you said you just posted. And I’m speaking with experience.

The minimum wage is one thing. The protection laws towards employees is another. Nine hour shifts? Seriously?!

Speaking of hiring, I’m an entrepreneur. I run a start-up in Singapore, and truthfully, my first priority is to hire a Singaporean because one of my intentions of starting a business is so I can open up jobs to the otherwise ignored talents of our younger generations.

But then again, awesome people skills and respect with BASIC manners like saying please, thanks and sorry, no matter what their qualifications are, is also a priority.

Let’s not just say foreigners lack this, there are many times when I stumble upon our very own locals who lack this simple, and logical personality. Does it hurt to smile and say thanks? Maybe it is to some. But it’s a human problem, not a foreigner thing.

And want to know why foreigners are more than happy to take up that $2200 job you listed with 9 hours of work per day, six days a week? Because for that same amount of effort in their country, they get paid peanuts.

Likewise, I will be willing to work that much in Sydney because I get paid twice more for that.

Instead of focusing on the numbers, here’s my advice to all Singaporeans. Learn some people skills. Enhance yourself. And learn basic manners. It helps because I’m doing it myself. Wanna join me?

Number Five. People everywhere complain.

Know what’s another human problem? We complain. Period.

Yes we complain all the time, and even if we have something good, there’s always something we’ll be unhappy about.

So Jackie, don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any intention to judge and I really appreciate your opinions but perhaps before looking down at us Singaporeans (and ultimately yourself, because you are a Singaporean right? Oh no, I didn’t ask earlier…), you might want to view it at every different angle as much as you can.

Just so you know, I hang around local Singaporeans in Sydney as much as I do with the Aussies. And guess what? I haven’t heard a single regret from any one of us migrants about these racist, tax and all the other negative things you say in your article.

And to the many Singaporeans like me? Take it on your stride. Focus on yourself, your family and the people that matter to you. If you think moving is the better option for yourself and your family, then do that for you. Don’t worry about your neighbour, aunty or some random person saying ‘Eh but people there very racist you know.’

If you can’t change the world, change yourself. Complaining does not get you anywhere.

Will I ever go back to Singapore being an employee? Probably not, life is better as an employee overseas as far as I’ve experienced.

But will I ever go back to Singapore as an employer? I’m already doing it now. And when the time comes that I need to hire, basic respect, awesome manners and an incredible innovative brain is what I’m after. Not your gender or skin colour or the language you speak. ‘Can speak Mandarin’ is not mandatory.

Chill, Singapore. Laugh a bit. There’s a good thing behind everything. Now who’s planning to catch the fireworks on 9^th August?

Thoughts? Comments? Feel free to leave some below. I actually read them. Omg a real person.

Aqilah Norazman is the founder of 15 Pretty Awesome Weeks, Singapore’s First Online Health and Body Transformation Program, made with love for Singaporeans. She is passionate about laughter, her family and friends and spreading love and inspiration. Grab some sneak peeks here. Oh, and don’t be so tensed up ok? 

We cannot let up on our fight to demand to the government to be transparent and accountable to Singaporeans on what exactly they are doing with our CPF. The facts need to be known to Singaporeans. If today we cannot retire because we do not have enough in our CPF, we need to know the facts about what the government has been doing with it.

On 23 August, there will be the third edition of the #ReturnOurCPF event. In the first edition on June 7, the speakers revealed to you the facts that the government has finally admitted to how they are using our CPF to invest in the GIC. In the second edition on 12 July, we exposed further information about the estimated number of Singaporeans who were not able to meet the CPF Minimum Sum.

Join us at the third edition as we reveal even more glaring facts about how our CPF is being used by the HDB and for housing, and find out why Singaporeans are not able to retire adequately, because of the HDB.

You can join the Facebook event page here.

淡马锡控股有用新加坡人的公积金去进行投资吗？你可以在这里阅读关于这件事情。

在目前政府处理我们的公积金政策情况下，我们不可能放弃斗争而要求政府对人民采取透明化和可信任的政策的。新加坡人有权知道事实的真相。假设今天我们无法退休是因为我们没有足够的公积金，那么，我们有权知道政府是如何动用我们的公积金的真相！

我们将于2014年8月23日在芳林公园举行的第三场《归还我们的公积金》集会。在2014年6月7日的第一场集会，我们的演讲者已经向您们揭露了政府终于最后承认他们是如何动用我们的公积金投资在GIC。在2014年7月12日，我们举行的第二场集会，我们的演讲者暴露了更多的信息有关许多新加坡人的公积金户头无法达到最低存款的要求的原因。

请出席的第三场《归还我们的公积金》集会。我们将会进一步揭露更多有关我们的公积金被用在建屋发展局的住房建设令人惊奇的事实！以及为什么新加坡人无法安心的退休是由于建屋发展局造成的原因。

您可以到FACEBOOK的网页报名参加。

Roy Ngerng

*The writer blogs at http://thehearttruths.com/

The Straits Times carried an article today by reporter Toh Yong Chuan who advocated that the government should put even more restrictions on demonstrations at Hong Lim Park.

He felt that people shouldn't go there to simply vent frustrations and anger without "rational criticism".

Straits Times Reporter, Toh Yong Chuan, who is also the former Press Secretary of Wong Kan Seng at MHA asks for Code of Conduct in Hong Lim Park to be implemented and decries the anti-government tone of the protests.

Is this guy alright? We citizens have already ceded so much of democratic space to a dictatorial Government and now he wants to implement rules to govern our conduct in the only token free space?

And why do these Straits Times reporters all sound like each other in their false pretenses of being champions of rational criticism?

Boycott Straits Times & Zaobao

*Article first appeared on https://www.facebook.com/BoycottSTZB/photos/a.480957448685338.1073741825...

In ancient times, an Emperor could rule for decades without much disruptions in China and he could still be regarded as the best Emperor in history. But can you imagine if Mr. Lee Kuan Yew continues to rule Singapore by these days? Using his old "knuckle duster" political style to rule in this era which is filled with rapid opening up of information flow and quick public opinion sharing instances due to the advancement of internet and social media?

His son, the current Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has tried to emulate his style of "knuckle duster" politics by suing a blogger Roy for defamation. For the record, this is the FIRST time a politician in Singapore has sued a blogger and "layman" on the street for defamation. I cannot recall any other instances that other politicians in Singapore, including Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, had sued a non-politician for defamation. In the end, PM Lee gets all the flak and suffered a spectacular backlash when Roy was able to do successful crowd funding through internet to raise more than enough funds for his legal battle. All these cannot be achieved without the social media which is lacking during LKY's time.

Politicians of this era, especially in Singapore, should realize that the revolutionary impact brought upon us by this internet social media advancement is 1000 times much greater than the birth of radio and television in the early 20th century. In the last century, government like ours could well exert full control on these two public communication instruments and deny or restrict local citizens from access to foreign news channel and such, but in this century, PAP could no longer put a restrain on Singaporeans' access to internet and social media without great social, economic and political repercussions. It is the "MONSTER" that will destroy dictatorship.

We have seen great political leaders in last century who had successfully used the relatively new public communication instruments like radio and television to fight war as well as elections. Sir Winston Churchill has successfully used radio broadcast to crystallized the determination of the British people in fighting the World War II against Nazi Hilter. Without such "political talk" via radio, Britain would have fallen as a result of declining morale and determination to hold out as the last outpost in Europe against Nazi domination.

The Americans have been utilizing Television images extensively in their political hustling. The first most successful politician who used Television to win his Presidential Elections is John Kennedy. Reagan has also used TV very successfully in sustaining his reasoning in public discourse of his various warring hard stance as well as Reaganomics.

These are the reasons why PAP is so afraid that opposition politicians may gain access to these public communication channels that it has exerted an iron fist full control over all media, including newspapers, radio and television. Such total control over the media had allowed PAP to do whatever it likes without suffering any serious political backlash. This is the fundamental reasons why "knuckle duster politics" can exert such a blanket FEAR over Singaporeans as well as opposition politicians and activists.

In response, opposition political parties and politicians would naturally become more conservative in their political approach, else they risk become the victims of PAP's unchecked wrath, just like JB Jeyaratnam and Dr Chee Soon Chuan. The FEAR factor was pretty much alive.

The more successful leadership during that period is a leadership of self-preservation. Rightfully so, Mr. Low Thia Khiang and Mr. Chiam See Tong were able to sail through such turbulent era relatively unscarred.

Workers Party in particular, has excelled under the leadership of LTK during the past 14 years. It is just a clear indication and testimony that his style of leadership WAS relevant for the past decade which brings upon success without getting his "ship" sunk by PAP.

However, we must understand that LTK's continued conservatism in his management of Workers Party may not be desirable for WP to carry out the next leap towards "World Class Political Party".  

In this era of Internet New Social Media, any politician or political party that shut itself out of this tidal wave of new public communication channel is just like Winston Churchill turning away from radio broadcasting and John Kennedy discarding TV media altogether.

It seems that for whatever reasons, WP under LTK is more afraid of Internet social media than anyone else. None of its politicians have effectively discussed of any current issues or affairs of the day or week, other than publishing their (approved) parliamentary speeches on their blogs, website or Facebook. Social media like Facebook allows politicians to have instant direct access to engagement with citizens with minimum cost. Politics should be played out with constant engagement with constituents and thus, created the ability to CONNECT to the ground so that the politicians could reflect their views and voices in parliament.

It is very surprising that WP isn't doing all that. WP CEC members and MPs,  under LTK's leadership, have been banned from active internet engagement unless sanctioned and they are also banned from participation from social-political activism like protests at Hong Lim Park, be it against 6.9m Population White Paper or CPF. This is why you don't see them around these protests. These "physical protests" on the ground have amplified impact when the social media is used to put up the speeches and messages derived from such activities. It sometimes make one wonder whether WP is conscious or even care about these issues or not due to its inaction.

The fearful complacency that WP has demonstrated under LTK's leadership may make it irrelevant to the time of internet evolution and revolution. In countries all around the world, in particularly our neighbours like Malaysia and Indonesia, political awakening and change have been accelerated by the wide use of internet social media. Singapore profess to have one of the highest internet usage by its citizens but it seems that opposition parties like WP isn't making use of these channels effectively to create the desirable change we are looking for. The only consolation is that there are other non-partisan activists who have taken up the role in creating waves of public opinion and providing strong public discourse against PAP's flawed policies.

But I feel that in order for the leading opposition party like WP, it will need to reinvent itself so that it could capitalize on the tidal waves that internet social media is creating.  Perhaps there could be a change of leadership in WP during tomorrow's WP Ordinary Party Congress. WP cadres may need to seriously think about what kinds of leadership they need in order for them to ride on the waves of Internet Social Media effectively.

As for the other opposition parties, it seems that only SDP has a relatively more effective presence in internet. Reform Party's Kenneth Jeyaratnam has been very active as well, both in online and offline activism. NSP will have to seriously revamp itself in terms of active internet engagement. Depending on Nicole Seah alone isn't going to be effective.

In contrast, PAP has been actively trying to figure out what is the best way to utilize this new internet social media to their advantages. Even their ministers and MPs are trying hard to use these social media to enhance their communication capabilities, amidst some clumsiness at first sight. I believe with accumulated experiences, they might be able to utilize these internet social media tools in an extremely effective manner. But I guess they will need to remove their leaders who are really out of tune and out of sync of this new internet era, particularly their Secretary General who has created a big backlash by suing a layman. 

The Internet Era has proven to be a game changer in political contests. It has more or less leveled the fighting field, rendering the traditional control of mass media channels of those incumbents irrelevant. Although internet has provided a CHEAP way for political players to access to a potent channel of mass communication, but it also demanded a more interactive means of engagement instead of the traditional Top-Down information feeding approach.

All the advantages of such cheap mass communication channel have been explored by many people all over the world but it is quite disheartening to see that the leadership of the major opposition party isn't catching up with time. Such inert and conservative management mindset may eventually result in the missing the greatest opportunity in our time to effect the great changes we yearn for.

Democracy is based on a few things and principles, of which free flow of ideas and information are the important features that would result in an open, transparent and intellectual discussion of ideas and policies. We just need the right leadership in this internet era who are open to more active engagement and utilization of the mass media communication opportunities provided by internet social media. 

Goh Meng Seng

*The writer is the former Secretary General of the National Solidarity Party. He blogs regularly at http://singaporealternatives.blogspot.com/

So far, I have taken quite a lot of taxis to go for job interviews.

Not that I am rich enough to take taxis but as I have sweating issues around my back and armpit areas, I usually prefer to take taxis.

Along the way, I would usually converse with taxi drivers and when the topic goes to PAP, taxi drivers usually launch into a bitter tirade against PM Lee Hsien Loong.

Let's look at some of the ways why taxi drivers have so much hatred against the PAP.

1) Taxi driving is hard work. Try imagining yourself sitting in a taxi for 8 hours. Many taxi drivers told me that they have to drink less water to make less trips to the toilet. They are also unable to stretch their legs as their feet are constantly on the brake and accelerator pedals. And they are unable to doze off.

2) Taxi driving exposes you to difficult passengers. 

Some taxi drivers have told me that with so many foreigners, they meet new challenging customers from Vietnam, PRC, India with the mentality that Singapore owes them a living. 

Some Malay and Indian taxi drivers told me that they have a hard time getting money from PRCs who don't speak English. 

Besides the common runaway passengers who didn't pay, taxi drivers have to contend with passengers who throw up and babies who piss on their seats. 

3) Taxi drivers salaries have remained stagnated with rising rental rates.

Many taxi drivers have said that most of the time, whatever they read on SPH such as good GDP growth or Medisave boost or civil servants getting 1 month bonus doesn't apply to them at all. A few years ago, a certain transport minister even said that taxi drivers can earn more than $300 per day which riles them up even more.  So while PAP ministers enjoy their million dollar salaries, taxi drivers livelihood didn't improve.

4) Taxi drivers are usually the last profession you will do if you get retrenched. To qualify to be a taxi driver, you must be a Singapore citizen. So with you are retrenched in your 40s, it's very hard to find another job due to your age. The only job that you can land easily is to be a taxi driver as this is the only profession which foreigners cannot compete with you.

PAP has always put fear in Singaporeans, threatening us with chaos should PAP be voted out or take away our estate upgrading if we vote for opposition.

And yet, taxi drivers in Singapore have proven to be a resilient bunch of fearless Singaporeans who dared to speak out against PAP because they know that they have nothing to fear.

I have yet to find a taxi driver who is pro-PAP after taking so many taxi rides with them.

The closest was a taxi driver who told me that he volunteered with PAP 30 years ago when it was the Toh Chin Chye/ Goh Keng Swee era. Now, he sadly told me, that he cannot betray his own conscience. 

If every Singaporean were to think along this taxi driver, PAP will definitely fear us instead of we fearing PAP. 

CJ

TRS Contributor

The PAP’s image has taken a big hit with its handling of the CPF money. Netizens are making all kinds of suspicious and derogatory remarks of the PAP and forming a very negative impression of what it is doing with their money. Yes, it is a perception, but it is a very bad perception that the PAP has to live with. Can it ignore such a perception and think that everything will be fine and the next GE will just be fine without doing anything to clear the damaging image, without correcting the impression?

Here is an example posted by a blogger in TRE,

• pioneer_generation:
July 11, 2014 at 8:21 am (Quote)

The PAP just cannot keep their grubby hands off any money belonging to the citizens. The excess premiums are desperately needed to make up for all their poor investments and losses after being cheated and easily swindled by the banks, crooks and sweet talkers. They are like little spoilt children in a toy store. I want, I want, I want…… without ever to have to pay for it. Now they find the cupboard bare, so they have to retain the citizen’s CPF, rob their medisave funds and sell them grossly inflated HDB flats to make up the shortfalls. We are really in a fix! Fixed by the PAP! We have to unfix ourselves by kicking them out so that later generations can have a fresh start. Never again should we give any political party unlimited and uncontrolled power. After all they are only humans. They cheat, lie, screw around like anybody else.

The strong words used and the thinking behind the words speak a lot about what the blogger thinks. And if more and more people are thinking this way, PAP will have a tough time living it up and living up to this image.

How would the PAP’s PR team tackle this adverse publicity and a perception that will be costly if not explained away? It would take a very stubborn or confident PAP to think that they can live with it and continue to do as they think right, be like deaf frogs and keep on climbing up the mountain, ignoring all the noises from the lunatic fringe. It will take a very brave man, or a very stupid one, to think all is fine. Just keep delaying the return of the CPF money under all the good and caring excuses. Just keep loading up on the premiums for the MediShield Life for all contingencies and for the rainy days of tomorrow. The people will understand and accept them quietly like in the past and will keep on voting for the party and all its good policies.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean

*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com

在以韩慧慧小姐和鄞义林先生为首的受英文教育年轻群体的不懈努力下，被行动党封尘超过半个世纪的公积金神秘面罩终于像剥洋葱皮一样一层层的被他们剥开了！

世界各国的历史一再说明一个事实：扫帚不到灰尘不会自己跑掉！对待像行动党这样骄横跋扈的霸权统治者就是必须这样穷追猛打！没有其他途径可供选择！

在《归还我们的公积金》的问题上，现在走到台前来浑身解数表演的只有善达曼和陈川仁。

善达曼就是一只煮熟了的鸭子！——嘴硬！

陈川仁就是一只烤熟了的乳猪！——皮脆！

现在还没有正式出场表演的还有谁？

GIC的前任主席——现GIC董事会高级顾问：李光耀

新加坡总理——GIC董事会主席：李显龙

GIC的前任主席——新加坡总统：陈庆元

新加坡副总理兼安全统筹部长——董事：张志贤

新加坡贸工部长——董事：林勋强

新加坡教育部长——董事：王瑞杰

丑媳妇总要见家翁！他们要不要走到台前来，咱们管不了！

咱们当前就是继续找出更多的事实让新加坡人民知道我们的公积金是如何被行动党动用投资到GIC和淡马锡控股的历史真相！

韩慧慧小姐和鄞义林先生在这方面已经为我们开动了《归还我们的公积金》的列车了！

不论行动党的那些大权贵们是要站着把真相告诉老百姓！还是要躺在列车轨道等着列车把他们辗过去，咱们也管不了！

行动党的大权贵没有能力改变这列车行驶的方向已经是一个不可逆转转的事实是：《归还我们的公积金》号列车将在轨道上继续往前行驶知道把所有有关我们的公积金的问题的证据装满车厢为止！

为了进一步揭穿行动党与淡马锡控股之间的勾勾搭搭，韩慧慧小姐将于2014年8月23日下午4点正在芳林公园举行第三场《归还我们的公积金》集会。本次集会的主题是：

1.淡马锡控股确实是通过曲线手段动用了我们的公积金！

2.建屋发展局是动用我们的公积金最大政府部门！

3，新加坡人无法也不敢轻易退休的真正原因是我们的公积金大部分已经用着支付建屋发展局的组屋租赁金！

Wang Rui Rong

*The author blogs at http://wangruirong.wordpress.com

Dr. Ng Eng Hen,
Minister of Defense

Mr. Lee Hsien Loong,
Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore

To whom it may concern:

Re: Abolition of National Service

With regards to the NLB saga, this writer understands that the NLB’s original decision to remove and pulp several books such as “And Tango Makes Three” was because these books espoused ideas that are not in keeping with the norms, social mores and values of conservative mainstream Singaporeans. These norms, social mores and values includes taboos against same-sex relationships and that the government regards a family unit to comprise of a husband, wife, children and the parents if they are still alive.

This being the case, on behalf of the people of Singapore, this writer calls upon the government to abolish National Service because NS runs contrary to these norms, social mores and values and in addition, promotes ideas contrary to ideas and concepts that the government wants to promote among Singaporeans. This notion can and will be proven in the following paragraphs.

1) NS runs contrary to traditional family units: As noted above, the government regards a family unit as comprising of a husband, wife, children and the parents if they are still alive. In stark contrast, NS requires teenage boys to leave their homes and families thus breaking up the family unit for 2 years. Even worse, the boys are then housed under conditions that might encourage deviant (according to the government definition of family) conduct as can be seen in the next paragraph.

2) NS provides conditions conducive to the formation of same-sex relationships and other deviant sexual behavior: Teenage boys undergoing NS are required to eat, live, sleep and bathe together. No doubt this is to foster a sense of camaraderie and togetherness. Nonetheless, this is also how married couples spend their lives together and in all likelihood, same-sex couples as well. Also, are you aware that the buddy system practiced in NS actually originated from the Spartans, who encouraged their conscripted soldiers to engage in same-sex relationships because they rightly believe that a man will fight to the death to protect what he loves and cherishes most?

The logic here of course is that two soldiers engaged in a same-sex relationship will fight ferociously, even to the death to the detriment of their enemies in order to protect each other. Moreover, servicemen undergoing NS are deprived of female companionship for extended periods of time. They are also told their rifles are their wives. Won’t this run the risk of some sex-starved servicemen actually having sexual relations with their rifles then, be it having penetrative sex with the rifle breech or sodomizing themselves with the barrel? Abolishing NS will eliminate such risks don’t you think, since they will then not have access to the rifles?

3) NS teaches Singaporeans to become xenophobic: The strongest possible proof of this comes from Sembawang GRC MP Dr. Lim Wee Kiak, who openly said that NS should remain a privilege for only Singaporeans. Isn’t his statement xenophobic since it openly discriminates against foreigners? Also, Mr. Lee, you yourself have openly said that Singapore belongs to everyone living here, Singaporean or foreigner alike. In stark contrast, NS teaches every male Singaporean that foreigners are here to take everything that Singaporeans have worked so hard to build up away from us. Even worse, NS teaches us that foreigners are our enemies and that we must be prepared to kill them if necessary to keep Singapore for ourselves exclusively. Worst of all, NS actually teaches us to kill them to drive them out of the country. How much xenophobic can you get than this Mr. Lee?

4) NS promotes ageism: Isn’t TAFEP encouraging employers to employ older workers? And Mr. Lee, didn’t you say that one reason why you don’t want immigrants to serve NS is because you don’t want to be the PC in charge of soldiers in their 30s, 40s & 50s? Is it because older soldiers are not as good as younger ones? With all due respect, as you’re a former army general, can you state categorically if all general officers in the SAF think the same way as you do?

Also, there is a very serious logical flaw here. If foreigners in their 30s, 40s & 50s are considered too old to serve, then shouldn’t the NS liability of all Singaporean males end at age 29, and at age 30 they receive their honorable discharge and wristwatch because after age 30 they too would be too old to serve? And conversely, if Singaporeans aged 30 to 50 are not considered too old to serve, then aren’t foreigners in this age bracket also still young enough to serve? Isn’t this demonstrating ageism against the foreigners then?

Are foreigners so physically inferior to Singaporeans that a 50-year-old Singaporean is combat-fit whereas a 30-year-old foreigner is not despite being 20 years younger? In that case, shouldn’t these foreigners be unfit to work here at all? Or is it simply because Singaporeans age much faster than any other nationalities because there have been many floods in the country despite the fact that flooding occurs only once in every 50 years here?

5) NS promotes segregation between Singaporeans & foreigners: Mr. Lee, didn’t you often say that you want to see Singaporeans integrating with the foreigners and learning to accept and adapt to their ways? Since foreigners are exempted from serving NS while it is mandatory for Singaporeans, this means that will be an automatically built-in them versus us divide in relations between Singaporeans and foreigners. How can we Singaporeans expect the foreigners to understand what we have gone through in NS when they have not done so themselves?

At least female Singaporeans know what it’s like for their husbands, sons and brothers to be separated from them to serve NS, even if they don’t have to serve it themselves. And how can the foreigners in turn understand the sacrifices that we make for the country when they’re here freeloading at our expense? Since NS is dividing the country, shouldn’t it be abolished in the interest of preserving national unity? Or alternatively, if you say that NS promotes community bonding and social integration among Singaporeans, then shouldn’t foreigners also serve NS so as to promote community bonding and social integration between them and us? Otherwise, how can there ever be true integration between them and us when NS is always creating a barrier against it?

6) NS teaches us to defend the undesirable: Didn’t Mr. Lawrence Wong say that NS men are serving to defend such undesirables as the casinos, Gardens-by-the-Bay & the F1 pit building? Mr. Lee, Dr. Ng, I will fight to the death to defend my family and friends because I care about them, my home because it is where my family lives and the factory I work in because it pays my salary so that I can look after my family.

I will NOT defend Gardens-by-the-Bay because it is a monument to hubris in destroying the forest that grew there once in order to create an artificial forest. Nor will I ever defend the F1 pit building, because it is promotes the unhealthy value of squandering huge sums of money on an event that provides little benefit for the majority of Singaporeans when the money spent can be put to far better use providing healthcare subsidies or helping the needy and less-fortunate.

And I will NEVER defend the 2 casinos since they are vice dens that promote the highly undesirable pastime of gambling and will cause serious social problems. And for that matter, WHY should any Singaporean have to defend them since they were built as playthings for the super-rich against our objections anyway?! If the wealthy want them, then let the wealthy themselves defend these things since they were intended for them and not for us.

So there you have it Mr. Lee, Dr. Ng, the reasons why NS is contrary to the norms, values and social mores of most Singaporeans, why it also promotes ideas contrary to ideas and concepts that the government encourages in Singaporeans and creates barriers preventing integration between Singaporeans and foreigners. For the sake of preserving family values and social norms, preventing the possible development of unhealthy social relationships between the servicemen as well as to promote integration between Singaporeans and foreigners, this writer hopes that the government will set narrow parochial interests aside and abolish NS for the greater good of the country instead.

Thanks and best regards.

Darth Vader

Heard Chuan Jin using this same argument again at the CPF forum. So? Is this an acceptable reason for the govt to hold back the people’s life savings? Many people would not have enough savings in their CPF anyway. This is a normal scenario in all countries. But very few would be so desperate to need govt handouts. So?

Whether people spent away their life savings prematurely, many would not have anything left or enough to feed themselves past 70 anyway, is a different problem and a different matter. Many would have other means and sources of income to keep them going. And for those who don’t have any money left, not necessary squandering their CPF savings away, as they just did not have the means to save enough, not clever enough to earn millions, what is the govt going to do about them?

Just because some people have some savings in their CPF, does it mean that the govt can grab hold of this money on the excuse or pretext that they would spend them and would have nothing in old age? How many have the good fortune to have enough savings to last through their lives?

What is the govt going to do with people that have no savings and still need to live on? These are stupid people, irresponsible people, they deserve to starve to death? Smart people and responsible people may also end up in such a situation through a stroke of bad luck or misfortune.

It is not a reason or a good reason for the govt to hold on to the people’s money in the CPF on the ground that they people would spend them and left with nothing. Many would spend them, for the right or wrong reasons. So? Is this a justifiable reason, morally and ethical reason to hijack the people’s savings, all the people’s savings, because a few may need help? Even God would not have the audacity or arrogance to make such a decision, to take the people’s money away from them.

Life is not so simple as one would expect it. Save, save a lot, be thrifty, be responsible and you will be alright. Some of the super talents and millionaire ministers may end up bankrupt and needing govt assistance one day.

What is the problem with the govt’s justification to withhold the people’s life savings, to manage it at its own discretion, without needing the consent of the people, the owners of the money?

What is the govt going to tell those who would not live past 65 or 70 and did not have the chance to spend their life savings to live a few good days or a few good years. There will be more who would not benefit from their life savings due to premature death than the few who would need govt assistance.

Please tell the people it is your right as a democratically elected govt to do such a thing.

Chua Chin Leng AKA RedBean

*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/

The PAP government compensates foreigners for inflation when they invest in Singapore government bonds, but did not compensate Singaporeans for inflation when the MOF took in their CPF money via SSGS.

Singaporeans are therefore short-changed by the PAP for giving them a negative real yield on their CPF savings.

How do we end up in this situation?

Unlike other major economies which use interest-rate policy to ease/tighten monetary conditions, the MAS use exchange-rate policy to control monetary conditions: eg the MAS would maintain the “modest and gradual appreciation” stance of the SGD NEER (nominal effective exchange rate) by lowering/raising the steepness of the policy slope or change the centre or width of the policy band–depending on the state of the economy or the pace of inflation.

For simplicity: Let’s say inflation rises from 1.0% to 2.5%. The MAS can increase the slope from 1.0% to 2.5% or raise the centre of the policy band to guide a faster appreciation of the Singapore dollar, eg by 2.5% in a year. That means a foreign investor earns the nominal yield on the bond, say 1.5%, plus the 2.5% exchange gain, for a total of 4.0%–the extra 2.5% to compensate for inflation.

But there’s no exchange gain for Singaporean CPF members, as they are locals investing in Singapore dollar-denominated bonds.

For local investors in Singapore government bonds to be fairly treated like the foreigners in terms of yield compensation, the mechanism of MAS monetary policy must change from exchange-rate policy to interest-rate policy–just as how other major developed-market economies conduct their policies.

MAS Monetary Policy Is Culprit

I’ll be frank here! PAP Grassroots movement has devolved for the worse. Previously, grassroots volunteers were mainly bread-&-butter wage earners. Truth is those grassroots volunteers served because of certain fringe benefits. I’ll not go into these in detail as most people are aware of them. However, the grassroots volunteers then were closely aligned with the electorate because they themselves were HDB residents. But overtime, the key criteria for most grassroots volunteer service is having 2 bites of the HDB cherry. Once that has been exhausted, there is very little incentive to stay on.

To replace these wage earning HDB residents type of grassroots, the professional, managerial, executive class started to infiltrate the grassroots movement. I’ll illustrate with 2 analogy – the first was a Colombo Plan scholar – he failed in the private sector. But as he was very active in the typical CCMC/CCC movement activities – he managed to connect & get a job with a GLC. The GLC CEO there didn’t think highly of him, put him into non-operational role. He continues to work hard on his CCMC/CCC activities because he was insecure! Bloody fella had to put in the day & weekdays in normal job followed by after work grassroots activities plus occasional weekend walkabouts with MP. I don’t envy him as his wife & children hardly get to see him.

The second is a high powered professional working in the corporate sector. Both the professional & the spouse served in their constituency grassroots. When the spouse lost his job after the company closed, he was able to secure one with a GLC almost immediately. They are still active in grassroots activities. Both examples stay in landed property & owned cars. How can they understand the specific problems of the HDB heartlanders?

Around the turn of 2000s, the contractors & labour service providers started to get involve with grassroots movements. Why? The construction contracting business began to be able to secure more foreign workers quotas from the govt. There was an easing of immigration policy towards foreigners. Previously, PAP govt. adjusted foreign workers quota &/or increase worker’s levies to regulate foreign worker’s numbers. The easing was a godsend – some contractors who are wise to the game ‘cheong’ for public sector projects even if they lose money. The trick was to secure the foreign workers quota to do the project – that’s the money maker!

In a crony capitalist economy – there is an element of lobbying to secure economic privileges. That is the US model. In Singapore, the lobbying is done at the grassroots level cosying up to the MP. The grassroots have become a new frontier for Singapore crony capitalism. Previously grassroots volunteers were wage earners & HDB dwellers simply in for the 2 bites of the HDB cherry. These days, the grassroots game has risen as businessmen in their Mercedes Benz or Lexus participate in such activities. Isn’t the grassroots movement becoming a lobbyist environment?

grassroots-a-nest-of-cronies

After Raymond's kids moved out to set up their own homes, he decided to downgrade from his landed property and move into a small condominium unit with his wife.  Maintaining his own house was getting to be quite a chore for his creaking bones. The extra money would make retirement a bit more pleasant, as it was tiresome being asset-rich and cash poor. Although he had no fixed income, the Annual Value (AV) of his property probably resulted in his receipt of $100 per annum for the 5-year Medisave Top-Up a.k.a. "Benefits from Budget 2014". That's less than $10 per month.

Lim was retrenched at age 58, and never managed to secure steady employment since. He decided to sell his 3-room flat and move in with his daughter as she has only one child, and there was an extra room. The proceeds from the sale should take care of the evening years for him and his homemaker wife. The son-in-law was never excited about Lim's retirement plans, and would express his unhappiness every so often. Since he is now asset-less, Lim was entitled to $200 for his 5-year Medisave Top-Up, plus his $250 (GST Voucher-Cash) and $250 (GST Voucher-Cash: Seniors' Bonus).

The irony is that Raymond had been a life-long supporter of the current regime, and had always been voting for the "correct" political party. A civil servant from first job to retirement, he felt short-changed. Lim was one of those embittered uncles who would rant to anyone within hearing range of his "kopi-tiam kakis". You would too, if your private sector career was ruined by a cheaper foreign talent import. Besides going on about the evils of GST, he is equally vocal about CPF Life and the Minimum Sum.

The Permanent Secretary (Finance)(Performance) who signed off the GST Voucher letter wrote:

"We hope that this letter has been written in a way that is clear to you. If not, please let us have suggestions on how to improve this letter at gstvoucher@cpf.gov.sg."

What is clear is that GST is still regressive, with or without the "permanent" GST rebates. One suggestion is to bring the letter to the smallest room in the house. First it is in front of you, then it is behind you, then flushed away with a copious amount of water.

Based on the 7% GST, People paying a few thousand dollars each year with income or no income. Then the GST "rebates" give you back peanuts.

The piece of paper reminds me I am a monkey. Yes, now I need to flush it down the toilet.

Tattler

*The writer blogs at http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/

Recently, I chanced upon an advertisement by an Indian consultancy firm and promising Indian nationals of good jobs in Singapore. 

The slogan says, "If you can dream it, we can make it happen".

Over the years, Singapore PAP has made no apologies for selling our country out by signing FTA with India and China.

In the FTA Info Kit, the agreement states that PAP will provide jobs for Indian nationals in more than 127 professions. India is more than happy to get rid of some of its 1.3 billion people and PAP is more than happy to accept them to boost their GDP numbers (their bonuses) and shore up PAP votes. PAP's lame defence is that these foreigners help to increase real wages of locals.

Click on: http://www.fta.gov.sg/ceca/ceca_india_infokit.pdf