Thursday, May 29, 2014

We want right Policies NOT right Politics

There goes PM again, he said they need to get their politics right.  To hear that is scary for us ordinary citizens. Right politics only means they want to remain in power at all cost.

How to get the policies right if protection of party's interest is top priority ? 

Then he goes on to say we must share in order to have a first class transport. Is there a transport fare hike soon?

What makes him think just because the govt is bailing out SBS and SMRT, we will have a 1st class transport ?  Looks like they make the mistake to privatize them. Didn't they just spend millions of tax payers' money to help them get new buses recently. So it didn't work ? Now they have to pour in even more money at tax payers' expense.

Reminded  me of the TV program The Noose. One of the funny parts which we can connect with is :-

A Noose report interviewed a mother with school going children. She said that her child used to wait 20 mins for the bus and it took another 20 mins bus journey to reach school. But with the improved service - the bus came every other min but her child took 1 hour to reach school due to the worsening traffic congestion.

Does PM realised that HDB heartlands are experiencing heavy traffic congestion which used to be in city areas only?

Talking Point on CPF - a waste of time

This week Talking Point over at CNA discussed the current hot topic of CPF.  Watching it is a waste of time. The selected speakers all agreed that the current CPF interest rate is good and reasonable as CPF is risk free.  Makes one wonder if this is a brain washing session or a talking cock session.

If our neighbour Malaysia can give so much higher return and their fund is not even among the top 10 large funds. GIC and Temasek are in the top 10 list.

Even for those who meet the minimum sum requirement in their retirement account when they reached 55, the amount of payout in CPF Life when they are 65 is around $1,200. With inflation, will this amount be sufficient in 20 years time? Worse if you have homemaker wife, elderly parents or children still needing your support. That is why they keep telling us not to retire and work and work.

This is clear evident CPF has failed big time.  It is suppose to see us through retirement, and now we cannot retire as money is not enough.

One of the speakers, a Prof from NTU Economic Division is telling us that silly story again that if they let us withdraw it a 55, folks will spend it at one go and become tax payers' burden.  Please lah, this story don't work anymore. Where is the statistic to show there are so many foolish people in S'pore. No wonder our education system cannot product talent and we have to import them by tonnage from overseas. This is that kind of lecturer we have in our institute of higher learning.  He cannot even articulate and express himself well.

One of the suggestions made during the discuss is to have different rate of return for different risk CPF members are willing to take.  As it is, CPF policies are so messy and complicated already, we should simplify it and not make it messier by creating more accounts.

The very fact that it has gotten so complicated suggest it is not working and they keep trying to patch it up.  So we have :
1) ordinary a/c
2) medisave a/c (medishield, eldershield and coming medishield life link to it)
3) special a/c
4) retirement a/c (CPF life link to it)

So how many more a/c, shield or life we need to create before we can finally retire ?


Wednesday, May 28, 2014

How much compensation to give PM

If PM is looking to 'deep fried' Roy, no amount of compensation will make him happy. After all, through slip of the tongue, we know he will spend time 'fixing' those who oppose him.

Besides, for one earning millions and whose personal asset are likely in the range of 8 to 9 figures, his concept of money is different from us ordinary citizen. Born with a silver spoon in his month and never suffer financial hardship before, a 4-figure sum is definitely small change, peanuts and even derisory to him.

We feel ashamed to have such a thin skin, petty and big ergo leader. Wonder if we have break the genuine book of record for the number of law suits filed by the same family/political party.

Which public figure is not subjected to criticisms ? Even Saint Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi whom people affectionately called 'Mother' and 'Father' respectively, were not spared hard accusations. These great figures never turn vindictive. Gandhi even died blessing his assassin. Perhaps should not have compared him with such great personality, as he is no where near their league.

There is a Chinese saying 'No wind, no tide'.  If PM does not like the rising tide, then don't create the wind in the first place.  Yes, the irony is the wind is self-created by having himself and family members/political party in key positions in all our major financial institutions. Why the insistence of opacity in these institutions and our national reserve management ?  Why keep building brick walls between citizens' access to their own CPF money ?

It is not that we do not understand CPF policies.  In fact, people are getting to understand them too well in recent years.  Policies flaws cannot be explained away, they need to be rectified. Neither will law suit disperse citizens' questions.

Sunday, May 25, 2014

Politicians make good liars

There are many jokes about politicians, many relating to how they can lie without blinking. May be to them, they are not lying since they have a different mind set from us ordinary folks.  There are so many ways not to tell the truth - perhaps to a politician that is not lying.

A white lie could be to protect the interest of the citizens/country.  Could it be beating around the bush, playing with words, telling half truth and confusing folks with complicated but irrelevant data .. are not lies?

Why do politicians make good liars - BECAUSE they possess all the criteria needed :
- power (to silent, crush, sue......)
- confident (which is link to the power they possess)
- charisma (good to have but not necessary,  if one has absolute power to oppress)

Why do politicians lie - BECAUSE power tends to corrupt and could be use to protect their self interest and/or gain monetary.  It makes them feel 'invincible' as they can get away with it.  This feeds their power ego even more.

Why are politician 'successful' liars - BECAUSE people tend to trust those in power and authority.


Thursday, May 22, 2014

Cleaner whacking pigeons, kitten in rubbish bin and Otters

It was report in SPCA bulletin that a Town Council cleaner was seen going around whacking pigeons.  He then dumped the semi-conscious live birds in plastic bag.  Seems like this cleaner and his supervisor do not perceive it as an act of cruelty.  Could be because uniquely in S'pore, pigeons are  classify as pest and to be culled.

In London, pigeons are part of the attraction at Trafalgar Square. In the movie, Mary Poppins, the children were taught compassion and encouraged to feed the pigeons in one of its song Feed The Birds. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHrRxQVUFN4)

It was also reported that a kitten was dumped in a rubbish bin at the void deck. It was place in a tied up plastic bag.  Luckily its meowing lead to its rescue.  It was found soaked in its own urine in the bag.

What sort mentality these people have who can commit such cruel act.

Even folks who claimed to care about nature can also be senselessly cruel to one species while claiming to protect another.

At a talk conducted by Nature Society about otters making a come back in S'pore, an audience suggested whacking stray dogs which may intrude into the otters' hideout. These strays are local and have been hanging around that area. The otters are thought to have 'immigrated' from Johor area due to the extensive development recently.

We welcome the otters to make S'pore their home, but certainly our local strays should not suffered because of them. (sound rather similar to our immigrant and FT policies)

The speaker clarified that actually human post a greater disturbance to the otters.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Singapore Corruption Index

Singapore ranks well in the corruption index currently. Will we be able to maintain our good ranking in the future will depend on the governing party willingness to fix the existing systemic weakness.

We know that it only takes a straw to break a camel's back.  All it takes is a single weak link to undo a strong chain and...sigh ...there are so many weak links in the current system.  For example :

1) Having related parties (family ties and/or politically link) holding key positions in both our sovereign wealth funds and MAS

2) Non-transparency in areas our government deems 'sensitive', which sensitivity we as citizens questioned (eg financial standing of GIC and our country reserve)

3) Limitless number of terms our PM can govern

4) Political leaders governing the country need not declare their financial assets before taking office and during their terms

5) PM holding real power is not elected by the citizens, while the President who is elected has limitation in his role to provide 'check and balance'

6) Extraordinary high salary of governing politicians tied to GDP as one of the factors for their extraordinary bonus

7) MPs inspite of drawing high salary, work only part time and running around holding directorships in so many private companies.  Is there not conflict of interest when making policies ?

8) The existence of GRCs and senseless redrawing of electoral bountaries during every election