Here is Shanmugam expressing shock that one of resident complaining to him in an email is making racist remarks at another neighbor of a differnt race:
Mr Shanmugam wrote: “He then listed other Indians whom he found unpleasant - the Indian man smoking in the lift, the Indian woman with her dog, and his daughter’s Indian neighbour who walks around in a sarong, and said that he didn’t want his grandson growing up looking at Indian men in sarong.”
If I say I have an Chinese neighbor stinks does not bath every day and is untidy...likes to take of his shirt and show his bare-body or goes around in singlet...I hate another Chinese feller smoking at the stairwell all day. Then there is another Chinese feller who walks his dog everywhere and the dog pees here and there. Because I'm also Chinese, I'm not racist....but if I'm a non-Chinese, my complaints becomes racist.
Looks like the racist accusation in itself is racist!!!! There is a presumption of racism simply because a person of one race complains about a person/people of another race....if both are same race and the complaints are exactly the same, the complainant is not racist. The writer did not say all people of such a race have such a behavior but that specific behavior of people of certain people who happen to be of the same race around his neighborhood.
I would like to ask the Shanmuggum to wake up his idea....opps am I now a racist because I'm speaking against an Indian minister...sorry I didn't even notice his race just his lack of logic !
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
CPF Good or Bad Scheme?
The Japan Times
Singapore's paternalistic government is unappealing to many Americans — media restrictions, one-party rule, harsh penalties for gum-chewing. But Singapore's retirement system is a model of honesty and transparency compared with U.S. Medicare and Social Security. In 1984, then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew redesigned his country's retirement system to, as he later wrote, "avoid placing the burden of the present generation's welfare costs onto the next generation." Singapore makes no promises but instead requires all citizens to save up to 36 percent of their income for their own retirement and health care. The government invests the savings in stocks and bonds; the money is not used for current expenditures. The result? Singaporeans have comfortable retirements. Their health care system delivers better outcomes while costing 80 percent less than America's, according to 2010 findings from the World Health Organization, and all of it is financed without imposing debt on the next generation. Singapore even reported an uptick in medical tourism last year.
source : http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/eo20120821a1.html
Because some countries face funding issues with their pension schemes, they tend to see our system in which the full retirement responsibility rests on individuals with a favourable bias. However, they forget that their own schemes have been such as the US Social Security (started by Roosevelt in 1930s) has been in place longer than the existence of Singapore! Because they face funding issues in recent times and have to overcome them, they look to Singapore believing that we have a more sustainable and better system in place. This is a fallacy!!!!!!!
The CPF system under the current rules is in place for only 30-40 yrs. People place fully under this system started to retire in larger numbers only 10ys ago...that is when we start to see the emergence of working eldrly who can't retire. More than 50% of CPF members will not have enough minimum sum and are likely going to be forced to work without retirement or have a poor quality of retirement. Under the CPF scheme sibgapore will have the biggest proportion of "unable to retire people" among all developed countries....this is why so many of our elderly have to work. This is a failing scheme...the onky thing good is it keep taxes very low for the rich but it is extremely painful for the poor. The PAP created the most unequal economic system among developed countries then force the poor to save for their retirement...this is a bad system..
A retirement scheme that only has one good attribute that it does not burden the govt finances and keep taxes low but does not ensure that everyone can retire comfortably can't be good. It extends the harmful effects of our super high income inequality to the retirement phase of one's life has a divisive effect on our society. We cannot be so arrogant to believe this scheme is good and sustainable when it is around for only a few decades and the people under this scheme is only beginning to retire in large nunbers. We are in fact observing the signs of failure of this scheme as a growing number of Singaporeans are working into old age unable to retire at the same age as people in other countries. How can a retirement scheme be good when it does not ensure people can retire?!
Govt should not concede to demands of cyclists for own lane!
70 have died in past few ys this translate. to 1.5 per month because of this cyclists. demand govt spend money to build cycling. lanes. this. is an absurd demand. many. of the. cyclists. died on. the open road when they cycled for recreation ...it is their choice they. dont. use park connectors and cycle. at our parks like East Coast
...they choose. to endanger themselves.
Every month tens if not hundreds of singaporeans find they have late stage terminal cancer because they cannot afford screening checkups to detect the cancer early and the govt does not spend money to help them yet the cycling.ommunity want tax players to foot the bill for their choice of taking more risk on open roads...this is absurd.
...they choose. to endanger themselves.
Every month tens if not hundreds of singaporeans find they have late stage terminal cancer because they cannot afford screening checkups to detect the cancer early and the govt does not spend money to help them yet the cycling.ommunity want tax players to foot the bill for their choice of taking more risk on open roads...this is absurd.
The govt has already built 300km of park connectors for cyclists yet these cyclist choose to risk cycling on the open road. Other vehicles like cars and motorcycles have to pay ERP, road tax and COEs to go on the road. It is blatantly unfair to set aside special lanes on our roads in land scarce Singapore to meet the demands of these cyclists who contribute nothing to the costs.
Oh come on, the PAP does not need anymore feedback!!!!
The PAP govt is asking for more feedback:
http://www.facebook.com/REACHSingapore.
Singaporeans have been giving feedback for so many years. Why does the govt need some more feedback?!
http://www.facebook.com/REACHSingapore.
Singaporeans have been giving feedback for so many years. Why does the govt need some more feedback?!
What they need to do is solve the problems faced by Singaporeans. High housing costs, low pay and jobless PMETs in their 40s. We really appreciate if the govt can stop importing people and causing our problems to worsen.
The problem is not feedback but the PAP govt itself that does not want to do what the people want them to do. We want to know what is going on in Temasek and GIC - please let us know, we have the right to know. We want the PAP to stop increasing our cost of living - utilities bill, conservancy charges, bus fares - why does the PAP need feedback to get these things done. It is just common sense.
Tuesday, 21 August 2012
An Old Lady's Story....
Yesterday while having breakfast at the hawker center, I saw my neighbor talking to a group of elderly ladies. Rather animated like they were discussing something very dramatic.
Later in the evening I saw my neighbor asked her what were they discussing. She said one of the elderly woman in her sixties had just returned from China and had lots of stories to tell everyone. The elderly woman stayed at the rental block next to mine. So what happened to the woman in China, I asked my neighbor - "kena robbed is it?". My neighbor said "sort of, but not quite".
20 years ago the woman received a letter from China from a woman who said she was the sister of her late father....separated by the World War. The China woman wrote that her family was very poor and the family lived in poverty. The Singapore woman who was not rich and living in a flat too pity on her china relatives. She verified with other relatives that the China woman was indeed her aunt and really her father's sis. She decide to send $100 to her auntie to help her. 5 years later this auntie died, her nieces in China took over and corresponded with her. Told her china family situation had to gotten worse - hard to find jobs living from hand to mouth. To help she continued sending $100 to the family when when she get year end bonus she would send half to the family. She was very happy to get letters expressing gratitude.
3 months ago, the Singapore woman who was working as a coffee shop helper retired. The Singaporean boss whom she had been working for for 20 years, gave her $20K ask a retirement package. The Singaporean boss now owns 3 coffee shop, had kept all his Singaporean workers is one of the rare "good bosses" - he would give elderly workers $1000 for every year they worked for him when they retired. The woman delighted with her new found wealth decided to book a tour to China to visit her China family personally. A Singaporean nephew who is a regular traveler offered to accompany her the trip - perhaps worried she would get lost in China.
To make a long story short. When they for their way to the China address she had corresponded with for years, they saw a 2 storey concrete house with 2 SUVs parked in the compound. When she introduced herself, nobody knew who she was. They knew her late Chinese auntie but claimed they didn't know they had a cousin or auntie in Singapore. The Chinese auntie had 2 children now in the sixties living in the house. They claimed their mother never told them they had a cousin in Singapore - the person she wrote to apparently did not exist or nobody admitted being that person. They told her since she is a relative she can stay with them for a few days - they were okay with that. She found the family was rather rich by Chinese standards and seemed to live quite well - so where did the $100 she sent every month go? Nobody knows. But they treated her quite okay when she was there but she decided to stop giving them any more money....she felt a bit cheated but didn't tell them that.
Later in the evening I saw my neighbor asked her what were they discussing. She said one of the elderly woman in her sixties had just returned from China and had lots of stories to tell everyone. The elderly woman stayed at the rental block next to mine. So what happened to the woman in China, I asked my neighbor - "kena robbed is it?". My neighbor said "sort of, but not quite".
20 years ago the woman received a letter from China from a woman who said she was the sister of her late father....separated by the World War. The China woman wrote that her family was very poor and the family lived in poverty. The Singapore woman who was not rich and living in a flat too pity on her china relatives. She verified with other relatives that the China woman was indeed her aunt and really her father's sis. She decide to send $100 to her auntie to help her. 5 years later this auntie died, her nieces in China took over and corresponded with her. Told her china family situation had to gotten worse - hard to find jobs living from hand to mouth. To help she continued sending $100 to the family when when she get year end bonus she would send half to the family. She was very happy to get letters expressing gratitude.
3 months ago, the Singapore woman who was working as a coffee shop helper retired. The Singaporean boss whom she had been working for for 20 years, gave her $20K ask a retirement package. The Singaporean boss now owns 3 coffee shop, had kept all his Singaporean workers is one of the rare "good bosses" - he would give elderly workers $1000 for every year they worked for him when they retired. The woman delighted with her new found wealth decided to book a tour to China to visit her China family personally. A Singaporean nephew who is a regular traveler offered to accompany her the trip - perhaps worried she would get lost in China.
To make a long story short. When they for their way to the China address she had corresponded with for years, they saw a 2 storey concrete house with 2 SUVs parked in the compound. When she introduced herself, nobody knew who she was. They knew her late Chinese auntie but claimed they didn't know they had a cousin or auntie in Singapore. The Chinese auntie had 2 children now in the sixties living in the house. They claimed their mother never told them they had a cousin in Singapore - the person she wrote to apparently did not exist or nobody admitted being that person. They told her since she is a relative she can stay with them for a few days - they were okay with that. She found the family was rather rich by Chinese standards and seemed to live quite well - so where did the $100 she sent every month go? Nobody knows. But they treated her quite okay when she was there but she decided to stop giving them any more money....she felt a bit cheated but didn't tell them that.
A Malay ex-neighbor I met yesterday....
This Malay neighbor of mine got married 4 yrs ago. Know him well enough to be
invited to his wedding party. Malay wedding for me was quite an eye opener... so
colorful. After he got married he stayed at his mom's 2-room flat with 2
unmarried brothers, his mom and dad ...and wife. Altogether 6 people in one
small flat but everything was quite alright.
His first child was born 3 years ago and 2nd child was born 2 years ago. Working as a dispatch rider his pay was $800-$1000. When his 2nd child was born, really too crowded so his wife and his mom started quarreling. So he decided to move out because cannot "tahan" anymore. He tried to rent a place from HDB but there was a queue so he apply and wait. In the meantime how? He tried to look for place to rent but his $1K after pay rent not even enough to buy milk powder. Quite frustrated he move his whole family to JB since the 2 young kids didn't go to school, it was no problem. Rented an apartment for RM$400 then everyday commute to work like Johoreans working in Singapore.
One year ago he got his taxi license and decided to drive taxi. However, he worked out that if he moved his family back to Singapore, will be too financially stretched so he continued staying in JB. Taxi driver also need a period to ramp up their earnings....initially might have to make losses because not familiar with road and strategy. Everyday he would park his taxi at a place near Woodlands then take the bus into JB to be with his family. If he drive the taxi into JB, he would have to pay RM$30 per direction so he decided to save this cost. So everyday for 1 year, he took bus to Woodlands to drive his taxi and then every evening...late at night, he left his taxi in Woodlands and take the bus to JB..to save the RM$30. Sometimes we go into Malaysia, we complain customs and immigration too slow and time consuming...imagine doing it everyday for 1 whole year.
After 1 year he was able to save $13,500 and his skill in driving taxi and looking passengers improved. With this confidence, he took his family back to Singapore where his heart belongs so that he could be back near his extended family. HDB also granted him a rental flat so he has a place to stay.
In our society, we like to say certain races don't work hard and so on. Some believe people are poor because they don't work hard enough. We like to stereotype people....we only make these conclusions out of prejudice and ignorance. The fact is the poor works harder than most of us, they are poor because they are in jobs that underpay for their labour...we don't understand the pain they go through and their struggles.
His first child was born 3 years ago and 2nd child was born 2 years ago. Working as a dispatch rider his pay was $800-$1000. When his 2nd child was born, really too crowded so his wife and his mom started quarreling. So he decided to move out because cannot "tahan" anymore. He tried to rent a place from HDB but there was a queue so he apply and wait. In the meantime how? He tried to look for place to rent but his $1K after pay rent not even enough to buy milk powder. Quite frustrated he move his whole family to JB since the 2 young kids didn't go to school, it was no problem. Rented an apartment for RM$400 then everyday commute to work like Johoreans working in Singapore.
One year ago he got his taxi license and decided to drive taxi. However, he worked out that if he moved his family back to Singapore, will be too financially stretched so he continued staying in JB. Taxi driver also need a period to ramp up their earnings....initially might have to make losses because not familiar with road and strategy. Everyday he would park his taxi at a place near Woodlands then take the bus into JB to be with his family. If he drive the taxi into JB, he would have to pay RM$30 per direction so he decided to save this cost. So everyday for 1 year, he took bus to Woodlands to drive his taxi and then every evening...late at night, he left his taxi in Woodlands and take the bus to JB..to save the RM$30. Sometimes we go into Malaysia, we complain customs and immigration too slow and time consuming...imagine doing it everyday for 1 whole year.
After 1 year he was able to save $13,500 and his skill in driving taxi and looking passengers improved. With this confidence, he took his family back to Singapore where his heart belongs so that he could be back near his extended family. HDB also granted him a rental flat so he has a place to stay.
In our society, we like to say certain races don't work hard and so on. Some believe people are poor because they don't work hard enough. We like to stereotype people....we only make these conclusions out of prejudice and ignorance. The fact is the poor works harder than most of us, they are poor because they are in jobs that underpay for their labour...we don't understand the pain they go through and their struggles.
Thursday, 31 May 2012
Big Problem for Singapore : Strong S$ and high inflation...
Big problem for S’pore: Strong Sing Dollar & High inflation
Happily I go to Malaysia change my S$1 to $2.52+ ringgit every few weeks to spend… however, some Singaporean ya-ya-papaya think that strong S$ means Singapore economy more powerful or gaining strength on Malaysia and so on. This is the view of IGNORANT people.
1. Why did MAS allow Sing$ to go up so much despite negative GDP growth last quarter? There is very high inflation in Singapore and raising the S$ makes the imported component of the CPI lower thus lowering the overall inflation figure to 5.3% which is already quite bad. Imagine at 6% our inflation will be higher than 3-month Spanish bonds!!! This is a sign the Singapore govt is losing control of domestic price inflation and using the S$ to make imports cheap to hide inflation pressures.
2. Our export sector is hurting and property bubble is prop up to keep us out of recession? Why you think MAS allow 50 year home loan. If property sector shrinks immediately, Singapore will be in recession because export sector is weak. The govt is just playing the number to prevent a recession by artificially propping up property sector.
3. As for some people think S$ strong almighty against the ringgit means Singapore BETTER Malaysia Inflation Rate Actually Malaysian inflation rate is 1.7% vs 5% in Singapore. Malaysian economic growth is 5% vs negative for Singapore last quarter. The way Singaporeans can gain from this is stronger Sing$ is to go to Malaysia to spend their money. But you cannot spend every S$1 in Malaysia no matter what. Most of your money has to be spent in Singapore unless you MOVE TO MALAYSIA. That means you’re exposed to high inflation while Malaysians are not, despite their weaker ringgit. The weaker ringgit means Malaysian exports are stronger.
4. Strong S$ despite strong outward remittance flow = high dependency on capital inflows of hot money, tax evaders and money launderers Half the workforce is foreign. They feed their families back home in Philippines, India and China. This means there is high remittance flow as these workers convert their salary to foreign currencies putting downward pressure on S$. Our trade deficit is very large. To balance our accounts we depend on rich people from India, China, USA to shift money here to avoid tax in their home countries. Some of the money (like Ma Chi’s) is of unclear origin. This means Singapore is forced to keep taxes on wealth artificially low even as income gap balloons. If billionaires stop parking their money here, the merry-go-round stops and things can sink FAST. Singapore economy is propped up artificially. It is not healthy. We have no Samsung, Acer or HTC.
We are flushing the economy with all sorts of money avoiding taxes, running from their own govt. This means we try to ‘makan’ the highly corrupt western banking pie as western banks fail – this is likely done by deregulation and allowing more shadow activities in Singapore. If Obama wins again, he is likely to shut down this type of parasitic business growing like cancer and breeding the most foul type of financial businesses and humans. Ok… next week I happily go spend my S$ in Malaysia… but I not so ‘gong kia’ to think it is because things are so steady ‘poon pi pi’ in Singapore.
1. Why did MAS allow Sing$ to go up so much despite negative GDP growth last quarter? There is very high inflation in Singapore and raising the S$ makes the imported component of the CPI lower thus lowering the overall inflation figure to 5.3% which is already quite bad. Imagine at 6% our inflation will be higher than 3-month Spanish bonds!!! This is a sign the Singapore govt is losing control of domestic price inflation and using the S$ to make imports cheap to hide inflation pressures.
2. Our export sector is hurting and property bubble is prop up to keep us out of recession? Why you think MAS allow 50 year home loan. If property sector shrinks immediately, Singapore will be in recession because export sector is weak. The govt is just playing the number to prevent a recession by artificially propping up property sector.
3. As for some people think S$ strong almighty against the ringgit means Singapore BETTER Malaysia Inflation Rate Actually Malaysian inflation rate is 1.7% vs 5% in Singapore. Malaysian economic growth is 5% vs negative for Singapore last quarter. The way Singaporeans can gain from this is stronger Sing$ is to go to Malaysia to spend their money. But you cannot spend every S$1 in Malaysia no matter what. Most of your money has to be spent in Singapore unless you MOVE TO MALAYSIA. That means you’re exposed to high inflation while Malaysians are not, despite their weaker ringgit. The weaker ringgit means Malaysian exports are stronger.
4. Strong S$ despite strong outward remittance flow = high dependency on capital inflows of hot money, tax evaders and money launderers Half the workforce is foreign. They feed their families back home in Philippines, India and China. This means there is high remittance flow as these workers convert their salary to foreign currencies putting downward pressure on S$. Our trade deficit is very large. To balance our accounts we depend on rich people from India, China, USA to shift money here to avoid tax in their home countries. Some of the money (like Ma Chi’s) is of unclear origin. This means Singapore is forced to keep taxes on wealth artificially low even as income gap balloons. If billionaires stop parking their money here, the merry-go-round stops and things can sink FAST. Singapore economy is propped up artificially. It is not healthy. We have no Samsung, Acer or HTC.
We are flushing the economy with all sorts of money avoiding taxes, running from their own govt. This means we try to ‘makan’ the highly corrupt western banking pie as western banks fail – this is likely done by deregulation and allowing more shadow activities in Singapore. If Obama wins again, he is likely to shut down this type of parasitic business growing like cancer and breeding the most foul type of financial businesses and humans. Ok… next week I happily go spend my S$ in Malaysia… but I not so ‘gong kia’ to think it is because things are so steady ‘poon pi pi’ in Singapore.
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