Author: Grievous

Current Affairs – Budget Debate on Transport & Housing

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This has got to be the most talked about lately:

So I would like to assure Mr Gerald Giam, who might not have caught up with all the developments… that a family with $1,000 income can now, through our housing subsidies, purchase a small flat… – Deputy Prime Minister [DPM] Tharman Shanmugaratnam


Chart obtained from HDB website
AHG – Additional Housing Grant;
SHG – Special Housing Grant

This is not some new “Tharman-ism” or a slip of tongue. The chart on the right shows how it can be done.

If this is just solely an academic exercise to prove it can be done, it surely has achieved its objectives. Unfortunately, one question that comes to mind right away would be:How is a person who is just making $1000 going to be married in the first place?

Even if you would believe in fairy tales whereby an undergraduate would marry down, the fact would be that such a couple would then not be in the example here. That also means a person who is single is totally out of luck since singles don’t qualify for a flat until they are 35. Ironically, it is only at 35 where Workfare kicks in to compliment such a worker’s earnings and yet they are only qualified for resale, not new HDB flats.

Another blogger did a very detailed analysis, from the location and availability of these 2-room Build to Order [BTO] flats, to the possibility of raising children in such a small flat and then the financial situation of such a couple when they reach retirement age. I won’t quote or link him, since I do not agree with his liberal political views. However, I would like to point out that even if a couple managed to raise a child (like my parents did), they will only have just one child and that’s not going to do much for the Total Fertility Rate [TFR] of Singapore. My friend has asked me what value is there for a couple to own such a flat and what resale or rental value is there in getting one. We agreed there is none. This example is completely meaningless other than to show us that a couple with just a take home income of $1000 a month is still pretty much screwed whether they buy or rent a flat.

In short, this has achieve no other purpose other than making a fool out of Gerald Giam. A form of “mental masturbation”, if you will. Hopefully, it would help Mr Giam gain some invaluable experience in future parliamentary debates after this blunder and the previous one with the MX9 salary scale. A lot of those in the middle of the political divide maybe rather forgiving over the fact that the opposition generally does not have sufficient information but that does not excuse them from being more diligent, well prepared and getting their information right in the future.

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DPM Tharman said the package (S$1.1 billion for Public Transport Operators [PTO]) is a subsidy for commuters, and not a subsidy for operators.

That raised a chuckle when I first heard it. The state of our public transport has gone so far down that few (if not nobody) believes that anything other than a radical change will work in improving it. Even when not all of that S$1.1 billion came from commuters using public transport, taking the money pooled from the people and then telling them that this is a subsidy for them sounds like a mockery of their collective intelligence. Neither will it convince commuters by telling them they would have to pay more in the future if the PTOs are to do this on their own. The fact is, when the fare system changed to distance based, some 33% of commuters suffered a fare increase according to the Public Transport Council [PTC]. I am one of the unfortunate 33% who did not benefit, and in my case that increment was 7% even when the statistics showed that fares went up by a mere 0.3% since 2006.

Next, some gripes about the bus service. Frankly, throwing money at a problem isn’t going to solve it unless someone listens to the feedback. While adding the number of buses may address the long standing complaint that the bus frequency sucks, it does nothing address the commuting experience which can be rather frustrating and also the routes of some services which completely blow our mind away. Just try taking some buses like service no. 2, 51, 154, 167, 174 196 and 197 from end to end when bored. While the route they take would help a commuter know Singapore’s road and estates a lot better, they are a unpalatable alternative to the MRT. Who would spend up to 2 hours on a bus while it takes 45 minutes on the MRT? (For reference: 2 hours can take a person about 1/3 of the way from Singapore to Genting in Malaysia, if I am not wrong.)

Even the current Express Services are an utter sham. Take for example Bus Service 502. It makes no sense for it to prowl Jurong East and West Avenue 1 again when those stops are already covered by the feeders! (In fact, it makes no sense at all that some of the inter-HDB estate services like 157 and 198 to go by those routes as well.) When commuters are charged by distance then it makes sense for them to take the feeders to the interchanges to catch an Express Bus (or an inter-estate one) since that doesn’t actually add to their cost. Meanwhile, commuters paid a premium for a so-call “Express Service” which can take an agonising 20 minutes before it hits the expressway in the morning. That’s not forgetting morning traffic! Is it a wonder why all of the pressures are put on the MRT system?

Anyway, S$280 million goes into buying 550 buses according to what I have read. That’s about S$510,000 a piece, while the remainder of the money is to cover the net operating cost for the next 10 years. These buses are so expensive that it makes me think they are armored and made of titanium. Perhaps it also includes a S$100,000 COE. It remained to be seen how this S$1.1 billion is going to help improve bus frequencies. If these 550 new buses are going to be like the current ones with almost half the seats removed (like those SBS Transit bought recently), it would be about as meaningless as increasing train frequency only to bring the entire system crashing down completely later. The reason being that the system is still being run with commuters as just mere numbers and not human beings. Clearly, frustration with the system will not improve if the commuting experience remains as bad. In short, someone should look into what the minimum comfort level expected in public transports as well. Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone would want to spend money on that unless I first figure out how to pay for it and what returns there will be. Even Nigerial Scams are better than what I am suggesting, right?

Anyway, some of us surmised that the SBS Transit buses were bought with the bad habits of Singapore commuters in mind. Since most commuters simply refused to move to the back, then it is only logical to have more standing space in the front to fit more commuters per bus – a typical Singaporean line of thought. My personal opinion is, put the seats back and bring back the buses with doors at both ends which have been completely phased out.

Thus, my point is simple. If the government wants to call this a “subsidy for commuters” because that “subsidy” will result in an overall improvement in the comfort and commuting experience of the bus service, I will be fine with it. But if the S$1.1 billion is nothing more than a cosmetic effort so that the government can argue it has done something, then I will be exceptionally upset. Meantime, please do something for our polytechnic students. I would say the government have no sense of proportion if it hassles over a mere S$28-million in revenue a year for the PTOs to give polytechnic students fare concessions. That is not even 1% of their annual combined revenue, because the PTOs annual combined revenue is almost 3-billion according to their annual reports. On top of which, they can always raise fares and when has that ever been denied?

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Before I end, here’s something that’s not really related to the above. My simple understanding is that the word ‘even’ makes something better or worse than it already is. Here are some examples:

“Even cats are not as cute as your baby!” would indicate that the baby is so extraordinarily cute.

“Even a moron is not that stupid!” would indicate that whatever is being referred to is utterly stupid.

“He even stopped at the red light.” would indicate that this person normally doesn’t stop at the red light and that by doing so, something out of place has happened.

Need I say more about “even the Nigerian Scheme…”?

Random Discourse – Budget 2012

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The main aim of this year’s budget appears to be tightening the flow on foreign workers with the objective of increasing productivity and ultimately wages for the average Singaporean. However, I am not quite sure hiow a blanket increase in foreign workers’ levy across all sectors the best way of doing so.

Is it difficult for the Ministry of Manpower to get from its database the number of foreign workers in Singapore right now, and get a detailed breakdown by company and position? Would it not be easier to tell from that which sectors in specific requires the ‘Singaporean First’ rule to be enforced and thus boost productivity to achieve whatever objectives the government has in mind? After all, there will be some sectors in Singapore which requires more foreigners. My understanding is that there is clearly a shortage in nurses in Singapore and the government is also looking at increasing the number of hospitals at the same time. Wouldn’t this levy means that cost of medical care will go up across the board for all of us?

It almost gives me the impression that the government isn’t doing this because that is too much work and is just lazy and taking the easy way out. It further reinforces my impression that the current government is hardly any more insightful or far-sighted than any of our opposition parties. In fact, they are so dull in their usual quick fix solutions that one fix leads to another problem – much like raising the ground level at the Orchard-Patterson Junction results in the flood waters back flowing along Orchard Road and Tanglin Road into Tanglin Mall and St Regis.

If this government isn’t just plan lazy, this seems like a kind of ‘I told you so’ response to “teach Singaporeans a lesson” and the make them “repent” for their negative reaction to the influx of foreigners. However, while it is true that Singaporeans are clearly unhappy about the stress on Singapore’s infrastructure (especially the increase in property prices and the packed public transport) as a result, few objects to ensuring the continual growth of our economy. Most of us are in fact asking for fine tuning of the foreign worker policies to ensure that not all companies take the easy way out by employing foreigners even when Singaporeans are willing and more qualified to take up the jobs. In short, most of us just want to ensure that Singaporeans are not discriminated against simple because they are older or allegedly more expensive. There is of course also the question of the competency of some foreigners, where the quality of their work hardly matches the qualifications they boasted but that’s another matter entirely.

The government is doing very little to address the other parts of the cost of doing business in Singapore – rental. The reason why employers will always consider taking it out on the employees by cutting their wages (or replacing them with cheaper ones) and not try and fight for cheaper rent is simply because the employee alone is the most feeble / vulnerable, especially when the union is a sham and the greatest landlord is the government itself.

Even private landlords are far less feeble than the individual worker. I recalled the debate on minimum wages in Hong Kong on Al Jazeera, and the guy representing the Confederation of Trade Unions was telling the representative of the HK Restaurants & Related Trades Federation that “we should together, hand in hand, complain about the high rent… it is the high rent that’s hurting industry, not worker’s pay!” (Watch the embedded video from 10:15 onwards.) Imagine this, in Hong Kong where the union is not as weak and feeble and the representative is ignored, how much more worse is it in Singapore when the union is toothless (and its leaders are also from the ruling party) and the government itself is the greatest landlord?

But please do not be mistaken, I am not endorsing minimum wages here. I am just using this part of the video to emphasize my point. Anyway, let me repeat that I do not find it amusing nor endearing to turn on employers by raising the levy across the board because it will certain have an impact on foreign direct investments in Singapore. Meantime, I wondered if a certain Member of Parliament has thought over whatever he wants to say before he say it. I quote:

” Businesses should look at the positive side of the new regulations on foreign workers. They are complaining that they cannot fulfil orders because they don’t have enough workers. This is a happy problem. Which would you prefer – too many orders, or no orders at all? ” – Gan Thiam Poh

Every time Mr Gan says something, it irks the hell out of me. That’s probably because he has a sense of humor that I cannot appreciate. In fact, some of my friends failed to appreciate it as well and one of them actually asked: ” Losing just one GRC in GE2011 should be a happy problem too. Which do you prefer, losing more parliament seats, or having no seats at all? “

Jokes aside, here’s something for Mr Gan to chew on. A friend of mine runs a small accountancy firm. She has found it increasingly difficult to get new employees. Granted, while I am not aware whether my fellow Singaporeans who are accountants may actually applaud the measures to increase the levy, my friend mentioned to me that she has since set up a new office in Johor Bahru for two reasons. Firstly, to avoid having to pay for levy for foreign workers and secondly, to cut her operating overheads in rental substantially. Please note that this is a local SME turning tail due to the current measures, and many more may either consider this option or already have done so. Makes me wonder if the Singapore government is covertly helping to promote Iskandar Malaysia…

Random Discourse – Leave. My. Country. Now.

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On 18 Feb 2012, an ingrate by the name of Sun Xu (孙旭) said this:

“It’s so annoying to have gangster Singapore uncles stare at you when you bump into them. There are more dogs than humans here in Singapore.”

Clearly, none of China’s 5000 years of history and culture has rubbed off this scumbag. I often thought the the right thing to do is to say sorry when I bumped into someone (whether or not the other person is at fault). Just what did Sun Xu expect? That someone would kowtow and be thankful he was bumped into by a high and mighty Singapore government scholar? Perhaps that happens in some corrupted armpits of China where Hu Jintao or Wen Jiabao didn’t even know existed but it just simply doesn’t happen here, Mr Sun.

I am amazed that he takes offense with that. He should be glad that we Singaporeans, being a civilised lot, are usually mild and not confrontational. I shudder to consider the fate of a Singaporean doing the same in China. In fact, I recalled an incident many years ago in a chatroom in Asia Friend Finder: A poor sod typed something disrespectful of mainland Chinese and within minutes the Singapore chatroom was filled with mainlanders “shouting him down”. Sun Xu should be glad we Singaporeans are above such barbarism. Then again, had he offended that murderous teenage gang in Downtown East, he would not have written his piece of crap and we might actually feel sorry for him instead.

This is not the first time foreign students belittle our country and our people. A few months back some clown by the name of Wang Pengfei made slurs not only about the way we speak but also against a minority group. I did not follow this matter closely but I know he was expelled from his school and an opposition member made a police report. The coward subsequently fled with his tails between his legs to the land of his birth. I was a little sad that he didn’t get hauled up by the police to face the music before that happened. His parents should be given a ‘Eric Cantona Kungfu Kick’ for not teaching him proper manners. No guest should insult his hosts while enjoying their hospitality!

That is not all. If I recalled correctly, there is also this particular case which appears to have gone unpunished. A Liu Peiyu Parry – apparently also from NUS – said (see below):

Translation: Our national (i.e. PRC) soccer team teaches us a fact which can be used in our final (exams). That is not to give up hope because there will always be Singaporeans at the bottom to cushion us.

The above remark subsequently end up on STOMP. I am not aware that NUS took any action against this guy for hurting the feelings of his classmates. Considering that ‘Parrysite’ Liu isn’t a local, I am somewhat convinced that NUS has secretly implemented a reverse quota where our more talented youths are deprived of a place in our local universities so a foreigner can have a go at it.

Anyway, it is of no wonder why these foreigners just get bolder. The Singapore government has been telling the whole world that we Singaporeans are less capable and even gone so far to say that we can’t make it without foreigners. Is it a surprise why any mother’s son from any other part of the world would look down on us? That’s not forgetting foreigners could beat some of us up so bad that they end up in hospital while the police took an entire year to investigate the case and press charges. On top of which, the culprits managed to jump bail and escape out of country. Even so, nothing is sadder than getting stabbed in the back by traitors when some of us want to hold our heads high. In one particular case, one of these traitors wrote a comment like this on Facebook (and I paraphrase): “To get angry over such little things shows that the person is mentally and spiritually weak.”

Wow, I can surely feel his mental and spiritual strength erupting along with those words. Personally, I can respect the restraint when someone chooses not to take offense over the comments of the likes of Sun, Wang and Liu, but I will not disrespect those who instead choose to react (like Tay Ping Hui). Some might want to justify all these as separate, isolated incidents but let’s not forget that in reality, we often hear a lot more outrageous comments in private conversations between friends or relatives. The point I am trying to make here is that these cases are just the tip of the iceberg and some of their slurs which never made it online are definitely much worse. I shudder to imagine just how low in regard our country and people is held by these foreign students. I certainly ain’t alone in that thought because more than half a year back, fellow blogger Darryl Kang has already pointed this out.

It took more than 3 days before NUS responded and haul this fellow up for discipline. Only after that did the ingrate Sun Xu apologised (see above). If not for that he would have thought the matter is over simply by deleting his comment. Some would say late is better than never but I don’t want his stinking apology. I want this fellow to leave my country, now!!! But he should only be allowed to leave after he return every cent of scholarship given by Singapore, with a 3.5% p.a. interest calculated daily and an extra 1% on the first $10,000. That money would have earn that kind of interest in the special account of someone’s CPF. It offends me that my country is paying for his scholarship which I felt would have better served Singapore if given to a Singaporean youth instead. I will not settle for him working in my country to pay it off because every other second he stay in my country is wasting our resources and also fouling up the very air I breathe. Why should we waste an employment opportunity on him? I expect him to pay in cold, hard cash.

Before I end, I must say I cannot identify with the comments made by Member of Parliament Mr Baey Yam Keng, who said that “we need to reflect upon ourselves, are we the way they described.”

I admire Mr Baey’s ability to turn his other cheek. But when I am called a dog in my own country by a free riding foreign parasite, I will not in return call this person who makes the offensive remark a gentleman and ‘reflect upon myself’. Had someone else said this, I would have thought he is suggesting we should be more assertive (if not aggressive) in telling off those inconsiderate people like Sun Xu who can’t seem to avoid bumping into others, or some of his fellow countrymen who seems to have no concept of personal space in crowded places.

Mr Baey should be glad that we rational Singaporeans had not gone so far to write songs (or make videos) to insult / protest against the ugliness of foreigners just like what the Hong Kongers did.

Photos – Air Show 2012

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Went to Air Show 2012 on the last day. The main purpose of me going was simply to see the B-52 Stratofortress flying display, even though I knew it would be merely 2 minutes. Unfortunately for me, it was a no show. It was very disappointing for both my friend and I.

Being the last day, even some of the static display (such as Jacky Chan’s private jet and the 787 Dreamliner) have already left. To make things worse, there are those who seem to have no awareness of the people around them. I noticed a few (who are apparently not locals) taking their time to pose before the F-35, and just when I expect them to move off after they are done, turned around and just gawk at the plane. I have no idea why they did that, though it reminds me of their fellow citizens doing the same at our public swimming pools and even the Sentosa beaches. Quit telling me we should be grateful to these jokers because they are the ones “building Singapore”. There is only this much to my gratitude, and that’s not mentioning they could be working elsewhere and much worse off. In Dubai, for e.g.

Anyway, there weren’t very much to see in the exhibition hall either, since a lot of companies have already closed their booths. We simply mill along with the crowd to enjoy the air-conditioning after a long period in the open. I am not surprised with that because a lot of general public wouldn’t really be interested in the details of defense technology anyway. Defense technology and defense contractors – such nice names for death dealers who are providing the means to kill people better and more efficiently.

Anyway, here are some photos I caught at the air show with my camera. I did a terrible job capturing those planes in the flyby but at least I got some of them and they didn’t turn out as bad as I imagined.

Random Discourse – The Yaw Shin Leong “Affair”

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Finally, the suspense is over. The Workers’s Party [WP] has expelled Yaw Shin Leong from the party. A by-election in Hougang will most likely be announced once the budget debate is over.

I clearly cannot imagine how much more damage there would be to the party’s image and prestige had the matter dragged on. A number of friends I talked to were originally rather disappointed with the WP for not coming clean on this matter. Some have even lost faith in the WP as a political alternative. All that about a ‘First World Parliament’ would be empty talk if the WP intend to kept mum about the matter and hope that the electorate would forget about it in 2016. While those were in the opinion that the WP would need time to investigate the matter or allow Mr Yaw to explain himself, the complete silence on the matter prior to the high profile expulsion was rather disappointing and disheartening. Hopefully the WP can learn from this lesson and handle negative matters better in the future.

It was clear from Mr Low’s strong reaction (when he was told what the Prime Minister had said) that he did not want to let down the people of Hougang. I respect him and the WP in making this most painful decision. Hougang has been in the care of the WP for 2 decades and the WP has decided to stand before the people and asked them to be the judge. There is nothing more transparent and democratic than that. I applaud the WP for its courage in doing the right thing – excise the tumor before it becomes a cancer. It is my opinion that courage is apparently something that the People’s Action Party [PAP] lacks. Otherwise we wouldn’t have to wait until last May for some ministers to step down, when they clearly should have been removed from their posts way before.

Now, on the matter of Yaw Shin Leong’s alleged affair. From what I know this originated from nothing more than an article from a garbage site (one which I shall not offer more publicity by naming) which has a history of being anti-WP. I am surprised that the main stream media [MSM] picked up such rumors and actually published it. For a very brief moment, I actually thought they have finally obtain some proof but it was sadly short on details. While it is most unlikely that the MSM would be able to get anything more out of that garbage site, the MSM kept up the pressure on Mr Yaw and WP relentlessly, especially on the evening Chinese tabloids which my parents read daily. Meanwhile, this very same media had reported that PAP MP Foo Mee Har has publicly called certain attacks on her to be false and baseless. But what attacks is she talking about? The same media which pressed Mr Yaw to address those allegations with dogged determination leaves many of us with our heads in the fog regarding Ms Foo. Such double standards… so much for professionalism!

As to whether Mr Yaw’s private life has anything to do with his ability to serve, I find it hypocritical that many would come to the defense of celebrities who misbehaved but hold politicians to a different standard. For e.g. Few would give a damn if Britney Spears drove with her baby on her lap without a seat belt, or that Amy Winehouse died because drug overdose. When people claim that political leaders are role models, let’s be frank with ourselves and ask who has a greater impact in the daily life of teenagers. Clearly, more would be listening to the songs of their idols instead of a speech from our uninspiring political leaders.

So, I personally don’t really care about Mr Yaw’s private life since as far as politics is concerned I would value capabilities above morality. After all, I am in the opinion that the standard of ‘whiter than white’ is one that is incepted into the our collective social psyche by the PAP to the point that we Singaporeans come to believe that this has always been something we wanted. As far as I can remember, that seem to be something more often used by the ruling party to justify itself. While it is a standard we aspire for our politicians and civil servants, Yaw isn’t the only one who has failed in that aspect recently. Yet, I also have to agree with those who believed otherwise that having an affair is simply the betrayal of one’s spouse – the very person one has taken a vow to love, protect and respect forever for the rest of his / her life. It is the worst betrayal one can commit to a loved one. Many would find it it difficult to trust such a person, much less believe that he would be able to serve them faithfully and truthfully.

That brings me to the end of my post. Allegedly, Mr Yaw and his wife and the lady he has an affair with, all seek counseling on the matter from their church leaders. Assuming that this is true, it means the “information leak” is from the church. I am clearly under the impression that church counselors are expected to keep such matters confidential because their members seek help from them in good faith. While there is Biblical basis to expose and discipline an unrepentant member, it does not include revealing it anyone and everyone outside the church. While the garbage site had actually accused the church of helping to cover this matter up, it is common sense that this attempt has failed. Someone who is personally involved in counseling or close to the counselors has bragged it out. I could not think of any other plausible leak if not from within the church itself. If it was a careless slip of tongue by someone close to the counselors (or even the counselors themselves) and done without malice, then it is a simple matter. It would however be more ominous if someone has deliberately exposed Mr Yaw because of their political differences in spite of their faith in God.

Anyway, this matter has finally come to an end. I wish the WP good luck and hope that it retains its seat in Hougang. I forgot to mention… for those who wants to ride on the WP’s misery as a short cut into Parliament, I hope you lose your deposits if this turns into a multi-corner fight.

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