Singapore and the stuff

Rising Xenophobia in Singapore?

2010-01-17T22:23:00.016+08:00

Taken an extra long hiatus from blogging, ever since I've started work and gotten a lot more projects.. but well, blogging is about coagulating some random thoughts in my mind and putting it down on record so, at some future point in time, I might take a look and gasp at these thoughts. Or not, whatever...============Of "Real" Singaporeans, Foreign Talent and WorkersIf you ask me, Singapore's

My reply to TTSH's reply on H1N1 issue

2009-07-25T02:41:00.004+08:00

Original thread to TTSH Patient Services:Hi,I am writing with respect to my A&E bill for H1N1 screening.The background of this was that I contacted a friend (let's call her A) who had direct contact with 4 confirmed H1N1 cases on 21 Jun 09. We were at a dance competition on that day and I only got to know of this at night. After watching a movie, I developed a bad cough, and together with another

What price - social responsibility?

2009-06-22T12:02:00.004+08:00

So, if you've not had contact with a H1N1 case, you might well pass it off as a joke.H1N1 has been the subject of many of my colleagues' jokes, like, "how I wish I can be quarantined and work from home".Well not now, at least not for me.To be clear, I've had proxy contact only. A friend (let's call her Friend A) who was with a group of exchange students for a meal (or something). She learnt

Minister makes another gaffe

2009-04-21T23:04:00.005+08:00

I keep telling myself that, in face of insurmountable evidence, Today MUST have gotten it wrong. But no, it stared out at me blankly. (See yesterday's version of Today for full report.)Minister of Manpower, Gan Kim Yong, made a very interesting statement in a dialogue with students when he was telling them that they shouldn't be choosy about jobs. He even told them that they should try out blue

Credit Crisis: The end of Capitalism?

2009-01-30T15:52:00.003+08:00

Further to the previous post, this will be on a more serious note.Greed. If there was one word to sum the whole credit crunch up, that would be it.I am not about to espouse overly academic notions on the abovementioned topic, but rather more "layman" views. (As layman as my brain allows anyway...) Before we start, let's take a step back in time to when Karl Marx, Father of Communism, was still

A real letter from a boss to his employees

2009-01-16T10:42:00.000+08:00

To All My Valued Employees, There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this

Smile! :)

2008-12-24T05:21:00.000+08:00

Merry Xmas to all and Happy New Year!

Fix-its for Singapore's Public Transport system

2008-12-02T19:57:00.000+08:00

In its push to achieve a seamless and reliable public transport system, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has helped implement / mandate (with the public transport operators) several measures. They include: more regular bus services; more regular MRT services; more regular MRT services during lunch hours for workers in the city; increased transfer rebates between buses /

The Average Investor mentality

2008-11-15T11:14:00.000+08:00

Look at this chart, and think to yourself, isn't this why u lost $ in the market today? Moral of the story: no guts, no glory.But yr risk better be calculated properly!

Credit crisis jokes

2008-10-21T20:25:00.000+08:00

Amidst the doom and gloom, something to lighten up.........A trader: "This is worse than a divorce. I've lost half my net worth and I still have a wife." President Bush said clients shouldn't be concerned by all these bank closings. If the bank is closed, you just use the ATM, he said. George Bush said that he is saddened to hear about the demise of Lehman brothers. His thoughts at this time go

Guaranteed

2008-10-06T19:51:00.000+08:00

What does this word mean to you? After this crisis, not much anymore. Capital guaranteed, funds protected blah blah. A whole load of financial bullshit jargon that is attempted at soothing your worries when purchasing complex financial instruments that you know as much as a first grader knows about Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Guaranteed. Those were the times, where capital guaranteed

Drink driving

2008-09-08T18:15:00.003+08:00

The Singapore Govt has always been chided for being too serious, therefore instead of having sombre ads like a car skidding off the road and the whole TV screen splashed with red, it could consider having signboards like these.Cheap, good, and probably effective - people tend to remember funny things more than specially made "horror clips". Helps to lighten the mood when driving along the road

Just for laughs - M.A.H.A.T.H.I.R

2008-07-20T22:12:00.002+08:00

When Dr. Mahathir was Prime Minister of Malaysia...One lousy day in the middle of the economic crisis, PM Mahathir was feeling extremely frustrated and wondering how a neighboring country can be doing better than Malaysia.One of his aides said, I heard that the leaders consult Feng Shui masters to ensure prosperity for the country. Dr Mahathir thought if that was the case, Malaysia Bomoh also can

How to have your cake and eat it

2008-07-13T23:30:00.007+08:00

Let's talk about how to raise the cost of car ownership, and at the same time raise public transport fares, AND how to make the public swallow the bitter pill.Impossible in other countries? Not in Singapore - adidas' famous (or infamous) slogan applies - impossible...... is nothing.-------------The ERP (Electronic Road Pricing) system is an ingenious idea. Whoever came up with this idea should

Drink, don't drive......

2008-06-29T09:24:00.000+08:00

.... or so my friend's MSN nick read. Nothing different from the Traffic Police's message to drivers, but it had a slight twist to it. The next sentence read, "Beer is cheaper than Petrol". Haha, how apt, I thought. The rising cost per barrel of fuel has baffled even economists. Theories of demand shocks and stuff have so far not proven to be right, and last week, oil went into further northbound

Do you feel the pinch?

2008-03-21T17:13:00.004+08:00

I got this from a colleague over email and I think it's good to share this...Disclaimer: the list and the dates have not been verified, and is for reference only.2007 and the list of price increasesJan: All diesel-driven vehicles to undergo smoke test.Jan: NUH's A&E fee raised from $70 to $80.Jan: Skilled Foreign workers levy raised by $50, from $100 to $150, for all sectors.Jan 26: SMU Law

SMRT and the woes

2008-03-15T21:17:00.000+08:00

I've been wanting to do this post for the longest time, but never got around to doing this. Now that I've some time to rant, here I am again. The Singapore government is advocating public transport for all in Singapore (presumably except for those who can afford to drive cars and pay the exorbitant ERP tolls and parking fees). Public transport is good, as it will help save the world from global

Dolphin massacre

2008-02-05T20:27:00.000+08:00

Disclaimer: the below link contains scenes of extreme gore and should only be viewed by unsqueamish people who do not faint on the sight of blood. Oh for those who only have disgust for human blood, it's dolphin blood ("thankfully"). I condemn such acts of cruelty, when we all know that dolphins are peaceful creatures. Man may be the "king of beasts", but that does not mean we have to lord it

Back in SG and some thoughts......

2008-01-12T10:23:00.000+08:00

In case any goon doesn't know I'm back in SG yet, this serves as a notice ;)Anyways, after coming back, I realized that Singapore on the whole has a risk-adverse environment and low tolerance for making mistakes. The price of efficiency and having the whole machinery oiled so well is that the people and government lose their heart, their feelings, their everything - all to become a unit of

Back in SG!

2008-01-04T13:38:00.000+08:00

OK this is old news but I only had time to post it up now. came back on 31st Dec. Been busy meeting up with friends and family. Haven't seen u all guys for 6 mths! :) gimme a shoutout or something. Oh, I changed companies and recently got a job offer! Wheeeeee!

Hiatus

2007-10-22T11:22:00.000+08:00

Hi people, been taking a hiatus from blogging for a while (as u can already see from the previous date when I last blogged), not even blogging on my personal site.Sorry about that. Will give a shoutout/comment when I next come alive on the blogging scene, probably at the end of the year. Just too busy with work/fun in SZ/GZ/Macau/HK now.Cheers!

A Child's Understanding of Politics

2007-09-13T10:30:00.000+08:00

A little boy goes to his dad and asks, "What is Politics?" Dad says, "Well son, let me try to explain it this way. I am the head of the family, so call me The President. Your mother is the administrator of the money, so we call her the Government. We are here to take care of your needs, so we will call you the People. The nanny, we will consider her the Working Class. And your baby brother,

Excerpts of LKY's interview with IHT

2007-08-30T13:58:00.000+08:00

This is a good read, to understand the ideas in the guy who made Singapore what it is. That's not to say I totally agree with him, but some salient points are made, and I guess that it's good to know how our government (and our Prime Minister's father) thinks.One thing that has been dissed around in the blogosphere for the longest time yet and one that I take issue with is, why China and Hongkong

Expats and the rising cost of living

2007-08-16T11:57:00.000+08:00

Mr Brown highlighted the rising costs of living in SG in a recent article, which can be linked from above. My heart goes out to expats working in Singapuraaaaa oh Singapuraaaaaaaa now, since I know that rent can be the most headache part of living in another country now, having experienced it for myself.But one of the forum posts that he highlighted struck a chord with me.not a dollar chaser:

The modern allegory of teaching a man how to fish

2007-08-14T12:09:00.000+08:00

Straits Times Online: Help the poor to start businesses: Nobel winner Grameen Bank's business model is being copied all over the world. I think it's an excellent idea and there is no doubt that the founder of this bank deserves his Nobel Prize. Wonderful stuff.

Poverty, a thing of the past in Singapore?

2007-08-10T11:14:00.000+08:00

A masterful piece by Martyn See... of the poor and the old. A must-watch, especially for the people at the top who are trapped in their cotton-candy world that poverty is history in Singapore.Imagine yourself at that age, collecting cans and cardboard. I would do it so as to recycle stuff in the environment, but not cos I need to eke out a living out of it. This film is moving, to say the least.

Happy National Day Singapore

2007-08-09T10:16:00.000+08:00

On this very joyous occasion, I am not in Singapore.Before I launch into an endless tirade about nothing in particular, three simple words: Happy National Day! Yes, it's once again, 9th August. This is probably the first National Day I'm not on home soil, but I'm guessing it won't be the last. Strangely enough, I am missing home as I write this. More on this later on (or not, we'll see...)I

Funny blog

2007-08-06T06:09:00.000+08:00

Of satire and laughter... and not to be taken seriously!! Presenting to you, Singapore Donkey. Definitely takes the Monday blues away!

Thoughts and reality

2007-07-25T13:19:00.001+08:00

This is an interesting post by Mr Wang. In it, a scientist (Emoto) theorizes that thoughts can affect the formation of water crystals if they are directed at the water before it is frozen. Woah... I think this is just the tip of the iceberg as to what thoughts can do for the self.As I keep stressing, positivity also helps. And it especially helps when you're in a new environment and everything is

Constitutional amendment

2007-07-19T13:04:00.000+08:00

Looks like the ruling government are making even more dubious decisions after their last pay raise issue (click on the above link to read Molly's take on it - a rather good one I must say). This post is not meant to be a commentary, but rather as a record for myself to come back and look at after some time.After being out of the country for some time, I've more or less lost touch with the

Right-of-way

2007-07-19T04:59:00.000+08:00

Like everywhere else, one has to learn to quickly adapt or become redundant. Luckily for me, it is an inborn thing to want to ACT like the locals from the area I am in (whilst not necessarily accepting their values as mine). So, this post is about right-of-way. In China, at least of what I've seen, this word/phrase is not commonly used/known, not least because the people here don't use English,

This blog will not be updated till further notice

2007-06-23T19:36:00.000+08:00

Due to pressing personal problems and those with work, I will cease updating of this blog till further notice.I will be away in Shenzhen, China till the end of the year and I heard that Blogger is banned in China. As such, I think it might be impossible to blog on this platform.I thank all my previous readers for their support and I hope bloggers out there will continue on your endeavours to

Recycling and why it will not take off in Singapore

2007-06-18T12:15:00.000+08:00

Before I start the post proper, let me display two pictures I took at Suntec City the other day.The two bins. Look similar? Not really, right?But contents looks similar!This is what I call the lack of social conscience in SG. This is why, despite many of the good intentions behind the SG government's policies, they almost never seem to take off in the way it was intended.Since people like to

University places = F(protectionism, citizenship, taxes)?

2007-06-13T18:34:00.000+08:00

Great debate on the issue of "how we should allocate our university places." I didn't write on it first-time round because I didn't think it was much of an issue to be debated on. How wrong could I get.If people understand what a debate is about, they will realize that there is hardly a "correct" and "wrong" stand. Too very often in our lives, there are the so-called grey areas. I hope that

Pragmatism and the choice to stay out of politics

2007-06-10T01:05:00.000+08:00

Life could be predictable, if only you'd believe it to be.There's a "straightforward" path to success. Study hard in primary and secondary school (get into all the brandname ones without the "negative influences"), get into a top JC (y'all already know which), then achieve the perfect 4As, 2Ds, A1 for GP and an excellent CCA record to boot. (But that's IF you can do it, and a very big IF.) Then

Bureaucracy at its ugly worst

2007-06-09T17:21:00.000+08:00

Well well, what do we say to this?Alfian Sa'at writes:"I was told that the school had received a telephone call from the MOE requesting the immediate termination of my services as a relief teacher. He [the principal] was unable to give me the grounds for such a decision. When I queried him as to whether this was based on my performance in school, he assured me, in his own words, that '

Say NO to NETS

2007-06-06T11:28:00.000+08:00

NETS is increasing its fees for merchants, and these merchants are likely to pass the increased costs to us. This increase is not unsubstantial, as it represents a three-fold increase over current charges."NETS now charge businesses between 0.35 and 0.55 per cent of the amount of each transaction. Starting July, this will be increased gradually to between 1.5 and 1.8 per cent of purchases." ---

Of hawkers, whining and foreign talent

2007-06-05T13:55:00.001+08:00

It is funny how the mind works. I cannot pretend to fathom how my own brain works, much less say I understand others'. In the short span of 15 minutes I was at a coffeeshop (a coffeeshop is different from a hawker centre, but any Singaporean would know that) having my lunch, I had formulated this post in my mind's eye.I had noticed a bunch of hawkers grouped together at a table, and gossiping.

The Charade of Meritocracy

2007-06-05T12:15:00.000+08:00

An old article found (click on the link above) after reading one of Mr Wang's old posts, but nonetheless a great read because of the investigative journalism done.The article outlines how the government scholarship system works to the man-in-the-street's detriment. While the Govt continues to insist that the system is fair and above-board (it may well be so), statistics prove otherwise. The

Oh oh Singapore is not as clean and white as you think

2007-06-05T10:24:00.000+08:00

Well well, so we've raised the pay of our ministers, ensuring that they stay corruption-free, and now we get a nice rude shock.First it started off small (though quite big by any standards), with the Public Accounts Committee revealing that EDB was being audited for the first time in 46 years, and on top of that, many irregularities were found. What now, "Cocky" Yeo?The Auditor General's report

You Can Do It

2007-06-03T01:16:00.000+08:00

This phrase is an oft-heard one, but how often do we use it on ourselves? Be it in educational institutions or in the workplace, it is a sad fact but true - that negativity in the leaders breeds even more negativity in their followers. Read the middle part of Mr Wang's post on this. Can you imagine how the promising young man that is now would have turned out if he actually believed his teacher?

The closing of UNSW Asia

2007-05-30T16:50:00.000+08:00

Well it's been a long time since I've written, and this topic doesn't especially seem to be fresh, but I'm particularly appalled by the university's shocking decision to close shop even before trying out for a year.It's easy to see how the university is at blame for choosing to quit and leave their inaugural batch of students high and dry. It's easy to point fingers at the UNSW's governing

A trip down the other side of Singapore

2007-05-20T23:52:00.000+08:00

There are a few areas of Singapore which are still undeveloped, or underdeveloped, and when you visit those places, they give the feeling that you're in another country.Visited Geylang, our very own red light district, and just took a walk in the seedy areas. A friend (lets call him Z) wanted to check the place out (for purely innocent reasons - did I catch you say, YA RIGHT! Really!), so I took

Blogging - "Arise, Communicate, and Inspire"

2007-05-19T11:44:00.000+08:00

Benjamin, in his post above on the Online Citizen, contends that most blogs nowadays are "reactionary in nature". I couldn't agree less, because I for one am a reactionary blogger, i.e. I blog after reading about certain news in any or all of the below:1. a newspaper (online or paper),2. a news site (which may include other mainstream media like the TV or radio),3. another blog.I am probably

Singapore, Forever a Migrant City?

2007-05-15T16:37:00.000+08:00

Whilst I do not attempt to hit out wildly at the government, I do have my fair share of criticism for certain policies they uphold. Sure, the government is doing at least SOME of the things right, because our country is growing from strength to strength. But look at our people, they are getting increasingly disgruntled. The leaders are stunned. Why, should they not be happy for us we are drawing

National Service disadvantages Singaporean males

2007-05-15T12:26:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow.Sg post on NS and the due compensationUntold truths of National ServiceIs NS killing Singaporeans?Mr Wang's takeThe lone dissenting voice (from a SAF regular)The above links all talk about the recent Taiwan mishap involving 4 Singaporean males, of which 2 were granted a merciful(?) reprieve when a Taiwanese F5 fighter plane crashed into a Singaporean camp in the country, and seriously

Flagellate that dead horse

2007-05-14T23:29:00.000+08:00

Refer to this post on the Young PAP blog.Refer to K Shanmugam's speech in Parliament during the ministerial pay hike debate (link above). Yes I know this is coming late, but it's better than never.I take issue with point 21 and 22. My comments are as follows.Yeah true, US politicians are well sought-after after they leave the public service, but are our own scholars not well-taken care of after

PM freezes own pay for 5 years and donates pay hike to charity

2007-04-12T00:39:00.000+08:00

Since this topic has been on my blog for a while, I thought I'd just add this in for completeness sake. I think the PM's gesture is to alleviate any pressure on his government for the pay increases. It's a good move I guess, since pressure has been mounting over this issue. This topic is a tired one already, and I do not wish to debate anymore about it. Case closed. Thing is, the Civil Service

Singapore ministers receive ~25% increase in salary

2007-04-09T22:15:00.000+08:00

The news is out:- The Channelnewsasia article can be found here.- The full ministerial statement by Mr Teo Chee Hean (Minister-in-Charge of the Civil Service) can be found here.Stuff your face with this. Our PM will earn $3.1 million while our President will earn $3.2million. MM and SM will earn $3.04 million each.And your dad earns the proverbial PEANUT.

Of listening to the people and the GST hike

2007-04-09T11:39:00.001+08:00

Ms Elaina Olivia Chong, Young PAP vice-chairperson (Women's Wing) on "Countdown to the 2% GST hike, Ministerial and Civil Service Pay Increments".I reproduce my comment (on her post on the Young PAP blog - click above link) below.------------Hi EOC,I can see that you're making a sustained effort to engage the readers of this blog. On this note, I must say I am rather heartened by this fact. Let

Of listening to the people and the GST hike

2007-04-09T11:39:00.000+08:00

Rethinking Social Welfare in Singapore

2007-04-05T18:22:00.000+08:00

Yesterday night I attended the NUSPA talk on the abovementioned topic, where the guest speakers included Mr. Teo Ser Luck (Parl. Sec., MCYS), Mr. Gerard Ee (former NCSS president and NKF chairman) and Assoc. Prof. Ngiam (Head of Social Work Dept, NUS). Overall, I felt that the session was an interesting one with many views bandied about, and there were some passionate voices amongst the audience

The political blogosphere

2007-03-31T22:43:00.000+08:00

Ever since I made my first "serious political blog post", I've been getting quite a lot of hits from some "very obviously political" blogs. I'm not sure to be worried or not, after all, I'm not a regular "political post-er". My mum said, "You better not get into unnecessary trouble" after she learnt that I was "trying my hand" at making political posts. That's it for her, getting into trouble.

People with a penchant for idiocy have no business in politics

2007-03-29T14:45:00.000+08:00

This is an example of a imbecilic and bigoted response to common people's concerns. Laugh at the absurdity of the whole thing. I'm sure my grandma wouldn't have made a mistake like that if she were a politician.This lawyer, presumably a rich and arrogant one, makes a VERY LAME case in trying to justify the increase in ministers' salaries on the Young PAP blog. (I'm not sure what Dr Vivian as YP

Ministers and civil servants' pay to increase (part 2)

2007-03-26T20:24:00.000+08:00

Back on the topic of government salary increases, I found a few interesting articles regarding this issue. Since the ruling government made it abundantly clear that political discourse should belong ONLY to political blogs, which I believe need to have a license(?) and I have NO wish to license this cos I HATE dislike (OK language called for reworking) people whom I dunno reading my blog, so I'll

Ministers and civil servants' pay to increase

2007-03-24T16:55:00.000+08:00

If you thought a $3000/month job was good, wait till you see Singapore government ministers' pay.Right now, they're earning S$1.2 million annually (I think the PM earns more than that). If we take a normal year (365 days), that works out to be $3287.67/day. That's assuming they even work every day of the year. They should, else their pay will be even more obscene.And now our dear PM has said it's

A preface to everything

2007-01-02T10:32:00.000+08:00

ProfileClarence, male, 24 going on 25 this year.I graduated from NUS as of May 2007, with a B.Eng (Electrical) degree.I would say I lean more towards the PAP government, because I have seen the soundness of their past policies after comparing them with that of some of my European friends' governments. (However that does not preclude me from speaking up against their policies, past and present,

Welcome to my blog

2007-01-01T18:06:00.000+08:00

Whilst this may be a relatively new blog, I am not new to blogging. This address shall house my serious commentary pieces so that my personal blog can be separate from it.Posts from March and April have been backdated, as has this post itself.Good day, and feel free to comment!