NLB is very sensitive about Malays and Muslims

All this talk about Malays and Islam by the PM etc and the response in cyberspace example https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2017/09/30/a-seismic-loss-of-faith/ reminded me of a recent FB exchange.

Someone spotted a prominent publisher at the NLB offices and FBed the fact. As there had been something on multiculuralim in ST, another person asked he was there to persuade the National Library Board to buy copies of the u/m books he published on the four races

The publisher replied that NLB had bought copies of three of the books, but not the one on Malays.

He explained that NLB was concerned that the cover read “Why do Malays avoid pork?” Another problem was that the text implied that the prophet Mohammed founded Islam.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why the PAP fears entrepreneurs

There is a dark side to the Force.

Young Troublemakers Who Rise (and Fall) as Entrepreneurs

By NOAM SCHEIBER

Rule-breaking at an early age may point to the success of company founders like Martin Shkreli, researchers say. It may also foretell their undoing.

(NYT Dealbook)

 

Tharman stopped running with the hares and hunting with the hounds

Most of the anti-PAP ang moh tua kees who comforted themselves after GE 2015 with the tot that Tharman was really one of them are in mourning.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has come out to clarify his views on the mainstream media and the Bukit Batok by-election, topics which he was asked about during a dialogue with students last week.

Mr Tharman said that contrary to what social media commentators have claimed, he did not agree during the dialogue that the People’s Action Party had engaged in “gutter politics” in the Bukit Batok by-election.

…

Mr Tharman also elaborated on his comments about the mainstream media, saying he regards the media as “serious-minded, responsible players in an evolving Singapore democracy – helping to take it forward, but airing views in a way that avoids fragmenting society”.

The Deputy Prime Minister was clarifying comments he made at a a dialogue last week, where he was asked by a student about media control and whether he agreed with the “gutter politics” of the ruling party during the 2016 Bukit Batok by-election.

Nothing could be clearer that he’s a Man In White: nothing grey about him.

————————————–

As to what he said, rather than what he thinks he said: https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2017/09/21/tharman-on-state-media-gutter-politics/

——————————–

But some fans are in denial:

Nothing is clarfied. It only blurifies what his standing is. Perhaps he would prefer to keep it that way.

Here’s another angle that his fans in denial can cling onto. Maybe Tharman now thinks after the uproar over a Malay (but i/c saying “Indian”) becoming the PAP’s president, that the PAP is now willing to accept a non-Chinese as PM and that he is positioning himself according. If u believe this, drop me a line. I got some blue cheese from the moon to sell to u.

I’ve commented in the past that the light the ang moh tua kees see coming from Tharman’s ass isn’t the sun; it’s the headlight of the PAP train. So trumpet’s pls for me.

 

Amos: Will he pay the ultimate cost of free speech?

S’poreans who are the PAP cousins of the TRELand cybernuts are foaming at the mouth in cyberspace because Amos has got asylum in the US, and worse that he’ll soon be a guest at the White House way ahead of our tudung wearing Hali, the PAP’s president: after all Trump and Amos share similar views on Muslims.

Meanwhile the TRE cybernuts at happy at these things happening.

—————————

Taking a chance on trash is what makes America Great

Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s CEO and and an immigrant makes an interesting observation about immigration to the US.

“I don’t want us to be only talking about high-skilled immigration. There’s one other quality the United States has, which is a real currency in the world, and that’s being a bastion of hope for all the people who need it most. Both of those need to be reserved in any immigration policy that we come up with.”

 a bastion of hope for all the people who need it most: The willingness of the US to take in a foul-mouth, draft dodger like Amos is what makes America Great. It’ll take the chance that he may turn out to be just a foul-mouth, draft dodging bum. It’ll take this risk because he really believed that America is the land of the free.

———————————–

As all indications are that he’s in the Chicago area, I tot the following would cheer the PAP cousins of the TRE cynernuts, and worry the TRE cybernuts.

The estimated number of violent crimes in the nation increased for the second consecutive year, rising by 4.1% in 2016 compared with 2015, driven by increases in Baltimore, Chicago and Las Vegas, said the FBI. The number of murders rose by 8.6% to an estimated 17,250 murders nationwide last year. Chicago, the nation’s third-biggest city, accounted for 22% of the nationwide increase with 765 murders last year, more than the number of murders in the largest city, New York (334), and the second-largest, Los Angeles (294), combined. The vast majority of these killings happened in five mostly black and Latino neighbourhoods on the south and west side where only 9% of the 2.7m city lives.

https://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2017/09/neighbourhood-watch

And given that he’s penniless, he’s likely to live in the “five mostly black and Latino neighbourhoods on the south and west side where only 9% of the 2.7m city lives”.

So he’d better get his ass to a safer city.

But as the stats quoted above show, the US is a lot more dangerous place than S’pore for a foul-mouth draft dodger. At most he gets locked up here; in the land of the free he might be gunned down at any time for exercising his constitutional right to offend others, or for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Back to the PAP cousins of the other TRELand cybernuts. I wouldn’t be surprised if they now are praying to the 9th Immortal that Amos gets killed by a gun toting red-neck or Islamic terrorist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As to the TRE nuts, who will they ask to protect Amos?

 

 

 

 

What PAP and Ravi have in common

Another day, another

track point fault caused a train delay on the East-West Line between Tanah Merah and Pasir Ris on Thursday morning (Sep 28).
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/train-delay-on-east-west-line-between-tanah-merah-and-pasir-ris-9257610

and

Commuters in Singapore were less satisfied with train services in the second quarter of this year, but more satisfied with public buses and taxis,
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/commuter-satisfaction-falls-for-trains-rises-for-buses-and-taxis-9255112

When TRE republished my last piece about Ravi, there was this interestingly comment from someone who’s not the usual TRE cybernut

opposition dude:
September 25, 2017 at 4:34 am (Quote)
I’m interested in Ravi’s apology to Jeannette. We have not had an update as to whether she wants to meet him though.

Ravi cannot keep using his sickness as an excuse whenever something goes wrong, it’s like PAP downplaying the all too frequent train disruptions by saying an additional 15 mins travel time is required or that reliability has improved since 2015.

(Emphasis mine)

Yes, every time Ravi admits that he has done something morally or legally wrong, he blames his bi-polar condition. Yet when he’s not facing some charge or allegation, he repeatedly boasted that he was not taking his medicine.

Now I know that the medicine he takes can have really bad side effects. These can include

• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Trembling.
• Increased thirst and increased need to urinate.
• Weight gain in the first few months of use.
• Drowsiness.

But if he wants to get better, he has no choice but discipline himself and take his medicine regularly.  let’s hope a mandatory treatment order is not necessary.

Btw, as to

I’m interested in Ravi’s apology to Jeannette. We have not had an update as to whether she wants to meet him though.

I’ve been told she’s not saying or doing anything. It isn’t just the “push”. Ravi upset a lot of people in the law firm where she’s a partner.

Apple is the best

From NYT Dealbook

The Best Investment Since 1926? Apple By JEFF SOMMER Apple has generated more wealth for shareholders than any other of the top 50 companies, which account for 40 percent of stock market wealth.

Temasek in the movie making biz

From NYT’s Dealbook

By Amie Tsang and Michael J. de la Merced

The Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Temasek will take a minority stake in the talent agency CAA, in a deal expected to be announced today, DealBook is the first to report. TPG Capital will remain the agency’s biggest shareholder.

CAA’s president, Richard Lovett:

“As one of the most successful and sophisticated investors in the world, Temasek provides an extraordinary level of insight and resources as we continue to provide the best opportunities for the company and our clients.”

The Context

• Both CAA and WME, another major talent agency, have drawn billions of dollars in investment as they push to expand globally and into the digital realm.

• CAA took an investment earlier this year from CMC Capital Partners of China that also created a Chinese joint venture.

Why PM wants a cashless payments system/ Ownself sabo ownself

Why does PM wants a cashless payments system?

Because no-one can hide from Big Brother when the banks are at the centre of the system.

When TRE republished my piece on a TRE appeal on behalf of its longest serving team member, there was this response

oxygen: MY INFORMATION SOURCES ARE RELIABLE – just bring whatever cash you want to donate, fill in a deposit slip of amount and account number of payee and hand it to the bank teller at the counter.

No banker is interested in who is the donor or deposit maker. A can pay C on behalf of B who is short of cash or unable to have funds to settle his/her debt to A. Or X can pay Z $XXX giving the latter a financial loan.

It is none of anybody’s business except as between the transacting parties. No bank ask you why you pay a check to supplier A – Z for what financial obligations. They are not interested to know your business transactions. People gives to charity – nothing wrong with that.

So those who can afford and want to give to charity, just walk into a bank and do it before 30 September.</blockquote

and someone tried it and it worked

Trying it out: This morning I deposited S$50 to the given POSB account over their counter. I handed cash and remain anonymous. I did not give any of my personal details. I got the receipt. But the recipient name is slightly different. I hope it is all in order. I was trying out donation on anonymity basis.

http://www.tremeritus.com/2017/09/20/follow-up-to-tr-emeritus%E2%80%99-in-house-techie-requires-assistance/

So go on – if you are able and incline to contribute to humanitarian cause. It is nobody business if you want to do charity or help someone (can be Ah Kow, Ah Ngeow or Ah Beng or Ah Lian) who haven’t got the time to Q in a banking hall to do charity.

Singapore POSB Account

Payee: Ten Leu-Jiun

A/C No: 193-69702-0

(The last day of payment to this account is 30 September 2017.)

Ownself sabo ownself

Incidentally, no picture, no sound from the PM or his minions on the e payments system proposed by Razer’s CEO https://sg.news.yahoo.com/razer-ceo-submits-two-pronged-e-payment-system-proposal-pm-lee-112133198.html.

PM was talking cock when he was moaning that S’pore was so far behind China in e-payments because it’s his and his administration’s fault.

They are not fighting vested interests i.e. the banks: think transction and merchant fees charged. And the PAP administration’s red line is that banks must be at the heart of the system. This among other things ensures that the authorities have access to information.

But let’s be thankful to the PAP for sticking to the Hard Truth of die die must protect our banks: Cash is king. And anyway I own Haw Par which is a cheap way of buying into UOB.

But don’t try depositing a $1000 bill into any bank account. A few yrs ago, someone gave me a $1000 bill. I gave it to my mum and she decided to put it into my POSB account. Bank wanted me to come down to deposit it. She said I was overseas and so bank reluctantly took the money.

 

Why PAP doesn’t do accountability, meritocracy

Meritocracy and accountability are two sides of the same coin as the US navy has recently shown (PM, this is accountability). (Btw, a long time ago, the British executed a white horse to encourage other senior naval officers to do their duty.)

Therev are many examples where despite all the talk of meritocray (Meritocracy? No leh Cosiness), by the PAP, failures are rewarded, showing there’s no accountabilty. Think NOL’s CEO who is now SPH’s CEO or Ong Yee Kung  or SMRT’s Desmond Kwek or paper General Ministers.

The reason is simple: they were doing what they were supposed to do. Juz like when algos fail, the algos are not faulted. They juz doing what they were designed to do: “only doing what it was told”.

This realisation came when I read this

If Facebook’s algorithms were executives, the public would be demanding their heads on a stick, such was the ugly incompetence on display this week.

First, the company admitted a “fail” when its advertising algorithm allowed for the targeting of anti-Semitic users.

Then on Thursday, Mark Zuckerberg said he was handing over details of more than 3,000 advertisements bought by groups with links to the Kremlin, a move made possible by the advertising algorithms that have made Mr Zuckerberg a multi-billionaire.

Gross misconduct, you might say – but of course you can’t sack the algorithm. And besides, it was only doing what it was told.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41358078

Blame the PAP (or rather the leaders of the PAP). And blame the pioneer generation for allowing S’pore to become a de facto one-party state?

Looking at things this way, and maybe the poor among the pioneer generation deserve the “peanuts” the PAP are shelling out.

What do u think?

The power of miniaturisation

“The Apollo Guidance Computer, which helped man land on the moon in 1969, contained 12,300 transistors. The iPhone 7 contains 3.3bn,” FT columnist

Ever wondered this about PM’s Facebook posts?

How many people “help” him post stuff, and monitor and moderate comments?

I came across this on NYT’s Dealbook

[Mark Zuckerberg] proceeds to complain about a Bloomberg Businessweek story in January that noted he employs a team of about a dozen content moderators — as well as communications managers, professional photographers, video producers, Morgan Freeman — who are all responsible for maintaining his personal Facebook page. “You’re taking away from all the time that I spent on this,” he says.

Coming back to PM, I doubt his FB team is that big.

But who pays for the team? Us the taxpayers because his FB posts are part of his duties as PM? Or himself or the PAP because the posts are political in nature? If some posts are political and the others are concerned with his duties as PM, how is the split decided and by whom? Ownself decide ownself?

Whatever, on his salary and personal wealth (especially his inheritance) he can pay for his “help”himself. Just like Mark Zuckerberg can. But do they?

Time for TRE community to help their own

And show how much they appreciate TeamTRE’s efforts.

TeamTRE has been made an appeal (see below) for funds to help Andrew (its techie) who has been around since the relaunch in late 2012, I think. He’s the last Jedi left standing since the other Jedi retired honourably after GE 2015.

His wife is undergoing cancer treatment (details below) and the monthly bill “amounts to about RMB 300 a day or RMB 9,000 a month (SGD 1,839).”

If TRE readers really appreciate what TRE is doing, they should make a donation, the most convenient way is into a POSB account

Singapore POSB Account

Payee: Ten Leu-Jiun

A/C No: 193-69702-0

Post Office Savings Bank

(The last day of payment to this account is 30 September.)

As I like to say, “Money talks, BS walks”. If TRE readers and posters don’t bother to help Andrew, I advise TeamTRE to close shop. The failure shows that regular readers and posters are ingrates that deserve to be oppressed by the PAP. In fact the PAP should be praised for oppressing such a bunch of losers.

Btw, TeamTRE had already given up sometime back appealing for donations to keep it’s operations going, saying it was va waste of time.

Whatever, TRE readers should remember “A friend in need is a friend indeed” and help Andrew.

---

TRE’s appeal

TR Emeritus’s (TRE) in-house techie, Andrew is currently in a difficult situation and is in need of assistance from our readers, if possible.

Our techie, who has been with TRE since the Temasek Review days is currently in a situation whereby he has to fork out a hefty sum monthly in medical bills for his sick wife, whom he married in 2012.

His 35-year-old wife, Ivy was diagnosed with a medical condition called “Lumbar disc herniation” (腰间盘突出) about 3 months ago and have been receiving treatment at a local government hospital on a daily basis. While it is quite a common illness in China, his wife’s condition is  serious as she was unable to sit up during the initial stage for 3 weeks and even after 3 months of treatment, cannot sit or walk for more than an hour without feeling intense pain.

According to the specialist attending to his wife, what she is suffering from cannot be treated once-off and she has to continue to receive treatment for about 12 months or more via acupuncture, stretching and medication. In the worst case scenario, she would have to undergo surgery.

As our techie is a foreigner in China and his wife being unemployed, they have no medical insurance (医保) and have to fork out the entire medical bill in cash, which amounts to about RMB 300 a day or RMB 9,000 a month (SGD 1,839).

Back in the Temasek Review days, this would not have been a problem for Andrew as he was drawing about US$4,000 a month with his modest hosting business and doing part-time system administration for Data Centers. However, due to the rapid advancement in hosting technology, our techie was unable to keep up with the growth and has since terminated his hosting business.

He is currently limiting himself to doing part-time system administration for a few hosting companies and helping out with the chores in his wife’s family farm. As such, an additional un-planned medical expense of RMB 9,000 a month is a significant stretch on his income, which has almost halved since he closed his hosting business.

Clearly, to continue to fork out RMB 9,000 for his wife’s medical expenses every month for a year or so would be very taxing for our techie considering his current income. It is estimated that he would need about RMB 100,000 (SGD 20,485) for the medical bills in the months ahead, more if a surgery is required (touch wood).

As such, TRE is making an appeal on his behalf to our readers for assistance, be it financial or advice.

1. If you know of a competent doctor, hospital in China or Hong Kong which is renowned for treating “Lumbar disc herniation”, please follow-up in this thread with the relevant information. His wife is currently undergoing treatment in a small government hospital about 250km from WuHan, which may not have the necessary facilities to adequately and effectively treat her.

2. If you wish to make a goodwill donation to help Andrew defray his wife’s medical cost, please use the donation form located here. From now till end September 2017, TRE will forward all donations received via our PayPal account to him.

For those who may not have a PayPal account or would prefer to donate in cash, you may (more troublesome) drop by any money remittance service (common in China Town – Singapore) to make a manual remittance to the following bank account in China.

China Bank Account 

Payee: BangQin Pan

A/C No: 464130301880188811

Bank of China

Alternatively, you may make a transfer or deposit into the following POSB account.

Singapore POSB Account

Payee: Ten Leu-Jiun

A/C No: 193-69702-0

Post Office Savings Bank

We would like to thank all our readers for your kind assistance and continued support.

Please feel free to contact us should you require further information.

Team@TRE

 

Ravi should blame himself, not alt media

“I’m disappointed about how the alternate media has portrayed me and these are the guys that I have supported throughout my career with money, legal advice and articles. And when my chips are down, they turned against me,” he said. “Now, I know who my true friends are.”

(Early September)

Actually what he said is a lot of bull.

Mainstream alternative media was quiet about his actions and misdeeds, until it had no choice but to report what has happening to him, or lose its credibility by keeping quiet.

Some well known alternative voices defended his actions as shown by him in videos on FB (Example)

When Terry’s Online Channel, reported that he went bananas at a virgil, again well known alternative voices came out in his defence. Mainstream alternative media only came out against him when he caused a lady to fall. (Btw, his kakis now say Ravi wants to meet her to apologise.)

So alternative media wasn’t unfriendly to or telling lies about Ravi. Furthermore TOC and others published an appeal for funds to prevent the bank from foreclosing on his mortgage because of arrears owing.

He also forgets or ignores that the biggest blows to his reputation (other than said misbehavior at virgil or against lady) came when he posted on FB comments attacking people and videos showing him cross-dressing etc. And he got the acclaimation of the mob.

So even though Ravi says he’s taking his medicine, “he is on a strict medical regime for the next two years and he is determined not to let his bipolar condition get the better of him”, I’m afraid he may be lying to avoid a Mandatory Treatment Order. He’s done this once before, promising to take his medicine, then later boasting that he had stopped.

A PAPpy got a point about Ravi and his fans. When TRE republished this about Ravi, I couldn’t help but laugh (and agree somewhat reluctantly) with this response

PAP.SURE.WIN:

August 31, 2017 at 4:45 pm  (Quote)

Dear Ravi,

Glad you agreed to take your medication. We at PAP had been very concerned with your mental wellness and wish you well.

See, none of the opposition supporters come forward to post bail for you.

Now that you realized that the so called opposition supporters abandoned and deserted you when you are down(no more bone for them), you should consider joining us PAP.

Join us PAP and you get bone.

Join opposition your supporters will abandon and desert when you are down.
JBJ, Roy and Chee are live lesson.

WP.Guarantee.Lose.Aljunied-Hougang.GE2020
GE2020.PAP.Guarantee.Win.All
Majullah S$1 to RM 3.13
Majullah PAP to Eternality

It got this whining typical response from a TRE cheapskate loser

not to “deplete” the personal:

August 31, 2017 at 5:10 pm  (Quote)

//Now that you realized that the so called opposition supporters abandoned and deserted you//

don’t like that say leh. oppo supporters don’t have the kind of resources that the white idiots have from taxes which can be imposed like 30% price increase in water (basic necessity) lar.

is it possible if you can tell the white idiots tolong tolong not to “deplete” the personal resources (e.g bail money ???) of average individuals so that individuals will not feel stressed and get abandoned due to lack of resources. know what i mean. wink wink.

All I can say that if this attitude is the majority view among the 30%, no wonder PAP rules OK.

Pot calling kettle black

I couldn’t help think the above when I read

Several Members of Parliament yesterday called for greater compassion from a public service that has, in Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng’s words, “lost its heart”, citing examples of how people have been turned away because public servants were doing things strictly by the book.

(Today)

The constructive, nation-building free sheet then went on to quote several PAP MPs.

Come on, the same can be said about today’s PAP MPs with the honourable exceptions of Lily Neo, Kate Spade Tin and a few others.

 

Remember BG’s Yeo “We got to work hard on fun”?

Saudi Arabia is investing billions in fun. The kingdom wants people to have more fun at home and take fewer vacations abroad. Its sovereign wealth fund will create a company to invest in the sector and do deals with strategic partners. One of its investments will include an entertainment complex set to launch by 2019, the official Saudi Press Agency said on Wednesday. There are currently very few entertainment attractions in the conservative society. – CNN Money

NYT Dealbook

Good crowd at #notmypresident protest

The figures of last week’s protest range from “hundreds” (ST) to “2,500 — 3,000” according to activist Lim Tean one of the co-organisers.

Not seen an “aerial” photo that can help fix the size of the crowd.

Close to 2000 individuals turned up at Hong Lim Park on 16 September to show their concern and unhappiness over the recently concluded reserved elected presidency

TOC: FB post accompanying video footage

A “2,000” crowd works out to a 24,000 crowd in UK or a 62,000 crowd in a US city. Basis of calculation

Given that this is not an economic issue, unlike immigration, People power in S’pore, a crowd of between 1,000 – 2000 is a pretty decent showing.

 

 

 

Tharman: PR King

Following Tharman’s laterst comments

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said that he, like most Singaporeans, would have liked to see a contest in the recent Presidential Election.

However, the debate over the presidency proved that Singaporeans have an aspiration for race to matter less in politics and society, he said

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singaporeans-have-an-aspiration-for-race-to-matter-less-dpm-9234412

his fan club are out in force calling for him to be the next PM.

If they have their wish of having him as PM, the PM, CJ and the president will all have i/cs saying “Indian”

We Second India isit? Xi, Uncle RedBean and other S;porean PRC supremacists will surely have something to say about this takeover of S’pore (75% Chinese) by the mortal enemy of PRC, India.

Seriously, i have to share this song of praise that appeared on FB:

Off the top of my head, Tharman’s six principles of political communication:

1. Timing: Wait till the worst of the storm of public dissatisfaction blows over. Don’t go into the thick of it. Wait for heads to cool.

2. Deflate the elephant: Point to the elephant in the room, acknowledge it, and everyone goes “finally!”. Tension is released. Elephant gets smaller, people can breathe easier.

3. I am one of you: Acknowledge and even agree with the sentiments on the ground, then reframe to “in spite of this… must recognise reality… and so must do that”. Classic rhetorical technique. Throw in own background of activist etc. for added legitimacy.

4. Be general: He said he doesn’t agree with every tactic of everyone of his colleague. Broad obvious statement. In a large org like PAP that’s bound to happen.

But this allows people to fill in what they *think* he means. Or what they *want to believe* cos he’s likeable. Still, people may not be wrong, but it gives wiggle room should the need ever arise in another context.

5. Provide hope: Things are better now than before. We will continue to be better. Let’s work towards that.

6. Be likeable: People listen to you cos they like you. This factor anchors all the above.

Also, he didn’t comment on the process, and the legitimacy of a president who came into office with so much controversy on the ground. Does the President really have a mandate then? Maybe no one asked. And why should he bring it up of his own accord?

Skilfully done. All the more’s the reason I think he should be the next PM. (#TharmanForPM!) But oh well’s, we’re not ready for a non-Chinese PM and he has ruled himself out. Sigh pie.

Why Tharman wants to “evolve” a good education system

“The Singularity is coming” is the short answer.

To face a tumultuous future with challenges, Singapore’s education system will need to keep evolving as it has done over the last 50 years, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the first Majulah Lecture organised by the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on Wednesday (Sep 20).
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/if-it-ain-t-broke-don-t-fix-it-will-not-cut-it-for-singapore-s-9235202

He wants the system to

— “to make the most of technology or those who are displaced and disempowered by technologies?”

— to maintain “a sense of togetherness in society.

–to become “an innovative society – with individuals and people with a mind of their own – while retaining a deep sense of community.”

Well in NY (a day earlier), Masayoshi Son made a speech (reported by NYT’s Dealbook) that explains why Tharman (and the PAP administration) thinks the education system needs to change

The Singularity is coming, Masayoshi Son says.

The founder of SoftBank, the Japanese conglomerate, had the business world chattering on Monday night with his speech at the Appeal of Conscience FoundationFoundation. (DealBook is the first to report on it.)

His main thrusts:
• The Singularity, when artificial intelligence finally outstrips that of humans, will replace huge swaths of jobs.
• The number of sentient robots on Earth will rival the number of humans.
From his speech:
“Here we have white collar and blue collar. I said a new collar will start: that is metal collar. That metal collar will not only replace most of the blue collar jobs, but many of the white collar jobs. So when they become so smart and the muscles to move, what is the definition of what mankind’s job should be? What should we do if they replace many of our jobs? What is the value of our lives? We have to think once more, deeply.”

More from Mr. Son on artificial intelligence:
“I predict 30 years from now, the number of smart robots, the smart robot population on this earth will be 10 billion. By that time, human population will be around 10 billion. So here on this earth we will have 10 billion population of mankind and 10 billion population of smart robots. This is the first time on this earth that we live together with 10 billion robots.”
“Every industry that mankind created will be redefined. The medical industry, automobile industry, the information industry of course. Every industry that mankind ever defined and created, even agriculture, will be redefined. Because the tools that we created were inferior to mankind’s brain in the past. Now the tools become smarter than mankind ourselves. The definition of whatever the industry, will be redefined.”

Yikes? Even US health system better than ours?

The extract on S’pore

U.S. vs. Singapore: A Mix of Ideas

The United States has a mix of clashing ideas: private insurance through employment; single-payer Medicare mainly for those 65 and older; state-managed Medicaid for many low-income people; private insurance through exchanges set up by the Affordable Care Act; as well as about 28 million people without any insurance at all. Hospitals are private, except for those run by the Veterans Health Administration.

Singapore has a unique approach. Basic care in government-run hospital wards is cheap, sometimes free, with more deluxe care in private rooms available for those paying extra. Singapore’s workers contribute around 36 percent of their wages to mandated savings accounts that may be spent on health care, housing, insurance, investment or education. The government, which helps control costs, is involved in decisions about investing in new technology. It also uses bulk purchasing power to spend less on drugs, controls the number of medical students and physicians in the country, and helps decide how much they can earn.

Singapore’s system costs far less than America’s (4.9 percent of G.D.P. versus 17.2 percent). Singapore doesn’t release the same data as most other advanced nations, although it’s widely thought that it provides pretty good care for a small amount of spending. Others counter that access and quality vary, with wide disparities between those at the top and bottom of the socioeconomic ladder.

Our pick: United States, 4-1

AARON: United States. Singapore is intriguing, because it’s so different from other systems. But its huge mandatory savings requirement would be a nonstarter for many in the United States.

CRAIG: United States. Singapore, a scrappy underdog, has become a fan favorite of conservatives. But its reliance on health savings accounts is problematic: When people are spending more of their own money on health care, they tend to forgo both effective and ineffective care in equal measure.

AUSTIN: United States. It’s hard for me to overlook Singapore’s lack of openness with data.

ASHISH: United States. The lack of data in Singapore is a problem, and it had higher rates of unnecessary hospitalizations and far higher heart attack and stroke mortality rates than the United States. Plus, the U.S. has a highly dynamic and innovative health care system. It is the engine for new diagnostics and treatments from which Singapore and other nations benefit.

UWE: Singapore. It’s hard to defend the messy American health system, with its mixture of unbridled compassion and unbridled cruelty.

 

 

Hali: MSM keeps fueling the rage

Juz when S’poreans unhappy about Hali’s appointment as president were getting tired of KPKBing about it, with one unhappy oldie (Maybe Kopi Lim lim kopi with him?) saying on FB,

There is a wise saying: When you taunt or ridicule a person once you can claim that’s lampooning, Repeat it and it becomes a joke in bad taste. Repeat it the second time: that’s persecution ! So, let’s be upright and charitable and not conflate the person and the issues.

the constructive, nation building media decided to stroke our anger

The rise of an ethnic minority to the country’s highest office in the country has enhanced Singapore’s reputation as a meritocratic state, said observers from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Today

The best responses to this “provocation” is too funny not to report

Yeah. Reserving the (s)elections for a certain race is most definitely meritocracy in action. Just like gang rape is democracy in action

And

sure, running a race with no opponents and winning is extremely meritocratic

And

Did they mention anything about the other two candidates being disqualified… even though, they’re more capable than her?

And did they mention about the PM post not ready for non-chinese?

And

My dictionary reads meritocracy is define as government (in this case president) selected according to merit. What merits does she has? Moreover, it’s a “Reserved” appointment.

Dictionary published fake definition?

First Hali, then GCT, and now the the constructive, nation building media are determined to keep us angry until the next GE? Bet u PM will be next to stroke the anger.

Related article: Doesn’t Hali realise that “Speaker” is BS post?

Know this about 1993 PE?

In fact, I recall that in 1993, the Government’s preferred candidate was Ong Teng Cheong. Everyone knew he would win. But Dr Goh Keng Swee still went out of his way to persuade Mr Chua Kim Yeow to stand for elections. Why? To prevent a walkover and give citizens the dignity of expressing their choice”

Tan Chin Bok on Facebook

I must say I didn’t know Dr Goh did this.

PAP beware: PAP and LKY loyalists not the same

When GCT was talking cock about the moral authority of the PAP administration (OK, OK he used the word “govt”) I couldn’t help but remember a remark that would pls the Oxley Rd hermitess and her younger brudder, and worry PM and the other PAppies, if they had been told about it.

In a closed FB group that my avatar belongs to, someone who could be reliably relied on to parrot the PAP line, was KPKBing about the reserve presidency (even though Hali’s i/c like his said “Indian”). When other members of the group gently pointed out his deviation from the PAP line, he said something to the effect that “I’m the third generation of LKY loyalists, I’m not a PAPpy”.

He got a good number of “Likes”.

Based on PE 2011 and GE 2011 and GE2015, the core PAP vote is around 35%, with the soft PAP vote about 35%.

No wonder PM was so keen to get Hali as president because even a ceremonial president can cause problems. But in so doing, he may have reduced further the die-die must vote PAP voters. Now that is a real problem. When LKY loyalists disagree with the PAPpists, the PAP’s core vote may now be smaller than 35%.

Never mind, expect more goodies using our own money. My hope is the extension of Pioneer Gen healthcare benefits to those in their early sixties.

 

 

“I’m invested in S’pore”

Hence I talk so much about the way the PAP is mismanaging the place. I wrote this in 2013:

Shumeone (Bad grammar indicates that it is a member of YPAP Internet Brigade? Juz joking LOL) wrote,”why (sic) is this blog becoming like the local sites to air political grievances ?”

Because like PAPy Puthu, “I’m invested in S’pore”. So long as I remain a quitter in residence, and have investments here (property, shares, S$ cash), I must protect these investments. Increasingly the issues affecting my investment centre around the goofs of the PAP govt. These goofs have resulted in over 5% inflation, overcrowding, failing (by S’pore’s very high standards) infrastructure (telco and train cock-ups, congested roads, and the very high cost of public housing), productivity, stratification of society, among others.

“I’m invested in S’pore” & S’pore in 50s/ 60s

I’m not like chief TRE cybernut Oxygen who moved on out of S’pore years ago, but cannot get S’pore out of his mind. He still KPKBing about his CPF when all he needs to take it out is to become an Oz citizen. But maybe Oz will not him become a citizen because he’s a nut?

NOL: More evidence scholar screwed up

Looks like NOL was sold juz when the shipping cycle was about to turn (finally).

Yesterday FT’s authoritative Lex column said under the title “Container shipping: surf’s up

Now that the industry is rationalising, how high can prices go?”

Industry volume growth is expected to hit 5 per cent this year, from 3.8 last year. Scrapping rates have picked up, while new capacity on order is finally falling. Such newfound discipline might last longer than in previous cycles because consolidation has increased the market share of the top six operators to almost two-thirds, from two-fifths in 2013. Four alliances have become three.

Well the ex-general, scholar and ex-Temasek MD running NOL is now CEO of SPH. Good luck to the shareholders.

Here’s real meritocracy at work: US navy when there’s a suspected systematic problem PM, this is accountability

Symbolism of Hali’s pix with PM, CJ

Shamugam was talking cock on FB.

Look at the two uniformed Chinese men behind the Chinese PM, Malay (even if her i/c says “Indian”) president and Indian CJ.

Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun

Mao

Without the elected president and if there is a freak result, within two or three years, the army would have to come in and stop it.

Lee Kuan Yew (2006)

Coming back to the minister, I couldn’t help but be reminded of what LKY once said

I have said this on many a previous occasion: that had the mix in Singapore been different, had it been 75% Indians, 15% Malays and the rest Chinese, it would not have worked. Because they believe in the politics of contention, of opposition. But because the culture was such that the populace sought a practical way out of their difficulties, therefore it has worked.

Lee Kuan Yew (1985)

Hali humble? What a load of bull

Justin Wee posted this on FB

PAP and the MSM keeps telling us the sham President Halimah Yacob is humble, no doubt to fudge the controversy surrounding the way she was selected in a blatant disregard for the fundamental tenet of the Elected Presidency.

Now, if she’s humble, can we suggest Halimah to dispense with the motorcade and entourage that accompany her wherever she goes?

She’s certainly not deserving of it given that none of us voted for her.

What’s she afraid of if she claims to be a “President” for all?

Is she afraid of S’poreans?

Pix is from Alternative View

https://www.facebook.com/TAVSingapore/photos/a.598097686918234.1073741825.358759327518739/1581134791947847/?type=3&theater

PAP doesn’t think. They juz use standard procedures from the operating manual. They missed a trick to salvage her and their reputations from the mauling they getting from the public. But maybe they juz don’t give a damn. They look at their monthly CPF statements and smile.

#hardlymahpresident

WTF? President is paid millions but we got to do her work for her isit?

This is the implication of what Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong said. He wants

 Singaporeans to “help the President succeed” in a Facebook post.

“The process of how Halimah Yacob became President may be highly controversial but she is not a controversial figure,” he wrote on Thursday (Sep 14) afternoon.

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/do-our-part-to-help-the-president-succeed-goh-chok-tong-9216068l

Jokes aside, while she was not a controversial figure (In fact I tot she could thrash TCB, and I said that I’d have voted for her despite having voted for TCB), she is now a controversial figure because of her complicity in the wayang of selecting a Malay president whose i/c says “Indian”.

She signed up to the wayang, which

— decreases the respect, regard, or confidence in which the presidency is held; and

— induces disparaging, hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against the presidency and the president.

And taz why she’s now a controversial figure, even taking into account her past good deeds and character. But she’s crying or laughing all the way to the bank, so u think she really cares what anyone thinks about her? I doubt it. Money talks, BS walks.

One thing I must say about the PAP. If they had been in charge of the Jewish council that paid Judas 30 pieces of silver to betray Jesus, they’d have paid him a lot more. But then having worked for the premier Jewish house in the City, Jews pride themselves on being mean. The joke was that to work in Rothschilds, u needed to have a private income. It was like being an officer in the Queen’s Household Brigade.

Btw, I like the Singlish version of #notmypresident. For one, it sums up my feelings better: #hardlymahpresident.

When the Presidential Commission recommended scrapping presidential elections and reverting to an appointed presidency, a government white paper rejected the idea. The reason for the rejection was that it was important to give the presidency a “popular” and “direct” mandate. 

Going by the Wayang

“popular” and “direct” mandate

must now seem to be Orwellian.

(Last two paras added at 11.40am)

Hali cracks a great joke

“Although this is a reserved election, I am not a reserved President. I’m a President for everyone”

There was no election. It was a walkover. How can a “reserved” president that was “not elected” be “everyone”‘s president.

Especially when she implies S’poreans are racists to justify the way she became president, parroting the PAP’s explanation of why there had to be a Malay president even if said Malay has i/c saying “Indian”.

Seriously as someone posted on FB

You know you’re off to a bad start when even your humility inconveniences your neighbourhood.

 

Two cheers for Hali

(For TRE cybernuts like Ng Cock Lim aka Rabble-rouser, pls look up the meaning of “two cheers”)

Because of Hali, “chop” cannot be banned

I am both gladdened and saddened by the National Environment Agency’s reply (Two hawker centres set ‘house rules’ against choping; Sept 2).

It is good that the NEA has acknowledged that “choping” is indeed a problem. But its approach to solving this is not in touch with reality.

The softly-softly approach has not worked ….

ST forum complainer

He’s a real cock (Ng Cock Lim’s twin isit?). Chopping cannot be banned because we juz saw PAP chopping the presidency. If PAP can chop presidency, S’poreans cannot chop seats isit?

#notmypresident protest and me

Gilbert Goh has called for a silent sit-in protest (text below) against the reserved presidential election today from 4.30PM to 6.30PM at Hong Lim Park.

I usually don’t do protests or solidarity.

But in solidarity, I posted yesterday a post on Hali’s inauguration speech that implies we are racists. And later today and tom in further shows of solidarity (I still don’t do protests), I’ll post more takes showing how the changes to the way the president is chosen

— decreases the respect, regard, or confidence in which the office is held; or and

— induces disparaging, hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against the presidency and the president.

Sad.

Lamentation of the Malay minister’s brudder-in-law https://mothership.sg/2017/09/a-monumental-miscalculation/

Worth a read even if his comments appear in a PAPpy funded publication. Which begs the question, “Why does it appear there?”

What do u think?

——————————-

Dear Fellow Singaporeans,

We have just received the NParks permit to stage a first-ever Silent Sit-in Protest against the Reserved Presidential Election this coming Saturday 16th Sep from 4.30 to 6.30pm.

Its a sit-in protest meaning that we won’t have any speakers for the event with no stage and no microphone speaker system. You can however bring along your placards to show your displeasure with the incoming government-appointed Presidency.

If you feel dissatisfied with the recent events surrounding the controversial PE, this is the time to show up and be counted. You can continue to be a keyboard warrior quietly firing away online but the time to step up is NOW!

Fear has crippled you all this while you are burnt up inside and its time to unleash that frustration by showing up with like-minded Singaporeans together as ONE voice.

People dropping by are encouraged to bring a mat and sit down silently on the park as a sign of protest against the PE. You can drop by anytime between 4.30 to 6.30pm or leave anytime of course. If you can join us for the sit-in silent protest for the whole 2 hours it will be great!

If you bring food and water along do be mindful not to litter the place.

Do wear black so we are united as ONE heart and people regardless of race and religion.

See you soon Singaporeans – Malays, Indians, Chinese and Eurasians are all welcomed!”

Gilbert Goh
Organiser
#notmypresident

Hali wants to unite S’poreans?

Against her isit by branding voters as “racists”. Why liddat?

“I look forward to the day when we will no longer need to rely on the provision to have reserved elections, and Singaporeans naturally and regularly elect citizens of all races as Presidents”

The above implies that we voters are racists despite events like the Bukit Batok by-election where an Indian (with the help of true blue Chinese like Grace Fu) whipped the ass of talk cock sing song Hokkien-speaker and GE2015 where yje same Indian beat Chen Show Mao in the latter’s ward. Only the GRC system saved Mao. Ironic because the PAP said GRC was to protect minorities against orang Cina, not orang Cina from Chinese.

Many S’poreans believe the only reason why we had a reserved election was to ensure the PAP’s wish of having someone whose i/c said “Indian” as the second “Malay” president and first woman. If this is true, then the PAP are the racists, not us. And sexists too.

How to respect someone who uses the presidential pulpit to brand me and other S’poreans as racists?  And in her first speech too as president?

Was I wrong about her. I wrote in early 2016: Malay PAPpy that can thrash Chin Bock. I even said I’d vote for her in a one to one fight with Dr Tan despite voting fot Dr Tan the last time round.

Whatever, with comments like this from her, its going to be easy to keep S’poreans angry with the PAP about the way she became president. I had tot that come the next GE S’poreans, bribed with their own money, would forget their anger.

---

The only way to make PAP listen to you is through your vote. The way to stop PAP from manipulating the elected presidency is to stop them from having a 2/3 majority. They can still be the government with over 50% of the total seats in parliament but once they obtain above 66%, it means they can change the constitution at their whims and fancy and there absolutely NOTHING you can do about it. GE 2011 has shown that if you want PAP to listen to you, the only way is to stop voting for them, nothing is more straightforward and clear cut than that! Losing 1 GRC already made them panic, imagine what losing another 5 GRCs and a couple more single seats will do to them?! You have the power to bring them to their knees, just be smart with your vote.

FB post by upset S’porean

———————————————–

If Hali keeps on sounding like the PAP (Remember PM and ministers on need for reserved presidency? They all said we are racists.) maybe we’ll thank her one day. Meanwhile she can look at her bank statement and laugh at Judas. He only got thirty pieces of silver. And Jews are supposed to be really smart.

 

 

Tan CJ loves FTs

Tan Chuan Jin was the acting minister at the Ministry of Manpower between 2012 and 2014. Between 2014 and 2015 he was the MoM minister. In 2011, he was the junior minister at MoM. Tharman was the minister but had other portfolios.

The MoM report for the second quarter 2017 showed

The number of Employment Pass holders – professionals and executives who earn at least S$3,600 – declined for the first time in four years, while the number of S Pass holders – mid-skilled technical staff who earn at least S$2,200 a month – remained flat.
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/resident-unemployment-rate-down-fewer-retrenchments-in-q2-9215154

The employment pass numbers were going up for four years prior to 2Q 17. This despite the slowing economy in 2015 (1.9% from 3.6% in 2014) and 2% last year. Growth in 2013 was 5%.

So despite the slowing economy since 2014, Tan let FTs in to steal the jobs of professionals and executives.

 

iPhone X is mugger, police friendly

Wired

The very notion of using your face as the key to your digital secrets presents some fundamental problems… It’s very hard to hide your face from someone who wants to coerce you to unlock your phone, like a mugger, a customs agent, or a policeman who has just arrested you. In some cases, criminal suspects in the US can invoke the Fifth Amendment protections from self-incrimination to refuse to give up their phone’s passcode. That same protection doesn’t apply to your face.

BBC

Hali is also into “Post-truth”

When I read her FB statement* saying

Thank you very much for your strong show of support.

I am deeply touched by many of you who have signed up as supporters and many others who have given me words of encouragement of well-wishes on my facebook & website.

I coouldn’t but think so “post-truth”.

“Post-truth” is a word that has come to prominence as the Western liberal elites are angsting and spinning about their defeats in Brexit and the US presidential election.

The Oxford Dictionary declared ‘post-truth’ its word of the year 2016. FT added “A less verbose way to describe the same phenomenon would be to say it was the year in which emotion trumped fact. Or cruder still, it was the year of the lie.”

Why Race is BS or “post-truth” at work?

Support? What support? https://sg.news.yahoo.com/overwhelmingly-negative-sentiment-decision-halimah-yacobs-presidential-eligibility-report-070536453.html

---

*Mdm Halimah Yacob posted on her Facebook page on the eve of Nomination day, saying that she will be making a pledge to Singaporeans and attached a hand-written letter that is addressed to everyone.

The letter wrote,

Dear Singaporeans,

Thank you very much for your strong show of support.

I am deeply touched by many of you who have signed up as supporters and many others who have given me words of encouragement of well-wishes on my facebook & website.

I will be submitting my nomination form tomorrow at the nomination centre and many of you have indicated your intention to be present.

From the bottom of my heart, a very big thank you!!

I will serve Singapore & Singaporeans with great passion & commitment. I want you to join me in making Singapore a great place by Doing Good, Doing Together.

Halimah Yacob

What walkover means for Hali’s presidency

Kevin Tan,  law professor and constitutional law expert, likes to tell this story

Every time the late President S R Nathan met me, he would always tell people, “Ah this man said I wasn’t properly elected”.

Then one day, I got “a bit fed-up” and told Nathan, “Sir, Sir, I never said you were not properly elected, I only said you were not elected.”

He again told this story more to  the 300 0odd participants attending the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Forum on The Reserved Presidential Election on Sept. 8.

Like Nathan (i/c said “Indian”), Hali (i/c said “Indian”) was not elected.

Mandate from the people? What mandate?

Two PAPpies (Indians if u must know, one a senior minister, the other a M’sian born junior minister) said that “walkover” also confers mandate because no challenger came forward. One senior lawyer posted on Facebook, that while that applies in an election for MP, it doesn’t apply for in a presidential election. The bar to contest as MP is pretty low, while the bar to being eligible to be president is very, very high.

Btw, this is what happens in an alternative universe where Hali is “not elected” president, and Dr Chee is PM after a freak election result, and wants to return our CPF.

 

 

 

 

Why PAP thinks we need a Malay president?

Even if her i/c says “Indian”.

Because it wants to avoid property prices from collapsing?

A Muslim president will keep some Muslims from becoming radicalised and then becoming terrorists because there hasn’t been a Muslim president since Yusof Ishak? (Btw, even at the time, there were questions whether he was Malay. He comes from Minangkabau stock.)  (Btw, Read what a law professor has to say about the definition of “Malay” in our con.

Here’s what an Indonesian Muslim scholar says about Islam and terrorism

… should stop pretending that extremism and terrorism have nothing to do with Islam. There is a clear relationship between fundamentalism, terrorism, and the basic assumptions of Islamic orthodoxy. So long as we lack consensus regarding this matter, we cannot gain victory over fundamentalist violence within Islam.

Radical Islamic movements are nothing new. They’ve appeared again and again throughout our own history in Indonesia. The West must stop ascribing any and all discussion of these issues to “Islamophobia.” Or do people want to accuse me — an Islamic scholar — of being an Islamophobe too?

What basic assumptions within traditional Islam are problematic?

The relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims, the relationship of Muslims with the state, and Muslims’ relationship to the prevailing legal system wherever they live … Within the classical tradition, the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims is assumed to be one of segregation and enmity.

Perhaps there were reasons for this during the Middle Ages, when the tenets of Islamic orthodoxy were established, but in today’s world such a doctrine is unreasonable. To the extent that Muslims adhere to this view of Islam, it renders them incapable of living harmoniously and peacefully within the multi-cultural, multi-religious societies of the 21st century.

https://pamelageller.com/2017/09/muslim-scholar-truth-about-islam.html/

Bottom line, PAP wants to keep S’pore safe? Otherwise property prices will plunge if there’s no Muslim president?

=====

According to law professor Kevin Tan in a talk at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) Forum on The Reserved Presidential Election on Sept. 8, the definition of “Malay” in the Constitution is anomalous because he says“who is a Malay?” is a highly problematic legal question.

Source: Singapore Statutes Online

“With Malay candidates, it gets even more interesting, because I think back in 1988, this formula when it was first brought up, they already recognised that it was almost next to impossible to define who is or is not a Malay…Because it is a social construct, we make it up, about race, about who is and is not a Malay, or Chinese or so on. It is actually socially constructed. In the case of the Malay, it actually says, a person belonging to the Malay Community means any person and here nobody else has this phrase ‘of the Malay race or otherwise’. So this means that I, meaning Kevin Tan can say I am Malay, even though I am not of Malay stock, theoretically. “

My take on the “Malay” race: no such race.

What an honest mistake

“Brazilian tycoon arrested after lawyers send prosecutors the wrong tape”

As his lawyers gathered the material, they made a mistake, accidentally sending a tape to the prosecutor’s office incriminating Mr Batista.

In the four-hour recording, he seems to admit to a former director of one his companies, Ricardo Saud, that he hid key information from the prosecutors.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-41222400

Err maybe they juz doing their duty? Lawyers, laymen may be surprised to learn, are also supposed to be officers of the court.

Why that African China town is not Cantonese/ Why our Hokkiens are not real Hokkiens

A recent FT article about the changing face of London’s “Chinatown” reminded me of all the “China” towns in cities I’ve lived in for longish spells: the ones in Sydney and “Melbourne”. They were all “Hongkie” towns.

But it seems the China towns in South Africa must be different different.

From another FT article

Known for its entrepreneurial culture and history of emigration, hundreds of thousands have moved from China’s Fujian province to southern Africa since the early 2000s, and are thought to make up the majority of South Africa’s Chinese population of more than 350,000.

As a result, visitors to remote coastal villages in Fujian can find their request for directions answered in English, tinged with a South African accent. Migration has transformed the villages, with tall houses built with remittances from overseas workers, many with crosses painted above their doors, a reflection of the province’s large Christian population.

But South Africa’s growth slowed after 2007 and several returned traders blamed the falling value of the rand against China’s renminbi for biting into margins.

Another reason for returning from SA is the rising crime rate.

Whatever, while the Hokkiens here are happy to stay here (and I’m sure bitch about the PAP), Chinese Hokkiens still have the spirit of adventure.

Tan CJ: Jesus Christ Superstar?

People are worked up about chuan jin’s “demotion.”
Does it send a signal that people oriented leaders are a danger?

Tay Kheng Soon

The above post on FB led to a lot of comments from usually non-nutty anti-PAP paper warriors that he’s a really people-oriented leader and that he really cares for less well-off S’poreans. Some comments made him sound like Jesus Christ Superstar. (Btw he’s really a staunch Christian.)

Really?

Kee chui all those who knew that he was a really, great compassionate guy before his “demotion”?

Well I for one didn’t know these things about him. And neither did social media or the internet prior to his demotion.

He was tot of as another one of the ex-paper generals parachuted into the cabinet. And while he was touted as a contender for PM, cyberspace really didn’t think that he was that good. But then neither did cyberspace much of the other “horses”.

Suddenly, he’s Jesus Christ Superstar.

Did people only learn of his compassion and people skills after PM said,

I have asked him to maintain his interest in environmental and social issues, and his concern for the needy and disadvantaged.”

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pm-lee-will-nominate-tan-chuan-jin-as-speaker-desmond-lee-to-be-9187242

And because the constructive, nation-building said so

A soldier, a sportsman and an advocate for social causes ranging from children to the elderly and the workers in Singapore – Mr Tan Chuan-Jin has at some point in his life straddled one or more of these vocations.

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/soldier-sportsman-and-social-advocate-tan-chuan-jin-s-9187850

Come on anti-PAP FB commenters, don’t be cybernuts. Where’s the evidence that he’s Jesus Christ Superstar? Why didn’t the anti-PAP cyberwarriors praise him before his “demotion”?

The praises only began after he was “demoted” and PM’s and the constructive, nation-building media’s take on him.

Don’t be sheep.

(The following added on 11September at 5.00am)

Don’t forget his much ridiculed comment about old women telling him they were were collecting cardboard “for exercise”.

Or have his new fans come to the view that he was fixed? After all I wrote recently

It was so easy for the anti-PAP websites to verify if this was not true, and that they needed the money. But none did. All they had to do was to ask the old women as he had identified where they were operating from.

It’s difficult to do investigative journalism here (juz ask Terry’s Online Channel). But in this case, it was so easy.

But maybe someone did ask the women, and found that they were really exercising. So better to keep quiet about the truth?

“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

PAP checking out Chris K?

The tot crossed my mind that the PAP is reaching out to Chris Kuan when Chris posted on Facebook that he’s coming to S’pore to visit his parents and that while here he’ll be meeting Inderjit Singh.

For those who have forgotten, Inderjit was an MP in PM’s GRC and after he retired he became PM’s AMK campaign manager in GE2015.

So maybe he’s out to recce if Chris K should be invited to a PAP tea party. I predict a GE in 2019 after the 200th anniversary of Raffle’s founding of a British trading post is used to commemorate the achievements of the PAP.

Whatever, I hope Chris uses his meeting with Inderjit to urge him to talk publicly about what SME management and the PAP administration are doing wrong. He seems to portray SMEs as heroes struggling against the odds and that if only the PAP administration threw more money at their problems. (For the record, in most listed SMEs the shareholders cum managers mismanage. A common problem is paying family members to do nothing or where they work overpaying.)

Inderjit is a cult figure among the anti-PAP 30% because he keeps urging the PAP administration to do more for SMEs and in the process criticking its “help”. However I find his analysis incomplete because he doesn’t explicitly tell us what the SMEs and PAP administration are doing wrong.

I have to guess what he thinks they are doing wrong by reading between the lines. Maybe as a PAPpy he has to do this because he knows that only constructive, nation-building advice will be listened to by the PAP. But the proper way to analyse a problem is to first lay out the facts. And then propose solutions or remedies, not start from suggesting solutions or remedies.

Btw, I’m surprised Chris is open about who he meets. He’s a self-confessed fan of good spy-fi (like me) and he should really practice what he reads.

 

Race is BS or “post-truth” at work?

The upcoming reserved Presidential Election is part of Singapore’s overall framework to create a strong national identity, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said.
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/reserved-presidential-election-part-of-framework-to-build-9199346

Does he mean that a “Malays only” presidency where the only “Malay” candidates have i/cs saying “Indian” or “Pakistani” means that the idea of different races or that the term “Malay race” are really BS?

More like “post-truth” at work methinks.

“Post-truth” is a word that has come to prominence as the Western liberal elites are angsting and spinning about their defeats in Brexit and the US presidential election.

The Oxford Dictionary declared ‘post-truth’ its word of the year 2016. FT added “A less verbose way to describe the same phenomenon would be to say it was the year in which emotion trumped fact. Or cruder still, it was the year of the lie.”

The Economist (the PAP’s bible) got emotional about “post-truth”:

Mr Trump is the leading exponent of “post-truth” politics—a reliance on assertions that “feel true” but have no basis in fact. His brazenness is not punished, but taken as evidence of his willingness to stand up to elite power.

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21706525-politicians-have-always-lied-does-it-matter-if-they-leave-truth-behind-entirely-art

And

tempting to dismiss the idea of “post-truth” political discourse—the term was first used by David Roberts, then a blogger on an environmentalist website, Grist—as a modish myth invented by de-haut-en-bas liberals and sore losers ignorant of how dirty a business politics has always been. But that would be complacent. There is a strong case that, in America and elsewhere, there is a shift towards a politics in which feelings trump facts more freely and with less resistance than used to be the case. Helped by new technology, a deluge of facts and a public much less given to trust than once it was, some politicians are getting away with a new depth and pervasiveness of falsehood. If this continues, the power of truth as a tool for solving society’s problems could be lastingly reduced.

http://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21706498-dishonesty-politics-nothing-new-manner-which-some-politicians-now-lie-and

Even Goldman Sachs talked about “misinformation, half-truths, and political spin”, despite having its alumni in the White House.

Well the ideas and concepts behind “post-truth” have been around at least 1900

“They wanted facts. Facts! They demanded facts from him, as if facts could explain anything.”
―from LORD JIM (1900) by Joseph Conrad

A ship’s crew abandons their human cargo of pilgrims, breaking all naval traditions. A young junior British officer Jim is one of them. At a court of inquiry he is questioned in great detail over what happened and in partucular his own actions; the other members of the crew having run way again. He is publicly censured for his actions, and stripped of his qualifications.

The above quotes reflect the narratot’s view of his state of mind at the inquiry.

*LORD JIM is a classic story of one man’s tragic failure and eventual redemption, told under the circumstances of high adventure at the margins of the known world which made Conrad’s work so immediately popular. But it is also the book in which its author, through a brilliant adaptation of his stylistic apparatus to his obsessive moral, psychological and political concerns, laid the groundwork for the modern novel as we know it. With An Introduction By Norman Sherry. READ an excerpt here:http://knopfdoubleday.com/book/30813/lord-jim/

 

“There Are No Brave Old People in Finance”

A Q. & A. with Steve Schwarzman as the chief executive of Blackstone explains how he made it through Wall Street’s most turbulent decade. – Bloomberg

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2017-blackstone-steve-schwarzman-interview/

NYT Dealbook

Diabetes: Chinese ignored by PAP

And not the minorities. And it’s a member of an “oppressed” minority saying this.

Let me explain.

There has been a lot of KPKBing from the usual suspects that the PAP administration is stigmatising the diets of the Indians and Malays because the diabetes stats show that

– 9.7% Chinese had diabetes
– 16.6% Malays had diabetes and
– 17.2% Indians had diabetes

Here’s how a member of a minority race does the maths, the logical conclusion of which seems to indicate that the PAP administration is discriminating against the Chinese. From FB

Abdillah Zamzuri

August 30 at 3:07pm ·

SINGAPORE DIABETES IN REAL NUMBERS

Singapore’s Media has been focused on Malays and Indian diet to combat diabetes but here’s how the data looks like based on 2010 National Demographics and Diabetes Statistics.

In 2010, there were
– 2, 794, 000 Chinese
– 503, 900 Malays
– 348, 100 Indians

Of these,
– 9.7% Chinese had diabetes
– 16.6% Malays had diabetes and
– 17.2% Indians had diabetes

Percentage makes Malays and Indians look super unhealthy but here’s the reality in numbers…

– 271, 018 Chinese suffered diabetes
– 83, 647 Malays suffered diabetes
– 59, 873 Indians suffered diabetes

Which means, living in Singapore, Chinese are 3 times more likely to suffer diabetes than Malays and 4 times more likely to suffer diabetes than Indians.

Can we then ascertain that Chinese meals and lifestyle are unhealthier compared to Malay and Indian meals and lifestyle because well, the numbers said so.

In percentages based on overall population, this is how it looks like:

– 10.99% Singaporeans suffer from diabetes of which the denominations are…

– 7.18% Singaporeans (Chinese) suffer from diabetes
– 2.22% Singaporeans (Malay) suffer from diabetes
– 1.59% Singaporeans (Indian) suffer from diabetes

Reference:
– http://www.singstat.gov.sg/…/census_2010_rel…/cop2010sr1.pdf
– https://www.nrdo.gov.sg/…/defau…/diabetes-info-paper-v6.pdf…

#Diabetes #singapore

Seriously, this means

— minorities cannot complain if the government decides to allocate more resources in the war on diabetes in order to help the Chinese since by his logic they are the biggest sufferers; and if

— you tally up the education stats, more Chinese students “fail” than any other group. So SDP is wrong to KPKB that SAP schools “steal” money for the Chinese at the expense of the minorities.

Why S’pore will never be Smart city

PAP will never let this happen because, if we become a Smart city, no more cushie jobs for PAPpies.

As a TRE reader put it when TRE republished my piece that the post of Speaker is a BS post*:

Trim the fat:
September 7, 2017 at 5:10 pm (Quote)

We should just install a couple of Smart robots , programmed to do the jobs of Sg President and Speaker of parliament.

Both are robotic roles in our sunny sg.

Trim the fat wherever possible n see how much money can be saved!

Well we could extend the programme to the entire cabinet including the post of PM. And to all senior civil service posts, govt agencies, and TLC and other GLC posts.

Juz programme them to apply Hard Truths and the Economist.

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*Incidentally because it’s a BS posts, PAPpies are right that Tan CJ has what it takes to be Speaker. I perceive him as a Talk Cock Sing Song artiste. Btw, going by Hali’s “presidential” statements, she’s now one of these artistes.

Sad.

What the lure of being able to cry all the way to the bank can do.

Tan CJ story shows new media too is BS

There’s a lot about speculation about Tan CJ’s demotion in cyberspace. But kee chui those pontificators who knew that he had a rare form of TB, and was cleared of TB in 2015 before they strutted their stuff? There’s an ST article. Goggle it up.

I can only raise my hand a little because I wrote this. I vaguely remembered he had been seriously ill recently but hadn’t bothered to google the issue because I wanted to go meditate.

But other better staffed and resourced publications should have done their research. I mean mothership had three writers writing one piece (Btw, it was pure BS so I’m not linking to it.) but they obviously didn’t know that he was seriously ill only a few yrs back. Makes me think that this publication, allegedly funded by Philip Yeo (Remember him?) after George Yeo (Remember him?) pitched to him is the Chinese twin to the “Indians”.

And then there was his much ridiculed comment about old women telling him they were were collecting cardboard “for exercise”. It was so easy for the anti-PAP websites to verify if this was not true, and that they needed the money. But none did. All they had to do was to ask the old women as he had identified where they were operating from.

It’s difficult to do investigative journalism here (juz ask Terry’s Online Channel). But in this case, it was so easy.

But maybe someone did ask the women, and found that they were really exercising. So better to keep quiet about the truth?

“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Job mkt for NTU maths grads

But first contrasting HK and S’pore in one sentence:

Tycoons are as synonymous with the story of modern Hong Kong as founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew is with Singapore.

FT

But thinking about it, both share a common preoblem resulting from this contrast.

The article then goes on to analyse why young Hongkies are unhappy with the legacy of these tycoons. They dominate the HK economy, stifying the aspirations and creativity of the young. Even a tycoon’s heir can feel so frustrated that he has to enter the family business, in order to get on.

Sounds like the legacy that Harry left us. Because of Hard Truths, TLCs and other GLCs dominate our economy, stifling the aspirations and creativity of the young.

And the job market ain’t that good even for elite local grads.

Recently I spoke to a friend whose daughter, an NTU maths scholar, is just about to join a big local bank’s data mining development team on a one year internship (very decent pay). So far so good.

But the catch is that out of the previous cohort of NTU maths grads who finished their internships, only 3 out of 10 manage to get permanent jobs, some continuing on a yr to yr contract. They are told it’s the economy.

Meanwhile LKY’s son rows with his siblings and fixed the presidency so that a presidency reserved only for Malays, has none of the three declared candidates having an i/c saying “Malay”. As I wrote here:

The PAP’s candidate and a candidate who speaks Malay badly both have i/cs saying “Indian” while the third person has one saying “Pakistani”. Even for me who knows about the thin culture line between Malays and some Indian Muslims* am shocked that there isn’t someone with an i/c saying “Malay” willing to stand. Don’t want to be regarded as selling out to the PAP isit? Or unlike “Indians” and “Pakistanis” feeling piseh to stand in a presidency reserved only for “Malays”.

Demotion? What demotion?

The constructive, nation-building media are reporting what the PM and other ministers are saying about Tan Chuan-Jin moving from the post of cabinet minister to the post of Speaker (which I call a BS post).

The anti-PAP cyber warriorsane and nutty, are calling it a demotion.

If I were the latter, I’d sit down and shut up and wait to see what happens.

Going by what PM said about Speaker being part of his team, I suspect that the Speaker will be given outside parly responsibilities. It’ll be a “special duties” post. Breaking with Westminster tradition and convention, but then we really left that years ago.

Fyi, the salary of the Speaker is S$550k. It is pegged to the MR4 benchmark for a Minister but there’s a cut by 50%  if the Speaker is not full time.  But if an Speaker is full time, MR4 applies.

 

Amos:11 months in US jail, and still counting

SgDaily’s Buzzfeed story (from March) reminded me that Amos has spent 11 months in a US jail. And there’s still no end in sight.

Taking into consideration his jail time here, if he had done the right thing and gone into NS, he’d have 12 months more to go (and taz excluding leave).

What a born loser.

And taz not all. In jail he kanna robbed.

What an ass to believe that America is the land of the free for scroungers. He should have tried Europe but taz the trouble with a stupid boy. He didn’t research or analyse enough the topic. No wonder he’s a hero of the TRE cybernuts. Stupid people like stupid people.

Amos: 7 months in US jail, 4 more to go at least 

Amos’ case again shows how cock S’poreans are

Amos keeps slipping on banana skins he threw on floor(See that other chimp Meng Seng eat a babana)

 

 

Doesn’t Hali realise that “Speaker” is BS post?

Halimah Yacob says that the reserved election (where all the candidates’ i/cs indicate they are of Indian subcontinent origin, not of Malayan archipelago origin)  is still meritocratic because all the candidates have to meet the same qualification criteria. Err she didn’t tell us that she qualifies only because the post of Speaker is the Escape Card or Joker card from the other cards in the pack or require very, very high standards to qualify to be eligible for president*. It looks like a form of affirmative action for “lesser” minorities that don’t have people who cannot otherwise qualify.

Let me explain.

The post of Speaker in the Westminster system is one of the great offices of state under the Westminster system of government practiced in the UK, Canada, Oz and NZ.

The Speaker of the House of Commons chairs debates in the Commons chamber. The holder of this office is an MP who has been elected to be Speaker by other Members of Parliament. During debates they keep order and call MPs to speak.

The Speaker is the chief officer and highest authority of the House of Commons and must remain politically impartial at all times.

The Speaker also represents the Commons to the monarch, the Lords and other authorities and chairs the House of Commons Commission.

http://www.parliament.uk/business/commons/the-speaker/the-role-of-the-speaker/role-of-the-speaker/

But in the context of a de-facto one party state where the ruling party has a more than two-thirds majority, the post is a non-job. It’s such a non-job that the PAP admin has “cut” the pay of the Speaker substantially. And given her campaigning for PAP candidates, she isn’t impartial is she?

Furthermore while the Speaker is the head of the administrative staff of the parliament, the budget is peanuts compared to any ministry or govt department.

Here’s a post from FB from a senior lawyer who is often pro-PAP who raises another point (bolded by me):

I find Madam Halimah to be an excellent servant of the people with a long record of service I greatly respect, but speaking personally I am un-impressed with the idea that the office of Speaker should have led to automatic qualification.

For one thing, the role of Speaker does not involve, if one may put it quite bluntly, managing any organisation of any financial size or complexity.

Secondly, in terms of the Speaker’s involvement in appointing senior officials within the G, the Speaker is not involved in that either. Nor is the Speaker involved in the making of any decisions on Government policy. Indeed, to the contrary, the Speaker is expected to exercise a degree of distance from policies, or at least politics.

So I struggle to see what particular experience the Speaker would have had in terms of discharging the principal ‘custodial’ roles of the President.

To say that the Speaker represents all of Parliament is quite true, and I do accept that the Speaker’s office is one of high dignity, and I further accept that the Speaker discharges a vital constitutional function in managing and overseeing the hearings, procedures and administration of Parliament, but query if these activities make the Speaker particularly well qualified for the specific custodial duties that a President has to discharge. I have my doubts on that aspect of Singapore’s constitution.

This lawyer’s comments remind me of Grima Wormtongue who in the book “Lord of the Rings” finally turns on his abusive master, Saruman, killing him. Even the worm turns.

As I said, the post of Speaker is the Escape Card from the otherwise very, very high standards required to be president. It looks like a form of affirmative action for “lesser” minority groups that don’t have people who cannot otherwise qualify.

Hali should realise this and just look at her monthly bank statement, smile and think of Marlowe’s Dr Faustus.

The PAP decided that a “desk jockey” in NTUC was the “right” person to be MP. junior minister, Speaker and now president.

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*We may joke about “prata” man’s credentials. But he held senior civil service posts and was chairman of the organisation responsible for print propoganda .

RSN and RSAF have global reach/ Why PM is still in Xi’s doghouse

Our navy is not just a coastal maritime defence force. While it isn’t a blue water navy, its ships can sail to the Pacific island of Guam and back:

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the United States Navy (USN) have completed the inaugural bilateral Exercise Pacific Griffin in the waters off Guam, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said on Monday (Sep 4).

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/singapore-us-navies-complete-inaugural-exercise-off-guam-9182794

Sailing there and back were two frigates, RSS Stalwart and RSS Supreme, and an Endurance-class landing ship tank RSS Endurance.

Meanwhile,

The RSAF’s KC-135R Stratotanker completed a three-month deployment to the region, “performing more than 50 missions, refuelling US and Coalition aircraft in the USAF Central Command’s area of responsibility”, the RSAF said in a Facebook post on Sunday (Sep 3).

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/rsaf-brought-fuel-to-the-fight-for-us-led-coalition-against-is-9182630

Time to start training with and helping out China? But then the US would be upset. But then PM can expect to be invited to Xi’s OBOR parties for friends only.

Animal Farm circa 2017

But first something I wrote sometime back: Animal Farm: What if the pigs were public-spirited? Coming back to how Animal Farm would look like in 2017 and in Silicon Valley? The animals are all like Boxer. From NYT Dealbook Opinion In Silicon Valley, Working 9 to 5 Is for Losers By DAN LYONS A century ago, factory workers went on strike to demand better conditions. Today, start-up “hustlers” celebrate their own exploitation.

Why there’ll be no presidential election

The short answer is that ST Editor said so leh.

Warren Fernandez said (among many other things about why the presidency sucks: really he did) yesterday that Eddie Teo and his committee should accept that there is only one candidate who qualifies under the present rules spelt out by Parliament. I’m sure he is channeling the views of the ruling party on this matter.

What a polite way of saying the next elected president will be chosen by a “walk-over”.

Seriously, why would the PAP go thru the wayang of wanting an unelected elected president?

A fanboy of Hali

Many good friends and those who have worked with her testify for her character. Thus, it is not difficult to place increased weightage for her to lead as President”

unwittingly gave the answer away when he asked people to vote for her.

He posted on FB

The true test, against all comments posted on and offline regarding how the system discriminates positively in a meritocratic society with a pledge that has the phrase ” regardless of race, language or religion”, will be when she becomes President and has to exercise her independent judgment and call for action against the ruling G of the day for matters concerning Singaporeans and their reserves and related matters.
The support for her will not just be for the “now” but when she calls differently from the ruling party. How many will stand stand up independently and vote with her in agreement.

This reasoning is precisely why there’ll be a walkover. An unelected elected president has no mandate from the voters.

The PM of the day can sneer at her and ask, “Mandate? What mandate?” if she disagrees with something that the govt of the day wants done and in an area where she has “custodial” powers. In an alternative universe, PM Mad Dog will threaten to pee on her if she refuses to sign a law returning our CPF.

---

Ownself check ownself check ownself: Paradox of the PAP presidency.

———————————————

Think Ong Teng Cheong. In any row with LKY’s govt, he could (and may have) said, “I won a presidential election. I got mandate”. It seems this attitude really got LKY really upset resulting in “you know what happened” after Ong died. Since then, the PAP administration has only once allowed a presidential election.

It would be even more wary after its preferred candidate won by only 3,000 votes thanks to two opportunistic clowns from RI. They didn’t even get 30 pieces of silver each, though TKL’s campaign manager, Goh Meng Seng, is alleged, to have asked TKL for 15 pieces of silver. TKL is alleged to have responded, “WTF. I lost my deposit because of u.”

Another reason that there’ll be a walkover is so that those who voted for Tan Cheng Bock and the clowns can’t give the finger to the PAP. Remember they constituted 65% of the vote in the last PE and many of those who voted for the opportunistic RI clowns have repented. Many even deny they voted for Jee Say or TKL. They get upset when I produce evidence of what they told me before the vote.

Here’s the reason why the PAP wants the president to be compliant kaki lang: When a ceremonial president goes “rogue”

After OTC’s term of office, the PAP realised that they had a problem. In the old days LKY would have found an excuse to revert to old system, while he retot the issue of how to protect the reserves. Instead he and PAP resorted to short-term fixes and things nearly went wrong for the PAP in 2011 (See above). Reserved presidency is another first-aid job. 

One day, hopefully soon, the edifice of the “elected” presidency will be like the MRT system: systematic long overdue long-term repairs must be made because things are going badly wrong

Btw, I wrote this in March 2016 about Hali: Malay PAPpy that can thrash Chin Bock and later (May 2016) Halimah deserves better. But she’d rather look at her monthly bank statement and be happy. Maybe she’s thinking of buying an entire HDB floor on her retirement, given that she has a supersized unit now?

Indian sabo Indian

I was reminded of TISG’s record of sabos* when I read

Malaysia’s Health Ministry will write to Singapore to express its disappointment over allegations that there had been a delay and demand for payment before treating Justinian Tan, a Singaporean who died after an accident in Johor Baru on Aug 25, according to a report on Malaysian news portal Berita Harian.
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/malaysia-to-write-to-singapore-over-allegations-regarding-9180252

It was TISG that first “reported” the “story”.

So now trying to start war between M’sia and S’pore isit?

—————————————————

The “I” in TISG stands for “Indians” not “Independent” because according to a previous editor (Indian) it’s “a bunch of Indians”. It could also stand for “Idiots”, though as there’s someone really smart there now, it’s unfair to use the moniker “Idiots”.

———————————————————

I hope TISG gets taken to the cleaners if its allegations over the death are found to be untrue.

Seriously the publisher of TISG Kumaran Pillay claims he and his publication have progressive values. But obviously not enough to resist fixing (For thirty pieces of silver?) a real progressive. What do u think?

Ananth Tambyah

May 10 ·

Last week I gave some opening remarks at a May Day commemoration event organized by Transitioning.Org, a Singaporean organization dedicated to helping unemployed and under-employed Singaporeans.

An anonymous writer from “The Independent Singapore” who was not even at the event put his own spin on this segment with an edited video clip on their website with a click-bait headline. Due to this irresponsible article, there are people in institutions connected with me who have expressed their concerns. I am also appalled at the misrepresentation by “The Independent Singapore”. Anyone who was at the event will know that I was not referring to NUH hospital administrators at all or the entire healthcare system, but calling out bad behavior by those who try to divide us.

Academics and professionals have a duty to support the “system” when it is doing the right thing and to raise our concerns when it is not, and to do so not just behind closed doors but in the public square. To paraphrase James Baldwin, “I love Singapore more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”

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*Some other sabos:

“The Idiots — S’pore”: From PAP loudhailer to running dog?“

The Idiots — S’pore” keeps on promoting divisiveness?

 

What should really frighten S’poreans

Think twice before u cheong property. Growth in global trade, a very dependent driver for our economy in the past, can no longer be reliably relied on to produce its regular fixes to the S’pore economy and the PAP’s popularity.

S’pore is highly dependent on global trade and global trade growth has slowed in recent years.

International trade has been growing below historic trends for the past five years. The 1.9 per cent growth recorded in 2016, according to the team at the [World Bank], was the slowest since the 2009 collapse in commerce that followed the global financial crisis.

FT in February this year

Martin Wolf of the FT earlier this year on the global trade slowdown

Between 1960 and 2015, world trade increased at an average rate of 6.6 per cent, in real terms, while output grew at an average rate of 3.5 per cent. Between 2008 and 2015, however, average annual growth of world trade was 3.4 per cent in real terms, while world output grew at 2.4 per cent. Not only has the growth of trade slowed, but the gap between trade growth and that of output also fell sharply.

And although growth in trade has picked up this yr, the slowdown could be secular, not cyclical

The man running the world’s biggest sovereign wealth fund says there’s every indication that global trade is suffering from something more serious than a temporary slowdown.

Yngve Slyngstad, chief executive officer of Norges Bank Investment Management, as the fund is known, says the heyday of cross-border trade is probably behind us.

Because

During a recent conference on globalization, the fund’s chief strategist, Bjorn Erik Orskaug, suggested the world might be at an “inflection point” in trade, with shallower value chains and less cross-border production. And then there’s the protectionist agenda some governments are pursuing.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-31/norway-s-980-billion-fund-reveals-bleak-view-on-global-trade

Taz why PM was trying so hard for TPP despite rowing in private with his siblings: TPP sucked but only cybernuts celebrate its demise

 

Good British ideas we should imitate

LKY liked to sneer at the British even when his wife feel ill there and was treated by the British.

Here’s two interesting ideas that the British are experimenting with

Some cancer sufferers who phone the Macmillan support line want to talk about death, and the process of dying.

But for 25 times as many patients, it’s not their health they want to discuss.

It’s their finances.

Macmillan’s research shows that most cancer suffers are nearly £7,000 a year worse off because of the disease.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-40751939

So it’s interesting that the cancer charity is working with a bank to give pratical financial advice.

Given that, unlike the UK, cancer treatment has to to be paid for, there’s an even more pressing need for advice.

Then there’s this

LESSONS start early at John Perryn, a state primary school in west London. From the day children arrive, parents are brought in for classes on how to teach phonics and even how to play (counting sandcastles helps the tiddlers grasp numbers, for example). As children get older, the workshops become more formal. All sessions are voluntary. But parents who attend win points for their child’s house—and the top house wins a cinema trip at the end of term.

https://www.economist.com/news/britain/21725587-tempting-mum-and-dad-classroom-may-improve-pupils-results-schools-teach-parents

And here’s one idea that hasn’t been tested but is relevant here and I think there’s some local initiative along these lines:

“Charlie Mayfield, the chairman of John Lewis and head of a government-appointed Productivity Commission, has suggested creating a mentoring system which would allow successful companies to teach smaller ones (particularly their suppliers) the art of management.”

(Economist)

Economist also reports that “The London School of Economics has documented that good management is the key to productivity growth”. Well if this is correct, we really have some lousy management in our SME sector. Taz the area where productivity gtowth is really lousy.

Will we offer help to China?

If there’s a natural disaster in Fujien or anywhere else along the coast?

The four Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) CH-47 Chinook helicopters from its Peace Prairie detachment in Grand Prairie, Texas have arrived on site to assist in the US’ Hurricane Harvey disaster relief operations, Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said on Thursday (Aug 31).

…

According to the ministry, the RSAF’s Peace Prairie detachment has worked together with the Texas Army National Guard in the past, including relief operations after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, fire-fighting and flood relief operations in Texas in 2000, and Hurricane Floyd relief operations in North Carolina in 1999.

Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/rsaf-chinooks-arrive-to-assist-in-hurricane-harvey-disaster-9172930
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/rsaf-chinooks-arrive-to-assist-in-hurricane-harvey-disaster-9172930

So if China has a natural disaster will S’pore offer China our help? After all we have military assets in Taiwan.

Avoid getting killed by Islamic terrorists

Ask your Muslim friends teach you a few Koranic verses. It can help save your life if Islamic terrorists attack a place where you happen to be

‘I escaped death by reciting from the Koran’

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38459996

This Hindoo wasn’t killed when Islamic terrorists attacked an eatery he was working in. He convinced them that he was Muslim. So they didn’t slaughter him like sheep are slaughtered.

 

Cashless payments system are passé for really smart nations

Smart nations are moving on to blockchain-based currencies.

Estonia, a country that prides itself on being at the cutting edge of digital technology, is floating the idea of a currency called estcoins.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-41047744

And China’s central bank has declared its intention to issue its own blockchain-based currency.

Can “righteous” ETFs beat AI selected ETF?

Two ETFs offer Taliban-type Christians* a way to invest in an index that screened out undesirable sectors, such as gambling, alcohol, pornography and companies that support LGBT rights.

—————————————————————–

Inspire Global Hope ETF
[TICKER: BLES]

We believe good returns and good values are not mutually exclusive. Inspire Global Hope ETF is designed to create meaningful impact by investing in some of the most inspiring companies from around the globe, while also seeking to provide investors with a low cost, high impact investment that meets the stringent demands of modern investors. All Inspire ETF’s meet biblically responsible investing (BRI) standards, which measure a portfolio’s alignment with biblical values.

http://www.inspireetf.com/etf/inspire-global-hope-large-cap-etf/

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Then there’s another that invests in line with Catholic values. Wonder if it has received Pope Francis’s papal blessing?

Remember IBM’s Watson? DBS, among others, is using it to help investors (Er wonder if it recommended Swiber junk bonds?)

Well there’s a move to use Watson to systematically pick stocks that will go into an “active” ETF.

Will God trump AI?

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*Sounds like it’s also halal or sharia-compliant.