Saturday, April 30, 2011

Message to MM

message 1
http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.com/2011/04/dear-mm-we-are-not-in-same-boat.html

message 2
http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.com/2011/04/dear-millionaire-mentor-pt-2.html

Outing for senior citizens

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ9fHdAi6rQ

The senior citizens were from Tanjong Pagar and Redhill, ans were ferried by chartered bus to attend the PAP rally in Ang Mo Kio.

Estimate the share of votes of PAP

Please participate in this survey.

Watershed 2011 General Election

Hi, I am a follower of your blog.  It has a lot of resources and carried varied subjects/topics, etc.
 
You may want to introduce your readers to my humble blog kohsl88.blogspot.com.  There are few postings on the current Watershed 2011 Singapore General Election which your readers may be interested to read and mull over.
 
Thanks for your help.
  S L Koh

Problems of middle income voters

Dear Mr. Tan,
Please post my view in your blog


PM Lee said that he will look into the problems of the middle income voters. I don't trust his words. Why now, and not earlier?

PAP Candidate

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?87671-Foo-Mee-Har-How-did-she-ever-pass-the-tea-party

Benevolent leader or unwilling candidate?

I received this e-mail.
This is an interesting article. The outcome of Marine Parade will determine the fate or future of GCT. Even if PAP win but with significant reduced majority his goose will be cooked and he will know the end is near for him. What more if PAP being stumped by the opposition especially the effect of Nicole Seah factor. GCT will go down in history being thumped by a young, down-to-earth, sweet single woman against a so called elite bunch of which he is the leader of the pack.

General election survey - hot news

The survey on the general election attracted 100 replies within 3 hours. The analysis of these 100 replies can be found in TKL website.

Survey - how will you vote in the key constituencies

Do this survey now. It is exciting.

What the PAP do not want you to know

Read this blog
http://www.brianbummers.com/2011/04/03/what-the-pap-does-not-want-you-to-know/#permalink

It explains what might happen when the PAP lose power. The writer said that it will not cause long term damage to the future of the country. In fact, things will turn out to be better. Watch the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVkF5uFJtag&feature=player_embedded#at=161

I agree with the views of the writer almost completely. Singapore will do better under a new government - even a coalition government involving the PAP. The old policies will have to be changed and the new policies will be be better for the people.  He cited Hong Kong that went through a bigger change (i.e. transfer of power from  UK to China in 1997, and life continue to improve.)

If the new government does not have the people with the right experience to run the ministries, they can find loyal and competent Singaporeans to give advice to the ministers. Even the President of the United States of America has to appoint a Council of Economic Advices and a National Security Council to advice him on the key decisions. He is able to find the most competent people for this role and they do not have to be elected politicians.

Tan Kin Lian

How are slaves ruled?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpQCT8h9mzk&playnext=1&list=PL157508BFD0BBDB26

Speeches at SDP rally

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2fI4F_0LTc

LKY on TV

I watched LKY on television urging the voters to vote PAP. He has aged considerably and is quite frail - in spite of the cosmetics. The recent loss of his wife and other events must be taking a toll. I wanted to look for a video of that TV broadcast.

Here is the news article on CNA
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1125768/1/.html

Possible scenarios at this general election

Yeo Toon Joo analyses the possible scenarios that may occur at this general election
http://easyapps.sg/sgep/admin/file.aspx?id=122

Pass the message to vote for opposition

Dear Mr. Tan 

Vast majority of voters don’t attend election rally and seldom surf the Internet. They prefer to watch TV and read Straits Times/Lianhe Zoabao. Most of them are not aware of those issues raised in the election rallies and your blog. How do the opposition parties find ways to reach these voters?  

REPLY
The opposition parties will have to depend on people like you to pass the message to the other voters.





Minimum wage and the economy

I have supported a minimum wage in Singapore for many years. My position is the same as that advocated by the Singapore Democratic Party, Worker's Party and the Reform Party. My views differ from the position of the People's Action Party and the National Trades Union Congress ( ... happy May Day).  Read my reasons in TKL website or click here.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Desperate appeal of the Minister Mentor

http://singaporerecalcitrant.blogspot.com/2011/04/desperate-appeal-of-minister-mentor.html

Workers Party at Serangoon Stadium

I drove to see the Worker's Party at Serangoon Stadium. I knew that I had to park quite far from the stadium and to walk there.

It was a mistake to go by car. The road to the Serangoon stadium was congested and crawling all the way to the stadium. It was not possible to find a parking space for the next 1 km after passing the stadium.

Too many people had the bad idea of driving to the stadium to watch the rally. It would have been easier for me to go by MRT from Yio Chu Kang to Bishan and transfer to the Circle Line to Serangoon.

I decided that the next time I go to an election rally (except a PAP rally), I will go by MRT or public transport.

PAP Rally at Yio Chu Kang stadium

I attended the PAP rally at Yio Chu Kang stadium. The crowd looked quite respectable from a distance. The seated areas were mostly occupied, but the crowd in the field near the stage was rather small. The key draw of the rally was PM Lee Hsien Loong, who was seated prominently at the center of the stage.

I walked round the stadium to observe the people at the seated area. I got the impression, from the way they dressed and talked to each other, that they were members of activities groups sent by the community centers.

My suspicion was confirmed when a new group of people arrived. Looking at their ages, frail appearance and dialect speaking, they must have been sent from an old folks home. Here is a picture of the PAP supporters.


It must be great for them to have an outing, although they probably do not know what the event was for. Perhaps, we should hold the general election more frequently, so that these old folks have more chance to go for an outing.

Vote for change

Dear Mr. Tan
Please post my views in your blog

I live in Ang Mo Kio GRC. I am glad that the Reform  Party has field a team to contest in this GRC.It gives me the chance to cast my vote as a citizen.


Based on the credentials of the candidates from the PAP and RP, it is clear where the vote should go to. The PAP team is headed by the PM Lee Hsien Loong. The RP team comprised of people that I cannot recognize and, if I remember correctly, include candidates that were borrowed from other parties. How pathetic.


I want to use this opportunity wisely and cast my vote for the future of Singapore. 


I spoke to a few friends. I was troubled to learn that Lee Hsien Loong was responsible for the decision to bring the two casinos to Singapore, for raising GST to 7%,  for making civil servants lose their medical benefits, for the high HDB prices, for bringing in so many foreigners and allowing the investment banks to bring in the toxic products.  I also heard a few comments about his cynical laugh, arrogant attitude and looking down on people.


I have agonized over this difficult matter for the past few days, and have now decided to vote for change.


Ang Mo Kio resident


Chicken Little Election Strategy

http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html

Quote
The PAP candidates started off their battle for the people's heart and minds with their predictable weapon of choice - their supposedly impeccable track record. Unfortunately, in the context of today, that is looking more like a laundry list of systemic defects. Higher costs of living, suffocating housing repayments, congestion in transport systems, crowding out by foreigners, erosion of social mores, complacency of governance, etc - the checklist length is matched only by the number of zeros in a minister's paycheck.

Unquote

Video on Worker's Party Manifesto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uGrX86R2vM

Some wise words from Dr. Goh Keng Swee



Dr. Goh Keng Swee was the previous #2 in Mr. Lee Kuan Yew's government. Many older Singaporeans knew him to be the person who was primarily responsible for the economic success of Singapore. Dr. Goh was honest and pragmatic. He did not believe in the "top talent" nonsense. My friend sent these words to me, with the remarks "Of course, we can lose a minister. So what! "


Here are the words of Goh Keng Swee, 22 Feb 1981, Singapore Conference Hall, inauguration of Schools Council:

"There is one extraordinary fact about a government minister — here or elsewhere — which few members of the public are aware of. This is that his ignorance of the subject he is in charge of greatly exceeds his knowledge of it. Ministers naturally seldom draw attention to this, but I
 assure you that this is true; anyway, in my case, it is.


This is not a public confession and the position is not as alarming as it looks. In modern society, it is not possible for the head of an organisation to know more than a small fraction of what goes on within it. It may be otherwise in primitive societies. The chief of a small group of primitive savages is better informed of what goes on in his village than, say, the President of General Motors is about his corporation.

The modern executive chief may be armed with a whole battery of computers while the village chief is not, but he knows less. Even so, the village chief may not understand everything, and so he usually has a witch doctor upon whom he depends when events pass his comprehension. Perhaps the only creature who possesses a total information system of which he has complete grasp is the patriarch of a troop of baboons. I have not come across any reference in the literature to the practice of witchcraft among baboons."


Singapore Desk

http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html

Mr. Brown Bak Chor Mee 2

https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/12f9ef45d3954eaf

SDp candidate - Dr. Ang Yong Guan

http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/specials/General_Election/62774.html#/site/servlet/ajax/page;jsessionid=E46AF014E4654D2145469358EB2F63D6.01?channel=contentbean%3a59830&view=asLargeVideoListBoxPage&page=1&autoLoad=true&video=contentbean%3a62774@59830_largeListPage@1304052991031

Chen Shao Mao at WP First Rally

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If1bXl7gZ_0&feature=email

Dr, Lim Hock Siew

Dr. Lim Hock Siew was detained for 20 years for being a security threat. He is a mild mannered person, an intellectual, and a doctor who gave free medicine and transport money to help the poor. In spite of suffering injustice, he held no animosity towards the person who deprived him of the best years of his life. Here is the true story of a remarkable man.

Honesty in leadership

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?90691-Truly-a-dishonest-PM-and-an-equally-dishonest-party

Tribute to J B Jeyaretnam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mddECjFg5pc

Weakest links in GRCs

This BLOG is hot...
IT ANALYSES THE PAP WEAK SPOTS IN EACH CONTESTING WARD!
http://paptheweakestlink.blogspot.com/

SGEP covers the blogs and media

There are extensive coverage of the general election in the blogs, media and youtube. The Singapore General Election portal (SGEP) give you a summary of the coverage. By visiting SGEP daily, you will not miss the interesting and relevant articles.

You can also send your views and articles for publication to sgeportal@gmail.com. Click on Letters to SGEP to see what other people are sayign.

Nicole Seah - choose what is right for your cuontry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY9yU2r9ywM&feature=email

GCT and Tan Jee Say

A citizen sends this message to GCT about the loss of jobs to foreigners. He said that there is merit in what Tan Jee Say had said. It is worth considering. See SGEP or click here.

Global issues and government actions

Message sent to Tan Kin Lian

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1125423/1/.html

Hi, when I read this report by Khaw Boon Wan, I have the following thoughts: No doubt that rising cost of issue is a global issue, but in Singapore, the rising cost is worsened by the government policiies, namely: (a) housing. We have heard enough of this, but the government just refuse to see it, talking about understanding issues on the ground! (c) public transport & private transportation. By changing to distance-based fares, we seemed to be hearing more of people paying more rather than less as claimed by the government. Their COE system and ERP system is double whammy for car owners. (c) increase in electricity tariffs and fuel costs. All these companies are owned by foreigners now.


HT

Good turnout at election rallies

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/poor-turnout-pap-first-ge-rally-184231332.html

I attended the election rally of the Singapore Democratic Party (opposite  Commonwealth MRT) and the Reform Party (at Clementi Stadium) and saw a large turnout at both rallies.

Fooled by HDB flat prices

A citizen gives his view on the debate between the PAP and WP on the asset enhancement scheme. Read SGEP or click here.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

HDB Cost

Dear Mr. Tan

I am very disappointed when Strait Times publish how affordable a HBD flat is. I can understand when an Ah Beng from a second hard car dealer trying to conceal the ACTUAL cost of owner a car.  But for someone who we trust our future with, this is totally NOT acceptable.
The cost did not indicate the following.
 - Stamp & Legal Fees
   -  Insurance
Although the amount is not very much it still a quite a substantial to an average worker.  This is apparently not obvious to a person earning more than 1 million per year.
 Alvin Low

Avoid investing in unfamiliar products

Dear Mr Tan,
I came across your blog on the website and saw your story on the Wine Investment while doing some research on this as well. My husband has been getting a lot of calls from this lady by the name Jane from AWI. She has been very aggressive in promoting her investment plan on this batch of wine. Perhaps you could give us your advise because I do not want to be the next victim on this scam (if it is an intentionally scam).

REPLY
You should never invest in any investment that you are not familiar with, including wine investment. Please register in my website on investment alert and login to read the experience of other investors.

http://www.easyapps.sg/assn/Org/Default.aspx?id=8

I WANT A MORE REPRESENTATIVE PARLIAMENT.

Dear Mr. Tan - please publish in your blog:

I wish to see a new invigorated parliament represented by a greater diversity of interests and views. We can NOW make it happen. With a critical mass of Opposition MPs, we could then move on to reform the electoral system to a ‘proportional representation’ system based on the French model, where, the percentage of total votes polled by a political party determines the number of seats won by that  party. 

Five years separate us from our next power point -  if we fail - it’s five long years to the next General Election.

Francis Tan TC.

Walkover in Tanjong Pagar GRC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s-WieTi420&feature=email

SDP candidates

http://yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/4764

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Bulk e-mails

I received several good suggestions on how other users send out bulk e-mails and avoid getting them into spam folders. A summary of the solutions is posted here. I wish to thank all the contributors.

Gold Insignia

A consumer sent an investment alert. Login to read about this investment here:
http://www.easyapps.sg/assn/Org/Default.aspx?id=8

Do I renew my maid's contract?

A  busy mother asked you to consider this question at the general election. Read this letter posted in SGEP.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Delisting of Financial One Corp

I received a complaint on delisting of Financial One Corp. It is posted in the member section of Investment Alert.


Difficulty in sending e-mail

I tried to send e-mails to 600 FISCA members from a web application. It took a long time to send out the e-mails and is blocked by Google after 500 mails. There are other obstacles in sending which are not transparent to me. Some of the messages were sent out more than once.

It seemed that the only way to overcome this problem is to pay a third party mailing service at 10 cents per mail to send them out. Do you know of any better way? Send your solution to kinlian@gmail.com. Thanks.

CSJ's reply to PM Lee's rally speech

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yd7kiswffo&feature=related

SDP's clear and compelling vision

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5YA8oExoj4&NR=1

A poor track record

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeuuBX4wlSg&feature=player_embedded

Two personalities and the economic issues

The Sunday Times reported the attack made by Mr. Lim Hng Kiang on the economic ideas contained in the paper by Mr. Tan Jee Say. Here are my observations on the issues behind this debate. It appears that Mr. Tan Jee Say is being unfairly attacked - a repeat of similar incidents that happened in past elections. Read TKL website or click here.

Donate to the SDP

http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2011/04/24/election-buzz-a-minority-interest/

Voters - it's five years to your next power point

E-mail sent to me by FT for posting

THE COMMON GOOD doesn’t appear to me to be that common to the common people. When young people have to struggle with high mortgage payments for their first flat, when the old and sick are afraid of their medical bills, when food prices are becoming exorbitant, talk of the future sound very hollow…

SOCIETY must do some re-think.

 I don’t need the wisdom of Socrates or the sagacity of Confucius to tell you that you can now decide on the OPPOSITION you want, the type of government you need, and the way you want to be governed. It's your birth-right. Exercise that power of choice NOW or you will have to wait five long years to your next power point. Remember!  It’s five long years to the next election. 

FT



NSP Nicole Seah handles the media very well

http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2011/04/nsps-nicole-seah.html

Investment alert - spa packages

An investor sends in a collection of materials about spa packages and advised consumers to avoid them. Details can be found in Investment Alert, after you register as a member (it's free)
http://www.easyapps.sg/assn/Org/Default.aspx?id=8

Videos for the General Election, 2011

Watch these videos and vote for change.



Manifestos of the Political Parties

Read the manifestos of the political parties here:
http://www.easyapps.sg/SGEP/Information.aspx?CatID=18

Judge for yourself, which party has a better vision for the future of Singapore!

Civil servants and pension scheme

Quote from Diary of a Singaporean Mind


In 1996, 103 veteran civil servants sued the govt[Link]. When they signed up to join civil service, they did so under a pension scheme left behind by the British govt. In 1973, the PAP govt persuaded them to sign up for a new scheme called CPF. They were told this scheme was better because they would take home more pay every month and they would be better off in the long run. When they switched to this "better" CPF scheme, they would have to give up their medical benefits and pensions.There were many civil servants put under pressure in the 80s and 90s to switch to the CPF scheme. I remember the Straits Times had article after article on the benefits of switching to the CPF scheme including calculation to show how much these civil servants will benefit from the switch. 


The man pushing for the civil servants to convert from the old scheme was Lee Hsien Loong. 2-3 decades later many of these civil servants who gave up their pensions realized they are worse off due the the inadequacy of CPF and escalating healthcare cost. They sued the govt and lost...then they appealed and lost again. When they made the wrong choice and believed what was presented to them, they committed an irreversible mistake which they regretted the rest of their lives. The pension scheme and medical benefits that these low ranking civil servants gave up was retained for top civil servants whose salaries also rose much faster than the average civil servant.


In a few weeks all of us have to make an important decision. We are shown numbers and calculations on how the foreign influx has created jobs for Singaporeans, how HDB remains affordable and massive upgrading carrots dangled to sway you to vote for them. Just remember what happened to those veteran civil servants who believed what they were told.

Buying votes

I overheard a conversation at the coffee shop between a middle age man and a Malay stall holder. The man said " I will vote for the PAP because they gave me $800. If they did not give me the money, I will not vote for them:". He lived in a 3 room flat. The stall holder said that her mother stayed in 1 room HDB flat and received $1,000.  It seems to be buying votes - a bad reason for the political development of a country. What a questionable leadership and its bad influence on the people.

Eldershield and Eldershield supplements

If you have received a recent brochure from CPF about Eldershield, please send it to me at kinlian@gmail.com. I wish to analyse if the current premium rates give good value to consumers, compared to keeping the money in the Medsave account (to earn 4% per annum). Most claims are likely to occur at the advanced ages, and by that time, the premiums would have amounted to a large sum.

You can also send to me the premium rates for the Eldershield supplements offered by the participating life insurance companies.

Singapore has lost the high moral ground

An excellent article by Lucky Tan
http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2011/04/pap-has-lost-moral-high-ground.html

Quote
When the PAP hiked the GST to 7% we were all told it was done to help the poor.  Several weeks ago, Tharman went on TV and show some statistics to prove that GST benefits the poor - his flawed argument was the rich pay more GST than the poor. Before GST, the poor paid no taxes and the rich paid more in income tax and corporate taxes. Yesterday, the PAP govt announced there will be no GST hikes in the next 5 years. Great! But cynics on the Internet joked that the PAP will not be helping the poor more for the next 5 years using their original argument that GST hike was to help the poor.

......
Mah Bow Tan angered many by saying the reserves are raided if HDB flats are more reasonably priced based on income. A quick look at the larger scheme of things it is clear now to most Singaporeans that the purchase of HDB has drained our CPF and it looks more like the PAP has raided our retirement accounts to build massive reserves. 
Unquote

Early payout critical illness policy

Dear Mr. Tan
What are your views about the early payout critical illness policy that has been advertised by Great Eastern. Is it necessary to have this insurance?

REPLY
It covers some of the important risks in life, but you have to observe the following points:

  • Take the cover for not more than 20 years
  • Compare the premium rates offered by three companies for the same cover
  • Read the policy wordings to make sure that you understand the cover, i.e. do not rely on the explanation of the insurance agent.
I like to make a comparison of the premium rates for the following ages - 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 - separately for males and females, and for terms of  5, 10, 15 and 20 years. Please get me the premium rates for this cover charged by different insurance companies. I will prepare the comparison for those that contributed to this research and for FISCA members,.


$800 for us, millions for themselves

Read this article by John Tan of SDP.

Why I will vote for Opposition

This voter expresses the views of many Singaporeans who have been disappointed in recent years with the PAP. She is willing to take the plunge to usher in a change for Singapore. See SGEP or click here.

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