Benchmark yield

Dear Mr. Tan
What is the benchmark for the yield on my savings until retirement. How do I calculate the yield on my life insurance policy?

REPLY
Your target should be a yield of at least 5% per annum. If you look at this article, you will find the yield on the Straits Times Index Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) over the past 20 years is more than 9% per annum, after deducting expenses. The yield in the future should be at least 5% per annum, after deducting expenses.

If you wish to invest in a unit trust, instead of the Straits Times Index ETF (from SDPR or DBS), you should choose one that has an expense ratio of less than 1% per annum (as the above two ETF has an expense ratio of only 0.3%).

To calculate the yield on a life insurance policy, you should use the Excel function called "Rate" to calculate the yield. For example, if the annual premium is $5,000 and the cash value at the end of 30 years is $200,000, the yield is 1.9% per annum. If the cash value is $300,000, the yield is 4.4% per annum. So, the life insurance policy is satisfactory , if it gives $300,000 (instead of $200,000) in this case.

Victims of Spa packages

Dear Mr Tan,
As you are seen as the voice of the common people in Singapore. I hope
you will help to spread the word to the estimated 20,000
True Spa & Subtle Senses victims.

Please join us in the fight to get back our money.
http://www.facebook.com/groups​/170620749615018/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79lg_xRJSqk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwCim5rUreg

Thank you,
Ally Lee

Feedback on Live Streaming of Financial Planning Talk

The live streaming of the talk will be held at 10 pm tonight. Please give your feedback to this mode of giving a talk by posting your comments here. 

Voices of concern - capital punishment

Dear Mr. Tan,
There has been much talk about the role of the president much of which centered around money and reserves. There has been little discussion about the humanitarian and social aspects.


The voices of concern have only focused on money related issues. What are your views on capital punishment and its mode here in Singapore? Many believe that judicial hangings are gruesome and inhumane, and believe the mode and system should be brought in line with the times.


I also write to also ask your opinion on the process of clemency in relation to the Yong Vui Kong case. The Hon Justice Choo Han Teck, found Vui Kong to be too young to be dealt with the death sentence, but the prosecution did not agree to reduce the charge.


How, if you are elected (with the 'limited powers'), will you fully address the 'voice of the people', particularly on such issues? What if Vui Kong was Singaporean? I believe parts of the system are draconian and need to be brought in line with the times.


I am of the opinion that the president should be as independent as the judiciary. The role of president was described on a forum as an 'expensive flower vase' paid for by the people and placed by political convenience.


'Voice of the people' is very proactive, I sincerely hope you can be, unlike all the mostly impotent presidents of the past. I wish you all the best and you can count on my support.
Alexander


REPLY
I believe that the President should have the full power of clemency and he should not be required to act on the advice of the cabinet.

However, my personal view is not in line with the power of the President as stated in the constitution. I hope that the constitution will be changed in this respect.

Regarding the specific case of Yong Vui Kong, I wish to hold back my personal judgement, as I have not been following this case in detail. If I were the President and the case comes before me, I will have to rely on the President Advisory Council to deliberate on this matter and give a recommendation.

Even with the limited power under the current constitution, I will give my personal views to the cabinet (after studying the case and getting the advice of the President Advisory Countil) for the cabinet to make a final decision.

Social problems in Singapore

Dear Mr Tan,

Currently, there are so many social problems in Singapore:

1. Many baby-boomers and Gen-X people are finding it challenging to find work in Singapore. The Government has not done much to help this group of people. Employers (Government sector and private) tend to prefer younger graduates and foreign talents. For a while, the Government had been encouraging people to start a business, but had met with little success. My friend (50 years old) has been offered a road sweeper job by CDC, when he has a wealth of experience in the corporate world. And there are many more examples out there.

2. The educational sector is in a mess. Kids these days are so rebellious, and parents are busy earning money, so nobody teaches them manners, moral and ethics. So they turned bad and commit crimes.

3. Many people are divorcing, and kids are stranded too.

4. Many people are not getting married, because many guys are struggling with their career (see point 1) and the ladies are too highly educated.

5. The income gaps of people are getting greater too. Soon many middle-income people will become low-income. Assuming a middle-income person earn $3k per month, but seriously, what can $3k buy these days? When money is always not enough, that middle-income household will become a low-income one.

Therefore, you can see many people are falling through these cracks in the society. I think while it is good to have a Voice, but it is better to see some welfare (in terms of real help and support) within our country. This is something that the Government is extremely weak in doing so. By welfare, I don’t mean giving out money, but by really helping people to find jobs, or maybe more counselling centres, etc.

I feel sad for Singaporeans. May I know what is your take on this?

Shaun


REPLY
I agree with your observations. We have to address these social problems. I hope to be able to do so, as President, to be the voice of the people and to improve the welfare of the people.

Does the constitution allows the President to speak up?

Comment posted in my blog:

As a law student who has studied constitutional law, I must say that I am quite disappointed in Shanmugam. Nowhere does the Constitution state that the President cannot speak up on issues of national concern.

In fact, the Constitution grants all citizens the freedom of speech (Article 14). It would be absurd if a citizen could lose his freedom of speech simply by becoming the President. The freedom of speech is a fundamental liberty that is constitutionally entrenched, and can only be curtailed by clear words in the Constitution.

Of course, nothing in law is totally clear-cut. One could possibly argue that from the President's scope of duties and powers, one could infer a rule that the President is barred from speaking up against the Government. But this would be a very difficult argument to make, given that it requires restricting an explicit fundamental liberty in favour of an inchoate, unwritten rule. Shanmugam is certainly not justified in saying with such total confidence that the President will be violating the Constitution if he does speak up.

Dag

Statement from Tan Kin Lian - Can the President speak?

I agree with the Law Minister Shanmugan on the duties of the President and how they are to be carried out, in so far as they are stated specifically and clearly in the Constitution.

I do not agree with his view that  the President cannot speak about anything else without the approval of the Government.

I find the Law Minister’s interpretation to be too narrow. It seemed to give the President less freedom of speech than an ordinary citizen of Singapore.

I wish to assure the Law Minister and the Government that, if I were elected as President, I would carry out the duties within the constitution and to bring issues of the people to the Government in a constructive and cooperative manner, and will help to find the solutions that are best for the people and for the Government as well. I believe that in most cases, there are many areas of common interest between the Government and the people.

I also pledge to the people that I will bring up issues that are legitimate and affect large numbers of people. I will be “the voice of the people” in conveying these issues to the Government.

I urge the Government to adopt a more open approach towards the issues of the people. There is no need to politicize these issues. If they are legitimate issues, let us adopt an open and constructive approach to solve them. Many of these issues are best solved when they are discussed openly in a forum and bring the views of the impartial experts and also the views of the people who are affected by them.

An open approach is more likely to bring better solutions. It allows the people to be engaged and understand the issue better. It removes suspicion and builds trust. This will be for the better of the future of Singapore.

I have looked at the constitution earlier about whether the President can be the voice of the people to bring issues to the Government. I do not find any requirement that the President should be “dumb”. I have also received advice from a lawyer who looked at the constitution and he confirmed my understanding.

I shall ask the lawyer to go through the constitution one more time to see if there are clauses that have been overlooked by me, and that support the interpretation of the Law Minister that the President cannot speak on any issue that differs from the actions taken by the Government.

If the reading of the constitution is not as narrow as stated by the Law Minister, I will proceed to contest the election (provided that I get the certificate of eligibility) and let the people decide if they wish to elect me on my platform to be the voice of the people and to work with the Government in a constructive and cooperative manner.

I believe that the Government will also find it wise to cooperate and respect the office of the elected President, in the interest of the people of Singapore.

Tan Kin Lian

Increase in Transport Fares

Reply to Shin Min paper


My view about public transport fares is contained in this statement

http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/2011/07/statement-from-tan-kin-lian-public.html

I regret that the Public Transport Council has given approval for the fare increases at this time, while service levels have not yet been improved. I hope that the operators will follow through with the improvement in service for commuters by increasing the capacity of the bus and trains and provide shorter waiting and travelling times and more comfort for commuters.

I also hope that the public transport operators to give more concessions to the elderly, school children and the poor.

The Voice of the People and the Constitution

Response to Minister Shanmugan’s comments at IPS seminar,

Mr Shanmugan has presented a clear explanation on what are the constitutionally defined roles and responsibilities of our Elected President. If I am elected, as the constitutional Head of State, I would certainly uphold the letter and spirit of the law of our land and follow all the constitutional requirements expected of me.

In carrying out the duties of the President, I do not see a conflict between the constitutional requirements and the 5 values I espouse namely: Honesty, Fairness, Public Service, Courage and Public Service. These are the values I will apply in using the soft powers of the President.

In fulfilling my pledge to be the Voice of the People, I am pledging to be their interlocutor with the government as and when useful and appropriate. I note that he and Professor Tommy Koh revealed that the PM meets with the President weekly and I assume this convention will continue, whoever is elected. This mechanism ensures that substantial discussion could take place, if both sides are willing to have a dialogue.

During this period, leading up to polling day, each candidate must find the means to make themselves known and hopefully be forthright and truthful about how they intend to carry out their duties. As stated in my latest statement (http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/2011/08/voice-of-people.html) if elected, I intend to work in full co-operatrion with the government to find common ground on issues that the people feel strong about. I believe that a good government will be able to recognize a genuine call from the people and that the moral authority of the President will be sufficient weight for fair consideration.

Obviously, I will have to exercise discretion in raising the issues which are of greatest concern and urgency as well as those which are of real impact on Singapore and where there is need for confidentiality or discretion, I will know how to exercise this. I believe strongly that much can be achieved with a spirit of cooperation but it has to be both ways.

The Singapore Pledge

The Singapore Pledge

We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society
based on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.

Origin

Singapore’s national pledge was written by Singapore’s first Minister of Foreign Affairs, S. Rajaratnam, in 1966, against the backdrop of racial riots in the 1950s and 1960s.

Rajaratnam’s inspiration was to build "a Singapore we are proud of", while emphasising unity and multi-racial harmony. He believed that language, race and religion were potentially divisive factors, which could be overcome if Singaporeans cared enough about their country.

Help from a supporter

http://tankinlian.wordpress.com/

Lim Lee Lee
http://tankinlian.wordpress.co​m/ To ardent supporters of Mr Tan Kin Lian, a blog is created for you. To post on this blog, just send an email to:note209timo@post.wordpress.​ com. New media is the platform to campaign. Singaporeans must know Mr Tan Kin Lian is the real voice for us. Now, let us all supporters of Mr Tan Kin Lian rally around

The President and economic uncertainties

QUESTION FROM BUSINESS TIMES

"What are your thoughts on the present climate of this presidential election, taking place during great economic uncertainties in the world? How ready are you to be involved in crucial decisions that affect the economic future of Singapore?"

REPLY BY TAN KIN LIAN

The global economic and financial situation is challenging, with large government debts in the USA and several European countries and the risk of down-grading of the rating of these sovereign countries and the possible turmoil in global markets. In times of uncertainty, it is important for our reserves to be invested prudently, to avoid speculation and to invest for the long term. While the markets may be volatile, we should not be unduly worried about changes in the market values. Instead, we should focus on the long term earning yields of the assets and avoid leveraging.

I am familiar with volatile markets and economic recessions, as I have seem them happen on several occasions over the past decades. While each occasion will bring new challenges, we can rely on the underlying principles of prudence and long term perspective. I am confident of being able to handle these challenges in my role as President, should I be elected. I will also be willing to work with the Government to overcome these challenges, if there is a need to rely on the past reserves.

In using the past reserves, it is important to consider the needs of both the business sector and the people sector, as both sectors will be affected. I would like to see a balanced approach, rather than to focus on helping only the business sector.

Looking beyond the immediate challenge of a possible global crisis, we should also see how the past reserves can be used more effectively to bring down the cost of living for the people, and also to give them greater security in employment and sufficient savings for their retirement needs. This will give them more confidence to raise a family in Singapore and reverse our trend of declining fertility rate.

The Government needs to deal with these long term challenges, and, if I were the President holding the second key to the past reserves, I would be happy to be involved in finding the solutions.
.

Statement by Tan Kin Lian - issue of Writ of Election

The Prime Minister has issued the Writ for the Presidential Election. Nomination day is 17 August and the election will be held on 27 August.

I look forward to receive the result of my application for the Certificate of Eligibility to contest the Presidential Election. I am confident I meet the stipulated criteria.

Upon receipt of the Certificate of Eligibility, I shall finalize my nomination papers to contest the Presidential Election. My supporters are ready to go out actively to participate in the campaign.

The Singapore electorate is entitled to a dignified campaign in which all candidates will have ample and fair opportunities to present the positive attributes of the platforms to the people of Singapore. I urge companies and civic organizations not to spend money of their shareholders, members or donors in wasteful political advertising for their preferred candidate. If they have spare money, I suggest they find some charitable organizations to donate to.

My campaign slogan is to be the "Voice of The People". 

If elected, I will act independently of the Government in carrying out the duties of the President in accordance with the constitution and in the best interest of the people. I will also bring to the attention of the Government the key issues affecting the people and to work constructively with the Government to find solutions that are best for the people.

I will use my President's Personal Council and other objective and enlightened engagement channels to help me identify other issues in due course. I will include relevant inputs from government officials and raise them in a constructive manner with the senior
administrative officials and government ministers.

I am clear that the Elected President does NOT have the authority to directly effect the necessary changes and improvements. That does not matter as I intend to work in full co-operation with the government to find common ground on issues that the people feel strongly about. I believe that a good Government will be able to recognize a genuine call from the people and that the moral authority of the President will be sufficient weight for fair
consideration.


Obviously, I will have to exercise discretion in raising the issues which are of greatest concern and urgency as well as those which are of real impact on Singapore. The rest will be left to the normal engagement mechanisms eg through the grass-roots organizations and Members of
Parliament.

Most importantly,  I will need to be genuinely independent of the elected Government of the day and will not hesitate to raise "adverse" issues. However, where there is need for confidentiality or discretion, I will know how to exercise this. I believe strongly that much can be achieved with a spirit of cooperation but it has to be both ways.


I know that almost every aspiring candidate is claiming to be Independent of the government. The people of Singapore is now much better educated and discerning. They can see who is truly independent and who simply cannot be!

We are going through a period of change where the views of the people are being genuinely sought and efforts put for the greater good. I give Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong full credit for articulating and starting this process. It is hoped that his entire government will progress in tandem with him and with the new Elected President.


As we enter into election campaign, I will ask the people of Singapore to judge me by my deeds and values and put your faith in me when they vote for the President.


Tan Kin Lian

Lingam endorses Tan Kin Lian (Tamil)

David Lim (Mt Everest climber) talks about Tan Kin Lian

David Lim led the first team from Singapore to climb Mount Everest. Later, he was disabled by a medical condition and was out of job for a few months. Here is his story.

Concerns of young people and parents

Young people and parents share the same concern for the young - getting a job and earning an adequate salary. However, parents are also worried about the difficulty faced by their children in finding a life partner and having children. The young people are not as worried over these matters as their parents - because they have other more urgent things to worry about. See this survey report.

Conclusion: If we are to encourage more young people to get married and have children, we need to look into the root causes of the problems.

Interview over Batam Radio

Message from a supporter

Hi Mr Tan,
It was a pleasure talking with you last night. You left the event right after, there were quite a few folks who were keen to speak to you. they really envy us having the golden opportunity. You may be pleased to know that you've a strong followers/believers.

My feedback for your messaging is that what do you want the voters to walk away and remember with all the time. For GE, one of the success factors for worker party is that they had a very strong slogan/message "towards the first class parliament". It not only shown the voters that they are professional but also prove to us that they have spent time planning for the GE. I did not see the same for other opposition parties including PAP. PAP used to use "upgrading" as the campaign draw but nothing this GE.

Also, "voice of people" is a good message. However, as we discussed last night, without realizing it, the portion of PR is overwhelming now, based on all the incidents and experience we had gone through, hence I'm not sure if we want to be more specific, for example "standup for the rights of citizens". Even when you talked about CPF, even through PR contributed to it but they can withdraw them whenever they leave the country yet we as Singaporean can't. 


There are just so many experience we have gone through that it is necessary for someone like you to consolidate the thoughts and float it up to the government. singaporean are in general passive, busy with all material needs, ambitious in their career goals that we never stop and think what is good for us and our children and the nation.

It was a real pleasure talking to you, you're a down to earth, sincere and action oriented person. this is what we need. change is good as the country evolves, we are not saying that we need to fix what is not broken but we need to identify problems has changed and previous process/system may need to be re-assess as the country transform.

Good luck again and continue to drive. it is not an easy journey and thanks for stepping up to the challenge.

J

Android app for TKL campaign

Supporters of Mr Tan's Presidential Campaign who use Android phones can now download an Android Application (free) to keep-up-to date with the latest developments on the campaign happenings!


Simply search "tankinlian" on Android Market.

This app performs best on Android phones with small to medium screens and is supported on phones running Android firmware version 1.5 and above.

20 year return on asset classes

This table shows the return on equities, bonds and treasury bills over the past 20 years in various countries - nominal return, inflation and real returns. Globally, equities earned a real return of 5.5% (after adjusting for inflation) compared to 1.6% for bonds. For the long term investor, it is better to invest in equities, as it provides a higher return than bonds or treasury bills. The risk of long term investments can be mitigated by the investment strategy explained in my book, Practical Guide on Financial Planning. 

The Voice of the People

www.tkl2011.com


During the past two months, I have shared with you a wide range of issues that are of concern to Singaporeans, ranging from public transport, adequacy of CPF savings and national service. These were all drawn from my contacts with the people in recent years from my blog and other social media channels, my engagements through tiring weekends at Speaker's Corner, my letters to the Forum Page and a variety of other direct contacts.


If I secure the certificate of eligibility, I will campaign on the platform to be the "voice of the people".


If I am elected as President, I will use my President's Personal Council and other objective and enlightened engagement channels to help me identify other issues in due course. I will include relevant inputs from government officials and raise them in a constructive manner with the senior administrative officials and government ministers.


I am clear that the Elected President does NOT have the authority to directly effect the necessary changes and improvements. That does not matter as I intend to work in full co-operation with the government to find common ground on issues that the people feel strongly about. I believe that a good Government will be able to recognise a genuine call from the people and that the moral authority of the President will be sufficient weight for fair consideration.


Obviously, I will have to exercise discretion in raising the issues which are of greatest concern and urgency as well as those which are of real impact on Singapore. The rest will be left to the normal engagement mechanisms eg through the Grass-roots organisations and Members of Parliament. Most importantly, I will need to be genuinely independent of the elected Government of the day and will not hesitate to raise "adverse" issues. However, where there is need for confidentiality or discretion, I will know how to exercise this. I believe strongly that much can be achieved with a spirit of cooperation but it has to be both ways.


I know that almost every aspiring candidate is claiming to be Independent of the government. The people of Singapore is now much better educated and discerning. They can see who is truly independent and who simply cannot be!


We are going through a period of change where the views of the people are being genuinely sought and efforts put for the greater good. I give Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong full credit for articulating and starting this process. It is hoped that his entire government will progress in tandem with him and with the new Elected President.


As we enter into National Day month of August and the certainty of Presidential Elections, I ask the People of Singapore to judge me by my deeds and values and put your faith in me when they vote for the President.


Tan Kin Lian

Greetings to Muslims

Salam Sejahtera kepada seluruh kaum muslimin dan muslimat di Singapura,

Di bulan suci Ramadhan yang mulia ini, saya ingin mengucapkan selamat menjalani ibadah puasa kepada seluruh umat Islam di Singapura. Semoga bulan suci Ramadhan membawa kemakmuran yang lebih baik, kepercayaan, kepuasan dan kasih sayang kepada anda sekeluarga

Yang Ikhlas

Tan Kin Lian

Calon (potensi) untuk Presiden Terpilih

A very warm greetings to all muslims and muslimah in Singapore,

In this blessed month of Ramadhan, I would like to wish to all Muslims in Singapore a joyous and happy Ramadhan. May the holy month of Ramadan brings greater prosperity, trust, satisfaction and love to you and your family

Yours sincerely

Tan Kin Lian
Candidate (potential) for Elected President

Blinking

Some people observed that I blink often when I speak on TV. This is due to my dry eyes, which irritates me. I will have to apply eye drops to see if it solves the problem.

Voice of the People - a view

It is easier for the President to remain silent than to speak up. Read this article and decide if you wish your President to be the voice of the people.

Reply to Daniel Chua - role of the President

1 August 2011

Editor
Forum Page
Straits Times

In his letter published in the ST Forum Page on 30 July, Daniel Chua stated that Presidential aspirants should stick strictly to the roles for the President laid down in the Constitution. He seemed to suggest that the President does not have discretion to carry out his duties in an appropriate manner to serve the best interest of the people who have elected him.

If we were to observe every rule strictly to its narrowest interpretation, our country would stagnate and matters would worsen over the passage of time. We need to adopt a more innovative and bold approach, for our country to progress.

Let me state up front that I fully respect the Government's right to govern and it is my intention to adopt a cooperative and constructive approach in being the voice of the people to bring important issues to the attention of the government. I will convey them in a non-confrontational way, preferably through private channels. It is my hope that this approach will be reciprocated.

I agree that it is the primary duty of Parliament to discuss the important issues affecting the people and pass the necessary laws to implement the solutions. We know that the Government and Parliament is dominated by the same political party and there are constraints on how issues can be debated in Parliament due to the restrictions imposed by the whip of the ruling party. In the past, when important issues are brought up by the opposition MPs, they were usually answered in a partisan manner and the issues were not adequately or openly discussed. This structural weakness is likely to persist in the newly elected Parliament.

The elected President can play a useful role in being an additional channel for the people to bring legitimate issues to the attention of the Government and can, through the influence of his office, encourage an open and non-partisan approach to solve them. These important issues include affordable housing, public transport, security and terms of employment, impact of national service on male citizens and adequate savings for retirement.

I have set as the key goals of my campaign slogan to be the voice of the people, to be independent of the PAP government and to use my knowledge to safeguard the CPF savings of the people and the national reserves,

Tan Kin Lian

Tips on Financial Planning for Young People

Here are some simple tips on financial planning for young people. I will be giving an online talk (by live streaming) on financial planning for young people on Sunday 7 August from 10 to 11 pm. More details of the talk will be posted in www.tkl2011.com. Please tell your friends.

Shares with high dividend yields

It is a good strategy to invest in shares with high dividend yields, say 3% or more. This yield is better than interest on bank deposits and is able to give capital appreciation. To reduce your risk, invest in blue chip shares and spread your investments over 5 to 10 shares. Read this article.

Candidates moving towards my platform

I read the speech from Dr. Tony Tan (reported in Today) and the letter by Mr. Tan Cheng Bock (in St Times Forum). They are moving towards my platform to be the voice of the people and to raise these issues with the Government. It took them some time to come around to articulate these views in strong and clear terms. It is good for the future of Singapore.  I hope that they will now also pledge to donate at least half of the President;s salary to charity. I wish them all the best in the contest. 

Tan Kin Lian speaks at Supporter's Gathering

1. How to fulfill your campaign promise to be the voice of the people

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

2. Are you trying to change the constitution?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FyzlMqu7L4

3. President, voice of the people?

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

4. President as alternative voice to help the government

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpoa1r3DIE

5. Why is being independant of the government so important?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3AvQa3F9x4