Ali Baba is acting unreasonably against ezbuy

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Is Alibaba acting reasonably in disrupting the service provided by ezbuy?

81% disagreed with the action of Ali Baba based on four reasons. Only 9% supported teh action of Ali Baba.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=430

Customer engagement officer will not help

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Will the chief commuter engagement officer help to improve the performance of SMRT?

43% of the people who voted said that this is an attempt to deflect the public from the real issue. 41% said that SMRT faced an engineering problem which cannot be solved by commuter communication. The total of negative votes is 84%.

The remaining 16% said that this move is helpful.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=429

Why does the Indonesian couple need to fight AIA for 10 years over a fake policy?

Read this
http://www.straitstimes.com/business/couple-wins-suit-against-aia-over-fake-68m-policy

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Struggle with inadequate income

We are now able to buy many quality products from China using the online websites at prices that are a small fraction of the price that were sold a few years ago.

This means that our earnings can buy many quality products, leading to a better quality of life.

Sadly, this is not the case..

A large part of the earnings goes to pay for housing mortgage and the high cost of living, e.g. medical expenses, food, etc. It leaves so little to buy the quality products.

It is a bad vicious cycle. Instead of getting a better quality of life, we continue to struggle with inadequate income.

Suggestions to improve productivity

Singapore has been struggling to achieve productivity growth for the last 40 years. It is described in this article.

https://likedatosocanmeh.wordpress.com/…/singapore-is-in-t…/

I wish to describe the steps that I would take to improve productivity in Singapore:

a) Eliminate unnecessary work
b) Simply processes
c) Introduce automation and innovation
d) Set the right strategy and policies

This is explained further here:
http://www.tankinlian.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=1453

The government must take the lead in achieving national goals

Beijing has achieved achieve much progress in reducing pollution. Well done to the government of China.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/…/beijing-may-be-starting-t…

This shows the fallacy of LHL's government. He believes that many things can be left to the free market. He is mistaken.

The government must take the lead in achieving national goals. They cannot be left to the "free market".

It is necesary for the government pay attention to the national goals and to take the necessary and effective actions to achieve the goals.

A more secure and efficient voting system for elections

This is only one step towards a more efficient voting system.
https://www.todayonline.com/…/voters-be-electronically-regi…

The second step is to allow electronic voting, with safeguard against manipulation of the votes. It is explained here
http://tklcloud.com/election/page/1

Some surprise findings from Google.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/12/20/the-surprising-thing-google-learned-about-its-employees-and-what-it-means-for-todays-students/?sw_bypass=true&utm_term=.7b05f9577010

Quote:
In 2013, Google decided to test its hiring hypothesis by crunching every bit and byte of hiring, firing, and promotion data accumulated since the company’s incorporation in 1998. Project Oxygen shocked everyone by concluding that, among the eight most important qualities of Google’s top employees, STEM expertise comes in dead last. The seven top characteristics of success at Google are all soft skills: being a good coach; communicating and listening well; possessing insights into others (including others different values and points of view); having empathy toward and being supportive of one’s colleagues; being a good critical thinker and problem solver; and being able to make connections across complex ideas.

Those traits sound more like what one gains as an English or theater major than as a programmer. Could it be that top Google employees were succeeding despite their technical training, not because of it? After bringing in anthropologists and ethnographers to dive even deeper into the data, the company enlarged its previous hiring practices to include humanities majors, artists, and even the MBAs that, initially, Brin and Page viewed with disdain.
Unquote:

95% disagree with the law minister

Do you agree with the law minister that the public should not influence the sentencing made by judges?

Here are the results of the votes in The Wisdom of the Crowd.

55% said that it is good for the judge to know how the public feels, in the absence of a jury system.
40% said that the judge should be able to make their judgment without being influenced by the public opinion.
5% said that the judge may be unduly influenced by public opinion.

Only 5% agreed with the law minister. The other 95% disagree with him.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=425

How can pop idols manage their stress?

Recently a popular popular Korean pop idol, Kim Jong-hyun committed suicide as he was not able to manage the stress and depression.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - How can pop idols manage their stress?

56% said that they should get professional help as this is part of their lifestyle.
29% said that they should accept that their popularity may be short term and allow other people to take over.
Another 15% chose two other options.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=426

Avoid spending too much money on private hospital

A mother suffered from some pain in the lower body. There was a waiting time for investigation in a public hospital. The children decided to send the mother to a private hospital.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Was the expensive investigation necessary?

60% said that the mother should visit a general practitioner or a polyclinic and get the advice of a doctor.
62% said that the government should find ways to stop the wasteful use of Medisave.
Another 13% chose two other options.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=427

Will President Trump impose trade restrictions on China in 2018?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

How did PM Lee perform in 2017?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

How did President Trump perform in 2017?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Loss of $40 million in Skills Future scam

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - How was it possible for a syndicate to cheat Skills Future of $40 million in fake claims?

54% of the people who voted said that the administrator is grossly negligent to allow this situation to happen. 32% said that an internal staff must be involved in the syndicate. 14% are positive towards the administrator.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=424

How can we give a better deal to hawkers?

How can we give a better deal to hawkers, so that they can provide food at affordable rates and still can earn enough for their effort?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Jakarta Airlport train started operation

The airport train in Jakarta has started operation. It will reduce the travel time from the city to the airport and avoid the horrendous congestion.

I don't think that they need to spend $100 million for a signal system!

Article

An opportunity to earn consulting or referral fee

SPRING and IE Singapore are promoting the concept of the Smart Factory Industry 4.0 which includes using data analytics to improve efficiency and reduce manufacturing cost.

We wish to share with you a Smart Factory Data Analytics software tool that can help manufacturers to reduce their manufacturing cost. This tool was developed over the past eight years based on the consulting experience of the creator, Mr. Moses Tan.

We invite you to attend a seminar to learn about this software tool. After you become familiar with the tool, you can introduce it to manufacturers and earn consulting or referral fees.

This training course is conducted by Moses Tan, CEO of LeanCost Solutions in collaboration with Tan Kin Lian & Asociates Pte Ltd.

Click here to register

An effective way to deal with corruption

I met a senior person who reported directly to Robert Kuok. I asked him how RK dealt with corruption when he ventured into China in the early days when corruption was rampant.

He shared this story with me.

RK was developing a golf course in a province in South China. The local official, who gives the development permit asked RK - If I approve this plan, how many free golf membership can you give to me?

RK replied - I can give you as many golf membership as you want, but the question is - do you dare to receive them?

The local official went back and consulted his family. The following week, he came back with the signed approval but did not ask for the golf membership.

What made the local official change his mind?

My friend said that the local official was afraid that RK might complain to the top people in Beijing and the local official could be punished severefly for corruption.

I do not know if this is a true story, but this is another way to deal with corruption.

Why does it take a longer time to clear immigration at the Singapore end?

In recent years, it takes a longer time to clear the immigration at the Singapore end, compared to the Johor end.

I asked this question - Why does it take longer to clear immigration at Singapore end, compared to JB end?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Why China relax its restriction on burning of coal?

China has imposed restriction on burning of coal for heating. This is to reduce air pollution. However, poor households are not able to afford gas for heating.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of The Crowd - Should China continue its restriction on burning coal for heating?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Two reasons to buy an apartment in Forest City

I invited my Indonesian friend and his family to spend Christmas eve at Forest City.

On Christmas day, the family decided to buy a small apartment at Forest City. They wanted to send their eldest son to attend the international school in Forest City in two years time.

As an property investor, they also get the right of permanent residency in Malaysia for the family. This would be useful in case there is a recurrence of racial riots which occured twenty years ago.

The cost of the investment was RM 800,000. They could afford it within their family budget, although they were just a middle income family.

I did not expect the family to be so decisive and to make this investment. They told me that they had been considering this matter for some time. They decided to make this important decision when they saw the opportunity.

I expect that many other families in Indonesia will follow their example.

Consulting fee for big contracts

Recently, Keppel Offshore & Marine agreed to pay a penaly of US422.2 million to settle a charge that it offered bribes to the officers of the awarding company to secure several large projects.

In some countries, it is necessary to make these payments to ensure that the company will be awarded the contracts, but the payments were made indirectly as consulting fees to an intermediary.

Was KOM adopting a bad corrupt practice when such a practice appears to be prevalent and necessar to secure the contract?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Which economic strategy should the government take?

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Which economic strategy should the government take?

Four options were provided for voting. They include keeping the cost of living low, providing heavy subsidy for education, health care and housing, introducing a minimum wage and reduce the price of housing.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=420

Which is your preferred low cost airline?

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Which is your favorite low cost airline?

36% of those who voted preferred Scoot/Tiger. 22% preferred Ais Asia and 22% preferred JetStar. The remaining 20% dislike budget airlines.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=423

Do you like Air Asia?

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - What are your views about Air Asia?

61% of those who voted had a favorable impression of Air Asia. The remainint 39% had an unfavorable impression.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=422

Should banks impose a charge for cash withdrawals from ATMs

One key reason why Singapore prefer to use cash is that it is free to withdraw cash from ATM and to deposit cash in the banks. However, cash payment is inefficient and takes a lot of time of staff.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Should banks impose a charge for cash withdrawals at ATMs?

91% of those who voted prefer to keep the current arrangement and continue to withdraw cash for free. Only 9% are willing to pay a fee for cash withdrawal in return for a higher interest rate on savings or a lowering of the charge for card payment.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=418

We does HDB want to build 17,000 new flats in 2018?

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd - Why does HDB want to build 17,000 new flats next year?

40% of those who replied said that it is to prepare for an increase in the population - which is an option that most Singaporeans dread. The other 60% gave three other reasons - which are more positive.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=417.

Smart Factory Data Analytics

SPRING and IE Singapore are promoting the concept of the Smart Factory Industry 4.0 which includes using data analytics to improve efficiency and reduce manufacturing cost.

We wish to share with you a Smart Factory Data Analytics software tool that can help manufacturers to reduce their manufacturing cost. This tool was developed over the past eight years based on the consulting experience of the creator, Mr. Moses Tan.

We invite you to attend a seminar to learn about this software tool. After you become familiar with the tool, you can introduce it to manufacturers and earn consulting or referral fees.

The seminar introduces the concept of lean manufacturing in a simple and fun-manner. It includes a hands-on demo and case-study of how a manufacturer use the software to implement an aggressive and feasible factory cost reduction program.

Click here to view the PDF of the presentation.

If you are interested, you can register by clicking one of the link below.

9 Jan 2018 from 2 to 5 pm

12 Jan 2018 from 2 to 5 pm

This seminar is now offered FREE, so act now. A certificate of attendance will be given to each attendee.

If you have any question, you can reply to this email.

Mr. Moses Tan
Principal Lean/TPM Consultant
LeanCost international Pte Ltd

In collaboration with
Tan Kin Lian
Tan Kin Lian & Associates Pte Ltd.

Is Alibaba acting unreasonably against Ezbuy?

This article explains the dispute between ezbuy and Alibaba.

http://www.straitstimes.com/…/ezbuy-refutes-alibaba-groups-…

Is Alibaba acting reasonably against Ezbuy? Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Will the communication chief in SMRT make a difference?

Will the chief commuter engagement officer help to improve the performance of SMRT?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Travel insurance may not pay for flight cancellation caused by the airline

It is bad for the insurance company to reject a claim for a delayed flight that is due to the fault of the airline.

Although the customer can get compensation from the airline, the compensation is hardly enough for the distress and expenses that have to be incurred.

For example, the family may have to skip some of the events during the journey.

In the past, the travel insurance policy pays a cash sum as a benefit, i.e. it is not related to the actual amount of the loss.

Now, it is excluded from some travel insurance policy issued by this company.

Read more at:
http://www.fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=550

Not willing to participate in this kind of survey

I have often been approached by government agencies and respectable associations to participate in a survey. The promised that it would take 10 minutes to complete the survey.

I clicked on the link and found that it is a multi-page survey.

I stopped at that point and replied to the respected agency or association:

REPLY:
I refuse to answer any survey that present the questions to me one page at a time.

I want to see the all the questions before I decide to participate in the survey.

If I find that the questions were crafted in an inconsiderate manner, looking for answers to "unreasonable questions", I will also refuse to participate.

I do not believe the statement that it would take me only 10 minutes. I have been cheated often.

Rejected travel insurance claim

The travel insurance policies sold many years ago were quite straight forward. The travel insurance policy sold today can be quite complicated. What you expect to be covered may not be covered.

Do read the policy document carefully and decide if you really want to buy the travel insurance.

A policyholder made a claim for the cancellation of the flight. He was told that the policy does not pay for cancellation made by the airline.

Quote:

Section 4 – Trip disruption
What we do not pay
12. Claims that result from flights being cancelled due to any fault on the part of the airline such as aircrew rotation, rescheduled flights or operational requirements, or mechanical breakdown of the airplane in which you have a pre-booked flight.

We regret to inform you that if you have missed your flight due to any fault on the part of the airline (for whatever reason be it operational requirements) will not be covered under your Travel Insurance.
Unquote:

Here is the link to the policy document. I find it quite difficult to understand the coverage and the exclusion.
https://www.income.com.sg/forms/policy-conditions/travel.aspx?ext=.pdf

My experience with a colonoscopy

When I was 62, I went to a private hospital to carry out a colonoscopy. I was told that it was necessary after passing age 60.

The procedure cost $1,500 plus another $500 to remove a polyp. The doctor told me to come back in 5 years time for the next examination.

Seven years later, I decided to go to a polyclinic to get an appointment as a subsidized patient. It was told that there is a waiting time. It is okay with me.

The polyclinic doctor asked many questions to determine if the colonoscopy was necessary. I told the doctor that I was told that it was advisable to carry out the procedure every five years.

Sorry, Mr. Tan. I still have to ask these questions to determine the necessity. Suddenly, the 5 years interval become not applicable.

I told the doctor that my previous procedure discovered a polyp that was found to be benign. Okay, it is now advisable to carry out another colonoscopy.

I had an appointment at KTP Hospital at a date that was more than a month away. I was not in a hurry, so the waiting time was okay.

I had to attend a pre-surgery appointment at KTP Hospital. I had to go through the interview again to determine if it was necessary. The earlier report from the polyclinic did not matter. I gave the doctor the same reply "I had polyp earlier". That opened the door.

I also had to go through financial counselling. The charge, after government subsidy, was estimated to be $1,000.

I did some research on what a colonoscopy cost in other cities, including Sydney, Australia. It was lower than $1,000 in a private clinic.

The operation was uneventful. They did not find any polyp at this occasion. The final bill came out to $600. I asked why was the estimate given by the financial counselor so much higher? I did not get any explanation.

I am certain that if I was paying in full as a private patient, I would not be asked any question. Our public hospital are in the business of making profit.

I do not like the PAP system of running Singapore. It is wasteful and result in costly medical procedures. It is also harmful for ordinary people.

Tan Kin Lian

Should the expensive bill be avoided?

Many people seek early investigation and treatment in a private hospital and incurred a large medical bill. Was it necessary for them to incur this expense?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Was the expensive investiation necessary?

A mother suffered from some pain in the lower body. There was a waiting time for investigation in a public hospital. The children decided to send the mother to a private hospital.

It was not a serious condition. The treatment cost $10,000. It was deducted from the Medisave account of the children.

Is there a real need for the investigation to be carried out immediately, at great expense?

Would it be helpful for the mother to visit a general practitioner or the polyclinic to establish the need to be investigated early?

How many families are faced with this type of problem. How much of the Medisave savings are being wiped out which could have been avoided?

How can pop idols manage their stress and depression?

Recently a popular popular Korean pop idol, Kim Jong-hyun committed suicide as he was not able to manage the stress and depression.

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd - How can pop idols manage their stress and depression?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Public should not influence sentencing given by judges

Do you agree with the law ministers that the public should not influence the sentencing made by judges?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Give reward to hackers who expose weaknesses in internet portals

Recently, Mindef announced that they would give attractive prizes for hackers to hack into their internet portals and expose their weaknesses.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Is it a good idea for Mindef to hire hackers to test the weaknesses in their internet portals?

46% of those who voted said that it is a good approach, but 54% disagreed for three reasons.

You can see the breakdown of the votes in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

An expensive cafe may succeed

A new cafe opened in a new condo and charge price that is more than twice of other outlets.

I asked this question - Will a cafe charges, that charges twice the price of ordinary outlets, be viable?

To my surprise 71% said that it will succed and gave three reasons. Only 29% said that it will not.

You can see the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=415

Will BlueSG be successful?

A new car sharing operator called BlueSG has started operation in Singapore. It plans to increase its fleet considerably.

I asked the question - Will the electric car sharing scheme operated by Blue SG be successful?

80% of the people who voted said that it will not succeed. 20% said that it will.

You can see a breakdown of the reasons in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=414

Fake claims of $40 million in Skills Future

A syndicate cheated Skills Future of $40 million in fraudulent claims. This is a staggering sum. Was the administrator grossly negligent or were some internal staff involved in the fraud?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

First instalment payment of $24,000 was not received

Mr. D bought an special endowment plan from a large life insurance company. He paid a monthly premium of $1,000 for 5 years, making a total contribution of $60,000. The premium stopped after that.

The policy was supposed to pay to Mr. D a cash payout of $24,000 at the end of the 5th 10th and 15th year. The total payout would be $72,000.

When Mr. D received the cheque for the final payment at the end of the 15th year, he realized that he had only received one payment previously. On further investigation, he discovered that he did not receive the first payment of $24,000.

Find out more about this case in
http://www.fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=548

Trading in crypto currencies should be banned

SINGAPORE: The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is urging the public to "act with extreme caution" and understand the "significant risks" they take on if they choose to invest in cryptocurrencies.

Read here.

My comment:
This advice will not reach the relevant people.
It is better for the trading in cryptocurrencies to be banned - following the approach taken by some other countries.

$40 million Skills Future scam

SINGAPORE: Five suspected members of a criminal syndicate have been charged with a series of offences, which resulted in close to S$40 million in fraudulent claims being paid out by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG).

Read here.

My comment:
I know that such a scheme will be subject to abuse and fraud. I worry about the ability of the Workforce Development Agency to manage the fraud.

They should not allow the fraud to reach such a scale. They should use data analtyics to identify the potential fraud and to take action much earlier.

If they are more pro-active, they fraudsters would not go to this extent.

What is smart data analytics? The scholars in charge of our government agencies could consult me. It is not tht difficult. It is really a matter of common sense.


I will write about it earlier.

How much more will you pay for a freehold property?

What should be the difference in price between a freehold property and a 99 year leasehold property of the same size and in the same location?


Will you pay 5%, 10%, 20% or 30% more for the leasehold property?


Remember, at the end of 99 years, the leasehold property is worth $0 while the freehold property will continue to appreciate in value.


Most people are surprised with the answer. Make your guess and check the answer here.

Non graduates can also do well in the workplace

Some people say that the pay for a non graduate is too low. So, they will do their best to get a degree.

They should also realize that the pay for the mediocre graduates are also poor. Worse, many of them cannot get a job and have to drive a private hire car.

The pay for a non-graduate may be low at the start. But it should increase over a few years, which is the same time that someone has to spend to get a degree.

Some jobs are dead end without any prospect for improvement. But it largely depends on the worker.

If the worker has initiative and is willing to spend time to continue learning and to acquire better knowledge and skill, e.g. through self study, he will have the prospects for advancement.

I know of many people who made progress on their own, without going to the university and without a degree. I happen to be one of them, so I can speak from personal experience. But I now of many other people who are more successful than me.

I will continue to advocate an alternative to getting a paper degree, especially for people who are not academically inclinded. The best gauge is - if you cannot make it to the local university, it is better to consider other options.

Tan Kin Lian

Strong competition between Comfort Taxis and Grab

Comfort Taxis and Grab are competing strongly to gain market share.

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd - Is the fight between Comfort and Grab good for consumers?

48% said that it is good for consumers. But 52% said that over the long term, it will not be good. It is wasteful.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=409

Are we already a smart nation?

PM Lee has set out the goal for Singapore to be a smart nation. Recently, a minister announced the initiatives that were taken and the progress made.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Are we already a Smart Nation?

10% of the people who voted said that we have made good progress in the new initiatives.

The other 90% said that we continue to be backward.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=412

Strong measures taken by police

Recently, the police used strong measures to break into premises suspected of operating an illegal brothel.

I asked the question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Do you agree with the strong action taken by the police against the illegal brothels?

Here are the votes:

62% disagreed with the approach of the police. 38% supported it.

You can see the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=411

Thank goodness, we are insured

Mdm X upgraded to a private shield. Some time later, she went to a private hospital for cancer treatment. The medical bill amounted to $300,000.

The family thought - thanks goodness, we are insured. Otherwise, we will not be able to afford paying this bill.

Really?
Read about what happened:
http://www.fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=546

Which is your favorite low cost airline?

Which is your favorite low cost airline?
Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

What are your views about Air Asia

What are your views about Air Asia.

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Making an unjustified criticism

I wish to quote another example about how people misinterpret the view of another person and start to attack that person.

For a long time, I advocated that people with spare money should keep their savings in CPF retirement account to enjoy the interest rate of 4% plus bonus. The interest rate is attractive for the low level of risk.

I also supported the view that people in need of money after passing age 55 should be allowed to withdraw their money. They should not be forced to keep their money to be paid out in installments over their lifetime.

Each person should make his (or her decision) based on his financial circumstances.

Somebody forgot the first part and remembered my second part. When he learned that I had kept my savings in CPF retirement account up to age 70, he criticized me for advocating the members should be allowed to withdraw their CPF at 55. He said, why do I recommend people to withdraw their savings at 55 when I kept it until age 70.

Many people have this bad habit of attacking another person based on a misinterpretation of his view. They do not attempt to check or clarify the view. But they feel entitled to make an unjustified attack.

I have another sad observation. There are bystanders who help to convey the unjustified attack, when they should take the opportunity to rebut it.

We need to have people with character and a sense of what is right or wrong.

Will the quick response teams be effective?

The police has established quick response team to patrol the crowded places. Will they be effective?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Which economy strategy do you prefer

Which economic strategy should be taken by the government?

I give four options for you to vote in
wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Continuing decline in birth rate

The government has been trying to increase the birth rate in Singapore for the past three decades. The failed miserably and the birthrate continue to decline.

What are the main reasons for the continuing decline? I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd.

Three factors accounted for 98% of the votes.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=407

Check medical history before accepting the application

I know of a few cases where the insurance company rejected a medical claim on the grounds of alleged non-disclosure of a past medical condition. Usually, the insured was not aware about the medical history or the need to disclose it. The medical bills can come to several tens or thousands of dollars.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Should MAS disallow insurers from rejecting claims due to alleged non-disclosure of past medical history?

Here are the votes:
a) 58% said that the insurer should check on the medical history before accepting the application, rather than at the time of processing the claim.
b) 15% said the the insured is not aware of the need to disclose the medical history.
c) 13% said that the insurance policy should have an indisputability clause which bars the insurance company from disputing the claim on the grounds of non-disclosure after 1 year.
d) 8% said that the agent does not do a good job in asking for this information in the application.
e) 8% said that the current practice is satisfactory. The consumers should be responsible to disclose the past medical history.

A total of 92% said that the current practice should be changed.

You can view the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=408

Some questions about citizenship

Here are some arguments why citizenship should not be revoked so easily. If a person has committed a crime, he should be punished according to the law, but the citizen should not be revoked.

It also brings the question about whether citizenship should be given out so easily. This is a separate question, but it is worth considering as well.

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2017/12/16/can-citizenship-be-revoked-due-to-criminal-acts-even-though-one-is-already-punished-by-law/

I hold the view that citizenship should not be given easily and it should not be taken away easily.

I also hold the view that the burden of citizen should be shared equally. It is quite ridiculous that local born male citizens have to served two full years of national service and another ten years of reservist duty whereas new citizens escape this burden.

This burden can be made fairer by paying the citizens a market salary for the time that they have to serve in the military service.

Tan Kin Lian

Pay for hawker assistant

How much should a hawker assistant be paid a month for 40 hour work week?
Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Should the citizen of the S League player be taken back?

Recently, the government took back the citizenship given to a S League player for being involved in a global match fixing scam.

I posed this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Should the citizenship of the S League player be taken away for global match fixing?

58% are in support of this action. 42% are against it.

You can view the breakdown of the votes and the reasons in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=406

Did Li Shengwu scandalise the court?

The Attorney General is charging Li Shengwu for scandalising the court by referring to a "pliant court system" in one of his Facebook post.

Did Li Shengwu scandalised the court? What does the ordinary people think?

You can see their votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=402

Click on the Facebook or Google logo to sign in.

Will Seah MM take over as CEO of SMRT?

Seah MM was recently appointed as chairman of SMRT. Later, he resigned from his full time job to focus totally on SMRT.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Do you expect Seah MM (current chairman) to take over as CEO of SMRT?

a) 35% said that he will be appointed as executive chairman but Desmond Kuek will remain CEO.
b) 25% said that Seah MM will quite likely assume the position of CEO, replaceing DK.
c) 20% said that this is part of the plan decided earlier.
d) 12% said that this change is likely to happen within the next six months.
e) 8% said that this is not likely to happen.

A total of 57% expect Seah MM to take over as CEO while 35% expect that he will be executive chairman and DK will remain as CEO fo SMRT.

View the breakdown of the votes in 

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=401

Should the government worry about the increasing number of elderly in the population?

Over the years, the government has been expressing concern about the increase in the elderly in the population.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Should we worry about the increasing number of elderly in the population?

Here are the replies:

a) 67% said that the government does not provide a pension to the elderly, so the elderly will not be a burden to the state.
b) 14% said that the elderly can downgrade their property and get cash for their living expenses.
c) 11% said that most of the elderly can take care of themselves financially.
d) 8% said the the elderly will be a burden to the resources of the state.

A total of 92% said that the concern of the government is misplaced.

View the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=405

Should condo apartments be allowed for rental under AirBnB?

The government passed a regulation recently to disallow apartments in condominiums to be rental out for short term stays. Recently, the government sought public consultation over this issue.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Should condo owners be allowed to rent our their apartment for short term stay under AirBNB

Here are the votes:

a) 36% said that short term rentals should be disallowed as it affects the neighbors.
b) 28% said that short term rentals should be allowed in condominiums, similar to the practice in private landed properties.
c) 28% said that this should be allowed provided that it does not disturb the neighbors.
d) 8% said tht it should be allowed but the guests cannot use the condo facilities.

A total of 64% are in favor of short term rental of condo apartments under AirBnB but they have some conditions to the use.

View the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=404

Should banks impose a charge for ATM cash withdrawals?

Should banks impose a charge for cash withdrawals from ATMs?

Obviously, the answer is NO. But what if they banks offer a higher interest rate on deposits and reduce their charges on credit cards?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Bleak prospects for retail sector

My friend is in the retail trade, online business. He said that the retail sector in Singapore faced two big problems:

a) There is a big over-supply of retail space. Too many malls were buit and sold at high prices. The landlord needs a high rental to pay the mortgage and get their expected return. But the retailers cannot afford these rentals as the customers are spread around too many malls. Business is poor.

b) More customers are now buying online. The recent entry of Amazon into Singapore will pose a big threat to stores selling branded goods. Amazon is able to see the goods at half the prices of the retailers. Even the non-branded products are affected by the online merchants.

c) There is some hope for the F&B sector as they are not affected by the online stores. But these operators are affected by the high cost of wages, due to government levy on foreign workers and the reluctance of locals to take up these jobs. These outlets are also struggling.

The positive side is that the rentals for retail sector will have to fall by a lot. At that time, the F&B sector may be able to survive. But that will take a long time to sort out.

The REITS (real estate investment trusts) will soon feel the pain from lower retail rentals and lower occupancy.

This is a bleak prospect for the retail sector.

Tan Kin Lian






Tan Kin Lian

Why does the government want to build 17,000 new flats next year?

Why does the government want HDB to build 17,000 new flats next year?

There are four possible reasons. Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

E-Payment is different from the past NETS payment

The general public is used to paying in cash. They think that it is the "best way" to make payments. The hawkers and merchants also think the same.

If this is the case, why did China move towards e-payments using AliPay and Wechat Pay?

I can tell you that the people in China are not stupid. They know that e-payments save them time in counting money, giving change, banking in the money, etc.

The time saved means more time for business. They do not mind paying a small fee for e-payment as it is small relative to the business that they can do with the extra time.

Our merchants are concerned about the cost of setting up the infrastructure for e-payment, the fee that they have to pay and the delay in receiving their money.

These are valid concerns, but they refer to the old e-payment system using NETS.

The new payment system using e-wallents (similar to AliPay and Wechat Pay) do not have these issues. If ou have used DBS PayLah or similar wallets issued by OCBC and UOB, you will know what I mean.

The e-payments using the e-wallets have these advantages:

a) There is no need to incure any infrastructure cost for merchants and hawkers. They only need to use their mobile phone with access to free wifi or a data plan. Most of them already have it.

b) There is no fee payable for the e-payment transfers. It is free for the time being.

c) They get their money in their e-wallet immediately. They can transfer it to their bank account free.

The only problem is that there are too many platforms (i.e DBS, OCBC, UOB, Grab, NETS, Apple, Android, etc).

This problem can be addressed by setting up a clearning house, as explained here:
http://www.tankinlian.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=1445

The clearing house has to be set up by MAS or the Association of Banks or by a party approved by MAS.

If we have a clearing house, we can make e-payment successful in Singapore.

Do not get the misunderstanding that e-payment is exclusive. Cash payments will continue to be allowed (as in China) but, over time, more customers will prefer to pay through e-wallets.

Tan Kin Lian

Singapore has to deal with several challenges

Headlines in the Straits Times:

Better job prospects but long-term jobless figures up.
Number of resident unemployed for at least 25 weeks highest in Sept: MOM report.

Who are the unemployed residents who could not find jobs for 6 months or longer?

I guess they are:
a) PMETs
b) Unemployed graduates.

If we include the young people driving Uber and Grab, the figures would be more worrisome. It would add to the long-term problem.

What are the underlying causes of this situation?

Much has been written about the plight of PMETs who are displaced by cheaper "foreign talents". Our PMETs cannot accept the lower pay as they have families to feed and mortgages to pay, and these are very expensive in Singapore. Even if they are willing to accept lower pay, the employers still prefer foreign workers for various reasons.

What about the unemployed graduates and those who are "employed" as Grab or Uber drivers? We have a serious problem about the waste of resources. These graduates spend several years to acquire a paper degree that do not get them a job.

The economy provide jobs for only a certain number of graduates each year, and these jobs go to the better quality graduates. The rest could not find jobs.

In the past, these graduates could work as property or insurance agents. Even these lucrative jobs are now in over-supply and the demand for their services have also dropped.

There are real jobs that have to be done in the economy, such as in the construction, engineering and technical fields. However, these jobs required real skills that the grauduates do not have. Their time was spent in acquiring the paper degree.

We have serious challenges to address. They require a restructing of the pay structure of jobs and the education system.

We also have to restructure the "national service" obligations imposed on our young males over more than a dozen years, putting them at a disadvantage against foreign workers. 

We can look towards Germany and Switzerland for the answers to these challenges.

Fortunately, with the huge reserves, the government has the financial resources to deal with these challenges. We need them to have the wisdom to recognize the real problems and the courage to deal with them. Are our ministers up to mark?

Tan Kin Lian

Mindef hire hackers to test the vulerabilities of their internet portals

Mindef is offering rewards to hackers who are able to find vulnerabilities in their internet portals. Is this a good approach?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Will the electric car sharing scheme succeed?

An electric car sharing scheme, called Blue SG, has started in Singapore.

Will it be successful?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Will Lee Hongyi's entry into politics be good for Singapore?

Li Hongyi is the son of PM Lee. Some people expect him to enter politics and take over as a future prime minister. He has already said that he is not interested in politics, but many people do not believe this statement.

A few months ago, I asked his question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Would Li Hongyi's entry into politics be good for Singapore?

Here are the votes:

a) 46% said no. It would be a bad example of nepotism.
b) 24% said no. He will not be a good leader as he does not know the lives of ordinary people.
c) 17% said no. It will be bad to continue the policies of Lee HL.
d) 6% said yes. He is a brilliant and capable leader.
e) 6% said yes. He will continue the legacy of his family in leading Singapore.

A total of 88% voted that this would be a bad outcome for Singapore. Only 12% said that it would be good for Singapore.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=327

How will PM Najib respond to this request?

Anwar Ibrahm's lawyer has asked PM Najib to release Anwar from hospital early.  See here.

Will PM Najib grant this request?
Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

E-bikes should be banned on walkways

Someone wrote to the newspaper to complain that it is dangerous to allow e-bikes on the walkways as it might cause collision with pedestrains.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - should e-bikes be banned from walkways.

Here are the votes:

a) 61% said that they are dangerous for pedestrians and should be banned from walkeays.
b) 20% said that there were a few accidents but the number is quite small. We should continue to monitor the situation.
c) 16% said that the riders and e-bikes should be licensed.
d) 2% said that the speed is not fast. The rider can be expected to be careful.

A total of 81% said that the use of e-bikes on walkways should be banned or restricted.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=400

Are we already a smart nation?

The minister in charge of the Smart Nation project said that we are already a smart nation. He quoted many new initiatives that have been implemented.

Do you agree with him?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Long queue at opening of Gong Cha outlet

The tea outlet Gong Cha operated in Singapore previously but closed its operation on termination of its franchise agreement.

It reopened recently. It first outlet attracted a long queue with people waiting for many hours in the queue.

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Is it good for people to queue for many hours at the opening of the Gong Cha outlet?

Here are the votes.

a) 33% said that the long queue generate publicity.
b) 24% said that we should look for a better system to handle the queue more efficiently.
c) 22% said the the people enjoyed queuing. It is a good way to pass the time.
d) 20% said that it might generate quarrels when some people perceive that other people are breaking the queue.

A total of 55% is happy with the current arrangement while 45% prefer a new arrangement to spread the crowd.

Police action agains illegal brothels

The police took strong actions taken by the police in conducting raids on illegal brothels.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/shanmugam-voices-support-for-police-raids-on-illegal-brothels-9485210

Do you agree with the actions taken by the police?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Isreal

President Trump has now recognized Jerusalem as capital of Isreal. A few countries have issued statements against this decision. Riots have occurred in a few countries.

Will this decision lead to more problems ahead? Will there be more acts of terrorism?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

A strong fight between Comfort Taxis and Grab

We are likely to see a strong fight between Comfort Taxis and Grab for control over the taxi and rides market. Is this competition good for the public that uses the transport?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Will the strategic tie up with Uber be beneficial to Comfort Taxis?

Comfort Taxis entered into a strategic alliance with Uber to benefit from Uber's taxi booking app. I do not understand the rationale.

Comfort had an excellent taxi booking service using a call center. For a long time, it dominated the taxi booking market. Most taxi calls are made through Comfort.

When booking through apps became popular, Comfort already developed its app to provide this facility to its customers.

The main pricing scheme for Comfort is the standard taxi fare plus a booking fee. Comfort has also introduced its fixed fare tariff.

Comfort started to lose its market share only after Grab introduced its attractive promotions. Their customers could get a $5, $4 or $3 discount for each ride. This is very expensive for Grab and must have cost massive losses. It is not sustainable for the long term.

Grab also offered attractive incentives to entice Comfort drivers to move over to them. Again, this is done at a heavy cost to Grab.

Comfort could have responded to Grab by offering similar promotions to customers. They could have maintained their market share or suffer a smaller erosion.

Comfort could also have responded to the the loss of taxi drivers by offering incentives for their drivers to take bookings. They can also lower their rental rates and lock up their drivers on a 6 or 12 month contract.

By partnering with Uber, I suspect that Comfort is not addressing the root of the problem. Customers do not need fancy features. They want to get a taxi quickly and they want the fare to be lower. If Comfort could match what Grab is doing, their customers will still prefer to ride with Comfort.

Rejection of medical claims due to non-disclosure of past medical conditions

Many consumers had experienced rejection of their medical claims under private Shield plans due to alleged non-disclosure of their past medical conditions. In some cases, they were not aware about the past medical conditions or the need to disclose them.

Should MAS disallow insurers from rejecting claims due to alleged non-disclosure of past medical history?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Low birth rate in Singapore

What is the main cause of the low birth rate in Singapore?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Express and local services on subway system in New York city

When I first visited New York City almost 40 years ago, I observed that some lines of their subway has a local service and an express service.

The local service stops at every station while the express service stops at the major stations.

This arrangement requires two separate rails in each direction. Each station probably needs a separate platform for each direction with two rails for each platform for the local and express services.

It will reduce the travel time. A commuter can take the express train until the stop before the final destination and change to a local train for the remaining stops.

I wondered at that time why our MRT did not provide for this kind of local and express trains.

I guess that there is no need to use this approach for our MRT in Singapore. The distance is really quite short, unlike the transit systems in other major cities that cover a much bigger geographical area.

There is possibly another reason. The stations for our MRT system are about 1.6 km apart. Commuters have to take the bus to the destinations between the MRT stations. Perhaps our MRT operates like the express service in New York City and our buses provide the local service?

I wonder what is the average distance between the stations in the express service in New York City?

Sign-in to websites

Many high volume websites face the challenge of designing a sign-in system that is secure (against hackers) and is convenient for users.

Google and Facebook met this challenge quite well. Their sign-in process is simple and quite secure.

Microsoft and Apple did it rather poorly. Their process is quite cumbersome.

I faced the problem when I changed to a new device (e.g. laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile phone) and requires to re-enter the passwords that were "remembered" in my old devices.

I cannot remember the passwords that were used previously, especially for websites that require a "strong password" and insists that it should be a "new" password that was not used before.

The websites of the government agencies in Singapore probably beat them all. They are the most troublesome.

Some people use an app called LastPass that remembered the passwords used before. I tried it, and found it to be more troublesome than helpful. So, I gave up on it.

There must be a better way to address this challenge.

The approach that I prefer is to allow the user to decide on the level of security that is really needed. For websites that do not contain sensitive information, allow them to use any password that they like. They can opt to use a strong password or even to have a 2FA authentication.

Should we keep the mandatory death sentence for drug offences?

Malaysia has changed the law to remove the mandatory death sentence for drug offences. Under the new law, the death sentence will be at the discretion of the judges.

Singapore continues to impose a mandatory death sentence for drug offences. Should Singapore changed the law to give the discretion to the judges?

Here are the views of the people who voted in The Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) 40% said that we should keep the mandatory death sentence to deter drug trafficking.
b) 36% said that this involves human lives. We should not impose the death sentence when there is an element of doubt.
c) 20% said that we should give the discretion to the judge to impose the appropriate sentence.
d) 4% said that we should keep the mandatory death sentence to remove the burden from the judges.

A total of 56% said that we should remove the mandatory death sentence and let the judge decide if the death sentence should be imposed on each individual case. The other 44% prefer that the mandatory death sentence be kept.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=397

Should e-scooters be banned from the roads?

There were a few serious accidents and fatal casualties involving e-scooters on the roads.

Should e-scooters be banned from the roads? Here are the views of the people who voted in The Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) 43% said that e-scooters should be banned due to the many accidents.
b) 30% said that the riders should be required to get a licence.
c) 17% said the the vehicles should be licenced.
d) 11% said that they provide a useful form of transport and should be allowed on the road. There is no need for licence or other restrictions.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=396

What should SMRT do about the frequent breakdowns of the MRT trains?

After installing the new signal system from Thales, the NS and EW lines of the MRT system experienced frequent breakdowns and a collision at Joo Koon.

Some people think that more time is needed for the new signal system to be tested. Other people think that sufficient time has already been given and that the frequent breakdowns are unacceptable.

What should the SMRT do about frequent breakdowns?

Here are the views of the people who voted in The Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) 58% said that SMRT should terminate the Thales contract and revert to the old system. This option is still available.
b) 16% said that SMRT and LTA should be given more time to sort out the problem with the Thales system.
c) 14% said that we should provide alternative transport to reduce the load on the MRT trains
d) 12% said that the breakdowns do not happen every day. We should continue to use the MRT system.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=395

Sentence meted to couple who tortured the disabled waitress

A couple was sentenced to a total of 30.5 years for torturing a disabled waitress, who was their tenant, for 8 months and causing her death.

Was the sentence too lenient?

Here are the views of the people who voted in The Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) 49% said that the sentences were too lenient. They expected a longer sentence.
b) 34% said that this matter should be left to the judge as they had a fuller access to the facts compared to the general public.
c) 15% said that the sentences are quite long and are adequate.

I have observed in the past that many people in Singapore tend to take an extreme view. This is reflected in the 49%. In this case, it is balanced by other people who take a more moderate perspective.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=398

Lessons from bubbles and ponzis

When a bubble burst, all the people who invested are caught. They cannot sell the assets that they are holding. Nobody wants to buy them.

This was the case with the tulip bubble, with the ponzi schemes and is likely to be the case with Bitcoin (when it burst eventually).

When people were investing in the gold bar ponzi scheme, many investors knew that it was a ponzi, but they thought that they could get out at the "right time". When they made the decision to get out, it was too late. Many other people also decided to get out. There were no buyers.

If you invest in a property bubble, it is not so bad. You can still hold on to the property and wait for the next cycle. You may have to wait for three decades, as has happened in Japan, and still there is no sign of light. This may apply to property in Singapore also.

Investors in bubbles and ponzis should learn this lesson. It happens all the time.

Should the citizenship be taken away for being involved in a crime?

A former S League player was given a citizenship. Later, he was involved in a global match fixing scheme. He went to jail. After that, his citizenship was taken away.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/…/gaye-alassane-singapore-ci…

Do you agree with the decision to take away the citizenship?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Top priorities for PM Lee in 2018

What are the top priorities for PM Lee in 2018? Should they be reflected in Budget 2018?

Here are the views expressed by votes in a survey carried out in The Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) Improve wages and security of jobs - 38%
b) Reduce the cost of living - 30%
c) Solve the MRT problem - 17%
d) Settle his quarrel with his siblings - 9%
e) Play an active role as chair of ASEAN - 7%

The first two choices, totalling 68%, affect the financial well being of the citizens.

The likely increase in GST will make matters worse. It will increase the cost of living beyond the additional revenue that will flow to the government. It has an escalating effect. A 2% increase in GST is likely to translate to a 5% or 10% increase in prices in many places.

17% said that he should focus on solving the MRT problem. Perhaps he should just ask if the frequent breakdowns are due to the new signal system and if the teething problems are being sorted out, or remain unresolved?

Maybe, he can take the hard political decision to get Hong Kong MTR or Taipei MRT to manage the SMRT? That would be somewhat embarrasing for Singapore, but it could be not as bad as the frequent breakdowns.

How can he settle his quarrels with his siblings? It could be easy. He just need to disband the minsterial committee that looks into what to do with the house that Mr LKY lived in previously. He should just allow the house to remain a private residence.

Can he do much as chair of ASEAN? Will that help Singapore? We do not know. But he should not spend too much time on it, while there are so many problems to be solved in Singapore, right?

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=378
Tan Kin Lian

Should Jolovan Wham be charged for organising a silent protest in a MRT train?

Jolovan Wham is now being charged for organizing a silent protest in a MRt train. He arranged for a few young people to wear the tee-shirts and red a book on the alleged Marxist Conspiracy that occurred 30 years ago.

Should be he charged for this silent protest under a law that made it a crime for any protest to be carried out without a police permit.

Here are the views expressed in a vote in The Wisdom of the Crowd:

a) The public should be allowed to express their views and objections peacefully - 43%
b) The law should be removed as it goes against the constitutional right of free expression - 26%
c) The law should be applied only where the protest involves distrubing the peace - 17%
d) The law is quite clear. Any form of public protest is not allowed - 8%
e) He should be given a warning instead - 6%.

In summary, 86% find the charge to be in appropriate. Only 14% said that Jolovan should be charged.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=394

Main causes of a high level of depression

What are the main causes of the high level of depression in Singapore? There was some international comparision that showed our level to be among the worst in the world.

According to this survey in The Wisdom of the Crowd, the top factors are, in this order:

a) High cost of living - 50% voted
b) Fear of losing jobs and high demands of the job - 36%
c) Relationship within the family - 8%
d) High demand from the education system - 4%
e) Gambling and debts - 2%

Once in a while, we read about suicides due to the stress from the education system and from gambling debts, but they account for only 6% of the total.

The most important causes are still the high cost of living and employement issues.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=393

Should we worry about the increasing number of elderly in the population?

Should we worry about the increasing number of elderly in the population?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Should condo owners be allowed to rent out their apartment under AirBNB?

Should condo owners be allowed to rent our their apartment for short term stay under AirBNB?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Budget 2018 - Clearing house for Wallet Payments

At the National Day Rally in 2017, PM Lee suggested that we should promote e-payment, similar to the AliPay and WeChat Pay in China.

Several operators have since launched their platforms (i.e. e-wallets) to allow e-payment using QR Code. They include GrabPay, NETS Pay and DBS PayLah.

Each operator makes a special effort to market their wallets to merchants and hawkers.

I am afraid that the proliferation of platforms will not help in promoting the use of e-payments. We cannot expect a merchant to sign up with several platforms to receive e-payments from customers on those platforms.

I suggest that the Monetary Authority of Singapore or the Association of Banks set up a clearing house for e-wallet payments. If the customer and merchant are on different platforms, they can clear their transactions through the clearing house. This is similar to the current process of clearing cheque payments through a clearing house.

The clearing house can also be the channel for customers to top up their e-wallets from their linked bank accounts and for merchants to transfer money to their linked bank accounts.

By using the clearing house, the wallet operators will not be saddled with the cost of making separate linkages to the banks. This will reduce the infrastructure cost for the wallet operators and the banks.

I also suggest that all e-wallet operators be licensed by the MAS. A condition of the licensing is that the operator has to set up a trust account in a bank that contains the total balance of all the balances in their customers' e-wallets. This will give confidence to customers that their e-wallets will be safe and that they will not lose money when their operator fails

I hope that my suggestion will be helpful to promote e-payments in Singapore, reducing the cost of payments and increase productivity and innovation.

Tan Kin Lian

Budget 2018 - Simplify CPF contribution

The following document shows how employers should calculate the CPF contributions for their employees. It contained 15 pages included tables in 11 annexes, numbered A to L. Click here.

It is a nightmare for a small employer to calculate the CPF contribution correctly for their employees. It is also costly for them to engage a developer to write the codes for the CPF contributions in their payroll systems.

I suggest that the government should simplify the contribution rates as follows:

a) Set up the table showing the "standard rates" for contribution rates applicable to employees in the private sector.
b) The contribution rates for older employees and permanent residents can be set certain percentages of the standard rates.

The public sector can be handled in a separate paper.

Tan Kin Lian

An alternative system for SMRT to consider

INTRODUCTION
I question the decision to invest $195 million in the new signal system for the NS and EW lines.

I find the amount to be excessive. I also dislike the many instances of "signal faults" that caused the frequent disruption in the train services and the collision at Joo Koon station.

Under the old signal system, we did not have the frequent breakdowns that are occuring now.

Could this be caused by bad implementation? Did we rush to implement the new system without proper testing?

More important, will we be able to see the light of day soon. Can we get over the frequent disruptions? How long more do we have to wait to see the improvement in service that was expected from this large investment?

Another question is - do we have an alternative?


AN ALTERNATIVE
I believe that we have an alternative to the Thales CBTC system. I know that they are a reputable system and their system is used in many cities.

But I do not accept that we need to implement an expensive system just because it is used in other cities. The more important question is - is there an alternative?

What is the system expected to achieve?

Take the NS line. It runs for 45 km and has 28 stations. The average distance between the station is 1.6 km.

If we despatch a train every 2 minutes, the average distance between 2 trains is 2 km, based on an average speed of 60 kph. 2 km is a long distance. Even if we reduce the interval of the trains to 1 minute, the average distances is 1 km.

We like the trains to arrive at each station on time. There could be local factors that cause the train to be temporarily behind schedule. The can be rectified by getting the train to increase the speed until they are back on schedule.

There is the challenge to get the train to stop at the exact spot on the platform, so that they train and platform doors can open. I prefer that this be achieved using local signals and sensors, rather than rely on the central system to tell the train exactly where to stop.

There is also the challenge to get the train to slow down or stop to avoid collison with the train or another obstacle ahead. Under normal circumstances, this should not happen, as the trains are all moving at the expected speed and there is a distance of 1 or 2 km between the trains.

But we have to deal with the unexpected emergencies.

COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM
I prefer each train to have a collision avoidance system. This is already installed in expensive cars. I like a similar system to be installed on each train. Remember, this is to be used only in emergencies. It is not intended to regulate the speed of the train.

CENTRAL SYSTEM
The speed of each train will be regulated by the central control system. This system has the primary goal of instructing the train on the speed that it should travel.

The central system should not be burdened with the task of getting the train to stop at the right spot in the platform (as it can be delegated to the local sensors and systems).

PROTOTYPE
I have developed a prototype of a system that describes how my approach can work. They can be viewed here.

Operation of the system
tklcloud.com/mrt/home.aspx

Signals of the system
tklcloud.com/mrt/page/7

Monitor screen for simulation
tklcloud.com/mrt/monitor.aspx

If you have any feedback, send email to kinlian@gmail.com

A better system of signage for MRT stations

The MRT station in Seoul uses a sensible system of signage.

They numbered their exits from 1, 2, 3, etc.

On passing the gantry, I can see a big signboard showing all the prominent buildings and the exit gate. Along the passage way, I see only the direction for each exit gate. The signage is small and easy to understand.

At some prominent places, there will be another board showing all the prominent buildings and exits.

I like the common sense of the people in Seoul. I hope that our planners follow their approach.

The algorithm for TKL train control system is working fine now

I managed to fine-tune the algorithm for the TKL train control system. It is now able to despatch a train every 1 minute and to have very few trains taken off the system, even if they have some train fault.

The monitor also display the trains that have a high percentage of being late. This indicates that the train may have some fault and should be inspected and repaired.

You can watch the monitor in
tklcloud.com/mrt/monitor.aspx.

My system does not cost $195 million. It probably can be installed for $20 million and should not cause the kind of breakdowns that have been experiened recently.

Keep a driver in the MRT train and expand the duties

SMRT invested $195 million to install a new signal system. I suspect that the main purpose is to allow the trains to be operated without a driver.

I disagree with this approach.

I will make the train run automatically (but at a much lower cost) and still have a driver in the train. The driver will take over in case of emergency.

At other times, the drivers will be responsible to watch the TV monitors for all the cabins in the train and to act on any disorderly behavior or render needed assistance to any passenger.

SMRT needs only 400 drivers. They have a workforce of more than 5,000 people. They can reduce the manpower in the maintenance department by using "smart maintenance" concepts. Currently, they have 900 more maintenance staff compared to Taipei MRT which handles a similar volume of traffic to SMRT.

Allow platform doors to be opened

A few breakdowns were caused by "signal fault" which caused the platform doors to remain closed.

There should be a manual override to open these doors and keep them open until they are fixed. We did not have platform doors in the past.

The platform doors were installed to prevent people falling or jumping to the tracks. The risk is quite small even if the platform doors are kept open. For people who are prone to suicides, they can also jump from buildings, right?

Many train stations in other countries do not have platform doors anyway. It is nice to have this safety measure, but it is not essential.

This kind of problem is faced by Hong Kong's MRT. They have a 10 hour delay that occurred half a year ago, caused by the same kind of problem.

Why did the government decide to act against Li Shengwu?

Why did the government decide to act against Li Shengwu?

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Did Li Shengwu scandalised the court?

Did Li Shengwu scandalised the court by referring to a "pliant court system"?

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Will the current chairman take over as CEO of SMRT?

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Do we need an expensive and sophisticated train control system for the MRT?

Like Singapore, Hong Kong also paid a lot of money to upgrade their signal system. The average cost is about S$75 million per line. Singapore cost is about $85 million per line, but it is a few years later - probably due to inflation.

Hong Kong also faced problem with signal issues.

My common sense tells me that both countries paid too much to install a sophisticated system that is not necessary and is causing a lot of problems.

The trains run at a maximum speed of 80 kph. That is as fast as a car on the road. Allowing for the time for passengers to board and alight at each station, the average speed of the train is 45 kpm for the entire journey.

If the trains run every 2 minutes, the average distance between the trains is 2 km. That is a very long distance. Do we need a sophisticated and costly signal system to handle this operation?

I prefer to have an onboard collision avoidance system on each train. It will prevent collision.

Apart from this feature, I like to see a signal to tell a train that it is approaching a station, so that the train can slow down, and another signal to guide the train to the exact place to stop on the platform.

These signals are processed locally on the train and do not need to involve the control center.

The only control data that needs to be send by the control center is the speed for the train to take. This may be necessary to synchronise the speed of the various trains, and to ensure that they arrive punctually and are evenly spaced.

If the system is kept simple at the control center, the risk of "signal faults" would probably be minimised. Of course, we could still have local signal faults.

This is my common sense perspective. It can save a lot of money and give less breakdowns.