WOTC - Foodfare take over Kopitiam

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should NTUC Foodfare be allowed to take over Kopitiam?

Here are the responses: (35 Votes)

51 % - No. Foodfare is supposed to be a cooperative and not a private profit oriented business.
23 % - No. It will allow them to take over a large market share and dominate the market.
20 % - Yes. It will allow Foodfare to help moderate the price of food in the food courts.
6 % - Yes. There are many other food court operators to provide competition.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1071

WOTC - Taxis use bus lane

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should taxis be allowed to use bus lanes?

Here are the responses: (37 Votes)

49 % - Bus lanes should be reserved for buses, so that they can travel faster.
24 % - Taxis are public transport vehicles and should be allowed to use bus lanes.
22 % - By allowing taxis, the bus lanes will be put to better use.
5 % - Taxis are allowed to use bus lanes in many cities around the world.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1070

Bad for a prime minister to sue his citizens

Someone declared that Lee HL is the only prime minister that sues his citizens.

I am not able to support that statement. I do not know about the actions of the prime ministers of 200 countries around the world, including the prime ministers in the past.

I agree that it is very bad for any prime minister to sue its citizens for defamation or to protect his integrity. It is better for the leader to issue a statement and trust that his people will believe his statement. It is better to be honest and transparent, rather than use the legal suit to silence critics.

OK. I am not aware of any other prime minister, current and past, that sues its citizens. If any of you know about it, please share.

They might be a few that carried out the same act, but it still does not justify the action - which is frankly quite bad.

Tan Kin Lian

Doing what is best for Singaporeans

Tay Albert said:
Kin Lian of late I hv noticed u are beginning to have some good points Hopefully u will continue to champion the course to help reinstate our nation to be what we once were ie a nation that people around the world can respect n trust.
I was one of your critics becoz of yr position at ntuc income and u were notable in creating a monopoly in the insurance industry rather unfairly n has cause many who prior to income 's existence be out of work in order to try to corner the market
And I always believe that a leopard never change its spot We know who you are n perhaps you may know my late father and my uncle Hever seeing now u r in support of Leong n lim I hope you mean well and if that's the case I wish you all the best. Majulah Singapore!

REPLY
Dear Albert,
NTUC Income was not a monopoly in life insurance, nor in motor insurance, nor in health insurance.
It was a cooperative, with the aim of reducing cost for consumers. We reduced our cost so that consumers paid a lower price.
We did force our competitors to reduce their prices to stay competitive. But we were not a monopoly. Not by any means.
Many people remembered me for the good work that NTUC Income contributed during the time that I was in charge.
Some were unhappy that their claims were not settled according to their expectation. But it was generally due to some misunderstanding. It was never our policy to deny claims to make a bigger profit. We were not profit-driven, unlike most businesses and govt linked companies.
My actions in recent years is a continuation of what I tried to do for the past decades - how to reduce cost for consumers and offer a better value to them. I believe that the citizens of Singapore deserve a better deal compared to what is being given to us by the PAP govt.
I thank you for voicing your views, so that I have a chance to clarify this point.

Misleading statements by Jason Koh

One person called Jason Koh said that Leong Sze Hian stays in a landed house at Serangoon Gardens. He is rich enough to pay for his own legal fees.

I suspect that Jason Koh works for the despised Internet Brigade.

I have fetched Mr Leong to his house a few years ago. His house is old, single storey and unrenovated. I think it was handed down to him by his parents.

I do not think that Mr. Leong is rich, as alleged by Jason Koh. I ask Jason Koh to do his due diligence, before making misleading statements.

Anyway, this is besides the point. I urge all citizens to support the Leong Sze Hian Defence fund generously.

We need to send a strong message to PM Lee that his legal suit for defamation is unacceptable. It amounts to bullying. PM Lee is well off and should not use his wealth to intimidate people. If he is honorable, he should offer to pay the legal expenses of both parties.

Tan Kin Lian

Leong Sze Hian Defense Fund

The Independent website posted an article on crowd funding for Leong Sze Hian's defence fund.

The link to that article was not blocked last night. Several people reported that they were not able to access it.

http://theindependent.sg/breaking-lee-hsien-yang-is-the-first-to-give-to-leong-sze-hians-defence-fund-as-he-prepares-to-fight-lawsuit-pm-lee/

They suspected that the "authority" had deliberated blocked the link.

If this was the case, it would be a very shameful and despicable act. The "authority" is supposed to uphold the law and to act non-partisan. The act of blocking the article would amount to "abuse of power" or, some might describe it as "state terrorism".

I hope that the "authority" will make a statement to deny this suspicion.

Anyway, the link is available this morning.

It is important for citizens to make a bold statement that they strongly disagree with the action of the PM to file a defamation suit, and also the suspected action of the "authority" to block the link, if only for a short period.

A good way to express your view is to donate generously to the LSH defence fund.

You can donate any sum. I suggest $10 or more. Details are

Mr Leong is hoping to raise at least $10,000 for his defence fund. You may contribute through the following channels:
Leong Sze HianPOSB Savings 064064070Paynow S0009739ZPaypal ecuadortrade@yahoo.com.sg

Tan Kin Lian

WOTC - Delay at checkpoints

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is the long delays at the checkpoint acceptable?

Here are the responses: (42 Votes)

52 % - No. It is govt's intention to cause the delay.
40 % - No. It is shameful that the govt cannot recruit sufficient people to man the checkpoints.
5 % - Yes, we should avoid going to Malaysia.
2 % - Yes, it is holiday season.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1068

WOTC - Increase in fish price

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is it acceptable for fish price to increase by 30-40%?

Here are the responses: (38 Votes)

42 % - It is a stupid outcome from the dispute with Malaysia.
32 % - It is caused mainly by the ban on export of fish from Malaysia.
21 % - We can eat other meat, rather than fish.
5 % - It is all right. Only during the festive season.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1069

Security of food supplies

In the future, the supply of food will be uncertain. During glut periods, the prices will drop. During shortages, the prices will increase sharply.

Here are the possible ways to deal with the situation:

a) Let the market handle it. If the food prices are too high, the people can look for alternative food.

b) Stockpile the food during glut periods and introduce them during shortages.

c) Introduce govt control to speculating on the food shortage to raise the prices and make excessive profit.

Most countries adopt the approach to leave it to the market. It seemed to work well.

Some countries had adopted stockpiles of food and essential commodities, but most of these measures have been abandoned.

Govt controls did not seem to work in the past. It created a black market.

The challenges in the future, and the imminent shortage in food supply due to increase in world population and climate change require a re-think.

There is an additional risk that we should be aware of. If there is a global shortage, the supplying countries will introduce export controls to protect their people from the shortages. The people in the importing countries, such as Singapore, will have to bear the blunt of these restrictions.

The difficulties in the past of implementing stockpiles and controls may be addressed with modern technology.

If food can be released from govt stockpiles, it will help to moderate the prices. it will increase the supply and the prices will not go too high due to speculation.

It is important that the govt should handle the stockpile as a price moderating measure. The KPI should not be to reduce cost or make profit. The govt should not be a big speculator with the goal to make profit.

If the govt release food from its stockpile and help to moderate prices, will the speculator buy the food at "cheap prices" and export them. This requires govt control over the exports.

The stockpile approach makes it feasible for the govt to have long term agreements with producers in neighboring country to provide food supplies at agreed prices. In normal glut years, these agreed prices are higher than the market. The difference can be borne by the govt, similar to the cost of defence.

It is also possible to allow the local prices to be higher than the world prices, to reduce the burden on the govt. The tradeoff is that the prices will be moderated during shortages.

We are already used to prices of food and many essential items in our cost of living to be higher than other countries, due to our higher cost in Singapore. The higher price to ensure security of food supply will be part of the cost of living in Singapore.

We can look for other ways to reduce the cost of food, but it is better to have measures to provide stability in the food prices, through stockpiles and controls.

Tan Kin Lian

WTOC - Jam at the causeway and second link

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What is the cause of the jam in the causeway and second link?

Here are the responses: (39 Votes)

72 % - It is due to a deliberate attempt by the Singapore authority to slow down the clearance process.
15 % - It is due to tit for tat by both govts.
10 % - It is due mainly to the December crowd going to Malaysia.
3 % - It is a temporary problem and will be solved soon.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1067

WOTC - Restriction on food export from Malaysia

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Will the restriction on food exports from Malaysia have an impact on Singapore?

Here are the responses: (39 Votes)

64 % - It will cause our food prices to increase
18 % - It will be a temporary measure.
18 % - It will cause a long term change in our food supply.
0 % - It will affect the producers badly as their revenue will drop.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1066

WOTC - Quarterly referendum

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should Singapore introduce quarterly referendums like in Switzerland?

Here are the responses: (39 Votes)

64 % - It will give the people a chance to express their views on important matters.
28 % - The results of the referendum should guide Parliament in its final decision matter, but should not be mandatory.
5 % - It will be too costly to organize the referendums.
3 % - The referendums will be poorly participated.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1065

WOTC - Election of town council

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should town council members be voted directly by the residents?

Here are the responses: (40 Votes)

43 % - It is better for the towns to be managed by bureaucrats, i.e. the HDB and civil servants.
28 % - It will make the town council more accountable to the residents.
20 % - It will give more people the opportunity to come forward and serve the people.
10 % - The town councils will be badly managed due to local politics.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1064

Poor service quality

I have observed for several decades that the quality of customer service in Singapore is poor.

I know that the front line staff does their best, but the service is generally bad.

I blame it on the system. It starts with the "terrible" call center system.

This bad system is made worse after the introduction of the privacy and data protection act. Every little information is private and the customers have to climb over tall fences to get service. Nobody seems to apply common sense.

Is Singapore worse than other countries? I think that the customer service is also quite bad in many countries, because they follow the "best practices". These "best practices" are designed by people who do not seem to exercise common sense or do not care about the customer experience.

But I suspect that Singapore is probably worse than most other countries. Why do I say so?

All our males have to serve national service. They spend two years being trained that they have to follow orders, especially SOPs, and that no deviation is allowed.

They carry this mindset when they take leave national service and work in the business world. Our SOP mindset is prevalent.

Five decades of non-thinking mind and strict adherence to SOP can cause a lot of harm. It has.

Tan Kin Lian

A suggestion to create jobs for young people

Someone said that Malaysia faced a big problem of the unemployed graduates. They have to deal with this problem before adopting other economic stimulus measures.

I agree with this view.

However, I must point out that Singapore and many other countries also face this problem. Some countries had tried to solve this problem for more than a decade, but they were not successful.

Let me first give my view of the underlying cause.

It is due primary to the failure of the "free market system". The free market did not identify the problem and could not offer a solution. The situation was allowed to deteriorate for many years and got worse.

The solution is - government intervention.

I know that many people do not agree with me. I still want to say my piece. And I tell these people to give their view, and not to brush me off with "true economics" or other
"conventional wisdom". We had relied on these measure for decades and they did not work, right?

What caused the problems in the first place? Here are my observations:

a) They are many jobs that the young people do not want to do. These jobs pay low wages. Foreigners come in to do these jobs.

b) The young people want to become graduates, hoping to get better paying jobs. But there are too many graduates, relative to the real demand for them.

What government intervention is required? These are the steps that need to be taken:

a) Raise the wages of the low paying jobs, so that the locals are willing to do them. They do not need to pursue a degree at great cost and could not get a job on graduation. It is necessary to set the minimum wage for various kinds of jobs. These minimum wage should be adequate to meet the cost of living. The govt may need to provide wage subsidy for small employers to meet the higher costs.

b) The public sector should set an example to pay proper wages and terms of condition. These jobs should not be outsourced. They should provide the benchmark for jobs in the private sector.

These measures require the government to have adequate revenue to pay the cost. I am in favor of the government collecting more revenue, so that they can take the necessary steps.

I support the following measures to raise the revenue of the government:

a) Introduce a development charge for the develop of properties. This is an efficient form of revenue. It will raise the cost of properties, but the economy can adjust to the higher cost (but it should not be pushed too much).

b) Introduce tariffs on imported goods and levy higher tax on car ownership.

With these revenue measures, the government need to rely less on income tax (which can be avoided) or on GST (which adds cost to business and is regressive).

My suggested measures will increase the cost of living for ordinary people. But the ordinary workers will enjoy higher wages to meet the higher cost, and still have more money to spend.

More importantly, the younger people will be employed, rather then unemployed.

My suggestion is not for Malaysia alone, although it was the start of the conversation.

Many countries, including Singapore, face the challenge of unemployed young people. They also need to find a solution.

Tan Kin Lian

Vandalism of shared bikes

I posted a suggestion to provide shared bike under a public operator.

Some people commented that the problem of vandalism will make it non viable.

I disagree. Here are my reasons:

a) The shared bikes will be declared as public property. Vandalism will be an offence that can be prosecuted by the state.

b) We have existing laws to stop vandalism of public property. It has worked well. We do not see graffiti in public buildings and facilities.

c) The user who last borrowed the shared bike will be responsible to put it back in a designated place. This can be easily tracked.

I cannot understand a negative mindset, that is quite prevalent in Singapore. Some people seem to enjoy looking at the worst case scenario, rather than adopt a positive approach.

I know that it is difficult to change a mindset that has been molded over many years. But I will try.

I am quite confident that the problem of vandalism of shared bikes can be solved.

Suggestion for Malaysia to solve its budget problem

Malaysia is facing financial difficulty. I read a report from an analyst that Malaysia depends a lot on oil revenue and that, without the revenue, Malaysia will be a bankrupt nation.

I wish to give a suggestion to the new finance minister of Malaysia, Mr. Lim Guan Eng, on how he can increase the revenue for the government and also give a lot of spending power for Malaysians.

My suggestion may help to solve the debt problem for the Malaysian govt and also increase the wealth of their citizens.

What is this suggestion?

I will describe it as - follow the successful example adopted by Singapore over the past decades.

I do not want to appear to be arrogant. This approach has also been adopted successfully by many other countries, and in particular, Australia, China, Japan - just to name a few.

My suggestion is - increase the property prices in Malaysia by 20 percent.

How can this help the Malaysian economy?

All existing property owners will feel wealthier through the increased property values of their properties. Just imagine the spending power from the newly created wealth.

How will this increase the revenue of the government?

The government can sell 99 year leasehold land at a high price. It can also levy a development charge of 20% on the value of newly developed property built on privately owned land.

It is similar to the practice in Singapore over the past decades.

The revenue that will accrue to the government will be tremendous. It will provide revenue to the government to meet its budget expenses and also, hopefully, to reduce the debt.

Can buyers afford to pay the higher prices of properties, after the development charge of 20% is applied?

The answer is - yes, look at Singapore. People are paying high prices, even for 99 year leasehold public housing. They can afford to pay the higher prices as they can get bank financing. The banks provide the financing for the higher price of the property

If you look beyond Singapore to many other countries, you will find the same phenomena.

Will this backfire? Maybe it will. Maybe it will not.

This is how I suggest the finance minister approaches the change.

The first step is to announce a policy of imposing a 20% development charge on property development that will be implemented in stages over the next three years. It will start at 5%, and followed by 5% for each following year, until it reaches 20%.

I can imagine a large flood of buyers into the property market, to catch the prices at the lower rates of development charge.

Foreign buyers will also come into the property market in droves. I am sure that the government will want to control the foreign buying in some appropriate way. The foreign buying will strengthen the ringgit currency.

Can Malaysians afford the higher prices of properties? I believe that this should not be an issue, if they can get bank financing.

I repeat - the higher property prices will make existing property owners feel well off. This will unleash a large amount of consumer spending that will be good for the domestic economy.

Will an increase of 20% in property prices be harmful to the economy? I think not. Malaysian properties will still be very inexpensive, compared to properties in Singapore and many other cities.

There will be other ramifications from this policy. I do not have all the answers. I am sure that the finance minister of Malaysia and his economic experts will be able to handle them.

By the way - please give the disputed waters and the air access to Singapore. You do not need it. We do.

And remove the ban on vegetables, fish and eggs. Let your farmers enjoy a higher price for these products during the festive season. Do not force Singapore to look for alternative sources for our food supply.

I wish all the best to the government and people of Malaysia. I hope that you will be able to build a robust economy.

Tan Kin Lian

Make shared bike sustainable

I wish to give my views about shared bikes.

I support shared bikes because it is an important part of an integrated public transport system.

Some commuters need a shared bike to take them from their home to the nearest bus stop or MRT station or for the return journey to their home.

The integrated fare structure for public transport adopted in Singapore made it non-viable for the shared bike operations.

Several operators have ceased operation. I expect the remaining operators to close down soon or later.

We need to find a viable business model for the shared bike operators.

One approach is for a public agency, e.g. a subsidiary of the Land Transport Authority, to set up a shared bike operation as a public service.

It will charge a fee that is sufficient to attract users, but not sufficient to cover the operating cost. It has to be subsidised out, as part of a public transport initiative.

The setting up of this public operator will provide the death blow to the existing operators. This will be unacceptable.

Another approach is for the public operator to buy over the existing operations, but negotiation of the price will be difficult.

A better approach is for the govt to subsidise the private operators. This subsidy can take this form:

a) Waiver of all license fee.

b) A subsidy of x cents for each ride, to reduce the cost to the user.

All registered users should be required to pay a deposit and to top up a wallet to use the shared bike. The deposit and wallet should be held by the public operator, and not the private operators.

The wallet will be used to pay the ride, and any penalty for not observing the rules.

The use of a common wallet means that the user can use the shared bike of any private operator.

All the private operators will use a common app provided by the public operator. The public operator can negotiate to buy over an existing app for an appropriate price.

The private operator will become the sub-contractor of the public operator to provide a fleet of shared bikes, to take care of the maintenance of the bikes, and to manage the operations. They will get a fee for each ride, based on a rate that is set by the public operator.

The fee may be higher than the rate that is charged to the users (who are the commuters). The difference will be the subsidy to be provided by the govt.

We have the opportunity to create a sustainable shared bike operation as part of an integrated public transport system. This can be a showcase to other cities. I hope that the govt will take it up.

Tan Kin Lian

Food outlets are struggling

A friend joined Genki Sushi recently. I asked him about business, as I recalled that Genki Sushi had to close down several outlets recently.

He told me that they reduced their outlets in Singapore.

Their outlets in Malaysia are doing well. The outlets in Indonesia are okay.

But Singapore is struggling. Not only Genki Sushi. Other food outlets are also suffering.

Genki Sushi also had another problem with their loss on commodity trading. But it is a separate matter.

Restaurant is expensive

A friend went for lunch at a Siamese restaurant. The bill was $200 for four people. It was expensive.

Another friend went for dinner at a Japanese restaurant. The bill for 5 adults and 2 children was $300, after Fave discount. It was expensive.

It is very expensive in restaurants in Singapore. They need to charge high prices to meet their operating costs. Still, many could not survive.

It is better to eat at the hawker center at $7 per head.

Good old days

Life was better in the old days - 50 years ago.

Those who were better educated could get a job in an office or with the govt.

Those who were not well educated could get a job as a trader, craftsman, factory worker or shopkeeper.

Most workers earned enough to raise a family and even had many children. The cost of living was low.

We have made a lot of progress in five decades, but the quality of life and the security of the future had deteriorated.

WOTC - Dispute with Malaysia

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Why is PM Lee quiet during the current dispute with Malaysia?

Here are the responses: (39 Votes)

51 % - He is not exercising proper leadership and taking responsibility.
26 % - It is better for him to keep quiet and avoid making the situation worse.
21 % - He handled the situation poorly, so it is best to let other people solve the problem.
3 % - He prefers to give the younger leaders a chance to deal with this dispute.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1063

WOTC - Tan Chuan Jin

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Why is Tan Chuan Jin quite popular among the younger leaders?

Here are the responses: (36 Votes)

56 % - He is only better than the other ministers who are disliked by the public.
28 % - He is more approachable and compassionate and in touch with the ground.
11 % - People sympathise with him for losing a ministerial post.
6 % - He does his job as Speaker of Parliament well

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1062

A rigid and narrow mindset

A friend told me that he observed a significant change in his son after the son completed National Service.

a) He thinks in terms of SOP (standard operating procedure). When he encounters a problem, he looks for SOP.

b) He has the attitude of "what's in it for me" (WIIFM). In his interactions with his parents and friends, he has the attitude of doing only what is required. To do more, he needs to be clear that there is some benefit that will accrue to him.

He thinks that this attitude was developed during the time that the son spent in NS.

However, be observed that this mindset was not obvious in another son who completed NS. He thinks that this could depend on the division that the conscript was posted to .

I have also observed many people with a rigid and narrow mindset and a selfish attitude. I also suspect that the training in NS contributed to it.

We need a strong defence

I am in favor of a strong defence. But it has to be "defence". It does not justify overspending on military to be perceived by others as "aggression".

Some people take the current dispute with Malaysia as the justification for the high spending (about $15 billion a year) on defence. This is more than twice the sum that Malaysia spends a year to cover a land area that is 450 times of Singapore.

Do we really need to spend so much for "defence"?

It is clear that we have a superior military capability than Malaysia. That is why are de-escalating the tension over the disputed waters.

But does it really solve the dispute? The follow through is a ban on vegetables, fish and eggs for a few months in a year. It may be increased. But I hope that it will be reduced.

Can a strong military defence ensure the continued supply of these fresh food items?

It is clear that a strong military capability, one that is far stronger than the neighboring countries, does not solve the problem.

The people will have to pay a high price for the excessive military spending in the first place, and for the economic consequences of a strong military posture, i.e. the high prices that follow through other retaliatory measures, such as disruption of food supplies.

I advocate negotiation, backed by an adequate military capability. I do not advocate superior military strength that others may perceive as "aggression".

I speak for the future good of Singapore. This is my view. It does not justify warmongers to label me as being "disloyal" or acting out of self interest.

Tan Kin Lian

Funding of the US govt

The US govt has shut down 25% of its services. About 25% of the employees will stop work temporarily due to lack of govt funding.

This has happened before, and is expected to be temporary. The US Congress and the President will have to agree on some compromise to get the agencies funded for another three months.

This circus will continue every three months.

What is the problem with the US govt? They are not collecting enough taxes to pay for their social welfare, health care, military and other federal govt services.

For several years, they have relied on increase the debt. The US govt is now the biggest debtor in the world.

The solution is - collect more taxes. But they can't. The ordinary people can't afford to pay more taxes. Most of them are struggling to meet the high cost of living with low wages.

The people who can afford to pay more taxes are the super rich, forming the top 1%. These people 27% of the total income in the country. They do not need so much. They can afford to pay more taxes to fund the govt.

Instead of asking the super rich to pay more taxes, President Trump had cut their taxes. This has led to a bigger shortfall of funding for the govt. It is ridiculous. It is madness.

How can America solve this problem? It has to increase tariffs on its imports and raise the taxes for its corporations and the super rich.

The tariffs on imports should be applied to all countries and not on selected countries. It is a revenue raising measure.

I share this article on the role of tariffs in the first half of the twentieth century, prior to the move towards globalization and free trade.

http://infospot.roanokegroup.com/acton/fs/blocks/showLandingPage/a/5777/p/p-0023/t/page/fm/0

I find it strange that the justification for free trade was made by the economist David Ricardo almost two centuries ago. The world economy had changed beyond recognition, but we are still relying on outdated theories.

The problem faced by America is evidence of the problem of the globalized economy. I am in favor of tariffs and a more protectionist world.

Tan Kin Lian

Security of food supplies

Singapore now has to worry about food security.

Malaysia used to be our main source of supply for chicken, eggs, fish and vegetables.

The supply will be disrupted by an export ban placed by their govt for four months in a year. They gave the reason of local shortages during the monsoon seasons. But it is also partly due to the recent dispute over the water and air access.

Singapore is diversifying its sources of food supply. It is now discussing with the Philippines on increasing imports of these products from that country.

But the cost of the products will be higher, due to distance. There are also health and food safety issues to be dealt with.

Supplies from the Philippines could also be disrupted due to weather and political reasons.

We should also expand our sources to include most Asean countries.

A better solution is an agreement for the long term production and purchase of these food supplies.

The farmers in these countries will benefit from the guaranteed prices that are provided in long term contracts. Their livelihood will not be subject to uncertainties of supply and demand.

In the old days, the buyers benefit by the uncertainty, which could depress prices due to over production by the farmers.

Those days will be gone. The balance of power will go to the producers. In times of shortage, the prices can shoot up many times.

We need to pay more for the assurance of a steady supply.

It is clear that prices of food will now increase, and by a big margin. It will add to the high cost of living in Singapore.

Will our govt be able to find a suitable response? If not, the high cost of living will hit hard on the people.

Tan Kin Lian

WOTC - Protect against retrenchment

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

How can employees protect against retrenchment?

Here are the responses: (40 Votes)

38 % - Join a trade union and get the union to bargain collectively for retrenchment benefit.
35 % - Have personal saving to protect against loss of job.
20 % - Be more productive, so that the employer will find it difficult to get a replacement.
8 % - Retain some special knowledge as a bargaining chip.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1061

WOTC - Retrenchment benefit

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should companies be required to provide retrenchment benefit?

Here are the responses: (42 Votes)

79 % - It should be mandatory after the employee has served at least 5 years of service.
10 % - It should be left to collective bargaining between the employer and the trade union.
7 % - This is not necessary as the employer has contributed to CPF.
5 % - A non-bargainable employee can negotiate for it as a term of employment. 

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1060