My personal view on the "demotion" of Tan Chuan Jin

Someone asked for my views about the apparent demotion of Tan Chuan Jin (TCJ) from minister to speaker of Parliament.

I do not know TCJ personally. From the views that I read in the internet, he seemed to be someone who is willing to speak his mind, which in his case is writing in his Facebook. He seemed to be well liked by the staff in his ministry as they gave him an unusual farewell by participating in a 6 km run with him.

A commentator wrote an article that seemed to criticize him for doing little to address the challenges faced by his ministry of social and family development.

My own observation was that he did not do much to address the challenges faced in his previous post as minister of manpower.

To be fair to TCJ, I would say that the statement of "did not do much" applies to most of the ministers in LHL's cabinet.

The challenges faced by the people are daunting. Most of the ministers did not seem to understand the real problems, let alone finding the solutions to these problems.

We are all aware about the problems faced in public transport, health, employment, security of jobs, over-population, slowing economy and high cost of living.

Most of the ministers in charge of these areas appear to be in hiding.

My friend told me that TCJ is a minister that does not appear to be "smart", compared to some other ministers.  The friend had met these ministers personally.

I find this comment to be irrelevant. Being "smart" is not the solution to our problems. I have no doubt that the prime minister (LHL) is one of the smartest persons in Singapore. However, he seemed to have made a mess of things during the past decade when he was the prime minister.

I consider the quality of humility to be as important, or perhaps more important than being smart.

A leader should be humble in knowing that he (or she) does cannot find the answers to many difficult problems by himself. He needs to listen to the views of other people, to the real experts in the field, to the staff working for him (who have to face the problems everyday) and to the public who feels the impact of these problems which are caused by his policies.

After getting the inputs, the leader should be "smart" enough to know which are relevant and which are not.

To find the solution to the problems, after they have been identified, the leader needs to know if similar problems have been faced by other countries and cities and how they went about addressing these problems. The leaders needs to be humble to learn from the experience of other countries and "smart" enough to know if the solutions could work in Singapore.

There are a few occasions where challenges faced in Singapore are really unique, and the experience of other countries are not likely to be relevant.

The leader then has to find the solution by trial and error, or what is described as "prototyping" in engineering. This approach requires an open approach, to be willing to tell the public about the uncertainty and to share the results of each trial and to hear inputs from the stakeholders.

On the important quality of being "humble", I have to declare that most, if not all, of the ministers in LHL's cabinet failed miserably. The best word to describe their attitude is "arrogance". They do not seek to hear the inputs of other people who are familiar with the issues. In fact, they ignore these inputs. They seem to think that they alone know the solutions.

I suspect that they get this attitude from observing the behavior of LHL himself. To be fair to LHL, perhaps their behavior comes from our education system which encouraged the elitist behavior.

Coming back to TCJ, I think he is unfortunate to be singled out for a weakness that seemed to be shared by most ministers. In fact, TCJ probably has a larger share of the quality of humility that is essential for success.

I hope that he will have the chance in the future to prove that humility and smartness are essential for our future success. I wish all the best to TCJ.

Dedicated zones for shared bikes

Shared bikes should be parked within designated areas.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/…/new-rules-soon-to-tackle-i…

This is a good move. The users can be fined for parking outside the designated areas.

I am disappointed to read that the shared biked operators work with the "PAP town councils". Why can't they work with ALL town councils?

When will the PAP wake up and know that this kind of news make many people disgusted.

What have the citizens done?

Rachel Ash commented on an article that claimed Tan Chuan Jin did not do much as minister for social and family services.

Mr Tan. In my humble opinion: it is not what has TCJ done or not done; the real question should be - what have citizens of Singapore done?

Directly or indirectly, these are exactly the ministers that the citizens had been screaming out beating their chest to have including our soon to be Indian President Halimah.

Many who had felt sorry for the sorry state we are in, many of them had given on the these same citizens who complains so much but keep wanting more of the same.

What is the point of these senseless complains?

At the next generatl election, we are going to still see close to 60 to 70 odd % winning by the ruling party again.

Many who are financially independent had given up, and just watching the show at the sideline. Not that they are insensitve to the needs of their fellow citizens but they got stabbed by the same people whom they are helping.

With each passing election, even if the opposition wins a GRC or SMC, their lives would be a struggle just to run the day to day upkeep.

There will be hoops and loops to jump with traps that will shorten their political life.

Look at WP, not long more before they get hammered into nothingness. Many of these crying out citizens .... claim this time would be different ..... yah yah we heard before .......

Majullah PAP.

Fast Forward bus service - make it work!

About ten years ago, I wrote an article about public transport. It was printed in the Straits Times.

One suggestion was to run buses with limited stops and to serve the intermediate stops with a feeder service. This will cut down the time for a bus journey.

I did not get any response from the Land Transport Authority. Nobody bothered to engage me.

I recently found that this idea was implemented under the "Fast Forward" service by SBS.

Quote
Fast Forward, via a combination of having fewer stops and flexible routing in non-stop sectors to avoid traffic congestion allows the service to deliver travel time savings of up to 20%. Operating only during the morning and evening peak hours to meet our commuter's needs for faster and more comfortable travel from home to work and vice versa. There are eight Fast Forward services in operation today (10e, 14e, 30e, 74e, 89e, 151e, 174e, 196e).
Unquote.

I did not hear any publicity about this service. It is now applied only to a few stops.

I suspect that this concept did not take off. Why?

I did some research and was horrified to learn that the fare for the Fast Foreward service is about 70% higher than the normal fare. This is shown in the fare table at the bus stop.

The reason for the higher fare is that there is less demand for this service. This is ridiculous.

There is less demand because you are charging a higher fare, and you are not publicising the service. Right?

I can say, with great disappointment, that this is the quality of the planning under LHL's government. Why did he put in place people who think in this manner? Why did this people not have a public discussion on this matter?

I still think that this concept will work, if it is publicised and the normal fare is charged.

Let me explain how this will work.

I take bus 163 to work. Suppose they convert it to a limited stop service numbered 163e that stops at the major stops, which are identified with a special pole.

If the bus stop near my home is not a major stop, I will take a feeder service a few stops to the next major stop. I will then catch 163e to my office.

If my office is not a major stop, I will get off the bus at a major stop before that and change to a feeder service.

Changing buses is quite easy. I do it quite often. I get off the bus and wait for the next bus at the same stop. The waiting time should be quite short for a feeder service. I am referring to a new system of feeder service that serves the intermediate stops. It should arrive within two or three minutes.

Under this Fast Forward service, the journey time should reduce by 20%, even allowing changing to feeder services. There is a big saving in time when the FF bus does not have to stop at the intermediate stops.

I hope that the Land Transport Authority take up this suggestion and contact me for a discussion0

.

Wisdom of the crowd - results

Here are the results of voting in The Wisdom of the Crowd

a) Did Singapore perform well in the South East Asia Games 2017? (59 Votes )

64% said "yes". 19% said "yes, but we could have done better".

More details at:
http://tklcloud.com/Colsale2/viewpdf.ashx?Code=782768

b) What is your view about the campaign slogan, "Do good, do together" (61 Votes )

48% said "it is awful". 30% said "it sound odd".

More details at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=249

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for voting.

a) Who does North Korea need to develop nuclear weapons?
b) Who should get the credit for the good relations between Singapore and Indonesia?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Collective sale of Thomson View

The tall white building at the center of the picture is the tower block of Thomson View condominium. I lived in the townhouse in 1983 to 1996. I am now the chairman of the collective sale committee. If the collective or enbloc sale is successful, you will not see this tower block in 2 years time.

It is difficult to be the chairman of the sale committee. The committee has to deal with supporting and objecting owners, including a few who were unrealistic and demanding and made life difficult for the committee.

Most owners do not want to be in the sale committee, less so to take the duty of the chairman. It is a lot of hard work. As I run my own business, I can afford to spend the time to handle the role, which is mainly coordination with the committee, marketing agent, lawyer, managing agent and the individual owners.

I was also fortunate to have the support of my committee members. The members chipped in and do their share, even though they have to do a full time job.

I will not say that it is a thankless task, because many owners had sent email to thank me for taking the lead in this effort.

Why I bought an apartment in Forest City

Dear Mr. Tan
I read that you bought an apartment in Forest City. I also heard from my friends that more than 100,000 units will be built there and it will be difficult to find a tenant or to sell it in the market later on, due to the massive supply. Why did you choose to invest there? How are you going to pay the loan to buy the property?

Reply
I agree that it is not a good choice for an investment, at least for the short term. I plan to hold it for the long term as a holiday place for my children and grand children. It is only 10 minutes from the second link and provides a totally different environment.

It is build as a modern smart city. Among others, it has an innovative transport concept. The plants in the buildings will act like a forest to provide oxygen and remove the carbon dioxide.  The concept is totally different from any other city on the planet now. I am buying for the future.

I am paying for the apartment upfront to enjoy a 15% discount. You can see from the progress videos that the apartments are being built very fast, so the risk of default can be ignored.

It is a freehold apartment. The price is about 25% of the price for similar 99 year property in Singapore.

In my view, this property is suitable for people with spare cash, especially those who have sold their property for a handsome sum in an enbloc sale recently. You can invest some of your gains in Forest City.

You can watch the videos of Forest City on Youtube. If you are keen to visit the place, and even to have a complimentary one night stay at the 5 stay hotel, send an email to kinlian@gmail.com. I will ask the marketing executive at Forest City to arrange your stay.

She had arranged a stay for me last month, and that led me to buy the apartment.

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

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

a) What is the impact of National Service on Singapore males? (54 Votes )

44% said that it is harmful for their study and career. 31% said that it is useful but should be shortened.

View the details in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=246


b) Is it wise to hold the second industry briefing on the High Speed Rail in London? (51 Votes )

51% said that it should be held in Kuala Lumpur as the first briefing was held in Singapore. 26% said that it should be held in another Asian city as the likely bidders are from Asia.

View the details in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=247

A distorted headline can create a wrong impression

Someone sent me an email. He expressed the view that Salleh Marican and Farid Khan are more suitable for the role of Elected President due to their business experience and asked for my comment.

I replied to his view in my Facebook page. I expressed my view that Halimah Yacob does not appear to have the financial knowledge and experience required for the responsibility of looking after our reserves.

A website put the headline that "Tan Kin Lian, ex-CEO of NTUC Income, said that Halimah Yacob had poor financial knowledge".

This headline was a distortion of my view. I do not know the level of Halimah's financial knowledge. Most likely, she has the financial knowledge of well informed people.

I was referring to a higher standard of financial knowledge that is needed to "look after our reserves". Most people do not have high level of knowledge. That is why the constitution required a candidate from the private sector to be the top person in running a company with $500 million in share capital.

This is an example of how a headline can distort the actual meaning intended by a person and can create a wrong impression.

I wrote to give my feedback to the administrator of the website. They have removed my article. But the damage had already been done, as their distorted headline and photo had been circulated to large numbers of people.

A reflection of weak leadership within LHL's government?

IE Singapore and Spring Singapore will be merged to drive the globalisation effort.

I speculate that they were carrying out similar duties and this merger is to remove the duplication and overlap.

Anyway, it probably reflects a bad state of affairs in Singapore - where different agencies protect their own turf and build their empires.

This problem is quite widespread throughout the government, and is not confined only to these two agencies.

It is a reflection of a weak leadership within LHL's government.

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/ie-spore-spring-merge-new-agency-960-staff-affected-no-retrenchments-expected?cid=emarsys-today_TODAY%27s+morning+briefing+for+Sept+6%2C+2017+%28ACTIVE%29_newsletter_06092017_today

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for voting in the Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) What is the reason for the merger of IE Singapore and Spring?
b) Why did PM choose Tan Chuan Jin to be Speaker of Parliament?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Foreigners are less keen to be permanent residents of Singapore

It seems that foreigners are less keen to become permanent residents of Singapore now. I also read that many people are giving up their permanent residency to return to their own home country or to work in other countries.

The government has to take special steps to promote PR in Singapore.
https://www.applyprsingapore.com/eligibility

Permanent residents do not need to do national service. if they are still not interested to be a PR of Singapore, what does this mean for our local males who are compelled by law to serve two years of full time national service and ten years (or maybe longer) of reservist duties?

Is the burden for our local males too heavy? What benefit do they really get to be citizens? A chance to vote? What for - the elected president has become a farce. Even the general election is not really that free or fair.

It is time for our government to realize the harm that they are causing to our local males. It is time for them to reduce the burden and give them a chance to compete in a challenging environment.

Lee HL does not know how his policies impact the ordinary people in a harmful way. It is time for him to wake up. Or for his elites to whisper the truth to him.

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for voting.

a) Should a political party be given a two third majority in Parliament?
b) Should household be allowed to share foreign maids?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

Here are the results of the voting.


a) Is climate change causing severe weather conditions that cause damage around the world? (51 Votes )

47% said that climate change is responsible for the severe weather. 33% observed that the weather is more severe but could not attribute it to climate change.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=244


b) What is the current salary of the President of Singapore (53 Votes )

45% got the correct answer ($1.5 million) but 50% think that it is $3 million or $4.2 million.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=245

Reduce our cost of doing business

Some people commented that the high cost of doing business in Singapore is due to rental, transport (COE) and water rates, and not due to the processing of payments.

I agree that rental, transport and water are adding to the cost of doing business. They have to be dealt with as well.

The inefficient payment system is also adding to the cost. We hve to deal with this matter as well.

The objectors pointed that vendors do not like cashless payments because it is costly to install payment devices, and to connect them to the banks.

This observation is also true. We have been adopted the wrong approach in the past.

There is a low cost and efficient way to adopt cashless payment. AliPay and Wechat has shown how this can be done, and they have done it successfully in China. We need to wake up and follow them.

Cashless payment the e-wallet way

I have been writing about the inefficiency and high cost of our payment system for more than ten years. I took issue with the high use of cheques and cash in our business transactions.

Finally, PM Lee raised this issue in the National Day Rally. He should have acted much earlier. He must have been asleep all this while.

Still, it is better late than never. Because he raised this issue, the government agencies are moving double quick to implement cashless payments.

It is really worrying that things do not move in Singapore unless the PM says so. How shameful!

We have been trying cashless payments for a long time. We have NETS and POS systems. Vendors find these platforms to be costly to implement. They are reluctant to incur this cost.

Some vendors have to install separate devices to connect to different banks and credit cards. The government tries to introduce an universal terminal, but it still requires separately lines to connect to the different banks. It does not solve the problem or reduce the cost significantly.

A better solution is to have a payment gateway. Each vendor has one device to connect to the gateway. The gateway handles the connection to the different banks.

I hope that the people in charge realize that their solution is not helping to reduce cost much.

Because of the high cost of implementing harware devices and connecting them to the banks, most vendors are reluctant to use cashless payments. But it is the outcome of our bad approach.

We can learn from the experience of China. Their payment using Wechat and Alipay is extremely successful. The vendor does not need to install any hardware device. They accept payments through their smart phones. The customer makes payment using their smart phones.

The two systems are easy to use. Even the elderly people know how to use them. These systems are also cost efficient. The vendors find it convenient to receive payments through the e-wallets. There is a small transaction charge, but it is much cheaper than handling cash.

If we adopt the e-wallet system similar to AliPay or Wechat, it will be well accepted in Singapore. That is the way to go.

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for voting.

a) Is it safe to be in South Korea in September? I am taking a holiday there. It was arranged a few months ago.

b) What do you think about PM Lee's target to reduce workplace fatality by 2028?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

Here are the results of the voting.

a) Did Singapore perform well at the South East Asia Games? (48 Votes )

The Crowd is generally happy with the results. 75% give positive comments.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=242

b) Are you disappointed that Today paper has stopped the print edition? (51 Votes )

The views of the Crowd are quite mixed. Some are disappointed that the print edition of Today has stopped. Others said they do not read Today anyway.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=243

Performance of agencies and ministers

The latest performance score of the agencies and ministers and the trends are now ready for your viewing. The newly promoted ministers, i.e. Josephine Teo and Desmond Lee, are getting low scores. This is perhaps due to their low profile. It may take a few weeks for their scores to move up.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/ChartJS.aspx

Helping the elderly to adapt to cashless payments

When I was at Sydney airport, I queued to buy an Opal card for my train fare.

The visitor in front of me, also a Singaporean, did not have a credit card. The Opal counter does not accept cash for the Opal card. They are entirely cashless.

He turned around to ask me - can he give me A$100 and use my credit card to buy his Opal card? I agreed to help.

So, if elderly people cannot top up, they can pass the cash to another person who can take their cash and top up for EZ Link card for them.

But, the elderly person probably has a bank account. If he (or she) can travel, he can also learn how to use the ATM card. it is actually quite easy. He only needs to make the effort.

The process of topping up with an ATM card is quite easy. So, I have to issue here.

There are other processes in Singapore that need to be simplified. For example, the use of SingPass is quite complicated, after they introduce the 2FA and force the password to be changed to a more complicated one.

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for voting.

a) Should a minimum wage be introduced in Singapore?
b) Should reservist training be stopped?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the issues for your voting

a) Did the hospital in Johor Bahru attended promptly to the Justinian Tan who was injured in an accident?

b) Did President Tony Tan performed his duty well during his term of 6 years?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

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

a) What is the likely cause of the collision between the US destroyer and the oil tanker? (40 Votes )

75% said it is a human error.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=235

b) Do you agree with the move to cut down sugar in soft drinks? (40 Votes )

50% support this move. The others are somewhat sceptical.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=236

c) Are you willing to use a e-wallet for cashless payments? (39 Votes )

69% are willing to use an e-wallet operated by a start up or a large company. 36% still prefer to pay by cash. The support for AliPay and Wechat Pay is quite low.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=237

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

Here are the results of the voting in Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) Why does PM Lee wear maroon instead of pink shirt at the National Day Rally? (36 Votes )

Be prepared for some humorous answers.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=238

b) Do you prefer PayNow to access your bank account or an e-wallet? (34 Votes )

Clearly the preference is to use an e-wallet than to link directly to the bank account.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=239

c) Do you agree with the explusion of Prof Huang Jing? (30 Votes )
The majority disagree with the expulsion and give their reasons.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=240

Business model for E Wallet

I expect E Wallet to be ready in a few months time, with linkage to the bank account using PayNow gateway (which I hope will be provided by the Association of Banks).

My business and marketing plan is:

a) Give an incentive to agents to sign up 5,000 vendors (i.e food stalls or retailers). The agent gets $25 for each vendor. Budget $150,000, including overheads.

b) Give an incentive to consumers to use E Wallet. They get $10 for spending the first $50. I plan to sign up 25,000. Budget $250,000.

c) The other upfront cost of setting up the operation, including computer system, is $300,000 (say), The total capital is $700,000.

d) The merchant pays 0.5% for each transaction but this is waived for the first 3 months. Average value of transaction is $10. they pay 5 cents. Each vendor handles an average of 50 transactions a day using E Wallet, so their fee is $2.50 per day (after 3 months).

The merchant spends $75 a month on E Wallet. I estimate that the cost of handling cash is 2% of sales, or $150 a month (based on sale of $7,500). So there is a productivity saving for the vendor.

e) The E Wallet company earns a revenue of $2.50 X 5,000 X 30= $375,000 a month. After paying salaries, marketing and other expenses, the margin is 20% (say) or $75,000 a month.

f) The initial investment can be recovered in 1 year. This should be a good business model.

I wonder if the ordinary people are interested to invest in this business? I may set up a social enterprise and allow the vendors and customers to take a share in the business. Just thinking.

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for voting in the Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) Is it a good sign that graduates and PMETs are being Uber and Grab drivers?
b) Should Singapore discontinue the immigration card for visitors to enter Singapore?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Comedy of the Elected President - act 7 on the way

The Comedy of the Elected President went through six acts. I am now writing act 7. I do not need to imagine what how this comedy can evolve. I just follow what actually happens. Reality can be more bizarre than the imagination, right?
http://www.tankinlian.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=1296

Make cashless payments voluntary and convenient

Some people are against cashless payment because they think of the 10% of people, who are elderly or poor, that cannot adapt to this method.

This worry is overdone.

We should encourage cashless payment to increase convenience and productivity. But it does not mean that cashless payment will replace the use of cash totally in the food courts and shops.

The food courts and shops can continue to accept cash from customers who cannot use cashless payment. They will make it convenient for customers to adopt cashless payments, if they wish to.

I expect that most customers, who have a smart phone, will opt for cashless payment, similar to AliPay and WeChat Pay in China. They have shown that the change can be made.

Remember, that China used to be 30 years behind Singapore. They are now 5 years ahead of us. If we do not change, they will be 30 years ahead of us in a few years time.

This video shows how E Wallet can be used for cashless payment. It will be free for customers and low cost for vendors, such as hawkers and retailers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_27F2mrehM&t=147s

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

You can vote on these new issues

a) What is your view about the campaign slogan, "Do good, do together"
b) Did Singapore perform well in the South East Asia Games 2017?
c) Who will you vote for as President of Singapore

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Vote and win a prize

When you submit your votes at The Wisdom of the Crowd, you can win these prizes.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/page/115

Voting is easy. For each issue, you are given a few choices. You select the most appropriate choice.

Vote here:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

Here are the results of the voting.

a) Do you agree with the three long term issues raised by PM Lee at the ND Rally? (41 Votes )

78% voted that they are totally disappointed. PM Lee is distracting them from the real issues of concern.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=233


b) How well did PM Lee perform at the ND Rally? (38 Votes )

63% said they are totally disappointed at his performance. Another 32% said that they are somewhat disappointed.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=234

Bus display to show Sequential Stop Number

I went to MacPherson Road and had to take bus 90 to change to 857 at Jalan Toa Payoh.

I was not familar with the road and was unsure which side of the road to take. My friend asked me to take on the same side of the road, but he was not sure.

After a few stops, I was not sure if I was on the right side of the ride. I asked the driver. He could not understand me. He asked if I was going in the direction of Ang Mo Kio. I confirmed. He said it is a few more stops.

Later, I came to the familiar junction. It was all right.

If the bus had displayed the sequential stop number, I would have been more sure.

I wonder when the Land Transport Authority would put in this display?

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for voting.

a) Is it wise to hold the second industry briefing on the High Speed Rail in London?
b) What is the impact of National Service on Singapore males?

Vote in www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

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

a) Do you agree with the three long term issues raised by PM Lee at the ND Rally? (41 Votes )

78% said that they are disappointed that PM Lee is distracting us from the issues of real concern.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=233


b) How well did PM Lee perform at the ND Rally? (38 Votes )

63% said that his performance is totally disappointing. 32% said that his performance is disappointing and worse than previous years.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=234

Move to cashless system for public transport in2020 or earlier

The authority has planned for public transport fares to be cashless from 2020, i.e. 3 years time.

I conducted a survey at The Wisdom of the Crowd.

Slightly more than 50% said that the operators should continue both options, i.e. cash and cashless, to cater to the elderly and tourists who are not familiar with the cashless system. 36% said that the cash option should be continued in case the cashless system breaks down.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=223

I disagree with these two options. Here are my reasons.

a) The cashless system, i.e. EZ Link, card is easy to use by the elderly and tourists. The staff can guide them. After that, they will get used to it immediately.

I have travelled to several cities as a tourists and adopted their cashless system easily. This is also the experience of most people. If you can travel to another country, you can get used to their cashless system quite easily.

b) The incidence of a cashless fare system breakdown has not occured in several decades in Singapore. Even if it does happen one day, the cash option will not work. Imagine trying to collect cash from 1 million people in a day.


We should move towards the cashless option in 2020 or even earlier.

Will the presidential election be a walkover?

The three candidates for the reserved presidential election are filing their nomination papers. Will there be a contest or a walkover?

The Crowd have voted on this issue a week ago. Here are the results.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=213

Wisdom of the Crowd - Results

Here are the results of the voting.

a) What should Desmond Kuek, CEO of SMRT do, following the frequent breakdowns? (47 Votes )

70% said he should resign. Wow!
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=229

b) Is it wise for Li Shengwu to leave Singapore toavoid being detained for the court hearing? (45 Votes )

77% said it is wise for him to leave Singapore for the time being. Wow!
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=230

c) How can we help older PMETs to keep their jobs or find new jobs? (44 Votes )

70% said that E-Pass holders should also pay a levy, similar to S Pass and Work Permit holders.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=231

d) If President Trump is impeached, what will he do? (36 Votes )

44% said he will fight the impeachment in the Senate. 30% said he will refuse to testify.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=232

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

You can vote on these new issues today.

a) What is the current salary of the President of Singapore
b) Is climate change causing severe weather conditions that cause damage around the world?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

Here are the results of the voting on these issues:

a) Will you avoid attending high profile, crowded events, to avoid terrorist attacis?

Most of the respondents say that they will avoid these crowded events.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=227

b) Who is the smartest and most capable minister in Singapore? (52 Votes )

The majority said that they do not like any of the minister. However, you can watch the choice of the remainder.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=228

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for your voting:

a) Are you disappointed that Today paper has stopped the print edition?
b) Did Singapore perform well at the South East Asia Games?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

You will win a prize.

Listen only to elites?

It is astonishing that PM Lee has to hear about the use of mobile payments in China from his minister.

Many people have raised this matter for some time, after visiting china. Even the Straits Times wrote a long article about the widespread use of WeChat Pay and AliPay.

Does the PM pay attention to what the ordinary people say? Does he pay attention to what the newspaper say?

Does he only pay attention when it comes to him from his eltes?

This is rather deplorable. No wonder things are getting from bad to worse in Singapore.

Choosing a the right health insurance policy

I have often been asked by consumers to indicate which is the best health insurance plan to buy.

This question is impossible to answer, without a proper study of the consumer's needs and the willingness to pay the premium. A good policy with better coverage must cost more than one with a modest coverage.

Furthermore, there are more than 50 different types of health insurance plan available in Singapore.

This article explains the problem of trying to find "the best plan". Link.

Some of the policies are ridiculous in offering coverage that is not applicable and denying compensation for coverage for treatment that are needed.

The article was written in the context of Australia but similar problems and issues arise in Singapore.

Read it and understand what these issues are. Be careful about selecting your own policy. You should get the advice of the insurance adviser, but they might be conflicted in giving you the advise, as their commission is based on the premium that you have to pay.

Many different types of health insurance policies are confusing

The head of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has railed out against the numerous health insurance policies being sold in the country.

"There is a bewildering number of policies, and it worries us that this might be quite deliberate," said AMA President Michael Gannon in a speech to the National Press Club earlier this week. “The truth is there are literally thousands and thousands of different types of policies."

http://www.fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=508&Name=Australia:-Doctors-query-thousands-of-types-of-health-policies&View=A

MY COMMENT
Does this observation apply to Singapore?
Although we do not have as many different types as Australia, we also have many types of policies that are confusing to the consumer. There is a need for the regulator to standardise the policy covers, terms and terminology.

Insurers should declare if the policy follow a standard, and if no, how do they differ from the standard cover.

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

Here are the results of the voting.

a) Will you be watching the National Day Rally on television? (55 Votes )

63% said they are not interested in what the prime minister has to say.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=225

b) Are you excited about the Smart Nation initiative? (53 Votes )

60% said that they are not interested or are disappointed with the slow progress.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=226

How to get better than 4% return

Hi Mr. Tan
I read your article about the NTUC Life Annuity. You calculate the yield to be 2.5% (or thereabout). You said that it is better to keep the money in CPF to earn 4%.
But CPF does not accept more than the minimum sum. Where can I invest to get 4% or better?

ANSWER
You can find the answer here. I call it the "little known secret".
http://www.fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=497

Evaluating a life annuity

If you are above 60 years, you are likely to be approached to buy a life annuity. Why, because you have savings from the CPF or from personal sources. If you keep the savings in the bank, you get less than 1%. You are scared to invest in shares, because it has risks. So, you may find a life annuity to be attractive.

The best life annuity is offered by NTUC Income - to my knowledge. But how good is the return on this policy?

You can get the answer here.
http://www.fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=507&Name=NTUC-Income-Guaranteed-Life-Annuity&Type=H

Alliance between Uber and Comfort

This is how I see the alliance between Uber and Comfort.

Uber fought against Grab and seemed to have lost the battle. Grab was able to get more riders to join them due to their attractive promotions. More drivers also joined Grab, as they get more business.

Grab is bleeding. But they seem to have deep pockets (thanks to big funds from Temasek).

Comfort is also losing out in this competition. Fewer riders are calling them or using their apps.

Through the alliance, Uber can reach out to more drivers. But Comfort could have done it on their own without Uber. Comfort has already developed a mobile app, which should be working well.

The real issue is - who can give the generous promotions that Grab is now giving and continue to bleed to gain market share?

The danger of this business strategy is that the riders will accept your promotion, but they can easily move to your competitor when you stop your promotion.

Most customers would check Uber and Grab for the best price and take the best offer. I am one of them.

This kind of cut throat competition is not good for the market in the long run. I expect that it will be more regulated after the initial period.

A softer approach

Do we have a wise government? In my view, NO. Here are my reasons.

Li Shengwu posted a comment that we have "a litigious government and a pliant court system". Although it was in a private post, it did get into the public domain and was probably read by tens or hundred of thousands people.

The government has to act. How did they act?

They sent a strong legal letter with harsh demands. This is not the correct approach for a first time offender.

They should have sent a soft letter to point out that the remarks were offensive. Li Shengwu would probably have agreed to remove these words. It was a mistake. Most people would have made similar mistakes.

I don't think that Li Shengwu is recalcitrant or deliberately looking for trouble.

The matter would have ended there. The government would have been seen to be wise and would have achieved the goal of getting people to respect the law.

Instead of the soft approach, the government made harsh demands for an apology. The terms of the apology were humiliating and not appropriate. They amounted to "bullying".

I hope that the people in power realize that there is a better way to deal with this kind of issue in the future.

Performance trend - agencies and ministers

The performance trend of the agencies and ministers is now showing interesting, useful and reliable results. The trend does go up and down, depending on the public sentiment.

Take a look at
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/ChartJS.aspx

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for you to vote.

a) Do you agree with the explusion of Prof Huang Jing?
b) Do you prefer PayNow to access your bank account or an e-wallet?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Bad service from Singapore Airlines hotline

In a Facebook post, Goh Meng Seng described his frustration in waiting for 30 minutes for the SIA hotline to pick up his call. Many people posted their comments describing the same frustration with their bad service.  Link

I have contacted the top management of Singapore Airlines on several occasions in the past to offer my service to improve their hotline and call center. They were not interested.

When I was in NTUC Income, I was able to get all calls answered within 3 rings, i.e. 1 minute. I think they are still able to maintain this standard today.

The NTUC Income call center handles a few thousand calls every day. I suspect that it is as busy as SIA.

It is sad that the top management of SIA does not pay attention, and the service quality can drop to very bad levels, leading to loss of several millions of dollars of revenue.

As a result, SIA has lost its top position in quality of service. It has even become unprofitable for the first time in his history.

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for voting:

a) Do you agree with the move to cut down sugar in soft drinks?
b) What is the likely cause of the collision between the US destroyer and the oil tanker?

Vote in this website and win prizes.
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

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

a) Do you agree with the proposal for public transport to go cashless by 2020? (53 Votes )

A majority of the Crowd is not supportive of the change to cashless.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=223

b) What is the best way to help the elderly poor in Singapore? (50 Votes )

A large majority prefers a monthly pension to be give to the aged above 75 subject to a means test.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=224

Vote on the current issues and win a prize.
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

NTUC Income Guaranteed Life annuity

A consumer sent me the benefit illustration and asked if it offers a good return.

The consumer, age 65 male, invests a single premium of $300,000 and receives a guaranteed monthly annuity of $1,181.40 and a non-guaranteed addition that depends on the investment return of the life insurance fund.

The detailed analysis is shown in the PDF
http://www.fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=507

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

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

a) Why is the Singapore Sale no longer great? (60 Votes )

40% said that we are doing the same thing for too long.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=221

b) Will the United States take a first strike against North Korea? (52 Votes )

Two thirds expect the issue to be resolved peacefully.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=222

Are gold medals authentic?

Someone asked if the gold medals awarded at the South East Asia games are "authentic".

I searched Google and go the following answer regarding the Olympic Gold Medals.

Quote:
The last series of Olympic medals to be made of solid gold were awarded at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. Olympic Gold medals are required to be made from at least 92.5% silver, and must contain a minimum of 6 grams of gold. All Olympic medals must be at least 60mm in diameter and 3mm thick.
Unquote.

I guess the gold medals in the SEA games have a lower gold content.

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

Here are the results of the voting:

a) Should Singapore keep the mandatory death penalty for drug traficking? (48 Votes )

The majority like the death sentence to be made non-mandatory and reserved only for serious crimes.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=220


b) Will there be a contest for the reserved presidential election? (57 Votes )

A large majority expect a walkover. Sorry no public holiday.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=219

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are two new issues for you to vote in The Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) How well did PM Lee perform at the ND Rally?
b) Do you agree with the three long term issues raised by PM Lee at the ND Rally?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Win these prizes

Vote in The Wisdom of the Crowd and win these prizes.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/page/115

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the issues for voting today.

a) If President Trump is impeached, what will he do?
b) How can we help older PMETs to keep their jobs or find new jobs?

Vote in www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for you to vote:

a) Is it wise for Li Shengwu to leave Singapore to prevent being detained for the court hearing?
b) What should Desmond Kuek, CEO of SMRT do, following the frequent breakdowns?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

You can win the following prizes by voting:
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/page/115

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

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

a) Why do the experts plan a curved bridge for the RTS between Singapore and Johor Bahru? (48 Votes )

You can view the answer in:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=217

b) Is it proper for the Johor Sultan to object to the design of the bridge? (46 Votes )

Three quarters of the respondents respect him for taking interest. It will force the planners to explain their reason for this decision.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=218

More efficient to pay directly into a bank account

Due to an oversight, I did not bank in a cheque within six months. It has expired.

I requested the payer to send me a replacement cheque. They wanted me to mail back the original cheque to them.

What for? The mail will take a few days to reach them. In some cases, it got lost.

This is an example of the wastefulness and inefficiency that is quite common in Singapore. In other countries, it is common for payment to be made by internet transfer to the payee account, instead of writing cheques.

I know of an insurance company in Indonesia that make claim payments directly into the bank account of the claimant.

Australian Senate

Instead of an Elected President which has now become very messy, we should consider the Australian system of a Senate that has significant powers to review major decisions taken by the government.

Here is a description of how the Australian Senate works.

Quote:
The Australian Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Chapter I, Part II of the Australian Constitution. There are a total of 76 senators: 12 senators are elected from each of the six states (regardless of population) and two from each of the two autonomous internal territories (the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory). Senators are popularly elected under the single transferable vote system of proportional representation.

Unlike upper houses in most Westminster parliamentary systems, the Senate is vested with significant power, including the capacity to block all legislation, including Budget and Appropriation Bills, initiated by the government in the House of Representatives, making it a distinctive hybrid of British Westminster bicameralism and US-style bicameralism. As a result of proportional representation, the chamber features a multitude of parties vying for power. The governing party or coalition, which has to maintain the confidence of the lower house, has not held a majority in the Senate since 2005-2008 (and before that since 1981) and usually needs to negotiate with other parties and Independents to get legislation passed.[4]

Senators normally serve fixed six-year terms (from 1 July to 30 June), unless the Senate is dissolved earlier in a double dissolution. Following a double dissolution half the state senators serve terms ending on the third 30 June following the election (i.e. slightly less than three years) with the rest serving three years longer. The term of the territory senators expires at the same time as there is an election for the House of Representatives. There is no constitutional requirement for the election of senators to take place at the same time as those for members of the House of Representatives, though the government usually synchronises election dates.

Unquote

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for your vote.

a) Will you avoid attending high profile, crowded events?
b) Who is the smartest and most capable minister in Singapore?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - result

Here are the results of the voting on these issues.

a) Why does the experts plan a curved bridge for the RTS between Singapore and Johor Bahru? (48 Votes )

The answer is found here:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=217


b) Is it proper for the Johor Sultan to object to the design of the bridge? (46 Votes )

A large majority of the Crowd support the action taken by the Johor Sultan.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=218

Vote on the current issues, and win a prize, at
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Why I invest in Forest City

Mr. Tan,
I read that you bought a unit in Forest City. What are the advantages of Forest City compared to other developments in Johor?

Reply
First, I must warn you that the price of Forest City is 20% higher than the top end developments in Puteri Habor. So, Forest City is expensive.

The key advantages of Forest City are set out in this marketing email:
http://tankinlian.blogspot.sg/2017/08/marketing-pitch-for-forest-city.html

My choice for Forest City are based on:
1. Within 1 hour drive from Second Link.
2. Located in a separate island away from the rest of Johor.
3. A futuristic city.
4. Suitable as a holiday home for my children and grand children.

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for you to vote:

a) Will you be watching the National Day Rally on television?
b) Are you excited about the Smart Nation initiative?

You can vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

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

a) Will the construction of the Kra Canal pose a big threat to Singapore's economy (43 Votes )

The results are quite worrying for Singapore. The Crowd thinks it will happen in the forseeable future.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=215

b) Should new citizens and permanent residents be required to serve National Service? (43 Votes )

The Crowd sends a very strong message to the government. 95% said that new citizens and permanent residents should be required to do National Service, like our local born.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=216

You can vote on other issues at:
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

A smart way to introduce innovation

Here is a smart way to introduce innovation. I hope that the people responsible for Lee HL's Smart Nation project will consider these simple suggestions.

http://www.tankinlian.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=1404

Make Singapore into a Smart City - the practical way

Here are some simple suggestions to make Singapore into a Smart City quickly and make an immediate and useful impact on the lives of the people.

We should use technology that are already proven and practical. They can be implemented easily and quickly and at very low cost.
http://www.tankinlian.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=1403

Smart Nation - a big disappointment so far

This is proof of the incompetence of Lee HL's government and on the minister in charge of the Smart Nation project, Vivian Balakrishnan.

They make a lot of hot air and grand promises but achieve very little. Most of their fancy projects did not take off the ground.

They need more practical people to run this Smart Nation initiative.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/commentary-singapore-s-smart-nation-vision-blurry-without-a-9122400?cid=emarsys-cna_20170815_0125_CNA+-+eNews2+-+Morning_newsletter_15082017_cna&sc_customer=10b49691-b4ce-46cc-9e58-1e4cec0f9b99&sc_src=email&sc_llid=142740&sc_lid=58549441&sc_uid=22K6jmHe3A

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues for voting

Here are the new issues for voting:

a) What is the best way to help the elderly poor in Singapore?
b) Do you agree with the proposal for public transport to go cashless by 2020?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Marketing pitch for Forest City

Mr Tan,

I am Nurul from Forest City and I am wishing you and family are doing great where ever you are.

Here I would like to share with you the details and payment method as you are required to by pdf, not all the information i can have it because some of them will be write in S&P agreement that customer sign

*Advantage of Forest City*
1) Free Hold Property
2) No Inheritances Tax
3) New CIQ by land and sea to Singapore
4) City with a lot 5 stars and renowned facilities and amenities
5) Green and Smart City with no vehicle on its surface
6) 15 Mins away to future High Speed Rail (Station at Nusajaya)
7) Surrounded by world second biggest mangrove forest reserve
8) Duty Free Zone area
9) golf course resort will be design by Jack Nicklaus and opened at the end of this year
10) smart community ( smart home + smart security)
11) World-class medical services (MJ Group)
12) international school : Shattuck St. Marry's School (opened in August 2018)

Thank You and Have a Nice Day.

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

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

a) Will there be a contest for the Presidential Election? (49 Votes )
Two thirds say that it will be a walkover. Sorry, no public hoilday. There is a small chance that Dr. Tan Cheng Bock will win his appeal.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=213

b) Should a by-election be called for Marsiling Yew Tee GRC after Halimah Yacob steps down? (46 Votes )

Three quarters said that a by-election should be called. They gave two reasons.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=214

Vote for the current issues at
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Buying an apartment in Forest City

I have recently purchased an unit in Forest City. It is 1,200 sq and cost about SGD 450,000 or about $400 psf. This is 20% more expensive than high end apartments in Puteri Harbor but is about one third of the price in Singapore.

I know that it is difficult to find a tenant or to sell my unit in the future, because there is massive over supply of apartments in Iskandar.

I was surprised that the apartments are selling quite well. I was earlier offered two apartments of 1,800 sf. I did not confirm it within 1 week and they were booked by other buyers.

I did not mind. My wife said that 1,800 sf is too big. So, we opted for the smaller size apartment.

An experience property agent who markets apartments in Puteri Harbor told me that Forest City has developed much better than most people expected. The sales reported by Forest City came from real buyers.

There is restriction on transfer of currency from China to Malaysia, but the buyers from China found a way to get round the restrictions. So, the sales have resumed.

I also read a report from Hong Kong that China had relaxed some of the restriction, but the details are not clear.

One advantage of Forest City is that it is half hour drive from the Second Link. There will be a separate CIQ which will reduce the clearance time. This makes Forest City a good choice for a second home or a holiday home.

The developer planned to bring an international school, a hospital and other business activities to Forest City. If they materialize, it will be good for Forest City. But they do not, Forest City is still an attractive concept.

If you have some spare money lying uninvested and wish to visit Forest City, you can contact me at kinlian@gmail.com.

Perfomance of Government Agencies

How does the Crowd rate the performance of these agencies? Apart from MRT, the performance of the other agencies improved in the latest week.


Find our more at
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/ChartJS.aspx

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for you to vote.

a) Will the United States take a first strike against North Korea?
b) Why is the Singapore Sale no longer great?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Performance score of senior ministers

Here are the performance scores of the senior ministers.

View more results in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/ChartJS.aspx

Wisdom of the Crowd - Results

Here are the results of the voting in the Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) Will Li Shengwu be convicted of contempt of court? (51 Votes )
45% said "yes". But 55% said "no" for various reasons.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=211

b) Why don't the two governments introduce joint clearance at the causeway and 2nd link? (44 Votes )

The answer looks bad for both governments.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=212

Vote on the current issues in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - result

Here are the results of the voting:

a) Professor Huang Jing is expelled for being an agent of influence for a foreign country. Which country? (51 Votes )

The answer may surprise you!
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=209

b) How should Li Shengwu respond to the action taken by the Attorney General on contempt of court? (47 Votes )

The answer is quite divided.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=210

You can vote on the current issues and win a prize.
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Provide dedicating parking zones for shared bikes

I suggest that the government should provide dedicated parking zones for shared bikes as part of the public infrastructure.  They should be located next to bus stops, MRT stations and shopping malls.

The users should be required by regulation to leave the shared bikes at the docking stations. This will allow the shared bikes to be docked in an orderly manner and also help other users to locate them.

It will help to promote the use of shared bikes and encourage the users to exercise as a healthy lifestyle habit.

Review the Privacy and Data Protection Act

The Privacy and Data Protection Act (PDPA) was passed in 2012.

Over the past five years, I have been asked to give my consent for my personal data to be collected by the organization whenever I call their call center. If I have to submit a form, I am also asked to read several praragraphs explaining that I have to give my consent for the personal data to be collected.

I have encountered the request for consent a few hundred times.

Surely, this consent is not necessary and could be dispensed with?

If I call a call center or submit a form, I know that my personal data will be used for that transaction. Do I have any choice at all? If I do not give my consernt, how can I get the service that is needed?

This request for consent was caused by the requirement of the PDPA. It states that "Organisations may collect, use or disclose personal data only with the individual's knowledge and consent (with some exceptions)".

I suggest that th requirement for the customer consent be removed.

It can be quite tiresome for the customer to spend a minute to hear this message, when they have to worry about getting the request or transaction to be accepted.

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

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

a) Should taxis be allowed to deliver goods for ecommerce companies? (50 Votes )

Majority say "Yes".But other voters have some concern. Find out more at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=207

b) Is Lee HL practicising double standard when he did not sue his siblings for defaming him? (53 Votes )

More than half says "Yes". Find out the views of the others at
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=205

c) Will US sanctions against Russia lead to a trade war or serious conflict? (47 Votes )

The views are varied. Find out here.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=206

Give your votes on the active issues in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Lee HL's style of government

I am unhappy with Lee HL's governemnt. They refuse to engage the public on issues of public interest, made odd decisions, and even refuse to explain their decisions to the public.

Here are some examples:

a) Design of the curved bridge between Singapore and Johor Bahu (Thank you Tuanku for bringing it up).

b) Why did it take 7 years to discuss this issue between the two governments and end up with an odd design.

c) Why did they charge Li Shengwu for scandalizing the court when many people like Kenneth Jeyaretnam had made stronger statements and were not charged?

d) Why did they expel Prof Huang Jing for "being an agent for a foreign country" when he was apparently doing his job to talk to people and get inputs for our government.

e) Why do they consider a person who has been involved in a senior positon with their party for 20 years considered to be suitable to be elected as an independent president?

Lee HL's highly paid ministers and civil servants must think that the ordinary Singaporeans are idiots. They are right. 70% are idiots for voting this kind of government.

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for your voting

a) Is it proper for the Johor Sultan to object to the design of the bridge?
b) Why does the experts plan a curved bridge for the RTS between Singapore and Johor Bahru?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

Here are the results on the voting at the Wisdom of the Crowd.

a) What will happen to President Donald Trump? (54 Votes )
The top choices are that he will complete one term or will be impeached.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=202

b) What will America do about North Korea? (47 Votes
Nearly half of the Crowd thinks that America will continue to ask China to deal with the problem. The next choice is a limited military strike.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=203

You can vote on other issues and win a prize.
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Superannuation in Australia is better than CPF

Check this video out

https://vimeo.com/145196703

Look how easy it is for me to make investment switches for my own superannuation investment and how much control I have over how my money is invested.

Look also at how much returns I'm enjoying. Depending on the fund I choose returns can be anything from 3.4% p.a. for Bonds up to 16.99% p.a. for Global Environmental Opportunities (e.g. renewal energy and its related areas).

CPF is a ponzi fund by comparison. With CPF you get no choice I believe. And a terrible ROI of 2.5% right? I don't see ANY benefit at all with CPF. They make it complicated to access information and it's rigid rules mean that you essentially have no power to decide how your money is invested.

Superannuation in Australia is fantastic by comparison.

Also the website of my super fund shows me the returns over time for the one dozen or so options I get to choose from. I am able to vary the time period and see the graphs adjust immediately. I take note of the peaks and troughs and decide on which investment option based on my own stomach for risk and return.

Most of the investment options are very well managed and therefore I choose the one with the highest returns. When that fund falls, the other funds also fall with it but the fall is mostly similar in magnitude. The gains however can be double for the same period. So over time, I actually gain more by investing in a "higher growth" option.

This particular super fund I'm with has been voted Australia's "best super fund" for a number of years. The competition among super funds also results in better investment products and scrutiny from consumers and super fund consumer groups.

I hope you find this insight useful.

Singapore Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System (RTS)

The Singapore Johor Bahru Rapid Transit System (RTS) will be operational by 31 Dec 2024, i.e. 7 years time. It has already been discussed for 7 years since 2010. I wonder if it will really be completed by the deadline or will be further delayed by more discussions.

When it is operational, I expect that it will take the people who now travel by buses and train. There will be a joint clearance (I hope) so the time spent at the checkpoints will be reduced considerably.

In 7 years time, I will be 76 years old. I wonder if I can still travel to Johor Bahru? I also wonder if I will still be around?

Performance of ministers and agencies

The performance trend of ministers and agencies are now starting to show reliable results. The trend has stopped falling and is now moving slightly upwards for a few ministers and agencies. We now have sufficient number of votes (average of 200) to give a reliable indication.

http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/ChartJS.aspx

Among the agencies, bus performed best with a score of 48. MRT performed worse with a score of 18.

Among the first group of ministers, DPM Tharman has the highest score of 56. The lowest scores are for PM Lee with 23 and Khaw Boon Wan with 20.

Among the second group of Ministers, Lim Hng Khiang has the highest score of 33 (but the score keeps dropping). The lowest score in this group are for Lim Swee Say with 23 and Chan Chun Sing with 21.

Among the third group of ministers, Tan Chuan Jin has the highest score of 33. The lowest score goes to Grace Fu at 21.

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for you to vote and win a prize.

a) Will the construction of the Kra Canal pose a big threat to Singapore's economy
b) Should new citizens and permanent residents be required to serve National Service?

Vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Wisdom of the Crowd - results

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

a) Why does the government take so long to reduce the jam at the causeway? (57 Votes )

The Crowd does not know the real reason. The answers are quite mixed.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=200

b) Will a joint immigration clearance help to reduce the jam at the causeway and second link (57 Votes )

Over 90% said that this is a good idea. It is a wonder why our highly paid civil servants and ministers are unable to see it and to work with the Malaysian side to implement it. We have incompetent leaders.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=201

You can vote on the current issues in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Follow the German system

Many young people opt to get a degree because the pay of a graduate is much higher than a non-graduate. We now have a situation that there are too many graduates and not enough good paying jobs. Many graduates are unemployed or have accepted part time or low paying jobs. The supply and demand has gone out of balance.

Germany has a better way to deal with this challenge. They encourage young people to become apprentices and get the skills and work experience of their vocations. The apprentices earn an allowance through their work and spend half the time attending schools specific to their vocations.
After completing a 4 years apprentice, they earn a salary that is slighly lower than a graduate. The difference is about 10 percent.

Germany has a strong economy because its workers have skills and experience and are able to command high pay.

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are the new issues for you to vote.

a) Will there be a contest for the Presidential Election?
b) Should a by-election be called for Marsiling Yew Tee GRC after Halimah Yacob steps down?

Give your vote in www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg

Vote on the other issues and win a prize.
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/page/115

Reserved presidential election - three possible outcomes

There is a strong likelihood that the presidential election will be a walkover. This is how the Crowd will respond to the walkover.  20% will accept the outcome. 80% will be unhappy and will show their displeasure in one of three ways.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=181

If there is a contest between Halimah Yacob and Salleh Marican, this is how the Crowd would vote. 71% will spoil their votes and the remainder will be split between the two candidates. Halimah will get more votes than Salleh.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=139

If there is a contest between Halimah Yacob and Abdullah Tarmugi (a former minister), the spoilt vote will reduce to 60%, but Abdullah will get 7 times the votes given to Halimah. Perhaps he is perceived as being independent and more suitable than Halimah.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=186

Transport minister's statement is absurd

Transport Minister asked the journalists to fix the MRT breakdown, if they are so smart. (75 Votes )

80% consider his statement to be absurd.
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=199

Halimah Yacob as candidate for reserved President

Just out. Here are the results of the voting on the question - "Will you accept Halimah Yacob as a candidate for the reserved Presidential Election? (71 Votes )".

Only 10% say "Yes". The others said "No" for several reasons.
Find out at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=198

Acting for a foreign country to influence our foreign policy

I am quite puzzled about this accusation that the Prof Huang Jing is "acting for a foreign country to influence our foreign policy". (Disclaimer: I do not know Prof Huang Jing).

We need various sources of reliable information to conduct our foreign policy.

Our ambassadors are based in foreign countries and they have to talk to leaders and influential people (including think tanks) in those countries and convey their views to our government.

They also have to convey our government's views to these leaders and influential people, and get them to be on our side, i.e. to influence their foreign policy in our favor.

Similarly, the ambassadors of other countries based in Singapore have to contact our leaders and influential people. They will also have to convey the views of their government to our leaders and influential people and get our people to understand and be supportive of their foreign policy.

All these activities are part of diplomacy and should be treated as normally acceptable activities.

When our influential people get the feedback, they should pass them to our government leaders. It is the job of the government and foreign minister to decide on foreign policy after getting these feedbacks.

Surely our foreign minister is able to handle and evaluate the feedback? Surely Prof Huang is doing his job to provide the feedback to our government? Surely all feedback is meant to influence our foreign policy?

What did Prof Huang did wrong?

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

Here are two new issues for you to vote.

a) Will Li Shengwu be convicted of contempt of court?
b) Why don't the two governments introduce joint clearance at the causeway and 2nd link?

You will get this prize after voting on 10 issues.
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/page/115

Click on "Vote" to submit your vote.