How to create jobs for people

We read stories about how automation and technology will take over jobs, and that more people will be unemployed.

They are asked to look for new jobs, but it will not be easy.

What is the solution?

We have to vote for a government that places jobs as a priority.

The government can set the social and economic policies to take care of people, such as:

a) encourage people to have more children
b) create jobs to take care of children and old people
c) educate the people
d) provide affordable health care to everyone
e) provide assistance to people on their daily problems.
f) provide affordable public transport
g) provide affordable housing

These jobs belong to the public sector. They only need to take up 20% to 25% of the workforce.

Can the country afford to provide these jobs? Most certainly - YES. The alternative is to have many unemployed people who are stressed, sick and create social problems.

There will still be a sector of the population that earn the revenue from providing services to other countries and can earn foreign exchange income.

It is a better of having a better balance. The government to provide the enlightened leadership. It cannot neglect its duty and let the market rule over peoples' lives.

How to cool down Singapore

For a long time, I wanted to find a solution to cool down Singapore. It is too hot.

I thought that it would be wonderful to have more breeze. How to create it?

I found the solution in Resort World Sentosa. They installed giant fans in their Forum atrium. It helped to cool down the place.

The plastic roof also provided some shade from the sun.

I wonder - would it be possible to install solar panels on the plastic roof to get the energy to power the giant fans?

If this is possible, it would cool down any tropical city.

Update the practice of law

A young lawyer gave up legal practice. Legal work, especially in litigation, is a lot of hard work to do research and present arguments. It can take long hours every day.

But I wonder if the practice of law could be upgraded. Do we really need to go through many complicated arguments, quoting from cases that occured several decades ago, and out of context to today's world?

Surely, the law could be updated and simplifed?

Sadly, the legislatures in most countries are dominated by lawyers who have a vested interest to maintain the current practice, to the detriment of the public.

Do you agree?

WOTC - Preferred population for Singapore

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What is your preferred population for Singapore in 2023?

Here are the responses: (63 Votes)

67 % - 5 million
24 % - 6 million
6 % - 7 million
3 % - 10 million
0 % - 15 million

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=793

WOTC - Encourage immigration

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should Singapore have a policy to encourage immigration?

Here are the responses: (70 Votes)

46 % - We are already too crowded.
26 % - We can have more people, provided the infrastructure is kept in pace.
19 % - The immigrants will spoil the character of our population.
9 % - We need immigrants to offset the low birth rate. 
1 % - We need a bigger population to sustain the economy. 

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=792

Use of talents in NS

My friend told me.

Israel is strict about national service. Every citizen must serve two years.

But they are flexible in using the talents of the conscripts. Those who are good in IT were allowed to spend their time on IT projects. They meet other people with similar interest.

After the two years, these people became entrepreneurs and form start up companies. Israel is able to produce many IT start up companies.

NS in Singapore is too rigid. We are not able to produce these types of entrepreneurs, unlike Israel.

I agree with him. In Singapore, we are good at killing the passion and talents of our young people, footballers and sportsmen, for example.

Pay better wages for locals

Many people think that it is a good strategy to import foreign workers to do the work that the locals do not want to do.

That is what Singapore has been doing over the past decades.

Here are the consequences:

a) Salaries for these jobs are kept at depressed levels.
b) As more foreigners come to Singapore, they will take over the higher paying jobs eventually.
c) More locals became unemployed as they lose their jobs to foreigners.

The alternative strategy is to pay adequate wages for all types of jobs, so that locals can accept these jobs, make a family and raise a family.

When wage cost goes up, rentals are likely to come down as the businesses have lower margins and cannot afford to pay high rentals.

The total cost to consumers is almost the same, except that the share between wages and rents are better distributed. Property prices will not escalate to high levels.

Many countries adopt the strategy of paying adequate wages for locals to do the "less desired" jobs. They provide a better future for their people.

It is time for Singapore to change our flawed policies.

WOTC - Population size

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What is your preferred population for Singapore in 2023?

Here are the responses: (63 Votes)

67 % - 5 million
24 % - 6 million
6 % - 7 million
3 % - 10 million
0 % - 15 million

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=793

WOTC - Encourage immigration

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should Singapore have a policy to encourage immigration?

Here are the responses: (70 Votes)

46 % - We are already too crowded.
26 % - We can have more people, provided the infrastructure is kept in pace.
19 % - The immigrants will spoil the character of our population.
9 % - We need immigrants to offset the low birth rate. 
1 % - We need a bigger population to sustain the economy. 

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=792

George, God and TCB

There was a big flood. George climbed to the roof of his house. A man rowed a boat to take him away.

George declined. He trusted that God would take care of him. He stayed on the roof.

One hour later, the water rose. Another man came with a speedboat. George trusted God and stayed on the roof.

One hour later, the water rose to the top of the roof. Another man came with a helicopter, and rope. George remained steadfast in his trust of God.

George drowned.

When he went to heaven, he complained to God. All my life I believed in you. I trusted that you would take care of me. You let me drown.

God replied - I already sent you two boats and a helicopter.

Back to Singapore. For the people who think like George and have been asking for the non-PAP parties to unite, they have already joined the TCB coalition. What more do you want?

How to make an enemy

Lee HL made a strategic mistake. He could have just let TCB contest and win the Presidential Election.

Instead, he changed the constitution to bar him from contesting. Now, he has to face TCB coalition in the next general election.

TCB served PAP loyally for a few decades Why does Lee HL have to fear him being the president?

WOTC - Members of Parliament

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should MPs be well educated professionals and business leaders?

Here are the responses: (53 Votes)

57 % - They are too busy with their full time work and cannot perform their duty as MPs well.
40 % - We need more diversity in Parliament from people of different backgrounds.
4 % - They are better respected by the voters
0 % - They can make better decisions in Parliament.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=791

WOTC - Senior positions in government

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should we appoint top scholars to senior positions in government?

Here are the responses: (54 Votes)

59 % - They do not understand the real issues facing the people.
35 % - They look after their self interest.
6 % - It is a meritocratic system.
0 % - They are the most capable in running the country.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=790

People in power

There are two types of people - those who take care of themselves and their wealth and those who take care of the welfare of others.

The first type are able to earn more than 1 million dollars annually, if they are capable. The other type are capable but they earn a more modest income.

If the first type are people in power, they will manage the system to preserve their power and privilelge and pass them to their children. They are the elites.

It is sad that Singapore is being led by people of the first type. The future for the ordinary people is bleak.

It is better to have the second type to lead Singapore.

Do you agree?

What makes a good minister?

ESM Goh Chok Tong made the following points about picking government ministers:

a) The person must already been earning more than $500,000 - otherwise, he or she is considered as "mediocre".
b) Salary is not the starting point for looking for ministers.

Although salary is not the starting point, he must have already ruled out anyone who earns less than $500,000 as that person is "mediocre".

If salary is not the criteria, what is the criteria?

Apparently, the criteria seemed to be that the person must have held a top position in the military, civil service, profession or a big company.

It seems that leadership is quite important - I agree. But the selection process seemed to lack two key elements:

a) Values and beliefs - what does the minister believe in? Is he pro-business or pro-people? Why does he hold these values?

b) Experience - does he have experience and understanding of the ministry that he is supposed to head? Or, is he just going to learn on the job?

I believe that the selection process of the PAP government is flawed.

WOTC - Jobs for locals

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What is a good strategy to ensure that locals have jobs?

Here are the responses: (45 Votes)

40 % - Reserve public sector jobs for locals. 
31 % - Introduce a wage subsidy for employers to employ locals.
27 % - Stop immigration.
2 % - Leave it to the free market.
0 % - Keep wages low

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=789

WOTC - Free of corruption

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is Singapore largely free of corruption?

Here are the responses: (49 Votes)

69 % - No. Our corruption takes a different form. 
14 % - No. This is proved by many recent cases of corruption. 
8 % - No. We have become complacent.
4 % - Yes. It is our key strength.
4 % - Yes. The government is vigilent in dealing with corruption.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=788

A new way for captcha

I like the new captcha which says "I am not a robot". I find it ridiculous for the old captcha where the user has to read difficulty images.

Actually, I find the captcha to be unnecessary. Although there are instances where a bot sends out messages, they can be easily identified and ignored.

It is not necessary to burden ordinary people with additional obstacle just because of a few mischievous and harmless bots.

A new arrangement for bus services

Currently, we have over 300 bus services. Each service stops at every stop. A journey by bus can take 60 to 90 minutes from terminal to terminal.

I wish to suggest an alternative way to organize the bus services to cut down the number of services and to reduce the travel time.

1) The express services will run on the expressway and stop at the HDB and major towns along the way. The average distance between the stops is about 2 km. These express services can run at 5 to 10 mins interval.

2) Local services will connect the interchange to the local stops in each town. The local services can run at 3 min interval.

3) A big town may have a few interchanges linked to the expressways. It can have several local services to cover different parts of the town.

4) A typical journey will take a passenger to an interchange to take the express service to the destination or to change to another express service. The final journey is another local service.

5) Transfers from one bus to another is at the interchange and involves a short walk. It is easier than changing from bus to train.

6) The interchanges are also located next to MRT stations. The passengers can also change to a MRT line as part of the integrated journey.

7) This network of express services can act as a backup in the event of a breakdown of the train service.

8) The local services also bring passengers to the nearest train station.

9) I expect the travel time to be reduced in most cases, for people travelling by bus.

Tan Kin Lian

WOTC - Reduce cost of living

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What is the best way to reduce the cost of living?

Here are the responses: (46 Votes)

65 % - Abolish GST
20 % - Implement rent control
11 % - Offer more subsidies.
4 % - Reduce income tax.
0 % - Bring in foreigners to reduce the wage cost.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=787

WOTC - Open tender system

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should the open tender system be used all the time?

Here are the responses: (41 Votes)

44 % - The open tender system can be easily rigged to favor cronies.
29 % - It should be used for all contracts.
15 % - It should be used only for large and special contracts.
12 % - For standard contracts that are used frequently, benchmark pricing should be used.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=786

WOTC - Spending on infrastructure

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Why is the government spending too much on infrastructure?

Here are the responses: (49 Votes)

39 % - There is corruption somewhere.
31 % - The officials are incompetent.
12 % - They set high specification 
12 % - They favor cronies.
6 % - The tender prices are acceptable.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=785

Land reclamation - missed opportunity for Singapore

Forest City in Johore is being built on reclaimed islands. Gateway Melaka in Melaka is also being built on reclaimed islands. The China construction companies are actively involved in both mega projects.

Singapore has been active in reclaiming land from the sea for the past few decades. Sadly, we did not build the companies and people with the knowhow to go outside Singapore.

This opportunity is now taken by the China construction companies. We missed the boat.

It is sad for Singapore. It is a reflection that our approach is short sighted.

Serve the country and not self interest

Goh Chok Tong thinks that the most capable people earn more than $1 million a year.

I have a different view. The people who can earn $1 million are those who want to earn as much as they can. They include doctors, lawyers, corporate executives and politicians.

But there are other people who does not want to earn that much. They are happy with a more modest salary. They want to serve the country and the ordinary people. Many of these people are also capable, but they are notthat greedy or self-interested.

Sadly, the people willing to serve the country do not get the top positions as ministers. The person calling the shots belong to the self-interested category. He picks other people who thinks like him.

Do you agree?

Microsoft and Skype

Microsoft paid a few billion dollars to buy Skype. But Skype is now outdated. Few people use it now. I had some credit in my Skype account, but it was not used for a few years.

I believe most users have abandoned Skype. They probably use the WhatsApp chat or other new platforms.

Perhaps Microsoft had access to the Skype customer database. But how could Microsoft monetarise the customer data?

Could this be a bad investment for Microsoft?

Access to the health database

The Ministry of Health is studying the feasibility of delinking some PCs permanently from the internet.

I agree with this approach. There is no need for some PCs used by the staff for processing the work to be connected to the internet. They should be connected to the healthcare database through a secure intranet.

However, there is a wider community of doctors and health care workers that need to connect to the database through the public internet.

These users can have their access restricted only to certain portions of the database. The doctor need to know the patient visit records.

We should avoid imposing more security or other restrictions that hinder the authorized access by doctors to these records.

There will always be a risk that somebody may steal the identity of the doctor and have unauthorized access to the records of patients. This cannot be prevented by the use of more security protocols.

A good way to deal with this risk is to log all the access by each user to the record.

A audit script should be run at regular intervals, say each hour, to count the number of access by each user to the patient records, and to highlight any case of unusual activity.

We can expect each doctor to access not more than 10 patient records in a hour, or 100 records in a day. Any excess activity can be highlighted immediately for audit review.

Similarly, the staff have access to details of visits by patients for each day or longer period. The access should also be logged. An audit script should also be run at regular intervals to identify the excess activity by the staff.

It is possible for a hacker to get the credentials of a staff to access these records. The restriction of access to the intranet will reduce this risk but it cannot be totally prevented.

It is also possible for a crook to bribe a authorized staff to access the record and steal the information. This cannot be prevented through access control.

I caution against the excessive reliance of access control or security protocol to manage this risk. It is costly and can make life difficult for the regular users.

My suggestion of the audit log and regular check of the log will manage this risk better. It cannot totally prevent some patient records from being stolen but it can alert the audit staff immediately to prevent the damage from getting worse.

It will certain stop the hacking after a few hundred records, rather than be sleeping while 1.5 million records are accessed and the data stolen.

The biggest risk is the access by the database administrators. They can also be bribed. The access by these administrators, who have almost unrestricted access to the database, have to be monitored closely, perhaps to the minute.

The best risk management measure is prevention. If the hacker knows that there is an effective audit log and that unusual activities will be detected early, they will avoid hacking the database. The risk of being detected early is high.

It is easy to implement the access log and the audit scripts. It is also quite effective. I suggest that this approach be considered immediately.

I have assumed that the security and access protocols are adequate, but the weakness is in other areas.

Tan Kin Lian

WOTC - Abolish GST

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should Singapore abolish GST?

Here are the responses:

31 % - We should abolish GST totally for maximum impact.
29 % - We should abolish GST and be more careful with infrastructure spending.
21 % - We can afford to abolish GST totally as there are sufficient revenue from land sale.
19 % - We should reduce the rate of GST to reduce the impact on the revenue.
0 % - We should keep GST at the current level so that the government can increase welfare spending.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=784

WOTC - What will voters look for

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What should voters look for at the next general election?

Here are the responses:

74 % - It is better to vote for change.
18 % - The goals of the political parties
5 % - The candidates being field by the political parties
3 % - Credibility of the political parties
0 % - It is better to vote for stability

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=783

WOTC - Coalition under TCB

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Will the coalition of political parties led by Dr. Tan Cheng Bock do well?

Here are the responses:

65 % - I expect the coalition to make good progress at the general election
26 % - It is a positive start.
5 % - It will make the PAP more willing to listen to the people.
5 % - It will not have any impact at the general election

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=782

WOTC - Best outcome for GE 2020

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What is the best outcome for the next general election?

Here are the responses:

51 % - PAP loses more than 40 seats
22 % - PAP loses 21 to 30 seats
9 % - PAP loses less than 10 sets
9 % - PAP loses 11 to 20 seats
9 % - PAP loses 31 to 40 seats

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=781

Deplorable practices of telcos

I used Starhub in Singapore. For my regular travels to Indonesia, I have a Telkomsel SIM card and and to Malaysia, I use a Digi SIM card.

Here are my experiences in using the SIM cards of the overseas telcos:

a) It is important to use their mobile app.
b) I have to top up the SIM card at regular intervals so that it remains active. If it is deactivated, I will lose the balance in my account. I ask my friend to do it for me.
c) I can buy a 1GB data package for about $2. This will last 3 to 7 days. Make sure that it is a one time pass and not a weekly renewable package.

I find the practices of the telcos in Singapore and the other countries to be deplorable, in the following ways:

a) They expire your SIM card and STEAL your balance.
b) If you do not realize it, they will sell you a renewable package that keeps deducting the money from your account (like stealing money).

I have lost quite some money from these deplorable practices. It is a tough learning experience.

Data Package from Starhub

I could buy 1 GB for $1.30 from Telkomsel, Indonesia. I can buy 1.5 GB for $3.50 from Digi, Malaysia.

Starhub now has a data package for 1 GB for $5. Although the data package from Starhub cost 3 times of the local telcos, I find it acceptable.

Vote for change

Most people find it unlikely for the opposition to form the next government. It will take a few rounds of general election to achieve this outcome.

I agree.

However, I do not share their pessimistic assessment of this effort.

The most important outcome is that the PAP should lose say 30 seats. If this happens, guess what.

You can be sure that the PAP will have to change many of its bad policies, especially the policies that increases the cost of living and add a big burden to the daily lives of the people.

They will certainly not proceed with increasing the GST to 9%. They will roll back the hefty increase in water and electricity prices, and in rentals.

It is important for voters to vote for the coalition so that the PAP will lose a few GRCs and 30 seats.

Some voters are worried that if the swing is too large, the PAP will not form the government. That outcome will be better. The new government can implement the changes more quickly.
We can learn from the experience of Malaysia on how the transition can be carried out smoothly and even increase the confidence of foreign investors.

The voters should have the confidence to vote for change. Both outcomes will be good.

Do you agree?

Exorbitant charge for data roaming

I turned on data roaming on my mobile phone as I thought that the data package was active. I was mistaken.

When I arrived in Jakarta, I received a SMS alert that I had already exceeded $20 of data usage. I checked with Starhub. The data used was 2 MB.

The data package cost $5 for 1 GB. Without the data package, I would have to pay $10,000 for 1 GB. Why is the charge 2,000 times of the package price?

Something is wrong. I like to ask the regulator to step in and ensure that consumers are charged at reasonable price.

It would be reasonable to charge a few times of the normal rate, but certainly not 2,000 times?

http://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=275

Avoid investing in these durian trees

My friend told me that a company from the UK had been set up to develop 10,000 acres of land for planting the Musang King durian in Gua Musang.

I recalled that Gua Musang is the constituency under Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in Kelantan.

I wondered how they are going to market the Musang King durain (Mao San Wang) when it is in bloom. It will flood the market.

My friend said that they intend to export the durians and the overseas market is big. I still have my doubts.

I researched on Google and found this website,
http://www.durianvalley.com.my/our-product.html

I clicked on Product and found that they are selling the trees. It is like selling the teak wood trees. They are adopting the same model.

The developer makes the money by selling the trees to the investors. The investors take the market risk - whether they can sell the durians to earn a return on their investment.

This product is risky. I would not invest in the trees.

WOTC - Policy options

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
Which policy option do you prefer?

Here are the responses:
38 % - Abolish GST
30 % - Ensure that locals can get jobs.
23 % - Provide affordable housing
9 % - Introduce a minimum wage law.

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=780

WOTC - Minimum wage law

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
Should Singapore introduce a minimum wage law?

Here are the responses:
77 % - It ensures that all workers each wage sufficient to meet the cost of living
11 % - It will reduce inequality.
9 % - It will increase the cost of living.
4 % - It pays too much for bad workers

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=779

WOTC - Impact of tariff

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
is trade tariff bad?

Here are the responses:
42 % - It disrupt global trade.
29 % - It allows the government to protect jobs of local workers.
22 % - It is better than GST
7 % - It should be considered as a form of tax to generate government revenue

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=778

WOTC - Remove linkage to Internet

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
Do you agree with the decision of SingHealth to remove the connection to the Internet?

Here are the responses:
36 % - It is an over-reaction to the hacking problem.
34 % - It is necessary to preserve the privacy of the patient data.
30 % - It causes disruption to the normal daily work.
0 % - The information that was stolen was not critical.

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=777

Difficult to find the solution to this manpower contradiction

The PAP government is in a dilemma. They have to control the inflow of workers to make sure that they do not take over the jobs of Singaporeans.

But many employers need workers and could not get Singaporeans to take up these jobs, due to low wages. But these employers could not afford to pay higher wages as they cost of doing business is too high.

Due to shortage of workers, many businesses could not expand. Some cannot even operate.

As an example, we can see many construction jobs being delayed due to shortage of workers.

Many retain and food outlets advertised for workers, but they could not find any taker.

How can the PAP minister and the top civil servants solve this dilemma? They can't. It is a problem with contradictions. In spite of the high pay, they cannot find a solution.

What can be done about it?

I believe that one needs to look at the root cause and to deal with them, in order to get the solution.

Any suggestions?

Misappropriation of customer deposit

Most people are unhappy with the behavior of the shared bike operator who has used the customer deposit to repay off the loan.

While this may or may not be fraudulent, it is morally wrong. The customers' deposits are intended for that purpose, as a deposit to be used to pay the operator for legitimate charges owned by the customer.

The misappropriation of the deposit by the operator should be treated as fraudulent. The authority should act against this fraud, in a similar manner as they are expected to do when someone commits a crime.

There is the crime called cheating. It occurs when someone takes away money from another person on false pretensions. I consider that this misappropriation of the deposit would be considered as cheating.

I wish to see the law enforcement authority take appropriate action against this crime.

It is time for Parliament to set clarity to the law. They should pass a law to make it clear that any money collected on deposit should be used only for that purpose, and cannot be used for other purpose that it was not intended.

In the meantime, the law enforcement authority can take action under the common law of cheating.

Do you agree?

WOTC - Competition commission

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is the Competition Commission doing good work in Singapore?

Here are the responses:

62 % - No. Their actions are inconsistent and confusing
18 % - Yes. They ensure that businesses do not collide to increase prices.
13 % - No. They take action on the wrong business practices.
7 % - Yes. They prevent businesses from having a large market share.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=776

WOTC - Guidelines on medical fees

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should the Singapore Medical Association be allowed to set guideline for charges by doctors?

Here are the responses:

63 % - Yes. The guidelines are useful to tell consumers the reasonable charges.
26 % - Yes. The guidelines will protect consumers.
7 % - No. This is anti-competition.
4 % - Yes. Provided the guidelines are not mandatory.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=775

WOTC - Grab Uber merger

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should the merger between Grab and Uber be allowed?

Here are the responses:

64 % - No. Grab will have a dominant share of the taxi booking market.
23 % - Yes. The consumer has other choices of taking taxi, such as at taxi stand or road hail
10 % - Yes. New entrants will come into Singapore
3 % - Yes. The consumer can take public transport

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=774

WOTC - Privacy and data protection act

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What are your views about the Privacy and Data Protection Act (PDPA)?

Here are the responses:

51 % - It is not effective, as I get the marketing calls and SMS anyway.
31 % - It helped to reduce the unwelcome marketing calls.
14 % - Life was easier in the old days before PDPA.
4 % - I find it troublesome to hear the PDPA message each time that I call a call center.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=772

WOTC - Low trading volume in SGX

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What is the cause of the low trading volume in Singapore?

Here are the responses:

35 % - The practices are outdated
32 % - Singapore is a small country
25 % - The regulations are too strict
8 % - The regulations are too weak

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=771

WOTC - Trading colume in SGX

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

How can the Singapore Exchange increase its trading volume?

Here are the responses:

40 % - Improve trading links with other exchanges
27 % - Strengthen the regulation to protect investors
21 % - Relax the regulation to encourage a free market
11 % - Invite more companies to list in the exchange

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=770

Free and fair elections

In a democracy, there should be different parties offering manifestos setting out different policies on how the country should be run.

There should be free and fair elections to allow the people to make their choice on the type of government they want.

If the ruling party passes laws that impede the free choice of the people and make the other political parties difficult to compete fairly, it will lead to the incumbent ruling party contining in power for a long time. This will lead to corruption and abuse of power.

It will be bad for the future of the country.

Agree?

WOTC - Journey of four segments

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is it acceptable for a public transport journey to take up to four segments?

Here are the responses:

49 % - It is all right, provided that the walking distance to make a transfer is short.
26 % - It is better to make the transfer at the same bus stop.
14 % - The transfer from one line to another may take a long walking distance.
11 % - The transfer from bus to train and from train to bus can be quite a distance.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=768

WOTC - Climate change

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is climate change a serious issue for the world?

Here are the responses:

69 % - It is a serious issue and every country should act to reduce its impact.
25 % - It is somewhat important but the proponents have exaggerated its impact.
3 % - The younger people are most worried about the harm to the environment.
2 % - I have no idea what this issue is about.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=766

WOTC - Allow immigration

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should Singapore allow immigration?

Here are the responses:

43 % - Yes. For jobs that Singaporeans do not wish to have.
22 % - No. The immigration will lead to other jobs being taken away.
22 % - No. The immigrants do not have to serve National Service, while local males have to.
13 % - Yes. We need more people to create a vibrant economy.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=765

Meet the People session

40 years ago, I helped my MP in the Meet the People session. I set up the system of getting case writers to interview the resident and write down the facts of the case, before they meet the MP.

The usual cases were request to get a earlier allocation for a HDB flat, request to get approval to give residence for a foreign spouse, request for a job, request for a hawker stall and request for a place in the school.

After a few months, it was clear that the exercise was a waste of time. The civil servants were rigid in implementing the government policies, and were unwilling to make any exception. The appeal through the MP usually resulted in a "No" answer.

The residents were generally appreciated that the MP tried to put forward their case. Some came back repeatedly to appeal. The MP usually obliged - it is easier than sending them away.

40 years had passed. I understand that the practice remains the same. Nothing changed. It continued to be a wasteful exercise. Maybe it has the value of public relations for the MP.

Goals for the next general election

I wish to suggest that voters look for the political party that can best meet the following five most important goals:

a) Reduce cost of living, e.g. abolish GST
b) Ensure locals can get jobs, e.g. reserve public sector jobs for locals, no outsourcing
c) Provide affordable housing, e.g. rental or short lease.
d) Give better return on CPF savings and allow full withdrawal by 65.
e) Listen to the people and address their concerns, e.g. full time MPs, more debate in Parliament.

There are other goals, but I have listed the five most important ones.

Do you agree with these goals?

WOTC - National Service

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What are your views about the current NS reservist duty?

Here are the responses:

46 % - It can be cut short by half of the time; currently much time is wasted
26 % - The current system is too costly and large wasteful
17 % - It is necessary to maintain our military competency.
11 % - It should be scrapped; the reservist can be called back for refresher in terms of hostility.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=764

Giant fans to keep cool

I congratulation Resort World Sentosa for installing the giant fans in the outdoor area called the Forum. It keeps the place cool. The glass shade also keeps out the direct sun and make the place bright.

I hope that this feature is cost effective and can be replicated in other parts of Singapore.

http://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=263

Run the country on the correct goals

I quoted an example of a wasteful and efficient practice.
Someone commented - this is not an election issue, so do not bother about it.
Considering this comment, I have now found the reason why Singapore has become very noncompetitive, inefficient and costly.
The PAP government has been approaching matters from the wrong perspective.
They ask the question - will this affect the election outcome?
They should be asking the right question - how can we make Singapore more competitive, and life better for the people.
I am convinced that we have the wrong government, and that the country has been run for the past few decades on the wrong goals.

Fund CareShield Life through payroll tax

There is a lot of controversy about the premium rates for CareShield Life.

Some of the arguments are:

a) Should females be required to pay a higher rate compared to males?

b) Why should this scheme be compulsory?

c) Is the premium rate too high?

d) Are the claim criteria too stringent?

e) Why should the compulsory nature apply only to younger people? Are the older people being denied?

f) Is the government creating the scheme to make profit for itself?

This controversy is inherent in the nature of the scheme - a compulsory scheme that has to be fully paid through contributions (except for means tested subsidies).

What is a better approach?

It is better for the compulsory scheme to be paid through payroll tax, e.g. 0.5% of the payroll.

Compulsory insurance and payroll tax

The people in charge in the government is quite short sighted. They only want to reduce the cost to the government without considering the cost to the country.

I wish to quote the example of compulsory worker's insurance. The government mandated that all workers should be covered for this compulsory insurance and the employer must buy the insurance from the private market.

When a contractor quote for a project, they have to add the cost of insurance to be paid by the owner. This is part of the cost of the contract. The contractor has to buy the insurance separately for this contract. This adds to the cost of negotiating the insurance, which is part of the cost of doing business.

A better approach is for the insurance cost to be covered automatically from payroll tax, say at 0.5% of the wages. This approach can be adopted for all forms of compulsory insurance, including health insurance. Most countries adopt this approach.

The approach adopted in Singapore is inefficient and increase the cost of doing business. Due to five decades of neglect, our cost of doing business is now among the highest in the world. This is probably reflected by the very cost of living in Singapore.

WOTC - A non-PAP government

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
Are you prepared to have a non-PAP government within 10 years?

Here are the responses:
44 % - I will accept a non-PAP government only if they have credible leaders
33 % - I prefer a non-PAP government as soon as possible.
20 % - I am now confident of a change of government following what happened in Malaysia.
4 % - It is better to stick to a PAP government and hope they will change their policies.

96% are prepared to accept a non-PAP government.

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=763

WOTC - Stolen information

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Are you worried about the information stolen from SingHealth database?

Here are the responses:

50 % - The information is private and can cause a lot of harm.
37 % - We need to take the necessary precautions, but we should not exaggerate the damage.
7 % - The information is generally available from other sources. This is not a serious issue.
6 % - The issue is blown out of proportion. What can the criminal do with the information?

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=762