Avoid being overbearing in giving feedback

On two recent occasions, my friend gave me a lengthy feedback about the feelings from the ground.

I generally welcome feedback, but it should be within sensible limit.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1777

Vote on these issues

Will the global stock market crash in 3Q of 2019?
Is the rap video against the Chinese offensive?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/vote.aspx

WOTC: People's Voice Party

Wisdom of the Crowd: 45% of the participants in this survey expect the People's Voice Party (under Lim Tean) to win 1 to 4 seats at the next general election. This is the category with the most votes.

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1475

WOTC: Worker's Party

Wisdom of the Crowd: 50% of the participants in this survey expect the Workers Party to win 5 to 10 seats at the next general election. This is the category with the most votes.

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1474

Trust your common sense

We are seeing rapid technological changes. it is difficult to keep up with the advances. It is easy to be carried away by the amazement.

However, I like to suggest that we should hold on to our common sense. Do not let the amazement detract us from using our common sense.

Let me quote some examples.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1776

Health insurance premium keep increasing

Hi Mr Tan

I need to check with you if there is any regulatory body to check on the insurance premium rates in Singapore?

3 years ago, I paid $356 for hospitalization coverage, including private hospital.

Last year, they increase the premium to $898 for the same coverage but give the option to downgrade to coverage only for public hospital.

The reason was higher medical cost and more expensive claims.

I downgraded the plan and paid $296.

This year, the insurance company sent another letter to say premium now increase again! Citing the same reason

How come like that ?

REPLY
The Monetary Authority of Singapore regulate the insurance company but they do not regulate the premium rate for health insurance.

If you find the premium rate charged by the insurance company to be too high, I suggest that you move to Medishield Life, which is operated by CPF. The premium rate should be lower.

You may see an increase in premium rate when you move to a higher age band. It may not be due to increase in claims.

You can check the premium rate for Medishield Life from webpage and compare it with the premium charged by your insurer.

https://www.moh.gov.sg/medishield-life/medishield-life-premiums-and-subsidies/premium-subsidy-tables

Stop unhealthy competition in schools

I suggest this approach to stop unhealthy competition in schools. Do you agree?

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=411

A different approach towards streaming

Instead of streaming the students according to their learning ability, I prefer this simple approach that was used in the old days. Do you agree?

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1162

How to organize an attractive promotion

Huawei is not the only commercial company that faced this problem of giving an attractive discount for their promotion. This has happened many times in the past.

There is a way of organizing the promotion that avoids the long queues and unhappy customers.

This is my suggestion. Do you agree?
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1768

Adversarial politics is bad for Singapore

DPM Heng SK said that adversarial politics is bad for Singapore. I agree with this view.

However, one track PAP politics is equally harmful.

What is the alternative?
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1775

Wisdom of the Crowd - new issues

The new issues for your voting are:

a) The stimulus package mentioned by DPM Heng
b) The new PSLE scoring system

Give your vote in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/active_issue.aspx

WOTC - Singapore Democratic Party

Wisdom of the Crowd: 51% of the participants in this survey expect the Singapore Democratic Party (under Dr. Chee Soon Juan) to win 1 to 4 seats in the next general election. This is the category with the most votes.

See the detailed results in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1473

WOTC - Progress Singapore Party

Wisdom of the Crowd: 41% of the participants in this survey expected the Progress Singapore Party (under Dr. Tan Cheng Bock) to win 5 to 9 seats in the coming general election. This is the category with the most votes.

See the detailed result in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1472

Focus on the positive

I share this story of a few instances that I encountered in Indonesia where the people focused on the positive aspects. I hope that our people in Singapore can adopt some of this culture.

http://www.tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1774

Vote in Wisdom of the Crowd

I have created the following issues for voting:

a) Were the protesters in Hong Kong funded by foreign or vested interests?
b) Will China send in troops to stop the rioting?

Give your vote in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/u_issue.aspx

WOTC - Did Singapore benefit from colonization by Britain?

Wisdom of the Crowd: 59% of the participants in this survey held that Singapore had benefited from colonization by Britain and another 9% held that it would be better if we had remained under Britain. 32% felt that we did not benefit from the colonization.

See the detailed results in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1471

WOTC: US election 2020

Wisdom of the Crowd; 44% of the participants in this survey expect Donald Trump to be re-elected as president of the United States in 2020. The other 56% expect somebody else.

See details in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1470

Suicide concern in Singapore

Straits Times:

Suicides among teenage boys hit a record high in Singapore last year, according to the breakdown of official statistics provided by the Samaritans of Singapore. Though not at record levels, the number of people taking their own lives across all age groups also rose, with those over 60 the sole exception. In total there were 8.36 suicides per 100,000 residents in Singapore in 2018, up from 7.74 in 2017. Seventy percent of suicides last year were by men.

The big picture: In the grand scheme of things, Singapore’s suicide rate is still comparatively lower than many countries in the region - the suicide rate in South Korea is above 20 - but the increase is a significant concern in the fast-paced, high-pressure city. The Samaritans of Singapore noted that it was disconcerting that many young people “felt unsupported through their darkest periods”.

Wisdom of the Crowd

You can vote on these issues and win a prize.
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/active_issue.aspx

WOTC - Performance of President Trump

Wisdom of the Crowd: 65% of the people who voted in this survey had a negative view of the performance of President Trump. The other 35% had a positive view.

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1469

WOTC - Charging of PMDs at home

Wisdom of the Crowd - 32% of the participants in this survey preferred that PMDs be charged at authorized shops to prevent the fairs at homes caused by charging. The other 68% opted for other measures.

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1468

Use of NRIC to identify a customer

The law that disallow the use of NRIC to identify a customer for business transactions is likely to cause a lot of wasteful work and a lot of ensuing problems.

The government should review the law.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1773

Avoid arrogance in giving comments

I have often seem many cases of arrogant comments given by people.

They have certain knowledge of the issue, and they think that they knowledge is correct. They express their comments in an arrogant and disdainful way.

They did not realize the following:
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1772

How will people vote in the general election?

I have created four issues on how the different groups of people will vote in the general election

a) Educated elderly voters
b) Lowly educated elderly voters
c) Voters with family commitments
d) First time voters.

Give your views on what will influence their votes
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/active_issue.aspx

WOTC - Sharp drop in exports

Wisdom of the Crowd: 84% of the participants in the survey have negative views about the Singapore economy following the sharp drop in exports. The other 16% have positive views.

See the detailed breakdown in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1466

WOTC - Impact of protest on HK economy

Wisdom of the Crowd: 59% of the people who participated in the survey have negative view about the protest which has harmed the HK economy. The other 41% have positive views.

See the detailed result in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1466

IOT system to track children and dementia elderly

I like to propose an IOT (internet of things) system to track young children and elderly suffering from dementia.

Read more details here and give your vote.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1771

Revised health care subsidy under CHAS

The Straits Times reported that more than 365,000 people will benefit from the revised health care subsidy that will be implemented from October. It seems to be a timely change to catch the general election.

https://www.straitstimes.com/…/revised-healthcare-subsidy-c…

Here are some facts that are not stated:
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1770

High cost of Integrated Plan

I wish to share this story about the interpretation of the moratorium under the Integrated plan.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1769

Vote in WOTC

Does the PAP government takes governance seriously, as stated by DPM Heng?

Should section 377A of the constitution be repealed?

Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/vote.aspx

WOTC - Cap on rental of hawker stalls

Wisdom of the Crowd: 92% of the participants in this survey want the rentals for the hawker stalls to be capped in two suitable ways. 8% prefer to leave the rentals to be determined by the market.

See the details in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1465

WOTC - Public transport fares

Wisdom of the Crowd: 97% of the participants in this survey do not accept the impending increase in public transport fares. They wanted the Land Transport Authority to find other ways to carry out the operation viably.

See the detailed result in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1464

A better way to distribute the Huawei discounted mobile phones

Huawei offered a promotion to sell discounted mobile phones to senior citizens for $54, which is about one third of the retail price. A limited number of phones are offered at each outlet.

Many senior citizens queued up for hours. Those who were not able to buy them, as the limited offers had run out, were angry that they have wasted their time in queuing.

Is there a better way for this promotion to be handled?

Here is my suggestion.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1768

How to track people and things

Over the past four decades, I have been looking for a solution to track family members, especially young children. I worried that my child could wonder away in a shopping mall. How can I find out where they were?

If you know of a solution, please share it here.
https://www.facebook.com/kinlian/posts/2883758021696831

Work towards regime change

Many people want the non PAP parties to take over the government, so that the bad PAP policies can be changed. They argued that only a regime change can achieve the goal of a drastic change in the policies on CPF, HDB, jobs and other critical challenges.

They expressed disappointment that the Progress Singapore Party is not working for regime change in the coming general election.

I agree.

Read my suggestion here:
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1767

Operate more pre-school centers

There is a need to increase the pre-school centers and offer places at affordable charges to encourage parents to raise more children.

Here is my suggestion on how it can be achieved.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1766

WOTC - Increase in crimes

Wisdom of the Crowd: 61% of the participants in this survey said that the recent increase in crime is due to the influx of foreigners. 17% said that it is due to weak police enforcement. The remaining 12% said that the crime rate is still quite low.

See the detailed result in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1462

WOTC - Preschool centers

Wisdom of the Crowd: 50% of the participants prefer the govt to give subsidised rental to private operators and set fees for child care services. 47% prefer the govt to operate the preschool centers. Only 3% prefer the current arrangement.

See the detailed result in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1462

Are prices in NTUC Fairprice cheaper?

Are prices in NTUC fairprice cheaper? Many consumers say they are not. they can buy cheaper products in other supermarkets.

This report by Smart Money confirmed that prices are indeed rather high in Fairprice.

https://blog.moneysmart.sg/shopping/ntuc-fairprice-housebrand/

However, it appears that the article did not take into account that Fairprice gives a rebate to its members. The rebate is about 4% plus Link points (not sure how much it is worth).

See this article for details.
https://dollarsandsense.sg/ntuc-membership-compete-guide-benefits-will-receiving/

So is Fairprice still competitive after the rebates and Link points are taken into account? I don't know. it seems to be rather complicated.

Restriction in Singapore are unacceptable

Bernie Sanders, US senator for Vermont, takes his constituents to Canada to buy cheaper drugs.

Imagine, if someone organizes this kind of purchasing trip to Johore Bahru to buy cheaper medicines. They will be threatened with breaking the law about importing controlled medicines without a prescription.

Do you wonder why the cost of living is so high in Singapore?

Message from Bernie Sanders.

Here is what I believe, Kin Lian:

The greed of pharmaceutical companies is killing Americans.

In the United States, and this is unique among industrialized nations, drug companies can charge any price they want for prescription drugs. So they do. And as a result, we pay the highest prices in the world, by far, for the medicines we use.

Taking on the pharmaceutical industry has been one of my long time fights.

In 1999, I became the first member of Congress to take constituents over the Canadian border to purchase low-cost prescription drugs. With tears in their eyes, working-class women struggling against breast cancer were able to purchase the same brand-name medicine they were using in Vermont for one-tenth of the price in Montreal.

This Sunday, we are going back to Canada with people with diabetes to purchase insulin at one-tenth of the price.

The trip is going to get a lot of attention. And before we leave for Canada, I want you to join me in sending a message that I hope will be heard loudly and clearly, as well:

Adopt the light weight approach in design of mobile apps

The Ming Fa eatery at Upper Thomson Road allows me to pay by cash or by app.

I chose to pay by Fave, as it offers a rebate of 5%.

I opened by Fave app. It used by GPS location to identify the Ming Fa eatery, even before I scan the QR.

But it went in an endless loop and the page did not load. After waiting for some time, I closed the app and paid in CASH.

This is the problem with the design of the Fave app. (It probably applies to many other apps). It tried to be too smart. In the process, it went into an endless loop and gave a bad user experience.

Some of the bad experience is due to poor data connection. But the app designer should have adopted a light weight approach and avoided the non-essential features that cause the app to crash.

When will they ever learn?

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1765

Block chain technology will be another disappointment

Five years ago, my friend was excited about blockchain technology. He explained the concept of this technology. He explained how the use of open ledger system, mining and consensus algorithm will allow systems to be developed that are hacker proof and does not need to rely on a trusted intermediary.

I listened to his explanation and asked him several questions. I felt that it was a complicated way to deal with the challenge of being "hacker proof". I said - it will not work.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1764

Media interview of Progress Singapore Party

At the media interview of Progress Singapore Party, Dr. Tan Cheng Bock made the following announcements:

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1763

What will happen to the UK?

You can vote on these three issues:

a) What are your views about the new UK prime minister, Boris Johnson?
b) What form of Brexit is likely to happen?
c) What will happen to the UK as an independent nation?

Vote here:
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/u_issue.aspx

WOTC - Sharing of pedestrian paths

Wisdom of the Crowd: 53% of the participants in this survey said that pedestrian paths can be shared if PMDs if they are wide enough and safety measures are observed.

The other 47% disagreed.

See the detailed results in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1461

WOTC - Protest in Hong Kong

Wisdom of the Crowd: 27% of the participants in this survey said that the underlying cause of the protest in Hong Kong is the extradition bill. Another 27% said that it is due to the high cost of housing and high cost of living in Hong Kong.

What are the other reasons?

See the detailed results in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1460

Give permanent residents to foreign spouses

I wish to suggest that permanent residency should be given to foreign spouses of Singapore citizens, regardless of their education level or ability to work in well paying jobs.

See my views here:
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1762

WOTC - Can China be trusted?

Wisdom of the Crowd: 54% of the participants in this survey said that China can be trusted as it will act peacefully to develop its country and the world at large.

The other 46% have negative views of China.

https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1459

WOTC - Can the US be trusted?

Wisdom of the Crowd: 64% of the participants in this survey said that the US cannot be trusted as it has abused its economy and military power for a long time already. The other 36% are positive towards the US.

https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1458

Wisdom of the Crowd

Why are 60,000 jobs not taken up by locals?
How can we get more people to return trays at hawker centers?

Give your vote in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/active_issue.aspx

WOTC - Additional income tax to replace GST

Wisdom of the Crowd: 34% of the participants in this survey opted to require taxpayers to pay an additional 10% on income above $100,000 to abolish income tax. The other people voted for other thresholds.

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1457

WOTC - Strategies to deal with impending economic recession

Wisdom of the Crowd: 16% of the participants in this survey agree with the government strategy to train workers with new capabilities to address the impending economic recession. The other 84% opted for other strategies.

See the breakdown in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1456

Prepare for the future

It is very important for the government to address the problems of a possible recession to prepare for the future.

The government has to make sure that our young people, especially the graduates, have meaningful jobs. We should not allow the talent and energy of our young people to be wasted.

Here are the steps that can be taken.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1761

WOTC: Cope with economic recession

Wisdom of the Crowd: 82% of the participants in this survey said that voters should vote non PAP to change the government policies to cope with the impending economic recession.

See the details in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1454

WOTC: Which leaders do you respect most?

Wisdom of the Crowd: Dr. Tan Cheng Bock received the highest vote (47%) followed by Dr. Chee Soon Juan (32%) in the survey of respected leaders .

See the details in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1454

Wisdom of the Crowd

You can vote on these issues, win an attractive prize and make your voice heard.
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/active_issue.aspx

WOTC: Dr. Chee Soon Juan

Wisdom of the Crowd: 89% of the participants of this survey has a positive impression of Dr. Chee Soon Juan.

See the breakdown in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1453

WOTC: Salary of CEO of Temasek Holdings

Wisdom of the Crowd: 53% of the participants in this survey said that the salary of the CEO of Temasek Holdings should be benchmark against the salaries of the heads of sovereign funds.

https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1452

WOTC: Non PAP parties

How many seats do you expect Tan Cheng Bock's party to win?
Give your vote in
www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/vote.aspx

Also give your guess for:
Singapore Democratic Party
Worker Party
People Voice Party (Lim Tean)

WOTC - Salary of Ho Ching (2)

Wisdom of the Crowd: 59% of the participants in this survey guessed that Ho Ching to would earn more than $10 million a year as CEO of Temasek Holdings.

https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1451

WOTC - Salary of Ho Ching

Wisdom of the Crowd: 98% of the participants in this survey held a strongly negative, if Ho Ching earns a few million dollars a year as CEO of Temasek Holdings.

https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1450

Avoid making personal attack

It is quite a common habit for people in Singapore to make personal attack or to make an unjustified allegation concerning a view that they disagree with. It is wrong and should be avoided.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1757

Allow CPF savings to be used to rent or buy a HDB flat

I wish to give my reasons why it is a good economic policy to allow CPF contributions to be used to rent or buy a HDB flat, regardless of tenure.

See the reasons here.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1755

Allow CPF savings to be withdrawn at age 55

In this post, I explain why I support the call for CPF savings to be withdrawn in full at age 55, although it carries the risk that some members may squander away their savings.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1758

WOTC - Ho Ching's salary

Wisdom of the Crowd: 32% of the participants in this survey would hold Ho Ching in high regard for her willingness to serve the country if she draws a salary of $1 as CEO of Temasek Holdings. The other 68% would still have a negative opinion of her.

See the details in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1449

WOTC - Future economic development

Wisdom of the Crowd: 73% of the participants in this survey opted for a minimum wage for each category of job for our future economic development. 19% opted to make it possible for families to raise children by passing the cost to the state. Only 8% preferred the current methods adopted by the government.

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1448

Satya Nadella did an excellent job as CEO of Microsoft

Microsoft share price moved up from $46 in 2014 when Satya Nadella become CEO to $136 now (increase of 3 times in 5 years). He did a great job to turn Microsoft around.

Here are some lessons from his leadership style.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1756

Use of CPF to rent or buy a flat

I created a poll to ask people if CPF should be used to rent or buy a flat and to remove restriction on the tenure of the flat.

93% of those who voted agreed with this suggestion. See here. They are expressing their lay man's view that this will make life better for them.

I like to give my reason why this is a good idea:
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1755

Restructure the bus services

The bus system in Singapore comprise of about 350 bus services that provide a network to bring people from one place to another, either directly or with one change of bus.

This system is complicated. Passengers have to rely on an app to tell them which service to take and where to make a change. Many passengers are not familiar with the use of the app.

It is also difficult to manage the services and ensure that they are optimally used (i.e. with a high load) and also provide a good service level (i.e. passengers do not wait a long time for a bus).

I like to see the bus services in Singapore restructured as follows:

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1754

WOTC - Cope with high cost of living

Wisdom of the Crowd: 59% of the people who voted in this survey said that abolishing GST is the best way to help people cope with the high cost of living. 39% voted for "create jobs that give an adequate income".

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1447

WOTC - Poster for election campaign

Wisdom of the Crowd: 79% of the people who voted in this survey choose the poster "Willing to serve as President for $1" to be the strongest message for the general election campaign.

See the details in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1446

Message from a concerned citizen

I share this email from a concerned citizen.

hello kin lian
i am just a commoner who have observed that sg is spiralling downwards.

its top people are very inward looking.
we have policies and protocols. sound impressive right. but sometime, the top people must go down to ground level to do spot checks and bring the report written by their subordinates to see whether it tallies. the culture has become such that the top people are being told what they want to hear only, correct? like in the army, right? so tell me, whats wrong with the top people?

if they still continue to adopt an inward looking approach, i think we are doomed. They have run out of ideas because policies that were good then, does not work now. they are still base on models that worked in the nation building days. wake up wake up. either you are lazy or too incompetent.

The country is just too expensive to live in. a lot of countries have caught up and are even better and affordable and they come much cheaper in terms of pricing for business. so how do the top people counter this? we will lose the competitive edge over these neighbouring countries. i have no idea and solution as i am a commoner and the top always like to be lords over us. so whats the solution top men?

was it south korea, hong kong, taiwan and Singapore that were labelled the 4 rising tigers of asia? can someone do a comparison test to see where sg stands amongst the 4? my knowledge is limited.

there is so much feedback and truth on the internet, why not tap on these and move the country forward? why make feedback fake? proper channels? yes but the info has always been tweaked. this show one thing, in this new economy, the top will not last long. thankfully i hope. may the next better player take over.

there is one thing i learnt during my 2 years serving the nation, it is this word called wayang. a good balance is good but too much wayang is bad for the country

a concerned citizen.

Sort out the CPF mess

The CPF has become a mess. Although the members put in a lot of their savings into CPF, it is not able to produce an adequate retirement income for members.

The rules on the use of CPF for housing and the access to grants are extremely complicated.

What can be done to sort out the mess?
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1753

Wisdom of the Crowd

I have added two issues on

a) Impact of protest on HK economy
b) Severe drop in Singapore exports

Give your vote in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/active_issue.aspx

WOTC - Demand of the HK protesters

Wisdom of the Crowd: 46% of the participants in this survey said that the HK govt should talk to the protesters and find a solution to their unhappiness. 54% voted for other options.

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1445

WOTC - Handling of the HK protest

Wisdom of the Crowd: 60% of the participants in this survey said that the HK govt handled the protests in an appropriate manner. 40% said they handled it badly.

See the breakdown in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1444

Manifesto for the General Election

Someone suggested this manifesto for the coalition against PAP.

Do you like it?
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1752

Deal with the impending recession

Singapore is expected to enter into a recession. It is likely to be worse than projected by the finance minister, Heng Swee Keat.

What can be done to deal with this challenge?

I like to suggest the following steps.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1751

Combat rent seeking activities

Have you heard of the term "rent seeking"?

The definition is:
Rent-seeking is an attempt to obtain economic rent (i.e., the portion of income paid to a factor of production in excess of what is needed to keep it employed in its current use) by manipulating the social or political environment in which economic activities occur, rather than by creating new wealth.

The Singapore economy has a large portion of rent seeking activities.

We need to find ways to control these activities which could lead to corrupt practices.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1750

Set a cap on hawker stall rental

The government prefers the rental for hawker stalls to be set by the market. That is why they allowed the stalls to be sold to the stall holders or allow a master operator to tender for the food court or hawker center and to lease out the stalls to the operators.

This has led to an unfortunate outcome. The rentals have gone up too high, to a point where many stall operators cannot make a living, in spite of working very long hours.

What can be done to deal with this problem?

Here is my "out of the box" solution.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1749

WOTC - Protests in Hong Kong

Wisdom of the Crowd: 45% of the participants in this survey voted in favor of the actions of the protesters in Hong Kong. The remaining 55% are not in favor of their actions.

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1443

WOTC - Get capable people to serve as ministers

Wisdom of the Crowd: 24% of the participants in this survey said that we should elect capable people who can serve as ministers. The other 76% voted for other ways to get capable people to serve as ministers.

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1442

Sorting out the HDB mess

I wish to point out that there are two problems associated with the HDB Mess.

a) The existing owners want to the HDB resale prices to stabilize to protect their investment.
b) The younger people want HDB to be affordable.

These two groups have have conflicting interest.

I suggest the following approach to cater to their needs.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1748

Why is HDB a mess and how can it be fixed

I have described the HDB as a mess. Let me explain why it is a mess and how it can be fixed.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1747

Wisdom of the Crowd

I have added two new issues on the crime situation in Singapore and the need to increase fares for public transport.

Give your vote in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/active_issue.aspx

WOTC - Ensure minority representation in Parliament

Wisdom of the Crowd: Only 1% of the participants in this survey voted to adopt the GRC system to ensure that minority ethnic groups are represented in parliament. The majority, i.e. 99% voted for other options.

See the breakdown in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1440

WOTC - Not able to raise children

Wisdom of the Crowd: 47% of the participants in this survey said that free child care should be provided for parents who are not able to afford to raise their children. The other 53% voted for three other options.

See the breakdown of the votes in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1440

Invest in durian farm? Be careful!

Musang King businessmen turn millionaires.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/…/musang-king-durian-millio…?

The investment cycle repeats itself. The early entrepreneurs took the risk and strike rich. The herd follows and push up the prices. Speculation pushes up the price further to an unsustainable level. Supply increases and the prices dropped.

This will repeat in the craze for the musang king. I already know about many farms planting musang king durians in Malaysia. The supply will grow many times.

Be careful about investing in durians. Pay attention to the supply and demand of the market. Do not rush in blindly. Do not take the advise of the person who ask you to invest in a durian farm. He makes his commission for the sale. You will take the risk ultimately.

WOTC - Help people in deep financial distress

Wisdom of the Crowd: 17% of the participants who voted in this survey said that people in deep financial distress should be given an allowance from the state. The other participants chose three other options.

See the details in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1439

WOTC - Internal Security Act

Wisdom of the Crowd: 80% of the participants in this survey said that the government abused the Internal Security Act to detain political opponents. 20% said that they used the power mainly to deal with terrorist and detainees.

See the detailed breakdown in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1438

A train journey in Switzerland

18 years ago, I flew to Zurich and went to the train station to buy a ticket to take me to St Moritz in the mountains.

The clerk could not speak English but understood what I wanted. He looked at the booklets and sold me three train tickets for different segments of the journey.

I was horrified. If I have to leave the train at a station, how do I know which platform to take for the next train? Furthermore, I had heavy luggage and it would be difficult to change trains.

I asked the clerk, but he could not explain to me due to the language problem.

What happened? read the rest of the story here:
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1746

Do you want Wigan Wolgate or Wigan Northwestern?

40 years ago, I was on a train in the UK and it passed a station called Wigan Wolgate. What a strange name.

My English friend told me this joke.

An Indian migrant lived in England for many years. He received a telegram that his mother in India is seriously ill. He has to return to India quickly.

He went to the station in Wigan and asked for a train ticket to Bombay. The clerk never heard of Bombay, so he sold him a ticket to London to make further enquiry.

When the Indian was in London, the clerk also did not know where Bombay was. He sold him a ticket to Paris.

After much effort and redirection, he Indian managed to reach Bombay but his mother had just died. He attended to the funeral and now have to return to England.

He went to the train station to ask for a ticket to Wigan, England.

The clerk replied - Yes sir, do you want Wigan Wolgate or Wigan Northwestern?

Explanation - Wigan is one of the small towns in England that has two train stations, which is unusual. This joke said that nobody in England heard of Bombay, but the people in Bombay know all the train stations in England, including the two stations in Wigan.

What a difference in perspective!

If you like this joke, vote Agree here

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1745

Be careful about buying a HDB resale flat

I want to give this word of caution to Singaporeans. Be careful when you buy a HDB resale flat.

You may have heard about the money that people make when they sell their resale flat. You may have heard that many permanent residents made money when they sold off their HDB flat to return to their country.

Those were cases in the past when the HDB resale market kept going up. It is no longer the case now.

Read more in this post.
http://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1744

Survey - Singaporeans support the protest in Hong Kong

This poll said that more than three quarters of Singaporeans support the protest in Hong Kong.

The analyst said that it reflects the close ties between these two territories.

I have a different opinion.

Many of the Singaporeans support the protest because they of our local condition. It is almost impossible to organize a protest to voice their anger about conditions in Singapore. They have to apply for a police permit and that permit will not be issued or will be delayed to a point that it cannot be organized logistically.

Many Singaporeans have a superficial understanding about the conditions in Hong Kong. They are likely to be influenced by the western media. They also hold a negative (which I would described as biased) view about the conditions in Communist China.

There are other Singaporeans who are knowledgeable about the conditions in Hong Kong and China and who support the protests. But there are knowledgeable people who consider the protests to be unwise.

Here is the survey report.
https://www.scmp.com/…/singaporeans-support-hong-kong-prote…?

Share the pathways

We need to find a solution to provide space for PMD.

In this post, I propose a solution.

I am not saying that all pathways should be shared. But many can be shared safely, by adopting the safety measures that I have suggested.

Some paths cannot be shared as it is too narrow. In these cases, the PMDs may have to use the road.

It is quite safe for the PMDs to use the side roads where the traffic is light. A separate lane can be set out for the PMDs. the speed limit on the road can be reduced to 20 kph.

PMDs will be a part of our lives. We have to think of all parties - pedestrians and PMD riders, to find a solution. We cannot adopt a selfish approach.

Here is my earlier post.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1711

Avoid making useless motherhood statement

I like to ask people to avoid making motherhood statements that are useless. It is better to provide some actual observation to support it.

http://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=1743

Quora: Can US continue with trade wars?

Quora: How long can the U.S. continue to have and start trade wars with various countries before the damage becomes irreversible?

Mas Miwa, former Engineer at Hughes Space and Communications Answered

It already is. The EU is looking east, more and more deals with Russia and China. The EU disagrees with the US on many issues. Russia and China are working together more because of the US. The SCO is starting gain membership with Pakistan and India being the latest members and others thinking of joining. The SCO is also aligning more with the ASEAN nations, and ASEAN working along with China.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation - Wikipedia

Association of Southeast Asian Nations - Wikipedia

They see the trade war with China and now a beginning trade war with Mexico. They see the US as an unreliable partner for the future.

It’s not just Trump. The US has always broken its treaties, pacts and promises

America Can't Be Trusted Anymore

WOTC - Your vote counts

Wisdom of the Crowd: Vote on these issues and win a prize. You can also contribute towards a better understanding of the people's opinion on these issues.

https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/active_issue.aspx

WOTC: Non PAP leaders

Wisdom of the Crowd: 78% of the participants in this survey has a positive opinion of the non PAP leaders. The other 22% have a negative opinion.

See the details in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1437

WOTC: PAP leaders

Wisdom of the Crowd: 93% of the participations in this survey have a negative opinion about PAP leaders. 7% have a positive opinion.

See what they are unhappy about in
https://wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=1436