Be positive and supportive

If someone puts up a suggestion and I generally agree with the concept, I show my support for it.

I want to be positive and supportive. it is difficult for a new idea to be accepted. I want to encourage it.

If I have strong reasons to disagree, I will polite give my point of view and provide the facts (as I know them) and my reasons.

I will not suggest that the other person's view is wrong. I may have misread that view, or may not have the facts that the other person has.

I do not want to appear "clever". I also avoid judging the other person's view.

It is rude to disagree with another person's view just because one has a different view. This attitude is arrogant and disrespectful.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2542

Do not try to act "clever" when you are not

When somebody gives a suggestion to improve a situation and I agree with the concept generally, I support it.

I do not "modify" that suggestion on minor details. I am not that "clever".

I feel tired about people who try to show that they are "clever" when in fact they are quite stupid. These stupid people think that they can judge other people when their sense sense of judgment is flawed.

We have many of this kind of people in Singapore, It must be the result of our education system.

I would not agree with a view when I have fundamental reasons against it. It has to be a significant disagreement, rather than a minor "adjustment".

For example, I say "reduce full time national service to one year". Some "smart" people will argue that it has to be slightly longer than one year.

These people do not know that I have done a lot of research on the approach taken by several other countries before I come to my conclusion. They give their opinion without proper research or understanding. I consider their view to be "shallow".

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2541

How to handle an election fairly and efficiently

Many countries mess up their election process. Even the states in America have problems in carrying it out in an fair and efficient manner. There were disputes about election results that had to go to court.

Sometimes, I wonder if the mess was created deliberately to favor certain parties in power. Or they were due to plain inefficiency and stupidity.

The same kind of problems occur in many other countries using the democratic process. There were often allegations of vote rigging or outright dishonesty.

Let me suggest how the election can be carried out fairly and efficiently.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2540

30,000 foreign workers returning from China

30,000 foreign workers, mostly on work permits, will be returning from China after the Chinese New Year.

There is a high risk that some of them might be infected with the novel coronavirus.

The govt is in a dilemma. What can they do?

Here are my views.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2539

Quora: Is Trump's China trade war a disaster? If so, why is it still continuing?

Alan Higgins, Sole Prop at Self-Employment
Answered Aug 15

The defining feature of a megalomaniac is the inability to see his own errors.
And here we have Trump, the leader of a 250 year old country, declaring a trade war against a thousand+ year old international trading giant.
China has more people, minerals, oil, power, water and land, and more importantly a long term strategic development plan. Trump has? well he’s got to win the election next year. So his plan is to do what looks good for the electorate NOW, and fuck the year after next, he’ll think of something spectacular then. and he can always blame it on the libtards/media/wetbacks/camel jocks- if he shouts loud enough.

Respect the constitution

People should respect the constitution of their country - in Thailand, America, China and even in Singapore.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2534

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Should people under home quarantine and leave of absence be e-tagged?

2. China response to the novel coronavirus is laudable.

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

The risk is still quite low in Singapore

I want to give my perspective about the risk of the novel coronavirus or nCOV infection in Singapore.

I am one of the few who said that the risk is quite small. There is no need to over-react to the risk.

I know that I may be wrong, as things may turn out to be worse quite quickly. But until that happens, I wish to say - do not worry excessively or over-react to this risk.

If you wish to wear a face mask, go ahead. If you wish to wash your hands 50 times a day, go ahead. If you wish to avoid crowded places, by all means. Do what you feel is comfortable.

For me, I will carry on life as usual, i.e. no face masks. And I will continue to take public transport and visit malls.

Maybe, I will wash my hands more frequently and avoid rubbing my hands over my face. And I will pay attention and avoid people who cough.

Let me say why I think the risk is still very low in Singapore. If the infection is widespread, we will get a few thousand people who are infected by now. But we do not have this number. It is still just a handful.

The government has placed a few hundred people on quarantine or on leave of absence. I am not sure if this is really necessary, but I guess it is better to be safe, rather than sorry. Maybe these measures have been effective in stopping the spread of the virus.

I wonder what happens when someone is infected. If the person is healthy, he will not die from the virus. He will probably recover. the recovery rate is 98% but it does take some time.

Perhaps the risk is that during the time until complete recovery, he may infect other people who may be less healthy. this is probably the real risk.

OK, let us take the necessary hygiene measures to stop being infected and spreading the infection to other people.

A few people have spoken about the possibility that the virus may mutate and become more aggressive. There is nothing that ordinary people can do about this risk. We have to leave it to the doctors and the researchers.

I have seen a few videos and messages that are being shared that paint a dire situation. They are mostly exaggeration. Yes, thing could get worse, but it might not happen. Anyway, there is nothing that we can do about it, except to take the necessary precautions. It does not help to cause widespread alarm.

I am still optimistic that the infection and deaths will reduce in a week or two. And, like SARS, the nCOV will be forgotten by summer or later in the year.

Tan Kin Lian


https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2533

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Do you expect the Wuhan virus to disappear by summer?
2. Will you wear a face mask as a precaution?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

How to avoid the mess up in the Iowa caucus

The state of Iowa conducted a caucus (like an election) for the Democratic party members to select their candidate. It has a population of 3.1 million. Maybe the participants, being party members could be 500,000?

It was a big mess - also described as SNAFU (situation normal, all fouled up).

The New York Times explained it.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/04/us/politics/what-happened-iowa-caucuses.html

What is a good way to report the results? The app is a bad idea. It did not work. The telephone call is a bad idea. The lines got jammed up.

Why don't they consult me?

This is what I would do.

I would ask the caucus chair at each location to write the results on a piece of paper and signed it. Take a photo. end it by WhatsApp to the headquarters. Maybe there will be several WhatsApp groups for different zones.

The volunteer in charge of the WhatsApp group will enter the results into the server. Another volunteer will check the results. The entered results will be sent back by SMS to the caucus chair.

That's it.

Sure to work well.

Tan Kin Lian

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2529

Give the face masks to people who need them more

I saw some comments in the Internet - why are the people in China using face masks all over the place, and yet our own govt leaders said that there is no need to use face mask in Singapore. Are our leaders exposing our citizens to high risks?

I wish to address this question.

The level of risk is quite different.

a) In China, there are a few tens of thousand of known infected cases and many more that are not known yet. They could be under the incubation period. In Singapore, the known infected cases are just a handful. The unknown cases are probably quite rare.

b) It is winter in China. the risk of the virus spreading in a cold climate and causing a lot of harm to the victim is quite high. In a hot climate, like in Singapore, the risk is quite small. Even if a frail person is infected, the risk of fatality is much lower in a hot climate compared to a cold climate.

If a person is not sick, there is no need to wear the face mask. The risk of a healthy person being infected is very small. I do not wear the face mask. I do not see any need for it.

There is a shortage of face masks around the world. We need them much less than the people in cold climate. We certainly need them much less than the people in China where the number of infected people is the highest in the world.

Let us not hoard the precious masks. Let the people who need them more have access to them.

Tan Kin Lian

Do you agree with this view?

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2528

Use electronic tagging for home quarantine

About 30,000 work permit holders from China will be returning to Singapore. They are asked to be take leave and to stay at home on quarantine for 14 days.

There is the risk that some of them may not observe the home quarantine. They may move about the community and pose a risk to the public.

There are insufficient places in a quarantine center to handle such a large number of people.

What is an alternative? I suggest electronic tagging. Do you agree?
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2527

A cheaper way to buy from China manufacturers

I ordered a few samples of devices from manufacturers in China.

I was surprised that the shipping cost is very expensive, typically USD $80 per deliver. The fee to pay by PalPal is USD 15.

I found that I could ask the manufacturer to send the products to a vPost address in Shenzhen. From there, I could aggregate the items and get vPost to send them to Singapore.

I do not know the actual charges, but I suspect that it should be lower than USD $80. Furthermore, I could consolidate the purchases from a few manufacturers.

To avoid PayPal, I asked my friends to pay to the manufacturers using their WeChat accounts. I reimbursed them with PayNow.

However, this is troublesome for my friends. In the future, I will use DBS Remit. They do not charge any fee and the currency conversion rate is less than 1%. It is acceptable to me.


What did I order? Find out here:
https://fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=679

Be considerate to pedestrians

In planning the pedestrian crossing, the planners are quite inconsiderate to pedestrians and made them wait longer than necessary.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2523

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Should the face masks be sent to households by mail?
2. Was China attempting to hide the severity of the Wuhan virus?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

Distribution of scarce essential commodities

Why did the govt distribute the 4 face mask per household by personal collection, rather than sending them by mail?

Most people felt that it would be more efficient to use the mail. The value of the distributed item is small.

My guess is that the govt wants to put into place the mechanism for distribution of scarce items in the future. I have mentioned the need to be prepared to have a system in place in this post.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2503

Who knows? Maybe the govt has people who monitors my posting and recognize the need to have a system in place?

Today, it may be face masks. In the future, it might be food or water or other essential commodities.

We need to have a system in place. We need to learn from the practical experience Agree?

New York Times - lower death rate compared to SARS

New York Times:

China’s coronavirus death toll exceeds that of SARS
Only three weeks since emerging in the city of Wuhan, the new coronavirus has killed more than 360 people out of some 17,200 infected in mainland China, surpassing the toll of 349 there from the SARS outbreak in the early 2000s.
Though the virus seems to be readily transmitted between humans, its apparent death rate of about 2 percent is lower than the 9.6 percent for SARS, and recoveries have risen.

Helping the tourism sector tide over the economic slowdown

How can the govt help the tourism sector tide over the economic slowdown caused by the Wuhan virus?

Here are my suggestions.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2522

LTA should operate a network of local services

I passed my a private shuttle bus at Yio Chu Kang station. It was waiting for passengers who want to go to Grande Vista, which is near my home. I think they charge $1.

I walked home. After 25 minutes, when I was approaching my home, I saw the shuttle turn the corner into Cactus Road. It has a small handful of passengers.

This shuttle is costly and not convenient.

I believe that hospitals also operate shuttle services to the nearby MRT stations. It is also costly to operate and not efficient. The travelling time is long, as it has to loop to many side roads.

I prefer the LTA to operate a network of local services, so that these private shuttles are not necessary. We need to have a more efficient network and to use our resources more efficiently.

Do you agree?

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2521

Build a network of underground walkways

For the past few years, I have been thinking about the concept of building an elevated walkway for pedestrians. They can walk on the elevated walkway for a long distance and do not need to cross traffic junctions.

I know that this is costly, but it is also costly to construct footpaths and controlled crossings.

There are problems with building the elected walkways because of the trees that are planted on the side and middle of the roads.

How about building underground walkways that can stretch for long distances?

It can be build below the level that carry the electric and communication cables. It does not matter that the tunnel is lower, as the access will be by elevators and lifts.

There are technology that can be used to bore tunnels, so the cost may be acceptable. These tunnels can also be used to carry cables, so there will be less need for road work to install cables.

Should the tunnels be air conditioned? Maybe yes, maybe no. I think it should be possible to have the tunnels well ventilated and kept cool.

We can build some stalls along the way for people to have a meal or coffee.

What about security? There should be no problem, as cameras can be installed along the underground walkways to prevent crime.

What are the benefits? Many people can use the tunnel to cross many roads to reach the train station and bus interchange. Walking is good for their health.

Does this make economic and social sense?

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2517

Wash and re-use the face mask?

During my 70 min walk to the office, I observed about 1 in 7 pedestrians wearing the face mask.

A thought crossed my mind. We have been told that the face mask should be used once, and then disposed off.

Maybe, it is OK for the user to wash the face mask in hot water and re-use it? Why?

The mask helps to some extent to prevent the wearer from catching the coronavirus that may come from an infected person and be floating in the air. I know that it is not perfect, but it help to some extent.

If the wearer is sick, the hot water could remove the virus. It may not remove the virus totally, but it does come from the body of the wearer, so it does not cause any further harm.

I am not talking about the masks that are used in the hospitals. They should be disposed after each use. But it should be approached differently for the ordinary users.

The manufacturer will like the masks to be used only once, so that they can boost their sales. Maybe, the masks can be re-used quite safely? What do you think?

Wisdom of the Crowd - win a prize

Vote on these issues and win a prize.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/active_issue.aspx

Healthy Lifestyle app

I wear two fitness bands. One is the Xiaomi band, which I have been using for a year. The other is the Axtro band issued by the Health Promotion Board.

I asked the HPB to allow the Xiaomi band to be linked to the Healthy 365 app to record my daily steps. The HPB replied that they are not able to cater for Xiaomi, as they have to be selective. So, I end up wearing two bands.

What is the real reason? Read on.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2516

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Is the Beijing govt quite transparent in handling the Wuhan virus episode?
2. Was the international media fair in reporting on the Wuhan virus episode?
3. Should Singaporeans patronize stalls run by locals only?
4. What is the likely source of the Wuhan coronavirus?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

Quora: Is Trump’s trade war hurting farmers?

Roland Temmerman, masters Social Sciences & Political Science (1990) Answered Dec

Hello!

The answer is absolutely!

This reckless, ineffective trade war has forced many farmers into bankruptcy and the ones who’re still around are required to apply for food stamps due to their plunge of income.

A new Washington Post story about the difficulties American farmers are facing under President Donald Trump’s trade war reveals that some farmers have had to significantly reduce their food consumption to make up for plummeting incomes.

The story describes the struggles faced by Andy and Anne Lee, two dairy farmers who live in upstate New York who received a federal bailout check of $4,100 this year but who nevertheless recently applied for food stamps because they were still having trouble putting food on their table. Trump’s farmer bailout is now twice as big as the auto bailout as Trump begs rural America not to leave him: report

However, Lee so far has been unable to get her family’s SNAP benefits approved despite the fact that her net farm income was -$12,979 last year. After getting turned down in her initial request for food stamps, Lee went to her local food pantry to pick up necessary groceries.

According to the Post, the Lees are not alone in finding difficulty in getting financial assistance buying food during a tough times for farmers.

“An estimated 197,000 farmers, farmworkers, fishermen and forestry workers use SNAP, according to a study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, but farmers say they sometimes find it difficult to qualify because of complicated rules governing self-employment income,” the Post explains. “And the Trump administration has long-term plans to tighten SNAP eligibility for many.”

The Lees said they voted for Trump in 2016 because they believed he was right to call out America’s trade imbalances. They still believe he has their best interests at heart, even though they acknowledge his trade war has harmed them.

“I know a lot of people don’t like it but, you know, this was going to have to happen in order to make U.S. products become more competitive,” Andy explained to the Post. “It’s going to hurt for a while.”

WOTC - Should the SDP case on POFMA be held in open court?

Wisdom of the Crowd: 55% said that the hearing of the SDP case on POFMA should be held in open court. 36% said that the court appeared to be bending to the govt's wishes. 7% said that it is better for the hearing to be heard in chambers.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1817

WOTC - Will the Wuhan virus get worse?

Wisdom of the Crowd: 41% of the respondents said that the Wuhan virus will cause a lot of concern from some time. 33% said that it will be worse than SARS. 26% said that it will be controlled quite soon.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1817

Healthy 365 is complicated

The Healthy 365 app has many events, promotions, challenges and more.

I find them to be very confusing.

I only know that I have to clock in 10,000 steps a day to get points.

But I do not know how many points are awarded and if higher points are given for reaching a higher thresh-hold. I tried to look for the instructions but could not find them.

I am also confused with tier 1, tier 2, etc. I do not know how it works.

Why does the Health Promotion Board have to make this activity so complicated? How many people really understand what is going on?

I know that many activities in Singapore is complicated and convoluted. It seems to be our national culture. Perhaps, it is because our agencies are being run by scholars.

Treat foreigners equally and fairly

A few people suggested that I should patronise stalls run by Singaporeans and not foreigners. I do not agree with this suggestion.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2515

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. How should the govt deal with fake news on the Wuhan virus?
2. Should temperature checks be implemented at the Johor checkpoints?
3. What is the best way to avoid being infected by the Wuhan virus

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

Large increase in infection in Wuhan virus in China

I saw a report that there is a large increase in the actual number of people who are infected in China.

This increase is not caused by the spread of the virus, but by the availability of test kits to identify the infected people.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2511

Be prepared for the economic impact

Many Singaporeans are worried about the Wuhan crisis. 100,000 have signed a petition asking the government to stop the entry of people from China. The govt has now implemented this temporary ban.

They are now asking for temperature checks for travelers visiting from Johor.

I hope that our people are prepared for the economic impact that will follow the measures that are being taken.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2510

Temperature checks at checkpoints for travel to Johor

Many netizens are now asking why the immigration authority are not imposing temperature checks at the checkpoints to Johore?

I give my views.

a) The large volume of travelers make temperature checks difficult to carry out.

b) The temperature of the travelers are likely to be higher due to the long time (up to four hours) that they have to spend in crossing the checkpoints.

c) After implementing the check, we should next ask for temperature checks on people taking the MRT train as well?

OK, in short, I think it is not necessary at this time. I will change my mind if there is an exponential increase in infections. This has not occured yet.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2509

Are deaths from the Wuhan virus being deliberately underreported?

There is a post being circulated widely stating that the crematoria in China are working full time to cremate the bodies of victims of the Wuhan virus so as to underreport the actual impact.

I do not know if it was accompanied by a video showing how busy the crematoria are, and an interview with a worker who confirmed that the crematorium is indeed working at full steam.

Without the actual statistics, I believe that there is some truth in the statement. But it is only partially true.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2507

SpaceX will eventually send a rocket to Mars, but they have other things to do in the meantime.

Elon Musk started a company called SpaceX. The goal was to build a rocket that could take people to Mars. That goal was inspiring, but it might be too "far off".

I learned that SpaceX has some more realistic goals. They were to put 40,000 satellites into space to provide broad band internet connection to the world.

So far, they have launched four missions, each with the goal of launching 60 satellites. A total of 240 satellites have been launched.

Elon Musk also have the making the rocket reusable. Previously, each rocket is used for one journey and is discarded.

How can this be achieved.

I learned from the latest rocket launch of Space X that they use the same type of rocket as used previously. It comprise of three stages. Each stage of the rocket carries the payload up to the next level before the rocket stage is discarded.

Now, here is the difference. Space X has a drone to catch the rocket stages after it is discarded. In this way, the rocket stage can be reused for the next rocket launch.

I am not sure if I have described this concept correctly. I hope that you get the picture.

Just imagine. if a rocket can be used many times, instead of one time, the cost of space journeys with the rocket can be reduced considerably.

Wow. What a genuis.

The right approach towards settlement of insurance claims

Do you like to be insured with an insurance company that has the right approach towards settlement of insurance claims? their claims officers treat the genuine cases with compassion and are helpful to customers.

https://fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=678&Name=The-right-mindset-on-insurance-claims&View=A

Cost of treating victims of Wuhan virus

Should the state bear the full cost of treating patients during an epidemic, such as the Wuhan virus?

While the minister for health is still undecided, let me share my views.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2502

Self driving vehicles

I read some news that Tesla will soon be launching self driving trucks for transportation of goods.

Think of it, it is an excellent idea. The autonomous trucks can be used for long distance travel on highways. They can travel at a safe speed and does not need to be at a fast speed. It would be easier to program an autonomous vehicle to run on a fixed route, rather than to deal with many unforeseen variables.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2501

Cancellation of flights due to unrest or epidemic

Dear Mr Tan,

I read a number of complains about a particular airline not willing to waive cancellation or rebooking penalties for people who want to defer or cancel their trip to Hong Kong (not China) in view of the current sentiments regarding the corona virus.

Many have accused the airline of putting profit above safety of its customers. Some have also cited reasons that HK has cancelled a number of tourist events and has closed Disney and Ocean Park.

I am puzzled why the airline would be asked to shoulder the full penalty/cost of the ticket cancellation through no fault of their own.

In the end the ones who might pay the price is the Airlines shareholders as well as their staff. Shouldn’t the traveler also shoulder some of the cost of his own safety? Perhaps a waiver of some of the cost of rebooking or cancellation rather than waiving all of it?

What is your view on this?


My reply:
The airlines expect their passengers to cover this risk through travel insurance. During this period, they are already suffering large losses due to the sharp drop in travel.

They are likely to stick to their contractual position and ask their passengers to bear the cost of change of flight or the loss of the entire fare.

I guess there are two sides of this coin. The passenger should take the risk or, if they are risk averse, buy insurance to cover this risk.

Read here
https://fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=677&Name=Cancellation-of-flights-due-to-unrest-or-epidemic&View=A

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. What was the biggest mistake made by LKY?
2. What is the biggest mistake made by LHL as PM?
3. Should the govt bear the full medical cost of treating citizens for Wuhan virus?
4. Should the govt evacuate the citizens that are stranded in Wuhan?


Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

WOTC - Are many PMETs losing their full time jobs?

Wisdom of the Crowd: 84% of the respondents said that many PMETs are losing their full time jobs and have to work as or delivery work.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1812

WOTC - Property market in 2020

Wisdom of the Crowd: 64% of the respondents expect the property market in 2020 to drop due to the economic slowdown and oversupply. 36% expect the market to recover.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1811

Do not believe in hearsay or rumors

In 1983, LHL was a colonel in the SAF. He directed an operation to rescue 13 people who were trapped in the cable car that got stuck when a drill ship collided with it. See here.

Many years later, a friend X told me that he heard from a friend Y that LHL was undecided and uncertain of how to direct the operations. He had to rely on the more experienced people to guide him on what to do. He related some incidents to color up his narrative.


https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2500

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. China is able to lockdown Wuhan and block travel.
2. Will the Wuhan virus get out of control?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

There is no need to worry excessively about the Wuhan virus

Most people like to worry excessively about the Wuhan virus.

I want to take an optimistic view, which are:

a) The health authority in China and Singapore are dealing with the problem quite effectively.

b) The number of infected cases and deaths are still increasing, but they are in a linear proportion and not geometric proportion.

c) Given some time, the medical research should be able to find a remedy for the virus.

d) If the situation does get worse, I am confident that the health authority will take any additional steps that may be necessary.

There is no need to worry excessively or to suggest extreme measures to be taken or to sign petitions asking for these extreme measures. We can leave it to the experts to decide what is necessary to be done. They will do their best. We have to trust them. We should give them the space to do their work and not distract them with unhelpful alarm.

To back up my words, I have just added to my portfolio of China shares, which has been badly beaten down during the past week. I believe that a good solution will be found. If I am wrong, I shall end up with a big loss on my portfolio, OK?

I just bought shares in CapitaRetail China Trust.

It is listed in Singapore and is described by DBS bank as a real estate investment trust which invests in income-producing retail properties located mainly in China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

It has a PE ratio of 9.73 and a dividend yield of 6.64%.

https://fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=676&Name=CapitaRetail-China-Trust&View=A

Make it easy for customers to give feedback

Most organizations in Singapore adopt a crazy way for customers to give feedback.

They make it very difficult. They discourage online feedback and ask many unnecessary and troublesome questions. And they follow up with an automatic acknowledgement stating that the customer will get a reply within several days.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2496

WOTC - Global stock markets

Wisdom of the Crowd: 28% said that global stock markets will advance further in 2020 as it is US election year. Another 28% said that they will be supported by low interest rate. The remaining 44% expect the stock markets to fall.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1810

WOTC - Prerequisites for citizenship

Wisdom of the Crowd: 54% of the respondents said that the foreigner should have served national service before being granted citizenship. 28% said that they must have lived in Singapore for five years.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1809

Very bad service from SingTel

I share my experience with SingTel customer service. It is very bad.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2495

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Will Li Hongyi participate in the general election
2. How soon will a cure for the Wuhan virus be found?
3. Is the health minister proactive in dealing with the Wuhan virus?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

WOTC - Experience with ghosts

Wisdom of the Crowd: 49% of the respondents know of people who have experienced ghosts. 14% have personal experience of ghost.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1808

WOTC - Best outcome for the general election

Wisdom of the Crowd: 51% of the respondents preferred the PAP to be returned to power but to lose one third of the seats. 29% preferred the non PAP parties to form the govt. 20% preferred the PAP to be part of a coalition govt. Nobody wants the PAP to be returned with a strong mandate.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1807

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. How serious is the Wuhan virus epidemic?
2. Do you expect many people to die from the Wuhan virus?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

A democracy tends to favor the rich and the cronies

Singaporeans are very smart. They want to have a democratic govt that takes care of the people. They know how to choose.

Where can you find such a govt? Which country has this kind of govt?

Most of the democratic countries end up being corrupt. They take care of the rich and the cronies.

Why is this the case? It is in the nature of the democratic process.

Under a democratic process, one has to be elected by popular vote. The voters need to be "bribed" with goodies or with promises.

It is costly to give them goodies or promises. The candidates need a lot of money to run a campaign. They depend on the rich to finance them. So, the winning candidates are obligated to take care of the rich and the cronies.

Look at America. It is as corrupt as it can get. Look at one democratic country after another, including those nearer home.

If the democratic process is likely to be corrupt and the govt has to take care of the rich and the cronies, it is better to go for another govt. The alternative is a communist govt that has, as its core principle, the goal of uplifting the working class and the poor.

Can a communist govt be corrupt also? Yes, it can . But, it can also be relatively clean. In today's age, where many bad deeds can be publicized through social media. The obvious corrupt practices, such as demanding and collecting bribes, can be identified and dealt with.

It is more difficult to deal with the subtle corrupt practices, such as nepotism and cronyism, hiding under the guise of democracy and meritocracy.

Tan Kin Lian

Reliable information about the Wuhan virus

This is a useful report (thank you Straits Times) on the Wuhan virus. Up to now, it is not as severe as SARS or MERS (from Middle East), but we still don't know if it will grow worse. The fatality rate is low compared to SARS and MERS at this stage.

There are some videos going round that suggest that the epidemic is more serious and that the China authorities are understated the problem. There may be some under reporting, but the staggering numbers of fatalities and infected people being floated around are probably exaggerated and could be intentional fake news.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/wuhan-virus-versus-sars-which-is-more-deadly?

University in Iskandar

My friend sent his son to study in a British University campus in Educity, Iskandar. He said that the fees, without subsidy, is lower than the fees (after subsidy) in Singapore universities. He also liked the teaching method in the UK university.

He praised Najib for the progress in Malaysia during his tenure, including attracting the UK universities. He said that many universities attracted into Singapore closed down after a few years.

He brought me to the campus of the foreign universities in Iskandar. It was quite buzzing. In contrast, the campus operated by MDIS (a Singapore institution) in Educity was rather empty. He asked, why Singapore cannot make it?

Although most people think about the bad side of Najib (eg 1MDB), we should also look at his good side.

Betul, kah, bossku?

WOTC - Corruption in Singapore

Wisdom of the Crowd: 85% of the respondents said that Singapore has a high level of corruption involving cronies. 15% think that our system is quite free of corruption.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1806

WOTC - The future for Taiwan

Wisdom of the Crowd: 34% of the respondents said that Taiwan will continue to prosper with links to the outside world after the re-election of President Tsai. 7% think that Taiwan will continue to work with China. The other respondents expect a difficult time for Taiwan.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1805

WOTC - Promoting freedom and democracy

Wisdom of the Crowd: 90% of the respondents said that the US is not promoting freedom and democracy. It is pursuing its own economic interest and agenda.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1804

WOTC - US economic sanctions

Wisdom of the Crowd: 68% of the respondents said that the US is abusing its economic power and implementing economic sanctions in a haphazard and unfair manner.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1803

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Will the Wuhan virus become very serious
2. Is the court being fair to SDP on the POFMA hearing?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

WOTC - POFMA hearing in open court

Wisdom of the Crowd: 66% said that the govt should get rid of the confusing POFMA law. 34% said that the hearing should be held in open court.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1802

WOTC - Data on PMET employment

Wisdom of the Crowd: 59% of the respondents said that MOM refuse to provide data on PMET employment because they have something to hide. 24% said that the data is confusing.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1801

Difficult to change legacy system

My friend said that it is when the traditional manufacturers like GM, Ford, Toyota, BMW starts to manufacture electric cars, Tesla will face strong competition. He thinks that Tesla will not be profitable.

I disagree.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2480

Provide direction signs to main entrance

I attended a presentation at Pixel building in One North. I checked Singapore map and found the building. It is a JTC building.

There was no indication on the map where the entrance is. There was also no sign on the site. It was a strange building.

I walked round the building. I could not find the entrance. I walked again. I finally saw it near the car park.

If someone drives into the car park, they can see the entrance. But if the visitor does not drive, it is quite confusing.

I had a similar problem when I visited another JTC building in Woodlands one month ago. The building is called Wave 9. It is a large building. There is no indication where the main entrance lobby is. I have to walked around this huge building.

Why are signs in Singapore so bad? Why can't they indicate where is the main entrance to the building?

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2479

WOTC - Withholding of education certificate

Wisdom of the Crowd: 10% of the respondents viewed favorably the minister's decision to review the withholding of education certificates. The other 90% are unhappy with the further delay.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1798

WOTC - Fair consideration framework

Wisdom of the Crowd: Only 3% of the respondents agree with MOM' strategy to strengthen the Fair Consideration Framework. The others prefer MOM to adopt other strategies.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1797

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Should family members be barred from holding key positions in govt agencies?
2. Are food prices still cheap in Singapore

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https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

Wisdom of the Crowd

Vote on these issues and win a prize at the end of January.
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/active_issue.aspx

WOTC - Opinion of Chan Chun Sing

Wisdom of the Crowd: 100% of the respondents have a negative view of Chan Chun Sing.

Alamak, so bad? It is unfair to him.
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1796

WOTC - View of President Trump in US Iran conflict

Wisdom of the Crowd: 71% of the respondents have a negative view of President Trump's approach in the US Iran conflict.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1795

Will Singapore do well under a non PAP govt?

I will be frank.

There will be good and bad points.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2472

How to get local born citizens to accept new citizens

I like to suggest how to get our local born citizens to accept new citizens.

We should expect the new citizens to have the same obligations as local born citizens, especially in the field of national service.

But new citizens may be too old to serve national service, or they may not want to be new citizens if they have to suffer this obligation.

What can be done?

The solution is "out of the box".
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2467

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Will global stock markets advance further in 2020?
2. Will the property market in Singapore recover in 2020?
3. Are many PMETs losing their jobs in Singapore?
4. Will Heng SK deliver a financial plan for the future?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

Keep apps simple and focused

Many of the apps are difficult to use. They contain too many options. They distract from the key functions that users need in the app.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2466

E-payment in mall in Thailand

When I visited a food court in a mall in Thailand, I cannot pay cash. I have to pay by a card.

I was directed to the customer service counter. I gave cash to the staff who issue me with a payment card with the amount entered into the card.


I had to pay for my purchases with the card. The stall enter the amount into a device and I tap my card. That's it. It is quite easy.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2465

QR Code takes more time

I went to Yummy Noodles in Sembawang Hills Food Center and ordered $4 laksa. I opted to pay by QR code. It is the only stall in the food center that accepts this option.

I had to take many steps to make this QR payment. I explain below:
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2464

How Boeing’s role in a deadly crash ‘got buried’

New York Times reported.

How Boeing’s role in a deadly crash ‘got buried’

When a Boeing 737 crashed near Amsterdam in 2009, killing nine people, the accident was blamed on Dutch pilots. But Boeing’s mistakes also contributed, including its design choices and faulty safety assessments.

A review by The New York Times of evidence from the 2009 accident, some of it previously confidential, reveals striking parallels with recent Boeing crashes that killed hundreds — and resistance by a team of Americans, including Boeing and federal officials, to a full airing of findings that later proved relevant to Boeing’s Max plane.
An expert commissioned by the Dutch Safety Board to analyze the 2009 crash said it “represents such a sentinel event that was never taken seriously.” His study was never made public.

Comparisons: In the 2009 and Max accidents, the failure of a single sensor caused systems to misfire, with catastrophic results, and Boeing did not provide pilots with information that could have helped them react to the malfunction.

Quotable: The Turkish Airlines crash “should have woken everybody up,” said one aviation safety expert.

Viral ailment spreads in Asia, feeding fears of pandemic

New York Times reported.

Viral ailment spreads in Asia, feeding fears of pandemic

The coronavirus causing a new respiratory illness is now capable of spreading from person to person, a prominent Chinese scientist said on Monday, as the authorities reported a third death and doubled the number of cases from a day earlier, including in Beijing and southern China for the first time.
Cases have also been reported in Japan, South Korea and Thailand.

With hundreds of millions of people in China expected to travel for the Lunar New Year holiday, which begins Friday, public health officials are working to forestall a major outbreak. Some experts have suggested that there are probably far more cases of the illness than China’s authorities have disclosed.

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Will global stock markets advance further in 2020?
2. Will the property market in Singapore recover in 2020?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

WOTC - Priority of education policy

Wisdom of the Crowd: 86% of the respondents voted to change the focus to produce educated students rather than top students. 11% voted to abolish the scholarship system. 3% voted to reduce the syllabus.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1794

WOTC - Govt policy on National Service

Wisdom of the Crowd: 54% of the respondents prefer PR and new citizens to serve national service. 29% prefer to abolish NS and depend on a professional army. 17% prefer to reduce the time spend in NS and reservist by half. Nobody opted to continue NS it is current form.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1793

Articles on insurance and investments

These articles on insurance and investments are written for members of FISCA.

For the time being, they are also available to non-members, but after the email address is provided.
https://fisca.sg/Article.aspx

Difference of 34% in drug prices at public hospitals

The ministry of health has given this explanation. I find it unacceptable. Frankly, it is a load of rubbish.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2463

Health apps

I downloaded two apps from Ministry of Health.

a) Health 365 encourages users to exercise daily
b) Health Hub allows users to book appointments and keep their health records.

Both apps are useful, but they are over-designed. They have too many functions and information. It confuses the users. Often, I get stuck on a screen that I do not want and have to find many ways to get out of it.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2462

What is the point of segregating the data by citizen type?

Minister Chan Chun Sing asked - what is the point of segregating the data between citizen and permanent resident?

The answer is obvious - there is a perception that local born citizens have a higher risk of losing their jobs through retrenchment and are forced to take a job as a driver or delivery crew, just to make a living.

The perception is that a large number of the new jobs go to permanent residents and foreigners, which could have gone to these locally born citizens.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2457

Difficult to make an appointment at polyclinic

I faced the following problem in making an appointment to visit the polyclinic. Here is my feedback.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2456

Prerequisites for new citizens

I wish to give my views about prerequisites for new citizens.
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=2455

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. What is the best outcome for the general election?
2. Do you believe in ghosts?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

WOTC - Singapore spends $3.5 billion on fighter jets

Wisdom of the Crowd: 90% of the respondents said that it was not wise for Singapore to spend $3.5 billion on the fighter jets.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1792

WOTC - Shooting down of Ukrainian plane

Wisdom of the Crowd: 55% of the respondents said that Iran should take responsibility for the shooting down of the Ukrainian airline. 32% blame the US.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1791

Another ponzi scheme, involving blockchain

Someone said.

I have a friend who invest in a digital bitcoin website blockchain advertising business, they promised him a payout of 2% per months , meaning he will get 24% per year ! This looks perfectly a good investment.

But he did not really know how this business really can delivers the returns as these returns are projections based on the company leaders self claim they can do it easily without showing how they can consistently deliver the results in a safe and sustainable way in long term.

Not long after he invested in his high hopes investment, he saw his investment value has achieved a 200% over a period of time . Later , he was encouraged by the company leaders to recruits members like him to join in and earn the rewards to invest in this scheme. The new recruits was also able to see their returns every month, but they cannot withdraw the money for the first two years but can see the value in digital figures. He also earns their joining fee.

He was so happy and wanted to cashout the investment for his children education in a local university. Little did he realize in digital sums in the Statement showing his 200% increase value that states he can withdraw the money after a promise minimum lock in period. He tries to withdraw the money, the system denied his request, mentioned the server is down and the company leaders mentioned that they are trying to rectify the issues. Months has passed , he still couldn’t withdraw the money inside .

The D - Days comes But was too late. He tried to call the office about the investment in the digital bitcoins on how he can get all the digital money out but only discovered that the telephone number is not in used and the office is closed. The company leaders which he keep in touch also went missing eventually!

Moral of the story, there is no such things of safe investment when comes to unqualified valuation and investment returns that are too good to believe in! In short, if you are promise a Mandate, and the mandates are part of the always changing mandates according to the company policy as part of the investment mandates, you should always beware the Risk? How True ?

MY COMMENT - Hello, this is a ponzi scheme. The promoter take the money from the later investors to pay the attractive return of the earlier investors. The ponzi grows in geometrical proportion. When the promoter has made enough money, he disappear with all the investments. The investors lost all of their money.

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. What will happen to Taiwan after the landslide win of President Tsai
2. Does Singapore still have a high level of non-corruptibility?

Vote in
https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/vote.aspx

WOTC - Conflict between US and Iran

Wisdom of the Crowd: 81% of the respondents expect the conflict between US and Iran to continue and will not be resolved soon.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1790

WOTC - Use of e-payment for small transactions

Wisdom of the Crowd: 66% of the respondents said that Singapore should move towards e-payment for small payments.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart.aspx?ID=1789