WOTC - Singapore economy

 Wisdom of the Crowd: 94% of respondents have a negative view of the Singapore economy over the next six months.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2908

WOTC - Presidential election

 Wisdom of the Crowd: 47% of respondents expect that there will only be 1 candidate for the presidential election. 40% expect that there will be a contest but the PAP sponsored candidate will win.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2907

The Sun and the Storm

Once upon a time, in a serene and picturesque meadow, the Sun and the Storm engaged in a lively discussion about their unique perspectives on life. They were opposites in nature, representing the forces of positivity and negativity.

The Sun, with its warm and radiant rays, believed in spreading light and cheer to all living beings. It was a symbol of positivity, hope, and optimism. The Storm, on the other hand, was tempestuous, dark, and carried a gloomy atmosphere wherever it went. It symbolized negativity, uncertainty, and pessimism.

Eager to prove the strength of their respective mindsets, the Sun and the Storm decided to hold a competition. They chose a small village nestled in the meadow as the battleground for their contest.

The Sun decided to begin the competition by blessing the village with its bright and nurturing rays. It shone down upon the inhabitants, embracing them in its gentle warmth. The villagers, infused with positivity, felt inspired and joyful. They engaged in productive activities, helped one another, and spread happiness throughout the community.

As the Sun's radiant presence continued, the village flourished. The crops grew abundantly, and the animals thrived. The people's faces glowed with contentment, and a harmonious atmosphere enveloped the village.

Observing the village's transformation, the Storm grew restless. It believed that it could outdo the Sun's positive influence with its power to disrupt and bring about change. So, the Storm unleashed its might upon the village, covering the sky with dark clouds and unleashing a torrential downpour.

The villagers, now facing adversity, felt gloomy and uncertain. The fields flooded, and their hard work seemed in vain. The Storm's negative energy weighed heavily upon them, sapping their motivation and filling their hearts with despair.

Despite the Storm's relentless assault, the Sun continued to shine. It remained hidden behind the dark clouds, waiting for its chance to reclaim its rightful place in the sky. Slowly, the Storm exhausted itself, and the rain ceased. The Sun emerged, triumphant and radiant, from behind the retreating storm clouds.

As the Sun's warm rays touched the village once again, a miraculous transformation took place. The villagers' spirits lifted, and their resilience ignited. They came together, rebuilding their homes, replanting their fields, and helping one another recover from the storm's aftermath.

The Sun's positive energy infused the villagers with hope, optimism, and determination. Through their collective efforts, they not only restored the village but also made it even stronger than before.

In the end, it became evident to all that the Sun's positive mindset had triumphed over the Storm's negativity. The fable of the Sun and the Storm taught the villagers and anyone who heard their story that a positive mind can overcome any obstacle, inspiring resilience, unity, and a brighter future.

The moral of the fable: A positive mind, like the Sun, brings light, hope, and strength even in the face of adversity, while a negative mind, like the Storm, can only disrupt and hinder progress.

Difference between a positive and negative mind

 I write this story about a serving robot to explain the difference between a positive and a negative mind.

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=5727

WOTC - Temasek and FTX

 Wisdom of the Crowd: 73 % of the respondents said that Temasek Holdings should claw back the bonus paid during the past two years to the executives involved in the decision to invest in FTX.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2906

WOTC - President of Singapore

 Wisdom of the Crowd: 58% of respondents expect another person (other than HC, George Yeo or Lee HY) to be the next president of Singapore.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2905

WOTC - COE

 Wisdom of the Crowd: 92 % of respondents prefer the authorities to set a market price for the COE quotas and distribute the quota by ballot (instead of the current bidding system).

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2904

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Who will you vote as President of Singapore (1)
2. Who will you vote as President of Singapore (2)

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

WOTC - Land for religious organizations

 80 % of respondents said that the balloting system for land used by religious organizations ensures that the land is priced at market, but is not inflated through bidding

tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2903

WOTC - Business mail

 Wisdom of the Crowd: 50% of the respondents said that business mail should be sent to a secured business mail platform, 40% by ordinary email and 10% by login to the individual organization's website.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2902

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Who will you vote for at the presidential election, 2023
2. Which candidate will you vote for president 2023?

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

WOTC - Bus service at Tuas checkpoint

 Wisdom of the Crowd - 100 % of respondents said that it t is better to have more bus operators at Tuas checkpoint to provide alternative choices to commuters and avoid a monopoly.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2901

WOTC - Priority in queues for seniors

 Wisdom of the Crowd: 77 % of respondents said that seniors should be given priority as a sign of respect and also for their health

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2900

Invest in SDR of Thai stocks listed in SGX

 Someone asked for my views about investing in SDR (stock deposit receipts) of Thai companies, recently listed in SGX and promoted by Singapore banks.

I wrote my view here.
https://fisca.sg/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ID=1334

Trash bins

There is a shortage of trash bins in public places. It is difficult to find a trash bin when it is needed.

Some people said that the trash bins could be a security risk as terrorists could plant explosives in bags that are kept in the bins. I find this reason to be incredible. Terrorist could leave explosives in crowded places that could cause more harm.

Anyway, there are not many incidences of exploding trash bins for this to be a real risk. It is more likely to be imaginary.

The real reason could be the shortage of workers to remove the trash from the bins.

I like to suggest how the disposal of trash can be better organized to solve the shortage of labor and also to achieve the goal of recycling.

a) Provide large trash bins for different types of materials (i.e. different bins for paper, glass and metal) at trash centers located near street corners.
b) Stop collecting of trash at the houses. The householders can deposit their trash centers.
c) Many people go to the bus stop for their daily travel. It is not difficult for them to carry the trash bags to the trash centers along the way.
d) Those who drive cans top their cars near the trash centers.
e) Encourage the households to have separate trash bags for different types of trash (for recycling).
f) Collect the trash from the trash centers a few times each day.

Ordinary people have been used to throwing trash down a chute in a HDB block or in a bin outside their house. They can change their habits to bring the trash in a bag to the trash center.

We need a more efficient way to collect the trash.

Tan Kin Lian
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=5725

WOTC - Trash bins

 Wisdom of the Crowd: 83 % of respondents said that trash bins are necessary for people to throw their trash at convenient public places.

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2899

Have medical test centers in the neighborhood

I wish to share my experience in visiting the Singapore National Eye Center (SNEC) for treatment as a public patient and give some suggestions on how the process could be improved.

I spent 4 hours at the SNEC clinic to take 2 tests and be seen twice by the specialist(i.e. eye doctor). The technicians performing the two tests took about 20 minutes and by the specialist saw me for 15 minutes. The remainder of the time was sent waiting.

I will break down the process as follows:

a) Carry out tests
b) Review by the specialist

With modern technology, it should be possible for the tests to be taken at a test center in the neighborhood. The images could be seen by the specialist remotely.

If there is a need for the specialist to talk to the patient, it can also be done through teleconferencing. If a live interview is needed, it can be arranged at the test center or a visit to the medical center.

My suggestion is to have a network of test centers in the neighborhood, that are connected to the medical center.

It is better to have adequate testing equipment, manned by medical technicians at test centers. This will reduce the travel and waiting time for the patients and still produce a satisfactory review by the specialist.

We can use modern technology in an efficient manner. It applies to the test centers, to the database system to keep the relevant patient records and to an efficient appointment system.

The use of the test centers in the neighborhood is especially useful to handle the elderly patients who may find it difficult to visit the medical center.

My suggestion can probably be applied to other treatments, i.e. other than eye treatment. However, I am not familiar with these processes, so I will leave this matter for others to comment.

If surgery or treatment are required, the patient will have to visit the medical center to be seen by the specialist. Still, it is useful for the tests to be carried out earlier, using the neighborhood testing centers.

Tan Kin Lian
https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=5724

Wisdom of the Crowd - New Issues

1. Will there be a contest for the presidential election in 2023?
2. Which is the prospect for the Singapore economy during the next 6 months

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

Feeder services to MRT stations

 The current bus network comprise of over 300 services that provides a comprehensive coverage of the whole of Singapore. It is possible to get from one part of Singapore to another part on a direct service or by making one or two transfers.

While this system is necessary in the old days before the MRT network was fully developed, it is probably redundant and costly to operate.

The bus network can now be replaced by a new network of feeder buses to bring commuters to the nearby MRT station, where they can use the MRT network to travel a long distance to their destination. If the final destination is far from the MRT station, the commuter can make another transfer on a feeder bus.

The current network of over 300 services can be replaced by a new network of 120 feeder buses, with an average of 2 feeder services serving each town. The feeder buses travel a short distance within the town and can be at intervals of 2 to 5 minutes during peak and off peak hours.

The cost of operating the feeder bus network is likely to be much lower than the cost of operating the current network of over 300 bus services.

I guess that the potential savings could be $50 million a year.

At a later stage, it should be possible to replace the manned feeder buses by an autonomous feeder buses. As the feeder service is short, it should be quite easy to convert the buses to run autonomously. These autonomous buses can run on electricity.

While this will reduce drivers, it will create jobs to provide customer service and technicians to service the buses.

Under the new system of feeder buses, it may be difficult for the wheelchair users to make many transfers. Their needs can be better met by providing a network of wheelchair ready vehicles to bring them to medical facilities. This can be called on demand or by a service that operate at hourly or half hourly intervals.

I hope that the Land Transport Authority will think about this option for the future.

Tan Kin Lian

https://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=5723

WOTC - Spratly Islands

 Wisdom of the Crowd: 73 % of the respondents said that it is better for China to take a soft approach on the Spratly Islands and not affect the livelihood of the Filipino fishermen

https://tklcloud.com/Crowd2/chart3.aspx?id=2898