Have a curious mind, be willing to give it a try

I have shown my wooden puzzles to many people. I will share with you the most common reaction.

At least 9 out of 10 will reply - it is too difficult for me. I am not good at this kind of things.

They reflect a total lack of curiosity, an unwillingness to even give it a try. It showed a totally closed mind.

This is a characteristics quite common among Singaporeans. I think most Asians have this trait. I am not sure about westerners. Maybe, they are more open minded and curious?

I am quite different from most people. I have a curious mind. I want to try any new puzzle, even at my age!

I also learned that any new puzzle, any new challenge, can be learned. Especially, if there is someone around to teach us.

During the Genting Dream Cruise, I decided to join the Cha Cha Dance lesson. I knew Cha Cha before, but I lost it due to lack of practice. After 1 hour, I got back the basics. I will be watching a few Youtube videos to brush up.

Back to the wooden puzzles. If you want to open up your mind and curiosity, watch this video on the Magic Cube Wooden Puzzle. You can but the wooden puzzle in Jogjakarta or Bali.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tJFyBm0Ujs

Magic cube wooden puzzle

This is an interesting wooden puzzle. I call it the magic cube. I bought it in Jogjakarta, Central Java.
It is a challenging puzzle. I had to try it more than 100 times to get the solution. I created this video to show how to solve this puzzle.

Magic cube wooden puzzle. 
https://youtu.be/7tJFyBm0Ujs

Will North Korea give up its nuclear development?

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd - Will North Korea give up its nuclear development?

35% said that North Korea is likely to give up its nuclear ambition in exchange for trade and aid.

35% said that the North Korea leaders cannot be trusted. They are just playing a game.

15% said that the leaders wanted North Korea to prosper.

15% said that there will be peace in the Korean peninsular.

A total of 65% are positive towards the development in North Korea.

You can view the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=572

Select committee hearing on online fake news

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - What is your view about the select committee hearing on online fake news?

56% of those who voted said that some panel members acted like bullies.

40% said that the panel members are adopting an adversorial approach towards feedback from the public.

A total of 96% provided a negative comment.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=570

What is your view about the small online news websites?

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd - What is your view about the small online news websites?

57% of those who voted said that they provide a useful alternative source of news.

38% said that the readers can distinguish between fair and distored news reporting.

A total of 95% felt that they are useful and are not harmful.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=571

Should teachers be required to pay a fee to park their cars in schools?

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Should teachers be required to pay a fee to park their cars in schools?

48% of those who voted said that they should continue to enjoy the privilege of free parking in the school.

22% said that they should pay a parking fee to be fair to the teachers who do not drive cars.

19% said that it should be left to the principla to decide.

11% said that this should be decided by the government.

A total of 67% disagree with the government decision to charge a parking fee. 33% agreed with this decision.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=568

Should the government pass a law to deal with deliberate fake news?

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Should the government pass a law to deal with deliberate fake news?

56% said that it is an attempt to obstruct freedom of speech and expression.

24% said that this matter can be handled by existing laws.

12% said that the new law is likely to lead to confusion, uncertainty and possibility of abuse by the government.

A total of 92% are not in favor of this new law.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=569

Why does the attorney General charge Li Shengwu for criticising the judiciary

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Why does the attorney General charge Li Shengwu for criticising the judiciary.

67% said that he acted on the wish of the prime minister.
17% said that he was advised by his legal assistants
13% said that he consulted the prime minister.

A total of 80% believed that the prime minister was personally involved in this decision.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=567

Should the government approve the merger of Uber and Grab in Singapore?

I asked this question in The Wisom of the Crowd - Should the government approve the merger of Uber and Grab in Singapore?

42% said that the merger will create a monopoly and be bad for drivers and riders.

19% said that this decision should be left to the market.

19% said that the government should not interfere with a commercial decision.

19% said that the government should ban this merger.

A small majority (61%) is in favor of government action to stop the merger.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=564

Indiscriminate parking of shared bikes

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Croswd - Should there be a law to impose penalty on riders for indiscriminate parking of shared bikes?

43% said that it is proper for all aspects of the shared bike operation to be regulated.

36% said that this will lead to an orderly parking of the bicycles.

11% said that indiscriminate parking is similar to vandalism.

11% said that the government should not interfere with the operation.

A total of 89% are in favor of government action.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=565

Should the restriction on Thaipusam procession be removed?

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd - Should the restriction on Thaipusam procession be removed?

52% said that the procession is an important part of the festival and should be allowed without restriction.

24% said there is no harm in removing the current restriction on the use of music during the procession.

14% said that it is all right for music to be used as it is only for a short while.

A total of 90% are in favor of removing the restriction on the use of music.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=566

How can the government reduce the cost of living for ordinary people?

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - How can the government reduce the cost of living for ordinary people?

61% said that the government should abolish GST totally.

36% said they should remove GST on essential items.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=563

GST as applied in Singapore and other countries

Someone sent this article to me by e-mail. She did not quote the source. Most of the information are quite reliable.

Quote:

Spore cost of living is impacted by factors of COE/ ERP/ GST/ FW Levy plus the high rental of shopping Centres owned by our Govt. Buzz operating cost is high.....

The Singapore media only reported half of the truth when they compare GST with the VAT in the advanced countries.

The PAP’s propaganda – “Singapore’s 7% GST is the LOWEST in the world, look at Europe and the U.K., their VAT is 20%……Singapore’s 13% lower !!!”

Really? Do you even know the truth?

Yes, in the Western countries like U.K. the headline VAT (value-added-tax aka GST in Singapore) is 20%. But this is only for your luxury items – your LVs, APs and Rolexes.

VAT is exempt for basic essential foodstuff like your milk, eggs, sugar, flour, bread, rice, baby milk powder etc.

So suffice to say when you go grocery shopping in the UK, you don’t need to pay any VAT on your foodstuff!

Just check your last NTUC Fairprice grocery receipt; how much GST have you paid for your daily essential foodstuff?

Of course, if I decided to go for a nice brunch at one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant, I would need to pay the VAT for my poached eggs.

So whilst many have the perception that UK and Europe are high-taxation and expensive places to live in; people there do have a choice – to buy GST-free groceries or eat at a restaurant.

Do Singaporeans have the option of not paying GST for their foodstuff???

Singapore today have REGRESSED after 13 years under LHL’s vision and leadership or the lack thereof, if you have be observing carefully and doing meaningful global cross-borders comparison!

A lot of Singaporeans who have not lived overseas for a meaningful period as a local can never understand the real issues that Singapore is facing today.

Especially those with lesser critical thinking and constantly fed by half-truths unknowingly, of which the VAT is a very good example.

In Singapore the 7% GST is applied across everything.

In the western countries like Australia, UK etc. a LOT of things are GST/VAT-exempt.

These include, if you do not already know – all education, insurance, medical and social services.

So you do not need to pay any GST on the story books you buy from Popular or Kinokuniya.

No GST on all your educational courses, tuition classes or university fees.

No GST on medicines and when you are sick and have to visit the doctors or have an ops procedure.

When you buy insurance for yourself, your family or even your car, there’s no need to pay any GST too.

This goes for all medical and social welfare services from birth to burial – NO GST/VAT.

In Singapore, you have to pay a goods and services tax on even your own coffin and funeral service!

How did Donald Trump win the US Presidential Election?

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - How did Donald Trump win the US Presidential Election?

35% of the people who voted said that the voters liked what he said at the rallies.

35% said that his opponent was hated by the voters.

19% said the data analytic company helped by campaign by hacking into Facebook.

12% said that the Russians helped him.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=560

How was China's response to the US trade tariff?

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - How was China's response to the US trade tariff?

This was in the context of a retaliatory tariff of $3 billion on US exports.

63% of those who voted said this is the first part of the retaliation. More will come.

21% said it is in China's interest to reduce the scale of the dispute.

8% said it was swift and impactful.

8% said it was mild.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=561

Will Facebook suffer a major backlash for the hacking of its data?

I asked this question in the wisdom of the crowd - Will Facebook suffer a major backlash for the hacking of its data?

40% of those who voted said the long term impact will be minor. The users will return to Facebook.

40% said that users will accept that other websites face the same risk.


16% said that the users will realize that the breach does not affect them personally.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=562

Is it good to change the labour chief?

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Is it good to change the labour chief to Ng Chee Meng?

48% of the people who voted said that the labor movement should be allowed to choose its leader from the grassroots.

35% said that Chan Chun Sing is doing a bad job as labor chief and should be replaced.

The remaining 17% are supportive of this change.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=557

Who will form the next government in Malaysia?

I asked this question in The Wisdom of the Crowd - Who will form the next government in Malaysia?

41% of the people who voted said that Barisan National will win through gerrymandering.

33% said that Barisan National will win under PM Najib and UMNO.

13% said that Pakatan Harapan will win.

13% said that Pakatan Harapan will fail due to incompatible parties.

A total of 87% expect Barisan National to win the next general election.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=558

A better way to implement democracy

Is there a better way to implement democracy around the world?

In many countries, the existing government "cheated" by redrawing the electorial boundaries to ensure that they have a better chance of winning the next general election. It is called "gerrymandering".

In some cases, they give money or goodies to the poor people to buy their votes. The poor people are usually illiterate or politically naive.

In some cases, they stuff the ballot boxes with fake votes in their favor. Or they simply replace the actual ballot boxes with the fake ones containing fake voting slips in their favor.

Even in a country that is regarded as the "bastion of democracy", their system is influenced by large sums of money that is spent on advertising to influence the voters using untruths. The candidates with the most campaign funds usually win. Their elections are "bought" with money.

What is the purpose of this "democratic process" which can be abused in many countries to perpetuate a regime for several decades?

When is the purpose of allowing each person to have a vote when that person is not educated or mature to exercise the vote correctly?

Is there a better way to exercise democracy?

I want to make a statement that will surprise many people. A good example of effective democracy is ...... China.

Why do I say so?

In China, the leaders are elected through voting by members of the communist party. These members or cadres are educated on the principles that govern their party, which are also the same principles enshrined in their constitution. All countries have a constitution that lay down the principles for which their country should be governed. China is also following the same approach.

The main difference is that the principles enshrined in the constitution in China are different in some respects from the principles enshrined in the constitution of America. But it does not make the consitution of China worse than America. In fact, the development of China showed that their approach is more effective in uplifting the well being of their people.

I am not saying that the system in China will continue to be better over the long term. But we can see that it is better for the past few decades.

I will now deal with the argument that their leaders are voted only by the members or cadres of the communist party. In my view, this is a better system.

To earn the right to vote, the voter must be educated in the constitution of the country. This is a requirement for all members of the party. They have to be educated in these matters. Being educated, they can make better decisions.

The communist party has more than 100 million members. This is more than the voting population in most "free countries" where every citizen (including the uneducated ones) is allowed to vote.

The leaders of the communist party are elected through a democratic system that is exercised at different layers - the villages, counties, provinces and at the national level. The leaders elected at each level become the voters at the next higher level. This system is quite democratic.

I am not saying that the system in China is free of corruption. On the contrary, it has been riddled with corrupt practices in past years. This disease is now being addressed by the current leaders.

I hope that they will succeed, and that there is a clean process of electing the right leaders for the country and, after being elected, they will use their powers with honesty and integrity and make the right decisions for their countries.

Even the principles of the community party and the constitution of the country can be changed to allow the country to move forward. If you recall, there was a seismic change when the communist party decided to adopt "free market economics" in a socialist system. It turned out to be the best strategy for China.

There is a risk that the people elected under the communist system can become dictators. This has happened in past years under many communist countries. But there are also many dictators who are elected under the non-communist system aslo. Dictatorship is not a monopoly of the communist system.

I hope that people will realize that the system that is now adopted in China is more democratic and better than the systems of "free elections" adopted by most non-communist countries.

Tan Kin Lian

Where will Chan Chun Sing go after leaving NTUC?

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd - Where will Chan Chun Sing go after leaving NTUC?

44% of the people who voted said he would be deputy prime minister and coordinating minister.

41% voted that he will head another ministry.

15% said he will leave the government or become an ambassador.

See the breakdown of the votes in
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=556