Dishonest and unethical lawyers

Lawyers are professionals who practice the law. The law in any country is intended to uphold justice and achieve an honest and law abiding society. We expect lawyers to set a good example in honesty, ethics and observance of the spirit and letter of the law.

I have seen many examples of lawyers who act in a deplorable manner for the sake of greed and  professional fees. Here are some examples:

1. Collaborate with dishonest workshops to lodge fraudulent claims for motor repairs on insurance companies.
2. Write investment contracts (actually scams) to take away the savings of unwary investors and make complex arrangements with overseas parties to thwart legal action for recovery by aggrieved investors in Singapore
3. Write legal claims to intimate third parties for infringement of patents or copyrights, when the lawyer know that their client does not have any basis for the claim.

I have personally experienced all of the above deplorable behavior of lawyers during the past years. I have lodged complaints to the authority and have been disappointed at the lack of follow up action. Over the years, the situation has gone from bad to worse.

I would be more understanding if the deplorable behavior was conducted by sole practice lawyers struggling to make a living. I have found that the big name and the old time legal firms, who are supposed to be the respected members of the legal fraternity, are now engaged in these questionable activities. This is how bad the situation has become.

Tan Kin Lian

Unclear communication from lawyer firm

I have been developing the taxi booking system for the past three years. It has now gone through phase 5, i.e TABS 5. All the development were done using our initiative and by trial and error. I just received a letter from a big law firm in Singapore that suggest that I am infringing somebody's patent. It reads as follows:



REPLY TO THE LAWYER
I find your letter to be written in a complex manner. Can you state clearly what you are referring to and in what manner you are alleging that your client's patent has been infringed? I find this type of communication to be deplorable.

No claim discount on motor insurance - reporting an accident

Direct Asia explains their approach towards No Claim Discount on motor insurance and also the practice of the market.

A policyholder will lose the NCD when he reports an accident and is assessed to be liable for the accident, whether or not a claim is actually received. However, if he is not liable, he can still make a claim and will not be penalized for the NCD.

http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=632

CPF Life - new plans from 2013

From 2013, the Government will be offering only two plans under CPF Life, instead of the four plans that are available now. I agree with this approach, as the public found it difficult to choose between the four plans.

There are still a lot of doubts with the two plans, i.e. the diminishing amount of the bequest as the years go by, and the subsidy given to people with lower savings (i.e. they get a higher rate of payout for each $1,000 of saving, compared to those with higher savings). Some people are still unhappy with the compulsory nature, as they are forced to buy a product that they do not like, using their own savings.

Many years ago, I gave the following suggestion to the CPF Life public hearing committee:

I recommended that they should not make CPF Life compulsory, but make it voluntary and attractive. 

I had recommended that CPF Life should only make a payout after age 85, i.e. the CPF member will continue to get the payout up to 85 from the retirement account. I also recommended that the cost of the post 85 CPF Life, estimated to be $10,000, should be 50% subsidied by the Government, and it should be voluntary.

It will be sold as follows. 
About 50% of people at 65 will live beyond 85 and will not have any money left, as their retirement account will be depleted at that time. To get a monthly income of $X Isorry, I forgot the amount) payable from 85 to death, you can buy CPF Life. It will cost $10,000 at age 65. If you buy CPF Life, you only need to pay $5,000 as 50% will be subsidised by the Government.

But do remember, the members who die before 85, the money paid will not be refunded, as it will be used to pay the payout to those the members who live beyond 85. This is the concept of risk pooling. 
This scheme is voluntary.

Unfortunately, the public hearing committee did not take up my suggestion. Now, we have a messing 4 plan CPF Life wihich will be converted to a 2 plan CPF Life and still many people who are unhappy about the plan. 

Unfortunately, they did not accept my suggestion and come out with a convoluted (extremely complex and difficult to understand) plan, which is typical in Singapore. 

Straits Times survey highlight "honesty" as the top value

The Straits Times carried out a survey and found that "Honesty" is rated at the top among the values that Singaporeans found to be most important. This survey was carried out for the purpose of teaching the right values in our schools.

Does this reflect that our society has become somewhat dishonest and that this value need to be re-affirmed? Can you identify the areas, regarding honesty, that need to be improved? 

No claim discount on motor insurance

I sent this letter to the General Insurance Association and to my own insurance company.

I wish to enquire about the application of No Claim Discount.
I understand that the NCD is reduced on renewal if there is a claim lodged against the policy during the period of insurance.
If the policyholder makes an accident report but does not make any claim (and there is no claim from the other party), does the policyholder loses the NCD?
Someone told me that it is now the "market practice" for the NCD to be impacted, if there is a report of an accident, even though no claim may be lodged.
I teach Insurance in SMU and need to give to my student the current "market practice".

CPF Life - an analysis of the new plans to be introduced in 2013

I have analysed the Standard Plan and Basic Plan offered by CPF Life form 2013. I have also made some comment on the better terms that are offered for people who smaller savings, compared to those with higher savings. The question is - who is subsidising the lower income? [Tan Kin Lian]


My article is now available for members only in the FISCA website, www.fisca.sg

Simplify requirements

I wanted to apply for internet banking payments through my corporate account (which was already opened a few years ago). The bank sent to me a very complicated form with more than 100 boxes to be filled in. Being unfamiliar with this form, I do not know how to proceed. The bank staff had to help me by filling in the parts that are needed. I still have to sign on several places in the form (and I do not know what are the liabilities for making mistakes). I also have to get a board resolution to be passed, and also for the resolution to be certified by a secretary (who does not work in my office).

Why do our banks create so much trouble for a simple request? I am able to write checks, so making internet banking payment is a simple extension to this function.

I suspect that this type of hassle is created by a requirement of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. I want to tell the Government that they should review all these hassles that add to the cost of doing business in Singapore.

Higher allowance for National Service

I welcome the decision to give a higher allowance for our National Servicemen.
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120307-0000076/Rank-allowance-up-by-S$60-for-NSFs,-NSmen

More needs to be done to level the playing field for our NS men who are disadvantaged in competing in the job market against foreign workers and females. The allowance need to be increased further and the period of National Service shortened in stages, eventually to 12 months.

I like the system of conscription in Switzerland. Like Singapore, Switzerland is a small country that needs a strong defense capability to ensure their independence. They are able to find a system that is fairer to their citizens. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service

Quote:

Switzerland has mandatory military service for all able-bodied male citizens, who are conscripted when they reach the age of majority, though women may volunteer for any position. People determined unfit for service, where fitness is defined as "satisfying physically, intellectually and psychically requirements for military service or civil protection service and being capable of accomplishing these services without harming oneself or others", are exempted from service but pay a 3% additional annual income tax until the age of 30, unless they are affected by a disability. Almost 20% of all conscripts were found unfit for military or civilian service in 2008; the rate is generally higher in urban cantons such as Zurichand Geneva than in the rural ones. Swiss citizens living abroad are generally exempted from conscription in time of peace while dual citizenship by itself does not grant such exemption.^[26]\

Quote:

Military service for Swiss men is obligatory according to the Federal Constitution, and includes 18 or 21 weeks of basic training (depending on troop category) as well as annual 3-week-refresher courses until a number of service days which increases with rank (260 days for privates) is reached. (It is also possible to serve the whole requirement at one piece, meaning no refresher courses are required.) Service for women is voluntary, but identical in all respects. Conscientious objectors can choose 390 days of community service instead of military service. Medical deferments and dismissals from basic training (often on somewhat dubious grounds) have increased significantly in the last years. Therefore, only about 55% to 60% of Swiss men actually complete basic training.

^{My view. The duration of National Service is too long in Singapore. I suspect that it has cause harm to the education and employment prospects of our male citizens. I hope that we can adopt the Swiss model.}
 

US Presidential Election - Obama's message

I am glad that Barrack Obama has a good chance to be re-elected. He has the right vision for America and the world. We only need him to get the support of the American people and to have a friendly Congress.
http://www.todayonline.com/Commentary/EDC120307-0000071/Obamas-new-tune-for-Campaign-2012

Straits Times Forum Page - 7 March 2012

I wish to give my views on the points raised in some of the letters published in the Forum Page.

1. Mr. Anthony Pragasam said that higher fuel surcharges imposed by Singapore Airlines penalise passengers who redeem frequent flyer points. While I agree with Mr. Pragasam's point, I also wish to state  the increase in fuel prices are an additional cost on air travel which were probably not factored into the calculation of the original redemption of the free travel redemption. Also, the fuel charges are expected to be temporary and could be withdrawn when the fuel prices come down (hopefully).

2, Ms. Tan Lin Neo said that senior's housing needs are more important than playground and carparks. She was referring to the protests from residents of Toh Yi against the development of studio apartments for the elderly in their neighborhood. I agree with Ms. Tan. I hope that the our people can be more understanding of the need to develop facilities in our limited land space to cater for the needs of other people. I do understand the feelings of owners who have paid high prices for their flats only to find that the neighborhood had somewhat "deteriorated". Perhaps, the HDB could consider building some other facilities that could enhance the value of the neighborhood that can compensate for the perceived "deterioration".

3. Mr. Jaffer Sadiq, Mr. Thng Tien Guan and Ms. Kelly Kishore Mel have written about the impact on employers and the unintended consequences that could arise from the change in law that mandate maids should be given one day off each week. I agree with their points, particularly on the removal of the maid levy and the security deposit.

4.  Mr. Hilarion Goh wrote about the problem that "day off for maid" regulation would cause to him in taking care of his mother (who suffer from dementia), especially as he is the only member of the family and has to work irregular hours and to travel abroad. I believe that there is provision in the regulation for the maid to be paid in lieu of having a day off. Perhaps this arrangement could solve his dilemma.

5. The Law Society has written to give the reason why they do not favor fee guidelines. I understand that this is not really their decision but is a consequence of the ruling by the Competition Commission against fee guidelines by professional bodies. I disagree with the Competition Commission and will be writing on this matter separately.

Tan Kin Lian

Rise of pawn shops and loan sharks

Hi Mr Tan,
I have followed your blog since your presidential election bid last year, you come across as an honest and outspoken individual with unique views and solutions.

I wonder if you have seen the rise in jewelry and pawnshops in singapore in recent years, just along AMK central there are 4-6 competing pawnshops in a row.

In the unsecured personal loans space, there is remarkable loan growth as well, from DBS cashline, Citibank ready credit etc. This largely involves high 20% annual interest rates or similar.

There is a segment of the market trapped in a perpetual debt cycle, 'rollers' and their debts keep ballooning until they default. Loansharking is on the rise, even for small sums.

Can a study be done, anonymously government-style, to eliminate these negative trends, find out who are the people borrowing this money, and help them before they become a greater social problem, that will cost more in future, using a targeted approach and avoid consequences of jail/broken families/productivity loss etc.

The Government should require the pawnshops to keep records of their customers to allow counselors to track them down.

REPLY
I have observed the rise of the pawn shops and posted this blog
http://tankinlian.blogspot.com/2012/01/pawn-and-money-lending-shops.html

Regarding the survey, sorry, it does require too much resources and I don't have them. I suggest that you write a letter to the newspaper and see what is the reply from the government.

Test of economic fairness

Quote: Obama's test of economic fairness is whether a person working hard at a full time job is able to set up a family, send his children to college and retire properly. I think Singapore fails this test miserably - a large segment of our population will not have enough to retire properly based on the number that will not be able to accumulate the minimum sum by retirement age[how many will have $131K by age 55] and the large number on workfare [Link] people who don't even make enough for basic living.



http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/01/obamas-2012-state-of-union-address.html

Plight of Fandi Ahmad

http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/02/plight-of-singapores-son-fandi-ahmad.html

Revised CPF Life - at a glance

This is the annex taken from the MOM media release. It shows the payout under the revised CPF Life scheme to be implemented from 2013. I will be writing about the projected yield under these plans.

Fraudulent third party claim

Here is a common situation encountered by motorist in Singapore. If you have been driving for many years, there is a chance that you might encounter it personally or know of a friend who has met with this event.

Motorist X was involved in a minor accident with another vehicle driven by motorist Y. Both parties agreed that it was a minor dent and agreed not to file an insurance claim. Motorist X might even have agreed to pay a small sum to the motorist Y to repair the dent. Motorist X thought that was the end of the matter.

A few months later, motorist X received a letter from a lawyer acting for motorist Y claiming a large amount for the repair of the damages caused by that accident. There were photographs showing the serious damages to motorist Y’s vehicle, which were aggravated. It was accompanied by a surveyor’s report and possible a witness’ report that motorist X caused the accident.

Motorist X was in a state of shocked at the large size of the bill. He reported the claim to his insurance company, which prompted denied liability as motorist X failed to observe a condition in the policy to report an accident within 24 hours.

What can motorist X do?

I will be posting the reply to this question in an article that will be made available only to members of FISCA. You can visit the FISCA website (www.fisca.sg) to see the information pages (that are updated regularly). Some pages are reserved for members and other pages can be viewed by the public.

You can also view the event pages (showing the educational talks conducted by FISCA) and register to be a member of FISCA.

Wall Street Wants the Obama Tax Plan

Republican party leaders may be surprised by the results of a new poll of institutional investors: A majority of them want Washington to fix the deficit the Obama way, with both spending cuts and tax hikes.

http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2012/03/05/investors-deficit-fix/?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29

Tax the rich

Quote: It is patriotic for the rich to pay a supplementary tax to help the country get on its feet.
http://economy.money.cnn.com/2012/03/05/when-in-france-tax-the-rich/?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29

My view: It is also helpful to reduce the over-charging and greed that is quite common in the business world today.

Fair comment, without malice

I am quite disappointed to read this "apology" given by Gordon Lee for allegedly misquoting Hri Kumar. I consider that Gordon Lee's earlier quote was fair comment and done without malice - and there is no need to "apologise".

If Hri Kumar was misquoted, he could have written to The Online Citizen to correct the mis-information. This is done quite often in the Straits Times. You can read my comments at the bottom of the article. http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/03/toc-writer-thank-you-for-correcting-me-hri-kumar/

I do not like the climate of fear, anxiety and paranoia in Singapore. It is unhealthy. I wish to call on our political leaders to find more appropriate ways, rather than use a lawyer, to correct any misinformation, if they feel a need to protect their reputation.

Do we need to collect school fees?

I wonder why the Government still want to collect school fees, or the supplementary fees and second tier fees, when the amounts are quite small. See this webpage for details of these fees. It causes a lot of administrative work for the teachers and the schools and for the parents. Some students from poor families are not able to pay the fees and they have to be detained in school at the end of the term, until the parents pay the fees. Is it really useful to create this type of work and stress?

I am referring to the fees for primary and secondary education. Perhaps, the fees can be collected for post-secondary education, but should be waived at the lower levels.

Low income tax payers hit jackpot

Alex Au writes about the speech by Finance Minister
http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/my-eyebrows-rose-thrice-part-2-low-income-tax-payers-hit-jackpot/

Masters degree and unemployed in Singapore

Many countries have laws to protect their citizens,  but not Singapore.
http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/03/04/how-important-is-being-a-global-city-to-an-unemployed-singaporean/

Adjusting budget allocation

Lucky Tan said that the Government can adjust the budget allocation and put the money to better use, rather than argue that higher social spending mean more taxes. His arguments are convincing - much more than the convoluted arguments of our ministers.
http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/03/adjusting-budget-allocation-to-meet.html

It is possible for a low income earner to buy a HDB flat

Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister and Minister for Manpower, Tharman Shanmugaratnam said in Parliament that a person with a monthly income of $1,000 can afford to buy a HDB flat. Many people found this statement to be unbelievable. Two ministers and one Member of Parliament came forward in his defense and explained why it was possible. Their explanations were still not accepted by most people, who gave their views in the Internet.

I agree with the calculation put forward by Minister for National Development, Khaw Boon Wan. A two room HDB flat cost $100,000. After deducting a HDB grant of $60,000, eligible to certain people under certain conditions, the net cost is $40,000. The monthly repayment over a 30 year loan period, at an interest rate of 2% per annum, is $150. This can be covered by the CPF contribution. There should be no dispute over this figure. Even if the interest rate were to increase to 4% at a later date, the monthly payment would still be less than $200.

The argument by the critics focus on another point - how is the family going to survive on $800 a month. This is a separate matter. It shows the importance of raising the earnings of those at the lower income brackets. There is strong argument for a minimum wage to be implemented in Singapore, to follow the example of most other developed countries.

I guess that a minimum wage in Singapore should be around $1,400 a month. Together with CPF contribution, the cost to the employer should be $1,600 a month.

The Government does face a dilemma about implementing a minimum wage. Already, Singaporeans are more costly than foreign workers. Any increase in the cost of employing Singaporeans through a minimum wage must make them even less competitive. And it will increase the burden on small companies that are not able to cope with meeting the high cost of doing business in Singapore.

In the past, the Government tried to address this issue by giving a workfare income supplement to low income workers. Like many convoluted (i.e. extremely complex and difficult to understand) schemes introduced in Singapore, it did not seem to give much help to the people in need, apart from creating a lot of wasteful administrative work.

There are ways of addressing the challenges, but the Government must be prepared to consider other options, rather than stick to the old approach. In the past, it was difficult to find a solution as there were separate ministers in charge of manpower and finance. We now have the unprecedented situation of one minister being in charge of both portfolios, in addition to being the Deputy Prime Minister!. He now have the power to find a more holistic solution - but does he have the time?

If he does not have the time,  he can appoint some people to find the solution. It would be better to get people from outside the old circle that came out with the old approach. Instead, we need fresh ideas. 

Service standards in Singapore

Read this article about the service standard in Singapore and the observation that past campaigns did not seem to work.
http://kentridgecommon.com/?p=13974

I agree with the observation of the writer. The poor quality of our service standard is the outcome of our environment in Singapore, i.e. dependence on foreign workers, too much time spent on unnecessary work and lack of respect for the customers. Sad to say, it is also a reflection of the attitude of our government leaders.

Key economic policies

This is an excellent article that explained why some of the key economic policies of the PAP Government are not producing the right outcomes for the people
http://kentridgecommon.com/?p=14163

COS 2012 Debates

I have been puzzled by this acronym COS for a few days. I do not know what COS means. I search for an explanation and found that it was being used by the Worker's Party. Nobody else use this acronym. Does anyone know what it means and why it is being coined?

Address the skill imbalance

The writer has raised a point which I agree. Our education system is not giving the right skills that are needed in the global economy.
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120303-0000029/Skills-imbalance-due-to-education-system

Rising business cost

The Members of Parliament and the Government is concerned about rising business costs. http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120303-0000046/Rising-business-costs--MPs-ask-if-Govt-can-do-more

But they are still blind to the causes of the high cost which can be attributed to:

• Unnecessary and time wasting regulations
• Inefficient payment system
• GST administration, adding cost and creating offsets
• Poor leadership in addressing the issues, i.e. avoiding responsibility
• Rising rentals - due to privatisation of industrial and commercial cost
• Higher cost of living, which results in the need to increase wages

The situation has grown progressively worse over the past decade. No one wants to look into the real causes of the situation. Things will continue to get worse, unless the real causes are tacked. I have mentioned many of these causes in my blog.

Hold an early by-election in Hougang

I am not convinced by the arguments put forward by Mr. Hri Kumar, Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency regarding the calling of a by-election for Hougang ("We should let PM do his job, Today 29 February).

It is the constitutional right for all citizens to be represented in Parliament by a person who is duly elected by them. The people of Hougang constituency has lost their representative due to an unfortunate event, which is not of their making or choice. They should not be deprived of their right to be represented.

The constitution does give the Prime Minister the duty to call for an election. It seemed to be a simple matter for him to carry out this duty. The arguments put forward by the honorable Member of Parliament about the "heat and debate" that may occur during the Hougang by-election is not compelling. Most elections do generate some heat and excitement for the people and that is the value of a democracy.

Some people have argued in an earlier occasion that the Prime Minister should not be distracted from attending to urgent national issues. I wish to suggest that the Prime Minister leave the arrangements for the by-election to the civil servants in the Elections Department. He can also leave the contest for this hot seat 

to the political leaders in his party.

Tan Kin Lian 

Reduce operating cost for small business

In his Budget for 2012, the Minister for Finance has recognized the need to help small companies offset  their operating cost. He is offering a cash grant of $5,000, which is helpful in the short term.

Over the longer term, it is important to bring down the cost of doing business, to help our companies, big and small, to remain competitive.

There are a number of inefficiencies that need to be addressed urgently:

• Heavy compliance cost of GST, especially to small businesses
• Online processes of government agencies, which saves a few minutes for the agemcy but adds hours to the time taken by the public
• Inadequacy in the payment infrastructure, which result in most businesses still using checks to make payments
• Heavy reliance of communicate by physical mail instead of electronic mail

We have to move more quickly to update our laws and practices to facilitate the use of electronic payment and communication, e.g. recognize electronic ways to replace signatures and make payments. The government agencies should take the lead in making these changes - as they would provide legitimacy to address the uncertainties of change.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore should be complimented for taking the lead to implement GIRO payments some 25 years ago. It is time for them to make another breakthrough in making pervasive use of  electronic payments.

Make it easy for customers to use internet banking

I hope that our banks make it easier for their customers

to make payments using internet banking.

DBS Bank requires me, as a customer, to register a payee and to 

authenticate the payee with my mobile phone. This is on

top of logging in to the account with my login name, PIN and

the token (2FA authentication).

As I have reached the limit of the number of my registered payees

I have to find one payee to delete, so that the new payee can be

added. 

When creating the payee, I must make sure that I have entered the 

bank account correctly, as the system does not show me the name 

of the payee. After going through so much hassle, it is easy to make 

a mistake at this juncture.

Previously, I have asked DBS Bank to provide an option for the customer 

to make small payments, say less than $500, without the need to go 

through the complicated process of registering, authenticating and 

deleting a payee. The customer will probably choose this option for a 

once-off payment. 

It would also be useful for the name of the payee to be displayed (after 

the bank account has been entered). This is more important than the

requirement to create a payee record.

DBS Bank was not able to accede to my request. I suspect that the 

current practice must be mandated by the regulator, i.e. Monetary Authority of Singapore. I hope that the regulator can give their comment on this issue.

Tan Kin Lian

A sensible approach towards teacher misconduct

Recently, there were a few news reports about misconduct by

teachers. Some people asked if this could be prevented by 

careful selection of teachers. 

We should not expect ready made solutions to 

all of our problems. Those who have been involved in selecting people

for jobs will know the limitations of any selection process.

The Minister for Education Heng Swee Kiat has promised to deal 

with complaints seriously and to investigate every case of alleged
misconduct.

I wish to point out some potential risks of this approach:

a) Some teachers could be the target of unjustified allegations, 

especially if they are made anonymously. 

b) There are situations where the parent or student may wish 

to remain anonymous to the target of the complaint

c)  A person may be sincere in a behavior which another

party may consider to be offensive.

In the old days, a person in higher authority, for example a 

principal, may be willing to make the judgment and handle

the complaint in a sensible manner. In many cases, an advisory or

warning may be appropriate for first time infringements. 

I am not sure if most people in authority are willing or competent

to take this responsibility today.

An investigation, especially if made known to the public, should only be 

reserved for repeated or more serious cases. 

We must be aware of a tendency for the public to judge a person 

as being guilty just because a complaint had been lodged or an 

investigation conducted.. 

I hope that, in our drive for perfection, we should not forget

the common sense approach towards solving our 

daily problems.

Vitamin Account - poor expected yield

This analysis is done by a qualified actuary - a person who is strong in financial analysis. He calculated the expected return on the Vitamin Account who is sold by a local bank to its customers. The conclusion is that the expected yield is poor.

See www.fisca.sg

Twinkle - what if the situation is reversed?

$1.1 billion transport subsidy

There is considerable debate in Parliament on this issue:
http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2012/03/attack-dog-mode.html

Dogs and humans - a matter of logic and reason

A scholar from China, Sun Xu, posted a remark "there are more dogs than humans in Singapore". Many Singaporeans were outraged and condemned him vociferously and relentlessly in the social media. The anger was amplified by the fact that he is studying in Singapore on funding provided by the Government, and is seen to be quite ungrateful. There were calls for the scholarship to be rescinded.

Sun Xu regretted his careless statement and made an apology in a microblog. He also sought the assistance of the Chinese embassy to be given a chance to "repay the kindness"  that he has received from Singapore. I hope that the condemnation and the call for vengeance should now subside and that this matter can be laid to rest.

Let us look at this statement from the perspective of logic and reason. When Sun Xu said that there are "more dogs", he must be imputing that many Singaporeans behave like dogs, He did not say that "all" Singaporeans  behave in that way but he did imply that "most" Singaporeans fit into that mold. In that respect, many people (including me) would disagree with him. But, we would probably agree that "some" Singaporeans do behave badly.

In the heat of anger, we forgot to ask him to explain his remark. What exactly is the negative behavior that he was alluding to?

I have a dog, a Schnauzer, called Twinkle. She must have felt very offended to be associated with bad behavior, especially of the kind that is practiced by humans rather than her kind. She wanted me to point out that her kind also has positive traits, such as loyalty and friendliness, as described by the phrase " a dog is a man's best friend"

There is, frankly, one part of her trait that can be attributed to some (perhaps many) Singaporeans. She wants to appear brave but deep inside, she is not that brave. When a stranger comes to the house, she would bark most loudly and relentlessly, but would keep a distance from the stranger. If challenged, she would probably run into hiding. I do not blame her, for she is really small compared to the stranger.

Let us take a lesson from this saga. While many of us disagree with the statement made by Sun Xu, he has already apologized. We should display a more tolerant and forgiving attitude.

We should also avoid "jumping to conclusion" and, in a similar situation in the future, ask "can you explain your statement? " That would be the trait of a reasonable person - a positive trait that Singaporeans should cultivate.

Tan Kin Lian

Measures to cope with cost of living

Here are the views of a nominated MP.
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120301-0000162/NMP-calls-for-regulatory-steps-to-rein-in-inflation

A future with electric vehicles

I hope that this future comes soon.
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120301-0000167/A-future-with-more-electric-vehicles?

Performance bonus breeds the culture of avoiding responsibility

The culture of avoid responsibility and minding turf has grown to be very bad in Singapore. Political leaders and civil servants spend a significant part of their energy in explaining why they should not be addressing a particular problem, i.e. that another agency should be responsible to deal with the problem.

Often, the problem was not attended to, as there are many issues that "fall between the cracks". The situation is so bad that a Member from the ruling party, Ms. Indranee Rajah, had to raise this issue in Parliament. See this report: http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120301-0000073/More-coordination-among-govt-agencies,-please

If the honourable Member of Parliament had to face this difficulty, one can imagine how much worse the situation would be for the ordinary people in Singapore!

What cause this culture? I can hazard a guess - it is the performance measurement and bonus system of the
Government. It may seem to be a good idea to reward good performers - Government ministers and top civil servants - with a big bonus. But it does have its unintended consequences, such as encouraging the culture of avoiding responsibility.

If any agency takes the challenge of dealing with the problem, they would have to employ more people and incur higher expenses - and this would probably result in a lower performance rating (as the additional work is not likely to be recognized and accounted for). So, to improve the performance rating, it would be better to avoid taking the responsibility!

I have always considered that honourable people, especially top leaders, should do their best out of a sense of duty and not for a bigger bonus. This is why I have been against the payment of high bonus for performance - at the top levels!

This is just a personal point of view, and is probably one sided. I know that there is a good side to pay more bonus to encourage good performance. But, on balance, I think that this has probably produced a negative outcome.

Bank report huge profit

Whenever a bank reports a huge profit, I wonder where the profit comes from.

Is it due to the huge interest rate spread, i.e. the difference between the high interest rate charged to borrowers and the meagre interest rate paid to depositors? Should the government have created a better investing environment so that the consumers get a decent interest rate on their savings?

How much of the profit come from the sale of financial products, including the high risk currency-linked, credit-linked and equity-linked products that have devastated the savings of the unwary investors?

Singapore has been an excellent place for the local and international banks to make huge profits. Does this suggest that the consumers in Singapore are contributing to these huge profits?

http://www.todayonline.com/Business/EDC120301-0000081/Singapore-helps-StanChart-hit-record-profit

Affordable medical care

Read Lucky Tan's article
http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/02/affordable-medical-care-in-singapore.html

Create your own business simulation game (BEST)

BEST now allows you to create your own game at any time. It will automatically start in 5 minutes. Other people can join the game, or you can play the game against the other players who operate on artificial intelligence. This feature allows you to practice at your own time and develop the skill of business strategy.
www.easyapps.sg/besta. Try it and all the best.

Election in Myanmar

To many Singaporeans, the forthcoming election in Myanmar may seem remote and unconnected to this small island. But, according to Alex Au, it may have important ramifications. http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/lee-hsien-loong-should-apologise-to-aung-san-suu-kyi/

Uncollected charges of restructured hospitals

The Minister for Health, Gan Kim Yong, gave a detailed reply to a question in Parliament about the unpaid bills in restructured hospitals. http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120229-0000054/Hospitals-left-with-S$110m-in-unpaid-bills  The average amount of bill written off each year is $30 million.

Reading this report, the following questions popped up in my mind:

a) What is the total revenue of the restructured hospitals, and what percentage is reflected by the written off amount?
b) Is this written off percentage at an acceptable level, compared to commercial benchmarks?
c) Why is the Minister answering this type of question in Parliament, when the commercial operations of the restructured hospitals are supposed to be outside of the responsibility of his Ministry?

I have been quite confused about the state of affairs in Singapore.

Means testing for health care

Many people get the wrong impression that the higher income earners are not allowed to use the facilities of the subsidized B2 and C wards in hospitals. This is not correct. They can use the subsidized wards but enjoy a lower level of subsidy. Go to www.fisca.sg.

Hold an early by-election in Hougang

I urge the Government to arrange a by-election in Hougang as

early as possible.

It is not the fault of the voters of Hougang that they have now

lost their elected Member of Parliament. It is also their 

constitutional right to be represented by an elected political

leader in Parliament.

One possible reason given to justify a delay in holding a

by-election is that the Prime Minister has pressing 

national issues to attend to.

I suggest that he should leave the arrangements of the

election to his civil servants, who should be quite capable of

attending to this matter and who are probably not as hard

pressed as the Prime Minster.

An early by-election would demonstrate to the world

that the rights of the citizens are respected.

Teacher misconduct

Recently, there were a few news reports about misconduct by

teachers. Some people asked if this could be prevented by 

careful selection of teachers. 

We should not expect ready made solutions to 

all of our problems. Those who have been involved in selecting people

for jobs will know the limitations of any selection process.

The Minister for Education Heng Swee Kiat has promised to deal 

with complaints seriously and to investigate every case of alleged
misconduct.

I wish to point out some potential risks of this approach:

a) Some teachers could be the target of unjustified allegations, 

especially if they are made anonymously. 

b) There are situations where the parent or student may wish 

to remain anonymous to the target of the complaint

c)  A person may be sincere in a behavior which another

party may consider to be offensive.

In the old days, a person in higher authority, for example a 

principal, may be willing to make the judgment and handle

the complaint in a sensible manner. In many cases, an advisory or

warning may be appropriate for first time infringements. 

I am not sure if most people in authority are willing or competent

to take this responsibility today.

An investigation, especially if made known to the public, should only be 

reserved for repeated or more serious cases. 

We must be aware of a tendency for the public to judge a person 

as being guilty just because a complaint had been lodged or an 

investigation conducted.. 

I hope that, in our drive for perfection, we should not forget

the common sense approach towards solving our 

daily problems.

Fiber optic network in Singapore

Read this report about the challenges faced by Open Net and the dispute with IDA on the delay and poor performance on the installation of the new fibre optic network in Singapore
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120228-0000062/OpenNet-in-a-tangle-over-NGNBN-roll-out

Here are the key points on this matter:

a) The fibre optic network is a large investment of $850 million.
b) It is likely to become another "white elephant", i.e. a lot of money spent and poorly used.
c) OpenNet faced difficulties with the Internet Service Providers and owners of commercial buildings

Part of the blame must go to the poor handling of customer service by OpenNet. I have experienced this matter personally and can attest to the inefficiency of their process. I have given by suggestions on how they can make improvements, but it fell on deaf ears (like so many similar situations in Singapore).

This tussle is another reflection of the state of affairs in Singapore - too much fighting over turf and self interest, instead of the public interest. I hope that the Government leaders realize about the root cause of the many problems faced in Singapore and are willing to reach out to the wider group of Singaporeans (outside of the people in charge now) who are able to help find the solution. They are many knowledgeable people who are concerned about the future of Singapore and giving their views on the Internet.

A loyalty program based on mobile phones

A team of young people wants to start a loyalty program based on mobile phones. This loyalty program allows a customer to look for business outlets which offer loyalty points on purchases. The customer can search for the outlets that are nearby, that offer the best points and that are the most popular. There is no need to carry physical card (as this function is taken over by the mobile phone) or to join many separate loyalty programs.

They like to get your feedback, Please take part in this survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6CF8QFR

Taxi booking (TABS) - potential in Canada

I showed the taxi booking system (TABS) to a Canadian (of Indian origin) who visited me. He is involved in marketing innovative solutions. He liked the TABS system as it can change the way that people book for a taxi. The taxi driver does not need to look for passengers on the road, as they can locate a nearby passenger easily through TABS and reduce petrol consumption and accidents.

He is able to see the benefits of TABS (which agrees with my points) by thinking out of the box, and looking for benefits, rather than problems.

He has an uncle who is involved in a taxi cooperative with 400 taxi drivers in a town near Toronto. He is convinced that his uncle will be interested to introduce TABS as it gives their members an advantage in a competitive taxi market.

He was quite surprised that the authority in Singapore is not pushing to implement a similar system in Singapore - as there are obvious benefits of this system, from the perspective of the environment and road safety.

  

Job hopping

I met an Indonesian woman who had migrated to Australia for more than 10 years. She enjoyed the quality of life in Australia. She works the required number of hours and goes back home to spend time with the family. If she works extra hours, she is allowed to take the same number of hours off later in the month, under a flexible work scheme. The turnover rate is quite low, as most people enjoyed the work environment and the quality of life.

She had worked in Singapore for several years previously and found that the job hopping rate was unacceptably high. It was quite common for people to move from one job to another, mainly to earn a higher pay. Her view about the high job hopping in Singapore agrees with what I have also observed. 

Business simulation game (BEST) has started

A few players have joined the 4 BEST that run each night from 8 pm to 11 pm. The players compete in the insurance, hotel and airline industries.

Here is one way to learn the game. Register, log in, and play the game. When you first start, you do not need to input the figures, if you are not sure of the game, and can allow the artificial intelligence in the game to make the decisions for you. You can study the outline of the AI intelligence. After a few virtual years, you will get the feel of the game and feel confident to make the decisions.

The game can be played each night at www.easyapps.sg/besta

Powerpoint Project - urgently required for March 2012

I need a person to create Powerpoint slides for a major project. This person has to work for the whole month of March 2012. The candidate should be experienced in using Powerpoint, including animation and audio. If you are available and interested, and have the required skills, please send an e-mail to kinlian@gmail.com.