Help small businesses to promote to the neighborhood

Many small businesses have to send flyers to the neighborhood. It is an economical way to promote their business.
However, the flyer is a nuisance. It is also largely wasted and environmentally unfriendly.
An alternative is for households to register in a website and for the businesses to send the flyers to them in soft copy by email.
If you support this Green Drive, you can register here, 
www.opt-in.sg
If there are many people who registered in this manner, there is no need for snall businesses to send flyers to their neighborhood. 
www.opt-in.sg

Getting people employed

Many countries have a problem of finding enough jobs for their people. In countries where jobs for existing workers is protected, there is high unemployment among the youth. 
In countries where there is weak protection of workers, such as in Singapore, there is high unemployment among the older workers. We now see this phenomena among the PMETs. 
Countries with high rate of tax, such as in Scandinavia, is able to handle this problem better. the high tax rate allows them to pay unemployment benefit.
It is a mechanism that those who are employed should contribute towards the welfare of those who are unemployed. If the wages are below subsistence level, it is better to draw unemployment benefit. Somehow, it ensures that the wages are kept at an "adequate level".
There is the risk that unemployment benefit can be abused by those who are lazy. But, some countries are able to manage the abuse quite well, while others failed in this task. It depends on the culture of the people and the Government.
We cannot rule out that unemployment benefit is bad and that the system in Singapore is good. Each system has its strengths and weaknesses.
I do not like the Singapore system, as it is not properly managed. Too much is left unmanaged. This is why the cost of living is too high, relative to wages.
I like to see a change in government, so that the social problems faced in our society, which has been neglected for two decades, can be properly addressed, and a new perspective can be considered.

PAP sets new direction

I am encouraged by the new goal that has been adopted by the PAP, especially the part about build a "fair and just society" .... provided they really understand what they are talking about. 

QUOTE FROM THE STRAITS TIMES.

The People's Action Party (PAP) on Sunday resolved to uphold an open and compassionate meritocracy, and build a fair and just society in Singapore, as it adopted a significant resolution that will define its cause in a new phase of Singapore's development.

Explaining the reason for this move, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the PAP's secretary-general, said that while the fundamental goals of the PAP remain the same, and have been set out in its constitution and pledge, it is time to interpret and update them for a new generation.

These goals are to build a multi-racial, fair and just society with opportunities for all.

"I think we can all agree these are the right things to do... But what do these ideals mean tangibly, concretely, in this day and age? We must interpret these goals in a new phase and with a new generation," he said at the party's convention at Kallang Theatre.

Medishield Life will face big challenges

 expect that Medishield Life will encounter some of the following problems:

1. It aims to cover everyone for a lifetime, and to include pre-existing illnesses. Judging from the experience of Medicare in America, it could become very costly. 

2. The key challenge is to manage the expectation of health care for the aged - a challenge that America, with their decades of experience, was not able to solve. Singapore will face the same challenges.

3. Asking everyone to pay for the cost of Medishield Life through insurance premiums will not be easy. The cost will be unaffordable.

4. Making it compulsory to solve Medishield Life will not work. Many people will not heave the money to pay the premium. Those who have, will complain about the cost.

5. We need an "out of the box" solution to manage the expectation of health care for the elderly - especially when the cost is paid by insurance, or by the government (like in America). I am not aware of any successful system to manage it well. But, it can be found, by an innovative approach.

Are you able to think "out of the box" ?

Are you prepared to try something idfferent, and to take risk? Do you look heyond the obvious answer? Try this quiz. 

Theer is no "right" or "wrong" answer to these questions. I have selected what I think are the answers that are innovative and out of the box. Check your score on this scale. And you will see an explanation.

http://c-onyx.com/page/1351

Get a project leader to implement change

William Lim said:
People are unwilling to make changes, including myself. But some policies are outdated and need modification, the leaders who need to endorse the changes for the better of Singaporean. How can this mindset to be changed? Changing of Government is no use, the question is how to change their mindset?

REPLY
They are scared of failure. They are scared that failure meant loss of job.
We need a system to allow them to try and learn. But, even if you tell them, they will not take the risk, because their mindset is - I don't trust what you say.
So, they will NEVER CHANGE.
The only way is to appoint another person to manage a specific change project. Put this person in charge. Let the person handle the project. If the project fails, the person will disappear from the scene. Anyway, this person was not part of the organization in the first place.
This is the only way to make change.

Students want better grade

Most graduates want to get top grades, so they stand a better chance to be employed by the banks and large companies. 

But, only 10% will be able to get top grades. Those who failed to get the top grades pressure the professor or the school to give them a better grade. They even accuse the professor of being unfair in the grading. 

This attitude is harmful. There can only be 10% who can get top grades, and the professor is trying his or her best to be as fair as possible to all students. 

What is the solution?

Insurance company repudiate liability

Under an agreement among the insurance companies, the insurer can repudiate liability under a motor insurance policy if its policyholder does not report an accident. This allows the insurer to avoid paying the third party claim, even though its insured vehicle cause the accident, and require the third party to take a legal case against the driver, which is time consuming, costly and risky. The third party had no choice but to claim against its own policy and risk losing the no claim bonus. This is not satisfactory.

A ransom price on top of market rentals

Some people argue that it is best to leave matters to the free market. This is the PAP approach that has been prevailing for the past 30 years, ever since LHL was active in the Government.
While the free market has its merits, it also has it serious flaws. It does not recognize the rights of the tenant. On renewal, the landlord can impose a ransom on the renewal terms. The tenant had already invested in the renovation of the shop or stall and had spent time to build a business. The tenant had to pay a price that is higher than the true market.
Sometimes, another tenant may offer a higher rental rate, with the purpose of "killing off a competitor".
This situation leads to rental being higher than the true market, and over time, leads to escalation. When a tenant moves to a new location, there is additional cost in rebuilding the business. This is what I called "wastefulness".
Wastefulness has been a part of the Singapore system for several decades. It has lead to high cost of doing business and high cost of living. We are now no longer competitive globally.
We are misled by the statistics of multinational companies setting up operation in Singapore. In many cases, there are given tax incentive, land at special rates and government grants. These are not publicized. They show good figures, but hide the fact that our costs have gone out of hand.
If we do not recognize the real problems in Singapore, and continue to delude ourselves, things will continue to get worse.

Will we face the same problems as the Obamacare Exchange?

The insurance exchange that was launched on 1 October under the Affordable Care Act in America encountered technical problems and was not able to cope with the heavy traffic of 8 million visitors. The cost of the system ballooned three times from $100 to $300 million in US dollars.

While the problem seemed to be quite irrelevant to us, we should not be complacent. We will be introducing two similar initiatives in Singapore over the next 12 months.

We will have to register large number of applicants under the proposed Medishield Life scheme and also provide a website for employers to post their job vacancies before they are allowed to apply for a work pass for foreigners.

These registrations are likely to face issues similar to those that bogged down the insurance exchange in America. 

We also have to be careful about adopting the same approach, i.e. relying on vendors and consultants who face a conflict of interest and are likely to recommend costly solutions that have a tendency to overrun in budget.

Let us be aware now of the issues and not repeat the problems that are now experienced in America. 

Delay in implementing national IT projects

here were much publicity a few years ago about the OneInbox project and the National Authentication Framework.

OneInbox was intended to allow the public to receive their mails from all government agencies at a common inbox, instead of logging in to separate websites to retrieve the replies from these agencies.

The National Authentication Framework was intended to allow each person to hold a single token which can be used as an additional verification of the person for  financial and other sensitive transaction.

I am quite tired of logging in to the websites of separate government agencies to retrieve my mails and being asked to change my passwords frequently and to create strong passwords which differ from one website to another.

I also do not like the bulky security tokens that are being issued separately by different banks and securities firms.

Pay a fee to the financial adviser

The information given in the EIP website are FREE for members of the website. 
If you still need advice on any of the product or alternative products, contact a financial adviser and pay a modest consulting fee. It is worth spending this money. The adviser can guide you on what is a better choice and can save you tens of thousand dollars. Pay them a fee, as they have to make a living. Otherwise, they will spend their time to sell you products that can earn them a few thousand dollars, at your expense. Do you want that to happen?

www.c-onyx.com/eip

Naming of roads

In the old days, we have a simpler way to name our roads, e.g. in Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh. The major roads are called Avenue or Lorong and the smaller roads are called Street. They are numbered.

Later, for Sengkang and Punggol, somebody decided to give different names to the roads. This naming structure is confusing to people who visit the estate from outside. I suspect that the residents will also find it confusing.

To make matters worse, the roads are described as avenue, road, street, lane, way without regard to size. Usually, one expects the roads to be name according to size - starting from avenue, road, street, lane.

For example, Sin Ming Lane is of the same size as Sin Ming Avenue. This is only possible using Singapore logic!

I don't know why some smart fellow was allowed to change the naming structure to be so confusing, and why they were allowed to do so.

My grand children love the Magic Box

Whenever my grand daughters visit me, the first thing they ask is to look into the Magic Box. It will stay in their childhood memory. What is the Magic Box? Every parent or grandparent should have one. http://c-onyx.com/page/26

Meet the People session

Desumondo Deseumondeu asked:
Mr Tan,
Some thing happen to me quite recently and i just wanted to share my views.

I approached 3 different PAP MPs during their Meet The People sessions on different days regarding the same matter and asked exactly the same question.
However NONE of them actually got back to me with an answer, and worse yet send me a letter which is not the answer but a totally different opinion which does not in anyway relate to the question i asked them !!

When the govt are not able to help us citizens, what other channels are we able to turn to for assistance and squeeze an answer out of them ??

REPLY
The MPs are also in a jam. They receive all kinds of people and problems in their Meet the People session. There is also difficulty in communicating with some residents - due to language or lack of education. (I am not referring to you).

It is quite easy for them to get mixed up, or to get confused over the issue.

If you have a problem, it will be helpful if you can write it down clearly (or get some help to write it down). It will be easier for your MP to understand the issue and to help find an answer (if at all possible).

Be fair to the MPs. Do not approach three of them over the same issue.

Frankly, I think the "Meet the People" session is out-of-date, but the PAP dare not abandon it.

A more open and transparent approach

Dear Mr. Tan,
You said that our government leaders are arrogant and don't want to listen to the views of concerned citizens. I find your views to make a lot of sense, but they seem to be ignoring them. So, I agree that they are not only arrogant but out of touch with what is happening on the ground. 

I believe that it is not difficult to be a leader. There are many wise people around, and if the leader is willing to listen to them, they should be able to come out with better policies.

My point is, if there is a change of government in 2016, Singaporeans do not need to be worried. If another party comes into power, and the leaders know that they are not the elites, they will be able to listen to more wise people and get better policies. Singapore will be governed better.

Do you agree?

REPLY
Generally, I agree that the government can come out with better policies if they are more willing to listen to people who have wider and more diverse experience and knowledge.

But, we still need leaders to make the final judgment - and that is not easy. If the leaders are incapable, they may make a bad judgment (even after getting the inputs of the advisers). And different advisers may have different opinion.

But, I must say that the current system - where decisions are made from the ivory tower, is probably among the worst. There is now suspicion that these decisions are made to benefit certain quarters, which makes things more difficult.

It is better to have a more open and transparent way to make important policy decisions affecting the people at large. .

My attitude towards government policies

Someone observed that I don't like the policies of the Government. It is true that I don't like many of the social and economic polices, especially those that lead to high income gap, high cost of housing, high cost of living, wastefulness and unfairness. 

But, I know that the Government leaders are doing their best to solve these issues. I do not like their approach, which is not addressing the roots of the problems, but it is a matter of opinion. They think that their policies are right, and they are ultimately responsible for the outcome.

By adopting their aloof approach, they are cutting themselves from alternative views of concerned citizens - many of whom have practical experiences. I hope that they will be truly willing to listen to alternative approaches, rather than continue their "arrogant" attitude.

Unfair treatment of Singaporeans

Mr. Tan,
I was at a gala dinner last night where the guest of honor was a minister. At my table were a few foreigners. One of them, who has lived a few years in Singapore said, "Singapore is a wonderful place. Most of the locals don't understand why." He said it in a mocking way. What does he mean?

REPLY
I suspect that he must be very rich and probably make most of his income overseas. When he live in Singapore, he does not have to pay any tax on his overseas income. They also save on the big income tax that they have to pay in their home country. That is why Singapore is a wonderful place for people like him.

The locals earn their salaries in Singapore and have to pay tax and the high cost of living. The males even have to serve National Service and reservist training at regular intervals.

It is quite unfair for the Singapore government to give so favorable living conditions to rich foreigners and do not require them to pay any tax on their income.

It is quite bad for him to mock the locals who are already suffering under an unfair system .This will lead to unrest one day.

How to eradicate poverty in Singapore

Singapore is an affluent country. Based on GDP per capita, she is one of the richest countries in the world.

Hence logically, one would expect all her citizens to live comfortably, well above the poverty line (wherever that might be since it has never been officially defined). Yet ironically, there is a small group of Singaporeans who are living in “poverty”. With the country’s vast wealth, both in terms of revenue and savings, it should not be a financial issue to bring this group out of poverty. Further, the government has implemented the “minimum sum” and “CPF Life” schemes which are designed to ensure her citizens would have sufficient savings to spend on necessities during retirement. So it is not as though the government is not aware of the amount required for sustainable living at the minimum level for life. So, if it is not a financial problem to bring people out of poverty, then what could be the problem?

Ideology. In Singapore, welfarism is seen as a “dirty” word. Instead of encouraging the rich to help the poor, she encourages everyone to make their own living. This ideology is fine when everyone is able and there are sufficient jobs. But when some are less able and the job market is challenging, it can lead to a state of “us and them” and "everyone for himself (or herself)". With such an ideology, Singapore indeed has one of largest income gap in the world. In the present economic structure, the rich also tend to get richer while the poor get poorer. So, is there an ideology that is more friendly to the poor so that they can live a dignified life?
We are all one.  The power of this ideology leads us to feel for others - "we are not separate" and “your pain is my pain”.  To implement this ideology in the practical world, we may have an inverse relationship between the salary of senior political and administrative leaders and the number of people living in poverty. With such an arrangement, it is then to the interest of the leaders to ensure that poverty is erased. Yes, with the “right”  ideology and practical approach, poverty can literally disappear from the islands of Singapore overnight!

Dr. Tommy Wong
Author of book series "Wisdom on How to Live Life"

The book series can be ordered here.

Negative impact of National Service on our male citizens

For 25 years, I have held the view that National Service has a heavy burden on the future of your young men. More people are now sharing the same view. Read this article and the comments:
http://therealsingapore.com/content/gilbert-goh-why-locals-girls-do-not-want-our-singaporean-men

Excessive concern about privacy and security

Our banks and security firms adopts a ridiculous approach towards internet security. I suspect that the measures are directed by MAS.

I applied to receive e-statements of contract notes. They are sent to me with password protection. I do not know the password that were used. I could not open the statements for many months.

This morning, I went to SGX website, login to my CDP account, and searched all over the place to set my own password. I could not find it.

Maybe, the passwords are set by my securities firm. Anyway, it is confusing and troublesome. I never asked for this security. I do not consider it as important anyway.

The statements are received by e-mail, which require me to access with a password anyway.

I also have trouble with the quarterly change of passwords that is mandated in my login trading account, and the funny combinations of password.

I hope that MAS will stop directing the banks and security firms to implement impractical security arrangements. If they have to, they should adopt sensible (and not ridiculous) arrangements.

Evaluation of Insurance Products

I have created this website to evaluate the life insurance products that are marketed in Singapore. 
I will be putting up the benefit illustration for these products and give my evaluation of the product.
They will be rated as "Recommended", "Neutral" or "Avoid".

I will be building up the products over the next few weeks. 

If you have a specific product, you can search for it under the "Latest" tag (which also serves as a Search tag).
If you wish to find a better way to invest your savings, you can contact one of the financial advisers listed in the website. Be ready to pay a modest consulting fee, so that they can make a living by advising you on the most suitable products.

The website is called "Evaluation of Insurance Products" and can be accessed at http://c-onyx.com/eip

Wasteful practice in renewal tenancy of stalls in food court

Six months ago, the operator of the food court in Midview City told me that he is not continuing the lease, as the rental is going up by a large percentage. A few of the stalls could not survive and had moved out.
I just learned that the successful stalls are also moving out this week. They were uncertain about the terms of the renewal of their stalls and had signed up at other places to continue their business.

The management office had decided to operate the food court directly (most probably because they could not get another operator) and had offered to renew the tenancy for the existing stalls at the last minute (but they had already signed up elsewhere).

It is very wasteful for the existing stalls (which were doing well here) to move out and set up business elsewhere, and for the management office to look for new stalls to come in.
This is a consequence of the practice that is quite common in Singapore, where there is uncertainty of tenure and the prospect that rentals will continue to be pushed up, beyond an affordable limit. And in the process, there is so much wastage.

Singapore has many wasteful practices!

Reduce the competition in schools

Hong Kong implemented reforms to its education system 10 years ago - less examinations, wider choice of subjects, more creativity. The competition and stress levels remained high.

The reason? They still focus on grades to win entry to university places that cater for 18% of each cohort.  Parents continue to give private tuition to their children to score marks in the new examination format.

I have pointed out consistently in the past - if you do not address the root of the problem, you will continue to suffer the same problems.

If you continue to pay graduates much higher than non-graduates, you will encourage students and parents to compete for the rewards.

My solution is to reduce the salary gap between graduates and on-graduates. We have to pay adequate wages to manual and service workers, so that it is worth and dignified for people to work in these occupations.

This requires a minimum wage for each occupation. It can be market based, but should be adequate for the worker to raise a family.

The current system exploits workers who are weak or not well educated. If we remove the exploitation, the market can work better. If the wages are adequate for manual and service jobs, there is no need to rely on foreign workers. Locals will be happy to take up these jobs.

We have created a problem for ourselves by refusing to recognize the realities, and by relying on market forces (which could be exploitation).

Study trip to review the European model of conscription

Joseph Kheng-Liang Tan asked:
Do you think the trip to study European conscription models is just a 'wayang' or will they actually adopt some best practices?

REPLY
I was not aware previously about this trip to study the European conscription model.

It is certainly an encouraging development. It means that the Government has finalized recognized the need to review our approach towards compulsory National Service. They also probably recognized the serious damage that NS has caused to the country - which is a topic that I had raised for the past 25 years.

The compulsory NS had placed our males at a serious disadvantage and delay their entry into the workforce for 3 years. It delayed their marriage and is a major cause of the big drop in our birth rate (apart from other factors, like the modern city lifestyle).

In recent years, the problem has been magnified by the entry of foreigners into the workforce, competing with our locals.

I expect, after the trip, that the Government will recognize the need to reduce the NS burden on our males. But, knowing the Government, they will probably implement the change over 3 to 5 years, instead of immediate implementation, and they will find some "less than honest" way of presenting the message.

If they present the message in an honest way and admit their past mistakes, it would be to their big credit, and they can start to rebuild the trust of the people.

Let us wish for the best.

Internal control on purchases

THIS LETTER IS NOT PUBLISHED BY THE STRAITS TIMES

Editor
Forum Page

Straits Times

I was surprised to read that a senior government official had been charged for submitting false claims for purchase of gifts to be given to foreign dignitaries over several years. 

I do not wish to comment on this specific case, as it is being handled in the court. However, I like to ask about the internal control system that is used in government agencies.

The basic principle of internal control is that each transaction should involve at least two people, to act as a check against abuse. The purchase has to be initiated by one staff and approved by the supervisor. It is possible for these two people to collude, but the risk is minimized.

I have dealt with government agencies over the years, and they are very meticulous about following SOP, even to the extent of giving some hassle to suppliers.

It is therefore very surprising that a basic principle of internal control is being overlooked to such an extent. I look forward to a reply from the Auditor General's Office.

Do we have adequate resources for investigative work?

THIS LETTER IS NOT PUBLISHED BY STRAITS TIMES

12 October 2013

Editor
Forum Page

Straits Times

I wish to thank Superintendent Ho Yenn Dar of the Singapore Police Force for giving me a reply and assurance that the Police will commence investigation when there is evidence that a criminal offence has been committed.

I like to ask if the Police has sufficient investigators to handle the alleged criminal cases that were lodged and if these investigators had the skill, experience and inclination to carry out investigative work?

In November 2011, I was involved in filing a complaint with another person on an alleged cheating case involving a company that provided forex training courses at a high fee. The complaint was accompanied by several hundred pages of documents of alleged deception of the trainees over a period of several years. 

After a delay of a few months, the investigator replied that they did not find any evidence ofcheating.to merit investigation. During this period, both of the complainants were not invited to meet the investigator to clarify the evidence that were presented. We had contacted the investigator a few times, and were told that the requested meeting was not required.

I am now helping a group of complainants on another case. The complainants alleged that they had been cheated in an investment scam and had filed a complaint with the Commercial Affairs Department. The filed complaints from ten people contained several instances of alleged cheating as described in section 415 of the Penal Code of Singapore.

I have asked the investigator to interview the complainants and also offered my assistance in reviewing the evidence, as I am familiar with this matter. I await to see the action that will be taken by the investigator and look forward to a more positive and inclusive outcome to this complaint.

Unsatisfactory compensation from Sing Tel

THIS LETTER IS NOT PUBLISHED BY THE STRAITS TIMES

15 October 2013

Editor, Forum Page

Straits Times

I find the compensation offered by Sing Tel to its customers affected by the disruption of service caused by the fire at its Bukit Panjang exchange facility to be deplorable.

At the minimum, the affected customers should be given a proportionate refund of the fee for the period that the service has been disrupted or for the contract period to be extended by the same period.

It could be argued that the compensation should be augmented, as the disruption to business or the daily living routine should also be considered. 

It is likely that many customers will not be adequately compensated by the increase in surfing speed or more local calls which they may not need. 

The regulatory authority is supposed to regulate the service providers to make sure that they meet the service standards. I ask the authority to step in and ensure that the customers are compensate adequately and fairly.

Be careful about low cash values

A bank marketed a life insurance policy where the consumer has to pay $10,000 annual premium for 5 years, making a total payment of $50,000.
At the end of 10 years, the policy pays between $55,000 to $61,000 (not guaranteed) giving a yield of about 2% p.a.
The surrender value before maturity is less than $35,000 (as against $50,000 in premium paid) and this is not highlighted to the unwary consumer - although it is shown in the benefit illustration.
A consumer said that the product was sold to her as a saving plan, and she was not told that this is a life insurance policy. There is suspected mis-selling.

When I showed this policy to an independent financial adviser, his comments are:
1. This is a rip off product
2. How can MAS allow the insurer to sell such a product? How does it pass the compliance test of being fair to consumers?

Talk on Puzzles

This is a 90 min workshop. Mr. Tan Kin Lian will explain the use of the following mementos:

a) Shape Quiz
b) Tangram Quiz
c) Amazing Numbers

The fee for the talk is $10 but each participant will get 10 sets of the mememto worth $20. They can buy additional paks at $1 each (usual price is $2). This special price is available only on the day of the talk.

Teachers can use these puzzles to teach creating thinking and problem solving to their pupils.

Register here:
http://c-onyx.com/page/1046

Asking workshop to do a third party claim

Be careful about signing a letter of authorization to ask a workshop to handle a 3rd party claim. Read http://c-onyx.com/page/1146

Parents, help your children to make the right start in financial planning

I wish to give this important message to parents. The little things that you do, can mean a lot to the future of your children.

They are now studying hard, to get good results for their university examinations, to look for a job. After they land a job, they will work hard (day and night) to do it well, aiming to get a promotion and an increase in salary.

A part part of their hard work is likely to be wasted. Why? Whatever they earn, whatever they save, is likely to be taken away from them, due to a bad financial decision. This happened to 30,000 people every year. 

They are going to buy a bad life insurance policy, most likely an investment linked policy, that will take away 40% of their savings. 

And you, the parent, should take a large part of the blame. Why? You did not give them good advice. 

Here is what you can do. Buy the two books written by Tan Kin Lian and give it to them as a gift. The titles are "Practical Guide on Financial Planning" and "Get Value for your Life Insurance". Each book cost only $12. 

They can save $100,000 for your child, if they read them and avoid buying the bad life insurance policies. 

Order here: http://c-opal.com/promo/3

Make it easy to use Wireless@SG

Printed in the Straits Times Forum, 7 Oct 2013

THE Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) has said that there is no more government funding for the Wireless@SG hot spot network ("Wireless hot spot deployment: IDA replies"; last Friday).

I am surprised that this service, which is useful to students and low-income people, is not funded by the Government. The cost of this service should be quite modest compared to the many expensive projects that are undertaken by IDA.

During the earlier phase of the project, the sign-in process was handled by several operators using their own interfaces. This caused a big problem for people who had to log in to the hot spots provided by other operators.

In the next phase, it is better for IDA to find an operator to manage a common sign-in service that can be used seamlessly across different types of devices.

The proposed sign-in process using SIM-based authentication, which is expected to be launched next April, is useful for devices with SIM cards, but may not work with other mobile devices.

It is better to find a simple and effective system that can work across all devices, especially one that can be implemented quickly and with less expense and technical risk.

Tan Kin Lian

 

Improve efficiency and reduce cost of living in Singapore

There are many aspects of Singapore that lead to inefficiency and high cost. I share some of them below:

a) Private tuition. The flaw in our education system make it necessary for parents to engage private tutors for their children. The manpower used in private tutors, and the need to travel to receive or get private tuition on a one-on-one basis, must lead to more resources being put in the education system.

b) Government online services. By saving an hour of the time of the civil servants, the badly designed processes caused the public to send several hours to online processes, including the login and searching for the online form. The total cost to the economy is several times of the attempted savings.

The inefficiency has resulted in high cost of doing business and the high cost of living.

If the problems are not recognized, the situation will continue to get worse. It has already reached a very bad state.

I want Singapore to be better, and will continue to point out the problems that should be recognized and rectified to improve the situation.

Presenting both sides of the story

Lim Wee asked:
Do you subscribe Strait Times? Don't you think it is a one -sided newspaper?

REPLY
Many people say that the Straits Times is parroting the views of the Government. 
Let me give you an independent view. 
35 years ago, a retired Englishman was a guest in home home. After two weeks, he said, that the Times is rubbish. I asked him why he thought so. 
His reply, "They only give one sided view, and always repeating what the Minister had said. In England, the papers will present the views from both sides, and let people make their judgement. How can people decide, if they only read the views from one side?"

Handling their job well

William Sam asked:
Which current minister is the worst performing one in your view? Which opposition MP has the ability to do a better job than that minister?

REPLY:
The best performing minister is Khaw Boon Wan. He is tacking the housing problem effectively by increasing the supply of HDB flats and also making it affordable through higher grants from the Government.

The worst performing minister is the one in charge of Home Affairs. He is not addressing the problem of rising crime rates and scams. This is the primary duty of the Police.

Many MPs, PAP or opposition, can do the job of a minister. It does not require a super talent. It only needs someone who is in touch with the problem and use common sense to solve it. Look at the example of the Governor of Jakarta, which is reported here:
http://c-onyx.com/page/991

Update law on copyright

SPH sued Yahoo for publishing over 200 articles that it deemed to have infringe its copyright. I find it odd that a newspaper article, which is widely published and read should be the subject of copyright.
The unclarity of copyright will impede the free flow of information, which is necessary for a thinking society. Our Parliament has a duty to discuss and address this issue and update the laws.

Private tuition for students

A few letters were published in the Straits Times on the need for tuition. Some parents said that they were compelled to give tuition because of the high demands of the education system. Another writer said that it is the decision of the parent and not the system.

There are two issues underlying this debate:

1. Is the standard of the syllabus set too high for each grade, that many students find it difficult to cope?
2. Do parents arrange tuition for their children to pass the subject or to achieve the top grade?

The standard is probably set too high. I remember that a topic that I learned in secondary one 50 years ago was covered in primary 4 about 20 years ago. I wonder if it is now covered in primary 3?

The high demand do not seem to produce better quality students. I find an unwillingness to think or to solve puzzles, even among people who did well in the examinations.

Many parents probably arrange tuition for their children to achieve top grade. This is not necessary.

To change the mindset. we have to make a drastic change to the system. I would consider the following:

1. In the report cards, show only if the student had passed or failed in each subject (and not not aim to show a more detailed grade).
2. The student will be informed of the detailed grade, but it will not appear in the official record.

This will allow the student to identify which are their strong and weak subjects, and make the effort to achieve a pass, without putting in undue stress to achieve the top grade.

Tweaks to the COE system

Is engine power a better way to classify cars? The Minister for Transport, Lui Tuck Yew thinks so. 

I disagree. I do not like the convoluted systems that exist in Singapore today. 

We already have taxes on vehicles that depend on their values. If you want to make expensive cars pay more tax, just raise the direct tax that are based on value.

The COE is a licence to use the road, based on space taken on the road. There is no need to have separate categories for cars, i.e. category A, B or open category and start an argument about how to classifies different models into these categories.

We waste so much time in Singapore over trivial and avoidable matters. That is why we are not able to solve the big problems, which continue to get worse.

Singapore can improve its transport system to solve the problem of high COE prices.
http://c-onyx.com/page/506

Singapore relooks elitist policy

Recent measures show that

the government is not aiming to eliminate,

only to remake,

elitism, which exists everywhere.

 

http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/Insight-Down-South/Profile/Articles/2013/09/21/Spore-relooks-elitist-policy

 

A positive approach towards internal audit

A slightly edited version is published on 16 September in the Online Forum of Straits Times

12 September 2013

I wish to make some suggestions in response to the letter from Ms Deon Chan Siew Fong (Timely to rethink value of internal audit, ST 11 September).

Ms. Chan said that internal auditors should be a part of the management team and not be perceived as "nitpickers" who sound false alarms over insignificant human oversights. 

I agree with her approach. The problem lies with the current approach, which require the business to lay down its standard operating procedures (SOP) and the internal auditor to audit the activities according to the SOP.

Most SOP are written in a detailed manner and do not provide for flexibility, common sense and judgement in taking decisions. There is too much emphasis on compliance with the SOP and a lack of understanding of the purpose of the business or of the SOP.

The purpose of a business is to make transactions that produce a profit. The purpose of internal audit is to ensure that the employees who are trusted to carry out the transactions act honestly, diligently and responsibly.

The purpose of the SOP is to guide the employees and the internal auditor on what are needed to achieve the goal. The SOP should not be followed blindly, without regarding to the underlying goal. If this is recognized, there is no need to sound alarm over insignificant non-compliance. 

We need to change the mindset and empower internal auditors to approach their work with the aim to find out how the employees are doing right, and not what are wrong. In the process, they will detect what does not seem to be right and can discuss the issues with the relevant people. 

What is not right does not mean that it is wrong. 

By adopting a positive approach, internal audit will be able to carry out its role in a more productive manner. There will be a small percentage of cases of dishonest activities, which are more likely to be identified with a positive approach.

Tan Kin Lian

Future of National Service in Singapore

Read this article by Seah Cheang Nee
http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/Insight-Down-South/Profile/Articles/2013/09/14/Concern-over-NS-numbers

The writer had written truths about our National Service policy that the policy makers refuse to recognize. It is clear to most people that our NS policy is now not sustainable for the following reasons:

a) It is imposing an unfair burden on male Singaporeans
b) It is contributing to the low birth rate experienced in Singapore
c) There are better ways to handle our national defense priority, such as relying more on a professional army
d) It is possible to reduce the military training to 9 months (as is experienced in other countries) for the rank and file (representing more than 90% of recruits)
e) The 10% or less who are selected as officers can be given additional training and be paid better
f) The annual reservist training and remedial training should be reduced changed to alleviate the continuing burden
g) The wastage of manpower and expenditure on our national defense should be addressed.

I hope that more Singaporeans will come forward to speak out against the current policy and practice.