WOTC - What will voters look for

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What should voters look for at the next general election?

Here are the responses:

74 % - It is better to vote for change.
18 % - The goals of the political parties
5 % - The candidates being field by the political parties
3 % - Credibility of the political parties
0 % - It is better to vote for stability

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=783

WOTC - Coalition under TCB

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Will the coalition of political parties led by Dr. Tan Cheng Bock do well?

Here are the responses:

65 % - I expect the coalition to make good progress at the general election
26 % - It is a positive start.
5 % - It will make the PAP more willing to listen to the people.
5 % - It will not have any impact at the general election

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=782

WOTC - Best outcome for GE 2020

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What is the best outcome for the next general election?

Here are the responses:

51 % - PAP loses more than 40 seats
22 % - PAP loses 21 to 30 seats
9 % - PAP loses less than 10 sets
9 % - PAP loses 11 to 20 seats
9 % - PAP loses 31 to 40 seats

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=781

Deplorable practices of telcos

I used Starhub in Singapore. For my regular travels to Indonesia, I have a Telkomsel SIM card and and to Malaysia, I use a Digi SIM card.

Here are my experiences in using the SIM cards of the overseas telcos:

a) It is important to use their mobile app.
b) I have to top up the SIM card at regular intervals so that it remains active. If it is deactivated, I will lose the balance in my account. I ask my friend to do it for me.
c) I can buy a 1GB data package for about $2. This will last 3 to 7 days. Make sure that it is a one time pass and not a weekly renewable package.

I find the practices of the telcos in Singapore and the other countries to be deplorable, in the following ways:

a) They expire your SIM card and STEAL your balance.
b) If you do not realize it, they will sell you a renewable package that keeps deducting the money from your account (like stealing money).

I have lost quite some money from these deplorable practices. It is a tough learning experience.

Data Package from Starhub

I could buy 1 GB for $1.30 from Telkomsel, Indonesia. I can buy 1.5 GB for $3.50 from Digi, Malaysia.

Starhub now has a data package for 1 GB for $5. Although the data package from Starhub cost 3 times of the local telcos, I find it acceptable.

Vote for change

Most people find it unlikely for the opposition to form the next government. It will take a few rounds of general election to achieve this outcome.

I agree.

However, I do not share their pessimistic assessment of this effort.

The most important outcome is that the PAP should lose say 30 seats. If this happens, guess what.

You can be sure that the PAP will have to change many of its bad policies, especially the policies that increases the cost of living and add a big burden to the daily lives of the people.

They will certainly not proceed with increasing the GST to 9%. They will roll back the hefty increase in water and electricity prices, and in rentals.

It is important for voters to vote for the coalition so that the PAP will lose a few GRCs and 30 seats.

Some voters are worried that if the swing is too large, the PAP will not form the government. That outcome will be better. The new government can implement the changes more quickly.
We can learn from the experience of Malaysia on how the transition can be carried out smoothly and even increase the confidence of foreign investors.

The voters should have the confidence to vote for change. Both outcomes will be good.

Do you agree?

Exorbitant charge for data roaming

I turned on data roaming on my mobile phone as I thought that the data package was active. I was mistaken.

When I arrived in Jakarta, I received a SMS alert that I had already exceeded $20 of data usage. I checked with Starhub. The data used was 2 MB.

The data package cost $5 for 1 GB. Without the data package, I would have to pay $10,000 for 1 GB. Why is the charge 2,000 times of the package price?

Something is wrong. I like to ask the regulator to step in and ensure that consumers are charged at reasonable price.

It would be reasonable to charge a few times of the normal rate, but certainly not 2,000 times?

http://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=275

Avoid investing in these durian trees

My friend told me that a company from the UK had been set up to develop 10,000 acres of land for planting the Musang King durian in Gua Musang.

I recalled that Gua Musang is the constituency under Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in Kelantan.

I wondered how they are going to market the Musang King durain (Mao San Wang) when it is in bloom. It will flood the market.

My friend said that they intend to export the durians and the overseas market is big. I still have my doubts.

I researched on Google and found this website,
http://www.durianvalley.com.my/our-product.html

I clicked on Product and found that they are selling the trees. It is like selling the teak wood trees. They are adopting the same model.

The developer makes the money by selling the trees to the investors. The investors take the market risk - whether they can sell the durians to earn a return on their investment.

This product is risky. I would not invest in the trees.

WOTC - Policy options

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
Which policy option do you prefer?

Here are the responses:
38 % - Abolish GST
30 % - Ensure that locals can get jobs.
23 % - Provide affordable housing
9 % - Introduce a minimum wage law.

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=780

WOTC - Minimum wage law

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
Should Singapore introduce a minimum wage law?

Here are the responses:
77 % - It ensures that all workers each wage sufficient to meet the cost of living
11 % - It will reduce inequality.
9 % - It will increase the cost of living.
4 % - It pays too much for bad workers

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=779

WOTC - Impact of tariff

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
is trade tariff bad?

Here are the responses:
42 % - It disrupt global trade.
29 % - It allows the government to protect jobs of local workers.
22 % - It is better than GST
7 % - It should be considered as a form of tax to generate government revenue

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=778

WOTC - Remove linkage to Internet

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
Do you agree with the decision of SingHealth to remove the connection to the Internet?

Here are the responses:
36 % - It is an over-reaction to the hacking problem.
34 % - It is necessary to preserve the privacy of the patient data.
30 % - It causes disruption to the normal daily work.
0 % - The information that was stolen was not critical.

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=777

Difficult to find the solution to this manpower contradiction

The PAP government is in a dilemma. They have to control the inflow of workers to make sure that they do not take over the jobs of Singaporeans.

But many employers need workers and could not get Singaporeans to take up these jobs, due to low wages. But these employers could not afford to pay higher wages as they cost of doing business is too high.

Due to shortage of workers, many businesses could not expand. Some cannot even operate.

As an example, we can see many construction jobs being delayed due to shortage of workers.

Many retain and food outlets advertised for workers, but they could not find any taker.

How can the PAP minister and the top civil servants solve this dilemma? They can't. It is a problem with contradictions. In spite of the high pay, they cannot find a solution.

What can be done about it?

I believe that one needs to look at the root cause and to deal with them, in order to get the solution.

Any suggestions?

Misappropriation of customer deposit

Most people are unhappy with the behavior of the shared bike operator who has used the customer deposit to repay off the loan.

While this may or may not be fraudulent, it is morally wrong. The customers' deposits are intended for that purpose, as a deposit to be used to pay the operator for legitimate charges owned by the customer.

The misappropriation of the deposit by the operator should be treated as fraudulent. The authority should act against this fraud, in a similar manner as they are expected to do when someone commits a crime.

There is the crime called cheating. It occurs when someone takes away money from another person on false pretensions. I consider that this misappropriation of the deposit would be considered as cheating.

I wish to see the law enforcement authority take appropriate action against this crime.

It is time for Parliament to set clarity to the law. They should pass a law to make it clear that any money collected on deposit should be used only for that purpose, and cannot be used for other purpose that it was not intended.

In the meantime, the law enforcement authority can take action under the common law of cheating.

Do you agree?

WOTC - Competition commission

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is the Competition Commission doing good work in Singapore?

Here are the responses:

62 % - No. Their actions are inconsistent and confusing
18 % - Yes. They ensure that businesses do not collide to increase prices.
13 % - No. They take action on the wrong business practices.
7 % - Yes. They prevent businesses from having a large market share.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=776

WOTC - Guidelines on medical fees

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should the Singapore Medical Association be allowed to set guideline for charges by doctors?

Here are the responses:

63 % - Yes. The guidelines are useful to tell consumers the reasonable charges.
26 % - Yes. The guidelines will protect consumers.
7 % - No. This is anti-competition.
4 % - Yes. Provided the guidelines are not mandatory.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=775

WOTC - Grab Uber merger

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should the merger between Grab and Uber be allowed?

Here are the responses:

64 % - No. Grab will have a dominant share of the taxi booking market.
23 % - Yes. The consumer has other choices of taking taxi, such as at taxi stand or road hail
10 % - Yes. New entrants will come into Singapore
3 % - Yes. The consumer can take public transport

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=774

WOTC - Privacy and data protection act

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What are your views about the Privacy and Data Protection Act (PDPA)?

Here are the responses:

51 % - It is not effective, as I get the marketing calls and SMS anyway.
31 % - It helped to reduce the unwelcome marketing calls.
14 % - Life was easier in the old days before PDPA.
4 % - I find it troublesome to hear the PDPA message each time that I call a call center.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=772

WOTC - Low trading volume in SGX

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What is the cause of the low trading volume in Singapore?

Here are the responses:

35 % - The practices are outdated
32 % - Singapore is a small country
25 % - The regulations are too strict
8 % - The regulations are too weak

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=771

WOTC - Trading colume in SGX

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

How can the Singapore Exchange increase its trading volume?

Here are the responses:

40 % - Improve trading links with other exchanges
27 % - Strengthen the regulation to protect investors
21 % - Relax the regulation to encourage a free market
11 % - Invite more companies to list in the exchange

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=770

Free and fair elections

In a democracy, there should be different parties offering manifestos setting out different policies on how the country should be run.

There should be free and fair elections to allow the people to make their choice on the type of government they want.

If the ruling party passes laws that impede the free choice of the people and make the other political parties difficult to compete fairly, it will lead to the incumbent ruling party contining in power for a long time. This will lead to corruption and abuse of power.

It will be bad for the future of the country.

Agree?

WOTC - Journey of four segments

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is it acceptable for a public transport journey to take up to four segments?

Here are the responses:

49 % - It is all right, provided that the walking distance to make a transfer is short.
26 % - It is better to make the transfer at the same bus stop.
14 % - The transfer from one line to another may take a long walking distance.
11 % - The transfer from bus to train and from train to bus can be quite a distance.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=768

WOTC - Climate change

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is climate change a serious issue for the world?

Here are the responses:

69 % - It is a serious issue and every country should act to reduce its impact.
25 % - It is somewhat important but the proponents have exaggerated its impact.
3 % - The younger people are most worried about the harm to the environment.
2 % - I have no idea what this issue is about.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=766

WOTC - Allow immigration

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Should Singapore allow immigration?

Here are the responses:

43 % - Yes. For jobs that Singaporeans do not wish to have.
22 % - No. The immigration will lead to other jobs being taken away.
22 % - No. The immigrants do not have to serve National Service, while local males have to.
13 % - Yes. We need more people to create a vibrant economy.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=765

Meet the People session

40 years ago, I helped my MP in the Meet the People session. I set up the system of getting case writers to interview the resident and write down the facts of the case, before they meet the MP.

The usual cases were request to get a earlier allocation for a HDB flat, request to get approval to give residence for a foreign spouse, request for a job, request for a hawker stall and request for a place in the school.

After a few months, it was clear that the exercise was a waste of time. The civil servants were rigid in implementing the government policies, and were unwilling to make any exception. The appeal through the MP usually resulted in a "No" answer.

The residents were generally appreciated that the MP tried to put forward their case. Some came back repeatedly to appeal. The MP usually obliged - it is easier than sending them away.

40 years had passed. I understand that the practice remains the same. Nothing changed. It continued to be a wasteful exercise. Maybe it has the value of public relations for the MP.

Goals for the next general election

I wish to suggest that voters look for the political party that can best meet the following five most important goals:

a) Reduce cost of living, e.g. abolish GST
b) Ensure locals can get jobs, e.g. reserve public sector jobs for locals, no outsourcing
c) Provide affordable housing, e.g. rental or short lease.
d) Give better return on CPF savings and allow full withdrawal by 65.
e) Listen to the people and address their concerns, e.g. full time MPs, more debate in Parliament.

There are other goals, but I have listed the five most important ones.

Do you agree with these goals?

WOTC - National Service

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What are your views about the current NS reservist duty?

Here are the responses:

46 % - It can be cut short by half of the time; currently much time is wasted
26 % - The current system is too costly and large wasteful
17 % - It is necessary to maintain our military competency.
11 % - It should be scrapped; the reservist can be called back for refresher in terms of hostility.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=764

Giant fans to keep cool

I congratulation Resort World Sentosa for installing the giant fans in the outdoor area called the Forum. It keeps the place cool. The glass shade also keeps out the direct sun and make the place bright.

I hope that this feature is cost effective and can be replicated in other parts of Singapore.

http://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=263

Run the country on the correct goals

I quoted an example of a wasteful and efficient practice.
Someone commented - this is not an election issue, so do not bother about it.
Considering this comment, I have now found the reason why Singapore has become very noncompetitive, inefficient and costly.
The PAP government has been approaching matters from the wrong perspective.
They ask the question - will this affect the election outcome?
They should be asking the right question - how can we make Singapore more competitive, and life better for the people.
I am convinced that we have the wrong government, and that the country has been run for the past few decades on the wrong goals.

Fund CareShield Life through payroll tax

There is a lot of controversy about the premium rates for CareShield Life.

Some of the arguments are:

a) Should females be required to pay a higher rate compared to males?

b) Why should this scheme be compulsory?

c) Is the premium rate too high?

d) Are the claim criteria too stringent?

e) Why should the compulsory nature apply only to younger people? Are the older people being denied?

f) Is the government creating the scheme to make profit for itself?

This controversy is inherent in the nature of the scheme - a compulsory scheme that has to be fully paid through contributions (except for means tested subsidies).

What is a better approach?

It is better for the compulsory scheme to be paid through payroll tax, e.g. 0.5% of the payroll.

Compulsory insurance and payroll tax

The people in charge in the government is quite short sighted. They only want to reduce the cost to the government without considering the cost to the country.

I wish to quote the example of compulsory worker's insurance. The government mandated that all workers should be covered for this compulsory insurance and the employer must buy the insurance from the private market.

When a contractor quote for a project, they have to add the cost of insurance to be paid by the owner. This is part of the cost of the contract. The contractor has to buy the insurance separately for this contract. This adds to the cost of negotiating the insurance, which is part of the cost of doing business.

A better approach is for the insurance cost to be covered automatically from payroll tax, say at 0.5% of the wages. This approach can be adopted for all forms of compulsory insurance, including health insurance. Most countries adopt this approach.

The approach adopted in Singapore is inefficient and increase the cost of doing business. Due to five decades of neglect, our cost of doing business is now among the highest in the world. This is probably reflected by the very cost of living in Singapore.

WOTC - A non-PAP government

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
Are you prepared to have a non-PAP government within 10 years?

Here are the responses:
44 % - I will accept a non-PAP government only if they have credible leaders
33 % - I prefer a non-PAP government as soon as possible.
20 % - I am now confident of a change of government following what happened in Malaysia.
4 % - It is better to stick to a PAP government and hope they will change their policies.

96% are prepared to accept a non-PAP government.

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=763

WOTC - Stolen information

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Are you worried about the information stolen from SingHealth database?

Here are the responses:

50 % - The information is private and can cause a lot of harm.
37 % - We need to take the necessary precautions, but we should not exaggerate the damage.
7 % - The information is generally available from other sources. This is not a serious issue.
6 % - The issue is blown out of proportion. What can the criminal do with the information?

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=762

WOTC - Re-election of Donald Trump

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
Do you expect President Trump to be re-elected in 2020?

Here are the responses:
39 % - No. He will lose the general election.
34 % - Yes. He is quite popular.
20 % - No. He will lose the Republican nomination.
7 % - No. He will not stand for re-election

Yes - 34%. No 66%.

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=760

WOTC - Lapses reported by Auditor General

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Are you concerned with the findings of the Auditor General on lapses in government agencies?

Here are the responses:

57 % - I have major concern over these lapses.
29 % - The government agencies are quite slack in doing their work.
10 % - As there are many transactions, a few oversights are to be expected.
5 % - These lapses are normal and should not raise any concern.

85% are concerned; 15% find it to be acceptable.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=759

WOTC - Change to NS Policy

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
What change is required for our National Service strategy?

Here are the responses:
38 % - Continue NS. But reduce the full time consription to 1 year.
25 % - Continue NS. But reduce the reservist training.
19 % - Stop NS. Rely on professional army
17 % - Continue the current policy to have a credible defense capability.

83% want the NS commitment to be reduced or abolished. 17% want to continue it as it is.

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=761

Allow limited access through the Internet

The SingHealth has disabled the connection through the Internet for access to their computer system. This is causing inconvenience to doctors who need to access the system to book appointments and to view the patient records.

I wish to suggest another approach for SingHealth IT department to handle.

a) Some of the functions are to be handled by the staff. These functions can be disabled for Internet access. They have to be accessed only through the premises, i.e. using Intranet and checking the IP addresses.

b) The doctors in the community can be allowed to access the system for restricted functions, such as booking of appointments, placement of orders or for access to patient recoreds. Each user ID can be limited to a certain number of transactions a day, e.g. 100 transactions. There is no need to allow the user to access 100,000 transactions in a day.

I hope that this approach is possible. We should not allow the system to grind to a halt or for the operations to be placed on an inefficient mode.

Cost-plus pricing

During the years before 1980, the government sold HDB flats based on cost of construction. The flats were affordable. They have to be sold back to the HDB at the controlled prices.

The HDB shops were also rented at low cost.

This was before the days of "asset enhancement".

I prefer the system of housing and shops being sold at cost of construction. This allows the cost of living to be kept low.

This is an example of cost-plus pricing, rather than market pricing.

Separate access between Internet and Intranet

DPM Teo said that the health database should be separated from the Internet.  This will cause problems because the database is used by doctors within the community.

I like to suggest how this issue can be handled.

Within a computer system, there is a portion that is accessed through the Intranet and another portion through the public Internet.

The staff working in the hospitals can access the database using the Intranet that is not linked to the Internet. This will prevent hackers from accessing the system that is used by the staff.

The staff has more functions and the access is strictly through the Intranet - where there is better control.

The doctors in the wider community can access the database using the Internet, but the functions are restricted. They can only access one patient record at a time and the access is logged.

This approach recognizes that the public access through the Internet should be restricted to a limited function.

New MRT trains

The Land Transport Authority pays $827 million for 66 new trains. Each train has 6 cabines. So the cost per cabin is $2 million. THis excludes the support fees which increases the cost to $1,200 million..

This is obtained from a competitive tender which is participated by five tenderers.

It will be useful to compare the prices paid in other countries for their trains.

Pay attention to what is happening on the ground

It is important for senior people to pay attention to what is happening on the ground on a day to day basis.

For example, the managers of a bus company should check if the bus services are being run punctually.

If the traffic condition cause the buses to bunch together, it is beyond the control of the bus drivers or the supervisors. But the bunching could be due to lack of adherence to the time schedules.

With database technology, it is possible to identify the cases of bunching of buses and to inquire about the reason. Is this being done?

If the management does not pay attention, the rot goes down the line. The workers on the ground knows that their managers do not care, so they will also slacken.

I have observed that some buses are not captured in the bus arrival data. I suspect that these buses have faulty trackers and are not reporting their location. This has been happening for many years.

The fact that these faults are not corrected indicate that the management is not paying attention.

Hacking of SingHealth database

DPM Teo has revealed more information about the hacking of the SingHealth database.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/internet-separation-should-have-been-implemented-teo-chee-hean-10558584

He talked about internet separation. I wonder how this could prevent the hacking and still allow the wider community to access the information?

The critical information is still missing. How did the hacker retrieve information from the database servers?

I have speculated in another post that it is a page that is accessible to the staff that has been hacked. I wonder if my guess is correct.

http://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=252

Competition commission and medical charges

Singapore has a competition law and a commission set up to enforce the law.

The purpose is to ensure that businesses do not collide to increase prices for consumers.

One of the bad decisions taken by the commission is to ask the Singapore Medical Association to remove its guidelines for charges by doctors and specialists.

When the guidelines were removed, the doctors could charge any price that they liked. In the past, if the prices were too high, the SMA would take action against the doctors.

The guidelines did not set a minimum price for doctors. They tell the doctors and the public the reasonable prices to expect.

After the removal of the guidelines, the medical fees went up to high levels. This was one of the key factors for the large increase in medical frees in recent years.

The solution is to allow the medical association to reinstate its guidelines and to play the role of protecting the interest of consumers.

It is ironic that the competition commission, which was supposed to take care of consumers, made a decision that become very bad for consumers.

http://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=256

WOTC - Re-election of Donald Trump

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Do you expect President Trump to be re-elected in 2020?

Here are the responses:

39 % - No. He will lose the general election.
34 % - Yes. He is quite popular. 
20 % - No. He will lose the Republican nomination.
7 % - No. He will not stand for re-election

Yes - 34%. No - 66%.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=760

WOTC - Findings of Auditor General

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Are you concerned with the findings of the Auditor General on lapses in government agencies?

Here are the responses:

57 % - I have major concern over these lapses.
29 % - The government agencies are quite slack in doing their work.
10 % - As there are many transactions, a few oversights are to be expected.
5 % - These lapses are normal and should not raise any concern.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=759

Customer verification

The Privacy and Data Protection Act (PDPA) requires organizations to protect the privacy of their customers.

As a result, the organizations have to verify their customer before giving information concerning the customer accounts and transactions.

But organizations have a bad way of verifying their customer. They ask the customer to give their personal ID, such as NRIC and some personal details, such as the mother's maiden name or how many accounts you have with us.

I wish to suggest a better way. Allow the customer to give a 6 digit pin number for verification. Each customer should be able to choose a number that they can remember. For example they may wish to 6 digits that they can remember easily.

This should be different from the PIN number that is used for ATM transactions. But it is really up to the customer.

The chance of a stranger knowing the PIN number is 1 in a million.

I hope that our organizations can adopt this common sense approach.

Mischievous posting

A mischievous user posted in my Feedback website a redirection link. When the feedback is displayed, it is redirected to another page, instead of displaying the content.

I found out this mischief. I have since added a check to stop any direction instruction in the content field of the feedback in these two websites:

www.tklcloud.com/feedback
www.tklcloud.com/conv

When a vulnerabilty or mischief is detected, it is possible to take remedial action.

A similar approach can be taken for hacking, such as what has happened with Singhealth. It is useful to share information about how the hacking occured, so that other websites can prevent this kind of abuse.

I do not belief in maintaining secrecy, which is a common habit in Singapore.

Low Trading Volume in Singapore Exchange

Someone told me that the Singapore Exchange is experiencing low trading volume for two reasons:

a) The customers have to complete the Customer Account Review
b) The cessation of price information on Teletext

These two factors have discouraged many old folks, who are not in touch with the latest technology, from trading in the Singapore Exchange. They contributed to the trading in the past.

http://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=255

Hacking into SingHealth Database

We have sketchy information about how the "sophisticated hacker" who is probably state sponsored, carried out the cyber attack.

Here are the information that were released:

a) 1.5 million records were accessed of patients who made visits during a certain period (about 5 years)

b) It seemed that the records of other patients who did not make a visit during this period were not accessed.

c) The DPM said that we have to review the connection to the internet.

d) The hacker got access to a front end terminal.

e) The data was extracted over a period of two weeks.

Based on this information, this is my quess on what had happened:

f) The hacker was able to get the login ID and password of the staff using the affected terminal.

g) There was a page that allows the staff to view the details of all the patients making a visit on a certain date or period and maybe for each hospital or all hospitals.

h) The hacker was able to use this page to patiently download the data of the patients who visited each hospital for each day.

If my guess is correct, then the vulnerability that could be prevented are:

i) All staff access should be through the intranet, rather than the internet.

I shall wait for the discussion in the Commission of Inquiry hearing to see if my guess is correct.

Tan Kin Lian

Hacking into SingHealth Database

I suggest that SingHealth should tell the public how the hacker was able to access the data.

It might get some ideas from the public on how such hacking could be prevented.

It does not help when the people involved said that it is due to "sophisticated hacking" possibly by a state sponsored organization.

Similar cases of massive hacking activities in other countries are also kept secret - I think. If there is transparancy, it is likely that a solution could be found.

http://tklcloud.com/Feedback/feedback2.aspx?id=251

WOTC - SMRT COO

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Do you agree with SMRT's decision to retain the service of its COO Alvin Kek?

Here are the responses:

38 % - No. His service should be terminated.
35 % - No. He failed to set a good example to his subordinates by commiting a criminal offence. 
19 % - Yes. His drink driving offense is not related to his work performance. 
8 % - Yes. A demotion is an appropriate punishment.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=758

WOTC - NS deferment for Ben Davis

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

How do you describe Mindef's decision to deny NS deferment for Ben Davis?

Here are the responses:

47 % - They are destroying the passion and career of young men.
27 % - They should be more flexible.
18 % - They are consistent in applying the policy on NS deferment 
9 % - Every male should serve NS diligently 

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=757

WOTC - PAP leaders

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

How do you describe the current PAP leaders

Here are the responses:

60 % - They look after their own interest.
33 % - They are incompetent.
6 % - They are competent 
2 % - They work hard to take care of the problems facing the people.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=756

Exit and Way Out

Why do we have Exit signs and Way Out signs at the MRT stations?

This is my guess.

A long time ago, it was mandatory to have Exit signs to tell occupants of a premise on where is the Exit in case of a fire. (Actually, we have so few fires that this sign is hardly noticed).

When they introduce MRT stations, they need to tell the commuters where is the Way Out.

But the Way Out is usually the same as the Exit.

If our lawmakers or regulators were alert, they would have passed an amendment to the law that Way Out means Exit. So, there is no need to have Exit and Way Out in MRT stations.

But our Parliament was asleep, right?

Improve the signs

For many years, I have observed that the signs in Singapore are generally poor.

What are good signs? Here are some suggestions:

a) They should anticipate what the public needs to know.

When alighting from a train, they need to know which escalator to take for the Way Out and to change to other lines.

They need to know where to find the toilet and lift.

Along the road, they need to know the direction to the MRT station.

When leaving the gantry of the MRT station, they need to know the Exit No for common landmarks nearly.

b) They should provide most important information at the first level and more detailed information at the second level.

c) Direction signs should take precedence over commercial advertisements. (We have too many advertisements that obstruct the signs).

What are your views?

I have visited other cities and generally find their signs to be helpful. Somehow, the signs in Singapore do not appear to be helpful. This is a general observation. There are exceptions.

Change to National Service Policy

This is my suggestion for a change in our National Service policy:

a) Reduce the training period to 8 to 12 months.
b) All officers should be full time.
c) Reservist training should be called every two years and be for 3 days duration. The aim is to refresh on the use of weapons.
d) In the event of hostility, the reservists can be called up for intensive training.
e) An adequate allowance should be paid for the time of the conscripts and reservists.

I think that this is a more effective use of our military budget. We can still maintain a credible citizen army without paying too much and imposing too big a sacrifice on the citizens.

Tan Kin Lian

http://tklcloud.com/Conv/feedback2.aspx?id=144

Responding to crooks in the Internet

Some people are worried that their mobile numbers and email addresses have been stolen and can be used by crooks to scam them.

I adopt this approach. My email and mobile numbers are not secret. I do not care if it is stolen from a database that is hacked. I do not need the database owner to tell me.

Knowing that my mobile number or email is not a secret information, I exercise care in responding to emails and SMS. I ignore messages from people that I do not know, unless I have reason to believe that they are genuine, e.g. someone asking for my advice.

I also know that my credit card is not secret. I welcome the alerts that my bank send to me about transactions with my credit card. I also check my monthly statement.

I check that the total appears to be in order - and if not, I look at the details. It does not matter that someone steal a few tens of dollars from me, but if it is $1,000 or more, it is a different matter.

WOTC - Changi Jewel

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is it a good idea to build the Jewel at Changi Airport.

Here are the responses:

39 % - It will compete with and harm the business in Orchard Road and the city center.
28 % - It will tap into the business of transit passengers.
19 % - It is another interesting place for locals to visit
14 % - It will attract many people and be the target for terrorists.

Yes - 61%. No - 39%

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=755

WOTC - Listen to feedback

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Is the government serious about listening to feedback from the people?

Here are the responses:

48 % - They ignore feedback which they do not like.
46 % - They only pretend to listen just for show.
4 % - They are doing their best to listen to the feedback.
2 % - They have an effective channel using grassroots leaders. 

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=754

WOTC - Feedback from the people

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

What is a good way for the government to hear feedback from the people?

Here are the responses:

56 % - By responding promptly to feedback given on online platforms. 
31 % - By engaging the people through the social media. 
10 % - By visiting the constituencies.
3 % - By talking to people through the telephone.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=753

WOTC - ePayment Platform

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Which e-payment platform do you prefer

Here are the responses:

38 % - Tap with a stored value card, like EZ Link
38 % - Pay with a credit card
15 % - Pay with mobile phone using QR code
9 % - Pay with Debit or ATM pay 

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=752

WOTC - Revised High Speed Rail

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:

Will Singapore agree with a revised High Speed Rail built at half of the original cost?

Here are the responses:

57 % - Yes. It is still a High Speed Rail.
20 % - No. It is a fundamental change to the contract.
14 % - Yes, it will allow the train to come to Jurong East.
9 % - No. The lower cost probably means a system of inferior quality.

See the pie chart at: 
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=751

WOTC - General election in Singapore

I asked this question in the Wisdom of the Crowd:
When will the general election be held in Singapore?

Here are the responses:
53 % - Second half of 2019
27 % - 2020 or 2021
15 % - First half of 2019
5 % - Second half of 2018

See the pie chart at:
http://www.wisdomofthecrowd.sg/chart.aspx?ID=750

Travel to Sentosa and return

I took public transport to Resort World Sentosa. First, I took bus 857 and alight at St Andrew Village to walk to Potong Pasir MRT station for the NE Line to Harborfront.

I went up 4 levels of escalators (a lift would have been better) to take the Sentosa Express monorail.

I had to pay $4 as entry fee to Sentosa, which includes the monorail ride.

I arrived an hour earlier than my dinner time. I walked around the Resort World and obtained a good feel of the place.

On previous occasions, I was driven to the car park and went up to the ballroom directly.

I found the travel by public transport to be better.

On my return, I took the monorail to Harborfront, took the Circle Line to Bishan, the North South Line to Yio Chu Kang and then bus 86 home. That journey took 1 hour and comprised 4 segments.

Terminal 3 in Jakarta

Previously, when I visited Jakarta, I used terminal 2. It was quite compact. I did not have to walk a long distance after leaving the plane to reach the Immigration counter and to leave the terminal.

Three months ago, the flight moved to Terminal 3. It was a large terminal. I had to walk a much longer distance on arriving into Jakarta and on leaving Jakarta.

I thought that Terminal 3 must be at least three times of Terminal 2.

I searched Google and was surprised that Terminal 3 was about 50% larger than Terminal 3.

Why do I have to walk such a long distance in Terminal 3.

I learned that Terminal 2 was organized into three sub-terminals, also called the concourse. I only need to use one concourse. This means that the walking distance could be, in theory, only one third.

I also read that Terminal 3 in Jakarta airport was designed to use terminal 3 in Singapore as the benchmark. It turned out to be a bad approach. The concourse approach is better for passengers.