Saturday, December 22, 2012

PAP Scorched Earth at Aljunied GRC!

What we suspected, but now confirm and double confirmed!

Recently, MND gave a report that WP's Aljunied GRC team CMI - WP got a red card for their late audit / management report. Ooooooh eyes on WP for being lame and giving excuses. Yes WP cannot excuse that away. However, as more bits and pieces came out about AIM, the financial services company that was holding WP Aljunied Town Concil hostage by putting admin obstacles in front of WP's management report to MND, then the blame and shame game on WP turned into one on PAP's scorched earth policy. Not new, this PAP denial of the political enemy access to infrastructure, like how WP had trouble with use of common space in Hougang because MND and PA were politically motivated in their decisions. Ooooooh

Lau gay Alex Au was half right to say that AIM is a stay-behind sabo party - right because AIM is actually owned by former PAP MPs and I think still PAP members, not so right as AIM took over the financial and computer systems of the PAP town councils before GE 2011 in January last year, and not just before handover of Aljunied to WP. How was the tender process that AIM won, we are very curious!

Tessa Wong, one of the few ST journalists who covered opposition news objectively, nudged readers to think about who should fingers be pointing at, and for WP Pritam Singh to copy it lock stock and barrel into his Facebook note, he endorsed the finger taichi implied! Ohoh, would nation-building press ST warn Pritam Singh about blatant copyright infringement by copying the entire ST article into his Facebook? LOL

AIM, the Tessa Wong report also said its directors and former PAP members don't want to comment, like MIA!


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Palmergate in Pictures

Some of the funnier grabs from the Internet. Still no naked pictures of Palmer and his fling. Half-naked ones also don't have!

WP to start the year, PAP to end the year and it has been a fucking great year! Woohoo.

It's all about how to own up and milking the rhetoric, without letting people know you are milking the rhetoric otherwise it just curdles quickly and yucks. PAP did a good job by pressuring Palmer take one for the team and resign. But they overdid it in their spinning.

EDMW 
Karma, and revenge is a dish of big sweet mangoes. WP's rhetoic was sublime, and Low's display of gracious understanding pat on Palmer's back, good showmanship. They sat back and watched the parade.

Xiaxue unloads a splendid point and wins the wife votes, and the hubbies next to them as the hubbies must nod and openly agree with the wives here if they are smart. Politicians should have high moral standards, or at least as high as possible. Or least don't be stupid to get found out even if have low moral standards.


Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Good Game, Michael Palmer

Who is Palmer?

He is the former Speaker in parliament, former MP in Punngol East SMC, former PAP member and man who screwed Laura Ong, someone from PA. Didn't everybody say PAP and PA are bedfellows! Wonder if she is prettier than the woman that former WP MP bonked!

Still, one thing about this Palmer, this guy had balls. Balls to stand alone in a SMC in the last GE when all his other PAP comrades hide with the big boys in GRCs. Balls to bonk around after the Yaw Shin Leong scandal earlier this year that led to the Hougang by-election. Facepalmer!

Obviously didn't learn that lesson from Low Thia Khiang's protege that these sort of private sordid things cannot be kept under the covers for long when one is a political figure with enemies of all colours. Private tho affairs may be, the game is to make it public interest when one is a politician. Stupid cockhead, also not thinking ahead!

And to match and even surpass WP's standards of transparency set a few months ago, the PAP is putting Palmer on a donkey cart, parading him around town with a self-flagellating press conference and even naming the woman who led to his fall, outdoing WP in openness and decisiveness on who can shame its own more. Karma is an equal opportunity bitch who just squeezed PAP's balls after the PAP preached about MPs setting high moral standards a few months ago. LOL

You know what,? While we snigger about Palmer and make snide remarks about PAP's karma, Low Thia Khiang is ever the graceful politician-gentleman in his comments about Palmer. He did not kick mud into Palmer's face like what the PAP did when Yaw was crawling away in the mud. Low Thia Khiang has class.

Michael Palmer's resignation 'unfortunate': Low Thia Khiang
Updated 09:58 PM Dec 12, 2012

SINGAPORE - Workers' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang today said it is "unfortunate" that Mr Michael Palmer has resigned as Speaker of Parliament.

Describing Mr Palmer as a "well balanced Speaker", Mr Low said Mr Palmer "managed Parliamentary affairs very well and very efficiently".

"He's well balanced giving both front and back benchers sufficient time to debate. He also has given members of the Opposition sufficient time to engage the front bench, said Mr Low. "Personally I quite like him as a Speaker so it's unfortunate that he has resigned."

Mr Low was speaking to the media at the sidelines of his Meet the People Session this evening.

Mr Palmer, who was Member of Parliament (MP) for Punggol East SMC, today announced his resignation as Speaker and as a member of the People's Action Party (PAP) after admitting to having a relationship with a member of the People's Association staff.

Asked about what this episode showed about the PAP and its selection process for candidates, Mr Low said that no selection process is foolproof.

Declining to compare this with the WP's experience earlier this year - when then WP MP for Hougang SMC Mr Yaw Shin Leong's infidelity was revealed - Mr Low said it would not be fair to do so as "every case is unique". Mr Yaw was subsequently sacked from the party.

He said, however, that he hoped the people "who have been critical of the Workers' Party", including the media, would "display fairness and integrity in their comments and their sincerity in what they have said during the episode of Yaw Shin Leong".

"I think we have done our part and my conscience is clear. Other than that, it's always unpleasant to know, to learn of such things happen(ing) whether it's in the Opposition or the PAP. We hope to have a good public service," he said.

Earlier today, the WP issued a press release urging the Prime Minister to call a by-election in the Punggol East constituency as soon as possible. The party said it was ready to offer a choice to the voters of Punggol East SMC again in the by-election.

Asked who the party would field as a candidate, Mr Low said it was "premature" to speculate on the candidate. During the General Election last year, the WP fielded Ms Lee Lilian.

Good Game, Philip Pillai

Who is Pillai?

He is the guy who threw out that law soc lawyer who barged into court and said M Ravi was mad, as well as walked the fine line in the Hougang by-election hearing - his decision not to let Vellama pay damages when she lost the case. He was the judge in Dr Susan Lim's case for overcharging the Bruneian royalty. He presided over an Indonesian businessmen who sued Citibank when he lost money in investments. Overall, by the way he adroitly handled the Hougang by-election decisions,  he is one balanced judge. Too bad he won't be around in court anymore. Bye!


Singapore High Court Judge, Philip Pillai, to retire
AsiaOne
Tuesday, Dec 11, 2012

SINGAPORE - Supreme Court Judge, Justice Philip Pillai, will retire on 12 December 2012 when he reaches 65 years old.

He will be leaving the Public Service after three years of distinguished service.

Justice Pillai received his Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Singapore in 1971, and his Master in Law and Doctor of Juridical Sciences from Harvard University in 1973 and 1983 respectively. He was admitted as an advocate and solicitor in Singapore in 1972.

From 1971 to 1985, Justice Pillai taught at the Law Faculty of the National University of Singapore.

He was a Senate Member of the National University of Singapore from 1976 to 1985.

From 1981 to 1985, Justice Pillai was a member of the Board of Legal Education, as well as a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

He was in private practice from 1986 to 2009 as partner of the law firm Shook Lin & Bok LLP and joint managing partner of Allen & Overy, Shook Lin & Bok.

Amongst other appointments, Justice Pillai was a Director and Audit Committee member of the Monetary Authority of Singapore from 2000 to 2005. He was also a member of the Regional Panel of Arbitrators of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre from 2003 to 2006.

From 2001 to 2003, Justice Pillai was the Chairman of the Singapore Committee on Company Legislation and Regulatory Framework. In 2003, he was awarded the Singapore Public Service Medal.

Justice Pillai was first appointed as Judicial Commissioner on 1 October 2009 and then as a Judge of the Supreme Court on 1 June 2010.

He was appointed as a member of the Legal Service Commission from 2007 and has been a member of the Special Personnel Board from 2010.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

PAP Almost Sue TOC!

Wow. Throwing law suits used to be only at SDP, now letters of demand are hurled at keyboard warriors too. It did not stop at the old gay Alex (did not deserve it) but went on to TRS (deserve it), now TRE (deserve it) and TOC (did not deserve it).  This is PAP's new media strategy.

What was it all about this time. About gay SDP Vincent Wijeysingha's SMRT strike Facebook note that SMRT drivers who are unhappy can quit and join SBS. Firstly, Vincent's note was a wall of text and I did not even know Vasoo was mentioned inside it. Some good points were made by Vincent like unions CMI and the Tiong drivers complained before and still no action. The rest was pure political grandstanding like the Tiongs had the right to an illegal strike, since Vincent is SDP and opposition what, so a bit of rhetoric is expected.

PAP lawyer hitman Davinder Singh then sent letters of demand left, right, centre. Making the issue even bigger, making people even more interested in what happened between Vasoo and Chee, making people think more that Vincent must be right for the PAP to want to silence him. PAP, you are so funny and you bring weekend entertainment to all of us. Thank you.



Did TOC pwn PAP, or PAP pwn TOC? You guess!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Public Transport Fare Increasing!

The MIA transport minister and former navy general has reported for duty finally. After taking cover for so long since the strike started and ended, he has come out to say that next year, bus and shhhhh...train fares would go up to pay for drivers' increased wages.   Sure, this policy to increase bus fares would be super popular and a sure vote-winner for the next election. Outstanding!

All this while, the former SAF army generals have taken the heat. Tan Chuan Jin from manpower for backing Desmond from SMRT. Desmond was also MIA on holiday when the crisis started as he was also trained enough to avoid the shelling, and would stick his head out only when safer. At least Tan stood up from the foxhole first with SAR 21 firing from both hands. Desmond and Tan wanted to turf out the troublesome Tiongs and send a fuck-you hardline message that the Tiongs must not get the impression that they can screw us more than we can screw them. We the boss! If the Tiongs don't get that message to play ball and not play punk, they would be climbing over heads of their bosses and even onto top of construction cranes to "sabotage" worksites!

However, this Lui is sending a contrary and not subtle signal that the strike by the SMRT service leaders', a damn stupid term and worse than "bus captains", was successful and salary changes would be made as a result of it. Army-Navy boxing! Fight fight fight!

BTW, SMRT chief Desmond also said they would be bringing in more SAF personnel into SMRT to do HR and other command-control tasks. That really inspires confidence in SMRT, at least the former butch SMRT CEO was a great retailer and made SMRT profitable from its retail rather than buses and trains.

SAF has a stellar background in HR policy and management. Sure, right. What they going to do, make the SMRT bus drivers do area cleaning and stand-by bunk to wake up the idea of the Tiong drivers? Make them do sentry duties so there would be no vandal intrusion into SMRT interchanges? Make drivers sign extra do weekend duty driving? Facepalm.



Public transport fare adjustments to take into account bus drivers' wage increase
By Dylan Loh | Posted: 06 December 2012 1626 hrs
Channel News Asia

SINGAPORE: Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said on Thursday public transport fare adjustments, due next year, will take into account the need to raise bus drivers' wages.

Mr Lui was speaking for the first time in the aftermath of the illegal strike by bus drivers from China last week, and said public transport cost increases over the years have outpaced fare adjustments.

He was trying out the route of a new service on Thursday under the government's billion-dollar Bus Service Enhancement Programme.

Mr Lui said the 34 Chinese bus drivers out of work from SMRT due to the strike make up only about 0.5 per cent of the total pool of 8,000-odd drivers.

Therefore, the impact on bus enhancements should be minimal.

What's of concern, however, is the lingering effect of the strike on recruitment and retention of bus drivers, and Mr Lui said the government is watching this carefully.

Looking at public transport fare adjustments of past years, Mr Lui said while fares have increased by 0.3 per cent, costs in fuel and wages for instance have gone up by 30 per cent.

He said the fare review committee recognises this "significant mismatch".

Mr Lui said: "Any fare adjustment will allow the two operators to have more resources, in time to come, to make further salary adjustments to their drivers. We recognise that the drivers need to be paid more. (The) question is, where is that money coming from?

"So we need to see the relationship between any fare adjustment, wage increase, and any other forms of government support that we might be required to give to the operators."

Mr Lui said it is difficult to wean dependence off foreign bus drivers as Singaporeans may not want to take up the job.

So salary adjustments, at least, will make the occupation more attractive to locals.

He said previous salary adjustments have helped to increase the recruitment of drivers, both local and foreign.

When asked whether SMRT should face any penalty as a result of the strike, Mr Lui said the operator will be evaluated according to quality of service standards.

Impact on bus services as a result of the two-day strike will be taken into account.

Mr Lui said he also spoke to SMRT's Chief Executive Desmond Kuek on the strike, and said the organisation needs to improve in many areas.

He said Mr Kuek needs to be given time to turn things around.

From December 16, two new SBS Transit bus services will start plying under the Bus Service Enhancement Programme.

Service 50, which will start service on December 16, will cover Ang Mo Kio, Yio Chu Kang, Sengkang and Punggol.

Express Service 513 will start on December 17, connecting residents of Tampines to the Central Business District. This service only runs during the morning and evening peak period on weekdays.

In addition, four new bus services will be added to the bus network in the first quarter of 2013.

Three of them come under the government's enhancement programme, while the other is a trunk service by SBS Transit at its own cost

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

SDP Chee Soon Juan Purposely Sabo Yale-NUS!

Since Dr Chee Soon Juan is no longer a bankrupt, he can leave the country and the first thing he did, was to head over to the USA, and complain about Singapore. Which is not really new as he likes to whine and wring his hands about Singapore in front of foreigners, especially Americans. However the new twist is that he is complaining in Yale to Yale about the Yale-NUS College in Singapore and that it is a big bad thing for Yale as NUS and Singapore is a big bad place better left alone. Let me lay it out straight that I'm biased against SDP, so you know where I'm coming from.

Chee is also biased, let me lay it out. Biased against PAP which he often equates with Singapore, and biased against his former employer NUS. Let me explain if you have not joined the dots about his gritty personal vendetta dressed up as glam political reformation.

Chee was kicked out of NUS for ridiculous charges of making false taxi fare claims. Whatever. He was damn pissed as his former NUS boss Dr Vasoo was a PAP MP then and it was all a PAP-NUS conspiracy to fix him as Chee just entered politics and was, Chiam See Tong's protege in SDP. Ever since then, the former NUS lecturer turned Red politician has gone head to head with the PAP, providing good political black comedy to many onlookers as it made him and his archenemy the PAP look ridiculous at the same time, from his shouting in a market to him being dumbly sued constantly by the PAP. Since Chee is no longer a bankrupt, that means he can and will be sued to bankruptcy again so bring out the popcorn!

In a nutshell, this is why Chee is still upset with NUS and does not want a Yale collaboration. Even though it would benefit students here who would want a Yale experience, albeit in Singapore. Better than nothing if can't go all the way to Yale what. Even though it would benefit Singapore's education industry. Even though it would boost NUS' reputation and research. Even though Yale was promised that NUS would not inhibit academic freedom in the Yale-NUS college. Even though by Yale being here, it is the seed that would grow more critical Singaporeans who will see different sides to stories and be more balanced.

You don't hear the other opposition political parties complaining about Yale-NUS as they see the big picture. Chee doesn't see the big picture about Yale-NUS. He just sees it as a way to get back at his former employer, a personal grudge, nothing more. Serious.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Strike, and You're Out!

I want Tiongs, Banglas, Letticias. We need them in our economy. Construction, drivers, sales staff, nurses, cleaners, KTV girls, and other jobs that locals are not desperate enough to do. Despite what small-minded Singaporeans think that we should kick them all out. BTW I have even seen Pinoys cook and serve Chinese-style mee pok in food courts! They put so much vinegar into the mee pok, as if like their Pinoy dishes! WTF

Recently, SMRT bus drivers went on strike, more than 100 some more. They think it is some Foxconn strike! In a strike, there are always 2 sides to the story and given SMRT's pathetic track record on maintenance, I tend to give the bus drivers some leeway about their sad sob story (dirty dorms, not enough sleep, low pay - fucking pussies, it sounds like my BMT). However, people were inconvenienced and public transport, like public utilities and services should never be held hostage by strikers, especially if they are foreigners. Giordano or McDonalds workers strike I don't care. But SMRT staff?

It is only good news that 5 strike ring-leaders were charged and 29 others, probably those who instigated to a lesser degree, would be deported ASAP. The strikers are not the victims once they broke the law and ignorance is never an excuse. Bye-bye! Those who support the strikers unconditionally, shut the fuck up, you want the strike to spread and continue?

It would have been better if more of the 100 plus strikers were deported to show a strong disapproval and a zero tolerance on workers crippling public services. But the main reason more were not kicked out probably with SMRT negotiation is because too many bus drivers would have been taken off the roads as a result. It would self-pwn sabotage of SMRT bus services and cause more inconvenience to SMRT bus passengers.



SMRT bus strike: 5th driver to be charged, 29 to be repatriated
By Royston Sim & Maria Almenoar

The police has "substantially completed" its investigations into the illegal strike earlier this week and will be charging a fifth SMRT bus driver from China for instigating the work stoppage.

It has also issued stern warnings to 29 other drivers, who have since had their work permits revoked, and will be repatriated by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) soon.

The Ministry of Home Affairs and Manpower Ministry, providing an update on the incident, said in a joint press statement on Saturday that "barring any new developments, we do not expect further arrests or repatriations related to this illegal strike".

"The police will be issuing warnings to the others who were involved, but no further action will be taken against them and they will be allowed to remain and work in Singapore, so long as they continue to abide by our laws," added the ministries.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Go Sue TRS! Sue!

 From TRS' #1 Fan - Every Day Party!

The Real Singapore is in trouble again, again be happy! TRS has been posting shit for some time and it is about time it gets into shit itself. Again. Shit goes around! TRS is like the old Temasek Review, plagiarise and even post fake news, which is super weak. If they wanted to attract eyeballs and eventually ad money, just go for sex and sleaze. There is no need to fake and copy news, which is just the excuse the PAP wants to focus on in labeling any news sites out there as lacking credibility and sensationalist. BTW TRS is not the only one plagiarising - Temasek Times and Occupy Singapore do it too. Hey, is there one same person behind all these sites? LOL

Meanwhile, the former loaded surgeon turned loaded PAP minister was pissed with a recent TRS article on Mindef where TRS mixed plagiarism and fake news, a TRS first, or at least the first time TRS was found out. The defence minister has sent Davinder Singh, the PAP's elite lawyer-commando-sniper to take out TRS. TRS can't hide, can run and would only die tired.

TRS was recently kind enough to say Alex Tan and Yang Kaiheng are no longer in it. At least TRS has integrity to protect the innocent. Oh? Hmmmm or more like they are nervous that their charade is up and instead trying to pretend they not involved in it anymore? Everything sounds more and more like the old Temasek Review where the doctor insisted that he was no longer involved and had sold it off to someone else which he does not know. Sure. Whatever.

MF from TRS Exonerates Alex Tan! Steady or Do Thief Heart Fake?


Defence Minister to commence legal action against website
By Tessa Wong
The Straits Times
Sunday, Nov 25, 2012

SINGAPORE - Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen is taking legal action against sociopolitical website The Real Singapore (TRS), according to a posting by the website on its Facebook page.

On Friday morning, the website posted on its Facebook page a screenshot of an email sent by Dr Ng's lawyer, Mr Davinder Singh.

Mr Singh informed TRS that his client would be commencing legal proceedings and asked for the names and addresses of the administrators and editors of the TRS website and Facebook page.

TRS responded: "Sorry, your request does not comply with our privacy policy and is therefore rejected."

Earlier this week, TRS and another blog called SingaporeSurf were asked to take down a defamatory post about Dr Ng and publish an apology.

Both sites complied. However, in TRS' apology, additional comments were made. Readers were also allowed to post comments, some of whom left criticisms of Dr Ng and Mr Singh.

Mr Singh subsequently e-mailed TRS demanding them to take down the additional comments and post a second apology. TRS refused.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

A Compass for a Lost Party: PAP IB Pwned

People being pwned on the internet is fun and entertaining drama, sometimes even better than watching cable TV. The recent news of stupid teenage boys who were inconsiderate to a breastfeeding mum  is one example as they rudely refused to leave the nursing room in Woodlands library. Hardwarezone CSI lads very free and very civic-minded, incited the mob after the identities of those 2 teens were dug up. Shame shame. The other exciting drama is a PAP IB group being exposed by the Shame blog!

Those in the PAP IB Facebook group must have been squirming like they were constipated and had a vibrating dildo up their ass when they discovered they were pwned by one of their own. Looking at the way the shit hit the fan for this PAP IB Facebook group, Compass, fingers are pointing at Bryan Ti as the main whistle-blower, a most unlikely character as he is the textbook PAP IB! Plot twists and sabo!

Unless all this time Bryan Ti was a 5th column opponent who pretended to be pro-PAP to get inside the inner circle of PAP trust! Makes me feel bad that we doubted his true loyalty for the past years if that was the case. Like Tony Leung's character in Infernal Affairs. Which makes sense if you look at it as some opposition are already smart enough to pretend to be so blindly pro-PAP that it makes these "supporters" and PAP look bad.  With such blind and support from PAP "supporters", "friends" worse than enemies. So complicated on who is real and who is bluff since PAP, WP, SDP and NSP all have their IB.

The IB of WP, SDP and NSP now also must be cleaning house and panicking about whether they would be exposed and pwned next. LOL


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Hangman Shan Alone on the Mountain on Death Penalty!


I think Mr Shan the Law and Foreign Affairs minister is dumb to say that the death penalty is a deterrence in the war on drugs. This kind of comment how to defend or quantify? He was a former lawyer some more. This type of comment is as dumb as those lefty softy wussies who say the death penalty is NOT a deterrence in crime. Facepalm.

The death penalty should not be mandatory for drug cases. That one I support Mr Shan all the way up to the mountain and down again. The death penalty should be kept still despite all the whining about death penalty is so barbaric. This one I also support Shan-Shan. However, whether the death penalty is deterrence or not depends. In fact, whether the death penalty is a deterrence, it is sure a question of extent and not yes-no. The death penalty should be approached as more accurately retribution in the justice system, and horrible punishment for horrible crime, not deterrence.

Drug cases should not be 100% capital punishment - it depends on the facts. If it is a drug lord monkey, gallows as retribution would get XXX votes like in America's Got Talent - you think Simon Cowell would vote against death penalty? You want to give these Golden Triangle criminals another chance? If it is poor drug donkey, ok can skip the gallows if there are pitiful circumstances like if the person don't carry drugs to pay off his housing and gambling debts, his younger brother, sister and golden retriever would be forced into prostitution and make XXX movies. Similarly, in murder cases where there is cold calculation like those psychos in the TV show Criminal Minds, to the gallows! In berserk killing rage between lovers, then gallows might not be just retribution.

Nothing can stop those from doing heinous crime if they are so desperate or diabolical. Tough laws and punishments just make some criminals very careful about being caught, rather than frighten them away from crime. Still, cannot deny that tough laws scare people. If there is a law that says if we don't use a parking coupon in URA car parks, and  instead of getting fine, LTA chops off our hands, I will definitely put a parking coupon when I eat prata at Casuarina! Why risk my hand? But the real point of law is not about making would-be offenders in drugs, murder or theft scared or not, it is about punishing them justly or not. Ergo, eating prata, no parking coupon and hand-chopping.

So Shan should screw that rhetoric about capital punishment deterring people and a thumbs up for the war on drugs, and stick to "Keep death penalty still for certain crimes but not mandatory, song boh".

SINGAPORE - The mandatory death penalty will not be imposed for all murder cases , under amendments to the Penal Code which were passed in Parliament today. Where the killing is not intentional, the court will now be able to decide if the accused should be given the death sentence or life imprisonment. All existing cases, if eligible, will be considered for re-sentencing under the new law.

Opposition Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC Sylvia Lim asked if the mandatory death penalty should apply even when there was an intention to kill. As an example, she highlighted the difference between a hired contract killer and an accused who was unable to get over a serious, long-time betrayal of a marriage partner.

Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam responded: "But the fact is even in the latter situation, it is deliberate, cold-blooded, intentional killing. Because if it is not cold-blooded and intentional, if it is on the spur on moment, there is a defence, Ms Lim knows that - if there is provocation. There are other defences as well, self-defence, provocation."

Take away death penalty and weaken war against drugs: Shanmugam
AsiaOne
Wednesday, Nov 14, 2012

SINGAPORE - Capital punishment has worked to deter drug traffickers from Singapore and should be used as a continuing punishment for drug offenders here, Law Minister K. Shanmugam said in Parliament on Wednesday.

Mr Shanmugam said that fear of hanging has kept drug offenders at bay and drug prices high.

The number of drug abusers caught in Singapore has also fallen since the 1990s, he said.

The Minister was speaking in response to questions posed by 16 MPs on amendments made to the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A Bill on changes to be made to the act states that the death penalty will no longer apply if two "specific, tightly-defined conditions" are met.

To those MPs who asked that judges be given even more discretion in death penalty cases, Mr Shanmugam warned that the death sentence could be abolished in practice, if judges are given more discretion in death penalty cases.

He also asked if Singapore was ready to accept the risks of weakening the death penalty.

Mr Shanmugam added that the "substantial assistance" condition, which allows offenders to avoid the death penalty upon cooperation with investigators, is needed to help authorities nab the real masterminds of drug syndicates.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Vellama and Ravi Lose Case, Yet Win, Donation Where

Playback - cuckoo lawyer M Ravi instigated Mdm Vellama to take on a court case against PAP that a Hougang by-election should be held within 3 months after WP Hougang MP Yaw bugged out. Mdm Vellama, a Hougang resident, is a part-time cleaner and face it, is not the shrewdest political watcher around and she was just Ravi's puppet. A Hougang resident taxi driver or a Hougang kopitiam Tiger-drinking ah pek is more apt as a political pundit than Mdm Vellama.

The court squashed Ravi and Mdm Vellama's case as expected as the constitution is explicit that there is no fixed by-election deadline which means the PM can drag it out to a time which suits his political playbook. We all then know that Ravi and Mdm Vellama are proper fucked, as AGC wanted to make them foot the legal bill. Losers in court cases usually get it back and front. Lose never mind, still must pay bills for the winning party as well.

However, what was unexpected and good for a relieved Mdm Vellama, the court and all citizens is that Justice Phillip Pillai ruled that she need not pick up the tab of $10,000. Pillai said, "where a matter raises a legal question of genuine public concern, it may be inappropriate to make a cost order against the applicant even where the judicial review is unsuccessful". Three cheers for Pillai!

This Pillai fella is clever and shows how the judiciary can really be independent and does flex its independence. On one hand he backed the reading of the constitution and made sure mad Ravi did not anyhow hantam for political credits (BTW WP smartly did not want to be dragged into this court case and was this Ravi's attempt to be in WP's good books), and eventually on the other hand made a point that Ravi and Mdm Vellama should not be screwed by the government. Pillai walked the fine line between political interpretation and constitution reading, public interest and party influence. Three cheers for the judiciary in setting this precedent, and I'm waiting for the next case where ordinary citizens can take the government to court and not pay the bill if they lose.

BTW what happens to the donated money to share Mdm Vellama's legal costs she was anticipated to pay to AGC? There was a public donation drive before. She and Ravi take the money celebrate their victory eat fish head curry and buy loads of sari? Deepavali coming! LOL


Thursday, November 1, 2012

NUS Disciplinary Board Bukkake on Alvin Tan

OK by talking cock about him, it only feeds his wanton desire for attention and publicity. He probably gets a woody every time he thinks people Google for his videos of him doing his gal or talks about his brazen sexcapades. But I can't help it. I have to say something especially since now Alvin Tan says he wants to cum back to NUS and study. I thought he earlier defiantly said he was going to screw NUS law school and dismissed with stoic bravado he doesn't need it as he was doing his own business? Err OK


I'm not a legs-shut-tight prude. If he wants to do his girlfriend and allow her to show her frightful-looking pussy to the world in photos and videos in the internet, so be it lor. I support amateur videos, so gotta give them credit for courage and confidence. OK the cynics would say it is instead stupidity and delusions. Anyway, weirdo Alvin should have realised the storm coming once his sex story would be out eventually.

And it was not a video in a handphone stolen by a jealous guy or lesbo gal who wanted to do Vivian but lost to Alvin. Neither was it that Alvin brought his PC for repair and the shop found the video and a community-spirited sharing-is-caring staff uploaded into the internet. He and Vivian did it - both sex and uploaded it themselves. Cum to think of it, they really did themselves in.

So how would NUS react this time. Sun Xu the Tiong MOE scholar was fined $3,000 and sentenced to 3 months community service for his Singaporeans=dogs comment. So for his so-called crime of sexing up NUS law school like Darinne Ko and Rumpole Teh Tsun Hang did, would NUS suspend Alvin Tan for 1 year as he brought disrepute to NUS, long enough to make people forget, and for him to decide to go to another university instead. That might be the best strategy for NUS - manage him out, not expel him outright.



Wednesday, October 31, 2012

SMRT vs Legless Thai Girl

Poor Nitcharee Peneakchanasak lost her legs after she fell into the tracks at Ang Mo Kio station last year and an oncoming train rolled over her. Fucking sad, also fucking mad if she managed to win that $3.4 million law suit against SMRT and even LTA for her accident in April 2011. Poor girl as she not only lost her legs, she will lose her law suit also soon.

I don't remember of any local who accidentally fell onto an MRT track. Not one. Jumped onto an incoming train to splat himself and have his messy inconsiderate suicide inconvenience thousands of commuters in peak traffic, yes and lots of them until SMRT had to build that stupid glass barrier that made platforms stuffy on hot days. However, I never remembered any horrible accident of  someone who slipped onto the tracks. WTF.

Most likely she was some clueless Thai girl who stood too near the yellow line. Any streetwise urban person would know to back off from that line until the train has stopped. MRT commuters should always be prepared that their stalker Ex, former recruit they tekan during BMT, employee they sacked and replaced with a cheaper foreigner, neighbour who hated their curry cooking or mahjong or marble dropping on the floor etc, is waiting for the chance for revenge and push them onto the tracks.

The Thai girl even said she was pushed although CCTV footage supposedly showed that the platform was not crowded. Huh? Like that also can ah? To win $3.4 million in a law suit, must try harder rather than that lame story right?

It looked that the poor Thai girl and her family decided to scam some money and take advantage of the situation. Maybe SMRT did not give her enough compensation in the first place and she pissed and wanted payback, literally. Anyway, WTF it was clearly damn sad she fell onto the tracks and for better or for worse, she only lost her legs. However, how was SMRT liable I don't know as I'm not some crafty glib-tongue lawyer. Is her lawyer going to say that former butch SMRT CEO spent more money on SMRT retail rather than on SMRT rails at the platform and it was SMRT gross negligence that led to the poor accident? Wow.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

ERP Up! LTA MoFos

From 1st November, LTA is going to screw morning drivers. Some ERP rates jumped 400% and others jumped 500%! OK lor since ERP gantries are up already might as well charge charge charge. What is different this time is that usually they increase some gantries, decrease some gantries so that there is some sense of trade-off for drivers. This time, it is increase all the way! Mofo. Next time, they would increase the tolls on the other ERPs too! Greedy mofo.


Morning peak hour ERP rates to be increased at 6 gantries

SINGAPORE - The Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) rates for six gantries leading to the CTE and ECP will be revised from Nov 5.

Four of the affected gantries are located on the southbound CTE after Braddell Road. From 7.30am to 8.00am, the ERP charge will go up by S$1 to S$4.

Two other affected gantries are located at Fort Road leading to the ECP and the KPE slip road onto the ECP. From 8.30am to 9am, the ERP charge will go up by S$1 to S$5.

The rates for the other gantries remain unchanged.

The Land Transport Authority announced the rate revision after completing its quarterly review of traffic conditions on ERP-priced roads and expressways.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Ravi Mad to Think Loser No Need Pay Legal Costs for Winner in Court

Mdm Vellama duped big time for being dragged into the mess by Ravi. Now they must bear legal costs as Ravi and her lost the case that the by-election must be held within 6 months of a parliament seat being vacated. Always the case where loser foots the legal fee of the winners. WTF Vellama is now in a tight spot. If she cannot pay, then how? M Ravi pay up for her which is the right thing to do as he started the mess, he should clean it up.


Judgment reserved on costs in Hougang by-election case

SINGAPORE: A High Court judge has reserved judgment on whether a Hougang resident will have to bear legal costs following her bid to bring the Hougang by-election case to court.

Madam Vellama Marie Muthu had initiated the case in March this year, after former Hougang Member of Parliament Yaw Shin Leong vacated his post.

The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) then sought costs against Madam Vellama after her bid was dismissed by the court in August.

The AGC said that this was in accordance with the general legal principle that the winning party is entitled to legal costs.

The AGC added that on at least two occasions, after the writ of election was issued and the by-election for Hougang single-member constituency completed in May 2012, Madam Vellama was asked to discontinue her proceedings, but she rejected both invitations. This led to further costs being incurred.

Last week, Justice Philip Pillai directed both parties to submit their findings on whether there are exceptions to the general rule that the losing party pays the winning party in such cases.

He further instructed them to research if there were judicial precedents in Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom.

At a closed-door hearing on Tuesday, Madam Vellama's lawyer Mr M Ravi referred to a previous judgment by Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong which asserted that public bodies must be protected from paying costs in carrying out functions that are of public interest.

Mr Ravi said that while Madam Vellama is a private citizen, she was carrying out a public duty in her court bid and that it gave closure to an issue of general public administration.

As such, the "wide public interest" of her bid should exempt her from the general rule of paying costs.

Mr Ravi, who is representing Madam Vellama pro-bono, also noted in his submissions that in that respect, it would be both "unjust and unreasonable" for costs to be ordered against her.

Justice Pillai will deliver his judgment at a later date.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Rental Market at Crossroads

Now at least 3 times slower to find rental for property! Rental cash cow is mooing softly rather than loudly as more supply in the market, economy is shaky and fewer foreigners. Triple whammy! If the whams continue harder and harder and rentals, if any, cannot keep up with monthly mortgages for those who stretched the monthly payments and prayed for rental to cover it, added pressure on correction of the property market coming soon to a mass market condo near you.

Pray for more PRC and Indian foreigners and tenants to work here and save our heartland landlords! Never mind, I stop cooking curry and start watching Bollywood movies to bond with these foreigners and make them welcome! WTF Rental yield already good at 3% plus and any lower yield, might as well buy high yield aka junk bonds instead of buying property for yield! Lower capital outlay, higher yields and errr just as risky. LOL

Add the other pressure on older folks finding harder to get home loans after the new MAS age and tenure restrictions imposed imposed last weekend to cool the market again, are we going to see resale property market correction especially? Owners want to sell but some segments they hoping to sell to cannot afford to buy as not enough cash, not enough time!



Rentals for private homes expected to ease: experts
by Wong Siew Ying
Updated 07:07 PM Oct 09, 2012

SINGAPORE - Rentals for private homes are expected to ease in the next 12 months, especially those in the luxury segment.

Experts said current rentals for private homes are just 1 per cent off the peak recorded in the second quarter of 2008.

It used to take about a month to secure a tenant for private homes in the rental market last year.

Now, it takes about three to four months, according to analysts.

While rentals have edged up slightly in recent years, the vacancy rate too has gone up, especially for high-end units.

Mr Ku Swee Yong, CEO of International Property Advisor, said: "In the luxury segment, if we were to include Sentosa Cove, then the vacancies are as high as 9 to 10 per cent, whereas islandwide, we are still seeing...average vacancies of about 5.5 to 6 per cent."

On average, it would cost about S$5 to S$8 per square foot per month to rent a luxury home.

Some analysts said rentals for high-end units could come under pressure over the next 12 months, in view of the uncertain economic outlook and the additional supply of new units hitting the market.

They said average rentals could dip by 3 to 5 per cent next year.

Mr Donald Han, special advisor at HSR, said: "Corporates are looking at reducing its cost, and part of the cost that will be reduced is expatriate housing allowances, so the first top-tier of that market being the luxury end of the residential apartments, some good class bungalow projects have seen a drop in terms of actual transacted rents."

Mr Han said that for instance, the rent for a 15,000 square feet good class bungalow which is about 10 years old went for S$28,000 to S$38,000 per month last year, but rentals have dropped by 3 per cent since.

Meanwhile, the rental prospect of mass market units remained fairly stable.

Some analysts said the rents for such homes could see a 1 to 2 per cent upside in the year ahead.

Industry players said average rental for mass market homes currently ranges between S$3 and S$4.50 per square foot per month.

But there will be stiffer competition for areas like Hougang, Pasir Ris, Sengkang and Punggol, where many new housing projects are lined up.

"My own estimation is that these areas would account for 50,000 new homes by 2015, and that is a significant addition to that stretch," said Mr Ku.

Mr Nicholas Mak, executive director of SLP International Property Consultants, said: "Whenever a new project is to be completed in a certain area, the owners who are planning to rent it out are probably being approached by many agents, and tenants typically would prefer newer apartments with newer amenities. So we will definitely see some tenants being drawn away from the older developments to newer ones."

With some key events coming up, industry players expect overall rental rates to stay soft in the coming months.

The events include the US presidential elections in November and the ongoing efforts to fix the eurozone debt crisis which is now into its third year.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

OMG TOC Raised Dr Chee to Nirvana Stage!

With Kumaran Pillai has his say, TOC is again waving its flag as a SDP oriented site, not WP or NSP but SDP. The 4-part interview by Kumaran Pillai with soon no-more-bankrupt Dr Chee Soon Juan is a fawning SDP ass-rimming masterpiece.OK I'm no SDP fan as you can see LOL. Guilty of being opinionated!

Ex-SDP member Kumaran Pillai interviewed SDP Dr Chee and using Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development., said that his former SDP boss is at stage six of the model, maximum power! With that kind of moral reasoning stage on justice and universal ethical principles, must be on par with Buddha or Jesus! WOW! Kumaran and TOC want to build Cult of Chee to rival the Cult of Lee. Facepalm.

Before we get carried away with Kumaran's quick use of Kohlberg theory to jack up Chee onto a morally high pedestal or horse whichever, Khohlberg's moral reasoning theory is about a person's moral reasoning, DUH, and not about his or her moral behaviour. And like many Western origin social science theories, there is a cultural bias towards it e.g. what about societies that have emphasis on collective or communal relationships, a key criticism of Kohlberg's ideas on rationalising moral reasoning. Kohlberg's theory might not be best tool in the shed to describe Chee.

Democratically speaking, ahem, if Chee or his party are that popular, they would be in parliament already.  So far they appeal only to the vocal minority in the internet. SDP can't even beat a PAP team that had a minister who had a girl's name during the last GE!  SDP has been in decline since 2001 and their best performance might have been the recent one in 2011, when Chee kept very quiet and SDP was rebranded as a party where the Chees were just awkward ornaments inside. Ironically for Chee, the more he personally tries to sell his koyok, the more nobody wants to buy them.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Walloping Traffic Wardens

WTF, if illegal park, must look out in case CISCO traffic warden come lah! Then quickly must rush out jump into the car and drive off! If too slow, and get summoned, appeal. Why must wallop the wardens? They doing their job and as illegal parkers, all drivers know it is the cat and mouse game. The worse idiots are those who actually cheer and clap when wardens get physically abused! BTW These are some retards on Facebook who actually said they would be happy if they see traffic wardens get walloped by angry illegal parkers. Losers. Frus with the summons from the traffic wardens does not mean you can whack them lah.

Those who punch others are wrong lah and yet want to cheer them? WTF



Traffic wardens become punching bags as abuse on the rise
Published on Sep 23, 2012
By Bryna Sim

Mr Pannirselvam Muthusamy has had hot noodles thrown in his face and he has been punched in the ribs. He gets sworn at almost every day. This is the life of the enforcement officer for parking and traffic offences, because his job is to issue summonses to motorists who flout parking and other traffic rules.

Though only six months in the job, Mr Pannirselvam is already involved in three ongoing police cases of abuse by motorists. His plight is shared by many others doing the same job.

Certis Cisco, Mr Pannirselvam's employer, told The Sunday Times that the number of cases where members of the public have abused traffic wardens physically or verbally has been creeping up. This is aside from almost routine encounters, when motorists get angry when issued a summons.

Traffic wardens said that some drivers would crush the summons, or turn on their vehicles' windscreen wipers to get rid of it, or hurl it back at the officers.

Friday, September 21, 2012

The National CONversation!

WTF! This makes me laugh until sides pain. The national PAP CON I mean the national PAP CONversation is a big great joke! Opposition members are not allowed to take part in the conversation? Never mind, don't involve PAP members to be fair. Want to involve and plant PAP members in the group? Never mind, don't get caught! With pants down and KKJ exposed! Ooops!





Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Must Mind the Child-Care Sector

The childcare sector is a sensitive and popular topic as it is related to education and couples having more children/brats. Many parents bitch that it is too expensive to bring up a kid and childcare is neither convenient nor cheap. Blablablabla. Depends. PAP aka PCF kindergartens are cheap (less than $200/month), give out lots of homework and are everywhere in a void deck near you, but people want to send to those branded $1,000++ a month Eton or Pats what. Of course those are expensive! Other parents complain that it is stressful to bring up a child in Singapore's no-mercy stream and stream some more education system.  Then don't ask the government to put one leg into the childcare sector as it would be more stressful! Facepalm.

PAP promised during the rally that the government would use taxpayers' money to support and expand the anchor operators in the childcare sector. OK they didn't mention "taxpayers" but obviously it as where else is the money coming from.

Who are the anchor operators? They are - PCF (PAP) and NTUC (PAP)! On one hand it is good as there are standards and standardisation since 2 giants are getting into the pen. On the other hand, it crushes the competition. Once public money is pumped into PCF and NTUC and make these giants even bigger, from an unfair business competition understanding, small-medium childcare centres would bleed to death.

Hence, this is something I truly like about WP NCMP Yee Jenn Jong, who is the SME champion and in the past, he complained about NTUC with its economies of scale and resources, finishing off SMEs retailers and service providers. SMEs are the foundation of Singapore's businesses and employers and they should be given their space to grow and innovate. In parliament, while it is hard to ignore that PCF and First Campus' expansion is good for parents, the WP NCMP said that it should not be at the expense of the little guy. Branded Eton, Pat, Julia Gabriel etc would not suffer as they target a different market and demand for them would not be affected as people would still be biased in favour of their supposed better quality childcare and education, compared to the anchor operators.

However, the other smaller childcare centres either the non-profit or the profit ones, would face unfair competition as public money is used to subsidise the anchor operators. Not the same but good to compare, think of SMRT and SBS and how crap they are because they don't have real competition. What the NCMP suggested in the end is that if public money is used, better than giving it to PCF or NTUC outright, it can be in the form of subsidies and rent control for childcare businesses if they meet strict conditions e.g. hygiene, staff-student ratio,

Proposal for transforming the child care sector

In the child care industry, there are many private operators, most with one or a few centres while several run chain stores.

We also have non-profit operators, dominated by NTUC First Campus and PCF Sparkletots. They are called Anchor Operators, so determined after an exercise in 2009. The criteria used included: (a) $5 million paid-up capital, (b) non-profit and (c) without any religious or racial affiliation.

Anchor Operators function mostly from HDB void decks, at rents of between $2 to $4 per square metre as disclosed by MCYS. For a typical centre of 400-500 sqm, this means monthly rent of $1,000 onwards. They receive generous set-up and furnishing grants for each new centre. In addition, Anchors get recurrent grant for manpower development and learning programmes which is estimated to go into $30 million per year.

MCYS publishes upcoming new centres from HDB and SLA. From its website, I see just a few centres available to private and non profit operators. Yet at the opening of the 100th NTUC centre in October last year, NTUC declared it will open 50 new centres over the next 2 years, which is one every fortnight. PCF too had been growing just as rapidly in the last three years. Just five years ago, PCF was a small child care player. Today, it is number 2 with 90 centres, just behind NTUC. The many new centres by these two do not match the very small number of published centres for non profit operators. Are they given unpublished quotas?

We are told that the role of non profit and Anchor operators is to bring cost down while maintaining quality.

Sir, there is no magic in non profit or in Anchor Operators. The lower fees they provide can be matched by private operators. I will now demonstrate that if private operators get the same benefits as non profit and indeed the Anchor Operators, they have shown that they could match the fees of non profit peers.

Financial modelling for child care is straightforward. The main start-up cost is renovation, fitting out, and investment in resources. Set-up cost can be high, running into several hundred thousand dollars per centre.

In a typical centre paying competitive rents, manpower and rent account for some 80% of all ongoing operating costs. Private operators function from landed houses, commercial and government-owned buildings or purpose-built HDB void decks. Tenancy is often subjected to bidding. When tenancy expires, there is usually open bidding or adjustments to market rate.Competition has caused rents to be in excess of $10,000 to even as high as $40,000 per month in recent tenders.

Anchor Operators getchoice new sites regularly at highly subsidized rents. They receive start-up, furnishing, maintenance and recurrent grants. These give them huge operating benefits over competitors.

The difference in monthly rent between non profit and private operators can be $15,000 per month or more. Divide $15,000 by a typical centre enrolment of 75 children. That works out to around $200 cost advantage per child per month. With setup grants, Anchor Operators need to provide less for amortization of investment. They get ongoing grants to defray costs. Yet with these cost advantages, non-profit’s median fees is currently just two hundred over dollars lower than that of private operators. We can find private centres whose fees are not much higher than that of Anchor Operators. Are Anchor Operators with all these cost advantages, really doing enough to keep fees affordable?

Sir, there are other industry data to support my claim.

In a parliament reply this year, MCYS disclosed that EtonHouse, a premium operator with fees of $1,500 per month, charges only $728 per month at its Hampton Preschool. The centre is a collaboration with PCF. PCF secured the site at low rent, and can enjoy other grants. EtonHouse is responsible for programme delivery, set-up and pedagogy. According to a speech by Mr Wong Kan Seng in 2009 , EtonHouse manages the centre and was selected because PCF wanted to work with a private operator that could deliver ‘high quality programmes’. While there could be variations in operations compared to a typical EtonHouse’s centre, the fact is, EtonHouse could deliver ‘high quality programmes’ atless than halfof its usual fees when it operates at a void deck that enjoys subsidised rents and grants.

In the 1990s, government buildings started to provide for workplace childcare. There was an interesting practice then to charge $1 or other token monthly rent for purpose-built child care facilities which catered to children of staff working in the building. Bids were called. I noted that in open competition, these sites went to established private players whose own centres charged in the mid to upper price range.

The condition for low rent then was that fees for children of staff in the buildings must be kept low. Premium private operators could match prevailing fees of non profit operators.

Today, costs are escalating due mainly to rent and manpower. Manpower cost affects all in the industry. Anchor Operators with recurrent grants can better retain staff, head-huntfrom other centres and deal with rising costs. Rent is steadily rising in our competitive market.

This has caused fees to rise. Out of pocket payments by parents in many private centres today are higher than before subsidies were increased in 2008. MCYS has no control over fees. Centres just need to give ‘ample’ notice to parents, which MCYS recommends as 3 months, and then fees will go up.

The government has announced new measures for the industry. While they may be initiated with good intent, I fear it could end up creating more unfair competition, destroying the diversity and innovation in our current system.

I have a proposal to bring costs down while pushing for quality and diversity – Child care as a public good with private partnership through contestability.

I noted that in delivering public goods such as transport, the government has pumped billions in rail and bus investments without expecting payback from private operators or charging infrastructure at market rent to them. We were told this is to bring the cost of public transport to a level that people can accept.

If we wish for young working couples to be able to afford child care and be encouraged to have more children, then we have a case to use a public good’s approach for child care.

Government can build and lease out centres at managed low rent. All its existing sites can come under the model. Based on answers in parliament, there are 290 void deck centres for non profit and 176 for private operators in void deck and JTC buildings, and another 52 in government buildings. That’s 518 centres, roughly 52.4% of all child care in Singapore. With 200 more centres to be built mostly in government controlled spaces, the share of sites under government‘s control will rise.

Old schools, disused community centres and other SLA spaces can be purpose-built by the government into mega child care facilities, even housing different operators under one roof. Child care generally should be within 2-3 km of workplaces or homes. Many small void decks in new flats are not ideal for child care, limiting options in new towns. We can have mega child care sites as long as we ensure there is easy access by parents, with roads and parking well planned.

We can utilise unused land parcels next to primary schools. There are small plots around some primary schools which are not big enough for meaningful commercial projects. We can tap on infrastructure of the primary schools to add new preschool facilities. This will make use of unutilised space, save on infrastructure costs and cultivate exchange between preschool and primary school.

The government can negotiate as main tenant with large private landlords for sites as a bloc to supplement their bank of child care sites. It can work with property developers who get additional Gross Floor Area when they set aside preschool space at cheap rents and let the government use the space for any type of operator. We should actively pursue all options to increase the state’s child care bank to cater to the mass market.

How do we allocate these centres? Rather than have more Anchor Operators, I have another suggestion.

The Anchor Operators concept has skewed the market. It is like giving a boxer super glooves and energy boosters while tying the hands of the competitor and asking them to fight each other. The stated objective for Anchor Operators was to “develop childcare operators that will set the benchmark for quality and affordable childcare services.”

It may have allowed Anchor Operators to achieve higher quality as they get resources, economy of scale, and certainty of their leases. Is it fair to expect other operators to keep pace? Other operators get little or no state funding. They hesitate to invest, worried if others will outbid them for their centres at each renewal, which will wipe out sunk investment. New HDB sites are so few compared to unannounced sites for Anchor Operators. Anchor Operators could lure their staff away with scholarships. Instead of encouraging other operators to step up, it cancause some to think short term and extract as much out of their investment while they can.

We can apply contestability. Contest clusters of sites openly based on concept rather than on rent. This was done before, when government building sites charged token rent and selection was on other factors such as quality and fees.

There is no need for a one-time selection of new Anchor Operators which will strengthen only a select few and weaken everyone else. Worst, it may become impossible for new operators to enter the market, killing off future innovation. We need active competition to raise standards and to continuously drive innovation.

Recurrent and other grants should apply to all qualifying participants as long as they meet strict selection criteria on fees and quality. There should be no differentiation between private and non profit operators. We already know what the current Anchor Operators can do with the support they had been given. Why have we been limiting ourselves to think only selected non profit players can bring cost down? Let’s open up and see how all others, including private operators can better that in terms of price and quality, if given similar support. I believe fair competition may even force current Anchor Operators to better their pricing, ultimately benefiting consumers.

New operators can surface from time to time. Small operators may band together into economic groups to better compete.

Contestability will drive diversity and quality. Operators cannot increase fees without approval. The government will regain control over the fee process to ensure affordability.

Government can better direct its key programmes. MCYS had found it hard to get private operators to go along with some of its programmes, such as SPARK. Last month, we were told only 115 preschools had attained SPARK accreditation, of which just 39 were private operators. This is way way below the target of 85% of all centres to be SPARK-tested by 2013, a figure established by Minister of State for Education, Mr Masagos in November 2010. We can allow only SPARK-accredited operators to contest these sites.

There may not even be a need for state-run preschools. The call for nationalisation was made by many frustrated with differing standards and high costs. We can improve quality even at the low cost segment by having a critical mass of centres available in this public-good model, and the state regulate to steer quality and pricing. It can designate some centres for the low income group by packaging centres for different market segments in each tender exercise.

While this proposal is in the context of child care, it can also be used for kindergartens.

In summary, I am calling for child care to be a public good with fair contestability of sites at managed rents for all types of operators, with tighter control of fees and quality by the state. This will benefit Singaporeans as fees will drop industry-wide while preserving diversity and driving up quality and innovation. I hope the government can carefully consider this proposal.


Monday, September 10, 2012

Poof went the Pension!

 Shhh you hear it? Crackkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!

JLB MPs and office-holders from parliamentary secretaries to ministers to prime ministers, basically anyone who is a MP will now no longer have pension if they meet certain conditions. Opposition MPs like the new WP ones too cannot dip into state purses in their retirement, except Low Thia Khiang and others who served more than 8 years as MP. In the first place, what is the cost of maintaining these former MPs on pension anyway, although the pension for a minister can be about 10% of the annual salary in some complex formula. Proportion seems fair and small but as we know ministers earn at least $1million, that's a fucking large amount! I forgot, is pension taxable?

Was this a big issue, the pension of MPs all the way to prime minister? Yes, considering that the public sector did away with pensions so as not to waste public funds, and Singapore is of course not a welfare state, so a teensy bit hard to justify that politicians alone could get to keep the pension.

LOL if politicians are in the same retirement boat like all of us with their pensions going poof into smoke, maybe now they would be more on the ball about CPF, its Life Plans and other retirement policies on a greying Singapore population. Being in the same rocking sampan goes a long way to build empathy. I bet this move to do away with pension is going to make some groups within the PAP unhappy and form cracks within its ranks.





Pensions for office-holders, MPs scrapped
AsiaOne
Monday, Sep 10, 2012

Singapore's Parliament today passed a bill scrapping pensions for office-holders and Members of Parliament (MPs).

This means government office-holders who turn 55 and remain in office may no longer collect pension. Those who have been accruing pensions have had the amounts frozen since May 20 last year.

With the Parliamentary Pensions (Abolition) Bill, new office-holders appointed on or after May 21, 2011 as well as office-holders who had served for less than eight years by that date will not be eligible for pension.

The Parliament also passed a bill removing its power to grant a pension to a former president. A provision to grant pension to the widow and surviving residents of the president or former presidents was also removed.

These changes were proposed in a White Paper on ministerial salaries that was endorsed last January and have already been put into effect administratively.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Pritam Cannot Take Criticism from Bloggers! Says Singapolitics.


  The Sketch Times - Lovers' quarrel!.

WP Pritam Singh is a great orator during rallies. He can say anything clever or stupid, rhetoric or reason, and people would cheer. But lately that spell has broken. Broken so much that WP lost confidence in him and Pritam is no more vice-chair of the WP media team in the recent CEC shake-up in that solid party. The first doubt in Pritam's media power was when Pritam was caught bluffing as his parliament speech was copied almost word for word from a blogger-friend without attribution. Or maybe he was really that anonymous blogger Ground Notes, but cannot admit he was that anonymous blogger, so there was no plagiarism really! LOL.


 Stir stir stir! But has valid points tho.

The second and latest doubt was when Pritam was caught being petty with Andrew Loh, the Public House guy who had tea and scones with the PM at the Istana. Over a Molly Meek article which was the background to the spat between Pritam and Andrew, Pritam was pissed with Andrew because Andrew didn't want to give WP some room.

"He leave us alone lah instead of criticising here there and everywhere", said Petty Pritam

With that comment, Pritam has made a fool of himself and WP again. Please, WP is not special and it deserves to get knocked about like the PAP. Also, Pritam is not bulletproof to criticisms. With that whiney complaint, he sounded so like the PAP. WTF. Loser!

Anyway, backtrack a bit. Molly Meek had said that those bloggers who invited to tea with PAP were co-opted. PAP's strategy to win back the internet space it has lost is to talk to bloggers like Mr Brown and win them over for propaganda, seduce them to the White Side. Fuck. Wait. Isn't that the strategy of all opposition parties anyway. Fuck. Wait. Isn't that the strategy of restaurants and other retailers who invite food and other bloggers for makan and events anyway to co-opt them for product endorsement? Grow fucking up. That is the way things are done in the social media lobbying, political or commercial. All parties do that, just that PAP is so late, 2 general elections late to be exact, in the competition.




Friend friend again after teh


In the end, Pritam and Andrew decided to set time and place tea with each other to settle the misunderstanding. Sounded like some ah beng settlement talk LOL but it turned out well in the end, not like that sad Downtown East murder when rival gangs met to settle. As after all, everyone is doing their different part to offer moderate views on what we want Singapore to be. A national conversation, but without the PAP!

BTW, you know right. ST's Singapolitics was the one that reported the spat between Pritam and Andrew. Nation-building naughty ST via its Singapolitics is trying to add a bit of excitement into what is going on in the social media.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

TOC Getting Weak! Diehard Fans to Blame!

If you have been following TOC, you might have realised that it is not the same TOC it was when it was under that Andrew guy. Something is different, it looks the same, but it is not. Then I read TOC: Nine “Main Stories”, only one original and there it was, my epiphany. The quality of TOC has plunged and the doubt was seeded some time ago. A recent one seed of TOC CMI was that infamous TOC photo during the Hougang by-election when Desmond Choo, cleverly used by TRE,  was depicted as refusing to shake Png Eng Huat's hand. Coincidence that TRE chanced upon that single photo from TOC album and fixed Desmond to show that political karma does exist? No. Also no coincidence that TOC and TRE have been dating each other like love birds, like their Online/Offline courtship. TRE's crappy journalism influence rubbing off on TOC LOL!

Worse is that TOC attracts zombies in its Facebook page. OK some Facebook comments are good and really constructive, but many others are really facepalm.  Well, excusable if the comments are made by teenage kids. Point to note. I make stupid comments now and then in my blog but at least I'm anonymous! I won't make stupid comments in Facebook using my real name for all my colleagues, friends and foes to see and spread. Unless these Facebook accounts are..OMG fakes! Take a look at these TOC Stomp-like Facebook mickey mouse club members who are lead weights drowning a TOC struggling to stay credible and afloat. No wonder TOC does not bother about its quality nowadays as its readers are usually diehard cheerleaders who can't tell apart TOC Then and TOC Now. TOC and its Facebook fans are encouraging each other downhill.




This fan whining on martial law when the thread was about a Today article on Shan's new framework on neighbourly conduct like - I can cook curry all I want but you can't complain. Different standards though about playing mahjong? Ahem. A guideline to encourage people to get along as neighbours when they don't is tantamount to martial law? Facepalm.

 
This fan ranting about our mostly useless politicians when the thread was about a CNA article on the Lemon Law starting in September. WTF Complaining about the government when the topic is on consumer rights and refund-return-repair responsibilities? Guffaw.

I read Public House. You should too. LOL

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Alex Tan, Not Hero, Still Zero

Alex Tan is a zero in so many ways. Every Day Party caught Alex Tan's The Real Singapore with its pants down, not only for faking news, but for faking originality and plagiarising an article, and even abused those who chided him.

A TRS and Alex Tan Fan Club - Every Day Party

Now, this former RP candidate for AMK GRC in GE 2011, is not only a cheat for faking news and taking articles without attribution and pretending it to be a TRS original, but actually was crass and dumb enough to send a profanity-filled complaint to SBS. Classy. Real style! SBS then made a police report. Alex Tan loves the controversy from stoking xenophobia to trolling people, and SBS bit the bait in this textbook David vs Goliath contest. Alex Tan is a loser, who talked about migrating but is still around. One thing for sure, he makes being a loser an art form.

One Tan talking about another Tan


Looks like it is a race to the bottom among TRE, TT and TRS. TRS is leading the pack. TRE with its increased collaboration with TOC and hoping that whatever is left of TOC's dwindling respectability is rubbed off on TRE, is trailing far, far behind in 3rd place. Kinda fun to see Alex Tan get sued and I'm waiting for that day as I'm sure many would be openly or secretly pleased. Come on Alex, don't disappoint!



Wednesday, August 29, 2012

More Universities More Hope or Despair?

Good with more universities! Depending on whether the graduates churned out are needed by industries or not though. If they get useless degrees like BSc Modernist Flower Arrangement for the local economy, then lots of unhappy unemployed grads around unless Singapore turns into a global decorative flower export hub. Even if there is abundance of jobs for grads in the market, these grads expect cushy high pays, to be advanced upwards fast, all hopefully with minimal and maximum office politics.

What should be in the works for courses in the universities? Easy to say have more unis but exactly what courses which the 6 universities each have their own niche and therefore customer-student base? NUS and NTU are increasingly so alike that they are just monkey see monkey do. If I'm a million $ salaried minister, I would say - technical and applied skills, those with logical degree extensions of current poly diplomas as an alternative of going to some bush university in Australia. Do you know that with the current AUD exchange rate, it might be cheaper to send your child to USA rather than Australia! Traditionally unglam skills like cooking, nursing, maritime and shipping, contracting and construction? Besides, 2 more universities in Singapore also not much use unless these unis are kept "affordable". SMU! With real estate like that, of course it is expensive!

Also, if 40% of each cohort is a grad, there would be more competition in the job market, like in Korea and China, and everyone wants to be a management associate or something equivalently glam sounding. While menial and technical jobs still need available are snapped up by hungrier and more desperate foreigners. Getting a degree does not guarantee that someone gets a job or raises employment rates. Might be the reverse!


Higher education participation rate to rise to 40% by 2020 – PM
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced that the proportion of young people attending higher education will rise to 40% by 2020 compared to 27% now, with two new publicly-backed universities slated for the city-state.

Education is “Singapore’s most important long-term investment in its people and it is a key response to the changing world”, Lee said during his annual National Day Rally policy speech, delivered at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) on 26 August.

Lee said that SIT and the Singapore Institute of Management University (UniSIM) would be upgraded to become Singapore’s fifth and sixth universities offering applied as well as part time degrees.

This would open up an additional 3,000 full time university places, offering 16,000 university places by 2020 against 13,000 now.

The Ministry of Education, in a statement on 28 August, described the expansion as “carefully calibrated”.

The figures include planned increases in enrolment at Singapore’s main existing universities, including National University of Singapore incollaboration with Yale University in the US, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, the new Singapore University of Technology and Design in collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and two arts education institutions.

Panel review of university education

The prime minister’s announcement comes a year after he initiated a wide ranging review of university education, to investigate how to increase the number of university places available for Singaporeans.

Lee said the review panel led by Senior Minister of State for Education Lawrence Wong “concluded that we should create more university places”, but the “we should focus on applied practice-oriented degrees, for example, engineers, physiotherapists, social workers – skills that are in demand and which will help get graduates jobs, and we should not just churn out graduates regardless of the quality or employment opportunities.”

Pointing to some other countries, including Britain, the United States and China, with unemployment or underemployment of graduates, he added: "Singapore must avoid leading people up the wrong path, misleading them that if you spend three years of your life doing this, at the end you will have a happy outcome.”

"We must make sure that if we encourage people to go that way, that at the end the prospects are good."

UniSIM, a private college that is part of the Singapore Institute of Management, currently offers only part-time programmes but will add full-time programmes.

Meanwhile, part-time undergraduate students, including working adults at UniSIM, could become eligible for government grants and loans to enable them to “get the same support” as students at the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, Lee said – although UniSIM would remain a private university.

Providing more details, the Ministry of Education said UniSIM had a strong track record in providing part-time degree programmes in close collaboration with industry, and provided “a good balance of theoretical and real-world education”.

The review panel noted in its final report published this month: “UniSIM remains the only private institution to date that the Ministry of Education has assessed as being of sufficient quality to be accorded university status and degree-awarding powers.”

SIT, a multi-campus institution designed to allow polytechnic students to upgrade their qualifications, would begin to award its own degrees, the ministry said.

Instructive experience of other countries

The decision to increase university enrolment without expanding Singapore’s research-intensive universities further, or opening new research universities, was based on an examination by the review panel of higher education in the UK, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Canada and Finland.

The panel said problems with the UK university system had been “particularly instructive”.

In 1992 the UK government granted university status to polytechnics, which had been mainly teaching institutions

“This proved to be a double loss for the wider higher education sector – the vast majority of these post-1992 new universities still struggle with their new mission and are unable to rise in quality and standing; and the UK tertiary system is now devoid of a tier of institutions that was previously instrumental in producing a technically-skilled workforce,” the panel said.

“Therefore, it would be prudent for us to avoid this path while there are other more viable options.”

Singapore also has around 70 registered private higher education institutions offering external degree programmes of overseas university partners. They enrolled some 47,500 Singaporean students full-time and part-time in 2011.