Just a bored post

Ya, just a bored post.

Actually, now that I started, I'll keep writing.

First off, grave news. My mother has Stage 2 Breast Cancer. Before I go bonkers, which I don't think I am, I am only going to make "what if" plans. I want my mother to live her life as she wants so until I am certain I need to make something happen and be back in Singapore to ensure things go well, I'm only to sit back and let life go its natural cause. The best part is that my new boss mentioned that he will try to find ways to make things work in case I need to be in Singapore. The worst part is, well, like any parent would, she told me not to worry about it. So, being the smart alec I am, I'll plan ahead.

Now, the worst part is over, time for something "exciting". I was at Ben's family July 4th celebration before I got back into reality. The day at Ben's place was great. Food, chat and just relaxing to how his cheerful family is like. The reality is, Singapore is not going to have fun during NDP next month.

When someone forgets that ripping a commercialized song is illegal and uses it for NDP, its folly at its peak. Now, to use Lady Ga Ga's song of all possible songs out there, that's quite beyond what we just said about stupidity. Well, I'm laughing now because I can always say I knew they were not that good but no one believed me, but I also worry about my friends and family living under such de-oxygenated environment.

The air is as filthy as can be for a developed country and the politics, getting from bad to worse. From obnoxious to obtuse to obsolete, PAP has done it all. To be honest, I am very forgiving as long as I can see results and I understand that the OOO pack will always stand out more than great work, so I would say my acceptance level for PAP is still rather high, but definitely less than 50% right now.

Ok, the obnoxious. Before tearing anyone, I want to say that LKY can be forgiven for saying things like "We decide what is right". He's been there and done that in times of much less stability. It worked last time because a lot of people do not know what is right for building a nation. Now, a silly dude called Vikram Nair followed suit and says "We decide what is right". Well, since he has not done anything, I wonder what he knew that is right. I love to see the aftermath where he says he's misquoted. LKY would never say that. That is the difference. Oh and tell me I do not know any better when I worked with the best and the diverse in USA. No, really, I don't know any better. I'm just a simple guy writing what he knows would work well. Unlike some big shot lawyer taking fat paychecks for running his mouth like he built Singapore.

Next, the obtuse. Well, if the NDP organizers are already not obtuse enough, police in Singapore arrested young boys for working summer jobs handing out pamplets for loansharks. Yes, not the loansharks themselves but their runners who knew no better. Later, police cited it is for their safety and not for the case. I beg to differ. If I am the police chief, I would say it is safer to do so and it is for the case. What if a boy runs onto the wild roads fearing arrests? Now, rather than taking just the heat for this silly act, I would also work on the mysterious rotting bodies that is showing up in various parts of Singapore. Yes, I'm expecting my police to work hard. I mean, if I knew they cannot arrest TPL for the "Cooling Off" offence, work on the next most important thing like actually arresting the loansharks and murderers. Quit giving excuses and apologize.

Finally, the obsolete. Instead of really working his ass off for the $15k per month times 30 months in a year pay, some military dude dared the rest of Singapore to give ideas and not throw stones. Dude, why should my entire family be paying taxes when I need to think of what works for my family instead of civil servants working to make life better for everyone? I work to make my work better, so must the civil servant. Is it just a paycheck job to you, Chan Chun Sing? If so, please quit your job because you do not deserve it. Being a scholar in school does not represent wisdom in life. Oh, and don't get me started on the silly "lunatic fringe" comment. If someone is a lunatic for being against you, you should not be working in the government. Heck, you should be in an asylum. One who works for the betterment of his country should not refuse to listen to people of his country, even if they are not saying the right things. It is YOUR job to figure out how to fix the problem. I am good at fixing things, but I am not paid the gigantic amount of YOUR salary, and my family pay YOUR pay through our taxes, so quit talking and start working.

Well, all in all, that summarizes Singapore politics. Gone are the days when paying well prevents corruption. Now, from "loanshark" DBSS to irresponsible politicians who go around loafing off while we all slog hard at work. Really, MPs in Singapore are a joke nowadays. To check the drains in McPherson when we all know Orchard is a flood risk is a silly way to tell people you are working. Why do we pay for PAPER TIGERS?

Anyway, let me propose my ideas like CCS wanted to show I still love Singapore so much:

1. Revise foreign worker laws to reflect all the same benefits and penalties locals have, and use levies to control inflow. This nullifies the entire argument of foreign workers having an advantage by employers paying less for them than a local. In USA, after I have the necessary paperwork, I can work for any company I want as long as they are willing to sponsor my work visa and my pay. Is it protective of locals? Maybe, but companies willing to pay for my talent are not paying a dime less for what I can do, so I do not feel protectionism here.
2. Increase import channels of groceries and other commodities, thereby reducing Cost of Living. This is the growing problem isn't it and it is a wonder how it is not being looked at already.
3. Reduce GST. Taxes is an important way of controlling cost of living. Apparently, Singapore is rich but the people not so rich, so why bother about a cut in tax revenue when we can afford it and make people happier.
4. Build more HDB. Although I can't believe I am saying this, I also cannot believe that Singapore reduced building HDBs to the point it is today. DBSS is a joke. HDB has no business helping developers make more money. Neither does it need to make more money for itself. The country is rich already.
5. Cut the Parliament by half. Who is doing the work? The PM? The DPMs? The Cabinet? We do not need a big committees in everything. Ultimately, the decision is down to the Cabinet and their Deputies. Its like a merry-go-round now where everyone who knows someone in PAP can try to get fat paychecks by sitting there. That way, people have less targets to throw stones at also.
6. Stop hiring paper tigers. At some point, everyone realizes that the paper tells only so much. The work tells everything so why should my resume be treated poorer than a Bachelor Honors graduate when I completed my Masters, have a few years of experience and the Honors graduates do a "hantakaki" in learning? This paper talk is one of many roots to Singapore's current problems. We need a mix, not an entire segment.
7. Reduce COE. Actually, this might or might not help my father, but its a reflection of many things in Singapore where we pay more for a paper value than the value of the item itself. When you have tarriffs that affect small businesses and the small businesses fail to compete, everyone loses. We need a constant flow of small businesses booms and busts to replace failing big business models.
8. Stop media BS. If you don't want media to publish bad things about PAP, do not go after your opponents either because as an educated country like Singapore, people will figure out the ins and outs of a story.
9. Cut NDP programming to fireworks if you cannot think of anything better. It saves a lot of time and money and avoids ridicule from people, worst of all, Hitler. Ok, that's a joke on a bigger joke of the NDP organizers.
10. Open up documentation and transparency of sovereign funds and companies. Secrecy begets secrecy. The more you hide, the more people think you have something to hide. Why should I not know what you are doing with my tax money?
11. I am not writing the 10 commandments so I am writing an eleventh idea of no idea just to wind things down.
12. Ok, I lied. I have 2 more ideas and I like 13 as a number. Allow multi-citizenships. If it is not stupid enough to have people whose education is paid for in Singapore not to be enforced to be given citizenship and worked for their livelihood, it would be even stupid-er to make expatriates feel less at home when they are able to gain another citizenship. Residency decides how well founded someone is to another country and allowing multiple citizens in Singapore allows smart people who have left for opportunities to come back and contribute.
13. My last idea was drawn from my dislike of GCT and his many shortsighted comments and policies. But my last idea would be more damaging for him than just dislike. We should not create higher positions than a PM or a President. LKY and GCT can act as consultants to the Parliament and Cabinet but not as any part of government. They definitely should not be titled higher than a PM because it causes confusion to the authority of the PM. We see no shortage of such confusion in history and no shortage of it becoming a power struggle. We simply do not need it. Solidifying the true power of a leader is important in any nation because he is the one who is ultimately accountable for everything, even if he has no part of some of the things.

Ok, another bad news. My aunt also has Breast Cancer. Apparently, it is benign and she goes through routine checkups. I happen to work in a Non Profit segment of Marketing Analytics, so it definitely is a way for me to pay forward to make sure people around me is safe and sound. So what's your idea to help your country? Oh, let me guess, how to increase your pay?