Joy to the World

Christmas is coming. And it's that time of the year when Orchard Road is illuminated with LED lights and traffic starts to crawl as motorists slow down to let their passengers on-board take in the colourful sights along the way. Red, green and gold - these are the colours that have come to be associated with everything about Christmas. 

In my childhood days, Christmas brought me special feelings. It was more than just a public holiday. I would wait with eager anticipation for carollers and Santa to march by and to hear them sing from one home to the next. Christmas songs like "Oh, come all ye faithful" and "Joy to the world" remain deeply etched in my memory as part of the Christmas scene. And I recall how I soon joined their ranks and participated in a pantomime about the birth of Christ - playing the role of Mother Mary. That was in fact my first acting break at the age of 8. 

These days, people celebrate Christmas regardless of their religious beliefs. Christmas has been successfully white-washed by commercialism into a holiday time for shopping and merry-making. It is a peculiar story of how businessmen managed to transform a major religious event into a secular event, bringing in huge revenues for shopping malls and eateries during Christmas season. Such a transformation does not seem to have ever happened to any other major religious festival. 

Whatever the reasons for people to celebrate Christmas today, may Christmas continue to bring glad tidings to each and everyone. Let's hope one thing will never change for Christmas. That every Christmas will always be true to its spirit of love and remembrance - a time for us to give and to forgive. 

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Bread

Some have asked me why I give them bread.

If you are really starved and poor, bread is probably the first thing you would crave for. In some religion such as Christianity, bread has a special significance in rituals. 

When we speak of "bread and butter", we mean and refer to our livelihood. In that sense, bread becomes something indispensable and we can't do without bread.

Giving out bread and watching the smiles on the faces of the recipients have been rewarding enough for my volunteers and I to keep handing out bread whenever we could. It has become a symbol of our care and concern for the basic needs of the people around us.

The visits to Toa Payoh Lorong 8, Potong Pasir and French Road today drew many smiles, as usual. Bread helps us create bonds and open communication lines. One elderly folk told me that eating bread helps him to swallow his medicine and he was thankful that we gave him bread. 

Another folk said she missed our bread the last time I visited and was really glad to get one this time. There was also this lonely old man who woke up to take a loaf of bread from me and then went back to slumber at the void deck, hugging the loaf of bread like his mini-bolster.

So, a loaf of bread can be more than just food. At the symbolic level, it shows that we care. And we do.

Don't Quit Singapore

A resident in Potong Pasir told me that he was very disappointed at the results of the recent general election and was planning to leave Singapore for good. In response, I expressed my strong disappointment at his plan and urged him to stay.

General elections are a part of the political renewal process that happens once every 5 years or so. The result of the recent election is already an established fact and the higher the votes for the winning party, the greater will be the voters'  expectation of its performance. The new cabinet has just been installed and how it performs will be closely watched. Hopes are running high after SG50 and everyone should rally together after the elections and put aside their political differences. Rather than being pessimistic because many issues seem unresolved as yet, we should learn to be optimistic and hope that the government will have learnt from its past mistakes and address the many issues that bug ordinary Singaporeans.

Singapore is a beautiful place. A small, tropical island with no natural calamities, except the seasonal haze because of the fires in Indonesia which is aggravating. An enlightened government with a responsible citizenry would be all that we need to make this country a modern paradise and the happiest nation in the world. Many foreigners aspire to live and work in Singapore and if Singaporeans should leave one after another, they can be sure that there will be more new citizens. As it is, Singaporeans are not producing enough children and that has been a justification for adding a large number of new citizens each year. If this continues, the Singaporean identity and culture that we know, will eventually disappear.

Besides, billions of dollars in national reserves have been accumulated over the last 50 years. Unlike many small countries, Singapore has a strong financial safety net that will help her weather the storms ahead. Every Singaporean has a stake in the national reserves which is still accumulating. For as long as our government remains incorruptible and financially prudent, and the formulation and implementation of national policies are able to imbue greater confidence in our future as a nation and not just as an economy, there is still a lot that Singapore and Singaporeans can achieve and be proud of.

So stay and do your part.

Post-GE Visit to Potong Pasir SMC

They were surprised that I was back. At the same time, they were utterly pleased that I did.

GE 2015 is over and life is back to normal for the residents in Potong Pasir SMC. I have returned to visit this special town where the residents have extended to me their warmth and friendship during my walkabouts and home visits.

They were smiling and calling out my name even before I reached them to shake their hands. From the playgrounds to void decks, supermarket to coffeeshops, I was given a feeling of nostalgia and it was like home-coming.

We have identified a few under-privileged families here and, for some time now, they are already receiving care and support from Project Awareness and Happy People. One mother said to me that she has been wondering when she will see me again and had been waiting for me to come.

They tell me that Potong Pasir Town Council is merging with Jalan Besar GRC Town Council and there may not be a Potong Pasir SMC in the next GE. That does not matter for politics to me is just a means to do more good and help create a better society. In fact, with the merger, which may well be a prelude to the disappearance of PP SMC in the next GE, I hope the residents in Potong Pasir SMC will benefit from the economies of scale.

As for me and my supporters, nothing has changed. We will continue with our mission to walk and share with everyone in Singapore and make smiles wherever we go. So, do continue to join me in this wonderful life journey and help spread the message of kindness and compassion.

SOCIAL: Haze - Protection is better than cure

The haze problem seems set to continue for some years before it can be resolved. Meanwhile, hazy days are becoming seasonal and it is disturbing to see that most people outdoors are not wearing their N95 masks even when the haze reaches very unhealthy levels. Maybe it is troublesome and inconvenient to wear masks or even "not cool" to do so, but we need to understand the long term implications of not taking such a simple step, especially on the health of our young people.

Haze particles can affect the heart and lungs, especially in people who already have chronic heart or lung disease e.g. asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or heart failure. There may be up to 1-3 days of time between exposure to haze and health effects/ symptoms (Click HERE). But for those who may not already have chronic heart or lung disease, they are the ones who should think about how to prevent themselves from contracting these diseases as a result of the haze.

The haze contains various air pollutants which include particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Short term exposure (i.e. continuous exposure to unhealthy daily average PSI levels over a period of a few days) to these air pollutants can cause respiratory symptoms and aggravate existing heart or lung disease. Long term exposure over several years may have a higher risk of (i) cardiovascular effects, such as heart attacks, (ii) reduced lung development, as well as (iii) the development of chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, in children (Click HERE).

It is heartwarming to see television footages of our Ministers and MPs distributing and even helping our elderly folks to wear masks but it is just as important to educate our young on the need to protect themselves from haze particles. Whether our exposures to unhealthy haze levels are to be classified as long or short term, this is an opportune time to educate our children not to take their health for granted. Just last friday, schools were closed because the 3-hour PSI reading crossed the 300 mark for the first time. Although MOE has a set of haze management plans to minimise outdoor activities and exempt students with pre-existing lung or heart conditions or are unwell from all physical exercise, there is little or no emphasis on the need for students to wear masks when they are outdoors in the haze. It is quite a common sight to see children walking to school and leaving school in the haze, without their masks.

Besides parental advice, MOE should take the initiative to implement mandatory wearing of masks in schools when there is a need to do so. The lesson to teach our children is that protection is better than cure. When everyone in school is wearing a mask, the children will not shy away from doing so because they think their friends will laugh at them. And certainly this will go a long way to ensure that our children, who will become the future pillars of our society, will remain as healthy as possible.

GRCs - The Filler Effect

No democratic country in the world has an electoral system where Members of Parliament may be elected in teams except in Singapore where we have the Group Representative Constituencies (GRCs) system.

Before the implementation of the GRC system, there was only the Single Member Constituencies (SMC) system where individual candidates compete with each other and stand or fall on their own merits. The candidate with the highest votes gets elected. 

With the GRC system, a few candidates band together to contest as a team against other teams. The team with the highest votes gets elected. This GRC system allows candidates who would not otherwise have made it on their own account to be elected into parliament by riding on the coat-tails of other members in their team who are more credible. Such a system has the potential to dilute the quality of the representatives elected into parliament. And it is beginning to show.

In the current general elections, there are a total of 13 SMCs and 16 GRCs. Depending on which GRC they are contesting in, the teams will need to have between 3 and 6 candidates. Looking at all the teams, one begins to form the view that in almost every team, there are at least one or more candidates whose suitability and ability are clearly questionable. How can this happen? Don't all parties screen their candidates and select only those of calibre to stand for election?

The fact is that good candidates are hard to come by in Singapore politics and with the requirement of a minimum number of candidates in a GRC team, there is a filler effect for teams to make up the numbers. Unsuitable candidates are slotted into the teams to satisfy the minimum number and in this way, they affect the overall quality of the team. The situation is made worse by the requirement of a minority candidate in a GRC team. And good minority candidates are even harder to find.

The filler effect of the GRC system paves the way for opportunists and other undesirable characters to make their way into our legislative body where important matters such as our legislations and national policies are decided. When voters are swayed by the strongest and most credible candidate in a GRC team, they may not pay heed to the fact that the others in the team are undeserving of their vote. The consequence is that more and more weak candidates will make their way into parliament. Is that not something of grave concern to the nation?

The Cost of Running Singapore

High ministerial salaries have always been a controversial topic. However, the costs of running Singapore’s parliament, judiciary and cabinet have not been the subject of much public discourse.
 

Following the redrawing of electoral boundaries for this general election, the number of elected Members of Parliament (MPs) in the next Parliament has been increased from 87 to 89. Including the non-elected MPs, namely, three Non-constituency MPs (maximum nine) and nine Nominated MPs (maximum nine), the current total number of parliamentarians adds up to 99. Compare this to the first parliament of Singapore which had 64 MPs who were all elected in single-member constituencies.

The reasons for increasing the number of MPs have not been told and people generally do not question why we need so many MPs in Singapore. But each MP receives a monthly salary which is paid by the tax-payer. In addition, there is a Parliamentary Secretariat that provides support to Parliament together with its support staff.

The Cabinet governs the country and consists of different ministries that are headed by cabinet ministers. The Prime minister heads the cabinet and is assisted by two Deputy prime ministers and supported by some 18 ministers (Click HERE), making a total of 21 ministers. Compare this to our first cabinet in 1960 that consisted of one Prime Minister, one Deputy Prime Minister and seven Ministers, making a total of nine ministers. And in 1985, exactly 25 years after Singapore became independent, there were 13 ministers, with one Senior Minister and two Deputy Ministers (Click HERE).

Each minister is in turn supported by junior ministers, parliamentary secretaries, permanent secretaries, and several layers of ministry officials and the annual budget for each ministry has been increasing. The judiciary has also been expanding and the number of judicial officers and supporting staff has also increased at a rapid rate with new policy directions.

According to Budget 2015, the total estimated government expenditure (including our parliament and judiciary) for FY 2015 is S$ 46,490,503,600 (Click HERE). The growth of our population, global changes and greater efficiency may be the reasons for such a heavy expenditure but considering that the tax-payers are funding it all, the question that begs to be asked is whether or not there is wastage or overspending. Has any study been made to see if we are optimising the use of our resources and if we could scale back some spending?

THEME: Medical - Healthcare Matters

Medicine is a subject that requires the practitioner to have a passion to heal the sick and save lives. Historically, doctors take the Hippocratic oath to uphold their calling and high ethical standards.

Many of our local students aspire to study medicine because of its noble calling but there are very high bars for entry into our local medical schools and medical schools admit students based on their stellar academic results and not so much on their disposition to practice medicine. 

Each year, our intake of medical students is less than 300 and this is hardly enough to meet increasing demands. A great number of our students with the right aptitude for medicine are forced to leave for overseas medical schools, spending huge sums of money to earn their medical degrees. Yet, instead of expanding the local intake, foreigners are recruited to make up the numbers. This scene is repeated in the nursing line which has become heavily reliant on foreign nurses (Click HERE).

There is a need to seriously review our policies and to expand our intake of medical students to allow more of our own students with the right aptitude but less stellar academic results to train and become medical practitioners. From a social perspective, the more doctors and nurses there are, the more our aged and sick will have ready access to medical attention. An increase in the supply of doctors and nurses, and medical practitioners in specialisations that are in growing demand, will go towards lowering overall medical costs and waiting time.

Government polyclinics in Singapore fulfill the primary healthcare role. These are managed by the National Healthcare Group and Singapore Healthcare Services which were formed in 2000 (Click HERE). They provide subsidised outpatient medical care, health screening and pharmacy services. However, the percentage of government polyclinics vis-a-vis private clinics stands at only 20%. This is certainly less than ideal.

Currently, government polyclinics open only from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are closed on Sundays and Public Holidays. It is perhaps time to look at operating government polyclinics on a 24/7 basis to cater to the needs of an expanding ageing population to help bring down the costs of healthcare. Consultations at polyclinics should be free for all elderly citizens above 65 years old and for those younger, the consultation fee could be fixed as low as possible. Drugs for coughs and colds and other common ailments should be provided free.

Prevention is better than cure and steps should be taken to provide early detection and treatment of diseases. However, breast screenings, pap smears and other health screenings are getting more and more costly and they deter people from going for their yearly check-ups. There can be a national health screening programme which charges a nominal fee for our citizens to encourage them to take care of their own health. Early treatments will also be less costly and increase the chances of full recovery. As it is often said that our people are the only natural resource that we have, it is surely worth the investment to ensure that they are healthy and strong.

The Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) provides subsidies for citizens from lower- and middle-income households for medical and dental care in participating clinics. Presently, applicants are means-tested by taking their total household income divided by the total number of family members living together. The calculated income must not exceed $1,800. This income ceiling should be raised to reflect the rising costs of living. Further, the criteria for those without income to not possess a home with an annual value of not more than $21,000 should be reviewed along with any increase in annual values.

There are also caps on the subsidies for Blue, Orange and Pioneer Generation CHAS cardholders pertaining to chronic conditions. Whilst the caps ($360 and $540 for simple and complex conditions as defined) are published, it would be useful if the balance of the cap remaining provided to the cardholder after every deduction. These cards are currently valid for one year periods and cardholders must apply for renewal. One suggestion is to provide for automatic renewal to save trouble for these cardholders who are generally old and illiterate. 

Rising medical costs have led to various healthcare policies like the Pioneer Generation Package ("PGP") for elderly folks, whose need for financial assistance to reduce their medical costs was neglected for quite a long time. It is estimated that 450,000 Singaporeans, whom the government identifies as the pioneer generation, will benefit. 

Although this is a rather artificial categorization and has led to unhappiness from those who miss the cut-off age, the PGP package serves to help a group of elderly Singaporeans who are 65 and above w.e.f. 31 December 2014. Since the idea behind this package is to show appreciation for their contributions, the PGP ought to cover all their medical costs of the "pioneers" without requiring any of them to make any balance payment.

Decision to not contest in Potong Pasir SMC

Last night, I was doing my usual walkabout. As I was driving out from the carpark near Block 108 in Potong Pasir after 11 p.m., I saw a Mercedez Benz waiting to park. It has just entered the car park and its headlights were shining in my direction.

As I exited from my parking lot and passed by the Merc to my right, I noticed the lady driver struggling to turn her steering wheel so as to move her car aside to let me pass. As I drove passed the stationary Merc, I saw that the driver was Mrs. Lina Chiam. She was in her party T-shirt and looked rather haggard.

Along the way home, I kept thinking about my encounter with Mrs. Chiam and felt sorry that she was still out at such a late hour. I recall her recent statement about this election being her last election and that she will be retiring with Mr. Chiam. I began to have this feeling of sadness and couldn't sleep after reaching home.

I contacted my team members this morning and shared with them my thoughts and feelings. And I told them my decision. I have decided not to contest. Instead, I will lead my team to show our support for Mrs. Chiam at her rally and hope she succeeds to regain Potong Pasir SMC and continue Mr. Chiam's dedicated service to its residents.

The 3-cornered fight in Potong Pasir SMC that was meant to be will no longer take place. I am sorry to disappoint all those who have encouraged me to offer my candidacy and to serve the residents of Potong Pasir SMC as their Member of Parliament. In my walkabouts over the last 2 months, I have come to know many of you at a personal level and appreciate your warm support. Let me assure you that notwithstanding this decision, I will continue to be at your service. For Potong Pasir SMC will always be my kind of town.

Peolitics Model of Politics

Current Political Ideology

The current dominant political thinking in Singapore is an economy-centred ideology. This ideology is based on the government's "Singapore Inc."  model which places economic interests at the heart of government policy-making. The result is the Singapore that we have created today. A country that has achieved economic success at high social costs with over-population, intense competition for jobs, housing and transport, runaway costs of living, stressful lifestyle and a severe income gap.

National policies which place the economy at their core without counting the social costs can only make the rich richer and will never lead the ordinary citizens to attain the first goal of our national pledge - happiness. Our experience in the last 25 years tells us what we need to know. The way forward in the next 25 years depends on a change of mindset. We need to build a people and not just an economy. In order to do that, national policies must be centred on the people’s welfare and aspirations. Lest it be mistaken, we are not talking about welfarism. We are talking about not building an economy at the expense of the people’s welfare and nation-building.

People-Centred Political Ideology

Politics is about people. People-centred political ideology (“Peolitics”) is premised on the principle that the people’s welfare and aspirations are paramount in national policies. In order for the leaders and their people to achieve unity of purpose, the Peolitics model emphasizes the importance of a Sensitive and Responsive Leadership and a People with a Political Conscience and Responsibility.

Leadership

Leaders must deploy their five (5) senses to understand the needs and wants of the people. A good leader must be adept at all the following:

1. See what’s been happening;
2. Listen to the noises in the voices;
3. Sniff out the real problems;
4. Taste the lives of ordinary folks; and
5. Touch base with the ground always;

People

Just as the leadership has political responsibilities, the people must also do their part to help create a positive political culture. The people must motivate their leaders to do their best to meet their needs and wants by behaving:

1. Rationally;
2. Reasonably; and
3. Responsibly.

Political Conscience and Responsibility

Every decent human being has a conscience. This arises from one’s ingrained sense of values. We feel a sense of guilt when we do something that runs contrary to such values. Hence, Political Conscience refers to the national values that are ingrained in our people. These national values are encapsulated in our pledge:

"We, the people of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.”

The Political Responsibility of the people is premised on their Political Conscience. The values that we pledge shall guide the people in the discharge of their political responsibility. This responsibility is particularly important for democracy to succeed. It has often been said that democracy is the rule of the majority and the minority may feel threatened by the “tyranny of the majority”. This scenario may be pre-empted if all people in a democracy are guided by their political conscience to discharge their political responsibility in a manner that does not betray their national values as one people. Only then can we achieve a positive political culture.

Positive Political Culture 

Politics in Singapore is becoming radicalized as we witness more and more social agencies being used for political ends and grassroots leaders engaging in partisan politics. Such a development is unhealthy and will lead to repugnance for politics and politicians. The social contract between the state and the people has to be premised on a relationship of trust and respect. In order to sustain that relationship, it is important to build a political culture that not only encourages people to engage constructively in political discourse without fear of victimization but further motivates those with the necessary talents that we need to spontaneously offer their services to the people and the nation.

SOCIAL: Keeping Our Environment Clean And Green

More people we know seem to be stricken by cancer and more young people are dying from  explainable  illnesses. What has gone wrong?

Much blame has been placed on our stress levels, lifestyles and the foods and drinks that we consume. These are undeniably contributory factors but there is something else that has an equally important, if not a greater impact on our health. Our living environment.

We generate as much as 1,370 kg of waste per person each year according to  Singapore 2014 Waste Statistics and that's a whopping total of 7,514,500 tonnes each year. Imagine producing so much waste and not knowing how to protect the environment that we live in. What will happen?

A healthy living environment is definitely important to help us to keep diseases at bay. Wash your hands before you eat and try to keep public eating places as clean as possible after you are done eating or drinking. Throw your litter into the refuse bin. Do not litter to create a breeding ground for rodents and pests. Learn to properly recycle waste and be environmentally friendly. Stop your engine from running when your vehicle is parked to reduce air pollution. Save electricity and water whenever you can as these are precious limited resources that we need for our daily living.

Keep our city clean and green always. Trees and shrubs not only beautify our landscape but add colour and vibrancy to a healthy living environment. Do not destroy our natural environment. If we do, we are harming ourselves. Take care of mother earth and mother earth will take care of you.

Let's work together to keep each other healthy. And happy.

Improvement Projects in NRP Constituencies - The use of CIPC funding

The idea of forming grassroots organisations like Residents' Committees (RCs) and Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs) was to enable volunteers in the community to help the government in implementing its policies and reaching out to residents. Those who manage RCs and CCCs are invariably identified as supporters of the ruling party though many may be motivated to volunteer by a desire to serve the people in their community.

It is often lamented that an MP from a non-ruling party (NRP) taking over the running of a constituency from a ruling party MP has to countenance difficulties from RCs and CCS in the implementation of their programmes. Both MPs and NCMPs have expressed that major obstacles still remain for opposition parliamentarians (Click HERE). One of these obstacles is in tapping on state funds which are set aside for improving infrastructural and recreational facilities for the benefit of residents in their constituencies which include covered walkways, footpaths, cycling tracks and playgrounds.

In one parliamentary session, the Minister for National Development ("MND") was asked for the guidelines for the utilisation of the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) funding (Click HERE). In his reply, the Minister answered that "CIPC funds are disbursed through the CCCs as they are close to the ground and will be better able to decide on the projects which will be most useful for the local residents. The CCCs are given flexibility to assess the relevance of any proposal and to prioritise them for implementation so that the CIPC funds are optimally utilised. The operating principle for the CCCs is to ensure that the approved CIPC projects are useful, functional, represent value for money, freely accessible to the community and properly planned." 

In short, CCCs have the power to decide if an elected MP may go ahead with his plans to improve infrastructural and recreational facilities for his residents. Given that CCCs are not apolitical in character,  this arrangement poses a serious obstacle to an elected NRP MP's programmes to benefit his constituents. The question that arises is whether funds meant for community improvements should be disbursed to CCSs if the CCC and the MP do not share the same political affiliation. Obviously, if all political contests are confined only to the election period and are not carried over into the term of whoever may be elected as MP to the detriment of the constituents, there will be no necessity for us to review the present arrangement. 

However, as we all know, political contests tend to spill into even the most mundane things that CCCs do for their residents. Until grassroots leaders learn to rise over politics and are no longer seen to be taking sides with the ruling party, there is a need to ensure that these community improvement funds do not become an instrument of politics. As a step towards developing a more positive political culture, why not let the MND decide on the applications to use such funds by all MPs?

SOCIAL: Sports - Nurturing True Sportsmanship

In the recent SEA Games, Singapore collected 84 Golds, 73 Silvers and 102 Bronzes with Thailand finishing top with 95 Golds, 83 Silvers and 69 Bronzes. This has been an impressive record and a fitting tribute to SG50. 

Our 259 medals have surpassed our precious haul of of 164 medals (50 golds, 40 silvers and 74 bronzes) in 1993, when the Games was last held at home. We are all absolutely thrilled that we have done well as a nation that seeks to excel in everything that we do. But let's pause for a moment to look at the results and ask some questions.

The medals tell us which sports we are good at. One report (Click HERE)  said as follows:

“Over the past 18 days in 36 sports, Singapore’s largest-ever contingent of 747 athletes also delivered 25 Games records, 29 national records, 74 personal bests, and many first-time medalists. 421 were also making their official Games debut. Of the 36 sports, the Republic’s swimmers achieved the highest medal count of 42 (23 golds, 12 silvers and 7 bronzes).

Swimmers Joseph Isaac Schooling and Quah Zheng Wen were the most bemedalled athletes, winning one in every event they competed in. Schooling won nine gold medals and set Games records in all nine events, while teammate Quah finished with 12 medals (7 golds, 4 silvers and 1 bronze).”

One piece of glaring information comes across from the wins. A great majority of the medals were won by local-born Singaporeans.  And we are able to clearly identify the sports that we can be really good at. So, do we still need foreign talents to buttress our sports achievements when we could save our money on them and groom our own talent pool from young in the sports that we are potentially good at?

Say what you like, there can be no real pride in winning medals through the Foreign Talent Scheme which started in 1996. One sport that relies heavily on the scheme is table tennis. Even after 20 years, we are still relying on table–tennis players from China to win our medals. If we are unable to produce local-born table-tennis players to lead our nation in this sport after all these years, we need to ask whether the scheme has usurped the need to nurture our local talent or is table-tennis not really our cup of tea?

We also need to ask ourselves whether it is necessary for us to excel in every sport? To-date, more than 60 foreign athletes have been granted citizenship since the Foreign Talent Scheme started in 1996 (Click HERE). We do not know exactly how much we have spent in the scheme but it should run into the millions which could have been used more productively and meaningfully. 

Since we can now identify a number of sports where our potentials lie, wouldn’t it be make more sense to save our money on foreign athletes and invest in our local sports talents instead? We can bring in foreign coaches instead of foreign athletes? Afterall, sports is not about winning medals alone. It's about the spirit of true sportsmanship.

SOCIAL: Culture - Saving our Food heritage

One of the unique features of Singaporean culture is its food heritage which began with itinerant hawkers peddling on the streets. With the erection of hawker centres, Singaporeans found their favourite foods like char kway teow, laksa, mee siam and roti prata prepared behind more hygienic stalls which were leased from the government at cheap rentals. And the majority of Singaporeans take their daily three meals at these hawker centres which offer a great variety of affordable local food options.

Unfortunately, stall rentals escalated after the government's economic policies went on high gear. The National Environment Agency ("NEA"), which currently manages 107 markets and hawker centres, began selling the stalls in 1994 with takeover fees that ran into hundreds of thousands of dollars. About 2,000 stalls in 15 centres were sold in four phases between 1994 and 1997, and their leases were slated to expire between 2014 and 2017 (Click HERE) .These stalls were sold at between S$26,000 to S$ 141,000 each, depending on their location and size and owners re-sold and pocketed huge profits only to buy more stalls when they were allowed to sublet their stalls. The costs of running a hawker stall invariably shot up. So did food prices at these hawker centres.

Rental costs escalated even further for food stalls when the government stopped building hawker centres for some 26 years while air-conditioned food centres in shopping malls sprouted up like mushrooms. The impact on food prices was significant and families on tight budgets had to forgo at least one meal. Many Singaporeans eat out at coffee-shops too. These are located in housing estates and are the regular venues for many family dinners. With liberal policies on coffee-shop ownership (which attracted foreign investors looking for capital gains) and higher and higher tender prices for coffee-shops in new housing estates, stall rentals in coffee-shops shot up as well. High turnover of business owners in coffee-shops are now a regular feature and the quality of food has suffered. Old food stalls with huge followings and customers who grew up on their menu begin to close down one after another.

After GE 2011, the government announced in October 2011 that it will restart the programme of building of hawker centres after 26 years with a new policy direction (Click HERE). There will be 10 new hawker centres to be built over 10 years. These new hawker centres are to be run on not-for-profit basis instead of by commercial operators. This was a tacit acknowledgment that food prices in our iconic hawker centres have gone up too high. The first of these new hawker centres is now operated by NTUC Foodfare in Bukit Panjang with 28 cooked-food stalls offering at least two low-cost main dishes.This new policy direction in letting only social enterprises and co-operatives manage hawker centre has already led to disgruntled hawkers who were unhappy with the price-caps on the food they sell and that the centres are operated more like food courts which require them to pay plate collection and dishwashing collection and dishwashing fees, use common utensils and wear uniforms (Click HERE).

The idea of bringing down food prices in hawker centre is applaudable but the new management model of hawker centres looks set to have another negative impact on our heritage food culture as hawkers think of ways to cut costs. Why can't we go back to the old model of leasing out hawker stalls at low monthly rentals with a government agency managing the hawker centres? Such a model was working perfectly fine until they started to tinker with it. As they say, if it ain't broken, why fix it?

THEME: Public Housing - A Home for Every Singaporean

HDB's housing mission was originally premised on nation-building. Public flats were initially sold on a "construction cost-based" pricing policy to enable every citizen to own a HDB flat. Later, "land-cost" pricing was added and this eventually changed to "market pricing" which is based on resale prices. This last pricing policy has led to prices spiraling higher and higher, making owning a HDB flat out of reach for many young citizens today. 

These pricing changes ride on the back of promises to enhance assets and HDB's rigorous innovations to create public flats that are more like private apartments. These innovations moved HDB into the realm of real estate business, selling land to private developers. Consequently, a HDB flat can now cost more than a private apartment.

If nation-building is still HDB's sacred mission, then HDB has a duty to ensure that Singaporeans are the only ones who are eligible to buy HDB flats. If this is no longer its mission, then it should no longer be called the Housing Development Board.

As a public housing agency, HDB need not be concerned at all with the housing needs of foreigners and permanent residents. If foreigners and permanent residents choose to own their flat, they should look at private flats and not compete with Singaporeans for public flats which are built with taxpayers money.

HDB flats should also not be approved for use as dormitories for foreign workers or leased by HDB directly to foreigners or permanent residents.

HDB flats should not be acquired or rented to any public or private corporation, even if there are excess public flats. Excess flats ought to be rented out to meet the needs of Singaporeans who do not have the means to pay for a flat or are not yet ready to do so. In particular, 3- and 4-room rental flats should be made available to young couples, including single parents, who need a place with adequate living space to start a family and to raise children . 

If these measures are kept in place, there will be no need for HDB to keep building new flats. There will be more than enough flats if permanent residents are no longer allowed to own any public flat. HDB could revert to construction-cost pricing for new flats. In order not to impact upon the prices of existing flats which were bought based on market-pricing, these new flats that are sold more cheaply should not be re-saleable in the secondary market and must be re-sold to HDB when they are no longer needed.

Private developers are clearly motivated by profits. HDB should not sell land to private developers to build public flats and then disclaim any responsibility for building defects or non-compliance with building specifications. After-all, these flats are still sold with HDB's minimum occupancy requirement for resale which do not exist for private flats. If HDB chooses to disclaim such responsibility, then it should cease selling land to private developers. 

These are just some ideas. There are probably more and maybe better ideas that others may be able to come up with. Whatever it may be, we should not stop thinking of ways to improve our public housing predicament. May every citizen who needs a public flat be able to afford one without paying for it with an arm or a leg.

The Trolls Are Amongst Us

The internet is abuzz with commentaries about the upcoming elections. There are heated exchanges amongst netizens who speak without restraint about their feelings on a wide variety of subjects. Sadly, it is also the time when the most vulgarities and expletives are used.

Reading the commentaries brings me back to my first day in national service. I had a culture shock when the sergeants and corporals were verbally abusing every recruit with that infamous four letter word and a myriad of Hokkien expletives. I guess one of the best things that the army has done for me is to numb me to the impact of such vocabulary. But for those who have not gotten use to it, try and see it this way. When people run out of words to say or use to express their anger and frustration, they jump straight into their pool of swirling unpalatable adjectives and nouns. Learn to read the feelings and not the words. They are just human.

But there is a group of netizens who do give rise to some concern. They enjoy name-calling, inflaming matters and inciting negative emotions to derive a certain psychological thrill. They deliberately choose to use mocking, insulting and incendiary language to work up a storm in the forum and to provoke a response. The term "trolls" is used to describe them.

How do you identify trolls? Well, they do not use their real names and would work behind an air of mystery. Sometimes, they would use monickers which are derogatory names of the people they are targeting. Their tactics are easy to detect. They use strong abusive language to throw a rational discussion off-course by refusing to accept any logical reasoning and then make personal attacks without checking out their facts.

We need to be aware of who are the trolls and avoid becoming their prey. They are out to thrill themselves at the expense of a serious public discourse on matters that deserve to be treated rationally, reasonably and responsibly. If you identify a troll, all you need to do is to ignore them. Don't give them the thrill that they are looking for.

I Am Not Alone

Some people think that independent candidates are working all by themselves and are short in resources and may not be able to run a town council. Conversely, they think that party candidates have more resources and are better able to run town councils. If we care to think deeper, these are merely assumptions and are not absolute truths. 

I may be an independent candidate but this does not mean that I do everything by myself. The amount of work that I have been able to do on the ground and in so many places would not have been possible without a dedicated team of supporters and their resources.

As a matter of fact, when it became known that I no longer had any party affiliation, there were immediate invitations from various political parties for me to join them. Some had even sought support to tap on the resources that my supporters have as they do not have adequate resources of their own.

A political party cannot succeed without strong supporters. With so many political parties on the scene, there is not only competition for talent but also resources. I am open to sharing the resources of my supporters with anyone who genuinely wish to serve the people and are not involved in politics for ulterior motives.

The idea of making MPs run a town council is an unfair political move that has shifted municipal duties from HDB to an MP. It not only makes the job of an MP more onerous so that he has less time in his parliamentary work but to also act as an electoral hurdle. It has been seen that even PAP town councils have their own issues. Voters, however, choose their candidate not because the candidate will be good in running a town council but because he or she can be their effective voice in parliament. Otherwise, their estate manager would be their best candidate as MP. And many may not know that I am not entirely new to town council work and was once a volunteer lawyer in the drafting of tenders and contracts for the Bukit Batok Town Council when it was first formed under the late Dr. Ong Chit Chung.

Having said so, since running a town council has been thrust upon an MP as his municipal duty, it makes sense for any new MP to continue to employ the services of the existing staff who are managing the estate. This is a step towards depoliticizing the system and ensures continuity of service with necessary improvements under the new MP. Obviously, if this continuity is not possible because there are issues of political ties, which will be truly regrettable, my plan will be to adopt a direct management approach with the help of my team of supporters which comprise people with the relevant skills and experience.

As an independent candidate, I am no different from a party candidate. In fact, I may be more equal to the task of running a town council.