Singaporeans have a critical, negative mindset. This is part of our culture and is brought about by our education system. If we see an idea, we tend to look for what is wrong with it.
I wish to encourage a positive mindset. If we see an idea, we can look for what is the benefit of implementing it, compared with the cost. If the benefit outweigh the cost, we can go ahead. If we are not sure, we can give it a try. We try and see if it works, rather than worry about what could go wrong.
We do not need a perfect solution, before embarking on a change. We only need incremental benefits. So long, as the benefit outweigh the cost of implementing the change, we can go ahead. This is how progress can be achieved.
Many people observed that Singaporeans are not entrepreneurial. They cannot think out of the box. They are afraid of trying. This is part of the mindset and culture that we were brought up with. We know how to criticise, how to find out what is wrong, but we are not bold in making a change and to make things different, to make things better.
But, culture and mindset can be changed. We can be positive. We can be bold. We can be daring to change.
Tan Kin Lian
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Capitalism flawed
Read this report about a survey of public opinion on capitalism and the free market. I share the same views. I find globalisation and the free market to be bad for ordinary people. It depressed wages and led to wide disparity of income. People have to work harder just to get by.
Land sales are not protected by Financial Services Authority of UK
http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2009/nov/07/landbanking-investment-scheme
Over the past five years, Guardian Money has warned that, despite taking in tens of millions of pounds from investors, no landbanker has ever delivered the expected profit bonanza that comes with planning permission.
Instead, we have reported how several landbankers have gone bust, including Land Heritage (UK)* and United Land Holdings, leaving buyers with virtually unsellable plots. These investors had no chance of getting their cash back from a compensation scheme, as land sales are not protected by the Financial Services Authority. In 2007 the FSA declared that although it does not regulate land as an investment, "there is a risk that many of these schemes are in breach of the financial regulation regime if they are structured as a 'collective investment scheme'. To operate and promote such a scheme legally, the operators would need to request and obtain authorisation from the FSA, which would then regulate these firms."
Over the past five years, Guardian Money has warned that, despite taking in tens of millions of pounds from investors, no landbanker has ever delivered the expected profit bonanza that comes with planning permission.
Instead, we have reported how several landbankers have gone bust, including Land Heritage (UK)* and United Land Holdings, leaving buyers with virtually unsellable plots. These investors had no chance of getting their cash back from a compensation scheme, as land sales are not protected by the Financial Services Authority. In 2007 the FSA declared that although it does not regulate land as an investment, "there is a risk that many of these schemes are in breach of the financial regulation regime if they are structured as a 'collective investment scheme'. To operate and promote such a scheme legally, the operators would need to request and obtain authorisation from the FSA, which would then regulate these firms."
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