Sunday, February 20, 2011
Budget 2011 - 73% are disappointed
A Straits Times poll said that 73% of citizens are disappointed with the budget. This is unexpected. A citizen give a reason why he belonged to the 73%. Read SGEP or click here.
Soft launch of "Get Value from your Life Insurance"
The soft launch was made on Saturday 19 February 2010. A few readers of my blog told me that they were not able to come due to the budget and other activities. I have now extended the sale of the books for this week from 5 to 6.30 pm. Please come during this time, to avoid disruption to my office, but you can also come at other time during the day. See here for details.You can get directions to my office from the map shown in www.tankinlian.com/contacts.aspx
If you wish to come to my office by bus, you can go to Google Maps, enter the location "Singapore 573970" to find my office, right click to get "direction to my office" and enter the postal code of your starting point. You will find the options to come by bus.
If you wish to come to my office by bus, you can go to Google Maps, enter the location "Singapore 573970" to find my office, right click to get "direction to my office" and enter the postal code of your starting point. You will find the options to come by bus.
The future of Singapore - a view from a young Singaporean
By chance, I got to your blog as I was researching on cars.
I never knew there are people like you, formerly from the government sector, who are willing to speak up on what is not right. I always thought our late President Ong Teng Cheong was the only man who did what was best for the people and for Singapore.
I am 35 years old. Last year, I spoke to my friends and painted a vivid and shocking picture to my friends on the future of home grown Singaporeans. Most chose not to believe or hear the truth as they just could not cope with it.
I started to do research on what was happening in Singapore - mainly on why some ministers left their post abruptly, on GIC and on the real reasons contributing to the rising prices of HDB flats and properties. I learned that I had opened "a can of worms"
Do you have the same picture as I am having or you have something else? Sigh......
In recent months, I heard a lot of weird comments from MM and his men. Are these done on purpose or is the fox tail showing? It makes me stand firmer on not wanting to have children as I do not want them to carry the burden and losing their sense of identity as a Singaporean.
Please correct me if I am wrong. I really need to hear from a voice like you.
I told my wife, a Malaysian, we need to make our retire plans in her hometown as we can never retire early in Singapore with the inflation and cost of living moving up in this manner. I recalled someone said - retirement means death. Maybe this applies to our future Singaporeans?
Thanks for listening and hope to meet you in person soon.
I agree with your observations. I also fear that we are losing the sense of being a Singaporean. I wrote about the Singapore before and after 1985. Do read my blog often to hear my views.
Mandatory Breath Testing-Your Obligations Under the Road Traffic Acts | BusinessAndLegal.ie
Section 4 of the above Act obliges you to
1. Provide a sample of your breath for the purposes of establishing the alcohol content of your breath.
A refusal to do so or a refusal to comply with a requirement of a Guard will be guilty of an offence and liable to face a fine of up to £5,000 or a prison sentence of up to 6 months.
The High Court has held that one of the proofs required for a successful prosecution of this offence is the written authorization to set up the checkpoint.
This is part of the Road Traffic Offences series of articles.
Breath testing where there is no checkpoint
Section 12 of the 1994 Road Traffic act obliges you as a driver to provide a breath specimen where there is no checkpoint-but there is an important difference where there is no checkpoint: the Gardai must form an opinion that you, being in charge of a vehicle in a public place
1. Have consumed alcohol
2. Have been involved in a collision OR
3. Have committed an offence.
The penalties for this offence are the same as the checkpoint offence as set out above under the 2006 act.
Talk on Sudoku and Puzzles
I am giving a talk on Sudoku and puzzles as follows:
Title: Sudoku Talk
Date: 19 March 2011
Time: 3pm
Venue: Tampines Regional Library, Auditorium (Level 3)
Please register at the library. The Sudoku, tangram and shape quiz books will be sold at a discount of 50%.
Title: Sudoku Talk
Date: 19 March 2011
Time: 3pm
Venue: Tampines Regional Library, Auditorium (Level 3)
Please register at the library. The Sudoku, tangram and shape quiz books will be sold at a discount of 50%.
Singapore - before and after 1985
Many Singaporeans of my generation were proud of Singapore prior to 1985. We had an excellent economic and social environment - affordable and good quality education, housing and health care and a low cost of living. People do not have to worry about unemployment. They work hard and could look forward to adequate CPF savings on retirement.
The Singapore system started to deteriorate after 1985. The first generation leader (except for LKY) stepped down from office and was replaced by a new generation of elite leaders. This was followed by the introduction of bad policies, such as the graduate mother policy, asset enhancement scheme, increase in health care and transport cost (COE, ERP, privatization of transport companies) and the GRC system of election.
We now have a Singapore that is convoluted and wasteful, with a high cost of living, a high GINI coefficient and the lowest birth rate in the world.
I hope that our leaders realize their mistake and take action to correct the shortcomings. If not, let the people tell them at the next general election.
Tan Kin Lian
The Singapore system started to deteriorate after 1985. The first generation leader (except for LKY) stepped down from office and was replaced by a new generation of elite leaders. This was followed by the introduction of bad policies, such as the graduate mother policy, asset enhancement scheme, increase in health care and transport cost (COE, ERP, privatization of transport companies) and the GRC system of election.
We now have a Singapore that is convoluted and wasteful, with a high cost of living, a high GINI coefficient and the lowest birth rate in the world.
I hope that our leaders realize their mistake and take action to correct the shortcomings. If not, let the people tell them at the next general election.
Tan Kin Lian
Unemployment insurance in Germany
I met a German lady who is married to a Singaporeans and has lived in Singapore for 35 years. We talked about the unemployment insurance system in Germany.
She explained that it is a good system. It helps to take care of most people who are unemployed through no fault of their own. She quoted the example of the loss of manufacturing jobs in her home town due to global competition. The workers did not want to be unemployed, but they were the victims of global forces beyond their control.
She said that the abuses are small, maybe 1% or 2%. Most of the unemployed people are keen to look for other suitable jobs. They want to work, rather than to live off the system. They have to look for work actively and will be lose their unemployment benefit if they refuse to take up suitable jobs.
The unemployment benefits are funded by the people who have work. If there is higher unemployment, all those who are working have to pay higher premiums for the insurance. This is an equitable and compassionate system that gives dignity to honest workers who are caught by events beyond their control.
Our Singapore leaders exaggerate the abuse of the welfare system, and develop convoluted systems to deal with them. Look at our convoluted workfare income supplement. Most people cannot understand how it works. They have to refer to a booklet and to ask for explanations to know what they are entitled, and the amount of benefits are so small.
Tan Kin Lian
She explained that it is a good system. It helps to take care of most people who are unemployed through no fault of their own. She quoted the example of the loss of manufacturing jobs in her home town due to global competition. The workers did not want to be unemployed, but they were the victims of global forces beyond their control.
She said that the abuses are small, maybe 1% or 2%. Most of the unemployed people are keen to look for other suitable jobs. They want to work, rather than to live off the system. They have to look for work actively and will be lose their unemployment benefit if they refuse to take up suitable jobs.
The unemployment benefits are funded by the people who have work. If there is higher unemployment, all those who are working have to pay higher premiums for the insurance. This is an equitable and compassionate system that gives dignity to honest workers who are caught by events beyond their control.
Our Singapore leaders exaggerate the abuse of the welfare system, and develop convoluted systems to deal with them. Look at our convoluted workfare income supplement. Most people cannot understand how it works. They have to refer to a booklet and to ask for explanations to know what they are entitled, and the amount of benefits are so small.
Tan Kin Lian
Canada has a better health care system
Canada has a lower per capital income than Singapore but gives a better quality of life for its citizens. Just ask the Singaporeans who have migrated to Canada and most will confirm this view. Although Canada has the disadvantage of its cold climate, the other advantages outweigh them.
Canada provides good social benefits available to its people, such as affordable health care and a pension for its elderly citizens. Our Singapore leaders consider that the welfare systems can be abused. This is partly true and largely exaggerated. The abuse is small and is largely under control.
The wastage caused by the abuse is more offset by the savings from a more efficient system of delivery of health care. There is no need to spend time on a convoluted system of different charges for different categories of people and deduction from the various sources (i.e. cash and the 3Ms).
There is also less chance for doctors to over-treat and over-charge patients as they can be monitored by the medical experts managing the Canadian system. In Singapore, consumers will not be able to identify these abuses or to take action to seek compensation. The Singapore system allows many medical specialists to earn high incomes, but also results in high cost that is now becoming too expensive for many citizens.
I hope that Singapore can re-look at the lesson from other countries and take steps to address the steep increase in our health care costs, which is frightening many citizens.
Tan Kin Lian
Canada provides good social benefits available to its people, such as affordable health care and a pension for its elderly citizens. Our Singapore leaders consider that the welfare systems can be abused. This is partly true and largely exaggerated. The abuse is small and is largely under control.
The wastage caused by the abuse is more offset by the savings from a more efficient system of delivery of health care. There is no need to spend time on a convoluted system of different charges for different categories of people and deduction from the various sources (i.e. cash and the 3Ms).
There is also less chance for doctors to over-treat and over-charge patients as they can be monitored by the medical experts managing the Canadian system. In Singapore, consumers will not be able to identify these abuses or to take action to seek compensation. The Singapore system allows many medical specialists to earn high incomes, but also results in high cost that is now becoming too expensive for many citizens.
I hope that Singapore can re-look at the lesson from other countries and take steps to address the steep increase in our health care costs, which is frightening many citizens.
Tan Kin Lian
Solicitors in Mullingar-Mullingar Solicitors | BusinessAndLegal.ie
Whether you face a prosecution by way of a District Court Summons or Charge Sheet procedure Terry will represent your interests and rights fearlessly and make sure that you have the best legal advice as to your options and consequences. You may, in certain circumstances, be eligible for free legal aid and if you use the contact form on the right with your details Terry can give you a good idea as to whether you will qualify or not.
Access,Custody and Guardianship in Ireland | BusinessAndLegal.ie
Access
The law considers that the right to access to a parent is in fact a right of the child; this is why an access to a child order will be decided by the Court whilst looking at what is in the best interests of the child.
Generally though it is very unusual for a Court to not grant a parent access to their child and may, where necessary, make a supervised access order to allow to this to happen where the circumstances demand it.
This is part of the Family Law in Ireland series. If you have a question pleases use the Contact form.
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