Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Prince Charles also acts the Voice of the People
Dear Mr. Tan
As Minister Shanmugan has been referencing British Convention, it is useful that to Prince Charles has not been "dumb". He has been the Voice of the People in the UK. He has for example spoken out againt Tony Blair on the Iraq war.
http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/15513366
The following url has a list of other instances where Prince Charles very publicly voices his opionon.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/01/alastair-campbell-tony-blair-prince-charles
In the following article, Prime Minister Tony Blair is noted as saying that
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
"A prime minister may sound off from time to time, especially when sensitive discussions with members of the royal family leak into the papers, in the middle of some high-profile issue.
"However, I want to make it clear that I always found my discussions and correspondence with Prince Charles immensely helpful. I thought he had a perfect right to raise questions and did so in a way that was both informative and insightful. So I welcomed his contributions, and have no doubt he will continue to raise issues with the new government as he is entitled and indeed it is his job to do, and that they will also find it helpful."
REPLY
Thank you for showing that Prince Charles is also acting as the Voice of the People !
As Minister Shanmugan has been referencing British Convention, it is useful that to Prince Charles has not been "dumb". He has been the Voice of the People in the UK. He has for example spoken out againt Tony Blair on the Iraq war.
http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/15513366
The following url has a list of other instances where Prince Charles very publicly voices his opionon.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/01/alastair-campbell-tony-blair-prince-charles
In the following article, Prime Minister Tony Blair is noted as saying that
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
"A prime minister may sound off from time to time, especially when sensitive discussions with members of the royal family leak into the papers, in the middle of some high-profile issue.
"However, I want to make it clear that I always found my discussions and correspondence with Prince Charles immensely helpful. I thought he had a perfect right to raise questions and did so in a way that was both informative and insightful. So I welcomed his contributions, and have no doubt he will continue to raise issues with the new government as he is entitled and indeed it is his job to do, and that they will also find it helpful."
REPLY
Thank you for showing that Prince Charles is also acting as the Voice of the People !
Help the blind to be employed
Dear Mr Tan,
This is M, the visually handicapped staff who handled survey work for you when you were CEO at NTUC Income. I hope this email finds you well. I am writing this email to seek your advice on employment opportunities for my younger sister.
I would like to thank you once again for offering me a job at NTUC Income back at that time. The job has been extremely important to me, as it enables me to earn an income to support my family and also makes useful the knowledge and skills I acquired in school.
My younger sister, has partial visual disability and has difficulty reading fine prints. However, she is able to read and write as per normal with the help of a magnifier and able to use the computer with the help of a magnification software installed. She is able to move around on her own without help.
She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance and has has been actively looking for a job. She submitted numerous job applications in response to job openings but had been unsuccessful. She also approached job placement agencies for handicapped people, such as Bizlink and the Society for the Physically Disabled, to seek assistance. So far, there is no success.
We would appreciate if you could be so kind as to give her advice or recommendations on any employment opportunities.
REPLY
Can you ask your sister to try this voice recognition software and see if it helps to improve her ability to handle computer work. I met a totally blind person who earned an income being a singer. She told me that she is able to handle e-mail. She used voice recognition to speak the words in the email and she used her voice to give a reply. The voice recognition software convert it back to text.
I would like to thank you once again for offering me a job at NTUC Income back at that time. The job has been extremely important to me, as it enables me to earn an income to support my family and also makes useful the knowledge and skills I acquired in school.
My younger sister, has partial visual disability and has difficulty reading fine prints. However, she is able to read and write as per normal with the help of a magnifier and able to use the computer with the help of a magnification software installed. She is able to move around on her own without help.
She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance and has has been actively looking for a job. She submitted numerous job applications in response to job openings but had been unsuccessful. She also approached job placement agencies for handicapped people, such as Bizlink and the Society for the Physically Disabled, to seek assistance. So far, there is no success.
We would appreciate if you could be so kind as to give her advice or recommendations on any employment opportunities.
BizLink is the best organisation to help your sister. Be patient and keep in contact with them.
Wish her all the best.
Treating cancer
My friend made this observation. He had a younger brother who died from lung cancer at around 50 after a costly treatment. Another young brother is now in a bad state, also suffering from cancer. The chance of recovery is small.
He has seen many cases of expensive cancer treatments that were unsuccessful. He said that the simple cancers, such as breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer can be treated, but the other cancers have low chance of recovery.
Read some of the actual cases shown here.
He has seen many cases of expensive cancer treatments that were unsuccessful. He said that the simple cancers, such as breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer can be treated, but the other cancers have low chance of recovery.
Read some of the actual cases shown here.
Engage a lawyer
If you need the advice of a lawyer and are worried about the legal fees, here are some tips on how to approach this matter.
Being more professional - changes after 2007
Comment posted in my blog
I am puzzled by what Lim Swee Say has said below:
http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5136775
I am an NTUC Policyholder for more than twenty years and I can say with certainty that there is a noticeable change since then. How can NTUC Income be more professional now than before when:
1. I used to get a response from their staff by the next working day and now I do not even get a response within a week.
2. I used to get a response from their CEO within the same day and now I do not get a response from their CEO even when I try to call him and wait for a return call.
3. NTUC Income used to be frugal but now spend excessively on expensive chairs and posh venues for their meetings.
4. Bonuses and returns to policyholders were cut unilaterally, even for policies that are supposed to garner higher returns with higher premiums paid specifically for the higher returns.
5. In the past, there were many policies that give good value, e.g. foundation policies, living refund etc where premiums are very low and protection high while now the policies are mainly high premiums but low protection and returns.
If LSS thinks that by being seated on expensive chairs and existing in posh environments is being more professional then he is just being shallow.
If LSS thinks that a CEO should not have to give a response to policyholders but to delegate it to his juniors then it is probably a reflection of his own misguided leadership style.
If LSS thinks that by having designer office furniture and vases on display highlighted by special lighting is being professional then he is wrong as policyholders want value from their policies and not showroom visualisation effects.
Or maybe I am wrong and LSS is just too busy with his CPF statements or is suffering from a case of chronic "Deaf Frog" syndrome and not aware of what is happening on the ground.
http://forum.channelnewsasia.com/viewtopic.php?t=452259&highlight=
I am puzzled by what Lim Swee Say has said below:
http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5136775
I am an NTUC Policyholder for more than twenty years and I can say with certainty that there is a noticeable change since then. How can NTUC Income be more professional now than before when:
1. I used to get a response from their staff by the next working day and now I do not even get a response within a week.
2. I used to get a response from their CEO within the same day and now I do not get a response from their CEO even when I try to call him and wait for a return call.
3. NTUC Income used to be frugal but now spend excessively on expensive chairs and posh venues for their meetings.
4. Bonuses and returns to policyholders were cut unilaterally, even for policies that are supposed to garner higher returns with higher premiums paid specifically for the higher returns.
5. In the past, there were many policies that give good value, e.g. foundation policies, living refund etc where premiums are very low and protection high while now the policies are mainly high premiums but low protection and returns.
If LSS thinks that by being seated on expensive chairs and existing in posh environments is being more professional then he is just being shallow.
If LSS thinks that a CEO should not have to give a response to policyholders but to delegate it to his juniors then it is probably a reflection of his own misguided leadership style.
If LSS thinks that by having designer office furniture and vases on display highlighted by special lighting is being professional then he is wrong as policyholders want value from their policies and not showroom visualisation effects.
Or maybe I am wrong and LSS is just too busy with his CPF statements or is suffering from a case of chronic "Deaf Frog" syndrome and not aware of what is happening on the ground.
http://forum.channelnewsasia.com/viewtopic.php?t=452259&highlight=
Endorsing Presidential Candidates
http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=7018#more-7018
With the PAP came into power, it systematically decimated these groups by de-registering them and then later enacted new laws required that any registering associations, societies or clubs must have in their constitution a compulsory prohibition clause which states: “The Society shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes.”
3rd Singaporean First event at Speaker's Corner (transitioning.org)
I will be attending this event at Speakers' Corner at 5 pm on Sat 13 August 2011
Transitioning.org will be conducting its third Singaporeans First! event at Speakers’ Corner this coming Saturday (13 Aug) at 5pm. We have lined up several speakers who will speak their mind as usual on issues that affect Singaporeans.
Mr Leong Sze Hian and Mr Tony Tan (NSP candidate for Choa Chu Kang GRC in 2011 GE) will also be gracing the occasion among others.
We realised that there could be a crisis looming just one and a half month after our second event in June – showing how vulnerable the world’s economy has been since the last financial crisis in 2008. The S & P has downgraded US Treasuries from its triple A rating – a historical first and the stock markets have immediately entered a blood path unseen before since 2008. The Singaporean government has also lowered its’ growth forecast of 5-7% to 5-6% in view of a changing economic climate. I remembered tens of thousands of executives lost their jobs during the 2008 financial crisis and many have nowhere to turn to as our government agencies were ill-prepared to handle such massive retrenchment involving mid to high level PMETs. It is foreseeable that this time round, if the crisis worsens and many PMETS lose their jobs, the same ineffectiveness could take place as most government agencies preferred to help those who are poorly educated. The government has all along adopted a policy of stretching out its’ welfare arm to those who are poor and vunlnerable, however, society has changed much and many Singaporeans have managed to lift themselves out of poverty during this past decade. The government’s stance on welfare needs to evolve in tantem with the growing needs of a more developed population. We can’t adopt a third world welfare system for a first world status society. We don’t really need a solid welfare system like in Australia or the UK but we do need the government to look into providing some form of unemployment benefit when one is retrenched . A certain premium can be deducted from our CPF money, place into a central pool and the unemployment benefit given out to PMETs who have being retrenched. It is like buying unemployment insurance using your own money and it won’t be a drag on our reosurces. Moreover, the money is sued to tide over a certain period and retrenched executives will not be able to manipulate the system like what some welfare countries are facing now. The unemployment benefit can be used to put food on the table for the family, provide a real sense of peace of mind and more importantly allows the breadwinner to find alternative employment during a difficult phase of his life. During this one and a half month period since our last event, we also witnessed the relentless pursuit of PAP-backed candidate Mr Tony Tan’s son Dr Patrick Tan national service fiasco. Singaporeans indeed now are more vocal and the tide has changed in this current political climate. People want answers when things go awry and I think that they are entitled to them. We also saw how transport cost rose by 1% even though transport companies have been making solid profits since the transport system was privatised. It seems that with privatisation, people’s lives have became harder and our transport companies as a result ironically get richer. As Singapore enters into a critical period, let us unite together and gather as one voice this coming Saturday – see you there! Singapore for Singaporeans! Stay united! Singaporeans First! Organiser |
Gilbert Goh
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