Insurance Quotes Online: Aug 21, 2011

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Use of veto power

Dear Mr. Tan,

I am referring to this article: http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-1/Story/STIStory_704453.html

I think this suggestion is genius and can win you many points. It is completely lawful, and shows how you can think out of the box.

Straits Times posted the link on their Facebook page and it attracted a large number of negative comments, 90% of which from fake users (users who have no friends). These users are likely to be hired hands, and such large negative response means the establishment does not really like what you have said.

Please continue to press this. It will give you an edge over TJS.

REPLY
The media took my statements out of context and distorted it with a bad headline.

My use of the veto will be used as a last resort to make sure that the request for the use of the past reserves is more balanced and does not favor only a specific sector. A specific example was raised about the use of the past reserves to fund the job credit scheme. If a future request comes to me, I like to see some of the funds being used to benefit the people directly, rather than through the employer.

I do not intend to use the veto power to push social programmes that are not related to the specific request for the use of past reserves.

I had earlier suggested that the HDB housing grant could be modified to favour people who served full time National Service. This will not be an additional cost to the state, as the housing grant is now provided to all eligible people, including new citizens or permanent residents who did not serve National Service. The cost will increase if the housing grant is higher than the grant provided previously. Even so, the increased cost can be funded out of current surplus, so do not need to dip into the past reserves.

The payment of a modest pension to elderly poor above age 75 or 80 will not be a large burden on the state finances, and can be met out of current revenue.

I have no intention to paralyse the government or cause gridlock by the inappropriate use of the veto. There is no need for people to interpret my views in its worst possible form and create fear mongering. We have to get away from this bad habit and adopt a more constructive approach in looking at the issues.

Tan Kin Lian

Words from a young graduate

I watched with great interest your interviews on Straight Talk and the dialogue session hosted by The Online Citizen. I am also an avid reader of your blog ever since you started it.

In fact, you may not remember, but I had a brief encounter, albeit only virtually, with you in year 2000. I was very impressed by your readiness to extend a helping hand, notwithstanding your busy schedule as the CEO of NTUC Income.

I was then an undergraduate in NUS doing my final year project in evaluating the value of adequacy annuities as a retirement planning tool in Singapore. I emailed to ask for your help to access some pricing data from NTUC Income. Not only you replied within an hour, you referred your managers to assist me. I was deeply touched. You were the only CEO among all the insurance companies I wrote to then who did that. I have, of course, long graduated; your kind deed, however, has been remembered till today. Incidentally, I graduated with a First Class Honours -- your act of kindness has certainly helped!

Now that you are running for the Elected President Office, I am again seeing in you the commitment and passion that impressed me so much a decade ago. Your Hi-5 resonates with me. I, too, believe that those 5 values are very important, may it be for someone assuming a high office or even a man in the street. Your background, too, has inspired me. I came from poor family as well. Education, hard work and character can make a difference.

I like what I see in you -- your character, your beliefs, your efforts and your deeds. I have asked my friends and family to support you, too.

Do push on in your beliefs. Many of us are behind you!!

Wei Peng

Time for remembering - NTUC Income policyholders

Dear Mr. Tan,
I wish to add my words to the posting on "Time for Remembering".

I have been a policyholder of NTUC for many years. I trusted you to manage my savings and to give me a good bonuses each year. You DID! You are honest and take care of the small people like me. I will remember what you have done for the small man like me, and will vote for you at the Presidential Election.

And, I also want to say that I enjoy receiving your Birthday card each year. And my family members too. It may be a small thing, but it showed that you really care for the policyholders. I hope that many of them will also remember your public service in NTUC.

Wish you all the best.
Salleh

People's President

Dear Mr Tan Kin Lian,

I stay in Serangoon as part of Aljunied GRC and three months ago we were involved in the General Elections in which the workers' party won.

I am keenly following this presidential elections and i would like to give my brief take on the proceedings. I hope my perspective and general people's perspectives as onlookers from the outside would help in your campaign. These are some of the views of the four candidates as seen by the general public:

Tony Tan - is seen as part of the PAP establishment and would attract PAP and pro-establishment votes

Tan Cheng Bock- is seen as slighlty disconnected from the PAP but would still attract some pro-establishment votes and votes from people who want the middle ground

Tan Jee Say- is seen as an opposition in line with the statements he has made (checks and balances on govt) and would attract quite a bit of the opposition supporter's votes as well as the votes of the young who want change.

Tan Kin Lian-is seen as independent, a humble, public-spirited individual who wants the peoples' views and feelings to be heard by the government.

Mr Tan, generally non Tony tan supporters are quite confused in who to pick among Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Tan Jee Say and Tan Kin Lian. In reading about your family background and upbring in the newspapers, i hope that you will position and champion yourself as the PEOPLES' PRESIDENT in this election so that you can differentiate yourself from the other 2.

You are the PEOPLES' PRESIDENT as you strongly believe in public service (eg: donating your salary to worthy causes), caring about the views and feelings of the people and your personal values (Hi-5).

As a well-wisher you have my support!
PA

How To Make Videos For Free | Web Design Dublin

You can also use video in affiliate marketing or to promote your business’s product or service.

See also how to make an online CV or resume to enhance your job prospects.

via webdesigndublin.org

Civil service should be non-partisan

We need a neutral and non-partisan approach to identify the issues that are important to Singaporeans and find solutions that are best for the people. I am contesting the Presidential election on this platform. My vision is a better life for all Singaporeans. I believe that a non-partisan and open approach is best to achieve this goal.

Our civil service and grassroots organisations should also be non-partisan. In carrying out their public duties, they should not favor any political party.

I am disappointed to learn in applying for the use of public spaces for an event, some civic or grassroots organisations were told that they were not allowed to invite their Member of Parliament as the Guest of Honor. I recall that in past years, it is usual for Members of Parliament to be invited in this capacity for these events. This is discriminatory and does not show respect for the Member of Parliament who has been duly elected by the voters in the constituency.

If this report is true, I wish to ask if there has been a recent change of policy in disallowing all elected Members of Parliament to be invited as guest of honors in similar functions that require the use of public spaces,, and if this new policy is being applied to all Members of Parliament, regardless of the political party that they are affiliated to?

I ask for the civil service to act in a non-partisan manner in discharging their public duty and to show respect for the Member of Parliament who has been duly elected by the voters in the constituency.

Tan Kin Lian

Endorsement by Chang Chiu-Cheng

Prof Chang Chiu-Cheng writes this endorsement of Tan Kin Lian.

Dear Singaporean Voters of the coming presidential election:

I decided to write this letter of endorsement in support of Mr. Tan Kin Lian’s candidacy for

Singapore’s presidency due mainly to the following reasons:

1. While I worked as an Associate Professor and Director of Healthcare Economics and Management, ACES, Nanyang Business School, NTU, in Singapore, I had the privilege and honor to also serve as a Consulting Actuary and/or Advisor to various institutions in Singapore; one of them is NTUC Income Insurance Cooperative headed by Mr. Tan.

2. I attended a conference “CFO INNOVATION ASIA” in June, 2011 at Swissotel in Singapore as an invited VIP. During my one week stay, I talked to numerous people from taxi drivers, my friends, former colleagues, all the way to many CFOs, professionals, CEOs, and speakers. It suffices to conclude that Singaporeans for the first time in its history have shown their great interest in politics because of Mr. Tan’s candidacy.

3. Since I have so far worked in seven countries (U.S.A., Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and China) in my long career as an Actuary in financial service industry, Professor at various universities, Consultant and Advisor for Watson Wyatt and my own firms, I consider my working experience in Singapore most favorably memorable. In other word, Singapore among all those seven countries is the one I liked and admired most. In fact, I felt proud of having been working in Singapore and I do want to see Singapore further its already excellent international reputation.

Let me start with a seemingly simple fact: at age 27 Mr. Tan, without attending a college, got his FIA (Fellow, Institute of Actuaries, U.K.). Being a Fellow of four international professional institutions, I am fully qualified to say that Mr. Tan is a genius! This is because so many actuarial candidates even with advanced degrees including Ph.D.s could not pass the rigorous and unusually long sequence of actuarial exams. As you may agree with me on my long-term observation, only geniuses without college education such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Ted Turner, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison (who said repeatedly that diplomas are for the losers) etc. can revolutionize their industry for the good of the humanity. I am sure Mr. Tan if elected will make such a great country as Singapore an even greater one.

Before I got appointed as NTUC Income Insurance’s Consulting Actuary, one of my former colleagues at NTU who had previously served such a role told me that Mr. Tan is so sharp and tough that he could NOT work under him. With such a warning in my mind, I not only had to work harder but also observed more keenly how CEO Tan managed the cooperative. As a result of this observation and our working relationship, I found that Mr. Tan was the most hands-on executive, always well-prepared to ask sharp and penetrating questions, one of the most effective and efficient CEOs who put substance well ahead of form, and was direct and straight forward.

In addition to Mr. Tan’s FIA and CEO position, I also found that he has been leading a very healthy lifestyle. As an example when we happened to be on the same panel speaking to 4th Asian Healthcare Insurance Conference in Mumbai, India. As usual I’d run outside in the early morning but because of poor air quality and too many homeless people sleeping around, I turned back to our hotel to jog on treadmill and there Mr. Tan was jogging alone on a treadmill. During the conference I found that Mr. Tan was very creative and innovative and full of endless ideas and thoughts. It was my impression that even the most productive academician may have hard time to match his creativity and originality. This should not be surprising if you just recall his FIA without attending a college and his most hands-on working style. I always give my graduating class the quotation I created “The Best Approach to an Ageless Body and Timeless Mind is to constantly Exercise both in an Integrated Way.” In my opinion Mr. Tan is the best real life pursuer of the quotation.

While working as a hands-on CEO primarily Mr. Tan has managed to be very active in many professional societies and business organizations by holding important positions and also many directorships. Along the way he has received many professional and service awards. Putting Mr. Tan on a global scale he is really a great professional and public servant based on my seven- country working experience. And so when I read his personal values of honesty, fairness, positive attitudes,

courage and public service, I not only totally and completely trust in him but also believe that he will anxiously act and realize them just as those geniuses without a college degree revolutionize their industries. I also believe him entirely that he will be a voice of the people and act by the views of the people: Just look at this every time I called him it is he himself who answered the phone!

One of Mr. Tan’s missions is to safeguard CPF and he is fully qualified for doing that. As a beneficiary of CPF I have published a number of papers around it and some of them even received international prizes. It suffices to say that CPF is a great social security system (SSS), especially if you compare it to many SSS of Western countries. I am sure that with Mr. Tan’s ingenuity and hands-on working style CPF will be continuously enhanced if he is elected. In fact, I keep thinking of Germany when a former Vietnamese orphan got elected to become Germany’s Deputy Chancellor, the second most powerful position in Germany. This fact greatly enhances Germany’s reputation. Likewise if Mr. Tan gets elected, Singapore’s great international reputation will be further enhanced. I am so envious of you Singaporean that I can not help but rephrase the slogans of

two large American insurers as follows: “Like a good neighbor, Mr. Tan is there.” “You are in good hands with Mr. Tan.”

In my long career as a university professor, consultant and advisor, senior executive of insurance companies, I have attended numerous conferences, seminars, forums, workshops, etc. but I have never seen a participant who has so UNSELFISHLY made so many contributions to the meetings as Mr. Tan has. This is consistent to Mr. Tan’s pledge that if elected he will be donating at least one half of his salary for charity purpose. I am sure that having served as CEO of NTUC Income Insurance Cooperative for so many years, Mr. Tan must have developed unusually strong compassion and sympathy with those who are less well off.

During the recent global financial crisis of 2008-9, hundreds of thousands of investors lost all their money due to the collapse of well-known financial institutions such as Lehman Brothers, Bear Sterns, etc. Many people told me that in Singapore it is Mr. Tan who helped those victims to recover their losses. This is possible because Mr. Tan, having mastered the pricing structure of these financial products, was able to persuade institutions selling these products to return at least part of the selling prices. Based on my international experience I tend to believe that Singapore is the only country in the world where such a modern day Don Quixote’s rescuing mission is accomplished!!! And who is the Don Quixote? I am NOT surprised at all that Mr. Tan can do this: Simply recall the following----Mr. Tan’s hands-on working style, compassion and sympathy, FIA, and being a genius.

Combining and integrating all the above points together, I hope that a picture has emerged showing clearly that Singapore itself has produced an unusual genius who can greatly elevate Singapore to another higher level of greatness. By all means vote for Mr. Tan for your own benefit and your country’s better future. Thanks.

Written by

Professor Dr. Chiu-Cheng Chang, Ph.D.

FSA, FCIA, FAIRC, FSII, CLU, ChFC

Former Associate Professor and Director,

Healthcare Economics and Management,

ACES, Nanyang Technological

University (1993-96)

Former Chairman, Department of

Business Administration,

College of Management and Director,

MBA program, Chang Gung University

Full Professor, Chang Gung University

(1996-2005)

Chair Professor in Risk Management,

College of Management, Asia University

(2005-2011)

Senior Advisor, Watson Wyatt

(2001-now)

Managing Director, East West

Consultancy, Inc. (1998-now)

Chairman and CEO, General Advisory

Services, Inc. (2006-now)

Memorial of Tan Jing Quee

I attended the memorial of political attendee Tan Jing Quee to learn more about the man and his involvement in the political history of Singapore. I have read about the detention of Dr. Lim Hock Siew, Dr. Poh Siew Kai and Mr. Chia Thye Poh, but did not know anything about Tan Jing Quee before.

It was a useful visit. I get to know more about the use of the Internal Security Act in the early 1960s against the detainees, where were accused of being a security threat. It was useful to hear the side of the detainees.

At the memorial, I was impressed with the speech by Dr. Lim Hock Siew and his political beliefs. He explained socialism is not the same as social welfare - it seeks to remove the exploitation of people by the owners of capital. It means giving people a fair wage that is sufficient for them to raise a family in dignity - a goal that I share.

Some of the people that were detained do not appear to be security threats, so it seemed that their detention might have been unjustified. However, this is only one side of the story, so I shall keep an open mind.

Insurance Quotes Online

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Use of veto power

Words from a young graduate

Straight Talk with Tan Kin Lian

The Online Citizen - Face 2 Face with Presidential Candidates

Tan Kin Lian speaks to The Online Citizen