Electric powered vehicle

Singapore is spending $20 million to test the use of electically powered vehicles. I have a suggestion to expand the scope of this project and develop a better system, based on the concept of "personal automated transport". Read here.

Pleasant weather in Vancouver, Canada

The weather in Vancouver, Canada, is pleasant, around 5 to 10 degrees Centigrade. It is cold, but not harsh. 

A Singaporean that migrated to Canada 15 years ago told me that he enjoys the weather in Canada. When he returns to Singapore occasionally to see his mother, he finds Singapore's weather to be too hot and humid. 

He said that many Singaporeans who have lived in temperate climates for 10 years or longer share the same opinion.

Low Job Satisfaction

Read my articles and the comments in The Online Citizen.

Lower alert level for Influenza A (H1N1)

I appreciate the decision taken by the Minister for Health in reducing the alert level for Influenza A. It is a bold decision to recognise that the threat is not serious, at least based on the information that is available now.

There is still a small risk that things can turn worse. When that happens, it will be appropriate to raise the alert level. I hope that this will come to pass, similar to other health concerns that have surfaced in recent years. 

We do have many big challenges to worry about,  such as restoring the health of the global economy.  We should not divert our attention to other matters that are not serious at this time.

Someone mentioned that Influenza A could be a black swan event. Really? There are other black swan events that could occur, such as an earthquake, terrorist attack or nuclear explosion.

Tan Kin Lian

Strong recovery in Singapore stockmarket

The Singapore stockmarket recovered by 50% from 1400 to 2100 (on the ST Index) over the past two months.

I did not buy any shares during this period, so I missed the rally. But I did not sell any shares either, during the decline from 2400 to 1400. So, they cancelled out.

This illustrates the importance of staying invested, for a long term investor. If one gets out of the market, when conditions are gloomy, one is likely to miss the rally. It is difficult to time the market. It is better to invest for the long term, and take a long term view.

Even the experts like Warren Buffet adviced investors to take a long term view and invest over a time frame of 10 years or longer.

Alaska

I will be in Alaska for the next three weeks. I may not be able to access my emails or the internet during part of this period.

Survey: Competition and Fair Trading

When we buy a car, we have a competitive market giving a large choice of car models. After buying the car, we have to approach the manufacturer for certain special parts, e.g. a replacement electronic key. The manufacturer does not allow other people to provide the key.

What is a fair price to pay for the car? Is it $30, $300 or $3,000? A non-electronic key can be made at a cost of $10. An electronic key is more expensive, but is $300 or $3,000 fair? If some manufacturer can make an electronic key for $150, should another menufacturer charge $300 or $1,000? 

Is there any party responsible to address complaints of consumers? 

Give your views in this survey.

Here are the survey results.