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22 Jan 2020
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 738
Will Singapore do well under a non PAP govt?

I will be frank.  There will be good and bad points. What are the good points that come from a new govt? Bad policies and practice will be changed. For example: a) The cost of govt will come down with lower salaries for ministers, top civil servants and heads of govt agencies and linked companies, b)  Families members heading top agencies with be replaced. c)  Crony capitalism will be stopped d) Stop  wasting g......



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08 Jan 2020
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 229
Review the policy on home ownership

The Singapore govt encouraged home ownership during the past decades. It is time to review this policy. Home ownership was promoted with the following policy goals: a) Encourage citizens to have a stake in Singapore b) Give the citizens a chance to own an appreciating asset c) It make social more stable when the citizens do not have to worry about being chased out of a rented home. While the policy has produced real benefits in the past,......



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04 Jan 2020
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 115
The increase in public transport fares could have been avoided

The recent increase in public transport fares increased my fare from $0.76 to $0.80 for a one-way trip to the office. When I raise this issue, I was not thinking of myself. I could easily afford the increase in fare. I was thinking of the many families where this increase could be a financial burden. I have a bigger issue. I believe that this increase could have been avoided if the government paid attention to streamlining the bus services to reduce the inefficiency......



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29 Dec 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 197
Do not allow extreme caution to cause inconvenience

There is a tendency to adopt extreme caution to the extent that it cause inconvenience. We should adopt a more practical approach, rather than to be restricted unnecessarily. I will illustrate my point with an example.  I have been wearing a fitness band that is rated to be water resistant. The instruction manual said that I could wear it while taking a shower or while swimming. I did. It did not affect the band.  Indeed, I wear it 24 hours ......



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25 Dec 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 465
Two dirty words - tweak and calibrate

A few years ago, it was common to see the words "tweak" and "calibrate". The ministers used them almost every day. When they see any problem, they immediately think about how to "calibrate" and "tweak" the system to solve the problem. It seemed that the only way to solve problems in Singapore is by "tweaking" and "calibrating". I see their statements so often that I felt nauseous when I encounter them.  I know that the ministers are just parroting their puppet ......



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24 Dec 2019
Movement for change
Feedback View - 201
Improve communication with customers

Many organizations in Singapore have an inefficient way of communicating their customers. I often get a call on my mobile phone from an "unknown number". It is usually a land line. I do not pick up the call, because it comes an an inconvenient time or it might be a marketing call that I wish to avoid. On many occasions, it is from an organization that I have sent an inquiry. They called back to discuss the matter. Why did they not tell me in advance, ......



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15 Dec 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 208
Give opinion out of ignorance or prejudice

Some people like to give opinion on a country out of ignorance or prejudice. They have not personally visited that country recently or at all. They form their opinion out of reading accounts from third parties or from the social or mainstream media, without realizing that the accounts may be inaccurate or false. I refer to visits to nearby countries, such as Malaysia or Indonesia, or to further away places. I have visited these places often and on each occasion, I a......



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30 Nov 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 1020
A disappointing behavior

I publicized a talk on "How I lost 10 kg in 4 months". 14 people expressed an interest to attend the talk. It is free to attendees. I set the date and sent an email to them. Only 3 people confirmed their attendance. I publicized the talk in Facebook. Two people asked if I provide a buffet to encourage their attendance. I find their suggestion to be deplorable. I know that the People's Association give attractive incentives, into food, to attract peopl......



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30 Nov 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 318
Look at the interest of all parties, and not personal interest only

Someone accused me of supporting the use of PMD because I and my family member do not use the footpaths.  Why should this person make an unfounded accusation or be personal in giving his views? I use the footpaths every day. So does two of my grandchildren who walk to school. Anyway, I do not give my views based on personal interests. I am able to see the perspective of other people, and not only my own, in comin......



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20 Nov 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 115
Stop the "rubbish promotions"

I was outside the Fairprice supermarket in Toa Payoh. A customer was talking to the OCBC staff who was registering new customers for the OCBC Plus credit card. This card allows the customers to enjoy rebates for purchases at Fairprice. Customer - I want to ask about the 300 Link points that I am entitled when I join as a member. Where is the 300 points? OCBC - You have to ask Fairprice. Customer - are you from Fairprice? OCBC - No, I am from OCBC. Custo......



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15 Nov 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 336
We need to think of the social good

The future for Singapore is bleak.  On one hand, we have a PAP govt that implement policies that are bad for ordinary people. They add to the cost of living, depressed wages and give a poor return on their investments. On the other hand, we have the majority of people who think only of their selfish interest. If they have a job, they do not care about other people who lost their jobs due to factors beyond their control.  In the recent episod......



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10 Nov 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 254
Adopting a supportive mindset

When someone takes the trouble to analyze a problem and to offer a solution, it is useful to adopt a supportive mindset. What is this mindset? To be supportive, you need to: a) Read the suggestion carefully and understand it. You should clarify any doubts or ambiguity b) Look for the areas that you agree with and state it. c) Avoid passing negative judgment which usually comes from misunderstanding. Some  people adopt a negative min......



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04 Nov 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 343
How to travel the last mile

Someone said that PMDs and bicycles are needed for the last mile. I like to share my views and solution. Singapore is very small. There is a bus stop every 0.4 km. So, there is no need to anyone to travel the last mile (2.2 km).  Most people should be able to get to a nearest bus stop within 1 km, even if they live off the main road. That will take 12 minutes to walk. I used to think that 12 minutes is a long walk. I now find that ......



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04 Nov 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 846
Say NO to CECA and 6.9 million population

I gave a speech at Hong Lim Park on 3 November 2019. Here is the text of my speech. I watched the video of Ramesh Erramalli scolding, abusing and belittling the security officer in his condominium. I find Ramesh behaviour to be arrogant, abusive and deplorable. I saw a foreigner who came to Singapore to ......



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29 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 1552
Anger at Ramesh's bullying of the security guard

Many netizens were angry at the behavior of Ramesh, the "foreign talent" who had bullied a security guard over the parking incident at the condo. This incident was captured and shared in a video through social media. I wish to give my views. The same behavior could have been shown by a Singaporean citizen. They are many abusive people within our midst. Singaporeans are not the model of good behavior. I could also been have been caught in a similar inc......



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28 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 1261
My participation in the general election

 This post is a private message to my friends who follow me on Facebook. I do not want it to be shared outside of this circle. Please observe its privacy. Dear friends, Many friends have asked me about my plans to contest the next general election and the party that I would join. It is my personal desire to participate in the general election with any of the opposition parties that has similar goals to mine. Howeve......



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27 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 224
Get locals to fill public sector jobs

I made this observation during my recent visit to Sydney. There was road works at George Street in Sydney. Several workers in yellow vests were controlling the traffic. They were locals, and not low wage foreign workers. The locals traffic controllers were expensive, but this is how good paying jobs are created for locals. They are funded through higher taxes, but it is a better way to ensure that there are jobs for locals that pay adequate wages.b......



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25 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 180
How to deal with flexibility in national service

Over the years, Singapore has lost many sporting and artistic talents due to inflexibility in the administration of national service. The people in charge of granting exemptions were afraid to grant exemptions as it might lead to a floodgate of applications. I suggest the following approach to deal with this issue. a) There is no harm in allowing 1% of each cohort to be exempted. This could be 200 exemptions in a year. We still have 99% that have to serve NS. ......



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23 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 156
Stay focused on the subject

It is important to stay focused on the subject and avoid the habit of straying away from that subject to talk on something else. Let me quote an example.  I made an observation that the price of kambucha in Sydney is less than half of the price in Singapore.  I had a special interest in kambucha because a friend had recommended it as a drink to improve my digestive system. I bought a bottle at a supermarket for $8. I found that a similar pro......



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16 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 275
Are we paying too much to outsource the bus operations

In recent years, the government collects the revenue from the bus operations and tenders out the operations to the bus operators.  This is supposed to be a good system to keep the cost of operations low through competition, but there is a risk that this system could be badly managed.  I share my views. The Land Transport Authority incurred a loss of $1 billion from the bus contracts. This means that the cost of the operations exceed ......



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14 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 329
A more efficient way to handle job interview

My friend migrated to Canada. He applied for a job as a software developer. There is a big demand for this skill in Canada. He told me that their process is different from Singapore. They take the following steps.  a) The recruiter telephone the applicant and have a phone interview.  b) The applicant has to do some coding assessment online. c) The applicant is then invited for a site interview. I remarked that this is a more ef......



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13 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 616
The ground is sour for PAP

After the judgment for the AHTC case was announced, a few people have expressed their anger in their conversation to me.  They asked for my view, but I told them that I did not follow the judgment closely. They expressed the following statements: a) The judgment was expected - implying that it is favorable to the political masters. b) They judgment was unfair, as the WP MPs were under pressure to find a managing agent. br /......



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13 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 184
Singaporeans have to think critically

Singaporeans have to think critically before expressing their opinion. When I suggested that the network of bus services is too many and should be streamlined. the majority oppose it because they find a big network to be more convenient.  The took the view after I have explained that a big network is more inefficiently and cost more to operate. There is a lower utilisation and many buses run more than half empty during the off peak period. When I......



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12 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 294
Top leaders must pay attention to problems and direct the people in charge to solve them

Someone sent me a message about my post on the way that the Public Utilities Board handled the water leakage in my home. He asked - do you seriously think that your prime minister should attend to this problem? Does he not have other more important things to do? Here is my reply. When Lee Kuan Yew was in charge, he paid attention to this kind of issues. He would give a telephone call to the person in charge of the PUB and asked - what do you think of the suggestion ......



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12 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 649
We need to change the way that Singapore is governed

We have a dysfunctional system under the leadership of Lee HL. We need to change the way that Singapore is governed. I add another example of my experience.  My utilities bill jumped up from a monthly average of $300 to $550. The increase was due to an excessive consumption of water.  We have been using water carefully. There was no change in the water consumption during the previous month. The Public Utilities Board came to c......



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11 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 275
Singaporeans should be more socially minded

In a panel discussion, Prof Tommy Koh said that many Singaporeans behave like citizens of third world countries.  This remark attracted criticism from several sources. Some people said that he was being unfairly critical of Singaporeans. A letter published in the Straits Times criticized him for being unfair to third world countries, which include many ASEAN countries.  I wish to give my views on this issue. I largely agree wi......



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11 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 137
Top management must take responsibility

My friend complained that Sing Post is now quite unreliable. Many of his mails were not delivered. He asked his bank to keep his statement and he would collect it personally at the branch. I considered that the top management of Sing Post should be blamed. Another person disagreed with me. He said that it was the individual postman who was at fault, and not the top management. I strongly disagree. The top management has the responsibility to ensure that the right pe......



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11 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 205
Address the root cause of the low birth rate

I was disgusted when I read this news. Who wants to have babies in Singapore when the boys have to serve national service which puts them at a big disadvantage compared to foreigners. Instead of addressing the root of the problem, this PM still thinks of increasing the population with permanent residents who become citizens (may I add, with no national service obligations). He will destroy the country that Lee Kuan Yew spent his life to build a strong foundation.......



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04 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 518
No need for PSLE exams to be so tough

Education minister Ong wanted to change the education system to reduce the stress for students. I examined his changes and declared that they do not address the root of the problem. I was proved right. What happened? I said that the underlying problem is that the education system aims to pick the top students for the top secondary school and later for scholarships to prestigious overseas universities.  If the reward is set at ......



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04 Oct 2019
Movement for change
Suggestion View - 201
Reduce the waiting time at controlled crossings

A law was passed a few decades ago to make it an offense to jaywalk. All pedestrians have to go to a controlled crossing and wait for the green man to appear before crossing the road.  This law was implemented badly. Why? The planners created controlled crossings without proper regard for the convenience of the pedestrians. I use a pedestrian crossing near my home. On many occasions, the road was clear but the red man appeared. I h......



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