Tan Kin Lian's Blog

Create your own business simulation game (BEST)

2012-02-29T18:48:00.001+08:00

BEST now allows you to create your own game at any time. It will automatically start in 5 minutes. Other people can join the game, or you can play the game against the other players who operate on artificial intelligence. This feature allows you to practice at your own time and develop the skill of business strategy.
www.easyapps.sg/besta. Try it and all the best.

Election in Myanmar

2012-02-29T08:04:00.000+08:00

To many Singaporeans, the forthcoming election in Myanmar may seem remote and unconnected to this small island. But, according to Alex Au, it may have important ramifications. http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/lee-hsien-loong-should-apologise-to-aung-san-suu-kyi/

Uncollected charges of restructured hospitals

2012-02-29T06:31:00.001+08:00

The Minister for Health, Gan Kim Yong, gave a detailed reply to a question in Parliament about the unpaid bills in restructured hospitals. http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120229-0000054/Hospitals-left-with-S$110m-in-unpaid-bills The average amount of bill written off each year is $30 million.

Reading this report, the following questions popped up in my mind:

a) What is the total revenue of the restructured hospitals, and what percentage is reflected by the written off amount?
b) Is this written off percentage at an acceptable level, compared to commercial benchmarks?
c) Why is the Minister answering this type of question in Parliament, when the commercial operations of the restructured hospitals are supposed to be outside of the responsibility of his Ministry?

I have been quite confused about the state of affairs in Singapore.

Means testing for health care

2012-02-29T06:12:00.001+08:00

Many people get the wrong impression that the higher income earners are not allowed to use the facilities of the subsidized B2 and C wards in hospitals. This is not correct. They can use the subsidized wards but enjoy a lower level of subsidy. Go to www.fisca.sg.

Hold an early by-election in Hougang

2012-02-29T05:46:00.002+08:00

I urge the Government to arrange a by-election in Hougang as

early as possible.

It is not the fault of the voters of Hougang that they have now

lost their elected Member of Parliament. It is also their

constitutional right to be represented by an elected political

leader in Parliament.

One possible reason given to justify a delay in holding a

by-election is that the Prime Minister has pressing

national issues to attend to.

I suggest that he should leave the arrangements of the

election to his civil servants, who should be quite capable of

attending to this matter and who are probably not as hard

pressed as the Prime Minster.

An early by-election would demonstrate to the world

that the rights of the citizens are respected.

Teacher misconduct

2012-02-29T05:43:00.003+08:00

Recently, there were a few news reports about misconduct by

teachers. Some people asked if this could be prevented by

careful selection of teachers.

We should not expect ready made solutions to

all of our problems. Those who have been involved in selecting people

for jobs will know the limitations of any selection process.

The Minister for Education Heng Swee Kiat has promised to deal

with complaints seriously and to investigate every case of alleged
misconduct.

I wish to point out some potential risks of this approach:

a) Some teachers could be the target of unjustified allegations,

especially if they are made anonymously.

b) There are situations where the parent or student may wish

to remain anonymous to the target of the complaint

c) A person may be sincere in a behavior which another

party may consider to be offensive.

In the old days, a person in higher authority, for example a

principal, may be willing to make the judgment and handle

the complaint in a sensible manner. In many cases, an advisory or

warning may be appropriate for first time infringements.

I am not sure if most people in authority are willing or competent

to take this responsibility today.

An investigation, especially if made known to the public, should only be

reserved for repeated or more serious cases.

We must be aware of a tendency for the public to judge a person

as being guilty just because a complaint had been lodged or an

investigation conducted..

I hope that, in our drive for perfection, we should not forget

the common sense approach towards solving our

daily problems.

Fiber optic network in Singapore

2012-02-28T08:54:00.001+08:00

Read this report about the challenges faced by Open Net and the dispute with IDA on the delay and poor performance on the installation of the new fibre optic network in Singapore
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120228-0000062/OpenNet-in-a-tangle-over-NGNBN-roll-out

Here are the key points on this matter:

a) The fibre optic network is a large investment of $850 million.
b) It is likely to become another "white elephant", i.e. a lot of money spent and poorly used.
c) OpenNet faced difficulties with the Internet Service Providers and owners of commercial buildings

Part of the blame must go to the poor handling of customer service by OpenNet. I have experienced this matter personally and can attest to the inefficiency of their process. I have given by suggestions on how they can make improvements, but it fell on deaf ears (like so many similar situations in Singapore).

This tussle is another reflection of the state of affairs in Singapore - too much fighting over turf and self interest, instead of the public interest. I hope that the Government leaders realize about the root cause of the many problems faced in Singapore and are willing to reach out to the wider group of Singaporeans (outside of the people in charge now) who are able to help find the solution. They are many knowledgeable people who are concerned about the future of Singapore and giving their views on the Internet.

A loyalty program based on mobile phones

2012-02-28T08:29:00.000+08:00

A team of young people wants to start a loyalty program based on mobile phones. This loyalty program allows a customer to look for business outlets which offer loyalty points on purchases. The customer can search for the outlets that are nearby, that offer the best points and that are the most popular. There is no need to carry physical card (as this function is taken over by the mobile phone) or to join many separate loyalty programs.

They like to get your feedback, Please take part in this survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6CF8QFR

Taxi booking (TABS) - potential in Canada

2012-02-28T08:22:00.001+08:00

I showed the taxi booking system (TABS) to a Canadian (of Indian origin) who visited me. He is involved in marketing innovative solutions. He liked the TABS system as it can change the way that people book for a taxi. The taxi driver does not need to look for passengers on the road, as they can locate a nearby passenger easily through TABS and reduce petrol consumption and accidents.

He is able to see the benefits of TABS (which agrees with my points) by thinking out of the box, and looking for benefits, rather than problems.

He has an uncle who is involved in a taxi cooperative with 400 taxi drivers in a town near Toronto. He is convinced that his uncle will be interested to introduce TABS as it gives their members an advantage in a competitive taxi market.

He was quite surprised that the authority in Singapore is not pushing to implement a similar system in Singapore - as there are obvious benefits of this system, from the perspective of the environment and road safety.

Job hopping

2012-02-28T08:12:00.000+08:00

I met an Indonesian woman who had migrated to Australia for more than 10 years. She enjoyed the quality of life in Australia. She works the required number of hours and goes back home to spend time with the family. If she works extra hours, she is allowed to take the same number of hours off later in the month, under a flexible work scheme. The turnover rate is quite low, as most people enjoyed the work environment and the quality of life.

She had worked in Singapore for several years previously and found that the job hopping rate was unacceptably high. It was quite common for people to move from one job to another, mainly to earn a higher pay. Her view about the high job hopping in Singapore agrees with what I have also observed.

Business simulation game (BEST) has started

2012-02-26T22:24:00.001+08:00

A few players have joined the 4 BEST that run each night from 8 pm to 11 pm. The players compete in the insurance, hotel and airline industries.

Here is one way to learn the game. Register, log in, and play the game. When you first start, you do not need to input the figures, if you are not sure of the game, and can allow the artificial intelligence in the game to make the decisions for you. You can study the outline of the AI intelligence. After a few virtual years, you will get the feel of the game and feel confident to make the decisions.

The game can be played each night at www.easyapps.sg/besta

Powerpoint Project - urgently required for March 2012

2012-02-26T11:26:00.000+08:00

I need a person to create Powerpoint slides for a major project. This person has to work for the whole month of March 2012. The candidate should be experienced in using Powerpoint, including animation and audio. If you are available and interested, and have the required skills, please send an e-mail to kinlian@gmail.com.

$1.1 billion subsidy for bus operators

2012-02-25T20:10:00.004+08:00

Alex Au has written an interesting article about the funding of 550 buses to be given to the two bus operators. I share his concerns, i.e. why should the tax payers be funding the profit-making enterprises? Perhaps they should be nationalized. See http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/pap-government-in-messy-affair-with-new-sweetheart/

Simplify online banking

2012-02-25T19:46:00.001+08:00

I wish to urge our banks to simplify their processes to encourage more people to use
electronic payment and more efficient ways of communicating their requests to the banks.

As a business customer of DBS Bank, I am required to login to my account with the following entries:

An organisation ID
A staff ID
A staff PIN or password
An internet banking token with 8 digits

The organisation ID and staff ID are provided by DBS Bank and are not easy to remember. I have to write them down on a paper. This is risky but I have no choice. Instead of enhancing security, this complexity is creating more risk.

I am also required to sign and post many types of requests to the bank. Surely, if I am able to make transfers of large sums of money after logging in my bank account, it should also be possible to use the login to authenticate my request, without the need for a manual signature?

My friend told me that he has never signed any request to his bank in England for two decades. He only need to enter his PIN number.

I suspect that some of the existing practices are mandated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. So, I also urge the MAS to take the lead to simplify and improve the process.

Tan Kin Lian

Investment plan with high termination charges

2012-02-25T17:39:00.000+08:00

Read the exchange in this blog:
http://forum.gaijinpot.com/archive/index.php/t-9683.html

Business Simulation Game (BEST)

2012-02-25T14:49:00.002+08:00

I invite you to try the business simulation game at this website
www.easyapps.sg/besta

Four games will be running each night (Singapore time) for the
insurance, hotel and airline industry. You can try to learn the
strategy on pricing and marketing to get profitable results
in a competitive market.

There is a video on the home page that shows how you can play
this business game.

If you have played the game before, you will find that the
game has been modified to show a different set of products
and markets.

You have to register an account with your email address and
password to participate in the business games. Do play the
game a few times to get the feel of the game and the strategy.

TABS is disruptive technology

2012-02-25T09:41:00.002+08:00

An IT expert describes TABS (taxi automated booking service) as a "disruptive technology". This is a technology that changes a process completely.

Why? A normal taxi booking service is a "push system". The customer request is sent to the nearest taxi - while they are still moving along the road - and the first driver that respond gets the booking. When the customer arrives at the pick-up point, there is the risk that the customer is not around, i.e. "no show".

TABS uses a "pull system". The taxi driver uses TABS to "find customer" after dropping off the previous customer and before driving off. The driver sees the location of the 5 nearest customer, including the booking fee (or tip) that they are willing to pay on top of the taxi fare. If there is a customer close by that pays an acceptable fee, the taxi driver can call the customer by mobile phone to confirm the booking. This reduces the risk of "no show".

TABS will help to reduce consumption of petrol, road congestion and road accident - as the taxi driver does not need to look for a passenger on the road.

Currently, TABS has a weakness - the customer does not know when the taxi driver will accept the call. This is being addressed. The next version of TABS will allow the customer to know how many taxis are nearby. Right now, the customer can cancel the booking, if no taxi driver responds within a waiting time.

We will be monitoring the situation and will make adjustment for TABS to work well for both customers and taxi drivers. TABS is free for customer - not counting the tip that they pay to the taxi driver. The taxi driver does not have to pay during the next 3 to 6 months, when this system is being developed, At a later date, the taxi driver has to pay a monthly fee. Those who join later will have to pay a registration fee as well.

TABS card for commuters: http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=627
Terms of service: http://www.tabs.sg/ToS.aspx

Book a taxi with TABS - for customers

2012-02-24T19:01:00.003+08:00

Foreigners represent Singapore in international convention

2012-02-24T13:57:00.002+08:00

It is quite sad that Singapore males have to do National Service and foreigners are given scholarship, jobs and the chance to represent Singapore - and they have an advantage over Singaporeans because they do not have to serve National Service. http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/02/24/members-of-nus-delegation-were-not-singaporeans/

An opaque budget

2012-02-24T13:16:00.000+08:00

Kenneth Jeyaretnam of The Reform Party wrote this article about the lack of transparency in our opaque budget. http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/02/24/the-reform-partys-view-on-budget-2012-part-one/

I believe that the details of the budget are likely to be available in the documents presented to Parliament - so it is possible that KJ might have missed them. However, I do not know myself if this is the case, and will welcome views from other people who can do the checking for me.

Threat of defamation lawsuits

2012-02-24T13:00:00.003+08:00

http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/02/threats-of-defamation-lawsuits-not-way.html

http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2012/02/quieter-one.html

Hear Mr. Brown
http://hw.libsyn.com/p/6/7/5/6751196a4e1f9cad/tmbs-240212-sendletterlaw.mp3?sid=1d183b165b44870fa690205f989d55a8&l_sid=21263&l_eid=&l_mid=2920537&expiration=1330082211&hwt=5360084a589f739187c5782208c0c24b

TABS can change the way that taxis are booked

2012-02-24T11:29:00.002+08:00

I carried out research of taxi booking over the past two years and obtained these findings:

a) About 25% of commuters book a taxi (and pay a fee of $2.50 or $3.50); the other 75% stop a taxi on the road (because they do not want to pay a booking fee).
b) About 80% (my estimate) of the taxi booking goes to Comfort and Citycab taxis and 20% goes to the other taxi companies.
c) A Comfort taxi drivers gets 5 to 10 requests a day. Many of them complained about "no show" when they pick up a booking.
d) The taxi drivers of the smaller taxi companies hardly get any booking each day.

I have launched TABS (taxi automated booking system) and hope to achieve the following:

a) Get more passengers (i.e. the 75% that wait for a taxi on the road) to book a taxi with the $1 booking fee
b) Get taxi driver (other than Comfort) to use the system and get the calls that they miss out.
c) Reduce the "no show" rate, as the taxi driver can call the customer before going to the pick-up point.

TABS can change the way that taxis are used by commuters and taxi drivers. I hope that, one day, most taxi drivers will pick up passengers using TABS or other taxi booking service, and taxi drivers do not have to ply the road to look for customers.

Inefficient and wasteful processes

2012-02-24T11:04:00.001+08:00

I have made a statement that the Government collects a lot of taxes and spend some of the money wastefully. I want to quote a few examples:

1. Posh office buildings and furniture
2. Management consultants and computer systems
3. Online processes that save time for civil servants but adds many times of the burden on the public
4. Creates a lot of work to give payback to the citizens as refund for the high tax collected, e.g. GST offsets, progress package, economic growth package and the like

The amounts spent on some of these items are staggering - tens of million of dollars on items that could be avoided.

It would be much better for the government to collect less tax (e.g, abandon GST), reduce the price of land for public housing and simplify their compliance requirements. This will reduce the cost of living, cost of doing business, and make a large impact on improving the lives of the people.

I want to recognize the good aspects of the government - i.e. managing an economy that provides jobs for the people. So, I am not want to appear to be giving a negative judgement on the government. I only want to point out some areas of wastefulness and inefficiency that should be recognized and dealt with.

Tan Kin Lian

Taxi Fares is the cruz of the matter

2012-02-24T09:17:00.002+08:00

This letter was sent to the Straits Times on 3 February 2012 but was not accepted for publication.

The Minister for Transport announced in Parliament that the Government will regulate the standard of service for taxi drivers but will not regulate the fares. I recall reading an editorial in the StraitsTimes which politely state that regulation of fares is "the crux of the matter".

I understand the reluctance of the Minister to regulate the fares as his Government has, for the past many years, been promoting the advantages of deregulation of taxi fares to allow greater flexibility in the supply of taxis.

I wish to suggest an approach that can solve the two conflicting goals:

The Government should regulate the fares for a basic taxi service that picks up passengers on the road or at taxi stands
Taxi companies can operate special services for customers that book a taxi at their call centre; they can set their own fares

This approach will allow the taxi companies to participate in the basic taxi service without incurring the high cost of setting up and managing a taxi booking operation. It will be easier for new taxi companies or even taxi cooperatives to be set up to run the taxi service - hence achieving the goal of greater flexibility in the supply of taxis. The taxi cooperative may be able to serve the needs of the taxi drivers better.

Commuters will also benefit as the fares for the basic taxi service can be used as a benchmark to decide on the taxi company to choose for call a taxi. Tourists will not be baffled by the myriad of taxi fares and surcharges.

Tan Kin Lian

Simplify Online Processes

2012-02-24T09:15:00.000+08:00

This letter was sent to the Straits Times on 1 February but was not accepted for publication.

SIMPLIFY ONLINE PROCESS

Many government agencies have implemented online process for the public and business entities to submit their requests and compliance returns to the agency.

These online processes can impose a heavy time burden on the public, for the following reasons:

1. The websites of the agencies are complicated. It can take a long time for the public to be familiar with the webpages, links and options. Reading the FAQs can also be a headache, due to the complicated processes.

2. Some online forms require a specific type of browser to be used. If another browser is used, the results can be unpredictable.

3. Some processes require many steps and ask for information that are not available at the point of data entry. It is easy to miss a step and have the process aborted.

4. If there is a weak internet connection or the server is busy, the online process can be suspended.

5. The public usually needs to call the helpline for clarification and wait a long time for the call to be answered.

It is ironic that the online processes, which are supposed to improve national productivity, produce the unintended consequence of increasing business cost. By saving of a few minutes of data entry time of its own staff, the government agency requires the administrative staff of the business entity to spend much more time to make an online submission.

I have personally experienced the online process of various government agencies, and can attest to the hours that have to be spent by me and my staff to submit a simple request or return.

I suggest that our government agency allow the public to submit their requests and compliance returns by faxing the completed manual forms to the agency. It will actually save time for the agency to get its staff to do the data entry, rather than spend the time to guide the public to do the same work. It can save hours of the time of the public.

Tan Kin Lian
Director
Tan Kin Lian & Associates Pte Ltd

FISCA website - useful articles for consumers

2012-02-24T08:03:00.000+08:00

The FISCA website contains several useful articles for consumers. It is update daily. Go to www.fisca.sg

TABS report for 23 Feb 2012

2012-02-24T07:58:00.001+08:00

1982 customers and 121 taxi drivers have registered into TABS (taxi automated booking service).
To book taxi, use the browser of your mobile phone and go to www.tabs.sg/mobile.
For taxi driver, download a app from Apple App Store - look for TABS.

I saw a customer submit a test request with the name "A Tester: please ignore it". This is a good way of testing the system and allows the taxi driver to ignore the message.

Hacking and invasion of privacy

2012-02-24T07:47:00.002+08:00

The wife of the former British Prime Minister has sued a newspaper for hacking into her telephone. I suppose that this is an invasion of privacy. In a similar suit, the newspaper had agreed to pay damages to another plaintiff. Details can be read here: http://www.todayonline.com/World/Worldinbrief/EDC120224-0000027/Cherie-Blair-sues-News-of-the-World-publisher-as-an-alleged-victim-of-phone-hacking

I wish to extend this case to a familiar situation in the Internet world. If a person uses the ID and password to "hack" into the account of another user, this act of hacking is similar and may be subject to the same consequences. Many people may not realize that invasion of privacy can be a serious matter.

I wish to highlight this case. I hope that our lawmakers and law enforcers will also help to promote a better understanding of the legal position.

Register identity before posting comments

2012-02-23T22:54:00.002+08:00

TR Emeritus (or Temasek Review) is well known for hosting anonymous comments that are strongly anti-government. Recently, the editor received letters from lawyers acting for PM Lee Hsien Loong and chairman of Fraser & Neave Lee Hsien Yong concerning alleged defamatory remarks posted in their website.

The editor apologized and agreed to delete these comments from the website. But, it was a tiresome task as there were many comments posted, including new comments that were posted after the legal letters were received. The editor believed that the new posting were done mischievously to get the website into trouble.

There was a suggestion that the website may have to get commentators to register their identity before they are allowed to post comments.

http://tremeritus.com/2012/02/23/45635/

The days of unrestrained and anonymous comments in websites and blogs may soon be over. If TR Emeritus gives in and adopts this registration process, other websites are likely to follow their approach.

Meeting taxi drivers on TABS

2012-02-23T17:26:00.002+08:00

I wish to invite taxi drivers to come to my office for a briefing on TABS as follows:

Date: 29 Feb, 1 Mar, 2 Mar
Time: 11-12 noon, 3 to 4 pm
Address: 24 sin ming lane #02-107 midview city

You can select any time slot on any of the three days. Please call Cheng Hui at 66599611 to confirm.

The briefing should be for 30 mins only - maybe shorter. Please come with an iPhone or Android smart phone.

Reduction in maturity payout

2012-02-23T17:19:00.003+08:00

A consumer bought a 21 year child education policy. On maturity of the policy, the payout was 26% short of the initial projection. The consumer asked my view, if this was reasonable. He was aware that the projected maturity proceeds was not guaranteed.

In my view, the reduction of 26% was too much, considering the circumstances over the past 21 years. The projected yield on the take-up of the policy was 5% and the final yield was 2.6%.

He told me that he a similar experience with another policy for his elder son, taken with another insurance company. The company agreed to give him a higher payment following his complaint.

I am quite disturbed by the following practices:
a) a big reduction in the maturity payout
b) to adjust the payout after a complaint

I hope that the regulator is looking into this practice, and make sure that consumers are treated fairly. If they are going to cut the payout by a large amount, the insurance company should not be allowed to pay high salaries, commissions and expenses.

An economic slowdown?

2012-02-23T13:33:00.000+08:00

I met a property agent who markets the commercial space in Midview City. He told me that the property market has slowed down somewhat.

When I drove to office and returned home yesterday, I saw that the road was rather empty, which was unusual. I asked my colleague if there was some special reason, e.g. a festival, but he could not think of any. He did agree that the road was not crowded.

I went for a haircut today, and the barber's shop was empty. The barber told me that it was after the lunar new year. Strange, I though that the new year was more than a month ago.

I read that Singapore Airlines is reducing its cargo capacity by 20% due to lack of demand.

All these are signs of a possible slowing down of the economy. Any observations to share?

Exchange of views in this blog

2012-02-23T11:44:00.000+08:00

In this blog. I wish to share my views on a variety of issues that are of interest to my readers, such as financial planning, investment and social issues.

I welcome readers to my blog to share their views, even if these views are different from my views. In doing so, there is no need for them to challenge my view, criticise my views or pass judgement on my views or character.

If they wish to ask me to explain my views, it is only polite that they give their actual names. If possible, they should also give some background to explain their reason. I do not like to "speak" to an anonymous person.

There are some people who dislike my views so strongly that they feel that it is justifiable to insult and attack me personally and they do so while remaining anonymous. I consider their behaviour to be despicable. There is a simple solution for people who dislike my views - they do not need to visit my blog.

I welcome the positive exchange of views from most readers of my blog and ask these people to bear with me as I deal with the harassment from some other people.

Consumption tax

2012-02-23T10:34:00.000+08:00

GST (or VAT value added tax) is one type of consumption tax. The other type of consumption tax is sales tax. I do not like both types of taxes. I prefer to have income tax, even a flat rate tax, instead of consumption tax. Between GST and sales tax, I prefer a sales tax as it can be applied more selectively, e.g. sale of luxury goods. GST is the worst among all the options. That is why I write against GST. Read this article for my views: http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=626

IRAS replies to my suggestion on GST

2012-02-23T08:40:00.001+08:00

Here is the reply from IRAS to my suggestion on GST
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120223-0000069/GST-mechanism-can-work-for-small-firms

I have posted this comment in the TodayOnline website:

I thank Claire Chua for giving me a reply, although I am somewhat disappointed with the reply. I suggest that Claire Chua gets her colleague, who is the GST expert, to contact me by email (kinlian@gmail.com) and engage in a discussion with me. A discussion has to be two way.
In her reply, Claire Chua has missed these three important points:
1. If the Finance Minister is giving $5,000 to help small companies, why not give the small advantage suggested by me, as the cost to the government is small and the impact to the small business is large.
2. Businesses have to keep a separate record of the GST inputs and outputs and have to show the amount separately in the tax invoices. The administrative cost is quite significant. I know, as I am involved in the work.
3. A small company supplying goods and services to a GST registered company has to reduce the price to remain competitive, and they have already incurred the GST on their inputs, which they cannot claim back. This is a serious disadvantage that compel small companies to register for GST, when they do not have to, and to incur the cost of compliance. Even IRAS finds it a nuisance to handle these small companies - based on the "body language" shown in their processes. [Tan Kin Lian]

I found her e-mail address from the Singapore Government Directory and sent this message to her:

I invite you to ask your colleague (GST expert) to call me at 66599611 or reply to me by email to have a discussion on this matter. Do not just give a reply without understanding the issue that has been brought up.

TABS for taxi drivers

2012-02-23T08:25:00.000+08:00

I saw a request by a customer in West Coast who was willing to pay $5 for a taxi booking. This is available to any taxi driver who logs in to "Find Customer" in TABS. A taxi driver who is nearby can call the customer to confirm the booking, before driving to the pick up point (i.e. avoid "no show").

If the customer is too far away, leave the customer to another taxi driver who is nearer to the customer. Log in again after your next trip and see if there are any waiting customer that is nearby.

The best time for a taxi driver to "Find Customer" is after dropping off the previous customer and before moving off. The taxi driver is NOT interrupted by TABS when he is driving the taxi.

To use the TABS, a taxi driver needs to have an iPhone and download "TABS" from the Apple App Store. This service is free for 3 months. The Android version of TABS (for taxi driver) is available in March.

Customers do not need to download any app to book a taxi. They can use the browser and go to www.tabs.sg/mobile. Customers have the choice of paying $1, $3 or $5 for booking.

Investing in Government Bonds

2012-02-23T08:14:00.000+08:00

Investors have to be careful before they put their money in Government bonds. Read why in www.fisca.sg (click on Information). Or click here: http://easyapps.sg/assn/Org/Information.aspx?id=5

Consumption tax

2012-02-23T07:12:00.001+08:00

Is it better to have a value added tax (such as the GST in Singapore) or a sales tax? My answer is - none of them. Let us move back to a tax on income.
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=626

Cost of medical care for an elderly person

2012-02-23T05:58:00.000+08:00

What is the cost of medical care for an elderly person in Singapore? Find out from an article posted in FISCA website, www.fisca.sg (click on Information).

Land banking - another problem?

2012-02-22T23:49:00.001+08:00

http://business.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20120221-329306.html

Compare Singapore and Canada

2012-02-22T23:23:00.001+08:00

Wing Lee is a Singaporean who has migrated to live in Canada. He make this comparison of tax in these two countries. http://www.tremeritus.com/2012/02/22/shocking-singaporeans-pay-much-higher-taxes-than-canadians/

Try $1 booking fee to get a taxi

2012-02-22T21:52:00.001+08:00

If you want a taxi and is not willing to pay the booking fee of $2.50 or $3.50, you can try TABS (taxi automated booking service).

You can use the browser of any smart phone (i.e. Apple, Android, Windows, Nokia or Blackberry) and go to the webpage, www.tabs.sg/mobile. Note - you do NOT need to download an app.

You enter your name, mobile number and pick up point (i.e. postal code or address) and choose a booking fee of $1. You may be able to get a taxi driver to pick you at your pick-up point (i.e. home or office) for $1. Give it a try.

If no taxi pick up you within 10 minutes, you can go to the roadside and try to stop a taxi or your can re-submit your booking with a fee of $3 or $5. The details from the previous booking are remembered on your browser, so you do not need to re-enter name if they are the same as before.

Invest in ETF - the good and bad

2012-02-22T17:33:00.000+08:00

Dear Mr Tan,
I know you are advising your blog readers to invest in ETF as it is safer and their returns are better than savings in banks over the long term.

I received the following message from OCBC Securities regarding probes on ETFs and failed trades. I have not invested in any ETF yet and am not quite sure how the following mail will affect the investment in STI ETF. Please advise if you have the time to spare.

REPLY
The STI ETF (from SPDR and Nikko) are pure ETF with no leverage and no deriviatives. They are safe. Other ETFs are to be avoided (unless you are familiar with them).

Please attend the talk on "Investing in shares, REITS and ETF" conducted by FISCA. See www.fisca.sg (click on Events)

Investing in property - the right way

2012-02-22T15:35:00.002+08:00

Property investment has produced a spectacular return over the past four decades in Singapore. Will it be a good investment for the next two decades? The answer is “maybe, yes”, but you have to approach it in the right way.

Go to www.fisca.sg and click on Information tab. This article is available for reading by the public.

Secret lives of Singaporeans

2012-02-22T14:29:00.001+08:00

http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/02/morality-in-reality-secret-lives-of.html

Silver housing needs

2012-02-22T14:22:00.002+08:00

http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2012/02/silver-housing-needs.html

E-Filing of ECI (Estimated Chargeable Income)

2012-02-22T10:35:00.004+08:00

IRAS required me to file the ECI within 3 months of the close of the financial year. I had first to finalize my financial accounts. I approached a few accounting firms, but they are too busy handling too many accounts and their charges are quite high (for a small company). But I am not complaining, as they do have to spend a lot of time with troublesome requirements and filing procedures.

As my accounts are ready, I logged in to MyTaxPortal in the IRAS website. This is not easy for a newbie, but having file my GST returns for the past year, I became quite familiar with the complicated process.

Finding the ECI form was quite a hassle. There must be over 100 forms in the IRA website and they are hidden under different layers of links.

With some trouble, I found the ECI form and saw the webpage (see below). I was asked some difficult questions, such as "does your company qualify for tax exemption" and "what is your tax rate? I was confused with the two columns for 17% and 10%. These are matters that IRAS can check from their records, but they expect the public to know.

Anyway, I managed to file the ECI form. It is useful for IRAS but an added burden to a small business (and this is one of many burdens).

10 mins to complete a form?

2012-02-22T09:58:00.001+08:00

I have to submit a return for an association to IRAS. The form stated that it takes 10 minutes to fill up. That is correct. But what IRAS did not realize is that it can take hours to understand what is really required and to gather the information that they asked for (which apparently includes information that is unnecessary or "just in case it is needed").

I had difficulty in getting the NRIC, date of appointment and contact number of the three office bearers. Why do they need this information?

I also have to breakdown the income of the association according to voting and non-voting members. We organize talks that are attended by members and the public. It is near impossible to carry out the breakdown. I decided to declare them as all from non-voting members, and would be willing to pay more tax - provided that IRAS does not bring me to jail for making a false declaration.

I also have to complete details of the dividend income according to various categories. Fortunately, my association did not have any such income.

There is a tendency for our government agencies to ask for more information than is really needed. They do not realize that it takes time to gather the information and adds to the operating cost.

Develop express and feeder services

2012-02-22T08:45:00.000+08:00

In Budget 2012, the Government is setting aside $1.1 billion for the purchase of 550 buses and to meet their running cost for the next 10 years. I wish to suggest that the budget for public transport be used in the following ways:

Provide express bus services to operate between the major bus interchanges in the town centers, with minimal stops along the way
Provide feeder services to operate with the towns to provide a fast, low cost and convenient way to bring the residents from their homes to the trains stations or bus interchanges and back home
Consider the use of the small buses for the feeder services
Allow the the express and feeder services to be operated by a wider selection of operators and not be restricted to the large listed companies.
Regulate the fares on these services as a significant share of the cost is funded by the government

This new public transport infrastructure can complement the existing services by bringing commuters to the transport hub and can also act as a backup in the event of major disruption of our train services. By providing a viable alternative, it can also put competitive pressure on the existing operators to moderate their fare increases in the future.

If this new infrastructure makes it difficult for the existing bus operators to run viably, the Government can modify the vehicle and ERP charges for public transport to achieve a level playing field.

Increase bus capacity - what is going on?

2012-02-22T07:56:00.004+08:00

The Government is setting aside $1.1 billion in the budget to pay for 550 buses and the cost of operating them for 10 years. A news report suggested that they will be "persuading" the bus operators to increase their bus frequency and service levels.

I do not know why the Government is giving so much money to profit-making bus operators and still have to "persuade" them. It will also be difficult to regulate the fares, to reflect the funding given by the tax payers and achieve the "revenue neutral" approach stated in the news article.

The news article could be wrong but it could also be right. So far, there is no official announcement from the Government on how the money will be used. This type of communication, through leaked news reports had been adopted in the past to test the public reaction.

It is better for the Government to use the $1.1 billion budget to set up a bus network to complement the train and provide express services between the town centers. I will give more details of my suggestion in a separate posting.

Book taxi for $1

2012-02-21T11:06:00.000+08:00

TABS (taxi automated booking service) allows you to book taxi for a booking fee of $1. This is more convenient than stopping a taxi on the roadside.
You can book the taxi using the browser of any mobile phone (www.tabs.sg/mobile).
Some taxi drivers may be willing to pick up the customer for $1, if the customer is nearby. It is better than sweeping the road to look for a customer (no booking fee).
Try it.

Differences between a general statement, a judgment and personal attack

2012-02-21T08:52:00.001+08:00

Many Singaporeans may not be aware of the differences between the three types of situations described below:

1. Making a general statement
If I say, "Many Singaporeans have a negative mindset. They look at what is wrong, rather than what is right". This is a general statement, and is not targeted at any specific person. It does not imply that all Singaporeans behave in this manner; it recognized that some Singaporeans are different, i.e. have a positive mindset.

2. Making a judgment
One makes a judgement when it is targeted at a specific person or a specific issue. I avoid making judgment, as I do not have the relevant facts and it would be presumptuous to make a judgment without being invited. If I am invited to make a judgment, I would like to talk to the relevant parties and hear them out, before arriving at a judgment. This is called "natural justice".

3. Making a personal attack
This goes beyond making a judgment of a person. It is a direct attack of a person and have a negative connotation on that person's character or reputation. It can be defamatory and have resulted in legal warnings or actions being taken by political leaders.

Because these people cannot tell the difference between the three situations, they may feel offended at a general statement (believing that they are the target of the statement) and will freely make judgment of other people (in inappropriate situations) and even make personal attacks. They take these actions under the safety of anonymity. They do not even realize that these are cowardly and despicable actions.

To avoid these negative behavior, it is best that a person should give his or her views with the actual name, and be held accountable for the views. When they ask our political leaders to be transparent and accountable, they should set the same example to be accountable for their views.

I hope that this general statement is not offensive, and that my readers will accept it in the right spirit of frankness.

Tan Kin Lian

Taxi Booking (TABS 5)

2012-02-20T20:56:00.003+08:00

If you use an iPhone, please go to Apple App Store to download TABS 5. The earlier version (TABS 4) has been replaced. TABS 5 can be used by taxi driver or customer.

Powerpoint presentation here: http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/kinlian-1339305-tabs/

Taxi booking

2012-02-20T10:49:00.000+08:00

I like to ask customers to try the taxi booking service (www.tabs.sg/mobile). If there are some bookings, the taxi drivers may be more encouraged to join the service. You can try a booking fee of $1. You do not have to rely on this service alone, as there are not sufficient taxi drivers at an early stage, so you can try other waiting at the roadside as well.

Let all purchases be GST-deductible to help smaller companies

2012-02-20T07:58:00.000+08:00

Printed in TODAY paper on 20 February 2012

I APPRECIATE the Budget payout of up to S$5,000 to small companies to offset higher business costs, especially the simple approach to determine eligibility for this grant.

Could the Finance Minister consider another measure that would help not only small companies but also bigger businesses?

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act allows a business with annual turnover of under S$1 million to be exempt from paying GST. This seems to help a small business but is actually a disadvantage.

When a non-GST registered company supplies goods or services to a business, the latter is not allowed to deduct the purchase from its GST liability. The small business is compelled to reduce its price by the GST amount to remain competitive.

It would help small companies if a business customer is allowed to treat all its purchases as eligible for GST deduction, regardless of the supplier's status. This would not significantly dent GST revenue.

This would also benefit the entire business community by eliminating the need to issue tax invoices and keep a separate record of GST credits from eligible suppliers. The saving in accounting work and compliance cost for the economy could be significant.

This suggestion would need to be worked out in greater detail, but I believe that it is worth the effort to take a new look at our GST administration.

Tan Kin Lian

Taxi Booking (TABS) statistics for 19 Feb 2012

2012-02-20T07:50:00.001+08:00

TABS5
=====
Total customers logged in yesterday: 57
Total taxis logged in yesterday: 47

Total customers registered yesterday: 47
Total taxis registered yesterday: 26

Vitamin Account (6 yrs equity linked structured deposit)

2012-02-19T21:44:00.006+08:00

My friend invested $40,000 in the Vitamin account issued by a local bank in October 2005. He received a payout of 4% at the end of 1 year but there was no payout for the next five years. On maturity, he received back only his principal. The total payout was 4% for 6 years or only 0.7% per year.

According to this structured product, the payout in subsequent years is calculated on the following formula:

Potential payout rate = the average of the annual returns of all 18 shares for each potential payout date where the annual return in relation to each share for each of the potential payout dates is (a) 4%, if that share is one of the 15 best performing shares or (b) individual stock return

I am an actuary, and I do not understand the logic of this type of formula. I can figure out the calculation but NOT THE LOGIC. It seemed that the creator of this product was allowed to write the formula in any way that he wanted - without regard to logic or fairness. This is much worse than gambling in a casino. At least, in the casino, the gambler is able to calculate the odds and the spread.

In this type of structured product, which was approved for sale by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, it is almost impossible to calculate the odds. The empirical evidence in the past years has shown that the financial institutions had made billions of dollars from these types of products, and the investors had got a very poor deal. No wonder, the financial institutions around the world have been cursed by the ordinary people.

If he had invested the money in the Straits Times Index through a ETF, he would have obtained an appreciation of 17% for the period, plus a dividend payout of about 15% for the 6 years, giving a total payout of 32% (compared to 4% from the Vitaman account). What vitamin!

Taxi Booking (TABS) statistics for 18 Feb 2012

2012-02-19T07:03:00.003+08:00

TABS5
=====
Total customers logged in yesterday: 100
Total taxis logged in yesterday: 45

Total customers registered yesterday: 87
Total taxis registered yesterday: 40

www.tabs.sg

FISCA Talks

2012-02-18T21:51:00.002+08:00

In the past, I was asked by the public about a talk that they had missed, e.g. on financial planning and investment - when will it be held again. It is difficult for me to answer the question - I need to check and find out the answer.

FISCA has now posted the series of talks to be held this year. I urge those who are interested in financial planning, investments, insurance and similar subjects to register early and indicate your interest in the talk. FISCA needs your early registration for our planning. Do not wait for the last minute as the places may be taken up, or the talk is cancelled due to poor response.

Go to www.fisca.sg now and click on Events. Register early to indicate your interest.

Taxi booking (TABS) - new video

2012-02-18T16:04:00.002+08:00

This is the 3rd version of the video. I hope that it is clearer now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq505VJxqoI

Develop a positive outlook

2012-02-18T15:57:00.000+08:00

A university lecturer invited a politician to give a talk to the class. After the talk, there was a lot of interactive discussion. The following day, the lecturer asked the students how they felt about the speaker. One after another pointed out the parts that they dislike. Nobody pointed out the parts that they liked.

The lecturer was surprised. Why are these students only pointing out the negative points, and not the positive points. The remarks do not reflect the tone of the discussions, which were generally positive and lively.

I told the lecturer that I had a similar observation. Somehow, our education system and environment breed the culture to be negative, to see what is wrong. The students probably thought that they are trying to point out shortcomings to be improved. They should learn to be more positive and less judgemental. If they look at what is right, the climate will be more invigorating.

I also observe this pattern in many comments in my blog. Some people think that they are being helpful by taking a negative approach. They are mistaken.

Be considerate to visitors

2012-02-18T15:47:00.000+08:00

This letter was sent to Today paper but not published due to lack of space.

3 February 2012

Editor, Voices

Today Paper

Many office buildings and multi story car parks in HDB estates

locate the parking spaces for visitors at the higher levels

and reserve the lower levels for seasons parking.

This does not make sense, as the visitors stay for a short period

and there is a high turnover of the parking space for visitors. Why waste

fuel in making many visitors drive through many levels of the

car park, especially of some season parking spaces are left empty?

As visitors are not familiar with the building, they may find scratch their vehicles

against the narrow ramps while driving up many levels.

This type of arrangement reflects a disregard for the

convenience of the visitors and the selfish attitude of the

building planners.

I am aware of one notable exception in the car park in

Nanyang Junior College which I visited two years ago. the visitors

car park was located near the entrance. The visitors

do not need to go round the premises to search for a

parking space.

Tan Kin Lian

Message for young people

2012-02-18T08:50:00.000+08:00

I wish to send this message for the young people of Singapore.

You have grown up in a competitive and stressful environment. You had to study hard and compete with your classmates - at least you try to excel, You spent many hours on tuition, home work and extra curricular activities. Amid the heavy study load, you probably do not have the time to learn about the social values and interaction. Maybe, the values were taught to you, but you might not have paid attention to them.

So, here is my message to you.

1. Difference of views
You will find people with different views from you. It does not mean that they are wrong and you are right. Many people with differing views are right from their perspective. Do respect their views.

2. Be positive
When someone comes up with an idea or suggestion - look for what is right, rather than what is wrong. When you look for what is right, you are being positive. There is a tendency for most people to be negative as they are looking for a perfect solution and nobody can agree on what this perfect solution is. By being positive, you accept that the solution is not perfect, but is probably better than the current situation, and that change has to be made in small steps.

3. Be courteous and respectful
You can voice a different view but it should be done in a courteous manner. You can state your views but should not insult, defame or attack other people. You have to be careful when you are posting your views anonymously on the Internet, as there is a tendency for people to behave badly when they feel safe from accountability.

4. Judging another person
There is a difference between judging a specific person or giving a view on an issue. You should avoid passing any judgment on another people. It is all right to express a view on any issue, without being personal.

Although I have addressed this message to young people, it is also relevant to other people who might not be aware of these points. I hope that you find the points to be useful and relevant.

Tan Kin Lian

Deleting comments from my blog and Facebook

2012-02-17T21:29:00.003+08:00

I delete comments that are downright rude, insulting or defamatory from my blog and Facebook. The people who wrote these comments do not know how to be courteous or respectful. They think that it is their "freedom of speech" to insult other people, and to do it while remaining anonymous.

In some cases, I warned these people in my reply, but they insist on their "freedom of speech". I ban them from my Facebook, so that they can perform their freedom somewhere else. If they are deleted and feel aggrieved, they should reflect if they have been rude and insulting.

There is one terrible person who continues to write to insult me. His favorite expression is "Fatso 5%". I must have received 100 of his insults by now. I do not read the rest of his vitriolic. I just delete it automatically. It may take him a few minutes to write his venom, but it takes me 2 seconds to delete it. A few times, his remarks indicate that he is from NTUC Income. I can probably guess who he is.

There are many people who disagree with me, but they acted courteously, and I allowed their comments to appear in my blog and Facebook. You can read their comments from time to time, because they were not deleted.

Video - taxi automated booking system

2012-02-17T16:10:00.000+08:00

Watch this revised video on the taxi booking system
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLZTloY8a_M&feature=g-all-u&context=G27d52e9FAAAAAAAAAAA

Distribution of flyers

2012-02-17T15:25:00.000+08:00

I am looking for people who are interested to distribute flyers to taxi drivers at the airport and outside taxi companies. Those interested to earn some pocket money can send an email to kinlian@gmail.com.

NS man waiting for taxi

2012-02-17T15:19:00.001+08:00

A few days ago, I was walking to the bus stop to take a bus to my office. I saw a NS man waiting on the road-side to stop a taxi, but none was available. As he was outside a camp, he must be getting home after the camp training.

I thought that it would be good for the NS man to learn how to take a bus, or a change of bus, to get home. If he took a bus, there would be less demand for taxis - which could be used by elderly people, people with children, or those with a lot of shopping to bring home.

I do not know if the NS man came from a rich family. If not, he could have avoided paying a lot of money for the taxi fare.

Previously, I avoided taking a bus as it was too confusing. Recently, I learned how to take the bus, using a mobile app. It tells me which bus to take, or even a change of bus - what is the fare and how long is the journey - including the waiting time for the bus.

Perspective of the customers

2012-02-16T20:50:00.001+08:00

My friend visited me in Midview City. He said that he could not find its way as the site was big and the signage was inadequate.

I agreed with his observation. I have observed that signage in Singapore is generally inadequate. I have got lost many times, due to the poor signage. Quite often, the signage led me astray.

Why is this the case? I suspect that our education system makes our students see issues from their perspective and fail to teach them on seeing matters from the perspective of other people. I observe this weakness in other areas, such as the design of our websites, forms and processes. This is too much focus on the needs of the "authority" and too little attention on the needs of the customers.

Generally, societies that are more democratic are more responsible and considerate of the needs of the people. We have to move towards that direction.

Provide toilet as public facility

2012-02-16T13:53:00.003+08:00

Here is a photo of a public toilet that requires the user to pay an entrance fee of 10 cents. If you do not have any 10 cents coin, bad luck to you. You better find someone willing to give you change. I do not know if the gate accepts $1 coin. If it does, it will certainly not give you any change. If you have no coin, you have to find other ways to ease yourself.

I have always held the view that a public toilet is a necessity and should be made available for public use without any charge. Just like breathing air or walking in the park.

When owners of public buildings started to charge a fee to pay for an elderly person to keep the toilet clean, I did not mind this approach to creating jobs. The next ugly step was to eliminate the job and collect the fee as additional revenue.

When I stayed in a HDB flat 30 years ago, there were regular complaints from residents about peeing in the lifts. HDB had to install cameras in the lifts to discourage this bad habit.

Nobody thought then that the people who pee in the toilets were probably children or salesmen who were not able to find a public toilet nearby. This problem was solved when public toilets were made available at most void desks, to be maintained by the operator of a convenience store.

The prevailing mindset in Singapore is to find all ways to make money and more money. I hope that the people in charge also consider the need to provide public facilities, such as public toilets, without creating too much hindrance on their use.

A sad outcome

2012-02-16T09:49:00.002+08:00

I am saddened by the decision taken by the leaders of the Workers Party to expel Yaw Shin Leong from the party. I do understand the difficult and complex issue that the leaders had to deal with. I am sure that they have taken the decision in the best interest of their party and the future governance of Singapore.

Many people may not recognize the significance of this episode. It is already difficult for the non-governing political parties to find people to join their party. These party members will have to put in a lot of hard work, without any reward, and may have to face potential discrimination in the workplace or in the business community. This is a big sacrifice that few people will want to shoulder.

I hope that the negative outcome of this episode will not discourage other people from stepping forward.

Many Singaporeans look on Yaw Shin Leong negatively, based on the rumors of his affairs and his refusal to answer them. I have already given my views on this matter and will not repeat them. We must not forget the positive side - Yaw had put in 10 years of hard work in the grassroots of Hougang and had served his party loyally.

It is a sad trait of many Singaporeans to see the negative side and to overlook the positive side of a person. They are also ready to jump on the band wagon to bash someone who have personal or moral weakness, often forgetting that other people are guilty of similar transgressions,.but they are spared because these failings have not yet been highlighted in the media. Yet the same people who bash Yaw really yearn for an alternative to our current system of government.

I hope that there will be sufficient angels or saints to step forward to provide the leadership that is needed to ensure a better future for our country and children. I like to give best wishes to Yaw Shin Leong and his family as they face a new future ahead.

Speak out for people who are down

2012-02-15T07:20:00.001+08:00

Here is a more detailed statement from me, posted in The Online Citizen. Please read it and also comments that follow.
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/speak-up-for-people-who-are-down/comment-page-2/#comment-313334

Singapore among the world's most expensive cities

2012-02-15T07:16:00.002+08:00

Hi Mr Tan,

Not sure if you have come across this article. Although it's not much better in some NZ and Australian cities, the rise in Singapore is quite notable.

http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2012/02/14/singapore-among-worlds-most-expensive-cities/

KHL

REPLY.
At least, in Australia and NZ, there is a minimum wage and the lower income are paid much more than those in Singapore.

Alex Au withdraws comment about K Shanmugam

2012-02-14T23:14:00.009+08:00

Here is a statement posted by Alex Au in his blog:
http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/02/14/comment-about-k-shanmugam-withdrawn/

Please read this statement carefully and learn what was the earlier statement that Alex Au had to withdraw, and the context in which it was written. The earlier statement was considered to be defamatory.

Many Singaporeans have been making statements, in other blogs and websites, about me and other people that are insulting and outrageous. They pass judgment on me that are more defamatory in nature and insist that it is within their right to "freedom of speech".

I hope that these people will try to exercise their freedom of speech against more powerful people, and see how far they can go.

An inspiration - Susan Boyle

2012-02-14T22:28:00.004+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSrAJsWvEIc&feature=related

How doctors treat themselves

2012-02-14T13:21:00.002+08:00

This article explains how doctors treat themselves for serious illness. If we follow the same steps of the doctors, we can avoid spending a lot of money spent on futile treatment.

This article is available for FISCA members only at www.fisca.sg (click on Information).

Taxi booking

2012-02-14T12:59:00.002+08:00

View this home page
http://tabs.sg/

Morality and hypocrisy

2012-02-14T11:35:00.002+08:00

http://singaporemind.blogspot.com/2012/02/understanding-moralityand-avoiding.html

Don't get personal

2012-02-14T07:23:00.003+08:00

13 February 2012

Editor

Straits Times

Forum Page

I refer to Ms Christine Lim's letter in response to my statement about

the alleged affair of Yaw Sin Leong. It was not necessary for her

to pass her hasty judgement on me as a "former Presidential candidate".

As she has done so, I feel compelled to give this reply.

Yaw Sin Leong has resigned as Treasurer of the Workers Party. Ms Lim

already said that this tantamounts to an admission of guilt. Most people

would read it in this way.

There is no need for Singaporeans to press this issue to the extreme and

insist on a "transparent" statement. I wish to point out that two families are

involved and their privacy of the innocent family members have to be

respected.

The best person to judge Mr. Yaw is his own wife. I am encouraged by

her support of her husband in this difficult issue.

The other people affected are the constituents of Hougang. They will

judge Mr. Yaw at the next general election.

I know that many Singaporeans yearn for a better alternative to our

current system of governance. I hope that they will be realistic in

their expectation of future political leaders.

I also agree with the approach taken by the leadership of the Worker's

Party in handling this difficult issue. I have described it as

"exemplary". Some people may disagree with this description, and they have

the right to express their view, but they should refrain from attacking me

personally.

May I politely point out that they is a past rumor of an extra marital affair

involving another political leader, more powerful than Mr. Yaw, but the

rumor did not surface in the mainstream media.

Tan Kin Lian

http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/OnlineStory/STIStory_766220.html

The Straits Times published my letter in their Online Forum, but remove the last paragraph about "the other rumor".

Tribute to Whitney Houston

2012-02-14T07:07:00.003+08:00

Goodbye to this DIVA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU&ob=av2n

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDhxKVuVYaY

A collection on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=whitney+houston+i+will+always+love+you&oq=whitne&aq=1&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=1&gs_upl=2615l3391l0l5961l6l5l0l1l1l0l145l477l1.3l4l0

Reply to Christine Lim

2012-02-13T08:14:00.001+08:00

I have written a reply to the Straits Times on the points raised by Ms. Christine Lim. I will publish my letter in this blog in a few days time. It will address the issue raised by Ms. Lim and other Singaporeans who share her point of view. I wish to let them know that they can see matters in a broader perspective.

Revert to uniform contribution rate for CPF

2012-02-12T20:20:00.000+08:00

Sent to Today paper on 9 February, but not published.

The Prime Minister has announced that the CPF contribution

rate for older workers will be increased gradually.

I urge the Prime Minister to take the bold step and revert

to a flat rate of CPF contribution for all employees,

regardless of age.

Employers already have the means of adjusting the

wages of older workers based on their contribution and work

productivity. This can be carried out through negotiation on a

case by case basis, based on the financial situation of the

employer.

Older workers will accept a wage cut, if

their employer is not able to afford their high wage. They

are sensible and will accept lower wages to avoid

retrenchment or unemployment.

There is no need for the Government to legislate a

lower rate of CPF contribution for older workers which

have the negative consequences of disrupting their

savings for retirement and creating fear of financial

insecurity.

Tan Kin Lian

High termination charge under Vista plan

2012-02-12T19:57:00.001+08:00

I received this e-mail.

Dear Sir,
I saw on your blog that you were looking for unhappy Vista customers. I am one of them. Although it was my responsibility to find out the terms and conditions, it is only now clear to me know how much I am really paying for relatively little result.
I have moved out of Singapore and have to pay extremely high penalties to terminate the contract. If I continue the contract, I face high transaction cost and currency risk.
I dislike the sales incentives that are driving agents to get people to sign up for longer and higher amounts than they can afford. This practice should be examined.

Here is my reply:

A few people had approached me on this matter, but they gave up after a few rounds. They decided to take the loss and did not want to fight the injustice that they suffered, i.e. having to lose a large sum of money due to mis-representation or non-disclosure by the sales agent. I do not know if there was a case where they were paid off on the undertaking not to disclose the compensation. If they were, they did not tell me.

Facilities for the Elderly

2012-02-12T16:38:00.000+08:00

We need a solution to provide facilities for the elderly. Alex Au writes about some ideas. They are worth reading.
http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/government-fights-lonely-battle-for-eldercare-centres/

How can we provide facilities for the elderly and meet the concerns of property owners regarding the negative impact on their property values? I will give some of my views later (remember, I like to think out-of-the box) but I encourage other people to share their views first.

Poly student should not buy Life Insurance

2012-02-12T11:58:00.002+08:00

I received this e-mail:

Hi , I am a student, from polytechnic. I had bought a pruflexicash policy. And I found out that the sum assured is only $10,500. And I pay $77 monthly. Is it really worthwhile to continue with this policy? I had already bought this policy for 8 months.

I asked the student to tell me how he was sold this policy. It is clearly not suitable for a student. If it was to buy protection, the student could have bought $100,000 of life insurance cover from SAF for $10 a month. If it was for savings, the student should have kept the money in the saving account - at least he does not lose 50% of the saving for the first two or three years.

Clearly, the insurance agent who sold the policy must be taking advantage of the ignorance of the polytechnic student. The agent earns the commission at the expense of the student. It is unethical. Should this be allowed to continue?

Manpower Shortage in the Productive Sectors

2012-02-12T09:29:00.000+08:00

This article relates an incident of a person who was assaulted. He found that the Police did not have sufficient manpower and professionalism to carry out the investigation. He had to do the investigation on his own.

During the past years, I have also observed several incidents where the Police was quite sloppy in carrying out the investigation work. I suspect that it was due to shortage of manpower - but other factors could come into play, such as a lowering in the sense of duty. It seemed to be quite common to pass the buck around and point to somebody else to do the dirty work. Sadly, this has become our national culture.

http://theonlinecitizen.com/2012/02/polices-manpower-shortage-how-is-that-my-problem-expat-assault-victims-tell-all/

One possible reason for the shortage of manpower is that most graduates prefer to work in the financial sector, who pays high salaries or to be property agents, insurance agents or financial advisers. Fewer people are willing to do the work as a police, investigator or other traditional occupations.

We need to get a better balance in the deployment of our resources. The finance and property sectors are the non-productive sectors of our economy. They should not be taking away so much manpower, to the detriment of the other sectors

Taxi Automated Booking Service (TABS 5)

2012-02-11T20:02:00.002+08:00

This innovative taxi booking service will be launched in early March. The customer book for a taxi using the browser of any smart phone (i.e. iPhone, Android, Windows, Nokia, Blackberry). The customer can choose a booking fee (or tips) or $1, $3 or $5. More details here: http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=625

The customer can also use a mobile app from Apple App Store (search for Taxi Booking, TABS 5 or Tan Kin Lian).

When the taxi driver (using a mobile app) accepts the request, a SMS will be sent to notify the customer of the booking. The customer can call the taxi driver or vice versa. The taxi driver has to use a mobile app (available now on iPhone, later on Android). This service is free for the first three months - subsequently, the fee is $15 a month, payable by the taxi driver.

More details here: http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=623

Conversion of foreign currency

2012-02-11T15:09:00.003+08:00

I expect to receive a large sum of Indonesian rupiah on selling my shares. I asked my bank if I should convert the money into Singapore dollars in Jakarta or in Singapore.

They replied, "you can send the money over and we will convert it for you at the best rate. We cannot tell you the rate".

An Indonesian bank quoted to me the buying and selling rate for the two currencies. The spread was 0.2%. I find this spread to be quite fair and decided to convert my money in Jakarta.

The Singapore bank expects me to give them a blank check, so they can charge whatever they like. The last time that I converted Australian dollars to Singapore dollars, they charge a spread of more than 0.6%

The Singapore bank is greedy to make as much profit as they can, at the expense of the customer.

Tan Kin Lian

FISCA talk on Investing - 25 Feb 2012

2012-02-11T08:11:00.002+08:00

Dear Members of FISCA

FISCA will be organising three talks on "Invest in shares, bonds, REITs and ETFs"
in 2012 - on 25 Feb, 28 April and 24 November.

These talks are important for consumers to learn about how to invest for the
long term, manage investment risks and get a better yield.

More details of the talk can be found here:
http://www.easyapps.sg/assn/Org/file.aspx?id=194

As a special benefit, these talks will be offered free to FISCA members who have
paid their subscription for 2012. If you have not paid the subscription, you can pay
in cash at the door when you attend the talk.

You can register for the 25 February talk here:
http://easyapps.sg/assn/Org/EventRegForPublic.aspx?EvID=444&id=5

Please register early.

Tan Kin Lian
President, FISCA

DBS could have compensated High Notes investors

2012-02-11T08:08:00.002+08:00

Read my view in the FISCA website:
http://easyapps.sg/assn/Org/Information.aspx?id=5

Drawing the line on public accountability

2012-02-10T22:51:00.001+08:00

I agree with the view expressed by this writer:. He has argued his point very well.
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120210-0000033/Drawing-the-line-on-public-accountability

Worker's Party and Yaw Shin Leong

2012-02-10T07:20:00.002+08:00

This letter was published in the Straits Times on 10 February 2012

I agree with the decision taken by MP Yaw Shin Leong to

resign as treasurer of the Workers Party and the exemplary

approach taken by the leadership of the Workers Party

in handling this difficult issue.

I also agree with the stance taken by Mr. Yaw and the

leaders of the Workers Party in choosing to remain silent

over the rumors of extra marital affairs.

We have to respect the right as a citizen, including a public

figure, to remain silent on private matters that do not affect the

performance of their public duty.

There is no need to make further disclosures, as

there is a need to protect the privacy of Mr. Yaw's family.

The voters of Hougang will judge Mr. Yaw at the next

general election.

I am heartened to read the words of support from many

residents to Mr. Yaw, who has worked in the grassroots of

Hougang for many years, even before becoming

their elected Member of Parliament.

The people of Singapore will have to accept that they will not

be able to find angels to be their leaders, either in the current

party in power or in an alternative political party.

I like to express appreciation to Mr. Yaw's wife for her

strong support of her husband in this difficult situation and

to wish the best for their family.

Tan Kin Lian

Be an entrepreneur - Update

2012-02-09T16:37:00.001+08:00

Three young people and two mid-career people have expressed interest and are quite excited about this way to become an entrepreneur. http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=616

I asked them to find a few friends to work with them. If they are not able to, I will get them to form 1 or 2 teams to work on a specific business project each.

UPDATE: I am looking for more people to come forward. Do not miss this opportunity to get the seed funding from ACE and start a new business.

CPF contribution rate for older workers

2012-02-09T14:01:00.001+08:00

The Prime Minister has announced that the CPF contribution rate for older workers will be increased gradually. I suggest that the PM take a bold step and revert to a uniform contribution rate to all workers, regardless of age. Older workers who are not productive (due to age) has already suffered a wage cut, based on market forces. There is no need to further penalize them through a lower rate of CPF contribution, which upset their savings for retirement. Do you agree with this statement?

Selfish reasons

2012-02-09T10:47:00.002+08:00

It is sad that our education system has produced people who act in a selfish manner, as explained in this article. http://singaporedesk.blogspot.com/2012/02/selfish-reasons.html

This is the outcome of a competitive model. By stressing "excellence", we encourage our young to compete at an early age, and to develop a selfish character. We need to change our education system to reflect the necessary values in life. We have to follow the approach taken in Finland, where they emphasize "equity" more than "excellence" as explained in this article.
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Koulutus/koulutuspolitiikka/?lang=en

AFTER NOTE:
I want to be frank and to state the root of the problem. It is more than just the education system.
When I bought my 5 room flat in Marine Parade in 1975 for $36,000, it was affordable not only to me, but to most of my neighbours. We were able to pay for the flat with 25% of our earnings over 15 years.
Today, many people are paying sky high prices - stretching to 35% of the combined income for 30 years. When people pay so much for the flat, it is understanding that they are fussy and selfish.
The underlying cause is the high price that have to be paid for the HDB flats. I do not wish to condone selfish behavior but I wish to say a few words of understanding.
Let us address the root cause that ails our society.

Rose tinted glasses

2012-02-09T08:51:00.000+08:00

Most of the political leaders and top civil servants in Singapore were scholars. They were brought up in a competitive school environment and did well in their studies to earn scholarships. They were placed into top positions and saw the world from their perspective.

I thought of the word "rose tinted glasses" to reflect this situation. I found this article:
http://blogs.reuters.com/bernddebusmann/2011/10/07/occupy-wall-street-and-rose-tinted-glasses/

It seemed that the expression "rose tinted glasses" apply not only to the elites but also to many other people who are still comfortable in their financial situation. They will only realize what the world is like, when they become unemployed.

IPO of Facebook

2012-02-09T08:13:00.000+08:00

Facebook is worth over USD 100 billion, according to analysts who are forecasting the results of the IPO.

I do not find the business model of Facebook to be sustainable. I expect that their value will fall sharply over the next few years. I do not see how they can find a revenue stream that can sustain the high cost of their operations.

Many Internet stocks have high valuation as their shareholders, who are the venture capital funds, have the skill and financial power to support the share price after the IPO for a certain period of time. If the business model is not sustainable, they have abandon the shares. This has happened to Groupon. It will also happen to Facebook, in my view.

Groupon shares plunge

2012-02-09T08:07:00.000+08:00

Groupon shares plunge after posting disappointing financial results
http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/08/technology/groupon_earnings/index.htm?section=money_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fmoney_topstories+%28Top+Stories%29

I find that their business model is not sustainable, as they are not offering real value to their merchants based on their current business model. There is the hope that they can find an alternative and better model.

If you were the CEO of Groupon, what will you do?

Work long hours

2012-02-08T17:05:00.000+08:00

Workers are afraid to lose their jobs, so they work longer hours. This is a bad system as it leads to a poor quality of life and makes it more difficult for the unemployed to find jobs. Read this report:
http://www.cnbc.com//id/46253669

The solution is better protection of workers. Laws have to be passed and enforced to regulate the number of working hours, so that more jobs can be created for the unemployed and the new entrants to the job market.

Allow submission of manual forms

2012-02-08T08:17:00.001+08:00

In running my small business, I have to use the online process of government agencies, such as ACRA, CPF, MOM and IRAS to submit requests and returns.

I find the process to be quite complicated, as I am forced to go through many webpages, and read a lot of information (that do not apply to me). It usually takes a lot of my time.

It would have been easier for me to fill up a manual form, sign it and fax it to the agency. Their data entry staff will probably take only a few minutes to input the form, compared to the hours that the public has to spend to learn how to handle the online process, to do the task and often, to rectify the mistake or call the helpline of the agency.

Have you experienced similar difficulties?

Climate change?

2012-02-08T08:12:00.002+08:00

It is freezing cold in Europe. My friend said that the recent disruption in weather, tsunami, floods and earthquake are caused by climate change. Perhaps so, but they are probably also caused by development of the living environment. What are your views?