Category: Politik

  • Goh Meng Seng Registers The People’s Power Party

    Goh Meng Seng Registers The People’s Power Party

    Former National Solidarity Party secretary-general and opposition politician Goh Meng Seng has registered a new political party named the “People’s Power Party” (PPP) yesterday with an eye on participating in the next general election.

    Goh Meng Seng said during an interview with the media that he was disappointed with the current policies implemented by the government, and feels that the government should not always have the final say on public policy in Singapore.

    He also said that the PPP would champion a form of democracy based on revolutionary Chinese leader Sun Yat Sen’s theory of democratic government. In Sun’s theory of democracy, government would be divided into five separate branches: the executive, legislative, judicial, the censorate, and the civil service system. The latter two branches primarily functioned as a check on the first three, which are the more familiar branches of government. They are also traditional branches of the Chinese government and functioned independently. The civil service had been around since the Han period and the censorate was created by the Hong Wu emperor at the beginning of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

    According to Goh, Singaporeans will live better lives only when principles of democracy are upheld in Singapore. He says that the current system which centers political power into the hands of a few key persons is unsustainable.

    Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

  • MND: Most Wiling To Pay More Than Average Price Of Flats

    MND: Most Wiling To Pay More Than Average Price Of Flats

    In a recent survey of nearly 1,500 residents, MND said it showed that majority of prospective flat buyers are willing to pay more than the current average prices.

    However, the survey also showed that people continue to view the new BTO flats as expensive. The survey was conducted in November last year.

    Last year, the average price of a 4-room HDB flat in a non-mature estate was $295,000. Eighty per cent went for under $350,000.

    MND said a third of the respondents did not know how much such flats cost, while 40% overestimated the price. The most common estimate MND said, was between $300,001 and $400,000 for a 4-room unit.

    That estimated price range was higher than the average $295,000, MND said.

    The survey also found that those who intend to buy a flat in the next 1 to 2 years are willing to pay as much as or more than actual BTO prices in non-mature estates:

    • 3-room flats (avg price $186,000 in 2014) – 58% willing to pay more than $200,000
    • 4-room flats (avg price $295,000 in 2014) – 61% willing to pay more than $300,000
    • 5-room flats (avg price $391,000 in 2014) – 51% willing to pay more than $400,000

    However, it’s not known if MND is aware that a person willing to pay more does not necessarily mean he is happy to do so. The 2 matters are not the same.

    In any case, the better approach to measure affordability of a flat is to take the ratio of the price of the flat over the annual household income of the owners.

    Many BTO HDB flats still remain unaffordable

    After Mr Khaw Boon Wan took over the job as National Development Minister from Mah Bow Tan in 2011, Mr Khaw told Parliament that more would be done to reduce BTO flat prices relative to income, so as to reduce the financial burden of housing on the young. He said [Link]:

    “Many are now clamoring for the HDB to return to basics and its original mission of helping Singaporeans own a basic home. But what does ‘returning to basics’ mean?

    The primary mission of HDB to offer an affordable flat for the majority of Singaporeans will remain unchanged. Fortunately this is within our control as we set BTO prices and HDB is the largest housing developer.

    We have stopped BTO prices from rising by delinking them from resale prices. We can now pause and see what else we can do to bring BTO prices in non-mature estates to, say, around 4 years of (annual) salaryas it was before the current property cycle started.

    One thing is clear. We are committed to restoring and maintaining the affordability of new HDB flats to the vast majority of first-timer Singaporean households. Their Singapore Dream of owning their own flats, like their parents’, is safe. We will make sure of that.”

    Note that Mr Khaw used the term “restoring” the affordability of new HDB BTO flats, which implies that in his predecessor’s time (i.e. Mah Bow Tan), the HDB BTO flats were already unaffordable.

    In the 70′s, a graduate’s starting pay was around $1,000 per month. Then, in Marine Parade HDB estate, the price of a new 3-room, 4-room and 5-room flat was $17,000, $20,000 and $35,000 respectively. A young graduate could easily afford a 5-room flat at a Price-to-Annual Income Ratio, also known as the Affordability Ratio (AR), of slightly under 3 (i.e. 3 years of annual income to match the price of the house). Even households earning $500 a month could easily afford a 3-room flat priced at $17,000 (AR under 3).

    The World Bank considers a ratio of 5 or under as affordable for local residents, while the United Nations has set the bar lower, at 3 (see Link). In any case, anything above 5 is considered unaffordable by both the World Bank and the United Nations.

    By 1990, the average price of a new 5-room flat was $70,000 and a young graduate earned about $2,000 a month. The AR then was still under 3 – very affordable.

    Examining the affordability of current new HDB BTO launches

    TRE took the opportunity to examine the affordability of new HDB BTO flats launched in November last year. A total of 7,568 flats were launched by HDB for sale in a mix of mature and non-mature towns on 25 Nov 2014 [Link]. This was HDB’s final sales exercise for 2014.

    Sembawang Sun Breeze

    Typical 2-room (I):

    • Nett selling price less grants = $30,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $1,600
    • Price to annual household income = 1.6

    Typical 2-room (II):

    • Nett selling price less grants = $50,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $1,600
    • Price to annual household income = 2.6

    Typical 3-room:

    • Nett selling price less grants = $115,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $2,500
    • Price to annual household income = 3.8

    Typical 4-room:

    • Nett selling price less grants = $240,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $4,200
    • Price to annual household income = 4.8

    Sengkang Anchovale Fields

    Typical 2-room (I):

    • Nett selling price less grants = $45,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $1,600
    • Price to annual household income = 2.3

    Typical 2-room (II):

    • Nett selling price less grants = $70,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $1,600
    • Price to annual household income = 3.6

    Typical 3-room:

    • Nett selling price less grants = $135,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $2,500
    • Price to annual household income = 4.5

    Typical 4-room:

    • Nett selling price less grants = $270,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $4,200
    • Price to annual household income = 5.4

    Yishun

    Typical 2-room (I):

    • Nett selling price less grants = $30,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $1,600
    • Price to annual household income = 1.6

    Typical 2-room (II):

    • Nett selling price less grants = $45,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $1,600
    • Price to annual household income = 2.3

    Typical 3-room:

    • Nett selling price less grants = $115,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $2,500
    • Price to annual household income = 3.8

    Typical 4-room:

    • Nett selling price less grants = $240,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $4,200
    • Price to annual household income = 4.8

    Typical 2-room (I):

    • Nett selling price less grants = $30,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $1,600
    • Price to annual household income = 1.6

    Typical 2-room (II):

    • Nett selling price less grants = $50,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $1,600
    • Price to annual household income = 2.6

    Typical 3-room:

    • Nett selling price less grants = $115,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $2,500
    • Price to annual household income = 3.8

    Typical 4-room:

    • Nett selling price less grants = $235,000
    • Applicants’ median monthly household income = $4,200
    • Price to annual household income = 4.7

    Conclusion

    For 2-room and 3-room BTO flats in Sembawang and Yishun, they are considered affordable at 4 years of applicants’ median annual salary or less. However, for 4-room flats, the AR is 4.7 to 4.8, way above Mr Khaw’s own target of 4.

    In this case, 4-room BTO flats should be priced around $201,600 (4 x $4,200 x 12) instead of the current $235,000 to $240,000 in Sembawang and Yishun (i.e, prices after grants).

    For Sengkang, the situation is worse. 2-room flats are priced below AR of 4 but 3-room and 4-room flats have ratios of 4.5 and 5.4 respectively, again, above Mr Khaw’s own target of 4.

    In fact, Sengkang 4-room BTO flats (AR of 5.4) are considered unaffordable by the standards laid down by the World Bank and the United Nations. Sengkang 4-room flats, instead of selling for $270,000 (after grants), ought to be selling at $201,600 (4 x $4,200 x 12). They are overpriced by 34%.

    One can only conclude that Mr Khaw has yet to fulfill his promise of bringing down ALL the BTO prices in non-mature estates to 4 years of annual salary, especially for first-time Singaporean buyers. The middle-income group appears to be squeezed by the higher new HDB flat prices for 4-room and above. For mature estates, the AR of new BTO flats would naturally be even worse.

    So, regardless of what MND is trying to say in its recent survey, the fact of the the matter is, new BTO flats remain expensive and not affordable even by Mr Khaw’s own measure, generally speaking.

     

    Source: www.tremeritus.com

  • Amos Yee: A Dig At TOC – Media Free Of Manipulation Required

    Amos Yee: A Dig At TOC – Media Free Of Manipulation Required

    Now I also feel compelled to judge the journalistic integrity of my friends at TOC.

    This happened before I wrote that lengthy blog post revealing how I was victimized by Vincent’s sodomizing hands.

    In lieu of my Facebook post, which they quoted in their own article, I did not apologize to Vincent, I just said I was going to.

    But yet, TheOnlineCitizen so boldly put as a headline, ‘Amos Yee apologises for molest allegation against former bailor’

    It’s a small difference, but significant nonetheless. A blatant claim that I had already apologized, seems much more convincing than he is about to apologize soon, now doesn’t it?

    So you add that little pepper that thestraitstimes commonly use to attempt to salvage your actions, and not lose a huge part of your outreach because you spoke up for him.

    Because you don’t want people to feel that the boy whom you so boldly put up on a pedestal to advocate freedom of speech, might be a fucking dick for falsely accusing his bailor of molestation for no good reason, and is not especially remorseful for it.

    We’re all capable of twisting the truth a little when things don’t go our way now aren’t we? And with the moral quandary of having both Amos and Vincent on your side, Terry (The writer of TOC), got a little bit flustered, which constituted to that little fuck-up.

    So let’s all not choose whether or not to criticize someone just because somebody is on your side, but instead choose to criticize them, because they are wrong.

    And from there, we can perhaps more effectively create a political climate and a media, that is honest, and isn’t constantly rife with manipulation.

     

    Source: Amos Yee

  • Amos Yee – A Response To Francis Micah Law

    Amos Yee – A Response To Francis Micah Law

    So Vincent’s son, Francis Micah Law, wrote a Facebook post, trying to validate the emotional abuse that his father had caused me:

    Most of the post is blatant pandering to his father, constant repetition of how what Vincent was doing was borne from kind-hearted intentions, most of which I have refuted extensively in my previous blog post, coupled with little ramblings of how he tried to attain his inner chee, attempting to give the impression that he’s a deep thinker, without actually being one.

    I’ll respond to some selected sections of the post.

    Amos claimed that nobody but himself knew what was going on? Well, now there’s me.

    No, you never knew what was going on. We had one conversation at your home, and the one-sided reasons your father gave to you on why he so kind-heartedly bailed me, and you claim that you knew exactly what he did to me?

    You knew that he intimidated me? You knew that he threatened to discharge himself 9 times? You knew I was completely miserable when I had to meet him every day?

    Wow… I see we have a psychic in the family.

    In many ways, my dad treated Amos almost like a son

    Wow, so like me, you experienced emotional abuse every day? Damn… you gotta speak up man.

    My dad did it because he saw a brilliant boy who needed a second chance. He didn’t care for the publicity, he wasn’t “jealous” that Amos was getting all the attention. All he wanted was to help Amos out of his predicament

    It’s so arrogant, that whenever you disagree with someone’s views, or their approach in doing things, you imply that they have some sort of problem that needs to be fixed, and they are in a ‘predicament’.

    So your father went in bailing me with such condescension, wanting to be the dominant one that gave advice. I can see why your father is now acting particularly insecure, now that he’s the one that is submissive.

    Part of my father’s conditions as a bailor was to keep in contact with Amos every 24 hours

    And yet Vincent told me initially, that he only intended to meet me once a week. Hmmm.. so suspicious.

    which, I must add, Amos wasn’t very compliant to.

    Yeah, no fucking shit I was not compliant, you do not need to ‘add’ anything. I’m sure that if you are absolutely miserable and experiencing emotional turmoil every day, you wouldn’t be considered ‘compliant’, now wouldn’t you?

    ‘There was once Amos came over to my place, he stared long and hard at a luggage tag in the shape of those green aliens from Toy Story 2. Convinced that Amos really liked it, my dad would look through every shop he passed by that might sell the luggage tag’

    I have not seen a luggage tag at Vincent’s house, I have absolutely no recollection of a luggage tag at his house, I am absolutely confused and shocked that there is a story about me seeing a luggage tag at his house. This is an absolute lie.

    I still remember his first words to me after we introduced ourselves to each other.

    “Hey Francis, your father is a great man. He bailed me out of jail!” With a wide grin on his face.

    Ahh.. you were seeing the manipulation at work.

    After-which we all sat down and had a chat about his plans for the future as well as our personal thoughts on education and film. I would say we all had a pretty good time. In that space, we all respected each other’s opinions which I was something I really appreciated.

    Ok this has absolutely nothing to do with Vincent, but it’s getting kind of distracting so I have to mention, please proofread your post. Like a few times before posting. Because it’s very clear that you didn’t.

    ‘wanted to fulfil is role as a bailor’, ‘which I was something I really appreciated’?

    I know there’s like a 40-minute time limit whenever you have to write an English composition, and you never have time to proofread your writing. But this is an internet post, you have all the time in the world.

    I see comments on your post and one of them was ‘brilliantly written’, what the fuck are they talking about? Can the prose be any blander? Does this phrase sound grammatically correct to you?

    ‘look through every shop he passed by’

    I mean I know I’m guilty of making spelling and grammar mistakes all the time, but regardless, I’m interested in how one can ‘look through’ a shop. Is the entire shop made of glass?

    You can tell why we are behind in the arts scene when people considers this ‘brilliant writing’.

    And no I didn’t, I completely disrespected your opinions, they were absolutely horrible.

    You were taking this thing called ‘Mass Commmunication’ in polytechnic where there was some kind of film course included.

    And I argued that especially with the availability of the internet, film schools are an absolutely inefficient and awful way to study filmmaking. If you did it by yourself, you are not constrained by a syllabus and can learn the techniques of filmmaking, from the movies that not your film professor, but you like, and make your independent film whenever you want. And people from Rodriguez, to Linklater to Paul Thomas Anderson, have already proven that.

    But then you were like ‘No! No! There are so many things that you can only learn in school, that you can’t learn anywhere else.’

    And yet you were never able to identify one.

    And concerning the fact that several film students have complained about how they were absolutely bored when they had to study the films their film professors put in the curriculum (Citizen Kane, Casablanca. God damn.. I wanna see some pulp fiction dude)

    You replied with one of the stupidest things that I’ve ever heard in my life:

    ‘Most of the time, you can’t learn things that you like, that’s part of learning’

    Ladies and gentleman, that’s basically the mindset that school teachers hold when they try to validate their horrid job, not feeling any remorse that they are spending 8 hours a day teaching material to kids that don’t give a solitary fuck.

    And when people come up to me and ask, ’Amos! How do you know so much stuff?’

    Well, not wasting my time on shit that I’m not interested in, and learning things because I want to instead of scoring well for an exam, kind of helps.

    And that is why, despite several people’s claims that I will have a much brighter future if I went back to study, and their enticements of students visas overseas, I will not accept it, because I am not going back to school.

    Just before he left (and stared at the luggage tag),

    What fucking luggage tag?

    he turned around and said, “You know Vincent, I wasn’t so sure about this before, but this was quite nice. We should do this again sometime.”

    Wow I was really good wasn’t I?

    let me quote two passages in the Bible that explains my reaction to his allegations.

    Matthew 5:44 “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”

    Mark 12:31 “The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

    But your dad instead decided to uphold these other 2 passages:

    Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. -Luke 12:5

    Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written … him only shalt thou serve. – Matthew 4:10

    As a Christian myself, I believe that responding in love instead of hatred would not only be a more peaceful solution, but a more constructive one as well.

    So if Vincent rapes me, I should respond with love?

    I could take legal action against him,

    Go ahead

    get him and the media to apologise

    No you can’t.

    or I could just forgive him and find an alternative solution to protecting my father’s reputation.

    Your father emotionally abused a child, I don’t know how much ‘protecting’ you can offer.

    my father’s choice in bailing Amos out was not a mistake.

    Tell that to Jolovan.

    I firmly believe that he was right to offer Amos a second chance and I fully support my father in this matter.

    You fully support your father emotionally abusing a 17-year-old boy. Wow… like father like son eh?

    If anyone has any questions regarding what I said above, please do not hesitate to contact me.

    Oh hi I have a question, what the fuck is wrong with you?!

    So it seems that in a stunning display of nepotism, Francis has so boldly came out of the shadows, validating his father’s actions and advocating child pedophilia as a method of showing ‘care and concern’, I am so fucking fearful for Francis’ future kids.

    And I would also like to point out the fact that Francis did not even mention the evidence that really proved that his father was a dick.

    He didn’t mention the frequent threats his father made to discharge himself, he didn’t mention still pushing himself in my line of vision at court, even when I and many people had made it clear that I never wanted to see him again. He didn’t mention his father advocating freedom of speech and the release of me and then afterwards threatening to sue me for defamation.

    You know because I want to portray my dad as the victim of the situation, so don’t mention all that stuff and hopefully nobody will noticed. Well I noticed. Ah hah, I got you there Francis, you might be able to fool everyone, but you can’t fool me.

    So I’m sure Francis has read my blog post concerning his father’s molestation. So that means that in Francis’ view, threats, intimidations and emotional abuse are now considered ‘counselling techniques’ and an expression of ‘love’ and ‘care’.

    And unfortunately Francis isn’t the only who thinks that way, because looking at the comments on the ‘My Abusive Father’ blog post, my father hitting my head on the ground, almost killing me, that is validated as the actions of a parent, done simply because he ‘cares’ for me. They coin that method as the ‘chinese way’.

    So we live in a society, where emotional and physical abuse, is a form of showing one’s care and concern. Wow…. For me and everyone out there, I am terrified.. I am really fucking terrified….

     

    Source: https://amosyee.wordpress.com

  • SDP: Our MPs Will Run Town Councils Full-Time, Not Engage Managing Agent

    SDP: Our MPs Will Run Town Councils Full-Time, Not Engage Managing Agent

    The main objective of an SDP-managed Town Council (TC) is to maintain a clean and well-kept housing estate while keeping expenditure down so that Services and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) can be kept to a minimum.

    The statement was made today at the launch of A Promise To The Residents: The SDP Town Council Management Plan this afternoon.

    Presented by Party Secretary-General Chee Soon Juan and Vice-Chairman John Tan, the paper said that SDP MPs will run the TC on a full-time basis rather than engage a managing agent (MA).

    Currently, most TCs engage MAs except for the Bishan-Toa Payoh TC. MAs are profit-driven private companies and charge an additional fee for managing the TC. This is an added layer of cost to the residents.

    The SDP will, instead, hire qualified and experienced professionals to assist the MPs in running the TC. The savings of not engaging an MA will be passed on to the residents through lower S&CC.

    Dr Chee said that while there have been suggestions that MPs be allowed to focus on legislative work in Parliament while leaving the management of TC municipal matters to others, the SDP’s stand is that we relish the challenge of doing both.

    In government, lawmakers, especially cabinet ministers, are not only responsible for making laws but also for running their ministries.

    Similarly, being able to effectively manage TCs while performing our parliamentary roles such as debating legislation, proposing alternative policies, tabling amendments are part and parcel of our duties.

    Managing TCs will provide SDP MPs the necessary platform to excel in management and give the public confidence that we will be able to eventually takeover as government. Dr Chee said: “We welcome the challenge and are confident that we will surpass it.”

    Mr John Tan presented some of the initiatives spelt out in the document, including how SDP will effect the transition from an outgoing PAP TC administration for the first 3 days, 7 days and 30 days.

    “We have also listed the milestones that we will have hit after the 100-day mark,” Mr Tan said. Some of these include an established TC with fully integrated management teams, a clear budgetary plan, the first interim financial report, etc.

    “We’ve laid out these measures and initiatives so that the voters in the coming elections know exactly what to expect when they vote for the SDP,” Dr Chee said. “We invite residents to track our performance.”

    This is the only way that we can raise the standard of transparency and accountability in governance in Singapore.

    For the full document of A Promise To The Residents, click here.

     

    Source: http://yoursdp.ucoz.org