The "Degree-Holding" Takahina, 2012 Week 29

As you guys all know, Takahina will be graduating soon. The official date is out to be on 22nd August. That's when I'll wear the gown and all, throw my hat as if it's chicken nuggets when extra curry sauce is known to cost 30cents more.

ORD lo!!

From what I know, after the few months you finished your last exams, people in the graduation ceremony will now be asking around like, "hey watcha doing?" etc, as if it's some Chinese New Year celebration when you're trying to break the very awkward ice between your friends and you. Well, I know some of my friends are already doing something, some found jobs, some found dogs, some found god. Some of them are also still slacking around finding a suitable job for them, I wish all of them good luck.

The queer thing however is that, I found some of my lecture mates doing sales in exactly the same place I work at. Sales, as in not selling insurance, but more like attracting or prospecting potential customers to deposit some money with us.

Don't get me wrong though, there's totally NOTHING WRONG with doing that. It's an honest job and frankly speaking a very difficult one. If you can get pass the initial hardship, you would be able to rise up and progress really well in life. Just that I felt this weird feeling that is that job the job they have wanted?

To be frank I'm not exactly working in a job I want to do now but it's all part of the plan for me to progress on to what I really want. But how about the many people around me? You study so hard for 3 years, in the end only to end up in something that as long as you have a basic diploma and good looks you can score, then what's the point of studying for the degree?

This is the misguided feeling I get when some people are studying and in the end working for something which doesn't require that education. Sure enough it's related, sure enough it has very very good prospects, then what's the degree for?

Being out in the "wild" now, I have a slight understanding of what a degree is. It's like a Poke Ball, you need it to catch new pokemons, before you can train them. So without a degree, you won't be able to get a job... kinda like a safety net or sorts. Next, the level of degree you have dictates the max rank you can rise in the company. For some weird ass reasons, degree becomes a gauge for employers to know what is your learning  capabilities. It's taken that the higher level your degree is, the more you're able to take over complicated stuff and higher level responsibility, hence if you're looking for a long term career prospects you better get a relatively good degree.

Dontcha feel like caressing it??...

Of course it's not saying that experience is not important, but it seems to be the norm now that if you don't have a degree you can't survive in Singapore. You use to hear all those stories like Bill Gates and Thomas Edison, drop outs from universities, schools etc became millionaire at their field of trade. Well, how high of a chance do you think you can do it like them? Now to be on a more realistic side, we all should not strive to be someone like them, being able to achieve success without tertiary education, I mean the chances of us being like Steve Jobs is almost 0%. We should at least get 1 degree, if not life would be difficult to proceed. Then after that whatever job you wanna do or apply is up to you, I mean you could have studied Masters in Economics and still go out sell Chicken Rice, to whichever rocks your socks I guess. Then what for study that much in the 3-4 years of getting that degree?

The sad thing in society right now is that degrees have ended up to be some sort of an insurance for us. It's no longer an instrument for us to learn things and we can apply it in our field of trade and it stems from 2 big factors.

Firstly, the difficulty of getting jobs. We have jobs we want to do, for example I want to be an analyst analyzing economic situations and how it will affect the economy. But then such jobs are far and few in between, so in the end I just ended up in somewhere that I can ply my services and knowledge into. A Bank. And being in a bank how much do I utilize my knowledge of econs and finance? Econs totally 0, finance at least still a bit, more on the accounting side. Is my degree useful in this sense? Yes, useful for me landing the job but not totally useful for me to understand the operations in this job.

Secondly, the realistic nature of working in jobs. You think you know everything and you just graduated, a proud and optimistic graduate ready to challenge the world. You enter into your first job that you obtained with relative ease, only to realized whatever you learn in University has no use at all. Is my degree useful in this sense? Again, YES.... for landing the job. That's all.

So as I said, degree mainly, is only worth for 2 things when you want to talk about it helping you in your career aspects, to grant you that interview with your future employer and to dictate how high you can climb in your corporate firm.

Why is it that career aspects are being held back by the level of degree and not experience? Look at the big shots around you and you'll realized those always getting headhunted or transfers around from here to there are normally people with either very high net worth (meaning able to garner a huge amount of sales), or they have those degree or certificates like CFA.

Now just by having those certificates aren't enough, you need to have experience as well. In this case though, experience would have long be gotten, the thing is how far you can go.

So you only have a basic degree, you can slog for years in this firm doing the same old shit but what is going to happen? At most you're just going to rise into being a vice president for a department or section that's all. And that's after like 10+ years of experience.

The ridiculous thing then would be those of higher position would be either head hunted from other companies, or not they have some satki certificates like CFA or Masters. It's kinda like telling you unless you get a Masters, your maximum pay per month is at most $5000 that's all. You wanna go more than that, get a freaking CFA or Masters.

Then look back at things, we from university after 3-4 years get our first bachelor degree. If we want to do Masters we have to sacrifice at least 2 more years being students and at least 2 years worth of education fee gone. After everything is done, then we'll come out to the world, experience-less but full of satki degree.

Now here's the unfair part. Most of us aren't rich enough to do so. My peers all around me finish bachelor degree would never think of going to Masters. And we go out into the workforce and slog, at the end of the day max pay $5000 per month, that is assuming we don't go into sales.

For Masters, they need to have the money from their family to support additional 2 years more worth of education/food/shelter etc. Which parents would plan for their kid right from the start to study a Masters? Seldom. Because the opportunity cost of affording for Masters is way too high for most families to support. Well if the family is somewhat better off, after realizing the kid's potential they can push for Masters, but most middle-class family would never think so.

Then when the Master's holders get into society, they earn close to $10000 or more max. In otherwords, they have broken the threshold to get into the high earners portion, something that for normal people, we could only get via very diligent sales.

So if you are able to sacrifice 2 years and you're in a well to do family, congrats you have just got into the top 25% of the rat race.

I'm going to study Masters, Bitches, YOU SUCK!! Hehehe...

Unfair? You betcha. The whole issue of the rich gets richer will keep going on and on. Income Equality is only but a dream if you talk about it. And sadly that's how society (at least Singapore) works.

So just know 1 thing people, if you're rich, go and get more education, if not you just be an ASK (ah sia kia) and wait for money to fall onto your plates.

My father owns Kopitiam and I'm gonna make KOPI for all of ya BITCHES!

For people who aren't rich, if you do not have the capabilities to accept the opportunity cost for going after a Master, don't go for it. You have to freaking farm your way up and attempt ways to get promotions, recognized, big certs like CFA. If not go do investments, or business or anything that can get you out of the rat rice. Hmmmm, where have we heard that before?

Ultimately, I'm digressing but I can't stress the importance of a degree or at least a good dependable diploma/cert. I used to believe that anyhow getting a degree and not using that knowledge is useless, but it's changing a bit now.

Society has deemed it necessary for any proper Singaporean who wants to so call progress huge in life to have a degree, be it you like it or not. Because a degree now, is an insurance. If you don't have it, chances are life is gonna be real real difficult for you in the future. So if you don't like any of the courses you see offered in university? Hate some more cause you're gonna need to spend additional 4 years studying that thing you hate or risk more years .

Life is a bitch. If you're rich maybe you're on top of that bitch. If you're not then you're in the a**hole of that bitch, filled with shit and knee deep in it. So suck up all the shit and climb up from the anus to the top of the head to be rich.

The Efficient Takahina, 2012 Week 28

Efficiency, work rate, progress, fast and accurate.

These are just some of the terms that drives people and work. Essentially, how fast the work revolves depends on simply, efficiency.

Efficiency is actually, something really simple to understand. Simply put, it's the work rate; how much work we can do in a certain time period like an hour for example. I can put it into many examples for many different types of environment, mainly into my own context...

Bands: What is the % of a song ready to be showcased in the public in gigs in 1 jamming session. Currently the fastest band I'm was in to learn songs had been Grover with up to 4 songs ready to gig in just 1 jamming session.

Data Entry: How many entries has been typed in within an hour. My record is 70+ conscripts. That's like less than 1 min per con.

Work: How much $ do you earn for the company for every hour that you work. I work like 8hrs per day but only spend like 4hrs fully on work.

Projects: What is the % of project is completed by every week. Ask my uni-cliques, I make up for their lack of efficiency HAHAHAHAHA..

School: How much % of the syllabus could you study in an hour. If it's science or maths, 0%. If it's econs, it's almost 50%

Blog: How much blogs can I write every week. 1?... I guess?

Weight: How much weight can I lose per week. Well to be frank it's 0% or even negative right now. 

I think it's fair enough to say that almost everything in this world has it's efficiency level, it may be difficult or ambiguous to determine, but it's definitely there. Similarly I think it's fair to say everyone in this world wants efficiency. FAST FAST FAST FAST they said.

However after working in NS, and currently in my job. I can tell that efficiency is only but a notion. I'm quite thoroughly convinced that despite the emphasis on efficiency, things aren't really working efficiently.

Many guys in Singapore would know, NS is a big freaking waste of time. I don't mean the waste of 2 years of your youth (because I believe in the value and necessity of NS), but the inefficiency of the whole "corporate" NS itself. Look at any clerks there sitting down, how many of them are really doing stuff? I know very well when I was in my camp as an sergeant I play Puzzle Fighter for like 25% of my time there. Like really a great big waste of time. We go to reservist, how many of us literally sit there and sleep our asses away? There's a very big reason why some people love going to reservice, because you gain $ there for sleeping.

You know Chun Li is f**ked.

Then bring in the normal working environment here. I sit in my office and I look around, some are surfing Hardware Zone Forums 'pres huan.', some are looking at facebook, some are looking at the latest transfer news going on in EPL right now and I'm sitting right here writing a freaking blog.

That's what HWZ EDMW do all day long... 

And you claim that you want efficiency?

The thing is this, everyone here knows how to do stuff, and we do it fast and well. So in a sense we're really efficient, but imagine the amount of pay given to us for sitting around growing round asses. From the society and corporate point of view, how much money could have been saved if we are only paid for the amount of time we actually work? Maybe if the corporate one day does a test and understands how fast we can work, you could retrench or transfer like up to 25% of the people here and save up on tons of cost. The fact is that this world is not efficient, at least the society from my point of view is far from being efficient.

It actually sucks to know that because people's full potential and capacity are not fully explored. My supervisor is doing an evaluation on how "fast" we can finish our task upon the hours that we work, however he dares not submit it up to the higher ups. Reason being we're "too" efficient. You submit such a report, they will surely cut the amount of estab that my department can have and next thing you know, BAM the whole department will be merged with another department, ultimately resulting in retrenchment which NOBODY WANTS except for shareholders who wants to save cost.

So it's actually a big political issue behind all this. Efficiency in real life is actually hindered by a lot of red tapes around. Also, if suddenly there is a surge increase in the job load, the department will need extra hands in to help, what will happen then? A company can't suddenly increase their estab because of additional cost involved. Besides that there's a whole bunch of procedures and systems to adhere to, resulting in a very much delayed process. So to be safe than sorry, a company will rather spend additional cost for inefficiency to save up for the rainy day.

Secondly, even if let's say this department is very efficient and they fully utilized their time, there will still be a situation whereby they have to wait before something gets done, that is the effect of procedural compliance.

Let's say we finish some paper work and we want to get on to the next phrase of the work but before we can do so, we have to let some superiors check through, cover the whole department's asses before it's approved and could be carried on by the lowly officers. By right it should be fast and immediate, but no. Normally such higher up people control tons of people under them and numerous departments under them. They have to check through every little single details of every department which could be like hundreds of emails, reports, documents etc to check through. You think your paper work could be accessed immediately? Nope... you have to wait like for 2-3 working days before it gets access. Now you understand why banks and companies always say you have to wait certain amount of working days before the process could be done? I mean for my wage to come to me, it has to go through this additional process of my employment agency to view my payslip for a week, then it'll come to me. So by right my pay should have arrived every end of the month? Mine takes like an additional week. I can't blame them, cause there's so many payslip to go through and so many departments/hands for the work to get process through it's almost impossible to get it done within like 1 day.

Don't even get me started on government organizations. >_>

And I'm sure, that's not the end to how "efficient" this society is. Things like budget constraint etc are a freaking big pain in the ass.

My Ass is pain.

If so then why do you even emphasis efficiency? It will only result in a Rush to Wait and Wait to Rush situation; something that we are so familiar in NS.

Since I'm already waiting, might as well take a pic...

 All in all, to me it boils down to management.

The current way of how companies run is standard throughout. Different departments handled different jobs and they will pass to the next in hand for it to be done. All this processing takes waiting. All this checking takes waiting. The more wait there is the more inefficient things become. Yet at the same time, all this checking can't be done without. So is there any way to bypass all these processes?

Well, I doubt it can be bypassed. but then at least to prevent people to have too much time, so much so they have to surf the web and do nothing, why can't the lower end departments or departments who are very much "free" in a sense, merge? So in a sense rather than just "you do your stuff I do mine", it becomes "you do your stuff, I do mine. But if you finished doing your stuff and I'm not done, you come help me until you got things to do." At least efforts and time are not wasted.

Secondly, I find firms can actually learn something from NS. Train your workers/sergeant/cadets/officers.

You always see things like to acquire this position you need like how many years of experience etc. Sure, it's clearly understood why they need experience to get a high position. If so then why not you train any existing staff that wants to be promoted with relevant knowledge, and when a position is open, these existing staff who ARE trained can apply confidently?

I'm a lowly settlement officer in a bank and I want to build up my career in this bank. There are internal job postings coming up every month, but they all require this knowledge or that experience etc. I will only be accomplished in my knowledge of settlement, how am I expected to know other expertise such as maybe compliance or analyst unless I work in it? If this is so then I'll be stuck in settlement for the rest of my life, which is totally unfair cause I won't be able to enter any other jobs unless I get any experience. In the end I'll be sick of it and transfer to another job or another bank, breaking my loyalty to the bank.

If you train them up and prepare them for upcoming positions, you won't need to go around looking for external sources cause you have already capable personnel working for you. Save up on the many labour turnover cost and you make staff happier as there is a very sizable career opportunities open to everyone.

Training is not only for them to gain the additional skills and knowledge, it's for them to have the confidence to be able to perform in that job. If staff have no confidence in applying for jobs, they won't try it out even if they may be really good in it.

You save up on labour turnover, save up on time since it will mostly be internal transfers and they are already trained so they know what to do. All this time and cost savings, won't that be much more efficient? Plus even if there is no open position for their new expertise to be utilized, they are in a sense "qualified" to do checks and hence help higher-ups with their checking. Like this they can filter through a big part of their procedures and utilize their time.

Thirdly, a firm can actually choose to pay via efficiency level. You do your task, you finish your task, you can go home, then you pay them accordingly to how fast they can finish their work. The faster their work rate, the higher you pay them. Then since workers can go back earlier, in a sense they are rewarded for their efficiency. It creates incentive for people to push for efficiency and hence you get your FAST FAST FAST effect. More time for workers to be at home with their family, go for another 2nd job if there is time and maybe even the country earns by having more babies. ;)

You won't be thinking of 'hey shio hey shio' with bushes like those...

Actually if the firm goes via the 3rd method I proposed, I need not even be at the office in the morning. Just be there by 2pm and I can finish everything by 7pm tops. But oh well, stick to the system.

All in all, I just want to say this. If firms and corporates want to look for ways to up their profit, look no further than the inner working of your own company and you can notice the many flaws of the systems. Systems and procedures can be tweaked around to provide for a more "fruitful" job experience. Efficiency are being compromised to these systems to such an extent certain procedures are totally redundant and it makes completely no sense to keep adhering to such redundant systems or procedures.

When people are truly efficient, you will start to realize actually there's so much time we can save. So firms, corporates, government bodies.... wake up please.

The Future of Singapore, Takahina style, 2012 Week 27

You think that life is bad now. Think again.

For us 60% Singaporeans in Singapore that have lived for all our lives, we complain about things all the time and truthfully, we should complain. But not about Singapore or the world or whatsoever, you want to complain you complain about yourself.

A recent talk with my bro Tian Wei over lunch one day caught me to my underlying attention on how Singapore could become. Well, it "could" become. You refer to other similar countries like Hong Kong, Japan, it's all getting really similar and yet so distinct as well. Think of subjects such as moral values, religion, politics, economics, geography, sociology, psychology, globalization, it's all getting too predictable on how the future is going to shape and it's not a good one. You should have notice by now there's so many "secrets" and "conspiracies" going on in this world, why do they even exist? Because the rest of the population can't take the truth, even though it's so out rightly in front of us.

Let's take it this way, imagine that society has been brought up on the so-called moral values that we have now, religion continues to impose and set the values for us to follow and it will change accordingly with time. With this moral values and beliefs from religions, sociology will be set to "obey" these values and rights, hence affecting each and everybody's psychology itself to follow to these values. No doubt not everyone will follow to it, depending on the environment they are brought up but in a sense our "right" and "wrong" are highly determined by our environments which in return is affected by society. Next government will set laws and name it under the term "justice" so that we will be deterred from doing the wrong, as this will be "beneficial" for the government politically. With available power from being a popular government, they could then have to power to conduct economic policies beneficial either to the country with factors dependent on the country's situation and ability, or to the politicians themselves, if you know what I mean. Currently with the added flux of globalization, technology, information spreading, the previous known boundaries of geography and information retention has been changed significantly, hence society itself changes unconsciously but definitely and government will change themselves accordingly.

This is how I see the current general system works. Of course it's just a very very brief outlook on how things flow with all details excluded. In a brief sense, all I'm saying is this; things are changing, fast and if you do not catch up fast enough, you will find it increasingly difficult to catch up.

Now the reason I'm writing this, is a sense some form of warning to myself to better buck up my own socks. I'm working comfortably now at UOB and I'm sensing that I'm losing my drive, something that is very dangerous in anyways in this kind of fast moving global world. Secondly, it's to bring to you guys a very sense what is the worst thing to happen to our home Singapore if it does get bad, so to people who are reading this, I hope this can help you guys brush up a bit.

Takahina has stated tons and tons of times long ago and I share the same sentiments with my brothers, in that this world waits for no one and as it goes on progressively, as long as we do not hit to the top 10% of the population in Singapore, we can expect to not ever hit there unless some miracles happens.

Let's look at the situation in Singapore now, a stagnant economy being propelled highly by FTs and Singaporeans remain disgruntled with their life complaining over PAP all the time. We want an opposition to enter into parliament so as to better keep check what PAP is doing and to ensure the government is doing what is correct now.

What if you look at the future? We can take reference to various countries like Hong Kong and Japan. Inflation is set to rise yet again, housing especially will reach to an exorbitant price (look at Hong Kong's property price now), aging population (like those in many developed countries). In a sense you can imagine Singapore to be like a kid with very fast growing cells, due to the fact that we are small, things, information, policies can get done much faster here in Singapore. It gets developed faster, as is evident with us reaching a "developed" economy status in a matter of decades while other countries take centuries, our currency growing superbly fast and strong compared to countries like MYR etc. So we grow fast, hence at the same time we die fast.


Take this into account, and you'll start to understand that's why maybe Singapore's government is pushing our economy and society so fast. Because if Singapore doesn't plan things, doesn't look at things fast enough, we will be behind the whole world and outdated by it. In the past, things planned can be done rather fast, but now it's a different case with globalization and the internet itself. Anti-government sentiments are being blown out of proportions and netizens only look at the good side of other countries, but what most Singaporeans failed to realized is that the situation of Singapore is very different from other countries.

Like what I mentioned above, for a government to be able to handle our it's policies effectively, it has to be popular. The inclusion of globalization rendered it increasingly difficult for not just Singapore, but the whole world as well. However for Singapore the effect is much faster, why? Because we are small as I've mentioned before.

That's why you have seen now, PM Lee apologizing to Singaporeans, doing somewhat populist policies not done before such as increasing wages of low paying jobs. In a sense they are necessary, because PAP is losing favor with the citizens. At least Singapore's government system is still on a more steady stronghold, imagine if our PM changes every half a year like how Japan changes theirs as if changing clothes, before the policies implemented would show effect a new set of policies would be implemented by the new PM. If Singapore ends up like that, we would be dead and PAP is doing their best not to let that happen.

 In a sense it's not saying that PAP must be the sole ruling party with no one to "keep check" on their behavior, but seriously look at the few opposition party members elected into parliament. What kind of "difference" are they making? Does citizens in the Aljunied region feel happier? Nope they feel the same as with the rest of the other Singaporeans.


Then again, maybe the opposition party is not strong enough to make any difference. But think about it, if Singapore's government is split into almost a half-half party like Taiwan's Kuo Ming Tang and Ming Jing Tang, there's bound to be high conflicts which can potentially split a country into 2. For a country that is as small as helpless as Singapore is, we cannot afford that. So no ways will PAP in a sense let that happen.

What I believe is that the PAP knows certain things that we won't know of, and in a sense even Presidents don't know of (remember ex-president Mr Ong Teng Chong?). The one who holds the most power in Singapore still remains to be the key members in PAP. Maybe it's highly confidential secret that holds the balance to our economy? Or certain deals signed in the past which enabled Singapore to survive it's infant stages I have no idea. What I know for sure is that every country has certain secrets that they can't divulge and that opposition party will never know it unless they become the official ruling party. By then who can confirm that the opposition party will not become another PAP again?

Few things are for certain though, PAP's method of reaching out to public is definitely less effective now. The words, "What Do You Think We Should Do?" should have never been spoken by a high member politician. The words used are much more tactless now, as is evident with how politicians, especially the older ones, are frustrated with the comments thrown at them, something which they have never really encountered before in the past. In fact right now the younger ones seem to show a bit more promise if you ask me. Laugh at Tin Pei Ling all you want but the fact that she's a MP of PAP proves that at least she's more promising than the average Singaporean her age. 

Secondly, PAP can never do everything correct in current stages. I sincerely believe they didn't expect the outburst of information and technological widespread. I sincerely believe they didn't expect the social outcry and the overly too effective FT policies. They used to be so powerful and correct in the past because we are not informed. Now that we ARE informed, they can't just simply say something is good and that we will take it to be good. They have not yet adapted to the "proper" way of convincing us and still have a long way to go. The FT policies done a few years ago are indeed necessary for economical reasons, but I'm sure they did not expect the huge influx at such a pace. Population has grown too fast before our own systems such as the public transport can adapt to it. MRT breaking down in Singapore high chance is due to our MRT being over utilized and MRT could not support the immense overcrowding weight and frequency.

But in all certainty, we definitely do not know certain things but the government is already conducting something to "curb" it. However remember this thing, neither PAP nor the opposition party can do everything correct and expect the effectiveness to be as expected, so don't put 100% faith in them or the government to be able to help even if they wanted to.

Additionally, similar countries like Hong Kong are showing sense of what is going to happen. Expect things like sky rocketing housing prices, further inflationary pressures and in a weird sense retirement at other countries. I know there's this trolling picture of Singapore's future MRT lines, but don't find it weird if it really happens. I mean 1 Tampines can have 3 MRT stations, what's up with 1 Malaysia line?

Well I'm sure few of the lines are bullshit, but a future Malaysia line I don't find it implausible. Singapore is in desperate need of space, so why won't we take over some land from them?


Inflation is very dangerous in Singapore as we know it. Increasing income gap coupled with increasing prices but not increasing income for the poor makes it a lose lose situation in any sense. Problem is that the few causing it are the rich people themselves. For those with at least a bit of econs sense in your mind, when you have additional income you will demand more. The more you demand, the higher price will be bid up. Hence inflation happens.

Now remember, the rich people gets richer due to them knowing how to get rich and know how to exploit the market. Every consumption, investment that they do will serve to increase the country's aggregate demand by a significant factor due to them being filthy rich, thus increasing inflation as well. How about normal middle/low income citizens like us? We will not get that increase in income but inflation will still grow, so our burden will increase to the extend that there won't even be a middle class. You're either rich or poor.

This effect will be even more severe when houses price shoot up, this is a very basic simple economy theory. Singapore is a small country, so our supply of houses will eventually be limited by it. Yet at the same time the country has to grow, so our own growing population and growing FTs will demand more and more houses. With an increase demand but yet no corresponding increase in supply, don't be surprised if 1 normal HDB reaches $1mil.

Middle class will be gone as we get lesser benefits from government but we have to afford for the increased cost. Buying a house will slaughter us into paying debts for the rest of our lives, and yet it's almost a necessity to buy a house, so be expected to pay debts to pay off for your house. Lower income group are already disadvantaged, but because their expenditure is already low, the impact felt by them is understandably less painful than that of the middle income.

Higher income group? Their real wealth will be unlikely to drop and they will leverage on the middle income and lower income to grow up in status and wealth, because they would be the one to lend $ and property to them and earn interest/rent from them.

Now this is a very scary truth, but it's yet just a possible truth which has been shown in other countries. Its like saying that, if you're not rich within the next decade, you can proceed to be slum residents.

So what can we do now? Must we all be rich and wealthy to be able to survive in the future. Not exactly. No one is asking you to compulsory become rich with over $1bil worth of assets. But you must basically be able to have certain personal financial knowledge, discipline and to know the consequences of your decisions. I'll get to that in a future post.

For now though, just don't expect the future to be cheery. For those who still have the luxury of going overseas, enjoying and slacking like no tomorrow without a secure future... better do something. For this time it's not something that the government can help like what we are so used to, but only you can help yourself this time, and you don't have all day.

Even I need to wake up.

The MRT manners of Takahina, 2012 Week 26

In this metropolitan society of Singapore, there lives the very big problem of gracefulness and politeness and MRT is one of the best places to show it.

Takahina is not a very graceful person, neither am I really polite either. But I know at least I have manners and I am considerate to a certain degree, I won't be that heartless as to see an elderly in front of me and yet still do not know how to offer my seats. At the same time I won't be so naive as to let my seats to every uncles and aunties requesting it. At the same time I'm not so timid that I do not sit in reserved seats.... And please don't be mistaken. Takahina is not seats grabbing although he seats whenever there's a chance to.

The most recent saga in Singapore going on has been about the most polite Ah Lian scolding this auntie in the MRT. I'm not someone to judge who is right or wrong in this case, because from one video it won't be enough to justify what sparks off the quarrel even though it seems VERY obvious who is the one at fault this time.

So to facilitate my understand and your additional knowledge for the local MRT manners, I'll group people into several groups.


Mistake her for a fat lady and she'll bitch slap you.

Group 1: Real elders mostly after late 60s and pregnant ladies. For those ladies who look like you're pregnant but in actual fact you're just fat. Accept it, you're in this group too to avoid embarrassment for yourself. For those who's also handicapped, injured whatsoever, you fall into here too. Parents with kids who are f**king irritating you fall into this category because I respect your tenacity to deal with such a kid. Generally, people who really needs seats fall here.


I'm getting famous on STOMP!

Group 2: Uncles and Aunties around late 40s to early 60s who think they fall under group 1. You people are those shameless type to think that due to your "age" you deserve to be given a seat in MRT. And so you guys will rush to seats available as if it concerns your CPF money getting swallowed by PAP. And because you think you deserve to get a seat, you tend to be really selfish and competitive to the extent you don't offer seats to Group 1 people.


Do not look at me, I'm pretending to be asleep.

Group 3: These are the group of people who obviously have the strength to stand and support themselves. They are young they are strong BUT they are at the same time, actors. They pretend nothing happen and continue to sleep, do their own stuff etc. Although technically these people are not wrong to do their own stuff, but for some reasons Group 2 people hates them to a core and Group 1 people generally don't have a good impression of them.


I'm a fat man, not pregnant.

Group 4: These are the group of people who irregardless of what happens, they refuse to seat in reserved seats and normally they even have a fear of normal MRT seats. Getting them to sit takes some persuasion. These are Group 2's favourite.


Remember me? I'm the polite ah lian.  ;)

Group 5: These are the cream of the crop bunch because Takahina belongs here. They are not scared of sitting and they are not ashamed or too shy to offer their seats. To them seats are like economical resources, if it's there and no one is being "allocated" the seat, you go and take the seats - Allocative Efficient. If there are no seats available, they don't go around eyeing for seats because they do not need the seats, it's just a luxury to them. If they are already seated and some Group 1 people arrives, Group 5 will offer them seats because they need it. If Group 2 people arrives and starts eyeing for that seat, Group 5 will not offer them any seats because they'll save it for any Group 1 people that arrives. If any Group 2 wants to get the seats off them, they will have to try relatively hard and get risked being on STOMP.


I USED to work in SMRT. Now I'm just an auntie.

Group 6:  They work in MRT.


He lives in the MRT and is furious when others interrupt into his house uninvited.

Group 7: Misc people who simply can't be inserted into any other groups.

Just to let you Group 2 people know 1 thing. GET IT IN YOUR DAMN BRAIN. The seats are not YOUR SEATS. The purpose of putting those seats as "reserved seats" is to say that we Group 3/4/5 will be obliged to give up the seats to you, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO. And indeed, only Group 4 will give you the seats just because they aren't seated at all in the first place.

Just to enlighten you people out there, Takahina is a mix of Group 3 and 5. My criteria of judging people who deserves the seats are strict, so to some people I tend to appear as Group 3, but I judge myself as Group 5.

This is how I do it in the MRT:

1. Enter MRT
2. Take a seat if there is or once there is seats.
3. If there's any Group 1 in the MRT, place bags on seat, leave the seat and offer them the seat.
4. If not, continue sleeping in the seat like a Group 3.
5. Reach station, exit MRT.

Now why did I mention the bag? Simple reason.

Some people, especially the Group 2, due to their competitive nature, they tend to grab any seats once you get up. There were times I saw some Group 5 standing up and going over to the Group 1 to offer their seats, at that exact moment, like some Speedy Gonzales the Group 2 snatched up the seats. Right at this moment, the Group 5 and Group 1 turned around ready to get their seats when BHAM, your freaking seat is GONE!!!!

Imagine the embarrassment on Group 5, the bewilderment on Group 1 and the don't care attitude on Group 2. Of course once Group 2 realizes the situation they will say, "Ohhhhh ohhh, sorry... lai lai take the seat." But of course the Group 1 won't dare to take the seats, Group 1 paiseh to take the seat how do you expect them to take it??

That's why Takahina came up with the CHOPE MRT seats method. You freaking put something there as you get up to offer your seat. This is what happened once when I did it.

1. I placed my bag on the seat, got up to offer this old uncle my seat.
2. Some aunty carrying freaking NTUC bags scattered to my "seat" only to find a bag there. Machiam got terrorist bomb inside. She immediately have the ???? Face.


Daf*q?

3. I noticed the aunty looking around wondering what's going on, but I didn't care much. I asked the Uncle if he wants the seat. He replied...

"No need boy, next stop I getting off le."

I felt an instant "facepalm". Then I walked to my seat, ignoring the Aunty who's now looking at me, with her eyes transmitting the evil intent...

"Give me your seat.... give me your seat.... give me your seat...."

I took my bag, and sat down. Aunty looks at me like the "WTF" face. I just gave her a sian look.


This is my baby face. I'm borned Sian.

The reason for the bag as you see is simple, to act like a stun in MRT, to reserve your seat for either the person you intended to offer, or for yourself back. Because in the MRT, no one likes a Group 2. Even Group 2 hate other Group 2, reason being they will compete for seats like Amazing Race. So to them, every journal is like an Amazing Race; Amazing MRT, Amazing Bus, Amazing Taxi etc.

Someone asked me, what if I'm faced with the situation like the MPAL (Most Polite Ah Lian)? Let's just assume MPAL is Group 5, like me!

................................................................................................................................

EA (Evil Aunty): *stares with evil intent*

Takahina: *leans onto the glass beside the seat with eyes closed to avoid stare, earphone plugs in with music blasting.* (Takahina is an ATS aka All Terrain Sleeper, so in MRT I'm perpetually asleep or at least pretending to be asleep)

EA: Aiyo some man here pretend asleep don't know how to have courtesy and give seats to elderly.

Takahina: *Continues sleeping*

EA: *Keeps hurling shitty and sarcastic words at Takahina*

Takahina: *Sleeps or pretend to be asleep in MRT.*

*MRT reaches stop

Takahina: *Auto-wakes up, walk to exit.* 

............................................................................................................................

Due to Takahina's nature of being an ATS, I seldom or rather, never got faced with such situations before. However Takahina knows not all people are ATS, so this is what I recommend.

- Say, "Aunty, I don't know you so old leh. Ok la nvm I give you this seat. PS ah, old people must take care ok?" Then walk away immediately. Most likely she'll take the seat and attempt to scold you, but since you have already walked away far far, you won't hear it so you're not affected, and she'll be regarded as mad since she'll be going on with her rumblings to herself.

- Say, "PS ah Aunty, I didn't know you talking to me. I thought you mumbling to yourself wor." It will make the Aunty look like a full fledged retard. Most Aunty will attempt to scold you back, but just keep trolling her. Importantly you need to keep your cool. She wanna take your pic, you just smile as if you camwhoring. Best.

- Chat with her. Take off your earphones, look at the aunty with a smile and act like a customer service receptionist and talk/reason with her on why she shouldn't get your seat. Be careful not to lose your cool cause customer service CANNOT lose their cool. Explain it nicely like, "I understand your anguish for not being able to get my seat, but sorry this seat is not entitled to you..." If STOMP gets you, you can use that for landing a job in any customer service related positions.

- Push her and make her fall, then post up on facebook, twitter and every social media you can find explaining how mentally ill you are and you're suffering with depression. You will probably get more limelight than you had wanted.

- Say god will forgive her ignorance and say Hallelujah at her face. She will instant diam diam one.

- Say, "Anything, we complain to PAP. Ai mai?? Can submit a letter to MP with us explaining our situation. Until they say I MUST let you have my seat, I'm not letting you sit. I'm innocent until proven guilty. Get your lawyer if you want.

- Take your phone and record her scolding you. Say, "Aunty, please keep scolding. I posting this on STOMP.... No wait I posted liao." She will stunned. Don't let go of your phone and keep filming for SOCIAL MEDIA ROCKS.

But seriously, there will be f**ked up situations in MRT and in fact virtually all locations in the world. Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you're unlucky. Just keep your cool and do as you believe in, ignore what the whole world says. Most of the time the saga will pass with time.

As long as you're right, or Takahina says you're right. You are right.

PS: You may notice a lot of pics are from STOMP. Yup I pirated them off and I don't give them credit for it. 

The Graduating Takahina, 2012 Week 25

Takahina is sure most of you guys know, but let him post it up here nice and clear for all of you guys to see!


The specs add to his already very high intelligence level.

Yup, Takahina graduated with a god-damn distinction. Hell yeah! But then what does that mean? Takahina already has a job, so does getting a distinction certificate mean anything to Takahina? Well it does.

Takahina knows himself well. Takahina knows that he's never one to strive too hard for anything unless its something that he wants desperately or knows he has to achieve it desperately. So for some things, Takahina can be super slack or relaxed about it, for some other things however, he will be rushing and pushing for it. Be it materialistic gains, principles issues, commitments and stuff. If Takahina really wants it he'll strive for it. Kinda like a directly proportionate relationship; the more Takahina wants something, the harder he'll strive for it. But of course not everything in this world is achievable or due to some reasons you missed it. Never mind, try harder next time. This is Takahina's very basic basis of the world.

How does this relate to this certificate? Simple, Takahina wanted to graduate with a degree, simple as that.

It goes back all the way to Takahina's mum actually. Since young Takahina's mum has been infusing him with the thought that Takahina must graduate as a university student, then her life goal is achieved.


Takamama will stare you down. 

This created a lifelong goal to Takahina, "I MUST FREAKING GRADUATE AS A UNIVERSITY STUDENT!"

So to Takahina, his academic goal since young has been quite focused. Graduate with a freaking degree. Thus he strive on, from Tampines Primary School to East View Secondary School to Tampines Junior College to SIM-RMIT.


Takahina was once a fat f**k


Takahina was once a class monitor.


Takahina has and will always be good looking.


Another of his more suave moments.

Takahina recalls once, when one of his primary 6 school teacher asked him, "W*** H**, where do you want to study in the future?" Takahina thought that his teacher is asking him where he wants to study when he grows up when in actual fact his teacher is asking which secondary school he wants to go to. So the fat and innocent Takahina just answered, "NUS."


Stunned they are.

Similarly in secondary school, teacher asked a similar question. But being more cautious of being a class joke now, Takahina simply replied JC. In TPJC however, the teachers forgo asking such questions because it's a given when you enter JC, you die die must enter university. Now that Takahina is eligible for graduation, all that remains is for the graduation committee in SIM to send him some info so he will then know when he's gonna graduate and his mother will finally achieve her life goal. At the same time, it represents a goal in life that Takahina has achieved. Sure it may not be the best degree, but it's nonetheless still a hard-earned degree.

These 3 years in university could not have been completed so smoothly if not for the help of Huntsman, Desmond, Serene, Kasumi and Manluo. Takahina has mentioned them tons of time in his blog and that is because of how important this people are to him, that's why they're in this blog. If Takahina writes about you in his blog, it's because you guys have impacted him, that's why you're in it.


The standard color scheme for every graduation, black and white. 

Along the way, there have been tons of other friends that he has met and known in university. Casual friends, Hi-bye friends, fellow project mates, OG mates, some people whom faces he knows but names he doesn't etc. There are so much to mention that Takahina is unable to fully describe them all. Don't really, slowly but surely Takahina will make sure to include everyone in.


Imma had a few drinks then.

Takahina has to say, these few years in university is probably one of the best times of his 24 years life. Takahina remembers his uncle once said, "W*** H** ah, University is a very fun and is probably one of the most enjoyable time of your life, you have to cherish it." Now that he recalls, it's very true. Compared to his primary school, secondary school, JC, University was simply the most outstanding 3 years of his education period. With tons of maturing and growing up, knowing more people and bitching about them, realizing exactly what is life and how to go about with it, all the related BGR involved, all the dirty sex jokes with Desmond, all the racist things that we have done, all the drinking and all the studying and accusing that they have done, it's all now part of a very fond memory in Takahina's heart.


Sorry Des, Takahina can't resist himself.

Now that Takahina is already in the working phrase of his life, he can't help but reminisce on the fond memories he has of the past 3 years that doesn't seem so long ago.

Takahina has often thought and spoke of this thought, "When we are studying, we want to go to work. When we start working we want to go back studying." Well, Takahina isn't really feeling like that right now, Takahina feels that it's more of the friendship and things that happen when we're studying that makes us want to go back to studying life, not STUDYING itself.

Nevertheless, until the day when Takahina officially graduates and comes out with tons of pics, you guys are guaranteed a full size in full glamor testimony specially done by Takahina... WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT! HAR HAR HAR.

The Musically Rejected Takahina, 2012 Week 24

Don't worry, it's not like I get rejected in love life or work whatsoever. This time it involves around, MUSIC!

As most people know, (well you know now if you didn't) Takahina is in 2 Jpop/rock band, namely Resonance and Marukyu. I know my fellow bandmates will see this but then again there's nothing offensive, nor am I comparing anything here.


1st D'J Party I think?

Every year, Singapore has a handful amount of Japanese related gigs. Among them, the oldest and so called "most prestigious" would be Singapore Street Festival's D'J Party. It has first started since 10 years ago and is one of the first, if not the first Japanese Gig in Singapore. For Singapore, there are tons of English/Mandarin gig going on but for Japanese, D'j Party would be one of the first. Eventually it will establish itself (at least in my heart) as one of the "Top Jpop Bands in Singapore" Gig whereby only the top bands who applied to play, get to play in it. So it means that it may not always feature the best Jpop/rock bands in SG as some bands may not be able or willing to apply for it.

Takahina first listened to Jpop since year 2000. I still remembered very clearly when I heard the commercial of Countdown Jpop 2000 playing on TV, showing previews of Vogue by Ayumi Hamasaki, Treasure by Hiro and April by Speed. They got me hooked and I bought my first CD ever since.


The CD to start it all

From then on I began a sacred relationship with Jpop (har har har). Ever since I got caught on with certain artist/musicians and currently I still regularly listen to them, buying their full discography of albums.

I began drumming, well technically when I was 12, I started playing Drummania in the Arcade. It was then still called Percussion Freaks. It was one of the most in-thing in arcade at that time and my bro Tian Wei and me will spend hours lining up just to play the game. Throughout the years we progress from being pure beginners to playing master levels at 16. There's when we decide, it's time we got serious.


Yeah serious we are.


His drum skills are L33T

For a year plus, we started going to drum lessons under the tutelage of Mr Jimmy Lee in Music Clef. What we learned in the arcade helped out in letting us getting more readily comfortable with the whole hands legs eyes coordination thing. So for those who just started out drums, you think it's easy? Think again, I took a whole 4 years just to get proficient in it.

One fine day, my bro Benjamin Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet wanted to form a Jpop band playing Every Little Thing. I'm cool with it and I joined his band to try out. He managed to get this pro-bassist called Jun (now named Emerson), pro-Keyboardist Jane and a very indifferent Vocalist named Zeith. Then what turns out is that the band failed. Why? Cause I can't remember the combination changes and transition progression when playing the song out. I assume I can remember but obviously I can't. And having a lack of experience I failed in getting the song going on. The whole jam ended in a deplorable mood. We had dinner after jamming where Jun guided me on how the Bassist and Drums are part of groove and it's their job to be consistent while the lead section which most of the time consist of lead guitarist, vox and keys will be the one producing the magic in the song.


Mr SEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeettttt


Emerson AKA Jun. I dun even know how to call him now.

*Can't find Jane's pic, I dun even have her FB.*

I've learnt a lot that day. I think Jane totally forgot who I am now but Emerson should still have at least a bit of memory on this...

I guess?

Then another fine day, my bro Mr Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet's friend Nika, needed a drummer to complete her Jrock band lineup. Knowing I need experience to level up Mr Seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet recommended me to the band. And thus came out Le Foret.


Nub band

This band called Le Foret, with members Jude, Nika, Moses and Hyde (not the Japan, androgynous one) began to participate in D'J Party. At that time the D'J party was still not as popular and the musicians in it was of rather low level. Believe it or not Le Foret at that time was one of the lousiest band out there. Playing loud and inaudible music which if Takahina listened to now, would scold at.

But still being in Le Foret had got me with an ambition; to play in D'J Party every year. And even though Le Foret was a lousy band, I had fun in that band, so in a sense the band built up a form of camaraderie. That got me to like being in a band as I realized that form of camaraderie can't really be easily obtained elsewhere.

A lot of things happened from then on and I could not manage to join D'J Party every year. Either it's due to band issues, commitment issues, time clashes, lack of bands. But still if I could push for it and there's potential, I would. In the end I only managed to join it with a few other bands at separate years, namely Le Foret in 04, The Unknown in 2007, Child's Play in 2009, Resonance in 2011.


Nub Band acting emo. Yeah I used my JC pic in the band pic, got a prob??


This is like the only pic of The Unknown I could find and it features AHhhhhhh Rong!? WTF?


Huiming was bored in this pic.


Resonance with Jinn being anti-social

In a weird sense though, whenever I applied to join D'J Party, I would be able to enter. So you could say either I'm lucky that I'm in a good band, or not that year's competition is relatively easy.

This year was the same, I had 2 bands pushing to join in D'J Party namely Marukyu and Resonance. Due to D'J Party being 10 years old this year, the organizers were very stringent in letting bands entering the gig. There was firstly a recording application, followed by an audition, which to me is a first.


You look at them and you'll never think "band". 

The recording application's ending date was very close to the end date of my examinations, so I literally had to scramble to produce a recording for application for Resonance and Marukyu.

Resonance was still somewhat smooth moving as we have been jamming somewhat regularly. Despite having a change of lineup to the band members and songlist, the song that we prepared for the recording we had played before, so it wasn't too much of a problem.

However for Marukyu, the band hadn't even jammed once! Although some of us such as Robbin and Ting Zhi and me played together before, Vox Rika is jamming for the first time and Adelene is playing with all of us except for Ting Zhi for the first time. For us to produce a decent recording for a song is almost impossible for an amateur band. Amazingly we pulled through and within 2 hours of jamming, we sent our recording to D'J Party.

Both Resonance and Marukyu got through the recording stages. Next up was the audition phrase at Shiin Studio on the 2nd June. There were hick-ups for both bands but still in a sense our performance is satisfactory.

I received news on 11th June that both Resonance and Marukyu were rejected for D'J Party. :/

At that point of time I can feel some sort of dejection for both bands. Resonance was a band then had struggled and trained hard for the audition while Marukyu was a very promising band with a very good set of line up. For us to get out of the gig now, could be said as a great disappointment. Hence 11th June, is one of the worse Mondays of 2012.

I understand though it simply comes as the band being a weaker band... but then I can't help but feeling, "so lousier bands shouldn't be allowed a place to perform, then how we improve?"



and secondly who decides what band is good or not? This is very similar to many talent shows out there, simply put its like asking,


You suck, as always.

"What makes Simon Cowell worthy to judge whether a singer is good or not?"

or


F-king Smart.

"What makes Epic Meal Time worthy to judge that whether a Bacon Flip is well done or not?"

A lot of gigs in recent times requires the band to go through a series of audition before we can actually be allowed to perform. So it's equal to saying that as long as your band sucks, you can't perform... which can work in both ways:

1. You will strive hard to make the band work harder with a new founded sense of purpose coming from nowhere.
2.  Your band sucks, just accept it and quit the band.

Well of course if your band can enter scenario 1, good for you. But it takes an already founded sense of commitment and friendship in the band for them to be able to go through the transition period that easily. Also the truth has already hit you that "hey you suck...",  it's not that easy for any musicians, no matter how prideful or prideless aka NO PRIDE to get through that kinda period easily.

When the news kicked in, I immediately responded by putting in those encouraging kind of messages in for both bands in Whatsapp. Of course it can only help for just a bit and it's obvious the morale for both Resonance and Marukyu is low now. 

Then again, you look at the organizer's point of view. It's not that they purposely want to cause this kind of dejection, but they can only allow a limited amount of performers into for a performance and no one would want a lousy band up there, so they have to hold auditions to see who's good enough to go. Then seriously who's the better judge? For such a low budget event it can only be done by a committee of fellow musicians who are considered one of the top few in the circle; after all they are the ones putting in money and effort in it! If you are not happy, you hold your own D'J party event!


Flip ah flip!

Ultimately it's understandable, not everyone would be happy with the decisions made by a person, especially when it involves disappointment after much effort and time. Therefore there should be no finger pointing or outlandish insulting comments done to anyone. Don't blame PAP for everything also, they never do anything wrong.

Anyways, there's another gig for Japanese bands coming up if I'm not wrong; Jam Fest by AMG.

Resonance and Marukyu interested? ;)

The Re-Blogging Takahina - 2012 Week 23

Here I am sitting at the office table of my 1 week old new job, re-starting my blog. Now that I think of it, it's quite amazing how someone like me who used to blog weekly can all of a sudden stopped blogging altogether.

It's amazingly.... easy. And that scares me, outright.

I had a little ambition in the past and that is to have my blog achieve high viewership standards, so as to enable possible advertisements and earning meager income from it. The financial course I attended at Adam Khoo mentioned before, by doing something that you enjoy regularly and being able to earn income from it, it makes being financially secure so much more easy.

True enough. I enjoy blogging and if every blogpost I write earns me as little as even 10 cents, I'll be continuously spending time and writing all the way till now. Now I know why there are gamers who endlessly play MMORPG grinding their way to financial freedom. Even right now I last heard from one of my brothers, Stacey that people are starting to sell items in Diablo 3. Diablo 3 just got released a few weeks ago and people are starting to earn their $70 back. The best thing is? They enjoy it!

How about me? Sitting at my desk writing a blog after almost a year because I have nothing to do. Well at least for now I have nothing to do because my system isn't exactly ready for me to use. If it's up, who knows how busy I can get.

So, what does blogging mean to me?

A means of earning money? I had thought of coming up with a food review blog, hence you see me taking so many pictures of food now and then. But then it hasn't really come up anyways after several oppositions from several friends (I'm referring to you Serene har har har).

A means of expressing myself? Maybe, I seem to be able to express myself explicitly about many issues for the past few years such as the GE 2011. But then I found it quite risky to let everyone know what I think about issues openly, imagine if I say I support PAP, the next thing I know I may be on hardwarezone.com's forum. You can ask me and I'll answer truthfully, but I'm starting to see there's no point in advertising what I feel about things.

So what is it exactly? I'm not too sure myself too now since I can so easily forgo it for the past year.

Lazy Takahina... Lazy.

To say that I haven't blogged because school is busy is an excuse. To say that it's due to my commitments it an excuse. It's impossible I can't find few hours in a whole week to come out with a proper post. I guess the only way to say is that I'm losing my inspiration to write.

In the past when I'm not happy about stuff, I have the inspiration to comment and blog about it. This makes me happy and the attention that comes to my blog lets me bask in happiness. Especially when my blogpost can hit comments of up to like 20+ in the past, I become hyperventilating.

~~*_* '~~

And yet again, I don't dare to let everyone in the world know about how I feel, so I don't dare to put it up on Facebook Notes. It's far too public for my liking. So it's kind of like a dilemma within me. This dilemma eventually caused me to lose motivation and inspiration. Slowly I let go of blogging, to the extent I forgot what my password is.

To be frank, I'm blogging again right now because I don't want to totally lose my writing skills, plus encouragement from Serene who is part of the MAS's Unemployment Statistics and Desmond the Celebrity Dog Groomer endorsed by the Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan. But who am I kidding, partly it's also cause I'm bored. How long will this drive inside me continue I have no idea, how long will I be so "free" in the office I have no idea (BTW, it's not that I want to be restless at work, but it's cause I simply don't have access to relevant systems I need to work!) I'll try to blog as often as possible such as once a week. If not maybe after some big event and I have things that I want to express.

Regardless please bare with me as I restart myself. Especially now since I have officially graduated and that now I'm in a new phrase of life, let the blogging begin!

The Once Again Returning Takahina?

It's taking me about almost a year since my previous post which was made on the 30th July 2011.

yeah, freaking 2011.

Wat happened to someone like me who used to love blogging so much? I used to like to speak trash all the time, and then now I actually stopped trash talking for almost a year? Woah. That simply just doesn't seem Takahinistic at all. But then again, writing has been one of my favourite hobbies ever and I doubt I can ever put it away for life. So I'm risking my life now writing this during work, of course I only do it when I'm free, which is for this current period of time when I'm still under "training".

I doubt I'll be posting very often either, since time is not really on my side now.

It's been a year and what has changed? Quite a lot essentially. A whole big bunch of my life has changed since last time I wrote... well not entirely. But I'm proud to say that I'm now in my next phrase of life. The Working Phrase.

Before I get to that though, a shoutout to WHOEVER still reads this. Post a comment below to let me know k? So I know at least who still reads and I will write stuff that I can may entertain you if possible (or if I feel like it). For now, that's all. Lunch Break now :D

The Takahina who is in lack of support

Hi guys, it's me Takahina again.

It has been around... 4-5 months since I last blogged. No real reasons why I stopped blogging, I was just plain lazy.

But then again, it's not just me who stopped regular blogging, other than the really well known bloggers like Xiaxue, most bloggers I know around me either stopped blogging, or simply resorted to others means like tweeting or facebooking. Emotions and feelings can be expressed in many other ways and blogging has simply gone out of trend.

Blogging started getting popular when I was in my secondary school days. Blogspot, myspace etc were really hot at that time and people just stalked other people's blog. Yes, you young twerps borned in the 90s, we stalked people in www.blogspot.com, not www.facebook.com.

Then thanks to more prolific bloggers like Xiaxue (sorry I kept using her, because she is indeed the more well-known bloggers in my time) and Maddock, we blog with a sense of expressing our thoughts in our own style. In a sense this was also how this blog came about, a station for Takahina to express his own thoughts.

Now, blogging is outdated. Not to blame anyone but I guess blogging has lost it's support. All bloggers who blog, would in a sense hope people would read and comment, if not for no reason we would write it out in a public space for everyone to see. If we didn't want to, it would have been a private blog. So with a lack of support, it's not easy to see why normal bloggers like you and me to become lazy to update their blogs.

I can say I'm lazy, at the same time I can also say there is no people supporting blogging, so I'm not writing. In fact, most of my blog posts were seen on Facebook where I linked my updates in this blog to my profile. So seriously, why do I even bother posting on thetruetakahina.blogspot.com? I might as well just update on Facebook.com

Link this to another incident which I spotted online. Inch Chua, a local musician speaking out her mind on the lack of local support for musicians.



Blogging is a small thing, it doesn't involve that much commitment and money. Just some time of yours here and there. But music is different and I can understand her frustration in Singapore.

This is the reason why sub-cultures can't last in Singapore: The lack of support. Be it blogging, cosplay, music, arts, sports etc. None of them can last if it's not being supported. I'm not blaming the government on this one, I'm blaming Singaporeans on this one. Being a local musician, I feel so very dejected many times to receive the lack of support from my friends and family. I have already blogged before on this issue about arts not being able to grow and flourish in Singapore due to lack of support and I can't emphasize enough the important of people's mentality to change in Singapore. Whatever I want to say and rant about, Miss Inch Chua has very aptly wrote all about it.

If I could, I would love to play my drums everyday and be a professional musician. But like so many other local musicians out there we simply either forgo or postpone that dream of ours.

Few friends of mine have managed to go in their own way such as:

Elyzia



and Edwin Toh



Elyzia kept pushing and pushing to get to where they are today as a indie Singapore Chinese band and performs on a regular basis in gigs in various countries.

Edwin is a good friend of mine whom is studying music overseas in hope to further his musician career.

However, not to pour cold water to them and those who are already trying very hard in this... After this stint in your music path, where could you go? How many bands or artist wannabes here managed to make it big? Unless we resort to commercialism, we really can't manage to make it big. People like Stef Sun no doubt is good, but she's one of those few far in between who managed to steer along with the path of marketing. Go away from that and you will eventually be missing the mark.

However much, that is music. Let talk about something else.

I've recently attended some investment talk and 1 thing that the people told me there is that, never to spread and tell everyone about what you may be doing. True enough, because for whatever things you are doing there will be resistance from people along the way. If people support you that will be great... however most of the time you will realize the resistance that affect you the most would be the 2 person who gave birth to you.

Singapore may be a financial hub and one of the only few countries left in the world with a 3A credit rating, which makes us a big shot. 15% of Singaporeans are millionaires in their own right, 40% of the people out there would have done investments but didn't succeed anywhere. The other 45% are people who would tell you not to invest because of all the heresay they have heard.

Don't talk about the 15%, but the other 85%. 40% of the people will tell a newcoming investor their own experiences and dissuade you from doing this or that. That can affect you a lot. An investment that may not be good for them, may be good for you due to your risk profile, so no one in their own rights can tell you what to do, because ultimately they won't know whether it's the best choice for you. The only way for you to find that out would be for you to experiment it before you will know. That's the risk that comes along.

45% of those who don't invest are worse. They just dissuade you from doing it whole... which affects a newcomer Investor's mentality a lot. They may not know it but words spoke can affect people's thinking to a great effect. Just a "huh, why you do that??" from a parent can make you doubt your actions and in the end stop it all. The lack of support from people around you affects you to a big extent, an extent that most of us won't realize at all.

That is the reason why most of the 15% won't tell people much about how they do it, because support is lacking and wrong decisions may be made from that aura eluded by people.

So must it be that, for us to gain support the only way is to do as the social norm does? I truly hope that is not the case.

Social norms will only keep on manifesting itself to remain as such. A social norm that doesn't change will only be outdated when faced with the situations that happen globally. For a world right now that is so open with almost every issue under the world, the society should be receptive for things that is beyond the norm rather than being resistant. For a country like Singapore to remain so negative towards culture, arts etc, anything that isn't a 9-5pm job and education beyond those that we know of, we are seriously outdated. We may be improving, for someone like Inch Chua to make a post about her emotions on music is already a sign that we have people like her in Singapore who is willing to step out of the norm.

Inch Chua made the right move of going overseas. This is also a reason why so many people are emigrating out of Singapore. For Takahina, I want to do things that I want to do but should I go overseas? I don't know seriously. Should I even continue blogging now that there's almost no one else I know who blogs regularly? I don't know...

The Politically Economical Takahina

Hi there everyone, this is Takahina, attempting to talk about the just recently passed Singapore GE.

You may be thinking why I decide to only talk about it now, after the GE and not before. Reasons simple, I do not want to affect people's choice whatsoever, I don't belong to any party and therefore I do not have a responsibility to alter anybody's decision, neither do I want to. I'm not saying as if I'm a very persuasive person, neither do I have very strong points.

I live in Tampines, so the parties in my GRC would be PAP's Mah Bow Tan and NSP's Goh Meng Seng. Almost everyone in Singapore hates Mah Bow Tan, however that "everyone" did not really include me. In a sense, Mah Bow Tan's fail policy didn't affect me, it affected my brother, affected my friends, but not me. I didn't intend to buy houses then, I don't intend to buy houses now. However, how Mah Bow Tan has managed Tampines is not fail. From a Tampinesian point of view, MBT (Mah Bow Tan) didn't do a bad job of handling Tampines. For Tampines having 3 shopping centres, having excellent infrastructure etc, Tampines was not badly handled, in fact it was well handled. Whether it was handled well by MBT or PAP or not handled by any of them is one thing, but one thing is for sure in that, I have nothing against PAP in my GRC.

2 points that got me to vote against PAP (Ok I said it), is firstly how notorious MBT is. My family and friends, either living in or out of Tampines were deftly against MBT. So in a sense, it got me quite pumped up to vote him out of Tampines.

Another point is that simply, I felt that we needed more oppositions in parliament. That's all. I have always felt that we need oppositions in parliament but not majority to overtake PAP because given PAP's achievements be it in the past or current such as the economic crisis, they have been good. I don't expect the opposition to win much in the first place, neither do I think their results will be worse than before, it's just a matter of lose how much. Therefore I voted for opposition.

However, do not get me wrong, I didn't think the opposition is good. In fact I think NSP failed in this election, especially for GMS (Goh Meng Seng). NSP didn't do much to Tampines. NSP's main news was in Marine Parade where Nicole Seah was fighting Goh Chok Tong. Please do not think Nicole Seah is fighting Tin Pei Lin and give that Kate Spade a break yeah?

Hello, NSP (National Solidarity Party, not Nicole Seah Party), this is a Tampinesian speaking and you may wanna listen up. I'm sure people have already criticized you for this and I'm gonna criticize your ass too. If you GMS came over to Tampines and did like 1 or 2 rallies, do a bit more walkabout in the heartlands or central area, promote a bit more about your party and yourself, maybe we Tampinesians will know who the hell are you and why you wanna kick MBT's ass. And then maybe, you can easily win over Tampines from PAP, who is handled by MBT, WHO by the way is a greatly hated personality in Singapore.

Why PAP won in Tampines, and not NSP is your mistake GMS, for not focusing on Tampines and insist on helping your Nicole. Tampines people DON'T FEEL YOU. And similarly, not everyone in Tampines reads facebook, so you better don't expect a "confirm win" situation in Tampines, the older people, the uninformed people and the PAP supporters will vote for PAP, because you didn't inform them of what and who you are. Imagine Tampines people hearing Raymond Lim say "Tampines is already very developed, let us look at the big picture for Singapore." Congratulations, Mr Lim you just threw away 5% of your votes. For people who didn't understand your point, they would have thought you're just gonna heck care Tampines and think you're a little biatch.

Ah-hem, ok I have enough of scolding. Anyways MBT has retired, so GMS and guys you all can work much harder now to get Tampines if PAP appoints a better leader with better caliber for Tampines. So you better pray the new Tampines GRC leader, Heng Swee Keat is lousy... :/

Ok, so during the elections, you can kinda see my dilemma, to vote for PAP or NSP because PAP had the infamous MBT and NSP did NOTHING.

Well... NSP didn't exactly do NOTHING, before the rallies IN OTHER REGIONS OF SINGAPORE started, they already sent brochures around to every house. PAP on the otherhand had someone walked over and house visit, but too bad for them I'm not home. Choose a weekend to do it when people would actually BE AT HOME and not working. You expect us to take leave and wait for you to come ah?

Inside the NSP brochure with the logo "Your Voice, Your Choice", it was filled with the introduction of NSP and the candidates bio. I read through them, felt it was normal... everything was quite normal until I got to the Manifesto Page.



Because during the GE, I was having exams... in particular Economics exams. So I was super intrigued when I see the various things they said or claim to do. Therefore Takahina, will infer and explain on what each things the NSP said to do would effect to, imagine this whole thing to be a 100% economics essay question. This is not from a professional point of view, just a economic student who is in no ways an expert in the topic, just that I like econs. Huat my life. (Yes this is one of the "revision" I did for my Macroeconomics exam)

...........................................................................

1st point under Economic Growth Model:

PAP:
- Large influx of foreigners leads to higher GDP growth, higher demand for housing, servicing and goods

NSP:
- Grow the foreign labour force at a reasonable pace
- Continue to allow work permits for industries unpopular with Singaporeans
- Reduce mid-skilled foreign workforce
- Priority to Singaporeans in employment

PAP's move is very straightforward under the GDP growth, increase population which will lead to an increase in consumption, investment, which will then aggregate demand and thus GDP. In a sense it also increases our overall workforce and thus increase aggregate supply in theory sense.

NSP's however, is to cut down the pace that foreign labour is being brought in, so in other words slowing down the whole increase of GDP. Allow work permits for unpopular industries so they can still operate, reduce mid-skilled foreign workforce, priority to Singaporeans in employment so that Singapore graduates and citizens would have more available jobs instead of competition from foreign workers.

I did stated before in a post long ago, that I found PAP's pace of GDP being too fast, and the after-effect came true. PAP's direct way of increasing demand is faster than the increase in supply. Increase in workforce is meant to increase productivity, however under diminishing marginal returns, that may not always be the case. Companies may not increase productivity, companies may eat in the profit due to the increase in demand rather than "distributing" it to the people. Price rigidity takes place and price may not go down even though supply has increase. Therefore now we face the problem of inflation.

Further on, with the effect of supply shock like lack of oil and increasing food cost overseas, the effect of increase in workforce may be overshadowed by this.

Also, needless to say foreign workers take over our jobs as they are willing to accept lower wages, which overall pushes down the whole wage rate. With inflation and decreasing wage rate, its obvious to see why everyone is angry.

NSP's approach is the more practical one, grow it at a reasonable pace so GDP doesn't over-inflate. Allow work permits for industries unpopular is reasonable as well as industries, if without workers can't exist, without these industries Singapore won't be able to exist as well. (So, everyone when you see Bangla or Ah Tiongs or Malaysians or anyone doing work that you won't do, please thank them.)

Reducing mid-skilled foreign workforce and giving priority to Singaporeans, these however seems to slide more into the line for gaining popularity votes. Reducing mid-skilled foreign workforce doesn't mean you will help increase wage rates. Giving Singaporeans priority doesn't mean they can get employed, it depends more on the company on whether they still want to get foreign workers or not. Unless NSP is able to give in some policies that forces companies to choose Singaporeans and ensures the companies won't leave Singapore, the situation will not change.

I rather, the government gives subsidies to students for maybe universities or school fees so everyone can get relatively good education. These makes them more able to compete in the job market, forcing companies to choose either better quality productivity, or lower wage rate.

Outcome: NSP win marginally, cause they saw the need to regulate foreign labour, unlike that of PAP's.

2nd point under Economic Growth Model:

PAP:
- Built 2 casinos to spur economic growth and set up National Council on Problem Gambling to deal with the damage to families caused by Gambling.

NSP:
- Pursue economic growth with due regards to social impact
- Focus on wage growth rather than GDP growth
- Grow the income of the lower and middle income
- Support growth of local SMEs

Right from the start when PAP agree to build the Casinos, I felt it's a good idea. Give and take, the advantages of having the Casinos far far outweighs the disadvantages of having a Casino. Gambling is and has already been a problem in Singapore, without a Casino, people can still go on Cruises and Genting to gamble, if they want to gamble, they will gamble and no one can stop them.

Building 2 casinos, firstly prevents local money from flowing overseas and enables Singapore currency to remain fairly strong, secondly able to tax the gamblers openly, thirdly you build up so much more jobs and income for people to work. Socially you make Singapore more "entertaining", so tourism will go up and in a warped sense, culture goes up. What is wrong about it?

Pursuing economic growth with due regards to social impact is in all sense, correct. But in regards to Casino, it doesn't prove it's effectiveness. Go ahead and close down the 2 casinos, riots in Singapore will start, with the people who lose their jobs in the service sector for the casinos, followed by the people who invested in Marina Bay Sands and Sentosa Resort. The gamblers would be off elsewhere gambling and couldn't careless. Put up a survey, and see how many local hardcore gamblers actually frequent MBS and RWS, my bet is majority still prefers to go Genting.

Focusing on wage growth, grow the income of lower and middle income, say is easy, how would you do it? Set a minimal wage? Subsidy companies for increasing employee's pay? Setting a minimal wage will deter companies to come to Singapore to invest, subsidizing companies for wages will bankrupt the national reserves and increase our taxes.

Supporting the growth of local SMEs however is notably good. It increases overall market and supply and will lead to a drop in inflation. People will also be more encourage to start out business and employ more people. Unemployment rate drops, wage rates will go up due to lack of labour, supply increase and real GDP will increase.

Outcome: PAP win marginally, because the effect of having a casino imo has been one of their "good" decisions for the past few years. NSP trying to argue on this point does not impress me.


Lao Lee is not impressed either.

Overall outcome: NSP wins, cause simply PAP failed in their foreign labour policy and neglected in regulating it. It's always fine to get more foreign labours in and Singaporeans welcome them. But, PAP didn't regulate at all and allowed all types of cats and dogs in, anything can be done, but at a sustainable and manageable rate. Fully opening the floodgates and letting them swarm in, is an epic fail policy for me.

Under Government Expenditure:

PAP:
- FY11 health care budget unchanged at $4b as compared to FY10
- FY11 transport budget decreases by $0.6b to $4b as compared to FY10

NSP:
- Increase funding for healthcare to reduce the burden and waiting time on Singaporeans
- Increase number of hospital beds to cater to a growing and greying population
- More investments in public transport.

This is a difficult one to judge on. In one hand, PAP didn't change much of their budget regarding this 2 issues, NSP wants to increase both of it. So in this case I'm gonna tackle on NSP first.

NSP wants to increase funding here there and everywhere. Simple question, where do you get the $$? I don't agree to casually withdrawing money from the national reserves and I don't agree on occuring huge amount on unneeded debts. Deficit in Government Budget means they need to get more money from the money sector. Increase in money demand, interest rates will increase and GDP will fall. SMEs won't be able to grow properly, net exports, investments and consumption will fall on all accounts, so you may be screwing up your own plans on other areas.

So now the question is this, is there a real need to increase these funding? We have to look into the question of how PAP funds their healthcare and transport. If you ask me I don't really see a need to increase funds for transport, because our transport is already one of the best in the world, the current funding of $4b imo is fine. For health care though it shouldn't drop in any sense, so PAP may wanna look into it figures again.

On the otherhand, certain issues for healthcare like waiting time can be solved from within, such as management and handling of the various wards etc, there isn't really that much a need for an increment in funding to such issues.

Outcome: Neither wins, draw. Cause both sides didn't really show their point for their actions at all.

1st point under Housing Policy

PAP:
- Market-driven pricing for new HDB flats

NSP:
- Government to sell new HDC flats at cost-plus for first time buyers

This is almost a given for NSP. Market-driven for HDB flats will screw up people who want to buy houses and this is the system that led Uncle Mah to be one of the most hated people in Singapore. Demand for housing will only increase and naturally that will push up housing prices. Supply for houses can never increase faster than demand for houses.

Outcome: NSP wins hands down

2nd point under Housing Policy

PAP:
- BTO system

NSP:
- Build more HDB flats to support growing population
- Shorter waiting time

Personally, I don't know much about the BTO system, people told me a lot but somehow I can't seem to really install it in my mind. Building more HDB has already been done by PAP, so it's kinda a similar point on both sides. Whether the waiting time would be shorter or not remains to be seen. It's a matter of whether is it the BTO system that is increasing waiting time, or simply just the management of HDB themselves.

Outcome: Draw, due to me not knowing BTO well enough. :/

3rd point under Housing Policy

PAP:
- HDB upgrading linked to votes

NSP:
- Upgrading delinked from votes
- National interests must outrank party interest

Once again, PAP has cut themselves with their own shit. By openly setting that upgrading is linked to votes, it kinds of enrages the equality people... well it will kind of anger most people and the only saving grace is the sentiment, "WE HAVE TO VOTE FOR PAP IF NOT NO UPGRADING!" With the nature of Singaporeans now, that sentimental is uncommon.

National interests on all accounts should definitely outrank party interest, but then how easily can that be done? On many accounts national interest WILL conflict with party interest, even if NSP is in power in the future, can they ensure that?

Outcome: NSP, because PAP did the dumb thing of OPENLY saying that upgrading is link to votes. I know it's linked to votes, but don't admit it la...

4th point under Housing Policy

PAP:
- Allow PRs to buy HDB

NSP:
- Impose restriction of PRs selling their HDB flats to curb speculation.

NSP wins, unlike some opinion I hear on the net, I think it's unfair if you totally restrict PRs from buying HDB and just limiting it to Singaporeans. However if you restrict them buying for the purpose of selling, then it makes all sense. However, how about Singaporeans who themselves buy HDB for the purpose of reselling and profiting? Restrict them as well?

Outcome: NSP wins. For having a feasible and logical social policy.

Overall outcome: NSP wins. Because MBT did a lousy job on housing policies, NSP totally took advantage of it.

Under GST

PAP:
- Raised GST from 5% to 7% to help the poor

NSP:
- Reduce GST from 7% to 5% to help all citizens, especially the poor
- Exempt basic necessities from GST

You will realize 2 very conflicting policies. 1 increase GST to help poor. 1 decreases GST to help poor. Why both are claimed to be helping the poor but done in an opposite manner?

First if I may, I try to explain PAP's position. GST affects people who buy stuff and the more expensive you buy, the more you get taxed. The poor people obviously cannot buy much, so the GST taxed on them is minimal. On the otherhand the rich people who buy stuff, like a big party on weekend will get charged gao gao like $20-$30 for a standard $200-$300 expenditure. The money taxed will then form up the budget for the government to give out rebates, money, pension etc to the poor and needy. So it's a Robin Hood action, steal from rich, give to poor.

On the manifesto they stated on how much PAP has given to the poor, which is around 1/3 of the total GST collected.

NSP on the other hand is trying to reduce GST for a very simple purpose, you make things cheap so everyone benefits including the poor but not the government.

Both are reasonable arguments. So for this case I won't be standing on the sides of the poor or rich, but for the middle sandwiched class in which I feel is getting the pain of it all.

PAP's resolve of stealing the rich and helping the poor is a very standard approach. For the middle class however, they would be crying out loud (COL). Because we bear the grunt of the GST as we do spend. However, we are not very rich as well so we would appreciate some rebates etc but we get SHIT. Middle class would love the drop in GST.

NSP thought of reducing GST, that will greatly help the middle class and the rich. However for the poor, the effects are very much limited. In the first place, the poor don't pay much for GST, how do you charge 7% from a plate of chicken rice? 7% of $2.50 is... $0.17?? Chicken rice seller also mafan finding so much change for you. The poor also won't go out party or buy really expensive stuff. However getting extra $ from government would certainly help them. So NSP's claim of reducing GST to help citizens, ESPECIALLY the poor is flawed. You don't help the poor significantly.

Exempting GST from necessities is naturally good. Decreasing GST is naturally good. However if you remove GST, where would you find money for your budget. As I've stated before you need $ for the Government Budget and you don't expect the reserves to be like an eternal ATM because it isn't. Until NSP can actually solve a way to get more budget to replace the budget loss from all these decrease in tax, it will not be practical.

Outcome: I can't believe I'm saying this, but PAP wins. Because NSP's resolution is not precise and it's flawed. I being in the middle class will get sandwiched. Regardless, 7% is enough so PAP please don't increase any further... even though I reasoned out for you guys to up it. ><

1st point under Political Leadership

PAP:
- Large salaries and bonuses for politicians to compensate for their sacrifices and to prevent corruption

NSP:
- Groom political leaders who are motivated by passion to serve the public
- Cut ministerial salaries from current levels and then peg their growth to national wage growth

Seriously, I have no idea where PAP came with the idea of "hey lets' up our own pay so we don't get corrupted and can attract people into this politics thing." Obviously they haven't been in the local heartlands enough to know that it's not all about the money. True, having a good pay is good. But they is no need for such a HIGH pay that wins Obama. What you wanna show? Obama one day quit his USA presidency and join PAP?? Obama for PAP!!!

Outcome: NSP. Obviously omg.

2nd point under Political Leadership.

PAP:
- Insufficient talents in politics

NSP:
- Widen the definition of talents beyond high income earners or graduates from elite universities.

NSP has struck a very major point with this point. If you notice, the opposition does have people from ITE, can't speak well etc and well Singaporeans seem to be quite unapproving of them. Let's just take Tin Pei Ling for example, TPL may not know how to speak well, may not know how to react correctly and think about Kate Spade whole day, but maybe she does really love Singapore and really wants to do her part for Singapore?

PAP's politicians has all been glorified with either this Masters, or that PHD or whatever certificate that they have. Once again I'll say again, Paper Education doesn't prove anything and that means for politics as well. Having a PHD in political studies doesn't automatically makes you an excellent politician.

That is the sad truth about politics, in that it's POLITICS. Politicians HAVE to know how to speak, when to speak and what to speak, something like what Nicole Seah has. Politicians will need certain skills that can accelerate their political route such as etiquette and literacy prowess.

Having the heart to serve the country is needed for a politician, having both the heart and skills of being a politician is even much more rarer. So we'll have to wait and see for the future years to come on whether any politician with such attributes will appear.

Outcome: NSP marginally, because they look beyond Paper Education, however they disregarded the "skills" needed in being a politician.

3rd point under Political Leadership

PAP:
- Bloated number of political appointment

NSP:
- Downsize the number of political appointments

1st question to PAP, why do you need so much political appointments? 2nd question to NSP, what is wrong with having a large amount of political appointments?

I play Romance of the 3 Kingdom, and 1 priority action that I always do is to recruit, recruit and more recruit. Maybe PM Lee needs more opinions? Maybe he needs more segregation to handle Singapore's political situation or the whole development of Singapore overall? IMO, it is never wrong to have more people assisting you, as long as you always hold a certain trusted and capable group in grasp, the few number of people under you would not be a problem.

So to me, my main problem is with NSP on why do they want to downsize the political appointment?

Outcome: PAP win. Because NSP once again proposed something without any explanation whatsoever.

Overall outcome: NSP, mainly due to PAP's fail policy of increasing their own pay. INCREASING THEIR OWN PAY. I would do that too if I can decide my own pay. :/

Under Defence

PAP:
- Built a large citizen Army to defend Singapore

NSP:
- Downsize the Army and build up Navy and Air Force to defend Singapore
- Reduce National Service to 15months.

NSP is totally hilarious on this one. Firstly, I think NSP need to rethink through it's whole defense scheme again. The Singapore's defense is built up of Army, Navy, Air Force and Police. Because when we go to NS for 2 years this are the 4 possible places we will land in.

Most people go through Army, mainly because it's cheapest to develop among the 4. For Navy and Air Force crews, you will require higher positions and higher education because the things they learn is of another level and the responsibility they hold is higher. I'm sure you have heard how much is cost to develop a pilot in Singapore, so you sure it's so easy to just UPSIZE the navy and air force? You think PAP don't wanna do it too? lolll... If countries can easily UPSIZE defence force, Germany would have won WW2 and we'll all be speaking in Japanese now.

Reducing national service to 15 months is preposterous. Who's votes you wanna win, the young twerps that haven't went through NS and can't vote? Or the older generation who already finished a much harder NS. Reducing NS to 15month is obviously trying to win votes of the younger generation, but it will bring you NOTHING because most of them are too young to vote, you will instead gain the wrath of the Lao Jiao Peng and they won't vote for you cause you fail.

Seriously, 2 years is just nice. Don't increase or decrease it already please.


LJP (Lao Jiao Peng) 3SG Desmond Chan Wai Lun is gonna bring the thunder to you.

Outcome: PAP wins hands down. For some reasons, PAP has never really fail at defense.

So in total, who would have won under Takahina's amateur economical elaborate and analysis?

Economic Growth Model: N
Government Expenditure: D
Housing Policy: N
GST: P
Political Leadership: N
Defence: P

NSP wins in the end. Marginally though as it's a draw under Government Expenditure.

PAP's lost, mainly comes from big fail policies, namely the foreign labour influx and MBT's housing policy (Say thank you to MBT), and increasing their own minister's pay. And not surprisingly, it's these 3 points that Singaporeans have been angry about. Other than solving this 3 problems, NSP other policies kinda didn't make it. So rather than say NSP can do a better show, I would rather say PAP gave it away to the opposition. Kinda like how Arsenal always led the match during the first half and gave it away due to a shitty defence.


Dude, you wanna do something about it?

So, NSP wins. Regardless, for Tampinesians like me, it's still fucked up.


Yup you said it right Lao Peng...