The Voice of a Citizen

Ylon Schwartz!

2009-02-23T20:24:00.007+08:00

If you're wondering what's with the title of this post, no, I have not gone crazy and anagrammed some other weird name for myself (or anyone, for the matter).

Here's the lowdown on Ylon Schwartz from Wikipedia:

Ylon Schwartz (born c. 1970) is a chess master and professional poker player from Brooklyn, New York, and a fourth place finisher in the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em Main Event of the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP), played on November 9, 2008. Prior to the Main Event, Schwartz had 11 career WSOP cashes and plays poker professionally online under the screen name "TenthPlanet"

As a teenager, Schwartz saw streetside chess games in Manhattan's Times Square, and won two dollars playing his first game. He was soon a regular, hustling $100 per day playing chess against passersby. Schwartz reached a peak rating of 2408 United States Chess Federation, and as of 2008 his rankings stood at 2304 from the USCF and 2259 from FIDE. He has attained the title of FIDE Master with a ranking above 2300.

Schwartz grew up as an only child in the New York City borough of Manhattan. A self-described uninspired student, he left the Borough of Manhattan Community College, having failed out of the school after a year. He took a number of jobs after flunking out of college. It was as a public school special education assistant that he started playing chess for a few dollars on the side. He soon devoted full-time to gambling on backgammon, chess, darts and horses.

An inveterate gambler, Schwartz made $340 from passersby on wagers that he would be able to throw a lemon across a street onto the top of a Burger King restaurant on the other side. Schwartz had practiced the throw the previous night and knew he could win the bets.

Schwartz was introduced to Texas hold 'em by Fat Nick, a fellow backgammon player. Schwartz entered a pair of poker tournaments at a club run by Fat Nick in 2000, winning both and walking away with $12,000 and a new passion.

Schwartz has drawn comparisons between his tournament experience as a ranked chess master, noting that many of the skills he needed to succeed in chess are useful in poker and that the memory skills needed in chess transfer to retaining details on betting patterns of opponents needed to win in poker. He also pointed out that chess strategy provides excellent preparation for knowing when to time bets to prevent other players from folding when he has a good hand. Schwartz observed that the two games share the geometric relationships between the pieces on the chessboard and those connecting the cards and chip stacks of fellow poker players, while recognizing that chess is a game of complete information, in contrast to poker.

Schwartz's mother was diagnosed with cancer, and he spent much of his time in his twenties caring for her and taking her to doctor appointments until her death in 2003. Ylon Schwartz's father, Neil, had left the family when Ylon was two years old. Neil made a number of attempts to contact Ylon over the years but it never worked out. The last time Ylon heard from his father was in the making the 2008 WSOP final table and Ylon refused to speak to him. His father remarried and now lives in New Mexico.

As of 2008, his total lifetime live poker tournament winnings exceed $4,000,000. Prior to Schwartz making it to the main table at the 2008 World Series of Poker, his biggest WSOP win was three years earlier at the 2005 World Poker Finals in the No-Limit Hold'em $500 buy-in event, in which his third place finish brought him a payout of $49,960.

On November 10, 2008, Schwartz was eliminated after going all in against Peter Eastgate and ending the tournament in fourth place, earning $3,774,974.

Why am I blogging about a gambler? Is it because of the IR? Is it because I encourage gambling? Is it because he has a weird first name?

No, it's because this guy illustrates my point of how flawed education can be, how a dropout and a seeming failure in life can actually be this really smart guy.

I mean, look at him. On top of being a chess master and world poker finalist, he somehow managed to correlate playing chess and gambling make it sound complex yet understandable at the same time.

And I assure you it takes more than any jack-on-the-street to do what he did.

Ylon isn't only just an ace on the poker table or on the chess board, he's also street-smart too. How else would he be able to make $340 by simply throwing a lemon onto the roof of a Burger King? It would take a bit more than normal sweet-talking to convince white-collared intellectual New-Yorkers to wager with him on simply throwing a lemon onto a BK roof. Pretty amazing, eh.

Plus, he's probably more human than all those people with high IQ slaving their lives away in university. I doubt any high-flyer will give up the prime of their lives taking care of a parent. But Ylon did, spending most of his 20s taking care of his mother.

Of course I don't mean that all hobos out there are really smart, and all the collegiate bookworms are heartless people.

It just proves that degree-holders may be the cleverest people out there, but there's always a college dropout who is smart enough to sucker the money off them.

Who's the sucker now?

Elitism: A Myth?

2008-11-05T23:56:00.006+08:00

“If you don’t include your women graduates in your breeding pool and leave them on the shelf, you would end up a more stupid society. So what happens?"

“There will be fewer bright people to support dumb people in the next generation. That’s a problem.”

-From National Day Rally 1983

“We must encourage those who earn less than $200 per month and cannot afford to nurture and educate many children never to have more than two (children),”

“We will regret the time lost if we do not now take the first tentative steps towards correcting a trend which can leave our society with a large number of the physically, intellectually and culturally anaemic.”

-From National Day Rally 1967

Source: http://www.singapore-window.org//sw08/081101ST.HTM

The above quotes are the best I could find. Apparently transcripts from such old National Day Rallies don't exist, since it was behind closed doors, not broadcasted, like how it is currently.

Obviously, the issue of the 'stop-at-two' policy is secondary here. The major point is that our MM Lee meant the birth control policies only for the non-graduates, which he so gracefully termed 'dumb people'. It's grossly reminiscent of something that fits into George Orwell's Animal Farm.

Such courses of actions are an anathema to what Singapore really is about: Meritocracy.

Our leeders have always insisted that Singapore rewards the best of the best, cream of the crop, top of the line. In a way, what MM Lee proposed is to distort the values of meritocracy.

By insisting that the best are offsprings of the best, meritocracy becomes a twisted version of monarchy and nepotism, since the best will inherit the best.

However, a perfect slap to MM Lee's face was when his grandson was born a slightly autistic albino. The child's mother, Wong Ming Yang, allegedly died of heart attack, and the husband, current PM Lee, remarried to current Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching. That's the official version.

The word on the street (however untrue it may be) is that Wong Ming Yang committed suicide because MM Lee was unhappy that she gave birth to a son that was obviously not going to be 'the best', and made PM Lee remarry a fast-rising civil servant for power.

Obviously that was a bit of a far-fetched theory, but had it been in a media circus of a place like Taiwan or Hollywood, the investigative journalism may reveal more than meets the eye.

But what is definitely the factual is the elitism that still exists today.

A few good examples would be from a couple of Ang Mo Kio GRC representatives that are strangely similiar.

Comparing both the Wee Shu Min and Li Hongyi public fracas, we can find lots of eery likeness.

Both are children of big shot politicians (one Wee Siew Kim, one PM Lee Hsien Loong)

Both went to the supposedly 'elite' RJC.

One condemned a 'commoner' for crying out about how tough life is, the other bypassed all chains of command, even emailing the Minister of Defence (thanks to Dad's conatcts) just to complain about a CO.

Both got away with a slap on the wrist. Wee Shu Min's father only reprimanded her. Her only loss was to close down her blog. Li Hongyi was "formally charged and administered a reprimand after a summary trial", even though in other states what he did tantamounted to a court-martial case that would have gotten him fired.

Both parents kept decidedly mum about the entire business. Wee Siew Kim later released a statement condoning his daughter's actions and even praised her, saying "As a parent, I may not have inculcated the appropriate level of sensitivity, but she has learnt a lesson, and it's good that she has learnt it at such an early stage in life.'"

And lastly, both Wee Siew Kim & PM Lee's political career won't be affected by their children's action.

Imagine if Sarah Palin's son in Iraq emailed US Defense Secretary Robert Gates over an officer only getting 10 extra duties for punishment. Palin's political career would be as dead as Achmed.

Another issue is the usage of the term 'graduates' as an equivalent to 'bright people' (see quotes from National Day Rally 1983, where female graduates were used as an equivalent to bright people).

This is a stereotype that has gone on until today, where degree almost equates you with cleverness, which is certainly not true. Granted, a lot of them really are clever, but they aren't smart.

They're just servants entrapped into the system, capable of rote learning, but unable to think for themselves or be creative. Much like a human robot.

Personally, I feel that this is nonsensical. A person's future career can only be justified through a degree. Just this slip of paper can give a much higher pay. What if someone who's really smart, but didn't want to waste his money and years of his life getting buried in books in university?

Would that person be less talented than a degree holder? Certainly so, in the current society, where I've seen and heard many such similiar cases when the smarter, more capable person was not accepted, with a degree holder chosen in favour.

Well, having society filled with the results of non-graduates (stupid people, as MM Lee put it) will only be detrimental to our future generations, as there'll be "fewer bright people to support dumb people".

Is it elitism? I rest my case.

Public Transport Prices Increase AGAIN

2008-10-06T00:02:00.005+08:00

The costs of living has yet gone up another notch. What else would prompt me to return to my writing sojourn?

From October onwards, electrical costs will be up by 21%, public transport costs increase, and all these amid an economy that may fall flat on its face. These policies are rather ridiculous, in my not-so-very-humble opinion.

Take for example, the fare hike (or fare adjustment, as they nicely put it) for public transports, the second hike in a year. Adults have to pay 4 cents more for each ride, but will get 15 cents more transfer rebate (for those of you who don't know, rebate=discount).

A person who transfers a public transport once will get a 7 cents discount, they say, and a person that transfers transport twice will get an 18 cents discount, they say, and the calcuation goes on, getting cheaper for an extra transfer. Supposedly, the costs are cheaper now because of the increase in rebate.

Really confusing, isn't it? I suppose this is a point they use to confund the public so that they can suck more money from us.

They don't give statistics showing whether there are more people taking a direct route or more people transferring, much less giving details on the demographics of each category.

What if an impoverished families take more direct routes because they find jobs that are near their places in the first place, to save money?

And those who transfer are high-income executives forced to turn to public transport because of ERP & oil price increase?

Wouldn't they be taxing the poor and rebating the rich?

The lack of such concrete evidence is the crux of the matter. If SBS is able to come out and prove that they have the correct motives for such ridiculous fare adjustments, I'm sure the public will feel more assured that they can trust further adjustments in the future.

However, the price increase does not seem to stem from the need to improve their services.

Everyone I know seems to have a gripe against SBS. Be it from rude bus captains, buses that drive off without waiting at the stop, or buses that arrive once in 60 minutes (80 minutes, in my case), SBS's service is doing a disservice to their reputation.

Despite adding the IRIS service, which is useful, it does not help when the reply coming back says "Next Bus: 75 minutes, Subsequent Bus: 80". (Yes, I received that message before. I would have taken it down with my camera phone, but the message was in my phone) When the bus arrived 8 minutes later, I was so relieved that I could have relieved myself on the spot.

Obviously, the public transport sector has to account for a lot more now that the nation is turning to them for many reasons. ERP costs, fuel prices, pollution, license revoked, etc. etc.

Without improving to meet the further demands, they might just be the ones to take a hike.

O levels?

2008-01-24T23:48:00.000+08:00

The O level results were released today

It can't help but stir up memories of 2 years ago, when I was in their situation. I can't say I was full of confidence and all when I took my results, because I hardly slept the previous night (although that might be due to the football match I watched at 3am) and I was a bit nervy. Well, more than a bit actually.

After all, it was the culmination of hard work (or non-hard work) I have been toiling through for four years of my life. It was all for this darn slip of paper that ironically might slip me up in my life. Four years of my life, wasted in learning stuff that are now obsolete to me.

If wasn't for the great friends back in secondary school, I would have considered sueing the Ministry of Education for sheer wastage four prime, glorious years of my life.

The means of teaching and evaluating the students in Singapore are just way too myopic, nobody seems to see the big picture. Allow me to paint it so that it's more visible.

All these subjects that are being stuffed down students' throats are just... Disturbing. Honestly, one can do without half of these things taught and live on in a better life.

Students are taught a wide spectrum of subjects, and the way the system evaluates the students expects them to be good at every subject. Anyone who has heard of the phrase "Jack of all trades, master of none" will get what I am trying to say.

Another form of expressing it is saying that the knowledge of the matter itself is secondary, as it can be forced down by rote learning, but what is important is the method by which they learn: through the notion that there is a cast-iron way to get the correct answer.

For instance, a supposedly flexible subject such as English has a standardised method that teachers gives to students to study. No wonder all the flair and creativity has gone missing.

This turns students into supposed 'computers', where a program is installed, and it is ready for use. But Singapore has gone past the age of industrial worksmanship, we need to advance, not only in the industrial-like way, but also in the cultural aspect.

What I propose is that instead of only having logic-based learning in school, where the subjects are like Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Principle of Accounts, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Geography and such, other subjects that focus on the more creative side of life.

Schools can offer a more language-based education, like for example, studying etymology, learning the Germanic or Latin origins of words in different languages, and learning more languages like French, Spanish, Malay. Although some of these are offered now, but they are limited and not encouraged, whereas, in my opinion, they should be promoted and encouraged.

This may seem useless to some, who feel that subjects like chemistry, math and biology will better equip a person for life. For others, who are not inclined towards logic-based subjects as mentioned above, and are thus being deemed as 'failures', such linguistic abilities will be more useful.

Linguistically-inclined people are now being neglected by the education system, with only two languages being encouraged to be taken for O levels. They should be given a chance to learn more on languages than 'useless' subjects such as accounts, as it is more useful for their future careers prospects.

In other words, it's like saying pythogras' theorum is as useful to a journalist as shorthand writing is as useful to a mathematician, and we should offer not only pythogras' theorum in school, but also shorthand writing, so as to take care of everyone, as well as benefiting the community at large.

For Singapore to improve, and as the Prime Minister said during the National Day Rally '07, "we are leaving no one behind", the education system needs to improve to make sure it really does as promised, to advance as a nation.

SBS

2007-11-01T02:30:00.000+08:00

I can't help but be amazed at the Government's ability to keep everything calm as if nothing is wrong despite all the disapprovements by the public.

Of course, there's the easy excuse that Singaporeans are exponents in complaining and ignore the fact that there is a basis for the complaints.

Yes, the previous couple of paragraphs were fabricated out of thin air to validate my right to complain too.

There has been a subtle yet continual increase in price of public transports (this despite the Government encouraging people to take public transport rather than private ones). The explanation given by Transport Minister Raymond Low has always been that better service will be provided and that the oil prices are at an all time high.

I agree on that part on oil prices skyrocketing (which has also driven the price of Char Kway Teows up too. pfft), but the service part? Ye got ter be kiddin' me.

After I left school today, which was at the peak hour of 7 pm, I headed to Yio Chu Kang bus interhange to, well, duh, take a bus to band practise.

It is inevitable and understandable that some buses are delayed at peak hours because of the overwhelming amount of passengers at each stop, causing the buses to be as late as half an hour, or when it is non-peak hours, when buses are sent out a lot less frequently.

But it is ridiculous and incomprehensible that a passenger can be waiting for TWO buses at the bus INTERCHANGE at PEAK hour for 45 minutes for the first bus to come!!

No wonder bus captains are assaulted so much. Passengers were made to wait so long for a bus in the sweltering, stuffy, stifling Singaporean weather, any sane person is apt to become crabby and irritable.

The point is, I was late for band practise by half a frickin' hour, which would not have happened if BOTH buses deigned to leave the interchange in a more understandable time.

THIS is definitely not the kind of service that justifies the price hikes, and I'm sure that almost everybody common enough to take public transport in a daily basis would have some past transgressions with the service.

SBS, buck up can?!

The Petir

2007-06-04T19:33:00.000+08:00

When I was bored in Print Media lecture, I decided to sketch a rough template of a newspaper impromptu cover as per instructed.

The result:

(click to enlarge)

I wonder if anybody gets the political jokes in it?

Ah, the simple pleasure of life

2007-05-09T00:52:00.000+08:00

What I see when I return home in the evening and open my window:

If you haven't noticed, at the very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very far back is the 'National Silhouette' that you see on National Day or the National Anthem video.

Amazing, innit?

Thank God for the simple pleasures in life.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

2007-04-07T23:38:00.001+08:00

Fact: U.S President George W. Bush earns S$605,200 annually

Fact: Singapore Cabinet Ministers currently earn S$1,200,000 annually (1.6 time more than the President of the United States)

Fact: Singapore Prime Minister currently earns S$1,940,000 annually

Fact: A proposal that will see the wages of Singapore Ministers increase by a whopping 86% is pending.

Fact: That will mean an approximate S$1 million increase in annual salary for each minister, not including bonuses.

This means that the average income in Singapore will be a mere 2.7% that of a minister. And all these in the midst of the widening income gap in Singapore and the 2% rise in GST.

This will no doubt be a heavier strain for the taxpayers, and of course, questions are being asked.

Where does the 2% rise in GST go?

Is it neccessary to pay government officials this much?

The 2% GST rise, according to the government, will go to help the lower income group. How?
"By making the higher income group pay more for the products and services they buy"

If anyone has any brains, he or she would be able to figure out that it helps the poor a lot, as in the most in the world! NOT!

It is the lower income that actually suffer. Take a look at this scenario.

A lower income group family is forced to buy things at a higher price because of the GST hike. But their pay does not increase because the boss claims that he cannot afford it due to the GST hike.

A middle-high income family buys things at a higher price because of the GST hike. Their pay is not affected by much because they have higher income and is able to sustain themselves.

How is that beneficial to the lower income group?

By giving more money to the poor, the Government says.

In the recent Budget debate, the issue of social welfare provided to the elderly and destitute was raised.
Member of Parliament (MP) Lily Neo said: "My single constituents told me that they needed to skip one meal a day to live on the $260 per month."

The response?

Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan said that "An elderly recipient, living alone, currently receives about $260 a month. We will increase that to $290 a month."

WOW!
The Government is going to increase the allowance of a poor elderly living alone by $1 a day! So that is what they do with the 2% GST! Giving a measly dollar to poor old people who cannot afford 3 meals a day!

Where does the rest of the money go?

Where else? Most of it would be to the Minister's pocket.

Is there a need to pay them so much?

Yes, according to PM Lee. A high pay helps reduce corruption in the government, and it also helps attract and retain the brightest talents in the market.

But hasn't Singapore been doing fine without the soon-to-be over the top wage increment?

If a Minister is truly sincere about wanting to help Singapore, he or she would not want such a high pay and instead give up the pay for the poor and needy.

Of course, this has called into doubt the sincerity of the current batch of politicians. Do they even want to help Singapore?

For example, in Finland, their Prime Minister is paid a sixth of what our PM is currently paid, and yet, their economy is doing well, they are ranked 2nd in transparency (beating Singapore). This proves that even with low wages, corruption can still be avoided.

There is also a suspected political agenda behind the move to the obscene proposed pay rise.

With PAP taking 82 out of the 84 seats, one can tell that this monumental increase would benefit PAP more than any other party. The other parties? They get their pants sued off by the sue-happy PAP, funded by their already outrageous funds.

A huge suspect point about the wage is that they are regulated by the Governemnt itself. There is a special formula code named MR4, so claims the Minister for Finance (PM Lee). It is set at one third of the 24th and 25th high-flyer in the private sector. Further details are not released.

The reluctance to release more information may also mean that other details are left out.

For example, bonuses. How much bonus does a minister get each year? 2 months? 4 months? A year?

Or the provebial 'peanuts' from the NKF case?

As a famous latin quote goes: "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?", which translates to "Who will guard the guardians" in English.

Who will regulate the Government's actions? Who is allowed to stop them if their actions go on to become tyrannic?

(All statistics are accurate as of 11th April 2007, including conversion rate and are from the below sources)

Sources:
http://www.singapore-window.org//sw07/070405RE.HTM

http://www.singapore-window.org//sw07/070405AT.HTM

Is it me?

2007-03-31T23:00:00.001+08:00

Or are people from Montfort politically inclined?

Take a look at this pic from The New Paper on 31st March 2007

Amongst all the RIs and the ACS(I)s and the SJIs, appears not 1, but 2 Montforts.

What is this world coming to?!?!

2007-03-11T01:03:00.000+08:00

Today I was on my way to Sembawang Park with my church youths, taking bus 882 from Sembawang station.

Also on the bus were foreign tourists, families going on a fishing trip and most notably, 2 chinese girls, no doubt siblings, probably 7-10 years old, accompanied by their mother.

Why are they notable?

Because at the bus terminal, the 2 girls were walking around asking people to keep quiet. People as strangers walking about, waiting for buses and all. And their actions did not stop when they got on the bus.

When they boarded the bus, a very friendly and helpful Bus Captain greeted them and they said "You better keep your mouth shut!"

The 2 kids were, least to say, an absolute nuisance on the trip. They were going around saying in their broken and accented English

"Eu batter shut yor mawth ah!"
"Evreebirdy kip kwai-et!"
"Shaddup, eu!"
"This is nort farny ohkay! Wai are eu luffing?!"

Everybody in the bus tried to ignore them but they would walk down the aisle and point in the person's face, telling that person to keep quiet. The amazing thing is that the mother didn't even do anything to stop them except for a lame "Talkative lah, you two." and a gentle reminder of "This is not school, you are not a prefect here."

What is this world coming to?

I was probably spared the reprimanding because I was standing in a corner with my friends talking. If they dare shouted at me I'd've gave them a not-so-gentle reminder and clouted them in their face for their cheek (as would any sensible person)

After some thinking, I reflected that the actions of the 2 girls were probably influenced by primary school life.

Remember the bootlicking prefects/monitor/monitress and their line "You better keep quiet ah, or else I write your name on the notebook/whiteboard and tell the teacher ah!"?

The 2 kids were probably just taking it to the extreme, having just been chosen as a prefect or something.

The above case is a real good example of how school life and culture affects society, and further emphasise on the point that education is a very very heavy responsibility and should be taken extremely seriously, not as a pawn for political games.

Tharman Shanmugaratnam better wake up his ideas. And Lui Tuck Yew too.

Sponginess

2007-03-04T00:12:00.000+08:00

The Singapore education system can be very fittingly described as a test of sponginess.

Isn’t it the case? A student gets a certain amount of time to absorb the tested things, ‘squeeze’ it out during the test, and remember the very little amount retained in after the test, the rest being returned to the teacher.

The more you absorb, the more you regurgitate, the better you do.

What a great system eh? Students are able to get A’s for all their subjects. Well, the spongy ones are able to anyway.

What about the rock solid ones? Those who are talented in their field and their field only. They are unjustified by this system because an A among C’s count for nothing here.

There IS a difference between a 90 point A and a 75 point A, but it is not recognised in this system.

Of course, when asked about this, the Ministry of Education will throw some rabble about language subjects not being regurgitate-able and are creative subjects.

That is not entirely true. Take Chinese for an instance. The teacher gives students formats, quotes and ‘chim’ words to memorise and put to use! Which part of it is creative? Which part of it cannot be regurgitated?

What about English? It is much worse. The average students’ standard of English is so bad that the overall standard has been brought down so much. According to several sources (school principal, MOE workers, students) 60% of O level takers flunk English but moderation saved their skin.

This IS a big problem.

Personally, I feel that the minimal passing standard for English would be to have perfect grammar, give or take an error or two. But people now can hardly speak proper English! I feel that having perfect grammar as a minimal passing standard will be the perfect step for the Speak Good English Movement.

Moreover, it is also extremely easy to score 28/30 for English compositions. (28/30 is the maximum amount)

Step 1) Have perfect grammar
Step 2) Make the teacher reach for the dictionary with moderately uncommon words

Voila! Maximum points in the bag! And most of the time, the teacher’s English is worst than the top students’ English and they don’t have proper grammar at all.

This goes to show how proper the MOE is being run now.

The Ministry of Education must really “Wake up their ideas”

Tharman Shanmugaratnam better do something fast.

Democratic Society?!?!

2006-12-27T01:08:00.000+08:00

Disclaimer: In between this post and the previous, there were lots of drafted entries, but were deemed by myself as disruptive to the local peace, thus the long break between the entries.

Last Saturday, 23rd of December, yours truly stumbled upon an interesting article in The Straits Times on the flight back from a mission trip in Myanmar.

In the Saturday Section, page S8 is this article about the 7 highly unusual traits of Singapore politics. Of course the usual single-party dominance is the focus but what caught my eye is the habit of 'Laughter is not the best medicine'.

If that is the case, what is with the lame attempts at humor all the politicians try at all their speeches? What about shows like Patch Adams that advocate laughter as an essential part of life?

Also mentioned under the habit is that George Yeo, coincidentally the MP of the most competed Aljunied GRC in which yours truly unfortunately resides at, said in 1995 that it is disrespectful and wrong of citizens to take on authority figures as 'equals'.

Hmm. Wait a sec. What's the Singapore pledge again?

We, the citizens of Singapore,

pledge ourselves as one united people,

regardless of race, language or religion,

to build a democratic society

based on justice and equality

so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and

progress for our nation.

So isn't what Mr. George Yeo said contradictory to the very pledge of Singapore? Or maybe it is because our society is not exactly democratic, so there is no need to base justice and equality to build our society?

If that is the case, isn't it a wee bit too reminiscent of a particular book by George Orwell called Animal Farm, a reflection of the Russian Communism? I quote from memory what the leading pig said, "Everybody is equal, but some are more equal than others."

How curious. And there doesn't seem to be any action to change for the better. In the very same article, another highly unusual trait mentioned is 'Whingeing and Whining', where Singaporeans complain a lot but still vote for the very people they complain about. Mr. Charles Chong, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, says in the article that "The mentality is - I don't like you, but I know you can do the job." This MP KNOWS what is wrong, but he still made no effort to change.

Personally, my mentality is "I don't like you, and I doubt you can do a good job either." The new batch of MPs are yet to prove themselves, with the bulk of them spending their university time overseas, not exposed to local politics and happenings.

The opposition parties are not even given a chance to prove themselves either. Between the two untested parties, people vote for PAP because of what MM Lee did for Singapore, which is basically build up Singapore from scratch. He is indeed a real brilliant mind. But times have changed, people should not vote based on who did what decades ago, but based on who can do what, who can fulfill my needs in the future.

In the USA, even lumberjacks get to be elected because they know themselves what the people need. But in Singapore, the people we have for politicians see themselves as of a somewhat 'higher class citizen' than the others.

This is shown by the elitist view published by the blog of Wee Shu Min, daughter of Wee Siew Kim, MP in Ang Mo Kio GRC (the PM's GRC). Scathing comments like "Derek is a typical “wretched, under-motivated, over-assuming leeches” specimen of Singapore. He has a “middle-class under-educated penchant” for complaining and should get on with life." were made. Other comments include "This society is the survival of the fittest", "Get out of my elite uncaring face."

Sadly, this elitist view appears to be condoned by her father, MP Wee Siew Kim, and all the other MPs, including PM Lee, who is in the same GRC as Wee Siew Kim.

But the debate goes on.

If this society is the survival of the fittest, the people who would survive would be those who actaully been through the hardships of life, not those who are born with a golden spoon. Those with real human traits like compassion, humility, charity, empathy & humanity will be those who will be leading the people then.

In the current political system, it looks as if papers are looked at a higher importance than human traits, with scholars and technocrats being recruited in, not people with real caring and all.

This is also reflected in the educational system. A student who can do last minute revision for every subject will do better than a student who strives to grasp the concept of a subject. In simpler terms, people with real talent cannot make it, but those who can cram things last minute will do very well. In simplest terms, the education system is programming students to be like robots, which means they are taught to memorise and regurgitate things, not to really understand it. The lack of appreciation of human nature is rather disturbing in my point of view.

Personally, what I have learnt in my 4 years if secondary school life did not amount to anything at all the moment I entered the Media Course. Math, Science, and all the other subjects were deemed obsolete. As for English, I swear that I taught my English teachers more than they taught me.

The Republic of Singapore seems to be in strife if you look at it carefully, but the above written will most probably be labeled as 'nonsense from an attention-seeking kid', or 'the view of an anti-PAP person'.

But if *you* really care, think a depth further, research a bit further, and you will realise that heck, we're in trouble.

Recommended links by the author:
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw06/061029ST.HTM - Elitist article
http://www.rsf.org/ - Freedom of speech site (Singapore is in the bottom 10 globally!)

The Straits Times article mentioned above is available for lending from yours truly, just ask and you shall receive.

Till next time, God Bless.

Quality Service

2006-08-29T19:17:00.000+08:00

After recieving multitudes of complaints about the falling standards of service in Singapore, the government has pushed for better service.

As usual, they started a campaign. This time, a campaign for better service quality called the 'GEMS' campaign. GEMS stands for 'Go-the-Extra-Mile-for-Service', and the tagline for the campaign is 'Great Service Begins With Me'.

It's specific intentions are the following: (ripped from this site)

a) For Service Workers
Demonstate that every service provider is capable of performing ordinary task in extraordinary ways in the normal course of their duties.

b) For Employers
Encourage enployers and management to take the lead to create a service culture and system within the organisation to excel in service delivery.

c) For Customers/Public
Show that customers can play a role to encourage great service by showing simple gestures of appreciations such as smile, greet and thank for service rendered by the service providers.

It's general motive is to promote better service by encouraging the service workers to perform better by going an extra mile in their jobs. For example, Mr. Roger Tay, who went out of his way to help a customer who had problems buying shoes due to the difference in both feet sizes.
Also, they call on the employers to be more than just average in service. Like Muthu's Curry Restaurant, whose management strived not only to provide good food and curry, but also to create a efficient delivery system and first-rate ambience.
Customers are encouraged to show gestures of appreciation, so that the service workers know that their efforts are appreciated.

However, I have a better solution based on the root of the problem: Low salaries. How can you be happy and provide good service when you are getting paid peanuts yet the cost of living is increasing?

So here is my suggested solution: (note: constructive criticism underway)

1) The Government lower taxes, ERP rates, etc. etc. that raises our standards of living.

2) Employers, with lesser expenses to bear, can now increase the wages of the employees

3) The employees, with more pay and less burden, will generally feel happier, and inexorably be in a good mood, which will in turn make them smile more and provide better service.

4) The customers, who will also have less burden, will be affected by the better service and be in a good mood. The mood will be spread as people are more courteous to each other.

Voila! There you have it!

But taking a step back to reality, the GEMS campaign is quite practical and easy to put to use. Let's hypothesize what will happen if the campaign goes very well, too well in fact:

Scenario:

Guy, who is starving, walks into cafe

Guy: Hi, I would like a cup of hot chocolate and a muffin please.

Cashier (smiling widely): What size would you like your cup of hot chocolate to be? Regular or large?

Guy: Regular please.

Cashier: Would you like marshmallows in your hot chocolate? They're free of charge.

Guy: Okay.

Cashier: Would you like to have our crossaint to add on to what you have ordered, sir? It's on offer, 2 for $2.

Guy: No, thanks, I'll just have my hot chocolate and muffin.

Cashier: Sure, sir. May I ask if you are lactose intolerant? The hot chocolate has plenty of milk added.

Guy: It's okay, I can take lactose

Cashier: Are you allergic to peanuts, sir? The muffin contains peanuts.

Guy: Nah, I don't have an allergy to peanuts.

(Guy gets a bit irritated)

Cashier: Having here or take away?

Guy: Having here.

Cashier: Okay then, that would be $2.40

(Guy pays with $10)

Cashier: How would you like your change, sir? A $5 note, a $2 note, and 3 20 cents? Or with a 50 cent coin and a 10 cent coin? Or with 6 10 cent coins? Or 3 $2 notes, a $1 coin, and 3 20 cent coins?Or with 3 50 cent coins and a 10 cent coins? Or with 8 20 cent coins? Or with 16 10 cent coins? Or...

(Guy interrupts)

Guy: Uhh, I'll just have the first combination please.

Cashier (smiling widely): Alright then, would you like to have the receipt?

(Irritated now, seeing that the cashier is still smiling)

Guy: Yeah, why not.

Cashier: What font would you like you receipt in? Time New Romans? Arial?

Guy: Arial then.

Cashier: What kind of material do you want your tray to be made of? Plastic? Mahagony?

Guy (seriously irritated, super super hungry): Can I just have my hot chocolate and muffin please?

Cashier: Sure, sir, would you like your hot chocolate in a mug or a cup?

Guy: A mug.

Cashier: Why are you so irritated? I'm just following the GEMS Campaign..

(Guy faints on the spot of hunger.)

Of course that is almost impossible to take place. The main reason for that is to get people to realise that doing everything to the extreme best may not be the best.

As someone famous said: "Kiang jiu ho, mai geh kiang", which, directly translated, means "Smart can already, no need to act smart".

So, to all people out there, remember to go the extra mile for service, and always remember:"Kiang jiu ho, mai geh kiang"!!

A new blog

2006-08-12T23:38:00.000+08:00

Hey all, this is a blog that will reflect the actions of the Singaporean government in the opinion of a 17-year old Media Studies student.

Please show your support by visiting this page regularly and commenting!!

Cheers!