TR EMERITUS

By Amanda Lian After much thought and nerve-wreaking ideas, I come to think of the newest addition to the Apple family as the 7 commandments to a happy relationship. Why 7 you may ask? Because… And a huge because Apple said that it is an in-between product of the iPhone and MacBook which does 7 wonderful essential things better. What are these things? They are the Internet, Email, Video, Music, Games and eBooks. How do you feel about this issue? We want to know. But before that, I will tell you my experiences. Well now, Apple has gotten everyone talking and the industry abuzz with the announcement of its new iPad. Some dubbed it just another product larger than an iPhone, while others are seeing it as something which they might actually be inclined to use. Whichever the case, I am privy to some conversations I’ve had with a techy person, another who uses his notebook only reluctantly as required for work and one more, a close family member who is a self-proclaimed Luddite. Maybe, we will talk about my friend’s mother too, if we ever get to it. It is just so surreal when everyone else is excited about computing except the geeks and the nerds. Techy person I went home on the day that Apple was going to announce the iPad. As most of my friends were based in Singapore, it was almost 2am over there when they heard the news. Most of them stayed up in anticipation or for work, but this friend came to me the following morning saying “I was so disappointed. The hype was too overrated!” Me: Well, don’t you like the iPad? Or the idea in that sense? Techy person: No! If it is for eBooks, then I would get e-ink as it is better for the eyes in long periods of reading. If it is for other things, my notebook is able to do those things better and more efficiently. I guess the only thing that I’m excited about would be the A4 chip. Being a geek myself, I can understand why most people will think this way. I mean, yes, the iPad looks pretty and such but what it does, do not meet the needs and demands of the technically inclined niche. Technophobe My friend is an engineer and uses a notebook only if there is a necessary need for it. If she is able to shy away from technology altogether, that would be the greatest day of her life. Unfortunately, reality is harsh and she has to use it for work purposes daily. While she shuns away from the iPhone, when the iPad was announced, she called me immediately. Sounding superbly excited and thrilled, she said, “…iPad is so beautiful and do you think I could get used to it? I haven’t really played with the iPhone yet but I feel that it is really easy to use. Is the iPad similar? Would you recommend me to buy it when it comes out in Singapore?” Being bombarded with so many questions at a time, I began to realize that the iPad has indeed created a stir. She do not normally go gaga over technology and this is the first time in the 20 plus years that I’ve known her, that she actually reacted so enthusiastically over a new Apple product. Luddite For the sake of some people, a Luddite is someone who denies technology altogether. Do not be alarmed, there are definitely individuals still like that in good, old Singapore. And it happens to be one of my friends. Be it choice or circumstance, this friend of mine has never used a notebook before. Even his mobile is the really basic one which you can purchase easily from any 7-eleven stores in Singapore. So when he took the initiative to ask me about the iPad, I was kind of shocked. He actually thought the iPad would work for him. In his words, he said “looks good on the outside, easy to use on the inside.” And for him to fork out that amount of cash is not a problem. This is not a usual phenomena, it is a sensation. Sadly, I do not feel the same. And there we go again… The iPad is indeed of paramount importance to everyone, EXCEPT us. Somehow, someday, until we see a MacBook Air cut in half (which in our impression is the new tablet and the one we always wanted), we will wait and see. We would urge you not to purchase it just yet, if you really, really wanted a set as Apple had spoken of the prices staying nimble, which means good news for us, the consumers. If the sale of the first generation is not ideal, Apple WILL cut the price to sell more, just like the iPhone where it was reduced by $200 within the first few months of sale. Afterthoughts Watching the industry react, the voices of the people, and the overall atmosphere, this is going to be a blast for me – just seeing it unfold before my very existence. As for my friend’s mother, she kept saying she was too old to learn how to use a computer. Till this day, she only knows how to push the power button on the CPU. But after the entry of Apple’s iPad, she was motivated to learn how to use the email and the internet! Wow! For now, we will await the landing of Apple’s iPad on Singapore’s sandy, sunny shores. Specifications: ·        Height: 9.56 inches (242.8 mm) ·        Width: 7.47 inches (189.7 mm) ·        Depth: 0.5 inch (13.4 mm) ·        Weight: 1.5 pounds (0.68 kg) Wi-Fi model; 1.6 pounds (0.73 kg) Wi-Fi + 3G model ·        9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology ·        1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip ·        Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video, or listening to music  Read More →

Written by Our Correspondent The government had introduced two measures lately to prevent a "bubble" formation in the private property market - a stamp duty will be imposed on buyers who sell their properties within a year and the maximum loan allowed is limited to 80 per cent of the purchase price. Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said the time was ripe to introduce them to curb excessive speculation in the market, but added that it will not deter genuine buyers from buying. "We would like to, in a way, make sure that there's no bubble formation and can do it before the bubble is being formed. We think it's a suitable time," she explained. The changes are unlikely to affect the public housing sector whose prices have sky-rocketed in the last two years due to rising demand fueled by immigration in the face of limited supply of new flats. Furthermore, the majority of buyers in Singapore's private housing sector are foreigners who can well afford to pay the excess stamp duty. Despite widespread unhappiness on the ground, the government appears reluctant to rein in on the red-hot resale market which shows no signs of cooling down. Prices continue to increase by 8.2 per cent last year with median Cash-Over-Valution (COVs) doubling to $24,000 in the last quarter alone. As PRs form quite a substantial percentage of the buyers of resale flats, HDB should consider introducing rules to make it more difficult for them to make a profit out of them. A minimum residency period of 2 to 5 years should be imposed before PRs can purchase resale flats. They should be means tested to ensure that those who can afford private housing do not compete with Singaporeans in the resale market. And a stamp duty should be slapped on those selling their flats upon leaving Singapore. Unfortunately, HDB still insists that public housing remain affordable to the masses despite evidence showing otherwise. Singaporeans will have to wait till they are "caught off guard" again.  Read More →

By Voice of Citizens We, the Citizens, are not against Immigration Policy per se. We are deeply against the ill-conceived manner in which huge and rapid influx of FT/PR are admitted into our country recently. We are frustrated with the HDB policy and poor planning which does take into account housing needs of increasing population. It is inexcusable to say that HDB could not have anticipated such shortage. The effects of rapid accelerating growth in FT/PR and housing shortage have are severe impact on many citizens in terms of their housing needs and employment. What is the solution? What do we need to do re-define, refine and build a sustainable growth and Nationhood? Broadly for layman terms, the next steps forward will be: 1. “FT/PR” population growth impact /HDB housing shortage must be immediately resolved to dampen the intertwining vicious effects of escalating cost of housing and employment marginalization of citizens. 2. “FT/PR” policies must drastically reduce the quantum and growth of population attributable to foreign intake and allow moderate sustainable growth which; 1. will be consistent with the level of living standards of citizens 2. will not stifle livelihood and hopes of citizens, inducing stress and strain, fear of future cost 3. will allow a sustainable employment growth and alleviate many other concerns associated with it. 3. The “FT/PR” & Housing Policies must not put adverse pressure on services, amenities, housing and employment to the extent as felt now. 4. “FT/PR” & Housing Policy must consecrate within it the “Ten Commandments” of Citizen Privilege & Right. Simply said, the Policy must: 1. be discriminative to FT/PR to ensure maximum benefits of citizens 2. not be prohibitive to citizens, creating long-term housing debt, especially lesser privilege class, middle-class and singles. 3. be less disruptive to citizen livelihood and sense of hope and purpose 4. not be de-motivating to citizen drive to betterment in livelihood 5. not be depriving of citizen rights and privileges for affordable housing 6. not be constraining on citizen lives 7. not create inflationary-inducing, cost escalation inducing, speculative-inducing effect that are disruptive 8. not bias towards selective classes 9. not be politically motivated. 10. above-all be citizen-centric, Singaporean First 5. Resultant effect of reducing the intertwining impact of FT influx and housing cost must bring cost down to level for future sustainable trend, commensurate measured growth amenable to the citizen. 6. Polices must be in-place to limit PR purchase of Re-sales and cost escalation, increase the supply of HDB much more and quicker to bring housing cost at level not disadvantaging the middle, sandwiched, lower class. 7. HDB policy should de-peg new HDB price to Resales Value and provide cheaper land cost. 8. Immigration Policy must be in-place to limit FT/PR and have stricter criteria of selection for FT/PR. 9. Government must stop artificial inflation via monopoly of land and housing and refrain from exhortation of future price raises, giving way to speculation and false “wealth creation” for political motive or otherwise pandering to mass lemming instinct and greed. 10. Resale HDB must be for Singaporeans only and there must be distinctive and restrictive criteria for PR ownership of HDB housing which will not give way to runaway COV and escalating housing cost. 11. Cramping down on Resale asset valuation will bring about amenable and beneficial asset appreciation to all citizens in long-run: 1. For all-those who have seen “value” raise recently, they will be affected in the short to medium terms but they will still benefit in longer terms 2. For those are adversely affected by recent escalation, they have chance to buy without incurring huge debt 3. For those who upgraded to stay long-term they will still see appreciation in future. 4. On the average, more will benefit on the broader front and longer terms 12. Another beneficial effect is lower cost of business operation as rental cost goes down across-the-board, thus providing lower cost base for business operation as employers pay lesser to foreign staff for housing accommodation. 13. There will be “temporary” loss or reduction of National Reserve due to expenditure/sacrifice of reserve to bring cost down and capital reduction of asset value, but on the whole, with lower housing and other cost mitigation measures, the overall cost of business will go down as well as expectations of citizens. 14. Citizens will be prepared to take lower salaries since their basic housing and other needs are satisfied, amongst other concomitant savings as the result of cost reduction in other services, food and others. 15. The indirect result of having being able to satisfy much lower cost housing and employment needs in higher motivation to self-actualize for higher goals. 16. Re-engineering of productivity-based economy must come about with higher investment in citizen skills and upgrading, more and better sustainable industries. Once this is realized, more skill-based national productivity can be realized with manageable general trend of salary increase with higher living standard and manageable costs in longer term. 17. The initial period may see our National Reserve decline but it is worth-while effort as we pursue the course of re-engineering our economy to allow sustainable growth of selective industries, re-building a Nation utilizing our reserve productively such that every citizen has sense of hope and purpose in the Nation, not as a “sacrificial sheep” following the Lion, but a “beaver” in each individual, the clever, smart and hardworking maker of “dams”. 18. Together, we, “beavers”, will re-build the “dam of reserve” for future generation as our forefather did for the present generation. 19. The heavy-weight government machineries must be leaner and leaders show sacrifice, not speaking virtues with obscene pay. Only then can they hold hand in hand with the citizens to re-build a Nation. 20. There is no such thing as inevitability of rich-poor divide. “Divide” there is but surely there is way to close the” divide” by refining our policies. 21. With our excellent infrastructure, lower cost base for citizens with privilege and rights preserved, we can once again grow gradually to new heights with collective spirit of one Heart & Soul of Nation. 22. We need, now, to re-charge ourselves create impetus and drive from lower cost base start where cost of owning home and living is not prohibitive in citizen terms, not too prohibitive that it stranglehold their lives and dampen hopes and aspirations. 23. From here we aim forward to build better and affordable home for next generation, knowing each economic cycle of limits of growth and cost clearly over a projected frame, plan, anticipate and adjust accordingly without the disruptive burst of ill-conceived policies ramming down our throats, recently, in desperation. 24. We must the citizens from the “Animal farm” claustrophobia and start teaming in an “open farm” belong to citizens where we once again “till the land” for the current and next generation. 25. In short, we need a period of economic re-engineering, convalescence at slower growth as we re-define and refine our Nation, starting from a lower cost base favorable to the Citizens. PAP must have the moral courage to say “SORRY” to citizens for not anticipating the adverse impact due to the intertwining effects huge foreign influx and ill-conceived HDB planning. The present policies of accelerating population growth will not work, without knowing clearly the impact of such rapid growth on the cost of living, housing and employment, the limits of strain and stress our Nation can take in terms of infrastructure, relation, space, individual livelihood and etc. The consequence to the Nation in future will be disastrous. Even now many citizens are feeling the limits of stress and strain. Will our great Ministers sign off their wealth on paper to the Citizens, as guarantee of their superb leadership in return for Citizens to entrust their stake in Nationhood in their hands? If NOT DO NOT CREATE false hopes that housing of Resales will sustain continuously uptrend, thus raising value of asset artificially across the board. Validity, inherent risks, potential pitfalls and limits of their rationale must be communicated earnestly, impartially and clearly to the citizens or lives of many innocents will be jeopardized. DO NOT DICE with citizen debt as they are NOT GOD. Good Government governs with citizen interest, NOT lead them into eternal debt. Current “wealth” of Rich & Powerful is always at the expense of others and next generation. They know it. So why create such a humungous cost to next generation with present housing policy and rapid foreign influx, knowing the adverse ramifications, if left unchecked? It is imperative a solution must be put in place as quickly as possible. This is the challenge to the Multi-million dollar Ministers. Voice of Citizen  Read More →