TR EMERITUS

It is obvious from the lament of many Singaporeans that they no longer feel Singapore is as efficient as we were 30 years ago. The observations of the ordinary people should not be ignored. They offer their views and opinions unencumbered by prejudice or bias. Why then have we landed up in this sorry state? There is no malaise or achievement in society which history cannot explain. You may think that you have a new problem never before encountered; but search hard enough, and you will discover that your ancestors encountered the same problem hundreds or maybe even thousands of years ago. For me, history is the window on the future. If you imbibe the lessons of history, you can foretell the future. My analysis is that many of the problems we face in Singapore today are the result of having too many “ordinary” scholars in control of and helming our important Institutions. These people are out of touch with the experience of everyday life which Singaporeans have to bear. I used to think that the Singapore system was based on the Imperial feudal system of China which placed great stock on scholars. I had believed that Lee Kuan Yew had borrowed lock, stock and barrel from the Imperial system of China when he was constructing his system of “excellence” in our public institutions. I may not be wrong because dynasties such as the Ming did place heavy emphasis on scholars running State institutions. But when one goes back further in Chinese history, you will realise that wise Kings and historians were not so enamoured of scholars. One of the greatest histories of ancient China is a book known as “Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance”or ZiZhi Tongjian, written by an important Court official in the Northern Song Dynasty,known as Sima Guang in 1084. Sima Guang had been commissioned by the Emperor to write a comprehensive history of China. The Emperor provided the funding and the history took 19 years to complete. By the time it was done,the Emperor was dead and Sima Guang presented it to the late Emperor’s Son and successor. It is considered the greatest of the Chinese histories. It spans 16 dynasties and almost 1400 years. Mao Tse Tung had the enormous volumes on his bed and read it throughout his life, even when he was being carried in a hammock on the Long March. The particular extract I want to draw your attention to is the recounting by Sima Guang of an exchange between the heir apparent and future Emperor Yuan ( r. 49-33 BCE ) and his Father, the reigning emperor Xuan ( r. 74-49 BCE ). The heir apparent who liked scholars appealed to his Father to employ more Confucian scholars and fewer Legalists in his government. To this the emperor responded - “ Ordinary scholars do not understand the needs of the day but like to affirm antiquity and deny the present, causing men to confuse name and reality so that they don’t know what to hold on to. How can they be entrusted with the State?” When I read this exchange, I thought how percipient! Have you heard anything new from the PAP or the establishment? Are the narratives they are spouting not the ones you heard 40 years ago? Sima Guang added his comment to this exchange in the following way:- “The reason why the Han could not return to the government of the Three Dynasties was because the rulers were incapable and not because the way of the former kings could not again be carried out in later ages. Among scholars there are superior and petty men. Ordinary scholars truly are not qualified to participate in government. But why could they not have sought for genuine scholars and employed them? Ji Xie, Gao Yao, Baoyi, Yi Yin, the Duke Of Zhao and Confucius were all great scholars. Had the Han employed men such as these, the glory of its accomplishments would not have been as limited as it was.” So, forsake the notion that if a person is a scholar, he or she is automatically qualified for government. More often than not,that person is not. We should rather search for men of action. Why do so many appreciate Goh Keng Swee, even though he was last in government 40 years ago? Because he was a man of action and the ablest of Lee Kuan Yew’s lieutenants. Just as Churchill said of Napoleon, “he was the greatest man of action the world has known.”   Lim Tean      Read More →

I join the chorus of voices which include the Progress Singapore Party and the Workers Party saying no to the GST hike that will be implemented in the new year. Francis Yuen, Secretary General of the Progress Singapore Party, says emphatically that the “increase GST starting January 2023 is simply unnecessary, untimely and uncompassionate” Lee Hsien Yang also asks: “How are we to trust figures which are shrouded in secrecy?”- as to Singapore’s fiscal position. “How large a reserve would be enough?” “Why must GST be raised?” There must be a problem with the reserves that necessitates such draconian raising of revenue irregardless of the pain this will cause ordinary citizens. How else can we explain this need to raise GST? Indeed, why is it necessary? We all remain incredulous and unconvinced by the PAP Government’s assertions. The GST hike is plainly wrong in the full circumstances of the reality of Singapore’s financial position and the socio-economic conditions of the day. The Workers Party’s alternative revenue raising proposals are equally sensible enough to warrant serious consideration. Do bear in mind that quite apart from alternative revenue streams we already have substantial reserves and otherwise have entirely healthy revenue streams. So in reality, we do not need the GST revenue at this critical juncture in a time of very high cost of living and high inflationary pressures. It’s entirely imprudent. Further, as Tan Kin Lian pointed out in his 2018 protest against the GST hike speech at Hong Lim then, we already have so very many well established alternative sources of revenue that other countries that rely on GST revenue do not or certainly do not to the scale we do - ERP, COE , foreign workers levies, land sales etc; the Government raises annually. Very healthy revenue streams. The PAP Government have gone overboard with raising revenue and are possibly the primary source for our high cost of living because of their insatiable appetite for revenue. These intricate layers of indirect taxes have a multiplier effect on our ever increasing cost of doing business and otherwise our high cost of living. The question we must all ask is WHY? Why the need for GST let alone raise it now? Something is very wrong with this equation. We need to worry.   Khush Chopra      Read More →

This seems to be the recurring theme of the People's Action Party government, providing one - off rebate, vouchers etc. but the increase and rises in tax is permanent & forever! Is the timing of these increases coincidence? Other countries are not increasing taxes as this point when the world economy looks bleak with global inflation while Singapore GST going up, now property tax... Is the timing coincidental with Temasek's FTX losses, write off? $275,000,000!? We have heard that this write off does not affect Temasek's contribution to the reserves, that has made me more skeptical and is causing more skepticism within professional discussion circles... Why are HDB flat owners of 3 room flats or bigger having to pay increased property taxes let along any property tax? Aren't these long term lease? Paying tax on long term leases? Who are the owner of the flats? The lease holder, Housing & Development Board , Singapore Land Authority - SLA , the government or the state? Remember those who paid of HDB has also been charged "land cost" which HDB pays SLA, the logic behind these systemic mechanisms needs to be questioned and scrutinized more thoroughly... The number of opposition MPs in parliament is currently insufficient, if there were more opposition MPs these issues would make the forefront of parliament debates.   Prabu Ramachandran      Read More →