TR EMERITUS

MY HYPOTHESIS: THE PURPOSE OF CPF MINIMUM SUM IS FOR THE RETIREES TO EMIGRATE. Is this true? "Dr Amy Khor:  S'poreans can pack up and leave S'pore just like new citizens - 05Feb2013" Hitler not only executed the Jewish people but the handicapped too. "At the beginning of World War II, individuals who were mentally retarded, physically handicapped, or mentally ill were targeted for murder in what the Nazis called the 'T-4,' or 'euthanasia', program." [Link] Is PAP looking at our seniors as handicapped and useless to society? I believe so. Look at the programs offered to the seniors as compared to the western world or other countries - negligible. While in UK, seniors are having free rides and the best part is Singapore's Delgro operates there but here it is not free. In Singapore when you are above 45, opportunities become slim as companies prefer the young, also mainly foreigners: the slaves, Singaporeans, are forced to become security guards, taxi drivers, property agents and insurance agents. Remember the new citizens will be going into the same process. Have you watched the movie Logan's Run, where those who reached aged 35 were executed? The story of CPF Minimum Sum is the same whether it's from Logan's Run or the Nazis: faced with mountains of pressure, where there is no hope here, retirees looking for other options, emigrate and cash out their CPF.... checkmate!!! Isn't this what the government wants: their ideology, 'ELIMINATION OF THOSE WHO ARE USELESS TO SOCIETY'? This is akin to Nazi ideology. We just simply never think deeply what these evil MIW have in their minds, how truly evil. Remember LKY used to asked the graduates to marry and to have children? Is this not a Nazi ideology, creating a master race? 'PUBLISHED JUNE 04, 2014 Grave shortage: In Hong Kong, it costs more to house the dead than the living' In Hong Kong they are facing shortage of land for graveyards. Land in Singapore is scarce. Here where the remains were shared in one lot. Is this what the government fears where more land is being set aside for the dead? The fear may be so intense that they want us to die somewhere else, and that is why they froze our money so that we would have to emigrate. One stone killing 3 birds: 1) more land for the living 2) government spending less on the seniors where it will not burden its budget 3) having constant youthful population where they will be more independent, having youthful population which will boost the economy. Remember the golden handshake, where they are giving lump sums so that people give up their jobs? Is this the government motive of having high CPF Minimum Sum so that you are forced to leave the country? PAP runs this country like a big corporation: they can't have any feelings towards their citizens. For them everything is in dollars and cents. I met a few Singaporeans who had emigrated to cash out on their CPF and my sister is contemplating doing the same. These policies will break up the family ties. Without strong family ties the country will be devoid of loyalties as they could harbor strong resentment towards the government. I have a 68-year-old friend with $80k in his CPF. Every month he receives $500, he keeps telling me: what can you do with $500? Maybe that is what they want. They want you to bleed so you will leave the country. Is this not Nazi ideology, where for the good of the nation, the weak must be wiped out? I am seeing this happening today. The ancient Greeks used the Brazen Bull, a hollow brass statue crafted to resemble a real bull. Victims we­re placed inside, usually with their tongues cut out first. The door was shut, sealing them in. Fires would then be lit around the bull. As the victims succumbed to the searing heat inside, they would thrash about and scream in agony. The movements and sounds, muted by the bull's mass, made the apparatus appear alive, the sounds inside like those of a real bull. This effect created additional amusement for the audience, and served the added benefit of distancing them from the brutality of the torture, since they couldn't directly see the victims. This is what our retirees are becoming - a “Brazen Bull”. But they are worse than the Brazen Bull, they will moan perhaps for another 20 years. Their limbs are weak, strengths and minds are weak - and they are cash-strapped.... checkmate!!! To save yourselves, either vote the PAP out of Govt or leave. But you will never throw them out. They already have a million new mercenaries that will vote for PAP. I guess the only way then is to emigrate because isn't that what they want you to do? In the art of war against the citizens, they are shrewd, they will always win. If you do not want to leave, they can still win the war against you, as they control your money. How about your CPF and interest? Haha! Wait long long.......................... aziz kassim * Submitted by TRE reader.  Read More →

What Now, Roy? Part II No longer a newbie at TRE, why did I bother to offer my 2cents approach to Roy that is contrary to TRE base of readers mostly clamouring for blood? It’s because Roy needs that other voice to keep whispering in his other ear – now, more than ever. What makes me qualified to speak? Two reasons; One, I’ve read up more than most TRE readers here from sources and of perspectives other than and different from those that TRE readers read. Or Roy reads. Two, no one appears to be doing it, so I should at least try to give a view and a practical suggestion to stir up not just shot-from-the-hip comments but provoke a different line of thinking on what the ISSUE is amid the rumpus of this circus-act-of-the-month. Sorry, it’s too soon to declare this episode a milestone. The known unknowing ones on both sides Reading only the right stuff exists on both sides of the Singapore divide. How many TRE readers have seen the photos of Roy with his plate of plain rice (but shot in a café)? Or him ‘taking 5-min of power nap on bus 401’? Well, fabricated or not, there are Singaporeans reading stuff different from others. And those who slammed Sir Nelspruit’s question about Accountability and Transparency, was he not merely applying the same measure Roy uses on others to measure back to him? The question of why Roy is appealing for donations while JBJ & CSJ did not is an honest and relevant one that can better equip readers to counter those who question them later. How many TRE readers are concerned enough like Sir Nelspruit to actually reach out to and offer his personal assistance to Roy? If you are honest about yourself, read this. The unknowns known only to one At least two unknowns we should be concerned about. One, composition of the donors. When TRE can’t even raise US$3000 of the US$12,000 after 5 weeks while Roy received 20x that amount within 5 days, does it, should it not raise more than eyebrows? One can understand Roy has a face and the foe is specific. But which has been, is and will be more important to the cause of TRE readers and, by extension, opposition supporters? My guess is that a sizeable amount donated to Roy comes from the Pink Brigade. Think the parallel; Pink Dot at Hong Lim Park attracted >10k while the PWP that affects the lives of all Singaporeans, not just LGBTs, managed only 3k. Why? It’s that sense of fraternity, never mind the cause. Is there a parallel oppo fraternity amongst voters? Mark my word, 7 Jun will see more pinks coming. (Note: I merely state a pink fact, no moral judgment.) What if 50%, 60% of the donations were pink, does that change the calculus of actual support on the CPF issue? Or is that diluted with a, pun unintended, pinky hue? Two, why the apparent eagerness to be served the writ? What of the announcements then deletions made by his confidante, Hui Hui, about martyrdom, asylum etc etc which Sir Nelspruit has closely tracked and claimed can call up to show? So, what is Roy’s true motivation, taking everything that he has and has not done? Well, only he knows. The yet-to-be-known Roy should understand a day in court is no walk in the park. I took my employer once to court and should know a little. Has Roy sought out CSJ to at least understand what to expect? If not, why not? Is Roy just raring to go and relying on just his own lawyer? Is that good enough, wise? Wouldn’t anyone normal want to gyrate towards a course with greater certainty, less unknowns? Why hurl yourself headlong towards the unknown, go the whole 9 yards? What for if your claim has always been that ‘the CPF will be transparent to ordinary Singaporeans’ (23 May, apology letter to LHL)? Being true to yourself? How about us spectators? Would those egging Roy towards the centre of the coliseum actually act on their own advice if in Roy’s shoes? How would making PM Lee pay a high price help their cause? Could that ‘punishment’ backfire at the GE? Remember a GE is not a BE. Remember also that anger stirred differently may also (perversely, to oppo supporters) cause a swath of undecided voters to play it safe and support an embattled PM to buttress support for the international audience, if only to show solidarity for a 50-year branding exercise. So many unknowns. Settling for a less unknown outcome I had asked in my earlier article, ‘those who disagree with my view to imagine the many, many other gains to be had taking this route.’ The many comments I read appear to suggest it can do with some help. Perhaps, this one scenario may help. Imagine: Regaining the initiative, Roy announces his one last statement on the saga. “With my heart-true gratefulness for the exceptional and strong support from my fellow citizens, I  decide that, for the good of all Singaporeans, it is better that I try to reach an out-of-court settlement with the Prime Minister. This shall be done in full confidence and in private. Once done, I shall get back to accounting for the donations raised. Once done, let us get back to getting the answers that we citizens deserve from our government, any sitting government of the day, about what belongs to us and how we want to see our money managed such that we can live reasonably well. Thank you.” Just imagine all the possibilities arising therefrom. If not, then let me end with this story: Daedalus is a brilliant inventor—the Edison of his day. Unfortunately, he angers King Minos, the ruler of the island Crete, and he has to hightail it out of there. Desperate to flee the island, Daedalus uses wax to build some wings for himself and his son Icarus. Daddy Daedalus warns his son to fly at a middle height: the seawater will dampen the wings and the sun will melt them. (Not good either way.) Icarus heeds his father's advice for a bit, but then he gets cocky…having so much fun flying …he forgets the warning and flies too close to the sun. Sure enough, his wings melt, and Icarus plummets into the sea and drowns. [Link] And words from a song: Once we were running through smoke and fire Running into the sun In the rush of youth, for love and truth Our deeds were done”   -  (Jackson Browne, World in Motion) Story and verse are for Roy… But those who donated and now think that it entitles them to a ringside view such that ‘if Roy is going to be made bankrupt anyway, he might as well go down fighting the extra mile for us while he still can. In fact, going the “whole nine yards” would maximise the use of the donated funds.’ Yeah, our young deserve to ‘go down fighting the extra mile for us’ until he can no longer – then what? Another young sacrificial lamb? 2cents * The author blogs at 2econdsight.  Read More →

CPF Life One merit about CPF Life is that it is run by the Government. That removes the big worry of retirees as to whether their insurer is financially strong enough to withstand the next global financial crisis in order to keep making the monthly payouts, is what a SPH reporter wrote last Sunday. http://www.cpf.gov.sg/imsavvy/infohub_article.asp?readid={838399526-20200-2041240930}. Those who read this blog a few days ago will know that he is being constructive, and nation-building. There is a provision in the law governing the CPF Life Plans which states that payouts are contingent on the Plans being solvent. This is because premiums that are paid in to get the annuities are pooled and collectively invested. If the plan you chose doesn’t have enough money to pay out, you die. This is unlike the [Minimum Sum] scheme, where account holders are legally entitled to the monies in their CPF accounts … (http://atans1.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/best-cpf-life-plan/) The government has said the provision on solvency is only a precaution unlikely ever to be used. If so, why have it? This is a peace of mind issue. It was Gan who made this assurance when he was MoM. He should have told us the fact that the govt refuses to “protect” CPF Lifers from fund failure, despite CPF Lifers having to participate. If one cannot trust a SPH journalist to give us the relevant facts on a non-political issue, how can we rely on any SPH (and MediaCorp journalist, for that matter) to analyse or report political issues? After all our local media is proudly constructive and nation-building? BTW, how does this refusal to “protect” CPF Lifers square with what PM said last week? “We want to enhance [the CPF’s retirement-annuity scheme] so that the payouts can keep pace with the cost of living,” and “We also want to provide stronger assurance in retirement for the lower-income groups.” But the article made one gd point, The Standard plan offers an annuity scheme similar to what retirees in Britain opt for. The Basic plan is commonly adopted by US retirees. Reminder, the Basic plan is closer to the Minimum Sum scheme that is no longer available. For more: http://atans1.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/best-cpf-life-plan/ Cynical Investor Source: Thoughts of a Cynical Investor  Read More →