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Change mindsets or change technology for work-life balance?

Don’t blame technology for the difficulty in achieving work-life balance. Right mindsets, right attitude, plus the respect of individual privacy are the right approaches towards work-life balance.   Technology is just a convenient excuse as companies (as educated by the government) only look at the productivity improvement rather than the humanity when promoting work-life balance.   Work-life balance in Singapore is promoted from the business viewpoint (and to the advantages) of the companies, employers, and businesses. One of key incentives is that companies who promote work-life balance can achieve higher productivity from their employees.   Of course, when productivity is concerned even the employees are resting at home, however committed they are but with the access of technology (computer, internet, Smartphone etc), employees are expected to provide instant feedback and information to the companies.    Under this mindset, whether there are gains or ben...

风中的承诺,后港补选的政治筹码考量

后港补选将会到来,但是,犹如在风中向你高喊一样,补选来了,听到来了,但是不知几时,高声喊过去,几时几时,在风中只听到不知道不知道,然后,其他的就听不清楚了。因为,总理还在盘算着,到底自己还有多少政治筹码,可以在后港补选中赌上一把。 总理说不知道补选时间,还没有决定,他的理由是: 【在决定补选日期时,他会把相关因素考虑在内,包括后港居民的利益、国家议程上的课题,以及影响国家繁荣及安全的国际形势。(早报 3 月 10 日)】 同情总理风中的承诺 我们真的应该同情总理,在风雨飘摇的国际形势下,在国内不满的声中,要做出这么困难的决定。因此,现在,只能给国人一个暂时的交代,等风平浪静后,再来定下一个时间。虽然,有人要高庭做出决定,为时间下一个定义 ---- 三个月为限,但是,总理在国会已经说了很清楚,把历史回朔到 1965 年,引经据典,看来可要难为法官了。 一个单一选区的补选,考虑的东西可真多,好像有如大选,总统选举那样的多 - 那样多的政治考量,那样多的政治筹码计算,那样多的国内外因素要考虑。做一国总理可真不容易,你们一般人,就知道怪这个,怪那个,没有为总理想想,拿你这几百万元的薪水,还要在风中高喊,梦里还要想着行动党政治筹码的多少,几时周公才会在梦里说出真字,开出一个明确的补选日期来。 倒不如叫博彩公司先行开出一个赌盘,认人民赌上一把。那一天是红字,就选那一天为补选的日期。如果,博彩公司慢一步,民间的私人赌盘,很可能会抢先一步,自我做庒,先发一笔横财,然后才向总理报告,红字应该是 x 年 x 月 x 日。总理可能还要感谢这些人施予真字真言,然后核算手中的政治筹码,时机成熟,可以补选了。 一个 20 年的动不动 补选会影响国家稳定,动不动就补选,会影响国本,这个动不动,屈指算来都有 20 年了。 20 年叫做动不动,那么低薪人士的 10 年没有加薪(以通货膨胀来算),不知道可以不可以叫做动不动。为什么,人家 10 年没有加薪,不会动摇国本,不会引起国家的不稳定,而一个单区的补选,竟然会造成国家的稳定,到底哪一个的人数比较多。后港单选区只有 2 万多选民,全国低薪人士到底有多少? 或许,玄机就出在这句话:   Voters back parties, not individual MPs: PM Lee ( ST, 10Mar2012 ) ...

Confidence rather than perceptions is needed for neighbourhood schools

  'Perceptions about neighbourhood schools must change' as reported in the Straits Times on the 8 th of March 2012. And so the Ministry of Education hopes to make all schools as good schools, neighbourhood schools to become good schools.   Can the perceptions really be changed? Ask yourself as a teacher, as parents, as men in the street, the answer will most likely to be the same – it is very hard to change the mindsets as the nation is divided, the society is divided and the rich-poor is divided.     Is it too idealistic? MOE wants a change of mindset and perceptions on how to turn the bad to good, the neighbourhood schools to top schools.     If you recall not long ago a minister of state’s view on ITE students, you will know the government is ‘talk and act is not in concert’ (说一套做一套) . It is always difficult to make a change of perceptions and mindsets towards neighbourhood schools – who is the genius recommending such a discriminated term. Is th...

政治筹码,政治加分,行动党已经用到不能再用,到了山穷水尽的地步了。

行动党的部长和议员有时说起话,让人啼笑皆非。明明自己用到不能再用的把戏,像取得政治筹码,政治加分的手段,现在却拿来指责对手,批评在野党在国会说好听的话,就是要讨好选民,捞取政治资本。行动党每回大选,都送红包,甚至落到道歉的地步,这不叫捞取政治筹码,这叫什么? 事实上,行动党希望天天都能用上取得政治筹码的手段,只是随着国人的意识提高,很多事情行动党都无法随心所欲,无法满足国人的要求。对地铁事故的处理,对高官桃色事件的处理,对水患的处理等等,如果能够满足国人的期望,那么政治资本将不会减分,而是加分,偏偏这些事情就无法满足国人期待,当然,政治筹码就要减少了。 原本希望通过津贴 11 亿元来为我国的巴士服务增添新巴士,让国人享受更多更新的巴士服务,那里知道竟然引来一阵臭骂。这本来是一项政治加分的手段,不知为何,网民极为不满,认为这是在津贴私营的巴士公司,让它们赚大钱,分股息的手法。 还有,月入 1000 元的家庭,能够在政府的津贴下,买到小单位的组屋。这也是政治加分的手段,怎么竟然落到没人相信的地步。为何辛辛苦苦推出这么多利民政策,竟然落到人民不满,政治筹码失掉,为何明明是一盘赢局的政治赌盘,所有的资源都在行动党手中,怎么越做越不顺心,越做越害怕,好像推出什么东西,都无法满足人民的要求。 开赌场的竟然还会落到输钱的地步,这个政治筹码,行动党的政治筹码,到底还剩多少。 物极必反,招数出尽 想来想去,行动党的招数已经出尽,再也变不出什么新花样来了。物极必反,否极泰来,行动党的未来日子,再也不可能像以前那样得意,呼风唤雨,唯我独尊。在过去,不论推出什么政策,人民就会摇旗呐喊的高声叫好。看来,行动党只能回忆过去,唱唱往事只能回味,昨天会更好。 政治筹码,政治加分如果这么容易取得,行动党早就想尽办法取得了,何必等到现在在 2012 年的预算案中提出。就是因为去年大选,跌了一跤,才想到做得不够,组屋,交通,贫富,医药卫生,落势群体等等,现在补上一脚,但是,人民上了当多了,看到很多糖果甜品,也不敢要了。即使,有些政策是好的,人民也怀疑会不会有毒,吃了拉肚子,上医院,不是吃亏更大吗? 或许,行动党现在是看到别人捞政治资本,心里面不是滋味,吃不到葡萄说葡萄是酸的。明明自己可以增加政治筹码,获得政治加分,现在却跑到对手的手里,那个滋味,真是很难受。难怪会有这样的新闻出现: ...

Hougang by-election - don't let it develop into an international joke

Whether there will be by-election in Hougang or not, if there is no action taken by the Prime Minister, it will soon become an international political joke for the PAP as well as Singapore . A mighty and powerful party that controls more than 90% of the seats in the Parliament is so indecisive about a local election and has to take so long to calculate the risk of having a by-election; one will wonder how decisive it can be in bigger national and international issues.         Perhaps, the PM and the PAP will say they will only look at the bigger issue but not a local small issue.   And there is no urgency to make an early decision constitutionally.   Yes, all big fire starts from small. An unchecked small fire will not only become an international joke, it will also destroy the mighty jungle.     The development of Hougang by-election, if leaves it untouched, will soon become the competent test of the Prime Minister as we well his PAP governmen...

狗吃稀饭,幸与不幸?我们是不是在奉行稀饭哲学?

不对呀!我们要一个包容和强大的新加坡,怎么可能只要吃稀饭,喝粥而已。但是,细想一下,我们在经济上,做的就是要富者越富,贫者越贫,贫富差距越大,吃稀饭的人就越多人。在政治上,一党独大,独尊,其他在野党也只能落到吃稀饭的地步。在社会上,我们闻福利政策而逃,当然不幸人士也只有喝粥的份儿了。 还真要感谢一位中国网友,一针见血的指出,新加坡即使叫新加坡,如果中国人都回去,我们也只有吃着稀饭,喝着粥了。 政府是希望国人吃稀饭呢,还是吃得好一点。我们的国策,经济政策,社会政策,没有免费午餐的想法做法,事实上,就是让大多数人吃稀饭,少数人吃贵饭。当你负担了高涨的生活费后,你还有能力吃贵餐吗?所以,批评新加坡人喝稀饭,并没有为过,这正是我们的国策。 幸与不幸 有稀饭吃,还不错,总算不会饿死。这是不幸中的大幸。但是,贵为世界第三富国,沦落到吃吃稀饭,实在有点说不过去。或许,这是新加坡今天的写照,有人的确是只有吃稀饭的份儿,而富国这个名称,对他们来说即陌生又遥远。 我们怎么可能只有吃稀饭的人,高薪的部长老外,政联公司的老总,上市公司的股东,年收入上百万,上千万的人可有的是。这些人怎么可能只是吃吃稀饭这么简单,那也太小看新加坡了。当然,如果跟中国的大排场一比,我们真是小巫见大巫,这是没得比的。场面一摆出来,我们的菜色,可真是算得上是稀饭了。因此,我们的贵人,还是承认自己吃吃稀饭比较好,吃稀饭好,比较健康呀! 从狗吃稀饭,不知道是否会再演变下去,恶化到狗吃大便。真是何其不幸,深爱对方,换来的却是无情无义的对待,也或许,我们的待人处事,确是狗气狗声,因此,对方才给予稀饭的施舍,总算也尽了主人的责任。再或许,这只是主人的下人,没听懂主人的意思,会错了意,生气起来,才又叫狗儿,又给稀饭。 真的是,其实您不懂我的心。主人的心难猜测呀!主人下人的心更难讨好。希望这只是下人的意思,不是主人的意愿。如果,主人也是这个看法,那我们这么多年来的努力,投资,和低声下气,不是白费了吗?我们周旋在中美之间,俨然有如东西的交汇点和专家,这下可好,又是狗,又是稀饭,搞得我们真的有点被逼要 ‘ 去亚入美 ’ 了。 主人啊!我们知道大国对小国是不对等的,我们只要一点点的门户开放,就能养活几百万新加坡人了,因此,我们只有一个小小的要求,开放市场让我们有生意做。我们要的是通商中国。 我们不明白什么是唱红打黑...

Between Baey and Tay, who has a better understanding of China?

    We should look beyond the issue of Sun Xu and his insulting remarks about Singaporeans.   After 8 years of sponsored study at our top schools and university, we still cannot persuade him to say a friendly word on Singapore . And the important question is ‘do we have enough people who can understand China well enough to do business there?’ Let begin with this interesting question … Who will you send to China for a job assignment if you have to decide between Baey and Tay ?   For the patriotic point of view, you may send Tay who seems protecting the interest of Singapore and not Baey who seems to side with the Chinese and accept the “dog” culture. (Please refer to the facebook postings of Baey Yam Keng and Tay Ping Hui on Sun Xu for more details.)   In reality, Baey could be a better choice as he knows the background of the “dog” culture and there are different and many meanings behind a dog and the reference of the dog.   He is more flexible in th...