Daily Lesson from Life 30 April 2009

Well today is the last day of April month! The year 2009 is 1/3 over!! Wow!! Time flies! And now Pig Fly in the form of Swine Flue around the world! ;-))


"PM: 'We can be quietly confident' PM's May Day message of cautious optimism comes amid backdrop of global crisis. -Thu, Apr 30, 2009 The Straits Times

AS SINGAPORE suffers its most severe recession, the people still have reason to be 'quietly confident' because the economy has important strengths, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.


Our banks are sound, our industries are competitive, our wage systems are flexible, and many good jobs are still available,' he said in his May Day message released on Thursday, a day ahead of Labour Day.

'Our workers are cooperating with employers and the government, to acquire the skills which will make them more productive and employable. Our substantial reserves are funding programmes to counter the recession. Few countries are in as secure a position as Singapore.'"

Indeed Singapore is in a strong position to weather this onslaught due to our hugh national reserves built up over the last few decades. That said, it is better to be cautious as Singapore has eroded its competitiveness in the manufacturing industries that the government foreseen but unable to transform the 'excess' labor force fast enough into the 'emerging industries', especially in the service industries outside the once high-wage and high-value financail sector.

Lessons for me are:

1. recognized the threats and acknowledge the sacrifices made by Singaporean workers besides congratulating the government for being far sighted and what-not!;

2. recognized that the government did err in not transforming and preparing the workforce that was or is getting itself replaced as the old 'favoured' industries die off while the workforce is not fully ready for the new emerging industries, some of which, like the IRs, are under the dark clouds of: 'will there be enough customers coming with the financial tsunami'?;

3. for the people to recognize that with all the good intention, the government cannot guaranteed that everyone will have a job or a decent matching job for you. You have to take responsibility to anticipate and prepare yourself for the unexpected and the worst situation. Stick to the basic of: live within your mean and do not consume on credit, if it is not too late and you are not in the credit trap yet. Otherwise, you simply has to face up to the painful consequence of not being able to pay off your debts and get chased around like a dog!

May Singaporeans get to keep their jobs as long as possible and that the foreign workers have to make way for Singaporeans in this dire time as long as the Singaporeans are as productive as the foreigners replaced.


Follow Up an Earlier Blog Entry a few Weeks Back:

Lu: Well. You pay for your thrill! Is it worth it or it was just a mindless display of adventureness or plain 'stupidity'?

Maximum fine for Holland V nude couple
Pair used umbrellas to keep their faces hidden from press waiting at Subordinate Courts. -Thu, Apr 30, 2009 The Straits Times

THE pair of undergraduates who sauntered through Holland Village in the buff in January have paid for their prank.

They were fined $2,000 each on Thursday, the maximum fine for an obscene act.

Court papers state that Eng Kai Er, 24, and Jan Philip, 21, did what they did 'to seek thrill'.