Mrs Lee Kuan Yew dies at age 89

Madam Kwa Geok Choo - the wife of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, and mother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has died on Saturday.
Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, age 89, passed away peacefully at home at 5.40 pm. Read here for more details.

Mrs Lee, or Mdm Kwa Geok Choo, was really a very quiet woman, a great woman and wife to support MM Lee her entire life. What amaze me the most was her love story with MM Lee, how they met, how they fell in love, how they got married then 're-marry' again after came back to Singapore from their study in UK. Her dedication, commitment and love to MM Lee, is truly a legend in itself, a great example for many married couples to follow, their success in their marriage and love for each other, are truly a great testimony for all married couples.

I do know and aware that how much MM Lee has love Mdm Kwa, her medical condition and bed-ridden has truly affected MM Lee very much. With her passing, it's not only a great loss to Singapore, it's greater loss to MM Lee. I do sincerely hope that MM Lee can be strong and continue to live many more years to come.

What a sad day for Singapore... my deepest condolences to MM Lee and PM Lee and their families.

Parents Concerned about the RSAF Helicopter Forced Landing

Parents concerned over RSAF emergency landing near school? Read here for details.

But the fact is that if there isn't an open field next to the school, the pilots would probably had forced landed on the soccer field in the school (if he can make it there), which is worse...

Furthermore, this is an emergency for goodness sake, it's not like the pilots purposefully land there. Some parents are really don't know what they are talking and over-reacting... For this reason, think SLA need to think twice to develop and build more factories around that areas and no more open field for the helicopters in case of emergency..

There are more building projects coming in that stretch of Woodlands Ave 12.. when these buildings are up, there eventually will have no or few open field left for the helicopters that operates in the Air Base near by.. As a helicopter bloke, this is my concern and this incident really proven that these open fields are necessary for the helicopters, it give the pilots a safer place for force landing in case of emergency instead of forced to go closer to residential area and properties.

Thankfully, because of this open field, the pilots were able to make a safe forced landing and walked out without injury, nor cause damage to any civilian properties or lives. So parents, please think twice before speaking up, would you prefers the helicopter forced land nearby or right in front of your door step?

World Car Free Day?

Today, 22 Sep 10, Wednesday, supposed to marks World Car-Free Day - an initiative aimed at getting people to cycle, walk or take public transport instead of their car. News reported that many Singaporeans are not aware of this initiative. Read here for more.

But what World Car Free Day? I have not heard of this initiative or World Car Free Day until just now as I was browsing through the news. Was there any publicity or announcement made earlier to raise the awareness of this initiative?

I'm not against this initiative of World Car Free Day, this is a good initiative that not only can be more environmental eco friendlier, but if one choose to cycle to work, it's also promoting healthy life style, but I'm just totally not aware of it at all. So whoever wish to initiate this initiative in Singapore, will need to put in more effort to promote this initiative in order to raise awareness and attract more car/vehicle owners to participate in this meaningful initiative.

Growing Up..

I believe that today will be a day that my daughter finally realise that she can no longer be a kid any more, and just how fast has flown by.

While taking a short break after revising her homework in preparation for her PLSE next month, she somehow decided to gather her Primary school graduation photos from Primary 1 all the way to Primary 6, and without me tell her what to do, she has somewhat decided on her own to make a memorial book out of the photos, and she has wrote some notes in it, some to her friends, and some her teachers. But something must had really struck her mind, so much so that there was an emotional rush, and a sense of sadness came over her.

Then she came to my room, wanting to show me what has done, and at the same time, with tears in her eyes. When I saw what she has done, immediately I understand why she was teary and feeling sad, cause I have gone through the same feeling when I was at her age.

I sat her down on my lap, oh boy was she heavy.. It was also dawn on me that she is no longer that little baby, or that little girl I used to carry with ease and used to let her sit on my lap all day. My daughter has grown up and is on her way to her teenage years ahead.

Needless to say, emotion came over me as well. I know I had in control of my emotion and explain to her that, this is really part and parcel of growing up, a feeling that every child will go through. And that's why till this very day, I had kept my memorial books from my Primary class and Secondary class, the messages that my classmates, schoolmates and teachers wrote. I may have threw away lot of rubbish and unwanted stuffs, but I have never throw away these precious books, cause they are a part of my memories.

Friends that I knew through Primary and Secondary schools, I may not have any more opportunity to keep in touch with any of them, which is the real fact for me now, among all my friends, I have none from my Primary nor Secondary school classmates!! As such, the memorial books are even much more valuable and precious to me, cause that's all I have of my childhood days and teenage days.

As I explain to my princess, tears flow down her cheeks, as unwilling as she is, she now know that there will come a time that she will have to say goodbye to her classmates, her friends, her school, her teachers who loves her so much. I told her that, that's why she must also keep that book well and never throw it away no matter what, cause that will be a part of her memories, her growing up. In time to come, one day, she will be doing what I am doing right now, explain these things to her own child in the future...

Hopefully, today, as this sense of separation and sadness struck the heart and mind of my princess, she will move on to be a more matured child, or grow up to become a teenager.

Government Response to Why gov’t had to shut down free shuttle rides to IRs immediately

Further to my post on Government response to the free shuttle bus service to IRs, Community Development Youth and Sports Minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan has finally gave the government's point of view and explain why the government had to made such a 'swift' decision.

Community Development Youth and Sports Minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, says the free shuttle bus rides to both IRs had to be stopped immediately last Friday because they had infringed upon strict advertising regulations.

Dr Balakrishnan was responding in Parliament on Wednesday to questions on why the Casino Regulatory Authority(CRA) acted so swiftly to shut down the free shuttle bus services to HDB heartland areas and the Central Business District provided by both Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).

Read here for more details.

But again Minister, I'm sorry that, I'm still not convinced nor can accept the explanation given.

While I can agree that the IRs may had infringed the advertising regulations when they announced about the winners in the casinos to the media, but I have not yet see any form of advertising or promotion of casinos at any of the pick up points of these shuttle services. Those Genting Points that RWS mentioned can also be earned from other Genting outlets or entertainment facilities, not necessary just within the casino inside the RWS.

Minister also mentioned that: “Instead, we imposed advertising restrictions and a comprehensive set of social safeguards. Our aim was to minimise the impact of the casinos on locals, to protect vulnerable groups like young persons and dependants, and to prevent the casinos from targeting the locals as their principal market.”

But sorry Sir, with all due respect, why then LTA or MRT operator or the government is building a MRT Station at MBS or near by MBS? Wouldn't the ease of transportation by MRT to MBS make it even more convenience to the local to patronise the casino in MBS than the shuttle buses? Wouldn't then the near facility of a MRT station to MBS have any impact to the locals? Why is it then the MRT operator is not order to stop building that MRT station? Or will it be that that particular MRT station is mainly for the tourists to alight, no locals can alight at that MRT Station? Certainly not so, right?

Furthermore, the shuttle bus service had been in operation for at least 3 to 4 months by now, wouldn't LTA aware of their operation? How is it possible that IRs can have the shuttle bus service without the approval from LTA first? Not forgetting that when the bus shuttle service was introduced by the IRs, it was widely publicised in various news media including the TV evening news, shouldn't be that CRA have reacted back then?! Instead of months after the bus shuttle had started operation!

Although it was 7 months since the IRs had started operation and there was about 1million local Singaporeans had patronised that casinos. But haven't you noticed that being Singaporean, when there is something newly opened, especially fresh things the casinos in Singapore, which was unheard of and unimaginable by many before that a country like Singapore can and willing to have not one but two casinos, as such, many Singaporeans will be curious and interested to see how is this casino in Singapore, many will just rush to any newly opened shopping malls and so many will rush to take a look at the casinos, but as time goes by, the interest on these places will start to wind, eventually, there will be lesser and lesser Singaporeans will wants to step into the casinos, except those who really wants to go there just to gamble. But it will certainly not in the millions of Singaporeans.

Also with such statement made, it's likely possible some more radical Singaporeans will start to think that casino or even the IRs are only a place for the foreigners, the tourist, Singaporeans are not welcomed at all. Is that kind of perception that MCYS or CRA wants Singaporeans to have? I certainly don't think so.

The two IRs may need to attracts more tourist to patronise their IRs or casinos, but certainly they cannot survive just mainly based on the foreigners or tourists. As such, if government is really concerns about the impact of the casinos to the locals, the young and dependants, then why not consider to increase the entry levy charge to at least $500 to $1,000? This will certainly cut off a great majority of Singaporeans going into the casinos.

Therefore, based on the above points that I had mentioned, Minister Sir, your explanation still unable to convince me, nor I can accept it. More certainly need to be done.

When Signalling Becomes A Too Difficult Task...

Though I have hold my driving licence for years now, but I never forget how my driving instructors had pounded on me on signalling early when I drive. I remember it's also on our driving theory book that had emphasized the importance of signalling and signalling early.

Unfortunately, this is not what I have seen in the recent weeks, it has dawn on me that I have seen lesser and lesser drivers on the road would even bother to signal. Some would signal just the very second it commence a turn and only for one second or two before the driver turn the signal off. While some drivers do signal but expect you to give way and force you to give way cause when the driver signal, he/she never bother to check if it's clear for them to switch lane and just cut right into your front, forcing you to jam break.

Previously, some survey was conducted and concluded that many drivers feel that as long as behind their vehicle is clear or the next car is quite a distant away, they feel that there is no need to signal their intention to switch lane or making a turn. But recently, more and more I noticed, there are many drivers out there don't even bother to signal even though you are just next to their car on the next lane, when they want to switch lane, they just drive slightly faster than you and cut right in front of you without signalling!!!

Another strange Singaporean drivers behaviours I have noticed is the 'want to win' or 'must be the first' kind of mentality. Chinese saying call this "打死都要赢" mentality. Why? One classic example that witnessed and experienced many time on the road. On the expressway, I was on lane 2 travelling at 90km/h minding my own business, about 4 to 5 cars distant away from the car in front of me, behind me hardly or no vehicles at all, approaching a exit slip road from the expressway. The next thing I knew is that a car speed up on my right cut right in front of me without signalling just so that the driver can get into the exit slip road!!!

Does the drivers have to do such stunt and reckless driving? Cutting in front of me without signalling at high speed? Why must he/she cut in front of me? Why can't the driver slow down a little, go behind my car and switch lane then go towards the slip road? Which is the much safer way of driving!! Mind you, I encountered such drivers more than once!!

Sometime I really wonders, what happens to all the safe driving tips that they had learned from their driving course?! What happens to all the pounding of instructors insisting them to signal when they drive and during their TP test?! Why is it the for many drivers, the very moment they received their driving licence, they will conveniently throw out and forget about every safe driving practises that they have just learned? Why is it so hard or difficult for any driver to signal their intention earlier and wait to ensure that it's clear and safe to switch lane or turn? Why is it so hard to slow down a little and let other vehicles who have the right of way to go first instead of speeding out from the slip road and turn into the next road when there is a car approaching?!

Why the rush in the first place? Why the need to speed down the expressway in a reckless manner? Weave in and out of vehicles and swing from one lane to another just to go ahead of everyone?

Sometime, I really wish I'm a traffic police, but then these drivers would probably thanks their lucky star that I'm not, cause if I'm a traffic police, I will surely book a ticket for all these reckless drivers, who is not only endanger their own lives, but other road users as well.

Now, what it takes to be a volunteer traffic police?

Government's Reaction to the Free Shuttle Service by IRs

Just few days ago, news reported that The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), will investigate about the free shuttle services provided by the two IRs in Singapore, apparently their 'concern' was that such free shuttle services that pick up passengers right from the heartland areas, will indirectly encourage more Singaporeans to patronise the casinos and thus encouraging gambling among the Singaporeans.

Today, the government had taken action and ordered to two IRs to terminate or stop such free shuttle services immediately. Read here and here for more details.

Personally, is such moves or decision by MCYS really necessary? Or is it really a wise decision? Or is this just another method to let the two major bus operators not to loose out in the competition of ferrying passengers to the two IRs? Cause immediately after the decision was announced, the 'business' for the two bus operators picked up! Worse is that the people feel the crowd and squeeze again.

Dose all the passengers that benefited the free shuttle services goes into the casinos? Does it means that the two IRs only have casinos and nothing else for people to go to? What about the Universal Studio? What about the Convention Halls? The Shopping Malls? I would dare say not more than half of the passengers who took the free shuttle services went into the casinos.

Then why such harsh decision made? This decision will caused the bus operators that provide the free shuttle services to go bust or out of business, causing them in deep financial woes with all the loans and workers compensation. Worse is that it will likely to cause more than 1000 people to loose their job overnight!! Have MCYS ever considered the consequences of this decision or have they ever considered the possible alternative like instead of offering free shuttle services, request (order if you so like to) the bus operator to start charging a token fees may be like $1.00 or $2.00, same amount of fees charged by the two major bus operators.

These bus shuttle services not only reach out to the greater crowd that are further in land and attracts more people to tour around the two IRs, NOT JUST THE CASINOS (for goodness sake!!), they also help to provide more alternate route for the people to go the IRs, to lighten the crowded situation at the pick up points provided by the two major bus operators. They have been doing a service for the community and they are not even competing with the two major bus operators for business simply because they are paid by the two IRs.

Now with this decision by MCYS, people who wants to go to the IRs will have lesser option to take, instead of able to take the shuttle service nearby, they have to travel all the way to the designated pick up points by the two major bus operator, which can be very inconvenience for many. Worse is that they will now need to be squeezed among the crowd and the long queue.

Please, reverse the decision if you can and just ask the IRs or the bus operator to charge a token fees instead of order them to stop operations. If insist to take this decision to stop them from providing the shuttle services, then please don't blame the people for thinking that you are just want the money to goes to the two major bus operators, cause for a very simple fact that not every one taken the shuttle services goes to the casinos, and please, not every one wants to go to the casinos as well. There more than the casinos in the IRs that attracts the people to patronise there.

And if the government is really so concerned about Singaporeans are encouraged or being lured to casinos and gambling, then why not also consider increased the entry charge for Singaporean from $100 to $150 or even $200? Cause to many Singaporeans who are really wants to gamble in the casinos, $100 is nothing to them, just look at how a businessman have lost $25millions there... What is that $100 to him?

I'm sorry, I just simply couldn't agree with this decision by MCYS, because it will cause more harm than good.