neighbours know dat tis Mr Sim had borrowed from more than 10 over loansharks. yes, his house was harassed 2 yrs ago. but it had stopped for more than a yr, after the police came in.

recently his house was harassed again, n it was heard dat he is still borrowing from loansharks again. he had gone to neighbours asking how to extract video of the loanshark from his CCTV harddisk. when he was suggested to seek help from police, he replied dat CID had to seize his CCTV harddisk away for examination, but he felt insecure to part with it. these days, my family members had also seen policemen waiting at the staircase to ambush the loansharks, n i really pity these policemen.

i only hope dat tis Mr Sim will be the first one to be charged in court, once after the law is amended to charge borrowers of loansharks.

the article reflects everything that is wrong with Singapore. in saying that, andrew, you are right. the government is partly to blame for us becoming what we are today. noblesse oblige is dead in Singapore. i wouldn’t hold my breath for it.

opening hours: 9.00am – 6.30pm (Mon, Wed & Fri)
9.00am – 9.00pm (Tue and Thu)
9.00am – 6.00pm (Sat)

Be well.

Let’s consider the loanshark issue specifically. Never mind about Mr Sim or his daughter or his CCTV. Just think of some person who has borrowed money from loansharks.

Now I don’t know what the MCYS policy is on loanshark debts being brought into consideration during a financial assistance assessment, if a loanshark borrower were to apply for financial assistance when he still has a loanshark debt to pay off. But logically speaking, if we try to support -everyone- who has loanshark debts to pay off their debts, we will be funnelling infinite amounts of public money to the loanshark business. No good hor? Loanshark know of this then they anyhow raise their interest rates sky-high hor? Since their borrowers will always manage to pay off using public assistance funds what.

So then at best we have to choose who to subsidize.

Must choose lah, can’t help everybody because money doesn’t fall from the sky.

And that’s where my questions from my previous comments still apply. Perhaps SE CDC had surveyed Mr Sim’s situation with due care and found out something about the whole matter that makes them think Mr Sim could still manage quite well on his income. We don’t know. And, more to the point, SE CDC can’t tell you either because telling you -exactly- how they come to their financial assistance evaluation decisions will cause more people to come to game the system. They can’t even tell Mr Sim, although you might think he would have the right to know. No, he doesn’t. The gaming system thing applies to him too.

At worst, for the generic loanshark borrower, the straight policy might be: Since no one can tell which borrower had the intention to borrow and ’siam’ the repayment simply by calling police to catch the loanshark, and which borrower fully intended to repay but really cannot make it, subsidize no loanshark debts at all. In that situation, financial assistance will only be provided as per normal, and we will assume that no loanshark bill exists.

We cannot give out public money totally based on something as vague as an idea of a person’s intentions. There are the first layer of rules known as the existing policy, and there is the second layer of rules where the social workers decide based on their social work training that the first layer of rules is an inadequate measure of the particular case. The second layer of rules is exceptionally rigorous because it is both the social worker’s own head and the agency’s reputation on the professional chopping board. The day Singapore decides to disburse public money based solely on whether a person applying for assistance has good intentions or is a good man, I will migrate and practise elsewhere.

Wrong, Andrew. Mr Sim asked CDC for money.

The article tried to argue that:

1. Mr Sim is in his predicament because he is a good man.
2. Mr Sim is in his predicament because he had no choice but to borrow from loan sharks.
3. Mr Sim is in his predicament because of government policies.
4. Mr Sim continues to be in his predicament becuase the police are incompetent.
5. Mr Sim continues to be in his predicament because quasi-governmental agencies refuse to help him.

In short, the article tries to pin all of the fault onto the government while trying to play down the fact that Mr Sim’s choices had a part in how he got where he is.

If compassion is what the authors hoped to invoke, then a simple telling of Mr Sim’s plight would have sufficed.

The truth is: compassion is just something the authors are trying to appeal to in the readers to get us to buy their argument.

I disagree.

A big reason why loan sharks exist is because a segment of the population are easy prey.

I would even suggest that if loan sharks didn’t exist, some people may be forced to think of better alternatives to improve their lives instead of getting “easy” money from these people.

Mr. Sim problems is not just happen OVERNIGHT! He do have a choice!

There are many poor families in Singapore and most don’t borrow from loan shark! Loan shark exist, of course is with the support of people like Mr. Sim! They don’t open stall like a bank and advertise! One have to look them up for loan. And where is such places? You tell me!

This is not the 50’s or 60’s like the Cantonese soap opera movie! Loan shark exist most of the time is to service those gambling addicts, and this people come from all levels, so don’t give the poor a bad name!

Yes, this problem will not go away, and it will happen again, and again if people decide to borrow from loan shark! That’s why some people suggest that borrower should be punish too! Isn’t it convenient that people can just borrow from loan shark and report them to the police? They knew the consequence yet they still decide to go ahead. Too bad!

People do have a choice, and I am not talking about illiterate and Mr’ Sim certainly not one! People should learn to stand on their own feet. Continue to create problems one after another and of blame the WHOLE WORLD? Calling people NO COMPASSION? That is REALLY CONVENIENT! My Compassion go to more deserving people, instead of ENDLESS PIT!

PAP do realized the problem of inflation but they really don’t care! That’s why they reward themselves with million dollar salaries! Of course, they wouldn’t bother with Mr’ SIm problem!

Whether we like it or not another human’s sufferings will directly or indirectly impact the rest of us. Statement like yours, while not invalid, lacks empathy, something i notice prevalent among many MPs of the ruling party. In the name of ‘meritocracy’ the Singapore system has abandoned the concept of noblesse oblige (google it up if you don’t know what it is). We cannot stop anyone who is bent on self-destruction. But is this the case with Mr Sim? A big reason why loan sharks exist is to service a neglected or forgotten segment of the population. Depending on your philosophy in life, you just might say that people like Mr Sim “deserves it”. But these social problems would not go away and will bite us back one day. Even the PAP has grudgingly realised this, especially if its policies have made the poor poorer and contributed to the widening social and income gap.

http://www.europac.net/externalframeset.asp?from=home&id=10612

“…fixated on wholly meaningless govt data that managed to report the lowest inflation… However, the govt’s ability to make ‘economic growth’ magically appear is based purely on statistical finesse.”

“…govt [should] adjust nominal GDP gains using the GDP deflator, which represents the inflation rate. This is done to strip inflation out of the GDP calculation so that only real growth gets counted: not nominal gains that result purely from inflation.”

“Similar illusions are created in other numbers, such as retail sales, corporate earnings, and stock prices, which are all rising merely as a result of actual inflation being higher than the official reports. For example, higher retail sales reflect consumers paying higher prices for the products that they buy. They may in fact be buying less stuff, but are paying more for it.”

“Similarly, just as inflation causes prices to rise for goods and services, it causes stock prices to rise as well. Though such gains may be less than the actual increase in the cost of living, as long as the govt gets away with using bogus CPI numbers which fail to fully reflect inflation, …takes credit for nominal gains as if they were real.”

“However, as ridiculous as the phony GDP number was, yesterday’s biggest joke was a report on global competitiveness put out by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which ranked the [LIE KY LHL PAP] economy as [among] the world’s most competitive. To arrive at this conclusion, the forum has obliterated the obvious under a mountain of theory. In determining country rankings, the WEF weighed strengths in their “12 Pillars of Competitiveness”, including: institutions, infrastructure, macroeconomic stability, health and primary education, higher education and training, goods market efficiency, labor market efficiency, financial market sophistication, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication and innovation. It is as if the WEF decided to judge a weight loss contest without using a scale, by instead focusing only on mental attitude, dedication, perseverance, and nutritional education! As a result the prize is awarded to the fattest contestant. [Singapore] is clearly not [among] the most competitive economies in the world.

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2. http://www.dailyreckoning.com.au/numbers-lie/2007/11/02/
“More Proof That Numbers Lie”

“Numbers don’t lie, do they? Ha! Numbers are the biggest liars on the planet.”

“…govt statisticians – and corporate ones too – typically “crunch” numbers into the shape they want. Numbers get punched, beaten, hammered, bullied, and bamboozled. When the torture session is over they’ll admit to anything. That is how we get a “consumer price index” of only 3%…when everyone knows prices are rising a lot faster.

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3. http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/3/focus/19360112&sec=focus

“Increasing prices in just about everything has overshadowed the city state’s prosperity in the last four years.”

“The city-state has been hit by an unceasing bout of price increases that has overshadowed the city’s prosperity in the past four years. Inflation is at its worst here in 12 years [now 26 years] and has become the people’s biggest worry today. For many, the high costs are blurring the Singapore Dream.”

“Worst affected is the broad middle class, …a punishing [from] 5% to 7% rise in the Goods and Services Tax (GST).”

“There are two immediate effects. The value of money is dropping by the week, and savings are discouraged since consumer prices are rising faster than interest the banks pay on deposits.”

“The govt appears unable to take action to stop the epidemic, a contrast to the first-generation govt during such crises.”

“But so strong and persistent is inflation that many Singaporeans feel they are the poorer for it.”

“…the govt …priorities are economic growth and asset accumulation (for foreign investments) – even at the expense of a higher cost of living. To that end, it has increased GST from 5% to 7% and may eventually reach 10%. Fees for public services are being raised to ensure no drop in Treasury collection.”

“Deficit budget, although not entirely unknown in Singapore, is a very rare happening.”

“Many young professionals who just start off in life are worried that the sharp run-up in property prices has made it virtually impossible for them to buy a flat. Some are putting off marriage or raising children.”

“Understandably inflation has become a hot debate subject. This is tough for the middle class and working class, which are just struggling for a living amidst the perceived wealth, unhappy and with few choices in life.”

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4. http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_173723.html
“Grocery bills increase as prices for foodstuffs go up.”

“A Straits Times check on a random basket of basic goods sold at supermarkets here revealed price increases in almost every category, from fresh chicken to coffee and milk formula.”

“Rising food prices have contributed to inflation here. September’s [2007] overall Consumer Price Index showed that prices generally retreated by 0.3 per cent from the previous month, but the food component – the biggest item at 23% – rose 3.7% as the cost of fresh vegetables, fruit, seafood and milk powder, as well as hawker and restaurant food, went up.”

“Consumers The Straits Times spoke to said that while increases for each item may seem like a token sum, together, they add up to a much bigger grocery bill.”

“She said that rental on her stall, which is now S$4,500 a month, is set to rise to S$5,500 at the start of next year, and then to S$6,500 in 2009.”

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5. http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/inflation-low-because-oil-prices/story.aspx?guid=%7BF29A8D00-50E5-44D6-9981-0E54430C3A96%7D

“In GDP math, sometimes one plus one equals zero.”

“If you don’t understand that, welcome to the confusing world of national income accounting, where up sometimes is down, and where sometimes one plus one can equal zero.”

“Because of the way govt counts and reports the numbers, real-life inflation was understated and growth was [therefore] overstated.”

“The economy didn’t really grow 3.9%, and inflation really wasn’t 0.8%. The numbers aren’t as good as they look.”

“…it did produce quirky numbers that don’t accurately reflect reality, even though they are correct from an accounting point of view. The accounting is right. But it’s not reality.”

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6. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/specialreport/news/269666_26/1/.html

“Why the GDP link?” “…the higher the gross domestic product (GDP), the bigger the bonus — even some ruling party MPs question the wisdom of such a link.”

“If Monday’s parliamentary debate on pay revisions for ministers and civil servants focused mainly on that “benchmark thing”, yesterday’s session saw the spotlight being trained on the GDP bonus.”

“This bonus is a component which ministers, parliamentary secretaries, top civil servants and MPs are eligible for. Several of the 13 backbenchers who spoke yesterday had reservations about the GDP bonus. One common refrain heard in the House was whether it is a fair performance peg to use.”

“We all know that a rise in GDP may not benefit all sectors of society equally. Some may even lag behind. I would suggest that the Govt consider using indicators that directly impact the livelihood of all Singaporeans,” said Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC).”

“He proposed one other indicator to be considered: That of the total cost of running the Govt as a percentage of total revenue. After all, CEOs in the private sector have to ensure profits are not eroded by increasing [inflation] costs and expenses, Mr Loo said.”

“Other suggestions of alternative benchmarks included: The consumer price index and the inflation rate, as a way to keep cost of living affordable and protect savings; citizens’ feedback to major public services; the number of jobs created for Singaporeans; and even the number of Singaporeans who migrate.”

“Based on the latest revisions, ministers will enjoy a GDP bonus of between 3 and 8 months if the economy grows between 5% and 10% or more. But they will not get any bonus if the economy grows by 2% or less. For example, the entry-level annual salary of a minister this year is expected to include a 5.9-month bonus based on Singapore’s estimated GDP growth of between 4.5% and 6.5%.”

“Another comparison, between the civil service pay increases and the S$30 monthly increase for those on Public Assistance, was raised in the House. Said NMP Kalyani Mehta: “If we are going to be [so] generous to civil servants, then let’s be generous to the very poor.” In response, Mr Teo Chee Hean, Defence Minister and Minister-in-Charge of the Civil Service, said: “The needs of these individuals are quite different and we need to find more holistic and flexible ways of looking after their needs.”"

“One new issue that cropped up yesterday was the danger of concentrating too much power and money in the hands of top public officers. MP Denise Phua (Jalan Besar GRC) said: “As responsible leaders, we must be careful not to leave behind a system or structure that combines power and monetary rewards to such high levels that incumbents are so handcuffed by this lethal combination that they find it hard to let go.” NMP Eunice Olsen argued that the coupling of political and financial power is more likely to lead to the creation of a rogue govt.”

“On this issue, Mr Teo said that the checks are elections [RH: a lie since elections are routinely rigged] and the ruling party’s selection process. “If (a person’s) motivations are self-serving or to make money, we do not select him. And if we discover that’s what he’s about after he has come in, we drop him,” he said.
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7. http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_172073.html

“But economists say one crucial aspect to watch out for is rising inflation. It hit 2.9% in August – the biggest monthly rise since 1994. MAS expects inflation of 1.5% to 2% this year, and up to 3.5% for the first half of 2008. But it expects this to ease in the second half of the year, with inflation at 2% to 3% for the whole of 2008.”

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RH: Many, many, THANKS to Mr Kaye Poh, from whose brilliant email all the above articles are sourced and excerpted here. The thrust of all these articles prove convincingly enough, that GDP Numbers are faked Higher when Inflation is faked Lower than it really is. They prove why LIE KY LHL PAP kept reporting abnormally Low inflation numbers for decades, when the experience of every Singaporean is of rampant inflation. Also, by reporting falsely Low inflation numbers, LIE KY LHL PAP disguise the simple fact that our CPF monies are actually Reducing in value, eroded by Inflation because the miserable, exploitative, cheating, scam ‘interest’ they give us are far, far, below inflation — “an implicit tax” as Prof Mukul Asher [ http://www.spp.nus.edu.sg/Faculty_Mukul_Asher.aspx ] wrote. . Also, by reporting — and convincing us through their PAPaganda media — that inflation is ‘low’, the alleged GDP each year becomes automatically and fakedly Higher thereby giving the Ministers and top civil servants more millions in GDP ‘Performance Bonuses’!!! Disgusting, dirty, cheats and scammers who routinely rig elections so as to be able to keep paying themselves more millions.

Duh…. Of course if no one does, I going to call everyone here uncaring and label everyone as people who likes to use “get out of my elite uncaring face” and are absolutely uncompassionate as an example.

It is easy to generalise Singaporeans as bad, uncaring, elite etc…. Singaporeans like to call themselves a lot of things. Pot Kettle Black being a very common refrain.

Sometimes we do need to stand back and understand that a lot of individual choices in life are just that. Individual choices. It can be incredibly unfair at times. That’s life. Complaining is one way people deal with it. Sometimes, other people have different approaches.

Get out of my elite uncaring face … on a lower level.

On a another note, if the police refuse to deal with these loansharks … they are sending a wrong signal to them and eventually the larger part of the society will suffer one day.

Loan sharks are illegal entities … and the duty of the police is to enforce law and order.

Tragedies happen when someone is driven to the edge and innocents can be endangered.

And by what is reported in the article, I believe that Mr Sim’s intentions are not evil ones. He is not even asking for money to help him pay off the sharks, for goodness’ sake! He is asking for the police to do their work – this after he has tried, and still continues to, pay the sharks.

The question, at least to me, is why is the police so inept in going after the loansharks. Saying that they’re unable to do much with the CCTV footage is lame. I would expect that our police force would have the capability to deal with such stuff. Isn’t Singapore a technology hub or something? Haven’t we been told so often about how the police force has the latest, ultra-modern technology?

Just because we disagree with what we think he should have as priorities (such as, ‘if he cannot feed himself, why try and have a foreign kid’), the point is that people such as Mr Sim apparently are not evil people. In fact, from what I am reading here from some commenters, Mr Sim should have just left his adopted daughter to die in Vietnam or have a hard life, even if he thought he could help.

I think that says everything about Singapore – and what is wrong with it.

Anyway, borrow from friends also bo yong one. Friends can trump money? Not that many friends sia…if anything, the article shows that Gahmen won’t help you if they think you brought it upon yourself. And the focus of this article is not the ‘won’t help you,’ it’s the BROUGHT IT UPON YOURSELF.