wikiphile - I fully agree with you that 'this sort of situation is not only unique in S'pore, it happens everywhere'. But arent we a first world country with world class adminstrators?
We are number 1 in many many areas. This sort of situation should not exist in S'pore. How are we to teach the third world countries when such a simple matter is left dragging for the past decade.
exSINgaporean - I didn't face trouble with gangsters coming to my club. Gangsters, drunkards and those high on drugs are easier to deal with! Their friends with them are likely to prevent any escalation by driving sense to their troublemaker friend(s). If out of control, we just dial 999. We also pay taxes, CPF etc just like other businesses.
Cannot say the same for police officers raiding niteclubs. They appear as if
they are on a crusade to rid S'pore of niteclubs. But try asking them to raid Lido Palace and their balls disappear.
Even if they do, they will not hit Lido hard. Just go through the motion, bring 1 or 2 hostesses back, impose 3 or 6 demerit points then return to raid again a year later. By then, the demerit points would have been cancelled. Lido lives on and on and on.
exSINgaporean, thanks for your advice. Your suggestion is great but I doubt if I have the time. I also have no intention to offend our world class government coz I am a nobody.
I am sure the government will respond appropriately, but as always, it is always years later. We dont expect them to preempt this problem. It's not life and death for them. Neither do we expect them to deal with this matter swiftly, after it becomes so obvious. And yet we claim to be world class here and there. Nonsense. Absolute nonsense.
Take the ah long problem as an example. They must have finally admitted defeat by making amendments to the Moneylenders' Act 18 months ago. The traditional ah longs we know of, that operated from the coffeeshops etc have now progressed to air con offices, after getting their license from the Registrar of Moneylenders. And they advertised their services in the newspapers.
The legal ah longs are now permitted by law to impose any amount of interest for amount above 3k. In the past, legal ah longs could only charge 1.5% monthly interest. Now, 20% is legal. Can also impose admin fees, late payment fees etc.
The ah long problem is now swiftly swept under the carpet. The police can now claim that any offences resulting from these loans were breaches committed by licensed moneylenders and not ah longs.
Honestly, what is the difference between the old ah longs and the legal moneylenders today? 20% illegal interest in the past suddenly becomes legal! Legally, there is no offence even if they charge you 100% interest monthly.
Well, they may insist that at least all loans are now recorded! But the problems of debtors remain. By claiming that with more legal ah longs, debtors can compare who offers more competitive interest rates is laughable at best. If you can borrow and pay below 5% interest, you are damn bloody lucky. 15% monthly interest rate is the norm, some 'chop head' others may not.
The government collects taxes, solve the ah long problem by nudging them to become legal etc. Problem solved and yet gets to collect revenue. Great move indeed.
Look at the numerous Off Course Betting Centres in S'pore today. They were introduced to combat illegal bookies. What is the difference? The illegals offer more competitive rates and credit terms. The government? Collect taxes. Gambling problem resolved? I am afraid not. Now we even have 2 world class gambling dens!
So, this niteclub problem can easily be resolved too. Just like the ah long, illegal bookies and PRC streetwalkers Geylang problems, ISSUE THE WORK PERMTS FOR HOSTESSES AND THE PROBLEM WILL DISAPPEAR. Why create the problem in the first place and then go all out to crush the very problem they created. Must be the greatest of all morons on planet earth. World class still?
