The politics thread :)

[avelc]

May I know which location is this 800k 4 room flat?

Bukit Merah. Didn't take note of the age...

 

[whoami]

You may think that Malaysia govt has done a laudable job to provide affordable housing that differentiate citizens and foreigners, Malaysians who blame the rising house price on foreigners may not think their govt has done enough. Btw I absolutely agree with you that Msia govt has done a great job on this!

Yes. They have indeed done a good job. Though not on a bigger scale. But one can compare the wide gap price difference between the low cost home and those for foreigners.

Coming down to little red dot. Price of BTO HDB flats aint getting cheaper even at non-matured estates. Garment should build more rental flats too for those who chose not to buy one. Of course the income ceiling should be 1 of the main criteria to assess eligible applicants.

http://sgcgo.com/hdb-bto-punggol-sails-and-punggol-ripples/

 

[aliensmotor]

May I know which location is this 800k 4 room flat?

800k 4 rm FLAT ........must well you get a semi D in NusajayA freehold landed with garden and pool.

 

[ginfreely]

The Government has tons of money to spend lah.

Don't know why they are so willing to spend tons of money and give to foreigners and companies but cannot give to Singaporean individuals. Why must give money to companies to subsidise wage increase to Singaporeans? Cannot give money direct to Singaporeans but can give money direct to foreigners and companies?

I read it is actually SMEs and not MNCs, so it is slightly better than job credit scheme last time but not much better, why must subsidise companies that are profitable, especially companies with foreign owners, be it SME or MNCs.

 

[ginfreely]

Yes. They have indeed done a good job. Though not on a bigger scale. But one can compare the wide gap price difference between the low cost home and those for foreigners.

Coming down to little red dot. Price of BTO HDB flats aint getting cheaper even at non-matured estates. Garment should build more rental flats too for those who chose not to buy one. Of course the income ceiling should be 1 of the main criteria to assess eligible applicants.

http://sgcgo.com/hdb-bto-punggol-sails-and-punggol-ripples/

Here it is too restrictive as many don't qualify for new flats and have to buy resale or private and have to fight with foreigners who are competing for these same units - be it HDB or private.

 

[ginfreely]

800k 4 rm FLAT ........must well you get a semi D in NusajayA freehold landed with garden and pool.

Yeah the flat is expensive but I think it depends on individual needs and wants, I don't have but if have S$800k budget, might as well get a suburban condo in Jurong for stay/rent or if need bigger space, get a semi D in Nusajaya like you say, or if want even bigger space and don't mind the farther distance, get this bungalow in IOI Kulai! First time I visited a bungalow show house, the unit looks really big and fabulous haha.

 

[jade apple]

Don't know why they are so willing to spend tons of money and give to foreigners and companies but cannot give to Singaporean individuals. Why must give money to companies to subsidise wage increase to Singaporeans? Cannot give money direct to Singaporeans but can give money direct to foreigners and companies?

I read it is actually SMEs and not MNCs, so it is slightly better than job credit scheme last time but not much better, why must subsidise companies that are profitable, especially companies with foreign owners, be it SME or MNCs.

Sis, You are right. Vote you next time.

 

[ginfreely]

Sis, You are right. Vote you next time.

Haha me non-politician, just a concerned citizen like you. I believe we have the right to voice out our unhappiness with the mess the SG government has created. Just like going to expensive restaurant and paying for the world's most expensive chefs, customers have the right to scold them if their dishes are below standard - although we may not cook well enough to be chef ourselves.

 

[summervale]

Unfortunately, we at most can "make noise" and perhap in future go to another restaurant only, we can't fired them.

Haha me non-politician, just a concerned citizen like you. I believe we have the right to voice out our unhappiness with the mess the SG government has created. Just like going to expensive restaurant and paying for the world's most expensive chefs, customers have the right to scold them if their dishes are below standard - although we may not cook well enough to be chef ourselves.

 

[ginfreely]

Unfortunately, we at most can "make noise" and perhap in future go to another restaurant only, we can't fired them.

Cannot go to another restaurant leh, their door only opened for rich people with millions to spare or younger people - older and not so rich are all captive customers in this lousy restaurant that the first generation chefs built up, second generation messing it up, don't know what will happen when reach third generation, maybe all riches will be blundered and collapsed?!

 

[ginfreely]

Re: Living in JB 3 (Johore)

Zaobao 19 Feb 2013

Some info from Msia housing minister
- Singaporeans only accounted for 5% of the property transactions in Johor
- Among the foreign buyers in Johor, Singaporeans made up the largest group, followed in sequence by Americans, British, and PRC
- The majority of the property purchasers in JB are Malaysian SPR

Hi Wuqi,

Thanks for searching and putting back my post on this news article. Can you also put back the rest of the discussion posts as it is not meaningful to put back just my post of the news article but not the comments by the other forummers. Thanks.

 

[Jetstream]

Re: Living in JB 3 (Johore)

As the M'sian GE fever heats up, here're some tips to get voters/observers all warmed up

- for some laughs, check out this cute parody of gangnam style by M'sia's DAP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMGfsWgIujk

- for keeping abreast of DAP's ongoing political ceramahs "siaran langsung", check out http://ubah.my/tv/

 

[ginfreely]

Re: Living in JB 3 (Johore)

For info, the no. of voters in these Johor areas.

"Coincidentally, these seats have the most number of voters with Gelang Patah having 104,972 voters, Pulai (99,542), Pasir Gudang (98,798), Johor Baru (96,520) and Tebrau (88,447).

Other seats they are targeting are Kulai, Bakri, Kluang, Segamat, Batu Pahat and Pengerang."

"Johor has a total of 1,579,877 voters as of September 2012. Men make up 49.99% and women 50.01% ."

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/3/18/nation/12063665&sec=nation

 

[sgtsk]

Re: Living in JB 3 (Johore)

GE13 WATCH After announcing the candidature of DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang at Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency on Monday, Pakatan Rakyat is set to boost its momentum in the southern state by announcing another heavyweight candidate with a 'Tan Sri' title, to contest the Johor Bahru parliamentary seat.

GE13 Watch - the mother of all battles
You may read this article at http://malaysiakini.com/news/224644

 

[Jetstream]

Re: Living in JB 3 (Johore)

GE13 Watch: PR is going all out to woo JB voters. Last night's rally was targeting the JB urban Malay heartland of Kampung Melayu Majidee. You can read the whole article on this at http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/...s-pakatan-blazes-into-johors-malay-heartland/. Some interesting excerpts from the article:

------------

But those who turned up last night appeared to be uncharacteristically boisterous in their show of support for the string of PR leaders who took turns at the ceramah stage.

The Malaysian Insider spotted many young faces among the crowd, a factor not missed by the speakers as they rallied for more cheers.
...
There were, however, among those in the crowd who appeared doubtful of PR’s rhetoric.

One member of the audience told The Malaysian Insider that PR’s greatest challenge in Johor would still be the Malay vote, despite its many attempts to break into Umno’s support base.

Monodon, 49, said the Johor Malays were still predominantly Umno supporters, largely due to their lack of exposure to PR’s politics.

“But the youths, there are many who are new voters... they are more supportive of PR, they get information from the alternative media,” he said.

In the peninsula, Johor is seen as PR’s key to unlock Putrajaya, having been among the few states that appeared to miss the political tsunami of Election 2008.
....
During the last polls, BN returned a strong government in Johor when it trounced the opposition in 25 of 26 parliamentary seats and 50 of 56 state seats.

Without its victories in Johor, BN would have lost the battle in the peninsula to PR, with only 60 federal seats, in comparison with PR’s 79.

Including the Johor seats, BN’s seat tally with PR stood at 85-80.

 

[Valdez]

Re: Living in JB 3 (Johore)

GE13 Watch: PR is going all out to woo JB voters. Last night's rally was targeting the JB urban Malay heartland of Kampung Melayu Majidee. You can read the whole article on this at http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/...s-pakatan-blazes-into-johors-malay-heartland/. Some interesting excerpts from the article:


------------

But those who turned up last night appeared to be uncharacteristically boisterous in their show of support for the string of PR leaders who took turns at the ceramah stage.

The Malaysian Insider spotted many young faces among the crowd, a factor not missed by the speakers as they rallied for more cheers.
...
There were, however, among those in the crowd who appeared doubtful of PR’s rhetoric.

One member of the audience told The Malaysian Insider that PR’s greatest challenge in Johor would still be the Malay vote, despite its many attempts to break into Umno’s support base.

Monodon, 49, said the Johor Malays were still predominantly Umno supporters, largely due to their lack of exposure to PR’s politics.

“But the youths, there are many who are new voters... they are more supportive of PR, they get information from the alternative media,” he said.

In the peninsula, Johor is seen as PR’s key to unlock Putrajaya, having been among the few states that appeared to miss the political tsunami of Election 2008.
....
During the last polls, BN returned a strong government in Johor when it trounced the opposition in 25 of 26 parliamentary seats and 50 of 56 state seats.

Without its victories in Johor, BN would have lost the battle in the peninsula to PR, with only 60 federal seats, in comparison with PR’s 79.

Including the Johor seats, BN’s seat tally with PR stood at 85-80.

Unlikely PR will make any major inroads into Johor which is predominantly Malays. Yes they may win a few more votes but Johore will remain an BN stronghold for many more years. However lim kit siAng will win the gelang patah seat.

 

[wuqi256]

Re: Living in JB 3 (Johore)

Meanwhile, what a certain bro predicted in 2008 has come true and may yet change the balance of power in the region.


Source:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/03/27/china-military-south-china-sea/2023947/

BEIJING – The appearance of a Chinese navy flotilla at an island chain 1,120 miles from its home shores is a clear sign that the new Communist regime is moving to enforce its claims to the entire South China Sea, experts said Wednesday.

James Shoal is 50 miles from the coast of Malaysia, one of several countries that have appealed to the United States for help in countering China's aggressive attempt to seize 1 million square miles of fishing and energy resources.

The Chinese military drills in the southernmost part of the sea show that the Obama administration's "Asia Pivot," which the White House said will refocus U.S. defense assets from the Middle East to East Asia, has produced few results for countries such as the Philippines and Japan, says Michael Auslin, an East Asia specialist at the American Enterprise Institute.

"We're losing credibility with our allies and friends by not getting involved," he says. "China has interpreted U.S. inaction as a green light to go forward."

The flotilla includes China's most advanced amphibious landing ship. Sailors on the ship's helicopter deck declared their loyalty to the ruling Communist Party and vowed to "struggle arduously to realize the dream of a powerful nation," said Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency.

In 2010, China planted a monument on the shoal declaring it the Chinese territory of "Zengmu Reef." The act was part of China's claims to all islands, fishing grounds and energy resources in a sea shared also by Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan. The South China Sea is also a major transit route for global shipping; half of all cargo in the world passes through the sea.

Malaysia says China's claims are bogus and merely an attempt to seize resources such as possible oil and gas deposits that are well within the internationally recognized coastal territory of Malaysia.

Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, Northeast Asia director for the International Crisis Group, a non-profit working in conflict prevention, said the naval exercise is consistent with China's "shift from a land-focused power to a maritime power."

The strategy has been pushed over the past two years, during which China has grown more assertive over its maritime claims, she said.

Gary Li, a senior analyst with IHS Fairplay in London, described the flotilla mission "a surprisingly strong message" from the new Chinese leadership recently installed under President Xi Jinping.

"It is not just a few ships here and there, but a crack amphibious landing ship carrying marines and hovercraft and backed by some of the best escort ships in the fleet," he told the South China Morning Post, adding that jet fighters had also been used to cover the task force.

"We've never seen anything like this that far south in terms of quantity or quality."

Auslin said the United States should respond in its longstanding role of ensuring the sea is not controlled by any single nation. He said the White House should increase the frequency of U.S. warship formations in the area to show China "we're going to be present." It would also boost the confidence of allies that the U.S. is standing up to challenges from their mighty neighbor, he said.

The White House has said it wants all sides to settle their disputes peacefully through international legal structures. But in light of Chinese behavior that many in the region view as aggressive, that sends a message that the United States will not confront China, Auslin says.

China's behavior could undermine 100 years of U.S. policy that "might makes right" cannot prevail in sea lanes open to all, Auslin said.

"Do we want to see that environment change to where relations between countries are determined by the strongest? That's the 19th century world," he said.


MacLeod reported from Beijing; Dorell from McLean, Va.


http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/ST_20130328_KBSHIP_LATEST_3588103.pdf

 

[Jetstream]

Re: Living in JB 3 (Johore)

‘Pakatan will take Putrajaya, 8 states’
March 30, 2013
by: Athi Shankar

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/03/30/pakatan-will-take-putrajaya-8-states/

GEORGE TOWN: Pakatan Rakyat will wrest control of Putrajaya and capture eight states in the forthcoming 13th general election, predicted a confident DAP supremo Karpal Singh.

Sensing a strong surge in public support, the DAP national chairman said Pakatan was on the right track to capture the federal government with a slight majority.

Besides retaining its current four state governments, he said Pakatan should add Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Perlis and Perak to its list after the polls.

But he cautioned that Malaysians could always kick out Pakatan if they were dissatisfied with its deliverance.

“I think Malaysians can expect a new government after the election. A change of government was long expected in the country anyway.

“In democracy, it’s the people, not political parties, who own the government. They can always vote out Pakatan after five years if we fail to perform,” he told reporters here.

Karpal also called on DAP members to stop speculating on the party candidates and their seats.

He revealed that the four-man committee, established by the party central executive committee (CEC) to make final decisions on candidature, had not met.

The four-man committee consisted of Karpal and his party deputy Tan Kok Wai, secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and his father, Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang.

On his own constituency, Karpal hopes that the party would allow him to seek re-election in the Bukit Gelugor federal seat for the third time.

He hopes Bukit Gelugor constituents would vote him in to parliament again.

BN is speculated to field a lawyer Teh Beng Yeam from MCA while Parti Cinta Malaysiais is also expected to field a candidate in Bukit Gelugor, which encompasses Seri Delima, Air Itam and Paya Terubong state seats.

Formerly, Karpal was a three-term Bukit Gelugor assemblyman between 1978 and 1986. He was also a five-term Jelutong MP between 1978 and 1995 before losing in the 1999 general election.

 

[sgtsk]

Re: Living in JB 3 (Johore)

Meanwhile, what a certain bro predicted in 2008 has come true and may yet change the balance of power in the region.


Source:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/03/27/china-military-south-china-sea/2023947/

BEIJING – The appearance of a Chinese navy flotilla at an island chain 1,120 miles from its home shores is a clear sign that the new Communist regime is moving to enforce its claims to the entire South China Sea, experts said Wednesday.

http://www.straitstimes.com/sites/straitstimes.com/files/ST_20130328_KBSHIP_LATEST_3588103.pdf

Geopolitics seem like chess games which are being played 24x7 across the globe. I have doing some reading on geopolitics last few years and yet all I could garnered is just the tip of the iceberg. With the major geopolitical focus shifting to the Asia pacific, we in the region are in interesting times, with risks and opportunities both abound. Hopefully the region and row remain largely stable and continue to grow better for all.

 

[Jetstream]

Malaysia Forum 2013

Those interested in following long-term development issues affecting M'sia, you are invited to attend a public forum "Malaysia Forum 2013" to be held next Sunday 7 April 2013, 9am-6pm, at NUS Law Faculty, Bt Timah campus. Free admission.

Details (reproduced from their FB page) are as per below:

Themed Berpandangan Jauh (“Taking a long-term view”), MF2013 will focus on topics concerning Malaysia’s long-term development. We will explore a myriad of engaging issues, including constitutional rights, political activism, the Malaysian identity, brain drain and talent re-attraction, and the state of Malaysia's education system.

Our speakers this year are:
- Professor Andrew Harding, Director at Centre for Asian Legal Studies, NUS Law
- Professor James Chin, Monash University (Sunway Campus)
- Professor Farish A. Noor, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS)
- Professor Lynette Chua, NUS Law
- Mr Edmund Bon, co-founder of LoyarBurok
- Ms Goh Jing Pei, Teach for Malaysia and co-founder of Otak2

All of them are experts in the areas of discussions that they will be involved.

For Malaysians, we hope this civil conversation will help us grow as people, and deepen our understanding of our country and of our role as the rakyat.

Of course, you don't need to be a Malaysian to join us. As long as you're interested in what happens across the causeway, we believe that you'll find MFSG enjoyable and meaningful!

Admissions is free & Malaysian food is provided for lunch.
Please register here: http://goo.gl/D3W6S More details about our event will be provided upon the confirmation of your registration.

Our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mfsingapore/
Malaysia Forum website: www.malaysiaforum.org/nmf​