The last time we heard from Hri Kumar was when he blogged about "the fine of $1,000 imposed on Woffles Woo (sic)." Then he went silent like a broken Japanese transistor radio. This time he is up against an accountant well known for his expertise in providing insolvency services to industry circles.
The Malaysian is alleged to have misappropriated $16.5 million from his client, breaking the record sums of previous cheating cases of rogue lawyer David Rasif ($11 million) and two Singapore land Authority executives ($12 million). Since this involves his day job, Kumar will have to get his facts, and names, right.
After his hiatus since the June posting, his 3 Sep comment indicates he has problems discerning between myth and fact when it comes to the many failings of the Ministry of Education (MOE)'s primary education record.
The mother who wrote to the press said nothing new. A Norwegian lady who was here for her doctorate at NUS some 8 years ago had sent her daughters to a neighbourhood school for their primary education. Her astute observation then, and still valid now, was that the teachers expected her kids to have private tutors cover the balance of the syllabus not taught in the class room. And that's how the rich kids always fare better in grades, they can afford the tutors the poor could not. Parents are even paying big bucks so their tiny tots will stand a better chance of being selected for the Gifted Education Program (GEP). Urban legend has it even undergrads in our local universities engage private tutors. The real
kaisu types must be sending their daughters to campus, loaded with Mont Blanc pens, iPods and tailored shirts, so an accommodating professor will provide extra attention after the tutorials.
With pre-school education added to the mix, the number of horror stories can only increase - MOE scholars are now known to include pedophiles. Do you think Education Minister Heng Swee Keat knows what really goes on in his ministry? He used to be Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) from 2005 to 2011, and yet thousands were not warned of the toxic investment products. Parents have blindsided for so long, let's hope the people in charge will open their eyes and get their facts right.
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You sent your children into the Singapore school system with your eyes wide open.
ReplyDeleteYou also voted for the neo-Cons (with Singapore characteristics) with your eyes wide open.
DeleteEmphasis on the CON in CON-servative.
What is neo-Con?
Deletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism
As in conmen?
DeleteEyes wide open, eyes closely shut, but doing nothing and accepting seems self-defeating. The system is there to do its job - we pay taxes for basic public service which is not fulfilled so we should raise it, talk about it, and have it fixed by those paid as public servants to do their jobs right. Reframing it like some lawyers with no backbone, enrolling the grandson in some international school is a privilege of politicians who have billions stashed away.
Deleteehh.. are there 2 topics that you have written or are they associated with kumar?
ReplyDeleteI have lost the plot, or have you taken your pills yet?
Too abstract to comprehend.
Where is our Opposition MPs lah. Quiet...zzz
ReplyDeleteMore like silenced by PAP.
DeleteEven if they were to point it out, PAP will simply brush them aside because PAP is still the majority.
What was despicable was the way the local banks and MAS tried so hard to contain the fall-out by making
ReplyDeleteit look it was the buyers of the products who were at fault, in making a bad investment.Much was done to force the lowest possible compensation.
The irony is that all of them would have been better suing the American originators of these toxic products... and they were proved to be so , in US courts.Again ,like during the CLOB crisis, the average Singaporean is shafted.By the way Hong Leong is suiing in the US courts, and with precedent set, they will most likely win.
Couldn't find the link to the Malaysian who allegedly misappropriated $16.5 million from his client.
ReplyDeleteHere''s another take on Separating Fact From Myth:
'Now we come to the nub: what should you pay capable people who perform critical
jobs? This brings us to the other “s” word, which tends to dominate this debate:
Sacrifice. It has been said that public service is a privilege, and not a
sacrifice. Again, no one disputes that, but that is not the argument. ......................... But why look at sacrifice only in money terms?
I think we are asking ourselves the wrong question. It is not how much our
leaders should sacrifice, but we want from them. I don’t want someone who tells
me that his best quality is that he loves his country or that money is not
important to him. Because these are the easiest things to say, and there will be
no shortage of people who will say them to get approval."
What do I want from our leaders? I don’t want them just to be smart and capable:
I want them to be the smartest, most capable people in the room. I want them to
be fair minded, hard working, compassionate and of unimpeachable character. I
want leaders who will not be satisfied until every Singaporean has a home and
the means to a better life. I want to know that if there is outbreak of a deadly
disease like SARS, or a terrorist bomb goes off, or Singapore faces an economic
crisis, we have leaders who have the courage, intelligence, experience and
determination to do what is necessary for the good of Singapore and
Singaporeans. I want leaders who understand that their job involves a sacred
trust; a vow to devote every fibre, every moment, every thought, every
everything, in service to our country. That is the true sacrifice I think every
Singaporean should demand. If we get the quality of people right, the question
of quantity of pay answers itself. I believe most Singaporeans will agree with
that." unquote.
(This is what I see)
I think I have clearly pointed out what Hri-kumar is really trying to say above.
"It has been said that public service is a privilege, and not a
sacrifice. Again, no one disputes that, but that is not the argument."
Privilege is defined as, A right reserved exclusively by a particular person or group.
"But why look at sacrifice only in money terms?", why not?, when Govt officials
pay themselves out of this world salaries?.
"............I don’t want someone who tells me that his best quality is that
he loves his country or that money is not important to him."
How about a blank cheque?
Is there a need to beat around the bush, of course!, there's a snake inside.
search google, Framing Issues and Not Telling the Whole Truth – a popular tactic used by MIW | Jentrified Citizen
http://kburns421.hubpages.com/hub/Journalism-and-Media-Propaganda-and-Framing
Joshua Chiang
Oops, here's the link,
ReplyDeletehttp://hri-kumar.blogspot.sg/2012/01/ministerial-salaries.html
search google, 01 - Socrates on Self-Confidence
search google, philosopher.org/Socratic_Method.html
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/31/how-two-amateur-sleuths-looked-for-finspy-software/
Joshua Chiang
//Do you think Education Minister Heng Swee Keat knows what really goes on in his ministry?//
ReplyDeleteLet's have a look at his track record to determine facts from myth.
1) 669 out of 1084 investors got their compensation from DBS High Notes. Total 7.8% amount invested were recovered. Compared to HK investors, 96.5% got their Lehman funds back.
2) There has been a record captures of pedophiles, peeping toms, sexual affair/exchange between lecturer and students, porn-teachers etc exposed. Very in line with Mdm Ho Peng's propaganda that they place great importance and training on their teachers quality.
3) Teach less, learn more basically translate to Teach less in school, learn more from tutors. So we can continue to pack 40:1 class size ratio and still make Education affordable for state, but tuition unaffordable for you.
But fret not. Just join in the NatCon and have faith your healers will be there to remove you and your children from the cogs of a chain wheel.
It is as black and white as the two pandas that will arrive on our shore and move into their $8.5m new house + $1m maintenance cost per yr. The chinese truly know this must come to symbolise the lowest point in our nation - 1.2 TFR, best represented by the notorious Panda's ability to rate, 3 times out of 100 days!!! = ZERO chance to conceive.
DeleteNot to mention, they eat shoots and leaves.
the 2 pandas should be housed at the istana and the useless $1.5M president who has so much free time can be personally responsible for their wellbeing...more or less justify his appointment.
Delete