The proposed highspeed rail-link to Kuala Lumpur, a 90 minutes ride, is touted by PM Lee as a plan to transform two cities into "one virtual urban community". Just as Hong Kong has the hinterland of Kowloon to run away to for some breathing space, Singaporeans can soon take a train into KL for a respite of unspoiled nature and its surrounds.
His words are telling: "..at this retreat, we decided that we should make a statement that 'Yes we want this, we are working towards this', and I think we can make it work." The protesters at Hong Lim Park had held up placards saying that the prime minister doesn't listen too good, and the squeeze is getting unbearable. With this spillover to KL, the projection figure can now revert to a population target again.
IT geeks experiencing parking problems at Sim Lim Square can now have an alternative in Sungei Wang Plaza. Getting crowded out at Takashimaya? The mega malls of KL beckon you. The price tags are all in Malaysian ringgit.
Observers who say the fastest door-to-door commute has obvious economic and social benefit also highlighted that such a project will be costly to build and operate (Malaysian conglomerate YTL submitted a RM 8 billion proposal in 2006) . Which explains why Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew was grinning from ear to ear at the photo opportunity. Just the timely thing to justify another fare hike.
The other happy Minister has to be Khaw Boon Wan since the Najib-Lee talks covered a $3.2 billion township in Johor which includes two "wellness centers". Latter have to be euphemisms for homes for the aged Khaw had envisioned earlier, and roundly roasted for same. With the rail-link, shipping grandpa and grandma across the Causeway to live out their last days on earth will be more palatable when the weekly visits include convenient shopping at Johor Baru City Square.
What the promoters don't highlight is the horrendous traffic in KL. And Lee Kuan Yew did state in his affidavit submitted as part of proceedings against opposition politician Tang Liang Hong that the Malaysian state of Johor is “notorious for shootings, muggings and carjackings.” Lee was referring to Tang running there to escape from his persecutors, when he said “it does not make sense for a person who claims to be fearful for his life to go to a place like Johor.”
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It could be meant for the worse. Now, Malaysians living in JB work in Singapore. Soon, even Malaysians living in KL can work in Singapore. It could be 8 or 9 million, not 6.9.
ReplyDeleteWith Temasek and Capitaland in Iskandar, very soon you can look to using CPF for your 2nd property there.
ReplyDeleteHe promised to hear you not to listen to you
ReplyDeleteActually, should be he listened, but did not hear.
DeleteHe looked, but did not see.
Maybe Dr Lim Wee Kiat wants to remind or prescribe the 77 MPs to put on their hearing aids.
DeleteYes he heard; the noises he meant.
ReplyDeleteIt always fascinates me when people kept using our own foreign 'rojak' ancestry as the reason why SGreans should welcome more of them And to say if we deny this, we deny ourselves? Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine Julia Gillard of ANZ exhorting its people that they should welcome immigration of more convicted prisoners from UK to be new citizens and if they were to deny that, they are denying their roots?
What a retarded twat.
Hear hear!!!!!
DeleteSo he heard us alright?
ReplyDeleteThis tourist arrival will be on top of the 6.9m? Curiously no projection number given this time.
But 9.6m won't be far off one would guess. That also means more dining and service staffs required to meet the demand. yippee?!
AT least we welcome our malaysian cousins anytime since they are curry pot eating kinds who value our way of lives, than those spicy hot pot filled with msg types who force us to accept their way of lives!
ReplyDeleteYes, including those stirring the pots at some clan association.
He thinks sheeple only make noises, no signal content, so no need to listen mah! This Iskandar crap, don't be naive, they desperately need to keep blowing the property bubble bigger, get you folks to borrow more from your CPF, from their banks to keep the debt charade going - more debt, more "growth". Worst case if bubbles collapse, you sheeple wouldn't dare not to ponny up your taxpayers money and CPF to bail out their banker friends. You did it once with DBS-POSB, you will be conned again. It's the same everywhere in the world, your friendly PAP folks would be really worth their million dollar salaries if they were different. But they are not.
ReplyDeleteLooks like our separation from the Federation was wrong. Anyway, there was such a thought in the government that we'll return at an opportune time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I can sell off my HDB for a tidy profit and look for a cheap freehold landed property in east side.
DeleteWasn't it the Japan Finance Minister, Mr Aso who once quipped " Heaven forbid if you are forced to live on when you want to die. You cannot sleep well when you think it’s all paid by the government. This won’t be solved unless you let them hurry up and die.”? He backpedaled after a public outcry to say he meant it for himself : “I don’t need that kind of care. I will die quickly" where his will has indicated he will not prolong it artificially.
ReplyDeleteOf course, our MIW couldn't say anything like that. The furthest ever uttered was that our elderly now have a choice to die in JB because they are silver tsunami, and maybe soon enough, the JB courthouse may implement mercy-killing is allowed for SGreans as exception.
Heaven forbid, our elderly will one day just have to dream that dying in the homeland that they have sweated to build in the last 50-80 years are just merely a train ride away. Well, not exactly in our own backyard, just our neighbors - close enough.
Seriously.
DeleteDon't be surprised some enterprising bloke might come up with similar japanese Capsule hotel concept later. Just a little bigger than a coffin and cost around $30 a night to stay, deductible from CPF. They include all the conveniences one could ever need. Market it as "Pay as You Live" on land scare Singapore.
High speed rail link?
ReplyDeleteWhere is the money going to come from?
From you, the Singaporean taxpayer lah.
You think the Millionaire Ministers going to pay for it is it?
It will come from higher GST, higher HDB prices, fewer hospitals, fewer classes for students and etc.
Is HE dead yet?
ReplyDeleteAny more news?
This one is not a tsunami.
DeleteSay, is the longest living zombie.
Nation still praising for this one who's gone balmy.
Coz he can call in the army
Not your ordinary swami
Just a simple cromie rule.
He will die for sure, guaranteed.
ReplyDeleteThat there will not be a state funeral and
that no wreaths be sent. All donations will be
sent to the community chest. The family requests that they have their privacy and the public can sign condolence book at all community centres.
I certainly won't be signing any condolence book.
DeleteIt would be hypocritical of me.
Balaji asked after the BE blow-out and the White paper wash-out, it left many wonder where we are headed.
ReplyDeleteI would say a total wipe-out of PAP.
Or Singaporeans in 2030 years time, can proudly hold a signage and say "Made in Singapore. Fade in JB".
Maybe the PM is working towards re-unification with Malaysia as forecast by his father?
ReplyDeleteWon't discount that possibility if SG leaders ran out of ideas to grow.
DeleteWhy on earth is our supposedly squeaky clean leaders going to bed with the most corrupt if not the most racist leaders of of all times in Malaysia ? Some more with allegations of being directly involved with the most brutal murder of a Mongolian lady ?
ReplyDeleteJust ask any relatives across the Causeway and they'll say this suspected murderer must be the most inhumane leader they ever had ? So why is our leaders getting personally involved with the devil himself ? Is money to be made the most important thing in their lifes ?
Birds of a feather flock together...
DeleteThe First PM of Sin was adek beradek with Suharto, the late ex Indon president. What do You expect of other local parliamentarians?
Delete//notorious for shootings, muggings and carjackings.//
ReplyDeleteFar better than "hurry up and die so we can make space for more foreign talents to replace you!". Another brilliant stroke~
The middle class in malaysia has better standard of living i.e. house and cars. I predict HDB prices will fall once singaporeans can buy second properties there using cpf monies.
ReplyDeleteer then why did porn aspirant Alvin and the thousands of your "best" bright tots queue up for those "ASEAN scholarships" leh? Malays cannot offer your youths a future, red dot and iskandar land are equally in the deep hole and still denying it
DeleteBtw, the malays themselves are immigrants descents too. The indigenious people are the original natives there. I may consider moving back from europe if sg becomes part of malayan fed again.
ReplyDeleteGee, reading all the comments here plus in light of all the recent fiasco in Singapore, can't help but feel like when it comes to the 3 cruxes in Childbirth, Diversity & Aging, we are such a bunch of contarted & xenophobic lot who also have gerascophobia. And yes, don't even get me going on homophobia!
ReplyDeleteWhat's happening to my country and beloved Singaporeans? Who have painted us into such an ugly image of ourselves, or led us to believe we are one? Classifying everyone under one label as the same is the classical Fascist ploy. Do not let the labelers successfully shut down your empathy for others.
Please pause and reflect where all these biased policies have come about to sow further division and put stop to it.
welcome back troll, we missed your dictionary ... math is too difficult for you, and logic is not for ostrich brain either. so ya, stock to dictionary is fine
DeleteSo the Singapore annexation of Johor has been agreed on formally... well well well.
ReplyDeleteNow we will have space, we will have water, we will have food, we will have somewhere to dump all the garbage, a place to build the nuclear generators, and yes, we will have access to sand for all the building that is planned.
Btw, what happens if Anwar's party wins the next election? Will the deals still stand?
So good huh. Did PM throw in a beautiful Mongolian woman to sweeten the deal too?
DeleteIf Anwar wins, just send over Colorectal Dr KPK over lor.
Hi, Thanks for sharing this great content, I really enjoyed the insign you bring to the topic, awesome stuff!
ReplyDeleteSingapore music scene
This will increase property prices in KL.
ReplyDeleteBetter buy now.
can i look at it this way round................our children can work and live in KL............yes less pay but everything there is less $$ anyway...........
ReplyDeleteLest we forget what happened to our CLOB shares ...
ReplyDeleteHistory has a nasty sense of humor. I rather the G use our reserve to buy back Christmas island from OZ or lease a deserted island off mainland Australia and built retirement homes for all of us.
Am sure they wouldnt mind a 10B injection into their economy for a 99 years lease.
Between our old foes and those we have never crossed path yet, i rather put my bets on the unknown.