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Tuesday 30 November 2010

Asset Bubbles In Singapore?

I fear and can sense the asset bubbles that are forming in our equities and real estate markets.  As at to date the stock market is at 29-month high and the mortgage growth has grown by 23% - 10-year high.  With the latest Federal Reserve's US$600 Billion QE2 accompanied by  the low interest rate environment cheap money is flowing into our shores.The latest slew of IPOs (with a few mega ones) and bond offerings by listed entities has heated up the market. On the real estate front the Government has released many building sites for developers' bidding not forgetting the build-to-order (BTO) projects offered by the HDB.  The whole exercise gives one the feeling of bubbles frothing and buiding!  The Government has subsequently introducted the latest cooling measures to arrest the euphoria and madness!   We must not forget the lesssons of the economic bubbles in Japan from 1986 to 1991. This led to the "lost decade" of the Japanese economy!   In 2003/2004 the Japanese Stock Market and the Real Estate Market crashed - a unit in the financial district nose-dived to less than 1% of its peak value whilst a residential unit fetched less than one tenth. It is in Singapore's interest to be careful and mindful! 

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Curbing Triad & Secret Society Activities in Singapore

I refer to the recent reports of senseless killing and maiming of bodies by members of such Societies in the local Sinagpore media. I think such wanton, cruel and merciless conduct  should be put to a stop immediately. Full stop! In Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s ganglands' rioting and fightings were not uncommon.  Almost daily you could  read of such accounts of ganglands' tussels over protection rackets and territorial rights. At that the time the Government of the day acted firmly and resolutely by invoking Section 55 of the Criminal Law Act by rounding up members of such Societies.  Section 55 allowed the Police to detain the secret society members without trial up to 12 months in the first instance.  I wonder whether Section 55 is still in our Law Statues or it has changed into another legal term.  When you mentioned Section 55 most secret society members at that time would twitched their ears and showed more restrain and respect before they embarked onto any wrongdoings.  The Police should spare no effort to enforce such a law on such persons.  We do not want to see Singapore living under a "cloud of fear" wielded by members of such Societies!  Any persons with inkling of links with such Societies should be rounded up and be incacerated!