Saturday, September 25, 2010

Final questions to SingPost

SingPost did not answer the question as to how much of their revenue is derive from junk mails. They are not addressing the issue and gave standard answers.

SingPost has failed in their social responsibility as they are indirectly causing the massive littering problem in all HDB estates due to the tons of junk mails being dumped into letter boxes.

Besides they are not supporting the green movement as they are encouraging business to advertise through printed paper instead of using internet and web base advertising.

HDB spent money to upgrade the letter boxes so that they could be lock up to discourage junk mails. This shows that most residents do not like junk mails.

SingPost - if you want to convince the public - do a survey and provide us with evidence and statistic to support your claim.

Why did HDB upgrade the letter box to enable the locking feature then ? Is this not wasting of public fund if SingPost insist upon delivering junk mails to us ?

May I suggest you audit your poster delivery staff to see if they are earning extra income delivery junk mails besides those ''offical junk'' mails assigned to them by SingPost

I suspect the tons of daily junk mails may be contributed by postal staff doing side line work.

SingPost is socially irresponsible and this only harm its corporate image. Look at the feedback and we know HDB residents do NOT like junk mails. It is ridiculous for SingPost to keep asking resident to write in to opt out of junk mails. SingPost should STOP all the spamming instead !

SingPost is the direct cause of vendors who have no access to lock postal boxes to leave all their advertising leftlets at the doorstep individual flat unit which post a security risk. When home owners are on holiday, these uncollected leaflets are an indicator that no one is at home - this is SECURITY RISK to home owners.

SingPost is causing so much problems and yet it is blinded by profit to keep igorning feedback. They should stop giving lame excuses for their social irresponsibility.

Reply from SingPost

Typical reply which does not address feedback nor answer questions posed.

SingPost Reply by Patsie Tan Assistant Vice-President, Corporate Communications Singapore Post Limited

As a postal service provider, SingPost is obligated to deliver all mail, addressed and unaddressed, that meets the required standards for acceptance. This includes Admail, which is a service provided by postal organisations the world over.

Admail provides consumers with information, choices and offers on products and services. Feedback from residents has indicated that maildrops of promotional offers and savings-coupons enable them to purchase items at preferred pricing (for example consumer goods like detergents), while some residents enjoy reading free magazines/annuals as they are kept informed of the latest trends and ideas.

For businesses, Admail is a viable option to reach out to their customers in a cost-effective and targeted way, supplementing other advertising media like newspapers and TV advertisements.

Government agencies have also found Admail an effective tool to reach out to the general population particularly in the dissemination of information and material in their war against Sars, dengue and bird flu.

SingPost is one of several companies in Singapore that deliver Admail. Many appreciate and patronise the products and services being promoted in these Admail and would not consider such material "junk". Residents who do not wish to receive Admail can call our hotline to be delisted under the mail preference option.

Moving forward, SingPost is working towards more targeted Admail so that residents receive materials that are more aligned to their lifestyle patterns. Such an arrangement will streamline what the recipient gets which will be things they find more useful and attractive.

Can SingPost exercise Social Responsibility

In recent years, there have been feedback regarding SingPost role in spamming HDB mail boxes with junk mails. Their standard reply is that if we do not want to be spam, we have to write in to them. Where is the logic? They are acting irresponsibily and also being a public nuisance by stuffing junks into our letter boxes daily.

Have SingPost collected statistic on the percentage of junk mails delivered per day ? From my own statistic, and I am confident it applies to other HDB residents as well, junk mails make up more than 50% of our daily mail.

Is SingPost deriving a large percentage of their revenue from delivering junk mail? If not why the reluctant to act on feedback from residents ?

Their action is contributing to the terrible littering situation around the letter box area. From my observation, it is not intentional littering. Our letter boxes are so full of junk mails that they fell off from the pile of mails when residents retrieve them. The bin next to the letter boxes is usually fill to the 'brim'. This only reflects the large quantity of junk mails stuff into our letter boxes daily.

SingPost action does not support the environmental green movement. They are encouraging and indirectly promoting unfriendly advertising method. Has profit blinded their social responsibility ?

Thursday, September 16, 2010

YOG - wayang show on Budget

All these questions raised in Parliament would not shade light on what went wrong with the YOG (Youth Olympics Game) budget. Just another wayang show put up to pacify the public.

I notice that the 79.8 million under Miscellaneous item was not reported in 'Today' newspaper. This figure is reported in 'MyPaper'. Why did 'Today' not captured the figure in their reporting of the YOG breakdown list ?

79.8 million is the 2nd highest amount in the breakdown list. What consitute Miscellaneous ? Why so much of the budget went to Miscellaneous ? Normally it should consitute a small amount not such a large percentage of the total fund. There need to be a detail breakdown on what is Miscellaneous.

In fact, each of the listed items has to have a detail report on where the spending went. Just having a breakdown list tell us nothing if there is misused of fund.

I have personally witness wastage while working in a school which is one of those hosting YOG. Buying lots of unnecessary items and then leaving them to gather dust. It could be small ticket item but if purchase in bulk, the amount could be substantial. Besides many small ticket items add up to alot of money.

This is one area where fund could be misused, due to poor execution and lack of check and balance.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Can SingPost stop spamming us with junk mails

In recent years, there have been feedback regarding SingPost role in spamming HDB mail boxes with junk mails. Their standard reply is that if we do not want to be spam, we have to write in to them. Where is the logic? They are acting irresponsibily and also being a public nuisance by stuffing junks into our letter boxes daily.

Have SingPost collected statistic on the percentage of junk mails delivered per day ? From my own statistic, and I am confident it applies to other HDB residents, junk mails make up more than 50% of our daily mail.

Is SingPost deriving a large percentage of their revenue from delivering junk mails? If not why the reluctant to act on feedback from residents ?

Their action is contributing to the terrible littering situation around the letter box area. From my observation, it is not intentional littering. Our letter boxes are so full of junk mails that they fell off from the pile of mails when residents retreive them. The bin next to the letter boxes is usually fill to the 'brim'. This only reflects the large quantity of junk mails stuff into our letter boxes daily.

SingPost action does not support the environmental green movement. They are encouraging and indirectly promoting unfriendly advertising method. Has profit binded their social responsibility ?

Friday, September 10, 2010

Japaness Movie Showcase at OKTO

OKTO channel is running a series of Japaness award winning movies on Sunday at 10pm. It kicked off with a movie title In School with a Pig or something to that effect last week. (pardon my memory)

Interesting movie with a simple storey line. The form teacher of 6 graders came out with this idea of teaching his class about life. He suggested to rear a pig and eating it before they graduate from school. The class was receptive and he got permission from the school principal for the project. The Vice Head was opposed to the idea as pig rearing involved lots of work. What about a chicken ? But this guy insisted on a pig or nothing else as lesson in life must be challenging.

As expected, the children grew to love the pig and it became the class pet. The first hint of trouble to come was when they gave it a name : P-Chan. Some of them braved a stormy night to return to school to ensure the pig was ok. They ate less during meal time so that there would be more left over food which they saved for their pig.

The 1st half of the movie was pretty humorous with parents getting upset that their child returning home smelling of pig shits. Ok they clean up the holding pen, feed it...doing everything and more ...including knitting a scarve to keep it warm and decorating its pen during Christmas.

The 2nd half of the movie is pretty thought provoking. The class changed their mind and did not want the pig kill. So there were many heated class debated what to do with it as they would be leaving the school after graduation. The debate got more emotional as days went by with students crying and furry fights due to disagreement. They voted on a few occassions but session ended with half the class for and the other against.

The arguments they came out with are time enduring and there is no right nor wrong answer to them. Examples :

We need food for survival, so eating meat is ok.
P-Chan is not any pig, it is a pet, how could we eat it - it is just not right.
It is not responsible to leave P-Chan in the school as we are not here to look after it after graduating.
We should look after P-Chan till end of its life.
It had a good life for the year, it would be killed and eaten anyway by now, if it is not kept by our class.
.....

The tilt of the vote balance rested with the teacher who casted the last vote and the class accepted the decision. In the end, P-Chan was sent to the meat center though the students did not eat it. A teary farewell with each student giving the pig its favourite food - tomato.

It is truly an education journey for the kids - life full of tough decision to make some of which can be rather cruel.

Lasksa & Secret Recipe

It is heartening to learn that the local arm of Secret Recipe (a chain of eatery specialising in cakes and their award winning lamp stew) is starting a new set up to help special needs adults. These folks are currently train and help by various NGOs (non-government organisations) and homes. They will be offer employment in the factory kitchen of the new food chain set up by Secret Recipe.

The CEO of local Secret Recipe, Ms Sim Sin Sin is setting up a chain of eatery in various foodcourts and shopping centers to sell laska - one of S'pore favourite dishes. What makes them outstanding is that they will be offering different types of laska from all over Asia which promise to be a mouth watering rewarding experience for laska lovers. The first in S'pore (though their outlets in Malaysia are already doing it)

The stall name is Laskania (in Hokkien, it means it sells only laska). Do patronise them to statisfy your laska craving. Besides you will be helping Ms Sim in her effort to offer employment to these folks. Being independent do wonder for their self esteem. Let us all do our part to let them stand on their own feet. Eat laska all you can (without compromising your health) or at least once a week at Laskania ! Even if you are not into Laska, give it a try, you may change your mind.

So look out for Laskania openning day - akang datang (likely end of this year)

We do NOT want a population of 6.5 millions !

As it is, crossing the population mark of 5 millions has seen great deterioration to the quality of life in S'pore. 6.5 millions is plain ridiculous as it is unstainable.

Overcrowding induces stress. We have seen it breaking out in the form of voices of unhappiness over foreign work force. S'poreans used to welcome our foreign friends with open arms. What is happening now is the doing of unwise govt policies. It happens in the natural world. Even same species of animals can turn aggressive against their own kind, (not to mention other species) when there is over crowding and shortage of food and space.

Do a thorough study and stop pushing for the target of 6.5 million. Situitions may have change. But more likely is that there were alot of factors the govt missed out during their conception plan for population growth. Adjust the policy instead of aiming blindly for the target set. Reduce and cap the population to below 5 million mark. The immigration numbers, PR and new citizenship should be adjusted annually based on birth and death rate.

Likely in the next decade, we will have emigration policies to encourage people to leave the country due to overcrowding and lack of housing. The target of such policies will probably be senior citizens - after all our govt always harbour fear of a welfare state and have been very practical to the point of being heartless. The elderly are consider non-productive thus not contributing to the growth spur which the govt has been chasing blindly over the years. So they will be given incentive - a token lump sum to sell their home and stay in a retirement home in our neighbouring country where it is a join venture business between S'pore and our neighbour. The local vacated flat will be the new home of the younger generation as they have difficulty getting housing due to over demand. So the govt is using one stone to kill 3 birds. Reduce senior population, tie over housing shortage and getting elderly into parting with their money by buying into govt retirement home venture.

Unlikely ? It could happen as we have seen lots of policies force down our throat over the years. In spite of our hugh reserve, when it comes to helping its citizen, the govt has been very cautious or rather 'stingy'. The budget amount on healthcare, education for special need children and public welfare is a small fraction of the billions Tamesak, GIC and the various Town Councils had lost over unwise investments. They think nothing of losing public fund on high risk ventures but very adverse to helping its own citizen.

They are famous in giving out token 'any pow' near election time. To buy the 'vote' in the guise of 'reward' or 'sharing' or some other nice sounding words to cover up their real intention.

Enough is enough. We the citizen can see through all these hypocratic acts.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

We are not convinced !

This is with regards to PM rally speech whereby he insisted that we would continue to need more foreigners for the good of the nation.

Our forefathers are immigrants, we have no issue with foreigners. It is the govt policies that we disagree with. Our forefathers came here when population was sparse. They were the ‘builders’ of our nation.

Things are different now. We have limited land and population has grown tremendously. We can feel the squeeze in all aspects of our life at ground level. We are not convinced the current policies will do the country any good in the future. It will likely result in more problems. Statistical model can be wrong, just as they got in wrong last time when they curbed population growth so successfully that they are now doing a drastic U-turn.

The reason that we need foreigners to take up jobs which locals shun, is repeated so often that it has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. With so much negative connotations injected, they have in fact indirectly discouraged locals from taking them up.

Instead, they should have redesigned the jobs, upgrade the skill and promote them actively. By taking the easy way out with mass influx of immigrants, they have broken the rice bowl of their own ‘family’ members. Our ‘uncles and aunties’ who used to be working at these jobs cannot compete with the young foreign workers.

Stop giving us lame excuses. We have heard enough and are tired of all these repeated broadcasts. Work on the problem at its root cause instead. Surface decorations which are dish out at PM's rally will not make the issues go away.