How time flies… It has been 3 months since the unfortunate incident happened. i have got back to talking terms with Dad but Mum.. Haise…
I had spent my Christmas with my queen at Marina Mandarin, a costly 2 nights with no breakfast included. This is the 5th year running, hmmm, ya, should be 5th year that I slept through the countdown.. How irritating it may turn out for my queen who had patiently waiting by my side allowing me to catch “beauty” sleep.
During the Nation formative years, In MM Lee’s book (Then PM Lee), he believed in building a meritocracy Nation with a team of top brains. In his book, his belief in meritocracy centered around recruiting the top brains into politics as part of the leadership renewal to sustain a country that only has people resource. But how does this translate into HR action plans to identify and recruiting top brains for leadership renewal?
I chance upon PS21 website on civil service HR appraisal system and thought of sharing this with all.
Civil service current appraisal system is in 2 parts, Performance during the past year and their current estimated potential, adopting Shell’s potential assessment system in the 1980s.
Performance during the past year: Officers are assessed on their performance relative to their substantive grade. This means that an officer of a higher grade would be measured against a higher standard expected of that grade, as he will have more knowledge or experience than another officer of a lower grade. Performance ratings are expressed as “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” or “E”, where “A” is for outstanding performance and “E” is an adverse rating.
Estimated Potential (CEP): This refers to an estimate of the highest appointment or level of work the officer can handle competently before retirement, and is manifested in the way the officer does his job. Critics of this potential assessment system being unfair and segregation of scholars and non-scholars early into their career. CEP as publicised in PS21 as a determinant over performance grade in the rate of promotion. That is to say, while an officer can perform outstandingly in a particular year or years consistently may not promote as fast as another who is being assessed to have a higher CEP. Interestingly, this assessment system is widely discussed and debated in greater details in mrwangsaysso’s blog .
“I do..” said a happy Winnie as she recite the marriage vow in the presence of Justice of peace, relatives and friend. How times flies and this constant reminder of my age as I continue to mature daily. I am her part-time photographer for this holy matrimony..
The pen is mightier than a sword, or so to speak. Words are a translation of what pen wants to say. Its mightier. I truly understand the essence of this as the relationship between myself and my parents continue to strain toward the wrong side of the house.
I must have hurt them much. The usual patient Dad of mine shock me thoroughly by ignoring my calls, mum continuing her ever unassuming moods. This time I have hurt them much. Carelessness or tactless words I may argue, looking at hindsight, I had indeed hurt them with the sword. Perhaps had pierced their hearts deep and hard.
I start to recount days I had taken for granted after slowly stitching the wound, I was not sensitive. I realised that I am a poor manager of feelings. The perhaps over consciousness over the well-being of my wife and thus losing the sensitivity I ought to pay attention to on my parents.
I had visited them far and few at their place. I have not pay much attention to their well-being, I have not pay attention to their needs and emotional support. I have not being sensitive to their ever eagerness to care and love my children. I have not, I have not. As my eyelids “jump” over the last few days, the Chinese saying goes, a disaster is approaching and yet I have not pay attention much to the words I had used, I did not.
I have to be patient, I have to be sensitive, I have to gain back the trust and support though this time, I felt worse.
After work, we went to CNai Hong Kong Restaurant at East Coast Park. I love their curry noodle and their Pomelo Mango Ice Blended.
Tactfulness was the word of the day. Kinship seems to slowly corrode away as I sense the distance between me and my parents, Mum specifically. A casual word used torn rekindle the pain I had experience 3 years back. What dramatically shock me is the fixed perception and how everything can be linked to my present family. With absolutely no ill intention, I now have to find the balance (or antidote) to revive the relationship I had painstakingly stitched back over the years. Will anyone really understand me? Mum and Dear?
2 October 2010, Mdm Kwa had passed on after suffering her most damaging stroke in Jul 2008. Passing of any family member is always difficult. While MM Lee spoke at length about adjustment to life after her passing, the media coverage on the supposed private funeral perhaps is more difficult. The restricted space for them, the family, to openly expressing their grief and their loss. While I only managed to glimpse Mdm Kwa from books, Lee Kuan Yew’s memoirs and more, she has definitely made a difference not only in MM Lee Kuan Yew’s life, but also to the growth of modern Singapore in her behind the scene support of her husband.
Extracs below are the eulogies from her husband, MM Lee Kuan Yew, her eldest son, Mr Lee Hsien Loong and youngest son, Mr Lee Hsien Yang.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's eulogy for Mrs Lee
The last farewell to my wife
Ancient peoples developed and ritualised mourning practices to express the shared grief of family and friends, and together show not fear or distaste for death, but respect for the dead one; and to give comfort to the living who will miss the deceased.
I recall the ritual mourning when my maternal grandmother died some 75 years ago.
For five nights the family would gather to sing her praises and wail and mourn at her departure, led by a practised professional mourner.
Such rituals are no longer observed. My family's sorrow is to be expressed in personal tributes to the matriarch of our family.
In October 2003 when she had her first stroke, we had a strong intimation of our mortality.
My wife and I have been together since 1947 for more than three quarters of our lives. My grief at her passing cannot be expressed in words. But today, when recounting our lives together, I would like to celebrate her life.
In our quiet moments, we would revisit our lives and times together. We had been most fortunate. At critical turning points in our lives, fortune favoured us.
As a young man with an interrupted education at Raffles College, and no steady job or profession, her parents did not look upon me as a desirable son-in-law.
But she had faith in me. We had committed ourselves to each other. I decided to leave for England in September 1946 to read law, leaving her to return to Raffles College to try to win one of the two Queen's Scholarships awarded yearly.
We knew that only one Singaporean would be awarded. I had the resources, and sailed for England, and hoped that she would join me after winning the Queen's Scholarship. If she did not win it, she would have to wait for me for three years.
In June the next year, 1947, she did win it. But the British colonial office could not get her a place in Cambridge.
Through Chief Clerk of Fitzwilliam, I discovered that my Censor at Fitzwilliam, W S Thatcher, was a good friend of the Mistress of Girton, Miss Butler.
He gave me a letter of introduction to the Mistress. She received me and I assured her that Choo would most likely take a "First", because she was the better student when we both were at Raffles College.
I had come up late by one term to Cambridge, yet passed my first year qualifying examination with a class 1. She studied Choo's academic record and decided to admit her in October that same year, 1947.
We have kept each other company ever since. We married privately in December 1947 at Stratford-upon-Avon. At Cambridge, we both put in our best efforts.
She took a first in two years in Law Tripos II. I took a double first, and a starred first for the finals, but in three years. We did not disappoint our tutors.
Our Cambridge Firsts gave us a good start in life. Returning to Singapore, we both were taken on as legal assistants in Laycock & Ong, a thriving law firm in Malacca Street.
Then we married officially a second time that September 1950 to please our parents and friends. She practised conveyancing and draftsmanship, I did litigation.
In February 1952, our first son Hsien Loong was born. She took maternity leave for a year.
That February, I was asked by John Laycock, the Senior Partner, to take up the case of the Postal and Telecommunications Uniformed Staff Union, the postmen's union.
They were negotiating with the government for better terms and conditions of service. Negotiations were deadlocked and they decided to go on strike.
It was a battle for public support. I was able to put across the reasonableness of their case through the press and radio. After a fortnight, they won concessions from the government.
Choo, who was at home on maternity leave, pencilled through my draft statements, making them simple and clear.
Over the years, she influenced my writing style. Now I write in short sentences, in the active voice. We gradually influenced each other's ways and habits as we adjusted and accommodated each other.
We knew that we could not stay starry-eyed lovers all our lives; that life was an on-going challenge with new problems to resolve and manage.
We had two more children, Wei Ling in 1955 and Hsien Yang in 1957. She brought them up to be well-behaved, polite, considerate and never to throw their weight as the prime minister's children.
As a lawyer, she earned enough, to free me from worries about the future of our children.
She saw the price I paid for not having mastered Mandarin when I was young. We decided to send all three children to Chinese kindergarten and schools.
She made sure they learned English and Malay well at home. Her nurturing has equipped them for life in a multi-lingual region.
We never argued over the upbringing of our children, nor over financial matters. Our earnings and assets were jointly held. We were each other's confidant. She had simple pleasures. We would walk around the Istana gardens in the evening, and I hit golf balls to relax.
Later, when we had grandchildren, she would take them to feed the fish and the swans in the Istana ponds.
Then we would swim. She was interested in her surroundings, for instance, that many bird varieties were pushed out by mynahs and crows eating up the insects and vegetation.
She discovered the curator of the gardens had cleared wild grasses and swing fogged for mosquitoes, killing off insects they fed on.
She stopped this and the bird varieties returned. She surrounded the swimming pool with free flowering scented flowers and derived great pleasure smelling them as she swam.
She knew each flower by its popular and botanical names. She had an enormous capacity for words.
She had majored in English literature at Raffles College and was a voracious reader, from Jane Austen to JRR Tolkien, from Thucydides' "The Peloponnesian Wars" to Virgil's "Aeneid", to "The Oxford Companion to Food, and Seafood of Southeast Asia", to "Roadside Trees of Malaya", and Birds of Singapore".
She helped me draft the Constitution of the PAP. For the inaugural meeting at Victoria Memorial Hall on 4 November 1954, she gathered the wives of the founder members to sew rosettes for those who were going on stage.
In my first election for Tanjong Pagar, our home in Oxley Road, became the HQ to assign cars provided by my supporters to ferry voters to the polling booth.
She warned me that I could not trust my new found associates, the left-wing trade unionists led by Lim Chin Siong.
She was furious that he never sent their high school student helpers to canvass for me in Tanjong Pagar, yet demanded the use of cars provided by my supporters to ferry my Tanjong Pagar voters.
She had an uncanny ability to read the character of a person. She would sometimes warn me to be careful of certain persons; often, she turned out to be right.
When we were about to join Malaysia, she told me that we would not succeed because the UMNO Malay leaders had such different lifestyles and because their politics were communally-based, on race and religion.
I replied that we had to make it work as there was no better choice. But she was right. We were asked to leave Malaysia before two years.
When separation was imminent, Eddie Barker, as Law Minister, drew up the draft legislation for the separation.
But he did not include an undertaking by the Federation Government to guarantee the observance of the two water agreements between the PUB and the Johor state government.
I asked Choo to include this. She drafted the undertaking as part of the constitutional amendment of the Federation of Malaysia Constitution itself. She was precise and meticulous in her choice of words.
The amendment statute was annexed to the Separation Agreement, which we then registered with the United Nations.
The then Commonwealth Secretary Arthur Bottomley said that if other federations were to separate, he hoped they would do it as professionally as Singapore and Malaysia.
It was a compliment to Eddie's and Choo's professional skills. Each time Malaysian Malay leaders threatened to cut off our water supply, I was reassured that this clear and solemn international undertaking by the Malaysian government in its Constitution will get us a ruling by the UNSC (United Nations Security Council).
After her first stroke, she lost her left field of vision. This slowed down her reading. She learned to cope, reading with the help of a ruler. She swam every evening and kept fit. She continued to travel with me, and stayed active despite the stroke.
She stayed in touch with her family and old friends. She listened to her collection of CDs, mostly classical, plus some golden oldies. She jocularly divided her life into "before stroke" and "after stroke", like BC and AD.
She was friendly and considerate to all associated with her. She would banter with her WSOs (woman security officers) and correct their English grammar and pronunciation in a friendly and cheerful way.
Her former WSOs visited her when she was at NNI. I thank them all.
Her second stroke on 12 May 2008 was more disabling. I encouraged and cheered her on, helped by a magnificent team of doctors, surgeons, therapists and nurses.
Her nurses, WSOs and maids all grew fond of her because she was warm and considerate. When she coughed, she would take her small pillow to cover her mouth because she worried for them and did not want to infect them.
Her mind remained clear but her voice became weaker. When I kissed her on her cheek, she told me not to come too close to her in case I caught her pneumonia.
I assured her that the doctors did not think that was likely because I was active. When given some peaches in hospital, she asked the maid to take one home for my lunch. I was at the centre of her life.
On June 24, 2008, a CT scan revealed another bleed again on the right side of her brain. There was not much more that medicine or surgery could do except to keep her comfortable.
I brought her home on July 3, 2008. The doctors expected her to last a few weeks. She lived till October 2, 2 years and 3 months.
She remained lucid. They gave time for me and my children to come to terms with the inevitable.
In the final few months, her faculties declined. She could not speak but her cognition remained. She looked forward to have me talk to her every evening.
Her last wish she shared with me was to enjoin our children to have our ashes placed together, as we were in life.
The last two years of her life were the most difficult. She was bed-ridden after small successive strokes; she could not speak but she was still cognisant.
Every night she would wait for me to sit by her to tell her of my day's activities and to read her favourite poems.
Then she would sleep.
I have precious memories of our 63 years together. Without her, I would be a different man, with a different life. She devoted herself to me and our children. She was always there when I needed her. She has lived a life full of warmth and meaning.
I should find solace at her 89 years of her life well lived. But at this moment of the final parting, my heart is heavy with sadness.
PM Lee Hsien Loong's eulogy for Mrs Lee Kuan Yew
Eulogy for Mama
Mama has always been part of our lives. Papa was busy with political work, so she did most of the bringing up of the children - me, Ling and Yang.
She nurtured us, taught us, disciplined us, took care of us, and fussed over us. She would be home for lunch every day when we came home from school, spending some time with us before going back to work in the afternoon.
Loving but strict, she enforced clear rules, encouraged us to do well, and took pride in our successes.
She kept the first school prize that I ever won, for doing well in kindergarten - a pencil sharpener in the shape of tiny trophy, in the display cabinet at home. It is still there today.
Mama did not believe in spoiling her children. When we were small, she would walk with us down Oxley Road to a little stationery and book shop along Orchard Road, now long gone.
I think it was called Naina Mohamad and Sons. I was interested in trains, and remember in particular one book all about trains displayed in the shop.
It was a hardcover book, old and slightly shop-worn, really meant for adults rather than children. I found the book fascinating, but I was not to get it easily.
Each time we visited the shop, I would look at it and reluctantly put it back. Only after many visits did she finally agree to buy the book, which I kept and treasured for years.
Not surprisingly, Mama did not shower us with expensive toys, and rather disapproved when the grandparents sometimes did.
But she would visit the textile shops that used to be in High Street, and bring us home the long cardboard tubes which were at the centre of the rolls of fabric, and had been discarded after all the fabric had been sold. They cost nothing, but were great fun used as telescopes, for sword fights, and endless children's games.
When I had my own children, my wife and I did the same.
When we were a little older, Mama got us to join the National Library, the old building at Stamford Road. Every fortnight she would take the three of us to the children's section of the library, to borrow another armful of books each, until we were old enough to go on our own.
Sometimes when we found the books had been defaced, she would try to erase the graffiti, or if she could not would make a point of reporting it to the librarian when we returned the books.
By the time we graduated to the adults' section, we must have read hundreds of books, and had picked up a lifelong love for books and reading.
We would visit our maternal grandparents at Pasir Panjang regularly. Their house was on the seafront, and at high tide the water would come right in to the seawall.
We would swim in the sea, and Mama would sit on the steps watching over us.
Once when I had almost learnt to swim but not quite, I got into difficulty using goggles and a snorkel, and nearly drowned. Mama had to plunge in fully dressed to rescue me. She was not amused.
When the boys went away to university, she fussed over us at long distance. She was a skilful knitter, and knitted us sweaters to stay warm, one after another.
I still have one of them, a favourite rust-coloured one, patched many times at the elbows but still warm.
We stayed in close touch during my years abroad. Once a week I would sit down to write a long letter home, and Mama and Papa would each write me a long letter too.
In those days, Cambridge was very far away from home. Email and Skype did not yet exist. International phone calls were expensive and hard to make.
The weekly letter was eagerly awaited for news of home, and for news of the son fending for himself in a foreign land. I would read and reread the letters from home, then file them away carefully.
Nowadays the casual convenience of instant, free internet access has made letter writing an endangered art, but I am not sure if it has improved the quality of human communication.
When Hsien Yang and I got married, she embraced her daughters-in-law as her own children. When grandchildren arrived, she helped to look after them, especially my two elder children - Xiuqi and Yipeng - after their mother Ming Yang died.
She and the Popo supervised the maids, took the very little ones for walks every evening, and more than made up for what I could not do as a single father.
The years passed. Even in old age, Mama kept a motherly eye on her children. She would follow my public appearances on TV and in the press, and comment on my dress or demeanour.
After one particularly long evening function which both my parents and I attended, she reproached me: "You were bored stiff, and looked it".
When I fell ill with lymphoma, she worried about my children again, and also about me, fretting over whether I was eating enough nutritious food to stay strong and fight the cancer.
On Sundays the family would gather for lunch at Oxley Road. For a time it was with all the grandchildren, who would make a fine hullabaloo.
But as the kids grew up and went off to national service, or went away to study, often it would be back to just Papa, Mama and the three children and our wives, plus Shaowu, the youngest grandchild.
One Sunday in May two years ago, we had the usual family lunch. I had spent the morning on a constituency visit to Tampines, and told her they were debating whether to allow bicycles on pedestrian footpaths.
She reminded me that when I was in Cambridge and was mostly a pedestrian, I had written home to complain about the bicycles being a menace, because they crept up quietly on one from behind, giving no warning except for sinister whirring noises. I had completely forgotten, but she was right.
She said: "The older I get, the longer ago the things I remember".
But she tracked current events too, and knew what the hot topics of the day were.
The next day I was in my office when my security officer told me that Mama had fallen down at home, and Wei Ling was rushing her to NNI.
She had had her second stroke. The last two and a half years have been difficult on her and on the family. Now she is at peace.
Over these last few days, I and my family have been deeply touched by the outpouring of condolences and fond recollections from people of all walks of life.
She touched the lives of all those who met her, and many more who knew of her only through television images, media reports, or word of mouth. They sensed what a special person she was, and how much she had quietly contributed to Singapore.
Thousands turned up at Sri Temasek to pay their respects. Some bowed or stood in silent prayer, while others crossed themselves or did a namaste.
Still others fingered rosaries, and one lady spun a prayer wheel. Many were visibly moved.
Mama's children and our spouses stood beside her to acknowledge and thank them all, just as Mama had stood beside us so many times before.
All of our lives, Mama has been there for us. We have rejoiced together, grieved together, and shared critical moments together.
Now we will all have to learn to live without her. But she lives on in her children and grandchildren, in our cherished memories of her, and in the persons she has nurtured us into.
Lee Hsien Yang's eulogy for Mrs Lee Kuan Yew
One of the earliest photos of my happy childhood shows me at Frasers Hill, a chubby cheerful toddler taking my first tentative steps. Mama is hovering in the background, ready to catch me if needed, and yet allowing me to find my own feet. She played this role in raising Loong, Ling and me: always there for us if needed but helping us become strong independent individuals.
I also have wonderful memories of the many idyllic family holidays at Cameron Highlands when we would stay at Cluny Lodge, a guest house perched on a scenic knoll. I remember the brisk invigorating air, long walks on the golf course, playing in the mountain streams. In the evenings we would toast marshmallows and listen to stories around the fireplace.
In August 1965, when I was not yet 8, our family holiday at Cameron Highlands was suddenly cut short. A crisis I did not then comprehend was unfolding and Mama swiftly bundled us down the hill to Kuala Lumpur and then to Singapore. It was only much later that I came to understand the historic significance of that abrupt interruption. I have not returned to Cameron Highlands since, wishing to preserve untouched my happy memories.
Although Mama encouraged all her three children to strive for academic excellence, I never felt pressured. Perhaps, it is because I was the youngest child. In fact Mama would sometimes tease me as having the "youngest child syndrome".
Mama supported my numerous extra curricular interests, including swimming, canoeing, the military band, the Singapore Youth Orchestra. Mama often said she is a worrier by nature. Luckily her worries about these interfering with my academic achievement were completely unfounded.
Mama loved music. She encouraged Loong and me to play the recorder when we were little, moving up to the clarinet in secondary school. We shared a love of classical music. Her favorite was Bach; she also enjoyed Mozart, Hadyn, Vivaldi. She continued to enjoy music into old age. In hospital after her stroke, she asked for her MP3 player. We would like to think the music was a comfort to her.
She also enjoyed popular singers of her time: Doris Day, in particular Que Sera Sera, Vera Lynn, Bing Crosby, The Black and White Minstrels and Danny Kaye. I remember Danny Kaye's charming song about Tubby the Tuba entitled "Be Yourself". Tubby dreamed of being a different musical instrument but concluded it was best to be himself. In many ways, this represented Mama, in modern IT jargon, WYSIWYG - what you see is what you get. Her genuineness and sincerity left a deep impression.
When I went away to University, Mama and I would correspond regularly. She was good at reading between the lines, and before long noticed the frequency Fern was being mentioned in my letters. They arranged to meet for tea on the lawn in front of Sri Temasek; I am sure there was mutual trepidation. Thankfully Mama and Fern hit it off very well, and, although Fern was competitive enough to learn to knit so that I would not only wear my mother's hand knitted jumpers, they had a warm relationship with many common interests besides knitting.
Soon after we married in 1981, Fern and I started receiving hints that grandchildren were due. These messages began quite subtly, but by 1984, when I was attending Staff College in Camberley and Fern was working as a young lawyer in the City of London, Mama wrote to say " I can understand your wanting a year or even two to run in your marriage, but it really is about time you got on with starting a family!"
Mama was thrilled when she first heard news of Fern's pregnancy and proceeded to knit numerous baby booties in anticipation. Mama knitted baby blue, white, lemon and peppermint green booties only, but no pink. She must have been prescient. Our firstborn, Shengwu, was a boy! We still have those booties today.
The following year, in 1986, Fern delivered our second baby, yet another boy, Huanwu. Mama rushed to the hospital obviously thrilled and delighted, declaring "Thank goodness it's a boy. If the baby had been a tiger girl, just think what difficulty we would have had marrying a tiger girl off!".
Our third son was born a decade after the first two, and is much younger than all Mama's other grandchildren. When Shaowu arrived in 1995, Mama was already 74 and had given up hope of any more grandchildren. In corporate parlance, Shaowu was an unexpected bonus issue. Shaowu was greeted with great delight and she pronounced that she now had one granddaughter and six grandsons; that there was a Chinese saying about a moon and seven stars, so all we needed to do was to produce another grandson to complete her family! Sadly, neither Fern nor Ho Ching obliged.
Shaowu has the privilege of being both the youngest son, and the youngest grandson. Nai Nai (as he called his grandmother) was always pleased to see him and loved to be with him. She called him "Shao Shao", and the two got on remarkably well despite the 75 years age gap. She would invite him to outings to the zoo, the night safari, or just to play at the Istana grounds. They both enjoyed these times immensely.
Mama kept a collection of wooden tops, and would sometimes loan them to Shao. If he forgot to return them the next time he saw her, she would chide him. She did this to inculcate a sense of responsibility. Every year, Shaowu would attend the National Day Parade with her. His spirited participation gave her much pleasure.
Mama made sure the family got together regularly. In 1990, when I was still in the army, I decided to go parachuting. Neither Fern nor Mama thought much of this idea but I proceeded nonetheless. When we then did not show up for our regular Sunday family lunch, Fern received a call from Mama asking if the grandchildren were sick. Fern then explained that I had sprained my ankle parachuting. I soon received a call from Papa summoning me to SGH to have my injury fully investigated, only to discover Mama's intuition as usual was spot on and I had indeed broken my ankle.
In October 2003, soon after Papa's 80th birthday, sadly, Mama suffered her first stroke. This stroke left her much weaker and fragile. That she was less mobile and could not do many things for herself was a source of tremendous frustration for her. Although Papa had been accustomed to being looked after by his mother during his childhood and youth, and by Mama after they got married, they now reversed roles. From the outset, Papa helped, cajoled and encouraged her in her rehabilitation. He continued to care for her with an infinite amount of patience, love, kindness and good humour. He adjusted his routine to accommodate her changing circumstances and physical condition. His abiding love, devotion and care must have been a great comfort to her, and an inspiration to Fern and me on how marriage is a life long partnership, through good health and illness.
When we married in 1981, Papa wrote Fern and me a letter with advice on marriage. Of his relationship with Mama he said "... we have never allowed the other to feel abandoned and alone in any moment of crises. Quite the contrary, we have faced all major crisis in our lives together, sharing our fears and hopes, and our subsequent grief or exultation. These moments of crises have bonded us closer together. With the years, the number of special ties which we two share have increased. Some of them we share with the children." Papa has lived this love and commitment throughout these last difficult years.
Fern and I, our three sons, Shengwu, Huanwu and Shaowu miss Mama dearly. We will cherish her memory.
An inspiration of love drew me to take this photo. This is a simple setup by placing the ring in the middle of the book and shine a light onto it to create the “heart” shape and light up the emphasis on 爱.
Just as my queen and myself is expecting her Jaundice level to drop as she grows, her Jaundice level took a U turn and shot beyond 200 points. A liver blood test does not give us any sympathy as her level is shot close to the “red” zone. Hope all are went as we bring her to the hospital.
Selamat Hari Raya to all Muslim friends out there.. Wish you all the best in this wonderful year ahead..
With property prices shooting through the roof and government introducing measures to cool the prices.. This is an interesting article for one who is interested in purchasing new property..
By Mr. Propwise (courtesy of PropertyGuru)
Buying a home is the biggest purchase most of us will make in our lives.
Yet many people rush to buy a property with less preparation than they would planning a holiday. This can have financially disastrous consequences, especially in light of the new measures announced by the government on August 30th, which have created a lot of uncertainty in the property market.
Follow the steps laid out below when buying a property, and you will be much less likely to make an expensive mistake.
1. Decide whether you want to rent or buy
Buying a home is often an emotional decision. That's fine – just make sure it's a rational one too. Honestly ask yourself if you need to buy a home, and whether renting might be a viable option.
2. Calculate how much you can afford
First look at how much money you currently have, including cash and CPF. Note that based on the new measures, if you already have at least one loan outstanding, your minimum cash outlay will increase from 5 percent to 10 percent. Next, figure out how much you can borrow, taking all your outstanding debts into account. You can work with a banker, or use the affordability calculator available on LoanGuru (https://www.loanguru.com.sg/mortgage_affordability_calculator). Most banks will only lend up to a 35-50 per cent Debt Service Ratio (your total debt payments divided by your monthly income).
3. Figure out what sort of home you want
What are your current and future housing needs? For example, a newly married couple that buys a studio or one bedroom unit might find within a year or two that they need a two or three bedroom apartment once a baby is on the way. Would you prefer HDB or private property, if you can afford it? Which districts or areas do you prefer to live in? What are the amenities and public transportation options you want?
4. Build a list of options
You can choose to either use a buyer's agent and/or go DIY. Look at both options offline (e.g. classified ads in the newspapers) and online (property websites) to get the largest pool to choose from. Based on what you've figured out from Steps 2 and 3 above, come up with a list of potential projects to consider.
5. Do market research and narrow down your choices
You can check the recent transacted prices of these projects from the PropertyGuru website. Compare prices there with surrounding projects. Compare the transacted prices with the asking prices. If you are buying for investment, look at the market rents and rental yields. Eliminate the projects that do not look attractive.
6. Go for property viewings
Based on this smaller list of projects, arrange viewings of at least a few different units in each project. It's helpful to take photos and notes to help you remember what you saw. Visit each project at different times of the day and night to see if it is noisy or otherwise unpleasant. Narrow down your list to your top few units and do a second viewing if necessary.
7. Get indicative valuations and your mortgage pre-approved
Don't miss this critical step! Before you make an offer, ensure that you have gotten an indicative valuation from a bank and an in-principle approval for a mortgage. You can approach the different banks yourself or use a mortgage broker to save time. Based on the new measures, if you already have an outstanding loan, your Loan To Valuation (LTV) limit has been lowered to 70 percent from 80 percent, so you'll need to cough up more cash. Also, banks will only lend to you based on the LOWER of the valuation limit or purchase price, so if you are buying above the bank's valuation, you will need to pay the difference in cash. If you are selling your existing home to purchase a new one and hope to borrow at 80 percent LTV, you now need to present proof to qualify (in the form of a signed purchase agreement for your current home and certification showing that stamp duty for your existing property has already been paid for by the buyer).
8. Make an offer and negotiate the purchase
Once you get the indicative valuations and at least one pre-approved mortgage from the bank, you can then make an offer knowing you can borrow what you need. There have been a number of unfortunate cases of buyers who have lost their deposits because they realised later that banks would not finance their purchase. When negotiating the purchase price, it helps to have a number of options on hand so you are not forced to overpay due to a lack of options.
9. Sign and exercise the Option To Purchase
If the seller accepts your bid, typically you have to put down a 1 percent deposit to get the Option To Purchase (OTP), and have 14 days to exercise it, by which time you will have to pay another 4 percent of the purchase price. Make sure you have the funds on hand to do so. Once you get the OTP, liaise with your conveyancing lawyer and mortgage banker to settle the procedures.
10. Complete the sale and collect the keys
Before the completion date, do an inspection of the home to confirm that all agreed on fixtures and items are still around. On the date itself, collect the keys and check that you have a complete set. Congratulations! You are the owner of a new home. Time to think about renovation and furnishing…
My little beauty really loves to sleep. Its hard to wake her up for milk time. This perhaps is driven by the fact that she has Jaundice. Will have to monitor.
Typical umbrellas and other lighting methods are often too expensive or poor investment unless you are a product photographer.. Otherwise how many times would you use it?
I had explored using my Princess’ Pink table, 4 folders and a flash. Result not that bad..
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How coincidental.. I did not even realised until my Mum reminded.. It was the same ward and bed that my queen rested after my elder princess arrives some 23 months ago.. 3092.. 10 Big 120 Small.. hahah..
I made a house visit to my staff’s place after he broke down and was sent to the Mental hospital for assessment. Naturally (or at least I guess it should be natural) his family was worried about his health and stability.
The least I could do in this short 1 hour is assuring them. I can sense the anxiety of all as I slowly explain the situation and the measures that we are taking for their little brother. Sensing about it, the anxiety, the pain, the hurt and anger, but can I feel it.. I thought I can empathies, but who can really feel it unless its you who are going through the ordeal. They are mature and reasonable least to say, but I can tell that they are not comfortable about the “deterioration” of their brother’s mental health. Hope all goes well in his recovery.
“Sob.. Sob.” One of my boy was weeping away.. I spoke to him.. He was deeply affected by one of my staff (or should I say his superior) by her constant shrieking and scolding.. But he was not the one being scolded.. He just got emotionally roped in by the “intensity” of scolding and screaming that his colleagues received in his presence.. Puzzled!!
He went on to describe about the ordeal he has to face on a frequent basis, so much that he could not accept it as a way of life.. He felt that the environment is not tolerant for mistakes nor the willingness for questions.. Tough.. This was the 2nd breakdown I had seen of him ever since I came to this appointment.
Shock!!
As he explains the emotional and mental strain he has gone through and the thoughts of ending his life to avoid this misery.. Is it true? If a person is bent to end his life, will he share?? Regardless, I sent him to seek medical attention to assess more on his condition.. It seems genuine to me..
I ponder…
Even the parents and their siblings do not understand.. While I am trying to help, I ended up being the target of abuse.. Haise.. Humans..
After a short re-energizer after NDP, I dived into another wave of high intensity of activities that requires me to double-hat again.. I was out for 4 days 3 nights that deprives me of proper rest that probably force me to rest more than spending time with my family during the coming weekend..
“What’s you name?””Estella"!!” Replied my princess.. My Princess knows her name..
Another visit to the zoo.. This time, with close friends and also a grown up Estella (At least she can speaks a little that we can understand.. and is more responsive to the animals names that we are trying to teach her..)
When Singapore won the rights to host the first ever Youth Olympic Games, Singapore went into a state of ecstasy. It just go on to show how much Singapore has progressed as a nation, not just within ourselves but also in the international map.
Of course, I would not missed the chance of taking fireworks that marks the opening of the YOG.
The fireworks is far fewer than expected. The shutter has been tuned to bulb with F-stop ranging between F8 – F11. It is a challenge getting the optimal brightness with various brightness of the fireworks.
Now back to work.. The tearing down of the Command Post to return the room to it original state shot me back to reality. Back to managing people.
It just seems like preparation for NDP has just started.. It all ended with celebrations.. For the first time, I got to see politicians in person, and all.. including our founding father MM Lee Kuan Yew and his son, PM Lee Hsien Loong, my utmost respect for PM Lee who has brought Singapore to be one of the best in the world..
Ensuring these VIPs have a fantastic experience, much planning are done to carefully mapped out their touch points and experience. Heartware ushers, Military PROs and of course, my staffs made this a wonderful NDP experience for me, and a successful NDP for the team. Thank you for making all these possible..
Sign off.. NDP 2010, Live Our Dreams, Fly Our Flag
NDP 2010, Live Our Dreams, Fly our Flag. This year, the challenges is very different from past NDPs.
NDP Celebrates beyond Padang.. Compared to 2005, the organising manpower is very much smaller this year and yet we are doing more.. From 3 heartlands to 5, independent celebrations to 2 ways live feed to reach out to as many Singaporeans as we can, to celebrate as one Singapore.. One Voice 2010, to get our fellow Singaporeans to recite the pledge and the National Anthem, together as one at 2010hrs. Its a challenge to impose on ourselves to complete all the shows segment before 2010hrs on the dot to bring our one voice, We Are Singapore..
Amidst all the busy schedule, I have made new friendships, perspectives and getting myself younger through numerous lame jokes with the kids, most a decade younger than me..
After a black-out period, burying myself with NDP preparations and family time, I finally found sometime to sit down to pen my thoughts again in this blog..
This new place has brought me insights to the social structure of Headquarters. The rat-race and ferrari speed of work had initially dampened my spirit a little.. Ain’t we working towards the betterment of the organisation? My sentiments is for betterment of our own career at the expense of others. Life is different and wary..
NDP brought me new friends, new insights of work and enjoyment. Though it busy, extensive co-ordination that has robbed much of my time, toggling all these with my primary work, I have come out a happy man..
Soon, reality of the newly discovered social fabric will return as the dust of NDP settles. I am prepared and armed for new challenges, I hope in the space of work but not relationships.
With Singtel and Starhub charging high prices for this year’s world cup, places that shows games are getting crowded everyday.. I chose Kallang McDonald’s due to geographical reasons and of course free parking here..
Actually after watching English Premier League at home for past years, somehow I felt I had lost the excitement in games.. It is at this McDonald that the familiar cheers and jeers is something that I had missed..
Tonight, Netherlands against Denmark, I got myself into more excitement fix by places small bets on Netherlands.. Asian Handicapped 1.5. Lets see..
My colleague resignation came to a rude shock to me.. Career uncertainty, work load and loss of a fine balance of family lives were driving factors as he slowly explains. This distort my balance and make me re-examine my options, the loss of balance like a sudden activation to accompany big bosses for a walk about this coming Sat and Sun. Is it worth it for the salary I am drawing? A job or a career?
How amazing this man was, to my ignorance, how much I had missed (or should I say neglected) about this man who so famously build up the social infrastructure.. Even Minister Mentor, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, had high regards for this man..
These videos brought me insights about this man who had lay the foundation to what Singapore is today, A tribute to Dr Goh Keng Swee.
I was ashamed of myself to know so little of a great man who together with Mr Lee Kuan Yew led Singapore from a 3rd World to 1st.. It was his demise that I finally realise that Singapore had lost a great man, a person that Singapore is indebted to. The news article is forever eched in me.
From Channelnewsasia.com
SINGAPORE: Singapore's former Deputy Prime Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee was given a State Funeral on Sunday.
The casket carrying Dr Goh's body was transported from Parliament House to the Singapore Conference Hall on an Artillery Gun Carriage towed by a ceremonial Land Rover.
The vehicular procession from Parliament House to the Singapore Conference Hall started at 2pm.
The casket was draped with a state flag, the highest honour given to a man who had introduced sweeping initiatives that set the basis for Singapore's long-term prosperity and security.
The casket arrived at the Singapore Conference Hall just before 2.30pm. There, moving tributes were delivered.
In his eulogy, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong traced Dr Goh's life-long contribution to Singapore.
PM Lee recalled how as Singapore's first Finance Minister, Dr Goh inherited a government that was almost broke with an expected budget deficit of S$14 million.
Prudent and thrifty by nature, Dr Goh introduced drastic measures to cut spending, including civil service salaries.
PM Lee said: "This was obviously unpopular, but Dr Goh stood firm. When he delivered the Budget at the end of the year, he proudly declared that the government had achieved a small surplus of $1 million.
"He had drafted the speech personally, after secluding himself on the remote island of Raffles Lighthouse to concentrate on the task. Dr Goh set the tone for the PAP government, which ever since has steadfastly upheld budget discipline and fiscal prudence."
Dr Goh then jump-started the stagnant economy with a strategy of rapid industrialisation, attracting investments from MNCs, creating jobs and exports.
As Defence Minister, Dr Goh set up the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) from scratch. And as Education Minister, Dr Goh's approach was systematic, analytical and results oriented, said Mr Lee.
The Prime Minister added that Dr Goh also had a tremendous zest for life and work, and was a mentor to many in the public service.
Outside of government, Dr Goh also connected with many Singaporeans.
PM Lee said: "The media have reported a few of their stories - the old lady who was visited by Dr Goh when the family was very poor; another lady whom Dr Goh had come across as a little girl weeping in school, and had comforted; the young navy officer who reported to Dr Goh after making a grave mistake, but was forgiven because he owned up.
"These personal gestures and kindnesses reflected Dr Goh's character and compassion, which underpinned his enormous contributions to Singapore."
Also delivering a eulogy was Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew who worked alongside Dr Goh in the tumultuous years of Singapore's Independence.
Minister Mentor Lee said: "It was my good fortune to have strong men around me. Of all my Cabinet colleagues, it was Goh Keng Swee who made the greatest difference to the outcome for Singapore.
"He had a capacious mind and a strong character. When he held a contrary view, he would challenge my decisions and make me re-examine the premises on which they were made. As a result, we reached better decisions for Singapore.
"In the middle of a crisis, his analysis was always sharp, with an academic detachment and objectivity that reassured me. His robust approach to problems encouraged me to press on against seemingly impossible odds."
Minister Mentor Lee recalled Dr Goh as "hopeless as a campaign orator" but a man with a formidable analytical mind.
The late former Deputy Prime Minister played a key role in Singapore's decision to make a clean cut with Malaysia in the Terms of Separation.
Minister Mentor Lee said: "He was my trouble-shooter. I settled the political conditions so that his tough policies which we together formulated could be executed.
"I gave him the toughest jobs in government: the Ministry of Finance from 1959 to 1965 when economic survival was crucial; Ministry of Defence in 1965 when all we had were two battalions of the Singapore Infantry Regiment, which then had more Malaysians than Singaporean soldiers."
"With his passing, we have lost a remarkable and outstanding son," said Minister Mentor Lee.
Temasek Holdings Chairman and former Cabinet Minister S Dhanabalan was the third person to deliver a eulogy at the funeral service.
He recalled how as an undergraduate, it was Dr Goh's intervention that had changed his career and course of his life.
Mr Dhanabalan said Dr Goh was jealous to retain talent.
He cited Dr Goh's influence on Singapore's Ambassador to Japan, Brigadier-General Tan Chin Tiong, and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. Dr Goh managed to convince both men to contribute in specific areas of public service.
Mr Dhanabalan added that as a young MP, Dr Goh had made it a point to have meals with him in an informal setting, guiding him on some controversial issues.
Mr Dhanabalan said: "In my first few months as Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of National Development I had to deal with a controversial land clearance issue involving a religious building.
"The parties concerned were using the media to stir up public sentiments. He called on the phone, out of the blue, and described to me the principles to follow in addressing the issue. He did not tell me what exactly to do but his call was very helpful in clarifying my thinking and I resolved the problem successfully."
The State Funeral service also saw Dr Goh's grandson Mr Goh Ken-Yi and grand niece Marian Hui reading out their eulogies. They spoke about a caring and kind man who often went out of his way for others and also as someone who's an inspiration for the future generation of Singapore.
The service ended with the sounding of the Last Post.
After the service, Dr Goh's body was moved to the Mandai crematorium for a private ceremony for family members.
Source/ Channelnewsasia.com
When you are not working with people of Premier League Class, you have to start thinking how to motivate Division 2 people to work..
Have not been back to Marina Barrage for a long while since the last time I went for night shooting.. Kite flying is not one of my favourite, so I join them with my “Weapon” instead..
Smiley face that brighten the sky and lower ISO and faster aperture.. Tried to capture the flare to compliment the flying kite high up in the sky.. Tried to pull the flare closer but my eyes cant take it..
See more at http://jaceanx.multiply.com/photos/album/65/Marina_Barrage_2010
Long outdated post of the annual Formula Drift.. This year, the Drifting Kingpins pit against one another at Formula One Pit on 25 
I spent the afternoon trying out new shots compared to the style I tried last year. Zooming off the signage to give the power of speed.. The effect came out not too bad, less that I took if free hand and the effect trembles off towards the end of zoom.
Took a few candid shots of model and love this shot where she is caught unaware playing with her phone..
This panning shot capture the impact of speed. A varying composition to incorporate the impact of turn complimented by the skidding smoke with space on the left for wallpaper use
I have moved on in my career (err.. my job?) as a deputy HR Head. The appointment sounds very encouraging but the swift movement in my career may also mean all over again..
Just like the last time where I am posted out in the middle of the year and I am left with less than 4 months to prove my salt before the annualised ranking cycle comes about.
At least the likelihood of hope is that I will be rewarded as a deupty head but may not be as much as my previous job..
After a short tenure in my current job, I am now being pulled by HQ to be the second man in my division HR. Job scope will be different, from a HR policy executor to now a position to formulate system. I will continue to show my potential in amplitude thinking.
It seems that things starts to fall apart.. From the good results I had produced for the snap audit, the daily lapses administration came as a rude shock to me.
How on earth did my deputy head failed to informed me on the pending admin lapses that happened before I took over??
After exciting times of achieving the best snap audit score ever in 5 years, I thought that we are in line for the best overall performance, came the lapses that happened before my time.. This is the second time that a shocking news came to me before I was informed by my staff..
What a rude shock, what a dent in my reputation..
I thought the simple rule is keep your boss informed of all pending tsunami before it hits the shore.. How simple can that be??
Is it really a good thing to be recognise in work?? I bet so, at least for me, I find total satisfaction in getting the due recognition for all the hard work that I had put in.
But unfortunately in this place that I am working in, everyone seems to be too happy to task knowing that I am able to deliver at the end of the day.. But it seems that it is getting too much for me to handle to the extent that I have to sacrifice quality time with my partner.. Coincidentally, work seems to get heavier everytime she gets pregnant.. I am so fortunate to have her as my pillar of support during my ups and downs… but I am not always there for her during her times where she has to bear the pain of pregnancy.
Technology has dictate the pace of work.. Incredibly, my inbox is always been infested with hundreds of emails each day.. Yes, its over a hundred each day.. As I was driving home leaving 156 emails unread, I work out simple maths in my head, all it takes is 1 min to read, 1 min to internalise and 2 mins to reply, it will still take more than 600mins to finish it..thats a whopping 10hrs doing nothing but just clearing emails. Even if I take half the time, it is still worth more than 5 hrs… and this is on top of all the work I need to prepare for meetings, attending meetings and post meetings follow-ups..
As I always preach to my subordinates, take in whatever you think you can cope.. If you insist to put 10 eggs in my 5 eggs basket, sooner or later, 5 eggs will break.. I am living on a time-bomb everyday..
The academic tools that differentiate the goals from objectives
Goals is derived from behavioural (B)statement guided by the following
Smart
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Timely
Objective is generated from audience (A), who? me? Them? Behavioural and action (B), condition and criteria (C) and achieving the degree and standard (D).
Those who does the maintenance work does not really go well with my organisation who is always at the fore front of transformation.
Why the need for the change? For the betterment and also align our organisation with the rest of the world? Is it true? Well, at least from my little world, i felt we are trying to race in formula one in toyota vios.
I came across this article from straits times. what was the sense of racial management thinking from McDonalds? A collection idea obviously spinned from Chinese Cultural Zodiac but the feeling of Chinese was ignored.
FAST-FOOD giant McDonald's has stirred up a controversy by omitting pig characters from its latest toy promotions.
The pig soft toy was expected to have been part of a 12-character Doraemon set depicting the animals of the Chinese zodiac calendar. Customers wanting the toy would have to pay $2 on top of making a food purchase.
But McDonald's decided not to include the pig toy to avoid offending Muslim customers, and had a Doraemon Cupid toy in its place instead.
The move has upset Chinese customers keen on collecting all 12 toys in the series. One of them, staff nurse Daphne Koh, 26, said: 'I was born in the Year of the Pig and would have collected the whole set. But without the pig, it makes no sense for me to do so.'
Retiree May Liaw, 55, who had wanted to buy a set to decorate her home for Chinese New Year, said: 'It is strange to have Cupid in place of the pig. The set is incomplete and I am not interested in individual pieces.'
