Using GDP to calculate Singapore's average salary

Reference: How much do you need to earn to be above Singapore’s “average”?

Read an article on Yahoo Singapore that tried to calculate Singapore's salary using GDP.

Some points to take away.

The high income earners are earning a whole lot more skewing the average upwards. One can only imagine how much they are earning to be able to skew the numbers that high, making the average $9,207 after discounting those who are unemployed.

I was back from Hong Kong a few weeks ago and food there on average cost two times that of Singapore. Hong Kong has roughly the same GDP as Singapore, but has 7.2 million in population vs Singapore's 5.4 million.

What's more interesting would be how the purchasing power of dollar has faded over the years. Or how many years you have to work before you can pay off the loan to your property.

As you can see, it's a very flawed way to calculate GDP. An article written to get eyeballs.

What's preventing the LTA officer from giving summons?

Reference: LTA officer questioned over reluctance to issue summons for illegally parked cars

Interesting story at TOC regarding a LTA officer who refused to give summons for a car clearly in violation of parking laws.

The correct question the citizen should have asked is what's preventing the officer from giving the summons. What a waste of an opportunity to find out the truth.

NUS law professor takes law into his own hands

Reference: NUS law professor in the dock for assaulting cabbie

The irony is thick. I hope this case blows big online and he loses his job.

Backwards-thinking Singtel wants to charge content providers again

Reference: Charge content providers, says Singtel CEO again

Singtel is one of the my most disliked company in Singapore.

I've nothing against them. I've not one of their customers and have not suffered any outages from their services. I, however, am interested in business related stories.

In the recent story by CNA, Singtel CEO Chua Sock Koong has once again said she wanted to charge content providers like WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube. That idea really angers me.

That is just so backwards, but coming from a company like SingTel, it's not very surprising. Instead innovating and creating products to get more revenue, now they want to charge content providers who are providing value to their customers.

First of all, Singapore is a small market. Facebook, Whatsapp and Youtube can just block Singapore users from their website. They can easily do that and who's on the losing end? Singaporeans.

Second, most people use those websites. If Singtel is to successfully charge, then I dare say that Starhub and other ISPs will follow suit.

SingTel's business model is so outdated already. Now they want to create a new business model that benefits nobody except themselves. When you're in business, you should be providing value, a service or product, that someone is willing to pay for.


If SingTel cannot innovative, they should not pull the rest of Singapore down with them.

Blaming stray dogs for rat infestation at Bukit Batok

Reference: Don’t blame stray dogs for rat infestation at Bukit Batok: SPCA
Rat infestation near Bukit Batok MRT

This is convenient. Blaming someone who can't talk back.

Video of the Rats at Bukit Batok

Reference: More rats caught in Bukit Batok




Action was only taken after video of the rats running on the small hill beside Bukit Batok MRT was leaked.

When I posted that on my personal Facebook page, a friend messaged me and told me he had alerted the authorities 2 times of the situation. He's not the only person doing that.

It seems that making a video, posting it online is a faster way to get things done. Public shaming the authority seems more effective at getting things done.

GushCloud vs XiaXue

While I don't particularly like XiaXue's blog, I've to admit that she's a good blogger. I only just found out that she has 4 times more traffic than me (not this blog of course) at 40,000 pageviews monthly.

The hottest story online right now is The Big Gushcloud Exposé written by her declaring that GushCloud lied on several fronts.

GushCloud has since rebutted with their own account.

There are a few takeaway points for me.

1. If XiaXue's alleged pageviews of GushCloud's bloggers are correct, then it's quite shocking that so called influencers can be called influencers with that sort of readership. Yan Kay Kay's pageviews, and I'm quoting from GushCloud's rebuttal, is only 974 readers/day. I have around 4,500 readers/day and I consider myself just a writer.

2. Advertisers should demand a print screen of Google Analytics reports to verify the actual pageviews that GushCloud states their bloggers have. In fact GushCloud should make it mandatory for their bloggers to provide Google Analytics reports, or at least install some sort of counters on their blogs. You can be sued by clients for misrepresentation. Now that this news has been blown up, it can get messy if advertisers want to take legal action.

3. XiaXue has just posted an instagram update saying that GushCloud will not be suing her. Note that GushCloud said they want to sue her after XiaXue published her exposé.

Seriously, GushCloud? By not suing her, it just mean to the public that what XiaXue said had some element of truth. If I run my company and I have my numbers right, I would sue straightaway. Apparently after reading GushCloud's report, it seems that they do not have the exact numbers correct. Even the monthly revenue they gave The Straits Times was an honest mistake. Oh my goodness.

I don't take sides but GushCloud has some serious issues with accountability.

Ambulance blocked by road hogger on PIE

Reference: http://www.tnp.sg/news/ambulance-rushing-woman-hospital-blocked-pie-heartless-road-hog-causes-deadly-delay

Driver of the Hyundai Matrix should have his driving license revoked for a year.

Some people in Singapore are just too self-centred and have no consideration. There should be consequences for this type of behaviour.

Travel agencies break free from NATAS

Reference: 24 TRAVEL AGENCIES SAY DISPUTE WITH NATAS IS FAR FROM BEING RESOLVED

I see this as a good move on the part of the 24 travel agencies. If they can organise the fair themselves, why do they need to pay someone else, NATAS in this case, to do it and thereby increasing their own cost.

What's also interesting is how NATAS is interpreting the situation. NATAS claimed 80 to 90 percent of the issues are resolved while the travel agencies refuted that. It's a classic case of not knowing what the other party wants. Reminded me of how SMRT thought they resolved the conflict with their bus drivers who then went on to strike.

And it is not in NATAS's interest to disclose any financial information. If NATAS is bleeding money, the it's NATAS's own problem. However if NATAS is making profits, it means they are taking away profits from the travel agencies indirectly. It all comes down to money. If you know how they earn their money, you'll know how they behave.

Racist joint exercise?

Khaw Boon Wan posted some photos on the joint exercise with Police, SCDF & foreign worker ambassadors

It's interesting how so many people think this incident has something to do with racism.

If the rioters were Chinese or any other race, I suppose there won't be complaints? If so, then racism is already in your mind regardless of which race is rioting. You might be racist without even knowing.