A 'Thank You' letter from Nicole Seah

Source: http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20110508-277687.html


My friends, my fellow Singaporeans,

We may have lost an election but tonight we have rediscovered something so much more valuable - the pride of being Singaporeans. My fellow party members and I began all of this because we felt that we needed to speak up not just for you, but also ourselves.
The competition has been robust; sides were taken and things were said. But now that the contest is over, we must come together as one country and work to build that future we want.
When we choose our leaders, we ask of them not just their industry but also their judgment. We may not always agree with our government, but it is our responsibility to engage them in intelligent debate so that policies made in our name serve the common good.
Tonight our hearts are with Mr Low Thia Kiang and the Workers' Party. They have made political history in Singapore and they have made us proud. For the next 5 years, we will depend on them to be our voices in Parliament. We are comforted that we will be well represented.
The great joy we feel at the election of the Workers' Party is matched only by our profound sadness at the exit tonight of two great men from the political scene.
We want to pay tribute to Mr George Yeo, the outgoing Foreign Minister. Not since the tenure of the late Mr S Rajaratnam has anyone defined our foreign policy like Mr Yeo. A soldier, a scholar, a statesman. And to top it all off, a perfect gentleman. We hope that he will consider a run for the Presidency later this year. We believe he will be another peoples' President and we cannot think of a better person to continue representing us to the world.
We also want to express our gratitude to Mr Chiam See Tiong who together with the late J B Jeyaretnam fought for ordinary Singaporeans at a time when it was much tougher for opposition politicians. Mr Chiam, all Singaporeans owe you a debt of gratitude and we salute you. We will carry on the work you began.
And so my friends, in closing I just want to remind all of you that while the votes have been cast and tallied, the work has just begun.
We know the kind of Singapore we want - we have been talking about it for months now. The time for talk is over; lets get it done.

Sincerely,
Nicole Seah
NSP Candidate for Marine Parade GRC
GE 2011

82 of 87 seats contested in Singapore GE

SINGAPORE: The ruling PAP in Singapore was not returned to government on Nomination Day on Wednesday.

It is facing contest in all the 12 single-member constituencies (SMCs) and 14 of the 15 Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs).

There will be a three-cornered fight in Punggol East single-member constituency (SMC), straight fights in all other constituencies except Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (GRC).

The three-way fight at Punggol East SMC is between PAP's candidate Mr Michael Palmer, the Workers' Party's Lee Li Lian and the Singapore Democratic Alliance's Secretary General Desmond Lim.

In Aljunied GRC, the Workers' Party is fielding party leaders Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim, and members Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal and Pritam Singh. Their opponents are PAP's George Yeo, Lim Hwee Hua, Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Cynthia Phua and Ong Ye Kung.

GRC contest - Ang Mo Kio (PAP vs RP), Aljunied (PAP vs WP), Bishan-Toa Payoh (PAP vs SPP), Chua Chu Kang (PAP vs NSP), East Coast (PAP vs WP), Holland-Bukit Timah (PAP vs SDP), Jurong (PAP vs NSP), Marine Parade (PAP vs NSP), Moulmein-Kallang (PAP vs WP), Nee Soon (PAP vs WP), Pasir Ris-Punggol (PAP vs SDA), Sembawang (PAP vs SDP), Tampines (PAP vs NSP), West Coast (PAP vs RP).

SMCs contest - Bukit Panjang (PAP vs SDP), Hong Kah North (PAP vs SPP), Hougang (PAP vs WP), Joo Chiat (PAP vs WP), Mountbatten (PAP vs NSP), Pioneer (PAP vs NSP), Potong Pasir (PAP vs SPP), Punggol East (PAP vs SDA vs WP), Radin Mas (PAP vs NSP), Sengkang West (PAP vs WP), Whampoa (PAP vs NSP), Yuhua (PAP vs SDP).

Candidates fielded by party: PAP (87), NSP (24), WP (23), RP (11), SDP (11), SDA (7), SPP (7).

Polling Day is on May 7.

- CNA/ir

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1125138/1/.html


The election is exciting. Will we see black swan or grey swan occuring?

Some thoughts

Sometimes many people wonder what is the secret of becoming decently rich?

Get multibaggers from stock markets?
Invest in properties?
Win toto?
Start up a business?
Earn more, live below your mean and invest?
Climb corporate ladder, be director of some company?

Actually, there are many many ways.

When you walk on the street, think hard.

Think of a way which you can earn just a small $1 consistently from everyone which you seen on the street. Isn't this the way which many of the successful person succeed?

All the above cannot be achieved easily but as long as there is a will, there will be a hope.

Means to increase capital

Currently my saving to gross bring home pay margin per month is around 55%. This mean that I spend little and save a lot. However, my income is not high, thus no matter how high I increase this margin, the absolute savings is quite little according to my expectation.

To increase captial, I am thinking to enhance my income through taking more jobs and finding a higher paying job.

Perhaps I could take up tuition again which I stopped since undergrad year? But this means that I will have less time for my love one as well as time for me to read more books to enhance my knowledge. Is it worth it?

I could also get a master degree to enhance my market value but this means that I need to spend part of my saving for this purpose. Is a master degree really usefull in today's market? I heard that the ROI from spending time, effort and money for a master degree is not useful sometimes.

Got $700 chicken leg from government

What about you? Why do I say chicken leg? think about it yourself.

Financial Freedom vs Life

Life is not only about money, financial freedom. What exactly is life about? It has different definition for everyone.

Although financial freedom is good, but one should never neglect your closed one, especially your love one during the process.

Living below the means + saving + investing -> old traditional way of getting rich is effective. However, when you need to spend, please do spend. Like going for holidays or eat at some restaurant with your love ones etc.

We are only young once, even though you may become very rich through the above process when you are maybe 40+ or 50+, but what if that time you or your love one are sick, cannot move or something or worst, your love one are gone? Will you regret that you never spend more time, or treasure your time more with them when you we were young? Will you regret spending your time to learn more about investing, try out investing, do FA, do TA etc instead of spending time with them?

I do not know about your answer. But I will.

It is important, although hard to strive a balance, but must try! Good luck to me and you!