Quora Answer: Why Does Singapore Need So Many Troops to Defend a Tiny Island?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Why does Singapore needs so many troops to defend a tiny island, while bigger countries like Malaysia have lesser troops?  Are there not going to be a congestion in deploying so many troops in the island?”

The Singapore Armed Forces is not a defensive force.  They are an offensive force to seize territory and create strategic depth in the event of war, through pre-emptive strike.  This also explains the high rate of mechanisation, and the large lift capability of the air force and navy.  Further to that, a large proportion of the SAF is not based in Singapore, but in overseas bases, within striking distance of potential belligerents.  They include Brunei, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Taiwan, around the region.  Additionally, there are training detachments in the US, UK, and elsewhere.

In contrast, Malaysia actually needs a larger military to defend its land borders, and secure it maritime exclusive economic zone, and littoral waters.  This has been limited by a smaller budget, a weaker economy, and corruption.  This has lead to a disproportionate balance of forces.  That difference in size, along with the technology gap, means that Malaysia is woefully unprepared for any conflict with its neighbours, whether Indonesia, Thailand or Singapore.  It could conceivably fare well against the Philippines, in their disputed border in East Malaysia.  However, the lack of adequate lift capability by both sides means that it would be a stalemate as they stare at each other across the Sulu Sea.

Quora Answer: Will Malaysia Fight China if China Forcefully Tries to Claim Singapore as Part of Its Territory?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Will Malaysia fight China if China forcefully tries to claim Singapore as part of its territory?”

Firstly, China has no historical claim over Singapore.  Singapore is a sovereign state, almost 4,000 km away.  It is nowhere even near China.

Secondly, if the assumption is that China could invade Singapore, then that is also impossible  Assuming, for the sake of argument, we discount Singapore’s military, China does not have the military lift capability to send significant amount of troops over.  Neither does China have the ability to project the significant air and naval power required at the moment.  If China could, they would have tried to take Taiwan militarily first, and Taiwan is a lot nearer, being 130 km at the narrowest, across the Taiwan Straits.

Singapore is the most militarised state in Southeast Asia.  It has the largest, and most modern air force and navy in the region.  It is also a member of several defence pacts, and is one of the refit and refurbishment ports for US carrier groups.  The entrance to the Singapore Straits is at Horsburgh Lighthouse, which is a death trap for any fleet.  A naval flotilla coming from the south, the Karimata Straits will be intercepted by the radar station in the southern islands, and cannot sneak in.  They will have the disadvantage in air cover, and will be stopped in those waters.

Finally, the Malaysian Armed Forces, after years under successive corrupt governments, has suffered in the arms procurement process.  They have no means whatsoever to project themselves in any naval or air engagement.  They are not a factor in any such equation.  It will take years to rebuild the Malaysian Armed Forces into a credible deterrent.

Quora Answer: Will Raeesah Begum Farid Khan Still Face Fabricated Charges Now That She Has a Parliamentary Seat?

 The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Will Raeesah Begum Farid Khan still face fabricated charges, under S298 of the Penal Code, for 2-year-old tweets now that she has won a seat in the Parliament of Singapore?” 

Firstly, Raeesah Begum Farid Khan is under investigation by the Singapore Police Force.  Any report that involves the alleged wounding of racial and religious feelings, and threatens the social fabric of Singapore is given the highest priority, and investigated immediately.  An investigation, once opened, is not closed merely because someone has won a Parliamentary seat, or even appointed to the Cabinet.  Belonging to the legislative or executive branch of government does not put anybody above the law. 

Secondly, since the investigation is ongoing, no charges have been formally filed.  To claim that there are fabricated charges is mischievous and misleading.  Any charges filed will not be by the Singapore Police Force, but by the Attorney-General’s Chambers.  The Police Force does not decide on whether to proceed on charges; its role is only to substantiate the possibility that an offence was committed. 

Finally, since this is an active investigation, I will not comment on the possible outcomes since such an act may be viewed as prejudicial.  However, I will state that the Singapore Police Force deserves its sterling reputation in community policing.  We are not the police force in the United States with its documented history of institutionalised racism.  The Singapore Police Force puts great effort in being sensitive to minorities.  You will never find, for example, any police team that consists of people only belonging to one race.  This is an attempt to eliminate allegations of racism.

Quora Answer: Will a Coalition Government of Opposition Parties Work for Singapore

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Will a coalition government among the opposition parties work for Singapore?”

Outside of government, the Opposition parties already bicker, and are unable to come together as a viable coalition to challenge the PAP.  Many smaller parties are successors of older parties, created when members quit and started their own little political fiefdoms.  For example, the Reform was started by Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam, after he left the Workers’ Party, and the Singapore People’s Party began as a faction of the Singapore Democratic Party.  They cannot get along as it is.

Do we imagine that they would all magically become friends in the unlikely event that we have a hung parliament, and they need to cobble together a majority?  The Workers’ Party will never work with Chee Soon Juan.  The Reform Party will never work with the Workers’ Party.  Progress Singapore Party would more likely form a coalition with the PAP than work with most of the other Opposition parties.  Desmond Lim Bak Chuan and Ravi Philemon are not likely to work with the National Solidarity Party.

If we ever came to that, such a coalition would be a disaster for Singapore.  Except for a handful of credible candidates, the rest of the Opposition candidates lack credibility, lack business acumen, lack intelligence even.  We have only to see in Malaysia, how badly Pakatan Harapan threw away all that political capital because people like Lim Guan Eng, and Mohamad bin Sabu were obviously out of their depth.  A Singapore Opposition coalition would fragment faster than ice thrown from orbit.

Cancer is the #1 Killer in Singapore

According to the National Cancer Centre, cancer cases have been rising over the years, and the number of people living with cancer will continue to increase.  During the period from 2013 to 2017, a total of 71, 265 cancer cases were reported in Singapore.  48.4% of the affected were male, and 51.6% of those cases were female patients.

With the average cost of chemotherapy ranging from $1,500 per cycle, when we count bed and board, that means it would cost around $14,000 a month, on average, to treat cancer.  This may vary upwards for rarer conditions.  Cancer also results in the loss of more than one income in a family – that of the patient, and or more care givers in the family.

Singapore is a wealthy nation.  This means that the average Singaporean will live long enough to get cancer, and other diseases of developed nations.  Logically, it means that insurance coverage against cancer is very much a necessity.  That is why AIA is introducing new AIA MultiStage Cancer Cover, to provide cheap coverage for cancer in the event of diagnosis.

Quora Answer: Will There be a Chinese Prime Minister of Malaysia?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Will there be a Chinese Prime Minister of Malaysia?”

Some Malaysians would ague that there is no specific prohibition against a non-Malay becoming prime minister of Malaysia.  However, we have to consider Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia:

Reservation of quotas in respect of services, permits, etc., for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak

153. (1) It shall be the responsibility of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

This article was originally a temporary provision, but it has become a bedrock of a Malay-exceptionalist Malaysia.  It is illegal to eve discuss the repeal of it in Parliament.

This is the specific article that will always preclude any head of government who is not a Malay, of the Shafi’i madzhab of Islam.  There will never be a Chinese head of government unless there are changes to the Constitution.  There will not be a Chinese prime minister, even if he was a Muslim, unless he abandons everything of his heritage, and adopts Malay culture and language.  This is the problem with Malaysia.

The AIA Global Dynamic Income Fund

The AIA Global Dynamic Income Fund is a dividend-paying fund, available for selection only via AIA Invest Easy, an investment-linked plan.  The fund is managed by AIA Investment Management, and backed by the expertise of world class asset managers.  The plan provides regular income, and total return over the long-term, through a variety of attractive income-generating asset classes.

The AIA Global Dynamic Income Fund aims to distribute dividends of 4% to 5% per annum on a quarterly basis.  Investors should take note that dividend distributions could change according to prevailing market conditions.  Both capital and dividend distributions are not guaranteed.  Dividend rate does not represent the overall return of the fund, and a high distribution yield does not imply a positive or high return on the total investments.  Dividend rate will be declared in Singapore dollar per unit and the resulting percentage dividend yield per annum.  AIA Singapore will review dividend distribution periodically, and has the sole discretion to determine the dividend rate and frequency of the distribution. 

Investors should also be aware that when dividend distributions are made out of the capital, it may lead to a reduction in investor’s original investment, and may also result in reduced future returns to the investor.  When dividend distributions are declared and paid out with respect to the sub-fund, the net assets of the sub-fund will reduce by an amount equivalent to the distributions declared.  This will be reflected as a reduction in the unit price.

The major attraction of the fund is because AIA Investment Management has partnered with world class asset managers to leverage on their experience and expertise in running specific investment strategies within the AIA Global Dynamic Income Fund.  The chart below shows the strategic asset allocation of each underlying funds, along with a brief description of the underlying fund managers and their strategies.