Downward trend for COE

If you are planning to change your aging car or to buy your dream car, hold your horses! This is because more COEs will be available when more cars are disgregistered. This is because cars bought between 2004 and 2008 are reaching end of their 10 year lifespan. This is the period where the most number of COEs were available back then. Trend will continue until 2018. It may dip below $60,000 by next year and $45,000 in the next 3 years. This is according to the transport management expert Park Byung Joon. Well, let's see if he's right.

Singapore is 3rd most sleep deprived city

This is definitely true for me. Recent article from the press says that Singapore is the 3rd most sleep deprived city, just behind Tokyo and Seoul. We sleep on average of 6 hours 32 minutes. What is the main reason? It is probably because of our long working hours, kids, etc. You can only find time after you tug the kids to bed so it eats into your sleeping time. Well, for me i am simply a night owl since young.

UN Human Development Index (HDI)

This is rather amazing. Singapore is the highest ranking in Asia and even on top of Hong Kong, Korea and Japan. The Human Development Report is about 'Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerability and Building Resilience'. In simple english, it is about how each countries have progressed in human-centred development. 

Singapore ($72k) is way ahead of its neighbours like Indonesia (108), Malaysia (62), Philippines (117), Thailand (89), and even China (91). Is this $72k realistic or exagerated? Well, it equals to about $6k or S$7,380 per month. A lot of graduates would have easily reach this income level in their late twenties or early thirties. Just need to look around your friends and colleagues or yourself.

So what is the make up of this ranking? Income is one of the components. Gross National Income (GNI) is only behind Qatar ($119k), Kuwait ($85k), Liechtenstein ($87k) but lagging way behind in other components like life expectancy and schooling. Looking at the progress of Singapore, it is likely this ranking will only go up.

Which insurance company covers act of war and terrorism?

Mirror mirror on the wall, which insurance company covers you during act of war? 

There's an excellent article by the Straits Times covering this and the best appears to be Prudential. They cover not just act of war but also terrorism.

NTUC travel insurances covers terrorism but not act of war and any travel against MFA travel advisory. This is not too good as you will have to check before you travel for MFA travel advisory which is troublesome. If you need to go there for work sometimes, you will be going at your own risk. Their life policies does cover terrorism but not act of war.

Great Eastern also covers terrorism but not act of war. However, it is limited to SGD100,000 per person plus a list of terror exclusion. Looks like one's rotten luck is not punished by terrorism but also by the insurance company as well.

AIA travel insurance is the worst as it doesn't cover either act of war or terrorism. Their life policies does cover act of war and terrorism.

ACE travel insurance covers terrorism but not act of war.

Well, still not too late to know for anyone folks considering picking up a life policy. It is really important to know as it is often not our choice how we die and we would want our dependents and loved ones to be covered should the unfortunate happens. With such exclusion, then it is meaningless to be covered by those insurance companies.

Levy on Singapore-registered cars

Another case of the malaysian authorities not thinking hard on the implication before acting. This could be another case of flip flop policy. Now they plan to impose a levy on Singapore-registered car not (at not more than RM50/SGD20). Well, this totally contradict their master plan to have Iskandar succeed.

1. Live in Johor and work in Singapore. I have always think that this idea is not feasible due to the inconvenience of the immigration queue. This will make it worst. That means, it will cost an additional SGD20 now per day or SGD400 per month. One can buy a bigger car in Singapore with this extra.

2. Shoppers in Johor. Imagine the impact for Singaporean shoppers if they need to folk out additional SGD20 per visit? Might erode much of their savings for shopping in Johor and cheap petrol. There are a lot of Singapore crossing the causeway daily for that purpose and especially for weekends. There are about 60,000 cars on a typical day this could be the main driver for the authorities to change their mind soon. 

3. Lower cost of Iskandar. The whole idea of having different sectors like manufacturing in Iskandar is also to get the spillover effects from Singapore based companies wanting lower cost in Malaysia. Well, now it worsen their cost advantage.

Most of the Malaysian registered vehicles entering Singapore are as a result of the heavy import of goods from Malaysia such as poultry, vegetables, fruits, etc. The flow of money goes to Malaysia. As for those Singapore registered vehicles entering Malaysia, it is for shopping. The flow of money goes to Malaysia again. This increase won't do them any favour. Sometimes, need to understand who needs who more in any relationship before making any decision or will result in a lose-lose for oneself.

Sigh, such kiddie tit-for-tat behaviour is just the worry for me when it comes to property in Malaysia. The causeway may look like this in future :)

Copying has no limits for the Chinese

Looks like the Chinese has no limits when it comes to copying. Saw this in Beijing financial street and first look it appears to be TGIF Fridays until you do a second take.

This is the real thing.

Well, on the bright side, copying is the greatest form of flattery :)

More Convention Centers in Iskandar

Another thing looking up for Iskandar is the MICE sector. International convention should be a potential for Iskandar. Many companies in Singapore or Malaysia would like to have new venues for their company functions or internal meetings. Iskandar would be rather ideal. A short distant from Singapore and yet something new. 6,600 rooms will be available by 2015 but 5,000 more is needed. A short drive around Iskandar and you will find that there is a shortage of 4-5 star hotels and that includes Johor Bahru City.