Friday, March 30, 2018

Historian Thum Ping Tjin, Shanmugam cross swords on Singapore's communism-related past
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/historian-thum-ping-tjin-shanmugam-cross-swords-on-singapore-s-10087906

 (Updated: )

Ricky Lim · 

Social media is a double-edge sword.
Social media if used correctly can be used to shape National events and even World events.

(1) If used by bad guys, social media can cause havoc to a Country - 搞到天下大乱。
(2) If used by good guys, social media can be used to 普渡众生 - 造福人群。
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Ricky Lim · 
Posted on:- Thu, Apr 17, 2014 9:25 PM SGT

ricky l • a second agoRemove

Military might should best use for deterence and prevent the outbreak of war - and achieve the military objectives where there is no need to fire a shot - like playing a chess - checkmate - and no room to move, but to accept a non-aggression cause and a deal that are acceptable to all.

That is a True Hero.

ricky l • a second agoRemove

And the Military Might that achieve Military Objectives - without firing - is the HIghest Military Strategist, the True Hero.

ricky l • a second agoRemove
With words and deeds - without firing a shot - just the Military Might - is the Highest Military Strategist.
How can this be a coward? See More
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Posted on :- March 3, 2017

ricky l 5 seconds ago
There are 2 aspects of cyber warriors that perform the role of cyber defense :-
(1) Protection of our IT infrastructure
(2) Psychological and ideological warfare - propagated through the cyber space.
ricky l
Reply 00
ricky l 15 seconds ago
The latest US election - demonstrate that social media are used in cyber space to influence the election result by foreign intelligence.

This is one aspect of cyber attack - that fringe on psychological and ideological warfare - that cross border and impact domestic views and change election result.

ricky l00
ricky l 8 seconds ago
Sophisticated software are used to do profiling, web crawl to do meta data search, data analytic are performed and ideologies, fake news, propaganda, scandalised news etc are spread to targeted audience - via the cyber space - to influence the election result.

This is a new dimension of cyber attack that brought down the US and change the election result ---- just like how USSR was disintegrated (not through cyber spaces - but through traditional propaganda).

ricky l00
ricky l 16 seconds ago
What US did to USSR in 1991 that disintegrate USSR and led to the fall of Communism - through traditional propaganda.

Is what Russia did to US in 2016 in US election - that give rise to Trump syndrome and impact on Capitalism - through social media cyber space.

"What come around, goes around".

Thus cyber defense - also need to encompass psychological and ideological warfare defense.
See less
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Ricky Lim · Singapore
Now experts verify the power of psychological defense use via social media after having using it for 30 years.
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Thursday, March 29, 2018

Japan must avoid bilateral trade talks with US - Aso

Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Thursday the country must "definitely avoid" bilateral trade negotiations with the United States.
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-must-avoid-bilateral-trade-talks-with-us---aso-10086120
29 Mar 2018 11:25AM
Ricky Lim · 
Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso said on Thursday the country must "definitely avoid" bilateral trade negotiations with the United States.
"When two countries negotiate, the stronger country gets stronger. That's unnecessary (for Japan) so we've been saying all along that we would definitely avoid" bilateral trade talks with the United States, Aso told parliament.
--
Japanese is very wise to realise this.

There is no point talking to Trump and Trump's camp - who is adopting a bullying top down approach.

It is wise to avoid them rather than engage them in trade talk.

Even if Trump suggest re-joining TPP - the TPP-11 should drag it out until Trump leave the Administration - to engage with a more reasonable President.

Trump is not the right person to talk about trade or business - because he don't understand mutual benefits and win-win outcome.

Trump just want to win everything - and there is no way any Countries want to engage such a person with such attitude.
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Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Trump says 'good chance' Kim will give up nukes
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/trump-says--good-chance--kim-will-give-up-nukes-10084524

28 Mar 2018 08:38PM
Ricky Lim · 
Just hope that Trump and Trump's camp will not mess it up.
This is once in a lifetime opportunity.
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Japan PM Abe likely to meet President Trump on Apr 18: Source
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/japan-pm-abe-likely-to-meet-president-trump-on-apr-18-source-10082168

 (Updated: )

Ricky Lim · 
Abe will also likely ask Trump to exempt Japan from his steel and aluminum tariffs, said the official, who has been briefed on the matter and asked not to be identified.
Abe, speaking at a parliamentary committee, said Japanese steel products were helping to make US auto makers more competitive and cheaper for American consumers.
--

This is something that Trump and Trump supporters fail to understand about trade mechanism.
It will boomerang back to US and Trump if Trump insist on imposing tariff and start trade war.
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Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Fewer train delays in 2017 despite major incidents that 'shook public confidence': SMRT


image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Desmond Kuek and Seah Moon Ming at SMRT 2017 review
SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming (L) and CEO & president Desmond Kuek (R) give reporters an update on its 2017 performance and outlook for 2018. (Photo: Fann Sim)

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/smrt-fewer-train-delays-in-2017-despite-major-incidents-10082722



William Leong
This chap is still in the job?!?!
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Ricky Lim · 
This has stabilise the MRT :-

Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Posted on :-
16 Nov 2017 07:52AM (Updated: 16 Nov 2017 12:47PM)

Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Few neasures here may help to mitigate and minimise MRT disruptions and safety :-
(1) Failsafe, failsoft mechanism - eg, if signaling software fail, hardware eg. IoT take over - if not human backup must be able to manual override and take over if signaling software fail.
(2) Redundant lines - to be able to shut down the whole line for maintenance, repair and fail over to redundant line eg, the up and coming redundant thomson line from Changi, Ang Mo Kio to Jurong (NUS, NTU, SP, NP, UniSim, One-North, Science Park) ---- will alleviate and provide redundant to the Green line (East-West line) and Red line (Ang Mo Kio line to Jurong East).
(3) Improve work culture and morale of staff - demoralise staff will not put in extra effort to make the system work or improve the system.
(4) Parallel bus system (that run along the MRT station) - able to beef up during MRT disruption
(5) Proactive, predictive, reactive maintenance - to upgrade and improve the parts that are 20 to 30 years old.
(6) Realtime information dispensement to inform public - that eg. "A" line is unavailable for servicing and move over to "B" line. (This is the same as London tube - where one line is taken down for servicing, a parallel line is activated to serve public. And if both lines are down, bus system that ply the MRT stations are activated). --- 3 redundant public transport system in place. If to be more kiasu, activate PMD, hire-bicycle also put in place - for those who are adventurous to rely on during disruptions.
Make this a standard modus operandi that public will take it as natural course.
---- All mechanical things, or software, or hardware, or system --- will fail some point in time - and need maintenance, servicing, repair.
----- The key is there will be a failsafe alternative, failsoft mechanism to mitigate, redundant system to seamlessly or close to seamless take over of main line if fail.
eg. car will fail on the road and need maintenance.
air con will fail and need maintenance.
computer system will fail, and need redundant system to take over.
etc etc.
Make public understand this.
人法地, 地法天, 天法道,道法自然。
万法唯心起。
This is the Universal Law of Impermanence.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Since the parallel MRT thomson line that run parallel to East-West Line and North South line are still work in progress and not available now -----
"May have to consider using Bus services to run to all MRT stations ---- for eg. service provided during peak hours --- eg. go office hours and after office hours --- to backup MRT lines).

If MRT lines disrupted --- parallel bus service can be beef up =------ until the new parallel MRT line is available."
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
To save cost, this parallel bus service vthat run along the MRT stations will not run during off-peak hours.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Best still come up with a transit guide, information display system etc- to illustrate the redundant systems :- eg.
(1) Line A - normal (or disrupted - go to Line B, C and D eg.)
(2) Line B - normal (or disrupted)
(3) Bus service C - normal (or disrupted)
(4) hire PMD, Hire bike D - normal (or disrupted)
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Ricky Lim · 

05 Dec 2017 05:33PM (Updated: 05 Dec 2017 06:17PM)

Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Seah Moon Ming is an effective top management.
He is both task-oriented and human-oriented - and particularly good in managing and handling engineer.

In a short-span of few years when he head ST Electronics, he help the company to achieve billion $ company.
And he turn around ST Kinetics and ST Marine - when they are not doing well.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
He subsequently rise to become the Deputy President of ST Engineering.
Together with top management in ST Engineering, there are few hundred companies formed globally - and has become multi-billion dollars conglomerate.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Notably, he has helped to setup and build the 1st satellite company for Singapore.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
ST Engineering has become a respectable defense contractor for Singapore.

Among many local build engineering products are the :-
(1) Reowned local build warhog - that is praise and own by the British army.
(2) Locally build Bionix, self-propelled howitzer
(3) Locally build SAR-21 rifle
(4) Locally build ACMS (Advanced Combat Manned System)
(5) Locally build stealth frigate
and many others....
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
In fact, ST Electronics has locally build some MRT system - that are used by Taiwan Metro MRT.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
ST Engineering has the largest number of engineers in Singapore.

Give him sometimes, he will help to build a core of respectable engineers in SMRT.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Ah forget to mention that our reowned Terrex is also build by ST Engineering - specifically ST Kinetics.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
US Marine Corps bought the Terrex.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Putting such a man to be Chairman of SMRT, you think SMRT cannot revamp?
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Ricky Lim · Singapore
Seah Moon Ming leave ST Engineering in 2013 as he was called up to look into clean energy LNG to reinforce our Energy Hub due to a slump in oil price and need to look at clean energy.

In a short span of 4 years, he has build up a respectable supply chain and value chain of suppliers and customers - globally and regionally in Pavilion Energy that reinforce our position as energy hub.

Seah Moon Ming is a rare business and management talent.
However he cannot work alone and he is good at building a strong management team and a good core of engineers to help him succeed.
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Ricky Lim · 

Posted on :-
25 Jan 2018 04:28PM (Updated: 25 Jan 2018 08:37PM)

Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
For the last month plus, it seems like there are no major MRT hiccups and is stabilising - it seems that the maintenance is bearing fruits.

Personnel changes should not be made - as it seems like things are going on the right track.

It took a long while to come this far - and this right momentum should continue.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
It span 3 Ministers to come this far - and seems likely finally the "sun" is emerging from darkness.

Anyone who handle this - going through the arduous task of stabilising it - will be "KIA". It take alot of courage and men of steel to undertake this "kamikaze mission".

Thus when now things are getting right and stabilising --- should not disrupt this momentum.
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Ricky Lim · Singapore
Never change a General - when the tide of battles turn into our favor.
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Ricky Lim · 
Right strategy, Right people, Right processes ....... everything will work.
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Fewer train delays in 2017 despite major incidents that 'shook public confidence': SMRT

image: data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==
Desmond Kuek and Seah Moon Ming at SMRT 2017 review
SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming (L) and CEO & president Desmond Kuek (R) give reporters an update on its 2017 performance and outlook for 2018. (Photo: Fann Sim)
SINGAPORE: SMRT trains travelled further with fewer delays in 2017 compared to the year before, said SMRT at a press conference on Wednesday (Mar 28). 
For the North-South Line (NSL), mean-kilometre between failure (MKBF), which measures delays of more than five minutes, has doubled from 156,000km in December 2016 to 336,000km in December 2017. 
In the same period, the MKBF for the East-West Line (EWL) increased from 145,000km to 278,000km, while the Circle Line’s (CCL) MKBF increased from 228,000km to 523,000km. 
For the first two months of this year, SMRT said that the MKBF for NSL and CCL has already exceeded next year’s target of 600,000km and credits this to the completion of sleeper and third rail replacement as well as the stabilisation of the new Communications-based Train Control (CBTC) signalling system. 
The EWL is expected to catch up after it settles into the new signalling system, which will be fast-tracked to be implemented by June instead of end-2018, said SMRT. 
“The reliability statistics show steady improvement especially in the last two to three years. But we acknowledge that they do not seem to square with commuters’ experience on the North-South and East-West Lines last year,” said Mr Desmond Kuek, president and Group CEO of SMRT. 
“This is because of project-related disruptions faced between May to October in the implementation of the new CBTC signalling system. This data is not captured in the MKBF numbers because MKBF data is used for comparing the intrinsic reliability of the network from year to year, without the temporal and possibly distortive effect of short-term projects,” Mr Kuek added. 
SMRT said that a majority of faults caused by the new CBTC were caused by a loss of train-to-trackside signal. When this happens, emergency brakes immediately kick in as a safety precaution. The affected train has to be reset causing an initial delay. 
More software patches and hardware changes will continue to be made in the coming months, before SMRT moves entirely onto the new CBTC system at the end of May 2018.
GETTING TO ZERO TRAIN INCIDENTS 
Mr Kuek said that the organisation is “gunning for zero safety breaches and zero delays of more than 30 minutes” but did not indicate a timeline as to when SMRT will realise this target.
However, SMRT has set the target of achieving 1 million in MKBF by 2020. Calling this a "bold" target, Mr Kuek said this works out to an average of less than one delay lasting more than five minutes each month, based on the estimation that trains on the NSL travel about 900,000km a month.
Two incidents in 2017, Mr Kuek said, shook public confidence in train safety and reliability - flooding in the Bishan-Braddell tunnel and a collision at Joo Koon MRT station.
“Both incidents were most regrettable, and gave us cause to pause, reflect on shortcomings and resolve to do better to address underlying discipline and process issues that led to the breaches,” he said.
Last year, there were nine incidents that lasted more than 30 mins, excluding CBTC-related delays. This is three fewer than in 2016, SMRT said. 
“Our goal is to reduce any delay to less than five minutes and in the worst, ensure that it does not last longer than 30 minutes. It is these major incidents, lasting longer than 30 minutes that we must strenuously avoid,” Mr Kuek said.
Mr Kuek also said that SMRT will continue to disclose "salient developments" in the company despite being privatised in November 2016. Its group review of 2017, released online this week, showed a 68 per cent plunge in earnings
Source: CNA/hm(hm)

Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/smrt-fewer-train-delays-in-2017-despite-major-incidents-10082722
North Korean leader Kim and Chinese President Xi held talks: Xinhua
Read more at https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/north-korean-leader-kim-and-chinese-president-xi-held-talks-10081872

 (Updated: )

Ricky Lim · 

Channel 8 1pm news on 28 Mar 2018 announce that President Xi mention North Korean leader Kim is sincere in denuke as long as both S Korea and US express sincere efforts to make the denuke possible.

I think for the 1st time Permanent Peace can be achieved in Korean Peninsula if there are sincerity on all sides to make this possible.

Only if Trump camps must not throw a wild card to dismantle all this.

Both S Korea and China must ensure thise will not happen.
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Ricky Lim · 

15 years effort in social media to see this happen ---- and hopefully it will be a happy ending - and live happily ever after ....... like a fairy tale ends.....
If this happen, 普渡众生 成功。

地藏王菩萨 居功不少。
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Ricky Lim · 

Why 地藏王菩萨?

The Korean war has bring untold sufferings of hundred thousands and millions of war death - to the N Korean, S Korean, China, US, UN soldiers .....

By eliciting the Bodhi Vows of 地藏王菩萨 -
地狱不空,誓不成佛。
众生度尽,方证菩提。

It will have create positive karma from all the war death to heal this wounds - and bring about the Permanent Peace for Korean Peninsula.
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Ricky Lim · 
Posted in :-
17 Jan 2018 05:13AM (Updated: 17 Jan 2018 05:13AM)

Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Think that international community must be able to give strong assurance to N Korea that its security will not be compromised - in exchange for denuclearisation talk.

Flip flop of signed International Agreement is not a good sign of such assurance.

Integrity of International Agreement is the important assurance - before N Korea will be confident to come out forward boldly for denuclearisation talk.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Next is important for S Korea and N Korea talk to bear fruits - as more talks, more trust, more confident will be built.

In so doing, security assurance that war will not break out in Korean Peninsula can slowly formed and more integration of both S Korea and N Korea can be made ---- to build "insurance", to build more "joint stakes" by both sides.

With more such efforts, when trust is build up when "security assurance" is almost a certainty - hopefully there is a possibility of denuclearisation talk.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Thinking aloud, any hermit State, being isolated for many decades, it will not be easy for it to come out and trust the World.

Thinking aloud and remembering during 1978, when the then Mr LKY went to China and talk to the then Mr Deng Xiao Ping - a private conversation takes place.

It goes like this :-
(1) If a generation make up of peasants and labourers can build a modern society, why not a big Countries with so much resources and scholars remains behind.

This cause a big hermit isolated State to come out, trust the World and become a successful Country.

The same thing should go for N Korea.
It can be done.
What N Korea needs - is someone he trust to come out.

There are 3 N Korea can trust - S Korea (your blood brother), China and Russia - and this should be a good security assurance to come out and be confident to face the World - not with "nuclear" - but confident that your Economy can do a facelift and uplift.

International Community should provide security assurance to N Korea - that it will not invade N Korea nor force a regime change.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
If China can do it.
If Vietnam can do it.
If Cambodia can do it.

If Myanmar can do it.

Cannot see why N Korea cannot do it.
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
N Korea can be assured that if N Korea do well in uplifting its Economy and prosper, US big boy will not bother you - because you are not taking away its rice bowl.

But if N Korea continue to lock horn with US using nuclear -- it can be very sure that US will not let N Korea go - and may act (which actually is an avoidable war).
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Ricky Lim ·
Singapore
Also Vietnam (US ex-foe),
Cambodia (US ex-foe),
Myanmar (formerly sanction by US) ---- all don't have nuclear.

US did not bother them - and allow them to do well and prosper with Economy uplifting.

Why US pick on N Korea? Because N Korea want to use nuclear to threaten it --- that is why US is adamant not to let go of N Korea unless N Korea held denuclearised talk.

Thus it will be safer for N Korea - to finally expressing willingness to denuclearise in exchange for security assurance + economic development.

N Korea can do well economically, prosper and thrive --- like China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar --- if N Korea is brave enough to come out, face the World bravely in search for peace.
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Posted by Babe at 1:01 AM No co
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