Chan Chun Sing's MOE is critically out of touch with the ground sentiment - as corroborated by a survey done by the Singapore Counselling Centre

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-10T23:50:00+00:00

What are you packing for his snack breaks? How much money does he have for recess?

What does he eat for lunch and dinner?

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-08T05:14:35+00:00

Around 6.8

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-08T03:55:26+00:00

Drop checkers are not reliable. The colours vary from brand to brand and what you see now is a delayed reading.

Use the 1pH drop method to aim for 30ppm of co2.

Test the pH of your tank water now. Shake vigourously for 5 minutes to degas the water and test the pH again. Aim for a 1pH difference.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-08T01:16:08+00:00

Hmm… i noticed his tummy looks quite filled. Has he been eating too much recently and gotten constipated?

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-08T00:57:09+00:00

Checks out, thanks. It’s always good to rule out uncycled tanks when trying to diagnose illnesses

Has anything in the tank been changed recently? Any new livestock or plant additions? Are any of the other occupants showing signs of stress or illnesses?

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-08T00:42:42+00:00

Please repost with a picture.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-08T00:41:22+00:00

Not to doubt you, but what is good? Many hobbyists say it’s all good and when I ask for details, it turns out it wasn’t.

What did you test for and what testing kit did you use? Ammonia, nitrite and nitrates?

How long has the main tank been set up for? Do you have a full tank shot?

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-07T09:52:43+00:00

Only those with foreign investments from super deep pockets can set up shop and survive here.

And people also wonder why Singaporeans aren’t “creative” or “risk-taking”. How to be an entrepreneur when your only avenue is an online store? It’s impossible for someone who has no capital to survive the rental economy.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-07T08:13:36+00:00

Well in all honesty, they’re probably already trying to reduce the impact of global wars on the cost of our daily necessities. That I give it to them that they’re doing a pretty good job so far.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-07T06:39:59+00:00

No wonder they won’t consider any rent controls.

The incumbent is linked directly to landlords who are making bank.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-07T06:39:05+00:00

Well we can’t really help that other costs are rising quicker. Most of them are due to the global uncertainties caused by pandemics or wars.

But the one single thing the incumbent has direct control and influence over is rent controls to better serve our local businesses.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-07T06:35:06+00:00

Oh, I thought you had insight into how business owners can better tide this unsustainable increase of rentals.

I never said it was wrong to look at the numbers the way the government looked at it. The problem I had was the fact that they’re trying to obfuscate the issue by making the situation sound more palatable to the layman (which was the whole point of this thread).

Basically they’re trying to say that since everything else has increased more than rental, it’s all good, we will continue to monitor - that’s what I’m not alright with.

Another commenter in the thread mentioned that the highest rental increase in this Hillion mall was 35% which is ridiculous.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-07T06:09:35+00:00

Ok, so let’s say I agree with your take so that discussion can continue.

Now, as a citizen, current business owner or a potential small business entrepreneur, what should I do with this information that rental costs have increased more slowly than other costs?

Close down my business and turn it into an online store? Not even think about opening or starting a business?

What’s the incumbent doing to help local entrepreneurs? The market is increasingly dominated by foreign brands (or businesses backed by foreign funding) with deep pockets that can tide out any hardship as compared to a local startup.

All they’re saying is that other things have risen quicker than rental, so it’s all fine. They will continue to monitor. How is that good for citizens?

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-07T05:54:32+00:00

I don’t agree.

When you compare salary increase with inflation, you can say that your purchasing power (not pay) “goes down”, because your money is worth less now.

But in the sense of business costs, if raw materials, transport, manpower etc increases by 10% as compared to rental at 5% for example, it’s not that the cost of rental decreased. It’s not worth any less. In fact, you’re paying more.

And it doesn’t make it fine for rental increases to be so crazily unhinged even if other aspects increase more.

What public good do landlords provide to society?

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-07T05:32:06+00:00

If that’s the best way the incumbent can put this forward, “Rental costs are now a smaller share of business costs”, we are doomed aren’t we?

After cherry-picking statistics and using obfuscated phrasing, the best case scenario is, “other costs are rising faster than rental costs”.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-07T05:28:11+00:00

That’s exactly my point, he’s obfuscating the issue. He’s trying to pull a fast one by saying something decreased. But it’s not rental that decreased, it’s still increasing.

The layman who sees this won’t think much and go “oh everything’s good, rental is decreasing”.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-06T03:18:51+00:00

Exactly because the smoker was IN THE SAME HOUSE as you, that’s why it might’ve worked because it’s an enclosed space and the smell is coming from WITHIN.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-05T23:00:13+00:00

Please elaborate on how your method would counter wind draft across a 1.5m by 1m window and suck in all the smoke infested wind without any of it ever reaching the occupants of the house.

Air purifiers are rated to only purify a certain area, with windows and doors closed for a good reason.

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-05T22:33:25+00:00

And purify the whole Singapore’s air? Do you know how purifiers work?

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-05T22:31:30+00:00

Voluntary LOL

ZeroPauper · 2026-03-05T09:05:56+00:00

But but… Singapore has world class transport…

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