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Took the train from Chengdu East Railway Station to Xian at 0609.

It is a huge train station but surprisingly easy to navigate. I arrived here early but they only opened the gates about 15 minutes before the train left.

I planned this day trip as I wanted to see the Terra Cotta warriors. It’s a 3.5 hour train ride covering 658km.

It left at 0609 sharp. All the announcements were in Chinese and English. Currently traveling at 244km/h.

A few stops on the way but an otherwise comfortable journey. The Chinese have done an amazing job connecting the country with a convenient and comfortable network.

The Xian North station I got off is more like a huge airport. Its an itegrated hub with trains, bus and metro. Massive.

Pity the HSR from KL to Singapore didn’t materialize. It was slated to start operations this year-(.

It’s a smooth exit from Chengdu airport. A new airport with clear instructions for visitors in English everywhere. There were no queues and immigration clearance was fast.

I tried the Alipay app for the first time. It has everything you need in one app. Incredible. You can pay for anything here, even the ride hailing app is in Alipay. Called a car via didi. Brand new 6 seater. Electric of course.

The way to the hotel had well paved roads and smooth traffic. No traffic jams or accidents on the way.

The US says it is trying to slow down the progress of China. Apart perhaps in the fields of high end tech and weaponry, not sure if the US is ahead in anything else anyway. Clean streets, well ordered traffic and generally well behaved people. Not sure this can be said of the US.

Pity that Singapore which has been touting itself as a smart nation and a digital nation has nothing to show anything comparable to what China has in terms of digitalization for the masses. We are just so far behind.

China has announced that Deepseek has now been classified as a National Treasure and the Chinese Government has confiscated the passports of Deepseek’s engineers and their key executives to prevent them travelling.

This apparently is to prevent any leak of information of Deepseek’s engineering processes to the outside world.

I wonder if it’s a bane or boon to be classified as working for a national treasure. Does this ban also apply to the close family members? What if they quit working at Deepseek? Would the ban continue? For how long? Perhaps indefinitely?

Yesterday at lunch I was told that many people in China are under a travel ban. The list includes senior executives at key companies, civil servants and professors at prestigious institutes.

According to him, unlike in the past, top students in China are now prohibited from coming to Singapore to study because the Government is afraid that they would not go back to China after finishing their studies.

I wonder how it feels to become so clever or important or high up in a key organisation that you end up being put under a travel ban.

It’s true that China is huge and there are many things to see and do there but surely there will always be a yearning to want to see the outside world?

I would have thought that for professors, attending conferences and meeting people from other countries and sharing research and experience is critical.

Even for a key engineer surely  sharing ideas and listening to other views can expand one’s horizons I would have thought.

I do wonder how those placed under this ban feel about the  prohibition against any travel outside your country?

Would a Chinese engineer, or a top professor student, who is presently overseas, want to go back to China if you thought there was a remote chance you can never leave China thereafter?

I wonder how other countries would view such a protectionist attitude. It is apparently alright for your people to study, work, learn and take information from elsewhere but if your information is deemed sufficiently important, it is protected by drastic travel bans to prevent any leaks.

Israel conducted a raid in Gaza just now that has killed more than 413 people. This is after a month of relative calm and during their fasting month.

This has happened because Israel is emboldened by Donald Trump and they believe there will be no consequences to whatever they do.

You would have thought that a people who suffered so much during the Second World War would know how it is to be persecuted and be defenseless in the face of military might. They were driven out of their homes, deprived of their properties and forced to live in ghettos. It is shocking that they are now doing the same to another defenceless people.

The sympathy that much of the world had for them as a people and a country will evaporate with this.

Even if the US has now closed both its eyes, Europe and the rest of the world need to step up and say this is not acceptable and try and put a stop to this.

It is sad that the Arabs do not stand up and support the Palestinian people because much of the protest against Israel is from countries outside the Middle East.

The last time the Arab countries in the Middle East stood together against Israel and the US was in 1973 with their oil embargo. It threw the US and the world into a major recession. I don’t think that will happen anymore. They are no longer united, oil is no longer their sole domain and economic interests now prevail against principles.

History sometimes has a way of repeating itself. The next time if what happened during the Second World War happens to them again, the world will once again turn a blind eye.

This morning I had coffee with Joshua. He had messaged me yesterday and suggested that it was time for a chat to catch up with the many things happening in the world.

I got to know Joshua in 2014. I needed to invite a VIP to be the guest of honour for my firm’s event and I was told to liase with Joshua if I wanted this to happen. Until then I didn’t know who Joshua was. We spoke and texted each other for weeks in relation to the invite. The VIP did come for the event and I became friends with Joshua.

At first glance Joshua appears forbidding. After knowing him, he has always been helpful and obliging whenever I have asked him anything.

Over the years he has introduced me to several Indian organisations such as SICCI, Sinda and to many people and community groups. He has been very much involved in community work for a long time. During Covid, he did a lot of work for the migrant workers. I once did a food distribution to migrant workers, who were then locked up in the dorms, in Taman Jurong. He arranged this.

His community and grassroots work spans some 25 years. Some of his contemporaries who started doing the same work have gone on to become MPs or political appointment holders. I have always wondered why he never got picked. He has so much dedication in his work for the community.

He has excellent connections in India and one of my temple visits in India was arranged by him.

There are people in your life you are glad you met. Joshua is one of them.

Our chat this morning was on the electoral boundaries report and who are the likely people either standing up or stepping off this coming elections.

I am pondering this as I sit here in the airport lounge en route to Singapore.

When I was studying in the University in the early 1980s all the Malaysian students I knew wanted to be in Singapore to live and work here. The smaller cities and towns then were backward. Even KL, they said, was too laid back, withno shops, restaurants or decent infrastructure. Anyone wanting to go shopping then would come to Singapore. Singapore was clearly seen as a more desirable place than Malaysia back then.

But now they have all the shops and brands Singapore has and many more. More shopping centers, most of which are bigger than ours and more diverse; a much greater variety of food outlets; good infrastructure; nice hotels; good foreign universities; good private housing; medical centers and a good road network. The buildings and towers in KL are impressive. Things in Malaysia are not just as good as in Singapore but cheaper. Further the service standards are as good as and in many cases even better than Singapore.

And because it’s a huge country, there are so many different options when one is bored with the city life. You can drive up to the highlands like Genting or Cameron to enjoy cooler weather, go jungle trekking or even take a trip to the East Coast to soak in a very different atmosphere.

So what will eventually hold them back?

Some are wary about the underlying racial and religious tensions in Malaysia and the uncertain political situation. People worry about what will happen after Anwar. That is an important consideration. If the PAS or any Muslim party were to form a government in Malaysia, the situation may  change and things may not be how things they are now.

But I do wonder if any new government can afford to shut off the revenue they collect from the present economic activities including tourism, which apart from providing tax revenues is also providing jobs for the people, and go back to the 1970s and 1980s? Would people support this? Where would the people, including Malays, find employment if the shops and restaurants started shutting down and the foreign companies move out?

Even conservative Middle East Muslim countries like Saudi and Qatar which were once a lot stricter in applying Islamic rules in their countries are now embracing greater openness and becoming welcoming of foreigners by hosting world class events. Tourism is encouraged. I was surprised to see alcohol consumed quite openly in Qatar during the 2022 World Cup. The foreigners didn’t need to follow Islamic dress codes and women were not wearing any head scarves. Saudi now has a large investment from China and other parts of the world. Many Chinese are living there undertaking business activities and as a result many Chinese restaurants have opened up.

These countries are realizing that growing the economic pie by promoting foreign investment and finding employment for their people is as important as applying religious codes strictly within their countries.

Can Malaysia conservatives think differently?

I received a WhatsApp group chat message this morning that Ivor had passed on. He was 84.

I knew Ivor when I became a member of the ACS OBA MC in 1992. He had already been in the committee for some time.

He was a medical doctor and his father and grandfather were both illustrious ACS boys. His wife was an ACS teacher.

We were always friendly to each other and chatted whenever we met. Sometimes we spoke over the telephone. I also remember him as a vintage car enthusiast.

I last saw him in January this year. I received a call from a friend who informed me that his wife had called my friend to inform her that Ivor had been scammed of a large sum of money. She asked if I could see them to find out what happened and if anything could be done to help.

So I visited Ivor and his wife at his home. He was in a wheelchair but he was lucid and he struck me as strong physically and mentally. I didn’t think he was having any serious medical issues.

I spent about an hour with them. Unfortunately he had been careless and some scammers had taken advantage of him and he lost a large sum of money from his bank account. He said the family might need to sell their house to cover the loss. His wife was quiet throughout and he did all the talking. I could sense that he was embarrassed with what he had done and didn’t want to talk about it, especially in front of his wife. I gave him some advice but didn’t think much could be done as none of the scammers were in Singapore and the monies had left his bank accounts. Even the police at that stage could not do anything.

I really felt very sorry that he lost all the life savings of the family at this late stage of his life through carelessness. This was also the first time I had come across a first hand case of someone having been scammed and I could see the devastating impact it has on the person who was cheated and on his family.

I was surprised that he deteriorated so fast since that visit and passed away so soon. The shock and depression caused by the loss must have contributed to this to a large extent.

Rest in Peace.

I wanted to see how things function in Malaysia, which is a Malay/Muslim majority country, during their fasting month.

To my pleasant surprise, all the shops in the shopping centers are open. More importantly all the food outlets were open, even those operated by Malay establishments. Malays who are working in F&B establishments were manning their shops in full force with a smile. No sign of fatigue. Of course the number of customers dining in food outlets during this period is much less but they are open to cater to the other locals and tourists. Traffic on the streets look normal and everything seems to be business as usual.

This is in sharp contrast to what I remember happens in the Middle East. I had to be in Dubai during their fasting month sometime in 2007 or 2008. When I checked in, the hotel informed me that the regular restaurants would all be closed during the day time and only open in the night.

They had set aside a small room for the non Muslim guests to dine with a reduced menu, even for breakfast. That room was completely covered in dark curtains so no one from the outside could see that anyone was inside eating.

When I walked into Dubai Mall all the cafes were shut. Apparently eating in the open during the daytime was prohibited even for non Muslims. I was told not to be seen eating when I was walking outside. Very few food outlets were open. Those open had curtains covering all their windows so that no one walking outside could see in. I remember it was quite depressing. For the other shops that were open, the staff numbers were reduced and I  could see a general lethargy all around. Daytime was eerily quiet.

One late afternoon I was in a jewelry shop. The boss, a Middle Eastern gentleman, had just come in. We chatted a bit and he and invited me to dinner at 10 pm. He said that during the fasting month they reverse their cycle. So they sleep in the daytime and wake up in the late afternoon/evening and then stay awake and eat throughout the night and go to bed at dawn.

Of course Dubai must be different now. So many expats of many different races have moved there in recent years. I understand there is a large Chinese community and a thriving tourism sector. Not sure if things during the fasting month are the same still. It would be very depressing if it was. At least it was to me then.

I visited this place for the first time today. It’s a huge complex with a University, a theme park, a massive shopping centre, hotels, a medical center and residential units. Not sure what else is here but this is what I saw while walking around.

The University was brimming with young people of all races. I think a lot of foreign students attend the University here. It’s dotted with many cafes and food joints catering to the students. It was a Saturday and there were no classes. I can only imagine how busy this place must be during the weekdays.

The shopping center is huge. Even after 3 hours I don’t think I walked through the place fully. It had many local food places, a number of which had Michelin stars or recommendations. Also has a large Popular Bookstore and an ice skating rink. I wish we had this mix of shops and food places in Singapore. The main shopping centers in Singapore are boring and the food choices are limited and expensive. I would come here again because of the variety of good, local and reasonably priced food places here.

A vibrancy and energy and youthfulness I don’t see back home anymore….not sure if it will ever return.

Apparently this was the HK Michelin starred dessert place that shut down in HK and then opened here. Not sure if it is still by the same owners but I tried a few items. Tasty and pleasant service.

This was a famous roasted chicken rice place. Good and cheap.

I was surprised to learn that in Sweden, which was once a quiet and successful European country, and of course home to ABBA, there are now bombs going off regularly planted by gangs. About 30 explosive devices went off in a month with the police having foiled an equal number.

The gangs use explosives to extort from businesses, restaurants and hotels. Extortion aside, they are numerous other gangs which are engaged in the drugs trade.

This was shocking. Imagine explosives going off in the middle of the night set off by armed gangs which are also peddling drugs and creating a huge social problem. How did Sweden get to this stage?

Sweden was in the forefront of migration in the early 2000s. Now the number of foreign born living in Sweden stands at about 20% of the total population. Most of them are from the Middle East or Africa and mostly Muslims and poor. Integration of this group with the existing Swedish people has been a serious problem. My own view is that complete integration is an almost impossible task. They are racially and religiously different. How can integration be possible when there is such a vast difference between them as peoples culturally, racially and religiously.

They were allowed in on compassionate grounds, which speaks volumes for the generosity of the native Swedish people. It also made economic sense then as the population growth rates in Sweden and in the rest of Europe were declining and they needed an infusion of younger people to do the work that the Swedish people either didn’t want to or couldn’t do.

But the numbers blossomed uncontrollably and now, these new migrants form a large part of the gangs which are creating serious problems in the country. I can imagine how angry the native Swedish people must feel about this. Talk about biting the hands that have fed you.

Meanwhile in the UK about US$ 5.4 billion is spent annually on asylum seekers. At a time when the country is struggling to keep its NHS afloat and maintain its basic infrastructure which is falling apart, this huge amount of money is spent on people who have come into the country, some illegally, for their housing and food. Many again are from the Middle East, Africa and Afghanistan. Integration again is a problem. It’s just that in the case of the UK, there is already a large Muslim population present.

Resentment is rife in Europe and there is growing anger towards migration and to the people who have come in.

But what can be done? Deport them? Their numbers are huge and a large proportion of them now have visas to stay in Europe. The birth rates are also higher for the migrants and so in about 30 years, they may well constitute the majority in Europe.

In the US, Donald Trump won the election on this issue alone and is taking steps to deport illegal immigrants, with huge support from most Americans.

Is Singapore immune to all this? We have brought in people from other countries. In our case most of them are either wealthier, well educated, younger and/or professionally qualified. So we end up having a different set of problems. We have migrants who can afford to have a better life, own properties or do better jobs than our local people in many cases. They are generally not the ones who cause any law and order problems. They are also net positive contributors to the economy and they come in legally and in numbers that do not affect the existing racial mix. How do you keep our locals happy in this kind of migration?

Not having immigrants may not be an option for us. Our local population is declining, ageing and there is a need to maintain and grow our numbers to keep the economy going and support an ageing society.

But how do we avoid the kind of backlash in Europe and in the US? Better integration? If so how? Even if efforts are made at this, how effective can this be? How do you ensure that migration does not antagonize your local people and avoid the current backlash in Europe and the US.

Perhaps being wary of and opposing people different from us or outside our space is a matter of instinct and hardwired into our brains because of how our  predecessors were. We were a tribal people. We lived, ate and died as part of a tribe. Being part of a tribe was essential to our survival. Belonging to a tribe to the exclusion of others may  well always be a part of our DNA. Excluding others outside the tribe ensured that the limited resources would always be available to the tribe to continue it’s existence. Being territorial and unwilling to accept and share with outsiders may well be inborn in us. Can we overcome our ancient upbringing?