Bus Captain's Grivences - Smoke and Smoker

By now, I can assume myself as a down-stream Smoker.

Almost 85% of the Bus Captain cohort (Male and Female, local or Foreign) is a smoker. Such is the environment that I am exposed to daily. During each bus service trip interval; I very often will bounce into a small group of BC smoking their heart out; their action can be equated to a successful sortie that have just defeated the charging enemy.

My observation is that, for those BC on short feeder service type; with some 12 round trips per shift; those BC will smoke at least 12 stick per shift work. I guess they will smoke the whole bag of cigarette by the end of the day (i.e 20 sticks). For those on long haul bus service type, for example service 858 (about 180mins per trip); will usually, give themselve 2-3 shots to get mentally high, before cranking the bus engine.

Since I am just a junior colleague to them; attempt to talk sense to those 20years of hardcore BC smoker; on the impact of health issue, is like talking straight to the earless wall. I can fully understand their addiction to nicotine. This drug helps them to be “mentally alert” for the next sortie, so to speak. Without it, potential accident or passenger mishap will probably happen.

I still remember, how management was trying to put up warning poster to remind them not to smoke around the time-keeper’s office, along the aisle of the parking bay and toilet; once, I overhead a remarks, from one of the smoker by saying, “you can put up yours, I will continue to smoke mine”!!

At time I am deemed anti-social by my fellow colleagues; as I will hide and lock myself up inside the bus just to avoid all those sinking downstream harmful smoke.

If I truly, wish to have a discussion or conversation with those smokers, I have no choice but to bear with it.

I hope that I will not suffer any disease related to down-stream smoke (i.e. lung cancer), and will not get hooked onto nicotine and becomes a smoker myself one day. If so, this is the most unfortunate event or thing that could happen to me by choosing this new career.

When I was growing up, the family has to put up a struggle with my father; a smoker. It is my mother that provides all those defensive power and safety net to us all. To protect us from the harm of the downstream smoke, breathe out by my father; very often, she will raise her voice and ask my father to get his butt out of the house to smoke. Fortunately, my Family does have good blessing; the ending is pretty good; somehow, my father automatically stopped smoking at the age of 55.

I sincerely do not want to end my working adult life in this manner of been a smoker myself. Hell No.

Wish list for my elected MP

I have 3 wishes for my MP.

1^st,

I hope, having being elected into the highest office of this land, called Singapura; by the Citizen; my MP will be a Full-Timer to serve us.

In this way, he or she will be truly focused on the well-being of the residents that he/she represents. On daily basis, he can truly walk the talk of promoting true “gotong-royong” spirit within the community.

2^nd,

I hope my MP will conduct the MPS or Meet-the-people-session more often throughout the work week (i.e. Monday to Friday). Currently majority of the elected MPs are conducting only 1 evening per week on a fixed day of the week.

True bonding and interaction with residents is very limited. Moreover, residents, whom are not working on normal office hours, and on rotating off-day type; usually find it very troublesome to visit the MP during this limited meeting opening window time.

For example, a public transport Bus Captain, whom works on afternoon shift; on daily, his work starts from around 2pm till after midnight; will find it almost not possible to visit his/her MP.

As an alternative, I believe, MPS can also be conducted at other time slot during the 1^st half of the day.

3^rd,

I hope my MP can conduct the MPS activities from the office of the zone RC’s (Residents’ Committee). This is will ensure easier outreach and engagement with residents. Normally, in a particular constituency, that he/she representing; there will be easily have some 3 to 5 RC Zones that, the MP (regardless his political affiliation) to use this RC’s office for the MPS.

Most RC is situated around ~400M radius from the residents’ flat.

Since RC is built by the Rakyat’s tax money, I hope the People’s Association can review this restriction of allowing all MPs to use such facility.

Currently, majority of the MP will conduct their MPS from their Party’s Branch office which at time, can be some 3KM away from where the residents are staying; or in Opposition held Ward, the MPS is been conducted in a make shift void deck area.

In my view, this is not dignify and certainly lack of due respect for all Singaporean, and to the Rightly Honourable MP, if I may say so.

Bus Captain's Grivences - Eat Well & Meal Time

(article From the Strait Times)

                                                                                                                            

The way we maintain our bodies, is our statement about the way we live our lives.

 “Bus captains face specific challenges from the long hours they put in up to 10 hours a day, six days a week – which lead to fatigue, poor hydration and backaches”…said Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower Dr. Amy Khor

Also in the same report…”Bus drivers are getting free health checks and tips on how to eat right…”

Meal time is considered not working hour and it is deducted from the overall hours of Sign-on and Sign-off. Meal time is also not included in any OT computation.  Meal time is a mere average of 22mins per day; it is actually been paid by the Company as allowance. On the average, I will get around S$100/- per month for meal allowance (xie xie gong xi).

If you would to read the entire inserted news reported inserted here in this blog. As a 3^rd party person, you the reader, will certainly do not know that, my average meal time is (Guess??)

22mins. 

In fact, I service about 9 hours per shift with a mere total of 42mins of combined rest and meal time.   Good deal?

Tips on how to eat right, as reported above, to me is an “end” thing; and it is not “the process” thing that is more critical to my overall health wellbeing.

No matter how, nourishing and well-balanced is the food to be eaten; I actually do not have the optimum  eating  condition to process, to extract, those, essence from what been recommended to eat lah.

Many a time, I will just sallow my food. In the process of swallowing the food; I took in a lot of air. After the meal, I felt very lousy with a bloated tummy. Sooner, I have to out-gas frequently while driving.(sorry lah).

(Well i hope Singaporean serving their two years National Service, will be at least delighted they have a proper standard meal time that is regularly and strictly enforce)

Because of the lack of chewing process for the food in the mouth (lack of surface area over volume ratio); the digestion process in my stomach is laborious and is slowed down; I will be pretty sleepy to drive for long distant; so prior to my next trip; I will go to the coin vending machine to get a cup of coffee for me to take along with me inside the bus. During red-traffic-light stoppage time, I will quickly take a sip or two.

Lastly, I am sincerely grateful to Minister of State Dr. Amy Khor for her deep understanding on our plight as Bus Captain and I hope, she and her fellow MP Ang Wei Neng (VP, SBS Transit); can help us to speak up on this reasonable minimum meal time to be mandated for all Bus Captains soon.

Thank You.

Dear Prime Minister Lee

 As been reported....in the local newspaper

" In the middle of the GE2015 hustings; PM Lee, lamented (in my words), that “Why the electorate think that his Party is out to do “evil” thing to the Citizens”.

Please do not be disheartened. 

It is absolutely no such thing and it is on the contrary.  

However,

I always believe that there are always three views to reflect on for any issue; your view, my view and the correct view.

However, in my view, many things or policies are still half-full in the most positive sense of the paradox "is my cup, half-full or half-empty". It certainly can be done “Better, Best and Besterness” (here, I have paraphrase an idea from Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say).

These are what I believe, it can be done “Better”; and most importantly, I am not advocating “Welfarism”. I believe, like Bapa Singapura, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and the PG folks; this current generation of country folks, also has similar “Gu-Chi” or “backbone” or “tulang belakang” to strive for a better Singapura.

·         I embrace the ethos of our PM Lee’s on, “inclusive society”. However, I hope more “real engagement” can also be catered to those whose working hours, is “beyond” the standard normal office working hours. For example, to name one, the working hours for those in the public transport industry, is indeed beyond normal; and to a certain extend it can be considered to be, “excluded” from the main normal society function at large. As such, when there is a need to attend MPS, there is limited opening window hour for those resident Bus Captains to see and seek their MP for assistant or help. Perhaps MPS should be more frequent with other window opening hours within a week. May be one in the AM and one in PM. This is what I meant, it can be done Better.

        Family Bonding, the slew of HDB’s grant to encourage Parent-Children staying “closer” is a good and welcomed one. Yesterday (5/9/2015), was my off-day; together with my two NS-man sons; I visited my old aged parents of 80 and 76; and have lunch with them in Bukit Batok. Half way, eating our lunch, Election Candidate, Mr. David Ong KH, drop by to exchange greetings and well-wishes. Immediately, I told him, since, I already drove from Woodlands to visit my parents, would it be possible that MSF or other agency consider to waiver the 1^st 2 hours of the Parking Chargers. My view is that, I have no desire to move to Bukit Batok to secure the potential housing grant; but how about the Government helps to defray my $2 parking charges as a token of promoting Family bonding. This is what I meant, it can be done Better.

      In the same PAP press conference held on 5/9/2015; the reply by Election Candidate Mr. Desmond Lee on the role of an elected MP. According to him, fixing municipal issues and be the voice of the residents in the Parliament are the roles. I believe there is one more critical role; that is, to promote the spirit of “gotong-royong” or community spirit through solving neighbourhood issues. Having served as RC Secretary from 2000-2004; I came to the conclusion that an elected MP also needs to allocate some time; to go all the way to the resident home or door step to understanding their neighbourhood issue.  

o  I still remember two very unique neighborhood dissatisfactions:  Having received an official letter from my MP; together with the branch Vice-Chairman, we visited the family been complaint about noise by their neighbors. O my goodness, how would you expected not to have noise; when there are some 20 young children from 4 wives staying under one room!. At time of our visit, the “father”, a school bus driver, was in jail for “screwing” his under aged daughter also!. (sad, eh). 

o   The other incident is also, about continuous knocking and banging noise on the neighbor wall in the middle of the night. This family concern, do not have electricity supplied, because the PUB billed has not been paid for many months. From the corridor, I could see, indeed, the wall have a concave (about 1 foot in diameter) intrusion and the next door neighbor’s complaint is valid.

Eventually, I resigned from this RC Secretary role; while still working in Flextronics Design Asia as Principal Engineer, when a colleague of mine labelled me as “running dog for PAP”. Isn’t if would be better for an elected MP also have time to get involved in this way with the residents instead of through RC channel; this is what I meant, it can be done Better.

·         CPF Withdrawal Issue – Sir, now at the age of 53, by Singapore financial yard-stick, I am a little-man with a million dollars account; however, I did not “feel-wealthy” at all, because I am asset rich (locked away cash), but cash poor. So while waiting for 2 more years to go, today, I’m still gainfully employed as a public transport Bus Captain.  Those with little dust on their eyes, I believe; the current 3-tier minimum sum scheme is an excellent tool. Since we are the bearer of our own Karma; I wish to implore the next ruling Government to consider the 4^th Option; in allowing the Citizen to withdrawal, regardless how much they want at 55 and beyond; with the mandated conditions of participating a 3-session of counselling with MSF or similar agency. He or She will have to come for 3 counselling session with a minimum of 2 witnesses of which one is a immediate family member.  Since the person is already 55 years or more; I guess, if he or she would to squander it (all his CPF monies), in one-hand in the Casino, it also his own Karma, right? Equanimity is also a hallmark of a benevolent Government, right? This is what I meant, it can be done Better.

Thank You, Sir.

With Respect,

Wong Kam Wah, AAE

GE 2015, my open letter to Election MP Candidates

Dear Sir and Madam,

My name is Wong Kam Wah, a Singaporean, age 53; an Engineer by education and profession for the past 28 years, and now a public transport Bus Captain.

I am actually disappointed by the usual rhetoric reply by MPs; saying that, for the past 10 years, we have no other choice except to import some 1,000,000 FW into this country; to do those blue collared jobs, which the locals are shunning.

Accordingly, since the locals, do not want “to do this kind blue collar job”, when been “pressured” by the respective company; the MOM has no other choice; but to issue more work permits for foreigner to work here.

Usually, there is no further explanation by MPs on “the why”; nor produced reports or minutes that the respective officials have done their due diligence on the actual root causes for this shunning?

Have the so called tripartite organization – of Government, NTUC and Employer really, really sit down on the same table to debate this issue frankly, candidly and openly; on why majority of the blue collar jobs; whereby the locals are no longer forming the “core” of the said type of workforce. (An idea borrowed from Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say).

Or perhaps, we Singaporean have to accept the hard truth that; is it what other Opposition Party’s claiming it as “profit at all cost”, with more FW the better!

Have the tripartite, spent sufficient time to look into the respective job content design and its operational structured requirement; that the locals are indeed shunning it.

Can the job content be redesigned, to entice more locals to come onboard with pride and dignity?

Can the operational structured or charter of the job be tweaked, so that it will be less mentally and physically stressful and demanding; and also its risk exposure can also be mitigated?

Sir/Madam, I can now give you a real case on hand, on why, I dare said, I am disappointed with the continued influx of FW into our country and the said tripartite is apparently not doing much about it for one particular blue collared job that I am been involved in.

Currently, for the Public Transport Bus Captain profession; Local is no longer forming the core workforce for this industry. Even though the job entry requirement is not high; but the take up rate by Local as Bus Captain (BC) is extreme low.

Do you know Why?

From the interviews that I have conducted recently with many BC in Woodlands Regional Interchange; the result computed, and in my own view;  at this moment, Singaporean, constituted no more than 20% of the approximate 12,000 strong Public Bus Captain workforce here, driving some 4,800 buses daily.

The current ratio is 5:1. 

There are 5 foreign bus captains to 1 local bus captain.  (to me, this is a very shocking data!)

The foreign bus captains are mainly either comes from Malaysia or Chinese PRC on a two year work permit. When we further discount off those senior Local BC (60yrs and above, with retirement age pending), the core ratio will drop further to 6:1.

Sir, I think, we have reached a point of no return for the locals to be able to form the core for this profession, and that the state of affair is not looking good either. 

I am saddened by this report;

I hereby wish to re-quote: NTUC’s Transport and Logistics Cluster published a short article with the following plan of action;

((The Transport and Logistics Cluster plans to equip more locals with driving skills and safe driving abilities, and enable them to embark on jobs such as Bus Captains in the Public Transport industry. This will help meet the growing demand for Bus Captains in the next two to three years. “Source: NTUC This Week”, 11 Jan 2015.))

In my view, NTUC has missed the real picture by a wide margin. Colloquially, to me is like “barking at the wrong Tree”.

It is not the lack of driving skill and safety practices, which the locals are not coming onboard to re-form the “core” for this profession; it is the “soft” and “heart” aspect of this job design and content that are the main hindrances.

The EVA contributed by Bus Captain is beyond value; but it is a struggle to be a Bus Captain (BC), life can be very humbling. 

Daily life, is a hard-life, extremely demanding by passenger, time schedule regimented environment, no default off-day for public holidays, meal break time is on average 22mins and immediately after that, and have to drive for some 178mins before you can you have rest; and many a time, personal life is been excluded from the main stream normal society activities because of their beyond normal working hours.

Furthermore, Bus driving is a high risk environmental job. Bus Captains need to stay calm and cool, and to give 100% of their attention to the road.

I believe, beside public transport industry, there are other similar service industry professions too facing this similar issue above.

Lastly, I hope the Tripartite, can act fast to reverse this unfortunate trend that Singapore is now facing. 

One possible suggestion is that, what if, to mitigate or prevent further local shunning from this profession; 

My hope is that, the next ruling Government can step-in to tweak the current WIS ground rules to exclude the gross income capped at S$2500/- for those working in the beyond normal working hours category type of industry.

Urgently, I implore the Tripartite organization, to quickly make improvement to the “soft” and “heart” aspect of this job; so that more Locals will be motivated and encouraged to come on board with pride and dignity, to join the rank and file as local Bus Captain and not solely continued to rely heavily on FW to help us for our National Economic Defence.

Singaporean must have the courage (aka backbone), and will, to come forward and to defend this economic defence as the Core workforce.

O’ Lord, I hope, the public transport profession will not be another construction industry phenomenon in the making right here in the hour of my watch……sigh.

Thank You, Success and Good Luck in you GE 2015 campaign.

With respect,

Wong Kam Wah

Note: As a Singaporean, I am sincerely grateful to my FW colleagues for “moving people, enhancing lives” here. Salute.

Singbuscaptain.blogspot.sg

Driving in difficult situations - My dearest Cyclist

( a group of cyclist enjoying the early morning air in Jalan Kayu)

My service route involved driving public bus, along Woodlands Road and Upper Bukit Timah Road. Both these trunk roads are currently undergoing major road works and subjected to frequent road diversions due to the construction of MRT Downtown Line.

One of the thing that stressed me most to earn a decent livelihood as a BC, is that, come each weekend these two major trunk road; on the Saturday and Sunday morning period (0530hr to 1100hr); the roads will be filled with recreation/sport cyclists; instead of those cycling to work for their to earn daily living income.

Since the omnibus is 2.4m wide and these said road width is no much wider than 2.4m, I sincerely fear for this cyclist life. But, until today, I could not understand, why they themselves do not cherish they live as such while cycling on the public road with many heavy vehicle using it also.

From the way cyclists using the road, I can concluded that traffic rules are not legally binding to them and worst of all, Cyclists do not seem to love themselves and expect the Bus Captain driving the bus to care for their personal safety. 

Sadly, those recreational angmoh cyclists are rude, arrogant and vulgar. 

Why I said so, 

Many a time, out of safety and compassion to those cyclists (i.e. not to caused injuries or near death accident to them), I will lightly tap the bus horn twice to pre-alert them, that, I am behind you, and about to overtake them and will about to make a stop soon at the next coming bus stop.

Those angmoh cyclists, not only prepare to take heed to the horning precaution, but wrongly assumed that (in my view), that the bus captain have intention to irritate or disturb them with intention.

They will start to accelerate from a single file to a double file arrangement. When you horn them again to give way, they raise their right hand middle finger at me.

When they finally managed to catch up with me again at the subsequent bus-stop further up, they will come to me and shouted aloud : You “fucking idiot, fucking driver”.  

Do you think, I deserve such early morning greetings?

Since according to LTA, tarred road are built with Tax Payer money, and it is meant for common use to all. Cyclist does not need to pay road tax to us public road and I presumed also not need to obey any traffic rules lah. only Vehicle with carbon emission are required to pay road tax. 

So, One suggestion from the road taxes been collected; in order to share the common road space with more safety, it is possible for LTA to widen the far left lane to  at least 3.5m wide?

Personally, the way cyclists conduct themselves on the road, help me to understand, an old saying of “the mighty elephant is afraid of the tiny mouse”.

 It is not that the elephant is afraid of the mouse; it is the compassionate and wisdom aspect of the elephant for the mouse (in this case the Cyclist lah).

Are You a Singaporean?

I wish to share this true personal encounter.

I am surprised and indeed sad over this shocking incident. Immediately after the GE 2011 Nomination Closed, as a Volunteer to a Political Party in the North East of Singapore GRC; I started the political campaign right after that.

In the hustings, I visited and stationed myself in Yishun MRT, and Sembawang MRT for days.

Since General Election, is a Singapore Singaporean subject matter; courteously, and out of respect to our FWT / SPR folks; prior to handling out the Party’s Election propagation/manifesto materials, to them; I will be mindful and ask the commuters, a simple question  -

“Are You a Singaporean?”

I also aware and adjusted my audible decibel so that it can be easily heard by at least a couple of commuters simultaneously as they are marching out of the train station.

Usually, the train will come and go at an interval of 2-3mins during the morning and evening rush hour period. Each time a small group of passenger of 5-10pax will cluster up and gait/walk out of the MRT station to where ever their next desired destination.

On many occasions, not a single person among those commuters, will care to reply and answered back to me that he or she is a Singaporean! 

So, why like that lah. 

Based on the 2011 Singapore population demographic and percentage of car ownership; I dare say that a least 50% of the MRT commuters is Singaporean. For those who eventually patriotic enough up will walk close to me and nod his/her head only in Silence Body Gesture.

Some, with true courage, will do it (reply to my query) with a warm smile; and this give me the opportunity to successfully hand out the Party’s Election Materials to them.

But the big question in my head till today; why are they so Shy and not Honoured to have the courage to acknowledge and pro-claim that he or she is a Singaporean?

This is really very puzzling or appalling to me as we have been undergoing continuous Nationhood Building for almost 50 years.

Where are the Patriotisms in us?

Since as a Nation, we have just celebrated our SG50; I hope for this GE2015, the election candidate can once again ask the above same question, “Are U a Singaporean?”  during their hustings or nightly rally.

For one, I love my country, I am A Singaporean.