New 7-year IOU by Singapore Gov't

The main buyers of SGS (Singapore Gov't Securities or bonds, or IOUs, in fact) are traditionally banks and life insurance companies, who need to invest their client's savings and policy premiums in very safe instruments, in order to maintain a minimum capital adequacy ratio, set by the MAS, whilst earning a modest interest rate in order to pay operating expenses, guaranteed interests and policy cash values.

This new issue comes with a coupon (interest) rate of 2.875% p.a., thus setting the maximum return for bank deposits or short-term non-participating endowment policies, like the recent one sold by a local insurer, which offered a fixed return of 2.0% p.a. for a 2-year plan.

Some are more equal?

When you are rich, your lawyers and doctors certainly act fast.

Without doubt, all the arrangements must have already been made to harvest (for lack of a better word indeed!) the organs of a doomed man.

So, did the rich manage to jump ahead of all others in the long queue for organs, or was he judged the best suited in terms of age, and compatibility?

Given a theoretically longer life expectancy, a younger person is supposed to benefit more from such a transplant and should be given priority.

From Todayonline, "According to past reports, Mr Tang — who had undergone a triple-bypass operation in October 2007 — was not eligible for a cadaveric kidney because of his many ailments, such as heart problems, asthma, sleep apnoea, depression, anxiety and panic attacks."

With a plethora of health problems, one might wonder whether this new organ is going to benefit much. It may buy him a better quality of life, but let's hope that some more deserving person out there had not been "robbed" of a new lease of life.