SingaporeSurf

No More Pressure Test Of Gas Pipes For Now
by John Baptist Tay, PowerGas, Straits Times
PowerGas has commenced a full investigation into the incident to establish its cause.

Singapore Court Dismisses IDA Lawsuit Against SingTel
by Business Times Singapore
"As is the common parlance in the world of business 'a deal is a deal'."

SingTel Seeks To Raise Local Phonse Charges
by Chan Hwa Loon, Channel NewsAsia
SingTel is again seeking to raise local phone charges.

Stalled Train Causes LRT Disruption At Bukit Panjang
by Chia Hui Kheng, Channel NewsAsia
A train fault on Thursday evening caused a 10-minute disruption.

SDP Head, Ex-Fateha Chief Plead Not Guilty
by Ahmad Osman, Straits Times

Governments Using War On Terrorism To Erode Human Rights, Says Amnesty
by Associated Press
The United States and governments around the world have used the post-September 11 war on terrorism to erode human rights and stifle political dissent, Amnesty International said yesterday.

Will April's Numbers Be A Flash In A Pan?
by Anna Teo, Business Times Singapore
Manufacturing may have recovered, but don't count on a sustained upswing.

Power Gas' Assurance Misleading
by Steve Ng Aik Hin, Straits Times
Power Gas' 'assurance' was irresponsible and outrageously misleading to the layman.

Shark-Infested Wedding For Singapore Activists
by BBC
A Singaporean couple has tied the knot in a shark-infested tank to highlight the plight of the animals which die to fulfil the increasing Chinese taste for shark-fin soup.

TV Competition In Singapore Spurs 8.3% Rise In Ad Spending
by Channel NewsAsia
Ad spending in Singapore, often seen as a good gauge of economic health, rose 8.3 percent in the first quarter of this year to S$366m.

More Unskilled Foreigners Faking It As Professionals
by Krist Boo, Straits Times

Life Returns To Teck Whye With Bus 307
by Neo Hui Min, Straits Times
The successful fight to restore the feeder bus service gives residents and shops there a new lease of life.

Esplanade's Grand Opening Will Give Boost To Economy
by Alicia Yeo, Straits Times
tourist arrivals and foreign investors will benefit hotels and retailers and lead to more jobs for Singaporeans.

Bukit Merah Blast Is NOt A Gas Explosion: Singapore Power
by Channel NewsAsia
"There is no gas inside. It's just only air."

Jalan Bukit Merah Fully Reopens To Traffic
by Fiona Tan, Channel NewsAsia
"At least they could have like closed the road or something, rather than just test it and having so much faith that it won't explode."

Explosion At Jalan Bukit Merah, 1 Hurt
by Julie Ng, Channel NewsAsia
The incident, said to be caused by compressed air, happend on Saturday night, leaving a big hole in the road and one man injured.

Show Me The Money And I'll Show You My Body
by Arlina Arshad, Straits Times
And some retrenched and cash-strapped people will, for anything between $1,000 and $50,000, say talent agencies here.

Is That All You Have To Say, Andrea?
by Natalie Soh, Straits Times
Now that Andrea De Cruz has a new lease on life, she wants to put the slimming pill issue behind her. Shouldn't she have taken the chance to send out a strong message?

Crouching Goose, Hidden Restaurant
by Ginnie Teo, Straits Times
Business at Bubbly Goose Restaurant and seven other suffered with hawker stalls blocking shopfronts, but help is coming.

DBS, OUB Slash Savings Rates
by Lorna Tan, Straits Times
If the sluggish economic situation persists, the rate cuts could well spread to other banks — although none would say if it was intending to follow suit.

NUS Head Defends Policies
by Sandra Davie, Straits Times
Criticised for casuing "low morale" among staff, president is not losing sleep over turnover and pleased with recruits.

New Play Pokes At Prickly Singapore-Malaysia Ties
by Reuters
"Causeway", a production by Singapore's Teater Ekamatra and malaysia's the Actors Studio, explores the reationship between Malays in the two states away from the media hype and political haggling that have marked cross-border ties.

Parliament Approves Police Powers For Some ISD Intelligence Officers
by S. Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Opposition MP Low Thia Khiang opposed this, saying he is worried about giving them such wide powers to search and arrest.

3% Limit On Ownership Of Media To Go Up
by Straits Times
Companies and individuals may be allowed to own up to 5 per cent of the shares in newspaper and broadcasting companies, up from the existing limit of 3 per cent.

Health Minister Explains 'Regret' Comment
by Judith Tan, Channel NewsAsia
Health Minister Lim Hng Kiang explained he was not being unsympathetic when he commented in Parliament that he regretted making the decision for KK Women's and Children's Hospital to admit a premature baby in August 2000.

Water Reclamation, Marina Reservoir, Desalination To Increase Water Supply
by Lee Siew Hoon, Channel NewsAsia
Environment Minister Lim Swee Say said the government would develop water reclamation into a major new source of water to quench the thirst of its growing population.

Singaporeans Must Change Attitude Towards Streaming System: Education Minister
by Hwee Goh, Channel NewsAsia
The alternative — mixed ability classes — with teaching targeted at the average was worse.

Settle CPF Issue Quickly, MTUC Tells Singapore
by The Star
Its president Zainal Rampak urged the Government to pursue the matter with its Singapore counterpart and resolve the issue amicably.

Medisave To Cover More
by Salma Khalik, Straits Times
Major changes, including coverage of some outpatient treatment, will also affect MediShield, but premiums will rise.

Singapore Fights Back
by New Straits Times
In a move aimed at overcoming the eroding competitiveness of Singapore port posed by dramatic inroads made by Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas, Singapore has announced a S$80 million fund aimed at boosting its flagging fortunes.

Singaporeans Say Build To Order System For HDB Flats More Practical
by Hwee Goh, Channel NewsAsia

New IUP Plus Scheme Combines Interim And Lift Upgrading For HDB Flat Owners
by Hwee Goh, Channel NewsAsia
Residents have to poll and co-pay for the lift upgrade under IUP Plus. Interim upgrades will still be government-funded.

Problems With Ez-Link Card
by Ann Chong, Straits Times
This seems like a calculated move to discourage people from requesting a refund.

Night ERP Only After New MRT Line Starts
by Straits Times
To be fair to motorists, they should have a viable alternative to higher ERP charges, said Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong on Sunday.

Negotiations With Singapore To Start On July 1
by Mergawati Zulfakar, The Star
"The general outline (of the package) has been agreed but details like the pricing of water need further discussion."

2003 Master Plan To Ensure Areas' Identity Not Eroded By Development
by Hwee Goh, Channel NewsAsia
Announcing this, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan it is a recognition that familiar places play a vital part in what Singaporeans see as home.

HDB To Do Away With Registration For Flats In Favour Of Build-To-Order
by Hwee Goh, Channel NewsAsia
The HDB will built flats where people want to live, instead having them queue for homes by generic zones.

Singapore And Malaysia To Try Smooth Ties In July
by Reuters
Singapore's Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar will hold talk swith his counterpart Syed Hamid Albar on July 1 and 2 in the Malaysian capital.

Earlier Bukit Panjang LRT Disruptions Caused By Wiring Faults: SLRT
by Rozlin Othman, Channel NewsAsia
Preliminary findings showed the faults resulted in a mismatch of data transmitted through its computers' dual channel feedback circuits.

Singapore Eyes Return To Positive Growth By Third Quarter
by Business Times Singapore
Recession-hit Singapore should return to positive economic growth by the third quarter, the government said today releasing figures showing a 1.7 per cent year-on-year contraction for the March quarter.

GST Hike Should Not Be To Offset Luxurious Spending
by Joseph Chia Hock Herng, Straits Times
The real point is that there is indeed a ot of extravagant spending. If the government has to increase GST, let it be an obvious and absolute necessity. If the hike is used to partially offset luxurious furniture and fittings, then I think the policy would be a bit harder to swallow.

Court Case On Island When Neighbour Is Ready
by Straits Times
The case had not been submitted to the ICJ.

Cost Of Doing Business In Singapore Still A Major Conern: MPs
by Lee Siew Hoon, Channel NewsAsia

Malaysia Should Not Resort To Unsubstantiated Allegations: Jayakumar
by S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's Foreign Minister on Thursday urged Malaysia to address their bilateral problems pragmatically, on equal terms and with a long term perspective, instead of resorting to unsubstantiated allegations or threats.

Government Brightens Outlook For Singapore Economy
by Straits Times
The government on Thursday indicated increasing confidence over an economic recovery this year, saying it expected to hit the top half of its revised growth forecast of 2 to 4 per cent.

Automatic Updating Of Fare Stages Soon
by Vincent Lim, SBS Transit, Straits Times
Automatic updating of fare stages is expected to be in place this year.

Baby Bonus? Try 'Baby Care' Centres Instead
by Christopher Wong Wing Cheong, Straits Times
Despite all the monetary incentives from the government, it is not possible to have children unless one parent is willing to stop working.

Bring Private-Sector Talents Into Civil Service
by Straits Times
These people might do better than scholars, say MPs.

Singapore March Retail Sales Down 4.6%
by Business Times Singapore
Singapore's retail sales index was dragged down in sales of vehicles and telecommunications and computer equipment.

MRT Offers Direct Ride From Boon Lay To Airport
by Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times
From Thursday, MRT commuters can ride direct without having to transfer at Tanah Merah.

Fancy A Home-Office Atop The Singapore River MRT Station?
by Valdimir Guevarra, Straits Times
The concept of the home office got another boost yesterday after developer Far East Organization revealed it was offering this type of residence in Central, its landmark project being constructed on top of the upcoming Singapore River MRT Station.

GST 'Pill' Comes With Sweetener, Government Won't Delay
by Tan Tarn How, Straits Times
Standing firm against calls to postpone hike, DPM Lee says government has no plans for a further increase in the next five years.

Port Of Singapore Faces New Rival
by Alison Gee, BBC News
"Competition is not new to PSA - perhaps what is new is this time round it is probably closer to home."

SingTel To Spin Off Its Postal Unit
by Business Times Singapore
SingTel said today it plans to spin off its wholly-owned postal services unit, a move analysts say could raise as much as $1 billion.

Singapore To Build Labs To Fight Disease, Bioterror
by Reuters

Plan To Link Island's Reservoirs
by Straits Times
Instead of being dumped, excess water will be channelled into a reservoir with capacity to spare.

More HDB Retailers Subletting Shop Space
by Vladimir Guevarra, Straits Times
Some 1,300 shopowners get the nod to do so annually in a bid to boost income amid the economic downturn.

Use DBS ATM Card, Get $ Back
by Ignatius Low, Straits Times
Bank is the first to offer ATM cardholders cash rebates on purchases made at 50 to 60 retailers and restaurants.

MPs Want Delay In GST Hike, More Help Measures
by Tan Tarn How, Straits Times
They are worried about the GST hike hitting businesses and consumers hard while the economy is still in recession.

Singapore Unveils $80m Plan To Boost Port Competitiveness
by Business Times Singapore
Singapore will spend $80 million to beef up the competitiveness of its port against regional rivals, Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said today.

Singapore Still Trails HK In Personal Taxes
by Genevieve Cua, Business Times Singapore
Republic still has some work to do in order to compete on a purely tax cost basis: PWC.

More Bite With Hotter Weather
by Sharmilpal Kaur, Straits Times
Singapore could be in for a dengue outbreak as El Nino is expected to bring higher temperatures later this year.

GST Hike: Small Businesses Divided On Raising Prices
by Arlina Arshad and Pauline Leong, Straits Times
Many say keeping customers and having a good rapport with them make it hard to up prices while some say hikes are inevitable.

Muslims Debate Role In Remaking Singapore
by Ahmad Osman, Straits Times
Issues raised include whether community is in mainstream of society here.

Stop And Shop A While In Singapore
by Donna McIntyre, New Zealand Herald
Welcome to Singapore... safe, clean Singapore.

Singapore To Review Media Ownership Rules
by Reuters
The Singapore government is considering lifting the current shareholding cap in newspaper companies in a bid to boost the vitality of the publishing industry.

NSmen May Get To Hear Good News On Allowances, In-Camp Training
by Channel NewsAsia
Details would be announced when parliament debates the budget over the next two weeks.

Rebates Fine, But It's Still Tough
by Laurel Teo, Straits Times
Retailers worreid about GST; taxi drivers see more expenses before Economic Restructuring Shares can be cashed.

Money No Object To Luring Scientists To Singapore
by Reuters
Money is no object as Singapore seeks to lure top scientists to help turn the city state into a regional biomedical hub, a government official said on Friday.

Mah Bow Tan Takes The Stand In IDA-SingTel Trial
by Farah Abdul Rahim, Channel NewsAsia
The S$5 billion - S$6 billion which SingTel had demanded as compensation was excessive.

Singapore Still Against Foreign Owners For Local Banks
by Associated Press
The government will continue to bar foreign banks from taking controlling stakes in the country's three local banks, but might eventually review this policy, the central bank said on Friday.

Full UOB And OUB Integration By June 17
by Hugh Chow, Straits Times
Some issues over the information technology systems had yet to be resolved.

Singapore Denies Banning Veggies
by The Star
Reports of the alleged import ban in Berita Harian were untrue.

No Malaysian Vegetable Lorries Denied Entry Into Singapore: AVA
by Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia
AVA said any country could supply its vegetables to Singapore provided they comply with the pesticide residue requirements.

Citi Open To Buying Singapore Bank
by Edna Koh, Straits Times
Citigroup's Singapore head thinks MAS may allow foreign takeovers in 3 to 5 years, giving it another option to expand.

Not At Any Price
by New Straits Times
Singapore's neurosis about keeping matters behind closed doors must be remedied by a more considered approach to Malaysian public opinion.

LTA Says No To Cabbies' Plans To Request Cheaper ERP Rates
by Fiona Tan, Channel NewsAsia
LTA says that for the ERP system to be effective, it must be applied equally to all vehicles.

Belt Up Or Be Punished, Traffic Police Warn Motorists
by Straits Times
Motorists and passengers who fail to belt up, and drivers with children not found in child seats will be fined $120 and given three demerit points.

CPF To Be Allowed As Risk Capital?
by Chuang Peck Ming, Business Times Singapore
A proposal to allow top CPF contributors to withdraw part of their CPF moneyt o finance entrepreneurial ventures is likely to be the latest idea to spark controversy.

Change Mindset, Not 'Social Worker'
by Hayley Chau, Singapore Association of Social Workers, Straits Times
If the professional title 'social worker' works well in other countries, why has it failed to do the same in Singapore?

Pilots Will Return To Taiwan For Hearing
by Dominic Nathan, Straits Times
The pilots of SQ 006 will return to Taipei to attend a hearing tomorrow that could decide if they will be prosecuted.

From Singapore, Dating Dos And Don'ts
by Voice Of America
Singapore's government is giving clueless singles a dating manual that offers tips for young poeple on planning a perfect date.

Malaysia Hopes To Start New Talks With Singapore
by Faridah Begum, The Star
"Malaysia is interested to resolve the issues and this cannot be delayed for goo dbilateral relations."

Singaporean Sets Record With North Pole Conquest
by Reuters
Khoo Swee Chiow reached the North Pole on Monday, becoming the first person from SOutheast Asia and only the fourth in the world to conquer the highest peaks across seven continents and the two poles.

NTUC Announces $17.6m GST Relief Package
by S Ramesh and Chia Hui Kheng, Channel NewsAsia
NTUC Fairprice and Unity NTUC Healthcare will absorb the increase in GST for a year, while NTUC Foodfare will do so for 6 months.

MPs' Queries Should Connect With Constituents
by Chew Seng Chye, Straits Times

Top Up Every 6 Months Or Lose Mobile Number
by Natalie Soh, Straits Times
"No one told me about this six-month requirements when I sign up."

MRT Service Returns To Normal Today
by Straits Times
However, direct service froom Boon Lay to Changi Airport will remain suspended until further notice.

Chua Sure Singaporeans Will Still Shop Here
by The Star
Singapore's move to increase its goods and services tax to 5% as of May 1 is unlikely to affect the islanders' shopping habit in Johor Baru, state Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek said.

Singapore Must Be Willing To Compromise, Says Mahathir
by Sa'odah Elias and Faridah Begum, The Star
"If we are expected to agree to other people's condition, then it will be difficult."

The Message Matters, Not The Messenger, Dr. Chee
by Bertha Henson, Straits Times
The May 1 drama played out like an old television programme re-run.

HDB Aims To Recover Costs
by Straits Times
Housing Board carbarks suffered a deficit of $99 million for the financial year of 2000, unable to recoup the cost of building new and maintaining existing carparks in all the HDB estates.

Singapore Must 'Accept KL's Views'
by Brendan Pereira, Straits Times
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said the outstanding package of bilateral issues with Singapore could be resolved if the government in the republic was willing to compromise and accept Malaysia's point of view.

Singapore: Malaysia Should Show Proof Land Projects Hurt
by Associated Press
Singapore needs to see detailed proof before it will consider any changes in its land policy, a government minister said Friday.

Singapore Open To Region Tie-Ups Against Terror
by Reuters
Singapore said on Saturday it was willing to help anti-terrorism efforts under a pact between Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Singapore Pins Hopes On Budget
by BBC
Singapore has announced a budget it hopes will enable it to compete better on the global stage.

$3.6b Handout A Key Plank Of GST Offset Package
by Chuang Peck Ming and Serena Ng, Business Times Singapore
A key plank of the government's package to help Singaporeans cushion the impact of a higher goods and services tax is a $3.6 billion handout over three years that comes in the form of 'economic restructuring shares'.

Muted Reactions In Malaysia And HK
by Audrey Tan and Diana Oon Abdullah, Business Times Singapore
Malaysia greeted the Budget measures with a sense of deja vu, while Hong Kong is hardly perturbed by Singapore's latest attempt to sharpen its competitiveness as it regards Shanghai as its real competitor, not the Republic.

Water Deal 'Unfair', But KL Can't Act Alone
by Leslie Lau, Straits Times
"Unfortunately, our people were not that smart because we signed in 1963 when Singapore was still part of Malaysia."

Ez-Link Card Refunds Must Be Made Easier
by Ee Yik Khoon, Straits Times
The last thing I want to do is to waste time queueing for a refund, when it is not my fault.

Goh: Asean Leaders Must Talk To Each Other More Often
by Charles Chan, The Star
Asean leaders are not talking to each other often enough and that's a pity because such informal get-togethers can play a vital role in strengthening the grouping, Goh Chok Tong said.

ARF And Road Tax Reductions, Cigarette Tax Up
by Channel NewsAsia

Indonesia Says Working With Singapore On Terrorism
by Jerry Norton, Reuters
Indonesia insisted on Friday it was working with neighbour Singapore in fighting terrorism despite the tiny city state's absence from an anti-terror pact that Indonesia will sign with others in the region.

Singapore Raises Security Budget To Guard Against Terrorism
by Business Times Singapore
The Republic will spend about $10.6 billion on domestic and external security operations in the financial year ending March 2003, take up about 38 per cent of the government's total expenditure.

Malaysia Sent Protest Note On Reclamation Works: Jayakumar
by S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
"What we need is the details of how our reclamation has adversely affected them. Then only we can reply. We have not, to date, received such a note itemising and setting out the details of their concerns."

Singapore To Cut Motor Vehicle Taxes
by Business Times Singapore
The Singapore government will lower motor vehicle taxes in an effort to bring a better balance between taxes on ownership and taxes on usage, Finance Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in his budget statement today.

If You Don't Kill, You Don't Eat
by Straits Times
One way for Singapore to avoid becoming a victim of its success is to foster this kind of mentality, explains the venture capitalist who helped make the Macintosh a success.

Singapore Police Slammed For "Overzealous" May Day Arrest
by Reuters
The civil rights group, the Think Centre, said in a statement its members who attended the event were "appalled at the uncalled-for rough action and insensitive words of the Singapore police".

Local TV Soaps Most Popular In Asia
by Tini Tran, Associated Press
Across Asia, fans are eating up a steady diet of imported soap operas.

Adjust Salaries Rather Than Change CPF Rate
by See Kwee Ming, Straits Times
It is better to leave the CPF contribution alone and for the workers to decide whether they will accept a lower salary to remain employed.

Policy Change Makes It Easier To Retrench
by David Lok Seow Kang, Straits Times
Any change in retrenchment benefits should apply only to newly-employed workers.

Singapore Workers Struggle As Iron Rice Bowls Vanish
by Jacqueline Wong, Reuters
The "iron rice bowl" of guaranteed employment for white collar workers in Singapore, suffering its worst recession in four decades, is history.

Poor Likely To Be Hit Hard By Singapore Tax Changes
by Amy Tan, Reuters
Big business should get a helping hand from tax cuts in Singapore's budget on Friday, but poorer families are likely to suffer as the government claws back money by boosting the levy on goods and services.

Feedback Unit To Set Up British-Style Forum
by Straits Times
The Feedback Unit plans to widen its net and finetune the way it conducts straw polls to ensure that the views it gathers actually represent those of Singapore's population.

Why Put Curbs On Pupils' Choice Of CCA?
by Lee Kay Hwee, Straits Times
If this is where our much-talked about world-class education system is headed, I am disappointed. It is not even comparable to the education system 30 years ago.

Citibank, ABN Amro Plan ATM Tie-Up
by Straits Times
Reports even as questions remain over whether Singapore is big enough to support three ATM networks, a fourth one looks set to join the fray.

SQ006 Pilots Recalled By Taiwanese Prosecutors
by Channel NewsAsia
Taiwanese prosecutors have asked Singapore Airlines to send the three SQ 006 pilots back to Taipei.

Singapore Politician Arrested For May Day Rally
by Reuters
Chee Soon Juan was arrested on Wednesday after defying the city state's authorities with a May Day rally in the grounds of the president's offices.

Why CPF Cut Won't Help Older Workers
by Y H Sia, Business Times Singapore
Lower corporate tax, lower rents and other cost-cutting measures will serve better.

Push Back GST Hike?
by Krist Boo, Straits Times
Retailers fear that they may be forced to absorb the increase or the higher tax may prompt Singaporeans to shop overseas.