SingaporeSurf

Singapore Sweep Top Prize Is Now $2m
by Nicola Cheong, Straits Times
When tickets for the next Singapore Sweep draw go on sale from Jan 8, the top prize will be worth $2 million, up from the current $1.5 million. Each ticket will cost $3, $1 more than now, but fewer will be printed, improving chances of winning.

Credit Card Spending By Affluent Singapore Falls: Nielsen Media Research
by Chan Hwa Loon, Channel NewsAsia
A survey on credit card spending indicates that affluent Singaporeans have also been pinched by the recent hard times.

No Way To Treat Women
by Today
Steve Chia must rethink power dynamics in marital, boss-maid relationships.

Opposition Will Expose Their Own Flaws: PM
by Straits Times
Goh Chok Tong yesterday rebutted the claims of some opposition politicians that the ruling People's Action Party can no longer deliver on its promises of material well-being for Singaporeans.

Despite Low Pay, Singapore Maids Happy
by UPI
A survey in Singapore Sunday suggested most of its 140,000 maids are happy, despite low pay and long hours.

Malaysia Concerned Over Singapore's Action At Disputed Island
by Xinhua
Malaysia is gravely concerned that Singapore authorities have prevented Malaysian fishermen fromtaking refuge on the Malaysian island of Pulau Batu Puteh during stormy weather on Dec. 21, an official statement said.

DPM Lee Praises Steve Chia For His Contribution In Parliament
by Channel NewsAsia
Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has denied rumours of any Government involvement in leaking the recent scandal involving NCMP Steve Chia taking sexy pictures of his maid.

Singapore's Spots To Avoid
by Greg Cruey, About.com
In this squeekiest of squeaky clean cities, prostitution is legal — and relatively well regulated. And if you're not careful you could walk right into a brothel in some of the city's shopping malls without even realizing.

Malaysia's New Leader To Meet Singapore Counterpart
by John Burton, Financial Times
The leaders of Malaysia and Singapore are expected to exchange visits next month in an attempt to improve strained relations following the inauguration of Abdullah Badawi as Malaysia's new prime minister in October.

$250m Upgrade For Changi Terminal 1
by Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times
The aim is to remain aviation hub; Terminal 3 opening put off to 2008.

Output Falls In Singapore
by Bloomberg
Singapore's manufacturing slowed more than expected in November, according to figures released on Friday, as companies like Merck and Schering-Plough produced fewer drugs.

Foreign Sports Talent Scheme To Be Made More Rigorous
by Channel NewsAsia
Announcing changes to the scheme, in place since 1997, the Ministry of Community Development and Sports said National Sports Associations must now submit comprehensive plans if they want to bring in foreign talent.

Sexy Singapore Santas Hand Out Condoms
by Associated Press
Young women dressed in skimpy Santa outfits have distributed 50,000 free safe-sex stocking stuffers — condoms — to holiday shoppers in the city-state's glitzy tourism and shopping district.

Singapore: Slaps Six-Year Ban
by Straits Times
AVA stipulates that any country seeking to export beef to Singapore must be certified free of mad-cow disease for six years. This means that it will be at least six years before US beef can be imported here again.AVA stipulates that any country seeking to export beef to Singapore must be certified free of mad-cow disease for six years. This means that it will be at least six years before US beef can be imported here again.

What Now, Mr Chia?
by Teo Hwee Nak, Today
Future cloudy as NCMP awaits public response to indiscretion.

How To Beat Competitors
by Today
Changi Airport and Singapore Airlines are moving quickly to stay ahead.

Singapore MP In Photo Scandal
by The Australian
The political career of one of Singapore's few opposition members of parliament was in jeopardy today after he admitted to taking digital photographs of his Indonesian maid as she posed topless.

NSP Yet To Decide On Steve Chia's Fate
by Ben Nadarajan, Straits Times
Full-scale committee meeting yet to take place but some members have met; if party boots out Chia, he loses NCMP seat.

Air Hubs — Evolve Or Risk Vanishing Into Thin Air
by Straits Times
Is the air hub slowly spinning into oblivion? Let's just say it is more probable today than 20 years ago.

Changi Fights Back
by Christopher Tan, Straits Times
Can Changi keep its air hub crown? Not to be outdone by its competitors, it is spending $2.25 billion on makeovers and a new terminal.

Prices Of Big HDB Flats Set To Dip Further
by Vladimir Guevarra, Straits Times
Demand likely to be affected by new down payment rule from Jan 1, but smaller flats will stay popular.

SingPost To Raise Postal Rates To Account For GST Hike
by Channel NewsAsia
SingPost says that from 3 February 2004, the cost of sending a standard letter of up to 20 grammes will go up 1 cent to 23 cents.

Freer Skies Hurting Singapore?
by Straits Times
What started as a competitive advantage for Changi appears to have, in a few years, lost some of its force. For SIA, it appears to be a double whammy: giving up the protection of a restrictive air pact without gaining in return a clear edge at all times.

Singapore Feels The Heat
by Rebecca Lee, Straits Times
Changi Airport, long taken for granted as part of the Singapore success story, faces multiple and mounting pressures to its status as a premier air hub.

Steve Chia Admits Taking Maid Photos, Denies Molesting Her
by Benjamin Nadarajan, Straits Times
Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Steve Chia admitted taking 'sexy photos' of his Indonesian maid, but denied molesting her, at a press conference held on Sunday morning.

DBS Proves Commitment To POSB With New Branch
by Nicholas Fang, Straits Times
For the first time since the 1998 merger of DBS and POSB banks saw a string of high-profile branch closures, a new POSB branch has opened.

'No Frills' Must Not Mean 'No Class'
by Alexis Hooi, Straits Times
Operators like idea, but warn that it could backfire too.

Days Of The Mega Hospitals May Be Over
by Lee Hui Chieh, Straits Times
Singapore's future general hospitals are likely to have fewer beds but with more space devoted to better infection control.

Singapore Arrests 'Future' Terror Leaders
by Fox News
Singapore has arrested two men who were being trained to be leaders in an Al Qaeda-linked terror network, the Home Affairs Ministry said Thursday.

No-Frills Terminal Could Be On The Way
by David Boey, Straits Times
It is likely to look more like a bus interchange, and have an austere design because low-cost airlines want to keep their operating costs low.

70 Quarantined On Sars Precaution
by Straits Times
Singapore health authorities said on Wednesday that 70 people will be quarantined as a precautionary measure after Taiwan health officials confirmed that a medical researcher who had visited Singapore between Dec 7 and 10 has tested positive for Sars.

No SARS Cases In Singapore: MOH
by Channel NewsAsia
The Health Ministry says there are no SARS cases in Singapore following the latest infection in Taiwan announced on Wednesday.

Merger? What Merger?
by Tan Hui Leng, Today
The two main media groups have scotched speculation of an impending union. However, the punters haven't lost steam yet.

Singapore Fencing Up Army Base And Industrial Areas
by The Star

Singapore Jobless Rate Rose To 5.9% In Q3:MOM
by Channel NewsAsia

Fear Factor — Is It Just An Excuse?
by Teo Hwee Nak and Ng Shing Yi, Today
In a twist that was both sad and ironic, the fear quotient crept up and usurped a forum on politics on Saturday.

The Art And Soul Of Singapore
by Wang Jie, Shanghai Daily News
Sterile, efficient, and boring — that sums up the usual impression of Singapore. But while no one was looking, the island nation has been building up an impressive collection of Asian art.

Solving Low Birth Rate Not Just About Getting More Babies: DPM Tan
by Channel NewsAsia
He said a total approach was necessary to ensure that Singapore has strong families where parents can take good care of their children and give them the best chance of success in life.

Singapore Reviewing Athlete Imports Programme
by Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's performance in international sports has been boosted by foreign-born players, but the city-state is now reviewing its programme of importing athletes to augment the local talent pool.

Ex-MP Exposes Ugly Voters
by Li Xueying, Straits Times
These anecdotes and more are revealed in Goh Choon Kang's new book.

Valuair Getting Nearer To Take-Off
by Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times
Budget airline has submitted its planned destinations for approval, and aims to pick its new chief soon.

Tropical Singapore Fears A SARS Winter Return
by Jason Szep, Reuters
Fearing that the flu season getting underway in the Northern Hemisphere will be accompanied by a resurgence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), tropical Singapore is taking no chances and reinforcing its front-line health defences.

National Library May Install Cameras At Check Out Counters In Security Move
by Channel NewsAsia
The National Library says it is stepping up security at all its outlets and there may soon be cameras fitted at book check-out machines and counters, just like at ATMs.

Bring Back Old CCA Grading System
by Straits Times

AirAsia Threatens To Undercut Tiger
by Eddie Toh, Business Times
Fernandes not certain Tiger will be allowed to fly to Malaysia.

Singapore Airlines Moves Into Budget Fare Market
by Hasan Jafri and Abdul Handhi, Dow Jones
Singapore Airlines and its parent, Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd., the Singapore government's investment arm, will own a majority in the new airline called Tiger Airways. The family that owns Dublin-based Ryanair will also be a shareholder along with Indigo Partners LLC, a U.S. investment company.

Singapore Economists See GDP Rising 1.0% This Year: MAS
by Channel NewsAsia
Private sector economists expect Singapore's economy to grow strongly in the October to December quarter, resulting in 2003 full-year growth of one percent before rising to 5.4 percent in 2004.

Banks' Credit Card Hard-Sell Curbed
by Hugh Chow, Straits Times
Banking regulators have clamped down on hard-sell tactics in public areas used by financial institutions to promote credit cards and other types of unsecured loans.

Virgin's Singapore Partnership Hits Turbulence
by Andrew Clark, The Guardian
A rift has opened up between Virgin Atlantic and its part owner, Singapore Airlines, over a new treaty allowing Sir Richard Branson's carrier to begin flights to Australia.

What Golden Handshake?
by Today
Did Singapore shoot itself in the foot by extending the retirement age from 55 to 62 in 1999?

Financially-Strong MediaCorp Rules Out Merger With SPH
by Clement Mesenas, Today
MediaCorp is open to discussions if Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) wants to divest its TV business, MediaCorp Group CEO Ernest Wong said yesterday, in a statement to the media.

Singapore Denies Democracy Activists Permission To Hold Burma Forum
by Michael Dwyer, Radio Australia
Organisers of the forum were told by Singapore police that the event was likely to be against the public interest.

Singapore Airlines Faces Fresh Turbulence As Pilots Show Dissent
by Channel NewsAsia
Singapore Airlines (SIA) is undergoing fresh turbulence soon after recovering from the SARS epidemic amid disenchantment among its pilots over the way the carrier has treated its staff.

Baby Care To Be Made Affordable, Accessible
by Helmi Yusof, Straits Times
Government looking into a project to provide it and possible financial schemes to help parents pay too, says Lim Hng Kiang.

Singapore Turns Sewage Into Water
by The Age
Singapore, always in search of creative ways to bring in tourist dollars, has unveiled a new attraction — a high-tech plant which makes sewer water drinkable.

Shorter Hours So LRT Can Be Fixed
by Goh Chin Lian, Straits Times
The shorter operating hours are to allow Singapore LRT (SLRT) to fix what is hopefully the last of a series of faults that have plagued the system since the light rail system opened four years ago.

SPH Says It's In TV Business For The Long Haul
by Audrey Tan, Straits Times
Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) remains committed to its money-losing television subsidiary, MediaWorks, as it sees TV as an important part of its overall media strategy, SPH chairman Lim Chin Beng said yesterday.

Give SIA Pilots Some Credit
by Tan Soon Kee, Straits Times
Let's not start labelling SIA pilots. They deserve some credit for the job that they do and our leaders should take the first step.

Japan-Singaproe FTA Shows Little Effect
by Junichi Fukazawa and Kazuta Umezu, Yomiuri Shimbun
About a year after a free trade agreement with Singapore took effect, it has yet to produce a major effect on the economy.

No Quick Decision On Seletar Upgrade
by Crystal Chan, Straits Times
Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong said he wants to see what advantages AirAsia sees in Seletar that Changi Airport cannot provide, especially when other budget airlines have said they prefer Changi.

Cost-Cuts Can Turn Off Good Staff, Bosses Told
by Bryan Lee, Straits Times
A survey by US-based Towers Perrin found companies here too eager to slash costs by cutting jobs and salaries. It warned that this can actually harm businesses.

A Major Push For Monopoly?
by Lawrence T Pereira, Today
The reading public is not naive, Mr Fernandez.

Singapore Signals Free Trade Agreement With EU Is A Priority
by EU Business
Singapore said Tuesday it would like to complete a free trade agreement with the European Union before a similar pact is reached between the bloc and the ten-member ASEAN grouping of southeast Asian nations.

Government Acting To Prevent 'Broken Heads' At SIA
by Lydia Lim, Straits Times
SM Lee's message to Singapore Airlines management and pilots: Stop the 'test of wills' now before it gets troublesome.

Singapore To Amend Law To Stem SIA-Pilots' Union Disputes
by Dow Jones
In a statement from the Prime Minister's Office, the government said the Ministry of Manpower will amend the Trade Unions Act to enable trade union executive committees to negotiate and commit to collective agreements without having to seek ratification from their members.

Study Downside Of Media Competition
by Warren Fernandez, Straits Times
What Singapore needs is not more blind faith in competition and what its advocates promise, but a hard-headed look at whether competition in this market and in its present form needs fixing or is best left alone.

SIA Pilots: Law To Be TIghtened
by Rebecca Lee, Straits Times
Changes will mean leaders of pilots' union won't need to get members' approval for agreements, a right now unique to Alpa-S.