SingaporeSurf

Civil Servants Get Wake-Up Call
by Eugene Low, Straits Times
The weakness Teo Chee Hean pinpointed among public servants are that they are to risk averse, lack a good understanding of how markets work and that they do not cooperate enough with other ministries.

Days Of Job-Hopping Are Here Again
by Chuang Peck Ming, Business Times
Over four in 10 of more than 600 employers polled in Singapore in January anticipated talent retention to be a problem this year.

PM To Youth: Singapore's Not Centre Of World
by Eugene Low, Straits Times
Apathy of the young worries PM Goh, who wants them to understand that external events can affect their lives.

The Nudge That Matters
by Loh Chee Kong, Today
Chiam See Tong, arguably the unofficial leader of the opposition in Singapore, is far from ready to throw in the towel.

Tiger Wants Budget Terminal To Be Kept Basic
by Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times
'Functional and efficient' is how no-frills carrier Tiger Airways wants it.

Money Woes Led To Jump In People Seeking Help Of MPs
by Azrin Asmani, Straits Times

RSS Courageous Crash: 2 Navy Officers Found Negligent
by AFP
The Subordinate Court convicted Lieutenant Ng Keng Yong and Lieutenant Chua Chue Teng of negligence not amounting to homicide. They face up to two years in prison and will be sentenced next week.

Pedra Branca Papers Sent To World Court
by Straits Times
Intenrational Court of Justice receives first set of arguments from Singapore, Malaysia.

Dreams Of A Mini-Holland V Crushed
by Glenys Sims, Straits Times
Plans to bring life back to Anak Bukit hit snag over canal.

HarbourFront Mall Eyes 30m Visitors A Year
by Kalpana Rashiwala, Business Times
Owner Mapletree is lining up attractions to meet ambitious target.

Lessons To Be Learnt From SIA Falling-Out
by Rebecca Lee, Straits Times
SIA's management may be skilled at hedging against fuel price or foreign exchange fluctuations and managing the airline's capacity against passenger demand. But it may have overlooked the manner in which it executed its decisions and the impact it would have on employees.

Temasek To Make Financial Report Public
by AFP
Temasek Holdings will make public its annual financial report for the first time in its 30-year history.

PM's Mother-Tongue Stand Welcomed But...
by Rebecca Lee and Soh Wen Lin, Straits Times
Despite his reassurances that bilingual policy is here to stay, Chinese-language advocates worry about falling standards.

Tiger Airways In Talks Over Budget Terminal
by Straits Times
Tiger Airways is the only one among the three budget airlines eyeing the Singapore market to show interest in having such a budget terminal.

400-Bed Hospital For The North In Yishun
by Salma Khalik, Straits Times
The new hospital in the north will be at Yishun Central, next to the polyclinkc. It promises to be a hospital that will offer innovative ways of handling patient care.

Singapore Rejects Reports Qantas Granted Licence To Run Low Cost Airline
by Business Times
The Singapore government said that Qantas does not have a licence to run a low cost airline out of the city, contrary to Australian media reports last week.

Tharman Says Social Attitude Towards EM3 Has To Change
by Channel NewsAsia
"Our problem is social attitudes and the more we talk about unfair labelling and it being something inferior, we are the ones who are creating the problem."

Billingual Policy In Schools Hasn't Changed, Says PM Goh
by Tan Tarn How, Straits Times
"Bilingualism and learning the mother toungue will remain the cornerstone of our education policy."

MRT Trains Too Will Have Marshals
by Lee Hui Chieh, Straits Times
Land marshals — likely to be plain-clothes policemen — are to be deployed on MRT trains and at the stations.

Frazzzle Dazzzle
by Teo Pau Lin, Straits Times
For better or worz, the letter Z is flooding the names of businesses.

How To Position Singapore's Casino
by Ronald Tan, Business Times
A casino is good for business, but care needs to be taken over location, size, structure and operational details.

No Security Lapse, Says Home Minister
by Straits Times
Even with "100 per cent security checks", people could still slip through.

SIA Pilot's PR Status Revoked, Has 7 Days To Appeal To MHA
by Channel NewsAsia

Singapore Wants Piece Of LA Action
by Scott Rochfort, Sydney Morning Herald
The Singapore government is at loggerheads with Australia and is pushing to compete with Qantas on the lucrative trans-Pacific route.

Foreign Or Local Workers: A Balancing Act
by Sue-Ann Chia, Straits Times
Minister assures MPs there are steps to protect Singaporeans; cautions against being too restrictive in hiring of foreigners.

Last Of Food-Van Operators Want Out
by Tan Hui Yee, Straits Times
The 11 remaining troopers are thinking of calling it a day.

In Wealthy Singapore, Maids Push For Protection
by Jason Szep, Reuters
After years of reported abuse, Singapore is taking steps to strengthen protection of housemaids.

Not Up To Govt To Direct Rail Operators To Merge
by Lim Bee Khim, Ministry for Transport, Straits Times
These decisions were based on objective assessments, and it would not have mattered, either then or in the future, whether SMRT or SBS Transit runs NEL.

Editor's Notes : Is that so? Is MOT saying that the duplication of manpower — which was widely reported and wasn't denied — didn't matter in determining the fare? I find that hard to believe.

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Changes To Pri 4 Streaming: EM1 And EM2 To Be Merged
by Channel NewsAsia
From this year, the EM1 and EM2 streams will be merged and schools will set their own Primary 4 exams.

Why Buyers Shun 5-Room, Exec Flats
by Straits Times
Size... too big; Price... too high; location... too far away.

From Mall To Mall — Underground
by Sue-Ann Chia, Straits Times
The government has set aside $59 million to co-pay for underpasses projects that it hopes will lead to an extensive network of underground linkways along Orchard Road and in the central business district.

Cheaper Flat, Costly Decor
by Leong Pik Yin, Straits Times
Fewer couples go for the largest property they can afford for first homes; instead they would splurge on interior decoration.

Nightspots Confused About Rules For 24-Hour Licences
by Arti Mulchand, Straits Times
Clubs keen on getting in on the action complain about quirks in rules covering exits and allowed areas.

A New World Now After Hotel Collapse
by Goh Chin Lian, Straits Times
It's 18 years since Hotel New World fell adn the area has changed, but memories remain fresh for some.

HDB To Resume Building 3-Room Flats As More Singaporeans Downgrade
by Channel NewsAsia
National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said the HDB would start building three-room flats again as more Singaporeans downgrade.

Singapore To Set Up New Arts School By 2007 For Young Students
by Channel NewsAsia
It is a dream come true for budding actors, musicians, dancers and artists.

Singapore White-Collar Jobs Continue To Vanish
by Hasan Jafri, Dow Jones
Companies in Singapore retrenched more managers and professionals than blue-collar workers for the second consecutive year in 2003, underscoring a trend here to cut higher-paid jobs to improve profitability and competitiveness.

East-West MRT Line To Be Extended To Jurong Industrial Estate
by Channel NewsAsia
The government is planning to extend the East-West Line to the industrial estates in the western part of the island.

Singapore Government Gives Go-Ahead To Budget Terminal At Changi
by Channel NewsAsia
Transport Minister Yeo Cheow Tong says the feasibility studies are done, and now it is up to these low cost carriers to buy the idea and agree on a design.

Baby-Short Singapore Gets Good News
by Lydia Lim, Straits Times
In the first of many measures to boost the population, babies born to Singaporean women abroad will now have the right to be Singaporeans.

SLF Drops Offices, Homes From Controversial Ang Mo Kio Project
by Andrea Tan, Business Tan
The Singapore Labour Foundation confirmed that it will drastically scale down its controversial Ang Mo Kio Town Centre development due to the 'prevailing oversupply'.

Flash Floods Hit Several Areas; Bukit Timah And Rochor Worst Hit
by Channel NewsAsia

SIA Pilot Ryan Goh To Appeal Revocation Of Entry Permits
by Channel NewsAsia
"If you want to have a long lasting relationship, both sides must be open, must be frank and must be logical, you don't play games, then there will be a climate of trust and confidence."

Gay Culture Comes Out In Conversative Singapore
by Sophie Hares, Reuters
"The scene has blossomed over the past five or six years, as the government has chosen to close one eye to the development of an entertainment industry catering to the gay crowd."

Controversial Pilot Will Lose PR Status
by Rebecca Lee, Straits Times
The ICA has informed Capt Ryan Goh, fingered as the instigator in the Alpa-S ouster, of its intention.

Singapore To Preserve Changi Prison Wall
by Straits Times
The government will proceed with plans to tear down the facility in mid-2004, but would leave a 180-metre stretch of the prison wall which includes two corner turrets.

Two Welfare Groups To Handle All China Adoptions
by Straits Times
Tighter rules from April 1: Adoptive parents to be at least 30, with annual household income of at least $32,000.

Fair Trading Act: Retailers Fear Abuse
by Glenys Sim, Straits Times
Chief among traders' concerns is the fear customers will abuse the new law, making unfair complaints.

AirAsia Denies Running Senai Bus Service
by Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times
Budget airline said it had accepted independent bus operator's offer, and wasn't aware permits not obtained.

Unlicensed AirAsia Shuttle Buses Impounded
by Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times
AirAsia did not get the official nod for a direct bus link between Singapore and Senai Airport in Johor, but the Malaysian budget carrier went ahead and provided the service anyway.

Govt Considers Giving Mothers Up To 6 Months Maternity Leave
by Channel NewsAsia
The Singapore government is looking seriously at giving mothers up to six months off work and even picking up the tab for it in a bid to boost the declining birth rate.

The Better-Off Can Still Opt For Cheaper Wards
by Tan Hui Leng, Today
The better-off will simply have to pay a little more, says Khaw Boon Wan.