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by Niko Karvounis, Taking Note
Singapore's health care experience isn't an argument for consumer-driven medicine, but for targeted government interventions and smart, timely, regulation of over-treatment.
by Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia
by Lee Siew Hua, Straits Times
"Instead of pushing wages up to fully offset inflation," said labour chief Lim Swee Say, "we must continue to link built-in wage increase to productivity gain and help our people through various non-wage measures."
So, instead of bosses helping employees cope, taxpayers are to foot the bill.
by Mr Wang Says So
Young Singapreans don't generally grow up with the idea that they should explore and discover their own individual interests and strengths. Instead, they grow up being told that they should seek to excel in what the school wants them to excel in.
Education should be about learning what to learn. There's always time — no matter if you are 16, 26, 36, or even 46 or 56 years-old — to pursue one's interests and calling. Just don't be too comfortable with the material stuff.
by Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's unemployment rate rose to 2.3 per cent in the second quarter after seasonal adjustments amid economic uncertainties, according to estimates from the Ministry of Manpower.
by See Leong Kit, Straits Times
Politicians must make up their minds once and for all whether to continue breeding 'yes-man' citizens who will let them govern 'their country their way', or sincerely nurture thinking Singaporeans who will team up with them to govern 'our country our way'.
by Today
Transport minister Raymond Lim outlined how price controls — and also wage controls — are not only short-term solutions for society as a whole, but cause underlying problems to become worse.
by Shila Naidu, New Paper
School told to stop taking in students exempted from Compulsory Education Act. But school's founder says she's providing a place for children who can't cope in national schools.
by Shobana Kesava, Straits Times
The water there carries a high level of Enterococcus - a bacteria found in faeces.
by Woohoo
by Maria Siow, Channel NewsAsia
A country that begins with a clean slate and no historical baggage (except with our cloest northern neighbor) is a great recipe for nation building. But willi t be an equally good recipe for nation-bonding, and nation-togetherness in the midst of turbulence and turmoil?
by The Moley Prophet
NETS said that charging an administrative fee to consumers is against its policy, yet it did not stop ComfortDelgro from doing it.
by Bryan Lee, Straits Times
Razor TV will focus on local content offering both live and vide-on-demand programmes.
Will SPH learn from its previous mistakes?
by Walter Lim, Cooler Insights
Contrary to popular belief, many young folks do get their news from mainstream media players in Singapore.
by Sundeep Tucker, Financial Times
Announcing Teamsek's landmark $4.4bn capital injection in Merrill Lynch last December, John Thain, the bank's chief executive, hailed the Singapore state investment agency as "savvy investor with a proven track record of achieving strong investment returns". Seven months later and Mr Thain has been proved right — though at a heavy cost to the troubled US investment bank.
Temasek had negotiated a reset clause, which meant that if Merrill were to issue new stock at less than $48 a share within 12 months, the bank would compensate the Singapore investor for the ddifference for each share held. The result was that Merrill had to hand back $2.5bn, which Temasek plans to re-invest immediately along with a fresh capital injection of $900m.
by Jessica Lim and Daryl Tan, Straits Times
Some mom-and-pop stores in the heartland are passing on an increase in Nets fees to consumers, despite being barred from doing so.
by Loh Chee Kong, Today
According to sources, the NSP made the unofficial approach last month to SDA chairman and veteran Potong Pasir MP Chiam See Tong.
by Joanne Leow, Channel NewsAsia
Funnily this always makes me acutely aware of being in Singapore, this waking before dawn and before your circadian rhythms tell you to.
by New Straits Times
by Mr Wang Says So
Many women say that they do not want children because they want to focus on their careers. You must have heard that quite often. What you'll rarely hear in Singapore is a woman saying that she truly loves her job and is passionate about it.
by Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
A record number of older Singaporeans were employed in June last year, according to the latest report by the Ministry of Manpower.
Most sought empoloyment because of financial considerations and found jobs in administrative as well as support services such as in the cleaning, security and F&B industries.
by DPA
A worker in Singapore loses a hand or finger every three days, a startling statistic revealed at a forum on protecting limbs at the workplace, news reports said Tuesday.
by Saeed Azhar and Kevin Lim, Reuters
Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings said on Tuesday it had increased its investment in Merrill Lynch as part of the U.S. broker's latest fund-raising effort.
by Benjamin Cheah, The Online Citizen
Nothing in the law states that the Law Society must wait for the government to submit anything to it before acting.
Of course, as with almost anything else, there's the law, and then there's the unwritten law.
by Arlina Arshad and Teh Joo Lin, Straits Times
Overtime hours pile up and the number of unclaimed leave days is mounting among officers of the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
It does not help that about 600 ICA officers quit last year, twice as many as in 2003 - and finding replacements has been tough.
by Today
If the second officer had no authority to make a simple decision, why was she given the task of taking charge of the library that morning?
by Au Waipang, Yawning Bread
Are Singaporeans waiting to be served?
by Gwen Robinson, Financial Times
Singapore Power laid out A$8.14bn i cash for the Alinta east coast assets last August and then failed to flip it into SP Ausnet. THis has left Singapore Power lumbered with A$17bn in debut and the same power assets are today probably worth about A$6bn.
Singapore Inc's Temasek meawhile ploughed A$400m into ABC Learning at $7.30 a share 12 months ago and has watched almost 90 per cent of that evaporate.
by The Anti Neo-Democracy Theorist
by Singabloodypore
Three human rights defenders have been called up for questioning by the police for contempt of court.
by BothSidesOfTheJohorStraits
Goh is alluding to the situation that the government departments and grassroots would serve a PAP-ward happily and perhaps not so in an opposition ward.
by The Online Citizen
The government's efforts to restore public confidence in the charity system are laudable. But now it should be prepared to devote considerably more money and attention to make them work better, rather than relying on the notion - one that it has itself requently rubbished - that individuals can be relied upon to realise the vital importance of being earnest.
by Chin Sau Ho, Ministry Of Finance, Straits Times
Mr Tharman had not suggested that wage increases in general would contribute to inflation or would harm the economy. What he cautioned against was wages rising faster than productivity in order to keep pace with local inflation.
by DPA
Parking in Singapore's prime area is not cheap but less expensive than in many other cities worldwide, ranking 52nd out of 138, a published study said on Monday.
by Choo Zheng Xi, The Online Citizen
The People's Association (PA) is the umbrella organization that funds all grassroots organizations. THe PA website states that its mission is to "bring people together to take ownership of and contribute to community well-being" and strengthen racial harmony ties. Nowehre in its mission statement do we see Mr Goh's goal of keeping the PAP in power.
by Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net
Singapore needs political opposition that will challenge, not preserve, the PAP's grip on power.
by Leo Lewis, The Times
Latitude in monetary and fiscal policy is crucial - and yet when the softly spoken, British-educated Mr Tharman talks of Singapore's striking economic vulnerabilities, he emphasises the need for social cohesion, a force, he says, that has helped to make his country so attractive for investment and without which one of South-East Asia's most impressive economic stories would surely unravel.
by Au Waipang, Yawning Bread
It's just typical of Singapore that unexamined biases corrupt policy decision.
by S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
by Martyn See, No Political Films Please, We're Singaporeans
Speakers Cornered, passed clean by the Board of Film Censors in April, finally received its first public screning yesterday at the Substation Arts Centre.
by Nelson Benjamin, The Star
J.B. Jeyaretnam: The executive makes decisions and policies without any consultation with the people. And what is worrying is that there's no check on the executive, partly because Parliament is int he control of the PAP. And even now, with just two opposition members in parliament, Parliament passes laws and abrogates the powers of the court... The courts are not protecting the rights of the citizens. There is this question of freedom of speech in assembly. The constituion grants it, but government says no. Elections in Singapore are not free and clear, as there is no election commission in Singapore. Parliament is no longer a body that is separate, independent and able to control the executive.
by Alvin Lim, Straits Times
Their long-suffering gripes: long queues, too few stations too far away, 10 minutes to fill up, up to a two-minute wait between cars, shut down of pumps during thunderstorms, and now, rising CNG prices.
by Grace Chng, Straits Times
Loyal iPhone fans have either gone to Hong Kong or asked friends going there to buy the phone for them.
Turns out the iPhones in Hong Kong are not locked to a particular telco. The price of a no-contract iPhone: S$1,600, or about US$1,200.
by Cai Shenjiang, Lianhe Zaobao
by S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
"In your walkabouts, check on the estate maintenance. If Mr Low has done a good job, give him credit for it. If there are deficiencies, point them out to the residents. In short, play the role of an effective opposition in Hougang."
"Eventually I believe we will win Hougang back, but whether we do or not, I think (we should) serve the people. That's what we are here for."
by Bernama
One of the problems of obtaining historical documents taken abroad was that they were difficult to locat eand there was a posibility that were being hidden by certain quarters.
National Archives director-general Sidek Jamil said that was one reason and not that the countries concerned did not want to cooperate.
by Caroline Marcus, The Age
A legal source in Singapore said prosecutors were "scraping the bottom of the barrel" to add new charges in order to make an example of the correspondent.
"Recreational drugs are not accepted and anything to do with it, (the Singapore government) will come down like a ton of bricks," said the source.
by Bernama
Singapore has been told not to test Malaysia through its claim of an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Pulau Batu Puteh as such action is tntamount to "stirring a hornet's nest", foreign minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said Saturday.
"If you want to negotiate, lets negotiate. THere is no need to encroach, no need to test the market or our waters," he told reporters.
by AFP
The number of visitors to Singapore fell 4.1 percent in June, the first monthly decline after more than four years of gains, the city-state's tourism board said.
by Ramesh William and Zaki Jufri, Azia City Singapore
Getting to know three of our city's most famous "eccentrics."
by Grace Ng, Straits Times
The Sraits Times understands that Temasek has in fact not sold half its stake -it only apeared to do so due to a reporting glitch.
by Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
For many, the idea of people selling their kidneys is disgusting. To them it is an ethics issue.
However to the large numbers of kidney sufferers and their loved ones, it is survival.
by Lisa Davies, The Mercury
In his first appearance in public since his arrest last week, there was no evidence of the ebullient on-air persona that Aunty's viewers know so well.
by Dow Jones
Singapore state investment company Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd. continues to hold 87 million shares in Merrill Lynch & Co., nearly the entire stake it purchased in December 2007, two people familiar with the matter said Friday.
An online article dated Thursday stating that Temasek had sold 87 million shares is erroneous, the people told Dow Jones Newswires.
by Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
The Public Service Commission (PSC) said all government scholarships, including those awarded by the Public Service Commission and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), are awarded strictly on merit, regardless of family background.
by Zakaria Abdul Wahab, Bernama
Singapore said Friday that it did not take a new position when senior minister of state for foreign affairs Balaji Sadasivan responded to questions by members of Parliament about Batu Puteh on Monday.
The foreign affairs ministry said Singapore first stated its claim to a territorial sea limit that extended up to a maximum of 12 nautical miles and an exclusive economic zone in the ministry's press statement on Sept 15, 1980.
This was reiterated in another press statement by the ministry on May 23 this year following the International Court of Justice judgment on sovereignty over Pedra Branca (Batu Puteh) and Middle Rocks, it said in a clarification to media queries on the issue.
by Elizabeth Wilmot, Straits Times
An effort to get patrons at a food court to return their trays has had dismal results so far.
Maybe some monetary reward will help move things along, eh?
by Channel NewsAsia
SMRT said it saw increased ridership on its commuter trains, but its bus and taxi operations were hurt by rising fuel costs.
by Channel NewsAsia
The corporatisation of Changi Airport is imminent, with details to be announced soon, said prime minister Lee Hsien Loong at the official opening of Changi Airport's Terminal 3 on Friday.
by Raphael Minder, Financial Times
Asian governments, faced with the highest inflation for a decade or more, are shelving billions of dollars worth of landmark infrastructure projects and shifting funds to more immediate economic assistance.
by Today
"Even as broadcasters strive... to remain competitive... a balance should be struck betweens taying commercially viable and fulfilling their social role."
by Elena Chong, Straits Times
by Jan Dahinten and Koh Gui Qing, The Guardian
Singapore's central bank on Thursday raised its 2008 inflation forecast to 6-7 percent, the third upgrade this year, and warned that price pressures will persist despite a slowdown in economic growth.
by New Straits Times
Be that as it may, the fact that what appears to be a routine regurgitation of standard policy can ruffle diplomatic feathers serves to show that it does not take much to make waves between two countries with a lot of contentious issues to settle.
by Mazwin Nik Anis, The Star
Malaysia will wait for the report from a technical committee before deciding on Singapore's claim to territorial sea and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Batu Puteh. "There is no question of intimidation or untoward expectations," foreign minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said when clarifying a report quoting him as saying that Malaysia would have to study Singapore's recent decision on Batu Puteh to see if the matter was intimidating.
by Yeung Wing Chuen, Straits Times
by Bernama
An international law professor said Wednesday that it was unlawful of Singapore to want to claim a territorial sea and an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Batu Puteh, the rocky outcrop awarded to the republic by the International Cour tof Justice last May in settling an ownership dispute with Malaysia.
Prof Dr Abdul Ghafur Hamid, international law lecturer at the International Islamic University, said the move was ocntrary to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982. UNCLOS stated the rocks which could sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, he said.
See Also:
Pedra Branca EEZ: Singapore's Claim On Shaky Ground, by Evangeline Majawat, New Straits Times.
by Lim Heng Laing and Arlina Arshad, Straits Times
A dormitory for maids, the first of its kind here, will open in Woodlands in September, a development that has been welcomed by activists championing their cause.
by Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
Perhaps what is needed to solve the problem of a declining birth rate is to see Singaporeans first and foremost and always as people, human beings - and treat them as such,. It is, as the prime minister said, about values.
Believe in its people, that what the government need to do first.
by Hedirman Supian, Today
Singapoeans will be the first in Asia to watch the latest episodes of top television shows from the United States, although the premium they will have to pay for this privilege remains to be seen.
Can I get this on my iPod too? Singtel? Starhub? Apple?
by Zul Othman, Today
Every six months, constituents of the late Dr Ong CHit Chung's Bukit Batok ward will see a different Member of Parliament (MP) from the Jurong GRC, of which it is a part, taking care of their zone's affairs.
The other GRCs should take note: If Jurong can do it with one less MP, other GRCs can also simply shave off one MP, and save more than $10,000 per month! Do it for your country! :-)
by Aditi Shivaramakrishnan, New Paper
We all know how Singaporeans often reserve tables at foodcourts, most of hte time with packets of tissue paper. Some may tolerate it. Not Mr Steven Lee, who works in the CBD area. He wants this habit to stop, saying it reflects poorly on Singaporeans.
If "reservation-by-tissue-paper" is stopped, we'd just have "reservation-by-butt". (One person sits at the table, while others go buy food first.)
No, the "correct" way to do it, in my opinion, is to have the food-court operator taking orders at the entrance, and assigning tables to people. And yes, food-court operators will increase rentals, and the increment will be passed on to the customers.
by Heather Tan, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore is now the fifth most expensive city in Asia, according to Mercer Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. Tokyo is the costliest Asian city, followed by Seoul, Hong Kong and Osaka.
And unlike the other cities, there's no easy escape. You can't lower your cost of living by moving to a cheaper area.
by Bernama
Johoreans Wednesday protested the statement by Singapore claiming a territorial sea and an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around Batu Puteh and described it as an act of provocation.
Puteri Wangsa State Assemblyman Datuk Abdul Halim Suleiman said Malaysia should be trapped by the provocation, a tactic the republic used regularly. "Signapore is using this dirty tactic to provoke Malaysia and make us lose focus to find documents and evidence to reclaim Batu Puteh," he told Bernama here Wednesday.
by Associated Press
The rule-obsessed government of Singapore on Wednesday issued a stern advisory to the media: Behave!
by Chemical Generation Singapore
Despite the government's refusal to admit that the fugitive must have escaped Singapore by now, the reward is actually meant for Mas Selamat's support network in Indonesia.
by Martyn See, No Political Films Please, We're Singaporeans
by Mr Wang Says So
If you choose to view babies merely as future economic units, and women merely as economic-unit-producing machines, then the questions becomes - do you, as a government, really dare to bite the bullet? And put yourmoney into this very long-term, risky investment?
by Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore's inflation held at a 26-year high for a third straight month in June, increasing pressure on the central bank to allow further gains in the currency at a time when exports are slowing.
by Today
The police do not actively enforce against consensual gay sex and this "basic approach" has not changed, said home affairs minister Wong Kan Seng, despite a man being charged recently under Section 377A.
by Urbanrant
40 to 80 hours of volunteer service takes precedence over 2.5 years of active service plus 13 years of reserved services, does it make sense?
by P. George, The Star
Such a move on the part of the Immigration Department will only reinforce the perceptions that Malaysian government agencies are prone to policy flip-flops.
by Mazwin Nik Anis, The Star
The city-state should not make unilateral decisions when it comes to Batu Puteh although the rocky outcrop officially belongs to the republic. Foreign minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said it was only proper for Singapore to inform a joint technical committee, set up by the republic and Malaysia, on any decision made.
by Tan Kin Lian, The Online Citizen
I hope that these suggestions can help towards a charitable cause.
I agree with most of the writer's points; but I also believe that government should not be involved.
by Singapore Kopi Tok
by Patwant Singh, Channel NewsAsia
THe locations are Orchard Road, between Orange Grove Road and Anguilia Park; Orchard Boulevard, between Grange Road and Paterson Road; and Serangoon Road, between Buffalo Road and Balestier Road.
by Beneath The Line
People in Malaysia are always given the idea that Singaporean is racists and apply double standards against the Malays. Malays in Singapore are treated badly and all preferential treatment is given to the Chinese and Indian. My personal experience and through conversation with Singaporean themselves is a stark contrast fromt he rumors we Malaysia hear back home. They are actually living in harmony.
by Aaron Ng, Hear Ye! Hear Ye!
We really should give our ministers the best ossible experience of being an average Singaporean.
by Ministry Of Home Affairs, Singapore Government
We will do our utmost to find Mas Selamat whatever it takes. If Mas Selamat has escaped abroad, we will work with the relevant foreign counterparts to track him down and bring him back into custody in Singapore. We have done it before; we will do it again.
by Thomson Financial
Soaring oil prices likely pushed Singapore's inflation to a fresh 26-year high in June, when the rise in consumer prices may have hit its peak, before it decelerates in the second half of the year as the effect of the goods and services tax hike wears off, economists said on Monday.
by Straits Times
The government's light-touch approach to regulate the internet has served Singapore well, and this has led to much public discourse and buzz in the cyberspace, said minister for information, communications and the arts Lee Boon Yang.
by AFP
Singapore has cancelled ASEAN's traditional night of skits and stage acts by ministers at the end of their annual talks, ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan said Tuesday.
by Straits Times
National development minister Mah Bow Tan disclosed this in his written reply to a question from an MP in Parliament on Monday. But he gave the assurance that projects that are essential to meet SIngapore's economic and social needs, such as key infrastructural development, will proceed as planned.
by Seen This Scene That
If indeed this fugitive is still hiding somewhere in these parks and greenery, residents who enjoy dreaming of hw to make money on this Money-No-Enough island now have a uniquely Singaporean chance: make money as you enjoy the fresh air, wide open spaces and rejuvenating greenery of our parks.
by Straits Times
New domitory sites for foreign workers may be located nearer residential areas as Singapore becomes more built up, said national development minister Mah Bow Tan. He urged Singaporeans to be more understanding and accommodating as 'foreign workers are here to contribute to our economic growth.'
by Straits Times
The National Arts Council will review the organisation and form of the Singapore Arts Festival to improve its programming and delivery, said minister for information, communications and the arts Lee Boon Yang. The challenge is for the festival to evolve a programme mix that would continue to meet the goals of artistic and audience development, and to enhance its international position and influence.
by AFP
Singapore is working on a slew of new measures aimed at boosting the city-0state's flagging birth rate, the government said Monday.
by The Star
Malaysia does not take offence to a comment made by Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on the country's political situation, said foreign minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
by Steven Yeo, Straits Times
That means land (and other costs) on which a single block of flats stands costs $15 to $20 million. Can it cost so much?
by Liaw Wy-Cin, Straits Times
Government chalets left to go to seed and unleased for over 14 years and other buildings and tracts of land left empty for years on end - these have come to light in the Auditor-General's annual report.
by Nazry Bahrawi, Today
Two months after being awarded its claim over Pedra Branca, Singapore is going ahead to claim an Exclusive Economic Zone around the island. Dr Balaji Sadasivan, senior minister of state for foreign affairs, told Parliament the "precise coordinates" would be announced at an appropriate time.
by Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
What are these investments and their returns or yields used for, if not to help residents in time of need?
Under the "Town Councils Act", town councils must "establish and maintain... separate sinking funds for improvements to and the management and maintenace of residential property and of commercial property."
Furthermore, the sinking funds cannot be used except for "the purposes of meeting expenses or liabilities properly attributable to that sinking fund." A strict reading — if I understanding correctly, but I am only a layman — seems to imply that the sinking fund cannot be used to "subsidize" regular public service that the S&C charges are used to pay for. If a reduction in S&C charges results in operational charges higher than revenue, town councils cannot, by law, tap into the sinking funds for the shortfall.
The question we should be asking is: can town councils reduce S&C charges without compromises in public services that residents are not willing to forego?
For a start, the town councils must start sending annual financial statements to all their residents. After all, residnets are the major stakeholders. With the financial statments, residents can be better informed on the financial standings of their town councils and make better decisions on who to vote in general elections.
But, town councils do not have the power to use the sinking funds to "help residents in time of need." For that, one has to go to the Parliament. Town councils do not ahve the power to change the percentage of funds channeled into the sinking funds. For that, one has to go to the Ministry of National Developement.
by Manny Mogato, Reuters
The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has begun negotiations for the creation of a human rights body, a senior Philippine official said on Monday, with hopes of cncluding talks in Bangkok next July.
by Desmond Ng, New Paper
That's the cost of a bungalow which developer must forgo to retain tree in present spot.
by Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
Health minister Khaw Boon Wan told Parliament on Monday that the changes will include removing the age limit on cadaveric donors, and could also allow financial compensation by third-parties to altruistic donors.
by Channel NewsAsia
Singapore has rejected the US State Department's assessment that Singapore does not meet the "minimum standards" of the US Trafficking Victims Protection Act 2000. It described the assessment as "unjustified."
See Also:
Trafficking In Persons Report: Singapore, by U.S. Department Of State. Singapore is a destination country for women and girls trafficked for the purpose of labor and commerical sexual exploitation. Some women from India, Thailand, the Philippines, and the People's Republic of China who travel to Singapore voluntarily for prostitution or work are subsequently deceived or coerced into sexual servitude. A significant number of foreign domestic workers in Singapore faces the unlawful confiscation of their travel documents, restrictions on their movement, confinement, and/or physical or sexual abuse. Some Singaporean men travel to countries in the region for child sex tourism.
The government did not prosecute or convict any trafficking offenders during the reporting period, and did not take adequate measures to protect victims of trafficking, particularly foreign domestic workers subjected to forced labor conditions.
by Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu
Raymond Lim, minister for transport said: "Only 24 per cent of drivers incur ERP charges daily, and the majority who do not pay ERP would be better off as a result of the 15 per cent road tax deduction."
Okay, first a nit-pick: Notice his said 24 percent incur charges daily. That simply means that there are other drivers who will incur ERP charges throughout the week, except maybe not daily. Also, I wonder if the use of the term "daily" means every single day, or just Monday to Friday.
Nevertheless, the essential point is valid. Someone who drives daily between Ang Mo Kio and Raffles Place should pay more than someone who drives daily between Yishun and Woodlands. It doesn't make sense to have the same ERP tax applied across all drivers.
by Ng Baoying, Channel NewsAsia
The Singapore economy is not facing stagflation, according to the senior minister of state for trade and industry, S Iswaran. Speaking in parliament on Monday, he noted however that inflation will remain high and will not return to previous lower levels anytime soon.
by Straits Times
Keeping Singapore's roads smooth-flowing is vital to a vibrant and productive economy, said transport minister Raymond Lim on Monday. That's why it would not be prudent to freeze the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges - even in thse times of escalating fuel prices and rising cost of living - as thie does not mean that the motorists will incur no costs.
by Straits Times
'Perfection is the ideal to aim for. But imperfection is the reality we have to work with everyday.'
by Alice Cheong In Wonderland
by Channel NewsAsia
The million dollar reward has been put up by two private individuals who approached the home affairs ministry.
by Straits Times
"The more our populations understand that Asean is relevant to their well-being, the deeper will be their sense of belonging and community, and the more we will be able to achieve in our integration efforts."
by Urbanrant
By allowing organ trading, the Singaporean government seems to be saying that wealthy but otherwise unhealthy people can simply buy a replaceable part from a poorer person.
This article, I think, is not making an "slippery slope" argument.
by Lee Hui Chieh, Straits Times
The health ministry has suggested 'a couple of names' as potential candidates to head Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre, health minister Khaw Boon Wan said yesterday.
Yes, the MOH is that confident that Ming Yi will be proven guilty.
by Jane Ng, Straits Times
Raffles Junior College is looking at offering a broad-based two-year diploma covering everything from philosophy to science as an alternative to the A levels.
by Radio Australia
ASEAN foreign ministers have expressed deep disappointment over the extension of the house arrest of Burma's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
by Today
The unique feature of an airport is the sight of aeroplanes, but sadly the authorities of Changi Airport seem to be missing out on this point.
My daughter was quite disappointed when we couldn't see a single plane the last time we went to T3. (It was at night.) Of course, she was even more disappointed when she discovered that daddy cannot just simply buy us some tickets to go Hong Kong Disneyland on the spot there and then. :-)
by Pokpong Lawansiri, Bangkok Post
THe Asean human right sbody now in its formative stages should not be merely a window dressing mechanism; it should be able to carry out significant monitoring, investigation, and protection work, and should be empowered to conduct fact-finding missions and access human rights victims.
by Hedy Khoo, New Paper
It was the hottest steamboat buffet she ever had - literally. That was because the air-conditioning and lights were switched off - while she and other customers were still eating.
The restaurant is Bei Shan Chuan Spicy Seafood Restaurant at VicoCity.
by Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia
Crooners, stunt performers and daredeveil magicians - they are just some of the 20 acts hoping to perform at SupperClub, a restaurant, bar concept space started in Amsterdam with branches worldwide.
by Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia
"The key problem is exploitation. So if you can find a way to eliminate exploitation or minimise exploitation to a low level, isn't that a better outcome, than pretending that the problem doesn't exist but the exploitation continues?"
by Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia
Liposuction was previously unregulated, leading to calls to plastic surgeons on the health ministry to tighten rules on the procedure.
by Singapore Bus Page
by Zakaria Abdul Wahab, Bernama
According to its former prime minister Goh Chok Tong, the primary reason was that Singapore had a fair and just government.
by Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
A quiet evolution is beginning to sweep across Singapore schools on a scale that has even taken parents by surprise.
by Frankie Chee, Straits Times
It's durian season now, but some Singaporeans prefer to head to the jungle for their fix.
by Jamie Ee Wen Wei and Gabriel Yue, Straits Times
Rise in number of companies with policies to improve work-life balance.
by Gerald Giam, Singapore Patriot
So much of his speech is applicable even to Singapore and Singaporeans.
by The Online Citizen
What is perhaps the more worrying development over the past months is the increasing chance that the government's competency could start coming into question.
by Zakaria Abdul Wahab, Bernama
Singapore's key principle in its relations with its neighbours is not to take sides in their domestic politics, foreign affairs minister George Yeo said.
by Yeo Ghim Lay, Straits Times
The increases, ranging from 30 cents to 60 cents, come as transport operators are feeling the pinch from rising fuel costs.
by The Economist
A rare slip-up in court by Singapore's elder statesman, Lee Kuan Yew.
by Eastcoastlife
Sheila mentioned that an MOE officer (from public affairs probably) told her editor who was on good terms with them, "we have a good relationshiop going on, don't pursue the matter further."
by Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
Among its plans, the new inter-agency committee will examine Singapore's farming policy while investing in food production overseas.
by Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
Some shops said takings have dropped by up to 70 per cent, compared to when T3 first opened early this year.
by Leslie Koh, Straits Times
by Christopher Tan, Straits Times
Many became disillusioned as when they started they wanted to be an educator but they eventually became more of an administrator.
by Lee Hui Chieh, Straits Times
Donations to Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre have pluged. It collected just $1.1 million in the last seven months, down from the $9.3 million that came in over the same period last year.
by Travelpod
We had to walk 30 steps outside the buidling on Singapore soil from the arrival hall to the departure hall. Seriously, couldn't a tunnel have been built?
by ABC News
by Sholto Byrnes, New Statesman
Put bluntly, liberal democracy has no historic roots in the Asean countries; and after independence there were plenty of reasons why more authoritarian forms of governemnt swiftly became the norm.
by Matt Pasterfield, Today
What you gain on the one hand, you lose with the other.
It's seldom a zero-sum game. How do we know we can't tick more boxes, unless we try?
by Thomas Koshy, Today
Why not allow taxis, which now cruise empty past bus stops, to pick up those waiting for feeder buses and drive them to the nearest hub for a flat charge of $1 or less? Wastage from empty cruising would be cut dow. Taxi drivers would have a new revenue source. Commuters would have a shorter wait.
There is a serious gap in the market between public bus/train service and taxi. LTA need to open up the market for competition beyond just premium buses which have too many rules and regulations.
by Zakaria Abdul Wahab, Bernama
Singapore companies should work collectively when taking on new markets if they want their overseas ventures to thrive, prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said Thursday.
by Gerald Giam, The Online Citizen
We Singaporeans need to cease being observers on the sidelines, and take the future in our own hands.
by Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia
While it said it fully respected the families' right and prerogative to express their wishes, it said the question of responsibility had been fully investigated with the findings made public.
by Michael Backman, The Age
Singapore's leaders cocoon themselves against challenge and seem affronted by scrutiny It's as if they haven't done a good job in building Singapore. But they have, and that is the frustration. Why must they act as if they haven't?
As you read through the measured paragraphs of the IBA report, you can almost feel the pleading; the advice to a friend: "you're wealthy, you're educated, you're like us now. Take that final step — join us — the community of civil, prosperous socieities. Do it, before you embarrass yourself more." But this friend is too proud to listen.
by Mollymeek
We must fear change. We must change. We must fear change when it's not directed by the PAP. We mus tembrace change when it's directed by the PAP for we must stay relevant in this world. This is one of the basic messages that we get all the time, directly or indirectly.
Absurdity.
by Perry Tong, A Singaporean
by Today
The key implication here for the Public Transport Council (PTC) and public trasnport operators is that should there be an increase in public transport fares, they have to, at the same time, raise overall quality standards which are visible to commuters.
by Ethel Chong, Today
Intimate scenes of Tony Leung's character and his wife are censored, yet the battle scenes are more than gratutious.
As a society, we seems to be able accept violence more in our arts than nudity. We are okay to allow our children to see people dying unnaturally than people loving naturally.
by Tan Kin Lian, The Online Citizen
by Chio Su-Mei, Channel NewsAsia
The move by Smart Automobile comes in the wake of a similar announcement by ComfortDelGro last week.
It doesn't make any sense for Smart not to follow suit.
by New Zealand Herald
by Straits Times
The common taxi booking number will complement the taxi companies' call booking systems, which will continue to be in use. The call will first be routed to one selected taxi company's call centre. If the lines there are busy, the call will automatically be re-routed to another taxi company's call centre.
by Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu
This article by Andrew Loh in The Online Citizen shouldn't be published in the manner it is published. Venerable Shi Ming Yi has not been proven guilty, but this article has strong implications that he is guilty.
Even though Mr Loh is careful in stating that "the monk's guilt is yet to be ascertained", the photograph of Shi Ming Yi is pasted just underneath the headline "Even if these men fail...". Further into the article, Andrew Loh wrote "let us not forget the very good work which the other volunteers and staff at these organisations are doing" — the "these organisations" refer to Ren Ci's medical facilities, implying that Shi Ming Yi is guilty.
Shi Ming Yi may well be proven guilty in the near future, but let's presume he is innocent now.
by Kee Lay Cheng, Housing & Development Board, Straits Times
Currently, a new four-room flat can cost close to $300,000 to develop, taking into account land, building and other costs. This is signficantly higher than the subsidised price of a four-room flat in Punggol/Sengkang sold by HDB at about $200,000 to $260,000.
Again, note what the government didn't say. The government did not say that a new four-room flat cost $300,000 on average to build. It may well be comparing the development cost of a 4-room flat in Chinatown versus the selling price of a 4-room flat in Punggol.
by Michael Teo, The Guardian
To worship a western model as the only way, and dismiss all other solutions as authoritarian or undemocratic, is surely the ultimate anaesthetic for the brain.
by Diana Othman, Straits Times
THe High Commission of Malaysia in Singapore confirmed the renewl of this requirement on Tuesday, after some confusion over the move, which was to be enforced on Wednesday.
by Kevin Yao, Reuters
Singapore's depressed money market rates will stay that way for a while as the central bank continues to buy dollars to limit currency appreciation, flooding the market with money, analysts said on Tuesday.
by Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore's retail sales growth slowed in May as consumers bought fewer cars and spent less on furniture amid the fastest inflation in 26 years.
by Channel NewsAsia
Ren Ci Hospital CEO Venerable Shi Ming Yi voluntarily resigned on Monday, according to a statement from the hospital.
by Channel NewsAsia
The 16.6 km-long line comprises one depot and 12 stations stretching from Rochor, along Bukit Timah Road and Bukit Panjang.
I still don't understand why LTA refused to extend this line all the way to Choa Chu Kang or Yew Tee. The little Bukit Panjang LRT is not going to able to take the additional load from people transferring between the North-South line and Downtown line. Is this a case of penny-wise pound-foolish?
by Les Tan, Red Sports
No self-respecting coach will ever choose a player just based on the player's place of birth.
by Wall Street Journal
Singapore is unlikely to reform its political or judicial system anytime soon. But when the country is ready to join the ranks of modern democracies, the IBA's recommendations provide a good checklist of how to do so.
by Channel NewsAsia
Head of Ren Chi Hospital, the Venerable Shi Ming Yi has been charged with alleged forgery, conspiracy and misue of funds.
by Bernama
Malaysia does not give in to Singapore to the extend of sacrificing national interests when dealing with the island republic. Instead, it prefers negotiations and referring to the law to resolve issues or disputes with Singapore. Minister in the prime minister's department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the move had been taken in dealing with several Malaysia-Singapore issues.
by Judith Tan and Carolyn Quek, Straits Times
The families of the five paddlers who died last November in Cambodia want the Singapore Dragon Boat Association to admit it had failed to insist that life jackets be worn for the race and apologise for this.
by Lin Yanqin, Today
Mr Lim Boon Heng, minister in the prime minister's office and Jurong GRC MP, said the other four MPs in the five-member GRC will take care of the late Dr Ong's Bukit Batok ward and would be meeting to discuss the sharing of the responsibility.
There is not a requirement under the Parliamentary Elections Act should a GRC seat be vacated between General Elections, law professor and nominated MP THio Li-ann said.
by Koh Gui Qing, Reuters
Singapore's central bank said it is closely monitoring financial markets in the wake of the risis surrounding U.S. mortgage finance firms Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and warned of significant downside risks in global financial markets.
by Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's Public Transport Council said commuters here are likely to face fare hikes of under 1.8 per cent or even less. Chairman Gerad Ee gave this assurance as bus and train commuters brace themselves for an impedning fare hike to be announced in two months.
by mrbrown
Contrary to what the government wants you to think, the bicycle is not just for recreation and getting around in your estate. It is a very viable form of transport. Now go out and ride safe. And above all, have fun.
by Susan Ferroa, Channel NewsAsia
by Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen
How much is enough for our transport companies? And why doe the Public Transport Council seem more interested in protecting the profits of these companies than the welfare of the commuters?
I think the government's position is very clear in this case: the government will protect the public transport companies in earning "reasonable returns", so that the companies will continue to invest in the public transport industry. Critics of this policy, I believe, must show either that the profits generated by the companies is significant higher than "reasonable returns", given the amount of investment required and the amount of risks taken, or that this policy created more harm than good for the commuters and the public transport industry. I don't think this article made any advances in criticising the existing policy.
by Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times
The problme, at least for some travellers, is that the millimetre wave scanner also produces image sthat outline body contours too clearly for comfort.
by Today
It sometimes boils down to the unwillingness of some schools' administrators to work out what's best for the children instead of what's only good for the school.
by P N Balji, Today
Unfortunately, the PAP government had essentially reduced political and civil service jobs to simply high-paying jobs. People who have the passion and the calling are not going to apply for jobs that make them seem like they are just going after big money.
by Grace Chua, Straits Times
School bus operators, butten by skyrocketing diesel price, could soon start charging parents $10 to $15 more a month to ferry schoolchildren.
by Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, International Herald Tribune
The gloom that has descended on much of the world's aviation industry is far from affecting everybody, and some Asian low-cost airlines are drawing up expansion plans, looking at opportunities where others see losses.
by Judith Tan, Straits Times
Shops and restaurants around the Singapore Flyer say they are losing money because most visitors head straight for the newly minted ride and skip their businesses.
by Huang Shoou Chyuan, nofearSingapore
Consider a minimal wage for certain sectors where locals may conceivably work in.
by Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia
Health minister Khaw Boon Wan has not rejected the idea of legalising organ trading in Singapore but he said it must be studied more carefully. When organs are obtained from outside the family, Mr Khaw said, this means the success rate may fall further if Singapore allows organs to be bought or sold, as family members may stop donating them under the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA).
by Valarie Tan, Channel NewsAsia
For the Singapore Medical Association (SMA), after much internal discussion, it has come to a collective stand that it does not support legalised organ trading.
by Aw Cheng Wei and Priscilla Goy, Straits Times
Two chains are okay with those who power up their devices in their outlets, but malls are less tolerant.
by Christopher Tan, Straits Times
If the 'cost burden' has to be shared, perhaps the government should shoulder part of it.
by The Online Citizen
Is minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew trying to create fear, or anxiety, among Singaporeans? DOes what he says deserve serious consideration?
Reminds me of Microsoft in the bad old days.
by Mr Wang Says So
In the end, we just have to accept that the criminal legal system is imperfect. Some factually guilty persons may be found legally innocent. Some factually innocent persons may be found legally guilty. Life is inherently too complicated for such things to never happen. THe criminal legal system has to constantly work towards minimising such risks, that is all.
by K. C. Vijayan, Straits Times
A High Court judge has taken issue with the government's position that people acquitted of crimes may not necessarily be innocent.
This is what I wrote back in May, 2008: Innocence and guilt must be binar description, otherwise, the idea of "innocence until proven guilty" doesn't work. But it must work.
"Innocence until proven guilty" is something that we, as citizens, must continue to uphold, despite the blurring by the government and the local media.
by Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's home affairs ministry says that to date, there has been no intelligence or information to suggest that escaped Jemaah Islamiyah leader Mas Selamat Kastari is in Indonesia.
What is notable is what MHA didn't say: that there are any evidence Mas Selamat is still in Singapore.
by Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
Singapore is becoming increasingly foreign - demographically speaking. The overall impact has been an economically and socially flourishing island state.
by John Gaudiosi, Reuters
Apple Inc's new iPhone 3G and accompanying App Store is set to put the company known for technology innovation into another lucrative space — gaming.
by Reuters
Asked whether Kastari might be hiding in Indonesia, Indonesian police chief Sutanto told reporters: "It's possible."
by William Littler, Toronto Star
What better place to mount a cross-cultural festival bringing together art and artists from around the globe, including Canada?
by Sue-Ann Chia, Straits Times
"We are not stupid people. They give us all these advice... Who are they? Have they ever run a country, created jobs for community and given them a life? We have and we know what it requires."
There is a serious lack of reflection from the PAP leaders.
by Au Waipang, Yawning Bread
The attorney-general should not be using 377A at all and should not be defending the need for it on the basis of sexual abuse of minors.
by Au Waipang, Yawning Bread
Woon preferred to merely label others as "fanatics" and then trying to save himself by saying he was mainly referring to foreigners. This is quite typical of what those who are obliged to serve the state find themselves reduced to — having to fend off the PAP's critics without seeming partisan.
by mrbrown
So what if you have the fastest train service in the world, but the wait for your feeder bus, the last bit of your journey, is longer than the train ride itself?
by Selene Cheng, The Online Citizen
Jeyaretnam said he hoped to "educate, energise and empower" the people, and "liberate them from their captivity" so they realised their "powers and responsibilities".
by Lim Boon Hee, Straits Times
It is criminal to make commuters of direct routes pay more to offset the profits lost from multiple transfers by this new distnce-based fare structure.
WIth the hub-and-spoke method of planning for routes, the majority of the passengers will have a direct route.
by Zakaria Abdul Wahab, Bernama
Singapore has become successful and earned the respect of the world community today because it has been governed by able leaders who have high integrity and are not corrupted, former prime minister Le Kuan Yew said Friday night.
by New Paper
Signs have been put up at immigration booths to alert travellers that it will soon be necessary to fill up the cards again.
by Singapore Kopi Tok
The views of the vocal few are important, but let's not forget about those of the silent majority.
Did anyone ask what the silent majority really want? Are you sure, for any particular issue, there is even a silent majority?
by Wong Siew Ying, Channel NewsAsia
Nineteen people facing charges of illegal assembly near Parliament House earlier this year intend to claim trial.
by CHio Su-Mei, Channel NewsAsia
From July 17, passengers on Comfort and CityCab taxis will have to pay a 30-cent surcharge per journey. Singapore's largest taxi group ComfortDelGro said this is to help its cabbies cope with increases in diesel costs.
by Blowin' In The Wind
Singapore seems to be caught in a perfect storm from which not even its government's fabled economic management can bail it out.
by Joan Koh, Time
In Singapore, a cluster of gastrobars, as they're called, are becoming dining destinations in their own rights, dishing out the likes of o-toro sashimi and Boston lobster to famished partygoers.
by Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu
From Techgoondu, on the new Zen X-Fi from Creative: It has most of what the pricier - and longer - Apple iPod Touch has and more. Wi-Fi? Check. Video playback (including DivX and WMV)? Check. SD card slot for additional expansion? Check. Wait, there's also built-in FM and a microphone.
Well, let's start to check other things. Macintosh support? Push e-mail/contact/calendar (Mobile Me)? Exchange? iTunes-like powerful smart playlist? Bookmarkable audio, automatically? Two-way sync of bookmarked location? Two-way sync of play count and last play information? One-click podcast subscription? Web browser? Email? PDF viewer? Microsoft Office viewer? YouTube? Dictionary? H.264 video? App Store? Third-party applications?
The statement by Techgoondu, "Would you pay twice as much for [iPod Touch] with less stuff just to look cool" is simply wrong.
Yes, the Creative product may well be cheaper, and it has some features that the iPod touch do not have. But, remember, there are also other "features" that iPod Touch have over the Zen X-Fi. It's not just about coolness. iPod touch do not have less stuff.
(I am not saying Creative Zen X-Fi is not a good product. I don't know, not having used one, having only see the specs as posted by Creative. What I am saying is that Creative Zen X-Fi do not have all the features of an iPod Touch. Not even "most" of the features. And no, I'm not talking about being cool.)
by The Online Citizen
by Neo Chai Chin, Today
Heavy users of public transport have been asking for it, and soon, an integrated season pass for commuters could become a reality. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said yesterday that such a season pass would likely be introduced by the end of this year.
by Teh Jen Lee, New Paper
The commercials are meant to be funny, says Swensen's restaurant. But some viewers say they promote the wrong values.
by Today
Why not build smoking booths with air purifiers in public places, like they have done in Japan?
I hope we'll reverse the laws in the near future, such that smoking is only permitted at destinated places.
by Christopher Tan, Straits Times
Public transport commuters whose journeys include transfers will enjoy lower fares from a fourth quarter. This is because the government is phasing in a new system that calculates fares according to distance, regardless of the number of transfers.
See Also: Commuters To Gain From Sharing Of Higher Productivity In The Revised Formula, by Public Transport Council, Singapore Government. (Note: PDF document.)
by Ned Stark, Winter Is Coming
The Singapore government has shown a rather hobbesian view towards criticism; which may yet bode ill for us in the future.
by Eunice Chu, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Straits Times
The millions of travellers want speed and convenience. The security arrangements put in place have to take that into account.
by Chio Su-Mei, Channel NewsAsia
Transport analysts favour the new fare formula that was announced by the Public Transport Council (PTC) on Thursday because it takes into consideration the inflatio rate and changes to wages.
by Hsnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia
CK Tang chairman Tang Wee Sung was slapped with three charges in court on Thursday for his role in the kidney-for-sale case. If convicted of all three charges, he could be fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to three years.
by Mr Wang Says So
It's always the same stuff. Just a matter of cutting and pasting and shifting the words and sentences around, to achieve the desired degree of politeness or hostility, in each particular case.
by Hard Hitting In The Lion City
Now on some degree I agree with finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, after all Singapore's economy suffered a 6.6% decline in the second quarter. What I disagree with him is what's being done to help Singaporeans cope with growing inflation.
by Thomson Financial
Singapore may revise its 2008 inflation forecast of 5 to 6 percent if oil and food prices continue to escalate, minister for finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam said late Wednesday.
by Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore's economy expanded at the slowest pace in five years in the second quarter, as manufacturers cut production amid declining orders and accelerating inflation crimped spending.
by Chen Hwai Liang, Press Secretary to Prime Minister, Today
The Singapore model is not a free-wheeling Western liberal democracy. But it is an honest and open system, with an independent judiciary upholding the rule of law. Singaporeans are free to express their views, challenge the government, and content in free and fair elections. But that does not give them the right to defame others or break the law.
by May Wong, Channel NewsAsia
Finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has warned that Singapore could face another round of inflation if companies increase wages to help workers cope with the higher cost of living today.
Let's see. Choice number 1: I receive a raise, and there will be another round of inflation. Choice number 2: I don't receive a raise, and there may or may not be another round of inflation. Thank you, Mr Finance Minister, I think I'll be safer with choice number 1.
(Of course, this message is not directed at the employers. This message is directed at the employees, saying, hey, it's okay if you don't raise wages. The government will support it, and the government will tell the people to support it.)
by Bernama
by Irene Ngoo, Straits Times
The Singapore government, responding to human rights allegations by an international association of lawyers, on Wednesday dismissed them as without substance and feeble. The Singapore government said the association did not justify its 'grave allegation' of bias with evidence, and slammed its statement as 'a feeble justification'.
by Asia Sentinel
It was the kind of error that would earn a Singapore opposition politician a trial for perjury, probably with a heavy fine and perhaps a jail term. But when Lee Kuan Yew testified in the recent trial of opposition leader Chee Soon Juan probably "misspoke" - told a crucial untruth, deliberate or not.
by AFP
Despite its impressive economic development, Singapore fails to meet international standards for political and human rights and there are concerns about the independence of its judiciary, an association of lawyers said.
by Au Waipang, Yawning Bread
The problem isn't what to do about organ trading. The problem is why poverty and inequality are so severe.
by Feed Me To The Fish
by Lee Lilian, The Itch To Write
Aren't taxis public transport? Why make it so difficult for this group of Singaporeans to make a living?
On a macro level, taxi is simply not an efficient public transport, compared to buses and trains. If one taxi journey makes the same level of congestion as a private car, then the congestion tax should be the same.
The government shouldn't have any obligations to make sure taxi drivers can make a living. The obligation by the government should be that if taxi drivers want to switch career, there are jobs waiting for them.
by Jeremy Au Yong, Straits Times
by Bernama
Minister of human resources Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said he had proposed that the employment-related agencies in both countries cooperate closely so that the safety of Malaysian workers could be better protected.
by Bernama
by Jim Wolf, Reuters
Singapore has shown interest in possibly buying up to 100 of Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft over coming decades, matching Israel's tentative plans, the general in charge of the program for the Pentagon said on Monday.
by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, The Nation
What went wrong was that Singapore simply overlooked the mounting importance of pluralism in Thailand. Both Singapore and Temasek need to do more homework on the reality and nature of Thai politics.
by Gerald Giam, The Online Citizen
by Liew Hanqing, New Paper
by Geoffrey Lim, Land Transport Authority, and Andrew David Fassam, Urban Redevelopment Authority, Today
The tunnels of Downtown Line 1 (DTL1) have to swing clear of the Rochor Flyover foundations. Second, the current Bugis Station is built on a diaphragm-walled foundation comprising deep and heavily-reinforced concrete walls. This limits the locations the DTL1 tunnels can pass below without compromising the existing station's foundations.
by Buzz Asia
Why is all this oppression necessary in a peaceful and prosperous country like Singapore where citizens otherwise enjoy so many freedoms? Mr Chee has his own theory that the answer lies with strongman Lee Kuan Yew himself.
by Nesa Subrahmaniyan and Dinakar Sethuraman, Bloomberg
Temasek Holdings Pte, Singapore's government-owned investment company, put the city-state's largest utility up for sale after an auction of a smaller generator this year drew bids from groups that include banks.
by Techgoondu
By disallowing true number portability, this simply goes against the initial reason for implementing what IDA calls 'full number portability' - which is to empower consumers with choice and presumably promote and liberalise the local telco market.
by Around The World In 180 Days
Yes, in some respects it is the ultimate police state, reminiscent of The Village in the TV series The Prisoner. On the other hand, the people are happy and prosperous, crime is very low, and the country has the highest rate of home-ownership in the whole of Asia. Worth keeping in mind the merits of benign dictatorships.
by Tor Ching Li, Wall Street Journal
"The F&B industry is a very tough business, so you have to be really passionate about it and be willing to start from the bottom. A solid foundation is necessary before being able to excel and stay with it."
Hard work and passion: there's no luck in being successful. Just the readiness to seize on opportunities.
by Jermyn Chow, Straits Times
Full-time national serviceman Dave Teo Ming on Monday was sentenced to a total of nine years and two months jail, and 18 strokes of the cane on three charges of being in possession of a rifle, live bullets and knife.
by Insane Polygons
So as National Day draws closer each day, I asked myself all those years of blindly reciting the pledge - is this the best we that we can do? Is this the best that we can do? Is this the best that the government can do?
by Leong Wee Keat, Today
by Leong Wee Keat, Today
Motorists are certainly keeping closer tabs on the cost of driving, as fuel prices and parking charges also climb.
by See Leong Kit, Straits Times
This market-based pricing approach caused new flat prices and resale flat prices to chase each other in an upward spiral, affecting buyers of both new and resale flats.
Has the government lost its sense of serving the poeple, and is now just running like a commercial entity? Should we just rename the PAP government to Temasek government?
by Deanna Choo, Inland Revenue Authority Of Singapore, Straits Times
Iras will not hesitate to apologse for lapse and did so in Madam Cheah's case.
by Ng Sook Fun, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, Straits Times
Full mobile number portability is offered only within those respective service offerings.
Why does it seem that the IDA is being pulled by the nose by the telcos? Why is full number portability so hard that after more than a decade, there are still so many gotchas for the customers?
by Christopher Tan, Straits Times
Besides the half dozen announced for spots along roads such as Commonwealth Aveneue, Alexandra Road and Serangoon Road, 16 more are planned for the new Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), which will run 12km from East Coast Parkway in the south to Tampines Expressway in the north. According to a Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesman, however, they will not all be switched on at the same time, unless the average speed dips below 45kmh in the tunnels.
by Scott Rochfort, Sydney Morning Herald
The stranglehold of Qantas on the Australia-US route faces a fresh challenge after the Victorian government called on its federal counterpart to grant Singapore Airlines and other "third country" airlines access on the lucrative route.
by Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen
Are we being complacent in shouldering our responsibiity by not leading by example?
by Liang Kaixin and Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia
Senior minster of state for transport Lim Hwee Hua said: "What I think this whole package says is that there are a lot of trade-offs that have to be made. At the end of it, we will have to decide whether our time... the quality of life is more important."
by AFP
Singapre's booming residential property sector is finally showing signs of cooling but projects including two casino developments should underpin long-term prices, analysts say.
by Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia
"We are not a participant. It's important we don't take sides in their domestic politics, indeed in the domestic politics of any neighbouring country. It is not wise and it will only complicate our bilateral relations. We deal with whoever is in power."
by Good Morning Yesterday
At the time when guys of my generation were leaving school in the late sixties and seventies, coffee houses became very popular for young working adults.
My only memories of coffee house are those in the Hong Kong drama serial. :-)
by Channel NewsAsia
Gopalan Nair, a former Singaporean who currently faces two charges for insulting two High Court judges, has been arrested for disorderly behaviour in public and for using abusive words against police officers.
by Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
If the PAP cannot improve the lives of the middle class and the poor, it could face a crisi in the 2011 election.
by My Singapore News
We should have more opinionated pieces on issues local and foreign to give readers a chance to examine them more throughly and provoke into thinking a little more.
We should have all kinds of reporting — "objective" and opinionated.
by The Online Citizen
by Mr Wang Says So
No one really believes that the Singapore press has its own indepndent opinions. Certainly not the Malaysian government.
by The Online Citizen
The government's much-lauded Workfare Scheme might actually end up doing very little for low-income groups. It could result in wages for low-income groups continuing to be depressed by lessening the incentive of employers to pay better wages.
On a selfish level, I must wonder why I, as a taxpayer, must subsidise the rich tai-tais that employ cheap maids, the kopitiams that employ cheap cleaners, and the zhi-chai stall owners to emply cheap cooks.
by K. C. Vijayan and Chua Hian Hou, Straits Times
Legal tussle over online recordings of TV shows that web users can download.
by Cheang Peng Wah, Straits Times
It is clear that much extra work is being done just to accommodate cyclists on footpaths so as to produce a successful trial.
We are now in the wayang phase.
by Mollymeek
With no reference to any particular person, the manipulative use facts to cause others to form their own distortions; the foolish distort facts and eventually convince themselves of the veracity of their own distortions; and the wise arrive at truths by themselves.
The bimbotic merely watches, half weeping, half laughing.
by Chee Soon Juan, Singapore Democratic Party
You hide the fact ath I was referring to Mr Singh's wild conclusions, and that since he was making all these allegations, he might as well throw in these terms.
Your letter was not even a case of taking my words out of context, it was a wholesale twist of imputing to me something I was not saying. It is childish, unbecoming and a gross lack of intellectual decency.
by Straits Times
Launched by the Land Transport Authority and Transitlink on Friday, the online service integrates information on both buses and trains and will help commuters travel more seamlessly.
by S Satish Appoo, National Environment Agency, Straits Times
We accept there will be areas where enforcement may not be adequate. We encourage the public to continue giving feedback on smoking-prohibition infringements they come across by calling our 24-hour hotline.
by Gerald Giam, The Online Citizen
The organ sellers — poor, rural Indonesians — were punished with the full force of the law, while their rich buyers may not even face prosecution.
by Yeong Yoon Ying, Press Secretary To Minister Mentor, Today
I enclose p. 115 of the verbatim court reporting transcript of the hearing on 28 May 2008. Line 11 onwards reads:
Mr Davinder Singh: "... And to conclude on Dr Chee's submissions, he says that he doesn't wish Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Lee Hsien Loong ill. In that same breath, he says he stands by The New Democrat article, which alleged that they are 'criminals, corrupt, and covered up matters in the NKF'. And under his breath he's now just said 'murderers and robbers'."
Dr Chee: "And rapists, too, you might as throw it in, you know, right? Child molesters".
Mr Singh: "And this is the man who says 'I don't wish them ill'."
by Sheralyn Tay, Today
But government should do more, says top cardiologist, urging more heart checks.
by Leonard Lim and Yeo Ghim Lay, Straits Times
With the Formula One race set to roll into town in late September, Singaporeans can expect extensive road closures in the City Hall and Marina Centre area.
With the government extracting huge amount of money from the hotels around the area, I wonder if the government is paying compensations to all the shops affected by the loss of human traffic during the race.
by Wary Of The Waves
And in my whole 2 decades and a third of life in Singapore, no one ever told me what patriotism should mean to me.
by Mr Wang Says So
And what about old media — would it reinforce only the "right" ideas? Well, perhaps you would say so. Especially if you belong to the ruling party and the state controls all the old media organisations. Including the ideas that the media organisations write about.
by This Lush Garden Within
The government would appear to be working for the benefit of the dominant political party, rather than the other way round.
by Stonemole
I am always struck when I go to Singapore by the juxtaposition of old and new buildings all around the country.
by Gabriel Sim, Simply Gab
by Tym Blogs Too
So one is releasing information out there in the hope of getting something good back in return, while the other is still concerned with the Sisyphean task of outshouting the crazies.
As a tax-paying citizen, I certainly know which project I'd rather my government be working on.
by Perry Tong, A Singaporean
Is the press then to be held liable and responsible for what is today a truth and proved to be a lie tomorrow? Or vice-versa?
by Alton Tan, The Online Citizen
Will the government only finally step in when low/middle income citizens resort to bicycles as a form of transportation and public transport becomes nothing but a luxury for the poor?
by Singapore Democratic Party
IBA has confirmed to the SDP that there was no such letter. According to the IBA its president did not write such a letter. The Law Society of Singapore has also denied that it has received any such letter from the IBA.
by John Kampfner, The Guardian
A modern form of authoritarianism, quite distinct from Soviet Communism, Maoism of Fascism, is being born. It is providing a modicum of a good life, and a quiet life, the ultimate anaesthetic for the brain.
by P N Balji, Today
We will leave it to our readers to judge us on that.
See Also: 'Treat With Much More Circumspection Allegations...', by Dato'n Prameswaran, High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore.
by Chee Soon Juan, Singapore Democratic Party
The outrageousness of Madam Yeong's lie borders on the comedic. Mr Lee Kuan Yew, or his counsel, is in possession of court transcripts and audio-recordings that would show whether I had uttered those words. He must now produce the part of the transcript that quotes me saying those words or he risks destroying his own credibility.
by Presenting The(new)mediaslut!
Both food establishments have devied that the best way of addressing a complain is to take down the posts. While they have erased the unhappiness in the short term, the long term damage is done.
by Kaffein-nated
The PAP responses these days have really gotten weirder and weirder. I have to contend with "Singaporeans are complacent", "What to do, it has happened", "Let's move on", "I am appalled and flabbergusted", "GST is to help the poor"...
by Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
Minister for community development, youth and sports Vivian Balakrishnan said politics in the future will be marked by a diversity of views, but a diversity of ideas will not necessarily lead to the discovery of truths.
Truths? Politics is never about truths. It is more about compromises.
by Tan Kin Lian, The Online Citizen
Make our people feel that it is a privilege, and not a burden, to be a Singaporean citizen.
by Singapura Daily Makan Photo
by Kelvin Kwan Chee Hong, Today
by Straits Times
It's the return of ASCII art. :-)
by Boon Chan, Straits Times
The censors have received feedback that the Mike Myer's film might be 'religiously sensitive,' said the Media Developement Authority in a statement on Tuesday.
by Malaysiakini
The Malaysia high commissioner to Singapore has taken personal exception to a news article on Rosmah Mansor, the wife of deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, hinting this could well lead to bilateral relations being strained again. The article, 'First Lady-in-waiting', was published in English-language daily Today on June 27.
by Straits Times
Reversing a rule that dates back more than three decades, the government will allow motorists to get their scrap and COE rebates in cash when they deregister their cars from Sept 1. The move, announced by the Land Transport Authority on Tuesday, is to make it easier for car owners to give up their cars and switch to public transport.
by World Enough And Time
The cost of living here must be astronomical, I think.
by Yeo Ghim Lay, Straits Times
Minister for national development Mah Bow Tan said that while the majority of residents responded well to the trial, it will be extended so more can be done to ensure that cyclists and pedestrians have an easier time on footpaths.
The cynic in me thinks that the original trial did not meet the targets that enable cyclists to move onto pedestrian footpaths, so the trial is extended so that "things" can be "fine-tuned". The decision has been made; now it's just to make sure the evidence supporting the decision will exist in the next six months.
by Christopher Tan, Straits Times
The previous fare formula was based on inflation, wages of commuters and the productivity of the transport operators, with weightage given to inflation. If that formula was still in place, fares could rise by 3.85 per cent - or about five cents per ride - from October.
Next year, the increase in public transport fares could be far higher as inflation is now hovering at a 26-year high of 7.5 per cent.
by Philippe Legrain, Centre For Governance And Leadership
The benefits of migration and diversity are significant. Ultimately, they are key factors of why cities are a catalyst for innovation and are so economically successful. Thus countries—and cities—that do not attract newcomers increasingly risk falling behind.
by Huang Shoou Chyuan, nofearSingapore
How do we ensure that it is going in the direction that we want to go? And that all of us will arrive in one piece - preferably better off than when we first left?
by Yeong Yoong Ying, Press Secretary to Minister Mentor, Singapore, and Andrew T. Cheng, Wall Street Journal
Many opposition politicians routinely criticize government leaders, but are not sued because they have not uttered slanderous falsehoods. Contrary to your editorial, Singapore upholds free speech and the right to disagree, subject to the law.
by Leong Wee Keat, Today
First parallel bus service to run from Monday, but commuters say trains may still be faster.
Of course trains will be faster. And that's why the new bus service should be priced cheaper than the train service, so that those who cannot afford the train service can opt for a cheaper yet slower transportation mode.
by Zul Othman, Today
by Channel NewsAsia
Singapore may see its first liberal arts college soon, but with its emphasis on freedom of debate, some have questioned if Singapore's society is ready for the challenge.
We will never be ready for anything if we don't try.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.