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Bernama
Singapore could benefit largely from the spillover effects from the development of the Iskandar region but first a new bridge is needed, says former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
The tremors from a powerful earthquake that rocked western Indonesia were felt across Singapore on Wednesday evening. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Singaporeans feel that the government should pump more money into heritage and culture, than into sectors like tourism, IT and defence. Education topped the list, followed by investment in social welfare.
This is according to a recent survey done by the National University of Singapore and commissioned by the National Heritage Board. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia Tweet
Terrence Voon, Straits Times
Singapore's troubled Sports Hub project is unlikely to be completed in time for the 2013 South-east Asia Games, minister for community development, youth and sports Vivian Balakrishnan confirmed on Wednesday.
He said the government will not be rushed into completing the $1.87 billion project at Kallang, which has been plagued by repeated delays since a private consortium won the bid to build the 35ha facility in January last year. Tweet
Ian On The Red Dot Tweet
Ng Kok Lim, The Temasek Review
If we put these two items aside, HDB actually made a profit of $363,859 instead. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
The one-for-one free replacement of the EZ-link cards will continue for another week until October 7. Despite the extension, the old cards cannot be used on buses and trains with effect from Thursday. Tweet
Neil Chatterjee, Reuters Tweet
Zakir Hussain, Straits Times
A new government agency has been set up to fight terror attacks on their most virulent battleground: the Internet. The Singapore Infocomm Technology Security Authority (SITSA), which starts work Thursday, will be the national specialist authority on infocomm technology security threats. Tweet
SilentAssassin's Archive Tweet
Sundeep Tucker, Financial Times
Singapore's sovereign wealth fund yesterday signalled that its investment focus would shift to emerging markets after unveiling a 20 per cent drop in the value of its portfolio.
The Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) does not disclose precise figures of its portfolio but is estimated by analysts to manage more than $200bn. In effect, this means that the aggregate value of its assets dropped by at least $40bn in the year to March - partly because of ill-timed investments in western assets. Tweet
李静仪, 联合早报
这个名为Esplanade Xchange（滨海中心购物坊）的崭新地下购物坊，将设在较靠近城联广场的新达城出入口附近，到时公众可直接从城联广场步行到新的购物坊。
经营滨海中心购物坊的SMRT企业告诉本报，这个新购物坊的面积与莱佛士购物坊相似，估计会设有约40家店铺。
Were SMRT given the opportunity to operate the mall 'for free' without a proper tendering process? Tweet
Abdul Gafoor, The Temasek Review
The claim that meritocracy exists is one of the various notions that PAP has successfully marketed to the people even without having gone the length to ever proving it actually exists. Tweet
The Temasek Review
The entire article was slanted in such a way to GIC to exonerate its executives from any blame for the decrease in its portfolio by attributing it to the global financial crisis and instead praised them for having the “foresight” to limit the loss. Tweet
Straits Times
Plans to shut down five wet markets in Choa Chu Kang, Serangoon North, Bukit Batok West and Bukit Panjang are making two groups of people unhappy.
Residents in these neighbourhoods are upset over what looks to be a loss of lower prices, freshness and variety, and market stallholders are wondering what is to become of their livelihoods. Some have gone to see their Members of Parliament. Tweet
朱庆财，建屋发展局, 联合早报
家居改进计划有一个选择性部分，屋主可以只是选择和支付所要的改进项目。如果他们完全不要任何选择性改进项目，就不必支付任何费用。
Once again, the headline and the letter do not tally. Tweet
李思燊, 联合早报
乘客为减少付2角半加值费，大多会选择50元的自动加值额。再加上保证金，约有近100元存在公司处。虽说是可退回，也是一笔不小的负担，再说除非不乘用公共交通工具，否则谁会在短期内退卡。易通公司坐拥这一大笔无息现金真有点不合理，希望其他有意见者也来讨论。 Tweet
Sam Crane, The Useless Tree
I never met Safire face-to-face, but one late summer we found ourselves thrown together as adversaries of the Singapore government. Rest in peace. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
The numbers clearly shows that that our cost of living has risen much faster than our wages. We have gotten worse compared with other Asian cities such as KL, Seoul, Hong Kong etc. When interviewed by Business Times, MP Halimah said govt measures ranging from Workfare Income Supplement for low-wage earners, to rebates and subsidies in healthcare, education and housing help people to cope much better. Did she forget that the govt also implemented means testing that will significantly increase the cost of medical care for Singaporeans? Did she forget that the cost of housing has escalated by 40% in 3 years as govt subsidy remains more or less the same? Workfare? Most of us don't qualify and you don't envy those who do because at their income level life is just miserable in Singapore. Tweet
The Grand Moofti Speaks
Certainly, one can appreciate the government's desire to put a positive spin on GIC's investment performance. Nonetheless, having taken the decision to disclose a basic level of information it is necessary that the information be at least minimally useful to the general public. Tweet
Feed Me To The Fish
So why are men in the street so disillusioned? Tweet
Yeo Ghim Lay, Straits Times
Long queues snaked from TransitLink ticket offices yesterday as commuters scrambled at the last minute to get their ez-link cards replaced. Tweet
Byron Ho, 938Live
Six in 10 Singaporean youth are unfamiliar with or confused about contraception methods. A quarter of those polled think having sex when the girl is having her period is an effective way to prevent pregnancy; they also count on the withdrawal method. Tweet
Lim Beo Thiam, Straits Times
Town councils shouldn't be surprised if residents like myself, who face tough times, wonder why we aren't being helped via the excess revenue collected; revenue which is instead ploughed into loss-making investments. Tweet
Harminder Singh, Straits Times
When specific performance measures are announced for an organisation, employees and managers will act so as to meet those narrow goals; and this may be to the detriment of the broader objectives of the organisation.
The only way to make sure that the goals of residents and their town councils are aligned is to hold elections for town council posts.
Have you heard the story of the project manager who decided to reward his programmers based on the number of bugs fixed in the programs they wrote? Tweet
Jack Chew, Straits Times
Finally, after the mistake of "stopping at two", we should not make the mistake of not stopping at 5 million. Tweet
Patsie Tan, Singapore Post, Straits Times
While SingPost as a postal service provider is obligated to deliver all mail items, we do not accept for delivery black and white brochures, photocopied fliers and those sized below A5, as well as "business or calling cards".
Read: we didn't start the fire. Tweet
Gangasudhan, The Online Citizen Tweet
Straits Times
What'S in a name? A simple designation change, from festival director to general manager for the new head of the Singapore Arts Festival, has sparked off discussions about the future of the festival.
My guess: same job, different salary. Tweet
Patrick Sio, Today Tweet
Alex West, The Sun
The impressive backdrop of the Marina Bay area gave the race a quality not seen elsewhere in the world. Tweet
Teo Xuanwei, Today Tweet
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's law and second home affairs minister K Shanmugam expects an increase in corruption cases when two casinos open here in 2010. Authorities are concerned the country's inexperience may make it an easy target for organised crime. But the minister said there are systems in place to deal with such incidents. Tweet
New Straits Times
Malaysia should not start an "arms race" with Singapore, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.
He said this when asked for his views on Singapore's plan to exhibit two of its F-16 fighters at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) 2009 exhibition in December. Tweet
Yawning Bread
Our economy seems to be one where we have an extraordinary gap between the powerful and the powerless, even by Asian standards -- countries not known for softie-softie socialism. Average wages for Singapore as a whole are pulled down the city rankings because our low-paid are so lowly paid. Meanwhile, one suspects that our prices seem to be kept up not so much by labour costs but by profit-taking and the government's share.
With the resulting degradation of purchasing power, one can then ask: Is the average Singaporean really having it so good? Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
For the quarter starting in October, electricity tariffs for households will go up by 12.5 per cent or 2.41 cents to 21.69 cents per kilowatt-hour.
SP Services said the increase is due largely to significantly higher fuel oil prices over the last three months, which increased by around 21 per cent to S$92.03 per barrel. Tweet
Straits Times
After moving to Singapore in 2007, researcher Mikael Huss was surprised that it was possible to get by on a single income here. Tweet
Xinhua
Following last week's G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, the U.S., Singapore's foreign minister George Yeo said here Monday that for an effective G-20 process, there must be a greater representation of smaller states. Tweet
Straits Times Tweet
Kevin Brown, Financial Times
More than $13bn has been committed by government bodies and outside investors to an ambitious plan to create a metropolis at the southern tip of Malaysia three times the size of Singapore, according to the chief executive of the state agency set up to drive the project.
The biggest single source of investment is likely to be Singapore, whose central business district is about half an hour's drive from Iskandar's proposed financial district.
Are we finally getting the MRT into Johor? Tweet
Madness And Beauty
Singaporeans are true foodies. I can get behind that - man, can I ever! Tweet
Mr.River的博客 Tweet
Damon Yeo, The Temasek Review Tweet
林鸣皋, 联合早报
要知道，我国实行财路服务计划的公司很多，如；新能源的水电费，市镇理事会的杂费，教育部的学生学杂费，电话局的电话费，资讯局的电视执照费等等。它们并没像易通卡公司那样要收服务处理费及注册费。何况，易通卡公司过去几年都没收费也能维持，为什么却在这民生艰难的时刻来收费？ Tweet
郑可晖，新加坡警察部队, 联合早报
一般上，基于保安和公众安全的考虑，警方并不允许在公路上进行徒步宗教游行。不过，我们向来把大宝森节当成例外的情况。 Tweet
李静仪, 联合早报
陆交局在五个地点的交通灯柱装置特别阅卡器，后天起，持有新乐龄优惠车资卡的年长者，过路前以易通卡轻触阅卡器，系统就会把“绿人”时间延长3至5秒，让他们有更充裕的时间越过马路。
I wonder, firstly, if this is hackable, and, secondly, if the device is able to record (and hence, track) the movement of individuals since the Ez-Link cards contain personal information. Tweet
Kevin Lim and Neil Chatterjee, Reuters
The Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC), the larger of the city-state's two wealth funds with an estimated $200 billion or more, said it raised its exposure to alternative investments such as real estate and natural resources, but was bearish on bonds.
GIC's portfolio shrank by more than a fifth in the year to end-March, but it has ridden the financial meltdown better than sister fund Temasek by paring its equities exposure before the crisis and from a well timed sale of part of its Citigroup (C.N) holding. Tweet
James Chan, Master Of The Obvious
The new framework does look extremely complex and demanding, especially when it is applied to technology start-ups. Tweet
梅淑贞, 联合早报 Tweet
Costas Paris and P.R. Venkat, Wall Street Journal
Government of Singapore Investment Corp. suffered a loss of around 59 billion Singapore dollars (US$41.6 billion) in the fiscal year ended March, making it one of the worst years for the sovereign wealth fund since it was established in 1981, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday. Tweet
Jake Humphrey, BBC Sport
So, at this point I'd eaten a banana and too many Pringles and was toying with the idea of just heading back to the hotel to get some kip. Jonathan Legard wouldn't hear of it so began an adventure I'll never forget as our online colleague Sarah Holt joined us for a trip into the unknown... to find dinner at a time when the city was well and truly asleep. Tweet
Hannah Summers, The Sun
This amazing photograph shows a rare white tiger lunging into water to fight for food during feeding time at the zoo. Tweet
Netty Ismail, Bloomberg
The Government of Singapore Investment Corp. said its 20-year annual return fell to 4.4 percent in Singapore dollar terms from 5.8 percent. It was 5.7 percent in U.S. dollar terms. Tweet
Muhd Khalis, Rojo Cancer
All this years,the PAP government have been telling Singaporeans about the need to maintain racial harmony and to avoid communal/race politics.But in reality, it is mere words to gain political mileage. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Mr Low Kee Hong, who helmed the Singapore Biennale in 2006 and 2008, will serve as general manager of the Singapore Arts Festival from Thursday, leaving the Singapore Art Museum of the National Heritage Board in charge of organising and managing future Biennales. Tweet
Paul Chan, Straits Times
In large developed countries with solid home-grown global industrial bases like the US, economic migrants are insignificant and their function is to boost the American economy. They cannot influence America's social system radically.
This is definitely not true, especially if we stop looking at the US as one big country, but many, many big and small cities. Tweet
Teo Kueh Liang, Straits Times
In reality, it is very hard and not pragmatic to stop the best talent and promising entrepreneurs from moving round the world as they treat it as their performance platform and mobile home. Hence, Singapore must ensure it is among the most competitive and attractive places for the best to live and sink their roots in. Tweet
New Paper
A ministry spokesman said schools are free to set the dates of school-based examinations. Tweet
DPA Tweet
Dee Kay Dot As Gee
Are native Singaporeans going to be outnumbered soon? Will we going to become minority in our own country soon? Is it time for us to start relooking into the foreign talent policies? Or am I worrying too much? Tweet
938Live
Last year saw the largest number of marriages since 2000. The Department of Statistics (DOS') latest population trend report said nearly 24,600 marriages were registered last year. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
The number of visitors to Singapore reached 844,000 in August, down 0.7 percent over the same period last year. The year-on-year decline was the smallest this year. Tweet
Diana Othman, Straits Times
While the number of births in Singapore rose slightly last year, Singapore's total fertility rate has continued to drop, according to the latest report on Singapore's population. Tweet
Tan Keong Boon, Today
The elderly are increasingly being encouraged to work and most of them who do hold low-paying jobs. Hence bus concessionary rates should not be restricted to specific time periods. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia Tweet
刘丽仪, 联合早报
行人过马路时出车祸，是马路交界处常见的交通意外，主要是因为行人在过马路的同时，车辆也可以右转。虽然驾车者必须先让行人过马路，但他们在右转时也需注意对面直驶的车辆，注意力难免受影响。一些公众因此通过媒体呼吁当局修改目前的过马路制度。 Tweet
Callan Tham, Trapper's Swamp
It's not an issue when they lose S$16 million that is not their own, and still unaccounted for. It's not an issue when they pay senior managers 8-month bonuses in a recession when the country was haemorrhaging jobs. But it is an issue when people don't pay their S&C charges because it will reflect badly on a scorecard that has nothing to do with how happy, or unhappy, they are with the town councils they pay to run their estates. Tweet
HJ Mokhtar Stork, Malaysia Star
The Malaysian F1 is a real joke and a total waste of money. Participants of the Malaysian F1 from abroad merely turn up for the event and then fly over to Singapore for entertainment. Tweet
Stephanie Chok, The Online Citizen
If these are profitable companies with business clout, why are they not even fulfilling a basic requirement of housing the workers building its prized projects decently? Tweet
Ong Dai Lin, Channel NewsAsia
The streets of Marina Bay were hot with race action this weekend but businesses in the area lost even more steam than they did last year.
So much for all that boosting by the event organizer. If the government sees fit to collect more tax from businesses that benefited from the race, why isn't the government compensating to businesses that lost money? Tweet
The Temasek Review
In a rare biting editorial, the Senior writer of state-controlled Straits Times criticized the indicators revealed lately to assess the performance of Town Councils in Singapore. Tweet
BBC Sport
To put it simply, Singapore's night race is a stunning sight. "It's the contrast that makes it so exciting," says Getty Images photographer Mark Thompson, who reckons all the snappers relish the chance to be creative in Singapore. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
We all want to be the smart ones owning property that rise in value as the wave of foreign immigrants come to push the prices up to the stratosphere. This is the big easy money that companies like Aztech dream about. ..forget about the hardwork of innovating and manufacturing. This dream has a flip side. Remember Dubai? Tweet
Sharanjit Leyl, BBC News
With enticing extras like discounts and rock music festivals - the focus may start to shift away from the race, already flagging by diminishing corporate interest. They could also prove too much of a distraction from who crosses the finish line first. Tweet
ieatishootipost
The food is excellent and reminds me of the Dim Sum I had in Hong Kong. Rather than trying to add exotic ingredients to make their Dim Sum special, they simply make very good Dim Sum. Tweet
Feed Me To The Fish
I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of the arrogance and the "father knows best" attitude of the MIW. Tweet
Rachel Zeng Tweet
Imran Ahmed, The Grand Moofti Speaks Tweet
Lee Kam Seng, Northpoint, Straits Times
Security staff may also stop shoppers from taking photos of tenants' shop fronts to protect the tenants' privacy. There are signs at all entrances of the mall to indicate that no photography is allowed.
Stupid excuse; if you want privacy, you don't f***ing go set up a store in a public mall. Tweet
John Paul Low, Straits Times
I would like the SingPost to explain what else we, as well as the organisation, can do to stop this pervasive nuisance? Tweet
Shaffiq Alkhatib, Channel NewsAsia
Local celebrity, Taufik Batisah who was given the opportunity to sing the national anthem during the Formula One Grand Prix tonight, made a mistake while doing so. Tweet
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
It is just too bad that Singaporeans have allowed PAP to monopolize power and do whatever they want without proper consultation from the people. Tweet
Will Weissert, Associated Press
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged a ministerial meeting of southeast Asian nations late Saturday to take a tougher line with fellow member Myanmar in hopes its military junta will free political prisoners and hold fair elections. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
The PAP govt put us into this vicious cycle ...but we are not to sure they are able to get us out. Tweet
Gerald Giam
A comprehensive survey released by UBS has confirmed what economists, academics, opposition politicians and ordinary Singaporeans have known all along: That the Singaporean worker’s wages has decreased over the past 3 years, while the cost of living has shot up. Tweet
Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking at a lantern festival celebration in Ang Mo Kio on Saturday, said the country's economy is in a stable position as it has passed the most difficult part of the economic downturn. He added that Singapore's economy will be all right this year and even better next year. Tweet
Straits Times
That bottle of Coke sold at your nearest supermarket is now a tad lighter - in a bid to help save the environment. Using fewer materials, F&N Coca-Cola, the distributor of beverages such as Coca-Cola and Sprite here, has shaved 2g off the 500ml and 1 litre plastic bottle sold since 2007. Tweet
Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia Tweet
The Annie Scott Experience
Dear everybody, I went on a nighttime safari in Singapore (the only one in the world!) and I got some really great pics. Check it out! Tweet
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
In contrast with Singapore's PAP government's handling of such controversial issue of building casino resorts, the Taiwanese has shown much more respect of popular will in deciding such decisions. Tweet
Yawning Bread
We reward people for making our public spaces more unpleasant for us. How perverse can we get? Of course we know why they do that. They do it out of pity. They certainly can't be doing that because these "buskers" make good music. Tweet
Sylvia Tan, Fridae
No More Daddy’s Little Girl is Karen Lee’s self-published autography about her journey coming out as a lesbian and finding acceptance from God, her family – and herself. Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Singapore Sojourn
As the mega rich spend thousands of dollars on the Formula One event in Singapore this weekend spare a thought for some of the 'heartlanders' who are feeling the pinch. Tweet
New Straits Times
Malaysia-Singapore bilateral ties are set to improve further when the republic sets up a consulate office here by year's end. This is significant for Johoreans, as one of the aims of the move is to provide trade and investment advice to Singaporeans about business opportunities in the state, especially in Iskandar Malaysia. Tweet
Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, Washington Post
In Geylang, a neighborhood that has been a well-known red-light district for decades, Singaporeans have always known that the even-numbered lorongs (which means "small roads" in Malay) are where you'll find the red-lanterned houses, while the odd-numbered ones are for unrelated enterprises. Along those roads, there's been a boom since the 1990s of late-night eating stalls that serve up a variety of fare, from noodles topped with melt-in-your-mouth-tender beef to dishes not for the faint of heart: chopped duck's necks and pig's ears that are cheap, savory and meant to go well with an ice-cold beer sipped while watching the girls walk up and down the road. Tweet
The Temasek Review
By dedicating one entire page in a national English Daily to counter-attack their critics, the “Men in White” authors are already appearing very “defensive” which betray their innermost insecurities and fears.
By making use of the state media to launch a counter-offensive against its critics without giving them to reply, the authors are accentuating public perception that the book is partisan, biased and lop-sided. Tweet
Mohd Farhann Shah and Austin Camoens, The Star
Despite promotional offers to woo F1 fans, there was no significant increase in hotel bookings compared with last year when the race made its Singapore debut. Some believe this is due to the lower rates being offered in hotels across the island. Tweet
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
With the improvement of the economy, it is widely expected that elections will take place next year, instead of 2011 as scheduled. The public discontent against massive immigration promises to be one of the hottest campaign issues if it happens.
This intensity of public feeling has been too sensitive to be reflected in the traditional media, which has toned down the coverage. On the Internet, however, where Singapo-reans can air their grievances, the mood is more sombre. It probably requires more than mere government assurances to placate. Tweet
Tay Tong, Straits Times
Doubtless, the Censorship Review Committee will canvass the views of all, but our concern is about the insufficient diversity on the committee itself, in the range of views on liberalisation; and hence, the inadequately robust debate on diverging viewpoints. Tweet
The Online Citizen
The Straits Times seems to think netizens are only those who comment on the ST’s discussion boards. Tweet
Yawning Bread
These examples show how much an uphill task it is to improve English in Singapore. The problem stems from the fact that very few here are native speakers. With assiduousness, we can learn the vocabulary and the grammatical rules, but the subtleties of idiomatic usage can only be acquired if one is immersed among people who use the language idiomatically. And we don't have that environment in Singapore. Tweet
S.Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Alliance talks between the Reform Party and Mr Chiam See Tong's party, the Singapore Democratic Alliance, have not reached any conclusions so far.
Revealing this was the Reform Party's Secretary-General, Kenneth Jeyaretnam who took over the helm following the death of its founder and his father, J B Jeyaretnam. Tweet
Rachel Kelly, Channel NewsAsia
The reclamation of Singapore's Jurong Island was completed on Friday after nearly a decade, marking a major milestone in the country's industrial development. Although the initial completion date was 2030, the project finished some 20 years ahead of schedule, due to high demand from big global names for space on the island. Tweet
Blowin' In The Wind Tweet
The Online Citizen
The “Singapore model” per se is not unsustainable. What makes it unsustainable is a missing component in the model. In this case, it is the economy’s absence of a distinct identity. Tweet
The Temasek Review
Dr Teo Ho Pin, coordinating chairman of the 14 PAP-run councils, had lashed out at residents living in PAP estates for S&C arrears which will affect their peformance in a new report card on how well they run estates is released next year. Tweet
Kevin Lim and Harry Suhartono, Reuters
Singapore's $200 billion-plus sovereign wealth fund GIC will likely reveal next week it is moving more money into property, resources and Asian assets after recently cutting its exposure to major Western banks.
The Government of Singapore Investment Corp, or GIC, is due to release its annual report for the year to March 2009, only the second year the fund will make the report public. Tweet
Reuters Tweet
The Temasek Review
The question Singaporeans should seriously be asking is this: why should we be paying $10 million to help the newcomers integrate into our society? This is almost unheard of in the developed world and we risk making a mockery out of our citizenship by “selling” it out so easily and cheaply in order to attract immigrants to settle down here. Tweet
Tattooed Banker
From my understanding, the charges has been ongoing for almost a year before they decide to revoke it now, due to complains to the straits times forum. Internal complaints doesn't seem to be taken seriously. So note to all, to get things done, post to your local newspaper forum. Tweet
Imran Ahmed, The Temasek Review
No the Prime Minister has not started a blog yet. Or at least I am unaware of it. However, his recent statements about the new media versus traditional news media have brought attention to the print media of the state. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
More Singapore primary schools will be able to offer single session classes with the Education Ministry rolling out plans to build 11 new primary schools and upgrade 28 existing ones from November 2009. Tweet
Dee Kay Dot As Gee
If the operating cost of the new EZ-Link card is going to be higher than the old card, then why are we changing? Tweet
LuckySingaporean, Diary of A Singaporean Mind
The truth is becoming very clear. The PAP govt allowed a large influx of foreigners into the country with a large number of them obtaining PRs or citizenship in the past 3 years making them eligible for the purchase of HDB flats. The HDB did not provide sufficient supply for the increase demand that is why prices were going up even when the economy was slowing down. The PAP govt has made a mistake that has impacted Singaporeans looking for homes negatively. Tweet
Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times
Last month, 3.1 million passengers went through Changi Airport - a small increase from August last year but a sign that the current crisis could have bottomed out. Tweet
Today In Singapore
Inspite of the calls for transparency sparked by the $16 million wipeout, Fu is still adamant that returns on Town Council financial investments and adequacy of the sinking funds will not be disclosed. And you call that a report card? Tweet
Tattooed Banker Tweet
The Temasek Review
The former head of the civil service Mr Ngiam Tong Dong has spoken out against the government’s liberal immigration policy which risks turning Singaporeans into “strangers” in their own land. Tweet
Ignatius Lourdesamy, Housing & Development Board, Today
Market-based pricing is fairer to all buyers because it allows buyers to receive similar levels of subsidy regardless of market movements and fluctuations in development costs. Tweet
Daisy Er, OCBC Bank, Straits Times
We are pleased to inform readers that with immediate effect, we will waive the $5 processing fee to issue a cashier's order made payable in the account holder's name if the individual is withdrawing funds from his personal accounts. Tweet
Michael Flaherty and Joseph Chaney, Reuters
Former BHP Billiton CEO Charles "Chip" Goodyear confirmed that a divergence in strategy was behind his shock departure from Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings two months ago. Tweet
Straits Times
The government has appointed 17 people from various fields to sit on a committee that has been tasked with updating policies on censorship of the media and the arts. Tweet
The Temasek Review
The Singapore government has tightened the rules governing the EntrePass scheme – a work visa designed for foreign entrepreneurs who wish to relocate and start a business in Singapore. Tweet
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
It is time for PAP government and HDB to give due recognition to Singaporeans' contribution to the Nation and put tangible value to our allegiance as a citizen. It is unacceptable for us, especially the young Singaporeans, to pay the price of PAP's indiscriminate FT policy in terms of paying higher price for HDB flats. Tweet
宋鲁郑
李光耀对国际形势有着清醒的判断，对民主化的潮流心知肚明，更对华人的传统、民情有着深刻的认知，当然更超越了自己的家庭私心。在他的主导下，走出了一条适合自己的成功道路，堪称华人社会的典范。现在的新加坡，虽然有人称之为民主，有人称之为有限民主，有人称之为假民主真专制，然而，一个稳定、富裕、廉洁、高效、法制健全，整体竞争力高居世界前列的成就就是标准，就是答案。 Tweet
James Chan, Master Of The Obvious
Ride the forces of our environment, and put the time and energy into harnessing your lofty ambitions to change the world. Fear has gotten us this far, but won’t have much in it to take us any further. It’s time to let go, ride the bulls of your ambitions by their horns and reach for the stars. Tweet
Amanda Lian, The Temasek Review
Putting all the information together and analyzing it together with our own beliefs and accounts, we, the locals are not deprived of places in Universities. Rather, it has become more competitive and we have the reassurance that the total influx is capped at 20 percent every year till the next big thing comes about. Tweet
Malay Mail
Where did chilli crab come from? Malaysia or Singapore? Apparently, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen herself is not sure. Tweet
noreply@blogger.com (Phare de Singapour), Singapore Social and Political Thoughts
In my own opinion, its just another round of meaningless means by the ruling party to appease the "mis-investment" of Town Council Funds in Lehmen Brothers. Tweet
联合早报
新加坡目前华人占总人口的76%，可以说走到哪里都是华人，华人是属于国民，怎么会有Chinatown呢？ Tweet
吴淑贤 蔡永伟, 联合早报
没有列入框架的评估指标包括：市镇会如何使用累积基金（Sinking Fund）、市镇会回应居民请求和维修等投诉的时间，以及市镇会如何改进组屋区内的设施。 Tweet
Gabriel Sim, Simply Gab
So while they try to preoccupy us with bread-and-butter, the use of our hard-earned jam and marmalade will continue to be mystery to us. Tweet
Hard Hitting in the Lion City
Now I can understand The Strait Times wanting to defend National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan’s statement that property in Singapore are still affordable, but this article The Strait Times put together make no sense. Tweet
Adland Tweet
Chen Pelf Yeen, Malaysia Star
The food ownership debate has taken a new twist with heritage loyalists here claiming the Hainanese chicken rice originated from this historic city.
“It’s ours,” said Badan Warisan Malaysia member Josephine Chua, 50, adding Malacca’s famous 17th Jonker Street was well-known for its Hainanese chicken rice compressed into golf-sized balls. Tweet
Today
Commuters who are still using their old ez-link cards should replace them by Sept 30, when the free one-for-one card replacement exercise ends. Tweet
Tom Lydon, Seeking Alpha
Singapore is heavily dependent on exports to sustain recovery from its worst economic turn yet. But export numbers are still not up to par to bring the economy and its related ETF out of a slump. Tweet
Sharon Chan, National Parks Board, Straits Times
The study is in its early stages and it is premature to suggest that acidity of the streams is caused by acid rain, and whether biodiversity has been affected.
Note that no where in this letter is there any justification for what the headline says. Tweet
Hari Krishnan, Straits Times
Northpoint is a shopping centre that thousands of people visit. Just imagine if everyone who wants to take a photo has to seek permission first. Tweet
Singaporean Skeptic
Who is responsible for saving GIC's hide? Lee Kuan Yew and his team of fund managers or Barrack Obama and his team of advisers? If the US govt decided not to approach GIC to convert to common stock in Feb, do you think they would have recouped their losses and managed a profit? Tweet
Two Ghim Lay, Straits Times
Despite the Land Transport Authority (LTA) advising motorists about the closures earlier this month, traffic was backed up for more than 1km along the city-bound Nicoll Highway, part of which is closed from Wednesday till next Tuesday. Tweet
Harish Pillay, Alas, A Blog!
The middle management mandarins (aka scholars) are too happy in their "escalator career" that there will not be any ruffling of feathers and change of status quo. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Estates and Town Councils will be bench-marked from next month according to four key areas outlined in the finalised Town Council Management Report (TCMR) framework. Tweet
Ian Choo, The Online Citizen
The irony of staring at the Singapore model is not only that the model which brought Singapore to its current status might work any longer, but it might be the very thing that is holding the country back. Maybe we have been aiming at the wrong goal all this while. Tweet
Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters
Singapore's Formula One race may be beset by last year's match-fixing and lower ticket sales, but many female escorts have flown into the city-state especially for the event, eyeing wealthy customers. Tweet
杨萌 蔡慧玲, 联合早报
昨天是国际无车日（International Car Free Day），也就是鼓励人们不要驾车的日子。可是，这个听起来富有意义的活动，在本地却静悄悄地过去了，似乎无人知晓，也少人推广。 Tweet
Singaporean Skeptic
This is the myth of the Lee family- that they were thrust into high positions just purely on their own abilities and the fact that Lee Kuan Yew was PM had absolutely nothing to do with it. Tweet
The Temasek Review
As much as politicians and policy makers brag about how many folds Singaporeans’ incomes have risen in last forty years, they fail to realize that such a phenomenal increase is void of meaning and purpose and have failed to bring about the outcomes that other countries have achieved with such increases in incomes. Tweet
Kai Portmann, DPA
After the inaugural night race in 2008, the novelty of a F1 Grand Prix in Singapore seems to have worn off a bit.
As the economic downturn also took its toll on tourism worldwide, ticket sales and room bookings in the weeks to this year's GP season have been sluggish compared to last year. Tweet
My Paper
Their numbers have been dwindling due to price wars among the centres, a clampdown on illegal centres and the growing popularity of gaming at home. Tweet
Lily Fu, Malaysia Star
Times have changed. Parents cannot take for granted that their children will look after them in their old age. Children today have a thousand and one reasons why they can’t or won’t care for their aged parents. Tweet
张浩, 联合早报
学英语是融入本地社会，也是谋生和生存的必要工具之一。 Tweet
蔡珍妮, 联合早报
购物中心的增加及扩建，虽然可以产生一定程度的经济效应，然而，在提升人文价值和人文的精神提高方面却是毫无益处的。 Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
This is an incredible editorial even by Straits Times standard. It makes no mention of HDB failure to sufficient housing when the foreign influx caused a population expansion of 400,000. The 23 Sept 2009 editorial puts the blame for all the unhappiness surrounding the surge in HDB prices squarely on ordinary Singaporeans. Tweet
The Secret Political Blog
It is one thing to accuse Singaporeans of being choosy, but it is another to insinuate that Singaporeans are being obstinate or unreasonable. The Straits Times has succeeded in doing both, a great insult to the plight of Singaporeans looking for a home. Tweet
This Lush Garden Within
Welcome to Singapore, where graduates are expected to earn scarcely enough to feed or start a family. Tweet
Gabriel Sim, Simply Gab
While they have every right to push an agenda, their actions thus far have won them few friends, and i suspect will eventually prove to be their downfall. Tweet
Rick Carew, P.R. Venkat and Costas Paris, Wall Street Journal
The reversal of fortune for GIC's January 2008 investment of $6.9 billion into Citigroup is due to a sweetening of terms it won from the U.S. government as part of a bailout package negotiated in February 2009. GIC and other sovereign investors gave up their 7% annual coupon payment on the preferred shares and moved lower in Citigroup's capital structure. In exchange, Citigroup reduced the conversion price of GIC and other investors' shares to $3.25 a share from the $26.35 conversion price they had agreed in the original deal. Tweet
Leslie White, Weekly Times Now
A foreign company has purchased 8000ha of almonds and 41,000 megalitres of water for a steal. Tweet
Sg Pirate Game
What is the rational in what we are doing as a country and can there a better way out? Tweet
Jessica Lim & Serene Luo, Straits Times
Shops and restaurants in the Marina Bay area are not optimistic that business over the next few days will be even halfway decent, despite measures taken to improve traffic flow - both human and vehicular - there. Tweet
Alicia Wong, Today
It has been banned in Singapore since 2006, but many here will remember the Far Eastern Economic Review's legal battles with the government. Tweet
Zaihan Mohamed Yusof, New Paper
In the PKMS power struggle, loyal lieutenants and footsoldiers have been known to engage in violent confrontations. Tweet
Harish Pillay, Alas, A blog!
As I read that MOE went with Google, I was listening to a series of horror stories from the poor "rest of Singapore government officers" who are now burdened with the so-called "SOEasy" standard operating environment roll out.
Tax payers monies are being spent on stuff that reduces the efficiencies of the work process and forces clued-in IDA officers (yes there are some) to have to bring in their personal laptops in order to get work done. I am hearing from some government officials that I should not expect any replies from them via email after 5 pm because they refuse to bring their worthless "locked down Windows laptop" home. If I expect a reply, it will only come during office hours and only if they are in the office. So much for improving efficiencies. Tweet
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
From October 1, the Law Society will do away with fee guidelines for lawyers when processing property deals. This means that lawyers and their clients will be free to negotiate their transaction fees, based on the type of work done, and the value of the property. Tweet
Reuters
Singapore gamblers shrugged off news that last year's Formula One race in the city-state was fixed and said it would not stop them placing bets on this weekend's nighttime grand prix. Tweet
Harrison Goh, The Online Citizen
The government has opened the floodgates for foreigners to come in without much consideration for the average Singaporeans. With depressed wages leading to less financial freedom, the average Singaporean will have to continue to slog to pay for inflated housing mortgages and living costs. The rich, however, will continue to benefit disproportionately, giving rise to a widening social chasm. Tweet
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
Employers will know by mid-October if the national Jobs Credit Scheme will be extended. Tweet
Martyn See, Only "Objective" And "Factual" Political Films Please, We're Singaporeans
I refer to the publication and publicity of Men In White : The Untold Story of Singapore's Ruling Party by the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). The book features insights from former ISA detainees about their past and during its launch, a video containing comments by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was reportedly played to the audience. How is it that such a book and video be allowed while Zahari's 17 Years continues to be banned? Is the Minister applying the law equally? Tweet
Mieke Deprez, DPA Tweet
The Temasek Review
After yet another merry-go-round, we are none the wiser about HDB’s pricing policies and strategies as the key question on the minds of many Singaporeans remained unanswered – how much profit is HDB making out of the sale of new flats? Tweet
The Malaysian Insider
The contentious bilateral talks over the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) land in Singapore appears to have moved forward with a proposal to swap it for valuable land near the island state’s first casino in Marina South, instead of scattered pieces across the tiny republic.
Government sources said Singapore has submitted a proposal to Wisma Putra last month for a joint-venture company that will develop the new piece of land. Malaysia will hold 60 per cent equity in the company while Singapore will hold the balance, both through their respective sovereign wealth funds. Tweet
P.R. Venkat, Wall Street Journal
Government of Singapore Investment Corp. Tuesday said that it has reduced its stake in Citigroup Inc. to below 5% from over 9%. Chief investment officer Ng Kok Song said GIC realized $1.6 billion of profit on the stake sale. Tweet
星洲日報
在這場爭論中可以發現新加坡美食在國際上較為知名，這與新加坡的旅遊宣傳方面做得比大馬出色有一定的關係，或許這才是大馬應該改善和加強的地方。此外，馬新兩地政府和民間應該寬宏和客觀的態度看待兩地共有的文化，摒棄狹隘思想，採取包容心態，從中激發更多的靈感，一同發展和發揚我們引以為傲、共同享有的富饒多元的文化特色，畢竟這個區域的許多文化包括美食得以享譽國際，都是區域國家努力的成果。 Tweet
肖隆平
加坡当局把学习华语当做了一个国家策略（即当做亲近中国，来中国做生意，进而融入到华语文化之中）来看待，这正是中国需要学习的地方。 Tweet
Den Of The Lion Investor
If you really spend 30% of your income paying for your home for 30 years, you will most definitely retire with insufficient savings in your CPF account. And when that time comes, you will have to downgrade to a smaller property in order to monetize the cash from your property. But what about those who are already staying in a small property to begin with? Tweet
The Korea Herald
The Singaporean law presumes anyone in possession of narcotics to be trafficking it and the defendant bears the burden of proof against this presumption. Korean authorities are asked to help them in whatever means possible, including legal aid. The government should strengthen public education about being involved in criminal offenses during overseas travel, recklessly or inadvertently. Tweet
Singapore Social and Political Thoughts
I am not sure if these cost of the National Day "Look Good" exercise was bear by the MPs, but definitely TCs paid for these items. Tweet
林博明, 联合早报
如果易通卡公司这次首创收费成功，难保其他公司商家还有样学样。 Tweet
Subith Sitharthan, The Temasek Review
The rhetoric of meritocracy has given Singaporeans the consolation of believing that their ruling elite are the best of the best and can therefore be trusted almost blindly on important matters, even if they are highhanded and lack the common touch. As this illusion gradually falls away—and today it is already heavily undermined—the trust that Singaporeans have for their government is becoming increasingly qualified. It remains to be seen how long the regime can avert the logical consequences of the contradictions between the myth and the reality. Tweet
Christopher Tan, Straits Times
Zeppelin Airship World (ZAW), started by German permanent resident Armin Spenninger, has clinched a deal to 'assemble, operate, market and distribute' the new Zeppelin NT airships in Singapore and Malaysia. Tweet
Malaysia Star
Jemaah Islamiah militant Mas Selamat Kastari is happier being detained in Malaysia than in Singapore, says a human rights commissioner. Tweet
Xinhua
There has been a sharp rise in the number of young children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Singapore, local media reported on Tuesday. Tweet
Brooke Masters, Financial Times
Asian cities are closing the gap on London and New York in a ranking of competitiveness among the world’s leading financial centres in which they now hold five of the top 10 spots. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
It is strange isn't it? Whenever something goes up sharply in price, instead of finding ways to bring down or stabilise the price, our govt spends so much effort explaining to us why it is still affordable. Tweet
Madhav A Chanchani, VC Circle
Singapore’s Temasek Holdings’ presence in India is on an ascendant note. The largest sovereign wealth fund active in India, Temasek’s portfolio in the South Asian region (India and Pakistan) has increased from 1% of its total portfolio in 2004 to 7% as on March 2009. The total size of this portfolio stood at $6.4 billion. Tweet
Annie Scott, Tonic
Chinatown is a staple all over the world, even in Singapore, where most of the population and culture is at least part Chinese. And if Singapore is already pretty China-esque to begin with, you can probably guess that it's like any other Chinatown – on steroids. Tweet
Darius Lim, Ministry of Defence, Straits Times
Most NSmen studying in the three local universities (National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University) are scheduled for ICT call-ups during their academic vacation period. This arrangement is made possible because these universities have a common vacation period, and the majority of our NSmen study in these institutions. Tweet
Tan Wee Kian, Straits Times
Besides upgrading the infrastructure at ground level, I hope the authorities can also improve these areas, to make barrier-free facilities more user-friendly and complete. Tweet
Bloomberg
The point here is not to celebrate Singapore's economy or politics. Nor is it to say a $US182 billion ($210 billion) economy is a model for a $US14.2 trillion one. It's to show that central bankers are full of bunk when they say bubbles can't be identified. Tweet
Desmond Wong, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore and Hong Kong could see more companies set up operations as they seek to avoid being tarred by less reputable tax jurisdictions. This comes as US lawmakers seek to clamp down on American citizens with undeclared assets around the world. Tweet
Kodomut
It was right behind the place where my mum used to stay during her younger years. Located at Bukit Timah. She moved out of the place during the mid 1980s when the government relocated the residents. Tweet
Xinhua
The waters in and around Singapore reported more piracy cases for ships this year, local media reported on Monday. Tweet
Singapore Social and Political Thoughts
$10 million to Integrate our fellow new PRs and new Citizens payable over 3 years? I thought I was dreaming when I saw this news last Friday! Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Ng Kok Lim, The Temasek Review
There is nothing in that statement that says that it is HDB’s responsibilty to sustain flat values over the long term. In fact, none of the four mission statements or even the vision statement remotely suggests that it is the HDB’s duty to sustain flat prices over the long term. So where did HDB get its mission of sustaining flat prices over the long term? Tweet
The Temasek Review
Mas Selamat Kasteri, Singapore’s most famous fugitive who is currently incarcerated at Malaysia’s Kamunting detention barracks, told a visiting officer from Suhakam (Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission) that he was happy to be detained in Malaysia.
He also claimed that he had been drugged while he was in detention in Singapore. He said he did not feel normal most of the time and was always dizzy. Tweet
Damon Yeo, The Temasek Review Tweet
John Aglionby, Financial Times
Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to deepen their bilateral ties in an attempt to end a year-long sociocultural spat that analysts say could threaten regional institutions if allowed to fester.
However, analysts and diplomats are sceptical how long peace will last because within hours of the two nations' foreign ministers agreeing last week not to lay claim to disputed items of heritage, Malaysia's tourism minister was inflaming passions by insisting that culinary dishes popular in Indonesia and Singapore were Malaysian. Tweet
Computerworld
Singapore and Malaysia will become key centres for Australian export opportunities in the coming decade as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) free trade agreement with Australia creates opportunities for export and trade — and ICT is one of the sectors to watch. Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Richard Seah, Straits Times
It is true that, once, some terrorist suspects were arrested for filming and taking photos of an MRT station. But this is no reason to overreact by banning photography altogether. Tweet
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
Bangladeshi worker asked by Manpower Ministry to remain in S’pore to help with investigations ends up waiting for four years. Tweet
Straits Times
The waters in and around Singapore have become more dangerous for laden ships this year. Tweet
Desiree Tresa Gasper, The Star
An automated clearance system, initially introduced for investors coming into Iskandar Malaysia, is now open to all residents from the Island Republic. Tweet
The Temasek Review
In Singapore, the government is the largest landlord and property developer at the same time. With its monopoly over the public housing market, it can fix the prices as high as it wants to the detriment of Singaporeans who are plunged increasingly into debt. Tweet
The Secret Political Blog Tweet
Robin Chan, Straits Times
Singapore's container traffic has continued to expand, raising hopes that the worst might be over for the beleaguered shipping industry. Tweet
The Agonist
The thing to keep in mind is just how patriarchal a place Singapore is and how much courage she has to live the life she leads. That's not to be underestimated and it is to be applauded. Tweet
Diana Plater, Stuff
Geraldene Lowe, the legend of Singapore history and heritage, is leading us down back lanes in Singapore's Malay area. Tweet
Temasek Review
The key players in the Singapore art scene have declined an overture by the government to become their propaganda mouthpiece to help promote integration between locals and foreigners, a call made by the National Integration Council on Friday. Tweet
The Secret Political Blog
PM Lee's dare to dream is therefore a challenge we must take up. Dare to challenge the status quo, dare to pursue freedom and liberty, dare to make it possible to dream. Only then can we dare to dream dreams. Tweet
Tan Kin Lian
There is no need for the public sector to crowd out the private sector. They can co-exist. The public sector can provide for the needs of the lower and middle income groups. The higher income groups can pay more to get private health care, education or other services. They can get personal and better quality attention, but they pay more. The public sector will be around to offer a choice and keep a reasonable limit on the charges of the private sector. Tweet
Cassandra Chew, Straits Times
Lack of filters for cellphones and cheap Net access making it easier for the young to download smut.
Time for us to move from stopping to work around undesirable content. Tweet
Shuli Sudderuddin, Straits Times
Singaporean foodies have already disputed the claim. But food critics here are unfazed by barbs about 'cultural theft'. They point to uniquely Singaporean dishes that no other country can 'own'. Top of the list would be yu- sheng, lor mee, bak chor mee, satay beehoon, and fried Hokkien prawn mee. Tweet
New Paper
Hedy Khoo, Zaihan Mohamed Yusof and Crystal Chan Tweet
Amanda Yong, New Paper Tweet
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
The government is caught be-tween two unpalatables. One is a sharp market collapse that will hit 80% of the population which own their homes. The other is prices moving beyond the dream of the new generation to own a home. Tweet
The Online Citizen
One wonders what purpose is served by these public displays of mutual back-slapping? Tweet
Singaporean Skeptic
The majority of foreigners are enjoying Singapore without any NS burden but the PAP fails to address this problem. While it is commendable that some of the foreign born choose to do NS, you have to understand that they are but a tiny minority among the foreign born population. Tweet
The Temasek Review
According to SDP Secretary General Chee Soon Juan, his party is “brimming with confidence, and more importantly, growing in number. Tweet
Loh Tiong Soo, Straits Times
I cannot imagine on what grounds she makes such audacious claims, or her reasons for doing so. If it is simply to gain political ground to make up for the spat Malaysia had with Indonesia recently over the Balinese pendet dance, then she is committing political suicide. Tweet
Chin Kee Thou, Straits Times
If the bank can impose a fee to accept coins in amounts exceeding a threshold, it should, likewise, pay a fee to customers who have no choice but to accept a large amount in small denominations. Tweet
Amanda Yong, New Paper
'I've never been so shocked in my life,' said Mr Roland Lim, 52, owner of Roland Restaurant, which claims to be the founder of Singapore's famous chilli crab dish.
'Chilli crab has been around for 59 years. Why did they suddenly claim today that it's theirs?' Tweet
Sylvia Toh Paik Choo, New Paper Tweet
Seth Mydans, New York Times
It is the dress, she said, that catches the eye, the long silk sheath with the slits in the sides that offers what she calls “a startling panorama of the entire landscape of the female form.”
The dress is called a cheongsam, and the woman wearing it is Catherine Lim, 67, arguably the most vivid personality in strait-laced Singapore and, when she is not writing witty romantic novels or telling ghost stories, one of the government’s most acute critics. Tweet
Liz Gooch, New York Times
Educators have been stepping up their efforts to exploit the global student market, whether by relaxing quotas on non-local students or encouraging overseas institutions to set up local campuses. The words “education hub” have infiltrated the mission statements of governments hoping to attract students to their shores. Tweet
Lindsey Bareham, The Times
For my birthday treat this year I’m meeting up with my Sydney-based sister at our brother’s house in southern Spain. I’m sure to end up in the kitchen so I’ve pre-planned a celebratory meal to challenge paella, the local speciality. Hainanese or Singapore chicken rice is a great sharing dish and because the chicken is served at room temperature, it’s possible to get ahead with all the preparations.
The only jobs that need to be done at the last minute are finalising the rice and reheating the broth to be sipped with the meal It’s all about the skin, my Singaporean chef friend, Eddie Lim, said, preparing me for the first time I tasted chicken rice at the long-gone Equatorial in Soho’s Chinatown, where it was made every Saturday lunchtime. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
Somehow the sentencing is sometimes inconsistent with what ordinary Singaporeans think of the justice system. Tweet
Blowin' In The Wind
Officials fallen out of favour were said to be airbrushed out of pictures in the Soviet era. Something similar happens in Men In White, the history of Singapore's ruling People's Action Party. Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
The Online Citizen
PM Lee Hsien Loong’s call on young Singaporeans to ‘dare to dream’ is revealing in itself. Against the reality of Singapore, it sounds almost like a taunt: perchance to dream, but only if you dare. Tweet
Tattooed Banker
Granted, approval criteria is set by individual banks, and exceptions or misjudgment do happen (as we seen in cases of Taiwan's ex-president fiasco) but in general, 'no questions asked' is a bit too unlikely. Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Tan Kin Lian
I find this arrangement to be beneficial and in the interest of the annuitants. I hope that this will dispel any doubts about operation of the CPF Life scheme. Tweet
Ben Bland, The Asia File
That's largely irrelevant to the Burma cash question because the Singapore government views the junta as a legitimate regime. Therefore any cash accrued by the generals is, by definition, not considered hot money in Singapore. Tweet
Ben Bland, The Asia File
Given the shared cultural heritage of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia and the fact that these three entities (none of which existed before 1949) could easily have become one giant nation (Indonesia Raya) or many smaller states, these new culture wars are rather farcical. Tweet
Sangsara’s Posterous
Ordering can be a little tricky, but you basically start from a 1-3 patty burger, and add on your choice of 24 condiments and premium toppings. Tweet
Dawn Tay, My Paper
An Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) spokesman told my paper that upload and download speeds would depend on the service plans consumers subscribe to. However, Singapore would soon catch up with global leaders with the upcoming Next Generation National Broadband Network, which will utilise fibre-optic cables. Tweet
Today
He has said it before, and he repeated his warning: This year's hazy conditions could reach the unhealthy levels seen in 1997 and 2006, said minister for environment and water resources Yaacob Ibrahim. Tweet
New Paper
Despite discounts, business is slow compared to last year, say Ramadan bazaar stallholders. Tweet
Gregory Gerald Danker, EZ-Link, Straits Times
In our letter, we have explained the rationale behind charging the 25 cents convenience fee to recover processing and operating costs involved in providing this premium auto top-up service. Tweet
Myrna Thomas, Temasek Holdings, Today
Despite the recent financial crisis, our returns remain relatively healthy. An investment of $1,000 in Temasek 35 years ago would be worth about $250,000 as of July 31, 2009, including dividends and net of capital injections. Tweet
Tan Kin Lian
Why are our public officers not doing their job? They seem to be passing the buck around. One point to the other. The poor citizens, having "lost" their money, have to go on a merry go round. It seems that they have to carry out their own investigation. Tweet
Kevin Lim and Saeed Azhar, Reuters
Temasek CEO Ho Ching appears to be firmly in charge once again after a rocky year for the sovereign wealth fund in which it failed in its efforts to replace her by getting its first foreign chief executive.
Ho may now be able to take some credit for the fund's stronger position, and there is no timeframe for getting a replacement. But the leadership issue and questions about investment strategy still cloud the fund's global image. Tweet
Peter Stein, Wall Street Journal
Still, it's difficult to be inspired by Temasek's current strategy -- seemingly a holding pattern that has the fund focusing on its Asian holdings and warning of "medium-term risks" that justify caution. The surprisingly vocal criticism Temasek faced in Singapore over its losses in Western banks may have reinforced this conservatism. Tweet
Roderick's Journal
Every time I come across stories of people like Dr Ang, it makes me – on very rare occasions in my life – to feel proud of being a Singaporean. Tweet
AFP
Malaysia will lay claim to its signature dishes like laksa and chicken rice which are being "hijacked" by other countries, the tourism minister said according to a report Thursday.
Those on the list include the fragrant coconut milk rice 'nasi lemak', spicy soup noodle 'laksa' and pork ribs herbal soup 'bak kut teh', Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen said according to the Star newspaper.
See Also: Laksa And Nasi Lemak Among Our Pride, Says Yen Yen, by The Star. Tweet
Joyce Koh, Bloomberg
Temasek Holdings Pte, Singapore’s $122 billion state investment company, reported profit fell a record 66 percent as a collapse in credit markets drove down the value of its stakes in Bank of America Corp. and Barclays Plc.
The profit decline was deeper than the 44 percent drop in the MSCI World Index that wiped about $24 trillion from the value of global equities in the 12 months to the end of March. A measure of financial companies on the benchmark slumped 57 percent after the collapse of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. in September last year froze credit markets. Tweet
Kevin Brown, Financial Times
The global market rally had added S$42bn (US$29.7bn) to the market value of Temasek’s investment portfolio since the end of March, Singapore’s state investment company said on Thursday.
The mark-to-market value of the portfolio fell to S$130bn at the end of the financial year in March, but recovered to S$172bn by the end of July — just 7 per cent below its peak of S$185bn in March last year. Tweet
AFP
The fall in Singapore's main exports eased in August, official data showed Thursday adding to hopes that the trade-reliant economy was heading for a recovery. Tweet
Civic Advocator
This lame effort by MOH to connect with the online citizenry is evidence of the PAP’s continuing failure to understand new media. This is their achilles’ heel, one which opposition parties should take full advantage of during the next general elections. Tweet
Singapore Social and Political Thoughts
Is PM Lee's script writer white washing the actual amount of immigration by just emphasizing the Foreign Workers? Didn't the script writer include PRs? Tweet
The Online Citizen
The conclusion that MOH draws about Singapore’s supposedly lower prevalence of mental illness could be completely unwarranted measured by standard scientific procedures and survey protocols. Tweet
Heyzanie's World
I can’t understand why a place as advance as Singapore is so backward where broadband is concerned. When I was in China, almost every restaurant, cafe, pub and hotel in 1st tier cities like Shanghai and Beijing is hooked up. Since 2003~2004, every new boutique hotel in the Shenzhen comes with free wireless in the room. By 2005, it was taken for granted and cafes didn’t even bother to hang up notices that brag “We have wireless” because it has become a norm. Tweet
蔡定剑
新加坡在很多中国知识分子眼中，是个异数。因为常识告诉我们，一个国家不民主，不让人民充分享有监督政府的权利，政府就必然堕落为人民的老爷， 就不可能使政府廉洁勤政，建立一个文明和谐的社会。新加坡却让我们无话可说：它相信权威主义、不是真正意义上的民主，没有充分的新闻自由，建国40年来， 一直由人民行动党一党执政，父亲可以传位给儿子;但它同样很文明，没有人随地吐痰，拥有洁净的空气、优美的环境，人民享有很好的福利，老百姓至少看上去生 活得很幸福。 Tweet
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
The education ministry will set up an English Language Task Force to study ways of improving the standard of English in schools. One recommendation is to have an English Language institute to train teachers better. Tweet
Kevin Brown, Financial Times
Singapore’s central bank is consulting hedge fund executives on ways to tighten the regulatory regime for the state’s burgeoning alternative investment industry. The informal talks reflect the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s determination to demonstrate effective oversight of the financial services industry in the light of political concerns in Europe and the US about the role of lightly regulated sectors in the global financial crisis. Tweet
联合早报
吴青丽忽然辞职，曾引起本地艺术界许多揣测，包括一些人认为，她的辞职可能与新加坡艺术节即将企业化或私营化的发展有关。事实上，艺术节的企业化和私营化的问题，已经在本地艺术圈里谈论很久，大家只是在寻找适当时机讨论或推行这种经营方式。 Tweet
Apinya Wipatayotin, Bangkok Post
A company's request to ship sand sediment to Singapore after dredging it needs more study, a local environmental group says. Tweet
南方日报
作为中国第六大投资来源，新加坡资本在中国早已不满足于制造业、房地产等实业领域，在银行基金等不被人察觉的领域，新加坡资本大鳄的身影总在不被人察觉时显现。 Tweet
环球网
许多战略分析家都相信，拥有如此强大的武库器后，新加坡便能够摧毁陆上的敌人、先发制人地抢夺战略高地，并且迅速而有效地介入印尼、马来西亚以及南海争议区域内其他有可能陷入纠纷的地区。 Tweet
Yaw Shin Leong
Therefore if the mindset of the government is that our citizens are indeed the ‘heart and soul’ of our nation, then our population policies must be robustly long-term and not merely based on purely short-term considerations but one that strive us towards a more humane society, anchor people and make people want to make Singapore our home. Tweet
Gulf Times
Singapore’s charge d’affaires Umej Bhatia highlighted the similarities that existed between Qatar and his country at a lecture at the Georgetown School of Foreign Service yesterday. Tweet
The Temasek Review
He was jailed three months last year for using “abusive” language against a lady judge in Singapore, but it appeared that Gopalan Nair had not learnt his lesson yet. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
Once you see the announcements of multi-million dollar plans for fountains, gardens, playgrounds and walkways near your home, you can be sure the elections are not too far away... Tweet
Belmont Lay, The Enquirer
The reality for transient foreign workers is this: When times are good, you are hired to work in Singapore to help build this cosmopolitan city. When times are bad, expect to be the first to be sent packing. Tweet
Richard Seah, Straits Times
I pay $5 for my ez-link card. Why should I be made to carry a card that carries an advertisement for Fevo MasterCard?
The question we should be asking is: when the Public Transport Council calculates the 'correct' fare to charge, does it take into accounts all these advertisement opportunities that is available to the public transport companies?
(Note: Ez-link company is owned by LTA. Also, we pay for a lot of things that carry advertisements, such as movies, cable television, and newspapers.) Tweet
Daisy Er, OCBC Bank, Straits Times
If the customer chooses to withdraw the funds in the form of a cashier's order, a processing fee of $5 is levied. This fee is aligned to industry rates.
Did OCBC have a range of other options at different costs, and did OCBC advise its customers of all these options? Tweet
Loh Chee Kong, Today
The government's intent to slow the foreigner influx may mollify those frustrated locals quick to blame the latter for various woes. But it will not wish away the reasons for which this "little red dot" had to open its doors wide in the first place. Tweet
Liew Hanqing and Juliana June Rasul, New Paper
Affected teachers said that while they understood it was an error, they were upset that it was spotted so late. Tweet
Lam Chun See, Good Morning Yesterday
I think Singaporeans generally are like the generous Ribena girl. They say; “Sure you are welcome to share some of our goodies …… but not too much”. Tweet
Mohan Belani, e27
It’s a hat trick for Singapore! The last few days have been really crazy. Singapore startups have been reaching heights never before seen. Tweet
British National Party
Singapore, therefore, has a strict policy in place to protect its own workers — unlike that of Tory and Labour created Britain. Tweet
Jessica Yeo, Channel NewsAsia
The 24-hour reading was the highest so far this month. This puts Singapore's air quality in the moderate range. Tweet
Gladys Ow, Channel NewsAsia
Ninety-one per cent of Singaporeans do not feel well-prepared for retirement compared to the global average of 87 per cent, according to an annual report by Oxford University's Institute of Ageing on Wednesday. Tweet
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
Three Singaporeans who were detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for involvement with the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror network and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have been released Tweet
The Temasek Review
Is PM Lee implying that news published by the new media is unreliable because they are not written by professional journalists and those produced by a proper news agency like SPH are trustworthy?
While it is true that the Singapore media has trained full-time journalists to “think, report, gather, verify and publish” the news, it still doesn’t explain their pathetic and embarrassing rankings on the World Press Freedom index conducted yearly by Reporters without Borders, an internationl media watchgroup. Tweet
AFP
Transparency International, which like many other corruption monitors ranks Singapore highly for its clean and efficient government, said the city-state should promote greater transparency in its financial system.
"It has been documented time and again that corrupt individuals -- be they politicians, business executives or wealthy citizens -- have used countries like Singapore as safe havens to stash their ill-gotten funds," the Transparency spokesperson said. Tweet
Diana Othman, Straits Times
Two prime sites near the arts and cultural lifestyle districts will be developed by the private sector into unique integrated arts and museum venues, as part of a move to encourage new business players to enter Singapore's heritage landscape. Tweet
Chong Zi Liang, The Enquirer Tweet
Senang Diri
If MINDEF cannot handle the repercussions of a single training death in peacetime, I would not be too sanguine about its prospects of managing public relations during a hot war scenario where body bags would pile up by the hundreds. Tweet
Justin Zhuang, The Enquirer
The pink card in your wallet and the red passport you use to travel is not a key to more money. Rather, it symbolises where you’re from and who you are. Tweet
Straits Times
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday addressed a pet peeve among Singaporeans, that new immigrants do not do national service (NS) or are called up for reservist training. Mr Lee said every year, hundreds of foreign-born youths do their NS as new citizens or permanent residents (PRs). Tweet
Straits Times
"In new media, you get all kinds of views. You are not sure what to make of it. If you want considered views, somebody has to think, report, gather, verify, write up, get it published. Then there's criticism and then there's improvement. All this requires a proper newspaper or news agency."
Translation: We like having a gatekeeper that we control. Tweet
联合早报
要是没有媒体发展管理局（MDA）拨款支持，风靡一时的电视剧《小娘惹》可能不会和观众见面。新闻、通讯及艺术部代部长吕德耀昨天在国会回答官委议员郑恩里的询问时，以这部剧集为例说明媒发局如何挑选所资助的本地节目。 Tweet
Seema Guha, Daily News And Analysis
Singapore's foreign minister George Yeo has backed China's claim to the Tawang monastery in Arunachal Pradesh. The ancient monastery is one of the holiest shrines of Tibetan Buddhists as the sixth Dalai Lama was born there. Tweet
Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters
English has long united the ethnically diverse island-state but Singapore's leaders now foresee a time when Mandarin will be the country's dominant language and they are aggressively encouraging their people to become fluent in Chinese. Tweet
Amresh Gunasingham & Maria Almenoar, Straits Times
Haze shrouded Singapore on Tuesday evening, as a sudden shift in wind direction blew smoke from blazing fires set in Indonesia directly to the island. Tweet
Sgpolitics.sg Tweet
北青网
“禁食令”如此严格，甚至连老人、幼童及孕妇在地铁上也不能喝开水，就连母亲哺乳也会被请下车！新加坡媒体就此“禁食令”对公众进行了采访，多数新加坡公民认为太严厉。 Tweet
Terence Lee, The Online Citizen
While Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had given students much reassurance during this year’s NTU Ministerial Forum, the welfare of transient workers have been dehumanised as mere cogs in a machine. Tweet
According2ed Tweet
Sue-Ann Chia, Straits Times
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday sought to soothe Singaporeans' simmering discontent over the surging numbers of foreigners in Singapore in recent years. Their rapid influx will slow, he said, as the economy is not expected to grow at the exceptional pace it did for several years until last year. Tweet
Ginny Goh, Media Development Authority, Straits Times
According to SCV, BBC advised that the programme was edited to comply with regional content standards as the channel is available not only in Singapore, but also other countries in the region. Tweet
Ansley Ng, Today
As at the end of last month, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has granted the wishes of seven families to keep their kin out of the upcoming casinos. Tweet
Lin Yan Qin, Today
About 1,400 rental flats have been added to the stock since 2007, and the waiting time for one has dropped to 13 months from 21 months a year ago - thanks to the HDB's efforts to manage supply and demand, said Parliamentary secretary (national development) Maliki Osman. Tweet
Saeed Azhar, Reuters
Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings is trying to get its house in order after a tumultuous year when it suffered from bad bets on Western banks and a failed experiment to get a high-profile outsider as CEO. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia Tweet
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
One issue that remains unresolved is that both Indonesia and Philippines have yet to ratify the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution which was signed in 2002. Tweet
Theresa Tan, Straits Times
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) is considering imposing stiffer penalties to deter men from defaulting on maintenance payments. Tweet
Serene Luo, Straits Times
Amendments to the Copyright Act have been passed to move these laws into the digital age and give the Act more teeth. Tweet
AFP
In a largely conservative, multiracial society like Singapore, SDAM aims to bring together goths and other unorthodox and alienated youths yearning for a sense of belonging and social purpose. Tweet
Yaw Shin Leong
So when I read minister Mah said that ‘first-time households use on average less than 30% of their household income to service their housing loans, which is within the yardstick the government uses to measure affordability.’ I can’t help but wonder why this purportedly first-world government uses a yardstick which is no where near first-world… Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Senior minister Goh Chok Tong, who is also the MAS Chairman, said this is because the recent measures announced by the Association of Banks in Singapore complement the current fraud detection systems that banks have in place. Tweet
The Temasek Review
According to latest data released by the Ministry of Manpower, unemployment rates have increased for all education-groups though the resident unemployment rate eased slightly in June 2009 from three months ago. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia Tweet
Martyn See, Only "Objective" And "Factual" Political Films Please, We're Singaporeans Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Young children in Singapore will be immunised against pneumococcal disease, health minister Khaw Boon Wan told Parliament on Tuesday. Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore’s retail sales dropped more than expected in July, a decline that may ease as employers pare job cuts amid signs of a global economic recovery. Tweet
Kin Mun LEE, InSing
I made my first trip to a polyclinic in a long time. Tweet
Hard Hitting In The Lion City
So the Singapore government has now implemented more stringent rules for Singapore’s private schools; more stringent rules that has no bite in them. Tweet
My World Tweet
Trapper's Swamp
The state of the media in Singapore is deplorable, with the mainstream media an placid and complacent channel for government spin and aggressive questioning left to the independent bloggers. Tweet
The Temasek Review
Parliament is becoming more like a “Question and Answer” session where MPs field questions for ministers to answer. There is little or no debate at all. Tweet
Straits Times
With unemployment rising for five quarters before stabilising in June, long-term unemployment among the jobless in Singapore has worsened, said the Ministry of Manpower on Tuesday.
The resident long-term jobless rate rose to 1.3 per cent in June from 0.5 per cent a year ago - a four-year high for June periods. Tweet
郑荣泰, 联合早报
新加坡一直以来维护宗教自由、社会和谐以及公平的原则。这件事可能只是单一的事件，而间中也或许存在着一些更复杂的课题，但无论如何，能公开透明地说明并灵活的处理，才是上上之策。 Tweet
Mr Wang Says So
In the debates about foreigners versus citizens in Singapore, the sad plight of our local prostitutes is often neglected. Tweet
Eugene Yeo, The Temasek Review
What will become of the PAP when the real power behind the throne finally passed on? Given its entrenched position, it will probably manage to continue its rule for a number of years. Singapore will still retain its economic superiority over its neigbhors while losing its slight edge now over its nearest competitors Hong Kong and Taiwan, but its inherent social tensions and divisions will worsen, caused partly by a government filled by technocrats who are grossly out of touch by the reality on the ground. Tweet
Kor Kian Beng, Straits Times
The government will come down hard on new hotels that rent rooms by the hour, as it tightens the rules for these places which are often seen as hotbeds of prostitution.
Hoteliers with an eye on offering such rooms in residential areas will face an even harder time. They are required 'to engage the community and respond to concerns of residents', said Mr S. Iswaran, senior minister of state for trade and industry, without elaborating. Tweet
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore employers fired fewer workers last quarter and increased job openings as the economy emerged from its worst recession since independence in 1965. Tweet
联合早报
预计这项工作将在明年首季度之前完成，陆交局过后将把最后敲定的巴士路线图交给公共交通理事会审批，然后逐步落实计划。
陆路交通管理局已初步草拟了巴士路线总蓝图，准备在明年接手集中规划全国巴士网络的工作。 Tweet
Dee Kay Dot As Gee
If IDA is serious about allowing tourists/visitors use wireless@sg, I think they need to seriously re-look into the registration process. Else, please remove the link for tourist to register a wireless@sg account.
Repeat after me: Wireless@Sg is not a free wireless service. Tweet
Callan Tham, Trapper's Swamp
So much for being secular. Tweet
Suzalie Mohamad, Malaysia Star
Singapore’s armed forces buildup suggests it could be an outpost in the security chain the US is building around China, and this is contrary to the spirit of Asean, of which it is a member. Tweet
Mary Ma, The Standard
Just as most governments worldwide are caught in a dilemma of not knowing when to withdraw stimulus measures introduced during the financial tsunami, Singapore has taken bold steps ahead of others. Tweet
Kalinga Seneviratne, Ceylon Daily News
There is nothing wrong with people becoming more religious because religion is a positive force in human societies, noted Lee. But, at the same time, stronger religious fervour can have side-effects, which have to be managed carefully, especially in a multi-racial and multi-religious society. Tweet
Andy Kau, AMK Hub, Today
Since the introduction of the tomato as the official mascot for AMK Hub, it has become very popular with our shoppers. A survey conducted during our first anniversary celebrations revealed the majority of consumers were in favour of our official mascot, thanks to its attractive colour and design. Tweet
S Ramesh, Today
The "slow medicine movement" - an alternative approach to healthcare which emphasises quality over quantity of life spent - or comfort over high-risk medical treatment - is gaining appeal among elderly Singaporeans, according to the minister in the prime minister's office Lim Boon Heng. Tweet
eong Wee Keat, Today
Lim Hwee Hua assures MPs that bus operators cannot pass on cost to commuters. Tweet
Conrad Raj, Today
New curbs welcome, but why change rules only now? Tweet
Tan Shao Yi, Straits Times
I asked about how a service that was previously rendered free of charge for years could suddenly require a convenience fee of 25 cents to cover processing costs. No other merchant that I know of charges for Giro. Tweet
Ng Jit Cheng, Straits Times
I find it strange that EZ-Link, which is formed by LTA, could not continue this service unlike when TransitLink, a joint venture between the private transit operators, provided the service in 2002 without charges and in a much more convenient manner. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that value for money and not cost alone is the key consideration for best sourcing for government procurement in general. Tweet
Peter Preston, Guardian
Government by some of the people for some of the people (the ones who matter). Election by clique, twist and fiddle. Lip service to public service. And fear rippling onwards, as rationale or excuse. Where will this cowardly new world go when the threat is real? Is there a strong man who will bust through the facade of freedom and construct a rescue pact? It's where John Kampfner's grisly logic takes us next, one more reason to read and flinch. Perhaps we haven't seen anything yet. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Health minister Khaw Boon Wan said that based on a recent global survey by the World Health Organization, the prevalence of mental illness in Singapore is generally lower or comparable to other developed countries. Tweet
Yaw Shin Leong Tweet
The Edge Singapore
Singapore, an Asian financial centre attracting billions of dollars in offshore accounts, is working quickly to become more transparent and is on course to be removed by year’s end from a list of nations that shield bank-account information. Tweet
The Nation
Temasek Holdings is courting Thai firms, including telecom conglomerate Samart Corp, to buy a stake in its satellite operator Thaicom, an industry source said yesterday. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
The topic of the affordability of HDB flats was raised in Parliament on Monday during question time. In his reply, national development minister Mah Bow Tan has again emphasised that they remained affordable. Tweet
Xinhua
The NUS findings showed that that it may be due to the acidity of a stream in the 80 hectare nature reserve, which offers great biodiversity in plant and animal life. The four-year study found that the stream, which covers 5 hectare of land, is more acidic after torrential rain. The researchers have found that the water in the stream on the nature reserve have a pH value of 4.4 to 4.7, which is said to be more acidic now than 20 years ago. Tweet
Kevin Lim, Reuters
Singapore will release more land for development and make it harder for home buyers to defer payments, steps aimed at curbing speculation in the housing market and that drove down property stocks on Monday. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Measures to pre-empt any speculative bubble from forming in the private property market have been outlined in Parliament by the national development minister.
Mr Mah Bow Tan said one of the steps to "temper the exuberance" of the market will be the immediate withdrawal of the interest absorption scheme and interest-only loans being offered for purchases of uncompleted property developments. Tweet
Yawning Bread
Why is text (as opposed to images) censorable? Tweet
Terence Lee, The Online Citizen
Despite having all $90,000 of its seed funding coming from Singaporean Christians, SingaNews CEO Mathew Yap has rubbished any notion that the online news website will serve a “Christian agenda”. Tweet
外交部网站, 人民网 Tweet
Roger Dobson, The Times
Dr Manuel Salto-Tellez, one of Singapore’s most distinguished clinicians dedicated to biomedical research, is convinced that relocating to the island state has been crucial to his professional development. Tweet
Tetsushi Kajimoto, Reuters
The United States is considering inviting Singapore and Thailand to a Group of 20 summit in Pittsburgh this month to reflect broader views from developing countries, Japan's Nikkei business daily reported without citing sources. Tweet
邓莉蓉, 联合早报
本地房地产市场最近一片火热，乐观情绪从私宅延烧至转售组屋市场，屋主纷纷抬高卖价，转售组屋的现金溢价（COV）两个月内飙涨一倍多，回到金融危机前水平，有民众最近在互联网上，抗议转售组屋的价格和溢价过高，发起请愿要求政府调控市场运作。 Tweet
The Temasek Review
Even before Singanews was officially launched, it has been attracting whispers and gossips around Singapore’s internet chatrooms about its real agenda. Tweet
A. Soorian, Malaysia Star
Salaries and working conditions are far better in Singapore and the education of the doctors’ children is secured. Singapore will be the first to admit that it is doing this not for altruistic purposes. It is high time we take a hard look at some of our national policies to overhaul them to prevent this ominous brain drain. Tweet
The Temasek Review
It doesn’t make sense for Singaporeans to slog their entire lives to pay for the roof over their heads only to realize that they do not have enough savings left in old age for retirement. Tweet
周馨怡, 21世纪
新加坡是一个国土面积仅有700平方公里，人口只有400万的小国。但是在这片名符其实的“弹丸之地”上，却生存着40家电信设备供应商和超过1000家电信服务提供商。新加坡骄傲地立于全球电信业最为发达的国家之林。 Tweet
Peter Stein, Wall Street Journal
When markets around the world tumbled in unison last fall, the once-popular view that Asian markets and economies could hold up despite the turmoil in the West was quickly forgotten. Now, investors have once again embraced the idea of "decoupling." Markets in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore are up nearly twice as much as those in the U.S. and Europe as their economies recover strongly from the recession. Tweet
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times
The public observation deck perched atop the three hotel towers of the Marina Bay Sands (MBS) could well give the Singapore Flyer a run for its money by the middle of next year. Tweet
Sylvester Lim, Straits Times
Why does Mindef discriminate against NSmen who are pursuing full-time studies in other institutions? Tweet
Tay Shi'an, New Paper
New motoring website says while it's out to court controversy, the event is not a hoax. Tweet
Elysa Chen, New Paper
Like little godzillas going on a rampage, they run through showrooms shrieking, jump on beds and punch holes into leather sofas with Ikea pencils. What's worse, some of the culprits are adults.
With its free parking (at its Tampines outlet), drink re-fills, and one-hour child-minding service, Ikea is as much an adult's playground as it is one for children. Tweet
Straits Times
Acid rain could be driving Singapore's remaining native species to extinction. Tweet
Darrell Hartman, Chicago Sun Times
Straight-laced island nation offers a thrilling ride, all neatly organized. Tweet
Blowin' In The Wind Tweet
Nevil Gibson, The National Business Review
Nearly two years out, Singapore Airlines’ gamble with the A380 is looking good. Tweet
Fiona Bruce, Telegraph
If you crave a bit of adventure and the unknown, Singapore is not for you. But if you want a holiday where you are transported to a strange and wonderful foreign land but where everyone speaks English, you always feel safe, you won't get a tummy bug and where your fractious child can get English food if he or she absolutely refuses to eat another bowl of noodles – it's the place for you. The exotic Far East made easy. Tweet
Yawning Bread
What is it about the growing wisdom that the rest of the world has about gay people, as exemplified by Gordon Brown's statement, that these fundies find so threatening? What private demons are they struggling with? Tweet
Triwik Kurniasari, Jakarta Post
By 1981, the No Signboard Seafood Restaurant had become a branded name and since then, it has expanded its branches around many parts of the city-state, pampering foodies with its famous crab delicacies, like chili crab and white pepper crab. Today, Indonesian foodies can also savor this scrumptious dish. They don't need to fly to Singapore, but can simply drive to the Pacific Place shopping mall. Tweet
Sam Ho, Sam's thoughts
In the mean time, I look forward to Singanews and its reporting from the perspective of "mainstream family values". There are many types of families in Singapore, different strategies of love, care and creating safe environments for our loved ones. And even within circles who subscribe to "mainstream family values", there will be different opinions. Tweet
Simon Parry, Daily Mail
The biggest and most secretive gathering of ships in maritime history lies at anchor east of Singapore. Never before photographed, it is bigger than the U.S. and British navies combined but has no crew, no cargo and no destination - and is why your Christmas stocking may be on the light side this year. Tweet
Malaysia Star
So far, it has not been made clear why he has not been sent back to Singapore. “We would also like to know why,” mutters a prison official in response to a question from a journalist during a media visit to Kamunting last month. Tweet
The Temasek Review
Is Singanews really a “secular” news portal or another Thio-like portal wrapped under the guise of secularism to promote “mainstream family values” like what Josie Lau and team had attempted to achieve with their unsuccessful takeover of Aware? Only time will tell.
Sounds to me like a big echo chamber. Tweet
Gerald Giam
Singaporeans have been led to believe that we already have a fantastic “public option” (i.e., a state-run health insurance scheme) in form of MediShield. Well it seems MediShield is public alright, but with a lot of options for our bottom line driven government. Tweet
Yawning Bread
How many layers make a truthful fact? Tweet
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
Are Singaporeans too simple-minded – or greedy – to be able to survive unscathed in this era of sophisticated scams and financial sharks?
Protected by a system of laws and a stable environment, they become vulnerable when exposed to sophisticated swindlers and Madoff-type con men. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
So the account of Operation Coldstore in "Men in White" is acceptable but Zahari's account is not? The PAP govt still chooses the version of history it wants us to believe... Tweet
The Temasek Review
She termed the TOC coverage as a lie and irresponsible reporting and said that TOC was not interested in public debate and was only interested in creating confusion. Thio stated that the AWARE incident was a perfect example where there was no religious issue as it was about a “private takeover” of a NGO and a debate over public values. But someone threw the religious card into the debate and when that happened all rationality was lost. Tweet
联合早报
很明显的，30年前设立的特选学校，在发展过程中，也许是太过专注于学术成绩表现，以致有些在不知不觉中，逐渐失去了特选的特色，甚或淡忘了当初特选学校设立的宗旨。 Tweet
Seah Seng Choon, Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), Straits Times
We agree with Mr Ng that EZ-Link needs to be more explicit in explaining and justifying the new charges imposed on card top-ups via Giro. Tweet
Brenda Goh, Reuters
Luxury fashion brands are wafting into Singapore in droves, betting on the city-state's ambitions of becoming a playground for Asia's super-rich as it recovers from its worst-ever recession. Tweet
Costas Paris, Wall Street Journal
Singapore, a key Asian financial center attracting billions of dollars in offshore accounts, is working quickly to become more transparent and is on course to be removed by year-end from a list of countries that shield bank-account information. Tweet
Gladys Ow, Channel NewsAsia
In response to Channel NewsAsia, LTA said card providers such as EZ-Link or credit card companies are free to determine their costs to ensure business survival while meeting customers' needs. LTA said: "With regard to the question of the fee related to automatic GIRO top-up, this is a commercial consideration by the card issuer to provide for a waiver or to require a nominal fee. Card issuers have to consider the charges that are imposed on them to provide this service to the users of their card. Tweet
Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia
The Media Development Authority said on Friday that the Board of Film Censors had referred the film to the Political Films Consultative Committee (PFCC) for advice on whether it should be regarded as a party political film under the Films Act. And after reviewing the film, the Committee said "Singapore Rebel" is a documentary and not a party political film. Tweet
AFP
Two Singapore banks have rejected a report by a US-based rights group that said Myanmar's ruling junta deposited billions of dollars with them.
DBS Group Holdings and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC) said in separate statements late Thursday that there was no truth in the report by EarthRights International (ERI). Tweet
Martyn See, Only "Objective" And "Factual" Political Films Please, We're Singaporeans
After four and a half years, the government has lifted the ban on Singapore Rebel today. Tweet
Eugene Yeo and Jeremy Koh, The Temasek Review Tweet
Straits Times
The government has accepted all the recommendations to better recognise the contributions of National Servicemen. They include higher combat and rank allowances - of up to 20 per cent more - for NSmen who go for in camp training.
NSmen will also be allowed to bring in and use their laptops, PDAs and Blackberries during non-training hours. Three business centres, fitted with wireless internet access, photocopiers, online telephony service Skype and fascimile facilities, will be set up by the end of the year. Tweet
Fang Shihan, The Online Citizen
Adversarial relationship between MSM and New Media will only increase the already high levels of apathy. Tweet
The Temasek Review
EarthRights International (ERI) released two authoritative reports yesterday alleging that Burma’s military regime has transferred billions of dollars from the Yadana gas project into two banks operating in Singapore.
Citing “confidential and reliable” sources, ERI named the Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) and DBS Group (DBS) as the offshore repositories of Yadana gas pipeline revenues. OCBC is Singapore’s longest established local bank and according to ERI holds the majority of the revenue, while DBS is Singapore’s largest bank in terms of assets. Tweet
高极登, 联合早报
十几年前，我就写过文章认为报纸不会消失，但在环保和时效压力下，转以多媒体电子版形式存在，报纸一定要抛开纸张的束缚，才能“脱体飞升”。 Tweet
蓝江, 联合早报
我签下的手机服务有一项给学生的优惠是“Free Data Bundle worth $5.35”，另外该公司有个上网服务是“Free Data Bundle 20MB/$5.35”。因为二者价格完全一样，我误以为那个所谓的给学生的优惠就是开通那个上网服务，即每月20MB的免费流量。 Tweet
Ang Yiying, Straits Times
A call has gone out to companies to keep their older employees on the payroll instead of waiting for the law on this to take effect in 2012. Minister in the prime minister's Office Lim Boon Heng said that some of these older workers may need retraining, but they are a source of labour going untapped - even as small- and medium-sized enterprises tell him about their difficulties in finding enough Singapore workers. Tweet
John Paul, Telegraph
David Cameron is reported to be promising spending cuts of 10 per cent. He needs to take a leaf from Singapore's book – they have a public-sector payroll which, I understand, amounts to 7 per cent of the workforce, while the United Kingdom has 40 per cent or more. Tweet
Lim Huat Eng, Housing and Development Board, Straits Times
While the outdoor display areas are located in front of the shops, they are part of the common area meant for general use by the public; they therefore do not belong to the shops, and cannot be sublet. Tweet
Goh Khee Kuan, Straits Times
It seems ironic that one has to pay to get back one's own money. It also seems that OCBC is putting senior citizens at risk by forcing those who do not want to spend $5 to get back their own money, to carry large sums of cash. Tweet
Alvin Tan, Straits Times
Having 11 aircraft queueing (in the air) to land at Changi at any one time is no cause for concern. Tweet
Neel Chowdhury, Time
Hot, equatorial, but with limited groundwater, Singapore has made itself a global paragon of water conservation by harvesting--and reusing--the aqueous bounty of its skies and, to a lesser extent, its surrounding seas. Tweet
Zul Othman, Today
This is one employer who doesn't ask for your age when you're filling up a job application form.
And it is due to age-friendly policies that helped Royal Plaza on Scotts' (RPS) become one of the three Singaporean recipients of the 2009 AARP International Innovative Employer Awards. Tweet
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net
The truth is that in Singapore, more and more people have come to recognize that the mainstream media does not always give a balance picture, especially when it comes to political issues or issues involving Opposition parties, and more people are starting to go online for alternative sources of socio-political news and commentary. Tweet
Jessica Lim, Straits Times
Singapore's cable car system will shut down for the longest period on Monday as it gets set for a multi-million dollar makeover. When business resumes in the second quarter of 2010, riders can expect bigger cars, the addition of a sound system and new flip-up seats. A special VIP cabin will come adorned with crystals, and luxurious leather chairs. Tweet
Jas Tan, Today
The tomato is a lovely and healthy fruit and associating it with the town might just remind people of its health benefits. Tweet
Singapore Democrats
The Liberal International (LI) has submitted a written statement to the United Nations' Human Rights Council. The statement cites human rights violations in several countries including Singapore and Burma. Tweet
Simply Gab
Minister Lui’s comments are not earth shattering as we have always understood the government’s unease with regards to alternative and unregulated media. But they are nonetheless disappointing and betray a continued unease in dealing with dissident voices. Tweet
Gimme Some Truth!
The vibe I’m getting from his comments is that Mr. Lui’s camp still espouses the “Us Vs. Them” mentality about the new media; by describing the web a “challenge” and not something to embrace, its probably going to eventually be a case of the web being able to meet the media’s challenge, rather than the other way round. Tweet
Xinhua Tweet
The Temasek Review
The Singapore media is living on borrowed time. The only reason why they appear to be dominant now is because their opponents are still pretty weak, poor and inexperienced, but we are learning the ropes fast and the gap between us is narrowing with each passing day. Tweet
Today
Expect higher wage increases, but lower variable bonuses next year as the economy bounces back. That's what 192 companies projected last month when surveyed about their wage, bonus and hiring plans. Tweet
Sujata Dwivedi, Today
Frankly, what is so wrong in having a tomato as a town's symbol? Tweet
Patsie Tan, Singapore Post Limited, Today
Being a postal service provider, SingPost is obligated to deliver all mail, addressed and unaddressed, that meets the required standards for acceptance which are based on physical form such as size and paper quality rather than content. Tweet
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net
I see the latest developments as yet another setback for Singaporeans who have been demanding greater levels of transparency and accountability from Temasek Holdings (as well as GIC). Tweet
Kevin Lim, Reuters
Singapore's economy should remain prepared for the risk of a 'double-dip' in the world economy in 2010, its finance minister said on Wednesday. Tweet
The Temasek Review
Mr Lui should realize that the world is moving towards greater media liberalization. It is both fruitless and silly to continue to exert control over the media in this age and time. Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Christopher Tan, Straits Times
Nearly three years ago, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it was looking into allowing car owners to have personalised or vanity number plates. But roadblocks - temporary or otherwise - are stopping plates such as JAMES007 or TOOSEXY from appearing on the roads here. Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
The Temasek Review
Temasek should stop fudging the issue and strive to be more accountable and transparent to Singaporeans who are after all financing their operations (through years of accumulated budget surpluses). Tweet
Eugene Yeo and Jeremy Koh, The Temasek Review
This unique brand of “pork-barrel” politics introduced by the PAP to ensure its political hegemony is possible only if the prices of resale flats are attractive. It will lose its effectiveness if residents are unable to make a hefty profit from the sale of their flats. Tweet
Lesley Wroughton, Reuters
For the first time, an African country, Rwanda, is the World Bank's biggest business reformer, while Singapore leads overall world rankings for the fourth straight year as the easiest place to do business. Tweet
Myrna Thomas, Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited, Wall Street Journal
While our sole shareholder is the Singapore government, we are not a "fund," and do not manage Singapore "citizens' earnings." It is factually wrong to imply that Singaporeans have no choice but to "keep their money with the fund." Tweet
Eric Ellis, The Age
Singapore seems to subscribe to a ''don't ask, don't tell'' policy on where money comes from. Tweet
Rick Lim Say Kiong, Today
Stop associating this town with tomatoes. Tweet
Lee Huei Chern, Sentosa Leisure Group, Straits Times
We would like to clarify that we do have grandparents in our pool of family memberships as flexibility was extended in the past upon request.
Sounds like weasel words to me. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it will ban the use of the term "capital or principal protected", or any form of the term, in all disclosure documents and marketing materials for unlisted investment products sold to retail investors. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
The Public Service Division has announced several changes to the appointments of permanent secretaries which will take effect from October 1. Tweet
Sol E. Solomon, ZDNet Asia
CIOs in the island-state are optimistic the economic downturn is waning and market conditions will be more favorable for growth over the next six months, a new survey revealed. Tweet
Katrina Nicholas and Andrea Tan, Bloomberg
Temasek Holdings Pte, which supported the development of Singapore’s $26 billion semiconductor industry for two decades, is one deal away from exiting the chip market entirely. Tweet
Timothy Ouyang, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore is on track to meeting all requirements of an international standard on tax havens laid out by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This is according to the Ministry of Finance in response to a query from Channel NewsAsia. Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Hasnita Majid, Channel NewsAsia
Last year alone, eight were set up, one of the largest increase in the last five years. The rise was also due to the entry of pawn shop chains which has caused somewhat of an image make-over of the industry. Tweet
Raindrops Of Memories
The shit that happens between Singapore and Malaysia are the same. Only the smell is different. Tweet
Eugene Yeo, The Temasek Review Tweet
Yawning Bread
What do we mean by the term "hate speech"? Where do we draw the line between tolerable offensive speech and legally intolerable hate speech? Tweet
Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald
When school officials from across the world come here to learn why Singapore's students score so well on international science and math tests, it doesn't take them long to discover the secret -- a national obsession with education. Tweet
Tong Jee Cheng, Today
Why are SingPost staff now also delivering junk mail?
Follow the money. Tweet
The Temasek Review
It is an established practice for news agencies to report financial transactions and purchase of companies at the purchase or take-over price which is not inclusive of the target company’s debt. Tweet
Insane Polygons Tweet
陈能端, 联合早报
拉丁马士小学的80名小四学生昨天参与了相关的实验计划，捧着最新的iPhone3GS到飞禽公园去，一边观鸟一边学习如何在日常生活中应用数学概念。 Tweet
林佩碧, 联合早报
随着人口不断增加、生活越来越富裕，本地家庭的总用电量过去十多年来不断上升，从1995年的3794千兆瓦(Gwh)增至去年的6162千兆瓦，涨幅超过60％。 Tweet
Chan Sue Ling, Bloomberg
Singapore Air’s advantage as the only airline to fly the A380 to financial centers such as Hong Kong and Tokyo is helping it lure customers like Ong. The plane’s appeal in the two years it has been in service could ease the pain from empty seats on other aircraft and cheaper tickets that are threatening to push the carrier into its first annual loss since 1985. Tweet
Theresa Tan, Straits Times
The foundations of Singapore's oldest Catholic church are weakening and the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd is finding ways to stop the cracks in the 162-year-old building from going deeper.
Reverend Father Adrian Anthony, its rector, said the church had started noticing 'quite a good number of cracks' after the Land Transport Authority (LTA) began construction work on the MRT Circle Line around 2003. Tweet
Xinhua
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced on Monday that Singapore will "significantly expand" its contribution to resources of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Tweet
Benson Ang, New Paper
Mum goes to girl's school every day, kicks up fuss about her test papers. School calls police twice, and the authorities take action. Tweet
Tan Kin Lian, Tan Kin Lian's Blog
How can justice be seen to be done, when the people affected do not have any say to influence the outcome? Is this the pinnacle of arrogance in a democratic country? Tweet
Eric Tan, Media Development Authority, Straits Times
We advocate and actively support public education and responsible use of the Internet as the best defence against online pornography in the long run. Tweet
Toh Chong Siong, Straits Times
Dr Koh should therefore not view the new rules as an altruistic move on the part of card issuers. It is something that should have been done a long time ago. Tweet
Bernadette Low, SMRT Corporation, Today
We would like to assure Mr Khan and Today readers that we will continue to monitor passenger loads on this stretch and adjust the frequencies when there is demand.
Nothing in this letter by SMRT matches what the headline (presumably written by Today, and not SMRT) says. Tweet
Today
Aren't EZ-Link's overall profits based on this volume of users enough to cover said processing costs of the Giro service?
As if there are alternatives to be non-loyal. Tweet
Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia
Even though key industry players are optimistic about prospects in the finance and insurance sectors, they remain cautious about the manufacturing and retail industry. Recruitment agencies are also cautious when it comes to predicting if the current outlook is here to stay. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Retailers situated around the Singapore Formula 1 track expect a 40 per cent drop in business during the F1 period, the same as last year. This, despite a reduction in the number of road closure days from 12 to seven. Tweet
Conrad Alvin Lim, The Pattern Trader Tweet
Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia
A 61-year-old Chinese man has become the latest victim of H1N1, bringing the death toll in Singapore to 18. Tweet
Tan Weizhen, Straits Times
Called the MiFi, it is a small credit card sized device which creates a mobile, wireless 'bubble' around users when it is activated. Tweet
Eugene Yeo and Jeremy Koh, The Temasek Review
How is possible to have a inflationary public housing market in the midst of an economic recession? Tweet
Abdul Gafoor, The Temasek Review Tweet
My Paper
With average speeds of 7.32Mbps, Singapore's speed is almost three times slower than that of South Korea, which is ranked first with 21.17Mbps. It fared even worse with upload speeds, coming in 51st with its average of 0.75Mbps. Tweet
Tan Weizhen, Straits Times
Many new outlets have opened recently catering to workers and students. Tweet
The Secret Political Blog Tweet
Tardate 11.2
Case in point: Did you know that you cannot hyperlink to most government sites without first obtaining explicit permission? Tweet
Conrad Raj, Today
It is disappointing to note that little proactive action is being taken by the ABS to introduce greater security measures to protect cardholders from unauthorised transactions. Tweet
Gregory Gerald Danker, EZ-Link Pte Ltd, Today
While we are unable to comment on the pricing model of other billing organisations in providing the Giro service to their customers, a nominal convenience fee of $0.25 per top-up is charged so as to cover processing costs that are incurred in the provision of the EZ-Reload by Giro service. Tweet
New Paper Tweet
Yawning Bread
The centre of gravity has finally shifted. But what of the government's response? Are they still in denial mode? Is there anyone there who has the wisdom to see that the best legacy they can leave behind is to redesign the political system to make it more open, competitive, fairer and more soundly based on principles of human rights?
I'm not holding my breath. And frankly, that I am not should tell you the rot has begun. Perhaps the rogues are already here. Have they been here since 1961? Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Pritam Singh, The Online Citizen
With the shadow of an opportunistic mainstream media cast over everything the opposition says and does, displays of anger and differences of opinion within and between opposition parties, figures and supporters are best left out of the public eye. There is no denying that Singaporeans today are more educated, more politically mature and not afraid to question PAP leaders over even the most minor of policy matters. Lest opposition leaders and supporters rub their hands in delight at this burden of leadership, reality cuts both ways – the public expectation on the conduct of the opposition in between elections, is likely to rise in tandem. Tweet
Singapore Democrats
The SDP leader has repeatedly argued that the charge of him not having a permit is a red herring. The Ministry for Home Affairs and police have stated that no permit will be issued for outdoor political events. Dr Chee pointed out that such a policy to issue a blanket ban on public speaking and assembly clearly violated the Constitution and are therefore legally invaild. Tweet
Steve Johnson, Financial Times
The city state of Singapore punches well above its weight in the world of investment. Between them Temasek Holdings and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, the tiny nation’s twin sovereign wealth funds, manage an estimated $400bn (£245bn, €280bn) of assets.
But Singapore is not resting on its laurels; it is about to wade into the congested European asset management industry as part of a plan to raise its assets under management higher still. Tweet
Malaysia Star
Something is very, very wrong in a sense that we are way, way behind our neighbor when it comes to our monetary reserve. How can a tiny island with only one port from it's initial inception be better off then a country with 13 states and a huge abundance of natural resources? Tweet
Martin Abbugao, AFP
A US-led crackdown by wealthy countries on cross-border tax cheats will promote greater transparency and benefit Singapore and other global financial centres, bankers and analysts said. Tweet
The Temasek Review
The ISA is an obsolete, unnecessary and repressive law which has no place in a modern democracy like Singapore. It should be repealed and an “Anti-terrorism” act introduced in its place to deal specifically with terrorists. Tweet
Martyn See, Only "Objective" And "Factual" Political Films Please, We're Singaporeans Tweet
The Temasek Review
It was supposed to be an “objective” and “non-partisan” insider account of the early days of the ruling PAP of Singapore, but it turns out to be yet another piece of subtle propaganda by the regime to remind the restless populace of its glorious past. Tweet
The Temasek Review
To the older generations of Singaporeans who had been through a tumultuous period of poverty, hardship and uncertainties with the PAP government, it can do no wrong. In fact, they are more than happy to trade their political rights in exchange for the stability and prosperity Singapore has enjoyed all these while.
Young Singaporeans born after 1965 were brought up in a relatively well-off environment. Being educated, widely read and exposed to the world, having a honest and capable government which provides jobs and housing for the people is no longer enough. Tweet
Nur Dianah Suhaimi, Straits Times Tweet
Grace Chua, Straits Times
By 2013, there will be a new green link between the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Area.
The bridge, 50m wide at its narrowest point and planted with dense trees resembling forest habitat, could help populations of animals like the critically-endangered banded leaf monkey to recover. A hiking trail at one edge will enable humans to cross between the reserves as well. Tweet
综合讯, 联合早报 Tweet
The Star
Chief executive officer Jason Lo said the company was currently in talks with three mobile operators in Singapore – M1, SingTel and StarHub – for a potential collaboration in providing services in the republic. Tweet
Straits Times
Despite assurances that it is safe to eat, sales of fresh pork took a hit yesterday. Tweet
Teh Jen Lee, New Paper
Would the one-week delay in providing information plant doubt in people's minds? Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
A two-man disciplinary tribunal will be appointed by chief Justice Chan Sek Keong to determine if former Singaporean lawyer Gopalan Nair is guilty of misconduct "unbefitting" of a lawyer. The application on Friday morning was submitted by the Law Society. Tweet
Jonathan Peeris/Ng Baoying, Channel NewsAsia Tweet
The Temasek Review
For Singaporeans who just bought their homes, a grim prospect awaits them that they may end up with literally nothing in their CPFs after paying off their housing loans over a period of 30 years. Tweet
Tan Kin Lian
This economic model changed after 1985. Under the "asset enhancement" strategy, the prices of property was allowed to inflate to high levels. This was supposed to create more wealth. It produced the opposite and negative effect and enslaved the future generation to a high cost of living and high debts. Life was stressful. The sever decline in birth rates occurred during these past two decades. Tweet
Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters
A power struggle in a Singapore opposition party descended into a street brawl using hammers and screwdrivers, leading to serious injuries and 21 arrests in a city-state known for being safe and politically stable. Tweet
Tessa Wong, Straits Times
An imposter Ramly burger is just not worth all those calories. Tweet
Christopher Ong, Straits Times
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has defended its decision to sponsor a New Zealand team over the Republic's World Championships junior dragon boat side, saying it cannot be supporting every local sport. Tweet
Gabriel Chen, Straits Times
New measures to limit the liability of credit cardholders does not indicate that the incidence of card fraud is a big problem here, said the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) on Friday. Tweet
Singapore Watch Tweet
Singapore Recalcitrant
Is MM Lee of the certainty of mind that Singapore's young voters are satisfied with the status quo? His diffident exposition of the Singapore political landscape of the future at the anniversay dinner dialogue does not convey the confidence. Tweet
刘丽仪, 联合早报 Tweet
The Temasek Review
History had shown us that there seemed to be one set of rules for the PAP and another set for the opposition which raises serious questions about the political neutrality and impartiality of the civil service. Tweet
The Temasek Review
It is a shame that while Singapore has the highest internet penetration rates in the world, its politicians are not making full use of the new media to engage citizens and to burnish their credentials. Tweet
Tessa Wong, Straits Times
Rules governing food safety at night markets have been tightened by the National Environment Agency (NEA) in the wake of the Geylang Serai food poisoning case in April, in which two people died and 152 others were taken ill.
The new rules require stallholders to take greater steps to prevent food contamination - the sharing of sinks, for instance, is no longer allowed for hygiene purposes. Food preparation areas must also be shielded and made of impervious materials. Tweet
The Temasek Review
What is $500,000 to them? A mere 0.5% of what is going to be spent in three days time on entertaining foreign guests. Tweet
Chua Hian Hou & Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times
Banks have decided to change a long-standing policy which made credit card holders liable for all charges incurred on lost or stolen cards before they are reported missing.
From Nov 1, cardholders' liability will be capped at $100, provided they are not negligent or fraudulent and notify the banks as soon as they discover the loss. Tweet
Getting At The Truth Tweet
Feed Me To The Fish
I'm still confused from the answer Catherine received on whether the army will ensure the longevity and perpetual power of PAP? It's either I'm too thick or the answer is meant to confound. Tweet
Tan Chek Wee, Today
These foreign workers risk their lives and limbs to help build this city so that we have a "good" life. However, notices such as this perpetuate the prejudice against them. The bottomline of such notices is that "you are not welcome to live in our heartlands". Tweet
Today
For what should be the last time, Central Provident Fund members will enjoy the guaranteed minimum 4-per-cent interest on their Special, Medisave and Retirement Accounts (SMRA). And they are likely to see smaller returns on their savings come the new year. Tweet
Today
Come Sept 14, Singaporeans can expect smoother traffic flow at the Second Link when a full electronic transaction toll payment system is implemented at Malaysia's Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza from 10am. Tweet
Liew Hanqing, New Paper
A new report has criticised news broadcaster Channel NewsAsia (CNA) for its approach in news reporting. The 12th biennial report by the Programme Advisory Committee for English Programmes (Pace) said CNA adopted a generally 'conservative and careful' approach in its reports, which has resulted in the public perceiving it as the 'voice of the government'. The report said this could hamper CNA's credibility as a news conduit. Tweet
Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia
Experts said that using new media is likely to become prevalent in Singapore. Civil servants have been learning how they can use this to convey their ministries' social messages. Tweet
The Temasek Review
The sandwiched population, who earns between $1,500 and $4,500 monthly will not qualified for any financial help from the government. Singaporeans in this group are usually in the lower-middle income group. They earn just enough not to be ineligible for most government subsidies, but are not quite rich enough to afford the medical expenses on their own. Tweet
Lilian Karunungan, Bloomberg
Taiwan and Singapore’s central banks will allow more room for their currencies to appreciate as economic growth recovers, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Tweet
Satish Cheney/Liang Kaixin, Channel NewsAsia
The Ministry of Health is increasing its subsidy tiers from four to nine, which means there will be more subsidy levels, which translates to better savings for patients and their care givers. Tweet
Eugene Yeo, The Temasek Review Tweet
Catherine Lim Tweet
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has detected the pandemic A(H1N1) virus in some pigs imported into Singapore from Indonesia's Pulau Bulan.
But the AVA stressed that the pork available here is safe for consumption, because the H1N1 virus is not transmitted through the handling and consumption of pork and pork products including ham, bacon, sausages and canned pork. Tweet
Who Moved My Singapore Cheese?
Housing inflation during a recession is no good. An untimely comment like this from you will only further worsen the situation. Tweet
翁德生, 联合早报
西方世界富裕强盛主要是他们祖先冒险精神强取豪夺全球资源，相对来说东方必须面对僧多粥少，必须刻苦耐劳；西方今天是纨绔子弟在消费祖辈累积阴德，他们相信二流政府一样可以造就社会壮大。 Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Jakarta Post
Representatives for the family of Indonesian student David Hartanto Widjaja, who was found dead at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University in March this year, plans to sue the Singapore Police for refusing to return David’s laptop and police records to his family for examination. Tweet
叶鹏飞 陈迎竹, 联合早报
内阁资政李光耀昨晚明确表明人民行动党政府一旦失去选民的委托，将会尊重选举结果，和平交出政权。因为他所上的第一堂政治课教导他，阻碍和平的革命，必然会导致暴力。 Tweet
Alfian Sa’at, The Online Citizen
The tendency of any majority, if left unchecked, is towards tyranny. The tendency of any minority, if left unattended, is towards alienation. The presence of Section 152, a constitutional guarantee of minority protection, goes a long way towards alleviating the damaging forces of such vectors in our society. Far from undermining equality, Section 152 is an attempt to rectify asymmetries of power, to achieve parity, among those who are not born equal. It takes a particular form of genius to observe the reverse. Tweet
The Temasek Review
Throughout his entire “answer”, he did not touch on his veiled threat to use the Singapore Armed Forces to subvert and overthrow a democratically elected government of Singapore voted into office via a “freak election” which brings to the mind the key question of whether SAF owes its allegiance to the people of Singapore, the PAP or MM Lee personally. Tweet
April Chong, Straits Times Tweet
Martyn See, Only "Objective" And "Factual" Political Films Please, We're Singaporeans Tweet
Channel NewsAsia Tweet
Joyce Teo, Straits Times
HDB resale flat prices - already at record high levels - are likely to continue rising this year, said national development minister Mah Bow Tan on Wednesday. Tweet
云南网
作为中新合作的第一大亮点，苏州工业园区已经走过了15年的历程。苏州工业园区已经成为昆明建设工业园区的榜样。近日，又一批县区领导赶赴新加坡现场取经。参与学习的干部普遍感到，结合昆明实际，把新加坡的先进理念学到位、用到位，则是摆在大家面前的一道新课题。 Tweet
Eugene Yeo, The Temasek Review Tweet
Diana Othman, Straits Times
AN ADVISORY committee has raised concerns over the use of Singlish in some local children's productions.
In its biennial report released on Wednesday, the Programme Advisory Committee for English Programmes' (Pace), also calls for more programmes for elderly viewers. Tweet
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen Tweet
Rachel Kelly, Channel NewsAsia
According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore's (MAS) quarterly survey of professional forecasters, economists project that the country's gross domestic product (GDP) will shrink 3.6 per cent this year – a much more optimistic forecast compared to the 6.5 per cent contraction predicted in June. Tweet
Straits Times
Former information minister Zainuddin Maidin cited the split with Singapore in making his point in a column on Tuesday that it was important to learn lessons from the past.
Wrote Mr Zainuddin: 'If 50 years of independence have given a deeper understanding of the poison sowed by Kuan Yew 40 years ago, the recent events mentioned would not have occurred.' Tweet
姚晓静, 校长周刊
暑假期间，由于安排孩子上学的事宜，我去了新加坡。透过儿子和他所在的学校，我打开了一扇看新加坡教育的“小窗”。通过这扇小窗，我看到另一种教育的风景，感受到了那融进教育“血脉”的自主理念。 Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Yong Zhao
I am not only very impressed with the content of the vision statement but also, and perhaps more, impressed with the process, especially when considering what and how the U.S. Department of Education is doing to teachers in the U.S.. Tweet
Xinhua
Preparations are well underway as Singapore gears up to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Week Meetings from Nov. 8 to 15, the meetings' organizing committee said on Tuesday. Tweet
The Online Citizen Tweet
Gerald Giam
So for LTA to be scrambling around trying to embargo and plug the news leak suggests that they were more interested in making their Minister look good than anything else. Tweet
mrbrown: L'infantile terrible of Singapore
Aiyah, why change the blog post so much? The original was so much more entertaining to read leh. Tweet
Konrad Foo, ZDNet Asia
SBS Transit has introduced wireless Internet connectivity for commuters using public transport in the country. Tweet
The Temasek Review
From the escape of Mas Selamat to the multi-billion losses suffered by Temasek and GIC, it should be clear to Singaporeans by now that a one-party government will not be able to check on itself. Not only does Singapore need a genuinely strong opposition presence in Parliament, perhaps it is about time we change the government into one which truly understands our present concerns and aspirations for the future. Tweet
Dow Jones
The International Monetary Fund Tuesday said that Singapore's economy is likely to shrink by about 8% this year as the global economic crisis has pushed the export dependent nation into its worst economic downturn since the 1965. Tweet
DPA Tweet
Christopher Tan, Straits Times
It all began at a closed-door briefing for journalists held by the Land Transport Authority on Friday afternoon. It was to allow beat reporters to understand the upcoming changes to the scheme and to ask questions. The announcement itself was to have been made public by none other than Transport Minister Raymond Lim at a ministerial visit on Sunday.
Isn't it time to stop doing embargoes? Tweet
Gilbert Goh, The Online Citizen
As of now, tripartism currently favours the employer more as without legislation they need not follow the call to implement family-friendly practices at work. Workers all have everything to lose here with no flexi-work rules in place. Any good law without proper legislation is subjected to abuse and we are currently seeing this right now in Singapore. Tweet
ieatishootipost
If you are looking for a casual laid back place to eat a thick char grilled steak, then look no further than Bedrock. Tweet
Eugene Yeo, The Temasek Review Tweet
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore should return to a policy of allowing the currency to strengthen once the economy recovers from its deepest recession since independence in 1965, the International Monetary Fund said. Tweet
DPA
Surging international demand for sand is leading to excessive dredging in Vietnam's Mekong Delta, damaging the terrain and the environment, officials said Monday. The jump in sand excavation is fueled by demand from Singapore's construction industry, which is searching for new sources after Indonesia and Cambodia banned exports. Tweet
中安在线
纵观世界上文明程度较高的国家都是靠罚出来的，最典型的莫过于新加坡。 Tweet
Tan Kin Lian
The lament of the shortage of talents in Singapore is a product of our Singapore model. We reap what we sow. Tweet
Cheow Xin Yi, Channel NewsAsia
There was an error in the formula that investors were told would be used to calculate any remaining value in their investments should there be a "credit event".
But, DBS Bank is arguing, this was such "an obvious clerical mistake", that it would be apparent to any investor who had read his or her documents thoroughly. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
The Singapore International Storytelling Festival is back for its fourth year and will feature 21 storytellers from all over the world. Tweet
Hasnita A Majid, Channel NewsAsia Tweet
Cheow Xin Yi, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's structural unemployment problem seems to have worsened as the economy recovers from recession.
Government intervention and retraining of workers have kept the problem under control, but experts said a mismatch remains between skills of workers and the job positions available. Tweet
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net Tweet
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