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Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
The Singapore government is proposing an extra day of non-campaigning as a cooling-off period just before Polling Day, ahead of the General Election due in 2012. The extra day of non-campaigning will also apply to a presidential election. Tweet
Kevin Lim, Reuters Tweet
Kevin Lim, Reuters
Singapore's second biggest lender Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp said on Monday it has no exposure to Dubai World. Tweet
Harry Suhartono, Reuters
Singapore's central bank said on Monday the total gross exposure of the country's banking sector to the United Arab Emirates was well below 1 percent of total banking assets.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore also said in a statement that it does not expect the developments in Dubai to adversely affect the financial stability of Singapore. Tweet
Chuang Peck Ming, Business Times Tweet
Singapore Government
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) launched the Budget 2010 Feedback Exercise on 30 November 2009. Through this, MOF wants to engage the general public on issues relating to public spending and gather your views on the initiatives Budget 2010 can include to enable sustained and inclusive growth for Singapore. Tweet
Singapore Government
MOH would like to continue urging those at risk of HIV infection and those who engage in risky sexual behaviour to go for regular HIV testing. Regular HIV testing can help an infected person to be diagnosed at an earlier stage of infection. Early diagnosis can afford a person earlier access to care and treatment, and also allow the person to receive counselling on how to protect their partners from infection. Tweet
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and five companies from the industry are spending S$16 million to increase the number of point-of-sales terminals for using these cards. The aim is to increase these terminals from the current 5,000 to 24,000 by 2011. Tweet
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday the Singapore government is tracking the Dubai debt crisis that happened over the weekend. He told the media that the potential fallout remained unclear, but felt that it would be contained. Tweet
Blowin' In The Wind
The labour market has become more uncertain. Most of the new jobs created are not only temporary --- but for less than three months. Tweet
Straits Times
Although the number of Singapore residents who lost their jobs hit 5.9 per cent in June - on a non-seasonally adjusted basis - older workers were able to stay on in the workforce at the record high level reached in 2008. Tweet
The Online Citizen Tweet
Fiona Chan, Straits Times
THE declining productivity of Singapore's workers is likely to be a key issue tackled by the Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) when it releases its recommendations in January.
Productivity is destined to be down when the mindset is not to innovate to do more for less, but to hire cheaper labor to do more for less. Tweet
Ben Bland, The Guardian
Unfriendly reporters are jailed, assaulted or assassinated by the governments of Burma, Iran and Sri Lanka. Singapore, with pretensions to being a global "media hub", prefers tools of repression that are more subtle, yet have the same chilling effect on free speech. Tweet
Alicia Wong, Today
The "vast majority" of companies are either already implementing re-employment practices or allowing employees to continue working beyond the retirement age, manpower minister Gan Kim Yong said yesterday as he reassured that the Employment Assistance Payment (EAP) would not be an easy way for employers to lay off their older workers. Tweet
Kelvin Teo Writes
How the GRC fits into the picture of PAP’s electoral strategy is that the current number of such wards in relation to the number of cabinet positions allows for a sufficient buffer of cabinet ministers, who could be deployed at any point of time to boost the challenge at any GRC where the opposition is deemed to mount the strongest challenge. Is it any wonder that the Workers’ Party A team could be facing more than one cabinet minister if it intends to contest Aljunied again during the next elections? Ditto for the opposition who intends to contest Bishan-Toa Payoh. Tweet
Jufri Salim, Singapore Democrats Tweet
Paul Antony Fernandez, Straits Times
Has there been an unannounced change in the Evidence Act? If not, why was the officer's testimony admitted as proof of innocence? Tweet
Reuters
"No money no honey" seems to be ringing true for Singapore's bridal agencies, which are seeing slowing business as the financial crisis and a looming recession hit love in the country. Tweet
Hindu Tweet
Wing Lee Cheong, The Online Citizen Tweet
栖雁雅筑
小小的星加坡，吸纳了大大的我国人才，在新国协助他们发展国家，创造一个又一个的辉煌。大大的大马，永远输给小小的新加坡。所以，李光耀说，大马政府是真笨！但是，从另一方面来看，兴许也是造就华人快速融入地球村的捷径呢！ Tweet
华尔街日报 Tweet
屈建成, 武汉晚报
昨日，记者从省教育厅获悉，经过初选及新加坡教育部审核，全国共有89人入围赴新加坡教汉语名单，其中我省有18人，人数居全国第一。 Tweet
Rachel Zeng's blog Tweet
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
In recent months, I have had a few glimpses of how far Singapore’s upper middle class has moved ahead in the richest city in South-East Asia. Tweet
Economic Times
The jury is out on what the future holds for Dubai. Fund managers and high-street bankers see the fall of Dubai as a prelude to the emergence of Singapore as the undisputed financial centre of Asia. Tweet
联合早报
环境局有意于短期内，在咖啡店实行全面禁烟令。两大咖啡商公会要求该局，考虑全面禁烟令可能对咖啡店生意所造成的打击，暂缓一两年后才推行。 Tweet
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent
Without the manpower and resources of mainstream publications, it is very difficult for citizen journalists to produce hard-hitting and thorough journalism. Tweet
Christopher Tan, Straits Times
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has replaced 1,430 bus stop sign poles with snazzier and more prominent ones that cost $1,000 each. Tweet
Leong Shee Wing, Tampines Town Council, Straits Times
To put it simply, we will need an average of $4.5 million a year to replace the 1,260 lifts over the 28-year cycle, which will be adequately provided for from our annual sinking fund contribution which currently is $11.8 million. Tweet
Ng Junrong, Victor Loh, Straits Times
The inclusion of academic institutions in Singapore by Oregon's Office of Degree Authorisation, as reported in Thursday's Special Report, illustrates the severity of the situation. Tweet
Hoe Chia Choon, Straits Times
I understand that as a corporate entity, StarHub must maximise profits and returns to shareholders. However, with the first real blow from its competitor, it now cries foul, paints itself as righteous and pressures SingTel to share the EPL rights. I feel it is a lame excuse. You called their bluff and you lost. Move on. Tweet
Rachel Kelly, Channel NewsAsia
A survey shows that some 90 per cent of users would like notification when their data limit has been reached. Tweet
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives Tweet
Damon Yeo, The Temasek Review
With Singapore slowly creeping up the list of the most expensive cities of the world, the time is now for us to relook into enacting a minimum wage policy to start protecting those who might have already been exploited, even if not intentionally, by circumstances. Tweet
Robert Wright, Financial Times
The world's container ports industry is facing a sharp reversal in its fortunes as the sector's first ever year-on-year fall in volumes forces an abrupt change from breakneck expansion to retrenchment. Tweet
Kevin Brown, Financial Times
From the palm-fringed beaches of Singapore's east coast, it is possible to see the islands of Indonesia across the narrow strait that separates the two countries.
These days, though, the view is obscured by hundreds of ships lying at anchor, some of them part of the estimated 10 per cent of the world container fleet idled due to lack of business. At the ultra-modern Pasir Panjang container terminal stacks of empty containers piled up behind protective fencing tell a similar story. Tweet
Kelvin Teo Writes Tweet
Jeisilan Sivalingam, The Online Citizen Tweet
Chia Hern Keng, Straits Times
Given today's accelerated pace of change in a global world in which mistakes may no longer be reversible, it is crucial that government policies be open to scrutiny and responsive to public feedback as quickly as possible. This requires an even greater liberalisation of the mainstream media for public discussion on national issues. Tweet
Sue-Ann Chia, Straits Times
Cabinet ministers, appointment holders and top civil servants will not be getting a pay increase for the second year running, in view of the uncertain economic recovery. Tweet
Straits Times
Some 60,000 civil servants will get a modest year-end bonus of 0.25 month, which will be capped at $750 to help maintain wage restraint, the government announced on Thursday.
But the rank and file staff will get the full 0.25 month payment. All civil servants will also receive the 13th month payment, said a statement from the Public Service Division (PSD). Tweet
Harish Pillay, Alas, A Blog!
Too many mistakes are in the system and political leadership is called for. Not sure if Lee Hsien Loong can rise to it, not sure if Ng Eng Hen (the education minister) cares, but we need to fix the problems. We are loosing (and have lost) good people due to stupidity on the part of the policy makers aka politicians from the PAP. Tweet
Shirley Ong, Today
I recently asked the Town Council about the flyers piling up at my doorstep, and the impression I got is that while they are aware of the issue, they can do little to resolve it. Tweet
Angry AngMo
There is a vivid and lively modern art and pop culture movement that produces great exhibitions on a surprisingly high level. Tweet
AFP
A jump in electronics output pushed Singapore's factory production up by an annual 3.6 percent in October, government data showed Thursday. Tweet
联合早报
新加坡和马来西亚将在今年底，把往来于柔佛州和新加坡的巴士班次增加一倍，以加强新加坡和柔佛南部——马来西亚依士干达(Iskandar Malaysia)的交通连接网络。 Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times
Banks' final discount offer means victim still has to fork out $12,825. Tweet
Bernadette Low, SMRT Corporation, Today Tweet
Liew Kai Khiun, Straits Times
It is wrong to attribute personal inadequacies in learning Chinese entirely to Chinese language teachers who work diligently, particularly in predominantly English-speaking schools where Mandarin is regarded as uncool and parochial. Tweet
Tan Ying Hong, Straits Times Tweet
Cherian George, Journalism.sg
There are at least three more credible reasons why, compared with Malaysiakini, Singapore’s alternative media are still so kampung. Tweet
联合晚报
男子一人犯法，连累全家人的永久居留权被取消，即使两名儿子已在本地服役，也不能留在新加坡。 Tweet
Kelvin Teo Writes Tweet
Gangasudhan, The Online Citizen Tweet
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent
By kicking these reporters out of Singapore or forcing them out of their jobs because of its intense paranoia about the press, it is therefore the government that makes media freedom an issue, not the journalists. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
The Ministry of Health (MOH) is investigating the death of a two-year-old child who tested positive for H1N1. Tweet
Clement Tan, Asian Correspondent Tweet
Yasmine Yahya, Channel NewsAsia
In a move to remain competitive, Changi Airport Group said it will continue to provide across-the-board landing fee rebates to all airlines in 2010. Tweet
Raj Jamal, The Star Tweet
新华网
新加坡总理李显龙23日在总统府会见来访的新华社总编辑何平时说,新中两国媒体机构需要加强合作与交流,为"亚洲声音在世界上脱颖而出"做出贡献。 Tweet
Times They Are A-Changin'
Did all the past Education Ministers agree with MM Lee's ignorance and insistence on bilingualism? If not, where were they when parents and students cried out in desperation over this policy the past 3 decades? How can the insistence of one man silent the cries of generations of parents and students? Tweet
林慧慧, 联合早报
由于临时巴刹将占据直落亚逸邻里警岗后方的空地，当局将从下个月1日起，重新划定演说角落的范围，将原本大约有一个足球场大小的演说角落，缩小三分之一。到时，人们将不允许在临时巴刹内进行演说或举行示威活动。不过当局强调，临时巴刹拆除后，演说角落的空间将还原。 Tweet
Today
Transport minister Raymond Lim noted: A cashless society is "not a costless one". "While the government can help to facilitate the transition to a cashless society, the decision to waive or charge a fee for cashless alternatives is a commercial one best left to individual commercial operators," said Mr Lim. Tweet
Derrick Lim, Today
Flyers piling up at our doors a safety risk. Tweet
Singapore Democrats
Even as the opposition heaves to overcome the extraordinary odds in establishing a working democratic system in Singapore, the people must not sit back and expect it to do all the heavy lifting. Without the active involvement of Singaporeans, political change will always be something we talk about, not experience. Tweet
Ramzy Baroud, Khaleej Times
The APEC Summit, although answering a few questions, certainly delineated the new paradigm shift. It was a chance for Asia to assert itself, and for others to listen. But it also presented a new set of priorities, an agenda even, one in which the environment didn’t seem to top the list. A most unfortunate conclusion, indeed. Tweet
Ivan Chew, Rambling Librarian
So in the end, it’s about how we consciously choose to demonstrate our abilities. Some people have it easier, while others have to try harder. But we all have to. Tweet
Eilleen Tan, Straits Times
The town council did not reveal how much it spent on maintaining these lifts, nor give an estimate of their future replacement cost and, more importantly, how this cost will be financed. Tweet
Leung Weiwen, Straits Times
Mr Ramasamy argues that according to political theorist John Stuart Mill, society may not enforce its moral perceptions unless its violation causes objectively perceptible harm to others, and consensual sex does not cause harm to others. I would like to point out that this principle is not universally accepted. Even if it were universally accepted, one must realise that Mill himself saw that children are an exception to his principle. Tweet
Rachel Chang, Straits Times
Senior counsel Philip Jeyaretnam, son of the late opposition leader Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, was sworn in on Tuesday as the 11th member of the Public Service Commission (PSC).
As a member of the PSC, Mr Jeyaretnam will be involved in its task of appointing and promoting top civil servants. Tweet
Teo Xuanwei, Today
The Health Sciences Authority said on Tuesday that 27 cases of adverse reactions suspected to be associated with the use of the H1N1 vaccine have been reported so far. But "these reactions are non-serious anticipated side effects such as fever, rashes, flu-like symptoms, headaches, nausea and vomiting", said an HSA spokesperson. "These reactions are commonly expected from all flu vaccines and most of these reactions are resolved within a few days." Tweet
HumanResources
While most countries rate "honesty" as their most admired characteristic in leaders, Singapore rates "competence" more highly than any other country in the world. Tweet
Lim Mun Fah, Sin Chew Daily
It is going to become a bilingual world. It will be a greater advantage if we can master more languages. But when will our young people no longer afraid to communicate in English and Singaporean young people no longer afraid to speak Chinese? Tweet
Desiree Tresa Gasper and Austin Camoens, The Star
About 15,000 students from Johor study in private schools in Singapore, viewed by many as having a world-class education system. Tweet
Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters
Visitor arrivals in Singapore in October fell 0.5 percent from a year earlier, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Tuesday. Singapore is trying to expand tourism as part of efforts to reduce economic reliance on manufacturing. Tweet
AFP
State-linked Singapore investment firm Temasek Holdings on Tuesday said it plans to raise 600 million Singapore dollars (433 million US) from new bond offerings. The latest news follows an announcement in October that the firm would raise 1.5 billion US dollars through a 10-year bond offer under a capital raising programme worth 5.0 billion US dollars. Tweet
Ben Bland, Asia Sentinel
If self-censorship is rife among foreign reporters, who can simply leave the Lion City when they fall foul of the authorities, imagine the predicament faced by Singaporean journalists. Even if they cross the unwritten line of acceptability unwittingly, they are subject to a form of internal exile, forced out of their jobs and made to somehow conjure up an alternative career if they are to feed and house their families.
It is little wonder that the sage advice of one professor of journalism at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University to an eager student reporter was: "If you want to do journalism, don't do it in Singapore." Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind Tweet
杨雪慧, 联合早报
为了安装安全带，校车的座位减少了，一些校车业者为维持营运，决定从明年起调高车资，涨幅一般超过10％。 Tweet
Today In Singapore
This must be the most blatant affront to the people’s expectation of an elected representative – he refuses outright to give a response to a tabled query from a fellow parliamentarian. Tweet
The Temasek Review
I felt it is not right for public funds to be used for a function held at a condominium especially during the current economic downturn which has affected many Singaporeans. Tweet
Esther Ng, Today
National development minister Mah Bow Tan said in Parliament: "The total cost of building flats varies based on when we build, where we build and what we build. It includes cost of land, as well as cost of construction of the flats and ancillary services. It varies from $230,000 for a 3-room flat in Punggol to $530,000 for a 5-room flat in Tiong Bahru." Tweet
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent
I can only conclude that the government had a problem with something I wrote. I'd love to know what it was but all my attempts to elicit this information, through official and unofficial channels, have failed thus far. Tweet
The Emancipation Of My Brain
If ‘grooming tomorrow’s leaders’ was supposed to be the bottom line, then the training wheels would have to come off some time. And by training wheels I meant the convenience of peer influence. Tweet
Kelvin Teo Writes
Is there any utility in electoral ’sucide squads’? Yes, there definitely is as it reduces the likelihood of bigwig ’special’ candidates appearing at ‘troubled’ GRCs other than their own, which may result in the swing of support towards the latter’s party. Tweet
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
For 35 years of nation building, we only have 136100 PR. But within 9 years, we have an increase of over 300%? Tweet
Pauline Tan, Straits Times
I have pondered in the past few days whether we would have stayed in Singapore if the bilingual policy in the early 1990s had been less harsh. My answer would probably be yes. Tweet
Patrick Sio, Straits Times
Rented-out properties should be taxed on their actual income rather than reply on an assessment which can be prone to error of judgment. Tweet
Robert Day, Today
I visit Singapore from England two or three times a year, and I am always amused by the security announcement broadcast over the MRT sound system. The female announcer asks passengers to "report any suspicious-looking person to the authorities". Tweet
Yasmine Yahya and Esther Fung, Today
Measures taken to cool the property market seem to have had the desired effect, said national development minister Mah Bow Tan, who signalled that the Government may remove certain anti-speculative measures in future if the property market stabilises or weakens - but it is yet too early to say when. Tweet
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times
The Housing Board (HDB) cannot meet all expectations of home buyers even though the standard of housing has increased over the years, said national development minister Mah Bow Tan. Addressing Parliament on Monday, he said some buyers seemed to have unrealistic expectations.
I wonder who raised the expectations of the citizens... eh? (Especially during election years...) Tweet
Sue Ann-Chia, Straits Times
The government will be able to issue more securities like bonds, after Parliament approved raising the limit of its borrowings from $250 billion to $320 billion. Explaining the need for a higher amount, Second finance minister Lim Hwee Hua said the government is close to reaching the current ceiling of $250 billion, with more securities likely to be issued. Tweet
Jeremy Au Yong, Straits Times
Permanent residents occupy less than 5 per cent of all Housing Board flats, and are living in estates across the island. Nevertheless, the government will keep an eye on the situation to ensure that no PR and foreigner enclaves develop. National development minister Mah Bow Tan said this when responding to Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC). Tweet
Jeremy Au Yong, Straits Times
The idea of a citizenship test - already used in countries such as the US, Britain and Australia - was raised in Parliament on Monday by Madam Halimah Yacob (Jurong GRC). In response, community development, youth and sports minister Vivian Balakrishnan called it an 'interesting and quite sensible suggestion' and said the Government will study it. Tweet
Laura Dozier, Time Out Singapore
In Singapore comics face an especially unusual set of circumstances - full of possibility, but also riddled with grey areas. Given that standup often thrives on shock value, and that we live in a country that has a rocky relationship with free speech, the question begs to be asked: 'What cannot be joked about in Singapore?' Tweet
Robert Danhi, Food Product Design
In Singapore, foodies are not just a group of folks from the more-affluent parts of the population. Every socioeconomic level within this small city-state, which comprises only 246 square miles—and is home to over 100,000 registered hawker food stalls—has a keen interest in food. This provides a platform for one of the most-dynamic, multiethnic and pervasive food cultures around. We can look to Singapore for more than just what is delicious—we can learn how to improve our food quality, increase foodservice turnaround and get ideas on how to create collective eating arenas for food. Tweet
Nik See, Mass Device
Singapore's transformation into a hub for biomedical investment, research and development holds lessons for the Massachusetts medical device industry. Tweet
Bruce Nussbaum, BusinessWeek
Every once in a while I come across a government bureaucrat who totally surprises me with the person’s insight and competence. Singapore Minister of Finance Tharman is one of them. We opened the ICSID World Congress Monday with a conversation onstage. Every nation has a governing elite but Singapore has an exceptionally competent one. Tweet
Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia
The Housing & Development Board (HDB) has projected it will need to offer between 10,000 and 12,000 new flats per annum over the next five years to meet the housing demand in Singapore. Speaking in Parliament on Monday, national development minister Mah Bow Tan re-assured that there will be enough affordable flats for first time buyers. Tweet
Wen Bin Zu, Asia Sentinel
A former Singapore scholar speaks out about his bilingual education. Tweet
Singapore Government
Singapore needs to bring in a continuing flow of immigrants to augment our population and enhance our economic competitiveness. However, the Government is mindful of the concerns of Singaporeans. We will manage the inflow of immigrants taking into consideration how quickly our society can absorb and integrate these new immigrants without diluting our national identity or weakening our social cohesion. Such a sustained and calibrated inflow of immigrants will ensure that Singaporeans benefit from immigration in the long term. Tweet
Jonathan Peeris, 938Live
The median resale prices of executive condominiums (ECs) have increased 63 per cent in the last two years, riding on the bull-run in the private residential market. Tweet
Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters
Singapore said on Monday that it will assess the property market before deciding on any new moves to cool buoyant prices, after recent measures that have dampened speculative demand. Tweet
An American girl in Singapore
I don't hide the fact that I'm crazy homesick and I long for the day that I can eat a Cheesy Gordita Crunch again, but I think I dwell on it far too much. To force myself out of this mode, I need to remember the many positive things I've gained from living on this small island. Tweet
May Wong, Channel NewsAsia
Community development, youth and sports minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Monday that integration of new citizens is a long term, multi-dimensional challenge that requires the effort of all stakeholders. Tweet
曾俊華, 香港商報 Tweet
法制晚报 Tweet
孙爱玲, 联合早报
火车站的装潢，甚至一草一木都具有马来风土气息，似乎回到六七十年代的感觉。 Tweet
李静仪, 联合早报
马宝山接受记者访问时否认这是为大选热身。他说，该区上一个五年发展计划是在2006年公布，因此是时候推出下一个五年计划。他受询时说：“没有人知道几时会举行大选，根据宪法最迟是要在2012年。” Tweet
李静仪, 联合早报
淡滨尼集选区议员伍碧虹昨天在该区市镇会论坛上回答居民询问时说，当局正探讨如何改进市镇会的法则（bylaw），取缔在人行道上鲁莽骑脚踏车的行为。 Tweet
Francis Chan, Straits Times
Annual average savings rate this year likely to fall below last year's 0.22%. Tweet
联合早报
华文要成为一种“有趣”的语言就必须是一种“活”的语言，否则我国学生学华文跟学日文、法文、德文又有何区别？ Tweet
Lester Kok, Straits Times
Two-thirds of scheme's funding recipients either fail or are struggling.
Only two-thirds are failing? That's actually quite good. Tweet
Kimberly Spykerman & Jennani Durai, Straits Times
Those applying for university scholarships from companies such as SingTel, the Keppel Group, Sembcorp Industries and Alexandra Hospital can perish the thought of jetting overseas. These four are among top companies that hand out scholarships tenable only in local universities as they believe them to be as good as the Oxbridge, Ivy League or other brand-name institutions overseas. Tweet
Sue Ann-Chia, Straits Times
Acting minister for information, communications and the arts Lui Tuck Yew said the Ministry of Manpower and the labour movement will monitor the situation closely to ensure workers are not disadvantaged. Noting that the payment should be offered only as a last resort in the event that there are no jobs for older workers, he said: 'Then, there should be something employers should give them in recognition of their contribution.' Tweet
Bruce Nussbaum, BusinessWeek
Singapore is a generation ahead of the US in the development of a modern health care system. It has the plumbing down—process and facilities— and is now working on the next level of value—human experience, wellness and economic growth. And it is turning to the world’s top design thinkers to help guide it. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
It is not enough for you to understand that the property tax has been increased because your property value has gone up due to our govt's inability to cool the current property bubble. You have to understand that the increase is actually done for your own good and this increase is made to help you! Tweet
Elites TV
Since the first water agreement will end on 2011, former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad asks through his popular blog if the current government is thinking of renegotiating the agreement in order to come up with a better deal. Tweet
The "Thirteen Million Plus Ringgit" Guy Rambles...
If there is a ban against the ‘Sale of sand to Singapore’, why is it there are “About 500 of the Singapore-bound lorries carry sand” passing through the Sultan Iskandar Complex, daily? Tweet
Marcus Foo, Straits Times Tweet
Oei Xi Zhi, Straits Times
The reason we live in Pasir Panjang is for its tranquillity. 'Revitalising' the area with yet another development may not be in the best interests of residents. Tweet
Asha Popatlal/Esther Fung, Today
While the rules will not change overnight, cable television subscribers grousing about the hassle of having two set-top boxes to get their football fix may be assured to know the Government is looking at the feasibility of a universal set-top box. Tweet
Sue-Ann Chia, Straits Times
The property tax of HDB flats is being raised next year partly to avoid having to introduce a bigger increase later should home prices continue to rise, said acting minister for information, communications and the arts Lui Tuck Yew.
Smaller increments better than one larger increment? Not when the end result is the same. Tweet
Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia
A new three-year programme to get the elderly more connected to the Internet will kick off in January.
Acting minister for information, communications and the arts Lui Tuck Yew announced that 100 hot spots with computers and Internet services will be set up islandwide for senior citizens to use for free. He said this at his first ministerial dialogue session on Sunday.
Wouldn't it be easier to get people online just by doing Toto and 4D online? :-) Tweet
Martha Lee, CarnalNation
What can we expect in terms of measurables from the new SDN? Singaporeans have and should have a say and voice in all this because tax payers’ money is going into allowing singles to date, and gasp, have fun. Tweet
The Star
The state is on the way to becoming a medical hub – for both locals and foreigners – with the building of a new public hospital and the proposal for a wellness centre in Nusajaya.
Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the proposed wellness centre would be built with the cooperation of the Singaporean government. Tweet
Wang Meng Meng, Straits Times
PLEASE be patient and Singapore will get a Sports Hub everyone can be proud of. That was Dr Vivian Balakrishnan's response to queries on the Singapore Sports Hub Consor-tium's (SSHC) recent decision to launch a financing competition to raise money for the delayed project. Tweet
Xinhua
Essentially, the message is: PAP good, trust us, remember to vote for us, okay? Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Xinhua
Singapore announced on Friday that it will inject 36 million Singapore dollars (25.9 million U.S. dollars) into new programs to give a greater push to its growing medical technology industry locally. Tweet
Ryan Kim, San Francisco Chronicle
The show must go on. That's the rallying cry for Macworld 2010, which is preparing to soldier on for the first time in 26 years without Apple as its anchor vendor. The show, a production of IDG World Expo, has been tweaked in a number of ways to compensate for the loss of Apple, including a date change to February, registration price cuts and an emphasis on more training. Tweet
Mathia Lee Tweet
Ravi Philemon, The Online Citizen Tweet
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
For example, if the rain that flooded Bukit Timah is to happen in Hong Kong, it will be Black Rain Alert.
There is a fundamental flaw in this article: the lack of science. The comparison of Singapore and Hong Kong lacks a fundamental understanding of the difference in climate and weather, and the limitations in the science of weather forecasting. Tweet
Phare Anderson, Singapore Social and Political Thoughts
What makes me feel that the British, are more open about the election date as it can be found in their official website of the Electoral Commission. Tweet
Shaffiq Alkhatib, Channel NewsAsia
The ex-CEO of Ren Ci Hospital Shi Ming Yi has been sentenced to ten months in jail. A district court has also sentenced his former aide, 34-year old Raymond Yeung, to nine months' imprisonment. Tweet
Alicia Wong, Today
In Singapore, idealism is "not sufficient" to get things done, said senior minister Goh Chok Tong - social service leaders need to translate their vision into practical programmes, and be more "assertive in advocating certain good social causes". Tweet
Raymond Koh, Straits Times Tweet
Amresh Gunasingham and Ang Yiying, Straits Times
THURSDAY'S deluge which submerged parts of Bukit Timah was a 'freak' event that occurs once in 50 years, minister for the environment & water resources Yaacob Ibrahim said on Friday. 'What happened was very unusual,' he said. 'The intensity was tremendous.' Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Stansfield College and the Singapore Institute of Commerce, both owned by Mr Kannappan Chettiar are claiming CASE wrongfully suspended the schools from an accreditation scheme. Tweet
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen Tweet
April Chong, Straits Times
While hospitals here already give a high standard of care, more can be done to improve the overall experiences and well-being of patients, said the DesignSingapore International Advisory Panel. Tweet
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said he is confident the Buddhist community here will help maintain a harmonious, cohesive and compassionate society in Singapore. Speaking at the opening of the Singapore Buddhist Federation's building on Friday morning, he noted that Buddhists form one of the largest religious groups here, and they contribute to the general mood of tolerance and understanding in society. Tweet
The Rot Within Tweet
P.R. Venkat, Wall Street Journal
Singapore's second minister for finance and transport Lim Hwee Hua on Friday said that many airlines were still suffering from sharp declines in yields and profitability and the industry faces a second round of threat from rising oil prices and worries of a second wave of the H1N1 strain of influenza this winter season. Tweet
The Keropok
Look! Floating garbage bins! That's not the only one floating. We saw quite a few floating by... Tweet
Christopher Tan, Straits Times
Singapore could face a transport crunch between now and 2020 if bold changes are not made to bus and taxi services.
Transport GPC chief Lim Wee Kiak said the country cannot afford to wait until all $40 billion worth of new rail projects - which will double the network to 280km by 2020 - are up and running. Tweet
王昌伟, 联合早报
我们的双语政策的确是走错了方向，但我认为问题并不出在我们高估了学生同时掌握双语的能力，而恰恰是我们在华文的学习方面，太过“纵容”学生，太过为他们“着想”。 Tweet
林如兴, 联合早报
推动并学习一种语文，不是一朝一夕就能成功的，其中难免经历各种酸甜苦辣。万事起头难，学习语文的初步奠基阶段更是非得有决心和下苦功不可，没有意志坚定的心志是无法完成的。 Tweet
杨萌, 联合早报
保健促进局9月首次举办了鼓励高风险人群进行爱之病检验的运动，但运动相当低调，使得到各匿名诊所检验的人数跟往常差不多。 Tweet
Kelvin Teo Writes Tweet
Chew Chee Meng, Straits Times
It is unfair to the two unsuccessful bidders as the reason appears to be the Singapore Sports Hub consortium's failure to secure a bank loan to finance the project. Tweet
Leonard Lim, Straits Times
The troubled Sports Hub is still facing difficulties and the expected construction date could possibly be pushed back further to 2014. It is understood that the preferred bidder for the $1.87 billion project, the Singapore Sports Hub Consortium, has yet to raise the money necessary for construction to begin at the site of the National Stadium. Tweet
Singapore Short Stories Tweet
New Straits Times
The state Customs Department yesterday revealed the number of lorries carrying sand that ply between Johor and Singapore via the Causeway. Tweet
Techgoondu
Are homegrown online maps being side-lined? (Note: The writer is a product manager at Rednano.) Tweet
Jimmy Mun, Frankly Speaking
This is the stark reality of Singapore. Be a non-committal tourist like Zhang Yuan Yuan and enjoy the best of both worlds, or embrace Singapore and get screwed, like my friend. Tweet
Flaneurose Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Heavy and intense rain caused flooding in some parts of Singapore in the early part of Thursday afternoon. The situation was especially bad in Bukit Timah. At its peak, the flood waters reached knee level. Tweet
Today Tweet
Associated Press
Human rights group Amnesty International urged Singapore on Thursday to protect freedom of expression after an Asian magazine paid 405,000 Singapore dollars ($290,000) to settle a defamation suit by the country's prime minister and his father.
"This ruling further illustrates how press freedom is under threat in Singapore and sets a dangerous precedent for freedom of expression and journalism in the region," Sam Zarifi of Amnesty International said in a statement. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind Tweet
Lukman Khairduddin, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore on Thursday declared a severe recession over as data showed its economy grew for the second straight quarter in the three months to September. Tweet
Se Young Lee, Wall Street Journal
Singapore's economy expanded slower than initially estimated in the third quarter, but the government expects growth to resume next year as the global recovery progresses. Tweet
Nopporn Wong-Anan and Saeed Azhar, Reuters
Singapore said on Thursday that an upward revision in its forecast for the consumer price index in 2010 was due to a pending increase in property tax rather than any broader increase in underlying inflation. Tweet
Die Neue Welle
What is needed is exposure, and a complete language change should probably do the trick. Tweet
Kelvin Teo Writes Tweet
Andrew Loh / Rachel Zeng, The Online Citizen
Despite having confirmed that inmate is represented by new lawyer, the Prison Service insists on having the Court’s permission before it allows lawyer access to his client. Tweet
Gerald Giam Tweet
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
If the minister mentor indeed feels he has made a mistake with the policy, then perhaps he should also look into these other issues which have resulted from the policy as well. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
he Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council said upgrading works will continue despite huge investment losses reported in 2008. Tweet
Prime Sarmiento, Inter Press Service
More than a venue to encourage arts appreciation and expression, Singapore’s hosting of the Biennale also reflects the government’s ambition to transform Singapore -generally perceived as wealthy, staid, and an efficient place to do business in but not much else - into a bustling haven for the arts. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) will raise the Annual Values (AVs) of HDB flats with effect from 1 January 2010. To help HDB homeowners adjust to the AV increase, the government will grant a one-off property tax rebate to all HDB owner-occupiers for the property tax payable in 2010. Tweet
Straits Times
Pulau Ubin could be powered by the sun, wind and even waste in the next one to two years, as Singapore moves to test a combination of clean energy technologies for adoption on the mainland. Tweet
AFP
The Far Eastern Economic Review and its editor have paid over 400,000 Singapore dollars (290,000 US) to settle a defamation suit filed by prime minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father, the magazine's lawyer said Wednesday.
Dow Jones and Co., which owns the magazine, said in a statement that it disagreed with the verdict and denied any wrongdoing, but would settle the damages instead of prolonging the process. Tweet
Urban Rant Tweet
The Temasek Review Tweet
Gerald Giam
It’s easy to glaze over the sufferings of these political detainees and get lulled into believing the rhetoric of the PAP which goes something like: “The key issue is are we better off now than we were 40 years ago?” Better off economically, yes. Morally? I don’t think so. Tweet
李静仪, 联合早报
根据旅行社业者提供给本报的可靠消息，设于圣淘沙名胜世界的新加坡环球影城的成人入门费平日售价66元，孩童门票48元，周末的成人门票每张则卖72元，孩童52元。
The prices are confirmed. Tweet
Mathia Lee Tweet
Neo Chai Chin, Today
Whether or not the integrated resorts will pose a serious threat to them, Orchard Road retailers are not "awfully worried". So said Ms Lau Chuen Wei, executive director of the Singapore Retailers Association. Tweet
Ng Liang Wei, Straits Times
Perhaps we can mandate that operators import a certain percentage of wholesome content. This should apply to national television and the press. Channels 5 and 8 could become well known internationally for strongly promoting wholesome content suitable for families with young children, while other channels could take a more relaxed stand, subject to the prevailing climate as determined by the censorship authorities.
Firstly, the key to getting more of one kind of stuff is to create more stuff, not to ban other stuff. Secondly, we will never agree what is and what isn't wholesome content. For example, I personally think that a lot of the local Chinese drama are not wholesome at all, even though they are all rated G. Tweet
Murali Sharma, Straits Times
Taxis should be run by drivers who own them, then we will get better service. We should do away with giants, like Comfort, which own and lease vehicles to taxi drivers. This sort of organisation comes with a lot of costs. This does not promote pride in the job or good service. Commuters will not get value for money. Tweet
Patsie Tan, Singapore Post Limited, Straits Times
We have investigated the matter and wish to assure Mr Nagpal that our staff did not unlock the letter-box latch. There is also no necessity for our postmen to unlock the latch for mail delivery as they have access to the letter box. We are unable to establish the cause of his letter-box latch being unlocked. Tweet
Rachel Chang, Straits Times
As one of the first multinational companies to set up shop in Singapore celebrated its 40th anniversary on Tuesday night, senior minister Goh Chok Tong emphasised the need for Singapore to become not just a host for foreign businesses, but also a home. Tweet
Straits Times
The building industry has been set more stringent standards for indoor air quality and ventilation which will hopefully reduce health problems among occupants and also increase energy efficiency. Tweet
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said his insistence on bilingualism in the early years of education policy was "wrong". Instead it caused generations of students to be put off by the Chinese language. Tweet
Blowin' In The Wind Tweet
Kelvin Teo Writes
For those who continue to dine at such outlets (affected by high rental costs) because they cannot really afford to dine at more healthy but expensive outlets, they are at risk of being sucked into this vicious cycle initially created by the high rental costs which go into the government’s coffers initially, only to be expended when the consumption results in future health problems. Tweet
Blowin' In The Wind
The Corruptions Perceptions Index (CPI) does not indicate the level of corruption but "the perceived level of public sector corruption in a country or territory", according to Transparency International. The distinction is important. Tweet
Gerald Giam Tweet
Feed Me To The Fish
It is men like Lim Hock Siew, Said Zahari, JB Jeyaratnam, Francis Seow and many more including women like Teo Soh Lung who shows us, and put on record, the hidden Singapore story. Tweet
AFP
The High Court ordered the Review Publishing Company, publisher of the Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER), and editor Hugo Restall to pay 200,000 dollars in damages and 30,000 dollars in legal costs to Premier Lee Hsien Loong. Tweet
Ramblings Of A DarkMirage Tweet
Neo Chai Chin, Channel NewsAsia
Brickbats fly at frontline service staff - especially foreigners - whenever customer satisfaction levels for the retail sector see a dip. That's when Singapore Retailers Association (SRA) executive director Lau Chuen Wei finds herself speaking up for service workers. Tweet
AFP
Weak demand from the United States and Europe sent Singapore's exports falling for the 18th consecutive month in October, the government said Tuesday. Tweet
Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia
Charity fundraisers are common in Singapore. But an initiative to raise money to help care for the dying has highlighted a less charitable side of the nation. Tweet
Chia Hern Keng, Today
The building of non-breaking green fences going for miles along road dividers all across Singapore is presenting a serious problem to old folks. Tweet
Reuters
The Singapore central bank warned Monday that more measures could be needed to curb the risk of speculation in the country’s property market, which has been bolstered by low borrowing costs. Tweet
AngryAngMo Tweet
Katrina Nicholas and John Detrixhe, Bloomberg Tweet
Stephanie Phang, Bloomberg
Singapore’s exports fell the least in 13 months in October as improving global demand supported sales of electronics and pharmaceuticals. Tweet
Ben Sandilands, Crikey
Hard on the heels of its loss in the first six months of its financial year, Singapore Airlines finds signs of life in the October operating statistics released this morning. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Temasek Holdings announced on Tuesday in a press release that it has launched a 30-year bond to raise US$500 million, which will go into funding operations of the company and of its subsidiaries. Tweet
Jimmy Mun, Frankly Speaking Tweet
Gerald Giam
I would attribute the PAP government’s reluctance to reduce the voting age to two factors: Political self interest and inertia. Political self-interest because they know that 18 to 21-year-olds are much more likely to vote for change than older voters. Inertia because they know they can just refuse to do it and not suffer any consequences, since this is not a bread and butter issue. Tweet
Kelvin Teo Writes
Should a politician play god over something that voters have contributed towards with their own hard-earned money? Tweet
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times
The Housing Board (HDB) has moved to address mounting concern about inadequate flat supply by upping the first-timer's success rate for getting a flat and by launching more than 1,000 homes for sale in Punggol. Tweet
Alicia Wong, Today
"From the pictures I see, the pumps look almost exactly the same," said Mr Khaw, "so we're feeding back to the manufacturer that this is very dangerous". Tweet
Silachart Lau, National Environment Agency, Straits Times
The current licensing scheme helps these hawkers pass on their trade by allowing immediate family members to take over the tenancy of the stall after they die. Tweet
Zakir Hussain, Straits Times
The CPF Board said on Monday that its computed rate - derived from rates of major local banks for the period between Aug 1 and Oct 31 this year - works out to 0.42 per cent a year. But the higher rate of 2.5 per cent will be paid as that is the minimum specified under the CPF Act. Tweet
Kevin Lim, Reuters
Sales of uncompleted private homes in Singapore plunged 29 percent in October from September, falling below the 1,000 unit level for the first time since January as government measures to cool the property market took effect. Tweet
Straits Times
Employers should offer a one-off Employment Assistance Payment (EAP) if they are unable to find suitable jobs for eligible older workers when the new law kicks in in 2012. This is to tide these employees over a period of time while they look for an alternative job. The amount of payment should be based on certain principles set in the draft tripartite guidelines for re-employment of older workers released on Monday. Tweet
Simplicity
Go round the system. Help the system. Beat the system. Change the system. Outsmart the system. But don't forsake the system that propelled an island from nothing in a short 44 years. Tweet
Derek Tonkin, Network Myanmar, Financial Times Tweet
Channel NewsAsia Tweet
Reuben Carder, Wall Street Journal
Six major members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will remove tariffs on cross-border transactions of goods on Jan. 1 next year in a move toward broader trade liberalization across the region, the 10-member bloc said in a statement. Tweet
Salary.sg
We calculated: if you instead invest the $11,475 and achieve a mere 0.31% return per year, you will make slightly more than what you would have got from the SRS tax saving. Tweet
Seth Mydans, New York Times
While 21 national leaders gathered behind tight security this weekend to address the region’s problems, some Singaporeans were out in the rain-washed streets handing out yellow daisies in the latest government campaign to improve the national character. Tweet
Joyce Teo, Straits Times
Foreign property investors are venturing out of traditional prime areas to snap up homes in other parts of the island. Tweet
Singaporean Skeptic
NS is bull-shit. You are not protecting the land, you are more like the security guard who is there to protect the rich. Tweet
The Star
Singaporeans comprise the largest number of visitors to the country and now, Malaysia wants them to be the No. 1 in investments as well. Tweet
Yours Truly Singapore
While stability is not a luxury we take for granted, it is also not an excuse upon which authoritarianism can be justified. Tweet
Alvin Chen, Straits Times
Leaving this issue to prosecutorial discretion is only a stop-gap measure, which may, in the long run, undermine a fundamental principle of the legal system that there should be congruency between the law and its administration. Tweet
Lo Tak Wah, Central Provident Fund Board, Straits Times
It is not meaningful to compare CPF Life with other annuity schemes as they are designed on different premises. We would also like to assure Mr Nathan and all Central Provident Fund members that the same mortality experience will apply to all four CPF Life plans. Tweet
Jack Chew, Straits Times
Privately owned taxis do not require a layer of management and its associated costs.
The same comparison can be made for wet markets and pay television. Tweet
Conrad Raj, Today
In their eagerness to become major property players, did media group Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) overpay for a mall now being developed by the Housing and Development Board at Clementi Town Centre? According to several analysts, they certainly did, and as a result, have downgraded the stock. Tweet
Lim Bee Khim, Ministry Of Trade And Industry, Today
The key to raising wages of Singaporeans does not lie in tightening the supply of foreign labour, but in upgrading the capabilities of our workers so that they can take on jobs that less-skilled workers elsewhere cannot. Tweet
Peter Nicholas, Los Angeles Times
One of the key messages that he will press in Singapore and throughout his seven-day Pacific trip is that Asian countries must import more U.S. goods and rely less on exporting to American consumers, so as to avoid a repeat of the kind of boom-and-bust cycle that contributed to the current financial crisis. Tweet
Tan Hui Yee, Malaysia Star
True to its name, the void deck consists of mostly empty space. Any suggestion that it was inspired by the minimalist designs of the late French modernist architect Le Corbusier is laughed off by HDB veterans. The former chief architect of the HDB, Tony Tan Keng Joo, says the void deck was simply devised to create an informal space for residents to meet and talk. Tweet
Clement Tan, Asian Correspondent
The greater problem is therefore, the government's fundamental economic strategy for Singapore and how it contributes to increasing inequity in every aspects of Singapore society. Tweet
The Online Citizen
Ms Chow Pei Sze was outraged when she saw an episode of the Mediacorp Channel 8 drama serial, “Daddy At Home”. She wrote to the Straits Times’ forum page on 8 November. Her original letter was 424-words long. After a week, on 14 November, the Straits Times published her letter – which was edited to 155 words.
One should not forget that SPH, which publishes Straits Times, does have a stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings, which operates Channel 8. Tweet
Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor
On the second stop of Obama's Asia trip, the president will meet with the 10 ASEAN leaders in a region that welcomes the US presence as a counterbalance to China. Tweet
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group faces “political” hurdles in its vision to form a region-wide free trade area, Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said. Tweet
Netty Ismail and Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Government of Singapore Investment Corp., manager of more than $100 billion of the city-state’s foreign reserves, said governments should keep their capital markets open to sovereign wealth funds, because protectionist measures could hurt the global economic recovery. Tweet
Gang Lu, Mobinode
It is not only about the cloud infrastructure, it could speed up the building of a healthy ecosystem for Singapore IT industry. Tweet
Kevin Lim and Saeed Azhar, Reuters
Sovereign wealth fund the Government of Singapore Investment Corp expects the global economic recovery to extend into 2010 with stronger growth in Asian and Latin American countries that have lower debt levels, deputy chairman Tony Tan said on Saturday. Tweet
Sam Ho, Sam's thoughts
We may speak of the pursuit of non-academic passions, but employers and people with financial difficulties may have a different idea. Tweet
Sue-Ann Chia, Straits Times
Despite rivalry between China and the United States, relating with the two is not a zero-sum game and Singapore does not want to have to choose one over the other. Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong made the point on Friday in an interview with the BBC as host of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum. Tweet
Chow Pei Sze, Straits Times
I was appalled when last Friday's prime-time drama series of MediaCorp's vernacular Channel 8, Daddy At Home, scripted in an ethnic stereotype. Tweet
Teo Kueh Liang, Straits Times Tweet
Paul Chan, Straits Times
LTA's rejection of the new application sends the wrong signal to the industry that liberalisation is selective, and runs counter to the principle of free trade and free market competition. Tweet
Today
Members of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) have "minimal pressure points" that would enable it to persuade Myanmar to pursue democratic reforms, said prime minister Lee Hsien Loong in an interview with the BBC. Tweet
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
Between personal tragedy and recovery from an economic crisis, the pros and cons of big-time gambling are still being weighed. Tweet
Singapore Government Tweet
Kevin Brown, Financial Times Tweet
Straits Times
Singapore's retail sales slumped for a 12th straight month in September, due mainly to lower sales of motor vehicles. Tweet
央视
新加坡是一个很小的城市国家，然而这个面积只有710平方公里，差不多相当于北京市两个区大的小国，却可以做到一些大国不能做到的事情，甚至还可以成为其他国家的榜样。曾几何时，新加坡是中国的榜样。新加坡和中国建交时间并不长，只有19年。本月11号，国家主席胡锦涛开始了对新加坡为期三天的国事访问，这是中国国家主席15年来首次对新加坡进行访问，其意义独特而重大。 Tweet
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore’s retail sales fell for a 12th straight month in September, a slump that may ease as the island’s economic recovery and a rebound in tourist arrivals revives spending in the coming months. Tweet
Miral Fahmy, Reuters
Luxury goods have largely fallen out of favor in Europe and the United States, but as many Asian economies were not as badly affected, the appetite here remains relatively healthy. Tweet
Urban Rant
The new generation in charge of housing and city planning has different objectives. And they probably do not include 'affordable housing' in the same context as before. Tweet
Malaysia Star
You can run but you really can’t hide from Big Brother. Even in the loo. Delegates attending the Apec summit are bombarded with a special multimedia presentation when they are answering nature’s call. Tweet
SpotlightOnSingapore
Noisy public libraries have become the norm because of NLB’s tolerance. Tweet
Kelvin Teo, The Temasek Review Tweet
Geoffrey Pereira, Straits Times
The summary of all this is, in a space of just under a week, TR has gone on overdrive to increase traffic to its site.
It has said so many things – including denying, then accepting, that it had accused SPH of trying to cripple its server – almost in the same breath. Wayang would be an apt term to describe it. Tweet
联合早报
中国向新加坡提供熊猫进行研究的协议，前后只用了6个月即谈成，快于其他国家与中国合作展开的类似计划。 Tweet
Chee Soon Juan, Singapore Democrats
While my colleagues and I have never objected to foreign talent – and let me be on record that we are in need of such talent – the truth is that the Foreign Talent Policy has much to do with foreign but little with talent.
The reality is that the Government exploits cheap foreign labour to suppress local wages. Foreign workers are allowed into Singapore to keep wages low. Wages are kept low so that we can remain attractive to MNCs. Tweet
Gangasudhan, The Online Citizen
The circumstances seem to suggest that the young Goh Chok Tong in 1965 could have very well been one of the first few – if not the first – to have broken a civil service bond in Singapore. Tweet
Francis Chan, Straits Times
Singapore has been taken off the 'grey list' and joined the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) 'white list' of financial jurisdictions. This follows the signing of its 12th Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement (DTA) with France on Friday to incorporate new internationally agreed standard for the exchange of information for tax purposes upon request. Tweet
Andrew Stevens and Kevin Voigt, CNN
Singapore lives and dies by the global economy. With no natural resources and a small domestic market, in a generation the city-state transformed itself from the third world British colony into a first world economic power by building its economy on exports and business services. Tweet
The Economist
Immigration becomes the hot political issue in a model city-state. Tweet
Rachel Zeng's blog
Wonder how much they have spent on creating such a propaganda that leaves a bad taste in the mouths of those who have been trying to speak out in as non violent as they can against the authoritarian rule that we have here in Singapore for the past 44 years to improve the lives of their fellow Singaporeans. Tweet
Yawning Bread
The hurdles experienced in organising the screening of Burma VJ and some other short films documenting human rights abuses in Burma. Throws some interesting light on how the Singapore bureaucracy works. Tweet
Flaneurose
What government-controlled media cannot endure is not criticism, but being ignored (or drowned out), because that would mean it has lost control of the conversation Tweet
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times
A four-room Queenstown HDB flat has sold for $653,000, setting a new record for price per sq ft (psf), amid continuing red-hot demand for resale flats. Tweet
Gilbert Goh, Straits Times
I refer to Monday's report, 'Couples in uncontested divorces need not go to court', and wonder if it is the right thing to do to make the divorce process easier in view of escalating troubled marriages.
In my opinion, the right solution should be make marriages stronger, not to make divorces more difficult. Tweet
Imelda Saad, Today
Singapore and Indonesia will hold a retreat in six months to review bilateral relations. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced this yesterday after meeting visiting Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was re-elected recently for a second term in office. Tweet
Teo Xuanwei, Today
In recent months, hotels here have lost a "significant" number of rank-and-file workers - especially in back-end departments like laundry, housekeeping and engineering - to the "big boys coming to town", Marina Bay Sands or Resorts World at Sentosa, industry players told MediaCorp. Tweet
Reuters
When Chinese president Hu Jintao arrived in Singapore for a state visit this week, he announced China's favorite diplomatic gift -- two pandas -- but chose his words very carefully. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
StarHub said on Thursday that "what could have been proposed three years ago has no relevance," in response to comments made by SingTel Singapore's chief Allen Lew. Tweet
S.Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Indonesian Trade Minister Mari Pangestu said Singapore-Indonesia ties are moving well. Speaking to Channel NewsAsia, she said the increased investments in Indonesia over the last two years have been from Singapore and that reflected the close bilateral economic, trade and investment relations. Tweet
Malaysia Star
Christmas has started early in the island republic with major streets including Orchard Road and Marina Bay lit up and decorated with huge Christmas trees and ornaments with festive lights strung across the road. Tweet
AFP
Hundreds of ships mysteriously left idle off the Malaysian coast during the economic downturn are posing environmental and safety hazards, port authorities and fishermen say. The ships are lying off the southeastern tip of southern Johor state which faces onto Singapore, positioned outside port limits to avoid charges and official scrutiny. Tweet
Ng Kok Lim, The Temasek Review Tweet
Singapore Government
Singapore has grown and prospered because of its adherence to the rule of law and its robust legal framework. In a world of competing interests and priorities, Singaporeans must choose for themselves the kind of government they want, and the appropriate balance to be struck between societal interests and the individual. Singapore does not seek to prescribe or impose its values on others, but simply for an open dialogue on these issues untainted by misrepresentation. This response clarifies facts which the Paper chose to ignore. Tweet
The Anti Neo-Democracy Theorist
Would panda diplomacy/giving of scholarships to Singaporeans to go to study in Beida and Fudan change the future of Singaporeans’ cultural orientation? Tweet
Salma Khalik, Straits Times
Human error at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) led to two cancer patients being given more chemotherapy drugs than they were supposed to get. Tweet
Temasek Review
Unless Singaporeans wake up from their long slumber and reclaim their civil and political rights as citizens of their country, they will forever be subjected to the mercy of the ruling party. Tweet
Mil Arcega, Voice Of America
Singapore has called for the creation of an ambitious Asia-Pacific free trade zone that it says would comprise nearly half of all global trade. The call, by Singapore's foreign minister, comes ahead of the 20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Tweet
Sng Yee Nam, Today
[CASE's] comment implied that consumers need only be wary of small businesses, and need not be careful when transacting with large corporations or international chains. Tweet
Daryl Yong, Today
In any case, the cabby has judged that it is not in his interest to offer his services. Who are we to force him to do so?
This logic does not hold water simply because the taxi driver has a business that is granted to him by the society under specific instructions. Tweet
Straits Times
Every week, once a week, I notice the latch is moved to open the horizontal slot to allow spammers to fill up my mailbox. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Singapore is on track to being removed from the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development's grey list of financial jurisdictions. It's scheduled to sign its 12th Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreement or DTA this Friday with France, according to an invitation from the French embassy. Tweet
Harry Suhartono, Reuters
Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), the world's biggest airline by market value, said it reduced its fuel hedging to 22 percent by the end of October from over 30 percent, as it sees oil prices staying at around current levels. Tweet
New York Times
It seems that Temasek Holdings, which in September posted a record 67 percent drop in net profit for the year ended March 31, can’t get no satisfaction from its investments these days. Tweet
Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia
China will also be loaning two baby pandas to Singapore for a 10-year period, as part of a collaboration between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and Wildlife Reserves Singapore to mark the 20th anniversary of Sino-Singapore relations. Tweet
Singapore Government Tweet
Singapore Democrats
In the lead up to the Asia-Pacific Economic Coorperation (APEC) meeting, the Singapore police have released a video that shows the state's readiness to provide maximum security (a virtual lockdown, actually) for those attending the meeting.
What is disturbing, however, is the use of the video for its own autocratic ends. A careful watch of the 6-minute film reveals a portrayal of democracy protesters in a negative and violent light. Tweet
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore foreign minister George Yeo said "creeping protectionism" seen now must be addressed or it would lead to a more dire situation for APEC members. Tweet
Tay Suan Chiang, Straits Times
Acting minister for information, communications and the arts Lui Tuck Yew on Wednesday announced that Keng Teck Whay temple, the former Command House at Bukit Timah, former Raffles College also at Bukit Timah, Church of St Teresa, former St James Power Station and Bowyer Block at the Singapore General Hospital will be preserved as national monuments. Tweet
Chua Hian Hou, Straits Times
Starhub's unsolicited offer to host its pay-TV content is too little, too late, although Singapore Telecommunications will consider it if such an offer is formally tabled.
SingTel's chief executive for Singapore Allen Lew said its rival's offer comes 'three years too late', after it has already spent money to build a future-proof pay-TV system designed to work with the national fibre-optic broadband network currently under construction. StarHub would have to change its set-top box anyway, he added. Tweet
Pete Mortensen, Cult of Mac
Yes, despite the fact that the entertainment category does include some legit apps, some of which are great (Pocket God, Emoji, and Movies spring to mind), it is, for the most part, a giant blue Pac-Man of lame softcore porn devouring all in its path. Tweet
天狼 Tweet
Leong Sze Hian , The Online Citizen Tweet
杨全龙, 联合早报
图书馆给人的印象是看书的安静地方，没有人想到会把它和声色俱全的电玩游戏挂钩。现在，国家图书馆管理局破天荒将电玩活动引进图书馆，要营造一个充满互动型的学习空间。 Tweet
萧洁盈, 联合早报
我国去年有27％的O水准学生修读高级华文，比10年前增加了一倍。 Tweet
Jessica Lim & Leow Si Wan, Straits Times
Barely a week after it told retailer Mustafa to stop sales at its warehouse, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has signalled that it will adopt a more flexible stance on such events. Tweet
Rachel Kelly, Today
Singapore is likely to focus on growing its alternative energy and tourism sectors, following the global financial crisis. This according to Singapore trade and industry minister Lim Hng Kiang in an exclusive interview with MediaCorp on the sidelines of the Apec meetings yesterday. Tweet
Blowin' In The Wind
Amazing, isn't it, that while wages dropped, the economy tanked, and corporates haemorrhaged red ink, the people grew richer? Tweet
James Chan, Master Of The Obvious
In exchange for a 4-year all-expenses paid education in a top-class American engineering university, both my parents became my sureties; an act that would have made them liable for a staggering sum of S$472,000 in liquidated damages if I ever reneged on my scholarship contract. Up till then, I had never heard about study loans or bursaries, or understood concepts such as ‘leverage’ or ‘opportunity cost’. Tweet
Thomas Lee, Straits Times
Is it not something to celebrate when Mr Chiam is planning to move out of Potong Pasir and into a group representation constituency (GRC)? Tweet
Lim Wei Chean, Straits Times
A quiet week is in store for businesses around Suntec City with shoppers giving the Apec venues a wide berth. Tweet
Tony Sagami, HoweStreet.com
Unusually, the Singaporean government has proved to be one of the best investors in the world through its two sovereign investment funds, Temasek and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, also known as GIC. Tweet
Martin Abbugao, AFP
A weekend summit involving US President Barack Obama and the premier of military-ruled Myanmar will be a "breakthrough" in ties between Southeast Asia and the United States, Singapore said Tuesday. Tweet
Zakaria Abdul Wahab, Bernama
Singapore hoped the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies would commit themselves to cooperate with one another to sustain growth, to eschew protectionism, and to promote regional economic integration. Tweet
Sonia Kolesnikov Jessop, New York Times Tweet
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
There are many other ways to moderate our defense spending and I believe there may be people with more creative, effective and efficient plans to help us in this without compromising on our safety. Tweet
Harry Suhartono, Reuters
Singapore Airlines, the world's biggest airline by market value, reported a worse-than-expected second quarter loss as the global economic slowdown hit the carrier's higher margin business travellers particularly hard. The company, which warned in July it could post a full-year loss if tough conditions last, reported a net loss of S$159 million compared to a net profit of S$324 million a year ago. Tweet
Tan Wei Jie! Tweet
王廉, 新浪博客
如果要说学，城市经营有些经验可取，但新加坡的制度不能随便学。 Tweet
Malaysia Star
Johor is not competing with Singapore in attracting visitors to the two soon-to-be-built theme parks in Iskandar Malaysia. Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said Legoland Malaysia in Medini and the Family Indoor Theme Park in Puteri Harbour were more for children below 12 years of age. Tweet
Li Kaisheng, UPI Asia
On one hand, these countries are interacting with China more and more in terms of trade, economic and civil exchanges. But on the other hand, they keep a wary eye on China and spare no effort at encouraging the United States to balance China’s influence. Tweet
Kenny Lim, Media
The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) has appointed Leo Burnett to oversee and implement an integrated public education campaign for media classification. Tweet
AFP
Singapore's legendary zeal for public order will be on full display this week when it hosts a summit involving US President Barack Obama and 20 other leaders. Even one-man protests are banned. Tweet
Blowin' In The Wind
I love the playful design of the Bishan Public Library with its narrow glass cubicles jutting out of the facade like so many books pulled out of shelves.
I can't help but wonder about the air-con cost, what with all these transparent windows. Tweet
Ansley Ng, Today
Ministry of trade and industry (MTI) permanent secretary Ravi Menon told MediaCorp in an email interview that with the meetings taking place at a time of "momentous changes", Singapore hopes to "strike a balance between responding to the crisis at hand and positioning our economies for the post-crisis future". Tweet
Neo Chai Chin, Today
It is officially a free-for all for the iPhone in Singapore. And while the public can expect charges to drop - and the telcos anticipate high take-up rates - news yesterday of StarHub's entry to the iPhone market nonetheless drew a bittersweet response from some consumers. Tweet
Thomas Teo, Straits Times
The reply by the Singapore People's Party (SPP) last Thursday ('SPP: Potong Pasir voters not short-changed') understates the sacrifices made by Potong Pasir residents in voting in an opposition Member of Parliament. Tweet
Wong Mei Keng, Straits Times
I hope something will be done to control property prices and make them go back to the good old days when we need not bid or ballot for a home. Tweet
Karamjit Kaur, Straits Times
Changi Airport has put its weight behind a global airports group opposing a World Health Organisation (WHO) proposal to ban the sale of duty-free tobacco products on airport premises. The Airports Council International (ACI), which groups 1,679 airports worldwide, including Changi, maintains that this move will hurt airport earnings, as well as penalise the travelling public. Tweet
Shamim Adam and Valarie Tan, Bloomberg Tweet
Tom.Otley, ABTN
Foo Sek Min, executive vice-president of airport management at Singapore Changi talks about the challenges facing the airport Tweet
Reuters Tweet
Flaneurose Tweet
Jimmy Mun, Frankly Speaking Tweet
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore may need to implement more measures to rein in its property market should low interest rates and an economic recovery renew speculative purchases, the central bank said. Tweet
Claudia the Panda Tweet
Down Jones Tweet
Times of My Life
I just got my key when they first opened in 1983. I mean my 21 years old ‘key’ when Centrepoint first opened in 1983 at Orchard Road. Many of us have witnessed the changes of the landscape occuppied by Centrepoint over the years. Even Centrepoint itself have undergone major ‘facelift’ throughout all these years. Tweet
Rachel Chang, Straits Times
The government looks closely at permanent residents' (PRs) contributions to Singapore before deciding which ones can become citizens, said minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew on Sunday night at a Tanjong Pagar GRC event. Tweet
Yawning Bread
I sometimes wonder why people don't seem to feel embarrassed. They hold high positions; they can't be stupid to have gotten to where they are. Yet they kowtow to their political masters so low, they not only kiss their feet, but suck their toes. Tweet
Esther Ng, Today
Some were in financial hardship, and an increasing number were Singaporeans working overseas or who simply saw their flats as investments. They made up the growing number of households that are sub-letting their entire flats - a figure that jumped 21 per cent in the course of the last financial year. Tweet
Julian Wong Li-An, The Temasek Review
Andy Ho relies on selective analysis, dubious science and false assertions in urging Singapore to resist action on climate change. In doing so, Mr. Ho single-handedly casts a pall over his own credibility as a science writer, compromises the integrity of the paper for which he writes for, and undermines the international standing of a country that wants to be, in the words of PM Lee Hsien Loong, a “responsible member of the international community” that should shoulders its “fair share of the collective global effort to reduce carbon emissions.” Tweet
Yawning Bread
I thought long and hard about what I should say in response, but in the end, I felt it would make very little sense to bang one's head on a brick wall, writing an email back. In any case, I think it is apparent enough to readers that ultimately, the authorities' response is not of reason, but essentially one of folding their arms and saying: "Because we said so." Tweet
Xinhua Tweet
Abhinav Jain, SGEntrepreneurs Tweet
Ong Chee Seng, Straits Times
The entrances and exits of SBS buses are fitted with a metal pole divider in the centre of the doors, making loading and unloading of baby prams or strollers tedious and difficult. Tweet
Gregory Gerald Danker, EZ-Link, Straits Times
While EZ-Link will replace all faulty cards for free, these cards will not come with any additional monetary encoding and the user is required to top up the card before use. Tweet
Joanne Chan, Channel NewsAsia
Health minister Khaw Boon Wan said Sunday he expects some foreigners to come to Singapore for the H1N1 vaccine. However, Mr Khaw said there is a sufficient supply of vaccines for Singaporeans who need it. Tweet
Chris Tobias, Celsias
Countries taking this position on emissions has knock on effects for their national industries, such as aviation. Some countries such as Singapore are crafty in how they straddle both sides of the fence: for business and investment, they position themselves as developed nations; on climate and carbon issues, they wish to be seen as developing countries to avoid major emissions liability. Tweet
Judith Tan, Straits Times
Health minister Khaw Boon Wan is heartened by the news of the first potential kidney donor to be reimbursed by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). He said it reinforced the belief that when the donor's welfare is taken care of, he does not have to think twice about donating a kidney. Tweet
Leow Si Wan, Straits Times
Some people view them with contempt, others as eyesores cluttering the way, but tourists here seem unbothered by the sight of students studying at Changi Airport. In fact, a number of travellers said they find these students a distinctive trademark at the airport. Tweet
Yours Truly Singapore
So if Mr Shanmugam wishes to question the objectivity of the rankings, it needs to come up with more objective arguments than merely equating law and order with press control. Tweet
李学江, 人民网
相反，这些人正因为是华人或懂中文，往往会因避嫌而更加难为中国，以示与中国划清界线，讨好其国内舆论。还是让我们早些丢掉幻想，全力以赴地致力于提升国家的综合国力吧，这才是我们自立于世界之林的根基所在。 Tweet
陆崕
所以李光耀高分贝警告美国要制衡中国，与其说为了显示廉颇宝刀未老向奥巴马显功力，不如说他对中国传达了一个明确的信息，值得警惕，那就是李光耀道出了亚洲国家对中国发展的共同心声，形势不妙。 Tweet
Jamaica Observer
Singapore is the temple to civilised living. They pay heavily for all that social order with their civil liberties. But given how much disorder is breaking out around the world, I suspect there are increasing numbers of people who would be willing to do the same. Singapore's sterile charms make it one of the best places in the world to live. For that reason alone it is a very worthwhile place to visit. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
Having one cup of coffee everyday helps to gets you going, but the PAP's immigration policy is like taking 15 cups of coffee a day overworking your adrenal glands to the point of exhaustion- our housing market is over-heated, our structural unemployment problems severe, our income gap is terrible and the ordinary Singaporean is asking what the hell is going on here. Tweet
Zhang Yongxing and Gao Chuan, Xinhua
China and Singapore have enjoyed good relations on a broad front over the past two decades, and Chinese president Hu Jintao's forthcoming visit to Singapore next week will give the already good relations another push upwards, Singapore's prime minister Lee Hsien Loong has said. In a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua, Lee Hsien Loong said that Singapore is very happy that its relations with China have grown and prospered over the last 20 years in many fields. Tweet
Imran Ahmed, The Temasek Review
The real loser is Singapore – and any entrepreneur wishing to invest capital so as to create an enlarged, vibrant media sector. It is time for the government to encourage greater private sector participation in the media sector by reducing barriers to entry and creating a level competitive playing field. Tweet
Radha Basu, Straits Times
There were 119 'pregnancy-related' complaints lodged with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in the first nine months of the year - up from 72 for the whole of 2007, and 95 last year. Tweet
黄浩威, 联合早报
人文教育的贫乏，使岛民无法培养反思和批判的精神。特殊的政治条件，使大众媒体和国家的关系过于密切。大众媒体多年来对电视观众思考能力的低估，对提高国人人文素养的漠视，以营利为本的作业方式，只会造成更多人选择以网络作为资讯管道和娱乐方式。在“种族与宗教和谐”的主流话语操练下，岛国建立了杯弓蛇影的“政治正确”观；凡被视为“敏感”的社会课题，往往被埋入地底，无法得到更深入的关注和探讨。对“政治正确”的坚持，成为我们封禁话匣子的借口。然而，这将构成社会和谐的假象，掩饰许多急需正视和解决的问题。 Tweet
Gerald Giam
This is why it is in our interest that the US to continues to station its armed forces in Japan, Korea, Philippines, Australia and, yes, Singapore, and steps up its political and economic engagement of countries in the region, including China. Tweet
小青藤的BLOG Tweet
忧郁的胖子的BLOG
虽然李光耀伤害了中国人民的感情，但新加坡保护自身利益大态度却值得中国学习。 Tweet
Straits Times
Opening the doors to immigrants and migrant workers is an emotive subject, but it is a critical issue that must be addressed, said senior minister Goh Chok Tong. Tweet
Goh Chin Lian, Straits Times
As contractors undercut one another when making bids, and clients go for the cheapest deal, such low-educated and low-skilled workers often accept worse terms to keep their jobs, said unionists and employers. Tweet
Tom Ravenscroft, Suite101
Denied the chance to increase it’s exposure through the construction of the “world’s tallest building”, Singapore has tried to find other ways to distinguish itself and increase people's awareness of the city through its architecture. City officials knew this could be achieved by creating an iconic landmark building, an Eiffel Tower or a Sydney Opera House, which would become synonymous with the city's prosperity. Tweet
Jian Akiraceo, A Cat Tale Tweet
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
The foreign recognition comes at a time when the Minister Mentor is losing popularity among young Singaporeans who have a different set of values and little recollection of what he did in the past.
However, Singapore’s founding father has shown he still retains the world’s admiration for his role in the contemporary history of Singapore and the region. Tweet
蔡添成, 联合早报
新加坡人民党要员日前透露党秘书长詹时中将在来届大选时走出波东巴西区转战集选区，但是詹时中前晚受询时却不愿对此表态。因此，他是否会离开波东巴西区，依然是个问号。 Tweet
Sam Ho, Sam's thoughts Tweet
Feed Me To The Fish
Ignore, rebut or engage? What the difference? Tweet
Jeremy Yeow, Straits Times
What is the NEA's protocol on such visits when the owner is not around and only the maid or a minor is at home? Should the NEA or any government officer enter the premises in the first place, granted that he is carrying out official duties (besides emergencies)? Tweet
Leong Wee Keat and Ong Dai Lin, Today
The battle to woo sports fans has escalated, with StarHub and SingTel firing one-two salvos within hours on Friday. Is it a sign that the competition in pay-TV is finally turning in viewers' favour, instead of hurting their pockets with ballooning fees? Tweet
Choy Keen Meng, Today
In the last decade, the declining growth rates delivered by the model have also been accompanied by increased output volatility, an amplification of business cycles and a worsening of the income distribution. Such undesirable side-effects must be explicitly taken into account in a balanced assessment of the model's success vis-a-vis the objective of stable and equitable growth for all. Tweet
Sun Chi Yin, Straits Times
The recent uproar among Chinese netizens over minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew's call for the United States to remain engaged in Asia to balance China is 'normal', the Chinese foreign ministry said on Friday.
It will not affect the bilateral mood ahead of president Hu Jintao's state visit to Singapore next week, the ministry suggested. Tweet
Groundnotes
This neurotic desire to keep re-inventing ourselves, to be what we’re not, tells us more about our insecurities than anything else. Tweet
Kevin Brown and Paul Betts, Financial Times
Now half the banks that used to provide finance for shipping companies have pulled out of the market. It could get worse: hundreds of new ships are on order, many unfinanced. That could help push the proportion of idle box ships as high as 20 per cent next year.
No wonder, then, that the trend rate of growth in the city state is likely to shift downwards to somewhere below 5 per cent over the next decade, as Tharman Shanmugaratnam, finance minister, told the Financial Times the other day. Tweet
Singapore Government
"Singapore is concerned about the deteriorating relationship between Thailand and Cambodia. It is not good for ASEAN. We hope that both our friends will keep the larger interest of ASEAN in mind and find a way to resolve their differences quickly in a spirit of good neighbourliness." Tweet
Kevin Voigt, CNN International Tweet
Victor Seah, Singapore Customs, Today
In Mr Melvinder Kanth's case, he had claimed that he had always placed everything in the scanner in plain view of the officials. We wish to inform that this by itself does not constitute a proper declaration being made. This is because when a traveller goes through the green lane for clearance, it is taken as a declaration that the traveler has nothing to declare. Hence, he/she would be liable if he/she had in his/her possession contraband items as defined by the country's laws. Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
I don't think the sardine can, armpit smelling stuffy experience can ever show up in any of the stats. We may think of Malaysia as being behind us in everything but they have one minister who doesn't just look at statistics... Tweet
New York Times
After five consecutive quarters of decline in Singapore’s property market, the luxury segment is starting to improve, partly helped by the slow reappearance of foreign buyers. Tweet
环球网
文章表示，李光耀原话实际是“平衡”（balance），而非中国媒体报道中的“制衡”。李光耀的原话其实是：“再过二三十年，中国庞大的体积将使得包括日本与印度在内的整个亚洲，都不可能在分量与国力上与之抗衡，所以我们需要美国来达致一个平衡（balance）”。 Tweet
Geoffrey Pereira, Straits Times
Well, the truth is no warning was needed; but perhaps a little more understanding of the Internet by TR. Tweet
Alvin Foo, Straits Times
Temasek Holdings has kept its position as one of the world's most transparent sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). It attained a perfect score in the third quarter of this year on a United States-based transparency index which evaluates such entities. Tweet
陈小川, 联合早报
公共交通理事会、陆交局和业者都应该往高处看，我们的交通业者在国外也有业务，相信他们很清楚，陆交局应该听取民众和搭客的要求，提升对业者的要求和评估项目，满意度如果真的达标，但又不符合公众的要求，显然就是业者自定的标准程度太低，有必要提高和修改，其中“资讯足够与否”应是该提高的一项，该提高的标准应包括多种语文的运用、实用性、友善程度和方便及时等等。 Tweet
谢佩丽，建屋发展局, 联合早报
有来自居民的足够需求，湿巴刹是不会消失的。如果它们在商业上可行的话，建屋局会辅助湿巴刹等设施的供应。这是为了确保巴刹设施符合居民的需求，而且也是可以持续的。 Tweet
Wilson Choo, Straits Times Tweet
Beverly Robin Britton, Straits Times Tweet
Jeremy Au Yong, Straits Times
Previously Western-centric organisations like the World Bank need to make fundamental adjustments to remain relevant and ensure stability in the post-crisis world, minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew says. Tweet
Straits Times
Singapore must manage the inflow of foreign talent and other immigrants to ensure Singaporeans do not lose out but rather benefit from their presence, senior minister Goh Chok Tong said on Thursday. He said the Republic, which is already a cultural melting pot, will become even more diverse in the years to come. Tweet
Bernama Tweet
明言
我们根本没必要指责李光耀的立场，这不仅是李光耀的焦虑、新加坡的焦虑，也是整个东南亚各国的焦虑，小国的生存之道不是像中国这样的大国所能理解和领受的，对小国来说，如果能平衡并周旋于大国之间最好，实在不行，只有依附与之结盟，以寻求保护。 Tweet
Lim Mun Fah, Sin Chew Daily
When the ties have been loosened, is Johor Bahru really nothing more than just a place for eating, drinking and playing for Singaporeans? Tweet
Martyn See, Only "Objective" And "Factual" Political Films Please, We're Singaporeans
The Singapore government adopts a one step forward, two steps back approach in calibrating space for political expression. Tweet
Lin Jiamei, Channel NewsAsia
Ninety-one per cent of Singapore workers said that they are more likely to work for an organisation that is ethically and socially responsible, according to a survey by Kelly Services. Tweet
李秋恒, 环球网
新加坡内阁资政李光耀日前提醒美国应参与亚洲事务，以制衡中国的军事和经济力量，引起中国网民的愤怒。新加坡媒体随后发文，称中国媒体曲解李光耀言论，国内也有专家表示，李光耀讲话具有“合理性”。但环球网的调查显示，逾七成受访者拒绝新加坡媒体的辩护，近六成受访者对亚洲国家平衡中国崛起的做法表示不理解。 Tweet
丁咚的公共空間
值得注意的是，李光耀的这一观点并非心血来潮的即兴发挥、而是他对亚洲事务的一贯主张，从担任总理的时候起，李光耀就一直主张要维持东亚的稳定，“必须保持日美中三方的平衡”。此次演讲也是基于这一理念展开的。同时，这一观点也并非李光耀的个人观点，而是代表了新加坡政府的态度，就在昨天，新加坡总理李显龙在一个新闻发布会上表示，尽管中印崛起，但美国在亚洲扮演“必不可少”的角色，并应该成为任何新的地区组织的一员。希望美国能深化参与本地区事务。“我们相信美国在亚洲许多领域扮演不可缺少的角色--经济、政治、战略和安全。” Tweet
Theresa Tan, Straits Times
A new $1 million fund to support initiatives that improve the lives of the elderly, disabled and their care-givers has been set up. Tweet
Manu Bhaskaran, The Edge
In short, while wages may not rise as much as in the good years, household balance sheets are likely to remain strong. This augurs well for Singaporeans next year. Tweet
煮鹿中原·N的博客
然而，李光耀不仅仅是华人，而且是“华人国家”新加坡总理李显龙的父亲、新加坡的前总理，由此可见，李光耀的言论不仅仅是个人言论，而是“国家新加坡”的国家观点。读者们必须明白，“华人国家新加坡”与“国家新加坡”没有区别，都有自己的国家利益。 Tweet
Gerald Giam
It never ceases to amaze me the kind of examples some people will use to drive home their point that the PAP is the one and only party capable of leading Singapore forever and ever. Tweet
Singapore Recalcitrant
Do Singapore taxpayers really believe that the annual remuneration of three million dollars MM Lee receives is a fair charge on them? To all intents and purposes the office of minister mentor appears to be a sinecure. What he does is to jet around to spout his whimsical ideas upon gullible audiences around the world, which not surprisingly included such discerning world leaders like President Barack Obama. And occasionally he made a booboo out of it. Tweet
Phua Hooi Boon, Ministry of Transport, Straits Times
What we will do is open stations when there are sufficient developments around a station. As rail lines and their stations are built to cater to both near- and long-term needs, there will be areas along the rail line where development plans are to be realised only in the long term. Tweet
Roger Poh, The Star
With Malaysia’s anxieties about attracting investments to the Iskandar Development Region and boosting tourist arrivals from Singapore, the removal of unnecessary hassles and faster clearance of traffic at the Sultan Iskandar Customs and Immigration Quarantine Complex in Johor Baru should be the concern of the relevant authorities. Tweet
Damon Yeo, The Temasek Review
Reading through financial statements had left this writer with more questions than answers. There is no question on the integrity and truthfulness of the numbers as presented publicly, but more explanation and disclosure are required before anyone can examine the state of HDB finances critically. Tweet
Ronald Chan, The Temasek Review Tweet
Wu Meng, Global Times
In times lacking mutual trust, an influential politician like Lee should be focusing on building mutual trust instead of spreading mistrust. Tweet
Tan Kin Lian Tweet
潘宏斌, 中华网
中国的和平发展难道真的威胁到新加坡和世界的安全了吗？ Tweet
Bryan Caplan, EconLib
Bottom line: Singapore's critics have plenty of genuine grievances to denounce. (And under Singaporean law, it's legal to do so - just don't get personal!) So why do the critics keep complaining about "lack of democracy" when the real story is that most Singaporeans persistently prefer the PAP to the opposition? Tweet
Jonathan Siow, Straits Times
Since June 1, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has tightened its criteria for foreigners who apply for employment passes. For example, a foreign cook now needs to have a degree to qualify for the S-Pass. Would any cook go for a degree? Tweet
Lin Zhaowei, Straits Times
Singapore is a top immigration hot spot, according to a global survey conducted by Gallup. If it were to take in all adults who wish to settle in the country, its adult population of 3.6 million would jump to 13 million, said the survey released this week. Tweet
Low Lin Fhoong, Channel NewsAsia
Deputy prime minister Wong Kan Seng said the government will continue to invest heavily in sports, as evidenced by the Sports Hub, which is due to be constructed at the Kallang waterfront.
The government is actually talking about sports entertainment, I guess. Tweet
Alex Frangos and Bob Davis, Wall Street Journal
To battle bubbles, policy makers are turning first to regulation. Singapore's authorities tightened mortgage requirements, ended real-estate stimulus policies and pledged to make more land available for development. Tweet
小狼看世界的博客
其实新加坡一直是反华反共的桥头堡。从前李光耀借马来西亚共产党人的影响起家，新加坡独立之后又大肆屠杀共产党人，关闭中文学校，禁止说汉语。香港回归中国的时候，新加坡到处制造舆论，说香港即将衰落，东亚地区金融中心应该转移到东南亚。结果这个梦想触发了印尼、马来西亚和泰国的激烈竞争。为了争夺金融中心地位，东南亚国家加快实行金融自由化，引进外资银行，最后终于成了东南亚金融危机的导火索。要不是中国顶住压力，承诺人民币不贬值，东南亚国家早就完蛋。 Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
A new work group has been formed to study the joint development of an iconic economic project in Iskandar Malaysia. This is a follow-up to the discussions between the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore in May this year. Tweet
方晓, 东方早报
新加坡总理李显龙昨天表示，尽管中印崛起，但美国在亚洲扮演“不可或缺”的角色，并应该成为任何新的地区组织的一员。 Tweet
魏远峰的个人空间
生“老李”的闲气没有意义，有意义的是一心一意谋发展、聚精会神搞建设，把自己的事情处理好，把自己的国家建设好，让自己的国家更强大。 Tweet
环球时报
李光耀一点都没有糊涂，他很清楚，只要美国维持对中国和日本的戒备政策，东盟和新加坡就可以保持自己在亚洲的影响。 Tweet
Kenneth Tan, Shanghaiist
In his various meetings rubbing shoulders with very important minds, the sage-like Lee who has often been counted on to interpret Asia to the west did not hesitate to tell the Americans what he saw in his crystal ball. Tweet
Cheryl Lim, Channel NewsAsia
EZ-Link is planning to capture a bigger share of the estimated S$38 billion card-based transaction market by expanding its reach in the retail sector. Tweet
Readings From A Political Duo-ble
Contrary to George’s assertion, the questions were not based on ‘perceptions of the press’ but rather stating concrete cases of aspects of press freedom violations. Tweet
Chua Hian Hou, Straits Times
The proposed $5.6 billion takeover of home-grown chip-maker Chartered Semiconductor by an Abu Dhabi sovereign fund was overwhelmingly passed by shareholders on Wednesday, in spite of fiery exchanges between hostile minority shareholders and the company's board of directors. Tweet
Straits Times Tweet
Bruno Wildermuth, Today
I believe the time has come for bus operators to be held responsible for their drivers' performance regarding the schedules. Schedules should be published as they are in other cities and fines should be applied for all deviations, especially running ahead of schedule which is a very common occurrence in Singapore that invariably leads to major distortions in the waiting times for passengers. Tweet
The Temasek Review
With his own support base in Potong Pasir dwindling, is this the right time to leave his stronghold and venture into an unknown territory? Tweet
李明波, 广州日报
很多人似乎忘记了，作为新加坡的国父，李光耀首先是一个新加坡人，他的言论首先需要维护的是新加坡的国家利益。 Tweet
李静仪, 联合早报
陆路交通管理局拒绝了一家公司的德士经营执照申请，现有业者和德士司机松了一口气。 Tweet
刘安安, 联合早报
目前公共交通服务是有些中间“灰色地带”各方都不理的，广大的市民及游客只能继续遥遥无期地等待。 Tweet
Stanley Jeremiah, Wall Street Journal
In many ways, Singapore is heading in the same direction as the U.S. when it comes to health care. While a high quality of care is available, it is not always accessible or affordable. People unfortunate enough to be born with or develop significant medical conditions can find the cost financially crippling to themselves and to their families. Tweet
东莱, 广州日报
新加坡内阁资政李光耀上周应邀访问白宫，并同美国总统奥巴马会晤。他在华盛顿表示，美国如果不继续参与亚洲事务、制衡日渐崛起的中国，将可能丧失世界领先地位。李光耀与奥巴马在白宫的会谈内容并没有对外公开，真正引发争议的是李光耀10月27日在华盛顿举行的美国和东盟理事会成立25周年晚宴上的公开演讲。 Tweet
凤凰网
新加坡有不少媒体昨日撰文辩解称，中国媒体“另类解读”了李光耀的讲话，还暗指中国媒体试图以此煽动国内的民族主义情绪。 Tweet
Gerald Giam
It is unfortunate that the HDB has overlooked this reality and has chosen to work primarily with the advisers instead of the elected MPs to implement the LUP in opposition wards. Tweet
Blowin' In The Wind
Singapore productivity has gone down sharply, according to the latest government data. It started before the recession, dipping slightly in 2007, then plummeted last year --- and hasn't hit bottom yet. Tweet
Times They Are A-Changin'
Did we detect any sense of remorse in our leaders when they quietly dropped such ill-informed policies? Not really. The Bilingual policy wasn't wrong. It was just a 'difficult' policy to implement. There is no apology needed in a one-party rule. Tweet
Singapore Democrats
The SDP calls on the government to release the electoral map without further delay. In the past the PAP has done this at the last minute. In one of the recent elections, the new boundaries were made known the day before elections was called. This is a shameful practice which no confident ruling party would do and which no democratic system would accept. The PAP needs to stop all these shenanigans and reveal the boundaries immediately. Tweet
Yeo Kia Thye, Changi Airport Group, Straits Times
Our priority is to minimise the potential hazard that birds could pose to aircraft. We seek to discourage the presence of birds in the airfield as far as possible, rather than to remove them by shooting. While these preventive measures do help, they do not keep birds away totally. Tweet
Ong Dai Lin, Today
Some government scholars have a poor attitude and misplaced expectations, such as expecting to meet their minister frequently. They can also be very choosy about postings and place personal interest above organisational interest. These are the observations that Public Service Commission chairman Eddie Teo has made about "a few" of the current generation of young scholars. Tweet
Megawati Wijaya, Asia Times
A bubbling property market represents the latest indication that Singapore is recovering from its global crisis-induced economic doldrums. Tweet
Sumner Lemon, IDG News Service
The Singapore Network Information Center (SGNIC) will begin registering Chinese-language domain names later this month, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) said Tuesday. Tweet
AFP
The United States plays an "Indispensable" role in Asia despite the rise of China and India and should be part of any new regional group, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said today. Tweet
Today
It is likely that Potong Pasir Member of Parliament Chiam See Tong will contest in a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the next General Election, which is due by February 2012. According to Singapore People's Party (SPP) chairman Sin Kek Tong, "someone new" will be fielded to defend the Potong Pasir ward - a constituency that Mr Chiam has represented since 1984. Tweet
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
The APEC meeting in Singapore is the first major event to be gazetted as a "Special Event" under the amended Public Order Act introduced earlier this year. Tweet
Green Kampong
"Mr. Ho urges Singapore not to be “bamboozled” by Western leaders to take climate action, but it seems that the real bamboozling is coming from another source." Tweet
Andrew Marshall and Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters Tweet
Kelvin Teo, The Temasek Review
The obstacles to the formation of an alliance cannot be ignored, and careful planning must be invested to maximize the advantages and minimize the pitfalls. That being said, the fact remains that if an alliance of opposition parties (possibly in future) in a GRC fight is able to produce good results, such will be a clear demonstration of the opposition’s ability to work together effectively as a unified front. Tweet
Singaporean Skeptic
The feed-back mechanism the PAP government has in place is defective. The only way an MP can understand the ground is if they are affected directly. No wonder some people have to throw chairs to get their attention. Tweet
Today In Singapore
Hardly the “I had a dream” type of inspirational speechmaking from a leader. Reflecting, even he recognised his response was downright effete. Tweet
静以养心 俭以养德
新加坡这个国家我一直不爽，美国的一条狗，人不做，做狗，一定要提防这个国家，希望还没有认清新加坡国家的人认识到这个国家对我们国家的巨大威胁。 Tweet
月下听涛的个人空间
这就是李光耀跑到美国，为美国策划围堵中国的方略，充当美国的狗头军师，在亚洲继续狐假虎威，甘当美国的马前卒，执行敌视中国的政策，其险恶的居心昭然若揭，但是，以新加坡的国力，能够胜任吗？ Tweet
MarketWatch
Singapore's state-backed investment fund Temasek Holdings is expected to submit a bid for a stake in China's Taikang Life worth more than $1 billion, according to news reports. Tweet
Maria Almenoar, Straits Times
Sixteen coach bus companies and the Express Bus Agencies Association have been fined $1.69 million by the Competition Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) for fixing the prices of express bus tickets to Malaysia. Tweet
陈佳誉, 联合早报
大多数居民并不需要24小时服务的商店或咖啡店，即使有些在工厂上夜班的，可能会光顾咖啡店和商店，但他们应该是极少数人而已。绝大多数组屋居民并不需要24小时服务的任何行业设立在他们楼下或附近，反而希望这些24小时业务能及早移走，以便远离噪音和环境污染。
How the heck did this guy 'know' that the majority of residents do not want 24-hour services near their flats? Tweet
Mr Wang Says So
The biggest problem was the government's rigid insistence (that lasted for many years) that a student who wished to progress to the next higher stage of education would have to pass both English and Chinese - entirely regardless of what he wanted to study, at the next stage. Tweet
Judy Dugan, Los Angeles Times
Pitching lower costs, 'international hospitals' are trying to make inroads into the U.S. healthcare system. But are they just a remedy for insurance companies? Tweet
周殊钦, 联合早报
没有永远的支持、也没有所谓永远的执政。前两任总理、内阁资政李光耀和国务资政吴作栋及现任总理李显龙，都向人民行动党党员提出告诫，要不断与时并进，不能自满。 Tweet
新軍事網
新加坡屡屡在中国互联网引起愤怒，责任主要还在新加坡自己。 Tweet
Olivia Choong, I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself!
I don't think his commentary communicates his intended message. What do you think? Tweet
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen Tweet
The Temasek Review
Under usual circumstances, it is risky to field so many new and untested candidates in a general election, but the PAP has cleverly engineered the electoral system in such a way that they can be almost assured of a victory by riding on the “coat-tails” of a heavyweight minister in a GRC. Tweet
Gerald Giam Tweet
Esther Ng, Today
From familiar squabbles among neighbours, to a new source of tension as more immigrants populate the heartlands - such issues will be tackled by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) as it moves beyond its main role as provider of affordable public housing. Tweet
Singapore Democrats
District judge Toh Yung Cheong granted the prosecution a last minute application to vacate a set of hearing dates because the police needed their witnesses for duty next week during the APEC meeting.
Contrast this with the warrant of arrest he issued for Dr Chee Soon Juan when the SDP secretary-general had to attend his father-in-law's funeral in Taiwan in June this year. Even after he was notified of the death, Judge Toh initially refused to rescind the warrant of arrest. Tweet
Jeremy Au Yong, Straits Times
Intelligence does not necessarily translate into a flair for languages. That was the lesson minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew said he learnt in implementing the bilingual policy in schools. Tweet
George Chen, Reuters Tweet
Diana Saw, Cambodia Calling Tweet
Wilfred Leung, Potong Pasir Town Council, The Online Citizen
The report seems to imply that voters in Potong Pasir have been shortchanged because they did not vote for PAP. I beg to differ. After the last election, the Potong Pasir Town Council has work hard to implement various upgrading programs to enhance the whole of Potong Pasir, bringing residents many benefits and more convenience. Tweet
蔡葩, 海南周刊
海南与新加坡无论是自然的、地理的还是人文的，都有着扯不断的血脉联系。我们在牛车水，仿佛看到海口得胜沙路上风韵迷人的海口骑楼。 Tweet
Elena Chong, Straits Times
District judge Roy Neighbour said he was satisfied that there was sufficient evidence to justify a trial of the offences which Balldev Naidu Ragavan, also known as Balraj Naidu Ragavan, is facing. Tweet
Singapore Aspirations
Why do employers in Singapore treat their employees in this way? Well, Singapore employers claim they are afraid that medical leave benefits will be abused, resulting in a loss of productivity at work. But if we think about it, the prevailing system in Singapore doesn’t really do much to prevent the abuse of medical leave benefits. Most companies will concede that employees who are determined to use up all their medical leave, will do so anyway whether or not their employers require them to see a doctor and obtain medical certification. Tweet
环球网
据11月2日出版的《环球时报》报道 针对新加坡内阁资政李光耀日前发表的拉美国制衡中国崛起的言论，中国人民大学国际关系学院副院长金灿荣对《环球时报》说，这次李光耀发表对华不太友好的讲话，一是因为他知道中国政府的大方向是韬光养晦，不会跟他计较；此外，他也认为中国百姓在外交中的作用不大，不怕激怒普通中国人。 Tweet
CNNGo Tweet
何惜薇 李韵琳 蔡永伟, 联合早报
李总理也指出，这个执政了50年的政党仍须遵循中庸之道、不过于偏激，但是也应接受不同的意见。 Tweet
Kevin Brown, Financial Times
Singapore’s trend rate of economic growth is likely to slow because of labour constraints and its success in achieving high levels of income per head, according to Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the island state’s finance minister. Tweet
Manisha Kumari, The Temasek Review
In spite of enjoying first status in almost all the thing, Singapore will continue to be the laughing stock in front of the world press and the ranking only getting worse if media continues to be in such a dilapidated state. Tweet
Jeffrey Chan, Straits Times
It is true that as Singapore is a small country, the consequences of environmental practices are likely negligible relative to the scale of global pollution today. But let us do our part. Tweet
John Richard Gee, Straits Times
Dr Ho could not be more wrong. Tweet
Liang Hien Fung, Straits Times
There is no real competition in the public transport sector in Singapore, unlike in Hong Kong where the companies running bus, minibus and train services compete for the same pool of passengers. Tweet
Ian On The Red Dot
Breath in, breath out. Calm down. Calm down. Tweet
Leong Sze Hian , The Online Citizen Tweet
Diary of A Singaporean Mind Tweet
Cai Haoxiang, Straits Times Tweet
Rachael Chang, Straits Times
While there is the need to look after those in Potong Pasir who voted for the PAP, the party must be careful not to be taken advantage of, prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said, recalling the 2006 election. Tweet
Matt O'Sullivan, Sydney Morning Herald
The Rudd government has told Singapore Airlines to be patient about its long-harboured aspirations to fly between Australia and the United States. Tweet
Ilonggo Sa Desyerto
We often hear calls to elect leaders like Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore. However, it is easier said than done in the Philippines. The Filipino people may elect a leader with the qualities of ‘Lee Kuan Yew’ but once he is in the office, they’ll throw whatever garbage and baseless accusations they have towards him. He would have to face several coup de etat, marching priests and nuns, demonstrations in EDSA and character assassination from the opposition. If he survives the office, he’ll leave a broken man. Tweet
Singapore Democrats
So the next anyone says that democracy and political rights have nothing to do with bread-and-butter issues, remember: Sheng Siong, wet markets, and PAP MPs. Tweet
Singapore Watch Tweet
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia Tweet
Shuli Sudderuddin, Straits Times
Said owner and founder Dave Boo, 56: 'We've liquidated the company and are filing for bankruptcy. Right now, all our energy is on clearing our stock and making as many sales as we can.' Tweet
Green Drinks Singapore
We should use our writing constuctively to inform and spur positive changes, and it would greatly help to verify the facts, and therefore not mislead – journalistic integrity counts. Tweet
AsiaIsGreen.com
As a compulsive reader of The Straits Times, I am disappointed and appalled by Mr Ho’s attempt to manipulate and confuse public thinking on climate change and the urgent actions needed, based on misleading claims and references in his article. This is a serious dent in this most widely-read national newspaper’s reputation, neutrality and journalistic integrity. Tweet
Olivia Choong, Green Kampong
There are more points that Andy has raised, but we will leave it up to you to decide how believable it is. Tweet
Xinhua
Singapore's prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Sunday that the next general election will be very important as it must produce a line-up of leaders who can take over from him and his senior Cabinet colleagues. Tweet
Erza S.T., The Jakarta Post
While Singapore Sun Festival 2009 ended just a week ago, great impressions and comments from concerts they held this year are still far from ending. Tweet
Clement Tan, Asian Correspondent
Sure, these are ideal types and any approach to governance would be a shrewd mix of both, but if Singapore truly wants the kind of creative and entrepreneurial spirit to take root organically and if China wants to lead the world and be respected on their terms, an honest appraisal and rethink should be on the cards. Tweet
Channel NewsAsia
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said the People's Action Party (PAP) has already identified some promising candidates and potential office-holders – mainly in their thirties and forties – for the next general election. Tweet
The Temasek Review
Obviously the regime is becoming worried and paranoid over the deluge of negative publicity that Singapore has been getting in the last two years from the international press and NGOs which is largely their own doing. Tweet
The Straits Times
Leading economic centres, including the United States, Britain and Singapore, are among the countries most to blame for promoting international financial secrecy, according to a new index comparing the harm allegedly done by tax havens and rich nations. Tweet
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
The location of the Lim Chu Kang dormitory smacks of a policy of social isolation for these foreign workers. While one can understand the shortage of space in Singapore to provide housing for these workers, one wonders if siting their living quarters, in an isolated area of Singapore and within a cemetery, with little amenities and with the nearest bus stop some 5 km away, is a “humane” solution which Ms Ng mentioned and which Mr Mah had agreed is a consideration for the government. Tweet
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
At a PAP event on Saturday evening, party chairman Lim Boon Heng said that the party's continued success depended on identifying committed leaders to stand for elections, maintaining its core values and staying in touch with the ground. Tweet
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