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Martyn See, Only "Objective" And "Factual" Political Films Please, We're Singaporeans
That the MSM has now come knocking on Chee's door, despite his open criticisms of them, is something of a revelation. More interesting to me, are how the dynamics in opposition politics have suddenly shifted. Now that the press has nudged SDP closer to the mainstream, will it then follow that the absentees of the night's function will be less afraid to associate themselves with Chee and SDP?
S Ramesh , Channel NewsAsia
Singapore's wet markets are not utilising land in the best possible way, especially in land-scarce Singapore, says senior minister Goh Chok Tong. He added that it is something to look into in the longer term.
Insane Polygons
These are trying times for Singapore. If I am going to vote for somebody, than I need that person to have courage, tenacity, passion and integrity. I can’t be voting for some yes man who is in it for himself. So that is why if given the chance I will vote for the opposition because I may not know the man personally, but the act of standing up as a opposition politician already speaks volumes about his character to me.
Leonard Lim, Straits Times
It is almost akin to speculating in the property market. Head to the National Environment Agency during its monthly tender exercise, submit a bid for one of the vacant hawker centre stalls, and cross your fingers.
If you are successful, you could rent the stall out later for a higher fee, and make a tidy profit of close to $2,000 in some cases.
Pravda
What did Singapore officials have to do to turn a dump into the cleanest Asian city and one of the most flourishing countries in the world in as little as 50 years? Russians became frequent guests in this city-state on the Equator. Wealthy Russians are looking into buying houses on the beach, while politicians and officials are trying to solve the puzzle of Singapore phenomenon.
Tan Kin Lian
Irene Tham, Straits Times
From Monday, all post offices will have a dedicated counter for stamp sales and registered mail services. It came after The Sunday Times reported that Singpost's foray into retail sales had led to longer queues even for basic postal services.
Fadli, The Jakarta Post
The frequency range in border areas such as Batam in Riau Islands, is being dominated by Singapore, as demonstrated by high quality transmission from the neighboring television and radio stations, says an official of the local broadcasting regulator.
Singapore Dino
Media
Domino’s Pizza is staging a comeback after a ten-year absence in Singapore, making it the latest American food brand to return to the city-state after a failed first attempt in the market.
The Star
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
The public housing crisis has revived the question whether Singapore, with only 700sq km of land, can continue to accommodate the current five million residents, let alone increase it by a further one-third.
陆威量, 联合早报
一言以蔽之，反对党那种在大选将至时，刻意批评政府局部政策在推行过程中的小瑕疵，明眼人也会觉得对这类瑕不掩瑜、已为广大民众带来数十年福利的正确政策吹毛求疵，用意只不过是在争取选票。然而，80%住在组屋的居民中，多数都从屋价上涨中获得资产增值的利益，反对党以此做文章，很可能反而会令许多选民反感，难获选民拥戴。
白士德, 联合早报
新一代工人的教育与技术水平比上一代来得高，说明我国的经济发展处于良性循环之中，未来在成为先进经济体的过程中，我们还会培养或引进一批又一批的新专才，不但能使经济取得质量更高的发展，以制造工资更高的高技术工作，也将使我们的收入增加。这是经济保持良性发展的关键，无论如何都必须看好。
Ivy Singh-Lim, Kranji Farmers Association, Straits Times
Transport is key to moving an economy. Ms Saw Phaik Hwa, chief executive officer of SMRT, said it herself in The Business Times a few weeks ago ('Joint effort by one and all', Feb 8). It therefore amazes me that Singapore's public transport system, so often toted as 'excellent', can have such gaping holes.
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
It is very strange that HDB has refused to release the questionnaire. This is a basic requirement in all research so that those reading the numbers can understand how the numbers were derived. The Singapore Department of Statistics releases all questionnaires from their surveys. Questionnaires cannot be classified as being Confidential or Secret. They belong in the public domain since to use them to gather information, you have to show them to the public. This is especially so when it is claimed that internet survey was carried out.
MacauBusiness.com
Macau officials and casino operators are unfazed by Singapore's new gaming adventure.
Ditas Lopez and P.R. Venkat, Wall Street Journal
Recent bond sales in Singapore by Temasek Holdings Pte. Ltd. have stoked renewed interest in the island state's local-currency debt market and could presage brisk issuance this year.
DPA
A former Romanian diplomat in Singapore is unlikely to return to the city-state for a coroner's inquiry into the car-accident death of a Singaporean but said he is determined to clear his name and would be writing to the government.
郝美莉, 亚洲周刊
新加坡首家賭場開業，首週就迎來近十五萬訪客。經營賭場的大馬雲頂集團主席林國泰的目標是打造適合家庭玩樂的綜合遊樂區，將市場瞄準全亞洲。獅城開賭場將對澳門構成競爭，但在賭場規模及多元化方面，仍待超越澳門。
P.R. Venkat, Wall Street Journal
Singapore's manufacturing output rose at a record pace in January, buoyed by strong gains in the electronics and biomedical sectors, indicating that the export-dependent nation is on track toward a broad-based economic recovery.
Singapore Government
It is of course very disappointing that her appeal did not
succeed. A dialogue among the Myanmar authorities, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
and all other political groups ahead of this year's elections offers the best prospects for national reconciliation and the long-term political stability of Myanmar. We believe that all Myanmars, irrespective of political affiliation, must share these goals which are also in the interests of the entire region. We thus hope that the Myanmar authorities will, in their own interests, allow her to participate in the political process in a meaningful way as soon as possible.
Singapore Government
As we have said many times, if Dr Ionescu was not the driver as he claims, then he should take the opportunity to attend the Inquiry to give his account of the events and pose questions to the witnesses, in order that the true circumstances surrounding the accidents may be determined. Singapore's legal system is well known internationally for its integrity and transparency. The Coroner will make a finding based on the evidence presented before him.
Dr Ionescu's comment that "Someone died. It's not something solitary, but happens all over the world. There are bigger stories out there" is shocking. We trust the Romanian authorities do not share Dr Ionescu's irresponsible and callous attitude.
Gilbert Goh, Transitioning.org
The issue of foreigner workers may just be the main catalyst that push Singaporeans to demand for change. People are pragmatic and if their economic neds are not met, they may simply go for the jugular.
Forced out by foreigners in their work places and feeling second-class in their own country, Singaporeans may now throw caution to the wind and vote for an alternative.
Today
This month could turn out to be the driest February ever recorded in Singapore, if current conditions continue. The National Environment Agency said only 5.3 mm of rainfall has been recorded so far, compared to 18.7 mm in the same period last year.
The Temasek Review
What have they done exactly to justify their obscene salaries?
Macau Daily Times
Janet Porter, Lloyd's List
Singapore has made no secret of its wish to become a global maritime hub offering a complete range of services and has been taking a close look at what centres elsewhere, including London, have to offer.
Tan Kin Lian
As we introduce new taxes and make changes, we must also take the opportunity to simplify and streamline our tax system. We need to take a bold step in this direction.
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net
We are getting nowhere with the current productivity debate because the government has refused to acknowledge the root cause of poor productivity growth and the proposed measures will only serve to entrench the status quo and deepen our problems.
Tay Poh Choo, Singapore Post, Straits Times
We have put in place mitigating measures to ensure that inconveniences, if any, are minimised. In this instance, we will be extending the collection timings by an hour on Fridays, starting from May 15.
If there is only one, you don't put a 's' behind the word 'measure'. Even Primary 2 students know that.
Thomas Fontaine, Today
We have adapted to the sidewalks to avoid the reckless driving that allows us no quarter on the roads.
Bicycles belong on the roads, not the sidewalks. If you are not good enough in defensive riding against reckless drivers, don't cycle. Walk!
Neo Chai Chin, Today
WWF Singapore is now inviting the public to switch off their lights on March 27 from 8.30pm to 9.30pm for this year's Earth Hour.
The Long and Winding Road
Eddy P. Kasdiono, The Jakarta Post
Seeking medical treatment in Singapore has become a choice for many Indonesians. They have various reasons for doing so, such as excellent service, medical expertise and complete equipment. There are also others who combine their medical trip with a holiday and shopping.
Hantulaut
To say the Malays in Singapore are more hardy, more successful and stand on equal ground is a myth.
Who Moved My Singapore Cheese
Something is very wrong with the way Singapore is being run now. But of course you can also choose to ignore all that you've read online and pretend all is alright.
Blowin' In The Wind
Singapore ministers and officials can look forward to a nearly 9 per cent pay rise with the economy expected to grow 4.5 per cent to 6.5 per cent this year after shrinking 2 per cent last year.
Imran Ahmed, The Grand Moofti Speaks
The 'aunties' and 'uncles' working in food courts understand inflation and GDP growth numbers in a way many politicians cannot.
Tan Weizhen, Straits Times
The KeyReader, a 19.6cm by 12.1cm, 300g touchscreen device with built-in wireless connectivity, will be able to download books directly on the go. For a start, it will be able to access the over 900,000 digital books in the collection of the National Library Board (NLB) for free.
Vicky Yang, The Online Citizen
The Temasek Review
Contrary to what was said by the PAP MPs and reported in the state media, the majority of Singaporeans are disappointed and unhappy with the 2010 Singapore Budget unveiled lately by finance minister Tharman.
Mustafa Shafawi, 938Live
A Singaporean who was detained under the Internal Security Act for planning and preparing to engage in militant activities, was released on a Suspension Direction (SD) on February 21.
Pablo Sanchez, Reuters
Channel NewsAsia
LTA says the scheme will be extended to three more bus bays along Upper Thomson Road from March 5. With the extension, the scheme will now be implemented at 44 bus bays islandwide.
The Online Citizen
Serious questions about the mandatory death penalty need to be addressed before we continue to execute drug mules.
邓秀华, 联合早报
我们这个社会真的如此不民主吗？需要戈麦斯博士成立“向往民主的新加坡”来灌输人民民主的观念？
Brandon Bailey, San Jose Mercury News
Hewlett-Packard is opening a new research facility in Singapore, where the company hopes to expand its work on developing new cloud computing services while capitalizing on the tiny country's drive to become a major tech hub for Southeast Asia.
The Temasek Review
Unless wholesale changes are made to Singapore’s employment and immigration policies, the hike in Foreign Workers levy will not moderate or slow down the inflow of foreign workers into Singapore.
Singapore Democrat News
Throwing money at the problem and making the same proposals that have been tried and found wanting, but packaged differently, will not make the problem go away. Productivity will still languish.
Yours Truly Singapore
Howard Stutz, Las Vegas Review-Journal
Las Vegas Sands Corp. said Tuesday it will open a portion of the $5.5 billion Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on April 27. The project's nearly 3-acre SkyPark, which sits atop the hotel-casino's three 55-story hotel towers, will open June 23 as part of the overall grand opening celebration.
Paul Chan, Straits Times
We should tackle the root of the problem, that is, nurturing high standards of service in the food and beverage industry.
Alicia Wong, Today
The aim is to reduce employers' dependence on lower-skilled foreign workers and boost productivity. So why has the cost of hiring S Pass holders, who are mid-level skilled foreigners, gone up?
Today
There was a spike in the number of complaints to the authorities about unfair dismissals last year - particularly from pregnant women and executives. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) received 56 complaints involving pregnant employees, up from 26 cases in 2008 and 16 in 2007. Twelve of last year's cases involved pregnant executives, up from just one the year before.
Ng Jing Yng, Today
Several opposition parties have responded to the Budget report, with the general sentiment that the Government was right to aim for a higher value-added economy. But they felt that the measures could be more effective and more targeted
Jeremy Koh, Channel NewsAsia
Minister in the prime minister's office Lim Hwee Hua has said this year's Budget is about building long-term sustainable growth for Singapore.
环球网
新加坡首个赌场圣淘沙名胜世界开幕一周，迄今已有超过15万名赌客入场。赌场经常伴随而来的有色情、毒品和犯罪等问题，圣淘沙名胜世界也出现了色情问题。
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent
Despite the clear message of this data, the government, which tiptoes around racial issues because of fears of ethnic disharmony, does not appear willing to confront the problem.
Straits Times
THE Romanian Embassy on Tuesday officially responded to requests by Singapore's Foreign Ministry over the hit-and-run case involving a car allegedly driven by the embassy's charge d'affaires in Singapore.
In apparent response to Mr Yeo's comments in Parliament, the Romanian Embassy handed over three diplomatic notes - Third Party Notes (TPN) - to the foreign ministry on Tuesday.
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
The National Solidarity Party (NSP) appreciates the PAP Government efforts to invest in the productivity growth of Singapore, but we are also concerned whether the scheme would really benefit a majority of our Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia
The fast-changing media landscape and the more recent economic crisis are two of the most immediate challenges to Singapore's mainstream media companies, said the acting minister for information, communications and the arts.
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia
More people have applied for self-exclusion orders to bar themselves from entering casinos since the opening of Resorts World Sentosa. Separately, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) said Resorts World Sentosa has been responsive in its dialogue on responsible gambling.
S Ramesh , Channel NewsAsia
MOM stressed that the foreign worker levy changes are being implemented gradually over the next three years to give businesses time to adjust.
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore’s consumer prices climbed in January as transportation and healthcare costs rose amid an economic recovery that has spurred demand for goods and services.
联合早报
本地公共医院的外国住院病人占总数不到3%，卫生部长许文远认为这不算多。
Hurr Riyahi, The Temasek Review
The sad reality is that Singapore will finish last in every area within five years time and it will be far too late for Singaporeans to rectify the situation then.
Guanyinmiao's Musings
Eugene K B Tan, Today
Is Budget 2010 an election budget? Well, if it is, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam did not give away anything obvious in his speech.
Ng E-Jay, The Online Citizen
The government has made the right decision to focus on productivity and reduce the reliance on unskilled foreign labour. The Finance Minister also made the right connections in asserting that future productivity growth can only come about by a concerted effort by businesses, individuals, and the government.
However unless fundamental issues concerning our educational and political system are addressed, the government will only be able to go so far before it hits a brick wall and has to retrace its steps all over again.
Catherine Lim
It is said that the exuberant street humour of Singaporeans is a kind of compensation for the dourness at the top. Whatever the reason, it is something they are unlikely to—indeed, must never—lose.
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
Finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has unveiled a Budget aimed at helping Singapore become an advanced economy. A key theme of the Budget: raising the quality of jobs, skills and the workforce so that workers can continue to earn higher incomes, and the economy, grow.
Patrick Barta and P.R. Venkat, Wall Street Journal
The rich Southeast Asian city-state has for years admitted large numbers of foreign workers to boost its population and to stay competitive with China and other countries with deeper pools of cheap labor. But Singaporean citizens are increasingly dissatisfied with the policy, which they say causes overcrowding and depresses local wages. Economists believe an over-reliance on foreign workers also is keeping productivity levels down, jeopardizing Singapore's future growth.
Gabriel Chen, Straits Times
For some taxpayers, what was not in this year's Budget proved to be just as significant as what was in it. They were upset with the total lack of income tax rebates, which they had enjoyed for several years in a row.
Teo Xuanwei, Today
It would be "more practical" to reduce carbon emissions in Singapore through a tax system, rather than a cap-and-trade system, said the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in the FY2010 Revenue and Expenditure Estimates it released yesterday. This is because Singapore is a small domestic market with only "a few large energy consumers".
Straits Times
To give flexibility for travellers, the duty-free allowance will be raised to two litres of wine and one litre of beer, or two litres of beer and one litre of wine, announced finance minister Shanmugaratnam in in his Budget Statement on Monday.
Wendy Lim, Straits Times
Foreign worker levies will be gradually raised and the tiers tightened over the next three years, as the Government moves to reduce dependence on foreign workers.
Delivering his 2010 Budget Statement in Parliament, finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said with foreign workers comprising almost a third of the total workforce, there are 'social and physical limits to how many more we can absorb.'
Singapore Government
What we do next will depend on the outcome of our Coroner's Inquiry and the Romanian Government's response to our requests. We are closely monitoring what the Romanian authorities are doing. We expect their actions to match the words of the Romanian Foreign Ministry spokesman and the assurances that the Romanian Ambassador has given us. But I must stress that whatever we do in Singapore must always be in conformity with our legal system and our international law obligations.
Channel NewsAsia
The revised Registers of Electors for all 23 Constituencies (14 Group Representation Constituencies and nine Single Member Constituencies) have been completed and will be open for public inspection from February 23 to March 8.
May Wong, Channel NewsAsia
All HDB flat owners and a majority of private property owners can expect to pay lower taxes through a new progressive property tax system introduced for owner-occupied residential property. The new system will apply for property tax payable from January 2011.
Finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that this will replace the current scheme of property tax rebates introduced in 1994.
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen
Instead of just a press release fill with HDB’s selective findings and conclusions, may I suggest that the full report be made available to the public so that we may try to figure out the whole story?
AFP
Singapore said Monday it will raise levies to curb the hiring of foreign workers, amid growing unease among locals over the influx of guest workers and immigrants in recent years.
The phased-in increase from July 1 is aimed at reducing dependence on foreign workers, who already comprise almost a third of the city-state's total workforce, finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said.
Shamim Adam and Andrea Tan, Bloomberg
Singapore will spend S$5.5 billion ($3.9 billion) in the next five years to boost productivity in the city state, finance minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said.
The government will pledge S$1.1 billion annually through tax benefits, grants and training subsidies to improve efficiency, Shanmugaratnam told Parliament today in the nation’s budget speech. The target of 2 percent to 3 percent productivity growth a year for the next decade will be a “major challenge,” he said.
Evelyn Choo, Channel NewsAsia
Foreign affairs Minister George Yeo says there are due processes of law in Singapore and Romania to deal with the hit-and-run accident linked to Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu. He told Parliament on Monday that Singaporeans should not speculate on the accident on December 15 last year.
Lin Jiamei, Channel NewsAsia
The Singapore government incurred an overall budget deficit of S$2.9b for financial year 2009. The figure, at 1.1 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is lower than the deficit of S$8.7b budgeted a year ago.
New Straits Times
Close cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore grassroots leaders should be enhanced to create better understanding on issues involving both countries. Pulai member of parliament Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said informal discussions were more effective in tackling issues that could crop up.
Joyce Teo, Straits Times
News of potential measures affecting the public housing market could come as soon as next month, hot on the heels of curbs announced last Friday aimed at cooling the private property market, minister for national development Mah Bow Tan said yesterday.
Musings From the Lion City
Just how serious is the Singapore Government in cooling down the property market?
Shahul Hameed, Straits Times
Food at hawker stalls is more expensive now, even though it should be cheaper than at other commercial food outlets.
Lawrence Loh, Straits Times
Service staff are paid by their employer. Customers are patrons who support a company's business so that the employer thrives and staff keep their jobs. Patrons are not obliged to augment staff's wages.
Financial Times
Alicia Wong/Neo Chai Chin, Today
In what is believed to be the first move of its kind, the Media Development Authority (MDA) has released its film classification guidelines to the public, ending years of speculation over how film content is evaluated. The move has been welcomed by industry players - even as they say such openness was "long overdue".
Liau Chuan Yi and Norvin Chan, Asian Correspondent
Leonard Lim, Straits Times
Both locations allow them to levy a $3 surcharge on top of the metered fare. But since the casino at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) opened a week ago, cabbies here find it makes more sense to head there instead of Changi Airport to pick up passengers.
It's time to raise the levy at Changi Airport! Money will solve everything! :-)
The Long and Winding Road
洪奕婷, 联合早报
农历新年适逢圣淘沙名胜世界的赌场开张，我去拜年时，长辈们都对新加坡公民和永久居民须缴付100元赌场入场税的规定颇有微词。
Gerald Giam
A well-designed welfare system will provide citizens with peace of mind and an assurance of a decent safety net if they fall (e.g., lose their job), while still focusing on getting those who are able to work back into the workforce.
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
In his outspoken way, Lee Kuan Yew admitted that all grassroots organisations (with nearly 30,000 community workers) which interact and organise activities in the estates were actually part of his party. “... Everywhere they (the Chinese) go, they see the PAP – in the RCs (residents’ committees), CCCs (citizens’ consultative committees), and the CCs (community clubs)."
The confirmation that these are part of the PAP could become an embarrassment to his younger ministers as the message sinks in.
联合早报
新加坡圣陶沙名胜世界的赌场开业，并未带旺与新加坡一水之隔的新山，反而是当地游客涌到新加坡赌场一日游。
新山旅游业者说，新加坡并没有提供一揽子旅游配套，将到新加坡赌场的外国游客带到新山或柔州其他地区旅游，而新山业者也没有类似配套。换言之，新加坡赌场开业后，对促进柔州旅游业的助益不大。
Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, New York Times
Singapore may be best known as a hub of electronics manufacturing and transportation, but as it plans for its next stage of economic growth, its leaders are looking toward a radically different sector: the arts.
Clarissa Oon, Straits Times
Singapore's income gap narrowed slightly last year for the second year in a row, as families in the higher income groups experienced a bigger drop in income than those in lower-earning households.
Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia
The government has introduced two new measures that will take effect Saturday to temper sentiments and pre-empt a property bubble from forming in the private residential market.
The first is a Seller's Stamp Duty on all residential properties and residential lands that are bought after Friday and sold within one year from the date of purchase. The housing loan limit will also be capped at 80 per cent of the private property's value, instead of the current 90 per cent.
Channel NewsAsia
Parliament will sit on Monday, with Members of Parliament (MPs) seeking clarification on the impact of the recently-released Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) report.
Paul Gilfeather, Today
Blowin' In The Wind
张所鸿, 联合早报
联合早报
开业不到5天，大批外劳拥入赌场，免费进场和享用饮料，引起一些本地赌客不满。
Ng E-Jay, The Online Citizen
Sam Holmes, Wall Street Journal
Singapore's economy contracted at a pace slower than initial government estimates in the fourth quarter from the previous quarter, government data showed Friday.
Mavis Ng, Straits Times
I am concerned that citizens are expected to keep documents from 15 years ago. Should not such records be HDB's responsibility?
Errol Goodenough, Straits Times
The Economic Strategies Committee suggested even more consolidation. However, given the vagaries of the global economy, is it wise to develop corporate behemoths that may eventually become too big to fail locally and require national resources to be rescued?
Teo Xuanwei, Today
Both IRs have kept hush-hush the contracts they have awarded, but the advertisements in newspapers congratulating RWS this week, paid for by a slew of companies, reflect where many deals have gone.
S Ramesh , Channel NewsAsia
The future is promising for Singaporeans, but challenges such as increasing productivity and raising skills across the board need to be tackled in the next five years, minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew said.
Sylvia Tan, Fridae
Fridae has been told that a total of 85 people including filmmakers Sun Koh and Royston Tan have lodged police reports over the long Chinese New Year weekend about pastor Rony Tan's offensive comments concerning gay men and lesbians in an online video.
Seelan Palay's Blog
S Ramesh , Channel NewsAsia
A day after the Elections Department announced that the Register of Voters is being revised, the government gazette has published the boundaries of altered polling districts.
See Also: Parliamentary Elections Act (Chapter 218) (Section 9(2)) Boundaries of Altered Polling Districts (Note: PDF document).
Channel NewsAsia
The number of people living in HDB flats has increased. According to HDB's latest Sample Household Survey, the number of Singaporeans and PRs who are flat dwellers, increased 2.7 per cent over 5 years to 2.92 million in 2008.
Shamim Adam, BusinessWeek
Singapore will probably incur a third consecutive budget deficit this year as the government unveils another “expansionary” spending program to boost the island’s productivity in the next decade.
The Temasek Review
谢燕燕, 联合早报
新加坡福州咖啡酒餐商公会副主席洪宝兴说，环境局原本有意在去年实施咖啡店全面禁烟，但与两公会举行多次对话后，才暂缓推行这一计划。他表示，业者不反对室内禁烟，但户外用餐区全面禁烟的问题，则值得商榷。
光华日报
圣淘沙名胜世界赌场自上周日开张以来，已有超过6万名赌客进场博杀。这群赌客当中，除了想赢点小钱的普通民众，也“潜藏”了不少豪客，大多是隐而不露的超级富翁，趁新加坡首家赌场新开张，前来大捞一笔。
Associated Press
Casino operator Las Vegas Sands Corp. said Wednesday that it lost money in the fourth quarter on expenses to open its Singapore resort and charges to write down the value of properties in Macau and Pennsylvania. Company officials said its Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore would open in late April.
David Tan, Straits Times
Kor Kian Beng, Straits Times
For the second time within a year, the registers of voters are being updated. According to a notice published on Wednesday in the electronic version of the Government Gazette, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has directed the Registration Officer to do the revision and complete it by March 31.
Nelson Benjamin, The Star
The Road Transport Department will station personnel at the border to check on overloading especially by tipper lorries carrying construction materials into Singapore.
Heng-Cheong Leong, MyAppleMenu
Announcing SushiReader 1.0.0, an application that I've build for news junkies like me.
SushiReader is a simple river-of-news style RSS reader for the busy news junkie. You can specify priority levels for your subscriptions so that important news stories are sorted at the head of the queue, which you can read earlier. Keywords can also be specified to further rank individual news stories' importance.
SushiReader requires Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard), and is available for free.
Clifford Coonan, Variety
The Singapore government is pushing co-productions in live action and animation and has worked to build a major production and post-production hub from basically a standing start, serving one of the most heavily populated and rapidly expanding regions in the world.
The Temasek Review
Singapore’s latest foray into China, led by the Ministry of National Development to develop an eco-city in the northern metropolis of Tianjing appears to be turning into another Suzhou nightmare too.
星洲日報
據記者過去2天的現場觀察，100元的賭場稅並沒有打消新加坡人的好奇心。不需要繳付“入場費”的外國人更是形成長長彎彎的人龍，絡繹不絕地湧入聖淘沙名勝世界賭場。
Associated Press
Singapore's exports jumped in January for a third straight month as global demand for the city-state's electronics and petrochemicals surged.
Bhagman Singh, Channel NewsAsia
Jeremy Koh, 938Live
Resorts World Sentosa said 70 per cent of its staff strength of over 8,000 are Singaporeans or Permanent Residents. But some who've visited the gaming tables are questioning where exactly are they working?
Mustafa Shafawi, 938Live
An Indonesian man who lost all the S$1,000 he had with him at the Resorts World Sentosa casino was jailed for four weeks after pleading guilty to stealing a handphone from an undergraduate at Changi Airport.
钟振宇, 四川日报
在对口就业援助的帮助下，灾区群众依靠自己勤劳的双手，迎来崭新的生活，都江堰姑娘周婷便是其中之一。
Insane Polygons
That’s a team of 7 multi-million salaried ministers helping one guy do his job and I must say its not even a job that has been done very well over the last 5 years.
Derrick Paulo, Today
By law, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are not allowed in the casino - a clause included in the Casino Control Act as a social safeguard. But in living up to the letter of the law, Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) has not quite embraced the spirit of the law.
S.Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
With Singapore nearing its constraints of land and labour, Mr Goh said the government must increase the country's Gross National Product (GNP) and he urged companies in the frontline to lead the way.
Kimberly Spykerman, Straits Times
Tip only if you are satisfied with the service - this is what a group of eateries promise their customers, having done away with service charge in favour of a strict tipping policy. They are taking the plunge, even as the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) hopes to study the tipping culture in the United States.
Bangkok Post
A fictional portrait of the gambling culture surrounding Singapore's S-League paints a damning picture of the state of Southeast Asian football.
The Jakarta Globe
A senior immigration department official said on Sunday that it would re-evaluate the government’s decision in January to scrap the one-week tourist visa, following an outcry by foreign tour agents who market packages for Batam and Bintan islands.
Robert Leveson, Telegraph
For someone brought up to think of change as not having pasta on a Wednesday night, it’s a lot to get used to.
The Temasek Review
While the Singapore media has been quick to publicize Temasek’s latest foray into hedge funds, it failed to reveal the background of the man in charge – Charles Ong, who was the Chief Strategist behind the sale of Thailand’s Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings in 2006.
Tan Kin Lian
Several people have argued that a minimum wage will increase the cost of living further. This is true, but the impact will not be as large as feared.
Readings From A Political Duo-ble
AFP
The sak yant form of tattooing originated in Thailand and is gaining popularity in Singapore, a predominantly ethnic Chinese city-state with a strong Buddhist and Taoist tradition.
AFP
The doors to the cavernous and carpeted casino were thrown open to the public at 12:18 pm on the first day of the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar. When pronounced in the Cantonese dialect, 12:18 sounds like "prosperity". A middle-aged Singaporean woman was the first gambler allowed in, followed by an initial crowd of about 200.
Economist
Fond of having the last word, Singapore's government can nevertheless be flexible. Who would have thought it would be building casinos? But one policy that shows no sign of reversing is Singapore’s antipathy towards public welfare. The state’s attitude can be simply put: being poor here is your own fault. Citizens are obliged to save for the future, rely on their families and not expect any handouts from the government unless they hit rock bottom. The emphasis on family extends into old age: retired parents can sue children who fail to support them. In government circles “welfare” remains a dirty word, cousin to sloth and waste. Singapore may be a nanny state, but it is by no means an indulgent nanny.
DPA
Romania distanced itself Saturday from remarks of a former envoy in Singapore over his suspected involvement in two hit-and-run accidents in December. Silviu Ionescu, 49, then the highest-ranking Romanian diplomat posted in the city-state, claimed he had been set up by Singapore authorities in the accidents which killed a Malaysian man and injured two other people December 15. "He is suspended, so all his declarations must be regarded as personal declarations," said Alexander Nicolae Coseru, economic counsellor at the Romanian embassy.
The Temasek Review
With due respect to ACP Teo, the greatest threat to social harmony in Singapore does not come from anonymous netizens who have little credibility or influence, but from religious leaders like Pastor Tan who commands a loyal following.
Sam Holmes, Wall Street Journal
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Saturday said financial distress in parts of the eurozone and Dubai can hurt Singapore and that Singapore needs to be prepared to deal with the effects of such events.
Julie Shingleton, The Jakarta Post
So, how might Indonesians feel about this? Ecstatic to be able to place bets in their shopping playground? Annoyed the country is not getting a share of the income wealthy Indonesians are generating across the Straits of Singapore by gambling? Or thankful they have other cards in their hands they can play to foster economic growth in their country? Or maybe they are just looking forward to a little bit of fun on a rollercoaster in Singapore.
Christine Chow, New York Times
Kelvin Teo Writes
Victoria Vaughan, Straits Times
Animal conservation groups and others are up in arms after pictures featuring Singapore actress Wong Li-Lin draped in a tiger pelt appeared in the weekly celebrity magazine 8 Days.
Barney Henderson, Telegraph
Singapore's land developers are now pitted against environmental groups, who claim several of the 83 border islands off the north coast of Indonesia could disappear into the sea in the next decade unless the smugglers are stopped.
"The smugglers have no problem getting it into Singapore and these boats are rarely intercepted by customs boats or the navy," said Nur Hidayati, Greenpeace Indonesia spokesman. "The supply is constant."
Fuchsia Dunlop, Financial Times
As we pass the first durian stalls by the side of the road, Seetoh winds down the car windows and we are hit by warm gusts of their infamous aroma – sweet, wild and suffocating, the kind of smell that makes you toss and turn in a fever of desire and revulsion. The spiked fruit are piled up all along this stretch of Changi Road, just beyond the Geylang red light district. It is past 10pm and I’ve been in Seetoh’s hands since breakfast for this crash course in grazing, Singapore-style.
Victoria Ho, ZDNet Asia
In a bid to compete for passengers, one local taxi company is turning to the mobile platform to augment its presence in the island state.
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
The Singaporean’s love affair with the car remains strong, but the authorities seem determined to break up the relationship with a plethora of taxes designed to make owning one as stressful as possible.
Jessica Lim, Straits Times
Singapore scores highly in areas like infrastructure and stability, but does poorly when it comes to culture and living environment. That, at least, is the conclusion of a recent study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which ranked Singapore 53rd on a list of 140 cities worldwide for liveability.
Sanjay Perera, Straits Times
Businesses will likely transfer any increase in wages to the consumer via higher prices of products. This in turn will lead to another round of higher minimum wages. Forced higher wages all round will lead to increased liquidity and inflationary pressure on prices.
So either you don't get to buy things because your minimum wages pushed the price too high, or you don't get to buy things because you are earning way below minimum wages to afford to buy anything decent.
It will be manipulated to hire fewer people so a company's wage costs do not rise. And it will mean inflated prices for everyone.
Fewer people to produce the same amount of goods? That is called increased productivity, which, the last I checked with NTUC, is a good thing.
A minimum wage system will not solve all problems -- it is not a silver bullet. But it is definitely a better system than what we have today.
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net
Unfortunately, the current debate surrounding racial and religious harmony in Singapore has focused exclusively on preventing one religion or one race from insulting another religion or race, but has totally neglected the rights of minority groups like sexual minorities to be free from persecution.
Choo Zheng Xi,, The Online Citizen
Strong communities aren’t built on strong prisons.
Leong Wee Keat, Today
High cash-over-valuation (COV) prices paid by Housing and Development Board flat buyers are a concern, acknowledged national development minister Mah Bow Tan, as they make resale flats less accessible to buyers who need flats urgently. But the way to deal with the situation "is not to manage or fix COVs", he feels, as "the underlying cause is high demand, caused by excess liquidity and market sentiments, and low supply".
It's time for HDB to stop building grand projects with sky roof that needs entrance fees to regulate visits, and concentrate on meeting demands of the people, and build housings for the people.
Channel NewsAsia
Police said the youth who started the Facebook group that stirred feelings of unhappiness and resentment against other races would be placed on a Guidance Programme. And the two youths who acted as administrators of the site have been cautioned and will not have any record of criminal conviction.
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
Clearly, the rising number of homeless people taking shelter in our public areas (which do not just mean our public parks) shows that MCYS, the HDB and NParks are not addressing the issue effectively, despite its claim to the contrary.
P.R. Venkat and Costas Paris, Wall Street Journal
Singapore's state investment fund, Temasek Holdings Ltd., is considering selling US$2 billion to US$3 billion in global bonds by the end of March, people familiar with the situation said Friday.
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore’s retail sales fell more than economists forecast in December as motor-vehicle purchases slumped after the government gave out fewer permits for cars, motorcycles, vans and lorries.
Yours Truly Singapore
We cannot think short term without looking at long term implications. We cannot just think about our own selfish gains without considering the burden this places on others. We should recognise that money doesn’t drop from the sky and that wealth due to rising flat prices is not real wealth being created but merely wealth taken from the poor buyer forced to pay higher prices.
Mike Wilder, The Times-News
A trip to Singapore confirmed Allison Gant’s belief that the United States needs to do more to study how other countries approach education.
曾昭鹏, 联合早报
近几年大量的外来人口改变了我们社会的面貌，这已经不是什么新鲜的课题，只是它所带来的经济和社会后果持续在社会内部发酵，牵动着不同群体的情绪和感受。而当个人的在地感情与外来元素交织在一起，重新思考个人的位置或许成为一种另类的乡愁。
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen
As the HDB celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, instead of just the HDB determining affordability, I would like to suggest that an independent third party be engaged to study the affordability of HDB flats.
Saeed Azhar, Reuters
Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC will convert 11 billion Swiss francs ($10.33 billion) worth of UBS notes into shares next month at a price that may erode the value of its stake in the Swiss bank by 70 percent.
The potential loss is likely to draw fire from Singaporeans, who have been highly critical of sister wealth fund Temasek after it lost heavily betting on Western banks such as Bank of America-Merrill Lynch and Barclays.
Teo Chia Leen, Channel NewsAsia
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) summoned the Romanian Ambassador to Singapore Aurelian Neagu, who is based in Tokyo, to the Republic on Thursday regarding the hit-and-run accidents involving the embassy's vehicle.
The MFA also referred to Dr Ionescu's interview by a Romanian television station in which he alleged that this was a case of a "set-up" by the Singapore government because he had been reporting on political activities in Singapore. The MFA told Ambassador Neagu that if these media reports had accurately quoted Dr Ionescu, then he had made very serious allegations against the integrity of the Singapore government which MFA categorically rejected as lacking any basis in fact.
Muhammad Cohen, Asia Times
The first casino in Singapore, the US$4.6 billion Resorts World Sentosa, opens this weekend. But don't expect pigs to fly, lions to lie down with lambs or Satan to buy snowshoes.
Fadli, The Jakarta Post
Businesspeople in the property sector have asked the Batam municipal council to consider issuing a permit for lodging facilities for casino workers from Singapore. Operators of the Marina Bay Sand and Resort World Sentosa casino in Singapore, which opened last month, are reportedly keen to cooperate with their Indonesian business partners for possible accommodation for their employees.
Terence Lee, The Online Citizen
But whatever the reason, by resorting to blanket laws as a means of control, the government is sending the unfortunate message that it does not trust community moderation as a means of conflict resolution. These laws, although unlimited in scope, also opens up the opportunity for hate groups to exploit it to their advantage.
The Temasek Review
It is strange that Singapore’s political economy is left entirely out of discussion when it should be involved in the first place given the Singapore government’s pervasive control over our economy.
Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia
Genting Singapore said its Resorts World Sentosa casino in Singapore will have a soft opening on Sunday, February 14, in time for the Lunar New Year. Its Universal Studios theme park is still on schedule to open in the first quarter of this year.
Jason Wong, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Kong Yit San, National Parks Board, Mike Chan, Housing and Development Board, Straits Times
Camping in our parks is for recreational purposes only. Squatting in parks is illegal and not a viable option for people with housing difficulties.
Ong Dai Lin, Today
With the weekend inching closer and no firm date for the casino opening announced, it may now be too late for tourists to fly in to gamble at the RWS casino.
Teo Xuanwei, Today
This much is clear: The food poisoning outbreak last April which killed two women and caused 152 others to fall ill was caused by bacteria-contaminated food from Mr Sheik Allaudin Mohideen's stall. What will remain unresolved, however - because of a lack of evidence - is how the contamination happened at the Indian rojak stall at the Geylang Serai Temporary Market, a coroner's court found yesterday.
My Very Own Glob {Curiosa Felicitas}
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
Religious leaders say followers must speak out if they feel a religious elder has breached the rule of respect between religions. "This episode prompted various religious leaders to issue statements on the need to be respectful to other religions," said Syed Hassan Al-Attas, Imam of Ba'alwi Mosque. "But how do they ensure that the message is being heeded on the ground?"
Kevin Lim and Saeed Azhar, Reuters
Temasek has set up a multi-billion dollar investment company, in what may be a small step towards allowing ordinary Singaporeans greater say in the affairs of the city-state's wealth fund as co-investors.
The Temasek Review
Beijing-born Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) political economist Professor Huang Yasheng had criticized Singapore’s state-linked enterprise model dominated by its two giant sovereign wealth funds GIC and Temasek Holdings as a “sure-fire way to stifle the economy in the long run.”
In a recent speech made at the Civil Service College, Prof Huang urged Singapore to “rethink” the “Temasek model” and warns that Singapore’s state management model has “milked this system for all it is worth.”
Channel NewsAsia
The postman will stop collecting and delivering mail on Saturdays from the middle of this year. From May 15, SingPost will scale back collection and delivery due to falling mail volumes from changes in lifestyle and mailing habits.
MIS Asia
Giuseppe De Santis, London Patriot
Netty Ismail and Bei Hu, Bloomberg
Temasek Holdings Pte, Singapore’s state investment firm, is setting up a wholly owned multibillion dollar investment company to invest in assets from stocks to bonds, three people with knowledge of the matter said.
Khaw Boon Wan, Ministry of Health
This morning, MOH announced the Medisave liberalisation but with some conditions. In particular, the overseas hospitals must have a formal arrangement with a Singapore operator. Medisave will only deal with the Singapore operator and patients have to be properly counselled prior to admission.
陆彩霞, 联合早报
在激烈的竞争下，不少商场都不打算在农历新年关闭，而是趁势争取春节消费大饼。
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen
Is it any wonder why so many Singaporeans may be thinking about migrating to New Zealand?
Lily Chan-Wong Jee Choo, Housing & Development Board, Straits Times
Channel NewsAsia
Home affairs minister Wong Kan Seng has said he is glad to note that Pastor Rony Tan has realised his mistake and has met the Buddhist and Taoist leaders to personally apologise for his actions.
Leong Wee Keat, Today
The three youth who posted racist comments on Facebook were arrested by the Police. Pastor Rony Tan, who insulted the beliefs of Buddhists and Taoists, was called up by the Internal Security Department (ISD). Why the different treatment, some are wondering. In reply to media queries, deputy prime minister and home affairs minister Wong Kan Seng said the bottom-line in such cases is to ensure that the out-of-bound markers are "clear and that transgressions are dealt with in a balanced and professional manner".
Random Thoughts Of A Free Thinker
Tattooed Banker
Jessica Lim, Straits Times
The number of visitors to Singapore fell by 4.3 per cent last year to 9.7 million, driving the revenue from the sector down 19 per cent to S$12.4 billion, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said on Tuesday. The number was still slightly higher than the STB's target of 9 to 9.5 million visitors, which, analysts said, was conservative.
钱晓慧, BBC
无论政府采取什么措施，外来人口带来的矛盾应该不会在短时间内化解，而这个问题应该会成为下一届大选的主要课题之一，因此对执政党人民行动党来说，促进新移民与本地人的和谐相处以及安抚人民的不满情绪，将会是当务之急。
Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters
Chemical Generation Singapore
Singapore Government
Pastor Tan's comments were highly inappropriate and unacceptable as they trivialised and insulted the beliefs of Buddhists and Taoists. They can also give rise to tension and conflict between the Buddhist/Taoist and Christian communities. ISD told Pastor Tan that in preaching or proselytising his faith, he must not run down other religions, and must be mindful of the sensitivities of other religions.
Straits Times
Home-grown supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice has applied for extensions to its liquor licences, to sell alcohol after midnight at two of its 24-hour supermarkets.
Grace Chua, Straits Times
The Singapore Buddhist Federation said senior pastor Rony Tan's act of apologising was the right thing to do - for a start. But it will still approach the authorities and have its voice heard in order to prevent similar incidents in future, it said last night.
Icarus Flew Too High
It is about time for the citizens of Singapore to start thinking about life beyond the PAP.
Leong Wee Keat, Today
The founder and senior pastor of a Christian church here publicly apologised last night for being "offensive" and "insensitive" after three video clips of him questioning Buddhist and Taoist beliefs sparked outrage among many Singaporeans. Pastor Rony Tan from Lighthouse Evangelism church posted his apology on the church's website after being called up by the Internal Security Department (ISD).
ANTARA
Deputy attorney general Darmono said Singapore had remained the favorite haven for wanted corrupters from Indonesia. "Singapore is the favorite place to hide for wanted corrupters," he said after meeting with House Commission III here on Monday.
Ng E-Jay, The Online Citizen
The government appears to be sending out conflicting signals over its foreign manpower policy, a possible indication that rising concerns over the liberal import of foreign workers in recent years are starting to overwhelm decision makers in the PAP cabinet.
AFP
Illegal loans rose almost 60 percent last year as Singaporeans reeling from the economic crisis turned to loan sharks to tide them over the tough times, a senior police official said Monday.
DPA
Taiwan's defence minister made a secret visit last week to Singapore, signaling the resumption of unofficial ties, which were derailed by Taipei's criticism of Singapore in 2004, a newspaper reported Monday. The United Daily News quoted an unnamed official as saying that Defence Minister Kao Hua-chu went last week to Singapore to attend the Singapore Airshow.
The Temasek Review
Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen
Edwin S Anthony, The Online Citizen
The Sedition Act can be a dangerous stumbling block in the progression towards egalitarian harmony. It can keep people quiet whilst one culture and associated ‘race’ is allowed to gain prominence and dominance over all others.
Lim Wei Chean & Jessica Lim and Tessa Wong, Straits Times
Tenants and staff at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) told The Straits Times that they have been gearing up for the big opening at the end of this week. When asked to confirm the dates, RWS spokesman Robin Goh only said: 'We will announce when it's time. We are still on track for the soft opening in the first quarter of 2010.''
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
The truth is that there is no shortage of rental flats available. TOC has shown that the HDB has converted and reserved two blocks of flats in Toa Payoh, at least one block in Havelock Road, five blocks in Bedok and five more blocks in Tiong Bahru as rental flats for foreigners.
The problem is that the HDB is not only the sole provider of public housing flats in Singapore, it is also a player in the rental market. As we have shown, the HDB acquires old flats through the SERS programme, and through its subsidiary, EM Services (the HDB owns 75 per cent of the company), refurbishes or upgrades the flats, and lets them out for rent. Perhaps this is one way the HDB circumvents its own rules which say foreigners are ineligible for rental flats offered by the HDB.
Now, the question of conflict of interest arises – would the HDB rent out these flats to those such as the homeless at rents of between S$26 and S$120 and play its role as public housing provider, or operate as a private company (via EM Services) and rents out the flats to foreigners for profit, fetching anywhere from S$450 per tenant (as in the Havelock Road hostel) to S$5,000 (as in the Global Residence case)?
LMC In The World
J. Michael Cole, Taipie Times
At first glance, Hong Kong and Singapore could be twins, but the manner in which the authorities handled political dissent led to very different results. What happened?
严孟达, 联合早报
新加坡在许多方面的成就证明了“事在人为”，如今说要致力成为“亚洲的城市典范”，这样的口气也许会叫许多亚洲邻国不爽，况且任何人要挑我们的毛病也是很容易的。作为一个小国，新加坡人要展示足为“亚洲典范”的人文素质不能光靠硬体实力，我们在国际上要有一个定位，这个定位是什么？
李慧敏, 联合早报
联合早报
新加坡近年大量引入外来人口，坊间不时听闻国人埋怨岛国越来越拥挤，造成生活素质下降。一些国人甚至认为外国人推高了物价和房价，叫苦连天。外国工人和新移民流入，真的导致新加坡人钱不够用，空间也不够用吗？
Kelvin Teo Writes
It is indeed a worrying trend if fewer young scholars desire ground level postings and Eddie’s concern about this potentially leading to a divorce with ground realities resonates with that of the many observers who are interested in the topic. Yet, his concluding statement about the Public Service correcting the trend can be seen as a form of admission that reforms to the Scholarship system are long overdue.
LankaWeb
Poor Dr. Chee was caught for $20 taxi fare. Why cannot Sri Lanka catch and jail thieves who claimed much bigger taxi fares?
Irene Tham, Straits Times
In the latest twist in the long-running saga over sexuality education, the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) says that it will not offer its programme to schools for now.
Singaporeans for Democracy
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
Sudden changes of major long-term policies are rare in this well-planned city, but an exception – on immigration – is about to take place.
The weight of public opinion matters a lot more today than during the authoritarian days of Lee Kuan Yew.
Ang Hui Min, UPI
The number of pawnshops was at 120 in 2009, an all-time high in Singapore, the Singapore Pawnbrokers' Association said.
Wang Eng Eng, Channel NewsAsia
Resorts World at Sentosa has been awarded its casino licence. It is the first of Singapore's two integrated resorts to get the go ahead for its casino operations. Although the opening date of the casino at Resort World has not been announced, preparations are in full swing.
Robin Chee, Straits Times
Dr Wong seems to suggest the PAP may have a better chance of winning SMCs when this may not be the case as younger and less experienced PAP candidates may be pitted against opposition heavyweights who have worked the ground over the years. If the number of SMCs is expanded, these less experienced PAP candidates may no longer have the 'shield' of contesting a GRC led by a PAP heavyweight.
Evelyn Choo, Channel NewsAsia
The Singapore Police will serve some 3,500 Exclusion Orders on Saturday to those with serious criminal backgrounds to keep them out of Singapore casinos.
Arghea D. Hapsari, The Jakarta Post
The Attorney General's Office has requested Singaporean authorities to bring fugitive graft suspect Joko S. Tjandra back to Indonesia.
Andrew Loh / Joshua Chiang, The Online Citizen
As in the case of the flats in Bedok, Toa Payoh and Havelock Road, the question is: Why are so many SERS flats being reserved and rented out to foreigners instead of Singaporeans who are in the queue for public rental flats?
Ben Bland, Asia Sentinel
Ultimately, the thrifty Singaporean government does not believe in spending its way out of trouble.
But, without investing in the radical reform of the education system and the retooling of the economy, the government's ambitious plans will be hard to achieve.
Kevin Lim, Reuters
Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek said on Friday it doubled the size of its borrowing programme to $10 billion to allow for future bond issues.
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
Mr Mah’s policy failures have given rise to a small but growing number of homeless Singaporeans. Closing his eyes and pretending that they don’t exist will not make these homeless Singaporeans go away. Given his track record of monumental policy failures, would you want to entrust Singapore’s future to him?
Bhavan Jaipragas, journalism.sg
Siew was particularly upbeat about the role new media entities were playing in cause-based advocacy and in raising the profile of the civil society here.
John Gee, Transient Workers Count Too, Straits Times
Unless the levy increase is punitive, it is unlikely to discourage the employment of foreign workers, but will just be an increased tax on foreign labour employment.
S Ramesh , Today
The opposition can be expected to find fault with government policies but senior minister Goh Chok Tong believes that the Government will be able to defend them "quite well".
Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters
Singapore aborted a flight display at its international airshow on Thursday after a South Korean pilot steered his jet too close to spectators, witnesses and the show organiser said.
Andrew Loh / Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen
Why is it that HDB flats are being rented to these non-citizens, when needy Singaporeans have to wait up to years to get a rental flat?
联合早报
在赌场管制法令下，我国公民或永久居民如果被发现在没有缴付100元入门费就潜入赌场，一旦被定罪，将面对高达1000元的罚款。
Times Of My Life
“Big Pore and Small Pore of Singapore”, don’t quite make sense but if I will to say it in Chinese “新加坡的大坡, 小坡” and “going down town” in Chinese or Cantonese “下坡 or 落坡” – it means a lot to the older generation.
Dredging Today
Singaporean port sources were sceptical that the move would indeed be accomplished. “Merging three terminals is a massive undertaking. Whether it is implemented remains to be seen,” a source told Baird Maritime.
Serajul Islam Quadir, Reuters
The World Bank asked Bangladesh on Wednesday to follow experiences and practices of Singapore in information and communication technology (ICT) to achieve its vision for a digital country by 2021.
Jason Wong, Straits Times
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net
To accept the notion that it has to be the PAP managing our CPF pension scheme, our foreign talent policies, and our housing policies is to accept the idea that regardless of how flawed those policies currently are, we have to continue accepting the status quo and that no one else can manage them better than the PAP.
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
By focussing on growth rather than the economic well being of Singaporeans, the biggest economic challenges faced by ordinary Singaporeans may go unsolved in the coming decade.
Teo Xuanwei, Today
Several opposition parties have responded to the Economic Strategies Committee's (ESC) report and in general, they felt the recommendations were a thrust in the right direction - though more could be done.
Andrew Loh / Leong Sze Hian, The Online Citizen
To put it briefly, the HDB needs to update its policies, rules and regulations to better address the many different situations which home owners face. Having a one-size-fits-all set of policies may instead contribute to the growing number of homeless people – a number which has doubled over the last year. And this, even by any stretch of Mr Mah’s imagination, cannot be “good for the country.”
HotNews.ro
Prosecutors started a penal investigation in the case involving Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu, Romania's business attache in Singapore. Ionescu was expatriated after his involvement in an accident which killed a person and injured another two. According to judicial sources quoted by the Romanian news agency Mediafax, Ionescu was called by prosecutors and notified about the accusations against him.
The Australian
South Australian politicians are increasingly taking Singapore rather than Westminster as their model by resorting to legal action where political redress would be more appropriate.
Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, New York Times
As Singapore gets ready to open its first casinos, there is little doubt that the controversial decision it made five years ago to allow gambling is going to pay economic dividends for the city-state. But whether the operators of the two giant resorts will be reaping jackpots anytime soon remains the big question.
With noncasino revenues expected to account for only 20 percent of the resorts’ earnings, both companies will need to generate significant gaming business to recoup their investments.
Jolene Tan, The F Word
Much of this racist abusiveness and dehumanisation is closely related to Singaporeans’ fear and anxiety over the country’s post-colonial survival.
Channel NewsAsia
The Registry of Political Donations has gazetted the society, Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD), as a Political Association under the Political Donations Act with immediate effect. The registry said the SFD's goals are in line with the objective to safeguard the integrity of Singapore's political process.
Ng E-Jay, The Online Citizen
Raising the foreign worker levy is a blunt move that is will likely only penalize businesses that hire foreign workers but will not improve the lot of low income Singapore workers whose wages have remained stagnant for the past decade.
Straits Times
The National Library Board on Wednesday announced that the new Serangoon Public Library will be located at nex, the biggest mall in the North East of Singapore, right in the heart of Serangoon.
Sunny Wee, Straits Times
The person at the registration desk promised to pass my letter to the MP. However, almost a year has passed and I have not received any response.
Gerald Giam
Singapore cannot continue to depend so heavily on manufacturing exports and foreign MNCs to power our economy, when many MNCs are making plans to relocate to cheaper locations. We need to develop new engines of growth that are sustainable and benefit ordinary Singaporeans, not just foreigners and rich elites.
AFP
The nominee to be the US ambassador to Singapore said Tuesday he would encourage the government to allow greater openness, including more space for opposition parties.
"I intend, if confirmed, to use public diplomacy to work towards greater press freedoms, greater freedom of assembly and ultimately more political space for opposition parties in Singapore," he said.
Joyce Koh and Regina Tan, Bloomberg
Singapore’s luxury-home prices won’t match Hong Kong’s because an increase in building ahead of two casino projects in the city-state will see nine times the number of new apartments going up over the next three years than in Hong Kong, according to real estate broker Savills Plc. Singapore’s high-end home prices rose 4 percent in 2009, while Chinese buyers fueled a 45 percent jump in Hong Kong, Savills said.
Joanne Chan, Channel NewsAsia
The Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) has recommended that foreign worker levies be raised in a bid to move Singapore away from its dependence on foreigners. But industries reliant on a strong foreign workforce say their bottom line will be hurt.
Wakka Kong and Simeon Ang, The Online Citizen
For some time now, the Americans have been criticizing about the excesses of Wall Street and the resulting use of Main Street to shore up the country’s economy. Putting this in context with the Singaporean society, it is time for the excesses of the government to be checked by the man on Main Street. It is time the government of Singapore realises that they are only in power on the premise that they govern for the people and not for themselves.
Andrew Loh / Joshua Chiang, The Online Citizen
It is thus puzzling to us that the three blocks, which have been classified as “SERS completed” on the HDB website, apparently were never demolished, as Ms Kee claimed all SERS block would be; and that the residents of blocks 31 and 33 are apparently still living there even though “a completed SERS site is one where all SERS residents have vacated their sold flats”, according to the definition given on the HDB website.
The Buffet Table
Peter Brown, Asia Times
Reuters
Singapore Airlines, one of the world’s biggest carriers by market value, on Tuesday reported its best quarterly profit in almost two years as cargo volumes rebounded and travel improved. The airline industry is recovering from its worst downturn last year, but growth in the more profitable business class segment, where SIA thrives, is slow and could take time to capture pre-crisis level.
The Art Of Dumbspeak
Mr Wang Says So
The HDB initiative does not impress me. In my opinion, it is at least partially politically motivated.
Readings From A Political Duo-ble
It is hypocritical for the Singapore’s PAP ruling party to enact legislations prohibiting foreign funding when its GLCs (under the guise of corporationhood) makes political donations in Australia.
The Temasek Review
With public anger fast rising over the escalating HDB flat prices, it is time Singaporeans exert pressure on HDB and other relevant agencies to reveal the truth of the matter – the exact constuction and land costs of HDB flats for us to judge for ourselves if HDB flats are indeed heavily “subsidized” by HDB and if they are worth the price we are paying for.
Patrick Barta and Sam Holmes, Wall Street Journal
Slower growth isn't easily accepted in Singapore, which prides itself on having one of the most dynamic economies in Asia. It has consistently outperformed expectations in large part by positioning itself as a haven for investors and multinationals seeking a big presence in Asia but worried about unpredictable laws and unstable governments in less-developed neighboring countries.
Maintaining rapid growth also is seen as key to making sure an already-wide gap between rich and poor doesn't get worse in Singapore and possibly lead to social unrest.
Wong Wee Nam, Sgpolitics.net
The opposition is, therefore, right in wanting to Mr. Mah, as minister of national development, to defend his policy in the coming General Election. If he cannot defend his position in a constituency that he has nursed for 22 years and whose residents have already bought flats at an affordable rate long time ago, then his opponents deserve to be congratulated.
Blowin' In The Wind
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
In short, this is what has happened to the homeless who were ‘helped” by MCYS: They were put into this block of flats at Tiong Bahru, given a whole set of restrictive rules to follow, disallowed from cooking or making the flat a home (with the prohibitions on bringing in anything which is “bulky”) and told to shut up if the “media” comes calling and asking questions.
In a nutshell, shut up and do as you’re told.
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore should consider using nuclear power and depend less on foreign workers in its efforts to transform the economy in the next decade, a government- appointed panel said.
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
I would now call upon the ministers of these relevant authorities to search their soul deeply on what they really believe in. Minister Khaw has said it right, they must do the right things instead of just trying to do things right.
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
It would seem that the authority given to Nparks officers on the ground are either extensive – to the point where they can issue arbitrary and ridiculous orders – or that the officers on the ground are abusing their authority and powers, along with their blatant and rude behavior bordering on contempt for the poor and homeless.
Nparks officers, and indeed all public servants, including those from MCYS, must keep in mind that they are public servants and not “little Lee Kuan Yews” in charge of their own little domains – issuing orders and rules and regulations according to their own fancies. Public parks in Singapore belong to Singaporeans. Nparks officers are merely custodians of these parks.
Kevin Brown, Financial Times
Singapore will seek on Monday to reassure multinational companies that plans to tighten immigration curbs will not affect the city state’s openness to relocation by white-collar expatriates.
In a report to be presented on Monday, the review committee will say that the focus of reductions in the flow of foreigners must be on relatively unskilled blue-collar immigrants, who work mainly in the service, construction and transport industries, rather than on workers concentrated in the financial sector and professions such as law and accountancy.
Vivian Heng, Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore, Straits Times
When CRA receives the SEL applications from the casino operators, it will verify the information disclosed by the applicant and conduct its own investigation. A false declaration or misleading information is not only material to the assessment of suitability by CRA, but is also an offence.
CRA received nearly 5,000 SEL applications. It rejected only 121 or 2.5 per cent. Of the 121 rejected, 104 were found to have not fully declared their crime or crime-related antecedents.
Teo Xuanwei, Today
A day after national development minister Mah Bow Tan responded to one of the opposition's election strategies - and that is to target him on housing policy issues - the National Solidarity Party has clarified that the fight was over his policy decisions, and not over personalities.
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net
I urge opposition parties to unite on this matter and conduct a vigorous campaign to put political pressure on the PAP to take urgent and drastic measures to correct the housing malaise that has infected Singapore.
Singapore Democrat News
Singaporeans must break out of the mindset that only the PAP has the ideas that work for Singapore. We must believe that opposition parties like the SDP have solutions and alternative programmes that are not just workable for Singapore but crucial for our future economic well-being - solutions that, as we have stated, even the PAP has adopted.
Insane Polygons
Just because you plan to treat foreigners like shit doesn’t mean you’re not treating singaporeans like shit too. Its just that now, you are giving foreigners an even shittier treatment. Citizens are still going to paying the same rate regardless of whether you are cutting subsidies or not. Its not like whatever money you save from cutting them are channelled back into the pockets of singaporeans.
Ng E-Jay, Sgpolitics.net
The PAP Government started off providing truly affordable housing to citizens, but in the past twenty years this has been abandoned in favour of quick gains and a clear desire to milk the Singapore demographic for what it is worth, never mind the long term future.
My Very Own Glob {Curiosa Felicitas}
I want to see all four of my nation’s official languages back on signboards.
Alvin Phoon, The Online Citizen
The Online Citizen
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