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Sam Ho, Sam's Thoughts
It is very odd that as Singapore strives to be a serious sporting nation with promising and successful athletes, we have a counter-intuitive counter-balance entity that is National Service which throws many spanners in the works of the development of most male athletes.
Getty Goh, Yahoo!
The Online Citizen
Vui Kong’s lawyer was today informed that the appeal hearing has been set “for the week commencing 17 January 2011”. “This early notice is to give sufficient time for parties to be ready for the hearing, though we are aware that the record of appeals and cases have still not been filed,” the Registrar’s letter said.
Asia Sentinel
An associate who recently was required to spend a day in Singapore on a business trip became so irritated by the smug attitude of the island republic's officials, taxi drivers and others that it gave rise to this rumination.
Lai Han-Wei, Straits Times
Singapore's population now stands at 5.08 million as at end-June, according to official data released by the Singapore Department of Statistics on Tuesday.
There were 3.77 million residents, of whom 3.23 million were Singapore citizens and 540,000 permanent residents.
Jakarta Post
Jonathan Burgos, Bloomberg
CapitaLand Ltd. and City Developments Ltd. led declines among Singapore’s homebuilders amid concern the government’s latest effort to curb speculation in the housing market will hurt genuine demand.
Howard Lee, The Online Citizen
If you were to examine most of the initiatives he mentioned, you will notice a similar vein. They were geared towards placating citizens to make them feel more valued than migrants. However, they do not solve the fundamental problems of our lax migration policies. Pumping up on transport, education and housing systems does not give any real advantage to citizens. It only enhances a system that both citizens and new migrants are free to exploit, all the way up to saturation point.
Lim Mun Fah, Sin Chew Jit Poh
Singapore will not import those with "no brain" and export those with "smart brains". Only those who are skillful, contributive and talented will be brought in as new immigrants. You may say that it is snobbish or pragmatic, but undoubtedly, it is one of the keys of its success!
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
MINDEF said the first milestone will be the serviceman's operationally ready date, that is when he completes the 20th month of full-time national service. The second tranche will be paid after the completion of three high-key in-camp training or five in-camp trainings, whichever is earlier. The last tranche will be paid when the full ORNS training cycle is completed.
Tony Tan Lay Thiam
联合早报
革新党秘书长肯尼思批评李显龙总理在国庆群众大会的演讲中，没有借这个机会针对新加坡所面对的一些真正问题发表谈话，而只是在这个场合赞扬政府政策的成效，并对此表示失望。
林佩碧, 联合早报
李显龙总理在国庆群众大会上花费许多唇舌，向人们解释新加坡需要借助外来人才和引进客工的重要性，可是显然地，不是每个人被完全说服，一些在情绪上还是不太能接受总理的说法。
国家发展部长马宝山和民情联系组（REACH）主席许连碹博士昨晚在基层领袖俱乐部主持首场针对总理前晚演说的对话会上，约100名出席者当中，六成举手表示不满意总理的解释。
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
The Singapore government has not provided any statistical proof or studies to back up its claims that the mandatory death penalty deters crimes. It thus seems that the application of the mandatory death penalty is based on nothing more than a “feeling” that it reduces crime, particularly for drug trafficking.
Chua Yang Liang, Property Report
Roger Mitten, Phnom Penh Post
Goh told me there was no formal prejudice, but said that when Muslims heard the cry “Allahu Akbar” (God is great), they might feel divided loyalties. It was a brave reply that cut to the core of the issue.
Ishtiaq Ahmed, Daily Times
While the constitution provides for absolute religious freedom, including the right to convert to another religion, the government maintains an important distinction between belief and action. The position taken is that whereas beliefs pertaining to spiritual values and principles are to be enjoyed by all without interference by the state, the citizens and foreigners are to be held accountable for actions they may claim were inspired by their beliefs.
Christa Yeo and Charlene Fang, CNNGo
Eye contact? Check. Genuine smile? Check. Made the first move? Check.
No, I wasn't getting picked up at a bar. I was going undercover as a mystery shopper to test the Singapore Service Star (SSS) initiative, a scheme developed by the Singapore Tourism Board, aimed at improving the quality of service in Singapore.
Lam Pin Woon, Health Promotion Board, Straits Times
Ignorance about protection against disease is not a strategy for controlling the growing HIV epidemic. Education is critical to improving awareness to enable youngsters to protect themselves.
We are mindful that parents may have different perspectives on sexuality education. However, we would strongly encourage parents to continue to opt into the BDB programme and for all schools and parents to continue to devote more time and resources towards developing in each child a strong moral compass that will guide his actions.
P N Balji, Today
Singapore's problems are becoming more complex by the day and a single ministry cannot handle them in a silo approach any more. A one-ministry solution to an issue in a complex place like Singapore can only cause more problems down the line.
Alicia Wong, Today
Reduce National Service to one year, tax permanent residents who leave Singapore after gaining wealth and tighten labour laws. These were some suggestions made yesterday by Opposition parties in response to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speech on Sunday.
SpotlightOnSingapore
Yawning Bread
Singapore Democrat Party
Mr Lee diligently ignores the white elephant sitting in his Istana living room. He refuses to acknowledge the root cause of the problem which is that Singaporeans - skilled Singaporeans - are leaving Singapore. This country is hemorhagging talent and a major reason is the stifling PAP system here.
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
The entire speech misses one key issue - income inequality.
Pritam Singh, The Online Citizen
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Gerald Giam
What was missing amidst all the attractive graphics, touching personal profiles and selective examples, were the actual numbers to justify the excessively high immigration rates that Singapore has experienced in the past decade.
Musings From The Lion City
I fear the government has not listened enough to the people. If the PM thinks 80,000 is a number acceptable to Singaporean, he will have to think again. The big problem Singaporeans has with foreign workers is not ‘foreign workers’ themselves, but the problems that came due to the sheer amount of foreign workers in Singapore.
Straits Times
Sam Ho, Sam's Thoughts
Leah Hyslop, Telegraph
According to a report published this week by Global Property Guide, Singapore currently has the best performing property market in the world, with prices rising faster than anywhere else in the world.
Syed Akbar Ali, OutSyed The Box
Actually PM Najib is believed to have been snagged by the Singaporeans’ insistence that there was a sort of ‘development charge’ of close to S$1.8 billion (RM4.2 Billion) that would have to be paid for the redevelopment of the KTM land. This little bit of unexpected oversight has thrown the financial mathematics of the whole project a little bit awry for Najib and gang.
Katrina Nicholas, Bloomberg
Bonds of CapitaLand Ltd., Southeast Asia’s biggest developer, fell after Singapore added to measures designed to cool the city-state’s real estate market.
Chemical Generation Singapore
This whole set up of a new division under the PMO seems like a face-saving exit for the Home Affairs minister. Well at least if he steps down to head this outfit, it would be better from a taxpayer point of view, than one of those overpaid underworked minister without portfolios in the PMO.
Singapore Democrat Party
Younger Singaporeans are beginning to feel that power does not just reside in the Government's hands. They realise that they too have the power to affect the course of political action in Singapore, even if only by calling out the shortcomings of the authorities.
PAP's leaders would do well to heed this signal. If the ruling party wants to govern this country wisely - and that's a big if - then it will know that it cannot prosecute the Maliks and the Abdillahs into silence, not without running Singapore into the ground.
Kevin Lim and Harry Suhartono, Reuters
Singapore's move to curb speculation in its residential property market comes on the heels of similar moves by China and Hong Kong, which are also trying to keep a lid on rising home prices.
Nicholas Mak, former head of research at Knight Frank in Singapore, said the latest government measures targeted speculators but did not affect those looking to buy their own homes.
Elaine Ee-Meyers, CNNGo
Based in New York and Shanghai -- and now extending his reach to Singapore -- 45-year-old director and filmmaker Alec Tok surprised everyone when he was announced as a candidate for the opposition’s Reform Party earlier this year. Essentially his first foray into politics, Tok was inspired by by the Reform Party's ambition to go beyond just being the opposition. Here, he discusses how politics impacts his artistic work and the difference between a home and a country.
Faris Mokhtar, Yahoo!
I applaud and welcome PM Lee’s goal for a system of “many peaks”, a “system not just for a few top students, but catering to all” and I sincerely hope this can be translated into concrete action in the near future.
That’s because among my peers, I still see many students’ lives and dreams being dictated by examinations and the need to be successful – not to be “great” in their respective field of passion — but merely as an avenue to secure that cushy high-paying job later on in life.
Mok Fei Fei, Channel NewsAsia
The government said Monday that it will increase the holding period for imposition of Seller's Stamp Duty (SSD). The SSD will be raised from the current one year to three years.
Another measure will impact those who have more than one outstanding housing loan.
Channel NewsAsia
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) will increase the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) of non-subsidised flats from three to five years. It said this will reinforce the message that flats are meant for long-term occupation and dampen demand from those who are not in urgent need of housing.
Today
News Release by UncleYap
SpotlightOnSingapore
It’s a shame that there’s no mention of democracy-how to build and strengthen democracy in Singapore. Have they forgotten that the National Pledge is a pledge to build a democratic nation?
Channel NewsAsia
Sweeping changes are in store for the education sector. Chief among them will be more choices for the less academically-inclined, including a new direct track for Normal Academic students to enter a polytechnic without doing the O-levels.
Costas Paris And Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Wall Street Journal
Singapore will announce Monday measures to cool off the property market as the island state's rapid economic recovery fuels property prices, prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said Sunday.
"We took steps last year and earlier this year to cool the private property market but prices are still going up. This is engaging our attention," Mr. Lee said during his National Day Rally speech, adding that the government will announce more steps to control prices before the market opens on Monday.
Donaldson Tan, New Asia Republic
Costas Paris and Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Dow Jones
Straits Times
Prime minister Lee said that SMEs must abandon old ways of doing things and adopt new technologies, automate and renew their business. The government can help SMEs upgrade and transform, said Mr Lee, citing government grants for them to adopt technology, improve service levels and human resource practices.
Prime Minister's Office, Singapore Government
Straits Times
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday night announced a 'National Service Recognition Award' at the National Day Rally.
The $9,000 for NSmen who are citizens only - and more for commanders - will go into their CPF and Post-Secondary Education Accounts in tranches.
The Temasek Review
PM Lee should release the exact figures of the number of PRs and citizens arriving at Singapore from China and India each year as well as the percentage of the population they now constitute to convince Singaporeans that our ethnic mix will not be affected by the new arrivals.
Straits Times
The prime minister on Sunday sought to temper wage expectations of Singaporeans who are looking forward to higher wages and good bonuses arising from the robust economic growth in the first half year.
PM Lee said while workers deserve fair recognition and reward for last year's sacrifices and their contribution to the strong recovery, they must stay competitive and keep the wage system flexible to ensure continuing growth.
The Temasek Review
Straits Times
The government is taking steps to slow down the inflow of immigrants, said prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, acknowledging the side effects of having too many foreign workers in Singapore.
'There is a sense that that somehow society is changing too quickly,' said PM Lee in his National Day speech, as a result of the inflow of foreign workers, new citizens and permanent residents. 'We will consolidate, slow down the pace. We cannot continue to take in as many as we have been doing.'
Dylan Loh, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore will spend S$60 billion over the next decade to double the rail network, prime minister Lee said at his National Day Rally speech on Sunday.
Prime minister Lee said: "The trains will always be packed during peak hours. It happens everywhere. In other cities, in fact, the crowding is even more severe. But we are trying not to get to be as bad as the other cities."
Martyn See Tong Ming, Only "objective" and "factual" political films please, we're Singaporeans
Imelda Saad/Sharon See, Channel NewsAsia
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong has reassured Singaporeans that the country's immigration policy will not upset the current mix of races among our population.
AFP
Singapore will recruit 45,000 Bangladeshi domestic workers in a boost for the impoverished country's labour export sector after jobs dried up in the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia, an official said on Sunday.
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
Whether the elections is held this year or next, there is little time left to win the voters over. What PM Lee should have done was to focus on the problems and solutions in the previous ND rally and demonstrate the results in this one. Allowing the problems to worsen and unhappiness to fester for so long has been unwise.
独立新闻在线
AFP
One of the world's richest cities and widely acclaimed as among the most "liveable", Singapore has avoided the congested feeling of places like Hong Kong and Tokyo until recent years.
Increasing numbers of immigrants and guest workers jostle for space with the locals, and tourism is surging thanks to two new massive casino resorts that opened a few months ago.
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
These are important issues that could not ignore. But it seems that PAP's economic discourse has always avoid this important issue altogether.
Yawning Bread
Yet, the average person knows that Shanmugam’s words are already meaningless.
Philippine Star
Bryan Huang, Straits Times
An NSman with the Singapore Police Force has been called up for questioning by his reservist unit over comments he made on his blog on the handcuffing of a photojournalist in July.
Temasek Review, an online blog site, said Mr Abdillah Zamzuri, 26, disagreed with how the police handled the cuffing of Lianhe Wanbao photojournalist Shafie Goh, which took place during a flash flood on July 16. He also said that the officer 'acted stupidly' and that they should be sued.
Singapore Notes
One would have thought Enche Abdillah deserved praise for presenting a more positive image of the protectors of the law.
Singaporean Skeptic
Toh Yong Chuan, Ministry of Home Affairs, Straits Times
What we cannot agree with is Home's assertion that all illegal workers in Singapore should be treated as 'undocumented migrants' and that they should be exempt from liability for offences they may have committed under the Immigration Act.
Irene Sim-Zeiler, Straits Times
Everyone knows that fliers are a safety issue and a fire hazard. Isn't it time we stopped this mess gathering outside our doors?
Sam Ho, Sam's Thoughts
Time and again, there will be overreactions and the media will report stories of people being arrested or called into question by the police. These are symbolic in the sense they represent what will happen to the rest of us if we tried to contribute to the democratic process. This is enough for my parents to tell me "politics is dirty" and "don't ever get into politics" and "your life can be taken away from you". We are all scared dogs. Scared dogs will obey and not blog shit about the ruling party.
Yawning Bread
Far from being similar to the progressive West and the tolerant East, far from being even similar to middle-income Latin America, is it not valid to say Singapore really does belong to Africa?
Liau Yun Qing, ZDNet Asia
Arrests related to questionable comments made on social media platforms are likely to continue in future, says an industry analyst, who adds that both users and the government have a role to play in minimizing such incidents.
Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia
AFP
A Singapore company has banned its management from the country's two new casinos following reports a local businessman lost a fortune at the gaming tables, its founder said Friday.
南洋視界
这次新加坡举办青奥运的场馆布置方式，震惊了前来采访的中国媒体。他们看到青奥运的篮球馆，居然是在市区的空地上搭起的临时棚。敏感的新华社记者，立即发出报道说，一些来新加坡采访的国内同行们，常常会对这里简单、经济的小场馆颇为不屑，认为有些寒酸得过头，简直配不上青奥会这样奥运字头的大赛。“四年之后，看南京吧，一定比这个好得多！”。
但是，报道指出，一想到赛后利用，想到为此付出的巨大财力、人力，想到如何惠及民生、如何让全民健身分享这些遗产等方面，新加坡人的底气显然更足，他们通过青奥会的举办对此更有发言权。
Chua Hian Hou, Straits Times
Telecommunications firms that engage in anti-competitive behaviour or whose services fall short could face significantly tougher sanctions.
The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (Mica), in a consultation paper released on Friday, said that it is looking at tougher measures against telecommunications companies in light of the increasingly critical role their services, from mobile phones to Internet access, play in society.
CNNGo
Whenever you’re in an airplane on descent into Singapore, there is always an announcement informing passengers, especially the foreigners, that drug trafficking carries a death penalty in Singapore. Perhaps they should start informing everyone that in Singapore, the extravagant use of metaphors may also throw a spanner in the works, sending you up a creek without a paddle and could well land you the wrong side of the Little Red Dot's thin blue line.
Loh And Behold
The Department for the Policing of Linguistics to Ensure the Use of Correct & Acceptable Spoken & Written Language hereby announces the banning of metaphors from now on.
My Singapore News
This kind of garang talk about threatening a foreign govt, especially Singapore, is only forcing the issue. And the ending is one that is exactly the opposite of what Kapar intended to achieve.
Wake Up, Singapore
If, as youths hope, Singapore is to adopt a Western-style democracy, they also need to be more realistic in realizing that without their active participation, this style of democracy is not going to work.
AFP
A North Korean embassy vehicle crashed into a parked car in Singapore's brothel district and fled the scene, triggering a police investigation, local media reports said Friday.
吴慧敏, 联合早报
自圣淘沙赌场在2月14日开幕以来，一般都是自己或家人申请赌场禁令，现在却有一家上市公司强制规定，禁止高层职员和董事进入赌场。
联合早报
既然当局对公共交通的要求更为严格，业者也正面回应，为何乘客的满意度却不升反降呢？
Singapore Democrat Party
This is how the media have been playing the game all these decades. With no alternative sources of news and analysis, Singaporeans have been denied the truth.
Such unprofessionalism must not be allowed to continue. The Internet is an alternative source of news. While it may not yet have the reach that the ST has, the gap between the two media is closing and the more the SPH prints such rubbish and indulges in such shambolic journalism - if you can even call it journalism - the quicker the gap will narrow.
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent
The implementation of laws against incitement to violence or hatred is always problematic as they are very much open to interpretation.
Robert William Straughan, Straits Times
It is not right to perceive them as a nationality before we see them as fellow human beings and friends. Why are we so eager to separate 'us' from 'them'?
Fann Sim, Yahoo!
“I have no doubt we will recoup our investment, both on the tangible and intangible side of the ledger.” Balakrishnan said, in response to the games budget surpassing the original estimates of S$104 million by more than three times to about S$387 million.
Singapore Recalcitrant
The MCYS minister has not spoken and if it is true that he is responsible for the police action, then it would be wise for him to remedy the situation, unless he disregards netizen criticisms and considers netizens not part of the polity.
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Political watchers expect prime minister Lee Hsien Loong to address in his National Day Rally issues like meeting the rising expectations of Singaporeans and how they can enjoy the fruits of growth. They also expect Mr Lee to elaborate on the issue of foreigner integration during the annual Rally on Sunday.
May Wong, Channel NewsAsia
Patrick Lee, Free Malaysia Today
A PKR leader promised that if convicted Malaysian drug mule Yong Vui Kong is hanged, it will have grave repercussions.
Added human rights lawyer N Surendran: “Our government claims that it's doing great things for this country. But if it cannot stand up for one Malaysian in trouble overseas, can Malaysians rely on the government?”
Faris, Yahoo!
Member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar GRC, Mr Baey Yam Keng says the ruling People’s Action Party stands to lose more from any changes to electoral boundaries ahead of the next General Election.
Mariko Oi, BBC
So why is the government restricting the entry of foreign workers? The issue, it seems, is political.
Singapore's citizens have been complaining about the soaring number of immigrants. The country now has the highest proportion of them in Asia, as foreigners make up one third of the island's workforce of 3 million. It is a sharp jump from a mere 3% in 1970.
Journalism, Journalists And The World
The Singapore government takes a dim view of any dissent it cannot control. Government leaders have successfully sued dissidents for liable. In some cases the lawsuits have bankrupted political organizations.
Blowin' In The Wind
Yesterday.sg
Jamie Yap, ZDNet Asia
The amount of funds transacted via e-money in Singapore increased at compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 percent between 2004 and 2008, driven largely by the proliferation of e-money and cards for contactless payments, according to a new report Thursday.
于骁, 凤凰网
由于中国买家的集中涌入，目前乌节路区域已出现每平方英尺5000元新币(相当于2.5万元人民币/平方米)的二手房成交价，这一价格已创下新加坡房地产市场的最高单价纪录。
Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters
Revenues from two new casino-resorts could contribute as much as S$2 billion ($1.47 billion) annually to Singapore's economy, which is expected by the government to grow by up to 15 percent this year, DBS Bank said on Thursday.
Xinhua
联合早报
SMRT回复本报说，新地铁的购入以及陆路交通管理局所进行的裕廊东地铁转换站增建新轨道工程，将能缓解目前地铁的拥挤现象。
Yawning Bread
Twisting words and defensive over-reaction are never good strategies for winning friends. Honesty and openness work so much better. But in a tragi-comic way, those who are most eager (actually: most desperate) to press a hopeless case tend to resort compulsively to doing the former.
But this is the internet age, my dears. And if there’s one thing that’s been cranked up by the new technology, it’s the laugh machine.
惑与不惑之间
我想问，把宽赦机制当着一项摆设品，是不是更加严重的破坏了法治精神？如果不是把宽赦机制当着摆设品，新加坡的法律部长如何能够在杨伟光还没呈上他的宽赦请愿书之前，就断言不会宽赦杨伟光？
India News
And it is the freedom of ideas and imagination that makes democracy still the best form of governance, no matter what benevolent dictators like Lee Kuan Yew may have to say about state control.
Sex Sells, So Does Politics
Kor Kian Beng, Straits Times
The Prisons Department has extended the deadline for convicted Malaysian drug trafficker Yong Vui Kong to file a plea for presidential clemency, from today to a date to be fixed.
Leow Si Wan, Straits Times
More than 7,500 students have defaulted on repaying monies - taken from either their own Central Provident Fund (CPF) accounts or their parents' - to pay for their education.
供应链世界
新加坡政府的理念与做法是政府主导，积极主动，抢抓机遇；而香港政府仍坚守所谓“小政府，大市场”的传统思维，采取顺其自然的态度。
金陵晚报
Geylang被新加坡的华人称为“芽笼”。这几乎是整个新加坡里最不像新加坡的地方，但矛盾的是，新加坡人又会告诉你，如果你没有来过“芽笼”，其实你就不算到过新加坡。
Jun Zubillaga-Pow, Fridae
The irony out of these episodes is glaringly uncanny. After hearing about the ban imposed on Eating Out 3, several people went online and downloaded not just one, but all three chapters of the series and watched these films in their private comfort. Such is the contradiction between the private and the public; the intention of the organiser, that is to introduce quality GLBT films to local audiences, has nonetheless been achieved. The charge of online piracy is inevitably an adverse consequence given the denial of GLBT films to be screened in honourable public domains.
Teh Eng Hock, Lee Yuk Peng And Desiree Tresa Gasper, The Star
The Government has done all it can to help save the life of Sabahan Yong Vui Kong who is on death row in Singapore, said foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.
Twenty-two-year-old Yong’s fate now depends on the outcome of a judicial review application filed by his lawyers, he added.
Guanyinmiao's Musings
The PTC has to move away from the convenient message of a fare reduction, and begin to be more transparent and all-rounded in its public education effort.
易阔每日财经
我们的主张是，深圳不要走香港的路子，这个城市只要经济一好转，大家就都想到炒房，深圳应该走新加坡的道路，通过发展制造业和研发产业，支撑起城市的经济。
Eric Ellis, The Age
New evangelical, deal-making networks are tiptoeing to the edges of power in south-east Asia.
Justin Bachman, BusinessWeek
Rare is the time when an airline is so proud of its food that it publishes a cookbook. Then again, rare is an airline that makes dining - “a topic that heretofore has been so cringe-worthy” as Singapore Airlines spokesman James Boyd puts it - central to its in-flight brand strategy.
Ang Peng Hwa, Today
I do not know of any country that uses only the courts to censor. The reason is that courts in most countries are busy enough without having to deal with whether an exposed breast is indecent in a particular context or not. Most of the time, the subject matter being considered for censorship is neither so life-threatening nor of earth-shaking importance as to require the judicial process.
Teo Xuanwei, Today
What happens when the authorities go after one offender but not others who run afoul of the law?
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
The death penalty shouldn't be used to compensate for the lack of expediency of law enforcement agencies. Singapore is a developed country and we the means to do away with unnecessary executions if we better our ability to fight crime.
Blowin' In The Wind
"This is an indication from locals that they are receiving less bang for the buck in their commuting experiences," says the study. In other words, commuters are feeling shortchanged. The MRT has fallen more sharply in public opinion than bus services.
Corrine Ng, TransitLink, Straits Times
Alternatively, commuters can choose to have the refund credited directly into their DBS/POSB account. This is a faster option and the amount can be refunded within three working days.
Tan Yo-Hinn, Channel NewsAsia
On Wednesday, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) signed the contract with the Singapore Sports Hub Consortium to design, build, finance and operate the Sports Hub for the next 25 years on a 35-hectare site in Kallang.
Demolition of the National Stadium, which sits on the site, will begin in October, and the new facility will open its doors by April 2014.
The Online Citizen
Patrick Lee, Free Malaysia Today
The clemency appeal for convicted Malaysian drug mule Yong Vui Kong, who is slated to be hanged in Singapore, has been extended.
AFP
A Singaporean man who attacked the ruling party on Facebook and urge people to "burn" a cabinet minister has been arrested on charges of inciting violence, police said Wednesday.
Gilbert Goh Keow Wah, My Paper
Cleaning companies should try to optimise their operations using technology, so that there is higher productivity and less dependence on labour. The labour savings can then be passed on to the workers by way of higher wages.
Michelle Quah, Business Times
More high- level changes are afoot at Temasek Holdings: its managing director of corporate affairs, Myrna Thomas, has signalled her intention to leave the Singapore investment firm, after more than four years on the job.
Sam Ho, Sam's Thoughts
Xinhua
Singapore has a total population of nearly 5 million, while the number of mobile phones in use here has reached 7.02 million as of June this year, local media reported on Wednesday.
This means an average of 1.4 handsets per person here. Of these, 40 percent of the mobile phones are smart phones. This has put smartphone ownership rates here at one of the highest globally, local daily The Straits Times said.
Philip Lim, AFP
Flash floods along posh Orchard Road. Packed subway trains. Traffic gridlock in the morning and evening rush hours. Intensifying competition for public flats.
What happened to squeaky-clean, smooth-flowing Singapore?
Hunger Hungers
Death penalty as a deterrant is cruel, especially if the offender is young and has a strong case for reform. The case should be judged on its own.
Singaporeans For Democracy
Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD) calls on the Singapore government to set up an independent board to introduce transparency for deliberating clemency petitions in death penalty cases.
Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post
Senang Diri
International Federation for Human Rights
FIDH opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a cruel, inhuman punishment that violates one of the most fundamental human rights: the right to life. In addition, our organisation wishes to underline that execution of drug traffickers both in Singapore as well as in other parts of the world has had no apparent or proven deterrent effect on drug trafficking. Despite law minister Shanmugam’s words to the contrary, there is no empirical data supporting the deterrence effect of the death penalty for drug crimes, especially among indigent and vulnerable sectors of society.
联合早报
马来西亚律师公会人权委员会成员翁敦强说，尽管马来西亚人民要求新加坡宽赦杨伟光，不过，鉴于马来西亚仍执行死刑，以致这项诉求看来似乎有伪善之嫌。
Mahathir Mohamad
Being the astute politician that he is, Lee came up with a slogan which did not sound chauvinistic but which played up Chinese sentiments to the core. The slogan was "Malaysian Malaysia".
张磊 汤敏 薛玲, 扬子晚报
南京少年通讯社的9名小记者昨天来到新加坡南洋女子中学当起了“旁听生”。有着90多年历史的南洋女子中学是新加坡名校，小记者们在这里上课很兴奋，大开眼界。
Eisen Teo, Straits Times
Primary school teachers and pupils can look forward to two more long weekends from next year, with a decision by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to mark both Teachers' Day and Children's Day on Fridays.
So instead of celebrating the two days with holidays on Sept 1 and Oct 1 respectively, the two occasions will now be observed on the first Friday of those months, which gives teachers and pupils long weekends.
AFP
French retail giant Carrefour plans to sell its business in Malaysia, a minister said, amid speculation the firm will also offload its Singapore and Thai stores and exit Southeast Asia altogether.
Singapore Notes
Singapore Democrat Party
The idea of a retrenchment benefits programme will be increasingly urgent as jobs will be harder and harder to come by because many of the multinational companies, especially the ones in the US and Europe, are not expanding their investments here because of the politico-economic situations back home.
A retrenchment-benefits programme is needed now. It makes good economic sense. The PAP ministers cannot continue to twiddle their thumbs while Singaporeans suffer.
Ng Jing Yng, Today
The six Malaysian siblings were split up when their parents divorced two decades ago but they reunited yesterday in Singapore. They wanted to petition for their brother's life.
Icarus Flew Too High
Kirsten Han, The Online Citizen
Watching as the family knelt on the hot asphalt before the Istana, I could only feel ashamed of my country, and those who represent it. In fairness, Corporal Chong had not been rude, or abusive. He probably thought he was just trying to do his job. But it was the way he did it that betrayed the utter coldness of Singapore – by-the-book, inflexible and mechanical. All he was concerned about was getting everyone to go away. He had not even allowed the family a moment to grieve, or even wanted listen to what the family had to say.
Is this what we have become? Ruthlessly efficient yet heartless automatons? Are we now so preoccupied with doing our jobs that we have forgotten what it is to show even a little bit of compassion to a hurting family? A family whose 22-year-old child we want to send to the gallows?
AFP
Thirteen endangered sea turtles born and bred in Japan were released off Singapore waters Tuesday as part of efforts to conserve the species.
Singapore Notes
Vivian Yeo, ZDNet
More than four years after the Singapore government indicated that it was reviewing the country's data protection regime and assessing suitable frameworks, the end is still nowhere in sight.
AFP
Amid skyscrapers and high tech trappings of modernity, superstition persists and comes to the fore in the seventh lunar month, when the gates of the underworld are believed to be open and spirits roam the mortal realm.
Investment decisions grind to a crawl, particulary in the property market, and elaborate altars stacked with food offerings for the spirits are found across the island of five million people.
Yawning Bread
What all these cases and scenarios taken together point to is that our processes, investigative or presumptive in law, are so stacked against the accused that doubt looms very large over many cases — not just in the matter of drugs, but even murder as the Zainal Kuning case shows. Doubt makes any conviction unsafe and the wisest response is not to hang anyone at all. This is wise even when you have no moral objection to the death penalty per se.
Loh And Behold
Audience members at TV shows have always been told not turn up with attire that carry logos of brands. Product placement is a big thing with TV stations. But for a government ministry to issue an edict to all schools forbidding school kids not to carry water bottles with logos – that’s a bit much.
独立新闻在线
马来西亚青年杨伟光家人今早将宽赦杨伟光的请愿书和超过10万个签名呈交给总统纳丹，要求宽赦他救其一命，将死刑改为终身监禁。家人更跪在总统府门前请愿，总统府守卫以公路安全为由，促全部人离开。
联合早报
“为杨伟光请命”签名运动终于突破10万大关，截至昨日下午5时，总共取得10万7952个签名，包括44名国会议员及15名上议员。
杨伟光的代表律师拉维及家属等，今天早上9时将提交请愿签名予新加坡总统。
On Nation And State
光华日报
杨氏说，他们兄弟姐妹自小就被人瞧不起，杨伟光是个受害者，为何要残忍的对待一个无知的小孩？
“我相信杨伟光是受人教唆的，为何背后的幕后者却可以逍遥法外？为何要判一个受害者死刑？为何不能给改过自新的人第二次的机会？”
Thaiintelligentnews
As the contradictions of Asia’s water challenges have been laid bare this summer—with millions affected by flooding while others are hit by droughts—one thing has been made clearer: the coming water crisis could exacerbate already simmering domestic and regional tensions.
Yahoo!
The local food blogger under fire for demanding a free meal at a upscale restaurant in Joo Chiat says the entire saga has been a “case of miscommunication”.
Eng Soh Seng, Housing & Development Board, Straits Times
In this case, the parking coupon displayed on the taxi had already expired for about an hour. The enforcement officer had explained to Madam Chin that the parking summons had already been issued. Once a parking summons has been issued, it cannot be retracted to prevent abuse by individual enforcement officers.
Tan Hong Boon, Today
The distance-based fare system has had one distinct advantage for me - it has forced me to think of alternative ways to save time and money.
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
SpotlightOnSingapore
Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor
The author is the latest critic to fall foul of Singapore’s prickly rulers, who exert strict controls on civil liberties in their squeaky-clean city. His trial may shine a spotlight on the flaws in this system, at a time when a new generation is beginning to question some of its high-handed ways.
There is virtually no precedent for a successful legal defense on issues deemed sensitive by Singaporean authorities. The US State Department and human rights groups have repeatedly raised concerns over judicial impartiality in political cases, such as ruling-party lawsuits against the opposition.
Patrick Lee, Free Malaysia Today
Yawning Bread
Are these people even fit to run schools?
MSG: The Melbourne Social Guide
The whole point of being able to write an objective review is that you should be served as would any member of the general public.
The Online Citizen
Yahoo!
A young food blogger who demanded that he and his three companions be given free meals at an upscale restaurant in the Joo Chiat area has sparked a huge furore online.
Renowned food expert KF Seetoh, who runs the popular makansutra.com, said the blogger in question lost his integrity by refusing to pay.
Straits Times
Cars and petrol were the main items contributing to the 10.7 per cent spike in transport costs, according to data released by the Singapore Department of Statistics on Monday.
Housing costs rose by 2.7 per cent because of higher electricity tariffs and accommodation cost, while food prices went up by 1.5 per cent, arising from dearer prepared meals, vegetables, fresh seafood, meat and poultry, as well as rice and cereals.
I'm Getting Personal
One PAP minister stands out from the rest. He is the Foreign Minister George Yeo.
Maxwell Coopers, Free Malaysia Today
There is no doubt that when matters such as this grave stare down the Singapore state, the republic always resorts to what it knows best: give the problem a good whipping and send it packing.
It is too soon, however, to consider the legal, ethical and moral implications that now warrants the death penalty for yet another new classification of offences.
The Star
Just My Observations
Singapore Democrat Party
The over-the-top fawning over Dr Teo signals to us one thing: the PAP is nervous about the SDP's on-going campaign at Bukit Panjang and it is getting the newspaper to give the incumbent as much help as possible in the upcoming fight.
Neo Chai Chin, Today
The new fare system is a fairly complicated one, and it was understandable that the authorities did not want to confuse the public or overload them with information.
But, with grouses heard within the first week of the new fare system, perhaps more could have been done to explain why this minority was seeing higher fares - be it through brochures illustrating more instances of fare increases, advertisements in the mass media, or a press conference to address questions raised by the public.
Angie Lim, Today
So, yes, I do save some money under distance fares - but at the cost of my time, a trade-off I would rather not have to make.
HungryEpicurean
Blowin' In The Wind
Do read the Straits Times report on March 23, 1985, when Lee Kuan Yew as prime minister told parliament why ministers' salaries had to go up.
Jolly Roger, Singapore Sojourn
Singapore is a cosmopolitan republic and the government goes to great pains top promote racial and social harmony, even dictating the racial ratios within housing estates to promote integration.
In New Zealand our approach to immigration is piecemeal at best and it is the non European migrants who suffer most from this apathy and antagonism.
台海网
台湾政界以新加坡为师，固然有值得学习、取经之处，说穿了难道不是“选举挂帅”，意图在台湾政党恶斗的蓝绿泥沼之外，能打开一条“中间路线”？新加坡日前获国家竞争力排比世界第一，有其长期累积的主客观因素，绝不是“选举口号”所能望其项背。
Cheryl Tan, The Star
Young Singaporeans are becoming more open about having nude photographs taken of themselves to mark special occasions such as weddings and birthdays.
Jordi Zamora And Karin Zeitvogel, AFP
Singapore, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and Canada would see their populations triple if everyone who wants to move there were allowed to, a poll released Friday by Gallup shows.
Susan Kurosawa, The Australian
Jet into this tiny island nation for a few days, as I do last month, and you'll soon forget Singapore slings at Raffles Hotel and the rosy glow of colonial nostalgia; the new Singapore is all bling and bustle, cranes on the spiky skyline and lemongrass martinis served by mainland Chinese waiters beside cantilevered rooftop pools.
Jamie Ee Wen Wei, Straits Times
It opened its doors at 7am yesterday, after a major two-month renovation. The store was hit by a flash flood which partially submerged it on June 16, and again on July 17.
It is the second establishment in Liat Towers to re-open since the Orchard Road flood in June. Fast food restaurant Wendy's re-opened on July 30, after a $500,000 clean-up.
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
With more immigrants likely to arrive and over-crowdedness persisting, the prospect of expensive homes on this island will be around for a very long time.
Yawning Bread
The Online Citizen
Today
In what appears to be a step closer to the General Election, some 860 void decks or precinct pavilions have been reserved for use as polling stations.
Chua Hian Hou, Straits Times
Weakened by the repeated stress of the high-speed motion, a metal bar holding a seat to the chassis of Resort World's star attraction gave way, sending the seat clattering down to the ground.
Luckily for the ride operator, which on Friday ended months of speculation over the cause of the shut down, the seat on the red-coloured 'Human' car in question was unoccupied, so nobody was injured.
Andrea Tan, Bloomberg
The Singapore High Court may allow lawyers to exchange documents on social media sites like Facebook Inc.’s or use them to inform litigants of civil judgments and filings.
The proposals are part of a consultation paper the court is circulating for public comment.
Hetty Musfirah, Channel NewsAsia
Announcing the rail alignment and locations for Downtown Line 3 stations on Friday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the line will enhance rail connectivity in the eastern corridors to the Central Business District and developments in the Marina Bay area.
The target completion of the Downtown Line has also been pushed back by a year to 2017.
Yawning Bread
How many other people have been convicted of murder in a similar way, without corroborating physical evidence? But also without the fantastic luck that Zainal Kuning had?
Saeed Azhar and Joe Rauch, Reuters
Singapore state investor Temasek beefed up its top management team by hiring Greg Curl, who was once seen as a CEO candidate for Bank of America.
Straits Times
Empty seats? Don't blame us, the Ministry of Education said in a statement yesterday. 'Since the start of the Games, more than 95 per cent of students who were allocated tickets have turned up to cheer on the athletes,' it said.
Melissa Kok, Straits Times
Medical fee guidelines for doctors are out because they are anti-competitive, the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) has ruled.
Harry Koh, Straits Times
Regular casino-goers like variety. But if you make them pay an extra levy, they will baulk at that, and go to nearby countries to gamble for a change - which defeats the aim of keeping the gaming monies of Singaporeans from flowing abroad.
Eugene Tan, Public Transport Council, Helen Lim, Land Transport Authority, Helen Lim, Land Transport Authority, Today
Under distance fares, fares are calculated based on the total cumulated distance travelled in a journey. The distance fare bands are 1 km after the first fare stage. Hence, for an MRT-bus journey, the fare charged for the bus leg can vary depending on the distance already travelled on the preceding MRT leg.
It can be zero if the additional bus trip does not result in the journey distance crossing over to the next fare band. If it does, then the card fare for the air-conditioned bus leg could range from 1 cent to 10 cents for a 0.4 km trip, as in Mr Yusoff's case.
Eugene Tan, Public Transport Council, Helen Lim, Land Transport Authority, Today
The number of commuters affected is likely to be small as only journeys that cross over to the next fare band as a result of the discrepancy are affected.
Channel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia found out that at least 30 units under the first batch of Design, Build and Sell Scheme come with similar designs. The ledge makes it easy to jump onto the air-conditioning platform and into the flat.
Channel NewsAsia
Some shop tenants at the Jurong East, Clementi and Bukit Batok train stations are hoping for rental rebates from SMRT, which manages the stations. This follows the announcement that those stations will not have train services on a few days in September due to upgrading works.
Yawning Bread
As Lee Kuan Yew fades from the scene, and the generation that held him in unparalleled esteem pass on, the affective divide between the government (now under Lee Hsien Loong) and the people has only grown. The utter lack of charisma among the current ministers has hardly helped.
Times They Are A-Changin'
We can still have a good YOG but we definitely do not need to have a bottomless budget to showcase Singapore again and again. We must ask ourselves - are we selling the spirit of the first Youth Olympic or selling Singapore? I shudder to think that we are showing off our ‘wealth’ to the world actually.
Channel NewsAsia
From Thursday, if there are empty seats at sold-out venues, officials will be flexible in allowing last-minute fans to purchase tickets.
Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia
Dr Balakrishnan said: "For myself, I have made it a point everyday to have my meal with the volunteers so that's my way of ensuring quality control - that the food for the volunteers is the same food that I eat."
Thong Kok Wah, Straits Times
TransitLink should have a computer program in place to calculate the overcharged amount auto- matically and refund this amount to the ez-link card.
Cheryl Han, H88.com.sg
Singaporean Skeptic
You see this example in the YOG is not an isolated incident. It is just another symptom of the widespread rot that exist in the thinking of the people in charge.
While they treat outsiders like gods because they constantly seek foreign approval, the authorities take Singaporeans for granted because they can get away with it.
The Temasek Review
According to one teacher we spoke to on the condition of anonymity, they were asked to bring the students out as early as 3.30pm and were made to stand in the rain for almost two hours to ”cheer” for the YOG torch rally.
“What to do? The instructions come from the top. We have to welcome the YOG procession even if there are thunderstorms. I just hope that my students won’t fall ill from standing in the rain for so long,” she said in exasperation.
Vincent Fernando, Business Insider
It's been barely five years since Singapore announced that it would develop integrated casino resorts, yet already the island nation has become a serious rival to Las Vegas, with just two major casinos.
Fann Sim, Yahoo!
Close to 30 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) volunteers are reported to have suffered from food poisoning after consuming their meals last Sunday morning.
Joyce Teo, Straits Times
A UNIQUE 1.43 ha commercial plot at the junction of Stamford Road and North Bridge Road has attracted 14 tender submissions.
The site comprises Stamford House, Capitol Building, Capitol Theatre - all three of which have been gazetted for conservation.
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent
CPF Board, Singapore Government
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
mrbrown: L'infantile terrible of Singapore
It seems the MOE wisely retracted the no logo order, the one I mentioned in an earlier post. I like how it was called a "miscommunication" and the retraction a "clarification".
Straits Times
铁血论坛
但是新加坡人从来不说自己是中国人，反而时常吹捧“中国威胁论”，难道中国对不起它还是它本来就是以美国为首的西方国家豢养的一只狗？
His Blog
中国新闻网
Whoo Girl
Out in the "Heartlands" (basically, not the center of Singapore but where most locals live out in), there has been a noticeable bustling-about that even foreigners like myself would be curious about. Loud, abrasive music and people shouting along with strung lights and candles being bit around...
Dylan Loh, Channel NewsAsia
There will be disruptions to train services in September when the Land Transport Authority (LTA) carries out track modification works at the Jurong East MRT Station.
There will be no train services between the Jurong East and Clementi Stations on September 4 and 5. Also, there will be no train services on September 18 and 19 between the Jurong East and Bukit Batok Stations.
Nopporn Wong-Anan, Reuters
AIA, which is working on a listing of its shares in Hong Kong, has lost about 700 agents in Singapore in the past year and is now trying to poach from rival insurers, the Straits Times newspaper reported.
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
Swiss vandal Oliver Fricker has been slapped with two more months to his jail term bringing the total to seven months. Delivering his judgement following the prosecution's appeal for a heavier sentence, Justice VK Rajah took into account that Fricker's act of vandalism was planned.
刘丽仪, 联合早报
本地售卖的一些玩具被消费者协会发现“含毒”，受访的小型零售商店和摊位老板无奈申诉，他们没有办法在进货时一一检查玩具的安全性，多数时候只能依赖有关当局，被动地在接获关于玩具有问题的通知后，才下架或退货，甚至得自行承担损失。
周殊钦 郭丽娟, 联合早报
针对如何分配与国民分享的果实，受访的议员和学者都提出了他们的期许。他们都认为民众除了关心个人能尝到多少果实，也很在意政府是以什么样的方式来和他们分享经济增长成果。
联合早报
李显龙总理将在本月29日在国庆群众大会上向国人发表讲话。一般相信这次群众大会极可能是大选举行之前的最后一次。因此，他将以什么基调去为一年之中最为重要的政治演讲定调，或者将宣布什么新政策，都令人期待。
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
SM Goh wants to recast our dreams but within the established power structure to maintain the status quo. The future is ultimately far more challenging and Singapore will do much better with a more open society one that does away with the current power hierachy and its draconian rules and controls that limit our freedom.
杨君伟, Omy
Choo Zheng Xi, Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
The unfortunate implication of your statement is that the negativity surrounding the YOG so far has been directed at volunteers and athletes.
Let’s be clear: not a single article we’ve read online so far that has been critical of the YOG has dishonored the work of genuine volunteers or even those who have been “volunteered”. Neither has it been directed against our athletes, of whom every Singaporean hopes will do us proud. In fact, all criticism has been directed at the shoddy work of the main organizing committee, which seem to think it can treat the youths of Singapore like conscripts and organize a world-class event with minimal preparation. This is what Singaporeans are outraged about.
mrbrown: L'infantile terrible of Singapore
I thought it would be fun to share some of my photos taken of the folks who lined the streets of Ang Mo Kio, as the Olympic Torch made its way through Ang Mo Kio. These are faces of real people, many of whom just happened to be there when our noisy bus and convoy went by. I loved the ready smiles and waves we got from them.
Kim Wong-Nathan, MediaCorp, Straits Times
The International Olympic Committee through Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) provides the television feed to all broadcasters. Channel 5 could not telecast the football match between Singapore and Zimbabwe as OBS did not provide the feed for this match.
Goh Kee Nguan, Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, Straits Times
The programming schedule is decided by the various media owners.
Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, New York Times
He was once considered the enfant terrible of Singapore’s nascent alternative art scene for his headline-grabbing art performances, including one in which he dressed up in a suit made of fake dollar bills and another involving his own urine.
But nearly 20 years later, Vincent Leow is part of the art scene establishment. He was selected to represent Singapore at the 2007 Venice Biennale and his work is currently the subject of a mid-career review at 8Q sam, the contemporary art arm of the Singapore Art Museum, albeit minus the controversial early performances.
Food Fuels Me To Talk...
Yawning Bread
It’s one thing to do something (censoring) that citizens criticise and object to, it’s another to circumlocute, equivocate and deceive (to deny that they have censored when they have indeed censored).
Ng Kok Lim, The Temasek Review
Barbie In A Blender
Sumner Lemon, MacWorld UK
Singapore's Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) declined to say whether it has opened an investigation following allegations of an elaborate kickback scheme that involved an Apple employee and at least six Apple suppliers, including three Singaporean companies.
"CPIB is unable to comment on the case against Paul Shin Devine and Andrew Ang as it is currently handled by the U.S. authorities," CPIB spokeswoman Tan Chai Ying wrote in an e-mail response to questions about whether the Singaporean government is also investigating the alleged kickback scheme.
The Temasek Review
“After the meal expose in the papers. This is the meal we have. Not fantastic, but it is better on the 1st day.”
Costas Paris, Wall Street Journal
Singapore Airlines Ltd. will name a new chief executive by the end of October, and the person will likely be a Singaporean from the carrier's senior management, a person familiar with the situation said Tuesday.
Current chief executive Chew Choon Seng has said he will step down in December when his contract ends, after seven years at the helm.
Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Wall Street Journal
Singapore's exports grew less than expected in July on a contraction in pharmaceuticals shipments, and analysts say the slowdown will likely continue into the rest of the year as concerns over the global economy linger and the benefits of a favorable base of comparison wear off.
While the export figures were weaker than expected, many analysts say the trend was largely expected.
The Independent
Traditionally conservative Singapore now has two casinos - at Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands - and the people behind RWS reported that guest numbers are now up to more than one million people per month.
Local analysts say it is only a matter of time before turnover in Singapore passed that of the traditional gaming champion, Las Vegas, which is now the second largest market, behind Macau.
Liau Chuan Yi and Norvin Chan, Asian Correspondent
Amidst these reasons, there is one most disturbing with weighty troubling ramifications: That Singaporeans have disowned Singapore, or rather, PAP’s Singapore.
Straits Times
The HDB resale market operates on free market principles where prices are negotiated on a willing-buyer, willing-seller basis. As such, buyers should carefully consider what they can afford, including the cash-over-valuation.
National development minister Mah Bow Tan gave this advice when replying to a question from MP for West Coast GRC, Madam Ho Geok Choo.
Zul Othman, Channel NewsAsia
British writer Alan Shadrake, who is facing contempt of court charges over his book, Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock, has denied any intention to scandalise the Singapore judiciary.
In his affidavit, the 75-year-old said the purpose of writing his book was to highlight the arbitrary manner in which prosecutors sought the death penalty. Mr Shadrake also said he wrote the book to show how the law passed by Parliament was unjust.
Amanda Lee, Straits Times
An average of three babies were abandoned alive each year, from 2005 to 2009. This number has not risen.
Singapore Democrat Party
This is the problem when a government is left holding billions of dollars of public funds with no accountability.
Businesspeople invest their own money and if they make a mistake they pay for it with their own money. The ministers, on the other hand, spend the people's money and if the venture fails, they lose not a single cent from their own pockets.
Super Merlion
How much longer will Kampong Buangkok be around, that I am not sure. But I definitely recommend the place to anyone who is interested in embarking in a trip back to the past. Savor what this living piece of history can offer. Visit it soon.
The Long And Winding Road
Donaldson Tan, New Asia Republic
Rachel Lin, Straits Times
Commuters who have been overcharged for their trips under the new distance-based fare system can get refunds easily, Transport minister Raymond Lim said in Parliament on Monday.
郭丽娟, 联合早报
上个月在新加坡人民党举行新一届中委选举的干部大会上与詹时中妻子罗文丽公开对峙的原助理秘书长林睦荃（原名林目全），在昨晚的中央执行委员会复选会议上临时放弃角逐助理秘书长一职，让挺罗文丽派系的35岁原中委梁威立不战而胜。
詹时中夫妇昨晚受访时，都表示对复选结果感到满意。而昨晚的中委会职位复选，基本上也为革新党加入新加坡民主联盟一事铺平道路。人民党中委会已原则上同意邀请革新党加入民联。
联合早报
林文兴说，劳资政三方携手推行重新雇用长者计划，这比直接立法提高法定退休年龄更为灵活。
联合早报
今年下半年的经济增长将放缓，不过双谷衰退的情况预计不会出现。贸工部长林勋强昨天在国会回答哈莉玛（裕廊集选区）的询问时指出这点。他说，不同区域所面临的经济情况不同。
Singularity Industries
Xinhua
The government is the biggest infotech spender, both in Singapore as well as in the major countries worldwide, two research firms have concluded.
In fact, the current uptick in the global information and communications technology (ICT) markets would not be sustainable without government ministries continuing to plonk big bucks to beef up their ICT infrastructures, local newspaper Business Times reported on Monday.
侯隽, 中国经济周刊
中国和新加坡建交20周年之际，两国于7月23日签署了一份电影合作拍摄协议。根据协议，合作拍摄的电影在两国均能享受与国产电影同等的政府资助及鼓励政策。
Tamilnet
The minister mentor (whatever that means) of the totally liberal republic of Singapore has publicly denounced the devilishly evil Sinhala Overlord as an extremist Sinhala Buddhist chauvinist© in his recently released book.
Janice Heng, Straits Times
The GST (Amendment) Bill, passed in Parliament on Monday, extends GST zero-rating to the transport of goods or passengers to or from international waters, even if the ship does not call at a port outside Singapore.
Leong Wee Keat, Today
Manmohan Singh, Straits Times
This reason has been repeated often but what are the programmes that focus on promoting racial harmony for which the TV licence fees have been spent?
Roy Tan, Straits Times
I was also involved in the accident. While the joint reply was correct in stating that a call was placed to the Police Emergency Call Centre 999 at 6.30pm, the subsequent details were not quite so.
If the authorities deem that a 30-minute to 45-minute response time is appropriate given their resources and constraints, all we wanted was to be told as such.
James J. Chang, Straits Times
It caused much embarrassment to our guests.
Alicia Wong, Today
Staff promotion is "not based on body shape or size", said health minister Khaw Boon Wan yesterday, in a written response to Parliamentary questions filed.
Mr Khaw noted that "a media report had not correctly conveyed a hospital chief executive's views on the subject".
Zhao Quan Yin and Sharon See, Channel NewsAsia
Nearly half of the toys tested by the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) were found to contain harmful chemicals.
Some of the toys which were tested looked relatively harmless. But some are said to contain 5,000 times more phthalates - a chemical used to soften plastics - than acceptable levels based on international standards. And this could lead to cancer.
Ng Jing Yng, Today
The government has conceded that there has been a breach of employment contract in the case of former civil servant Linda Lai Swee Lin who has been fighting for than more a decade to get her job back.
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
National development minister Mah Bow Tan has assured Singaporeans the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will continue to monitor the resale flat market closely. This is to see if additional measures are needed to maintain a healthy and stable property market.
Phil Butler, EverythingPR
The first ever Youth Olympic Games in Singapore has already become a political football field. Singapore 2010, the latest in an array of Olympic business ventures disguised as quests for excellence in sport, got underway this weekend. Already, the political wars that rage outside athletic competition have left a mark on even youth competition.
Choo Zheng Xi, The Online Citizen
The unhappiness of Singaporeans at everything YOG can really be narrowed down to this: the government’s unfailing belief that everything, even passion and enthusiasm, can be manufactured if you throw enough money at it.
Singapore Notes
Ministry Of Transport, Singapore Government
In deciding on any route changes, be it to meet community requests or for better service reliability, the guiding principle for LTA is to make these changes only if the overall benefits are significant and they address the concerns of the communities.
Christopher Tan, Straits Times
The government will consider building new MRT lines as long as the entire rail network remains financially viable, said second transport minister Lim Hwee Hwa on Monday. This is a profound change from the current stand, which dictates that each new line has to be independently viable before it can be built.
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Transport Minister Raymond Lim has defended the recently-introduced Distance-Fares system for public transport as a fairer system. He said the issue now is in its implementation.
mrbrown: L'infantile terrible of Singapore
Since when did school children forced to be spectators at a sporting event have to adhere to branding guidelines?
Joseph Teo, The Online Citizen
The fact that the government does not produce these records but instead resorts to a ban enhances Dr Lim’s credibility and destroys the government’s.
Ministry Of Home Affairs, Singapore Government
The police generally do not interfere with the media or members of the public taking photographs of floods so long as it does not obstruct Police operations and so long as this does not pose a danger to others or themselves. In this particular case, the issue was not about the photographer taking pictures of the flood, but about public safety. Police had taken action as, in its judgement, public safety was involved.
面向自由//Towards Freedom
Caricatures Of The Carnicus
It's All About The Story
Singapore Democrat Party
Clearly the story that Malaysia kicked Singapore out of the union and the role Mr Lee played in it is a lot more complex than what we have been told thus far. Questions abound but, unfortunately, answers are not forthcoming.
Blueballs
Uncle Low's Blog
Just like any other book talking shit about Singapore, it was ridiculously easy to find in Malaysia (it works both ways lah). Why, I even got it from a Singapore-owned bookshop..
张磊 汤敏 薛玲, 扬子晚报
首届青奥会110分钟的精彩开幕式表演，展示了年轻新加坡的无限创意与活力，对于即将承办第二届青奥会的南京来说，精彩的首届青奥会开幕式是激励，更是挑战。
Ben Bland, Asian Correspondent
Singapore has clearly taken a leaf out of China's book but the key difference was that many Beijingers were geuniely proud to be hosting the Olympics of 2008. Most Singaporeans would probably be more excited by a discount computer fair at the Expo centre or a cut in the price of a plate of bee hoon then by the fact they're hosting the Youth Olympics.
But you wouldn't know that from reading the government-controlled Straits Times newspaper, which is hardly an independent voice at the best of times but has now gone into full Pravda mode.
Conrad Raj, Today
The reality when the scheme kicked in in July was a disappointment as quite a few, including many senior citizens, had to cough up more.
What was even more disappointing was that the fare system became even more complex and there appeared to be a lack of clarity in its computation. As a result, complaints to the media of overcharging poured in.
Juffrey Yusoff, Today
Alicia Wong, Today
"I'm not saying all the HDB flats can be as nice as Pinnacle (Pinnacle@Duxton), but so long as there's one main area that's just as pretty, just as luxurious," said Mr Lee Kuan Yew.
Times of My Life
Have you ever wonder why the Cantonese usually called soft drinks as “Holland Water” (Ho Lan Shui, 荷兰水) in the past?
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said Singapore's policies are not set in stone. He said the ability to improve on what has been done and basic values like meritocracy have led to Singapore's success.
Parag and Ayesha Khanna, Big Think
Entrepreneurs often celebrate failure as part of the dynamic process of innovation. But in tiny Singapore, failure has never been an option. By and large, Singapore is not pursuing scientific discovery for its own sake, but rather identifying key sectors where it can marry leading-edge technology with the massive market opportunities of Asia: bio-medicine, clean-tech, and digital media.
China Post
Politicians and opinion leaders in Taiwan are in love with Singapore, judging from their recent calls to emulate the Republic's achievements.
Of late, scarcely a day goes by without government leaders, academics or commentators calling for Taiwan to learn from Singapore — be it in building world-class ports and airports, fighting corruption, treating water or creating a cosmopolitan city.
Sharanjit Leyl, BBC News
Unlike the summer Olympics where the numbers of viewers tuning in from all around the world is more or less known, the fact it is the first time the Youth Olympic games are being held means a risk for both governments and sponsors undertaking the cost.
AFP
As Singapore celebrates 45 years of independence this month, it takes pride in its transformation into one of Asia's richest societies, and the idea of sharing wealth is gaining broader support.
OMY
Hoboken Cupcake
The sights, sounds and food are interesting. So are the economy and politics.
Hongjun
BBC 中文网
Associated Press
IOC President Jacques Rogge said the event would inspire young people around the world to take up sport but also teach them the importance of fair play, teamwork and living healthy lives.
The ceremony was filled with fireworks, towering puppets and colorful dance performances that emphasized the youthful theme of the games while showcasing Singapore's transformation from a dreary trading port to a modern metropolis.
Straits Times
Motorists who have the ez-link card can, from as early as November, use it to pay for parking in some shopping malls and offices.
International Business Times
Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia
Law minister K Shanmugam said Singapore's constitutional provision for presidential pardons is similar to what's practised in countries like the UK, Australia and Malaysia.
"There have been many misrepresentations about what I said. Those were repeated several times and continued even after Ministry of Law issued a clarification. Some people seem to have difficulties with the facts even after the clarification was issued, and the High Court has dealt with it," he said.
Astbury Marsden
In what is likely to be good news for Britons looking for finance jobs in Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong said the state "cannot do without" some individuals entering its labour market from overseas.
Singapore Democrat Party
What is most upsetting is that instead of admitting that mistakes were made in the organising, the government is insulting the intelligence of the people and angering them even more by arrogantly dismissing their criticisms.
May Chua, Today
Portability, long battery life and the ability to sail through airport checkpoints without needing to be removed from its bag are some features that can make the Apple iPad a pretty attractive travel companion. Here are some tips and tricks to make the most out of your shiny new tablet.
赵辉、梦梅, 希望之声国际广播电台
希望之声国际广播电台 东北亚暨东南亚地区总经理廖淑慧，被新加坡海关无理禁止入境并拘留两天后，返回台湾。廖淑慧对这次新加坡政府的态度感到深深的遗憾。此事背后涉及中共对自由媒体的打压，新加坡政府未能拒绝中共黑手的介入，而做出不智的选择。
Rachel Lin, Straits Times
THE High Court yesterday dismissed an unprecedented petition for a judicial review of the clemency process, lodged by the lawyer of convicted Malaysian drug trafficker Yong Vui Kong.
In doing so, it ruled that the power to grant a pardon lies with the Cabinet and not the President, and rejected Mr M. Ravi's petition for an indefinite stay of execution.
蔡永伟, 联合早报
由私人发展商设计、兴建和销售的私人组屋，其售价近年来节节攀升，为确保人民更能负担得起这类组屋，建屋发展局最近调整了相关政策，明文规定发展商必须提供更多小型单位。
Ben Bland, Asia Sentinel
Using a mixture of publicly available legal material and interviews with sources from different parts of Singapore's justice system, including extensive interviews with the former chief executioner, he seemingly does enough to convince even proponents of the death penalty that it is time to reassess the way Singapore handles capital cases.
While the government's latest act of repression may appear at first sight to have backfired, all the attention generated by Shadrake's arrest sends a clear message to Singaporeans: delve into sensitive issues such as the death penalty at your peril.
Leong Sze Hian, Straits Times
Since volunteers are not paid, I think the least that organisers could do is provide them with decent meals. As Singapore is hosting the first Youth Olympic Games, which will be reported by media internationally, such news does not bode well for Singapore's reputation.
Wee Eng Leong, Straits Times
The LTA should be fair to travelling passengers by drawing up accurate distance markers. I hope it will look into these instances of overcharging and ensure that all bus fare scanners are in tip-top condition.
Zul Othman, Today
Stephen Tan Heng Chua, Today
Commuting utilises both tangible and intangible resources - fuel/electricity (for operating motor vehicles, and trains) and time (a resource managed and "owned" by the traveller). Is it fair that commuters be penalised under this new charging system should they decide to take the shortest route, albeit not the fastest?
After all, the PTC calls it a distance-based fare system. The time taken to complete a journey is irrelevant, belongs to the commuter, and is up to him/her to save or squander.
Siew Kum Hong
The outcome was not in the least bit surprising to me. The Constitution is quite clear -- the President has no discretion on clemency applications, but is instead required to act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet. To my mind, this judgment is entirely correct in law.
The President (just like the Queen) has no discretion and must act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet. A constitutional crisis ensues if the President fails or declines for any reason to act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet.
The Online Citizen
Goh Meng Seng, Singapore Alternatives
Peeping At A Blessed Mess
Yours Truly Singapore
Liew Hanqing, Straits Times
The caterer for meals provided to Youth Olympic Games (YOG) volunteers has moved to improve them after complaints about the food surfaced. The action resulted after a volunteer took a picture of the meal he was served and posted it on his Facebook page, igniting a furore.
The YOG organising committee did not respond to questions on how much was budgeted for volunteers' meals and whether there had been any guidelines for food provision.
Mrbrown: L'infantile Terrible Of Singapore
Six whole long beans! Wow. Do you think the volunteer might get spoiled by such rich food? What if they get sleepy from eating all that luxurious gourmet dosh and cannot work hard?
Shamim Adam, Bloomberg
Singapore’s retail sales, excluding motor vehicles, rose for an eighth month in June as record economic growth and tourist arrivals spurred spending at department stores.
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
MP for Tampines GRC Irene Ng wants to know the impact of the distance-based fare on the elderly, who may find it physically taxing to make multiple transfers. MP for Sembawang GRC, Dr Lim Wee Kiak wants to know the total amount transport operators have overcharged commuters, as a result of a dataset error in calculations of bus fares.
钱晓慧, BBC 中文网
尽管新加坡街头到处张挂了青奥会宣传横幅，部长以及总理也纷纷呼吁新加坡人大力给予支持，但多数民众对这个大型国际项目似乎没有表现出太大的热情。
除了表示对青奥会不感兴趣外，许多网民以及网络文章也都认为举办青奥会劳民伤财。最具争议的是，新加坡在2008年提出的青奥会预算经费约为7550万美元（约1亿2200万新元），不过政府上个月称，筹办赛事的花费预料将增至3亿8700万新元，比原先预算多出了3倍以上。
Calers's Blog
British Weekly
Shadrake told the British Weekly on Wednesday that he was ‘feeling confident and healthy’ and ‘delighted at the all the support I’ve been getting.’
The support Shadrake refers to has been growing on a daily basis both locally and internationally. Not only has the case prompted outrage from from respected international organizations including Amnesty International and Journalists Without Borders, but locally there is a groundswell of support for his release.
NS-Singapore for Lesser Mortals
This is a government of the cheapest order.
Under The Willow Tree
So tell me, in its involvement of Secondary, JC and Poly students in the organisation of the YOG, is Singapore abusing its education system to engage in the systematic violation of human rights via Forced Labour, and in the process also violating the very ILO convention it just committed to ratify a month ago?
The Online Citizen
The High Court today ruled that the President has no discretion in deciding clemency appeals. The court’s judgement says Cabinet is the only authority in such matters. Law Minister K Shanmugum’s statements about Yong Vui Kong is not prejudicial, the court ruled.
Evelyn's Food Blog
黄荣斌, 羊城晚报
由两大权威组织所认可的新加坡经济竞争力，其“无中生有”的蜕化过程仅为45年。在新加坡媒体高调呼吁“厉兵秣马，再创辉煌”之际，这确实值得追问：当年的小渔村一跃成为全球的竞争力明星，人均GDP从独立时的511美元攀升至2009年的39458美元，物质水准翻天覆地，新加坡凭什么？
Singapore Democrat Party
Alicia Wong, Today
Iras confirmed it had contacted Mr Nathan to clarify the situation but was "unable to disclose his personal income tax matters". But its website states: "Only outright donations that do not give material benefit to the donor are tax-deductible."
Leong Wee Keat and Neo Chai Chin, Channel NewsAsia
Responding to MediaCorp's queries, the Public Transport Council (PTC) revealed on Thursday that travelling time - and not just distance - is also used to charge train commuters under Singapore's distance-based fares system.
"The general fare-setting principle for MRT lines is to charge for the distance travelled based on the fastest route," a council spokesman said. "This takes into account the walking and waiting time required if a switch to another rail line is involved."
Colin Tan, Today
The confirmation of the positive numbers for the private residential sector in Singapore for 2Q2010 appears to have unleashed another wave of buying onto the market.
From landed homes to HDB flats, the market is awash with liquidity. My colleagues in the appraisal department tell me that the rising prices for properties not matched by their valuations have not scuttled too many deals.
Chin Shu Hwa, Straits Times
The warden said she could not waive the fine since I was not the owner of the vehicle.
Singapore Democrat Party
Such blatant double standards can only happen in an autocratic state where there is one set of rules for the rulers and another one for the rest.
The TBT defendants raised the issue of illegal discrimination and exercise of police powers in bad faith when they allowed the CASE protest to proceed but clamped down on the TBT protest.
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
Vivian Yeo, ZDNet Asia
Tan said the new platform will be launched when the country's national next-generation broadband network "is in place" but declined to provide a more specific timeframe.
Funny Little World
赵辉、颜宁, 希望之声国际广播电台
关于希望之声国际广播电台东北亚暨东南亚地区总经理廖淑慧，11日在新加坡入境遭阻拦一事，希望之声国际广播电台总裁曾勇表示，新加坡政府欠一个合理解释。他指出，这件事情不只涉及媒体自由的问题，还涉及法轮功的问题。新加坡政府的态度等于是在协助中共在迫害法轮功。
Matthew Robertson, Epoh Times
An executive of an independent radio network that focuses on Chinese human rights issues was refused entry to Singapore on Aug. 11. The broadcast network and commentators suspect the refusal relates to the Chinese regime’s influence over the Singaporean government, and have decried the move as a violation of media freedom.
Chan Yu Ping, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations, New York Times
“U.N. Appoints New Director of Troubled Watchdog Group” (news article, July 29) stated that the work of the United Nations Procurement Task Force had “led to several felony convictions but attracted the ire of some countries, including Singapore and Russia, and its mandate was not extended by the General Assembly.”
This strange reference to Singapore suggested that we oppose anti-corruption work at the United Nations. Nothing could be further from the truth. Singapore fully backs efforts to keep the United Nations transparent and accountable, and to equip it with a strong set of internal controls.
Asia Sentinel
The recent outcry in Singapore over allegedly excessive immigration, which is said to be putting pressure on housing, jobs and public transport, has raised some interesting issues about what sort of society Singaporeans want to have.
Amresh Gunasingham and Victoria Vaughan, Straits Times
A pop-up barrier, a first of its kind in Singapore, will form the flood defences of Liat Towers on Orchard Road.
Claire Huang, Channel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia
Sam Ho, Sam's Thoughts
Jaywalk
The Temasek Review
Despite rising disgruntlement and anger among Singaporeans at the inability of the PAP regime to control the rampant flooding, PAP leaders have blatantly refused to accept any responsibility for it though they are paid the world’s highest salaries.
Jacob 69er
Alvinology
Singapore Notes
What is diificult to swallow is the editorial line that Goh - "or any leader" - can do only so much to bring about change, specifically, he "cannot dream for you". So the Swiss Standard of Living was really just for him and his immediates, and not for the general citizenry funding his salary and perks? Was Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech meant for him alone or the populace? It's easy to be cynical about "leaders" when they refuse, or don't know how, to lead the way. Here's the constructive advice: It's time to step aside for others who will, and can, do a better job.
Singaporean Skeptic
Rather than giving token privileges, increase the allowance of people forced into national servitude. Provide people who have served, free medical care for themselves and their families for life. It is not so much to ask given the amount of money our government squanders (on stupid projects like the YOG).
陈忠宪, 联合早报
Andrea Tan, Bloomberg
Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s Singapore casino resort and a lawyers’ group agreed to settle lawsuits over unpaid bills and compensation for a May conference, said two people with direct knowledge of the decision.
长江日报
Randy David, Philippine Daily Inquirer
We have much to learn from the way Singapore tackled the issue of casinos.
王倩、赵辉, 希望之声国际广播电台
希望之声国际广播电台东北亚暨东南亚地区总经理廖淑慧在新加坡海关被禁止入境。海关人员把她带到一间小办公室禁闭，准备将她遣返。廖淑慧询问原因，地勤人员仅告知“移民条例”四个字，一小时后海关又改口说，是因为她没有“批准信”。
廖淑慧表示，以前多次进新加坡从不需要什么“批准信”才能入境。她认为被禁止入境的原因是印度尼西亚政府受中共压力强行关闭新纪元电台，而新加坡政府也作为幕后推手，干扰希望之声的节目在新纪元电台播出。
Blowin' In The Wind
Uberawesome Dinosaur
What kind of democratic country are we, if our students are forced to display false support?
Sam Ho, Sam's thoughts
Yawning Bread
I was speechless after reading the Straits Times’ version of the story about a protest note being lodged at the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. It told readers about all the stuff peripheral to the main issue but said not a word about Mourthi Vasu’s demand that Singapore acknowledge with contrition committing a miscarriage of justice when his son was hanged in 2003.
De Leviathan @ Sg
Random Singapore
My Queenstown
Winning isn't everything.
Leesjuanpat World
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Singapore Government
To enable the public to continue to donate with confidence, COC introduced an SMS service to allow members of the public to send a query via SMS to check whether an organisation has a permit to solicit donations in public. (Note: Link goes to an PDF document.)
Blowin' In The Wind
Singaporean Skeptic
Lawyers For Liberty
Calers's Blog
Under The Willow Tree
Half of the efforts of the Singaporean government since 1999 to grow GDP have gone to Foreigners. Half of Singaporean men's national service efforts have contributed to foreign resident GDP growth since 1999.
Growing Your Tree Of Prosperity
The fundamentals of success does not vary from society to society. It certainly would not vary whether RP or PAP is in power.
Singapore Notes
So is the glass half full or half empty?
The Online Citizen
“I want my son’s name back,” Mr Mourthi Vasu said. “And I want my son back. Can they give me my son? Can they give me? Cannot.”
Mr Mourthi is asking for an apology from the Singapore government for the execution of his then 23-year old son, Vignes Mourthi. Vignes was hanged in Singapore in September 2003 after having been found guilty of trafficking in 27.65g of heroin. Vignes had always maintained his innocence till the day he died.
Mr Mourthi’s demand for an apology comes after he learned of the circumstances which led to the conviction of his son involving police officer Sergeant Rajkumar.
Singapore Democrat Party
Two Malaysian groups went to the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday calling on Singapore to make restitution for wrongfulling executing Vignes Mourthi in 2003.
One of the groups, Lawyers for Liberty led by Malaysian lawyer Mr N Surendran (photo, white shirt), issued a memorandum of protest stating that Vignes was innocent, citing the fact that during one of the appeals former Chief Justice Yong Pung How had conceded that an accused can be hanged on merely procedural grounds.
Reuters
ingapore’s economy faces the risks of an annualised contraction in the second half of 2010 due to a global slowdown but remains on course to be one of the world’s fastest growing countries.
S Ramesh, Today
Public sector employees are looking forward to a growth bonus in view of the strong economic rebound, said labour member of Parliament (MP) Halimah Yacob yesterday.
Bryan Ong, Today
Are all train and bus service disruptions reported to the authorities? What qualifies as a service disruption warranting a report to the authorities? A train delay of five minutes may appear inconsequential, but given the massive overcrowding that always arises from these disruptions, it is a veritable nightmare for commuters.
Chiam See Tong, MP for Potong Pasir, Straits Times
I must balance the interest of Singapore and the interest of the residents of Potong Pasir.
I have not abandoned the residents of Potong Pasir. Their interest is always with me and so, for this reason, I have chosen my wife to take my place and represent me in Potong Pasir. She has been helping me all these years in parliamentary and constituency work.
Andy Tan, Straits Times
The problem is that commuters, more often than not, do not know they have been overcharged. Why should commuters be made to claim refunds for the transport operator's system flaw?
News Release by UncleYap
Furry Brown Dog
Ong Weichong, Eurasia Review
Swissinfo.ch
A Swiss man condemned to prison and caning in Singapore for vandalising a metro train could have his sentence increased after a prosecutor filed an appeal.
Teoh El Sen, Free Malaysia Today
Anti-death-penalty activists have asked the Singapore government to admit that it wrongfully executed a young Malaysian in 2003 and demanded that it release British writer Alan Shadrake, whose latest book sheds new light on the case.
“Singapore has murdered an innocent person in cold blood,” said N Surendran of Lawyers for Liberty in reference to the hanging of M Vignes, who was 21 when he was arrested in 2001 on suspicion of drug trafficking. “Alan's book revealed a shocking truth,” Surendran said. “We now know the key witness in Vignes's trial was himself being investigated for rape, sodomy and later convicted of corruption."
Yawning Bread
T Sasitharan, for members of Arts Engage, Today
The Media Development Authority (MDA) has again responded by asserting that it "has moved away from censorship to classification and co-regulation". The facts show this is not true.
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong has urged companies which have reached the monthly variable component (MVC) target of 10 per cent in their wage structures to consider increasing it beyond that.
He says this will allow the companies a greater buffer and more flexibility to deal with future economic shocks.
Funny Little World
I wonder – are the homeless in the temporary flats in Tiong Bahru watching the parade now? If so, how do they feel?
P.R. Venkat And Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Wall Street Journal
Singapore's economy grew at a marginally slower pace than previously estimated in the second quarter, the government said Tuesday, warning that growth momentum will moderate in the second half of the year due to a slacker global economy.
Some analysts said the government may be underestimating the extent of a Singapore slowdown to come in the second half.
Singapore Democrat Party
It is hard to imagine how the renewal of our newspaper licence can take such a long time. As we have noted in our previous emails to you, MDA officials indicated that such applications take only a couple of weeks to process and that it was you who was sitting on our application.
Dani Rodrik, Project Syndicate
For every Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, there are many like Mobutu Sese Seko of the Congo.
Maxwell Coopers, Free Malaysia Today
Without a judicial review board and with absolutely no debate at all in the country of the deterrence utility of the death penalty, Shadrake now stands as the lone voice of conscience in the city-state -- something odd as he is not a Singaporean.
What is even incredulous is that it had to take a non-Singaporean to champion the cause of justice in an island-republic. So trying him for a book he wrote and and for which he is well armed with facts may just be a situation the local Singapore authorities will be all too keen to avoid.
Liau Chuan Yi and Norvin Chan, Asian Correspodent
The Lycan Times
Genevieve
Lost In Singapore
I don’t need the government to understand and patronise me, I need them to do something instead of coming out with half-baked excuses for your party’s failures.
Mok Fei Fei, Channel NewsAsia
Final data out Tuesday showed that the economy expanded by 18.8 per cent on-year, lower than the 19.3 per cent increase initially estimated. But MTI warns that growth for the second half of 2010 could be slower.
Guanyinmiao's Musings
To a large extent, the manner in which our dreams have been shaped has been significantly influenced by the administration’s primary fixation on economic progression, measured solely on GDP growth figures and productivity indexes. It has driven many – especially young Singaporeans – to dream for themselves in their pursuit of worldly personal gains, instead of setting their sights towards a much bigger picture.
Remember: the only reward that the government believes in is Cash. Lots of Cash.
Musings From the Lion City
Frankly, if the Singapore economy did grow by 17.9% in the first half of the year, I (like most Singaporeans) sure didn’t notice it.
The Rot Within
The Lawyer
The Singapore government has made the most of its natural ’middleman’ location by elevating its arbitration credentials to the very top.
Bernadette Low, SMRT Corporation, Today
We have since fine-tuned our crowd control measures at Jurong East MRT Station, which include closer monitoring of the number of passengers entering through critical points such as faregates and escalators.
We will also apply these measures to high-traffic stations when we anticipate large crowds.
Ho Rui An, The Online Citizen
胡宗鳳、楊濡嘉、王昭月, 聯合報
「打造高雄成為新加坡第二」成為高雄縣長楊秋興競選主軸之一，楊秋興昨天表示，新加坡非常值得高雄學習，他將在下月參訪新加坡，學習新加坡發展經濟的作法。
Sgpolitics.net
“If you have a flood, just carefully think who is more likely to get the drainage put right and have the flood alleviated as quickly as possible: A PAP candidate with links to the ministers and Prime Minister, or a non-PAP candidate who has become an MP, like in Potong Pasir or Hougang, and who has to manage on his own?”
Stanislaus Jude Chan, IPS
Just a month after the buzz from the vuvuzelas ended at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Singapore is busy preparing to host the next major event in the world sports calendar the Youth Olympic Games. But few seem to know, or care, about the inaugural youth version of the venerable Olympic Games.
Feed Me To The Fish
My dream is for Singapore to have a Prime Mini$ter who is carefull. A PM who does not chui kong lumpar song (talk-cock-sing-song) but sincerely has the heart to really care for the less endowed and not insult the intelligence of those he rules over.
Rachel Zeng
Balvinder Sandhu, CNNGo
As two of Singapore's most active playhouses celebrate milestones, we look at the creative evolution of the country's theater and ask if there's enough support for it to thrive.
Furry Brown Dog
林慧慧, 联合早报
受选择性整体重建计划（SERS）影响的红山景组屋店主将不会获得更高赔偿，建屋发展局维持原先估价的决定，导致已两度提出增加赔偿请愿的店主与当局的协商陷入僵局。
Dee DePass, Minneapolis Star Tribune
I had guessed that my tour group of journalists would be wined and dined at stuffy, white-linen restaurants courtesy of government aides bent on showcasing Singapore's big buck, high-brow cuisine. Wrong.
Zakaria Abdul Wahab, Bernama
A Singapore senior minister has urged Singaporeans to reset their priorities in life so as to make living in the fast developing city-state meaningful. Urging Singaporeans to re-think their priorities for the betterment of the community and the country, Goh said they should not lose sight of the many more things that were going well for the country.
P.R. Venkat And Gaurav Raghuvanshi, Wall Street Journal
Singapore will continue to regulate the entry of foreign workers as the city-state seeks to address the concerns of its citizens while meeting a local shortfall of talent, and it will maintain a rapid pace of economic growth, prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said Sunday.
Sam Ho, Sam's Thoughts
I believe the government and media should take ownership in social justice, and lead by example by making the necessary changes in policy and in practice that favour the fostering of equality in this nation, regardless of gender identity and sexual orientation.
Feed Me To The Fish
yawningbread, Yawning Bread
For a society and state to be healthy in the long term, we must be watchful that the powers and the resources at hand do not primarily serve the dominant and the popular, for in normal times these can take care of themselves. State powers and resources should be deployed to protect unpopular speech and marginalised persons and to nurture talents and ideas that may seem totally useless today, but should be valued as an insurance policy for the day the dominant paradigm, honed to perfection by a self-selecting elite, fails. When the meritocrats are all at sea, it may well be the outliers who will save the day.
Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia
The rift appears to be deepening between the two factions fighting for control of Singapore's only Malay-based political party, the Singapore Malay National Organisation or PKMS.
Prime Minister's Office, Singapore Government
We will develop and invest in our people, but we also need to reinforce the Singa pore team with talent and numbers from abroad. This is critical to us.
Seah Chiang Nee, The Star
As Singapore prepares to celebrate its 45th National Day, public resentment continues to rise against the newcomers, threatening to rupture the social fabric of this multi-racial, overcrowded island.
Idayu Suparto, AFP
In a high-pressure education system where raw test results matter more than anything else, parents are sparing no costs to arm their children for future competition and ensure they qualify for the top two local universities.
While schooling is virtually free at government schools where all Singaporean children go -- international schools are restricted to foreigners, with few exceptions -- private tutors can cost parents hundreds of dollars per month.
Scott's Weblog
Ng E-Jay, The Online Citizen
Yawning Bread
I think that as much as we engage, we must continue to assert that freedom of expression is a civil right, not a gift of government, and that any engagement I participate in is one where I try to roll back the government’s unlawful encroachment upon my civil right: You are trespassing, and I am engaging with you to get you off my property; at no time am I going to concede that you have any right to squat here and deprive me of the use of my property.
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia
Speaking at a National Day dinner on Saturday, Mr Goh said they should not lose sight of the things that are going well for the country.
Shelley Thio, The Online Citizen
联合早报
沙士德兰等人昨天在威基路上段的艺岭（Emily Hill）召开记者会，阐明他们的立场和说明提交意见书的情况。“艺术交涉”成员之一的必要剧场艺术总监陈崇敬说，审检会回复已收到意见书，其他两个部门尚无回应。
沙士德兰说，身为艺术工作者，他明白自己在做什么，因此希望政府能放手让艺术工作者有更大自由度。他说，虽然“艺术交涉”的成员不在审检会里，但一直都与审检会接触，表达他们的看法与立场。
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
On Friday, 31 Malaysian Members of Parliament and 11 senators gave their support to the Save Vui Kong campaign. Yong Vui Kong is a 22-year old Malaysian who is currently on Singapore’s death row after being convicted for drug trafficking.
Michael Tan, Straits Times
Why didn't Mr Chiam seek the views of Potong Pasir residents, who have supported him through thick and thin since 1984, before deciding to go public with his decision?
Siew Puay Pey, Straits Times
Don't the residents living in Sembawang and further up north deserve peak-hour arrangements? Why are we subject to higher fares and given such low-priority service?
Stephanie Tay, Straits Times
Surely the decision to double the overnight parking surcharge is unfair to motorists who park at carparks that have more than adequate space for parking be it day or night.
Dylan Loh, Liang Kaixin, Channel NewsAsia
Business for some retailers in Marina Bay area have taken a beating due to the road closures for the National Day and Youth Olympics show rehearsals.
Furry Brown Dog
Megawati Wijaya, Asia Times
Readers of the book, mostly perhaps ordinary citizens of Singapore, are not in the position to confirm or deny the allegations, given their lack of information or access to information. Singapore's government itself has every duty to prove to its citizens that such allegations are indeed untrue.
Given the potentially constructive debates it may spin off, it is indeed sad that this book is not available for purchase in Singapore. Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) said that it had not banned it in Singapore. A report by state-owned newspaper Straits Times, however, reports that the book had been withdrawn from a major bookstore's shelves at the MDA's request
M Krishnamoorthy, Free Malaysia Today
Malaysian home-grown blogging and social media networks provide greater diversity of opinion than Singapore’s news websites, according to a survey.
Adeline Chia, Straits Times
THE advocacy group behind the 'Censorship isn't working: regulate instead' campaign has submitted a petition with 1,786 signatures in favour of their position to the authorities.
Dormgrandpop
Singapore’s distinctive society, political economy and governance institutions have been shaped by these views and by imperatives of national survival. Other societies, too, are facing similar imperatives, but have done far less well in coping. Within a few decades such imperatives will be undeniable planet-wide realities. Who can say that Singapore’s distinctive mix of free market capitalism, socialism and a commitment to living humanely within limits does not have lessons to offer? Who can say that it may not offer a “best possible” shape of things to come as our human species faces the imperatives posed by overshoot and collapse?
Life Is Fantastic!
Yesterday.sg
Eileen Yu, ZDNet Asia
To ensure IT tenders are properly managed, governments must establish strict legal policies and build compliance procedures into the procurement process, an industry analyst urges, noting that the Singapore government has adopted global guidelines to ensure trade transparency.
Teo Xuanwei, Today
A "flaw in the design" of the car of the Battlestar Galactica roller-coaster is what's keeping the star attraction in Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) grounded. Genting Group chairman and chief executive Lim Kok Thay revealed this yesterday in his first public comments on the stalled attraction.
Koh Hoong Hua, Louis, , Straits Times
The OCW involved many volunteers and helpers, and the organiser had to brief them on their tasks and proceedings prior to the event. The briefing was conducted using the sound system.
Ng Lian Cheong, Channel NewsAsia
Channel NewsAsia
The Temasek Education Foundation and the Temasek International Foundation will oversee five endowments, named after five Singapore pioneers to honour and recognise their contributions in nurturing talent and promoting international fellowship.
Singapore Social and Political Thoughts
Musings From the Lion City
Jeremy Lim, journalism.sg
Dee Kay Dot As Gee
Rachel Harvey, BBC
The charges could possibly be dropped if Alan Shadrake acceded to the prosecution's request for an apology. But there seems little chance of that. "I didn't do this to chicken out and say sorry and grovel to them like most Singaporeans have to do, to live a normal life," he told me as he left the High Court.
And somehow it no longer feels like this is just Alan Shadrake's fight. He has become a proxy for Singapore's own internal battles.
Chris Milton, Foreign Policy
Singapore's economy quite literally rests upon maintaining a huge and continuous supply of sand -- and smuggling has become a multibillion-dollar trade, driving a huge web of corruption and theft in a country renowned for honest business practices and corporal punishment.
"The documentation that sand suppliers are required to show include licenses to dredge or extract sand at specific sand locations in the source countries, draft survey reports, and bill of loadings," K. Senbagavalli, a spokeswoman at the Singaporean Ministry of National Development, said in an interview. But this oversight depends on reliable paperwork -- and reliable officials -- throughout the supply chain. If corruption is as rife as it appears to be within Malaysia, the documents are not worth the paper they're printed on.
Singapore is poised for a bright future: It is booming economically and has positioned itself as a world leader in urban sustainability. But to fulfill that promise, however, it must first swallow an unpalatable truth -- that its prosperity has come at the cost of it neighbors' corruption and environmental destruction. Size isn't everything; the country's sterling reputation is now at stake.
Howard Lee, The Online Citizen
By its very nature, REACH is not generating the level and volume of honest feedback that is already prevalent on other online platforms. Add to that the annoying attitude, intentional or otherwise, of not closing the loop on issues raised as important by its users, and you begin to understand why netizens have such an adverse attitude towards REACH.
Eileen Ang, Media Development Authority, Straits Times
It is not the platform choice, but the retailers' content exclusivity-centric strategy that resulted in a high degree of content fragmentation in the pay-TV market. This has led to inconveniences for consumers who need to switch pay-TV retailers each time their favourite channel or programme changes hands.
Take note: cost of programming is not addressed.
Stella Kon, Straits Times
Since the Circle Line was proposed, I have been complaining about the confusion that will arise with the two MRT stations: Farrer Park and Farrer Road.
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
Andrew Loh, The Online Citizen
Siew Kum Hong
In this case, it was a small minority of commuters who were eating and drinking on trains and generally being anti-social and inconsiderate. Well, crack down on them! But SMRT clearly went overboard and is punishing everyone for the actions of a few, instead of focusing its enforcement efforts only on those few.
Free Malaysia Today
Prominent blogger Tulang Besi has claimed that a well-connected friend from Singapore revealed that the island state has a new policy, which is to ensure that Anwar Ibrahim does not come into power.
Christina Ng, My Paper
Singaporeans are becoming so tech- and gadget- savvy that they buy the latest equipment just to keep up with the Joneses - so much so that, increasingly, many would own multiple phones.
Mustafa Shafawi, Channel NewsAsia
Technology giant Apple has nudged out Singapore Airlines to be the Employer of Choice among entry-level graduates in Singapore, in an annual study by JobsFactory.
Singaporean Skeptic
Of course, Wong Kan Seng is no stranger to confusing perception with facts; he was the one who said that Singapore had an extremely long coastline.
Channel NewsAsia
Georgina Joseph, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore remains the third most expensive office location in the Asia Pacific region. That's according to the latest report by Colliers International.
Monetary Authority Of Singapore, Singapore Government
MAS has censured DBS Bank for the shortcomings and inadequate management oversight by the bank of its outsourced IT systems, networks, operations and infrastructure that resulted in the widespread system outage on 5 July 2010. This incident has revealed weaknesses in DBS Bank's technology and operational risk management controls.
Mr Miyagi
It’s as if MCYS took on the project thinking, “if we host it, everything else will fall into place”, forgetting that you’ve got a press who’ll only print what you give them to print, and won’t be motivated to look any further.
联合早报
全国职工总会秘书长林瑞生认为，提高生产力，并采用论功行赏的薪金制度才是可持续做法。
“当时我们处于全民就业状态，我们以为采用高工资政策有助提高生产力，所以有个时期，我们推高了各个阶层的工资水平。工资是上涨了，但生产力却追不上工资上涨速度。后来，我们在1985年到1986年陷入经济衰退困境。”
Singapore Notes
While they are quick on the draw to collect from the little men, the SPF was decidedly slow to return what's due.
陈文坪, 联合早报
从供需的层面来看，增加供应量才能真正解决需求的增多。以长期来看，投入资金，建造新的停车场是无可避免的。
Eveline Danubrata, Reuters
David Boey, Today
Can our infrastructure and our society cope with an influx of foreign workers and new residents of this magnitude? Vibrant economic growth is needed to provide enough meaningful jobs for our citizens. But if growth far exceeds that which can be supported by those in Singapore, perhaps it is time to ask if we should consider forgoing some of it.
Lost In Singapore
What Alan Shadrake did was to point out the flaws in our system, substantiated by facts that he gathered over the years while you attempt to bury the content of his book by threatening criminal defamation, contempt of court against reporters who would quote the offending passages. How then can you expect moral authority to be part of your legitimate rights to rule over us?
Catherine Ling, CNNGo
Guanyinmiao's Musings
The basis of a retirement age is positive because it subtly acts as an ending-point for individuals who have worked hard and contributed to the economy for decades; its eradication might conversely push the older workers without granting them the rest they rightfully deserve.
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
The denial from the govt and SMRT is causing frustration. Many have taken to filming or taking pictures of the situation as evidence of their unpleasant experience.
Su Kim Teck, Straits Times
Non-season-parking motorists should be allowed to use the parking spaces, perhaps marked white or red, only from 7am to 7pm. After 7pm, such spaces must be reserved for season ticket holders.
Dee Kay Dot As Gee
Cars need to find a place to park at night. You increase the parking fee, they still need to park there if they have to. How is increasing the fee from $2 to $4 going to help? Besides, I think most of the cars are the car park are season parking. Make not much difference.
Increasing the fee for overnight parking is easy. It looks like action has been taken on the issue. But how effective is this measure?
Sporadic Scribblings
Time Out Singapore
So what will the future look like after LKY? The answers will be revealed over the course of 20 artworks that will be exhibited or performed, with the majority of them specially created for the show.
Syed Akbar Ali, OutSyed The Box
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia
Lapses and weaknesses in the internal controls over the management of public funds have been found in several ministries and government agencies. This was revealed in the Auditor-General's report for the financial year 2009/2010 released on Tuesday.
But the lapses were not as severe as those highlighted in last year's report, which involved millions of dollars that could have been spent more prudently.
Ng E-Jay, The Online Citizen
Has our nation really become so superficial, focusing only on winning medals and enhancing our international reputation in the short term, rather than on nurturing our precious stock of human capital for the long run?
Is this why so many Singaporeans have become disinterested in the Games, because they sense the superficiality of it all and the fact that the government will easily set them aside once they are deemed of lesser value compared to the foreigners that can be easily imported?
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
"If we do not do so and allow vicious falsehoods to perversely masquerade itself as the truth, we will eventually lose our moral authority and with it, our effectiveness to achieve our mission to keep Singapore safe and secure."
Yawning Bread
周文龙, 联合早报
为何本地戏剧界不约而同重炒“冷饭”？这是对过去音乐剧作品的肯定，还是因本地原创音乐剧的选择太少？
Joshua Hong, Seeking Alpha
The main concern is that stagnant or falling productivity will eventually lead to a static economy; an example of this is Japan’s recession in 1989. To improve productivity, Singapore should invest more in education. As of now, Singapore invests roughly 2.9% of its GDP in education, a low number compared to other developed countries. The country tends to import foreign workers instead of investing in Singaporeans and nurturing talent.
Neo Chai Chin, Today
Yesterday, LTA said there were another 12 discrepancies in distance-based fares after checks were done with the public transport operators. The last of these errors were rectified on July 27, three weeks after the new fare system kicked in.
The greatest discrepancy discovered was for SBS Transit Service 170, from Johor Baru Checkpoint to Larkin Terminal. The initial computed distance of 9.5km has been corrected to 7.1km.
Charles Tan, Singapore Democrat Party
In the May TWC2 and HOME report (access the executive summary here, the NGOs claimed that despite enhanced legislation such as increasing mandatory hospitalisation insurance coverage, foreign workers still face barriers in reporting mistreatment.
Diary of A Singaporean Mind
If a non-SPT holder needs a parking lot in the vicinity because he is visiting his girlfriend or works the graveyard shift, he won't have any other choice except to park there even if they double the charges to $4.
Amit Roy Choudhury, Business Times
While the number of new mobile connections in Singapore is growing despite a high penetration rate, the average revenue per user (Arpu) is falling and last year it stood at US$31.90 (S$43.40), according to research by Frost & Sullivan.
Paul Karl Lukacs, Asia Sentinel
British death penalty opponent and author Alan Shadrake faces a heavy legal burden in seeking acquittal over charges of contempt of court in Singapore. Jousting during Shadrake's July 30 court hearing on various procedural matters revealed some of the flash points in the case.
Lim Kwok Wai, Alvina Soh, Channel NewsAsia
One of the six deer which escaped from the Night Safari last Wednesday has been put to sleep. It had succumbed to heat stroke on Friday. Meanwhile, the search continues for the last of the missing deer.
Random Thoughts Of A Free Thinker
Singaporean Skeptic
Either way, whether you are telling the truth or not, you are screwed.
Leong Wee Keat, Today
The survey found national loyalty and pride held relatively steady between 2005 and 2009, even as Singapore's economy and population were more exposed to global trends and migration.
But Singaporeans' chest-thumping attitudes took a slight dip when they were asked about their willingness to sacrifice for their country.
赵倩玉, 联合早报
据白沙西公民咨询委员会主席黄子玶透露，湿巴刹属于建屋发展局管辖。这些日子里，当局与昇菘超市就“湿巴刹”的定义以及如何经营等具体细节磋商。在悬而未定的这段日子里，这里少了一个巴刹，非常不方便。
刘丽仪, 联合早报
为减缓一些地区停车位不足问题，确保居民能优先使用停车位，建屋发展局陆续取消一些停车场的星期天和公定假日免费停车计划，而受访居民认为，增加停车位才是解决之道。
Channel NewsAsia
Charges under the Night Parking Scheme (NPS) offered at HDB and URA carparks will be doubled with effect from 1 Nov 2010. With the parking charge revision, it's hoped that the interests of Season Parking Ticket holders will be better served, while managing the parking demands.
Singapore Democrat Party
Over-spending by three times the original budget (an amount, by the way, that is equivalent to what it puts aside to help the needy in a year) signals massive incompetence.
In a nutshell, we're spending $400,000,000 to stage an event that no one really cares about. Contrast this to the $110 million that this Government puts aside for social programmes for our needy. Such profligacy can only happen it a autocratic state. No government in a democracy knowing that it will be account for the dollars it spends would be so bold with public money.
Harris Ang, CNNGo
Costas Paris And Peter Stein, Wall Street Journal
Many institutions in the middle of a leadership change struggle with the same question, but it is especially sensitive with a state-owned investment fund controlling so much national wealth, where a limited local talent pool means outsiders are often foreigners—and when a past effort to recruit abroad ended badly. CEO-designate Charles "Chip" W. Goodyear, an American and former chief executive of mining giant BHP Billiton Ltd., quit in July 2009, three months before he was scheduled to become Temasek's first foreign boss.
While the two sides cited only "strategic differences" for the split, people familiar with the situation said Mr. Goodyear was unhappy with Temasek's approach to investing and what he saw as a lack of accountability within the organization.
Singapore Police Force, Singapore Government
Security checks on persons and belongings may be conducted by Police officers within the Special Event Areas. Police seek the cooperation of the public to comply with all orders issued by Police officers. Persons engaging in activities which compromise security within the special event areas may be removed and dealt with under the law.
Singapore Police Force, Singapore Government
Yawning Bread
There seems to be a policy hole with regard to resale flats. Nobody in government is in charge of matching supply and demand on a macro level. The HDB needs only to consider citizen population in its forward planning, since new flats that it builds can only be sold to citizens. It is not in the business of building flats for PRs.
Yet, most PRs find prices of private condominiums out of reach, so they can only look to resale HDB flats for housing, but if the total stock of HDB flats hardly increases, one could assume that the resale units available would hardly budge too. And all this while, more and more PRs make Singapore their home.
Singapore Notes
The reality is that more deadwood past their expiry dates will be clogging the drainage systems, drowning the country with a barrage of sycophants. Mini-Lee Kuan Yews they may be, but definitely not the mini-Goh Keng Swees the nation needs.
Zakir Hussain, Straits Times
About 140 people gathered at Speakers' Corner in Hong Lim Park on Sunday to sign a petition to spare convicted Malaysian drug trafficker Yong Vui Kong from the gallows.
Melissa Kok, Straits Times
A new study has found that more Singaporeans want a greater say when it comes to political participation and policy-making, compared to 12 years ago.
Yet, when it comes to actually making their views known on public policy issues to the Government, only a minority will actually step up to the plate.
Tang Li, Today
The Online Citizen
Sunday’s event at Hong Lim Park was a marked improvement over the last event in 2009 – also in support of clemency for Yong – which saw some 40 people turn up.
Rachel Zeng
Guanyinmiao's Musings
Unfortunately, a lot of what the Finance Minister has been discussing in terms of “ensuring that incomes for the bottom 20 per cent keep growing in real terms” has been rather intangible and fluffy,
Bernama
The government will appeal to the Singapore government for clemency, over the imposition of the death sentence imposed by a court in the republic on two Sarawakians. Jabing Kho and Galing Kujat, both 26, were sentenced to death yesterday, for the murder of a Chinese national on Feb 17, 2008, while robbing the victim.
S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia
NTUC's secretary general Lim Swee Say has said he is confident that Singapore will be able to replenish the S$4.5 billion drawn from the reserves over two to three years.
Manunphattr Dhanananphorn, Reuters
Flag carrier Thai Airways International Pcl said on Sunday it plans to form a new low-fare airline with Singapore's Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd, adding to Asia's crowded budget airline market.
Singapore Notes
This time he has gone too far, and become a greater security threat to our country than all the jihadist wannabes put together.
S M Ong
Ruchika Tulshyan, Time
Going forward, Singapore's growth will likely slow in 2011 as the world's lethargic recovery finally takes a toll on the small nation's prospects.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.