Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy 2008

Happy New Year folks!

Time seem to flies faster and faster.

Normally I don’t make any New Year’s resolution but for 2008 I wish to:

Have a healthier life style
Spend more time with family and friends.

Simple goals, but hope that I can achieve them by the end of next year.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Dog problems in Singapore and our well paid Civil Servant

Dec 19, 2007

AVA checks estates and acts on tip-offs on dogs

I REFER to the letter, 'Check estates, parks to spot unleashed dogs' (ST, Dec 10), by Ms Goh Ee Ca.

Upon receipt of feedback from the public on dogs straying or dogs not being muzzled, officers of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) will request details such as the usual time and location where the dogs are observed to stray, as well as the address of the dog owner, if available.


Such information is useful in helping our officers conduct a thorough investigation and take appropriate action. Even if a caller is unable to tell us the address of the dog owner, our officers will still visit the site to investigate and take enforcement action where needed.

In addition, AVA also conducts routine inspection visits to housing estates and other public places.


Last year, 135 dogs were found straying and appropriate enforcement action was taken against the owners.


We would like to remind owners that all dogs must be leashed in public places. In addition to being leashed, the following breeds of dogs and their crosses must also be muzzled in public places: Pit Bull (including the American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and American Bulldog), Akita, Neapolitan Mastiff, Tosa, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Boerboel, Bull Terrier, Doberman Pinscher, Rottweiler, German Shepherd (including the Belgian Shepherd Dog and East European Shepherd Dog) and Mastiff (including the Bull Mastiff, Perro De Presa Canario, Cane Corso and Dogue De Bordeaux).


Any person who contravenes the leashing and muzzling rule shall be liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding $5,000 for each of the offences.


Goh Shih Yong

Assistant Director Corporate Communications for Chief Executive Officer Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority

Recently there are many argument on our Main Stream Newspapers regarding dogs being free to run about in pubic places.

In Singapore, dogs are to be leased when in public places. However these law is not really enforced fully.

Recently there had been a attacked on a young girl by a dog.

This sparks off debates between dog lovers and the general publics.

AVA does not seem to do anything about the situation. They just tell us, the law is there so blame it on your people if you got killed by a dog since you did not report him in the first place.

Check out the standard of the letter to the forum by a senior civil servant from AVA.

Firstly I think the letter does not serve any purpose except telling what the public already knows.

In the 1st paragraph Goh Shih Yong just states what AVA will do when they receive a call from the publics on dogs. Note if you see a dogs not being muzzled or leased in the park. Not only you have to note the time and places at that moment, you also have to ASKED THE OWNER HIS ADDRESS. How clever is that?!

So if not address given by you. Then you can’t blame AVA for not following up when you kid is being mauled by a dog.

The letter then went on to tell people what AVA is doing and also petted themselves on the back by telling people they found 135 straying dogs.

Then the letter ends with a long list of dogs which must be muzzled in public places.

Consider this scenario:

You: Excuse me sir, I notice your dog is not muzzled. May I know what species it belong to?

Dog Owner: I not going to tell you.

You: After check the “breed of dog” book which I happen to be carrying with me now. I think you dog is a Perro De Presa Canario. And under the law and AVA guide line, you dog must be muzzled in public.

Dog Owner: I don’t want leh. What can you do?

You: In that case, I have to call AVA and report you. May I have your address please.

Dog Owner: Max KILLED!!!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Life is good?

Looks at how worst off we are in 2007.

More good years? It all depends which ends of the bell curve you fall in.

SMRT To Raise Taxi Fares From Dec 21
by Channel NewsAsia 14 Dec

Top Public Sector Officers To Get 4% To 21% Pay Rise In January
by Channel NewsAsia 13 Dec

ComfortDelGro Overhauls Taxi Fare Structure
by Channel NewsAsia 10 Dec

Singapore Economy To Slow Next Year
by Associated Press 08Dec

Price Of Chickens Goes Up By 50 Per Cent In Singapore
by Bernama 03 Oct

Electricity Tariffs To Go Up Because Of Higher Oil Prices
by Channel NewsAsia 25 Sep

Singapore's Inflation Highest In More Than 12 Years
by Bloomberg 24 Sep

Bus Fares To Go Up By 1 To 2 Cents From Oct 1
by Straits Times 11 Sep

Singapore Home Prices Rise To Decade-High In Q3
by Reuters 01 Oct

Inflation Hits 12-Year High In July
by Associated Press 23 Aug

Suicide Rate Climbs Despite Good Times
by The Star 18 Aug

Electricity Tariffs To Be Raised By Almost 9% From July
by Channel NewsAsia 15 Jun

GST Hike 'Unlikely To Raise Hawker, Cooked Food Prices'
by Straits Times 08 Jun

CPF Minimum Sum Up To $99,600 From July
by Straits Times 07 Jun

Singapore Auditors Find Irregularities In Ministries
by Reuters 25 May

The Ministeral Salaries Are Going Up... And Away
by Whispers From The Heart 14 Apr

Are Top Global Companies Really Dying To Hire Our Ministers?
by Mr Wang Says So 14 Apr

Singapore PM In Damage Control On Salary: Analyst
By AFP 12 Apr

Top Civil Servants Will Get A Pay Increase Of Between 14% And 33%
by Channel NewsAsia 09 Apr

Singapore Ministers Set For Million-Dollar Pay Hike
by Reuters 05 Apr