Female teacher's sex romp with pupil: Prestigious school imposes gag order on students
Raffles Institution imposes gag order on students, warning them not to discuss sex scandal involving former female teacher .
Singapore’s top boy school Raffles Institution has imposed a gag order on its students warning them not to speak to the media or discuss among themselves the shocking sex scandal involving a former female teacher in her 20s.
The state media reported two days ago that a former teacher in her 20s from a “top secondary school” in Singapore is currently under police investigation for allegedly having sex with an underage student who was a member of one of the school’s sports teams.
The woman was the teacher-in-charge of the team and was described by those who know her as ‘demure’ and ‘outgoing’. She is a married MOTHER of two kids.
She reportedly had sex with the male student more than once at the school and incident came to light after the boy’s parents lodged a complaint to the school.
According to an email we received from a RI student, the Head Prefect of RI sent a mass email out to its students last night asking them not to comment on the incident:
The female teacher has since left RI and she was described by those who know her as ‘demure, easy-going and approachable’ and was ‘well-maintained’ such that she appeared younger than her age.
The student who had sex with her is currently studying in Secondary Four and is reportedly the ‘envy’ of his classmates for having ‘shagged’ his teacher who is more than 10 years older than him.
Dear oh Dear what has our country and society became.
If you ask me what happened in Singapore for the first half of 2012 I can only recall scandalous stuff.
Underage prostitute who got 51 men in trouble include some high profile customers.
Corruption trial of High Ranking Official in the Central Narcotic Bureau and Civil Defence due to sex with their customers.
Corruption trial for Kong Hee and gang.
Sex for grad between a law student in NUS and her professor.
Now RI boys shagging his teacher. Still he became an envy of his classmate!
Happy National Day Singapore.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
The Standard or Singapore News
Jurong MP Desmond Lee falls, fractures arm at bike event
He had stopped to check phone and was trailing behind group when the accident happened, Shin Min Daily reported.
Wed, Jul 18, 2012
Desmond Lee, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Jurong GRC Group Representation Constituency (GRC), has fractured his left arm after falling off a bicycle during the Bond & Bike overnight cycling event held on July 14 and 15.
In a Shin Min Daily report published on July 17, Mr Lee was said to have been taking part in the awareness event organised by the People's Association Youth Movement and the Singapore Association for the Deaf.
According to the paper, MP Desmond Lee had already begun cycling from East Coast Park and was in the vicinity of Kallang when the incident occurred.
He told the paper that he had stopped to check his phone and was trailing about 20 metres behind the group of 150 cyclists.
Mr Lee fell when he was making a turn and could not lift his bicycle when he got back up on his feet. The roller chain on his bicycle also broke in the fall.
As he could no longer continue cycling, he decided to take a taxi back to East Coast, where his car was parked.
There, he called his wife for help.
Despite his wounds, Mr Lee did not think his injuries were serious, he told the Chinese daily.
It was only when the pain did not subside the next morning that he realised something was amiss.
A doctor told him that his left arm had been fractured, Shin Min reported.
The MP also suffered from injuries and abrasions to his knee and arm.
I can’t believe that they actually classified this as news. But again it’s Shin Min anyway.
I also think no one really care that Desmond broke his arm while cycling.
Since it is written I will be “Bo-Liao” and go in depth about what this story said.
Firstly we know that Desmond is not a very good cyclist, as he was trailing behind the group by 20 meters. In fact he is the last rider of the group.
I am actually quite surprise that there weren’t any bootlickers beside him during the ride to help him when he was in trouble.
If it is true then the cycling event was not very well organise as I think there should be a safety rider at the end to help if there is an accident.
Another question is what happened to his bike when he gave up riding and took a cab to East Coast from Kallang? Unless his bike is a foldable one or the taxi was a London or Space Wagon Cab, you simply cannot fit a normal adult size bike into a regular sedan taxi.
Lots of un-answer questions.
On a serious note, I am quite shock that our quality of media had fallen into this level.
There report unimportant events and don’t report important events just because it is not pro-government.
Also if you want to be a tabloid then be the best, go dig deeper into the details and not give us half F report.
No wonder our newspaper is rank 135th by Reporters without Borders in 2011-12. Gosh we are even behind Nigeria and Ethopia!
He had stopped to check phone and was trailing behind group when the accident happened, Shin Min Daily reported.
Wed, Jul 18, 2012
Desmond Lee, Member of Parliament (MP) for the Jurong GRC Group Representation Constituency (GRC), has fractured his left arm after falling off a bicycle during the Bond & Bike overnight cycling event held on July 14 and 15.
In a Shin Min Daily report published on July 17, Mr Lee was said to have been taking part in the awareness event organised by the People's Association Youth Movement and the Singapore Association for the Deaf.
According to the paper, MP Desmond Lee had already begun cycling from East Coast Park and was in the vicinity of Kallang when the incident occurred.
He told the paper that he had stopped to check his phone and was trailing about 20 metres behind the group of 150 cyclists.
Mr Lee fell when he was making a turn and could not lift his bicycle when he got back up on his feet. The roller chain on his bicycle also broke in the fall.
As he could no longer continue cycling, he decided to take a taxi back to East Coast, where his car was parked.
There, he called his wife for help.
Despite his wounds, Mr Lee did not think his injuries were serious, he told the Chinese daily.
It was only when the pain did not subside the next morning that he realised something was amiss.
A doctor told him that his left arm had been fractured, Shin Min reported.
The MP also suffered from injuries and abrasions to his knee and arm.
I can’t believe that they actually classified this as news. But again it’s Shin Min anyway.
I also think no one really care that Desmond broke his arm while cycling.
Since it is written I will be “Bo-Liao” and go in depth about what this story said.
Firstly we know that Desmond is not a very good cyclist, as he was trailing behind the group by 20 meters. In fact he is the last rider of the group.
I am actually quite surprise that there weren’t any bootlickers beside him during the ride to help him when he was in trouble.
If it is true then the cycling event was not very well organise as I think there should be a safety rider at the end to help if there is an accident.
Another question is what happened to his bike when he gave up riding and took a cab to East Coast from Kallang? Unless his bike is a foldable one or the taxi was a London or Space Wagon Cab, you simply cannot fit a normal adult size bike into a regular sedan taxi.
Lots of un-answer questions.
On a serious note, I am quite shock that our quality of media had fallen into this level.
There report unimportant events and don’t report important events just because it is not pro-government.
Also if you want to be a tabloid then be the best, go dig deeper into the details and not give us half F report.
No wonder our newspaper is rank 135th by Reporters without Borders in 2011-12. Gosh we are even behind Nigeria and Ethopia!
Monday, July 16, 2012
You sacrify while we continue to get rich.
Public support needed to balance foreign talent and economic growth: Ng Eng Hen15 July 2012
“SINGAPORE: Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said Singapore will be able to strike a proper balance between economic growth and foreign talent - with public support.
He urged Singaporeans to play their part in helping to achieve such a balance.
Dr Ng said it will always be difficult to do so, and added that Singapore should not pretend that it is going to be easy.
He said: "The balance depends very much on what Singaporeans are willing to support. Because if you tighten too much, your jobs are at risk. And not only your jobs, because you become less competitive. But not only that, for example in essential services, we need people to build our homes, man our hospitals, so on and so forth. Your quality of life will be affected…. “
S Iswaran urges new citizens to integrate, be part of larger society
15 July 2012
“SINGAPORE: Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, S Iswaran, has urged new citizens to learn to integrate and be part of a larger society.
He said this on the sidelines of a racial harmony event in his constituency, West Coast GRC, on Sunday morning. …..“
Approach integration with same spirit as racial harmony: Chan Chun Sing
15 July 2012
“SINGAPORE: Singapore will be able to integrate new immigrants in the coming years, if it approaches integration with the same spirit it has approached racial harmony.
Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing said he is confident of this, but stressed that everyone needs to play a part.
He said: "That will require two hands to clap, it will require fellow Singaporeans to remain open to people from different backgrounds.
"Yet at the same time, it will require new immigrants, our new friends, to come on board and play a part in our society, to reach out, to understand our social norms and to reach out to fellow Singaporeans. Only so, will we be able to build an inclusive society for everyone."
Holy shit! Channel News Asian ran not one but 3 articles with 3 different Ministers telling Singapore the same thing yesterday.
They are telling you to “integrate” with immigrant and you have to sacrifiy else Singapore will be doomed.
Ok to be fair S Iswaran is telling to the new citizen to buck up else Singaporeans will hate you.
These 3 jokers no doubt is being task to echo Hsien Loong message last week, they are reminding Singaporean that we need the new immigrants, we must bite the bullet and accept them else our country not have any growth and they can’t have their millions. But they also claims they are telling the new citizen to behave like Singaporean else they will face discriminations.
Also note Eng Hen is telling you to sacrifice my friends, not him nor the other Ministers nor the Elites. They want you to share resources with the new citizen while they still live in their private house, travel in their luxury cars and eat their lunch at expensive restaurant with no immigrant. Meanwhile they are enjoying their million dollar salaries while you and I are competition with the new immigrants for bus seats, MRT standing space, food in the hawkers, medicine at the clinics and urinals in the public toilets.
This idiot go on saying your quality of live will go down if you don’t have the immigrant, maybe yours but not the poor Eng Hen, how will the poor quality of live go down if we minus the immigrant? So what we are less competitive and our economy don’t grow so fast? I rather have less pay in a country that is less expensive and less crowded.
You just worry for yourself not ordinary Singaporearn.
So my dear Singaporeans, do you want these idiots yes men to be your leaders? You think they will work for your or your children to make this country a better place for you?
These MIW has been living in their ivory towers for too long and they sound stupid even when they try to understand your plight.
Vote wisely come 2015 else we will be slave forever.
“SINGAPORE: Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen said Singapore will be able to strike a proper balance between economic growth and foreign talent - with public support.
He urged Singaporeans to play their part in helping to achieve such a balance.
Dr Ng said it will always be difficult to do so, and added that Singapore should not pretend that it is going to be easy.
He said: "The balance depends very much on what Singaporeans are willing to support. Because if you tighten too much, your jobs are at risk. And not only your jobs, because you become less competitive. But not only that, for example in essential services, we need people to build our homes, man our hospitals, so on and so forth. Your quality of life will be affected…. “
S Iswaran urges new citizens to integrate, be part of larger society
15 July 2012
“SINGAPORE: Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, S Iswaran, has urged new citizens to learn to integrate and be part of a larger society.
He said this on the sidelines of a racial harmony event in his constituency, West Coast GRC, on Sunday morning. …..“
Approach integration with same spirit as racial harmony: Chan Chun Sing
15 July 2012
“SINGAPORE: Singapore will be able to integrate new immigrants in the coming years, if it approaches integration with the same spirit it has approached racial harmony.
Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing said he is confident of this, but stressed that everyone needs to play a part.
He said: "That will require two hands to clap, it will require fellow Singaporeans to remain open to people from different backgrounds.
"Yet at the same time, it will require new immigrants, our new friends, to come on board and play a part in our society, to reach out, to understand our social norms and to reach out to fellow Singaporeans. Only so, will we be able to build an inclusive society for everyone."
Holy shit! Channel News Asian ran not one but 3 articles with 3 different Ministers telling Singapore the same thing yesterday.
They are telling you to “integrate” with immigrant and you have to sacrifiy else Singapore will be doomed.
Ok to be fair S Iswaran is telling to the new citizen to buck up else Singaporeans will hate you.
These 3 jokers no doubt is being task to echo Hsien Loong message last week, they are reminding Singaporean that we need the new immigrants, we must bite the bullet and accept them else our country not have any growth and they can’t have their millions. But they also claims they are telling the new citizen to behave like Singaporean else they will face discriminations.
Also note Eng Hen is telling you to sacrifice my friends, not him nor the other Ministers nor the Elites. They want you to share resources with the new citizen while they still live in their private house, travel in their luxury cars and eat their lunch at expensive restaurant with no immigrant. Meanwhile they are enjoying their million dollar salaries while you and I are competition with the new immigrants for bus seats, MRT standing space, food in the hawkers, medicine at the clinics and urinals in the public toilets.
This idiot go on saying your quality of live will go down if you don’t have the immigrant, maybe yours but not the poor Eng Hen, how will the poor quality of live go down if we minus the immigrant? So what we are less competitive and our economy don’t grow so fast? I rather have less pay in a country that is less expensive and less crowded.
You just worry for yourself not ordinary Singaporearn.
So my dear Singaporeans, do you want these idiots yes men to be your leaders? You think they will work for your or your children to make this country a better place for you?
These MIW has been living in their ivory towers for too long and they sound stupid even when they try to understand your plight.
Vote wisely come 2015 else we will be slave forever.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The Elites will always be Elites.
Govt 'will manage social impact of immigration'
PM Lee urges newcomers to the Republic to play their part in adapting to society
Jul 11, 2012
It took a lost of a GRC for the PAP to realise the seriousness of the situation on how ordinary Singaporean are sick to the neck of the open immigration policy of the government.
Hsieng Loong used to tell Singaporean on how much we need to rely on foreigner and Singapore will be collapse and lose it competitive edge if we don’t have them.
Now after losing the record number of seats in the parliament the PAP is stating to sing a different tune.
They are now finally putting a filter on the open flood gate and is now telling the immigrant to changed instead of asking the Singaporean to change.
Frankly I think it is too little too late and I foresee the PAP will lost more seats in parliament in the next GE. Why? Because the changes PAP promised in the last GE is taking too long and till now I don’t see any concrete improvement of Singaporean lives since.
What we need now is to send stronger signals the incumbent that your Elite pro policy is obsolete and we demand changes. Give me back the Singapore we want!
These policy makers are sitting comfortably in their ivory towers, they don’t sit and eat at the same table with the immigrants, they don’t fight for seats with them on the MRT and buses, they don’t queue up at the supermarket with them and they don’t wait in line at the polyclinic with them so how can the Elites know the Peasants problems?
Till now I cannot see how serious the PAP is to make life in Singapore better for the ordinary folks.
So I guess the people will not take you seriously too dear Hsien Loong.
PM Lee urges newcomers to the Republic to play their part in adapting to society
Jul 11, 2012
SINGAPORE - Hong Kong and Singapore, which have seen an influx of Chinese immigrants in recent years, have had to adjust to the social impact of a rising China, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday.
Speaking at the closing dialogue of the FutureChina Global Forum, Mr Lee said Singapore deals with this issue by managing the inflow of immigrants and getting them to adapt to the local way of life.
He felt it was "completely understandable" that Singaporeans may feel uncomfortable with the recent influx of mainland Chinese immigrants, who may look the same as Singaporean Chinese but sound and behave differently.
Mr Lee said the Government will continue to manage the social impact of immigration and urged newcomers to play their part.
"We have to encourage the non-Singaporeans who are living here to adapt to the circumstances in Singapore and understand that this is a different society with different values and cultures, and (a society that is) multi-racial and religious," he said.
"(They) have to make those adaptations which the Singaporean Chinese have adapted and learnt over several generations.
"Of course, we also have to manage the numbers and the flow and make sure we're not overwhelmed. We have to make sure there is effort on both sides to make this a working, adapted and well-adjusted relationship."
The forum brought together more than 60 speakers to share insights on China's evolving society and culture.
On the issue of attracting and retaining talent in the Republic - a problem faced by cities around the world - Mr Lee said: "We must expect that people will go and, at the same time, we must attract people who can make a contribution to Singapore to come to Singapore."
Singapore is an attractive choice because there are opportunities here and it is an exciting and good place to live, he added.
"We try to make it such that if you come (to Singapore) and make a contribution, you can do well and fulfil your potential. I think we have to be like that if Singapore is to prosper."
On the business front, Mr Lee said Singapore companies can benefit from the continued cooperation between the two countries. The key to success is to ensure that companies continue to deliver and that the Singapore brand does not get tarnished, he said.
It took a lost of a GRC for the PAP to realise the seriousness of the situation on how ordinary Singaporean are sick to the neck of the open immigration policy of the government.
Hsieng Loong used to tell Singaporean on how much we need to rely on foreigner and Singapore will be collapse and lose it competitive edge if we don’t have them.
Now after losing the record number of seats in the parliament the PAP is stating to sing a different tune.
They are now finally putting a filter on the open flood gate and is now telling the immigrant to changed instead of asking the Singaporean to change.
Frankly I think it is too little too late and I foresee the PAP will lost more seats in parliament in the next GE. Why? Because the changes PAP promised in the last GE is taking too long and till now I don’t see any concrete improvement of Singaporean lives since.
What we need now is to send stronger signals the incumbent that your Elite pro policy is obsolete and we demand changes. Give me back the Singapore we want!
These policy makers are sitting comfortably in their ivory towers, they don’t sit and eat at the same table with the immigrants, they don’t fight for seats with them on the MRT and buses, they don’t queue up at the supermarket with them and they don’t wait in line at the polyclinic with them so how can the Elites know the Peasants problems?
Till now I cannot see how serious the PAP is to make life in Singapore better for the ordinary folks.
So I guess the people will not take you seriously too dear Hsien Loong.
Friday, June 29, 2012
The scary thing about the power of brain washing.
Head Pastor Lawrence Khong urges fellow pastors to pray for Kong Hee and to speak ‘well’ of CHC
Posted by temasektimes on June 28, 2012Influential Head Pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church (FCBC) and Chairman of ‘Love Singapore’ Pastor Lawrence Khong (pic left) has called on fellow pastors to rally behind disgraced founder of City Harvest Church (CHC) Kong Hee and to pray for him.
Kong Hee was charged in court yesterday together with four others for misappropriating up to S$50 million dollars of the church’s funds and diverting them to further the music career of his singer wife Ho Yeow San.
Despite being condemned roundly by many Singaporeans including Christians, a senior figure from the Christian community Lawrence Khong had spoken up publicly in defence of Kong Hee.
In a note posted on his Facebook, Pastor Khong urged fellow pastors to unite behind Kong Hee:
We read with sadness the charges brought against Pastor Kong Hee and four senior leaders of City Harvest Church.
“We must stand ever more united in love and stronger in prayer for Pastor Kong Hee and the church. This is a time of testing for the Body of Christ. Truth is, we are all on trial before a righteous God. We must ask ourselves: Do we truly love the Body? Let there be a powerful prayerbuzz—on earth as it is in heaven! Let’s tell our members to talk more with God and less with others, especially on social media.”
He reminded them that Kong Hee is ‘innocent until proven guilty’ and implored them not to ‘prejudge or make baseless assumptions.’
“We must seek every opportunity to speak well of City Harvest Church. Its impact on the youth of Singapore is phenomenal. Its community service is outstanding. Its social arm meets a wide range of needs,” he added.
This is another joker who is getting his priority wrong. I am really shocked that he can actually become a pastor.
Yes Kong Hee is “innocent” until proven guilty. But should Lawrence be asking the community to pray to Jesus for the truth rather then pray for Kong Hee.
So what if Kong Hee is proven guilty? Is Lawrence asking the people to pray for the thief?
One thing to ask yourself, is it morally right for a pastor to stay in a multi millions dollar home in the first place? Something is already out of place if the pastor live a life of luxury.
Mark 10:21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”
I think Jesus must be quite sad now.
Monday, June 18, 2012
An weekend event
The Community Centre of my constituency held a charity “BaZhang” making event over the weekend from 15 till 17th June.
I don’t have the exact details on how or who is buying the finished product or maybe they just delivered to some charity organisation, but let me share what I observed.
The even started on Friday evening when the contractor set up a stage and tent. Early Saturday’s morning I already saw many “aunties” volunteer making the “BaZhang” in the makeshift tent under the hot sun throughout the day.
They wrap, cook, and had their lunch and dinner in the makeshift tent all in name of charity. To me they are the true hero of this event.
Now early Sunday, the band came and set up their equipment, dragon dancer were hired to welcome the VIP DPM and many boot licker starts to turn up on Sunday to make sure the area is fit for the VIP.
I guess money must had been spent for this elaborate welcoming party.
So what is the VIP role in this charity even? Did he help with the making of “BaZhang”?
What was he purpose for gracing this event? I am sure the charity even can go on without him being around?
So how much was spent of the welcoming event? Should his money put to better use for the charity? Or at least buy the helpers better lunch and dinner.
To me something is being misplaced here. Pubic money and effort from volunteers are somehow used to publicise the PAP MPs in the constituency.
To the volunteer aunties I salute you and to the balls licking RC and “VIP”, you should be ashamed of yourself.
I don’t have the exact details on how or who is buying the finished product or maybe they just delivered to some charity organisation, but let me share what I observed.
The even started on Friday evening when the contractor set up a stage and tent. Early Saturday’s morning I already saw many “aunties” volunteer making the “BaZhang” in the makeshift tent under the hot sun throughout the day.
They wrap, cook, and had their lunch and dinner in the makeshift tent all in name of charity. To me they are the true hero of this event.
Now early Sunday, the band came and set up their equipment, dragon dancer were hired to welcome the VIP DPM and many boot licker starts to turn up on Sunday to make sure the area is fit for the VIP.
I guess money must had been spent for this elaborate welcoming party.
So what is the VIP role in this charity even? Did he help with the making of “BaZhang”?
What was he purpose for gracing this event? I am sure the charity even can go on without him being around?
So how much was spent of the welcoming event? Should his money put to better use for the charity? Or at least buy the helpers better lunch and dinner.
To me something is being misplaced here. Pubic money and effort from volunteers are somehow used to publicise the PAP MPs in the constituency.
To the volunteer aunties I salute you and to the balls licking RC and “VIP”, you should be ashamed of yourself.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
They never learn
Election period is an exciting time in Singapore, too bad it comes only once every 5 years.
During these times you suddenly see the incumbent becoming humble.
They start to walk the ground, Ministers, DPM and event the PM himself! (I never see my Minister MP during non-election period except when he was invited for some free dinner parties by the CC).
The incumbent also suddenly give out goodies and also start apologising to Singaporean for their failed policies and ask us to vote them in again so they are correct it.
I got to say with social media, more unbiased reports are available to the public and I think PAP themselves know they can’t really control the media anymore. In another words they cannot censored what we see and hear.
Also during this period suddenly the IQ of Ministers somehow dropped drastically.
The things they say when they try to counter the opposition somehow don’t really make sense and they do sound stupid at times.
Now everyone, be it the incumbent or the opposition parties, are being shown to the publics and Singaporean can choose for themselves who they want to believe in.
This is good for the democracy of Singapore.
So my advice to the PAP is to do your job sincerely, don’t bullshit us and the people will definitely see for themselves and vote for you if you are the best candidates.
They should abolished the GRC system so every man and woman no matter which political parties they are responsible for his or her own votes and are voted in by his/her own merits.
Instead the PAP starts to do weird stuff to shoot themselves in the foot for what reason I do not know.
After GE2011 when the lost Aljunied GRC, they start taking away the management of some public facility from the town council and gave them to the People Association which is chaired by the PM himself.
They penalised constituencies that voted against them by putting them last in upgrading and the removal of amenities.
The PAP still failed to realised that old method cannot be used to pacify new voters.
All we asked for is a fair and just government which treat us sincerely so Singapore can be a wonderful place to live in.
Until the PAP change I can assure you they will be loosing vote.
During these times you suddenly see the incumbent becoming humble.
They start to walk the ground, Ministers, DPM and event the PM himself! (I never see my Minister MP during non-election period except when he was invited for some free dinner parties by the CC).
The incumbent also suddenly give out goodies and also start apologising to Singaporean for their failed policies and ask us to vote them in again so they are correct it.
I got to say with social media, more unbiased reports are available to the public and I think PAP themselves know they can’t really control the media anymore. In another words they cannot censored what we see and hear.
Also during this period suddenly the IQ of Ministers somehow dropped drastically.
The things they say when they try to counter the opposition somehow don’t really make sense and they do sound stupid at times.
Now everyone, be it the incumbent or the opposition parties, are being shown to the publics and Singaporean can choose for themselves who they want to believe in.
This is good for the democracy of Singapore.
So my advice to the PAP is to do your job sincerely, don’t bullshit us and the people will definitely see for themselves and vote for you if you are the best candidates.
They should abolished the GRC system so every man and woman no matter which political parties they are responsible for his or her own votes and are voted in by his/her own merits.
Instead the PAP starts to do weird stuff to shoot themselves in the foot for what reason I do not know.
After GE2011 when the lost Aljunied GRC, they start taking away the management of some public facility from the town council and gave them to the People Association which is chaired by the PM himself.
They penalised constituencies that voted against them by putting them last in upgrading and the removal of amenities.
The PAP still failed to realised that old method cannot be used to pacify new voters.
All we asked for is a fair and just government which treat us sincerely so Singapore can be a wonderful place to live in.
Until the PAP change I can assure you they will be loosing vote.
Monday, May 21, 2012
The more the speak the more stupid they sound.
I listen to the WP rally over the weekend via youtube and I did tried to do the same for the PAP one so I see for myself how different the views of this two parties are but 4min into Desmond’s speech nearly killed me so I have so stop.
I have to resort to summary by our press and luckily I did not listen to Chee Hein nor Denis Phua’s speech cause I am sure they will send me straight to hell.
I can’t believe how dumb and brainless the PAP camp can be and the argument they put up is really what I call jaw dropping.
I still think the more rally they host the more vote they will lose, look like they still think we are in the 80s where there is no social medias and people have to be informed with censor informations.
Even people like me can easily find flaws in PAP’s rally.
From CNA:
Chee Hean says:
"Is Hougang so special, that the WP is sending you a candidate that they themselves decided not to send to Parliament when they had the chance?"
I say: Why Mah Bow Tan and Wong Kang Seng which were PAP best men for Ministers job lost their post after GE 2011? At that time it was only a nominated MP post avail for WP as the loser with the highest vote. So does it matter who they send it then? In the first place the GRC system is flaw as the PAP has no balls to let each men stand for election base on his or her own merits.
Desmond says:
"I work hard to raise funds from many private donors, sponsors and businesses. I pushed for government funded schemes to be fast-tracked in Hougang. I also worked with charitable organisations on projects to benefit residents. But somehow, someone on Saturday thought it was wrong for me to have done so. Do you think I should continue helping people?"
I say: So where Desmond get his money from? The government? PA? If so why only give tax payer money to a PAP grass root advisor while the elected opposition MP are not given these public funds? Why penalised tax paying Singaporean from their own money just because they voted for a different political party? National issue is not a political issue my dear PAP.
From ST:
Denis Phua says:
“HOUGANG residents need no longer fear that voting in a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate will affect the number of opposition voices in Parliament, said PAP MP Denise Phua on Sunday.
PAP MPs are also independent-minded and can speak 'boldly and without fear'”
I say: Can Desmond voted against his party? Will he be free from the party whip? If he is an individual voice then stand as an independent candidate Desmond.
I have to resort to summary by our press and luckily I did not listen to Chee Hein nor Denis Phua’s speech cause I am sure they will send me straight to hell.
I can’t believe how dumb and brainless the PAP camp can be and the argument they put up is really what I call jaw dropping.
I still think the more rally they host the more vote they will lose, look like they still think we are in the 80s where there is no social medias and people have to be informed with censor informations.
Even people like me can easily find flaws in PAP’s rally.
From CNA:
Chee Hean says:
"Is Hougang so special, that the WP is sending you a candidate that they themselves decided not to send to Parliament when they had the chance?"
I say: Why Mah Bow Tan and Wong Kang Seng which were PAP best men for Ministers job lost their post after GE 2011? At that time it was only a nominated MP post avail for WP as the loser with the highest vote. So does it matter who they send it then? In the first place the GRC system is flaw as the PAP has no balls to let each men stand for election base on his or her own merits.
Desmond says:
"I work hard to raise funds from many private donors, sponsors and businesses. I pushed for government funded schemes to be fast-tracked in Hougang. I also worked with charitable organisations on projects to benefit residents. But somehow, someone on Saturday thought it was wrong for me to have done so. Do you think I should continue helping people?"
I say: So where Desmond get his money from? The government? PA? If so why only give tax payer money to a PAP grass root advisor while the elected opposition MP are not given these public funds? Why penalised tax paying Singaporean from their own money just because they voted for a different political party? National issue is not a political issue my dear PAP.
From ST:
Denis Phua says:
“HOUGANG residents need no longer fear that voting in a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate will affect the number of opposition voices in Parliament, said PAP MP Denise Phua on Sunday.
PAP MPs are also independent-minded and can speak 'boldly and without fear'”
I say: Can Desmond voted against his party? Will he be free from the party whip? If he is an individual voice then stand as an independent candidate Desmond.
Friday, May 18, 2012
It is better to be an animal in Singapore.
Pandas to get five-star treatment in Singapore
They will enjoy $8.5m enclosure and four types of specially grown bamboo
ST 18 May 2012
The endangered pandas are the national treasures of China, and Singapore has every intention of treating them as such when two of them come here.
In the run-up to Kai Kai and Jia Jia's arrival - which, it is hoped, will take place by year-end - a lot of work has been put in to make their 10-year stay here a five-star experience.
Everything - from the types of bamboo that they need to be fed to the exact spots for installing lights - is being fine-tuned months before their much-anticipated arrival.
The $8.5 million panda enclosure in the upcoming River Safari obtained its Temporary Occupation Permit.
It is indeed better to be an animal in Singapore.
They will enjoy $8.5m enclosure and four types of specially grown bamboo
ST 18 May 2012
The endangered pandas are the national treasures of China, and Singapore has every intention of treating them as such when two of them come here.
In the run-up to Kai Kai and Jia Jia's arrival - which, it is hoped, will take place by year-end - a lot of work has been put in to make their 10-year stay here a five-star experience.
Everything - from the types of bamboo that they need to be fed to the exact spots for installing lights - is being fine-tuned months before their much-anticipated arrival.
The $8.5 million panda enclosure in the upcoming River Safari obtained its Temporary Occupation Permit.
It is indeed better to be an animal in Singapore.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Why we need Opposition in Singapore
A year after the GE 2010 and now Hougang is fuelling the sentiment of Singaporean again.
If you asked yourself, did you life got better or worst after PAP re-took Singapore in 2010 I am sure most of us know the sad truth.
Even with a new President life in Singapore for the ordinary folks had gone from bad to worst.
Inflation, record COE, MRT breaking down, influx of foreigners, increase utilities price etc etc.
Why things are not getting better? Although Hsien Loong asked for some time but a year is not a short so why are things not improving?
I think the reason is simple, the PAP has lost touch with the ground, they are prioritising on the wrong issues.
Most of the time they are busy making life good for the rich and not the poor, whether they are doing it on purpose or not I do not know.
I personally had met people from PAP and the opposition although they are all friendly but there always seem to be a barrier when I talked to the PAP.
Everything is so robotic and efficient in the PAP camp that there is no personal warm at all.
Maybe it is all the protocol and procedure in the Party that made the PAP the way this way.
I met an incumbent Minister way back before he joined politics and he was sincere and talking to him was easy and he seem to understand “lesser motal” like us then.
These days when I read what he said on TV and in parliament, it sounds ridiculous and stupid at times.
So my dear Singaporean, do you think a millionaire can empathise with your problems?
Do you think he will know how you struggle to make ends meet everyday, how you squeezed into crowded public transport, how you queue 3 hours to see a doctor at the poly clinics, how you waited 3 months to see a specialist, how you have to work longer hours to pay off your HDB debt, how you dare not to work shorter hours as your boss is threatening to replace you with cheaper FT etc etc….
Ask yourself do you want a Yes Man as your MP or a ordinary guy who dare to speak up for you when things went wrong?
You may not see it in this few years but think for your children, think for them what kind of Singapore you want them to grow up to.
If you asked yourself, did you life got better or worst after PAP re-took Singapore in 2010 I am sure most of us know the sad truth.
Even with a new President life in Singapore for the ordinary folks had gone from bad to worst.
Inflation, record COE, MRT breaking down, influx of foreigners, increase utilities price etc etc.
Why things are not getting better? Although Hsien Loong asked for some time but a year is not a short so why are things not improving?
I think the reason is simple, the PAP has lost touch with the ground, they are prioritising on the wrong issues.
Most of the time they are busy making life good for the rich and not the poor, whether they are doing it on purpose or not I do not know.
I personally had met people from PAP and the opposition although they are all friendly but there always seem to be a barrier when I talked to the PAP.
Everything is so robotic and efficient in the PAP camp that there is no personal warm at all.
Maybe it is all the protocol and procedure in the Party that made the PAP the way this way.
I met an incumbent Minister way back before he joined politics and he was sincere and talking to him was easy and he seem to understand “lesser motal” like us then.
These days when I read what he said on TV and in parliament, it sounds ridiculous and stupid at times.
So my dear Singaporean, do you think a millionaire can empathise with your problems?
Do you think he will know how you struggle to make ends meet everyday, how you squeezed into crowded public transport, how you queue 3 hours to see a doctor at the poly clinics, how you waited 3 months to see a specialist, how you have to work longer hours to pay off your HDB debt, how you dare not to work shorter hours as your boss is threatening to replace you with cheaper FT etc etc….
Ask yourself do you want a Yes Man as your MP or a ordinary guy who dare to speak up for you when things went wrong?
You may not see it in this few years but think for your children, think for them what kind of Singapore you want them to grow up to.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Hsein Loong's Cheap shot is making me sick
By-election a chance to elect reliable candidate: PM
Thu, May 10, 2012
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday called on Hougang residents to make use of the by-election to elect a reliable and committed candidate to serve them well.
In a post on his Facebook page, which he started just over two weeks ago, Mr Lee wrote: "I encourage Hougang voters to use this opportunity wisely, to elect the best candidate with commitment and integrity: someone they can rely upon to express their hopes and concerns, address their needs, and make a real difference to their lives."
He explained that he had already made known his intentions, during Parliament, to call for a by- election in the single-member Hougang ward after it was left vacant in February. But he reiterated that "the Constitution does not require me to call a by-election within any fixed timeframe".
Mr Lee said he advised President Tony Tan Keng Yam yesterday morning to issue the Writ of Election, which he attached to his Facebook post.
In his post, Mr Lee wrote that the Workers' Party (WP) and former Member of Parliament (MP) for the ward, Mr Yaw Shin Leong, had "let down all those who voted for him".
In February, the party said it had expelled the beleaguered former MP from its ranks after he failed to come clean about his rumoured extramarital affairs.
In a strongly worded statement issued at that time, the WP added that Mr Yaw had "broken the faith, trust and expectations of the party and people".
He was reported to have left the country a day after he was expelled.
Last Saturday, The Straits Times reported that he and his wife were in Hanoi.
But Mr Lee said yesterday that the WP "has not given Singaporeans a full and proper account of what happened, or why it acted in this way".
He added: "Mr Yaw himself has said nothing, either to explain or to apologise for his behaviour, and has reportedly left the country."
He noted that the WP had, initially, chosen to keep mum when the allegations surfaced.
"The WP first kept totally silent, then supported Mr Yaw, and then, three weeks later, suddenly expelled him from the party," he wrote.
"I hope these events will not distract us from focusing on our national priorities, and building an inclusive Singapore."
Mr Lee posted the note just before 4.30pm yesterday and, by 7pm last night, it had attracted 70 comments from netizens and was shared over 265 times.
Many of those who responded to his note welcomed the call for the by-election.
Netizen Benedict Jacob-Thambiah wrote: "As someone who lives within Aljunied GRC, I am tired of sharing MPs with the people from Hougang. Besides, the MPs for Aljunied weren't elected to speak for the people of Hougang in Parliament."
Aljunied GRC was also won by the WP last year.
Another netizen, Subramaniam Thirumeni, said: "This is a positive step in a new and fair political direction that our nation is hopefully embarking on."
Others, like Jmm Limm, questioned the timing of the by-election, saying that rumoured PAP candidate Desmond Choo had been given "enough time to make inroads into Hougang" as a result of the delay
Ah the excitement of the Election is coming again, good opportunity and a reminder to us how stupid, dumb and ridiculous the incumbent can be. A pity it is not a public holiday.
Hsien Loong lead the way to shows how ridiculous the People Action Party is.
He took this opportunity to take a cheap shot at WP (Maybe he is afraid?) reminding people how lousy the last MP was and it is not for the resident to choose someone a reliable guy from his camp.
That’s strange there are quire a few un-reliable guy from his camp now and some even became Minister and I am sure they did let down Singaporean not once but on quite a number of occasions. *Cough* Mas Selamat *Cough* MRT breakdown *Cough*Lesser Mortal *Cough* Mee siam mai Hum *Cough*
Hsien Loong went on babbling on how lousy WP is and hey for God’s sake can you be a gentlemen and make this election a fair and proper one and not going down the dirty path?
I dare Hsien Loong to relinquish his seat for Ang Mo Kio GRC and come and run in Hougang to see how popular he really is.
One on one a fair fight. Don’t see many Men In White have the balls to do it.
Thu, May 10, 2012
Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday called on Hougang residents to make use of the by-election to elect a reliable and committed candidate to serve them well.
In a post on his Facebook page, which he started just over two weeks ago, Mr Lee wrote: "I encourage Hougang voters to use this opportunity wisely, to elect the best candidate with commitment and integrity: someone they can rely upon to express their hopes and concerns, address their needs, and make a real difference to their lives."
He explained that he had already made known his intentions, during Parliament, to call for a by- election in the single-member Hougang ward after it was left vacant in February. But he reiterated that "the Constitution does not require me to call a by-election within any fixed timeframe".
Mr Lee said he advised President Tony Tan Keng Yam yesterday morning to issue the Writ of Election, which he attached to his Facebook post.
In his post, Mr Lee wrote that the Workers' Party (WP) and former Member of Parliament (MP) for the ward, Mr Yaw Shin Leong, had "let down all those who voted for him".
In February, the party said it had expelled the beleaguered former MP from its ranks after he failed to come clean about his rumoured extramarital affairs.
In a strongly worded statement issued at that time, the WP added that Mr Yaw had "broken the faith, trust and expectations of the party and people".
He was reported to have left the country a day after he was expelled.
Last Saturday, The Straits Times reported that he and his wife were in Hanoi.
But Mr Lee said yesterday that the WP "has not given Singaporeans a full and proper account of what happened, or why it acted in this way".
He added: "Mr Yaw himself has said nothing, either to explain or to apologise for his behaviour, and has reportedly left the country."
He noted that the WP had, initially, chosen to keep mum when the allegations surfaced.
"The WP first kept totally silent, then supported Mr Yaw, and then, three weeks later, suddenly expelled him from the party," he wrote.
"I hope these events will not distract us from focusing on our national priorities, and building an inclusive Singapore."
Mr Lee posted the note just before 4.30pm yesterday and, by 7pm last night, it had attracted 70 comments from netizens and was shared over 265 times.
Many of those who responded to his note welcomed the call for the by-election.
Netizen Benedict Jacob-Thambiah wrote: "As someone who lives within Aljunied GRC, I am tired of sharing MPs with the people from Hougang. Besides, the MPs for Aljunied weren't elected to speak for the people of Hougang in Parliament."
Aljunied GRC was also won by the WP last year.
Another netizen, Subramaniam Thirumeni, said: "This is a positive step in a new and fair political direction that our nation is hopefully embarking on."
Others, like Jmm Limm, questioned the timing of the by-election, saying that rumoured PAP candidate Desmond Choo had been given "enough time to make inroads into Hougang" as a result of the delay
Ah the excitement of the Election is coming again, good opportunity and a reminder to us how stupid, dumb and ridiculous the incumbent can be. A pity it is not a public holiday.
Hsien Loong lead the way to shows how ridiculous the People Action Party is.
He took this opportunity to take a cheap shot at WP (Maybe he is afraid?) reminding people how lousy the last MP was and it is not for the resident to choose someone a reliable guy from his camp.
That’s strange there are quire a few un-reliable guy from his camp now and some even became Minister and I am sure they did let down Singaporean not once but on quite a number of occasions. *Cough* Mas Selamat *Cough* MRT breakdown *Cough*Lesser Mortal *Cough* Mee siam mai Hum *Cough*
Hsien Loong went on babbling on how lousy WP is and hey for God’s sake can you be a gentlemen and make this election a fair and proper one and not going down the dirty path?
I dare Hsien Loong to relinquish his seat for Ang Mo Kio GRC and come and run in Hougang to see how popular he really is.
One on one a fair fight. Don’t see many Men In White have the balls to do it.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Making mountain out of mole hill
PM on Facebook: 29,200 'likes'... and counting
Apr 22, 2012
A day after its launch that saw thousands of netizens clicking on the thumbs-up icon in support, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's Facebook page continued to draw 'likes' on Saturday.
By midnight, the number of 'likes' had crossed 29,200, doubling what he had on Day 1.
His Twitter account, set up at the same time, had more than 7,100 followers.
PM Lee also showed a determination to stay active online: Late last night, he posted messages on Facebook and Twitter, describing what he had done in the evening. 'Just returned from AMK (Ang Mo Kio). Was at a Welcome Party at Teck Ghee Vista, and an MUP (Main Upgrading Programme) Completion at Teck Ghee Grandeur,' he wrote on Facebook. He then went on to talk a bit more about what happened.
I can't believe the main stream media persistence on this piece of news.
I been seeing this old news for at least 2 days, updating the readers how many followers and likers Hsien Loong has.
I wonder how many the 3 legs from the grass roots?
Ok ok we all know Hsien Loong has his own Facebook page and Twitter account and many many people “Like” him.
My point is “SO WHAT”?
So what if you have 1 millions Likes on you Facebook and 2 millions followers in Twitter?
Just do your job properly and engage the citizens, listen and try to do some good for the nation. Then people will definitely LIKE you for who you are and not some virtual Likes in a virtual space.
Apr 22, 2012
A day after its launch that saw thousands of netizens clicking on the thumbs-up icon in support, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's Facebook page continued to draw 'likes' on Saturday.
By midnight, the number of 'likes' had crossed 29,200, doubling what he had on Day 1.
His Twitter account, set up at the same time, had more than 7,100 followers.
PM Lee also showed a determination to stay active online: Late last night, he posted messages on Facebook and Twitter, describing what he had done in the evening. 'Just returned from AMK (Ang Mo Kio). Was at a Welcome Party at Teck Ghee Vista, and an MUP (Main Upgrading Programme) Completion at Teck Ghee Grandeur,' he wrote on Facebook. He then went on to talk a bit more about what happened.
I can't believe the main stream media persistence on this piece of news.
I been seeing this old news for at least 2 days, updating the readers how many followers and likers Hsien Loong has.
I wonder how many the 3 legs from the grass roots?
Ok ok we all know Hsien Loong has his own Facebook page and Twitter account and many many people “Like” him.
My point is “SO WHAT”?
So what if you have 1 millions Likes on you Facebook and 2 millions followers in Twitter?
Just do your job properly and engage the citizens, listen and try to do some good for the nation. Then people will definitely LIKE you for who you are and not some virtual Likes in a virtual space.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Paying millions for idiots.
Breakdown unavoidable on heavily utilised train system
Ministry of Transport will try to minimise disruptions as much as possible. -myp
Tue, Apr 10, 2012
Disruptions on a heavily utilised rail system such as Singapore's are unavoidable, but breakdowns longer than 30 minutes are considered major disruptions, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in Parliament yesterday.
He said the Ministry of Transport "will try and minimise as much as possible the major disruptions and to keep them in check".
But with an average of 2.7 million passenger trips daily and thousands of train trips in more than 18 hours a day, "there is no way you can prevent disruptions from occurring".
He was responding to Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC Lee Bee Wah's queries on whether more can be done to address the spate of breakdowns.
"If they do take place, you then have an incident-management plan in place that will try to ameliorate the effects on commuters," he added.
Mr Lui also gave details of the resources spent by transport operator SBS Transit on preventive maintenance of the rail track and tunnel of the North-East Line (NEL).
He said it spent about $16 million from 2007 to last year in this area, adding that it was "a fraction of the total maintenance cost that they spent" on the line.
The operator, which has an in-house team of about 470 maintenance staff, also conducts regular inspections in accordance with approved maintenance plans, he said.
This includes a monthly deployment of an engineering vehicle to detect track faults, six-monthly tunnel inspections to check for cracks and leaks, as well as nightly checks to look for signs of defects or wear and tear.
On March 15, some 90,000 commuters were affected by a disruption on the NEL, which lasted some 10 hours. It was the biggest train disruption here since two major incidents on SMRT's North-South Line on Dec 15 and 17 last year.
Mr Lui said he has asked the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to work with the operators to put in place a "condition- monitoring regime" to give a better idea of how to prioritise some of the maintenance efforts needed.
Mr Lui also addressed the issue of employing foreign bus drivers. He was referring to a recent accident in Sengkang, where an SBS Transit bus driven by a foreign driver killed a 66-year-old woman.
While everyone is "saddened" by the incident, Mr Lui stressed that regardless of nationality, it is crucial that every driver is adequately trained and appropriately qualified.
"Especially if they come from abroad, then (they should be) given the kind of orientation that will help them familiarise themselves with the peculiarities of the system here in Singapore," he said.
In the public-bus sector, about 61 per cent of drivers are Singaporeans and permanent residents, about 26 per cent are Malaysians and about 12 to 13 per cent are from China.
Mr Lui added that the training of foreign drivers should include infusing them with the responsibility that they carry and to make sure that they operate their vehicles in a safe manner.
While the two public-bus operators will need to hire about 1,600 more drivers for the additional 800 buses in five years, Mr Lui said the Government will not micro-manage their wages and employment terms.
The LTA is also exploring the use of buses from private bus companies to supplement the public-bus fleet, he noted.
But there are constraints as private operators are trying to maximise the utilisation of their fleet, and are also needed to ferry workers and students during the peak hours, he said.
He added that the current system of rotating an average of two drivers to operate every bus through the course of a day was adequate.
Mr Lui said: "There's the morning peak as well as the evening peak and, in between, some of the drivers will then get to rest in the interchanges."
Now you have a million dollar Minister telling you that it is acceptable for train to break down. This is like throwing in the towel before the match even start.
Terrible mentality I wonder what kind of “quality” people Hsien Loong select to be Minister.
Meanwhile in Tokyo, it is UNACCEPTABLE for any break down.
Say you pay for a cheap “Guess” watch, I believe it is acceptable if it breaks down 10 years later. But if you spent a premium on a Rolex, I will expect it to be working 50years later with proper maintenance.
We now have the most expensive cabinet in the world telling us that too bad you have accept these failures.
Crab.
Then change a cheaper person to run the show or cut the cost of transport then maybe we can accept some sort of disruption.
Running an efficient transport is possible it is just a matter of will and the resource you are willing to pour in.
If we have money minded Minister and Transport operator, do you think their priority is the commuters or bottom line?
The answer is obvious.
Ministry of Transport will try to minimise disruptions as much as possible. -myp
Tue, Apr 10, 2012
Disruptions on a heavily utilised rail system such as Singapore's are unavoidable, but breakdowns longer than 30 minutes are considered major disruptions, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew in Parliament yesterday.
He said the Ministry of Transport "will try and minimise as much as possible the major disruptions and to keep them in check".
But with an average of 2.7 million passenger trips daily and thousands of train trips in more than 18 hours a day, "there is no way you can prevent disruptions from occurring".
He was responding to Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC Lee Bee Wah's queries on whether more can be done to address the spate of breakdowns.
"If they do take place, you then have an incident-management plan in place that will try to ameliorate the effects on commuters," he added.
Mr Lui also gave details of the resources spent by transport operator SBS Transit on preventive maintenance of the rail track and tunnel of the North-East Line (NEL).
He said it spent about $16 million from 2007 to last year in this area, adding that it was "a fraction of the total maintenance cost that they spent" on the line.
The operator, which has an in-house team of about 470 maintenance staff, also conducts regular inspections in accordance with approved maintenance plans, he said.
This includes a monthly deployment of an engineering vehicle to detect track faults, six-monthly tunnel inspections to check for cracks and leaks, as well as nightly checks to look for signs of defects or wear and tear.
On March 15, some 90,000 commuters were affected by a disruption on the NEL, which lasted some 10 hours. It was the biggest train disruption here since two major incidents on SMRT's North-South Line on Dec 15 and 17 last year.
Mr Lui said he has asked the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to work with the operators to put in place a "condition- monitoring regime" to give a better idea of how to prioritise some of the maintenance efforts needed.
Mr Lui also addressed the issue of employing foreign bus drivers. He was referring to a recent accident in Sengkang, where an SBS Transit bus driven by a foreign driver killed a 66-year-old woman.
While everyone is "saddened" by the incident, Mr Lui stressed that regardless of nationality, it is crucial that every driver is adequately trained and appropriately qualified.
"Especially if they come from abroad, then (they should be) given the kind of orientation that will help them familiarise themselves with the peculiarities of the system here in Singapore," he said.
In the public-bus sector, about 61 per cent of drivers are Singaporeans and permanent residents, about 26 per cent are Malaysians and about 12 to 13 per cent are from China.
Mr Lui added that the training of foreign drivers should include infusing them with the responsibility that they carry and to make sure that they operate their vehicles in a safe manner.
While the two public-bus operators will need to hire about 1,600 more drivers for the additional 800 buses in five years, Mr Lui said the Government will not micro-manage their wages and employment terms.
The LTA is also exploring the use of buses from private bus companies to supplement the public-bus fleet, he noted.
But there are constraints as private operators are trying to maximise the utilisation of their fleet, and are also needed to ferry workers and students during the peak hours, he said.
He added that the current system of rotating an average of two drivers to operate every bus through the course of a day was adequate.
Mr Lui said: "There's the morning peak as well as the evening peak and, in between, some of the drivers will then get to rest in the interchanges."
Now you have a million dollar Minister telling you that it is acceptable for train to break down. This is like throwing in the towel before the match even start.
Terrible mentality I wonder what kind of “quality” people Hsien Loong select to be Minister.
Meanwhile in Tokyo, it is UNACCEPTABLE for any break down.
Say you pay for a cheap “Guess” watch, I believe it is acceptable if it breaks down 10 years later. But if you spent a premium on a Rolex, I will expect it to be working 50years later with proper maintenance.
We now have the most expensive cabinet in the world telling us that too bad you have accept these failures.
Crab.
Then change a cheaper person to run the show or cut the cost of transport then maybe we can accept some sort of disruption.
Running an efficient transport is possible it is just a matter of will and the resource you are willing to pour in.
If we have money minded Minister and Transport operator, do you think their priority is the commuters or bottom line?
The answer is obvious.
Monday, April 09, 2012
W are foreigner in our own country.
We deserve red card for expat package, says StarHub
Euro 2012 goodies now for first 2,000 who sign up for promotion, not just European fans here
ST Online 09 Apr
StarHub on Sunday apologised for running an expatriates-only football promotion that offered gifts worth $50.
In an attempt to placate angry Singaporean fans, the firm announced that the first 2,000 people of any nationality who sign up for the Uefa Euro 2012 television package will now receive the goodies. They include a travel bag, a mug, a portable fan and a six-can cooler bag.
The promotion, which started at the beginning of this month, was initially targeted at fans from England, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. It was marketed directly to them through their clubs and association publications.
On Sunday, StarHub told The Straits Times it apologised for any ill feelings that might have been caused.
In the first place who ever in Starhub that think of this idea should be sacked.
Now can you blame the expatriate in Singapore behave like a ya-ya-papaya when Singapore companies are blatantly sucking up to them.
Note they can even jump bailed and ran away after beating up some poor Singaporean.
I think Singapore is the only county in the world who treats foreigner better then its Citizen. They got free scholarship, tax benefit and even good cable packages.
Sad.
Euro 2012 goodies now for first 2,000 who sign up for promotion, not just European fans here
ST Online 09 Apr
StarHub on Sunday apologised for running an expatriates-only football promotion that offered gifts worth $50.
In an attempt to placate angry Singaporean fans, the firm announced that the first 2,000 people of any nationality who sign up for the Uefa Euro 2012 television package will now receive the goodies. They include a travel bag, a mug, a portable fan and a six-can cooler bag.
The promotion, which started at the beginning of this month, was initially targeted at fans from England, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. It was marketed directly to them through their clubs and association publications.
On Sunday, StarHub told The Straits Times it apologised for any ill feelings that might have been caused.
In the first place who ever in Starhub that think of this idea should be sacked.
Now can you blame the expatriate in Singapore behave like a ya-ya-papaya when Singapore companies are blatantly sucking up to them.
Note they can even jump bailed and ran away after beating up some poor Singaporean.
I think Singapore is the only county in the world who treats foreigner better then its Citizen. They got free scholarship, tax benefit and even good cable packages.
Sad.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Who they trying to kid this time.
No one will be denied medical treatment: Gan
He pledges to keep costs manageable
ST Online 19 Mar 2012
The Government intends to keep health-care costs manageable and nobody in need will be denied medical treatment, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Sunday.
His pledge, coming after his ministry announced plans recently to double its yearly health-care spending to $8 billion over the next five years, was made at a dialogue in which participants continued to express worries about health care.
Among other things, they cited their concerns over rising subsidised consultation fees at public hospitals and the prices of quality medicine.
Mr Gan said that Singaporeans can expect health-care costs to keep rising, especially if patients want better outcomes from newer technology.
No one will be denied, yes but Kim Yong did not say how much will there charge you? Nor what kind of service they are going to give you.
Also he did not mention how long will you have to wait for your treatment at public hospital? In fact I think they hope you will die first so they don’t have to treat you but hey they DID NOT deny you treatment you just die while waiting for it.
To me this is just another story the Elites came up to pacify the peasants.
For years we are facing with rising medical cost and shortage of class C hospital beds. Why? Because our medical system has turns into a profit making one.
Yes Kim Yong may be right that no one will be denied medical treatment but he did not mention what kind of treatment you will be receiving and how long you need to wait to be treated and what is the cost.
In Singapore the more you pay the faster and better service you get and if you are the Elite you can jolly well afford to go to a private hospital and get your heart by-pass done the next day while the men on the street has to wait 4 hours at the polyclinics just to get to see a doctor.
In fact Kim Young is telling you directly that you have to pay more to get good service in the above articles
Don’t give me crap that this cannot be done, I personally experience cheap, good, efficient treatment in Taiwan and to be honest I was pleasantly surprised.
He pledges to keep costs manageable
ST Online 19 Mar 2012
The Government intends to keep health-care costs manageable and nobody in need will be denied medical treatment, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Sunday.
His pledge, coming after his ministry announced plans recently to double its yearly health-care spending to $8 billion over the next five years, was made at a dialogue in which participants continued to express worries about health care.
Among other things, they cited their concerns over rising subsidised consultation fees at public hospitals and the prices of quality medicine.
Mr Gan said that Singaporeans can expect health-care costs to keep rising, especially if patients want better outcomes from newer technology.
No one will be denied, yes but Kim Yong did not say how much will there charge you? Nor what kind of service they are going to give you.
Also he did not mention how long will you have to wait for your treatment at public hospital? In fact I think they hope you will die first so they don’t have to treat you but hey they DID NOT deny you treatment you just die while waiting for it.
To me this is just another story the Elites came up to pacify the peasants.
For years we are facing with rising medical cost and shortage of class C hospital beds. Why? Because our medical system has turns into a profit making one.
Yes Kim Yong may be right that no one will be denied medical treatment but he did not mention what kind of treatment you will be receiving and how long you need to wait to be treated and what is the cost.
In Singapore the more you pay the faster and better service you get and if you are the Elite you can jolly well afford to go to a private hospital and get your heart by-pass done the next day while the men on the street has to wait 4 hours at the polyclinics just to get to see a doctor.
In fact Kim Young is telling you directly that you have to pay more to get good service in the above articles
Don’t give me crap that this cannot be done, I personally experience cheap, good, efficient treatment in Taiwan and to be honest I was pleasantly surprised.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Myopic tunnel vision by these idiots.
Disruption seemed to be better managed, says Minister Lui
Mar 16, 2012
Compared to the train service breakdowns in December last year, yesterday's North East Line (NEL) disruption - which was due to faults discovered before the train services began - seemed to be better managed, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew.
SBS Transit's larger fleet of buses, which could be activated to ferry affected customers, and the smaller number of stations involved helped alleviate the situation, said Mr Lui.
So did the lessons learnt from the disruptions on the North South Line - operated by SMRT - on Dec 15 and 17 last year, which resulted in the two train operators working closer together.
"Even if there's a situation that affects lines run by SMRT ... we could see an improvement on the situation compared to the past," said Mr Lui, who was speaking to reporters outside Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station (picture) where he was assessing the situation.
There were announcements informing commuters about the disruption, unlike in December when announcements were made only on the affected lines, he noted. Since then, SMRT and SBS Transit have also come together to allow free travel on bus services that serve affected MRT stations during a disruption, in addition to the bus bridging services.
During yesterday's disruption, commuters could travel on SBS Transit's 124 or SMRT's 190 services for free - but commuters were generally unaware of this, Mr Lui said. "We need to do a better job to make sure that people know that there are other services that are also free," he said.
Mr Lui pledged that the authorities and the operators would carry out a thorough check on the entire NEL for symptoms "that may point towards other problematic areas along the line".
But he added: "The feedback and the update that I have gotten from my people in the operation centre is that they believe that it is confined only to the stretch between Outram and HarbourFront."
I think Tuck Yew is missing the point.
Yes there is definitely an improvement the ways the transport operator handle this incident but the question is, WHY IS THERE A DISRUPTION IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Now MRT disruption seen to be a norm these days and SBS Transit and SMRT must explain why this is so.
Lack of maintenance? Cost cutting? Lousy design?
Is there anymore underlying problem that are waiting to disrupt the system and are all angles covered to prevent future disruptions?
To me all these checks should have been done long ago when the first disruption happened. I guess they are still trying to save on the maintenance, worst still they don’t know what underlying problems are there in the system.
This is what you get for putting “yes man” who only care about profit as CEOs.
Tuck Yew is going to F them for giving him bad publicity now.
Mar 16, 2012
Compared to the train service breakdowns in December last year, yesterday's North East Line (NEL) disruption - which was due to faults discovered before the train services began - seemed to be better managed, said Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew.
SBS Transit's larger fleet of buses, which could be activated to ferry affected customers, and the smaller number of stations involved helped alleviate the situation, said Mr Lui.
So did the lessons learnt from the disruptions on the North South Line - operated by SMRT - on Dec 15 and 17 last year, which resulted in the two train operators working closer together.
"Even if there's a situation that affects lines run by SMRT ... we could see an improvement on the situation compared to the past," said Mr Lui, who was speaking to reporters outside Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station (picture) where he was assessing the situation.
There were announcements informing commuters about the disruption, unlike in December when announcements were made only on the affected lines, he noted. Since then, SMRT and SBS Transit have also come together to allow free travel on bus services that serve affected MRT stations during a disruption, in addition to the bus bridging services.
During yesterday's disruption, commuters could travel on SBS Transit's 124 or SMRT's 190 services for free - but commuters were generally unaware of this, Mr Lui said. "We need to do a better job to make sure that people know that there are other services that are also free," he said.
Mr Lui pledged that the authorities and the operators would carry out a thorough check on the entire NEL for symptoms "that may point towards other problematic areas along the line".
But he added: "The feedback and the update that I have gotten from my people in the operation centre is that they believe that it is confined only to the stretch between Outram and HarbourFront."
I think Tuck Yew is missing the point.
Yes there is definitely an improvement the ways the transport operator handle this incident but the question is, WHY IS THERE A DISRUPTION IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Now MRT disruption seen to be a norm these days and SBS Transit and SMRT must explain why this is so.
Lack of maintenance? Cost cutting? Lousy design?
Is there anymore underlying problem that are waiting to disrupt the system and are all angles covered to prevent future disruptions?
To me all these checks should have been done long ago when the first disruption happened. I guess they are still trying to save on the maintenance, worst still they don’t know what underlying problems are there in the system.
This is what you get for putting “yes man” who only care about profit as CEOs.
Tuck Yew is going to F them for giving him bad publicity now.
Thursday, March 08, 2012
No public transport fare adjustments this year BUT......
No public transport fare adjustments this year
07 March 2012
SINGAPORE: There will be no public transport fare adjustments this year as the fare formula undergoes a review, says Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew.
And where bus services are concerned, commuters can expect significant improvements by end-2014, as capacity is ramped up with the government-initiated S$1.1 billion Bus Services Enhancement Programme (BSEP).
Public transport operators will also be subjected to higher service levels than those meted out by the Public Transport Council (PTC).
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Lui said the current public transport fare formula is due for review this year for implementation in 2013.
And while the review is ongoing, there should not be a rush to implement this year's fare adjustments.
He said this is even though the public transport operators are facing significant cost pressures, especially on their bus operations.
Minister Lui said he had discussed the matter with PTC chairman Gerard Ee, who agreed to suspend this year's fare adjustment exercise.
Instead, the new fare formula, which will be ready in 2013, could take into consideration the fact that fare adjustments were not made in 2012.
Mr Lui said he intends to appoint PTC member Richard Magnus to head the committee for the fare formula review.
Mr Lui said that Mr Magnus, having joined the PTC recently, will bring a new pair of eyes and a fresh mind to the task.
The fare review committee will seek views widely, study the possible options and propose improvements to the framework for the review exercise.
Minister Lui said the outcome of the review should be a framework that continues to achieve a good balance between affordable public transport fares and sustainable public transport operations and which continues to ensure productivity and efficiency.
The committee will complete its work within a year.
Meanwhile, public transport fare concessions will not be extended to the disabled and polytechnic students just yet. This is because there will be no fare adjustment this year, said Minister Lui.
Alex Yam, MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, said: "The explanation that polytechnic students are tertiary ones have been oft-quoted and used. However, this perceived issue of semantics and of administrative pegging has been hardly palatable for many. As more and more of our students aim for poly education, their choice in education should not become an inequitable one when it comes to transport fares."
Mr Lui replied: "Now that senior citizens have been granted their full-day concessions, the next groups that I am sympathetic to are the disabled and polytechnic students. However, I urge Members to be patient as not all of these requests can be addressed immediately or entirely within a single fare revision exercise."
Concession hours for senior citizens were extended as part of the 2011 fare revision exercise.
Mr Lui also revealed that a survey conducted by SIM University (UniSIM) in October 2011 had shown that the overall satisfaction with public transport services fell slightly from a year ago, with the decline in satisfaction levels for bus services being more significant.
But commuters can soon expect improvements.
There will be more buses on the roads. Over the next five years, operators will pump in 250 buses while the government will fund 550. Overall, 70 percent of the 800 buses will be added over the first three years.
Mr Lui said: "It will take some time for the new buses to arrive, for supporting infrastructure like bus depots and bus parks to be built, and more importantly, for the PTOs (public transport operators) to aggressively ramp up their recruitment of bus drivers. By the end of 2014, with 70% of these new buses in operation, there will be tangible and significant improvements across the bus network."
Of the 550 new buses the government will pay to add, about 300 will go towards reducing crowding and improving the frequencies of existing bus services, while 250 will be for new bus routes.
Operators will also be expected to deliver higher service levels, beyond the current Quality of Service (QoS) standards required by the PTC.
Firstly, operators would have to ensure buses are less crowded during peak hours. Minister Lui elaborated: "The PTOs (public transport operators) will be required to reduce the loading levels for all basic bus services from the current 95% to 85%.
"Commuters can expect about 10% more capacity along the more crowded stretches of bus routes during peak hours. With more buses injected to spread the load, bus frequencies will also go up. Overall, this will mean shorter waiting times for commuters during peak hours, a higher likelihood of getting onto the first arriving bus, and a more comfortable ride."
Secondly, the PTOs will have to improve the peak-hour frequencies of feeder bus services. 95 percent of all feeder services must operate within 10-minute scheduled intervals or better and the remaining 5 percent, within 15-minute intervals compared to the current 30 minutes.
These must be sustained over two hours during the morning and evening peaks.
Thirdly, the PTOs must improve the frequencies of trunk routes.
While the focus in the initial years will be to improve service levels for existing bus services, commuters can also expect better connectivity.
40 new bus routes will be progressively added over the next five years, typically in new towns like Sengkang, Punggol and Yishun.
The new routes are also expected to enhance local connectivity in towns.
There will also be eight more parallel bus routes running along MRT lines and expressways to connect major towns to the city centre. Six have been identified so far.
Minister Lui also said his ministry will look into what more can be done to make MRT stations and major bus nodes more accessible for the elderly and disabled.
He said construction works for lifts at pedestrian overhead bridges next to six MRT stations will be completed by the end of next year.
The stations are Aljunied, Bishan, Khatib, Kranji, Sengkang and Yew Tee.
Hurray? Nah not from the Men In Whites.
In the first place why the used fare adjustment and not fare increase? I never see the fare go down anyway.
What they are trying to con us is that they already raised the fare for buses and train and taxi last year so this year there will no more fare adjustment. Not even downward.
And please note that the new formula will kick in in 2013 and therefore I am pretty sure they WILL be a significant fare increase.
In fact there should be a fare reduction due to the poor performance of SMRT and SBS.
The Minister himself also said that there will be only significant improvements by end-2014, so shouldn’t the fare be freeze or reduced till then?
Why the poor commuters has to face fare increase for the same old lousy services while the gahment are pumping in tax payer’s money to help these profit making companies?
And I am pretty sure there will be another big increase in 2014 because that is 2 years before the election in 2016 and people will tend to forget things that happened 2 years ago.
So people do be careful what the government is trying to tell you especially when they are saying half truths.
07 March 2012
SINGAPORE: There will be no public transport fare adjustments this year as the fare formula undergoes a review, says Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew.
And where bus services are concerned, commuters can expect significant improvements by end-2014, as capacity is ramped up with the government-initiated S$1.1 billion Bus Services Enhancement Programme (BSEP).
Public transport operators will also be subjected to higher service levels than those meted out by the Public Transport Council (PTC).
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Mr Lui said the current public transport fare formula is due for review this year for implementation in 2013.
And while the review is ongoing, there should not be a rush to implement this year's fare adjustments.
He said this is even though the public transport operators are facing significant cost pressures, especially on their bus operations.
Minister Lui said he had discussed the matter with PTC chairman Gerard Ee, who agreed to suspend this year's fare adjustment exercise.
Instead, the new fare formula, which will be ready in 2013, could take into consideration the fact that fare adjustments were not made in 2012.
Mr Lui said he intends to appoint PTC member Richard Magnus to head the committee for the fare formula review.
Mr Lui said that Mr Magnus, having joined the PTC recently, will bring a new pair of eyes and a fresh mind to the task.
The fare review committee will seek views widely, study the possible options and propose improvements to the framework for the review exercise.
Minister Lui said the outcome of the review should be a framework that continues to achieve a good balance between affordable public transport fares and sustainable public transport operations and which continues to ensure productivity and efficiency.
The committee will complete its work within a year.
Meanwhile, public transport fare concessions will not be extended to the disabled and polytechnic students just yet. This is because there will be no fare adjustment this year, said Minister Lui.
Alex Yam, MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC, said: "The explanation that polytechnic students are tertiary ones have been oft-quoted and used. However, this perceived issue of semantics and of administrative pegging has been hardly palatable for many. As more and more of our students aim for poly education, their choice in education should not become an inequitable one when it comes to transport fares."
Mr Lui replied: "Now that senior citizens have been granted their full-day concessions, the next groups that I am sympathetic to are the disabled and polytechnic students. However, I urge Members to be patient as not all of these requests can be addressed immediately or entirely within a single fare revision exercise."
Concession hours for senior citizens were extended as part of the 2011 fare revision exercise.
Mr Lui also revealed that a survey conducted by SIM University (UniSIM) in October 2011 had shown that the overall satisfaction with public transport services fell slightly from a year ago, with the decline in satisfaction levels for bus services being more significant.
But commuters can soon expect improvements.
There will be more buses on the roads. Over the next five years, operators will pump in 250 buses while the government will fund 550. Overall, 70 percent of the 800 buses will be added over the first three years.
Mr Lui said: "It will take some time for the new buses to arrive, for supporting infrastructure like bus depots and bus parks to be built, and more importantly, for the PTOs (public transport operators) to aggressively ramp up their recruitment of bus drivers. By the end of 2014, with 70% of these new buses in operation, there will be tangible and significant improvements across the bus network."
Of the 550 new buses the government will pay to add, about 300 will go towards reducing crowding and improving the frequencies of existing bus services, while 250 will be for new bus routes.
Operators will also be expected to deliver higher service levels, beyond the current Quality of Service (QoS) standards required by the PTC.
Firstly, operators would have to ensure buses are less crowded during peak hours. Minister Lui elaborated: "The PTOs (public transport operators) will be required to reduce the loading levels for all basic bus services from the current 95% to 85%.
"Commuters can expect about 10% more capacity along the more crowded stretches of bus routes during peak hours. With more buses injected to spread the load, bus frequencies will also go up. Overall, this will mean shorter waiting times for commuters during peak hours, a higher likelihood of getting onto the first arriving bus, and a more comfortable ride."
Secondly, the PTOs will have to improve the peak-hour frequencies of feeder bus services. 95 percent of all feeder services must operate within 10-minute scheduled intervals or better and the remaining 5 percent, within 15-minute intervals compared to the current 30 minutes.
These must be sustained over two hours during the morning and evening peaks.
Thirdly, the PTOs must improve the frequencies of trunk routes.
While the focus in the initial years will be to improve service levels for existing bus services, commuters can also expect better connectivity.
40 new bus routes will be progressively added over the next five years, typically in new towns like Sengkang, Punggol and Yishun.
The new routes are also expected to enhance local connectivity in towns.
There will also be eight more parallel bus routes running along MRT lines and expressways to connect major towns to the city centre. Six have been identified so far.
Minister Lui also said his ministry will look into what more can be done to make MRT stations and major bus nodes more accessible for the elderly and disabled.
He said construction works for lifts at pedestrian overhead bridges next to six MRT stations will be completed by the end of next year.
The stations are Aljunied, Bishan, Khatib, Kranji, Sengkang and Yew Tee.
Hurray? Nah not from the Men In Whites.
In the first place why the used fare adjustment and not fare increase? I never see the fare go down anyway.
What they are trying to con us is that they already raised the fare for buses and train and taxi last year so this year there will no more fare adjustment. Not even downward.
And please note that the new formula will kick in in 2013 and therefore I am pretty sure they WILL be a significant fare increase.
In fact there should be a fare reduction due to the poor performance of SMRT and SBS.
The Minister himself also said that there will be only significant improvements by end-2014, so shouldn’t the fare be freeze or reduced till then?
Why the poor commuters has to face fare increase for the same old lousy services while the gahment are pumping in tax payer’s money to help these profit making companies?
And I am pretty sure there will be another big increase in 2014 because that is 2 years before the election in 2016 and people will tend to forget things that happened 2 years ago.
So people do be careful what the government is trying to tell you especially when they are saying half truths.
Friday, March 02, 2012
More stupid speech by Men In White
DPM Tharman outlines strategies to tackle inequality among citizens
01 March 2012
SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Thursday outlined four strategies in Parliament to tackle the issue of inequality among citizens.
The first strategy is to grow the economy, so as to raise income levels across all segments.
The second strategy aims to preserve and enhance social mobility starting from young.
Another strategy is to encourage a partnership with the community through voluntary welfare organisations and community development councils and lastly, to redistribute wealth among Singaporeans.
Mr Tharman said: "We will have to redistribute through a fair system of fares and tax benefits to provide significant benefits for the low-income group to keep up and upgrade, but avoid placing excessive burden on the middle income group. (This system) is there in all our budgets, including this year's budget."
As for the low income, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said there are already schemes in place to help them.
These include the Workfare and Comcare schemes as well as the enhanced housing subsidies.
Mr Tharman said these are major interventions made in the last five years and these measures are not new.
"What do taxes mean, and what do transfers and benefits mean over a lifetime for a low-income household? If you add it all up together, you'll find that for every dollar that a low-income household pays in taxes, they get back S$4 in benefits from workfare, housing benefits, healthcare benefits to education subsidies. This is a simple expression of how progressive our system is. Everyone pays some taxes because everyone should contribute to a better Singapore. But the low-income group gets back much more in benefits to support work, education and housing.
"In the last five years, the transfers we've provided to the lower income group, net of the taxes they pay, which is basically GST, and transfers net of taxes amounted to almost 20 per cent of their incomes. It is a significant increase from the previous five years. So, we've moved significantly in the last five years through a range of interventions towards addressing the issue of inequality and building an inclusive society. This is not new. This is not post-GE 2011."
But Mr Tharman added that benefits and transfers given to the low income must not end up as disincentives.
MPs like Mr Ang Hin Kee and Mr Edwin Tong had raised concerns about making sure Singapore does not end up a welfare state.
Mr Tharman agreed, saying that the government should be careful when it comes to giving out benefits.
He said the government has to be focused in its intervention strategies and these include addressing social mobility at the early stage and helping the lowest wage workers.
He said: "There are incentives effects if you provide too much benefit when your incomes are low. It is the natural workings of society. It's not that people are trying to gain on the system. It is natural human behaviour that you have an incentive to stay where you are and not upgrade or you will start losing your benefits. Every society has found this to be a problem.
"As you expand benefits, more people try to stay within the group that gets the benefits instead of upgrading beyond that threshold. We got to be quite careful, and preserve that drive to do better, learn a new skill and move your family up because that drive at every level of society defines us. It's not just the most talented people or the most educated that have this drive. It is actually that drive among ordinary Singaporeans that defines us. Let's not lose that and this means being focused in our interventions as we go ahead."
While extending benefits to those who need it, Mr Tharman was also cautious about suggestions to extend the Special Employment Credit scheme (SEC) to more groups.
These include homemakers, ex-offenders and single mothers.
Though he said Dr Lily Neo's suggestion to extend the SEC to those who did not attend special education schools would be addressed by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports in their Committee of Supply debate.
Mr Tharman said: "The SEC is a major intervention in the job market. Not everyone faces the same disadvantage because some homemakers move in and out of work and they're not necessarily at a disadvantage when they come back. I would be very careful about extending what is considered a major intervention, in favour of older workers to more and more groups."
Moving on to the middle income group, Mr Tharman said one strategy is to raise the real incomes of the sandwich class.
This, he said, will help them cope with the cost of living.
He shared that median households in Singapore have seen healthy income growth over the past five years, at an average of 3.2 per cent per year, in real terms.
"This 3.2 per cent growth is frankly quite rare over the last five years. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, it was negative over the last five years for median income growth in real terms. There was positive growth in South Korea but it was lower than us. Most developed countries had significantly lower median income growth over the last five years so we haven't done badly."
Another strategy to help the middle-income group is to keep taxes low.
Mr Tharman said this is a very important feature of Singapore's tax system, which is lower than most developed countries.
He gave the example of how a middle-income family which owns a car gets about 80 cents back for every dollar in taxes they pay.
And the benefits are more for those who don't own a car.
Mr Tharman said: "If you don't own a car, even as a middle income Singaporean, you get back $1.50 for every $1 tax you pay over your lifetime. There are very few systems that provide this. And for those who want to have a car for the convenience because they have a large family or with elderly persons who need ferrying around, it's still a very fair system. There are very few systems where for every $1 of tax you pay, you get 80 cents back over your lifetime for the average household."
Its pretty ironic for a million dollar Minister to talk about income equality isn’t it?
These idiots in the cabinet are quite good at making things super complex and trying to sell shit to you as goodies all just to maintain there own millions dollar pay checks.
To hell with all the schemes.
All they have to do is to do away with GST for basic necessity, reduce the cost of public transports and public housing, make utilities more affordable and have a better health care service.
This is all it takes to make Singapore a better place to live in.
And if a certain MP, who stupidly drank water from the water tank with the dead maid, is to ask where to get the money.
You just cut the bloody pay for the Ministers and MPs and increase the tax for the bloody top 10% earner in the country. These people have enough money to last 3 life times while some Singaporeans are starving to death.
This alone make me sick to the core.
01 March 2012
SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Thursday outlined four strategies in Parliament to tackle the issue of inequality among citizens.
The first strategy is to grow the economy, so as to raise income levels across all segments.
The second strategy aims to preserve and enhance social mobility starting from young.
Another strategy is to encourage a partnership with the community through voluntary welfare organisations and community development councils and lastly, to redistribute wealth among Singaporeans.
Mr Tharman said: "We will have to redistribute through a fair system of fares and tax benefits to provide significant benefits for the low-income group to keep up and upgrade, but avoid placing excessive burden on the middle income group. (This system) is there in all our budgets, including this year's budget."
As for the low income, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said there are already schemes in place to help them.
These include the Workfare and Comcare schemes as well as the enhanced housing subsidies.
Mr Tharman said these are major interventions made in the last five years and these measures are not new.
"What do taxes mean, and what do transfers and benefits mean over a lifetime for a low-income household? If you add it all up together, you'll find that for every dollar that a low-income household pays in taxes, they get back S$4 in benefits from workfare, housing benefits, healthcare benefits to education subsidies. This is a simple expression of how progressive our system is. Everyone pays some taxes because everyone should contribute to a better Singapore. But the low-income group gets back much more in benefits to support work, education and housing.
"In the last five years, the transfers we've provided to the lower income group, net of the taxes they pay, which is basically GST, and transfers net of taxes amounted to almost 20 per cent of their incomes. It is a significant increase from the previous five years. So, we've moved significantly in the last five years through a range of interventions towards addressing the issue of inequality and building an inclusive society. This is not new. This is not post-GE 2011."
But Mr Tharman added that benefits and transfers given to the low income must not end up as disincentives.
MPs like Mr Ang Hin Kee and Mr Edwin Tong had raised concerns about making sure Singapore does not end up a welfare state.
Mr Tharman agreed, saying that the government should be careful when it comes to giving out benefits.
He said the government has to be focused in its intervention strategies and these include addressing social mobility at the early stage and helping the lowest wage workers.
He said: "There are incentives effects if you provide too much benefit when your incomes are low. It is the natural workings of society. It's not that people are trying to gain on the system. It is natural human behaviour that you have an incentive to stay where you are and not upgrade or you will start losing your benefits. Every society has found this to be a problem.
"As you expand benefits, more people try to stay within the group that gets the benefits instead of upgrading beyond that threshold. We got to be quite careful, and preserve that drive to do better, learn a new skill and move your family up because that drive at every level of society defines us. It's not just the most talented people or the most educated that have this drive. It is actually that drive among ordinary Singaporeans that defines us. Let's not lose that and this means being focused in our interventions as we go ahead."
While extending benefits to those who need it, Mr Tharman was also cautious about suggestions to extend the Special Employment Credit scheme (SEC) to more groups.
These include homemakers, ex-offenders and single mothers.
Though he said Dr Lily Neo's suggestion to extend the SEC to those who did not attend special education schools would be addressed by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports in their Committee of Supply debate.
Mr Tharman said: "The SEC is a major intervention in the job market. Not everyone faces the same disadvantage because some homemakers move in and out of work and they're not necessarily at a disadvantage when they come back. I would be very careful about extending what is considered a major intervention, in favour of older workers to more and more groups."
Moving on to the middle income group, Mr Tharman said one strategy is to raise the real incomes of the sandwich class.
This, he said, will help them cope with the cost of living.
He shared that median households in Singapore have seen healthy income growth over the past five years, at an average of 3.2 per cent per year, in real terms.
"This 3.2 per cent growth is frankly quite rare over the last five years. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, it was negative over the last five years for median income growth in real terms. There was positive growth in South Korea but it was lower than us. Most developed countries had significantly lower median income growth over the last five years so we haven't done badly."
Another strategy to help the middle-income group is to keep taxes low.
Mr Tharman said this is a very important feature of Singapore's tax system, which is lower than most developed countries.
He gave the example of how a middle-income family which owns a car gets about 80 cents back for every dollar in taxes they pay.
And the benefits are more for those who don't own a car.
Mr Tharman said: "If you don't own a car, even as a middle income Singaporean, you get back $1.50 for every $1 tax you pay over your lifetime. There are very few systems that provide this. And for those who want to have a car for the convenience because they have a large family or with elderly persons who need ferrying around, it's still a very fair system. There are very few systems where for every $1 of tax you pay, you get 80 cents back over your lifetime for the average household."
Its pretty ironic for a million dollar Minister to talk about income equality isn’t it?
These idiots in the cabinet are quite good at making things super complex and trying to sell shit to you as goodies all just to maintain there own millions dollar pay checks.
To hell with all the schemes.
All they have to do is to do away with GST for basic necessity, reduce the cost of public transports and public housing, make utilities more affordable and have a better health care service.
This is all it takes to make Singapore a better place to live in.
And if a certain MP, who stupidly drank water from the water tank with the dead maid, is to ask where to get the money.
You just cut the bloody pay for the Ministers and MPs and increase the tax for the bloody top 10% earner in the country. These people have enough money to last 3 life times while some Singaporeans are starving to death.
This alone make me sick to the core.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Bye By-Election
The value of a by-election
20 February 2012 CNA
SINGAPORE: If Parliament eventually determines that the Hougang seat has been vacated with the expulsion of Mr Yaw Shin Leong from the Workers' Party (WP), the spotlight will shift to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Under the Parliamentary Elections Act, the President issues an election writ stipulating when a by-election is to be held. But it is the Prime Minister who so advises the President.
When asked last Wednesday, PM Lee said he would consider carefully "whether and when to hold a by-election in Hougang". This appears to suggest that a by-election need not be held in Hougang.
There is no obligation under the Constitution to hold a by-election within a specific time-frame. In 2008, PM Lee told Parliament that the timing of one "is the prerogative of the PM. He has full discretion and he is not obliged to call a by-election within any fixed timeline".
While the Prime Minister has the prerogative on the timing, I would argue that this does not extend to his having an unfettered discretion to delay the calling of a by-election indefinitely. In most instances, it has to be called within a reasonable time, or certainly without an inordinate delay. In short, the "default" position should be that a by-election should be automatic, although there is no hard and fast rule on the timing.
GOVT SHOULD STATE REASONS
There may be three reasons why a by-election may not be called. This could be when an MP switches political party, or when Parliament's term is coming to a close within the next 12 to 18 months, or if there is a national crisis. None of them is pertinent at this point in time.
By-elections have been called in the past even though the General Election had taken place recently. For instance, by-elections in 1967, 1968, 1977, 1981 and 1992 were called between six and 16 months prior to or after a General Election in 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1991.
Delaying the calling of a by-election to the point of not calling it would, in my view, not be in accord with the duty of due process. It would, arguably, constitute an exercise of discretion for which a legal challenge can be mounted. The fact that the Constitution is silent on when a by-election should be called does not mean one need not be called.
In any case, if the Government decides to delay or not to hold a by-election in Hougang, the Government should state its reasons.
In November 1987, the Government explained why a by-election was not conducted in both Anson and Geylang West: It was contemplating introducing a Bill to form town councils in which some boundaries might be re-delineated, including the vacated seats of Anson and Geylang West. (Eventually, the GE was held on Sept 3, 1988.)
STAND-IN MP NOT THE SAME
There are still more than four-and-a-half years to the life of the current Parliament. Hougang voters should not be deprived of having their elected representative in the House. Although the WP's five MPs in the adjacent Aljunied GRC can cover Hougang, that is not ideal. Let Hougang residents decide how they would like to hold the WP to account in light of the recent events.
PM Lee hinted at one consideration which he will take into account: "There are many other issues on the national agenda right now." Granted.
But will a by-election involving only about 25,000 voters be a massive distraction nationally?
Of course, some Hougang voters and Singaporeans generally may choose to view the by-election not just as a localised matter but a referendum on the PAP Government's performance since May 2011. This should not stand in the way of holding a by-election.
More importantly, the cardinal principle of representation is crucial: A stand-in MP is not the same as an MP for whom the majority had voted. Not calling a by-election would undermine the importance of representation in our maturing parliamentary democracy.
Our electoral system must endeavour to be inclusive and representative in tandem with the growing democratic aspirations. Doing so can only increase Singaporeans' civic participation and ownership of governmental processes.
SHOULD WP FIELD NCMP?
Assuming a by-election is called, should the WP field in Hougang one of its two NCMPs?
It appears that an NCMP need not vacate his seat to contest in a by-election. Article 46(2A) of the Constitution provides that an NCMP shall vacate his seat "if he is subsequently elected as a Member of Parliament for any constituency". However, the law is not so clear on whether a vacated NCMP seat has to be filled.
Given the legal uncertainty, it may work better for the WP to field a candidate who is not in Parliament. Moreover, this would enable the WP, should it prove victorious in Hougang, to maintain its full complement of eight representatives in Parliament.
If a MP seat is vacated no matter what the reason may be there should be a by Election.
To me it should be even for a GRC as the MP need to serve his or her ward in the constituency and it is simply not right to ask other MPs in the same GRC to cover.
Also MP need to vote in the parliament and one absent vote could change a result of a bill. (Although I don’t see this in the near future in Singapore parliament).
I guess the strategy for PAP is to delay the by-election in Hougang for as long as possible.
Why?
I think because they are also surprised that WP had sacked Yaw and PAP is not prepared for a by election in Hougang.
The last PAP candidate for Hougang, Desmond was probably aiming to run in 4 years time and it totally unprepared. Also PAP doesn’t want to lose more face by losing Hougang again within 6 months.
One less Opposition MP in parliament is good for the incumbent as well as there in one less voice and one less vote against them.
Therefore personally I don’t think the by election will be happening any time soon.
20 February 2012 CNA
SINGAPORE: If Parliament eventually determines that the Hougang seat has been vacated with the expulsion of Mr Yaw Shin Leong from the Workers' Party (WP), the spotlight will shift to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Under the Parliamentary Elections Act, the President issues an election writ stipulating when a by-election is to be held. But it is the Prime Minister who so advises the President.
When asked last Wednesday, PM Lee said he would consider carefully "whether and when to hold a by-election in Hougang". This appears to suggest that a by-election need not be held in Hougang.
There is no obligation under the Constitution to hold a by-election within a specific time-frame. In 2008, PM Lee told Parliament that the timing of one "is the prerogative of the PM. He has full discretion and he is not obliged to call a by-election within any fixed timeline".
While the Prime Minister has the prerogative on the timing, I would argue that this does not extend to his having an unfettered discretion to delay the calling of a by-election indefinitely. In most instances, it has to be called within a reasonable time, or certainly without an inordinate delay. In short, the "default" position should be that a by-election should be automatic, although there is no hard and fast rule on the timing.
GOVT SHOULD STATE REASONS
There may be three reasons why a by-election may not be called. This could be when an MP switches political party, or when Parliament's term is coming to a close within the next 12 to 18 months, or if there is a national crisis. None of them is pertinent at this point in time.
By-elections have been called in the past even though the General Election had taken place recently. For instance, by-elections in 1967, 1968, 1977, 1981 and 1992 were called between six and 16 months prior to or after a General Election in 1968, 1976, 1980 and 1991.
Delaying the calling of a by-election to the point of not calling it would, in my view, not be in accord with the duty of due process. It would, arguably, constitute an exercise of discretion for which a legal challenge can be mounted. The fact that the Constitution is silent on when a by-election should be called does not mean one need not be called.
In any case, if the Government decides to delay or not to hold a by-election in Hougang, the Government should state its reasons.
In November 1987, the Government explained why a by-election was not conducted in both Anson and Geylang West: It was contemplating introducing a Bill to form town councils in which some boundaries might be re-delineated, including the vacated seats of Anson and Geylang West. (Eventually, the GE was held on Sept 3, 1988.)
STAND-IN MP NOT THE SAME
There are still more than four-and-a-half years to the life of the current Parliament. Hougang voters should not be deprived of having their elected representative in the House. Although the WP's five MPs in the adjacent Aljunied GRC can cover Hougang, that is not ideal. Let Hougang residents decide how they would like to hold the WP to account in light of the recent events.
PM Lee hinted at one consideration which he will take into account: "There are many other issues on the national agenda right now." Granted.
But will a by-election involving only about 25,000 voters be a massive distraction nationally?
Of course, some Hougang voters and Singaporeans generally may choose to view the by-election not just as a localised matter but a referendum on the PAP Government's performance since May 2011. This should not stand in the way of holding a by-election.
More importantly, the cardinal principle of representation is crucial: A stand-in MP is not the same as an MP for whom the majority had voted. Not calling a by-election would undermine the importance of representation in our maturing parliamentary democracy.
Our electoral system must endeavour to be inclusive and representative in tandem with the growing democratic aspirations. Doing so can only increase Singaporeans' civic participation and ownership of governmental processes.
SHOULD WP FIELD NCMP?
Assuming a by-election is called, should the WP field in Hougang one of its two NCMPs?
It appears that an NCMP need not vacate his seat to contest in a by-election. Article 46(2A) of the Constitution provides that an NCMP shall vacate his seat "if he is subsequently elected as a Member of Parliament for any constituency". However, the law is not so clear on whether a vacated NCMP seat has to be filled.
Given the legal uncertainty, it may work better for the WP to field a candidate who is not in Parliament. Moreover, this would enable the WP, should it prove victorious in Hougang, to maintain its full complement of eight representatives in Parliament.
If a MP seat is vacated no matter what the reason may be there should be a by Election.
To me it should be even for a GRC as the MP need to serve his or her ward in the constituency and it is simply not right to ask other MPs in the same GRC to cover.
Also MP need to vote in the parliament and one absent vote could change a result of a bill. (Although I don’t see this in the near future in Singapore parliament).
I guess the strategy for PAP is to delay the by-election in Hougang for as long as possible.
Why?
I think because they are also surprised that WP had sacked Yaw and PAP is not prepared for a by election in Hougang.
The last PAP candidate for Hougang, Desmond was probably aiming to run in 4 years time and it totally unprepared. Also PAP doesn’t want to lose more face by losing Hougang again within 6 months.
One less Opposition MP in parliament is good for the incumbent as well as there in one less voice and one less vote against them.
Therefore personally I don’t think the by election will be happening any time soon.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
The root of the problem had spoken
Lee Kuan Yew defends competitive ministerial salaries
18 January 2012
SINGAPORE: Singapore's former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has defended the need for a competitive ministerial pay to attract committed and capable people who will serve the country.
In a letter sent to the media on Wednesday after a parliamentary debate on political pay, Mr Lee, who had fought strongly for competitive political pay when he was in the Cabinet, noted how with a different generation, political attitudes change.
But he said unless Singapore has a steady stream of people to serve as ministers, Singapore as a little red dot will become a little black spot.
He pointed out that Singapore did not get from Third World to First by "head-hunting ministers willing to sacrifice their children's future when undertaking a public service duty."
He said the leadership took a "pragmatic course that does not require people of calibre to give up too much for the public good."
Mr Lee added that Singapore must not be reduced to another ordinary country in the Third World by dodging the issue of competitive ministerial remuneration.
Mr Lee said Singapore cannot underpay ministers and argues that their sole reward should be their contribution to public good.
"Every family wants to provide the best for their children, to go to a good university. We were pragmatic and also paid competitive salaries in order to have a continuous stream of high calibre people to become MPs, and then ministers. They put their careers at risk and undergo an uncertain and unpredictable election process," he said.
He pointed to the heavy responsibilities of ministers in making Singapore a success.
"A PM and his ministers carry heavy responsibilities for the nation. If they make a serious mistake, the damage to Singapore will be incalculable and permanent. Their macroeconomic policies will decide the GDP of the country, which was more than S$300 billion in 2010, with per capita GDP of S$59,000."
The MP for Tanjong Pagar had spoken.
MP Lee again rubbished that if Singapore don’t pay high salary to Ministers we will be reduced to another ordinary county in the third world….. HUH?
Yes I agreed that every man has to take care of his family and Ministers as well, they should be paid well so they can send their children to good university and get themselves a big houses and a few big cars.
But there is something not right if they are over paid!
With the current salaries, these jokers can send their next 5 generations to good universities and get each and every of their grand children a car and a house, all with tax payer money.
If each and every Minister is so important then they should stand for election on their own and not in GRCs. So if they screwed up we can removed them in the next elections.
Look at the standard of passed DPM Wong Kang Seng and Minister Mah.
They are hopeless but still got away with it.
PAP is made up of Elites for the Elites, they has lost connection with ordinary Singaporean long ago.
18 January 2012
SINGAPORE: Singapore's former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has defended the need for a competitive ministerial pay to attract committed and capable people who will serve the country.
In a letter sent to the media on Wednesday after a parliamentary debate on political pay, Mr Lee, who had fought strongly for competitive political pay when he was in the Cabinet, noted how with a different generation, political attitudes change.
But he said unless Singapore has a steady stream of people to serve as ministers, Singapore as a little red dot will become a little black spot.
He pointed out that Singapore did not get from Third World to First by "head-hunting ministers willing to sacrifice their children's future when undertaking a public service duty."
He said the leadership took a "pragmatic course that does not require people of calibre to give up too much for the public good."
Mr Lee added that Singapore must not be reduced to another ordinary country in the Third World by dodging the issue of competitive ministerial remuneration.
Mr Lee said Singapore cannot underpay ministers and argues that their sole reward should be their contribution to public good.
"Every family wants to provide the best for their children, to go to a good university. We were pragmatic and also paid competitive salaries in order to have a continuous stream of high calibre people to become MPs, and then ministers. They put their careers at risk and undergo an uncertain and unpredictable election process," he said.
He pointed to the heavy responsibilities of ministers in making Singapore a success.
"A PM and his ministers carry heavy responsibilities for the nation. If they make a serious mistake, the damage to Singapore will be incalculable and permanent. Their macroeconomic policies will decide the GDP of the country, which was more than S$300 billion in 2010, with per capita GDP of S$59,000."
The MP for Tanjong Pagar had spoken.
MP Lee again rubbished that if Singapore don’t pay high salary to Ministers we will be reduced to another ordinary county in the third world….. HUH?
Yes I agreed that every man has to take care of his family and Ministers as well, they should be paid well so they can send their children to good university and get themselves a big houses and a few big cars.
But there is something not right if they are over paid!
With the current salaries, these jokers can send their next 5 generations to good universities and get each and every of their grand children a car and a house, all with tax payer money.
If each and every Minister is so important then they should stand for election on their own and not in GRCs. So if they screwed up we can removed them in the next elections.
Look at the standard of passed DPM Wong Kang Seng and Minister Mah.
They are hopeless but still got away with it.
PAP is made up of Elites for the Elites, they has lost connection with ordinary Singaporean long ago.
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