Reuters ran this story on 27 February 2009:
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A group of around 100 Bangladeshi migrant workers gathered outside Singapore's labour ministry on Friday, urging the government to give them work and retrieve overdue pay after they were laid off by shipping firms.
Protests are rare in Singapore, where public speeches and demonstrations are banned unless they are approved by the government, or take place at a designated place called Speaker's Corner.
A representative for the Bangladeshi workers said they were promised a monthly salary of at least S$400 and a work permit of 2 years. But with no work or pay for 4 months, they felt they were in danger of being deported.
"We don't want to go back to Bangladesh. We take loan, we cannot pay, we die," said Rahman, who gave up his farming job in Bangladesh and took a loan of S$7000 from money lenders back home to pay an agent fee to work in Singapore.
Fifty workers gathered at the ministry earlier this month.
Local advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too said such gatherings would become more common in Singapore as workers were not being fed enough and were just sitting in dormitories, amid Singapore's worst ever recession.
"The mood is that we are seeing a lot of people coming forward -- hundreds -- they don't have work," said the group's Shelley Thio. "We are going to see a lot more of it -- they are being shortchanged."
Singapore's shipyard, construction and manufacturing industries were once red hot, hiring almost 800,000 migrants in 2007. But as the economy slid into recession last year, demand for labour dived and major projects were cancelled or delayed.
"If developers can't get money to pay construction companies, subcontractors down the line will get affected too," said Chew Chin Hui, who heads a local building firm.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Stricter Rules for Buskers
The Straits Times ran this story on 26 February 2009:
Stricter rules for buskers
By Tara Tan
BREAKING into the music industry and getting gigs can be tough on new
bands. But these days, some are turning to busking to showcase their
talent.
There will be stricter rules from the middle of next month on where
buskers can perform.
The National Arts Council, which runs the busking scheme and reviews
it regularly, said buskers will be able to perform only at 14
designated spots along Orchard Road.
It says the list is not finalised yet but the spots include outside
Wisma Atria, Ngee Ann City and Far East Shopping Centre, among other
places.
The underpasses and traffic junctions in Orchard Road are out of
bounds for buskers.
Another change: Buskers must pick five locations out of 109 busking
spots islandwide for performing. Of the five, up to three can be along
Orchard Road.
Under current rules, buskers can perform in any public space in
Orchard Road. There are also no limits to the number of spots
islandwide where they can perform.
NAC's deputy director of festival programming, Ms Quek Yeng Yeng, 39,
told Life!: 'Orchard Road is going through a series of revamps and we
need to ensure that buskers do not obstruct traffic flow.
'We are looking at it together with the Singapore Tourism Board to
finetune and demarcate busking areas.'
She said that limiting buskers to five locations each will help the
council manage over-crowding, especially during festive seasons.
Stricter rules for buskers
By Tara Tan
BREAKING into the music industry and getting gigs can be tough on new
bands. But these days, some are turning to busking to showcase their
talent.
There will be stricter rules from the middle of next month on where
buskers can perform.
The National Arts Council, which runs the busking scheme and reviews
it regularly, said buskers will be able to perform only at 14
designated spots along Orchard Road.
It says the list is not finalised yet but the spots include outside
Wisma Atria, Ngee Ann City and Far East Shopping Centre, among other
places.
The underpasses and traffic junctions in Orchard Road are out of
bounds for buskers.
Another change: Buskers must pick five locations out of 109 busking
spots islandwide for performing. Of the five, up to three can be along
Orchard Road.
Under current rules, buskers can perform in any public space in
Orchard Road. There are also no limits to the number of spots
islandwide where they can perform.
NAC's deputy director of festival programming, Ms Quek Yeng Yeng, 39,
told Life!: 'Orchard Road is going through a series of revamps and we
need to ensure that buskers do not obstruct traffic flow.
'We are looking at it together with the Singapore Tourism Board to
finetune and demarcate busking areas.'
She said that limiting buskers to five locations each will help the
council manage over-crowding, especially during festive seasons.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Public Forum to Discuss Singapore Budget 2009
Singapore's newest political party, The Reform Party, is organising a public forum titled 'Singapore Budget 2009 - The Alternative Policies' to "discuss, debate and put forth alternatives to the Singapore Budget 2009".
The Facilitator:
Ng Teck Siong – Chairman/The Reform Party
A trusted friend and confidante of the late alternative politics icon; the legendary Mr. J B Jeyaretnam, the founder of The Reform Party. Teck Siong himself is a veteran of alternative politics in his own right. Teck Siong is a man who firmly believes that Singapore politics needs a reform and that alternative party politics are in the best interest for the development of Singapore.
The Panelists:
Tan Kin Lian — Kin Lian is the former Chief Executive of NTUC Income. He is also a socio/financial activist.
Ng E-Jay –- Ejay is a socio/political activist and a prominent blogger at Sgpolitics.net. http://sgpolitics.net
Leong Sze Hian -– Sze Hian is a certified Investment Fiduciary Auditor and prolifically on financial issues.
Ravi Philemon –- Ravi is a community worker. He writes for The Online Citizen and is a Social Activist.
Seelan Palay -– Seelan is a socio/political activist. He is a co-founder of World Without War, Singapore. http://worldwithoutwar.sg
Date: 28 February 2009 (Saturday)
Time: 2 – 5.30pm
Venue: Allson Hotel, Victoria Street, Victoria Room (Level 2)
ADMISSION IS FREE!
Visit http://thereformparty.net for more info.
The Facilitator:
Ng Teck Siong – Chairman/The Reform Party
A trusted friend and confidante of the late alternative politics icon; the legendary Mr. J B Jeyaretnam, the founder of The Reform Party. Teck Siong himself is a veteran of alternative politics in his own right. Teck Siong is a man who firmly believes that Singapore politics needs a reform and that alternative party politics are in the best interest for the development of Singapore.
The Panelists:
Date: 28 February 2009 (Saturday)
Time: 2 – 5.30pm
Venue: Allson Hotel, Victoria Street, Victoria Room (Level 2)
ADMISSION IS FREE!
Visit http://thereformparty.net for more info.
One Year Jail For Singapore Cop Who Attacked Maid
AFP ran this story on 18 February 2009:
One year jail for Singapore cop who attacked maid: judge
SINGAPORE, Feb 17, 2009 (AFP) - A vengeful Singaporean police officer repeatedly assaulted his Indonesian maid for "innocuous mistakes," a judge said in explaining why he sentenced the officer to a year's jail.
ADVERTISEMENT
High Court Justice Kan Ting Chiu issued his judgement earlier this month, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Tuesday.
Lawrence Lim Hwang Ngin, who held the rank of police staff sergeant, was found guilty and sentenced to a total of 12 months' jail for assaulting Tri Utami, 23, five times between January and May 2006, Kan wrote.
Lim, a decorated police officer, was acquitted of eight other charges including sexual abuse.
During two of the painful assaults, he kicked her abdomen several times, while on other occasions hit her in the head, the judge wrote.
"The circumstances leading to each assault were the minor innocuous mistakes of a domestic maid, made without any defiance, disrespect or dishonesty," the judge wrote.
He said Lim had disliked Utami since he chanced upon her shouting at and shaking his infant daughter violently. He wanted to fire the maid but his wife dissuaded him, said the judge.
"The assaults were not spontaneous lapses of self-control. They were the vengeful reaction to the maid's continued presence in his house," the judge wrote, accusing Lim of abusing his position as a policeman.
He issued his written argument as both the prosecution and Lim, a former detective out on bail, appealed the sentence, The Straits Times reported Tuesday.
Advocacy groups say about 170,000 migrant women, many from Indonesia and the Philippines, work as domestic helpers in Singapore, where cases of employers abusing their maids appear often in local media.
The Ministry of Manpower has said that 90 percent of maids are happy working in the city-state.
One year jail for Singapore cop who attacked maid: judge
SINGAPORE, Feb 17, 2009 (AFP) - A vengeful Singaporean police officer repeatedly assaulted his Indonesian maid for "innocuous mistakes," a judge said in explaining why he sentenced the officer to a year's jail.
ADVERTISEMENT
High Court Justice Kan Ting Chiu issued his judgement earlier this month, a copy of which was obtained by AFP on Tuesday.
Lawrence Lim Hwang Ngin, who held the rank of police staff sergeant, was found guilty and sentenced to a total of 12 months' jail for assaulting Tri Utami, 23, five times between January and May 2006, Kan wrote.
Lim, a decorated police officer, was acquitted of eight other charges including sexual abuse.
During two of the painful assaults, he kicked her abdomen several times, while on other occasions hit her in the head, the judge wrote.
"The circumstances leading to each assault were the minor innocuous mistakes of a domestic maid, made without any defiance, disrespect or dishonesty," the judge wrote.
He said Lim had disliked Utami since he chanced upon her shouting at and shaking his infant daughter violently. He wanted to fire the maid but his wife dissuaded him, said the judge.
"The assaults were not spontaneous lapses of self-control. They were the vengeful reaction to the maid's continued presence in his house," the judge wrote, accusing Lim of abusing his position as a policeman.
He issued his written argument as both the prosecution and Lim, a former detective out on bail, appealed the sentence, The Straits Times reported Tuesday.
Advocacy groups say about 170,000 migrant women, many from Indonesia and the Philippines, work as domestic helpers in Singapore, where cases of employers abusing their maids appear often in local media.
The Ministry of Manpower has said that 90 percent of maids are happy working in the city-state.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Foreign Workers Seek Help
Reuters ran this story on 16 February 2009:
Foreign workers seek help
SOME 50 unemployed Bangladeshi migrant workers gathered in front of Singapore's Ministry of Manpower on Monday, urging the government to give them work and help retrieve overdue pay from previous employers.
The shipyard workers said they were promised new jobs by ministry officials when they were moved out of their employers' dormitories after their firms went bankrupt and could not pay them.
'No job, no money, only eating and sleeping,' said Mr Tutul Abdul Manan, a 31-year-old who said he gave up his temporary job with the government in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka and paid some $9,000 for a brokerage fee to work in Singapore.
The Bangladeshi migrants were allowed to meet officials after an hour of waiting.
'We are trying to help them negotiate with their employer discreetly. But they have become more and more savvy by inviting the media here,' one government official said at the gathering.
Singapore's construction, shipyard and manufacturing industries were once red hot, hiring almost 800,000 migrants in 2007.
But as the economy slid into recession last year, demand for labour dived and major projects were cancelled or delayed.
Human rights groups say many of the world's estimated 100 million migrant workers are in dire predicaments as economic woes in the Gulf, Singapore and Taiwan lead to mass layoffs of labourers from across Asia.
Foreign workers seek help
SOME 50 unemployed Bangladeshi migrant workers gathered in front of Singapore's Ministry of Manpower on Monday, urging the government to give them work and help retrieve overdue pay from previous employers.
The shipyard workers said they were promised new jobs by ministry officials when they were moved out of their employers' dormitories after their firms went bankrupt and could not pay them.
'No job, no money, only eating and sleeping,' said Mr Tutul Abdul Manan, a 31-year-old who said he gave up his temporary job with the government in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka and paid some $9,000 for a brokerage fee to work in Singapore.
The Bangladeshi migrants were allowed to meet officials after an hour of waiting.
'We are trying to help them negotiate with their employer discreetly. But they have become more and more savvy by inviting the media here,' one government official said at the gathering.
Singapore's construction, shipyard and manufacturing industries were once red hot, hiring almost 800,000 migrants in 2007.
But as the economy slid into recession last year, demand for labour dived and major projects were cancelled or delayed.
Human rights groups say many of the world's estimated 100 million migrant workers are in dire predicaments as economic woes in the Gulf, Singapore and Taiwan lead to mass layoffs of labourers from across Asia.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Aussie fires: Residents to sue S'pore company
The following article was posted on AsiaOne on 16 Feb 2009.
Singapore-owned energy delivery company is facing a class action suit over allegations that one of its power lines sparked last week's deadly Australian bush fires which broke out in the Kinglake area of Victoria state. -AsiaOne
Mon, Feb 16, 2009
AsiaOne
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: - A Singapore-owned energy delivery company is facing a class action suit over allegations that one of its power lines sparked last week's deadly Australian bush fires which broke out in the Kinglake area of Victoria state.
Residents there are launching legal proceedings against SP AusNet over a fallen power line which is believed to have started the blaze.
SP AusNet is 51 per cent-owned by Singapore Power and listed on both the Australian and Singapore stock exchanges.
A spokeswoman for the company told Australian newspaper Sunshine Coast Daily that the company will corporate fully with investigations.
However, the company's priority was to restore power to affected areas as soon as possible, the newspaper said.
According to the Sunshine Coast Daily, Victorian federal MP Fran Bailey said the Country Fire Authority told her that one of the power lines had broken before the fire.
The MP told the Australian daily that the power line was "whipping against the ground and sparked".
This story was written with information from The Straits Times.
URL: http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090216-122154.html
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Employers Urged to Adopt Fair Employment Practices
This story appeared on Channel NewsAsia on 10 February 2009:
Employers urged to adopt fair employment practices
By Cheryl Frois
SINGAPORE : Employers should adopt fair employment practices, in good times and bad.
And if there is a need to shed jobs, they should ensure that retrenched workers are given fair compensation and assistance to look for jobs.
Tripartite partners made this call on Tuesday at an inaugural conference on fair employment practices.
The Tripartite Centre for Fair Employment has been getting about 70 complaints a year against errant employers since it was formed two years ago. And more complaints on unfair work practices are expected as the recession deepens.
The government and labour movement said it is important for companies to act fairly towards their employees as they consider cost-cutting measures.
Halimah Yacob, deputy secretary-general, NTUC, said: "It is absolutely important that if companies are going to downsize or they have to retrench, they have to communicate with employees that sense of fairness. It is not only important for those that are being retrenched but those that are left behind."
And fair practices will go a long way to help companies attract talent.
Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said: "Those who put in place enlightened hiring practices now will be more attractive to talent and jobseekers when the economy recovers and the job market tightens."
1,000 employers have signed a pledge to commit themselves to fair employment practices.
Ramesh Kumar Singam, managing director, FedEx, said: "We do not really ask for race or age, sometimes not even gender. We just want to make sure that they have the right experience and qualification, and we are more interested in their fit with us apart from the technical knowledge and information."
The Manpower Ministry said there has been an improvement in hiring practices.
Discrimination in job advertisements - for example, specifying language criteria without an explanation - has been dealt with effectively. There has been a decrease in the number of reports from 20 per cent in 2006 to some 1.7 per cent last year.
Employers urged to adopt fair employment practices
By Cheryl Frois
SINGAPORE : Employers should adopt fair employment practices, in good times and bad.
And if there is a need to shed jobs, they should ensure that retrenched workers are given fair compensation and assistance to look for jobs.
Tripartite partners made this call on Tuesday at an inaugural conference on fair employment practices.
The Tripartite Centre for Fair Employment has been getting about 70 complaints a year against errant employers since it was formed two years ago. And more complaints on unfair work practices are expected as the recession deepens.
The government and labour movement said it is important for companies to act fairly towards their employees as they consider cost-cutting measures.
Halimah Yacob, deputy secretary-general, NTUC, said: "It is absolutely important that if companies are going to downsize or they have to retrench, they have to communicate with employees that sense of fairness. It is not only important for those that are being retrenched but those that are left behind."
And fair practices will go a long way to help companies attract talent.
Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong said: "Those who put in place enlightened hiring practices now will be more attractive to talent and jobseekers when the economy recovers and the job market tightens."
1,000 employers have signed a pledge to commit themselves to fair employment practices.
Ramesh Kumar Singam, managing director, FedEx, said: "We do not really ask for race or age, sometimes not even gender. We just want to make sure that they have the right experience and qualification, and we are more interested in their fit with us apart from the technical knowledge and information."
The Manpower Ministry said there has been an improvement in hiring practices.
Discrimination in job advertisements - for example, specifying language criteria without an explanation - has been dealt with effectively. There has been a decrease in the number of reports from 20 per cent in 2006 to some 1.7 per cent last year.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Trafficked women forced into prostitution
The following article was posted on Asia One on 9 Feb 09.
They came here to sing, but some forced to be prostitutes
She had come to Singapore to earn a living as a lounge singer, or so she thought. Instead she was faced with threats of prostitution and violent beatings. -AsiaOne
Mon, Feb 09, 2009
AsiaOne
She had come to Singapore with hopes of earning a living as a lounge singer, but was instead faced with threats of prostitution and violent beatings.
This was the experience of Mary (not her real name), 24, a Chinese national.
According to the Shin Min Daily News, Mary had arrived in Singapore on Jan 12 this year, and started work the next day at a lounge in Geylang.
However, business was poor and the lounge remained almost empty every single night, she said.
No choice but to be prostitutes
According to Mary, all the female singers employed by the lounge were forced to sing every night, even when there were no customers.
Not only were they forced to sing, they had to pay a $40 fee every night to do so. Only tips given by customers were theirs to keep, but usually there were none.
The boss threatened that those who did not pay up would be forced to prostitute themselves in Geylang.
Those who did not turn up for work were fined $600.
Under his threats, the other girls complied, but Mary adamantly refused.
She said: "With no income and still having to pay the $40 every night, some of us had no choice but to prostitute ourselves after work".
Captured and beaten
She told the Chinese daily that on the night of Jan 22, her boss demanded from her the money that she owed. Lying, she said that she would pay him the next day. Instead, she and her friend, a fellow singer at the lounge, decided to run away.
They then rented an apartment in Geylang. However, while out in the area on Feb 1, her friend was spotted by the boss and caught. Mary ended up being captured as well.
She said: "We called the police immediately". When the police arrived, the two of them were brought to the police station. They were released "on bail" after two days.
To their dismay, their boss was waiting for them outside the station. He claimed he was the one who helped them get out.
Immediately, he demanded money from them. She eventually handed over $400, while her friend gave him $600.
Five days later, Mary requested to be allowed to return to China. However, he refused and gave her a beating instead. The violent attack left her with a cut on her ear and bruises around her eyes.
According to Mary, he slapped her twice, pulled her hair and punched her. He also threw her onto the floor before stepping and kicking her.
She told reporters: "My left ear was bleeding and my eyes and back are bruised. I can't move my neck, and my head still hurts when touched."
Police report to "warn others"
After suffering the violent beating, Mary claims he took from her S$600 and 500 yuan (S$110).
Thereafter, he had a change of heart and allowed her to return to her country, even driving her to the airport.
Still bruised and battered, she called the police immediately after going through the immigration checkpoint. She was taken to the hospital for a medical examination.
Mary says she called the police as she hopes her case will serve as a warning to others not to be taken in so easily. When interviewed by Shin Min Daily, the spokesperson for the Police said they were still investigating the matter.
LINK:http://www.asiaone.com/print/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20090209-120670.html
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Will the Jobs Credit Scheme Be Effective In Saving Jobs?
Below is an extract of the speech delivered in Parliament by NMP Siew Kum Hong, querying the effectiveness of the Jobs Credit Scheme. The full speech is available on his blog @ siewkumhong.blogspot.com.
I now turn to the Jobs Credit scheme. It is one of the lynchpins of the Budget, and it seems to have caught the imagination of Singaporeans. Call it what you will, but it is fundamentally a wage subsidy for employers. It equates to a 9 percentage point cut in the employers’ CPF contribution rate. It will cost taxpayers S$4.5 billion dollars, and will be funded by our reserves.
The objective of this scheme is to save jobs. But how effective will it be?
Clearly, the effectiveness of the scheme for each employer will depend on the proportion of its costs attributable to wages. If wages form just 10% of an employer’s overall costs, then the Jobs Credit scheme will reduce its total costs by up to 0.8%. On the other hand, if 70% of costs are wages, then the scheme will reduce total costs by a maximum of 5.5%. These are theoretical maximums, based on improbable assumptions of 100% local employees, all earning $2500 per month or less.
The Minister has explained that the global economic crisis is caused by a worldwide collapse in demand. Simply put, there is massively reduced demand for the goods and services produced by our economy.
Last week, the EDB released a report on the manufacturing sector’s business expectations for the next six months. This report paints a shocking picture of just how dire things are expected to get. An across-the-board negative outlook for the first half of 2009 for manufacturing, with similarly negative forecasts for output and employment for Q1. For instance, 92% of data storage firms and 81% of precision engineering firms predict a drop in output.
When demand falls off a cliff like this, many businesses will face a drop in revenue far exceeding 8%. Businesses will have no choice but to cut costs to stay afloat.
In this context, I suspect that the Jobs Credit scheme will turn out to just a band-aid. Yes, it will provide a temporary cushion for businesses, especially SMEs. Yes, it will make employers a little bit more reluctant to lay off locals. Yes, whatever protection it creates will probably benefit the low-income more than the high-income. But it will still only be a band-aid at best, in stopping job losses.
And what a very expensive band-aid it will be. Citigroup’s head of Singapore research Dr Chua Hak Bin has pointed out that if the Jobs Credit scheme helps to save 50,000 jobs, then the cost of saving each job is $90,000 – three times the median annual salary of each job in Singapore. Even if it helps to save 100,000 jobs, the cost of saving each job is $45,000 – still 50% more than the median annual salary.
And contract workers, who are probably most at risk when a business cuts staffing costs, may not benefit from the Jobs Credit scheme. Contractors are usually hired by employment agencies and farmed out to companies. The agencies will receive the subsidy. They have no incentive to pass it on to the companies. Unlike with property tax rebates, the Government has not exhorted these agencies to pass the savings on to their customers. And so, the scheme could make contractors, who form a growing proportion of the workforce, even more vulnerable than they otherwise would be.
I agree with people like NUS professor Shandre Thangavelu, who has said that the Jobs Credit scheme will only have a short-run impact on the retrenchment behaviour of employers. Even the MOF team who designed the scheme is unable to predict just how many jobs it will help to save, and for how long. Mr Poon Hong Yuen, who led the team that put the scheme together, said:
"If just because of this they rethink (retrenchments), then I think it’s already quite an achievement."
I would praise the Ministry for its willingness to take a chance on the Jobs Credit scheme. I think this sort of policy risk-taking is important and helpful. But I don’t think the risk will pan out in this case. And I think Mr Poon sets a surprisingly modest target. At $4.5 billion, I would expect more.
The Jobs Credit scheme will end up benefiting capital owners disproportionately. It will reduce business costs, but I do not expect it to save very many jobs, and even then not for very long. It is essentially a special transfer to capital owners, such as business-owners and entrepreneurs. And considering that around 50% of the Singapore corporate sector is foreign-owned, a big chunk of this transfer will leak out of Singapore.
Today’s Straits Times Forum carried a letter from someone who works in an SME, praising the Jobs Credit scheme. But if you drill into the details, it is clear that the business was not considering retrenchments in the first place. Instead, it is considering using the Jobs Credit funding to invest further in its business. In these times, that is not a bad thing. But it clearly shows up the limitations in the scheme’s ability to achieve its stated goal of saving jobs.
The Jobs Credit scheme will have, at best, a marginal impact on businesses’ decisions on whether to retrench. Businesses facing collapsed demand will still retrench. Businesses doing well will reap a windfall benefit. MNCs will still, by and large, follow their corporate headquarters’ directions on retrenchments.
True, the Jobs Credit scheme is not meant to be the complete answer. It is not a panacea. It is one piece of the puzzle, albeit a big centrepiece, and there are many other measures to reduce business costs and help businesses through this difficult period. But the question must be whether spending $4.5 billion on the Jobs Credit scheme produces the most bang for the buck for Singaporeans.
This is a hand-out for businesses. But we have always opposed hand-outs for Singaporeans. Why are businesses different? In giving all this money away to businesses, are we somehow being psychologically held hostage to the ideological dogma that the best way to help Singaporeans is to help businesses, instead of helping Singaporeans directly?
I now turn to the Jobs Credit scheme. It is one of the lynchpins of the Budget, and it seems to have caught the imagination of Singaporeans. Call it what you will, but it is fundamentally a wage subsidy for employers. It equates to a 9 percentage point cut in the employers’ CPF contribution rate. It will cost taxpayers S$4.5 billion dollars, and will be funded by our reserves.
The objective of this scheme is to save jobs. But how effective will it be?
Clearly, the effectiveness of the scheme for each employer will depend on the proportion of its costs attributable to wages. If wages form just 10% of an employer’s overall costs, then the Jobs Credit scheme will reduce its total costs by up to 0.8%. On the other hand, if 70% of costs are wages, then the scheme will reduce total costs by a maximum of 5.5%. These are theoretical maximums, based on improbable assumptions of 100% local employees, all earning $2500 per month or less.
The Minister has explained that the global economic crisis is caused by a worldwide collapse in demand. Simply put, there is massively reduced demand for the goods and services produced by our economy.
Last week, the EDB released a report on the manufacturing sector’s business expectations for the next six months. This report paints a shocking picture of just how dire things are expected to get. An across-the-board negative outlook for the first half of 2009 for manufacturing, with similarly negative forecasts for output and employment for Q1. For instance, 92% of data storage firms and 81% of precision engineering firms predict a drop in output.
When demand falls off a cliff like this, many businesses will face a drop in revenue far exceeding 8%. Businesses will have no choice but to cut costs to stay afloat.
In this context, I suspect that the Jobs Credit scheme will turn out to just a band-aid. Yes, it will provide a temporary cushion for businesses, especially SMEs. Yes, it will make employers a little bit more reluctant to lay off locals. Yes, whatever protection it creates will probably benefit the low-income more than the high-income. But it will still only be a band-aid at best, in stopping job losses.
And what a very expensive band-aid it will be. Citigroup’s head of Singapore research Dr Chua Hak Bin has pointed out that if the Jobs Credit scheme helps to save 50,000 jobs, then the cost of saving each job is $90,000 – three times the median annual salary of each job in Singapore. Even if it helps to save 100,000 jobs, the cost of saving each job is $45,000 – still 50% more than the median annual salary.
And contract workers, who are probably most at risk when a business cuts staffing costs, may not benefit from the Jobs Credit scheme. Contractors are usually hired by employment agencies and farmed out to companies. The agencies will receive the subsidy. They have no incentive to pass it on to the companies. Unlike with property tax rebates, the Government has not exhorted these agencies to pass the savings on to their customers. And so, the scheme could make contractors, who form a growing proportion of the workforce, even more vulnerable than they otherwise would be.
I agree with people like NUS professor Shandre Thangavelu, who has said that the Jobs Credit scheme will only have a short-run impact on the retrenchment behaviour of employers. Even the MOF team who designed the scheme is unable to predict just how many jobs it will help to save, and for how long. Mr Poon Hong Yuen, who led the team that put the scheme together, said:
"If just because of this they rethink (retrenchments), then I think it’s already quite an achievement."
I would praise the Ministry for its willingness to take a chance on the Jobs Credit scheme. I think this sort of policy risk-taking is important and helpful. But I don’t think the risk will pan out in this case. And I think Mr Poon sets a surprisingly modest target. At $4.5 billion, I would expect more.
The Jobs Credit scheme will end up benefiting capital owners disproportionately. It will reduce business costs, but I do not expect it to save very many jobs, and even then not for very long. It is essentially a special transfer to capital owners, such as business-owners and entrepreneurs. And considering that around 50% of the Singapore corporate sector is foreign-owned, a big chunk of this transfer will leak out of Singapore.
Today’s Straits Times Forum carried a letter from someone who works in an SME, praising the Jobs Credit scheme. But if you drill into the details, it is clear that the business was not considering retrenchments in the first place. Instead, it is considering using the Jobs Credit funding to invest further in its business. In these times, that is not a bad thing. But it clearly shows up the limitations in the scheme’s ability to achieve its stated goal of saving jobs.
The Jobs Credit scheme will have, at best, a marginal impact on businesses’ decisions on whether to retrench. Businesses facing collapsed demand will still retrench. Businesses doing well will reap a windfall benefit. MNCs will still, by and large, follow their corporate headquarters’ directions on retrenchments.
True, the Jobs Credit scheme is not meant to be the complete answer. It is not a panacea. It is one piece of the puzzle, albeit a big centrepiece, and there are many other measures to reduce business costs and help businesses through this difficult period. But the question must be whether spending $4.5 billion on the Jobs Credit scheme produces the most bang for the buck for Singaporeans.
This is a hand-out for businesses. But we have always opposed hand-outs for Singaporeans. Why are businesses different? In giving all this money away to businesses, are we somehow being psychologically held hostage to the ideological dogma that the best way to help Singaporeans is to help businesses, instead of helping Singaporeans directly?
Foreign Workers Pay As Low As $5 At This Clinic
This story appeared in The New Paper on 4 February 2009:
Foreign workers pay as low as $5 at this clinic
THIS Geylang clinic's 'means testing' has helped foreign workers - they need to pay only $5 for consultation and medication.
Healthserve Community Clinic was set up in June 2007 to provide foreign workers with affordable medical care.
The clinic's director, Mr Tang Shin Yong, said its location was chosen because of the large number of foreign workers living there. 'Foreign workers contribute greatly to our economy, and we must learn how to accept them and help them integrate into our society,'he said.
Of the 652 patients the clinic has seen, 83 per cent were foreign workers.
Mr Tang said that, to date, no Singaporeans have abused the subsidised rates for foreign workers as the clinic conducts stringent background checks on patients.
Foreign workers pay as low as $5 at this clinic
THIS Geylang clinic's 'means testing' has helped foreign workers - they need to pay only $5 for consultation and medication.
Healthserve Community Clinic was set up in June 2007 to provide foreign workers with affordable medical care.
The clinic's director, Mr Tang Shin Yong, said its location was chosen because of the large number of foreign workers living there. 'Foreign workers contribute greatly to our economy, and we must learn how to accept them and help them integrate into our society,'he said.
Of the 652 patients the clinic has seen, 83 per cent were foreign workers.
Mr Tang said that, to date, no Singaporeans have abused the subsidised rates for foreign workers as the clinic conducts stringent background checks on patients.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Jobs Credits Will Benefit All
This article appeared in My Paper on 4 February 2009:
Jobs Credits will benefit all
By Koh Hui Theng
THE Jobs Credit Scheme is targeted at all Singaporeans and the companies that hire them, be they big or small.
It provides them with immediate relief and, more importantly, helps workers keep their jobs.
Mrs Josephine Teo, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, pointed out the objectives and merits of the scheme when opposition MP Low Thia Khiang questioned its effectiveness in Parliament yesterday.
Mr Lim Swee Say,Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), asked Mr Low: 'If you are in power, would you cut the CPF by 9 per cent or choose to spend $4.5 billion?'
Mr Low replied that 'it is preferrable to pay the money into workers' CPF accounts directly'.
Mrs Teo, who is the director of human resources at NTUC, said the scheme will help cut costs and save jobs. It is 'the best support for families' who are worried about losing their jobs during these tough times.
She added that the $4.5-billion initiative - which gives employers a cash grant amounting to 12 per cent of the first $2,500 of an employee's pay, provided he is on the CPF payroll - shows that the Government is 'going all out' to help Singaporeans secure their jobs.
The scheme is part of a $20.5-billion package that the Government unveiled in this year's Budget.
It will be especially helpful to small and mediumsize enterprises, the sector that has been the worst affected by the downturn.
These companies employ about six out of every 10 workers in Singapore, so helping them will save many jobs.
But Mr Low, MP for Hougang, said the economic stimulus and tax cuts offered 'were not unique', as other countries have implemented similar packages.
The Workers' Party chief argued that the scheme 'may not achieve its target' because 'the problem is not cost but a lack of demand for business'.
He urged the Government to do more to help companies, and asked if there were other initiatives that could better help retrenched workers.
Mrs Teo replied that the Government already has various programmes such as Spur, a skills retraining programme.
Jobs Credits will benefit all
By Koh Hui Theng
THE Jobs Credit Scheme is targeted at all Singaporeans and the companies that hire them, be they big or small.
It provides them with immediate relief and, more importantly, helps workers keep their jobs.
Mrs Josephine Teo, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, pointed out the objectives and merits of the scheme when opposition MP Low Thia Khiang questioned its effectiveness in Parliament yesterday.
Mr Lim Swee Say,Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), asked Mr Low: 'If you are in power, would you cut the CPF by 9 per cent or choose to spend $4.5 billion?'
Mr Low replied that 'it is preferrable to pay the money into workers' CPF accounts directly'.
Mrs Teo, who is the director of human resources at NTUC, said the scheme will help cut costs and save jobs. It is 'the best support for families' who are worried about losing their jobs during these tough times.
She added that the $4.5-billion initiative - which gives employers a cash grant amounting to 12 per cent of the first $2,500 of an employee's pay, provided he is on the CPF payroll - shows that the Government is 'going all out' to help Singaporeans secure their jobs.
The scheme is part of a $20.5-billion package that the Government unveiled in this year's Budget.
It will be especially helpful to small and mediumsize enterprises, the sector that has been the worst affected by the downturn.
These companies employ about six out of every 10 workers in Singapore, so helping them will save many jobs.
But Mr Low, MP for Hougang, said the economic stimulus and tax cuts offered 'were not unique', as other countries have implemented similar packages.
The Workers' Party chief argued that the scheme 'may not achieve its target' because 'the problem is not cost but a lack of demand for business'.
He urged the Government to do more to help companies, and asked if there were other initiatives that could better help retrenched workers.
Mrs Teo replied that the Government already has various programmes such as Spur, a skills retraining programme.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
NTUC Helps Retrenched Workers Learn New Skills
This article was first published in The Business Times on 3 February 2009:
NTUC helps retrenched workers learn new skills
By Hannah Ooi
CHIN Heng Garments Factory has closed its production lines and laid off more than 600 workers.
But those who have lost their jobs have been given substantial retrenchment packages - plus help in finding new jobs through an NTUC initiative organised by the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i).
e2i is a skills training institute that aims to maintain employability. And e2i officers are now updating the former Chin Heng workers on the employment market and job possibilities in other industries.
The Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union (SISEU) has partnered e2i to help the workers, 45 of whom are now attending a six-day Employability Camp Plus (EC Plus) tailored to their needs. About 90 retrenched staff have signed up for the training. A second camp will start later this month.
To cater to the significant number of Chinese- speaking job seekers, EC Plus is being conducted in Mandarin. But the importance of improving English- language skills to help job prospects will be stressed.
NTUC assistant secretary-general and SISEU executive secretary Josephine Teo said the aim of EC Plus is to help retrenched workers make a new start, possibly in unfamiliar industries.
She said in Mandarin: 'These workers, apart from their experience in manufacturing, have not had experience in other industries for many years. Therefore, we are helping them re- learn and expand relevant work skills.'
The aim is to quickly equip workers with skills so that they do not stay unemployed for long. e2i training is free for all Singaporeans. Participants can also receive further training.
To sceptics who say training may not guarantee employment, Mrs Teo said: 'Some hope is better than no hope. The job situation is not hopeless.'
There are plenty of job vacancies for people with the right skills, she said. Skills and expectations gaps can be bridged through training and a willingness to take up different job opportunities.
NTUC's training courses are backed by the Ministry of Manpower and the Singapore National Employers Federation.
NTUC is focusing on maintaining a positive approach in today's trying economic circumstances. The ultimate aim is to provide workers with jobs with clear development prospects.
Even after re-employment, e2i participants are encouraged to return to e2i for continuous learning.
NTUC helps retrenched workers learn new skills
By Hannah Ooi
CHIN Heng Garments Factory has closed its production lines and laid off more than 600 workers.
But those who have lost their jobs have been given substantial retrenchment packages - plus help in finding new jobs through an NTUC initiative organised by the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i).
e2i is a skills training institute that aims to maintain employability. And e2i officers are now updating the former Chin Heng workers on the employment market and job possibilities in other industries.
The Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union (SISEU) has partnered e2i to help the workers, 45 of whom are now attending a six-day Employability Camp Plus (EC Plus) tailored to their needs. About 90 retrenched staff have signed up for the training. A second camp will start later this month.
To cater to the significant number of Chinese- speaking job seekers, EC Plus is being conducted in Mandarin. But the importance of improving English- language skills to help job prospects will be stressed.
NTUC assistant secretary-general and SISEU executive secretary Josephine Teo said the aim of EC Plus is to help retrenched workers make a new start, possibly in unfamiliar industries.
She said in Mandarin: 'These workers, apart from their experience in manufacturing, have not had experience in other industries for many years. Therefore, we are helping them re- learn and expand relevant work skills.'
The aim is to quickly equip workers with skills so that they do not stay unemployed for long. e2i training is free for all Singaporeans. Participants can also receive further training.
To sceptics who say training may not guarantee employment, Mrs Teo said: 'Some hope is better than no hope. The job situation is not hopeless.'
There are plenty of job vacancies for people with the right skills, she said. Skills and expectations gaps can be bridged through training and a willingness to take up different job opportunities.
NTUC's training courses are backed by the Ministry of Manpower and the Singapore National Employers Federation.
NTUC is focusing on maintaining a positive approach in today's trying economic circumstances. The ultimate aim is to provide workers with jobs with clear development prospects.
Even after re-employment, e2i participants are encouraged to return to e2i for continuous learning.
Something to Clap About
This story appeared in Today on 3 February 2009:
Something to clap about
Retrenched workers get better deal, retraining help from union
Lin Yanqin
THEY were being handed letters informing them they would be laid off, but the workers of Chin Heng Garments Factory still found something to clap about.
Soon to be out of a job, some workers had been unhappy and angry with the severance pay offered by the company, on top of feeling emotional about being unemployed.
So, when told of the improved package that took nearly a month to negotiate, the workers were so happy that they burst into applause, said Singapore Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (Siseu) executive secretary Josephine Teo.
"For them, the original package was difficult to accept," said Mrs Teo yesterday, at a training camp for the retrenched workers at the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). “So we had to negotiate with the management to formulate something more acceptable."
There was more than money on the table. After almost 15 years at the factory and over 40 years :in the garment production line, Madam Sim Beng Hong was unsure of what jobs she could take on next.
But Siseu was on hand when the retrenchment notices were given out on Jan 22. That same day, over 400 of the 612 affected workers were taken by bus to e2i, where they took part in a job preparation exercise and were counselled on their next step.
And while some workers like Mr Lee Soon King, 54, got a mere $50 hong bao from the company as he had been with it for less than three years — the labour movement offered him $400 in cash and vouchers to tide over the festive season. “The union helped to guide me on what to do next,” said Mr Lim. "I was worried because my salary was already not enough to pay for my expenses to begin with, and I was very anxious to get a job."
One of the 45 workers attending the six-day camp — paid for by the e2i — that began yesterday, Mr Lim said he signed up because he did not see many employment opportunities. "It seems much worse than when I was laid off in 1997," said Mr Lim, who started working after completing primary school. "Getting some training might improve my chances."
Mrs Teo said it was natural that the workers were still feeling disoriented and unsure about their next step. "That’s why we're trying to take it slow and not overload them with too much information at the time,” she said of the training programme. "Otherwise they might feel resistant towards training."
Something to clap about
Retrenched workers get better deal, retraining help from union
Lin Yanqin
THEY were being handed letters informing them they would be laid off, but the workers of Chin Heng Garments Factory still found something to clap about.
Soon to be out of a job, some workers had been unhappy and angry with the severance pay offered by the company, on top of feeling emotional about being unemployed.
So, when told of the improved package that took nearly a month to negotiate, the workers were so happy that they burst into applause, said Singapore Industrial and Services Employees’ Union (Siseu) executive secretary Josephine Teo.
"For them, the original package was difficult to accept," said Mrs Teo yesterday, at a training camp for the retrenched workers at the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). “So we had to negotiate with the management to formulate something more acceptable."
There was more than money on the table. After almost 15 years at the factory and over 40 years :in the garment production line, Madam Sim Beng Hong was unsure of what jobs she could take on next.
But Siseu was on hand when the retrenchment notices were given out on Jan 22. That same day, over 400 of the 612 affected workers were taken by bus to e2i, where they took part in a job preparation exercise and were counselled on their next step.
And while some workers like Mr Lee Soon King, 54, got a mere $50 hong bao from the company as he had been with it for less than three years — the labour movement offered him $400 in cash and vouchers to tide over the festive season. “The union helped to guide me on what to do next,” said Mr Lim. "I was worried because my salary was already not enough to pay for my expenses to begin with, and I was very anxious to get a job."
One of the 45 workers attending the six-day camp — paid for by the e2i — that began yesterday, Mr Lim said he signed up because he did not see many employment opportunities. "It seems much worse than when I was laid off in 1997," said Mr Lim, who started working after completing primary school. "Getting some training might improve my chances."
Mrs Teo said it was natural that the workers were still feeling disoriented and unsure about their next step. "That’s why we're trying to take it slow and not overload them with too much information at the time,” she said of the training programme. "Otherwise they might feel resistant towards training."
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Singapore: Allowing Space or Just Making Promises?
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), a non-profit, non-governmental organisation campaigning for genuine press freedom in Southeast Asia, issued this report on its website @ www.seapabkk.org/newdesign/fellowshipsdetail.php?No=1018:
Looking back, looking ahead: Press Freedom in Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE: Allowing space or just making promises?
On Singapore’s National Day Celebrations on 17 August 2008, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong—acknowledging the advent of new media and perhaps recognizing the futility and irony of trying to control all news and opinion in the Information Age—announced that the government will ease a long-standing ban on political films and outdoor public demonstrations.
"An outright ban is no longer sensible," the Prime Minister said—but he quickly noted that any relaxation of restrictions must still be guided by "safeguards."
Singapore’s community of bloggers were quick to weigh the sincerity of their leaders to open space for free expression and press freedom. Independent filmmaker Martyn See said there was only one way to find out, and that is to apply for the open exhibition of political films. See himself has had at least two of his documentaries prohibited from public screenings.
It will indeed be interesting to see how the Singaporean government will receive such applications in the coming year. Singapore does not hide the fact that in the city state, civil liberties, especially freedom of expression, take a backseat to economic development objectives.
Uncompromising
The Prime Minister’s personal statements notwithstanding, Singapore’s notorious laws impacting on press freedom and freedom of expression will likely remain uncompromising. These include the city-state’s defamation law, the Printing Press Act, the Newspapers and Printing Presses Act, the Undesirable Publications Act, Broadcasting Act, and of course, the Internal Security Act, Films Act, and Official Secrets Act.
The net result of all of the above is that, although the country has 10 newspapers and six magazines, three broadcasting companies that oversee several TV and radio stations, 15 satellite broadcasters and a cable TV provider, they are all effectively monopolized by the government, primarily under the government-owned Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp which runs broadcasting operations.
Self-censorship is pervasive and somewhat inevitable. Singaporean journalists, academics, writers, and artists daily refer to “OB markers”—a nebulous, vague, yet all too real concept that is ingrained in the minds of anybody in Singapore who has anything to say. “OB” stands for whatever it is that government may consider “out-of-bounds”, and although (or precisely because) such markers are unofficial, in fact unwritten, its net is cast wide by individual minds, and creates for a suffocating environment where the limits of one’s freedom to express is defined by citizens themselves.
Bankrupt
Where OB markers are ignored, Singapore’s defamation laws and their consequent fines are unforgiving. Singapore Democratic Party leader Dr. Chee Soon Juan has been bankrupted at least twice over by defamation suits brought against him by Singapore’s leaders.
Conservatism is a default mode in any medium presuming a Singaporean audience—whether it be television, radio, print, or the Internet. OB markers are often invoked on the strength of Singapore’s laws on national security, official secrets, and social harmony (none of which have actually been changed by the Prime Minister’s pronouncements), and a judicial system that the International Bar Association in 2008 denounced as politicized and partial when it comes to speech crimes brought to court by political leaders.
Even the foreign media are famously vulnerable in Singapore, having already paid in years past millions of dollars in defamation fees to former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his handpicked successors, former PM Goh Chok Tong and Lee’s son, the incumbent Lee Hsien Loong. In 2007 the government revised rules governing the circulation and operation of foreign publications in the Singapore, requiring the appointment of a Singaporean citizen in the management structure that, critics say, was stipulated largely for the purpose of creating a pressure point that makes the threat of litigation that much more intimidating.
In September 2008, a Singaporean court found the "Far Easter Economic Review" and its editor, Hugo Restall, guilty of criminal defamation. The lawsuit was filed by former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and his son the incumbent Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong. That same month, Singapore-based American lawyer Gopalan Nair was sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment for criticizing a court decision in his blog.
Singapore’s high court in November found the Hong Kong-based Wall Street Journal Asia in contempt of court and fined it 25,000 Singapore dollars (approx.12,700 euros) for publishing two editorials and a letter by an opposition leader questioning the country's judicial system.
Summary judgments
With the PAP maintaining an iron grip in the city state since it came to power in 1959, the country’s leaders have come up with a panoply of laws to legitimize its suppression of freedom of expression.
Compounding this is the Singaporean judicial mechanism of “summary judgments” where the complainants can petition courts to render decisions without basis of hearings. Summary judgments are perceived to be vulnerable to political bias, particularly when defamation suits, for example, are brought forward by government and/or government officials.
Such cases are in fact not uncommon, with Singaporean government officials winning lawsuits and receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damages.
The new media offers no haven from the pressures. Singapore does not block content on the Net—save for a token 100 websites that mostly have to do with pornography—but in 2007 and 2008, media and information ministers have thought aloud about extending the strict rules applying to the media, from licensing to criminal defamation, to also be applied to blogs and other online media.
Looking back, looking ahead: Press Freedom in Southeast Asia
SINGAPORE: Allowing space or just making promises?
On Singapore’s National Day Celebrations on 17 August 2008, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong—acknowledging the advent of new media and perhaps recognizing the futility and irony of trying to control all news and opinion in the Information Age—announced that the government will ease a long-standing ban on political films and outdoor public demonstrations.
"An outright ban is no longer sensible," the Prime Minister said—but he quickly noted that any relaxation of restrictions must still be guided by "safeguards."
Singapore’s community of bloggers were quick to weigh the sincerity of their leaders to open space for free expression and press freedom. Independent filmmaker Martyn See said there was only one way to find out, and that is to apply for the open exhibition of political films. See himself has had at least two of his documentaries prohibited from public screenings.
It will indeed be interesting to see how the Singaporean government will receive such applications in the coming year. Singapore does not hide the fact that in the city state, civil liberties, especially freedom of expression, take a backseat to economic development objectives.
Uncompromising
The Prime Minister’s personal statements notwithstanding, Singapore’s notorious laws impacting on press freedom and freedom of expression will likely remain uncompromising. These include the city-state’s defamation law, the Printing Press Act, the Newspapers and Printing Presses Act, the Undesirable Publications Act, Broadcasting Act, and of course, the Internal Security Act, Films Act, and Official Secrets Act.
The net result of all of the above is that, although the country has 10 newspapers and six magazines, three broadcasting companies that oversee several TV and radio stations, 15 satellite broadcasters and a cable TV provider, they are all effectively monopolized by the government, primarily under the government-owned Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp which runs broadcasting operations.
Self-censorship is pervasive and somewhat inevitable. Singaporean journalists, academics, writers, and artists daily refer to “OB markers”—a nebulous, vague, yet all too real concept that is ingrained in the minds of anybody in Singapore who has anything to say. “OB” stands for whatever it is that government may consider “out-of-bounds”, and although (or precisely because) such markers are unofficial, in fact unwritten, its net is cast wide by individual minds, and creates for a suffocating environment where the limits of one’s freedom to express is defined by citizens themselves.
Bankrupt
Where OB markers are ignored, Singapore’s defamation laws and their consequent fines are unforgiving. Singapore Democratic Party leader Dr. Chee Soon Juan has been bankrupted at least twice over by defamation suits brought against him by Singapore’s leaders.
Conservatism is a default mode in any medium presuming a Singaporean audience—whether it be television, radio, print, or the Internet. OB markers are often invoked on the strength of Singapore’s laws on national security, official secrets, and social harmony (none of which have actually been changed by the Prime Minister’s pronouncements), and a judicial system that the International Bar Association in 2008 denounced as politicized and partial when it comes to speech crimes brought to court by political leaders.
Even the foreign media are famously vulnerable in Singapore, having already paid in years past millions of dollars in defamation fees to former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his handpicked successors, former PM Goh Chok Tong and Lee’s son, the incumbent Lee Hsien Loong. In 2007 the government revised rules governing the circulation and operation of foreign publications in the Singapore, requiring the appointment of a Singaporean citizen in the management structure that, critics say, was stipulated largely for the purpose of creating a pressure point that makes the threat of litigation that much more intimidating.
In September 2008, a Singaporean court found the "Far Easter Economic Review" and its editor, Hugo Restall, guilty of criminal defamation. The lawsuit was filed by former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and his son the incumbent Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong. That same month, Singapore-based American lawyer Gopalan Nair was sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment for criticizing a court decision in his blog.
Singapore’s high court in November found the Hong Kong-based Wall Street Journal Asia in contempt of court and fined it 25,000 Singapore dollars (approx.12,700 euros) for publishing two editorials and a letter by an opposition leader questioning the country's judicial system.
Summary judgments
With the PAP maintaining an iron grip in the city state since it came to power in 1959, the country’s leaders have come up with a panoply of laws to legitimize its suppression of freedom of expression.
Compounding this is the Singaporean judicial mechanism of “summary judgments” where the complainants can petition courts to render decisions without basis of hearings. Summary judgments are perceived to be vulnerable to political bias, particularly when defamation suits, for example, are brought forward by government and/or government officials.
Such cases are in fact not uncommon, with Singaporean government officials winning lawsuits and receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damages.
The new media offers no haven from the pressures. Singapore does not block content on the Net—save for a token 100 websites that mostly have to do with pornography—but in 2007 and 2008, media and information ministers have thought aloud about extending the strict rules applying to the media, from licensing to criminal defamation, to also be applied to blogs and other online media.
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