The New Paper ran this story on 31 March 2009:
Workplace Mishaps Up
SIXTY-SEVEN workers died in work accidents last year, compared with 63 in 2007 - putting a dent in Singapore's push to keep its worksites safer.
Still, the workplace fatality rate inched lower to 2.8 deaths per 100,000 workers compared to 2.9 in 2007.
A total of 11,072 workers were hurt last year - about 30 every day, on average - up nearly 11 per cent from 2007.
The latest casaulty figures were released yesterday by the Workplace Safety and Health Council at its Programme-Based Engagement seminar at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Singapore Church Pays Princely Sum to Leader
AFP ran this story on 30 March 2009:
Singapore Church Pays Princely Sum to Leader
SINGAPORE (AFP) - - A Singapore-based church paid one of its leaders more than 500,000 dollars (329,000 US) in its last financial year, a report said Monday.
The New Creation Church, which raised 19 million Singapore dollars in just one day in February for the construction of its new premises, paid one employee between 500,001 and 550,000 dollars in the financial year ended March 31, 2008, the Straits Times said.
It said the church did not confirm if the money was paid to its leader, Senior Pastor Joseph Prince.
But New Creation's honorary secretary, Deacon Matthew Kang, was quoted by the newspaper as saying it was the church's policy to "recognise and reward key contributors... and Senior Pastor Prince is the main pillar of our church's growth and revenue."
Kang also described Prince as "the key man responsible for bringing in about 95 percent of our church's income," and added "he has enriched the church and not the other way around."
Two other employees of the church were paid between 150,001 and 200,000 dollars, but no names were given, the report said.
One of Singapore's fastest growing churches, New Creation had an income of 55.4 million dollars and net assets of 143.36 million dollars in its last financial year, according to its website.
Singapore is a predominantly ethnic Chinese society with deep Buddhist and Taoist traditions, but Christians here are known as devout and relatively affluent.
Singapore Church Pays Princely Sum to Leader
SINGAPORE (AFP) - - A Singapore-based church paid one of its leaders more than 500,000 dollars (329,000 US) in its last financial year, a report said Monday.
The New Creation Church, which raised 19 million Singapore dollars in just one day in February for the construction of its new premises, paid one employee between 500,001 and 550,000 dollars in the financial year ended March 31, 2008, the Straits Times said.
It said the church did not confirm if the money was paid to its leader, Senior Pastor Joseph Prince.
But New Creation's honorary secretary, Deacon Matthew Kang, was quoted by the newspaper as saying it was the church's policy to "recognise and reward key contributors... and Senior Pastor Prince is the main pillar of our church's growth and revenue."
Kang also described Prince as "the key man responsible for bringing in about 95 percent of our church's income," and added "he has enriched the church and not the other way around."
Two other employees of the church were paid between 150,001 and 200,000 dollars, but no names were given, the report said.
One of Singapore's fastest growing churches, New Creation had an income of 55.4 million dollars and net assets of 143.36 million dollars in its last financial year, according to its website.
Singapore is a predominantly ethnic Chinese society with deep Buddhist and Taoist traditions, but Christians here are known as devout and relatively affluent.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
NMP Siew Kum Hong Speaks Up Against the Films Act Amendments
Today ran this story on 24 March 2009:
A debate on political space
Loh Chee Kong
IT WAS a rare move by a Nominated Member of Parliament. As the vote was called, Mr Siew Kum Hong specifically asked Deputy Speaker Matthias Yao to place his “No” vote on record.
His strong feelings on the proposed changes to the Films Act were one end of the spectrum of responses yesterday from six parliamentarians, as the House passed the Bill that would allow certain types of party political films.
Coming more than a decade after the Films Act was tweaked to ban all party political films, it’s a move the Government feels will “significantly” widen Singaporeans’ political space.
But Mr Siew disagreed. Taking issue with the “problematic phrasing” of the new laws, he said: “These amendments do not seem to represent a material or true liberalisation … it will not fix the problems that need to be fixed and I cannot, in good conscience, support such a piece of legislation.”
In contrast, Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng applauded the Government’s “nuanced shift” in recognising “the need to adjust to the changing media landscape and the people’s desire for more political space”.
She cautioned, though: “Political films that intentionally distort the truth, mislead the public and incite them to rise up in misguided anger should be kept out.”
With NMP Thio Li-Ann and Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim supporting the Bill in principle — despite their dissatisfaction with the pace of liberalisation — Mr Siew was the lone dissenter to the amendments being passed. Ms Lim felt they were a step in the right direction, if a reflection that the Government was still “somewhat paranoid”.
These changes allow party political films that comprise “live” recordings of lawful events, factual documentaries, party manifestos and a candidate’s declaration of policies or ideology.
But films “with animation and dramatisation and (that) distort what is real or factual will be disallowed”, said Senior Minister of State (Information, Communication and the Arts) Lui Tuck Yew. Such films will be referred by the Board of Film Censors to a consultative committee chaired by retired Senior District Judge Richard Magnus, who is “known for his impartiality”, said Mr Lui.
The board will, however, retain the final say. Mr Lui called this a practical arrangement, as the views of the committee of the “eight to nine” appointed members may not always be unanimous. Film-makers can appeal the board’s decision.
The amendments to the Films Act were set in motion last year with the appointment of the Advisory Council on the Impact of the New Media on Society (Aims).
While critics felt the amended laws fell short of Aims’ recommendations, Mr Lui pointed out that the Government went against Aims’ suggestion of a “blackout period”, in allowing political parties and election candidates to air approved party political films during electioneering.
But Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Penny Low was concerned over the new law’s “vague language and broad constructs”.
“It is questionable if good documentaries could and should be produced ‘without any animation and composed wholly of an accurate account depicting actual events, persons and situations’” and without dramatisation, she argued.
To this, Mr Lui said some degree of dramatisation and animation would be permitted.
Hong Kah GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad urged “greater clarification of the OB markers” for film-makers. But it is not just the professional auteurs who run the risk of flouting the new law unwittingly.
For example, Mr Siew pointed out, bystanders may “whip out their mobile phones to record videos” of an illegal assembly or procession without knowing the event was unlawful.
While Prof Thio felt the remaining restrictions on party political films were unfair to opposition parties given their lack of access to the mainstream media, Mr Zaqy argued that it is the ruling party being disadvantaged “compared to political parties (that) circumvent the laws”.
Mr Lui reiterated that there were “sufficient avenues for political parties, individuals to get their views across” including on platforms such as Parliamentary debates, the mainstream media, party newsletters and the Internet.
Asked how much time it would take for films to be approved — especially during the urgency of the hustings — Mr Lui said it should be faster than the one week to two months that the board takes to classify all films and videos.
He reiterated that there was “always going to be an element of subjectivity” in assessing party political films and Singaporeans “have got to trust the process and the people selected” on the consultative committee.
The amendments, he concluded, “bring about what I believe to be significant liberalisation and change, and it will widen the space for political discourse”.
A debate on political space
Loh Chee Kong
IT WAS a rare move by a Nominated Member of Parliament. As the vote was called, Mr Siew Kum Hong specifically asked Deputy Speaker Matthias Yao to place his “No” vote on record.
His strong feelings on the proposed changes to the Films Act were one end of the spectrum of responses yesterday from six parliamentarians, as the House passed the Bill that would allow certain types of party political films.
Coming more than a decade after the Films Act was tweaked to ban all party political films, it’s a move the Government feels will “significantly” widen Singaporeans’ political space.
But Mr Siew disagreed. Taking issue with the “problematic phrasing” of the new laws, he said: “These amendments do not seem to represent a material or true liberalisation … it will not fix the problems that need to be fixed and I cannot, in good conscience, support such a piece of legislation.”
In contrast, Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng applauded the Government’s “nuanced shift” in recognising “the need to adjust to the changing media landscape and the people’s desire for more political space”.
She cautioned, though: “Political films that intentionally distort the truth, mislead the public and incite them to rise up in misguided anger should be kept out.”
With NMP Thio Li-Ann and Non-Constituency MP Sylvia Lim supporting the Bill in principle — despite their dissatisfaction with the pace of liberalisation — Mr Siew was the lone dissenter to the amendments being passed. Ms Lim felt they were a step in the right direction, if a reflection that the Government was still “somewhat paranoid”.
These changes allow party political films that comprise “live” recordings of lawful events, factual documentaries, party manifestos and a candidate’s declaration of policies or ideology.
But films “with animation and dramatisation and (that) distort what is real or factual will be disallowed”, said Senior Minister of State (Information, Communication and the Arts) Lui Tuck Yew. Such films will be referred by the Board of Film Censors to a consultative committee chaired by retired Senior District Judge Richard Magnus, who is “known for his impartiality”, said Mr Lui.
The board will, however, retain the final say. Mr Lui called this a practical arrangement, as the views of the committee of the “eight to nine” appointed members may not always be unanimous. Film-makers can appeal the board’s decision.
The amendments to the Films Act were set in motion last year with the appointment of the Advisory Council on the Impact of the New Media on Society (Aims).
While critics felt the amended laws fell short of Aims’ recommendations, Mr Lui pointed out that the Government went against Aims’ suggestion of a “blackout period”, in allowing political parties and election candidates to air approved party political films during electioneering.
But Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC MP Penny Low was concerned over the new law’s “vague language and broad constructs”.
“It is questionable if good documentaries could and should be produced ‘without any animation and composed wholly of an accurate account depicting actual events, persons and situations’” and without dramatisation, she argued.
To this, Mr Lui said some degree of dramatisation and animation would be permitted.
Hong Kah GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad urged “greater clarification of the OB markers” for film-makers. But it is not just the professional auteurs who run the risk of flouting the new law unwittingly.
For example, Mr Siew pointed out, bystanders may “whip out their mobile phones to record videos” of an illegal assembly or procession without knowing the event was unlawful.
While Prof Thio felt the remaining restrictions on party political films were unfair to opposition parties given their lack of access to the mainstream media, Mr Zaqy argued that it is the ruling party being disadvantaged “compared to political parties (that) circumvent the laws”.
Mr Lui reiterated that there were “sufficient avenues for political parties, individuals to get their views across” including on platforms such as Parliamentary debates, the mainstream media, party newsletters and the Internet.
Asked how much time it would take for films to be approved — especially during the urgency of the hustings — Mr Lui said it should be faster than the one week to two months that the board takes to classify all films and videos.
He reiterated that there was “always going to be an element of subjectivity” in assessing party political films and Singaporeans “have got to trust the process and the people selected” on the consultative committee.
The amendments, he concluded, “bring about what I believe to be significant liberalisation and change, and it will widen the space for political discourse”.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
No Retrenchment Benefits? Ask MOM For Help
The Straits Times ran this story on 27 March 2009:
No retrenchment benefits? Ask MOM for help
WORKERS whose bosses do not pay retrenchment benefits can go to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for advice and help, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Manpower and Health) Hawazi Daipi has said.
He was responding to Nominated MP Eunice Olsen, who said she knew of a company that refused to pay up until a worker threatened it with a lawsuit.
Under the Employment Act, employees with at least three years of service can claim retrenchment benefits.
But the Act does not state how much can be claimed. The amount varies according to industry norms, the firm's financial position and what is stated in the employment contract or collective agreement between a company and its union, said Mr Hawazi. It typically ranges from two weeks' to one month's salary for each year of service, he added. Employees with under three years of service usually get an ex-gratia payment.
The Act does not cover managers and executives for retrenchment benefits, but most bosses here pay them too.
No retrenchment benefits? Ask MOM for help
WORKERS whose bosses do not pay retrenchment benefits can go to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for advice and help, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Manpower and Health) Hawazi Daipi has said.
He was responding to Nominated MP Eunice Olsen, who said she knew of a company that refused to pay up until a worker threatened it with a lawsuit.
Under the Employment Act, employees with at least three years of service can claim retrenchment benefits.
But the Act does not state how much can be claimed. The amount varies according to industry norms, the firm's financial position and what is stated in the employment contract or collective agreement between a company and its union, said Mr Hawazi. It typically ranges from two weeks' to one month's salary for each year of service, he added. Employees with under three years of service usually get an ex-gratia payment.
The Act does not cover managers and executives for retrenchment benefits, but most bosses here pay them too.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Two Senior Ministers and Two Deputy Prime Ministers
Does little Singapore need two Senior Ministers and two Deputy Prime Ministers?
Today paper ran this AFP story on 26 March 2009:
Singapore PM names new deputy in reshuffle
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday named a new deputy as part of a cabinet reshuffle that comes as the trade-reliant city-state tackles a deep recession.
Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean will become one of two deputy prime ministers on April 1 alongside the veteran Wong Kan Seng, who also serves as the home affairs minister in charge of internal security, Lee's office said.
S. Jayakumar, a former foreign minister, was shifted from deputy prime minister to the post of senior minister alongside Goh Chok Tong, the city-state's former prime minister, the official statement said.
In Singapore's political system, senior ministers serve as key advisers to the cabinet.
Lee Kuan Yew, the republic's founding prime minister, holds the unique title of "minister mentor" in his son's cabinet.
"These changes are part of continuing leadership renewal and testing out of younger office-holders for broader responsibilities," the statement said.
Singapore became the first Asian economy to slip into recession last year, and gross domestic product is expected to shrink by as much as 5.0 percent this year, according to official projections.
Such a drop in GDP would plunge Singapore into its worst recession since independence in 1965.
Today paper ran this AFP story on 26 March 2009:
Singapore PM names new deputy in reshuffle
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday named a new deputy as part of a cabinet reshuffle that comes as the trade-reliant city-state tackles a deep recession.
Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean will become one of two deputy prime ministers on April 1 alongside the veteran Wong Kan Seng, who also serves as the home affairs minister in charge of internal security, Lee's office said.
S. Jayakumar, a former foreign minister, was shifted from deputy prime minister to the post of senior minister alongside Goh Chok Tong, the city-state's former prime minister, the official statement said.
In Singapore's political system, senior ministers serve as key advisers to the cabinet.
Lee Kuan Yew, the republic's founding prime minister, holds the unique title of "minister mentor" in his son's cabinet.
"These changes are part of continuing leadership renewal and testing out of younger office-holders for broader responsibilities," the statement said.
Singapore became the first Asian economy to slip into recession last year, and gross domestic product is expected to shrink by as much as 5.0 percent this year, according to official projections.
Such a drop in GDP would plunge Singapore into its worst recession since independence in 1965.
New Restrictions to Films Act Introduced Under the Guise of Liberalization
Filmmaker Martyn See has written an entry on his blog about the amendments to the Films Act bill @ singaporerebel.blogspot.com. Read his views on the blog and know that "You will soon not be allowed to whip out your camera to film an outdoor political activity. The proposed Public Order Act, to be passed into law next month, empowers the police to stop the filming, exhibition or distribution of videos depicting law enforcement activities." Something like this video by Martyn See.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Offers For Lehman Investors: 79% Accepted
The Straits Times ran this story on 26 March 2009:
Offers for Lehman investors: 79% accepted
By Francis Chan
FOUR out of every five investors who received settlement offers for the failure of their investments in Lehman Brothers-linked structured products have accepted the settlements.
Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang yesterday said 79per cent of investors had accepted the offers from financial institutions that sold them the ill-fated investments.
Only 1.5per cent had rejected the offers. The remaining investors have yet to make a decision as of March15.
Mr Lim, who is also the deputy chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), was giving Parliament an update on investigations into the alleged mis-selling of structured products by financial institutions here.
In January, the MAS said 58per cent of complainants, or 2,974 investors, would get a full or partial refund from financial institutions that sold them the products.
Of this total, 43per cent - or 1,282 - were offered full compensation.
'Since my last update to Parliament in January, these institutions have received another 367 complaints. This number is accurate as of March15, 2009,' Mr Lim said.
He also provided an update for a fourth Lehman-linked product that defaulted - Morgan Stanley's Pinnacle Notes Series9 and 10.
'I have been told that the five financial institutions that sold these products have...received another 31 complaints,' he said.
In January, Mr Lim said six complaints were lodged by investors of Pinnacle Notes Series9 and 10.
He was responding to questions from Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong, who had sought an update on complaints to the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre or Fidrec.
'MAS has been informed by Fidrec that as of March15, 2009, there have been a total of 561 formal claims lodged with Fidrec,' said Mr Lim.
According to him, these include claims for Lehman Minibonds, DBS High Notes5, Merrill Lynch Jubilee Series3 LinkEarner Notes, and Morgan Stanley Pinnacle Series9 and 10 Notes.
He said 485 out of the 561 claims are pending mediation, while 42 claims have been referred for adjudication. Thirty-four claims have so far been resolved at the mediation stage.
'In 32 of these 34 cases, the parties entered into some form of settlement, and in the remaining two cases, they may have decided not to pursue the matter further,' he said.
Mr Lim also responded to Mr Siew's additional queries on whether the recent consultation paper released by the MAS on its proposed regulatory changes implies that the central bank was 'lax' in regulating the sale of such structured products.
Mr Lim disagreed and assured the House that as 'a responsible regulator', the MAS has put up the consultation paper to receive feedback.
'We do recognise that structured products have become more complex, the environment has changed, and therefore, as a responsible regulator, MAS also has to make the adjustments,' he said.
Offers for Lehman investors: 79% accepted
By Francis Chan
FOUR out of every five investors who received settlement offers for the failure of their investments in Lehman Brothers-linked structured products have accepted the settlements.
Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang yesterday said 79per cent of investors had accepted the offers from financial institutions that sold them the ill-fated investments.
Only 1.5per cent had rejected the offers. The remaining investors have yet to make a decision as of March15.
Mr Lim, who is also the deputy chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), was giving Parliament an update on investigations into the alleged mis-selling of structured products by financial institutions here.
In January, the MAS said 58per cent of complainants, or 2,974 investors, would get a full or partial refund from financial institutions that sold them the products.
Of this total, 43per cent - or 1,282 - were offered full compensation.
'Since my last update to Parliament in January, these institutions have received another 367 complaints. This number is accurate as of March15, 2009,' Mr Lim said.
He also provided an update for a fourth Lehman-linked product that defaulted - Morgan Stanley's Pinnacle Notes Series9 and 10.
'I have been told that the five financial institutions that sold these products have...received another 31 complaints,' he said.
In January, Mr Lim said six complaints were lodged by investors of Pinnacle Notes Series9 and 10.
He was responding to questions from Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong, who had sought an update on complaints to the Financial Industry Disputes Resolution Centre or Fidrec.
'MAS has been informed by Fidrec that as of March15, 2009, there have been a total of 561 formal claims lodged with Fidrec,' said Mr Lim.
According to him, these include claims for Lehman Minibonds, DBS High Notes5, Merrill Lynch Jubilee Series3 LinkEarner Notes, and Morgan Stanley Pinnacle Series9 and 10 Notes.
He said 485 out of the 561 claims are pending mediation, while 42 claims have been referred for adjudication. Thirty-four claims have so far been resolved at the mediation stage.
'In 32 of these 34 cases, the parties entered into some form of settlement, and in the remaining two cases, they may have decided not to pursue the matter further,' he said.
Mr Lim also responded to Mr Siew's additional queries on whether the recent consultation paper released by the MAS on its proposed regulatory changes implies that the central bank was 'lax' in regulating the sale of such structured products.
Mr Lim disagreed and assured the House that as 'a responsible regulator', the MAS has put up the consultation paper to receive feedback.
'We do recognise that structured products have become more complex, the environment has changed, and therefore, as a responsible regulator, MAS also has to make the adjustments,' he said.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
PAP: Not Even One Person Can Protest in Singapore
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has responded to the Public Order Bill on its website @ yoursdp.org on 24 March 2009:
PAP: Not Even One
First it was five or more. Now it's not even one.
The PAP introduced the Public Order Act in Parliament yesterday that will ban all “cause-related” events, even if there are less than 5 persons. The introduction of this Act is not just the tightening of laws against protests, it is an outright ban of Singaporeans' right to peaceful assembly.
Already the people have no avenue of public protest because laws such as the Public Entertainment and Meetings Act and the Miscellaneous Offences Act prohibit 5 or more persons gathering in a public place without a permit.
Under the latest Public Order Act, even a one-person protest will require a permit which, by the way, the Government has indicated it has no intention of granting. Of course, public gatherings in support of the PAP will continue with impunity.
In addition the Films Act has been amended to ban the filming of illegal public events. This move is designed to stop the publicising of civil disobedience acts.
Taken together these laws and the way they are exercised are designed to ensure that public assembly is completely stopped.
Such legislation comes at a time when there is growing public anger at the Government. Not only is the economy the worst performing one in Asia, the country's rulers continue to lavish themselves with salaries that are the highest in the world for politicians.
The new legislation is also meant to curtail the growing interests of Singaporeans in conducting peaceful protests.
It is a clear sign that this Government is fearful of the future and knows that it cannot face the public in an open debate. It is therefore doing the next best thing – clamping down on dissent.
As the world moves to a new age where openness, transparency, and democratic accountability are the hallmark of good governance, the PAP is going in the opposite direction.
This signals one thing: That the PAP is determined to keep itself in power regardless what happens to the country and how unhappy the people get.
PAP: Not Even One
First it was five or more. Now it's not even one.
The PAP introduced the Public Order Act in Parliament yesterday that will ban all “cause-related” events, even if there are less than 5 persons. The introduction of this Act is not just the tightening of laws against protests, it is an outright ban of Singaporeans' right to peaceful assembly.
Already the people have no avenue of public protest because laws such as the Public Entertainment and Meetings Act and the Miscellaneous Offences Act prohibit 5 or more persons gathering in a public place without a permit.
Under the latest Public Order Act, even a one-person protest will require a permit which, by the way, the Government has indicated it has no intention of granting. Of course, public gatherings in support of the PAP will continue with impunity.
In addition the Films Act has been amended to ban the filming of illegal public events. This move is designed to stop the publicising of civil disobedience acts.
Taken together these laws and the way they are exercised are designed to ensure that public assembly is completely stopped.
Such legislation comes at a time when there is growing public anger at the Government. Not only is the economy the worst performing one in Asia, the country's rulers continue to lavish themselves with salaries that are the highest in the world for politicians.
The new legislation is also meant to curtail the growing interests of Singaporeans in conducting peaceful protests.
It is a clear sign that this Government is fearful of the future and knows that it cannot face the public in an open debate. It is therefore doing the next best thing – clamping down on dissent.
As the world moves to a new age where openness, transparency, and democratic accountability are the hallmark of good governance, the PAP is going in the opposite direction.
This signals one thing: That the PAP is determined to keep itself in power regardless what happens to the country and how unhappy the people get.
Singapore to Launch Tougher Public Order Law
Reuters ran this story on 24 March 2009:
Singapore to launch tougher public order law
Singapore, which already has tough restrictions on freedom of assembly, plans to tighten them further ahead of a major Asia-Pacific summit in the city-state.
The Public Order Bill, introduced in parliament on Monday before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November, was needed to "squarely address gaps in the current framework to enhance the ability of the police to ensure security during major events", the Ministry of Home Affairs said.
Under the proposed law, police could prevent activists from leaving home if they knew they were going to a political rally. It would also allow police to order a person to leave an area if they determine he is about to break the law.
All outdoor activities that are cause-related will need a police permit, no matter how many people are involved. That is a change from the current law requiring a permit for gatherings of five or more people.
Opposition politicians and activists were quick to criticise the proposed law. "Even in communist China, peaceful protests are tolerated," said Chee Siok Chin of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party.
The bill allows police to stop people from filming law enforcement if it could put officers in danger. The bill cited live media coverage of Indian police trying to rescue hostages in the Mumbai attacks last November as posing risks to the officers.
Police could stop small peaceful protests against unpopular visiting government leaders, such as from Myanmar, if the law was introduced, activists said.
Last week, three Singaporeans tried to present a bouquet of orchids to visiting Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein for him to give to detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung Sann Suu Kyi.
Thein Sein was having an orchid named after him at the Botanical Gardens, a Singapore tradition for visiting heads of government.
The law is certain to pass, since the ruling People's Action Party has an overwhelming majority in parliament.
Singapore to launch tougher public order law
Singapore, which already has tough restrictions on freedom of assembly, plans to tighten them further ahead of a major Asia-Pacific summit in the city-state.
The Public Order Bill, introduced in parliament on Monday before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November, was needed to "squarely address gaps in the current framework to enhance the ability of the police to ensure security during major events", the Ministry of Home Affairs said.
Under the proposed law, police could prevent activists from leaving home if they knew they were going to a political rally. It would also allow police to order a person to leave an area if they determine he is about to break the law.
All outdoor activities that are cause-related will need a police permit, no matter how many people are involved. That is a change from the current law requiring a permit for gatherings of five or more people.
Opposition politicians and activists were quick to criticise the proposed law. "Even in communist China, peaceful protests are tolerated," said Chee Siok Chin of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party.
The bill allows police to stop people from filming law enforcement if it could put officers in danger. The bill cited live media coverage of Indian police trying to rescue hostages in the Mumbai attacks last November as posing risks to the officers.
Police could stop small peaceful protests against unpopular visiting government leaders, such as from Myanmar, if the law was introduced, activists said.
Last week, three Singaporeans tried to present a bouquet of orchids to visiting Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein for him to give to detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung Sann Suu Kyi.
Thein Sein was having an orchid named after him at the Botanical Gardens, a Singapore tradition for visiting heads of government.
The law is certain to pass, since the ruling People's Action Party has an overwhelming majority in parliament.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
The Films Act Amended
Reuters ran this story on 23 March 2009:
Singapore eases law on political films
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore passed an amended law on Monday to ease an 11-year-old ban on films that promote a politician or political party, but the amendments also introduce restrictions on dramatized political videos.
The relaxation of rules on political films was meant to keep up with the spread of video and other news content on the Internet, but these had to be "held in accordance with the law," Lui Tuck Yew, a junior minister at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, told parliament.
The amended Films Act allows films that are factual and objective, and do not dramatize or present a distorted picture of politics in Singapore, Lui said.
"Films with animation and dramatization and distort what is real or factual will be disallowed, as the intent of the amendments is to ensure that these films do not undermine the seriousness of political debate," he said.
The southeast Asian city-state, which has been ruled by the People's Action Party for more than 40 years, had banned the production and screening of all political films, imposing a maximum fine of S$100,000 ($73,000) or a two-year jail term on offenders.
The ban came into effect in 1998, two years after the opposition Singapore Democratic Party applied for a license to sell a videotape about the party.
Public gatherings of more than four people without permits are also banned, making it difficult for opposition politicians to reach out to voters.
The amended bill won overwhelming support in a parliament that has been dominated by the PAP since Singapore's independence in 1965.
Nominated member of parliament Siew Kum Hong, who opposed the bill, said the amendments did not go far enough as it would still allow the prosecution of people who film political rallies without realizing whether the event was lawful or not.
"Singaporeans are today far more sophisticated and media savvy than before and should be trusted for the merit and demerit of films for themselves," he told parliament.
Martyn See, a Singaporean film-maker who had two films banned by authorities because of their political content, called the law "regressive."
"It shows off a government that is incapable of trusting its own citizens to watch political films."
Singapore eases law on political films
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore passed an amended law on Monday to ease an 11-year-old ban on films that promote a politician or political party, but the amendments also introduce restrictions on dramatized political videos.
The relaxation of rules on political films was meant to keep up with the spread of video and other news content on the Internet, but these had to be "held in accordance with the law," Lui Tuck Yew, a junior minister at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, told parliament.
The amended Films Act allows films that are factual and objective, and do not dramatize or present a distorted picture of politics in Singapore, Lui said.
"Films with animation and dramatization and distort what is real or factual will be disallowed, as the intent of the amendments is to ensure that these films do not undermine the seriousness of political debate," he said.
The southeast Asian city-state, which has been ruled by the People's Action Party for more than 40 years, had banned the production and screening of all political films, imposing a maximum fine of S$100,000 ($73,000) or a two-year jail term on offenders.
The ban came into effect in 1998, two years after the opposition Singapore Democratic Party applied for a license to sell a videotape about the party.
Public gatherings of more than four people without permits are also banned, making it difficult for opposition politicians to reach out to voters.
The amended bill won overwhelming support in a parliament that has been dominated by the PAP since Singapore's independence in 1965.
Nominated member of parliament Siew Kum Hong, who opposed the bill, said the amendments did not go far enough as it would still allow the prosecution of people who film political rallies without realizing whether the event was lawful or not.
"Singaporeans are today far more sophisticated and media savvy than before and should be trusted for the merit and demerit of films for themselves," he told parliament.
Martyn See, a Singaporean film-maker who had two films banned by authorities because of their political content, called the law "regressive."
"It shows off a government that is incapable of trusting its own citizens to watch political films."
Govt Announces Relaxation to Internet Election Advertising Rules
Channel NewsAsia ran this story on 23 March 2009:
Govt announces relaxation to Internet election advertising rules
Singapore's taking a significant step to further liberalise and expand the Internet space for political debate. Parliament has approved changes to the Films Act, allowing for certain types of films which would otherwise be termed party political films.
Regulations on internet election advertising have also been relaxed.
Singapore's society is changing and the younger generation want more space for political discourse and greater engagement with the government.
Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, said: "It is therefore important that the government learns to make better use of the medium of film and new media tools to reach out and engage, inform, educate and obtain the views of media-savvy Singaporeans.
"While videos, films and new media can be widely used and can improve communications, we must be mindful that they can be easily abused. This is the reason why, even as we liberalise, there needs to be some safeguards to minimise the risk that they will be exploited and to reduce the undesirable effects."
So amendments to the Films Act will allow films that are factual and objective. They must not dramatise or present a distorted picture.
With the change, LIVE recordings of events held in accordance with the law, anniversary and commemorative videos of political parties, and factual documentaries or biographies will be permitted.
The space for political expression is also liberalised. Political parties and their candidates will now be able to use films allowed under the Act during an election period.
MPs shared some views expressed by netizens and in other forums.
MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Penny Low, who also chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for the Information, Communications and the Arts, said: "The Internet is rife with different opinions questioning the intent of the amendment.
"Is this really a step forward towards liberalisation or is this a step backwards to contain certain political parties? Even worse - is this to introduce a catch-all clause to contain even the film producer, the videographer and free speech."
Zaqy Mohamed, MP for Hong Kah GRC, said: "The proliferation of the new media and the ease of means to get films to be produced and distributed outside of Singapore signals that local regulations are becoming less and less effective."
Mr Lui noted that while films have their impact when reaching the population, they also have their downside.
He said: "If our democracy is reduced to slick commercials, clever editing, sharp sound bites and political spin, then I think our democracy is being debased. So I would say that when we craft this, we are very much aware that even as we liberalise, that we continue to make sure that the debate is serious, robust and rational."
And with an environment that continues to evolve, the government said it is prepared to make further changes, when appropriate.
Govt announces relaxation to Internet election advertising rules
Singapore's taking a significant step to further liberalise and expand the Internet space for political debate. Parliament has approved changes to the Films Act, allowing for certain types of films which would otherwise be termed party political films.
Regulations on internet election advertising have also been relaxed.
Singapore's society is changing and the younger generation want more space for political discourse and greater engagement with the government.
Senior Minister of State for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, said: "It is therefore important that the government learns to make better use of the medium of film and new media tools to reach out and engage, inform, educate and obtain the views of media-savvy Singaporeans.
"While videos, films and new media can be widely used and can improve communications, we must be mindful that they can be easily abused. This is the reason why, even as we liberalise, there needs to be some safeguards to minimise the risk that they will be exploited and to reduce the undesirable effects."
So amendments to the Films Act will allow films that are factual and objective. They must not dramatise or present a distorted picture.
With the change, LIVE recordings of events held in accordance with the law, anniversary and commemorative videos of political parties, and factual documentaries or biographies will be permitted.
The space for political expression is also liberalised. Political parties and their candidates will now be able to use films allowed under the Act during an election period.
MPs shared some views expressed by netizens and in other forums.
MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Penny Low, who also chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for the Information, Communications and the Arts, said: "The Internet is rife with different opinions questioning the intent of the amendment.
"Is this really a step forward towards liberalisation or is this a step backwards to contain certain political parties? Even worse - is this to introduce a catch-all clause to contain even the film producer, the videographer and free speech."
Zaqy Mohamed, MP for Hong Kah GRC, said: "The proliferation of the new media and the ease of means to get films to be produced and distributed outside of Singapore signals that local regulations are becoming less and less effective."
Mr Lui noted that while films have their impact when reaching the population, they also have their downside.
He said: "If our democracy is reduced to slick commercials, clever editing, sharp sound bites and political spin, then I think our democracy is being debased. So I would say that when we craft this, we are very much aware that even as we liberalise, that we continue to make sure that the debate is serious, robust and rational."
And with an environment that continues to evolve, the government said it is prepared to make further changes, when appropriate.
Quotable Quotes: MM Lee
This article was published in The New Paper on 23 March 2009:
MM Lee on Chinese students
By Ng Tze Yong
HIS WORDS
MM Lee: On Chinese students here
I'll be upfront. Most of the bright Chinese students use us as a stepping stone to move on to American schools...
So why are we so stupid?
Because more than half of them will not make the grade.
They will remain here. And the second tier is not bad for us.
On Beijing
You look at the Olympics.
The greening of Beijing was unbelievable.
From the airport to the city, just masses of trees, ferns, everything. Within the city, flowers everywhere.
40 million flower pots!
And they have the power to make the flowers blossom at the right time...
But where did the ideas come from? Tiny Singapore. Little red dot.
...so when you say I come from Singapore, I want to open a company, they say sure, no problem.
MM Lee: On single S'porean women
My daughter is one of them. What can I do?
When she was in her early 30s, I told her, never mind all this.
My wife and I used to tell her, what you want is a M, R, S - Mrs.
She didn't think it was funny. Now, she is 50-plus.
I'm getting old, I've got a pacemaker... We've got this big house, everything is looked after now, but what happens when we are no longer there?
Who's going to run this place? Who's going to make sure that the maids are doing the right thing and so on and so forth?
That's the price she will have to pay...
She says, I'll look after myself, but she has not been looking after herself all these years.
She went abroad for her studies... and her cooking was just to take the salmon and put it in the microwave and eat it up.
You can do it and then go to the canteen, but when you do that day after day...
It's a choice she has made and a choice that 35 per cent of our women are making.
Who am I to complain, except that society lives with the choices it makes?
MM Lee on Chinese students
By Ng Tze Yong
HIS WORDS
MM Lee: On Chinese students here
I'll be upfront. Most of the bright Chinese students use us as a stepping stone to move on to American schools...
So why are we so stupid?
Because more than half of them will not make the grade.
They will remain here. And the second tier is not bad for us.
On Beijing
You look at the Olympics.
The greening of Beijing was unbelievable.
From the airport to the city, just masses of trees, ferns, everything. Within the city, flowers everywhere.
40 million flower pots!
And they have the power to make the flowers blossom at the right time...
But where did the ideas come from? Tiny Singapore. Little red dot.
...so when you say I come from Singapore, I want to open a company, they say sure, no problem.
MM Lee: On single S'porean women
My daughter is one of them. What can I do?
When she was in her early 30s, I told her, never mind all this.
My wife and I used to tell her, what you want is a M, R, S - Mrs.
She didn't think it was funny. Now, she is 50-plus.
I'm getting old, I've got a pacemaker... We've got this big house, everything is looked after now, but what happens when we are no longer there?
Who's going to run this place? Who's going to make sure that the maids are doing the right thing and so on and so forth?
That's the price she will have to pay...
She says, I'll look after myself, but she has not been looking after herself all these years.
She went abroad for her studies... and her cooking was just to take the salmon and put it in the microwave and eat it up.
You can do it and then go to the canteen, but when you do that day after day...
It's a choice she has made and a choice that 35 per cent of our women are making.
Who am I to complain, except that society lives with the choices it makes?
Monday, March 23, 2009
R&R Centre for Foreign Workers
The Straits Times ran this story on 22 March 2009:
R&R centre for foreign workers
By Lim Wei Chean
A NEW recreation centre where foreign workers can unwind after a difficult day at work was opened on Sunday.
The $5-million centre, built by the Singapore Contractors Association Limited (Scal), was officially opened on Sunday .
The facility in Jurong West boosts facilities like a football field, an amphitheatre for ethnic movies, multi-purpose sports courts, postal & remittance facilities, a beer garden, a medical station, a canteen, a supermarket with ethnic foods and lots of open spaces.
Mr Cedric Foo, MP for West Coast GRC, was the guest of honour on Sunday evening.
He said that these foreign workers are an important part of the workforce as they take up jobs that Singaporeans shun.
He added: 'We need to help these foreign workers integrated into our society, and this starts with ensuring that their housing and recreation needs are well provided for.'
Although he noted that Scal has done its bit to improve the lot of foreign workers. The work does not stop there.
He said: 'Each one of us can also play a part to help foreign workers integrate into our society.'
He proposed the local community leaders use the Scal Recreation Centre as a platform host social activities that allow locals and foreigners to mingle together.
R&R centre for foreign workers
By Lim Wei Chean
A NEW recreation centre where foreign workers can unwind after a difficult day at work was opened on Sunday.
The $5-million centre, built by the Singapore Contractors Association Limited (Scal), was officially opened on Sunday .
The facility in Jurong West boosts facilities like a football field, an amphitheatre for ethnic movies, multi-purpose sports courts, postal & remittance facilities, a beer garden, a medical station, a canteen, a supermarket with ethnic foods and lots of open spaces.
Mr Cedric Foo, MP for West Coast GRC, was the guest of honour on Sunday evening.
He said that these foreign workers are an important part of the workforce as they take up jobs that Singaporeans shun.
He added: 'We need to help these foreign workers integrated into our society, and this starts with ensuring that their housing and recreation needs are well provided for.'
Although he noted that Scal has done its bit to improve the lot of foreign workers. The work does not stop there.
He said: 'Each one of us can also play a part to help foreign workers integrate into our society.'
He proposed the local community leaders use the Scal Recreation Centre as a platform host social activities that allow locals and foreigners to mingle together.
Friday, March 20, 2009
MOM Prosecutes Four in Tipper Case
AsiaOne published this story on 19 March 2009:
MOM prosecutes four in Tipper case
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) prosecuted four employers today for failing to pay the salaries of their foreign employers on time.
Last December, work permit holders under Tipper Corp Pte Ltd reported to MOM that they were not given regular work and they were owed salaries.
Loke Siew Fai, the director of Tipper Corp Pte Ltd, was then ordered by the MOM to pay the salaries owed to the workers within two weeks. He now faces the most number of charges among the four employers charged by MOM.
His 145 charges include charges of failing to pay salaries, abetting Paul Lee Chiang Theng (Director, Gates Offshore Pte Ltd, Goldrich Venture Pte Ltd and S1 Engineering Pte Ltd) and Sockalingam Uthayanan of UPNB Engineering Pte Ltd of illegal employment, and giving false information with the purpose of hiring phantom workers.
Lee, meanwhile, is being charged for illegal employment of Tipper's workers, failure to pay salary to Gates Offshore workers and Goldrich Venture workers, and failure to provide acceptable accommodation.
Uthayanan and Han Meng Siew of Ensure Engineering Pte Ltd are both being charged for for illegal employment of Tipper Corp Pte Ltd's workers.
"The accused employers deliberately brought in workers for which there was no prospect of regular work, failed to provide for their proper maintenance through non-payment of salaries for months and housed them in unacceptable accommodation," said Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director of the Foreign Manpower Management Division.
Majority of the foreign workers chose to return home after receiving their salaries. They were assisted by the MOM in their repatriation.
About fifty who chose to remain in Singapore were able to find jobs in the marine sector.
MOM has stepped up ground operations to detect and bring to book employers who have committed offences such as illegal employment, providing unacceptable accommodation and failing to pay salaries.
Employers convicted of failing to pay salaries can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to six months or both, for each foreign worker.
Meanwhile, for illegal employment, a first-time offender faces a fine up to $15,000 or imprisonment of up to one year, or both, for each foreign worker. They will also have to repay the levy evaded.
"We will keep up our operations on the ground against such errant employers, and ensure that they face the full consequences of their actions under the law," said Aw.
MOM prosecutes four in Tipper case
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) prosecuted four employers today for failing to pay the salaries of their foreign employers on time.
Last December, work permit holders under Tipper Corp Pte Ltd reported to MOM that they were not given regular work and they were owed salaries.
Loke Siew Fai, the director of Tipper Corp Pte Ltd, was then ordered by the MOM to pay the salaries owed to the workers within two weeks. He now faces the most number of charges among the four employers charged by MOM.
His 145 charges include charges of failing to pay salaries, abetting Paul Lee Chiang Theng (Director, Gates Offshore Pte Ltd, Goldrich Venture Pte Ltd and S1 Engineering Pte Ltd) and Sockalingam Uthayanan of UPNB Engineering Pte Ltd of illegal employment, and giving false information with the purpose of hiring phantom workers.
Lee, meanwhile, is being charged for illegal employment of Tipper's workers, failure to pay salary to Gates Offshore workers and Goldrich Venture workers, and failure to provide acceptable accommodation.
Uthayanan and Han Meng Siew of Ensure Engineering Pte Ltd are both being charged for for illegal employment of Tipper Corp Pte Ltd's workers.
"The accused employers deliberately brought in workers for which there was no prospect of regular work, failed to provide for their proper maintenance through non-payment of salaries for months and housed them in unacceptable accommodation," said Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director of the Foreign Manpower Management Division.
Majority of the foreign workers chose to return home after receiving their salaries. They were assisted by the MOM in their repatriation.
About fifty who chose to remain in Singapore were able to find jobs in the marine sector.
MOM has stepped up ground operations to detect and bring to book employers who have committed offences such as illegal employment, providing unacceptable accommodation and failing to pay salaries.
Employers convicted of failing to pay salaries can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to six months or both, for each foreign worker.
Meanwhile, for illegal employment, a first-time offender faces a fine up to $15,000 or imprisonment of up to one year, or both, for each foreign worker. They will also have to repay the levy evaded.
"We will keep up our operations on the ground against such errant employers, and ensure that they face the full consequences of their actions under the law," said Aw.
Singapore Again Ousts the Editor of the Asia Sentinel
John Berthelsen, the editor of the Asia Sentinel, wrote this on 18 March 2009 on the Asia Sentinel website at www.asiasentinel.com:
Singapore again ousts the editor of the Asia Sentinel
You can say one thing for Singaporeans. They have long memories. And if you think the place is loosening up, think again.
In 1988 — 21 years ago — my projected three-year stint as the Asian Wall Street Journal's correspondent in Singapore ended two years early when the Singaporeans refused to grant me another work visa, and I was forced to leave the island republic to its own devices. Singapore does not now take kindly to the practice of independent journalism, and it didn't then. The media watchdog organization Reporters Without Borders ranks Singapore 140th out of 167 countries surveyed in terms of freedom of the press. The country has been kicking foreign journalists out for writing critical articles about the republic since the early 1970s.
Fast forward through three jobs and several countries to March 17, 2009 – Tuesday – when I flew to Singapore for a one-day stopover as a formality to getting a new visa for Indonesia. The bullfrog-faced woman at the country's immigration counter, an office that is among the world's fastest and most efficient – stiffened visibly when she entered my US passport into her computer, and immediately called for backup. Twenty-one years later, I was being bounced out of the country again. The Burmese general Thein Sein was luckier. The junta member got a warm welcome and an orchid named for him. Perhaps there was a mixup, or perhaps he banks there.
Seconds after the woman passed my passport through her scanner, I was shepherded away from the usual scrum of passengers headed out into Singapore's tropical sunlight, and into a facility where a stone-faced immigration officer apparently busied himself making telephone calls. When I attempted to ask to inform a colleague on the same trip that I had been detained, he shooed me back into the facility, where I sat watching a couple of football teams contend for a half hour or so.
After what appeared to be a series of telephone calls to bureaucrats somewhere, ultimately, I was led away and into the upper reaches of Changi Airport. Changi is a great airport, with an array of stores that would cause envy to some of the world's best department stores. But there are parts of Changi that you probably aren't ever going to see. One of those parts was a barren room with a quote on the wall from J.M. Barrie, who created Peter Pan, that "it is more important to like what you do than to do what you like." It was equipped with a couple of racks of bunk beds and two television sets, where I sat with a half-dozen Chinese hookers who watched a Martha Stewart cooking show with considerable interest, considering that none of them spoke English.
An couple of hours later, a wholly polite and accommodating immigration officer acceded to my request and paroled my passport from other officials so that I could go to duty-free and liberate a couple of bottles of gin to take back to nominally dry Jakarta. He showed the passport to the duty-free lady to endorse the purchase, then took the passport back. Finally I was herded to seat 64D on SQ958 – the very last row next to the toilets. I wasn't to get my passport back until SIA officials escorted me to Indonesian immigration, where I, my passport and my duty-free liquor were liberated.
I am hardly alone in being bounced out of the island republic. Lee Kuan Yew and his prime minister son, Lee Hsien Loong, for decades have been suing for defamation and taking other actions against journalists who don't parrot their version of events. As far as can be determined, they have lost just one case – in 1984, when Senior District Judge Michael Khoo made the mistake of ruling that Lee Kuan Yew's mortal enemy, the late opposition politician Joshua B. Jeyaretnam, was innocent of making a false declaration about the accounts of his Worker's Party.
Judge Khoo was promptly transferred out of his position as a senior judge and sent off to the attorney general's chambers. No judge in the intervening 24 years has ever made the mistake of ruling against the Lee family, especially in cases involving the press.
The government or members of the Lee family have filed defamation or contempt charges against virtually every major publication in Asia, including the International Herald Tribune, the Financial Times, Time Magazine, the Economist, the now-defunct AsiaWeek and any other publication that refuses to toe the Lee line. The Far Eastern Economic Review, especially under the late editor Derek Davies, was a particular target. The Review in September was fined for having defamed the Lees pere et fils, in relation to an interview with Chee Soon Juan in which the serially jailed opposition leader said Singapore would never change until Lee Kuan Yew was dead.
After the renamed Wall Street Journal Asia was nailed as a paper for the biggest contempt fine in Singapore history – S$25,000 – the government apparently decided that wasn't enough. The attorney general filed suit against Melanie Kirkpatrick, a senior editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal itself, 15,339 kilometers away, in kind of the legal equivalent of Kim Jong Il deciding to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile because the powers that be weren't paying enough attention to him.
In a way, it's reassuring that the government could reach across 21 years to pick my name out of the mists of history. It probably means they are vigilant enough to continue to pursue Mas Selamat Kastari, the limping jihadi terrorist who somehow managed to escape in February of 2008 from the most secure prison on that most secure 650-sq km island, and elude capture for more than a year.
This is a government that is said to routinely monitor the telephone conversations of journalists and opposition figures, keeps them under surveillance, reads their computer traffic at the uplink, searches their trash and reads their mail before they get it. Kastari, they say, is still somewhere on the island. He won't get away, if Special Branch can take the time away from pursuing the press and the opposition to look him up.
Singapore again ousts the editor of the Asia Sentinel
You can say one thing for Singaporeans. They have long memories. And if you think the place is loosening up, think again.
In 1988 — 21 years ago — my projected three-year stint as the Asian Wall Street Journal's correspondent in Singapore ended two years early when the Singaporeans refused to grant me another work visa, and I was forced to leave the island republic to its own devices. Singapore does not now take kindly to the practice of independent journalism, and it didn't then. The media watchdog organization Reporters Without Borders ranks Singapore 140th out of 167 countries surveyed in terms of freedom of the press. The country has been kicking foreign journalists out for writing critical articles about the republic since the early 1970s.
Fast forward through three jobs and several countries to March 17, 2009 – Tuesday – when I flew to Singapore for a one-day stopover as a formality to getting a new visa for Indonesia. The bullfrog-faced woman at the country's immigration counter, an office that is among the world's fastest and most efficient – stiffened visibly when she entered my US passport into her computer, and immediately called for backup. Twenty-one years later, I was being bounced out of the country again. The Burmese general Thein Sein was luckier. The junta member got a warm welcome and an orchid named for him. Perhaps there was a mixup, or perhaps he banks there.
Seconds after the woman passed my passport through her scanner, I was shepherded away from the usual scrum of passengers headed out into Singapore's tropical sunlight, and into a facility where a stone-faced immigration officer apparently busied himself making telephone calls. When I attempted to ask to inform a colleague on the same trip that I had been detained, he shooed me back into the facility, where I sat watching a couple of football teams contend for a half hour or so.
After what appeared to be a series of telephone calls to bureaucrats somewhere, ultimately, I was led away and into the upper reaches of Changi Airport. Changi is a great airport, with an array of stores that would cause envy to some of the world's best department stores. But there are parts of Changi that you probably aren't ever going to see. One of those parts was a barren room with a quote on the wall from J.M. Barrie, who created Peter Pan, that "it is more important to like what you do than to do what you like." It was equipped with a couple of racks of bunk beds and two television sets, where I sat with a half-dozen Chinese hookers who watched a Martha Stewart cooking show with considerable interest, considering that none of them spoke English.
An couple of hours later, a wholly polite and accommodating immigration officer acceded to my request and paroled my passport from other officials so that I could go to duty-free and liberate a couple of bottles of gin to take back to nominally dry Jakarta. He showed the passport to the duty-free lady to endorse the purchase, then took the passport back. Finally I was herded to seat 64D on SQ958 – the very last row next to the toilets. I wasn't to get my passport back until SIA officials escorted me to Indonesian immigration, where I, my passport and my duty-free liquor were liberated.
I am hardly alone in being bounced out of the island republic. Lee Kuan Yew and his prime minister son, Lee Hsien Loong, for decades have been suing for defamation and taking other actions against journalists who don't parrot their version of events. As far as can be determined, they have lost just one case – in 1984, when Senior District Judge Michael Khoo made the mistake of ruling that Lee Kuan Yew's mortal enemy, the late opposition politician Joshua B. Jeyaretnam, was innocent of making a false declaration about the accounts of his Worker's Party.
Judge Khoo was promptly transferred out of his position as a senior judge and sent off to the attorney general's chambers. No judge in the intervening 24 years has ever made the mistake of ruling against the Lee family, especially in cases involving the press.
The government or members of the Lee family have filed defamation or contempt charges against virtually every major publication in Asia, including the International Herald Tribune, the Financial Times, Time Magazine, the Economist, the now-defunct AsiaWeek and any other publication that refuses to toe the Lee line. The Far Eastern Economic Review, especially under the late editor Derek Davies, was a particular target. The Review in September was fined for having defamed the Lees pere et fils, in relation to an interview with Chee Soon Juan in which the serially jailed opposition leader said Singapore would never change until Lee Kuan Yew was dead.
After the renamed Wall Street Journal Asia was nailed as a paper for the biggest contempt fine in Singapore history – S$25,000 – the government apparently decided that wasn't enough. The attorney general filed suit against Melanie Kirkpatrick, a senior editorial page editor of the Wall Street Journal itself, 15,339 kilometers away, in kind of the legal equivalent of Kim Jong Il deciding to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile because the powers that be weren't paying enough attention to him.
In a way, it's reassuring that the government could reach across 21 years to pick my name out of the mists of history. It probably means they are vigilant enough to continue to pursue Mas Selamat Kastari, the limping jihadi terrorist who somehow managed to escape in February of 2008 from the most secure prison on that most secure 650-sq km island, and elude capture for more than a year.
This is a government that is said to routinely monitor the telephone conversations of journalists and opposition figures, keeps them under surveillance, reads their computer traffic at the uplink, searches their trash and reads their mail before they get it. Kastari, they say, is still somewhere on the island. He won't get away, if Special Branch can take the time away from pursuing the press and the opposition to look him up.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Merlion, S'pore Flyer Among Participants in Earth Hour Singapore
Channel NewsAsia ran this story on 18 March 2009:
Merlion, S'pore Flyer among participants in Earth Hour Singapore
By Lynda Hong
SINGAPORE: More Singapore icons, landmarks and commercial buildings will be taking part in Earth Hour.
At 8.30pm on March 28, the Merlion, Singapore Flyer, Fullerton Hotel and the Esplanade will stand in darkness for one hour in support of the fight against climate change.
Shopping malls like Raffles City, Plaza Singapura, Bugis Junction and Junction 8 have also committed to switching off their facade lights during Earth Hour.
Office buildings like Capital Tower, One George Street and Robinson Point, as well as some service apartments will also support the green cause.
In Singapore, organisers have a target of one million participants.
So far, only about 2,000 people and 350 companies have registered on the website to do their part for the environment.
But organisers believe there'll be thousands out there taking part in Earth Hour in their own way and tracking numbers can only be done after the event is over.
Merlion, S'pore Flyer among participants in Earth Hour Singapore
By Lynda Hong
SINGAPORE: More Singapore icons, landmarks and commercial buildings will be taking part in Earth Hour.
At 8.30pm on March 28, the Merlion, Singapore Flyer, Fullerton Hotel and the Esplanade will stand in darkness for one hour in support of the fight against climate change.
Shopping malls like Raffles City, Plaza Singapura, Bugis Junction and Junction 8 have also committed to switching off their facade lights during Earth Hour.
Office buildings like Capital Tower, One George Street and Robinson Point, as well as some service apartments will also support the green cause.
In Singapore, organisers have a target of one million participants.
So far, only about 2,000 people and 350 companies have registered on the website to do their part for the environment.
But organisers believe there'll be thousands out there taking part in Earth Hour in their own way and tracking numbers can only be done after the event is over.
Singaporean Activists Protest Against Naming of Orchid After Burmese General
Singaporean activist Seelan Palay wrote this on 18 March 2009 on his blog:
3 activists including filmmaker Ho Choon Hiong, lawyer Chia Ti Lik and myself gathered at the Singapore Botanical Gardens this morning to protest against an "Orchid Naming Ceremony" hosted for the Burmese junta leader Thein Sein.
As Singaporeans we want to register our disapproval over the naming of Singapore's national flower, the Orchid, after a leader of the despotic military junta of Burma.
We made our way through the park in red t-shirts, intending to hand a bouquet of 8 orchid stalks (symbolizing the '88 revolution) with a greeting card to the General, to request that he help deliver them to pro-democracy leader Miss Aung San Suu Kyi.
When we arrived at the location of the ceremony at 8.15 am however, we were approached by a group of National Parks staff who informed us that the event was over in 5 minutes and that the General had since left.
Plainclothes police officers who had also been present at previous similar events were spotted at various points in the park long after the General's departure. I noticed one particular officer who was pretending to take photographs of flowers and told him, "Hey, you damn obvious lah!". He took a quick nervous glance at me and then looked in another direction.
A decision was then made to walk to the Burmese Embassy on St. Martin's Drive to request them to hand the bouquet and card over to Aung San Suu Kyi. After a brief inquiry, the security guard on duty shouted at us from a distance that they refuse to accept the gifts.
Standing outside the locked gates the embassy, I went ahead and read out the contents of the card:
"Dear Aung San Suu Kyi,
Today marks an unimportant occasion whereby an Orchid will be named in Singapore after Thein Sein, a general of the Burmese junta.
We feel that it is more befitting to be named after you.
This bouquet of 8 orchid stalks is to honour you and your countrymen who have sacrificed so much for freedom and democracy in Burma.
Respectfully yours,
Singaporeans for Burmese democracy"
We then unfurled a banner bearing the words, "Long Live Aung San Syu Kyi", and shouted out the slogan thrice with raised fists.
We left after placing the bouquet and card at the doorstep of the embassy, hoping that one day, an Orchid flower will be honoured in the name of Miss Aung San Suu Kyi, the rightful leader of Burma.
3 activists including filmmaker Ho Choon Hiong, lawyer Chia Ti Lik and myself gathered at the Singapore Botanical Gardens this morning to protest against an "Orchid Naming Ceremony" hosted for the Burmese junta leader Thein Sein.
As Singaporeans we want to register our disapproval over the naming of Singapore's national flower, the Orchid, after a leader of the despotic military junta of Burma.
We made our way through the park in red t-shirts, intending to hand a bouquet of 8 orchid stalks (symbolizing the '88 revolution) with a greeting card to the General, to request that he help deliver them to pro-democracy leader Miss Aung San Suu Kyi.
When we arrived at the location of the ceremony at 8.15 am however, we were approached by a group of National Parks staff who informed us that the event was over in 5 minutes and that the General had since left.
Plainclothes police officers who had also been present at previous similar events were spotted at various points in the park long after the General's departure. I noticed one particular officer who was pretending to take photographs of flowers and told him, "Hey, you damn obvious lah!". He took a quick nervous glance at me and then looked in another direction.
A decision was then made to walk to the Burmese Embassy on St. Martin's Drive to request them to hand the bouquet and card over to Aung San Suu Kyi. After a brief inquiry, the security guard on duty shouted at us from a distance that they refuse to accept the gifts.
Standing outside the locked gates the embassy, I went ahead and read out the contents of the card:
"Dear Aung San Suu Kyi,
Today marks an unimportant occasion whereby an Orchid will be named in Singapore after Thein Sein, a general of the Burmese junta.
We feel that it is more befitting to be named after you.
This bouquet of 8 orchid stalks is to honour you and your countrymen who have sacrificed so much for freedom and democracy in Burma.
Respectfully yours,
Singaporeans for Burmese democracy"
We then unfurled a banner bearing the words, "Long Live Aung San Syu Kyi", and shouted out the slogan thrice with raised fists.
We left after placing the bouquet and card at the doorstep of the embassy, hoping that one day, an Orchid flower will be honoured in the name of Miss Aung San Suu Kyi, the rightful leader of Burma.
Singapore Urges Myanmar to Reconcile with Opponents
The Star ran this story by Reuters on 18 March 2009:
Singapore urges Myanmar to reconcile with opponents
By Nopporn Wong-Anan (Additional reporting by Kash Cheong)
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore urged Myanmar's military rulers to reconcile with the opposition and engage with West, even as the junta renewed a crackdown on pro-democracy activists.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told his Myanmar counterpart Thein Sein on Tuesday the city-state would "do what we can" to help the junta revive ties with the United States and Europe.
"Countries are grappling with the financial crisis, and asking themselves what is the most effective way to conduct their affairs with other regions," said Lee, whose People's Action Party has governed Singapore since independence in 1965.
"We hope Myanmar will seize this moment to take bolder steps towards national reconciliation and in engaging the international community," he said in a dinner reception speech.
The junta, which has ruled the former Burma since 1962, has refused to recognise a 1990 landslide election victory of the opposition National League for Democracy. Its leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for most of the past two decades.
Hours before Lee's banquet speech, an NLD spokesman said Myanmar authorities had detained five of its members in Yangon last week, but did not know why. It was the latest in a series of arrests of pro-democracy activists ahead of an election next year, the last step in the junta's "roadmap to democracy".
Western governments have criticised the poll as a sham aimed at entrenching military rule.
WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Lee's remarks came as a U.N. investigator called on the junta to release more than 2,100 political prisoners and allow them to take part in the election.
Tomas Ojea Quintana, U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, also urged the military to halt its use of civilians in forced labour.
Washington, whose sanctions on Myanmar include freezing assets of the ruling generals, wants the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Singapore, to press for reform and political progress in Myanmar.
But Singapore, a strong U.S. ally and a growing centre for wealth management, has opposed sanctions on Myanmar and is believed to be home to the generals' offshore bank accounts.
Lee said resource-scarce Singapore would continue to develop business opportunities in resource-rich Myanmar, urging the junta to provide a "stable environment for businessmen to operate in, and take concrete steps to remove barriers and bureaucratic hassles".
Critics say the junta has turned the "Rice Bowl of Asia" into one of Asia's poorest nations, but the regime says it is pursuing its own seven-step "roadmap" to democracy and shrugs off calls for reform.
On Wednesday, Singapore's state-run Botanic Gardens hosted an "Orchid Naming Ceremony" for Thein Sein, the number four in the junta's hierarchy, a ceremony that the government traditionally conducts to honour visiting dignitaries.
Three Singaporeans at the gardens tried to present a bouquet of orchids to Thein Sein to give to Suu Kyi, and called for her release. Protests are rare in Singapore and gatherings of five or more people are illegal without a police permit.
"We feel it would be more fitting for the orchid flower to be honoured in the name of Miss Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the rightful leader of Burma," the protestors said in a statement.
Singapore urges Myanmar to reconcile with opponents
By Nopporn Wong-Anan (Additional reporting by Kash Cheong)
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore urged Myanmar's military rulers to reconcile with the opposition and engage with West, even as the junta renewed a crackdown on pro-democracy activists.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told his Myanmar counterpart Thein Sein on Tuesday the city-state would "do what we can" to help the junta revive ties with the United States and Europe.
"Countries are grappling with the financial crisis, and asking themselves what is the most effective way to conduct their affairs with other regions," said Lee, whose People's Action Party has governed Singapore since independence in 1965.
"We hope Myanmar will seize this moment to take bolder steps towards national reconciliation and in engaging the international community," he said in a dinner reception speech.
The junta, which has ruled the former Burma since 1962, has refused to recognise a 1990 landslide election victory of the opposition National League for Democracy. Its leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for most of the past two decades.
Hours before Lee's banquet speech, an NLD spokesman said Myanmar authorities had detained five of its members in Yangon last week, but did not know why. It was the latest in a series of arrests of pro-democracy activists ahead of an election next year, the last step in the junta's "roadmap to democracy".
Western governments have criticised the poll as a sham aimed at entrenching military rule.
WEALTH MANAGEMENT
Lee's remarks came as a U.N. investigator called on the junta to release more than 2,100 political prisoners and allow them to take part in the election.
Tomas Ojea Quintana, U.N. special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, also urged the military to halt its use of civilians in forced labour.
Washington, whose sanctions on Myanmar include freezing assets of the ruling generals, wants the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), which includes Singapore, to press for reform and political progress in Myanmar.
But Singapore, a strong U.S. ally and a growing centre for wealth management, has opposed sanctions on Myanmar and is believed to be home to the generals' offshore bank accounts.
Lee said resource-scarce Singapore would continue to develop business opportunities in resource-rich Myanmar, urging the junta to provide a "stable environment for businessmen to operate in, and take concrete steps to remove barriers and bureaucratic hassles".
Critics say the junta has turned the "Rice Bowl of Asia" into one of Asia's poorest nations, but the regime says it is pursuing its own seven-step "roadmap" to democracy and shrugs off calls for reform.
On Wednesday, Singapore's state-run Botanic Gardens hosted an "Orchid Naming Ceremony" for Thein Sein, the number four in the junta's hierarchy, a ceremony that the government traditionally conducts to honour visiting dignitaries.
Three Singaporeans at the gardens tried to present a bouquet of orchids to Thein Sein to give to Suu Kyi, and called for her release. Protests are rare in Singapore and gatherings of five or more people are illegal without a police permit.
"We feel it would be more fitting for the orchid flower to be honoured in the name of Miss Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the rightful leader of Burma," the protestors said in a statement.
AIG Required to Repay Lavish Bonuses
Agence France-Presse ran this story on 18 March 2009:
AIG required to repay lavish bonuses: Geithner
AIG will be required to repay lavish employee bonuses, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said, as the bailed-out insurance company's boss prepared to face furious lawmakers.
Geithner said in a letter to the House leadership the payments could not be legally blocked but the government would "impose on AIG a contractual commitment" to repay to taxpayers the 165 million dollars in bonuses,adding that sum would be deducted from the 30 billion dollars still to be handed out from AIG's total bailout of some 180 billion dollars.
Geithner said the Department of Justice is reviewing "what avenues are available" to recoup bonuses already paid. If they violate provisions of the economic recovery plan passed last year, he said the government would negotiate with the company and employees on a payback.
He said future pay would be subject to "strict" limits imposed in new legislation covering bailed-out firms.
Members of the House of Representatives subcommittee on capital markets were expected to give AIG boss Edward Liddy a mauling Wednesday over his decision to pay out bonuses despite the government's strong objections.
The subcommittee's Democratic chairman, Pennsylvania Congressman Paul Kanjorski, warned that Liddy's job could be on the line as President Barack Obama grapples with an outpouring of public rage at Wall Street excess.
"Mr Liddy either has to tell us what he's going to do to change this and give back these bonuses ... or else we should consider removing Mr Liddy and putting someone else in charge," Kanjorski told MSNBC television Tuesday.
But Geithner defended Liddy's role in the matter, saying he was put in place last year "at the request of the government to help rehabilitate the company and repay taxpayer funds."
Liddy, formerly chief executive of the Allstate insurance firm, was tapped by the US government to take over American International Group in September, two days after the giant insurer was saved from bankruptcy with an 85-billion-dollar lifeline.
The bailout has since grown to 180 billion dollars. But it only emerged at the weekend that the very London-based traders who drove AIG to the brink and helped trigger the global financial crisis were the ones in line for staggering payouts.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called the bonuses "repulsive" as millions of Americans agonize over what the future holds in the worst recession for decades.
"I can't imagine how this company, led by somebody that we brought in from the outside that had come out of retirement ... why he allowed this to happen. I had more confidence in him than this," he said.
The bonus contracts were drawn up last April, well before the bailout and Liddy's arrival, but the CEO is under fire for claiming that the outsized payments were not just legally correct but necessary to retain top staff.
His argument was undermined Tuesday when New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo revealed that 11 executives had quit AIG despite being paid "retention" bonuses of at least a million dollars each to stay with the firm.
Cuomo, who slapped subpoenas on AIG Monday as part of a broader probe into Wall Street's meltdown, said 73 AIG employees each received bonuses of one million dollars or more.
Senate Democrats sent a letter to Liddy demanding he renegotiate the employees' bonuses or else they would push through legislation to tax the payouts at more than 90 percent.
"Given the fact that it was the employees in this unit that brought your firm to the brink of bankruptcy and caused such havoc in the world, rewarding them is not only morally reprehensible, but entirely indefensible on any business grounds," the letter said.
AIG was rescued because the government deemed its intricate web of ties with banks worldwide posed an imminent risk of financial collapse not just for the United States but globally.
The hearing in Congress could also prove uncomfortable for the Obama administration, as the president tries to balance the backlash against AIG with the need to sustain political support for costly new plans to prop up US banks.
House Minority Leader John Boehner said Republicans had long been calling for more protections to ensure that taxpayers know how 700 billion in bailout dollars are being spent by financial institutions.
"It is time for the administration to provide Congress and American taxpayers an exit strategy that will get the federal government out of the private sector and out of the bailout business," he said.
The Obama administration's public relations battle has not been helped by news that AIG used much of the bailout money to pay back European banks that took out its products as insurance against risky investments.
That disclosure has been overshadowed by the bonuses row. But lawmakers are vowing to press Liddy on the issue at Wednesday's hearing, contrasting the helping hand for foreign bankers to the plight of recession-hit Americans.
AIG required to repay lavish bonuses: Geithner
AIG will be required to repay lavish employee bonuses, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said, as the bailed-out insurance company's boss prepared to face furious lawmakers.
Geithner said in a letter to the House leadership the payments could not be legally blocked but the government would "impose on AIG a contractual commitment" to repay to taxpayers the 165 million dollars in bonuses,adding that sum would be deducted from the 30 billion dollars still to be handed out from AIG's total bailout of some 180 billion dollars.
Geithner said the Department of Justice is reviewing "what avenues are available" to recoup bonuses already paid. If they violate provisions of the economic recovery plan passed last year, he said the government would negotiate with the company and employees on a payback.
He said future pay would be subject to "strict" limits imposed in new legislation covering bailed-out firms.
Members of the House of Representatives subcommittee on capital markets were expected to give AIG boss Edward Liddy a mauling Wednesday over his decision to pay out bonuses despite the government's strong objections.
The subcommittee's Democratic chairman, Pennsylvania Congressman Paul Kanjorski, warned that Liddy's job could be on the line as President Barack Obama grapples with an outpouring of public rage at Wall Street excess.
"Mr Liddy either has to tell us what he's going to do to change this and give back these bonuses ... or else we should consider removing Mr Liddy and putting someone else in charge," Kanjorski told MSNBC television Tuesday.
But Geithner defended Liddy's role in the matter, saying he was put in place last year "at the request of the government to help rehabilitate the company and repay taxpayer funds."
Liddy, formerly chief executive of the Allstate insurance firm, was tapped by the US government to take over American International Group in September, two days after the giant insurer was saved from bankruptcy with an 85-billion-dollar lifeline.
The bailout has since grown to 180 billion dollars. But it only emerged at the weekend that the very London-based traders who drove AIG to the brink and helped trigger the global financial crisis were the ones in line for staggering payouts.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called the bonuses "repulsive" as millions of Americans agonize over what the future holds in the worst recession for decades.
"I can't imagine how this company, led by somebody that we brought in from the outside that had come out of retirement ... why he allowed this to happen. I had more confidence in him than this," he said.
The bonus contracts were drawn up last April, well before the bailout and Liddy's arrival, but the CEO is under fire for claiming that the outsized payments were not just legally correct but necessary to retain top staff.
His argument was undermined Tuesday when New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo revealed that 11 executives had quit AIG despite being paid "retention" bonuses of at least a million dollars each to stay with the firm.
Cuomo, who slapped subpoenas on AIG Monday as part of a broader probe into Wall Street's meltdown, said 73 AIG employees each received bonuses of one million dollars or more.
Senate Democrats sent a letter to Liddy demanding he renegotiate the employees' bonuses or else they would push through legislation to tax the payouts at more than 90 percent.
"Given the fact that it was the employees in this unit that brought your firm to the brink of bankruptcy and caused such havoc in the world, rewarding them is not only morally reprehensible, but entirely indefensible on any business grounds," the letter said.
AIG was rescued because the government deemed its intricate web of ties with banks worldwide posed an imminent risk of financial collapse not just for the United States but globally.
The hearing in Congress could also prove uncomfortable for the Obama administration, as the president tries to balance the backlash against AIG with the need to sustain political support for costly new plans to prop up US banks.
House Minority Leader John Boehner said Republicans had long been calling for more protections to ensure that taxpayers know how 700 billion in bailout dollars are being spent by financial institutions.
"It is time for the administration to provide Congress and American taxpayers an exit strategy that will get the federal government out of the private sector and out of the bailout business," he said.
The Obama administration's public relations battle has not been helped by news that AIG used much of the bailout money to pay back European banks that took out its products as insurance against risky investments.
That disclosure has been overshadowed by the bonuses row. But lawmakers are vowing to press Liddy on the issue at Wednesday's hearing, contrasting the helping hand for foreign bankers to the plight of recession-hit Americans.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Training, Job, PR Status... All Lies
The Straits Times ran this story on 17 March 2009:
Training, job, PR status...all lies
By Mavis Toh
An advertisement in a Sri Lankan newspaper caught Mr Rohan Rubera's eye. In bold print, it read: 'STUDY & JOB TRAINING'.
It listed six diploma courses run by private schools in Singapore.
Mr Rohan, 45, called the telephone number listed.
A recruitment agent told him if he signed up for a six-month casino management course in Singapore, priced at $8,000, it would come guaranteed with a six-month training stint with pay in a casino on board a cruise liner.
He paid the agent an initial $4,000, half the fees.
But when he arrived here last October, not only was he told there would be no hands-on casino training, he was also made to share a three-bedroom flat with 17 others.
'At that point, I knew I had been fooled. I was furious,' he said.
He is not alone. The Sri Lanka High Commission has seen at least 100 of its nationals, here on student visas, lodging complaints with it in the last six months.
At the Chinese Embassy, at least 20 students have asked for help each month in the past three years.
Last year, it was reported that 13 Vietnamese students each paid $9,600 to their agents for 'work and study' visas, only to find that the law bars them from working in Singapore. The agent put up all 13 students in a small room.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) received 20 complaints against education agents last year, up from five in 2007 and eight in 2006.
Most of the complaints accused agents of misrepresentation and of misleading claims, such as getting the wrong courses and being told they could work and study here.
Some were even told they could get permanent residency status.
New guidelines in the Private Education Bill to be introduced in Parliament later this year will tighten regulation of the industry here.
The new rules require the 1,200 private schools here to meet certain criteria, including examination boards and information on their finances, teachers and facilities before they can be registered.
There are currently about 99,000 foreign students here.
From The Sunday Times' interviews with affected students, private schools and a former local agent, false promises seem to be the work of rogue agents both here and in the foreign countries.
Last December, the Sri Lanka High Commission here even placed ads in major Sri Lankan newspapers alerting would-be students to 'false promises' by dodgy agents about student life here.
'Students might want to study here as a stepping stone to get jobs here,' said a Sri Lanka High Commission spokesman. 'But what they were told back home and what they see here are different.'
Some private schools here added that despite the current economic recession, agents at overseas education fairs still boldly guarantee job placement to students. But one principal, who declined to be named, said the students' visas do not allow them to work here.
An academic head of a private school, who declined to be named, said that at some private schools, attendance is only half-full as agents had arranged illegal work for those here on the pretext of studying.
'The schools know they'll lose money if they cancelled the student passes so they kept them on the class list,' he said.
A Chinese Embassy spokesman said some agents in China told would-be students they would be enrolled in private schools in Singapore with big campuses, fields and even laboratories. But on arrival, these students ended up in small private schools with only a few rented classrooms in old buildings.
Embassies believe that the number of victims they see is just the tip of the iceberg. Many students have yet to come forward or are unaware of where they can turn to for help. Others have flown home without seeking refunds.
The Sri Lanka High Commission spokesman said: 'Many came from rural areas where their families pawned jewellery and valuables to send them here. They do not know how to tell their parents they were fooled or how to repay the loans.'
Private schools contacted claim they are unaware of promises made by the agents they worked with.
But one former local agent, Mr Billy Ng, 32, said he quit his job last year as he was unhappy with the school he was working for.
He claimed the school had told agents to tell students they would get attachments at big hotels, earning up to $800 monthly. Most of the mainly Malaysian students, he said, decided to enrol with the school only because they were told they could work and study here.
'But they ended up washing dishes illegally for $200 monthly,' said Mr Ng. 'I couldn't stomach the complaints from the students and their irate parents, so I quit.'
Established private schools want the Government to weed out rogue agents. They also hope that the upcoming Private Education Bill will clean up the industry.
Said Management Development Institute of Singapore's secretary-general R. Theyvendran: 'There's a lot of deception in student recruitment by smaller players. This will tarnish Singapore's reputation as an education hub.
Training, job, PR status...all lies
By Mavis Toh
An advertisement in a Sri Lankan newspaper caught Mr Rohan Rubera's eye. In bold print, it read: 'STUDY & JOB TRAINING'.
It listed six diploma courses run by private schools in Singapore.
Mr Rohan, 45, called the telephone number listed.
A recruitment agent told him if he signed up for a six-month casino management course in Singapore, priced at $8,000, it would come guaranteed with a six-month training stint with pay in a casino on board a cruise liner.
He paid the agent an initial $4,000, half the fees.
But when he arrived here last October, not only was he told there would be no hands-on casino training, he was also made to share a three-bedroom flat with 17 others.
'At that point, I knew I had been fooled. I was furious,' he said.
He is not alone. The Sri Lanka High Commission has seen at least 100 of its nationals, here on student visas, lodging complaints with it in the last six months.
At the Chinese Embassy, at least 20 students have asked for help each month in the past three years.
Last year, it was reported that 13 Vietnamese students each paid $9,600 to their agents for 'work and study' visas, only to find that the law bars them from working in Singapore. The agent put up all 13 students in a small room.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) received 20 complaints against education agents last year, up from five in 2007 and eight in 2006.
Most of the complaints accused agents of misrepresentation and of misleading claims, such as getting the wrong courses and being told they could work and study here.
Some were even told they could get permanent residency status.
New guidelines in the Private Education Bill to be introduced in Parliament later this year will tighten regulation of the industry here.
The new rules require the 1,200 private schools here to meet certain criteria, including examination boards and information on their finances, teachers and facilities before they can be registered.
There are currently about 99,000 foreign students here.
From The Sunday Times' interviews with affected students, private schools and a former local agent, false promises seem to be the work of rogue agents both here and in the foreign countries.
Last December, the Sri Lanka High Commission here even placed ads in major Sri Lankan newspapers alerting would-be students to 'false promises' by dodgy agents about student life here.
'Students might want to study here as a stepping stone to get jobs here,' said a Sri Lanka High Commission spokesman. 'But what they were told back home and what they see here are different.'
Some private schools here added that despite the current economic recession, agents at overseas education fairs still boldly guarantee job placement to students. But one principal, who declined to be named, said the students' visas do not allow them to work here.
An academic head of a private school, who declined to be named, said that at some private schools, attendance is only half-full as agents had arranged illegal work for those here on the pretext of studying.
'The schools know they'll lose money if they cancelled the student passes so they kept them on the class list,' he said.
A Chinese Embassy spokesman said some agents in China told would-be students they would be enrolled in private schools in Singapore with big campuses, fields and even laboratories. But on arrival, these students ended up in small private schools with only a few rented classrooms in old buildings.
Embassies believe that the number of victims they see is just the tip of the iceberg. Many students have yet to come forward or are unaware of where they can turn to for help. Others have flown home without seeking refunds.
The Sri Lanka High Commission spokesman said: 'Many came from rural areas where their families pawned jewellery and valuables to send them here. They do not know how to tell their parents they were fooled or how to repay the loans.'
Private schools contacted claim they are unaware of promises made by the agents they worked with.
But one former local agent, Mr Billy Ng, 32, said he quit his job last year as he was unhappy with the school he was working for.
He claimed the school had told agents to tell students they would get attachments at big hotels, earning up to $800 monthly. Most of the mainly Malaysian students, he said, decided to enrol with the school only because they were told they could work and study here.
'But they ended up washing dishes illegally for $200 monthly,' said Mr Ng. 'I couldn't stomach the complaints from the students and their irate parents, so I quit.'
Established private schools want the Government to weed out rogue agents. They also hope that the upcoming Private Education Bill will clean up the industry.
Said Management Development Institute of Singapore's secretary-general R. Theyvendran: 'There's a lot of deception in student recruitment by smaller players. This will tarnish Singapore's reputation as an education hub.
Singapore Charges WSJ Editor With Contempt
Associated Press ran this story on 14 March 2009:
Singapore charges WSJ editor with contempt
Singapore is charging a senior editor of the Wall Street Journal with contempt of court for three articles last year about the city-state's judiciary, the Straits Times reported Saturday.
High Court Justice Tay Yong Kwang approved an application by the attorney general's office to start proceedings against Melanie Kirkpatrick, deputy editor of the Journal's editorial page, the newspaper said, citing court documents.
The attorney general claims the articles, which appeared in the editorials and opinion section of the Journal's Asia edition, "contained passages that scandalize the Singapore judiciary," the paper said.
The Journal is published by Dow Jones & Co, which is owned by News Corp. Dow Jones' spokesman in Asia, Joe Spitzer, did not immediately respond to a message on his voicemail seeking comment.
Tay found the Journal in contempt of court in November and fined it 25,000 Singapore dollars ($16,250) for publishing the same articles.
At that time, Attorney General Walter Woon argued that editorials published in June and July questioned the judiciary's independence from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the ruling People's Action Party. Not meting out punishment in the case would undermine the country's rule of law, the court said.
Woon also objected to a letter to the editor written by Chee Soon Juan, head of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party.
Singapore's leaders have sued journalists and political opponents several times in recent years for alleged defamation, winning damages against Bloomberg, the Economist and the International Herald Tribune.
Human Rights Watch called on Singapore last year to stop using defamation lawsuits to stifle criticism and bankrupt opposition politicians, citing the High Court's decision in October to order Chee and his party to pay $416,000 to Lee and his father, Lee Kuan Yew, in damages from a 2006 case.
Government leaders justify suing political opponents, saying it is necessary to defend their personal and professional reputations since it bears on their ability to govern properly and command respect from the public.
Singapore charges WSJ editor with contempt
Singapore is charging a senior editor of the Wall Street Journal with contempt of court for three articles last year about the city-state's judiciary, the Straits Times reported Saturday.
High Court Justice Tay Yong Kwang approved an application by the attorney general's office to start proceedings against Melanie Kirkpatrick, deputy editor of the Journal's editorial page, the newspaper said, citing court documents.
The attorney general claims the articles, which appeared in the editorials and opinion section of the Journal's Asia edition, "contained passages that scandalize the Singapore judiciary," the paper said.
The Journal is published by Dow Jones & Co, which is owned by News Corp. Dow Jones' spokesman in Asia, Joe Spitzer, did not immediately respond to a message on his voicemail seeking comment.
Tay found the Journal in contempt of court in November and fined it 25,000 Singapore dollars ($16,250) for publishing the same articles.
At that time, Attorney General Walter Woon argued that editorials published in June and July questioned the judiciary's independence from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the ruling People's Action Party. Not meting out punishment in the case would undermine the country's rule of law, the court said.
Woon also objected to a letter to the editor written by Chee Soon Juan, head of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party.
Singapore's leaders have sued journalists and political opponents several times in recent years for alleged defamation, winning damages against Bloomberg, the Economist and the International Herald Tribune.
Human Rights Watch called on Singapore last year to stop using defamation lawsuits to stifle criticism and bankrupt opposition politicians, citing the High Court's decision in October to order Chee and his party to pay $416,000 to Lee and his father, Lee Kuan Yew, in damages from a 2006 case.
Government leaders justify suing political opponents, saying it is necessary to defend their personal and professional reputations since it bears on their ability to govern properly and command respect from the public.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
600 Conned by Syndicate Promising 'High Paying' Jobs
Malaysian newspaper The Star ran this story on 11 March 2009:
600 conned by syndicate promising 'high paying' jobs
By Gladys Tay
JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: At least 600 people are believed to have been conned by a syndicate promising high-paying jobs of up to S$8,000 (RM19,200) a month on board a cargo ship in Singapore.
The victims, who were retrenched workers or who had quit their jobs, said they have paid S$100 (RM240) or RM250 to an "agent" who was known only as Ah Kwang.
They found out that they were cheated when their "employer" failed to meet them in Johor Jaya on Sunday.
One of the victims, who only wanted to be known as Lee, 21, said that he had quit his job in Singapore as a deliveryman. "I resigned from my job of four years on Friday to start the new job on Sunday but now I am jobless.
"I do not know what to do now," he said adding that he had to settle his monthly car loan repayments.
Another victim, Jazz Lim, 26, she had lost a few hundred ringgit by paying commission fees to the "agent" on behalf of her relatives.
Lim, who sought help from the Johor Jaya assemblymen Tan Cher Puk, said she learned about the jobs from Ah Kwang. "He told me about the high paying jobs and I told my friends and relatives about it.
"Some of them were looking for a job, some were retrenched while others thought it was a good idea to quit their jobs for higher income," she said adding that she felt miserable over the incident.
When contacted, Ah Kwang said he too had been conned by someone who claimed to be a bank manager who told him that he could earn up to S$10,000 (RM24,000) in commission if he could get people to work on the ship.
He said he had found about 200 to 300 people who were interested but he did not receive his commission.
Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob confirmed that several police reports had been lodged. He said police are still investigating the case and urged those with information to call the police hotline at 07-221 2999.
600 conned by syndicate promising 'high paying' jobs
By Gladys Tay
JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: At least 600 people are believed to have been conned by a syndicate promising high-paying jobs of up to S$8,000 (RM19,200) a month on board a cargo ship in Singapore.
The victims, who were retrenched workers or who had quit their jobs, said they have paid S$100 (RM240) or RM250 to an "agent" who was known only as Ah Kwang.
They found out that they were cheated when their "employer" failed to meet them in Johor Jaya on Sunday.
One of the victims, who only wanted to be known as Lee, 21, said that he had quit his job in Singapore as a deliveryman. "I resigned from my job of four years on Friday to start the new job on Sunday but now I am jobless.
"I do not know what to do now," he said adding that he had to settle his monthly car loan repayments.
Another victim, Jazz Lim, 26, she had lost a few hundred ringgit by paying commission fees to the "agent" on behalf of her relatives.
Lim, who sought help from the Johor Jaya assemblymen Tan Cher Puk, said she learned about the jobs from Ah Kwang. "He told me about the high paying jobs and I told my friends and relatives about it.
"Some of them were looking for a job, some were retrenched while others thought it was a good idea to quit their jobs for higher income," she said adding that she felt miserable over the incident.
When contacted, Ah Kwang said he too had been conned by someone who claimed to be a bank manager who told him that he could earn up to S$10,000 (RM24,000) in commission if he could get people to work on the ship.
He said he had found about 200 to 300 people who were interested but he did not receive his commission.
Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob confirmed that several police reports had been lodged. He said police are still investigating the case and urged those with information to call the police hotline at 07-221 2999.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Public Consultation on the Proposed ASEAN Human Rights Body
This is an open invitation by MARUAH:
The Singapore Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (MARUAH) is pleased to invite you to a public consultation on the draft Terms of Reference (TOR) for the proposed ASEAN Human Rights Body (AHRB).
This dialogue aims to highlight the latest developments, and to elicit comments from you, so that they can be considered for the second consultation with the High Level Panel meeting with civil society groups to be held at Kuala Lumpur in 20 March 2009.
We have a rare opportunity to influence this process, so please do come and tell us what you think of the proposed AHRB and the TOR process.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Date: 11 March 2009
Time: 4pm
Venue:
Asia-Europe Foundation (www.asef.org)
31 Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Singapore 119595
Programme
4:00 - 4:05 Welcome
4:05 - 4:20 “The Road to an AHRB” by Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, former ASEAN Secretary-General
4:20 - 4:40 “The AHRB’s Terms of Reference” by Ms Braema Mathi, Singapore Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (MARUAH)
4:40 - 6:30 Open Discussion, moderated by Dr Cherian George
*To register, please email maruahsg@gmail.com with your name and contact details
The Singapore Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (MARUAH) is pleased to invite you to a public consultation on the draft Terms of Reference (TOR) for the proposed ASEAN Human Rights Body (AHRB).
This dialogue aims to highlight the latest developments, and to elicit comments from you, so that they can be considered for the second consultation with the High Level Panel meeting with civil society groups to be held at Kuala Lumpur in 20 March 2009.
We have a rare opportunity to influence this process, so please do come and tell us what you think of the proposed AHRB and the TOR process.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Date: 11 March 2009
Time: 4pm
Venue:
Asia-Europe Foundation (www.asef.org)
31 Heng Mui Keng Terrace
Singapore 119595
Programme
4:00 - 4:05 Welcome
4:05 - 4:20 “The Road to an AHRB” by Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, former ASEAN Secretary-General
4:20 - 4:40 “The AHRB’s Terms of Reference” by Ms Braema Mathi, Singapore Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (MARUAH)
4:40 - 6:30 Open Discussion, moderated by Dr Cherian George
*To register, please email maruahsg@gmail.com with your name and contact details
MM Lee Warns Singapore's GDP Could Shrink by 8% This Year
Channel NewsAsia ran this story on 4 March 2009:
MM Lee warns Singapore's GDP could shrink by 8% this year
By Imelda Saad & May Wong
SINGAPORE: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has warned that Singapore's GDP could contract by 8 per cent during this global downturn, but he is confident that the country will recover faster than other nations.
Singapore has projected that its economy will contract by 2 per cent to 5 per cent this year.
Mr Lee was speaking on Wednesday to business leaders at a dialogue session, organised by news information company Thomson Reuters.
The US, Europe and Japan economies need to recover before the rest can see a pickup, and once that happens, the minister mentor said Singapore will be able to bounce back much faster because three and a quarter times of the country's GDP is in external trade.
He also said that the city-state has its reserves to thank for in surviving this economic crisis and recounted his conversation with the head of the US National Economic Council, Larry Summers.
"I looked at him and said, 'Do you think we're an ordinary country, we're a little island? We built this enormous super structure through sheer work and with our wits, but we must expect in a nature of the free market that there will be such a crash. We never expected it so soon or so drastic," he said.
Mr Lee added that Singapore sets aside half of its earnings every year in good times. "We saved for the rainy day and the rains have come."
He also commented on the recent change in leadership at investment company Temasek Holdings, which saw its CEO and executive director Ho Ching stepping down after six years at the helm.
Ms Ho will be officially replaced by Mr Charles W. Goodyear on October 1, after a seven-month transition period.
Mr Lee, who is also the chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) said there was a cabinet paper explaining why Ms Ho wanted to step down.
"GIC takes a very conservative approach – low risk, low returns. Temasek goes in for higher rewards, higher risk, and they need a very dynamic team to keep nimble to move with the market and move faster than the market.
"Ho Ching has been doing this for many years now and she thinks it's a good time to make a change. I don't think it's got anything to do with the failed investments in banking. This is part of the ups and downs of any investor," Mr Lee added.
During this financial downturn, Mr Lee expects industries like pharmaceuticals to stay resilient.
That prompted the moderator to ask if he was equally bullish about the casinos in Singapore's upcoming integrated resorts, which drew some laughter.
"I like your tie – it's got decks of cards on it, lots of money symbols," the moderator commented.
"Yeah," the minister mentor answered. "This is cheering for our integrated resort. It was given to me by Steve Forbes and I think that will provide for 10,000 jobs, another 10,000 in Genting in Sentosa – that should increase the tourist revenue, conventions and so on."
Mr Lee added that the state of the global economy will become clearer in about nine months when the US economy is able to see the effects of its economic policies.
MM Lee warns Singapore's GDP could shrink by 8% this year
By Imelda Saad & May Wong
SINGAPORE: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has warned that Singapore's GDP could contract by 8 per cent during this global downturn, but he is confident that the country will recover faster than other nations.
Singapore has projected that its economy will contract by 2 per cent to 5 per cent this year.
Mr Lee was speaking on Wednesday to business leaders at a dialogue session, organised by news information company Thomson Reuters.
The US, Europe and Japan economies need to recover before the rest can see a pickup, and once that happens, the minister mentor said Singapore will be able to bounce back much faster because three and a quarter times of the country's GDP is in external trade.
He also said that the city-state has its reserves to thank for in surviving this economic crisis and recounted his conversation with the head of the US National Economic Council, Larry Summers.
"I looked at him and said, 'Do you think we're an ordinary country, we're a little island? We built this enormous super structure through sheer work and with our wits, but we must expect in a nature of the free market that there will be such a crash. We never expected it so soon or so drastic," he said.
Mr Lee added that Singapore sets aside half of its earnings every year in good times. "We saved for the rainy day and the rains have come."
He also commented on the recent change in leadership at investment company Temasek Holdings, which saw its CEO and executive director Ho Ching stepping down after six years at the helm.
Ms Ho will be officially replaced by Mr Charles W. Goodyear on October 1, after a seven-month transition period.
Mr Lee, who is also the chairman of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC) said there was a cabinet paper explaining why Ms Ho wanted to step down.
"GIC takes a very conservative approach – low risk, low returns. Temasek goes in for higher rewards, higher risk, and they need a very dynamic team to keep nimble to move with the market and move faster than the market.
"Ho Ching has been doing this for many years now and she thinks it's a good time to make a change. I don't think it's got anything to do with the failed investments in banking. This is part of the ups and downs of any investor," Mr Lee added.
During this financial downturn, Mr Lee expects industries like pharmaceuticals to stay resilient.
That prompted the moderator to ask if he was equally bullish about the casinos in Singapore's upcoming integrated resorts, which drew some laughter.
"I like your tie – it's got decks of cards on it, lots of money symbols," the moderator commented.
"Yeah," the minister mentor answered. "This is cheering for our integrated resort. It was given to me by Steve Forbes and I think that will provide for 10,000 jobs, another 10,000 in Genting in Sentosa – that should increase the tourist revenue, conventions and so on."
Mr Lee added that the state of the global economy will become clearer in about nine months when the US economy is able to see the effects of its economic policies.
GDP Shrinking 8% May Be Probable
This story by Reuters appeared in AsiaOne News on 5 March 2009:
GDP shrinking 8% may be probable
By Kevin Lim and Neil Chatterjee
SINGAPORE - Singapore's top wealth fund GIC is looking at investing in property and private equity, after rushing into global banks "too early" and seeing its multi-billion dollar portfolio slide 25 per cent from its peak.
Lee Kuan Yew, chairman of GIC, one of the world's top wealth funds, told Reuters on Wednesday he saw the healthcare sector as being resilient to the downturn, but he said the financial sector would recover.
"We'll most probably stay with the financials," Lee said in an interview. "Eventually, it must recover. It is the circulation system of the world."
Prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990, Lee said GIC can weather the storm for 10 years if necessary but the city-state's economy could shrink 8 per cent this year as demand for its exports slides.
Lee said GIC bought "too early" into global banks such as Citigroup and UBS, which were both hammered by the financial meltdown that quickened in the second half of 2008.
"How could we have known this was the extent of the damage? You look at all the big-name banks that have gone down, misjudged the situation, ruined their careers," he said.
"When the market fell, we went into UBS and Citi. But we went in too early. That is part of the ride."
GIC last week converted its $6.88 billion worth of Citigroup preference shares into common stock at a price of S$3.25 a share to shore up the embattled U.S. lender, realising in the process a loss of around half its investment.
Analysts estimated that the value of the fund was around $300 billion a year ago, although GIC has only said it manages well over $100 billion.
"A 25 per cent decline would probably suggest an out-performance against the global markets," said Song Seng Wun, economist at Malaysian bank CIMB in Singapore.
The MSCI World Index reached a peak in November 2007 and has fallen almost 60 per cent since then. GIC will have been shielded by its high bond and cash holdings.
Singapore's other wealth fund, Temasek, also piled into Western banks such as Merrill Lynch, now part of Bank of America. Its portfolio shrank 31 per cent - or by S$58 billion - in the eight months to end-November.
Sharp economic contraction
Lee said a contraction of 8 per cent in Singapore's gross domestic product this year was a possibility and now becoming a probability due to weak exports to its key Western markets. And a further 30-40 per cent drop in exports in the second quarter would mean the economy might shrink 10 per cent this year, he said.
"We have to depend on world markets ... there's no running away from it, they must recover before we bounce back. But when they do recover, we will bounce back faster than anybody else," Lee said.
Singapore tapped its reserves, which include GIC's funds, for the first time in January to help fund a $20.5 billion budget stimulus package to shield the economy by helping companies, saving jobs and bringing forward infrastructure projects.
"We saved for the rainy days and the rains have come," 85-year-old Lee said.
GDP shrinking 8% may be probable
By Kevin Lim and Neil Chatterjee
SINGAPORE - Singapore's top wealth fund GIC is looking at investing in property and private equity, after rushing into global banks "too early" and seeing its multi-billion dollar portfolio slide 25 per cent from its peak.
Lee Kuan Yew, chairman of GIC, one of the world's top wealth funds, told Reuters on Wednesday he saw the healthcare sector as being resilient to the downturn, but he said the financial sector would recover.
"We'll most probably stay with the financials," Lee said in an interview. "Eventually, it must recover. It is the circulation system of the world."
Prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990, Lee said GIC can weather the storm for 10 years if necessary but the city-state's economy could shrink 8 per cent this year as demand for its exports slides.
Lee said GIC bought "too early" into global banks such as Citigroup and UBS, which were both hammered by the financial meltdown that quickened in the second half of 2008.
"How could we have known this was the extent of the damage? You look at all the big-name banks that have gone down, misjudged the situation, ruined their careers," he said.
"When the market fell, we went into UBS and Citi. But we went in too early. That is part of the ride."
GIC last week converted its $6.88 billion worth of Citigroup preference shares into common stock at a price of S$3.25 a share to shore up the embattled U.S. lender, realising in the process a loss of around half its investment.
Analysts estimated that the value of the fund was around $300 billion a year ago, although GIC has only said it manages well over $100 billion.
"A 25 per cent decline would probably suggest an out-performance against the global markets," said Song Seng Wun, economist at Malaysian bank CIMB in Singapore.
The MSCI World Index reached a peak in November 2007 and has fallen almost 60 per cent since then. GIC will have been shielded by its high bond and cash holdings.
Singapore's other wealth fund, Temasek, also piled into Western banks such as Merrill Lynch, now part of Bank of America. Its portfolio shrank 31 per cent - or by S$58 billion - in the eight months to end-November.
Sharp economic contraction
Lee said a contraction of 8 per cent in Singapore's gross domestic product this year was a possibility and now becoming a probability due to weak exports to its key Western markets. And a further 30-40 per cent drop in exports in the second quarter would mean the economy might shrink 10 per cent this year, he said.
"We have to depend on world markets ... there's no running away from it, they must recover before we bounce back. But when they do recover, we will bounce back faster than anybody else," Lee said.
Singapore tapped its reserves, which include GIC's funds, for the first time in January to help fund a $20.5 billion budget stimulus package to shield the economy by helping companies, saving jobs and bringing forward infrastructure projects.
"We saved for the rainy days and the rains have come," 85-year-old Lee said.
Ex ISA-Detainees Launched New Book
This news story appeared in the Singapore Democrats website (yoursdp.org) on 3 March 2009:
A group of Singaporeans who were detained under the Internal Security Act got together to write a book of poems that hammered at the draconian law.
Entitled 'Our Thoughts Are Free: Poems and Prose on Imprisonment and Exile', the book was launched on 28 Feb 2009. A reading was held last Saturday at an arthouse on Marshall Road. The even was standing room only where the authors took turns to read their contributions.
Ex-ISA detainees Mr Tan Jing Quee, Ms Teo Soh Lung, Dr Wong Souk Yee among others were on hand to read their works. Also present were former political leaders Drs Lim Hock Siew and Poh Soo Kai. Mr Vincent Cheng who was detained in 1987 was also present. It is available at Select Books and Kinokumiya Books.
A group of Singaporeans who were detained under the Internal Security Act got together to write a book of poems that hammered at the draconian law.
Entitled 'Our Thoughts Are Free: Poems and Prose on Imprisonment and Exile', the book was launched on 28 Feb 2009. A reading was held last Saturday at an arthouse on Marshall Road. The even was standing room only where the authors took turns to read their contributions.
Ex-ISA detainees Mr Tan Jing Quee, Ms Teo Soh Lung, Dr Wong Souk Yee among others were on hand to read their works. Also present were former political leaders Drs Lim Hock Siew and Poh Soo Kai. Mr Vincent Cheng who was detained in 1987 was also present. It is available at Select Books and Kinokumiya Books.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Paradox of Choice
In his 2004 book 'The Paradox of Choice', Barry Schwartz tackles one of the great mysteries of modern life: Why is it that societies of great abundance — where individuals are offered more freedom and choice (personal, professional, material) than ever before — are now witnessing a near-epidemic of depression? Conventional wisdom tells us that greater choice is for the greater good, but Schwartz argues the opposite: He makes a compelling case that the abundance of choice in today’s western world is actually making us miserable.
This is a talk by psychologist Barry Schwartz who takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied.
This is a talk by psychologist Barry Schwartz who takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied.
Ten Employers of 'Phantom' Workers Face 369 Charges
The Ministry of Manpower released this annoucement on its website on 27 February 2009 @ www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal/en/press_room/press_releases/2009/20090227-ten_employers.html:
Ten Employers of 'Phantom' Workers Face 369 Charges
Ten people from 21 businesses were charged in the Subordinate Courts today (27 February 2009) for falsely declaring the number of local workers employed so as to inflate their foreign worker entitlement.
2. The arrests and prosecutions were the culmination of painstaking intelligence probes and investigation by officers from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) over the past few months. Among the 21 companies – the biggest case involved the SME Group of companies, which provides cleaning services. Lim Chye Cheng (林才靖) and Lee Kong Weng (李广荣) face 101 charges each under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA).
Proactive enforcement pays off for MOM
3. Since late 2008, MOM placed the SME Group under surveillance due to suspicions that they were employing 'phantom' workers. MOM's preliminary investigations so far have pointed to one Lim Chye Cheng, who was apprehended on 26 February, as a key player in this entire scam involving the 14 companies in the Group.
4. In Feb 2009, as investigations were ongoing, a group of foreign nationals working for some companies under the Group lodged complaints regarding salary arrears. Some of the arrears have since been settled with MOM's intervention. Action is underway to help the workers secure their remaining salary arrears, and to facilitate their return to their home country after ensuring that all outstanding employment issues have been resolved.
5. Besides this case, eight other persons involved in construction, marine, logistics, restaurant, and manufacturing businesses face similar charges.
Table 1: List of Persons Charged on 27 Feb 2009 (Please visit MOM's website for the list)
6. MOM has already put in place stringent processes and checks to flag out unusual company profiles, which may be an indication of the existence of 'phantom' workers. On-site checks are also conducted at companies to ascertain if the employees are indeed working for the company.
7. "The SME Group case is unusual due to the number of foreign workers involved. The other cases brought to the court's attention today, involving a smaller number of 'phantom' workers, are more typical. Overall, the success of Operation Sentinel illustrates MOM's capability to detect and go after employers of 'phantom' workers," said Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director of MOM's Foreign Manpower Management Division. "The officers who have been leading these investigations over the past few months have done well to break this scam and arrest the lead mastermind. We will not let off employers who engage in such illegal behaviour. Errant employers will face a fine, jail and be barred from hiring any foreign workers altogether." he added.
MOM warns errant employers to stop such practices immediately
8. Employers who have resorted to 'phantom' workers should immediately stop doing so. They should employ genuine local workers or cancel the work permits of their existing foreign workers to ensure compliance with foreign worker quotas. If they choose to continue with such fraudulent conduct, they will face the full consequences of the law.
False Declarations in Work Pass Application an Offence
9. Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, inflating the foreign worker entitlement by falsely declaring the number of local workers is punishable with a fine of up to $15,000, or 12 months imprisonment, or both. Besides the employer, the 'phantom' worker may also face prosecution for abetting the offence.
10. In November 2008, MOM had prosecuted the owner of Spize - The Makan Place (operating at 409 River Valley Road), Sambnani Anil Pritamdas, for making false declarations in 15 Work Pass applications from February 2007 to March 2008.
Ten Employers of 'Phantom' Workers Face 369 Charges
Ten people from 21 businesses were charged in the Subordinate Courts today (27 February 2009) for falsely declaring the number of local workers employed so as to inflate their foreign worker entitlement.
2. The arrests and prosecutions were the culmination of painstaking intelligence probes and investigation by officers from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) over the past few months. Among the 21 companies – the biggest case involved the SME Group of companies, which provides cleaning services. Lim Chye Cheng (林才靖) and Lee Kong Weng (李广荣) face 101 charges each under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA).
Proactive enforcement pays off for MOM
3. Since late 2008, MOM placed the SME Group under surveillance due to suspicions that they were employing 'phantom' workers. MOM's preliminary investigations so far have pointed to one Lim Chye Cheng, who was apprehended on 26 February, as a key player in this entire scam involving the 14 companies in the Group.
4. In Feb 2009, as investigations were ongoing, a group of foreign nationals working for some companies under the Group lodged complaints regarding salary arrears. Some of the arrears have since been settled with MOM's intervention. Action is underway to help the workers secure their remaining salary arrears, and to facilitate their return to their home country after ensuring that all outstanding employment issues have been resolved.
5. Besides this case, eight other persons involved in construction, marine, logistics, restaurant, and manufacturing businesses face similar charges.
Table 1: List of Persons Charged on 27 Feb 2009 (Please visit MOM's website for the list)
6. MOM has already put in place stringent processes and checks to flag out unusual company profiles, which may be an indication of the existence of 'phantom' workers. On-site checks are also conducted at companies to ascertain if the employees are indeed working for the company.
7. "The SME Group case is unusual due to the number of foreign workers involved. The other cases brought to the court's attention today, involving a smaller number of 'phantom' workers, are more typical. Overall, the success of Operation Sentinel illustrates MOM's capability to detect and go after employers of 'phantom' workers," said Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director of MOM's Foreign Manpower Management Division. "The officers who have been leading these investigations over the past few months have done well to break this scam and arrest the lead mastermind. We will not let off employers who engage in such illegal behaviour. Errant employers will face a fine, jail and be barred from hiring any foreign workers altogether." he added.
MOM warns errant employers to stop such practices immediately
8. Employers who have resorted to 'phantom' workers should immediately stop doing so. They should employ genuine local workers or cancel the work permits of their existing foreign workers to ensure compliance with foreign worker quotas. If they choose to continue with such fraudulent conduct, they will face the full consequences of the law.
False Declarations in Work Pass Application an Offence
9. Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, inflating the foreign worker entitlement by falsely declaring the number of local workers is punishable with a fine of up to $15,000, or 12 months imprisonment, or both. Besides the employer, the 'phantom' worker may also face prosecution for abetting the offence.
10. In November 2008, MOM had prosecuted the owner of Spize - The Makan Place (operating at 409 River Valley Road), Sambnani Anil Pritamdas, for making false declarations in 15 Work Pass applications from February 2007 to March 2008.
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