Trolls Online and Off Right Here in Singapore

And they are Legion

A funny ST article yesterday about Popular Science shutting down its comments feature as it was being trolled too much by dicks. Their reasoning was that these dicks were infecting public opinion, and as public policy is based on public opinion, then it was the end of science, research and its selective competitive funding. A bit of a stretch but the spirit of not letting the lunatic or dumb fringe take over a discourse is understandable. LOL So dicks and trolls are a global virus, not restricted to sunny little red dot Singapore. Also funny as academia and distinguished editors got fed up of reasoning out their dumb critics, so just shut them up. Chuckle.

What is a troll? Someone who purposely tries to make steam come out of your ears and you tense up with arms and legs straight like in cartoons by the things they say and what they do. They are out there in all forms in social media just to push buttons, yours and mine. Don't get angry or affected as that it what they want, just ignore, don't feed the trolls. Unless you want to do some self-righteous counter-trolling by being a troll yourself in a way, like me! The usual trolls suspects online are The Real Shit or TRS. They are only trying to get into your face in the Internet for giggles, and maybe donations.

Gilbert Goh and his anti-foreigner bashing circus which is kinda yawn are trying to hold another protest at Hong Lim Park, selling merchandise and ideas. Again? Now he is a troll by all accounts. Another troll is that crackpot Teo Soh Lung who has in recent times gone on a jihad and said free those Al Qaeda fanboys detained by Singapore and as they are illegaly imprisoned and innocent like her and her gang in 1987 or and those East is Red commies in 1963. Facepalm. Yeah right.

But hey trolls are not only on the anti-PAP front, the PAP also have their trolls! I'm not talking about their internet brigade you know. Almost all the ministers are trolls themselves e.g. Lui Tuck Yew, just saying or doing something to irk you! LOL

The Cult of Lee

Come on. Lee Kuan Yew is a giant among men, steered Singapore into success. And whatever the ingrates or his critics say about his hard style, the guy had vision. However, he didn't do it alone. Goh Keng Swee. Toh Chin Chye. Devan Nair. S Rajaratnam. Even Ong Eng Guan and Lim Chin Siong, among those who fell out with the PAP for their communal or communist politics, shaped Singapore from autonomy to Federation to independence to success. Harry is a Machiavellian maverick who survived all those years from 1955 to 1990, crushing and co-opting opponents and nobody really minded much except his enemies as there was growth, stability and harmony for Singapore. Although he had help.

The former PM is but a man with warts and all, achievements and all. The more Singapore places him on a pedestal higher than he should be and glorifies he is Singapore personified, when that inevitable day comes when Harry goes off into the great knuckle duster street fight parliament in the sky, it would be as if Singapore died along with him to the dumb masses, or asses, the same thing. That surely is not the case. Facepalm.

Singapore is more than one man, however great he was. Was. Recently he was seen in a wheelchair. The guy is...what's that word, errr, old. What do you expect, this mortal coil that affect all great and small. This cult of Lee does more harm than good to the Singaporean psyche of little red dot punching beyond its weight. You mean we can't go on without him? Yes we can. To think we cannot disrespects the former PM. Respect him, but not deify dear Harry. FFS. Imagine this, he is not even dead yet and there is so much fanfare about his birthdays and books. Why the hell is his birthday news BTW? If 16 September is anything to remember for, it should be Malaysia Day, when Singapore joined the Federation and it sealed Singapore's fate and separation from Malaysia 2 years later in 1965. Not the old guy's birthday, tremendous respect though I have for him. Heh

Aspire towards Lee Kuan Yew's total dedication to S'pore: Heng Swee Keat


SINGAPORE: Education Minister Heng Swee Keat has said that former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's unwavering and total dedication to Singapore is something future generations of citizens should aspire to.

He was speaking at a conference marking the 90th birthday celebration of Singapore's founding father.

Mr Heng was one of several who spoke at the conference to discuss the thinking - some novel and controversial - behind Mr Lee's strategies in bringing Singapore from Third World to First.

Monday's event, organized by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, also coincided with the 9th anniversary of the school.

The conference was attended by some 600 thought leaders who included former politicians, academics and diplomats.

The views exchanged were candid and frank, perhaps testament to Mr Lee Kuan Yew's personality.

He has attracted his fair share of critics, and forum participants didn't shy away from hard questions.

For example, Ambassordor-At-Large Tommy Koh asked: "When he was Prime Minister, he had a practice of launching defamation suits against opposition leaders after each general election...was this practice by Mr Lee to sue opposition leaders for defamation a wise thing to do?

"When you look at other advanced democracies, I know of no other country in the world where after a general election, the victor will sue the opponent for defamation.

"In an advanced democracy, when an election is over, the vanquished will have the grace to congratulate the victor and the victor will have the magnanimity to forgive his opponent for all the unkind things the opponent has said.

"My question...is not that Mr Lee was not within the law, in suing opponents for defamation, he bankrupted some of them, but was it a wise thing for him to do?"

Singapore's former Cabinet minister, Professor S Jayakumar, said: "There were defamation suits against politicians but it would be wrong to think he sued only politicians and it's wrong to think he sued politicians after every general election to drive home a point that he (the opposition politician) should have not stood for the elections...

"Whether it was an opposition politician, whether it was the Far Eastern Economic Review or even a publication, say in Malaysia - he issued a defamation action against The Star publication and was prepared to have it tested in the courts in Kuala Lumpur.

"What is the point he wanted to make? He is prepared for a robust criticism of his policies. He can be criticised for foolishness, maybe even for incompetence, for arrogance, but his red line was - not on reputation and integrity.

"So, whether it's opposition politician or any other source, if you allege his integrity, say, corruption, for example, he would want to demonstrate that that is a red line, you justify it. He's prepared to justify his record.

"I know in other jurisdictions, in the cut and thrust of politics, all sorts of accusations are hurled but the threshold is different. But he wanted to establish a threshold here that you have people of integrity, including himself, in government, in Cabinet and they are prepared to defend the integrity."

There were other so-called myths about Mr Lee that were rebutted by the speakers, among them, that the former prime minister always insisted on getting his way in Cabinet.

Professor Jayakumar, who served in the Cabinet for 27 years, said Mr Lee can be persistent, if not stubborn but he was always "intellectually honest".

"If you can come up with a contrary view and argue your case, he will listen and prepare to change," said Professor Jayakumar.

He cited the institution of the Elected Presidency and said that the final shape of that reflected the views of Cabinet ministers.

Participants also asked if Singapore can succeed without Mr Lee.

Several forum speakers pointed to one of Mr Lee's fundamental beliefs - that for Singapore to prosper, it must be relevant and exceptional.

And there is much to learn from the way Mr Lee has navigated some of the country's challenges, for example, in turning adversity like the 1997/98 financial crisis into opportunity, by revamping Singapore's financial system.

Or, in Mr Lee's single-minded focus in achieving results, as seen in how he handled early problems related to the Singapore-China Suzhou Industrial Park partnership.

Minister Heng said: "We live today in a different world that demands of us new ideas and approaches. But there is one quality of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's that we can, and need to, aspire towards: Mr Lee's unwavering and total dedication to Singapore, to keeping Singapore successful so that Singaporeans may determine our own destiny, and lead meaningful, fulfilling lives.

"Mr Lee and his team analysed the issues from first principles and had the courage and conviction to do what was right and what would work for Singapore. Mr Lee is an activist. He and his team would try, adapt and experiment, to get on with the job of making Singapore a better home for all."

In the same way, Mr Heng said Singaporeans too should take inspiration from the courage and determination of Mr Lee and his colleagues.

At one point, things took an emotional turn when former President S R Nathan recalled Mr Lee's gesture during the days when he was just a junior officer, having left the labour movement.

Mr Nathan said: "In 1967, I was sent as a junior officer to take notes of his meeting with the visiting Thai Foreign Minister. I hurriedly put on a tie and jacket and rushed to the assignment.

"On my arrival at the door, the prime minister came close to me, adjusted my necktie and said, with almost paternal touch, these words, 'Nathan, you must remember, you are no longer in the labour movement'.

"I was moved beyond words. I had grown up without a father or an elder brother. Here was the prime minister himself coming down to my level, to do what they would have done for me.

"That instance of his caring nature, I experienced many times in life, something most people do not attribute to him."

Though the conference discussed Mr Lee's contributions, participants said the event is not about Singapore's past but about the country's future.

It is about capturing and analysing Mr Lee's ideas to better understand them for the benefit of future generations of Singaporeans.

Money Monkey Business in Majlis Pusat

LOL a local Malay organisation, Majis Pusat, investigated.... if you think that it is about terrorism, orrrhh you have racist stereotypes! And perhaps Republican whether you know it or not! LOL

Can't  make head or tail out of the whole affair, whether it was scam and sex scandal in the Hari Raya light up. What is fantastic was the great Facepalm moment by the middle dude in the picture, the ex-Sec Gen Zakaria Abdul Gapoor! Priceless!

 Epic Facepalm

I hope the case has some sex in it rather than about creative accounting as CPIB has not brought to light any sex and corruption case for public entertainment since the train of ooh-lah-lah cases last year. CAD, you are our only hope now as CAD is the new CPIB. Don't believe, join the dots yourself.

CAD also investigating some Catholic priest and stained glass restoration in a church recently. Still don't believe, Kong Hee Fatt Choy case, who dug up Xtron and allowed us the kaypoh public to check out yummy Serina? CAD! Furthermore, CPIB was battered and bruised again when one of its directors embezzled money and was caught, and who investigated? CAD! CAD is flying the flag while CPIB is down.

Retard Cenotaph Vandal Pwned and Rotan Soon

Dumbass vandal Mohamad Khalid Mohamad Yusop is only getting 3 strokes. I thought he deserved more in jail time or better, rotaning as he was the dick who sprayed on the Cenotaph. Sticker Lady was at least funny in a cheeky way. If want to break the law, at least try to get popular support by being funny or relevant to the popular imagination. Khalid 's "work" was just distasteful. Vandalism of a memorial for the war dead is cock and crass. BTW Swiss FT Oliver Fricker got 5 months and 3 strokes for tagging MRT trains.

Cenotaph vandal gets 3 months’ jail, 3 strokes
SINGAPORE — A security officer who vandalised the Cenotaph War Monument was sentenced to three months’ jail and three strokes of the cane today (Aug 26).
By Claire Huang Jingyi



SINGAPORE — A security officer who vandalised the Cenotaph War Monument was sentenced to three months’ jail and three strokes of the cane today (Aug 26).

Mohamad Khalid Mohamad Yusop, 33, was also made to pay S$208 to the state for the cost of repair.

He had used a can of red spray paint to write an “X” followed by the word “Democracy” on the monument on 23 April night.

In sentencing, District Judge Lim Tse Haw described the act as “highly anti-social” and “very selfish”.

Citing the case of Oliver Fricker, the foreigner who vandalised two SMRT train carriages, the judge said Singapore’s strict laws against vandalism are largely responsible for a clean and graffiti-free environment here.

While the judge noted that the cost of repair was higher in the Fricker case at about S$11,000, compared with the S$208 in the Cenotaph case, he said the key aggravating factor is the significance of the public property that was vandalised.

Built in 1922, the Cenotaph monument is dedicated to the memory of 124 British soldiers born or resident in Singapore who died in World War I. It was later also dedicated to the memory of those who died in World War II.

“These soldiers sacrificed their lives so that we can enjoy the peace that we have today,” the judge told Mohamad Khalid. “By your actions, you have shown great disrespect to the memory of our war dead and hurt the feelings of their descendants.”

The judge noted that Mohamad Khalid had a low level of premeditation.

He also took into account the fact that Mohamad Khalid had apologised and sought the forgiveness of all Singaporeans for his unthinking action.

Still, the judge said the monument is in a public place and a deterrent sentence is warranted.

Mohamad Khalid could have been fined up to S$2,000 or jailed up to three years and caned between three and eight strokes. CHANNEL NEWSASIA

Pastors, Monks and Pie in Face

Don't you just shake your head when you read about priests, pastors, monks, ustaz, Jedi master all behaving very human and base? Can I use the word "charlatan" without offending? I can't? OK CHARLATAN!

On one side, the story about Venerable Sek Meow Di going into a casino business and made $1.28m magically disappear into his robe pocket according to business partner Chua Kwee Sin! Monks and casino don't really mix, and check out his fat neck! Must be the good food and life as a monk!

On another side, the tale of the prosperity gospel megachurch Senior Pastor Lawrence Khong being loaded enough to be a polo club member and mystical enough to be a magician also! Never mind that Jesus was a poor carpenter and some fundies think that magicians are Satanic. LOL BTW don''t forget that while Jesus had compassion and liked to forgive, Lawrence didn't have that when he sacked his church worker who had an extramarital affair and became pregnant as a result of it. The sacking was without just cause by law, and without compensating her entitled salary and maternity benefits by law. Shhhh I'm going to a FCBC service soon to pick up horny married women!

Ahem, in case you don't know, the other place to pick up loose horny women is at abortion clinics - Ahem not I say one, from Kevin Smith's Dogma.

PSLE is Dead, Long Live PSLE! WTF?

PM Lee said PSLE is no more, or rather repackaged it a bit some time down in the future. When nobody knows. As PM said, as we all know already from kopitiam uncles to NUS academics, to decide a child's education path and fate at 12 on PSLE results is outright meaningless, however "meritocratic" it is.

Whether it is good or not, depends on whether you think the PSLE is similar to O Levels or not is good. The stress to students and their parents is still there, just that instead of the knee shaking T-score, it is now the nail-biting point system A1 - 1 point A2 - 2 points etc. Smokes and mirrors. LPPL. Anyway, PSLE is just a cultural Albatross around parents' necks. Parents conform to the belief that PSLE is the be all and end all in their children's education what. Even if they claim they don't believe in it, they participate in the chase nonetheless. The reason, if you speak to a friend, uncle, aunty, brother, sister who is a parent of a P6 kid, is that if they don't strive, there is a risk their boyboy or girlgirl would fall behind as other children and parents are way ahead hothousing for 4 A*.  LOL Time to run faster on the hamster wheel.

NDR 2013: PSLE scores to use wide bands for grades like O' levels
Tham Yuen-C

The PSLE T-score, long a source of stress for students and parents, will eventually be removed and replaced with bands similar to those used for O' and A' levels, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Sunday.

He said the move was to the remove the fine distinctions in the T-score and ease excessive competition to chase every point: "An A* is still an A*, whether you score 91 marks or 99 marks."

The move would not take place immediately, however. He said it would take several years to do.

Calling the PSLE one of the most important examinations, he said that many believe it "determines a large part of a student's future", and felt tremendous stress. Doing away with the T-score would help to lessen this pressure, said Mr Lee who added that he does not know his own PSLE score.

When he took the exams in 1963, the scores were kept confidential, he said, and students were only told whether they had passed or failed and which school they were posted to. "Luckily I passed," he quipped.

The changes to PSLE scoring, though, will only kick in in a few years time.

In an effort to make sure that top secondary schools are accessible to more students, the Ministry of Education will also broaden Direct School Admissions categories, he said.

With this change, "special qualities" such as character, resilience, drive and leadership, will also be considered in admitting students into these schools.

Another change Mr Lee announced will let all secondary one students take a subject at a higher level. But this is provided they have done well in it in the PSLE.

Currently, only students in upper secondary levels are allowed to do so.

This will provide more flexibility in tailoring their education to their abilities and development, he said.

Happy National Day!

The great thing about this NDP was that it had a Singapore choir for this year's Oh-Oh-Oh song, it takes a mean ass to make fun of the kids singing the song, and also turned the spotlight on Team Singapore athletes from ulu sports to most us, synchronised swimming, gymnastics, and a warm appreciation to our para-Olympians. Sports bring us together. Go Lions XII! The singer leading the national anthem to close the parade was quite awesome and a nice change. However, the military hardware show-off is still cock, very Communist in sabre-rattling strutting. What to expect if the SAF organises the bash year after year.

Singapore is home, no shit, no sarcasm, it isn't perfect, but it is home what.

Even with retards like TRS, Atwell and some of those commenting popping up now and then to really stir shit.

Retards: The Show Goes On

Demon-cratic's Buttocks Thumped, Again

Once more with feeling! Poor Leslie Chew is getting famous once more. Not sedition but contempt of court! SDP is bound to back their favourite cartoonist as they have done so in the past. Why is AGC out to thump Demon-cratic again? Two simple reasons. The earlier sedition charges were not punitive enough and the cartoons did not stop or at least tone down despite the obvious warning to Leslie to stay low.

Hence, if Demon-cratic was dumb enough to be stubborn, urged on by his fans, friends and SDP for all we know, AGC is going to take action for the Super White and fine and/or jail Leslie to scare the monkeys. Too bad for Leslie but it is all good for him as he wants to be a rebel. It gives his defiant cartoons more street cred and omph. But why pick Leslie and not the others?  Also why now? Hmmm part of the broader hard touching of some but not others in the Internet?

BTW Anti-death penalty UK citizen Alan Shadrake was sentenced 6 weeks jail and fined $20,000 for scandalising the judiciary.  I'm not a big fan of Demon-cratic's lame messages compared to other cartoonists, also because he used software rather than hand draw like the others, so popcorn out, watching the show and waiting to see what would happen to Leslie. Nothing good I bet! I think 3 weeks and $10,000 fine. Gulp.

Singapore Charges Cartoonist for Alleged Contempt of Court
By Chun Han Wong

Singapore prosecutors are pursuing charges against a local artist for alleged contempt of court over cartoons he drew that authorities say had scandalized the judiciary.

Leslie Chew, 37, has been under police investigation since April for potential wrongdoing in several cartoons he drew for his Internet comic strip. The Attorney-General’s Chambers this week launched formal legal proceedings against Mr. Chew over five of his cartoons, the agency said Thursday in a statement.

The proceedings are “aimed at protecting the administration of justice… and upholding the integrity of one of our key public institutions,” the agency said. Singapore’s High Court accepted the application in relation to four cartoons and set the next hearing Aug. 12.

If found guilty, Mr. Chew could be jailed, fined, or both. Singapore law doesn’t prescribe any maximum penalty for contempt of court.

Mr. Chew said that he would meet his lawyers before deciding his next move. The cartoonist publishes a comic strip on Facebook titled “Demon-cratic Singapore,” which he describes as a “totally fictional comic.” The strip has over 25,800 followers on Facebook.

According to the AGC, the four cartoons cited in the contempt proceedings were published in July 2011, January 2012 and June 2012. Those comic strips made references to  legal proceedings in Singapore courts that had occurred near the time of publication. Two of them mentioned the phrase: “The Kangaroo Court of Singapore.”

In April, police had questioned Mr. Chew over a Dec. 14 cartoon that referred to the recent retirement of a Supreme Court judge, according to Choo Zhengxi, one of Mr. Chew’s lawyers. The questioning followed a letter that the AGC sent Mr. Chew in December, which said that cartoon “scandalizes” Singapore courts through “scurrilous and false” allegations, Mr. Choo previously said. Police and prosecutors have declined to comment. The Dec. 14 cartoon isn’t part of the AGC’s contempt proceedings against Mr. Chew.

Singapore has in the past won several cases of contempt against opposition politicians and foreign publications. Rights activists say the government uses such suits to stifle criticism. Officials say the actions are necessary to defend themselves against false allegations.

Mr. Chew first came under investigation in April, when he was arrested and questioned for alleged sedition after a citizen filed a police complaint against the cartoonist for certain comic strips that the person said were racially insensitive. These cartoons are not the same ones as those currently alleged to be in contempt of court.

The cartoonist was subsequently released on bail while prosecutors considered whether to bring charges. The charges announced Thursday did not include sedition. Singapore law broadly defines sedition as acts agitating against the government and the administration of justice, fostering discontent among citizens, and promoting hostility between ethnic groups.

The Real Shit TRS Busted (Again)

 Is Mr Farhan actually Yang Kaiheng scared that he would be sued? Smirk

One of the funniest things this week! Retards' favourite news site The Real Singapore or TRS was busted this week by Alex Tan. Alex told ST, another Singaporean favourite, that he launched the #1 trash news site and then passed it to Yang Kaiheng and Ai Takagi. Then one mystery Mr Farhan from TRS said that the couple were never in TRS, contradicting Alex's claims. LOL Anyway, so who has a Pinocchio nose, or if both have such wood noses, whose is longer?

So Alex, former Reform Party candidate, sabo the people who took over his site,  if what he said can be believed. I think can as others have CSI it before. Alex, being Alex, did not stop there. He also admitted and self-sabo he is still involved in TRS by contributing to the site anonymously. Facepalm. So much for his anonymity to a degree.

The TRS couple, about to get bitten soon

Kovan Murder Wheels Within Wheels

OK first, congrats to the police for catching the murderer. Although the guy did manage to escape to Malaysia first and enjoy a Ramli burger at Danga Bay, his last meal as a free man. He escaped north like Mas Selamat and One-eye Dragon, and Malaysians helped us catch our fugitives. We better let our neighbour win football the next few rounds otherwise they really won't help us anymore. The lesson is that if you want to whack someone, have your passport ready and your car filled with tank more than 3/4 full, do the job, quickly go onto PIE (towards Tuas) and all is steady. Until Malaysian police pounces on you over there as they do  not want to give the impression that Singapore's fugitives can treat their country as sanctuary.

If Singaporeans can't even return their own food trays in food courts, don't expect them to call 999 about a tip off. The Toyota Camry abandoned was seen at Eunos but was not reported to the police until the next day. So maybe the police could have caught the suspect sooner in Singapore rather than wait for extradition. Hmmm No Stomper in Eunos then as at least it would have appeared in Stomp. Anyway, no time for What Ifs.

But there is time for What Is. Then we realise that the suspect in the murders is a policeman, a SSG. WTF So it was a case of a dirty cop? From sex scandals and corruption, now mata murderer - the damage to the reputation of our Home Team that we can get fucked by someone who should keep us safe? Then NST reported last night after the Malaysians nabbed him but before it was public, if it is true, that the murderer was a gay partner of one of those killed! Angry pink dot killer mata! So don't fuck with them, they can really fuck you bad back like driving off and dragging you under the car.

HIGH ALERT: Man wanted for double killings entered Johor
13 July 2013| last updated at 01:00AM

 JOHOR BARU: A 34-YEAR-OLD Singaporean man wanted for   double murder  in the island republic is believed to have fled across the causeway to escape the authorities.

It is learnt that the suspect can shed light into the high-profile murder of a senior citizen and his son on Wednesday.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed that the suspect had entered Johor through the Woodlands checkpoint at 11.17pm on the day of the incident.

Cameras at the Immigration and Customs Authority checkpoint recorded the suspect riding a scooter and exiting the checkpoint en route to here.

The SPF released the suspect's profile and, through Interpol, requested that Johor police put the suspect on a "stop list".

The request to Malaysian and Johor police came from SPF's criminal investigations department assistant director (major crime) Adrian Quek Sei Wei.

A source familiar with the request said all active duty police personnel in Johor were alerted on the all-points bulletin on Thursday, before being briefed about the suspect's particulars and his vehicle.

"Police have been asked to inform the Johor police contingent's serious crimes unit or the Interpol liaison office here if they come across the suspect," the source told the New Straits Times yesterday.

Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff said police would act within the powers of the law to apprehend the suspect and return him to Singapore.

"The Johor police have always cooperated in the interest of justice with our counterparts in Singapore," he said yesterday.

The SPF had received a call at 4.16pm on Wednesday after the body of Tan Chee Heong, 42, was found in front of the Koven MRT station.

Chee Heong's death was initially believed to have been because of a traffic accident, before investigators learnt that he may had been tied underneath a car and dragged for about one kilometre before his body got untangled from the vehicle.

Investigations led police to Chee Heong's house at 14J Hillside Drive in Hougang, where his father, Tan Boon Sin, 67, was found dead with multiple slash wounds and a slit throat.

Investigations revealed that both victims were at home when the murders took place.

The SPF also identified the silver Toyota Camry involved in the case, which was later found abandoned in nearby Eunos.

An SPF source revealed that that the suspect was believed to be romantically involved with Chee Heong and the motive behind the murder could be revenge.

"The SPF is not ruling out the possibility that this may be a crime of passion."

Police are keen to contact Singaporean Iskandar Rahmat (Singapore national registration identity card number S790436A) to assist in investigations.

He is believed to be riding a green Vespa.

More Lies, Rumours and FUD in the Internet

I'm not talking about Yaacob or Ravi Philemon lying or spreading rumours. Since both are from political parties, naturally the things they say about each other would be ahem, based on PAP or NSP agenda and creative use of FUD and facts to make each other look bad. Fuck lah, that's politics so fair game. Ravi would act innocent, Yaacob would act victim. One mat, one mama, both party wayang. Yawn.

However, Yaacob was right about some bullshit in the Internet that should not be tolerated. Bullshit rumours in the Internet spread by retards is common so no big bother there e.g during GE 2011, some cock people were saying that they received flyers addressed to them as voters in their letterbox by PAP to vote PAP. Dumbasses said that it was PAP intimidation tactics, but were ignorant that all parties contesting had access to the voter info in their constituencies. These retards were in fact spreading the fear that there was no voting secrecy, and scaring people to vote PAP instead! Facepalm. The fucking irony and damage they did.

Bullshit rumours spread by cocksters knowing it is bullshit is another lame game altogether. According to the government, one such lameness was the guy who doctored the image of a NEA PSI 393 reading and then spread it around that NEA covered up that record. Still, the leader of the crap pack is TRS e.g. cooked up an MP Irene Ng letter to TRS, lied that Tiong flags were hoisted at Marina Bay.

In the end, how can we tell the rumours are bullshit or not? I bet when Noah said the big rains were coming, people thought he was spreading bullshit rumours. On the other hand, some people might argue that the Noah story is bullshit altogether. So we want to believe what we like to believe. Some believe that the PAP is the only hope for Singapore still. Yeah right. Others would believe it is NSP, or WP or horror of horrors, SDP! We like rumours and lies as it makes news interesting and rumours of government cover-ups make fake news more real e.g. "Oh did you read about X? We don't get more details as there is a cover-up for the cock-up!" LOL that storyline never gets stale.

The thing about TRS and its fake news production line to draw visits and earn ad money, it cries wolf so often, even if one day it gets a real scoop, nobody would believe it any more.

Yaacob defends naming of blogger and website over haze rumours
By Goh Chin Lian
Singapolitics
Thursday, Jul 11, 2013

Minister of Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim said on Wednesday night that his naming of a blogger and a website for circulating online rumours during the recent haze was to be fair to the majority of the online community.

Otherwise, they may be inadvertently associated with spreading rumours, he added in a posting on Facebook.

In Parliament on Monday, the minister had cited many examples of Singaporeans pulling together and using the Internet to do good and clarify doubts.

But he also warned that some mischievous individuals had set out to spread rumours and cause unnecessary anxiety.

The five examples he cited included The Real Singapore putting up an article falsely attributed to Tampines GRC MP Irene Ng.

Another was blogger Ravi Philemon, who posted online that the public would not be able to access a fresh supply of masks that were arriving in Singapore.

Dr Yaacob recounted the sequence of events in his Facebook post.

On June 21, the Government announced that 1 million N95 masks would be distributed to 200,000 low-income households for free, and that the Singapore Armed Forces will help give out the masks.

The next day, on June 22, Mr Philemon posted an unnamed friend's claim that the supply would be strictly controlled by the Government, Dr Yaacob noted.

The minister said: "The upshot of Ravi's post is that the Government announcement the day before is not true. But what is his basis for suggesting so? The truth is, he had no basis for his assertion."

As to Mr Philemon saying later that he went to Johor Baru to buy N95 masks when they were sold out at pharmacies here, to give to others, Dr Yaacob said he was "happy to learn" that the blogger had distributed some masks to the community.

"But let's be clear," he added, "doing good offline does not mean one is excused from acting responsibly online."

Ballot and Bid or Both in the Crappy COE System

This Today letter offers a slightly clever compromise. Messy but at least a compromise, a way out of this COE policy if the minister 100% must stick to this vote-losing cash cow. He is from the military before so I bet is he square, stiff and stickler for the COE policy. Why change something that is there and risk it all when he can blame someone else who started the COE.

In this novel twist of the COE scam, those who cannot afford pay tens of thousands for it, can ballot to try their luck for God to drop a COE on their lap if they can wait. Those who can afford, and don't want to wait, can bid for it.

More. Car buyers bid for the COE themselves as car dealers are the ones who bid up COE to get the overpriced paper (the COE is the environmental cost price of a tree maybe in dollar terms) for their customers. If customers want cars, they surely bid lower as it is human nature to get a good deal. Car dealers bid on the other hand bid higher as it is in their interest to get a COE so that they can sell the car to their waiting customer. The COE is not the car dealer pay one what!

Hmmmm Wait tweak a teensy bit more. This idea has been going on for some time. When car buyers bid it themselves, it is not the 100th lowest bid that becomes the COE price, but it is pay-as-you bid for COE etc. So if there are 500 COE for that 2-weeks after some COE is up for ballot and the remaining 500 is up for bidding, the top 500 pay-as-you-bid COE gets the chance to drive a car out of the Leng Kee showroom. 501th bid didn't get it? Boo hoo hoo suck it up and take the free SMRT ride at offpeak hours.

I know this is a superb idea, an election winner. Transport minister, you got the balls or brains, or OMG both, to radically change the COE? Got? Got?



BTW how come WP so quiet on COE?

Towards fairer car ownership with COE balloting
From Hui Chi Shing
-


I agree with the writer, in “Balloting and bidding in one COE system” (July 2), that a “composite” Certificate of Entitlement system would give all households here a fair chance of car ownership.

The current bidding system has made car ownership unattainable for most Singaporeans, except for the well-off. It is frustrating to see that money has become the sole factor in determining who is entitled to own a car in Singapore.

The Land Transport Authority could consider allocating, for instance, half of the COE quota to a balloting system at a discounted price, such as 50 per cent off, and the rest to the bidding system.

The rich could opt for the latter if they want to get a car immediately. The general public with lower spending power could wait for their turn through the ballot.

To curb any potential abuse of the balloting system, these buyers must top up the difference between their COE ballot price and the COE bid price if they sell their cars within, say, two years.

The top-up could apply on a tiered percentage basis for the third year onwards and up to the fifth year, or even longer, until there is no incentive to make a quick profit from the system. This could help to ensure that only genuine buyers would submit a ballot entry.

Also, car dealers cannot enter the ballot, while other restrictions could be introduced to enhance the fairness of the system. These could include allowing only one ballot entry per household, which must be submitted by a holder of a valid Singapore driving licence.

Lies, Rumours and FUD in the Internet

What's new anyway. The PAP has its spin, and the idiots in the Internet, which there are legion, have rumours and lies.

Funny that the same people usually cynical about the PAP, do not apply that same cynicism to news critical of the PAP. Rumours and lies about policies and parties are part and parcel of politics, to win voters, to attack opponents. Obama was Muslim was one. PAP was helping DAP win in the recent Malaysian election was another. Fun to hear and spread.

Some people's noses getting longer and longer

The fabrication of a PSI 393 was just out to spread some good old fashion FUD and ripe at the time when Singaporeans were panicky about getting N95 masks, at the detriment of NEA. Pierce reservoir wild boars, dengue mozzies, Indonesian haze, what next? Acid rain! This is not to say we should take everything the government says uncritically, just that we should be equally distrustful of all information and agenda peppered in the Internet as well. Pssst, BTW the rumour is that Indonesia's SBY said sorry to Singapore because his government had a big fat ang pow made up of our taxpayers money, from Vivian. Marty earlier said no Sorry so why the u-turn hor? OK is that the next Facebook meme or are we going to be cynical of that rumour? LOL

Govt debunks PSI rumours
Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin's call: Don't spread false information on the haze.
Wed, Jun 26, 2013
My Paper

A worker wearing a mask holds a stop sign as he directs traffic along the East Coast Park in Singapore as haze engulfs the island state, June 21, 2013.
DON'T spread false information on the haze.

He noted in a Facebook post yesterday that some people have fabricated falsehoods on the haze situation.

These include claims that the National Environment Agency (NEA) changed a three-hourly Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) reading for 10pm last Wednesday from 393 to the actual value of 321 on its website. A photo of a screenshot with the 393 figure was also shared online.

"It was a lie. The photo was doctored... It is unfortunate that this is happening amid this present situation," he said.

Mr Tan said that if people want to be critical about the situation, "it's fair game".

"But don't fabricate lies. Please. Not in the midst of dealing with issues of public concern and safety," he said.

The Government has been debunking rumours related to the haze on www.e101.gov.sg

For instance, it noted there were claims that the PSI readings on NEA's website do not take into account fine particles called PM2.5, but are based solely on PM10 particles. The site said these claims were false.

PM10 refers to particulate matter smaller than 10 microns, while PM2.5 is for particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns. So, PM2.5 is a subset of PM10.

PM10 measures "would also capture what is captured in the PM2.5 readings", so "a rise in PM2.5 levels would reflect a change in the PSI", the site said. PM2.5 is more dangerous than larger particles.

The PSI measures five pollutants: sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and PM10.

The NEA said afternoon showers are expected today and in the next two days.

The 24-hour PSI is likely to be in the moderate range today. But due to elevated PM2.5 levels, the health advisory for the public is in the unhealthy range.

The NEA said rain can "significantly reduce" PM10, but it is less effective when it comes to PM2.5, as those are much smaller. It would therefore take longer for the rain to "wash down" the particles.

myp@sph.com.sg

Unemployment Low, Don't Worry Foreigners Didn't Steal Jobs

Citizen unemployment rate is unchanged at 2.9%, and about 50,000 citizens were unemployed according to MOMmy. There were also job vacancies, 21,900 (43%) of lobangs in March 2013 were for PMETs and 29,200 (57%) were for non-PMET jobs like cleaners, labourers, service workers. That means there is job and skill or worker mismatch, structural unemployment especially in the blue collar, shift, and physical type of jobs. There are jobs but they are not being filled up. So the intake of foreigners is a cause of unemployment according to those No 6.9 Million herd, or an effect of structural unemployment? Hmmm structural unemployment is a problem that has to be addressed tho. Retraining is the mantra NTUC and the government kept repeating. Is it really working?

Which sectors are hiring? With the number of houses being planned and built, construction (8,400) was among the lead sectors Broadly, services (21,000) were also a big recruiter. What it means is that foreigners are being hired here more tho as locals usually don't go into down and dirty construction and service work. Manufacturing, in contrast, shrank its recruitment.

Redundancy declined and with US economy recovering hopefully if the tapering of QE is a sign in the entrails laid out, that trend is going to hold. As everyone knows, those affected most by redundancy were those 40 and over (more expensive, less productive, slower to learn and adapt) and they formed 2/3 of the entire cohort of those let go in first quarter of 2013). 75.2% of those made redundant were PMETs. So based on statistics and if you want to keep your job if you are over 40, your best chance would be you have a post-secondary (non-tertiary) education instead of a degree. Who says ITE is It's The End LOL. Also helps if you are in the sale, service and clerical line.

Job vacancies up, unemployment low: MOM

SINGAPORE: Job vacancies in Singapore rose in the first quarter of this year while unemployment remained low, revealed a report released by the Ministry of Manpower on Friday.

Singapore’s seasonally adjusted overall unemployment rate stayed low at 1.9 per cent in March, compared to the 1.8 per cent registered in December 2012.

The unemployment rate for Singapore residents rose to 2.9 per cent from 2.7 per cent while the citizen unemployment rate remained unchanged at 2.9 per cent.

Long-term unemployment also improved slightly over the year; 13,700 unemployed residents making up 0.6 per cent of the resident labour force in March 2013 had been looking for work for at least 25 weeks, down from 14,000, or 0.7 per cent, a year ago.

Total employment grew by 28,900 in the first quarter of 2013, substantially lower than the seasonal high increase of 44,000 in the last quarter of 2012 but slightly above the 27,200 in the first quarter of 2012.

This brought total employment to 3,386,500 in March 2013, which was a 4.0 per cent increase on-year.

The number of workers made redundant in the first quarter of 2013 stood at 2,120, marking a decrease from the 3,350 workers affected in the preceding quarter and the 2,600 in the first quarter of 2012.

Job openings also rose after declining in the previous quarter, with seasonally adjusted vacancies increasing over the quarter by 17 per cent in March 2013, reversing the decline of 7.0 per cent in December 2012.

The seasonally adjusted ratio of job vacancies to unemployed persons rose from 1.05 in December 2012 to 1.21 in March with the increase in job vacancies.

Ian Grundy, head of marketing and communications at Adecco, commented: "Job seekers clearly have more choices now but they can't get complacent. The best jobs, the good jobs are always going to go quickly and job seekers, even though they have more choices, have still got to negotiate sensibly and seize the right jobs when they come around quickly."

Recruiter Randstad said the rise in job vacancies reflected the strong business confidence in Singapore.

It shows employers are focused on growth and are proving to have the strength in their balance sheets to replace or create new roles as needed, it said.

Randstad added that unemployment remained low as demand for professional talent in Singapore remains buoyant, despite broader economic uncertainty.

With the continued tight labour market, demand for experienced and skilled staff is being felt within the financial services and insurance, information technology, research and development, and the retail and hospitality sectors, it said.

However the HR firm said that "even with the declining layoffs in the past quarter, it remains crucial that jobseekers and current employees do not get complacent and continue to update their skills and qualifications.

"This will not only add value to their workplace, but will also ensure that they remain relevant in today's tight labour market."

The "Labour Market, First Quarter 2013" report is available online on the Ministry of Manpower's website at http://www.mom.gov.sg/mrsd/publication.

Time Out Between WP and Hawkers, and PAP

The storm in a teacup that made WP look mean and niao. You bet the PAP, with the help of its papers and TV, would look for other little things to chip away at WP's credibility soon, regardless of what achievements underdog WP made or obstacles it faces.

Make no mistake, this AHPETC hawker misunderstanding is a small WP slip, nothing like its FMSS pie in the face. Now that was a serious WP blowback, which was so AIM-like in the poor corporate governance and town council money going from right pocket to left pocket. LOL

BTW what blogger black out today? Why should the PAP tell us what to read and what is objectionable, and bloggers to tell us what they think is objectionable and that they are the blogs to read more as they stood up to PAP? Riiight.

AHPETC, NEA and hawkers agree on cleaning schedule
By Elgin Toh
Singapolitics
Thursday, Jun 06, 2013

SINGAPORE - The Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) has agreed to bring forward the annual spring cleaning of two Bedok hawker centres from the end of the year to "within a month".

This latest compromise in the three-month-old spat over hawker centre cleaning was announced after a meeting on Thursday afternoon between the National Environment Agency (NEA), AHPETC and hawker representatives.

Hawkers coming out of the meeting told reporters they were happy with the outcome.

Mr Chan Kheng Heng, secretary of the hawkers' association at Block 511 said: "Everything is resolved and we are satisfied."

On Monday, AHPETC had announced a cleaning schedule which said the hawker centres - at Block 511 in Bedok North Street 3 and Block 630 in Bedok Reservoir Road - would be cleaned in October or November.

But the National Environment Agency rejected the proposal on hygiene grounds and called for cleaning for Block 511 to take place in June as originally scheduled.

Khaw Kawbeh on Citizens' Kawbehing

The rush to build flats, flats and more flats, more than 50,000 since 2011, cannot be sustained says our minister Khaw Boon Wan. No shit Sherlock! Facepalm.

Nobody said that HDB should build until glut, just build slightly more than enough to cope. Layperson ball park figure, 5000-10000 flats excess, mix of 3-4 bedrooms in ulu areas scattered across the island. Obviously his predecessor Mah didn't understand that and fucked it up for everyone and his PAP when election time came in 2011. Mah fucked public housing policy more than Khaw did for sure and the former MND minister lost his job.

Besides supply of flats and that has happily pushed up prices for existing flat sellers because of shortage of flats, the other pain to the buyers' wallet is COV. This is cash, not something from CPF and buyers can't take a mortgage loan for it. Loanshark, overdraft, credit card and other unsecured loans can, but not a proper currently low interest rate mortgage loan.

HDB should actually listen, not just hear, people. Sellers can sell their flats at whatever market price they think but buyers should get loans based on the valuation of the flat without any COV, just like buyers of private properties. Both buyers and sellers will be relatively satisfied.

WTF in fact, why should HDB resale flat buyers be penalised for buying flats in this way compared to private property buyers? If the resale flat or a private condo apartment is $1 million, a buyer of a HDB flat is going to pay more cash than if he were to buy a condo, all things equal. That doesn't make a HDB flat sound affordable. No?

Ramped up supply of HDB flats not sustainable in long run: Khaw Boon Wan

SINGAPORE: The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has been ramping up the number of flats it has launched in the last few years but National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said this number could slow down after 2015 to prevent a glut in the market.

Mr Khaw was speaking to the media on Monday after witnessing the handover of a completed Build-To-Order block in Woodlands from the contractor to HDB.

25,000 BTO flats were launched in 2011 and another 27,000 were launched last year.

While this has helped satisfy the backlog of demand from first and second time home buyers, Mr Khaw stressed this cannot continue.

This year alone, HDB plans to launch at least 25,000 new flats but Mr Khaw said this continued ramped up supply is not sustainable in the long run.

Mr Khaw said he is not worried about a "small glut" forming in the public sector as he wants to help more groups, like singles. He said he hopes to build up an inventory such that flats are ready if there is demand.

While he doesn't foresee a glut happening in the next two years, Mr Khaw cautioned the market need to go back to a steady state.

He said: "Don't expect this 25,000 units per year or the construction ramped up programme to continue forever. It can't be. It is not sustainable, bearing in mind that new family formation is only at 15,000 a year. As we clear the back log, we should be able to move back to the steady state.

"The steady state does not necessarily mean 15,000 units construction per year. Some may prefer to buy resale flats so that they can move in immediately. More importantly, they can select which flats to buy and which areas to buy because their parents might not be in the non-mature estates or their parents might not want to move into non-mature estates so we should always keep those options open."

Mr Khaw also said he is confident that HDB will be able to deliver on the flats it has promised.

This is despite the tightening of foreign manpower into Singapore. Mr Khaw pointed out the use of pre-fabricated components in HDB projects has helped to address this constraint.

Mr Khaw said HDB is on track to deliver the 13,600 units planned for completion this year and he added the effect of the ramped up supply is beginning to be felt this year while the full effect will be felt over the next two years.

About 6,000 HDB residential units have already been completed as of end May.

Mr Khaw said: "The steady state is a sustainable property market. I think property prices will probably always float upwards unless the economy crashes. We hope not to have prolonged recession. So long as economy is growing steadily, wages will go up steadily, and therefore property prices will also go up steadily.

“But there will be times when the asset appreciates much faster than wage increases, like in the last five years, so that is not sustainable. That was a period for happy sellers and very unhappy buyers but we are slowly tilting and hopefully we will reach a happier state, a fairer state between buyer and seller sometime soon."

However, Mr Khaw said what he is concerned about is a glut occurring in the private market.

He noted that a large proportion of private property is taken up by investors who are hoping to rent out their units.

He cautioned that if there is a glut in the market, rental yields could drop very quickly.

This will also cause serious financial trouble for those who have taken up a private loan, especially when global liquidity begins to ease.

Mr Khaw added this is why the Urban Redevelopment Authority's land sales have only been on a six-monthly basis.

"We have to be very nimble, and fairly skilful and also a little bit lucky. So far we have been lucky, but don't count on that for too long," stressed Mr Khaw.

On the ongoing 'Our Singapore Conversation' on housing, Mr Khaw said there have been plenty of suggestions but he addressed some participants' calls to scrap the Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) component for HDB resale flats.

He pointed out the transaction is an agreement between buyer and seller and said if home buyers are keen to pay above valuation, there is little he can to do to prevent it.

"Sometimes, you may love the place so much that (you are) prepared to pay higher – that is how COV crops up. How do I prevent it from happening? If you insist on doing so, (either by) under the counter or giving an 'angpow' (red packet) three days later in a wet market somewhere, how am I going to catch you? So it doesn't work to say let’s ban COV."

Mr Khaw added one thing participants agreed on and are proud of is Singapore's home ownership numbers.

He said in particular, he has been paying attention to the discussion on seniors, as more begin to retire and start to look at how they can get extra pocket money from their homes whether from renting out a room or right sizing their home to a studio apartment.

Mr Khaw stressed that preserving the value of property has practical implications for retirees but capital appreciation has to be reasonable, and not like the last few years.

Mr Khaw added he is working on making BTO flats more affordable.

He hopes to bring down the cost from five years of a couple's annual income to four years but he said home buyers will need to have the right expectations.

"If you engineer the softening of prices, and everybody shifted their expectation where previously they'd buy a three-room and now they'd buy a five-room, then you're chasing tails and the problem will never be solved," said Mr Khaw.

- CNA/fa

Todds Sabo-ed by their Own Expert Dr Adelstein

The Todds relied on 2 irritating we-are-US-therefore-better backing at first to prove that their son Shane Todd was murdered. Murdered by whom? The Todds were saying, the Tiongs, as Shane was working in a secret project with Huawei, the big evil Chinese corporation. O RLY?

The sibeh super secret modem-hand chicken maker Huawei project Shane Todd was working on... shhhhhh secret hor

First the Todds said that the hard drives Shane had were tampered with and FBI would back them up. Then the FBI checked and said that they were not tampered with. Todds has nothing to say except that their son was still murdered. <Shake head> Our Mata no credibility and need endorsement from FBI. Mata better make more CLIF shows with Mediacorp to boost street cred. Where is Inspector Mike Chin and SGT Alan Leong? LOL

Second, the Todds relied on one Dr Adelstein who said that Shane was strangled to death by a hitman with a cord, like in movies.Then during a court 'live' interview, although he is safe in the US, Dr Adelstein backtracked and said Shane was not garrotted because 2 more reputable US pathologists already disagreed with the garrote conspiracy theory. Ooops. However not to lose face, the good doctor <cough cough> charlatan, said that Shane was murdered. Must have been the same uncaught gunman from the grassy knoll who did it! Seriously, if there was a conspiracy, it was the CIA who killed him as Shane was working for the Tiongs and would have returned to the US to spy! BTW that's another retarded wild story befitting of a new Fox 24 series.

The whole court drama is one simply about the Todds cannot get over it that their son CMI and want to blame someone. First it was the Tiongs who killed Shane, then Mata who could not find evidence, now Court and Singapore for a cover-up. When would they blame their own friends and others like Dr Adelstein who urged them to further levels of self-denial and sorrow?

Expert witness retracts opinion that Shane Todd was garrotted

SINGAPORE: The medical examiner engaged by the family of American researcher Shane Todd has retracted his initial opinion that the 31-year-old was garrotted.

Giving his evidence on Tuesday over video-link from the US, Dr Edward Adelstein said he agreed with four other forensic pathologists that Dr Todd was not garrotted - which is strangulation with a cord or wire - as there were no signs of any internal neck injury.

This came after he reviewed more information he received from Dr Todd's family a few days ago. Dr Adelstein had based his initial findings on the autopsy report and photographs of Dr Todd at his wake.

Dr Adelstein added however, that he still believes Dr Todd's death to be a homicide.

When questioned by Senior Counsel Isaac Tan as to what caused Dr Todd's death, Dr Adelstein suggested that he could have died from a taser or from a carotid armlock or a neck chokehold - but admitted he did not have medical evidence and could not know for sure.

Dr Adelstein added that he believes that Dr Todd was already dead when he was "strung up with the ligature around his neck".

He confirmed however, that he was not a certified forensic pathologist.

The Todd family walked out of the subordinate courtroom shortly after the afternoon session began.

They said a witness, who allegedly saw Dr Todd the day before he was found hanged, has been sprung on them by surprise and they did not have time to prepare for his evidence.

They have asked for his evidence to be adjourned till Wednesday, but the witness - Luis Alejandro Andro Montes - is due to leave Singapore on Tuesday evening.

The Todds told reporters they have not decided if they will attend the remainder of the inquiry.

WP and PAP, FMSS and AIM, Who Cornering Whom?

Oh oh did PAP anyhow count to anyhow whack WP?

"MND’s latest response of 14 May 2013 claims that our media release earlier that day showing that the increase was only 4.16% gave an incomplete picture. MND stated that they compute the MA rate by dividing the MA tender rate by the total number of residential and commercial units. However, even adopting MND’s methodology of including both residential and commercial units, we find that the rate difference should only be 4.55% and not 20%"

WP Statement

First PAP bring up FMSS say it lacks corporate governance. Hey AIM also like lack corporate governance? Then PAP said FMSS created without tender. Hey but AIM was PAP's scorched earth policy and FMSS was urgently set up to prevent that, to protect residents? Then PAP said FMSS was filled with WP supporters? Hey isn't AIM made up of PAP members?

Now the last straw, PAP then claimed WP's managing agent's rate 20% more than before but WP said they calculated left, right, centre, inside, outside also at most, the increase is 4.55%, understanding that FMSS does not enjoy the economies of scale compared to CPG? Facepalm.

The only thing that PAP made sense is that town councils are political. Let's not kid ourselves.

The Idiot Parade: Zainudin, Lina, 21 Malaysians, Jolovan

Lots of idiots parading in front of us this past week. Firstly, it was Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP "gang rape is democracy" man. Facepalm. And we thought "blood will be shed" Vivian Balakrishnan or "I don't know what to say" Tin Pei Ling were bad. OK so what if Zainudin was quoted out of context. That is the game right? If it is too hot, stay out of the kitchen! Well, talking about kitchen, Aunty Lina Chiam who lost Potong Pasir the last time should stay in the kitchen and not wear the pants and try politics. Oops am I sexist? She tried to hit Zainudin with a frying pan in her SPP statement because the PAP MP made the gang rape mobocracy quote. In the end she slipped and fell on her fat ass as she didn't understand what the hell was happening and thought that Zainudin condoned rape culture. LOL Let's boot out idiots Zainudin and Lina next election PLEASE!

Then there were the Malaysian protestors at Merlion. WTF instead of protesting outside the Malaysian High Commission or take a bus to JB to protest at City Square since that is Malaysian problem right? No, they too lazy to go Malaysia JB and want to protest somewhere in central Singapore instead. There was an earlier protest where 9 were warned. Then others didn't get the message and protested at Merlion on Saturday. Police cannot take it that these Malaysians cannot get the hint, so had to arrest 21 from this second protest next! Since the 9 inspired whether they intended or not, these 9 would probably be sent home now, and the 21 would be jailed and/or fined and then sent home. Too bad for the employers who hired these 20, have to hire other Malaysians instead.

Anyway, I don't care and it is good entertainment, more fun than what 6.9 protest at Hong Lim park by that Gilbert guy. Still, PRC workers strike, Malaysians protest, what next? Bangla flash mob? LOL wait, I better not laugh, it might happen!

Then Jolovan Wham is back again at Speakers Corner. First he showed solidarity with PRC drivers who went on strike. Now he showed solidarity with Malaysians who protest. What is his infatuation with foreigners breaking laws? Wasn't it reported before he went to Hong Kong and asked Hongkies to protest to help the Tiong workers who got arrested for the strike here? He really likes foreigners who play hardass and resist!

Polys Are Jewels, Real or Bluff?

Polys are now different from before. Years ago when porn meant smuggling in Penthouse magazines from overseas instead of just surfing for it on your LTE phone, polys were meant for those who could not make it into JCs. Polys were for those who cannot make it academically and were to be drafted into the technical skills-based blue-collared workforce. JC was the path into local universities and that was it.

Nowadays, the demographics of poly students is more varied. More of the O level students if they know what industry they want to end up in life, chose to go into polys. So as to get a head start on the practical aspects of their preferred industry, even though they could make it into a branded JC. Polys were also how less stellar students hedged their career crossroads, they get a diploma first and if they really cut it academically, can then go to university overseas if they have papamama scholarhsip. They can even get into the local unis if they are top what, 10% in their cohort, despite NUS saying that this quota is an urban legend. Disadvantaged compared to JC students still. How many president scholars are from polys BTW?

The new LKC medicine school in NTU is interviewing prospective students from polys and JCs. How many do you think would be from polys? In NUS, how many poly grads are admitted into law and medicine school? In fact, how many poly grads apply for and are enrolled in NTU and NUS compared to JC students? Nonetheless, the new Singapore Institute of Technology and Singapore University of Technology and Design seems like it would be much more open to poly grads than JC kids, so there's that too.

Polys are more relevant as a stepping stone tertiary education system with the 2 technical unis in the horizon. They still roll out grads with applied and ready skills for the industries. The grads however don't get paid as much as uni grads, although as tertiary grads they are paid better than A level and vocational ITE grads. BTW that's why poly kids such suck it up about their lack of transport concession as tertiary students stop comparing with JC students about cheaper bus or train fares. Back to the topic, with entry pay as the yardstick, polys grads are important, but they are not as valued as much as uni grads by employers. Polys are jewels in the education system, yes, but...

Polytechnics a ‘jewel’ in Singapore’s education system: PM
By Saifulbahri Ismail


SINGAPORE — While some polytechnic graduates may see their time at the institutions as the basis from which to upgrade themselves educationally and in their careers, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said they need not see a degree as the only avenue up, as he affirmed the role of polytechnics yesterday.

Speaking at Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s (NP) 50th anniversary dinner, Mr Lee called polytechnics a “jewel” in Singapore’s education system that offer a “first-rate” tertiary education for their students.

“They are high quality, practice-oriented technical training for jobs. They lay a solid academic foundation, especially in technical subjects in Maths and Science, for those who go on to further their studies,” Mr Lee said.

Those who choose to get a degree should not do so just to gain a paper qualification, but because of their interest in the subject and relevance to their future plans, he said, pointing to the diversity of NP’s Alumni Award winners, which shows that many other “good options” are available, such as working for a few years or starting a business.

These options allow graduates to gain experience and understand themselves better, and such life lessons will complement their education and help them go further in life, he added.

Mr Lee also reiterated the need to prepare students for the future as it makes a critical transition “amid a fast-changing and uncertain world”, and said the Government will continue to strengthen the polytechnic sector to ensure it continues to produce graduates with a wide range of skills.

In addition, he commended NP for developing in tandem with Singapore’s progress, first by offering diploma programmes in response to demand from industry as Singapore’s economy took off, and then expanding its role with a focus on hands-on, industry-oriented training, into a “vibrant” tertiary educational institution.

NP yesterday launched its fourth Strategic Plan, which aims to forge a closer nexus with industry.

As part of new initiatives, polytechnic students will form multidisciplinary teams while on attachments.

Ms Jeanne Liew, Registrar and Senior Director at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said: “It could be, for example, engineering and business students coming together because engineering problems today may not just be engineering problems, it could be things like the business model, it could be marketing, it could be also the design of the product.”

NP will also introduce more overseas programmes to broaden students’ perspectives.

May Day! May Day! Gilbert Shouts

Why do loser parents ask their kids to hold placards? For sympathy? Act cute? Tsk tsk human shield?

Who the fuck is this guy Gilbert Goh? From Australia, unemployed, not liked even by some activists, party hopper from Reform Party then to National Solidarity Party, and from the patronage he got from SDP, he might join SDP soon. Or maybe not. Vincent from SDP pulled out from the May Day event - is it because he suddenly realised that Gilbert Goh is a political lead weight around his neck that would pull his SDP down? The smart guy who have noticed that all this while, WP have distanced themselves from Gilbert. WP knows its shit.

Another guy who backed out was Nizam Ismail. I never heard of him before and must have been the token Malay to speak at the event. He pulled out from the May Day event and left poor Gilbert swinging.  WTF, that's what politics is, grow up and grow some balls. First say want to whack the government, and then after a while backed down? Hey, did that apply to Vincent too?

The only good outcome of the event was that Speakers Corner can be a lively place and peaceful protests is not an oxymoron. Never mind that many there were many motley groups of disgruntled people e.g. people in their 40s who claimed foreigners took their jobs and never understood that people in 40s lose their jobs every time as they are more expensive and less productive, not because foreigners stole their jobs. 

In fact, more peaceful protests at Speakers Corner please! Don't let Pink Dot dominate or let Speakers Corner be wasted by Mad Ravi booking a Saturday and then end up hugging and molesting a Hong Lim Park tree. I'm happily looking for more protests by Gilbert - it is like an entertaining retard circus of whining Singaporeans who only complain and don't realise that foreigners are needed in Singapore and all that matters for us to welcome them into our arms, besides the Vietnam and Tiong XMM at health centres, is better infrastructure to manage the numbers.

Update

This retard is back with the same sign! He is persistent!

Khaw Rocks Market and HDB Doesn't Get It

Remember Khaw Boon Wan, the minister who introduced means testing for healthcare? The one who said send your parents to Batam old folks' home?

Khaw Boon Wan recently sent little shock waves into the EC, resale and BTO markets by saying something is wrong with the EC system. He never elaborated what he really meant and now buyers, sellers, agents and developers all not sure whether new rulings would go south for them or not.

Khaw said that EC owners tended to make more compared to BTO when they sell their flats and that is unfair. WTF is he talking about? Market forces what! If people want to spend more to buy a resale EC compared to a resale HDB because the former has condo facilities, of course the EC seller can earn more profit from the sale! Also, ECs are more expensive in the first place compared to BTO, and the grant is the same for an EC and a BTO? What inequity towards the BTO buyer? The EC buyer's housing grant as a percentage of buying price of condo is smaller than that of a BTO right? WTF!

People are going crazy trying to guess what this MND minister has got to say in the coming weeks and months. Resale levy is in the air, capital gains tax on EC when sold, less subsidy for EC buyers? BTW I thought HDB is about building basic homes? I don't mean attap houses like in our grandparents' days but EC are really departures from "simple" homes, OK I admit "simple" is subjective and we expect more comforts compared to when the first HDBs were built in the 1960s. But tennis courts and swimming pools for public housing?

Actually, if there is any HDB policy revamp HDB should look into right away, besides building as many flats as possible now, is COV of resale flats. Bring it down, get rid of it. Not really the EC market which is just a tiny market compared to HDB homes up for sale.

Analysts call for resale levy on HDB-to-EC upgraders


SINGAPORE: Some property observers say imposing a resale levy on those upgrading from a HDB flat to an executive condominium (EC) could be one of the tweaks the government may make to the current EC scheme.

But they remain divided over the relevance of the current EC scheme in today's market.

National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan had said on Thursday that the EC scheme cannot carry on in its current form.

He pointed out a "sense of inequity" between HDB and executive condominium owners.

Mr Khaw had suggested that EC owners may make more profit than HDB flat owners in the resale market.

Executive condominiums seem to be drawing a larger profit margin for owners in absolute terms, compared to HDB flats in the resale market.

According to data from the Singapore Real Estate Exchange, a four-room flat in Choa Chu Kang was sold at a median price of S$136,000 in 2005.

But the median resale price for such a unit was more than S$420,000 last year.

In comparison, executive condominium The Quintet was priced at about S$478,333 in 2005.

The median resale price for such EC units was about S$905,000 last year.

Observers point out that the price increase in percentage terms tell a different story.

For the same four-room Choa Chu Kang HDB flat, there was a 209 per cent price increase, as compared to the 89 per cent increase for the executive condominium.

Analysts say the percentage gain should also be considered when factoring the profit made by home owners.

Currently, HDB flat owners upgrading to a new Build-To-Order flat are subject to a levy, ranging from S$15,000 for a two-room flat to S$50,000 for an executive flat.

Property observers said imposing a resale levy on HDB flat owners upgrading to an executive condominium could be one of the tweaks the government may make.

Mr Mohamed Ismail, CEO of PropNex, said: "An existing BTO flat owner, when he buys another BTO flat, he is subjected to a levy based on the existing size of a BTO flat.

"But on the other hand, an existing HDB owner, when he wants to upgrade to an executive condo, he is not subject to a levy. There again, a sense of inequity.

"The point that you can afford and the point that you are making a profit from your BTO flat, why are you not subject to a levy while an HDB upgrader is? Probably this is another area, if any form of tweaking may well take place."

Lee Sze Teck, senior manager of research and consultancy at Dennis Wee Group also held this view of imposing a resale levy on those upgrading to an EC.

Mr Ismail added that the government could choose to get rid of all forms of grants for ECs or impose a tax on the capital gain made from selling an EC.

But he said these measures would be extreme.

According to data from the Singapore Real Estate Exchange, 135 executive condominiums have been sold on the resale market this year, fetching a median price of
S$990,000, an 8 per cent increase compared to 2012.

The executive condominium scheme was re-introduced in 2010 and caters to the sandwich class in Singapore - those who do not qualify for a new HDB flat but who also cannot afford a new private property.

But just how relevant is the EC scheme in today's context?

Observers have mixed views.

Ku Swee Yong, CEO of International Property Advisor, said: "ECs in the totality of things only cater to a fraction to the total market of 1.2 million households in Singapore.

"There are about 10,000 of them today, with another 9,000 on the way. Do we really need a scheme for just this category of people?

"Is the scheme of executive condominiums today outdated? Is it right in today's age, given the income that's above the median GDP per capita, that these families really need to buy taxpayer subsidised products? Are they really a sandwiched class?"

But Nicholas Mak, executive director for research & consultancy at SLP International Property Consultants, said: "Right now, the scheme does serve its purpose. There are many households out there who are aspiring to buy private condominiums but are not able to do so and actually this EC scheme is serving a large part of this sandwich class.

"But the other thing is that buyers of executive condominiums are bounded by public housing rules. So, if the government were thinking of reducing the subsidy given to EC buyers, they should likewise roll back on the public housing rules that bind EC buyers.

"But if the government were to roll back all the subsidies, that means reduce all the subsidies to nothing, then ECs would be no different from the mass market private condominiums."

Mr Mak also suggested the government could potentially consider having the HDB, and not private developers, develop EC projects.

He said if the government were to develop EC projects, it would be able to control the price of ECs as well.

The topic of executive condominiums is set to be discussed further at other Our Singapore Conversations on housing in the next few months.

Malaysian Elections and Bashing Thy Neighbour (us) Below

Barisan Nasional pattern when cornered during Malaysian elections, in-between bashing Anwar, is bash someone else. Like Singapore, especially since Singapore is Chinese-dominated and a convenient pesky whipping boy.

Speak to any Malaysian studying or working here, and they can explain to you that racial and Singapore bashing formula with a bored yawn. The latest I heard from a Malaysian pal, is that UMNO is trying to make noise about Malaysian Chinese going back to vote in Malaysia. FFS their own citizens going back to vote and they are pissing in their sarongs that these citizens are expressing their responsibility to vote. Unapologetic UMNO is just worried that the huge number of Malaysian Chinese making a living in Singapore would go back by next week to vote for Pakatan Rakyat. Nothing surprising with that voting choice as Malaysian Chinese and other minorities are fed up with the kris-happy racist UMNO. Sadly UMNO just didn't watch enough Yasmin Ahmad videos.

PR logos on S'pore-registered cars: MFA replies

SINGAPORE does not interfere in the domestic politics of other countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, amid reports of Singapore-registered cars driving around Johor bearing logos of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat.

The press statement, issued by its consulate-general in Johor Baru yesterday, comes as some of the 400,000 Malaysians living in Singapore arrange to ferry fellow citizens home to vote in the polls.

"The Singapore Consulate-General in Johor Baru has received a memorandum regarding a Singapore-registered car in Johor that had logos supporting the campaign of a political party in Malaysia," the statement said. "This is an act by an individual whose nationality is unclear."

It added: "The Consulate-General also wishes to state categorically that Singapore does not interfere in the domestic politics of other countries, just as we expect other countries not to interfere in Singapore's domestic politics."

Malaysia's Sin Chew Daily also reported Malaysia's Election Commission deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar as saying that the Singapore authorities should be concerned if Singapore cars were involved in the Malaysian polls.

"It is inappropriate for foreigners to get involved in our election, and as the car is foreign-registered, there is a possibility that the owner is a foreigner," he told The Straits Times.

He said it was up to Malaysia's Home Ministry to decide whether to stop such cars. The Sin Chew Daily reported him as saying that Singapore-registered cars whose owners are Malaysians, or which are leased by Malaysians to ferry voters, would be allowed.

Postal voting is allowed for overseas Malaysians this year, but those living in Singapore, Brunei, southern Thailand and Kalimantan in Indonesia must return to cast their votes.

zakirh@sph.com.sg

carolynh@sph.com.sg

Free SMRT Rides? Good Heart, Shitty Idea

Is the government populist or what in trying to solve people's problems! Mixed reactions to the free SMRT ride at super early morning hours, pre-peak it is called. Free ride people complain. Not free ride, people also complain. Don't want to go to get up early to get free ride also complain.

Anyway, so taxpayers are paying for freeloaders (which include taxpayers)! Making SMRT and its shareholders smile again! Lui is doing all he can, if you think that subsidising public transport is all he can and should do for public transport. Even Singapore Mind thinks Lui's idea is kinda good. Bah. As long as SMRT and SBS are the big players and they know taxpayers will always pick up the bill coz of Lui's subsidise our public transport thinking, SBS and SMRT won't give a shit about actually carrying commuters safely, quickly, regularly, everywhere. Don't need more trains or buses they think as the government would give cash incentives to regulate commuter traffic. WTF.

The government should free up public transport. Trains infrequent and crowded? Have new bus companies to compete with it, not complement it like SBS. Give new opportunities for SMEs to enter the private bus market assuming they can find drivers as foreigner crunch now.

LTA addresses free travel concerns
From
Helen Lim Director, Media Relations and Public Education, Land Transport Authority


We refer to Ms Linda Foo’s letter, “Free travel scheme may not benefit all” (April 18).

The free pre-peak travel trial aims to ease crowding during the morning peak hour along the city-bound stretches of the MRT network, which are typically the most crowded stretches.

This trial complements our efforts to improve rail capacity aggressively through additional trains, higher train frequencies and new rail lines in the longer term.

We hope this encourages commuters who are able and willing to change their travel schedule to enter the city area before the morning peak hour.

If we can achieve a shift of 10 to 20 per cent, commuters who travel during the peak period would also benefit from a less crowded ride.

Today, there is significant spare train capacity just before the peak hour. About 18,000 commuters exit at the 16 stations in the city area in the half hour before 7.45am, compared to 29,500 in the half hour after 7.45am, and 59,000 between 8.30am and 9am.

To cater to the expected ridership shift, additional trains will be injected at targeted stretches with higher loading during pre-peak period. This will help reduce the intervals between trains, which are currently about three to four minutes in the pre-peak period.

We are grateful for the interest and suggestions from the public on the trial. We assure everyone that we will monitor the results closely and make rapid adjustments when needed.