"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."-- Benjamin Franklin.

Friday, November 29, 2013

Discussed at

Discussed At:

Hardware zone forums........

SG Club forums..........

Asia one forums............

Discuss dotcomdot SG.......

Sammyboy forums...........

REACH website.........

SG forums (SG)..............

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

[Mahbubani.K]: LTA transport masterplan- as successful as "a dog chasing its tail".

[Mahbubani.K]: LTA transport masterplan- as successful as "a dog chasing its tail".
"Paradoxically, the high prices of cars have made them even more desirable as status symbols. This is why luxury brands trump cheap brands in Singapore sales. If the desirability of cars keeps rising, our efforts to curtail car ownership will be as successful as a dog chasing its tail."
"The former mayor of Colombian capital Bogota, Mr Enrique Penalosa, put it very well when he said: 'A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars. It's where the rich use public transportation.'"

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Our Ref: LTA/CC/PCF/FB/F20.000.000/17017/VT

Our Ref: LTA/CC/PCF/FB/F20.000.000/17017/VT
Date   : 11-Mar-2010
Tel    : 63961519
Fax    :   63961192
Dear Sir/Madam
GIVE WAY TO BUSES SCHEME IS DANGEROUS AND DISINGENUOUS
FEEDBACK NUMBER: 20100225-0556
We refer to your email of 25 February 2010.

LTA/CC/PCF/FB/F20.000.000/13623/VT

Our Ref: LTA/CC/PCF/FB/F20.000.000/13623/VT
Date    :  29 January 2010
Tel       : 63961519
Fax      :  63961192
Dear Sir/ Madam
GIVE WAY TO BUSES SCHEME IS DANGEROUS AND DISINGENUOUS
FEEDBACK NUMBER: 20100102-0076
We refer to your email of 1 January 2010.   

Nine private bus operators bid to run City Direct routes

Nine private bus operators bid to run City Direct routes
Nine private bus operators have bid to run nine new City Direct routes which link housing estates to the city, and will roll out next January
The Straits Times - September 3, 2013 ; By: Royston Sim
Nine private bus operators have bid to run nine City Direct bus services which will give heartland commuters an extra option in and out of the city.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Champerty: An improvement in access to justice for the poor?

After reading the following article by Andy Ho, I believe that there is a place for champerty [legal dict.][Wikipedia] in Singapore... (I u'stand that this form of charging does not separate legal fees from damages sought: it is all just one lump sum and the lawyer takes cut of 1/3 of damages won) however, if this form of charging is used, then it must be clearly declared to the court before any hearing (along with the damages sought)- each side should also lay clear one's legal costs and the case proceed either by mutual agreement on legal costs (looser pays the bill)- or else get a government order that the case would be heard and the government determines the eventual award and if necessary-legal cost (fixed or by champerty to each party as the case may be).

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Is tax on tax equitable?

voices: Our water utility bill contains a Sanitary Appliance Fee, a Waterborne Fee and a Water Conservation Tax.
Is tax on tax equitable?
FROM TONY LOKE YUE CHONG - 10July2013.
Our water utility bill contains a Sanitary Appliance Fee, a Waterborne Fee and a Water Conservation Tax.
The PUB describes the first two fees as levies to offset the cost of treating used water and for operating and maintaining the public sewerage system. Both charges are tax contributions to Singapore’s used water system. The Water Conservation Tax is charged for the use of water. It is levied to reinforce the importance of conserving water.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

Monday, April 1, 2013

Inflation in SG related Pictures:

Inflation in SG related Pictures:

In the Press: S’pore dialogues ‘have influenced policymaking’

In the Press: S’pore dialogues ‘have influenced policymaking’
From The Straits Times 24 Mar 2013-
Rachel Chang.
To those who dismiss the Our Singapore Conversation (OSC) exercise as a wayang, a talkshop or a sideshow, the minister guiding it, Mr Heng Swee Keat, points to the recently passed Budget as evidence that it is already having an impact on policymaking.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

GDP: An Imperfect Measure of Progress

GDP: An Imperfect Measure of Progress
By the Editors Jan 31, 2013 7:30 AM GMT+0800
Q
Which is better for a country’s well-being: $10 million spent constructing a jail, or $10 million spent producing a line of smartphones? How about clear- cutting rain forests to produce $10 million in lumber? Or a storm that requires $10 million in repairs?

Friday, January 25, 2013

Why It Makes Sense To Buy Gold


Why It Makes Sense To Buy Gold
by Ritesh Jain
Gold is the most under-invested asset but it still makes sense to buy it
“The desire for gold is not for gold. It is for the means of freedom and benefit.” These words by Ralph Waldo Emerson sum up the reason why the yellow metal continues to hold favour among investors across the globe. While retail investors seek freedom from inflation, large buyers (read Central banks, hedge funds) seek freedom from currency devaluation. In this era of Quantitative Easing (QE) and artificial monetary support, markets are rewarding gold for its sheer quality of maintaining purchasing power. If one cuts off the incessant money printing across the globe, gold would be reduced to a worthless asset in the end. To put it simply, it is not the value of gold that is going up, but the value of currencies that is coming down.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Lawyers ordered to dig into S'pore history: Hougang by-election case


Lawyers ordered to dig into S'pore history: Hougang by-election case
Straits Times; 15 Jan 2013; Goh Chin Lian
Legislation in 1963 may shed more light on by-elections: Court of Appeal
THE Hougang by-election case is now before the Court of Appeal, which yesterday ordered lawyers on both sides to dig into Singapore's legislative history in 1963 to shed more light on the law and the calling of by-elections.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Singapore Government, Money printing, 1989-2011.


Please lah, the CPI stats is produced by the very ppl who cause inflation. You must be damn naive to believe the inflation figures.

Its a open secret that CPI is many times lower than real inflation. You want real inflation figures, go MAS website, see M1 money supply since 2000. In last 12 years, SGD has lost 75% of value.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Taxman claws back $3.2m from doctors after checks

 Taxman claws back $3.2m from doctors after checks
Straits Times: 06 Jan 2013: Theresa Tan
Audits show that most doctors made errors in tax claims, and some meant to cheat
A doctor under-declared his income by $1.6 million over a six- year period and claimed that various family members were highly paid staff at his clinic.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Appalled by clinic's charges

The Straits Times; Published on Dec 04, 2012
Appalled by clinic's charges
RECENTLY, I fell and suffered a small cut at the arch of my foot. The wound was promptly dressed, but there was still some bleeding the next day.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

[Aug2010]: It's final - SMA's medical fee guidelines anti-competitive

It's final - SMA's medical fee guidelines anti-competitive
By Claire Huang | Posted: 19 August 2010 1323 hrs
 http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1075966/1/.html
SINGAPORE: The tussle between the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) and Competition Commission of Singapore on guidelines on doctors' fees has finally ended.
After an 18-month review, the Commission concluded that the Guidelines On Fees set by the SMA are anti-competitive.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

No true democracy with US Electoral College system

The Straits Times, Published on Nov 06, 2012
No true democracy with US Electoral College system
TODAY'S presidential election in the United States raises the question of whether the country is really a democracy with the Electoral College system.
Does every vote count?

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Regulating tightly 'not always feasible'

News: The Straits Times - 8 October 2012
Regulating tightly 'not always feasible'
by Elgin Toh
THE desire to regulate banks more tightly in the aftermath of the global financial crisis is understandable but not always practicable, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said last night.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Facebook comment confirms "deep fault lines" in S'pore society: K Shanmugam

Facebook comment confirms "deep fault lines" in S'pore society: K Shanmugam
Updated 06:11 PM Oct 08, 2012
SINGAPORE - Ex-NTUC staff Amy Cheong's Facebook comments have confirmed that there are "deep fault lines" based on race/religion in Singapore society, said Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam today.

AGC seeks legal costs against resident in Hougang by-election case

AGC seeks legal costs against resident in Hougang by-election case
by Kimberly Spykerman Updated 10:11 PM Oct 08, 2012
SINGAPORE - The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) is seeking legal costs against Vellama Marie Muthu, the Hougang resident who sought to have the High Court declare that the Prime Minister does not have "unfettered discretion" over whether and when to call a by-election.
The AGC is represented by Senior Counsel David Cheong, while Madam Vellama is represented by Mr M Ravi.