WP: Media Release on Use of Public Sites at Aljunied GRC

Copy of: 'WP: Media Release on Use of Public Sites at Aljunied GRC'
Posted on Monday, August 22, 2011 at 6:58 pm
This release seeks to enlighten the public about what transpired in the weeks after the May General Election, which has led to the current controversy about use of public spaces by residents of Aljunied GRC to organise events.

No cover when you need it most

The Straits Times; Published on Aug 22, 2011
No cover when you need it most
LIKE Mr Leong Quee Hian ("MediShield burden"; last Wednesday), my dad had signed up for MediShield cover when it was launched years ago. The cover expired in April when my dad reached the age limit of 85.

MediShield burden: 'I suggest a feature similar to the no-claims discount in motor insurance.'

The Straits Times; Published on Aug 17, 2011:  My point
MediShield burden
'I suggest a feature similar to the no-claims discount in motor insurance.'
MR LEONG QUEE HIAN: 'I signed up for MediShield when it was launched but in April this year, the Central Provident Fund Board informed me that my insurance cover had expired at the end of March when I reached the age limit of 85 years.

App helps drivers steer clear of 'summons auntie'

18 Aug 2011: The Straits Times (Singapore)
App helps drivers steer clear of 'summons auntie'
...The app is the work of Replaid, a two-month-old local start-up which received a $50,000 grant from Spring Singapore.
Mr Ron Wee, its sales and marketing manager, said the app is popular for being user-friendly and funny. For instance...

IN COFFEE shops, one can count on seeing motorists make a mad dash to their cars nearby when the coffee-shop keeper yells 'Auntie lai liao!'.

PEC took 'spirit, not letter' of law

[2011] 12 Aug_ST
PEC took 'spirit, not letter' of law
Source: Straits Times; Rachel Chang
THE Presidential Elections Committee's decision to issue four certificates of eligibility has put paid to concern that the criteria are onerous and may prevent contests.
In fact, observers said yesterday that the way the criteria have been applied has widened the goalposts. It now seems far more people than thought could be eligible to run for president, they said.
It is good to know that it is not a strict interpretation of the criteria, but involves human discernment as to the complexity of the role,' said Singapore Business Federation chief operating officer Victor Tay.
He was referring to the criterion that a candidate must have been chief executive or chairman of a company with paid-up capital of $100 million.

Presidential election: Tweak system to ensure 50% majority

The Straits Times- Published on Aug 15, 2011
Presidential election: Tweak system to ensure 50% majority
 KUDOS to the Presidential Elections Committee (PEC) for issuing certificates of eligibility to four presidential hopefuls, thus ensuring a contest on Polling Day ('PEC took 'spirit, not letter' of law'; last Friday).
If, on Nomination Day, it is confirmed that this time, it is a four-horse race, then one of the four candidates could be elected president despite securing less than 50 per cent of the valid votes.

PRICE AND INCOME GAP (Beware housing debt bomb)

The Straits Times: Published on Aug 13, 2011
PRICE AND INCOME GAP (Beware housing debt bomb)
MR GAN Boey Keow's letter ('Adopt Aussie housing rules'; Aug 4) highlighted an Australian measure to maintain home affordability for its citizens. Foreign property owners can buy only new properties, so they can sell their properties only to Australians.

Open private housing market to competition

ST Forum: HOME > ST FORUM > ONLINE STORY:
Aug 4, 2011
Open private housing market to competition
I THANK Mr Huang Yangxuan ("Entitlement"), Madam Koh Chin Chin ("Protect citizens") and Mr Alexs Chua ("Not quite a joke") for their letters last Saturday, as well as the Law Ministry for its reply ("Others want more, not less, curbs on foreign ownership"), in response to my letter ("Landed home values stifled by property law"; July 27).

PROTECTING CITIZENS (Adopt Aussie housing rules)

ST Forum: HOME > ST FORUM > STORY: Aug 4, 2011
PROTECTING CITIZENS: Adopt Aussie housing rules
I WAS immensely glad and relieved to read the letters last Saturday ('Entitlement' by Mr Huang Yangxuan, 'Protect citizens' by Madam Koh Chin Chin and 'Not quite a joke' by Mr Alexs Chua) rebutting Mr Frankie Mao's proposition to lift the ban on foreign purchases of landed property ('Landed home values stifled by property law'; July 27).

LANDED PROPERTY (Others want more, not less, curbs on foreign ownership)

ST Forum: HOME > ST FORUM > STORY; Jul 30, 2011
LANDED PROPERTY: Others want more, not less, curbs on foreign ownership
MR FRANKIE Mao suggested that the Government lift restrictions on foreign ownership of landed property ('Landed home values stifled by property law'; Wednesday). We note his reasons, but other Singaporeans have asked the Government to further restrict foreign ownership of such properties.

Entitlement; Not quite a joke; Protect citizens

ST Forum: HOME > ST FORUM > STORY; Jul 30, 2011
Entitlement
'Because landed properties are a testament to our stake in the country, we should not open them for foreigners.'
MR HUANG YANGXUAN: 'I was rather perplexed after reading Mr Frankie Mao's opinion on landed home values ('Landed home values stifled by property law'; Wednesday).

Landed home values stifled by property law

ST Forum
HOME > ST FORUM > STORY
Jul 27, 2011
Landed home values stifled by property law
LANDED properties have been mispriced for a long time because of the Residential Property Act. The Act, which was gazetted to safeguard land ownership for citizens, has unfortunately penalised many landed property owners like me who are not speculators.

True property rights require agreement by all

ST Forum: HOME > ST FORUM > ONLINE STORY
Aug 5, 2011
True property rights require agreement by all
I AGREE with Mr Tan Keng Ann('En bloc'; Wednesday) about the plight of minority dissenters in a collective property sale.

En bloc

ST Forum: Home > ST Forum > Story
Aug 3, 2011
En bloc
'We fling an 'old' apartment to the scrap heap and replace it with one twice the price or half the space.'
MR TAN KENG ANN: 'The collective sale rule is an undeserved right given to the majority ('One owner should not hold collective sale to ransom' by Mr David Lim; July 23).

Good Presidents past (the second key is but a mystical dragon that may never require)

Good Presidents past
Published on Aug 10, 2011
NEVER have I seen Singaporeans so confused regarding the elected presidency.
The purpose of converting the presidential selection from a nominated to an elected process was to have a non-partisan, highly qualified elected official who would prevent a renegade political party from winning power and using a populist agenda to plunder the reserves. Hence the elected president had to be unconnected with a political party.

MPS AT PARADE (One people, one dress code, please)

MPS AT PARADE (One people, one dress code, please)
Published on Aug 11, 2011
TUESDAY'S National Day Parade marked another evening of joyous celebration of Singapore's birthday.
Next year, I hope to see a tweak in the dress code of our Members of Parliament (MPs). MPs from the People's Action Party and the Workers' Party were dressed in their respective party colours of white and blue.

Downside to multi-cornered presidential race

Downside to multi-cornered presidential race
Letter from Edwin Yeo Tee Yeok 04:45 AM Aug 10, 2011
While the prospect of a multi-candidate contest for the Presidency looks to be an exciting spectacle, I am concerned that the splitting of votes among the candidates could result in a situation where the winner garners fewer than half of the total votes cast.

[Mar2011]: Why the President's salary is pegged higher

ST Forum; Mar 18, 2011
Why the President's salary is pegged higher
MR TAN Chak Lim queried the provision of $4,267,500 in the Civil List for the President's salary this year ('About the President's pay...; Wednesday).

Singapore ahead in the losing game?

Singapore ahead in the losing game?
Letter from Leong Sze Hian 04:45 AM Aug 03, 2011
I refer to the article "IRs here have not created more gambling addicts: CRA" (July 30). On the call for greater transparency regarding the number of Singaporeans entering the casinos, it states that Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) chief executive Lau Peet Meng had agreed that the legality of the information - and how it is shared - could be looked into more carefully.

IRs here have not created more gambling addicts: CRA

IRs here have not created more gambling addicts: CRA
by Ng Jing Yng 04:46 AM Jul 30, 2011
SINGAPORE - The presence of the Integrated Resorts (IRs) here has not caused a spike in the number of gambling addicts, said Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) chairman Richard Magnus yesterday, citing a study done by the Institute of Mental Health.

2011Feb: Target white-collar foreigners instead

HOME > ST FORUM > STORY
February 23, 2011 Wednesday,
Target white-collar foreigners instead 
WHILE the Government's decision to lessen reliance on foreign labour to raise productivity is laudable, the wrong sector is being targeted ('Worker levy increase shocks businesses'; last Saturday).
The Government should not focus on tightening blue-collar foreign labour as such migrant workers are needed in transient work.

2011 Mar: 'MOM, about that $575 chair...' & another

HOME > ST FORUM > ONLINE STORY
Mar 29, 2011
MOM, about that $575 chair...
I AM puzzled and perturbed by Friday's report ("MOM staff to get ergonomic chairs") in which a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) spokeman rationalised the $271,400 allocation for 472 Herman Miller chairs (at $575 each) for its staff.

Check the work, not the title

ST Forum
HOME > ST FORUM > ONLINE STORY
Jul 22, 2011
Check the work, not the title
ON THE issue of misuse of the employment pass facility ("Foreigners offer to 'pay' for employment passes"; Tuesday), we focus only on whether the declared salary is paid or not, but there is another form of cheating.
This happens mostly in restaurants.

Foreigners offer to ‘pay’ for employment passes

Foreigners offer to ‘pay’ for employment passes
July 19th, 2011 | Author: Your Correspondent (By Melissa Kok & Amanda Tan)Straits Times, 19 July 2011
EMPLOY us and we will ‘pay’ you.
That offer was made to Mr Henn Tan, owner of a local technology firm, when he interviewed two men – a Myanmarese and a Filipino in their 20s. They had applied to work as a webmaster and a software engineer respectively.

2011 Mar: Ergonomic chairs offer best value for money: MOM

HOME > ST FORUM > ONLINE STORY
Mar 31, 2011
Ergonomic chairs offer best value for money: MOM
WE REFER to Mr Lee Seck Kay's letter on Tuesday ('MOM, about that $575 chair...').
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) conducted an open tender in accordance with government procurement guidelines for the purchase of office chairs for our employees at the Kim Seng premises. The brand of the chairs was not specified in the tender invitation.

Is $575 chair too expensive for civil servants?

Health @ AsiaOne
Is $575 chair too expensive for civil servants?
MOM paying $575 for Herman Miller chair that retails for $1,200. -TNP
Mon, Mar 28, 2011
The New Paper, By Ng Wan Ching
A CHAIR is not as simple as it looks. Take the Herman Miller chairs, renowned for their ergonomic design.
Photos: A $1,200 ergonomic chair for $575

2011Mar: 'MOM staff to get ergonomic chairs'

HOME > BREAKING NEWS > SINGAPORE > STORY
Mar 25, 2011
MOM staff to get ergonomic chairs
STAFF at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) headquarters in Kim Seng Road can expect designer chairs at their workplace soon.

Do we need the IRs?

Do we need the IRs?
04:45 AM Aug 01, 2011
Letter from Jedidiah Tan
I READ with great interest the apparent divide between Ms Grace Fu's and Mr Tan Kin Lian's thoughts on the issue of gambling.