User Research/Opinions   

your biggest worries?

PAP, SDP video saga: TO DAY readers respond Cheow Xin Yi cheowxinyi@mediacorp.com.sg SINGAPORE — A storm of controversy has erupted over the Vincent Wijeysingha YouTube video (picture) saga, with well over 200 Internet posts on Today’s online forums as well as several letters sent by readers to the newspaper. The bulk of the responses expressed varying degrees of dismay with the People’s Action Party (PAP) team for Holland- Bukit Timah GRC, and Minister Vivian Balakrishnan in particular, for what many perceived as “smear tactics” and “below the belt” tactics. On Monday, the PAP team had issued a statement about the video and asked if the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) was pursuing a gay agenda — a claim the Opposition party has categorically denied. Today reader Lisa Li, writing late that same night, expressed sadness over “the appearance of such gutter politics”. “I am keen to elect politicians who are able to articulate sound, thoughtful and diverse views for discussion on any number of issues in Parliament, regardless of whether I agree with them or not,” she said. todayonline.com forum user ‘Gosh!!!’ said: “Is Vivian Balakrishnan playing a dangerous political card? I (worry) such a tactic is going to divide this supposedly inclusive society. I hope PAP can ... steer away from adopting such a dangerous game.” Today was told Dr Balakrishnan could not respond by press time “as he was involved in a meeting with his GRC team and grassroots leaders and volunteers at Ulu Pandan”. There were, however, those who felt that the it was pertinent to question the SDP’s stand on homosexuality and Section 377A, the law which criminalises sex between men. One reader, using the name “Matthew Tan”, posted on todayonline.com: “You want to be gay — that is your private and personal business. But if you want to use the Parliament to propagate gay-ism ... that is another matter.” Another reader, “Matt”, posted: “I am against gay rights like gay marriage ... I do not want the party I vote in to fight for this cause. I want to hear directly from (SDP candidates) Dr Ang Yong Guan, Ms Michelle Leea and Mr Tan Jee Say on what they feel on this matter.” Others, like Ms Vinita Ramani, were concerned that the furore threatened to reignite deep seated social divisions. The storm was also felt elsewhere on the Web and social media — including Dr Balakrishnan’s Facebook page, where comments posted by irate netizens early yesterday appeared to have been deleted. Fresh comments, however, were spotted last night, urging the Minister to apologise for making “misleading comments”. Several comments posted on todayonline.com suggested that, if Dr Balakrishnan had asked direct questions from the start — instead of “hinting” and using “innuendo” — it would have been more palatable. The issue began at the weekend when Dr Balakrishnan flagged a “certain YouTube video” as raising awkward questions regarding the SDP’s agenda and motivation. On Monday, his Holland-Bukit Timah GRC team in a joint statement revealed it to be a clip showing Dr Wijeysingha at a forum “that discussed the promotion of the gay cause in Singapore”. They raised the question of whether Dr Wijeysingha would “pursue this cause in the political arena”, asking for the SDP’s position. The SDP responded with an unequivocal “no”, calling on Dr Balakrishnan to “not adopt smear tactics”. Netizens also took issue with the PAP team highlighting that the videotaped forum had touched on the subject of sex with boys and whether the age of consent should be 14 years of age. “This is a very misleading description,” said Ms Lisa Li, noting that the speaker — lawyer M Ravi — had been referring to the situation in other countries, and there was no discussion on whether Singapore’s age of consent should be lowered. Another reader Nicholas Lim described the apparent “attempt to portray Dr Wijeysingha as a proponent for legalised sex with boys” as mischievous. However, another reader posted online: “(Dr Wijeysingha) was in the audience. I would have been assured and comforted if he had expressed his disapproval” on this topic. Echoing this view, netizen ‘Jimmy’ wrote: “If SDP’s candidate is pursuing a gay agenda, voters need to know.”

 

So why not join the PAP, instead of the Opposition?

The decision is for these former high-fliers to make, said Mr Wong (picture).

“We go all out to get people. We see hundreds of candidates each time before we narrow down to a smaller pool.”

Mr Wong, who oversees immigration issues, also addressed the Workers’ Party proposal of a points-based system to assess those applying for citizenship and permanent residency. Such a system had been used previously as “a first-cut measure”, and it was not rigorous in assessing new immigrants.

“The assessment must be a more holistic assessment than a numbers game,” said Mr Wong. “So, the immigration officers will have to look at the case and decide.”

The criteria had been tightened after Singapore experienced an influx of foreigners between 2004 and 2008 a few more measures were added to the assessment matrix, reducing the intake, he said.

pharoah88      ( Date: 27-Apr-2011 13:28) Posted: So why not join the PAP, instead of the Opposition? The decision is for these former high-fliers to make, said Mr Wong (picture). “We go all out to get people. We see hundreds of candidates each time before we narrow down to a smaller pool.” Mr Wong, who oversees immigration issues, also addressed the Workers’ Party proposal of a points-based system to assess those applying for citizenship and permanent residency. Such a system had been used previously as “a first-cut measure”, and it was not rigorous in assessing new immigrants. “The assessment must be a more holistic assessment than a numbers game,” said Mr Wong. “So, the immigration officers will have to look at the case and decide.” The criteria had been tightened after Singapore experienced an influx of foreigners between 2004 and 2008 a few more measures were added to the assessment matrix, reducing the intake, he said.

 

So why not join the PAP, instead of the Opposition? The decision is for these former high-fliers to make, said Mr Wong (picture). “We go all out to get people. We see hundreds of candidates each time before we narrow down to a smaller pool.” Mr Wong, who oversees immigration issues, also addressed the Workers’ Party proposal of a points-based system to assess those applying for citizenship and permanent residency. Such a system had been used previously as “a first-cut measure”, and it was not rigorous in assessing new immigrants. “The assessment must be a more holistic assessment than a numbers game,” said Mr Wong. “So, the immigration officers will have to look at the case and decide.” The criteria had been tightened after Singapore experienced an influx of foreigners between 2004 and 2008 a few more measures were added to the assessment matrix, reducing the intake, he said.

 

SINGAPORE

recovery has brought the number of laidoff

workers down but the manufacturing

sector will continue to face pressure,

said analysts.

The Ministry of Manpower, in its redundancy

and re-employment report released

yesterday, said around 9,800 workers

were laid off last year, with production

and production-related workers making up

the largest share.

The total number is much lower than

the 23,430 lay-offs recorded during the recession

in 2009. For every 1,000 employees, 5.7 workers were made redundant last year, less than half the 14 per 1,000 in 2009, and a record low.

Although fewer people in the manufacturing sector lost jobs last year, workers in the sector remain the most vulnerable, with 12 workers laid off for every 1,000 workers.

Mr Vishnu Varathan, Asia economist at Capital Economics, said: “I think the main reason why the manufacturing sector remains the most vulnerable is because Singapore has seen an ongoing upgrade of the sector to higher value-added products.

In the process, there’s a need to retool and re-equip factories and also bring up the training and productivity levels.”

Inevitably there will be labour market losses, resulting in some unemployment, he said.

Altogether, there were 4,690 lay-offs in manufacturing last year — down from 13,840 in 2009. The construction sector laid off 1,300 workers, slightly higher than the 950 in the previous year. The services sector laid off 3,810 workers, a decline from 8,850 in 2009.

Professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) accounted for 35 per cent of the workers displaced. The remaining 15 per cent were clerical, sales and service workers.

Residents formed 58 per cent of the workers made redundant last year, down from 62 per cent in 2009. This was lower than their composition in the workforce, which remained at around 69 per cent last year.

Analysts say higher input cost and wage rises will continue to put pressure on the manufacturing sector, and employment opportunities will likely come from the services sectors as the gaming and hospitality sectors gain traction.

Robert Walters’ financial services and legal director Pan Zai Xian said: “I would still be bullish when it comes to the services side,” adding that there will be more jobs with the investments in Singapore tourism, and the hospitality or banking industry.

Most of these positions will probably be in management or technical specialist work, he said.

Meanwhile, more workers were able to secure jobs within a shorter period of time, with two in three (66 per cent) residents who were made redundant in the first three quarters of last year re-employed by December.

Analysts say the trend is likely to continue as the labour market is expected to remain robust.— Last year’s robust economic

pharoah88      ( Date: 27-Apr-2011 12:59) Posted: Fewer workers laid off but ... Millet Enriquez emelita@mediacorp.com.sg

 

Fewer workers laid off but ...

Millet Enriquez

emelita@mediacorp.com.sg

Although fewer people in the manufacturing sector lost jobs last year, workers in the sector remain the most vulnerable, with 12 workers laid off for every 1,000 workers.

# # # #

Singapore business overheads and workers' high cost of living are out of competitive range  ? ? ? ?

pharoah88      ( Date: 27-Apr-2011 12:59) Posted: Fewer workers laid off but ... Millet Enriquez emelita@mediacorp.com.sg

 

Fewer workers laid off but ... Millet Enriquez emelita@mediacorp.com.sg

 

Bakero88 eh...u still refuse to take your medicine eh...(,") (",) Later I get the ball-less timid Desko worm to feedback u its juice then u know eh...(,") (",)

 

 

it is important that ? ? ? ?

there will be no more blantant slEEping debates on TV  ? ? ? ?

no more slEEpy escapage of  convicts  ? ? ? ? 

nO mOre  GST  increase   for at least more than 5 years as GUARANTEED  ? ? ? ?

This is the FIRST  GUARANTEE  ever    received  ? ? ? ? 

nOt   the usual excuses  of  imperfection ? ? ? ?  to  eRR is hUman  ? ? ? ?  still  learning  ? ? ? ?

For this,  THANKS  tO  ALL  the  nOn  rUlIng  partIes  ? ? ? ? 

It is  REALLY  a  MILESTONE  for  Singapore in 2011  ? ? ? ?

whole Singapore was  FEARING  GST increase to 10%  in May 2011  ? ? ? ?

C H E E R S !   

Laulan         ( Date: 27-Apr-2011 11:16) Posted: After May or after the election, whichever the outcome, the market will spring forth and a new era of bullishness will prevail. Reasons: If PAP wins all, then the status quo will be what we used to be, a resounding economy with the rich getting richer with their wealth creation, so we and the many poor get the crumbs that drop down for us. We will still play the stock market with a bullish outlook and the country economy remains healthy. If PAP lose some seats, no harm.   They will be still in government and we will still play the market with a bullish outlook as they will as usual often issue statistics to show our GDP is growing and the country is healthy and the people are comfortable. If PAP lose more seats than they expected, no harm if they still hold the first key to our country's treasures. We will still play the stock market with a bullish outlook since observers will believe in our political democracy of choice and continue to invest in Singapore. If the oppositions gain 43 percent of seats in parliament, many people might feel a sense of relief as though they have shrugged off a burden from their shoulders felt carried for too long of strict obeyance in deemed unpopular policies thrusted upon them. Then at least they could hear more reasons why certain policies were set and debated by many who are not answerable to the PAP.   The stock market will still be there, and we will still play it with a bullish outlook. When you go to the polls, don't forget to cast your vote properly and wisely.   If you have never voted before, don't forget you have to CROSS, i.e. put a " X" on the box provided to select the party of your choice. Do not use a tick, because it will become a spoilt vote. If your vote is spoilt, your efforts will be in vain. Therefore vote carefully.   After the election, come back to play the stock market with a bullish outlook. Cheers.

 

1st  WORLD  NATION    =  85%  population staying  PRIVATE HOUSING

2nd WORLD  NATION  =  50%  population staying  PRIVATE  HOUSING

3rd WORLD  NATION  =  15%    polulation  staying  PRIVATE  HOUSING

                                                                                      85%    population staying  PUBLIC  HOUSING 

Isolator      ( Date: 27-Apr-2011 11:25) Posted: An public housing suppose to give citizen a place to stay and not  to generate profit from it. Have the government forgotten the original principle when trying to encourage citizen from moving rental to ownership? A country with robust GDP cannot make the PUBLIC housing more afforable?

 

WHY  pUsh 

pUblic hOUsIng  lOans

tO

prIvate banks 

? ? ? ?

Let  PUBLIC  be  PUBLIC

and  PRIVATE  be  PRIVATE

Laulan      ( Date: 27-Apr-2011 11:11) Posted: HDB flat buying rules in brief: 1.   You must have a family with or without children.   Single or divorcee can only buy resale flat, and must qualify to the rules. 2.   You must have an income where the housing board must see that you can sufficiently pay your installments.   No lending to those who deemed have insufficient present income to pay the lease. Don't care if in future can earn more or not.   Now is important. 3.   You cannot sell your flat if you don't have proof of   purchase of another one in the waiting.. No proof, cannot sell. You can sell if you buy private, hdb, etc, but you have to furnish documents to show you have bought. 4.   You cannot buy new HDB flat even if you meet income criteria should you have sold a HDB flat before.   That means you sold your previous flat and now living in the HDB flat you wish to sell.   Your only choice is private property if you can afford. Otherwise you can only buy an open market resale flat.   HDB would never lend you money for the transaction..   You have to go to a private bank to do the borrowing.   These information is only for reference.   You should enquire from HDB about buying a flat.

 

An public housing suppose to give citizen a place to stay and not  to generate profit from it. Have the government forgotten the original principle when trying to encourage citizen from moving rental to ownership? A country with robust GDP cannot make the PUBLIC housing more afforable?

 

HDB flat buying rules in brief:

1.   You must have a family with or without children.   Single or divorcee can only buy resale flat, and must qualify to the rules.

2.   You must have an income where the housing board must see that you can sufficiently pay your installments.   No lending to those who deemed have insufficient present income to pay the lease. Don't care if in future can earn more or not.   Now is important.

3.   You cannot sell your flat if you don't have proof of   purchase of another one in the waiting.. No proof, cannot sell. You can sell if you buy private, hdb, etc, but you have to furnish documents to show you have bought.

4.   You cannot buy new HDB flat even if you meet income criteria should you have sold a HDB flat before.   That means you sold your previous flat and now living in the HDB flat you wish to sell.   Your only choice is private property if you can afford. Otherwise you can only buy an open market resale flat.   HDB would never lend you money for the transaction..   You have to go to a private bank to do the borrowing.

  These information is only for reference.   You should enquire from HDB about buying a flat. 

 

The rule is the rule.   Where you want to stay? You cannot don't buy resale flat if you and your wife have sold your first HDB flat in your lifetime.   You don't know meh?

niuyear      ( Date: 26-Apr-2011 17:43) Posted: DO NOT BUY RESALE FLATs - I think   its not worth the money. A falt costs $1.4 million in Shunfu, can land you a good and nice condo!!  (Free hold) A flat costs $ 900,000 in bishan,  toa payh or hougang ,   (more than 25 years of age), you can get a condo (99 lease near mrt inYishan etc)       Andrew      ( Date: 26-Apr-2011 12:29) Posted: My China PR Friend who wanted to invest in HDB flat said.......not true, at least at SengKang, COV is closer to 40K rather than the median 20K.

 

Whats  are    PRs   biggest worries right now?

Will they be gone if  opposition rules?  Will  opposition act on the residents complaints that  " PRs are snatching their jobs away!"

So, lets see whats going to happen.

 

Do note:

Making house prices dipping at the expense of our national reserve is not a wise move.

The chief of land evaluate the land prices based on many factors and some smart alec just come and simply say    " we will reduce the HDB flats sellling price" at the expense of  possibly, other important sources, is not a responsible act, in long run,  Singapore will suffer.

Reducing the GST will impact on our less spending on quality life of singaporeans such as, education, healhcare, clean environment...............etc.  At east should be status quo as from now till the next 5 years.. No subidy system is a good system adopted by singapore.             Look at other country whereby their government HEAVILY SUBSIDISED  their people  the OIL prices.      Once this has started , there will never be an end to it and their governments  are not able to stop the SUBSIDY!!!!    So,  less spending on quality life or improvement to their people's life unlike singapore.

 

 

WHY  want to settle in SINGAPORE  after sooooo many years living overseas????



1)  green backs shrinking  since 2007 during subprime crisis?

2) Is singapore greener consider a greener  pasture compared to  overseas

      as from now ?

3) Western country is not as attractive any more?

pharoah88      ( Date: 26-Apr-2011 12:15) Posted: Workers’ party Chen Show Mao Partner at law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, 50 FACTFILE • Top student in Singapore for the 1979 ‘A’ level examinations • Rhodes Scholar, and alumnus of Harvard, Oxford and Stanford universities • Juris Doctor from Stanford • Worked previously at research institutions • Advised the Agricultural Bank of China on its recent US$22 billion (S$27 billion) initial public offering (IPO), the largest IPO in history He said ... The coming election is about your future, your children’s future and into whose hands (you want to) entrust that future. Do you want a choice of capable parties competing to give you a better future? In order to have that choice tomorrow, you will need to support the Opposition in Singapore today.

 

DO NOT BUY RESALE FLATs - I think   its not worth the money.

A falt costs $1.4 million in Shunfu, can land you a good and nice condo!!  (Free hold)

A flat costs $ 900,000 in bishan,  toa payh or hougang ,   (more than 25 years of age), you can get a condo (99 lease near mrt inYishan etc)

 

 

 

Andrew      ( Date: 26-Apr-2011 12:29) Posted: My China PR Friend who wanted to invest in HDB flat said.......not true, at least at SengKang, COV is closer to 40K rather than the median 20K.   pharoah88      ( Date: 26-Apr-2011 12:22) Posted: COV down 9% in Q1 Analysts divided if cash over valuation will fall further or hold Linette Lim linettelim@mediacorp.com.sg SINGAPORE COV premiums for HDB resale flats dropped 9 per cent, or a S$2,000 decrease, to S$21,000 for the first quarter of this year, according to data from the Housing and Development Board. Observers attributed the decrease to the Government’s cooling measures but were divided on whether COV premiums have bottomed out or will continue to drop. “Currently, the COVs have come to a point where it is not going any much lower,” said PropNex chief executive Mohamed Ismail. “Based on our Prop-Nex data, the COV for the month of April has already gone up to a median at S$23,000, which is where we were starting prior to the first quarter.” However, Cushman & Wakefield vice-chairman Donald Han reckons COV premiums will continue to fall. “I think the fact that there’s going to be 22,000 new HDB dwellings going up in the marketplace, and the Government’s ramping up ... its development mission to develop more HDB properties ... will mean vendors cannot hold on to their COV asking prices,” he said. The Resale Price Index increased 1.6 per cent in the first quarter, compared with 2.5 per cent in the previous quarter. While the total number of resale transactions fell by about 4 per cent to 6,228 cases, the proportion of resale cases transacting above valuation remained at 96 per cent. Meanwhile, median sublet rents during this period remained relatively stable with increases for one-room and five-room flats and decreases for two-room flats. Subletting transactions rose by 8 per cent to 6,365 cases. The total number of HDB flats approved for subletting rose to about 36,400 units in the first quarter, compared to about 35,000 units in the previous quarter. In a separate announcement yesterday, HDB said that it will launch another 3,185 flats for sale under the Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise for this month. HDB said it will offer 22,000 new BTO flats this year if demand is sustained. Last year, a total of 16,000 BTO flats were offered. Despite the supply of new flats coming onto the market, Mr Han thinks that there could be a 1- to -2-per-cent uptake in HDB resale prices over the next one or two quarters. Mr Ismail also thinks that the resale prices will trend up, as the new supply of BTO flats is not a perfect substitute for the resale units. “Even though there are 22,000 (new) flats, there are many people who will still choose to buy resale because they can’t afford to wait three years to get the keys,” said Mr Ismail. “On that basis, I will see it as two different markets.”— HDB resale prices went up in the first quarter of this year, but Cash-Over-Valuation (COV) premiums fell during the same period.

 

biggest worries :

Buying houses near tele exchange within 5 km, can get radiation? 

Friend fax me copy of East area includes:

1) Changi tele exchange - 960 upper changi road

2) Tampines  - Tampines Central (Tele Park) - 

3) Geyland - near lorong 41 (where the residential areas are)

4) Bedok - 185 Upper east coast road

5) Pasir ris - 5 pasir ris st 51

6) Ang mo kio -25 ang mo kio ave 1

7)

 

 

How many Singaporeans exactly?

Letter from Joseph Khoo

I READ with great interest the article “How foreign workers have helped Singapore” (April 22).

It quoted Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as saying that without foreign workers, Singapore would not have attracted S$3.7 billion in wafer fab investment as well as created more jobs for Singaporeans.

According to the statistics quoted, the IM Flash Singapore Nand Flash Wafer Fab currently employs 1,200 workers, of which six in 10 are Singaporeans and permanent residents.

Just out of curiosity, exactly how many are Singaporeans?

I also refer to Jolly Wee’s letter “If ‘not ready’ party wins” (April 25). First of all, I would like to reassure Mr Wee that such a freak result would not happen thanks to the robust Group Representation Constituency (GRC) system in place.

Second, Singaporeans are generally a sensible bunch who, despite an apparent desire have more Opposition to check on the Government, will not vote carelessly for an Opposition party that does not have the chops to contribute to the country.

After all, we do recognise and remember the contributions of the ruling party.

Finally, even if the seemingly impossible does happen, our Civil Service, together with our highly competent and dedicated Permanent Secretaries, will ensure that our country will continue tobe run smoothly.