The PAP Govt has been gradually introducing policies to tighten foreign labour in Singapore.
These include raising foreign worker levies, introducing stricter criteria for S Passes and Employment Passes, lowering the dependency ratio ceilings to hire foreign workers and more recently, raising the bar for foreigners applying for Personalised Employment Passes (PEP).
The PEP, which among other things, allows foreign professionals to stay in Singapore continuously for six months while being unemployed, will soon require them to have a minimum annual fixed salary of $144,000 – up from the existing $34,000 a year.
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Rise of Japanese militarism and the Evil Empire
The full coterie of the Evil Empire chieftains in the Summit must be reassuring and a show of force to put down China. And this kind of militant gesturing can only get worst by the days with the USA gaming on its pivot to Asia doctrine.
Let’s see if Hillary’s call to use trade to win friends will happen, or use arms to force obedience prevails. It is as good as saying we are here to stay and to call the shot. Obama has already told Myanmar to cut ties with North Korea and Cambodia to release political prisoners and meddling with its human right issue.
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A mother’s note to parents on SAF gets fresh attention
inSing.com, 17 Nov 2012A message from the mother of a fulltime national serviceman who died during training has found new life online.
This comes after Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen revealed in Parliament this
week that there were “clear breaches of training safety regulations”
that led to their deaths.
Two months back, Private Lee’s mother, Felicia Seah, made a call to
parents “to advocate for greater accountability on the part of the SAF
(Singapore Armed Forces) for the safety of our sons”.
On the Facebook page
“In memory of Dominique Sarron Lee”, a note posted on her behalf read:
“We cannot allow for our sons to be at the mercy of the training
officers, be it the platoon sergeants or commanders, who are very often,
little older and none the wiser than the boys they are tasked to
oversee, boys whose lives often depend on the decisions that they make.”
Full story
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Presidential Candidate Tan Kin Lian speaks out on unconstitutional IMF loan, donates $1,000
Mr. Tan Kin Lian , candidate for Elected President of the Republic of Singapore and economics and finance expert, just put the following up on his blog. (This is after making a generous donation of $1000 towards the $20,000 needed by Tuesday in order to lodge a bond with the AG’s office so we can launch an appeal.)
“MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2012 - IMF Pledge
I have made a donation to the fund for Kenneth Jeyaretnam to take up the issue of the IMF Pledge. He is doing it on behalf of all Singaporeans and deserve our support. Please donate generously.” See http://tankinlian.blogspot.sg/2012/11/imf-pledge.html for details.
Mr Tan Kin Lian has previously written twice about the constitutionality of the loan that Singapore made to the IMF. He is kinder than me in his writing style but he comes to the same conclusions. And this is a man whom the select panel deemed fit to run for President of our Republic! He thinks the loan was unconstitutional and he wants to help me appeal it on behalf of all Singaporeans.
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Beyond Public Housing: Extending the Private Property Franchise
(This is another in a series of posts on the SDP Public Housing Plan. The series originally was begun with the intention to concentrate on the three main proposals of the SDP Public Housing Plan: affordable Non-Open Market Flats, availability via a buffer stock, and conversion to manage the transition. The series has now been extended to cover other aspects of the plan and more.)
The SDP Public Housing Plan did not touch on private property. It was a conscious decision to focus on the major problems caused by the PAP Government’s public housing policies. Now, I would like to share an idea for the private housing market. In particular, how we can extend the private property franchise by filling in the huge gap between entry level private property and public housing. This primarily serves to help the “sandwiched class”.
But before going on, I do not claim to be speaking for the SDP Public Housing Panel on this matter. However, credit goes to the panel as a whole if the proposal below is found to be good (since that is where the below idea originated), and blame should come to me if flaws are found when it is applied in the domain of private housing.
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Is HDB Apartment As Affordable As A $8 CAGB?
When I read that the Minister of National Develoment said, "BTO flats affordable for first-timers " and "I think not enough credit is given to my ministry' with a smile, (ST Page A6 17 Nov 2012) I thought, maybe just maybe, during his $8 Coronary Artery Graft Bypass operation, the surgeons might have accidentally removed Khaw Boon Wan's Buddhist heart! [Link]
"We take affordability fully into account when pricing BTO flats. New flats enjoy generous discounts off market prices" . . . "Looking at it from the situation that we are facing today, I find these figures very reasonable."
"Resale price is beyond my control. That is set by buyer and seller. But for first-timers buying BTO flats, that is within my control and it is my job to ensure it will be affordable." (emphasis mine and italics appeared in ST). Maybe a BTO flat can be as affordable as a $8 CAGB? [Link]
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Stem the rising tide of casino gambling
Regrettably, the Government proceeded to issue not just one, but two casino licences, despite strong objections from many Singaporeans. It was a dark day for many who felt that we were sacrificing some of our cherished values on the altar of economic growth.
Regardless of the economic benefits the casino may have brought, one ruined life, one bankrupt individual, or one broken family caused by casino gambling is one too many for Singapore.
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"Breastfeeding boys' identified as students from East View Secondary School
Hardwarezone Forum
The two boys who refused to leave the nursing room after being repeatedly asked by a mother who wanted to breastfeed her baby at Woodlands Library, and even flashed his middle at the woman, has been identified as students from East View Secondary School located in Tampines. Read more about it here:
The two boys who refused to leave the nursing room after being repeatedly asked by a mother who wanted to breastfeed her baby at Woodlands Library, and even flashed his middle at the woman, has been identified as students from East View Secondary School located in Tampines. Read more about it here:
