30/11/2021

34 WORLD MAGICAL PLACES

THESE MAGICAL PLACES ARE SIMPLY SPELLBINDING

The world is filled with places of magic and mystery, from natural wonders supposedly built by giants to caves and castles bound up with stories of sorcery. Here we pick 34 enchanting spots that even mere mortals can visit (currently open with restrictions unless stated otherwise). Prepare to be spellbound.

29/11/2021

7 Surprising Ways Retirees Waste Their Savings


Retirees usually have a limited amount of money to spend during their golden years.

Unfortunately, some people make costly mistakes that can deplete their nest egg prematurely.

From giving away cash indiscriminately to refusing to embrace lifestyle changes, here are some surprising ways retirees waste their hard-earned savings.

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28/11/2021

Ho Ching's refreshingly 'Chill Approach' to Social Media

Update 19 Feb 2022: Ho Ching calls out ‘entitled’ customers, calling them worse than a ‘Yaya Papaya’

Prolific Facebook commentator  Ho Ching offers her views on the wave of people exhibiting unjustified superiority and self-entitlement, as described in a New York Times Magazine article by contributing writer Maggie Jones. The article headlined “See (the Worst People in) the World”  retells the stories of how Covid-era passengers have turned the job of flight attendant into “a total nightmare”.

The well-travelled Madam Ho condemns these passengers from Hell as being worse than a Yaya Papaya, a Singlish slang term describing people who are arrogant gloating braggarts. Well, you get the picture. And here’s the point. One would think that Madam Ho, being the wife of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and a corporate bigwig in her own right, would feel, well,  entitled to feel entitled. But her sympathies are definitely with the downtrodden.

Madam Ho makes quite plain her sentiments towards people insisting on “more” rights, and how their sense of entitlement affects other people who are just doing their job. She says:
  • “Somehow, if we veer towards demanding more and more ‘rights’ for ourselves, we become an ungracious society that does not respect the rights of others and become abusive of others.
  • “Being abusive to nurses who look after us or our families in hospitals, or being aggressively demanding on-air stewardesses who serve us on board flights, reflect poorly on ourselves.
  • “Perhaps people do this to show their “superiority”, but it shows them up to be inferior people who drag society down the path of anarchy, distrust, and abuse.
  • “It’s one thing to be a yaya papaya.
  • “It is quite another to tell lies, abuse our position of trust, and then wrapping ourselves up in the cloak of victimhood to excuse our bad behaviour.”


HO Ching Yesterday at 9:54 AM

Somehow, if we veer towards demanding more and more “rights” for ourselves, we become an ungracious society that does not respect the rights of others, and become abusive of others.

Being abusive to nurses who look after us or our families in hospitals, or being aggressively demanding on air stewardesses who serve us on board flights, reflect poorly on ourselves.

Perhaps people do this to show their “superiority”, but it shows them up to be inferior people who drag society down the path of anarchy, distrust, and abuse.

It’s one thing to be a yaya papaya.

It is quite another to tell lies, abuse our position of trust, and then wrapping ourselves up in the cloak of victimhood to excuse our bad behaviour.


Ho Ching: “The latest variant arriving? Keep safe!”, Netizens ‘worried about the new colourful variant’, ask post to be removed!
"Mdm HO Ching, May i know what vaccination is suitable for this new colourful variant? We are worried. Thank you Mdm" — Sarah Ang, FB netizen

Madam Ho Ching, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s wife, uploaded a photo of a man at an unidentified airport dressed in bright green attire, a pink headdress, and pink shoes, prompting responses from netizens.

The said Facebook post was uploaded on Nov 29 with the caption “The latest variant arriving? Keep safe!” garnering 138 comments and 111 shares. Some netizens commented on the post with a joke and have even stated that it is not Changi Airport. While some may understand that she posted it in the hopes of providing a good laugh for her followers, others didn’t take it too well, garnering negative comments.

One netizen asked Madam Ho Ching how she would have felt if she were in the shoes of someone insulted by others. Additionally, they want the Facebook post removed because she is considered a prominent Singaporean. So far, the post has not been taken down and continues to garner comments and shares. /TISG



The latest variant arriving?

Keep safe!


Ho Ching on Facebook - Stop the Bitching
Stop the bitching, said Ho Ching on Facebook on Wednesday (Oct 27)

The former CEO of Temasek Holdings was addressing the unhappiness raised by many after the report that Bloomberg New Economy Forum delegates coming here next month will be permitted to dine in groups of up to five, while household members are not permitted to do so under the existing restrictions.

Ms Ho was expressing how stretched healthcare workers are in Singapore and around the world.

"So folks who bitch about their freedom to dine in bigger groups, whether as a family or as friends, just stop it!" Ms Ho wrote.


Ho Ching urge Singaporeans not to be kiasu
Long Queues On 1st Day Of Mask Collection

At 11.50am, Temasek CEO Ho Ching put out a Facebook post asking Singaporeans not to be kiasu

She shared that there are plenty of masks left so there’s no need to flock down all at once. Additionally, Madam Ho added that the collection lasts for a month so there’s absolutely no need to rush.

Addressing criticism about collection methods, she also said it was not possible to deliver the masks directly to households as they are too bulky. She also urged the public to be kind to counter staff at the distribution centres.


KTV COVID-19 CLUSTER saga

Culminates in sharing of Pornhub meme
Spam on, you powerful woman, you

Unlike her husband — who holds the most powerful position in the country — the Prime Minister’s wife Ho Ching has a rather refreshingly lax approach to her social media postings.

If one were to look at her personal (and verified) Facebook page,  it would seem that she loves to spam links to various videos, articles and memes without a care for public relations at all — an amazing feat considering that every single aspect of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s own social media presence is clearly curated. The same goes for the rest of the ministers and various politicians under him — they can (most times) be so inoffensive and sterile to the point of being bland.

That’s why Ho Ching’s own posts are comparatively interesting. Politically incorrect jokes even make it to her feed — like this one about Pornhub (sadly blocked in Singapore, mind you). Bless her gleeful, carefree heart.

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HO Ching 28 July at 19:35

There are lots of folks who donated and continue to donate quietly, without making any public announcement.

Some folks make public announcement of part of their donations, and still maintain privacy on the rest of their regular donations.

Other continue to donate anonymously.

Yet others put their donations into their wills.

But of course, not all are angels.

There are folks who will scheme to get money from others in their families, or friends, some by stealth, others by outright manipulation and cheating.

Take all kinds - and only some may be caught by law.

Everyone has to answer to their conscience, the Almighty, and their karma in time to come.


Pritam Singh to allocate 50% of Leader of the Opposition remuneration to low-income residents, other causes
Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh talking to media after a walkabout at Bedok North Street 4 on July 1, 2020. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

Workers’ Party (WP) secretary-general Pritam Singh detailed on Tuesday (Jul 28) how he would allocate half of his allowance as Leader of the Opposition towards helping low-income residents, various needs of the party and other causes.

Earlier in the day, the authorities had announced that Mr Singh would be accorded additional privileges in his role as the Leader of the Opposition, and would also receive double the allowance of an elected Member of Parliament.

This means that Mr Singh will receive an annual package of S$385,000.


It is a sad day indeed when authorities turn a good deed into a bad one by attacking Pritam Singh’s annoucement to donate 50% of LO salary

One would have thought that a public figure donating a part of his salary to good causes would be a laudable thing. Yet in Singapore, it seems to have ruffled a few establishment feathers. This phenomenon is curious. Could it be jealousy or fear that motivated such negative social media posts on the part of the powers be? A touch of sour grapes perhaps

For those unaware, Leader of the Opposition (LO), Pritam Singh from the Workers’ Party (WP) has announced on Facebook that he will be donating 50% of his LO salary (after taxes) to the following causes:
  • To assist low-income residents in Hougang SMC, Aljunied GRC and Sengkang GRC through the WP Community Fund (WPCF) and/or the WP Grassroots Committee; or
  • Community programs in Hougang SMC, Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC; or
  • Charitable or worthy causes; or
  • Workers’ Party specific needs.
While netizens have generally reacted to this announcement positively, it is noteworthy that CEO of Temasek and wife of the Prime Minister, Ho Ching has implied that Singh may have had nefarious intents by making his intentions public.



Ho Ching Sides With PAP New Candidate Ivan Lim

Ho Ching has taken a side on the Ivan Lim issue. Yesterday, she shared a post on her Facebook comparing PAP new candidate Ivan Lim with Kee Chiu and Kate Spade who used to be mocked by people, implying that Ivan Lim can soon prove the people wrong.

The post Madam Ho shared was by Facebook page Singapore Matters which is known to be carrying balls for the ruling party. The post states:

"They used to mock Tin Pei Ling very mercilessly when she first stood for election in 2011 just based on a photo and a video. They knew little about her but they were ready to write her off.

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HO Ching June 26 at 11:16 PM

Singapore Matters June 26 at 11:08 PM
They used to mock Tin Pei Ling very mercilessly when she first stood for election in 2011 just based on a photo and a video. They knew little about her but they were ready to write her off.

But Tin Pei Ling proved them all wrong. She was far from what they painted of her.

For many years, they used to mock Chan Chun Sing too and called him 'keechiu'. They laughed at his English and poked fun at him.

And he proved them wrong. In this COVID-19 crisis, he is the one busy making sure Singapore remains connected to the world. He is the one ensuring that supply chains do not get cut off. He is the one making sure food supplies and essential items continue to flow. He is the one making e-agreements with like-minded countries, beginning with a few and getting more and more countries on board. He is the one securing billions of dollars in foreign investment despite this challenging covid situation.

Back in 2011, many jumped on the bandwagon to attack Tin Pei Ling and many realised later on how wrong they were.

So don't be too quick to judge when your judgement is a superficial one based on someone's comment on social media whose motive you cannot examine.

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Ivan Lim saga raises questions about PAP’s candidate screening process, says Lee Hsien Yang

The People’s Action Party (PAP) seemed unprepared for the onslaught of criticism against its former candidate Ivan Lim, raising questions about the party’s candidate screening process, Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member Lee Hsien Yang said on Saturday (June 27).

Mr Lee, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, was speaking to the media just hours before Mr Lim, who had only been introduced by the PAP on Wednesday, announced that he would withdraw from the election, given the fierce controversy that his candidacy had unleashed.

“Well, the ruling party prides itself on the way they select candidates,” Mr Lee said.

related:
PM Lee accepts PAP candidate Ivan Lim’s withdrawal
Heng Swee Keat calls for PAP new candidate Ivan Lim to address criticism
‘Important for candidates to prove themselves’, Masagos on PAP new face Ivan Lim
Ivan Lim breaks silence on criticisms over character, says he will ‘stay the course’

read more

Singapore first lady riles up Taiwanese by gloating over US protests
Ho Ching angers Taiwanese by sharing Chinese propaganda on Hong Kong, Minneapolis protests

Singapore first lady Ho Ching (何晶) has yet again drawn the ire of Taiwanese after she shared a cartoon that depicted Trump as supporting the Hong Kong protesters while condemning those in Minneapolis.

Ho first raised hackles in Taiwan in April when she seemed to express disdain that Taiwan was donating 100,000 medical masks to Singapore by sharing the news and writing "Errrr." She later modified the post to offer thanks to Taiwan, only to stir more controversy by sharing a video of a talk show hinting at deteriorating Singapore-Taiwan relations two days later.

This time, on Monday evening (June 1), Ho shared a cartoon from Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao showing people in Hong Kong smashing a shop window and Trump exclaiming "democracy!" In the next frame, the same number of persons can be seen smashing a storefront in Minnesota, with Trump shouting "thugs!"

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HO Ching Yesterday at 05:34
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“Ex-nurse’s” post irked Ho Ching so much that she rubbished fake claims again in the wee hours of the morning

In a Facebook post published around 3am on Tuesday, Mdm Ho reiterated that the patients at the Changi Exhibition Centre can freely mingle since they are all COVID-positive patients and, as such, do not have individual rooms.

Asserting that the claim that migrant worker patients are being unhygienic by mixing around is “just rubbish,” Mdm Ho added: “And if this is supposedly an observation by an ex-nurse, that “nurse” has a lot to learn, to put it politely.”

The chief executive of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund added that the “ex-nurse” is “either ignorant or throwing smoke” for claiming that the workers have pre-existing medical conditions since the community care facilities (CCFs) are to house younger patients who are healthy without underlying conditions.

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HO Ching Yesterday at 2:59 AM

Firstly, the patients at Changi don’t have individual rooms in which they must be confined to stay - this is bcos they are all covided patients, and can freely mix with each other.

At the Expo, the patients share 2 beds to a cubicle, except in 2 halls that were prepared earlier. However, the patients are not confined to their rooms, and can mingle freely among themselves.

So this issue about migrant worker patients being unhygienic by mixing around is just rubbish.

And if this is supposedly an observation by an ex-nurse, that “nurse” has a lot to learn, to put it politely.

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Ho Ching says she “was born a maverick…irreverence is in my blood”
This was in part Madam Ho's response to someone telling her that she should not be posting so much on Facebook because she is married to the highest official in Singapore and also because she is the CEO of Temasek Holdings

She then explained that she “was born a maverick – coming feet first instead of head first,” and that “irreverence is in her blood.”

Madam Ho ended her post thanking those who had watched over her, and everyone else who was looking out for each other.

One thing we’re all learning about the Prime Minister’s wife in this season is that we can never expect what we’ll get!

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HO Ching 20 Apr at 04:03

Heehee heehee heeheehee!

Heehee heehee heeheehee!

Hic hic hic hic hic!

Heehee heehee heehee heeheehee!

Lolz 😂 😂 😂

Seriously, folks, the world can sometimes be very funny!

Heehee heehee heeheehee!

More later as I’m rotfl 😂 😂 😂

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“Is Ho Ching considered a civil servant?” Lim Tean questions POFMA order for sharing article about the Temasek CEO’s salary
Mr Lim further questioned why a “supposedly ‘private-exempt' company” that holds “money belonging to the People Of Singapore” gets to be protected by the Government and is exempt from public disclosure of “its management to the stakeholders"

Lawyer and opposition leader Lim Tean questioned the Correction Direction he received on Sunday (Apr 19) from the POFMA office concerning an article from The Online Citizen (TOC) about the salary of Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching that Mr Lim had shared on April 15.

The order had been issued by the Minister of Finance, Heng Swee Keat, to HardwareZone user “darksiedluv”, The Temasek Review’s Facebook page, The Online Citizen’s Facebook page and website, as well as to Mr Lim. Singapore’s Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) was passed last year to combat the spread of online falsehoods.

The article on TOC’s site that Mr Lim had shared claimed that Madam Ho was receiving a salary of  “NT$ 2.1 billion”, “about 100 million SGD” or “S$99 million a year,” which the Government decried as false.

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Dear Prime Minister, what do you think of your wife’s Facebook posts?
Do you find them helpful, do you give a thumbs up?

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, you know better than anyone else that your wife Ho Ching is a most compulsive social media user. Her never-ending mishmash of social media shares and posts give Singaporeans – and even foreigners – plenty to chew over.

Take her recent post of a cryptic “Errr…” in response to news that Taiwan was donating face masks to Singapore. That was not the first time she caused a bit of a ruckus. PM Lee, did you go “Arghh” when you saw her “Errr…”? Or when she posted a cheeky photo of a monkey making a rude gesture. Was that targeted at anyone?

And how did you react when your wife posted a spirited defence of seven-figure pay of politicians, arguing that Singapore’s political salary system is unique as it does not include perks or pension? PM Lee, what ran through your mind when you saw that?

related: Shouldn’t there be OB markers for what a PM’s spouse post online?

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Discretion is the better part of Facebook, Ho Ching

Ho Ching should reduce or even stop her Facebook posting on international matters, given her position as the wife of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and chief executive officer (CEO) of Singaporean sovereign wealth firm Temasek.

Ho is an avid Facebook poster. Sometimes her Facebook posts are more frequent than the tweets of US President Donald Trump, who tweets often. Many of her posts are informative, some are entertaining. However, some of her Facebook posts on foreign affairs risk potential diplomatic repercussions. On April 21 for instance, she posted an article of the National Post, a Canadian newspaper, with the headline, “Worried about offending Trump, ‘flaky’ Trudeau ‘humiliated’ fellow leaders during TPP trade talks: former Aussie PM”.

Ho posted that article without comment, so her opinions on it are not known. However, some diplomats in Canada, Australia and the US may possibly be offended by this article. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Trump and Malcolm Turnbull, the former Australian Prime Minister in question, can read her Facebook. What if they, rightly or wrongly, associate that article with her or Prime Minister Lee, who participated in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks?

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'Stop yelping like a spoilt kid,' Ho Ching tells Singaporeans upset over new FairPrice service fee
People have been roasting NTUC FairPrice for its new $3.99 service fee — and Ho Ching is not here for it

The chief executive officer of Temasek Holdings chided Singaporeans who were complaining about the supermarket chain's fees in a candid Facebook post today (April 17), telling them to "stop yelping like a spoilt kid".

Ho, who is married to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, also suggested that those who wanted their groceries delivered for free should "step up and volunteer to do delivery for the rest of us".

It came after NTUC FairPrice announced that it would impose a $3.99 service fee on all online orders from 8pm on Thursday (April 16).

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Singapore Leader’s Wife Blasts Criticism on Nation’s Virus Spike

Ho Ching, head of Singapore’s state-owned investment company and wife of the country’s prime minister, blasted criticism on the city-state’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, saying it wasn’t alone in misreading the pandemic’s spread among patients who don’t display symptoms.

“We all underestimated the asymptomatic transmission -- not just SG, but the world over,” Ho said in a Facebook post late Friday night, using the abbreviation for Singapore. She said she’s frustrated by “I told you so” comments, adding that “hindsight is always beautiful and perfect.” While she didn’t say who the cryptic rebuttal was directed at in the post, a report that went live on Friday said Ho admitted that the government made a mistake in bringing Singaporeans home when the number of infections surged globally.

“Nope! Don’t put words in my mouth, young man!” Ho said in her Facebook post. She added that the unnamed critic shouldn’t “waste time being a back-seat driver” and should stop acting like a “smart alec, by blaming this or that person.”

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Temasek CEO, Ho Ching makes nearly 200 posts a day on Facebook – why?

Just last week, Temasek CEO and wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Ho Ching, got into a little spot of trouble with a Facebook post she made about Taiwan donating medical masks to Singapore.

In a post on Saturday (11 April), Mdm Ho shared an article by Taiwan News about the donation and she accompanied that with a caption that originally said, “Errr….” This drew flak from Taiwan netizens who found her caption confusing and ask her to explain the meaning of the post, adding that if Singapore doesn’t want the masks, it can reject the offer.

The issue unfolded over the weekend with Singaporean netizens defending Mdm Ho’s ambiguous comment, Taiwanese netizens demanding a clarification, as a pro-People’s Action Party (PAP) fanpage referencing Mdm Ho’s post to insinuate that the Taiwan government was keeping these stocks of masks from Singapore. Two days later on Monday, Mdm Ho decided to edit her post to clarify her original comment.

related:
Kenneth Jeyaretnam encourages S'poreans to keep guessing about Ho Ching’s salary
Netizens call for transparency over Ho Ching’s salary;dissatisfied by Temasek’s statement

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Making Sense of Ho Ching’s Facebook Page

Did you know that butterflies drink turtle tearsUntil yesterday, I didn’t even know that turtles cried. But thanks to Mdm. Ho Ching, I now understand where herbivorous butterflies get their daily sodium fix. This is just one of the many nuggets of knowledge that Ho Ching posts to her Facebook feed – the most random but fascinating collection of internet content ever assembled by a public figure in Singapore.

If you follow her, you can learn about China’s expanding naval capabilities, bricklaying robots, Ipoh’s revitalised hipster cafe scene, and even the temperature of Uranus. (This is not a joke.) Despite being named by Forbes as one of the most powerful women in the world (and certainly the most powerful woman in Singapore), we know absolutely nothing about Mdm. Ho Ching beyond the basic facts. No mainstream media outlet has ever profiled her and she is rarely mentioned in news reports except in PM Lee’s company. We do not know what her political opinions are, what her vision for Singapore’s future is, or even her favourite food.

After being CEO of Temasek for 14 years, PM Lee’s spouse and the person responsible for everyone’s monies remains a complete mystery. Except on social media, where she shares often and without inhibition. So what better way to learn about Ho Ching than by reading everything on her Facebook page?

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The mystery of Ho Ching
If you run down the list of 100 women, you can be sure that the women (with very few exceptions like Ho Ching) are subject to intense public and media scrutiny

Ho Ching is conspicuously different. When was the last time you saw her deliver a speech at an event? Give a media interview? Subject herself to account for anything?

She does not even front the annual press conference to present the Temasek Holdings’ financial scorecard. This is so unlike other major organisations like SingTel and DBS Bank – you can be sure the CEO is front and centre of of it all when their financial performance is presented, fielding questions and giving media interviews. Temasek Holdings appears to adopt the unusual stance of putting the CEO at the backburner when it comes to media relations, transparency and accountability.

Ho Ching has been CEO of Temasek Holdings since 2004. For many years now, we have been hearing the usual refrain from Temasek Holdings about succession planning. This year, at its annual press conference, the same thing was regurgitated, this time by investment head Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara: “As we have said over the years, the board has an annual succession review and that’s the discipline we put in place.” We call this PR-speak – rehearsed words that say something but really mean nothing.

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Ho Ching mistaken for tea lady at Shangri-La
With the Indonesian Prime Minister and his wife. Pic stolen from PM Lee’s own facbeook page

Red faces were present throughout the 2013 Shangri-La Dialogue yesterday as Ho Ching was ordered by an unwitting waiter to wipe up spilt wine. While the wife of Singapore’s Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong who is also the head of Temasek Holdings obliged with nary a smile, Shangri-La management were clearly mortified.

“That white napkin was not meant to be anywhere near red wine!” said head waiter Philippe de Garcon. “It’s frightfully embarrassing that Mdm Ho now thinks that we don’t know the first thing about hospitality.” According to attendees at the annual security dialogue, Ho later pulled the offending waiter aside and gave him pointers on how to clear up spilt fluids using just a quarter of a napkin. This would not be a first time Ho was not recognised as the most powerful mother in Singapore. Attendees of various functions ranging from the Chingay parade to Chinese New Year celebrations noted that Ho used to be mistaken for a lion dance troupe member due to her distaste for any article of clothing remotely feminine or flattering to the female form.

“She certainly cuts a maternal figure,” said style guru Jeannie Mai. “Like many other powerful women in the political world, she doesn’t seem to mind exuding masculinity, though she does fall on the slightly dowdy side.”

Singapore Fact Checking Website Refutes Ho Ching Salary Claim Without Giving Facts

Some Singapore watchers might be forgiven for thinking that Heng Swee Keat is Ho Ching’s house elf.

Somehow yesterday this civil servant got the Finance Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to issue 4 Protection from Online Falsehood and Manipulation Act (POFMA) notices against various individuals and bloggers. Apparently, a post by the Taiwan News report that Ho Ching is paid $100 million a year is not true.

Singapore Citizens: Got it. Not $100million. So? how much is her compensation?


Ho Ching says she owes 'President of Taiwan' a personal apology, asks readers to ignore cover photo of FB video
The cover photo of Tsai had been edited to make it seem like the words 'oral sex failure' are blown up next to her

She also asked her audience to "ignore" the cover photo used in the video.

She said: "I'm not yet au fait yet to know how to edit videos, and so just shared what came across my fb feed."

The cover photo in question has the words "mask diplomacy failure" next to Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, but due to the way the words was edited, the specific phrase "oral sex failure" was blown up, making it stand out from the picture instead.

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Ho Ching calls Hong Kong people ‘idiots’ and for good reason
"...If we are 'smart' enough to wear a surgical mask, we should be smart enough to bin them properly," said the PM's wife and CEO of Temasek Holdings referring to how Hong Kong folk were disposing of their masks

The Prime Minister’s wife just called the people in Hong Kong “idiots” and for a good reason after sharing news of the city’s increasing number of used face masks being discarded in the wrong places.

On Saturday (Mar 14), CEO of Temasek Holdings, Ho Ching took to Facebook to share some alarming news about Hong Kong beaches and nature trails piling up with discarded face masks.

Environmental groups in Hong Kong have begun warning of the huge threat that the irresponsibly discarded face masks pose to marine life and wildlife habitats. According to a report from cgtn.com which Ms Ho shared, a significant number of the masks used by 7.4 million people in the city are not properly disposed of. Instead, they have ended up in the sea or countryside where wildlife and marine life could mistake the items for food.

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Ho Ching: 80% of housing is HDB
Errrr ...

80% of housing is HDB.

These come with various subsidies for first timers, for staying closer to parents, with excellent amenities minus the cost of maintaining private swimming pools.

So families in the 60-80% income bracket may be making the smarter wealth choice going for HDB housing.

Over time, we should perhaps remove the income ceiling for buying HDB flats for 1st time property buyers/owners.

Now that we have stabilised the HDB housing supply, we can perhaps add a premium to the posted HDB price for new builds, based on some % of the income above the current ceiling.

That way, everybody who doesn’t already own a property can benefit from the opportunity to own and live in HDB regardless of income levels.

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Singaporean Artists poke fun at Ho Ching and Rosmah

Tan Wah-Piow 17 hrs

And now, for Sunday entertainment: Lee Ching and Rosmah

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Ho Ching remains Temasek CEO
Instead of giving a direct answer as to what Temasek's leadership succession plans are, when he was asked to give details on these plans and on Mdm Ho's role at the company, Mr Pillay would only say that Mdm Ho is "very much now involved in the stewardship aspects of Temasek…she still keeps a watchful eye over all of us to make sure we continue to do the right thing"

Temasek International CEO Dilhan Pillay appeared to skirt questions on Ho Ching’s role at Temasek and the organisation’s plans for leadership succession, at a recent press briefing.

Temasek International is the investment arm of Singapore sovereign wealth fund, Temasek, which is led by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s wife, Ho Ching. Instead of giving a direct answer as to what Temasek’s leadership succession plans are, when he was asked to give details on these plans and on Mdm Ho’s role at the company, Mr Pillay would only say that Mdm Ho is “very much now involved in the stewardship aspects of Temasek…she still keeps a watchful eye over all of us to make sure we continue to do the right thing.”

The South China Morning Post noted that Mr Pillay also quipped, “Right now, she’s watching all of us,” and that this remark was met with laughter.

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The politics of power dressing
Mdm Ho’s choice of footwear at official events has been criticised as “sloppy” and “disgraceful” by several Singaporeans

More photos of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s wife Ho Ching wearing open-toed sandals at official functions are circulating online. Interestingly, Mdm Ho stands in stark contrast to the other individuals in all the pictures who wear covered shoes.

Wearing open-toed shoes to official events is widely considered inappropriate. Despite this, open-toed sandals seem to be Mdm Ho’s preferred choice of footwear no matter where she is – even if she is accompanying her husband at official events in Singapore and overseas.

Mdm Ho’s choice of footwear at official events has been criticised as “sloppy” and “disgraceful” by several Singaporeans.


The famiLEE feud: Rise of the 'First Lady'
PM Lee’s wife, Ho Ching weirdly shares article on cutting ties with family members

On Wednesday (14 August), Ho Ching, the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (LHL), took to her Facebook to share an article that explains why it is totally fine to cut ties with toxic family members.

Apart from being married to PM Lee, Madam Ho is also widely known for her career as the chief executive officer of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, Temasek Holdings. She is also deemed as an influential figure not just in Singapore, but worldwide, as she took the 17th spot in Forbes’ World 100 Most Powerful Women in 2018.

In her post, Madam Ho shared an article by Healthy Holistic Living titled “Here’s Why Sometimes It Is Okay to Cut Ties with Toxic Family Members”.

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Ho Ching's refreshingly chill approach to social media
Screenshot from Ho Ching's Facebook page

Ho Ching, Temasek Holdings CEO and wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, took to Facebook on Monday (April 11) with an "embarrassed apolog(y)" for posting a cheeky photo of a monkey flipping the bird on Sunday (April 10).

The timing was unfortunate as it was on the same afternoon that the Lee family saga happened to be unfolding close by.

The post was already removed by Ho.

Full Coverage:
HO CHING SORRY POSTING PICTURE OF MONKEY'S MIDDLE FINGER
Ho Ching apologises for Facebook post that ‘could be misunderstood’
Why does Ho Ching have such crude picture in her collections, Lee Wei Ling
Internet refuses buy Ho Ching's 'it's a twitter malfunction' excuse for monkey picture
Singapore PM parries sister's claims of dynastic ambitions
Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching's 8-Facebook-post guide to Twitter
Ho Ching explains politically incorrect monkey photo, social media malfunction

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After 17 years as CEO of Temasek Holdings, Ms Ho Ching finally stepped down on 1 Oct 2021
We look back at her journey from being "Student of the Year" at National Junior College to marrying Singapore's Prime Minister.


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