Genting Singapore Falls Amid Concern Over Visitors (Bloomberg 19 Feb) Genting Singapore Falls Amid Concern Over Visitors (Update1) February 19, 2010, 04:29 AM EST By Jonathan Burgos Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) — Genting Singapore Plc, owner of Singapore’s first casino, fell for a fourth day amid concern the venture may draw fewer visitors than forecast. The stock lost 1.1 percent to 94 Singapore cents at the close, down 11 percent since Resorts World Sentosa opened its gambling facility on Feb. 14. Genting Singapore has slumped 28 percent this year, the worst performance on the benchmark Straits Times Index, which has retreated 4.9 percent. Genting Singapore ended 2009 at a record-high of S$1.30 as investors anticipated a boost in revenue from starting up the island-state’s first so-called integrated resort. The casino at the S$6.6 billion ($4.7 billion) venture had 60,000 patrons in the first three days, Robin Goh, a Resorts World spokesman, said in an e-mailed statement today. “Expectations are in our view unrealistically bullish for a virgin casino market,” said Dominic Noel-Johnson, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Citigroup Inc. “While a few days don’t constitute a trend, initial visitors to the Singapore casino are significantly below our estimates.” The facility needs 34,000 visitors each spending at least $100 a day to meet Noel-Johnson’s “below consensus estimates,” he said. Citigroup rates Genting Singapore “sell.” Analysts at BNP Paribas and CLSA Asia Pacific Markets said they will keep their “buy” ratings on Genting Singapore stock because the outlook will change as the company completes remaining phases of the venture on the island linked to Singapore by bridge. ‘Remain Confident’ Goh said “we remain confident” Resorts World will attract 13 million visitors in the first year of operations for the entire resort, reiterating the target announced by Chief Executive Officer Tan Hee Teck on Feb. 14. Genting’s only domestic rival, Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s Marina Bay Sands resort, is set to open in late April. Las Vegas Sands this week said its biggest resort, Venetian Macao in the Chinese territory of Macau, almost doubled operating income in the fourth quarter as betting on table games and slot machines surged. The venture benefited from record betting in the only part of China where casinos are legal. Visitor numbers at Resorts World aren’t comparable as Macau’s casinos are bigger, Goh said. “We estimate between 11 million and 12 million people will visit the casino resort this year” at Sentosa, said Michael Greenall, Kuala Lumpur-based analyst at BNP Paribas. “That looks achievable. More people will visit the resort once the Universal Studios theme park opens.” Early March The theme park is expected to open in early March, Resorts World said on Feb. 11. When complete, the resort will include 530 trade tables, 1,300 slot machines, and a 12-table poker pit in the casino, the adjoining Universal Studios theme park and six hotels. Four of the hotels opened last month and two more are scheduled to open after 2010, according to the company’s Web site. The casino has had a “good start” gauging from the $28.5 million gaming revenue that Asian Gaming Intelligence estimates Resorts World garnered in the first 36 hours of operations, Aaron Fischer, an analyst at CLSA Asia Pacific in Hong Kong, said in an e-mailed note. “Overall, it’s been strong, but we do not have enough data to determine the long-term success or failure of the casino.” –Editor: Reinie Booysen, Richard Frost   To contact the reporter on this story: Jonathan Burgos in Singapore at +65-6212-1156 or jburgos4@bloomberg.net   To contact the editor responsible for this story: Darren Boey at +852-2977-6646 or dboey@bloomberg.net No related posts. Tags: Integrated resorts Related posts No related posts. The stingy nanny (The Economist 13 Feb)   Opinion   The stingy nanny The city-state stays strict with the needy Feb 13th 2010 | SINGAPORE | From The Economist online FOND of having the last word, Singapore’s government can nevertheless be flexible. Who would have thought it would be building casinos? But one policy that shows no sign of reversing is Singapore’s antipathy towards public welfare. The state’s attitude can be simply put: being poor here is your own fault. Citizens are obliged to save for the future, rely on their families and not expect any handouts from the government unless they hit rock bottom. The emphasis on family extends into old age: retired parents can sue children who fail to support them. In government circles “welfare” remains a dirty word, cousin to sloth and waste. Singapore may be a nanny state, but it is by no means an indulgent nanny. The aftershock of a deep recession, which pushed unemployment among citizens up to 4.1% in September—high for Singapore—has not altered the popular belief that the dole is bad for society. The casinos, which open on February 14th, have already helped reduce unemployment, which by December had fallen back to 3%, seasonally adjusted. The government does run a handful of schemes directed at some of the needy, from low-income students to the unassisted elderly. But these benefits are rigorously means-tested and granted only sparingly. The most destitute citizens’ families may apply for public assistance; only 3,000 currently qualify. Laid-off workers receive no automatic benefits. Instead they are sorted into “workfare” and training schemes. AFPCould really use a hand Applicants complain that the process of seeking help is made tiresome and humiliating. Indeed that could be the point, supposing it deters free-riders. Officials take a dim view of European-style welfare systems, which are said to beget laziness. The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), which administers the various schemes, says theirs are designed as a “springboard” to self-reliance. Getting people back to work takes priority over relieving any temporary drop in income. In a fiscal stimulus unveiled a year ago in response to the financial crisis, S$5.1 billion ($3.6 billion) was allocated for employment measures, including grants to companies to retain staff. Those who remain out of work can join a government training scheme; by December, 169,000 unemployed workers had done so. Many Singaporeans are wedded to their jobs and look askance at idleness of any kind. The government is leery of generous handouts, fearing they might undercut the work ethic while burdening taxpayers. But the thinness of the safety net also reflects a widespread article of faith, recited and reinforced over the years. Even among the social workers who work in hard-hit communities there is surprisingly little frustration at the meagreness of the handouts on offer or at the lengthy application process. One explains that Singapore needs to weed out undeserving claimants and shakes his head at the potential cost of a comprehensive welfare service. Yet in his next breath he mentions a number of local families who have been forced to sleep rough since mortgage lenders foreclosed on their flats. Nobody doubts that wealthy Singapore could be more generous. In 2008 the World Bank rated it the third richest country in the world, in terms of GDP per head at purchasing-power parity. And the idea that its Big-Brotherly government might be outfoxed by conniving welfare queens seems odd. When a visiting news crew filmed an elderly woman scavenging in Chinatown and bemoaning her homelessness, the government promptly identified her as a miserly flat-owner who did not need to beg. Indeed, acute poverty is hard to spot in Singapore. Public housing is in good shape; no slums are allowed to fester. Soup kitchens do exist, but foreign labourers are often first in line. But Singapore still faces the challenge of rising inequality in a society that is also rapidly ageing. By 2030, says MCYS, one in five Singaporeans will be over 65 (UBS, whose largest shareholder is Singapore’s sovereign-wealth fund, has estimated the date at 2020). Incomes have stagnated or even fallen at the bottom of the spectrum, as the rich pull further ahead of the middle classes. Long-term unemployment among middle-aged professionals, who do not qualify for workfare, is on the rise, says Leong Sze Hian, a financial expert and blogger. Native resentment is also growing against the influx of migrant workers: 35% of the workforce of 3m is now foreign. It is often cheaper for companies to import semi-skilled and unskilled workers—there were 680,000 at last count—than to hire locals, who require pension contributions. Official reassurances that migrants create growth do not convince those competing for scarce jobs. Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father and still its “minister mentor” has maintained that ambitious migrants help to keep citizens on their toes. In an interview given to National Geographic last July he said that if native Singaporeans lag behind “hungry” foreigners because “the spurs are not stuck on [their] hinds”, that is not the state’s problem to solve. This nascent backlash may eventually soften the anti-welfare tone set by Mr Lee. The Economic Society of Singapore (ESS)—not exactly a radical cell—recently proposed to a government committee that it should build a more robust safety net, starting with unemployment insurance. This would promote social stability and help muster public support for Singapore’s open-door migration policies, it argues. Properly designed, such measures would not create disincentives to work and thrift. “While self-reliance is a good principle in general, it may be neither efficient nor just if taken to extremes,” noted the ESS. No related posts. Tags: Main Article Related posts No related posts. Income gap narrows slightly (ST 20 Feb) Feb 20, 2010 Income gap narrows slightly Overall fall in incomes, but low-income families boosted by aid By Clarissa Oon   THE income gap in Singapore has narrowed for the second year in a row. A slight dip last year is the result of higher-income families suffering a bigger drop in income relative to lower-income households. At the same time, low-income families received a boost in government aid, including wage subsidies in last year’s Resilience Package and other aid schemes. But overall, income slipped across the board for families last year, when the recession pushed up unemployment and drove down wages, according to the Statistics Department. Its study of household income trends among Singapore residents, released yesterday, shows Singapore’s Gini coefficient – a measure of income inequality – was 0.478 last year. This is a drop from 0.481 in 2008, and 0.489 in 2007. These figures, however, do not include government help. Singapore Management University economist Hoon Hian Teck noted that, after taking into account taxes and government benefits, the Gini coefficient went down even further last year, to 0.453. The smaller the Gini coefficient, the narrower the income gap. Professor Hoon thinks it is very likely that schemes to save jobs under the Resilience Package and income supplements for low-wage workers helped to narrow income inequality. Measures under last year’s Resilience Package included the Jobs Credit wage subsidy scheme, while the Workfare Income Supplement, introduced in 2007, boosts the earnings of Singaporean workers earning $1,500 or less per month. The other reason for the declining Gini coefficient last year is simply that ‘when incomes fall, higher incomes have greater leeway to fall more’, said labour economist Chew Soon Beng of Nanyang Technological University. The median monthly household income fell by $100 from 2008, to $4,850 last year. This 1.9per cent slide was foreseen by analysts, given the state of the labour market then. After adjusting for inflation, the decline was 2.5per cent. However, last year’s median household income was still higher than in 2007 and the years before. Prof Hoon attributed it to ‘government efforts in the past five years to encourage older workers to continue working, which boosted household incomes’. While this trend was temporarily interrupted by the recession, he expects incomes to grow this year as the economy improves. The Statistics Department study shows that for the top 10per cent of employed households, their average monthly income fell by $961 to $22,062 – a nominal 4.2per cent drop. For the bottom 10per cent, the corresponding income figures are a $9 drop to $1,303 a month – a nominal 0.7per cent fall. DBS economist Irvin Seah said it was difficult to predict whether the income gap would further narrow this year. He foresees the economy growing by 6per cent and, in turn, lifting the earnings of the higher-income group. But at the same time, poorer households will not be left behind. ‘With the Government planning to tighten the tap on foreign workers, it should translate into a positive income effect on lower-income groups,’ he said. clare@sph.com.sg No related posts. Tags: Current Economic News Related posts No related posts. Your Citizenship Worth $4,511 More Than Permanent Resident Per Year (Salary.sg) According to our calculations, your citizenship is worth $4,511 more than permanent residents per year. For that, you have to serve NS if you are male, and watch some of your PR friends sell their HDBs for a good profit and then return to their (sometimes) cheaper home countries to enjoy retirement. As a Singapore citizen, here’s what you enjoy (reference: ST, 24 Oct 2009 online link): Child birth. If you stay in a Class B2+ ward, you pay $475. For PR, it’s $506, which is $31 more. The average Singapore woman has about 1 child and will thus get the $10,000 baby bonus (we ignore the fact that she will have to split the bonus with her husband). Spread over 20 years of providing for the child, the baby bonus amounts to $500 per year. Total child birth benefit: $31 + $500 = $531/yr. Childcare subsidy. Singaporean working mum gets a $300/mth subsidy while PRs get nothing. Total childcare benefit: $3,600/yr. School fees. PRs pay $2,884 more than Singaporeans per child for the 16 years of education all the way to university. This is $180/yr. Marriage fees. Insignificant. Housing. Though PRs are not eligible to buy new flats, many Singaporeans also do not buy new flats. Since both citizens and PRs are eligible to buy resale flats, for ease of comparison, we will treat housing benefit as insignificant. [Added 1 Nov: Married citizens enjoy a $30k-$40k grant, while singles can get $11k-$20k.  Spread over the long term of owning a home, say over 30 years, this is about $666/yr per person in addition to the $4,511 calculated previously, making a total of $5,177/yr. Thanks to the reader who highlighted this.] Health subsidies. Citizens get about 10% more subsidy than PRs. Assuming that an average citizen spends $20k over 10 years, this 10% difference amounts to $200/yr. Grand total: $4,511 per year. Note that if you’re single, it would be just $200 per year. No wonder the ST reporter Zakir Hussain said “the distinctions between citizens and PRs could not have been clearer.” Do you think your citizenship should be worth a lot more? No related posts. Tags: Foreign workers Related posts No related posts. Anti-China Graffiti At NTU (Asiaone 19 Feb) Anti-China graffiti at NTU Reader is concerned this will destroy school’s reputation. -AsiaOne Fri, Feb 19, 2010 AsiaOne Stomp contributor howcanlikethis was disturbed to see obscenities and xenophobic graffiti in Nanyang Technological University (NTU). In an email to Stomp, the reader said: “Someone posted this up in a rumour mongering group on Facebook for NTU. “Is this how undergrads from a respectable university are supposed to behave? “Look at all the foul words and xenophobic messages. “Please stop destroying the reputation of our own school.” This is not the first case of resentment against foreign students surfacing in Singapore universities. In another Stomp posting, another Stomp reader, Cyber policeman, came across undergraduates hurling expletives and vulgarities at each other online in an argument about foreign students receiving more benefits here.   Click on thumbnails to view photos: He emailed Stomp: “Someone sent me a link to the website given and when I visited the website I was extremely shocked to read the debates and arguments between some of our brightest students in the local universities. “Some of them claimed to have four As and two S papers. “They were arguing about the privileges and opportunities of local and foreign students in NUS and NTU. The local students resented the overabundance of foreign students and the extra privileges given to them. “But what irks me is the type of language and insults they hurled at one another. “They called each other “morons” and the four letter word was used without any qualms at all. “If this is a cross section of our future graduates then we have much cause to worry. Why are our undergrads so foul-mouthed and uncouth? “I am simply stunned.” Are our students uncouth and xenophobic? Have your say.   No related posts. Tags: Education Related posts No related posts. World’s Richest and Best Paid The richest royals: 1.     King Bhumibol Adulyade of Thailand 2.     Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates 3.     King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia 4.     Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei 5.     Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai 6.     Prince Hans-Adam II von und zu Liechtenstein of Liechtenstein 7.     Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani of Qatar 8.     King Mohammed IV of Morocco 9.     Prince Albert II of Monaco 10.  Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman   Below is a list of the 10 highest-paid CEOs at S&P 500 companies for 2007.    1.    Larry Ellison, Oracle Corp., $84.6 million 2.    John Thain, Merrill Lynch & Co., $83.1 million 3.    Leslie Moonves, CBS Corp., $67.6 million 4.    Richard Adkerson, Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc., $65.3 million 5.    Bob Simpson, XTO Energy Inc., $56.6 million 6.    Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs Group Inc., $54.0 million 7.    Kenneth Chenault, American Express Co., $51.7 million 8.    Eugene Isenberg, Nabors Industries Ltd., $44.6 million 9.    John Mack, Morgan Stanley, $41.7 million 10.  Glenn Murphy,  Gap Inc., $39.1 million     The TOP 30 highest paid politicians in the World are all from Singapore !!   1.    Elected President SR Nathan – S$3.9 million. 2.    Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong – S$3.8 million. 3.    Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew – S$3.5 million. 4.    Senior Minister Goh Chok Thong – S$3.5 million. 5.    Senior Minister Prof Jayakumar – S$3.2 million. 6.    DPM & Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng – S$2.9 million. 7.    DPM & Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean – $2.9 million 8.    Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo – S$2.8 million. 9.    National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan – S$2.7 million. 10.  PMO Miniser Lim Boon Heng – S$2.7 million. 11.  Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang – S$2.7 million. 12.  PMO Minister Lim Swee Say – S$2.6 million. 13.  Environment Minister & Muslim Affairs Minister Dr Yaccob Ibrahim – S$2.6 million. 14.  Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan – S$2.6 million. 15.  Finance Minister S Tharman – S$2.6 million. 16.  Education Minister & 2nd Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen – S$2.6 million. 17.  Community Development Youth and Sports Minister – Dr Vivian Balakrishnan – S$2.5 million. 18.  Transport Minister & 2nd Minister for Foreign Affairs Raymond Lim Siang Kiat – S$2.5 million. 19.  Law Minister & 2nd Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam – S$2.4 million. 20.  Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong – S$2.2 million. 21.  PMO Minister Lim Hwee Hwa – S$2.2 million 22.  Acting ICA Minister – Lui Tuck Yew – S$2.0 million. 23 to 30 = Senior Ministers of State and Ministers of State – each getting between S$1.8 million to S$1.5 million. US President’s Salary? Effective January 1, 2001, the annual salary of the president of the United States was increased to $400,000 per year, including a $50,000 expense allowance. Notes: 1.   The above pay scale of Singapore’s ministers does not include MP allowances, pensions and other sources of income such as Directorship, Chairmnship,   Advisory, Consultancy, etc to Gov-linked and gov-related organisations or foreign MNCs such as Citigroup, etc.   2.   Though it is based on an estimate, the data cannot be far off the official salary scales.     No related posts. Tags: Main Article Related posts No related posts. Casino flooded by foreign workers (Asiaone 19 Feb)   Casino flooded by foreign workers They enter the casino for free to use the facilities and drink free beverages, but do not play. -AsiaOne Fri, Feb 19, 2010 AsiaOne Photos: » Queuing up at Resorts World Sentosa BARELY opened for five days, local punters are already expressing their dissatisfaction with the large number of foreign workers who enter the casino for free to enjoy free beverages. Lianhe Wanbao received feedback from a reader who told the Chinese dailies that ever since the casino at Resorts World Sentosa (RSW) opened, there had been an inlux of foreign workers who would use their foreign passport or work permit to enter for free and instead of gambling, they were there for the free drinks. One such casino patron was Dr Felix Ong, Group Executive Chairman and CEO of Singapore Exchange, who visited the casino on the second day of Chinese New Year. He said that his mood was dampened when he saw large groups of foreign workers and left after spending less than two hours there. Dr Ong told Lianhe Wanbao that: “It’s a great thing that Singapore’s first casino is attracting so many people. However, the foreign workers who stay inside for long periods, mostly did not gamble. “They were there to use the facilities such as toilets and drinks, depriving other gamblers of their game.” He also added: “The casino provides free drinks but you have to get it yourself. It is almost impossible to do so due to the large group of foreign workers loitering around. Dr Ong’s friend, Mr Zhuo, 43, manager of an investment company, expressed that he could not stand it and left within the first hour. A reader also told Lianhe Wanbao that he saw many foreign workers napping on the floor and went over to the tables to look at the game once they woke up. “One table would have six or seven players, with more than 10 onlookers being foreign workers. Those who wished to play would not even have a chance to go near the tables to place their bets,” said the reader. Local patrons have already asked the authorities to take notice of this situation and have also suggested that the workers be charged a casino levy, similar to the levy imposed on Singaporean citizens and PRs. A spokesperson from the National Council on Problem Gambling told Lianhe Wanbao that the casino entrance fee was made solely for Singapore citizens and PRs as a deterrent towards problem gambling. Read also: » Parents gamble while children wait outside » Casino crimes: 8 arrested       No related posts. Tags: Integrated resorts Related posts No related posts. Long waits at RWS casino riles punters (ST 19 Feb)     IT HAS been five days since Singapore’s first casino at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) opened, and the gaming tables there are packing punters in. But a growing number of gamblers are getting increasingly frustrated because once in, they have had trouble placing bets. The reason: A significant portion of the casino has remained closed, resulting in long lines forming at tables and slot machines. The carping has taken off online, with complaints being posted on Internet forums like HardwareZone and RWS’ page on the social networking site Facebook. Most of those who have complained are Singaporeans and permanent residents who are fed up that they paid $100 to enter, but have had to wait to play. When The Straits Times visited the casino yesterday evening, about 150 out of 530 gaming tables remained closed. Some appeared to be undergoing servicing. Earlier in the day, workmen were seen tinkering with security cameras above the tables in the closed section. About 250 slot machines out of 1,300 were also not available, with ‘Out of Service’ or ‘In Audit’ signs on their screens. The crowd, an even mix of Singaporeans and foreigners, was at least three-people deep at some tables as gamblers jostled for space, many clutching chips and impatient to place a wager. The lines for some slot machines were just as long. Late last night, queues also formed outside the casino, and several people who were interviewed as they left said they faced waits of up to two hours for a turn at the slot machines. RWS, which said last week that the entire casino would be opened on Feb 14, has declined to say why this has not happened yet. When the gaming hall opened on Sunday, about half of the main floor was cordoned off. An RWS spokesman told reporters at the time that this was done to ‘create a buzz’. Since then, it has opened up a new slots zone and more pits with gaming tables. When queried yesterday on why it has not opened all its tables and gaming machines, RWS spokesman Krist Boo said: ‘Since opening on Sunday, we have reacted very quickly to the unanticipated surge in demand and opened up new slot machines and pits to cater to customers. ‘We will continue to expand services.’ It is not known how many people the casino can accommodate. But a check with the Singapore Civil Defence Force found that the main gaming floor, excluding the food and beverage areas, can take up to 14,643 people. However, The Straits Times understands the casino will allow far fewer people at any one time, for ease of movement and other reasons. Several gamblers interviewed said they were frustrated at not being able to see if Lady Luck was on their side. Among them was Singaporean marketing executive Celia Her, 35. She entered the casino on Wednesday night but did not have a chance to play because the card tables were packed. Undaunted, she returned around noon yesterday. Still no luck. ‘I went back thinking I would have a better chance, but it was just as crowded. I only got to play the slots.’ Even high-rollers had to wait. Mr Roger Yeo, who holds a Genting membership card which grants entry to VIP gaming rooms, had problems entering the resort proper on Wednesday night. When he drove in, he was told that all 3,500 parking spaces in the carpark were occupied, so he had to park elsewhere. After finally making his way into the casino, he spent an hour waiting for his turn at a card table in a high-roller room. ‘How can you open a casino with so many of the tables closed?’ he asked. ‘We pay $100 to play, and it would be nice to sit down and enjoy our game instead of having to stand up and wait,’ said the 55-year-old Singaporean businessman. Not all gamblers were peeved at the situation, however. Retiree David Tan, 54, said that while the casino was crowded, it was important to keep an eye on the prize. ‘It’s okay, as long as I can win money.’ twong@sph.com.sg weichean@sph.com.sg Additional reporting by Jamie Ee, Linus Lin, Mavis Goh and Mou Zongxiao     WE’VE REACTED QUICKLY: CASINO ‘Since opening on Sunday, we have reacted very quickly to the unanticipated surge in demand and opened up new slot machines and pits to cater to customers. We will continue to expand services.’ RWS spokesman Krist Boo TOO MANY PEOPLE ‘I didn’t get to play anything. The whole place was too crowded. I wanted to play the jackpot, but it was too crowded. I may try to come back again.’ Mr Lim, 34, who works in finance NO CHANCE TO PLAY ‘To spend a few hours there and not get a chance to sit and play at a table is frustrating. What’s the point of opening the casino when you can open only half?’ Mr Allan Chia, 33, who helps out in his family’s clothing business No related posts. Tags: Integrated resorts Related posts No related posts. 85 police reports lodged against Singapore pastor over offensive gay and lesbian remarks (fridae.com) Police reports lodged against Singapore pastor over offensive gay and lesbian remarks by Sylvia Tan  Fridae has been told that a total of 85 people including filmmakers Sun Koh and Royston Tan have lodged police reports over the long Chinese New Year weekend about pastor Rony Tan’s offensive comments concerning gay men and lesbians in an online video (video link can be found right below the article).  Singapore filmmakers Sun Koh and Royston Tan have lodged police reports about a local pastor’s offensive comments about gay men and lesbians in an online video in which he interviewed an ex-lesbian. (Read more here.) Singapore filmmakers Royston Tan and Sun Koh (right) The 80-minute video is hosted by Rony Tan of Lighthouse Evangelism, an independent church with 12,000 members. He had recently come under scrutiny by the Internal Security Department last Monday for comments he made during a church service about Buddhism and Taoism, which many people felt were offensive. Koh told Fridae in an email that she had made a police report by telephone on Saturday night to flag instances of “gay-bashing that often goes unnoticed.” “I want to send a message that gays and lesbians in Singapore will no longer stay silent when provoked by religious groups that actively promote disinformation.” The 32-year-old, who won the Best Director and Best Fiction awards for her short film Dirty Bitch at the inaugural Singapore Short Film Awards last month, says she is hoping for a public apology from pastor Rony Tan and an assurance that he will refrain from spreading falsehoods about gays and lesbians in future. Last week, the pastor apologised to Buddhists and Taoists for denigrating their beliefs. The video, which is believed to have been uploaded to the church’s website in May last year but was removed from the homepage just one day after the apology was issued, had a new lease of life after it appeared on a blog maintained by Kenneth Tan (no relation to the pastor), a Singaporean working in Shanghai. In the video, the pastor attributed childhood abuse as a cause of homosexuality and linked gay people with paedophiles. He further linked homosexuality with bestiality saying: ”If you allow [homosexuality], next time people will want to get married to monkeys. And they will want rights. They’ll want to apply for HDB [a colloquial term to mean a government subsidised flat]. With a donkey or a monkey or a dog and so on. It’s very pathetic.” Royston Tan, a well known filmmaker (of 881 and 15: The Movie fame), told Fridae that as of Wednesday a total of 85 people, including Koh and himself, had lodged police reports. He told Fridae he felt offended by some of the remarks in the video. On Saturday, he posted a comment on his Facebook profile saying that he had made a police report about the pastor’s comments. Some friends followed suit and told him that they too had made similar police reports. “This is not about revenge or gay rights but basic human respect,” Royston said, adding that he was thoroughly disgusted by the pastor’s reference to gay people wanting to marry animals. “As a religious leader, he has a greater responsibility than lay persons to create understanding and not mock or spread untruths about any groups of people.” Royston hopes for an apology and assurance from the pastor that he will not denigrate and spread further untruths about gay men and lesbians. Rony, who founded the Lighthouse Evangelism church in 1978, has since apologised for disparaging other religions on his church’s website, and in a private meeting with the leaders of the Buddhist and Taoist communities. According to Koh, she said she was informed by an officer from Tanglin Police Station that the police has received similar complaints about this incident and are investigating. The police has not responded to Fridae’s email request about the status of the case at the time of this article’s publication. Lighthouse Evangelism on Thursday acknowledged receipt of Fridae’s request for comment but was unable to reply in time. Members of the community Fridae spoke to over the long Chinese New Year weekend had mixed reactions about having to use the heavy hand of the law between religious groups and other groups including the LGBT community. Russell Heng, a co-founder of Singapore’s pioneer gay group People Like Us, prefers that the pastor’s offensive views, which are not uncommon among certain churches in Singapore, be “debated and not regarded as a security threat that requires the intervention of a country’s security apparatus.” Kenneth Tan, whose recent blog entry called out the pastor’s mocking and misinformed remarks during the interview with an ex-lesbian and spurred Royston’s decision to make a police report, says this would be a “good opportunity to kick-start a debate in the public square.” “Rony Tan and Lighthouse Evangelism (and many Christians) do not consider the ex-lesbian video offensive. This is something we should challenge – before the public thinks this case is ‘resolved’ and many already think so, or are sick and tired of hearing of the story,” the Shanghai-based Singaporean told Fridae. “The Sedition Act prohibits speech that promotes ‘feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Singapore’. This will be a good opportunity to test the government just what it means by ‘different classes’. Are sexual minorities considered a ‘class’?” Under Singapore’s Sedition Act and Section 298 of the Penal Code, it is an offence to promote or attempt to promote hatred or ill-will between different religious or racial groups. Sexual orientation and gender identity however are not recognised as protected classes under the law. A forty-something gay community leader, who wishes to only be identified as Kai En, says this might be an opportunity to establish gays and lesbians to be a class of persons to be protected under the law. “It also informs the police that we as a community take this seriously.” This is a view echoed by Royston who says that the time has come for the gay community to stand up for itself and especially with support from straight allies. “To have over 80 people including straight allies make a stand by registering their objection to certain ideas being spread to the authorities is very symbolic. We are no longer passive; we will listen, digest and react,” the 34-year-old told Fridae in a phone interview. Miak Siew of Free Community Church, a gay-affirmative non-denominational church in Singapore, however warns of a backlash as publicity about the police reports will likely “create a siege mentality in certain quarters of the Christian community.” “Their reaction is not likely to be ‘let’s accept them’, but ‘we are being persecuted!’ This has been observable in Thio Li Ann’s and Yvonne Lee’s reaction -- even though they are actually the oppressors and persecutors, they are very quick to claim that they are the oppressed and the persecuted.” He told Fridae in an email, referring to Thio, a former Nominated Member of Parliament who argued against the repeal of Singapore’s gay sex laws in 2007 and Lee, a law professor who wrote in the media that the law should not be repealed as “homosexuality is offensive to the majority of citizens.” Siew, who is currently pursuing a master’s degree in divinity at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley California, says LGBT people need to come out to disprove the myths. “True harmony comes about from mutual understanding and dialogue, not from shutting people up. If people are silenced, it will only drive the talk underground, where it is harder for us to reason with, and to counter. It is only when the talk is public that we can show the falsehoods and misconceptions in what people say.” Kenneth added: “If the gay community doesn’t choose to make its voice heard now, then we should forever hold our peace the next time another pastor comes along and says the same thing.” Rony Tan and Lighthouse Evangelism can be contacted via lightev@singnet.com.sg.  httpv://vimeo.com/9337605 - click here to view the controversial video. No related posts. Tags: Main Article Related posts No related posts. Resorts World Sentosa says 70% of staff are Singaporeans and PRs (CNA 18 Feb) SINGAPORE: Resorts World Sentosa said 70 per cent of its staff strength of over 8,000 are Singaporeans or Permanent Residents. But some who’ve visited the gaming tables are questioning where exactly are they working? Resorts World Sentosa said since it was awarded the integrated resort in 2006, it has remained committed to hiring Singaporeans as a first priority. And it added it’s been working closely with local universities, polytechnics and government agencies to hire and train Singaporean workers. But 30 per cent of the jobs still went to foreigners. Robin Goh, assistant director, Communications, Resorts World Sentosa, said: “There might be skill sets that are lacking in Singapore perhaps. For example jobs in casino and jobs within Universal Studios Singapore. And again, sad to say, it is also a challenge to find Singaporeans to pick up some jobs that they sometimes shun, for example jobs that have shifts.” Resorts World was not able to give a detailed breakdown on the proportion of locals to foreigners in the various jobs available at the integrated resort. However, it said areas like administration, ticketing and admission, hotels and the Universal Studios theme park have a higher proportion of Singaporeans. And it will continue to strive to employ more Singaporeans and PRs. Mr Goh explained: “We’re starting our chain of job fairs around Singapore and that will come online very soon.” The integrated resort is still looking to fill some 2,000 vacancies. Meanwhile, the casino continues to attract huge crowds on the first work-day after the Lunar New Year holidays. Although many locals are back at work, there are enough foreign visitors to ensure the gambling hall remains packed. One tourist said: “We heard about it back in Australia. We planned to be here for the opening and that’s why we’re here to win!” More than 60,000 people have visited the casino since it opened on Sunday. – 938LIVE/vm No related posts. Tags: Jobs Related posts No related posts. $40,000 Hongbao For SEA Games Record Breakers!! (ST 18 Feb) Swimmers Tao Li and Quah Ting Wen (right) showing off their ‘hongbao’ at the Singapore National Olympic Council’s Multi-Million Dollar Award Programme awards and appreciation dinner yesterday. The pair, who won 10 golds between them at last year’s SEA Games, walked away with $40,000 each. Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean presented the awards, totalling $455,000, to the medallists and record breakers. This is the first time that athletes are being rewarded for breaking SEA Games records. No related posts. Tags: Main Article Related posts No related posts. Man stole after losing all money at casino (ST 17 Feb) AN INDONESIAN man who lost all his money at the Resorts World Sentosa casino stole a mobile phone from an undergraduate at Changi Airport. Paulus Djohar, 49, unemployed, was jailed for four weeks on Wednesday after pleading guilty to stealing a $500 phone from Ms Lim Tse Min at Terminal 1 on Tuesday. A court heard that he came here from Malaysia last Tuesday with the intention of patronising the newly-opened casino at RWS. As he lost all his money gambling at the casino on Monday, the second day of its opening, he decided to steal from passengers at Changi Airport. Early on Tuesday morning, Djohar was at the airport when he approached Ms Lim, who was with a group sending a friend off. One of them in the group saw his suspicious movements and alerted Ms Lim, who discovered the phone gone from the side pocket of her backpack. She and the witness confronted Djohar. Djohar, who said he regretted what he had done, could have been jailed for up to three years and/or fined. No related posts. Tags: Integrated resorts Related posts No related posts. GLC Employee: The country that I once had sworn to protect is now nothing but a cheap whore (Temasek Review) I’ve always heard that the jobs that Singaporeans don’t want to do go to foreigners. And for a few years I actually bought that story. That was till I found these foreigners slowly moving from the so-called “dirty” jobs to more advanced professions in the lot of industries and starting to replace us “highly expectant” Singaporeans. The cost of living is rising year after year, but our wages have been getting lower. The reason given by the Government and companies is that its to make Singapore attractive for foreign investors. Now, lowering the wages of locals makes it difficult for them to survive based on the cost of living in Singapore. But the hiring of foreigners is cheaper in all aspects because they only expect a pay based on the cost of living in their homeland. Companies don’t care about the welfare of workers, they only care about the profit. Neither the government nor so-called trade unions like NTUC care either. As a result, these foreigners have indirectly pissed in our rice bowl and they garnish it with excrement when they leave this country for another like Australia, US, Canada and so on for better standards of living – while we have to put up with the job market they have spoilt and carry on with our miserable lives. A recent development at my workplace is a good example of what I mean. Apparently there is going to be an “elite squad” of foreigners who will be the high techincians in our department. Let me tell you, I work in a GLC and I’m not in the rocket science department. Before I got this job hokkein speaking uncles have been working in my job scope for donkey years. Every Singaporean in my department knows that we don’t need foreign talent for this! There are these 2 guys attached to one of my colleagues for the past few weeks getting trained in my department. Aren’t foreign talents supposed to have “talents” from the start? Why do we have to train them to become talents? If we took Ahmad, Yong Heng and Ramesh off the streets and gave them the special training these foreigners are getting, I’m sure they would be talents too! Why isn’t this happening and why wasn’t the job vacancy in my department made known to the public? Why are more foreigners getting employed in a huge Singapore-based GLC? From what I gather, this is not the only company in which such things are happening. If it’s a Singapore-based GLC then the government surely has shares in it. Why isn’t anything being done? While we give up 2 years of our precious youth in the name of National Service, the Singapore government is pimping this country, making Singapore spread its legs for foreigners who care nothing for Singapore or Singaporeans. Well, the pimp gets paid, but Singapore and its citizens just have to get used day in and day out by these foreigners. Giving them jobs and special training so that they can use Singapore as a stepping stone. The country I had once sworn to protect is now nothing but a cheap whore. Doesn’t it feel good about your place as a citizen of Singapore? NS FOR SINGAPOREANS! JOBS FOR FOREIGNERS! From A.L. No related posts. Tags: Foreign workers Related posts No related posts. Thriving poker dens not worried about casinos (My Paper 17 Feb) Thriving poker dens not worried about casinos More private properties are being rented to host home poker games, which can be illegal. -myp Wed, Feb 17, 2010 my paper OPERATORS of underground poker groups in private houses here are not losing sleep over the opening of Singapore’s first casino at Resorts World Sentosa, which welcomed its first customers over the Chinese New Year holiday. The reason for their confidence: an increasing clientele of wealthy professionals, managers, executives and businessmen (PMEBs) such as high-flying bankers, with a preference for private, “by invitation only” games. An organiser of one such group, which plays at a Bukit Timah condominium, said: “In the casino, players can’t smoke they need to pay a $100 entry fee. Here, we give them free drinks and food, they’re allowed to smoke and are in familiar company.” More private properties are being rented to host home poker games, which can be illegal under the Common Gaming Houses Act. my paper understands that at least eight such poker groups using private housing – bungalows, apartments and condominiums – islandwide have sprung up in the past two years. Games are held three to four times a week, and run into the wee hours. Each group usually hosts just a single table that seats up to 10 people. Entry is strictly by referral – friends of friends – and invitation only. The location and time of games are sent via text messages to players only a few hours before the games. To keep the clientele exclusive, buy-ins for these games do not come cheap. Minimum buy-ins for different places range from $200 to $500 and the house takes a small amount from the pot. One such venue, a two-storey terrace house in Kallang, looks like any other in the quiet private estate from the outside. The only hint that there is more than meets the eye: the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera on the porch. Come certain nights of the week, the house plays host to poker players, many arriving in flashy cars. Once they enter the houses, the blinds go down and the doors are shut and locked. Only then do the cards start whizzing on the table. CCTV cameras closely monitor each table, as well as its surrounding area. The money is sometimes wired to the accounts of the dealers and players after the games, for fear of police raids. A banker, who declined to be named, has been a frequent face in the underground poker scene since being introduced to it by friends two years ago. The draw isn’t the money, the banker said. “It’s the thrill of betting. What can you do in Singapore? You can watch a movie or go for coffee. There aren’t many things you can do – there’s no kick.” On a good night, the banker won up to almost $2,000. However, the banker had lost just as much in a single round, by going “all-in”, that is, betting all his cash on a single hand. “It can be painful on the wallet, but I always think I can make it back the next time.” The banker has already visited the casino – and lost $300 – on its maiden day – and will never go back. “The casino was so crowded, and it’s not a nice, friendly environment. It (the casino) allows bystanders to bet on your cards, which is disruptive and annoying, and the dealers are quite unprofessional. “I’d rather go to a house where I don’t have to pay $100 to enter and, if I want a drink, I can just help myself without having to queue.” On the potential penalties of getting caught, the banker was blase, saying: “I don’t think there’s any danger, and there’s always a way to get around it anyway.” Like the patrons, the hosts who rent the properties also tend to be PMEBs – usually people in the banking and property industries. Young students or former convicts are paid by them to run the place and deal – or to take the rap should the police arrive. It is unclear whether the actual owners of the properties know of the goings-on in their houses. When my paper posed as an interested buyer to meet the owner of a private apartment in the Claymore area, the property developer who gave his name only as Mr Tan, he said that it was being rented out as an office. He denied knowledge of poker games being held there, when he was asked. Under the Common Gaming Houses Act, a common gaming house is defined as any place the public can access and which is being used for gaming or lottery. Even if held among friends, home poker games can be considered illegal if they are held regularly and there is evidence of monetary transactions, said criminal and civil lawyer S. Rasanathan. The owner of the property can face charges, too, if he is determined to have knowledge of the goings-on after renting it out, he added. For more my paper stories click here.   No related posts. Tags: Integrated resorts Related posts No related posts. Chips are down as cruise ships fight IR challenge (ST 17 Feb) Feb 17, 2010 Chips are down as cruise ships fight IR challenge They expect business to dip as punters head to the new casinos By Tessa Wong The operator of MV Leisure World, one of at least five cruise ships with gaming rooms that regularly dock in Singapore, recently started a promotion where it doubled the amount of free chips given to day visitors from $10 to $20. — ST FILE PHOTO  WITH Singapore’s first casino opening its doors on Sunday, cruise ships with gaming facilities are upping the stakes to retain local customers. They have been pulling out all the stops, from offering free cruises to sweetening membership deals – hoping that gamblers will still patronise them, even with a new kid already in town and another on the way. There are at least five cruise ships with gaming rooms that regularly dock in Singapore. Two of them, MV Long Jie and MV Leisure World, are particularly popular among punters, each drawing a daily average of 500 and 700 passengers respectively. The passengers are ferried to these cruise ships, which are anchored off Indonesian waters. Many of these passengers pay about $40 to $50 to stay onboard for a day and night, where they will be plied with free food plus free gambling chips. Asian Cruises International, which operates MV Long Jie, launched one of its biggest promotions on Monday when it gave away free cruise coupons for those with copies of Chinese-language newspapers Lianhe Wanbao and Shin Min. It also offered readers discounted memberships. It has also sweetened existing deals, such as offering a two-year membership for the same price as a one-year one, and holding lucky draws. New Century Tours, which operates MV Leisure World, recently started a promotion where it doubled the amount of free chips given to day visitors from $10 to $20. The two cruise operators admitted that they will lose some customers, now that one casino, the Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), is open in Singapore, with another due to open in April at Marina Bay Sands. ‘With the integrated resorts opening this year, we will probably see a dip. That is why we are rolling out more varied promotions,’ said Mr Colin Ng, a manager in the marketing department of New Century. Ms Sharon Wee, marketing manager of Asian Cruises, agreed, saying it expects an initial 20 per cent dip in traffic as curious gamblers head to the IRs. Besides punters, New Century is also hoping to lure soccer fans with a series of football-themed events during the World Cup in June and July. Similarly, Asian Cruises is considering holding food events to draw gourmets. To ramp up its family-friendly appeal, Star Cruises, which has mahjong and card rooms on board three of its ships, is also upgrading its offerings. For example, it recently spent US$550,000 (S$776,600) on a 100m water slide on one of its ships. The cruise ships are not the only ones worried about the competition. Hoping to share some of the limelight with its sister resort in Sentosa, Resort World’s Genting Highlands casino-resort is planning a slew of activities this year to celebrate its 45th anniversary, including discounts on hotel rooms and eateries, lucky draws, special gifts and sales. But gaming experts said that these operators need not worry unduly. One key factor working in their favour: the $100 casino levy Singaporeans and permanent residents must pay to enter the Sentosa and Marina Bay casinos. Besides, ‘there will always be a market built in for those who prefer to enjoy a short cruise with casino gaming entertainment’, said travel and leisure strategist Jonathan Galaviz. For Genting Highlands though, he predicted a slight impact, and the operator would have to eventually ‘adjust to the new marketplace realities’, he said. Dr Alan Soh, president of dealer and management training institute Agmi International, felt that the cruise ships may be in danger of losing one key group of customers to the IRs. ‘They have been attracting some gamblers who spend at most $10,000, but these people will go to the IRs now as they are glitzier,’ said Dr Soh, who worked in the casino cruise industry in the 1990s. The ships would need to rely on sheer volume to make up for the loss in income, and attract more of the smaller players, he said. Retiree Lim Swee Choo, 71, said she would still visit the cruise ships and Genting, even though she had a good time at the Resorts World Sentosa casino on Sunday. ‘I will still visit those places because their slot machines are cheaper, and instead of paying $100 to the Government, I can use it to pay for two nights stay elsewhere.’ twong@sph.com.sg Additional reporting by Zeslene Mao    DON’T BET ON RETAINING THIS GROUP ‘They have been attracting some gamblers who spend at most $10,000, but these people will go to the IRs now as they are glitzier.’ Dr Alan Soh, president of dealer and management training institute Agmi International, on how the cruise ships may be in danger of losing one key group of customers to the IRs No related posts. Tags: Integrated resorts Related posts No related posts. My New Blog: Support site for the divorced and single parents Dear Friends and Readers,   I have recently started a blogsite to support those who are divorced and single parents.   Strangely, the site was initially meant for the married people who face struggles in their relationship.   However, a few friends told me that there are already many such sites locally and ask me to instead  start something for those who are divorced and separated.   For those who are recently divorced,  the journey can be  traumatic and lonely. Some may face suicidal tendencies too as it is a very emotional event. Last year, I  have the chance to walk through the divorce journey with three friends who happened to divorce within a three-month period of one another.  One was married for five years, another for 9 years and the last the longest for well over 20 years. Two of them seemed happier after the divorce except for the third one who looked lost and desolate. Two of them have children. One wonders if the divorce will come earlier if there are no children in the equation. I know many couples hang on precariously to the marriage for the sake of the children. Once they have grown up, they will seek for a dissolution to their marriage. Strangely, out of the three divorced couples, only one wanted a maintenance of $280 for the primary one son. The other two women did not ask for any maintenance support.  Further enquiries reviewed that all three women are gamefully employed and seemed to do better economically than the men.  Of the three men, two are jobless by virtue of their physical ailment: both are considered disabled. One contracted stroke few years ago and another was wheel-bound at least ten years ago becuase of an accident before his marriage. Two members of the three couples also have relationship outside of the marriage before the divorce ensuring that the issue is irreversible. It seems that couples do not take divorce lightly and may even try to work through the fragile relationship for a long while before finally throwing in the towel. Sadly, none of the three couples I know have the chance to sit through proper marital counselling  when they encountered problems in their marriages.   Many who divorced I knew also lost the will to live when their families break up. They also often lose their homes and have to move back to live with their parents or worse rent a small HDB room on their own. Men seem to take divorce badly here as often the children are taken away from them to be in custody with the ex-wives. They also lose a sense of social anchoring that a family brings to a man’s life.   The new site will as usual contain articles to support the divorced and there will be an online counselling support avenue for those who need it. I think they need all the help that they can get. So far, only HELP (Help Every Lone Parent) FSC located in Ang Mo Kio is specialised in helping thsoe who are divorced. However, their services are more geared towards helping the single parents. They have counselling and support group services as well.   We also hope that with more participation here, a support group can be started for those who want to come out and meet one another caught in similar circumstances.   The blogsite is unaptly named www.steadymarriages.com.   Hope that you people will help me spread the word about this site so that we have readership as great as this transitiong site!   Lastly, I want to add that I am not advocating divorces here but sometimes things happen beyond our control.   There is still life after divorce for many out there. It does not have to be a life sentence.   Cheers.   Regds Gilbert No related posts. Tags: Emotional Support Related posts No related posts. Where The Jobs Are: Nuclear Plant Work (Forbes 12 Feb) Careers Where The Jobs Are: Nuclear Plant Work Susan Adams, 02.12.10, 12:50 PM ET     America hasn’t built a new nuclear plant in three decades. That’s about to change. With 28 license applications pending at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and construction likely to begin on at least four plants within the next five years, companies like Westinghouse, General Electric, Bechtel, Areva, URS and the Shaw Group are staffing up, according to Edward Quinn, a past president of the American Nuclear Society, a nuclear power industry group. The jobs aren’t just for nuclear engineers. In fact, only 5% to 10% of the employees who work on a plant hold a nuclear engineering degree, says Quinn. Those specialists work on the core, which uses nuclear technology. There are plenty of other types of engineers employed at nuclear plants and the companies that service, design and construct them, including civil, mechanical and electrical engineers. Beyond engineers, there are a slew of jobs for workers in the construction trades, from welders to grinders. There’s also plenty to do for electricians, pipe fitters, iron workers, carpenters and boiler makers. In Pictures: Where The Nuclear Plant Jobs Are The hiring trend can be seen at the job aggregation Web site Indeed.com. Plug in the phrase “nuclear energy” and you’ll find 1,860 jobs listed, including posts at companies like Toshiba America Nuclear Energy in Charlotte, N.C., which is seeking a nuclear pump design engineer. That position is also listed on Nukejobs.com,which is devoted entirely to jobs in the field. Greg Kruger, a vice president at the staffing company Adecco, says he’s currently hiring for hundreds of jobs related to nuclear construction and engineering. Areva, a French nuclear power conglomerate, is planning to hire more than 1,000 employees this year to staff four new projects, says Michael Rencheck, the chief operating officer of the company’s U.S. subsidiary. The company is waiting for loan guarantees to come through for a new plant called Calvert Cliffs 3 it plans to build outside Baltimore. It’s also waiting for guarantees for a facility in Bonneville County, Idaho, that will make the enriched uranium used in fuel pellets. And it’s already begun construction on two factories designed to serve nuclear reactors. One, in Aiken, S.C., will take cast-off nuclear weapons and convert their fuel for use in nuclear plants. The other, in Newport News, Va., will make nuclear reactor components. Rencheck says all four plants are hiring engineers and construction and trade workers. Rencheck adds that the nuclear industry is looking forward to a huge shot in the arm from the Obama administration’s pledge to triple federal loan guarantees for nuclear projects to $54 billion. The president got bipartisan applause when he said, in his January State of the Union address, that the U. S. should build, “a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants.” Nuclear plant-related careers are not the most lucrative, but they pay good wages. Construction jobs are both union and non-union and come with benefits, says Michael Rencheck. Salaries start at $50,000. Engineers start at $65,000 and can make as much as $110,000, with the highest pay going to nuclear engineers. In Pictures: Where The Nuclear Plant Jobs Are No related posts. Tags: Jobs Related posts No related posts. Too early to assess impact of casinos Feb 9, 2010 ECONOMIC WATCH Too early to assess impact of casinos By Derek da Cunha   A NEW buzz is beginning in Singapore as legalised casino gambling takes off in the city state. Virtually overnight, Singapore’s once staid image will change to one that is more vibrant and go-getting.The economic benefits of the two integrated resorts – with their casino components being the centrepieces – have been well canvassed. The influx of tourists and the spillover effect to the broader economy from all IR-related activities will add to GDP growth. This economic fillip would be particularly welcome at a time when global economic prospects for much of 2010 are still cloudy. As Singapore benefits economically from the mammoth IR projects, the social impact of casino gambling is also an issue at the forefront of the minds of quite a few people. Given that many Singaporeans already enjoy games of chance – from the 4-D lottery to horse racing and soccer betting – some have argued that the casinos would not represent a radical departure from the existing menu of available gambling options. They argue, furthermore, that Singaporeans have already shown themselves to be generally adept at handling the fallout from their fondness for gambling, be it of a casual or serious nature. Whether these arguments hold true in the months ahead remains to be seen. For now, however, a few insights from other jurisdictions may provide some indication of the sorts of social issues that may arise following the opening of casinos in a major urban centre. The issue of the distance between a major, and densely populated, city, to a casino, tends to be a key determinant of an individual’s gambling habits and behaviour. To that extent, it is worth noting that there is a logistical commonality between Genting Highlands and Macau. Genting Highlands, nestled atop a mountain ridge in the Malaysian state of Pahang, is about one hour’s drive along a winding and somewhat treacherous road from the centre of Kuala Lumpur. And Macau is about one hour by jetfoil from Hong Kong’s main ferry terminal, after which Hong Kong residents and other visitors have to pass through Macau Customs and immigration. What is the significance of this common logistical aspect? Distance and time constitute an inherent deterrence to people visiting the casinos at these two places too frequently. Singapore will have no such logistical deterrence to Singaporeans and permanent residents wanting to visit the casinos at Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands. A $100 entrance fee for each 24-hour visit (or a flat S$2,000 annually) that will be levied on Singaporeans and PRs, to discourage them from visiting the casinos, may not be much of a deterrence. For quite a number of people, when it comes to gambling, what determines their behaviour is relative convenience – the ease with which they can gamble. The expense involved in gambling is often a secondary consideration. To that extent, an American study involving a survey of 2,631 adults and quoted in the journal Science Daily in June 2005 noted: ‘A casino within 10 miles (16km) of home has a significant effect on problem gambling and is associated with a 90 per cent increase in the odds of being a pathological or problem gambler. ‘The reason for the increase… is that the availability of an attractive gambling opportunity can lead to gambling pathology in some people who would otherwise not develop it.’ Another study, also based on the American experience and published in 2004, noted: ‘Increasing crime is a well-documented companion of legalised gambling. Crime predictably rises three to four years following the opening of a casino as problem and pathological gamblers begin to deplete their resources. Gamblers who have ‘bottomed out’ their own resources frequently begin borrowing money from family, friends and business relationships. This ‘borrowing’ frequently takes the form of theft. Gamblers often feel they are only borrowing other people’s money until they can win it back.’ Crime is one dimension of the negative consequences of the presence of casinos. The social dimension is another. Here it is worth noting that a number of jurisdictions, including Australia and the United States, had experienced a dramatic rise in personal bankruptcy rates during the decade prior to the global economic crisis of 2008-09. This increase had puzzled some observers as it occurred during a period of relative economic prosperity. The increase in legalised gambling, in addition to a reduced stigma attached to bankruptcy in these jurisdictions, offers a plausible explanation for the surge in bankruptcies. It will probably take one to two years to determine whether Singapore’s experience with casinos falls into the general pattern seen in other jurisdictions. Whatever the case may be, Singapore’s experiment with casino gambling is being keenly watched by other countries in Asia and beyond. Some of these countries have yet to take the plunge into this form of gambling. They are therefore awaiting to see how the balance between the economic benefits of casinos and their social consequences plays out in Singapore before deciding on their own course of action. Derek da Cunha is the author of Singapore Places Its Bets: Casinos, Foreign Talent And Remaking A City-state. No related posts. Tags: Current Economic News Related posts No related posts. What he told his congregation (ST 16 Feb) THIS is what Senior Pastor Rony Tan told his congregation at Lighthouse Evangelism church on Saturday. A recording was replayed at Sunday services as well: ‘This is the first public statement that I’m making regarding my breach of religious harmony. After I had offered my sincere apology on Feb 8, 2010, our church took immediate action to review our literature. Right now, we are in the process of eliminating all possible offensive recorded material from our huge catalogue. We also urge all members of Lighthouse, and others, not to circulate our past sermons which may provoke religious sensitivity. Now this is my instruction to all my members. From now on, we must realise that upholding religious harmony is promoting peace, unity and true freedom. Respecting different religious beliefs means to respect the personhood, or the individual. Now that doesn’t mean that we don’t have the freedom to share our Lord’s goodness and blessing with others. We just have to be more sensitive in our approach. Let there be no criticism of any religion. One more thing of paramount importance: No matter how deeply you appreciate me, never justify for me. A wrong is a wrong and must be rectified, not justified. Although I am your spiritual leader, I too, have feet of clay, like you. The important thing is to be willing to learn from past mistakes and you can help me to set such an example by not justifying for me to those you talk to. Many people want to know how I feel. I feel unbearably terrible for my grave error for which I regret deeply. I’ve let many people down. When it first happened, I mentally planned three steps: One. Sincerely repent and confess. Two. Bravely face all the consequences from the authorities. And three. After paying my dues, depart from the very nation that I love. After much struggle I decided to be true to my heart, because Singapore is my home, no matter what. I have a purpose in my heart, that this adversity is not going to define Lighthouse. Instead it will be refined, and grow a bit more like Christ, the prince of peace. By God’s grace, I must redeem myself by promoting religious harmony, while still doing the good works of Christ effectively. This I vow to do. Now finally I would like to thank all my faithful Lighters and staff, believers from other churches, and my loving family for their passionate prayers in my darkest hour. Our Lord Jesus Christ has indeed strengthened me through this ordeal, through your intercession. Thank you so much, and God bless you.’ No related posts. Tags: Main Article Related posts No related posts. Pastor: I’ve let many people down (ST 16 Feb) Feb 16, 2010 Pastor: I’ve let many people down Latest apology made to members of his megachurch By Yen Feng  AFTER apologising twice for remarks that upset Buddhists and Taoists and landed him into trouble with the Internal Security Department, Senior Pastor Rony Tan expressed remorse once more – this time, to his church members. Making his first public appearance since news of his brush with the authorities broke on Feb 9, he revealed that the episode left him feeling so ‘unbearably terrible’ that he had contemplated leaving Singapore. The founder and senior pastor of Lighthouse Evangelism, an independent Christian megachurch with 12,000 members, said he regretted about what had happened and added: ‘I’ve let many people down.’ He said the church was going through its online archives to remove ‘all possible offensive recorded material’ that might offend non-Christians, and he urged members not to circulate recordings of past sermons which might prove objectionable too. He also appealed to church members not to defend or justify his actions to others, saying: ‘A wrong is a wrong and must be rectified, not justified.’ Pastor Tan, who has not responded to several requests to be interviewed, read from a prepared text when he addressed the weekly church service in Woodlands on Saturday. The main floor of the church, which seats 2,500, was filled. His five-minute message was recorded and played at Sunday services too. The pastor faced widespread criticism, especially online, after the Lighthouse Evangelism website uploaded video clips showing him interviewing church members who were former Buddhists. In the three clips, which was circulated online, he was seen making disparaging remarks about Buddhism and Taoism, including their key practices and beliefs. His comments sparked outrage online and, last Monday, he was called up by the ISD for questioning. That night, the Ministry of Home Affairs released a statement describing his remarks as ‘highly inappropriate and unacceptable’. The same night, an apology was posted on the church’s website. The next day, Pastor Tan visited Buddhist and Taoist leaders to apologise in person, and leaders of both faiths said they accepted his apology. Until Saturday, Pastor Tan has kept out of sight. Dressed in a dark suit and speaking in a subdued voice, he told the congregation: ‘Many people want to know how I feel. I feel unbearably terrible for my grave error for which I regret deeply.’ He promised again to promote religious harmony and urged church members to do the same. He instructed them, perhaps to avoid a repeat episode, to be more sensitive when preaching to non-Christians: ‘Let there be no criticism of any religion.’ After revealing that he had thought about leaving Singapore, he said that he decided to stay because ‘Singapore is my home, no matter what’. He neither elaborated on this nor speak to the media after his address. Attempts to contact Pastor Tan and his family have been unsuccessful. His son Pacer and daughter Tracy also work at Lighthouse. Online, discussion about the incident is still going strong, two weeks since the video clips were first posted on Feb 3. Three Facebook groups have been set up, each with a different take on the issue. A discussion thread on Hardwarezone, an Internet forum, has collected more than 3,300 comments and nearly 147,000 page views. News of the pastor’s church message spread online yesterday and continued to attract comments, including many hoping it signalled an end to the matter. Mr P.C. Tan, 56, a Christian who said he used to attend Lighthouse Evangelism for seven years, felt Pastor Tan’s apology was a long time coming. Mr Tan said he stopped attending the church in 2004 because ‘I had had enough of the hard talk by Rony Tan’. But church member Priscilla Ram, 40, who heard the pastor on Saturday, said she was ‘totally moved’ by his words. She said: ‘I was in tears to see such honesty and sincerity in his words.’ zengyan@sph.com.sg No related posts. Tags: Main Article Related posts No related posts. Dubai and Singapore: Which country better at treating their immigrants? (Asiaone forum) Originally Posted by Rraymond Dubai and Singapore are totally different. 1 Dubai has 75 % foreigners who are totally different from locals in race and religion. 2 The economy is almost totally dependent on foreigners. The plum posts are given to Ang Mohs and locals. The locals are totally sleeping and useless. Without petrol dollars and help from other emirates, Dubai will just come to a standstill and collapse because no foreigners will come. The Indians and Filipinos will just go home and Dubai will become ghost towns. 3 Dubai segregates foreigners from locals and the gulf between the two peoples will never be bridged. 4 The beautiful shopping malls are white elephants. Singapore is different in every aspect. There is a policy to bridge foreigners and Singaporeans. Foreigners are invited to take up citizenship. Most foreigners are similar to Singaporeans. The superficial culture may be different but the deeper culture is the same. IN a single generation, differences will be smoothen over. This will be speedier if locals are able to feel secure financially and more flats are built and unhappiness properly managed. Posted by: Poppyseed 1) The only difference is number. In Dubai 75% are foreigners and in Singapore 36%. Dubai may be extreme but for a country don’t you think it is a bit excessive? One out of three is foreigner? 2) Didn’t our PAP say we need foreigners to beef up the growth rate? And it is the growth number they are going after. At what point we are going to say enough is enough? I do not see your comparison has any relevancy to what we are talking here. I agree Singapore needs foreign talents and to retain them. But the point is Singapore does not need to behave like Santa Clause and hands out easy PR and citizenship. 3) I would say that is based on your own assumption. 4) Yes, Singapore has policy to bridge and that came after years of noises from people, realising many Singaporeans are unhappy too many people letting in in a very short time. By the way the integration program is only officially launch somewhere mid-2009. Singapore has been giving PR like ice-cream to kids. My ex-colleague from China who worked for only 2-weeks seemed more concern about getting PR than anything else, as she was told it is easier to get PR in Singapore than other countries. So who are we attracting here? We attract good talent foreigners but unfortunately more low grade ones. What do you expect Singaporean to behave when there is a surge of foreigners popping up in every neighbourhood? Should we open with wide arm and say “Welcome to Singapore and please make yourself at home. We shall tolerate and accommodate everything you do”. No citizens in the right mind would tolerate such liberal immigration policy in any country (perhaps in Dubai where it is ruled by Royal family), and the party would most likely be thrown out in the next election. So I suppose based on your assumption we have to wait for a generation to smooth things out, rather than to solve the immediate issues like escalating costs of living, job security, health care, and the unhappiness of surging population that has changed the facets of Singapore in a very short period of time. No related posts. Tags: Foreign workers Related posts No related posts. “The lion city revs up” (Financial Times) ‘The lion city revs up’ Can Singapore transform itself from ho-hum stopover to hot destination? Read the full article here:- http://www.howtospendit.com/articles/1177-feature-singapore-the-lion-city-revs-up No related posts. Tags: Current Economic News Related posts No related posts. More private residents buying HDB resale flats (Asiaone 15 feb) More private residents buying HDB resale flats Group still in minority, but data from property firms show rising trend. Mon, Feb 15, 2010 The Straits Times By Jessica Cheam PROPERTY agents say they are seeing more private property dwellers buying Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale flats. This group remains in the minority of HDB flat buyers in the open market, but their number has been rising, according to three property agencies. Data obtained by The Straits Times show that the proportion of resale HDB flat buyers with private home addresses ranged between 8 per cent and 19 per cent of transactions last year. Such data is not widely available, but from the figures that ST managed to obtain, this proportion seems to be on the rise. Of the three big agencies who command the majority share of HDB resale market transactions – ERA Asia Pacific, PropNex and HSR Property Group – the first two said they did not record transactions by address type. HSR, which has about 8,000 agents, said that the proportion of flat buyers with private home addresses rose from 5 per cent in 2008 to 8 per cent last year. C&H Realty, a smaller outfit with more than 1,000 agents, reported that these buyers comprised 6 per cent of transactions from July to September last year. But this has grown to 12 per cent for the period from October to last month. The firm keeps sales records only from the last six months at any given time. At ECG Property Group, which started operations in November last year under former HSR executive director Eric Cheng, the proportion of buyers with private home addresses has risen from 19 per cent in December to 27 per cent last month. The agency has about 900 agents. Agency bosses said that there are different reasons why this group of buyers wants a slice of the HDB market. Some buy to downgrade or cash out of their private property, while others may be moving into an HDB flat after their private homes were sold en bloc. Then, there are those who buy HDB flats for investment. Latest HDB statistics for the three months ended Dec 31 showed resale flat prices scaling a new peak, rising 8.2 per cent for the whole of last year. HSR executive director Jeffrey Hong pointed out that HDB flats give investors a much better yield than private properties as they are cheaper and rents are strong in good locations. ‘The cost of an HDB flat and the bank interest payable is lower than for private homes. And there’s also the possibility of capital appreciation because such owners can sell within a year,’ he said. HDB rules stipulate that anyone who buys an HDB flat from the resale market can re-sell it after they have lived in the flat for a year, provided they did not receive any Government grants or HDB loans. The minimum holding period for a resale flat used to be 2.5 years, but the Board relaxed the rule in 2003 in a bid to inject flexibility into the market after industry players called for regulations to be relaxed to unlock monetary values for home owners. This decision has come under scrutiny lately as HDB resale flat prices rose 40 per cent in the last three years. Disgruntled buyers priced out of the market have blamed high flat prices on the entry of permanent residents and private property speculators. They claim these speculators snap up flats on the resale market and then rent them out illegally or sell them legally after the stipulated one-year period. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan addressed this last month by announcing a review of HDB rules to ensure that property speculators are not abusing current rules and driving up flat prices. It will check if any rules are ‘encouraging or allowing’ people to speculate on HDB flats, and its findings will be released later, said Mr Mah. Property analysts said yesterday that HDB could clear the air on this issue by revealing to the public exactly what percentage of HDB resale flat buyers are private property owners. But they also cautioned that buyers who have private property addresses are not necessarily the owners, but could be tenants or relatives of the property owner. Property agent Winston Yap, 50, who has brokered resale flat deals for private property owners said his experience is that about two out of 10 resale flat buyers buy for investment purposes. This group of buyers is attracted to high-end HDB flats in centrally located mature estates, such as Queenstown and Holland Village, which command high rents. ‘Their mindset is that they can secure very high rental income, and these buyers do not mind forking out high amounts of cash upfront to secure premium flats,’ he said. This cash paid upfront to a seller above the flat’s valuation is also known as Cash-over-Valuation, or COV. In Holland Village, for example, he recently sold a three-room flat $50,000 above its valuation to a private property owner. ‘The usual upgraders and downgraders can’t afford this, because the cash portion is too huge, but these type of buyers still remain the minority,’ he said. This article was first published in The Straits Times.   No related posts. Tags: Housing Related posts No related posts. Student essays: Just $100 for 1,000 words (Asiaone 14 Feb) Student essays: Just $100 for 1,000 words He offers to write essays for foreign students to pass off as their own. -TNP Sun, Feb 14, 2010 The New Paper By Liew Hanqing HE LURKS behind the anonymity of a forum nickname, offering to write essays for foreign students to pass off as their own. His advertisement, posted on a popular Singapore-based Chinese forum, promises “high quality” essays with quick turnaround time. Related links: » $300 to cheat for you? No, thanks » Psst, I’ll do homework for you… for a fee » Students caught with others’ work can be expelled Posing as a prospective customer, The New Paper contacted the advertiser and several others offering similar services on the Internet. The advertiser, a Singaporean who claimed to be an undergraduate studying banking and finance, said he guarantees that his essays would earn customers a passing grade. He said in Mandarin: “We seldom encounter the problem of sub-standard grades.” Asked if he worked alone, he said: “I work with another friend who has already graduated with a degree in business management.” Transactions, he added, are usually carried out online. He is among scores of Singapore students doing a roaring business in offering essays for sale to desperate students. The New Paper found numerous online advertisements posted by individuals offering such services. The advertiser contacted by The New Paper said customers must first transfer a deposit of $50 in return for half the essay. He would send the rest of the essay via e-mail when the remainder of the cash is paid. He said: “I also have friends from local universities who can work on essays if needed, especially if there is a tight deadline.” These faceless transactions, mostly online, are fuss-free. All students need to do is contact the seller, transfer payment to a bank account and wait about a week for an essay to be delivered. The price of this service: Between $70 and $100 per 1,000 words. Another seller, when asked if she guaranteed good grades on each assignment, said in Mandarin: “(The essay) will definitely be above average. We have many writers, including a PhD student from a local university.” She said she would accept assignment requests with as little lead time as just two days, without any extra charge. Asked if she would charge extra for assignments given on short notice, she said there would be no price difference. Another advertiser claimed to have experience writing “hundreds” of essays across various disciplines. But, asked if she was willing to send over a sample essay, she declined. She said in Mandarin: “I am worried about getting into trouble if I send you a copy.” She added that she only accepts assignments given to her with enough advance notice. She wrote: “The most important thing I need to know is when you would need the essay. “If your essay is due tomorrow, and you ask me to write it today, I will not take up your assignment. This is to ensure you get good-quality work.” She seemed impatient when asked whether she was prepared to offer a refund in the event of poor grades. She said: “I’ve never received any complaints from a customer before.” While some sellers advertise on forums frequented by Singapore-based China nationals, others bid on assignments posted on a website dedicated to the essay writing business. Students who frequent this site get to pick which essay writer they want to do their work for them. One seller, who regularly posts on sgcity.net, told The New Paper that he has “many years of essay-writing experience”. He wrote in Chinese: “I am a local degree holder, and I have always had excellent English results.” Asked if he continually recruits new writers, he said: “Of course. Feel free to recommend your local friends if you know any who would like to join us.” This article was first published in The New Paper. No related posts. Tags: Education Related posts No related posts. Love me, love my money habits (Sunday Times 14 Feb) Feb 14, 2010 Love me, love my money habits Romance aside, talking about financial issues is also important for a healthy relationship By Lorna Tan, Senior Correspondent   It is Valentine’s Day today. A day of romance, roses, wining and dining. While the soft aspects of a relationship are important, let us not be so caught up in it that we forget that one cannot live on love and fresh air alone. It is a fact that disagreements and conflicts on money issues rank high among couples, along with in-laws and work stress. It is no wonder that relationship experts advise couples to talk openly about money and iron out any potential money issues even before they get hitched. Here’s a test to find out how healthy your relationship with your partner is when it comes to money:   Do you find it difficult to talk to your partner about dollars and cents?    When was the last time you spoke to your partner about finances?    Do you know your partner’s income, his expenses, savings, loans and investments?    Do you know each other’s financial aspirations?    Are you able to give examples of his money habits?    Is there an agreement between both of you on who pays for what?    What happens if there is a change in circumstances like job loss, parenthood or a windfall?    If you are a newly married couple, were you comfortable with the amount spent on the wedding and/or house renovations?  Did you manage to stick to the pre-determined budget or was it busted? If you answer ‘no’ to any of the above questions, then it is an area for you to work on. Don’t be shy about discussing your finances openly and review your situation a few times a year to make sure you are on track with your goals. Here are some common myths about money between partners: 1. Money equals love When I was dating my then boyfriend, now husband, I used to equate how much he loved me with the value of his presents or even where we took our meals. The more expensive the gift was, the more I felt loved. I didn’t feel pressured to go dutch during our dates, as he is older and was already working while I was still in school. Of course, all that changed after we got married and my ‘I’ attitude was replaced by a ‘we’ attitude. Another danger with equating money with love is that it results in couples shying away from money issues in the early stages of a relationship. This is because they fear that if they question how the other views money, it could mean that they are questioning their partner’s love. The problem with this is that it makes it harder to discuss finances as time goes by. 2. My hubby will take care of me Don’t count on it. Many widows or divorcees find themselves helpless when they are left suddenly alone to handle their finances for the first time. Money is not ‘a man’s thing’. It is better to bite the bullet now, get over your fear of financial jargon and pick up some basic knowledge like budgeting, credit management, getting a basic financial plan, sorting out your insurance needs and planning for your golden years. Remember that women live longer and usually the family savings are already spent on your children’s education and husband’s medical bills, with nothing much left after his death. This assumes he is the same age or older than you. 3. My spouse can change after marriage If he has a gambling habit, is a big spender, loves to show his affections by buying expensive gifts or by giving treats to friends, don’t expect his lavish ways and habits to disappear after marriage. How we were brought up and our childhood experiences have a hand in forming our attitudes towards money. They are deep- seated and it will take a lot of effort for a spendthrift to mend his ways. 4. Opposites attract It is often said that opposites attract when it comes to love, and it can be a positive thing, especially if the opposing traits complement each other’s weaknesses and strengths. But when it comes to money issues, it may not be the case. If you are a risk-taker and can stomach volatility while your spouse is the exact opposite and is very careful with his or her money to the extent of even being miserly, there are bound to be conflicts. These conflicts can occur when it comes to money management, such as when deciding which investments to go into. 5. Honesty is the best policy The first step towards understanding each other’s money habits is to be honest. You must find opportunities to acknowledge them, talk about them and work towards a mutual understanding of how money issues are to be handled. Talk about your needs, fears and dreams. Try to surface them early in the relationship. As much as you can, share responsibilities by understanding who does what best. While working for the best, it is only prudent to prepare for the worst. This means knowing how to cope financially should there be a separation, be it through a divorce or death. Only when your house is in order can you enjoy peace of mind. When that happens, you can celebrate Valentine’s Day any day. lorna@sph.com.sg No related posts. Tags: Financial Management Related posts No related posts. CEO died from tears in intestine (Sunday Times 14 Feb) Feb 14, 2010 CEO died from tears in intestine Franklin Heng’s death certificate shows he had punctures in his intestines due to liposuction By Francis Chan  Property head honcho Franklin Heng died from punctures to his intestines sustained during liposuction surgery last December. The 44-year-old’s death certificate, obtained by The Sunday Times last Friday, indicated that the cause of death was ‘multiple iatrogenic punctures of the intestines due to liposuction’. Plastic surgeons whom The Sunday Times spoke to said that while it was not unheard of for a doctor to accidentally tear or puncture a patient’s intestines during liposuction, such incidents were ‘extremely rare’. Dr Andrew Tay, a consultant plastic surgeon at The Plastic Surgery Practice, said defects in a patient’s abdominal wall that made it weaker than normal might increase the risk of such injuries during the procedure. ‘But in situations where the abdominal wall is quite normal, I think it would be quite unlikely or even unusual,’ added Dr Tay, who has been a fully qualified plastic surgeon for eight years. Last Dec 30, Mr Heng was taken by ambulance to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) from Reves Clinic, where he was undergoing liposuction. The chief executive of property management firm YTL Pacific Star was pronounced dead at 6pm that same day, despite attempts by TTSH doctors to resuscitate him. Close friends of the divorced father of two said that although he was ‘fit, trim and in the pink of health’, he was concerned about the ‘love handles’ around his abdominal area. It was, however, not clear if he had any serious underlying health condition. The case has since been referred to the coroner, while the Ministry of Health said last month that it has, for now, barred Reves Clinic’s doctors from conducting liposuction treatments. Official records show that the clinic, located at International Building in Orchard Road, is a two-man practice. Dr Jim Wong, 34, a general practitioner and one of Reves Clinic’s partners, is assisting the authorities in their investigation. franchan@sph.com.sg No related posts. Tags: Health Related posts No related posts. The world’s biggest punter is Zeljko Ranogajec, and he’s an Australian (Daily Telegraph) The world’s biggest punter is Zeljko Ranogajec, and he’s an Australian EXCLUSIVE by Nick Tabakoff From: The Daily Telegraph February 13, 2010 12:00AM Unassuming fellow … punter Zeljko Ranogajec, during a walk around Balmoral / Pic: Craig Greenhill Source: The Daily Telegraph SOME call him the “Loch Ness Monster” because of his rare public sightings. Casinos have dubbed him “The Joker”. High-profile racing industry figures say he is the biggest punter not only in Australia but in the world. Meet Australia’s most mysterious and elusive gambling figure: Zeljko Ranogajec, the man acknowledged even by sources close to the TAB to be, by some margin, its largest punter. Those who know him well describe him as just a normal bloke and one relative says: “If you met him on the street, you would never think he’s rich.” Others describe him similarly as “polite” and “unassuming”: descriptions that matched his demeanour when The Daily Telegraph finally caught up with him this week. But the size of Mr Ranogajec’s betting is far from ordinary. It is believed he accounts for between 6 and 8 per cent of Tabcorp’s $10 billion Australian betting turnover – or between $600-800 million – and bets tens of millions more with local bookmakers. But that is just the start. Once the overseas betting turnover of his 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation is taken into account, his total annual betting spend globally is believed to be well over $1 billion. One of Australia’s most senior racing figures says Mr Ranogajec is truly a global punter, adding: “He goes wherever he can get set late with big bets . . . that means countries like Japan, England, Hong Kong, New Zealand and America.” Other sources say he has also been known to bet anywhere from France to Canada and Russia. Intriguingly, part of his operation takes up a large portion of the top floor of the Harris St, Pyrmont, NSW headquarters of Tabcorp, the organisation with which he bets hundreds of millions a year. He is also believed to have office space in the Fox Sports building in Pyrmont and other premises overseas. Industry talk has him employing anything from 30 to more than 100 staff just to analyse form. The operation has generated plenty of wealth. One relative of Mr Ranogajec from his father’s side, who asked not to be named, told us: “I heard just maybe two or three months ago that he’s a multi-billionaire.” Yet he has never been mentioned on any Australian rich list – because the secrecy around his operations means no one is able to estimate his exact wealth. But the man himself says the talk about the magnitude of his betting and wealth is all just a big exaggeration. When The Daily Telegraph finally found him in Mosman after a three-day search spanning Sydney and the Central Coast this week, the well-spoken Mr Ranogajec was asked if he was the world’s biggest punter. The reply was succinct: “I believe that’s absolutely untrue.” But in Australia and overseas, any number of racing websites, industry analysts and books indicate he is indeed a global betting giant. The betting website PuntingAce.com, for example, nominates him as “most likely” the world’s biggest punter. One book, Living And Learning With The World’s Biggest Punters, goes further, dubbing Mr Ranogajec “the biggest punter the world has ever seen or (is) likely to see”. The Daily Telegraph’s racing editor Ray Thomas says: “In my opinion, he has no challengers as the world’s biggest punter.” One thing is clear: the 48-year old has come a long way from his days of being kicked out of Wrest Point Casino in the 1980s as a highly-successful young mathematics whiz-kid legitimately beating the casino at blackjack by keeping track of each card played. The relative from the side of his late father Mirko claims Mr Ranogajec started to work part-time at Wrest Point while studying for a commerce/law degree. The relative says he met his wife and “first love” Shelley Wilson while she was also working there. But the more successful he became at blackjack, the more his studies started to take a backseat. He first transferred from the University of Tasmania (where he was studying tax, money and banking as part of his degree) to the University of NSW in Sydney, where he has settled permanently. But with his real career as a punter beckoning, he dropped out of uni studies permanently in the mid-1980s. Meanwhile, his skills as a blackjack player saw him feared by casinos around the world. His business was “politely declined” first at Wrest Point, then at Queensland’s Jupiters Casino in the mid-1980s. But he did not give up the casinos, moving to greener pastures overseas. Some Australian sources believe he was successful at many casinos internationally. The relative from his father’s side recalls him coming home after being too successful on the blackjack tables in the US, explaining: “He was in Chicago, I think. They stopped him and he had to come back.” He increasingly turned his attention to horse racing and other games like Keno. He once won a then world-record $7.5 million Keno jackpot at North Ryde RSL Club in 1994, reportedly going to the club over several days with million-dollar cheques. Some sources claim he had to bet significantly more than $7.5 million to win it but may still have come out ahead because of the smaller prizes he collected along the way. But it is in horse racing where Mr Ranogajec has built his fortune, through a combination of betting massive amounts on small margins, generous rebates from many totes (including Tabcorp) and a highly sophisticated betting system. Those in the know say the key to Mr Ranogajec’s betting is chasing liquidity. He and his associates look for large betting pools awash with “mug punter” money that makes the pool as big as possible. It is understood Mr Ranogajec accumulated a “bank”of funds from his successful casino playing around the world. This in turn allowed him to set up a sophisticated operation that allowed him to employ specialists to analyse horse racing in minute detail through computer, video and mathematical analysis. It also allowed him to bet big. His operation in the NSW Tabcorp headquarters is the stuff of legend. Industry gossip about it is rampant – everything from staff numbers, to questionnaires employees are given to test their skills and, importantly, the secrets of his analysis. Mr Ranogajec jealously guards his secrets and getting those who know him well to talk on the record about him is impossible. Staff who work for him at his Harris St headquarters sign confidentiality agreements. One high-profile racing figure who knows Mr Ranogajec says: “If he knew I was talking to you about him, he’d never talk to me again.” So private is he that there have even been suggestions he uses a pseudonym incorporating his wife’s surname. Records show a John Wilson, born in Hobart with an identical birthdate to Mr Ranogajec and an identical business address, owns a company with assets that include a multi-million dollar Central Coast beachfront property and a Pacific Highway apartment in St Leonards. Mr Ranogajec and Ms Wilson have been shrewd investors in property, often buying when others are forced to sell, mainly in the Mosman area. In December 2008, the couple shelled out $19.75 million for a 2000sq m waterfront property on two blocks at Balmoral Beach, after its value had been hit by the global financial crisis. The property is in the name of Ms Wilson. Parts of the property had previously been owned by jailed HIH executives Ray Williams and Brad Cooper. In the aftermath of the HIH collapse in 2001, the couple had bought another Balmoral property for a knockdown $5.96 million, again in Ms Wilson’s name. It is now worth many millions more. Another property in the Mosman area is used by Mr Ranogajec largely as a business address. It’s all a long way from his humble origins in Hobart as the son of Croatian immigrants – but the Tasmanian connection remains strong. His main business partner David Walsh still lives in Hobart where he has built a $70 million private museum to house a $100 million art collection. The two were reported to have bid for Tote Tasmania (where Mr Ranogajec used to be a huge punter) last year, but it has since been taken off the market. When we approached Mr Ranogajec in Mosman about his wins, on who “John Wilson” was and on his betting secrets, there was no sign of him opening up. He told The Daily Telegraph: “I’m not meaning to be rude. “I’m not interested in talking to a reporter . . . no offence but it doesn’t do any good at all.” Nevertheless, the very public interest in the very private life of Mr Ranogajec is likely to continue unabated. No related posts. Tags: Main Article Related posts No related posts. “Software” areas hurt S’pore ranking in global city poll (ST 13 Feb) Feb 13, 2010 HIGH SCORES IN INFRASTRUCTURE LOW SCORES IN CULTURE ‘Software’ areas hurt S’pore ranking in global city poll High scores for stability, infrastructure, but low on culture, environment By Jessica Lim  SINGAPORE scores highly in areas like infrastructure and stability, but does poorly when it comes to culture and living environment. That, at least, is the conclusion of a recent study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which ranked Singapore 53rd on a list of 140 cities worldwide for liveability. The Republic scored better than culture capitals New York and London – which lost out because of crumbling infrastructure – but lower than Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Tokyo and Osaka. The survey examined 30 factors in five categories: Stability, health care, culture and environment, education and infrastructure. Singapore’s overall score was 88.5 out of a maximum of 100. Hong Kong and Seoul did better, scoring 92 and 85.9 overall, respectively. The top-ranked city, Vancouver, scored 98, while Osaka, the top Asian city in the poll, scored 95.2. Harare in Zimbabwe was ranked the lowest. The Republic excelled in categories such as infrastructure and stability – scoring 100 and 95, respectively – but was dragged down by its score of 75.7 in the culture and environment category, which measures everything from the variety of quality concerts in the city to social restrictions such as censorship. The annual survey, which combines research from resident experts and The Economist’s analysts around the globe, is conducted by the magazine’s research arm. The results of the EIU survey mirror those of another annual study done recently, which ranked Singapore the 70th most-liveable country out of 194. That survey, conducted by the American magazine International Living, gave Singapore a failing grade in three out of nine categories: Climate, environment and freedom. The country excelled in the other areas, like infrastructure, which looks at factors including the length of railways and cellphones per capita. On a score of 0-100, International Living’s survey, which has been widely reported in US newspapers and elsewhere, gave Singapore a score of 39 for its climate and living environment – which includes factors such as average temperature and greenhouse emissions per capita – and 42 on the freedom scale, which measures areas such as civil liberties. International Living’s survey is compiled using government statistics, data from the World Health Organisation and the views of its editors around the globe. France topped the survey, while Singapore’s position put it alongside countries like Grenada (69) and Antigua and Barbuda (71). News of the surveys comes on the back of the high-powered Economic Strategies Committee’s suggestions last week that Singapore do more to develop ’software’, such as its art and cultural scene, to match its top-notch ‘hardware’ in order to become a top-notch global city. Some of its suggestions include better assistance for arts and creative businesses in places like Gillman Village, and encouraging greater sponsorship of the arts. Sociology experts and others were not surprised by the results, despite Singapore’s extensive efforts to focus on culture and lifestyle over the last few years. Said CIMB-GK Research’s regional economist Song Seng Wun: ‘Over the past 10 years, with infrastructure more or less in place, the Government has shifted its focus to the soft side like culture and freedom. ‘But these things take time. In the medium term, we will probably continue to score low in these areas… hopefully we will evolve.’ Dr Mika Toyota, an assistant professor of sociology at the National University of Singapore, said: ‘On the one hand, I think Singapore is interesting for foreigners to live in. There are great places to eat and cultural diversity, but at the same time, it is still developing in other ways, like the amount of space available for political discourse. ‘A good quality of life means satisfaction not just due to efficiency, but an enriching lifestyle as whole,’ she added. Some Singaporeans, however, simply shrugged when asked about areas like the environment. ‘We want a good transport system, iconic buildings, a beautiful skyline and places to relax and enjoy a drink,’ said insurance consultant Lim Sock Wee, 50. ‘Things like environmental issues are not a priority, and I won’t put emphasis on them.’ Air stewardess Tan Xiu Mei, 27, said she is more concerned about bread-and-butter issues, like food prices. Asked about freedoms, she said: ‘I don’t really have much to voice anyway.’ Others, like mother of three Annie Jee, who is in her 40s, said such ambivalence frustrates her. Noting that Singapore does not even have a battery recycling plant, she said: ‘We are a First World country, and we need to advance beyond just physical infrastructure.’ limjess@sph.com.sg No related posts. Tags: Current Economic News Related posts No related posts. Immigrants celebrate (ST 13 Feb) Feb 13, 2010 Immigrants celebrate Some 50,000 immigrants from different provinces in China now call Singapore home. How do they celebrate Chinese New Year here? Have they adapted to local customs or transplanted traditions from their homeland? By Cai Haoxiang Ms Li Yanan (back row, fourth from left), with her staff and their families, watching CCTV’s Spring Festival gala show last Chinese New Year’s Eve at her flat in Tampines. — PHOTO: COURTESY OF LI YANAN   JUST before the clock strikes 12 tonight, all eyes will be on a pile of more than 100 freshly cooked dumplings, or jiao zi, in the home of beauty and hair school owner Li Yanan. As the Tiger year roars in amid the merry crackling sounds of an electronic firecracker, the guests – who include her 20 employees and their children – will reach out for the goodies spontaneously. But they will not be wolfing them down. Instead they will chew slowly and carefully, for hidden within the fillings of selected dumplings are Singapore coins – 10 cents, 20 cents and a dollar. Whoever bites into a coin will be greeted by a chorus of Gong Xi Fa Cai greetings from the happy, boisterous crowd. Whoever gets the dollar coin will be hailed as the luckiest. Dumplings symbolise wealth as they resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots. Strange as it may seem to Chinese Singaporeans, this is one Chinese New Year tradition that Ms Li, 40, has transplanted from her native city of Harbin, in wintry Heilongjiang province in north-east China, to sunny Singapore. ‘Children, in order to find the coins, will eat as many as they can. Some people go through more than 10 dumplings without finding even one,’ she says with a chuckle. Ms Li came from China in 2002 and started her school, Sicta, in the Bugis district in 2003. She became a Singapore citizen in 2008. Many of her employees, who train hairdressers and beauticians, are women from different parts of China – such as Guangzhou and Hunan provinces in the south and Liaoning province in the north-east. ‘As they are here on their own and will be lonely during this period, I try to give them a feel of Singapore’s festive atmosphere and get them to ru siang sui su (adapt to local customs and traditions),’ she says in her crisp, clear Mandarin. Since she started the school, the amiable woman with perfectly coiffured hair has been inviting her employees to her four-room HDB flat in Tampines every Chinese New Year’s Eve. They will go there in the morning to help prepare the food and decorate her home, pasting chun lian (Chinese couplets written on red paper) and setting up a figurine of Cai Shen Ye, the Chinese god of prosperity. At six in the evening, the reunion dinner will begin with the typically Singapore Chinese tradition of tossing yu sheng, or raw fish salad, which is unheard of in China. They will drink bai jiu, a potent Chinese rice wine, along with beer, wine and other types of liquor, and talk about the year that is about to end. Some women will reminisce about how they celebrate the spring festival, or chun jie, back home, and share their feelings about the families they left behind. Others will clear the air over misunderstandings of the past year to avoid any negative feelings from spilling over to the new year. At 8pm, they will crowd around Ms Li’s 42-inch television set to join hundreds of millions of Chinese all over China to observe a ubiquitous Chinese New Year tradition: watching China Central Television’s (CCTV) annual Spring Festival gala show. Since it was launched in 1982, the show has become China’s undisputed No.1 media and social event. It is a four-hour showcase of the best of Chinese talent, featuring an extravaganza of songs, dances and comedy skits. The show is deeply ingrained into Chinese society as an inseparable part of the Chinese New Year. All over Singapore, many of the estimated 50,000 Chinese immigrants will gather to watch the show, streamed live on cable TV. For Ms Li’s gathering, the party has barely begun. The guests will eat gua zi (melon seeds) and peanuts while enjoying the show. People will start to sing and dance. At 11pm, the group will start wrapping the dumplings. As the New Year approaches, the countdown begins: ‘Five, four, three, two, one…’ At the stroke of midnight, someone will run to the electronic firecracker in the house and ’set’ it off to ward off evil spirits. Then the dumplings are eaten and the coins coughed out. The party continues late into the night with mahjong games. Ms Li’s convivial get-together is an example of how new Chinese immigrants celebrate their New Year here. Far away from their families, they seek the familiarity of friends, bringing to mind the Chinese saying yuan qin bu ru jin lin (close neighbours are better than faraway relatives when help is needed). Instead of ushering in the New Year with family members and relatives, they mark the occasion with colleagues, classmates, business contacts – and even their children’s classmates, and school principals and teachers. As Mr Tony Du, 54, president of new immigrant association Tian Fu Club, puts it: ‘When I was in Sichuan, New Year celebrations revolved around the family. Now, my gathering is made up of friends from my various circles here. This is an effective form of integration.’ Lack of festive spirit MANY new immigrants have adapted to Singaporean customs like yu sheng, local food and Chinatown visits. But some cannot help feeling that the festival here somehow lacks the warmth and intensity found in China. The cultural origins of the festival may be the same for Singapore and China with everyone wishing for prosperity but the ways of expressing the festival’s philosophy differ, says Mr Zhu Ning, 45, owner of a company which provides cultural education for schools. If the festivities appear lacking in spirit, he thinks it is largely because of the absence of firecrackers, which he argues are necessary to bring prosperity and chase away evil spirits. Mr Zhu, who is from Jiangsu province, notes that there seems to be a richer gift-giving culture in China. People give one another cigarettes, alcohol, health supplements and large sums of money in red packets. People also paste chun lian everywhere, even in bedrooms, but this does not seem to be the custom here, he notes. When it comes to food, the Chinese go overboard, he relates. In Singapore, there might be 10 to 12 courses in a typical restaurant meal. But in China, an 18-course meal is the minimum, with 30-course meals not out of the ordinary. ‘The host will be embarrassed if people finish his food,’ he says. Business consultant Zhang Jizhong, 40, would love to recreate some of the Chinese New Year customs from his hometown in Singapore. But it is just not possible or practical. Mr Zhang hails from Baotou city in Inner Mongolia where, every Chinese New Year’s Eve, each family would build a coal or wood bonfire outside their home in a custom known as dui wang huo (making a roaring fire). The fire would burn for three days and nights. Replicating this tradition here is out of the question as he lives in an HDB flat. Just as inconceivable would be the New Year custom of riding a horse in a colourful costume to visit one family after another. After bowing to his elders and being invited for drinks, Mr Zhang says, there will be songs, dances and horse races. Boiled mutton, or shou ba rou, an Inner Mongolian delicacy, will be served. For some new immigrants, the memories of Chinese New Year spent in China are indelible. As a youth in Sichuan, Mr Chen Ping, 52, recalls, he and 10 friends carried firecrackers, food and soft drinks to the top floor of his apartment, which was seven storeys high. There were no extremely tall buildings then, and he could see Mianyang city in its entirety, says the owner of companies that deal in publishing and printing, and health supplements. When midnight struck, he saw firecrackers going off simultaneously everywhere. The night scene was very beautiful, he remembers. ‘I cannot forget that moment as long as I live.’ Mr Chen came to Singapore in 1993, becoming a Singapore citizen in 2006. He, his wife and their 23-year-old son have since adopted a local custom. ‘The year I arrived, a Singaporean friend took us to Shuang Lin Monastery in Toa Payoh. Every year since, we’ve gone there to burn incense in the early hours of the new year. We take other friends there now.’ haoxiang@sph.com.sg No related posts. Tags: Foreign workers Related posts No related posts. The Top Paying 100 Jobs in Singapore (Salary.sg) This is the 2008 edition of my annual list of the top 100 jobs in terms of pay (see last year’s edition). This list is compiled based on data from MOM Occupational Wages Survey, which is published as part of the Report on Wages in Singapore 2007. As with previous years, the MOM survey does not capture performance bonuses, profit sharing and stock options. To generate the list, I looked at the third-quartile monthly gross wages of the selected jobs published. Explanation: if you’re at the third-quartile, or 75th-percentile, your pay is higher than 75% of the people. Here’s the top 100 best-paying jobs: Specialised surgeon – $30,755 Managing director – $24,472 General surgeon – $17,872 Commodities futures broker – $17,464 General manager – $16,667 Company director – $15,513 Creative director (Advertising) – $13,000 Legal service manager – $12,318 Foreign exchange dealer and broker – $11,095 Operations manager (Finance) – $9,808 Legal officer – $9,790 Risk management manager – $9,600 Research and development manager – $9,385 Computer operations and network manager – $9,300 Training manager – $9,000 Computer and information systems manager – $8,930 Ship-master – $8,671 Technical manager – $8,595 Financial futures dealer and broker – $8,447 Personnel / Human resource manager – $8,420 Business development manager – $8,290 Corporate planning manager – $8,290 Fund manager – $8,125 Treasury manager – $8,079 Budgeting and financial accounting manager – $8,000 Marketing manager – $8,000 Power generation and distribution engineer – $7,848 Engineering manager – $7,819 Chemical engineer (Petroleum) – $7,678 Manufacturing plant and production manager – $7,645 Chemical engineer (Petrochemicals) – $7,547 Advertising and public relations manager – $7,533 Advocate and solicitor – $7,500 Operations research analyst – $7,500 Business management consultant – $7,437 Procurement manager – $7,416 Lawyer (except advocate and solicitor) – $7,400 Quality assurance manager – $7,263 Customer service manager – $7,142 Sales manager – $7,100 Logistics manager – $7,050 Operations manager (Commerce) – $6,862 Chemical engineering technician (Petroleum) – $6,696 Automation engineer – $6,680 Instrumentation engineer – $6,616 Book editor – $6,538 Surveyor – $6,523 Industrial health, safety and environment engineer – $6,503 Building architect – $6,500 Transport operations manager – $6,400 Editor (Newspapers and periodicals) – $6,369 Marine superintendent engineer – $6,340 Audio and video equipment engineer – $6,307 Premises maintenance manager – $6,304 Personal banker – $6,250 Chemist – $6,241 Electrical engineering technician (High voltage) – $6,225 Business analyst – $6,205 General physician – $6,173 Administration manager – $6,150 Financial analyst – $6,000 Securities dealer and broker – $5,750 Shipping manager – $5,721 Building and construction project manager – $5,720 Property / Estate manager – $5,715 Physicist – $5,700 Editor (Radio, television and video) – $5,658 Information technology security specialist – $5,646 Advertising copywriter – $5,600 Director (Stage, film, television and radio) – $5,512 Automotive engineer – $5,500 Naval architect – $5,480 Chemical engineering technician (Petrochemicals) – $5,424 Chinese physician – $5,316 Financial planner – $5,283 Aeronautical engineer – $5,242 Chemical engineer (General) – $5,187 Broadcasting operations technician – $5,178 Market research analyst – $5,174 Producer / Director of commercials – $5,150 Manufacturing engineer – $5,137 Systems programmer – $5,111 Actuary – $5,100 Production engineer – $5,091 Sales representative (Technicial) – $5,089 Database administrator – $5,080 Semi-conductor engineer – $5,035 Mechanical engineer – $5,000 Ship rigger – $4,933 Systems designer and analyst – $4,914 Network systems and data communication analyst – $4,894 Sales representative (Medical and pharmaceutical products) – $4,857 Flight operations officer – $4,801 Civil engineer – $4,746 Script writer – $4,740 Warehousing manager – $4,706 Materials engineer – $4,689 Electrical engineer – $4,665 Credit analyst – $4,631 Electronics engineer – $4,615 No related posts. 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