TOC migrating…. Hi everyone, If you’re looking for theonlinecitizen, well we have moved. Our new site is at http://theonlinecitizen.com. Please remember to change your bookmark and/or your RSS feed which can be obtained at the new blog. This site - http://theonlinecitizen.wordpress.com - will be left as it is and you can still view the content here. However, comments posting is [...] Reducing commuting time - national effort needed Tan Kin Lian Like most big cities, Singapore is getting over-crowded. It is easy to build highrise apartments and offices for a bigger population but the challenge is in transporting these people between their homes and workplaces and back. A denser population has led to congested roads, crowded trains and buses and long commuting time. Road [...] Survey on socio-political blogs by NTU student TOC would like to give our support to the following and we urge our readers to do so as well. A NTU Masters student is conducting an Internet survey on ”Internet Users’ Perceptions of Socio-Political Blog Credibility in Singapore”. The survey comprises 19 questions and will take approximately 10 minutes to complete. This survey will run throughout [...] Does Singapore deserve its press freedom ranking? Terence Lee In a 2008 survey by Freedom House, Singapore has shown no improvement in its freedom of the press, despite the maturing of online media as a medium to air alternative views. The latest results reveal nothing new: much has already been said about the deplorable state of press freedom in Singapore, ranked a lowly 153rd [...] Uniquely Singapore Uniquely Singapore The Unions, the Press, and the People - Part II CASE’s Relationship with NTUC Leong Sze Hian The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) founded the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) in 1971, and it remains an institution member today. (938 Live) (CASE’s letter to Business Times) According to NTUC’s web site: The NTUC Family includes 9 co-operatives, and [...] Give credit where credit is due, Andy Andrew Loh A recent public forum about youth concerns raised the issue of lowering the voting age to 18. ——— Perhaps a post-1965 Member of Parliament might initiate the debate to enfranchise these trustees of our posterity. - Andy Ho, Senior Writer, Straits Times, May 8, 2008, “If old enough for NS, why not the vote?” The above are quotes [...] The Unions, the Press and the People Leong Sze Hian & Choo Zheng Xi Let the people eat…detergent? Does the media’s reporting of detergent prices reveal a deeper conflict of interest that may harm the country? Once in awhile pearls of wisdom are found in The New Paper. Larry Havekamp a.k.a. Dr Money, in his financial column in The New Paper, likened statistics to bikinis: [...] Aljunied Town Council - Taking the easy way out? Leong Sze Hian & Andrew Loh All 14 town councils run by the People’s Action Party (PAP) will not be increasing their Service and Conservancy (S&C) charges this year. - Channel NewsAsia, “PAP town councils to freeze S&C charges this year” (February 28, 2008) Barely two and a half months later, on May 5 2008, this is what [...] The truth about life insurance Tan Kin Lian Many people buy life insurance to provide financial security to their family. If premature death occurs, the policy provides a cash sum to take care of the future financial needs of the family. Insurance agents are drilled into thinking that they play a “noble” role in safeguarding the future of many families. This is [...] Waiting for Godot Farquhar Waiting for Godot Farquhar comes earlier this week and takes a look at the state of the opposition parties on the second anniversary of Polling Day – May 6 2006. The Opposition is in danger of missing the chance to build on its gains of 2006 Both Acts of Beckett’s play “Waiting for Godot” end in the same [...] Home Affairs Minister’s explanation on terrorist escape Latest from the Straits Times: Mas Selamat has fled to Indonesia: The Star. SINGAPORE‘S most wanted terror fugitive, Mas Selamat Kestari, who had worked with Malaysian Jemaah Islamiah members to carry out terrorist activities at one time, is believed to have fled for Indonesia. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng on the [...] Breaking News: INTERPOL issues global alert for suspected terror leader From INTERPOL’s website. An urgent worldwide security alert, or Orange Notice, has been issued by INTERPOL after the escape of an alleged leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group from a jail in Singapore. Mas Selamat bin Kastari escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre on Wednesday 27 February where he was being held following his [...] Why a lapse of four hours before public was notified? This is a letter by student Lee Weijia sent to the Straits Times Forum Page. TOC thanks Weijia for allowing us to publish it here. Dear Sir, The escape of Mas Selamat, and the subsequent response to the escape, has raised many queries. However, I would just like to touch on one sore point that struck me [...] Bloggers’ reaction to JI leader’s escape   Unfortunately Singapore - JI Detainee Escapes: State Not Intrusive Enough? “Minister Wong sure has some explaining to do. First of which is how a limping middle-aged man could escape from an ISD run facility?” Pleinelune - Great, Now They’ll Start Checking My Shoes “Do us all a favour, Selamat Kastari (what kind of a name is that, some [...] “Limping Terorist” escapes - 10 questions for Wong Kan Seng Channel NewsAsia (CNA): “Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng has cited a lapse in security at the Whitley Detention Centre on Wednesday as the cause for the escape of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) member Mas Selamat Kastari.” 1. Given that Mas Selamat Kastari was considered Singapore’s number one most wanted, how did such a “lapse” occur? “Mas Selamat had [...] Government fees freeze doesn’t address real concerns By Andrew Loh It is interesting to note that the Finance Minister announced the extension of the freeze on government fees and charges only on the third day of the Budget debate – after criticisms of it not doing enough to alleviate Singaporeans’ concerns about inflation. According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), “the one-year freeze on government fees, [...] Bitter medicine prescription - with a little spin thrown in Breaking News: Feb 27: Freeze on government fees extended till end of 2008. The one-year freeze on government fees which kicked in last July will be extended till the end of 2008. This will include fees charged on all government-provided services such as school fees, ITE and polytechnic fees, charges in public car parks, and [...] CPF Life - does it really address retirement needs? By Leong Sze Hian I refer to the article “Income that stretches a lifetime, under new scheme” (BT, Feb 13). Under the old CPF system, a minimum sum (MS) of $ 67,000 at age 55, at the old guaranteed interest rate of 4 per cent, can provide a monthly payout of $ 600, from age 65 to [...] Homeless soon, thanks to HDB By Selene Cheng 6.5 million people. That is the projected number of people our government believes Singapore can accommodate. Already, 80% of the population lives in subsidised housing, and with the development of estates in Sengkang and Punggol, no one will have to be a vagrant. No one will have to sleep under the void deck [...] Reflections on Budget 2008 By Eric Tan Heng Chong My parents taught me to be gracious when you receive a gift, and not to scrutinise it. This year Singaporeans received a ‘gift’ in the form of the Budget. There are many good things about the Budget for both individuals and corporations. But despite what my parents taught me, I cannot [...] Knowledge-based economy needs more Uni education financing By Gerald Giam FINANCE Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced in his 2008 Budget Speech that the Government will increase the CDC/CCC-University Bursaries for students from the lowest 20 percent of households from $1,000 to $1,600. This is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, the increase is probably not enough to cover the 7 to 20 percent [...] 5 Minutes With… Leong Sze Hian on the budget With reference to the Straits Times report – Hongbao Budget. Straits Times: SINGAPOREANS received a $1.8 billion surplus-sharing hong bao from Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam yesterday. TOC: The Straits Times also reported a total surplus of $6.45 billion. Is it true that it is a ‘surplus’? How did this ‘surplus’ come about? Was not the government earlier [...] Budget Speech 2008 This is an extract from the Budget Speech by Minister of Finance, Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Enhancing Financial Security in Retirement This year, we are moving on four further initiatives to help ensure adequate savings for retirement. Voluntary Savings Firstly, we will encourage Singaporeans to voluntarily put aside more savings whenever they can. We will make it easier for Singaporeans [...] A CASE of double standards? By Andrew Loh Every year, on March 15, consumer rights group around the world mark World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) with celebration – and protests. WCRD is an annual day for celebration and solidarity in the international consumer movement. It is a day “for promoting the basic rights of all consumers, for demanding that those rights are respected [...] Uniquely Singapore – F1 or F9: Income statistics? By Leong Sze Hian I refer to the article “Economic growth key to dealing with rising costs: PM: He says incomes must rise more than inflation, and growth means more income” (ST, Feb 9). It states that “Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reiterated that while measures can be taken to deal with rising living costs, the way [...] Uniquely Singapore – F1 or F9: Income statistics? By Leong Sze Hian I refer to the article “Economic growth key to dealing with rising costs: PM: He says incomes must rise more than inflation, and growth means more income” (ST, Feb 9). It states that “Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong reiterated that while measures can be taken to deal with rising living costs, the way [...] Breaking News: Malaysia PM calls for general elections Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has dissolved Parliament, paving the way for national polls to be held in Malaysia. The polls must be held within 60 days of Parliament’s dissolution. Read Reuters’ report. ———– Breaking News: Malaysia PM calls for general elections Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has dissolved Parliament, paving the way for national polls to be held in Malaysia. The polls must be held within 60 days of Parliament’s dissolution. Read Reuters’ report. ———– Separating fact from fiction - Addressing the allegations against theonlinecitizen Theonlinecitizen (TOC) would like to address certain allegations which have been expressed against TOC in recent weeks. Addressing the allegations (highlighted in bold font): One: TOC is an anti-establishment, anti-PAP, anti-govt blog/website. TOC is not an anti-establishment, anti-PAP, anti govt blog/website. Neither is TOC a pro-government, pro-PAP, pro-establishment blog/website. TOC endeavours to be a community of Singaporeans who care [...] Separating fact from fiction - Addressing the allegations against theonlinecitizen Theonlinecitizen (TOC) would like to address certain allegations which have been expressed against TOC in recent weeks. Addressing the allegations (highlighted in bold font): One: TOC is an anti-establishment, anti-PAP, anti-govt blog/website. TOC is not an anti-establishment, anti-PAP, anti govt blog/website. Neither is TOC a pro-government, pro-PAP, pro-establishment blog/website. TOC endeavours to be a community of Singaporeans who care [...]