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 [...] TOC Message The editors and writers of theonlinecitizen would like to extend our condolences to the families of those who have perished as a result of the devastating cylone which has hit Burma. We would also like to extend an offer of help to our Burmese friends in Singapore. Please do let us know if TOC can be [...] Former CEO of NTUC Income calls for “collective protest” Former Chief Executive of NTUC Income, Mr Tan Kin Lian, is calling for a “collective protest” against Income’s “bonus cut”. In his blog posting, Tan says that he “will be asking a lawyer to organise policyholders who wish to submit a collective protest against the bonus cut. This will be sent to the board of directors [...] Singaporean activists mark World Press Freedom Day 2008 To mark World Press Freedom Day 2008, a group of Singaporean independent activists held a demonstration outside the Singapore Press Holdings’ News Centre building on May 3. Below is the group’s message explaining the purpose of their demonstration. WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2008 Today is World Press Freedom Day: an opportunity to reflect upon the principles of press [...] A brief message from TOC Dear everyone, We are featuring four articles and a video this weekend. To allow our readers easy access to them, here is a summary: Singaporean activists mark World Press Freedom Day 2008 To mark World Press Freedom Day 2008, a group of Singaporean independent activists held a demonstration outside the Singapore Press Holdings’ News Centre building on May [...] Youths call for right to vote at Youthquake forum Selene Cheng “The power of Parliament comes from the people, and the power of the people comes from our right to vote.” The Workers’ Party Youth Wing (YPYW) launched its inaugural YouthQuake forum series today on the topic “Should Singaporean Youths be Allowed to Vote at 18?” The public forum, targeted at youths, took place at the [...] James Gomez gives TOC exclusive update James Gomez, an opposition candidate in the general elections in 2006, is in Singapore currently. TOC met up with him and asked him what he’s been up to. Here is a short video. ———— Homophobia Part 2: Under attack from the police Ng Yi-Sheng In my last article, I mentioned that two things had happened recently that made me shocked and angry at the Singapore government. The first was MDA’s imposition of a fine on Mediacorp for showing a wholesome gay family on TV, a case credibly reported by official news sources. The second is a rather more [...] Homophobia Part 1: The MDA censors the family Ng Yi-Sheng Homophobia is against Singaporean values. If I learned anything from all those years of National Day Parades and Hao Gong Ming textbooks, it’s that we’re supposed to value diversity, to respect each other’s differences. The fact that we’ve managed to do this is what’s made me proud to be from this country: because no [...] 5 Minutes With… Leong Sze Hian on NTUC discounts TOC spends 5 minutes with Leong Sze Hian and asks him for his views on the issue of NTUC FairPrice’s discount vouchers for needy Singaporeans. (Reference: Straits Times report – “FairPrice extends 5% discount to end-July”.) TOC: In the Straits Times report – referenced above - NTUC Chief Lim Swee Say announced that NTUC Fairprice will [...] SDP’s May Day mesage The following is the Singapore Democratic Party’s May Day message received by theonlinecitizen on May 2. Gandhi Ambalam, Chairman, Singapore Democratic Party Friends and fellow Singaporeans, May Day is an annual event to honor the workers of the world. In Singapore, it is only appropriate that our workers, who hold up our economy, are honored and have their [...] Farquhar Farquhar Rice, Rice Everywhere Poorer Singaporeans get left behind in affluent Singapore It was the curse of Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner to wander the high seas, tormented by the sight of water everywhere, yet finding himself unable to quench his aching thirst. The analogy of want even amidst a situation of plenty would be familiar to not so well-off Singaporeans, [...] Should Singaporean youths be allowed to vote at 18? The Youth Wing of The Workers’ Party will be holding a public discussion forum on the issue of lowering the voting age to 18 this Saturday, May 3. (See details below.) Titled, “YouthQuake – Should Singaporean Youths Be Allowed To Vote At 18?”, it “seeks to educate, empower, and unite young people to bring youth-centric issues [...] Islam in Singapore : Where to from here ? Syed Alwi Singapore is an anomalous red dot in a green sea, being composed of mainly non-Muslim Chinese in a neighbourhood that is largely Malay-Muslim. Within this already sensitive geopolitical setup is the Muslim community in Singapore, a minority within a society that is itself a minority. In today’s post 9-11 world, Islam has become headline [...] Auditor General’s Report - Millions Missing TOC Exclusive The original Auditor General Office’s (AGO) audit of 12 Ministries and associated statutory boards has revealed irregularities to an extent not fully revealed by the recent Public Accounts Committee (PAC). According to the AGO, losses of public monies added up to $6.2 million, a substantial amount of which is still unaccounted for. [...] Report of the Public Accounts Committee The Public Accounts Committee comprises a group of Members of Parliament and acts like the “Audit Committee” of the Government. It considers the Auditor-General’s Report, and examines the Government Financial Statements and other accounts which are presented to the Parliament. The Auditor-General attends the meetings of the Committee and helps to clarify matters reported in [...] Singapore-Indonesian treaties: Is the light at the end of the tunnel a train? By Gerald Giam Indonesia has been seeking an Extradition Treaty (ET) with Singapore for the past 34 years. However, since the 1997-98 Asian Financial Crisis this issue has risen to the top of Indonesia’s foreign policy agenda with Singapore. During the crisis, it is believed that many corrupt Indonesian businessmen absconded to Singapore with millions of [...] Foreign Talent policy: of principle and practice By Choo Zheng Xi The government’s defense of its foreign talent policy follows a familiar pattern. The government rolls out a policy and frames it within unobjectionable truisms that few can disagree with. In the foreign talent debate, the truisms are ‘cosmopolitanism’ and the need for ‘healthy competition’. When challenged on the specific implementation of its [...] The Work Holiday Programme: an undergraduate’s concern By Ned Stark Singapore’s open door policy rolls on. The government’s stated goal is to bring Singapore’s population up to the 6.5 million mark. Unless we drastically increase our birth statistics, it is clear that many of these 6.5 million residents will be made up of foreigners. Minister of Manpower Dr Ng Eng Hen’s recently announced [...] UNSW closure - some tough questions By Choo Zheng Xi A friend of mine (let’s call him James) made the decision a few months ago to enroll in the University of New South Wales (UNSW) campus in Singapore. He had taken a gamble and given up his place in NUS’ Business faculty for a chance to be part of an internationally renowned [...] The Byzantine oracle on the PAP By Ned Stark As a fan of history I subscribe to the view that “history repeats itself” (this post is spurred by LCC’s comment on Aaron Ng’s blog.) A prominent American academic (I believe it was Samuel Huntington) had said: “The democratic system implemented by Lee Teng Hui will live on after him, but that built by [...] Singapore’s healthcare system - uniquely Singapore? (Part 2) This is part 2 of a 3-part focus on healthcare in Singapore. Part 1 can be viewed here. By Leong Sze Hian F4.April 2007 - FEES COMPETITION: In April 2005, 22 clinics that were willing to charge the same $8 fee as polyclinics were told by the Singapore Medical Association (SMA) that they could not list this [...] JBJ to set up “The Reform Party” (Report) Video of the press conference is at the end of this article. Recently discharged from bankruptcy, former Workers’ Party chief JB Jeyaretnam announced that he is registering a new political party. Wearing a polo shirt with the words “The Truth Will Set You Free”, Mr Jeyaretnam fired off a list of issues which he wants [...] JBJ’s Return To Politics: Method In The Madness? (Commentary) By Choo Zheng Xi Before JB Jeyaretnam’s press conference today, there was much speculation in opposition circles about his political future. It was widely rumored that the veteran politician was ready to throw in the towel. At the age of 81, he has contested a total of 8 elections and has established himself as one of [...] JB Jeyaretnam to form new political party Mr JB Jeyaretnam announced at his press conference held this morning (Sunday, May 20, 2007), that he is forming a new political party. Tentatively called The Reform Party, Mr Jeyaretnam revealed that he has the required number of members to register the party. Two members of the new party were there at the press conference [...]