Home » Archive for September, 2009
Archive for September, 2009
Analysing Temasek Holdings’ Review: Does portfolio value mean anything?
Sep. 30 | Two different headlines in the Straits Times, one day apart. (See below) Gangasudhan Temasek Holdings released its annual report on 17th September 2009 which was duly highlighted in the best possible light with a bold header of ‘Temasek Rebounds’...
Reform Party man wanted by US
Sep. 30 | Straits Times 29 September 2009. By Elena Chong. Former Reform Party committee member Balraj Naidu made a brief court appearance on Tuesday for an extradition hearing which was adjourned until next Monday. The businessman was arrested at his home last...
Nineteen mainstream dams are stacked back to back
Sep. 30 | Sunny Tan >> TOC International Mr Konethong Phounikhom, a senior civil servant of the Laotian Government told Vientiane Times (July 16 2009) that the planned hydropower projects along the Mekong River would not have negative impact. He is the Chief...
Parents suing their children?
Sep. 29 | Leong Sze Hian I refer to the media report “172 file for parent maintenance in last 12 months” (CNA, Aug 19) about the increase in applications to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents (TMP) by more than 70 per cent to 172 in the previous 12...
GIC had anticipated crisis, says chairman
Sep. 29 | We had anticipated the crisis and taken precautionary action which mitigated losses in the ensuing bear markets. GIC Chairman, Tony Tan
Handicapped resident applies for aid with MP but faces difficulties
Sep. 28 | “Happy Angel” interviews a resident who is seeking help – such as applying for food vouchers – from his MP and other government departments. In this video, the resident explains the difficulty he faces when doing so. “Happy Angel”...
I survived the Red Storm in Sydney
Sep. 28 | Gilbert Goh / Sydney, Australia I experienced the mother of all storms in Sydney last week when I woke up to a cold and dusty morning completely darkened by a reddish dull cloud of dust. It looked like Sydney was on fire! (right: Sydney Opera House...
Paid $68 but only could hear engines roar
Sep. 28 | Like many others, I didn’t mind having to stand and watch the race, unlike holders of grandstand tickets. But imagine my disappointment when I realised I could not see the cars at all – I could only hear the engines roar. I know I did not...
TOC Special Feature: Is Singapore really slum-free?
Sep. 27 | Location, location, location. Is that the only problem we have when it comes to housing for foreign workers? In Part One of this Special Feature, Stephanie Chok argues that the real ‘housing problem’ is the substandard living conditions thousands...
Kenneth Jeyaretnam’s speech
Sep. 27 | Video of Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam’s speech at the Reform Party’s 1st anniversary dinner. The video is by Kenneth’s son, Jared Jeyaretnam. Read the full text of Mr Jeyaretnam’s speech here.
Dirty money in Singapore – perception or reality?
Sep. 27 | From the blog, Singapore Uncle trader: On the topic of dirty money, a rather disturbing series of stories kept cropping up about Singapore’s close ties with the Myanmar junta. Back in October 2007, Singapore’s PM denied accusations that it is a money-laundering...
He is a former hedge fund manager…
Sep. 27 | Donaldson Tan / Deputy Editor Headed by the Cambridge-trained economist Kenneth Jeyaretnam, the Reform Party has been a breath of fresh air in the local political scene. This is the first time in many years that a Singaporean senior opposition politician...
Asian universities court students nearby
Sep. 27 | The following is an excerpt from The New York Times. Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong all want to attract thousands more international students. Malaysia wants 100,000 foreign students by the next academic year, compared with the current 71,000. Singapore...
Ris Low step down?
Sep. 26 | Singaporeans did not pay for her. The Straits Times, quoting an employee of ERM Marketing, on whether the winner of Ms World Singapore pageant, Ms Ris Low, would step down. ERM Marketing is the organizer of the pageant.
Ris Low
Sep. 26 | Ris Low, winner of Ms World Singapore 2009. “If I’m feeling naughty then I’ll wear something rat”, did she say?
A show of unity
Sep. 26 | Terence Lee / Pictures by Wallace Woon / Headline picture by Rachel Zeng. EAGER photographers snapped away as leaders from the various opposition parties in Singapore stood together on stage in a display of unity. It was all ceremonial – Kenneth Jeyaretnam,...
Change will not happen if we wait for some other person or some other time
Sep. 26 | Kenneth Jeyaretnam Kenneth Jeyaretnam is the Secretary-General of the Reform Party (RP). He delivered this speech last night at RP’s 1st Anniversary Dinner. Good Evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. I would like to extend a warm welcome to you, on this...
Asia Snapshot: 18 – 24 September 2009
Sep. 26 | A weekly snapshot of the latest development in Asia, brought to you by the TOC International Team. Southeast Asia 01) 81-yr-old Thai King Hospitalised Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Sunday that doctors at Siriraj Hospital said the king’s...
Straits Times’ perplexing definition of ‘netizens’
Sep. 25 | Gangasudhan The Straits Times (ST) seems to think netizens are only those who comment on the ST’s discussion boards. Following up on the now-infamous Ris Low ‘scandal’, the Straits Times ran a story today with the headline Netizens slam Ris...
The unsustainable Singapore model: a rejoinder
Sep. 25 | CY A reader responds to Ian Choo’s article “The unsustainable Singapore model’. The “Singapore Model” is a remarkable one in many aspects, that it is now a textbook case of development. There are concerns however, regarding...
The Saffron Revolution, ceasefire agreements and political prisoners
Sep. 25 | John Moe Today is the 2nd Anniversary of the Saffron Revolution. John Moe, a Burmese pro-democracy activist who was expelled from Singapore, reflects on the Saffron Revolution. “Free from torture of a person by another person, with our metta (benevolence)...
Remembering the Saffron Revolution
Sep. 25 | 2 years ago, the monks of Burma led half a million people in peaceful protests around the country, proclaiming to the military regime that peace and freedom must be finally restored to the people. The generals’ response to the non-violent calls...
The courage – and love – of a little girl for her younger brother and sister
Sep. 24 | This is a heartbreaking video – but yet one which teaches us the power of love. (Original source)
Gayle Goh : Open our minds & accept new immigrants, if we’re concerned about our future
Sep. 24 | Gayle Goh’s article from BlogTV: Singaporeans have often been accused of not having a heart for home. The identity angst of our young nation-state has manifested itself variously in aspects such as high emigration statistics and cultural dialogue. “Singapore...
Strangers in our own land
Sep. 24 | I do not want to sound alarmist but a recurring nightmare of mine is that someday we will find ourselves strangers in our own land. Former senior civil servant, Ngiam Tong Dow (Straits Times, 24 Sept)
JBJ’s interview with FEER
Sep. 23 | Mr JB Jeyaretnam passed away on 30 September 2008. The following is an interview he gave to the Far Eastern Economic Review before his death. In it, he speaks of the Workers’ Party which he agreed is a “docile” party, Singaporeans’...
On tolerance, sedition and forgiveness
Sep. 23 | Alfian Sa’at To many Muslims, Hari Raya Aidilfitri, a day of celebration after a month of fasting, represents a moment of renewal. When I was a child, I had always assumed that it falls on the first day of the Muslim New Year, when in fact it is the...
I did not appoint my son as PM, says MM Lee
Sep. 23 | I did not appoint my son, I appointed somebody else (as) prime minister, who was my successor, and he stayed in the job for 14 years, and he chose my son to be his deputy. I did not arrange that. MM Lee Kuan Yew
The unsustainable Singapore model
Sep. 23 | Ian Choo There has been much talk about the “Singapore Model”. The West has long equated economic development with the free market ideology and liberal democracy. To the West, the “Singapore model” is characterised by the unorthodox...
Number of comments on TOC surpasses 100,000
Sep. 23 | The total number of comments posted on The Online Citizen since we went online in December 2006 has breached the 100,000 mark. Today, 23 September 2009, 9am, the number of comments on TOC currently stands at 100,026. (These do not include spam comments.) This...
In S’pore, raping your wife is not rape
Sep. 23 | Update: TOC responds to Thio Li-Ann’s criticisms. In Singapore, raping your wife is not treated as rape in most cases. But it should be. Rape is rape is rape. An extreme form of violence and violation. Rape of a woman by her husband should be treated...
Why ban only local film?
Sep. 22 | Banning a locally-made film that is no more than an interview with a former political detainee while not gazetting films like Fitna under the same law creates the impression that the Government is more preoccupied with censoring their own artists than...
The future of discontent
Sep. 22 | Harrison Goh / Guest Writer SINGAPORE may have reached the end point of its involvement in the global manufacturing market with the impending departure of Seagate’s plant. While this is not unexpected, it spells a deepening crisis that most Singaporeans...
Winning the hearts and minds of orphans
Sep. 22 | Breaking News: Another prominent news publication ends up on the chopping block: Dow Jones to close Far Eastern Economic Review in December — Straits Times Khairulanwar Zaini In forking out $10 million to ‘promote integration between immigrants...
Latest: TOC responds to Thio Li-Ann’s criticisms
Sep. 22 | IN HER speech at the Breakfast Media forum, Prof Thio Li-Ann made references to The Online Citizen and how some of its contents promote “confusion” instead of rational debate. When The Online Citizen asked her to point out what she was referring...
Libel Law silences Scientists
Sep. 21 | Richard Dawkins Richard Dawkins recently spoke at the Liberal Democrat Conference 2009 in Bournemouth, UK. He is the author of the book “The God Delusion” and the Professor of the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. This...
Lessen dependence on foreign labour
Sep. 21 | Gilbert Goh It must be tough for the authorities to figure out a sustainable manpower deployment strategy when it comes to the complex issue of aiding local businesses to make profits through the hiring of foreign workers. Not only is this a time bomb...
Did S’pore authorities drug Mas Selamat?
Sep. 21 | Mr Sipaun said Mas Selamat also claimed he had been drugged while he was in detention in Singapore. He said he did not feel normal most of the time and was always dizzy. Straits Times
“You are hereby permitted to remain in Singapore…”
Sep. 20 | Andrew Loh Bangladeshi worker asked by Manpower Ministry to remain in S’pore to help with investigations ends up waiting for four years. The number of foreign workers who faced salary disputes with their employers rose to more than 3,000 in 2008. This...
Annual fees too high in Special Needs Trust Fund
Sep. 20 | This letter was first published at TODAYonline Leong Sze Hian Starting September 2009, parents of intellectually disabled children can set up a trust for their children, with the newly formed Special Needs Trust Company. The projected return on trust...
Checkup for U.S. Banks
Sep. 20 | The following article is from Knowledge@Wharton At first glance, U.S. banks look like they’re getting healthier. Many of the biggest have repaid government bailout money, some are reporting solid profits and the government is winding down...
National Day congratulatory messages
Sep. 19 | Greetings: TOC wishes all our Muslim readers Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri! Leong Sze Hian Every year in August, in the weeks following National Day, there is an extraordinary spate of self-congratulatory advertisements in the national newspapers...
Social cost of being too money-minded
Sep. 19 | I am resigned to the fact that I cannot plan financially for a family. I am 33 years old and if I had a son now, I would have to bear his expenses and the cost of education until he was 24 (including NS), and I would be 57. I am certain working life...
A romance writer jabs at Singapore’s patriarchs
Sep. 19 | The following is an excerpt from The New York Times. The dress is called a cheongsam, and the woman wearing it is Catherine Lim, 67, arguably the most vivid personality in strait-laced Singapore and, when she is not writing witty romantic novels or...
Requiem for a dream
Sep. 19 | KJ PM Lee Hsien Loong’s call on young Singaporeans to ‘dare to dream’ is revealing in itself. Against the reality of Singapore, it sounds almost like a taunt: perchance to dream, but only if you dare. I was a schoolteacher for a time. The hours...
Have your views of the political parties changed in the last 3 years?
Sep. 19 | Andrew Loh Picture by Alex Au, Yawning Bread On 6 May 2006, Singaporeans went to the polls to vote a new government. The results? The People’s Action Party was returned to power by a majority of 66.6 per cent of the vote. 1.2 million Singaporeans...
Disillusioned with trying to purchase a HDB flat
Sep. 19 | The following is a comment by one of our readers in response to an earlier post on TOC, “HDB flats – “affordability will always be there”, says Mah.” We publish it here without edits. Disillusion A few years ago, just 4 month shy of my 35th...
2100 by 2010: Burma’s forgotten political prisoners
Sep. 18 | Human Rights Watch is pressing for the release of some 2,100 political prisoners in Burma by 2010. To learn more or take action: http://www.hrw.org/free-burmas-prisoners
