TOC News » Commentaries

An Open Letter for Hougang residents, from a fellow Singaporean

May. 24 | ~ By George Tan ~ On 26 May 2012, you have the power to create history by giving the Workers’ Party and the Opposition Movement in Singapore, the highest ever votes (make it at least 95% in favor of WP) in the Hougang By-Election. You...

Majority of Singaporeans will not be directly affected by inflation. Who do we believe?

May. 19 | By Jen - Inflation Some of us know the difference between truth and half truth and the meaning of “spin” which is why we read carefully between the lines when it comes to news related to politics. For the uninitiated, spin is defined by Wikipedia...

Politics not your cup of Starbucks?

May. 11 | By Victoria - I wrote this article for the purposes of putting my thoughts about Singapore’s future (and in turn mine) into words. I’m not writing to tell you to vote for one party or another, but to hopefully make one or two youths...

Regulations will not solve the problem of distrust

May. 5 | ~ By Shermon Ong ~ Recently, there has been much debate over the Code of Conduct (COC) proposed by the government, ostensibly something that will informally regulate the conduct of online discourse, especially political discourse. Socio-political...

Deconstructing democracy and freedom of speech

May. 1 | ~ By Ghui ~ With the possibility of a by-election looming and indeed after GE 2011, the twin concepts of freedom of speech and democracy have been hotly discussed. Many of the debates have been centred on the repercussions of a lack of democracy and its...

What is the point of an internet “Code of Conduct”?

Apr. 29 | ~ By Ng E Jay ~ I simply don’t see the logic or the point of trying to develop an internet “Code of Conduct”. How is anyone going to enforce such a code of conduct given the free-wheeling nature of the internet that knows...

Facebook and The Prime Minister

Apr. 29 | ~ By Dr Wong Wee Nam ~ Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong appears to be loosening up. He has just launched his official Facebook page and Twitter account. In launching the Facebook he wrote “The social media have changed the way we live, work and play,...

Royal Elephant Shoots Part II

Apr. 28 | ~ By Kenneth Jeyaretnam ~ Yesterday I wrote about the PAP government’s willingness to bail out the Eurozone with generous contributions to the IMF’s lending facility (here). Yet a US$4 billion loan (which represents more than US$1200...

Social disparity: Not a Piece of Cake

Apr. 27 | ~ By Elijah Pear ~ There is no doubt income disparity is escalating in Singapore. Debate about implementing a minimum wage law is becoming heated. Nonetheless I think we should take a step back to rethink our positions. First we should reflect on the...

TOC Editorial: Population Paper has the fundamentals wrong

Apr. 26 | ~ By TOC Editorial ~ So this is the new normal? Just when we thought our Government had heard the call of Singaporeans to moderate the flow of immigration, the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD), under the purview of Deputy Prime Minister...

Inflation up 5.2% for March

Apr. 24 | ~ By Kumaran Pillai ~ Inflation up in March 2012 due to higher COE prices and as leases continue to be renewed at a higher price. Below is a report from the Singapore Monetary Authority and Ministry of Trade and Industry: Singapore’s...

Worsening income inequality in Singapore

Apr. 24 | ~ By Wen Shan ~ This afternoon, I was at City Hall MRT waiting for a friend. Today, instead of the usual old lady in her 60s distributing Today papers, I saw this young lady who should be barely 16 or 17. There she was, wearing a Mediacorp polo shirt,...

Disparity for the sake of efficiency – is this the type of society we want?

Apr. 22 | ~ By Texas Hong ~ A cleaning lady works in the pantry of my office, doing simple chores. Let’s call her Lucy. Yesterday, she told me how she admired the design of my cup that I use in the office. Curiously, she wanted to know how much I bought it...

Malaysians vs Singaporeans – let’s get this over and done with!

Apr. 21 | ~ By Melissa Tee ~ I don’t know how many can relate to this experience of mine, but I am certain I am not the only one. As a Singaporean student studying overseas, I encounter a lot of other Malaysian students. As the Singaporean community is small...

Prof Lim Chong Yah’s proposals are timely and should be implemented

Apr. 19 | ~ By Ng E-Jay ~ Professor Lim Chong Yah, the Albert Winsemius Chair Professor of Economics at Nanyang Technological University and one of the key architects who helped overhaul Singapore’s economic system and wage system in the late 1970s, has spoken...

Prof Lim clarifies on Economic Restructuring II (ERII).

Apr. 18 | MEDIA RELEASE ~ By Professor Lim Chong Yah ~ I am honoured that my public lecture on ERII (also termed as shock therapy) has attracted the attention of so many concerned Singaporeans. At least two reservations should be explained by me to clear the...

What practice has taught me

Apr. 18 | ~ By Adrian Tan ~ I have been in practice for 20 years. My view of the law as a career? The pay is unremarkable. A junior lawyer’s income is the same as that of a fast-food restaurant manager, when hours worked are taken into account. ...

Does Singapore need Economic Restructuring II or another ‘Wage Revolution?’ Part 2

Apr. 18 | ~ By Prof Lim Chong Yah ~ Paper presented at the Economic Society of Singapore Distinguished Speaker Public Lecture Series on 9 April 2012 at the Orchard Hotel, Singapore. This is part 2 of Prof Lim's speech and part 1 can be found here. TOC...

Does Singapore need Economic Restructuring II or another ‘Wage Revolution?’ Part 1

Apr. 18 | ~ By Prof Lim Chong Yah ~ Paper presented at the Economic Society of Singapore Distinguished Speaker Public Lecture Series on 9 April 2012 at the Orchard Hotel, Singapore. This is Part 1 of Prof Lim's speech and Part 2 can be found here....

Measure outcomes not effort

Apr. 11 | ~ By Leon Perera ~ The current national moment of urgency in solving social problems is welcome and long-overdue. In Budget 2012 and the 2011 General Elections, no question loomed larger. But whether it is about retirement adequacy, healthcare affordability...

There must be a public-private divide

Apr. 10 | ~ By Ghui ~ I read about the Net Economic Value (NEV) framework getting scrapped with great interest ('Framework to get civil servants to watch financials dropped', TODAY, 06 Apr 2012). I never really understood its practical relevance when it...

Hong Kong government smarter than million-dollar PAP

Apr. 5 | ~ By David L K See ~ (1) How the Hong Kong government protected the interests of its own citizens 1.1 "HK overturns landmark ruling on foreign maids" (My Paper, 29 Mar 2012, page A2) A landmark lower-court ruling that would...

STI-3000: Deal or no deal?

Apr. 3 | ~ By Narayana Narayana ~ I refer to the Hock Lock Siew article "STI hitting 3,000 or not: It's no big deal, really" which was published in the Business Times of 27 March 2012. The STI-3000 level may understandably appear blase to the experienced...

Not Many Native Singaporeans Left?

Apr. 3 | ~ By Jen ~ At a dinner party recently, we were conversing about how Singaporeans are different from other Asians when a young Malaysian who works here made a totally unexpected remark: “Well, there are not that many native Singaporeans left here...

Government replies = ‘sure fail’ exam answers

Mar. 29 | ~ By John Chan ~ I often wonder if one were to answer an exam question in the manner that our government replies to queries, would he fail. As I have observed, government replies typically reframe the question until there is no semblance of its original...

Singapore, the ‘miracle’ economy?

Mar. 28 | ~ By Gordon Lee ~ Lee Kuan Yew. He is a great visionary and the pioneering architect of Singapore’s economic miracle – or so we are told. Just last week, The Economist published an article titled Dangerous Delusions, which amongst other things...

Bukit Brown crossroad – a viable alternative

Mar. 27 | ~ By Goh Si Gium ~ With the increased population in Singapore, we envision more land will be taken up by necessary infrastructure. Areas occupied by roads will also have to grow in order to accommodate the concomitant growth of the car population –...

One man’s prioritisation is another’s discrimination

Mar. 26 | ~ By Tan Kin Lian ~ I read about the priority scheme for Primary 1 registration with mixed feelings. While I am happy for Singapore citizens who get priority over permanent residents (PRs), I have empathy for the latter as they will now be discriminated...

Plan to Retire with Adequate Savings

Mar. 23 | ~By: Tan Kin Lian~ This is in response to the article "Retire on CPF savings? Think again," which was run on the print edition of Straits Times on Wednesday 21 March 2012. In that article Prof Hui Weng Tat of LKY School of Public Policy warned...

Why fares should double and other ideas for a better transport system

Mar. 22 | ~By: Gordon Lee~ In this article, I outline a total rework of the transport fare regime can strike a good balance between service standards and affordability. I will focus mainly on the bus network. Proposal 1: Change the PTO revenue structure As the...

How to deal with rising health care cost – Part II

Mar. 21 | ~By: Tan Kin Lian~ In part I, Tan Kin Lian explored about the inadequancy of insurance to meet our healthcare needs and listed several reasons for it [here]. In part II, he will explore the alternatives to health insurance. What is the alternative...

How to deal with rising health care cost – Part I

Mar. 20 | ~ By: Tan Kin Lian~ Many people are worried about the rising health care cost when they get old. They asked for my advice on the type of insurance that they can buy to cover these expenses. Insurance I want to be frank. Insurance may NOT be the answer....

Urgent need to remodel the economy and reduce dependence on cheap labour

Mar. 19 | ~By: Ng E-Jay~ The PAP government has been steering Singapore’s economy on the wrong course for the past two decades. As a result of their economic mismanagement, we now have a looming crisis in productivity, and wages at the lower end of...

Lee Kuan Yew – The Man and his Legacy

Mar. 17 | ~By: Gordon Lee~ First, in 2004, it was the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy within the NUS. Then from 2008, it was the Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize. From 2010, it was the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize. In 2011, it was the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative...

A Rethink of CPF Life

Mar. 16 | ~By: Tan Kin Lian~ From 2013, the Government will be offering only two plans under CPF Life, instead of the four plans that are available now. There are still a lot of doubts about the two plans, i.e. the diminishing amount...

Singapore is Asia’s most competitive city: New EIU report

Mar. 13 | ~by: Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh~ Singapore is the most competitive city in Asia and third globally after New York and London, out of 120 of the world’s major cities, according to a new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). The research,...

Singapore will not spiral downward with a two-party system

Mar. 13 | ~by: Douglas See~ What a non-Singaporean thinks of a two-party system would be one that is typical of that in US; two dominant parties in politics, where any other parties has a rare chance of winning elections (even though it can influence the two dominant...

Reducing National Service to 1 year will compromise nation’s security and defence needs

Mar. 8 | ~by: Shermon Ong~ I read NCMP Mrs Lina Chiam’s speech in Parliament with interest . I would like to advocate maintaining the current Full-time National Service (NSF service) while reducing the length and frequency of National Service In-Camp...

The Fable of The Cock

Mar. 8 | ~By Dr Wong Wee Nam~ Two weeks or so ago, someone knocked into an “uncle” and got a stare from the man for his inconsiderate behaviour. Instead of apologizing for knocking into someone, which is the correct civilized response, this insolent...

Traditional media does not necessarily advance public discourse and civil rights

Mar. 8 | ~By: Howard Lee~ Media, re-regulated This year kicked off with what is arguably the most heavily documented string of public scandals in the media scene, and not always for the better. There was the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau investigation...

PAP’s Election Victories – A Statistical Analysis

Mar. 6 | ~by: Chua Yansong~ The PAP has been winning big over the decades with an almost complete sweep of Parliament. However, the last post-election count showed that only about 60% of votes were cast for the PAP. Many people including myself have since had...

Why Foreign Workers Are Not To Be Entirely Blamed For The Issues We Face in Singapore [Part 1/2]

Mar. 6 | ~ By: Eugene Lim ~ The issue of ‘foreign workers’ in Singapore has been a high-strung issue since the General Elections in 2011 as it was highly sensationalized in the rally speeches of many local opposition parties. Foreign workers refer...

Will MCYS’s posters only fuel society’s prejudice towards the disadvantaged?

Mar. 1 | ~by: Ghui~ Catchphrases are often used in advertising campaigns. These are designed to be short and gripping with the intention that the tagline delivers the message the advertisement is trying to promote. Bearing this is mind, I wonder if the recent...

Opinion: The War on Terror has also been a war on Human Rights

Mar. 1 | ~By: Saiful Saleem~ On September 11, 2001, a great crime against humanity was committed, with the loss of thousands of innocent lives in a series of devastating attacks in the United States. However in response, in the days, weeks, months and years that...

Why can’t SBS raise money through issuing more shares?

Feb. 26 | ~by: Sharon Ng~ Much has been said on why the S$1.1B injection into SBS Transit is wrong. Since SBS Transit operates 75% of the bus fleet in Singapore, I will take a quick look at the financials of SBS Transit. According to the annual report available...

Are TRE’s transgressions lawsuit worthy?

Feb. 25 | ~by: Ghui~ Freedom of press and freedom of speech are the hallmarks of democracy. Singapore’s current position in the Press Freedom Index would therefore seem to indicate that Singapore is somewhat lacking in a key component of democracy. Of course,...

Budget 2012: Pragmatic in the face of a downturn

Feb. 21 | ~by: Simeon Ang~ Pragmatism, an attribute that our government is known to propagate in all of its policies, is clearly evident in this year’s budget. Analysts were right to tone down expectations about the possibilities that Budget 2012 would pump...

The ‘Big Media’ of Singapore

Feb. 21 | ~by: Hong Weilun~ Appearing in the news unabatedly since allegations relating to the Yaw affair broke out, pressure within the WP ranks has been pushed up by several notches. Calls for accountability and transparency rolled out as quickly as newspapers...

Only awareness of issues makes us responsible voters

Feb. 17 | ~by: Ng Yi Shu~ We have all heard it – a new political awakening, an enlightened electorate – the lot. But has anyone wondered what would make us great? I would like to suggest that good decisions – decisions which we are responsible...