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Construction workers strike at Tampines
Feb. 6 | ~by: Cheong Yaoming UPDATE: The following is a response from Ministry of Manpower on this case: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) was alerted by the Police this morning of an incident involving around 200 work permit holders employed by Sunway Concrete...
New map launch – potential climate change impacts in South East Asia
Jan. 31 | ~by: Cheong Yaoming~ Organised by the British High Commission, an esteemed panel of three were invited to launch a new map which showed the potential impacts of global warming in South East Asia. They were: Barbara Woodward, Director General for Economic...
Former CNB chief was probed by CPIB in 2010
Jan. 29 | ~by: Ravi Philemon~ A well-wisher of TOC wrote in to us on 25 January that he "had heard from reliable sources a long while ago (early 2011 or even in 2010) that top CID guys are under investigation by CPIB", and that it was around this time...
SCDF chief suspended from duties, CNB director probed
Jan. 24 | ~by: Ravi Philemon~ According to Chinese newspaper Lianhe Wanbao, the Commissioner of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Mr Peter Lim, is under suspension for nearly a month. Six other SCDF officials, including two of senior rank have also been...
Former VP of GIC is Non-Executive Director of firm GIC invests S$38 million in
Jan. 22 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ According to Today newspaper the Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC) will invest around 189 million yuan (S$38 million) in Li Ning a Chinese sportswear company through a convertible bond. GIC will own around 8 per cent...
We are a little red dot and so must be extraordinary – PM Lee
Jan. 17 | the following is a brief report of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’a speech in Parliament today on Ministerial salaries: – Speaking in Parliament today, PM Lee said that the issue is not just whether salary is “correct” or “incorrect”,...
Durban Conference – Trying to create a new climate treaty
Dec. 13 | ~by: Chong Ai Ling~ The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the annual United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol...
Human Rights = Cultivating Humanity?
Dec. 12 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ “Talking about human rights in a rights-based perspective is not wrong, but it is insufficient.” Instead, Mr Richard Magnus, Singapore’s representative to the ASEAN Inter-governmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), said...
Severe limitations on freedom of speech and freedom of assembly: WJP report
Dec. 2 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ The World Justice Project’s (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2011 report revealed that Singapore was ranked at 22 of 23 high-middle income countries, and at number 39 of 66 countries indexed worldwide for fundamental rights. Singapore...
MP Irene Ng: I do not get ANY bonus from ISEAS
Nov. 29 | ~by: Chong Ai Ling~ A TOC reader sent us a screenshot of a Facebook message of Ms Irene Ng, MP for Tampines GRC. The screenshot showed an article link from a website with the title: “GDP Bonus of 8 Months for senior civil servants”. This led to a...
Saying “it’s not your fault” to a sexual assault survivor can be life-saving – AWARE Exec Director
Nov. 26 | The following is a speech by AWARE Executive Director Corinna Lim at AWARE’s Sexual Assault Befrienders Service launch on 25th November 2011. Our Guest of Honour, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Law, Mr Shanmugam, members of the press, friends of...
Section 157(d) to be repealed – Law Minister
Nov. 26 | by Chong Ai Ling “I really do not think that these assumptions, myths and repugnant views should find any expression in our laws,” said Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law, on the repeal of Section 157(d) of Singapore’s Evidence...
Racist posts on FB by blogger – police investigates
Nov. 21 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ Singapore Police Force is investigating blogger and chief editor of New Asia Republic, Donaldson Tan for re-posting an extremely offensive picture to Muslims; one of a prohibited animal in Islam, superimposed on the Ka’ba –...
Sedition Act report filed against SAF personnel
Nov. 18 | Update: Christian Eliab Ratnam has responded to TOC saying: Dear readers, I am the owner of the Facebook profile mentioned in this post and I admit to having posted the thread mentioned. I am sincerely sorry if I have offended or affected anyone by my...
Highly racist and offensive caption – YPAP member?
Nov. 16 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ A TOC reader, Mr Noor Firdaus was so irked by the photo above which was captioned with a highly racist and offensive remark that he wrote in to a few MPs requesting that they ask Mr Neo to take that picture down. Mr Firdaus claims...
Ernst and Young ‘did not ask me to surrender MP allowance’ – Tin Pei Ling
Nov. 14 | ~by: Sonia Suka~ The allegations that she left her job at her previous company because it required her to surrender her MP allowance are ‘untrue’, MP for MacPherson ward Ms Tin Pei Ling has said. Ms Tin was responding to questions from The...
How much discretion should the Prosecution have?
Nov. 9 | ~by: Kirsten Han~ The Court of Appeal has reserved its judgement in the case of Ramalingam Ravinthran v Attorney-General after the appellant’s lawyer Mr M Ravi mounted a challenge to the use of prosecutorial discretion at the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Mr...
Taxi driver injured by fallen tree
Nov. 2 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ Due to the heavy rain, a tree uprooted and fell on a taxi moving along Tiong Bahru Road today afternoon. ”The taxi was flattened” said Mr Dan Ho who witnessed the accident. Channel NewsAsia reported earlier (see HERE)...
Occupy Raffles Place – we’ll do it bigger and better next time
Oct. 15 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ The ‘Occupy Raffles Place’ a call for public protest, which seeked to replicate the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ movement in Singapore today, was a no-show. This call for public protest was organised by an anonynous group called...
Apolitical: When Gen Y marks ‘X’
Oct. 15 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ Singapore Management University’s (SMU) first student political association, Apolitical, held a panel discussion titled, When Gen Y marks ‘X’: Young voters and the 2011 elections’, on the 14th of October at their school of...
ASEF’s book presentation: Too many foreigners? Crises and their impact on migration flows
Oct. 12 | ~by: Rina Choo~ ~ with: Jewel Philemon~ The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) hosted a presentation of the book, “ Perspectives on migration flows in Asia and Europe”, by Professor Antonio Marquina, on the 11th of October at their headquarters. A panel...
Lee Kuan Yew: Goh Chok Tong was responsible for the arrest of the ‘Marxist Conspirators’
Sep. 28 | excerpts from then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s speech at NUS Political Association forum on 23rd July 1990: Mr Lee Kuan Yew says that Mr Goh Chok Tong and team were responsible for the arrest of the ‘Marxist Conspirators’ and for restricting...
Singapore’s 2011 population in brief
Sep. 28 | ~from: National Population and Talent Division~ – Population Size & Growth Singapore’s total population was 5.18 million as at end June 2011. There were 3.79 million Singapore residents, comprising 3.26 million Singapore citizens and 0.53...
Secret society groups canvassed votes for Lee Kuan Yew
Sep. 27 | ~from: The Straits Times dated April 16, 1958~ “At five meetings which Mr Lee Kuan Yew held in different parts of Tanjong Pagar detectives observed members of secret societies controlling the crowd and generally acting as stewards”, the report...
Absurd inconsistencies in SHRI’s administrative processes
Sep. 26 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ “Mr See had not stated the subject matter of the forum in his application form. The Institute’s constitution states that it is not allowed to hold events of a political nature.” – David Ang, Executive Director, Singapore...
NSP Malay Bureau’s 1st Anniversary celebration
Sep. 24 | ~by: Ravi Philemon~ The National Solidarity Party’s (NSP) Malay Bureau today celebrated its first anniversary. Speaking at the celebration Mr Syafarin Sarif the Secretary of the Bureau said: The Malay Bureau did not come from the Malays it came...
Despite Singapore Government’s assurance of change, much will be status-quo
Sep. 23 | the following is a statement delivered by Ms Braema Mathi, President of MARUAH, at the 18th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council, Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Plenary on Singapore. – Thank you, Madam President. I am making this statement...
The newsroom challenge
Sep. 22 | “As I walked to the door of his office, the Prime Minister (LKY) called me back. I remember his words: ‘Nathan – I am giving you The Straits Times. It has 150 years of history. It has been a good paper. It is like a bowl of china. If...
Lily Neo: It was a typo disaster
Sep. 21 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ Dr Lily Neo, MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, has lunched the community project ‘Stop Pest’ which aims to improve the living conditions of the low income families living in one-room rental flats at Kreta-Ayer Kim Seng constituency...
Lee Hsien Loong: Singapore “will consider scrapping ISA if KL does so”
Sep. 16 | ~picture: Joshua Chiang~ from The Straits Times dated 3 February 1991: – Singapore will seriously consider abolishing the Internal Security Act if Malaysia were to do so, said Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Brigadier-General (Res) Lee made...
NUS’ disrespectful reference to Lee Kuan Yew
Sep. 14 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Department of Biological Sciences announced a public seminar titled ‘Fragmentation and Land Use Change: Impacts on Tropical Forest Diversity’. Luke Gibson, a graduate student...
PKMS terminates and strips membership of its President
Sep. 13 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ The supreme executive council (SEC) of PKMS (Singapore Malay National Organisation) has terminated and stripped its ex-President Mr Ali Asjadi of his membership and all his duties in PKMS. The political party’s...
Former Group Financial Controller of ST Marine arrested by CPIB
Sep. 13 | ~ Breaking News ~ In a statement released yesterday, Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) announced that the former Group Financial Controller for Singapore Technologies Marine Ltd (ST Marine) had been arrested on 8 September 2011....
Singapore People’s Party stands in solidarity with Workers’ Party
Aug. 23 | from: Singapore People’s Party/ – The SPP (Singapore People’s Party) read WP’s (Workers’ Party) media release on HDB transferring prime event locations to PA with disgust It is a dirty tactic characteristic of the PAP and...
Transparency on our Sovereign Wealth Fund
Aug. 22 | by: National Solidarity Party/ The National Solidarity Party (NSP) regrets the continued lack of transparency surrounding our sovereign wealth funds (SWFs). The NSP believes that sufficient public information in the internal workings of GIC and Temasek...
Tan Kin Lian explains Tan Jing Quee memorial commotion
Aug. 21 | Report and photos by Sharon Ng and Shawn Danker Presidential candidate Tan Kin Lian said that he attended the memorial gathering for the late Tan Jing Quee on Saturday afternoon as he had initially thought it to be a visit to a monument to commemorate...
Updated: MP Penny Low preoccupied with phone in the midst of singing national anthem at NDP
Aug. 10 | by: Jewel Philemon/ Update: TOC contacted Ms Penny Low and asked her if she has a response to this incident which is widely being discussed online. Ms Low responded to TOC and said: Thank you for your enquiry. This is the clarification posted on my FB...
SFD members released from investigation over death penalty book
Jun. 25 | The SFD trio: Jarrod Luo (far left), Seelan Palay (second from left) and Rachel Zeng (second from right) Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD) members Mr Seelan Palay 27, Mr Jarrod Luo 27 and Miss Rachel Zeng 28 had been released from police investigation...
Supporter collects eligibility forms for Chiam See Tong
Jun. 10 | From Yahoo! Singapore News A supporter of former Opposition Member of Parliament Chiam See Tong has collected the Certificate of Eligibility forms for Chiam, with the hope of him making a bid for President. The supporter, a 27-year-old who wanted to...
Joan Fong clarifies that she is not that Joan Hon
Jun. 9 | Mrs Joan Fong (daughter of the late Hon Sui Sen), clarifies that she was not the Joan Hon who wrote that George Yeo is not suitable to be elected president. We want to thank Mrs Fong for engaging our readers on TOC and clarifying that she was not the...
5 June 2011 – Floods in Tanglin Mall and along Orchard Road
Jun. 6 | On 5 June 2011, the torrential downpour brought on flash floods in several areas of Singapore. Among the areas affected where several stores along Orchard Road, as well as the basement of Tanglin Mall. * Thumbnail image from The Straits Times
The Dolphin Project makes proposal to RWS over dolphins
May. 30 | The following is a letter from Mr Richard O’Barry to Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on the importation of 23 wild dolphins from the Solomon Islands by RWS for entertainment purposes at its Integrated Resort in Singapore....
PAP MP withdraws remarks on ministerial salaries
May. 28 | Andrew Loh People’s Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament for Nee Soon GRC, Dr Lim Wee Kiak has apologised and withdrawn the remarks he made about ministerial salaries. Dr Lim was reported by the Chinese press last week as having said: “If the...
ACRES needs your help to “Save the World’s Saddest Dolphins”
May. 27 | Howard Lee / At the turn of this year, I interviewed Louis Ng, the Executive Director of the Animals Concerns and Research & Education Society (ACRES), and one of the questions was what ACRES plan to do for the coming year. Ng affirmed ACRES’s...
Social Media in Singapore Politics: It’s Serious Business Folks!
May. 25 | This article was originally posted on 24 May 2011 on Economy Watch . TOC thanks Economy Watch for permission to publish this in full here. Raymond Tham/ Singaporeans Find Their Voice (Credit: Stell Woll) It takes a brave person to write...
Potong Pasir petition campaign called off after police intervened
May. 24 | Elliot Aruldoss, Jewel Philemon It all started on 7 May when the results of the 2011 General Elections were revealed. A group of Potong Pasir residents gathered at a coffeeshop at Block 108 eagerly awaiting the results. This was the same coffeeshop which...
Goh Meng Seng’s brother passes
Apr. 28 | Ravi Philemon/ Mr David Goh, brother of the secretary-general of National Solidarity party, Mr Goh Meng Seng, passed away on Thursday morning. Mr Goh was only 56 years old and had no prior major illnesses before his death from a sudden cardiac arrest. Mr...
Criticisms posted on Balakrishnan’s Facebook page deleted
Apr. 26 | Comments by members of the public criticising Vivian Balakrishnan on his Facebook page have been removed/deleted by the page’s admin. It has also disabled wall postings by members of the public on the page. To know what has transpired so far in...
