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Uniquely Spore
The “rights” balance
Jan. 20 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist I refer to Dr Chee Soon Juan’s response to the Minister of Law’s remarks in conjunction with the opening of the legal year, that Singaporeans should not protest against the laws of Singapore. How do we strike the right...
Statistics that keep getting better?
Jan. 6 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist I refer to the article, “Medifund kitty increased” (ST, Dec 18). It says that only 1,366 Medifund applications, compared to 356,566 approved applications, were turned down – less than one in 200. Last year, it was reported...
10 important – and worrying – statistics of 2008
Dec. 29 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist 10 Negative statistics: Real wages down, unemployment up, productivity down, business costs up? I refer to media reports about the Ministry of Manpower’s Labour Market Third Quarter 2008 Report. I have analysed the report,...
Recession, but MRA and food inflation up?
Dec. 23 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist Sudden jump in Medisave Required Amount (MRA) I refer to the article, “$18,000 required in Medisave from Jan 1” (TODAY, Dec 10). CPF members who turn 55 and are able to meet the Minimum Sum (MS) requirement – which is...
No salary increase for part-time workers in 9 years?
Dec. 15 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist There are 76,200 unemployed, 292,800 workers earning $1,200 or less, and 126,800 part-timers earning a median income of $600. This in total is 495,800, out of the total resident work force of 1,928,300. So, does it mean that...
Fed up with statistics? (Part 2)
Dec. 8 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist I refer to the article “Let’s celebrate the diaspora” (Today, Nov 1). It states that “Singapore suffers the paradox of being one of the world’s smallest populations that not too long ago, reportedly, had one of the...
Fed up with statistics (Part One)
Nov. 24 | Coming Soon to TOC: Town Councils and their investments. What residents and TOC readers can do. Stay tuned to TOC in the next day or two. We’ll require your participation to get the town councils to account for their investments. Also, PN Balji’s...
Electricity – why is the “messenger” earning more than the gencos?
Nov. 17 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist It may not be appropriate for a privatised state asset operator, to think like the Government and try to save it money, whilst at the same time trying to maximise profits like a private company. According to the EMA’s, “How...
The right to love, marry and procreate?
Nov. 10 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist I refer to media reports about Singaporeans who have been unable to get permission to marry foreigners, despite repeated appeals to the relevant authorities and their members of parliament (MPs). Singaporeans with lower-income,...
Inflation projections – a moving target
Nov. 3 | Leong Sze Hian / Andrew Loh With the world economy in flux, trying to project or predict inflation rates is a very difficult thing to do – as our ministers have found out. The Singapore Government has had to revise its inflation projections several...
Calls are a-ringing?
Oct. 27 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist Charity calls ringing? I refer to the President’s Star Charity Show on 12 October. When the show was nearing its end, just minutes before 10 p.m., the amount of donations from calls from the public shown on the screen was...
Mis-selling 101 – a respond to minister’s remarks
Oct. 20 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist I refer to the report “Be more ‘proactive’, MAS” (ST breaking news, Oct 20). The report says: “The Minister’s answers sound like the MAS shouting across the river, while watching a fire burning,’...
Suicide statistics – the young and the stressed?
Oct. 20 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist In a written reply in Parliament on 26 August, by the Minister of Education, Dr Ng Eng Hen, to a question by MP Cynthia Phua, the incidence of suicide among youths (rate of youth suicide per 100,000), was 4.9 in 2006 and 6.7...
Will S’poreans “feel rich” too in retirement?
Oct. 13 | Breaking News: Judge orders SDP leader, Dr Chee Soon Juan, and his sister, Ms Chee Siok Chin, to pay PM Lee and MM Lee damages totalling $610,000 for defamation. Leong Sze Hian / Columnist In the Channel NewsAsia report, “Labour chief says Singapore’s...
HDB means-testing?
Oct. 9 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist I would like to ask HDB some questions about our public housing policies. What is the rationale for requiring applicants to upgrade to a bigger flat in order to get a HDB concessionary loan ? Why is it that a single or divorced...
Population and national investments – missing numbers
Sep. 29 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist I refer to the Department of Statistics’ reply “Number of S’pore citizens growing” (ST, Sep 20) to Michael Eng’s letter “Is the population of Singapore citizens shrinking” (ST, Sep 18). It states that: The number...
Much ado about nothing, PTC?
Sep. 12 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist Senior citizens and poor may be hit most by fare hike I refer to the Public Transport Council’s (PTC) press release on the increase in public transport fares from 1 October 2008. The question that may perhaps be foremost on...
Fare increase not fair to lower income
Sep. 12 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist PTC should use median wage and not average wage in fare formula In its press release of 10th July 2008, the Public Transport Council (PTC) said that, based on its new fare pricing formula, the increase in the cap on fares will...
A tale of two countries
Sep. 1 | Leong Sze Hian / Columnist Politicians should stick to what they do best – politicking! I refer to the various news reports of Ms Lee Bee Wah’s apology and the press conference by the Minister for Community, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan....
Seeing stars: Uniquely S’pore – Equality
Aug. 12 | Leong Sze Hian / Senior Writer Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that most bond breakers come from more affluent families. I refer to media reports about the break-down of scholarship awardees who stay in HDB and private property. I would like to...
Seeing Stars: Uniquely Singapore – Progress
Aug. 11 | Leong Sze Hian / Senior Writer In this special series of Uniquely Singapore, Leong Sze Hian takes a look at the 5 stars of our flag and how it relates to certain issues. This first article focuses on “Progress”. I refer to the Ministry of Manpower’s...
Promote entrepreneurship – but what kind of stupid rule is this?
Jul. 28 | Leong Sze Hian If your wages have not been catching up with the transport fare increases, what do you do? Become an entrepreneur, as the Government has been encouraging people to be. In the report, “PM Lee says public sector should embrace entrepreneurial...
Fighting inflation – suggestions for the Govt
Jul. 21 | Leong Sze Hian / Senior Writer I refer to the article “Tharman: Pay rises no cure for inflation” (ST, Jul 10). It states that “Singapore must guard against a second round of inflation, which could happen if wages are raised to keep pace...
New formula protects profits for transport companies
Jul. 14 | Leong Sze Hian I refer to the new formula for the increase of public transport fares, announced by the Public Transport Council (PTC) on 10 July. (Channel NewsAsia) With the heightened possibility of an impending fare hike, let’s look at some of the...
Of complacency and leading by example
Jul. 7 | Leong Sze Hian New Paper front page headlines (Jun 5) : “100 days on, still no sign of him - Mas Selamat” Was the HomeTeam just complacent in Mas Selamat’s escape, or has the Home Team been complacent in other things as well? I have been insured...
Making sense of HDB rejections
Jun. 29 | Leong Sze Hian I refer to HDB’s latest BTO, Straits Vista@Marsiling launched on 10 June. (“HDB’s challenge: low-cost housing, condo-like flats” (ST, Jun 11)) (“Marsiling goes BTO :Straits Vista project launched as HDB wins...
Coping with inflation – some free stuff
Jun. 23 | Leong Sze Hian I spoke on “Inflation : Issues and Implications”, at a free public forum, on 24 May 2008, organised jointly by MARUAH (Singapore Working Committee for the ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism), TWC2 (Transient Workers Count Too), the Society...
University admissions, employment and help for the poor
Jun. 15 | Leong Sze Hian I am somewhat puzzled by the statistics on university admissions. Surely, what is more important is the number of applicants, rather than the number of applications, since many may apply to all three universities. What is the break-down...
Transparency – more or less?
Jun. 9 | Leong Sze Hian Foreign reserves: More transparency may not be good? I refer to the article “SWFs to reveal investment size and formation – However, their strategies will not be disclosed: IMF” (BT, May 13). It states that “Sovereign...
The indomitable spirit of a young girl
Jun. 2 | Leong Sze Hian I have written over 1,000 articles and letters over the years, but have never done an interview before. So, when TOC editor Andrew Loh sent an email 4 hours before the World Book Fair event requesting if anyone on the TOC team could interview...
The rise and fall of rice
May. 19 | Leong Sze Hian Uniquely Singapore After reading the news reports about FairPrice not allowing customers to buy more than five 10-kg bags of rice, consumers may be flocking to Fairprice, thinking that it has the cheapest rice and stocks may run out. Restricting...
CASE’s relationship with NTUC
May. 11 | Uniquely Singapore The Unions, the Press, and the People – Part II 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...
$3 billion benefits to cope with inflation?
Apr. 28 | Uniquely Singapore Leong Sze Hian With headlines in our local papers screaming “S’poreans in line for $3b payouts” (TODAY, April 15), “$3b payout over the next six months” (Straits Times), “2.4m S’poreans to get $3b in benefits...
