The Online Citizen » Quotes

Global trend away from non-discretionary state killings

theonlinecitizen — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:13:55 +0000

“There is a clear global trend away from sentencing
people to death without taking their age, vulnerability
and other powerful mitigating factors into account.”

Saul Lehrfreund, co-founder of the Death Penalty Project

What is a “procession”?

theonlinecitizen — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:52:57 +0000

“But Mr Bala yesterday argued that the law did not allow any procession of five or more people in any public place to demonstrate support for, or opposition to, the views or activities of any person; to publicise a cause or campaign; or to mark or commemorate any event.”

TODAY

Read also: A case of double standards

Foyce Le Xuan makes police report

theonlinecitizen — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:09:07 +0000

“I don’t believe it is Jack (Neo) who instigated the calls
but rather others who want to watch the show go on.”

Foyce Le Xuan, on receiving threatening phone calls

Alex Au on what HDB flats should mean

gangasudhan — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:29:45 +0000

“The policy direction should be not to build costly flats with bells and whistles and then dishing out subsidies so people can buy them. Instead, it should be to build them at an affordable cost, so that no subsidies are necessary.”

Alex Au, author of Yawning Bread, on the pricing of HDB flats

Transport Minister admits he’s ‘very slow’

gangasudhan — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:11:15 +0000

“I’d be very slow in stipulating (to operators)
how best to run the concession policy.”

Transport Minister Raymond Lim, in parliament

WP Chief Low on homelessness in First World Singapore

gangasudhan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:09:38 +0000

“Sir, how can we aspire to be a First World country
with a world class public housing programme if we
have homeless citizens camped out in public parks?”

Workers’ Party Chief Low Thia Khiang, in parliament

Not the government’s or HDB’s fault

theonlinecitizen — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:44:49 +0000

“[Homelessness] in Singapore is often the result of personal irresponsibility,
stemming from avarice or divorce and dysfunction.”

The Straits Times’ Radha Basu

Nair – the fraudster

theonlinecitizen — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:37:24 +0000

“If you want to fight for freedom, use the liberties of the new media wisely and responsibly, not abuse it. But then again, this is the same guy who engages in cyber-bullying and who accused a female judge of “sleeping” with the politicians. How much credibility would you have expected?”

Pipala Tree, on Gopalan Nair

Sylvia Lim on GRCs

gangasudhan — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 05:48:01 +0000

“Group Representation Constituencies can be chopped and changed;
Member Constituencies can be created and dissolved with a stroke of a pen.”

WP Chairman Sylvia Lim, in parliament

RIP Michael Foot

gangasudhan — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:30:05 +0000

“We are not here in this world to find elegant solutions, pregnant with initiative, or to serve the ways and modes of profitable progress. No, we are here to provide for all those who are weaker and hungrier, more battered and crippled than ourselves. That is our only certain good and great purpose on earth, and if you ask me about those insoluble economic problems that may arise if the top is deprived of their initiative, I would answer ‘To hell with them.’ The top is greedy and mean and will always find a way to take care of themselves. They always do.”

Michael Mackintosh Foot (23 July 1913 – 3 March 2010),
British Labour politician and writer who was
Member of Parliament from 1945 to 1955 and 1960 to 1992

Subhas Anandan on Walter Woon stepping down

gangasudhan — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 04:23:14 +0000

“He’s (Attorney General Walter Woon) more of an academic,
but there’s also a possibility he would stand in the next General Election as a candidate.”

Subhas Anandan, president of the Association of Criminal Lawyers of Singapore

Vivian Balakrishnan on protecting homeless children

gangasudhan — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:41:44 +0000

“I have insisted that (to) anyone with children. The children must be put in a proper home; they must continue to go to school. They must continue to get access to good food, good hygiene. And if any family has difficulty providing these things to the children, then MCYS will step in, and we will step in assertively if need be, in order to protect children.”

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, in Parliament

Low Thia Khiang on low wages

gangasudhan — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:59:05 +0000

“How long more must our low-wage workers wait to enjoy a first-world pay?
Must they wait until our productivity reach two to three per cent?”

Mr Low Thia Khiang, in parliament

Who is the police supposed to protect?

theonlinecitizen — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:56:59 +0000

But when a person is assaulted in public, especially by strangers, how can that be a non-seizable offence?… Surely common sense should come to play and if a person is clearly harmed or has suffered grievous hurt, the police should investigate, even if the person is not a civil servant. As tax payers (directly or indirectly) all, we deserve equal protection under the law.

Conrad Raj of TODAY

Going forward

theonlinecitizen — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:56:59 +0000

We have made good progress in the past in our productivity drive and that is why we have been able to move our economy forward and have good jobs for many Singaporeans.

Teo Chee Hean

Who pays for increase in foreign workers’ levy?

theonlinecitizen — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:57:18 +0000

The hike in foreign worker levy may affect a company’s bottomline but consumers too will feel the heat.
“If we are in business we can’t keep on absorbing costs without raising prices, that’s the reality.”

Channelnewsasia

HDB to Goh Meng Seng:

theonlinecitizen — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:33:58 +0000

We are unable to forward you a copy of the survey questionnaire.

Research & Planning Department, HDB

Levy hike may hurt those in nursing homes

theonlinecitizen — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 02:15:16 +0000

The hike in the foreign worker levy will mean higher operating costs for nursing homes,
which have a high proportion of non-local staff – with one home saying that
if costs go up too high, it may have to raise fees.

Today

Remember the Everitt family?

theonlinecitizen — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:05:34 +0000

“A bank wants to turn them out of their home for allegedly missing payments on a loan and is seeking a High Court order to possess the property.”

Straits Times

Salaries increased for political appointments?

theonlinecitizen — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:18:13 +0000

“Salaries for political appointments – ministers, ministers of state and parliamentary secretaries – are estimated to be $58.28 million, or 8.8 per cent higher than last year.”

Today