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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...
How many foreign students paying full fees?
Mar. 7 | ~by: Leong Sze Hian~ A reader sent us some information about the tuition fees of foreign students in the universities. Foreign students' fees: TBC? When I opened the reader's first document, I was struck by the increase in tuition fees...
Yong Vui Kong files affidavit alleging unequal treatment
Mar. 7 | Yong Vui Kong has filed an affidavit alleging unequal treatment by the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) after further evidence concerning his “boss” Chia Choon Leng was brought to light. The AGC initially brought 26 charges...
![Why foreign workers are not to be entirely blamed for the issues we face in Singapore [Part 2]](http://theonlinecitizen.com/wp-content/themes/newstube/includes/timthumb.php?src=http://theonlinecitizen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/sg_needs_ft1.jpg&h=100&w=100&zc=1)
Why foreign workers are not to be entirely blamed for the issues we face in Singapore [Part 2]
Mar. 7 | ~ By: Eugene Lim ~ In Part 1, I pointed out that some claims of foreign workers being the main cause of some existing issues Singaporeans face are misleading. The stagnation in productivity is not purely because of the influx of foreign workers but also...
$1 Tax = $4.25 Benefits: Really?
Mar. 5 | ~ By: Leong Sze Hian ~ I refer to the article “Grow economy to forge inclusive society: “DPM” (ST, Mar 2). It stated that over a lifetime, for every $1 of taxes paid, lower-income and middle-income households (no car) get $4.25...
Prejudice and Discrimination: The Differences We Make
Mar. 4 | ~By: Ng Yi Shu~ In the first part of this series I talked about the fact that our reactions speak volumes about what we believe, while in the second part I spoke about the prices foreign workers paid for our choice to discriminate. Many of you may have...
Prejudice and Discrimination – The Prices Others Pay
Mar. 3 | ~By: Ng Yi Shu~ As mentioned in my previous article (Prejudice and Discrimination – Xenophobia), discrimination is a manifestation of our prejudices; our beliefs about things, people and events. We have to be aware, however, of the prices foreigners...
Vikram Nair compares Chen Show Mao’s proposals to a Nigerian scam
Mar. 2 | ~by: Ng E-Jay~ No, you did not read the headline wrongly. When WP MP Chen Show Mao proposed in Parliament that the 2012 Budget should do more for vulnerable groups, PAP MP Vikram Nair attacked Mr Chen’s proposals as being akin to a Nigerian money...
Focus on Png Eng Huat
Mar. 1 | ~by: Ravi Philemon~ This flyer was received by some residents in Hougang. Will Png Eng Huat be Workers' Party's candidate when a by-election is called in Hougang? Brief profile of Png Eng Huat Png Eng Huat, 49 Occupation: Businessman Marital...
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...
Respecting citizen’s democratic rights is an important national issue too
Mar. 1 | ~by: Ghui~ In his article “The value of a by-election” (see HERE), Professor Eugene Tan states that by-elections should be called in Hougang within a reasonable time or without inordinate delay. In response, Mr Hri Kumar Nair asserts that...
Big brother is watching
Feb. 28 | ~by: Teo Soh Lung~ The month of February 2012 must go down as the blackest month for bloggers and every Singaporean who treasures the right to free speech. It started with Alex Au of Yawning Bread, a very well respected and formidable blogger...
The Shark Fin debate
Feb. 28 | ~by: Ng Yi Shu~ ~picture: Cheong Yaoming~ Two NGOs for shark conservation, Shark Savers and Project: FIN, protested against Singapore’s unwillingness to ban shark fin products, at the Animal Welfare Symposium last Saturday. Project: FIN founder...
The $1.1Bn quick fix
Feb. 27 | ~by: Kumaran Pillai~ "What Singaporeans want are quicker solutions. They don't want to wait so long, “said Minister of State for Finance and Transport Josephine Teo. The solution according to her (or them) is to buy more buses. Putting...
Enabling Masterplan for PWD – What was achieved in the last five years?
Feb. 26 | ~by: Leong Sze Hian~ I refer to the Enabling Masterplan 2012-2016: Maximising Potential, Embracing Differences (for persons with disabilities). Yet another 5-year plan? It states that ”In 2006, the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports...
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,...
Cleaners’ pay up $250 to $1,000: Congratulations?
Feb. 25 | ~by: Leong Sze Hian~ I refer to the article “Town council cleaners get more pay now” (Straits Times, Feb 21). It states that ”North West District Mayor Teo Ho Pin, who spearheaded and coordinated the initiative, said on Monday that...
SDP unveils Shadow Budget 2012
Feb. 23 | ~by: Ng Yi Shu~ The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) unveiled its new Shadow Budget at its headquarters yesterday as its alternative financial policy for the year 2012. Key principles in SDP’s alternative budget this year included alternative measures...
Foreign scholars: Missing statistics?
Feb. 22 | ~by: Leong Sze Hian~ I refer to the article “Foreign scholars closely tracked” (ST, Feb 18). Sometimes, replies in Parliament may give you the edgy feeling that the statistics cited may not be telling you the whole story. One such instance...
TOC dismayed by apparent reversal of ‘light touch’ approach to internet regulation
Feb. 21 | ~Editorial~ February 2012 will be remembered as the month in which defamation lawsuits, or at least their threat, made their unwelcome return to Singapore’s political landscape. First, lawyers acting for Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs K....
Budget 2012: An Analysis (Part 2)
Feb. 20 | ~by: Leong Sze Hian~ Consistent rhetoric vs outcomes Like in school, we always say we will do better, but at the end of the day, we have to look at the report card. The almost consistent rhetoric in past Budgets, has been along the lines of – we...
Budget 2012: Income growth in some sectors cannot be tied to productivity growth
Feb. 19 | ~by: Ravi Philemon~ The Government should be lauded for enhancing the schemes that cater to the people with lower-income, people with disability and the elderly. The increased budget for healthcare expenditure from $4 billion to $8 billion a year should...
Is the Goods and Services Tax really fair?
Feb. 19 | ~By: Ghui~ Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said that the purpose of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is to ensure that the tax system is fair (see HERE). This statement certainly raises a few questions. GST...
Budget 2012: An Analysis (Part 1)
Feb. 18 | ~by: Leong Sze Hian~ 23 times more surplus? From the originally estimated Overall Budget Balance of $0.1 billion, we now expect a larger Overall Budget Surplus for FY2011 of about $2.3 billion. This is about 23 times more than what was originally...
Budget: TOC calls for a stronger community and robust economic performance
Feb. 17 | ~Editorial~ As the parliament reads the Fiscal Budget for 2012, the TOC weighs in on the issues that affect us and we hope that the parliament will deliberate on these issues in the coming days. Budget Surpluses from 2011 The government has about $3B...
An ageing population? – Part 4
Feb. 17 | ~by: Gordon Lee~ Welcome to the last part of this article. In the previous three parts, I have hopefully shown that an ageing population is not as bad as this Government would have you believe. This issue has been unfortunately politicised to serve certain...
WP now Whiter than White
Feb. 16 | ~Editorial~ It was the move that no one was expecting, and understandably so. Mr Yaw Shin Leong’s sacking from the Worker’s Party is an unparalleled move in modern Singapore’s political history. It also has the potential to be remembered...
Breaking news: Yaw Shin Leong has been sacked from Workers’ Party
Feb. 15 | Our reporter Kumaran Pillai reporting from Workers' Party HQ confirms that MP for Hougang SMC Yaw Shin Leong has been sacked from the Workers' Party. We will bring you more updates soon. the following is a statement from Workers' Party on...
The more loving One
Feb. 15 | ~by: Muhammad Fadli~ Recently, a Saudi blogger, Hamza Kashgari, has been deported from Malaysia by its Home Ministry into the custody of the Saudi authorities for allegedly blaspheming against the prophet in his tweets. Despite the lack of...
An ageing population? – Part 3
Feb. 14 | ~by: Gordon Lee~ In Part Two, we saw how this Government uses the Old Age Dependency Ratio to instil panic in and extract acquiesce from the public – and how we should instead use a bench-marked overall dependency ratio instead to take into account...
‘I could have died that night’ – Expat assault victims tell all
Feb. 13 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ “All of these things are common sense. What really makes me sad is how incompetent our system is.” – Mr Laurence Wong Timeline 11 April 2010: Assault (Mr Liew hospitalised) end April 2011: assailants...
Rejection of the Old – A Crying Shame
Feb. 12 | ~ By: Dr Wong Wee Nam ~ Two recent incidents that made some headlines in the media sadden me. The first is the objection by some residents to the proposed elder day-care centre to be built in Woodlands. Following closely is the furore over...
Police’s manpower shortage, ‘How is that my problem?’ – Expat assault victims tell all
Feb. 12 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ “What are the extra ingredients that require expedited justice? It's not rocket science.” – Mr Paul Louis Liew Kai Ming on the inefficacious police force and legal system.” Inefficient, Ineffective,...
‘If you don’t f**k off, I will kill you’ – Expat assault victims tell all
Feb. 11 | ~by: Jewel Philemon~ "Who's your daddy?" was the last Mr Lawrence Wong remembers hearing as a suited Mr Robert James Springall sped away in a taxi from the scene of a violent assault. It all began on a Saturday night in April 2010 when...
Hard Truths apply to WP too
Feb. 11 | ~Editorial~ The Yaw Shin Leong fiasco has the potential to do irreparable damage to the Worker’s Party (WP) if a full and frank accounting to the public is not done. Opposition sympathetic supporters online have attempted to shift the focus of...
An ageing population? – Part 1
Feb. 11 | ~ By: Gordon Lee ~ This article is written in response to the repeated lectures from politicians about the “immense ills” of an ageing population that supposedly threatens to send us all back to the Stone Age (or even to extinction). Political...
It’s the voters who’ll have to judge Mr Yaw
Feb. 10 | ~by: Tan Kin Lian~ I agree with the decision taken by MP Yaw Shin Leong to resign as treasurer of the Workers Party and the exemplary approach taken by the leadership of the Workers Party in handling this difficult issue. I also...
TOC/TRE: FACE-OFF
Feb. 9 | Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 Time: 8pm – 10pm Place: Sinema Old School, 11b Mount Sophia, Old School, #B1-12, Singapore 228466 Moderator: Founder and Managing Director of Senatus, Mr Kien M Lee Organised for: Social Media Week What keeps two of the...
Every Singaporean really does count
Feb. 9 | ~by: Siew Kum Hong~ According to the Heritage Foundation, Singapore has the second freest economy in the world (after Hong Kong). But there is one aspect of Singapore that has always felt to me like a command economy: the way the Government tries to...
Thaipusam 2012: A photostory
Feb. 8 | ~by: Cheong Yaoming and Ng Yi Shu~ Thousands of Hindu devotees attended the annual Thaipusam festival at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple yesterday to honour and give thanks to the Hindu god Lord Murugan by carrying kavadi. It is a form of tribute in terms...
Yaw Shin Leong resigns from Workers’ Party leadership
Feb. 8 | the following is a media release by the Workers' Party: CHANGES IN WORKERS’ PARTY LEADERSHIP The Workers’ Party wishes to inform the public that at the monthly meeting of the Executive Council on Tuesday, 7 February 2012, the Council...
Will others emulate Dr Toh?
Feb. 7 | ~by: Tan Jee Say~ My memories of close encounters with Dr Toh Chin Chye went back 50 years. My eldest sister was his Rochor PAP branch secretary. As a young boy, I used to follow my sister on some of her political activities particularly when the branch...
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...
Toh Chin Chye and Lee Kuan Yew were cut from the same cloth
Feb. 6 | ~by: Ravi Philemon~ With the passing away of Dr Toh Chin Chye, many have come forward to express gratitude for his immense contribution to the country. Some from the opposition and the civil society also have expressed their admiration for him. Mr Chiam...
Jobs in Singapore – 54,000 Job vacancies: Really?
Feb. 5 | ~by: Leong Sze Hian~ About two weeks ago, I gave a talk to a group of about 25 unemployed Professionals, Managers, Engineers and Technicians (PMETs). Many of these PMETs have been unemployed for more than a year. So, when the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)...
In defense of young Singaporean adults
Feb. 4 | ~by: Eugene Lim~ I write in response to “The young Singaporean adult” by Ng Kai Ling & Stacey Chia (The Straits Times, Home Section, Page B4, 2 Feb 2012). The accusations about Singapore youth lacking drive and being unwilling to...
Dr Toh Chin Chye – one of the architects of modern Singapore passes away
Feb. 3 | The following message is from the Prime Minister's Office: 1. The Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues are sad to learn of the passing of Dr Toh Chin Chye and wish to convey their condolences to...
Urbanisation contributes the most to worsening flood conditions
Feb. 2 | ~by: C L Cheong~ In the article posted on TOC on January 19, I have attempted to provide, and to share, a perspective of flood problems. To recap, there are several fundamental aspects to it. First, floods are caused by two types of heavy...
Chiam See Tong: We have no ill intentions towards the ex-CEC members
Feb. 2 | the following is a public statement by Mr Chiam See Tong: Some of the claims made in public against members in the SPP and myself have become so warped that I am now compelled to give a personal explanation. The six members of the CEC submitted their...
