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Minimum wage law works
The following article was first published in the Straits Times. By Hui Weng Tat, For The Straits Times IN A surprising departure from its usual free market orientation, Hong Kong lawmakers recently voted in favour of a minimum wage law for vulnerable...
S’pore needs a new game plan, a new “miracle”
Rajiv Chaudhry - The two objectives, Singapore as a business and Singapore as a nation society appear to be on divergent paths. With a general election due to be held in little over a year’s time (and possibly a lot earlier given the strong performance...
Why do we need 6.5 million people?
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was originally written by Dr Wong Wee Nam in 2008. It is reproduced here with his permission. The over-population issue and influx of foreigners is as pertinent an issue today as it was 2008. Perhaps the situation has...
Have independent board for clemency petitions: SFD
Media Release Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD) 25 August 2010 Singapore Independent Clemency Board for Death Penalty Petitions Singaporeans For Democracy (SFD) calls on the Singapore government to set up an independent board to introduce transparency...
NSP’s National Day message
(See video clip below) It has been a frustrating year for many Singaporeans. Although our GDP has grown significantly for the past quarters but the decline in the retail sector speaks volume of the kind of growth we are getting. Our purchasing power...
The relentless rising cost of living in Singapore
In 2009, Mercer ranked Singapore as the 10th costliest countries in the world (see here). The following is a collated list of price increases which TOC could find – from various news reports, blogs, websites, forums, etc – since Jan 2006 to the present. If...
Self before service
Richard Seah For want of 10 cents, I once nearly made a mess of myself. It could have been worse. I could have made a mess of the place I was at – the Maxwell Road Food Centre. I am talking about those public toilets operated by turnstiles. You deposit...
Dear Ms Saw…
The following is an email which was sent to Ms Saw Phaik Hwa, CEO of SMRT Corporation, on 1 July 2010. As of 23 July, we have yet to receive any replies from Ms Saw. If you have pictures of crowded trains, pls email them to us and we will update it here...
Gerald Giam – taking politics beyond the Internet
Wong Chun Han / Andrew Loh He had been contemplating taking his interest in politics beyond the Internet for a while. One and a half years ago, after much thinking and discussion with his wife, he signed up as a member of The Workers’ Party (WP) and...
Why Saw Phaik Hwa has missed the point
Andrew Loh – Ms Saw Phaik Hwa seems to have missed entirely the concerns which commuters may have about crowded trains and stations. She seems to be of the opinion that the issue is simply about ferrying commuters from Point A to Point B in the shortest...
Future generations will pay for the sins of PAP
By Ng E-Jay I wish I could come up with a more optimistic pronouncement. But this is the most honest assessment I can make: Future generations of Singaporeans will have to pay for the sins of the PAP if something is not done about the present situation. Let...
Taken for a ride
Leong Sze Hian - In 2009, public transport operators offered a 3 per cent rebate to commuters. Since 03 July 2010, this rebate no longer applies. In its place, distance-based fares were introduced. The PTC said: “[The] PTC decided to implement the full...
Bukit Timah bridge incident – commuters left stranded
In light of the recent heated debate about the transport system in Singapore, I would like to share my experience with the bus service along Bukit Timah Road. This afternoon [03 July], the overhead bridge at Sixth Avenue “collapsed”. The exact...
Distance-based fare: An outrageous hike in disguise, says NSP
Singapore’s public transport will switch to distance-based fares from tomorrow, 03 July 2010. The following is the National Solidarity Party’s press release on the change. We are greatly disappointed by the new fare system that the PTC intended to...
The Great Crush Load Challenge
By Leslie Lee It could be the highest rated Mediacorp reality show to date. It could become the most talked about SPH organised event ever. No, it’s not Singapore Idol or the New Paper Big Walk. I am talking about The Great SMRT Crush Load Challenge! In...
TOC Special Feature: Safer transport – what are we waiting for?
Story by Stephanie Chok / Video edited by Natalie Soh / Pictures by Stephanie Chok & Mykel Yee / Additional reporting by Patrick Chng / As a nation, we are wired, advanced and wealthy. So surely Singapore can find a better, safer yet financially feasible...
Singapore = Global Torture Hub
Oliver Fricker has been sentenced to 5 months in jail and 3 strokes of the cane In that light, I would now like everyone to watch this video: HERE. Now tell me if you think such treatment does not disregard human rights standards. Tell me if you don’t...
Sand smuggling – out of M’sia to S’pore
From The Star Online JOHOR BARU: Sand worth millions of ringgit is being illegally “floated” out of the country daily via Sungai Johor here. And this has been going on for the past three years. A Starprobe team investigating this lucrative trade found...
The Great Singapore Farce – Now Showing
By Andrew Loh Perhaps it is because the elections are near. No one really knows – except the Prime Minister himself. The word is that it could take place anytime now. Some have proffered as early a date as September. One clue could be the circus of...
Excuse me, have you seen Raymond and Kan Seng?
Andrew Loh – Almost a month ago, on 17 May, Swiss national Oliver Fricker and his suspected accomplice, Briton Lloyd Dane Alexander, allegedly breached the perimeter fence at the Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT) Changi Depot. The two men are alleged...
A world cup for the red-green giants (only)
Even before soccer’s biggest show – the FIFA World Cup – has even started, the public is already divided. The facebook group lobbying for the boycott of Singtel-Starhub world cup packages has gathered storm over the past week and, surely,...
Public transport – 1 1/2 years later
The Online Citizen took to Speakers’ Corner in September 2008 to speak up on the state of our public transport system. One and a half years later, has anything changed or improved with our transport system? Here is a video of Channel 5’s report...
TOC’s response (Part Two) – A “tidy sum”?
Four weeks ago, Samiah and Eddie* granted Al-Jazeera an interview for their story, ‘Government policies force some onto the streets’. They hoped it would generate greater awareness about homelessness in Singapore and maybe, just maybe, lead to a way...
Give up your seat – CCTVs are watching
I am not sure if I am saddened or amused by this little piece of news I read on the Asia One website. The Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM), for reasons which I do not understand, was reported to be looking into installing “closed-circuit cameras...
2.5% fare reduction for all – except for when it rises!
After reading the articles ‘Cheaper bus, train rides‘ on The Straits Times website and ‘Public transport fares go down by 2.5% from Jul 3‘ on the Channel NewsAsia website, this is my conclusion: Maths has certainly changed since I was in school....
Transport fares reduction: For better or for worse?
I refer to the reports “Public transport fares to go down by 2.5% from Jul 3” (Channel News Asia, 20 April) and “Lower fares from July” (Straits Times, 20 April). The former report states that “overall public transport fares will dip by 2.5...
COE may stall economic recovery
I refer to the articles “Supply cut sends COE prices rocketing again” (Straits Times, 8 April) and “COEs the next lighting rod?” (Today, 8 April) The My Paper article stated that “COE for cars above 1,600cc hit $45,501, 26.1...
The state of our buses – LTA should do more
I refer to the report, “Only one case of non-compliance” (TODAY April 6) on the Public Transport Council’s review of bus service standards. Every day, many students and adults rely on both bus and rail transport to go to school...
Performing law
The following article was written by Alex Au and published on his website, Yawning Bread, on January 2007. We highlight it here to raise concerns, as Alex did back then, about the mandatory death penalty. By Alex Au Once more, a life is taken. Iwuchukwu...
Re-tune the COE quota
By Chemical Generation The government just announced a change in the COE quota system. From April onwards with a pro-rated formula first and then every 6 months from July, the car population growth rate would be the number of deregistered vehicles...
Lonely out of the gravy train
By Khairulanwar Zaini Compassion remains scarce in Singapore. The status quo prevails for the government: public transport concessions will remain elusive for the almost 120 000 disabled people. Addressing the plight of the disabled was Workers’ Party...
COE: Another solution that may make more money, but may not solve the problem?
By Leong Sze Hian I refer to the report “LTA announces changes to Vehicle Quota System” (Channel News Asia, Mar 11). The report states that the number of COEs is likely to be reduced, which means car prices may go up. Will higher COE prices...
Transport Minister admits he’s ‘very slow’
“I’d be very slow in stipulating (to operators) how best to run the concession policy.” Transport Minister Raymond Lim, in parliament
Summoning hither the dolphins
By Hoe Jia Wen Animal activists have raised legal and welfare concerns about the impending transfer of 18 bottlenose dolphins to Marine Life Park Resorts World Sentosa. These wild dolphins, caught from the Solomon Islands, are currently being trained...
Malay homelessness – who was the quicker finger-pointer?
By Joshua Chiang Imran sold his flat for a profit. With the money, he rented a bungalow in Johor Bahru and even bought a car. Two years later, his money was spent, and he was back in Singapore, homeless. Imran could be what Senior Parliamentary Secretary...
Budget should be more inclusive, change workplace culture to boost productivity, NMP says
By Wong Chun Han Singapore’s Budget 2010 fails to address concerns of lower-income Singaporeans, while cultural and societal attitudes need to be adjusted for the productivity drive to work, Nominated Member of Parliament Viswa Sadasivan said Tuesday. “The...
Not all foreign workers are counted?
By Leong Sze Hian I refer to media reports (“Resorts World Sentosa say 70% of its over 8,000 staff are S’poreans, PRs”, Channel News Asia, 17 February) that Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) said that 70 per cent of its staff strength of over...
A minister must fall in the process of change, says NSP sec-gen
By Fang Shihan Longtime opposition stalwart, Mr Goh Meng Seng (picture right, middle), is no stranger to Singapore’s politics. Having just been elected Secretary-General of the National Solidarity Party (NSP), the former Worker’s Party politician...
The legal canon of death
The following article is Part One of a two-part report which looks at the provisions in the Misuse of Drugs Act and certain processes of law regarding the application of the mandatory death penalty. By Khairulanwar Zaini Drug trials hardly elicit any...
Electric Scooter now available in Singapore!
By Bhavani Prakash, founder of Eco Walk The Talk Zeco Systems Pte Ltd, a Singapore born and bred clean technology company, is paving the way for a quiet revolution in the way we move around. The firm launched a global rollout of its EV charging solutions...
Help the singles with affordable housing
Letter to TOC by: Joseph Ang Under the existing HDB policy, singles are not allowed to buy or rent flats directly from the Housing and Development Board (HDB), unless they partner with another single person and apply under the joint-singles scheme. In...
An indoctrination process during NS
Alvin Phoon Being Singaporean means experiencing a lot of things. Good food. High prices. SPGs. It also means constantly receiving some excellent reasons for why things are; reasons that may or may not (mostly not) justify fallacies in the current political...
Inadequate public transport
SMRT has actually DECREASE their train service frequencies by as much as 13%! An increase of 19% of demand couple by a decrease in supply of 13% will naturally result in packing the MRT cabins with more people! This is reflected in the increase of occupancy...
Rebutting Law Minister K Shanmugam
Donaldson Tan Sometimes, one can’t help wondering if the Law Minister K Shanmugam is eyeing the the Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen’s job. After all, the Ministry of Education is seen as a crucial stepping stone to senior ministerial position...
YPAP member: “Blame on your karma or your forefathers…”
Posted on the Young PAP Network Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=77865194499&topic=13076#topic_top Eric How is believed to be a Young PAP member. Screenshot from YPAP Network Facebook In case you can’t see it, here is...
TOC – a community of Singaporeans
The following is the speech made by Ravi Philemon, on behalf of TOC, at the recent 2009 Year In Review event at the Post Museum. (More pictures of the forum here.) Ravi Philemon At the close of the year 2008, one of The Online Citizen’s (TOC) writers,...
Economy recovering, but labour statistics getting worse?
Leong Sze Hian According to the Ministry of Manpower’s Labour Market Third Quarter 2009 Report, released on 15 December, Singapore’s real GDP grew by 0.6% over the year in Q3 09, after three consecutive quarters of contraction. However, long-term...
Disabled or not, we are Singaporeans
Donaldson Tan About 30 Singaporeans gathered at Speaker’s Corner last saturday, urging the government and society at large to do more for disabled Singaporeans. This event is part of MARUAH’s campaign titled “Me and My Friend”,...
Transport subsidies for the disabled – passing the buck?
Exclusive coverage: Starting from today (9 Dec), The Online Citizen will have exclusive coverage the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) which is being held in Copenhagen, Denmark. The reports are by members of ECO Singapore, writing exclusively...
