Dear Straits Times,
I refer to your 12 Sept 2010 editorial...
Yes, Singaporeans should do something about things that make them unhappy.
Airing their views and making their unhappiness known is one such thing to do.
We don’t call it ‘gripe’, we call it ‘enlightening the unenlightened’.
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/09/20/dont-gripe-take-action/
Friday, October 1, 2010
No choice but take bank loans
Letter from Leong Sze Hian
The HDB has done a remarkable job in reducing the number of HDB loans in arrears...
However, I would like to know the statistics for HDB bank loans as well,
as I understand that there are more than 100,000 outstanding HDB bank loans.
So, how many HDB bank loans are in arrears over three months
and how many flats have been foreclosed
since banks were allowed to do HDB loans on Jan 1, 2003?
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100923-0000066/No-choice-but-take-bank-loans
The HDB has done a remarkable job in reducing the number of HDB loans in arrears...
However, I would like to know the statistics for HDB bank loans as well,
as I understand that there are more than 100,000 outstanding HDB bank loans.
So, how many HDB bank loans are in arrears over three months
and how many flats have been foreclosed
since banks were allowed to do HDB loans on Jan 1, 2003?
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC100923-0000066/No-choice-but-take-bank-loans
Business Times: Junket operators slide into the gaming frame
The Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) said yesterday it has received licence applications from junket operators endorsed by Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). But it would not reveal the number of applicants or say when licences will be granted.
'CRA has received junket applications endorsed by RWS and is currently processing them,' a CRA spokesperson said. 'The junkets business is a specialised and lucrative one.
'Because of the nature of this business - where large sums of money are transacted between junket promoters, their clients and the casinos - it is important that junket promoters are well-regulated to ensure junkets do not provide cover for organised crime syndicates to engage in criminal activities.'
Read the full article (after 6 pm) from:
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/news/story/0,4574,406324,00.html?
'CRA has received junket applications endorsed by RWS and is currently processing them,' a CRA spokesperson said. 'The junkets business is a specialised and lucrative one.
'Because of the nature of this business - where large sums of money are transacted between junket promoters, their clients and the casinos - it is important that junket promoters are well-regulated to ensure junkets do not provide cover for organised crime syndicates to engage in criminal activities.'
Read the full article (after 6 pm) from:
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sub/news/story/0,4574,406324,00.html?
Announcement on SMRT trains
Drawing a line at vested interests
... So what sounds like a helpful public service announcement is, in fact,
an advertisement by SMRT for its own bus services...
If the Government deems that public transport should be privately provided,
should it not at least mandate that, in activities such as providing information to the commuting public,
operators like SMRT should place public service ahead of their commercial interests?
Richard Seah
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_584376.html
... So what sounds like a helpful public service announcement is, in fact,
an advertisement by SMRT for its own bus services...
If the Government deems that public transport should be privately provided,
should it not at least mandate that, in activities such as providing information to the commuting public,
operators like SMRT should place public service ahead of their commercial interests?
Richard Seah
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_584376.html
No claim bonus protector
Get motorists up to speed on no-claim bonus protector
MR KELVIN Pereira questioned the usefulness of a no-claim bonus (NCB) protector
for motor vehicle premiums in case of an accident
('No protection despite a rider '; last Saturday)...
As most motorists are unfamiliar with the NCB protector,
the General Insurance Association of Singapore or the relevant authorities
should comment on its perceived usefulness.
Derrick D'Souza
Humor
What a Woman Wants in a Man
Not All Seniors Are Senile
The Difference Between Airplanes & Women
Vincent Cheng speaks at SDP Pre-Election Rally
Former ISA detainee Vincent Cheng has called for the abolishment of the Internal Security Act during the SDP pre-election rally yesterday at Hong Lim Park. Mr Cheng was detained for three years without trial under the ISA from 1987 to 1990 for being involved in a "Marxist Conspiracy" to overthrow the PAP regime. He claimed that he initially stood firm and denied the charges imposed on him by the PAP regime, but relented in the end after being physically assaulted and tortured by ISD officers.
Singapore General Election Portal: www.easyapps.sg/sgep/latest.aspx
Singapore General Election Portal: www.easyapps.sg/sgep/latest.aspx
Amendments to home loan agreement
Hard to spot home loan changes
When a customer receives a monthly statement,
his focus will be on checking the accuracy of the figures.
Now he must check for amendments to the loan agreement as well.
Mohamed Rafiq Hamjah
http://www.straitstimes.com/
Increase in motor insurance premium for older drivers
Unwarranted rise in premium as one ages
IN DETERMINING car insurance premiums, insurance companies here may be relying
on a flawed actuarial table that unfairly penalises baby boomers like me,
notwithstanding their sound health status and driving record.
Lee Seck Kay
http://www.straitstimes.com/
Child care leave
Should child care leave be extended to mothers of students up to primary 6? Read the views in the Singapore General Election Portal.
HDB Loan Re-finance
The borrower wishes to re-finance a HDB loan (on non-concessionary rates) with a bank loan to enjoy lower interest rate. Here are the factors to take into consideration.
Singapore's method of teaching maths
In a front-page article Friday, we show how Singapore math is taking hold in schools throughout the country. Here in New York City, home to the nation’s largest school system, a small but growing number of schools have adopted this approach, based on Singapore’s national math system. Many teachers and parents here say Singapore math helps children develop a deeper understanding of numbers and math concepts than they gain through other math programs.
Singapore General Election portal
Singapore General Election portal
Economist MBA ranking
The Economist give a higher ranking to business school in NTU compared to NUS.
http://www.pressrun.net/weblog/2010/09/ntu-69th-nus-84th-in-economist-mba-rankings.html
http://www.pressrun.net/weblog/2010/09/ntu-69th-nus-84th-in-economist-mba-rankings.html
Drop in ranking of Singapore universities
The drop in THE rankings of Singapore’s top two universities, one by a whopping 101 places,
lays bare the contrast between expectations of a parochial public
and the realities on the ground.
Need for regulation
The government has the philosophy that consumers are best served by a free market and that there there is less need for regulation. The Competition Competition was set up to disallow associations from setting guidelines for prices. In practice, this approach has worked to the disadvantage of consumers, as they are exposed to malpractices of the providers. There is a need for better regulation and transparency, while allowing prices to be set by guidelines that are determined by the market.
www.tankinlian.com/latest.aspx
www.tankinlian.com/latest.aspx
Ranking of Nanyang Technological University - Letter from President
View the letter sent by the President of NTU to the alumni, regarding the university ranking in www.easyapps.sg/sgep/latest.aspx.
Opening paragraphs:
In the last week, my colleagues and I have received emails and letters of concern and outrage from students and our alumni about recent media stories saying NTU has dropped 101 places in university rankings. The NTU community is understandably upset, confused and alarmed and is right in asking what the NTU leadership is doing about this. As NTU's President, I can understand your feelings and realise how our hard work and efforts in recent years to build NTU's reputation have been damaged by these media reports. Let me state categorically that NTU did NOT drop 101 places in university ranking.
Opening paragraphs:
In the last week, my colleagues and I have received emails and letters of concern and outrage from students and our alumni about recent media stories saying NTU has dropped 101 places in university rankings. The NTU community is understandably upset, confused and alarmed and is right in asking what the NTU leadership is doing about this. As NTU's President, I can understand your feelings and realise how our hard work and efforts in recent years to build NTU's reputation have been damaged by these media reports. Let me state categorically that NTU did NOT drop 101 places in university ranking.
Ranking of Nanyang Technological University
Here is a comment posted in my survey.
The drop in ranking of NTU is indeed a sad day for Singapore because Singapore have actually spent large sum of money in an effort to raise the standard of NTU and their ranking.
The decline of NTU actually started many years ago when the second president was appointed. The person had no track record in running a university; so he did not know how to run the university. Why did the government appoint such a person?
After a few years, the government noted that no progress was made at NTU. So they appointed a provost - an elderly foreign gentleman completely fresh to NTU. Again, why did the government appoint such a person?
At that time, there was an exercise in raising the retirement age of professors from 55 to 65. In this exercise, those who were perceived to be good would be retained and they would be employed till 65. Those who were perceived to be poor were sacked. This exercise therefore had a huge impact on professors’ lives. Because of this, the whole atmosphere in NTU changed from being cooperative with each other to everyone for himself. By hook or by crook, many professors tried to get their retirement age extended. As reported in the newspapers, there was a consensus that the exercise was done unfairly and lack transparency. Why didn’t the NTU management carry out the exercise fairly with transparency?
This exercise has been going on for the last few years, and many professors were sacked. The biggest group affected was Singaporeans. The top management who were making decisions at the time was dominated by foreigners. Why did the government hire foreigners to sack their own citizens?
So, many Singapore professors lost their jobs. Other professors from overseas who lost their jobs have the option of returning home and get a university position there - but not the Singapore professors. Those who were sacked were also the ones who helped to build up NTU in the past (when NTU enjoyed a much higher ranking). Why didn’t the NTU management recognise their past contributions?
The management then proceeded to hire new professors and foreigners were preferred because it helped in the ranking (see the score on the international mix). So the Singaporeans were discriminated against even in their own country. Why did the government hire foreigners to discriminate against their own citizens?
After the results of the exercise have been made known, those who got the extension did not have to work hard because their employment was “guaranteed”. Those who did not get the extension had to work hard for a career outside NTU. So who was working hard for NTU? A scenario that could have easily foreseen even before the exercise started. Why didn’t the NTU management see it?
So, who are the winners? As Singapore lost plenty of money in hiring foreigners and ended up with a low ranking university - they cannot be the winners. NTU ended up being a low ranking university - they cannot be the winners. Singapore citizens lost their jobs - they cannot be the winners. Foreigners who made NTU worse and pocketed plenty of money from Singapore and will be going home happy – yes, foreigners are the winners. Congratulations to the winners!
Since we are all humans, so we live and learn. Hope the Singapore government will learn something from this episode. Foreigners by definition cannot have their hearts in Singapore. Only citizens can. May NTU and Singapore have a better future!
The drop in ranking of NTU is indeed a sad day for Singapore because Singapore have actually spent large sum of money in an effort to raise the standard of NTU and their ranking.
The decline of NTU actually started many years ago when the second president was appointed. The person had no track record in running a university; so he did not know how to run the university. Why did the government appoint such a person?
After a few years, the government noted that no progress was made at NTU. So they appointed a provost - an elderly foreign gentleman completely fresh to NTU. Again, why did the government appoint such a person?
At that time, there was an exercise in raising the retirement age of professors from 55 to 65. In this exercise, those who were perceived to be good would be retained and they would be employed till 65. Those who were perceived to be poor were sacked. This exercise therefore had a huge impact on professors’ lives. Because of this, the whole atmosphere in NTU changed from being cooperative with each other to everyone for himself. By hook or by crook, many professors tried to get their retirement age extended. As reported in the newspapers, there was a consensus that the exercise was done unfairly and lack transparency. Why didn’t the NTU management carry out the exercise fairly with transparency?
This exercise has been going on for the last few years, and many professors were sacked. The biggest group affected was Singaporeans. The top management who were making decisions at the time was dominated by foreigners. Why did the government hire foreigners to sack their own citizens?
So, many Singapore professors lost their jobs. Other professors from overseas who lost their jobs have the option of returning home and get a university position there - but not the Singapore professors. Those who were sacked were also the ones who helped to build up NTU in the past (when NTU enjoyed a much higher ranking). Why didn’t the NTU management recognise their past contributions?
The management then proceeded to hire new professors and foreigners were preferred because it helped in the ranking (see the score on the international mix). So the Singaporeans were discriminated against even in their own country. Why did the government hire foreigners to discriminate against their own citizens?
After the results of the exercise have been made known, those who got the extension did not have to work hard because their employment was “guaranteed”. Those who did not get the extension had to work hard for a career outside NTU. So who was working hard for NTU? A scenario that could have easily foreseen even before the exercise started. Why didn’t the NTU management see it?
So, who are the winners? As Singapore lost plenty of money in hiring foreigners and ended up with a low ranking university - they cannot be the winners. NTU ended up being a low ranking university - they cannot be the winners. Singapore citizens lost their jobs - they cannot be the winners. Foreigners who made NTU worse and pocketed plenty of money from Singapore and will be going home happy – yes, foreigners are the winners. Congratulations to the winners!
Since we are all humans, so we live and learn. Hope the Singapore government will learn something from this episode. Foreigners by definition cannot have their hearts in Singapore. Only citizens can. May NTU and Singapore have a better future!
Tax on "super rich"
There is a report that Taiwan is considering to introduce a tax on the "super rich". This tax is imposed on purchase of luxury home, cars and other items.
I prefer to have a high rate of tax based on extremely high income. There is no need to have bankers, lawyers, doctors and corporate executives earning several million dollars a year. Their earnings are the fees that are paid by their customers, who are not rich people, and may not be aware about the high fees that are being charged or are being sold bad investments at inflated prices. The high rate of tax will discourage them from earning too much, and will be good for the people in general. A high rate of tax will encourage ethical behavior.
I prefer to have a high rate of tax based on extremely high income. There is no need to have bankers, lawyers, doctors and corporate executives earning several million dollars a year. Their earnings are the fees that are paid by their customers, who are not rich people, and may not be aware about the high fees that are being charged or are being sold bad investments at inflated prices. The high rate of tax will discourage them from earning too much, and will be good for the people in general. A high rate of tax will encourage ethical behavior.
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