Help the blind to be employed

Dear Mr Tan,
This is M, the visually handicapped staff who handled survey work for you when you were CEO at NTUC Income. I hope this email finds you well. I am writing this email to seek your advice on employment opportunities for my younger sister.

I would like to thank you once again for offering me a job at NTUC Income back at that time. The job has been extremely important to me, as it enables me to earn an income to support my family and also makes useful the knowledge and skills I acquired in school.

My younger sister, has partial visual disability and has difficulty reading fine prints. However, she is able to read and write as per normal with the help of a magnifier and able to use the computer with the help of a magnification software installed. She is able to move around on her own without help.

She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance and has has been actively looking for a job. She submitted numerous job applications in response to job openings but had been unsuccessful.  She also approached job placement agencies for handicapped people, such as Bizlink and the Society for the Physically Disabled, to seek assistance. So far, there is no success.

We would appreciate if you could be so kind as to give her advice or recommendations on any employment opportunities. 

REPLY

BizLink is the best organisation to help your sister. Be patient and keep in contact with them.

Can you ask your sister to try this voice recognition software and see if it helps to improve her ability to handle computer work. I met a totally blind person who earned an income being a singer. She told me that she is able to handle e-mail. She used voice recognition to speak the words in the email and she used her voice to give a reply. The voice recognition software convert it back to text. 

Wish her all the best.

Treating cancer

My friend made this observation. He had a younger brother who died from lung cancer at around 50 after a costly treatment. Another young brother is now in a bad state, also suffering from cancer. The chance of recovery is small.

He has seen many cases of expensive cancer treatments that were unsuccessful. He said that the simple cancers, such as breast cancer, colon cancer and prostate cancer can be treated, but the other cancers have low chance of recovery.

Read some of the actual cases shown here.

Engage a lawyer

If you need the advice of a lawyer and are worried about the legal fees, here are some tips on how to approach this matter.

Being more professional - changes after 2007

Comment posted in my blog


I am puzzled by what Lim Swee Say has said below:
http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5136775

I am an NTUC Policyholder for more than twenty years and I can say with certainty that there is a noticeable change since then. How can NTUC Income be more professional now than before when:

1. I used to get a response from their staff by the next working day and now I do not even get a response within a week.

2. I used to get a response from their CEO within the same day and now I do not get a response from their CEO even when I try to call him and wait for a return call.

3. NTUC Income used to be frugal but now spend excessively on expensive chairs and posh venues for their meetings.

4. Bonuses and returns to policyholders were cut unilaterally, even for policies that are supposed to garner higher returns with higher premiums paid specifically for the higher returns.

5. In the past, there were many policies that give good value, e.g. foundation policies, living refund etc where premiums are very low and protection high while now the policies are mainly high premiums but low protection and returns.

If LSS thinks that by being seated on expensive chairs and existing in posh environments is being more professional then he is just being shallow.

If LSS thinks that a CEO should not have to give a response to policyholders but to delegate it to his juniors then it is probably a reflection of his own misguided leadership style.

If LSS thinks that by having designer office furniture and vases on display highlighted by special lighting is being professional then he is wrong as policyholders want value from their policies and not showroom visualisation effects.

Or maybe I am wrong and LSS is just too busy with his CPF statements or is suffering from a case of chronic "Deaf Frog" syndrome and not aware of what is happening on the ground.


http://forum.channelnewsasia.com/viewtopic.php?t=452259&highlight=

Financial Planning for Young People

This talk, which was streamed online on Sunday, is important to young people. If you missed it, you can now watch the talk online by clicking here. The talk is for 55 minutes and is followed by 30 minutes of live Q&A. You can also download the handout here.

Endorsing Presidential Candidates

http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=7018#more-7018


With the PAP came into power, it systematically decimated these groups by de-registering them and then later enacted new laws required that any registering associations, societies or clubs must have in their constitution a compulsory prohibition clause which states: “The Society shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes.”

Happy 46th National Day

I wish my fellow Signaporeans, Happy National Day.

Here is my National Day message in 4 languages.