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Lee Kuan Yew On Muslim integration in Singapore

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Lee Kuan Yew: “I think we were progressing very nicely until the surge of Islam came ... I would say today, we can integrate all religions and races except Islam.” 

The Straits Times on the claim by Lee Kuan Yew, published in his new book Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going, that Muslim integration in Singapore is failing:

MM’s [Minister Mentor's] remarks on integration draw flak

In the book, Mr Lee, when asked to assess the progress of multiracialism in Singapore, said: “I have to speak candidly to be of value, but I do not wish to offend the Muslim community.

“I think we were progressing very nicely until the surge of Islam came, and if you asked me for my observations, the other communities have easier integration – friends, intermarriages and so on, Indians with Chinese, Chinese with Indians – than Muslims. That’s the result of the surge from the Arab states.”

He added: “I would say today, we can integrate all religions and races except Islam.”

He also said: “I think the Muslims socially do not cause any trouble, but they are distinct and separate.”

Mr lee then went on to speak of how his own generation of politicians who worked with him had integrated well, including sitting down and eating together. He said: “But now, you go to schools with Malay and Chinese, there’s a halal and non-halal segment and so too, the universities. And they tend to sit separately so as not to be contaminated. All that becomes a social divide.”

He added that the result was a “veil” across peoples. Asked what Muslims in Singapore needed to do to integrate, he replied: “Be less strict on Islamic observances and say ‘Okay, I’ll eat with you.’”

Right-wing Malay rights group Perkasa slammed Mr Lee, saying he seemed to be adapting the same tactic as non-Muslim opposition leaders in Malaysia who raised sensitive issues without bothering about Muslim sensitivities.

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Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali said: “Perkasa does not consider Lee Kuan Yew as being less able to respect other religions, but instead consider him a very senile old man.” 

A reader on the Jakarta Globe website wrote [on Lee's comments]: “Funny, if you say the same thing in Europe, you will be crucified. At least somebody who is calling a cat a cat.”

Source: The Straits Times, January 26, 2011 

 

Lawyer for Malaysia's Opposition Leader Anwar charged with sedition

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A lawyer for Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was charged with sedition on Tuesday for comments alleging that his client's controversial conviction on a sodomy charge was politically motivated.

The charge against N. Surendran, also an opposition parliamentarian and vice president of Anwar's political party, was immediately denounced by rights groups as a further betrayal of the government's vow to scrap the tough sedition law.

Prime Minister Najib Razak made the pledge in 2012 as part of broader election promises to relax his now 57-year-old government's authoritarian ways.

But his government continues to use the law regularly, typically against government critics who call it a campaign to stifle dissent.

Surendran pleaded not guilty.

The charge relates to comments he made in April criticising Anwar's conviction a month earlier for sodomy, Surendran's lawyer Latheefa Koya said.

Anwar was convicted in March of sodomising a young former male political aide and sentenced to five years in jail. He denies the charge and is free on appeal.

Anwar accuses the government of manipulating the courts in a long-term conspiracy to blacken his name and halt the growing momentum of the opposition alliance he leads.

"My lawyer has the right and the duty to speak of Najib's involvement in the... conspiracy to jail me," Anwar said in a statement.

Najib has previously admitted meeting with Anwar's sodomy accuser, Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan, shortly before the original charges were filed. But he denies orchestrating the sodomy charges.

Najib's office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Sodomy, even if consensual, is a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia punishable by up to 20 years in jail.

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Human Rights Watch criticised Surendran's sedition charge, which carries a maximum jail term of three years, as part of a "government campaign to systematically pursue its political opponents using trumped-up charges".

In a statement, the group's Asia deputy director Phil Robertson called Najib's promise to scrap the sedition law "hollow rhetoric" meant to deceive the public.

Najib's office maintains it plans to replace the sedition law but has given no timeframe.

 

Source: AFP

Gerald Giam: Thoughts on National Day Rally 2014

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[Article first appeared in http://geraldgiam.sg on 18/8/14]

1. While I understand the PM’s explanation that sufficient CPF balances are needed for people to have a decent monthly pay out after retirement, many low-income (or no-income) Singaporeans simply cannot save up enough to meet the Minimum Sum of $155,000 or $161,000, even with the property pledge included. We need to do more to help those who cannot meet the Minimum Sum. I am glad to hear about the new Silver Support scheme. It is an acknowledgement that some poor elderly Singaporeans need more Government support, and that self-reliance or family-reliance has its limits.I attended the National Day Rally on 17 August 2014 at ITE. After the speech, reporters from various media outlets asked for my views on the Prime Minister’s CPF announcements. These are some of my brief thoughts. My parliamentary colleague Yee Jenn Jong (NCMP) responded to the media’s questions about education.

2. I would like Government to focus more on ways to improve retirement income without asking the elderly to sell their homes and downgrade. It is good that the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) has been extended to 4-room flats. The LBS has not seen a very good take up rate so far, in large part because it was restricted to only 3-room or smaller flats. But as I had stated in my 2012 Budget debate speech, I would prefer for LBS to be extended to all flat sizes. This will help more elderly folks monetise their flats without having to sell and move out of their flats, which many of them attach a lot of sentimental value to. This is what I said in 2012:

“…most elderly folks prefer to remain in their current homes, rather than get displaced to unfamiliar surroundings in their old age.

To give the elderly more choice, the Lease Buyback Scheme should be extended to owners of 4-room or larger flats, just like the Silver Housing Bonus. Currently only owners of 3-room or smaller flats are eligible. This could be a reason for the low take up rate.

An enhanced Lease Buyback Scheme will enable more of our elderly to age in place, and to live their golden years in familiar surroundings, without having to worry too much about finances."

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3. It is good to give CPF members more flexibility to withdraw part of their CPF upon retirement. My colleague Png Eng Huat (MP for Hougang) had spoken on this in Parliament in May this year. Different people have different needs. Some might have more pressing needs for their CPF, like healthcare expenses, immediately after retirement. The Government should not seek to dictate every aspect of how retirees spend their own CPF monies.

Gerald Giam
Non-constituency Member of Parliament

[Source]: Gerald Giam’s blog (http://geraldgiam.sg).

 

Concerns about the TPP’s Investor-State Dispute Settlement provision

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By Gerald Giam

Source: Gerald Giam's blog (20 Aug).

I asked the Minister for Trade and Industry this parliamentary question on 4 August 2014. There are concerns about the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provision in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement (FTA), which could grant foreign investors (usually MNCs) the right to sue national governments in an international tribunal if they believe TPP commitments have been breached.

Australia is currently engaged in legal battle with tobacco giant Philip Morris over the country’s plain packaging requirements on cigarette packs to reduce smoking rates. Philip Morris challenged this in Australian courts and lost. So they took the legal challenge to Hong Kong under the Hong Kong-Australia Bilateral Investment Treaty. While not part of the TPP, this is an example of how some multinationals may attempt to use international courts to overcome adverse rulings against themselves in domestic courts.

I would not want to see similar legal challenges against Singapore, especially against regulations that are meant to protect the public health of Singaporeans and our environment. Any FTAs that we sign should also not constrain us from enacting such regulations for fear of attracting legal challenges by MNCs at international tribunals.

The TPP is a proposed regional free trade agreement that is currently being negotiated by twelve countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore, Australia, Japan, the United States and Canada. While it is important that Singapore is included in the TPP, it is equally important that our trade negotiators ensure that the interests of SMEs and ordinary Singaporeans — and not just large MNCs — are promoted under the TPP.

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Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what mechanisms and processes are in place to allow Singapore to implement legislation in areas such as public health and the environment given the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provision in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) which grants foreign investors the right to sue the Singapore Government in an international tribunal if they believe TPP commitments have been breached; and (b) how many ISDS challenges by multinational companies have been brought or have been threatened to be brought against Singapore in the past.

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Mr Lim Hng Kiang (Minister for Trade and Industry): The TPP commits Singapore to ensuring a stable and fair regime for foreign investors. In return, Singaporean investors in TPP countries are also ensured the same stability and fairness. The ISDS mechanism gives foreign investors the right to initiate dispute settlement proceedings against host countries to enforce this commitment. At the same time, to prevent misuse of ISDS, there are also provisions within the TPP which discourage and allow the dismissal of frivolous suits, and allow TPP governments to direct the arbitral tribunals in certain situations.

Our FTAs, including the TPP, do not restrict Singapore from adopting measures for legitimate public policy reasons, including the protection of public health and the environment.

To date, no multinational company has challenged or threatened to challenge Singapore.

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Source: Singapore Parliament Reports (Hansard)

 

Ng Eng Hen: We 'recognize' people with no degree in SAF, they just get lesser pay

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[Article first posted by Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on his Facebook page]

<<Beyond paper qualifications>>

SAF has many examples of commanders without degrees or even diplomas who rose up the ranks because of the value they bring to the SAF. Bobby Lin, 43, is one fine example. When Bobby joined the Army 25 years ago, he only had 3 "O" level passes. Not for want of trying – in fact, he took the exam four times.

Bobby decided to change tack, stop the paper chase, and focused instead on doing his job well. And he performed well in various roles - Ops Specialist in the Joint Ops Department, Company Sergeant Major with 5 SIR, Training Coordination Specialist with the War Game Centre, and Resource Manager for Training Area in the Training Resource and Management Centre. Because he was hardworking, trustworthy, paid attention to details and took care of his men well, he won respect and his confidence grew. By age 35, he was promoted to 2WO. Now he is the Command and Control Intel System Warrant Officer at Headquarters, Army Intelligence. 

The maturity and confidence that came with experience put him in a much stronger position to succeed in all subsequent endeavours. No surprise then, that Bobby successfully obtained his Diploma in Business and Management Studies from Nanyang Polytechnic earlier in May. But it was not paper qualifications that enabled Bobby to do his job well or gain respect but his skills, attitude and positive values.

He is a solid SAF commander.

Ng Eng Hen

*Article first appeared on https://www.facebook.com/ngenghen.defenceminister

 

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Editor's Note: No one is expecting the proportion of degree holders and non-degree holders to be equal in all sectors, and nobody expects the salaries of these two groups to be identical because then there is no point in studying more for a degree.

However, there is no need to impose a hard ceiling on non-degree holders who have demonstrated that they are capable. 

Currently, those without degrees or diplomas cannot even become an commissioned officer. It doesn't matter how good you are, the top position you can ever attain is a non-commissioned warrant officer with a salary of $5k.

If these non-degree holders can demonstrate that they are more capable than degree holders, there is no reason not to promote them faster than SAF scholars that keep getting parachuted into high ranking positions.

SDP: The reason why Singaporeans are losing trust in the PAP

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In his 2014 National Day Rally, PM Lee Hsien Loong stressed that having relevant and deep skills rather than degrees can lead to good jobs that pay well.

The SDP welcomes such a change of attitude – if it is genuine. We have reason to be doubtful.

In 2007, Wikileaks leaked a cable that revealed that the Government “does not plan to encourage more students to get a higher education. The university enrollment rate will continue to be maintained at 20-25 percent because the Singaporean labor market does not need everyone to get a four-year degree.”

Having decided this, the Government is now embarked on an exercise to dissuade Singaporeans from pursuing a degree. Hence, Mr Lee’s NDR speech on Sunday.

What is disturbing, however, is that this same Government is spending millions of dollars to lure foreign students to study at our universities and, yes, become graduates. (One in 5 undergraduate students here is a foreigner.)

It even provides these students with financial assistance through the Tuition Grant scheme; we spend more that $200 million a year on this. What’s more – and this is what vexes Singaporeans the most – the Government guarantees them employment for three years upon graduation by making them sign a bond.

And the Prime Minister says he has to cap the number of Singaporean graduates because of the tight labour market.

Mr Lee also tries to assure the people that non-graduates can find jobs that pay well.

At the same time, however, he continues to let in foreign workers from our poorer neighbours to come in and compete with Singaporeans, suppressing our wages.

Is it any wonder that the people lose trust in the PAP?

So what do we do to resolve this problem? The SDP has proposed the following policies:

1. Scrap the Tuition Grant Scheme for foreign students

Tuition grants for foreign undergraduates should be discontinued. Instead, the funds will be used to provide interest-free loans to any Singaporean student who qualifies for our universities. Graduates start paying back the loans only when they are gainfully employed.

It is the job of a government to find ways to upgrade our economy so that graduates can find good jobs, not artificially put a cap on the number of citizens getting a degree.

(Read our paper Educating for Creativity and Equality: An Agenda for Transformation)

Step 2: Limit the number of foreign workers

Singapore is over-crowded as it is (we’re the 3rd most densely populated country in the world). We cannot afford 6.9 million people, let alone 10 million that some establishment figures want to see.

Overcrowding in Singapore must be addressed. Under the SDP’s population policy, businesses will be mandated – as opposed to “encouraged” under the PAP’s Fair Consideration Framework – to employ Singaporeans first, and foreign PMETs wishing to work here will be strictly vetted as to their skills and qualifications before being allowed into Singapore.

(Read SDP unveils 6-point plan to control population)

Step 3: Legislate minimum wage

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It’s easy for the PAP to tell Singaporeans that the can get good paying jobs without a degree. With continued low productivity and high income inequality in Singapore, this statement must be viewed with suspicion.

The SDP has repeatedly called for the introduction of Minimum Wage as well as for the Government to scale back its involvement in business through GLCs so that we can cultivate local entrepreneurs and, thereby, raise productivity.

(Read LKYSPP Prof backs up SDP’s minimum wage policy)

Saying one thing and doing another is the quickest way of losing the people’s trust. The PAP must not patronise and manipulate Singaporeans like children, instead it should reason with us like adults.

 

Singapore Democrats

Source: YourSDP.org

 

Singaporeans First Party successfully registered as society, now taking registrations

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PRESS RELEASE

Dear fellow Singaporeans, friends and supporters,

I am pleased to announce that SINGAPOREANS FIRST has been successfully registered as a society by the Registry of Societies. Following the registration, we submitted our proposed party symbol for approval. We expect the process to take a few weeks. Until it is approved, we cannot make use of the party logo.

We can now conduct activities of an approved political party. We need members to help us. If you share our beliefs and values (as stated in our Manifesto here), please join us by filling up this SINGAPOREANS FIRST MEMBERSHIP FORM

In the months ahead, we will be planning a series of activities leading up to the next General Election. We welcome ideas from all Singaporeans. You can approach any of the members of the protem committee listed below:

Chairman : Dr Ang Yong Guan,

Vice chairman : Tan Peng Ann,

Secretary-General : Tan Jee Say,

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Assistant-Secretary General : Loke Pak Hoe,

Treasurer : Dr David Foo Ming Jin,

Assistant Treasurer : Fatimah Akhtar,

Members : Michael Chia, Fahmi Rais, Winston Lim, David Tan.

 

We look forward to your support.

Tan Jee Say

Singaporeans First Party

 

SDP: S'poreans don't want handouts, just what belongs to them

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For more than half-a-century, Singaporeans have kept their heads down, toiled and sacrificed to build our economy. They said little when the Government insisted that they put aside a portion of their wages for retirement.

They protested not when the Government increased that portion to 40% (even reaching 50% at one point), making Singaporeans the biggest savers in the world.

They watched in silence as they kept paying for their HDB flats through their CPF even as prices leapt, depleting their kitty.

They remained stoic when even more was taken to pay for their Medisave.

They watched in fearful silence as the Government took their money and made lucrative (and often questionable) deals in overseas investments while getting back low returns.

Now after all this, the Government wants to retain the little that they have left. 

Should they be expected to remain silent?

Singaporeans have been a long-suffering people, conditioned to accept that welfare and social spending by the state is wrong, that citizens must be self-reliant.

No, the people are not asking for handouts, they are not asking for state pension. They just want what belongs to them.

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And the CPF belongs to them, it is their hard-earned money. Wanting it back is not an unreasonable demand and the SDP in Parliament will help you get it back.

Every cent of their savings should be returned without further pretense and delay. Anything less is a betrayal.

 

Source: YourSDP.org


Nicole Seah resigns from NSP

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The National Solidarity party explained today that Nicole Seah has resigned from the party.

According to Yahoo Singapore, Ms Seah quit the party but there was no incident or animosity which lead to her resignation,

NSP Secretary General Jeanette Chong-Aruldoss explained that Ms Seah had been more quiet and less active in party duties since she moved to Thailand for her work.

Nicole is currently working in IPG Mediabrand in Bangkok and while she had explained just before her move that she would remain in NSP and continue to visit Singapore regularly to carry out duties, it seems that it may have been too much.

The 28 year old who was serving as the assistant secretary general, was described as being "quieter than before".

NSP said they respected her decision. 

 

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Nicole Seah: It was a painful and difficult decision to leave NSP

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The National Solidarity Party just announced that Nicole Seah had resigned from the party.

(Full Story see: Nicole Seah resigns from NSP)

To explain her decision further, Nicole Seah released a statement about her decision describing it as an "extremely difficult" and "painful" decision.

Here is her statement in full:

Leaving the NSP was an extremely difficult and painful decision to make, and there was nothing which might have happened to trigger this departure. I started in politics as a fresh graduate wanting to make a difference, by bringing more political awareness and interest to young people in the last couple of years. It's reached a point where I feel that my job is done (for now) and I have to move on and grow in other areas, before I can continue to give back to the communities I choose to place myself in.

Singapore is always home, and what is far more crucial is for everyone to recognise that in everyone's way, we just want the best for this country using the most productive channels possible. I do hope that there will be more constructive discussions taking place in public domains, that we will have a less biased state media, and that our political discourse as a nation continues to mature in the right direction.

I wish NSP all the best, and continue to hold its leadership and members in high regard. We continue to remain friends. For myself, this is not a complete departure from politics, as I continue to keep tabs on what is happening back home. I will just need to find a more suitable platform to contribute and give back.

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Nicole Seah has been a prominent figure in Singapore since she contested in Marine Parade GRC for NSP at the age of just 24. She has a large social media following and was well liked for her hard work on the ground.

She moved to Thailand earlier this year for work and while she had originally said she would remain with NSP and continue to come back to Singapore regularly, it seems this may have been too much to handle. 

 

Municipal Services Office: We are not trying to create another layer of bureaucracy

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We refer to the recent letters on the Municipal Services Office (MSO) and appreciate the feedback and interest shown.

The MSO will be set up on Oct 1 to improve the delivery of municipal services. These are services that pertain to the upkeep and improvement of the communal living environment. Examples of such common issues include managing the cleanliness of public areas, horticulture maintenance, and maintaining and repairing transport infrastructure.

For a start, the MSO will work with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, HDB, Land Transport Authority, National Environment Agency, National Parks Board, PUB, People’s Association and Singapore Police Force to improve the management of public feedback.

In the longer term, the MSO will expand its scope to review service standards and improve operational processes, particularly for services where multiple agencies are involved. The MSO will also explore working with more agencies, including town councils.

The MSO does not displace government agencies in the provision of municipal services. These agencies will continue to take charge of the operations and customer management functions under their respective domains.

We are mindful that the MSO does not create another layer of bureaucracy and lead to inefficiency. Instead, we will work hand-in-hand with the agencies to improve the public’s experience on municipal services.

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The public can continue to provide feedback through the existing hotlines of the various agencies that they are familiar with. Some members of the public have expressed frustration in not knowing which agency to contact when faced with some municipal problems. We will address this problem in due course.

The MSO seeks to pursue a stronger citizen-centric approach to improve the Government’s delivery of municipal services. We welcome public feedback and suggestions on how the MSO can improve the delivery of municipal services and in shaping the set-up in the MSO.

Christine Yap (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of National Development

 

Letter first appeared in ST Forum, 30 Aug.

 

SDP: Pushing towards GE at Holland-Bt Timah GRC

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Source: YourSDP.org

The SDP continued with our ground campaign at the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC today in preparation for the next GE.

We were there to spread our message about the CPF, over-crowding, and cost of living issues.

Several residents were clearly unhappy with the Government over a range of issues.

A group having breakfast (pictured) enthusiastically welcomed the Democrats and with the smartphones on the ready, took several photographs with us. 

We also chatted at length with a group of younger male Singaporeans who just competed serving their National Service.

"So you can vote at the next elections," we pointed out. "Will we get your support?"

"Of course!" they chorused.

Party members traversed the constituency and the adjoining areas of the West Coast and Tanjong Pagar GRCs.

It was a packed schedule as we traveled widely to spread our message.

Our walkabouts are alternated with house visits which allow us more time to interact with residents in a meaningful manner.

"Help us get into Parliament so that we can speak up for you," Dr Chee Soon Juan said to the constituents, "we know that the cost of living is hurting you with prices going up but our wages not keeping pace."

Aunties and uncles at the food centres and markets nodded in agreement.

One resident pointed to an article in our newspaper The New Democrat about PUB bills (pictured) and said that he finds it difficult even to pay his electricity and water bill.

"One side earn a little bit," he lamented in Hokkien, "the other side pay the Government everything."

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Along the way, the SDP team encountered Ms Grace Fu (pictured) who was recently appointed as the Minister in charge of the newly created Municipal Services Office (MSO). Dr Chee stopped to chat with Ms Fu and wished her well.

Apart from our online campaign, the Singapore Democrats will continue work hard, as we have been all these years, to reach out to voters on the ground.

With your support, we will get into Parliament and  make it truly the People's House. 

 

See more walkabout photos at SDP's facebook album.

 

US President Obama: We will 'degrade and destroy' ISIS militants

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President Barack Obama vowed to "degrade and destroy" the Islamist militant group behind the beheading of a second American journalist. "We will not be intimidated," Obama told reporters during a visit to Estonia on Wednesday. "Those who make the mistake of harming Americans will learn that we will not forget and that our reach is long and that justice will be served."

Obama said that Americans were "repulsed" by the slaying of Steven Sotloff by Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) militants, adding that such "horrific acts only unite us as country." He also vowed that the U.S. would continue to lead the battle against "the kind of barbaric and empty vision that [ISIS] represents." He said that mission would "take some time but it is going to get done," adding: "We will degrade and destroy [ISIS] so that it is no longer a threat to Iraq, the region and United States.”

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A video showing Sotloff's beheading surfaced days after the journalist's mother pleaded with ISIS for mercy. Its release followed the murder of James Foley, who had also been held hostage by the Sunni extremists. The president said that Sotloff "deeply loved the Islamic world" and had risked his life traveling in the Middle East to "tell the story of Muslim men and women demanding dignity." He added: "Steven’s life stood in sharp contrast to those that murdered him so brutally."

 

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/

Khaw Boon Wan: Elderly should live with their children and rent out their HDB

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Current Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) is good, as it allows seniors to get a monthly income from their flat, while continuing to live in the home they love.

But it can be more flexible.

This was the distinct feedback we got from Singaporeans when they shared with us their views during the Our Singapore Conversation on Housing.

Today’s announcement on the 4 enhancements to the LBS is our response to this feedback and request.

The extension to 4-room flats is the most significant enhancement, as it opens up this monetisation option to many households. Altogether, 75% of elderly households will soon have access to this option.

Another enhancement is the introduction of different lease options. Younger seniors can choose longer leases, while older seniors can choose shorter leases in return for more cash proceeds.

The enhancement to the CPF top-up rule is another major enhancement. It has direct impact on joint flat owners who make up half of the LBS-eligible households. Currently, joint owners will have most of their cash proceeds used to top up their Retirement Accounts. The enhancement has halved the top-up requirement. This means that they will have more upfront cash proceeds when they join the LBS.

While these enhancements are good, I do worry about some elderly spending unwisely away the substantial cash proceeds. For example, many overseas properties are being marketed here. There are bound to be disappointments and even losses.

I urge our seniors to exercise prudence and caution.

The best advice I can offer, is to use the substantial cash proceeds to voluntarily top-up you and your spouse’s Retirement Accounts. That will be a sure way to ensure that you can both enjoy a steady income each month in your golden years.

Of course, the best option is to live with your children to enjoy their company, and rent out your flat as your additional retirement income. Then there is no need for LBS.

But for some, because of their family circumstances, the enhanced LBS offers additional security.

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Khaw Boon Wan
National Development Minister
3 Sep 2014

[Source]: mndsingapore.wordpress.com

SDP supports Govt's investment in solar panels

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The SDP welcomes the Government's move to install solar panels on the rooftops of army camps, schools and HDB blocks. The announcement was made by the Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan last week.

Such an initiative not only helps generate power in a cheaper manner thereby reducing energy costs and benefiting the people, it will also assist in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions.

Climate change is a real danger confronting the world. Being a small island, Singapore is especially vulnerable to the melting of polar ice caps which would raise sea levels and affect our coastal areas.

While we are a small country and do not make a large impact on global warming, it is important nevertheless that we take the lead to reduce our carbon footprint so that we have the moral authority to encourage bigger nations to adopt similar environmentally friendly practices.

With the move to install solar panels, we look forward to the authorities passing on the anticipated savings in energy production to Singaporeans whose current utility bills have become a burden especially those in the lower income groups.

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The SDP will support Government initiatives which help the nation and our people.

However, we will not hesitate to speak up on schemes that hurt and disenfranchise Singaporeans, and we will work to reverse them so that our fellow citizens will have a better and more secure future.

 

Source: YourSDP.org


Debate on Ministerial Salaries in 1985: Lee Kuan Yew, Chiam See Tong and JBJ

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Excerpt from Parliamentary Debate on 22 March 1985:

Mr Chiam See Tong rose -

The Prime Minister (Lee Kuan Yew): Yes, please. I have been waiting for the opportunity to give you the chance.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Thank you, Mr Prime Minister. Mr Speaker, Sir, Dr Toh Chin Chye, one of the founders of the PAP, in November 1954, stated:

‘That a country big or small shall be great only if the spirit of the people is great.’

Mr Jeyaretnam: That’s right.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Now, after 25 years, I wonder whether the spirit of the people can be as great as the spirit which the PAP first had. I think it is a pity and it is a very sad thing that now we have to get people in -

Mr Jeyaretnam: By money.

Mr Chiam See Tong: – with attractive rewards. I really subscribe to this very great aim of the PAP when it first started and I hope it can still have this aim.

Does the Prime Minister believe that competition will increase efficiency? If he does, I think he should allow a fair competition between the Opposition and the PAP Members. I have been voted into Potong Pasir but I find that my hands are tied, The Sennett Estate Community Centre was suddenly taken away from me, used for some -

The Prime Minister: You are suggesting the Minister is corrupt?

Mr Chiam See Tong: No, no. I am talking about fair competition. Let us have a chance to work with the residents in our constituency.

The Chairman: We are talking about Ministers’ salaries.

The Prime Minister: We are talking about Ministers’ salaries.

Mr Chiam See Tong: We are talking about salaries and the type of society we want to maintain. If you want to get the Ministers to do well, you should not just pay them, but get them into competition. That is what I am saying. Yes, compete with us, increase their efficiency. I do not think you need just to pump money into them. Let us have competition. I think this will really increase efficiency, rather than just paying them double salaries, or whatever it is that is going to be proposed. Let us have good, friendly, competition. Let us have it. It is good for the nation. Let us work. Give us a chance at Potong Pasir. Appoint us to the RCs and CCs as advisers.

The Prime Minister: Wait till you become a Minister, then you will get to be in charge of everything.

Mr Chiam See Tong: The PAP Members are automatically appointed advisers. Why are we not? What are they afraid of? It is not necessary by pay alone. Let us have competition, increase their efficiency, give them a good cutting edge, as the Prime Minister used to say.

The Chairman: I do not understand what you are talking about.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Prime Minister keeps talking about, “Let’s have a sense of proportion.” This is what I am trying to urge upon the Prime Minister, believe me, to have a sense of proportion. And I think you will get that if you compare the responsibilities and the duties of your office with the responsibilities and duties of office in other countries, and then begin to see what they are paid and what the Ministers are paid here.

In my Table that I have presented, the Prime Minister gets nearly four times what the Prime Minister in the United Kingdom gets, and what the Prime Minister in New Zealand gets. And three times more than what the Prime Minister in Malaysia gets. Is the Prime Minister of the view that his salary should be equated to the President of the United States? Because he is the only one who is getting more. He is getting $45,000 while the Prime Minister here is getting $30,976.

 

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The Prime Minister: The simple answer to that, Mr Speaker, is: if I were allowed to retire and then enlisted back into the service, I would be getting more. Simple,

Mr Jeyaretnam: I do not understand that.

The Prime Minister: Let me explain.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Please, do that.

The Prime Minister: My colleagues, with the exception of Mr Rajaratnam, the Minister for the Environment, who was a Lecturer in the University when he first joined us, and the Minister for Home Affairs, they would all walk back into better paid jobs. It is as simple as that. This is the quality of men we are looking for. I do not want to belabour this point. But I am looking for good men who can do the job. You can get any number of people to become Ministers. But can they discharge their obligations honourably, competently? If you want that quality of manpower, and those of us who have attended CPA meetings must know, you can compare and contrast. We know that the quality of the Members of Parliament has visibly risen and with it the quality of the Ministers. The two are related.

The Chairman: Mr Prime Minister, you have only two minutes left.

The Prime Minister: I would not wish to have it said that the Member for Potong Pasir was prevented from making his point about $600 one day for a Minister and $600 one month for a poor worker. I gave him every opportunity. The debate was set aside for two hours and extended for another half hour in order to take on two snide remarks, one from the Member for Potong Pasir and another from the Member for Queenstown.

I think it will not be the last time it is said, but let me assure the House, nor will it be the last time I will belabour this point. You want this gyroscope to spin, even on the edge of the table, you keep the instrument clean, in fine condition, so that it will spin without friction. Any sense of distortion, authority and discretion has been exercised other than honestly, that is the end.

Come down to the #ReturnOurCPF 4 protest on 27 September 2014 at 4pm at Hong Lim Park. You can join the Facebook event page here.

 

 

#ReturnOurCPF 4 Poster 2 final

Return Our CPF 4 Poster 1b

 

Roy Ngerng

*The writer blogs at http://thehearttruths.com/

 

With sedition dragnet, Malaysia takes step back to Mahathir era

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Members of the Malaysian People's Volunteer Corps (RELA) confront university students during a rally calling for the repeal of the Sedition Act outside the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs building in Putrajaya September 5, 2014.

(Reuters) - Malaysian authorities are carrying out the broadest crackdown on the political opposition and social activists since the era of strongman leader Mahathir Mohamad, as traditionalists in the long-ruling ethnic Malay party appear to gain the upper hand.

The setback for civil liberties in the multi-ethnic former British colony, which had appeared set on a path of greater openness just two years ago, comes as democracy retreats across mainland Southeast Asia following a military coup in Thailand and fading reform hopes in Myanmar and Cambodia.

Susan Loone, a reporter at online news site Malaysiakini, which is critical of the government, was the latest to be detained by police on Thursday under the colonial-era Sedition Act, days after a law professor was charged over comments in an online news article on a 2009 political crisis.

Prosecutors have charged four people with sedition in the past two weeks, including the professor, with new police investigations against opposition figures or activists being announced frequently.

This year, seven opposition politicians, six of them members of parliament, have been charged with crimes, including sedition, for things they have said. Another has been convicted.

The opposition's de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, was convicted and sentenced to jail in March on a sodomy charge that rights groups say was politically motivated.

The three-party opposition, which has eroded the ruling coalition's majority in two straight elections, says the 1948 Sedition Act is being employed selectively against its members, allies and social activists to undermine the alliance.

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The sedition law criminalizes speech with an undefined "seditious tendency".

Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director of Human Rights Watch, said the prosecutions were reminiscent of so-called Operation Lalang in 1987 under Mahathir, when more than 100 opposition politicians and activists were arrested under an old Internal Security Act (ISA) which allowed detention without trial.

 

Read the rest of the article here: http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/09/07/malaysia-sedition-idINKBN0H204C...

Tan Chuan-Jin: the Job Bank is quite successful with over 65,000 job ads posted

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Responding in parliament to a question about the new national jobs bank, Manpower Minister Tan Chuan Jin said that it has been quite successful and is off to "an encouraging start".

He shared that over 10,000 employers have posted around 65,000 job ads so far and 31,000 Singaporeans have signed up to use the jobs bank.

This is about a 400% increase since the start of the portal in July.

He said that so far, feedback has been positive and he hopes that many Singaporeans will  use it in future.

While the jobs bank is off to a good start, he also said that getting accurate data on how well Singaporeans are doing in the job market is difficult as there are many ways to find jobs.

Mr Tan explained that even with the jobs posted on the portal, the actual hiring process is done through the companies HR and so the government doesn't know how many of the 65,000 jobs were successfully filled.

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He also explained that the national jobs bank is free for all Singapore citizens, PRs and companies and it is designed to help in the job hunting processes for Singaporeans.

It is the portal in which employers seeking to hire foreigners must advertise in for at least 14 days before they can apply for a work permit for a foreigner.

So far, Mr Tan said that the general job market is "healthy" and citizen unemployment is only at 3%.

 

Gerald Giam: Audible pedestrian signals for the visually-impaired

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By Gerald Giam

9 September 2014 [Source]

I asked the Minister for Transport this Parliamentary question on 8 September 2014 after speaking at length with a friend who is blind, who told me about the challenges visually-impaired Singaporeans face when navigating around our roads and public transport system. I think there is much more that we can do to make Singapore more accessible for people with disabilities.

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AUDIBLE PEDESTRIAN SIGNALS AT ROAD CROSSINGS

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many signalised pedestrian crossings are equipped with audible pedestrian signals (APS) for crossings with APS visually-impaired (VI) pedestrians and how many are not; (b) of those that are equipped with APS, how many operate on restricted hours at night and what are those hours; and (c) whether LTA can consider equipping all signalised pedestrian crossings with APS which operate 24 hours a day, if necessary with “on-demand” activation at night, so that all VI pedestrians can cross roads safely especially at night when there are fewer other pedestrians to assist them.

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Mr Lui Tuck Yew (Minister for Transport): The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has installed audible pedestrian signals (APS) at 860 of about 6,000 signalised pedestrian crossings (see footnote below), based on requests from the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) and from visually-impaired individuals.

LTA takes into consideration the needs of visually-impaired pedestrians as well as the impact on other stakeholders when setting the operational hours of the APS. Generally, the APS is activated from 7.00 am to 9.00 pm daily so that the audio signals do not adversely affect residents living nearby. In some cases, for example, at junctions near the SAVH premises, LTA has acceded to their request for the APS to commence earlier at 6.00 am and end later at 11.00 pm.

“On-demand” APS devices can potentially allow more APS to have longer operating hours. LTA is happy to explore this and other measures that can assist visually-impaired pedestrians to cross the road safely. 

*Article first appeared on http://geraldgiam.sg/2014/09/audible-pedestrian-signals-for-the-visually...

 

Gerald Giam: Vacancies in Jobs Bank taken up by Singaporeans

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Source: Gerald Giam (8 Sep 2014) - http://geraldgiam.sg

Parliamentary Question on 8 September 2014

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry tracks what proportion of the Jobs Bank posts are eventually secured by Singaporeans; (b) if not, whether there are plans to measure and publish such data by requiring employers to disclose the outcome of their job postings; and (c) whether such data can be cross-referenced with data from Employment Pass and S-Pass application processes to yield patterns and causes for PMET jobs not going to Singaporeans.

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin (Minister for Manpower): To date, more than 31,000 Singaporeans have signed up with the Jobs Bank and more than 10,000 employers have come on board and are actively posting job vacancies. There are over 65,000 jobs available on the Jobs Bank today. The feedback from both employers and job seekers has also been positive. It is an encouraging start, and we hope more employers and Singaporean job seekers would use it over time.

The Jobs Bank was intended to facilitate a fair hiring process and greater awareness of job vacancies available for Singaporean job seekers. Singaporean job seekers are now able to make job applications directly through the Jobs Bank for a comprehensive list of job openings.

The Jobs Bank and the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) was not, however, set up to guarantee local job seekers that they will always get the job. This will continue to be determined on the basis of merit, and to the best applicant for the job. There can be various reasons why an employer may not end up hiring the Singaporean candidate after considering applications fairly.

For example, in the IT sector, there could be jobs that require technical skills or domain knowledge of legacy programming languages, which IT firms use in supporting legacy IT systems of many companies that our local workforce may not possess in sufficient numbers. Likewise, Singaporean job seekers have their reasons for not accepting job offers, for example, if employers are unable to meet their expectations in terms of job scope and other personal considerations.

Singaporeans may also get placed in jobs through means other than the Jobs Bank. For example, Singaporeans may be hired directly by the firm or through head-hunters or private job portals and other job advertisements. Even when Singaporeans apply for a job that they see on the Jobs Bank, we cannot directly track this. For example, job seekers may apply through firms’ in-house HR portals. Therefore, data on the number of Singaporeans who were placed in a job vacancy which was advertised on the Jobs Bank would not be a representative or accurate indicator of how well Singaporeans are doing in the labour market in general.

Rather, what is important to us is whether the overall labour market ecosystem benefits Singaporean job seekers. This goes beyond the Jobs Bank and involves broader factors, such as the number and types of jobs being created, and whether our people have the skills and passion for the job. We track and report indicators of citizen employment outcomes regularly, and the situation is healthy. The seasonally adjusted citizen unemployment rate is 3.0% [1] and remains much lower than those of many other countries, while Singaporean workers have enjoyed positive real wage growth over the last five years [2].

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We are, at the same time, keeping a close watch on firms’ hiring patterns. If a firm has a disproportionately low percentage of PMEs who are Singaporeans compared to their industry peers, we will initiate closer scrutiny of the firm to find out more details about the hiring practices and plans to develop Singaporeans for more senior positions. MOM will assess if HR practices are fair in these firms. If they are not, we will ask the firm to work out a plan to make improvements. Should a firm remain uncooperative, or not adhere to the plan, it may have its work pass privileges curtailed.

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[1] Preliminary estimate in June 2014.
[2] The real median gross monthly income from work (including employer CPF contributions) of full-time employed Singapore Citizens grew by 1.7% per annum from 2008 to 2013.

 

*Article first appeared on http://geraldgiam.sg/2014/09/vacancies-in-jobs-bank-taken-up-by-singapor...

 
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