I discover the rat on sunday night, call HDB and town council for help on Monday morning, pushing responsibility, so I'm have been calling them (to & fro) the whole afternoon and the town council actually ask me to call them back 2 days later as the officer in-charge of our area is on course, will only be back on Wednesday. So without choices, I called my own pest control, found the rat's dropping and urine but no sign of the rat, glue boards place in the kitchen and wait.... till about 530pm, I called the town council again, call center (a 3rd party company answer calls on behalf of Town council) pick up my call and response to me fast, they willing to send their man to my house to put mouse traps (this is the response I want in the morning), I'm wondering why the call center is more responsible than the Town council itself, why?? That's not the worse part, my wife actually went to meet up the MP for help on that day, waited for about an hour with my 4 years old son, and the MP actually said:" It's NO BIG DEAL" I'm so angry that I called NEA, Newspaper & Xin Ming Ri Bao, but only the Xin Ming's reporter called back.
Then thing happens, town council send their man to my house the following day, HDB called me and asked about the states....Wow, do you believe that....

What to Take.


Backpacking is increasingly a popular way to travel. It allows you an almost unlimited level of flexibility with your itinerary and keeps you costs down much more than booking into expensive hotels. Within this section you will find tips for backpacking wherever you are going from what to take with you to useful tips and tricks.

Packing :: Clothing :: Essentials :: Useful Items :: Backpack
What not to take :: Caveat Emptor :: Useful Links
Packing

One of the key issues when embarking on a backpacking trip is what to take with you. You will need to carry your backpack around for long periods of time and it must contain everything that you will need while you are away that can’t be purchased locally.

It is essential to pack as lightly as possible, your backpack will need to be carried with you everywhere and having a large bulky pack can hamper you boarding buses and trains and will also tire you out to carry around all day.

Clothing

You will need to cut down to the bare minimum when packing clothes, you will need to get used to wearing the same clothes for long periods of time although you will normally be able to wash and dry clothes overnight in most places.

It is advisable to take:

2/3 T-shirts ideally these should be fast drying so that they can easily be dried overnight.

At least one longsleeved shirt or polo shirt It is vital to have at least one long sleeved item of clothing for protection from mosquitoes and the sun/cold. These can also look smarter than t-shirts.

2 pairs of trousers the most useful type are lightweight cargo style trousers with plenty of pockets. Women might want to substitute a skirt but it is essential to have at least one pair of trousers whilst travelling.

A pair of jeans, don’t bring your favourite most expensive ones but a pair of jeans is an extremely hard-wearing and versatile item of clothing.

Swim wear are fairly light and worth taking in case you get the opportunity to go swimming. Men can also double theirs as a pair of shorts.

Shorts are not advisable in some countries as they mark people as a tourist. If this isn’t an issue where you are travelling then a pair of shorts or 2 is useful.

No matter where you are going a light-weight fleece is essential, this can be layered with other clothes to keep you warm in most climates. It is also worth remembering that even in hot countries it can get pretty cold at night. A rolled up fleece can also double as a pillow if required.

It is worth taking 4 or 5 sets of socks and underwear. You will have an opportunity to wash them while you are there so it is not worth taking up room bringing loads. Also bear in mind that anything you take that is white is not going to stay that colour for very long!

Depending on how much walking you intend doing you might want to take a sturdy pair of hiking boots...only take these if they are really necessary though as they take up a lot of space and are quite heavy.

A pair of good quality sandals are essential in most destinations, they have the advantage of being small and easy to pack and can be quite comfortable for most occasions.

Taking a pair of comfy trainers is also to be recommended if you can fit them in.



Essentials

A good sleeping bag is essential, one of the modern ones that can be rolled up very small is best. At many hostels you will be charged for sheets/blankets and they may be in a dubious state of cleanliness.

Back of chapel in Melbourne does not charge for linen but some places do

A waterproof for if you get caught in the rainy season. These can also be packed up very small indeed.

Head-covering, women will almost certainly need one in mosques or countries like Iran or Saudi Arabia.

Baseball hat or bandana, these are good for keeping your hair out of your face and the sun off your head.



Swiss army knife, the travellers best friend! Just make sure you don’t fly with it in your hand luggage. Cosmetics and toiletries, you wont need much just take what you need to maintain hygiene. You cannot take this in hand luggage any more. A good first aid kit, for less developed countries it is worth taking syringes with you to avoid contracting diseases from contaminated needles that local first aiders may use. 2 towels. There are some really good travel towels on the market which are lightweight and take up a lot less space than traditional towels would. Check out Lightload Towels for really useful super light and versatile towels. Travel washing line. Plastic bowl with knife, fork and spoon. Mosquito repellent. Useful ItemsThese items are not essential to your survival but your trip just wouldn’t be the same without them. You may want to consider taking the following;

A camera.

Spare batteries.

A small calculator.

An alarm clock.

A money belt.

A torch.

A personal music player.

A deck of cards.

A good book.

A small bag for use during the day.

A pen and notepad (very useful thing to have for writing out directions, reminders of place names, planning itinerary etc).

Take lots of bin bags, these can keep dirty clothes separate from dry ones and be used to waterproof your backpack.



Your backpack

The size of backpack you buy really depends on how much you are going to lug around with you, if you plan on taking only the bare essentials you could get away with a 35litre backpack but on average a 50 litre one might be a better choice, especially as it will leave some room for any souvenirs collected on the way. Certainly unless you are camping then you will not need anything bigger than a 70 litre pack.

What not to take

If you are really short of space or want to travel very light then it might be an idea to not take guidebooks with you. You can do your research before you go and photocopy any information that you absolutely need. Books are quite heavy especially if you are carrying a lot of them and you can probably buy them locally if you really need one. Also people are usually prepared to swap you their guidebook if they are leaving a country and you are heading there. Many hostels have guidebooks too for reference or that people may have left so you can pick them up.

Don’t take a hair dryer, these are big, bulky and in many hostels you wont be able to use them (no socket), if you absolutely must have one and are travelling in a fairly developed country take one of the small travel hairdryers that can fold up.

Don’t take anything too valuable or sentimental, lost luggage and theft is all too common these days and you wouldn’t want to lose anything that you can’t easily replace.

Don’t take anything that you wouldn’t use at home, why would you suddenly start using it when you went away?

Caveat Emptor

copyright to Leah Freilich

This list should cover all of the essentials and still leave you a little room to pack any favourite things that you want to take with you. Bear in mind that for some countries you may need to modify this list slightly. For example if travelling in Europe or the USA you probably wouldn’t require a sleeping bag.

Also if you are camping you will need to take all of your camping gear such as tents, travel stoves etc. in addition to all of the things listed above

Useful Items music player. A deck of car These items are not essential to your survival but your trip just wouldn’t be the same without them. You may want to consider taking the following; A camera. Spare batteries. A small calculator. An alarm clock. A money belt. A torch. A personal ds. A good book. A small bag for use during the day. A pen and notepad (very useful thing to have for writing out directions, reminders of place names, planning itinerary etc). Take lots of bin bags, these can keep dirty clothes separate from dry ones and be used to waterproof your backpack. Your backpack The size of backpack you buy really depends on how much you are going to lug around with you, if you plan on taking only the bare essentials you could get away with a 35litre backpack but on average a 50 litre one might be a better choice, especially as it will leave some room for any souvenirs collected on the way. Certainly unless you are camping then you will not need anything bigger than a 70 litre pack.What not to take If you are really short of space or want to travel very light then it might be an idea to not take guidebooks with you. You can do your research before you go and photocopy any information that you absolutely need. Books are quite heavy especially if you are carrying a lot of them and you can probably buy them locally if you really need one. Also people are usually prepared to swap you their guidebook if they are leaving a country and you are heading there. Many hostels have guidebooks too for reference or that people may have left so you can pick them up. Don’t take a hair dryer, these are big, bulky and in many hostels you wont be able to use them (no socket), if you absolutely must have one and are travelling in a fairly developed country take one of the small travel hairdryers that can fold up. Don’t take anything too valuable or sentimental, lost luggage and theft is all too common these days and you wouldn’t want to lose anything that you can’t easily replace. Don’t take anything that you wouldn’t use at home, why would you suddenly start using it when you went away? Caveat Emptor copyright to Leah FreilichThis list should cover all of the essentials and still leave you a little room to pack any favourite things that you want to take with you. Bear in mind that for some countries you may need to modify this list slightly. For example if travelling in Europe or the USA you probably wouldn’t require a sleeping bag. Also if you are camping you will need to take all of your camping gear such as tents, travel stoves etc. in addition to all of the things listed above.

Free continental breakfast
Free Wireless internet
Free 1 hour internet access
Free Airport pick up from Tullamarine for stays of 3 or more nights * conditions apply
Free Guitars to use & Open Mic night
Free walking tours on Fridays
Free Secure car parking
Free Pancake Breakfast (Wednesday)
Free Seasonal dinner (Thursday)
Free Luggage lock up

School Holidays:
14 December 2009 - 27 January 2010

2 April - 16 April 2010
5 July - 16 July 2010

27 September - 8 October 2010
10 December 2010 - 31 January 2011

This is a chocoholics dream. Not only have you spent an hour touring the factory picking up free samples and watching the wonderful brown liquid flow into bar form, but now you get that slightly damaged but perfectly delicious chocolate for 1/3 the price!

Bring your pocketbook and your chocolate recipes, because the possibilities are endless when you leave here!

All types of Cadbury Chocolate and candy items. Also clothing items with the Cadbury seal on them.

$5 AUD for three large blocks of Cadbury Chocolate, plus other special deals on mis-shaped, damaged or slightly past prime aged chocolate.
Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Cadbury Road in Claremont
Phone: 03 6249 0333
Website: http://www.discovertasmania.com.au/home/index.cfm?siteid=91&display=product&productid=9000126

This is the cheapest place for internet access in town! The lovely lady who runs this shop actually sells imported clothes (Indian Style), but besides she has set up some computers for the VT addicted traveller.

15min-up to 1hr internet for 3 AU$
Theme: Women's Clothes
Address: 120a Elizabeth Street
Phone: (03) 6231 6639

Salamanca Market operates EVERY SATURDAY from 8am until 2.30pm, will operate on Saturday 26th December, Boxing Day this year and in 2010 because Christmas Day falls on the Saturday.

Over 300 stallholders sell produce and crafts from all over Tasmania. Ranging as one of the top attractions in Tasmania, The Salamanca Market is another good reason to slip into Hobart for a few days. Sadly we didn't have time to look around much but we got souvenirs- little items to take back home- fridge magnets and knick knacks for the kids.

Just about everything can be found- especially lovely arts & crafts and fresh produce

Here is the relevant portion of Asiaweek's interview with Ong (issue dated 10 March 2000)

It was this issue that caused the dispute between you and the government?

Yes. But I don't want to go into details and upset everybody. The thing is that the elected president is supposed to protect the reserves, but he was not told what these are until five years later. From the day the Constitution was amended in 1991 to provide for an elected president, he was supposed to fulfil that role. My predecessor, Wee Kim Wee, although he was not elected, was supposed to play that role during the last two years of his term. But he did not actively check. So, when I came in in 1993, I asked for all this information about the reserves. It took them three years to give it to me.

The holdup was for administrative reasons?

Either that or they did not think there was any urgency. You see, if you ask me to protect the reserves, then you've got to tell me what I'm supposed to protect. So I had to ask.

Why did they not want to tell you?

I do not know. Don't ask me, because I don't have the answer. I've been asking them. In fact, in 1996, exactly halfway through my term, I wrote prime minister Goh a letter. At that time, everybody was expecting a general election in December or January. After the election, a new government would be sworn in. When that happens, all the reserves, whether past or current, become past reserves and are locked up on the changeover date. As president, I have to safeguard them and they can only be drawn upon with my permission. So I said to Mr Goh It's already halfway through my term, but until today I still don't know all these figures about the reserves.

So the government had been stonewalling you, the president, for three years?

Yes. What happened actually was, as you know, in accounting, when you talk about reserves, it's either cash reserves or assets reserves. The cash side is straightforward investment, how many million dollars here and there, how much comes from the investment boards and so on. That was straightforward -- but still we had to ask for it. For the assets, like properties and so on, normally you say it's worth $30 million or $100 million or whatever. But they said it would take 56-man years to produce a dollar-and-cents value of the immovable assets. So I discussed this with the accountant-general and the auditor-general and we came to a compromise. The government would not need to give me the dollar-and-cents value, just give me a listing of all the properties that the government owns.

They agreed?

Well, yes, they agreed, but they said there's not the time for it. It took them a few months to produce the list. But even when they gave me the list, it was not complete.

It seems the Singapore government does not know its own assets?

Yes. It's complicated. It's never been done before. And for the assets of land, I can understand why. Every piece of land, even a stretch of road, is probably subdivided into many lots. There are 50,000 to 60,000 lots and every one has a number. If you want to value them all, it would take a long time. In the past, they have just locked everything up and assumed it is all there. But if I am to protect it, at least I want to know the list.

When they eventually gave you the list -- the incomplete list, did you have enough staff to do the checking and other work?

No, I did not. I only had one administrative staffer and two part-timers from the auditor-general's office.

Second Row standing: Lee Shaowu, ho ching, Li Haoyi, Lee Wei Ling, Li Yipeng (albino), Li Xiuqi
3rd Row standing: Lee Hsien Yang, Lee Huanwu, Li Hongyi, Loong, Lee Shengwu

I do my thing, and you do your thing. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful.
Frederick E. Perl

This is an era when international mobility is a privilege that many of our bright young men and women enjoy. The world is their oyster.

They were born and raised in Singapore. Some may have completed their tertiary education here, while others did so overseas. But I have cousins whose children have chosen to exchange their pink Singapore identity cards for United States passports.

If ever there is a major crisis in Singapore, those who would be able to emigrate, be accepted by another country and get jobs there would invariably be people who are wealthy and/or professionals with marketable skills.

The Government knows that talent is mobile and that Singapore must compete with other countries to offer an attractive living environment and vibrant culture so as to retain talented Singaporeans and attract foreign talent here.

I am a paediatric neurologist. I can pass any medical examination that Canada, the US, Australia or New Zealand may impose before accepting me as a high-skilled immigrant or 'exceptional alien'. Would I take such opportunities?

SAF version:

To: Parents
of whomsover concerned

Please be informed that under Enlistment Chapter 32, we can arrest your son lock him up in Kranji for not complying with our orders. You yourselves can also be arrest for harboring anyone not complying with orders and be locked up in Changi.

You're hereby advised, it's best for you and your sons to comply.

Yours sincerely,

(rank (usually lieutenant, inspector or above) and name)

AWOL = section 22(1), chapter 295
disobedience to general orders = section 21, chapter 295
non compliance to lawful order = section 17(2), chapter 295
conduct to prejudice of good order = section 25, chapter 295

Question: What is emotionalism?

Answer: The English word "emotionalism" is defined as, "excessively emotional character...excessive appeal to the emotions...a tendency to...respond with undue emotion" (RHCD, pg. 433).

The Bible heart. The Bible has much to say about the heart of man, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Prov. 4: 23). When analyzed, the Bible heart consists of intellect, will, emotions, and conscience (Matt. 13: 15, 22; Heb. 4: 12; Matt. 22: 37; Acts 23: 1).

Emotions are vital, but emotion must not rule the intellect. Fear, love, and joy are all biblical emotions (Heb. 12: 28; I Cor. 13: 1-8; Acts 8: 39). However, all these emotions depend on God's word for guidance, structure, and definition (cp. 2 Tim. 1: 7; I Jn. 2: 15; Jas. 4: 9). The elder brother was engulfed in emotion when he thus reacted to his brother's return, "And he was angry, and would not go in..." (Lk. 15: 28). Many people become blinded to the truth because their emotions are out of control.

Emotionalism in religion. Many organized religions rely on emotionalism. They work people into a frenzy and call this emotional, out of control condition salvation. Even during the time of real spiritual gifts, control and structure were to be practiced (I Cor. 14: 26-40). Christianity is basically an orderly teaching religion (Jn. 6: 44, 45, Eph. 4: 20). We are to "learn of Christ" (Matt. 11: 28 ff.).

Emotions uncontrolled blur and paralyze the mind. However, the intellect without emotion is spiritually worthless. The happy combination of emotion and intellect is seen in the Roman's obedience. "But God be thanked...ye have obeyed from the heart (emotion, dm) that form of doctrine (intellect, dm)..." (Rom. 6: 17, see vs. 18). A final warning regarding emotionalism: "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered" (Prov. 28: 26).

I was searching for some old books containing many of my favourite Chinese poems.
My books and my room at my parents' house have seen extensive changes since I moved to live with my brother Lee Hsien Loong's family from 2002 to 2005. My room at Hsien Loong's house was too small to move more than a tenth of the books I needed. So the rest, I left in my room in Oxley Road.
In 2003, after my mother suffered a bleed into her brain, my room at my parents' house was extensively renovated so a nurse could rest there. The nurse needed more creature comforts than I did. So a bed was placed in the room and a water heater was installed in the bathroom so she could have a warm shower.
And my books, packed in boxes, were moved into the basement. It took me two days a few weekends ago to find the books I wanted and even then, I couldn't find several.
But by chance, I did find the nine medals that I had been awarded for topping my cohort in medical school as well as individual prizes in subjects where I was first in class. One medal that I recall was made of pure gold was missing. I had handed it to my mother to be locked up as I have a talent for losing things.
I was surprised that I felt no sense of triumph or joy when I found the medals. In my immature youth, I had worked very hard to earn them. Indeed, 35 years ago when I was in medical school, I would study the following year's subjects even while on vacations, reading several textbooks on each subject before the new term began.
Hence, I knew not only the scientific facts that the authorities agreed about, but I was also aware of what was still controversial. When term started and I attended the lectures, I didn't have to take notes except when I wanted to prevent myself from falling asleep.
I remember that while I was still a medical student, I accompanied my parents on a trip to Osaka. A Mr S. Oya, an elderly gentleman who owned Teijin, a manufacturer of synthetic fibre, invited us to his house for dinner. His first wife had died and he had married a woman much younger than he was - a vivacious Japanese lady not at all sedate as one would expect a Japanese wife to be. When my parents introduced me to her, she prophesied 'one day you will be a famous professor'. I did not demur since that indeed was my ambition.
Decades have passed since then, and my priorities in life have changed. Medals and titles now mean little to me. What matters is that I must do right, and I should do so even if I offend people who have power over me.
I have acquired the title of 'Professor', but that gives me no joy. In fact, I prefer to be addressed as 'Dr'. The title 'professor' has been sprinkled around liberally among the medical fraternity here, and there are some professors with whom I certainly do not wish to be grouped.My younger brother, Lee Hsien Yang, once asked me: 'Why do you step on powerful and sensitive toes?'
I replied: 'But if I don't, who will do so to put things right?'
Hsien Yang is no coward. When in the army, to which he was bonded for eight years for accepting the President's Scholarship as well as the Singapore Armed Forces Scholarship, he earned badges for scuba diving as well as parachuting. He needed to get only one of the two badges, as all senior officers had to to prove to their men that they were not cowards.
Hsien Yang got both. Like me, he likes physical challenges. But as a businessman, he knows that antagonising powerful people does not make good business sense.
But I am not a businesswoman; I am a doctor serving patients in the public sector. Since 2008, I have also been a regular columnist in The Straits Times and The Sunday Times. I am much less important and well known than my two brothers or my sisters-in-law. But writing columns gives me a chance to discuss social trends and to point out government policies that I think are wrong.
That does not mean my bosses cannot take action against me if they so wish. But it is better to do what is morally correct than to be so afraid that one does not dare say 'boo' to our superiors. Pay rise, bonus, promotion or demotion are much less important than doing what is right. Besides, if I do not try to right a wrong that I am aware of, my conscience will bother me.
I don't think my temperament has changed since I was a child, but my purpose in life certainly has - and I hope it has changed for the better. I try not to hesitate to speak up when my superiors or even the Government do something that I think is not in the best interest of Singapore. The criticism is made with the sincere wish to improve our system and to benefit Singaporeans.
I do all this not because I wish to score points or gain glory. I do so because I owe Singapore a debt for the opportunities it has given me. In return, people in my position should always do what they think is the best for Singapore.

1. Prof Khoo Tsai Kee.

The 86-year-old former prime minister, now an adviser to his son Lee Hsien Loong's government, said Singapore's small land area made it difficult to deal with "acts of God."

"Whatever we do when we get extraordinary rains like we had recently, no amount of engineering can prevent flooding... unless you want to lose half the roads and have canals."

Interesting article. Having lived in both countries, let’s look at this point by point.

1. Article says – Australia cost of living is very high. Daily products and houses are expensive – much more than Singapore.

1. Not true. Australia is cheaper for lot of daily necessities such as subsidized healthcare, education and cheaper housing given a greater supply of land vis-a-vis a smaller population. In Singapore today (2010) $500k will get you a moderate-sized HDB flat, whereas in Australia that will buy you a house on an adequate size of land in a decent suburb in Sydney or Melbourne. In smaller cities like Adelaide or Brisbane, you’d get something pretty close to a mansion.

2. Article says – Singapore’s GDP per capita (nominal) is expected to overtake Japan this year. Becoming the highest per capita GDP in Asia

2. Agreed. But Singapore is a service-based economy & the value of its domestic goods and services is heavily reliant on external market forces over which it has no control. However the point about Singapore being well-placed to take advantage of the growth in China & India is true.

3. Article says – Singapore has an exciting future. ASEAN might become another CARICOM or MERCUSR, your Singapore passport can allow you to work and live freely in other ASEAN countries.

3. The Australian passport allows you to work & live freely in other ASEAN countries as well.

3. (Note point 3 appeared twice in the article so the same goes here). Article says – Singapore is much safer, less corrupted and has more convenient amentities.

3. Safer, yes. Convenient amenities, yes Singapore is more efficient & has better infrastructure. Less corrupted – not true. Corruption in Australian parliament would be exposed by the media the very next day. Openess & accountability to the Australian public is something every politician understands and accepts. However, Singapore politicians have walls & do not allow the media to probe behind the scenes. Therefore, given this lack of accountability to the public, if the corruption level in Singapore is higher I would not be surprised because nobody gets to know about it – unless the government wants to occasionally make an example out of someone. That said, I can’t comment on the specific level of corruption in each country.

4. Article says – Singapore offers a better place to bring up kids

4. Not true – it depends on what you consider important when bringing up your kids. Singapore may offer bilingual options in schools but Australia offers the same. The problem is the ‘kiasu-ness’ in Singapore society takes its toll on the kids very early on in life resulting in a highly stressful environment for them to grow up in. Although the Singapore government wants to encourage creativity & innovation, the school environment in Singapore is not conducive to this. Australia offers a much better work-life balance with more time given to working parents to look after their kids, higher baby bonuses & other government perks that encourage this work-life balance. There’s also a lot more activity in schools that foster play & learning through which children develop more holistically rather than being overly focused on just the academic aspect of education – which is just one part of the picture.

But as for the drug problem – agreed. Australia should adopt the same law as Singapore does when it comes to the drugs as this is a problem & causes a huge hole in the pockets of Australian taxpayers.

5. Article says - you just be a bit creative, you can easily get a nice house in JB, Malaysia or Indonesia and enjoy the less stressful lifestyle there as well every weekend or day.

5. Probably. But the weather, climate & countrysides in Australia are very beautiful too and there’s no need to bring your passport along when going on holiday.

6. In Australia, technology is so backward

6. Absolutely agreed. Technology here seems light years behind Singapore.

7. Article says – Australia has water problems. Small towns only have rain water tanks. Yucks, do you dare to drink rainwater?

7. True but the author makes a misinformed point in the article. There are water rationing regulations at certain times in the year – usually in summer. This means that there are certain days & times during the week when you can wash your car or water your garden but this has little impact on day to day living. As for small towns, yes may have a different source of water supply but these are towns in regional areas with tiny populations where most migrants do not live in. As for the point about rain water, one could turn the tables & say ‘Yuck, do you dare to drink new/recycled water?’

8. Article says – Australia has lots of dangerous animals.

8. True so does Singapore – especially the kiasu road drivers.

9. Article says – In Singapore, you can hire an expatriate maid to help you do your family chores. You can’t do that in Australia.

9. Yes, the cost of labour is far more expensive in Australia.

10. Article says – Running a business in Australia is exorbitantly expensive

10. Yes – compared to Singapore it is because of the heavy taxes in Australia.

11. Article says – In Singapore, there are much much more jobs and career options than Australia.

11. Not true. Both countries have a specific list of skills that are in demand based on the requirements of their economies. Depends on what one’s line of work is.

12. Article says – Food is Singapore is much cheaper and better than Australia.
12. Cheaper, yes in Singapore. Better quality, no. The quality of fresh produce is better in Australia. Plus the Food & Drug Regulations are stronger in Australia than they are in Singapore.

13. Article says – Australia has a very run down armed forces. only 50, 000 soldiers. Their strategy is basically to wait for America’s help in the event of a war. Indonesia has an army of 500, 000. Singapore has 400 ,000.

13. The author can’t be serious about this point. Numbers doesn’t mean an army is competent & besides Singapore, like Australia, needs its allies should there be a war.

14. Article says – Singapore’s property prices will skyrocket in a few decades

14. This point was covered previously.

15. Article says – Singapore’s CPF! You will have money for old age, housing! The employer puts in 12% as well dont forget! Australia has the superannuation pension scheme but their taxes will frighten you off!

15. Australia’s Superannuation pension is taxed at around 6.5%. The other type of tax is that over & above one’s pension such as investment income & other streams of income which is taxed at around 15%. Yes the taxes are higher in Australia but medical benefits also come with it. So it eventually evens out.

In summary, Singapore offers a lot of advantages to younger people with years of working life ahead of them but when it comes down to retirement, quality of life and family living, Australia is a better option.

Sorry, but I disagree with Kathi-lyn. Like this 14-yr-old boy, I feel the same. That’s why I made the decision 20 yrs ago to migrate. Life in Australia is totally different from S’pore. The Govt really looks after its own citizens despite taking in refugees every year. They don’t have money-faced politicians & the opposition in parliament are not afraid to question any dubious acts passed. Likewise the media there are constantly looking to dig up any attempt at coverups to give maximum exposure. Although the country is rich in minerals, they don’t fritter away their reserves as they are answerable in parliament. As for medical attention, they have world-class facilities which is available to rich or poor. Being a retiree, everything from bus fares to hospital care is subsidised. There is no need for the jobless to collect cans from the rubbish, sell tissues or fold cardboards to make a living. The elderly here retire with their dignity intact. Although there are sporadic acts of racism, these are short-lived. Being a minority, I’ve experienced worse in S’pore ! I really feel sorry for those in S’pore who don’t have the choice to move out from S’pore, what with it’s oppressive environment where the ordinary Joe is treated like dirt. Where the politicians behave so arrogantly knowing full well that nobody can shake them from their iron rice bowl. Where they denigrate the very citizens who voted them in with names like “daft”. Where when they made serious mistakes, do not take responsibility despite being paid million-$ market-rate salaries & are not required to step down eg. LKY, HC, WKS, etc. I wish all the best for this intelligent 14-yr-old & hope he makes it to the other side !
God Bless Singapore.

Hi, I’m so sorry to hear about your mom. You must be going through a really tough time right now and my greatest sympathies goes out to you.

But you cannot blame PAP for everything. Singapore’s health care and transport system is already top notch and your mom shouldn’t have gone to an ER for a check up as emergencies are priority there.

Secondly, if you’re not gonna stay in Singapore, where are you gonna live? Australia? Australia’s health care system in on the verge of collapse, their transportation system is horrendous, their cost of living is so high. The United States? A bullying suicide case just came on the news a few days ago in the US. Would you really want to build a family where you are/feel a minority? No way.. Singapore has its faults, but I feel that it is the best place to live in. Sure things may be rough but it is home. Plus, if you want to stay in Asia, Singapore is one of the best countries. Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia? Living conditions there will be worse!

What can the new government do for us that PAP has not already done? So what if a new government takes over? Does this mean that we will expel all the foreigners in Singapore? no.. there is no way any government will do this due to economic reasons. Change the health care system which has been in place for the past few decades and seems to be doing well (compared to other countries)? Such change cannot happen immediately.

And what if change is bad for Singapore? Singapore is a city state. It only takes one bad move for our country to be in ruins! You will understand this better when you grow up.

If your sons and daughters are entering or finishing college, please do consider to send them overseas to further their education. Having lived in China for so many years, I am clear that besides the language barrier, the local Chinese lacks the single most important element – Exposure. You cannot read this in any tertiary institution, you cannot buy this off the shelves; you need to be mentally and emotionally be ready to invest in your children’s future. They will learn to interact, to speak a different language; they will see the world and hence react differently.

I never liked the local tertiary institutions for 2 reasons. Firstly, their curriculum does not foster cutting edge technology R&D nor Creative Arts and Design talents. 2ndly, upon graduation, these graduates will be herded “factory like” into the Singapore local workforce and be instilled with local paradigms and culture. The funny reference to “kiasu and kiasi” – these may be funny reference to local mentalities, but it is not funny after a while, if you need to compete globally.

Yes, I am sensitive to several issues that my idea will encounter, working parents will need to bear with temporary separations, and the all important family unit will be temporarily disrupted. Spouses will pine for each other and parent will miss their children. Even though there will be tears and pain but there will also be joyous reunions every holidays and family visits.

However, please consider the long term value add to our people and our country (above and beyond the ruling PAP). We will have seen, experienced and become more exposed to the world beyond Changi Airport. With our opened eyes, we will know what is right and wrong, what should and what should not be.

My vision is to see locals returning to Singapore not just with value added global exposure, which will propel our economy forward. Furthermore, they will be more willing, able and capable to take their destinies into their own hands. To decide what the issues are, what the policies should be, who they want to see as administrators for their neighborhoods, their districts and their country.

My conclusion is a simple summary, if you can go, please go. If your kids want to go, let them, There will be risks, there will be pain and tears. However, by doing this, we evolve and we will better take charge of ourselves, we will be better equipped to vision and administer ourselves.

The Winds of Change are Blowing….Singapore for Singaporeans!

Pre-employment grant to help S'porean medical students studying abroad
By Mustafa Shafawi | Posted: 29 July 2010 1622 hrs


Photos 1 of 1






SINGAPORE : Singapore's public healthcare clusters are launching a pre-employment grant (PEG) to assist Singaporean medical students studying overseas during their final two years of study.

The students will receive financial assistance, assured employment, and opportunities for post-graduate specialist training, in return for a commitment to serve the clusters for up to 4 years.

The clusters, including SingHealth and the National Healthcare Group, said the PEG will be an additional talent recruitment measure to attract more doctors from overseas to supplement the local pipeline of doctors.

The pre-employment grant will cover up to 60 per cent of the remaining years of tuition fees, subject to a limit of S$40,000 per year.

All Singaporean students studying in an overseas medical school recognised by the Singapore Medical Council are eligible to apply.

The selection will be based on merit. Students should possess good grades in their medical studies, especially in their clinical training years.

Recipients of the grant will be required to serve in the hospital clusters for a minimum period.

Students receiving a one-year grant will serve in the hospital clusters for three years, while those receiving a two-year grant will serve for four years.

The service period will include the one-year housemanship period if it is served locally.

The clusters will pilot the pre-employment grant for three years, and review the cost effectiveness of the scheme at the end of the pilot.

Applications for the grant will open from August 16. - CNA /ls

I think university ranking should not mean everything when deciding which university to go to. They have millions of ranking criteria and not all of them are relevant to your course. Do consider the city, state you like since there are more to experience than just studying.

News is what someone, somewhere is trying to suppress - everything else is just advertising.

Some 20 shopowners in a Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) are unhappy with the compensation offered by the Housing and Development Board to move to new premises.

HDB has now extended the deadline for the shopowners in Bukit Merah View to accept replacement units. The affected shops are at Block 113 and 114 Bukit Merah View.

HDB had offered them between S$486,000 and S$780,000 in compensation. But shopowners said it is not enough. They said replacement shops offered are one third the size of existing ones, and only have a 30-year lease, compared to their current remaining 60-year lease.

There seems to be so many conjectures about Mas Selamat.

Let's take a look at the various conjectures:

(1) He is not in Singapore - but do not know where
So where is the much vaunted ISD or Singapore's external intelligence? After so many months, still at the guesswork level?

If Mas Selamat is out of Singapore, why does he not broadcast his presence via the internet. There are many countries which has elements sympathetic to these terrorists. He should be safe there.

And if he is in Indonesia for example, why not broadcast as though he is now in Iran? That will make the intelligence services in Singapore give up the chase.


(2) He is in Singapore - kept under cover by sympathetic elements
So where is the much vaunted ISD who do not know who are the sympathetic elements here. Such elements are highly dangerous to Singapore and they do not know who they are?

And if Mas Selamat is in Singapore, why does not he broadcast his presence as though he is out of Singapore, so that the pressure is off him?


(3) Mas Selamat is dead
The drawback to this is the lack of retaliation by his JI members.


(4) Mas Selamat was granted immunity in exchange for leaving Singapore alone
If so, Wong Kan Sing and his negotiators are brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

Singapore's F1, Youth Olympics, Marathon, Tourist and Gambling Hub, critical infrastructures and engineering facilities, Sands Resort, gathering of Ministers on National Day and other major events/strategic places are safe!


(5) Mas Selamat is in a coma
If so, then his caretakers must have flown in a complete terrorist medical unit with a make-shift hospital


(6) Mas Selamat has amnesia
If so, he will not know who he is, wanders around and thinking why his face appears everywhere


(7) Mas Selamat has plastic surgery
Possible, but who does the surgery for him?


(8) Mas Selamat gave up on islamic terrorism and now is in hiding from his JI colleagues and Singapore police
???

There you have it - a reasonable list of possible scenarios.

But we are in the realm of guesswork and after all is said and done, your guess is as good as mine.

So long as he and his kind do not trouble us, that is all Singaporeans, foreign talents and permanent residents want for Singapore.

I was reading some of the reviews of this hotel and I cant help but wonder where the reviews are coming from.

We are the owner of the Amara property timeshares since the early 1980s. Everytime we checked into the hotel they give us exactly the same room which in my opinion is really old and worn out and seriously in need of some real renovation. Perhaps they put all their timeshare owners in the same room, and those "paying" customers in nicer rooms..... But we did pay for the time shares and yearly maintenance fees (at which they increase at their own discretion)!

The carpeting is old and dirty I have to walk around in shoes and the shower stall is always stuck with water that pools and overflow. Perhaps they should start to spend some real money on Draino? The furniture (aka sofa, desk, chair etc) are so mirky I wouldnt put my dirty laundy on them.

That having said, its in a nice location. The lobby looks nice and well kept, the housekeeping did their best to clean up our room everytime we stayed, but theres only so much you can do to clean up worn out places that requires renovation.

Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean was at Jurong Island this afternoon to see a demonstration of the enhanced capabilities of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for dealing with terrorist threats.

The Army’s 2nd People’s Defence Force (2PDF) Headquarters has been configured as the Island Defence Headquarters (IDHQ), whose role is to monitor and respond decisively to security threats to the homeland, particularly terrorist threats. Working in close collaboration with the Home Team agencies, the IDHQ has command and control, and co-ordination functions. The IDHQ maintains a 24/7 national security picture which integrates the land, sea, and air pictures with those provided by the Home Team agencies. It also provides security support for high profile events taking place in Singapore.

Since November 2004, the IDHQ’s capabilities have been reinforced with the designation of the 6th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (6 SIR) as the Army’s first active Protection of Installation Battalion (POI Bn). In the current security environment, there is a need for a highly trained and dedicated force to provide round-the-clock protection of key installations. 6 SIR was thus reorganised and trained as a unit fully capable of conducting a range of POI duties. It has the skills for area search and bomb cordons, as well as new competencies like operating special-to-type weapons. 6 SIR will be augmented by the SAF’s Chemical-Biological-Radiological-Explosive (CBRE) Defence Group during operations.

During his visit, Mr Teo was briefed on the roles and functions of the IDHQ. He also witnessed a mock intrusion demonstration which showcased the swift and integrated response and capabilities of 6 SIR, working closely with the CBRE group and military police elements.

Okay, in short, here is what I recomend to all potential kengsters. If you can carry on training, carry on training. I learnt from bitter, bitter experience that it is sometimes worse to be service personnel than combat personnel.

Story of my NS Life:

Point of Downgrade: I was serving my 3rd last week of BSLC in Tekong in Nutcracker when I struck a huge rock with my changkul and tore a major ligament in my arm. I was sent to CGH and downgraded within two weeks.

Fast forward 1 week: As an OOC in SISPEC, I was seriously treated like SH*T! U wake up half an hour earlier than the rest to set up safety and water points. You stay up an hour later than the rest to maintain the radios and signal sets. Yet, when the coy books out early for good performance, you find yourself taking the bloody last fastcraft out of Tekong Holiday Resort.

Fast forward 2 months: I was sent to 42 SAR as a clerk. Same story, except WORSE. On top of all the Sai Gang earlier mentioned, I was often sent to the Ossifer Mess to EFFING Shell Prawns, Scale Fish and Kill Crabs for the Officers Quarterly Mass Chao Geng celebration. Those Cheesepies would puke on the floor and order us to go over and clean up. NBCB... In addition, the clerks in my dept were a mix of Homosexuals, Ku niangs and Kengsters who play politics, porh the Chief Clerk and push weekend duties to me. It practically made life in BMTC feel like heaven. Plus, 42 SAR is in farking LIM CHU KANG JUNGLE!!!

Fast forward 4 months: As the Battalion's despatch clerk, I got the chance to make friends with the CPC clerks in CMPC, who told me how to get an upgrade and secure a posting back to SISPEC. I made friends with the CPC captain, who decided to post me back to SISPEC after I told him my story. I actually PAID for a private specialist to certify me combat fit and I went back to Tekong, the Happiest man ever to go to SISPEC.

Fast forward 7 months: Secured Coy 2nd best and got selected for OCS conversion, where I eventually commissioned as a Combat Engineer PC 13 months from the time I OOCed from SISPEC.

Moral of this EFFING Story: Service vocations aren't as peachy as most think. Often, service personnel are despised, looked down upon, mistreated and unfairly allocated Sai Gang ++. If you can Chiong Sua, pls dun downgrade. Dun waste the precious time in Army being someone's nosedig slave when you can do something for yourself by working out, getting fit and doing the best of the time you'd have to waste in this effing army anyway.

With this story, I've probably sexposed myself to all of the 27 and 29 BSLC pple le... Believe me. A life of a clerk can be REALLY TOUGH.

Best of luck. Be inspired.

haha.. RP... machiam sign extra for your 2 years.

about the 2 weeks excuse for dat in-grown toe nail; you will not be out of course la.. coz RP no need training de.

really RP is very slack de. coz u r the 1 catching other ppl. nobody will catch u. u can do watever u wan.

there is smthing call RP Spec (unless u make him tulan) and then CSM, RSM, and the whole bunch of saddist regulars. LOL

the govt played with our lifes. its time we played their system

Tell us the whole story leh. What happened to the RP afterwards? Say sorry 2000 times? Knock it down till next year?

He must be an idiot as well lah, the age of the person should imply to him that it's either NSMan, or somebody higher ranking than him. Unless the LTC super high flyer and look uber young.

this is not first hand story btw... just heard it from a friend lah...

basically what happen was that, it was in an airbase. then the LTC was driving the rover into the middle of the field to do the scouting for some exercise or something.

suddenly, the MP (3rd sergeant) went to shout "oi! what the fark u doing there? where u from? who are u? what u doing here?"

so the LTC, whose rank was being covered by his LBV, reply nicely, "oh, i just looking around for this exercise, blah blah blah"

then the MP still damn rude, say "where u from?" then he scold scold scold blah blah blah, "!@##$%^&&*", then he say "come out of the car now!"

so the LTC feel damn dulan already, then he say "ok, sorry ah, let me take out my LBV first..."

then the MP face totally changed when he saw the rank...:eek: then he salute and say "gd morning... sorry sir."

after the LTC fark him verbally, i think he kana complain to the RSM... then in the end i heard the MP kana 20 plus extras for abusing authority and whatever they cld come up with. orbi good

from what my friend told me, the LTC look quite young cos it was air force one, u know airforce, all these ranks like LTC like got alot anyway, alot of high ranking people in the camp one.

actually, i feel no matter who it is, whether recroot or general, esp if u not sure, u shld speak to the person firmly but with respect. u can never go wrong there. no point abusing ur authority or treating the guys below like dogs cos there's always someone on top of u who will treat u like dog back

Mr Tan Yong Soon, 55, who will become Permanent Secretary (National Climate Change) in the Prime Minister's Office.

French Chef Weather Maestro
coming to an Orchard Road restaurant near you soon !!
Let BG(NS) Tan show you how to cook up a storm...
...without flooding the kitchen !

Taoist Federation chairman Tan Thiam Lye and New Creation pastor Mark Ng

I am a SISPEC Crossover to OCS. I was awarded the Golden Bayonet in ASLC and Coy Best in BSLC.

In OCS i was nominated for award but i didnt get any. But its alright.

Anyway, honestly, the training in the SAF is generally very safe and noone should really have to be overly concerned for safety matters. Just pay attention to the briefing and pay attention when bullets are flying then you’ll be cool. This is not withstanding if there is a moron around you that does dangerous things ofcourse.

Section Live Firing, Platoon Live Firing are very tame events. The procedure is so set in stone that the likelihood that anything will happen is slim to none. I have done it twice the amount an average commander trainee would have to on account that i have been through SISPEC and OCS and its a really dull affair. I got bored during the second time. Especially since there is a dry rehearsal, then a blank rehearsal and finally a live rehearsal plus another one for night (atleast for SISPEC).

Also, for those wondering, which is tougher, SISPEC is tougher hands down.

I was from one of the most laid back company in SISPEC, and went to one of the toughest wings in OCS but, SISPEC is tougher hands down.

SISPEC is tactical all the way in the outfield. Meaning when you go outfield training, the moment you get out of the tonner, you’ve got to behave as in you are in the enemy can be around. Totally no nonsense. You only get a break when it is all over. The longest i have had to endure this was in taiwan for a continuous 7 days.
This means that even when its time to sleep, you have to maintain the alert ratio as per ordered. usually 50:50. This was even during the rain (the temperature was 5 degrees that night) and we still had to carry on with the mission. It was the single most physically and mentally toughest things i had to go through in the Army.

In OCS, its alot of symbolic and theatrical bullshit. I am not saying that i am ashamed to be an officer. But OCS doesn’t do training like SISPEC does.
In OCS’s toughest experince for me, was in taiwan (again, though in the summer now), it was a 5 day exercise, but in between mission we can have a tactical break (that means you can just chill) at one point we were sleeping on top of an open hill with all our equipments scattered around me. I’m not especially proud of this, but if you’re in rome.

I just get a little upset when officers behave like they are better than specialists. Cos the truth of the matter is that the best specialist is better than every other officer. And officers like to brag about going through the tough trainings of OCS, without knowing that SISPEC is tough too, and much more so.

It's 4 weeks, NS MOCC for NS Men, the normal MOCC is around 3 months. You will be CPT(DR), not LTA, LTA can't be military doctor because LTA don't have the security access to the PES "Bible".

335 Clementi Ave 2 01 to 05 83.00
New Generation 1978 $423,000.00 Apr 2010
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331 Clementi Ave 2 11 to 15 92.00
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327 Clementi Ave 5 16 to 20 92.00
New Generation 1978 $466,000.00 Jan 2010
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60 tipoffs for illegal HDB subletting in 3 weeks

See! We knew Singaporeans are all very civic minded and will always do the right thing - like snitching on their neighbors for illegal HDB subletting!

60 tipoffs in just 3 weeks means that there are roughly 3 people "saboing" their neighbors on a daily basis - and this is without any rewards being offered yet! So if you are illegally subletting we hope you have been nice to your neighbors!

Also, according to a report on Channelnewsasia, a routine inspection even uncovered more than 20 people staying in a flat with 17 of them maids by profession. We are guessing that some enterprising maid employment agency might be related to this!

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
21 Lower Kent Ridge,University Hall, UHT #03-02
Tan Chin Tuan Wing, Singapore 119077. Tel: 6775 6666
Receipt
No : 8117876
Date : 27/03/2010
Co. Reg./GST Reg. No : 200604346E



Received from CHAN XIN EN JEROME
Amount
(Inclusive of GST where applicable) SGD 10.00
In Payment of Undergraduate Admissions Application

Thank you, your payment was successful
Merchant's Reference: OADA193974
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Please contact RBS WorldPay immediately if there has been a problem making your payment

First Choice * Aerospace Engineering
Second Choice Environmental Engineering
Third Choice Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Fourth Choice Civil Engineering
Fifth Choice Physics / Applied Physics

I am an engineer. Over the past year, I have been squeezed out of my job by cheaper Chinese, Malaysian and Indian engineers. To them, $2000 is much when they remit back home. To me, I can't even afford a HDB, as frugal as I try to be, because the foreigners keeps driving home prices up on a daily basis. To add insult to injury, more of the foreign graduates replacing me had their university fees paid by our very own Ministry of Education. These graduates were not only given free college education, they were even given a month allowance of few hundred dollars each. While I had to work part time to support my education in NUS, and I still remain in debt to my student loan. (BITTER LAUGH!!!!).

I spent 2.5 years of my precious youth serving the SAF, during which I lost my first girlfriend during training. These foreigners were given PRs and citizenship in less than 2.5 years and they don't even need to serve. If war breaks out, I have to protect 1/3 of the population fuilled with these people?? (Assuming they dun run away at the 1st sign of trouble??!!) SAF even sent me a letter threatening to fine me for going overseas without telling them...to attend a funeral of my uncle...(BITTER LAUGH!!!!). Hey, here's an idea, why don't I migrate to another country before migrating back. That will save me more time!

I am working in odds jobs now 7 days a week. I am now almost 30 already. Inflation exceed my savings rate, and I find a home, marriage, kids and happy future beyond me. A simple illness or a year of unemployment could wipe me out. Yet the government is wondering why there are less marriages and births....(BITTER LAUGH!!!!)

I bear no love to my country now. My country does not need to be attacked, it has already be invaded and taken over. Thanks PAP!

Subsidy of university is one thing, the studying environment is another. My Sister is in NUS now, there students from China and South East Asian Countries make up a pretty high percentage (obviously). She has to do a certain history project with her peers. half her group is from China. Therefore, half of the group doesn't do anything, the reason why? they cannot communicate. The China Scholars do their portion in chinese (they laptops keyboards are chinese characters) and then send it to you. You have a very hard time translating it to english, and in the end, u have to scrape his/her work and do it all by yourself. When you are in NUS, u feel like you're studying overseas in some Beijing or Shanghai university

WHAT was supposed to be a free 15-minute nap on a park bench turned into a costly snooze for one Singaporean.
The New Paper on Tuesday reported that a 62-year-old, who only wanted to be known as Mr Kassim, was fined $200 when he dozed off on a Sun Plaza Park bench while taking shelter from the rain.

The National Parks Board (NParks) fined the private bus driver for having misused the park facility by sleeping on the bench.

The incident happened on Sept 1 at a park in Tampines.

Mr Kassim had dozed off on one of the wooden benches while seeking shelter from a heavy downpour. He woke up about 15 minutes later to see two men, who would later identify themselves as NParks rangers, walking towards him.

They asked for his identity card, told him he had 'abused park facilities by sleeping on the park bench', and issued him a ticket.

Mr Kassim accepted the ticket despite not knowing it was an offence to sleep on a park bench.

Five days later, he received an NParks letter detailing his offence and asking him to pay the $200 fine. When he went to the NParks office to make payment, he claimed he was told by a staff member that he could appeal.

But he decided against it, citing it would be a hassle.

Of eight regular park-goers surveyed by The New Paper, none knew that sleeping on park benches was an offence.

On the NParks website, there is a list of 'Dos' and 'Don'ts' for visiting parks. Sleeping on a park bench was not among the 'Don'ts', but there was a disclaimer which said the list was 'not exhaustive or intended to be a complete list of the prohibitions or regulations governing our parks'.

Mar 15, 2010
Money given, not loaned
By Selina lum

Details about Dr Tan's (above) relationship with Stephanie Chee Jok Heng, 51, emerged in court when his lawyer cross-examined the woman on the first day of the hearing into her lawsuit. -- ST PHOTO: STEVEN LEE CT

PROMINENT paraplegic athlete William Tan Kian Meng claimed that a woman who is suing him for some $400,000 had given him the money, not lent it to him, as they had been in an 'intimate relationship'.

Details about Dr Tan's relationship with Stephanie Chee Jok Heng, 51, emerged in court when his lawyer cross-examined the woman on the first day of the hearing into her lawsuit.

They had even gone on trysts to hotels, claimed Dr Tan. But Chee, a divorcee with three daughters, flatly denied allegations that they had been lovers and insisted that the two had merely had a 'Christian platonic kind of relationship'.

In her lawsuit, Chee, a former management consultant, is seeking the return of $259,818.24 that she had extended to Dr Tan between 1999 and 2007. These included payments for his car insurance, road tax, life insurance premiums; expenses on his supplementary credit card; and expenses incurred in their business ventures.

Dr Tan, 53, who is single, does not dispute receiving the money, but he claims that many of the payments were 'love gifts' to him. He also contends that Chee had waived her right to the money when she turned down his previous offers to pay her back.

Chee is seeking another $149,858.19 from Dr Tan, claiming he had promised to indemnify her for losses she had made from the sale of an apartment at the One Tree Lodge condominium.

There are only 2 Medical Schools in NZ; University Of Auckland and Otago University (Dunedin). Medical Degrees from both these Universities are accredited in Singapore but which Singaporean with a NZ PR who obtains a Medical Degree from NZ would want to work in Singapore?

For starters, a huge chunk of his SG pay would get sucked into an abyss of no return known as the CPF.

There is often no bilateral recognition of Medical Degrees with other 1st world countries. The NUS Medical Degree does not get you registration or emigration points for a Singaporean.

A foreign Medical Degree (OZ/NZ) is registrable in Singapore and it also earns emigration points to get work or PR status in OZ/NZ.

Medical Doctors earn higher salaries in OZ/NZ than in Singapore not to mention a lower cost of living with regards to houses/cars (the 2 big ticket items)

Only on selected universities in OZ/NZ not all medical degrees are recognized in Singapore. But if you can stay overseas and enjoy better quality of life, why would you return to sinkieland? Ministar's children perhaps?

Wife of former NKF Chairman sentenced to 22 months' jail

I said JOB WELL DONE. HKG did a good job !!

Anyone knows if she will really physically jail ?? or does HKG have those Home Detention program that will allow her to spend the money outside jail ??

I just dont want to see her spending the money and enjoying life

SINGAPORE: A former management consultant who had cheated several charities was sentenced on Friday to 13 months' imprisonment.

The court also ordered 51-year-old Stephanie Chee Jok Heng to return the money to the charities.

She is appealing against the conviction and sentence.

The court had found Chee guilty on February 10 this year of 10 cheating charges.

Chee had swindled Parkway Healthcare Foundation and Toa Payoh Senior Citizens' Health Care Centre of S$5,761 between March 2003 and April 2004.

She was the General Manager of two facilities managed by the Foundation when she committed her crimes.

They are the Toa Payoh Centre and Geylang Senior Citizens' Health Care Centre.

District Judge Jasvender Kaur had earlier convicted Chee of making false reimbursement claims.

Chee had stated that they were for work done for the charities by other parties, when in fact, they were not.

For one, she had fraudulently used S$3,384 to pay for her daughters' piano lessons and tuition fees.

Chee also made a double claim amounting to S$2,337 from Toa Payoh Centre for plastic surgery for her younger brother.

For each cheating offence, she could have been sentenced to a maximum of seven years' jail and fined.

Grading System
34. How will the students be graded?
The grading system for the three levels of study is shown below:
H1 Subjects
H2 Subjects
A
B
C
D
E
S
Ungraded
‘S’ and ‘Ungraded’ are grade points below pass; ‘S’ is used to denote a sub-pass

O Levels Grades
A1: 75% and above
A2: 70% to 74%
B3: 65% to 69%
B4: 60% to 64%
C5: 55% to 59%
C6: 50% to 54%
D7: 45% to 49%
E8: 40% to 44%
F9: Below 40%
Grades D7, E8 and F9 are considered the failing grades. Students taking Mother Tongue Syllabus B may be awarded a Distinction, Merit, Pass, or a Fail grade.
[edit] Junior College Level (GCE A and AO levels)
A: 70% and above
B: 60% to 69%
C: 55% to 59%
D: 50% to 54%
E: 45% to 49% (passing grade)
S: 35% to 44% (denotes standard is at AO level only), grade N in the British A Levels.
U: Below 35%
In addition, students offering Special Papers (offered for the last time in 2006) will be awarded either 1 (Distinction), 2 (Merit), or U (Unclassified). Grades 1 and 2 may only be awarded with a grade E and above in the main A level paper. Grade U will be awarded if a candidate fails to achieve at least a grade E in the main subject paper, and will not be reflected in the A level result cerificate.

For students offering H3 Subjects (introduced for the first time in 2006), they will be awarded either Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail.

Different JCs have different expectations and thus, the school reserves the discretion to moderate the marks when deemed necessary. For example, some JCs may regard 50% as the passing mark instead of 45% by others.

Note: AO level grades at Junior College level follows the O level system above.

All percentages with their corresponding grades shown here are just approximate guidelines because ultimately at the end of all major examinations (Primary School Leaving Examinations or PSLE in short, GCE N, O and A Levels) the Ministry of Education, Singapore, will moderate the results. Hence, an A grade for instance may no longer be at 70%. It could possibly be 68% or even 73% depending on the performance of the cohort. This is usually done to prevent grade inflation.

In addition, some schools are also offering the International Baccalaureate diploma program.

CANBERRA -- With its beaches, outdoor lifestyle and friendly schools, Australia has been voted the world's best country to bring up children by expatriates parents working there, an HSBC bank survey shows.

Australia provided the best environment for healthy and active children, with more than three quarters of expat kids spending more time outdoors than in their home country, the survey said.

Expat children living Down Under also found it easier to make friends and ease into new school environments, while schools in the United States and Britain were the least child-friendly for foreigners, the study found.


The survey looked at more than 3,100 expatriates from 50 countries, now living and working in expatriate hubs including six major ones: Hong Kong, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, United Arab Emirates and Australia. Respondents rated their adopted homes on quality of childcare, education, ease of integration, costs of raising children and time spent on outdoor activities.

Australia had the largest proportion of expat parents who reported an improvement in the quality of family life compared with their original homes, while almost half (45 percent) said moving to the UK could have a negative effect.

Singapore ranked second overall behind Australia in the top six, followed by Hong Kong, the U.A.E., the United States and Britain. But Singapore ranked first for safety, while Australia was marked down slightly on childcare quality. Parents saw Britain and the U.S. as generally less healthy places to live, with children in both countries more likely to spend more time watching TV and playing computer games.

STTeam Administrator

Grants for S'poreans studying medicine abroad
Yesterday, 04:46 AM

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RESTRUCTURED hospitals are looking into giving pre-employment grants to Singaporeans studying medicine overseas, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced yesterday.
Full Story


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BPLforever

Yesterday, 08:01 AM

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The bond tied to this grant is a definite turnoff.

Better for Singaporeans studying medicine overseas to get a job in a hospital, in the country from where they graduate.


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newwhore

Yesterday, 08:55 AM

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government is realising the country is losing talents to other countries

why the NUS medical faculty cannot be enlarged over the last 30 years ?


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oonizuka

Yesterday, 10:14 AM

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sg wanted to make sure only top students are doctors. but then they realize, second rate students can still go australia to get medical degree if they are rich. so, might as well bond them too.


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JustACitizen

Yesterday, 10:37 AM

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Too late for anything, don't you think? Instead of trying to get back those students who are aboard studying Meds,

why don't government change the system here in Singapore for our future Med students?

Why even bother trying to get them back when so many of us here are wanting to be what they want to be?

Stop thinking of a short-term solution, please? This is very very irritating for us, citizens of Singapore, to be

reading this and understanding that the government is looking for a short-term solution.

i won't be cheated by your grants. It is another form of bond that I have to serve, so that I have to come back

and practice in a local hospital upon graduating overseas. How cunning can you be? Shame on all of you to create

this so-called grants. Revamp your school system instead of trying to persuade us to come back.


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plumkiwi672

Yesterday, 11:32 AM

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The Minister is working towards helping Singaporean. It is better than nothing being done now. For the benefits of our country, we should focus and works towards with the end in mind.


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imwellfed

Yesterday, 12:43 PM

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I have to agree with plumki. Given the amount of time and resources needed to increase our medical school intakes, i think this is a good temporary arrangement. One, it will ensure an increased supply of doctors which are
we need now in numbers. With a bond, this supply is perhaps less volatile to market forces internationally.Two, it stems the brain drain of talent from our country, and the government has indeed spent significant resources into educating them frm primary sch all the way up. And three, singaporean doctors (overseas trained nonetheless) I think are a better alternative to foreign doctors, not just because of their ability to relate better, but I think because they already have a strong support network at home.

I think the issue here is how do we give such grants so as to maintain the high standards of the medical profession here. There are so many medical schools around the world, even on the approved list here. Each with different syllabuses and costs, how do we decide?


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goofyxxx1

Yesterday, 12:52 PM

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Even if you give grants, there is nothing worth coming back to Singapore for.

Singapore is for foreigners and PRs and not for local doctors


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JustACitizen

Yesterday, 02:01 PM

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plumkiwi672 & imwellfed:

You guys don't see the picture. Do you know how our university take in med students? Their current system is, you'll go for interview to waste your time. After which, they found that none of your family members are doctors or in the medical line, they'll reject your applications. Only a certain percentage of med students that does not have a family with medical line history will be able to get in the med sch. That is how pathetic our system is right now and obviously, the whole plan back fired at the government because all they want are elites and sad to say, majority of our elites are in overseas practicing medicine.

I agree with you that with this "grants" in placed, we'll have an increased number of doctors to serve our Singaporeans' needs BUT my point is that they still have not tried to change the system. So, what is the point of implementing the grants?


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BPLforever

Yesterday, 02:27 PM

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Isn't it better for Singaporeans studying medicine overseas, to remain in that country and practice their medicine there.

Serving a 5 year bond?? in a restructured hospital here can be hell.

Further with the flood of cheap foreign doctors here, there is little prospect for local doctors.