The Temasek Review said:

Furniture retail mart Courts will be launching a mass recruitment in exercise in Johor Bahru on 18 January 2010 for Malaysians to fill various positions in Singapore according to a tip-off we receive from a reader.

Singaporeans need not apply even if you travel across the Causeway for the interview as they are open to Malaysians only.

One may think that these jobs are those shunned by Singaporeans and Courts has no choice but to turn to Malaysians to fill the vacancies, as is often used by leaders of the ruling party to defend its pro-foreigner policy and regurgitated faithfully by the state media. ...

Is Singapore Courts recruiting Malaysian workers to work in factories on late shifts?

Let us take a look at the positions offered by Courts to the Malaysians:

The vacancies needed to be filled by Courts are: product specialists, cashiers, operation executives, assistant accountants, credit officer and customer account assistants.

Now these are not highly specialized positions which can only be filled by professionals and talents not available in Singapore or menial jobs shunned by Singaporeans.

Any Singaporean equipped with a ITE or “O” level certificate will be more than qualified to take up these jobs. Why is Courts recruiting Malaysians instead of Singaporeans?

Recommended by at82: "For unemployed or retrenched Singaporeans who are still looking for a job, they will stand a better chance giving up their Singapore citizenship to become a Malaysian and apply for a job based in Singapore in Malaysia instead"

Link

Sassyjan said:

My dad passed away on 31 Oct 2009 [...] (On 13 January 2010) night, my dad’s handphone rung umpteen times. Eventually, I picked it up. The guy claims that my dad owed them $6K and we have to pay up. They say they’ll give us 2 days to decide or they will continue with this. [...] For 2 days I called the Inspecting Officer in-charge - No Answer.

Recommended by yuhui: "Highlights the ineffectiveness of our politicians and police in solving the loan shark problem."

Link

Yuhui said:

This group was created in response to a comment by well known American blogger, Michael Arrington. In a blog entry, he claimed that Singaporean blogs are (largely) controlled by the government. [...] it is more likely that there are many more Singaporean blogs that are NOT controlled by the government [...].

Recommended by yuhui: "We need to educate people from around the world about the independence of our Singapore blogosphere!"

Link

Jeffrey said:

With my tainted glasses, i view everything and everyone in the military as i think they are. NS is a waste of time. These commanders are fierce and have no life. Please. I am smarter than you are, i boast of perfect scores at my A-levels. You are a platoon sergeant who is just over me in rank but in the society outside these fences, you are nothing compared to me, a potential high-achiever. I am biased. I admit it. I like my tainted glasses. They help me see clearer.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "A Melbourn-based Singaporean medical student reflects on our attitude towards National Service."

Link

Yu-Mei Balasingamchow said:

Amidst the annual scholarship fever and the flurry of applications, what the newspaper ads don’t mention, and what people don’t talk about enough in a meaningful way, is that the three or four years spent in university can change a person quite profoundly, all the more so if that university education is conducted abroad. I don’t mean having a British- or American-sounding accent, or having visited half of Europe in one summer backpacking jaunt, or learning how to cook the food you get homesick for. I’m talking about the kind of deep-seated change that can leave a person wondering how to reconcile what her old self agreed to do, with what her new self now believes.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "in retrospect: a government scholar looks back on the choices she has made"

Link

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/07/08/nyu said:

Rights for Some People

Should someone who teaches human rights back human rights for all people?

That's the question being raised by some students at New York University's law school, who are upset that a visiting professor in the fall semester, slated to teach human rights law, is Thio Li-ann of the National University of Singapore, an outspoken opponent of gay rights. Thio has argued repeatedly and graphically that her country should continue to criminalize gay sexual acts.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "don't know where to hide our face - please take her, we don't want her back"

Link

Din Merican said:

Singapore practices meritocracy and Malaysia affirmative action. The former attracted all the best brains and the latter chased out all the brains. The Singapore cabinet consists of dedicated and intelligent technocrats whereas Malaysia has one the most unwieldy cabinet. Not only that, brain wise it was below par.

With that kind of composition, one that is very brainy, naturally Singapore, with no natural resources could outstrip Malaysia in every aspect of development. Malaysia, on the other hand, was too much preoccupied with its Malayness and the illusory “ketuanan Melayu” and was also more interested in iconic development rather than real social and economic development.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Malaysian bloggers are more objective about the achievements of Lee Kuan Yew. They are prepared to give credit where it is due. How many Singaporeans would swap places with our neighbours?"

Link

Hri Kumar said:

My suggestion in Parliament last week to allow the PM to appoint Ministers from outside the pool of MPs has attracted support, criticism and speculation.

Some people speculated I was putting forward the suggestion on someone else's instructions. That is not how things work. No one tells me what to say or vets my speeches. The first time the leaders knew of my speech was when they heard me in Parliament.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "PAP MP puts forward case for unelected cabinet ministers."

Link

Taikiew said:

Such swift action can only mean that the government view this as a serious matter. While I certainly do not believe in online censorship, it could perhaps be the best cause of action in babying dedicate and immature Singaporeans from an possible civil unrest that could result from such publications.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "MDA blocks website swiftly after couple arrested for distributing seditious publications"

Link

This has being taken down until we have concrete evidence that this is not a fabricated information.

-James Seng

Singapore Men's Rights Watch said:

Against Misandry and Towards Equal Rights for Singaporean Men

The liberation of women over the last century has, without doubt, made the world a better place.

But somewhere along the way, amidst issues of women's rights, gay rights, children's rights and animal rights, some of men's basic rights (e.g. health care) have been compromised.

In the west, many have realised that the gender equality scale is now tipping heavily against men - and they are doing something about it.

While we can't expect that scale of Singaporean men and women to join this group, we can at least put up a dignified stand against gender discrimination and inequality.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Feel that there should be health campaigns for men as well as women? Feel that the law in Singapore discriminates against men (e.g. caning, stiffer sentences for men)? And what about the opportunity cost due to NS obligations? Join our fledgling group here on Facebook as we aim to raise awareness on men's rights in Singapore."

Link

Conscript said:

All this talk about National Integration and integration of foreigners into Singapore misses the mark. We are talking about welcome others when we treat our own so poorly. What am I talking about?

I am talking about National Service. I am talking about mandatory 2 years (formerly 2.5 years) of conscription of Singaporean male citizens into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

I am talking about the 10 years of reservist obligations comprising but not limited to:

* annual in-camp training lasting 2 to 21 days (in practice but legally up to 40 days under the law)
* annual individual physical proficiency tests (IPPT) for those medically fit NSmen (those who fail to clear their tests are subject to Remedial Training of twice/thrice a week)
* notifying Mindef Notification Centre for any overseas trips exceeding 24 hours
* need to apply for exit permit for trips of 6 months or longer
* annual operations manning or mobilisation exercises than can happen 2-3 times a year

To be male and Singaporean is to serve and f*** off
These obligations are not new. They have been imposed on NSmen since the whole NS system was developed just after Singapore gained independence and as the British withdrew their military forces out of Singapore not long after.

What is new is that the pace of immigration to Singapore has increased tremendously. It has created a truly global city, Singapore Inc, with the implications of a labour market that is competitive in every sense of the word.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "As a fellow reservist, I feel his pain too. Why are Singaporean men so cham? Our only wrong is to be born here in Singapore and get punished by government who embrace foreigners."

Link

Singapore enquirer said:

The Singapore government’s relationship with an increasingly critical blogosphere is tenuous at best if not outright antagonistic. For a long time, it is contented to leave internet chatter on its own believing that it will have little influence at the national level as long it is restricted to cyberspace.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "No need to use REACH liao."

Link

Alvinology said:

I am not going to type too much text as I am very tired… really need to get more rest. Nonetheless, I am anxious to share with everyone the photos I took at the Singapore Entertainment Awards 2009 Celebration Party, so here goes.

I was stationed at the artistes’ holding tent just beside the stage - meaning I have excellent access to the red carpet, the stage and even backstage with the celebrities. However, as I have to work also, I can only sneak in a few pictures here and there.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Big event over the weekend at the Marina Bay Floating Platform, attended by over 10,000 people. Singapore seldom host such big Chinese entertainment events and this one was held at the floating platform which previously only hosted the NDP. A behind-the-scene look by someone who was working at the event."

Link

groundnotes said:

In the letter, the Press Sec not only defended the government’s policy to eliminate dialects but also wrote: Many Singaporeans are now fluent in both English and Mandarin. It would be stupid for any Singapore agency or the NTU to advocate the learning of dialects, which must be at the expense of English and Mandarin.

One really wonders if such language and tone is called for. In a country that laments the dearth of people willing to speak up, surely the defensive stance is a sign of insecurity?

Recommended by arashinokoto: "Being a linguistics student, I agree with what the author says about the just recently letter to the ST forum from LKY's press sec.

I do not see why these Chinese dialects should be suppressed so that we can speak better English and Mandarin - at the expense of our language rights, at the expense of communicating with our grandparents, or at the expense of losing one important part of our culture."

Link

fireopal said:

New legislature forming to stop the streaming of 'live' Internet radio in Singapore?

Apparently so, according the Power 98FM website

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "New censorship?"

Link

The Digital Movement said:

Blogout! ’09 aims to help make sense of the social media landscape in Singapore. It is an event to celebrate bloggers' independent voices, emergent forms of social, web technology, to create change for their organizations, communities and society. Featuring top speakers Jon Yongfook of Open Source Food, Joel Postman of Socialized PR and Melvin Yuan of Waggener Edstrom

Recommended by suyuen: "This is an event that will be especially beneficial to both corporates and individual bloggers who are looking to use social media as a means of financial gain and marketing. Thought it'd be especially useful now that we are in the times of economic turmoil. "

Link

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan suggested Singaporeans could consider living in nursing homes in neighbouring Johor Baru.

It would be cheaper, yet be near enough to Singapore for family members to visit and for residents to return for medical care if necessary, he said.

He told Parliament yesterday that he recently visited a site in Johor Baru where a Singaporean investor was planning to build a 200-bed nursing home.

He asked the investor about the costs involved, and was stunned at how low they were.

He said: 'It is mind-boggling. The cost of land and construction cost is so low that my cost of putting up just a polyclinic (in Singapore) is probably more than his cost of putting up a 200-bed nursing home (in Johor Baru).

'The monthly cost of keeping a resident in a private nursing home in Singapore, you can stretch it easily to pay at least 2-1/2 months of nursing home care in Johor Baru.'

Link

Ganga said:

The most critical change of all is Section 2-3(a) which changes from 'reporting of current events' to '...reporting of news by a broadcasting service licenced under any written law'.

This in itself places anyone filming an 'illegal event' who does not have a press pass in the cross hairs of the authorities (which include the Police) who, under Section 34 of this act, can search and seize any film and equipment used.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Proposed Amendment to the Films Act: sad, sad day for a 'first world' society - when using your camera-phone to capture video in a public place can automatically become an offence..."

Link

Kaffein-nated said:

Being a maid is a shameful thing. But working as a chambermaid is not. Huh?

To bring fear, you give me a glimpse of what happens if we have a bad government. Now with recession, you encourage my grandmas, aunties and perhaps even mother to work as chambermaids.

Maybe it's because the government can no longer feed them. Or perhaps the wonderful retirement plan (ie CPF) is a ticking bomb waiting to blow up in our faces.

So this scenario begs the questions:
Am I paying millions for a bad dose of government already? If yes, why am I still paying?

Aren't the women in Singapore working as chambermaids akin to being maids in foreign countries? Is there really a difference then?

Recommended by at82: "Are we getting our bad dose of government already?"

Link