In the news, the productivity rate in Singapore on the decline even through the ourGDP is increasing with ever-increasing of workforce mainly from other countries.

Based on Wikipedia:

Productivity is the ratio of output to inputs in production; it is a measure of the efficiency of production.

Productivity has many benefits. At the national level, productivity growth raises living standards because more real income improves people’s ability to purchase goods and services, enjoy leisure, improve housing and education and contribute to social and environmental programs. Productivity growth is important to the firm because more real income means that the firm can meet its (perhaps growing) obligations to customers, suppliers, workers, shareholders, and governments (taxes and regulation), and still remain competitive or even improve its competitiveness in the market place.

So the main question is: Why there is a decline in productivity despite more manpower and employee putting in man hours?

According the Gilbert Goh in transitioning .org, our workers are overly exploited. Yes, it’s overly exploited!!! I have come across PMET working every day from 9am till 1am the next day and the pay is pathetic.

Now I’m not going to talk about pay in here. I’m more interested in the real reason behind the decline of productivity decline.

1) More foreigner than local. Lots of foreigners are coming to Singapore to work.

We all know that in the service sectors like food industry, phone operators, construction worker and PMET. We don’t hate foreigners but the rate of foreigners coming into Singapore at such an astonishing rate, thus skill level of the foreigners are on the decline.

Quoting an example, in the telephone operators, mainly operated by the Pinoy and the Indian, like LTA, Banks, Singtel etc. Ask yourself a question: How many time do you need to call the operators to solve your problem comparing 10 years ago and now?

For me, I had to call Singtel, or DBS at least 2 to 3 times before my problem is solved. That why, today I only speaks to local operators.

Companies are arguing that local do not want to be telephone operators. Somewhat I agreed. Being a phone operator, they need to endure to nasty and rude customers. That’s not the main problem. The main problem is the pay. How much do the company willing to pay before a local consider this as a job? Less than a thousand dollars pay will continue let the companies into difficulties in getting locals to work in that industry.

Why not the companies pay a bit more like $1500 to $2000 to engage the local to work as telephone operators? As telephone operators are “Cost Center” to them, they would like to minimise the cost as low as possible. But in return, they had a trade-off of low productivity. This translate into productivity cost the company itself and productivity of the caller as well.

Also another reason the could be: telephone operators (foreign operators) work with their head but not their soul (This is what I feel). They do not really understand what our problem well and we had to repeat and repeat again to get the message through.

This kind of problems we had faced day-in day-out in today’s context. Not just in the telephone operators but in the service industry .

2) Too many Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)

In order to safe guard the company or industry interest, there is always a SOP for all to follow. Don’t get me wrong! SOP is a must have to safe guard the interest of the company. But complicated SOP will sometime leads to employee confused themselves. Thus they need to ask around to make sure that they are following the SOP closely. This is total waste of time and man hours for the company.

A general and simple SOP will enough for all the employee to follows thus allowing more free play by the employees and easy understanding by them. Reduce unnecessary paperwork so they can cut their workload in a single case.

3) Top-down micro management

The top management do not really trust their subordinates and any questions and procedure that are out of the SOP need to sought the approval from the management. This create an unnecessary time wastage as subordinates are afraid of infringing the SOP set down by the management.

Sometime, when a decision finalised and pass the information down. Often than not, subordinates just follows and don’t question them. They are afraid to bring out the concern to the management about the decision made mainly afraid of offending their management.

Communication is a two-way thing and it is not a top-down communication. Management should not feel threaten when a concern raised.

4)  Job Hopping

There is a trend that job hopping is on the raise. This really bring down the productivity rate of the company as they need to hire new staff, train them all over again to get them familiarise with the working system in the company.

Company should work together with the employees. It must treat the employees as a family members. Employees must have balance work-life. Employees are not the slave of the company and don’t expect them to serve you 24/7. They have their families too. Money is never the major issue if the company creates a good work-life environment for their employees.

Why people job hopped is mainly due to work stress and lack of work-life balance. Money is another reason that people job-hopped, given all companies lack of work-life balance, they will choose the company with the higher compensation of their pay.

Given a choice, would an employee work-life balance company job hopped to another company that offer slightly higher package but with higher stress level and lack of work-life balance? Most properly not as they will tend to enjoy their work in the current company than going to other company. People will also resist changes to their current lifestyle (if given a work-life balance environment).

In order to increase productivity of the company, work-life balance is the way to go. Companies should treat their employees as family, retain staff and open management (open discussion with subordinates). Without all these factors, GDP will only continue to increase with the ever-increasing manpower.

New Bird 

*The writer blogs at http://mrnewbird.wordpress.com

In a highly biased article appearing in today’s lapdog sheet The Straits Times, PAP lackey reporter Tessa Wong poured cold water over the movement calling on her political masters to rescind the Internet licensing regime.

She cited the low turnover (2000) at last week’s protest as an indication that Singaporeans are lukewarm to the call of prominent sites like TOC and TR Emeritus which she said was trusted by only 1-3% of respondents in a Blackbox survey.

(Now Tessa, using one survey to justify your thesis is hardly good professional journalism. And the turnout of 2000 certainly trumps the rallies of your PAP.)

Tessa Wong proceeded to list examples of why the online media cannot be trusted namely:

1. Case of rumour floating around that maker of Ilo Ilo was turned away by MDA when he asked for finding.

2. Accusation that TNP had faked the photo of cyclists on the road.

Tessa, Tessa, those two rumours were perpetuated by individuals. They are hardly representative of the online media’s integrity.

In contrast, the Straits Times has been exposed time and again for its use of former employees and PAP grassroots and supporters to write in letters to its Forum page to sing praise of the PAP and criticize the Workers’ Party.

The only difference between the Straits Times and online media is that the former can and always does deny others the right to rebut unfair allegations and claims. Online media however allows readers to post comments and replies so long as they address the point in contention.

Tessa Wong summed up her biased article by saying that the ability of online media to self-regulate is not evident and asked if the blogs and online sites shouldn’t earn the people’s trust if it’s asking to be left alone.

Tessa Wong’s article appears to fly in the face of MDA’s assurance that the regime is not meant to clamp down the online media since in the past two years there was only one take down order.

Working for a paper that has perfected and internalized self-regulation into propaganda art form, it is perhaps beyond Tessa Wong that in cyberspace, netizens trust and use their own judgment and do not need the PAP to tell them what news is the right news to read. In other words, we use our brains. We don’t wag our tails at a particular political party unlike she and her ilks.

Boycott Straits Times & Zaobao

[Source]: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=413724462075304&set=a.238726016241817.51629.238718472909238&type=1&theate

When the HDB was first established, it provided the noble objective of helping Singaporeans own their own home and was pivotal in nation building. Recently however, policies have been working against a group of lower-middle income Singaporeans to the benefit of foreigners who came in during the 2006-2010 period and were able to leave Singapore when their own home countries were booming and retiring as early as 40 as multi-millionaire equivalents in their own home country.

Consider the Pusumbal couple.

Back in 2004, the then 27-year old husband left his job as a bank’s assistant branch manager in the Philippines to become an audit senior in Singapore, with education papers from a university not known for its rigorous standards. His wife from the same university became a HR manager at a hotel where they had a combined income of $6,200, more than 5 times of what they earned back at home. Their 4 year-old twins remained with their grandparents in Manilawhile they managed to get their PR papers.

After being in Singapore for 6 months, they bought a 4-room HDB flat near Boon Keng MRT for $215,000 with a 10% downpayment. Since the Pinoy community was just starting to grow at that time, they rented both spare rooms out to their compatriots for $1200 and used this rental income together with their CPF to pay off the housing loan with a 10 year loan term.  Even so, they had extra savings which they invested in stocks on the SGX.

In 2012, they decided to leave Singapore for good and retire back in the Philippines. When consolidating their assets after 8 years in Singapore, they realized that their flat was now worth $680,000 (with an outstanding loan of $45,000) with their stocks increasing by more than 4 times. Effectively, they had earned more than $850,000 these years mainly because of asset enhancement caused by many hundreds of thousands of immigrants like themselves.

Contrast this with the case of XW.

Born in Singapore to Singaporean parents, XW completed his “O” levels in 1994 with average results and ended up doing an engineering diploma at a local polytechnic. After his graduation in 1997, he spent 2.5 years of his life serving the nation in the infantry. After his ORD in 2000, he worked as a construction supervisor and took back about $2000 a month.

Due to his long working hours and job nature, girls he dated left quickly and he thus remained single. As he approached his 30s in 2007, he realized that it was increasingly destined that he remained single and looked forward to settling down alone. At that time, he was looking to buy a 3-room resale HDB flat near his parents for about $190,000 which he intended to partially finance by renting the spare room out.   

As he continued searching for his dream home in the next few years, he could not believe that the prices were increasing at such a rapid pace. Upon turning 35 last year, XW realized that his hopes of owning his own place was dashed and continued to stay with his parents. Even when news broke out in 2013 that he would soon be eligible to buy a new 2-room BTO, he was hardly pleased given that this “would mean waiting for at least another 4 years” and it was “ridiculous that the government took so long to remedy this problem despite our cries.”.

Supposing one decided to retire in Manila, what kind of a retirement lifestyle would S$850,000 buy?

I posed as a prospective buyer (claiming to have a Pilipino wife due to restrictions on foreigners’ ownership of land) and contacted a reputable estate agent. This enquiry only led me to find that the potential lifestyle one could but with that amount is beyond the reach of even many Singaporean millionaires.

A huge 5000 square feet contemporary square foot semi-detached house with 5 huge bedrooms in the suburbs costs merely $180,000 (fully furnished) while a second-hand luxury car like a Camry would cost about $15,000. The remaining $655,000 invested at 6% per year would give a cash flow of $3300 a month, enough to live like a king where full-time domestic help costs $60 a month. 

At the end of the day, who really pays for the Pusumbal’s lifestyle?

The main bulk of this wealth comes from asset enhancement through their HDB flats, which does not affect the foreigners since their stay in Singapore is only temporary. The real people who pay the price are Singaporeans who stay for good, having to bear the costs of permanent inflation due to the presence of foreigners and pro-foreigner policies. Some like XW can only look on in agony.

Come 2016, many Singaporeans will no doubt be rallying against the PAP!

Joseph Tan

*Article first appeared on https://www.facebook.com/notes/joseph-tan/the-story-of-the-paps-betrayal-part-1/141114589415267

Han Fook Kwang's awakening and his damning assessment of PM Lee's ten years of leadership ...

The managing editor of The Straits Times must be getting very hot under the collar for some reasons. For those who are sharp enough, recent comments from some quarters, including ministers like Khaw Boon Wan, and even mentor ministers like former PM Goh Chok Tong, have given us some hints to what these individuals are thinking about the leadership of PM Lee. 

(Readers may notice that i am not using the usual names i reserve for ST and the PM. This is to reciprocate in kind, that when you write in fairness, we will react in fairness).

Mr Han provided some very telling data of salary increments from 1975 to now. For the large part of our economic growth, Singaporean workers' salaries had doubled in every decade, up till 2000. He quickly added that, "...but from 2000 to 2010, median salaries moved much more slowly, increasing by only 2.5% a year. If inflation was taken into account, the increase amounted to only 1.3% a year." He wanted to know what happened?

Well, if a top press man like him, with full support from the government, does not know what had happened, who would? Fortunately for him, Blogs and Facebook were able to help him out with his question. Realizing the dire situation we are in, he had no choice but to finally listen to what Netizens have been saying all this while.

First point is this. The sudden stagnation of median salary started after PM Lee took over from ESM Goh. It came at a time just after the Financial Crisis of 2008. Many economies were rebuilding themselves, Singapore included - after we received the shocking revelation of the losses incurred by Temasek Holdings and our Group of Investment Companies. It didn't help that ESM Goh's premiership had seen Singapore making huge economic strides toward First World stature. PM Lee had his work cut out for him, to better the performance of ESM Goh.

The floodgates to welcome the so-called foreign talent were opened. The target was the cheaper global worker. GDP became the tool of measurement to determine the performance of the government. Inevitably, the Singaporean workers' wages became the compromising item. The big economic picture superseded the smaller picture of wage increase. We remember how were constantly bombarded by Mr Han's papers, that we needed to bring our expectations down to help with the economic recovery. 

Today, it must surely surprise many to hear him ask "what happened". Singaporeans online, have been calling on him and his papers to be less parroty, all in vain. How much different things would be today if Mr Han's papers had asked ten years ago, "What is going to happen". Alas, as with the behavior of dogs, they obey, they never question.

Yet today, he wants to know "what accounted for the DRAMATIC slowdown in median wage increases despite a growing economy?". Isn't the answer not yet clear to you Mr Han? There is only one word to that question of yours. Please spell that word with me - L.I.E.S. Thank you.

Lies, lies and more lies are what we have been fed with. And your papers, Mr Han, have been supporting the lies of these monstrous liars so much so that you yourself are in too deep into the forest of lies. Fortunately for you, there is salvation. Salvation comes to you from the bright colorful lights of Cyberspace.

The few points you mentioned happened to be stale news. Firstly, productivity, even with all the campaigns and wasteful spendings, came to nought; not because Singaporeans were not productive at work, but because there was a governmental shift in national vision, from manufacturing to financial. This effectively killed off two generations of our population. The older generation, being low skilled and aging, are now very productive cardboard and tin cans collectors. The second generation is preparing to follow suit if all the measures for upgrading the self fail.

PM Lee's governmental agenda have no solutions for this group of Singaporeans. In fact, PM Lee's legacy is heading towards one fraught with low productivity, death of local talents (snapped up as premier workers globally), and failed schemes and incentives. So you know, Mr Han, that when things are not working out, a new thought process must be opened with a new model in mind. Glad you brought up that point. However, I can sense that you stopped short of asking whether PM Lee is the right person for new ideas and the new model. In fact, i can help you go a little further by suggesting that you also ask yourself whether the PAP is that Party with new ideas and a new economic model for Singapore.

Finally, we can understand and we share your frustrations for the small wage increase these past ten years. There is no need to show your frustration, lest you be termed in the same vein as 'xenophobic'. But between you and me, i just love how you ended your column, telling the PM, "It's still the economy, stupid".

Thank you for speaking our minds, at last.

The Alternative View

*Article first appeared on https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=535909329803737&set=a.360220640705941.85354.358759327518739&type=1&theater

The number of dengue cases is expected to hit the 10,000-mark this weekend. Authorities said the actual count would be updated tomorrow (June 17).

At last count on Friday, there were 42 new cases, bringing the total to 9,960 so far this year.

For the past week, the number of new cases daily has been consistently above 40. Preventive efforts have been taken across the island, including quick temperature scans in schools.

Melissa Yeoh, Modern Montessori International Pre-school’s administrator, said: “The benefit is to help us save on paperwork. The data can be installed in the thumb drive. It’s easy to send to MSF (Ministry of Social and Family Development) or management.”

The pre-school in Bukit Timah is one of over 30 across the island that is using this quick temperature system. Developed to help pre-schools deal with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, it is coming in handy against dengue.

Nurseries in dengue hotspots in the east are also doing their part against the epidemic.

Checking for blocked drains, tipping out standing water, and going through every pot have become a daily routine.

Tan Yeow Seng, manager of SinFlora, said: “Last time, we usually check two to three days per week. Now, every day!”

With growing awareness amongst the public, nurseries said mosquito-repelling plants like lemongrass have literally been flying off the shelves.

But more needs to be done.

Over at Yishun, another dengue hotspot, grassroots leaders are continuing an awareness campaign.

“Several areas have been classified as red areas, so we need to take the situation seriously,” said Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, who is also the MP for Nee Soon GRC.

“Basically we need to push the message. What needs to be done — get people to be aware. The situation in Yishun needs to be very carefully monitored,” he added.

And the effort, Mr Shanmugam said, has to be put in by everyone.

Source: CHANNEL NEWSASIA

Sexism against men 

In my personal view, i would definitely choose to be a girl in Singapore.

Some of my reasons are superficial like entitlement to free dates, gifts, free drinks, free club entries and many more.

Other reasons are not having to do NS. From what I heard from many male friends, many enlist with a heart to serve only to end up being disillusioned by red tape, inefficiency or the attitudes of many middle-management. Furthermore, many NSFs are not really appreciated by some in society. 

I think the two main points which I will focus on in this two post would be about societal perceptions and sexism + our womens charters.

Firstly, society seems to hold double standards for men. 

I have discussed some examples that apply to men and women in general in my previous post about how they have been unfairly socialized. For men, they are expected never to admit weakness, confusion or doubt, and struggle with loneliness because of it.  

Due to existing stereotypes when manipulative women take over, it seems as though they can use societal perception to their advantage.

A good photographer friend of mine was involved in a scandal earlier this year in Singapore in February.

He admitted to having sex with an 18-year-old model and was flamed by the online community for it. They said things like how he took advantage of her or 'breached the sacred trust between photographers and models'. They also said she should have been 'careful about who she did the shoot with' 

Even from her own account, she made herself seem victimized when any person will know she was being horny.

 

This unfairness is caused because people are socially conditioned to believe women are the weaker sex, needing of protection, vulnerable and oh-so-angelic.

In fact, in many situations which we have encountered, sometimes some women use this societal perception of them to their advantage, to get things done. Just think about the situations of 'friend zone' where the girl uses the guy to do all kinds of things for her? Angelic & vulnerable? I don't think so. 

Personally I blame taiwan / chinese dramas which equate pretty+gentle+feminine woman to goodness and all wholesomeness. It makes people blindly believe such stereotypes because they are socially-engineered to do so since young.

Besides the very wrong fundamental beliefs that women are always the victim being taken advantaged of even when they are willing....for other very rational reasons, I do not think my friend was in the wrong:
 

1. It is a consensual act between two willing parties with sexual desires and drives
2. This occurred between two adults as defined by the law, the woman is of legal age to decide for herself who she wants to sleep with.

If you think about it, there are actually underlying sexism to this. Let's think about the opposite situation. 

If the photographer was female, and the model was male and this happened... do you think the woman will be accused of being lecherous, taking advantage or seen as 'unprofessional'. A thousand times, no!

This double standards are placed on men over and over again even though women too have sexual drives,needs and desires.

Another case of double standards would be how the online community was so outraged and empathizing with the woman when a Chinese man sued his wife for being ugly.

Since women are primarily valued for their looks in society and men for their income, what if the situation was reversed? The man lied to the wife about his income and she sues him. The critical questions to ask are .... Would society be so kind to empathize with him? He didn't choose to be poor afterall. No, they would side the woman.

Secondly, laws in Singapore seem very unfair to men.
 

In the Darinne Ko sex-for-grades case, even though she had been the one who bribed the professor, her degree is not revoked and she escapes from the law. In contrast, the professor is seen for 'exploiting the vulnerability' or 'taking advantage' of her.

Given such a situation, if they were in a romantic relationship and things turn sour, what is stopping women for using this law and how society sides them against men?

Besides the issue of sex, even divorce laws seem to be unfair. You can also read this case on TRS about how family violence and divorce laws can be unfair to men. 

The Womens Charter is severely outdated. Here are some of the expectations of men:

1. The women's charter makes it obligatory for a husband to maintain his wife and children during marriage and after divorce.
2.  Court may order maintenance of wife and children Any married woman whose husband neglects or refuses to provide her reasonable maintenance may apply to a District Court or a Magistrate’s Court and that Court may, on due proof thereof, order the husband to pay a monthly allowance or a lump sum for her maintenance.

The charter doesn't seem to perceive men as human beings. Throughout the whole list, they are talking about the needs of the ex wife while completely ignoring the needs and welfare of the husband.It is as though the husband is a non human whose needs and welfare are completely disregarded.
 

Also, the Women’s Charter is not updated to reflect the changes in society and to promote a more gender neutral approach to marriage. Has it ever occured to you... what is the husband earns less? Even if the husband earns $1000 per month while the ex wife makes $10,000 per month that husband earning $1000 per month must still spend money from his miserable $10,000 to support his ex wife who earns $50,000 per month?   Think about how ridiculous this situation would be if they had divorced because she cheated or she abused him?

Other relevant questions are -- What if it was the wife who cheated on the husband? What is the child doesn't even belong to him biologically?

On the issue of child custody, there also seems to be an underlying assumption that children are better off with their mother after separation, and only in quite extreme cases are fathers awarded custody. In a truly equal society, should such an assumption exist? A significant body of research as I mentioned in my previous post - Men should be allowed to cry-  has shown that the role of the father plays a very critical role in the child's upbringing as well.

Besides the woman charter, I believe the 377A is also unfair to men. What if a guy is raped by another male? The law itself will prevent him from speaking out. If he does, he faces the risk of becoming a criminal which worsens his situation of already feeling emasculated and traumatized.

Just to let you know, men can be raped, even by females. Much like female erectile response, male erectile response is involuntary,meaning that a man need not be aroused for his penis to become erect and be placed in a woman's vagina. Mechanical stimulation is all that is necessary. 

I urge the relevant authorities to revise these outdated and unfair legislation. If it's role is to promote gender equality, then it shouldn't do so at the expense of the other.

If you are reading this post and agree with my ideas, I hope you can drop all unhealthy gender expectations of men and women which could be unfair to them.

 

Jeraldine Phneah

Jeraldine Phneah, 22, is a prominent socio-political blogger and founder of nonprofit organization, Creatives For Causes. As a rationalist, Jeraldine highly discourages personal attacks against any party and instead, promotes constructive criticism that targets policies, stimulates debate and helps everyone find a better solution. Her vision is for Singapore to evolve into a strong and successful civil society where active citizens and the government can collaborate to improve society.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeraldinephneah.page
Blog: www.jeraldine-phneah.blogspot.com

 

In 1963, when they came for the innocents in Operation Coldstore
We were whispering
They are innocent
Freedom fighters, struggling for democracy
But then, we kept quiet
不关我的事

In 1987, when they came for the innocents, in Operation Spectrum
We were whispering
They are innocent,
Catholic social activists, fighting for workers
But then, we kept quiet
不关我的事

In 1993, when they mistreated our President
We were whispering
He was right,
Ong Teng Cheong, fighting for the people
But then, we kept quiet
不关我的事

In 1993, when they fired Doctor Chee from NUS
We were whispering
He was innocent
Chee Soon Juan, fighting for Human Rights, Sued in 2001
But then, we kept quiet
不关我的事

In 2001, when JBJ was declared bankrupt
We were whispering
He was innocent
A fiery man for Singapore, slayed in a cul-de-sac
But then, we kept quiet
不关我的事

Now, as we are made minorities
And the waves of repression continues
We are whispering
We are innocent

不关我的事?

Joe Tan

Contributions

I don’t think we should begrudged people their good fortune. And it is indeed their good fortune to work in Singapore and live in Malaysia or Philippines etc.

What is not acceptable, is that our own Ministers, when they talk about us competing fairly, that spurs be stuck into our asses coz we are not competitive, have never considered the long term imbalance of a system that they have advocated and promoted. The system keeps cost low for employers but lowered the standard of living for most Singaporeans.

And this will overtime, means that our retirees will start to move overseas to boost their standard of living or at least lower their cost of living; this inadvertently means that Singaporeans will lose their sense of nationality. Who wants to serve a country that sucks up our youth and displace us when we are old?

Yes, foreigners do have a place in our society, some more, some less, but there is no serious discussions to have a strategic plan to see how a Singaporean remains to live viably in Singapore. We already know that retirement savings will not be enough for most.

We cannot ask for all the luck in the world. But we have all the right to ask what is our Government’s plans for Singaporeans’ retirement? In other words, how is our ability to make a living commensurate with retiring in an increasingly expensive Singapore?

We have talked about the same starting point for our children through education. But what is the use of that, when they go into the working world, they find that they are already 3 steps behind other foreign workers?

In fact, if you take globlisation through its conclusion, we will definitely be retiring abroad. If that is the case, please prepare the plans and the groundwork. And how is the concept of being a Singaporean mean in this scenario? What is our game plan?

BK

Yale-NUS College issued a press statement today (16 Jun) to welcome its inaugural class of 157 students.

It said that 157 students from 26 countries will form the inaugural class of Yale-NUS College, Singapore’s first liberal arts college. Classes will begin in August 2013.

Yale-NUS said, “The College’s highly selective and competitive admissions process yielded a class of extremely accomplished students with diverse talents and backgrounds.”

In all, Yale-NUS attracted over 11,400 applications from over 130 countries. It did not reveal how many of the applications were from Singapore. Following are some statistics pertaining to the inaugural batch of students:

Yale-NUS said it plans to grow its class size to 250 students over the next few years.

Yale-NUS’ Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Kristin Greene, said, “We are delighted that so many outstanding students from Singapore and across the world are keen to be part of this historic opportunity. Students with opportunities at Ivy League schools and leading universities throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and Singapore chose Yale-NUS College. Most importantly, they’ve chosen to blaze their own trail and be part of shaping a setting of academic excellence and innovative community for generations of students to come.”

However, the press statement also revealed that only 97 out of the first batch of 157 students are Singaporeans (62%). The rest of the 60 (38%) students are foreigners. The percentage of foreign students at 38% is unusually high for a public funded university.

The breakdown of the foreign students:

• Asia, Australia, NZ – 32
• US – 13
• EU, Africa, South America – 11
• Canada – 4

Yale-NUS’ Founding President Pericles Lewis said, “We are writing a new chapter in the history of liberal arts and science education for an increasingly complex and interconnected world. Our inaugural class will experience a distinctive, international education in a community of learning that provides a microcosm of our globally networked society.”

Of course, all these programmes are carried out with funds from the pocket of Singapore taxpayers.

Editor’s note: A letter has been sent to Yale-NUS asking why it did not recruit more Singaporean students.

TR Emeritus

*Article first appeared on www.TREmeritus.com

By PETER SVENSSON | Associated Press

Can the City That Never Sleeps become the City That Never Dies? A Russian multimillionaire thinks so.

Dmitry Itskov gathered some of humanity's best brains — and a few robots — in New York City on Saturday to discuss how humans can get their minds to outlive their bodies. Itskov, who looks younger than his 32 years, has an aggressive timetable in which he'd like to see milestones toward that goal met:

— By 2020, robots we can control remotely with our brains.

— By 2025, a scenario familiar to watchers of sci-fi cartoon show "Futurama:" the capability to transplant the brain into a life-support system, which could be a robot body. Essentially, a robot prosthesis that can replace an ailing, perhaps dying body.

— By 2035, the ability to move the mind into a computer, eliminating the need for the robot bodies to carry around wet, messy brains.

— By 2045, technology nirvana in the form of artificial brains controlling insubstantial, hologram bodies.

The testimony of the neuroscience experts invited to Itskov's Global Future 2045 conference at Lincoln Center in the New York City's Manhattan borough indicate that Itskov's timetable is ambitious to the point of being unrealistic. But the gathering was a rare public airing of questions that will face us as technology progresses.

Is immortality desirable, and if so, what's the best way to get there? Do we leave behind something essentially human if we leave our bodies behind? If you send your robot copy to work, do you get paid?

Japanese robotics researcher Hiroshi Ishiguro's presentation started out with a life-size, like-like robot representation of himself on stage.

The robot moved its lips, nodded and moved it eyes while a hidden loudspeaker played up Ishiguro's voice. Apart from a stiff posture and a curious splay of the hands, the robot could be mistaken for a human, at least 10 rows from the stage.

Ishiguro uses this android or "Geminoid" (after the Latin word for "twin") to meet with students at a research institute two hours away from the laboratory where he also has an appointment. He controls it through the Internet, and sees his students through a webcam.

"The problem is, if I use this android, the research institute says it cannot pay for me," Ishiguro said, to laughter from the audience of hundreds of journalists, academics, Buddhist monks and futurism enthusiasts.

Ishiguro flew to the U.S. with his robotic twin's head, the most valuable part, in the carry-on luggage. The body rode below, in the luggage compartment.

To Itskov, who made his money in the Russian Internet media business, the isolated achievements of inventors like Ishiguro are not enough. He wants to create a movement, involving governments and the United Nations, to work toward a common goal.

"We shouldn't just observe the wonderful entrepreneurs â€1/8 we need to move ahead systematically," Itskov said in an interview. "We are really at the time when technology can affect human evolution. I want us to shape the future, bring it up for public discussion, and avoid any scenario that could damage humanity."

Itskov says he tries to eliminate his "selfishness" day by day, and has spent about $3 million promoting his vision. He organized the first conference on the theme in Russia last year.

But in bringing the idea to the U.S., a cultural difference is apparent: Itskov's desire for a shared, guiding vision for humanity does not mesh well with the spirit of the American high-tech industry, which despises government involvement and prizes its freedom to pursue whatever projects it wants.

Space entrepreneur and X-Prize Chairman Peter Diamandis articulated that spirit at the conference; the freewheeling capitalist system, he said, is one of the strongest engines for effecting change.

"The rate of change is going so fast â€1/8 I do not believe any of our existing government systems can handle it," he said.

Archbishop Lazar Puhalo of the Orthodox Church in America, who has a background in neurobiology and physics, offered another critique at the conference.

"A lot of this stuff can't be done," he said.

If it can be done, that's not necessarily a good thing either, the robed and bearded patriarch believes.

"I'm not too fond of the idea of immortality, because I think it will be deathly boring," he said, with a twinkle in his eyes. Giving up our bodies could also be problematic, he said.

"There's a lot of stuff in them that makes us human. I'm not sure they can be built into machines," Puhalo said.

Itskov acknowledges that his vision would leave part of the human experience behind. But he believes it would be worth it.

"We're always losing something for what we're doing. We're always paying," Itskov said.

Presidential Elections in Singapore are special for more than a few reasons. The infrequency with which they have been conducted, the exorbitant election deposits involved and unusually stringent eligibility criteria are amongst just a few of these reasons. However, something about Presidential Elections in Singapore distinguishes them from Parliamentary ones in that they are the only type of elections where, seemingly, the region where you live and the district where you vote do not matter – the nation votes as a single entity and the candidates with the largest number of votes wins, in the best fashion of First Past The Post. So, surely, it would make sense for candidates vying to be President to campaign on national issues rather than fighting it out in different parts of the country? After all, there is no electoral college of some sort or other as there is in the United States of America, no “red” GRCs” and “blue GRCs”, no difference between Bedok and Bishan. But is this truly the case?

In reality, a spatial voting pattern does indeed exist across the island. This has been elucidated only in recent elections because of the phenomenon of ‘micropolling’. In the past, the only source of results was the official one on state-controlled media. While this remains the most popular source of results, as evidenced by the elevation of a humble Returning Officer to an instant internet sensation in Mr Yam Ah Mee, the alternative platform of micropolling has given us new clues as to how Singaporeans living in different places vote. Micropolling essentially involves the use of new social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to broadcast results from each counting centre online. These results, which have never been officially published before, reflect the votes of electors in each polling district.

On the night of the 2011 Presidential Elections, it was revealed by online sources that Tan Cheng Bock had performed well in the western areas of Singapore such as Jurong West while Tony Tan won the districts in Sembawang decisively. In fact, in one counting centre in Fuhua Secondary School (in Jurong GRC), Tan Cheng Bock won a whopping 46.8% of the valid votes whilst the eventual winner of the election, Tony Tan, captured a mere 28.9% of votes. Over at Punggol East SMC which would later oust the People’s Action Party in favour of a Workers’ Party MP in the 2013 By-Election, out of 5 polling districts surveyed, 3 had given their support to Tan Cheng Bock. Admittedly, Tony Tan had purportedly bagged a considerable number of districts in affluent areas of Tanjong Pagar GRC as well. And so, the scrutiny of micropolling data certainly must be overshadowed by the observation of a number of possible trends:

• Previous political affiliation with an area gives candidates a considerable edge through familiarity - Tan Cheng Bock used to be the Member for Ayer Rajah and Tony Tan represented Sembawang in the House.
• Political attitudes in General Elections tend to stick during Presidential Elections – Punggol East voters rejected the government-backed candidate, Tony Tan, just as they did more apparently and vociferously in the by-election later on.
• Socio-economic status and age may play a part too – some observers may claim that more affluent residents or, equally, more elderly residents in Tanglin-Cairnhill constituency and other areas in Tanjong Pagar GRC continued to support the government-backed candidate just as they probably have done so for years in national elections.

The significance of micropolling is also worth noting. The use of technology has given voters a certain degree of independence in finding out election results through helpful counting agents tweeting away results as they stream in, rather than from the mainstream media. Thus, micropolling has arguably helped to improve transparency in the political process, a quality that one should never take for granted even in the most politically mature of nations. So long as legislation does not get introduced to limit or prevent this practice, micropolling will be here to stay. This is especially important given that existing laws in Singapore prohibit the conduct of opinion polls during the campaign period and, unsurprisingly, exit polls during the polling period.

However, micropolling has revealed something about Presidential Elections that needs to be highlighted if future Presidential hopefuls want to campaign more effectively to reach out to voters. Whilst it is true that Presidential candidates can only go so far in campaigning on local issues given the ghastly limited authority they would have in executive issues in the first place, regional campaigning can strengthen their chances of winning as having a solid comprehension of voter preferences in different parts of Singapore would allow candidates to properly divide their resources and time in focusing on garnering more support in areas where they are predisposed to not perform as successfully as in other areas. Such predispositions are indicative of the diversity that exists in our political landscape which is easy to undermine.

Micropolling has helped propel the development of political analysis in Singapore and will continue to do so if independents running for the office of President are willing to take a closer look at the geographical aspect of local politics. In the meantime, those wishing to become MPs, too, have something to gain from this new way in which modern technology has impacted politics in our island-nation which will definitely be one step closer to becoming a more mature democracy as a result of this innovation.

“Some people still ask whether my long previous association with the PAP will stop me from acting independently. The answer is no. My loyalty is first and foremost, to the people of Singapore. It has always been so, and will always remain so”

- Ong Teng Cheong, the 1st Elected President of Singapore

Source of data:

Ngiam, S. T. (2011, August 29). Micropolling results of presidential elections 2011. Retrieved from http://stngiam.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/flash-results-micropolling-results-of-presidential-elections-2011/

yn94

*The writer blogs at http://mappedmusings.wordpress.com

“The Attorney-General’s Chambers (“AGC”) has today issued a letter of warning to Ms Lee Seng Lynn (“Ms Lee”), through her counsel, for her having committed contempt of court,” the statement from the Attorney General, released on 14 June, said.

The AGC went on:

“AGC has completed its review of Ms Lee’s conduct and has assessed that Ms Lee’s conduct amounted to contempt of court by creating a real risk of prejudice to the criminal proceedings which were pending then.”

I am no lawyer but I know that a person can only be guilty of an offence, or a crime, if he is found guilty by the courts.

A person is not guilty of an offence or a crime just because someone else – even if he is the Attorney General – says so.

For the AGC to state so unequivocally that “Ms Lee’s conduct amounted to contempt of court” and to conclusively say there was indeed “contempt committed” is puzzling. Surely, the AGC itself should be aware that a person can only be found guilty by a court of law, and not by the AGC.

So, perhaps the AGC would like to explain further how Lynn Lee is guilty without her being charged, without being allowed to defend herself in court, and without the court finding her guilty.

I think AGC’s explanation will clarify and inform Singaporeans on how one’s guilt is ascertained and how our law works.

The other issue is how ‘sub judice’ contempt of court is decided and defined. This is a question which some are beginning to ask and it is an entirely valid question.

To a layman like myself, I fail to understand the difference between what Lynn Lee is said to have committed, and the two instances where the Law Minister spoke about Yong Vui Kong while his case was before the court of appeal, and the Prime Minister giving his views about section 377A of the Penal Code while the constitutionality of that law was before the courts.

To recap:

In 2010, The Online Citizen reported, about the Law Minister’s remarks about Yong Vui Kong: [Read here also.]

“Yong Vui Kong is young. But if we say ‘We let you go’, what is the signal we are sending?”

With these words on 9 May 2010, Law Minister Mr K. Shanmugam tread where no right-minded Singapore politician ought to have gone – commenting and therefore potentially prejudicing an appeal before it had been decided in court. The effect of his remarks has even lead some voices to opine that the Minister could have been cited for contempt of court.

On 22 January 2013, the AGC issued the following statement on the then ongoing s377A case:

“The issue of the constitutionality of section 377A is before the High Court in two cases. When the cases are heard, the arguments relating to the constitutionality issue will be fully aired in Court. Meanwhile, we would remind all parties that statements made by members of the public would be sub judice contempt, if the statements are calculated to affect the minds of the courts hearing the case, the minds of parties who are concerned in the case itself, or if they amount to public pre-judgment of the case, and there is a real risk of prejudice.”

On 28 February 2013, Prime Minister Lee made public remarks about the law on homosexuality, which is what s377A is about. This is what theTODAY newspaper reported:

“Why is that law on the books? Because it’s always been there and I think we just leave it,” said Mr Lee, adding that he had explained his decision in 2007 to retain Section 377A.

Mr Lee also brought up the issue of gay rights — which has come under the spotlight again recently — in response to a question from actress Janice Koh, who is also a Nominated Member of Parliament.

Ms Koh asked whether there is space for public discussions on issues that are potentially polarising.

She noted that such discussions could help build a more resilient society.

Citing the example of gay rights, Mr Lee said: “These are not issues that we can settle one way or the other, and it’s really best for us just to leave them be, and just agree to disagree. I think that’s the way Singapore will be for a long time.”

I think there is clearly a case for the Attorney General to explain how the remarks by the Prime Minister and the Law Minister – in two separate cases which were before the courts when their remarks were made – do not constitute contempt of court, if Lynn Lee’s video was.

Lately, much have been written about trust in our public institution and how it has eroded or should not be allowed to be eroded.

I agree that trust in our public institution is vital, for example, to the rule of law in our country and its enforcement. Any public perception that the law is selectively applied, or ambiguous, will lead to the erosion of trust in the law itself and/or those who have authority to enforce it.

It is thus of utmost importance that the AGC explain to the public, in clear and unequivocal terms, the difference between Lynn Lee’s case, and the two involving the Prime Minister and the Law Minister.

I think the public deserves an explanation.

And as one who believes in the rule of law, in my view, Lynn Lee is not guilty of what the AGC says – simply because the courts did not find her guilty, nor was she allowed to defend herself, which should be the right of every accused person.

In fact, what the AGC has done – to lay an accusation on her – is totally unfair.

Now, a person can be pronounced guilty by the AGC via statements to the media and the press? This is something which every Singaporean, lawyer and law-maker should be most concerned about indeed.

When did the AGC become, effectively, a court unto itself? If the AGC can pronounce guilt, why then the need for the courts?

As this article, “Sub judice and Lynn Lee“, says:

“The warning letter issued to Lynn was terribly unfair. She now has to live with the stigma of an official “warning” letter stating unequivocally that she is guilty of contempt of Court.

“This is despite the fact that the assertion was never tested in a Court of law. It is the view of AGC, which initiated the investigation, decided on her liability, and selected her punishment.”

How fair is that?

Andrew Loh

*The author blogs at http://andrewlohhp.wordpress.com/

Depending on your HDB asset for long term retirement?

Taiwanese variety show host Pauline Lan thinks Singaporean men are 'very, very oily', and would not even give them three points on a scale one (lowest) to 10 (highest).

In an interview with The Straits Times, she gave her frank comments when posed the question about local men.

At a previous press conference here in April, Taiwanese variety show host Pauline Lan rated Singapore women three out of 10 on the scale of how good they look. Even before the recent interview started, she had already pointed out random beauty and fashion mishaps borne by various people seated around the dressing room.

She said in Mandarin: "The men are even worse. Not sure how many points to rate them but it's worse than three. They are just so sloppy and don't bother about the way they look at all. They don't have to dress over-the-top like South Korean drama stars, but at least they should look clean, right?

"My general feeling about Singapore men is that they are very oily, whether it's the hair or otherwise. They are just very, very oily." Before the interview started, she had already pointed out random beauty and fashion mishaps borne by various people seated around the dressing room.

The TV host answered every question during the interview without so much as a pause to ponder them. It was held during a brief break in between shoots for Lady First - Singapore, the local edition of her hit Taiwanese show Lady First, which has been dishing out beauty and fashion advice for the past decade.

A public relations executive had barely stepped through the door during the interview when Lan remarked that her hair was too wet and should have been properly blown dry.

It affects everyone when the system overpays in whatever ways. One unspoken and may be unnoticed fact is the grotesquely over paying of a super elite group in our system. This group of beneficiaries has members mostly in their 60s, 70s or older. These are very able people who have made good in life, with a lot of wealth and do not need a single cent more to live a life of unbelieveable comfort and convenience. They have everything material in excess. And with their dying years, many of them are going to die very very rich, with a lot of money unspent. 

And they are still being paid by huge pensions, chairmanship, directorship fees, association fees, acquaintanceship fees, appearance fees etc etc. Many have long retired, many long past their useful lives, many past their shelf lives. But they are still collecting hundreds of thousands or millions annually, to fatten their bank accounts that they will have serious trouble using them. 

For every one of these super elite, the amount paid could have been spread to hundreds or thousands of more needy people and make their lives so much better. On the other hand, paying these elites another million or a few more hundreds of thousands has become meaningless. It does not make a difference in their lives anymore than for them to smile at the bank statements showing how much more they are getting, that is if their face muscles still allow them to smile. 

It is not that they are all worthless and not contributing or useless in what they are doing. The point is that they are in semi retirement, in retirement, or some, just passing time attending board meetings. But the most pertinent point is that what they are taking from the system is taking a toll on the income of many people, and making the lives of many people less comfortable. This need not be. 

And this pool of super elites is swelling by the days. They are going to live till 80s or 90s, which means that the system must cater a budget to pay them the ransom they are demanding. The system cannot afford to keep feeding a group of super elites, oldies, that kind of obscene payouts for 30 or 40 years each. The money must come from somewhere. Where do you think this money is coming from? Who do you think is paying for them? 

This system of paying the super elites crazily when they don’t need the money is best to be toned down, give them a small honorarium for their presence and wisdom. It is already an honour to have them, to give them some purpose and a little contribution, a status, a recognised position, a big title in some cases. What more do they want when money is no longer an issue in their lives? 

It is necessary to redistribute the wealth of the country to those who really need them and not to those who don’t need them, those with abundance of money, and doing really very little except to grace the occasion and be in good company, to be adored in reverence.

Chua Chin Leng AKA Redbean

*The writer blogs at mysingaporenews.blogspot.com

Just when I thought it was clearing up....it got worse with the PSI level close to unhealthy range.... While most of us will not be affected by the current PSI levels, friends with a history of breathing difficulties, sneezing, coughing, eye irritation etc. please take preventive measures, desist from streneous activity and stay indoors if need be. 

This latest bout of haze reminds me of the parliamentary questions asked by Sylvia and Jenn Jong late last year.....

In response to Ms Sylvia Lim's question (see below) in parliament in September 2012, Minister Balakrishnan replied, "NEA is currently in the process of enhancing its air quality monitoring network. The enhancement will include the development of predictive modelling capability for tracking air pollution plumes and the forecast of air quality. The enhancement will also build capabilities to provide more frequent updates on our air quality for public information. These enhancements will be introduced in stages over the next three years." Would be useful to explore how better the public can be better served with more timely information of PSI levels, not just measured at ground level, but at higher levels, since so many of us live in HDB flats that in some cases go up 40 over floors. 

TRACKING AND REPORTING THE POLLUTANT STANDARDS INDEX (PSI)

10 Sep 2012

Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in respect of the Enhanced Air Quality Reporting for the pollutant standards index (PSI) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) (a) where are the monitoring stations in the town centres in each region and at what height are these stations situated; (b) how many roadside stations are there to measure kerbside pollution in view of vehicular emissions; (c) what are the justifications for the current reporting times of 8am, 12noon and 4pm of each day and whether the Ministry will consider increasing the frequency of regular reporting; (d) whether the Ministry is studying more comprehensive Geographic Information System tracking of fine particulate pollution; (e) whether the Ministry will consider providing 24-hour forecasts of PSI and PM2.5 levels for public information; and (f) whether the report of the Advisory Committee on Ambient Air Quality will be made public. 

Dr Vivial Balakrishnan: The National Environment Agency (NEA) currently has a network of 11 air monitoring stations on the mainland of Singapore to measure ambient air quality and another two stations to measure roadside air quality. All the air monitoring stations are located at ground level except for the station at Newton which is located at the roof (above 25th Floor) of the Environment Building. The 11 air monitoring stations are operated in accordance with international guidelines. The locations of the air monitoring and roadside stations are indicated in the Table and Map below.

As the state of air quality has an impact on our health and quality of life, we recognise the need for the public to have more frequent updates on air quality. Since 24 August 2012, the PSI and PM2.5 readings of the five regions (North, South, East West, Central) have been reported on the NEA website at http://app2.nea.gov.sg/psi.aspx or “myENV” mobile application three times a day at 8.00 am, 12.00 noon and 4.00 pm to help the public better plan their activities for the day. Health advisories for the five regions will be issued whenever necessary. NEA will also increase the frequency of reporting on air quality to hourly ones in the event of significant transboundary haze. 

NEA is currently in the process of enhancing its air quality monitoring network. The enhancement will include the development of predictive modelling capability for tracking air pollution plumes and the forecast of air quality. The enhancement will also build capabilities to provide more frequent updates on our air quality for public information. These enhancements will be introduced in stages over the next three years.

The executive summary of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Ambient Air Quality is available on the NEA website athttp://app2.nea.gov.sg/topics_air.aspx.

EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE RESPONSIBLE LAND CLEARING PRACTICES IN NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES 

12 Nov 2012

Mr Yee Jenn Jong asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what are the exact plans and timeline that ASEAN has to exert commercial pressures on plantation owners to practise responsible land clearing; and (b) if the Ministry will consider amending the Environmental Protection and Management Act to give powers to our authorities to prosecute Singapore-linked companies or Singaporeans who are found to have practised illegal burning activities in neighbouring countries.

Dr Vivian Balakrishnan: All ASEAN countries have ratified the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, except for Indonesia.

A sub-regional Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution has been meeting regularly since 2006 to co-ordinate projects to mitigate this problem. At the recent 14th MSC Meeting on 31 Oct 2012 in Bali, MSC Ministers agreed to facilitate more deterrent and effective enforcement measures. Ministers agreed to explore the sharing of digital geo-referenced concession maps and leverage on satellite and mapping technologies to monitor hotspots in order to hold plantation companies and land owners accountable for their land-clearing activities. A technical task force comprising technical experts from the forestry, meteorological services and environment sectors of the five MSC countries, would be formed to study the implementation details.

All commercial companies, regardless of ownership, must comply with the laws of their host countries and be held accountable if they cause transboundary haze pollution. All ASEAN countries, including Indonesia, already have domestic legislation which prohibits the use of fire for forest clearance. The gathering of evidence and prosecution will be most effective if assiduously pursued by local authorities. Unfortunately, commercial companies will take advantage of situations where there is weak enforcement on the ground and a lack of political will at the national level. There are currently no legal sanctions which Singapore can apply against plantation companies whose extra-territorial actions affect our local environment. However, we will support the investigation and prosecution of errant companies in their host jurisdictions, and will co-operate fully with the relevant authorities to do so.

There is scope for commercial pressure to be applied. Corporate behaviour is most effectively shaped by market forces. If consumers become increasingly environment-conscious and demand products that come from sustainable sources, companies would have little choice but to align their production and supply chain practices in order to protect the fragile eco-system and to avoid damaging public health of millions of citizens. Therefore, stakeholders such as manufacturers, retailers, non-government organisations, investors, bankers and consumers, all have a crucial role to play in resolving this chronic problem.

Pritam Singh

*Article first appeared on his FB page here.

A teenage girl chopped her father's head clean off with a bush knife after he raped her in their home in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.

Now residents of the village have formed a protective ring around the 18-year-old, refusing to hand her over to the police because they agreed her 'evil' father deserved to die.

A local church leader, Pastor Lucas Kumi from the village of Rang in the Western Highlands, said the entire community would refuse to allow the girl to be subjected to any official investigation.              

Protective ring: Villagers in the remote western highlands of Papua New Guinea say they will not let police talk to the 18 year old rape victim (file image)

'The people and leaders in our area went and saw the headless body of the father after the girl reported the incident to them and explained why she had killed her father,' said Pastor Kumi.

He told the Post Courier newspaper that the father, in his mid-40s, raped his daughter when they were alone in their house after the mother and two other children from the family went to visit relatives for the night.

'The father went to his daughter's room in the night and raped her repeatedly.

'The father wanted to rape his daughter again in the morning and that was when the young girl picked up the bush knife and chopped her father's head off,' said Pastor Kumi. 

'We've all agreed that she is free to stay in the community because the father deserved to die. 

'The daughter did what she did because of the trauma and the evil actions of her father, so that is why we have all agreed that she remains in the community.' 

He said a ring of protection had been placed around the girl, who will be kept away from any official investigation.

 

Death penalty: the government of Papua New Guinea has brought back the death penalty in order to combat serious crimes

'The community have also agreed not to conduct any formal burial service for the father.'

Crimes of rape, murder, suspected witch killings and prostitution are rife throughout Papua New Guinea and as a desperate attempt to stop the lawlessness the government recently re-introduced the death penalty for serious offences. 

But at the weekend the Post Courier reported the results of an investigation into child prostitution, a report, it said, that will 'make you cringe.'

Children aged between 13 and 16, said the paper, were selling sex in the nightclubs of the capital, Port Moresby, five premises being reported to be engaged in the under-age prostitution trade. 

Three non-government organisations have produced a report based on interviews with no less than 175 child sex workers. 

'It's true - our girls, and especial school girls, are being bought and sold for sex,' said one of the investigators.

*Article first appeared on http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2342526/Daughter-18-cuts-fathers...

Stating why Singapore is an unhappy nation is easy, it just takes a 2 day observation. 

I am a Belgian, just arrived here last year, but after 1 day, I already wanted to go back home to Belgium, that is how bad ur country looks to foreigners. 

Buuuuuut... It is so easy to criticize and not actually do something about it. The major problems can be turned over pretty easily:

The people here mostly are unhappy because they aren't doing anything about it to get happy.

The things I miss about Belgium can easily be placed into Singapore. For instance, you have sun here all the time, why not implement soalr panels to drastically reduce electricity bills?

I know one issue with solar panels is they only optimally function in temperatures of 25C, but that can be resolved if u place those solar panels under covers so they don't heat up past 25C. Use the solar panels that function under sunlight and don't need direct light. Give the opportunity to each HDB resident to own one panel on top of the roof of the HDB and that fixes the electricity bills big time already. 

Secondly, kids and teenagers:

Except from hanging out at school / sporthall / home / mall, they got NOTHING. It's not like hanging around outdoors is a "fun" experience ...

So what to do ?

Create a new job opportunity, or should I say opportunitieeeessssss... simple!  What do kids need and like to do?

They love music ... they need help with homework .... they need a place to chill out alone or with some friends .... they need to be able to have friends meetings away from parents ....

Give them that, create Youth Cafe's, youth pubs, just like a regular bar , without alcoholic drinks, with a chill out lounge and a 1 person chill out room and a conference room that is noise isolated. You can easily
use the void decks to do those things.

Then about the void decks... Don't u all think the void decks are totally depressing and ugly?

Do something about that too then, it would make a great opportunity to promote local talents and to be known as the country of the million paintings ....

Just organize a competition nation wide, and all the thousands of winners will be allowed to paint the walls and the pillars of the void decks making those void decks into open air museums and allowing talent to be discovered.

This would become a HUGE touristic attraction, creating more jobs then you propably can handle and allowing the hotel sector to bloom open, ensuring work for future generations and maybe making
Singapore the number one art-capital of the world.

One thing will be the hardest to teach Singapore tho, and that is the hygiene matter. I see people make such big hygiene mistakes daily, wich even caused me to have several salmonella infections over the
past year.

The hygiene with food is disastrious, it really has to get improved big time. Food should be covered and kept cool at all times and even for buffet style foods, hygiene and not allowing people to breath
over all the food should bs a basic, especially for food fares.

Open roofs over the hawker centers are propably the main reason sars had such a big impact in this country, birds should NEVER be able to come near the food or fly over something that makes food and has no
roof, all the dust and parasites the birds carry just fall into the food that way, its revolting.

And then the free time, that is a major problem in Singapore, people are literally trapped in the heat. In Belgium, if I have spare time, i'd easily go out for a walk, here taking a walk is equal to taking a sweat
bath...going to any place is equal to taking a sweat bath.

That is why people are unhappy, you clean urself up nicely, and as soon as you step out, its ruined.

The heat is such a big bummer on everything it can only depress u, even more then winter blues I might add.

So how to beat this thing?

Well maybe improve the HDB hallways for a start, so that when u come out of ur apparmtent u don't get baded in blastering heat.

Improve the pathways, not just covered but also ventilated (can easily be powered by solar panels). Make more underground passage ways instead of above ground. 

So that's about it, I could continue on longer about food and so on, but this is already a lot to digest.

Willie Gnow

A Belgium FT in Singapore