OPINION: Biggest failure in Singapore is too many elderly people are cleaning tables, washing public toilets - Seah Chiang Nee

Malaysia Star, 31 Mar 2012
To me the biggest failure is that too many elderly people are cleaning tables at food courts or washing public toilets instead of playing with their grandchildren at home.
In worse cases, they collect used cardboards for sale or sleep in street corners.
Retirement age is 65 and the government has said it wants to raise it to 69.
But, an extensive practice of bosses replacing workers once they reach 50 with younger, cheaper people – particularly foreigners – has made retirement age a bit redundant. Full story

Massive credit card data breach involves all major brands

CNNMoney, 30 Mar 2012
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- A data breach at a payments processing firm has potentially compromised credit and debit card information from all of the major card brands.
Global Payments (GPN), a company that processes card transactions, confirmed late Friday that "card data may have been accessed." It says it discovered the intrusion in early March and "promptly" notified others in the industry.
Global Payments did not say how many accounts were affected, or what kind of information was compromised. A law enforcement investigation is ongoing. Full story

DBS offers to buy Temasek's stake in Bank Danamon

The Economic Times, 30 Mar 2012
SINGAPORE/JAKARTA: DBS Group, Southeast Asia's biggest lender, is making a bid for a controlling stake in Indonesia's Bank Danamon worth about $3.2 billion and owned by an arm of Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings, sources said on Friday.
Fullerton Financial Holdings, the Temasek unit, confirmed it had received an offer for its 68 percent stake in Danamon, but did not elaborate on the name of the bidder in a statement.
Sources told Reuters the offer came from DBS, which is also 29 percent owned by Temasek. The sources declined to be identified because the talks were not public. Full story

Related:
DBS sets up Indonesia’s biggest bank deal - The Malaysian Insider
Fullerton Financial Received Offer For Stake In Bank Danamon Shareholder, Asia Financial - Fox Business

Singapore ranks high on site reliability across Asia

ZDNet Asia News, 30 Mar 2012
Released Friday, ZDNet Asia's Business Web Performance Benchmark Report ranked the speed and availability of the top 10 Web sites of five industry sectors across six Asian countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The vertical industries were banking and financial services, government, retail, telecommunications, and travel.
Tests were conducted using Compuware's Gomez Last Mile testing nodes which measure actual desktop connections to validate speed as well as reliability of Web sites from the end-user perspective. Full story

Singapore joins long-bond club

International Financing Review, 31 Mar 2012
The Republic of Singapore last week made its first 30-year bond issue, part of a broader initiative to develop the city-state’s local debt market.
Opening the 30-year point confirms that the government and the Monetary Authority of Singapore are determined to encourage dynamism in what is often regarded as a moribund capital markets arena.
However, analysts warned that the new benchmark was unlikely to tease out ultra-long deals from the city’s corporate sector. Full story

Related:
First Singapore 30-year aims to boost local market - Yahoo! Finance

Foreigners complain about new primary one enrolment rule

inSing.com, 30 Mar 2012
The new revised primary one registration scheme gives Singaporeans priority over permanent residents in balloting exercises and was announced on Sunday (25 Mar) by the Ministry of Education.
Frustrated non-citizen parents are complaining that their efforts – moving to Singapore, buying a house near their ideal primary school – have come to naught.
Ms Jin Mei, 43, sold her condominium and moved into an HDB flat near popular Tao Nan School in hopes of enrolling her child in the respected institution.
She is now lamenting that with the prioritisation scheme in place, it will be even harder for her child to score a place there. Full story

More child abduction cases surface online

inSing.com, 30 Mar 2012
On 15 March, A netizen known as 'Allison Goon' shared on her Facebook page that her son was nearly abducted by a Chinese national woman at Ang Mo Kio Hub.
On 23 March, a 59-year-old woman made a police report after her grandson was nearly abducted by a stranger at Simei Street 5.
The woman was bringing her 10-year-old grandson to school when a middle-aged woman suddenly grabbed the boy's hand and tried to take him to a van parked at the roadside.
The anxious grandmother overheard the van driver telling the woman that this was the wrong boy.Full story

Electricity tariffs to increase by 4.3 per cent

Yahoo! News Singapore, 30 Mar 2012
Electricity tariffs will increase by 4.3 per cent from April to June this year as higher fuel prices have resulted in higher power generation costs, said SP Services.
Electricity tariff of households will increase 1.19 cents per kWh from 27.59 to 28.78 cents per kWh. This means that the average monthly electricity bill for families living in four-room HDB flats will increase by $4.18. Full story

Court reserves judgment on Hougang by-election

Yahoo! News Singapore, 30 Mar 2012
Does the Prime Minister have the option whether to call a by-election, and does he also have the discretion to decide when to call one? These two questions were put before Justice Philip Pillai at the High Court on Friday, 30 March.
The hearing, which lasted three hours, was held in chambers.
Vellama Marie Muthu, a resident of Hougang Single-Member Constituency (SMC), had filed an application with the courts on 2 March seeking a hearing to be heard in the courts. Full story

Is Yale selling out in Singapore?

inSing.com 30 Mar 2012
Opposition and concern regarding the collaboration between Yale University and Singapore's National University of Singapore isn't abating.
The Yale-NUS College is set to start offering Liberal Arts courses in Singapore as of next year.
The college told inSing News that it has so far received about 2000 faculty job applications from all over the world and 40 to 50 candidates are expected to be hired before the college opens. Full story

Temasek in talks to sell Danamon stake

Reuters, 30 Mar 2012
(Reuters) - PT Bank Danamon, Indonesia's sixth largest lender, said on Friday its controlling shareholder Asia Financial has received an offer from an investor to sell its 68 percent stake in the bank. Full story

OPINION: Singaporean Democracy in Action - Paul Karl Lukacs

Asia Sentinel, 29 Mar 2012
A Singaporean judge will hear arguments Friday on whether the ruling party can indefinitely delay an election it will likely lose.
The government expects to lose a by-election in an opposition ward, so it has adopted the novel strategy of refusing to schedule the vote. The legality of the maneuver will be tested on March 30 in the island nation’s home-grown court. Full story

Temask's Eircom applies for court protection over $5 billion debt

Reuters, 29 Mar 2012
Ireland's former state telecom operator eircom applied for court protection as expected on Thursday to allow it restructure its 3.75 billion euro ($5 billion) debt mountain, a move it said was "necessary and unavoidable".
The application follows the company's agreement to support a proposal under which most senior lenders take control of the company from current majority shareholder Singapore Technologies Telemedia (STT) and cut its debt pile by 40 to 50 percent. Full story

Related:
Temasek Hires ST Telemedia’s Lee as President, General Counsel - BusinessWeek
Temasek Hires ST Telemedia’s Lee as President, General Counsel - Bloomberg

OPINION: Yale values to be tested in Singapore - Ava Kofman & Tapley Stephenson

Yale Daily News, 29 Mar 2012
Singaporean students and faculty said Singapore’s policies on free speech are vague and often inconsistently enforced. They frequently referred to “out of bounds markers” restricting free speech, though few could explain exactly what the government deems unacceptable.
Ten journalists and four lawyers interviewed in Singapore said these rules are unclear, which can lead to confusion and a hesitancy to voice opinions.
“We’re trained to police ourselves,” said Kirsten Han, a widely read blogger and activist. “There’s a sense about how you have to be careful and can’t say anything too specific.”
She also cited recent legal warnings sent to bloggers regarding material on their sites as the examples of the government regulating speech through “soft coercion.” Full story

Nan Chiau Primary students to get Nokia 3G smartphones for learning

Smartgrid TMCnet, 30 Mar 2012
Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), through its Wireless ReachTM initiative, Nan Chiau Primary School and Microsoft today announced the launch of the WE Learn mobile education project, which uses 3G smartphones to create a 21st century classroom experience for Singaporean students. The project will demonstrate how the latest wireless technology can be used to transform learning from a traditional, teacher-centric model to a student-centric, inquiry-oriented and collaborative framework where 24/7 access to resources in and out of the classroom allows students to acquire and practice 21st century competencies.
With a grant from Qualcomm's Wireless Reach initiative, the WE Learn project is providing 3G-enabled Nokia Lumia 710 smartphones enabled by Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) processors; mobile broadband connectivity via SingTel's 3G wireless network; a mobile learning platform (MyDesk) and educational applications developed by University of Michigan; and Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system, which all software for these smartphones is built upon, to 350 third-grade students and their teachers at Nan Chiau. Full story

Related:
Singapore’s 21st century classrooms with 3G smartphones - MIS-Asia

Temasek, Khazanah Said to Sign S$5 Billion of Loans

Bloomberg
Temasek Holdings Pte (TMSK) and Khazanah Nasional Bhd., the state-owned investment companies of Singapore and Malaysia, signed S$5 billion ($3.9 billion) of property development loans, according to a person familiar with the matter.
DBS Bank Ltd., Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp., United Overseas Bank Ltd. and Malayan Banking Bhd. lent S$850 million each, while Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd., Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. each pledged S$500 million, the person said, asking not to be identified because details are private. CIMB Group Holdings Bhd. committed S$100 million, the person said. Full story

Europe, Singapore in Final Stages of Free Trade Pact Negotiation

Bloomberg
The European Union and Singapore are in the “final stages” of negotiations on a free trade agreement, said Marc Ungeheuer, ambassador and head of the delegation of the EU to the city state.
Foreign direct investment by the EU into Southeast Asia was 192 billion euros ($255 billion) in 2011, the European Chamber of Commerce said in a statement in Singapore today which included Ungeheuer’s comments. Trade between the two regions has increased 26.6 percent since 2006 to 161.6 billion euros, according to the group. Full story

30 flights affected due to baggage system fault at Changi Airport T2

Yahoo! News Singapore, 29 Mar 2012
A system fault that affected Changi Airport’s Terminal 2 baggage sorting system caused the delay of 30 outbound flights on Thursday morning.
Most of the flights were delayed by less than an hour, although some flights were held up to for as long as 90 minutes,... Full story

Singapore firm crafts wire bonding tech

EE Times Asia, 30 Mar 2012
Singapore company Red Micro Wire Pte. Ltd (RMW) has developed a breakthrough technology for the semiconductor bonding wire process. According to RMW, the technology provides a cost-effective and highly scalable alternative to current solutions.
Unlike traditional wires, RMW's wires are cast, not drawn. The process produces a high strength, ultra-fine glass coating surrounding a soft metal core and able to scale down to 4 microns, far smaller than the 16-14 microns current wire can scale. Full story

Singapore Feb bank lending up 1 pct from Jan

Reuters, 30 Mar 2012
(Reuters) - Total bank lending in Singapore rose 1 percent in February from January, central bank data showed on Friday.
Bank lending in the city-state was S$426.4 billion ($338.59 billion)last month, up from S$422.1 billion in January. Bank lending rose 28 percent in February from a year earlier. Full story

Vietnam brides banned

inSing.com, 29 Mar 2012
Vietnam is banning the practice of exporting its women as brides.
According to Lianhe Wanbao, more than 100,000 women have been exported this way in the past ten years to countries like Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia and South Korea.
As a result of the large number of women leaving the country, Vietnamese men are now finding it hard to find wives.
In a bid to reverse the trend, the Vietnamese government has enacted new laws to ban local and overseas matchmaking agencies from arranging overseas marriages for the local women. Full story

OPINION: Singapore Finds More Space for Grace, But Not on Subway - Sam Holmes

WSJ Blog, 29 Mar 2012
While Singapore is generally seen internationally as one of the safest, cleanest and most orderly countries in Asia, one entrenched thorn in the city’s side remains the behavior of commuters on the city’s transit system. Passengers not giving up their seats to the less mobile or not giving way to those alighting are persistent points of ire on Internet forums and in letters to local newspapers.
Government-sponsored courtesy campaigns have a long history in Singapore going back to founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s (largely successful) attempts in the 1970s to teach citizens how to respect the “first-come, first-served” system of lining up and to stop spitting and urinating in public places. Full story

Singapore's Hedged Bet on Junkets

The Wall Street Journal, 27 Mar 2012
Singapore's bet on junkets is a booster shot for the slowing growth of its nascent gambling industry, but for investors, a big payout is not guaranteed.
The city's two casinos—Genting Singapore PLC's Resorts World Sentosa and Las Vegas Sands Corp.'s Marina Bay Sands, which both opened in 2010—saw blowout growth in their first year of operations, generating more than $6 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2011. Recently though, quarterly results have missed analysts' forecasts. Competition from regional casino rivals in the Philippines and Vietnam hasn't helped. Nor has slower economic growth. Genting's stock is 27% off its 2011 peak.m Full story

Singapore race vow after 'monkey' taunts

AFP
SINGAPORE — Singapore football officials vowed "zero tolerance" of racism on Wednesday after a visiting Liberian player responded to racial taunts by raising his middle finger to the crowd.
Abuse of Terengganu's Francis Forkey Doe, 26, began in the warm-up of Tuesday's Malaysia Cup quarter-final second leg against Singapore's Lions XII, and was also directed at a dark-skinned linesman, according to witnesses.
"There was a group of maybe seven or eight fans at the opposite end of the grandstand who were making racial slurs... Orang hitam (black man) and even nigger also came out," undergraduate Muhammad Nadjad Bin Abdul Rahim, 24, told AFP. Full story

New report says HDB resale flats more affordable than condos

inSing.com, 29 Mar 2012
According to the iProperty iNsights report, HDB resale flats are more affordable than condominiums, a view that's different from a recent article on Property Guru( www.propertyguru.com).
The iProperty report stated, "In general, resale HDB flats remained affordable for many Singaporeans, especially when compared with more established condominiums that tend to fetch lower prices.
This gap can be seen when we compare the average PSF for older condominiums, which was at least twice those of HDB flats in general." Full story

Malaysia, Singapore Mark Major Milestone With MoU Between MOH And HSA

Bernama.com, 28 Mar 2012
SINGAPORE, March 28 (Bernama) -- Singapore's Health Sciences Authority (HSA) today signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysia's Ministry of Health (MOH).
This is an important milestone for both parties as HSA is the first national drug regulatory agency, MOH is signing an MoU with. Full story

Singapore Explores Hosting Regional Rice Futures

WSJ Blog, 28 Mar 2012
Singapore is exploring the feasibility of hosting international futures trading in rice to stabilize prices across Southeast Asia for the politically sensitive commodity.
If successful, it would be the first regional rice futures product to be traded in Asia.
There are localized rice futures platforms such as in Thailand, Japan and China, but those futures are unable to represent the whole region due to lack of price correlation or dismal trading volume. Full story

Singapore braces for rush of perpetual bond sales

International Financing Review, 28 Mar 2012
Perpetual bond sales in Singapore this year have already surpassed the combined total for the previous 15 years. WIth another deal on the road and two more in the rumour mill, Singapore may be about to discover just how many perpetuals its booming debt market can take.
Temasek-backed shipper Neptune Orient Lines is marketing a Singapore dollar perpetual, while Wilmar International, Asia’s biggest agribusiness group, and government-backed property owner Ascendas are also believed to be exploring similar deals in a bid to take advantage of ultra-low domestic rates. Full story

OPINION: Singapore's Temasek: evolution not revolution - Saeed Azhar and Michael Flaherty

Reuters, 27 Mar 2012
Reuters) - Temasek Holdings, the smaller but more visible of Singapore's two sovereign funds, is moving into a new phase with its investment strategy, and could look more like Blackstone Group (BX.N), another $160 billion institution, which has grown from a focused private equity firm to a global asset manager.
The shift follows setbacks since the 2008 financial crisis; the loss of $5 billion invested in Western banks; the abrupt departure of the fund's first non-local CEO before he'd even taken up the post; and the recent exit of dealmakers hired by CEO Ho Ching, the prime minister's wife, who has led Temasek for a decade. Full story

Related:
Singapore's Temasek Holdings: Evolution towards a global asset manager - The Economic Times
Singapore’s Temasek evolution, not revolution - Free Malaysia Today

Parents, sec schools should get involved in racial harmony programme: Zainudin Nordin

Yahoo! News Singapore, 29 Mar 2012
While some youths are sceptical over the government’s plans to introduce ‘racial harmony’ student ambassadors in all polytechnics and universities, others said parents and secondary schools also need to get involved.
On Wednesday, chairman of national racial harmony body OnePeople.sg Zainudin Nordin announced the racial harmony ‘diplomat’ programme will be rolled out in junior colleges this year. There are plans to expand it to varsities and universities... Full story

SMRT submits probe report to government

Yahoo! News Singapore, 29 Mar 2012
Train operator SMRT has completed its own internal probe into the December breakdowns and submitted its findings to the Government.
The 200-page report includes the causes of the disruptions and well as a review of the SMRT’s response in handling the crisis. It also includes recommendations to prevent a recurrence of future breakdowns and SMRT’s preparedness in responding to them. Full story

OPINION: "Singaporeans not entitled to jobs in Singapore"

Getting at the Truth, 25 Mar 2012
Swiss lawyer Franziska Zimmermann may have been in Singapore for only 18 months, but she talked as if she has been staying in Singapore since birth and even found fit to lecture Singaporeans!
In an interview conducted by the Straits Times on expatriates working in Singapore, 37 year old Ms Zimmermann felt that Singaporeans are generally friendly to foreigners though some harbor anti-foreigner sentiments, that is to be expected.
“This anti-foreigner issue is in every city. It’s a natural debate and the Swiss are questioning it too. But no one owes anyone else a living; you cannot say you are entitled to jobs in your country,” she says. Full story

Video: Singlish for Ministers

Youtube.com, 24 Mar 2012



Link

Singapore consortium enters battle to take control of Rangers F.C.

The Guardian, 24 Mar 2012
Singapore-based consortium has become the fifth group to lodge a formal takeover bid for Rangers. The offer, made on Friday, will now be considered by the club's administrators alongside those from the Sale Sharks owner Brian Kennedy, the Blue Knights consortium, Club 9 Sports and an as yet unnamed party.
Representatives of the Chicago-based Club 9 Sports are expected to make a trip to Sunday's Old Firm game at Ibrox. Despite Kennedy earlier having made sceptical noises about the likelihood of him gaining control of Rangers, he is already thought to have spent about £200,000 on his bid. Full story

Related:
Rangers: Singapore group becomes fifth bidder for club -BBC News
Possible Singapore buyer eyes Rangers - The Telegraph

People have lost faith in the PAP Govt: George Yeo

Yahoo! News Singapore, 25 Mar 2012
Last year's general election which saw the ruling People's Action Party's (PAP) vote share slip to 60.1 per cent, showed that many had "lost faith in the government", said former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo.
Speaking at a farewell dinner at Punggol Community Club on Saturday, Yeo urged politicans from both the ruling and opposition parties to work together with people's interest at heart and "link the hearts together, broaden our minds," reported the Sunday Times.
Yeo added that the vote share showed that many had "lost faith in the government" and "that is not a good thing". Full story

Related:
We can all work together: George Yeo on S'pore politics - Yahoo! News Singapore
SDP welcomes George Yeo's remarks to work together - Singapore Democrats

GIC to sell baseball stadium in Japan


Yahoo! Singapore Finance, 25 Mar 2012
March 24 (Reuters) - Softbank Corp will buy the Fukuoka Yahoo Japan Dome, the home of the Softbank Hawks, for 87 billion yen ($1.06 billion) in a major investment in its baseball team, the Nikkei daily reported.
Slated for this month, the purchase will eliminate about 5 billion yen in annual usage fees to the stadium's current owner, Government of Singapore Investment Corp, helping Softbank spend more on fan services and player acquisitions, the Japanese daily said. Full story

Related:
Softbank to buy baseball stadium in Japan-Nikkei - Yahoo! Singapore Finance
Softbank to Buy Fukuoka Baseball Stadium for 87 Billion Yen - Bloomberg

Citizens to have ‘absolute priority’ over PRs for P1 registration: MOE

Yahoo! News Singapore, 25 Mar 2012
Singapore citizens will be given absolute priority over permanent resident (PR) applicants for placement in primary schools here, says the Ministry of Education (MOE).
In a statement released on Sunday, the ministry said that both citizens and PRs will be eligible for the same application phases, and that all who apply for placement in a school will be admitted, as long as there are places for them.
However, should there be an overwhelming response, children who are citizens will be granted places ahead of PRs, before the traditional factor of home-to-school distance is considered. Full story

Money-mad Singapore aims to become non-profit hub

Business Recorder, 25 Mar 2012
SINGAPORE: Singapore has long courted international banks and companies in its drive to become a financial hub but it is also wooing a very different sector: non-profit groups including campaign charities.
Singapore has attracted more than 130 "international non-profit organisations" such as the charities Mercy Relief and World Vision International, and the International Air Transport Association, an aviation lobby group. Full story

Related:
Money-mad Singapore aims to become non-profit hub - Terradaly.com

Singapore’s $400 Million Terminal to Attract More Cruise Ships

Cruisefever.net
The new International Cruise Terminal will allow for larger ships, which will also mean more cruise passengers to pass through the port. Cruise ships like the Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas, the Costa Deliziosa, and a few other Celebrity ships will be sailing to the port following its completion. Full story

Related:
Singapore Is Widening Its Cruise Ship Berth - NYTimes.com

Disgruntled Ex-NSP SG Goh Meng Seng attacked Chen Show Mao and Nicole Seah in local tabloid

Temasektimes.wordpress.com, 24 Mar 2012
Embattled former Secretary-General of the National Solidarity Party (NSP) Goh Meng Seng simply does not know how to keep his mouth shut, just like how he cannot stop his itchy fingers typing rubbish on his blog and the ‘non-sexual’ Sammyboy forum.
After crying foul at the ‘over-reaction’ of netizens at his vicious attacks on the Workers Party, Mr Goh now turn to a lowly free SPH tabloid to vent his anger at his political foes in the opposition camp.
In an ‘exclusive’ interview with the tabloid with a low readership, Mr Goh claimed that Mr Chen is not ‘familiar’ with Singapore as he stayed abroad for too long:
“….he (Chen) is not familiar with various government policies and hence he may find it difficult to say anything with ‘substance’ in parliament.”
She also asked Nicole Seah to ‘control’ herself and learn some ‘self-discipline’:
“She (Nicole) should be more responsible and not treat certain important matters in a frivolous manner…..For example, when I first proposed NSP sending Nicole to contest in the Hougang by-election, she came out to clarify immediately she would not do so. What if NSP decide to send her in the future?”
Throughout the interview, the partyless Mr Goh talked as if he is some ‘veteran’ opposition politician, claiming that he has decided not to join any political parties for now so that he can continue to speak ‘freely’ and ‘objectively’ on local politics without any restraints.

http://temasektimes.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/goh-meng-seng-attacks-chen-show-mao-and-nicole-seah-in-interview-with-sph-tabloid/

OPINION: Talent buy becomes sore point - Seah Chiang Nee

Malaysia Star, 24 Mar 2012
IF you don’t have enough local talent, buy it from abroad whether in sports or research science, be­­ginning with schools and universities. This attitude is reflected in Singapore’s oft-expressed fears that declining birthrates will threaten its long-term survival.
In addition, Singapore aspires to be an international city to attract the top brains and the wealthy.
Its solution to prevent a falling po­­pulation has been dramatic.
Virtually an entire populace has been imported in the past 20 years, raising the dense population by two-thirds, from three million to five million. Full story

Singapore lures big biz with mega data protection regime

The Register, 23 Mar 2012
Singapore based data protection law specialist Rosemary Lee of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, said the Personal Data Protection Bill (74-page/387KB PDF) being proposed by Singapore's government would establish a single data protection regime for the nation for the first time.
The draft legislation sets out rules for the collection, processing and storage of all personal data, whether in electronic or non-electronic form.
Companies based outside of Singapore would be required to observe the rules if they were collecting or processing personal data with a 'Singapore link'. Full story

PropertyGuru report is based on incomplete data: HDB

Yahoo! News Singapore, 23 Mar 2012
Earlier this week, Yahoo! Singapore showed a PropertyGuru report “HDB flats are more unaffordable than private homes”. On March 23, the Housing Development Board (HDB) issued a response to the report. The letter from HDB is published in full below.
HDB wishes to stress that the PropertyGuru report, “HDBs more unaffordable than private homes”, is misleading, as it is based on a simplistic analysis of incomplete data. We regret that PropertyGuru was not prepared to wait for HDB's response, in order to present readers with a balanced picture. Full story

Related:
HDB resale flats now more costly than private homes? - inSing.com

More "type two" cracks found in the wings of Qantas A380 jets

Perth Now, 23 Mar 2012
MORE cracks have been found in the wings of Qantas A380 planes after a global safety directive ordered further inspections and repairs.
Qantas has inspected two jets since the European Air Safety Authority (EASA) order about the global Airbus superjumbo fleet - and cracks were found on both of them.
The cracks were reportedly “type two” - which means they were deemed more serious - but a Qantas spokesman said there were only a small number of cracks detected. Full story

Genting Singapore gets nod to operate junkets

Malaysia Star, 24 Mar 2012
On Thursday, the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) gave its approval to two Malaysian junket promoters Huang Yu Kiung and Low Chong Aun to run junkets aimed at foreign high rollers.
The promoters, who were endorsed by RWS, can start organising junkets immediately. The licence is valid for one year and has to be renewed annually. Full story

Related:
First batch of junket licenses awarded to two M’sian operators - Yahoo! News Singapore

Singapore says tourist arrival growth to slow to as little as 2.3 percent in 2012

The Washington Post, 23 Mar 2012
SINGAPORE — Singapore says it expects tourist arrivals to grow by only 2.3 percent this year compared to 13 percent in 2011.
The Singapore Tourism Board said Friday that it expects between 13.5 million to 14.5 million visitors in 2012. Full story

Related:
Singapore eyes up to 10 pct rise in 2012 visitor arrivals - Reuters India

Singapore February Inflation Slower Than Expected But Pressure Remains

Nasdaq
SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)--Singapore's consumer prices rose at a slower-than- expected pace in February as transport and housing cost increases moderated, although the government flagged a likely pickup in near-term price pressures.
Economists say lingering price pressures suggest the central bank is unlikely to loosen monetary policy at its semi-annual policy meeting next month, despite persistent threats to global demand. Full story

Israel Foreign Minister visits Singapore

Ynetnews, 22 Mar 2012
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said during a visit to Singapore that the country is a true friend to Israel and the friendship and cooperation between the two countries must be cherished and nurtured.
On Friday Lieberman will meet with Singaporean president, Dr. Tony Tan, and with the Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his deputy. Link

OPINION: Singapore Shells Out for Security - Shibani Mahtani and Chun Han Wong

WSJ Blog, 21 Mar 2012
If arms imports are a measure of a region’s dominance, then the balance of power has definitely shifted in Asia’s favor. It shouldn’t be a surprise that India, South Korea, Pakistan and China are the world’s top arms importers. But right below these Asian military powerhouses comes… Singapore.
According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released Monday, the city-state is the fifth-largest importer of arms for the 2007 – 2011 period, accounting for 4% of global arms purchases – surprising for a country with a population of just 5.1 million residents. The U.S. benefited most from the city-state’s military acquisitions, with its defense contractors involved in 43% of Singapore’s arms purchases. Full story

OPINION: Singapore - the part Sri Lankans don't know

Sundaytime.lk, 18 Mar 2102
To most Sri Lankans, Singapore represents an oasis of prosperity, growth, great shopping, a high quality of life and superior wages. But social activist and opposition politicians, who are freer to speak now than decades ago during the iron-clad rule of Singapore strongman Lee Kuan Yew, the appearance of prosperity and wealth masks a hidden reality: a growing underclass of people not moving up the ladder and a subtle form of repression. Full story

OPINION: NYC Is Not *Exactly* Like Singapore - Celeste Katz

NYDailyNews.com, 21 Mar 2012
In Singapore, it is illegal to chew gum and caning is still an allowable punishment for numerous offenses.
In 2010, 3,170 convicted persons were sentenced to judicial caning, and 98.7% of caning sentences were carried out, according to the U.S. Department of State.
Singapore also strictly enforces infractions that are everyday affairs in New York, including jaywalking, littering and spitting. (Oh, there's also that thing about a "Mandatory Death Penalty for Many Narcotics Offenses," per the State Department. - CK) Full story