Singapore News Alternative: May 2013

OPINION: Can MDA's belated "assurance" be accepted?

The Online Citizen, 31 May 2013
MDA “assures” us that it will not apply the licensing regime on “an individual publishing views on current affairs and trends on his/her personal website or blog which does not amount to news reporting”.
The MDA “assurances” do not address the direct concerns of the public about the width of the legislation. This is because MDA’s “assurances” are absolutely not what the licensing regime states in black and white.
All that the MDA’s “assurance” really means is that it will, for the time being arbitrarily exercise their discretion not to apply the full extent of their powers under law to individual bloggers.
Let’s be clear: there is absolutely nothing stopping MDA from applying the licensing regime to individual bloggers down the line. And, because of their creative re-definition of the term “Singapore news programme”, they will be able to do so with complete impunity.. Full story

SPP: NCMP Lina Chiam files motion to debate MDA licensing regime in Parliament

Publichouse.sg, 31 May 2013

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Dengue death: Ang Yong Han waited 5 hours at TTSH's emergency department before being warded, says mum

Question: Would Ang Yong Han have survived if he had been treated earlier at TTSH?

Stomp.com.sg, 31 May 2013
Singapore saw its first dengue death on Wednesday morning: Mr Ang Yong Han, 20, had waited for five hours at Tan Tock Seng Hospital's emergency department before finally being admitted the next day prior to his death, said his mother.
Mr Ang Yong Han fell ill on May 22 with a fever. It later worsened to high fever, making him feel weak and uncomfortable, his aunt Madam Yeh, 56, told Shin Min.
Madam Yap's only child was due to enlist in National Service a day after his death.
His father, 56, told Shin Min he was heartbroken: "He is very filial and often helps me with delivering vegetables. I did not think his fever would be so serious, and he would end up dead." Full story

OPINION: Yaacob Ibrahim, who decides what is the "right thing" for Singaporeans to read?

Mrbrown.com, 31 May 2013
Siew Kum Hong says on Facebook about this quote from Yaacoob, "There will of course be claims that those who quote this sentence, are taking it out of context — because he goes on to say that "the right things" really means accurate reporting. To which I say — this quote probably betrays what the gahmen is truly seeking to achieve. And if the goal is to ensure that falsehoods and inaccuracies are not reported, then why not limit the power to order content removal to only the content that is false or inaccurate?" Full story

OPINION: Why Singapore’s crackdown on online news reporting is a mistake - Siew Kum Hong

Siewkumhong.blogspot.sg, 31 May 2013
My sense is that for a long time now, the Singapore government has been looking for a way to give itself the power to censor the internet, in the same way that it has the power to censor offline media.
It may choose to exercise that power sparingly; but the mere possibility of censorship creates a strong chilling effect.
This new regulation is a mistake, and reinforces the perception that Singapore is a repressive place — which is precisely the wrong message to be sending to a globalised and networked world, when you are trying to build an innovative and creative economy where freedom of thought is so essential.
This is a significant retreat from the “light touch” approach to internet censorship that the Singapore government has espoused since the late 1990s. Full story

Singapore set for worst dengue epidemic since 2005

News.com.au, 31 May 2013
SINGAPORE is bracing itself for its worst ever dengue epidemic with infections this year already exceeding the total for all of 2012, official statistics show.
The first fatality of the year, a 20-year-old man, died on Wednesday in the city-state, which is known for fastidious sanitation but is facing a spike in the breeding of the Aedes mosquito that transmits the disease.
More than 7,700 people were infected as of May 25 in Singapore, compared to 4,632 in all of 2012, according to data from the health ministry. Full story

Activists, bloggers call on MDA to withdraw licensing scheme

Yahoo! News Singapore, 31 May 2013
Prominent Singapore activists and bloggers behind some popular independent websites on Thursday called on the government to withdraw a new licensing scheme to regulate major online news sites.
In a statement issued Thursday, more than 20 individuals, most of whom write for socio-political sites such as The Online Citizen (TOC), TR Emeritus (TRE) and publichouse.sg, expressed their concerns about the impact of the newly-introduced requirement on Singaporeans’ ability to receive “diverse news information”.
In their statement, the activists and bloggers – including Howard Lee, Alex Au and Lynn Lee – said they believe that the introduction of the licensing regime had not gone through the proper and necessary consultation, and had been introduced without clear guidance. Full story

MDA seeking to recover S$27.5 million of public funds given to RGM as seed money to attract the company to Singapore

Film Biz Asia, 31 May 2013
Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) is seeking to recover S$27.5 million ($21.8 million) from RGM Group, the Australian talent management and executive production firm.
The MDA is trying to recover money it advanced to RGM, with which it had five separate agreements between 2005 and 2010.
The MDA provided RGM with S$2.5 million ($1.98 million) in 2005 in part to attract the company to the country.
In 2008, the MDA provided it with S$10 million as seed money for a film production fund that RGM announced would be worth $300 million over five years.
In 2010 (a year after it was criticised by the Auditor General for poor management of public funds) the MDA struck two further agreements with RGM. These were billed as joint venture vehicles with Sony Pictures Entertainment (with S$10 million of MDA seed capital) and with Fox International Pictures (with S$5 million of MDA seed capital), part of 20th Century Fox. Full story

PR turned citizen defends PRs buying HDB flats

Question: Did he serve National Service?

Hardwarezone Forum, 31 May 2013
During a discussion at the Our Singapore Conversation on Housing session on Wednesday at Singapore Management University, Mr Sean McMenamin, a PR-turned-Singapore citizen, said they already face “differentiation” in many areas like education and health care.
The 29-year-old allied educator recounted his experience of buying a three-room resale flat with his father, who is currently a PR. They did not qualify for any grants and had to pay for their flat with cash and CPF.
PRs are also subjected to other restrictions, he said. Link

Former NMP: The Govt is clearly aiming to censor the internet with new licensing rule

Radio Australia, 31 May 2013
Lawyer, human rights activist and former Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore, Siew Kum Hong, has told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program the government is clearly trying to censor the internet.
"I'm not going to make any bones about it, I think it's absolutely an attempt by the government to censor the online media," he said.
"In fact, more accurately, it seeks to establish a mechanism whereby the government can censor the internet."
"What cannot be disputed is that the Singapore media scene is extremely controlled and this is an attempt to control it further," he said. Full story

Singapore ambassador to US slams Associated Press report on Singapore police as "inaccurate, misleading and mischievous"

Global Times, 31 May 2013
Singapore's Ambassador to the United States Ashok Kumar Mirpuri has said that a news report filed by the Associated Press on the death of American engineer Shane Todd in Singapore was "inaccurate, misleading and mischievous," local media reported on Friday.
In a letter to the wire agency, Mirpuri referred to several inaccuracies in the story filed on May 27, including the headline which said that police in Singapore had admitted to "flouting protocol" when handling the high profile inquiry into the death of the American researcher.
"In explaining his actions under oath, the investigator did not say he had violated any protocols let alone 'admit' to doing so," Mirpuri wrote in the letter, with copies forwarded to the Washington Post and CBS. Full story

More cracks discovered on MRT tracks

Yahoo! News Singapore, 30 May 2013
Trains travelling along a stretch of the North-South line will go at a slower speed until the end of service Thursday.
Transport operator SMRT said trains between Yio Chu Kang and Ang Mo Kio stations will move at a slower speed of 40km per hour, instead of the usual 80km per hour.
In a Facebook post, SMRT said the slowdown would continue until the end of operation hours Thursday and it would change the rail on the track between the two stations after. Full story

Related:

OPINION: More Cracks In The System

Singapore Notes, 31 May 2013
Call it another crack in the system. No, we don't mean the latest crack that caused another delay in the south-bound train service between Yio Chu Kang and Ang Mo Kio. And this crack was not at the welded joints, for which a contractor was prematurely named in a preliminary assessment as the party involved in all cracks that appeared at welded joints. Full story

MDA stoutly defends controversial internet licencing rules; denies it is aim to stifle internet freedom

France 24, 30 May 2013
Singapore's media regulator on Thursday sought to allay fears that a controversial new rule requiring news websites to obtain licences was aimed at stifling Internet freedom.
"The new licencing framework is not intended to clamp down on Internet freedom," the Media Development Authority (MDA) said in reply to queries from AFP, adding that it was "not MDA's intent to place onerous obligations" on the licencees.
Singapore's feisty blogging community has slammed the new rule as the latest government attempt to suppress dissent and encumber independent reporting.
Yahoo! Singapore, which has a team of reporters producing independent coverage, has become a magnet for anti-government comments posted by readers in reaction to local news stories. Full story

OPINION: Gov't continues to be out of touch - Andrew Loh

Publichouse.sg, 29 May 2013
It is obvious that the new rules are to set and control the tone of discourse online, a concern which the Government has had for a while now. The rise of social media, as an increasing number of Singaporeans get their news online, has now prompted the Government to let go of its promised ‘light touch’ on the Internet, even though Mr Yaacob denies that the Government is reneging on this promise.
In an obvious attempt to perhaps assuage the public which might raise a howl over the new rules, the MDA statement on Tuesday lists only 10 sites which it says fall under the new framework. 9 of these sites are Government-controlled news sites. The only exception is Yahoo Singapore, which has given rise to speculation that the real targets of the regulations are the non-government linked news sites.
It is well-known among some that the Singapore government has been “concerned” about Yahoo Singapore news for a while. The site is seen as a bastion of free expression and an independent news source. Full story

Singapore’s Licensing Rules for News Websites Spark Criticism

Bloomberg, 30 May 2013
A Singapore regulation requiring websites that regularly publish news on the city state to be licensed has sparked criticism among opposition groups who said the government move is “regressive.”
The rule could impede the free flow of information and the development of media in the country, the Singapore Democratic Party said in a statement. The National Solidarity Party said greater regulation of an industry that is already licensed is “puzzling,” as more discussion is needed on national issues. Neither party has representatives in Parliament.
“Freedom of the press is a right of the people that the government must respect,” the Singapore Democratic Party said in a statement. “The introduction of this policy will simply make Singaporeans more determined to use the new media as a news source, as well as to push for greater media freedom.” Full story

Penang pleads with Singapore for leniency for arrested Malaysian protesters

The Malaysian Insider, 30 May 2013
The Penang state government wants to ask for lenient treatment of the 21 Malaysians who were arrested in Singapore for breaking the country’s laws through their protests on Malaysia’s polls results, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has said.
“Whilst the Penang state government acknowledges and respects the right of the Singapore government to determine and take action based on its own laws and affairs, I believe that the Singapore government would not reject efforts to plead for leniency.
“Such effort is based on humane grounds and should not be seen as foreign interference in Singapore affairs,” Lim said in a statement today. Full story

Rich man's son gets $8K fine and driving ban for drink driving, beating red light and crashing into two vehicles

"Deputy Public Prosecutor Michelle Lu asked for a deterrent fine and a driving disqualification of more than two years. But Seah’s lawyer, Mr Suresh Damodara, noted that his client had settled payments for the damage to the vehicles and injuries.

Stomp.com.sg, 29 May 2013
The driver of a Lexus car involved in a crash at the junction of Victoria Street and Rochor Road last year was fined $8,000 and banned from driving for three years yesterday (28 May).
According to a report in The Straits Times, Kelvin Seah Koon Yong, 31, who works for a seafood supplier, was driving home in the wee hours of May 26, after having drinks with his friends, when he ran a red light in Victoria Street.
He crashed first into the side of a taxi and then into a car. The taxi spun around twice before stopping while the car spun out of control and crashed into a traffic light pole and concrete barricade at the corner of the junction. Full story

Related:
Relatives of Lexus driver Kelvin Seah scolds media for kicking up a fuss over a ‘trivial accident’ - Temasektimes.wordpress.com

Also read:
No jail for drink driving 'surprising' - Asiaone.com

OPINION: The Evil That Men Do

Singapore Notes, 30 May 2013
Look who's leaping from flood waters into hot water. Cornered by the tsunami of backlash against the proposed news website licensing requirements, Yaacob Ibrahim dismissed it in monetary terms as "just a banker's guarantee", arguing that no upfront payment is involved. The examples they cite as sites affected - Media Corp, Singapore Press Holding and Yahooo! News Singapore - all have deep pockets, but anybody with an IQ higher than the water logged minister knows that there are lots more individually operated websites that fall easily under the technical qualification of a "significant reach exceeding 50,000". Opposition MP Lina Chiam spoke for us when she asked the obvious, "How is a news website to be defined?" Full story

SDP and NSP on Govt's move to license news website

SDP regrets Govt’s move to license news websites
It is with deep regret that the SDP learns that the Government is going to amend the Broadcasting Act to require news websites to register with the Media Development Authority.
This is a regressive step which will have the effect of impeding the free flow of information and the development of a free and pluralistic media in Singapore. Full statement

NSP: New Internet Media Regulation a Step Backwards
The National Solidarity Party (NSP) is deeply concerned by the Media Development Authority's (MDA) announcement on the 28th of May, of a new regulatory regime for internet media companies that regularly report on Singapore news.
It is puzzling that at a time when it should be promoting more open and frank discussion about national issues, the Government has instead seen fit to increase regulation on a media landscape that is already tightly controlled. Full statement

MDA claims new licensing framework not intended to curb internet freedom, do you believe them?

XIN MSN News, 29 May 2013
The Media Development Authority (MDA) said the new individual licensing framework for online news sites is not intended to clamp down on internet freedom.
A day after announcing the changes, MDA said the new framework provides greater clarity on prevailing content standards in the Internet Code of Practice. Full story

Russia Warns Obama: Global War Over “Bee Apocalypse” Coming Soon - Report

The European Union Times, 10 May 2013
The shocking minutes relating to President Putin’s meeting this past week with US Secretary of State John Kerry reveal the Russian leaders “extreme outrage” over the Obama regimes continued protection of global seed and plant bio-genetic giants Syngenta and Monsanto in the face of a growing “bee apocalypse” that the Kremlin warns “will most certainly” lead to world war.
According to these minutes, released in the Kremlin today by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation (MNRE), Putin was so incensed over the Obama regimes refusal to discuss this grave matter that he refused for three hours to even meet with Kerry, who had traveled to Moscow on a scheduled diplomatic mission, but then relented so as to not cause an even greater rift between these two nations.
At the center of this dispute between Russia and the US, this MNRE report says, is the “undisputed evidence” that a class of neuro-active insecticides chemically related to nicotine, known as neonicotinoids, are destroying our planets bee population, and which if left unchecked could destroy our world’s ability to grow enough food to feed its population. Full story

Related:

Singaporean online community angered by new media rule

Hindustan Times, 29 May 2013
Singapore's feisty online community reacted angrily Wednesday to an announcement that news websites including one operated by Yahoo! will have to obtain licences subjecting them to rules governing traditional media. "It is obvious that the new rules are to set and control the tone of discourse online, a concern which the government has had for a while now," said Andrew Loh, the editor of socio-political website Publichouse.sg. "The rise of social media, as an increasing number of Singaporeans get their news online, has now prompted the government to let go of its promised 'light touch' on the Internet," he wrote on the site. Full story

Related:

Video: Myanmar's ERP system

Liveleak.com, 29 May 2013

Passengers have to pay gate pass fee to across the gate in the Monywa city, Myanmar. This is what will happen to those who try to pass without paying.

Link

Singapore launches programme to create "Expert Public Leaders"

Guardian.co.uk, 28 May 2013
The Singapore government has launched a training programme which hopes to create expert leaders across five sectors.
The Public Service Leadership programme will prepare up to 500 officials for senior positions in economy building, infrastructure and environment, security, social affairs and central administration.
Teo Chee Han, the deputy prime minister and minister for the civil service, said the programme would create a pool of expert leaders in each sector, as well as building strong teams with "a deeper range of governance capabilities, perspectives and expertise".
It will be run by leadership committees from each sector, with input from senior permanent secretaries. The scheme will be overseen by the Public Service Division in the prime minister's office. Full story

Video: Ruckus between two men over priority seats in MRT

Youtube.com

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Question for MHA: How many foreigners who broke Singapore laws do not have their PRs or work visas revoked?

Sin Chew Jit Poh, 29 May 2013
Foreigners who break the law in Singapore should be prepared to face the consequences, including having their visas or work passes revoked, warned the government today.
The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in response to media queries about appeals for leniency for Malaysians arrested after participating in illegal protests in Singapore on May 8 and May 11, 2013. Full story

Related:
Singapore warns foreigners to obey its laws - MSN Malaysia News

Singapore warns Malaysian opposition politicians to stay out

The Malaysian Insider, 29 May 2013
Singapore has warned Malaysian lawmakers against interfering in the republic’s affairs in the wake of appeals to show leniency towards its citizens who face being barred from the country for taking part in illegal protests earlier this month.
Several opposition MPs had last week sent a memorandum via the Singapore High Commission here asking the republic’s government to “exercise restraint and give those arrested a second chance” to 21 Malaysians arrested for violating the Lion City’s laws on illegal assembly when they held two demonstrations protesting Malaysia’s 13th general elections at the iconic Merlion Park on May 8 and 11.
“Singapore does not interfere in the domestic matters of other countries. In turn, Singapore will not tolerate outside forces interfering in our internal affairs,” Singapore’s home affairs ministry and foreign affairs ministry said in a joint statement posted on the latter ministry’s website. Full story

Related:

Match-fixing suspect Dan Tan still in Singapore despite being wanted in Hungary and Italy

SBS.com.au, 29 May 2013
Singapore says key match-fixing suspect Dan Tan is helping with inquiries after he was charged in Hungary in relation to the alleged manipulation of 32 games across three countries.
Dan Tan is also wanted in Italy over the 'calcioscommesse' scandal and emerged as a key suspect in February when the European police agency Europol said Asian-linked fixers had targeted hundreds of games around the world.
Last week, he was charged in absentia by Hungarian prosecutors who also issued European and international arrest warrants for him. Full story

India wants Singapore to come out with action plan for reusing water in Bangalore City

The New Indian Express, 28 May 2013
The BWSSB Chairman Gauvrav Gupta asked the team of officials from Singapore to prepare an action plan to successfully reclaim, recycle and reuse the used water in Bangalore City on Monday.
Speaking at a workshop jointly organised here by the BWSSB and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, Gupta said, “We need specific plans for developing capabilities to use treated sewage as a sustainable source of water. We have to emulate Singapore and other countries on loss reduction and leakage control of water.” Full story

Singapore tourism boom losing steam despite STB pumping billions into marketing

Airwise.com, 27 May 2013
Passenger movements at Singapore's Changi Airport rose just 0.8 percent in April from a year ago in a sign that the boom in Asian air travel is losing steam.
Changi said on Monday it handled 4.24 million passengers last month even as the number of flights passing through the Southeast Asian city-state increased by 4.3 percent from a year ago. The 0.8 percent rise was the smallest since August 2009. Full story

Singapore to regulate Yahoo! News, new rule leaves room for MDA to apply to blogs later

Reuters India, 28 May 2013
Websites that regularly report on Singapore including Yahoo! News will have to get a license from June 1, putting them on par with newspapers and television new outlets, in a move seen by some as a bid to rein in free-wheeling Internet news.
Lobby group Reporters Without Borders, in its latest report, ranked Singapore 149th globally in terms of press freedom, down 14 places from 2012 and below many of its neighbours.
The MDA said the new regulation did not apply to blogs, though adding: "If they take on the nature of news sites, we will take a closer look and evaluate them accordingly".
The regulation drew criticism from some Internet users who saw it as an attempt to stifle online news not affiliated with the government. Full story

Related:

Singapore clams down on online news websites with new licensing rule

TR Emeritus, 28 May 2013
Media Development Authority (MDA) has released a statement today (28 May), stating that from 1 June 2013, all online news sites that report regularly on issues relating to Singapore and have significant reach among readers here will require an individual licence from the MDA.
It said that this will “place them on a more consistent regulatory framework with traditional news platforms which are already individually licensed”. Full story

Related:
New licensing scheme for news websites that reach 50,000 people a month - Rachelzeng.wordpress.com

Singapore Flyer in receivership after only 5 years in business

Reuters, 28 May 2013
May 28 (Reuters) - The Singapore Flyer, a giant observation wheel seen as a major tourist attraction in the city-state, has been put in receivership just five years after it was launched to much fanfare.
Ferrier Hodgson, which specialises in insolvency and corporate turnarounds, was appointed as receivers and managers over the charged assets of Singapore Flyer Pte Ltd, the company which owns the 165-metre-high wheel. Full story

VIDEO: Dr Chee Soon Juan's speech at Oslo Freedom Forum 2013

Youtube.com, 28 May 2013

Link

NUS immediately fires Tey Tsun Hang after guilty verdict

Yahoo! News Singapore, 28 May 2013
The National University of Singapore (NUS) has dismissed former law professor Tey Tsun Hang with immediate effect, after he was found guilty of corruptly obtaining sex from an ex-student in return for better grades.
Tey, 42, was earlier Tuesday found guilty of all six charges he faced of corruptly accepting sex and gifts from now-24-year-old Darinne Ko, and will be sentenced on Wednesday.
Dean of the NUS law faculty Simon Chesterman, said in a letter to the school's alumni, "We take a serious view of any misconduct and will take strong disciplinary action against individuals who breach these standards." Full story

Related:
Law prof Tey Tsun Hang found guilty of all 6 charges in sex-for-grades case - Yahoo! News Singapore

Singapore PR from Indonesia: Thanks for the free scholarship and a job at NEA, but I am going back to run for next election

Malaysia Star, 28 May 2013
HE MAY be only 26, but Singapore permanent resident Yoga Dirga Cahya hopes to run in the next Indonesian election to become the first MP representing 4.5 million Indonesians living overseas.
The Indonesian citizen’s candidacy was confirmed by the National Mandate Party, a party under the ruling Democratic Party coalition, last month.
Hailing from Jakarta, Yoga came to Singapore at the age of 18 to study at Nanyang Technological University’s School of Biological Sciences, with the aid of an Education Ministry tuition grant.
He served out his three-year bond at the National Environment Agency (NEA) while volunteering with the Indonesian community here. Full story

Also read:
Permanent Residents’ Windfall – At What Cost? - Bluta.com.sg

Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 encountered severe air turbulence injuring 7 passengers

The Aviation Herald, 28 May 2013

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A380-800, registration 9V-SKH performing flight SQ-308 from Singapore (Singapore) to London Heathrow,EN (UK), was enroute about 90 minutes into the flight at around 02:30Z, breakfast was just being served, when the aircraft encountered severe clear air turbulence resulting in an altitude deviation of about 100 feet and all loose items becoming airborne. The aircraft continued the flight to London for a safe landing about 13 hours after departure. 7 people received minor injuries during the turbulence encounter. Full story

Singapore-based Indian engineer turned unlicensed moneylender killed in India

The Hindu, 28 May 2013
According to the police, a couple – P. Anjali Kumari and her husband Peddi Raju – sought a loan of Rs.3 lakh from D. Somasekhar (40), the Singapore-based engineer, who came here last year to perform his daughter’s marriage, and submitted the property documents to him. In February, after Anjali Kumari handed over the documents, Somasekhar allegedly paid her only Rs.30,000 and also made sexual advances towards her, she alleged. Full story

Singapore police admits not following protocols to dust for fingerprints or collect DNA samples as they already predetermined Shane Todd's death as suicide

The Washington Post, 27 May 2013
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Singapore police who examined the scene of an American's death admitted on the last day of a coroner's inquest Monday that they deviated from official protocols by not dusting for fingerprints or collecting DNA samples, and by examining the contents of a laptop computer there.
When asked by government lawyers why police had not ordered a further investigation of the apartment, police Sgt. Muhammad Khaldun Bin Sarif said he and his partner had made "a preliminary assessment" that pointed to suicide and determined there were "no signs of foul play." He said the officers decided as a result "not to perform fingerprint dustings or DNA swabs."
Asked why he had deviated from police protocols by assessing a personal laptop at a crime scene, Khaldun said he had found two notes in Todd's apartment, one of which contained a password which he used to gain access to the laptop nearby.
Khaldun explained that the protocol was only "a guideline which can be deviated from." He said he and his partner made an "operational decision" to assess Todd's laptop because the note containing the password "was left there for a reason" and would help police in determining whether there was foul play involved. Full story

Related:

OPINION: Straits Times report on Singapore's Q1 economic result found wanting

Yawningbread.wordpress.com, 27 May 2013
Few things annoy me as much as when our nation-building press gets carried away. Today’s front page of the Straits Times has a headline “Singapore posts surprise Q1 growth”, leading a story that speaks — as breathlessly as a teenage groupie — of “good news”.
It quotes unnamed economists saying that “the numbers point to the resilience of the Singapore economy”.
Then it gives the Star Award to the financial services sector, reporting — wrongly — that it grew “about 51 per cent over the previous quarter”, before discussing other sectors such as construction and manufacturing. Of the latter, it reported that it “contracted 4.7 per cent over the year.” Wrong again. It actually contracted by 10.4 percent when measured at current prices, and contracted 6.8 percent when measured in constant 2005 dollars. These are Greek-style plunges. Full story

Govt-linked Singapore Press Holdings hope to reap S$1 billion from REIT IPO

Reuters, 27 May 2013
May 27 (Reuters) - Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) aims to make S$1.048 billion ($829 million) by selling part of a real estate investment trust (REIT) whose assets are two shopping malls, in what could be the city-state's third-biggest IPO this year.
The company plans to sell 30 percent of SPH REIT, giving investors part-ownership of the Paragon shopping mall in Singapore's prime Orchard shopping district and Clement Mall in a western suburb.
The two malls are valued at S$3.07 billion and the listing is scheduled for July. Full story

Related:
Singapore Press Plans to Raise S$540 Million in Retail REIT IPO - Bloomberg

Also read:
SPH’s purchase of Clementi Mall looks more like a bad buy than a good one - Investmentmoats.com

Local-born Singaporean film-maker Anthony Chen wins prestigious Camera d'Or prize at Cannes Film Festival

Hardwarezone Forum, 27 May 2013
Anthony Chen's Ilo Ilo wins Camera d'Or for best first feature film, becoming first Singaporean movie to win at prestigious Cannes Film Festival.. Link

Hawkers see red over extra cleaning charges by Workers' Party's Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council

XIN MSN News, 26 May 2013
Stallholders at two Bedok food centres are seeing red after they were told to pay extra to have the ceiling and exhaust ducts at the centres cleaned - something they’ve never had to pay for before.
Hawkers at food centres at blocks 511 and 538 at Bedok North Street 3 were informed by the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) that they had to pay for the scaffolding that is erected to facilitate washing of ceilings and high areas of the market and food centres, which is done twice a year. In previous years, scaffolding was erected by the cleaning contractor.
The AHPETC is run by the Workers' Party (WP). Full story

Singapore shows interest in controversial Navi Mumbai airport project

The Times Of India, 26 May 2013
MUMBAI: Singapore has shown interest in investing in infrastructure projects in the state. In particular, it has shown interest in international airport projects and building new cities.
Deputy prime minister of Singapore Tharman Shanghurathnam visited the country's financial capital earlier this week to explore investment opportunities. Full story

Related:

Relying excessively on central banks to bring real growth back is illusory: Tharman

The Economic Times, 24 May 2013
MUMBAI: Relying excessively on central banks to bring real growth back is "illusory" as low interest rates would not help overcome the structural imbalances plaguing global economies, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Tarman Shanmugaratnam today said.
"It is the fiscal imbalances arising out of negative real interest rates and lack of investments in infrastructure that are holding back the global economy. Full story

India pushing Singapore government to give more market access to Indian PMETs in banking sector

Business Standard, 26 May 2013
The India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) seems to have reached a blind alley with the Singapore government’s insistence on maintaining higher standards for Indian banks operating there and constant refusal to give more market access to Indian professionals.
Commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma had recently visited Singapore for the second review of the CECA, which came into effect in August 2005, but the meeting remained inconclusive.
“The issue has been raised strongly by India at each and every round of discussions under the second CECA review. A favourable resolution of this issue is a must-have for India,” the official added. Full story

OPINION: Singapore leaders seek to reduce local graduates as mass intake of foreigners led to excess supply of degree holders

Malaysia Star, 25 May 2013
Having a large number of graduates, once thought crucial for Singapore’s prosperity, is now considered not conducive to the changing manpower market, at least in Singapore.
However, none of the political leaders – the Prime Minister and three ministers – has mentioned another reason for the excess of graduates – the mass intake of foreigners.
Led by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan, the leaders are now advising Singaporeans to consider non-university routes to success.
Khaw said: “You own a degree, but so what? You can’t eat it. If that cannot give you a good life, a good job, it is meaningless.”
Then it was the turn of Education Minister Heng Swee Keat, who said that a good qualification alone does not guarantee a career, let alone a job.
Thirdly, Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing said it is not the degree or diploma that is most important for graduates, but the ability to learn a different set of skills. Full story

Related:
Dumbing of Singaporeans have been a great success - Sammyboy Forum

Singapore government offers to help develop cities in Indian state of Maharashtra.

Dajiworld.com, 25 May 2013

Singapore is ready to help Maharashtra develop its infrastructure in major cities like Mumbai and Pune, an official said Friday.
This was indicated by visiting Singapore Deputy Prime Minister T. Shanmugaratnam in talks with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan here.
"Singapore is a very small country compared to India. We focussed on providing the best urban infrastructure and developing cities to progress," Shanmugaratnam said. Full story

Also read:
Singaporeans think government is rich and therefore expect more from it: PM Lee Hsien Loong

Related:

Philippines Vice-President Jejomar C. Binay warns Taiwan that it's economy will suffer without pinoys

Manila Bulletin, 24 May 2013
Taiwan's economy will be disrupted without Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) according to Vice President Jejomar C. Binay.
This was stressed by Binay last Thursday as he pointed out that the Philippines and Taiwan are both benefiting from around 80,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan mostly as factory workers or caregivers.
"They (Taiwanese government) are giving our OFWs employment opportunities but at the same time our workers are contributing a lot to Taiwan's economy. Without OFWs, their economy will be disrupted. So this is not a one-way relationship. Our good relations especially on our workers is mutually beneficial," he stressed speaking in Filipino. Full story

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