Statements by City Harvest leaders may be construed as interfering with judicial process - lawyers

The Temasek Times, 29 Jun 2012
Singapore’s sole and only print media company Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has hit back at City Harvest Church (CHC) after it issued an official statement two days ago threatening to ‘deal’ with the media over its ‘unfair’ coverage of the ongoing court case involving its founder Kong Hee (pic left) and four others.
A lengthy article published in the Straits Times today questioned the intent of CHC to issue the statement dismissing the allegations.
It also quoted some lawyers as saying that the statement may be construed as ‘interfering’ with judicial process which could see CHC Executive Pastor Aries Zulkarnain being investigated for ‘contempt of court’.
SPH’s stance appears to contradict that of PAP MP Sam Tan who ‘empathized’ with CHC leaders, saying it is ‘understandable’ for the church to support Kong Hee. Full story

OPINION: Singaporeans teetering on a short fuse - Seah Chiang Nee

Malaysia Star, 30 Jun 2012
With 5.2 million people living on a 700 sq km island, Singaporeans are feeling the pressure.
AS the pressures of life in Singapore go up, people’s tempers seem to get shorter.
Law-and-order Singapore is experiencing a rise in social friction with more people involved in quarrels and fights on its overcrowded streets.
Society is by no means tearing at the seams, but the pressure-cooker life is beginning to leave a mark on people used to the good living and in a way the Government may not have foreseen.
Many citizens prefer the Old Singapore that the first-generation leaders had shaped during the first 30 years of independence although it was poorer and smaller. Full story

OPINION: Dark clouds over Singapore’s housing market — Colin Tan

The Malaysian Insider, 30 Jun 2012
JUNE 30 — The deterioration of the euro zone debt crisis during the past few weeks has once again cast dark clouds over the private housing market in Singapore.
Feedback from various market players — housing agents, bankers and valuers — indicate a significant slowdown in home purchases in both the primary and secondary markets during this period.
This has happened so regularly that, by now, you cannot help but notice the strong links between buying sentiment here and the problems faced by the European Union (EU). Full story

OPINION: Sex, lies and millions in 'scandal-pore' - Sadat Osman

inSing.com, 30 Jun 2012
2012 may be Singapore’s most scandal-ridden year yet, barely halfway through it and already five high profile scandals have pulled at the moral fabric of our once squeaky-clean nation.
Acts, we can only assume (and allegedly) committed in the name of achieving happiness, prosperity and progress, here’s a look at the first – and hopefully, only – five scandals of 2012.
1. Online Vice Ring
Men will be men, and sex with a beautiful young woman is arguably hard to pass up.
Aptly named as the biggest sex scandal to ever run wild in Singapore, the online vice ring involved 48 men who allegedly had paid sex with an underage prostitute after engaging her services online. Full story

Domestic helper from Myanmar cheaper than Filipino and Indonesian

inSing.com, 30 Jun 2012
If cost is the chief consideration for you when you hire a domestic helper, then you may want to consider one from Myanmar.
A recent report by Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao showed that it is cheapest to hire helpers from there compared to those from Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Sri Lanka.
Right now, the largest number of domestic helpers in Singapore is from Indonesia, with some 103,000 individuals. This is followed by the Philippines (70,000), India (15,000), Myanmar (10,000) and Sri Lanka (4,500). Full story

S'pore cross carriage rule unlikely to lower content costs

ZDNet Asia, 29 Jun 2012
Cross carriage regulations requiring pay TV operators in Singapore to carry each other's content may bring more convenience to consumers, but it might not deliver much, if any, cost savings for content, industry observers say.
Cross carriage rules took effect when the Euro 2012 football tournament kicked off earlier this June, becoming the first program to be subject to the legislation which was passed in June 2011. StarHub won the broadcasting rights to air the competition, but the matches are available to customers of rival SingTel. Its subcribers can request for access by paying the same subcription fee for StarHub customers, but they would be subject to an additional S$10.70 "activation fee". Full story

Singapore Soil Home to Microspordial Spores?

Topnews New Zealand, 29 Jun 2012
Singapore soil has been stated to be acutely filled with microspordial spores, which the Ministry of Health (MOH) said are not limited to the Turf City pitches.
The above findings have recently come from MOH following the findings of investigations that were ongoing to find out more facts about the outbreak of microsporidial keratoconjunctivitis especially among the people, who were in the city to attend an international rugby tournament that was held at Turf City on April 21 and 22. Full story

Malaysian High Commission defends censure of Singapore envoys over Bersih rally

The Malaysian Insider, 30 Jun 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, June 30 — The Malaysian High Commission in Singapore defended today Wisma Putra’s move to chide three envoys from the republic over unsubstantiated accusations from pro-Umno bloggers that they actively participated in the chaotic April 28 Bersih rally.
The clarification, however, came after a public backlash over the incident in the island republic, and may trigger another diplomatic headache for Malaysia with its southern neighbour even as it is fending off attacks from Indonesia over claims of cultural theft. Full story

Malaysian High Commission clarifies issues over S'pore diplomats' participation in rally

Malaysia Star, 30 Jun 2012
SINGAPORE: The Malaysian High Commission in Singapore has responded to letters published in The Straits Times last Thursday on the alleged participation of three Singaporean diplomats in the Bersih 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur on April 28.
Counsellor (Political) Nik Ady Arman wrote that firstly, it was important to recognise the difference between the action taken by the Government of Malaysia and the acts of certain NGOs and interest groups.
He said that while the Malaysian government had summoned Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia to address the issue diplomatically, the reaction of the NGOs and other interest groups did not come as a surprise considering the sentiments involved and was just as anticipated, as were the responses expressed by the readers in their letters to The Straits Times. Full story

Related:
Mission Clarifies Issues Over Alleged Participation Of Singapore Diplomats In Bersih Rally
Mission clarifies issues over alleged participation of S'pore diplomats in rally - News Straits Times
Mission clarifies alleged participation of Singapore diplomats in rally - Sin Chew Jit Poh

Oil price set for biggest slump since 2008 crisis, will EMA cut electricity tariffs?

Arabianbusiness.com, 29 Jun 2012
Oil rallied with other commodities and the euro on Friday, rising over $2 after European leaders agreed on a strategy to tackle soaring borrowing costs in Italy and Spain, but was still set for the deepest quarterly loss since 2008.
Euro zone leaders agreed on emergency action that will allow rescue funds to be used to stabilise bond markets and other measures that mark the first step towards a European banking union. Full story

City Harvest scandal grows as more names surface

inSing.com, 29 Jun 2012
According to Lianhe Wanbao, a sixth person might be charged in the ongoing City Harvest Church scandal – Serina Wee, the Church’s ex-finance director.
Ms Wee is said to have allegedly conspired with the five board members who have been charged siphoniong money from the Church. Charging her has been delayed because she gave birth two weeks ago.
When a Church member Zhou Shi Jin was interviewed, she said she knew Ms Wee’s husband, Mr Liu, who is also a member of CHC. The couple’s son was born two weeks ago, adding to the two daughters they already have. Ms Zhou said she had worked with Mr Liu in providing assistance to youths.
According to Shin Min Daily, a wealthy Indonesia man is involved in the case as well.
Wahju Hanafi, a 52-year-old business man, has appeared in court documents and is said to have made personal donations to the Church and donated 10 per cent of his company’s profit to the Church, against objections from the company’s CEO. Full story

Singapore Church Denies Pastor Misused Funds for Wife

Bloomberg, 29 Jun 2012
Singapore’s City Harvest Church denied allegations it was cheated of more than S$50 million ($39 million) and said it stood by its founder and four others charged with dishonestly using its funds.
“No personal profit was gained by the individuals concerned,” Executive Pastor Aries Zulkarnain said in an e- mailed statement yesterday night. Full story
Kong Hee, the founder and senior pastor of the church and four of its other officers were charged in Singapore’s Subordinate Court this week with conspiracy to misuse S$50.6 million of the church’s funds, including using a portion of the money to finance the music career of Ho Yeow Sun, Kong’s wife. Ho hasn’t been charged with any offence Full story

Related:
Singapore Megachurch: Pastor Kong Hee Did Not Misuse Funds for Wife - The Christian Post
Singapore church defends pastor, officers over fraud - AFP
'Pastor Kong acted like a role model' - Yahoo! News Singapore
City Harvest Church issues press statement - inSing.com

Kenneth Jeyaretnam's open letter to Christine LaGarde

Huffington Post, 29 Jun 2012
Dear Ms. Lagarde,
I am the Secretary-General of the Reform Party in Singapore. I am also an economist with a double First Class Honors BA and an MA in Economics from Cambridge University. I have almost 30 years uninterrupted experience in the global finance industry in both Asia and the UK with an unblemished record of registration with the FSA. I am therefore writing to you as an economist, as an advocate for democracy, and also as an ordinary Singaporean citizen.
I note your press release dated June 19 2012 at the conclusion of the G20 summit in Mexico. One of the countries you announce as having immediately pledged additional resources towards your goal of building a US$456 billion global firewall is Singapore, with a commitment of US$4 billion. In your communiqué you give some of the credit for the successful outcome of the talks to our Finance Minister, Tharman Shanmuguretnam, in his role as Chairman of the International Monetary and Financial Committee. Read more

Bankers Fleeing Europe Crisis Head to Singapore

CNBC.com, 29 Jun 2012
Several global recruitment firms have told CNBC they’ve seen a significant increase recently in the number of European bankers wanting to relocate to the Southeast Asian city-state.
According to Stella Tang, Director at recruitment agency Robert Half, there has been a 20 percent increase in investment banking applicants from Europe since 2009, with Europeans now overtaking the Americans.
At recruitment firm Hudson, more than 50 percent of inquiries for Singapore-based finance jobs have been coming from Europe since September last year, with the majority of applicants looking for investment banking roles. Full story

Singapore May total bank lending rises 2.2 pct from April

Reuters, 29 Jun 2012
(Reuters) - Total bank lending in Singapore rose 2.2 percent in May from April, central bank data showed on Friday.
Loans and advances by domestic banking units in the city-state amounted to S$444.98 billion last month, up from S$435.30 billion in April. Bank lending rose 22.5 percent in May from a year earlier.
Housing loans to consumers rose to S$137.7 billion in May from S$136.1 billion in April. Full story

Singapore Opens S$1 Billion, 101-Hectare Park to Boost Tourism

Bloomberg, 29 Jun 2012
Singapore opened its S$1 billion ($782 million) 101-hectare (250-acre) downtown park today, the city’s newest tourist attraction, as it seeks to boost visitor arrivals by as much as 10 percent this year.
Gardens by the Bay, a park filled with flora and fauna found in regions like South America and Africa, will attract as many as 5 million visitors a year, Chief Executive Tan Wee Kiat said in an interview. The botanical space, which includes six themed gardens and two climate-controlled conservatories, sits on reclaimed land across from the downtown casino resort. Full story

Related:
Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay Set to Become International Eco-Tourism Icon - San Francisco Chronicle
Tour Singapore's billion-dollar superpark (photos) - CNET Asia

75% of Singapore teens do not know how to use condom.

Malaysia Star, 29 Jun 2012
ABOUT 75% of teenagers in Singapore do not know how to use a condom.
That was the finding of a survey carried out by the National University of Singapore involving 900 sexually active teens in the republic, reported China Press.
The survey found that more than three-quarter of the teens who took part in the exercise did not know how to use the form of protection.
Last year, there were 1,737 pregnancies involving girls under 20 in the republic. Full story

OPINION: Censorship and the Church — Boo Su-Lyn

The Malaysian Insider, 29 Jun 2012
A pastor of a mega church in Singapore was charged yesterday with criminal breach of trust involving S$23 million (RM57 million) in church funds.
The money was allegedly used to finance the secular music career of Rev Kong Hee’s wife from 2007 to 2010. Kong is the founder of City Harvest Church.
I posted on the Facebook page of an evangelical church in Malaysia a June 26 press release by the Singapore Commissioner of Charities, which said that its inquiry into City Harvest Church had revealed financial misconduct and mismanagement of at least S$23 million.
The administrator of the Malaysian evangelical church’s Facebook page, however, deleted my post.
She told me that the church only allowed “encouraging and edifying” posts. She added that the congregation was not “mature enough” to handle such news.
She warned that the “repercussions can be endless” as “misinterpretation will inevitably occur for those who do not understand the situation”, especially since both Christians and non-Christians, young and old, visit the church's Facebook page. Full story

Singapore and China Receive Iran Sanction Waivers for 180 Days

WSJ Blog, 28 Jun 2012

China and Singapore received waivers from the U.S. State Department on sanctions targeting Iran on Thursday, the last day possible under the legislation authorizing the measures.
Countries can receive waivers from the sanctions, subject to renewal after 180 days, if they show “significant reductions” in their imports of Iranian oil. Under the statute, any foreign financial institution based in a country that hasn’t received a waiver is subject to sanctions as of Thursday if it knowingly conducts a significant transaction with Iran’s central bank for the sale or purchase of oil or oil products to or from Iran. Full story

Related:
China, Singapore Exempted From U.S. Iran Oil Sanctions - Bloomberg
U.S. exempts China, Singapore from Iran sanctions - People's Daily Online
US clears China, Singapore from Iran oil sanctions - Associated Press
US exempts China, Singapore from Iran sanctions - Platts.com
U.S. Exempts Singapore and China on Iran Oil - The New York Times

Singapore cuts Iran fuel oil imports by nearly 60 percent as sanctions kick in

Reuters, 28 Jun 2012
(Reuters) - Singapore's fuel oil imports from Iran fell nearly 60 percent from their 2012 peak in June, as the city state applies pressure to oil firms to reduce trade with the Islamic Republic to win an exemption from U.S. sanctions.
International Enterprise (IE) Singapore, the country's trade agency, increased pressure on oil firms to reduce trade with Tehran following the visit of a senior U.S. diplomat, an official source familiar with the matter said.
"Another round of calls (was made) to re-emphasize the broader implications of doing business with Iran, the companies are receptive," the source said. Full story

Related:
China, Singapore cut back on Iranian crude - UPI.com

India wants Singapore to pay more for use of military base

New Indian Express, 24 Jun 2012
Arguing that maintenance costs have gone up, India has asked Singapore to cough up more money for using its military base for the advanced training of Singapore Air Force personnel. The two countries are racing against time to complete negotiations for renewing the lease agreement on a long-term basis, with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong scheduled to arrive in India in the second week of July.
“We have asked for more money as costs have really gone up...We hope to reach an agreement with Singapore soon, as we hope it will be signed during (Singapore) Prime Minister’s visit (to India),” said a senior government official. Singapore has given high priority to its military preparedness following its bitter split from Malaysia in 1965. Full story

Singapore Turns Down India's Request for Information On Money Laundering Case

Moneycontrol.com, 26 Jun 2012
The Indian tax authorities are on a drive to unearth black money of Indians stashed in bank accounts abroad. One of the attempts is to gather information by invoking the Exchange of Information clause of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements signed with other countries. Recently, India received information on about 1,500 transactions from Denmark and Finland under Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements with these countries. Further, to promote international cooperation and to prevent fiscal evasion, the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements between India and Switzerland was amended vide recent Swiss Protocol which introduced a more effective provision for Exchange of Information that provides a mechanism for the exchange of banking information, as well as information without domestic interest. Full story

GIC joined with Indian developer to buy prime land in Bangalore for Rs123 core

The Economic Times, 28 Jun 2012
MUMBAI: Shares of real estate developer Brigade Enterprises surged after the company along with the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation jointly bought a piece of prime land in Bangalore's Whitefield from Hindustan Unilever for Rs 125 crore.
While Brigade will hold a majority stake, GIC will control 49 percent of the upcoming project. GIC will be investing a little over Rs 100 crore in the project, including land and construction costs, Brigade said in a notice to the stock exchange late last evening. Full story

Related:
Singapore sovereign fund GIC picks 49% in Bangalore residential SPV of Brigade Enterprises - Vccircle.com

Singapore Builds First Central Effluent Treatment Plant in Dhaka

ACN Newswire, 28 Jun 2012
Singapore, June 28, 2012 - (ACN Newswire) - Singapore company Flagship Ecosystems Investment Private Limited (FESI) together with its local Bangladeshi partner established the first Centralised Effluent Treatment Plant in Bangladesh on a 30-year Build-Own-Operate arrangement with BEPZA(the free trade zone authority in Bangladesh). It will receive effluent from all generating industries in Savar DEPZ (Dhaka Economic Processing Zone) at an approved service tariff rate and with guaranteed effluent volumes. The total investment of the project was SGD10 million. Full story

Related:
Singapore Builds First Central Effluent Treatment Plant in Dhaka - MarketWatch

Singapore to review policies to support citizens in family formation

换汤不换药

Xinhua, 28 Jun 2012
SINGAPORE, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said the government's National Population and Talent Division is reviewing the country's policies and measures to support citizens in getting married and having children, local media reported on Thursday.
Teo said the government division released a paper on Thursday that will highlight the trends in marriage and parenthood. Full story

Related:
Marriage, parenthood policies will be reviewed: Teo - Yahoo! News Singapore

Singapore to get some foreign banks to incorporate locally

Reuters India, 28 Jun 2012
(Reuters) - Singapore said on Thursday that foreign banks with a relatively large share of deposits in the city-state will be required to locally incorporate their retail operations, forcing them to commit capital here.
The new rules will apply to foreign banks that are important to the domestic market and which operate under Singapore's so-called Qualifying Full Bank (QFBs) licence, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said in a speech to bankers attending an industry dinner. Full story


Related:
Singapore wants foreign banks to go local - Reuters India

Aries Zulkarnain: City Harvest stands by founder and leaders in graft case

The Online Citizen, 28 Jun 2012
Mr Aries Zulkarnain, the Executive Pastor and a Founding Member of City Harvest Church (CHC) since its start 23 years ago says that the church stands with the members involved.
“The people currently in the news are pastors, trusted staff and leaders who have always put God and CHC first. As a church, we stand with them and I believe fully in their integrity. Pastor Kong is still our Senior Pastor.”
Mr Zulkarnain says that the Commissioner of Charities (CoC) has confirmed that Mr Kong Hee, the Senior Pastor, and Mr Tan Ye Peng, the Deputy Senior Pastor will continue to preach at the church. Full story

Related:
City Harvest stands by disgraced pastor - Yahoo! News Singapore
City Harvest Executive Member alleges COC Defamation - inSing.com

OPINION: Wife of City Harvest Founder in the Spotlight - Shibani Mahtani

WSJ Blog, 28 Jun 2012
SINGAPORE – The arrest of five leaders from Singapore’s biggest church this week has thrust the founder’s wife – a singer whose musical career is at the center of the case – into the spotlight after years of moderate local success as a recording artist.
Ho Yeow Sun sold several hundred thousand records in recent years before her husband, who founded the City Harvest Church in Singapore, was arrested for allegedly using church funds to help advance her career. But she never achieved the kind of mainstream success at home that’s been enjoyed by other local artists such as Stefanie Sun and JJ Lin, who sold more albums in Singapore and were celebrated by local officials, including invitations to perform at National Day ceremonies and the Youth Olympic Games there. Full story

Related:
The plight of the pastor & pop star - inSing.com

VIDEO: Churches in Singapore have significant amount of influence

WSJ.com, 28 Jun 2012



Link

Fresh revelations in Singapore church graft case find $50 million misused

The Jakarta Post, 28 Jun 2012
Singapore. City Harvest Church’s Kong Hee and four others were charged on Wednesday with allegedly siphoning church money, amid fresh revelations that they conspired to cheat the church of over $50 million.
It emerged on Wednesday that $26.6 million was allegedly used to cover up an initial $24 million which they had taken from the church’s building fund and put into sham investments.
These investments in turn were actually being used to finance the music career of Kong’s wife, Ho Yeow Sun. Full story

City Harvest executive member Christopher Pang alleges COC's statement is defamatory

Yahoo! News Singapore, 28 Jun 2012A City Harvest Church (CHC) member, Christopher Pang, has written to Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing, alleging that the Commissioner of Charities’ (COC) statement on the charity is defamatory.
Pang, an executive member of the church, took issue with how the inquiry revealed “misconduct and mismanagement” in the church’s administration, and added that the COC should apologise for the statement that was released on Tuesday (26 June). Full story

Related:
City Harvest Executive Member alleges COC Defamation - The Online Citizen

VIDEO: 23-year-old PRC trainee teacher jumped to her death in Bedok

Tinypic.com


inSing.com, 28 Jun 2012
A female trainee teacher jumped to her death 16 storeys high in front of the police and civil defence on 25 June.
The incident happened at 11.45am on 25 June at block 47 at Bedok South Ave 3. The trainee teacher was a 23 year-old from China named Zhang Rui and said to be a trainee teacher at National Institute of Education (NIE).
Zhang is believed to have rented the 16 floor apartment with friends.
The entire incident was capture on video by a resident in the area. In the minute-long footage, the girl can be seen sitting on the edge of the kitchen window. The camera then shifts to a fire engine arriving at the scene. Full story

Singapore scores low in preschool education

Yahoo! News Singapore, 28 Jun 2012
While stories abound of Singapore’s success in primary education and up, the nation seems to be falling short when it comes to teaching its toddlers.
A new study by the Economist Intelligence Unit on international early childhood education ranks the nation-state just 29th out of some 45 countries across the globe.
Topping the list were Nordic countries such as Finland, Sweden, Norway, the U.K. and Belgium, which took the first five spots respectively. Full story

OPINION: Will Singaporeans ever have the same freedom? -

New Straits Times, 28 Jun 2012
WHEN Bersih 3.0 supporters took to the streets on April 28, the number of Singaporeans paying attention was not insignificant. Among the most common threads of discussion was: "Will Singaporeans ever have the same freedom?"
Meanwhile, Singapore's authorities behaved true to form, forbidding Malaysians living in Singapore from organising a solidarity Bersih rally.
Their caution probably had less to do with public safety than with the possibility that it could engender similar feelings among its people. Full story

German banker jailed for taking Formula One bribes

Stuff.co.nz, 28 Jun 2012
A judge jailed a German banker for more than eight years for taking $44 million in bribes during the sale of Formula One in a case that centred on a payment from Bernie Ecclestone, the motor sport's commercial chief.
Presiding judge Peter Noll convicted BayernLB's former chief risk officer Gerhard Gribkowsky of tax evasion, bribery and breach of fiduciary trust in a court in Munich. Full story

Related:
Banker jailed over Ecclestone bribes - Yahoo! Sport
Banker gets eight-and-a-half years in F1 bribe case - NBC Sport

Mixed reactions after arrest of City Harvest founder

inSing.com, 27 Jun 2012
Some Singaporeans feel that Pastor Kong and the committee members are innocent until proven guilty.
Gas Siong, a netizen, wrote on the City Harvest Facebook page: “Let the law do its work. If they are guilty, then they will be punished accordingly. But stay strong and do not waver in your belief.”
Jeremy Zhuang, 26, told inSing news that people shouldn’t be too fast to judge a fellow Christian.
“The general misconception is that all Christians are supposed to be ‘good’ and sin-free but the actual fact is that we are not. We also have problems and that is why we go to church for God’s help,” he said. Full story

Singapore prime office rents declined in Q2

Asia Property Report, 27 Jun 2012
The average gross face rents for prime office space in Singapore declined in the second quarter as global economic uncertainties continued to plague occupier sentiment, according to DTZ.
Those in the Raffles Place area declined by 3.1 per cent quarter-on-quarter to S$9.50 (US$7.43) per sq ft per month while rents in the Shenton Way/Robinson Road/Cecil Street areas declined by 2.6 per cent to S$7.55 (US$6) per sq ft per month. Full story

Singapore is one of the countries on US drug money laundering watchlist

Inquirer.net, 28 Jun 2012
Money laundering countries
Besides the Philippines, other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on the US government’s list of drug money laundering countries are Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore and Burma (Myanmar).
Named by the agency as the 15 major sources of essential chemicals used in the production of illegal drugs were Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand the United Kingdom and the United States. Full story

Singapore central bank to open representative office in China

The Malaysian Insider, 27 Jun 2012
BEIJING, June 27 – The Monetary Authority of Singapore will set up a representative office in China, becoming the seventh foreign central bank to have a presence in the world’s No. 2 economy, the People’s Bank of China said today.
China has allowed selected foreign central banks to invest in its domestic inter-bank bond market as part of Beijing’s drive to ease capital restrictions and to make the Chinese yuan a global currency. Full story

High concentration of US lead found in Singapore waters: MIT researchers

MIT News, 27 Jun 2012
The researchers have now discovered high concentrations of lead in the open ocean, as well as closer to population centers such as Singapore. They are presenting their results this week at the Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference in Montreal. Graduate student Yolanda Echegoyen-Sanz and postdocs Jong-Mi Lee and Intan Nurhati contributed to the research.
In analyzing their samples, the researchers also came upon an odd measurement: In samples taken off the coast of Singapore, they found a type of lead they did not expect in this region of the world. While most countries around the Indian Ocean used leaded gasoline produced in Europe and the Middle East, the lead found near Singapore matches the kind once used in North American gasoline.
“It’s almost as if Singapore had gone off and imported a whole lot of lead from the United States,” Boyle says. “It doesn’t make any sense why they would do that, because there are more local sources that presumably would be cheaper, more economical.” Full story

Financial dishonesty is contrary to church’s teaching: National Council of Churches Singapore

TR Emeritus, 27 Jun 2012
In response to the 5 senior members of City Harvest Church (CHC) being charged in Court today for alleged criminal breach of trust, the National Council of Churches Singapore (NCCS) has come forward to say that the Christian community is united in disapproving any misuse of public institutional funds.
This includes money raised by or given to churches, NCCS president Lutheran Bishop Terry Kee said. Full story

OPINION: The City of Sun Ho - Wei Wen Sng and Celine Asril

inSing.com, 27 Jun 2012
Heavy beats throb. Strobe lights flash. The crowd is loose. In the middle of the action a woman, clad in a kimono-esque bra gyrates wildly (see music video below). That woman is Sun Ho (also known as Ho Yeow Sun), in ‘Mr Bill’, one of her many music videos.
Dancing isn’t her only specialty; she is also an ex-pastor at City Harvest Church, counsellor and role model to the 23,000 people who attend City Harvest’s church services.
So how did she move from gospel to go-go? Full story

City Harvest Church supporters get rowdy and aggressive against photographers and reporters outside courtroom

Yahoo! News Singapore, 27 Jun 2012
Scuffles, shouting
CHC supporters were out in full force as early as 8 am and formed an orderly queue outside the packed courtroom, where the five were charged.
Some were heard in the queue cheering and said they were positive that Kong had been wrongly accused.
"He will come out of this white as snow. That's what we are praying for, that's what we're sure of." said one supporter, who declined to be named.
However, things got rowdy once Kong and Sun made their exit from the courts, with scuffles and shouting matches starting between some photographers and supporters.
Some supporters deliberately stood in the way of journalists following the couple and got aggressive when asked to move.
At one point, supporters around the couple used their hands to block the photographers' photo lenses, and one was heard shouting "Why don't you go and get another job?". Full story

Molest victim bites off attacker's lip

The Jakarta Post, 27 Jun 2012
A woman bit off the lower lip of a man she claimed was molesting her in Singapore.
The woman, a China national known only as Loo, was punched on the nose by the man who fled the scene.
She only realized that she had bitten off the man's lip when she felt something inside her mouth and spat it out in the 11 p.m. incident on Saturday. It was a piece of flesh measuring about 2 centimeter in length.
Loo, 39, who works as a cleaner in the republic, said she was walking back to her hostel alone that night when the man grabbed her from behind. Full story

Howard Shaw Pleads Guilty in Singapore Underage Prostitute Case

Bloomberg, 27 Jun 2012
Howard Shaw, a member of the family that built an Asian movie production and real estate empire, pleaded guilty today in Singapore to having paid sex with an underage prostitute.
Shaw, 41, was among 48 charged involving a minor selling sex to men in Singapore in a scandal that has expanded to include a former bank executive and a school principal. Shaw was the executive director of the Singapore Environment Council, a non-profit organization.
“Mr. Shaw is not asking for any special treatment” given his family background, said his lawyer Harpreet Singh, who asked the judge to impose a fine instead of a prison term as he had made a “honest and reasonable mistake” in believing the girl was at least 18 at the time of the offence. Full story

Related:
Singapore socialite pleads guilty to underage sex - Yahoo! News Malaysia

SingTel CEO's pay jumps 9%

Bloomberg, 27 Jun 2012
Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (ST) Chief Executive Officer Chua Sock Koong, who was paid S$4.9 million ($3.8 million) last year, said the mobile advertising industry holds “significant potential” for the company.
The phone operator, Southeast Asia’s biggest, paid Chua 9 percent more in the past year as its mobile subscription base jumped 10 percent to 445 million from 403 million with investments in markets including Australia and Indonesia, it said in its annual report. Full story

Related:
SingTel fined US$313K for 3G outage - ZDNet Asia (30 May 2012)
Singapore’s SingTel suffers bouts of 3G outages - Computerworld Singapore (5 Jan 2012)

Sembawang-Nee Soon Town Council sends lawyer letter to 88-year-old needy patient for oustanding conservancy fees

Singapore Democrats, 26 Jun 2012
The SDP reported on this website about the plight of 88-year old Mr Dawart Abdul who was suffering from prostate problems and, as a result, was incontinent. The urine odour in his house caused much unhappiness among his neighbours.
We paid Mr Dawart a follow-up visit last week and found out that the Care Corner Family Service Centre at Woodlands and Community Development Council had provided Mr Dawart a wheelchair, some taxi vouchers for transport, and a one-time supply of food rations.
But that's just one side of the story. What the Government gives with one hand, it takes back with the other.
Mr Khamis, a friend who is living with Mr Dawart and taking care of him, showed us a registered letter dated 21 June 2012 from a lawyer's firm representing Sembawang-Nee Soon Town Council. It demanded payment for outstanding Town & Conservancy Fees amounting to $177.50 (below, left).
For good measure, the letter stated that a court order would be issued if the payment is not made within 14 days from the date of the demand.
The Town Council was not the only one that was demanding payment from an elderly man who did not have enough money to even see a doctor for his illness. SP Services sent a letter to Mr Dawart's home to remind him of the outstanding electricity and water bills that he has not paid. The bill amount was $330.96 (below, right). Full story

OPINION: STOMPgate - a great loss of face for mainstream media

Asian Correspondent, 27 Jun 2012
Singapore’s government has, for a long time, gone on and on about the dangers of trusting alternative media, citing a lack of credibility and the spreading of misleading or false news. On the other hand, the mainstream media has been praised for its balance and trustworthiness. Minister for Information, Communication and the Arts Yaacob Ibrahim once said that the mainstream media would be able to “separate the wheat from the chaff” and “set the right tone online”.
But in this case, not only did a STOMP employee publish false information, other mainstream media papers like The New Paper also carried the story, apparently without verifying it themselves. Full story

OPINION: How Singapore Policed the Foreign Press - Todd Crowell

Asia Sentinel, 26 Jun 2012
Publication in the National Gazette was just one of many tools including contempt of court and libel suits
A few years ago the word “gazetted” was possibly the most feared word for any publication operating in Asia, especially Southeast Asia. The term described the way the Singaporean government policed the foreign press by selectively curtailing or expanding a publication’s circulation within the island republic.
The term “gazette” merely referred to the fact that the circulation curtailment order from the Information Ministry was published in the National Gazette. But as a verb it had a sinister connotation, sort of like being “garroted” or maybe “guillotined.” It was appropriate since a gazetted newspaper or magazine had its circulation cut by more than half. Full story

Case of three Singaporean diplomats allegedly involved in Bersih 3.0 rally to be handled by home ministries

The Malaysian Insider, 27 Jun 2012
SINGAPORE, June 26 — The case of three Singaporean diplomats allegedly involved in the Bersih 3.0 rally in April will be handled by the home ministries of both countries.
Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein (picture) said Singapore and Malaysia had agreed that the respective ministries handle the matter pertaining to the Bersih rally held on May 28.
On June 22, Singapore High Commissioner Ong Keng Yong was summoned to Wisma Putra over the alleged involvement of three diplomats from the commission in the Bersih 3.0 gathering. Full story

Low interest rates entice foreigners to buy homes as rents climb

Bloomberg, 27 Jun 2012
Shivram Anantharaman paid a monthly rent of S$2,650 ($2,069) until March. Now, he’s paying S$40 less every month after buying a three-bedroom condominium in Singapore’s East Coast region.
“The clincher in Singapore is that monthly installments toward repayment of your loan are lower than what you would pay in rent,” said Anantharaman, a private banker at ICICI Bank Ltd., who took out a S$1.04 million mortgage for his S$1.3 million property late last year. “It’s one of the few countries in the world where that is possible,” because of the low interest rates, he said. Full story