PM Lee Hsien Loong: Asking for higher wages will spark inflation

MSNBC.com, 30 Apr 2012
SINGAPORE — Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has warned that the city-state's tight labor market will push wages higher and also spark inflation.
Lee said in his annual May Day message Monday that higher wages will boost business costs, undermine competitiveness and quicken inflation. Lee said Singaporean companies and workers must improve skills to increase productivity and help expand the economy. Full story

Related:
Singapore PM Lee warns fewer foreign workers will spark inflation, slow economic growth - The Washington Post
Raise productivity to raise wages: PM Lee - Yahoo! News Singapore

Singapore prelim Q1 jobless rate up 2.1 per cent

Yahoo! Finance, 30 Apr 2012
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Singapore citizens was 3.2 percent in Q1, up from 3.0 percent in Q4. Singaporeans and individuals with permanent residency status make up about two-thirds of the total workforce, excluding maids.
Preliminary estimates showed total employment in Singapore rose by 27,400 in January to March, below the increase of 37,600 in Q4. Full story

Related:
Singapore Unemployment Rate Rises To 2.1% Amid Increased Layoffs - International Business Times

Human Right Watch's letter to Singapore President Tony Tan Keng Yam regarding Yong Vui Kong's death sentence

His Excellency Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam
Office of the President of the Republic of Singapore
Orchard Road
Singapore 238823
Via facsimile: +65 67353135

Dear President Tan Keng Yam,
Human Rights Watch writes to urge you to use your powers as president to commute Yong Vui Kong’s death sentence. Yong, a Malaysian national, was convicted on November 14, 2008, for drug trafficking. We are concerned that if Yong’s request to you for clemency is denied, he may be executed in the near future.
While Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, Yong’s case raises additional human rights, humanitarian, and due process concerns. While not a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Singapore should at the very least meet the requirements for the imposition of the death penalty set out in the ICCPR as interpreted by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, and other UN institutions. Full letter

Related:
Singapore: Commute Death Sentence in Drug Case - Human Rights Watch
11th hour death row plea - inSing.com

Ex-President Nathan conferred with prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award in India

IBNLive.com, 29 Apr 2012
Singapore's former president S R Nathan has been conferred with the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the highest honour accorded to people of Indian-origin oversees. Nathan was presented with the award by Union Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi, himself at a function here yesterday. The award honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions in their chosen field. Full story

PAP MP Edwin Tong accused of showing ‘sour’ face to homeless resident seeking his help to get rental flat - report

The Temasek Times, 29 Apr 2012
Singapore may boast of having one of the highest home ownership in the world, but there are still some homeless Singaporeans who are unable to get a flat of their own.
However, when one homeless Singaporean William approached his MP for Moulmein-Kallang GRC Edwin Tong for help, he was shown a ‘sour’ face and was turned away.
Disappointed and frustrated by the response of his MP, William posted a comment on the Workers Party’s Facebook page to vent his anger:
“When it is my turn to see him at 10pm regarding about HDB matters for a second time, his face immediately turn SOUR and seen very reluctant (corrected) to help ordinary people like me to get a rental HDB flat who is at a stage of being homeless.”
“At election time, they promise you if they get elected, they will do this for you but as for me, it turn out to be empty promises…Some MPs I must say it is very amazing that in Singapore who make no contributions at all to the well-being of their fellow constituents” Full story

SMRT trains delayed on Monday peak morning hours

The Temasek Times, 30 Apr 2012
Train delays were reported in both the North-South and East-West lines run by SMRT this morning due to ‘bad weather condition’, causing many commuters to turn up late for work.
Some commuters reported being stuck in packed stations in Bedok and Kembangan. (pic left, from Twitter)
This occurs less than a week after SMRT trains are hit by a series of ‘minor’ disruptions in service.
Angry commuters affected by the delays took to Twitter to vent their frustration and anger:
“Bullshit - SMRT trains delayed this morning due to ‘bad weather condition’ and ‘train fault’.” – icelatte
“At the speed this #smrt train is moving and constantly stopping, I am sure I can outrun it from one station to e next!” – David Teo. Full story

Related:
30-minute train delay on East-West line - Yahoo! News Singapore

YouTube video appears to reveal Anwar, Azmin ordered Dataran breach

The Malaysian Insider, 30 Apr 2012
KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 — A clip has appeared on video-sharing site YouTube that appears to show Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim signalling at PKR deputy president Azmin Ali to breach a police barricade barring Bersih supporters from entering Dataran Merdeka on Saturday.
Although the clip was available earlier in the evening, it was taken down repeatedly despite new versions appearing on social media network Facebook, YouTube and being shared via micro-blogging site Twitter.
At the time of writing, the video, reportedly taken by a news cameraman, was still available on YouTube. Full story

OPINION: Venice and Singapore: A Study in Parallels - George Yeo

The Globalist, 28 Apr 2012
Singapore is geographically very small. The Swiss think they are small, but those who come to Singapore realize how big Switzerland really is by comparison. We have very little land, we don't have much air space, and even the seas are claimed by others. We are forced to plan and organize very carefully.
Life in Singapore is not easy. The truth is we have to work much harder than others to survive. But will hardship make us or break us? Are we strengthened or weakened in the process? Full story

Singapore evinces interest to invest in Kerala

ZeeNews.com, 28 Apr 2012
Thiruvananthapuram: Singapore has expressed interest in forging trade and technology partnerships with Kerala in key projects, including Vizhinjam Port and Kochi Metro Rail.
Singapore Consul-General in Chennai Ajit Singh held discussions with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Industries and IT Minister P K Kunhalikutty and senior officials on the possibilities of forging partnership between the two sides, according to an official release. Full story

Related:
Singapore keen to boost trade ties with Kerala - The Times Of India

Under-age call girl scandal shakes Singapore elite

The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 Apr 2012
An unfolding scandal over an under-age call girl has shaken Singapore's political and economic elite after businessmen, civil servants and uniformed officers were charged in the case.
Prostitution is legal in Singapore, but 48 men ranging in age from their early 20s to late 40s have so far been charged under a 2008 law making it a crime to pay for sex with a girl under 18.
Singapore has long been perceived as a conservative, even prudish, city-state but it has a thriving sex industry dating back to its beginnings as a key trading port of the then British empire. Full story

Related:
Under-age call girl scandal shakes Singapore elite - Yahoo! News Singapore

Indian citizen uses S$39m Sentosa bungalow as ‘weekend retreat’

Yahoo! News Singapore, 28 Apr 2012
Remember Dr Susan Lim’s bungalow at Sentosa Cove which sold for a record S$39 million last month?
The buyer was earlier revealed to be Shael Oswal, a 33-year-old Indian citizen in the mining business who moved to Singapore in late 2009 and stays around Grange Road.
In an interview with Indian tabloid Tabla!, Oswal, a father of two, said it would be tedious for his children to travel to school from Sentosa every morning. His nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son are students of Tanglin Trust School.
"It is an investment for weekends,” he reasoned. “I can take the children to Sentosa and when we get tired we can stay there." Full story

The Temasek Review smears prominent blogger Andrew Loh on Facebook

Evey Cloud Has A Silver Lining, 29 Apr 2012


Link

OPINION: Government's population paper is fundamentally flawed - Choo Zheng Xi

inSing.com, 28 Apr 2012
Just when we thought our Government had heard the call of Singaporeans to moderate the flow of immigration, the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD), under the purview of Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, seems bent on convincing us of our folly with a policy paper (an “Occasional Paper”) heavily biased in favour of an ever-more open-door policy.
Simply put, the Occasional Paper states that Singapore’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is unsustainably low, and that the solution to demographic decay is immigration.
More precisely, immigration at a rate of 25,000 new citizens a year. Full story

Singapore Q1 private home prices down 0.1 pct vs Q4

Reuters, 26 Apr 2012
SINGAPORE, April 27 (Reuters) - The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) released detailed private home price data for the first quarter of 2012 on Friday:
The URA's flash estimate earlier this month showed private home prices fell 0.1 percent in January-March from the preceding three months. Full story

OPINION: Driven to despair, literally - Seah Chiang Nee

Malaysia Star, 28 Apr 2012
COE has become one of the most disliked – and feared – three letters for Singaporeans, except possibly the State Treasury. It stands for Certificate of Entitle-ment, which Singaporeans must have if they want to buy a new car.
Demand for this precious piece of paper has been rising steadily for years to a level that is killing off the dream of many young Singaporeans to own a car.
In the latest bidding, the COE – each certificate is valid for only 10 years – recently hit S$91,000 (RM223,600) for a big car (1,600cc or bigger) – a sum that could buy a bungalow or a large farm in many Asian countries. Full story

Singapore Sells Record Shoebox Apartments in First Quarter

BusinessWeek, 26 Apr 2012
Developers in Singapore sold a record number of so-called shoebox apartments in the first quarter, raising the prospect of additional government-led measures to cool the island-state’s housing market.
Developers sold 1,764 apartments that were less than 50 square meters (538 square feet) in the three months ended March 31, the most since the Urban Redevelopment Authority began collating the data in 2007. The smaller condos accounted for 27 percent of new sales in the first quarter, the data released today showed. Full story

Online vice case: Ex-principal gets 9 weeks jail for paid sex with underaged prostitute

inSing.com, 27 Apr 2012
Nine weeks in jail.
That’s the sentence the former principal of Pei Chun Public School Lee Lip Hong received for having paid sex with an underage girl, reported Channel NewsAsia
He had earlier pleaded guilty.
Lee, who broke down in court today, said he engaged the services of the girl via an alleged online sex ring website. Full story

Related:
Nine weeks' jail for ex-school principal in underaged callgirl scandal - Yahoo! News Singapore

OPINION: Reasons for Singapore’s Inflation Scare - Ryan Ong

Yahoo! Singapore Finance, 25 Apr 2012
The consumer price index (CPI) checks the price difference of a market basket of goods over time. So a CPI of 5.2% suggests, in a very simplified way, that most of what you buy will cost 5.2% more.
Unless you’ve gotten a matching raise in your pay, it means you now have less money. And apart from everything costing more, the inflation eats into your bank savings. Your bank’s interest rate (even for fixed and structured deposits) are nowhere near the 5.2% inflation. So if you have a savings deposit, you may as well lock your money in a room with a lighter and an arsonist.
The CPF may also lose its efficacy as a retirement fund. The CPF interest rate is 2.5%, and the inflation rate is 5.2%. As a retirement provision, that’s about as effective as a paper umbrella in a tsunami. Full story

OPINION: Singapore Girl’s Charms Fade as Airline Battle Heats Up - David Fickling

Bloomberg
Singapore Airlines Ltd. (SIA) is missing the party in its own home. Tourist spending in the city jumped by half since 2008, aided by two new casinos and a 23 percent rise in passenger traffic through Changi Airport.
That growth hasn’t been reflected in the carrier’s passenger numbers, which are down by 2.2 million in the period. The 12 percent drop is the largest of the 12 biggest publicly traded full-service airlines in the Asia Pacific, data compiled by Bloomberg show. Full story

Minister of State BG Tan Chuan-Jin slams blogger on housing woes

Yahoo! News Singapore, 26 Apr 2012
I know that these are emotive issues. But HDB does indeed cater to the vast majority of Singaporeans, from those in rental flats, to those who are comfortably in the middle classes. 80% of Singaporeans live in HDB flats. 90% of them own their own flats.
Would there be affordable and available options out there for you? The answer is yes. Our commitment is to ensure that for first time buyers, you will find a range of different sized flats in non-matured estates available, with subsidies, priced affordably for your respective income levels. Full story

Related:
Tan Chuan-Jin responds to blogger on housing issues - inSing.com

IRAS chases retiree for one-cent tax

inSing.com, 26 Apr 2012
A retired elderly received a letter from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore last Saturday (21 April) asking him to pay one cent in property tax or face a fine of five per cent on the amount of tax owed.
The 75 year-old, known only as Mr Huang, was initially shocked when he opened the letter.
He recovered later to see the funny side of things and issued a cheque to IRAS immediately.
“Besides settling the matter, I wish to know how they process my one-cent cheque,” he said. Full story

Singapore March industrial output fell 3.4 per cent

Reuters, 26 Apr 2012
The fall in March industrial output had been expected by economists due to the high base a year earlier but the month-on-month gain defied forecasts of a contraction.
Singapore's electronics output shrank 15.9 percent from a year earlier due to lower output across the broad with the exception to data storage, which has been running at higher production rates after supply chain disruptions in Thailand.
Output from the biomedical cluster fell 3.3 percent, partly due to a 6.3 percent contraction in pharmaceuticals. Full story

Related:
Singapore March industrial output -3.4 pct y/y - Yahoo! Singapore Finance

66 per cent against pay-for-plastic bag law: Yahoo! poll

Yahoo! News Singapore, 27 Apr 2012
Over 15,000 participated in our poll, with 66 per cent voting against the proposal and the rest voting for it.
The proposal is currently being studied and a law to allow supermarkets, food centres and hawker stalls to charge for plastic bags could be passed by June.
Yahoo! user Bazz was up in arms over the need for customers to be charged for plastic bags.
“The cost of plastic bags (are) already priced into their business running operation cost," said the reader. Full story

Karnataka government hardsells state to Singapore GLCs

The Times Of India, 27 Apr 2012
BANGALORE: The Karnataka government has done some hard-selling to investors in Japan and Singapore in the run up to the Global Investors Meet ( GIM) in June.
In Singapore, the government talked to business space provider Ascendas for a 250 acre IT park in Devanahalli. Ascendas promoted one of the first IT parks in Bangalore, the ITPB (formerly ITPL). A theme park in Mangalore on the lines of Singapore's Sentosa Island, at an investment of Rs 250 crore, is also being considered. Nirani said over 300 investors participated in the road shows in Japan and Singapore. Full story

Close to 10,000 workers laid off last year

inSing.com, 26 Apr 2012
Some 9,900 workers were laid off in 2011 amid more moderate economic growth.
The figure is slightly higher than the previous year - 9, 800 workers were laid off in 2010.
5.5 workers were made redundant for every 1,000 employees in 2011, down from 5.7 in 2010.
The information came from the "Redundancy And Re-entry Into Employment, 2011" report released by the Ministry of Manpower's Research today. Full story

Netizens react strongly to Government paper on immigration

inSing.com, 25 Apr 2012
Singapore will need to introduce 20,000 to 25,000 new citizens annually in order to maintain its citizen population, according to the National Talent and Population Division (NTPD).
Online commentators mostly gave negative views on the report.
A netizen who goes by the online moniker “Ah Pek Lee” highlighted his concerns on Facebook.
He wrote: “If there are (25,000) new citizens and the native Singaporeans shrink every year due to deaths and migrating out, how many years will it take for native Singaporeans to become a minority?”
Sonny Pereira, another netizen, said: “This country would never have any problems procreating and turning this country into an ants’ nest. It is about the hardship of bringing up a child in this society where everything is expensive, and competition in education. To have children is easy, to maintain them, now, that is a totally different question altogether.” Full story

Singaporean alleged he is discriminated by restaurant in Orchard Road

inSing.com, 25 Apr 2012
The last few days have not been so sweet for Wild Honey, a restaurant in Orchard Road known for its all-day breakfast fare.
One diner has alleged that he has been discriminated against by staff of the Mandarin Gallery outlet.
The incident on Saturday has received much attention online on forums and social media. Much of the criticism was levelled at the restaurant.
Mr Tan also claimed his complaint on Facebook was deleted three times by the restaurant. Full story

Ex-Morgan Stanley Executive Living in Singapore Pleads Guilty to Violating Anticorruption Laws

Dealbook.nytimes.com, 25 Apr 2012
One of Morgan Stanley’s former real estate executives in China pleaded guilty on Wednesday to violating federal anticorruption laws as the American government continues to crack down on citizens who commit fraud and bribery abroad.
The executive, Garth R. Peterson, who once ran the Shanghai office of Morgan Stanley’s global real estate business, was charged with secretly acquiring millions of dollars’ worth of property investments for himself and a Chinese government official. The official, in turn, steered business to Morgan Stanley’s funds, the government said.
Mr. Peterson on Wednesday also settled a civil action brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission on the same matter.
Mr. Peterson, 42, an American citizen living in Singapore, faces a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 over the criminal charge. Full story

Las Vegas Sands Sees No Need To Work With Singapore-Type Junkets -CEO

4-traders.com, 25 Apr 2012
Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) isn't interested in working with Singapore-licensed junket operators to bring gamblers to its casino there, as the U.S. gaming group already has sales representatives that perform similar roles, Chief Executive Sheldon Adelson said Thursday.
"In Singapore, they call (their licensed junket operators) international marketing agents because that's all they are. They are salespeople...they can't provide credit, they can't share their commission, so they are the equivalent of our more than 100 salespeople," Adelson told analysts during an earnings call.
"There's no reason for us to go after that kind of junkets, that kind of (international marketing agents)," the executive said. Full story

Related:
Las Vegas Sands Tops Forecasts on Casino Growth - BusinessWeek

Fallen Chinese official and wife rose in politics and business

McClatchydc.com
Although Dalian's population of about 5.5 million was modest for a Chinese city, it was booming. Gu's firm represented foreign clients who wanted to get a piece of the action.
She was part of a team representing the Port of Singapore in a $1.5 billion joint venture deal in 1996 with the Port of Dalian. Her husband, the mayor, also took part in those negotiations, according to others involved. Singapore also hired another well-connected lawyer, the daughter-in-law of former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. Full story

DBS CEO Claims DBS Paying ‘Fair Value’ Of $7.2 Billion On Danamon Bid

BusinessWeek, 25 Apr 2012
DBS Group Holdings Ltd. (DBS) said its it’s paying “fair value” for its $7.2 billion bid for PT Bank Danamon Indonesia (BDMN) even as the biggest takeover by a Southeast Asian lender dilutes earnings for the first two years.
At least five shareholders at the meeting today raised concerns their holdings will be diluted with the new shares for Temasek. They asked Gupta and the board why they weren’t given the option of a rights offer. Full story

Related:
DBS minority holders voice concerns about Danamon deal - Reuters

OPINION: DBS deal tests Indonesia’s deep Singapore-phobia - Wayne Arnold

Reuters, 25 Apr 2012
Even a 52 percent premium may not be enough to snag Indonesia’s biggest bank takeover. DBS of Singapore has offered $7.2 billion for Indonesia’s Bank Danamon in a tie-up that would benefit both banks and burnish Indonesia’s image as a hot destination for foreign investment. But with elections approaching, longstanding mistrust of Singapore could trump commercial logic. Full story

Singapore woman alleges city man cheated her of Rs 2 crore

The Times Of India, 25 Apr 2012
CHENNAI: A Singapore national on Tuesday lodged a police complaint, alleging that a man claiming to be the DMK youth wing secretary from Kodambakkam cheated her of Rs 2 crore promising to redeem a property in Singapore that belonged to her friend.
In her complaint, R Ranganayagee of Singapore said Velayutham, claiming to have power of attorney for a property belonging to Sirankanaren (Ranganayagee's friend), met her in Singapore. He said he was the DMK youth wing secretary and promised to redeem the property that has been in possession of the Singapore government since the death of Sirankanaren, a decade ago. Full story

Singapore aiming for another "hub"

Yahoo! News Singapore, 25 Apr 2012
A steering committee has been formed to formulate a plan to further develop Singapore as an intellectual property (IP) hub for Asia, the Ministry of Law announced on Wednesday.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law Sim Ann mentioned this in her speech at the World Intellectual Property Day celebrations on Wednesday evening, sharing her hope that this move will grow Singapore into "a vibrant marketplace to transact and commercialise IP". Full story

Would you accept a transgender as Miss Singapore Universe?

Yahoo! News Singapore, 25 Apr 2012
A transgender as Miss Singapore Universe?
That could happen next year as the Miss Universe organisation confirmed its controversial rule change to allow transgender women to vie for their respective countries’ crowns.
And the rule will apply for Miss Singapore Universe, which is set to have their last natural-born female-only competition this August. Full story

Chiam See Tong rebuts PAP MP Sitoh's claims about Potong Pasir TC finances

inSing.com, 24 Apr 2012
Former Potong Pasir Member of Parliament Chiam See Tong has hit back at statements made by the ward’s current MP Sitoh Yih Pin painting a bleak picture of the town council’s coffers.
In a statement to the media, Mr Chiam said he sought to clarify a “misleading” Straits Times report on Saturday (April 21).
In that report, Mr Sitoh asked for nine years to repay $8.7 million to the Ministry of National Development for lift upgrading works done at 48 blocks of flats.
The payment was to have been completed in 2014.
He said that the town council did not have enough in its residential sinking fund to foot the bill of the upgrade.
According to the Straits Times report, the town council only had $4.4 million as of March 31 last year.
But in a statement on Tuesday (April 24), Mr Chiam, who is the secretary-general of the Singapore People’s Party, said the town council’s financial situation was not bad as described by Mr Sitoh.
“I can categorically state that my town council and I would have executed the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) project without any hassle,” he said. “We had a clear financial plan and were reserving funds even from our operating accounts.”
Mr Chiam added that as of 31 March last year, the total available residential property fund was $6.7 million. Full story

Related:
We had a clear financial plan for lift upgrading: Chiam See Tong - Yahoo! News Singapore

Letter: An open letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore - Human Rights Foundation

Huffington Post, 24 Apr 2012
Dear Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong,
In November of 2011, the Human Rights Foundation invited Dr. Chee Soon Juan — one of your well-known critics and one of Singapore’s most visible opposition leaders — to speak at the 2012 Oslo Freedom Forum, taking place May 7, 8, and 9 in Norway. The forum is an annual gathering for promoting democracy, human rights, and justice.
Yesterday, we learned that Dr. Chee’s application to leave Singapore to participate at the Oslo Freedom Forum was “not approved.” I enclose a copy of an April 10 missive from Lydia Loh of the Insolvency and Public Trustee’s Office — an agency of your government — denying Dr. Chee permission to exit Singapore and travel to Oslo.
Your government’s travel ban on Dr. Chee is but the latest in a series of instances where he has been penalized for criticizing Singapore authorities. Full letter

Related:
An Open Letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsein Loong of Singapore - The Daily Caller
Group urges S'pore to lift opposition travel ban - Fox News
Rights group urges Singapore to lift travel ban for opposition leader to attend Norway forum - The Washington Post
NY group asks PM Lee to lift opposition politican’s travel ban - inSing.com

Singapore ‘Shoebox’ Condo Sales May Prompt Extra Taxes

Bloomberg
Singapore may introduce additional measures to cool the housing market after private home sales reached a record in the first quarter as more “shoebox” apartments were sold, property services company Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. and brokerages including Nomura Holdings Inc. said.
Home sales climbed to 6,682 units in the three months ended March 31, the highest quarterly figure since 1996 when the Urban Redevelopment Authority began reporting the data. Prices rose 1.2 percent for the mass market in the same period, preliminary estimates from the authority showed earlier this month. Full story

Influx of foreigners is here to stay: National Population and Talent Division

Bernama.com, 24 Apr 2012
SINGAPORE, April 24 (Bernama) -- Singapore needs to attract new citizens through immigration to mitigate the effects of a declining and ageing citizen population, according to a White Paper released by the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) of the Prime Minister's Office.
One of the five scenarios projected is that Singapore's citizen population will start to shrink by around 2025 if the current low Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and high life expectancy continue without the intake of new citizens through immigration. Full story

Related:
Immigration crucial in baby-scarce Singapore - AFP
Immigration crucial in baby-scarce Singapore: paper - ABS-CBN News
Immigration crucial in baby-scarce Singapore - Yahoo! New Zealand News
Immigration will help solve Singapore’s population problem: paper - Yahoo! News Singapore
Singapore needs 20,000 to 25,000 immigrants every year: Report - Financial Express
Singapore takes in "good quality" immigrants - Malaysia Chronicle
Immigration Crucial to Singapore’s Growth: Govt Study - WSJ Blog

Energy guzzler Singapore boosts 'green' buildings

AFP
SINGAPORE — From the bone-chilling air conditioning that pumps through Singapore's malls and offices to lights that burn all night, the city state is one of Asia's most intensive energy users.
Nearly all electricity used by the industrialised island is produced by burning fossil fuels, which in 2010 contributed to the largest carbon footprint per head in the Asia-Pacific region, according to conservation group the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Full story

Godrej Properties called off talks with Singapore GIC to invest in BKC project

Moneycontrol.com, 24 Apr 2012
Godrej Properties and the government of Singapore (GIC) have called off talks to invest in Godrej and Jet’s much publicized Bandra Kurla Complex project, reports CNBC-TV18’s Priyanka Ghosh.
Sources indicate, either ways after about six months of negotiations, this deal is completely off the table at this point in time because GIC thinks this is now a financially unviable deal for them. Full story

Related:
Godrej Property-GIC real estate deal off - The Economic Times

OPINION: Saying Goodbye to One of Singapore's Last Historic Cemeteries - Mimi Kirk

The Atlantic Cities, 24 Apr 2012
Bukit Brown, the largest Chinese burial ground outside of China with an estimated 100,000 graves, became a municipal cemetery in 1922. It serves as the resting place for some of Singapore’s most illustrious families as well as thousands of long-forgotten middle and lower-class citizens. Lee Kuan Yew, the country’s first and longtime prime minister, has a grandfather buried here (next to a descendant of Confucius, no less), as does Tony Tan, Singapore’s current president. Baked goods magnate Chew Boon Lay (1852-1933) also lies here. Like other pioneering merchants buried in Bukit Brown, Boon Lay’s name graces Singaporean public spaces such as subway stations and housing estates. Full story

Singapore SMRT to spend S$900 mln to fix subway

Reuters, 24 Apr 2012
(Reuters) - Singapore's main subway operator SMRT Corp said on Tuesday it will spend S$900 million ($720 million) on renewal and preventive maintenance to address problems that have led to numerous breakdowns in recent months. Full story

Related:
SMRT Plans $722 Million Upgrade for Singapore Subway - BusinessWeek

OPINION: Do not use scare tactics to reject Prof Lim Chong Yah's proposal - Ho Kwon Ping

SG Hard Truth, 24 Apr 2012
We need industry-specific measures and a high level of coordination by industry players, backed by the consensus that this is a restructuring which cannot be further delayed. In this sense, my view is that just raising the lowest wages across the board is an overly blunt and arbitrary instrument. While we do need to address inequality, we should focus not simply on national wage and productivity levels, but on restructuring specific domestic industries.
But I also think it is somewhat disingenuous of Prof Lim’s detractors to simply use scare tactics like ‘investors will flee’ or ‘we will have a drastic economic decline’ to reject his proposals out of hand. Critics of the plan – many of whom have access to economic modelling capabilities – should run their models and share with everyone their findings.I suspect that the cost impact will not be that high, given that only the lowest wage levels will be affected, and most multinational corporation investors – except perhaps the foreign bar and restaurant operators – will have only marginally higher operating costs. There are other reasons not to favour Prof Lim’s proposals than the potential cost increase for businesses.
In fact, those critics who invoke the foreign investor scare tactic are doing a great disservice to all Singaporeans, and particularly our own Government. Full story

OPINION: Foreign Talent R Avramovic talks big, but it is local V Sundram who delivers

Where Bears Roam Free, 24 Apr 2012
"The more significant factor, however, will be the success of the Republic's LionsXII side presently making waves in the Malaysian Super League.
According to Avramovic, the current MSL leaders are likely to contribute as many as 14 players to his 22-man Suzuki Cup squad.
'That's the benefit of having a group of players training and playing together for a year,' he noted. 'In the national team, most of them will play in the same position, so the understanding of their roles should be a lot better than before.'"
Yeah, right, Raddy. Local Talent V. Sundramoorthy (another of Singapore's footballing greats in the 1980s and 1990s), who is the current coach of the LIONS XII, does all the hard work training these guys to be where they are now, and you reap the rewards keeping your job - not forgetting your employer, FAS, has forsaken Singapore's very own footballing son, Fandi Ahmad. Full story

Sex addiction film too hot for Singapore censors

ABS-CBN News, 24 Apr 2012
An acclaimed film on sex addiction will not be shown in Singapore after censors ordered a threesome between the main character and two women to be shortened, its local distributor said Monday.
"Shame" by British director Steve McQueen was submitted to censors of the Media Development Authority (MDA), who rated it suitable only for viewers 21 and above on condition the scene was edited.
"They did not request for the entire scene to be cut, just that they felt the scene was too long," said a spokeswoman for distributor Cathay-Keris Films. Full story

Related:
Singapore has issues with 'Shame' because of graphic Fassbender sex scenes - JOE.ie
'Shame' Banned From Release In Singapore Theaters - Starpulse.com

Boycott food outlets that hire many foreigners: Transitioning.org founder

inSing.com, 23 Apr 2012
Transitioning.org, a website that champions the rights of the unemployed, is calling for "a nationwide boycott of F&B outlets that more than 80 per cent foreigners" in its workforce.
The suggested boycott, which will last for a month in May, is to protest against how employers maximise profits by hiring cheaper foreign labour while claiming that Singaporeans shun the jobs, the website's editor Gilbert Goh said in the post that was put up today.
"Employers have always come up with the excuse that local Singaporeans do not want to work in the F&B industry but my question to them is have they try (sic) hard enough? Full story

Singapore to be flooded with foreign law firms

Bloomberg
Singapore, where the number of foreign lawyers has doubled in the last four years after opening its legal market to foreign firms, will award a second round of licenses by next year, Law Minister K. Shanmugam said.
Firms can apply in the second half of 2012, with the process to be completed by early next year, he said in an interview yesterday. The first round of liberalization has done “better than we could have expected,” he said. Full story

Singapore's Inflation Surged 5.2 Per Cent In March 2012

Bernama.com, 23 Apr 2012
SINGAPORE, April 23 (Bernama) -- Singapore's Consumer Price Index (CPI)-All Items inflation rose to 5.2 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in March 2012 from 4.6 per cent in February 2012, on account of a sharper increase in COE (vehicle certificate of entitlement) premiums which led to higher car http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifprices.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
In a statement, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Ministry of Trade and Industry and said private road transport cost added 1.3 percentage points to CPI-All Items inflation in March, slightly more than twice its contribution in February. Full story

Related:
Singapore Inflation Accelerates More Than Expected - RTTNews
Singapore Inflation Accelerates More Than Estimated to 5.2% - BusinessWeek
Singapore Inflation Jumps, Keeping Heat On Central Bank - 4-Traders.com

Govt online outreach efforts not ‘populist’ in nature: Yacoob Ibrahim

Yahoo! News Singapore, 23 Apr 2012
Is the government going online and setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts just because it’s the popular thing to do?
No, said Singapore’s Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, during a luncheon organised by the Singapore Press Club at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel on Monday.
Responding to a question from the floor, Yaacob dismissed criticisms that the government’s recent outreach efforts online were merely “populist” in nature. Full story

OPINION: DBS-Danamon: A private national bank owned by a foreign bank? - Lin Che Wei

The Jakarta Post, 24 Apr 2012
DBS’ US$7.3 billion acquisition of Bank Danamon from its shareholder, the Singapore government’s investment company Temasek, will undoubtedly test the political skill and regulatory role of Bank Indonesia (BI).
The Indonesian central bank will have to balance its role of protecting its regulatory framework credibility and its political commitment to the House of Representatives. Full story