Ex-NMP & YPAP Calvin Cheng involved in price fixing case - report

TR Emeritus, 10 Oct 2014
While looking up unrelated things on the internet, I was quite surprised to find the following which involved Calvin Cheng very intimately. Basically, Calvin Cheng “played a central role” in price-fixing as president of the Association of Modelling Industry Professionals (AMIP). On 23 November 2011, the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) found 11 modelling agencies guilty of price-fixing, using the AMIP as a “front” for collusion.
“CCS notes that the evidence shows that Calvin Cheng, as then president of the AMIP, played a central role in coordinating the actions of AMIP members.” (point 213h, page 85 of Infringement Decision, Case number CCS 500/002/09 dated 23 November 2011) Full story

Related:
CALVIN CHENG: I DIDN'T QUIT YPAP BECAUSE OF A "PUBLIC OUTCRY" - The Real Singapore

Vietnamese oil tanker seized by pirates in Singapore waters

CNN.com, 8 Oct 2014
Vietnamese authorities are searching for an oil tanker feared to have been taken by pirates just 40 minutes after it departed Singapore for Vietnam almost one week ago.
The Sunrise 689 was carrying 18 crew and 5,200 tonnes of oil when it left Singapore's Horizon port on October 2, according to the Vietnamese News Service (VNS).
The ship's owner, the Hai Phong Seafood Shipbuilding Join Stock Company, reported that it lost contact with the ship within an hour of its departure, VNS said.
The missing ship, Sunrise 689, was last detected in the middle of a busy shipping zone in the Singapore Strait.   Full story

Teo Ser Luck deletes facebook comment of a netizen sharing his 5-year-old daughter's experience at Hong Lim Park - report

The Real Singapore, 5 Oct 2014
Netizen Calvin Choo, who was at the YMCA event last Saturday, shared on Facebook that his comment on Minister Teo’s Facebook page was deleted.
Mr Choo had been sharing the experience that he and his 5 year old daughter had had at the event and asked why Minister Teo and his team did not do anything more at the actual event to prevent the confrontations which “scared” the special needs children on stage.
It seems Minister Teo is only interested to hear the ‘”right” things and doesn’t want anyone else to share their side of the story. Full story

Accusations of plagairism leveled at self-proclaimed entrepreneur for his review on SIA Suites Class

Reddit.com, 30 Sep 2013






Full story

Related:

1. What It’s Like To Fly The $23,000 Singapore Airlines Suites Class - Dereklow.co
2. What It’s Like To Fly The $23,000 Singapore Airlines Suites Class - Yahoo! News Singapore
   
3. [GPGT] SINKIE kena sexposed by AMDK - Hardwarezone Forum 
4. Singapore Airlines Suites: SQ 319 – London to Singapore - Rebeccaelizabethp.wordpress.com

Vietnam authorities investigating BreadTalk for gutter oil

Talkvietnam.com, 16 Sep 2014
Vietnamese authorities are investigating several international food companies operating in the country after Taiwanese authorities put them on a list of customers buying illegally-recycled cooking oil.
The list includes the Bakery Cafe outlet, owned by Maxim’s Group. A representative of Maxim’s Group admitted that in the past they have bought oil from Chang Guann. Another familiar name embroiled in the controversy is Bread Talk Concept HK, which runs nine restaurants in HCM City. Full story

Singpaore Science CEO Lim Tit Meng slammed for sexist remarks in an email to female staff

The Online Citizen, 4 Jul 2014
A remark by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Science Centre Singapore (SCS) has been nominated for this year’s sexism award by the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware).
The award, named The Alamak Award, is the association’s “annual search for the most annoying, face palm, gut wrenching, you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me instance of sexism in Singapore.”
Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng is one of the four nominees this year for his remarks in an email which he had apparently sent out to his staff on International Women’s Day in March.
In a rather awkwardly written letter, Assoc Prof Lim began by saying that some women would say the day is not for them “because they are not ’3-8′”, a reference to the date of 8 March which the International Women’s Day fall under. Full story

OPINION: Singapore raised Malaysia goods lorry fees to benefit KTM as part of Tanjong Pagar railyway station deal?

The Rakyat Post, 3 Jul 2014
The fortunes of another ailing Malaysian transport giant is likely to soar in coming months – thanks to higher charges being imposed by Singapore on lorries transporting goods into the island-state from Aug 1.
While lorry drivers bemoan the steep hike of the Goods Vehicle Permit (GVP) monthly fee for foreign-registered goods vehicles being raised four-fold – from S$10 (RM25.70) to S$40 (RM102.80) – KTM Bhd stands to gain when transport charges get raised.
While the GVP hike may seem small, Singapore has imposed a double whammy by making it compulsory from Tuesday for Malaysian lorries to use only Euro 5 standard diesel to reduce polluting smoke being spewed on the island’s roads.
When combined, early indications are that transport charges by Malaysian lorries plying the Singapore route could raise fees by as much as 50% in the coming weeks.
Such a development could bode well for KTM and would mark its return to its roots as a mainly cargo service that transported tin ore, rubber and fresh produce from back in the late 1800s to the Singapore port. Full story

Snapshot: Malay netizens outrage at racist comments found on a young woman's Instagram page

Rilek1corner.com, 23 Jun 2014


Full story

Update:
Now she claims that her instagram account was hacked.  Do you believe her?



On Facebook, Kim clarified that her Instagram account (@kimmeeoow) was hacked, and apparently the hacker had posted those racist remarks without her knowledge.
According to her boyfriend Ulrik Hillerlöv, she has already informed the police and Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA).  Link


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Snapshot: Is IDA Managing Director blaming users for SingPass breach?

Hardwarezone Forum, 5 Jun 2014

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Why Vivian Balakrishnan, NEA didn't check on Marine Parade Central Hawker Centre cleaning and repair works?

Facebook, 3 Jun 2014

Singapore government enlists stand-up comedian drag queen Kumar to extinguish Singlish

The Star Online, 2 Jun 2014
Singapore has enlisted a drag queen comedian to give its people grammar lessons, as part of a long-running drive to encourage the correct use of English, for fear that weak language skills could dent its reputation as a business hub.
Foreigners visiting the tiny affluent Southeast Asian island occasionally find themselves bemused in conversation with Singaporeans, many of whom speak in a mishmash of broken English, Chinese dialect and Malay, popularly known as Singlish.
Despite a 15-year-long campaign to improve the use of English in the city-state, most of the 5.4 million populace have stayed resistant to what they see as curbs on an integral element of their culture.
This week the Speak Good English Movement launched a campaign to encourage better usage, enlisting comedian Kumar to act as 'The Queen of Grammar’ in a series of videos berating subjects’ use of the language. Full story

Government scholar slams Singapore police for not offering to protect Filipinos at their Independence Day event

Hardwarezone Forum, 29 May 2014


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Reference: 2008 - Data.gov.sg

Bengawan Solo claims it was a "honest mistake" when caught red-handed putting up discriminatory recruitment advertisement at its Marine Parade outlet

Comment: Although Bengawan Solo had denied it's hiring policies and practices is biased against locals,  it is very clear that only Malaysians are intended for their Marine Parade outlet.  Nobody will know about this if not for the mistake made by one of the staff in pasting the word "Malaysian"  on the poster.

TR Emeritus, 23 May 2014

The reader was at Parkway Parade shopping centre in Marine Parade this afternoon when he saw the above advertisement put up by a Bengawan Solo outlet there.
The reader said, “I was at Parkway Parade this afternoon and saw this advertisement pasted at their shop front. Begawan Solo should be taken to task by MOM for their discrimination!”
“Their shop is at the basement of the shopping mall. Can you please kindly keep MOM posted on this matter,” the reader angrily added.
The photo showed a walk-in job advertisement asking for only Malaysians to apply. The outlet is looking for supervisors and sales assistants (part-time or full-time). Full story

TV host, model Nadya Hutagalung left Singapore with her children for their sake

Coconuts Singapore, 9 May 2014
TV host, model and eco-activist Nadya Hutagalung has gone public about the reason she and her family have left Singapore.

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Australian Mining Tycoon Nathan Tinkler Flies To Singapore Days Before ICAC Evidence Due In Corruption Probe

Stockjournal.com.au, 13 May 2014
Nathan Tinkler, one of the key persons of interest at a corruption inquiry, is in Singapore just days before he is due to give evidence.
The former coal magnate is due to give evidence on Friday at the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
A spokesman for the Tinkler Group said he was not aware of Mr Tinkler's travel arrangements but said he was already in Singapore, contrary to the Herald's earlier report that he was sighted leaving the country on Tuesday. Full story

NEA Vice-Chairman joins PAP ministers in singling out Singaporeans for tongue-lashing

Hardwarezone Forum, 5 May 2014


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While Singapore is world's costliest city, Mumbai and Delhi are the cheapest

IBNlive.in.com, 4 Mar 2014
Singapore has topped a list of 131 cities globally to become the world's most expensive cities to live in 2014, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), reported by the BBC. India's major cities - including Mumbai and New Delhi - were found to be among the least expensive in the world.
Mumbai's prices are kept low by large income inequality, this BBC report stated, adding that the low wages of many of the city's workers keep spending low, and government subsidies have helped them stay that way. Full story

Singapore Overtakes Tokyo as World’s Costliest City

Bloomberg, 4 Mar 2014
Singapore leapt five spots to top a global ranking of the most expensive cities as a stronger currency and price increases made it costlier to live in the island nation, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.
The republic beat Paris, Oslo, Zurich and Sydney, while Tokyo moved down to sixth position from first previously after the yen slid, the EIU’s latest Worldwide Cost of Living Survey released today showed. The biannual report compares the price of products and services such as food, clothing, transport, private schools and domestic help between 131 cities using New York as a base. Full story

Related:

1. Singapore named world's most expensive city: Economist Intelligence Unit - Yahoo! Finance Singapore
2. Singapore tops list as most expensive city to live in - BBC News 
3. Singapore world's most expensive city - The Daily Star
4. Singapore Is World’s Most Expensive City: EIU - Economy Watch

Singapore PM Lee says secretive TPP pact is "very close to completion"

Sky News, 18 Feb 2014
Negotiators are 'very close' to completing a US-led Pacific trade pact this year, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says ahead of a crucial meeting in the city-state this weekend.
Trade ministers from 12 countries will meet from Saturday to Tuesday in a bid to iron out kinks in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) after negotiators failed to meet a self-imposed deadline to strike a deal by the end of last year.
'I think we are very close to completing it,' Lee Hsien Loong said in an interview with Chinese media group Caixin. Full story

Singapore seller lists used iPad Air on Ebay for S$60,000

Ebay.com.sg

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