Category: Singapuraku

Commercial Debts In Malay Households Rising Even As Incomes Rise

Malay households in Singapore may be earning more money now, but they are also spending more.

As a result, their debt situation, while not alarming, is a cause for concern, said Mr Azmoon Ahmad, chairman of the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) yesterday.

While household balance sheets remain generally healthy, he added, figures from a survey the AMP conducted last year showed “increased expenditure, which may or may not be supported by real income gains”.

Speaking at the association’s annual Community In Review seminar, which focused on debt this year, Mr Azmoon pointed out that the median income for Malays had risen from $2,709 in 2000 to $3,844 in 2010.

This “creates the impression that they are doing well financially”, but does not account for how their liabilities have changed, he said.

Citing the AMP survey, he said increased spending has become “entrenched”, and “even in times of financial difficulties, households may not revert to initial levels of consumption”.

For example, 83 per cent said they would not unsubscribe from their cable television services in bad times.

Other panellists at the forum said overspending due to lifestyle preferences is the most common cause of debt.

Mr Azmoon said: “Higher expenditure could be supported by purchases made on credit, thus increasing the liabilities.”

He also warned that the problem was not restricted to low-income families. PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians) are a “risk group”, he said, as they have easy access to credit and thus may borrow above their means.

National University of Singapore economist Sumit Agarwal, also a panellist, cited a graph showing that Malays have the highest credit card debt although they have the smallest credit card spending compared with other races.

Moneylenders, both licensed and unlicensed, also contribute to the problem because they do not offer stringent safeguards like those of banks, the panellists said. They suggested that more financial literacy camps be conducted.

Mufti Mohamed Fatris Bakaram, Singapore’s top Muslim religious leader, urged prudence when the panel sought his comments. “It is an ethical issue of behaviour, attitude and self-responsibility of trying your best to limit borrowing only for necessities – not for lavish purposes – and the commitment of paying it back.”

Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli, who also spoke at the forum, said: “Even though our debt problem is not endemic, it is something we need to constantly pay attention to.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

February 16, 2015
Human Rights Lawyer M Ravi Protests Against Suspension

A prominent human rights lawyer in Singapore staged a protest on Saturday, taking to a city park to denounce what he called unfair treatment by the Law Society which has suspended him from practicing for medical reasons.

The lawyer, known as M Ravi, has defended several critics of the government and has fought for gay rights and against capital punishment.

“I would like to protest against the Law Society’s oppressive, arbitrary, discriminatory and inappropriate manner in which they have suspended me,” Ravi said.

The Law Society of Singapore said it was concerned about the state of Ravi’s mental health which it said impaired his fitness to practise law. The society has asked him to have a medical test or evaluation.

Ravi dismissed any worries about his health.

The Law Society said the decision had nothing to do with Ravi’s political views, the clients he has represented or his stated intention to stand for parliament in the next general election.

Source: http://news.asiaone.com

February 16, 2015
Beware of Durian Scam By Malaysians

Dear TRS,

I wanna share about this conman!

Happened to me last week at Woodlands HDB. He cheated my mom to buy 4 durians that cost $252!

He’s rounding at HDB block for people to buy his durian. But will come back with his ‘guni’ bags of durians.

He’ll tell you 1kg cost $15.

He will say once he peeled the skin, must take. He will keep on peeling the skin. Until the fourth one, he’ll take the weight of the durian and tell you the cost!

Ridiculously, for my mum case, cost $252!

He even ask my mum to go to atm! My mum paid him $50 and went to the atm. That’s when i decided to call the police. He even dared to make sure that my mum went to the atm.

He will keep on pestering for the money! I’d reported to the police! He is believed to be a malaysian man. Cause he say he’ll leave his passport at your house, to drive you to the atm. But my mum prefer to go by herself. And he drive a blue malaysian plate car.

If anyone saw this guy, do not hesitate to inform police!

I am not the only victim either, I have seen this facebook post being circulated and wanted to also share my experience:

Source: www.therealsingapore.com

February 16, 2015
Teo Chee Hean: Unity Key To Beating Lone-Wolf Attacks

The shootings in Copenhagen today (Feb 15) show that even when a city is put on high terror alert, it is very difficult to stop all attacks because of lone-wolf actors, said Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean as he urged individuals to stay vigilant.

Although many cities, including Singapore, have raised their alert levels because of an increased threat from terror attacks, it is not easy to prevent attacks that are carried out by individuals.

“So what’s important is for individuals to also be alert, to know and to think ahead (about) what they would do if they were caught in such a situation,” said Mr Teo, who is also the Minister for Home Affairs. “They can save lives, save your own life and also how does the society as a whole react in the event of such an attack.”

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a community event in his Pasir Ris constituency today, Mr Teo noted that terrorists seek to achieve two things when they carry out attacks: To disrupt daily lives by striking terror in people, as well as to split communities.

“So if we stay together as a community and carry on with our daily lives taking all the precautions, then we will be able to overcome these threats and not allow terrorists to achieve their objectives.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

February 16, 2015
Schools Turn To “Smokerlysers” To Combat Worsening Underage Smoker Problem

The problem of underage smoking looks to have worsened, as some schools turn to detection devices to help them smoke out offenders.

Last year, more than 6,200 smokers below the legal age of 18, including some in primary school, were caught. This was about 17 per cent more than the 5,311 in 2013, according to data from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

Most underage smokers caught were 15 to 17 years old and the rise in numbers could be because of greater enforcement, said an HSA spokesman.

But a 36-year-old teacher who spoke to The Straits Times on condition of anonymity said she has noticed a growing number of student smokers in her neighbourhood secondary school, where she has taught for 14 years.

There are those who pick up the habit in primary school, smoking as many as 10 sticks a day by the time they enter secondary school. Some light up in school, with habitual offenders using hidden corners or toilets to take a puff, she said.

Several schools, such as Greenridge and Chestnut Drive secondary schools, have used “smokerlysers” – portable devices that measure carbon monoxide, a by-product of cigarette smoke – to monitor if students smoke.

Newer versions of these devices can detect cigarette use from as far as two days back. A Health Promotion Board (HPB) spokesman said these carbon monoxide meters are used in its smoking cessation programme in schools.

Over in Choa Chu Kang, Regent Secondary School plans to install cigarette smoke detectors in the common areas of five of its male toilets. It wants detectors that can log the exact location and time when someone smokes, and send an alert to the school’s general office and a message to a staff member’s mobile phone.

“The initiative is one of the school’s efforts to promote deterrence,” said Regent’s vice-principal Sheree Chong, adding that it also holds anti-smoking talks.

Mr T.C. Lim, 48, whose company distributes cigarette smoke detectors, said such products have been in Singapore for more than a decade, but demand from schools has been low as most found the device too costly. He began getting enquiries from schools last year. A toilet with four cubicles should ideally have two detectors, he added, each of which can cost $500 to $700.

The effectiveness of such efforts remains to be seen, as “it would take more influence than detection to curb the problem of underage smoking”, said Ms Gracia Goh, deputy director of the Singapore Children’s Society. Its Youth Centre runs anti-smoking campaigns and has encountered smokers as young as eight.

“Influence by family, friends and community has a much stronger impact for them,” she said, referring to young smokers.

Take Varun, a 17-year-old student, who took his first puff two years ago “because all my friends were smoking”. Now the Institute of Technical Education student, who declined to give his full name, is a habitual smoker but his family does not know.

Persons below 18 caught using, buying or possessing tobacco products can be fined up to $300. First-time offenders can have the fines waived if they finish an online smoking cessation module.

The HPB said it works closely with the Ministry of Education to discourage youth from experimenting with tobacco products.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

February 16, 2015