Yesterday I found three ofo bikes stashed away in the multi storey car park stairwell of a newly completed and mostly unoccupied HDB estate (on the 6th floor mind you, away from sight).
I don’t think it was by accident they found their way there lor.
Sigh.
Source: Darren Soh
I was on my way to send Josh to his infantcare when it suddenly started to pour; I didn’t bring an umbrella.
Even though I was about 10m away from the bus stop, the rain was too heavy for me to run back.
So I squatted down next to Josh, poor boy getting drenched in his stroller, the both of us stranded under the overhead bridge, soaking up rainwater by the minute, while passersby with umbrellas rushed by.
Then I see this taxi, stopping along Pei Wah Ave, and the uncle coming out of the driver seat to grab an umbrella from his back seat, while it was still pouring.
And then, he ran about 15m from his taxi towards me in the rain, handed me the umbrella, smiled and said, “Keep it!”
I was so shocked at his kindness and all I could muster was a mere, “Thank you,” before he ran back to his taxi, all drenched in the downpour himself. OMG.
Just wanted to share this, cos this taxi uncle is really a champ. While my social feed is usually peppered with anecdotes of nasty people doing mean things to others, this uncle really stands out and deserves a medal.
Really thanks to him, my 14-month Joshie and my 5-month baby bump were saved from being utterly soaked in the rain. Cos this hero decided it was more worthwhile to get himself drenched than to have a pregnant stranger and her child get wet.
How many people would actually stop what they’re doing, to help someone in need? More so, to needlessly get drenched in the rain, just to help someone they don’t even know? And to do it with such class, just simply rushing off, leaving me without even a glass slipper to find him? Thankfully I squinted hard enough to spy his car plate number, SH9260P! And so, I hope to find his contact if possible, cos I’ve also written in to Comfort!
So all the talk about being selfless, Mr Super Uncle of Comfort SH9260P driving along Pei Wah Ave this morning at 10am, you’re da man! Sorry I only managed to take a blur photo as he drove away so quickly. He clearly did it out of the goodness of his heart and not expecting anything in return.
But he deserves much more credit!
Source: Jolene Liow
Singaporeans have been concerned about the recent announcement by Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong that the value of older HDB flats will decline and, eventually, be worth nothing at the end of their 99-year lease.
HDB owners go into heavy debt and spend their retirement savings paying off this debt only to find that their flats decrease in value and have to be returned to the government at the end of the lease.
This doesn’t make sense.
To overcome this problem, the SDP has proposed the Non-Open Market (NOM) scheme for flats. Under this scheme, HDB will base flat prices solely on labour, materials and administrative costs. They will not contain a land cost component as State land does not cost the government any money.
Currently, the HDB factors in the cost of land which jacks up the prices of the flats making them unaffordable for Singaporeans.
Excluding the cost of State land will substantially reduce prices for HDB flats. We estimate that the prices for NOM flats will be effectively halved or more, ranging from $70,000 for 2-room flats to $240,000 for 5-room ones.
But as the name suggests, NOM flats may not be sold on the open market. Owners wanting to sell their flats will have to sell them back to the HDB at a price that will be the original purchase price less the consumed lease.
Current HDB owners will have the option of converting their flats to NOM ones. When they do this, the government will refund the amount of money based on the original purchase price from the HDB and the price of the same type of NOM flat, subject to a cap.
The difference between the current system and the SDP’s NOM scheme is that Singaporeans won’t have to spend so much of their CPF savings and income to buy their homes. This will leave them enough funds for retirement and other pursuits.
Buyers who choose to stay with the current system can continue to buy and sell their flats on the open market. They are, however, subject to the vagaries of the market and face the prospect of depleting their retirement funds by buying hugely over-priced flats.
Experts have reacted positively to the SDP’s proposal (see here, here, and here).
The current system ties up the people’s wealth in government property which, ultimately, becomes zero in value. It increases debt while reducing consumer spending and investment. This is not good for the overall economy.
The SDP believes that housing, in particular public housing, should not be a tradeable commodity. Our flats are our homes where our loved ones live in security and comfort, not profit-making ventures. The NOM scheme is consistent with this principle.
More important, it frees Singaporeans from the crushing debt burden and overcomes the unthinkable problem that our expensive flats for which we spend a lifetime paying become worthless at the end of 99 years.
For more information on this subject, please read our alternative housing policy Housing A Nation: Holistic Policies for Affordable Homes here.
Source: http://yoursdp.org
Epigram Books came under the spotlight earlier this month for a series of illustrated handbooks released by the independent local publisher.
Authored by Edmund Wee, the founder of Epigram Books, ‘The Understanding Singaporeans’ series consists of four illustrated handbooks. Each handbook contains 20 questions, with answers as well as useful tips, to some of the most asked questions young Singaporeans have revolving around the country’s four main races.
According to Epigram, the four-book bundle, each representing one ethnic community within the country, was produced with one thought in mind – “How do we respond to the most awkward questions children ask?”
Readers on the publisher’s Facebook page however, pointed out the misrepresentation between the races and its customs.
One netizen, Sharifah Husin, said, “The titles should be “Why do Hindus dot their foreheads?” and “Why do Muslims avoid Pork?”. However, since the series is meant to focus on practices unique to each of the four races, a clear understanding of the difference between race and religion must be ensured before publishing the books. Incorrect information transmitted will mislead readers, especially children, who would like to learn more. For example, Non-Hindu Indians do not dot their foreheads, while Non-Muslim Malays do not don the Hijab.”
While others appreciated the efforts put forth by Epigram Books on “opening a dialogue between races”, some also echoed Sharifah’s sentiments, pointing out that not all Indians are Hindus, and only Hindu women wear ‘bindis’ on their forehead.
Epigram Books was quick to issue a response, clearing the air and explaining their choice of words for the titles and questions asked from the four-series book.
Since the beginning of their promotions for the book series, Epigram has been receiving queries about their choice of titles, the publisher explained.
“To be honest, we had very much the same concerns while debating the merits of these titles. To alleviate those concerns, we made sure to run through the books’ content through various focus groups sourced from representative ethnic communities and associations to ensure that any sensitivities are adequately addressed,” Epigram said, in a post.
They had picked the titles that best represented “what our children can best relate to and most likely ask, not to mention that they would also grab the attention of adults enough to spark a much-needed conversation on race and religion”.
Epigram agreed that the book, meant for children between 5- to 8-year-old, can only “scratch the surface of an otherwise complex topic” but they hope that it would be an opportunity for adults to address these “awkward” questions with more confidence.
“We’d like to ask that you see the Understanding Singaporeans series with the eyes, mind and innocence of a child, so that you can understand how children might come up with these questions in the first place,” Epigram added.
The series of illustrated books can be purchased from Epigram Books website.
Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com
I am not sure how long this scene of Malaysians getting special benefits from MOM (to get EP below the salary criteria) has been going on, but it has definitely been around for at least 3 years.
I know this because my Malaysian ex-colleague in my previous company, has been holding onto her EP (renewed before too) for 3 years despite drawing lesser than the required salary, as stated on MOM’s website.
When I first got into my previous company, the boss was certainly very confident that he would be able to get me the EP with just paying me $2400. Initially I doubted him, as that was not to my knowledge and it was not openly stated anywhere on MOM’s website about this. However, when the EP came, I checked the application form which my ex-boss has filed to MOM for my work visa, and he did not lie to MOM about the salary that he would pay me monthly. It was indeed reported to MOM as 2,400, and it was approved. It came as a surprise for me, but according to my ex-colleagues, who happen to be mostly Malaysians, it was the same for them.
I believe that this may not be applicable to other nationalities.. as the Indonesians in the very same company I have mentioned above had to be under S-Pass instead. I even tried checking the self assessment tool just like the user who opened this thread, and my qualifications warrants an EP and S-Pass, whereas an Indonesian with exact same qualifications would only be able to get a S-Pass only.
Hope that this helps to give a clearer insight… Sorry if I’m reviving an inactive thread, but thought I would just like to share this information. Anyway, peace out.
https://forum.singaporeexpats.com/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=113024&p=761006#p761006
Source: www.transitioning.org