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Malay Woman Seeks Hongbao Help From Gilbert Goh

Hi Gilbert

I heard you are giving $100 Ang bao to people who need it ya.

Well… I do need it as my hubby is the only breadwinner with basic pay of $1380 per month.

We have two boys.. age of 7 yrs old & 8 yrs old.

We can’t afford to pay school bus which cost $58/per person per month.

I will personally send my boys to school everyday by bus.

Every Monday my elder son will start at 9.45am until 6.30pm as my boys are in the afternoon session.

After I send my elder son.. I need to go home to get my 2nd son ready for school. So i must reach the school before 12pm as my 1st son will be out for lunch @12pm.

After that I will go home, cook & wait and at about 6pm I will be out to fetch my boys.

My 2nd son also will have morning session every Friday.

For Monday & Friday I will travel by bus 6 times a day just to fetch my boys to school.

On Tuesday-Thursday I will only travel 4 times a day. I have to make sure that our EZ link has sufficient amount if not we will just walk home with me carrying two school bags.

By the way for your info…my 2nd son is a asthma patient and every 3 months he will have his check up @KKH. His next appointment on April.

We don’t own any flat as we are still waiting for any balance flat.

Right now we stay in a rental flat 1-room 1-hall with my younger brother & his family.

I will send you pictures how our living condition is. Thank you & good night.

Tanti Mohd

Editor’s note: we will transfer our Chinese new year charity angpao of $100 to the needy family – regardless of race, language and religion.

Source: Gilbert Goh

February 16, 2015
Warning: Hidden-Cam Menace On The Prowl In Singapore

The Real Singapore has been alerted to a blog online which is showcasing many illegally taken videos of upskirt shots around Singapore.

The videos featured on the blog also show feeds from spycams in the female changing rooms of malls in Singapore.

In many instances, the victims are young girls.

We would like to remind our readers to be very careful and aware of your surroundings when in public and to check the changing rooms that they use. It seems that even public toilet cublices are not safe as the blog features videos of women using public toilets.

None of the videos bother the censor the face of the victims and they are proudly uploaded online.

The serial up skirt videographer has taken videos on Singapore buses, shopping mall escalators and even stairs along sheltered walkways:

He has then uploaded them online in a huge collection onto his tumblr blog.

The videos on the blog also show some instances where girls have been video taped in public toilets showing girls peeing and from the background voices it is clear that it took place in Singapore.

The blog is even shared on social media for all to see.

Ladies, please be careful. The police have already been alerted to the blog but we wanted to remind women to be extra careful.

Always be aware of your surroundings when using public toilets and changing rooms and always keep a look out for pinhole cameras or suspicious objects.

Please Note: The name of the blog has purposely been left out of this post. If you do know which blog this is or come across it in future, please do not share the link further with others as this may be illegal and can further distress the victims whose faces are not censored.

Source: www.therealsingapore.com

February 16, 2015
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
AHPETC Saga: Separate The Facts From The Myths

Know the facts from the myths in the AHPETC saga…

Myth:
The TC Secretary and its General Manager, who are the main directors and shareholders of the Managing Agent (MA) are freely being given contracts without tender and paying themselves handsomely without accountability.

Fact:
The MA has no decision-making power in relation to the award of tenders. Tenders are awarded by a Tenders & Contracts Committee consisting of Members of Parliament and appointed Councillors with no interest whatsoever in the MA.

The MA is not involved in evaluating any tender in which it is participating. When the MA and EMSU (essential maintenance services unit) tenders are involved, the MA is excluded from the deliberations.

Myth:
AHPETC has shown disrespect to auditors or Parliament for not submitting documents as requested.

Fact:
Throughout the audit, thousands of documents were provided. For example, more than 16,481 payment vouchers were produced.

In Appendix C of the AGO report (p.3, Attachment 2), Members will see there is just one out of 22 requests outstanding. In Attachment 3, just three out of 75 are outstanding.

Myth:
The Secretary and General Manager issued invoices, certified work done and approved and signed cheques to FMSS. Appendix C Attachment 1 and its total amount for 84 invoices of $6.6 million has been the subject of a front page headline on 9 February 2015. The Lian He Wan Bao headline entitled: “TC Secretary and GM pay their own company $6.6 million”

Fact:
The TC adopted an SOP on 8 September 2011, soon after the new management took over.

It was the policy that no cheque to FMSS, of whatever amount, could be issued unless either the TC Chairman or one of the Vice-Chairmen co-signed the cheque.

Thus, it was not possible for FMSS to pay itself unless authorised by the TC Chair or Vice-Chair, who have no interest in FMSS whatsoever.

Myth:
In the TC’s audit for FY 12, our auditors put in a disclaimer that because the project management fee details were not disclosed in the Financial Statements, they were unable to determine the completeness of the related party disclosures

Fact:
There was no clarity of practice in the financial statements of Town Councils. For instance, the same auditors audited us in FY 11, and only required a related party disclosure of the MA fees. The former Aljunied Town Council management also had related parties, and yet there were no related party transaction disclosures in Financial Statements, which had no disclaimers.

Source: The Alternative View

February 16, 2015