Blog

Perlu Bayar 5 Euro Dan Daftar Pemeriksaan Online Jika Mahu Ke Negara EU

Jutaan pelancong seperti dari Singapura yang mengunjungi Eropah perlu melalui pemeriksaan keselamatan secara online dan membayar 5 euro (S$7.60) sebelum ketibaan mereka. Ini sekiranya rancangan EU untuk mengetatkan kawalannya terhadap para pengunjung asing yang tidak memerlukan visa, diluluskan.

Sistem itu, yang disarankan oleh Suruhanjaya Eksekutif Eropah hari ini (16 Nov), akan memeriksa dokumen-dokumen pengenalan dan maklumat tempat tinggal pengunjung menerusi pelbagai pangkalan data keselamatan dan jenayah Kesatuan Eropah (EU).

Diberi nama ETIAS, sistem itu juga bertujuan menangani kebimbangan rakyat Eropah berhubung rancangan memperluas perjalanan tanpa visa ke dua negara jiran, iaitu Turki dan Ukraine. ETIAS juga akan dikenakan ke atas para pengunjung dari negara-negara bukan EU di Balkan seperti Albania dan Serbia.

SERUPA DENGAN SISTEM ESTA DI AMERIKA SYARIKAT

Serupa dengan sistem ESTA Amerika Syarikat (AS), sistem ETIAS akan menjejas rakyat dari 60 negara yang boleh mengunjungi 26 negara di Eropah yang tidak memerlukan pasport bagi perjalanan singkat tanpa perlu memohon visa terlebih dahulu, termasuk rakyat Amerika, Jepun dan bergantung kepada aturan yang ditetapkan London untuk keluar dari EU – mungkin rakyat Britain juga.

Sistem ESTA Amerika, yang sah selama dua tahun, berharga AS$14 (S$20) manakala sistem yang serupa di Kanada, eTA, yang sah selama lima tahun berharga AS$5.21 (S$7.40).

Menyusuli serangan ISIS ke atas Perancis dan Belgium dan kekecohan berkaitan ketibaan ratusan pendatang dan pelarian di Greece, eksekutif itu berharap pemeriksaan sedemikian akan menutup kelemahan-kelemahan di sempadan terhadap anggota militan, penjenayah dan pendatang-pendatang haram pada masa akan datang.

“Keutamaan kami adalah memastikan keselamatan sempadan dan rakyat kami. ETIAS akan menutupi jurang maklumat menerusi silang pemeriksaan maklumat para pengunjung yang tidak menggunakan visa dengan semua sistem-sistem yang lain,” kata Timbalan Ketua Suruhanjaya, Naib Presiden Pertama Frans Timmermans.

“Dalam pada itu, ETIAS lebih mudah, cepat, murah dan berkesan,” tambah beliau lagi.

TUNGGU LAMPU HIJAU PARLIMEN EROPAH

Skim tersebut kini memerlukan kelulusan daripada pemerintah dan Parlimen Eropah.

Ia adalah sistem yang diharapkan dapat dibiayai sendiri menerusi yuran permohonan.

Suruhanjaya itu menganggarkan kos penubuhannya adalah sekitar 200 juta euro manakala kos penyenggaraannya 85 juta euro.

Tujuannya adalah untuk memberikan kebanyakan pengunjung, dalam masa beberapa minit online, pelepasan bagi seberapa banyak perjalanan sepanjang tempoh lima tahun.

Sekalipun begitu ia boleh dibatalkan pada bila-bila masa jika terdapat sebarang keprihatinan.

Mereka yang menolak sistem tersebut boleh membuat rayuan.

Para pegawai EU berharap ia dapat dilaksanakan setelah diluluskan menjelang awal dekad seterusnya.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

November 17, 2016
Tour Bus Passenger In Coma After Being Hit On Head

A Swiss man who has lived in Singapore for the past six years was injured in a freak accident while on an open-top double-decker bus on Oct 29.

The New Paper understands that Mr David Vassart, who is in his late 20s, is a relationship manager and an assistant vice-president at Credit Suisse, a Swiss-based financial services company.

He was injured after he was hit on the head by an unknown object while standing on the upper deck of an open-top FunVee Wow Night Tour bus.

The double-decker bus is run by City Tours and takes passengers on tours of historic sites and museums.

The route starts at Gardens by the Bay, passes by Merlion Park and ends at Bugis Street.

COMA

TNP understands that Mr Vassart, who is from Geneva and married with a daughter, is in a coma and on life support at the Singapore General Hospital.

When contacted, a City Tours spokesman said the company had given details of the incident to the authorities and declined to comment further.

The Embassy of Switzerland also declined to comment.

One of Mr Vassart’s friends, who declined to be named, told TNP: “We were shocked when we heard about the accident a couple of days later. We’ve always known David to be a fun guy who likes to party.”

His LinkedIn profile said he moved to Singapore in 2010 to be an account manager with Credit Suisse.

Source: The New Paper

November 17, 2016
Court Dismisses Moneylender’s Bid To Bankrupt Debtor Charged 240% Annual Interest Rate

The High Court has quashed a moneylender’s bid to bankrupt a debtor who had borrowed $350,000 on an annual interest rate of 240 per cent – a ruling that could cause ripples in the moneylending industry.

Mr Ang Boon Kim, sole proprietor of ABK Leasing, had applied to bankrupt company director Goh Meng Leong, who in 2014 took out two unsecured loans totalling $350,000. Despite having paid back $700,000 – twice the principal sum – in instalments between December 2014 and September last year, Mr Goh still owed nearly $900,000.

That meant his initial $350,000 loan had grown to $1.6 million, including around $1.25 million in interest and late fees.

Mr Goh had agreed to interest of 240 per cent a year or 20 per cent monthly, with late interest at the same rate and a late fee of $10,000 every time payment was missed.

At issue in court was whether the moneylender could treat Mr Goh’s repayments as settling the interest first, rather than the principal borrowed. If so, the principal sum would continue to incur the 240 per cent interest. The court can also intervene if the interest is excessive and the deal is substantially unfair.

Assistant Registrar Jacqueline Lee set aside the bankruptcy application in the closed-door session and ordered Mr Ang to pay $1,500 in costs to Mr Goh.

It is understood she considered, among other things, that Mr Goh’s repayments should first be applied towards reducing the principal sum, and not just to satisfy the interest due.

ABK Leasing declined comment.

Both men had inked the contract before changes to the Moneylenders Act took effect on Oct 1 last year. The changes limit the maximum interest rate moneylenders can charge to 4 per cent a month, regardless of the borrower’s income.

Before then, such loan terms as the ones for Mr Goh were allowed for borrowers earning at least $30,000 a year. His maximum loan amount was also unlimited as his declared annual income of $599,250 was above the stipulated $120,000 threshold, according to papers filed through East Asia Law.

The loans were on “open monthly” terms, meaning the borrower could keep the loan open by opting to pay only the interest.

But Mr Goh’s lawyer, Mr Sarbrinder Singh of Sanders Law, pointed out that his client had already paid about $700,000 which went towards the payment of the $350,000 principal sum and the interest. He said ABK was wrong in claiming it was used only towards interest due.

He argued it was not for Mr Ang to unilaterally decide which payments were used to settle the principal sum and which for interest.

He urged the court to set aside the deal as the 240 per cent interest rates were “exorbitant”and the contract was ” unconscionable”.

Mr Goh, 36, who shuttles between Singapore and London for his business in electronic recycling, said he was relieved, having had to sell his HDB flat to settle the payments.

Source: The Straits Times

November 17, 2016
Ustaz Abd Al-Halim: Siapa Rakan Kita Menunjukkan Budi Pekerti Kita

AsSalaam’alaikum!

Kenapa ramai diantara Muslimin jijik dengan sesiapa yang bergambar dengan Netanyahu?

Kerana kita sering diajar oleh ulama kita serta ibu-bapa kita berhati-hati dengan siapa kita berkawan. Kita selalu di nasihatkan berhati-hati siapakah yang kita dampingi dan siapa kita jadikan kawan akrab. Benarlah kata-kata S. Ali r.a. – Jika kamu mahu tahu budi-pekerti seseorang itu, lihat lah kepada siapa dia berkawan.

Ulama dahulu sungguh berjaga-jaga elakkan diri daripada bersekongkol dengan orang-orang yang tidak elok budi-pekertinya malah mereka berhati-hati tidak mahu sedikit pun dikaitkan dengan sesiapa yang tidak baik lagi-lagi dengan mereka-mereka yang akhlaknya buruk atau tidak beradab. Wallahu’alam!

Source: Ustaz Abd Al-Halim

November 17, 2016
Peminat Singapura Taja Sepenuhnya Persandingan Ke-3 Amar Baharin Dan Amyra Rosli

Pasangan pelakon popular yang bak pinang dibelah dua, Amar Baharin dan Amyra Rosli, akan diraikan dalam satu majlis persandingan di Singapura.

Majlis itu yang akan berlangsung pada 3 Disember nanti, merupakan yang ketiga bagi pasangan tersebut dan ia ditaja sepenuhnya oleh para peminat mereka di Singapura.

Menurut Amyra Rosli, 25 tahun, beliau terkejut apabila diberitahu majlis yang ketiga itu akan diuruskan sepenuhnya oleh kelab peminat mereka di Singapura, lapor laman Astro Gempak.

“Kami tidak sangka juga apabila diberitahu peminat di Singapura yang mereka bakal adakan sebuah majlis persandingan untuk kami di sana.

“Mereka uruskan semua tajaan dan hal perkahwinan kami sepenuhnya dan hanya meminta kami datang untuk menghadirinya sahaja,” kata Amyra seperti yang ditukil laman Astro Gempak.

“Apa yang kami diberitahu mereka mendapat tajaan sepenuhnya untuk kami dari baju pengantin hinggalah ke seluruh majlis dan katering.

“Peminat kami sangat menyokong dan kami amat menghargai segala usaha mereka lakukan ini. Kami anggap ini rezeki,” katanya.

Menurut laporan Astro Gempak lagi, majlis persandingan itu dianjurkan oleh dua kelab peminat di Singapura iaitu Amyra Rosli Supporter dan Amar Baharin Official Page (ABOP).

Amar dan Amyra sudahpun dinikahkan oleh bapa pengantin perempuan dalam satu majlis gah di Hotel Primiera Kuala Lumpur pada 11 November lalu.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

November 17, 2016