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  • Parents Of Malaysian Students In Singapore Considering Options Due To Higher Costs

    Parents Of Malaysian Students In Singapore Considering Options Due To Higher Costs

    JOHOR BARU – Thousands of parents whose children are schooling in Singapore will have to fork out more, not just because of the weakening ringgit, but also due to the increase in school fees beginning next year.

    Many of them are now scouting for local private or international schools as the school fees and transportation cost have now come up to almost RM2,000 per child per month.

    More than 10,000 children from Johor brave predawn and afternoon traffic jams at the Causeway to attend school in Singapore.

    They are picked up at designated areas around the city by about 4.30am to 5am so that they can make it in time for school which starts at 7.10am.

    Housewife V. Meena, 47, whose two children are studying in the island republic, said it would now cost her an additional S$120 (RM360) for both her children.

    “One of my sons is in primary and another in secondary school there,” she said, adding that her younger child’s new fees would be S$370 (RM1,110), S$20 (RM60) more while fees for her elder child would be S$550 (RM1,650), an increase of S$100 (RM300).

    Meena said she would have to look at other options such as putting them in local private or international schools.

    “Whatever I do, I need to think about them as surely they will miss their schoolmates whom they are close to,” she said.

    Lawyer L.M. Looi, 46, said he too was looking at other options for his son who is in Primary 5 in Singapore.

    “It is not just the increase in school fees next year, but the cost of transportation has also gone up to almost RM900 per month this year,” he said.

    Gregory Lui, 47, said that his son would be going to secondary school and the S$100 increase to S$550 per month would be a burden.

    “When my son started in Primary One, we were paying about S$125 per month. The fees seem to be always increasing,” he said.

    Lui is also considering Malaysian private or international schools in the state.

    Another parent who wanted to be known as Mrs Chang, 39, said she would have to bear with the increase as it was too late to take out her 11-year-old son.

    “My 13-year-old son, who was initially there, opted to come back to Malaysia as he was unable to cope with the stress of studying there. He is now studying in an international school here,” she said, adding that she pays about RM1,300 per month for his school fees.

    Singapore’s Ministry of Education in a statement on Tuesday announced that it would be revising the school fees for students who are Permanent Residents (PRs) and international students (IS) in government and government-aided schools from January 2016.

    The increase is part of its periodic review of school fees and to further differentiate fees by citizenship.

    Fees will increase by between S$20 (RM60)and S$60 (RM180) per month for PR students and by between S$20 and S$150 (RM450) per month for IS.

    School fees for Singapore citizens remain unchanged – it is free at primary level, S$5 (RM15) for secondary level and S$6 (RM18) for pre-university level.

     

    Source: http://news.asiaone.com

  • Activities To Do In Malaysia Over The Weekend

    Activities To Do In Malaysia Over The Weekend

    The main difference between Singaporeans and Malaysians is this: One is “divide by 2.5”, the other is “multiply by 2.5”. Any other aspect is almost similar: the language, the complaints about the weather, the “got free gift?” face we show to the sales assistant.

    Every weekend, the causeway will be jammed because Singaporeans head north to Malaysia. No matter what their purpose is, there are the things that, despite how early or late it is, Singaporeans will definitely do.

    Have breakfast, bunch, lunch, tea, dinner, supper and late-night supper

    Whatever you can find in Malaysia, you can find in Singapore. The only difference is the “divide by 2.5”. While taste is very subjective, the “divide by 2.5” is absolute. Therefore, we can conclude that the “divide by 2.5” is the main reason why we do that, not because of the taste.

    But to be fair, sometimes, the food at Malaysia better lah.

    Buy groceries

    Have you seen those middle-aged women stocking up on discount stuff in NTUC? Well, if they’re in a Malaysia supermarket, they’ll stock up everything in the supermarket, because after “divide by 2.5”, everything becomes a discount item. If possible, they might even buy the entire shopping centre.

    Buy chewing gum and cigarettes

    The law says that we can’t buy them. But honestly speaking, if one doesn’t buy one bottle of chewing gum and one pack of cigarettes back to Singapore, people would wonder whether you go to the City Square at Farrer Park MRT Station (Singapore) or the City Square at Johor Babru (Malaysia).

    Pump petrol (for drivers)

    You don’t just do the “divide by 2.5” with petrol. You just pump without looking at the price. You don’t even give a damn about what card have what discount. You just pump, for you know it’s always cheaper. Even when you just need to pump one litre, just do it. Even if it cost more to drive into a petrol station, you just do it. Pumping petrol in Malaysia is in Singaporeans’ blood.

    Wash car (for drivers)

    Let me illustrate this for non-drivers:
    A car wash in Singapore is about SGD$7 and they just throw soap and water at the exterior of your car and wipe them off—all done within five minutes.

    A car wash in Malaysia is about RM 8 (do the “divide by 2.5” now!!) and they take about forty-five minutes to clean everything—including your seat. Sometimes, after a wash, you might not recognize your car.

    Bonus: one thing Singaporeans don’t do in Malaysia
    Have a meal in McDonald’s. I mean, what the hell?

     

    Source: www.lowkayhwa.com

  • Malaysia Likely To Price VEP At RM20

    Malaysia Likely To Price VEP At RM20

    The prospect of having to pay more than double what they are currently forking out to drive across the Causeway has jolted Singaporean motorists into saying they will drastically reduce the frequency of their trips up north.

    Although the RM20 (S$7.55) Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) fee that Malaysia plans to charge for foreign-registered vehicles entering the country from around the middle of next year is less than half the RM50 figure bandied about previously, drivers say cost savings from shopping in Malaysia — already slashed as a result of toll hikes imposed by both countries since Oct 1— will be negligible with the latest VEP charge.

    Malaysian daily New Straits Times, quoting the country’s Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi, reported last Saturday that the details of the VEP fee implementation for foreign vehicles, including the installation of charging devices, are being worked out. Once completed, the fee will be levied at the Causeway and the Second Link, said the minister, adding that Malaysia is also mulling over the implementation of the fee for vehicles entering from Thailand and Brunei.

    The charges for Singaporean drivers crossing the Causeway recently increased by more than five times from RM2.90 to RM16.50, after higher toll rates kicked in on Aug 1 at the Johor Baru Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex.

    Two months later, Singapore raised the toll charges at the Woodlands Checkpoint to S$6.50.

    With the new VEP fee imposed by Malaysia, Singaporean drivers would have to pay more than S$20 for a round trip to Johor.

    Freelance videographer Edwin Cheng, 32, who drives to Johor at least once a week to buy groceries and pump petrol, said he was shocked and disappointed by the third round of hikes.

    “I used to be able to save up to 40 per cent for a full tank of petrol and up to 20 per cent for groceries in Johor. Now, it would make no difference if I pumped petrol and did my grocery shopping in Singapore,” he said.

    Mr Cheng added that he would cut back on trips to Johor once the new VEP fee kicks in and would also stay there for longer periods so he can do more things.

    Student relations officer Rosnah Hussain, 30, shared the same sentiment. Before the toll hikes, she would drive to Johor at least thrice a week to buy groceries, go for massages and pump petrol.

    Ms Rosnah added: “After the (toll) hikes, I go (to Johor) only once every two weeks. Once the VEP fee is imposed, I don’t think I will go so often, it is too expensive.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com