Tag: SG50

  • Singaporean Heroes Rescued Woman Trapped In Car During Holiday In Iceland

    Singaporean Heroes Rescued Woman Trapped In Car During Holiday In Iceland

    An Icelandic woman was saved by four Singaporeans after her car turned turtle in an accident in icy road conditions.

    But she could not remember anything about the Singaporeans or the dramatic rescue on a road about 40km east of the capital Reykjavik on Tuesday. The rescue was caught on video.

    When she finally saw the video, shot by one of the four Singaporeans who helped, she said she cried.

    Miss Audur Gisladottir, 21, who works in a nail salon, was on her way to meet a friend in Hverageroi, a town in the south of Iceland when the accident happened.

    She can remember listening to US band Korn as she drove in her red 2008 Toyota Yaris behind a big truck that day.

    Miss Gisladottir told TNP: “I was driving at 90kmh when I suddenly lost control of the car and hit a sign.

    “I think the car rolled three times and I broke the window with my head.”

    The car landed on its roof at the road side, with Miss Gisladottir hanging upside down from her seat, held up by her seat belt.

    She said: “I got a big wound on my head, a lot of broken glass went inside of my body and I sprained my back and neck.”

    She was admitted to the hospital for nine hours and did not suffer any long-term injuries.

    The Singaporeans saw her car overturn and rushed to help, as she screamed.

    They helped her out but she cannot remember them as she was drifting in and out of consciousness, she said.

    She said: “I kind of remember everything except after the car stopped. I do not remember screaming and crying like in the video.”

    The video of the rescue has gone viral, with more than 4,600 views on Facebook.

    Mr Muhammad Syahidin, 27, who goes by Denda Maradona on Facebook, posted the video on the day of the accident.(See report below.)

    Netizens hailed them as heroes for their bravery and quick-thinking.

    Miss Gisladottir had no clue about the video, and its rising popularity.

    SAVIOURS: (Above) The friends who rescued Miss Gisladottir were in Iceland for a holiday. PHOTOS: FACEBOOK/MOHD SAH

    She found out about it only when she was interviewed by a reporter from Icelandic news website Stundin.

    When asked about how she felt when she saw it, she said: “I was really sad about what had happened and I cried when I first saw the video.

    “I am thankful that I survived with no serious injuries.

    “I am also very thankful that they (her rescuers) were there and came to rescue me, even though I don’t remember them.”

    Sheposted on Facebook photographs of the accident and of herself in the hospital bed on Tuesday.

    She said thank you in Icelandic to the people who rescued her and the hospital staff.

    Mr Muhammad Syahidin and his friends had arrived in Iceland on Nov 15, for an 11-day trip to catch the Northern Lights.

    One of the friends, Mr Salihin Idderos, reposted Ms Gisladottir’s post on Facebook, saying: “Glad she’s OK.”

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg 

  • Singapore – More Pleasant Than Hong Kong?

    Singapore – More Pleasant Than Hong Kong?

    Whoever thinks Hong Kong is a cool place should take a look at Singapore because it is a mini paradise and an efficient one at that.

    Yes, the heat is unbearable, which is odd when you think of Christmas in Hong Kong, but it didn’t ruin our family holiday. We were happy. No sweat.

    But it seems nothing is “free” in Singapore. I mean free speech, for instance, is not really free.

    There are too many rules but compared with Hong Kong in general, Singapore stacks up rather well.

    It’s also smart.

    Catching an air-conditioned double decker is a pleasant experience which is multiplied when you see a digital display of how many seats are available in the upper deck.

    Driving in Orchard Road, you’re struck by digital signages that show the number of available parking spaces in major malls.

    These conveniences are just some of the little things you’ll fall in love with.

    I know some Hong Kong startups that are planning to develop an app that shows this kind parking data but they’re being hampered by difficulties including a lack of a proper business model.

    In Singapore, these apps are free.

    I wouldn’t be surprised if Singapore, already a popular stop in the Formula One circuit, will be the cradle of the driverless car.

    I’m sure the Ferrari and Lamborghini drivers I happened to bump into at the South Beach Hotel would have no objections.

    Big data works best in a small city.

    Look at how well Singapore organised itself to farewell its founder, Lee Kuan Yew, when he died in March.

    Lee left behind a proud nation which is often compared with Hong Kong, with its can-do spirit, but often comes out on top.

    Singapore taxi drivers, unlike many of their Hong Kong peers, have so much positive energy to share about their city.

    One of them asked us if we had seen a beggar.

    No, we said, why? Because the government knows when people are unemployed, he said.

    The government helps them find shelter and a job that pays S$800 (HK$4,385) a month.

    Singaporeans can use their pension fund to pay for a public housing flat, which in general is about twice the size of a Hong Kong apartment.

    If you’re curious if mainlanders cause any trouble there, the short answer is no, according to two drivers we spoke to.

    We haven’t seen any obscene things either in the five times we have spent a holiday there.

    Yes, Singapore is a small, smart and super.

     

    Source: www.ejinsight.com

  • Charles Chong: Handover of Punggol East Accounts From WP ‘On Track’

    Charles Chong: Handover of Punggol East Accounts From WP ‘On Track’

    The handover of Punggol East Single-Member Constituency’s accounts from the Workers’ Party (WP)-run Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) to Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council has been progressing, and both parties are eager to “move on”, said Punggol East Member of Parliament Charles Chong on Wednesday (Oct 7).

    The handover is on track to be completed before Dec 1, which is the Ministry of National Development’s (MND) deadline, he said.

    By then, Punggol East will be managed by the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council.

    “I think both sides are aiming for a good settlement so that we can move on. I don’t think it is in their interest — neither is it in ours — to drag this on. And it’s definitely not in the interest of the residents,” said Mr Chong, adding that he will request for the MND to restore its grants after getting a “clean set of accounts”.

    The MND has withheld two years of Government grants, totaling about S$14 million, from the former Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council, saying it has no guarantee the money would be used properly.

    During the General Election campaigning, the People’s Action Party (PAP) and the WP had disputed the estate’s financial position following the 2013 by-election, with the PAP claiming there was a surplus when Punggol East was handed over to WP, while WP claimed there was a deficit.

    To facilitate the handover, the AHTC has engaged an external auditor to audit Punggol East’s accounts from Apr 1. “Too many figures were thrown back and forth during the election,” said Mr Chong, who hopes the experts can reach an amiable conclusion promptly.

    “Everybody gave different snapshots of the same account. Everybody can more or less justify what they say, depending on the point in time when the thing happened. I suppose during election everybody sort of tries to use it to their advantage, (the) result of which causes more confusion than clarity.

    “Now that election is over … let the experts work it out, and see how it goes,” he said. “What happened in the past, I’m really not interested. I am just interested in what is due back to us.”

    Parties will meet later this week for an update. In the General Election last month, Mr Chong defeated the WP’s candidate and incumbent Lee Li Lian to win Punggol East back for the People’s Action Party.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Court Application Filed On Lee Kuan Yew Interview Agreement With Government

    Court Application Filed On Lee Kuan Yew Interview Agreement With Government

    The executors of the estate of Mr Lee Kuan Yew have filed an application seeking guidance from the Courts on proper interpretation of an interview agreement between the late Mr Lee and the Government.

    The court application was filed by Mr Lee’s younger children, Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang, on Sep 2 and a pre-trial conference was held on Tuesday (Sep 22).

    The agreement relates to the custody and use of certain interviews given by Mr Lee, Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, to the Oral History Department, a spokesperson for the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said.

    The Government will establish the proper interpretation and status of the agreement before the Court, the AGC added.

    The next pre-trial conference will be held on Oct 27.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • Ang Yong Guan: Transferred Gratitude May Explain Vote Swing

    Ang Yong Guan: Transferred Gratitude May Explain Vote Swing

    I have been reflecting on this big swing towards PAP in GE2015. There is one factor which stands out in my mind: giving PM Lee and PAP a massive mandate as a way of honouring his late father. I call it transferred gratitude.

    This swing of 10% happened in spite of 1) cooperation amongst opposition parties to avoid 3-cornered fights, 2) opposition fielding quality candidates, 3) huge turnout at opposition rallies and 4) post 2011 momentum towards having more Opposition MPs in Parliament? Many have also spoken about the positive impact of SG50, LKY legacy, goodies, PAP making changes in response to GE2011, fear of opposition taking over at this stage and the impending worsening of the world economy.

    The attempt to separate father (SG40; the first 40 years) and son (SG10; the last 10 years) to show their differences did not work either because it was not adequately publicised in the main stream media or it did not resonate well with voters. An overwhelming sense of transferred gratitude thus prevailed. Seeing PM Lee’s photograph all over the island aroused nostalgia and strong emotional feelings in the voters towards his late father who had passed away less than 6 months ago. Hence, the transferred gratitude: a vote for him was a vote for his father.

    If transferred gratitude is indeed the main factor, then all other factors pale in comparison. Is there a need to analyse too deeply why opposition fared so badly in the presence of the emotionally-charged transferred gratitude which defies logic? That is why this nation-wide massive swing took everyone by surprise.

    Given another 5 years, in GE2020, will people give PM Lee and PAP this advantage of transferred gratitude?

     

    Source: Ang Yong Guan