Archive for February, 2007
Singapore’s insensitive, unsympathetic rich folks
Today, I read with much amusement in the Straits Times Forum a letter sent in by a woman, who claimed that an earlier ST reader who wrote in about a doctor overcharging his grandmother for consultation on Chinese New Year should rather be grateful that the doctor charged only $42.
She claimed that even in hospitals, [...]
I don’t want to work to my death in Singapore
Today I went to the washroom at Clementi MRT station. On my way out, I noticed that the toilet attendant - an elderly man who looked in his 60s – 70s, was preparing a bowl of plain porridge to eat. I felt sorry for him, especially when I am so lucky compared to him. If my [...]
Full Speed Ahead!
Whew, it’s been quite a long while since I last blogged. Suddenly, it’s the end of the 1 week study break. It didn’t seemed like a break at all. I was working hard throughout the week, trying to catch up with schoolwork and projects. I’m still not done yet, and there’s only 1 last day [...]
Is a larger population the solution?
Already, Singapore has one of the highest (if not the highest) population density in the world. We are so crammed in our HDB flats and these are getting smaller over the decades too. MRTs are perpetually crowded to the brim with commuters and our universities’ enrolments are maxed out.
Now the government wants to grow the [...]
Freedom of speech – A fundamental right?
Today, I came across an interesting statement:
“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
- United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19
Singapore has always been seen as [...]
Foreign talents lowering wages in Singapore
I have been reading ¨The Undercover Economist¨ by Tim Harford. It offers a look at the everyday issues we face from an economist´s perspective. There is a section on the topic of immigration.
It basically says that our receptiveness to incoming immigrants is determined by our self interests. Skilled workers are more interested to have plenty [...]
Ingrateful ASEAN Scholar, Go Home!
Lest I become labelled as an “anti-establishment” blogger and get bookmarked by the ruling party’s subcommittee on New Media for some of my previous posts, it’s time for me to defend my country on the blogosphere.
I read with interest a Malaysian’s blog featured on Tomorrow.sg. This guy goes by the nickname of Mark Eleven. Apparently, [...]
Singapore’s PAP rebuts online criticisms – anonymously
Today, Reuters reported that 2 sub-committees in PAP are in charge of scouring the Internet for online criticisms of the ruling party, and to post anonymous messages to rebut those criticisms.
A minister who was interviewed went further to say that the messages were only effective if they were not “too obvious” lest they resemble “propaganda”.
Conversely, [...]
