PAP Need To Change Mindset Towards Marriage

PAP Need To Change Mindset Towards Marriage and giving birth, before they lose another GRC in the next election.

publeak:
Its a question of what the government should not have done rather what
it could do, the current education system puts a lot of stress on the
children and the parents. Housing prices are too high and the cost of
living is ever increasing. The government should first remove the
forced learning of a 2nd language making it a optional subject
many parents will be happy not teaching their children a alien
language which they dont use it themselves.
The cost of living should be brought under control through real
government subsidy in health care and housing.
What we really need is the government to change its mindset.
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S'poreans need to change mindset towards marriage: Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE: A change in mindset may be needed in the attitude of
Singaporeans towards marriage, said Acting Minister for Community
Development, Youth and Sports Major General (NS) Chan Chun Sing.

He added that while the government can drive a pro-family environment,
it is up to the people to believe in the "intangible ideals" of
marriage.

He was speaking at the Family Day Out Carnival on Saturday at this
year's National Family Celebrations, which saw more youth
participation.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who was also at the event, said
employers should also play a part by putting in place pro-family
policies at the workplace. He also highlighted the role of community
and commercial providers in offering family support services.

Lim Soon Hock, Co-Chairperson of the National Family Celebrations
organising committee, said: "We are seeing a lot of youths
participating in this family day out. And they're here with their
families, with their grandparents. Some of them are even with their
younger siblings.

"So I think in terms of getting our youth engaged in the family scene
and as key stakeholders for future families, I'm particularly
delighted."

It is a sign of hope amidst a recent gloomy statistic that fewer
people are getting married. While the government promises to play its
part in helping more Singaporeans settle down, it also boils down to
attitudes.

MG Chan said: "There are some other things that are less tangible that
we have to encourage - the attitude that we look at families,
children, what are the conditions required for us to start a family,
so on and so forth.

"Personally, I would say that when I got married, it wasn't like all
the stars, moon and sun were aligned and then, 'This is the day we get
married'. It's a commitment between me and my wife to say, regardless
of what happens in the future, we want to work things through
together."

As the month-long celebrations draw to a close, the National Family
Celebrations organising committee hopes the younger generation will
continue to recognise the roles they play in their families

PRC Got Bashed by S'porean Chinese for Beating a Malay

It’s Singaporean vs others

By Seah Chiang Nee
THE current wave of migrant workers from China and India has had an unintended side benefit for Singapore, blurring differences between local Chinese and Malays.

The new competition they introduced into the workforce has helped to get these once quarrelling races to put aside old discords and jointly face the common challenge.

In the 60s and 70s, ethnic conflicts were a daily story in Singapore generally over who should get a bigger piece of the economic pie. Every issue seemed to revolve around race.

The impact of globalisation and the mass inflow of foreigners are helping the Chinese and Malays achieve commonality faster than anything else.

It has promoted a common bond – as well as a sense of nationalism – which would have been a lot slower without the 2,000,000 foreigners.

In the latest example, Singapore’s Chinese majority rallied to condemn a Chinese migrant worker after he roughed up a Malay citizen and boasted about it online.

Zhou Hou, a 24-year-old delivery worker, bragged in Facebook how he knocked down a Singaporean “because he saw me coming and did not give way” and calling Singa-poreans “retards”.

It probably showed his cocky dislike for Singaporeans in general, rather than any particular race.

Zhou has since deleted the post (with his photo) and made several apologies to Singaporeans, claiming it was done on the spur of his “frustrations”.

With a history of ethnic riots, racial harmony has always been Singapore’s priority objective, something that not many new migrants from China and India are aware of.

“Those retards who want to act ‘garang’ step forward. I come here not to be bullied or insulted – from a true noble Chinese with 5,000 years of cultural baptism,” Zhou wrote, with a tinge of ethnic superiority.

If he thought he would be supported by the Chinese here he was wrong. Several Singaporeans immediately filed police reports against his remarks. Police are now investigating the case.

Since independence, a new generation of Singaporeans – especially Chi-nese and Malays – have grown up and had gone to schools, lived and served national service together.

The integration has stabilised things but race differences have never completely disappeared.

In the early days, it was normal to see Chinese Singaporeans cheering football teams from China when they played here against Singapore which comprised mostly of Malay players.

Once as a teenager, I watched some 8,000 local Indians rooting for a visiting Indian team against our state side. Singapore was then far from being a nation despite military service and years of National Day Parades.

To the Malays, Chinese and Indians were taking their jobs away – and vice versa. Language, social norms and even food became contentious issues.

But as foreigners flocked to our shores, Malays along with other races gradually became more preoccupied with the “foreign threat” to their jobs and earnings.

Instead of viewing each other with suspicion as their parents once did, the Chinese and Malays have become more concerned about losing out to the foreigners.

The Government had apparently opened the doors to so many mainland Chinese and Indians because it believed that they would be more culturally acceptable to the locals.

The major question was whether the minority Malays would object to the inflow from India and China.

As history turned out, the racial dimension to the immigration did not materialise because the policy was widely opposed by the vast majority of Singaporeans.

When the Malays saw their fellow Singaporeans – particularly Chinese – were staunch critics, they were somewhat reassured that it was not a racial issue, said a polytechnic lecturer.

“A race conflict could have happened had the local Chinese rooted for more immigrants from China and Singaporean Indians wanted more mainland Indians,” the academician said. But that never occured.

On the contrary, the angriest condemnation of the influx of Chinese and Indian workers were the local Chinese and Indians respectively.

It removed a potential racial sting when the minority Malays and In-dians found that they were not opposing the policy by themselves.

I had noticed over the years that Singaporean Chinese were more vo-cal in condemning the policy than the Malays. The same applies to the local Indians against the inflow of job-seeking professionals from India.

The Zhou Hou incident, sensitive because it touched on race, has shown how well Singaporeans have integrated.

An online discussion on whether the Chinese here would help a Malay if he was assaulted by a Chinese mainlander produced a largely “yes” answer and the following sample comments.

> “I feel closer to my Malay and Indian Singaporean brothers whom I grew up with, whom I served national service (NS) with, than some mainland Chinese.”

> “I am a Singaporean Chinese. Any Chinese foreigner who dares to assault my Malay Singaporean bro-ther will have to answer to my fist. We Singaporean Chinese and Malays did NS together. Chinese or not Chinese, the fact is we are Singa-poreans.”

> “I am not a racist but I am most certainly a nationalist. In the event of a dispute between a foreigner and a Singaporean, whether he is Chinese, Malay, Indian or Eurasian, I will take the side of the Singaporean 99% of the time.”

> “It is heartening to see so many brothers standing up for our local ‘Mats’ (Malays) against bullying foreigners including from China and India. Life with our local ‘Mats’ went a long way from kampung days.”

At one stage the minorities were fearful that immigration could turn Singapore into a “province of China”. Nevertheless, Singaporeans seem to say: “No way – not now, not ever.” – The Star

Tony Tan vs Tan Cheng Bok vs Tan Kin Lian

Tan Cheng Bock and Tan Kin Lian question Tony Tan's independence
Dr Tony Tan's likely opponents in coming election point out his links to PAP, GIC
by Satish Cheney Updated 06:11 PM Jun 24, 2011
SINGAPORE - Dr Tony Tan's two likely opponents in the coming Presidential Election have questioned the former Deputy Prime Minister's independence.

Yesterday, former PAP Member of Parliament Tan Cheng Bock wrote on his Facebook page that he welcomed Dr Tony Tan's decision to put himself forward. He wrote: "Now Singaporeans have a chance to vote. Whoever gets voted must have the full confidence of Singaporeans in terms of integrity, fairplay and unquestionable independence."

When contacted, he told Today: "When you talk about safeguarding reserves, you must have an independent mind ... (Dr Tony Tan) is currently the vice-chairman and executive director of GIC, surely you put two-and-two together ... how independent can he be?"

Adding that Singaporeans are "smart voters", he said: "They want to make sure things are in proper order ... any evidence there is a big question mark on the independence of that individual, they would carefully examine that individual, be it Tony or whoever. They want fairness."

Ex-NTUC Income CEO Tan Kin Lian noted that Dr Tony Tan "has been closely connected with the PAP Government for about 20 years".

He said: "He had served as a Cabinet Minister in many ministries during his illustrious political career and had been closely associated with many of the policies that were implemented by the Government. He would represent a good choice for Singaporeans who prefer to see stability and continuity in the past and current policies of the Government."

The candidacies of all three presidential hopefuls are subject to the approval of the Presidential Elections Committee.

Mr Tan Kin Lian reiterated that his participation in the election offers "a different choice to the people". He said: "I have never served as a Member of Parliament or a Cabinet Minister in the Government. Over the past years, I have expressed my views on many occasions in the media and through other channels on issues concerning the livelihood and welfare of the people."

Attempting to frame the coming contest, Mr Tan Kin Lian told Channel NewsAsia: "This will be the contest: Whether you want someone to continue the policies of the establishment or if you want someone who brings ... a new view, reflecting the aspirations of large numbers of Singaporeans."
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Tony Tan resigns from GIC, SPH
Reuters
Thu, Jun 23, 2011
Former deputy prime minister Tony Tan, 71, executive director at Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC, said on Thursday he has resigned and will run for president in an election that must be held before end-August.

Dr Tan has also resigned as chairman of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH).

"There is no legal requirement for me to resign from GIC or SPH. However, to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest, I have decided to resign from GIC with effect from July 1," Dr Tan said in a statement.

"I will also resign from SPH with effect from July 1 to remove any doubts about SPH's media independence," he added.

Although mostly ceremonial, Singapore's president has powers to veto senior appointments to the civil service and government-linked firms such as GIC, which manages around $309 billion, according to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.

The election comes after the People's Action Party (PAP) swept back to power in May general elections but with a reduced percentage of votes.

Dr Tan will likely face former ruling party parliamentarian Tan Cheng Bock, 71, who is also chairman of Chuan Hup Holdings.

Mr Tan Kin Lian, 63, the former chief executive of NTUC Income has also announced his candidacy.

Mr Tan has been endorsed by members of Singapore's opposition. The PAP has yet to back any particular candidate.

Dr Tan said at a news conference: "I've made it clear that I'm not seeking the backing of any political party but obviously as a candidate I welcome support from all quarters."

Singapore's president is directly elected but the post has only been contested once - the first time it became an elected post in 1993 - mainly because potential candidates must meet several tough requirements.

For example, prospective candidates must either be a former minister or top government servant. If the person comes from the private sector, he or she must have been chairman or CEO of a Singapore-based firm with a minimum paid-up capital of $100 million.

All candidates are then screened by a government committee before the election is held.

Incumbent president SR Nathan, 86, a former senior civil servant, has been in office for two six-year terms and was elected unopposed both times. He has not announced if he would retire or run for another term.

Teo Chee Hean and Tony Tan - Related?

Over the weekend, DPM Teo Chee Hean made the following hard hitting statements about the Elected President.

The statements appear again to target Mr Tan Kin Lian who is running on the platform of a People’s President who will speak up for ALL Singaporeans.

The statements by themselves are not very spectacular coming from a senior PAP leader. I however found it uncomfortable that DPM Teo chose to make the statements. This is because of his family’s relationship with one of the potential Presidential candidates Dr Tony Tan.

To understand the relationship, it is useful to look at the following article published by Sunday Times in January 22 2006.

The article is about Mr Tan Chin Tuan, one of the banking pioneers who founded OCBC. In the article, then Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean pays tribute to Mr Tan’s achievements. In the article Minister Teo says

‘I remember him because he was very kind to my father (Teo Cheng Guan). After the war, he gave my father a job at OCBC and my father worked with him for many years. He was always very kind to our family,’ he added.

If you do a Google Search, you will find that DPM Teo was being modest when he said Mr Tan was kind to his family. His father Teo Cheng Guan rose all the way to the top and was Chairman of OCBC from 1989 to 1991.

In the article, it is also revealed that Dr Tony Tan is the nephew of Mr Tan Chin Tuan. After leaving Cabinet in 1991, Dr Tan returned to OCBC. He took over from DPM Teo’s father and served as Chairman of OCBC from 1992 to 1995.

Given his position as Deputy Prime Minister and his family’s relationship with Dr Tony Tan, it seems inappropriate for DPM Teo to make comments which appear to try and influence the way Singaporeans would vote for their President.

courtesy of TRE.

Lim Chin Siong vs Lee Kuan Yew: The true and shocking history

Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 9:49 pm Post subject: Lim Chin Siong vs Lee Kuan Yew: true and shocking history
Lim Chin Siong vs Lee Kuan Yew: The true and shocking history
Sunday, 08 July 2007

It will forever change how you see Lee Kuan Yew and the PAP

Schools teach our children that Lee Kuan Yew heroically delivered Singapore from the evil clutches of the communists and gave us what we have today.

Whether such an assertion is historically accurate or not, the Government seems intent to seal this version in the annals of Singapore. When filmmaker, Mr Martyn See, released Zahari's 17 Years in which Mr Said Zahari talked about his 17-year detention, the Government promptly banned it.

It, it stated, "will not allow people who had posed a security threat to the country in the past to exploit the use of films to purvey a false and distorted portrayal of their past actions and detention by the government."


Top-secret documents held by the British Government, now declassified, reveal some jaw-dropping facts about Lee Kuan Yew and how he came to power.

When Lim Chin Siong, another of Lee Kuan Yew's prisoners, died in 1996, the PAP was equally anxious to make sure that Lim's portrayal as a revolutionary communist remained etched in the minds of the people.

In response to a tribute that the SDP had written about Lim, the PAP through then MP Dr Ow Chin Hock, said that the Barisan Sosialis (Socilaist Front), of which Lim was its leader, fought the Government in 1966 "on the streets, according to the teachings of Mao Zedong in the Cultural Revolution."

It was a bald-faced lie. Lim was already in prison under ISA detention in 1966 and could not have led his party in anything.

This, it seems, was not the only untruth that the PAP has been telling us.

For example, Dr Ow pointed out that Lim was not fighting for a democratic Singapore (the cheek) but a communist one. Lim would have turned Singapore into "Mao's China or Ho Chi Minh's Vietnam", the PAP insisted.

Besides, it was the Internal Security Council (ISC) under the command of the British and not the PAP Government, who ordered the arrest and detention of Lim and colleagues.

This was because there were only three PAP representatives on the ISC and they were "outnumbered" by the other four members on the Council, three British and one Malaysian.

Nothing could be more untrue.

Top-secret documents held by the British Government, now declassified, reveal some jaw-dropping facts about Lee Kuan Yew and how he came to power.

Two history scholars studied these papers and presented their findings in the book Comet In Our Sky (available at Select Books at the Tanglin Shopping Centre).

The first is Tim Harper who teaches Southeast Asian history and the history of the British empire at the University of Cambridge in London.

The second is Greg Poulgrain, a professor at Griffiths University in Australia who has been researching Southeast Asian history for more than 20 years.

This SDP feature presents a summary of Dr Harper's and Dr Poulgrain's chapters. It contains some shocking archival material.

It also attempts to answer questions like who were people like Lim Chin Siong and Said Zahari? Did they really pose a security threat to the country? Were they communists hell-bent on undermining constitutional/democratic means of governance in Singapore? Was it really the ISC that was responsible for their arrest and imprisonment? Most important, is the PAP's version of history based on fact?

Remember, this narration is not the SDP's rendition of events past. It is a collective summary of the research done by two historians.

To ensure that this present essay remains faithful to Professors Harper's and Poulgrain's works, quotes from the historians' chapters are used liberally.

Still, don't take our word for it. Get a copy of Comet In Our Sky and read for yourself the real history of the PAP and Barisan Sosialis.

Why bother?

But why is this important? Why should Lim Chin Siong, a man who died more than ten years ago and who led a party which is now defunct, be relevant to the world in which we now live?

Hard, historical facts are the greatest antidote to fear mongering by the state and to the use of national security as a bogey to suppress freedom and democracy.

Lim Chin Siong (right) and Lee Kuan Yew
First, because those events are part of our history, and history defines who we are as a people and, more important, shapes the way we plan our future.

The textbooks that the Ministry of Education writes for our kids are not history but rather fables, starring Mr Lee Kuan Yew. We have a duty to teach our youths the truth.

Also, what happened in the 1950s and 60s continue to be relevant because many of Lim's colleagues are still alive and the sacrifices they made for the independence of Singapore have been all but erased. Their stories must be told and their honour restored.

Third, and perhaps most important, not only is the PAP's cloroxed account used to mentally condition (brainwash, if you prefer) our children, it continues to be used as a weapon to intimidate and silence voices of dissent.

If Lee Kuan Yew can manipulate the security apparatus for his own political ends in the 1950s and 60 as you will note from Dr Harper's and Dr Poulgrain's revelations, what does that say about the present use of the ISD to detain other Singaporeans?

More ominously, what if the PAP feels sufficiently threatened politically and resorts to concocting another conspiracy to detain without trial more Singaporeans and opposition politicians like it did to a group of professionals in 1987?

Hard, historical facts are the greatest antidote to fear mongering by the state and to the use of national security as a bogey to suppress freedom and democracy.

Knowledgeable citizens with a keen sense of history are the best protection against acts of repression in the future.

Goh Keng Swee's Grandson Ken-Yi Sex Scandal

State-controlled media Channel News Asia carried a story yesterday about former PAP minister and co-founder Goh Keng Swee’s grandson – Goh Ken-Yi being embroiled in a scandalous affair with his former teacher for 20 years which had caused her husband to filed for divorce at a Family Court yesterday.

For some strange reasons, Mr Goh’s name was deleted from the same CNA article today with a different title – “After her twenty year affair, hubby now wants divorce”

According to court papers filed by the husband, the woman who is now 52 allegedly began the relationship in 1988 with Mr Goh Ken-Yi who is only 15 years old then. Mr Goh, 38, is now working as a banker and married with children.

The husband, a businessman in his 40s, said he found credit card statements in 1997, seven years into their marriage, showing shopping and dining expenses. He added that his wife later admitted to meeting her former student. He also discovered emails between his wife and her former student, which allegedly showed “much flirting and sexual innuendo being tossed back and forth between the two”.

The husband later told the court of an email correspondence of an alleged “unofficial school trip” that his wife and her former student made – when the latter was still schooling – where both slept in the same hotel room and “watched each other sleep”. It is not revealed if they had sexual intercourse with each other and if Mr Goh was below 16 years of age then, the legal age for consensual sex in Singapore.

Mr Goh Keng Swee who passed away last year was a co-founder of the PAP and a former Deputy Prime Minister. He was credited with his economic policies responsible Singapore’s impressive economic growth in the 1970s and 1980s.

In his later years, Mr Goh divorced his wife and married a younger woman, a move which was reportedly frowned upon by his puritanical colleague Lee Kuan Yew.

CNA’s last-minute move to censor itself is not surprising. Such scandals involving PAP ministers and their relatives are often censored by the PAP-controlled media to prevent the party’s ‘whiter than white’ and ‘holier than thou’ image from being tarnished.
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After her 20-year affair, now hubby wants divorce
by Ng Jing Yng 04:47 AM Jun 15, 2011

SINGAPORE - She was a teacher in his secondary school and he was a 16-year-old student when the alleged affair began.

Two decades later, after teacher and student married separately and had their own families, the husband of the woman is now filing for divorce.

In a Family Court yesterday, the man accused his wife of "unreasonable behaviour" and of engaging in an "improper association" that has allegedly continued since 1988.

His court papers stated that his wife, now in her 50s and teaching in an all-girls school, has been carrying on an "inappropriate romantic and intimate relationship" with her former student, now 38.

The divorcing couple cannot be named, as it could lead to the identification of their two adolescent children.

But the claims and counterclaims of the couple were laid bare as the hearing began yesterday for a divorce that was filed in August 2009.

According to the court documents, the husband had met his wife when the latter was his private tutor.

The husband, a businessman in his 40s, said he found credit card statements in 1997, seven years into their marriage, showing shopping and dining expenses. He added that his wife later admitted to meeting her former student.

But she allegedly did not cease contact with her former student as promised, even after a year, which was when her husband hit her. She filed a police report.

The couple tried to save their marriage but in 2008, the husband discovered emails between his wife and her former student, which allegedly showed "much flirting and sexual innuendo being tossed back and forth between the two".

This, after the couple had not been having sex for 10 odd years due to the husband's impotence, caused by chronic health problems, according to court papers.

In her defence, the wife denied the claims, including the alleged affair. She said she had actively cared for her family and that her husband had constantly placed a tight rein on her.

Represented by lawyer Koh Tien Hua of Harry Elias Partnership, she counterclaimed that she was often scolded and beaten due to her husband's violent temper and accused him of having an affair, instead, with their former maid.

In subsequent papers filed with the court, she said she had a "purely platonic" relationship with her former student.

The husband, who is represented by lawyer Kevin Lim of Wee Swee Teoh & Co, is denying her claims and is rebutting that his probes were justified due to the ongoing alleged relationship between her and her former student. The man also denied any abuse and said his relationship with their former maid was "entirely platonic".

The court hearing started after about two hours of closed-door hearings, as the couple could not come to a financial agreement.

The husband later told the court of an email correspondence of an alleged "unofficial school trip" that his wife and her former student made - when the latter was still schooling - where both slept in the same hotel room and "watched each other sleep".

During cross-examination, the husband also said the alleged ongoing affair had resulted in his wife treating the family poorly.

The court has adjourned the matter to a later date, when witnesses including the wife's former student and the couple's children are expected to take the stand.
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Wife had affair with ex-student, claims man

She denies this and tells divorce hearing that he physically abused her
By Kimberly Spykerman

A MAN who is divorcing his teacher wife has alleged that she had an improper relationship with a 16-year-old student back in 1988, and that this continued on and off until 2008, when both she and the student were married and had children.

She denies the allegation, and alleges instead that he was having an affair with the family's Filipino maid, and was physically and verbally abusive to her.

The divorce hearing began in the Family Court yesterday, and was adjourned to a later date to be fixed.

The woman, 54, is currently a teacher at a well-known girl's school, while her husband, 47, is the managing director of a company that deals in scientific equipment.

The court has ordered that the couple not be named, to protect the identities of their two sons, aged 20 and 17.

The husband is filing for divorce on the grounds of unreasonable behaviour, citing his wife's 'improper associations' with the former student, who is now 38 and works in a bank.

Nightingale nursing home - a reason for going to JB when you grow old

Slapping (below) and Dumping on bed (above)

From: Masturbating Myself
Subject: Nightingale nursing home - a reason for going to JB when you grow old
by Evelyn Lam Li Ting

SINGAPORE - The Nightingale nursing home along Braddell Road has been
stopped from admitting new patients, after staff were found to have
mistreated a resident there.

The incident came to light after MediaCorp alerted the Health Ministry
to a video - taken with a hidden camera at the patient's bedside -
which a relative of the resident had sent.

The video showed an elderly woman sitting next to the bed without any
clothes, while the ceiling fan was going at full blast.

After a while, a worker lifted the patient and threw her onto the bed.
They even slapped the woman after she moaned in pain.

The woman has been a resident of the home for the past four years.

The nursing home, which is privately run, has disciplined the staff
member involved, and put in place additional measures such as getting
senior staff to visit the wards and check staff conduct, and holding
regular meetings with patients and their family members.

The suspension, which MediaCorp learnt about on Wednesday, has been in
effect since April 12.

In a reply to MediaCorp, the Health Ministry said: "There were
significant lapses in the care standards provided to the patient in
question. This should not have happened. There should have been
tighter supervision of staff rendering care to vulnerable patients.
Patient's dignity and respect must be upheld at all times."

A member of the patient's family told MediaCorp: "Of course we are
unhappy with the incident. We sent her there for the nurses to take
care of her, we're disappointed with what happened. We hope by
bringing this matter up, it will help to improve things at the home."

The family has since moved the woman to another nursing home.

The Health Ministry said it will closely monitor the nursing home to
ensure that all additional measures imposed are implemented properly.

It will subsequently ascertain if the suspension imposed on the home
should be reviewed or if further sanctions should be imposed. "Our
inspectors regularly check that all nursing homes are properly
maintained, keep their patient records in order and institute
effective infection control measures," said the ministry.

Nursing home operators are also required to maintain care standards on
medication administration, fall prevention and housekeeping.

Those that do not meet the required standards or which require closer
monitoring for any other reason will be subject to more regular
audits. The ministry will also guide them on how to improve their
performance.

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Two nursing aides from Nightingale Nursing Home along Braddell Road was caught on a spy camera abusing a resident, sparking a massive outroar among Singaporeans.

The video clip was taken by a hidden camera put on a patient’s bedside by his son who suspected that the staff were abusing her mother.

It showed two nursing aides lifting the patient up and throwing her onto a bed. As the elderly woman groaned in pain, one of them was shown slapping her on her mouth:

The showing incident came to light after the Ministry of Health was alerted to the video. It has since suspended Nightingale Nursing Home from accepting new patients.

According to a reader who had a relative staying at the home, most of its staff are from the Philipines and Myanmar.
source: TRE

Who Wants To Be The President?

truth
From: "truth"
Subject: Tan Kin Lian confirmed he will run for elected Presidency

truth comment: this is indeed very good news for singaporeans. mr tan has
started off very well by suggesting that the presidential office issue an
annual report on the reserves. this is a fantastic idea which all sensible
singaporeans should welcome wholeheartedly.

SINGAPORE: Former NTUC Income Chief Tan Kin Lian has confirmed that he will
be running in the Presidential Election, which must be held by August 31.

On his blog, Mr Tan wrote that he will contest if given the certificate of
eligibility.

He also shared his thoughts on the key role of safeguarding the reserves
that the elected President has to play.

Calling it "holding the second key", he said former President Ong Teng
Cheong had expressed difficulty in performing this role.

Mr Tan said there are two main concerns Singaporeans had shared through
Internet postings on the reserves.

One was the safety of the Central Provident Fund and if the government has
enough money to make payouts to Singaporeans at their respective withdrawal
dates.

The other concern was whether there are reserves to protect Singapore's
economic security in the challenging global financial environment.

Mr Tan said these concerns were worsened by the decline in trust in the
government in recent years and a lack of transparency on the reserves.

He said as the constitution required the elected President to give approval
of past reserves or "reserves accumulated by previous governments", an
understanding was needed of what is defined as "reserves", and what is
considered "past reserves" and "current reserves".

Mr Tan said he will be studying a White Paper, published after former
President Ong Teng Cheong completed his term in 1999, on the principles of
the role to understand if it helped the President to discharge his duties in
an effective manner.

He also elaborated on the approach he would take if elected President.

Mr Tan said it's important to educate Singaporeans so that there is a clear
understanding of the issue and a broad based agreement on how to deal with
the issue.

He said that the Office of the elected President should produce an annual
report showing the reserves of Singapore with financial assets of the
relevant bodies stated at both the book value and market value.

This report, he said, should also show the obligation of the government and
should include the balances held by the people held in the Central Provident
Fund and also the bonds and guarantees issued by the government.

Mr Tan said some may worry that it will be a challenge to produce this
Annual Report.

However, he pointed out that it's what multi-national corporations have to
do now and the accounting profession could produce this type of consolidated
report for the President.

Mr Tan believes the publication of the report would improve transparency and
assure Singaporeans of their financial security.

He also touched on the investment policy adopted in the investments of
Singapore's financial assets.

He asked if the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation and Temasek
Holdings should adopt an active investment approach to increase the return
on assets or adopt a conservative approach such as by avoiding speculation
on market timing and asset selection.

Mr Tan said his personal preference is to adopt a conservative approach in
the investment of Singapore's assets and to use the influence of the
President's office to achieve this goal.

He recognised that there may be limitations in the power of the President on
this matter and welcomed feedback from people who have better knowledge of
this issue.
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From: "WanChonRen"

Subject: Re: Tan Kin Lian confirmed he will run for elected Presidency

If Mr. George Yeo decided to run for presidency, it is a matter of whether
the PAP government want to let him be or not. Electing him and rest will be
just a publicity show.

Will French Open Champion Li Na be a Singaporean?

Video of Li Na winning the French Open at Roland Garros...

China savors Li Na's French Open win
By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN

Li Na of China holds the trophy after defeating Francesca Schiavone of Italy in two sets 6-4, 7-6, in the women's final of the French Open tennis tournament in Roland
Li Na's landmark French Open win Saturday drew a massive outpouring of support in China, captivating a nation where tennis' popularity has been growing rapidly.

"People now can feel it, that Chinese tennis is just too tough. This has left a really deep impression on the world," announcer Tong Kexin said on state broadcaster CCTV. "Li Na truly deserves to be called a great champion."

CCTV added the banner "We love you Li Na," to their gushing post-match coverage after Li became China's first Grand Slam champion by beating Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 7-6 (0) in the women's final.

The official Xinhua News Agency sent out a news flash shortly after Li's victory.

"In such a great final, Li Na deserved the win," Xinhua wrote.

Excitement was all over the faces of fans who gathered at the Green Bank Tennis Club on Beijing's northern edge to eat barbecue, drink beer and see China's long wait for a Grand Slam champion finally come to an end. Watching the award ceremony on a big-screen TV set up on the court, they cheered, jumped the net and waved Chinese flags.

"Throughout China's history people knew nothing of tennis. Now we're standing on the summit of the world game," said Zhang Yueming, the club's general manager.

Chen Jiaojiao, who said she hails from Li's home province of Hubei, called the win "a huge boost of confidence for Chinese tennis."

"She's brought the country so much glory. She's really incredible," Chen said.

China is experiencing the second wave of Li fever this year following her runner-up finish at the Australian Open that saw her dubbed "the pride of China" by the mainstream media.

Chinese tennis federation head Sun Jinfang was widely quoted at the time as comparing Li to Houston Rockets center Yao Ming and Olympic hurdle champion Liu Xiang, until now China's best known international professional athletes.

Still, the celebrations on Saturday might have been bigger under different circumstances. Li clinched the victory shortly after 11:00 p.m. local time on a holiday weekend when many Chinese had left the cities to visit family. Tennis is considered an elite sport in China and while the numbers of players are growing quickly, it still runs far behind basketball, soccer, table tennis and other sports in numbers of participants.

Li's victory is expected to change that, a prospect she addressed in her post-match remarks to CCTV.

"I hope that lots of kids see my performance and in their hearts feel that one day they can do even better than me," she said.

Tennis fan Shi Xinli predicted the win's effect on Chinese tennis would be "like a mighty storm."

"I don't know how many kids are going to be taking it up, how many parents are going to be paying for lessons," said Shi, a stock investor.

Three Children Died In Mount Elizabeth

3 Saudi children die in a week at Singapore hospital
FAHD AL-DHIYABI

RIYADH: The Ministry of Health has stopped all treatment of Saudis at a Singapore hospital after three Saudi children died there in one week. The children had been referred there for bone-marrow transplants.
The ministry said it will provide patients with treatment in other advanced countries.

Two girls, Rawabi Al-Hazmi and Darin Al-Areeni, died on May 14 and May 19 respectively.

A boy, Muhammad Abu Zinadah, died before Friday prayers on May 20.
Another boy, Ibrahim Al-Shar’aan, died on March 26.

The causes of death, according to the hospital’s reports, ranged from rejection of transplanted organs to viral infections, officials said.

The children’s guardians lodged official complaints against officials from the Ministry of Health and the Kingdom’s Embassy in Singapore, who referred them to the hospital.

They said they were lured into accepting treatment for their children at the hospital, which presented them with false reports about its high percentage of successful operations, according to officials.

The families of the dead children expressed astonishment at the Ministry of Health’s decision to refer the children for treatment at the hospital despite knowing that a Saudi patient had died there previously.

Okaz/Saudi Gazette was unable to reach Dr. Khalid Al-Hussein, chairman of the Medical Commission for the Treatment of Saudis Abroad to discuss the matter. His office staff said he would return on Saturday.
– Okaz/Saudi Gazette

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by Dinesh Chandra Gaur on Sat, 05/28/2011 - 12:19 Health TNM Singapore
The Singapore medical tourism is expected to be badly hit this year, following the death of three Saudi Arabian children at Mount Elizabeth hospital. Confirming the news, Mr. Borhan Saini, Chief Executive of Wellcare Holdings International, claimed that five expected medical tourists, to be reached next month, have canceled their appointment with Singapore’s hospitals.

As per sources, the questioned patients, Rawabi Al-Hazmi, 9, Darin Al-Areeni, 5 and the boy, Muhammad Abu Zinadah, were reported to have died on May 14, May 19 and last Friday, respectively, after the failure of bone marrow transplants.

With 5% of Middle Eastern’s clientele at stake, Mr. Borhan is of the view that the cancellation from the clients has come at the time, when Mount Elizabeth is being questioned over its medical services, following the death of three children.

Moreover, Mr. Syed Munir Iqbal, Executive Director of Medi-Connect Singapore, has also sided with Borhan’s view and reinforced the belief that the recent case at Mount Elizabeth has played a crucial role in reducing the number of enquiries from Saudis.

Though Mount Elizabeth defended their treatment, Singapore's Ministry of Health has apparently has not received any complaint from the Saudi government and the families of the dead children
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Defend by Mt E....
Three Saudi children who died at Mount Elizabeth were 'critically ill'
by Neo Chai Chin
SINGAPORE - Three Saudi Arabian children died within a week of each other earlier this month at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, prompting the Saudi Health Ministry to order a stop to all medical treatment of its citizens at the private hospital here.

The Saudi Gazette newspaper reported that two girls and a boy died between May 14 and 20. The children, who are believed to be between one and three years old, had been referred to the hospital for bone marrow transplants. However, Mount Elizabeth Hospital chief executive officer Kelvin Loh told MediaCorp yesterday they were complex cases and "critically ill when admitted to our care, with some limited chance for survival".

He added: "It's most unfortunate the mortality rates for these patients were higher than what we would have desired, as a result of ... pre-existing complex medical conditions."

Elaborating on the complexity of the cases, Dr Loh said one child had advanced cancer of the blood with brain involvement and had suffered a relapse after intensive treatment in Saudi Arabia. The boy also had multiple complications arising from infections and was brought to Singapore by his parents to attempt a bone marrow transplant.

"The high risks were explained to his parents, who agreed to proceed, as the child would surely perish without treatment. Despite our efforts ... he continued to suffer from disease recurrence and multiple complications, and subsequently passed away," said Dr Loh, who added that the medical team "was very disappointed with the outcome and share the grief of the family". The hospital is working with Saudi Embassy officials and its government and is in close contact with the patients' families, he said. The embassy here did not reply to queries by press time.

Dr Loh did not say who the lead physician was in the children's cases. But the hospital said that its bone marrow transplant team has performed over 150 transplants since 2005, with a 77-per-cent success rate.

Bone marrow transplant is a high-risk procedure and most commonly used to treat high-risk cancers, including leukaemia and lymphoma, in some form of remission, according to Dr Tan Poh Lin of the National University Hospital (NUH).

The risks involved are patient-specific and depend on factors such as type of disease, status of disease at the time of transplant and type of donor, said Dr Tan, senior consultant in NUH's University Children's Medical Institute.

The deaths highlight the risks inherent in medical procedures, said a private surgeon who noted that, with improving medical infrastructure in the Middle East in recent years, the patients who come here are increasingly the complicated, high-intensity cases.

"You come over for a complicated job that no one else in the region can do, it's a different starting point," he said.

A March news report cited the Middle East, along with Indonesia and Malaysia, as the top medical tourism markets for Singapore, and the surgeon thinks a dent in the number of patients from the Middle East is possible, as "any adverse publicity will have an effect, especially in a foreign country".

But the key question, said another surgeon in private practice, is whether the children who died would really have benefited from the treatment they received.

"It comes back to your own experience. Let's say out of 10 patients that people tell you would have died, you managed to save one or two persons - so instead of 100-per-cent deaths, you now have 20 per cent who survive. Some patients and their families may accept that. It's very important to establish the track record for such patients of the people who are doing this," he said. He added that a review could be useful, given the three deaths in one week.
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SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Health has revealed to MediaCorp that it "has initiated an investigation" after the deaths of three Saudi children at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

This latest development comes after "the families of the patients" wrote to the Singapore Embassy in Riyadh, said the ministry yesterday.

Revealing this in response to queries from MediaCorp, the ministry added: "However, we are unable to reveal more due to patient confidentiality."

The authorities did not reply yesterday when asked when and how many families had written to the Singapore Embassy, what - if any - allegations had been made or what sort of investigation the ministry has initiated.

Last week, when contacted after the story first broke in today, the MOH had said it was "gathering facts" into the deaths of the children, aged between four and nine, who had come here for bone marrow transplants.

Mount Elizabeth Hospital chief executive Dr Kelvin Loh had explained previously that the three children's cases were complex. They were critically ill when admitted, with some limited chance for survival, but the hospital's medical team had striven for the best outcome possible, he said.

The children had died within a span of a week, one of them after returning to Saudi Arabia. Another child had died in March.

While the Saudi Health Ministry had ordered a halt to all medical treatment of its citizens at the hospital following the deaths, the MOH said last week it had not received any complaints yet. Attempts to reach the Saudi embassy here for comment have been unsuccessful.

However, it is believed that the parent of a child who survived an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant at Mount Elizabeth wrote last Saturday to the MOH to provide names of Saudi children who were due to undergo or had undergone transplants at the hospital. The ministry has responded to say it was looking into the matter.

Singapore Has Highest Proportion of Millionaires

As World Millionaires Multiply, Singapore Holds Its Lead
by Venessa Wong
Friday, June 3, 2011

Overall, global wealth grew fastest in the Asia Pacific region last year. North America came in second.

Singapore seems modest by some measures: Median income among working households was only about S$5,700 (about US$4,500) in 2010, according to the Singapore Department of Statistics. Yet in this small island nation of only 5 million, known for extravagant shopping, high-end restaurants, and draconian chewing-gum laws, nearly one in every six households has more than $1 million in assets, making it the densest population of wealthy households in the world, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group.

As the financial markets improved last year, global wealth grew in nearly every region in the world. The fastest, at 17.1 percent, came in the Asia Pacific region (excluding Japan), followed by North America at 10.2 percent. "Global wealth is at an all-time high," says BCG Senior Partner Monish Kumar.

According to BCG's study, global assets under management grew 8 percent, to $121.8 trillion, about $20 trillion above the level during the depths of the global financial crisis. The number of millionaire households grew 12.2 percent, to 12.5 million, and although they represented only 0.9 percent of all households, they held 39 percent of global wealth.

Only Liquid Assets
BCG looked at 62 markets covering more than 98 percent of global GDP and measured assets that included cash deposits, money market funds, listed securities held directly or indirectly through managed investments, and onshore and offshore assets — but not wealth attributed to investors' own businesses, residences, or luxury goods.

Wealth in North America, the world's richest region, had the largest dollar-value gain: $3.6 trillion. The U.S. remains home to the most millionaire households — 5,220,000 (up 10.7 percent from 4,715,0000 households in 2009) — although the share was only 4.5 percent of all households, BCG data show.

While China and India are driving wealth creation in Asia, Singapore also grew at a fast pace. The number of millionaire households in Singapore jumped about 38.6 percent in 2010, to 170,000, from nearly 123,000 in 2009, according to BCG data. The country has had the largest proportion of millionaire households for several years, and the share continues to grow: Singapore's millionaire households increased to 15.5 percent of total households in 2010 from 11.4 percent in 2009.

The rise is due to Singapore's expanding economy, which has grown mainly on such exports as consumer electronics and pharmaceuticals, as well as financial services. Real GDP growth averaged 7.1 percent per year from 2004 to 2007, according to the CIA World Factbook and reached nearly 14.7 percent in 2010—faster than China's 10.3 percent growth rate.

Not Just Tycoons

Among Singapore's well-known billionaires are Wee Cho Yaw, chairman of United Overseas Bank Group (Singapore: UOB - News), as well as the families of the late real estate mogul Ng Teng Fong and financier and hotelier Kho Teck Phuat. Still, many of the country's wealthy are not tycoons but entrepreneurs and affluent immigrants, says Tjun Tang, partner and managing director of BCG in Hong Kong. Other billionaires include philanthropist Richard Chandler in New Zealand and real estate developer Zhong Sheng Jian in China.

City-states such as Singapore, along with other small countries and administrative regions with a high density of millionaire households, such as Switzerland, Qatar, and Hong Kong, tend to be hubs of commerce and finance and have greater economic generation within a smaller population, says Tang.

Another factor driving wealth: Singapore's investor scheme, which grants permanent residence to certain investors, says Tang. According to the website of Janus Corporate Solutions, people can "invest [their] way to Singapore permanent residence" by investing more than a certain minimum in a new business startup or Global Investor Program-approved fund or in expanding an existing business in Singapore.

More Money, But Higher Costs

With this wealthy population comes a relatively high cost of living. In a 2010 cost-of-living survey of 214 cities by consulting firm Mercer, Singapore is the 11th most expensive city in the world for expatriates, on a par with Oslo and more expensive than New York City.

Mercer also gave Singapore high scores in its 2010 quality-of-life study of 221 cities: It was the top-scoring Asian city, followed by Tokyo.

The economic trends remain a concern around the world, yet BCG expects that with strong capital markets, GDP growth, and increased savings, global wealth will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.9 percent through 2015. Singapore has already led with the highest proportion of millionaire households for several years. With the Asia-Pacific region's share of global wealth expected to increase to 23 percent in 2015, from 18 percent in 2010, Tang says, "the trends seem to be in Singapore's favor."

Here are the countries with the highest proportion of millionaires:

No. 1: Singapore
Millionaire households as a share of country's total households: 15.5%
Number of millionaire households: 170,000
2009 ranking: 1

Singapore is home to the world's greatest concentration of millionaire households. Deloitte expects that by 2015, it may surpass Switzerland in per capita wealth among millionaire households. Singapore is Asia's eighth-most-expensive location, according to ECA International.

No. 2: Switzerland
Millionaire households as a share of country's total households: 9.9%
Number of millionaire households: 330,000
2009 ranking: 3

With nearly one in 10 households in Switzerland a millionaire household, the country is one of the world's most expensive. Residents of Geneva and Zurich pay about 20 percent more on average for products, services, and accommodation than do people in other Western European cities, according to a UBS study. Food prices in particular are high — about 45 percent above levels in the rest of Western Europe.

No. 3: Qatar
Millionaire households as a share of country's total households: 8.9%
Number of millionaire households: 30,000
2009 ranking: 2

Qatar is the world's fastest-growing economy, as well as one of the richest: Annual GDP growth is estimated at 19.4 percent in 2010, with per capita GDP at $145,300, according to the CIA's World Factbook. The country has the world's third-largest reserves of natural gas, with oil and gas accounting for more than half of GDP, 85 percent of export earnings, and 70 percent of government revenues.

No. 4: Hong Kong
Millionaire households as a share of country's total households: 8.6%
Number of millionaire households: 200,000
2009 ranking: 4

In the past decade, Hong Kong's manufacturing industry moved to mainland China and its service industry grew to more than 90 percent of GDP. While Hong Kong's GDP fell in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis, recovery began in the third quarter of 2009 and in 2010 the economy grew by nearly 6.8 percent, according to the CIA's World Factbook. The housing market also continues to grow tremendously: In 2010 Q4, home prices were up 20.1 percent year-on-year, according to Knight Frank.

No. 5: Kuwait
Millionaire households as a share of country's total households: 8.5%
Number of millionaire households: 40,000
2009 ranking: 5

Petroleum accounts for nearly half Kuwait's GDP, 95 percent of export revenues, and 95 percent of government income, according to the CIA's World Factbook. The rise in global oil prices has boosted government budget revenue and revived government consumption and economic growth.

No. 6: United Arab Emirates
Millionaire households as a share of country's total households: 5%
Number of millionaire households: 50,000
2009 ranking: 6

Since oil was discovered in the U.A.E. more than 30 years ago, the country has transformed itself from an impoverished region to a modern state with a high standard of living, high per capita income, and a sizable annual trade surplus, according to the CIA's World Factbook. Oil and gas output represents about 25 percent of GDP.

No. 7: United States
Millionaire households as a share of country's total households: 4.5%
Number of millionaire households: 5,220,000
2009 ranking: 7

After declining in 2008, the U.S. millionaire population grew in 2009 and continued to rebound in 2010, according to BCG. While the economy has shown only slight improvement, the U.S. still has by far the most millionaire households of any country, as well as the largest number of ultra-high-net-worth households (those with more than $100 million in assets under management).

No. 8: Taiwan
Millionaire households as a share of country's total households: 3.6%
Number of millionaire households: 280,000
2009 ranking: 8

Taiwan has a widening wealth gap: In 2009, the top quintile of income earners made 6.34 times as much as the bottom quintile, up from 5.5 times 10 years ago, according to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting, and Statistics. The government recently considered passing a luxury tax on: non-owner occupied homes sold within two years of purchase; automobiles, yachts, helicopters, and airplanes that cost more than TWD3 million (about $104,700); and ivory, coral, furs, and furniture worth more than TWD500,000 (about $17,400), reported the Christian Science Monitor.

No. 9: Israel
Millionaire households as a share of country's total households: 3.4%
Number of millionaire households: 80,000
2009 ranking: 10

The share of millionaire households remains high in Israel, which has shown signs of economic recovery. Following growth of 4 percent in 2008, Israel's GDP slipped by 0.2 percent in 2009, then rose by 3.4 percent in 2010 as exports rebounded, according to the CIA's World Factbook. Home prices in Israel were up year-on-year during each quarter in 2010, show data from Knight Frank.

No. 10: Belgium
Millionaire households as a share of country's total households: 3.1%
Number of millionaire households: 140,000
2009 ranking: 9

Belgium has the greatest concentration of millionaires among EU member countries. Residents do not pay a wealth tax, but are subject to personal income tax, as well as withholding tax, social security, inheritance and gift tax, and communal taxes, according to Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.