As in the case of SMRT, perhaps we should also nationalise DBS/POSB as well, as they are proven now to be run be incompetent foreign talents. Next best thing to do is to take them private, so that at least the shits are kept behind closed doors. What we don't understand is why MAS Continue to Screw Up In Spite of "Top" Foreign Talent In-Charge.
These 2 Banks, DBS & PosB, are exploiting every loophole they can find to reduce cost even if it inconveniences its customers, like cutting down on ATM machines and payment kiosks, causing long queues and inconveniences to ordinary low income customers. They also cut jobs readily, at the expense of Singaporeans' rice bowls. But they have no issue paying out to and receiving millions from scams like 1MDB.
Singapore’s regulatory chief vowed stronger action to address the reputational damage caused by anti-money laundering lapses at banks in the city linked to the troubled state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd.
The shortcomings uncovered by the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s more than 15-month probes into fund flows linked to 1MDB are “simply unacceptable” and the city’s reputation has “taken a dent” as a result, the central bank’s Managing Director Ravi Menon said at a press briefing Monday.
“We may not be any worse than other jurisdictions,” Menon said. “But that is no consolation. We have not met the high standards we have set for ourselves.”
In a statement last Thursday, the MAS rebuked UBS Group AG, DBS Group Holdings Ltd. and two other banks for weaknesses in anti-money laundering controls related to transactions tied to 1MDB. MAS is still examining “certain other” financial institutions, it said without naming them, adding that details will be provided as it continues investigations that began in March 2015.
That statement was the latest twist in an evolving scandal centered on a fund set up in 2009 to bolster the Malaysian economy, and came two months after MAS said it will revoke BSI Bank Ltd.’s license for breaching money-laundering rules. Allegations that billions of dollars have been improperly siphoned out of 1MDB have led to investigations across the globe -- spanning from Abu Dhabi, Switzerland, and the Caribbean to Hong Kong and the U.S.
The Singaporean regulator won’t investigate 1MDB but intends to focus on transactions related to illicit flows at financial institutions, Menon said. While money laundering had become more sophisticated and more difficult to detect, the MAS saw no “systemic” issues with anti-money laundering controls, he said.
The regulatory chief pledged “stronger regulatory actions,” saying that the MAS will conduct “more intrusive inspections” of financial institutions identified as facing higher risks.
“We can do better,” Menon said. “MAS will further strengthen its enforcement capability to conduct rigorous investigations and to take swift and decisive actions.”
With this kind of train driver, the KL-Singapore High Speed Train is going to be a High Speed Short-cut to Hell when it is launched!
Rapid KL (KL's MRT system operator) has come out to defend one of its train captains after a photo showing him allegedly sleeping on the job went viral on social media.
Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) Group Communications and Strategic Marketing head Lim Jin Aun told Bernama that the train driver was just resting by placing his head on the driving panel, and not sleeping as claimed by the media.
“We were informed that he took a short rest while waiting for the train, which was operating on semi-auto, to arrive at a station. The allegation in the article is not true.
“Nevertheless, it is still an offence because train captains are required to be on stand-by at all times during the journey,” he was quoted as saying.
Lim added that disciplinary action had been taken against the train captain.
“A warning letter had been issued to him and he has been suspended from work for a week since yesterday.
“He has also been ordered to go for counselling and attend courses on technical guidance and self-development,” he was further quoted as saying.
On July 3, Facebook user Philip Pak Ming Wong posted a photo showing the train captain sleeping at the control panel.
The photo has since been shared more than 2,100 times on the social media site.
While I hate to bash a highly reputable local University, that is ranked amongst the top ten in the world, but the truth must be spoken, and hopefully this will help make the University even better in the longer term.
For parents, if you are watching this video which was forwarded (the link) to me via WhatsApp, the girl or the boy could be your kids when they enter the University or Polytechnic in future. Imagine if they are subjected to such sexually demanding acts? This is just the orientation. Are they going to be doing this to each other naked upon graduation? Perhaps, it is a good idea after all, to send them to some foreign university instead.
Have this got something to do with the kind of foreigners we are enrolling into our Universities and Polytechnics? Some, of course, were reported to have dubious qualifications from their home countries. Weren't they supposed to have more superior genes than our locals?
For our future references, here are some valid points mentioned in some reports. Starting from Stomp.com.sg, which I believe is where the video originated.
[ A tertiary school's orientation game depicting a guy pushing his crotch against a girl's face has raised some eyebrows for being too sexually-suggestive.
Stomper Anonymous sent in this video to Stomp, which she got from a friend.
In the clip, the students seem to be playing a game, where the guy does a pumping exercise on top of the girl -- with his crotch against her face.
The other students even told her "not to cover" her face, as they purposefully push him down.
Does this really promote bonding, as they say, or does it go too far?
According to blogs, camp facilitators have made girls lick whipped cream off a guy's chest or neck.
There was also a sexual-themed activity called 'Secret Pals'. “They wake the participants up at 3 a.m. and blindfold them, and make the girl sit on the guy’s lap,” an organiser said.
Other games include passing MnM chocolates to each other using only their mouths.
Stompers have also written in to share about chalets where students were made to take off their shirts.
According to AsiaOne, students from some schools said their orientation camps often included risque games and forfeit, while others are milder. ]
The Straits Times have this to say:
[ Students say NUS orientation camp games increasingly sexualised; some told to re-enact rape scene
The girl had to lie on the floor, then the guy pretended to kick open a door and say, ‘Kor kor (big brother) coming.’ The girl had to respond, ‘Mei mei (little sister) don’t want.’ He then kicked open her legs and did push-ups while lying on top of her.
- Kim
These were just examples of the sexualised activities that hundreds of freshmen were made to participate in some of the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) orientation camps in the past two months. One was asked whose bodily fluids she would like to drink, while another watched her peers re-enact an incestuous rape scene.
Some students said they attended the camps to make friends, but they were instead pressured to take part in increasingly sexualised activities.
“Every time I didn’t take part, I was so scared that the orientation group would write me off as a prude and ostracise me,” said Chloe, who requested not to be named for this reason.
She added that the camp’s cheering and chanting was also sexualised, with references to the male anatomy, that made her blush.
“(The cheers) were so senseless. I hated them, but apparently it’s tradition that has been passed down from previous batches,” she said.
Another 19-year-old freshman, Kim (not her real name), told TNP that she was grabbed from multiple directions by different students during a game that involved soap and water.
“I didn’t even know where they were touching. It was so physical. I ended up in pain, and it was a scary experience,” she said.
One of the forfeits for a game required a male and female freshman to re-enact a rape scene between a young man and his younger sister, which was even uncomfortable to watch.
The activities have also become raunchier, with this year’s games at the National University of Singapore (NUS) being the most lewd and explicit.
In 2006, The Straits Times (ST) reported that activities involving lip contact and the washing of armpits at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the NUS orientation games left students flustered.
This was followed by a similar report in 2008, in which ST quoted an NUS student who sat out an activity where male students did push-ups on top of female students.
In 2011, The New Paper reported that a girl cried after orientation games at the Singapore Institute of Management-University of London became too close for comfort.
The activities were similar to those at NUS in 2008, with male students leaning over female students on the ground.
In 2014, NUS was again in the spotlight after complaints that a male student was stripped to his shorts before being blindfolded and bound with tape, as female students licked whipped cream off his neck.
LAWYERS: SUCH ACTIVITIES COULD BE AGAINST THE LAW
Instead of building a culture of respect and consent, such sexualised activities will promote a culture of rape and bullying.
Ms Jolene Tan, 33, programmes and communications senior manager for the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware), said such activities are uncalled for, and that more should be done to protect the students.
“Such activities are very inappropriate, and promote bullying, the objectification of women, and is an unhealthy trivialisation of sexual violence,” she told The New Paper.
“They are alienating rather than bonding, and potentially traumatising to anyone there who has experienced sexual assault previously.”
She added that new students feel pressured to take part or be left out, resulting in many choosing not to voice their discomfort.
“Even if they are uncomfortable, they won’t say it because they don’t want to be a spoilsport.
“The whole culture needs to change. There needs to be a policy in institutions that is explicit about harassment.”
A survey of 500 young people aged 17 to 25 conducted by Aware in 2014 found that one in three had experienced sexual assault or harassment, said Ms Tan.
The reported behaviours included unwanted sexual remarks, receiving of unsolicited pornography, and rape and other physical sexual assaults.
Lawyers told TNP that such activities outrage the modesty of women, and police reports should be made by individuals who feel violated.
Criminal lawyer Ravinderpal Singh of Kalco Law said such activities could easily be considered to be a violation of the Penal Code, which criminalises any word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of a woman.
“If the woman takes offence and feels outraged, she can make a police report,” he said.
“The school can also be liable if it is negligent, and fails to provide a safe environment.”
He added that the school has a duty to ensure the well-being of all students.
“You cannot evade liability even (if students sign) a form,” he said.
“There definitely should be checks done by the school to ensure that such things do not happen.”
Another criminal lawyer, Mr T.M. Sinnadurai of Regent Law, said: “The words they used are gross and could be considered offensive. In my opinion, it is wrong.
“Even if there is no physical touching, it is still a violation.”
The father of a 20-year-old girl said that if his daughter were placed in a similar situation, he would immediately make a police report.
“I would be outraged if someone did something like that to my daughter,” he said.
“No one should be forced or pressured into such activities, and a police report should be made.
“A school is a place where you have to learn to get your morals right. If the school teaches these things, then it is the wrong place to start your learning.”
Each time, the replies from the universities to queries follow a similar pattern.
The universities would highlight the guidelines in place and that they do not condone such behaviour. They would then promise to investigate and take action against anyone who breaches the rules.
They also mention that participation in the camps is voluntary. But freshmen say they feel pressured to take part for fear of being ostracised.
In recent years, the institutions have implemented channels for feedback.
Yet, a decade on, nothing has changed. ]
And this is from the Horse's Mouth.
An article in the NUS's Campus Eye (blog.nus.edu.sg) written in 2014 reproduced here for quick reading and reference:
[ SINGAPORE, Sept 18 (Campus Eye) – Orientation camps at the National University of Singapore (NUS) often feature sexual activities, according to students from the university.
These activities came to light on Jul. 31, when a letter criticizing these activities written by an NUS student’s aunt was published in the Real Singapore, a social-political website.
“The camp facilitators were making the girls … lick (whipped) cream off his neck, his nipples and also rub (their) hands on his thigh, trying to sexually stimulate him,” wrote the author, who identified herself as “Ms. Ng”.
Most students who were interviewed had either seen or heard of similar activities.
A student who attended a camp organised by Kent Ridge Hall witnessed forfeits such as Seven Wonders, in which two students touch each other as instructed by their peers, and male students doing push-ups over females.
The student, who declined to be named, said these activities were passed down from earlier generations of students.
Forfeits are typically unplanned, and agreed upon by leaders and participants, including those who are not doing the forfeits, just before they are done.
Psychology Camp organizer Lau Boon Yen described a similarly sexual-themed activity called Secret Pals.
“They wake the participants up at 3 a.m. and blindfold them, and make the girl sit on the guy’s lap,” Lau said.
PLAYING WITH OPTIONS
An NUS spokesperson told the Straits Times that participants can opt out of activities they are uncomfortable with.
However, Yong Yen Lu, a Cultural Activities Club Social Camp participant this year, disagreed.
“Some of them (orientation group leaders) didn’t know their limits … If you didn’t want to, they would say no,” Yong said.
In contrast, Tembusu College orientation organizer Alison Chew said group leaders know where their limits are, and would allow participants to opt out.
Chew said she trusted group leaders to be responsible for the “image of the college” because they were interviewed.
TRUE PURPOSE OF CAMP ACTIVITIES?
Both Chew and Lau also said participants were encouraged to give feedback to their leaders, which were then used to make changes to the camp program.
Physical activities are often planned, as they facilitate group bonding, said Lau.
However, the anonymous Kent Ridge Hall camp participant felt these activities were a reflection of society’s patriarchal attitudes.
“I don’t think we should be blaming the students; we should all just reflect on our own culture that sexualises women on a daily basis.
“We should be looking at the kind of images, the kind of messages we allow in society, through media, and through just our daily conversations because, after all, patriarchal attitudes are inherited,” she said.
It was reported that at an SDP public forum last Saturday (16 Jul), one of the panelists, Mr Tay Kheng Soon. told the audience that because his brother, the late Dr Tay Eng Soon, stood up to then Education Minister Tony Tan instead of becoming a “yes” man, his brother’s career was “truncated” by the PAP.
At the time, Dr Tay was the Minister of State for Education, reporting to Tony Tan. Tony Tan was the Minister for Education from 1985 to 1991.
Mr Tay said about his brother (http://theindependent.sg/ite-and-poly-education-is-bad-rubbish-did-tony-tan-say-that), “As you all know my brother, the late Tay Eng Soon, was the Minister of State for Education, he fought for ten years within the cabinet to increase the funding for the ITEs and Polytechnics, and his career prospect within the party was actually truncated by it.”
“The reason was – he never told me what actually happened, loyalty to the party, right? After he died, his wife told me the real story. All the time, Tony Tan, that’s why I have no respect for Tony Tan at all. Tony Tan said to him all the time, all through the ten years, ‘Why do you want to throw good money after bad rubbish?’ I cannot stand this. This is the inherent elitism. You have to break that.”
So, according to Dr Tay Eng Soon’s brother, Mr Tay, who heard it from Dr Tay’s wife, Tony Tan then as the Education Minister was of the view that ITEs and Polytechnics are “bad rubbish”.
Just to add that, LKY another Baba, or Peranakan, had also believe that the Baba's are truly the elite Chinese from China, sent by the then Despotic Emperor Yong Le of the Ming Dynasty, to settle in South-east Asia, and eventually to colonise the area.
The rest of the Chinese and Indians who came after the 18th century, were refugees and mainly made up of coolies and fishermen from Southern China and South-east India. To the PAP Elites, these are the rubbish that have to deal with.
This is the concept held by LKY, and hence the PAP, perhaps forever. And this is the main reason why policies are tailored towards talented Foreigners, who are given special privilege when come to jobs, education and citizenship applications.
Some of the feedback of Singaporeans on this issue cannot be ignored, and like to share them here:
Cj Leo
Tony Tan, while being Chairman of SPH bought TWO penthouses build by SPH at special price for staff. If this is not greed, what is.
Suchada Leong
I met Dr. Tay E.S. once at our local provision shop at Spottiswoode. After he left the owner commented "a good man can move freely without any need for bodyguards" . He was then the Education minister....friendly and humble.
After spending so much money on a rubbish programme called Pioneer Generation Package to help them win the elections, the truth is out now. Singapore, basically, do not bother to take care of its elderly, other than providing lip service.
If you look at the report below, the Global Retirement Index put together by Natixis Global Asset Management, you will notice the absence in Singapore of the things that Norway and Australia did so well – government benefits and employment or workplace pensions.
It is especially poignant in the Norwegian example because its is publicly funded unlike Australia which is mostly privately funded. In Norway funding is supplemented by tapping up 100% of the inflation adjusted returns from GPF. It can be said that Norwegians have a direct benefit from GPF’s investments.
We in Singapore have GIC and Temasek, nearly comparable to GPF. Therefore there is no reason for retirement inadequacy except that our government only tapped 50% of the inflation-adjusted returns of GIC and Temasek (plus MAS). Furthermore the funds are not used directly for funding retirement and healthcare but spent at the entire discretion of the government.
In order to improve our retirement proposition, the government should follow the leaders. First re-design the pension system to allow the flexibility of private workplace pensions like in Australia. Second link the Net Investment Return Contribution, i.e. the constitutional rule permitting spending of the earnings from reserves, directly to the provision of state pensions and healthcare. Make those reserves work directly for the benefit of the people.
Then Singapore can climb the ranking. As it is now, the Number 25 ranking is poor in relation GDP per capita – like the old saying “Nice from far, but far from nice”.
Did someone mention something about Swiss standard? Well, Switzerland just so happens to be Number 2.
The Singapore Land Transport Authority (LTA) today (July 15) announced that it will pay S$1.06 billion to nationalise the assets of SMRT. Temasek Holdings, who own 55% of SMRT, will be the greatest beneficiary of this sale – which is seen as an alleviation to the embarrassing S$24 billion losses reported last week.
To avoid even more embarrassment when more breakdowns come along forcing the CEO of SMRT and even the Minister of Transport himself to ask for a job change, again (remember Lui Tuck Yew?), the PAP Head have decided enough is enough. Let the whole government share the blame.
The S$1 billion deal is considered finalised even though it is to be pending approval from shareholders of SMRT on the 1st of Oct, because the country’s sovereign wealth fund company is the single major shareholder. The CEO of Temasek Holdings is the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Physical assets like trains and signalling system will be nationalised but SMRT will however continue to operate the assets on a 15-year license-basis. SMRT will also be forced to increase its maintenance staff strength by 20% to about 700 employees over the next three years, as the company has been under-cutting maintenance budget resulting in a series of train breakdowns. Although the LTA said that the 15-year license will be open for bidding, there is no open tender this time and SMRT will be the default train operator awarded.
In 2000, SMRT was privatised and now 16 years later, it is nationalised due to greed-driven business principles and a lax transport authority. Many Singaporeans believe the dilapidated state of public transport will remain the same as before because the Transport Ministry and SMRT are still equally forgiving of train breakdowns and mistakes.
What do you expect from a Minister of Transport who was also a Minister of National Development (housing), and prior to that, Minister of Health? Yes, you guessed it. He will probably get his doctor friend to diagnose a train breakdown, and a housing contractor friend to handle the repairing.
The Singapore ruling party government decided the S$1 billion SMRT purchase without consulting Parliament. This is not surprising given that nearly 90% of the seats in Parliament belongs to the ruling party. Like the old saying, absolute power, corrupt absolutely. Voters take note, though you will forget when the PAP starts giving out NDP goodies soon.
First, as the Minister of Health, then as Minister of National Development (HDB) and now as Minister of Transport, this MTS (Malaysian-Turned-Singaporean) will go on changing another 10 ministries, and still look like Henry Thia in his comic best.
Today, in his mumbled speech, this clown fumbled yet again, when he practised what he used to do in previous ministries, and that is to Taichi (push to someone else) the problems his ministry faces, to a fact-finding source in Hongkong. Not for giving wrong facts, but for announcing the facts, instead of hiding it. It should only be announced when somebody died.
FactWire, a Hong Kong based news agency “founded by 3,300 Hong Kong people” has released a public statement to deny the allegations made against the agency by Singapore’s Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan.
Mr Khaw had, during a visit to the SMRT’s Bishan Depot on Wednesday (July 13) suggested that the recent expose by FactWire was intentional so as to mis-spun a “routine matter” into a controversy.
The minister also suggested that the recent defective trains issue had been used as a “convenient bullet” and Singapore was caught in a “crossfire” due to FactWire’s anti-China political agenda.
We are caught in a crossfire and there are factions in Hong Kong who wanted to cause some difficulties for mainland China. I have no inside information on whether that is true or not, but it’s possible.
Unfortunately, we become a convenient bullet and collateral damage, the clown said.
FactWire regrets false statement by Singapore’s Transport Minister
FactWire said in its statement that the agency “regrets the false statement” by the minister and clarified that it serves the public, independent of any commercial or political interests.
The agency also noted that instead of of taking responsibility for an incident which has damaged the Singaporean public’s trust in the authorities, Mr Khaw choose to blame FactWire for exposing the cover up of the recalls of defective trains.
FactWire said that in publishing an article, its editorial principle is to ensure that the news must involve significant public interest and that it has acquired “impregnable evidence”. The agency’s professional judgment will not be overriden by any commercial or political considerations.
Probably taking a swipe at Mr Khaw, FactWire added:
As a news agency committed to serving the public, when public officials are riled by our reporting, it is merely proof that we are doing the right thing.
Responding to media queries at the Bishan Deport today (July 12), Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan admitted that he knew about the faulty China-made trains and covered it up to “avoid undue panic”. Calling the defects “non-major”, Transport Minister decided that it is better not to let the public know about the defective trains:
“Trains were being returned to China for repairs due to hairline cracks could have caused undue panic. Going public for something that was not a major event might have caused unnecessary panic to the layman, noting that to engineers, not all cracks are the same. If all cracks are have to be reported when they do not cause any of those safety issues then they have to think about what is the impact on the ground. Looking back I think it’s understandable. We learn as we go along, sometimes even routine matters can be spun out of control as it happened in this case.
…So if the rectification requires us to take away too many trains … I’m quite sure Ministry Of Transport together with LTA would have also decided even though it’s not a safety issue, because it will affect availability of trains, I’m sure they will go public and explain why, we will now have to slow down on our program of increasing the capacity.”
Strangely, Singapore leaders are rather quiet on this. If passenger planes from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur flying towards Sabah and Philippines enter Chinese territory during period of high tension, these planes are in danger of being shot down just like what happened to Malaysia Airline MH17 in Ukraine.
China's South China Sea claim is unacceptable by anyone with a common sense. To claim that the sea outside Singapore's shore as part of China, which is thousand of miles away from mainland China, is really ridiculous.
Just because it is called South China Sea, doesn't mean the whole sea belong to China. Then should India also claim that every rock and every fish in the Indian Ocean belong to India?
To use historical facts to prove their point further throw the international laws governing this and legality of the matters into the sea. By this logic used by China, they can even produce their own historical facts to show that Singapore, Malacca and Penang were once part of China.
These places have large number of Peranakans or Baba's who were Chinese settlers sent by the Ming Dynasty to settle in these places some 600 years ago. Even Lee Kuan Yew came from a Baba family, and he believed strongly that Baba are the elite from China, unlike the slave-like migrants that came later.
China, with all the wealth and power it has garnered over the years, is beginning to rear its ugly head down south. Their schoolboy styled bullying speak well of China's lack of maturity in dealing with other people.
True enough, base on the twisted logic and blind historical argument of China, the Mongolians can now claim that Siberia and all of eastern Europe belonged to them, as they rule these lands for nearly a hundred years. And so can the Japanese, who ruled Korea, Manchuria, Taiwan and the Philippines for many years. These are well documented.
To add insult to injury, there were no territorial map from any dynasty that showed 90% of South China Sea belongs to China. It was a claim made by the Taiwanese after they got kicked out by the Communists, and were desperate to claim any land as theirs. This made China even more barbaric than the Mongolians and the Japanese, even though no blood is shed yet in this case.
The bus number 243 seemed to suggest this happened somewhere in Jurong area. Boy probably was in a haste to rush home or rush to see his friends. He is a lucky boy to be able to walk away from it all. Only time will tell if he had sustained any internal injuries in this accident.
He was lucky that the on-coming bus slowed and stopped. Imagine if the bus driver was a man, like some foreign talent drivers who love to speed. The location he landed is exactly where the bus front wheel would have roll over. He could then be beyond recognition.
Also, because he is running, so on impact both his feet are not firmly on the ground, that's the reason why he appeared to fly up when hit. If he had stood or fell, again, his life would have been taken away, this time through the wheels of the car.
The driver is probably stunned as most first timer would do. You can't expect him/her to act like a social worker going to help the boy, as many things are running through his/her mind.
Back home, the driver decided that he should snip out the video clip taken by the car camera, as this would prove useful evidence of who is at fault, who is not. And so he posted it to Instagram, and now it has gone viral.
What prompted him/her to do so were the pointing fingers from the old man and Malay woman while he sat stunned in the car. Without video evidence the driver could end up in jail, or a hefty fine, depending on what these passers-by tell the police.
It's good to remember, low accident rate doesn't mean no accident.
As per data released by Singstat, it was found that more Singaporean couples are divorcing. Here are the analysis done by Channelnewsasia:-
SINGAPORE: More couples ended their marriages while fewer tied the knot last year, according to Department of Statistics (Singstat) data released on Wednesday (Jul 13).
The number of divorces and annulments rose 2.9 per cent, with 7,522 marriages dissolved, up from the 7,307 dissolutions in the previous year.
A total of 28,322 couples tied the knot last year, down from the 28,407 marriages registered in 2014. The number of Muslim marriages rose from 5,544 to 5,778, helping to mitigate the decline in the number of civil marriages from 22,863 to 22,544.
MORE OLDER COUPLES DIVORCING
Between 2005 and 2015, there was a “significant shift” in the age profile of divorcees, with an increase in the number of older couples getting divorced, Singstat said.
Among men, the proportion of divorcees aged 45 years and above rose from 30 per cent in 2005 to 42.4 per cent last year. For women, the proportion rose from 20.1 per cent to 27.5 per cent.
The median age at divorce was 42.9 for men and 38.8 for women, up from 39.1 years and 35.4 years, respectively, in 2005.
Marriages also did not last as long, with the median marriage duration for divorces in 2015 at 10 years, slightly shorter than the 10.4 years in 2014.
Among civil divorces, the largest group was couples who were married for five to nine years (31.5 per cent). This was followed by those who were married for 20 years or longer, accounting for 21.3 per cent of all civil divorces.
For Muslim divorces, couples who were married for less than five years, and between five and nine years formed the largest groups in 2015, each accounting for 26.8 per cent. Next were the couples who were married for 20 years or longer at 18.3 per cent.
More than half (53.7 per cent) of plaintiffs in civil divorces cited “unreasonable behaviour” as the main reason for divorce, while 42.6 per cent cited “having lived apart or separated for three years or more”. In 61.6 per cent of the cases, the divorce was initiated by the woman.
Among Muslim divorces in 2015, “infidelity or extra-marital affair” was the top reason for divorcing, accounting for more than one in five divorces. The second-most common reason for divorce was “desertion” for male plaintiffs, and “financial problems” for female plaintiffs.
MORE MARRYING LATER
Many are choosing to marry later, with the median age for marrying rising from 29.8 years old in 2005 to 30.3 years old for grooms in 2015, and from 26.9 years old to 28.2 years old for brides.
Among first marriages, those with grooms older than brides were still the norm. However, the proportion had dropped to 66.8 per cent in 2015 from 73.7 per cent a decade ago.
Inter-ethnic marriages have become more common, making up 21.5 per cent of marriages last year, up from 14.9 per cent in 2005. Such marriages made up a larger proportion among Muslim marriages (33.8 per cent) than among civil marriages (18.4 per cent) last year.
More men are also marrying women with equal or higher educational qualifications. The proportion of university-educated grooms marrying brides with the same qualification rose from 71.1 per cent in 2005 to 80.3 per cent in 2015 for civil marriages, and from 46.2 per cent to 59.9 per cent for Muslim marriages.
Marriages involving minors – those aged below 21 years – remained uncommon, making up 0.2 per cent of grooms and 1.1 per cent of brides in civil marriages. For Muslims, the proportions declined to 1.5 per cent of grooms and 4.2 per cent of brides in 2015, from 3.5 per cent and 12.9 per cent, respectively, in 2005.
The latest on this robbery is that the robber David James Roach, is still in Thai custody and Thailand have officially rejected Singapore's request to extradite him to Singapore. No reason given, but he is likely to be deported back to his home country Canada. The Thai action is expected since there is no extradition treaty between the two countries and this is also Singapore own undoing, as they gave unacceptable conditions in the proposed treaty.
Now more questions being asked. How did the suspect escaped out of the country? If the Police already know his identity, as is the case, how could he had crossed the immigration checkpoint? And why is he a Canadian instead of an Australian as reported by authority earlier?
This is a grim reminder of Mas Selamat's case. He escaped to Malaysia. So this robber could have done the same, by swimming across the straits and made his way to Thailand from Malaysia. And we thought, after the Mas Selamat case, the coast guards are now equipped with the most advanced human detection equipment along the Straits? Puzzled.
BANGKOK: The man suspected of robbing Standard Chartered's Holland Village branch is refusing to cooperate, said Thai police chief Jaktip Chaijinda on Wednesday (Jul 13).
Speaking to the media after questioning the suspect, Mr Chaijinda said he refused to talk and requested for a lawyer to be present. He added that less than S$30,000, some notes and a notebook were found at the scene during the arrest of the Canadian, whose identity has been confirmed by Thai officials as 27-year-old David James Roach.
Based on investigations, Roach arrived in Bangkok alone and he was supposed to transfer the stolen money somewhere else, Mr Chaijinda said, adding that the suspect's right to stay has been revoked under the country's immigration law.
On releasing the suspect into Singapore's custody, Mr Chaijinda said: "We have no extradition treaty with Singapore, Singapore may have to discuss with Canada."
However, he also said that the police are liaising with Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Attorney General's Office and authorities in Singapore about extraditing Roach.
The suspect, who is currently being detained in Bangkok's Suan Plu Immigration Detention Centre, allegedly robbed S$30,000 from the bank on Jul 7.
He fled to Bangkok on the same day shortly after the crime was reported, and he was arrested by Thai police on Jul 10 at a hostel in Bangkok's Pratunam district.
Interpol Bangkok head Police-Major General Apichat Suriboonya told Channel NewsAsia on Tuesday that Singapore had sent an extradition request to Thailand's Attorney General's Office and that the request is being processed.
Royal Thai Police located and detained the man on Sunday (10 July). Singapore authorities have asked their Thai counterparts to release the suspect into their custody.
The man suspected of robbing Standard Charted Bank's Holland Village branch on Jul 7 was making his first visit to Singapore, according to Police Major-General Apichat Suriboonya, who is the head of Interpol Bangkok.
Mr Suriboonya told Channel NewsAsia on Tuesday (Jul 12) that the man, who is from Canada, had been to Thailand "many times", according to records. The suspect was arrested on Sunday at a hotel in Bangkok's Pratunam district, he added, and is now in detention in Thailand's Immigration Department.
Last Thursday (7 July) at about 11.25 am, the suspect made off with $30,000 in cash from the bank. A police spokesman said that no weapon was used during the commission of the crime.
The suspect left Singapore for the Thai capital shortly after the robbery. Police later established his identity.
In response to queries from Yahoo Singapore, a Standard Chartered spokesman said, “We’re glad that the police investigations have progressed and the suspect has been detained. We will continue to fully cooperate with the police on the investigations.”
Standard Chartered bank’s Holland Village branch was robbed on July 7 morning at about 11.25am, and according to Shin Min Daily News this was the note the robber handed to the bank teller before she quickly handed him $30,000.
From the various reports in the newspapers and social media, it is established that the suspect is is a tall, skinny, Ang Moh Australian who was wearing a grey hoodie and mustard-coloured pants. There were no security at the bank when the robbery occurred.
Since the robbery, most banks in the Holland Village area have beefed up their security. It is unclear why the banks in the area chose not to invest in good security before the robbery. It could be because of a false sense of security since bank robberies in Singapore are almost unheard off. Or it could be because of cost cutting measures.
For Reference......
SINGAPORE - The man who robbed a Standard Chartered Bank branch in Holland Village has been nabbed in Thailand after more than 72 hours on the run, police confirmed on Monday (July 11).
The man was arrested by the Royal Thai Police in Bangkok on Sunday (July 10), police said in a statement.
According to Major General Apichart Suriboonya, who heads Thailand's Interpol unit, the suspect is Canadian. He flew from Singapore to Thailand last Thursday, arriving at 5.08pm. On Sunday, he was arrested at noon at Boxpackers Hostel in Bangkok.
Major General Apichart, who declined to name the suspect, says the Thai police cancelled his right to stay in Thailand after receiving an arrest warrant from Singapore authorities. He is now being detained at an immigration detention centre in Bangkok.
When Thai police questioned him, "he said nothing" and demanded to meet an officer from the Canadian embassy, Major General Apichart told ST. But it was not possible as it was a Sunday and the embassy was closed.
It is unclear whether an embassy officer has gotten in touch with him but Thai police are seeking to question him more, said the major general.
He was unable to say how long it would take to extradite the suspect, but added "I think it won't be long". Singapore sent the request to extradite him to the Thai embassy in Singapore on Friday night. This request needs to pass through Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then to the Thai attorney-general's office first before being approved, he said.
On Thursday (July 7), the suspect had walked into the bank around 11.25am, handed the female teller a piece of paper with his demands and later fled on foot with about $30,000.
Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported that the note said: "This is a robbery, I have a weapon, give me money, don't call police."
The teller handed over the money for fear that the man would use his weapon. She then alerted the police shortly afterwards.
In a statement on its Facebook page, the police said that it managed to establish the identity of the suspect on the same day but he had already left Singapore for Bangkok, shortly after the crime was reported.
The StanChart branch did not have a security guard then, but a bank spokesman said it had "in-branch security measures" such as closed-circuit television cameras.
Further details beyond the initial police statements were not disclosed earlier to ensure that arrest operations were not jeopardised, police said.
"The Singapore authorities are currently engaging our counterparts in Thailand to see whether the suspect can be released into our custody," the police added.
Mystery heist: how did robber steal US$22,000 from Singapore bank armed with nothing more than a piece of paper? (SCMP)
Singapore police said on Friday they are hunting a man who managed to steal more than US$22,000 from a bank using nothing but a piece of paper.
The suspect, described as Caucasian, strolled into a Standard Chartered branch in Holland Village, an expatriate enclave of the city, around lunchtime on Thursday and handed staff a note with his demands.
Minutes later, he walked out of the branch with S$30,000 (HK$172,500) in cash, a source close to the investigation said.
A police spokesman confirmed the robbery and said no weapon was used, but gave no details of the note’s contents.
One resident, who lives in the Chip Bee Gardens estate across the street, told The Straits Times that police visited his home with a picture of the suspect. He was described as Caucasian and dressed in a grey hoodie and mustard trousers.
In a statement later, a Standard Chartered Bank spokesman said that no employee or customer was injured in the incident.
The spokesman added that the bank has filed a police report and is assisting with investigations.
“We would like to highlight that the safety of our customers and staff are our top priority and our branch staff are all well trained to react in such situations,” the spokesman said.
Bank robberies are rare in Singapore, whose tough stance against crime and strict ban on private gun ownership have made it one of Asia’s safest cities.
The last attempt was in November 2008 when a man disguised himself as a woman threatened tellers with what he called a “bomb” in a paper bag. He was restrained by bank staff and arrested.
Meanwhile.....the banks and the media defended the Teller, in the ST as expected. ST reported....
A teller who handed over about $30,000 in cash to a robber at Standard Chartered Bank's Holland Village branch on Thursday did the right thing, according to the bank, which has tightened security there with a security guard.
Yesterday, an islandwide manhunt continued for the Caucasian man who had brazenly walked into the bank around 11.25am, slipped the teller a piece of paper with his demands, then got away with the money on foot.
The branch did not have a security guard then, but a bank spokesman said it had "in-branch security measures" such as closed-circuit TV cameras and staff "are well trained to respond to such situations".
The teller acted in line with the bank's protocols and "in the best interests of our customers and our colleagues", the spokesman added. "Everyone was safe."
She also said the bank has taken immediate action to further enhance security, without giving details, citing ongoing investigations.
Yesterday, a Certis Cisco security guard was present at the Holland Village branch, but this is understood to be a temporary measure.
A police cordon outside the Standard Chartered bank branch in Holland Village on June 7, 2016.
Business is as usual at the Standard Chartered bank Holland Village branch on Friday (July 8), a day after the robbery.
Business as usual a day after robbery at Standard Chartered bank in Holland Village
Banks contacted said it is not mandatory for banks to have security guards, although many do.
The Straits Times observed yesterday that of the six banks - HSBC, StanChart, OCBC Bank, DBS Bank, Citibank and Maybank - in that stretch of Holland Village, the last two were the only ones that appeared not to have a security guard.
Maybank responded to say that it has Certis Cisco armed guards stationed at all its 22 branches islandwide, including the one at Holland Village.
"In addition, we have standard in-branch security measures such as CCTVs. We have also provided training to our staff to handle such situations and our policy is always to prioritise customer and staff safety," said the Maybank spokesman.
An industry source said bank staff are instructed to hand over money peacefully during a robbery so as not to endanger the safety of staff and customers.
Police officers and investigators from the CID at the Standard Chartered Bank branch in Holland Village after the robbery on July 7, 2016.
"We always tell staff - don't attempt to bring attention to the robbery. You don't want to agitate the robber or antagonise him. What if he pulls out a gun and it turns into a hostage situation? That's even worse," he said.
Most banks that The Straits Times contacted yesterday said the latest incident has not prompted a review of their security measures, since these are regularly updated.
DBS said its branches are "equipped with robust security systems and features".
A spokesman for OCBC said it has measures such as round-the-clock surveillance cameras and Certis Cisco guards. United Overseas Bank said its branch employees and security personnel have been reminded to be extra vigilant.
It is understood that the police are studying CCTV footage from the vicinity of Holland Village to identify the suspect, who was described as a Caucasian wearing a grey hoodie and mustard trousers. No weapon was seen during the robbery, which was over in minutes.
Business returned to normal yesterday along the stretch where the StanChart branch is located. Before the bank opened at 10am, customers were already waiting in line.
Retiree Daniel Liu, who is in his 60s, said he does not think another robbery will happen. "Singapore is very safe and has a good reputation."
Another retiree in his 60s, Mr Johnny Shing, said: "These things don't usually happen. I think there is no cause for alarm."
More people streamed into the bank during lunchtime, with many seen carrying out transactions at the automated teller machines and making inquiries at the counters.
Outside the branch, a few curious passers-by peered through its glass entrance.
Some customers wondered if the robbery would have happened if a guard had been present.
"I think it would've made a difference," said Mr Willy Lau, 43, who is self-employed.
The IS terror attack at Puchong, KL, Malaysia, is now the closest to Singapore, displacing Jakarta from the proximity list. And the bad news is, it is getting nearer and nearer. So how ready is Singapore for the first attempt by IS to launch an attack in Singapore? Given how easily Mas Selamat escaped, and how easily bank robbers can obtain what they want from softies bank officials, we have our doubt, seriously.
Since the declaration of the so-called Islamic State in June 2014 in Syria and Iraq, the Malaysian authorities have supposedly stopped nine plots to attack Malaysia. However, they were unsuccessful in detecting and disrupting the attack in Puchong. The nature of the current wave of terrorism had changed from group attacks to networked attacks making it a challenge even for the best security and intelligence services to prevent all the attacks.
A week before the attack in Malaysia, Mohd Rafi Udin alias Abu ‘Awn al-Malizi appeared on a video released by the Islamic State Philippines on 21 June 2016, threatening Malaysia. In response to the video, Malaysian Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar challenged Rafi Udin who is from Negri Sembilan, to return home from Syria and take the authorities head-on, saying: “If you dare to make threats from afar, come back here and do it.”
The IS attack in Malaysia, despite continuing counter terrorism operations, demonstrates that the IS ideology has spread and established a regional presence, in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines, with support in Thailand, Singapore, and Brunei.
Since the Russian air campaign in Syria in 2015, IS has suffered but continues to replenish its losses. Although the IS threat in Iraq and Syria has plateaued, IS is in a growth phase in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caucasus. To counter the threat, governments will have to develop greater intelligence and operational capabilities both in the physical and cyber space to counter the extant and emerging threat. With its mastery in exploiting the social media, IS succeeded in creating pockets of supporters and sympathisers throughout the Muslim world, including in Southeast Asia.
In addition to building greater capacities to monitor and counter the threat, the strategy of governments and their community partners should be to reach out to vulnerable segments of Muslim communities to prevent radicalisation and enhance detection.
Another first for Singapore. The first bank robbery since the passing of our great leader Sir Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. It is also the first by a Caucasian, and also a first by an Australian. And it it pretty coolly done too. No weapon used according to various reports. Just ask for the money or else he would do something, like pissing on the sofa, perhaps.
And guess what, he got away with only $30,000. What a stingy teller. From the news, seemed like the guy is well disguised glasses and/or hat or cap, and the Police do not seem to know how he looked like from the CCTV. He is probably a small guy, as the police were seen in the video busy looking for him in the rubbish bins of houses nearby.
I wonder if he had his boat ready. To do such a Italian Job (or shall we call Singaporean Job), this is first priority. Unless he had something else, like a big Drone that can fly him to JB or Batam.
Let's look at some news reports for reference and discussions:
In a statement on Thursday, police confirmed that a case of robbery had occurred along Holland Ave at 11.25am, but did not state which bank it was. They added that their investigations are ongoing.
According to reports from Shin Min Daily and Channel NewsAsia, here’s how it supposedly happened.
At around 11.25am 7 July 2016, a Caucasian male wearing a cap slipped a piece of paper demanding money at the StanChart branch in Holland Village.
No confirmation on whether he was armed.
He took off after the heist.
Now the police have launched an islandwide manhunt for the man.
No injuries have been reported.
This is supposedly Singapore’s first bank robbery in over a decade, the last one taking place in 2004.
Police are rather quiet on the case. The secrecy might be justified due to the supposed threat level of the case, and even the biggest source of news in Singapore found themselves in the dark at this wholly-unexpected turn of events.
The suspect is on the run after the robbery which took place at about 11.25am, the police added. TODAY understands that the robber slipped a note at the counter to a young bank teller, under 30, and escaped on foot towards Chip Bee Gardens. He is believed to have made off with about S$30,000.
When contacted, a StanChart spokesperson said all its employees and customers are safe. "The bank immediately filed a police report and is working closely with the police on the investigations," said the spokesperson. He noted that the customer and staff safety are the bank's "top priority" and "our branch staff are all well trained to react to such situations".
The Holland Village branch remained closed on Thursday for police investigation.
Police have cordoned off a large area in front of the bank. Eyewitnesses reported heavy police presence in the area around lunch time on Thursday.
According to a nearby shopkeeper, the police asked for camera footage that captured the bank’s entrance but the cafe did not have any. She said she did not hear anything out of the ordinary before the police arrived.
A business development executive, Mr Tan Chia Latt, 52, saw about 30 policemen walking around in the area in bulletproof vests. “When I saw them wearing bullet proof shirts, that means something is up,” he said.
According to a Mediacorp hotline caller who had been in Holland Village, the police had stopped him and asked if he had seen a male Caucasian wearing a cap.
Standard Chartered bank’s Holland Village branch was robbed on July 7 morning at about 11.25am, and according to Shin Min Daily News this was the note the robber handed to the bank teller before she quickly handed him $30,000.
From the various reports in the newspapers and social media, it is established that the suspect is is a tall, skinny, Ang Moh Australian who was wearing a grey hoodie and mustard-coloured pants. There were no security at the bank when the robbery occurred.
Since the robbery, most banks in the Holland Village area have beefed up their security. It is unclear why the banks in the area chose not to invest in good security before the robbery. It could be because of a false sense of security since bank robberies in Singapore are almost unheard off. Or it could be because of cost cutting measures.
The Business Times reported in March 2016 that Singapore banks are in for tough times in 2016. StanChart had said to the reporters at that time that it had provided for 0.7 time of bad loans, after including collateral value.
Mystery heist: how did robber steal US$22,000 from Singapore bank armed with nothing more than a piece of paper? (SCMP)
Singapore police said on Friday they are hunting a man who managed to steal more than US$22,000 from a bank using nothing but a piece of paper.
The suspect, described as Caucasian, strolled into a Standard Chartered branch in Holland Village, an expatriate enclave of the city, around lunchtime on Thursday and handed staff a note with his demands.
Minutes later, he walked out of the branch with S$30,000 (HK$172,500) in cash, a source close to the investigation said.
A police spokesman confirmed the robbery and said no weapon was used, but gave no details of the note’s contents.
One resident, who lives in the Chip Bee Gardens estate across the street, told The Straits Times that police visited his home with a picture of the suspect. He was described as Caucasian and dressed in a grey hoodie and mustard trousers.
In a statement later, a Standard Chartered Bank spokesman said that no employee or customer was injured in the incident.
The spokesman added that the bank has filed a police report and is assisting with investigations.
“We would like to highlight that the safety of our customers and staff are our top priority and our branch staff are all well trained to react in such situations,” the spokesman said.
Bank robberies are rare in Singapore, whose tough stance against crime and strict ban on private gun ownership have made it one of Asia’s safest cities.
The last attempt was in November 2008 when a man disguised himself as a woman threatened tellers with what he called a “bomb” in a paper bag. He was restrained by bank staff and arrested.
I think Singaporeans and commuters deserve a thorough independent investigation into why safety issues were not shared with the public and why the award for more trains are coming from the same "sub-standard" supplier. The transport minister should also let us know his views on the grave matter. Singaporeans may feel let down on the "perceived" covet operation. Does this also explains why the trains are noisier with rattling and squeaking sounds all over the place. If safety is a major concern, all the more the public should be made aware, so they can feedback any unusual sounds or observations they may encounter in their travel when the trains are in operation to the relevant SMRT officials for further investigation.
We are also beginning to understand why the previous Transport Ministers resigned or did not want to carry on. They probably knew of some things that we, the public, don't. In short, just simply too much shits around.
Why LTA must secretly send back those trains to China in the cover of darkness?
More than two dozen are in operation here and are barely five years old. They were made by China Southern Railway (CSR) Qingdao Sifang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company, which together with Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries, won the first contract to supply 22 six-car trains for the North-South and East-West lines in 2009.
According to reports by online news portal FactWire, some of the trains had windows shattering repeatedly, and in 2011, one of the trains’ Chinese-made uninterruptible power supply batteries exploded during repair.
FactWire said cracks were also found in structural components of trains, including the sub-floor – a compartment under the passenger floor holding the equipment box and electrical wires – and bolster function parts connecting the car body to the bogie, the latter having the most serious problems.
With 26 trains out of service (11% of total), MRT commuters might want to consider waking up a few hours earlier than usual or bunking in at the office to avoid being late for work as it sure as hell is going to be more crowded than ever.
Even China’s own railway operator condemns CSR Sifang
By: 永久浪客/Forever Vagabond
At the end of last year, the China Railway Corporation (CRC) (中国铁路总公司) held a company’s conference to discuss train safety issues. CRC observed that the trains which they are operating continue to be fault-prone.
Fault incidents continue unabated, posing threats to passenger safety. CRC concluded that the decline in quality of the manufactured trains from the China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) (中国中车股份有限公司) is the main cause (http://companies.caixin.com/2016-03-22/100922969.html).
CRC is the national railway operator of China, under the regulation of the Ministry of Transport and the State Railways Administration. It operates rail commuter and freight transport services via several subsidiaries.
CRRC, on the other hand, is China’s state owned rolling stock manufacturer. It has some 190,000 employees and is the largest rolling stock manufacturer in China as well as in the world. One of its subsidiaries is none other than CSR Sifang, which has been contracted to build trains for SMRT. CRC blames CRRC
At the conference, CRC noted that the rail system experienced a total of 1,710 cases of train incidents in 2015. Of these, 210 cases were due to negligence during operations but 1,500 cases were due to malfunctions in trains.
The number of malfunctions in trains in 2015 increased steeply from 2014’s figure by 45%. CRC put the blame with regard to the rise in number of malfunction cases on falling quality standards of trains made by CRRC, China’s main train manufacturer.
The CRC’s management also said that its local offices should take some responsibility because they overlooked quality issues when making the train purchases and did not tell headquarters even after they discovered safety risks.
CRC has instructed its local offices to establish a proper system for checking the quality of trains, and that it plans to seek compensation from CRRC for “serious accidents” that are due to the poor quality of the manufactured trains.
CRC specifically mentions CSR Sifang, subsidiary of CRRC
At the conference, CRC felt that one of the reasons for the declining quality is because of the rush to deliver the new trains. Some of the CRRC’s factories, in the words of CRC, start to “not wash the carrots before selling them” (“萝卜快了不洗泥”).
A CRC staff disclosed to the media that during the 2nd quarter of 2015, a newly built CRH380A train from CSR Sifang’s factory had already encountered traction motor issues when it was en-route to be delivered to CRC. In the end it had to be towed back to the factory for repairs when it just came out of the line from the factory.
The most prominent problem of all happens on CRH1 trains from CSR Sifang. It has multiple problems with its bearings for years, which the staff said CSR Sifang did not fix. In 2015, 17 incidents were due to the bearing issues. In addition, problems like accessories breaking off, fire and break failures still occur frequently.
But CRC also acknowledged that its operating subsidiaries may have management irregularities too. For example, the operating units may not be strict in their supervision, hiding quality problems from top management and not meeting operating standards.
In the case of LTA buying C151A trains made by CSR Sifang, it’s not known how much time LTA spent on checking the quality of those trains. Rather than being defensive, perhaps LTA should send its CEO, RADM (NS) Chew Men Leong, to liase with CRC management so as to understand the kind of problems CRC is facing with CSR Sifang everyday.
