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let's get started with some fierce haka
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You can't keep the rich down for long. Global wealth made a remarkable comeback in 2009, increasing by 11.5% to $111.5 trillion. That's according to a new report, The Boston Consulting Group's Global Wealth 2010 Report, released Thursday by Boston Consulting Group. The report breaks down wealth by region and by country, creating a geographic portrait of where the world's wealth is accumulating and at what rate. North America posted the largest absolute gain in households with assets under management. Its wealth totaled $4.6 trillion (a 15% jump over 2008). But the largest percentage gain occurred in Asia-Pacific, where wealth skyrocketed by 22%, or $3.1 trillion. That's nearly double the global rate. Latin American household asset growth rose by 16% to $3.4 billion, and Europe, despite the massive debt problems it now faces, was the wealthiest region with more than $37 trillion in assets under management, an increase of 8.8% from 2008. Millionaires Hold 38% of Global Wealth Boston Consulting Group's report includes a revealing list countries with the highest percentage of millionaire households, but before getting to that, here are some interesting tidbits: The number of millionaire households in the world represents less than 1% of all households. Even so, these most fortunate ones owned about 38% of the world's wealth in 2009, up from 36% in 2008. In North America, Africa and the Middle East, millionaire households represented more than half of the wealth in those regions. Another juicy morsel: The number of millionaire households rose by 14% in 2009 to 11.2 million, and the U.S. had by far the most millionaire households, with 4.7 million. But that doesn't mean millionaires are crowding U.S. streets or that sumptuous yachts dominate the nation's waterways. In fact, you're more likely to find those conditions in Singapore, which had the highest percentage of millionaire households in the world. Yes, that puts Singapore at the top of Boston Consulting Group list of the top 10 countries with the greatest proportion of millionaire households. You may be surprised by the full run-down: 1) Singapore Population: 4.7 million Percentage of Millionaire Households: 11.4% Who would think the tiny Republic of Singapore would be crammed with so many millionaires? The country, all of just 247 square miles, has emerged from the recession and has rebounded in a big way. Its GDP, exports and manufacturing are all rising, and so, too, are home prices. That has led Singapore to boast the highest concentration of millionaires anywhere on the planet. Among its very rich: Ng Teng Fong, a real estate tycoon, and Wee Cho Yaw, who runs United Overseas Bank, one of Singapore's big lenders. 2) Hong Kong Population: 7.1 million Percentage of Millionaire Households: 8.8% Hong Kong, the home of Li Ka-shing, who runs conglomerates Cheung Kong and Hutchison Whampoa, had 205,000 millionaire households in 2009 and takes the number two spot for percentage of millionaire households. Hong Kong's close relationship with mainland China brings benefits and risks, but it's been good for many of the wealthiest, who made their money by investing in a real estate market that has no shortage of swanky hotels and malls. 3) Switzerland Population: 7.6 million Percentage of Millionaire Households: 8.4% The Swiss economy is recovering from slow growth during the recession, but a good many of its citizens thrived during the upswing, bringing it to third place in percentage of millionaire households. The country boasts 285,000 of them, up 19.5% from 2008. Driving the recovery: manufacturing, rising exports and consumer spending. Among the country's rich: Swiss biotech tycoon Ernesto Bertarelli, who is, perhaps, better known for winning the America's Cup in 2003. 4) Kuwait Population: 2.8 million Percentage of Millionaire Households: 8.2% The rising price of oil has led to more millionaires in this tiny country. With some 100 billion barrels of crude, Kuwait has been growing rapidly. But the oil-dependent nation now plans to spend up to $140 billion over the next five years to diversify away from oil and to attract more investment -- a move that could help it ascend this list's ranks. Such a strategy may help billionaire Nasser Al Kharafi, chairman of one of the most diversified and largest conglomerates in the Arab world. His food division, Americana, has the Middle East franchise rights to KFC, Wimpy, TGI Fridays and Pizza Hut, among others. 5) Qatar Population: 841,000 Percentage of Millionaire Households: 7.4% Qatar's economy expanded by about 8.7% last year, thanks to growth in the natural gas business. That helped the country, already the world's largest gas exporter, to emerge from the global economic crisis pretty much unscathed, leaving many of its millionaire households in good stead. Among its megarich: Bader Al Darwish, with a fortune of about $1.7 billion. Al Darwish runs Darwish Holdings, which operates businesses including real estate, investments and retail services. 6) United Arab Emirates Population: 4.9 million Percentage of Millionaire Households: 6.2% As the world's third-largest oil exporter, the UAE's economic growth is expected to rise to 3.2% this year, after posting a 1.3% increase in 2009,. Like others, its oil business has generated wealth among its citizens. It also helps that UAE isn't expected to suffer from the eurozone debt crisis. The country is home to Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair and his family, who run Mashreqbank and the second-largest flour milling company in the Mideast, as well as megamalls. 7) United States Population: 310.2 million Percentage of Millionaire Households: 4.1% The 4.7 million U.S. millionaires in 2009 was up by 15.1% over 2008. But as a market percentage, the U.S. falls relatively low on the top 10 list. The country, which is home to two of the world's wealthiest people, Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, saw its economy bounce back in 2009 from the year before as the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 40%. By the end of 2009, the economy grew at its fastest pace in more than six years, even though many businesses put the brakes on hiring. 8) Belgium Population: 10.4 million Percentage of Millionaire Households: 3.5% Suffering from spiraling debt andpolitical problems, Belgium still managed to hold on to a number of millionaires. The country has set a goal of getting its budget deficit to 4.8% of GDP in 2010, which is far below Europe's average. But Belgium's total debt will rise above 100% of GDP, placing it behind only Greece and Italy. The debt crisis in Europe will also likely take a toll on the country's economy in 2010. The good news is that Belgium has a trade surplus, and household savings are high. Among its richest: Albert Frere, who founded the media, utilities and oil conglomerate, Compagnie Nationale a Portefeuille. 9) Israel Population: 7.4 million Percentage of Millionaire Households: 3.3% Unlike other markets, the story in Israel wasn't about rising real estate values or credit, but about gains in technology, which some say will help lead the country to continued economic growth. While 2009 was a good year for the economy, the current eurozone crisis could hurt Israeli exports because about 33% of them go to Europe. Rich man in Israel: shipping tycoon Sammy Ofer, worth north of $6 billion. 10) Taiwan Population: 23 million Percentage of Millionaire Households: 3% Taiwan may be last on the top 10 list -- but that's still quite a feat. The country was hit hard by the recession mostly because its economy depends on trade. But as the world economy skittishly improves, Taiwanese families have seen their fortunes rise. The country now has some 230,000 millionaire households. That's an increase of 22.1% over 2008. One of its richest is Terry Gou of Foxconn, a maker of electronics for Apple (AAPL), Nokia (NOK), Nintendo and others. That company has been in the news recently because 13 of its workers have committed suicide or tried to. Sources: Population figures: The CIA World Factbook Percentage of millionaire households: The Boston Consulting Group's Global Wealth 2010 Report. Original Link
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/01/30/vw-overtakes-toyota-worlds-best-selling-car-maker/
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After watching the video, i realised we are fortunate to live in Singapore
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What actually causes this. Some say, weather and to much digging. I'm doubt so.... SinkHoles photos
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was browsing thru msn.com saw the pics of some Wildest Architecture... http://travel.msn.com//Guides/MSNTravelSli...98870>1=41000
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Amazing Asian! My next question how long will it take for him to get out of that lot? Haha
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It’s Official: Singapore Second Most Internet Addicted In The World http://vulcanpost.com/42511/singaporeans-most-addicted-internet/ Singapore and India have finally found one thing in common. Over half of the citizens in both the countries can’t spend half a day, or 12 hours, without the internet. The survey was done by Tata Communications, the mobile and internet service-providing arm of the biggest Indian conglomerate, Tata Industries. According to the study, Indians are slightly ahead with 54% Indians becoming net-addicted, beating Singapore’s 52% with a thin margin. Tata Communications, which owns both Tata Docomo and Tata Indicom, also found out that 43% Singaporeans spend at least 6 hours a day surfing the web. India beats this number also at a margin with 46% people spending 6 hours a day surfing internet. According to the survey, If internet is down, the average time they can wait for the service to resume is 7.3 hours. They seem more resilient compared to 25% of Americans who can not survive for 5 hours without the internet. The survey also looks at the value of an internet connection to Singaporeas. While 27% Singaporeans would give up TV, and 20% would give up chocolates in favour of internet, a whopping 38% Singaporeans would give up alcohol to have an internet connection. The last one is certainly a relief. 82% of Singaporeans also believes that the best feature of internet is to connect people globally while just 5% believe it gives a democratic channel for freedom of speech However, people are not as internet educated as you might expect. 62% Singaporeans think internet has unlimited capacity (and the ISPs are not giving them enough bandwidth) while 69% think world wide web and internet are the same thing. Both are popular mistakes. These aren’t the only misconceptions, as survey shows that 2 out of every 3 French don’t know internet ‘resides’ in the data centres. The implications of this study is worrying. When a part of technology, which doesn’t always add value, should not become this integrated into any life. In fact, this addiction has given us a new word, FOMO or “Fear Of Missing Out”. Believe it or not, 80% or every 4 out of 5 internet-using Indians are suffering from this. In another survey, Tata Communications also find out that, 64% of respondents admit to ‘Fear of Missing Out’ (FOMO), with 80% of Asian respondents displaying negative emotions when not connected to the Internet. Where is this trend taking us? With smartphones, smartwatches, computers, laptops, tablets, phablets, digitally connected doorbells to toaster ovens (it could happen soon), will we soon justify the weird sci-fi movies where everything is connected and human are implanted with chips to be organically connected? Will the whole human race be connected and controlled by some network of megacomputers? When you think about it, we’re not so far away.
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Is it open air or underground or what? Where to park nearest to Underwater World? Pls don't say underwater
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as topic, did a search n found few bros went there b4. So in summary, izit worth e effort to go all e way there to Ipoh? Hope those went b4 can advice....school holiday u noe
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Anyone here play WoWs? Just started, quite amazed at the graphics and level of detail of the warships. The big boys like the Midway, Yamato, Iowa, Taiho are really stunning in the details.
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Does anyone know what is the criteria to qualify for the above? If I'm not wrong is the second level of member ship right?
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For your reading pleasure.I like the last one,moveable bridge. http://english.cctv.com/20090721/103392.shtml
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Singapore is a first-world country with third-world death care services: Funeral director 938LIVE reports: It is time to stop rejecting death-related establishments in housing estates, says the CEO of Ang Chin Moh Funeral Services. Mr Ang Ziqian goes "On the Record" with 938LIVE's Bharati Jagdish. By Bharati Jagdish, 938LIVE POSTED: 19 Nov 2015 15:26 F Funeral services company CEO Ang Ziqian goes "On the Record" about the challenges of the industry. SINGAPORE: CEO of Ang Chin Moh Funeral Services and founder of Ang Chin Moh foundation, Mr Ang Ziqian, has been involved in his family’s business since he was 13, from helping out in the office to working his way up to CEO. A few years ago, along with the Lien Foundation, he embarked on a campaign to encourage people to talk about issues like end-of-life care, planning their will, and their funerals. The campaign included dialogue sessions, and even included discussions at getai performances in order to de-stigmatise death. One of his aims was to encourage people to join the funeral services industry as professionals, amid a severe manpower shortage stemming from this stigma. However, infrastructural issues continue to fuel negative perceptions of the industry. As Chief Executive of the Mount Vernon Sanctuary, Mr Ang is now also dealing with the eventual demolition of the premises to make way for a housing development. Most other funeral facilities, including Ang Chin Moh, are in industrial parks. 938LIVE's Bharati Jagdish spoke to Mr Ang “On the Record” to find out why he thinks people must stop rejecting the presence of funeral facilities and death-related establishments within housing estates, and how integrating death within communities can help us. TAKING OVER THE FAMILY BUSINESS Mr Ang: The key to joining the funeral profession was to help my father. He devoted all his time, his family time, to helping grieving families. My thought then was to help him, and by doing so, I could help relieve him from this 24/7 job. I find that serving grieving families is very noble, and it is very meaningful as well. I think I have always been instilled with values to help the community. Funeral services help the community. We deal with the living, but take care of the dead with care, compassion, and dignity. Through funerals, we help the families overcome grief and manage their life, to cope and continue their life. And we help the departed transcend to the next world. Bharati: You mentioned compassion earlier. Some might say the funeral business can be rather cut and dry. There’s a list of things to do and you just do them. How does compassion come into play on your part? Mr Ang: Every funeral is unique to the family. So we do not use a one-size-fits-all solution to help every single family. We listen to them. The important thing in executing a funeral service is to listen to the hearts and the needs of the grieving families. We listen to the family on their needs and we learn about the life that the departed had. For instance, if a grandma has passed on, I will always ask questions like, "If you think about your grandmother, what do you remember?" They might say, "Oh, my grandma is a good cook, and she always liked to cook curry chicken." And this, we will note and we will make sure that one of the dishes catered in the next few days will be curry chicken. This will help to invoke memories. Beautiful memories between the next generation and the departed. Bharati: Some might ask, why make such a big show out of death? Ang Ziqian: The funeral ceremony is a ritual. It is no different from other rituals. For instance, we have baby shower, graduation ceremony, and also marriage ceremony. Rituals help us to move, from one transition of life to another. It’s not about how fancy or how simple. Funerals are unique to the family. So some families choose to remember their loved ones and funerals are reflective of a person's life journey. And if that means it needs to more elaborate than the rest, then, I think we have to do that, because that means that it's a meaningful funeral for the family. Bharati: You’ve talked about this as a noble profession. But let’s face it. It’s also about making money, isn’t it? How does it feel to be making money out of someone else’s loss? Mr Ang: You could make the same argument when it comes to hospitals – is it right for hospitals to charge the sick? Funeral service is an essential service to the community. and for this service to continue, you need to constantly invest in facilities, training and also the infrastructure in order for the company to be able to manage and sustain its costs in order to maintain this essential service. In fact, the funeral business is not as lucrative as what many may think. It is because in most businesses, we are able to project supply and demand. Are we able to project deaths this month, as compared to last year, in November? We're not able to. But nevertheless, the operational cost is very high, because, it's a 24/7 service. You have to have full-time staff rostered day after day whether or not someone passes on. So operational costs are very high. Bharati: You’ve often talked about the stigma associated with working in this business, so much so that you have a manpower shortage in the industry. As you were growing up, what did your friends say about the kind job your dad was doing, about the business your family was in? Mr Ang: When I was young, I felt that many classmates stayed away from me, because they knew what my dad was doing, and I was often ostracised. I had no friends, no one dared to shake my hand because they were worried that I would transfer the bad luck to them and their family. So since young, I've felt that nobody actually understands the funeral profession. And when you talk about funeral profession, no parent will allow their children to choose this non-mainstream profession. When I had my first girlfriend, her parents’ jaws dropped when they found out what business my family was in. I was always told to bathe with floral water, to wash my hands, feet and face, before entering the house. So this was the ritual when I met my ex-girlfriends' parents and when I went to their house, or even friends' houses. I attribute this to the taboo that we have in the cultures and traditions that we have. But I think that taboo is all about ignorance. If you have knowledge and information about a subject, it no longer is a taboo. Bharati: Considering this, did you ever feel a sense of resentment that you were born into a family that did this for a living? Mr Ang: I was not upset that I was born into this family, but there were certainly a lot of challenges growing up, because many people use their own lenses to judge you. Are you actually normal? Do you transmit bad luck? This is something that upsets me, but I think, maybe because we are born in a funeral director family, we are naturally attuned to serve community, therefore we are not so worried about how people perceive us. How our actions touch people's lives is more important. I've always told myself since young, since I've been ostracised all my life, I need to do something to change mindsets, to give information, to give knowledge to the members of public, so that everyone knows that funeral service was actually an essential service to the community. And this is important for our mental well-being as well. When someone passes on, we are the first ones to help the family overcome grief, and help the departed to transcend to the next world. A meaningful ceremony really can help the family emotionally, and that is crucial to any funeral planning. Bharati: You’ve been doing quite a bit in the last few years to remove the stigma in collaboration with other organisations – encouraging dialogue about death and dying – which of course includes end-of-life care, writing a will, planning one’s funeral – through even things like getai performances. Where are you seeing the most resistance when it comes to talking about such issues? Mr Ang: Most people have the misconception that the elderly don't want to talk about death, because this may be too harsh for them. Actually, on the contrary, it is the children who, out of love and respect, don't have the courage to bring this subject up to the elderly. And we have a lot of elderly saying, “I want to tell this to my children, but I do not know how to, how to hint to them. Whenever I want to bring this topic up, they say no, choy, choy, choy in Cantonese, and they say we shouldn't talk about this subject.” Death is the ultimate end point of life, but before that, we need to look at many aspects, like end-of-life care. And this is equally important as well. Bharati: So, the elderly say they want to talk about such things, but their kids are the ones preventing them from doing so. Have you been able to observe whether or not that conversation among family members has opened up in the last few years? Ang Ziqian: It is always easier for the elderly to bring up this subject as opposed to the younger generation. This campaign has helped both generations to talk about death. Usually, you do not talk only about death. You talk beyond death. You talk about what you like in life, what you dislike in life, what really represents you, and what are the hardships that you've gone through so far. Death actually gives us an urgency to spark family conversations. And through such conversations about death, the family actually comes together. They tend to treasure one another and tend to put those nitty-gritty fights aside, and to really learn about a family member. So death is not the end. It's the start of conversations that bring families together. Bharati: I understand that one of the reasons you decided to get involved in de-stigmatising death was to address the manpower shortages companies like yours were facing because people don’t want to be associated with such a business, but why else would you say it’s important to do this? Mr Ang: I have served more than 3,000 families over the last two decades. What really pains me is when they come to my funeral home, they often have quarrels. They fight about who the caregiver is, the caregiver stress, where the inheritance should go. There's a lot of emotional baggage. This really pains me. It makes me think about what we can do to bring this a step forward, to prevent this rather than to wait for it to happen. I think that through education, if the matriarch or patriarch has actually expressed his intention or her intention of how he wants or she wants the funeral to be, and how the assets should be divided, and what should be done, and the values that should continue to bind the family, this will solve all problems. DYING POOL OF MANPOWER Bharati: We mentioned manpower issues several times. How bad is the shortage? Mr Ang: This is a serious problem. Since the first day I joined the industry, we've been facing challenges, because of the upbringing that we have. Most parents will tell us to be doctors, lawyers, accountants, bankers. None of the parents will tell their children to choose non-mainstream options, like a funeral director. When in 2004, when I took on the role of a management staff, maybe in a year, we only had less than 10 applicants. And out of 10 applicants, maybe only one is hired. And that one will not stay more than three months. Because, some of them, when they go back home and share with their family, the family members say, “Can you not join this profession? Can you resign? Or else we will no longer be mother and son.” And there's also peer pressure. The rest of their friends are professionals like accountants, bankers, lawyers, and they are funeral directors. If Singaporeans choose not to work in this industry, and with the current situation that we are having, which is an increasingly grey population, we're going to face a problem in the future whereby when a funeral is needed, we may not have enough professionals to conduct this funeral. So if nothing is being done to attract new blood, Singaporeans to join this industry, the Ministry of Manpower will have to re-look at its policies, to how we can use foreign help to manage this. Bharati: Since your campaign started three years ago, have you seen an increase in people willing to join the industry? Mr Ang: Yeah. Now I receive on average, at least five resumes per month. And a lot of them are doing a mid-life career change. Some of them come from the nursing sector, some of them come from the engineering industry, some of them come from customer service. And I'm glad, because of the campaigns, more people have more knowledge of the industry and therefore they want to do something meaningful. Bharati: But there is still a shortage? Mr Ang: Generally, in the industry, there is a huge shortage because the average age in this industry is late fifties. So if we do not have help at this moment, in 10 years’ time when our senior generation retires, there's going to be a huge gap between the workforce and the increasing number of deaths in the country. Bharati: So, what do you hope to do in order to fix this situation going forward? Mr Ang: I mean, I can share our experience. We've changed the environment, we provide good benefits, we provide training to our staff, which I think is critical. The key thing here is to make everyone realise that it's a meaningful career. I think funeral service is a career that helps the community to overcome grief. And also as a professional serving the families, you tend to re-look at your own life and how you can impact lives around you. You tend to evaluate, and you tend to be a better person that way. Bharati: In what way do you think you have become a better person as a result of working in this industry? Mr Ang: I’ve developed a lot of empathy, a lot of care for people, and it is always people first before myself. Bharati: I understand there are no formal courses in Singapore for people who want to learn to be professionals in the funeral services industry. Mr Ang: You're absolutely right. There is no formal training in Singapore that offers courses that helps to groom you. What companies have in Singapore is we have in-house training. We engage providers from overseas who are experts in this field to train our people. In the US, funeral service is a respected profession. You need to have at least a bachelor's degree in order to enter a mortuary science college. And it is a profession that has been supported by the association, and policy-makers, and also by the members of public. The problem lies in Singapore. The funeral profession is a very neglected industry in Singapore. But is this service necessary? Yes, it is. This conversation has to come between the policy makers, academics and the funeral professionals. We need to work together to groom the next generation of funeral directors, if we want our Singaporeans to die with dignity. Bharati: You mentioned policy-makers. What do you want government to do in order to help? Mr Ang: To start a national conversation. Do we want our people to die with dignity? And if we want to, how do we address the infrastructure? How do we address manpower problems? How do we make mindsets change? Bharati: But you're already doing this on your own. Why should the government get involved? Mr Ang: There is only so much that individual philanthropic organisations can do. I would say that policy-makers have the resources, and when they set a direction and everyone can steer to that direction, it will be more rapid. The speed will be there, the support will be there. It is difficult to dance solo. DEATH AND THE COMMUNITY Bharati: I understand that infrastructure is an issue as well. For instance, you are also chief executive of the Mount Vernon Sanctuary. You’ve spent money sprucing this place up and intend to continue doing this. You’ve been given a lease extension of two years, but eventually, it will be demolished to make way for a housing estate. I understand the government has plans for a new funeral parlour to be built at the current site, but there are no details yet. As it is, funeral parlours can be located only on specifically approved sites or as ancillary services to columbarium developments. And you have an issue with this. Mr Ang: Funeral homes right now are located in industrial parks, and I'm always very ashamed to share this with foreign funeral directors. I'm always very ashamed to say that we are located in industrial parks. You need to pass the wood industry, metal industry, wrecked cars, before reaching the funeral home. This brings no dignity. It's sad that in a first-world country, we have third-world funeral services. Because of the taboo and because there is no one to engage the community to correct and eradicate taboos, therefore, the Nimby Syndrome, or "not in my backyard" syndrome develops. Bharati: We have seen a number of controversies over this, including one recently over a columbarium in a housing estate. People who were living in that area, or were about to buy flats in that area were upset that there were plans to build a columbarium nearby. Mr Ang: I think that funeral facilities should be seen as part of the infrastructure within a community. It is no different from a police station, fire station, daycare centre, preschool centres. It is infrastructure that is needed within the community. But we also have to look at this in a different light. Funeral facilities like funeral parlours, cemeteries, columbaria, are actually necessary. Because it reminds you of the reality of life. It brings more empathy in us. It humanises us. It teach us that death is the end point of life, so how can we, by recognising that, live our lives more meaningfully? Bharati: But considering that the "not-in-my-backyard" syndrome emerges when it comes to such facilities, do you blame the authorities for leaving it the way it is, where most of you are located in industrial parks? Mr Ang: First of all, I think it takes time to make a change. It takes a lot of courage to make change happen. But we all have to recognise that change is constant. If we do not make any changes at this moment, our descendants are the ones who will suffer. I think that courage needs to be mustered from all stakeholders, to make these tough conversations, these necessary conversations more palatable, to create understanding among people, and why there is a need for infrastructure, like funeral facilities, in the community. I think we need to educate. With education, eradicate taboos. When we eradicate taboos, we eradicate the NIMBY syndrome. The NIMBY syndrome is always associated with profits. For instance, if we have hospices in residential areas, some people may think that it will drive our property prices down. But is it really true? I think that in Singapore we should have funeral facilities, just like hospitals, in the North, South, East, West and Central. In the Design for Death competition, done by two foundations - Ang Chin Moh Foundation and Lien Foundation, we presented solutions that show the scarce space in Singapore can be shared between the living and the dead, not isolate it in a very far place, because one day, our descendants, or we ourselves, have to go to a very far corner of Singapore to pay our respects, and is that what we really want - isolation? I think isolation will only make the problem larger, and worse. I think we need to integrate them together. The dead and the living can cohabit within a common space. Bharati: So how do you think this can be done in Singapore, when people will protest every time someone suggests a better integration of such facilities within communities? Should policy-makers allow such infrastructure within communities in spite of protests and hope that over time, it will become normalised and hopefully the taboo surrounding death will diminish too? Mr Ang: I think we need to start a national conversation with policy-makers sharing their viewpoints and their challenges. And we, as funeral professionals, also share our viewpoints and challenges with the members of the public as well. This will create an understanding where funeral facilities can be considered as infrastructure essential to the community. It takes time for change to happen. It takes courage to make change happen. It’s always better to be proactive than reactive. So in this society, we’re a first-world country, do we want to chase the next dollar or do we want to chase how to live a meaningful life. If we do not take active steps to give dignity to ourselves, no one will. If we do not have empathy, we’re no different from robots. Bharati: How do you feel about Mount Vernon Sanctuary having to go in two years? Mr Ang: To me it's very sad, after having invested so much, because these facilities not only help the grieving families, but it also helps the mid- and small-sized funeral business owners that don't have a funeral parlour. These things will happen, but it is also a true fact that Singapore needs funeral facilities. For us, in Mount Vernon Sanctuary, we really pray every day that there will be new parcel of land out for tender to allow funeral companies that have local culture, to actually bid for it, and also to continue to serve the community. Because I think embracing the local culture and having the essence as a local company really matters a lot to the culture and traditions of Singaporeans. Bharati: I understand that lease tenures are also an issue within the industry. Mr Ang: Funeral companies, over the past many decades, have suffered from this vicious cycle. All leases are up to a maximum of three years. Naturally, funeral directors are hesitant to invest in facilities, to spruce them up, to give the dignity to the families. And when that happens, it adds to the poor perception that the members of the public have towards the funeral industry. The three-year limit was imposed by the landlords, and it offers the landlords flexibility, if they wish to terminate the lease. But this also means that there is no confidence instilled within the funeral companies, whether their lease will be renewed. There's a lot of uncertainty. Bharati: But all business owners have a limited lease, so why should funeral services firms be treated differently? Mr Ang: I think funeral service cannot be compared with other commercial companies. Funeral service is an essential service to the community. There are lot of intangibles in doing that, because now, what’s always on our minds is, "Will I get a renewal? Should I even invest?" Bharati: How long do you think the lease tenure should be? Mr Ang: I would think a minimum of 15 to 30 years. 30 years will be appropriate, but three years is actually too short. Do you realise that funeral facilities are the last place, the last opportunity for us to say our goodbyes, to show appreciation to our departed? If the funeral facilities have not been spruced up, because of the three-year short lease, this is going to be a terrible, emotional experience for the families. Bharati: In spite of this, you made an effort to spruce up your place though, in order to attract the best staff, in order to give your clients the best experience as well. You invested a lot in the Mount Vernon Sanctuary as well and you open up the parlours for other funeral companies to use as well. Mr Ang: I have done many firsts in this industry because I believe that my objective is to reach out to all bereaved families in Singapore. Bharati: Have you thought about what your own funeral would be like? Mr Ang: I have thought about what my funeral is going to be like, and this is why I am so pro-active in advocating, in changing mindsets. Actually, I hope that, when I pass on, my funeral will not be in the HDB void deck. It'll be in a place where dignity will be able to take place. There are so few funeral parlours that meet the mark and standards for wakes. That’s why everyone goes to the HDB void decks. Bharati: Why not? You said that the death-related facilities should be integrated into the community – HDB void decks are as integrated as it gets. Mr Ang: HDB void decks also pose their own challenges, because it is a common space. The noise generated also creates inconvenience, but actually with funeral facilities, dedicated funeral facilities in the neighbourhood, this will address the sound issue, this will address the dignity issue. Funerals in void decks are what we call “makeshifts” . If you are in a place, in a makeshift tent under the void deck, it is not conducive to hold a funeral. If you use this as comparison to Mount Vernon Sanctuary - it's located within a park, and the park is conducive enough for you to walk around the park to address your grief, so we need to look beyond the infrastructure. The environment is equally important, because this helps us emotionally. Bharati: So as you mentioned earlier, more funeral parlours and facilities within housing estates would certainly help. Have you thought about how people are able to stomach funerals at void decks, but not funeral services companies or parlours next to their HDB block? Mr Ang: I think they actually can’t accept both, but they don’t have a choice. The solution is clear - to allocate more land for funeral facilities - but are we ready for that? Are we prepared? Do we have the courage to do that? ON BEING AROUND DEATH ALL THE TIME Bharati: We were talking about what you’d like your own funeral to be like. Aside from the location, have you thought of any other details? Mr Ang: My family always finds that I'm so fickle-minded, because I'm constantly changing the funeral arrangements I want for myself. Before, I wanted myself to be buried, but now I've a different thought. I want one-third of my ashes to be stored in columbarium. And one-third of my ashes I want to place in a bio-degradable urn, and then let it sail through the seas. And one-third of the ashes, I want to like to make into memorial diamonds, so that I can pass to the people who love me and whom I've loved. Bharati: Why is this so important to you? Some may say why bother? You won’t be here anymore. Mr Ang: Ashes are not about myself. Ashes are something that we leave behind, so that our families will hold on to it, and they'll remember you, not only yourself, but also your memories, the legacy that you leave behind, and the value system. There's something for families to hold onto, but I think what is more important when I pass away is to pass down the values system that I have, the spirit that I have that I hope the next generation will be able to pick up. Bharati: Emotionally, have you been touched by any particular funeral you had to handle? Mr Ang: I've been touched by many, many funerals. The common denominator for all is the love between people. I can see the affection and the values being shared by the senior generation with the younger generations, and how they remember their loved ones. And this is something that brings the families together. We may leave behind our human shell, but we leave behind values. And that is something I think is very meaningful, and also very touching as well. Bharati: Tell me about maybe one funeral that was the most challenging to handle. Mr Ang: I would say deaths involving an infectious disease that is scheduled under our Infectious Diseases Act, are often challenging because firstly, we need to protect our employees, and we need to protect the diseased person, and also maintain confidentiality. Usually in such situations, only one family member that knows about the situation and keeping it from other family members, is something very challenging. Bharati: What does it feel like to be around death all the time? Mr Ang: Funeral directors are humans. We get emotional, but we cannot express it, because we have to maintain our professionalism in helping the family. Bharati: Does this job ever depress you? Mr Ang: No. Death is actually a part of life, and only when you recognise death is the end point of life, you tend to live your life more meaningfully. It makes you realise that life is so short. Death is not only meant for the sick and the elderly. Everyone has an entitlement, including the young. So with death surrounding me every day, it gives me urgency to do things. For instance, I started this foundation at a very young age, in my early 30s, because I do not know how long I will live. I want to change the industry, to change people, to make lives better for everyone. So we need not wait until the retirement age of 65 before we start to do community work. We can start at this moment. So death is actually a constant reminder to me that, "Ziqian, you need to move things faster, better, while you are young, while you have energy to do that, you need to inspire and empower people to join funeral industry.” So this has been my adrenaline every day when I wake up from my bed This has always been my peeve and I feel it is definitely timely to relook this area as the need is definitely there and the current service providers are aging and there is really going to be a gap
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Singapore laps behind Malaysia in giving....... or I should say "donations" ... Yahoo : Singapore behind Malaysia, Thailand, while Myanmar tops World Giving Index Singapore may be on top of many indexes, but when it comes to charity and giving, we don't fare so well. Singapore ranks at number 34 out of 145 on the World Giving Index this year, behind neighbouring countries like Malaysia, at 10th spot, and Thailand, at number 19. Myanmar, one of the least developed countries in Asean, is number one in the The Charities Aid Foundation's (CAF) sixth World Giving Index, holding the position for the second year running. According to the report, the generosity of Myanmarese people could be attributed to Theravada Buddhism, as charitable giving is integral to the religious observance. The index measures three kinds of generosity, namely the giving of money, time, and helping a stranger. On the ‘helping a stranger’ table, which asks if a person has helped a stranger in the last month, Singapore is at number 89. However, Singapore ranks much higher up on the ‘donating money’ table at number 18, just below Malaysia at number 17. On the ‘volunteering time’ table, Singapore stands at number 42. To summarise the index findings, CAF chief executive John Low said, “It is heartening to see that even during these times of economic uncertainty across the word, people are increasingly likely to donate money to causes that help others.” He added that it was humbling to see countries which have suffered adversity continue to score highly on the index. Singapore Red Cross secretary general and chief executive officer Benjamin William told Yahoo Singapore there has actually been an increasing trend of people volunteering in Singapore. “Many individuals and families are struggling to make ends meet, as well as coping with social and physical challenges such as chronic illnesses, disabilities, or family tragedies… we hope that Singaporeans will not forget these vulnerable people amongst us, and also channel their generosity and compassion to support the humanitarian services aimed at helping this group,” he said. William said Singapore continues to be generous and forthcoming in responding to good causes, such as helping communities affected by natural disasters. “Generally, donors are very supportive of organisations when they can identify with and relate to the cause,” he added. The World Giving Index was conducted on the Gallup methodology, where 1,000 questionnaires were completed by a representative sample of individuals living across a country. In larger countries, samples of at least 2,000 are collected. Link : https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-behind-malaysia--thailand--while-myanmar-tops-world-giving-index-033727351.html After the 'Huang Na' , 'Changi Airport Cleaner' and NKF cases, who wants to burnt their fingers again ...
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Izwan brilliant as Singapore hold mighty Japan in World Cup Qualifying A hero in last month's Malaysia FA Cup final, goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud excelled for Singapore in Japan. Izwan Mahbud put on a goalkeeping masterclass to help Singapore hold Asian giants Japan to a 0-0 draw in their 2018 World Cup qualifier at the Saitama Stadium on Tuesday night. On the night of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games closing ceremony, the Lions produced a courageous performance to stun Japan's new head coach Vahid Halihodzic in his first competitive match and leave a crowd of more than 55,000 shocked. Singapore now sit top of Group E on four points after negotiating their two away games with a 4-0 win against Cambodia last Thursday to go with the draw in Japan. Syria and Afghanistan are the other nations in the pool. It was an uninspiring performance from the Samurai Blue against a team 102 places below them in the world rankings. Bernd Stange's Lions frustrated the hosts who simply could not find a way past the brilliant Izwan in goal. Things did look ominous for the visitors when Keisuke Honda thumped a 15-yard shot in the third minute which needed two attempts before Izwan finally gathered. Shinji Kagawa was next to threaten on 12 minutes. But his shot was tipped out for a corner by Izwan, who was always predicted to be Singapore's busiest player on the night. Japan captain Makoto Hasebe led by example as he drove down the middle of the park, but it was Kagawa's failure in finding his shooting range that proved costly. Two attempts in quick succession failed to trouble Izwan in goal. Singapore finally broke out of their half when Zulfahmi Arifin found space just outside the box. The young midfielder opted to shoot despite the shouts from Khairul Amri who'd made an intelligent run. Japan's best chance of the half fell to Shinji Okazaki after some good work between Usami Takashi and Honda. But the home fans couldn't believe their eyes when Izwan pulled off a superb save to keep things level. Stange was visibly elated as both teams walked at half-time while his counterpart Halihodzic had a pensive look after Japan's dismal showing. Singapore defenders, led by Baihakki Khaizan, heroically backed up goalkeeper Mahbud's masterclass during the goalless draw against Japan. The Japanese started the second half in determined fashion, with Usami taking a couple of early pot shots. Izwan was the hero again on 55 minutes when Ota Kasuke's pinpoint cross was met by an Okazaki header. Once again, the Singapore custodian pulled off an instinctive save to deny the hosts. Halihodzic saw enough and stunned the Saitama crowd when he took off Borussia Dortmund's Kagawa and brought on FC Koln's Yuya Osako. The Izwan versus Japan battle continued in the 63rd minute when the keeper foiled Usami's cross-shot as a restless Japanese bench looked more tense by the minute. Another one-handed save three minutes later, off Honda's powerful header from an Ota corner saw the AC Milan man let out a big scream of frustration. Nothing seemed to go right for the Samurai Blue as Honda's 72nd minute free kick cannoned off the post. Izwan was on hand to save Usami's meek shot from the rebound. When Iraqi referee Mohanad Sarray blew the final whistle, he left the Japan team and fans shell-shocked. The 154th ranked Singapore players punched the air in delight in what felt like a victory for the underdogs from Southeast Asia. After their disappointing AFC Asian Cup in January when they were knocked out in the quarterfinals, the Japanese are still searching for answers. Japan: Eiji Kawashima (GK), Ota Kasuke, Hiroki Sakai, Makino Tomoaki, Maya Yoshida, Makoto Hasebe ©, Usami Takashi (Yoshinori Muto 78'), Gaku Shibasaki (Genki Haraguchi 70'), Keisuke Honda, Shinji Kagawa (Yuya Osako 61'), Shinji Okazaki Singapore: Izwan Mahbud (GK), Shaiful Esah, Baihakki Khaizan (Firdaus Kasman 80'), Madhu Mohana, Nazrul Nazari, Zulfahmi Arifin, Hariss Harun, Izzdin Shafiq, Hafiz Sujad, Fazrul Nawaz (Yasir Hanapi 90+1'), Khairul Amri (Khairul Nizam 85')
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Here we go again! http://women.asiaone.com/women/people/miss-world-singapore-2015-draws-flak-myanmar-roots Miss World Singapore 2015 draws flak for Myanmar roots Charlene ChuaThe New PaperSunday, Oct 25, 2015 20151023_limelite2.jpg Winning a beauty pageant has been her dream since she was a little girl. Miss Charity Maru, also known as Charity Lu Lu Seng, finally tasted sweet victory on Wednesday night. The 24-year-old freelance translator beat 13 other contestants to be crowned Miss World Singapore 2015 at the One Farrer Hotel & Spa. But her joy was quickly tainted by criticism online that she is not the best person to represent Singapore at the international finals on Dec 19 in Sanya, China. The debate started because Miss Maru, is a relatively new citizen: She received her pink IC only in 2007. She was born in northern Myanmar to a Kachin family. The Kachin people are made up of ethnic groups who inhabit the northern Kachin State and neighbouring areas of China and India. Miss Maru, who is proud of her Kachin roots, said she loves Singapore and does not see why she cannot have the best of both worlds in her pageant journey. "One of my goals I set for myself should I win Miss World Singapore was to introduce my people to the world." When asked what she meant by "my people", Miss Maru said she meant the Kachin. "I believe that I am the first Kachin to take part in the Miss World Pageant. "Also, now that I am Singaporean, I want to represent Singapore well at the finals by showing that charity, which is a big component of Miss World, should be a lifestyle choice instead of a one-off thing." Some of her online detractors were adamant that should they support Miss Maru, they want her to identify only with being Singaporean when she takes to the world stage. Wrote one netizen: "Charity is a Singapore citizen with a pink Singapore identity card. "She is not representing Myanmar and therefore...she should be proud, and only be proud, to be a Singaporean." On the flak she has received, Miss Maru told The New Paper: "I grew up here, this is my home and I'm proud to be a Singaporean. "I hope people would respect me just as a Singaporean." CAME HERE AT 12 Miss Maru, who is 1.7m tall, was brought up by her grandmother and aunts in Myanmar as her parents came to Singapore to work when she was young. Her father is a senior engineer and her retired mother was a nurse in Tan Tock Seng Hospital. When she was 12, her parents brought her here to live with them. The former student of Balestier Hill Primary School, Beatty Secondary School and Singapore Polytechnic has been volunteering for the last two years as a Sunday school teacher at Kachin Baptist Church (Singapore), where she enjoys being a youth leader. Although she had, from the time she was young, yearned to be a beauty queen, she refused to join beauty pageants because most of them required participants to wear swimsuits. Said Miss Maru: "So when I read that this year (for the first time in 63 years), Miss World was going to remove the swimsuit round from the international finals, it was a dream come true for me to join the local pageant, and then actually win it. "I had joined it secretly and told my parents only on the morning of the (local) finals that I was a Miss World finalist." As a nod to Miss World's chairman Julia Morley's decision to cut the swimsuit round, the organiser of Miss World Singapore, Mr Raymund Ooi, also turned the bikini segment this year into a casual wear segment. Miss Maru is also more determined than ever to "improve" on herself as she wants to win a title at the competition. For example, she will be working on her catwalk, which she feels is not up to standard. The self-confessed sweat-hater, who weighs 56kg, also intends to do more toning exercises so that she will have a better physique. From now to the competition, she will not eat dinner and will have her last meal every day at 4pm in order to keep her weight down. She will also be working hard on her community project in Singapore, which will count for 40 per cent of her score in China. Said Miss Maru: "I am prepared to win something at the Miss World finals. "I will do everything that I can to get it for Singapore.
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Anyone of you heard that we are number 1 according to this PISA test? Are we really the smartest ? I do not see any Nobel prize winners coming from Singapore nor any great inventions? http://edition.cnn.com/videos/world/2015/09/18/spc-vital-signs-genius-and-creativity-a.cnn
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR46IzYP7MA...player_embedded Actual footage from North Korean state television. The game was broadcast 36 hours after the match. Despite Brazil winning the game, North Korea claimed victory.
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Scooting around the world on a Vespa http://www.todayonline.com/lifestyle/travel/scooting-around-world-vespa Juvena Huang is much like your regular Singapore girl the colleague you go to yoga lessons with, or your best friends earnest kid sister with a love for bikes. But unlike most, the 27-year-old is also embarking on a trip around the world today. On her Vespa scooter. Alone. This journey started because a good friend passed away in 2009, revealed Huang. He was a motorbike rider who was always taking long distance rides to countries around the region and spoke of riding around the world. Nothing happened to him until the rare occasion he decided to drive. He ended up in a car accident which took his life. The uncertainty and brevity of life struck me hard. I wanted to do something crazy for once. Visit her blog or Facebook for updates: http://thewanderingwasp.blogspot.sg https://www.facebook.com/thewanderingwasp Hats off to this lady!
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25 happiest countries in the world. . . The UN has declared 20 March the International Day of Happiness, and in commemoration of that, we bring you the 25 happiest countries in the world, as listed in the UN's World Happiness Report for 2013. It's based on life freedom, GDP per capita, generosity, social support, perceived corruption and length of life, and survey respondents were asked to rate both their emotions and lives as a whole. Their answers are then placed on the happiness ranking with an overall score. Singapore ranks at number 30 on the list, the highest among its Southeast Asian regional counterparts as well as above Hong Kong, Japan, China and Taiwan. See the UN's full report here. #25 France #24 Brazil #23 Oman #22 UK #21 Belgium #20 Venezuela #19 Luxembourg #18 Ireland #17 USA #16 Mexico #15 Panama #14 UAE #13 New Zealand #12 Costa Rica #11 Israel #10 Australia #09 Iceland #08 Austria #07 Finland #06 Canada #05 Sweden #04 Netherland #03 Switzerland #02 Norway #01 Denmark From: Yahoo news. Here
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Enjoy!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yst9d8KyxSw