Search the Community

Actually, the scratch is more like a "scrape", slightly larger than one hand's width, and about 6 inches length, affecting both front and rear doors on one side. Brought to a workshop (which shall not be named here), and was quoted about $380 - this is for repairing the damage and respraying the two doors, plus respraying the front bumper which was involved in another minor scrape earlier. Though have been driving for some years, this is the first time I've to repair a scratch on my car. Which is a good thing, actually... But would like some advice on the price range for such a repair on 2 doors + 1 bumper - is the quote reasonable, or I kena ??

Chinese man loved his Hyundai so much he chose to be buried in it Knowing that ancient pharaohs were often buried with all of their earthly treasures, it might not be a stretch to believe that they would have wanted to be buried in their cars if they lived in this century. A video from Baoding, North China's Hebei province, has been circulating online showing a bizarre scene where a silver Hyundai Sonata is being lowered into a grave. According to China Daily, the deceased is said to have loved his car so much that he made sure that it was stated in his will that he was to be buried in his own car instead of a coffin. Would you want the same when your day comes?

I always want our SG govt would consider giving pension to our elderly. In the olden days, our grandparents earned low wages and now facing high cost of living. Some told me that if we want to give pension to the elderly, we need to pay higher taxes. However, after reading this late news, I seriously got nothing much to say. Take a deep breath and read on. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you didn't already know, our office holders receive pensions. Yes, a sum of money after they quit for the rest of their lives. It's in the government statutes here - http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi...le&doctitle Who is an office holder? - The term office holder includes the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Speaker, Senior Minister, Minister, Senior Minister of State, Minister of State, Mayor, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Parliamentary Secretary or Political Secretary. How much? - Depending of length of service, office holders can get a maximum of 2/3 of their annual last drawn salary as an annual pension. For example, PM Lee earns S$3.87m a year now, will get at least S$2.58m a year when he retires. Mah Bow Tan will get at least S$1.8m a year. Vivian Balakrishnan will get S$800k for his 9 years in ministerial office if he retires this year. Pension lumpsum - Pensions can be paid out in lumpsum if the office holder retiree so chooses. For this purpose the annual pension sum payable is multiplied by a 'prescribed commutation factor' to be decided by the President. Someone who sent an email out about this reckons this number to be 14.6. So if a minister's annual salary is S$2m when he retires, he can ask for S$29.2m in one go. Taxes on pension - None. See government statutes http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=2001-REVED-134&doctitle=INCOME+TAX+ACT&date=latest&method=part&segid=1009775494-001719 section (h)://http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_vers...719 section (h) What about the rest of the civil service? - The rest of the civil service was converted away from the pension scheme to CPF some time ago. So ministerial office is only civil service position in SG that allows for pensions now. So what's the problem? - After the facts, this is an opinion - These guys already are the highest paid politicians in the world. Seriously, it's a lot of money. Aren't they also saving up for their retirement like the rest of us? We private sector folks will get nothing when we retire (hopefully). MM has encouraged us to keep on working into our 60s and 70s - is it so that our continuing tax payments would fund their pensions? Talk about skewing the rich-poor gap. I'm not cool with it. - Gurmit Singh Source: Link

as turning in the mscp in a tight corner and was abit too complacent. Ended up with the area above the rear wheel impacting the edge of the wall. Sian Half. Just wondering if anyone has any recommendation of where to repair these damages? agar agar how much? Dont have to be top notch, just want to reduce the scar , if not see liao damn sian. thanks.

Does anyone know of any place that can repair the dish on those deep dish rims, where the rim is finished in chrome. I repeat, in chrome. I know people send their kerbed dish rims to shops and grind away the edges. But I believe this cannot be done if the dish(or lip) is chromed or painted right?

A deep, dark, secret love affair A team of IDF officers, known as the `Mexicans,' helped Singapore establish an army. It was the start of a very special relationship. By Amnon Barzilai Jul.16, 2004 | 12:00 AM Text size THIS STORY IS BY Amnon Barzilai Christmas Eve, 1965, is the unofficial date of the start of the great and continuing love story between Israel and Singapore, a love affair that was kept a deep, dark secret. The international press, like the Israeli media, tried to bring the tale to light. Occasionally, scraps of information leaked out; some were published, some were denied, many were disregarded. The Israelis, as usual, wanted to rush to tell all their friends, but managed to overcome that desire. The fear that the thies would be terminated if they became public knowledge had its effect. Israel imposed a total blackout on the story and the secret was preserved. Until the other side could no longer contain itself. In his book, "From Third World to First: The Singapore Story 1965-2000," published in 2000, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father and its first prime minister, disclosed the secret that had been kept for almost 40 years: It was the Israel Defense Forces that established the Singaporean army. The Israeli military mission was headed by Yaakov (Jack) Elazari, then a colonel, who was later promoted to brigadier general. After leaving the army, he became a consultant to the Singaporean army. Hedied 15 years ago. "To disguise their presence, we called them `Mexicans.' They looked swarthy enough," Lee wrote. Singapore's army is today considered the strongest and most advanced of the military forces in Southeast Asia. The alliance between the Israeli and Singaporean defense establishments intensified and expanded, and it now encompasses cooperation between the two countries' military industries, as well. The scope of the deals, according to foreign sources, indicates that the Singaporean army is one of the major clients of Israeli combat means and military technology. Singapore's aircraft industry is cooperating with its Israeli counterpart and with Elbit Systems in upgrading the F-5 warplanes of the Turkish Air Force. A few years ago, Singapore's defense minister revealed that the Gil antitank missile, which is manufactured by Raphael (Israel Armaments Development Authority), was developed in cooperation between the two countries. Surrounded by Muslims Lee explained the need to maintain secrecy to his close friend in the leadership, and the first defense minister in his government, Dr. Goh Keng Swee. "We have to ensure, as far as possible, that the arrival of the Israelis will not become public knowledge, in order not to arouse opposition among the Malay Muslims who live in Malaysia and Singapore," the prime minister summed up. That, in essence, is Singapore's problem. The residents of the small island, which has an area of about 670 square kilometers (Israel is 30 times as large), are mainly Chinese, and they live between the two Muslim countries of Malaysia and Indonesia. Life in the shadow of the large Muslim majority and fear of a Malaysian incursion are an integral part of the history of the two countries. Until 1965, Singapore was part of Malaysia. In that year, the British government decided to withdraw from all its colonies east of the Suez Canal. In a rapid process it was decided to sever Singapore from Malaysia and to establish it as a new and separate country. Singapore declared its independence on August 9, 1965. At the time of its creation, it had only two infantry regiments, which had been established and were commanded by British officers. Two-thirds of the soldiers were not residents of Singapore, and in any event the leaders of the nascent state had no faith in the strength of the minuscule army. The defense minister, Goh, contacted Mordechai Kidron, the former Israeli ambassador to Thailand, and asked for assistance. Kidron arrived in Singapore within days, along with Hezi Carmel of the Mossad. "Goh told us that they think that only Israel, a small country surrounded by Muslim countries, with a strong army, could help them build a small, dynamic army," Carmel says. The two Israelis met with Lee, who writes that he "told Keng Swee to put it on hold until Lal Bahadur Shastri, the prime minister of India, and President Nasser of Egypt replied to my letters seeking their urgent help to build up our armed forces." It's not clear whether Lee, in fact, believed India and Egypt were capable of, or interested in, building up Singapore's army. Many Israelis believe the two leaders were approached only for appearance's sake. After a few weeks of waiting, India and Egypt congratulated Singapore on its independence but did not offer military aid. Lee ordered Goh to push ahead in contacts with the Israelis. At the same time, in the wake of reports sent by Kidron and Carmel, the Israeli defense establishment deployed to supply military aid to Singapore. In discussions conducted by the chief of staff, Yitzhak Rabin, with the participation of the deputy chief of staff and head of the Operations Branch, Ezer Weizmann, it was decided to make Major General Rehavam Ze'evi, who was then deputy head of the Operations Branch, responsible for building the Singaporean army. Ze'evi (nicknamed "Gandhi" ) paid a secret visit to Singapore and the preparatory work began on his return. "Gandhi said he wanted to create an ideal army for Singapore, something we hadn't built here," Carmel says. "Instead of setting up a Defense Ministry and a General Staff, Gandhi suggested an integrated organization, a more economical structure. So there wouldn't be too many generals and too few soldiers." Ze'evi appointed Elazari, who worked under him in the Operations Branch, as head of the team he established. Lieutenant Colonel Yehuda Golan, then-commander of an armored division (he retired from the IDF with the rank of brigadier general), was subsequently added to the team. Some members of the team "concentrated on writing the chapters that dealt with building army bases. I wrote the chapters dealing with the establishment of an infantry," Golan says. Initially they produced the "Brown Book," dealing with combat doctrine, followed by the "Blue Book," dealing with the creation of the Defense Ministry and intelligence bodies. The Brown Book was translated into English and sent to Singapore's government for its perusal. In October 1965, a military delegation from Singapore arrived in Israel. "The delegation arrived in order to tell us: `Well done, but to implement the book, you are invited to come to Singapore,'" Golan recalls. Prior to setting out, the members of the military mission were invited to the chief of staff's bureau. "Dear friends," Rabin said, "I want you to remember several things. One, we are not going to turn Singapore into an Israeli colony. Your task is to teach them the military profession, to put them on their legs so they can run their own army. Your success will be if at a certain stage they will be able to take the wheel and run the army by themselves. Second, you are not going there in order to command them but to advise them. And third, you are not arms merchants. When you recommend items to procure, use the purest professional military judgment. I want total disregard of their decision as to whether to buy here or elsewhere." Wake-up at 5:30 On December 24, 1965, about five months after Singapore became an independent state, six IDF officers and their families set out on an unknown mission. "Elazari and two other officers dealt with the establishment of the Defense Ministry," Golan relates. "My task, along with three other officers, was to establish the army." Elazari operated according to a number of basic principles, from which the original Israeli team and those who followed did not deviate. The first was to build up a cadre of local commanders and instructors. The second was that the instructional material would be written by the cadets who would be trained as officers. And the third was that practical training would be conducted by Singaporean instructors. "We wanted to recruit a group of 40-50 people who had some sort of military experience and would be ready to serve in a career army," Golan explains. "We organized things so that they would appoint one of their number to serve as commander. As head of the group, the cadets chose someone of Indian origin named Kirpa Ram Vij, who would eventually become chief of staff of the Singapore Armed Forces. For three months we gave an intensified officers course." The first course had an IDF format: wake-up at 5:30 A.M., calisthenics, personal arrangements, parade. Training began at 7:30 A.M. and went until 1 A.M. "After a few days of training a group of cadets showed up and said, `Colonel Golan, the Arabs aren't sitting on our heads here. What do we need this madness for?' I called Elazari and explained the situation. He arrived a few days later with Defense Minister Dr. Goh, who told the cadets, `Do what Colonel Golan tells you to do, otherwise you will do double.'" Parallel to conducting the course, the Israeli team supervised the establishment of the first military base, based on plans of the Israeli Engineering Corps. Construction of the base was completed in three months. In under a year, the Israeli team conducted a course for new recruits, a platoon commanders course and an officers course, on the basis of plans that were sent from Israel. All told, about 200 commanders were trained. Jobless instead of soldiers Once the staff of commanders was ready, it was possible to start creating the standing army on the basis of conscription. The Israelis prepared to establish two more infantry regiments, according to the IDF model, with each regiment consisting of three companies of riflemen, an auxiliary company and an administrative company - a total of 600 soldiers. Lieutenant Colonel Moshe Shefi, who was an instructor in a company commanders course, was sent as an adviser. "We discovered that there was psychological resistance to conscription in Singapore," he relates. "Of 10 professions, that of soldier was ranked last. In first place was the artist, followed by the philosopher, the teacher and the merchant, and the thief was in ninth place. Soldiering was considered a contemptible profession. In Singapore, conscription was considered a means to overcome unemployment." The Israelis faced a problem. To evade service, most of the young men of draft age (18-24) who were of Chinese origin furnished proof that they were employed. Some 70 percent of the inductees were unemployed and of Malaysian origin - the opposite of their proportion within the population. Elazari and Golan complained to Lee and Goh, but the prime minister was undeterred. "I want you to recruit the most primitive people in the country, the uneducated and the jobless," he told them. Stunned, the Israelis tried to persuade him to reconsider, but he was adamant: "In the Second World War, I saw the Japanese and the British. All the British soldiers were intelligent and educated. But as soldiers they were worthless. The most primitive Japanese soldier gets an order and executes it, and they were extraordinary soldiers. The fact is that the Japanese army defeated the British army." Golan says, "Yaakov and I tried to explain to him that it's not a question of education but of motivation. The Japanese soldier was motivated because he was fighting for his emperor, who for him was God. For him, he was ready to sacrifice his life. What motivation did the British soldier have, who fought thousands of kilometers from his home?" The explanations about the spirit of combat and about how to generate motivation persuaded Lee. Along with the two tracks of compulsory service and career army, Singapore also adopted the IDF's model of reserve service. Every soldier who completed his regular service was obligated to serve another 13 years, until the age of 33. A system to mobilize the reserves was established and the Defense Ministry carried out surprise call-up exercises. Because of its small size and its lack of areas for live-fire training, Singapore had to establish training bases in friendly neighboring countries. Surprise tanks The unquiet in Singapore, and above all the fear of an invasion by Malay forces, together with the rapid development of the Singaporean army, generated additional needs. With the creation of the infantry, the Israeli team made an in-depth study of the battles fought by the Japanese in Southeast Asia during World War II and of how they succeeded in invading Malaysia and Singapore. Shefi was given the task of delivering a talk on the subject to Singapore's government. On the basis of the lessons the Israelis drew from the engagements fought by Japan and Britain, they created a naval force based on sampans. "The boats were made of wood and could carry 10 to 15 soldiers, and they were appropriate for the conditions of the sea and for the jungle rivers," Golan says. "On a stormy sea they can be operated with oars or a motor. We asked the Singaporeans to purchase 20 boats and we set up a small base where infantry companies trained in raids and navigation." Retired Colonel Asher Dar says, "The second team that arrived in Singapore applied what Yehuda Golan did in the form of combat doctrine. We trained in flanking maneuvers with small boats and in live fire using artillery. When the head of the training department, Yitzhak Hofi, visited Singapore, we carried out a model landing of an infantry brigade that set sail in boats at night at a distance of 12 kilometers with the aid of shore navigation only." The waiting period in Israel on the eve of the 1967 Six-Day War was a rough time for the Israeli team in Singapore. "We were relieved the Israelis were not defeated or our SAF [singapore Armed Forces] would have lost confidence" in the Israeli instructors, Lee writes. In January 1968, Singapore decided to create an armored corps. In great secrecy, an agreement was signed for the purchase of 72 AMX-13 light tanks from IDF surplus. It was a bold decision: Malaysia, the country's large neighbor, didn't have tanks. On Independence Day, August 9, 1969, a major surprise awaited the invited guests, including the defense minister of Malaysia: 30 tanks rolled past the reviewing stand. "It had a dramatic effect," Lee writes. Malaysia had cause for concern. Its defense minister recommended to his guests that they take steps to persuade the Malaysian government that its intentions were not hostile. In the wake of the Israeli victory in 1967, the veil of secrecy over the ties between the two countries was lifted a bit. The Singapore delegate at the United Nations abstained in a vote on a resolution condemning Israel that was sponsored by the Arab states. Contacts began to establish full diplomatic relations. In October 1968, Lee permitted Israel to establish a trade mission and in May 1969 authorization was given for the establishment of an Israeli embassy in Singapore. The status of the Israeli military mission to Singapore was also strengthened, and the mission heads who followed held brigadier general rank. The first Israeli military delegation laid the foundations for an extensive network of relations between Israel and Singapore. Foundations of the air force The small Israeli team in Singapore was augmented by professional military advisers for the various corps. The chief armored corps officer, Major General Avraham Adan, arrived to give advice on procuring armored vehicles. In 1968, Adam Tzivoni, a retired colonel who had been head of the planning and weapons branch in the air force, was appointed adviser to the Singapore Armed Forces in regard to the creation of an air force. "As compensation for the hasty departure of the British army, the British government gave Singapore a grant of 50 million pounds to acquire British-made aerial systems: planes, helicopters and surface-to-air missiles," Tzivoni relates. "The British didn't like me at all. My first task was to approve the deals. It turned out that the English tried to sell Singapore junk. Apart from a deal for Hunters, I vetoed all the deals." Under Tzivoni's supervision, a flight school was established in Singapore, as well as a technical school, a squadron of Alouette 3 helicopters was purchased and 40 mm anti-aircraft guns were acquired. Uzis and Israeli marching songs After the creation of the Singaporean army's infantry regiments, the question arose of what weapons the nascent armed forces would use. The commanding officers wanted the Uzi, the Israeli submachine gun. The Israeli team took an objective view and rejected the idea. True, the Uzi was considered a superb weapon in the 1960s, but only for short ranges. A regular army needs an assault rifle, the Israeli team asserted. Representatives of Israel Military Industries exerted pressure on the Defense Ministry to sell the new Galil assault rifle. However, the team decided that the rifle wasn't yet full ready and recommended the American M-16. Another major headache for the Israelis concerned the decision about which mortars to procure for the new army. Infantry regiments are equipped with 60 - 52 mm and 18 mm mortars. The weapons, which were developed and manufactured by the Soltam company, based in the town of Yokne'am, were sold to the Israel Defense Forces and exported worldwide. "Even though we thought these were the best mortars, we decided not to recommend them but to make use of an independent source in order to reach a decision," says Yehuda Golan, a member of the team sent to Singapore. The Israeli team asked a British firm that dealt in organization and consultation on military subjects to examine a series of mortars and recommend the best one. The report stated that the best of the lot was an 18 mm mortar manufactured in Britain. However, considering the price, the recommendation was to buy the Soltam product. The Singapore Armed Forces acquired the Israeli mortar. "The Israelis emphasized military skills and high motivation. Smartness on parade and military tattoo, the SAF [singapore Armed Forces] never learned from the `Mexicans.' Whatever smartness the SAF had" derived from the British officers who commanded the army's first two regiments, Lee writes. "Our motto was that we would not stick our nose into what the Singaporeans could do themselves," Golan notes. "They wanted us to organize the Independence Day parade for them. We argued that a state military parade reflects the country's mentality and its history." The Singaporeans didn't make an issue of it. However, they had a problem that demanded an immediate solution - which marches to play as the soldiers marched in unison. The head of the Israeli mission, Yaakov Elazari, brought notes from Israel and the Singapore army strode to Israeli marching songs. The jungle combat manual The Singaporeans took the Israelis by surprise when they insisted on getting a course on jungle combat. Singapore has a tiny natural jungle of no more than five or six square kilometers, but the neighboring states have larger jungles. Yehuda Golan: "I told them they were right but that I wasn't the right guy, because I knew nothing about jungles." Nevertheless, the Israeli team began to find out how to cope with the subject. It was decided to send two Singapore officers as guests of the Malaysian army for a course on jungle combat. "Three months later, the two officers returned with the knowledge they acquired in Malaysia, and we decided to conduct a course in jungle combat," Golan continues. "Out of curiosity, I decided to join. It looked very bad - it was clear that they had taught them British methods from the Second World War period. I decided to take a group of 10 officers. We entered the jungle and started to engage in war games. We trained in navigation, deploying forces, search and assault. We went through the American training manuals on combat in Vietnam. We developed methods of night navigation. We learned how to function with a fighting company in the dense undergrowth. After a few weeks of training, I wrote the training manual of the Singapore Armed Forces for jungle combat."

Fish With Transparent Head Filmed Pistol Shrimp that can fire bullets to kill

Dear all, I saw the ads by this company called Revol Carz Makeover, which claims to do deep sratch restoration. Anyone tried this service before ?

I'm sure many have heard Adele's Rolling In the Deep. Here's a cover by this 11-year-old girl. Wow... she's good!!! Here's some info about her and her group from Wikipedia: V

Notice how deep-rooted acquisitiveness is in our society. Driven by desires kindled by the ideals of mass consumerisms, people work longer & longer hours to the detriments of their health, spending little time with their chilldren, and oddly; spending little time with their acqusitions. In the case of acquiring a new car, they probably spend too much time in it, getting stuck in traffic day after day because everyone wants a car, and everyone wants to live somewhere nice, far away from where they work...

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/...118-322497.html

Cremation to be Replaced by Eco-friendly Freeze-Drying of Corpses It brings a new meaning to the phrase "dust to dust". Funerals in Britain could soon end with the body of a loved-one being frozen to -196C in liquid nitrogen and then shaken until it disintegrates into powder. The process - known as "promession" - could be the answer to the dwindling amount of space in Britain's cemeteries as well as being more environmentally friendly than cremation, say campaigners. It has already been given the go-ahead in Sweden, and now councils are lobbying the Government to change the law to allow it to happen here - currently bodies can only be buried or cremated. A survey of 100 local authorities found that more than a quarter were already actively considering freeze-drying bodies, the latest being Preston in Lancashire. Many cemeteries will run out of space within ten years, forcing councils to consider unpopular solutions such as "double-decker" graves, with coffins buried on top of one another, or even vertically - effectively standing up. Around seven out of ten people currently opt for the cheaper option of cremation, but that also has its problems. Burning dental fillings creates mercury emissions, and Government targets mean filters must be fitted to crematoria, some of which may have to be completely rebuilt as a result at a cost of millions. Supporters also say it boosts the environment further as it is better at recycling nutrients than burial where the body is embalmed and buried at greater depth. So as bizarre as it sounds, growing numbers of councils are signing up to the idea of freeze-drying bodies. The process involves dipping the body in -196C liquid nitrogen until it is brittle, and then placing it on a vibrating mat so it disintegrates into powder. Remains A magnetic field then removes metal objects like fillings and artificial limbs from the remains. The town of J

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg..._me/355990.html face censored... his FB picture has been removed...but well well well -> http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?t=57816 face ! hope he curses his own father !

Surprised? Naw, u and yr overpaid friends are just thick in the head and 'serve the people' purely for self interest only. Minister surprised at 'deep level of resentment' By Alicia Wong | SingaporeScene

Hi all, anyone using the above polish? any feedbacks? thanks

ah guys... my new car just got scratched... a deep long scratch mark on fuel cap, all the way down rear fender to wheel area... wonder if it is really accidental or by some prankster... what should i do? send for repair? bear with it? call police? ah...

As above, they are coming to town this May.. http://www.sistic.com.sg/portal/dt?dt.isPo...Code=purple0510

With unemployment at a record high and the economy going from bad to worse, Joe Biden was forced to admit the obvious on Meet the Press on Sunday. "Everyone guessed wrong," he said about the impact of the administration

I got a deep scratch width of 2-3 cm running along the length of the passenger car door due to scraping action, there seem to be no dent but the paint fell off can even see the steel, so it is quite deep. Anyone can recommend a good place to repair and roughly how much it would cost for this type of repair? Also will they be able to touch up to the original paint colour? Thanks in advance.

last wed when parking.. due to lack of sleep so my concentration at my lowest.. when i doing reverse parking.. i forget to check my left.. den suddenly i hear a "grrrrr" sound... den i look to my left.. i brushed my rear left into the pillar... so i regained my composure to park properly.. come out and see the metal area (along the seam tt joins the bumper) have been scrapped and dented by the pillar edge.. and i can see the bare metal.. (ouch ) the scrtach is about 5cm long.. the bare metal part is about 2cm long.. i have covered up the scratched part temporary with touchup paint... was wondering those dent/scratch repair & resprayworkshop can fix this kind of serious scrape/scratch?

http://money.cnn.com/2008/11/07/news/compa...sion=2008110716 GM, FORD & CHEVROLET, the 3 biggest automaker in US are in deep trouble. What about TOYOTA, HONDA & NISSAN in Japan ? What about BMW & MERC in Germany ? Are all automakers facing huge losses ? Will car going to be cheaper in 2009/2010

haf to appear in court 21 soon.my charges is altered off peak coupon. 1st time offence.the car is not mine my family car.didnt know the seriousness. what is the average amount for such offence?i been told i be sack if the amount is a few k. what procedure i haf to follow when in court?

They are below 30, employed and mired in debt. This is the fastest-growing age group of debtors, say credit counsellors. On average, they owe $55,000 to about seven creditors, according to new data from Credit Counselling Singapore (CCS), a non-profit group which advises debtors. Under-30s made up 9 per cent of all cases handled by it in 2006, and 13 per cent last year. In the first three months of this year, it went up to 15 per cent. CCS told The Sunday Times that most of these young adults are snared by materialism and a desire for the high life. They splash money on cars, branded goods, overseas holidays, clubbing and gadgets. Several also gamble their money away. Young adults are not just facing credit woes - they are also forming a bigger percentage of those who become bankrupt, according to the latest figures from credit analysis firm Amequity. Last year, people aged 30 and below made up 7 per cent of all bankrupts. In the first four months of this year, that has increased to 12 per cent. A third report, by the Credit Bureau of Singapore (CBS), which tracks consumer credit behaviour here, also points to the same trend. Released on June 13, the report noted that young adults aged 21 to 29 were more likely to miss their credit-card payments, or not pay them in full, compared with other age groups. CCS president Kuo How Nam feels that it is a 'definite cause for concern to see more young people with bigger debts'. He puts it down to them succumbing to the temptations of consumerism, while knowing little about financial and credit management. 'Faced with the euphoria that comes from finally earning some real money, youngsters tend to underestimate the income required of a certain lifestyle,' he said. Indeed, 'overspending' is the top reason given by people in this age group for being in debt. Mr Leong Sze Hian, president of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, has been surprised by questions from young bankrupts at the weekly briefings for new bankrupts on the Official Assignee's premises, where he volunteers. 'They often ask 'Will my guarantors be bankrupt?'. They clearly don't realise what bankruptcy means,' he said. He has observed more young faces at the sessions and noted that young bankrupts are typically not rich, and that their debts usually stemmed from car loans and credit-cards debts. Hong Kah GRC MP Zaqy Mohamad, who sees young adults once or twice a month over credit problems, feels that they have a false sense of security. 'They always assume that because they're young, they can earn more and their salaries can only go up. That's why they dare to buy things on credit,' he noted. 'They don't give any allowances for losing their job or suffering a pay cut.' Besides suggesting that schools start equipping students with credit and financial management skills, Mr Kuo also pointed fingers at the 'aggressive marketing' of credit-card companies. He said that financial institutions should practise more responsible lending and not encourage the proliferation of credit cards among the young. CBS general manager Mark Rowley, however, said that 'it's very difficult to criticise the banks, as they're in the business of lending money'. The silver lining, he noted, is that the percentage of young people who default on credit-card payments is relatively low compared to other countries in the region. 'And Singapore has the safeguard of credit-card limits. In many economies, there are no limits at all,' he added. More Bankruopty Coming Up [sweatdrop]

I park my car for 2 days at level 1, MSCP at blk 154A Jln Teck Whye. Today when I went to my baby car, I saw something terrible happen. I saw dirts all over from my front fencing to my bonnet to my windscreen! The dirt can be clean off so I do not bother much. But what pisses me off were my left side of the bonnet filled with the stupid cat claw. I do not think it's those light hairline scratches. It is quite deep as I use my finger to feel the difference. Next, as the damn cat might be attempt to climb on my bonnet but it kinda slipped off hence use the wonderful claw to push itself forward. For that motion, it scratch the bonnet abt 1cm. But this 1cm occur: deep cut which caused the paint to drop off and I can see the base of the car metal!!! Is there anything which I can use to cover that scratched mark which might cause corrosion due to water and sunlight. Enzio and to the rest who park the car at 158A, beware of the cat in white and grey color. This bugger love to lie on car, so do not park at level 1.