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Bros please stay away from foreign-registered vehicles when on our local roads/expressways if you can help it. Whenever I can I will either slown down, speed up or best filter out of the lane itself when a foreign-registered vehicle is nearby to play safe. The experience by this frustrated motorist is a reason why I am so paranoid about this kiasi practice. What recourse does he have? From ST Forum: http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/...ory_736907.html S'pore drivers at a disadvantage Published on Nov 23, 2011 RECENTLY, I was involved in an accident with a Malaysian-registered car driven by a Malaysian motorist here. He and I agreed to lodge a police report and to submit our claims with our respective motor insurers. But when I visited an authorised workshop of my insurer, Overseas Assurance Corporation (OAC), I was told that the workshop did not entertain claims against Malaysian drivers of Malaysian- registered cars because of the red tape involved. I was rebuffed by other similar workshops I called. What was shocking was that the Malaysian driver managed to submit a claim against me. OAC informed me that it was increasing my premiums upon renewal because it had received a claim filed by the driver's Singapore workshop against me. The increase would be permanent if the claim succeeded. When I asked OAC to process my claim because all other workshops had refused, OAC refused, stating that it was not a legal firm. I was given to understand that a Singapore motorist had to hire a lawyer to submit a claim for an accident in Singapore involving a Malaysian-registered car. Till then, my impression was that one was covered for all accidents that happened on Singapore roads. The irony must be obvious: Foreigners in a foreign-registered car can use Singapore workshops to make a claim for an accident against a local motorist in a Singapore-registered car plying Singapore roads. Shouldn't the authorities ensure that the laws on our roads prioritise protection for Singapore motorists ahead of foreigners in foreign-registered vehicles? Wong Shi Shen

Workers' Party says Singapore workers disadvantaged Posted: 01 May 2008 0659 hrs SINGAPORE: The Singapore economic model, one in which Singaporeans are dependent on foreigners for their jobs, has eroded the societal standing of the Singapore worker, suggested the Workers' Party (WP) in its May Day message on Wednesday. The WP cited an anecdote from Mr Lim Boon Heng, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, at the recent Singapore Tripartism Forum, of a woman concerned about a "sweet, young beer girl from China" undercutting her wages at the coffee shop. According to The Straits Times, Mr Lim had said the young girl drew more customers, in turn helping the Singaporean to keep her job. "According to Mr Lim's logic, is he conceding the People's Action Party has created an economic model whereby Singaporeans must now be dependent on the foreign workers to retain our jobs?" asked the WP statement, which cited how 60 percent of the 234,900 jobs created last year went to foreigners. The party also questioned if the "rosy picture" of the record job growth had masked some disadvantages. "Could it be that more Singaporeans are holding contractual part-time work positions, whereas foreigners might be benefiting from the full-time positions created?" asked the WP. The job figures required "more detailed analysis to understand the actual employment status" of Singaporeans and their employment terms, such as medical benefits and annual leave. The WP ended its message with a call for more help measures from the government, in the context of rising food prices, "on top of the initiatives (such as the U Stretch food voucher programme) by the National Trades Union Congress". While the party did not suggest food subsidies "across the board", it repeated its call to reduce the Goods and Services Tax to 5 percent and to keep it at that rate for "at least a year". It also suggested the government reduce fuel taxes. - TODAY/so May 1, 2008 S'poreans may lose jobs without foreign workers: PM SINGAPOREANS should look at the contributions of foreign workers objectively - they are not here to steal their jobs, but to help enlarge the economic pie for the country. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking in Mandarin at the May Day Rally on Thursday morning, sought to explain why foreign workers can help strengthen Singapore's overall competitiveness. He noted that some Singaporeans think that foreign workers are the problem because they are under-cutting the wages of locals. As an example, he mentioned recent reports in newspaper about coffee-shops hiring foreign workers, which became a talking point. An older Singaporean woman has lamented to Minister Lim Boon Heng (Prime Minister's Office) that these young, pretty foreigners were taking jobs away from locals. 'Boon Heng replied, half joking, that maybe this was how the drinks stores attracted more customers; with more business, locals will be able to keep their jobs, and so the PRC young lady was indirectly helping the Singaporean woman,' PM Lee told the rally. Some people disagreed with Boon Heng's answer. Mr Lee himself also thinks it may not be a good thing to have more pretty beer ladies who encourage people to drink more. But he said the former labour chief had a serious point. The PM gave three reasons: First, foreign workers are hardworking and willing to work long hours. By hiring them, coffee shops can open late, or even 24 hours, round the clock. Second and more importantly, with the help of foreign workers, airport, seaport, factories, offices, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets can offer better service and business hours: 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, they can run their operations, service their customers, and so strengthen Singapore's overall competitiveness. Third, many SMEs do not make good profits, especially the neighbourhood shops. If they can hire some foreign workers in addition to the locals, they can reduce their business costs; otherwise, they may have to go out of business. Thier Singaporean employees will then lose their jobs. PM Lee said the Government is controlling the inflow of foreign workers, by setting limits on the proportion of foreign workers they can hire and imposing a levy. This gives Singaporean workers the edge in competing for jobs. 'Overall, our policies are creating many job opportunities for Singaporeans,' he added. http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2...ry_232960.html