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My brother noticed something interesting a few weeks ago, but I never got around to writing about it. (Sorry, I've just been really busy!) A CISCO vehicle was parked very precariously along Upper East Coast Road, as follows. I don't know the traffic rules, but apparently this is illegal, and kind of dangerous. So my brother called the Police, who told him to call LTA, I think- who said that they would issue a summons. I believe my brother even jokingly asked whether they were really going to do anything about it, and asked if he should put pictures on Facebook- to which whoever answered supposedly said, Sure, carry on, go ahead. Well, my brother returned that night, and noticed that the Cisco vehicle had reversed a little. But wait, there's more! Can you see it? There's a traffic summons! Wow, Cisco is really on the ball, huh? But wait

SEOUL - ALL North Koreans who took part in local elections on Sunday voted for state-selected candidates and turnout was 99.97 per cent, state media said on Tuesday. A total of 28,116 representatives were elected as deputies to assemblies at provincial, city and county level with not a single vote of opposition to the candidates, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said. 'Only those on foreign tours or working on the oceans could not take part in the election,' KCNA said. It said the election 'demonstrated the might of the single-minded unity of the revolutionary ranks and advantages of Korean-style socialism'. Leader Kim Jong Il himself made an appearance at a polling station on Sunday to cast his vote, along with his son and heir apparent Jong Un. Typically, 99 per cent of voters in the de facto single-party state take part in elections and 99 per cent of them vote for uncontested candidates. During each four-year term, the local assemblies convene once or twice a year to approve budgets and endorse leaders appointed by the communist party. -- AFP North Korea election...YES...you read it right...ELECTION!

The round about under my block was recently re-landscaped. And today is some sort of opening ceremony by some impt ppl.... So the fun part is this. The area is swept every morning by the cleaner around 5am, and my mum also saw him doing so. Thus, the area was clean... until.. my mum came back from market earlier, she saw people purposely dirtying the same area..... Also when i came back from run just now, i saw brooms being laid out on the ground. I tot they are doing some stand-by-broom of sorts... It was only just now then everything came together.... they dirtied the area, so that VOLUNTEERS can start to sweep the area, and reporters etc can take pictures of them doing so.... probably for some publications etc... HOW WAYANG CAN IT GET??

Business Times - 26 May 2009 MPs seek clarity on Temasek's sale of BOA stake They also seek more scrutiny of GIC, Temasek actions By LEE U-WEN (SINGAPORE) The recent news that Temasek Holdings had sold its entire stake in Bank of America (BOA) - at an estimated loss of up to US$4.6 billion - caused much murmuring among Singaporeans from all walks of life. Their main beef? A lack of information on the reasons behind the decision, as well as the sale price, MP Michael Palmer said yesterday. He was the first of more than 50 politicians slated to speak as the second session of the eleventh Parliament of Singapore opened. On May 15, it was reported that Temasek had sold all its shares in the US bank in the first quarter of this year, resulting in an estimated loss of between US$2.3 billion and US$4.6 billion. The investment agency stayed silent for a week before it released a statement saying its 'investment thesis' had changed after its holding in Merrill Lynch was converted in BOA shares following Merrill's takeover by the bank. Mr Palmer, an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC), said yesterday that as Singaporeans become more outspoken, the government has to do its part by encouraging openness and transparency where possible. The fact that Temasek took so long to give a response resulted in many newspaper articles 'trying to second-guess' the answers surrounding the sale, he said. 'Online chatrooms were abuzz, with many vociferous views on the losses. Ordinary Singaporeans were discussing the issue, analysts speculated on the sale, and the public wanted to know about the decision to sell something that was supposed to be for the long- term,' said Mr Palmer, who is also chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs and Defence. While he is glad that Temasek 'finally' issued a statement explaining its rationale, many questions remain unanswered, 'such as those relating to the timing of the sale and the actual sale price', he said. Also making a pitch for greater transparency - this time in terms of government spending - Zaqy Mohamad (Hong Kah GRC) suggested there should be 'greater scrutiny' of investments by Temasek and the Government of Singapore Investment Corp (GIC). 'Our reserves involve our savings for the future. While we trust commercial professionals to do their job, they are investing Singapore's money and we deserve greater clarity on how our money is spent,' he said. He added that it is important to address how to match the commercial objectives of Temasek and GIC to the social objectives of the reserves they both invest in. 'Should greater transparency also be given to the public on the bonuses and performance of their staff, in return for the rate of return of investments over the years?' he said. 'We ask the same of our investment fund managers and commercial banks, why not those who manage our reserves too?' Inderjit Singh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) called for a look at how Singapore's reserves should be managed and invested, given the fact that the investment strategies of both Temasek and GIC have changed since their inception. GIC, he said, used to focus on long-term investments, taking a 'somewhat conservative' approach that delivered good returns. In its infancy, Temasek used to invest in Singapore or government- linked firms, grooming them to be MNCs. 'Temasek was not seen to be a fund investor like GIC. But over the years, both have converged on their investment philosophies and are starting to look almost alike,' Mr Singh said. 'Is it appropriate for them to continue investing the way they have done in recent years, making somewhat speculative investments in certain cases. Is this the right thing for our reserves?' He went on to question if it is wise to put such a large chunk of the reserves in the hands of Temasek and GIC, as opposed to placing them in 'safer investments managed by people who understand that these are meant for long-term investments and as a shelter for Singapore'.

http://health.asiaone.com/Health/News/Stor...119-101856.html Kidney middleman fails appeal, goes to jail THE middleman in the illegal kidney-for-sale case started his 14-month jail term on Wednesday afternoon, after the High Court dismissed his appeal.Justice V. K. Rajah, sending out a message that organ trafficking will not be tolerated in Singapore, said the sentence was 'amply justified.' Wang Chin Sing, 44, received the stiffest sentence among four men who have been sentenced in the case. Ailing retail magnate Tang Wee Sung, 56, who bought a kidney through Wang, was fined a total of $17,000 and jailed a day. An Indonesian man who offered his kidney to Mr Tang was jailed two weeks, while another Indonesian man who sold his kidney to another recipient, Ms Juliana Soh, was jailed 3 1/2 months and fined $2,000. The strangest thing is that the person who initiated it and stand to benefit the most got the least punishment I stand to be corrected, I understand from news that the doctor who was involved, acted blur and said that the BOARD Ok it BUT I was told the doctor was the chairman of the board and he got away free if the above is true, than we have a possible sicko 911 farenhient in the making any movie producer here action, action take ONE

July 5, 2008 Why extend bike trial when it's a done deal? WHY extend the cycling-on-footpath trial in Tampines? Last Tuesday, the Minister for National Development, Mr Mah Bow Tan, announced a six-month extension of the trial ('Reckless cyclists in Tampines face penalties'). The trial, which started more than one year ago, allows cyclists to pedal on the town's footpaths, an act which is supposedly forbidden elsewhere in Singapore. Mr Mah added that, while the majority of residents responded well to the trial, it will be extended so more can be done to ensure that cyclists and pedestrians have an easier time on footpaths, for instance, widening footpaths and educating footpath users and cyclists. It is clear that much extra work is being done just to accommodate cyclists on footpaths so as to produce a successful trial. As the conclusion is clearly foregone, I see no merit whatsoever in wasting more time agonising over the trial results six months later. The reality on the ground is that all over Singapore, cyclists are already riding on footpaths, with the authorities taking no enforcement action. Let us not kid ourselves. Why don't we go ahead and spend money widening all the footpaths in Singapore for the benefit of both footpath users and cyclists? Cheang Peng Wah http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Sto...ory_254804.html This feller is guud opposition material...

June 26, 2008 MOF seeks views on proposed tax changes By Yang Huiwen IF YOU have something to say about the proposed tax changes flagged in the Budget in February, now is your chance to air your views. The Ministry of Finance is seeking public feedback on amendments to the Income Tax Act. You can lodge comments by e-mail, fax or post for the next four weeks starting tomorrow. Check the ministry's website at www.mof.gov.sg or the Government's central consultation portal at reach.com.sg for contact details. There are three core changes being proposed: introducing new incentives to encourage research and development in the private sector, tax deductions for expenditure on fixtures and fitting, and enhancements to course fee relief for individuals. There are also administrative changes such as the 'no filing system', in which individuals can have their tax assessed by the Income Revenue Authority of Singapore without having to file returns. The public consultation exercise ends on July 28. http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/...ory_251994.html

I noticed that the recent death of 2 persons in the 'Elite' army, sent the press into a frenzy of reporting the issue.. ...including giving a state burial of sorts.. As a matter of fact, I felt those who lost their lives while doing their service is nothing new...and the press is going over board in reporting it and the Elites in charge ( MIW) are having a knee jerk reaction in response and wayanging to show that they're concerned.. Most Elite's son won't even get a scratch let alone die, as they will do their service in air-con comfort.. But the US have already died thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan and this has become so routine that it ain't worth reporting anymore ... So what is the big fuss and big deal about all this issue in Sillypore?

don't worry, this poll has no age limit..

Transport minister announces major changes in land transport By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 18 January 2008 1248 hrs SINGAPORE: Major changes are expected in land transport after a more than year-long review to improve the situation. In the first of what will be a series of major announcements, Transport Minister Raymond Lim zoomed in on changes to the bus system, which serves two-thirds of all commuter trips today. Speaking at the opening of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) gallery, he outlined the urgency of the problem, stressing that with trips poised to increase 60 per cent between now and 2020, the only option is to steer people towards using public transport more often. For that to happen, Mr Lim said, not just the quantity, but also the quality of public transport would have to improve tremendously. Currently, the system is fragmented between two operators - SBS and SMRT - which plan the routes primarily based on commercial considerations. So firstly, the LTA will take over the central planning of the bus network, with the commuters' ease of journey as the main focus. Buses will also get more priority on the roads with more full-day bus lanes, and making it mandatory for cars to give way to buses at bus bays. More integrated public transport hubs, like the ones at Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio, will be upgraded to make transfers easier. And more travel information will be made available via panels, text messages and websites. The second big change will be to introduce competition among operators, including opening the market to new players. The island will be carved up into different regions and potential operators will bid for these in a competitive tender. The third major change is for the LTA to keep its pulse on the community's transport issues through regular dialogue with grassroots members. More changes, including those to the ERP system, are expected in the following weeks. - CNA/ac http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../323360/1/.html make commuters pay 60% more so they will take public transport... wat farking logic is tat? cannot reduce cost using CNG/ biodiesel?

Cabbies feel pinch, seek fare hike Posted: 03 December 2007 0836 hrs Photos 1 of 1 SINGAPORE : The pressure is growing on taxi companies to raise taxi meter fares as cab drivers complain of rising operational costs. The Taxi Operators