Search the Community

Need recommendations for contractors to fix a few broken kitchen cabinet doors and leaking tap and sink. Bros out there any recommendation, and what would be a reasonable price guidance for such repairs? Thanks

SINGAPORE - A fire broke out at a vehicle workshop along Defu Lane 12, near Bartley Road East, on Friday evening. No injuries were reported. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said in a Facebook post on Friday it was alerted to a blaze at 53 Defu Lane 12 at about 6.40pm. It added the fire involved multiple vehicles parked within the premises, and the area affected by the fire covered about 10 metres by 10 metres. It said: “SCDF firefighters deployed three water jets to contain and prevent the fire from spreading to neighbouring units. The fire was extinguished in about an hour.” Investigations are ongoing. When The Straits Times arrived at the scene, firefighters were dousing water over large blackened trucks parked outside a unit bearing a sign that read Yong Sing Motor Works. Its director, Mr Sim Seng Cheng, 61, told the media in Mandarin that at about 5pm a supervisor called to tell him a fire had broken out there with 20 employees inside. He was told one of the workers was spray-painting a van when a nearby motor exploded. The motor was in a grilled enclosure and the workers were unable to get close to it. While some workers tried to douse the blaze through the grill, with a fire extinguisher, the other workers drove the vehicles out of the workshop. But the fire could not be put out. An association member at the neighbouring Hong San Temple, who declined to be named, said he heard a loud boom at about 6.30pm while he was watching the World Cup match between Wales and Iran with nine others. The 68-year-old said: “There were already many people gathering around outside. We heard three or four more explosions that made us jump.” He added he saw four or five workshop employees running and shouting. He described the flames as reaching higher than a three-storey building next to the temple when an SCDF fire engine arrived. Mr Sim said Yong Sing was moving to a nearby workshop at Block 8 Defu South Street and will continue operating from there. He said: “I don’t have any details on the compensation yet. But I’m just glad no one was hurt. “Life is more important than business. If someone had lost his life, I wouldn’t know how to tell his loved ones.” https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/fire-breaks-out-at-defu-lane-no-injuries-reported-scdf https://www.facebook.com/SCDFpage

Anyone notice there are many road works today? Almost everywhere I drove got road works. https://onemotoring.lta.gov.sg/content/onemotoring/home/driving/traffic_information/traffic_updates_and_road_closures.html

Dear all, I am looking to extend the COE of my current car. After that, I intend to send it to a workshop to touch up minor paintwork chips and body dents to keep it looking fresh. Any workshops to recommend ?

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

There has been an increase in road works recently.... there was so much digging here n there to lay/maintain underground cables causing lane closures n jams......... but the worst thing is the road reinstatement..... Most were not done properly and caused very bumpy roads..... generally the poor reinstatement are all over the island, but one of the most obvious one i encountered was Somerset rd (near 313)..... ANd there was this HUGE depression when i drive out of prince edward carpark towards ECP city.... To tink that CH 8 just telecast the variety show with Brian Wong working with LTA on the roadworks and showing how they lay the road etc......

Hi .. Recently ,Wifey bought the above products for me to try.. Wow.. These shower gels are awesome.. long lasting aroma n fresh feeling ... Got the Ocean n Midnight gels for men..2 in 1 (hair n body).. The Golden Pineapple scrub is also not bad.. Smells like Pina Colada.. AFAIK, the shops are located in Taka n MBS.. Just sharing hor..Not closet ghey

If a car owner receives payment from those who car pool with him, is he operating a pirate taxi service? Or is he merely in an arrangement similar to when people split the bill for a meal? The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is expected to come up with an answer as an increasing number pay for car pooling services, as an alternative to public transport and car ownership. A number of car pooling sites have already sprouted. Among the latest and most prominent is ShareTransport.sg, which has been pairing car-poolers with car owners for the past 20 months. It says it has 15,000 users now, and expects to exceed 20,000 next year. The LTA has been keeping an eye on the development for about two years now, but has not come out with rules on payment. "LTA is supportive of car pooling as it provides greater transport choices to the commuting public. We are working on guidelines to mitigate any potential abuse of car pooling as illegal taxi services," a spokesman said. Mr Moh Hon Meng, 44, who started ShareTransport.sg in March last year, said simple rules might include requiring that drivers have full-time jobs, and not rely on car pooling payments as their main source of income. Also, rides must be "on the way" - meaning, if car owners live in Hougang and work in Shenton Way, they cannot drop someone off in Jurong. And charges should be based on a "cost recovery" principle and not a profit-making one. "Even if we have altruistic drivers who are all willing to give free rides, passengers would not want to take them, because they will feel bad. The passengers actually want to pay their share," said technopreneur Moh, who co-founded online unit trust distributor Fundsupermart.com more than 10 years ago. A driver stands to recoup up to $600 a month in costs by offering car pooling services, he added. ShareTransport.sg user Kimberley Ang, 46, said she used the service for about a year. "I paid $5 for a ride from my home in Sengkang to PSA Building in Alexandra Road. A cab ride would cost $26," she said. "It's convenient, it's safe, and I made friends along the way." The marketing manager however, has stopped car pooling since changing jobs recently. There is no match yet for a driver going from Sengkang to Pandan Loop, her new place of work. She put that down to not enough people knowing about car pooling. "It's a great idea, but there's not enough awareness yet. Which is strange, because in the old days, people used to car pool to get into the CBD," she said, referring to the time when cars with four occupants or more could enter the city centre without paying for an area-licensing coupon. That was dropped in 1994, when drivers began picking up passengers from bus stops. On the flip side, some observers believe taxi drivers are likely to complain if car pooling becomes more prevalent. "For obvious reasons, this will not go down well with cabbies," said veteran taxi driver Tony Pang, 63. Another cabby Victor Yow, 67, however, said car pools will not be a threat. "They are likely to operate during peak hours, when there are more commuters than taxis can cater to." Still, car-poolers feel the LTA should come out with clear, enforceable rules to separate those who share rides from those who run illegal cab operations. Said Mr Moh, whose site also lets people share a cab or even a bus: "It should be clear what car pooling is, and what providing a transport service is." Car pooling is catching on in a big way in America, Europe and parts of Asia. Mr Brian Hsu, a 32-year-old New Zealand-based Taiwanese who runs a software business in China, hosts Carpool King, which offers car pool listings in Singapore and a few other places in the region. Mr Hsu said: "I started Carpool King in 2007. I was commuting and got stuck in traffic jams every day. When I looked around, most vehicles were single-occupant ones like mine. So I started this service for financial, societal and environmental benefits." Of the 15,000-plus registered Carpool King users, nearly 5,000 are in Singapore. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/guidelines-car-pooling-the-works-lta-20131128

along Sembawang Road on 30 Jan...circled the tail end of the car

Malaysians are getting fed up with their garment. From not trusting their Polis to catch a criminal, now they are doing their own road works. From this article, i liked the last line. "“Most people never act and that only adds to the long list of complaints.” Says alot of complainers but no action from them. We have alot in this forum..... https://sg.news.yahoo.com/fed-kl-pockmarked-roads-bikers-matters-own-hands-232900841.html KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 — They first started with a can of spray paint, marking around potholes on the roads of Kuala Lumpur to alert motorists of the hazard. The group of bikers also swept away sand and loose stones off busy highways to prevent motorcyclists from skidding. When their leader — actor Azlan Sani Zawawi, 40, or Lando as he prefers to be called — managed to save up some cash, they planted flowers in the pitted surfaces for a more obvious hazard sign. When his business grew, Lando and his biker friends took to road work themselves, patching up sinkholes and potholes left unattended by Kuala Lumpur City Hall. “We have been doing this since 2008,” Lando said at his latest patch-up operation in Wangsa Melawati called Jangan Gebang, Turap Lubang (Don’t Pose, Patch the Hole). “I’ve been blessed to get support from friends and members of the public, who joined in when they learned about what I have been doing. “Those who come out to help me are usually bikers like myself and so I named our group Ikatan Silaturrahim Brotherhood, comprising bikers from various biker associations. “The pothole (in Wangsa Melawati) has been there for over five months and is a hazard, especially for motorcyclists. “Despite numerous complaints, City Hall failed to fix the road, so our group decided to act ourselves.” After an hour’s work, they managed to level the road in Jalan 2/27a Lingkaran Tengah 2. The Kuala Lumpur-born businessman spent RM2,500 to hire a lorry and bought tools and materials for the repair work, including two tonnes of tar and gravel. He said katan Silaturrahim Brotherhood had carried out 30 road repairs around Wangsa Maju, Taman Seri Rampai, Taman Melawati and areas near the KL Convention Centre (KLCC) so far. Lando said he considered it a service to motorists, especially motorcyclists. “As a road user, I am concerned with the safety of motorists and motorcyclists driving or riding on roads filled with dangerous potholes,” he said. “The authorities are slow in their maintenance, often leaving the roads unlevelled and unpatched for months. “I find their lackadaisical attitude irresponsible, especially when road hazards are serious dangers that could result in fatalities.” Lando said he had lost two friends and an uncle after they crashed while avoiding road hazards. Over the years, he has spent close to RM20,000 to hire lorries and buy gravel and tar as well as tools for his initiatives. Despite rising costs, he said he had never accepted donations. “I prefer to use my own money. It took some time to save up but I managed to gather the funds by selling T-shirts and merchandises from my business,” he said. “Those who wish to help can donate their time and effort or hire a lorry with materials that we can use.” Asked the reason for his services, he said he considered it his personal civic duty. As a habit, Lando and his friends take note of the roads that require attention. He also posts pictures of potholes and other road hazards on his Facebook page, “Lando Zawawi DatokBandar KL”. “I post the pictures to warn people to be careful on those roads. Sometimes, people reach out and suggest places I can work on and they would volunteer to help,” he said. Lando said as a rule, he limited the number of people who joined him at each road work operation. “Safety is the No. 1 issue as it is risky patching up the road and relaying traffic at the same time,” he said. “That is why I carry out the work late at night when there are fewer vehicles.” Lando’s wife, Nurul Jannah Abdul Halim, 31, often joins him on his excursions that sometimes finish in the wee hours of the morning. “I am proud of his passion to help others in the way he feels truly beneficial,” she said. “I am concerned for his safety, that is why I like to tag along.” Road contractor Mohammad Fadzil Hashim, 22, volunteered after stumbling upon Lando’s Facebook page and hearing about his deeds from friends. He joined Lando for the first time last Thursday. “I do this for a living and when I heard about Lando, I was inspired to join him” he said. “Most people never act and that only adds to the long list of complaints.”

Some say we got the world class road works system. just want to verify if this photo is real

Hi, I have a side skirt, front lip and rear diffuser that I need help with fixing on my car... I will probably need to spay them to the same color or another one that can match my car... Any recommendations for workshop who will do this? I also have a carbon fibre hood that needs to be installed. Any recommendations too? Best if the same workshop can fix both items...

Disney just bought Lucasfilm for 4 billion and will do an Episode 7 due 2015. I am not sure wheather this is good news or bad news.

Hi Bros, Any one know how does it work? For eg, http://www.sgcarmart.com/used_cars/info.ph...938&DL=2080 pay $7k for conversion to normal plate. that means its about 35k for that rex. It also stated, take back 14k after COE expires. Any cons to such a deal? what do i lose? what do i gain? and lastly, any experience with this dealer? *8 motor trading Cheers.

A section of Tampines Expressway (TPE) between Jalan Kayu and Punggol Way will be closed to traffic on Saturday from 12.01am to 5am for road widening works. The Housing and Development Board said on Wednesday that during the temporary closure, a beam for widening of the existing TPE bridge will be launched. Motorists heading towards Tampines travelling on TPE (KPE) should use alternative routes along Jalan Kayu, Sengkang West Way, Sengkang East Road, and TPE (KPE). Blinking lights, barricades and diversion signs will also be put up to guide motorists. Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1222754/1/.html

The Government will soon announce a new emissions-based vehicle tax system. It is expected to replace the decade-old green vehicle rebate scheme, which expires at the end of the year. But more than just handing out tax rebates to buyers of environmentally friendlier cars, the new scheme will take a carrot-and-stick approach. Buyers of fuel-efficient new cars stand to enjoy rebates of up to $15,000, which they can use to offset their vehicles' Additional Registration Fee (ARF), the main car tax here. Those who go for more pollutive models may have to pay up to $15,000 in extra taxes. source: http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/S...ory_764273.html

Just wondering if there is any bros here that know of anyone that can provide an assessment of the overall workmanship for a house renovation. If yes, please let me know. I am having issues with my tiles (uneven) and renovator act blur. I need a 3rd party to provide a fair judgement before I put up my case. Thanks in advance...

Was wondering what petrol and grade works best for Lancer EX 2L. Sorry I couldn't get in Esso in the poll due to poll limitation. Brothers and Sisters of other car models can participate in poll and share experiences too, just that am wondering what's best for my ride. Thanks!

Today was my 2nd day using GPS navigator passing thru the CTE tunnel, to my surprise, it is still functioning despite being inside the tunnel. The tunnel I am referring to is the one before "Orchard Rd" exit. does it mean after 2016, the satellite ERP will be implemented?

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1144577/1/.html

Honda Beat Successor in the Works... Roadster Coming in Late 2013 Quote AutoWeek We've heard rumors about a new Honda roadster for a while now. Auto Express is now reporting that Honda is definitely planning a new roadster that will combine the best of Honda's car and motorcycle technologies. The new roadster will be a successor to the Beat roadster from the Nineties. The front-wheel-drive, two seater roadster will be based on the same platform as the CR-Z hybrid, but will have a smaller body. It's expected to take styling cues from the OSM concept car. What will power the new roadster? It's rumored that it will be powered by one of Honda's next-generation 1.3L or 1.5L VTEC engines, but a hybrid version is not planned. The engine is expected to be mated to Honda's first ever dual clutch transmission. The Honda Beat will be released in late 2013 and will be targeted at the Mazda MX-5. Unlike the original Honda Beat, the new one will be sold worldwide. Unquote

Really mind boggling! Mind reader Can any bro explain?

In my career up to now, 50% of my bosses are char bo.... lots of story to tell..... unfortunately none is chio.... this is a big regret.... back to the topics: they can be very yim-jim (cantonese for ngiao...) , and like to fuss over tiny things.........

Since i got my present car, i have been very skeptical about oil additives... most just thicken your engine oil... as for engine treatments additives, i fear the stuff clogging the oil filters, or hardening over time to baked on carbon... or simply too many negetive effects... anyways read somewhere that molybdenum is used in F1 racing... one of the few additives which do work without much side effects... i hope ... did some light research and realised its found in 3products i have heard about... 1) Mugen MT105... i 1st saw this product in Penang... but didnt get it then... cant remember price n size too long ago... Reviews: http://www.inlinefour.com/mugmtentreat.html http://www.preludeonline.com/f28/mugen-mt-...reatment-25351/ 2) ProStaff Super Rikitaro Oil (tink its 250ml) 1st saw this in NTUC n Autobacs offer $19.90... now retails @ $29.90 or more... 3) BullsOne (Korean brand (wat a name like bullsh1t ) ... if you frequent AutoBacs u will surely know this brand... many many different products) engine treatment $15 for 500ml the oil additive comes in 500ml cans... i used 500ml as my Engine oil when i did an oil change and i must say the results are stunning... instant engine quieter... smoother.... even after hard driving my engine still was quiet and smooth... yes some of you might say of course new oil mah... yes but it was used with x-gold 5w/40 the cheaper grade... and i have changed these grades of Engine oils be4 and engine engine not as smooth... but with this additive the oil felt immediately like redline ester based (which is slightly thicker then other oils with the same vicosity)... and think i might have overdosed hope all will be ok... my 1st tank with it and i got 50+km more same driving style... infact i 'whacked' more this tank.... infact i tried Schaeffer MolyEP Oil Treatment before and didnt get these effects like Bullsone... but then maybe cause i used it with redline anyways i think this is worth a try... anyone with similar experiences with Korean products?.... also recently i got this korean made headlamp bulb and T10 pole light... the pole light is like PIAA standard at a fraction of the cost.... the headlamp bulbs much better than China quality and looks just as good at those german made philips.... just as bright as philips... life span i dont know lah... but Philips ($85)... Korean brand ($16)... i can change 5times+.... even if the philips can outlast the korean brand 5times, which is unlikely, the philips would hv been damn worn out by then...

This is assuming the government of the day is still them. What if they become the main opposition after a freak election? Then it is back to the free-for-all old days? It is too pro-ruling party a heading. It should be "Why NTUC works closely with the government" But that's just me. http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/...ory_645126.html Why NTUC works closely with PAP THE mission of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its affiliated unions is to protect and advance the interests of the workers of Singapore ('Explain role of NTUC in politics' by Mr Ang Miah Boon; last Wednesday). Having seen militant unions disrupt growth and destroy jobs in the 1950s and 1960s, NTUC believes that a constructive brand of trade unionism and tripartism remains the best way of serving our workers. Since 1961, NTUC has worked closely with the People's Action Party (PAP) Government to grow our economy and strengthen our society. Our low unemployment rate and steady increase in real wages have not happened by chance. They are the direct result of this shared effort between NTUC and PAP to enable our people to have meaningful jobs and lead a purposeful life. Labour MPs give workers a voice in Parliament and make NTUC a more effective labour movement. As labour leaders, they are responsible to the unions, members and workers at large. They express the concerns and aspirations of workers and speak up for balanced government policies that are both pro-business and pro-worker. They also work directly on measures to benefit workers, such as re-employment of older workers and back-to-work women, re-skilling of low-wage workers and upgrading of PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians). As MPs, they are responsible to their voters and the public, and contribute actively to nation-building. Currently, three labour MPs lead the Government Parliamentary Committees for Manpower, Education, and Community Development, Youth and Sports, having been elected by their fellow PAP MPs to these posts. How many labour MPs we have depends on the quality of NTUC candidates. Labour MPs undergo the same stringent selection process as other PAP candidates. As NTUC nurtures promising candidates for selection by PAP, we also recruit potential PAP candidates who can contribute to the labour movement. Such a two-way approach has served our workers and union members well. On this 50th anniversary of NTUC, it is timely to recapitulate this symbiotic relationship between NTUC and PAP. Together, we are partners in nation-building. John De Payva President National Trades Union Congress Lim Swee Say Secretary-General National Trades Union Congress