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teddybear
03-04-12, 20:50
Business Times - 03 Apr 2012 LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Time to introduce capital gains tax on property
ALTHOUGH the government has introduced an array of property cooling measures, it should consider a capital gains tax and complement the stamp duty to rein in the property market fever while providing a good source of government revenue.
Stamp duty on property transactions or inheritance tax can be avoided or minimised through setting up a corporate vehicle to buy and hold the property.
Creative tax arbitrage opportunities may exist for individuals to buy and hold properties through special-purpose vehicles (SPVs) to avoid or minimise stamp duties, if the stamp duty rate on residential property transactions is higher than on share transfer transaction of the company holding the properties.
In addition, the SPVs can be set up in an offshore tax haven to further exploit tax advantage between Singapore and these jurisdictions.
Further, tax loopholes can be potentially exploited through avoidance of inheritance tax or estate duty when the property is passed on.
The government should consider implementing a capital gains tax on all property transactions unless they are held for, say, more than 10 years.
It should also impose such a tax on, say, second non-owner-occupied homes, regardless of the holding period.
This would protect genuine long-term investors seeking wealth protection instead of pursuing short-term trading profits at the expense of a healthy property development industry in Singapore, foreigners and locals included.
In addition, the current additional buyer's stamp duty should be revised upwards for high-end property transactions worth more than, say, $5 million.
The UK government recently introduced a slew of changes, including hiking stamp duty on residential property transactions worth more than £pounds;2 million (S$4 million) and imposing a 15 per cent stamp duty on purchases made through companies in its 2012 Budget.
This has been done amid rising property prices driven by foreign purchases, and acts as a stabiliser against declining corporate income tax revenue after legislated reductions in income tax rates.
We can take a leaf out of the UK government's book to simultaneously rein in the property bubble and add to the state's coffers. Hopefully, this would provide sustainable fiscal support to enable the government to hold back GST increases beyond the five years promised.

Ee Teck Siew


Copyright © 2010 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

teddybear
03-04-12, 20:59
Ai yo, another one! :doh:
To provide good source of govt revenue, since he likes to compare to UK so much, govt should take a leave out of UK's book and do the following:
1) Increase corporate tax to 40% (just like UK)
2) Increase income tax to 40% (just like UK)
3) Increase GST to 17.5% (just like UK)
4) Impose headcount tax, $1000 per person per year (now still have in UK?) (with 5.5m population means govt can collect $5,500m or $5.5b!)

In Singapore context, to rein in property fever, govt should:
1) Ban all CASH-BACK!
2) Regulate minimum size required for bedrooms! Regulate min size for properties with 1,2,3 bedrooms! Don't let developers build MM units and milk super high $PSFs!
3) 4-years SSD countdown should start from date when buyer pay up 100% (just like resale, you see, resale dead and prices going down, while new launch still going up, means must look at what works to make resale down and sure will be effective on new launch!)
4) Enforce 40% LTV! No 20% deferred payment for 3 years! (just like resale, you see, resale dead and prices going down, while new launch still going up, means must look at what works to make resale down and sure will be effective on new launch!)
5) Time to check why banks can match valuation of new launch and can't match valuation of resale nearby that is >20% cheaper? Banks and developers drink-coffee together is it? :scared-3:

Why he not happy with foreigners? Like that might as well ask govt to send all foreigners and PRs home then he will be happy? :p




Business Times - 03 Apr 2012 LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Time to introduce capital gains tax on property
ALTHOUGH the government has introduced an array of property cooling measures, it should consider a capital gains tax and complement the stamp duty to rein in the property market fever while providing a good source of government revenue.
Stamp duty on property transactions or inheritance tax can be avoided or minimised through setting up a corporate vehicle to buy and hold the property.
Creative tax arbitrage opportunities may exist for individuals to buy and hold properties through special-purpose vehicles (SPVs) to avoid or minimise stamp duties, if the stamp duty rate on residential property transactions is higher than on share transfer transaction of the company holding the properties.
In addition, the SPVs can be set up in an offshore tax haven to further exploit tax advantage between Singapore and these jurisdictions.
Further, tax loopholes can be potentially exploited through avoidance of inheritance tax or estate duty when the property is passed on.
The government should consider implementing a capital gains tax on all property transactions unless they are held for, say, more than 10 years.
It should also impose such a tax on, say, second non-owner-occupied homes, regardless of the holding period.
This would protect genuine long-term investors seeking wealth protection instead of pursuing short-term trading profits at the expense of a healthy property development industry in Singapore, foreigners and locals included.
In addition, the current additional buyer's stamp duty should be revised upwards for high-end property transactions worth more than, say, $5 million.
The UK government recently introduced a slew of changes, including hiking stamp duty on residential property transactions worth more than £pounds;2 million (S$4 million) and imposing a 15 per cent stamp duty on purchases made through companies in its 2012 Budget.
This has been done amid rising property prices driven by foreign purchases, and acts as a stabiliser against declining corporate income tax revenue after legislated reductions in income tax rates.
We can take a leaf out of the UK government's book to simultaneously rein in the property bubble and add to the state's coffers. Hopefully, this would provide sustainable fiscal support to enable the government to hold back GST increases beyond the five years promised.

Ee Teck Siew


Copyright © 2010 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.

sh
03-04-12, 21:02
:mad: :tsk-tsk: :simmering: :tongue3: :tongue3: :tongue3: :mad: :simmering: :banghead: :doh:

teddybear
03-04-12, 21:09
Repost below here for my reference:
********************************

Don't even need to use chicken rice, we use real property data:
1) Bedok Residences - $1500 psf! Ops!
2) Valley Park - $14xx psf! Ops!

CCR cheaper than OCR! Ops! Why people not buying CCR? No, it has nothing to do with price in terms of $PSF!
Why? Because BR absolute price cheaper? May be.
Because buyers got no CASH to renovate? May be.
Because buyers got no 40% CASH upfront and buy new launch to get 20% deferred payment and 5% CASH-BACK? May be.
Because the OCR Bedok Residences is new? Nah! This must be one of the most stupid reason! 5 years later become old! and left 94 years lease! Meanwhile, Valley Park is freehold, lease never expire, land price never depreciate!



Part 2

The prices at hawker centre continues to rise, from 4.50 to $8, while restaurant price drops to $18. In the meanwhile, the quantity of chicken rice at the hawker centre gets smaller and smaller while the plate gets larger and larger. And have to queue in the heat for the hawker centre stall some more... :simmering:

At what point do people realise that there's better value in the restaurant chicken rice?

price
03-04-12, 21:23
Repost below here for my reference:
********************************

Don't even need to use chicken rice, we use real property data:
1) Bedok Residences - $1500 psf! Ops!
2) Valley Park - $14xx psf! Ops!

CCR cheaper than OCR! Ops! Why people not buying CCR? No, it has nothing to do with price in terms of $PSF!
Why? Because BR absolute price cheaper? May be.
Because buyers got no CASH to renovate? May be.
Because buyers got no 40% CASH upfront and buy new launch to get 20% deferred payment and 5% CASH-BACK? May be.
Because the OCR Bedok Residences is new? Nah! This must be one of the most stupid reason! 5 years later become old! and left 94 years lease! Meanwhile, Valley Park is freehold, lease never expire, land price never depreciate!

Haha why u bother analysing people's matter? Everyone got their own reason for paying that sort of PSF for new launches. let them be if you dont wanna join them.

But if you can't beat them, join them! :D

teddybear
03-04-12, 21:47
Must analyze to see whether they see gold that I didn't or they mis-interpret shit as gold mah..... :p


Haha why u bother analysing people's matter? Everyone got their own reason for paying that sort of PSF for new launches. let them be if you dont wanna join them.

But if you can't beat them, join them! :D

teddybear
03-04-12, 22:14
I don't join people blindly! I have to make sure it is gold before I chiong:tsk-tsk:


Must analyze to see whether they see gold that I didn't or they mis-interpret shit as gold mah..... :p

august
03-04-12, 23:46
bedok residence sold at average price of $1350 psf lah, not all are $1500.

teddybear
04-04-12, 20:54
Below is 1 of the main reason why I would never buy new launch! You never know whether what you get upon TOP is what you think!



either pay up tomorrow or take back!

http://info.sgx.com/webcoranncatth.nsf/VwAttachments/Att_E9E89D113338FC10482579D6000AF6B8/$file/CES_UpdateofSuit_4Apr12.PDF?openelement


Further to the announcement dated 27 March 2012, with regards to the Writ of Summons issued by Pearl Properties Pte Ltd, Pearl Properties II Pte Ltd and Pearl Properties V Pte Ltd (collectively “

Pearl Properties”) against Grange Properties Pte Ltd (“Grange Properties”), an associated company of Chip Eng Seng Corporation Ltd in Suit No. 498 of 2011/S commenced in the High Court of Singapore (“the Suit”) in relation to the Development known as Grange Infinite (“Grange Infinite”), the Board of Directors of Chip Eng Seng Corporation Ltd. wishes to make further announcements on this matter.


As announced on 16 March 2012, Grange Properties issued notices pursuant to clause 5.4(a) of the Sale and Purchase Agreements (“SPAs”) on 23 February 2012 for Units #20-03 and #36-01 for Pearl Properties to make payments of S$1,373,872.50 and S$1,934,699.00 respectively inclusive of interest thereon pursuant to Clause 6 of the SPAs, within 21 days, failing which, the SPAs will be treated as annulled and Grange Properties will be entitled to regain possession of the two units and exercise their rights under clause 7.4 of the SPAs. On 1 March 2012, Pearl Properties made an application for an injunction in Summons No. 1008 of 2012/N against Grange Properties.

On 3 April 2012, the application in Summons No. 1008 of 2012/N was heard before the Honourable Justice Lee Seiu Kin. The Honourable Judge dismissed Pearl Properties’ application with costs payable to Grange Properties. Grange Properties is represented by Rodyk & Davidson LLP and the application was argued by Senior Counsel Philip Jeyaretnam, assisted by his team.

Following the Court’s decision, the SPAs for Units #20-03 and #36-01 will be treated as annulled on 6 April 2012, unless the outstanding payments of S$1,373,872.50 and S$1,934,699.00 respectively, inclusive of late payment interest, are paid to Grange Properties or their solicitors by 5 April 2012.

Grange Properties is considering its position in relation to the outstanding amounts for the other units purchased by Pearl Properties in the total sum of S$34,327,494.50. Further announcement(s) will be made by Chip Eng Seng Corporation Ltd in relation to the Suit.

Submitted by Chia Lee Meng Raymond, Group Chief Executive Officer on 4 April 2012 to the SGX.

teddybear
10-04-12, 14:26
Below repost here, thanks to Basic.... :p

曾渊沧博士:郊区与小型公寓价已太高
(2012-04-09)


  香港城大商学院工商管理硕士课程主任曾渊沧博士提醒新加坡投资者,若买私宅投资,仍以第9、10和11 区为佳,选择郊区或是小型的公寓要三思。这些公寓的价格已经上涨不少,并被开发商包装成“豪宅”。不过,他 认为这些都只能算“假”豪宅。 :scared-1:

ay123
10-04-12, 14:46
Below repost here, thanks to Basic.... :p

曾渊沧博士:郊区与小型公寓价已太高
(2012-04-09)


  香港城大商学院工商管理硕士课程主任曾渊沧博士提醒新加坡投资者,若买私宅投资,仍以第9、10和11 区为佳,选择郊区或是小型的公寓要三思。这些公寓的价格已经上涨不少,并被开发商包装成“豪宅”。不过,他 认为这些都只能算“假”豪宅。 :scared-1:




he is the clown who told people to sell all shares on hand in 2008/2009 as he predict DOW will plunge to below 8000pts. think less than 3 mths stock mkt recovered and he disappear. those who listen to him would have jump..........now he's back to talk nonsense again

teddybear
10-04-12, 20:35
Really? Didn't know about that.
I reposted this article here as it is from Prof Cheng, a seemingly knowledgeable person, although I can't say for sure whether he is accurate in his prediction or not.


he is the clown who told people to sell all shares on hand in 2008/2009 as he predict DOW will plunge to below 8000pts. think less than 3 mths stock mkt recovered and he disappear. those who listen to him would have jump..........now he's back to talk nonsense again

phantom_opera
10-04-12, 21:51
I think Prof Cheng vested in D9, D10, D11 ... :tongue3: While he made a point of warning against overzealous SOHO crazy buyers in OCR, a blind recommendation of D9-11 seems too narrow minded too ... Thomson Grand also quite "luxurious" mah ...;)

teddybear
10-04-12, 23:51
He said:
"选择郊区或是小型的公寓要三思。这些公寓的价格已经上涨不少,并被开发商包装成“豪宅”。不过,他 认为这些都只能算“假”豪宅". :beats-me-man:


I think Prof Cheng vested in D9, D10, D11 ... :tongue3: While he made a point of warning against overzealous SOHO crazy buyers in OCR, a blind recommendation of D9-11 seems too narrow minded too ... Thomson Grand also quite "luxurious" mah ...;)

lufu
11-04-12, 07:04
He said:
"选择郊区或是小型的公寓要三思。这些公寓的价格已经上涨不少,并被开发商包装成“豪宅”。不过,他 认为这些都只能算“假”豪宅". :beats-me-man:

fake as they're building 'luxury' outside prime area. The only appeal to me for this project is 74m pool, the view, private lift/lobby and maybe the clubhouse. Not Prime CCR :tsk-tsk: but selling at very high price. Plus West sun and various others already discussed in Thomson Grand thread

The Luxurie in Seng Kang is another one. Selling Luxury in Seng Kang :doh:
this is worse, the finishing is not even luxury to start with. Luxury in an entirely Mass Market HDB estate.. hello! :doh:

teddybear
11-04-12, 22:47
30 S'pore buildings in tremor-affected areas inspected

By Fann Sim | Yahoo! Newsroom – 3 hours ago

Tremors were felt at the CBD, Beach Road, Temasek Boulevard, Selegie, Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon North, Punggol, Woodlands, Geylang Bahru, Geylang and Siglap, the Police said. (Yahoo! file photo)

Did I say not to buy properties siting on reclaimed land (from seas (e.g. Marina Bay area, part of CBD), swampy areas (e.g. Loyang) etc)? When Indonesia has earth quake or tsunami, these areas will be felt tremendously! :scared-1:

hopeful
12-04-12, 08:40
30 S'pore buildings in tremor-affected areas inspected

By Fann Sim | Yahoo! Newsroom – 3 hours ago
Tremors were felt at the CBD, Beach Road, Temasek Boulevard, Selegie, Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon North, Punggol, Woodlands, Geylang Bahru, Geylang and Siglap, the Police said. (Yahoo! file photo)

why is the police involved and not some agency like BCA? is it a crime scene?

price
12-04-12, 08:43
why is the police involved and not some agency like BCA? is it a crime scene?

police involved in everything 1 ma. Cat missing also call police :cool:

phantom_opera
12-04-12, 09:09
=> Opposite Elias Mall !!! Confirmed selling above 1000psf, perfect reason for Ripple Bay to up price by another 5% ...

A plot of land in Pasir Ris for private homes had attracted nine bidders by the time the tender closed on Wednesday. With the top bid at the higher end of analysts' expectations, there was no sign that developers' enthusiasm for the suburban residential market has waned.

Elitist Development put in the top bid of $165.9 million, or $472 per sq ft per plot ratio (psf ppr).

The next highest bid was 16 per cent lower at $139 million, or $396 psf ppr. Santarli Corporation, an investment holding company with the same shareholders as Santarli Construction, put in the lowest bid of $109 million, or $310 psf ppr, about 34 per cent lower.


Analysts had earlier estimated that prices for the 99-year leasehold plot would be pitched between $360 psf ppr and $470 psf ppr.

masterkey
12-04-12, 10:08
30 S'pore buildings in tremor-affected areas inspected

By Fann Sim | Yahoo! Newsroom – 3 hours ago
Tremors were felt at the CBD, Beach Road, Temasek Boulevard, Selegie, Toa Payoh, Ang Mo Kio, Serangoon North, Punggol, Woodlands, Geylang Bahru, Geylang and Siglap, the Police said. (Yahoo! file photo)
Did I say not to buy properties siting on reclaimed land (from seas (e.g. Marina Bay area, part of CBD), swampy areas (e.g. Loyang) etc)? When Indonesia has earth quake or tsunami, these areas will be felt tremendously! :scared-1:


The top soil layer, or whatever that is called, may not be significant for the structural soundness of the building as the piles should be driven down into the solid rocky layer. Then again, the good rocky layers are supposed to be found in central and western Singapore. That's why the underground caverns are located in these areas?

teddybear
15-04-12, 00:10
So, can SMRT & SBS release the nationality of the bus drivers who knock down pedestrians, don't know the way etc blunders? I bet these blunders are made by their bus drivers who are basically all non Singapore citizens? If they only employ citizens, such problems won't happen! :doh:

Just reflect, 10 years ago, do we ever hear so many blunders made by bus drivers within 1 single month? The answer is obvious!



------------------------------------------Recent public transport-related accidents ‘unacceptable’: NSP

By Kai Fong | Yahoo! Newsroom – 10 hours ago




The National Solidarity Party (http://sg.search.yahoo.com/search?p=National+Solidarity+Party&fr=fp-today&cs=bz) (NSP) has called the public transport-related accidents in recent weeks “unacceptable”.

In a letter e-mailed to Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew (http://sg.search.yahoo.com/search?p=Lui+Tuck+Yew&fr=fp-today&cs=bz) on Friday evening, NSP’s secretary general Hazel Poa (http://sg.search.yahoo.com/search?p=Hazel+Poa&fr=fp-today&cs=bz) requested for accountability from the Ministry of Transport (http://sg.search.yahoo.com/search?p=Ministry+of+Transport&fr=fp-today&cs=bz) (MOT).

“The recent spate of events involving fatal casualties as a consequence of bus-related accidents concerns us all,” she wrote. “The safety of commuters and passengers has been compromised.”

Two accidents have occurred in the last two weeks – a 9-year-old boy sustained injuries after being hit by an SMRT bus (http://sg.news.yahoo.com/10-year-old-boy-hit-by-smrt-bus.html) in Woodlands, four days after an SBS bus hit and killed an elderly woman (http://sg.news.yahoo.com/s%E2%80%99poreans-shocked-by-video-of-woman-run-over-by-bus.html) in Sengkang. The 66-year-old was walking across a pedestrian crossing when a bus made a right turn at the junction and knocked her down.

Last December, over 10 passengers on an SBS bus were stranded (http://forums.condosingapore.com/) for about two hours after its driver took a detour to avoid a traffic jam but ended up losing his way.

Said Poa, “Although the public has received a response from both SBS (http://sg.search.yahoo.com/search?p=SBS+Transit&fr=fp-today&cs=bz) and SMRT (http://sg.search.yahoo.com/search?p=SMRT&fr=fp-today&cs=bz) following questions about hiring practices and employment quotas, NSP feels that the information that has been made public does not address the root cause of this disturbing trend, nor does it offer solutions that can eliminate it and ensure the safety of commuters.”

NSP also asked for MOT to provide “statistics on on the incidence of public bus-related casualties over the past decade” to confirm if there has been an “unprecedented rise in the occurrence of such accidents”.

“If such a trend has indeed been identified, has the Ministry recognised it and what is the Ministry doing to pinpoint and eliminate the cause of this trend?” Poa questioned.

Poa also raised the party’s doubts on the ministry’s decision to set aside S$1.1 billion to fund a significant expansion of bus capacity under Budget 2012 (http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/singapore-gov-t-tighten-foreign-worker-quota-081803198.html).

“This sudden and drastic increase in the demand for bus drivers will likely result in the engagement of more non-Singaporean bus drivers unaccustomed to our road system and safety practices… (and) could result in our road users’ safety being further compromised.”

“It is irresponsible to continue treating the recruitment of bus drivers as a strictly private matter to be decided by the bus companies,” Poa said.

“Will the Ministry be reviewing the criteria for qualifying bus drivers and raising the bar in the interest of safety?”

Earlier this week in parliament, the issue of driver training (http://sg.news.yahoo.com/mrt-disruptions-unavoidable--lui-tuck-yew.html) was raised by Members of Parliament for Aljunied and Chua Chu Kang, Low Thia Kiang (http://sg.search.yahoo.com/search?p=Low+Thia+Kiang&fr=fp-today&cs=bz) and Zaqy Mohamad (http://sg.search.yahoo.com/search?p=Zaqy+Mohamad&fr=fp-today&cs=bz) respectively during parliament on Monday afternoon.

Minister Lui Tuck Yew replied that regardless of the nationality of the bus driver, he or she would have to be adequately trained and qualified.

"Part of the training programme is to make sure that we infuse them with the responsibility that they carry when they drive a vehicle like a bus and to make sure that they pay stringent attention to road conditions," said Lui.

He added that the foreign worker intake for the entire workforce of the two public transport operators, SMRT and SBS, was capped at 10 per cent.

On bus drivers specifically, that number was significantly higher.

61 per cent are Singaporeans or permanent residents while 26 per cent are Malaysians.

Another 12 to 13 per cent are Chinese nationals.

hyenergix
15-04-12, 07:46
Nothing to do with nationality. It is the (lack of) training and safety culture in the company, which aims to maximise profit only.

Komo
15-04-12, 08:31
if they employ people from places which don't generally respect safety and life what can we expect from them when they are here? train them and change their mentality?:hell-hath-no-fury:

hyenergix
15-04-12, 08:39
if they employ people from places which don't generally respect safety and life what can we expect from them when they are here? train them and change their mentality?:hell-hath-no-fury:

If e company employs them the comapny has e responsibility to train them. I have seen worse local drivers such as taxi drivers.

Komo
15-04-12, 08:45
suggest mot should empower citizens to report errant drivers. personally I have seen so many buses driving without due care such as making sharp sudden turning and relatively high speed, race through traffic light when it's red, drive across traffic light when it is red as no one crossing, turn out from bus stop without signaling, ..... ..... ..... all these due to insufficient training?:mad:

teddybear
27-04-12, 09:50
Sometimes, we have to take all these awards with a pitch of salt. Cascadian scores so well, but basement carpark can get flooded. What say you about these so called "construction awards" and "CONQUAS scores"? :doh:



More residential projects receive construction awards (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/en/property-management-news/2012/4/32900/More%20residential%20projects%20receive%20construction%20awards?utm_source=emailer-italerts&utm_medium=edm&utm_campaign=news-daily)


Apr 26, 2012 - PropertyGuru.com.sg
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http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/images/thumb/9/1/c/6/91c62519962457_1_V235.jpg By Romesh Navaratnarajah: (https://plus.google.com/100211889324198007685/about?hl=en)
More residential projects will receive the Construction Excellence Award by the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) this year, which recognises developments with the highest standard of construction excellence in Singapore.

A total of 10 awards and seven certificates of merit will be given to residential buildings (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/new-homes-for-sale) this year compared with just five awards and five certificates of merit awarded in 2011.

“The increase is largely attributed to more high quality condominiums, fuelled by improvements to construction quality and workmanship standards as well as higher expectations for building quality,” said Lai Huen Poh, Chairman of the Construction Excellence Award Assessment Committee.

For the second straight year, Singapore-based developer Woh Hup (Private) Limited secured the highest number of Construction Excellence Awards for The Seafront on Meyer, Marina Bay Residences (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/project/marina-bay-residences-70) (pictured) and The Cascadia.

“This year, condominiums like The Arte, The Orchard Residences, The Cascadia, Wilkie Studio and Marina Bay Residences emerged top performers in the residential building category for construction excellence, with Conquas scores above 94,” noted Lai.

“Besides achieving high quality, these projects also meet other criteria such as safety, sustainability, buildability, and innovativeness.”

With a Conquas score of 95.6, The Cascadia development features an alternative design of basement columns and walls which provide for easier movement and more carpark lots. In addition, pilecaps were combined and rotated to optimise the building’s foundation.

Meanwhile, The Orchard Residences was recognised for its installation of unitised curtain walls and precast construction methods.

Other notable developments to receive the BCA award include Shuqun Secondary School with a Conquas score of 93.0, the highest in the institutional building category to date. Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, with a Conquas score of 91.0 and Ion Orchard (89.7) topped the institutional building and commercial/mixed development categories respectively.

teddybear
27-04-12, 14:54
The reason for why properties $PSF are still super high and still increasing in OCR? See that in red. MMs are the reason! (including MM-3BRs, i.e. those 3BRs <900 sqft size)! If they want to have any effective cooling measure, they just have to target these!


Private house prices fall a little: URA (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/property-management-news/2012/4/32920/Private%20house%20prices%20fall%20a%20little:%20URA?utm_source=emailer-italerts&utm_medium=edm&utm_campaign=news-daily)


Apr 27, 2012

Latest data from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) shows that private home (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/condo-directory) prices declined marginally by 0.1 percent in Q1 2012 compared to the 0.2 percent rise seen in the last three months of 2011.

This marks the first quarterly decline since Q2 2009 when prices fell continuously for nine consecutive quarters.

In the Core Central Region (CCR) and Rest of Central Region (RCR), non-landed home prices slipped by 0.6 percent, a notable contrast to the 0.5 and 0.1 percent rise seen in the previous quarter.

But the Outside Central Region (OCR) saw prices climb 1.1 percent, a little higher than the 0.6 percent hike in Q4 2011.

In terms of rentals (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/singapore-property-listing/property-for-rent/1), private residential properties recorded a weaker 0.3 percent growth compared to the previous quarter’s 0.4 percent rise.

Meanwhile, developers launched a total of 6,903 uncompleted private residential units in Q1 2012, up from the 4,105 last quarter, while units sold totalled 6,458 compared to the 3,525 homes sold in the previous quarter.

In addition, the URA noted that “take-up of shoe-box units (i.e. smaller than 50 sq m) accounted for 27 percent (or 1,764 units) of new sales in the quarter. Lower-priced units less than S$750,000 accounted for 42 percent (or 2,766 units) of new sales in Q1 2012, much higher than the 25 percent (or 911 units) seen last quarter.”

“Overall, many of these units are located in the suburbs, as 82 percent of the new units sold by developers were from OCR,” it added.

At the same time, resale transaction volumes declined to 1,906 units in Q1 2012, the lowest since Q1 2009 and shared just 21.8 percent of overall sales – a historic low since 1999 when such data was first collected.

radha08
28-04-12, 12:22
if they employ people from places which don't generally respect safety and life what can we expect from them when they are here? train them and change their mentality?:hell-hath-no-fury:

well said...:cheers6:

august
28-04-12, 15:24
if they employ people from places which don't generally respect safety and life what can we expect from them when they are here? train them and change their mentality?:hell-hath-no-fury:

you can take them out of the gutters, but you cannot take the gutters out of them. :o

teddybear
04-05-12, 00:01
Wah, super like below suggestion! :cool:



Give citizens priority in COE bidding


Letter from Ong Tiong Meng
04:45 AM May 02, 2012
I refer to the report "COE prices drive inflation higher" (April 24).

Perhaps the Land Transport Authority (LTA) could check whether non-citizens were awarded more than 30 per cent of the Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) in recent months.

If they were, I suggest the LTA take similar action as the Education Ministry did to give citizens priority in Primary 1 registration.

I propose that Categories A and B be restricted to citizens and the Open category be open to everyone.

This could cure our COE inflation, just as the additional buyer's stamp duty did to retard inflation in private home prices.

teddybear
07-05-12, 15:32
I was surprised that this is so common now! I make an enquiry and found 10 advertisements for rooms to rent in The Sail!

Illegal short-term rentals on the rise (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/en/property-management-news/2012/5/32976/Illegal%20short-term%20rentals%20on%20the%20rise?utm_source=emailer-italerts&utm_medium=edm&utm_campaign=news-daily)


May 7, 2012 - PropertyGuru.com.sg
[/URL]

[URL="https://plus.google.com/100211889324198007685/about?hl=en"]By Romesh Navaratnarajah: (http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.propertyguru.com.sg%2Fen%2Fproperty-management-news%2F2012%2F5%2F32976%2FIllegal%2520short-term%2520rentals%2520on%2520the%2520rise%3Futm_source%3Demailer-italerts%26utm_medium%3Dedm%26utm_campaign%3Dnews-daily&t=Illegal%20short-term%20rentals%20on%20the%20rise%20-%20Property%20Auctions%20News%2C%20Property%20Investment%20%7C%20PropertyGuru&src=sp)
A rising number of homeowners are earning extra income by renting spare rooms to paying guests for a few days, even advertising on short-term accommodation websites.

Over the last five years, the practice has become more common on websites like Airbnb, Wimdu, 9flats and Roomorama, where residents have been promoting spare rooms in their houses and condos (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/condo-directory). There are over 230 listings currently available on Airbnb.

Typically, a room is rented out (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/singapore-property-listing/property-for-rent/1) for as low as S$40 a day. Apart from a place to sleep, some hosts also offer hotel-style services like breakfast, complimentary ez-link cards and free toiletries.

According to a spokesman for the URA (Urban Redevelopment Authority), private residential properties may only be rented out or sublet for six months or more, as ‘transient occupiers’ could inconvenience other residents.

The URA said that it will investigate such cases and inspect the properties. If caught, owners will be issued an enforcement notice. If it continues, they could be liable to a fine of up to S$200,000 or a one-year jail term, or both.

One host said he was unaware of the URA ruling when he listed his shophouse in Chinatown on Airbnb, as he only wished to meet new friends from around the world.

He recalled that since January, about 10 guests had been renting a spare room in the apartment, which he shares with a housemate. He added that the rental earnings have offset nearly a third of their monthly rent.

He also said that guests were mostly quiet and his neighbours have not complained. Despite the risk, he noted that he would still continue hosting.

Meanwhile, the websites assured that their terms and conditions encourage users to abide by the laws. Airbnb said that it will continue to educate users on the importance of observing regulations.

teddybear
07-05-12, 15:34
When you are in such neighbourhood, you can expect all sort of unthinkable nasty things! :doh:



Punggol residents complain about ‘poo bomber'
May 7, 2012 - PropertyGuru.com.sg
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:
Residents at Punggol Central have been complaining about a
‘poo bomber’ who has been throwing faeces from the higher
floors of their HDB flats for the past two months.
According to a news report, the acts have been taking place at
Block 161A (pictured) in Punggol Central. Residents of the
block have been complaining that the area is dirty and
disgusting and that the stench is unbearable.
According to a female resident who lives on a lower floor, the incidents do not occur at a fixed time and
sometimes take place early in the morning or around dinner time. She went on to say that only faeces
were thrown at first, but the attacks have since intensified and urine was dumped too.
The woman known as Zhou, believes the thrown faeces are animal poo. Aside from making the area
unsightly, she said the faeces have dirtied laundry that’s hung outside windows.
Several residents noted that complaints have been made to the town council. However, the problem still
continues despite the distribution of leaflets around the block calling on residents to be more civicminded.
Residents living on higher floors and who own pets have denied responsibility over the issue.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the National Environment Agency (NEA) said it has received three
complaints about the matter.
To address the issue, it has installed a CCTV camera to monitor the situation. Agency personnel have
also visited the area and encouraged residents to report the culprit and reminded them that the
perpetrator will bear full responsibility for the inconvenience caused to residents.

eng81157
07-05-12, 15:36
When you are in such neighbourhood, you can expect all sort of unthinkable nasty things! :doh:



Punggol residents complain about ‘poo bomber'
May 7, 2012 - PropertyGuru.com.sg
By Romesh Navaratnarajah:
Residents at Punggol Central have been complaining about a
‘poo bomber’ who has been throwing faeces from the higher
floors of their HDB flats for the past two months.
According to a news report, the acts have been taking place at
Block 161A (pictured) in Punggol Central. Residents of the
block have been complaining that the area is dirty and
disgusting and that the stench is unbearable.
According to a female resident who lives on a lower floor, the incidents do not occur at a fixed time and
sometimes take place early in the morning or around dinner time. She went on to say that only faeces
were thrown at first, but the attacks have since intensified and urine was dumped too.
The woman known as Zhou, believes the thrown faeces are animal poo. Aside from making the area
unsightly, she said the faeces have dirtied laundry that’s hung outside windows.
Several residents noted that complaints have been made to the town council. However, the problem still
continues despite the distribution of leaflets around the block calling on residents to be more civicminded.
Residents living on higher floors and who own pets have denied responsibility over the issue.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the National Environment Agency (NEA) said it has received three
complaints about the matter.
To address the issue, it has installed a CCTV camera to monitor the situation. Agency personnel have
also visited the area and encouraged residents to report the culprit and reminded them that the
perpetrator will bear full responsibility for the inconvenience caused to residents.

hahahaha :D will HDB prices there now divebomb?

teddybear
11-05-12, 15:16
Why is the high-end CCR condos stuck in the mud? -
Now I got more concrete information: Many of the rich who are potential buyers are now buying overseas! Why? Because of all the cooling measures, lowering LTV, SSDs and ABSD!

And what is the fuss you may ask?
Because S$ flowing out into foreign currencies!

You may ask, so what is the fuss?
Big deal! When S$ exchanged into foreign currencies, S$ drop. Then, MAS frantically trying to prop up S$ to hedge against inflation!

Doesn't make sense right? They implement all these cooling measures including the ABSD targeting foreigners, and yet the rich Singaporeans are moving money overseas depressing S$ (and foreigners discouraged from moving money into S$ to buy Singapore properties because of all these ABSD and SSD) and then MAS spending Singapore's reserves to try to franctically prop up S$! I wonder how much paper loss they have now on the forex they are making because of these multiple effects that actually they self-created? :doh:

It is always loss-making to try to artificially prop up own currency vs trying to push down own currency (which is very easy - just print the paper money and S$ exchange rate will drop quickly!).

DC33_2008
11-05-12, 15:18
This is an obvious move. Playing field is getting too restricted in singapore.
Why is the high-end CCR condos stuck in the mud? -
Now I got more concrete information: Many of the rich who are potential buyers are now buying overseas! Why? Because of all the cooling measures, lowering LTV, SSDs and ABSD!

And what is the fuss you may ask?
Because S$ flowing out into foreign currencies!

You may ask, so what is the fuss?
Big deal! When S$ exchanged into foreign currencies, S$ drop. Then, MAS frantically trying to prop up S$ to hedge against inflation!

Doesn't make sense right? They implement all these cooling measures including the ABSD targeting foreigners, and yet the rich Singaporeans are moving money overseas depressing S$ (and foreigners discouraged from moving money into S$ to buy Singapore properties because of all these ABSD and SSD) and then MAS spending Singapore's reserves to try to franctically prop up S$! I wonder how much paper loss they have now on the forex they are making because of these multiple effects that actually they self-created? :doh:

teddybear
11-05-12, 15:45
Singapore's CCR prime and luxury properties cannot even compete in price with an equivalent location in London! :ashamed1:
This is despite all the smokes and talks about how good Singapore's economy has performed for the past decade vs UK (and how bad UK's economy is and how high their unemployment rate are!. If this is the case, why London's properties still so much more in demand and much better price than Singapore? All talk only? :p



West beckons affluent Asian buyers (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/en/property-management-news/2012/5/33026/West%20beckons%20affluent%20Asian%20buyers?utm_source=emailer-italerts&utm_medium=edm&utm_campaign=news-daily)


May 11, 2012 - PropertyGuru.com.sg
[/URL]

By [URL="https://plus.google.com/100211889324198007685/about?hl=en"]Romesh Navaratnarajah (http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.propertyguru.com.sg%2Fen%2Fproperty-management-news%2F2012%2F5%2F33026%2FWest%2520beckons%2520affluent%2520Asian%2520buyers%3Futm_source%3Demailer-italerts%26utm_medium%3Dedm%26utm_campaign%3Dnews-daily&t=West%20beckons%20affluent%20Asian%20buyers%20-%20Property%20Auctions%20News%2C%20Property%20Investment%20%7C%20PropertyGuru&src=sp):
Prime property prices in the West are rising as more buyers from emerging countries shift their attention to more attractive destinations.

In London (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/search?q=london+&search_select=4&search_btn=Go), real estate values now stand at around £3,000 psf (S$6,058 psf), which is similar to what was seen before the 2008 financial crisis. Despite the rise in stamp duties, sentiment has not faltered, especially among Asian buyers.

For instance, Hong Kong investors snapped up over £8 million (S$16.16 million) worth of residential units in Fitzroy Place (http://www.exemplarproperties.com/property/fitzroy-place/), a new development at London’s Fitzrovia district.

The integrated development comprises 237 private apartments and 200,000 sq ft of prime office space. Developer Exemplar Properties said the price range for a unit ranges from £605,000 (S$1.22 million) to £8.5 million (S$17.17 million).

About 15 to 20 percent of the buyers are East Asians, noted Exemplar, which is in Singapore for the second leg of its Asian roadshow.

“The first allocation was sold out within three days in Hong Kong, so now we’re here in Singapore with a second allocation and already interest from Singaporean buyers have been huge – some twenty units have been sold ahead of the exhibition,” said Daniel Van Gelder, co-founder of Exemplar.

Affluent Asians are buying more luxury homes in the West, given the high property taxes in their own countries.

Citi Private Bank and Knight Frank revealed that prime property values were up 12 percent in London over the past year, while prices in Shanghai dropped 3.4 percent and stood close to five percent in Singapore.

“From Asian clients we’ve seen over the last 18 months an increase in investor demand in the UK for both commercial and residential markets… They’re buying for capital growth and as a safe haven,” said Tim Bowring, Managing Director and Regional Head of Global Real Estate Investments at Citi Private Bank.

teddybear
11-05-12, 15:47
Obvious move? Yes indeed. But why policies makers never think of that?
They implement policies to encourage people to sell S$ and then to frantically try to prop up S$ to lose our reserve's money? :scared-1:



This is an obvious move. Playing field is getting too restricted in singapore.

HP65
11-05-12, 17:26
Singapore's CCR prime and luxury properties cannot even compete in price with an equivalent location in London! :ashamed1:
This is despite all the smokes and talks about how good Singapore's economy has performed for the past decade vs UK (and how bad UK's economy is and how high their unemployment rate are!. If this is the case, why London's properties still so much more in demand and much better price than Singapore? All talk only? :p



West beckons affluent Asian buyers (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/en/property-management-news/2012/5/33026/West%20beckons%20affluent%20Asian%20buyers?utm_source=emailer-italerts&utm_medium=edm&utm_campaign=news-daily)


May 11, 2012 - PropertyGuru.com.sg


By Romesh Navaratnarajah (https://plus.google.com/100211889324198007685/about?hl=en):
Prime property prices in the West are rising as more buyers from emerging countries shift their attention to more attractive destinations.

In London (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/search?q=london+&search_select=4&search_btn=Go), real estate values now stand at around £3,000 psf (S$6,058 psf), which is similar to what was seen before the 2008 financial crisis. Despite the rise in stamp duties, sentiment has not faltered, especially among Asian buyers.

For instance, Hong Kong investors snapped up over £8 million (S$16.16 million) worth of residential units in Fitzroy Place (http://www.exemplarproperties.com/property/fitzroy-place/), a new development at London’s Fitzrovia district.

The integrated development comprises 237 private apartments and 200,000 sq ft of prime office space. Developer Exemplar Properties said the price range for a unit ranges from £605,000 (S$1.22 million) to £8.5 million (S$17.17 million).

About 15 to 20 percent of the buyers are East Asians, noted Exemplar, which is in Singapore for the second leg of its Asian roadshow.

“The first allocation was sold out within three days in Hong Kong, so now we’re here in Singapore with a second allocation and already interest from Singaporean buyers have been huge – some twenty units have been sold ahead of the exhibition,” said Daniel Van Gelder, co-founder of Exemplar.

Affluent Asians are buying more luxury homes in the West, given the high property taxes in their own countries.

Citi Private Bank and Knight Frank revealed that prime property values were up 12 percent in London over the past year, while prices in Shanghai dropped 3.4 percent and stood close to five percent in Singapore.

“From Asian clients we’ve seen over the last 18 months an increase in investor demand in the UK for both commercial and residential markets… They’re buying for capital growth and as a safe haven,” said Tim Bowring, Managing Director and Regional Head of Global Real Estate Investments at Citi Private Bank.

Jones LL previewed a London project about a week back and it was HOT! Its not even exactly prime prime but still the take up was good. The presentation was sleek and makan was top notch.....maybe that's why the project was so successful. Anybody invited for this launch??

teddybear
15-05-12, 00:09
MAS should just restrict sales of such perpetual bonds as they are "toxic" to retail investors! I had warned before a few months ago and now news leaked that MAS is concerned! :beats-me-man:


Perp rush causes alarm in Singapore




By Kit Yin Boey
SINGAPORE, May 14 (IFR) - The unprecedented run of perpetual bond sales in Singapore's local market has caught the attention of the city state's regulators.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore is growing concerned about the number of potentially risky bonds that have ended up in the hands of individual investors. Bankers said MAS officials had voiced their concerns over retail holdings of perpetual bondsduring at least two informal meetings in recent weeks.
The central bank's scrutiny is preliminary, and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of the banks or companies involved in the recent flurry of perpetual bond issues.
But the discussions show that the regulator is worried that individual investors may be taking on too much risk - or buying securities without a full understanding of the product.
More perpetual bonds were sold in Singapore in the first three months of 2012 than in the previous decade and a half.
The product offers companies the tantalising opportunity to raise funds with no dated maturity, typically winning some equity treatment under accounting rules and avoiding any impact on gearing ratios.
The higher coupons are attractive for investors in a low interest-rate environment, but the notes come with high duration risk since there is no guarantee of repayment.
Companies including Singapore Post, Mapletree Logistic Trust and Temasek-backed Olam International sold perpetual bonds earlier this year, lifting perpetual sales to S$3.1bn (US$2.5bn) in the first quarter.
A large proportion of those deals went to private banks, investing on behalf of individual clients.
MAS's focus, however, has sharpened since Genting Singapore offered S$500m to the public, giving the retail public the chance to invest via the automated teller machines of the city's local banks.
The retail offering was only the second such offering of perpetuals, with Hyflux being the first to do so when it launched the first corporate perpetual issue in April last year.
The problem with ATM machines is that, unlike stocks or other structured investment products sold over the counter, investors have no access to advisory services that can point out risks.
Retail investors are supposed to read the prospectus, but in practical terms no arranger can guarantee that they have done so.
For the moment, bankers said they have not been told to pull back from retail offerings of perpetual, nor have they heard of any suggestion that MAS would be making recommendations for selling agents to protect investors in such sales.
But the chatter that the central bank is keeping an eye on the retail market may prompt underwriters to take a more cautious approach on any future retail offerings.
"I won't be surprised if MAS would be watching the developments in this space, as they have always been careful with products that are sold to the public," said one local banker.
Memories of Lehman
The MAS has been extremely cautious on the sales of structured investment products ever since the Lehman structured products collapsed in the global financial crisis.
That episode, which caused a huge public outcry, saw 8,000 individual investors, including retirees, losing a chunk of a combined S$508m of investments in Lehman-linked structured notes from nine banks and brokerages in Singapore.
Since then, the central bank has put in place several policies that have increased investor protection.
"After the Lehman debacle, I don't think MAS can afford to drop another ball," said another local banker. "So, it is only right that they should watch that retail investors are protected in the perpetual offerings. There are, after all, a lot of risks in such instruments."
Compared with straight vanilla bonds, perpetual securities often allow coupon deferrals, although this usually means the issuer also cannot declare dividends, and some include non-cumulative features as well.
And, as the name suggests, the bonds are perpetual and issuers have the right not to exercise a call option, which means investors may not see the return of their principal investment.
The critical point for retail investors is that they have no recourse if the issuer decides not to call. This risk is all too real, as events in the US over the past two weeks showed. Well known US banks JP Morgan and Bank of America decided against making their respective calls on their Lower Tier 2 bonds, raising the ire of bondholders who had traded the paper as five-year notes.
Margin calls
Any similar development in the Singapore perpetual paper in four to five years time will have a rippling effect on other outstanding perpetuals.
Local bankers said the risks have been escalated because private bankers, the main takers of the recent perps, were buying on the margin - sometimes using leverage granted by the lead managers themselves.
Some purchases were done on 100% margins, said one foreign banker.
The MAS's concerns come amid talk that that more Singapore and foreign issuers are exploring perpetual bond sales - although most are expected to target the institutional market.
Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa has been repeatedly linked with a return to the Singapore dollar metks, and local conglomerate Keppel Corp was heard to be hunting for arrangers for a perpetual.
Keppel, however, is said to have demanded hard underwritten bids, and bankers - worried that the market is already full - may be reluctant to stick their necks out that much.

Laguna
15-05-12, 09:04
of course, have to avoid Genting, trading below its face value now.

but there are a good number of perpetual bonds in the market. I think MAS is disclaiming its responsibility instead of teaching how to make a prudent investment decision.

teddybear
08-07-12, 23:39
Those who live near nature reserves, forested areas, Malaysia, low floors, etc better watch out the monkeys! :scared-1:





Monkeys in Yishun scale new heights
One seen in living room while one spotted climbing up block of flats. -TNP
Benson Ang

Sun, Jul 08, 2012
The New Paper
Above: A monkey caught on camera scaling Block 350 last Friday.
SINGAPORE - Two monkey sightings have been reported in Yishun over the past week.

Last Friday, a resident said he saw a monkey in his living room.

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Then on Monday, a monkey was spotted climbing up a block of flats.
The Sembawang-Nee Soon Town Council said these sightings have so far been "isolated" and "sporadic".
In the second incident on Monday morning, a monkey was seen peering into units on the fourth and fifth storey and sticking its head through kitchen windows at Block 415, Yishun Avenue 11.
Student Jacob Yong, 23, was walking by the area at 10am when he noticed the monkey.
He told The New Paper: "I was surprised to see it climb so high. If it had fallen, it would have died."
It was the first time Mr Yong, who frequents the area, had seen a monkey in the estate.
It was also the first time he had seen a monkey climb a block of flats.
One of the flats which the monkey peered into belonged to sales executive Jovin Sng, 48.
She was not at home, but got a call from her part-time cleaner.
Madam Sng said: "I told her to close the windows immediately, so that the monkey couldn't enter. It might have been looking out for food."
She said the monkey probably came from Yishun Park, which is about 200m from the block.
Mr Yong said about six residents had gathered at the bottom of the block.
One even tried to distract the monkey by throwing an orange at it. It ignored the fruit, and eventually climbed down and went away, he said.
In the first incident, a monkey was seen at Block 350, Yishun Avenue 11, last Friday.

A resident told Shin Min Daily News that it had squeezed through his door grilles and entered his living room.

The resident claimed the monkey ran away when it saw him. In its hurry, it knocked over seven of the resident's bird cages, and two birds got free as a result.

The resident was quoted as saying: "I'm worried that the monkey will enter again and attack the children inside. That would be very dangerous."

The resident said the monkey has also climbed as high as six storeys up the block.

In both cases, the monkey spotted is believed to be a long-tailed macaque.


Reports of monkey sightings
A spokesman for the Sembawang-Nee Soon Town Council said in an e-mail that it has received reports of monkey sightings from residents before, especially with the removal of the forest next to Yishun Park.

The forest is currently being cleared in phases for housing developments.

But the monkey sightings have been isolated and sporadic, the spokesman said.

In light of Monday's monkey sighting, the Town Council has enlisted the help of the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority to place a cage trap at the block.

The spokesman also said residents are advised not to feed them as this may encourage them to stay or agitate them.


Minimal public safety concerns
The executive director of animal group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society, Mr Louis Ng, said these are wild animals but there is minimal public safety concerns as long as they are not provoked.

He said: "The macaques might have seen food in the kitchen area and was trying to get the food."

He also said someone may have been giving the monkeys food, making them used to being fed.

"That's why members of the public should never feed macaques. Feeding them is also a criminal act."

Mr Ng advised residents to make sure their windows and grilles are closed, that food is not accessible to the monkeys and ensure nobody in the area is feeding them.

Residents should also not stare at the macaque as this is threatening behaviour; they should leave it alone and walk away slowly.

In addition, they should not throw anything at the macaques, which might provoke them and cause them to attack.

"The key for any wild animal is that if they are not provoked, there is minimal public safety concerns.

"The reality is that they are more afraid of us humans than we should be of them."

Ms Corinne Fong, executive director of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, agreed.

She said: "If the monkeys' habitat is slowly being reduced, they have to find other places of shelter and refuge.

"It stands to reason that HDB flats are unfortunately the next best thing to trees, specially when the flats are located so close to the forest."
This article was first published in The New Paper (http://www.tnp.sg).

hyenergix
09-07-12, 06:47
Why Malaysia? The forest is big enough to accommodate them. In Singapore, over-developments are destroying the forests and natural habitats of the animals e.g. monkeys and wild boars so much so that they have to intrude into the towns to look for food and space. Our green NGOs are too quiet.

phantom_opera
09-07-12, 09:24
Consequence of artifucial growth by importing foreigners in a tiny island

carbuncle
09-07-12, 10:15
Consequence of airing the show featuring their Great King on weekdays nights on Ch 8...

They want to take a glimpse of the elusive King.

teddybear
09-07-12, 18:06
Oh my gosh, as if Malaysia crimes aren't bad enough and now even Malaysia's police also can't be trusted! :doh:

------------------------------------------
News @ AsiaOne (http://news.asiaone.com/print/News/News.html)
2 Malaysian police officers charged for robbery
The two officers robbed four Bangladeshis of $236 at gunpoint. -The Star/ANN

Mon, Jul 09, 2012
The Star/Asia News Network
PETALING JAYA - Two police officers were charged in a Sessions Court here with robbing four Bangladeshi nationals at gunpoint.
Junaidi Awang, 33, and Rasli Zainol Abidin, 40, and two others who are still at large were accused of robbing Md Shafiqul Sheikh, Md Moshiur Rahman, Borhan Uddin Molla, and Al Amien of RM592 (S$236) in cash.
The alleged offence occurred in the basement of the Sri Ara Apartment on Jalan PJU 1A/5, Ara Damansara at 12.30am on July 11 last year.
The duo who were unrepresented, claimed trial to the alleged offence under Section 395 and 397 of the Penal Code, which is punishable by up to 20 years prison and a fine, if convicted.
Judge Balqis Aini Mohd Ali fixed bail at RM5000 with one surety for each of the accused and set August 10 for next mention

teddybear
20-07-12, 20:45
Wow, landed property owners behaving like hooligans and insisting that the roads outside their house are theirs, really? Think they should just go eat shit because the fact is, the road outside their house belong to the govt and not theirs and they have no right to stop people from parking there as long as these people didn't obstruct their gates. :tsk-tsk:

Those who own private condos but rented out their units and then insisting that they have the right to come back to use the condos' facilities are no better than the above example of hooliganism! :tongue3:



Two men fight over parking space in Serangoon Garden
A retired businessman claimed that he was hit by a man and the latter's two sons after he parked his car outside their home.

Fri, Jul 20, 2012
AsiaOne
[Above: A neighbourly spat between #9 and #11 of Jalan Chulek in Serangoon Gardens over parking space on the spot where a black jaguar (extreme right) is parked had resulted in hospitalisation of a man (inset) and police report made after a hustle occurred on July 17, 2012.]
Retired businessman Mr Goh Poh Ket, claimed that he was hit by a man and the latter's two sons after he parked his car outside their home on Tuesday evening.
The 65-year-old retiree suffered a fractured left eye socket after he was allegedly hit with a remote control, a plastic bottle filled with water and a sock stuffed with a hard substance.
The police have since arrested all four men involved in the incident for affray, The Straits Times reported.
Mr Goh had been visiting Madam Lee, 50, at her home in Jalan Chulek and parked his car outside Mr Kwek's house as it was the nearest vacant space available.
Soon after he arrived, he was told to move his car by Madam Lee's maid as Mr Kwek was apparently unhappy.
They saw Mr Kwek and his two sons shouting when Mr Goh and Madam Lee went outside.
He said: "He was shouting 'This is my parking lot. The road belongs to me. You can't park here.'"
Madam Lee then told her neighbour that the road was public property and Mr Goh's car was not blocking Mr Kwek's gate.
The argument soon got heated and escalated into a fight.
Taken aback by the viciousness of the episode, Madam Lee added: "Their sons even said 'old man still want to fight with us', and I told them to make sure they don't grow old."
She called the police when she saw that Mr Goh was bleeding. He was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital in an ambulance after the police arrived. He was later arrested in the hospital.
Her neighbours have continued to taunt her family even after the arrests, said Madam Lee.
As the road is narrow, residents have said that parking spaces there fill up quickly.
However, while residents do try to avoid parking in front of other people's houses, they added that they do not take offence should they find cars parked outside theirs.
A resident who did not want to be named explained that as long as it does not block their gate, "we don't have the right to ask them to move."
[email protected]

samuelk
21-07-12, 15:08
Wow, landed property owners behaving like hooligans and insisting that the roads outside their house are theirs, really? Think they should just go eat shit because the fact is, the road outside their house belong to the govt and not theirs and they have no right to stop people from parking there as long as these people didn't obstruct their gates. :tsk-tsk:

Those who own private condos but rented out their units and then insisting that they have the right to come back to use the condos' facilities are no better than the above example of hooliganism! :tongue3:



Two men fight over parking space in Serangoon Garden
A retired businessman claimed that he was hit by a man and the latter's two sons after he parked his car outside their home.

Fri, Jul 20, 2012
AsiaOne
[Above: A neighbourly spat between #9 and #11 of Jalan Chulek in Serangoon Gardens over parking space on the spot where a black jaguar (extreme right) is parked had resulted in hospitalisation of a man (inset) and police report made after a hustle occurred on July 17, 2012.]
Retired businessman Mr Goh Poh Ket, claimed that he was hit by a man and the latter's two sons after he parked his car outside their home on Tuesday evening.
The 65-year-old retiree suffered a fractured left eye socket after he was allegedly hit with a remote control, a plastic bottle filled with water and a sock stuffed with a hard substance.
The police have since arrested all four men involved in the incident for affray, The Straits Times reported.
Mr Goh had been visiting Madam Lee, 50, at her home in Jalan Chulek and parked his car outside Mr Kwek's house as it was the nearest vacant space available.
Soon after he arrived, he was told to move his car by Madam Lee's maid as Mr Kwek was apparently unhappy.
They saw Mr Kwek and his two sons shouting when Mr Goh and Madam Lee went outside.
He said: "He was shouting 'This is my parking lot. The road belongs to me. You can't park here.'"
Madam Lee then told her neighbour that the road was public property and Mr Goh's car was not blocking Mr Kwek's gate.
The argument soon got heated and escalated into a fight.
Taken aback by the viciousness of the episode, Madam Lee added: "Their sons even said 'old man still want to fight with us', and I told them to make sure they don't grow old."
She called the police when she saw that Mr Goh was bleeding. He was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital in an ambulance after the police arrived. He was later arrested in the hospital.
Her neighbours have continued to taunt her family even after the arrests, said Madam Lee.
As the road is narrow, residents have said that parking spaces there fill up quickly.
However, while residents do try to avoid parking in front of other people's houses, they added that they do not take offence should they find cars parked outside theirs.
A resident who did not want to be named explained that as long as it does not block their gate, "we don't have the right to ask them to move."
[email protected] ([email protected])

Actually yr view is very interesting. Sometimes when you call the TP , they Boh hiu because it is a Private road.

Try calling TP in a HDB carpark open space before where cars are park illegally and causing major obstruction for cars to come out. They also boh hiu. Is it a wonder then where the ideas came from for people who own landed into thinking they own that peice of Land as well...:doh:

seletar
21-07-12, 19:58
Serangoon Garden parking is very congested especailly on Friday nite and Saturday lunch and dinner time, I've witnessed several loud and fierce arguments over parking space over there. Once I had to go over to breakup an argument because their cars were blocking the road, causing a jam.

Parking is also getting really bad in my private estate that people have to resort to illegal parking.

teddybear
25-08-12, 17:03
Wow! RGS existing site will become GLS for new luxury condos! Good news indeed! Sooner or later have to lift the CMs targeting foreigners otherwise how to sell that piece of land at a good price? :p




SINGAPORE: Raffles Girls' School (RGS) will have a new campus along Braddell Road opposite Raffles Institution (RI) from 2018.

This was announced by Hon. Justice Judith Prakash, chairman of the school's Board of Governors at RGS Speech Day on Saturday.

RGS said the new premises will provide for the space and facilities required to deliver innovative curriculum and programmes and better support the school's teaching and learning goals.

RGS added that being located opposite RI will also allow for more synergy in collaborations between the two schools.

RGS principal Mrs Julie Hoo said the school hopes that the new campus will allow it to set a new benchmark for learning spaces that are student-focused, environmentally-friendly and inclusive of the community around it.

The school has planned a series of engagement sessions with stakeholders including alumni, parents and students to gather feedback, suggestions and ideas on planning for the new campus.

- CNA/cc

carbuncle
25-08-12, 17:05
Boy Girl join power

hyenergix
26-08-12, 21:16
Get ready for tweaks in HDB policies. It could be relaxation of singles' purchase of HDB directly from HDB instead of re-sale.

phantom_opera
26-08-12, 23:10
Move from CCR to RCR .... Bishan residents must be damn happy

teddybear
30-08-12, 21:38
Wah so bad! :doh:
The place you live determines the type of people surrounding around you?! :beats-me-man:

Anti-littering surveillance cameras to be set up at 100 locations




Updated 02:34 PM Aug 30, 2012
SINGAPORE - Surveillance cameras will be set up at 100 locations in the next three months to catch culprits who throw items from high-rise housing blocks.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) said it is first targeting at the housing estates in Bukit Panjang, Pasir Ris, West Coast, Hong Kah and Sembawang.

These housing estates have more serious littering issues, involving faeces, urine or food waste, and have also registered a high number of feedback cases from residents.

NEA said those caught littering on camera will be charged in court and have their cases publicised.

NEA said the surveillance cameras, together with video analytic software, have proven effective in trials conducted to nab high-rise litterbugs.

The equipment can pick up items as small as cigarette butts being thrown from windows, even in low light conditions at night.

NEA cited an earlier pilot run in Bukit Batok where two offenders were caught on camera throwing cigarette butts out from their windows at night. They were charged in court and fined S$800 and S$1,000.

Under the law, such offenders are liable to be fined a maximum of S$1,000 and/or be given a Corrective Work Order (CWO) not exceeding 12 hours.

For new cases of high-rise littering, NEA said the cameras will be deployed after careful assessment of the situation and at least two rounds of educational efforts by the town councils and NEA to exert community pressure on the litterbugs.

Addressing the concerns of privacy, NEA said cameras will only survey the areas near to the window of the unit to capture any act of littering.

Residents of the affected blocks will be kept informed before the deployment of the cameras so that they will be aware. In addition, only authorised personnel will be allowed to view and analyse the video footage. CHANNEL NEWSASIA

teddybear
30-08-12, 21:40
Wah! Landed properties are so much easier to become target for land acquisition! Better don't buy landed?! Lose big! :p


Pearls Centre, Thomson PO to go


by Amir Hussain and Wong Wei Han
04:46 AM Aug 30, 2012


SINGAPORE - Even as the authorities made all efforts to minimise land acquisition for the 30km Thomson line, two landmarks - including Pearls Centre at Eu Tong Sen Street where residents claim an enbloc sale was on the cards - will have to make way, along with dozens of homes.

Pearls Centre is among the four full lots that the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) gazetted for acquisition. The others were a 54-year-old post office along Upper Thomson Road, and two landed homes at 133 Stevens Road and 2 Robin Close.

Opened in 1969, Pearls Centre was once home to Yangtze cinema. It currently houses 44 residential units and 199 commercial units. A resident, Mdm Agnes, told TODAY she was "very shocked" by the news as residents had agreed on a collective sale earlier this month.

Another resident, who identified himself as Mr Wong, said it would be "impossible" to find a similar unit in the vicinity. "The time period is quite short for us to find a house, for us to do our own planning ... three or four years would be better," added the 55-year-old.

Except for occupants at Pearls Centre, who have 24 months to vacate, the rest have 18 months to do so. An SLA spokesperson said it would work with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to consider each request for more time.

Compensation will be pegged to market valuation as at the date of acquisition.

The LTA said acquiring Pearls Centre will provide "opportunity for comprehensive redevelopment" so that the land near Outram Park Station can be optimised and put to "higher intensity uses".

Over at Upper Thomson Road, residents will bid farewell to the post office that has been there since 1958.

While 60-year-old Mr Wong, a senior manager, felt the acquisition was necessary as an MRT station would benefit residents living nearby, administrator Ms Patricia Van said it would be inconvenient as it is the only post office she knows of in the area. According to SingPost, the next nearest post office is at Bishan Community Club.

Mdm Grace Young, who lives at 2 Robin Close, said she was disappointed that her home was singled out for acquisition. Together with the Stevens Road home, it will make way for the entrances to the planned Stevens MRT Station.

"I'm not happy that they're acquiring my land … Why did they especially choose this property?" said Mdm Young, adding that she will be consulting her lawyer.

Eastboy
30-08-12, 21:58
aiyo what a big land area 2 Robin Close...i will also heart pain lor...wa lau eh if suddenly my FH land becomes MRT station...dafuq?! those people don't even need mrt what.....:doh:

https://maps.google.com.sg/maps?hl=en&q=Robin+Close&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x31da19f9f39d63e5:0x57862d410cb36715,Robin+Close&gl=sg&ei=8XA_UISMCYm0rAe3lID4DA&ved=0CB8Q8gEwAA

teddybear
17-10-12, 21:40
Very strange comments, mmm, I don't understand:
1) what property is not transacted at a "willing buyer willing seller" basis?
2) "without restrictions and in accordance with demand" for HDB shophouses is purely because they didn't impose restrictions right? They could have removed all restrictions for all other type of properties, and all will then lead lead to (3) - i.e. no need to impose restrictions such as stricter citizen eligibility on transactions, and level the playing field once and for all for all type of properties? :p
3) MND will not be imposing new restrictions such as stricter citizenship eligibility on transactions.



Published October 17, 2012
YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT
No speculative signs in HDB shophouse prices
By
zeinab yusuf saiwalla (http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/reporter/zeinab-yusuf-saiwalla)








FIGURES released by the government yesterday showed that there is no speculative element in the prices of HDB shophouses given the low percentage of resale transactions.
In a written response to Member of Parliament Ong Teng Koon (Sembawang GRC), Minister for National Development (MND) Khaw Boon Wan highlighted the fact that resale transactions involving HDB-sold shops made up only 3 to 7 per cent of the total stock of HDB-sold shops.
From January to August 2012, there were 216 such transactions and of these, 14 shops, or 6 per cent, were resold within one year of purchase.
Given the fact that HDB- sold shops are transacted in the market on a willing- buyer-willing-seller basis, without restrictions and in accordance with demand, Mr Khaw said that MND will not be imposing new restrictions such as stricter citizenship eligibility on transactions.
.....

teddybear
17-10-12, 23:30
2-bedroom Manhattan apartment for $50 million

By Jennifer Karmon (http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/blogs/author/jennifer-karmon/) | Spaces (http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/blogs/spaces/) – Sat, Oct 13, 2012 1:57 AM SGT


In what world does a two-bedroom apartment cost $50 million? Why, Midtown Manhattan (http://yhoo.it/RCIlZn), of course.
Naturally, this apartment at 50 Central Park South (http://yhoo.it/RCII6p) is no ordinary two-bedroom apartment. For one thing, it's bigger than you might imagine for a two-bedroom. But it's also smaller than you might imagine for $50 million, at 4,500 square feet. Even by Manhattan luxury standards, we'd say that's worthy of a double-take, or at least a surprised blink: $11,000 per square foot.
Apartment 33 occupies a full floor at the Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/NewYorkCentralPark/), one of just a dozen residences at the Central Park Ritz (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/RealEstate/ResidenceDetails/CentralParkSouth.htm). That means the Ritz is the property manager, and residents can call on a dedicated staff -- no mere hotel staffers, these -- for certain services included in their association dues. Sorry, housekeeping and dogwalking are "a la carte" services (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/NR/rdonlyres/B2561413-907E-45C9-844B-0BEC579FC882/0/20188RCRFAQs_abbrevforweb_rev12211.pdf), not included.
The architecture is by Oscar Shamamian (http://www.fergusonshamamian.com/), with interior design by Obama White House interior designer Michael S. Smith (whose website is full of stunning project photos (http://bit.ly/RCL5Gg), though none, alas, of the White House; you might also be interested in Elle Decor's photos of Smith's own home (http://bit.ly/RCLpos)).
If the space feels a little cramped and you've got money to spare, you might also want to check out 150 West 56th Street (http://yhoo.it/RCP6KN): 8,000 square feet of penthouse for an asking price of $100 million. Or perhaps the Woolworth Mansion, which we've written about before (http://bit.ly/RmnBmo): It rents at $150,000 or can be purchased for $90 million (http://yhoo.it/RCWGVU).
This isn't the only residence to go on the market recently at the Ritz-Carlton; a nine-bedroom, $95 million penthouse listed by Halstead Property (http://www.halstead.com/sale/ny/manhattan/midtown-west/central-park-south/condo/3255792#) shares the building. If you're looking for a moment of zen during your busy day, we commend to you the really lovely time-lapse video of the Central Park view (http://www.halstead.com/properTV.aspx?video=4A73BDF1FC). Turn the sound off if you're not a fan of cheesy pseudo-classical music.

radha08
17-10-12, 23:54
Very strange comments, mmm, I don't understand:
1) what property is not transacted at a "willing buyer willing seller" basis?
2) "without restrictions and in accordance with demand" for HDB shophouses is purely because they didn't impose restrictions right? They could have removed all restrictions for all other type of properties, and all will then lead lead to (3) - i.e. no need to impose restrictions such as stricter citizen eligibility on transactions, and level the playing field once and for all for all type of properties? :p
3) MND will not be imposing new restrictions such as stricter citizenship eligibility on transactions.



Published October 17, 2012
YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT
No speculative signs in HDB shophouse prices
By
zeinab yusuf saiwalla (http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/reporter/zeinab-yusuf-saiwalla)








FIGURES released by the government yesterday showed that there is no speculative element in the prices of HDB shophouses given the low percentage of resale transactions.
In a written response to Member of Parliament Ong Teng Koon (Sembawang GRC), Minister for National Development (MND) Khaw Boon Wan highlighted the fact that resale transactions involving HDB-sold shops made up only 3 to 7 per cent of the total stock of HDB-sold shops.
From January to August 2012, there were 216 such transactions and of these, 14 shops, or 6 per cent, were resold within one year of purchase.
Given the fact that HDB- sold shops are transacted in the market on a willing- buyer-willing-seller basis, without restrictions and in accordance with demand, Mr Khaw said that MND will not be imposing new restrictions such as stricter citizenship eligibility on transactions.
.....

its up to the to say la...they are the boss:cool:

DKSG
18-10-12, 01:14
its up to the to say la...they are the boss:cool:

Now people who missed the BOAT big time will want government to impose restrictions, so that these selfish people can buy at lower price.

Sometimes u seriously hope that the restrictions only come when they want to SELL. haha!

DKSG

chestnut
18-10-12, 06:58
Now people who missed the BOAT big time will want government to impose restrictions, so that these selfish people can buy at lower price.

Sometimes u seriously hope that the restrictions only come when they want to SELL. haha!

DKSG

Aiyah, office boy, relak. The world is made up of all kinds of people. Because of this diversity, isn't is fun. Can u imagine going office and everyone talk about say bowling and bowling only. Wa, I die man.
I have learn to accept, appreciate and embrace the diversity. You should try it too.
I really cannot imagine everyone agreeing that prices will go up. If everyone thinks prices will go up. We are at the end of the cycle. This is called euphoria.
So relak and take a deep breath and enjoy what is around u. Take time to smell the roses and remember to do small deeds for the less fortunate.
Money is not everything but I agree money is something.

Please take it as I tcss if you don't like my statements. I am very bad at expressing myself when typing.
:cheers1:

Secretariat
18-10-12, 08:06
Aiyah, office boy, relak. The world is made up of all kinds of people. Because of this diversity, isn't is fun. Can u imagine going office and everyone talk about say bowling and bowling only. Wa, I die man.
I have learn to accept, appreciate and embrace the diversity. You should try it too.
I really cannot imagine everyone agreeing that prices will go up. If everyone thinks prices will go up. We are at the end of the cycle. This is called euphoria.
So relak and take a deep breath and enjoy what is around u. Take time to smell the roses and remember to do small deeds for the less fortunate.
Money is not everything but I agree money is something.

Please take it as I tcss if you don't like my statements. I am very bad at expressing myself when typing.
:cheers1:

With all the right holes you have been getting, I am certain that you have the talent other than investment...oops, hahaha

chestnut
18-10-12, 09:52
With all the right holes you have been getting, I am certain that you have the talent other than investment...oops, hahaha

Of course. I wanted to be a DJ in younger days. Free drinks, talking crap over the mic, and chicks chat you up. Then realised, need money. So did not do it. So yes, you are right on the holes part. Could have gotten a lot of those. Hahaha. Better stop here. Time to work.

teddybear
10-12-12, 08:44
Another forum article asking govt to help them to make money by raising interest rates because they happened to bet wrongly & now stuck with CASH depreciating in value very quickly?


------------------------------
A Bishan site was recently sold for 1.8 per cent lower, or S$853 per square foot (psf) per plot ratio (ppr), compared to a neighbouring site last year.

My initial conclusion was that the property cooling measures are starting to work. But I may have been wrong: Last year, save for the same winning bidder, no one tendered above S$700 psf ppr for the neighbouring site. This year, seven developers bid above S$700 psf.

The probable selling price has been estimated to be between S$1,650 and S$1,700 psf. Last year, only one developer believed it could sell a Bishan condo at S$1,700 psf.

It seems that more developers are feeling bullish about future property prices compared to last year.

What is going on?

The cooling measures are like a dam built to prevent money from flooding our property market. As the water level rises, we try to build a higher dam, which only leads to the money flowing to industrial properties, shophouses, et cetera.

So long as borrowing costs are too cheap, million-dollar homes will seem affordable in terms of monthly mortgage payments, and developers, investors and home buyers would have the confidence to pay higher.

One may warn about not borrowing too much, but after a few years of such low interest rates, people start to ignore the advice.

So can the Monetary Authority of Singapore buck the trend and set reasonable interest rates to encourage savings here?

teddybear
01-01-13, 22:06
200 out of 653 EC units are Dual-Key units! That is 30.6% !!!

Sandwiched class earning <$12k household income can afford these big DK units?



============================

URA investigating sale of Forestville EC units
Posted: 31 December 2012 1954 hrs





SINGAPORE: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said it is still investigating the proposed sale of Forestville executive condominium (EC) on 28 December.

In a response to queries from Channel NewsAsia, URA said the Controller of Housing (COH) had instructed the developer, Hao Yuan Investments, on 28 December not to sell units in the Forestville EC project, pending further investigations.

The statement added "the developer has launched the project with some proposed changes to the development's plans which had not been approved, and this is not allowed."

Channel NewsAsia understands that the developer had initially received the necessary approvals from URA for the sale.

However, the company had made some changes to the development plans at the eleventh hour and this has prompted URA to step in and stop the sale.

It is believed the URA is currently looking into the entire process leading up to the intended sale.

This includes ensuring the proposed changes to the development plans are in good order.

URA added that "the results of the investigation will help us determine what further actions to take".

Hao Yuan issued a statement on Saturday to clarify that "there were no bookings of units for Forestville EC as originally intended on Dec 28."

Instead, the company said "the balloting process proceeded as usual in order to determine the sequencing order of the applicants."

It added that there were also no booking fees collected and as such there will be no forfeiture.

This came following reports on Friday claiming that about 20 per cent of the dual-key units at Forestville were snapped up within two and a half hours of the launch.

The developers have included about 200 such units in the 653-unit project.

Dual-key units are designed to contain separate living spaces under one roof.

teddybear
09-02-13, 22:22
Yes, we missed a lot of things!

Firstly, we came to hear that industrial properties jumped from $200+ psf to almost $1000 psf! But yet there is not a single cooling measure to cool these industrial properties!

Secondly, commercial properties prices also jumped. The REITs (many of them GLCs controlled) are controlling the rental of the retail shops, etc and jacking up rentals like nobody's business, yet there is not a single cooling measure to tackle this escalating cost of living that has been passed on from businesses due to escalating shops' rental costs!

Take for example, recently agent sought buying interest for a commercial shophouse, land area only $1600 sqft asking for $8m yet only tenanted for $14k. That is $5k psf of land and rental yield of 1.75% pa! Anybody buying will be an idiot because we know commercial properties have limited upside in price and hence you can only look at the yield and the yield sucks! And because rental escalation in commercial properties immediately will be passed on to consumers causing escalating costs of living, why are we not seeing cooling measures for commercial properties?



==========================
ABSD: Are we missing something?

HDB prices are still high, curbs have not damped speculation in other sectors, and foreign investors have value in market


The Business Times (http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/) - February 6, 2013
By: Ku Swee Yong
DESPITE four sets of cooling measures imposed from 2009 to late 2011, the private residential property price index still rose 5.9 per cent in 2011. In a world flush with cheap credit and incessant money printing by the western nations, Singapore's authorities were concerned that the "investment flows into our property market are now larger than before, and unlikely to recede as long as interest rates remain low". So on Dec 7, 2011, the Additional Buyer Stamp Duty (ABSD) was introduced to "cool investment demand, and avoid the prospect of a major, destabilising correction further down the road".
It has been over a year since this stamp duty was introduced for private residential properties.


Have we stamped out the flows of money into our property market?
A. YES: The proportion of foreigners purchasing private residences (excluding landed properties and Executive Condominiums (ECs)) fell from an average of 19.4 per cent during the 12-month period of Jan-Dec 2011 to 7.1 per cent in the subsequent 12 months. In absolute terms, foreigners purchased 2,053 private residences in 2012, a drop of 62 per cent from the 5,480 units clocked in 2011. Obviously the ABSD was a successful deterrent in shutting out foreign interests in Singapore's residences.
B. NO: Developers' sales of private residences set a record high of 22,197 units in 2012. New records were also achieved for prices of mass market condominiums and ECs. The private residential price index continued its ascent, gaining 2.8 per cent in 2012. This was backed by the strong price increase of 6.5 per cent in Outside Central Region (OCR) which was in turn supported by the northward march of HDB resale prices, up 6.6 per cent.
C. NO: Recall the long lines of blank cheques queuing at commercial and industrial property launches. All five rounds of property cooling measures were aimed at cooling the residential segment but the the strata industrial and office segments were left alone to boil over. New launch strata industrial properties have crossed S$1,000 psf with an expected rental yield of 2-3 per cent, on par with freehold luxury residences.
D. NO: We needed round six of cooling measures in October 2012 to restrict borrowing limits for residential properties. But that did not prevent new record prices from being set even in the supposedly sandwiched segment of ECs at the end of 2012.
E. Still NO: Now that Japan has joined the money printing frenzy to stimulate its economy to achieve positive real inflation, we needed round seven of cooling measures on Jan 12, 2013. Investors are further penalised upfront through higher ABSD, stiffer requirements on CPF versus cash equity, mortgages and lending limits, and for once outside of the residential segment, a curb on speculation in the industrial segment through a three-year Seller Stamp Duty (SSD).


Where is the money flowing from?
Singaporeans purchased 25,081 private residences in 2012, a rise of 18.9 per cent from the 21,101 units in 2011. These numbers include landed residences and exclude ECs but we know both EC launches and HDB BTOs volumes were at record highs last year. These numbers should put to rest the finger pointing on foreigners and their hot money flow destabilising Singaporeans' home values. However, this calls into question why the latest set of cooling measures are even tougher on foreigners.
The January 2013 measures punish foreigners more with ABSD increased to 15 per cent. Why so when their numbers are already down? It seems counter-intuitive to further consider that the 2013 Population White Paper pointed to a need for more foreigners and PRs as we grow Singapore towards a target population of 6.5-6.9 million by 2030. We want foreigners and PRs to assist us in sustaining economic growth of 2-3 per cent per annum up till year 2030, but on another hand, we make it exorbitant for foreigners to own their own homes.


Are we missing something here?
I am not completely clear about the rationale behind the cooling measures.
If the cooling measures are purely to safeguard the residential segment and protect the home values of Singaporeans, then why did we not start at the bottom?


First, cool the growth of HDB resale prices.
It is difficult to rein in the price growth of private residences when HDB upgraders feel that their HDB asset values are climbing faster than private home prices. The HDB resale market remains tight despite three years of record breaking new supply of more than 20,000 BTOs per year. Unless we can construct the BTOs quickly, the waiting time of three to four years is simply too long for young families that require their own homes. Some HDB owners affected by SERS (Selective Enbloc Relocation Scheme) may choose to purchase resale flats for immediate relocation.
However, to prevent speculative and frequent trading of HDB flats, the recent measures on HDB ownership, borrowing limits and increased Minimum Occupation Periods has caused the pool of resale flats to shrink. Tightening the noose even more is HDB's sub-letting policy which further diminishes the resale pool. Every quarter over the last six years the number of flats with approvals for subletting has been increasing.
In the fourth quarter of 2012, the number stood at 43,508, almost 5 per cent of the total stock of about 917,000. Two years ago, in fourth quarter of 2010, the total was 35,000 flats, representing a 24 per cent increase. However, when compared to the 17,400 flats with approval for subletting in fourth quarter 2007, the increase is a whopping 150 per cent over five years.
Surely the more HDB flats are approved for subletting, the less resale units would be available in the market, thereby pushing up Cash over Valuations (CoVs). More Singaporeans now view HDB flats as investment assets. Until the valuation of the 917,000 HDB flats stops increasing, there will always be upward pressure on the valuation of the 278,000 private residences.
Another objective of the cooling measures that I find confusing is the concern about the inflow of foreign hot money into Singapore's real estate. If there were real risks of large inflows of foreign hot money, why did we not apply the anti-speculation measure such as SSD and ABSD to all property segments, including office, shops, hotels, etc? And now that foreigners' purchases of private residences are reduced, why is the ABSD increased instead?
Are the authorities similarly concerned about foreign hot money scooping up overpriced emerging market perpetual bonds with 60 per cent or even 80 per cent leverage in Singapore? Would we see anti-speculation measures in the bonds and equities markets then?


Unintended consequence
At the luxury end of the market where freehold residences such as Ardmore Park yield 2 per cent per annum, a foreigner would rather pay eight years of rental than to fork out the 15 per cent ABSD and 3 per cent (minus $5,400) normal stamp duty upfront. A $10 million apartment in Ardmore Park will cost close to $1.8 million in total stamp duties at purchase, so why not pay the $17,000 per month rental over the next 96 months?
We can therefore expect more foreigners to stay on the sidelines of the Singapore property scene. However, after a while we might just become unattractive to foreign investors. Foreigners will leave the sidelines as their home markets become more attractive and profitable to invest in. This is certainly how Indonesian and Filipino investors view the Jakarta and Manila real estate markets respectively: better capital upside potential than Singapore.
The luxury residential segment in the doldrums, prices in the Core Central Region (CCR) rose by only 0.8 per cent in 2012. With an overhang of completed stock that remains unsold in the CCR, developers have little incentive to invest in building high quality and well anointed bespoke homes if they cannot be sold at a reasonable pace. With an average of two property curbs per year and the harsh measures on foreign buyers, will Singapore lose its sparkle in the eyes of foreign high net worth families?


Where do we go from here?
I believe the public would accept a moderate population growth and if we took the low end of the Population White Paper 2013, we might expect total population to be 6.5 million in the year 2030. Accounting for emigration, mortality and PRs who leave, we would need to continue attracting up to 100,000 foreigners and PRs every year for the next 17 years.
And life would have to be comfortable for them such that some may consider Singapore their long term home and take up Singapore citizenship. Do they have to wait till they become Singaporeans before they should purchase their first private home? Do we really fear that the high net worths who want a home in Singapore are depriving Singaporeans of affordable private residences?
The SSD has effectively taken out the speculative wind in the residential segment. So to prevent foreign elements from disrupting home prices for Singaporeans, and yet encourage high quality foreign professionals and business owners to set up their homes here in the next decade, we might tweak the ABSD for foreigners and PRs:
A. For all residences of over $5 million value, cut ABSD to 5 per cent for Singaporeans (second property onwards), foreigners and PRs;
B. For completed residences of over $5 million value which are purchased for own stay (the investor has to register his residential address there for at least three years), cut ABSD to 3 per cent for Singaporeans (second property onwards), foreigners and PR. A completed property is less of a speculative investment due to a larger proportion who buy for immediate own use and also due to payment requirements.
From Table 1, we see that Singaporeans account for only about 150 units of non-landed residences of above $5 million value. Many Singaporeans with that budget prefer to look at landed properties. There is no risk that foreigners and PRs will deprive Singaporeans of homes at the $5 million category. Therefore a reduction of ABSD will let Singapore attract foreigners and PRs to drop anchor here. And with such a large commitment, it is more likely to be for the long term.
The government's coffers are not short of money. Therefore the imposition of higher taxes to cool the property market should not be overdone. If further cooling measures were needed, perhaps in the other property segments or even in the bonds and equities markets, I rather prefer the introduction of non-monetary and non-tax restrictions such as higher cash components and reduced loan tenures. However, we need to be mindful that an overcooled market may turn foreign investors away, completely.


The writer is the CEO of real estate agency International Property Advisor Pte Ltd

teddybear
09-02-13, 22:53
Yes cost of living escalating! What is causing that? Answers:

1) Escalating commercial properties prices and hence rentals!
2) Escalating industrial properties prices and hence rentals!
3) Increasing number of REITs as a whole monopolising the commercial properties market and jacking up shops' rentals like nobody's business!
4) The Govt themselves! For not implementing any cooling measure on commercial properties, industrial properties, and to rein in the REITs for monopolizing the market! (and many of the REITs are controlled by GLCs!) even when they have introduced 7 cooling measures on private properties market!

Suggestions to govt is that they should bring whatever they introduce to private properties market to commercial and industrial properties market!:
1) Any citizen or 100% citizen-owned business entity buying second property must pay 7% ABSD and 15% ABSD for 3rd property etc
2) Any foreigner or non-100% citizen-owned business entity buying first property must pay 15% ABSD and buying second must pay 30% ABSD!

teddybear
28-02-13, 19:47
Can't take it anymore! Must say a word on this, even if I am affected.
They say it is correct to tax wealth over income right? Then why they remove ESTATE DUTY? Isn't estate duty about taxing the wealth, in fact the wealthiest 1% in Singapore? and they removed estate duty numerous years ago! Now then they say they want to tax wealth? And this tax wealth is spreaded to the top 30% income earners instead of the top 1%? :simmering:


===========================
Published February 28, 2013
REACTIONS TO BUDGET 2013
It's sound to tax wealth over income: analysts
But S'pore may have to raise income or consumption levies in the future
By
kenneth lim (http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/reporter/kenneth-lim-0)








But there are limits to how far wealth can be taxed, and Singapore may eventually have to consider raising income or consumption levies in the future for additional revenue







[SINGAPORE] The progressive tax measures unveiled in this year's Budget will raise duties on those who own a lot rather than those who earn a lot, a subtle distinction lauded by observers.

But there are limits to how far wealth can be taxed, and Singapore may eventually have to consider raising income or consumption levies in the future for additional revenue.

Described as a tax on wealth by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam in his Budget speech on Monday, the Budget's progressive tax measures include tiered tax rates for property and vehicle ownership.

Those tax changes are not necessarily aimed at wealth gaps only.

kane
28-02-13, 21:39
200 out of 653 EC units are Dual-Key units! That is 30.6% !!!

Sandwiched class earning <$12k household income can afford these big DK units?



============================

URA investigating sale of Forestville EC units
Posted: 31 December 2012 1954 hrs





SINGAPORE: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said it is still investigating the proposed sale of Forestville executive condominium (EC) on 28 December.

In a response to queries from Channel NewsAsia, URA said the Controller of Housing (COH) had instructed the developer, Hao Yuan Investments, on 28 December not to sell units in the Forestville EC project, pending further investigations.

The statement added "the developer has launched the project with some proposed changes to the development's plans which had not been approved, and this is not allowed."

Channel NewsAsia understands that the developer had initially received the necessary approvals from URA for the sale.

However, the company had made some changes to the development plans at the eleventh hour and this has prompted URA to step in and stop the sale.

It is believed the URA is currently looking into the entire process leading up to the intended sale.

This includes ensuring the proposed changes to the development plans are in good order.

URA added that "the results of the investigation will help us determine what further actions to take".

Hao Yuan issued a statement on Saturday to clarify that "there were no bookings of units for Forestville EC as originally intended on Dec 28."

Instead, the company said "the balloting process proceeded as usual in order to determine the sequencing order of the applicants."

It added that there were also no booking fees collected and as such there will be no forfeiture.

This came following reports on Friday claiming that about 20 per cent of the dual-key units at Forestville were snapped up within two and a half hours of the launch.

The developers have included about 200 such units in the 653-unit project.

Dual-key units are designed to contain separate living spaces under one roof.

Just came across this article.

No wonder it was stopped from selling, they were trying to help 200 owners get subsidised living during the 5 years MOP period. lol.

back to the tax issue. well those top 2% who buy Ferrari/Lambo is being taxed gao gao as well no?

teddybear
28-02-13, 21:41
No, they enjoyed tax reduction from 25% to 20% since GST was implemented. (GST was implemented so that they can enjoy 5% tax reduction!). :p


Just came across this article.

No wonder it was stopped from selling, they were trying to help 200 owners get subsidised living during the 5 years MOP period. lol.

back to the tax issue. well those top 2% who buy Ferrari/Lambo is being taxed gao gao as well no?

kane
28-02-13, 21:44
No, they enjoyed tax reduction from 25% to 20% since GST was implemented. (GST was implemented so that they can enjoy 5% tax reduction!). :p

those people got 5 cars in the house at least 3 will probably in that 180% ARF bracket. I think it will make up for the difference of that 5% lah.

Buy on ferrari now can get 1 maserati free last time.

proud owner
28-02-13, 21:47
[quote=teddybear]Can't take it anymore! Must say a word on this, even if I am affected.
They say it is correct to tax wealth over income right? Then why they remove ESTATE DUTY? Isn't estate duty about taxing the wealth, in fact the wealthiest 1% in Singapore? and they removed estate duty numerous years ago! Now then they say they want to tax wealth? And this tax wealth is spreaded to the top 30% income earners instead of the top 1%? :simmering:


bro i think tax and estate duty are 2 diff thingy


if i remember correctly cant recall where i read it ...

Estate duty

in olden days the king gave the land to the people ... to use, farm...and make a living

when he dies he can pass on the land to his son ...
BUT the king wants 40 pct of the wealth that the decease ...

spore being a british colony previously... which explain why we had estate duty

but after so many years ... probably people started to question amd govt paisei ...having made so much money already ... agreed and abolished estate duty

since we were NEVER given the land (did someone think he was a KING at that time ) heheh

so removing estate duty is not about taxing the wealth .. previously in spore ..as long as one who owns land ..and dies ..has to pay estate duty ..

teddybear
28-02-13, 21:47
If got 5 branded cars in house means earn $10m a year?
$10m x 5% = $500k savings in tax per year or $5m over 10 years.

Buy 5 cars, pay extra PAR of 5 * $100k = $500k can use for 10 years.
Still savings of $4.5m!!! :doh:


those people got 5 cars in the house at least 3 will probably in that 180% ARF bracket. I think it will make up for the difference of that 5% lah.

Buy on ferrari now can get 1 maserati free last time.

kane
28-02-13, 21:50
The brighter side is it wasn't outright savings of the full $5m.

Then consider also the number of properties they might buy an the absds.... woo.

teddybear
28-02-13, 22:23
But, it is undeniable fact that estate duty is a tax on the "Wealth" and it has been there for so long, not related to land & king in Singapore's context. Since there the wealthy got so much wealth, the tax is reasonable according to our Finance Minister. However, their new wealth tax hits 30% of the top wealthy people and not just top 1% (which is what Estate Duty is meant to target)! and the top 10-30% wealthy people are not really "wealthy", just "upper-middle" income/wealthy! :banghead:



[quote=teddybear]Can't take it anymore! Must say a word on this, even if I am affected.
They say it is correct to tax wealth over income right? Then why they remove ESTATE DUTY? Isn't estate duty about taxing the wealth, in fact the wealthiest 1% in Singapore? and they removed estate duty numerous years ago! Now then they say they want to tax wealth? And this tax wealth is spreaded to the top 30% income earners instead of the top 1%? :simmering:


bro i think tax and estate duty are 2 diff thingy


if i remember correctly cant recall where i read it ...

Estate duty

in olden days the king gave the land to the people ... to use, farm...and make a living

when he dies he can pass on the land to his son ...
BUT the king wants 40 pct of the wealth that the decease ...

spore being a british colony previously... which explain why we had estate duty

but after so many years ... probably people started to question amd govt paisei ...having made so much money already ... agreed and abolished estate duty

since we were NEVER given the land (did someone think he was a KING at that time ) heheh

so removing estate duty is not about taxing the wealth .. previously in spore ..as long as one who owns land ..and dies ..has to pay estate duty ..

teddybear
04-03-13, 22:52
Ok ok, below too generalized and based on my perception, so some rubbish people will try to "rubbish" me off, now I check and provide facts, irrefutable facts! :p

According to the data I have on hand, it says:
Since 2009Q3, (over past 3+ years), Industrial PPI +102.8% vs residential PPI +34.9% !!!

Come on! Businemen needs the industrial property prices and rentals low so that inflation will not be shoot up, which in turn will be passed down to consumers.

Look at Residential PPI that has increased by 34.9% over past 3+ years, we get 7 Cooling measures!

Look at Industrial PPI (Property Price Index) increassed by 102.8% over 3+ years, we get 1 half-baked cooling measure (3years SSD) only!!!

As I said before, 3 years SSD is not really cooling measure if people are buying new launch as by the time the property is ready, 3 years is over! What cooling measure is that?! :rolleyes:
What is your conclusion based on the above facts? :doh:

Is it any wonder Breadtalk up prices by 5%-10% recently?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by teddybear
Correction:
commercial / industrial / retail RENTAL gone up by >100% in past 6 years!
commercial / industrial / retail PRICES gone up by >100% in past 6 years!




Quote:
Originally Posted by teddybear
I went breadtalk bought bread, all breads went up by 10 cts to 20 cts! :doh:
They so concern about private property prices and rentals? But private property rentals only up <50% in past 10 years, but commercial / industrial / retail rental gone up by >300% in past 10 years! The prices also gone up by >100% in past 10 years! Wow! But strangely, we don't see cooling measures for commercial / industrial / retail properties & rentals!




Quote:
Originally Posted by [phantom_opera]

just now went to suntec food republic prices of Yong soon soy milk up 10c to 1.60 and other stalls prices up also

I can also say rental price of REIT unacceptable

if u go china their malls always empty also high price due to high land cost, never say anything also

teddybear is right..they are just double standard ??

teddybear
04-03-13, 23:04
Previously I talked about industrial properties prices and rentals, now I try to peeped at retail rentals! I looked at Food Junction, the food court operators reports and got the following:
FY2011 FY2007 Change (over 4 yrs)
lease expenses = $20.98m S$12.96m +62.0%
Personnel expenses = $15.13m S$11.21m +34.9%
Revenue = $55.71m S$44.08m +26.4%

So, you can see that retail rental expenses increased 62% over 4 years or average 15.5% per year!
Also, you can see that space rental expenses is the single biggest cost item for a F&B business company like Food Junction and not manpower costs!

Did we see private residential properties' rental goes up 62% over the past 4 years period? The answer is a big NO!

So why retail properties no at least 7 COOLING MEASURES despite rental up 62% over past 4 years (vs private residential like up only 20+%)?! :banghead:



Ok ok, below too generalized and based on my perception, so some rubbish people will try to "rubbish" me off, now I check and provide facts, irrefutable facts! :p

According to the data I have on hand, it says:
Since 2009Q3, (over past 3+ years), Industrial PPI +102.8% vs residential PPI +34.9% !!!

Come on! Businemen needs the industrial property prices and rentals low so that inflation will not be shoot up, which in turn will be passed down to consumers.

Look at Residential PPI that has increased by 34.9% over past 3+ years, we get 7 Cooling measures!

Look at Industrial PPI (Property Price Index) increassed by 102.8% over 3+ years, we get 1 half-baked cooling measure (3years SSD) only!!!

As I said before, 3 years SSD is not really cooling measure if people are buying new launch as by the time the property is ready, 3 years is over! What cooling measure is that?! :rolleyes:
What is your conclusion based on the above facts? :doh:

Is it any wonder Breadtalk up prices by 5%-10% recently?!

Quote:
Originally Posted by teddybear
Correction:
commercial / industrial / retail RENTAL gone up by >100% in past 6 years!
commercial / industrial / retail PRICES gone up by >100% in past 6 years!




Quote:
Originally Posted by teddybear
I went breadtalk bought bread, all breads went up by 10 cts to 20 cts! :doh:
They so concern about private property prices and rentals? But private property rentals only up <50% in past 10 years, but commercial / industrial / retail rental gone up by >300% in past 10 years! The prices also gone up by >100% in past 10 years! Wow! But strangely, we don't see cooling measures for commercial / industrial / retail properties & rentals!




Quote:
Originally Posted by [phantom_opera]

just now went to suntec food republic prices of Yong soon soy milk up 10c to 1.60 and other stalls prices up also

I can also say rental price of REIT unacceptable

if u go china their malls always empty also high price due to high land cost, never say anything also

teddybear is right..they are just double standard ??

teddybear
09-03-13, 23:11
Wow! I just saw MND said fair property price should be around 4 years of income of buyers! So, they are telling us that BTO HDB flats are all along over-priced? They have full control over what price to charge and they have been over-pricing all along without telling until now?! :banghead:

Let's take 4rm HDB BTO flats in non-mature estate:

Flat Type
New Flat Selling Price in 2012
Median Household Income of Applicants

4-room
$303,000
$4,100

Based on $4100 pm median income pm for 4 years => 4rm BTO flat should be priced at $196.8k to be considered fair price! BUT HDB selling at $303k! Over-priced by $106.2k or by more than 54%!
(actually, they should price at even 10% cheaper because the size has shrunk by 10% since the start of the property cycle that they are using to compare with!)

HDB flats seem to be priced many times my annual income. How can I afford one?

Posted on 01 Mar 2013 |


HDB offers a wide variety of flat types in both standard and premium designs in various areas across Singapore at different times of the year. You should be able to find a suitable flat priced within your means.
Some measures of housing affordability use the Home Price-Income ratio (HPI), where a figure of 6, for instance, would indicate that the property being purchased is priced at six times the buyer’s current annual income.
There is no international consensus on what figure signifies whether a property is affordable or not. In some leading international cities, such as Hong Kong or London, the HPI could be quite high, with some sources putting the HPI for Hong Kong in the double digits. In other countries, in areas away from centres of population or economic activity, the HPI could be lower.
In Singapore, HDB uses the Debt Servicing Ratio, or DSR as a more accurate indicator of actual housing affordability. The DSR refers to the proportion of the monthly household income set aside for housing instalments..
This measurement takes into account interest payments, which the HPI does not. It is calculated on an assumed 30 year loan, and the figure would rise if the loan tenure were shortened. Correspondingly, a working household may reasonably expect salary increases over time, and, assuming a fixed tenure period, the actual DSR in later years of repayment may fall.
HDB’s commitment to Singaporean households centres on the provision of new BTO flats. A typical first-time home buyer of a new flat in a non-mature estate used on average, less than a quarter of their monthly income (at the point of application) to pay for their housing loans. This means that most buyers are able to pay for their monthly instalments using CPF, with no or minimal cash outlay.
Table 1: DSR for New HDB Flats Offered in Non-Mature Estates in 2012

Flat Type
New Flat Selling Price in 2012
Median Household Income of Applicants
Eligible Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG)
Eligible Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG)
Nett Selling Price (Less Grants)
Monthly Instalment for Mortgage Loan
Monthly Instalment to Income Ratio
Instalment Payable
by Cash

2-room
$112,000
$1,500
$40,000
$20,000
$52,000
$164
11%
$0

3-room
$194,000
$2,500
$30,000
$0
$164,000
$579
23%
$4

4-room
$303,000
$4,100
$10,000
-
$293,000
$1,052
26%
$109

5-room
$384,000
$5,800
$0
-
$384,000
$1,384
24%
$50

Weighted Average
24%
http://www.hdbspeaks.sg/icons/ecblank.gif;pv55d2e5c4866eb850 Note:

1. Selling prices are based on new flats offered in 2012 in non-mature estates.

2. Median household income is based on first-timer applicants in 2012 in non-mature estates.

3. Monthly mortgage instalments based on concessionary interest rate of 2.6% over 30 years.

4. The Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG) are used to offset the 90% maximum loan where applicable, assuming that buyers have sufficient savings for the 10% downpayment.

5. The stamp, conveyancing and other fees payable to buy a flat are not included in the table above.


For example, a buyer, with a lower monthly income of $2,500 may opt for a smaller 3-room flat in a non-mature estate, to be financially prudence. This buyer will only need to come up with a very minimal cash outlay of $4 for the monthly instalments.
The DSR levels for new HDB flats is set well within the acceptable international affordability benchmarks of 30-35 percent. With generous and targeted grants for the lower income, the typical buyers of smaller 2- and 3-room flats can enjoy a lower DSR, some with zero cash outlay.
While HDB works to ensure that new BTO flats are priced within reach of most working Singaporean families, individual households also need to adopt a prudent approach, and look for flat options that are within their means, after taking into account their other financial commitments over the long term.

leesg123
09-03-13, 23:24
Median household income in 2012 is $7570 pm.
http://www.singstat.gov.sg/news/news/press20022013.pdf

Hence annual is $90840. 4 yrs would be $363360. BTO fairly priced.


Wow! I just saw MND said fair property price should be around 4 years of income of buyers! So, they are telling us that BTO HDB flats are all along over-priced? They have full control over what price to charge and they have been over-pricing all along without telling until now?! :banghead:

Let's take 4rm HDB BTO flats in non-mature estate:

Flat Type
New Flat Selling Price in 2012
Median Household Income of Applicants

4-room
$303,000
$4,100

Based on $4100 pm median income pm for 4 years => 4rm BTO flat should be priced at $196.8k to be considered fair price! BUT HDB selling at $303k! Over-priced by $106.2k or by more than 54%!
(actually, they should price at even 10% cheaper because the size has shrunk by 10% since the start of the property cycle that they are using to compare with!)

HDB flats seem to be priced many times my annual income. How can I afford one?

Posted on 01 Mar 2013 |


HDB offers a wide variety of flat types in both standard and premium designs in various areas across Singapore at different times of the year. You should be able to find a suitable flat priced within your means.
Some measures of housing affordability use the Home Price-Income ratio (HPI), where a figure of 6, for instance, would indicate that the property being purchased is priced at six times the buyer’s current annual income.
There is no international consensus on what figure signifies whether a property is affordable or not. In some leading international cities, such as Hong Kong or London, the HPI could be quite high, with some sources putting the HPI for Hong Kong in the double digits. In other countries, in areas away from centres of population or economic activity, the HPI could be lower.
In Singapore, HDB uses the Debt Servicing Ratio, or DSR as a more accurate indicator of actual housing affordability. The DSR refers to the proportion of the monthly household income set aside for housing instalments..
This measurement takes into account interest payments, which the HPI does not. It is calculated on an assumed 30 year loan, and the figure would rise if the loan tenure were shortened. Correspondingly, a working household may reasonably expect salary increases over time, and, assuming a fixed tenure period, the actual DSR in later years of repayment may fall.
HDB’s commitment to Singaporean households centres on the provision of new BTO flats. A typical first-time home buyer of a new flat in a non-mature estate used on average, less than a quarter of their monthly income (at the point of application) to pay for their housing loans. This means that most buyers are able to pay for their monthly instalments using CPF, with no or minimal cash outlay.
Table 1: DSR for New HDB Flats Offered in Non-Mature Estates in 2012

Flat Type
New Flat Selling Price in 2012
Median Household Income of Applicants
Eligible Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG)
Eligible Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG)
Nett Selling Price (Less Grants)
Monthly Instalment for Mortgage Loan
Monthly Instalment to Income Ratio
Instalment Payable
by Cash

2-room
$112,000
$1,500
$40,000
$20,000
$52,000
$164
11%
$0

3-room
$194,000
$2,500
$30,000
$0
$164,000
$579
23%
$4

4-room
$303,000
$4,100
$10,000
-
$293,000
$1,052
26%
$109

5-room
$384,000
$5,800
$0
-
$384,000
$1,384
24%
$50

Weighted Average
24%
http://www.hdbspeaks.sg/icons/ecblank.gif;pv55d2e5c4866eb850 Note:

1. Selling prices are based on new flats offered in 2012 in non-mature estates.

2. Median household income is based on first-timer applicants in 2012 in non-mature estates.

3. Monthly mortgage instalments based on concessionary interest rate of 2.6% over 30 years.

4. The Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) and Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG) are used to offset the 90% maximum loan where applicable, assuming that buyers have sufficient savings for the 10% downpayment.

5. The stamp, conveyancing and other fees payable to buy a flat are not included in the table above.


For example, a buyer, with a lower monthly income of $2,500 may opt for a smaller 3-room flat in a non-mature estate, to be financially prudence. This buyer will only need to come up with a very minimal cash outlay of $4 for the monthly instalments.
The DSR levels for new HDB flats is set well within the acceptable international affordability benchmarks of 30-35 percent. With generous and targeted grants for the lower income, the typical buyers of smaller 2- and 3-room flats can enjoy a lower DSR, some with zero cash outlay.
While HDB works to ensure that new BTO flats are priced within reach of most working Singaporean families, individual households also need to adopt a prudent approach, and look for flat options that are within their means, after taking into account their other financial commitments over the long term.

teddybear
09-03-13, 23:32
Really? I thought MND said 30% overpriced? You are MND? :p
But my calculation shows otherwise?!
and by the way, your calculation is flawed. If based on your way of calculation where you take the national median and not the median income of household who will buy & own the respective size HDB flats, then forever 5rm HDB flat is overpriced! :doh:
And obviously, their EC even more heavily over-priced! :rolleyes:


Median household income in 2012 is $7570 pm.
http://www.singstat.gov.sg/news/news/press20022013.pdf

Hence annual is $90840. 4 yrs would be $363360. BTO fairly priced.

may2012
11-03-13, 11:38
i also agree that gov shd do more CM for ind, comm, retail, sectors cos these can have a very direct impact on living costs.

could it be that they are mostly linked to GLC?

DKSG
11-03-13, 13:46
i also agree that gov shd do more CM for ind, comm, retail, sectors cos these can have a very direct impact on living costs.

could it be that they are mostly linked to GLC?

Comm, Retail, Industrial ... these are priced by the market. People can choose not to rent. But not for residential, they cannot choose to stay inside MRT or bus stops right ?

Thats why, more free market approach is used for these sectors.

If you artificially depress rentals, then our land will not be optimised.

Dont forget, cheaper land sold means less money for every Singaporean.

DKSG

august
11-03-13, 15:27
Comm, Retail, Industrial ... these are priced by the market. People can choose not to rent. But not for residential, they cannot choose to stay inside MRT or bus stops right ?

Thats why, more free market approach is used for these sectors.

If you artificially depress rentals, then our land will not be optimised.

Dont forget, cheaper land sold means less money for every Singaporean.

DKSG

wrong, the wealth is never evenly distributed to every sporean.

teddybear
11-03-13, 23:53
Who are those vested in retail, commercial, industrial, hotels, service apartments etc?

Capital Mall Trust
Capital Commercial Trust
Frasers
Ascendas
Mapletree
Keppel REITs
GLPs
SMRT
ComfortDelgro
Keppel Land
Capital Land
F&N
SPH
SPH REITs (coming sooonnnnnnnn!!)
......???.........

Which one of the above is not a GLC?



i also agree that gov shd do more CM for ind, comm, retail, sectors cos these can have a very direct impact on living costs.

could it be that they are mostly linked to GLC?

DKSG
12-03-13, 01:03
Who are those vested in retail, commercial, industrial, hotels, service apartments etc?

Capital Mall Trust
Capital Commercial Trust
Frasers
Ascendas
Mapletree
Keppel REITs
GLPs
SMRT
ComfortDelgro
Keppel Land
Capital Land
F&N
SPH
SPH REITs (coming sooonnnnnnnn!!)
......???.........

Which one of the above is not a GLC?

Thats why they wont disturb the commercial properties.
And it is rare that a commercial property is available to the public to buy. Imagine - if you can now buy a unit at Ion Orchard ? Wont people Q from Orchard to Second Link ?

DKSG

Leo.Cheng
12-03-13, 16:48
Thats why they wont disturb the commercial properties.
And it is rare that a commercial property is available to the public to buy. Imagine - if you can now buy a unit at Ion Orchard ? Wont people Q from Orchard to Second Link ?

DKSG

may i know commercial property got cooling measures or not har?

Thanks in advance.

dtrax
12-03-13, 17:46
BEIJING (REUTERS) - China's home price inflation may be steeper than official data suggest, with a near quadrupling of home sales in the capital last week after the government unveiled tax plans to curb speculation, a sign that investors have giant gains to lock in.

Pre-owned home sales in Beijing soared 280 per cent year-on-year in the week of March 2-8, according to local government data, and were up 141 per cent on the previous week.

The government announced on March 1 plans to introduce a 20 per cent capital gains tax and higher downpayments for second-time home buyers to dampen expectations of more price rises.

Analysts say the strong transaction data reinforces an emerging view that the government believes demand is running hotter than official measures of headline price rises imply and decided to rein them in.

teddybear
12-03-13, 21:54
HDB New Flat Prices to Fall by 30%?
By Mr. Propwise

New flat prices unlikely to fall by 30% on
an apples-to-apples basis
However, I believe such an outcome is very
unlikely to happen.
First, it is unclear what combination of
household income base and flat type Minister
Khaw is referring to. Even currently, most
households earning the median household
income can afford 4-room BTO flats in nonmature
estates. Over the last two years, there
has been a gradual de-linking of BTO prices
from the resale market by increasing
subsidies and keeping BTO prices stable
even as resale prices rise. Now almost all
HDB first-timers buy new flats instead of
resale flats, reflecting the current attractive
pricing of BTO flats, at least on a relative
basis.
Also, the characteristics of such cheaper flats
could be different from the current HDB flats.
They could be smaller, have shorter leases or
be located in less desirable estates. Thus it
would not be an apples-to-apples
comparison.
We should not forget that home ownership
has crossed 90% in Singapore, one of the
highest levels in the world. Policies that are
implemented will have to avoid negatively
impacting the majority of Singaporeans who
already own a home. Thus while drastic
policies such as reinstating a pre-1971 rule
that HDB flats can only be sold back to the
Housing Board have been suggested, I
believe that they are highly unlikely.
I also believe that it’s unlikely that we will see
new BTO launches of flats at prices that are
30% lower than those of recent neighboring
launches. Imagine the angry outcry from
those who had previously bought! The whole
point of these changes to the housing policy
is to placate angry Singaporeans, and not
piss off the “silent majority” who already own
property.

cbsh38584
12-03-13, 22:25
The members of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), the policy advisory committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), have selected Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Finance of Singapore, as Chairman of the Committee. Minister Tharman succeeds Dr. Youssef Boutros-Ghali, Egypt’s former Minister of Finance, who resigned on February 4, 2011. Minister Tharman has accepted the IMFC’s chairmanship for a term of up to three years.


Our minister is the IMFC chairmanship. He must have the hard information on the health of world the financial system. I believe he is seeing real big trouble ahead in 2-3 years time through IMFC. That why he is doing whatever it take to really cool down the property. Make sure S'porean do not exposure too much on property by rising the ABSD 10% for 2nd property as well as paying 40-60% cash as down payment.More CM to come if S'porean are still not aware of the risk. Cash maybe king is due time.


Pls really analysis deeply b4 you invest into property as a investment. Dont follow the herd if U are not cash rich. Put your cash into your children education & make sure your family insurance are fully cover for unforseen health crisis.


rdgs,
Vic

teddybear
12-03-13, 22:35
Don't think the appointment has anything to do with being able to read tea leaves. Don't think anybody has the ability to do so, and economists are the worst to say the least.

However, having said that, based on the facts that the big 4 Currencies are engaged in QEs and competitive and comparative depreciation of their currencies against each other, I am sure that CASH value is going to drop like stone in the next 5-10 years! If you hold cash from now for that long, it could be worth less than half to even a third of what it is worth now (in terms of purchasing power)! :banghead:


The members of the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), the policy advisory committee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), have selected Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Finance of Singapore, as Chairman of the Committee. Minister Tharman succeeds Dr. Youssef Boutros-Ghali, Egypt’s former Minister of Finance, who resigned on February 4, 2011. Minister Tharman has accepted the IMFC’s chairmanship for a term of up to three years.


Our minister is the IMFC chairmanship. He must have the hard information on the health of world the financial system. I believe he is seeing real big trouble ahead in 2-3 years time through IMFC. That why he is doing whatever it take to really cool down the property. Make sure S'porean do not exposure too much on property by rising the ABSD 10% for 2nd property as well as paying 40-60% cash as down payment.More CM to come if S'porean are still not aware of the risk. Cash maybe king is due time.


Pls really analysis deeply b4 you invest into property as a investment. Dont follow the herd if U are not cash rich. Put your cash into your children education & make sure your family insurance are fully cover for unforseen health crisis.


rdgs,
Vic

teddybear
26-03-13, 22:31
I think this is a joke! Banks on brinks of failing, and the fault has been blamed on the depositors?! It seems that the banks are speculating with depositors money, over-leveraged, suffered from failed Greece bonds investment etc which has been sliced by the same people who now say depositors need to shoulder the responsibility for the banks failing! :doh:



Business News http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/icon_minus.gif (http://forums.condosingapore.com/) http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/icon_plus.gif (http://forums.condosingapore.com/) http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/shim.gif Eurogroup chief faces heavy flak over Cyprus deal
Posted: 26 March 2013 2200 hrs
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/components/display_image.php?id=525209 (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/components/display_image.php?id=525209) Click to enlarge (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/components/display_image.php?id=525209) Photos 1 of 1 http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/dotline_240.gif
The head of the Eurozone finance ministers Jeroen Dijsselbloem (AFP/ANP/File/Evert-Jan Daniels)
Related News http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/shim.gif • Cyprus leader defends bailout (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world_business/view/1262336/1/.html) • Cyprus bailout stems turmoil with bank sector reform (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world_business/view/1262237/1/.html) • Cyprus sacrifices top banks to resurrect EU bailout (http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world_business/view/1262182/1/.html) http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/shim.gif

BRUSSELS: Two months into the job as head of Eurozone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem's handling of the Cyprus bailout and his suggestion it might apply elsewhere have sparked sharp questions over the Dutchman's readiness for the post.

The 43-year-old Dijsselbloem was on the rack Tuesday after controversial decisions to wind up Laiki (Popular Bank) and to hit large depositors at Bank of Cyprus with hefty losses in a re-negotiated rescue deal reached early Monday.

In interviews afterwards, Dijsselbloem suggested that the Cyprus approach, with its "bail-in" provision for depositors above 100,000 euros (Us$129,000), could be used again to avoid having taxpayers carry the burden, as they have done up now in the three-year old crisis.

"Taking away the risk from the financial sector and taking it on to the public shoulders is not the right approach," Dijsselbloem said.

"If we want to have a healthy, sound financial sector, the only way is to say: 'Look, there where you take the risks, you must deal with them, and if you can't deal with them you shouldn't have taken them on and the consequence might be that it is end of story."

That final comment sent global markets into a tailspin. Currency analysts Moneycorp labelled Dijsselbloem "a loose cannon" responsible for 13 billion euros being wiped off the value of Eurozone financial companies in a day.

While his office testily rejected suggestions that he was suggesting any "template" for possible new bailouts, the damage was done.

Veteran predecessor and Luxembourg Premier Jean-Claude Juncker had already criticised what he said was a botched initial attempt to impose a levy on all Cyprus bank deposits, including those below 100,000 euros, which are supposed to be protected under EU law.

And on Monday, a senior EU adviser, echoing the thoughts of many, said Dijsselbloem's interview slip was a "communication error ... but what an error it was."

Financial analysts were equally unforgiving.

ING credit strategist Jeroen van den Broek said the Eurogroup chairman must show that he understands "the full weight, meaning and context of the words 'bail-in, resolution framework, subordinated, senior, covered bond, hybrid capital, secured, unsecured ... and even deposit'."

Erik Nielsen, chief economist with UniCredit Research, highlighted what he saw as "hypocrisy" just weeks after the Dutch government nationalised SNS Reaal, "saving its depositors and others at the expense of Dutch pensioners and other taxpayers."

Dijsselbloem stood his ground Tuesday, telling Dutch newspaper Volkskrant the fresh euro-crisis uncertainty was whipped up by "journalists, politicians and opinion makers."

He told the daily that Juncker apologised after calling the idea of taxing all savings a "deficient" decision, basically "because I wasn't there."

It was "intended as a joke," said Dijsselbloem.

"I don't feel damaged - on the contrary, it has strengthened me," he added.

The finance minister, meanwhile, was not entirely without support.

Sharon Bowles, who chairs the European Parliament's economics committee, had been critical of him over a first Cyprus bailout, agreed March 16.

But Bowles told AFP on Tuesday it was mischievous to attribute the market wipe-out entirely to his remarks.

Dijsselbloem had "behaved honourably and competently" by "not sneaking round the (deposit) guarantee" during their meetings, she said.

"He took it on the chin, as he did so in a fairly robust private session we had," she said.

"The fact is, bank resolution has now entered the sovereign bailout toolbox - that tool is being used, sharpened, and we will see it again," Bowles said.

"Yes, (Dijsselbloem) needs more ringcraft - but I give him points for being honest ... I think, in the end, he'll get there."

-AFP/fl

teddybear
26-03-13, 22:33
I think this is a joke! Banks on brinks of failing, and the fault has been blamed on the depositors?! It seems that the banks are speculating with depositors money, over-leveraged, suffered from failed Greece bonds investment etc which has been sliced by the same people who now say depositors need to shoulder the responsibility for the banks failing! :doh:



Business News
Eurogroup chief faces heavy flak over Cyprus deal
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/images/dotline_240.gif
The head of the Eurozone finance ministers Jeroen Dijsselbloem (AFP/ANP/File/Evert-Jan Daniels)

BRUSSELS: Two months into the job as head of Eurozone finance ministers, Jeroen Dijsselbloem's handling of the Cyprus bailout and his suggestion it might apply elsewhere have sparked sharp questions over the Dutchman's readiness for the post.

The 43-year-old Dijsselbloem was on the rack Tuesday after controversial decisions to wind up Laiki (Popular Bank) and to hit large depositors at Bank of Cyprus with hefty losses in a re-negotiated rescue deal reached early Monday.

In interviews afterwards, Dijsselbloem suggested that the Cyprus approach, with its "bail-in" provision for depositors above 100,000 euros (Us$129,000), could be used again to avoid having taxpayers carry the burden, as they have done up now in the three-year old crisis.

"Taking away the risk from the financial sector and taking it on to the public shoulders is not the right approach," Dijsselbloem said.

"If we want to have a healthy, sound financial sector, the only way is to say: 'Look, there where you take the risks, you must deal with them, and if you can't deal with them you shouldn't have taken them on and the consequence might be that it is end of story."

That final comment sent global markets into a tailspin. Currency analysts Moneycorp labelled Dijsselbloem "a loose cannon" responsible for 13 billion euros being wiped off the value of Eurozone financial companies in a day.

While his office testily rejected suggestions that he was suggesting any "template" for possible new bailouts, the damage was done.

Veteran predecessor and Luxembourg Premier Jean-Claude Juncker had already criticised what he said was a botched initial attempt to impose a levy on all Cyprus bank deposits, including those below 100,000 euros, which are supposed to be protected under EU law.

And on Monday, a senior EU adviser, echoing the thoughts of many, said Dijsselbloem's interview slip was a "communication error ... but what an error it was."

Financial analysts were equally unforgiving.

ING credit strategist Jeroen van den Broek said the Eurogroup chairman must show that he understands "the full weight, meaning and context of the words 'bail-in, resolution framework, subordinated, senior, covered bond, hybrid capital, secured, unsecured ... and even deposit'."

Erik Nielsen, chief economist with UniCredit Research, highlighted what he saw as "hypocrisy" just weeks after the Dutch government nationalised SNS Reaal, "saving its depositors and others at the expense of Dutch pensioners and other taxpayers."

Dijsselbloem stood his ground Tuesday, telling Dutch newspaper Volkskrant the fresh euro-crisis uncertainty was whipped up by "journalists, politicians and opinion makers."

He told the daily that Juncker apologised after calling the idea of taxing all savings a "deficient" decision, basically "because I wasn't there."

It was "intended as a joke," said Dijsselbloem.

"I don't feel damaged - on the contrary, it has strengthened me," he added.

The finance minister, meanwhile, was not entirely without support.

Sharon Bowles, who chairs the European Parliament's economics committee, had been critical of him over a first Cyprus bailout, agreed March 16.

But Bowles told AFP on Tuesday it was mischievous to attribute the market wipe-out entirely to his remarks.

Dijsselbloem had "behaved honourably and competently" by "not sneaking round the (deposit) guarantee" during their meetings, she said.

"He took it on the chin, as he did so in a fairly robust private session we had," she said.

"The fact is, bank resolution has now entered the sovereign bailout toolbox - that tool is being used, sharpened, and we will see it again," Bowles said.

"Yes, (Dijsselbloem) needs more ringcraft - but I give him points for being honest ... I think, in the end, he'll get there."

-AFP/fl

DKSG
26-03-13, 22:47
When money is no longer safe in the National Bank, the only way is for the rich to uproot themselves and move elsewhere.

Guess where ?

DKSG

thomastansb
27-03-13, 10:20
When a country and its banks get downgraded to almost junk status, people should be sensible enough to move all their money out from the country. Or at least 90% of their money.

But they deserve it. They keep borrowing and spend like no tomorrow. Serve them right. I remember when I was working in Europe about 7 years back, people were praising the European system for high salary, high pension, early retirement, unemployment benefits, free healthcare, free schooling etc. Now the can of worms is opened. :D

phantom_opera
27-03-13, 10:27
When money is no longer safe in the National Bank, the only way is for the rich to uproot themselves and move elsewhere.

Guess where ?

DKSG

not just Asia, plenty of choice like Nordic countries, but most likely not in cash but hard assets

Sweden property price

http://www.thebubblebubble.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/185_graph2.jpg

Norway

http://www.stock-market-crash.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/NorwayHousing.png

we must send our BTO lemmings to Europe to experience high housing prices then they learn to shut up

eng81157
27-03-13, 14:34
When a country and its banks get downgraded to almost junk status, people should be sensible enough to move all their money out from the country. Or at least 90% of their money.

But they deserve it. They keep borrowing and spend like no tomorrow. Serve them right. I remember when I was working in Europe about 7 years back, people were praising the European system for high salary, high pension, early retirement, unemployment benefits, free healthcare, free schooling etc. Now the can of worms is opened. :D

the EU bloc is geared towards having its member states enjoy economic growth but leaves no exit plan if things turn bad. if cyprus wasn't part of EU, she could have done an argentina easily

teddybear
15-04-13, 21:38
Repost below here for archive... :p

---------------
Back to the case about why rich men and high-income earners are getting better deal with below policies:
1) Income tax and corporate tax reduced from 25% to 20%
2) Estate duties abolished
3) GST implemented to make up for the short-falls due to (1) & (2).

Now, assuming a high-income earners (or businessmen) earning $10m a year.

Because of (1) above, he saved $500k a year in income taxes.

Because of (2), his wealth will not be taxed when he passed on to his children (contrary to what our minister saying that the way forward is to tax wealth, and yet the removed the very grandfather scheme, i.e. estate duty, that really tax wealth! So, isn't time for them to bring back the same old estate duty?! :tsk-tsk:).

Now, people will say, rich people pay more GSTs wah. Well, they earn $10m a year, but there is a limit to what they can consume. So, most likely they only spend $1m a year on family expenses (say they do so before GST of 7% implemented), and after 7% GST they pay GST of $70k.

Wow, because of (1) & (3), they have a net savings of $430k in taxes!
Oh my, I have not even mentioned that they will not even spend all $1m in Singapore, so the GST they pay is even less!

----------------------------
Next, we compare to the poor middle-income earner, say earning $100k a year.

Because of (1), they probably save 1% in tax or $1k a year.

They don't benefit from (2).

Now, with 7% GST, how much they pay in taxes for GST? Most middle income earners spent most of their money on living, most likely about $70k a year on their family expenses (say before GST implemented). After GST implemented, they will need to pay GST taxes of $4900 a year.

Wow! The poor middle income earners are now slapped with additional taxes of $3900 a year!

So, as we see, over the past few years, the tax changes actually favoured the rich and made them save more taxes vs the poor middle income earners who are made to pay more taxes!
Is these tax changes progressive? :scared-1:
What is "progressive"? Is "progressive" good? :p

Quote:
Originally Posted by teddybear
I'm 100% disagree with you!

Your view is superficial and you have overlooked the costs incurred due to gst.

Though gst registered business can claim back gst, however, they still need to set up a system to administer this. A whole replacement of new system as opposed to status quote. In addition, they need to hire more stuffs to administer n do papers to track n claim. All these additional costs are real and they are going to pass down to consumer!

Imagine the whole supply chain! The accumulated costs are significant!

Some company has voluntarily GST registered, you thought they will not keep that 7% gst and treated it as additional admin cost incurred?

In conclusion, The nett effect of GST or consumption tax does add pressure to inflation once it was implenemted.

Also, the collection of GST is NOT a trade off for other taxes such as property tax, income tax etc etc etc. Regardless of what types of taxes or gst, all texas are to increase business costs and hence inflation.

Just to throw you some figure for all to see:
Rich Man earned 10M a year.
Based on previous income tax of 25%, he needs to pay about 2.5M
Tax reduced to 20%, he just needs to pay about 2M. In order to pay 500k gst so that his total taxes are the same as 2.5M, he needs to consume at least 7M of goods or services in Singapore! You think this is possible. The Richmen are more likely to spend their monies oversea. You just save 500k for them to spend more oversea!

Gst benifts Richmen more than majority upper middle income! In Singapore, middle income and upper middle income are being squeezed:scared-2:





The government introduced GST rebates for the poor. The nett effect was that the poor was not quite affected by the introduction of GST during the introduction stage.

GST registered businesses are not affected by GST as it is a consumption tax. The collection of GST is a trade off for other taxes such as property tax, income tax etc etc etc. Such taxes are more likely to increase business costs and hence inflation.

The nett effect of GST or consumption tax does not add pressure to inflation once it is implenemted and passed that stage.

teddybear
15-04-13, 21:44
Repost below here for archive... :p

---------------

I can also google, but can't find anybody to support what you said! Seems like what you said is your person opinion? Who would believe your personal opinion which you said as though they are time-and-trusted economic theory? Are you some famous economists whose economic theory has been time-and-implementation tested? Many economists, even Nobel Prize winners, their economic theories are not even time-and-implementation tested, not to say you?

And the LTCM saga, they are the worlds' brightest economists andNobel Prize winners in economics. What happened with their own LTCM? Bankrupt! Their economic theories which garnered them Nobel Prize have been proven to be rubbish by the real market!



The answers you are looking for can be found if you google.

I will not response if people are not here wanting to learn but to disagree for the sake of disagreeing.




teddybear
Which economist say that government can effectively take back the money after they have printed, circulated and flooded the markets a lot of cheap monies! Which famous economist says that printing cheap monies will not cause inflation? US dont worry about inflation but they worry about deflation. That's why keep PRINTING money.

At least, I know developers, housing agents, those vested investors are Correct since 2009 !!
Wow, they r right >4 yrs n r still counting!

teddybear
15-04-13, 21:49
Repost below here for archive & for the benefits of all who bother to check the difference and know the difference, that Singapore 7% GST is much more than the 20% VAT in UK for most of the middle-income families!!! :doh:
Of course lah, even if VAT increases to 40%, the impact on inflation of middle-income families in UK is still so much negligible compared to Singapore raising GST by even 1% !!! :scared-1:




You are NOT a good researcher at all. First and foremost, before you even buy in the whole concept and idea, please check what is their VAT components n basis in the article. Your understand is flawed and better appreciate me as a good teacher to educate you and pointing out your mistake.

First of all, Singapore GST didnt have any exemption for all necessities which constitue majority of the costs if not all. People in western world can avoid the luxury items if they don't have any money or poor. However, all those neccessities items like healthcare, medication, basic foods and clothing and children goods are all exempted from VAT. Of course, the inflation due to vat is insignificant to them if they don't buy luxury items.


However, there is not exemption to all these basic neccessities such as children foods, healthcare, medication, basic foods and clothing in Singapore. Also, your article is very the old la with data from 40 years ago for same. At that time, all the items are very low and a fraction of it would be low too. Please ask IMF to conduct a new reaserch now for Singapore.:D




For the benifit of other foruners who want to learn.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Leeds
April 16, 2005

An oft-voiced concern in countries introducing value-added tax is that the introduction of the tax would set in motion a spiral in which tax, prices and wages would feed on each other -- that is, VAT would be inflationary.
If the inflationary impact is taken to mean a sustained increase in the rate of inflation then the concern would be conceptually misguided. The introduction of VAT, or any tax for that matter, can never, by itself, lead to a sustained increase in the rate of change in the price level.
Such a change in the inflation rate can only be produced by an expansionary monetary policy under all circumstances. If, however, the term is interpreted as an increase in the price level (or a one-period increase in the inflation rate), then whether VAT is inflationary in this sense would depend on a number of factors.

The Crisis Over VAT: Complete Coverage (http://in.rediff.com/money/vat.htm)
Consider, some examples of VAT in other countries. After VAT was first introduced, a survey was conducted by Alan S Tait on its impact in several countries on the basis of International Monetary Fund data, which shows that VAT is never introduced in isolation.
There are a number of variables influencing price change, and therefore, it is difficult to empirically assess the effect of VAT on prices. The impact of VAT on prices, therefore, cannot be strictly segregated from the general trend in inflation. First, the taxes that have been replaced are also relevant. They could be a wholesale sales tax of the cascading type, a simpler VAT, a multistage ring system, a cascade production tax and so on.
Second, the design to yield equal or higher revenue also makes a difference.
Third, other concurrent changes such as rise in oil or steel prices in international and internal markets, increase in utility rates, changes in wage levels, administrative changes such as tighter monetary policy, price control, monitoring of prices and so on, make due impact on the price rise.
According to the survey, in 22 countries, no major impact on the consumer price index was identified.
In another eight, the introduction of VAT was associated with a highly defined once and for all shift in the consumer price index; only in one of these cases it could be said to have accelerated the rate of increase of the consumer price index.
In seven other cases, although the shift was permanent there was no acceleration in the rate of change in prices attributable to VAT.
Therefore, in 29 cases (22 plus seven) -- 83 per cent of the total sample -- the introduction of VAT did not alter the rate of price change.
Price control measures can be used effectively to dampen the potential price-wage acceleration of inflation after the introduction of VAT -- some good examples are Austria, France, Korea, Norway and the Netherlands.
Perhaps the most important conclusion of the survey is that there seems to be nothing inherently inflationary about the use of VAT. In 33 out of 41 cases reviewed -- over 80 per cent -- (the "shift" cases and the "little or no effect" cases), VAT was not a contributory factor to inflation.
There is another empirical study on the Netherlands on the issue of price rise. The Central Planning Bureau in the Netherlands calculated the price effect of VAT from 1969 to 1980.
While VAT was introduced in the country in 1970, the study goes up to 1980 and the trend in price rise due to VAT can clearly be seen as insignificant, or none at all.
In Indonesia, there were widespread apprehensions of substantial price rise before VAT was introduced in April 1985. However, in practice nothing like that happened.
In fact, price indexes for consumer products fell slightly in the first week after adoption of VAT, and domestic inflation for the subsequent year was well below that for the previous year.
It is evident from the discussion that inflation had not surfaced in the countries under the study, which cover a cross section of countries from the world over, because of VAT alone.
There may be a minor one-shot increase or once and for all impact to begin with under certain circumstances due to replacing other taxes and consequent adjustments by the traders and also because the overall number of tax payers would increase, but the crucial question is whether this one time increase would lead to further price escalation.
There would be offsetting price effects because of the elimination of the cascading tax. The media has reported that some sellers of consumer durable goods have said that the 12.5 per cent rate is higher than the previous one.
They are suppressing the fact that now the manufacturers shall be getting input credit for the sales tax paid on the raw materials and machinery.
Moreover, 4 per cent is lower than most of the existing rates. So the overall VAT rate will prove to be the same as the effective rate prevailing before.
The net price effect of VAT would be nil. If the VAT is an equal-yield tax, and that is how it has been designed to be in India, there would not be any effect on the overall price change, although there may be changes in relative prices.
The tax being revenue neutral, the aggregate demand is unchanged and so there would be no impact on the aggregate price level. There is unanimity among the economists all over the world that there seems to be nothing inherently inflationary about the use of VAT.
Thus, this brings us to another aspect related to VAT administration, that is, the potentially inflationary effect can be constrained by government policies to inform the public and traders about the expected effect of VAT on prices, the use of price controls, monitoring of prices, offsetting adjustment in other taxes and generous provisions to ensure full credit for previously paid taxes on inputs.
One can criticise VAT for other reasons, but it cannot be called inflationary.
Powered by http://im.rediff.com/money/pix/bs.jpg (http://www.business-standard.com/)

teddybear
10-05-13, 20:39
Nothing to do with property, but don't know where to post, so post here.

Road rage jailed for 1 month!

Wait a minute, wasn't there another road rage case that the man only get fined? Why so much difference hah? Anybody knows what are the differences in these 2 cases so much so that 1 get only fine and while another (in below case) get 1 month jail (so big difference)?



Businessman appealing against one month's jail sentence for road rage



By Elena Chong
The Straits Times
Friday, May 10, 2013
SINGAPORE - Edwin Jaykumar Samuel, 38, a businessman, punched a technician in a road rage case and was sentenced to one month's jail on Friday.

proud owner
11-05-13, 23:34
Nothing to do with property, but don't know where to post, so post here.

Road rage jailed for 1 month!

Wait a minute, wasn't there another road rage case that the man only get fined? Why so much difference hah? Anybody knows what are the differences in these 2 cases so much so that 1 get only fine and while another (in below case) get 1 month jail (so big difference)?



Businessman appealing against one month's jail sentence for road rage



By Elena Chong
The Straits Times
Friday, May 10, 2013
SINGAPORE - Edwin Jaykumar Samuel, 38, a businessman, punched a technician in a road rage case and was sentenced to one month's jail on Friday.

same for road accident ...

man knocked down pedestrian ... stopped to help and sent him to hospital..but died along the way .. he was jailed .. lost his job etc ..

NUS girl knocked down pedestrian ... drove off .. told her Mom abt it and asked her mom to report to police and lied that mom was the driver ..
Her father found out .. they went back to accident area .. man already died ..

guess what ..she was let off ..with a warning

teddybear
24-05-13, 00:18
MyPaper (May 2013) - 住八楼以上早死风险少22% :eek:

minority
25-05-13, 00:53
Repost below here for archive... :p

---------------
Back to the case about why rich men and high-income earners are getting better deal with below policies:
1) Income tax and corporate tax reduced from 25% to 20%
2) Estate duties abolished
3) GST implemented to make up for the short-falls due to (1) & (2).




as usual crap again... give us a break. from the bs.

teddybear
25-05-13, 12:35
Please tell us your opinion about below facts:


"Repost below here for archive & for the benefits of all who bother to check the difference and know the difference, that Singapore 7% GST is much more than the 20% VAT in UK for most of the middle-income families!!! :doh:
Of course lah, even if VAT increases to 40%, the impact on inflation of middle-income families in UK is still so much negligible compared to Singapore raising GST by even 1% !!! :scared-1:"



as usual crap again... give us a break. from the bs.

teddybear
25-05-13, 12:38
You are right to point out that I made a mistake, so I corrected it as below:

Back to the case about why rich men and high-income earners are getting better deal with below policies:
1) Top-tier Income tax reduced from 33% to 20% and corporate tax reduced from 30% to 17%
2) Estate duties abolished
3) GST implemented from 0% to 7% to make up for the short-falls due to (1) & (2).




as usual crap again... give us a break. from the bs.
Originally Posted by teddybear
Repost below here for archive... :p

---------------
Back to the case about why rich men and high-income earners are getting better deal with below policies:
1) Income tax and corporate tax reduced from 25% to 20%
2) Estate duties abolished
3) GST implemented to make up for the short-falls due to (1) & (2).

teddybear
09-06-13, 23:44
Published June 08, 2013
The 'one per cent problem' - fact, not hype
By vikram khanna (http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/reporter/vikram-khanna)








NOT AN EMPTY SLOGAN
The 'We are the 99 per cent' slogan of the Occupy Wall Street movement was not an empty one, nor was it as hyperbolic as it sounds. - PHOTO: AP







Singapore
THE catchy slogan "We are the 99 per cent" adopted by the Occupy Wall Street movement that sprouted after the global financial crisis to protest against economic unfairness was not an empty one. Nor indeed was it as hyperbolic as it sounds. Recent economic research confirms that many countries have what the Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz describes as the "one per cent problem".
Consider these statistics culled from his new book The Price of Inequality:
Over the last three decades, the top one per cent of wage earners in the United States have enjoyed wage increases of about 250 per cent. The bottom 90 per cent have seen wage growth of only around 15 per cent (The top 0.1 per cent did the best of all, enjoying more than 300 per cent increases).
From 2002-07 - the boom years that preceded the global financial crisis - the top one per cent of income earners seized more than 65 per cent of the gain in total national income.
The top one per cent earned 93 per cent of the additional income created in the US in 2010 (compared to 2009) - which suggests that inequality has, if anything, worsened after the global financial crisis.
The wealthiest one per cent have 225 times the wealth of the average American, almost double the proportion in 1983.While these numbers apply to the United States, similar trends have been found for some other countries, including Singapore.

teddybear
10-06-13, 23:20
Wah! $1,500 per month rent for a semi-D! So cheap! Landed property rentals are so cheap?! :banghead:


Family skips on rent, turns violent and resist arrest
Police were called in after a family of four refused to pay 2 months rent and barred their landlord and police from entering the rental house. -AsiaOne

Fri, Jun 07, 2013
AsiaOne


SINGAPORE - A woman who refused to pay up two months of rent ended up in a stand-off with police officers on Thursday afternoon, resulting in the arrest of her three children who had behaved violently towards them.


The incident at a Paya Lebar Crescent semi-detached bungalow began at about 4pm.


According to Shin Min Daily Evening News, the landlord, identified as Madam Qiu, 55, called the police after her tenants, a single mother who is unemployed, and her three teenage children, 2 boys aged 17 and 12, and a girl, aged 16, after they failed to pay their arrears.
They also refused to move out, despite Madam Qiu's request for them to do so. She eventually called the police, but the family locked themselves inside the house.
At 5.10pm, the Singapore Civil Defence (SCDF) received a call to break open the entrance to the house. Nine police officers were seen entering the house with protective shields.
A teenage girl became agitated upon seeing the officers. As she screamed at them, she struck and kicked at the police shields. A female police officer managed to subdue her after a brief struggle.
The two boys also resisted arrest. The older boy put up a violent struggle, but six police officers managed to subdue him. Both boys were handcuffed and taken to the police station.
The mother, who did not put up resistance, was not arrested. But she was seen running after her children as they were led to a waiting police car. She was heard screaming: "Don't take away my children!"
According to the Chinese evening daily, this is the not the first time the family had a stand-off.



Handcuffed
When queried by the media, the police said the teens, including the 12-year-old boy, were handcuffed to ensure their security and that of the officers at the scene.
The two boys had refused to cooperate with the police when asked to go to the police station for questioning.
They had behaved in a threatening manner towards the officers, said the police.
The girl was arrested because she had verbally abused and attacked police officers during the stand-off.

Tenants did not pay rent
According to Madam Qiu, the family of four had not paid rent amounting to $3,000 for the past two months.
She had previously cut off water and electricity supplies to the house twice in a bid to get them to move out. She resorted to doing this again yesterday morning, but the family still refused to budge.
Before this incident, they had paid rent for January and February, together with a deposit.
Madam Qiu told Shin Min that the police had to force their way into the house as her tenants locked themselves in and refused entry to her.
The older brother had also threatened Madam Qiu on May 22, when she went to take measurements of the family's water usage. She made a police report for that too.
When Shin Min interviewed the older brother, he said the family decided to discontinue paying rent as they believed that Madam Qiu was not the rightful owner of the property.
He added that the family had paid two months of rent plus a deposit equivalent to a month's rent.
This amounted to $4,500.
He said: "We asked to see (Madam Qiu's) title deed to prove she was the owner of the house, but she refused. So we decided not to pay her rent for April and May."
To refute his claim, Madam Qiu showed Shin Min's reporter documents to prove she is indeed the owner.


Not the first time
This is the not first time the family is in the news for not paying rent.
According to a Shin Min report in November 2011, the same family had rented a semi-detached house in Siglap for $2,600 a month. But they stopped paying rent after 2 months and owed $31,200 in arrears.
In that incident, they also refused to allow houseowner to enter the premises, resulting in a 6-hour stand-off.

star
10-06-13, 23:49
Newspapers should publish her photo. It will serve as a warning to all landlords.

kane
11-06-13, 02:54
See title deed? If mortgage with bank how to see? This tenant trying to be funny. Go INLIS system can see straightaway who's the owner. Unless they disclose the identity of this tenant, the moral is don't rent your property to a single mum with 3 teenage kids.

ysyap
11-06-13, 05:59
For the kids to be violent and aggressive towards police officer is evident of a lack of proper parental guidance because of their apparent disrespect for the authorities.

For the arrears to accumulate to S$31.2k @ S$2.6k/mth, that earlier landlord had been putting up with them for an entire year. Wah... very patient and trusting man...

felicia_sg
11-06-13, 22:09
Moral of the story? If the tenant is late in payment by even 1 week, chase them.
If late by 1 month, can start process to chase them out! :hell-hath-no-fury:


For the kids to be violent and aggressive towards police officer is evident of a lack of proper parental guidance because of their apparent disrespect for the authorities.

For the arrears to accumulate to S$31.2k @ S$2.6k/mth, that earlier landlord had been putting up with them for an entire year. Wah... very patient and trusting man...

ysyap
11-06-13, 22:15
Moral of the story? If the tenant is late in payment by even 1 week, chase them.
If late by 1 month, can start process to chase them out! :hell-hath-no-fury:I would even wait for 1 wk. After 3 days late without prior notification, I'll already start chasing. Some tenants, if they know you are Mr/Ms nice guy/gal, will makan you to the core, cooking up different reasons to delay payment, etc. If you are v strict, they might be more on task in payment and meeting deadlines. I have one tenant who begged for payment to be made at the end of the month instead of beginning of the month and has thought that after so long, the norm is end of the month payment... :doh: Good thing I still remember! :tongue3:

Rosy
11-06-13, 22:59
Moral of the story? If the tenant is late in payment by even 1 week, chase them.
If late by 1 month, can start process to chase them out! :hell-hath-no-fury:

Send a reminder via sms and email when payment is late by 3days.

And I will start giving them 1month notice of repossession once they are late for more than 7days.

teddybear
18-06-13, 21:52
Take a peek at the NEA PSI data and saw the following (see pic).
Not surprised to see that Central has the lowest PSI & PM2.5 readings!

The North (Woodlands, Sembawang, ...) and South are the mostly badly hit (Marina Bays, HarbourFront, Telok Blangah, Pasir Panjang, ...)

teddybear
20-06-13, 08:43
Checking the PSI data again this morning 20 Jun 2013 (see attached pic)..................
Not surprised to see that Central still has the lowest PSI & PM2.5 readings (and by a margin of 15-20+%!) while the South, North & West have the worst readings!
The air has been cleansed by people living in those areas... :eek:



Take a peek at the NEA PSI data and saw the following (see pic).
Not surprised to see that Central has the lowest PSI & PM2.5 readings!

The North (Woodlands, Sembawang, ...) and South are the mostly badly hit (Marina Bays, HarbourFront, Telok Blangah, Pasir Panjang, ...)

teddybear
29-06-13, 00:59
Wow! They didn't read CondoSingapore somebody here said got cheap chicken rice at $1.50 per plate! What different to find cheap hawker food? He telling lie or this somebody here telling lie? :p


Tougher to find cheap hawker food



Chong Yee Lim | My Paper | Thu Apr 18 2013



The likelihood of being charged more for five common dishes has gone up at hawker centres and coffee shops here.
Singapore, April 18, 2013
SINGAPORE -Bad news for people who like to eat out: The likelihood of being charged more for five common dishes has gone up at hawker centres and coffee shops here.
For instance, 54.4 per cent of vendors sold plain roti prata last year at or below the most popular price of 80 cents, down from 88 per cent in 2011.
This was the biggest shift in the number of vendors selling pricier dishes, based on the results of a survey released by the Consumers Association of Singapore yesterday.
The survey, which polled 541 stalls in December last year, focused on five dishes: Chicken nasi briyani, non-halal chicken rice, fishball noodles, plain roti prata, and mixed-vegetable rice with two selections of vegetables and one selection of meat.
Despite more hawkers offering pricier dishes, the most popular prices - or mode prices - for three dishes remained the same last year from 2011. Chicken nasi briyani was still $4.50, non-halal chicken rice was $2.50 and plain roti prata was 80 cents.
But fishball noodles' most popular price was $3, up from $2.50, and mixed-vegetable rice costs $2.90, up from $2.50.
DBS economist Irvin Seah attributed the price increases to rising costs of rentals faced by wholesalers, ingredients and labour.
"Labour costs have been rising because of the tight domestic labour market," he said.
He said that the Singapore Rental Index has been "rising across various segments of the property market, compared to previous years". This meant wholesalers, who provide food ingredients to hawkers, had to pay more for rental, and these costs were passed down to the hawkers.
Mr Victor Thya, the secretary of the Marine Parade Merchants' Association which represents more than 50 hawker stalls, said that stall-rental costs have remained stable. So, one reason for hawkers raising prices is the wholesalers' rising expenses, he said.
Mr Thya, 47, who runs three stalls at a Marine Parade Central hawker centre, said the cost of transporting watermelons from wholesalers has gone up.
So, he has to pay wholesalers $1.30 per kilogram of watermelons delivered now, instead of 90 cents last year.
"We do our best to keep our prices the same as before, despite the rise in costs. However, we are not sure how long we can keep this up," he said.
[email protected]

teddybear
29-06-13, 01:04
Jurong West condo, The Centris, residents irked by serial vandal

http://ride.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_image/public/original_images/Jun2013/vandal600_0.jpg


AsiaOne | Friday, Jun 28, 2013
SINGAPORE - Residents of a Jurong West condominium are irked by a serial vandal who have struck repeatedly for more than a year.
Numerous residents have had their car tyres punctured by screws. They initially thought that the punctures came from driving on roads, but the repeated punctures and similar fates suffered by their neighbours raised their suspicions.
According to a resident, more than 40 residents of The Centris condominium have had their cars vandalised in the condo's private carpark, which is accessible by members of the public.
Most of the incidents involve screws being driven into the tyres of their vehicles. Other incidents include car headlights being smashed, scratches on the body work and glue on car bonnets.
The resident said that although the building's management have installed more closed-circuit television cameras, the vandalism has not stopped. He has not given his name as he fears reprisals.
He also said that the police have started investigating the matter since May this year.
According to The Straits Times, residents have lodged separate police reports and taken their woes to Jurong Point Shopping Centre's management, which oversees the 610-unit condo.

teddybear
29-06-13, 01:13
Watch out for falling fish tail, tea bag, toilet paper...brick!

http://ride.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_image/public/original_images/May2013/brick600_0.jpg

Eunice Toh and Abigail Goh | The New Paper | Friday, May 10, 2013
SINGAPORE - It's even raining bricks at this HDB carpark.
Every other day for the past year, someone has been throwing objects - fish tails, tea bags, balls of toilet paper and tissue, and now bricks - from Block 222, Serangoon Avenue 4.
Just three weeks ago, someone threw bricks which landed in the open-air carpark next to the block, smashing parts of the windscreens of a lorry and a car.
A police report was made but the culprit was not found.
On Tuesday morning, it happened again and a parked taxi was damaged.
The noise woke some residents, including Mrs Anjamal Navalingam, who lives on the 10th floor.
The 58-year-old housewife heard two loud crashes at about 4am and went to her kitchen window to investigate, but did not see the culprit or where the bricks had been thrown from.
She added that the bricks could have been hers. She uses them with her potted plants in the common corridor and discovered two of them missing on Tuesday morning.

DKSG
29-06-13, 01:40
Office Boy not only go to showflats ...
He is also very much aware of the happenings in the country.

I observed that in recent years, humility and morality of the average person in this country is dropping faster the PSI in the past week!

The root cause is maybe due to the fact that with the huge influx of immigrants richer than the native Singaporeans, people are feeling disgruntled... What they think they can have in the past is now no longer reachable by them ...

On the other hand, for the immigrants, some maybe considered top percentile in their country, but when they come here, they can only stay in HDB ... So also very the unhappy ...

I shan't talk too much here or give solutions to these problems ... Coz I am just a lowly Office Boy ...

DKSG

teddybear
29-06-13, 13:47
Sad indeed.
So if can afford, better buy high-end condos and landed better... Don't try to save some money buying cheap-skate condos and landed and try to get bigger space for less money because you will then end up quarreling with neighbours over parking space outside your house (for landed) or over allocation of parking lots (for condos), cars getting vandalized for nothing, cars hit with falling bricks (Ops!) etc!


Office Boy not only go to showflats ...
He is also very much aware of the happenings in the country.

I observed that in recent years, humility and morality of the average person in this country is dropping faster the PSI in the past week!

The root cause is maybe due to the fact that with the huge influx of immigrants richer than the native Singaporeans, people are feeling disgruntled... What they think they can have in the past is now no longer reachable by them ...

On the other hand, for the immigrants, some maybe considered top percentile in their country, but when they come here, they can only stay in HDB ... So also very the unhappy ...

I shan't talk too much here or give solutions to these problems ... Coz I am just a lowly Office Boy ...

DKSG

mosaic
29-06-13, 14:26
Office Boy not only go to showflats ...
He is also very much aware of the happenings in the country.

I observed that in recent years, humility and morality of the average person in this country is dropping faster the PSI in the past week!

The root cause is maybe due to the fact that with the huge influx of immigrants richer than the native Singaporeans, people are feeling disgruntled... What they think they can have in the past is now no longer reachable by them ...

On the other hand, for the immigrants, some maybe considered top percentile in their country, but when they come here, they can only stay in HDB ... So also very the unhappy ...

I shan't talk too much here or give solutions to these problems ... Coz I am just a lowly Office Boy ...

DKSG

You know there s a problem with the country and the people when people are bashing each other up over a stuffed toy.

august
29-06-13, 20:29
It will get worse as we inch towards 6m population. Today i took the MRT to visit the JEM mall. Suffice to say the MRT journey is unpleasant and sardine packed. This is why people will still rather drive than take public transport. For those driving there is a long stretch of vehicles waiting to get into the parking lot and the queue does not seem to move. There is just a lot of stress on this island these days sue to human jam and congestion. Cannot imagine what it will be like with the targeted 7m number.

ysyap
29-06-13, 20:56
It will get worse as we inch towards 6m population. Today i took the MRT to visit the JEM mall. Suffice to say the MRT journey is unpleasant and sardine packed. This is why people will still rather drive than take public transport. For those driving there is a long stretch of vehicles waiting to get into the parking lot and the queue does not seem to move. There is just a lot of stress on this island these days sue to human jam and congestion. Cannot imagine what it will be like with the targeted 7m number.When citizens are super kiasu, our govt is operating directly opposite.

Only when things are cracking up then do something about it. Only when MRT train fails big time then start talking about maintenance. Only when people are packed like sardine and gotten pushed over in train station (for at least these last 5 years) then talk about adding train trips and numbers. Only when number of car owners rises and clocking up CTE then talk about widening road and improving road infrastructure. In fact, CTE has been jammed for last 10 years and ERP was their only solution. Only when housing prices soar to record highs then talk about building more BTO to control or stabilize property market.

Still remember our MIW saying during last GE that the reason for housing shortage (or was it poor public transportation) was the fact that they did not foresee such a huge increase in population. Don't govt bodies communicate? One ministry allows huge foreign influx, the other ministry don't know and did not cater or prepare adequately?

Welcome to Singapore! :)

hyenergix
29-06-13, 21:03
When citizens are super kiasu, our govt is operating directly opposite.

Only when things are cracking up then do something about it. Only when MRT train fails big time then start talking about maintenance. Only when people are packed like sardine and gotten pushed over in train station then talk about adding train trips and numbers. Only when number of car owners rises then talk about widening road and improving road infrastructure. Only when housing prices soar then talk about building more BTO to control or stabilize property market.

Still remember our MIW saying during last GE that the reason for housing shortage (or is it poor public transportation) was the fact that they did not foresee such a huge increase in population. Don't govt bodies communicate? One ministry allows huge foreign influx, the other ministry don't know and did not cater or prepare adequately?

Welcome to Singapore! :)

I don't think the transport, healthcare, education, housing etc issues can be solved in next 5-10 years. Current expansions may not have factored future demand into consideration. The expansions run into another issue: they are encroaching space for recreation, relaxation, social gatherings, greenery etc.

minority
29-06-13, 22:08
It will get worse as we inch towards 6m population. Today i took the MRT to visit the JEM mall. Suffice to say the MRT journey is unpleasant and sardine packed. This is why people will still rather drive than take public transport. For those driving there is a long stretch of vehicles waiting to get into the parking lot and the queue does not seem to move. There is just a lot of stress on this island these days sue to human jam and congestion. Cannot imagine what it will be like with the targeted 7m number.


not really when everyone want to be in the same place at the same time. there will always be jam. look at the hello kitty Q. u mean not enough meh. its tks KSism going ard.

for JEM? coz new everyone want to go. this is wat u get when the whole Singapore converge on the same place. even if I give u 1M people if everyone want to go to the same place. just 10% u will also cannot take it.

august
29-06-13, 23:26
Still remember our MIW saying during last GE that the reason for housing shortage (or was it poor public transportation) was the fact that they did not foresee such a huge increase in population. Don't govt bodies communicate? One ministry allows huge foreign influx, the other ministry don't know and did not cater or prepare adequately?

Welcome to Singapore! :)

The current leadership is weak and complacent.

ysyap
30-06-13, 13:50
I don't think the transport, healthcare, education, housing etc issues can be solved in next 5-10 years. Current expansions may not have factored future demand into consideration. The expansions run into another issue: they are encroaching space for recreation, relaxation, social gatherings, greenery etc.Sad sad problems... less room for recreation, relaxation, etc....

ysyap
30-06-13, 13:51
The current leadership is weak and complacent.Compared to the previous generation or other political leaders today?

ysyap
30-06-13, 13:58
not really when everyone want to be in the same place at the same time. there will always be jam. look at the hello kitty Q. u mean not enough meh. its tks KSism going ard.

for JEM? coz new everyone want to go. this is wat u get when the whole Singapore converge on the same place. even if I give u 1M people if everyone want to go to the same place. just 10% u will also cannot take it.This is a problem confronting our piece of small land. Have you heard that Universal Studio only allow a controlled number of people in a day? Crazy. Was totally shocked to learn of it the hard way when I went down 2 years back to buy entrance ticket but it was sold out :scared-1:. Imagine you bought an air ticket to HK and then go to Disneyland only to find out that there's no ticket for you to enter the theme park :confused: :scared-4: :scared-3: .

Our limited land only has malls this big and shopping arcade this huge to house this number of patrons. We cannot have more malls either so our 6 million people will have to pack these places during weekends lor. Come next decade when we reach 7mil and the number of malls are increase by another 1 or 2, is that sufficient planning? No choice. Sad truth indeed!

ysyap
30-06-13, 14:03
On this topic of population increase... I understand that our govt always wants us to be hospitable to FT and FW. Well, just last week when I was waiting at the traffic light, I saw 3 PRC talking loudly and then spitting conveniently on the pavement. While such behaviors are normal in their country, it certainly is not normal here. As such, are we too much to expect that they conform to our societal norm or do we have to accept their different behavior before we are considered as 'welcoming them with open arms?'

chestnut
30-06-13, 14:11
This is a problem confronting our piece of small land. Have you heard that Universal Studio only allow a controlled number of people in a day? Crazy. Was totally shocked to learn of it the hard way when I went down 2 years back to buy entrance ticket but it was sold out :scared-1:. Imagine you bought an air ticket to HK and then go to Disneyland only to find out that there's no ticket for you to enter the theme park :confused: :scared-4: :scared-3: .

Our limited land only has malls this big and shopping arcade this huge to house this number of patrons. We cannot have more malls either so our 6 million people will have to pack these places during weekends lor. Come next decade when we reach 7mil and the number of malls are increase by another 1 or 2, is that sufficient planning? No choice. Sad truth indeed!

Brudder, for safety reason lah.... Even US also like this...

http://www.examiner.com/article/disneyland-reached-maximum-capacity-and-sold-out-by-10-am


http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news06/22-Disneyland.shtml

ysyap
30-06-13, 19:39
Brudder, for safety reason lah.... Even US also like this...

http://www.examiner.com/article/disneyland-reached-maximum-capacity-and-sold-out-by-10-am


http://www.asiatraveltips.com/news06/22-Disneyland.shtmlIs it? Ok... never been to US universal studio. Went to Australia Movie world, etc and Japan Disneyland all through tour so never had this problem. However, Disneyland in HK usually self buy but never had this problem before. :cheers6:

economist
30-06-13, 23:46
Even though Singapore is packed, it is considerably much better than many other cities.

Some immigrants may have uncivil behaviors, but remember, not all of them do so. And, without them, Singapore will sink because other cities are developing much faster.

Govt has failed in the past to plan ahead, but they are trying to improve this.

All in all, be happy on what you have, and treasure it.

teddybear
11-07-13, 19:45
Kovan double deaths: Murder suspected, and bodies believed to be father and son
A blood trail could be seen between the two locations. -ST

Wed, Jul 10, 2013
The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - The man found dead inside a house in Hillside Drive was in his 70s, while the man found dead outside Kovan MRT station along Upper Serangoon Road was believed to in his 40s.

Two bodies were found in Kovan about a kilometre from each other, and they are believed to be that of a father and son.
According to an article in Straits Times Online, the police has classified the case as suspected murder.
A blood trail could be seen between a private house on Hillside Drive and outside Kovan MRT station on Upper Serangoon Road, where each of the bodies were believed to have been found.
The man found dead inside a house in Hillside Drive was in his 70s, while the man found dead outside Kovan MRT station along Upper Serangoon Road was believed to in his 40s.
Officers from the Crime Investigation Department were on the scene on Wednesday evening, and a lane along Upper Serangoon Road was blocked off.
An eyewitness said that she saw a man being dragged by a car while she was driving.
About 20 cars were honking loudly at the driver but he or she did not stop, said the eyewitness.

teddybear
12-07-13, 22:00
Sparing no effort will also not bring back the 2 men to life! So, better be safe than be sorry! So better avoid landed!



TITLE: DPM Teo says police sparing no effort to solve Kovan murders


By Kimberly Spykerman (http://forums.condosingapore.com/action/news/storiesby/storiesby/678458/storiesby.do?sortBy=latest&bylineId=7508&pageNum=0) and Chitra Kumar (http://forums.condosingapore.com/action/news/storiesby/storiesby/678458/storiesby.do?sortBy=latest&bylineId=8634&pageNum=0)
POSTED: 12 Jul 2013 6:18 PM

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean has said the police will spare no effort in making sure justice is served in the suspected double murder at Kovan.

SINGAPORE: Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean has said the police will spare no effort in making sure justice is served in the suspected double murder at Kovan.
Mr Teo added that this is a very serious case and that he is being updated regularly by the Commissioner of Police. He described the case as "shocking" and offered his sympathies to the family of the deceased.
Mr Tan Boon Sin, 67, was found dead in his home at 14J Hillside Drive while the body of his 42-year-old son, Mr Tan Chee Heong, was found outside the Kovan MRT station on Wednesday afternoon.

The son's body was dragged under a car for one kilometre from the home before it was dislodged outside MRT station.

The car was later found parked at a car park at Eunos Avenue 7A.

No arrests have been made so far. Meanwhile the suspected double murder has shaken the usually quiet and peaceful neighbourhood.
Residents said they have begun taking their own precautions and hope that more can be done to increase security in the area.
A Hillside Drive resident, Madam Neo, said: "Now the kids are not allowed to play outside, which they usually do...So basically they have to stay indoors, for now at least. Well, we don't know what actually happened. It took place in the middle of the afternoon...not at night, it is a bit scary to think of that."
Police have assured the public that the case has been assessed to pose little risk to general public safety.
They urge the public to refrain from making unfounded speculations so as not to cause undue alarm and additional distress to the family of the deceased.

- CNA/ir

wirehtc
12-07-13, 22:13
More n more violent crimes.

DKSG
12-07-13, 22:30
U might as well say avoid Kovan Melody ?!

DKSG

teddybear
12-07-13, 22:52
TITLE: Man arrested for housebreaking


POSTED: 12 Jul 2013 10:07 PM
Police have arrested a 44-year-old man for breaking into a residential unit in Compassvale Walk.
SINGAPORE: Police have arrested a 44-year-old man for breaking into a residential unit in Compassvale Walk.

On June 26, the victim left home for work at about 11am.

When she returned home at about 6pm, she discovered watches valued at about S$13,000 missing from her bedroom.

She also noticed tampering marks at the common corridor window.

Officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division worked on the case and conducted extensive inquiries which led to the suspect's identity - an air-con serviceman who had previously serviced the victim's air-conditioners.

At about 2.30pm on Friday, the suspect was arrested in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9.

The suspect will be charged in court on Saturday with housebreaking and theft by night.

If convicted, he could be jailed up to 14 years and caned.

Commander of Ang Mo Kio Police Division, Assistant Commissioner of Police Keok Tong San, advised residents to properly secure their windows and doors before leaving home or going to sleep.

- CNA/ms

teddybear
12-07-13, 22:53
The man dead outside Kovan Melody? :scared-1:


U might as well say avoid Kovan Melody ?!

DKSG

Autumnwinds
12-07-13, 23:32
The man dead outside Kovan Melody? :scared-1:

The man kana drag to kovan mrt ma. Which equals kovan melody

relax88
14-07-13, 09:48
Landed is like that one. No security. No swimming pool. All repairs u bear

teddybear
20-07-13, 18:42
Interesting news indeed! Businesses don't have to abide by TDSR even if they are investing in properties!
Then why individuals need? Individuals need MAS protection? Why prevent mom and pop investors from making profit in properties while business owners can? :beats-me-man:
No wonder many people say Singapore is nanny state? :doh:



'Shell' firms can't slip past new loan regime
TDSR to apply to individuals who set up entities to buy commercial, industrial properties
By
Kalpana Rashiwala (http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/reporter/kalpana-rashiwala)
[email protected]



http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sites/businesstimes.com.sg/files/imagecache/image_300x200/283013517876.jpg (http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sites/businesstimes.com.sg/files/imagecache/filenamee/283013517876e.jpg)
The view on the ground is that MAS' target is to foster financial prudence among mom and pop investors and prevent them from overleveraging, particularly when interest rates rise - PHOTO: BLOOMBERG







Singapore

INDIVIDUALS who set up "shell companies" for buying commercial or industrial properties to try and circumvent the total debt servicing ratio framework may be in for a disappointment.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore, responding to queries from The Business Times, said that "when individuals set up local or offshore 'shell companies' which do not have substantive businesses with genuine commercial activities, FIs (financial institutions) should assess these cases thoroughly and apply the TDSR framework accordingly" for the individuals concerned.

However, existing companies trading in property and/or holding investment properties for rental income are deemed to be engaged in "genuine commercial activities" and hence will not be subject to the TDSR framework. Likewise, new entities set up by, say, an established property group or fund would not be subject to TDSR if the FIs can establish the new entity's parentage.

puffer_fish
20-07-13, 18:49
oh... thanks for the news.:cheers1:

no wonder the agent told me the owner is a company:scared-5:

so whether or not, the unit is sold, the employees of the company don't give a damn:doh:

anyway, will take my time to scout around.

Ringo33
21-07-13, 01:49
Gov is allowing ths because of corp tax? I presume profit from asset disposal will be taxable as well unless they sell entire company together with it's asset

teddybear
11-08-13, 12:45
Some foretelling based on OSC on effect of properties:
- 50% of Singaporeans want HDB to be more home & less asset,
& 18% of Singaporean want HDB to be all home & no asset.

Think Singaporeans will get their wish: Oversupply HDB flats to keep them cheap, both new sale & hence resale, & may be more policy measures to keep resale cheap.

Expect resale HDB 5Rm in OCR to be <$500k within 10 years, or <$500 psf.
OCR private properties, by virtual that they are roughly peg to 2x that of HDB resale, is unlikely to be significantly more than $1200 psf in long term, & will move with resale HDB prices.
Those buy OCR private >$1500 psf even if new, 1 word to describe it: stupi!

On other hand, CCR not affect in long term because CCR private properties prices not pegged to HDB flats, & far from HDB flats anyway, so can't compare.

So if you want to buy private property & you have >$1500 psf x 800 to spare, you should know where to buy! :p

& don't believe the crap about second CBD full of HDB flats. Did you see Marina Bay got any HDB flats? :rolleyes:


===============================
Housing, healthcare and job security top Singaporeans’ concerns: OSC survey

Singaporeans have ranked public housing, public healthcare and job security as their top priorities, according to an “Our Singapore Conversation” (OSC) survey of 4,000 Singaporeans.

The survey was conducted to complement findings from OSC dialogues to find out more about the kind of country Singaporeans want for the future and how to get there. The findings from the survey and dialogues are detailed in “Reflections”, a 48-page newsmagazine launched on Saturday.

Particularly noteworthy is that public housing and public healthcare emerged as the top concerns for lower-income Singaporeans, while those better off placed more importance on public healthcare and job security. Being able to live in a safe and secure environment was also a primary concern for those earning S$7,000 or more a month.

Healthcare

In an article featured in “Reflections”, having a sense of assurance that we can all have access to quality healthcare was identified as Singaporeans’ No. 1 hope.

OSC committee member Lim Ru Ping, who facilitated two vernacular dialogues for the elderly, said, “I often hear complaints from senior citizens that MediShield and Medisave are too inflexible. They feel they don’t really have a say in how they want to use their savings.”

Participants at OSC dialogues suggested making MediShield compulsory, changing Medifund and Medisave rules to avoid placing too much burden on adult children who have to bear their parents’ healthcare costs, and to have individuals pay higher Medifund and Medisave premiums during their youth so that they can pay less when they are older.

But several participants were also wary about abuse in a welfare system and understood that more subsidies meant higher taxes. The Ministry of Health is reviewing the subsidies and 3Ms framework.

Housing

Public housing was another red-button issue that got Singaporeans talking, in particular whether an HDB flat should be treated as a home or an asset.

A Ministry of National Development (MND) poll showed that most Singaporeans hope for their HDB flats to remain*…

A Ministry of National Development (MND) poll showed that most Singaporeans hope for their HDB flats to remain as both their homes and assets. Among them, six in 10 said they wanted their flats to be first and foremost homes, then as assets that they could use for building a better life or for retirement.

While many agreed on the need for affordable new flats, there were various suggestions on how this should be achieved while maintaining fairness to past buyers.

These included extending the Minimum Occupation Period to reinforce the principle of owner-occupation, returning a portion of the sale proceed or net profit to the government when the flat is sold in the open market, and shortening the current 99-year lease provided home owners can extend it when their finances improve.

Another issue raised by single parent Faith Lim, an OSC dialogue participant, was about HDB ownership for families going through breakups.

Lim revealed that she had to make a quick decision to divorce her then-husband when her marriage broke down four years ago. That’s because she was not allowed to rent or buy an HDB flat as she owned a landed property with her then-husband.

Anxious to give her children a permanent home, she was left with no choice but to divorce her then-husband quickly.

5 core aspirations

Five core aspirations of Singaporeans were also identified from the discussions at OSC dialogues.

The OSC committee said five core aspirations emerged from the discussions at OSC dialogues that capture key directions*…

The OSC committee said the core aspirations and priorities embody a desire for a shift in policy directions in areas such as housing and healthcare, and recalibration of Singapore’s education.

What also emerged was a desire for individuals and the community to take on a larger role, to strengthen collective responsibilities and render more help to less advantaged Singaporeans.

As such, PM Lee is expected to address healthcare, housing and education issues, including tweaks to the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), during his National Day Rally speech on 18 August, added Minister Heng.

The OSC committee said these findings have since been passed on to various ministries for consideration.

Here are other findings from the survey and dialogues on the aspirations of Singaporeans:


Singaporeans, especially those married with children, would choose a more comfortable pace of life over career advancement. This may suggest that family comes before career for these groups. (Photo ... more*

teddybear
03-09-13, 20:25
Singapore has entered a new era, with govt guaranteeing every Singapore citizen that they will never be UNable to afford a property over their head - at least a HDB will always be affordable regardless of how much they earned (as long as they work)!
Tell me where in this world got such good deal? Not even in US & UK!

Unfortunately, I also heard of many "ungrateful" youngsters who are still complaining that they don't want that 4-room HDB flat in Sengkang at $300k! They want 4-room HDB flat in Queenstown at $300k! That is the big difference in expectation! :doh:



Letter to the editor: HDB flats better than many homes abroad (http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/en/property-management-news/2013/9/36558/Letter%20to%20the%20editor:%20HDB%20flats%20better%20than%20many%20homes%20abroad?utm_source=pgsg-newsalert&utm_medium=edm&utm_campaign=dailynews-03Sep2013&utm_content=links)


Sep 3, 2013 - PropertyGuru.com.sg

Dear Editor,

It is a pity to hear that some Singaporeans still think it is a burden to be able to own their own home within 25 years. We have one of the best public housing ownership programmes in the world and you don’t have to look very hard to come to this conclusion. Our HDB flats are comparable or even better than many private homes in other countries around the world.

Even lower-income households, as Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong clearly illustrated in his National Day Rally speech, can own their home (a valuable asset) within 25 years. Compare this with other countries, both developed and developing, where lower-income families can at best rent a home (assuming they can afford to rent).

At the end of paying 25 years of rent, these individuals will have no asset to call their own. After 25 years, these citizens (if they can afford) will continue paying rent if they need a roof over their heads.

For those who cannot see value in owning their own home within 25 years, they can also rent a place like what happens in other countries.

The public housing scheme is a valuable benefit given to only Singapore citizens, and Singaporeans should take full advantage of this.

Christopher Leong

minority
03-09-13, 23:20
Interesting news indeed! Businesses don't have to abide by TDSR even if they are investing in properties!
Then why individuals need? Individuals need MAS protection? Why prevent mom and pop investors from making profit in properties while business owners can? :beats-me-man:
No wonder many people say Singapore is nanny state? :doh:



'Shell' firms can't slip past new loan regime
TDSR to apply to individuals who set up entities to buy commercial, industrial properties
By
Kalpana Rashiwala (http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/reporter/kalpana-rashiwala)
[email protected]



I

http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sites/businesstimes.com.sg/files/imagecache/image_300x200/283013517876.jpg (http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/sites/businesstimes.com.sg/files/imagecache/filenamee/283013517876e.jpg)
The view on the ground is that MAS' target is to foster financial prudence among mom and pop investors and prevent them from overleveraging, particularly when interest rates rise - PHOTO: BLOOMBERG










Singapore

INDIVIDUALS who set up "shell companies" for buying commercial or industrial properties to try and circumvent the total debt servicing ratio framework may be in for a disappointment.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore, responding to queries from The Business Times, said that "when individuals set up local or offshore 'shell companies' which do not have substantive businesses with genuine commercial activities, FIs (financial institutions) should assess these cases thoroughly and apply the TDSR framework accordingly" for the individuals concerned.

However, existing companies trading in property and/or holding investment properties for rental income are deemed to be engaged in "genuine commercial activities" and hence will not be subject to the TDSR framework. Likewise, new entities set up by, say, an established property group or fund would not be subject to TDSR if the FIs can establish the new entity's parentage.

It's a complain n kpkb state.
Protect individual say nanny. Don't protect say state don't care.

teddybear
05-09-13, 12:56
Oh my gosh! :doh:


Heavy rain causes flashfloods, traffic jams in several parts of Singapore




http://news.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/original_images/Sep2013/20130905_submergedcar_stomp.jpg


Thursday, September 5, 2013 - 10:05The Straits Times



Heavy rain causes flashfloods, traffic jams in several parts of Singapore
SINGAPORE - Many parts of Singapore reported moderate to heavy thundery showers on Thursday morning, resulting in flashfloods and traffic jams in some areas.
Cars damaged by fallen tree; likely caused by Thursday morning's heavy rain
A large tree fell on two cars along Dunearn Road early Thursday morning, causing a massive jam along a stretch on Bukit Timah Road.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

Here's the press release from PUB:
Heavy rain fell over the central and western parts of Singapore this morning from 8.15am to 9.30am. The heaviest rainfall was recorded at Kent Ridge with a rainfall of 102.8mm from 8.10am to 9.40am. It peaked between 8.15am to 8.50am, with a rainfall of 82.2mm.
Flash floods were reported at the following locations: - Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) 9.6km, towards East Coast Parkway (ECP) - Commonwealth Avenue/Lane/Drive - Junction of South Bridge Road and Maxwell Road, Alexandra Road, towards Lower Delta Road (near Ganges Avenue) - Lorong Kismis
The areas most affected by the flash floods were the AYE and Commonwealth Avenue. At the AYE, the drains overflowed due to the intense rainfall and rising tide. Flood waters reached a depth of half a metre and subsided within 40 minutes. All four lanes of AYE towards ECP were closed to traffic during the flood. PUB has plans to upgrade the Sungei Pandan Kechil, which serves this section of the AYE.
For Commonwealth Avenue, PUB has scheduled drainage improvement works, which will commence in 4th Quarter 2013 and are expected to complete by 1st half of 2015
PUB advises the public to exercise caution as flash floods may occur in the event of heavy storms.
The public can also call the PUB 24-hour Call Centre at 1800-284 6600 or go to PUB's Facebook www.facebook.com/PUBSg or PUB iphone apps iPUBOne to report flash floods or to check on the flood situation. The public can also get updates on water level information in key canals/drains through PUB's Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/PUBSg, Twitter: twitter.com/PUBSingapore or website: www.pub.gov.sg.
For the latest weather reports, including heavy rain warnings, members of the public can call NEA's weather forecast hotline at 6542 7788, visit the NEA website at www.nea.gov.sg or use the mobile weather service (Weather@SG - weather.nea.gov.sg).
SMS alert services on heavy rain warning and water level information are also open for public subscription at: http://www.pub.gov.sg/managingflashfloods/wls/Pages/SubscriptiontoSMSAle...
For weather updates from AsiaOne, click here:

Singaporeans encountered flash floods in parts of Singapore this morning (Sep 5), such as the Ayer Rajah Expressway and Clementi, which caused traffic jams lasting for more than half an hour.
According to a Straits Times report, a tree fell on two cars, causing massive traffic jam along Dunearn Road.
These areas reported high flood risk: Pandan Kechil, Sime Darby Centre, Sunset, Alexandra Canal near Zion Road, Commonwealth Avenue/Commonwealth Drive, and Indus Road/Ganges Avenue.
Flash floods also occurred at Alexandra Road, near the junction of Delta Road, and Commonwealth Avenue/Commonwealth Drive, near Commonwealth MRT station.
But the floods have subsided by 9.48am, according to the PUB.
Stomp contributor Steven said:
"Flash flood at AYE Exit 9.
"The flood is still there and at tire level.
"I was stuck there for half an hour and many cars were partially submerged."

DKSG
05-09-13, 14:54
The relevant information is which are the PCs that are affected by the floods ? Zion Road means Melrose Park, Zenith, Mill Point, Valley Park ?

Are those previously affected PCs like Tesserina still affected ?

DKSG

thomastansb
05-09-13, 15:45
I am dead against this policy and the 7% ABSD for 2nd house.

MAS is telling us we cannot buy a second house for my parents?

Or Singaporeans cannot buy a 2nd house in Singapore? Then have pink IC for what...

What a joke. 3rd house I can understand. But 2 is ridiculous.






Interesting news indeed! Businesses don't have to abide by TDSR even if they are investing in properties!
Then why individuals need? Individuals need MAS protection? Why prevent mom and pop investors from making profit in properties while business owners can? :beats-me-man:
No wonder many people say Singapore is nanny state? :doh:

thomastansb
05-09-13, 15:48
I don't mind. If resale drop, I can buy a 3 bedroom resale near MRT. I always wanted to do so but I MTB.

You have resale, creditors can't take away from you, Government will really have to think a million times before taking from you (99 LH), can rent out at a high yield and prices would be relatively stable. I think it is a good buy. Too bad I MTB. Last time 1 year MOP only and you can have both HDB and private. Now, you have private cannot buy HDB but all these will reverse when HDB drop 30%. Let's wait and see....






Singapore has entered a new era, with govt guaranteeing every Singapore citizen that they will never be UNable to afford a property over their head - at least a HDB will always be affordable regardless of how much they earned (as long as they work)!
Tell me where in this world got such good deal? Not even in US & UK!

Unfortunately, I also heard of many "ungrateful" youngsters who are still complaining that they don't want that 4-room HDB flat in Sengkang at $300k! They want 4-room HDB flat in Queenstown at $300k! That is the big difference in expectation! :doh:

onglai
05-09-13, 15:54
I am dead against this policy and the 7% ABSD for 2nd house.

MAS is telling us we cannot buy a second house for my parents?

Or Singaporeans cannot buy a 2nd house in Singapore? Then have pink IC for what...

What a joke. 3rd house I can understand. But 2 is ridiculous.

pink ic pay 3% less then blue ic. not say totally no use

DKSG
05-09-13, 16:20
pink ic pay 3% less then blue ic. not say totally no use

Thats why people angry la!
Pink IC = $30K difference of a $1 million PC ?

DKSG

onglai
05-09-13, 16:38
Thats why people angry la!
Pink IC = $30K difference of a $1 million PC ?

DKSG

50k if this is the first house loh..

teddybear
01-10-13, 00:13
http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?t=64931

What happened to SGH? Despite the complaint, the reply is to ask you to "still have to wait"? :banghead:
And we know some people don't even need to wait! They get the doctors' lunch time appointment! Then, the doctors go for lunch after their lunch time and the rest in the queue have to wait longer! :mad:

Some people said "UPGRADE to PRIVATE class patient and you will Immediately get an earlier appointment.". Is this true? :tsk-tsk:


====================
http://forums.asiaone.com/images/icons/icon1.gif 1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Really?
One year wait is rather ridiculous is it? If SGH can't take the case, either increase their staff or refer the cases to other Hospitals that can handle them rather than greedily hang on to their "customers" out of profit?

1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Really?

http://therealsingapore.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1239052_580870435307626_901884175_n.jpg?itok=8vcOC8xx

My husband has been seeing a general practitioner (GP) at Tampines Polyclinic for several years.

In early August, the GP decided my husband needed to see a renal specialist as a blood test showed that his condition was worsening.

We were shocked, however, to find out that the appointment date given by the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) was December next year.

After I called several times to plead and complain, it was moved up to August next year.Why does my husband have to wait nearly a year for his appointment?

Who is responsible if something happens to him in the meantime? Are our hospital staff so overworked that appointments have to be scheduled over a year in advance?

The SGH feedback department claimed that the reason for such a late date was that the GP did not request an urgent appointment.

Isn't it urgent enough if the GP decides that my husband needs to see a specialist and do a scan of his kidneys?

Surely polyclinics do not send patients to specialists for no good reason.This would be a first-time investigative check, and patients would worry over whether or not there is anything wrong with them.

Just because patients like my husband do not complain does not mean they are okay. The health authorities should appreciate such patients and not penalise them by putting them at the back of the queue.



Tay Soh Hoon (Ms)

*Article first appeared on ST Forums (23 Sep)


SINGAPORE GENERAL HOSPITAL: WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO IMPROVE OUR PATIENT EXPERIENCE

[This is a response letter to a patient complaint here: ONE YEAR WAIT TO SEE SPECIALIST]

We are sorry Ms Tay Soh Hoon and her husband had to experience anxiety over the long waiting time for an appointment to see our renal medicine specialist (“One-year wait to see specialist”; Monday).

The Singapore General Hospital sees the highest proportion of renal patients, with more than 34,000 outpatient attendances annually.

Appointments for new patients are prioritized based on the severity and urgency of their medical conditions. For those whose conditions are stable, the average waiting time for an appointment can be longer if there is an increase in new or urgent referrals.

To meet the needs of a growing number of renal patients and the training of doctors, we have been working to increase the number of slots for appointments, and will continue to do so as new clinic facilities are built.

We thank our patients and their caregivers for their patience and understanding of the current situation, as we seek innovative solutions to improve the overall patient experience.


Chan Choong Meng (Associate Professor)
Head, Department of Renal Medicine
Singapore General Hospital

* Letter first appeared in ST Forum (27 Sep)

====================
Yesterday, 09:10 PM

kooldog59 (http://forums.asiaone.com/member.php?u=13524) http://forums.asiaone.com/images/asiaone2011/statusicon/user_offline.gif
Hall Of Famer



http://forums.asiaone.com/images/icons/icon1.gif Re: 1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Rea
Quote:
Originally Posted by singish0 http://forums.asiaone.com/images/asiaone2011/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?p=1319332#post1319332)
i went gahmen dental just few years ago, and i shocked the quene can be 6 months ! still i wait and i went and the dental service very very bad ! i nearly choked when dentist dont care and water into your throat ask u dont breathe with your mouth tahan, no air nearly die ! i stopped the dentist's check up and left !

and it's not strange, i long time and always know about gahmen hospitals ! i tink they quite hopeless ! half year is common ...,

In Singapore everything need "GuanXi" or else prepare to pay high high at private clinics...If have "GuanXi", then the doctor will serve you during his lunch time and after that you will not have any problem getting a time slot... This is how they beat the system. They did not jump queue, just bend the rules....


==========================



Come on people. Arent we all sick & tired of all these letters & replies! It is time we make our statements!

1. We are supposed to be an integrated (state-of-the-art, in words?) health care national orgainisation. Am I right?

2. We have a world-class health-for-all, got-money, no-money hub.

3. No one will be left alone.

4. The formation of health clusters is step forward to be more competitive and operationally smoother. Ha, it seems it has gone too aggressively competitive and disastrously waiting.

5, We are promised everything, we are asked not to expect govt to solve all problems (which I agree) inclusive of issues they, the govt, created (this they have to solve it as only they have the blueprints and plans & funds). They just never mention the words: Must wait for the longest time!

6. The only hospital you need not wait is KK! So how about transform a part of it to some overloaded illness units?

7. May I know why can't go other public hospital? No renal dept?

Ppinetree (http://forums.asiaone.com/member.php?u=157411)
Re: 1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Rea
With our Medical authorities deciding to make SG into a medical hub, the demand on our medical docs, esp speciaists, is very high.
Imagine rich people from around this region & as far as ME fly here for treatment. Eventually, money talks & locals who cannot afford to compete with these rich foreign patients are squeezed out.
The only way for locals to be given quick treatment is to see private specialists or pay private/"non-subsidized" rates at these restructured hospitals that citizens partly pay from their taxes. But provided that you cannot afford it. If not, then you hardly have any other choice but to wait for your turn & hopefully your illness can await too.
It's a fact that money buys life. SG boasts of excellent medical facilities but if you cannot afford them, the facilities are beyond you.
This is SG. And this is run by the Govt that you elected.


29-09-2013, 12:11 PM
Limos2010 (http://forums.asiaone.com/member.php?u=19885)
Re: 1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Rea
Oh ...... What SGH had said in a NICE MANNER ....... YOU HAVE ONLY YOURSELF TO BLAME BECAUSE YOU ARE POOR ........ OR GOT MONEY BUT WANT TO SAVE ON THE SMALL SMALL THINGS ........ GOTO A PRIVATE PRACTITIONER WOULD HAVE SOLVE THE PROBLEM.......








29-09-2013, 12:40 PM
tlukay59 (http://forums.asiaone.com/member.php?u=38658)
Re: 1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Rea
UPGRADE to PRIVATE class patient and you will Immediately get an earlier appointment.

august
01-10-13, 00:54
public transport gone case,
public health care also collapsed.
totally unacceptable.

onglai
01-10-13, 12:06
public transport gone case,
public health care also collapsed.
totally unacceptable.

kk oso same... any appt dat u make under subsidised rate - easily 6 months to a year.

Regulators
01-10-13, 12:26
I went to see specialist to do scope last time, he told me if under private patient, can do the next day, if under subsidised have to wait more than 3 months. Is this called busy schedule? :doh:


http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?t=64931

What happened to SGH? Despite the complaint, the reply is to ask you to "still have to wait"? :banghead:
And we know some people don't even need to wait! They get the doctors' lunch time appointment! Then, the doctors go for lunch after their lunch time and the rest in the queue have to wait longer! :mad:

Some people said "UPGRADE to PRIVATE class patient and you will Immediately get an earlier appointment.". Is this true? :tsk-tsk:


====================
http://forums.asiaone.com/images/icons/icon1.gif 1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Really?
One year wait is rather ridiculous is it? If SGH can't take the case, either increase their staff or refer the cases to other Hospitals that can handle them rather than greedily hang on to their "customers" out of profit?

1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Really?

http://therealsingapore.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/image/1239052_580870435307626_901884175_n.jpg?itok=8vcOC8xx

My husband has been seeing a general practitioner (GP) at Tampines Polyclinic for several years.

In early August, the GP decided my husband needed to see a renal specialist as a blood test showed that his condition was worsening.

We were shocked, however, to find out that the appointment date given by the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) was December next year.

After I called several times to plead and complain, it was moved up to August next year.Why does my husband have to wait nearly a year for his appointment?

Who is responsible if something happens to him in the meantime? Are our hospital staff so overworked that appointments have to be scheduled over a year in advance?

The SGH feedback department claimed that the reason for such a late date was that the GP did not request an urgent appointment.

Isn't it urgent enough if the GP decides that my husband needs to see a specialist and do a scan of his kidneys?

Surely polyclinics do not send patients to specialists for no good reason.This would be a first-time investigative check, and patients would worry over whether or not there is anything wrong with them.

Just because patients like my husband do not complain does not mean they are okay. The health authorities should appreciate such patients and not penalise them by putting them at the back of the queue.



Tay Soh Hoon (Ms)

*Article first appeared on ST Forums (23 Sep)


SINGAPORE GENERAL HOSPITAL: WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO IMPROVE OUR PATIENT EXPERIENCE

[This is a response letter to a patient complaint here: ONE YEAR WAIT TO SEE SPECIALIST]

We are sorry Ms Tay Soh Hoon and her husband had to experience anxiety over the long waiting time for an appointment to see our renal medicine specialist (“One-year wait to see specialist”; Monday).

The Singapore General Hospital sees the highest proportion of renal patients, with more than 34,000 outpatient attendances annually.

Appointments for new patients are prioritized based on the severity and urgency of their medical conditions. For those whose conditions are stable, the average waiting time for an appointment can be longer if there is an increase in new or urgent referrals.

To meet the needs of a growing number of renal patients and the training of doctors, we have been working to increase the number of slots for appointments, and will continue to do so as new clinic facilities are built.

We thank our patients and their caregivers for their patience and understanding of the current situation, as we seek innovative solutions to improve the overall patient experience.


Chan Choong Meng (Associate Professor)
Head, Department of Renal Medicine
Singapore General Hospital

* Letter first appeared in ST Forum (27 Sep)

====================
Yesterday, 09:10 PM

kooldog59 (http://forums.asiaone.com/member.php?u=13524) http://forums.asiaone.com/images/asiaone2011/statusicon/user_offline.gif
Hall Of Famer



http://forums.asiaone.com/images/icons/icon1.gif Re: 1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Rea
Quote:
Originally Posted by singish0 http://forums.asiaone.com/images/asiaone2011/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?p=1319332#post1319332)
i went gahmen dental just few years ago, and i shocked the quene can be 6 months ! still i wait and i went and the dental service very very bad ! i nearly choked when dentist dont care and water into your throat ask u dont breathe with your mouth tahan, no air nearly die ! i stopped the dentist's check up and left !

and it's not strange, i long time and always know about gahmen hospitals ! i tink they quite hopeless ! half year is common ...,

In Singapore everything need "GuanXi" or else prepare to pay high high at private clinics...If have "GuanXi", then the doctor will serve you during his lunch time and after that you will not have any problem getting a time slot... This is how they beat the system. They did not jump queue, just bend the rules....


==========================



Come on people. Arent we all sick & tired of all these letters & replies! It is time we make our statements!

1. We are supposed to be an integrated (state-of-the-art, in words?) health care national orgainisation. Am I right?

2. We have a world-class health-for-all, got-money, no-money hub.

3. No one will be left alone.

4. The formation of health clusters is step forward to be more competitive and operationally smoother. Ha, it seems it has gone too aggressively competitive and disastrously waiting.

5, We are promised everything, we are asked not to expect govt to solve all problems (which I agree) inclusive of issues they, the govt, created (this they have to solve it as only they have the blueprints and plans & funds). They just never mention the words: Must wait for the longest time!

6. The only hospital you need not wait is KK! So how about transform a part of it to some overloaded illness units?

7. May I know why can't go other public hospital? No renal dept?

Ppinetree (http://forums.asiaone.com/member.php?u=157411)
Re: 1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Rea
With our Medical authorities deciding to make SG into a medical hub, the demand on our medical docs, esp speciaists, is very high.
Imagine rich people from around this region & as far as ME fly here for treatment. Eventually, money talks & locals who cannot afford to compete with these rich foreign patients are squeezed out.
The only way for locals to be given quick treatment is to see private specialists or pay private/"non-subsidized" rates at these restructured hospitals that citizens partly pay from their taxes. But provided that you cannot afford it. If not, then you hardly have any other choice but to wait for your turn & hopefully your illness can await too.
It's a fact that money buys life. SG boasts of excellent medical facilities but if you cannot afford them, the facilities are beyond you.
This is SG. And this is run by the Govt that you elected.


29-09-2013, 12:11 PM
Limos2010 (http://forums.asiaone.com/member.php?u=19885)
Re: 1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Rea
Oh ...... What SGH had said in a NICE MANNER ....... YOU HAVE ONLY YOURSELF TO BLAME BECAUSE YOU ARE POOR ........ OR GOT MONEY BUT WANT TO SAVE ON THE SMALL SMALL THINGS ........ GOTO A PRIVATE PRACTITIONER WOULD HAVE SOLVE THE PROBLEM.......








29-09-2013, 12:40 PM
tlukay59 (http://forums.asiaone.com/member.php?u=38658)
Re: 1 year wait to see specialist. SGH says they did their best. That their best, Rea
UPGRADE to PRIVATE class patient and you will Immediately get an earlier appointment.

eng81157
01-10-13, 12:34
unfortunately, there is a finite amount of healthcare resources and our public healthcare model is screwed up. so if you are a subsidized patient and your case isn't an emergency, you have to wait.

we are slowly transforming into the likes of UK, Australia but still have to pay out of pocket (even as subsidized patients), unlike the latter

eng81157
01-10-13, 12:40
http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?t=64931

What happened to SGH? Despite the complaint, the reply is to ask you to "still have to wait"? :banghead:
And we know some people don't even need to wait! They get the doctors' lunch time appointment! Then, the doctors go for lunch after their lunch time and the rest in the queue have to wait longer! :mad:

Some people said "UPGRADE to PRIVATE class patient and you will Immediately get an earlier appointment.". Is this true? :tsk-tsk:

.

let me speak up objectively. the doctors in public healthcare institutions are really slogging and are swarmed with cases. on a good day, they have time for a quick 15-30 min lunch or else, it's just a 5min daily exercise to wolf down sandwiches.

this is a legacy of years of screwed up government policy (all thanks to a useless ex-healthcare minister).

limit the supply of doctors (and keep the beneficiaries in an exclusive 'club' hint: read up on ngiam's latest interview),
refusal to increase healthcare expenditure while spending billions of dollars on missiles and fighter jets without batting an eyelid and
insisting on healthcare consumers to pay out of pocket despite having billions of surpluses each year.

Allthepies
01-10-13, 12:46
public transport gone case,
public health care also collapsed.
totally unacceptable.

Waiting eagerly for our government to shut down too :D:D:D:D should be very fun

US just shut down their government, shiok shiok shiok

august
01-10-13, 12:48
there is an article in today's Today with Ngiam Tong Dow who has blunt words to say about the state of Spore today.

hopeful
01-10-13, 12:54
I went to see specialist to do scope last time, he told me if under private patient, can do the next day, if under subsidised have to wait more than 3 months. Is this called busy schedule? :doh:

yes, busy schedule.
time slots for subsidised cases are all fully booked.
lets say there are 20 time slots per day, allocated only 2 for subsidy cases.

it is all about managing time and money.
we spend our time working to get money.
we spend money to save time, shorter waiting time.

those who dont want to trade money for time, then have to wait longer.

eng81157
01-10-13, 13:04
yes, busy schedule.
time slots for subsidised cases are all fully booked.
lets say there are 20 time slots per day, allocated only 2 for subsidy cases.

it is all about managing time and money.
we spend our time working to get money.
we spend money to save time, shorter waiting time.

those who dont want to trade money for time, then have to wait longer.

that is not true, i reckon it's 80-20 (80 for subsidized and 20 for private patients)

there is simply too little healthcare resources to cope with a already burgeoning (and aging) population

hopeful
01-10-13, 13:28
that is not true, i reckon it's 80-20 (80 for subsidized and 20 for private patients)

there is simply too little healthcare resources to cope with a already burgeoning (and aging) population

ok, so if there are available slots for private patients, can the available slots be used for subsidized/walk-in?

hopeful
01-10-13, 13:33
what irks me if gynaes get called for emergency labour. waiting time can be extended for a few hours.

govt should passed a law mandating caesarian 2-3 weeks before date due is compulsary, no more natural delivery. like that there will be more certainty not only for the expecting mother, the other patients would not have to spend so much time waiting for the gynae.

poor planing on their part.

chiaberry
01-10-13, 13:50
that is not true, i reckon it's 80-20 (80 for subsidized and 20 for private patients)

there is simply too little healthcare resources to cope with a already burgeoning (and aging) population

A doctor I know complained that when he was working in public sector, the CEO or COO told him off for spending too much time with the C class (subsidised) patients rather than the A class (private) patients. This was 20 years ago or even more.

I am not sure that there are too little healthcare resources. They could be inefficiently deployed. We don't know for sure.

Another of my friends who was a doctor in the public sector muttered something about being pawns in the hands of the hospital administrators for them to play their power games.

august
01-10-13, 13:52
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/healthcare-f1-and-politicians

If Singapore becomes an international medical centre, it might create more pressure points, especially in the public sector. What are your thoughts?

In my view, the public sector should compete. If Singapore is to become a medical centre, we have to develop our public hospitals, as they are at the forefront of local Medicine.

If you have a very serious, complex illness, you would probably not go to a private practitioner, but engage an established and experienced medical team who sees a high volume of such a disease, who can get to the problem immediately ... We should develop our public hospitals, instead of running them down, so that doctors will want to stay on and not leave once they get higher qualifications.

The issue is whether our hospitals can cope with the rising number of foreign patients coming into Singapore.

If I may say so, that would be a pleasant problem for us. When you’ve got the demand, it’s up to you to organise to meet the demand. You only need to start worrying when you have no demand, when you pa bang (Hokkien for “swatting flies”, meaning “lack of business”).

The other interesting thing is that when local patients see people from all over the world coming to our hospitals, they will realise that they’re also getting good healthcare services. But now, Singaporeans don’t realise that.

FOLLY OF SUPPLIER-INDUCED DEMAND?

Some health economists have been known to say that supply induces demand. The more doctors you produce, the more demand you create, the more healthcare costs would go up, which will result in severe health expenditure repercussions. What is your take on this?

Yes, a very influential local health economist in Singapore once said that. He was referring to the backwards sloping supply curve, and thus felt that we needed to restrict the number of doctors ... I completely disagree with him because he has missed the wood for the trees.

The demand for doctors does not come only from our own population, but also from the regional economies. As the middle class becomes richer, they want better medical services, and this is true today! If you look at all the paying patients, the demand is coming from the Indonesian and Vietnamese. In fact, we are very worried about the increase in the costs of Medicine.

My point is there will be greater economies of scale if you serve not just your own people, but also that of the region. With economies of scale, you can restrain the growth of health expenditure. Today, it is 4 per cent of the gross domestic product ... Great credit should be given to our private sector; it consists of businessmen who bring in all the patients who indirectly help us restrain, not add to, the rising costs of Medicine.

eng81157
01-10-13, 13:56
what irks me if gynaes get called for emergency labour. waiting time can be extended for a few hours.

govt should passed a law mandating caesarian 2-3 weeks before date due is compulsary, no more natural delivery. like that there will be more certainty not only for the expecting mother, the other patients would not have to spend so much time waiting for the gynae.

poor planing on their part.

it isn't called "emergency" for nothing - you can't plan for it. unfortunately, there can't be a buffer to address contingencies as resources are stretched thin

eng81157
01-10-13, 13:58
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/healthcare-f1-and-politicians

If Singapore becomes an international medical centre, it might create more pressure points, especially in the public sector. What are your thoughts?

In my view, the public sector should compete. If Singapore is to become a medical centre, we have to develop our public hospitals, as they are at the forefront of local Medicine.

If you have a very serious, complex illness, you would probably not go to a private practitioner, but engage an established and experienced medical team who sees a high volume of such a disease, who can get to the problem immediately ... We should develop our public hospitals, instead of running them down, so that doctors will want to stay on and not leave once they get higher qualifications.

The issue is whether our hospitals can cope with the rising number of foreign patients coming into Singapore.

If I may say so, that would be a pleasant problem for us. When you’ve got the demand, it’s up to you to organise to meet the demand. You only need to start worrying when you have no demand, when you pa bang (Hokkien for “swatting flies”, meaning “lack of business”).

The other interesting thing is that when local patients see people from all over the world coming to our hospitals, they will realise that they’re also getting good healthcare services. But now, Singaporeans don’t realise that.

FOLLY OF SUPPLIER-INDUCED DEMAND?

Some health economists have been known to say that supply induces demand. The more doctors you produce, the more demand you create, the more healthcare costs would go up, which will result in severe health expenditure repercussions. What is your take on this?

Yes, a very influential local health economist in Singapore once said that. He was referring to the backwards sloping supply curve, and thus felt that we needed to restrict the number of doctors ... I completely disagree with him because he has missed the wood for the trees.

.

he's just being polite. the ugly truth is to restrict the number of doctors so that the beneficiaries can maintain their earnings

eng81157
01-10-13, 14:00
ok, so if there are available slots for private patients, can the available slots be used for subsidized/walk-in?

the slots (not all) tend to be double-booked, e.g. think like airline, to cater for no-shows. hence, even if one doesn't turn up, the slots are still overbooked.

eng81157
01-10-13, 14:04
A doctor I know complained that when he was working in public sector, the CEO or COO told him off for spending too much time with the C class (subsidised) patients rather than the A class (private) patients. This was 20 years ago or even more.

I am not sure that there are too little healthcare resources. They could be inefficiently deployed. We don't know for sure.

Another of my friends who was a doctor in the public sector muttered something about being pawns in the hands of the hospital administrators for them to play their power games.

that was then. some hospitals even had a weekly/monthly meeting where a "blacklist" is flashed up - doctors who prescribed expensive, state-of-the-art medicine for patients. why? cause' it results in hospital losing $$

come have a tour around the hospital/polyclinics and see for yourself. actually, the politics are being played out by the doctors themselves. non-medical administrators don't get a sniff at power play

hopeful
01-10-13, 14:42
it isn't called "emergency" for nothing - you can't plan for it. unfortunately, there can't be a buffer to address contingencies as resources are stretched thin

i am pretty sure if natural delivery is banned, and caesarian have to be done 3 weeks (not 1 week) before expected due date, the number of such "emergency deliveries" would fall dramatically.

sure, a caesarian would leave a scar and due to that, those narcisssistic mother-to-be would impose their troubles on other mothers-to-be.

all my children is by caesarian, 3 weeks before expected due date and already 3kg+. no fuss. no occupying the doctors' time and other people's time unnecessarily. i trade money for time.

one particularly bad case was my wife's appointment was 1pm and doctor see my spouse only at 11pm due to some deliveries.:mad:

eng81157
01-10-13, 14:48
i am pretty sure if natural delivery is banned, and caesarian have to be done 3 weeks (not 1 week) before expected due date, the number of such "emergency deliveries" would fall dramatically.

sure, a caesarian would leave a scar and due to that, those narcisssistic mother-to-be would impose their troubles on other mothers-to-be.

all my children is by caesarian, 3 weeks before expected due date and already 3kg+. no fuss. no occupying the doctors' time and other people's time unnecessarily. i trade money for time.

there are lots of conditions that can result in an emergency delivery - e.g. hyper/hypotension, pre-eclampsia, placenta detachment, accident, etc

besides, how can we ban natural delivery?! even communist systems don't do that.....

chiaberry
01-10-13, 15:12
that was then. some hospitals even had a weekly/monthly meeting where a "blacklist" is flashed up - doctors who prescribed expensive, state-of-the-art medicine for patients. why? cause' it results in hospital losing $$

come have a tour around the hospital/polyclinics and see for yourself. actually, the politics are being played out by the doctors themselves. non-medical administrators don't get a sniff at power play

Well I have been offered a tour/job at public hospitals in the past. Politely declined them with various excuses.

hopeful
01-10-13, 15:22
...
besides, how can we ban natural delivery?! even communist systems don't do that.....

for the sake of cheaper, better, faster.
a caesarian is much faster than an natural delivery.
a doctor can handle more c-sections in a day than natural births.

ok, if cannot ban natural delivery, then govt could make natural delivery 5x more expensive than c-section. why should an operation that takes more time be cheaper than an operation that takes less time?
then everybody would opt for c-section, resulting in greater productivity for singapore as a whole as waiting time is cut down.

eng81157
01-10-13, 15:28
for the sake of cheaper, better, faster.
a caesarian is much faster than an natural delivery.
a doctor can handle more c-sections in a day than natural births.

ok, if cannot ban natural delivery, then govt could make natural delivery 5x more expensive than c-section. why should an operation that takes more time be cheaper than an operation that takes less time?
then everybody would opt for c-section, resulting in greater productivity for singapore as a whole as waiting time is cut down.

a c-sect consumes more resources than natural delivery; period. and it poses higher risks than natural delivery, period.

you can't just look at time being the only resource. what about space? if i convert 1 OT into a labor ward, i can fit maybe 5-6 beds in it and ta da, my productivity shoots up too. recovery time is quicker for natural delivery as compared to c-sect too and so ta da, more beds can be freed up for other patients.

hopeful
01-10-13, 15:41
a c-sect consumes more resources than natural delivery; period. and it poses higher risks than natural delivery, period.

you can't just look at time being the only resource. what about space? if i convert 1 OT into a labor ward, i can fit maybe 5-6 beds in it and ta da, my productivity shoots up too. recovery time is quicker for natural delivery as compared to c-sect too and so ta da, more beds can be freed up for other patients.

u are right about space. from MOH website. recovery time is 2days for normal and 3.2 days for c-section at KKH.

let me put on my thinking cap :)

onglai
01-10-13, 17:02
u are right about space. from MOH website. recovery time is 2days for normal and 3.2 days for c-section at KKH.

let me put on my thinking cap :)

c-section pose higher risk den natural birth - still need to tink ah?
:doh::doh:

hopeful
01-10-13, 17:44
c-section pose higher risk den natural birth - still need to tink ah?
:doh::doh:

sometimes risk is misunderstood.

for eg, the risk of death is double if you do B instead of A. doing B sounds terrible & scary right?
but risk of A is only 0.000000000001%
and risk of B is only 0.000000000002%.

teddybear
01-10-13, 21:41
Finland students do as well as top-performing Singapore pupils BUT NO TUITION, NO GEP Programme, NO IP Programme!!!

There must be something wrong with Singapore's education system then? So much tuition and tuition money spent, so much emphasize on giving gifted kids the best, but still can't beat Finnish kids who have ZERO TUITION, ZERO GIFTED EDUCATION PROGRAM, NO SPECIAL PRIVILEGE AND SPECIAL INTENSIVE TRAINING TO BRING OUT THE BEST FOR THEIR FINNISH BRIGHTEST KIDS! :banghead:

And I like this best:
"And if there is something that Finland can show others, it is what equity and equal opportunity in education look like. And it is possible to achieve excellence along with equity."

This basically makes a mockery of the GEP programme, with their class size being almost half of the normal schools. GEP programme is a smack in the face of the Singapore National Pledge, which says:

We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one united people,
regardless of race, language or religion,
to build a democratic society
based on justice and equality
so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and
progress for our nation.

Does GEP programme with all their half-the-normal class size, better teachers, special curriculum that cannot be shared with others non-GEP students/parents a sign of practising "justice and equality"? :rolleyes:

Ditto for the IP Programme!



=================================
Learning - the Finnish way

By Sandra Davie
The Straits Times
Monday, Sep 30, 2013

Like Singapore, Finland, which has a population of 5.4 million, is an education superstar.

Only Finland's best become teachers
Free to play and free to learn at Finnish pre-schools

Its students consistently do as well as top-performing Singapore pupils in international maths and science tests.

But a recent study trip by The Sunday Times sponsored by Lien Foundation found that Finnish students take a completely different route to academic excellence.

Before going to Primary 1 at age seven, all that Finnish children in pre-schools seem to do is play.

And once in school, they do not undergo formal assessments or examinations until they are 18, when they sit for a matriculation examination to enter university.

There is also little homework for primary and lower secondary students, and no nationwide standardised testing.

And tuition? That is a concept foreign to most Finnish parents.

Teachers say the equivalent of Singapore's gifted education scheme or Normal or Express streams would be illegal in Finland because its education policy calls for all children to be given the same opportunities.

The only "streaming" allowed occurs at age 16, when students, after being graded by teachers, get to choose whether to take the vocational or academic route.

And yet, the Finns have consistently performed in the top tier since the first Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) survey was conducted in 2000.

This study compares 15-year- olds in different countries in reading, mathematics and science.

So how does Finland do it without the intense pressure and competition that are so much a part of Singapore's system?

Finnish educators list a combination of factors, from the strong reading culture - Finnish people borrow more books from libraries than anyone else in the world - to highly educated and well-trained teachers.

Many also attribute the success of the Finnish education system to the strong foundation in learning laid in pre-school, where the focus is on cultivating intellectual curiosity and a love of learning in the young.

The emphasis is on learning through collaboration, not competition.

"All children are given equal opportunities. We put equity ahead of producing top students," says Dr Pasi Sahlberg, who wrote the much-talked-about book, Finnish Lessons, which details how the country improved its mediocre academic results and produced top-performing students.

The 53-year-old director-general of CIMO (National Centre for International Mobility and Cooperation) at the Finnish Ministry of Education explains how Finns aim to have good schools for all students, echoing the Singapore Education Ministry's (MOE) recent slogan that "every school is a good school".

Dr Sahlberg says Finnish parents really do believe that all Finnish schools are equal. That would explain the puzzled looks given by Finnish parents when The Sunday Times asked how they select a school for their children. The answer: They pick the one closest to home.

Dr Sahlberg points out that the Pisa results show that the gap between high and low achievers in Finland is the smallest in the world.

The main aim of its policymakers since the 1980s has been to ensure that every child should be given the same opportunity to learn, regardless of family background or income.

In Finland, education is free from pre-school to university level. Government spending on education makes up 6.8 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

All Finnish schools offer free meals, free health care, free psychological counselling and free individualised student guidance.

The country's education system did not start out this way. Back in the 1960s, less than 10 per cent of students continued their education until the age of 18. There was nationwide standardised testing for children at age 11. Children who scored in the top 25 per cent went to private schools that charged high fees.

But starting in the mid-1970s, education reforms were introduced. Private schools were scrapped and all schools became publicly funded. Pre-school teachers attended a three-year degree course, while those heading to teach in primary and secondary schools studied for five years up to master's level.

Streaming of students to put them on either the vocational or academic tracks was pushed to a later stage, at age 16.

Class sizes were kept to an average of 25 students. Teachers were allowed to design their own lessons. Instead of examinations, teachers assessed students using tests they designed themselves. Grades in report cards were based not just on test scores, but also on projects and class participation.

Periodically, the Education Ministry would track a few sample groups of children across a range of schools to make sure the system was working.

There was opposition to the reforms at first, with some groups calling for a return to examinations and streaming.

But the results of the first Pisa studies in 2000 and the second in 2003 changed people's minds. Finnish children were among the top performers in mathematics, science and literacy.

Soon, educators from around the world were flocking to Finland, hoping to learn the secret to its success.

"Once, people used to come to Finland to learn about Nokia. Now, they come here to learn about our school system," says Dr Sahlberg, who receives numerous invitations from around the world to give talks and attend education conferences.

Dr Sahlberg, who has been appointed visiting professor by Harvard University, says: "When the first Pisa study came out, most Finns didn't believe it. But we came out tops again in the second survey. The best thing that Pisa did was that it silenced those who wanted to go back to having private schools and national examinations."

But he is quick to correct any misconceptions among visiting educators that the system, from pre-school to university, is laid-back. He notes that although examinations and streaming do not exist in the lower levels, students have to sit examinations at age 18.

At 16, more than 90 per cent of students choose to further their education through either "general" or "vocational" upper secondary schools.

Vocational students usually head to polytechnics or enter the job market. Those in the academic general stream have to sit a national examination to get a place in university.

Universities also set their own entrance tests to select students for specific courses.

However, there are those who believe the Finnish system is not suitable for all countries, including Singapore.

While Finland's population is similar in size to Singapore's, it is largely homogeneous, with people speaking the same language, Finnish.

Also, Finland has a generous social welfare system where education and health care are free. But Finnish taxes are among the highest in the world at 44 per cent of GDP, reported Reuters. The income tax rate ranges from 6.5 per cent to 31.75 per cent. On top of that, Finns pay municipal tax ranging from 16.25 per cent to 22 per cent.

Dr Sahlberg says Singapore is admired for the way it teaches mathematics and science, and for its recruitment and training of teachers.

But one thing that Singapore should consider doing away with is the Primary School Leaving Examination, he says, echoing the views expressed by Stanford University professor Linda Darling-Hammond in a recent interview with The Sunday Times.

"Singapore is one of the few countries in the world to have a high-stakes examination for 12-year-olds," says Dr Sahlberg. "So I wonder why Singaporeans are arguing over scores or bands. Shouldn't the debate be about whether the exams are appropriate for children at such a young age?"

He is aware of the anxiety felt by Singapore educators over the widening gap in school performance between children from disadvantaged homes and those from privileged backgrounds.

Stressing that many elements of the Finnish school system are interwoven with the country's social welfare policies, he says: "As the OECD (Pisa) report stated, the highest-performing education systems are those that are able to combine quality with equity.

"And if there is something that Finland can show others, it is what equity and equal opportunity in education look like. And it is possible to achieve excellence along with equity."

eng81157
02-10-13, 08:45
sometimes risk is misunderstood.

for eg, the risk of death is double if you do B instead of A. doing B sounds terrible & scary right?
but risk of A is only 0.000000000001%
and risk of B is only 0.000000000002%.

c-sec requires surgery and anaesthesia - both pose significantly higher risk than natural birth

1. bleeding
2. wound infection
3. adverse reaction to anaesthesia drugs - heightened stroke and heart attack risk
4. devices being left in wound site accidentally
5. formation of ugly surgical scars

hopeful
02-10-13, 10:10
c-sec requires surgery and anaesthesia - both pose significantly higher risk than natural birth

1. bleeding
2. wound infection
3. adverse reaction to anaesthesia drugs - heightened stroke and heart attack risk
4. devices being left in wound site accidentally
5. formation of ugly surgical scars

can all this be translated to mortality rate?
http://www.skepticalob.com/2013/03/yet-another-c-section-study-that-purports-to-show-the-risks-but-ends-up-showing-that-arent-particularly-risky.html
we all can be accused of cherry-picking the data :)

btw, i am still thinking about space - how to neutralise the longer bed stays.

onglai
02-10-13, 10:34
can all this be translated to mortality rate?
http://www.skepticalob.com/2013/03/yet-another-c-section-study-that-purports-to-show-the-risks-but-ends-up-showing-that-arent-particularly-risky.html
we all can be accused of cherry-picking the data :)

btw, i am still thinking about space - how to neutralise the longer bed stays.

actually if u want to plan swee swee which day to give birth, just induce, not necessary must c-section ma....

hopeful
02-10-13, 11:02
actually if u want to plan swee swee which day to give birth, just induce, not necessary must c-section ma....

alamak u find out my secret liao.;)
and booking airplane ticket in advance is so much cheaper.
not only the date, the hour of birth also important. that's why i go for c-section instead of natural, induce.

onglai
02-10-13, 12:35
alamak u find out my secret liao.;)
and booking airplane ticket in advance is so much cheaper.
not only the date, the hour of birth also important. that's why i go for c-section instead of natural, induce.

..... human count lose to heaven count leh....

:banghead:

eng81157
02-10-13, 13:31
can all this be translated to mortality rate?
http://www.skepticalob.com/2013/03/yet-another-c-section-study-that-purports-to-show-the-risks-but-ends-up-showing-that-arent-particularly-risky.html
we all can be accused of cherry-picking the data :)

btw, i am still thinking about space - how to neutralise the longer bed stays.


yup, there is a correlation between mortality rate and surgery risks.
if you can, you can take over GKY immediately or any of the hospital CEOs. the only way is to reduce complications and eliminate infection, while making sure the OBGY is good in his skills

hopeful
02-10-13, 14:41
yup, there is a correlation between mortality rate and surgery risks.
if you can, you can take over GKY immediately or any of the hospital CEOs. the only way is to reduce complications and eliminate infection, while making sure the OBGY is good in his skills

so the risk u mentioned:
1. bleeding
2. wound infection
3. adverse reaction to anaesthesia drugs - heightened stroke and heart attack risk
4. devices being left in wound site accidentally
5. formation of ugly surgical scars
results is 2 more additional death per 100k.

from the article, mortality rate for normal delivery is 6 per 100k. for c-section is 8 per 100k. not a big difference.

also from the same article
"if 1 million women underwent C-section at 39 weeks instead of waiting for onset of labor and attempting vaginal delivery, 692 more babies would be saved, 517 cases of intracranial hemorrhage and 377 brachial plexus injuries would be prevented."

if convert to per 100k, 69 babies would be saved.
the mathematics like this
no of women died (6-8) = -2
no of babies saved 69
total live save 67.

I am still waiting for a "Liu Bei" to visit me 3x. Sigh...such is the life of an undiscovered "Zhuge Liang" :)

hopeful
02-10-13, 14:44
..... human count lose to heaven count leh....

:banghead:

ya la, heaven count numero uno. but human beings can at least mitigate the negative effects and enhance positive effects.
If not, why people pay so good money to ask for good date, time, also select the chinese name carefully?

heavenly good luck is like being born to BJ21's family, NTFs, Wees, Lees.
but not many people have such good luck.

eng81157
02-10-13, 15:11
so the risk u mentioned:
1. bleeding
2. wound infection
3. adverse reaction to anaesthesia drugs - heightened stroke and heart attack risk
4. devices being left in wound site accidentally
5. formation of ugly surgical scars
results is 2 more additional death per 100k.

from the article, mortality rate for normal delivery is 6 per 100k. for c-section is 8 per 100k. not a big difference.

also from the same article
"if 1 million women underwent C-section at 39 weeks instead of waiting for onset of labor and attempting vaginal delivery, 692 more babies would be saved, 517 cases of intracranial hemorrhage and 377 brachial plexus injuries would be prevented."

if convert to per 100k, 69 babies would be saved.
the mathematics like this
no of women died (6-8) = -2
no of babies saved 69
total live save 67.

I am still waiting for a "Liu Bei" to visit me 3x. Sigh...such is the life of an undiscovered "Zhuge Liang" :)

the difference is +33% in risk, and that is significant. you are only looking at mortality rate, which isn't the entire picture. while i said that there is a correlation between the risk factors and heightened mortality rate, they should not be viewed as similar - e.g. post-op infection/stroke/heart attack incidences are not reflected in mortality rate.

secondly, the glaring error of the article is that the author's analysis is based on figures which aren't scientifically derived - i.e. merely "probabilities". the author has acknowledged that no actual study has been done too.

thirdly, even if there is data collected, who is to verify that one OBGY's skills is equal to another?

teddybear
02-10-13, 16:52
For all those extreme dog-lovers who say cannot anyhow put down stray dogs and cannot ill-treat them by capturing them, they should just take home all those stray dogs and adopt them instead of letting them roam the streets, because these stray dogs' bites can kill! Who want to be responsible when people are biten by these stray dogs and may even died hah? :rolleyes:


------------------------------------------------
Father Sucks Rabies-Infected Blood from Dog-Bitten Son, Dies
by Fauna on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 249 comments
A Chinese father dies of rabies after trying to save his dog-bitten son by using his mouth to directly suck rabies-infected blood out of the son's wound.

From NetEase:

Father Uses Mouth to Suck Poisonous Blood Out of Dog-Bitten Son, Dies from Rabies 1 Month Later
A month ago, after seeing his son’s leg bitten by a stray dog, a 41-year-old Jiang X desperate to save his son used his mouth to suck and spit out the blood from the wound multiple times. His son was timely injected with a rabies vaccine while Jiang X abstained and was not injected with rabies vaccine.

Two days ago, Jiang X felt unwell and was diagnosed with rabies by the hospital. On the early morning of the 24th, Jiang X died despite medical care.

A. Rescue

Son bitten by dog, father sucked out seven or eight mouthfuls of “poisoned blood”

According to villagers, Jiang X was 41 years old this year, from Sihong county, Qingyang town, Chonggang community. Early morning on August 19th, Jiang X’s not-yet-20-year-old son Young Jiang was outside the door cleaning when a small, dirty, inconspicuous-looking yellow stray dog came up to Young Jiang. Young Jiang paid it no mind nor did he shoo the stray dog away but instead continued cleaning.

Suddenly, this small inconspicuous stray dog bit the Young Jiang’s left calf before turning and running away. “Ai you! I was bitten! Someone help!” shouted Young Jiang as he covered the wound on his leg from the dog bite. Upon hearing his son yell from inside, Jiang X ran out to his son. Neighbors too rushed over one by one, who then pursued the stray dog in the direction it had run, and eventually beat the man-biting little dog to death.

Seeing his son moan in pain, Jiang X was distraught. Desperate to save his son, he hastily got hot water with the help of family and neighbors to rinse his son’s wound. Then, Jiang X did something shocking, squatting down to use his mouth to suck on his son’s wound, sucking out the “poisonous blood” inside before spitting it onto the ground. He sucked and spat seven to eight mouthfuls of “poisoned blood” before he felt more at ease. Then, Jiang X took his son to the nearest hospital where a doctor attended to the wound and timely injected a “rabies vaccine”, about one hour after Young Jiang had been bitten.

However, Jiang X himself did not get a “rabies vaccine” injection. Jiang X even said to neighbors: “Getting a ‘rabies vaccine’ shot for my son is enough. A ‘rabies vaccine’ shot for me would require more money and I’d have to get several shots, avoid eating this or that so I won’t get vaccinated, because what are the chances that I’ll be infected without getting vaccinated?”

B. Onset

Over a month later, father smashes ambulance after onset of rabies

Two days ago, Jiang X felt unwell. Upon suspecting ‘rabies’ from his symptoms, the local hospital urged his relatives to take him to the provincial capital’s hospital for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible. Jiang X was subsequently diagnosed with “rabies” by a Nanjing hospital. Because this disease cannot be cured, his family could only forgo treatment.

On the night of September 23rd, when the Nanjing hospital had transported him to his home via ambulance, Jiang X suddenly lost control and became volatile, breaking multiple glass windows on the ambulance as well as the equipment in the ambulance. It was already around 10pm at night, and after the Sihong county Zhonggang local police station received a 110 call, station chief Wang Yao brought police officer Ye Wenchao and 3 auxiliary officers along in rushing to the scene.

Because people infected with rabies are extremely aggressive and infectious, the police and auxiliary police on the scene had to simultaneously disperse the crowds and work with Jiang X’s family in comforting and persuading him, trying to calm his irritable state of mind. However, Jiang X’s state of mind simply could not be calmed and the surrounding villagers were also exceptionally frightened by the situation they were witnessing. To avoid triggering a panic among the villagers, Wang Yao braved being infected with ‘rabies’, boarded the ambulance, and told the driver to take Jiang X away from the village.

Wang Yao also urgently requested assistance from the head of the Sihong county public security bureau. Soon after, Jiang X was being taken to the infectious diseases department at a Sihong county hospital for medical treatment.

C. Death

Hours after being taken to the hospital, he died under treatment

However, before the ambulance carrying Jiang X had driven very far, Jiang X again became abnormally irritable and agitated. Suddenly, Jiang X had his left arm around his father’s neck while holding a piece of broken glass in his right hand, threatening his father demanding that he be cure him of his disease.

After the ambulance was forced to stop, station chief Wang Yao consoled Jiang X from the back door of the ambulance to divert his attention while several special police team members immediately entered the ambulance through the side door and quickly restrained Jiang X’s arms, legs, and head, simultaneously rescuing the father.

Then, the ambulance carrying Jiang X was escorted to a Sihong country hospital’s infectious diseases department. At 3am in the early morning of the 24th, just a few hours after being taken to the hospital, Jiang X died while being treated.

teddybear
02-10-13, 20:43
link between giving and happiness? - What a joke!
It is like some pastors telling their followers that the more they donate to their church, the more the god will return the money back to them in multiples! :mad:
To achieve happiness in Singapore, one has to have enough money for a comfortable retirement first (and make sure they don't under-budget for medical expenses - it will cost a bomb as they age!). Only those who can afford "LUXURY" retirement has the means to donate to charity! :rolleyes:


===================================
Singapore study finds link between giving and happiness

Yahoo Newsroom – Mon, Sep 30, 2013

Giving and well-being are strongly linked, according to a study in Singapore by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (http://www.nvpc.org.sg/) (NVPC).

Conducted by NVPC with Singapore Management University (SMU) psychology professor David Chan, the study showed that people in Singapore who volunteer or donate are more likely to be satisfied and happy with their lives.

The study found that among people who volunteered or donated or both, two-thirds (66 per cent) were satisfied and happy with their lives, NVPC said in a statement on Monday.

In contrast, among non-givers, less than half (45 per cent) had high subjective well-being, the organisation said.

The study also found that a higher proportion of those who served 12 or more volunteer hours in the past 12 months had high subjective well-being compared to those who served less (71 per cent vs 63 per cent).

Also, a higher proportion of those who gave $100 or more in the past 12 months had high subjective well-being compared to those who gave less (72 per cent vs 59 per cent), according to the study.

It found that the pattern of findings remained after taking income status into account.

"Happy people are more likely to give, but people who give also tend to become happier. This is because the act of giving not only benefits the recipient but also leads to positive outcomes for the giver," said Chan, who is also director of SMU's Behavioural Sciences Institute.

"When you give, you derive a sense of personal meaning from helping others. You also become more grateful for your own life conditions as you appreciate the situation of those who are less fortunate," he added.

The study, using a nationally-representative sample, is part of NVPC’s Individual Giving Survey 2012.

teddybear
05-10-13, 22:55
So expanding the number of places for DSA is to cater for the kids of the rich (1 person's income, the wife is a housewife) who can afford to send their kids for "tuition" for sports, under the watchful eyes of the best coaches in Singapore? I heard such coaches demand a rate of about $120-180 per hour! Oh, so how about those poorer family kids who parents can't afford such top-notch ($ RATE) coaches hah? :doh:


===============================
Tuition for sports? - Every Wednesday, Rachel Seet is rushed from Marine Parade to Bukit Timah just for tuition.

She gobbles up her lunch after school at 1pm and makes a quick change before she sprints out of the door for evening lessons. Rachel is only 10. Her tuition is not in Chinese or mathematics. That's reserved for other days of the week. Books and stationery give way to sports gear that she takes to her "tuition centre" - the Ministry of Education's Co-Curricular Activities Branch Stadium at Bukit Timah.
She spends two hours watched by eagle-eyed professional track and field coaches from Fabian Williams Coaching Concepts. They watch her every stride, correcting the budding 100m sprinter's running posture and technique. Yes, Rachel, like several other children now, is put through sports tuition.
This is on top of the track and field training sessions with her own primary school. Those are conducted twice a week for two hours each time. On some days, it's a 7am to 7pm day for Rachel. She's part of a growing trend as parents push their children to excel in sports so that they can enrol in a school through the Direct School Admission (DSA) programme.
Last month, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said in a written parliamentary response that about 15,000 DSA applications are received by secondary schools each year. But only about 2,800 students - or 15 per cent - get a place .
With such fierce competition, Rachel's parents felt she wasn't doing enough, even with eight hours of extra curricular activities a week. So earlier this year, they signed her up with Fabian Williams Coaching Concepts, hoping to bolster her success on the track.
"She's doing fine in school, but we cannot rely on PSLE grades alone," said Rachel's mother, Ms Joyce Neo, a housewife in her 40s. "So we decided to push her in other areas that could give opportunities for her to enter the top schools."
- See more at: http://www.edvantage.com.sg/content/tuition-sports#sthash.D8K3LFzV.dpuf

DKSG
06-10-13, 01:15
So expanding the number of places for DSA is to cater for the kids of the rich (1 person's income, the wife is a housewife) who can afford to send their kids for "tuition" for sports, under the watchful eyes of the best coaches in Singapore? I heard such coaches demand a rate of about $120-180 per hour! Oh, so how about those poorer family kids who parents can't afford such top-notch ($ RATE) coaches hah? :doh:



It wont take long before young kids start to ask themselves what is this life all about ?

Born, start school at 3 years old, parent volunteer, P sch, push, tuition, Sec Sch, more push, more tultion, go JC/Poly, compete, psuh harder, follow the crowd. Others decide what is success, they blindly follow, demand PC, demand car, slog their lives away, blah blah ...

Is that a life worth living ? Is this called a life ?

DKSG

teddybear
06-10-13, 20:57
For Western retirees, the Asian lure is hard to resist

http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/tNR16XuZI4crCIqEQTnusg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9Zml0O2g9MjA-/http://l.yimg.com/os/672/2013/05/22/cnbc-byline-and-rr-title-png-210454-png-052435-png_051523.png (http://www.cnbc.com/?__source=yahoo%7Cfinance%7Clogo%7C%7Chomepage%7C&par=yahoo)By Katie Holliday | CNBC – Thu, Oct 3, 2013 10:53 AM SGT


British retirees Les and Sally Page had never considered retiring early in Asia, until a holiday to Thailand five years ago prompted a snap decision.
"We were on holiday on the island of Ko Samui and within five days we both knew we wanted to retire there," said 59-year old Sally. "It has a magical feeling that can't be explained."
The appeal of retirement in Thailand (http://www.cnbc.com/id/49007985?__source=yahoo%7Cfinance%7Cinline%7Cstory%7Cstory&par=yahoo&doc=101049308%7CFor%20Western%20retirees,%20the) extends beyond the idyllic beaches of the island. The British couple said the Southeast Asian country boasts better weather, a greater variety of activities, a slower, easier pace of life and cheaper cost of living than what they are used to.
The Pages are just one couple in a burgeoning group of western retirees who have decided to spend their golden years in Asia.
Immigration figures show that British, American and German retirees made over 35,000 applications for retirement visas in Thailand in 2011 and is forecast to grow to 45,000 by the end of 2013, according to Sasha Nugent, analyst at U.K. based foreign exchange Caxton FX (https://www.caxtonfx.com/).
Nugent is seeing more and more U.K.-based retirees moving to Asia. "The most popular countries appear to be in South East Asia, in particular Thailand and Singapore," she said.


Mea Attwood, a 58-year old British retiree who moved to Thailand five years ago, said cheaper living costs in comparison to the U.K. have allowed her to live a more luxurious and healthier lifestyle than she would at home.
"We are able to look after ourselves better in Asia. We can afford regular massages, for example, something that would be a real treat in the U.K.," said Mea.
"Plus there is no council tax in Thailand, and water and electricity is cheaper," she added.
Interestingly, Caxton FX's Nugent said Singapore still manages to lure a large number of expat retirees, despite the fact that living costs, particularly the cost of renting or buying property (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100992671?__source=yahoo%7Cfinance%7Cinline%7Cstory%7Cstory&par=yahoo&doc=101049308%7CFor%20Western%20retirees,%20the), are relatively high in comparison with the rest of Asia or the United Kingdom.
"Although generally, [Singapore] is just as pricey as the U.K. in terms of living expenses, there is good and low cost travel, not forgetting the cultural benefits," she said, adding that the city state is also viewed positively because of its financial stability and good banking system.



Now, the downside
But the comforts of the orient do come with their share of disadvantages. Quality health care in Southeast Asia, for example, can be expensive especially in the case of treating long-term illnesses.
"Health insurance is not really affordable once you get to 70 and medical bills are very expensive," Les and Sally said.
"It's reasonably cheap to visit the doctor or the hospital, but in the case of a serious illness, then we would have to consider whether we could afford ongoing treatment," added Mea.


Imported products in local supermarkets can also be pricier. 62-year-old British retiree John Harvey, who chose to retire in Malaysia four years ago, said alcohol is "disproportionately expensive," adding that this was not something he begrudged and fully accepted as part of living in a different culture.
He also cited the higher levels of crime in the region, which played a key role in his choice of retirement destination. John ruled out the Philippines from his shortlist of five countries due to safety concerns, ultimately settling on Malaysia, although he noted that reports of crime in the country have risen recently.
"If you read the press there is an increasing number of incidences of crime... I don't feel threatened but I've always adopted the policy of not drawing attention to yourself and not going to areas that are regarded as unsafe," John said.


For Les and Sally, road safety is among their biggest worries living in Thailand. "The driving is dreadful and it's a risk you take every day you go out," said the British couple. "Many people drink and drive, there are rarely any police unless you do have an accident," they added.
Still, for the Pages, the benefits far outweigh these concerns.
In Ko Samui, they live comfortably in a three-bedroom villa with a swimming pool and eat out several times a week, paying £1,500 ($2,358) a month for their total living costs, although Sally noted that they could easily live off around £100 pounds a week if they wanted to.
This compares with monthly living costs in the U.K. (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100958298?__source=yahoo%7Cfinance%7Cinline%7Cstory%7Cstory&par=yahoo&doc=101049308%7CFor%20Western%20retirees,%20the) of around £2,000; and this amount doesn't include eating out as often or the cost of running a swimming pool.
For John, he still gets startled by the difference in living costs when he makes trips back home to the U.K.
"The prices shock me when I go back to England. The cost of doing anything ," he said.
[I]-By CNBC's Katie Holliday: Follow her on Twitter@hollidaykatie (https://twitter.com/hollidaykatie)

teddybear
06-10-13, 21:03
1 of my friends lamented that Singapore Education is training "Robots", and not to groom kids with creativity and innovativeness! They were saying that now at P6 level, they are studying something similar to the olden days GCE level in English!

And for Science, MOE has taken away the syllabus, yes, now no Science syllabus so that MOE can set any questions for Science in PSLE (to alleviate people complaining that they set questions outside of the syllabus), and the students preparing for PSLE Science have to study everything under the sun if they hope to score well!

Similar cases have been reported for PSLE Math where questions were set outside of the main-stream syllabus, with GEP parents rumoured to have leaked that those questions were taught in GEP programme, & they said no wonder they were told that GEP contents, questions, materials cannot be leaked to non-GEP students/parents! (Those GEP kids lucky loh, because they don't need to care since they don't need PSLE results to get into top IP sec schools!). :doh:

Worse, just recently, the newspaper reported that parents leaked that a top school teacher told them that there is such thing called "Scientific English" which is different from "Standard English" and the students aswering PSLE Science questions must use "Scientific English"! Wow! Friends are saying their kids are never taught "Scientific English"! So who are being taught then? Only top schools, such as GEP schools? Question, question, more questions! :beats-me-man:



It wont take long before young kids start to ask themselves what is this life all about ?

Born, start school at 3 years old, parent volunteer, P sch, push, tuition, Sec Sch, more push, more tultion, go JC/Poly, compete, psuh harder, follow the crowd. Others decide what is success, they blindly follow, demand PC, demand car, slog their lives away, blah blah ...

Is that a life worth living ? Is this called a life ?

DKSG

wirehtc
06-10-13, 21:27
1 of my friends lamented that Singapore Education is training "Robots", and not to groom kids with creativity and innovativeness! They were saying that now at P6 level, they are studying something similar to the olden days GCE level in English!

And for Science, MOE has taken away the syllabus, yes, now no Science syllabus so that MOE can set any questions for Science in PSLE (to alleviate people complaining that they set questions outside of the syllabus), and the students preparing for PSLE Science have to study everything under the sun if they hope to score well!

Similar cases have been reported for PSLE Math where questions were set outside of the main-stream syllabus, with GEP parents rumoured to have leaked that those questions were taught in GEP programme, & they said no wonder they were told that GEP contents, questions, materials cannot be leaked to non-GEP students/parents! (Those GEP kids lucky loh, because they don't need to care since they don't need PSLE results to get into top IP sec schools!). :doh:

Worse, just recently, the newspaper reported that parents leaked that a top school teacher told them that there is such thing called "Scientific English" which is different from "Standard English" and the students aswering PSLE Science questions must use "Scientific English"! Wow! Friends are saying their kids are never taught "Scientific English"! So who are being taught then? Only top schools, such as GEP schools? Question, question, more questions! :beats-me-man:

Why are you jealous of GEP again?

teddybear
06-10-13, 21:49
What do I need to be jealous of GEP? The GEP is seriously and obviously flawed! NOT something that we can be proud of? simply wasting tax payers' monies! They repeat the same syllabus over and over again for many batches, to the extent of refraining GEP parents and kids from sharing GEP materials to the mainstreams and citing that their questions/materials are difficult to set/prepare and hence they need to recycle those materials, so cannot share those materials??? Does it sound something very stupid and wrong to you! GEP program is the main evil of whole problem of the crappy Singapore education system now. Why? This is because the most difficult PSLE questions are being taught in GEP and mainstreams students are denied to learn. To handle those difficult questions in PSLE, many parents packed their kids with lots of questions!


The equivalent of Singapore's gifted education scheme or Normal or Express streams would be illegal in western countries like Finland, Germany, etc because its education policy calls for all children to be given the same opportunities. "All children are given equal opportunities. We should put equity ahead of producing top students,". Please don't waste the tax payers' monies to these stupid inequality system. :doh:



Why are you jealous of GEP again?

minority
06-10-13, 23:08
It wont take long before young kids start to ask themselves what is this life all about ?

Born, start school at 3 years old, parent volunteer, P sch, push, tuition, Sec Sch, more push, more tultion, go JC/Poly, compete, psuh harder, follow the crowd. Others decide what is success, they blindly follow, demand PC, demand car, slog their lives away, blah blah ...

Is that a life worth living ? Is this called a life ?

DKSG



Dont go lor.. never get to study 1 will ask whats fair in life. how come I never get to study. get to study 1 ask why the aim in life. study for what.

there is no end. the haves will ask wats the pt and aim in life . the haves not will always want the stuff of those who have.

minority
06-10-13, 23:09
Why are you jealous of GEP again?



forever jealous .

minority
06-10-13, 23:11
1 of my friends lamented that Singapore Education is training "Robots", and not to groom kids with creativity and innovativeness! They were saying that now at P6 level, they are studying something similar to the olden days GCE level in English!

And for Science, MOE has taken away the syllabus, yes, now no Science syllabus so that MOE can set any questions for Science in PSLE (to alleviate people complaining that they set questions outside of the syllabus), and the students preparing for PSLE Science have to study everything under the sun if they hope to score well!

Similar cases have been reported for PSLE Math where questions were set outside of the main-stream syllabus, with GEP parents rumoured to have leaked that those questions were taught in GEP programme, & they said no wonder they were told that GEP contents, questions, materials cannot be leaked to non-GEP students/parents! (Those GEP kids lucky loh, because they don't need to care since they don't need PSLE results to get into top IP sec schools!). :doh:

Worse, just recently, the newspaper reported that parents leaked that a top school teacher told them that there is such thing called "Scientific English" which is different from "Standard English" and the students aswering PSLE Science questions must use "Scientific English"! Wow! Friends are saying their kids are never taught "Scientific English"! So who are being taught then? Only top schools, such as GEP schools? Question, question, more questions! :beats-me-man:



Maybe u never think the parents themselves are lazy then? Dont like to be robot dont go school lor. go play in the street and be creative lor.

have liao any education system will also pass 1. dont jealous.

No liao give u use ROCKET ENGLISH also cannot lift off.

teddybear
08-10-13, 20:33
I agree. Have liao don't need GEP to make them better. It is precisely they just using tax-payers money to try to make them good but they bo liao so need GEP and their materials need to be so secretive? Viola! You score own goal! :ashamed1:
What can I say when the MOE is not doing their job? :doh:


Maybe u never think the parents themselves are lazy then? Dont like to be robot dont go school lor. go play in the street and be creative lor.

have liao any education system will also pass 1. dont jealous.

No liao give u use ROCKET ENGLISH also cannot lift off.

minority
08-10-13, 21:04
I agree. Have liao don't need GEP to make them better. It is precisely they just using tax-payers money to try to make them good but they bo liao so need GEP and their materials need to be so secretive? Viola! You score own goal! :ashamed1:
What can I say when the MOE is not doing their job? :doh:

u so smart u go run loh. bo liao one can only kpkb mah.:doh::doh::doh:

teddybear
08-10-13, 21:41
There are many bo liao ones that are up there because of connections and not because they got liao, no wonder things don't get done yet they wanting lots of salary! :o
Got liao ones may not get the chance to be in there, but doesn't matter, we earn lots of money outside using our own ability, don't need connections. Connections to go up there only required for those bo liao ones............... :p



u so smart u go run loh. bo liao one can only kpkb mah.:doh::doh::doh:

teddybear
13-10-13, 13:30
High-rise killer litters in HDB estates - When can they stop???


======================================
A rock & a high place




http://news.asiaone.com/sites/default/files/original_images/Oct2013/tnp_skull.jpg


Sunday, October 13, 2013 - 06:30Matthaeus Choo


The New Paper



Over the past few weeks, killer litter has been raining down from Block 611 in Woodlands Ring Road.
The block is next to Woodlands Ring Primary School, a playground and a badminton court, and it seems the litter is aimed at driving away noisy youngsters from the area.

It was probably a matter of time before someone would get hurt.
The unfortunate person turned out to be a 12-year-old boy who was hit by a rock thrown from a high floor on Tuesday.
The rock, about the size of a man's fist, cracked the skull of Khairul Azhar, a Primary 6 pupil in the school.
The incident happened at about 3pm at the badminton court where Khairul was chatting with his friends near a group of skateboarding teenagers.
Then he heard a loud sound.
When he turned around, he saw that a brick had landed very close to where he was sitting.
"When I saw the brick, we all started running because we were afraid of getting hit," Khairul told The New Paper from his hospital bed at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) on Thursday.
"But before I could reach the nearby shelter, I felt a sharp pain on my head."





He collapsed to the ground crying as blood flowed from his head.
"I thought I was going to die," he said. A resident of Block 611, who wanted to be known only as Madam Shikin, was walking by with her two children when she saw Khairul crying in pain while covered in blood.
The 33-year-old housewife said: "It looked like the bleeding was very severe. His head was completely covered in blood.
"I told him I would call for an ambulance."
Madam Shikin was shocked by the incident, saying: "My two kids are studying in the same school.
What if it was my kids who had got hit?"
Residents told TNP that items like soiled diapers, dirty water, cigarette butts and even a bicycle had been thrown down the block.
Meanwhile, two of Khairul's friends ran back to the school to alert a teacher while two other friends went to his flat in the block to inform his family.
Khairul said the school's operations manager took him to the school and administered first aid in the general office until an ambulance arrived.
The ambulance, which arrived at 3.40pm, took him to KKH for treatment.
Khairul's 17-year-old brother had phoned their father, Mr Amran Mael, at about 3.15pm to tell him what happened.
The 46-year-old graphics designer said: "My second son was panicking as he tried to explain to me what had happened to his brother.
"I told him to speak slowly and to take care of his brother first as I was still busy with work."
He rushed to the hospital as soon as he realised that Khairul, the youngest of his three sons, was badly hurt.
"Khairul was conscious when he reached the hospital and the only apparent injury was a 2cm cut on the right side of his head," Mr Amran said.
"But an X-ray scan showed that his skull was fractured. The impact of the rock had caused a deep dent on his skull."
OPERATION
Fearing possible damage to his brain, doctors operated on Khairul at 9.10pm.
They had to use titanium surgical screws to elevate the skull away from the brain.
The screws will remain in Khairul's skull for life and he could experience fits in the future as a side effect.
Mr Amran made a police report that night after Khairul's successful operation.
Khairul is now in stable condition.
Mr Amran hopes the culprit gets caught so that such an incident does not happen again.
"There was no reason for this to happen," the distraught father said.
"My son was only hanging out with his friends.
What if the rock had been bigger or if it had been thrown from an even higher floor? It could have been fatal."
Police investigations are ongoing.
Those convicted of committing a rash act, such as throwing killer litter, can be jailed for up to six months or fined up to $2,500, or both.
Noisy pupils targeted
Screaming pupils from a nearby school, skateboarders and teenagers often use the badminton court near the school as their playground.
The new paper understands that residents of nearby block 611 have complained to Woodlands Ring primary school about the noise.
Residents said they have seen its discipline master making occasional patrols around the area to ask noisy pupils to lower their volume.
Of late, litter has been thrown from the block in the direction of the badminton court, and tnp understands that the pupils and teenagers are often the target of the litter.
Residents said the litter included soiled diapers, cigarette butts and dirty water, but they believed tuesday was the first time that someone has got hurt.
The incident has made some of them more wary when walking below the block.
Madam Chan, a 50-yearold resident of block 611 for 10 years, worries that she and her mother-in-law, who is 70, might become victims of killer litter.
The housewife said: "it might get noisy because of the kids but nobody should throw rocks like that.
Dangerous
"This is so dangerous. What if my mother-in-law was passing by and a rock hits her? it is so irresponsible.
"Thankfully, there is a sheltered walkway all the way from the bus stop to the block."
Another resident, taxi driver Akbar Ali, 48, said killer litter is a common sight at the bottom of the block.
He recalled that a bicycle was thrown down a few months ago.
"The things people throw down can get very scary, so all we can do is try to avoid walking below the block," he said.
Past killer incidents
APRIL 2013
BLOCK 222, serangoon avenue 4
Bricks were thrown from an HDB block to a nearby open-air car park, damaging at least three vehicles. Killer litter has been a problem in the block, with residents reporting fish tails, tea bags, balls of toilet paper and tissue being thrown.
AUGUST 2012
BLOCK 465, ang mo Kio avenue 10
Police arrested a 39-year old man after he threw a mahjong table in a fit of rage from the common corridor outside his ninth storey flat. the incident was sparked by an argument between the man and his cousin.
JUNE 2012
Clementi avenue 2
Police arrested a 19-year-old boy after he threw a flower pot from an HDB block and damaged a covered walkway. he was believed to have been involved in at least four other cases of mischief, also by throwing down flower pots placed outside HDB units around Clementi avenue 2.

teddybear
13-10-13, 13:34
Repost here for archival because very important to remember... :tsk-tsk:


===========================
Oil Refinery Toxics Found in Air of Nearby Homes! omg omg!! How about the below? Better watch out what toxic gases are flowing into your JGateway within 7 km of all these refineries / incinerators / power generation plants etc!
You think our NEA has as much will, resources, and capability to conduct research that are as thorough and as deep and as complex as those in USA? :tongue3:
Their Researchers tested samples of indoor and outdoor air for over 150 chemicals.
Don't know NEA can and willing to test for just 100 chemicals for homes within 10km of those refineries or not? :rolleyes:


Quote:
Originally Posted by Ringo33 http://forums.condosingapore.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://forums.condosingapore.com/showthread.php?p=437477#post437477)
Will it be ok if I quote what you said to NEA and ask them to response to your comments about people living in Jurong having higher risk of cancer?

Oil Refinery Toxics Found in Air of Nearby Homes

March 29, 2010

Test Results Released as EPA Considers Addressing Refinery Pollution
Chevron Urges Court to Allow Expansion of a Refinery
Toxics from a Chevron oil refinery were found in the indoor air of homes in Richmond, California, according to a peer-reviewed study in American Journal of Public Health. The results are being released as the EPA considers measures to reduce pollution from refineries nationwide, and as Chevron is appealing a court decision barring the expansion of one of the nation’s largest refineries in Richmond, California.
Researchers tested samples of indoor and outdoor air for over 150 chemicals in 40 homes in Richmond, California (low-income, predominantly minority neighborhoods bordering a Chevron oil refinery, marine shipping corridors and other polluters), and 10 homes in Bolinas, CA (a non-industrial comparison community). The air indoors, where Americans spend 90 percent of their time, was more polluted than the air outdoors in both communities, with 104 toxics detected inside Richmond homes and 69 in Bolinas.
This study marks the first time that indoor air was tested to fingerprint pollutants from oil refineries and shipping corridors. “We found that living near an oil refinery adds exposures that may be hazardous to your health,” said Julia Brody, PhD, lead author of the study and Executive Director of Silent Spring Institute. “Toxic pollution from oil refineries doesn’t stay outside; it seeps into homes, where people spend most of their time. We hope that federal regulators and the courts will take our findings into consideration as they address air pollution from refineries nationwide.”
Air in Richmond homes had more chemicals present and at higher concentrations than in Bolinas. Fine particulates (PM2.5) were found at concentrations above California’s annual ambient air quality standard in nearly half of Richmond homes even though the residents were nonsmokers. Particulates are considered an aggregate measure of air pollution. Health studies have linked them to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, including premature death.
Levels of vanadium and nickel in Richmond were among the highest in the state, implicating heavy oil combustion from the nearby refinery and marine port. These compounds indicate the presence in homes of hundreds of unmeasured pollutants from the refinery.
Richmond, in Contra Costa County, has high cancer and respiratory risks associated with industrial air toxics. The county’s 15% asthma prevalence rate is among the state’s highest.
“There are a lot of people in this community, a lot of people with cancer. A lot of people with asthma, the children have a high incidence of asthma here,” said one Richmond study participant.
The Richmond Chevron refinery is one of the nation’s largest, covering 2,900 acres and processing over 240,000 barrels of crude oil a day into gasoline, jet fuel, diesel, and lubricants. Communities for a Better Environment has voiced concerns about air pollution from flaring (venting and uncontrolled burning of gaseous emissions in routine operations and emergencies) and has sued to block Chevron’s requested permit changes to replace and add equipment that reportedly would increase emissions of sulfur dioxide, sulfates, and metals by refining lower grade crude oil with higher sulfur content.
“Richmond residents living by Chevron’s oil refinery are already worried about health risks from air pollution. Now is the time to reduce pollution by making a green transition, rather then lock in dirtier crude refining that could exacerbate health issues and climate change,” said Jessica Tovar, a community organizer with Communities for a Better Environment.
The California State Court of Appeal has not yet ruled on Chevron’s appeal of a July 2009 court decision that put the Chevron permit changes on hold in response to a lawsuit brought by CBE and other community organizations. The court ruled that the Environmental Impact Report supported by Chevron and approved by the City of Richmond was illegal because it did not disclose whether the project will allow Chevron to process dirtier oil or address the cumulative pollution burden on Richmond residents.
The study was conducted by Silent Spring Institute, the University of California, Berkeley, Brown University, and Communities for a Better Environment (an environmental justice organization). The California Department of Public Health, Commonweal, Breast Cancer Fund, and Breast Cancer Action contributed information to the study.

teddybear
13-10-13, 13:36
Repost here for archival and easier for all to refer to...

============================
Yes, you are right hot air rises, creating vacuum which is further filled up by those toxic gases because those toxic gases and chemicals don't rise up to the sky but will infiltrate indoors into many ground and low level houses (according to the US research report which conducted the first comprehensive research on measuring 150 chemicals in houses near from refineries, a portion of the report of which I cut and paste below for your reference). Many of these toxic chemicals stay around ground levels and up to a few storeys high because of perturbations!

You can don't believe me, but you should believe the UK research report in 2013 which is further published in MyPaper on "住八楼以上早死风险少22%", linked below for your reference:
http://forums.condosingapore.com/sho...=13282&page=11 (http://forums.condosingapore.com/showthread.php?t=13282&page=11)
*** 这项研究成果刊登在欧洲流行病学期刊(European Journalof Epidemiology)上。

Not only that, the same report has been cited in many other countries like below:

想长寿住高层
译者: 笔译实务
发表时间:2013-05-24

住高层是健康长寿的秘密?住在八楼以下早死的可能性是22%
住8楼以上楼层的人,死于肺病的可能性减少40%
死于严重性的心脏病的可能性减少35%
上空的环境也比地面上的污染少噪声低


Not only that, below is another research report conducted in Taiwan which basically comes to similar conclusion:

【台灣醒報記者黃雅娟台北報導】家住在1、2樓嗎?離馬路只有5公尺嗎?你可能已經成為空氣汙染的高風險群。國科會22日公布研究數據指出,大台北地區有80萬人住在高風險區域。大量汽機車排放的廢氣,是造成空氣汙染的主因。
國科會和中研院環境變遷中心聯合進行「都市空氣汙染暴險人口分佈研究」,針對台北市和新北市的居住環境做空氣汙染的風險評估。結果發現,女性且具教育程度高和申報所得稅高等特質,特別是居住在1、2樓,以及在距馬路5公尺內的民眾,都是暴露在空氣汙染中的高風險族群。
中研院副研究員龍世俊表示,國外的研究指出,居住在距離馬路50公尺內的民眾,發生冠狀動脈硬化的機率比在馬路外200公尺的民眾,還要高出六成以上。而大台北都會區更有98%的居民,住家都在馬路50公尺內,這項研究在國外發表時,也引起國外學者關注。
龍世俊分析,未婚女性可能為求生活機能方便,而選擇住在都會區。而台灣的高人口密度和機車密度,造成交通流量大增,也是形成高空氣汙染的主因之一。她指出,肺癌一直是台灣前十大死因,除了吸菸、烹調等原因,空氣汙染也是人體健康的殺手。龍世俊坦言,空氣汙染「沒有最低限值」,只能看你有多強壯。


People should not be iron-teeth to the detriments of themselves. If they want to detriment themselves, it is fine but please stop false propaganda because of self-interests and doing harm to others because of themselves don't want to believe all these research and trying all means to discredit them... :doh:


Quote:
Originally Posted by lajia http://forums.condosingapore.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://forums.condosingapore.com/showthread.php?p=437714#post437714)
hello, one basic u forgotten from school. I told u to go study more already...hot air rises la...so, meaning? I don't think I need to explain that right? :doh:

now go google about the weight of each chemical u mentioned and then tell us what is left on ground level... :D

go study more la. :)



Oil Refinery Toxics Found in Air of Nearby Homes
March 29, 2010

Test Results Released as EPA Considers Addressing Refinery Pollution
Chevron Urges Court to Allow Expansion of a Refinery
Toxics from a Chevron oil refinery were found in the indoor air of homes in Richmond, California, according to a peer-reviewed study in American Journal of Public Health. The results are being released as the EPA considers measures to reduce pollution from refineries nationwide, and as Chevron is appealing a court decision barring the expansion of one of the nation’s largest refineries in Richmond, California.
Researchers tested samples of indoor and outdoor air for over 150 chemicals in 40 homes in Richmond, California (low-income, predominantly minority neighborhoods bordering a Chevron oil refinery, marine shipping corridors and other polluters), and 10 homes in Bolinas, CA (a non-industrial comparison community). The air indoors, where Americans spend 90 percent of their time, was more polluted than the air outdoors in both communities, with 104 toxics detected inside Richmond homes and 69 in Bolinas.
This study marks the first time that indoor air was tested to fingerprint pollutants from oil refineries and shipping corridors. “We found that living near an oil refinery adds exposures that may be hazardous to your health,” said Julia Brody, PhD, lead author of the study and Executive Director of Silent Spring Institute. “Toxic pollution from oil refineries doesn’t stay outside; it seeps into homes, where people spend most of their time. We hope that federal regulators and the courts will take our findings into consideration as they address air pollution from refineries nationwide.”
Air in Richmond homes had more chemicals present and at higher concentrations than in Bolinas. Fine particulates (PM2.5) were found at concentrations above California’s annual ambient air quality standard in nearly half of Richmond homes even though the residents were nonsmokers. Particulates are considered an aggregate measure of air pollution. Health studies have linked them to respiratory and cardiovascular problems, including premature death.
Levels of vanadium and nickel in Richmond were among the highest in the state, implicating heavy oil combustion from the nearby refinery and marine port. These compounds indicate the presence in homes of hundreds of unmeasured pollutants from the refinery.
Richmond, in Contra Costa County, has high cancer and respiratory risks associated with industrial air toxics. The county’s 15% asthma prevalence rate is among the state’s highest.
“There are a lot of people in this community, a lot of people with cancer. A lot of people with asthma, the children have a high incidence of asthma here,” said one Richmond study participant.

teddybear
13-10-13, 13:55
By Linette Heng
The New Paper
Sunday, Oct 13, 2013

The tuition industry here is a multi-million-dollar one. This is evident when you see more tuition centres and education providers taking up retail space in malls.

So is the shopping centre in danger of becoming one giant tuition centre?

A check of 73 malls across Singapore showed that most of them have at least one education centre located in their premises.

Some of them have as many as 17 education centres. Most of these malls are in the heartland or the outskirts of town.

Some shopping centres are starting to restrict the number of education centres while some have welcomed them.

WE CAN'T TAKE MORE

The United Square mall says its quota for education centres has been met. Located in Thomson Road, it positioned itself as a "kids' learning mall" more than 10 years ago.

Today, it is home to 12 education centres, including big names like The Learning Lab, Lorna Whiston Study Centre and Hua Language Centre. Mr Hauw Kheng Lip, deputy general manager (marketing), UOL Group Limited, which owns the mall, told The New Paper: "We continue to receive a healthy stream of inquiries from education/ enrichment centres although our quota for education/enrichment centres currently has already been met."

The Grandstand mall at Turf Club Road, which was formerly known as Turf City, has eight childcare centres and nine enrichment centres after revamping a year ago as a family lifestyle hub. It too says while there is no quota, it will be "more selective".

Mr Benson Tan, chief executive of Cogent Land Capital, which is the developer of the mall, said it is "mindful of the mall's tenant mix and (want to) ensure a balanced variety of offerings for mall patrons".

WE CAN STILL TAKE

The recently revitalised Bukit Timah Plaza has 17 tuition and enrichment centres. It says it can take in a few more.

The second floor of the mall is specially assigned to education-related centres, said Mr Desmond Chan, chairman of the management committee. The mall, which is 35 years old, used to have at least 20 hair salons, car dealers and massage parlours.

"Three years ago, we had a meeting about the trade mix of the mall and we agreed to bring in trades that are familyfriendly," said Mr Chan.

AsiaMalls, which runs six malls such as Tiong Bahru Plaza, White Sands and Hougang Mall, is still on the lookout for such tenants.

Tiong Bahru Plaza has eight education centres while White Sands has five, according to their websites AsiaMalls Management's general manager Stephanie Ho said: "We do recognise that education and enrichment centres meet shoppers' needs and there is a demand for it. Hence where it can add value to our shoppers' experience and lifestyle, we will try to bring in such tenants."

TREND TO CONTINUE

Mr Samuel Tan, course manager of retail management at Temasek Polytechnic, thinks that it may not be a deliberate effort on the part of the malls to take in education centres. But the convenience of the malls means they are attractive to the education centres.

Property expert Colin Tan from Suntec Real Estate Consultants does not think that these centres are the "first priority" of the malls. For one, they pay much lower rent than other tenants at the mall because they are usually located in an obscure part of the mall.

Retail experts, however, said the presence of education centres would benefit the malls because they guarantee a regular, habitual stream of human traffic.

Dr Lynda Wee, an adjunct associate professor from Nanyang Business School, said: "For hair salons, manicure and pedicure parlours, people will visit once a month. But for enrichment centres, visits are once a week.

"It makes sense to be in a mall so that busy parents can enjoy the convenience and multi-task."

teddybear
19-10-13, 10:26
Interesting observation:

Upon analysing the downcycles, we observed that regardless of tenure, the higher the price appreciation during the upturn, the greater the fall during the downturn.

So, which has higher potential price appreciation going forward if property price go up?
Which has higher potential price drop if property price go down?


Is freehold property better than 99-year?

Thursday, Oct 17, 2013
Christine Li
The Business Times
THERE are generally two types of property tenure in Singapore: 99-year leasehold and freehold. We consider 999-year leasehold to be the same as freehold, because their difference in value is negligible.

Freehold properties hold a few advantages over their leasehold counterparts - higher en-bloc potential, slower pace of depreciation and no restrictions on the use of Central Provident Fund for home purchases.

In recent years, new leasehold condominiums seem to have dominated the market. The proportions of new leasehold and freehold condominium sales stand at 95 per cent to 5 per cent respectively as of first half of 2013. In contrast, back in 2006 and 2007, around 70 per cent of new sales were freehold. This could be attributed to the ramp-up of the government land sales programme in recent years and the tightening of en- bloc rules in October 2007.

Proponents of freehold properties might argue that the price appreciation of freehold properties always outstrips that of their leasehold counterparts. This is because leasehold properties will depreciate over the course of their lease.

In order to find out how properties with different tenures but similar attributes perform over time, we picked Southaven I and Southaven II for illustration. Both projects were developed by the Ho Bee Group and share similar attributes such as location, product quality and facilities. Both projects were also launched for sale in 1995, but completed two years apart.

The price gap between Southaven I and II seems to have widened from only 8 per cent at its launch in 1995 to 18 per cent in 2013. But this price trend alone is not conclusive due to uneven and thin transaction volumes. The attributes of units sold in the same year were also not comparable. But it gives a good glimpse of how two projects with different tenures located right next to each other fare over time.

If we are to look at the broader market, freehold condominiums might not always enjoy superior price appreciation over their leasehold counterparts. Our analysis of the freehold and leasehold indices over the last three property cycles shows that out of the three upcycles, the freehold index only outperforms the leasehold index over one cycle between Q3 2006 and Q2 2008.

This is the period just before the global financial crisis when the en-bloc frenzy reached all-time high in terms of number of deals and transaction values.During this upcycle, freehold properties moved up 54 per cent, outperforming leasehold properties which only appreciated 39 per cent. For the other two upcycles, en-bloc activities were fairly muted with fewer deals and much lower transaction values. We can thus infer that en-bloc potential plays a key role in determining the price performance of leasehold and freehold properties.

Interestingly, during the subsequent downturn, freehold condominiums also lost 27 per cent of their value compared to 24 per cent for leasehold condominiums. [B]Upon analysing the downcycles, we observed that regardless of tenure, the higher the price appreciation during the upturn, the greater the fall during the downturn. This was what happened to leasehold properties during the dotcom crash between Q3 2000 and Q2 2002. The prices of leasehold condominiums gained 46 per cent as compared to a milder 38 per cent for freehold condominiums. However, leasehold condominiums fell almost twice as much as their freehold counterparts when the general market went into a slump after the dotcom crash.

In the landed segment, the performance of terrace houses seems to paint a different picture. Freehold terrace houses have outperformed the leasehold ones in all periods except for the downturn during dotcom crash. In good times, they perform better than leasehold ones and in downturns, they also seem more resilient. This could be because of the restrictions on foreigners owning landed properties in Singapore.

So, which is better, freehold or leasehold? Based on the analysis, the answer depends on whether one is buying a landed or non- landed property. If buying a landed property, historical data shows that freehold might be a better choice. If one is buying a leasehold non-landed property in the current upcycle, given the challenging en-bloc market, leasehold could help to lock in more percentage gains if it is bought and sold at the right time.

Indeed, property values are influenced by multiple factors. However, if we assume all else being equal, freehold properties will always command a premium over their leasehold counterparts.

The writer is the head of research and consultancy at property firm OrangeTee.

teddybear
30-10-13, 20:22
Am I in heaven?
Why so fast 50 years over and another flash flood again? :banghead:


Audrey Tan | The Straits Times | Wednesday, Oct 30, 2013
SINGAPORE - Mr Zheng Ji, a hawker at Foodhub@Chai Chee located at 26A Chai Chee Road, said he has seen the junction flood at least 10 times over the past three years. "Every time there is a heavy rain, the junction will flood," said the 54-year-old. "Sometimes, aunties will fall into the drain at the side when the water overflows."

Marine Parade Market and Food Centre hit by flash floods
By: Bryna Singh
SINGAPORE - Hawkers and stallholders, seen working in four-inch deep rainwater, said business has been badly affected because of the flooding. "Once the place is flooded, no customers want to come in," said hawker Tan Ah Guan, the 62-year-old owner of the famous Apollo Fresh Cockle Fried Kway Teow.


6.30pm heavy rain forecast from NEA:
Moderate to heavy thundery showers with gusty wind are expected over northern, eastern and central areas of Singapore between 6:35pm and 7:30pm.
PUB says flash floods may occur in the event of heavy rain.

1.30pm heavy rain forecast from NEA:
Moderate to heavy thundery showers are expected between 1.35pm and 2.30pm, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said.
The showers are expected to fall over southern, western and central areas of Singapore.
Flash floods may occur in the event of heavy rain, PUB said.
On Monday, heavy showers caused flash flood at the junction between Chai Chee Road and New Upper Changi Road.

Ringo33
30-10-13, 21:00
Looks like a very lonely thread. Are you entertaining yourself? :D

teddybear
31-10-13, 19:55
Yes, entertaining myself with news, such as below...
Is this what your West area is famous for? :scared-1:


Looks like a very lonely thread. Are you entertaining yourself? :D


Rental HDB flat in West Coast turned into brothel

Most people associate women offering sexual services in well-known red-light districts like Geylang and Joo Chiat.

However, a brothel may be operating right within your neighborhood.

Men are contacted by prostitutes via social messaging app WeChat offering sexual services. They are then directed to a rental HDB flat in the West Coast area to visit these women.

Lianhe Wanbao's reporter found out that the prostitutes are mainly Chinese nationals staying in Singapore on social visit passes, and that neighbours are unaware of the prostitution ring operating right in their HDB block...

Simi
31-10-13, 20:08
Yes, entertaining myself with news, such as below...
Is this what your West area is famous for? :scared-1:




Rental HDB flat in West Coast turned into brothel

Most people associate women offering sexual services in well-known red-light districts like Geylang and Joo Chiat.

However, a brothel may be operating right within your neighborhood.

Men are contacted by prostitutes via social messaging app WeChat offering sexual services. They are then directed to a rental HDB flat in the West Coast area to visit these women.

Lianhe Wanbao's reporter found out that the prostitutes are mainly Chinese nationals staying in Singapore on social visit passes, and that neighbours are unaware of the prostitution ring operating right in their HDB block...


Oh its that so ?

then do not need to go Orchard Road liao :):)

stalingrad
31-10-13, 20:12
Oh its that so ?

then do not need to go Orchard Road liao :):)

yes, Orchard Tower is probably the biggest illegal brothel in Singapore.

Simi
31-10-13, 20:16
yes, Orchard Tower is probably the biggest illegal brothel in Singapore.


Wa Bro you also know

pei fu pei fu :)

along that road can also find ah kua soliciting for buz

Ringo33
31-10-13, 20:26
yes, Orchard Tower is probably the biggest illegal brothel in Singapore.

Amber road in East Coast used to have many illegal brothel as well and now Joo Chiat, Geylang and Changi if you want ah qua.

Every weekend, the foreign workers working in Jurong will go to the east and central for sex before going home.

teddybear
31-10-13, 22:06
Starting from past 2 years, they don't need liao. Can have commercial sex in their own West town! This is probably only 1 advanatge of JLD... :beats-me-man:



Amber road in East Coast used to have many illegal brothel as well and now Joo Chiat, Geylang and Changi if you want ah qua.

Every weekend, the foreign workers working in Jurong will go to the east and central for sex before going home.

Ringo33
01-11-13, 20:45
http://therealsingapore.com/sites/default/files/field/image/16669.jpg

A 20-year-old pub hostess who got her 17-year-old friend to work as a prostitute in Geylang was sentenced to two years’ probation yesterday and ordered to perform 130 hours of community service.

Ringo33
02-11-13, 10:40
Prostitution in Singapore is legal, but various prostitution-related activities are not. This includes public solicitation, living on the earnings of a prostitute and maintaining a brothel.

In practice, police unofficially tolerate and monitor a limited number of brothels. Prostitutes in such establishments are required to undergo periodic health checks and must carry a health card.

Apart from these regulated brothels, commercial sex workers can be found in many "massage" or "spa" establishments. Some massage parlours, including Tui na outlets, employ scantily clad women from mainland China and offer massages as a pretext for sexual services.

These activities are illegal, and the operators of such massage establishments risk jail if exposed by anti-vice police raids. The main red-light district in Singapore used to be in Geylang, Orchard Towers, nicknamed the "Four Floors Of Whores", is a shopping centre frequented by prostitutes. Some bars in Duxton Hill also offer sexual services.

Prostitution is an activity which is shunned by society yet the ‘sex industry’ makes a significant contribution to the Chinese economy. It is estimated that there are 20 million sex workers in China. Two anti vice campaigns conducted in Beijing suggested that Beijing alone has between 200,000 and 300,000 sex workers. Earnings from providing sexual services are considerable.

For obvious reasons most of this doesn’t appear as taxable income. Where the state does gain is through personal consumption. Prostitutes need to buy quite a lot of equipment. Condoms and other sexual aids. But also more expensive items like cell phones, apartments, rooms, nice clothes, cosmetics, cars and even bodyguards.

When we consider that the Chinese GNP was 8.3 trillion in 1999 the sex industry comes in at 12.8%. Economist Yang Fan estimates that recent legislation introduced in the PRC to curb prostitution caused the GNP to drop by 1%.

What is prostitution?
‘Prostitutes’ increasingly referred to as ‘sex workers’ which is seen as more acceptable are females or possibly males that provide sexual services in return for money.

A study conducted in China identified the following categories of ‘sex worker’.

‘Second wives’. Traditionally referred to as concubines, ‘second wives’ provide ongoing sexual services to married men.

‘Packaged women’. Accompany clients on business trips.

‘Female companions’. A nebulous term to describe women who entertain male clients in karoke or similar venues.

‘Ding Dong girls’. ‘Ding dong’ refer to the door bell. Ding-dong girls rent rooms in which to entertain clients.

‘Massage parlour girls’. At face they value provide massage services, often in hotels or in high street salons. ‘Massage’ is a term that is somewhat loosely used in the sex industry.

‘Street girls’. Literally approach men on the street.

‘Underclass women’. Generally service migrant workers. They represent the lowest stratum of sex work.

Why is the sex industry in China so big?

There are estimated to be a one hundred million unemployed women in China today. A by product of China’s economic expansion which has taken place within an unprecedented short period of time.

Education and training however has failed to keep pace with economic change. Many of the women come from rural areas where traditional forms of employment have been displaced by rapid industrialization.


Often, not having any qualifications or the opportunity to acquire the necessary skills, prostitution is their only option. Similarly many females in the cities find themselves unemployed as a consequence of new technology and changes in patterns of employment.

Combined with this the break down of the old social order in China has brought with it a new morality in which promiscuity in it various forms is seen as more acceptable. Mass consumerism also has also given rise to an acquisitive instinct particularly among the young and what one author aptly described as a ‘no money no honey’ mentality.

‘The Six Devil Women’ directed by Ma Tin Yin is a lurid tale of sex and murder. The sort of movie you might find for sale for $9 in the rack at the back of your local convenience store. Six country girls are drawn to Shenzhen, initially to work in beauty salons but are drawn into prostitution, car jacking and ultimately murder. Not the most philosophical of films yet it makes some interesting sociological observations. How, for example, in the ‘new’ China, the allure of materialism is gaining a hold on young people’s lives. And how many see prostitution as one way of making money quickly. An extreme scenario perhaps, but the underlying message is a moralistic and cautionary indictment of the flip side of life in the ‘new’ China’.

Who are the ‘sex workers’?
In 1999 Professor Pam Suiming of Renimim University conducted an interesting study of the sex industry in China. Specifically she was able to profile a ‘typical’ Chinese sex worker.

According to her study, rural girls are most likely to become sex workers. Simply because they are most likely to find themselves unemployed through, either lack of opportunity or skills. Another feature is that they tend to lack a cohesive social or family network.

In many instances the woman had been disowned by her family or she had deliberately severed contact with them. She is no longer likely to be a virgin. Virginity is highly prized in China. In all probability she is likely to be divorced or to have been abandoned by a boy friend. She is also likely to have friends already working in the sex industry.

So what of the women who become sex workers? According to Professor Suimin, their aspirations as much the same as the rest of us.

Typically they want their own home and family. Another characteristic of the women she met was that they didn’t complain about their lot but, at the same time, they didn’t express feelings of contentment or of happiness.

Except when they were trying to keep up appearances of the benefit of a client. Generally their lives seemed characterized by emptiness and very little fulfillment. Perhaps most significantly the majority of the women saw prostitution as a temporary phase in their lives and something that they intended to put behind them once things get better. They saw their situation as a form of deferred gratification. As one girl put it ‘no one chooses to be a sex worker’.

Prostitution is rarely undertaken as an individual venture. Most women work in groups which are controlled by male or females bosses. Males bosses are sometimes known as ‘hen heads’.

Strong bonds and group norms also tend to exist within groups of sex workers. Perhaps this is inevitable when we consider that virtually all the factors identified by social psychologists as promoting group cohesiveness are a feature.

Prostitution is an activity which is shunned by society. This has the effect reinforcing the group sense of togetherness. Social bonding helps alleviate the feelings of being stigmatized. Even if society disowns us we still have each other.

To many girls the group becomes a substitute for the family that they never had or that disowned them because of the work that they do. Sex workers typically spend a lot of time together waiting for clients.

Often in cramped conditions. Physical proximity promotes cohesiveness. But at the same time many sex workers command high earnings. This is facilitated by the support of the group. So like a football team that keeps winning, this has the effect of inspiring and motivating the women to carry on.

Dragon Girls is a term used by Chinese author Jiu Dan in her published novel “Crows’ to describe the Chinese women who come to Singapore, initially to work in the sex industry but with the hope ultimately of meeting and marrying a rich foreigner. Many come in on student passes or on social passes.

After all Singapore Immigration is unlikely to grant an employment pass or work permit to a Karoke bar hostess, even if she does describe herself as a ‘guest relations officer’! The book stirred up a controversy in China and even more so when it was published in Singapore.

On one level it is seen as an attempt to vilify Chinese women. Crows are scavengers and many see the Chinese girls as being depicted in a similar light. On another level it is seen as a reaction to a society dominated by men and money.

Perhaps, in a sense, it is neither. The girls from China simply desire something better. And many succeed. Away from the hostess bars of Shenzhen and Shanghai; living in a condominium in Singapore and driving a Mercedes Benz, people will soon forget that you were once a Dragon Girl.

- See more at: http://sbr.com.sg/leisure-entertainment/commentary/red-light-prostitution-in-singapore#sthash.PQsNGhlM.dpuf

teddybear
15-12-13, 13:26
Once there are more domintories, HDB flats rental will be affected! :doh:
People who want to upgrade better upgrade fast and sell their HDB flats! :beats-me-man:


TITLE: More dormitories for foreign workers to be built over next 2 to 3 years: PM Lee

By Saifulbahri Ismail
POSTED: 14 Dec 2013 20:39
URL: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/more-dormitories-for/922638.html

A substantial number of dormitories will be built over the next two to three years to better house foreign workers, said Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
SINGAPORE: A temporary alcohol ban in Little India started on Saturday following the riot that broke out on December 8.

As the government mulls over whether to extend the ban further, it is also taking steps to improve the welfare of foreign workers.

Speaking to reporters in Tokyo at the end of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit on Saturday, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said a substantial number of dormitories will be built over the next two to three years to better house foreign workers.

Even as authorities tighten the inflow of foreign workers over the years, Mr Lee said their population needs to be managed, and there is an on-going inter-ministerial committee that looks into their welfare.

He elaborated: "One of the focuses was to try our best to see how we could speed up the construction of more dorms, so that the workers who are now housed in HDB estate or private properties, which have been rented out, they can be put in proper dorms. Then I think they can be better taken care of and there can be less impact on the community."

Over the past few days, Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam has been visiting several dormitories.

Mr Lee added there is also no evidence to show that the riot was caused by the lack of support for foreign workers.

He said: "We believe that foreign workers in Singapore ought to be treated fairly and properly. We do not stand for ill treatment or unfair treatment of foreign workers. We have to make sure they are well treated, they are paid properly on time, their safety is taken care of, their living conditions are up to standard, and they are given full protection of the law."

Mr Lee also addressed concerns raised by businesses affected by the alcohol ban this weekend.

He said: "We don't want anything to go wrong this week. So to make absolutely sure, we have a ban which covers quite a big area. And we said just no alcohol this week, and just calm down, cool down, and make sure things are back to normal.

“After that, we can calibrate and establish new rules. It would take some time to make out what the final rules will be, but I think we should have interim rules after this week. There is a downside to that timeout so everybody feels that and the timeout cannot last forever."

The ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol covers 1.1 square kilometres in the Serangoon Road area -- the scene of the riot on December 8.

- CNA/gn

teddybear
17-12-13, 12:27
TITLE: Jail, fine for man who insulted and hit cafe staff

By Claire Huang
POSTED: 16 Dec 2013 18:00
URL: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/jail-fine-for-man-who/924434.html

A man was on Monday sentenced to three and half months' jail and fined S$1,000 for insulting a hotel cafe staff, and hurting another.
SINGAPORE: A man was on Monday sentenced to three and half months' jail and fined S$1,000 for insulting a hotel cafe staff, and hurting another.

On March 10, 2013, 45-year-old Pannirchelvam Ramachandra went with a friend to a cafe in Quality Hotel located in the North.

During their time there from 7am to 9am, Pannirchelvam asked for coffee.

As the 33-year-old waitress served him and his friend their order, Pannirchelvam pointed at the woman's breast, asking if the coffee came from "this" machine.

For insulting the modesty of the woman, he was fined S$1,000.

During the two hours the accused spent at the cafe, he also threw a bowl of food at a supervisor, leaving noodles on his head.

The act took place when the supervisor was in the midst of processing Pannirchelvam's bill.

At that time, the 44-year-old supervisor's back was facing the accused, but the offence was captured on CCTV.

The victim left the cafe for the hotel lobby, looking for the duty manager. Pannirchelvam followed the victim.

Pannirchelvam then walked up to the cafe supervisor and hit him on his nose.

For throwing the bowl and hurting the victim's ear in the process, Pannirchelvam was given six weeks' jail.

For hitting the victim on his nose, the court handed the accused another two months behind bars.

- CNA/gn

teddybear
17-12-13, 12:34
Anybody know what is the difference between the 2 cases?
(1) Drunk assault 3 models, police classify as non-arrestable offence
(2) Man jailed 3.5 months for assault

Both cases also assault, 1 case prosecuted by AGC, 1 case police said non-arrestable offence? I cannot make any sense of the 2. :beats-me-man:



Singapore models assaulted by man on Circular Road
By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – Fri, Dec 13, 2013

It was an after-party supper drive-by gone wrong.

After a night of clubbing, Singaporean models Ziyi Kuek, Esther Lee and Anna Huang were in a car headed for supper at a coffee shop on Circular Road at about 3 in the morning of 12 December.

They were about 100m from their destination, B K Eating House, when a man who appeared to be drunk blocked their path.

"I horned him, but he got really agitated by the sound of the horn, and started knocking on the window and kicking at the side of the car," said Kuek, 23, who was driving Huang's car as she was the only one who did not drink that night.

Deciding to pay no mind to his rash behaviour, Kuek continued driving forward, but he followed their car and persistently kicked it until its front bumper dislodged.

"He then opened the door (on the front passenger's side), and started acting very aggressively toward her (Huang), but before he could do anything I got out on my side, so he came to me... and because of that we got into a fight," she told Yahoo Singapore on Friday morning.
Watch the girls recount what happened in an interview with us here:


Kuek said he was yelling at them, asking them, "So what do you want?" and pointing his middle finger at them.

"When I got out (of the car), he was this close to me even though I hadn't said anything, and was behaving very aggressively toward me so I pushed him and he started punching my face," she said, pointing to an angry bruise on the left side of her chin, as well as her right cheek -- the two places where he hit her.

Shortly after the man hit her, he was pulled back by two of his 10 friends who were looking on, said Kuek.

"One of them asked us to let it go because he was drunk," she continued, saying that she was initially agreeable to doing so on the condition that he apologise to her for damaging her car and for punching her.

He refused, however, and got even more agitated, accusing her of drunk-driving. Kuek then said she wanted to call the police but he started heading toward the main road in a bid to escape, so she followed him and tried to record a video of him for identification.

"Once he found out I was shooting a video of him, he started attacking me again, and he just grabbed me and tossed me to the middle of the road... the cars were still driving by," she said.

Huang, 21, and Lee, 19, then rushed forward to fend him off and prevent him from hitting Kuek again, but according to them, he turned on them and flung them in the direction of the pavement one by one.

"I was thrown onto the ground, and after that she (Huang) was flung to the side too, and she hit her head on the kerb," said Lee.

By this point, Kuek said she was "really furious", and she and Lee grabbed their attacker -- and that was when police officers on patrol arrived to the scene.

"If the police did not stop the fight when they did, he probably would have been more violent," said Kuek.

Asked if no one responded to the incident or moved forward to help them as the man was hitting Kuek, Huang said everyone at the coffee shop and pubs on the other side of the road were watching the action unfold, but none came forward to help them.

"Some of them were video-ing, some of them went into 7-11 to buy water for us, but they were all just watching," she said. "His friends, all 10 of them, they were just watching too. One of them shouted "Stop!" but that was about it."

Kuek then spoke to the police officers and gave her statement after they took down her assaulter's information and let him go.

Some of the injuries and bruises Singapore model Ziyi Kuek sustained in the attack. (Photo collage courtesy of …


She subsequently sought treatment at Singapore General Hospital for her injuries. She was unable to move her right shoulder upward, or bite properly, owing to a swollen jaw. She also showed bruises on her left chin, right hip, palms and left elbow -- which she said she could not straighten fully -- and cuts on her toes.

She noted that Huang and Lee had not been asked for statements, however, adding that the earliest they can file their individual police reports was Saturday, because their investigating officer was off-duty on Friday.

Some of the injuries and bruises sustained by Singapore model Esther Lee in the attack on Circular Road. (Photo …

Huang and Lee had their surface injuries covered by paramedics after police helped them to call an ambulance to the scene. Huang vomited twice at the scene, however, and on her third, she vomited blood just before reaching home, so she checked herself into Tan Tock Seng Hospital for a night's observation on Thursday evening.

Some of the injuries sustained by Singapore model Anna Huang in the attack at Circular Road. (Photo courtesy of …

Lee sustained multiple bruises on her legs, hips and the back of her head, while Huang showed abrasions on her knees, a large open hip wound that was covered with a plaster, as well as another on her forearm, more bruises on her elbows, head and palms.

"I was trying to break my fall but I couldn't, he was too strong," said Huang, explaining the cuts on her palms.

She was still trying to decide if she should report for work on Friday evening at Zoukout -- she was assigned to be a roving model at a booth.

All three said they plan to press charges against their attacker, as well as to seek compensation for Huang's dislodged car bumper.

"Everything's hurting now," said Lee, a fine arts student who models on the side. "I think the patrolling there is too little... he got away with it, after hitting three girls."

"You can basically hit anybody, say you're drunk and get away with it," added Kuek. "He got away without even a scratch, and we got flung in the middle of South Bridge Road, with cars driving past."
Kuek was a finalist in the Miss Singapore World pageant in 2011 and an FHM model in 2010, while Huang and Lee were finalists in the model search competition this year. Kuek is also a high-profile competitive in-line skater, who has won numerous nation-wide level races before.

When asked about the incident, police said they responded to a call at about 3:24am, establishing that "a case of dispute" had occurred there.

"Police advised involved parties to settle the dispute amicably," added a spokesperson, who said investigations are ongoing.
Such physical altercations are often classified as cases of voluntarily causing hurt, a non-arrestable offence, meaning that police cannot arrest a suspect without a warrant.




TITLE: Jail, fine for man who insulted and hit cafe staff

By Claire Huang
POSTED: 16 Dec 2013 18:00
URL: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/jail-fine-for-man-who/924434.html

A man was on Monday sentenced to three and half months' jail and fined S$1,000 for insulting a hotel cafe staff, and hurting another.
SINGAPORE: A man was on Monday sentenced to three and half months' jail and fined S$1,000 for insulting a hotel cafe staff, and hurting another.

On March 10, 2013, 45-year-old Pannirchelvam Ramachandra went with a friend to a cafe in Quality Hotel located in the North.

During their time there from 7am to 9am, Pannirchelvam asked for coffee.

As the 33-year-old waitress served him and his friend their order, Pannirchelvam pointed at the woman's breast, asking if the coffee came from "this" machine.

For insulting the modesty of the woman, he was fined S$1,000.

During the two hours the accused spent at the cafe, he also threw a bowl of food at a supervisor, leaving noodles on his head.

The act took place when the supervisor was in the midst of processing Pannirchelvam's bill.

At that time, the 44-year-old supervisor's back was facing the accused, but the offence was captured on CCTV.

The victim left the cafe for the hotel lobby, looking for the duty manager. Pannirchelvam followed the victim.

Pannirchelvam then walked up to the cafe supervisor and hit him on his nose.

For throwing the bowl and hurting the victim's ear in the process, Pannirchelvam was given six weeks' jail.

For hitting the victim on his nose, the court handed the accused another two months behind bars.

- CNA/gn

teddybear
17-12-13, 12:39
Sorry, my mistake, should be Man jailed 3.5 months for hitting cafe staff!



TITLE: Jail, fine for man who insulted and hit cafe staff

By Claire Huang
POSTED: 16 Dec 2013 18:00
URL: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/jail-fine-for-man-who/924434.html

A man was on Monday sentenced to three and half months' jail and fined S$1,000 for insulting a hotel cafe staff, and hurting another.
SINGAPORE: A man was on Monday sentenced to three and half months' jail and fined S$1,000 for insulting a hotel cafe staff, and hurting another.

On March 10, 2013, 45-year-old Pannirchelvam Ramachandra went with a friend to a cafe in Quality Hotel located in the North.

During their time there from 7am to 9am, Pannirchelvam asked for coffee.

As the 33-year-old waitress served him and his friend their order, Pannirchelvam pointed at the woman's breast, asking if the coffee came from "this" machine.

For insulting the modesty of the woman, he was fined S$1,000.

During the two hours the accused spent at the cafe, he also threw a bowl of food at a supervisor, leaving noodles on his head.

The act took place when the supervisor was in the midst of processing Pannirchelvam's bill.

At that time, the 44-year-old supervisor's back was facing the accused, but the offence was captured on CCTV.

The victim left the cafe for the hotel lobby, looking for the duty manager. Pannirchelvam followed the victim.

Pannirchelvam then walked up to the cafe supervisor and hit him on his nose.

For throwing the bowl and hurting the victim's ear in the process, Pannirchelvam was given six weeks' jail.

For hitting the victim on his nose, the court handed the accused another two months behind bars.

- CNA/gn

bargain hunter
17-12-13, 13:05
maybe our lawyer forumers can helps us out here. :rolleyes:

my guess is, in the first case, the models horned the guy first, he was provoked and the events that unfolded was caused by this voluntary action? :confused:

had he for no good reason go and punch somebody then that becomes assault?

we have only read the models' side of the story. maybe there's more than meets the eye?





Anybody know what is the difference between the 2 cases?
(1) Drunk assault 3 models, police classify as non-arrestable offence
(2) Man jailed 3.5 months for assault

Both cases also assault, 1 case prosecuted by AGC, 1 case police said non-arrestable offence? I cannot make any sense of the 2. :beats-me-man:



Singapore models assaulted by man on Circular Road
By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo Newsroom – Fri, Dec 13, 2013

It was an after-party supper drive-by gone wrong.

After a night of clubbing, Singaporean models Ziyi Kuek, Esther Lee and Anna Huang were in a car headed for supper at a coffee shop on Circular Road at about 3 in the morning of 12 December.

They were about 100m from their destination, B K Eating House, when a man who appeared to be drunk blocked their path.

"I horned him, but he got really agitated by the sound of the horn, and started knocking on the window and kicking at the side of the car," said Kuek, 23, who was driving Huang's car as she was the only one who did not drink that night.

Deciding to pay no mind to his rash behaviour, Kuek continued driving forward, but he followed their car and persistently kicked it until its front bumper dislodged.

"He then opened the door (on the front passenger's side), and started acting very aggressively toward her (Huang), but before he could do anything I got out on my side, so he came to me... and because of that we got into a fight," she told Yahoo Singapore on Friday morning.
Watch the girls recount what happened in an interview with us here:


Kuek said he was yelling at them, asking them, "So what do you want?" and pointing his middle finger at them.

"When I got out (of the car), he was this close to me even though I hadn't said anything, and was behaving very aggressively toward me so I pushed him and he started punching my face," she said, pointing to an angry bruise on the left side of her chin, as well as her right cheek -- the two places where he hit her.

Shortly after the man hit her, he was pulled back by two of his 10 friends who were looking on, said Kuek.

"One of them asked us to let it go because he was drunk," she continued, saying that she was initially agreeable to doing so on the condition that he apologise to her for damaging her car and for punching her.

He refused, however, and got even more agitated, accusing her of drunk-driving. Kuek then said she wanted to call the police but he started heading toward the main road in a bid to escape, so she followed him and tried to record a video of him for identification.

"Once he found out I was shooting a video of him, he started attacking me again, and he just grabbed me and tossed me to the middle of the road... the cars were still driving by," she said.

Huang, 21, and Lee, 19, then rushed forward to fend him off and prevent him from hitting Kuek again, but according to them, he turned on them and flung them in the direction of the pavement one by one.

"I was thrown onto the ground, and after that she (Huang) was flung to the side too, and she hit her head on the kerb," said Lee.

By this point, Kuek said she was "really furious", and she and Lee grabbed their attacker -- and that was when police officers on patrol arrived to the scene.

"If the police did not stop the fight when they did, he probably would have been more violent," said Kuek.

Asked if no one responded to the incident or moved forward to help them as the man was hitting Kuek, Huang said everyone at the coffee shop and pubs on the other side of the road were watching the action unfold, but none came forward to help them.

"Some of them were video-ing, some of them went into 7-11 to buy water for us, but they were all just watching," she said. "His friends, all 10 of them, they were just watching too. One of them shouted "Stop!" but that was about it."

Kuek then spoke to the police officers and gave her statement after they took down her assaulter's information and let him go.

Some of the injuries and bruises Singapore model Ziyi Kuek sustained in the attack. (Photo collage courtesy of …


She subsequently sought treatment at Singapore General Hospital for her injuries. She was unable to move her right shoulder upward, or bite properly, owing to a swollen jaw. She also showed bruises on her left chin, right hip, palms and left elbow -- which she said she could not straighten fully -- and cuts on her toes.

She noted that Huang and Lee had not been asked for statements, however, adding that the earliest they can file their individual police reports was Saturday, because their investigating officer was off-duty on Friday.

Some of the injuries and bruises sustained by Singapore model Esther Lee in the attack on Circular Road. (Photo …

Huang and Lee had their surface injuries covered by paramedics after police helped them to call an ambulance to the scene. Huang vomited twice at the scene, however, and on her third, she vomited blood just before reaching home, so she checked herself into Tan Tock Seng Hospital for a night's observation on Thursday evening.

Some of the injuries sustained by Singapore model Anna Huang in the attack at Circular Road. (Photo courtesy of …

Lee sustained multiple bruises on her legs, hips and the back of her head, while Huang showed abrasions on her knees, a large open hip wound that was covered with a plaster, as well as another on her forearm, more bruises on her elbows, head and palms.

"I was trying to break my fall but I couldn't, he was too strong," said Huang, explaining the cuts on her palms.

She was still trying to decide if she should report for work on Friday evening at Zoukout -- she was assigned to be a roving model at a booth.

All three said they plan to press charges against their attacker, as well as to seek compensation for Huang's dislodged car bumper.

"Everything's hurting now," said Lee, a fine arts student who models on the side. "I think the patrolling there is too little... he got away with it, after hitting three girls."

"You can basically hit anybody, say you're drunk and get away with it," added Kuek. "He got away without even a scratch, and we got flung in the middle of South Bridge Road, with cars driving past."
Kuek was a finalist in the Miss Singapore World pageant in 2011 and an FHM model in 2010, while Huang and Lee were finalists in the model search competition this year. Kuek is also a high-profile competitive in-line skater, who has won numerous nation-wide level races before.

When asked about the incident, police said they responded to a call at about 3:24am, establishing that "a case of dispute" had occurred there.

"Police advised involved parties to settle the dispute amicably," added a spokesperson, who said investigations are ongoing.
Such physical altercations are often classified as cases of voluntarily causing hurt, a non-arrestable offence, meaning that police cannot arrest a suspect without a warrant.

smellyfish
17-12-13, 13:37
non-arrestable or non-seizable offence doesnt mean no offence committed and doesnt mean the offender cannot get charged.

It just mean that the police cannot arrest the person on the spot without a warrant. The police can still arrest once they get a warrant.

charging is done by the Attorney General Chambers not the police. And sentencing is done by the judge.

teddybear
17-12-13, 16:54
But in the first case (regarding 3 models), news report said that the models said Police ask them to sue the person if they want (which is telling them that the police is not going to take any further action). So, this is a case where assault action done but police not taking action.

On the other hand,police taking action to charge the person who assault.

So, we have 2 assault cases but police treated differently. May be somebody (lawyers, police, etc) know the reasons and can enlighten? :beats-me-man:



non-arrestable or non-seizable offence doesnt mean no offence committed and doesnt mean the offender cannot get charged.

It just mean that the police cannot arrest the person on the spot without a warrant. The police can still arrest once they get a warrant.

charging is done by the Attorney General Chambers not the police. And sentencing is done by the judge.

teddybear
17-12-13, 16:57
Horned means provoked? :banghead:

Who knows? May be in the second case the guy also was provoked by bad service or black face from cafe employee or whatever? :p

So I suppose being provoked doesn't means that the person can assault and yet have no penalty (just that penalty should be lighter). :rolleyes:



maybe our lawyer forumers can helps us out here. :rolleyes:

my guess is, in the first case, the models horned the guy first, he was provoked and the events that unfolded was caused by this voluntary action? :confused:

had he for no good reason go and punch somebody then that becomes assault?

we have only read the models' side of the story. maybe there's more than meets the eye?

smellyfish
18-12-13, 08:30
What the police ask models to do is probably to file a magistrate complaint and magistrate will direct prosecutor office to charge. Not defending the system but that is how it works.

If you don't break a bone is considered causing hurt and not seizable. If you break a bone, becomes grievous hurt and seizable.

smellyfish
18-12-13, 08:32
Btw can I be the first to admit to fantasizing about b1tch-slapping some of these Singaporean spoilt girls myself...

teddybear
18-12-13, 08:41
Is it? May be... Thanks.

Just wondering why the 3 models say they are sueing instead of file file magistrate complaint? They never say the police ask them to file a magistrate complaint? Mmm..................

But strange isn't it, assault case by right Police should file automatically, why individuals got assaulted need to file magistrate complaint himself/herself? Do all assaulted people need to file magistrate complaint themselves before AGC start to do work? :beats-me-man:


What the police ask models to do is probably to file a magistrate complaint and magistrate will direct prosecutor office to charge. Not defending the system but that is how it works.

If you don't break a bone is considered causing hurt and not seizable. If you break a bone, becomes grievous hurt and seizable.

minority
18-12-13, 09:18
the models say will sue can be kong song only. Did they really sue? maybe they know they no case so they talk big say will sue. in the end go home lim kopi shake shake leg and think through realized they no case .

just becoz model say means the models are right? and the person that was drunk have no rights? who make that judgement?

The people who site behind the keyboard are the judge now? LOL… wat a joke these days.

teddybear
18-12-13, 09:25
Very simple - They suffered injuries, and they have doctors' injury report.
And the injury happened about that time, and police was called and present at the scene. The police witnessed the injuries.
Unless you are saying that the models cause injury to themselves, than blame the drunk guy? Based on the truth and descriptions, we can at least made out of what happened, it is a joke that some people cannot differentiate between black and white. But then again, he has been like that all along, what can we expect from him? :rolleyes:


the models say will sue can be kong song only. Did they really sue? maybe they know they no case so they talk big say will sue. in the end go home lim kopi shake shake leg and think through realized they no case .

just becoz model say means the models are right? and the person that was drunk have no rights? who make that judgement?

The people who site behind the keyboard are the judge now? LOL… wat a joke these days.

eng81157
18-12-13, 09:30
Is it? May be... Thanks.

Just wondering why the 3 models say they are sueing instead of file file magistrate complaint? They never say the police ask them to file a magistrate complaint? Mmm..................

But strange isn't it, assault case by right Police should file automatically, why individuals got assaulted need to file magistrate complaint himself/herself? Do all assaulted people need to file magistrate complaint themselves before AGC start to do work? :beats-me-man:

causing hurt is a seizable offence, especially so when there is a threat to lives. how can it be treated as a non-seizable offence? something don't add up, somewhere

hopeful
18-12-13, 10:13
a car is a dangerous weapon with sonic weapon capability in addition to other destructive capabilities :)
honking at the guy cause him to suffer hearing damage. that's why the guy didnt hear his friend telling him to stop.

so the police is protecting the women la by not pursuing the matter further. causing hurt with dangerous weapon is a seizable offence, yes?

his friends can restrain him, but who will restrain the girls. they all scared restrain the girls, the girls cried molest.
if restrain the guy only, the 3 girls will continue to assault him and his "restrainers".
so everybody bystander only and only 1 guy got hurt.

i am pretty sure if instead of 3 girls, it was 3 guys, his friends will come and help him.

minority
18-12-13, 15:34
Very simple - They suffered injuries, and they have doctors' injury report.
And the injury happened about that time, and police was called and present at the scene. The police witnessed the injuries.
Unless you are saying that the models cause injury to themselves, than blame the drunk guy? Based on the truth and descriptions, we can at least made out of what happened, it is a joke that some people cannot differentiate between black and white. But then again, he has been like that all along, what can we expect from him? :rolleyes:

Were u there? U read news report can become judge ah? :banghead::banghead::banghead::bang head:

Lol… like that no need court. u can be the judge and jury and all. talk cock so easy these days.

minority
18-12-13, 15:35
causing hurt is a seizable offence, especially so when there is a threat to lives. how can it be treated as a non-seizable offence? something don't add up, somewhere

here comes the other cock talker too another keyboard warrior… lol seems like there is this affinity to cluster F together. . lol

teddybear
18-12-13, 17:33
Firstly we need to have news so that people know.
Then there is police that will take action, then the AGC who is suppose to take action.
Then finally you can talk about judge, otherwise judge need not do anything since nothing brought to them.

If there is no news, will we know people have been assaulted and seems like police not taking action? :scared-3:
Isn't this why transparency of news is so important so that there is no cover up? :hell-hath-no-fury:


Were u there? U read news report can become judge ah? :banghead::banghead::banghead::bang head:

Lol… like that no need court. u can be the judge and jury and all. talk cock so easy these days.

minority
18-12-13, 18:40
Firstly we need to have news so that people know.
Then there is police that will take action, then the AGC who is suppose to take action.
Then finally you can talk about judge, otherwise judge need not do anything since nothing brought to them.

If there is no news, will we know people have been assaulted and seems like police not taking action? :scared-3:
Isn't this why transparency of news is so important so that there is no cover up? :hell-hath-no-fury:

ohh ohhh ohh now is coverup ? wah.......... news? u alrdeady judged it wat. wat news? :doh::doh:

eng81157
20-12-13, 12:55
here comes the other cock talker too another keyboard warrior… lol seems like there is this affinity to cluster F together. . lol


well, at least most of us here can think and debate more coherently, logically than a certain kam gong airhead here

teddybear
22-12-13, 14:20
城市选房

客潘启明原创 2011-04-23
衣食住行,人最需要考虑的是住,因为食、行、衣可以经常变换,而住则
往往要住几年、几十年、一生,甚至是几代。所以建筑风水是我们每个人都必
须学习了解的。
人类历史,开始于有巢氏。其后是燧人氏、庖羲氏、知生氏、神农氏。有
家比熟食、有厨房、知道饲养家畜、以农业生产为主更早
选择住宅是要看风水的。风水首先要考虑的是对安全和健康的影响,更深
层次当然还要考虑对命运的影响。
现代城市选房,风水可选的余地不大。
高档别墅的选择风水的余地比城市小区的余地要大得多。

如果它们被周围的高楼包围,高楼挡住它们的视野、它们只能拢积高楼的
浊气、接受高楼的折射、在顶层凉台都没隐私可言、夜间一定要拉上窗帘,则
除了大、并不比四周高耸的安居房更有风水。
从安全的角度考虑,我们不能选择地震带、地质不稳定区、山体滑坡区、
台风多发区、海啸有可能波及区、风口地带、无饮水区、辐射矿苖区、核电厂
附近,等等。
在城市买房,我们选择的余地不大。
但是我们应该避免高压线、高架桥、火车道、城市快轨、工厂、变压器、
变电房。

teddybear
01-01-14, 12:49
Dec. 31, 2013, 3:24 p.m. EST
Gold settles to end year with 28% loss

Gold futures settled slightly lower Tuesday, snapping a 12-year winning streak for the precious metal.

Gold for February delivery GCG4 +0.07% fell $1.50, or 0.1%, to settle at $1,202.30 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. For the year, gold fell 28%, its worst year in about three decades.

Gold futures have plummeted on expectations — and the final December announcement — that the Federal Reserve would begin to pare back on its monetary stimulus. The Fed is set to reduce its monthly bond purchases to $75 billion in January from $85 billion. Those purchases, which could come to an end by late 2014, have helped support gold prices. Plus, investors have grown less worried about run-away global inflation and have flocked to a roaring stock market, siphoning off money from the exchange-traded funds backed by precious metals. SPDR Gold Trust GLD +0.13% has fallen 28% this year, its worst ever.

The woes in the metals market similarly manifested themselves in silver. For the year, silver futures measured by the continuous contract have plunged nearly 36%. This year’s losses for gold and silver futures are the worst since at least 1984, when FactSet began tracking data.

“Many of the fundamental factors that were drivers of the gold price over the past few years have mitigated substantially and taken the ‘fear’ premium down significantly,” wrote Peter Hug, global trading director at Kitco Metals Inc.

minority
01-01-14, 18:17
well, at least most of us here can think and debate more coherently, logically than a certain kam gong airhead here


so funny everytime the bear say something u appear to come out and wipe his kar cheng. u are like the thankless side kick ah? or back side ? :banghead::banghead:

minority
01-01-14, 18:18
Dec. 31, 2013, 3:24 p.m. EST
Gold settles to end year with 28% loss

Gold futures settled slightly lower Tuesday, snapping a 12-year winning streak for the precious metal.

Gold for February delivery GCG4 +0.07% fell $1.50, or 0.1%, to settle at $1,202.30 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. For the year, gold fell 28%, its worst year in about three decades.

Gold futures have plummeted on expectations — and the final December announcement — that the Federal Reserve would begin to pare back on its monetary stimulus. The Fed is set to reduce its monthly bond purchases to $75 billion in January from $85 billion. Those purchases, which could come to an end by late 2014, have helped support gold prices. Plus, investors have grown less worried about run-away global inflation and have flocked to a roaring stock market, siphoning off money from the exchange-traded funds backed by precious metals. SPDR Gold Trust GLD +0.13% has fallen 28% this year, its worst ever.

The woes in the metals market similarly manifested themselves in silver. For the year, silver futures measured by the continuous contract have plunged nearly 36%. This year’s losses for gold and silver futures are the worst since at least 1984, when FactSet began tracking data.

“Many of the fundamental factors that were drivers of the gold price over the past few years have mitigated substantially and taken the ‘fear’ premium down significantly,” wrote Peter Hug, global trading director at Kitco Metals Inc.


Wat old news. its a new year dont u have something else new to post?

eng81157
02-01-14, 07:42
so funny everytime the bear say something u appear to come out and wipe his kar cheng. u are like the thankless side kick ah? or back side ? :banghead::banghead:


i only appear to slap airhead morons

DC33_2008
02-01-14, 08:19
It guess it will move south in this quarter.
Dec. 31, 2013, 3:24 p.m. EST
Gold settles to end year with 28% loss

Gold futures settled slightly lower Tuesday, snapping a 12-year winning streak for the precious metal.

Gold for February delivery GCG4 +0.07% fell $1.50, or 0.1%, to settle at $1,202.30 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. For the year, gold fell 28%, its worst year in about three decades.

Gold futures have plummeted on expectations — and the final December announcement — that the Federal Reserve would begin to pare back on its monetary stimulus. The Fed is set to reduce its monthly bond purchases to $75 billion in January from $85 billion. Those purchases, which could come to an end by late 2014, have helped support gold prices. Plus, investors have grown less worried about run-away global inflation and have flocked to a roaring stock market, siphoning off money from the exchange-traded funds backed by precious metals. SPDR Gold Trust GLD +0.13% has fallen 28% this year, its worst ever.

The woes in the metals market similarly manifested themselves in silver. For the year, silver futures measured by the continuous contract have plunged nearly 36%. This year’s losses for gold and silver futures are the worst since at least 1984, when FactSet began tracking data.

“Many of the fundamental factors that were drivers of the gold price over the past few years have mitigated substantially and taken the ‘fear’ premium down significantly,” wrote Peter Hug, global trading director at Kitco Metals Inc.

teddybear
03-01-14, 07:10
Remember the FIRST Tenant of Investing? :- The law of mean reversion !!!
(less inflation factor...)

Since OCR as a whole has already gone up 47% since 2008 while CCR has only gone up 7%, anyone want to bet that OCR can still climb more than CCR?

So if you are an investor, and you want to buy a property, where would you choose? Where would the gems be where you can expect significant upside in the future?

I think the logic is obvious! :p


TITLE: Demand for private homes in the city expected to rebound

By Wong Siew Ying
POSTED: 12 Dec 2013 23:15
URL: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/demand-for-private-homes/920536.html?cid=FBSG

Some property analysts believe demand for these high-end homes could pick up as early as the middle of next year.
SINGAPORE: The buying interest for private homes in the city is expected to make a comeback as prices continue to moderate.

Some property analysts believe demand for these high-end homes could pick up as early as the middle of next year.

But others have said the cooling measures may still weigh on buying sentiment going forward.

The brisk sales at DUO Residences at Bugis recently showed that there is still strong interest for private residential properties in the city, if the price is right.

For example, its average selling price of S$2,000 per square foot was 20 per cent lower than units in the vicinity.

Analysts said foreigners account for about one-third of the demand for high-end homes and the cooling measures have kept them on the sidelines. However, analysts note that some foreign investors are coming back to the market.

As at the third quarter of 2013, 10,538 units of completed and uncompleted private homes in the Core Central Region (CCR) are unsold.

That is about one-third of the unsold inventory islandwide.

Unsold stock in the city fringe stands at 9,039 units and 12,655 units in the suburban areas, according to property consultancy Knight Frank.

Knight Frank said the number of unsold units has started to decline since the second quarter of last year.

Alice Tan, associate director and head of consultancy and research at Knight Frank, said: "The unsold inventory in the Core Central Region has actually started to see a gradual decline since the second quarter 2012. The gradual decline is about 4 per cent per quarter. This actually reflects that the demand for CCR private homes is gradually returning.

“From the middle of next year, demand for high-end homes could return as prices start to moderate to a level that more potential buyers start to see its value. So there could be an uptick in overall home prices from the second half of next year onwards.”

Knight Frank said that according to its research, in the last few quarters, prices of new high-end homes in districts 1, 2 and 9 were about five to eight per cent lower compared to the period before the seventh round of cooling measures, which was implemented in January this year.

Another property firm, Century 21, said homes in the CCR are relatively under-valued.

Prices there have only climbed 7 per cent since the peak in 2008, compared to 17 per cent for homes in the city fringe, and 47 per cent RISE for suburban homes.

Ku Swee Yong, CEO of Century 21, said: "Where we find most value for money now would be in CCR properties, especially in freehold properties, because the proportion of freehold properties in Singapore has been reducing quite quickly with more Government Land Sales sites that are coming out with 99-year leases.

“In terms of rebound, we would need to see renewed foreign buying into CCR and foreign buying could probably go up only if there are adjustments to the 15 per cent ABSD (Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty) for foreigners and 10 per cent for PRs (Permanent Residents) holding more than one unit."

According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority, CCR home prices have fallen in the second and third quarter.

Prices of non-landed properties in the CCR increased by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2013, but fell 0.2 per cent in the second quarter and 0.3 per cent in the third quarter.

And analysts expect a further moderation of 0.5 to 1 per cent this quarter.

As prices weaken, demand for city homes could return, possibly in the second half of next year.

Knight Frank said this could spark a gradual increase in home prices in the CCR.

- CNA/ms

teddybear
03-01-14, 07:31
Very often, listening to "coffeeshop talk" is best way to know what layman are thinking...
Heard some rumbling that many of the CMs help the rich wanting to buy properties in Singapore, especially the foreigners, to buy CCR properties in Singapore at depressed and cheap price since CCR only climb about 7% as a whole, but yet OCR can climb by so much... Many of these upgraders very very angry because HDB resale prices drop, OCR private properties go up so much, make it very difficult for them to upgrade from HDB to OCR private properties!

They say they hack care about CCR private properties prices but they want OCR private properties to be affordable to them... Rather, they want rich especially foreigners to buy CCR properties at high prices so that money can come into Singapore and stimulate economy, not let foreigners own Singapore asset at cheap price! :beats-me-man:



Remember the FIRST Tenant of Investing? :- The law of mean reversion !!!
(less inflation factor...)

Since OCR as a whole has already gone up 47% since 2008 while CCR has only gone up 7%, anyone want to bet that OCR can still climb more than CCR?

So if you are an investor, and you want to buy a property, where would you choose? Where would the gems be where you can expect significant upside in the future?

I think the logic is obvious! :p


TITLE: Demand for private homes in the city expected to rebound

By Wong Siew Ying
POSTED: 12 Dec 2013 23:15
URL: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/demand-for-private-homes/920536.html?cid=FBSG

Some property analysts believe demand for these high-end homes could pick up as early as the middle of next year.
SINGAPORE: The buying interest for private homes in the city is expected to make a comeback as prices continue to moderate.

Some property analysts believe demand for these high-end homes could pick up as early as the middle of next year.

But others have said the cooling measures may still weigh on buying sentiment going forward.

The brisk sales at DUO Residences at Bugis recently showed that there is still strong interest for private residential properties in the city, if the price is right.

For example, its average selling price of S$2,000 per square foot was 20 per cent lower than units in the vicinity.

Analysts said foreigners account for about one-third of the demand for high-end homes and the cooling measures have kept them on the sidelines. However, analysts note that some foreign investors are coming back to the market.

As at the third quarter of 2013, 10,538 units of completed and uncompleted private homes in the Core Central Region (CCR) are unsold.

That is about one-third of the unsold inventory islandwide.

Unsold stock in the city fringe stands at 9,039 units and 12,655 units in the suburban areas, according to property consultancy Knight Frank.

Knight Frank said the number of unsold units has started to decline since the second quarter of last year.

Alice Tan, associate director and head of consultancy and research at Knight Frank, said: "The unsold inventory in the Core Central Region has actually started to see a gradual decline since the second quarter 2012. The gradual decline is about 4 per cent per quarter. This actually reflects that the demand for CCR private homes is gradually returning.

“From the middle of next year, demand for high-end homes could return as prices start to moderate to a level that more potential buyers start to see its value. So there could be an uptick in overall home prices from the second half of next year onwards.”

Knight Frank said that according to its research, in the last few quarters, prices of new high-end homes in districts 1, 2 and 9 were about five to eight per cent lower compared to the period before the seventh round of cooling measures, which was implemented in January this year.

Another property firm, Century 21, said homes in the CCR are relatively under-valued.

Prices there have only climbed 7 per cent since the peak in 2008, compared to 17 per cent for homes in the city fringe, and 47 per cent RISE for suburban homes.

Ku Swee Yong, CEO of Century 21, said: "Where we find most value for money now would be in CCR properties, especially in freehold properties, because the proportion of freehold properties in Singapore has been reducing quite quickly with more Government Land Sales sites that are coming out with 99-year leases.

“In terms of rebound, we would need to see renewed foreign buying into CCR and foreign buying could probably go up only if there are adjustments to the 15 per cent ABSD (Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty) for foreigners and 10 per cent for PRs (Permanent Residents) holding more than one unit."

According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority, CCR home prices have fallen in the second and third quarter.

Prices of non-landed properties in the CCR increased by 0.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2013, but fell 0.2 per cent in the second quarter and 0.3 per cent in the third quarter.

And analysts expect a further moderation of 0.5 to 1 per cent this quarter.

As prices weaken, demand for city homes could return, possibly in the second half of next year.

Knight Frank said this could spark a gradual increase in home prices in the CCR.

- CNA/ms

christo
03-01-14, 10:41
Very often, listening to "coffeeshop talk" is best way to know what layman are thinking...
Heard some rumbling that many of the CMs help the rich wanting to buy properties in Singapore, especially the foreigners, to buy CCR properties in Singapore at depressed and cheap price since CCR only climb about 7% as a whole, but yet OCR can climb by so much... Many of these upgraders very very angry because HDB resale prices drop, OCR private properties go up so much, make it very difficult for them to upgrade from HDB to OCR private properties!

They say they hack care about CCR private properties prices but they want OCR private properties to be affordable to them... Rather, they want rich especially foreigners to buy CCR properties at high prices so that money can come into Singapore and stimulate economy, not let foreigners own Singapore asset at cheap price! :beats-me-man:

Agreed. The foreigners that we want to attract are super rich personnel. The government should conform them to only buy CCR and eliminate them from the rest of Singaporean's playing field.

CCR
03-01-14, 12:55
Foreigners should only be allowed to buy property in CCR and RCR, leave the OCR to singaporeans

eng81157
03-01-14, 13:31
Foreigners should only be allowed to buy property in CCR and RCR, leave the OCR to singaporeans

that would just create conclaves artificially and cause social tensions between different classes of populants in the country. not too wise

amk
03-01-14, 13:42
from the 2 recent incidents in the other thread (where we dig out some buyer infos), coincidentally both buyers are foreigners, spending big money on big units in CCR. I do think some good deals in CCR are going to a few foreigners now (especially those with a FTA type of treaty where it can buy as Singaporeans with no ABSD. Look foreigners are not stupid.)