SINGAPORE: In space-challenged Singapore, accessing public housing isn’t the easiest thing in the world, especially for singles. For one man, it was a case of if at first you don’t succeed, try, and try again.
Or again and again, rinse and repeat, till Zachary Loo struck it lucky on try number 8, although he admitted that he actually thought it might take much longer.
Mr Loo told Yahoo Finance Singapore, “I have never given up hope. Honestly, I expected to ballot 20 more times at least, because from what I’ve heard from other singles who are older than me, they only started seeing success in their 40s.
I really didn’t think I would get a ballot before I turned 40 because I thought that the HDB would assume that I still had a chance to get married and have a kid.”
He ended up with a ninth-floor unit in Yishun at its launch in November last year. And while he would have preferred one on a higher floor for a better view and fewer insects, he took what he could get.
The S$15,000 housing grant he received went to the premium, Yahoo added. And since it does not look like he’ll be marrying, he isn’t likely to see it come back.
The piece also says that Mr Loo has known he’s wanted to move out since the age of 24 and began the process of bidding as soon as he turned 35.
However, he counts himself lucky to have a family that not only understands his situation but also gives him his own room.
“I’m so old already, yet I still have to stay with my family. Lucky for me, they are understanding, and they are okay with me staying till I get my own place. That’s the only option that makes financial sense,” Yahoo quotes him as saying.
Mr Loo also told Yahoo that he understands the government policies concerning housing but wishes that the eligibility age would be lowered to 32 or even 30. /TISG
SINGAPORE — Tan Kin Lian has drawn attention to the demanding timeline of the presidential election process, which includes the issuance of the writ of election, the announcement of the certificate of eligibility, and nomination day.
Tan is the fourth and final contender to throw his name into the race for the presidency. The other three presidential hopefuls are; former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, ex-GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song, and businessman George Goh.
“This does not allow sufficient time for the candidates to come to an agreement to avoid splitting the votes of their common supporters. After the nomination, the election will be held on 1 September, 10 days later. This allows nine days for campaigning, excluding the cooling day. It takes time to print these materials and to put them up,” posted Tan on his social media page.
Prospective candidates also have to navigate the challenging financial decision of printing campaign materials and addressing other logistical needs. However, it remains uncertain whether they meet the eligibility criteria to qualify for the presidential elections.
“The amount to be spent on 5,000 posters and a few hundred banners could amount to $50,000, maybe more. Is it fair for a candidate to spend this money, and risk having it being totally wasted?” shared Tan, who contested in the 2011 Presidential Election.
Nevertheless, Tan added that he had given his campaign team instructions to print the necessary materials. He is willing to take the risk and potentially waste the $50,000 if he does not receive the certificate of eligibility.
“The risk and uncertainty could have been avoided if there is a clear period of 10 days between the release of the decision of the presidential election committee and the submission of the nomination. Why should this be compressed to one day?” added Tan, who is being proposed by Tan Jee Say and seconded by Lim Tean, for his presidential nomination.
“This is unfair, and it is unnecessary.”
The writ of election was issued on Aug 11, just hours after Tan officially launched his presidential campaign. The deadline to submit the certificate of eligibility is Aug 17, and the Presidential Elections Committee will announce the outcome by August 21.
Nomination Day will be on Aug 22, and if more than one candidate received their certificate of eligibility, Polling Day will be on Sept 1. The campaign will be from Aug 22 to Aug 30, and the Cooling off Day is Aug 31.
SINGAPORE: 62 per cent of maids surveyed on social media said their employers allowed them to turn on the air-conditioning at night.
In a support group for helpers and employers alike, one employer asked others: “If you have your own room, do your employer allow you to on aircon to sleep at night? Employer here asking genuine question”.
To her question, 485 maids responded, with 306 saying they were allowed and the remaining 180 saying they were not allowed to turn on the air-conditioning at night. Many helpers also replied in the comments section, adding that they were happy as long as they had their own space and privacy.
Here’s what they wrote:
Earlier this year, a domestic helper took to social media asking for help because of her poor sleeping conditions and employers who refused to pay for her medical check-ups.
In an anonymous post to a Facebook support group for domestic helpers and employers alike, the maid shared a photo of the store room she slept in that was piled with luggage and various items.
She said she could only sleep past 11 pm but had to wake up at 5.30 am, which was extremely difficult for her as she could not rest properly. The helper wrote that when her employer’s parents came from overseas, they brought their own luggage, which was then kept in the store room where she had to sleep. She added that she, too, had things stored in the same room.
‘Wah this one actual big fish’ — Netizens say upon seeing Harpreet Singh join Workers’ Party walkabout at Marine Parade
Photo: FB screengrab/Nathaniel Koh
SINGAPORE: There appears to be a significant addition to the Workers’ Party, judging from photos on Facebook from Mr Nathaniel Koh of a walkabout last weekend at Marine Parade.
Mr Koh, who had been part of the WP slate at Marine Parade GRC in the General Election of 2020, wrote that Team Marine Blue visited residents of Terang Bulan Ave in the Joo Chiat division.
“Two packets of mutton briyani at $38, still charge $1.90 for packing”: Customer shocked over price of food
Image: FB screengrab / COMPLAINT SINGAPORE
SINGAPORE: An online user recently took to a complaint forum to share her shock over the cost of food at a restaurant as well as the extra charge for packing.
“Briyani so expensive at Apollo Banana Leaf!” an online user shared on the Complaint Singapore Facebook group on Friday (Aug 11). “Two packets of mutton briyani at S$38.” The woman then shared, “Still charge S$1,90 for packing.”
Jamus Lim: Concern over smaller, more expensive flats is the underlying context for why Ridout Road outcry
Photo: FB screengrab/Jamus LIm
SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim wrote in a Sunday (Aug 13) Facebook post that he believes the recent outcry over Ridout Road is due to Singaporeans’ housing concerns. Flats have gotten smaller and more expensive, and even people who own their houses are afraid their children may be unable to afford them.
Many Singaporeans have spoken to the WP team about this issue repeatedly, and the issue of accessible and affordable housing was discussed at length in Parliament early this year.
Opposition members breaking barriers to support unifying figures in presidential election
Photo: Facebook screengrab / SGrealissues
SINGAPORE — Political parties typically do not actively campaign for a specific candidate in a presidential election, as it differs significantly from a general election. However, party members are not prohibited from endorsing or supporting any potential presidential hopeful in their personal capacity.
In the campaign guidelines released by the Elections Department, it is stated that; ‘The President should remain above the political fray. It is not his role to support or oppose the Government of the day or to advance his own agenda or policies.’
Coffee cup test for interviews, those that fail won’t get hired
Former CEO Trent Innes says that he uses the coffee cup test to hire employees and it is fail-safe. He says it is the best way to vet people rather than just wading through a thick pile of resumes and trying to determine who makes the grade.
He says that anyone who fails his coffee cup test would automatically be blacklisted. Trent has worked at Xero Australia but left in September 2021 and shares his little trick for hiring people on the business podcast show, The Venture.
SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party MP Jamus Lim wrote in a Sunday (Aug 13) Facebook post that he believes the recent outcry over Ridout Road is due to Singaporeans’ housing concerns. Flats have gotten smaller and more expensive, and even people who own their houses are afraid their children may be unable to afford them.
Many Singaporeans have spoken to the WP team about this issue repeatedly, and the issue of accessible and affordable housing was discussed at length in Parliament early this year.
Assoc Prof Lim (Sengkang GRC) wrote that many had flagged the issue, especially concerning the price of HDB flats, and noted that four-fifths of Singaporeans live in public housing.
“Even those who already own their flats fear that their kids won’t be able to afford homes of their own,” he wrote, adding, “In my view, this is the underlying context for why the Ridout Road episode sparked such wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Questions were raised in May of this year over the rentals of 26 and 31 Ridout Road by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan, respectively, as these are among the most prime residential properties in the area.
Upon the direction of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, an investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) cleared the ministers of any wrongdoing.
Nevertheless, Assoc Prof Lim added that the crux of the matter is that “Singaporeans had been repeatedly told about why HDB costs so much—limited land, high construction costs, and the need to price land according to market principles—versus the perception of how their leaders don’t seem to face such constraints.”
He added that Minister Edwin Tong, who heads the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) with Mr Shanmugam, said that the pricing for the land in question excludes land.
“Fair enough, except that, in contrast, HDB prices fully incorporate the market price of land, backed out from resale prices of comparables,” wrote the WP MP in his post, and added that this has left “many Singaporeans… suspicious, of how there is one market for rich B&W tenants, and another for poor HDB dwellers. But there isn’t! (Or, at least, there shouldn’t be).”
Assoc Prof Lim also wrote that this is only one area where the WP can help improve Singapore’s public housing model, adding that it will release a series of videos to highlight our ideas this week.
SINGAPORE: There appears to be a significant addition to the Workers’ Party, judging from photos on Facebook from Mr Nathaniel Koh of a walkabout last weekend at Marine Parade.
Mr Koh, who had been part of the WP slate at Marine Parade GRC in the General Election of 2020, wrote that Team Marine Blue visited residents of Terang Bulan Ave in the Joo Chiat division.
Pictured among the “team” in his photos is Senior Counsel of the Supreme Court of Singapore Harpreet Singh.
And while Mr Koh did not tag the Senior Counsel or mention him by name, the post has generated no small degree of interest online, particularly on Reddit, where it was shared on Sunday (Aug 13).
“Wah this one actual big fish,” wrote one.
“Harpreet is a Senior Counsel category of lawyer, so he’s one of true best court lawyers in Singapore. He’s also very outspoken on social issues and has questioned PAP’s policies. IIRC he was one of the three(?) senior counsels that acted against 377A. Fact that WP seems to have recruited him and if he runs next GE is huge for their party legitimacy,” wrote another.
“WhosWho Legal 2022 describes Harpreet as “one of the best litigators in the Singaporean space due to his impeccable dispute resolution practice” and ranks him a Global Thought Leader for Commercial Litigation 2023.
The Chambers Asia Pacific 2022 edition similarly notes Harpreet’s “reputation as one of the strongest litigators in the market,” noted one.
Another chimed in, “This guy is a legitimate shark. Happy for WP!”
A Reddit user pointed out that “WP landed a whale and a crucial minority candidate as well.”
Mr Singh’s biography on LinkedIn reads that he is a member of Harvard Law School’s Leadership Council of Asia and that he “has also been appointed by the Minister-in-Charge of MAS to the Appeal Advisory Panels under the Business Trusts Act, Financial Advisers Act, Insurance Act, Securities and Futures Act and Trust Companies Act from 2019 to 2023. He also sits on the Disciplinary and Appeals Committees for SGX, the front-line regulator of Singapore’s capital markets.”
The Independent Singapore has reached out to The Workers’ Party for comment. /TISG
SINGAPORE: Marathoner Soh Rui Yong strikes again, setting a new national record last week despite having virtually no preparation for it.
He had forgotten about the Sri Chinmoy Kangaroo Hop, a 5km road race set for last Tuesday (Aug 8), only remembering the event when he received his race kit the day before.
Not only did he set a new record, but Soh also came in third in the Men’s Under 50 category.
And, not content with his performance, he vowed to work even harder.
“Managed 15min 15sec for third, and a new Singapore road 5km record. It’s definitely a soft record, being 31 seconds slower than my 14:44 for 5,000m on the track, so I’ll work on improving this in the next opportunity to run a road 5km!” he wrote in an Aug 12 (Saturday) Facebook post.
He also thanked the organizers “for a simple yet effective and deeply competitive event,” noting that 19 runners ran “under 16min, and 74 under 17min!!”
The athlete added that the event’s most impressive performance to him was that of Clare Elms of Kent AC. She finished first in the women over 50 category at 18:04.
The backstory for the national record makes it even more interesting, however.
Soh told The Straits Times that he had gone with his girlfriend to Paris Disneyland for his birthday, as he had turned 32 on Aug 6.
When he got back to his flat in London, the race kit for Sri Chinmoy was waiting for him, reminding him of the Kangaroo Hop, which had slipped his mind.
Soh had registered for the run so he could pace a friend whose goal was to run the 5K in under 16 minutes, and while the friend ended up not running after all, Soh went anyway.
“Given that I didn’t really know what to expect running this race, I just ran as hard as I could and got third, which I thought was a decent performance for a race that I wasn’t really peaking for and was doing as part of a session,” ST quotes him as saying, adding that Singapore Athletics has recognized the runner’s achievement.
Read all about Soh’s dreams for the future here. /TISG
SINGAPORE: Local filmmaker Nelson Neo recently screened his film, “Dreaming & Dying,” at the Locarno Film Festival as his debut feature, and it has now won two awards. The film was awarded the Filmmakers of the Present – Golden Leopard (Pardo d’oro Cineasti del presente) and the Swatch First Feature Award (Prize for Best First Feature).
The film is said to revolve around the story of three friends in their fifties who reunite after years of being apart. The three friends find themselves in a love triangle, and as they figure out their feelings, supernatural experiences occur. The cast included Doreen Toh, Peter Yu, and Kelvin Ho, and Singaporean cinematographer Lincoln Yeo who shot the film.
In a press statement, Nelson Neo stated: “It is a really amazing experience to return to Locarno Film Festival with my first feature film, Dreaming & Dying, to win this distinguished award and screen to sold-out audiences who appreciate and love our film.”
He added: “We are excited to bring Leopard home and share it with our team.”
Nelson Neo made history by being the first Southeast Asian film and Singaporean director who had won two of the top prizes in the Cineasti del presente category of the festival.
The category, Concorso Cineasti del presente, of the festival highlights the selection of first and second feature films, primarily world premieres which are directed by emerging global directors.
The film is produced by Singapore-based Momo Film Co.
In an Instagram post, Momo Film Co. shared: “Nelson Yeo’s debut feature “Dreaming & Dying” has swept up not one but TWO awards at the festival! Our film is the first Southeast Asian film to clinch the Golden Leopard for Concorso Cineasti del presente, and we have also been awarded the Swatch First Feature Award (Prize for Best First Feature)!”
The team added: “Thank you to the eminent jury for selecting our film, we are honoured to receive these awards on behalf of our amazing cast and crew, whose efforts are central to the success of our film!”
SINGAPORE — Political parties typically do not actively campaign for a specific candidate in a presidential election, as it differs significantly from a general election. However, party members are not prohibited from endorsing or supporting any potential presidential hopeful in their personal capacity.
In the campaign guidelines released by the Elections Department, it is stated that; ‘The President should remain above the political fray. It is not his role to support or oppose the Government of the day or to advance his own agenda or policies.’
The candidates are also encouraged to conduct their election campaign in a manner that is ‘dignified, decorous and consistent with the President’s position as the head of state and the symbol of national unity.’
Former NTUC Income CEO Tan Kin Lian, who is running for the presidency for the second time, gained the endorsement of Tan Jee Say, who previously ran in the Singapore general elections in 2020 and 2011 with the Singapore Democratic Party. Jee Say is Tan’s proposer, while Lim Tean, the leader of the opposition party People’s Voice, was named as Tan’s seconder for his presidential nomination.
Lim, who was present at Tan Kin Lian’s campaign launch last week, said that he hopes there will be more Singaporeans coming forward to support Tan Kin Lian’s campaign in the coming days as there is a need to rally around a non-establishment candidate.
“I feel that all the opposition parties are united in their thinking that they want an independent president. I am hoping that all the supporters of the opposition parties will come together and support Tan Kin Lian as the independent president,” shared Lim with The Independent Singapore.
“As this is the presidential contest and political parties can’t be involved as political parties, there is no stopping the members from coming forward to support. I am here supporting Tan Kin Lian not as the leader of the Peoples Voice but as a Singaporean.”
Currently, there are three other presidential hopefuls in the race alongside Tan Kin Lian. They are former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, businessman George Goh, and ex-GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song.
Photo credit: Abdul Salim
Opposition member Abdul Salim has also decided to register as a volunteer for a potential presidential candidate. Salim and his friends were at Peninsula Excelsior Hotel over the weekend, where Goh’s team held a two-day volunteer registration drive.
Salim believes that it is crucial to have an independent president who understands their role to protect the interest of Singapore while at the same time maintaining a healthy working relationship with those in government.
“I believe that it is extremely important for Singapore to have an independent president as there are many things which are at stake. For example, the elected president is the second key to our reserves and has the power to check on the government,” said Salim, who stood as a candidate for the Workers’ Party at Ang Mo Kio GRC in 2006 and at Marine Parade GRC with the National Solidarity Party at the following elections.
“Understanding the roles and responsibilities of each side is important to avoid any conflicts and misunderstandings between both parties. At the end of the day, both the president and the government are working for the best interests of Singapore and the people. So no matter what the issue is, they have to have good relations with one another.”
On Sunday, Second Chance Properties Ltd founder and CEO Salleh Marican gave his endorsement to former GIC chief investment officer Ng. Prior to this, Ng also disclosed that former Foreign Minister George Yeo was listed as one of the three character references in the forms submitted by Ng to the election department.
Salleh wants the younger generation of Singaporeans to understand that they are currently living in a first-world country, but things can go south, and that is why it’s important to choose a truly independent president.
“You see how dangerous it is for the ruling party when they are in power, especially when they control parliament with the majority, they can easily make changes. This is why an independent president is very critical. Very important that we must have,” explained Salleh who failed to receive his certificate of eligibility to contest the 2017 Presidential Election.
“It is very risky, highly unadvisable, for a member of the ruling party to be the president of Singapore. So far we are lucky, Nothing serious happened in the past. So if you want to think properly about what independence is, it can only be tested in a crisis.”
Unlike Tan, Ng has not made his list of proposers and seconders known. He mentioned that this would only be revealed on nomination day.
For Tharman, he made known his full slate of proposer, seconder, and eight assentors during his campaign launch for the presidency. Thomas Chua, a former nominated member of parliament and president of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations, was named as the proposer, while Mohammad Alami Musa, former president of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore and current non-resident ambassador to Algeria, will be the seconder.
The writ of election was issued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Aug 11. Prospective candidates have until August 17 to submit their applications for the certificate of eligibility. The nomination day will be on Tuesday, August 22. Should more than one prospective candidate receive the certificate of eligibility, a contest, and polling day shall be on Friday, Sep 1.
Former CEO Trent Innes says that he uses the coffee cup test to hire employees and it is fail-safe. He says it is the best way to vet people rather than just wading through a thick pile of resumes and trying to determine who makes the grade.
He says that anyone who fails his coffee cup test would automatically be blacklisted. Trent has worked at Xero Australia but left in September 2021 and shares his little trick for hiring people on the business podcast show, The Venture.
He says this system of his, works every single time. Anyone who comes to his office will see that the kitchen is absolutely clean and shiny and in order to fit into the future he’s going to want to see how strong the urge is for the candidate to clean or wash his own cup after having his coffee.
On the topic of job interviews, in another incident, a candidate was rejected purely on the basis of his interaction with the receptionist at the front desk of the office he had gone to for an interview.
The candidate’s chances went belly up in the first five minutes when he was dismissive to the receptionist and refused to make eye contact with her.
