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Prime freehold residential sites relaunched for collective sale amidst property curbs

The Independent
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Prime freehold residential sites relaunched for collective sale amidst property curbs

Colliers International on 17 September announcement about two prime freehold sites relaunched for en bloc sale.  The first prestigious freehold development Grange Heights in St. Thomas Walk will be put up for collective sale via public tender for $820 million on 18 September 2018.

The reserve price works out to a land rate of $1,948 per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr) after factoring the 10% bonus balcony Gross Floor Area (GFA). No development charge is payable for the intensification of land use.

Grange Heights, one of the two prime freehold sites relaunched, is centrally located within the River Valley planning area, an affluent residential district near the vibrant Orchard Road shopping street, which is lined with premier malls, top hotels and a myriad of food and beverage offerings.

Ms Tang Wei Leng, Managing Director at Colliers International, said, “The well-sized Grange Heights site presents the successful tenderer with an exciting opportunity to develop an upmarket, luxury residential development in the heart of a popular high-end residential district. Subject to relevant approvals, the redevelopment site can potentially yield 388 new units at average size of 1,033 sq ft each.”

Built in the mid-1970s, Grange Heights comprises 114 apartments and maisonettes as well as six penthouses with sizes ranging from 1,884 sq ft to 4,575 sq ft. The redevelopment site – spanning 12,697.7 sq m (approx. 136,676 sq ft) – is zoned ‘Residential’ and has a Gross Plot Ratio of 2.8 under the Master Plan 2014. Including the 10% bonus balcony GFA, the new development will have a proposed total Gross Floor Area of 39,108.9 sq m (approx. 420, 964 sq ft) and a building height control of up to 36 storeys.

A wide range of amenities can be found in the vicinity, including Cineleisure Orchard, *Scape, 313@Somerset, Orchard Central, Orchard Gateway, and Great World City. More lifestyle and F&B options are also a short drive away in Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay. The site is also within 1-km from River Valley Primary School, and close to international schools such as ISS International School and Chatsworth International School (Orchard Campus).

Ms Tang added, “The convenience of being near Singapore’s main shopping district and the allure of living in an upscale residential area – with a good public transport network – will remain appealing to many prospective home buyers. Recent new launches in nearby areas have seen relatively healthy sales, reflecting genuine demand for homes in the Core Central Region.”

prime freehold sites relaunched

Post cooling measures which took effect on 6 July 2018 and based on caveats lodged as at 11 September, New Futura which is adjacent to Grange Heights has sold eight units, achieving an average selling price of about $3,533 psf; 120 Grange shifted two units at an average price of $3,137 psf, while Martin Modern in Martin Place moved 14 units at an average price of $2,786 psf.

Media reports also cited the sale of over 20 units at 8 Saint Thomas in a private preview in late August. About 85% of the sales were reportedly for one- and two-bedders, and 70% of buyers were locals and 30% were foreigners. According to caveats lodged as at 11 September, 18 units with sizes ranging from 441 to 1,152 sq ft have been transacted at an average price of $3,180 psf.

This is the second attempt at collective sale by owners at Grange Heights. Depending on the size of their property, each owner can potentially receive between $5.235 million and $10.762 million from the successful sale of the development.

Dr Ho Siew Lan, Chairman of the Grange Heights Collective Sale Committee, said, “Redevelopment sites in the Grange Road area do not come by very often and we feel Grange Heights, with its ideal plot size and good location near Orchard Road, will be attractive to developers and investors. We are counting on Colliers’ expertise and advice to help us navigate the evolving collective sale market, so as to achieve an optimal outcome for the owners.”

The tender for Grange Heights will close at 3pm on 29 October 2018.

Besides Grange Heights, freehold development Cairnhill Astoria in Cairnhill Rise – also located near Orchard Road – will be relaunched for collective sale for $196 million on 18 September 2018. The pricing of the District 09 site remains unchanged from the tender price when it was originally put on the market on 17 May 2018. Cairnhill Astoria is the other of the two prime freehold sites relaunched and marketed by Colliers.

The owners’ reserve price reflects a land rate of $1,933 psf ppr, after factoring the 10% bonus balcony Gross Floor Area (GFA) and an estimated development charge (DC) of $33.903 million following the latest revision to DC rates.

Sitting on a 3,587.5-square metre (approximately 38,615 sq ft) site, Cairnhill Astoria comprises 36 apartments across a high-rise residential tower and a low-rise block. Under the Master Plan 2014, the land parcel is zoned ‘Residential’ and has a Gross Plot Ratio of 2.8. Subject to relevant approvals from the authorities, the site can be redeveloped to offer about 150 apartments, based on an average unit size of 753 sq ft.

Depending on the size of their property – ranging from 700 sq ft to 6,060 sq ft – each owner at Cairnhill Astoria could potentially receive between $2.275 million and $14.261 million upon successful completion of the transaction.

Ms Tang added, “Being mere minutes from the bustling Orchard Road, the Cairnhill Astoria site in the prestigious Cairnhill enclave provides both convenience and exclusivity. It offers the successful tenderer an opportunity to create a new landmark offering in the area. The fresh cooling measures may have calmed market sentiment in the near-term but we believe the longer term outlook for high-end homes in Singapore – particularly those in District 09 and 10 – remains positive.”

En Bloc Sales Process Singapore – A Definitive Step-by-step Guide

Mr Paul Kwek, Vice-Chairman of the Cairnhill Astoria Collective Sale Committee, said, “The development is ageing and the owners are keen to sell the property. We understand that the environment has become a lot more uncertain following the introduction of new cooling measures in July. The owners are mindful of the cautious market sentiment and may be more realistic in their pricing expectation.”

The two prime freehold sites relaunched are well-served by the Somerset and Orchard Road MRT stations and enjoy good connectivity to the rest of Singapore via the Central Expressway.

The upcoming Great World MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, which will offer more superior connectivity to the Northern and Eastern parts of Singapore when it is ready in 2021, is also nearby. The sites are also well-connected to other parts of the island via the Central Expressway (CTE), Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) and the Pan Island Expressway (PIE).

Cairnhill Astoria is well-served by the Somerset and Orchard Road MRT stations and enjoys good connectivity to the rest of Singapore via the Central Expressway. It is also located near several popular schools, including Anglo Chinese School (Junior), St. Margaret’s Primary School, ISS International School, Chatsworth International School (Orchard Campus), and Lasalle College of Arts (Winstedt Campus).

The collective sale tender for Cairnhill Astoria will close at 3pm on 17 October 2018.

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Whether you are looking for a new home loan or to refinance, the Mortgage broker can help you get everything right from calculating mortgage repayment, comparing interest rates all through to securing the best home loans in Singapore. And the good thing is that all our services are free of charge. So it’s all worth it to secure a loan through us.

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For refinancing advice.

For investment advice on properties like the two prime freehold sites relaunched.

Child sexual abuse survivor claims church has no moral authority to speak out against gay sex

Jewel Stolarchuk
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Child sexual abuse survivor claims church has no moral authority to speak out against gay sex

A proponent of the movement to repeal Section 377A, which criminalises gay sex, has shared his heartbreaking story of being sexually abused as an 11-year-old boy by a priest, as he asserted that the church has no moral authority to speak out against gay sex.

The survivor, Facebook user Desmond Charles Perry-Wong, shared his story after news broke that the National Councils of Churches will not support a repeal of Section 377A.

In a post he published yesterday, Desmond started by describing the sexual abuse he suffered as an 11-year old boy, while in the care of a Christian children’s home: “…getting molested and borderline raped by the older boys and certain staff members was very common.”

After escaping his abusive environment in the Christian children’s home, Desmond sought refuge in the familiar boyhood comforts of the Catholic Church. The same church he attended for Sunday service and Christmas Eve Mass.

“Running away to find shelter in a nearby Catholic Church seemed like a good idea especially if one of your fondest memories was going to Sunday and Christmas Eve Mass with the grandma you missed dearly only to be woken up in the priest’s quarters from sleep on the same bed that only hours ago made you feel safe and for once you felt like your life mattered, woken up by the tapping of a warm hard wet but foul smelling privates of someone whom you used to see every Sunday for catechism classes on your lips and having it forcefully pushed into your mouth and your survival instinct tells you to bite on it so hard so you can escape then you realised that you’re locked in, it’s raining and where are you going to run to anyway?
“Fear and guilt takes over, you freeze but before you know it, it’s over.
“This was the price an 11 year old had to pay to escape countless daily abuse, exchanging countless daily abuse for a nightly abused that was disguised firstly as care and love then to promises of protection and pocket money support then to threats of exposure finally to physical abuse.”

Perhaps most chillingly, when the horrific abuse of this young child came to light, the Church hushed him up by sending him away to another boys home and allegedly covered up the incident by transferring the priest to a foreign country:

“Finally when all comes to light, this 11 year old boy was no longer welcomed in this “Christian” ran childrens’ home and was send to a boys home that was more of a prison than a home and the man that abused him was transferred away to another church in a far away country. All these accounts were reported to the home and church but nothing was done.”

Desmond continued: “That 11 year old boy still lives in me today. That 11 year old boy was me. I am sure Im not the first nor the last to be abused and there are many more.”

To say that the Church failed Desmond would be a profound understatement and he rightly points out the hypocrisy of the Church. It is no secret that, all over the world, organisations that claim to represent the power and authority of God have abused their positions, at the great and terrible expense of our children.

Many like Desmond have asked how valuable are the opinions of an institution which violates the very precepts it claims to hold sacred? Desmond asked on Facebook:

“So, before anyone comes and knock bible verses on my homosexual head look within first and you’ll realised we all bleed the same so why am I a sinner and others not? 
“Repealing 377A will not change anything, it will not change anything at all for you if you’re heterosexual, it will not make your marriage with your spouse or god worth any less nor will it open the floodgates of hell and doomsday arrives but it will make your son, brother, cousin, friend, neighbour, colleague whom thinks ending their lives is the only solution or allowing bullies to bully because sticks and stones know that it gets better and we are destined for better and greater things in life and we are not criminals nor are we abominations spawns of Satan. 
“To anyone whom is against the repeal of 377A. I don’t expect you to accept me cause you don’t pay my bills but walk in my shoes or my high heels, have a view from my world before you judge. I see where you’re coming from because I have been forced to see your world your way and act like one of you everyday.”

Read his full post here.

Apparently, PM Lee’s salary is not S$4.5 million a year

Obbana Rajah
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Apparently, PM Lee’s salary is not S$4.5 million a year

It’s actually S$2.2 million, and that includes bonuses.

According to Factually – an official Government website that aims to clarify public misconceptions on policies matters of the nation – two pieces of online falsehoods are that “the government is not upfront about how ministerial salaries are calculated”, and that “our Prime Minister is being paid $2.2 million a year as a base salary, not including bonuses. His total salary is $4.5 million”.

Photo: Gov.sg/factually

An article published on September 16 responded to “inaccurate reports about ministerial salaries circulating in recent weeks”.

It added that the way in which Ministerial salaries are calculated, with its components, can be seen in a White Paper, which was tabled in Parliament in 2012.

The website Factually also explained that the MR4 Minister’s annual salary of $1.1 million includes bonuses. If the minister doesn’t do well – and if the economy doesn’t do well – he may receive a salary below $1.1 million.

“The Prime Minister’s norm salary is set at two times that of an MR4 Minister. His $2.2 million annual salary includes bonuses. The Prime Minister does not receive a Performance Bonus as there is no one to assess his performance annually. He does receive the National Bonus.”

After the release of these pieces of information, many took to social media to express outrage.

https://www.facebook.com/goh.gilbert/posts/10157934101458975?__xts__[0]=68.ARCjR-eMOhIzUdYZG-IPqw6FFhj_HXJH8cYC4y2Kx-BoZZ4kd2Vke5knhT4uhV_UdYfF18IoAyRVlvRc0AjOaLUiYISBopPcm9QR7qamor1ajTcu90NabPek9Bj6Tr6I-pvqqQ7IWO4E-yVDpOOK_5MsLYoMWFb2ORSFYJJ4QrM5_fHY_L5Gc8Zl9RpUjyXbBq0_-hnr8vRcLdTZnPfkGJ-hIzaX4j86anvT_xE7bTc&__tn__=-R

https://www.facebook.com/leslie.wang.5836/posts/540437256419589?__xts__[0]=68.ARCU_UAm6V22l3F9joFNmxsFPINaDsRkYh88g3jrHJEIfxp9jCjAgzAJzt2LNBcjUkpIcoPjRkChebBNQ5mXteda8K0pjOQJbT38WLiAr48nbDoQ7fXXwzVYCpUvgbadb4wMFDzljQanmHgBCDIg3cSRuA0NsMN0wShcd_8_ja4HuSnFW_Zx&__tn__=-R

 

________________________________________________________________________

[email protected]

Sarah Sanders and the anonymity of the NYT op-ed

Anna Maria Romero
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Sarah Sanders and the anonymity of the NYT op-ed

It was the op-ed that that shook the US, perhaps even the rest of the world, not just for its content, but for the fact that The New York Times decided to publish it anonymously.

The crux of the matter? The author, who identified himself as a “senior official” in the White House, wrote that several senior officials work “diligently from within to frustrate parts of his (President Trump’s) agenda and his worst inclinations,” and exposed how deeply divided the administration is. The piece also referred to behind the scenes actions to possibly remove the President from his position.

President Donald Trump, in true Trump fashion, called the author a “GUTLESS anonymous person” via this Tweet and that, if such a person really exists, that The Times needs to “turn him/her over to government at once!”

His Press Secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, took this a step further, asking Americans to call The New York Times to ask for the identity of the anonymous senior official.

This comes as no surprise, since Ms. Sanders is well-known for defending the President at all times and at all costs, perhaps even at the cost of the truth and her own credibility. Ms. Sanders’s tweets are very similar in tone to that of her principal.

And yes, for The Times to publish the piece anonymously is indeed extraordinary. The Op-Ed editor of The Times, James Dao, has said that the content of the piece was sufficiently significant to public interest for them to do so. He said, “This was a very strongly, clearly written piece by someone who was staking out what we felt was a very principled position that deserved an airing.”

Additionally, a spokeswoman for The Times actually responded to Ms. Sanders’ tweet, saying,  “We are incredibly proud to have published this piece, which adds significant value to the public’s understanding of what is going on in the Trump administration from someone who is in a position to know.”

The New York Times has received no small amount of blowback for publishing the piece anonymously, with other members of the media accusing The Times of staging a PR stunt with it.

The newspaper maintains that it occasionally publishes pieces anonymously in order to protect the safety and well being of the writer, especially when the topic is controversial. And what could be more controversial than the Trump presidency?

Perhaps it provided context and reasoning as to why some people have elected to stay with and work for the President, in spite his unpopular and even scandalous behavior.

Is there a risk that the anonymous writer not be held accountable for his or her accusations and that he or she may be writing with a specific agenda in mind? Perhaps.

But, as the old saying goes, “Desperate times call for desperate measures.” With democratic institutions under attack in the US and in may places around the world, as a writer I stand with The Times’ decision not to disclose the identity of the author of the op-ed piece. It may be a source of encouragement to citizens of the United States, and even to others, that there are cooler heads in the White House who will not let the President, whose term has so far been marked with capriciousness and and outright falsehoods.

Oddly enough, apparently the reverse of what Ms. Sanders wanted for has happened, as countless callers have left messages of appreciation to The Times, as attested to by several of the newspaper’s journalists here. A good lesson in being careful with what you wish for, Ms. Sanders.

New research shows devices and connectivity are now travel essentials

Anna Maria Romero
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New research shows devices and connectivity are now travel essentials

The latest research from Kaspersky Lab confirms something we may already be aware of in our wired world today: people now consider connected devices to be essential when traveling.

The study shows that 63 percent of people depend on their devices for taking photos, 55 percent rely on them for navigating unfamiliar places, and 51 percent depend on them for calling for help when they need it.

But here’s the kicker: a whopping 39 percent will not think of traveling without their devices. That’s almost 2 out of every 5 people who will not travel without them.

The research from Kaspersky Lab shows how vulnerable people become once they lose the connectivity on their devices when they travel. This is how dependent we have all become on our modern gadgets.

And apparently, losing connectivity is not uncommon at all. The same study from Kaspersky Lab shows that one out of every six travelers (17 percent) have encountered problems during travel because of lost connectivity.

The examples of such issues with gadgets are: when phones or tablets malfunction, when the battery on these devices run out, and when something goes wrong with connectivity. Anecdotal evidence abounds as well, with people sharing their stories about getting food poisoning due to the inability of finding a safe place online  to eat, not getting calls about changes in fight schedules, or not finding accommodations when they travel.

The most extreme and potentially dangerous case was of one survey respondent who got stuck in a dessert when the battery of his smartphone ran out, and he had no internet connection at all.

The survey results showed that 84 percent of people felt they would experience stress if they got lost in an environment they are unfamiliar with. 39 percent of respondents reported being fearful of such an occurrence happening to them.

Kaspersky Lab’s Vice President for Product Marketing, Dmitry Aleshin, says, “This incident – and many others – could have been avoided if we all took more care with our connected devices. If we are reliant on staying connected, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, being connected helps us navigate our way around when we’re traveling, and find the best places to eat, drink and stay. But if we are reliant, let’s not jeopardize our safety by losing that connectivity when we’re out and about or in an unfamiliar place!”

One thing that will give travelers peace of mind is a security solution that can adapt to different situations—Kaspersky Security Cloud, which modifies itself to fit every single user regardless of their environment, type of device and connectivity.

Kaspersky Security Cloud includes an anti-theft feature that helps people  specifically when their devices get lost or stolen, by locking and locating the missing device, setting off the alarm on the device, and even taking a photo of the thief who took it.

It also ensures a secure connection especially in unfamiliar places, through transferring data through an encrypted channel in order to keep personal data safe.

Additionally, the Kaspersky Security Cloud has a device power consumption feature which prevents the panic people feel when their devices are about to run out of power. It alert users when the battery on their device is very low and tells them how long they have left before the device runs out, thus giving users the time needed to look for charging options.

Kaspersky Lab is a veteran in the cybersecurity niche, having gathered expertise in deep threat intelligence and security issues for two decades now. 400 million users worldwide are protected by Kaspersky technologies, as well as 270,000 corporate clients.

Blackout hits several parts of Singapore in the wee hours of the night

Jewel Stolarchuk
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Blackout hits several parts of Singapore in the wee hours of the night

Several Facebook users have taken to Facebook to say that their apartments were hit with power outage in the wee hours of the night. Netizens say entire streets in the eastern and western parts of Singapore are affected by the blackout.

Image credit: Lukas Godfrey Facebook

SP Group said in a Facebook post that electricity supply to the parts of Singapore was disrupted at 1.29 am on 18 Sep.

“Our officers were immediately deployed to the affected areas and our priority is to restore supply as safely and quickly as possible,” it said. Adding:”We are investigating the cause of the incident.”

Netizens reported as about 2am that power was restored to some areas.

SP Group said at about 2.15 am that “supply to all areas has been fully restored.”

It apologised for the inconvenience caused and thank the public for your patience.

SP Group is investigating the cause of the incident.

—
This is a developing story and will be updated as the story unfolds.

Indonesian workers listed for sale on Carousell; MOM investigates

Miren Gonzalez
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Indonesian workers listed for sale on Carousell; MOM investigates

On September 14, Friday morning, a netizen went on popular Facebook page All Singapore Stuff to alert people about a listing blatantly advertising domestic helpers from Indonesia on the online marketplace Carousell. The user, @maid.recruitment, had posted full face photos of the women and had even marked some of the helpers as “sold”. After the listing was reported, the Ministry of Manpower got involved to investigate.

All Singapore Stuff Facebook screengrab

Carousell, a Singapore-owned online marketplace, features buying and selling of various items. Clothes, shoes, and electronic devices are the goods typically being auctioned off on Carousell, but unusual and humorous things pop up from time to time.

There was nothing humorous about what Netizen Michael S. discovered on Carousell. Singapore user @maid.recruitment’s listing featured domestic workers from Indonesia, complete with clear photos of their faces and personal descriptions. Some of the listings of the workers were even marked as “sold”. The listing, which has sparked an inquiry by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM), has since been removed by Carousell.

Carousell, which has been cooperating and assisting the MOM in its investigations, clarified that no actual “sale” happened and if it did happen, it would be removed from the platform immediately.

A Carousell representative confirmed that “Any display or sharing of individuals’ personal biodata is strictly prohibited, as this violates our guidelines.”

The MOM issued a strict statement on Facebook on the evening of September 14, saying that they are “aware of cases where foreign domestic workers (FDWs) are being marketed inappropriately on the online buying and selling site, Carousell. We are investigating these cases, and have arranged for these listings to be taken down.”

https://www.facebook.com/sgministryofmanpower/posts/1861114963937762?_rdc=1&_rdr

The MOM continued to say that “advertising Foreign Domestic Workers (FDWs) like commodities is absolutely unacceptable and a legal offense under Section 11(1)(c) of the Employment Agencies Act,” which states that an employment agency (EA) should not act “in a manner likely to be detrimental to the interests of the clients of the licensee.”

Licenses of violating EAs will be suspended or revoked, and it is an offense to carry on with business without a valid license. There are also fines up to $80,000 and possible jail time up to 2 years. Even those who avail of the services of an EA without a license can also be fined up to $5,000.

The MOM urged EAs to act responsibly and review the guidelines they issued on responsible advertising practices for EAs.

In turn, the MOM advised the public to contract the services of only MOM-licensed EAs and shared with everyone the online EA Directory (http://www.mom.gov.sg/eadirectory), which shows the agencies that are legally aboveboard.

One of the more pressing issues here, besides the legal aspect of it, is the questionable ethics behind the manner in which people were being “advertised.” It feels very much like modern-day slavery, where, with people’s personal biodata and pictures on display, interested employers can “obtain” helpers.

A Facebook user agreed that the issue was akin to “slavery”:

All Singapore Stuff Facebook screengrab

One chided Carousell for “selling” humans when even pets are not allowed to be sold:

All Singapore Stuff Facebook screengrab

A netizen alluded to another questionable “service” that can commonly found in Asia, (the Asian “mail-order bride service”):

All Singapore Stuff Facebook screengrab

And one sarcastic commenter likened it all to how girls today “advertise” themselves on Instagram:

All Singapore Stuff Facebook screengrab

This controversy ties in with the recent discussions about proper treatment and reimbursement of Foreign Domestic Workers in Singapore so that Singapore does not experience a “care drain”, and of FDWs having more public spaces in which they can relax and get-together on their 1 day per week off without disturbing others.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Married woman spends thousands on Facebook BF she’s never met, behind husband’s back

The Independent
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Married woman spends thousands on Facebook BF she’s never met, behind husband’s back

A 48-year old married woman with 2 kids was seduced and duped out of $7000, by an online boyfriend whom she had never even met. The woman, identified as “Alice”, became infatuated with a man she met on Facebook, who claimed to be a Chinese businessman living in Canada.

Alice received a Facebook request by the scammer in December of 2017, and the two started talking on a regular basis. According to Alice, their conversations became more frequent and eventually they exchanged phone numbers.

The two had developed a close relationship to the point where it seemed like the two were in love. This, however, would not last.

In March 2018, the scammer requested Alice’s address as he wanted to send her a package from Canada.

A few days later, Alice received a called from a man claiming to be an agent from a courier service. The agent claimed that Alice’s parcel was being detained at customs and that she would need to pay a $2000 tariff in order to receive it.

On the same day, the scammer made a call to Alice to notify her that he had sent out the package.

The scammer told Alice that the package contained jewellery, a laptop, a computer tablet, a handphone and US$25’000 in cash.

Alice believed the scammer’s tale and transferred $2000 to the courier company.

The following day Alice received a second call from the courier service, claiming that her package contained documents that would need to be declared and that the fee for doing so was $5000.

Although she was suspicious, Alice wasn’t about to let money get in the way of love. This time, however, she needed to withdraw money from a joint account she shared with her mother to make the payment.

Weeks later, a different agent called her, requesting an additional payment of $26,700. Finally, Alice decided to make a police report. The police confirmed that she had been the victim of fraud and due to her timely report, she was able to recover the money that was stolen from her.

Alice’s husband never learned of the existence of her online boyfriend, or how close they were to losing thousands of dollars.

Maid commits suicide after being locked up for three months straight

Obbana Rajah
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0
Maid commits suicide after being locked up for three months straight

Fashion designer Lisa Von Tang took to Facebook over the weekend to bring to light a rather rampant issue – the abuse of domestic helpers. In her post, story of how her helper’s “friend’s cousin died yesterday, after having been locked up by her employer for 3 MONTHS after arriving in Singapore”. Many domestic helpers in Singapore have had to suffer similar fates, or worse ones that start with abuse and disrespect.

https://www.facebook.com/LVT8369/posts/10155504948181644?__xts__[0]=68.ARBEh3kH-19Wv2uoiZwbaDogc39inYT5RqO0WTRpPqMC6kZN0FPPCjC8GuRp0pq4Ebk4Z5vwxZ6FJAcR4pFfHkWczE1IkSofLcZqMOORUShVdtcI9f83LCJO0RENQDhjf6Gr7GyjbbhVjjzCG-GN_ut9dGV0Hf7tgZWP6OwdyKimFDBIS5EgXvU&__tn__=-R

In her post, the Chinese-German fashion designer wrote that the domestic helper who committed suicide “was a first-time helper, and her phone was confiscated shortly upon arrival. She was given no off days, and her cousin never saw her once in the 3 months that she lived in Singapore. The case was closed, with cause of death being suicide”.

She also wrote of the huge number of stories that were shared about abuse of domestic helpers.

“Stories where passports get confiscated, no communication with outer world is allowed, salaries are deducted indefinitely, physical abuse and more”, she wrote.

Lisa wrote about how hiring a domestic helper was just like hiring any other employee. Should they not perform the duties required of them, then either train them or fire them.

She then spoke about her own helper and said, “my helper is ‘merely’ a helper because she is from a poor family in the Philippines. Not because she’s not extremely smart, competent, and dedicated to her work. If she was born in Canada like I was, she would have been able to complete her engineering degree, and led a very different life”.

Her post received almost 1,000 shares and 1,100 reactions from netizens who even include Alfian Sa’at.

Lisa’s message was that Singaporean society should not condone the poor treatment of the vulnerable such as these helpers.

“We should not live in a society where it’s common for helpers to kill themselves, because they cannot stand the abuse from their employers”, she said.

Netizens attributed much of the cause to maid employment agencies, where the girls were not vetted properly and sometimes hired despite being underaged. They added that the poor treatment of these girls began there.

________________________________________________________________________

[email protected]

9 nominated to be NMPs, including paralympian and Sakae Holdings chairman

Jewel Stolarchuk
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9 nominated to be NMPs, including paralympian and Sakae Holdings chairman

Paralympian swimmer Ms Yip Pin Xiu and Sakae Holdings executive chairman Mr Foo Peow Yong Douglas are among the nine individuals who have been nominated to be appointed as Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs).

If approved, President Halimah Yacob will officially appoint the nominees to their new post at the Istana on Sept 26.

NMPs can participate in debates in Parliament and vote on all issues except amendments to the Constitution, motions relating to public funds, votes of no confidence in the Government, and removing the President from office.

Besides Sakae’s Mr Foo and gold medallist Ms Yip – who won Singapore’s first gold medal in the 50m backstroke a decade ago at the Beijing Paralympic Games in a world record time, before getting a better record at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games – the seven nominees for the NMP posts are:

  • Mr Arasu Duraisamy – Singapore Port Workers Union general secretary and elected member of the labour movement’s Central Committee.
  • Mr Ho Wee San – The Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s managing director
  • Professor Lim Sun Sun –  Singapore University of Technology and Design’s Head of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, and Media Literacy Council member.
  • Mr Abbas Ali Mohamed Irshad – Founder and director of non-profit Roses of Peace (ROP) that aims to promote inter-faith understanding and dialogue.
  • Ms Ong Lay Theng Anthea – Social entrepreneur and founder/CEO of corporate social responsibility consultancy, Anagami.
  • Ms Quay Siew Ching Irene – Certified pharmacist, Pharmaceutical Society of Singapore president and assistant director in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s Allied Health Office.
  • Associate Professor Walter Edgar Theseira – Transport economist at the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Ministry of Social and Family Development’s research advisory panel member.

NMPs are appointed for a term of two and a half years on the recommendation of a Special Select Committee chaired by the Speaker of Parliament – presently ruling party MP Tan Chuan Jin. The Committee may nominate persons who have rendered distinguished public service or who have brought honour to Singapore.

In the past, the committee has invited proposals of candidates from community groups in the fields of arts and letters, culture, the sciences, business, industry, the professions, social or community service, and the labour movement.

In 2009, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong proposed in Parliament that the Committee should also invite nominations from the civil society such as grassroots leaders, young activists, and even new citizens so that NMPs can reflect as wide a range of independent and nonpartisan views as possible.

The NMP scheme, however, has been criticized on the grounds that it is undemocratic, and that unelected NMPs have no incentive to express the electorate’s views in Parliament.

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