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Grab & Uber: Things to get worse before they get better?

Obbana Rajah
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Grab & Uber: Things to get worse before they get better?

Obbana Rajah

The main gripes people have with Grab are in relation to its exorbitant prices, the outrageous waiting times, its drivers who refuse to cancel rides that they do not want to accept so that they do not get penalised, and the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore’s (CCCS) gross lack of action in preventing the monopolistic tendencies that Grab had already started to show post-merger.

Once its merger with Uber started to happen, many noticed that Grab’s prices skyrocketed. People also got increasingly frustrated with unfair rates and vowed to never use Grab again if prices continued to escalate. Jasmine Pearlyn, who uses ride-hailing apps to commute to work says that if prices continue to go up, she will have to “revert to the traditional method of taking a cab and it will be a burden to [her] finances without a rewards system”.

She adds that ultimately she will still resort to taxis because the train system here is rather unreliable and takes twice as long for the journey.

Many also complain about the very long waiting time before they are able to get a ride.Will things have to get worse before they get better? Founder and editor-in-chief of Dealstreetasia, Joji Philip Thomas tweeted about his 30 minute wait before he managed to get a grabcar.

Then, there was also the lack of action by the CCCS. Speculation as to why they were just buying time ensued.

However, with two new ride-hailing firms set to enter Singapore’s markets in May – just a day away – things seem to be looking up for us consumers.

Competition will alleviate the problem of pricing, people will have more options to choose from between apps, and even within apps such as Jugnoo (with its reverse-bidding pricing system).

More ride-hailing firms do mean more drivers, especially at the outset. Waiting times should nary be an issue.

Lastly, the CCCS. Now that competition for Grab is just at our doorsteps, they would have to wait and see how much of the market share Grab ends up with, or if it still exhibits monopolistic tendencies. Only then will the CCCS be able to act.

Things do seem to be improving on the ride-hailing front. For now, at least.

obbana@theindependent.sg

mrbrown tweets politics and The Avengers

Obbana Rajah
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1
mrbrown tweets politics and The Avengers

Obbana Rajah

Popular local blogger Lee Kin Mun, also known as mrbrown, thinks Singapore may be better off with someone like Avengers villain Thanos.

He has tweeted: “No strong enough leader in their ranks, more like. We need Thanos.”

Thanos is the power-hungry, diabolical antagonist in the latest Marvel movie, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’. He is very controlling and rules with an iron fist (literally).

Along with his tweet, mrbrown included a picture of a Straits Times article with the headline, ‘Singapore’s 4G leaders: Forging a team by collaborating’. The picture of the article was of Labour chief Chan Chun Sing, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat and Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, who are all currently thought of as contenders for Prime Minister.

Those who responded to his tweet did not seem to be in favour of the current three contenders.

mrbrown’s tweet could be interpreted as a call for Singapore’s leaders to step up and be more of a fierce leader like Thanos. Good idea or not?

[poll id=”5″]

Should workers lock away large sums of money in property when monetising flats is questionable?

The Independent
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0

By: Ravi Philemon

This Labour Day, workers have to consider if they should continue to lock away huge sums of money in their property, when monetising flats becomes more and more difficult in the future. In her 2nd IPS-Nathan lecture, Dr Cheong Koon Hean said that 99 year leases allow the Government to recycle land, so as to keep public housing affordable for future generations. But the question for Dr Cheong who is the chief executive of Housing Board really is, “at what cost?”

monetising flatsLet’s say a person (Mr X) buys a 4-room Built-To-Order (BTO) flat at $300,000, soon after he gets married at between 32 – 35 years of age; assuming he takes HDB loan at 2.6% per annum and takes up a 30-year mortgage; and suppose he stays in the same flat throughout the mortgage period; he would have come close to reaching retirement age at this time, and his flat would have about 69 years left on its lease.

If he decides to sell his flat at this time, he may face difficulties, as the buyer of this flat will be mindful of the restrictions which will kick-in once the flat reaches below 60-years. Even if he manages to find a buyer for his flat, the new buyer will actually be purchasing into household equity destruction.

The ticking time bomb of the 99-year-leasehold HDB flats

One argument is that Mr X can continue to monetise his flat by renting it out. Dr Cheong did argue for this at her lecture. But with home ownership already at the 90 per cent level in Singapore (where on average every local has 1.1 homes on average) who will rent Mr X’s flat?

International Property Advisor Ku Swee Yong made a similar point in speaking to MoneyFM 89.3. He noted, “last year, we lost 36,000 workers who are on work passes in Singapore. And then in the last few quarters we are still seeing overall shrinkage of the total number of jobs in Singapore. I am concerned that on the tenancy front, things may get a little bit tougher for you to secure good paying tenants.”

What this also means is that with most people’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) meant primarily for retirement locked in the flats, they will have very little left in older age when they are less-able to work. And even this will be depreciating year-after-year.

HDB loans have now been more expensive than bank loans for almost a decade

This Labour Day, this is the hot-button topic for many workers in Singapore, who are also home owners.

According to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Labour Market Advance Release First Quarter 2018, released on 27 April, total employment decreased by 12,800 jobs from 1 January 2017 to 31 March 2018. It is unclear how many from that number are Singaporeans.

The negative sentiment in the local jobs market will have an impact on the property sector and in monetising flats, as buyers may become a lot more circumspect.

Ku makes similar observations in his interview and said, “(if) employment remains weak, some of the home owners may be unable to pay their mortgages and would then have to let go of their properties in the auction market. And that could mean a little bit of pain while the rest of the market may still be exuberant.”

This Labour Day, workers in Singapore (most of whom are home owners), have very important questions to ask of themselves:

“Should we continue to lock away large sums of money in our properties when monetising flats becomes more difficult in our old age?”

“Should we rethink an appropriate lease period for public housing and consider adding affordable rental housing into the mix of options for Singaporeans?”

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If you are home-hunting, our Panel of Property agents and the mortgage consultants at icompareloan.com can help you with affordability assessment and a promotional home loan. Just email our chief mortgage consultant, Paul Ho, with your name, email and phone number at paul@icompareloan.com.

Mother of NSF who died due to heat stroke reveals her son donated his cornea before his untimely death

Jewel Stolarchuk
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Mother of NSF who died due to heat stroke reveals her son donated his cornea before his untimely death

Jasmine Yeo, the mother of the NSF who passed away due to a heat stroke, has revealed that her son signed up to donate his cornea before his untimely passing:

Dave wish to continue seeing this world with his cornea! Whoever you are, please enjoy seeing this world together with Dave! Hope 1 day you will see me again!

Posted by Jasmine Yeo H L on Monday, 30 April 2018

Yeo’s son, Dave Lee – a Guardsman from the 1st Battalion Singapore Guards, was found to display signs of heat injury at about 8.35am on 18 Apr 2018. The Private had just completed an 8km fast march in Bedok Camp. He was pronounced dead yesterday at 5.32pm at Changi General Hospital after spending 12 days in critical condition at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

Lee had just turned 19 ten days before he passed on.

Lee was an only child to Yeo, a spa manager, and her husband, property agent Dennis Lee. Neighbours told reporters that the family was close-knit.

After completing his primary school education at Rulang Primary School, secondary school education at Yuhua Secondary School and his A-Levels at Jurong Junior College, Lee enlisted into National Service on 5 Jan and completed his Basic Military Training on 11 March.

Lee’s enlistment was celebrated as a momentous occasion by his family. Today, his family members are asking “Who is the real enemy?”

Irreplaceable moment!

Posted by Jasmine Yeo H L on Saturday, 10 March 2018

The Armed Forces Council is expected to convene an independent Committee of Inquiry (COI) to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, as is procedure in every case involving the death of a national serviceman. The COI has full powers as well as access to information and personnel to fully investigate the circumstances leading to death.

https://theindependent.sg.sg/family-member-of-19-year-old-nsf-who-died-from-heat-stroke-demands-more-information-after-allegations-that-case-was-mishandled-surface/

Singapore’s economy is alright this year but dark clouds are on the horizon: PM Lee’s May Day speech

Jewel Stolarchuk
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42
Singapore’s economy is alright this year but dark clouds are on the horizon: PM Lee’s May Day speech

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivered his May Day speech at 10.30am, this morning.

Speaking to a 1,600-strong audience, PM Lee touched on a variety of topics – from tensions between the US and China and what it means for Singapore to what the responsibility of a new generation of Singaporeans is:

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE NEW GENERATION OF SINGAPOREANS

PM Lee called on the new generation of Singaporeans to renew the nation while holding steadfast to the values that have led Singapore to succeed, such as the instinct to plan ahead, the drive to do better, the sense of mission and the duty of stewardship.

Noting that the Pioneer Generation built the nation from scratch while succeeding generations brought Singapore to First World status, the head of government said: “What is the responsibility of this generation of Singapore? It is to renew Singapore – open a new chapter, create new possibilities and frontiers for our country.”

Asserting that they must do this while holding on to the previous generations’ values, PM Lee said: “This shared responsibility for the future is our strength. It is how we will show others – and ourselves too – that Singapore still has what it takes to succeed.”

ECONOMY PERFORMED BETTER THAN EXPECTED LAST YEAR; EXPECTED TO GROW FURTHER THIS YEAR

PM Lee revealed that the productivity boost helped the economy perform better than expected last year, achieving 3.6 per cent growth. He said that the economy could grow by over 2.5 per cent this year if momentum is sustained, but that this also depends on the external environment.

US-CHINA TENSIONS CAST DARK CLOUDS IN THE HORIZON

The PM expressed that Singapore may be drawn into trade tensions between the US and China if things escalate and that this may hamper Singapore’s exports as well: “Singapore will suffer collateral damage even though we are not involved in the fight…In a world where rules are not followed, all countries will suffer, but small countries like us will be worst hit.”

He added that dark clouds are on the horizon but that the local economy will be alright this year as these tensions may take more time to potentially escalate. PM Lee then said: “Regardless of what happens outside Singapore, we know what we have to do domestically: we must strengthen our economy.”

THE WORK AT HAND, DOMESTICALLY

The PM then spoke on technological disruption and how Singapore is responding, urging workers and businesses to continue upgrading, adapting, transforming and using technology to their advantage.

Citing the transport industry with the introduction of ride-hailing apps and similar disruptions in the banking, retail and logistics sectors, Mr Lee explained what the Government is doing to help businesses and workers adapt but added that workers have to embrace change by picking up new skills as well.

LEADERSHIP CHANGES AT THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Besides being Labour Day, today is also the same day the Cabinet leadership changes take effect. Former Labour chief Chan Chin Sing leaves the labour movement to join the Ministry for Trade and Industry, handing over the reins of the movement to ex-Education Minister Ng Chee Meng.

On leadership changes at the labour movement and the Cabiner level, PM Lee said: “I am confident that he (Ng) will build on Chun Sing’s good work and lead NTUC well…The fourth generation political leadership is learning on the job, taking on more responsibilities, and preparing for succession.”

The head of government added: “As younger leaders take over on both sides, they must renew the trust between the Government and the NTUC, and our commitment to the tripartite relationship. Tripartism is fundamental to Singapore’s survival and success.”

Devotees feel “cheated” by “severe mismanagement” at iconic Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple

Jewel Stolarchuk
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15
Devotees feel “cheated” by “severe mismanagement” at iconic Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple

Temple devotees reported feeling “cheated” after news broke yesterday that the key officers of the iconic Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple severely mismanaged the charity and put millions of dollars from the temple’s funds at risk.

Three key officers who were supposed to have ensured that the temple’s administration was safeguarded instead engaged in shady activities; from overpaying vendors, allowing “serious” conflicts of interest involving hundreds of thousands of dollars, enjoying unauthorised employee benefits and unauthorised staff loans, offsetting staff loans without permission and much, much more.

Temple devotees Channel NewsAsia spoke to shared that they were upset over what the a probe ordered by the Commissioner of Charities had uncovered.

One devotee who visits the temple once in two months or so revealed that he had been one of those who had donated when the temple raised money for restoration works a few years ago. Mr Sivaprabhu revealed that the temple had tried to raise funds by selling bricks to devotees and said:

“I, too, bought a brick. We wanted the temple to be built, and we contributed in whatever way we could. So I am definitely upset and hurt by what has happened. We come here to worship god for peace of mind. I think every devotee will feel sad about it.”

Another devotee, Mrs Raji, who visits the temple monthly expressed feeling “cheated” when she heard about what had happened: “Whatever is donated or paid is meant for a good cause and not for personal use. I usually donate money to the donation box, and I thought the money would be used for charitable purposes.”

One visitor, Mr Murali, felt that the temple should be more transparent on how they manage the temple: “The management should affirm that they will be open about matters like this, and assure the public that this will not happen again.”

Another visitor, Mr Prabagar, shared that he would no longer purchase prayer chits nor contribute monetarily to the temple: “I don’t trust the management anymore because of what has happened. From now on, I will just pray and leave.”

Others, however, felt that the fact that the key office holders have been flagged for mismanaging the charity may mean that they are less likely to misbehave in the future.

Long-time devotee Mr Vijayakumar who consistently performs expensive prayers that cost hundreds of dollars at the temple said: “I will definitely continue doing (these prayers). I don’t know what happened here and I don’t care, as long as the management functions properly, I’m happy.”

https://theindependent.sg.sg/commissioner-of-charities-finds-millions-from-sri-veeramakaliamman-temple-funds-were-put-at-risk-due-to-shady-deals/

 

Family member of 19-year-old NSF who died from heat stroke demands more information after allegations that case was mishandled surface

Jewel Stolarchuk
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279
Family member of 19-year-old NSF who died from heat stroke demands more information after allegations that case was mishandled surface

Family members of 19-year-old Dave Lee are demanding that the authorities give the public a full explanation of what happened to Lee, who died from heatstroke while serving National Service.

This, after a letter by an anonymous soldier detailing what allegedly happened that night began circulating online. The author of the viral letter claims that Lee was “forced” to complete the fast march even though he showed clear signs of severe heat exhaustion.

The alleged soldier also claimed that “the commanders did not follow the proper protocol for a soldier in heat exhaution” and “to add insult to injury, the sergeants were just surrounding him, talking cock and laughing and cracking jokes around him, obviously thinking the soldier is trying to keng.”

Sharing the anonymous letter, Lee’s aunt Cecilia Yeoh appealed: “We are saddened by the passing of my nephew, Dave Lee. You may have seen the below post circulating in Facebook and while the truth can’t bring my nephew back, he deserves the truth to be told. I am sharing this in pain but we demand full explanation from SAF to the public, who trustingly sent their children to serve the nation. I hope you share our pain and support that SAF must release full investigation and identity of all culprits to the public. Thanks.”

Read the anonymous letter in full here:

I am a soldier from 1 guards. One of our fellow soldier is currently in critical condition heat stroke (possibly brain dead) due to the reckless behavior of my fellow commanders. I want to bring this to light so that the commanders involved are duly punished and nothing gets hidden as part of the investigation.
Dave is still in critical condition in the hospital, and it has almost been one week since the incident. But there has been rumours that his condition has worsening .
**Illegal turnout**
The night before a 8km fast march (an activity considered high key) our entire recce platoon was turned out after lights out by our sergants, forcing us to bear crawl to the SOC grounds at bedok camp, doing thier usual tekan of making us roll in the sand and have water poured on us, to satisfy their own sadistic pleasure. Asa result we did not have the adequate 7 hours of rest mandated by the traning safety regulation required for our fast march the next day.
**Commanders forcing trainees**
During the fast march, Dave struggled to complete his fast march and was dragged by senior commanders, forcing him to finish the fast march even though he was showing signs of extreme physical exhaution.
Dave collapsed after collecting his timing chip at our company line. We saw Dave breathing frantically, going through delirium, with his tounge out and only the white in his eyes visible. he was not articulate.
**inability of commanders to spot heat exhaustion**
It was obvious that even to an untrained soldier, especially commanders who went to OCS / SCS, that dave was going through Heat Exhaution or even heat stroke. yet they still acted as though there as nothing severe or that he could even be acting “keng”
**non-administering of ice packs / BCU / water mist**
the commanders did not follow the proper protocol for a soldier in heat exhaution. His cloths were not removed, no ice pack were place at the vital heat dissapation points in his body and the medic was even blur not knowing what to do. The safety officer was nowhere to be found during this whole time and the commnders left his body under the hot sun instead of bringing it to a shaded area. it took them almost 30minutes to an hour before they even stretched him away to the medical center before he was even transported to a hospital using the Military ambulance.
**Lack of seriousness towards the incident**
To add insult to injury, the sergeants were just surrounding him, talking cock and laughing and cracking jokes around him, obviously thinking the soldier is trying to keng. I hope sgt Justin, ren zong, nich, ren jie and jonas is punished for this. I really hope the army safety throughly investigates this incident and punishes the people involved. Its no point doing lip service to “safety” by adding it as a core value when safety is not given heed.
if anything happens to him, i believe its the fault of the commanders who did not know eve how to administer the proper procedure for Heat Stroke, wasting vital time before his temperature reached 42deg. As well as commanders who dont understand the seriousness of the uninteruppted rest that is required as per training safety regulation, especially for high key activities.

https://www.facebook.com/cecilia.yeo.165/posts/10156682082464276

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156682135839276&set=a.10151061215759276.490860.742074275&type=3

Police investigating “unnatural death” in fatal Bedok South Road fire

Jewel Stolarchuk
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0
Police investigating “unnatural death” in fatal Bedok South Road fire

The police are investigating an “unnatural death” after one person was found dead when an explosive blaze broke out at a sixth-floor HDB flat unit at Block 18 Bedok South Road, yesterday evening.

Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers, who were alerted to the incident at 8.22pm, had to enter the unit forcefully and found a body lying motionless inside the flat after they extinguished the flames with two water jets. An SCDF paramedic pronounced the motionless individual dead, shortly thereafter.

Close to 50 residents were evacuated by the police but no other injuries were reported.

A video capturing the blaze from a distance, that has been trending online, shows several onlookers gathered opposite the block as thick, black smoke can be seen along with the raging fire.

https://www.facebook.com/100009230834010/videos/1996362907348051/

 

Grab disappoints yet again, Joji Philip Thomas Tweets

Obbana Rajah
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45
Grab disappoints yet again, Joji Philip Thomas Tweets

Obbana Rajah

It looks like Grab is continuing on its streak of underperforming.

Joji Philip Thomas, founder and editor-in-chief of local media company Dealstreetasia tweeted about how he was made to wait over 30 minutes when his Grab drivers cancelled on him twice after accepting the trip.

Furthermore, he tweeted how these cancellations were not immediate, they were only after he was made to wait.

He tweeted, “With #Uber gone, as consumers, we’ve been subject to such terrible service from @GrabSG – the danger is in a monopoly, the only player can get away with such poor service and consumers near the brunt of it”.

In a second tweet, he continued, “Wasted over 30 minutes as Drivers randomly cancel after making us wait for so Long – cancellations with Grab are so common – an issue we rarely had with Uber”.

While the situation is as such now, in two days time, starting in the month of May, two new players will be entering the ride-hailing market here in Singapore. They are Jugnoo and RydeX. Even Go-Jek, a popular ride-hailing app in Indonesia is looking to partner with taxi-service ComfortDelGro.

https://theindependent.sg.sg/grab-uber-and-now-jugnoo/

Grab Singapore responded to Joji’s tweet, but it was unclear if any further actions were taken.

https://theindependent.sg.sg/grab-uber-is-the-competition-watchdog-just-buying-time-for-itself/

 

obbana@theindependent.sg

India and China Reach Border Agreement

Anna Maria Romero
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0
India and China Reach Border Agreement

India-China relations are thawing after a series of border skirmishes, but Xi is determined not to let those issues get in the way of fostering friendly bilateral relationships with its neighbours.

So Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi set off to  China on April 27 and 28 for an informal meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping over border issues. The two countries have agreed on maintaining peace in the Himalayan border, according to India’s foreign secretary.

The two heads of state met in Wuhan, a city in central China, to discuss a dispute over a portion of the Himalayan border, which has lasted for months. The dispute has also given rise to the possibility that conflict may yet break out between the two nations.


Vijay Gokhale, the Foreign Secretary of India, announced to the press after the meetings that Mr. Modi and Mr. Xi are in agreement about their two countries’ ability to handle their differences peaceably via inter-country talks.

Mr. Gokhale said, “On the issue of the India-China boundary question, the two leaders endorsed the work of the special representatives in their efforts to find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement. And the two leaders also underscored that in the meantime it is important to maintain peace and tranquillity in all areas of the India-China border region.”

Both countries called the encounter between the two leaders as an “informal meeting” rather than a summit, as it was unattended by the usual fanfare of state visits, and the two leaders personally talked for many hours on Friday, April 27. The Chinese President also took Mr. Modi on a tour of an important museum in Wuhan.

State-ruled media in China were all praises for the tone of the meeting, showing a big photo of the two leaders shaking hands on the front page of the People’s Daily on April 28th.

In a commentary it said, “There is reason to believe that this Wuhan meeting will increase mutual trust, manage and control disputes, deepen cooperation and lead to a new phase in China-India relations. It is quite clear that strategic agreement between the two countries far exceeds the specific differences, and the need for cooperation far exceeds local friction.”

The newspaper also called India and China as “natural partners.”

However, there are considerable differences between the two countries that must be taken into account. Aside from the 3,500 kilometer border between China and India that has led to trouble in the past, there are also disputes over the Indian Ocean and China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

India has not been happy with the initiative, since one of its major arteries will pass Kashmir, which is under Pakistan. India is understandably wary of Pakistan and China’s special relationship.

And China, on its part, is closely watching the US’ initiative to bring India into a maritime “quad,” along with Australia and Japan, and is keeping a close eye India’s friendly ties with the Dalai Lama and other Tibetans who are in exile.

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