The Online Citizen to be listed as political association
THE Prime Minster's Office (PMO) has announced on Tuesday its intention to gazette news website. The Online Citizen (TOC) as a political association. The Registry of Political Donations, under the PMO, said in a press release that it has informed the site's founders of its decision via a letter sent on Monday. On why the decision to gazette TOC, the PMO explained in the statement: 'As a website that provides coverage and analysis of political issues, TOC has the potential to influence the opinions of their readership and shape political outcomes in Singapore. It has been gazetted to ensure that it is not funded by foreign elements or sources.' The Political Donations Act, it added, 'prohibits political parties, political associations and candidates in parliamentary or presidential elections from accepting donations from impermissible or foreign sources. It also requires these entities to report large donations that they have received.' However, after registration, TOC 'is entirely free to continue with its normal, lawful operations, and to receive financial support from Singaporeans and Singapore-controlled companies'. TOC has acknowledged receipt of the PMO's correspondence. Found on its website on Tuesday evening is this post: 'The email arrived at 4.13 pm today and included a nine-page registration form. Particulars demanded in the form include details of the web publisher, web host and five other editorial members currently residing in Singapore. TOC has 14 days to register.'24 arrested in islandwide anti-loansharking operation
THE police arrested 22 men and 2 women in an island-wide operation from Sunday to Monday for suspected involvement in loansharking activities. Preliminary investigations revealed that the 24 people, aged between 19 and 60 years, had opened bank accounts and given away their automated teller machine (ATM) cards and Personal Identification Numbers to loansharking syndicates. Five of the suspects are also believed to have carried out harassments for the loansharks, while two others are believed to have carried out bank transfers and verified debtor particulars respectively. Two ATM cards, one bank account book, three mobile phones and three black marker pens were seized as case exhibits. Three of the suspects were charged in court on Tuesday. The remaining four suspects will be charged in court on Wednesday. Investigations against the remaining suspects are on-going.More young people caught for loansharking
MORE young people were arrested for loansharking last year against the year before, many of them lured by the promise of easy money. Between January and November last year, police caught 159 young people aged 19 years and below who were involved in loansharking and related harassment activities, a 12 per cent rise from the 142 nabbed in the same period in 2009. In the first 11 months of last year, police arrested 1,443 people in total for loansharking and harassment activities, an increase of about 66 per cent from 868 in the same period the year before. In Parliament on Tuesday, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, revealed these numbers in reply to questions from Nominated MP Paulin Tay Straughan on young people arrested for loansharking activities. He also shed light on the profile of these young offenders. The majority were between 16 and 19. However, arrests of those under 16 had dropped to 16 last year, from 27 the year before, as a result of an amendment to the Moneylenders Act in January, which made it illegal for adults aged 21 and above to recruit young people below 16 for illegal moneylending activities. 'We believe that the enhanced penalties is one of the reasons why the number of cases has dropped,' said Prof Ho.A Total Defence first for charity
THE 2011 Total Defence campaign will not just remind Singaporeans of their role to play in defending the country but, for the first time, do its bit for charity. The annual drive, started in 1984 to remind Singaporeans of the country's limited resources and each person's role in defending it, aims to raise $200,000 for beneficiaries under the Community Chest. To raise funds, netizens will just have to click and download the music video of the song Home, which has been picked to raise awareness of the Total Defence campaign, themed 'Home - Keeping it Together'. For every download, five organisations and homegrown companies will pledge $1 to the Community Chest's beneficiaries. They include the Lee Foundation, Sembcorp Industries and Aurigin Technology. Total Defence Day, a grim reminder of a small country's vulnerability, is marked every year on Feb 15, to remember the day in 1942 when Singapore fell to the Japanese in World War II. This year, the song Home has been given a new arrangement by Ms Kit Chan and other arrangers, and will be sung by her, with help from 38 local songbirds, including Ramli Sarip, Jacinta Abisheganaden and Stefanie Sun. The Dick Lee-penned number will be aired on radio from Feb 15 and the video, produced by Ms Chan, will be shown on TV and the Total Defence campaign website, http://www.thisishome.sg/S'pore's biggest chip-maker continues hiring
DESPITE the global slowdown in demand for computer chips, Singapore's biggest chip-maker plans to continue hiring this year as it gears up to start production of new cutting-edge products. This is a huge turnaround for GlobalFoundries, formerly Chartered Semiconductor, which is also doubling its global spending on plant and equipment this year to US$5.4 billion (S$7 billion). The firm had implemented painful retrenchments in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis with many of its factories sitting idle owing to lack of demand. In the first quarter of 2009, upwards of 60 per cent of its production capacity was unused, prompting the company to retrench 500 of its then-6,400 strong workforce. However, last year, GlobalFoundries enjoyed a banner year, with its Singapore plants running at upwards of 90 per cent utilisation rates, said its general manager for Singapore, Mr Raj Kumar, at a briefing on Tuesday. To cope with the demand, GlobalFoundries added 1,000 staff, boosting its Singapore workforce to 7,500. It has 11,000 employees at some eight factories globally. This year, the industry is looking at a 'slow slowdown', said Mr Kumar, although he is confident the firm will be able to win enough business to allow its utilisation rates to stay at similar levels.4 new MRT stations for East-West line reaching Tuas
FOUR new MRT stations will be built on the East-West line, extending the rail system's reach into the Tuas industrial estate. This new rail project is estimated to cost $3.5 billion and will include the cost of the new stations, a new depot, 13 new trains and a viaduct running parallel to the train line. When completed in 2016, the new 7.5km extension is expected to cater to 100,000 passengers daily. The recent extension of Boon Lay to Joo Koon station now serves about 60,000 passengers daily. From Joo Koon station, the line will extend further westwards to serve commuters heading to Tuas, Tuas Crescent, Tuas West and Tuas Link. Trains will end their journey at the new 26ha depot, the fourth depot in Singapore. It will fit 60 trains, compared to Bishan's storage of 37 trains.Singapore kids want to be soccer players
THE Lions may have been disbanded, but World Cup fever appears to linger on as children in Singapore say they want to be soccer players when they grow up. This was revealed during the fifth annual Adecco Children's Career Survey by human resources company Adecco Singapore, where 100 children aged seven to 14 years were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. This is the first time in the survey's history that the soccer player profession has emerged tops, with 10 per cent of those surveyed opting for this career. The 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa last year as well as the success of the Singapore Cubs during the Youth Olympic Games may be influencing reasons, according to Adecco. The children were also asked what three things they would do first if they were to become the prime minister of Singapore. One child said that he would 'ensure that everyone in Singapore has an education', while another wanted to 'air condition the entire nation'.No action, but warning given to SingTel & StarHub
Impossible for S'pore to block all undesirable sites
GIVEN the borderless nature of the Internet, it is not possible for the Government to block every undesirable website, said Information, Communications and Arts Minister Lui Tuck Yew on Tuesday in Parliament. But he added that where necessary, the Government will block some pornographic and other undesirable sites, especially those that are more prominent. He was responding to questions from Member of Parliament Cynthia Phua (Aljunied GRC) on whether the ministry could block pornographic sites, and ask internet service providers (ISPs) to provide free blocking services. Mr Lui said that ISPs are required to block 100 sites as 'a symbolic statement of our community's stand on harmful and undesirable content on the Internet'. ISPs will also be required to actively market their Internet filtering services to consumers when they purchase or renew their Internet subscriptions. This, he said, would be more beneficial than providing free filters, 'as parents can learn about and understand the benefits of such filtering services and exercise parental responsibility to protect their children'. Mr Lui said that a Censorship Review Committee survey in 2010 found that 71 per cent of Internet users who are parents with young children are not subscribers of Internet filters.2 human smugglers and 5 illegal immigrants arrested
TWO human smugglers who attempted to sneak five illegal immigrants into Singapore on Monday morning were arrested by the Police Coast Guard (PCG). A PCG officer spotted an unlit vessel moving towards the shorelines of Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve at 5.35am. Five people were later seen disembarking and running towards the nature reserve. The boatman and his assistant then steered their boat towards Malaysia territorial waters but made a U-turn to the shore after spotting PCG patrol boats converging on them. They beached at the shore, and also ran towards the nature reserve.All seven were eventually caught in a joint operation involving the PCG's Coastal Security Patrol Force, Jurong Police Division, Special Operations Command and the Gurhka Contingent Of the seven people, five were female illegal immigrants from China between 32 and 54 years, while the boatman and his assistant were Malaysians, aged 54 and 21 respectively. All seven suspects were not in possession of any valid travel documents and will be charged in court on Wednesday for unlawful entry. The boatman and his assistant will also face five additional counts of smuggling illegal immigrants.
Bus fare refunds: extension not needed for now
ABOUT $46,000 of refunds on overcharged bus fares has been collected, out of an estimated $300,000 owed to commuters. Transport Minister Raymond Lim revealed this in Parliament on Tuesday in response to questions from Dr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC) on how many had claimed their overcharged funds. The overcharging began from July 2010, when distance-based fares kicked in, and bus operators SBS Transit and SMRT wrongly measured the distance between 68 pairs of bus stops. On average, commuters had paid four cents more than they should have, on every journey passing through the affected bus stops. They have until June 17, 2011 to get their refund at any TransitLink ticket office or any Add Value Machine at bus interchanges and MRT stations. Asked whether the ministry would consider extending the deadline for claims collection by another six months if a large sum is still uncollected, Mr Lim said: ' I think that right now, we have given six months and it's quite a long time. I think we can look at it closer to the day.'New money from IRs, other gambling revenues down
REVENUE from the integrated resorts (IRs) between April and November last year may have hit about $420 million but collections from other gambling activities have fallen. Second Minister for Finance Lim Hwee Hua said this in Parliament on Tuesday. Levies charged for entry at the IRs raked in $130 million for the Totalisator Board during the same period in 2010. They will go towards funding activities benefiting the community. Areas include education, health, sports and the arts. Revenues collected by the Government from the IRs will go to the Consolidated Fund. Mrs Lim said the fund is not earmarked for specific purposes. Instead, it goes towards funding the Government budget as a whole.
Man jailed 12 months for cheating offences
A FORMER property agent was jailed a total of 12 months on Tuesday for pocketing the rental deposits of clients, cheating and forgery. Choo Kok Onn, 42, had admitted to three charges of criminal breach of trust as an agent, and one each of cheating and forgery. The total amount involved in the 14 charges against him was $19,353. A district court heard that Choo would take the victims to view the flats for rental and misappropriate the deposits and advance rental payment given to him. The victims handed over between $2,200 and $3,586 between December 2009 and July last year.In another case, Choo duped Ms Chen Yihong, 28, into handing over a total of $2,255 to him after making her believe that a unit at New Upper Changi Road was for rent when he knew that someone else had rented it. Choo also forged the signature of his wife, Madam Sim Ah Wah, 28, on an OCBC cheque for $5,100 to pay to Mr Varathan Govindarajan, 35, one of his victims, in June last year. The cheque bounced when the victim tried to bank it in.
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