Dickson Tan Jing Yun

Dickson Tan Jing Yun will spend 80 months in a jail after running a Ponzi scheme. He had received a total of $6M from 46 investors, but paid out only $1.5M. What an asshole! How can such a Dick (sorry, can't resist) sleep at night?!

A former insurance agent was sentenced on Wednesday to 80 months' jail after running a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme, between 2004 and 2008.

A Ponzi scheme takes place when somebody makes use of monies obtained from investors to pay off returns to earlier ones.

Thirty-seven-year-old Dickson Tan Jing Yun had received a total of about S$6 million from 46 investors.

But he paid out only about S$1.5 million to them.

The remaining sum totalling more than S$4.5 million was either lost in the course of trading or converted for his personal use.

Tan ran the Ponzi scheme as a sideline to his insurance job.

He had pleaded guilty to 10 counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and one count of carrying on a fund management business without holding a capital markets licence.

Twenty-two other CBT charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Tan admitted he had misappropriated S$1.37 million in all.

Deputy public prosecutor Christopher Ong told the court that Tan had not made any restitution other than the some-S$1.5 million which he had earlier paid out to investors.

DPP Ong also said one-third of those who invested with Tan were not educated beyond secondary school level.

Tan had earlier informed his victims that he would invest their money in futures trading.

This would be done through his personal futures trading accounts with a company known as Phillip Futures.

He told them he would manage these investments.

Tan also promised his investors guaranteed fixed returns from 10 to 13 per cent per annum.

In his mitigation plea, Tan's lawyer, Noor Mohamed Marican, had said his client had lost almost everything as a result of the trading activities.

Mr Marican also said Tan had lost about a million dollars of his own funds in the investments as well as money belonging to his 68-year-old father.

However, senior district judge See Kee Oon said that Tan's offences warranted a deterrent sentence, saying that Tan had played a "confidence trick repeated many times over on potential unsuspecting victims".

From Channel NewsAsia, "Man jailed over Ponzi scheme".

A MAN who ran a large Ponzi scheme by promising high returns to his investors in futures trading was jailed for 80 months on Wednesday. Dickson Tan Jing Yun took nearly $6 million in investment funds from 46 people from September 2004 to October 2008.

He paid out only $1.5 million to the investors, including principal repayments. No other restitution has been made, with $4.5 million lost either through trading or personal use.

Tan, 37, pleaded guilty last week to running a business of fund management without holding a capital markets services licence between 2004 and 2008. He also admitted to 10 charges of criminal breach of trust of $1.2 million, of which $834,332 or 67 per cent of the total sum were dishonestly converted to his own use.

Senior District Judge See Kee Oon, who took another 22 charges into consideration, agreed with Deputy Public Prosecutor Christopher Ong Siu Jin that there were aggravating features in the case which called for a stiff sentence.

'The premise was to lure additional investors to join the scheme while seemingly making good on initial promises of guaranteed fixed returns - essentially a confidence trick repeated many times over on potential unsuspecting victims,'' said the judge. He said Tan clearly planned his offences, and had systematically repeated his pattern of offending, A number of his clients were not well-educated and a few were above 50 years old.

Tan was an insurance agent in 2004 when he ran the scheme on the sidelines. He then joined another company as an associate manager and his last appointment was a branch manager with an insurance broker December 2007.

From Straits Times, "Man who ran Ponzi scheme jailed for 80 months".

now this is LOGIC: if i do not sleep, YOU WILL NOT SLEEP!

Electricity rates to up by 6.5% from April 1

Don't you wish it's really a funny joke of April Fools' Day. Alas, there's nothing funny in an increase of electricity rate by 6.5%!!

But you may this "Energy Saving Cartoons and Comics" is a bit of consolation for you (and for me. Sobs!!)

I like this the best: 'Rising energy costs have forced us to turn off the light at the end of the tunnel.' Hehe.

ELECTRICITY tariffs in Singapore will increase by an average of 6.5 per cent starting April 1 to reflect the higher cost of fuel, the city-state's main electricity retailer said on Tuesday, adding to inflationary pressures in the city-state.

SP Services, a unit of Singapore Power, said the higher price of electricity follows a 14 per cent rise in fuel oil prices to $113.37 per barrel over the last three months that was partially offset by a 3 per cent drop in network charges.

Singapore's consumer price index rose by 5 per cent in February from a year ago, below January's 5.5 per cent increase, but economists warn inflationary pressures remain strong in the city-state due to strong domestic demand as well as higher commodity prices.

The government has taken steps to keep inflation in check by persuading hawkers to refrain from increasing prices and deferring an annual review of train and bus fares till the fourth quarter of this year.

From Straits Times, "Singapore electricity rates to rise by 6.5% from April 1".

SP Services said households will pay more for their electricity from April, with their electricity tariff increasing by 6.1 per cent to 25.58 cents per kilowatt-hour.

On average, families in four-room HDB flats will pay about S$4.85 more a month for their electricity based on the new tariff.

Explaining the tariff increase, SP Services said the average fuel oil price increased sharply by 14 per cent to S$113.37 per barrel over the last three months.

At the same time, there was an annual review of the grid network cost or the cost of transporting electricity through the power grid, which resulted in network charges being lowered by 3 per cent for the year ahead.

It said the significant increase in fuel cost, however, more than offsets the reduced network charges.

The Energy Market Authority has approved the increase.

However, about 800,000 Singaporean HDB households can expect to receive S$194 million worth of Utilities-Save (U-Save) and Service & Conservancy Charges (S&CC) rebates in April under the 'Grow & Share' Package announced in the Budget.

The Finance Ministry (MOF) said this is on top of the S$108 million in rebates that households will receive this year under the on-going GST Offset Package.

In total, it said the Government will be giving about S$300 million in U-Save and S&CC rebates this year.

This April, a Singaporean household will receive S$170 to S$220 worth of U-Save rebates and half to one month waiver of S&CC, depending on HDB flat type.

The rebates aim to help households, especially lower income households, cope with rising costs, including higher utilities bills due to the increases in electricity tariffs.

Those living in 1-room and 2-room HDB flats will enjoy utility rebates for at least five months.

Those living in bigger flats will benefit from at least a month of offset of their utilities bills on average.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Electricity tariff to increase 6.1% starting April".

Tin Pei Ling, the youngest PAP candidate

Most of the news said her name to be Ms. Tin Pei Ling. One said she's Ms. Rina Tin Pei Ling. And my point? Well, not to debate the accuracy of the news, but more to highlight this impressive PAP candidate who sparkles not just because she's the youngest ever candidate. Besides so many other articles highlighting on her achievement, do take a look at her impressive speech, "Globalisation – High & Low" during PAP Convention on 11/11/07.

Ms Tin Pei Ling

Ms Tin, a senior associate at Ernst & Young Advisory, is the youngest candidate to be fielded thus far.

But Mr Lim said whether age was a barrier for Ms Tin would depend on her performance.

"It is through your deeds of what you do that demonstrate your sincerity of wanting to serve and whether you put their interests first and foremost," Mr Lim said.

"And when you do this over time, people will judge you and people will decide whether you are someone they can look to, to trust."

Ms Tin added: "Although I am young, I have the energy, the youthfulness, the attitude and willingness to learn and serve the people I will represent.

"Although I have been in the grassroots for the past seven years, I have deep respect for the senior grassroots leaders and the volunteers I have come in contact with.

"I have always learnt from them that it is about serving with a heart.

"At the end of the day, age shouldn't be an issue. It is about the potential and capacity to learn, to reach out to people of different segments and to come out with meaningful initiatives and solutions to help them".

Over the last four years, Ms Tin been involved in business and management consultancy work for both public- and private-sector organisations.

Her work experience includes strategic thinking and planning, change management and performance management.

The PAP said Ms Tin has been deeply involved in grassroots and community work for seven years.

She is an active Internet user and has been playing an active role in YP Media, which she currently heads.

Ms Tin said she sees new media as a platform to give voice to people from all walks of life, to share good ideas and to promote understanding across different values and viewpoints.

"Our own activists have to be active out there in the social media realm," Ms Tin said.

"Currently it is quite dominated by some of the netizens who are more pro-opposition or anti-establishment from the bulk of comments that we always see.

"one (of the things) we can do is for our young activists to engage netizens on serious topics and issues to find out more of what they are concerned with and try to put forth our point of view."

Ms Tin is currently understudying MP for MacPherson Matthias Yao.

According to an entry on the Marine Parade Facebook page, "MParader", Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has agreed to let Ms Tin contest and serve in MacPherson.

The division has been absorbed into the Marine Parade GRC under the latest Electoral Boundaries Review report.

Also according to "MParader", incumbent MacPherson MP, Matthias Yao has given Ms Tin high marks and that he found her "mature, bright, pleasant and able to connect with young the and old".

Partially quoted from Channel NewsAsia, "GE: PAP unveils third batch of new GE candidates".

But the spotlight fell on Ms Tin Pei Ling, 27 - the youngest PAP candidate since former Member of Parliament Ng Kah Ting was fielded for the first time in 1963 at age 23 and former Speaker of Parliament Tan Soo Khoon in 1976, also at age 27.

Ms Tin, who found herself taking on a slew of questions from reporters, acknowledged there "would be some room" for her to grow and build her experience. "Although I'm young, I have the energy, the youthfulness, the willingness to learn and serve the people I represent," said Ms Tin, who has been a grassroots leader since she was 21.

She added: "Age shouldn't be an issue. It's really about the potential and the capacity to learn, to reach out to people of different segments and to understand them and come out with meaningful initiatives, solutions or ways to help them."

Mr Lim, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, said her candidacy was "not unusual", as the PAP needed to bring in younger people to hone their skills while renewing Parliament.

"In the past, they had to serve in single constituencies where demands on them were much higher," he said.

"Today, a young candidate like Pei Ling will stand in a GRC, and she'll have the support of older members of Parliament in her constituency. So we're in a much more fortunate situation today. For those in the constituency who aren't as comfortable talking to such a young person, they can look for someone older."

According to an entry last night on the PAP's Marine Parade Facebook page, Ms Tin will contest and serve in the MacPherson division, now part of Marine Parade GRC, for the GE. The Facebook entry said that incumbent MacPherson MP Matthias Yao has given her high marks. He found her "mature, bright, pleasant and able to connect with young and old".

Ms Tin is married to civil servant Ng How Yue, who is principal private secretary (PPS) to the Prime Minister.

When she was asked if her husband had shaped her political aspirations, Mr Lim weighed in and pointed out that Ms Tin was volunteering in Ulu Pandan grassroots before Mr Ng became PPS.

She added that she was "pretty independent minded": "If anything, it's the influence of my parents because my father was a grassroots leader."

Ms Tin hopes to have children in the "near future". Asked how this may impact her MP work if she is elected, she said she would "fall back" on the grassroots leaders and her other GRC MPs. "Even if I'm on maternity leave, I'd still be keeping an eye on what's happening because I can still work from home ... So, I don't foresee a problem," she said.

Partially quoted from Today, "Spotlight on youngest candidate since 1976".

DON'T be surprised if you receive a message on social-networking website Facebook from Ms Tin Pei Ling soon.

The new People's Action Party (PAP) candidate intends to use social media to reach out to the younger generation in the lead-up to the upcoming election.

Ms Tin, who sits on the executive committee of the party's youth wing, Young PAP (YP), said: "By building a friendship online, we can then take them into the real world where we sit down, face to face, to interact with each other...and we can have a more constructive discussion."

She also heads YP Media, the team set up to drive YP's virtual, technological and digital outreach. At 27, the senior associate at professional-services company Ernst and Young is the youngest PAP candidate to be introduced so far.

She was speaking at the PAP headquarters in New Upper Changi Road yesterday, where the party's third batch of three fresh candidates was unveiled by PAP chairman Lim Boon Heng.

Having observed sentiments aired online on various political issues, Ms Tin said: "Our own activists need to be active out there in the social-media realm...and engage netizens on serious topics."

Her age is also a cause of contention, with netizens expressing their doubts about her capabilities and ability to connect with the older generation.

However, Ms Tin feels that her youth will not be an issue. She has had experience serving as a grassroots leader in the Ulu Pandan ward in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC since the age of 21.

From Asiaone, "PAP youngest candidate has tech savvy edge".

MS TIN Pei Ling's path to politics began in a Ghim Moh coffee shop owned by her father, where she helped serve tea and coffee as a junior college student.

She soon began accompanying her Chinese-educated father, who is also a grassroots leader, on market visits and to community events.

'He had problems communicating in English, so I became the impromptu translator or interpreter,' she said.

Late one night, when she was an undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, Ms Tin dropped by the coffee shop and came across a group of Ulu Pandan grassroots volunteers. They were having supper after their weekly Meet-the-People sessions. The group included the then MP, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

'My father introduced me to the volunteers, and to Dr Vivian. They said, why don't you join us at the Meet-the-People sessions?

'It sounded interesting. I thought I would give it a shot. I've been at those sessions since then.'

After seven years of volunteering, Ms Tin, at the age of 27, on Monday became the youngest woman candidate to be unveiled by the People's Action Party in recent history, and the youngest candidate since former PAP MP Ng Kah Ting was fielded in 1963 at the age of 23.

Partially quoted from Straits Times, "She wants to be voice for youth".

Wearing a jaunty white cap and coloured hair, the ceremony’s energetic emcee, Ms Tin Pei Ling, 26, stood out. Her youth and zest garnered her one of five medals given to outstanding young PAP members.

She is currently the vice-chairman of the Young PAP sub-committee in the Ulu Pandan branch.

The business and management consultant told Petir that she was approached to join the Party five years ago, at a coffeeshop in Ghim Moh Block 19.

“My father, who is active at the grassroots level, ran a coffeeshop where Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and PAP volunteers went for supper after meet-the-people sessions,” said Ms Tin, an only child who used to help translate for her Chinese-educated father.

“One night he asked me to go and say hi, and Dr Vivian asked me to help out in the MPS sessions. How could I say no?”

She now compiles online feedback about the PAP. Some of it is cynical, she said. “Maybe some young people feel a need to be different and they express it by being anti-establishment.”

Partially quoted from Petir November/December 2009, "Fresh blood".

尊敬的党领导及各位同志朋友们，早上好！我是行青团，也是乌鲁班丹支部的陈佩玲。非常感谢大会容许我针对“收入差距，贫富悬殊” 这个课题，以双语发表看法。



Respectable party leaders and comrades, good morning to you all. My name is Tin Pei Ling from the Young PAP (Ulu Pandan). I am grateful to have this opportunity to share my views in two languages on the topic of the widening income gap.



相信这个课题已不是什么新鲜事。在考虑贫富悬殊这项难题的当儿，不仅是考量收入差距是否越来越大，更值得关注的是那些属于“贫困” 的一群是否能，最低限度，生存并避免恶性循环。对于这个日趋严重的问题，许多人怨天怨地，更怨政府。可是，这真的只是政府的责任吗？我，不以为然。



This is not a new topic. Besides studying whether the gap is widening, it is more important to find out if the lowest-income group is able to get by and not fall into the vicious cycle. Many people are complaining and blaming the government for this problem. But is this really the responsibility of the government? I don’t think so.



政府可以从宏观的角度，设立强有力的架构协助我们成功，但这是不够的。所谓：” 国家兴亡，匹夫有责” 。每个人，不分你我，对国家有责任，对周围的同胞们也有责任！



The government, at the macro level, can set up a robust framework to help us be successful, but this is not enough. As the Chinese saying goes, the individual has a responsibility towards the survival and success of the country. Everyone, besides a duty for the nation, also has an obligation to the fellow countrymen around him.



今天，我不把时间耗在找出问题的根源。我们不能纸上谈兵，要有实际的行动才会有望解决难题。与此，我谨大胆地献上两项提议，再以英语演说另外两项。



Today, I am not trying to find a reason for the situation. We should not just talk about it, but need to be proactive in finding a solution. Please excuse my boldness in offering two suggestions, and two more in my English speech.



第一项，我们要自强不息，力争上游；不断地自我调适，自我更新！许多人认为做人难，做新加坡人更难！从某些角度来看，这或许是真的。可人生又曾几何时是尽如人意的？我们应该要了解，环球发展不会为了新加坡，更不会为了你或我而放慢。尽管政府再怎么尽全力地资助或扶持我们，这始终不是万全之策 -- 治标不治本。



First of all, we need to persevere and strive for continuous improvement, adjustment and rejuvenation. A lot of people think that making a living is difficult, I think making a living in Singapore is even more difficult! We need to understand that globalization will not slow down for Singapore, or you and me. No matter how hard the government tries to subsidise and help us, it will just be treating the problem superficially without solving the root.



政府好比水上一艘船，它能帮助我们更安全顺利地渡江到达目的地。但这艘船最终还需人来操作，需要人来导航。换言之，人的自身是关键。如果我们不自己帮自己，那又怎么可能解决问题，怎么成功呢？



The government is like a ship and it can help us reach our destination safely and smoothly. However, this ship still needs to be operated by people. In other words, we still play the critical role ourselves. If we are not helping ourselves, how can we solve the problem?



第二项，身为晚辈，我们要以先辈及长辈为模范，传承并发扬他们的良好观念及刚毅精神。我党成立至今已有约53年之久了。许多可谓党的鼻祖仍活跃于我们当中。他们在当时动荡不安，生活条件恶劣的情况下屹立不倒，并持着破釜沉舟的决心为新加坡奠下根深蒂固的基础，打出一番天地！不说别人，就说我父亲年轻时，大约60年代，当时三餐不一定能温饱，若不小心丢了两角钱，一整天就没得吃，还得从学校走路回家！尽管如此，他们那一代人克勤克苦，终于成功了！这是值得我们学习的啊！



Secondly, we need to learn from our forefathers and seniors. We should emulate and promote their value systems and spirit of endurance. Our party is 53 years old, many pioneers are still active today. They have lived through the years of turbulence, under very poor living conditions, but they did not give up. They bite the bullet and helped to build a strong foundation for Singapore. Take my own father as an example, when he was a young man in the sixties, he struggled even with three meals a day. If he dropped 20 cents, he would have to starve for a day and walk all the way home from school. Despite all these, his generation worked hard and succeeded ultimately. This is something we should learn from.



所以，在经济环境不利于我们的时候，我们一定要继续坚持，奋斗，改造！



Hence, even when the economic environment is not favourable, we must continue to persevere, work hard and make a difference!



A very good morning to Party Chairman, Secretary-General and fellow comrades! My name is Tin Pei Ling from the Young PAP (Ulu Pandan).



I thank you for the opportunity to speak today, and I thank my fellow YP comrades for sharing their insights with me online. Allow me to share these with you.



Singapore’s income gap is growing. The Gini coefficient for Singapore had increased from 0.442 to 0.472 in year 2000, before adjusting for Government benefits and taxes. From an economic standpoint, this suggests a growing income inequality.



This widening of income gap is a complex challenge faced by every society. And to tackle this, it helps to break it down and address the components accordingly.



Getting the Economics Right

To address the rich-poor gap, we must first ascertain the possibility of becoming rich in the first place! Hence, from a macro-level, we must be able to progress and hold our own against giant, booming economies such as China and India. We must not easily fall prey to the short-sighted proposals made by the Opposition, who push for either protectionism or welfarism! We are Singaporeans who have dignity and integrity. We can achieve much if we are willing to put in the effort. And we should not yield to these temptations (short-term wins), as other greater nations than ours did and been the worse for it.



From a micro-level, and of most immediate concern, those at the bottom of the social ladder must have sufficient to live by. Having ensured that, there must be hope for the children of those who are considered poor now to break out of the poverty cycle later in life. In essence, we must – (1) Help the poor; (2) Maintain social mobility.



Helping the Poor

In Singapore, it appears that while the rich has gotten richer, the poor have NOT gotten poorer. The Department of Statistics reported that the bottom 20% of our population have seen their lives improve over the last decade.



BUT there are still those amongst us who need help. Some, we meet weekly at our Meet-the-People Sessions; some, we meet almost daily in our classes or workplace. As youth, it is crucial that we remain aware of the needy. We, who have voices, must advocate for those who cannot speak. And we must do more than speak – we must act, by seeking out those who need help and find ways to help them.



As YP members, we also have the privilege of working with our Parliamentary leaders and decision makers. In the course of serving the community, we have learnt about the different avenues of assistance and paths to seek help. We know the strength of our national system, and how the good can become even better!



This confers upon us a special responsibility, to give ground feedback sincerely and honestly, without fear or favour. Let it never be said that the Young PAP is a bastion of yes-men and women, but young thinking Singaporeans who are prepared to speak our minds, defend and decide what is right and not just about being popular.



Maintaining Social Mobility – Helping the Next Generation



Our nation abides by the principle of meritocracy.



It is a tragedy when a family descends into poverty. But the tragedy is multiplied if that family’s children cannot rise out of poverty. We must not let this happen.



Hence, children from poor families must enjoy equal access to education. They must not feel compelled to leave school in order to make ends meet. Neither should they be afraid to aspire to schools of excellence, for fear that their great talent is not matched by great wealth.



Thankfully, our education system has done well compared to other countries! We have been able to subsidise education for young Singaporeas, and spread quality across our neighbourhood schools. Singapore has done this competently and should continue to evolve to become better!



As members of Young PAP, we also have a role. Those of us who have risen out of poverty can be role models, helping to guide the less fortunate along the road we have trodden ourselves. And those of us still struggling to make ends meet, can be a voice to highlight situations on the ground, while inspiring our fellow men and women as we endeavour onward and upward to build a better future.



Conclusion

In summary, the rich-poor gap is not an easy issue, and there are no easy answers.



As youth of today, we have an important role: Our willingness to serve and give back to society can be the inspiration for others to do the same.



If we help one another, if the privileged willingly contribute out of a sense of social responsibility, then we can achieve a precious possibility. -- Build a country where the poor know they can aspire to greatness, where the helpless – having fought the good fight – will be looked after.



We, the youth of Singapore, have been privileged with many gifts by virtue of our history and our unique situation today. With our great gifts, comes great responsibility.



Let us take up that responsibility and build a better tomorrow, starting today.

From PAP - News & Stories, "Tin Pei Ling: Globalisation – High & Low". (11/11/07)

Dr Susan Lim 'threatened' Ministry of Foreign Affair??

Dr. Susan Lim is fearless indeed. She wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) saying that to defend herself properly she would have to expose information that could cause "unnecessary embarrassment" to Brunei and affect ties between the country and Singapore. I wonder how MFA is going to react against her.

Prominent surgeon Susan Lim wrote to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) saying that to defend herself properly she would have to expose information that could cause "unnecessary embarrassment" to Brunei and affect ties between the country and Singapore if a disciplinary hearing against her proceeded, the High Court heard yesterday.

Dr Lim's letter dated 1 March 2010 and addressed to Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo was presented yesterday to the High Court, which will have to decide whether the Singapore Medical Council (SMC) can set up a second disciplinary hearing against her regarding the fees she charged a patient, the cousin of Brunei's Sultan and sister of his queen.

SMC's lawyer, senior counsel Alvin Yeo, told the High Court that the letter amounted to Dr Lim "threatening" Minister Yeo and was another attempt by her to "subvert the legal process", according to The Straits Times.

In the letter, Dr Lim said that "some of the facts that may cast a negative light on Brunei" include the medical condition of the patient and the "apparently inconsistent relationship between the Ministry of Health, Brunei, the Royal Family and the patient's family".

She also claimed that there had been "extraordinary and often unreasonable demands placed on me by the patient and the Royal Family, including significant out-of-pocket expenses I was made to bear... including the cost of a private air-charter to transport the patient to Brunei which I personally paid for", TODAY reported.

Pengiran Damit, who had breast cancer, was Dr Lim's patient from 2001 until her death in 2007. Last month, the news broke that Dr Lim charged her $26 million for the period January to July 2007, but later slashed the fee to just over $3 million.

In a letter of reply dated 16 March last year, the MFA said it had taken note of Dr Lim's letter and that the it "is not in a position to intervene in an ongoing legal process".

Dr Lim, who is facing 94 charges of professional misconduct by the Ministry of Health, also wrote to the chairman of the second disciplinary committee formed by the SMC to look into the complaint of overcharging against her.

Yeo told the High Court that in the letter Dr Lim sought to raise "ridiculous assertions of purported personal or professional conflict of interest against" the chairman.

Earlier, the High Court heard that Dr Lim allegedly marked up bills of third-party doctors by as much as 500 times, allegations that Dr Lim's lawyer, senior counsel Lee Eng Beng, yesterday described as "false and mischievous".

The reading of the bills were taken out of context and should include other services provided at the time, Lee contended. He also questioned SMC's lack of a benchmark to determine a case of overcharging.

Meanwhile, as the hearings were being held, Lim herself was away travelling in the U.S. and Europe.

According to Dr Lim's husband, banker Deepak Sharma, she attended a medical conference in San Francisco before going on a private trip to a high-end ski resort in Courchevel, France, where she joined her two daughters, aged 19 and 21, The New Paper reported.

On 20 March, she said on her Twitter page that was "starting the yearly pilgrimage up the mountain from Moutiers to Courchevel to enjoy the freshness of spring skiing."

On 19 March, she said she had an "exhausting day at the shops in Geneve with my teenage daughters before hitting the slopes".

On 25 March, she tweeted, "Let not an honest citizen be trampled upon by public authorities when their injustice and irregularities are exposed."

She had been expected to fly back to Singapore yesterday.

From Yahoo! News, "Top surgeon ‘threatened’ MFA: counsel".

Holland Village Samantha...Who? | Support 'Singlets, Shorts and Slippers' day" 09 April!!

Hearing this insensitive female called Samantha who claimed herself residing in Holland Village & making ridiculous statements against heartlanders is kind of making me recall this TV show called, "Samantha Who?". Perhaps it is a morbid wish that this Samantha too will one day develop retrograde amnesia--no, not necessary after a hit and run accident--and turn out to be a better person. To see the bright side, though, this Holland Village Samantha might be credited to bring more awareness of self-unity in Singapore (regardless whether you're heartlanders or Holland Villagers)...and more business to the place. Really! Just take a look at the incoming event on 9 April called "'Singlets, Shorts and Slippers' day". Organised by Gerald Tock, there would be 1,000 people expected to be in Holland Village wearing singlets, shorts, and slippers. Heh.

SHE branded HDB heartlanders an "uncultured" lot and called a radio talk show to ask them to keep away from her upmarket Holland Village neighbourhood.

Just look at the way heartlanders dress, she said on 91.3FM's The Married Men Show on Wednesday morning. Calling herself Samantha, she said: "They come in shorts and slippers and like, weird coloured hair. Yeah, and the heartlanders, people from like Ang Mo Kio, Yishun, Toa Payoh and like the nearby Bukit Batok... they come to our coffee shop, and dress like one kind, talk like one kind... "Very uncultured, and no manners... "Please stay where you are, I think you fit best there," she added.

And her brazen comments have upset netizens, many of whom have posted on The Married Men's Facebook page condemning her remarks.

One of them is even planning to hit back by asking people to go to Holland Village wearing only singlets, shorts and slippers - to make a statement. On Thursday, Mr Gerald Tock, 31, created an event on Facebook called "1,000 peeps to Holland V in Singlets, Shorts and Slippers Day".

The computer game developer hopes that people will go to Holland Village from 11am to 2pm on April 9, a Saturday, to eat, make friends, and take photographs of themselves doing so.

He told The New Paper that he chose that day to give people sufficient time to learn about the event. As of yesterday, almost 800 people have indicated on the Facebook page that they will be "attending". And it's no gimmick, he insisted.

Tongue-in-cheek, he said: "I'm not affiliated with Samantha, the (radio) station or any business selling singlets, shorts, slippers or coffee." Mr Tock said he bears no ill will towards Samantha, but was disturbed by her comments because they seemed to "promote barriers of culturedness". He said: "Samantha is entitled to her perspective, though it does display her tremendous ignorance."

When contacted, Married Men hosts Rod Monteiro and Andre Hoeden said they were so shocked by Samantha's comments that they could hardly contain themselves. Monteiro, 44, told The New Paper that his jaw dropped during the call. "To be honest, I find it absolutely strange. It's a bit snobbish. But, different strokes for different folks. "For me, it's one people, one nation, one Singapore. Holland Village is open to everybody." Hoeden, 35, said: "I was taken aback. Samantha has a right to her own opinion, but this doesn't mean that she is right." The third host, Jill Lim, had gasped several times on air after hearing Samantha's views.

Maddy, a listener who lives in Bedok, contacted the station in response to Samantha's call. She said that heartlanders work for their money and should be allowed to eat at Holland Village. To which Samantha had retorted: "Do you even earn enough to come to Holland to buy what we have, what we enjoy?"

After she went off the air, more than 10 callers went on air to criticise her remarks.

Swamped

The station's SMS service was swamped by comments. It crashed three times in the two hours after Samantha's call went on air, Monteiro said.

Similarly, online forums have been rife with comments condemning Samantha's views. At least 30 netizens have posted comments on The Married Men's Facebook page.

One, Mr Victor Khoo, 58, posted: "Her comments instigate and promote elitism, social class barriers, segregation (and) discrimination..." The well-known entertainer, who lives in the River Valley area, added: "Irresponsible citizens like Samantha, if left unchecked...can eventually destroy the social fabric of our society."

Freelance housing agent Serene Ng, 32, wrote in to citizen journalism website Stomp on Thursday about the incident. The Woodlands resident told TNP: "I've been to Holland Village, and it's no different from anywhere else. "Why is she (Samantha) making such comments? I find them ridiculous and unreasonable."

Mr Malcolm Choo, 30, who lives in a flat in Holland Village, felt Samantha's views were not representative of people living in the area. The IT engineer invites his friends - some of whom live in the HDB heartlands - to his estate for drinks and coffee. Mr Choo said: "You don't have to have culture to be here."

Samantha could not be reached as the station's phones do not have caller ID, Monteiro said. But she called the station again yesterday morning to admit that she had been "a bit insensitive". She said: "I was slightly insensitive to people who might be offended to what I said. "I'm not retracting. I just apologise (sic) for them (people who might be offended) feeling this way."

She explained that she was at the Starbucks outlet at Holland Village on Wednesday when she called the station. She said that the people sitting beside her at the time, who looked to her "like heartlanders", were "talking really loudly, with vulgarities all over the place". "That kind of ticked me off a bit," she said.

She stressed that she did not say she hated heartlanders and refused to give her full name or contact number.

Monteiro then asked Samantha if she was married , explaining that he was asking as most couples' first home is a flat in the heartlands. Her retort? "What makes you think I'm not a rich person?"

But what about Mr Tock's mission to get people to Holland Village on April 9? Would his well-intentioned statement about inclusion be seen as a unlawful assembly?

Statement

Said Mr Tock: "There is no common meeting point, programme or protest. The intent is to encourage people to get out there and help break the perceived barriers that may currently exist. "This event is just for people to make a statement."

When contacted, lawyer Luke Lee said: "I don't think he needs a police permit. "I don't see how people coming together to drink coffee and take photographs is breaking the law, so it's definitely not an unlawful assembly."

Samantha herself hinted she might even show up at the April 9 gathering. She said yesterday during her call to the radio show: "I would love to see who actually bothered to show up. "I might go in my shorts and slippers. (But) I won't reveal who I am."

From Asiaone, "'Singlets, Shorts and Slippers' day' at Holland Village".

Erica Simone self-photo naked for "Nue York: Self-Portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen"

One US artist, Andy Warhol once said, "Art is anything you can get away with." The beautiful Erica Simone is for sure taking it literally. She took 20 photos of herself nude in public and she got away with it--and thus, she has created a form of art uniquely her own. She will feature her 20 shots--check some of them here!--as part of her new exhibit Nue York: Self-Portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen, which opens next month at the Dash Gallery in Tribeca. Her remarks that 'It's crazy that it's illegal to be naked' can be imagined to be an immediate classic & repeated quote by nudists. Or by other photographers who would want to take their own self-photos naked. Heh.

A Parisian-born shutterbug who likes to flash her camera has turned daily routines in the Naked City into works of art. Photographer Erica Simone, 25, has gone au naturel in a series of self-portraits taken around New York.

In them, she rides the subway, checks out library books and shovels the snow on the sidewalk outside her apartment - all in the buff. The 20 shots are part of Simone's new exhibit "Nue York: Self-Portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen," which opens next month at the Dash Gallery in Tribeca.

The inspiration for the photos came to Simone during Fashion Week two years ago. "I was sitting around thinking about fashion and what would we be if we were naked and what if we didn't have fashion to show who we were, our status, how much money we had, all these things," she told the Daily News.

"Then I got the photographic idea of shooting people naked in the street, but just doing regular things, not especially posing, or being naked, but doing whatever."

MORE SELF-PORTRAITS FROM ARTIST ERICA SIMONE

She drew on the work of Miru Kim, a New York-based artist known for taking self-portraits in barren industrial spaces.

Simone was also intrigued by the challenge of staging the shots - which she took using a remote sensor - and stripping down to her birthday suit. "At first it was like, 'Can I really do this?'" Simone said. "I was into the idea, but I didn't totally have the [nerve] to do it - I'm not totally an exhibitionist."

She landed five usable images on her first day of shooting in the West Village. "And I didn't get arrested," she said. Simone wants to draw people to the playfulness of the shots. "It's not about sex, it's silly," she said. "It's crazy that it's illegal to be naked."

New Yorkers shown the photos bared their admiration for Simone having the courage to take off her clothes in public. "I don't have the guts to do it," said Megan Clausen, a 25-year-old architect from Philadelphia. Her, co-worker, Darcy Wilkins, 29, agreed. "I'd go see it," she said. "I always ask my cat, 'Why can't I walk around naked?'"

From NY Daily News, "Parisian-born photographer Erica Simone lays bare everyday activities in nude works of art".

Photographers are often said to bare their souls through their pictures.

But Parisian Erica Simone has taken this to the next level by literally laying herself bare - she has photographed herself in nothing but her birthday suit on the streets of New York.

The 25-year-old has turned doing daily routines in the city to works of art simply by removing her clothes. And Miss Simone made the daring decision to step out from behind the camera and go au naturel in a series of self-portraits taken in and around the Big Apple.

Speaking to MailOnline she said: 'At first it was like, "Can I really do this?" I was into the idea, but I didn't totally have the [nerve] to do it - I'm not totally an exhibitionist. 'But I managed to do it on my first day of shooting in the West Village and I didn't even get arrested. 'I think that was just a combination of good timing and luck, and it is not as if I just spent the whole day walking around naked. I was fully clothed until I was ready to take the shot.' 'It's not about sex. It's crazy that it's illegal to be naked. The whole process was really liberating and it made me feel freer and more comfortable in my own skin and not be ashamed of my body.'

In the pictures, she rides the subway, checks out library books and shovels the snow on the sidewalk outside her apartment - all in the nude. The 20 shots are part of Simone's new exhibit Nue York: Self-Portraits of a Bare Urban Citizen, which opens next month at the Dash Gallery in Tribeca.

Miss Simone said the inspiration for the exhibition came to her during Fashion Week two years ago.

She said: 'I was sitting around thinking about fashion and what would we be if we were naked and what if we didn't have fashion to show who we were, our status, how much money we had, all these things. 'Then I got the photographic idea of shooting people naked in the street, but just doing regular things, not especially posing, or being naked, but doing whatever.'

The pretty 25-year-old said she was not sure if she herself could go through with it but was intrigued by the challenge of staging the shots - which she took using a remote sensor - and stripping down to her birthday suit. She said the general public were very accepting of her nudity and she did not have any bad experiences while doing it. 'Most people were laughing, smiling or applauding and cheering. They seemed OK with it,' she said.

'The most challenging one was on the subway. I had to ride the whole way from West 14th Street to the end of the line to get the right shot. 'The only person I told was the guy next to me as he had to hold my coat. But by the time some people even found out about it, I was clothed again.'

Miss Simone also said she has come a long way from the first shot to where she is now. 'The first few times I was so nervous and I guess innocent about everything, and yeah it was scary a bit as well,' she said. 'But now I don't care about being naked. I am more concerned about getting the shot right rather than worrying about being naked or what people in the streets are thinking.'

From Mail Online, "Naked ambition: Photographer lays herself bare in nude poses on the streets of NYC".

Cheaper home loan from foreign banks. Save $500 per year!!

Savings of up to $500 in first year; low Sibor rate is to their advantage. Three of such foreign banks mentioned in the article are RHB, Maybank and Citibank. Something you may want to seriously consider if you're thinking to refinance your mortgage.

RECORD low interest rates are allowing some foreign banks to offer cheaper mortgages than their local rivals.

The difference between the best floating rates at a foreign bank and that at a local one means savings of only $42 or so a month on a $1 million loan.

With local banks having to service the high costs of maintaining branches and cash counters, they will not be as free to make razor-thin cuts to mortgage rates.

Mortgages for less

* One of the best deals from a local bank currently comes from OCBC, with a first-year rate at three-month Sibor plus 0.55 per cent, working out to 0.99 per cent.

* Foreign banks are offering better rates for their first year: Malaysia's RHB is offering 0.90 per cent; Maybank, 0.94 per cent; and Citibank, 0.96 per cent.

* Take a home buyer with a 30-year, $1 million loan. The monthly difference between the first-year loans for OCBC and Maybank comes to about $42 a month, or about $500 a year. There may still be savings in subsequent years, depending on how the rates move.

From Straits Times, "Getting a home loan from a foreign bank may be cheaper".

Cameraman Sued for Bad Wedding Video

British couple took hired wedding videographer to court. It's a tragic episode--for both the couple and the videographer. What's hilarious, though, is the style of reporting by ABC News towards the end of the clip. Don't you agree? Heh.

Full-time blogging in Singapore: fact or fiction?

Apparently it's a fact. At least according to the latest news that says how there are estimated 100,000 bloggers in Singapore & half of them registered with blog advertising community, Nuffnang Singapore (a blow to its competitor as it's not mentioned at all--nor its name is worth written here!). Also reported how more will be blogging full-time.

Feasible?

Why not?! You know what they say: Man does not live by bread alone. He/she can also live by a cheap packet of instant noodles. Heh.

Singapore has an estimated 100,000 bloggers, with about half of them registered with blog advertising community, Nuffnang Singapore.

Social media experts said this number is set to rise and more will turn blogging into a full-time career.

Nuffnang said top bloggers can earn up to S$5,000 a month, depending on factors like blog demand and editorial content. Other factors include the blogger's style of writing and blog readership.

Most influential bloggers get about one or two ads a month. And as manager of their blogs, Nuffnang limits the number of ads so that blogs do no get over-commercialised.

But with the lure of money, what safeguards are there to ensure young bloggers do not compromise on their reputation in the blogosphere?

Well-known blog Monoxious.com was created by best friends Dawn and Arissa as a hobby in 2009. Their blog, which caters to teens and young working adults, got only seven unique hits a day when it first started.

However, after gaining recognition from blog awards, it now sees close to 1,000 unique hits a day.

Their fashion-centric blog is among a growing trend of niche blogs.

"Last time a lot of people blog to focus on their lifestyle, like what they did today. But now blogs are more inclined towards niche blogs and it has to be focused on few things like travel, food or fashion and beauty. And I think these niche blogs have more potential to expand than personal blogs do," said Dawn.

Like them, there is a growing number of bloggers who get paid for writing brand reviews or advertorials. This as more brands are recognising the power of influence online, and also the lower advertising costs compared to traditional media.

With such monetary gains, one social media expert said more should be done in schools to educate young bloggers on its pitfalls.

Pat Law, a social media blogger and expert, said: "To begin with, it should come from fellow bloggers to other bloggers. We can start by making it known or having events where you talk about our experience as bloggers. We should have at least a module on social media, why there are some things you should not say or can you bear the consequences if you say what you want to say.

"So if there aren't any educational programmes catered to the very fundamental fact that we are dabbling in social media, it's about time."

Nuffnang said it has about 50 bloggers who have signed contracts with them and those below 18 years must have a parent present to attend meetings regarding the contract.

The parent also has to sign the contract on his/her child's behalf. The terms are explained very clearly to both parent and child to ensure they understand and there is a grace period where they can take the contract home to discuss or consult a third party.

Meanwhile, as a content regulator, the Media Development Authority (MDA) said its policies are aimed at safeguarding public interest, increasing media choices and enabling informed decisions by consumers.

It looks out for content that touches on broad areas like "national interest" and "racial and religious harmony", as well as specific areas such as violence, language, sex and drug scenes.

From Channel NewsAsia, "More bloggers going full-time".

Secret Grave unearthed in Yishun

Interesting. Buried & forgotten?!

The discovery of a tombstone and coffin at a construction site in Yishun on Monday has some residents living in the area spooked.

Construction workers were excavating a site at the foot of Block 711, Yishun Avenue 5 when they made the grim findings. The construction works were part of the HDB's lift upgrading programme.

The tombstone indicated that the deceased, Madam Sim Seok Inn, died in 1971 at the age of 83. Some clothes were found buried near the coffin.

Some residents have expressed their alarm over the discovery of the tomb.

While there was nothing to worry about, Zali H M, 57, said he would still try to avoid the area. "I will walk away from the lift. Maybe walk around it," said the retiree.

However, the main question going through his mind and some of the other residents is: "Why is there even a coffin here?"

According to a spokesman for the National Environment Agency (NEA), the burial site of the tombstone "may have been where a cemetery was once sited and then exhumed for public housing development by the HDB in the late 70s to the early 80s".

"Upon completion of the investigation and the confirmation that the site is indeed within the cemetery, HDB will carry out the necessary exhumation with a permit from NEA," she added.

Still, other residents expressed their shock over the finding. Housewife and mother of two children Norasmah, 40, immediately asked, "Why didn't they find it when they built these flats?"

Her sister, a 34-year-old housewife who wanted to be known as Anita, felt that checks should be done to ensure that there are no more coffins left underground.

She added, "If you find one, there might be others. Something should be done to appease the spirit."

Team supervisor of the lift upgrading project, Mohan, 35, said that offerings were made after the discovery with joss sticks and candles seen at the site.

Other residents though were unfazed by the incident.

One of them was Steven Lim, 48, a swimming instructor who said, "She has been dead for so long, so what is there to be scared about?

"If there were to be any hauntings, it would have happened long time ago. Why wait until now?"

Wu You Jin, 65, echoed the sentiments above, saying in Mandarin, "As long as your conscience is clear, you have nothing to worry about."

A police spokesman confirmed that a call was received around 12:30pm on Monday about a tombstone and some coffin remains being found at a construction site. He added that the matter has since been referred to NEA for action.

In March 2007, heavy rain uncovered some 34,000 earthenware urns under a hill near Block 299 at the junction of Yishun Avenue 2 and Yishun Ring Road. A marble memorial tower nearby indicated that it was a burial ground.

Most of the urns were then reburied while remains from the broken urns were put in new containers and placed in the hollow space under the plaque in the centre of the memorial tower.

From Yahoo! News, "Tombstone, coffin found at construction site in Yishun".

A GROUP of construction workers at a lift-upgrading site in Yishun hit upon a grisly find on Monday - the forgotten grave of a woman who died in 1971.

Rotten wooden planks, a grave marker bearing her name, age and date of death, and even the remains of her ceremonial funeral clothing were found in a pit at the site next to Block 711, Yishun Avenue 5.

The site foreman, who wanted to be known only as Mr Lee, told Shin Min Daily that his workers had been excavating the site when they came across what appeared to be the remains of a wooden coffin.

They next found the grave marker, which was in good condition.

The grave marker identified the dead woman as Madam Sim Seok Inn, who died on Sept 14, 1971, at the age of 83. It also placed her as having come from Chenghai district in Chao prefecture in China's Guangdong province.

Fengshui specialist Cecil Lee, 51, said Yishun Avenue 5 was a Teochew cemetery established in the 1920s for the good fengshui it drew from being near Seletar Reservoir.

From Straits Times, "Teochew grave found in Yishun".

Dynamic Duo in Crimes - selling clients contact details with stolen (?!) prepaid envelopes

Mahesalingam Kanasalingam & Lucas Lin Han Tian. The founders of Dynamic Events of which its actual business nature seems to involve selling of the UOB's clients list to businesses like spa chains & insurance firms. Who cares about the bank secrecy laws, right? Moreover stolen prepaid envelopes can also be utilised-2,070 envelopes stolen from UOB by Mahesalingam!!

A FORMER customer service manager at United Overseas Bank (UOB) was jailed 4 1/2 months on Wednesday for selling the names and contact details of the bank's high-net-worth clients to businesses like spa chains and insurance firms.

But Mahesalingam Kanasalingam, 30, and his accomplice Lucas Lin Han Tian, 29, made the mistake of using UOB's postage pre-paid envelopes to save on mailing costs. A recipient grew suspicious upon noticing that the envelope which came with the duo's flyer featured UOB's return address, which had been blacked out with a marker pen.

The bank was informed. Arrangements were then made for the recipient, who knew a vice-president at UOB, to buy a list of 250 names for $500 in November 2008. The names were found to be an exact match to UOB's customer database. Mahesalingam was also fined $1,000 for stealing 2,070 envelopes from UOB which were found in Lin's flat in a police raid in August 2008.

Lin, a former personal financial consultant with Standard Chartered Bank was jailed for a month last June for violating similar bank secrecy laws. He was also fined $10,000 for selling the particulars of UOB clients, which he had obtained from Mahesalingam.

The two Singaporeans had set up Dynamic Events in August 2008, purportedly to organise events. Instead, they wrote to spas, beauty salons and insurance firms, using Dynamic Events' letterhead, offering to sell them mailing lists of affluent individuals at $3 per head.

When investigators closed in, Mahesalingam threw the hard disk drive he had been using. He claimed trial to the charge of destroying evidence but was found guilty and convicted on Feb 14. He then pleaded guilty on March 8 to 10 charges of disclosing confidential customer information to Lin and to two charges of accessing the data without authority. He was also fined $1,000 for theft of the pre-paid envelopes.

From Straits Times, "Ex-UOB employee jailed for selling client list".

Malaysia Boleh: New stamp for Bible copies...

The new stamp for Bahasa Malysia Bibles is going to be "For Christianity". Instead of the previous stamp, "For Christians Only". Does that mean in Malaysia they also have this stamp "For Islam" on their Qur’ans?!?!

The 35,100 impounded Bahasa Malaysia Bibles will be released without the need to be numbered, but will be stamped “For Christianity”, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala.

The announcement is a major move as the Home Ministry had earlier used the stamp “For Christians Only” on copies of the Bible held at Port Klang and Kuching.

Church groups had protested against the decision, saying it would be unconstitutional and deprive people of other faiths from reading the Bible.

“The Government has agreed to issue a directive so that future Bibles in Bahasa can be brought in, as long as they have the words “For Christianity,” Jala added in a statement yesterday.

He said copies of the Bible were not being singled out and that imported copies of the Quran were also checked to see if they were authorised copies and stamped with serial numbers before they were released.

The minister, who is a Christian, said the Government urged Chris­tian groups to collect copies of the Bible at the ports.

“The focus should be in getting the Bibles into the hands of people who want to read them,” he said.

Jala added that the groups could choose to put a sticker “For Christianity” over the serial number and the stamp “For Christians Only” in the impounded copies of the Bible, and the impound costs would be paid by Christian sponsors.

Alternatively, Christian sponsors would pay for the import of new copies with the words “For Christianity” printed at the source, he said.

“This is a fair and reasonable solution from the Government and with the help of Christian donors, all 35,100 copies are to be released at no cost to the importers,” he said.

According to the statement, a special Cabinet committee had met on March 17 to find a solution to the matter, taking into account the polarity of views between Christians and Muslims.

Jala said he and the Attorney-General had met with Christian groups the following day to present the proposed solution, adding that the Government wanted to resolve the issue amicably in line with the spirit of 1Malaysia.

On his role in helping to sort out the matter, Jala said he was requested to discuss with the Christian groups in his capacity as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (not as CEO of Pemandu), as a Christian and more importantly as the only Cabinet minister who was not a member of any political party.

THE following is the full press statement by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Seri Idris Jala on the Bahasa Malaysia Bible issue:

The Government wishes to reiterate that, since March 15, it had given the directive to release all Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia which had been impounded in Port Klang and Kuching.

However, to date, the Christian groups who imported the Bibles have yet to collect them because they do not accept the stamps and the serialisation on these Bibles.

Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein mentioned that the act of stamping and serialisation was standard protocol.

For example, Qurans imported into the country are also checked to ensure they are authorised, and are stamped with serial numbers before they are released.

Qurans which are not authorised are impounded and destroyed.

The act of stamping and serialisation of the Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia and the Qurans should not be perceived as desecration of holy scriptures.

A special Cabinet committee on this matter comprising the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Home Minister, Unity Minister, Minister in the PM’s Department

(Law and Parliamentary Affairs), Religious Affairs Minister and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department/CEO of Pemandu and the Attorney-General (AG) met on March 17 to discuss the issues at hand and find a fair and amicable solution.

The solution should take into account the polarity of views between the Christians and Muslims within the context of the existing laws of the country.

Subsequently, on March 18, Jala and Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, the Attorney-General, met with representatives from the Christian Federation of Malaysia, the Council of Churches of Malaysia, and other relevant Christian groups together with their legal advisors.

At this meeting, Jala said: “AG and I presented on behalf of the Government what we believe is a workable solution for all parties.”

The solution put forward by the Government is as follows:

> The BM Bibles currently impounded in Kuching and Port Klang will be released with the words “For Christianity” stamped clearly in Arial font, size 16, in bold. No other words or serial numbers will be stamped on the Bibles.

> To ensure that there is no misrepresentation in its implementation by civil servants, the Government will issue a directive from the director-general of the Home Ministry.

As with all similar directives, failure to comply with this directive will subject the relevant officers to disciplinary action under the General Orders.

> To highlight the Government’s commitment to resolving this issue amicably, the Government has received an offer from Christian donors

who are prepared to pay for the cost of all the Bibles that have already been stamped and serialised.

These BM Bibles can either be released in their present state (with stamps and serial numbers) or arrangements can be made to put stickers with the words “For Christianity” to cover the existing stamps and serial numbers. The choice is for the importers of these Bibles.

In the event they do not wish to take possession of these impounded Bibles in the present state, the Christian donors will pay for the full cost of new Bibles to be brought in with the words “For Christianity” printed at source or stamped with these words “For Christianity” by the Home Ministry at Port Klang and Kuching.

At the end of this meeting, the representatives from Christian groups requested time to meet and discuss, and have advised the Government that they would revert on their decision as soon as practicable.

Jala said: “In presenting the above solution, the AG and I have been authorised by the Prime Minister and the special Cabinet committee to convey the Government’s proposed solutions to the Christian groups.”

He further clarified: “I was requested to discuss this matter with the Christian groups in my capacity as Minister in the PM’s Department (not as CEO of Pemandu), as a Christian

and, more importantly, as the only Cabinet minister who is not a member of any political party.

“The Government wants this matter to be resolved amicably in a non-partisan manner and in line with the spirit of 1Malaysia. The AG’s involvement is obviously necessary because we have to ensure that the solution must be in the context of the existing laws of the country.”

The Government urges the Christian groups to collect the Bibles immediately for three reasons:

> The focus should be on getting the Bibles into the hands of people who want to read them; it has been established that the Home Ministry is not singling out the Bibles

for stamping and serialisation because this is also the same practice as they appear in the Quran.

> Notwithstanding (1) above, an arrangement has been made by the Government with the help of Christian donors to pay for the cost of all 30,000 impounded Bibles in Kuching and the 5,100 Bibles in Port Klang.

The importer can take these Bibles completely free of charge. If the Christian groups do not wish to take the Bibles, then the Christian donors have agreed to pay for the cost of bringing in new Bibles as replacement and these will be printed or stamped with the words “For Christianity”.

> The Government has agreed to issue a directive so that future Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia can be brought in as long as these have the words “For Christianity” in Arial font, size 16 either printed at source or stamped at the receiving port.

Finally, Jala said: “This is a fair and reasonable solution from the Government and with the help of Christian donors, all 35,100 Bibles are to be released completely free of charge at no cost at all to the importers.

“In addition, by virtue of the Government directive, there is an assurance from the Government that future Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia can be imported and released with the words ‘For Christianity’.”

From the Star, "New stamp for Bible copies".

Media Fiesta 2011 feat. Dynamite Johnson!!

Got this email from Media Development Authority.

Wish to reminisce on local-made movies? Join us down the memory lane of local films for FREE!

Catch this rare outdoor movie experience in the heart of town with families and friends. You can enjoy local films of different genres back from the 1960s to recent productions. Free goodie bags and popcorn are out for grabs, while stocks last!

To register, visit http://www.smf.sg/mediafiesta/2011/Pages/MoviesUndertheStars.aspx.

The subject header of the email is by the way "Media Fiesta: Join us for FREE movie screening (26 - 27 March)!".

Interesting, eh?

Media Fiesta 2011 "Singapore Movies under the Stars"

I checked the website & chanced upon the title of one of the free movies, "Dynamite Johnson".



Apparently it was a 1978 show. A classic (?!) yet difficult to find info about the show. "Dynamite Johnson". Should have been renamed it as "Elusive Johnson". Only get the following synopsis from this particular page of the website, Superheroeslive.com:

Synopsis:
Very cool and exciting low-budget wonder from Singapore starring nine year-old karate champion Johnson Yap as the world's first bionic boy, who teams up with his sexy auntie (Marrie Lee, reprising her Cleopatra Wong character) to track down and defeat a nasty Nazi with the dubious name of Kuntz.

The real name of the title character is Johnson Yap, previously the star of the Philippine actioner The Bionic Boy. Young Mr. Yap is, not surprisingly, part machine; fortunately his bionic mechanisms are in his legs, enabling him to outrun the battalions of villains he confronts throughout the film. The main heavy is a disenfranchised Nazi who plans to--all together now--RULE THE WORLD. To do this, he creates a device that paralyzes one's mind.

Casts: Johnson Yap ... Bionic Boy
Marrie Lee ... Cleopatra Wong
Susan Beacher
Kerry Chandler
Pete Cooper
Franco Guerrero
Carole King
David McCoy
Ken Metcalfe
Steve Nicholson
Clem Persons
Debra Rogers
Ron Rogers
Kathleen Scherini
Joseph Zucchero

I have more luck in finding out more about one of the stars in the movie, Marrie Lee. Thank you as always, Wikipedia! Heh.

Esplanade & 3 passengers painting the town red...

...or at the very least, wearing something red. I like this shot because I took a pain to wait the 3 subjects converging towards the entrance of the MRT doors while being hostile against those who were not wearing something red. Heh.

Solvil Titus - I only seem perfect because you love me

The shot was taken quite some time back. I believe it was in Suntec City. I recall how amazed I was at the stupidity of the advertisement of a Solvil Titus watch. "I only seem perfect because you love me." We can assume it's said by a girl. And we can conclude the girl has a very low self esteem. And the same girl is wearing a Solvil Titus watch? Hmm...

Miera Leyana: "My dress is too sexy for Malaysia ... and I'm sorry."

I really don't get it: why should the beautiful Malaysian actress Miera Leyana apologize for wearing a dress considered "too sexy"?!

She should have stood her ground. Her choice of clothing is hers and hers only. The hypocrites guests in the night event in Le Meridien hotel should have kept their eyes fixed not to her breasts! Goodness...

PS. I check her blog, "All About Miera Leyana" (http://mieraleyana88.blogspot.com/) and at least, I'm glad there is no such apology mentioned in her blog.

Malaysian actress Miera Leyana has apologized for wearing a dress that was “too sexy” at a Friday night event in Le Meridien hotel, Kuala Lumpur.

The tight-fitted number, which showed off the sides of her breasts, apparently made guests at the event uneasy.

Some even went on to tell her off, it was reported.

“I’m sorry if I offended anyone,” the actress later told mStar Online at the event.

“I thought the dress was really pretty when I saw it but I didn’t have time to try it on. I got it just earlier today and I didn’t know it would look like this on me.”

“I can’t wear a tube with this either. It has a bareback so it’ll look funny,” she added.

Miera, who is set to appear in the upcoming film Apokalips (Apocalypse), said she will be more careful with her future wardrobe choices.

From Asiaone, "Malaysian actress says sorry for 'too sexy' dress".

Seth Rogen to be banned from the 'frightening' Singapore?!?!

Seth Rogen Talks About Singapore on Conan O'brien

The Green Hornet star, Seth Rogen thinks himself to be funny when he said bad things about Singapore on a Conan O'brien show. Sheesh, Seth Rogen should be back to make a porno!

"The producer was disappointed by the film's poor box office performance!"

As expected, the STOMP article, "Green Hornet star bad-mouths S'pore on Conan O'brien show" has been aflamed by angry comments. Pity Seth Rogen pulled this kind of stunt after the Green Hornet movie. Otherwise, we'll have a great time banning the lousy movie. Heh.

Dell Streak featuring cool Genki Sudo World Order

Have you seen the cool advertisement of Dell Streak featuring Genki Sudo in a group called, World Order? I like the way the slow motion choreographed for real in a fast-moving real life. Heh.

It must be tiring to purposely move real slow. Well, Genki Sudo was after all a fighter. (Check out the YouTube clip of his fight against Ramon Dekker in K1 Heros 2005 which has gathered 1,332,794 views!)

Dell Streak- Streak Man Project

須藤元気(Genki Sudo)「WORLD　ORDER」の"WORLD ORDER"フルver.PV

Genki Sudo vs Ramon Dekker

Adrianne Palicki (not Megan Fox!) is the new Wonder Woman - but not using Jim Lee's design of costume

It is official. Adrianne Palicki is the new Wonder Woman! Not Megan Fox--pity she looks great in this poster, don't you think?

The new costume of Adrianne Palicki's Wonder Woman (that is she wearing a blue shiny pants and blue boots) is however unlike the LATEST costume of Wonder Woman by Jim Lee: Wonder Woman with dark leggings, a studded denim jacket, spurs on her heeled boots and gloves. See the sketch here.

And in case you wonder what the Lynda Carter--the original Wonder Woman--think about the new reincarnation (at least in the style & wardrobe collection) of the character Wonder Woman. It's surprisingly positive.

More about this TV show--partially quoted from GeekTyrant:

This reboot will be a lot different too. In addition to her Diana Prince alter ego, this time Wonder Woman will have a day job as Diana Themyscyra, the head of Themiscyra industries. The series will be very similar to Iron Man and the Tony Stark character where everyone will know that Ms. T and Wonder W are the same.

The next bit of news makes me groan with displeasure. Apparently Diana has a trendy crew of 20 something techie and science geeks that live in her basement and help her solve crimes in further episodes.

Here are some details on who her character is and what motivates her emotionally. This new Wonder Woman:

* Relates to ET the Extra Terrestrial when his movie comes on TV.
* Loves planes.
* Loves Steve and wishes they could be together.
* Yearns to belong and be “among” people, not just “with” them.
* Sings along to the radio in multiple scenes.
* Hates being “marketed, commercialized, merchandised”, though she is – there’s a joke about Wonder Woman tie-in dolls having their costumes redesigned that seems to reference the recent makeover for the comics.
* As Diana Prince she’s a mousey Miley Stewart, when she’s Diana Themiscyra she’s the Hanna Montana of businesswomen, and she will only be Wonder Woman twice in the pilot episode.
* Is a capitalist.

Very interesting, GeekTyrant. Heh.

Jennifer Lopez "On The Floor" chorus tune is that of Lambada??

Jennifer Lopez - On The Floor ft. Pitbull

Yes! Don't you agree? I'm referring to this part of her song, "On The Floor":

Dance the night away
Live your life, and stay young on the floor
Dance the night away
Grab somebody drink a little more
Lalalalalalalalalalalalalala

Compare that tune above to that of Lambada Song (the clip here).

Hmm...maybe she should have credited the Lambada Song better than the 'lalala...' part. Perhaps with this enhanced chorus:

Dance the night away
Live your life, and stay young on the floor
It's Lambada Song
Recall the tune while you're on the floor
Lalalalalalalalalalalalalala

Bell Nuntita (Nuntrita Khampriranon) inspires with his/her singing!!

Bell Nuntita aka Nuntrita “Bell” Khampriranon

Check out this intriguing clip, "Thailand's Got Talent : Boy or Girl? (English Subtitle)" (so far has gathered 918,264 views since uploaded on 14/03/11!!) featuring a beautiful transexual contestant, Bell Nuntita (real name, Nuntrita Khampriranon) singing a 'solo duet' (making use of his/her dual voice of feminine & masculine. That's GENIUS!!)

She is pretty, she sings well, and she stunned everyone on Thailand's Got Talent when she started singing in a man's voice.

Bell Nuntita, 27, is a transsexual contestant who wowed the judges and the audience when halfway through her audition piece, she changed her feminine singing voice to a very masculine bass.

Her appearance in the show is not unusual in a country where it is accepted for men to undergo sex change to become a woman when he feels out of place in his body.

"Katoeys (the Thai name for men who undergo sex change) are common in Thailand, so no one really criticizes her or makes a big deal out of it," said Thai student Bay Wallapa.

She added, "But even though I'm used to seeing katoeys in Thailand, I was still so shocked when she suddenly switched voices. She's very good."

Her Youtube clip without English subtitles alone has garnered half a million views; the one with subtitles also has another half a million.

Famous celebrity blogger Perez Hilton was so amazed at her talent, calling her "truly a wonderous talent to behold."

When her friend posted the link on Facebook, Singaporean Shahida Hassim commented, "I keep watching this over and over again. She is so pretty. Her voice is beautiful. His voice is so manly."

Said Anjali Ragu, Singaporean student currently on exchange in a Thai university, "It was creepy and cool at the same time, I couldn't even tell that she was transsexual."

From Yahoo! News, "Transsexual wows in Thai talent contest".

'The Next Susan Boyle': Bell Nuntita Wows Audience on Thailand's Got Talent

Transgender singer Bell Nuntita wowed the judges and audience alike with a beautiful singing voice that transformed into a masculine bass. Think American Idol meets The Crying Game. Or something like that. The video is a must-see.

The judges agreed that Bell Nuntita crushed it and will move on to the next round. One of the judges said that he suspected that Bell was a dude, but, when she started singing, he thought he was wrong... until Bell Nuntita switched to the male voice.

In the post-audition interview (English subtitles), Bell Nuntita said, “They'd always made fun of me, called me 'fag', 'drag queen', but what could I possibly do? And my dad never accepted [me] for what I am. The worst, he once beat me badly. He tried to beat me until I quit being gay. I want to tell my dad that I love him, and that I made finally it now."

Some blogs are calling Bell Nuntita "Thailand's Susan Boyle", though how a young male could be compared to Susan Boyle is an open question. Both are early-season breakout successes, but there the similarity ends.

This was the second episode of the inaugural season of Thailand's Got Talent.

From NowPublic, "Bell Nuntita: Transgender Singer on Thailand's Got Talent- Video".

Beautiful contestant Bell Nuntita wowed judges on Thailand’s Got Talent with her feminine alto voice, then stunned them again when she lowered her pitch to an ultra-masculine bass.

“I’ve been ridiculed a lot, like, ‘you fag’ or stuff like that... But I’ve had to keep it inside the whole time,” she said in a later interview, telling of her transgender journey. “And my dad would not accept me, to the point where he hits me so I could change back from being a transsexual to being ‘normal’.”

“I just want to tell my dad that I love him so much and I can do this.”

Nuntita received the thumbs-up from all three of the TV show’s judges for her solo ‘duet’ and the audience went wild, so now a huge fanbase is supporting her to take the top title.

Said one of the judges after her song: “Initially, I was certain that you were a transexual, but once you began singing, I was fooled to think that you were female. After you started the male verse, I should have trusted my gut feeling.”

From GayNZ.com, "Transgender singer wows TV judges".

Janet Khoo - a damsel in distress

Poor Janet Khoo (Janet Khoo Kheng Hoon). She lost his brother, a businessman Khoo Kim Leong, murdered early this month--and now worrying about her safety and her family's.

Let's see how fast this case solved by Malaysia's Finest (yeah, the police are whom I meant). It's reported that revenge was believed to be the motive behind the gruesome murder. Revenge against the businessman or the TV celebrity herself?

Screen and TV celebrity Janet Khoo, listed by a men's magazine as one of the 100 sexiest women in the country, is fearing for her life following the gory death of her brother early this month.

Businessman Khoo Kim Leong, 47, was reportedly beaten up and strangled before his body was thrown into a ravine at Lembah Pangsun, near here.

A passer-by found the decomposed body while walking in the area at about 11.40pm on March 6.

Kim Leong was found dead with his legs tied and his body wrapped in a mattress.

It is believed that he was involved in a heated argument before his tragic death.

Trying hard to hold back her tears, a distraught Janet, 39, said it was painful to talk about her brother's brutal murder.

"His death was so tragic. It's a police case now. I'm sorry I can't reveal the details because my life and my family's life are in danger right now," she told the Daily Chilli, the news portal of The Star.

"It's so painful to see my brother's body which was beyond recognition.

"I am still shocked over what had happened and hope the public will give me and my family some time to calm down."

Janet had appeared in award-winning TV dramas and films, including a lead role in the 2003 blockbuster Paloh about the confrontation between the Japanese occupation forces and the local people in the 1940s and the self-produced Haryati for Astro Ria in 2005.

Janet said she and her family had been advised by the police to take precautions because revenge was believed to be the motive behind her brother's murder.

"I'm not even allowed to discuss his funeral details. I hope my fans and my media friends can understand my situation.

"I appreciate everyone's concern. But at present, I need to protect my family and myself," she said.

Meanwhile, police said they had detained two suspects in their 30s for questioning.

From Asiaone, "Celebrity advised to be cautious following brother's murder".

Elaine Low $1M donation to Japan should NOT shame S'pore govt $0.5M donation

These 2 articles (both dated today) are somewhat interesting to note. The first article titled, "Woman donates S$1m to Japan quake victims" has a 24-year-old Singaporean woman, Ms. Elaine Low has donated S$1 million to the victims of the earthquake in Japan. The Japanese Embassy in Singapore said this is the largest donation it has received so far.

The second article, "Govt donates $500,000 to S'pore Red Cross" mentions how the Singapore Government donated $500,000 to the Singapore Red Cross Society.

Yes. I know. You too are thinking--and expecting--that the government should have donated more. Well, monetary donation is just one way to help. I'm sure the government must have been considering other ways to lend a hand.

A 24-year-old Singaporean woman has donated S$1 million to the victims of the earthquake in Japan.

The Japanese Embassy in Singapore said this is the largest donation it has received so far.

The S$1 million cheque was presented to the Japanese Ambassador at the Embassy.

Accompanying Elaine Low was her father, who heads the company she works for - PT Bayan Resources.

The company has long business ties with Japan and imports heavy equipment from the country.

The Bayan Group owns and operates one of the largest coal terminals in Indonesia.

The Low family also has friends and relatives who visit Japan often.

Ms Low said she and her family felt the earthquake in Japan was unfortunate and wanted to donate as soon as possible.

Ms Low, who is head of business development at PT Bayan Resources, said: "We wanted to make a donation during the weekend, but during that time, the Japanese Association was not in touch with the Red Cross Society yet. So we made a phone call to them after that."

The family has previously donated to crises in China and Indonesia, but said this is their largest donation yet.

Yoichi Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan, said: "We have been receiving so many expressions of support from all over Singapore - the people, the government, different organisations - but this is, as a single act of support, the strongest expression...of supporting our people.

"And we were very grateful. This would be a tremendous boost of morale for all the people back in Japan who are affected by this terrible disaster."

The Japanese Ambassador said the money will be channelled to the Red Cross Society in Japan.

It will either be used to support the rescue and recovery operations or be directed to victims themselves.

The Singapore Red Cross has also received other donations for the Japan disaster.

To date, it says it has received a total of S$235,000 for its first two days of collection.

Singaporeans may make a cash, cheque or SMS donation to the Singapore Red Cross for victims of this disaster.

For walk-in donations, the Singapore Red Cross is open from 9.30am to 9pm from Mondays to Fridays, and from 9.30am to 6pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays.

For cheque donations, cheques should be made payable to the "Singapore Red Cross Society".

Donors may also donate via their mobile phones to 75772. For every SMS, S$50 will be donated to the "Japan Disaster" fund.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Woman donates S$1m to Japan quake victims".

The Singapore Government donated $500,000 to the Singapore Red Cross Society on Tuesday.

The money will go towards recovery efforts in Japan.

The Red Cross started accepting donations yesterday and has collected $100,000 so far.

Singaporeans can give donations via the Red Cross. Other organisations like Mercy Relief and the Singapore Soka Association are also using their own networks to help.

Another humanitarian group, World Vision Singapore, collected $70,000.

Other organisations such as California Fitness and the managing group of Japanese restaurants like Kuriya and Ichiban will also be organising fund-raising initiatives. (Read here for more information)

Technology giants such as Google and Apple have also come up with ways to donate online towards the disaster relief.

From Asiaone, "Govt donates $500,000 to S'pore Red Cross".