GP blog

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Singapore's declining birth rate a cause for concern: SM Goh

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/225737/1/.html
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-we're going to become extinct-

Singaporeans are not replacing themselves with more babies, with the ageing population and declining birth rate, we should all be worrying. Unless we want to become extinct Singaporeans, we should do something about it.

Though the birth rate has increased slightly in the first half of the year, it is still not enough to replace the ageing population. Those who have double income but no kids (DINKs) should seriously consider having one or two little ones of their own. The economy is picking up, they should be financially stable, so why not? The problem is to convince young couples to have more children,

Obviously the baby bonus is not working as expected. People comment that more money is needed than what is give to raise a child. Even with maid levies and longer maternity leave, people still aren't geared up to raise a child. I think the root of the problem lies with education. People may or may not see the need for an increasing birth rate, and they should be taught this from a young age so that they see the necessity to have more children. SM Goh commented that the government cannot do much about the problem of low fertility rate, because only the people themselves can solve this problem by having more children.

It will take time, but eventually I think that this problem can be solved. In this case, I think education is key, and we better start teaching, or convincing young people of Singapore to have more children. Otherwise, the species of Singaporeans might keep declining and then some. -- DE

British police find suitcase with bomb materials

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/225451/1/.html
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-okay that's not good-

I find it rather frustrating that terrorists make life more inconvenient for us all. First time round many Muslims were shunned because many generalized them as terrorists. After that, no sharp items such as penknives, nail clippers, even a compass needle (mathematical kind) wasn't allowed on board flights. Now things get even worse: liquids and gels are not allowed on board either, and passengers, especially those travelling from the UK have only transparent plastic bags carrying their personal belongings such as passport, wallet and medication. Even baby milk is only allowed on in small amounts.

Police found a suitcase containing everything necessary to assemble a bomb, and this shows that these inconveniences are only to make life safer for us all. I would not mind the inconvenience if it meant that the flight I am boarding would not blow up in mid air with all the passengers blasted into smithereens.

It is indeed comforting to know that the police and other authorities are getting into action, but the 1994 Bojinka bombing whereby liquid explosives were involved makes one think that they should have gone into action much earlier. Yet back then the threat of terrorism was not so frequent as it is today.

I am just glad that no planes have been bombed by liquid explosives yet. Now all we can do besides tighten up security is to wait and see what happens next. -- DE

Iran says ready to discuss nuclear freeze

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/225223/1/.html
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-this is good-

i think that this is good news because the possibility of a conflict arising from the issue of Iran's uranium enrichment program is now lessened because Iran is ready to discuss a nuclear freeze with incentives offered by various countries.

Doubts of whether Iran was using the uranium enrichment for the production of nuclear fuel may or may not be cleared in the discussion, but this much we can be sure of, and that is a violent conflict has been avoided. The consequences of Iran not meeting the deadline to halt nuclear activities are sanctions, but it is not known if Iran would suddenly turn violent in view of being forced to halt nuclear activites.

If they were really enriching uranium for fuel, then they should not have anything to hide. They will only increase rumours that they are building a nuclear bomb if they keep the issue a hush-hush one. Now all we have to do is wait and see what happens after the discussion and hope that it does not turn ugly. -- DE

Saturday, August 05, 2006

New water filtration system doubles output of NEWater

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/223158/1/.html
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-more water, slurp-

Singapore has always had a water problem, but now it seems that this problem might soon become a problem of yesterday.

Newly developed 16 inch diameter membrane filters have been tested and results show that they double the output of NEWater. The Bedok NEWater plant is still using the 8 inch filters, but when the new membranes are implemented, the plant will produce at least 17 million gallons of water instead of the current 7 million.

This is good because it means that we won't need to rely so much on neighbouring countries for water and become self sufficient. Then other countries will not be able to threaten us with the refusal to import water to Singapore.

For some people, more NEWater might not be a good thing. I heard that some people find the taste not as nice as what they are used to, but like it or not, NEWater is going to be the future, and it is already becoming a part of our tap water anyway, so they should just get used to it. -- DE

Phone numbers to be truly "portable" by end-2007

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/222727/1/.html
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-consumers can have just one number when they switch between mobile service providers-

This means greater convenience for consumers, especially since they find themselves changing phone plans and service providers whenever they find that they get better value for their money.

That means you keep the same SIM card, the same phone number and all that. there is no more need for inconveniences where you have to notify people that you have changed your number or a service where the caller calling the old number will get their call forwarded to the new number.

I think that this is great for us consumers who can now swap mobile providers as and when we want, but it spells more challenges for the mobile service providers.

now that it will be easier to swap service providers, the job of holding onto customers will become an increasingly difficult one as they become more slippery. they will just change to whichever service provider can give them the best value for money depending on their needs. it means increased competition between Singapore's three telcos in terms of offering the best they possibly can.

also, it is estimated that they will each have to spend $10m to $20m to upgrade their networks with a neutral, central database that will make it easier to port numbers. So not only do the telcos have to work extra hard to keep their customers and attract new ones, they also have to shell out more money to upgrade themselves.

however, i think that paying the etra money will certainly be worth it, because it means that they can provide better services for customers, and with globalisation turning this world into an "instant" world where everything happens very quickly, the move to improve convenience of services is a good one. We won't have to go through all the trouble to change our phone numbers anymore. -- DE

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Christian anger at conversion law

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5246328.stm
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-they should be angry-

Honestly some people can be so stubborn. I can understand that they want to spread their religious ideals, but they shouldn't try to control other people. I mean, who are they to control what people do and think? It isn't right for them to stop people from choosing their religion. Stringent laws have been put into place such that any religion other than Hinduism would not be tolerated and it would even be made easier for people to change their religion to Hinduism. If they had previously converted from Hinduism, if they made the switch back then the law would not considered as converting. Converting is converting; and just because someody says that it is not does not necessarily make it true and fair.

Furthermore, these laws are only put into place to make some people happy, which is a really selfish gesture. Ravi Baksh, a Christian priest, said the new law had nothing to do with protecting Hindu religion but was a political game of Chhattisgarh's ruling party to please their masters. Just because one is Hindu, it doesn't mean that everybody in the country you rule has to be Hindu. You cannot force people to be of a religion that you want them to be. People will get angry. One day they will revolt and then the government will be sorry.

Also, people now have to apply to change their religion from Hinduism to whatever religion and the government has given itself the right to reject these applications. The stiff necked government has to learn that it cannot control everything; and by putting these laws into action they are creating trouble for themselves.

I hope that someone will wake up and see the pointlessness of the whole business of conversion laws. At least that way the people will be happy in that aspect. There is enough trouble in the world because of religious conflict as it is. -- DE

(Note: previous post on 30th July replaced with new entry on 20th August)

Programme launched to get hawkers to switch to healthier cooking ingredients

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/222067/1/.html
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-healthier food please!-

First the government tried getting Singaporeans to change their ways and ask for more vegetables, less salt, less oil (or at least oil with unsaturated fats), less sugar etc etc... Singaporeans being who they are are either too lazy to ask, or they really really love their cai dao kui fried with all that extra dark sauce.

Now they are trying to get stalls to change to healthier food alternatives when cooking instead of having the customers asking for healthier alternatives themselves. I think that this is a good move, especially since many people obviously don't care enough for their health to ask for healthier alternatives, are too lazy to ask, or don't think that asking would make any difference.

I reckon that people should start taking their health seriously and ask for healthier food. Though we all die in the end, we still need to take care of ourselves if we want to avoid those illnesses derived from unhealthy eating.

Our health minister Mr Khaw suggests eating fruits before actually eating the main course of your meal, which causes you to eat less of the main course because the fruits fill you up. This is a good idea, but many prefer to eat fruit as a dessert and not an appetizer, which is why it might not appeal to others.

Whatever way people think of to eat less or eat healthier, they should just watch out for all the oily, fatty, salty and sugary foods if they don't want to be obese and have dangerously high cholesterol levels. -- DE

ESI first in the world to create embryonic stem cells for clinical use

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/221554/1/.html
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-cool-

I think that this is a great achievement for Singapore because it was a race involving international researchers and a Singapore based company created these embryonic stem cells for clinical use. The 'safe' human embryonic cells were derived from blastocyst embryos by stem cell scientists from a Sydney in-vitro fertilisation clinic. So in a sense, they aren't controversial because they were donated for one purpose then the extra used for this stem cell research.

These clinically safe stem cells still have yet to be given the green light to be used in clinics because they have not been tested on humans yet, but i think that it would not be long before they are widely available for diabetes and cancer patients for stem cell therapy.

The knowledge that embryonic stem cells are available brings hope to those who need them for hope of being cured. Previous stem cell lines were produced with mouse feeder cells which produced complications whereby immune attacks may be triggered.

Naturally, these clinical grade cells will be more expensive, and not everybody will be able to afford them. I sure hope that after these cells are made available, there will be some way of producing them so that they are cheaper and thus available to more people.

At any rate, it is a great achievement that Singapore has made and we should all be proud of it. --DE

Monday, July 24, 2006

Study says many Singaporeans speak non-standard English

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/219880/1/.html
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-hey how to do this ah? err.. dunno leh-

Non standard English has been a part of our vocabulary since we have learned how to speak. It doesn't sound pretty, non-locals don't understand it, and it can be the root of many a misunderstanding (eg "study lor" as compared to "study law")

It is not surprising that 6 out of 10 Singaporeans do not speak standard English as a part of their daily conversation; rather, they speak a colourful mixture of Chinese dialects, Malay and substandard English, which almost every local can understand. However, there is a need to stress the importance of speaking standard English, and while we're at it; standard Chinese. The latter does not seem to be a problem, just that the former tends to be mixed in when the speaker does not know how to express himself in one of the languages.

The root of the problem must lie in the education Singaporeans receive, their upbringing, and of course, the environment they grow up in. Many Singaporeans take pains to send their children to good kindergardens such as Little Montessori or a private kindergarden with an Englishman (or woman) as a teacher to teach standard English. Not all children have this chance though, and many tend to learn from teachers who speak English with all the correct grammar and etcetera, but have bad pronunciation and may pepper their speach with Singlish as they teach.

The parents themselves are also a factor in the way the child's speech is affected. If the parents use Singlish to converse with each other, the child would inadvertently be affected and end up speaking Singlish instead of proper English.

The shows one watches these days on Kid's Central and Channel 5 are not exactly shows which use proper English. Many shows utilise Singlish in their scripts; heavily affecting the young who watch these shows everyday, and cause the viewers to end up speaking Singlish as if it was the standard of English. I think they need to be reviewed and proper English should be used so that the future of our nation does not end up in the hands of Singlish speaking communicators.

Singlish is not a global language, English is. It is important that we make ourselves understood and give a good impression; otherwise important things such as business deals may be lost, which is the last thing this nation needs. Its all very well to be able to speak with the next door auntie in Singlish, but I don't think other people would appreciate making a business deal in Singlish. We should encourage each other to cut down the use of Singlish and start expressing ourselves in proper English, i think it would be greatly appreciated by foreigners and the government.

Speak GOOD English; Be understood. -- DE

NETS Cashless-cum-Savings Scheme introduced in schools

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/218648/1/.html
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-schools in singapore are going cashless-

The use of plastic to make payments seems to be more rampant in today's modern world. Cashcards, credit cards, and other cards which have stored value are becoming more popular than paper rectangles and round metal pieces. I have to say that I do like the idea of using a card to pay because it means I dont need to carry around so much cold hard cash in my pocket, though i still have to watch out for pickpockets and snatch thieves.

the purpose of schools going cashless is so that children learn the value of money by spending it, saving it, and checking how much they have spent or saved. It is more convenient to go online, click buttons and type into the internet browsers to check the amount one has in their account, rather than using books to record what one has spent, because there is no element of human error, and also, there is no cheating.

i like the idea of having plastic cards for the children because it is easy for both them and their parents to check on the way the money is being used, and it teaches the children how to manage their cash independently.

However, not everyone is quite ready to use a card yet. smaller children who tend to be more careless might lose the card, causing no end of trouble for both themselves and their parents. Furthermore, the children might find the card a novel concept and have fun tapping and spending which defeats the idea of cash management altogether, hence it would be good if the cards were only allowed to children who are more mature, such as the upper primary age group and above.

With more and more schools joining this NETs saving scheme, more and more plastic will be utilised. Maybe one day everybody will be using cards and credit instead of cash to make their purchases. Who knows? -- DE

Monday, July 10, 2006

Cab fare hikes kick in, some commuters to turn to MRT or buses

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/218304/1/.html
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-taxi! -- err wait no i'll take the bus-

this is the opinion of many after the cab fare hike was announced. i agree with their actions because as a student, i do not get a steady income and need to be thrifty with what i have. That means not taking a taxi unless i am in an awful rush, too tired to walk to the bus, or it is pouring with rain.

The cab fare hike has increased the flag down fare by 10 cents, so it is now $2.50 and 10 cents also takes you a shorter distance now. Calculations show that commuters have to pay about 20% more. Personally, i know why they are complaining, but they should try not to.

Singaporeans being who they are with their "kiasuisms" and sometimes being just thrifty with their money go for anything that is "Free" and complain when they "Have to Pay" because it means burning holes in their pocket. It is understandable that they complain when the taxi fare has been increased.

But look at it this way; the whole reason why the there is a hike in the fares (and just about anything these days) is because people have to make a living. Taxi drivers have to pay for fuel (and with rising fuel prices as well, who can blame them for wanting a higher cab fare?) Honestly i think that with the rising affluence of singaporeans these days, they should try not to complain of fare hikes. Thinking of alternate modes of transport is good; perhaps one fine day everybody will decide to stop driving, get a bicyle (or tandem if they so wish) and save on fuel anyway.

Here is the reality: the fare is up and the meter is running, whether we like it or not. we will just have to live with it and pay more even though it is regrettably for less. Otherwise, come and join the queue. The buses and MRT trains won't wait. -- DE

Demand for hospital beds up as flu cases rise

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/218096/1/.html
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-achoo. bless you-

whether its the unpredictable weather, the unhealthy lifestyles certain people lead, or just plain bad luck, many people are falling sick these days, and the hospital beds are filling up fast. people really do need to start thinking about why they are falling sick.

these days it is obviously the flu season, and also incidentally the time when the conditions are good for breeding mosquitoes. Mosquitoes and the flu bug are both health hazards, and that's when people have to watch out. Windbreakers, umbrellas, hot water bottles and vitamin C need to be stocked up.

The fact that more hospital beds are needed reflects the increasing population, as well as increasing affluence. Increasingly affluent Singaporeans can afford to have a more rich lifestyle where they eat what they want and exercise less, thus becoming more unhealthy and being more susceptible to sicknesses such as the flu bug.

An increasing population in such a small space allows the sickness to be spread more easily because of the close proximity in which people live, and this in the long run will cause the flu bug, as well as other infectious diseases to mutate and become resistant to antibiotics, which spells bad news for the hospitals and general public alike.

Since the flu bug has obviously mutated over the years and has become stronger and resistant to medicines that doctors used to prescribe a few years ago, we humans have to be more vigilant in terms of staying healthy and keeping away from other sick people so that we will not fall sick as well.

So the best solution is to stock up on medicine, vitamins, and healthy food. Stay well! :) -- DE

Monday, July 03, 2006

2,000 food outlets apply for smoking area ahead of new rules on July 1

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/216152/1/.html
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-i'm sorry sir/ma'am, this is a non-smoking area-

Under new regulations, smokers are not allowed to light up in 3,500 eateries which have no outdoor refreshment areas. Many owners have complained that this is bad for business as many of their customers are smokers and if they cannot smoke on the premises they would not patronise the eatery anymore.

I personally think that the owners' complains just show the severity of the problem because it indicates that many people smoke in Singapore. The new ban on smoking will hopefully help to reduce the numbers of smokers. I think that if people really do want to patronise the restaurant or eatery they might consider not smoking. However, even before the new rules have come into play, many eateries have applied for smoking areas so that they can keep their customers who like to smoke. Owners think that if they have an area specially for smoking, this will allow them to keep their customes. But this defeats the purpose of the smoking ban because by having a smoking area, this encourages smokers to continue smoking. If more eateries remained non-smoking, then it would be better because it would mean that smokers would not be able to visit their favourite restaurant especially if they planned to smoke before or after their meal.

I think that this new rule of non-smoking is good because it is for the greater good of the general public. Those non-smokers will not inhale too much second hand smoke and the chances of them being affected by other smokers is lowered, especially in non-smoking areas. Hopefully current smokers will come to realise that smoking is seriously not good for the health and cut down. This will also improve their health if they do decide to cut down.

I feel that this new non-smoking rule could not come any sooner because people have to start caring for their own health. Especially in a country like Singapore where our only natural resource is our population. If Singapore does not have a healthy population, this spells bad news for our future. -- DE

One card for all e-payments soon

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/215961/1/.html
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-convenient or more troublesome?-

Instead of having two or more cards to pay for purchases such as your NETs or ez-link cards, one card will be used in the near future. It can be both convenient and troublesome as well.

imagine a thinner wallet, and by that i mean you do not need to fill your wallet with so much plastic anymore because all you need to make payments is one single card, or your e-purse. imagine just tapping your card at the gates at the MRT station, or sticking the card into the In-Vehicle unit of your car. There is no need to search for your Cashcard, ez-link or NETs card anymore. There is only one card you have to take care of. One card for many different payments makes things tremendously convenient for everyone. This is especially for those who have to travel and like to shop alot because then they wouldn't need so many cards.

having one single card for many payments may seem great, but with all good things come a set of problems. There may only be one card for you to make payments with, but that's just the point. There is only one card. One card to pay for say, your lunch, your ERP fee (or train fare), and for your shopping. If you lose that card, you become stuck without a mode of payment. Worse, if you are very dependent on that one card, it gets even worse. Its also easier to steal money from people if some dishonest someone picks up one of these cards because unlike ATM cards which are protected by PIN numbers, these cards probably will not be as well protected especially if they are also used for entry into the MRT stations.

All said and done, i still think that having one card to make different kinds of payments is good because of its increased convenience. Perhaps there will be a system where the user identification is required so that the cards will be better protected. Bring on the cards! -- DE

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Motorbikers, pillion riders, elderly most vulnerable road users

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/212959/1/.html
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-don't ride a motorbike??-

here are the stats:
173 people died in road accidents last year.
95 of them were motorcyclists and pillion riders.
41 were pedestrians of whom 22 were senior citizens.
For this year, there were 75 accident fatalities between January and May, compared to 72 during the same period last year.
But in May alone, the number of fatalities rose to 25, from just 15 last May

the statistics are shocking, they show that as safe as Singapore is, the roads are never ever one hundred percent safe. that's why the traffic police are working with motorcycle clubs and shop owners who sell motorycle helmets. this is to ensure that the message of safe riding and good road behaviour is driven home. i agree that this should be done to make the roads a safer place for all.. but i think that this alone is not nearly enough to make roads safer.

perhaps additional measures should be put in place. perhaps every few years or so, motorcycle riders should go for another driving test just to make sure that they are not misbehaving on roads and riding dangerously between vehicles so as to avoid hitting the red lights. Family members could accompany elderly wherever they go so as to ensure their safety, or at least it might be easier to avoid traffic accidents that way because the family member could quickly take the elderly member to safety. whatever additional measures are put into place should involve all means of traffic on the road and not just motorcyclists because i am sure that though many are involved in traffic accidents, it is not always their fault. -- DE

Schools to get more officers for special needs students

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/214449/1/.html
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-help for those who need it-

i applaud the step taken by the government who has realized the need of the mentally disabled students in Singapore schools. The students receiving the help from these officers for special needs students will be able to facilitate their learning and help to integrate them into the normal student group. This help will widen their social circle, lower the level of frustration faced by mental blocks in terms of academics.

these officers will not only be able to help the students with special needs to reach out to the public, they will also help the public reach out to these students, and show the public that the students are not social outcasts because of their special needs.

i think it is about time that the government has made such a step and the fact that by 2010 all primary schools will have at least one officer to help students with special needs will improve their learning environment. -- DE

National Cyber-threat Monitoring Centre to Open Next Year

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/214912/1/.html
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-internet safety is GOOD-

I think that this step in terms of safety will be good for all internet users, for the individual and online business/service owners alike. More internet security and stability will cut down the threat currently posed to us by cyber terrorists and hackers. This in turn will be an attractive incentive for more service providers to mae the decision to set up base in Singapore. This bodes well for the economy in general because this will generate more jobs, generate more revenue, and overall increase the confidence that service providers have in terms of internet security in Singapore.

How does this cyber-threat monitoring centre work? If it monitors cyber traffic, does that mean it is just like what the Bush administration has set up in the United States where phone calls are monitored for suspicious activity? The good news for the internet user is NO, it is not an infringement on personal internet space where every single move you make on the internet is recorded and looked at. It only monitors activity that can be of threat to users, and this means that the system in general will be more secure, without invading personal privacy.

This National Cyber-threat Monitorng Centre will work hand in hand with other such centres around the world so that information regarding hackers, viruses, spam and other such internet threats are kept constantly upgraded and allowing the internet all over the world to be more secure and lowering the threat of potential terrorist activities, spam and so on. --DE