Firestorm victims launch suit against Singapore Power

Victims of Australia's deadly 2009 firestorm have launched legal action against a Singapore power firm alleging poorly-maintained electrical wires sparked the blaze, reports said on Saturday.

Lawyers representing almost 600 people lodged a class action in Victoria's Supreme Court against Singapore Power for allegedly failing to maintain an ageing line, which fell and started the Feb 7 fire at Kilmore East.

It was the deadliest blaze of 'Black Saturday', Australia's worst natural disaster, claiming 119 of the 173 lives lost. Legal firm Maurice Blackburn said the suit could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

They have heard strong evidence at the Royal Commission (into the fires) that Singapore Power could have taken a number of steps to prevent the devastating Kilmore East-Kinglake bushfire. The electricity distribution companies are commercial enterprises that have a responsibility to ensure that public safety is not compromised simply in order to keep costs down. Singapore Power's failures have had very tragic consequences.

The action currently has 598 plaintiffs but could grow to as many as 1,300, including people who lost family members in the fire, suffered physical injuries and lost property, or had ongoing psychological damage, The Age said. It will allege Singapore Power failed to fit a A$10 (S$12) anti-vibration device to guard against metal fatigue and that the circuit-breaker system was not adequate for a dry, windy, fire-prone area.

The 1.1km single-strand line, one of the longest in Victoria, was only checked every five years and rust and wire deterioration could not be detected by ground crews, the case will also claim. Unusually for an Australian civil case, Maurice Blackburn has asked that it be decided by a jury instead of a judge. The Black Saturday fires rushed into small communities with little warning, killing 173 residents as they sheltered in their homes, or fled in cars. Entire towns were razed, reducing more than 2,000 homes to ash.

Singapore on US Human Trafficking Watchlist

The United States has put Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam on a human trafficking watch list, accusing them of failing to prevent women from being forced into prostitution. The move opens the way for the United States to cut off some civilian assistance, although it usually functions as a symbolic means to pressure countries to take action.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has made women's and children's rights a signature issue, called human trafficking a 'terrible crime' as she presented the State Department's annual report. 'All of us have a responsibility to bring this practice to an end,' she said. The report estimated that 12.3 million people were the victims of trafficking in 2009-2010, although it said there has been progress in the past decade.

Explaining the downgrade for Singapore, the report said that some women from China, the Philippines and Thailand are tricked into coming to the city-state with promises of legitimate employment and coerced into the sex trade. The report said that while Singapore launched 'some significant new steps' against trafficking, there were no 'quantifiable indicators' that the government was identifying more victims or prosecuting more culprits.

Shopping for new car? Hold on

Folk shopping for a car in recent months must be in despair. Prices of new cars have skyrocketed, rising by about $20,000 in just two months, before softening last month. The increases follow spikes in Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premiums, which came on the back of a drastic reduction in COE supply. The current quota is 40% smaller than last year's.

The bad news for car buyers does not stop there. The next quota, to be announced in August, will, in all likelihood, experience a further shrinkage. This is because motorists are likely to hold on to their cars due to the sharp rise in prices. Those who sell will probably see their cars end up in the secondhand market instead of being scrapped or exported.

Going by estimates based on deregistrations in the first three months of this year, the monthly quota for August could dip to 3900 from about 4250 now. That means COE premiums should continue to head upwards, leading to even fewer deregistrations in the second half of the year.

Right now, this downward spiral in supply and upward spiral in prices will seem quite frightening to anyone in the market for a new car. Will it ever end? Will the trend ever reverse? More pertinently, how much higher will COE premiums go?

COE premiums do not rise continuously. There will be corrections. We have seen two rounds since things began heating up in April's second tender and last month's first. The open category, which hit $49,000 during the first tender in April, has dropped to $39,000. But while there is intermittent respite, premiums will be on the uptrend. There are fears that premiums will reach $100,000, which happened in 1994.

However, the $100,000 premium, which was for cars above 2,000cc, was largely the work of speculators. When anti-speculative measures were introduced, premiums plunged overnight. If not $100,000, then how far can COE premiums climb today? The highest premium on record for a 1,600cc car was about $62,000 in 1997. The ceiling for a big-car COE is not much higher, at around $75,000, also reached in 1997.

These two categories of cars are the mainstay of most buyers, so it is safe to assume that their peak COE premiums are what the market is willing to bear in the best of circumstances. However, times have changed profoundly since the 1990s. Also, the oversupply of COEs in recent years gave rise to an "oversold" market. In the words of a dealership executive, "everyone who wanted a car has already bought one".

The car population here ballooned by 30% in the past five years, and 85% of passenger cars on the road are less than five years old. With lofty COE premiums, new-car sales have slowed to a crawl in recent months. They will start to pick up when consumers become accustomed to the new rates. The norm for COE premiums in the immediate future is likely to be $25,000-$30,000 for cars up to 1,600cc, and $30,000-$40,000 for cars with bigger engines. Motor traders reckon that the premiums could reach $50,000 by early next year and, perhaps, $60,000 by the later part of next year. These are long-shot projections, though, and should be taken with a pinch of salt.

Bear in mind that the COE supply crunch should reverse in about two to three years' time, when the cohort of cars between four and five years of age become too old to be sold on the secondary market here and have to be scrapped or exported. This cohort is sizeable, at about 200,000 units.

The bottom line: If you are not in a hurry to buy a new car, hold on till 2013. However, if you absolutely need one soon, you might just have to bite the bullet, or you could shop for a used car.

Choked drains caused massive flooding in Orchard

Singapore's national water agency, PUB, has said the flood in parts of Orchard Road on Wednesday was caused by choked drains underneath roads in the area.

With no typhoon hovering over the island city state, suspected that the rains were brought by the southwest monsoon. The two-hour downpour registered 100 mm of rain & the amount of rainfall is higher than the average and incidents like this happen rarely.

At a news conference on Thursday, PUB explained that thorough investigations done by its officers found that debris was found trapped inside the culvert of Stamford Canal. It said the heavy downpour caused debris to build up and get trapped in a drain near Delfi Orchard. The culvert of Stamford Canal diverts water from Nassim and Cuscaden Road into two sections of Stamford Canal, which runs along Orchard Road.

The heavy build-up of debris partially trapped in the culvert caused the rainwater to be diverted to only one of two canals running beneath Orchard Road. And this caused water in the canal to overflow into Orchard Road.

PUB said the drain's capacity is adequate as it has handled previous rains of similar intensity. It will be stepping up the frequency of maintenance inspections of critical closed drains. It will also increase its maintenance inspections to monthly checks. Currently, it inspects drains every three to six months.

PUB will also install more litter traps along Stamford Canal to prevent the build-up of debris, and more water-level sensors along Stamford Canal to enable closer monitoring of unusual peaks and dips in water levels.

Overseas Chinese top the world at 45 million

The number of overseas Chinese has reached 45 million, becoming the world's largest overseas group, according to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council cited in Guangzhou Daily.

Many of the new emigrants are choosing to live in Europe. When asked about attitudes towards citizens moving abroad, Overseas Chinese Affairs Office said that with the precondition of legality, they respect their right and choice, protect their legitimate rights abroad, and will guide them to assimilate with local society, to make due economic contributions.

Hope they are as hardworking as our grandparents.

CPF contribution to be raised by 1% this year

For those who are servicing their housing loan, you will be disappointed as the 1% is not going to the Ordinary Account (OA).

The employer's contribution to the CPF, a national pension fund, will go up by one per cent to 15.5%. This will bring the overall contribution rate to 35.5%. 7 years since the CPF was cut during the SARS crisis and after weathering one of the worst global downturns, workers can now look forward to more savings for their retirement.

The government has decided to increase the CPF contribution by employers this year by 1% & the restoration will be done in two steps. 0.5% from September, paid into the Medisave Account and another 0.5% from March next year, paid into the Special Account. No top ups going to the Ordinary Account as it's deemed enough to meet current housing needs.

Singapore not renewing water agreement with Malaysia

Singapore will not need to renew one water agreement with Malaysia which expires next year. That's because Singapore has ramped up with local water supply with new reservoirs, NEWater and desalinated water.

Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said Singapore will build a second desalination plant over the next few years to ensure reliability in water supply. As the production of NEWater and desalinated water are independent of rainfall, they can be used to supplement water stocks in an extended dry spell like the one experienced in February this year, which was the driest February on record.

Waterborn fees will be go up soon? Now we are drinking "Up Market" water ya..

Your new SOP item

Every modern soldier now needs one - a notebook computer. Modern recruit of the Singapore Armed Forces undergoing basic military training (BMT) now gets one, along with his green fatigues, helmet and boots.

At the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC), recruits go online to learn how to assemble and handle their rifle, throw a grenade, carry out first aid and clear battle obstacles before going outfield to get hands-on experience.

About 2,600 enlistees were issued laptop computers in last December at the start of their BMT. The recruits returned the devices to the training centres after they graduated last week.

The online tutorials have replaced some lectures in the training shed or classroom, used now instead for discussions of current affairs and national education. Soldiers learn the how-tos of the practical skills in their bunks through BMTC's online platform Learnet. Questions can be directed to their commanders through a live messaging system.

Aside from familiarising themselves with military skills, recruits have to post their thoughts and reflections about their BMT experience at least once a week.

Learnet lets recruits carry out 'self-learning' of lessons such as weapon handling, individual field craft, first aid and training safety. It complements existing training methods like field training and classroom-based lectures conducted by BMTC. The Learnet system provides the recruits easy access to learning resources, and is part of the improvements made to the BMT system to enhance the recruit's overall training experience.

Equipping men with laptops is part of the SAF's modernisation drive to harness technology in the training of today's cohort. SAF had to engage troops intellectually and emotionally as they are now more educated, intelligent and inquisitive. This is an important part of the third-generation SAF where they focus on training thinking soldiers.

In the initial weeks, some had even figured out a way to get in touch with friends on the mainland through e-mail and social networking sites. But the social networking sites and e-mail were later blocked.

Can laptop shoot or stab? But giving it a good throw at the enemy can give them baluku I guess. Also, I wonder how much if someone were to sign 1206 for this lappy?

License needed to fish in Longkang (Drain)

Leisure anglers may soon have to pay for a license before they can drop their line and bait into Singapore waters.

Local fishing groups such as the Sport Fishing Association of Singapore (SFAS) and the Gamefish and Aquatic Rehabilitation Society (GARS) are working with national water agency PUB to come up with a licensing scheme for fishing.

A statement from PUB said that by controlling the number of anglers, it is hoped that the ecosystem will not be affected while sustaining sport fishing as a popular recreational activity

So now nature's fish also belongs to the government also. Next time when you are taking a stroll at the waterways, don't be surprise to see vigilant Cisco Task Force ready to summon any leisure anglers.

Singaporeans answering the call of NZ

Some updates to my previous post on "Lets go New Zealand and be FT".

The campaign launched by New Zealand to get Singaporeans to move there to work, study or live has struck a chord here.

The drive, a pilot project that will eventually be extended to other countries, has seen nearly 4500 Singaporeans register their interest in applying for a work or study visa, or permanent residency, since it was launched in January.

This makes up 78% of worldwide inquiries received by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) between Jan 15 and March 1.

Are you one of them?

News Blackout on SDP’s Economic Forum

The Singapore media has imposed a complete news blackout on the economic forum hosted by the Singapore Democratic Party in March. Instead, the Straits Times ran an article on the spat between SDP’s Secretary-General Dr Chee Soon Juan and opposition leader Mr Chiam See Tong which purportedly happened 17 years ago.

During the public forum held in March, SDP leaders took turns to address the economic concerns of Singaporeans such as the issue of foreign workers, income inequality and falling productivity. SDP’s Assistant Secretary John Tan also spoke at length of the problem of the “non-transparency and the non-accountability of the GIC and Temasek.”

He proposed prohibiting government leaders and their from assuming positions of control at the two corporations and presented the Norwegian model of managing a sovereign wealth fund which is well-managed, transparent and democratic.

GIC and Temasek have under intense public scrutiny of late for losing billions of dollars of the nation’s reserves in failed overseas investments. There is no opposition in Parliament to hold the ruling party accountable. Neither are there any Singaporeans who dare to criticize their leaders publicly out of fear of be sued for defamation.

Dr Chee ended the forum by reminding the audience that the “SDP’s plan was not a populist one where everything is provided for free by the state and that citizens had to shoulder their share of financial responsibility in order that the system is not unduly burdened by debt.”

For more, click on the following SDP link.

KL scraps unpopular fuel scheme

The Malaysian government has scrapped its plan to introduce a two-tiered fuel scheme that would have rationed subsidies and ended them altogether for some drivers, following negative feedback from the public.

Domestic Trade, Co-operative and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that the government nixed the planned subsidy restructuring as it did not want to implement an important policy that did not have the people's support. Some analysts suggested that the move may mean that polls are imminent in the important East Malaysian state of Sarawak.

The government had wanted to introduce a management system for the fuel subsidy, as it felt the subsidy did not fully benefit the intended target groups and that even owners of foreign-registered vehicles were enjoying it. The plan, originally set to be implemented on May 1, was to introduce a tiered pricing system for petrol, depending on engine capacity, while foreigners would have to pay the market price.

Last December, the government announced that foreign registered vehicles would be allowed to pump only a maximum of 20 litres of fuel at petrol stations within a 50km radius of the border.

Casino at Resorts World Sentosa goes live

Singapore's first casino opened for business Sunday as the first punter was allowed into the gaming section of Resorts World Sentosa complex. The opening to be followed within months by a second casino resort is part of a multi-billion-dollar effort to transform Singapore's tourism industry.

The doors to the cavernous and carpeted casino were thrown open to the public at 12:18 pm on the first day of the Year of the Tiger in the Chinese lunar calendar. When pronounced in the Cantonese dialect, 12:18 sounds like "prosperity". A middle-aged Singaporean woman was the first gambler allowed in, followed by an initial crowd of about 200.

The US$4.4-billion resort features Southeast Asia's first Universal Studios movie theme park, which also opened for a week of sneak previews from Sunday.

Singapore's second casino complex, Marina Bay Sands, is being completed by US-based Las Vegas Sands and is expected to open in April. Officials hope the casinos will help Singapore achieve its target of 17 million visitors a year generating more than US$21 billion by 2015, boosting the services sector and reducing the role of manufacturing in the economy.

Serious Warning from our MM

The current contentious issue on the affordability of public housing was given another airing by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew who cautioned Singaporeans not to cast a protest vote against the ruling party over this.

As Singaporeans lament rising flat prices, he said they ought to understand that the Government sells them at a subsidised price, below market rate, so that they can own an asset that will appreciate in value over the years. It adds to their wealth and this is an asset-enhancing policy Mr Lee believes citizens should not find fault with.

Although HDB are being subsidised, but unless we are getting New units, else the COV might just kill us instantly. HDB had many units available for sales, but many has been labeled picky due to the their ethnic quotas is full.

And if National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan is unable to defend this policy, 'he deserves to lose' at the next general election, he quipped, to laughter from the participants, including a chuckling Mr Mah. But if Mr Mah loses to the opposition, he warned that Singaporeans better sell their flats fast as they would no longer be of any value.

Why do we need to sell our flats fast for the money? In the first place, HDB built flats is to let Singaporeans have a box of their own that is called "Home". A place to encourage a sense of rootedness in the country. But since when it has turned into a wealth generating tools? Why HDB is not on-course with what they had first started on? The reason to built flats.

Pastor Rony Tan called up by ISD

Lighthouse Evangelism Senior Pastor Rony Tan had paid a visit to Phor Kar See Kong Meng San Temple (in Sin Ming) to tender his apology to the Secretary-General of the Singapore Buddhist Federation Venerable Kwang Sheng in person over the remarks he made about Buddhism.

Pastor Tan first made the remarks to his congregation about two weeks ago which was video-recorded and uploaded to Youtube where it was widely circulated in cyberspace.

In the three video clips, Pastor Rony Tan was seen interviewing a former Buddhist monk and nun about their experiences with Buddhism and appeared to make some disparaging comments on the tenets of its teachings such as nirvana, meditation and reincarnation.

In the hour long conversation, Pastor Rony Tan made a solemn promise to Venerable Kwang Sheng that the incident will not repeat itself again.

Venerable Kwang Sheng had accepted Pastor Rony Tan’s apology: “He offered his sincere apologies which we have accepted. After all, we do not wish to see the matter being blown up,” he said.

He also urged the authorities to ensure no repeat of similar incidents as such: “It is good that the authorities have looked at this matter, but this is a matter of national concern. We want to appeal to the public and the authorities to make sure there is no second time. Singapore is a multi-religious, multiracial society. There is no point arguing over who is right and who is wrong,” he added.

Singapore Buddhist Lodge chairman Lee Bock Guan urged restraint on the part of Buddhists so that tension does not escalate: “Buddhism teaches us to forgive; everybody makes mistakes.”

Message from Senior Pastor Rony Tan on his website.
"I have received a number of emails from people who have been saddened and hurt by the testimonies of an ex-monk and an ex-nun. I realized that my presentation and comments were wrong and offensive. So I sincerely apologize for my insensitivity towards the Buddhists and Taoists, and solemnly promise that it will never happen again.

When we have received those emails, we immediately removed the video clips from our website. I urge those who have posted those clips on the YouTube to remove them as well.

After reading the frank views from those emails, I was also prompted to tell my members not only to continue to love souls, but also to respect other beliefs and not to ridicule them in any way, shape or fashion.

Let's put our goal to build a harmonious Singapore a top priority."

The video itself & related videos can be found at this Youtube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryTe7HAWaL4&feature=related or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnJS81rxHQM

No offense but I feel that this Pastor is too strong in insulting with his words. Its not right to making fun of other religion as everyone has the rights to practice their own faith. There's no compulsion in religion & Buddhism is definitely not demonic.

Lets go New Zealand and be FT

The land of the Maoris has set its sights on Singapore and the hunt is on for talent. The bait, better working hours and cheaper housing and cars.

That is what Immigration New Zealand (INZ), which has begun a pilot scheme to lure Singaporeans, is offering. The New Zealand government's move is another reminder that the hunt for talent worldwide is intense and Singapore is not immune. The website, which can be found at www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/singapore, extols the benefits of living and working in New Zealand.

Singaporeans interested in going to New Zealand are invited to register their interest and they will receive an e-mail telling them how to apply for relevant visas. The website, which went live on 15 Jan, is now hotly discussed in online forums. It tells Singaporeans that New Zealand is a country which offers "brilliant work and study experiences plus a relaxed lifestyle".

Calling New Zealand a country that prides itself on maintaining a health work-life balance, the website claims that jobs there are nine-to-five and offers four weeks of annual leave. Those aged 30 and below can opt for a work exchange program that allows them to travel and work in a temporary job in New Zealand for six months. The main reason for this is that Singaporeans can speak more than one language and can reach out to many Asians, especially China I guess.

The website also says that while New Zealand and Singapore have a comparable exchange rate, the former offers a lower cost of living. One New Zealand dollar is 99 Singapore cents. Compared to prices in Singapore, you'll probably find that your money will go a very long way in the New Zealand housing market. The website claims that average housing prices in New Zealand are under NZ$350,000 ($348,495) and could go up to NZ$500,000 in bigger cities. It said that Singaporeans can easily buy landed property there.

Unlike in Singapore, where there is such a high population density, you'll be able to find yourself affordable housing with a great location to match. With room for expansion, many people enjoy a garden or backyard, even if they live just outside the Central Business District.

Hassle-free car ownership is also one of the carrots the New Zealand government is dangling at Singaporeans. Here, Singaporeans have to bid to own a car and pay thousands of dollars for a Certificate of Entitlement. Will it work?

The census in 2006 showed there were 4,857 Singaporean residents in New Zealand, up from 3,912 in 2001. While the statistics show an increase, migration agents are however, unsure if more Singaporeans will bite. Last year, only 114 Singaporeans became permanent residents in New Zealand, 92 of them through the skilled and business stream.

It's spacious, cooling & beautiful. So what are we waiting for? Its time to convert this country into another Singapore.

Someone has finally spoken..

This is taken from the ST forum on the topic "Flats are subsidised".

Dear Mr Lee,

I refer to your comments as reported by Straits Times on 28th Jan 2010.

You said that our flats are subsidised. But what is $40,000 compared to $100,000 to $200,000 increase in flat prices over the last three years? Even with the subsidies, Singaporeans end up paying a lot more.

You said that our flats will appreciate in value and that will add to our wealth. But for every $100,000 addition to the wealth of my estate, each of my children must fork out an extra $100,000 for his or her future housing needs. As long as there is more than one child, the family as a whole loses, not gains. The only entity that truly gains is the HDB and the government. It would really be ‘daft’ of you if you cannot see the silliness of your own reasoning.

You warned Singaporeans that our flats will not longer be of value if Mah Bow Tan loses. Are you threatening Singaporeans? Mah Bow Tan has already lost many years ago to Chiam See Tong and yet Potong Pasir flats are as pricey as any flat would be.

You seemed to chide Singaporeans for always wanting it cheaper and better. But flat prices have gone up by 30% in the short span of three years. We are not asking for cheaper, we are asking for price stability. Are you sure you’re getting your facts right? Are you sure you’re not being ‘daft’ instead?

You said the government has to price flats fairly. Compared to three years ago, new buyers have to pay 30% more now. You call that fair? Did our salaries increase by 30% over this period?

You said that the government is giving us something more valuable than what we paid for. If the price of flats increased by $100,000 over the last three years and the government gives a $40,000 subsidy, aren’t we paying more still? Isn’t it ‘daft’ to insist that we are paying less when we are actually paying more?

You said that the government gives us an asset that is below market price the moment we buy it. But by the time we buy the asset, the market price of that asset has already gone up by $100,000. So even with a subsidy of $40,000, we are still paying $60,000 more for nothing the moment we buy it.

So if there is a ‘loss’, it’s a fictitious one that confounds the electorate.

Ng Kok Lim

Highest trust level in Singapore Government

People in Singapore trust the Government here more than the residents of any other country trust their government, a new survey of 22 countries has found.

Trust in the Singapore Government was 84%, according to the survey by US-based PR firm Edelman. That is far higher than the global average of 49%, which means fewer than one in two people worldwide trust their own government, on average.

The survey polled 200 people in Singapore and a total of 4,875 worldwide, including the United States, Britain, China and India.

Do you trust our Government? Can 4.8million be represented by just 200 people?

At the same time, there's another news from Edelman. Edelman Public Relations Worldwide has been awarded the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore's (CAAS) PR account worth $500,000 - the contract is for two years.

According to an email statement from CAAS, Edelman is now required to provide services such as strategic PR counselling, media interviews and features, media monitoring and organising PR and promotional programmes.

Edelman will also develop and distribute media releases in overseas markets, as well as arrangements for overseas media visits to CAAS/ Changi Airport.

Coincidence?

What is the real unemployment rate?

The Ministry of Manpower has recently released the 2009 employment statistics. As expected, the statistics for employment creation is broken down by residents, which comprise of Singapore citizens (SCs) and Permanent Residents (PRs), and foreigners

According the preliminary figures, the unemployment rate among residents, who include citizens and permanent residents, fell from 5 per cent last September to 3 per cent in December.

The state media is quicked to jumped to the conclusion that the unemployment rate of Singapore citizens has decreased as well with Chinese paper Lianhe Zaobao putting up a most misleading headline – “100% employment for Singaporeans.”

Over the years, true Singaporeans, i.e. Singapore citizens, have been asking for employment statistics for Singapore citizens, and not residents which distorts the actual employment situation faced by SCs on the ground. However, MOM has stubbornly refused to publish these statistics for unknown reasons, except for an occasional paper which was published in 2008 – “Employment of Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and Foreigners,1997 to 2006″.

If MOM could publish an occasional paper which breaks down employment statistics by SCs, PRs and foreigners, surely it will be able to do so on a regular basis? If MOM is unable to breakdown the statistics, here is an analysis to show that the majority of jobs created in 2009 went to PRs and not SCs. From 2004 to 2006, an average of about 49,000 persons were granted permanent resident status in Singapore. This translates to a total of 147,000 new PRs from 2004 to 2006.

Based on MOM’s occasional paper, it can be computed that PRs gained a total of 62,500 jobs from 2004 to 2006. Therefore, on average, about 62,500/147,000 = 42.5% of the new PRs found jobs/were in employment from 2004 to 2006.

In 2008, 79,167 persons were granted permanent resident status. The figure for 2009 has not been released yet. However, with government aggressive population augmentation strategy, we can safely assume that it will be higher than last year, and a consecutive estimate of 80,000 persons is assumed.

Assuming that the proportion of new PRs who found jobs/in employment in 2009 remained at 42.5%, it can be calculated that the number of jobs created for PRs in 2009 = 42.5% X 80,000 = 34,000.

With 43,000 jobs created for residents in 2009, the number of jobs created for SCs is only a measly 9,000, compared to 34,000 for PRs.

It is clear why MOM refuses to publish employment statistics for SCs only.

Nevertheless, we acknowledge that the above analysis is only an estimate. PRs could be losing jobs if all employers choose to keep all the SCs while letting the PRs go during the financial crisis.

No jobs could be created for PRs if employers refuses to hire them. However, it is common knowledge that the above scenarios are highly unlikely, especially when male SCs are subject to the annual In-Camp Training (ICT) liability of up to 40 days, and PRs enjoy similar treatment as SCs in government assistance schemes, such as the Jobs Credit.

We certainly welcome MOM to clarify. However, we will only believe in the hard figures broken down by SCs and PRs, and not any meaningless stories or anecdotes. Alternatively, we also welcome The Straits Times, or Today to do an alternative analysis to convince Singaporeans otherwise.

Pigs' heads found at Malaysia mosque amid Allah row

Pig heads were found at two mosques near a neighbourhood hit by an ethnic clash nine years ago, Malaysian police said, following a series of recent arson and vandalism attacks on religious places of worship. The discovery of the pig heads - an animal considered offensive to Muslims and whose consumption is prohibited - could further inflame tensions in the mainly Muslim country, prompting police to issue a stern warning against stirring up emotions.

Eleven churches, a Catholic school, a Sikh temple, three mosques and two Muslim prayer rooms so far have been hit by arson or vandalism in recent weeks amid a row over the use of the word "Allah" by Christians.

Police said that two pig heads were found at a mosque in a mainly Malay but racially mixed neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur, and another two at a mosque on the outskirts of the capital. The mosques are located near a neighbourhood which in 2001 was hit by an ethnic clash that local media said left six people dead.

Khalid said police were working closely with local mosque and neighbourhood committees to try and keep residents calm.

The row stems from a court ruling on Dec. 31 last year allowing a Catholic newspaper to use the word "Allah" in its Malay-language editions to describe the Christian God. The use of the word is common among Malay-speaking Christians, who account for 9.1 percent of the 28 million population, mostly in the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak. A group created in the online networking site Facebook to protest the use of the word by non-Muslims has so far attracted more than 250,000 people.

Police have so far arrested 19 people over the attacks, and a 25-year-old Malay student was charged in court on Jan. 15 with threatening public safety following a comment he allegedly made on his Facebook page offering to throw petrol bombs.

The government of Prime Minister Najib Razak is appealing against the court verdict and has condemned the arson and vandalism attacks, but analysts say he may lose votes among non-Muslims unhappy with the row.