Letter by Weiwen Yang

Born and raised in Singapore, I have spent the past eight years in Australia. On the cusp of completing my postgraduate studies in clinical psychology, I have a major life-changing decision to make: Where do I go from here?..

While money is not the sole motivating [...]]]>

Source: The Straits Times, Page A31, 27 May 2010

Letter by Weiwen Yang

Born and raised in Singapore, I have spent the past eight years in Australia. On the cusp of completing my postgraduate studies in clinical psychology, I have a major life-changing decision to make: Where do I go from here?..

While money is not the sole motivating factor for me, it is important to help me maintain a preferred lifestyle. So it is hard when the pay being offered in Singapore pales in comparison to the one I am being offered in Australia…

I admit I have become a little disconnected with home country in my time in Australia. And although I do not shy away from identifying myself as a Singaporean, I have also embraced the Australian way of life and grown fond of the country and its people…

Upon returning to school full time, she fought a losing battle with the school administration to provide her and other mothers-to-be with a place for expressing milk…

But when performance bonuses were given out, she was not only given a pro-rated bonus (which I understand), but also a lower [...]]]>

Source: The Straits Times, Page A19, 17 May 2010

Upon returning to school full time, she fought a losing battle with the school administration to provide her and other mothers-to-be with a place for expressing milk…

But when performance bonuses were given out, she was not only given a pro-rated bonus (which I understand), but also a lower performance grading.

While I am very grateful for the increased maternity benefits a young family now receives, I would like to highlight that there seems to be a contradiction when Singaporeans are encouraged to have more babies, but mothers are penalised when trying to concurrently be both good mums and good workers.

She is now expecting her second child and I won’t be surprised if she leaves the teaching service.

Reported cases of girls aged 14 and below having sex

Number of teenage births

Number of teenagers diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections

Sources: Singapore Police Force, Registry of Births and Deaths, Immigration and [...]]]>

Source: The Sunday Times Lifestyle, Page 10, 28 Mar 2010

Reported cases of girls aged 14 and below having sex

• 2009: 83
• 2008: 61
• 2007: 57
• 2006: 38
• 2005: 33

Number of teenage births

• 2008: 816
• 2007: 820
• 2006: 838
• 2005: 853
• 2004: 781

Number of teenagers diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections

• 2008: 787
• 2007: 820
• 2006: 775
• 2005: 678
• 2004: 653
• 2003: 368
• 2002: 238

Sources: Singapore Police Force, Registry of Births and Deaths, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, Department of Sexually Transmitted Infections Control

Letter by: Liza Ho (Ms)

I refer to the report, ‘Sec 5 route not best for all: Ng Eng Hen’ (Jan 12). On Jan 13, a senior staff member of my child’s school, Jurongville Secondary, gathered the Secondary 5 students and spoke to them about the report.

He [...]]]>

Source: The Strait Times Forum Page, Page A42, 23 Jan 2010

Letter by: Liza Ho (Ms)

I refer to the report, ‘Sec 5 route not best for all: Ng Eng Hen’ (Jan 12). On Jan 13, a senior staff member of my child’s school, Jurongville Secondary, gathered the Secondary 5 students and spoke to them about the report.

He told them not to waste another year in Secondary 5 and urged them to apply to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), based on rough calculations of what their O-level score might be…

I am disappointed that the school chose to dissuade my child and his schoolmates whose earnest desire is to try the O-level route.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was interviewed by Mark Jacobson of the National Geographic in July 2009.

It’s NOT a nation. It’s a society in transition. You need a few hundred years to build a nation.

a2a_linkname="Is Singapore a nation?"; a2a_linkurl="http://singcitizen.com/portal/2010/01/is-singapore-a-nation/"; a2a_show_title=1; [...]]]>

Source: The Strait Times Page A16, 5 Jan 2010

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was interviewed by Mark Jacobson of the National Geographic in July 2009.

It’s NOT a nation. It’s a society in transition. You need a few hundred years to build a nation.

Letter by: Lewis Wong

During my daughter’s Primary 1 orientation at Edgefield Primary School about a month ago, she was made to sit through a test of English and mathematics. A week later, when the school announced the Primary 1 class allocation on its website, I [...]]]>

Source: The Strait Times Forum Page, Page A32, 28 Nov 2009

Letter by: Lewis Wong

During my daughter’s Primary 1 orientation at Edgefield Primary School about a month ago, she was made to sit through a test of English and mathematics. A week later, when the school announced the Primary 1 class allocation on its website, I discovered the school had used the test as a means to stream (or ‘band’, as the school calls it) these pupils.

According to the school, the top 62 pupils were grouped equally into two classes and will undergo an ‘accelerated programme’. The rest of the cohort were randomly divided into six other classes…

Article by Jonathan Liautrakul

The disappointment stayed with me throughout my next three years at Millennia Institute, as I struggled to downshift to the slower pace and lackadaisical attitudes of my peers. I missed the motivation that had spurred me to achieve.

With the help of teachers and friends, I [...]]]>

Source: The Straits Times Page B10, 9 Nov 2009

Article by Jonathan Liautrakul

The disappointment stayed with me throughout my next three years at Millennia Institute, as I struggled to downshift to the slower pace and lackadaisical attitudes of my peers. I missed the motivation that had spurred me to achieve.

With the help of teachers and friends, I was one of the lucky few from my cohort to make it to university.

To Mr Lim, the MP’s role seems to be confined to that of running the town council: Collect service and conservancy fees from residents and maintain the estate. And yet town councils, he emphasised, should not be considered local government — [...]]]>

Source: The Straits Times Page A2 22 Oct 2009
Article by Sue-Ann Chia, Senior Political Correspondent

To Mr Lim, the MP’s role seems to be confined to that of running the town council: Collect service and conservancy fees from residents and maintain the estate. And yet town councils, he emphasised, should not be considered local government — for Singapore has only ‘one level of government’.

This statement, however, contradicts statements that senior government leaders have made previously…

‘With town councils and community development councils, and my intention to give more power and responsibility to them (MPs), every election in a constituency is indeed a local government election,’ Mr Goh explained at the annual PAP conference held before the polls.

Letter by Sylvia Lim (Ms), Chairman, Workers’ Party

It was the HDB’s unjustifiable answer to Mr Muhammad Yusuf — that the grassroots adviser was more appropriate than the MP to announce the LUP plans because he was able to gather residents’ input and marshal support for [...]]]>

Source: The Straits Times Forum Page Page A27 15 Oct 2009

Letter by Sylvia Lim (Ms), Chairman, Workers’ Party

It was the HDB’s unjustifiable answer to Mr Muhammad Yusuf — that the grassroots adviser was more appropriate than the MP to announce the LUP plans because he was able to gather residents’ input and marshal support for the plans — which compelled Mr Low’s response.

The HDB should have just given the real reason in its reply and not beat around the bush.

Letter by Lim Yuin Chien, Press Secretary to the Minister for National Development

As Mr Mah highlighted, HDB’s upgrading programmes are carried out and funded by the Government. This is no different from other government programmes such as the building of roads and schools.

These programmes have to [...]]]>

Source: The Straits Times Forum Page Page A17 13 Oct 2009

Letter by Lim Yuin Chien, Press Secretary to the Minister for National Development

As Mr Mah highlighted, HDB’s upgrading programmes are carried out and funded by the Government. This is no different from other government programmes such as the building of roads and schools.

These programmes have to be implemented through government channels. In the case of HDB upgrading, this channel is the advisers to grassroots organisations, who are appointed by the Government. Opposition MPs are not answerable to the Government, nor are they obliged to carry out and explain the Government’s policies.