Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tribute To Mr. JBJ - True Singapore Hero
This is a video that was created on Microsoft Movie Maker. The next video will be better.
To download this video, Click Here.
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
NTU Alumni Talk - Strategic Search Engine Marketing
My Friends,
I will be the guest speaker at NTU Alumni Club this coming Friday at 7pm. It is a Seminar cum Networking event. It will be an interesting night. Come and join me to catch me in action as I release some of my secrets of getting my website rank at the Top of Search Engines.
Date: 25 May 2007 (Fri)
Time: 7pm to 10pm
Venue: 8th Degree Restaurant & Lounge, Level 8
Price: $5 Member; $8 Guest
Click here to register
P.S. - You gonna regret it if you miss this one. ;-)
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
I will be the guest speaker at NTU Alumni Club this coming Friday at 7pm. It is a Seminar cum Networking event. It will be an interesting night. Come and join me to catch me in action as I release some of my secrets of getting my website rank at the Top of Search Engines.
Date: 25 May 2007 (Fri)
Time: 7pm to 10pm
Venue: 8th Degree Restaurant & Lounge, Level 8
Price: $5 Member; $8 Guest
Click here to register
P.S. - You gonna regret it if you miss this one. ;-)
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Saturday, May 19, 2007
George W. Bush's Resume
George W. Bush (Dubya)
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Past Work Experience
- Ran for congress and lost.
- Produced a Hollywood slasher B movie.
- Bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas; company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
- Bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money.
- Biggest move: Traded Sammy Sosa to the Chicago White Sox.
- With father's help (and his name) was elected Governor of Texas. (Sounds like someone in Singapore?)
- Accomplishments in Previous Positions
Changed pollution laws for power and oil companies and made Texas the most polluted state in the Union.
Replaced Los Angeles with Houston as the most smog-ridden city in America. Cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas government to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
Set record for most executions by any governor in American history.
Became president after losing the popular vote by over 500,000 votes, with the help of my father's appointments to the Supreme Court.
Accomplishments As President
- Attacked and took over two countries.
- Spent the surplus and bankrupted the treasury.
- Shattered record for biggest annual deficit in history.
- Set economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
- Set all-time record for biggest drop in the history of the stock market.
- First president in decades to execute a federal prisoner.
- First president in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
- First year in office set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in U.S. history.
- After taking the entire month of August off for vacation, presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.
- Set the record for most campaign fundraising trips than any other president in U.S. history.
- In my first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their job.
- Cut unemployment benefits for more out of work Americans than any president in U.S. history.
- Set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
- Appointed more convicted criminals to administration positions than any president in U.S. history.
- Set the record for the least amount of press conferences than any president since the advent of television.
- Signed more laws and executive orders amending the Constitution than any president in U.S. history.
- Presided over the biggest energy crises in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption was revealed.
- Presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history and refused to use the national reserves as past presidents have.
- Cut healthcare benefits for war veterans.
- Set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously take to the streets to protest me (15 million people), shattering the record for protest against any person in the history of mankind.
- Dissolved more international treaties than any president in U.S. history.
- My presidency is the most secretive and unaccountable of any in U.S. history.
- Members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history (the 'poorest' multimillionaire, Condoleezza Rice, has an Exxon oil tanker named after her).
- First president in U.S. history to have all 50 states of the Union simultaneously go bankrupt.
- Presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud of any market in any country in the history of the world.
- First president in U.S. history to order a U.S. attack and military occupation of a sovereign nation.
- Created the largest government department bureaucracy in the history of the United States.
- Set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases, more than any president in U.S. history.
- First president in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the human rights commission.
- First president in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the elections monitoring board.
- Removed more checks and balances, and have the least amount of congressional oversight than any presidential administration in U.S. history.
- Rendered the entire United Nations irrelevant.
- Withdrew from the World Court of Law.
- Refused to allow inspectors access to U.S. prisoners of war and by default no longer abide by the Geneva Conventions.
- First president in U.S. history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. elections).
- All-time U.S. (and world) record holder for most corporate campaign donations.
- My biggest lifetime campaign contributor presided over one of the largest corporate bankruptcy frauds in world history (Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron Corporation).
- Spent more money on polls and focus groups than any president in U.S. history.
First president in U.S. history to unilaterally attack a sovereign nation against the will of the United Nations and the world community.
- First president to run and hide when the U.S. came under attack (and then lied saying the enemy had the code to Air Force 1)
- First U.S. president to establish a secret shadow government.
- Took the biggest world sympathy for the U.S. after 9/11, and in less than a year made the U.S. the most resented country in the world (possibly the biggest diplomatic failure in U.S. and world history).
- With a policy of 'disengagement' created the most hostile Israeli-Palestine relations in at least 30 years.
- Fist U.S. president in history to have a majority of the people of Europe (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability.
- First U.S. president in history to have the people of South Korea more threatened by the U.S. than their immediate neighbor, North Korea.
- Changed US policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
Set all-time record for number of administration appointees who violated U.S. law by not selling huge investments in corporations bidding for government contracts.
Failed to fulfill my pledge to get Osama Bin Laden 'dead or alive.'
Failed to capture the anthrax killer who tried to murder the leaders of our country at the United States Capital building. After 18 months I have no leads and zero suspects.
- In the 18 months following the 9/11 attacks I have successfully prevented any public investigation into the biggest security failure in the history of the United States.
- Removed more freedoms and civil liberties for Americans than any other president in U.S. history.
- In a little over two years created the most divided country in decades, possibly the most divided the U.S. has ever been since the Civil War.
- Entered office with the strongest economy in U.S. history and in less than two years turned every single economic category heading straight down.
Records and References
- At least one conviction for drunk driving in Maine (Texas driving record has been erased and is not available)
- AWOL from National Guard and deserted the military during a time of war.
- Refuse to take drug test or even answer any questions about drug use.
- All records of my tenure as governor of Texas have been spirited away to my father's library, sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
- All records of any SEC investigations into my insider trading or bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
- All minutes of meetings for any public corporation I served on the board are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
- Any records or minutes from meetings I (or my VP) attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.
- For personal references please speak to my daddy or uncle James Baker (they can be reached at their offices of the Carlyle Group for war-profiteering.)
Source: Kelley Kramer
>>>> Download George W. Bush's Resume here <<<<<
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Past Work Experience
- Ran for congress and lost.
- Produced a Hollywood slasher B movie.
- Bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas; company went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
- Bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money.
- Biggest move: Traded Sammy Sosa to the Chicago White Sox.
- With father's help (and his name) was elected Governor of Texas. (Sounds like someone in Singapore?)
- Accomplishments in Previous Positions
Changed pollution laws for power and oil companies and made Texas the most polluted state in the Union.
Replaced Los Angeles with Houston as the most smog-ridden city in America. Cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas government to the tune of billions in borrowed money.
Set record for most executions by any governor in American history.
Became president after losing the popular vote by over 500,000 votes, with the help of my father's appointments to the Supreme Court.
Accomplishments As President
- Attacked and took over two countries.
- Spent the surplus and bankrupted the treasury.
- Shattered record for biggest annual deficit in history.
- Set economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period.
- Set all-time record for biggest drop in the history of the stock market.
- First president in decades to execute a federal prisoner.
- First president in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
- First year in office set the all-time record for most days on vacation by any president in U.S. history.
- After taking the entire month of August off for vacation, presided over the worst security failure in U.S. history.
- Set the record for most campaign fundraising trips than any other president in U.S. history.
- In my first two years in office over 2 million Americans lost their job.
- Cut unemployment benefits for more out of work Americans than any president in U.S. history.
- Set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
- Appointed more convicted criminals to administration positions than any president in U.S. history.
- Set the record for the least amount of press conferences than any president since the advent of television.
- Signed more laws and executive orders amending the Constitution than any president in U.S. history.
- Presided over the biggest energy crises in U.S. history and refused to intervene when corruption was revealed.
- Presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history and refused to use the national reserves as past presidents have.
- Cut healthcare benefits for war veterans.
- Set the all-time record for most people worldwide to simultaneously take to the streets to protest me (15 million people), shattering the record for protest against any person in the history of mankind.
- Dissolved more international treaties than any president in U.S. history.
- My presidency is the most secretive and unaccountable of any in U.S. history.
- Members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history (the 'poorest' multimillionaire, Condoleezza Rice, has an Exxon oil tanker named after her).
- First president in U.S. history to have all 50 states of the Union simultaneously go bankrupt.
- Presided over the biggest corporate stock market fraud of any market in any country in the history of the world.
- First president in U.S. history to order a U.S. attack and military occupation of a sovereign nation.
- Created the largest government department bureaucracy in the history of the United States.
- Set the all-time record for biggest annual budget spending increases, more than any president in U.S. history.
- First president in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the human rights commission.
- First president in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the elections monitoring board.
- Removed more checks and balances, and have the least amount of congressional oversight than any presidential administration in U.S. history.
- Rendered the entire United Nations irrelevant.
- Withdrew from the World Court of Law.
- Refused to allow inspectors access to U.S. prisoners of war and by default no longer abide by the Geneva Conventions.
- First president in U.S. history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. elections).
- All-time U.S. (and world) record holder for most corporate campaign donations.
- My biggest lifetime campaign contributor presided over one of the largest corporate bankruptcy frauds in world history (Kenneth Lay, former CEO of Enron Corporation).
- Spent more money on polls and focus groups than any president in U.S. history.
First president in U.S. history to unilaterally attack a sovereign nation against the will of the United Nations and the world community.
- First president to run and hide when the U.S. came under attack (and then lied saying the enemy had the code to Air Force 1)
- First U.S. president to establish a secret shadow government.
- Took the biggest world sympathy for the U.S. after 9/11, and in less than a year made the U.S. the most resented country in the world (possibly the biggest diplomatic failure in U.S. and world history).
- With a policy of 'disengagement' created the most hostile Israeli-Palestine relations in at least 30 years.
- Fist U.S. president in history to have a majority of the people of Europe (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and stability.
- First U.S. president in history to have the people of South Korea more threatened by the U.S. than their immediate neighbor, North Korea.
- Changed US policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts.
Set all-time record for number of administration appointees who violated U.S. law by not selling huge investments in corporations bidding for government contracts.
Failed to fulfill my pledge to get Osama Bin Laden 'dead or alive.'
Failed to capture the anthrax killer who tried to murder the leaders of our country at the United States Capital building. After 18 months I have no leads and zero suspects.
- In the 18 months following the 9/11 attacks I have successfully prevented any public investigation into the biggest security failure in the history of the United States.
- Removed more freedoms and civil liberties for Americans than any other president in U.S. history.
- In a little over two years created the most divided country in decades, possibly the most divided the U.S. has ever been since the Civil War.
- Entered office with the strongest economy in U.S. history and in less than two years turned every single economic category heading straight down.
Records and References
- At least one conviction for drunk driving in Maine (Texas driving record has been erased and is not available)
- AWOL from National Guard and deserted the military during a time of war.
- Refuse to take drug test or even answer any questions about drug use.
- All records of my tenure as governor of Texas have been spirited away to my father's library, sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
- All records of any SEC investigations into my insider trading or bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
- All minutes of meetings for any public corporation I served on the board are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view.
- Any records or minutes from meetings I (or my VP) attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review.
- For personal references please speak to my daddy or uncle James Baker (they can be reached at their offices of the Carlyle Group for war-profiteering.)
Source: Kelley Kramer
>>>> Download George W. Bush's Resume here <<<<<
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Saturday, May 12, 2007
The Untold Truths of National Service
We are loyal Singaporeans and we feel the need to serve the country and protect our homeland. By sharing the storeis I am not telling you to not serve our country but how we could improve the current situations.
Let me share with you these stories. It might just let you have a new perspective of the disadvantages Singaporeans face by serving their National Service, Reservist and In-Camp training in their day to day life.
Incident 1.
IT Analyst on contract was on 2 weeks reservist in an IT Firm. He was serving a 6 months contract. After returning from the in-camp training, he was told his contract will not be renewed. When asked why it wasn't renewed as he was hardworking and fulfilled all job tasks on time, his IT Manager who is a Chinese National told him that he would rather hire more China or Indian Nationals as they have no 'down time'. This is getting increasingly rampant in many organizations where Non-Singaporean hold Management positions.
Incident 2.
One of my students, J.L. is a male nurse. Like many Singaporeans, he likes to start his own family and own a flat. He realized he could not afford to do that due to his family commitments. He works from 8.30 to 4.30pm in a local hospital. To supplement his income, he decides to take on a second job as a security guard on 2-3 week nights, working from 6pm to 6am.
Like many Singaporeans, he served his two weeks reservist and one day after returning from his reservist, he was told not to come back for work. Hence, he had to source for another job.
Incident 3
Lawrence Leow was a bright young kid. He was very active in school and was pretty diligent in his studies. He was studying in Anderson Junior College. Disaster struck when he was serving his National Service.
Lawrence had suffered heat stroke during his National Service. What happened next was a shock to many of his friends and family. Due to the heat stroke suffered during National Service training, Lawrence was paralyzed in most of his body. He also suffered inflammation and infection in his wind pipe. That resulted in having an operation to have a opening at his throat.
Lawrence could not eat on his own and had limited mobility. He could only type using a small digital pad or sms to communicate his thoughts. He was in no position to take care of himself. As he can't speak, he could only capture your attention by breathing deeply. Yes, it does sound like Darth Vader breathing with intensity.
I was concerned over his situation so I asked him whether Mindef offered any kind of assistance or compensation to him. I was told they are only paying him $500 a month plus a CSC card. In Lawrence's own words via sms to me, "The $500 is not even enough for me to hire a maid!".
This is sad as it adds on to Lawrence's family burden. During the free internet marketing workshop at HWA, it was his grandfather that had been wheelchairing him all the way from Bukit Batok to the HWA office at Balester. How many more are in the same predicament of Lawrence Leow?
I am asking the following questions to the authorities.
1. At a time when Ministers are giving themselves pre-approved increments of millions of dollars, why is it that the SAF is only compensating peanuts to those who suffered disabilities a meagre $500 a month?
2. Are the National Serviceman promptly covered under the accidental insurance. Isn't NTUC Income the most competitive provider in the market? Are the payouts realistic enough. Should we be looking for better coverage by perhaps opening a tender for insurance and inviting all insurance companies to participate?
P.S. - Anybody who wish to help Lawrence in anyway could contact me. He's struggling even to pay for his internet access.
P.P.S. - For reporters who want to schedule a face to face interview for a more in-depth story, you are welcome to contact me.
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Let me share with you these stories. It might just let you have a new perspective of the disadvantages Singaporeans face by serving their National Service, Reservist and In-Camp training in their day to day life.
Incident 1.
IT Analyst on contract was on 2 weeks reservist in an IT Firm. He was serving a 6 months contract. After returning from the in-camp training, he was told his contract will not be renewed. When asked why it wasn't renewed as he was hardworking and fulfilled all job tasks on time, his IT Manager who is a Chinese National told him that he would rather hire more China or Indian Nationals as they have no 'down time'. This is getting increasingly rampant in many organizations where Non-Singaporean hold Management positions.
Incident 2.
One of my students, J.L. is a male nurse. Like many Singaporeans, he likes to start his own family and own a flat. He realized he could not afford to do that due to his family commitments. He works from 8.30 to 4.30pm in a local hospital. To supplement his income, he decides to take on a second job as a security guard on 2-3 week nights, working from 6pm to 6am.
Like many Singaporeans, he served his two weeks reservist and one day after returning from his reservist, he was told not to come back for work. Hence, he had to source for another job.
Incident 3
Lawrence Leow was a bright young kid. He was very active in school and was pretty diligent in his studies. He was studying in Anderson Junior College. Disaster struck when he was serving his National Service.
Lawrence had suffered heat stroke during his National Service. What happened next was a shock to many of his friends and family. Due to the heat stroke suffered during National Service training, Lawrence was paralyzed in most of his body. He also suffered inflammation and infection in his wind pipe. That resulted in having an operation to have a opening at his throat.
Lawrence could not eat on his own and had limited mobility. He could only type using a small digital pad or sms to communicate his thoughts. He was in no position to take care of himself. As he can't speak, he could only capture your attention by breathing deeply. Yes, it does sound like Darth Vader breathing with intensity.
I was concerned over his situation so I asked him whether Mindef offered any kind of assistance or compensation to him. I was told they are only paying him $500 a month plus a CSC card. In Lawrence's own words via sms to me, "The $500 is not even enough for me to hire a maid!".
This is sad as it adds on to Lawrence's family burden. During the free internet marketing workshop at HWA, it was his grandfather that had been wheelchairing him all the way from Bukit Batok to the HWA office at Balester. How many more are in the same predicament of Lawrence Leow?
I am asking the following questions to the authorities.
1. At a time when Ministers are giving themselves pre-approved increments of millions of dollars, why is it that the SAF is only compensating peanuts to those who suffered disabilities a meagre $500 a month?
2. Are the National Serviceman promptly covered under the accidental insurance. Isn't NTUC Income the most competitive provider in the market? Are the payouts realistic enough. Should we be looking for better coverage by perhaps opening a tender for insurance and inviting all insurance companies to participate?
P.S. - Anybody who wish to help Lawrence in anyway could contact me. He's struggling even to pay for his internet access.
P.P.S. - For reporters who want to schedule a face to face interview for a more in-depth story, you are welcome to contact me.
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Thursday, May 10, 2007
NTUC Pays 7 Month Bonus!
You should check out this report from Today Online.
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/187478.asp
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/187478.asp
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
‘How To Beat A MNC Using Strategic Internet Marketing?’ & Networking Night
I've been invited to speak at the NTU Alumni Club on 25th May 07. Tickets are available at $8 for guests and $5 for NTU Alumni members. The last I heard was that tickets are being snapped up really fast!
I will be sharing strategies and tips of how SMEs can Out Gun the MNCs with absolute NO Advertising Budget.
Check out here for more details. Finger food available.
==> http://www.ntualumni.org.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=18
P.S. - Interested in finding out how to make money with no money? That's my specialty. ;-)
==> http://www.ntualumni.org.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=18
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
I will be sharing strategies and tips of how SMEs can Out Gun the MNCs with absolute NO Advertising Budget.
Check out here for more details. Finger food available.
==> http://www.ntualumni.org.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=18
P.S. - Interested in finding out how to make money with no money? That's my specialty. ;-)
==> http://www.ntualumni.org.sg/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=15&Itemid=18
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Growing underclass in 'Lion City'
Hamish MacDonald
Al Jazeera
05 May 07
The city-state of Singapore is Asia's second-richest country after Japan - a high-tech global hub for banking, transport and business.
Modern Singapore has never really had a problem with poverty, but globalisation and an aging population are changing that.
A growing number of Singaporeans are now struggling to make ends meet - forcing radical changes to social and fiscal policy in a country where welfare remains a
dirty word.
Tan Ching Hoo is 62 years old. He used to work as a waiter, but now he collects cardboard for a living.
For every kilogram, he earns the equivalent of 65 cents. "Whether I like or not, I have no choice," he says. "I have to earn money."
His son pays the rent of $50 a month for a one room apartment.
'Dirty word'
But Tan is not alone. Eight per cent of Singapore's population is said to live in poverty and increasing numbers are joining that new class of urban poor.
Sinapan Samydorai of the Think Centre, an independent political research group, says for years Singapore was built around a concept of affluence, and was simply not prepared for the idea of poverty.
"Welfare was a dirty word in Singapore, even now. They don't encourage welfare."
Globalisation created Singapore's economic miracle, reinforcing the self-styled image of the 'lion city'.
But it also brought cheaper migrant labour, and that has made it hard for an ageing population to compete.
While most countries have their disadvantaged, what makes Singapore different is that a country now known as one of the most affluent in Asia is developing what
is being described as an underclass.
Singapore's government has now acknowledged there is a problem and in this year's budget it introduced what it calls "bold" new welfare payments.
Sylvia Lim, a member of parliament for the opposition Workers Party, says this represents something of a sea change in Singapore's policy towards welfare.
"This is quite radical for Singapore," she says.
"We have always lived under this system where you have to earn every cent that you get basically and now the government recognises that there are some people who
just can't earn enough now."
'Marginalised'
Singapore's emerging underclass may be relatively small now, but its growth could threaten the political dynamic in what is effectively a one-party state.
Chua Hak Bin, a Singapore-based economist with Citigroup, says this is the first time the government has acknowledged the issue.
"There will be some social pressures, there will be a group that will be marginalised," he says.
"I guess what is important though is that it is being recognised and the government is trying to do something to help those people."
Back at his small one room flat Mr Tan has yet to sign up for any of the government's new assistance programs.
The paperwork he says is just too complicated.
Even in pragmatic Singapore old habits die hard, and welfare, both giving and receiving, might take some getting used to.
Singapore's wealth gap:
[Source]: UN, Singapore government
GDP $28,077 per person in 2006
Economy forecast to grow 7 per cent in 2007
Between 2000 and 2005:
- Monthly income of Singapore's poorest workers fell 4.3 per cent to $774 a month.
- Monthly income of Singapore's richest workers grew 2.8 per cent to nearly 11,000 dollars a month
Source:
http://singaporeelection.blogspot.com/2007/05/growing-underclass-in-lion-city.html
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Al Jazeera
05 May 07
The city-state of Singapore is Asia's second-richest country after Japan - a high-tech global hub for banking, transport and business.
Modern Singapore has never really had a problem with poverty, but globalisation and an aging population are changing that.
A growing number of Singaporeans are now struggling to make ends meet - forcing radical changes to social and fiscal policy in a country where welfare remains a
dirty word.
Tan Ching Hoo is 62 years old. He used to work as a waiter, but now he collects cardboard for a living.
For every kilogram, he earns the equivalent of 65 cents. "Whether I like or not, I have no choice," he says. "I have to earn money."
His son pays the rent of $50 a month for a one room apartment.
'Dirty word'
But Tan is not alone. Eight per cent of Singapore's population is said to live in poverty and increasing numbers are joining that new class of urban poor.
Sinapan Samydorai of the Think Centre, an independent political research group, says for years Singapore was built around a concept of affluence, and was simply not prepared for the idea of poverty.
"Welfare was a dirty word in Singapore, even now. They don't encourage welfare."
Globalisation created Singapore's economic miracle, reinforcing the self-styled image of the 'lion city'.
But it also brought cheaper migrant labour, and that has made it hard for an ageing population to compete.
While most countries have their disadvantaged, what makes Singapore different is that a country now known as one of the most affluent in Asia is developing what
is being described as an underclass.
Singapore's government has now acknowledged there is a problem and in this year's budget it introduced what it calls "bold" new welfare payments.
Sylvia Lim, a member of parliament for the opposition Workers Party, says this represents something of a sea change in Singapore's policy towards welfare.
"This is quite radical for Singapore," she says.
"We have always lived under this system where you have to earn every cent that you get basically and now the government recognises that there are some people who
just can't earn enough now."
'Marginalised'
Singapore's emerging underclass may be relatively small now, but its growth could threaten the political dynamic in what is effectively a one-party state.
Chua Hak Bin, a Singapore-based economist with Citigroup, says this is the first time the government has acknowledged the issue.
"There will be some social pressures, there will be a group that will be marginalised," he says.
"I guess what is important though is that it is being recognised and the government is trying to do something to help those people."
Back at his small one room flat Mr Tan has yet to sign up for any of the government's new assistance programs.
The paperwork he says is just too complicated.
Even in pragmatic Singapore old habits die hard, and welfare, both giving and receiving, might take some getting used to.
Singapore's wealth gap:
[Source]: UN, Singapore government
GDP $28,077 per person in 2006
Economy forecast to grow 7 per cent in 2007
Between 2000 and 2005:
- Monthly income of Singapore's poorest workers fell 4.3 per cent to $774 a month.
- Monthly income of Singapore's richest workers grew 2.8 per cent to nearly 11,000 dollars a month
Source:
http://singaporeelection.blogspot.com/2007/05/growing-underclass-in-lion-city.html
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Woman Dies After Overworked
Her story is a painful but apt lesson for us as we take a break this May Day: Work hard, but take care of your health.
That lesson came too late for Ms May Leong, who died on 23 Apr. Just two days before her death, she had written in her blog: "I don't wanna end up dead for the sake of dough".
Her mum and some friends believe she was stressed out from work. Going by her blog entry dated 21 Apr – her only entry this year – her job seemed demanding.
And she was clearly struggling to cope with the workload. Just before she died, Ms Leong, who would have been 29 this month, had been working on her laptop for eight straight hours, said her mother.
Although the cause of death can't be confirmed for now, family members believe she died from pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis. This is a condition that can strike when someone has been inactive for a long period of time, like sitting in one position.
"I really thought I was able to do everything, that I can be supergirl as well, but my health is worsening at a fast rate," she wrote in her blog two days before she died.
"Vitamin M(oney) isn't gonna cure my health."
The Singaporean is an only child. Her father left the family when she was young, said a relative, leaving the mother and daughter to fend for themselves.
That early trauma bonded the pair, who became close. Ms Leong, who worked in a multi-national company (MNC) and apparently drew a salary of $2,600 a month, said in her blog that she wanted to "earn lots of $".
She had a dream: To take her mother abroad for a holiday. Friends and family said she was bent on earning enough to realise that dream for Madam Lim Mui Mui, 54, who works as a packer for a supermarket chain here.
That is why Ms Leong continued to hold on to her job, despite being stressed by it.
Said her friend, Mr Li Kaiyan, 25, a civil engineering student at the National University of Singapore: "She told us before she blogged her last entry that she was overworked and stressed out.
"We hardly had time to chat on the Internet since she started this job about two months ago."
Ms Leong had been working at different jobs until she joined her last company in September last year, said Mr Li who has been a close friend for three years.
In March, she switched departments in the same company and work became more demanding.
Ms Leong, a support manager, was thrilled to "finally have the chance to 'fly high' in a Fortune 500 MNC", she wrote in her blog.
So much so that it was "ok for me to wake at 3.30am to start work @ 4.30am everyday in the morning" as she was dealing with New Zealand partners.
"But never did I realise what kind of stuff (would be) coming towards me..." she wrote.
"What I face everyday as a partner support manager is having more than 100 e-mails per day.
"Partners from New Zealand practically 'screaming' to be served first, getting their orders delivered ASAP, wanting everything, complaining of everything.
"Month end was the most 'exciting' part, you get to go on concalls (conference calls) almost every day, prepare backlog reports for each concall session which consists of 500 over orders remaining undelivered, investigating item by item...
"I've got to work at home during non-working hours including weekends, just doing my best to clear my work."
DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS
A National University Hospital spokesman confirmed that Ms Leong was taken to its A&E department on 23 Apr at around 8pm.
She could not confirm the cause of death as it is now a coroner's case.
Ms Pamela Wong, 29, who was Ms Leong's best friend for 21 years, believes that it was deep vein thrombosis which killed her. She said doctors had told family members that Ms Leong had a blood clot in her legs.
"Her family members told me that when she tried to stand up, the blood clot actually shot to her heart causing her to collapse," she said.
Ms Wong added that since Ms Leong fell down two weeks ago, she hadn't been feeling well.
On 18 Apr, Ms Leong fainted at the lobby of her workplace. But she did not want to take medical leave. Nor did she want to quit her job.
"She was worried because she was on contract. Every time she took medical leave, it would be on no-pay basis," said Ms Wong.
Ms Leong wrote in her blog: "I've got myself sick these few days. Had diarrhoea last Thursday (19 Apr), hurt my knee and was limping badly since last Sunday (15 Apr), had breathlessness since Wednesday (18 Apr) and fainted after work on that day at my office lift lobby, knocked my head against the wall when I fainted, collapsed again last night at home."
Madam Lim said her daughter had been very sick since Friday.
Ms Leong wrote in her blog: "Now my chest feels really tight & breathing is really tough. "Getting up & walk, I just feel like I'm carrying a heavy baggage of few hundred kilos & I'll start to feel really weak & dizzy."
Earlier, she had been to see the doctor at a private clinic near her home in Clementi. But the doctor had told her it was probably work stress she was feeling, said Ms Wong, who had spoken on the phone to Ms Leong the day before she died.
Ms Leong wrote: "Doc just said I'm really stressed out. Sigh..... what should I do? Quit? Or continue this ultra-super stressful job? "I've got a contract of six months to fulfill... three months to commit. If I quit now, I've got to pay back one month's salary. Not worth it. If I quit after May, it won't be so bad.
"But I don't know if my health can tolerate (it) till then."
Mr Li said: "According to her mother, before she collapsed, she had been working non-stop for eight hours with the laptop on her lap, replying to e-mail and work-related stuff."
At her wake at Singapore Casket last week, friends, family and ex-colleagues gathered. According to Ms Jamie Tan – Ms Leong's cousin – her boss was the first to arrive.
"We spoke to him. We wanted to know if she was overworked. He said no," said Ms Tan, 31, whose mother is the elder sister of Ms Leong's mother.
Madam Lim said: "Now that my daughter is gone, what is there left for me?"
She was gasping for breath
MS May Leong's mother called Ms Pamela Wong in a panic at around 7pm last Monday. Ms Leong had collapsed and she was having great difficulty breathing.
Said Ms Wong: "I used to live in the nearby block to her flat. But since I got married, I have moved. So I could not rush down. I called my parents and asked them to rush there first."
While her parents were on the way to Ms Leong's flat, they called her mother to ask if they should call a doctor or an ambulance.
"She asked for an ambulance," said Ms Wong. When her parents arrived at the flat, her father saw Ms Leong on the sofa "gasping for breath".
"He also saw a huge bruise on her leg," said Ms Wong. Ms Leong's mother was frantic, but there was little anyone could except wait for the ambulance.
"The ambulance took about 20 minutes to half an hour to arrive," said Ms Wong. "During that time, my father saw her calling her mother and crying, quite loudly at first, but as she grew weaker, her cries became softer."
By the time Ms Leong arrived at the National University Hospital at about 8pm, her condition was critical. Not long after that, she died.
Listen to your body or you may regret it
Deep vein thrombosis refers to the formation of a blood clot within a deep vein, commonly in the thigh or calf.
Some risk factors include being over 60 years old, overweight and being inactive for a long period of time.
If the clot partially or completely blocks the flow of blood through the vein, blood begins to pool and build up below the site.
Chronic swelling and pain may develop. The valves in the blood vessels may be damaged. Or if the clot breaks free and travels through the veins, it can reach the lungs, where it is called a pulmonary embolism (PE).
This is a potentially fatal condition that can kill within hours. To prevent DVT, you should frequently exercise your lower leg muscles – every half an hour or so – if you know you'll be inactive for a long period of time.
Other than exercising your leg muscles, you should also exercise work-life balance, said Dr Clarice Hong, a consultant psychiatrist in private practice.
"I would always advocate that we should always take care of ourselves first. If we don't take care of ourselves, we cannot fulfill our roles at work or at home, especially the multiple roles that women play," said Dr Hong.
If you do not feel well, you should listen to your body and rest. "Don't push yourself so hard doing one thing. That's like putting all your eggs in one basket. Because if something happens to you, everything comes to an end," she said.
Source: The New Paper, 1 May 2007
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
That lesson came too late for Ms May Leong, who died on 23 Apr. Just two days before her death, she had written in her blog: "I don't wanna end up dead for the sake of dough".
Her mum and some friends believe she was stressed out from work. Going by her blog entry dated 21 Apr – her only entry this year – her job seemed demanding.
And she was clearly struggling to cope with the workload. Just before she died, Ms Leong, who would have been 29 this month, had been working on her laptop for eight straight hours, said her mother.
Although the cause of death can't be confirmed for now, family members believe she died from pulmonary embolism caused by deep vein thrombosis. This is a condition that can strike when someone has been inactive for a long period of time, like sitting in one position.
"I really thought I was able to do everything, that I can be supergirl as well, but my health is worsening at a fast rate," she wrote in her blog two days before she died.
"Vitamin M(oney) isn't gonna cure my health."
The Singaporean is an only child. Her father left the family when she was young, said a relative, leaving the mother and daughter to fend for themselves.
That early trauma bonded the pair, who became close. Ms Leong, who worked in a multi-national company (MNC) and apparently drew a salary of $2,600 a month, said in her blog that she wanted to "earn lots of $".
She had a dream: To take her mother abroad for a holiday. Friends and family said she was bent on earning enough to realise that dream for Madam Lim Mui Mui, 54, who works as a packer for a supermarket chain here.
That is why Ms Leong continued to hold on to her job, despite being stressed by it.
Said her friend, Mr Li Kaiyan, 25, a civil engineering student at the National University of Singapore: "She told us before she blogged her last entry that she was overworked and stressed out.
"We hardly had time to chat on the Internet since she started this job about two months ago."
Ms Leong had been working at different jobs until she joined her last company in September last year, said Mr Li who has been a close friend for three years.
In March, she switched departments in the same company and work became more demanding.
Ms Leong, a support manager, was thrilled to "finally have the chance to 'fly high' in a Fortune 500 MNC", she wrote in her blog.
So much so that it was "ok for me to wake at 3.30am to start work @ 4.30am everyday in the morning" as she was dealing with New Zealand partners.
"But never did I realise what kind of stuff (would be) coming towards me..." she wrote.
"What I face everyday as a partner support manager is having more than 100 e-mails per day.
"Partners from New Zealand practically 'screaming' to be served first, getting their orders delivered ASAP, wanting everything, complaining of everything.
"Month end was the most 'exciting' part, you get to go on concalls (conference calls) almost every day, prepare backlog reports for each concall session which consists of 500 over orders remaining undelivered, investigating item by item...
"I've got to work at home during non-working hours including weekends, just doing my best to clear my work."
DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS
A National University Hospital spokesman confirmed that Ms Leong was taken to its A&E department on 23 Apr at around 8pm.
She could not confirm the cause of death as it is now a coroner's case.
Ms Pamela Wong, 29, who was Ms Leong's best friend for 21 years, believes that it was deep vein thrombosis which killed her. She said doctors had told family members that Ms Leong had a blood clot in her legs.
"Her family members told me that when she tried to stand up, the blood clot actually shot to her heart causing her to collapse," she said.
Ms Wong added that since Ms Leong fell down two weeks ago, she hadn't been feeling well.
On 18 Apr, Ms Leong fainted at the lobby of her workplace. But she did not want to take medical leave. Nor did she want to quit her job.
"She was worried because she was on contract. Every time she took medical leave, it would be on no-pay basis," said Ms Wong.
Ms Leong wrote in her blog: "I've got myself sick these few days. Had diarrhoea last Thursday (19 Apr), hurt my knee and was limping badly since last Sunday (15 Apr), had breathlessness since Wednesday (18 Apr) and fainted after work on that day at my office lift lobby, knocked my head against the wall when I fainted, collapsed again last night at home."
Madam Lim said her daughter had been very sick since Friday.
Ms Leong wrote in her blog: "Now my chest feels really tight & breathing is really tough. "Getting up & walk, I just feel like I'm carrying a heavy baggage of few hundred kilos & I'll start to feel really weak & dizzy."
Earlier, she had been to see the doctor at a private clinic near her home in Clementi. But the doctor had told her it was probably work stress she was feeling, said Ms Wong, who had spoken on the phone to Ms Leong the day before she died.
Ms Leong wrote: "Doc just said I'm really stressed out. Sigh..... what should I do? Quit? Or continue this ultra-super stressful job? "I've got a contract of six months to fulfill... three months to commit. If I quit now, I've got to pay back one month's salary. Not worth it. If I quit after May, it won't be so bad.
"But I don't know if my health can tolerate (it) till then."
Mr Li said: "According to her mother, before she collapsed, she had been working non-stop for eight hours with the laptop on her lap, replying to e-mail and work-related stuff."
At her wake at Singapore Casket last week, friends, family and ex-colleagues gathered. According to Ms Jamie Tan – Ms Leong's cousin – her boss was the first to arrive.
"We spoke to him. We wanted to know if she was overworked. He said no," said Ms Tan, 31, whose mother is the elder sister of Ms Leong's mother.
Madam Lim said: "Now that my daughter is gone, what is there left for me?"
She was gasping for breath
MS May Leong's mother called Ms Pamela Wong in a panic at around 7pm last Monday. Ms Leong had collapsed and she was having great difficulty breathing.
Said Ms Wong: "I used to live in the nearby block to her flat. But since I got married, I have moved. So I could not rush down. I called my parents and asked them to rush there first."
While her parents were on the way to Ms Leong's flat, they called her mother to ask if they should call a doctor or an ambulance.
"She asked for an ambulance," said Ms Wong. When her parents arrived at the flat, her father saw Ms Leong on the sofa "gasping for breath".
"He also saw a huge bruise on her leg," said Ms Wong. Ms Leong's mother was frantic, but there was little anyone could except wait for the ambulance.
"The ambulance took about 20 minutes to half an hour to arrive," said Ms Wong. "During that time, my father saw her calling her mother and crying, quite loudly at first, but as she grew weaker, her cries became softer."
By the time Ms Leong arrived at the National University Hospital at about 8pm, her condition was critical. Not long after that, she died.
Listen to your body or you may regret it
Deep vein thrombosis refers to the formation of a blood clot within a deep vein, commonly in the thigh or calf.
Some risk factors include being over 60 years old, overweight and being inactive for a long period of time.
If the clot partially or completely blocks the flow of blood through the vein, blood begins to pool and build up below the site.
Chronic swelling and pain may develop. The valves in the blood vessels may be damaged. Or if the clot breaks free and travels through the veins, it can reach the lungs, where it is called a pulmonary embolism (PE).
This is a potentially fatal condition that can kill within hours. To prevent DVT, you should frequently exercise your lower leg muscles – every half an hour or so – if you know you'll be inactive for a long period of time.
Other than exercising your leg muscles, you should also exercise work-life balance, said Dr Clarice Hong, a consultant psychiatrist in private practice.
"I would always advocate that we should always take care of ourselves first. If we don't take care of ourselves, we cannot fulfill our roles at work or at home, especially the multiple roles that women play," said Dr Hong.
If you do not feel well, you should listen to your body and rest. "Don't push yourself so hard doing one thing. That's like putting all your eggs in one basket. Because if something happens to you, everything comes to an end," she said.
Source: The New Paper, 1 May 2007
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Awesome Video About LKY
This was an interesting video I found at Sammyboy. :-)
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Dr. Chee's Book - A Nation Cheated
Dr. Chee's Book - A Nation Cheated
Click here to purchase it.
Regards,
Edmund Ng
CEO, President
www.Internet-Empire.com
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